Jump to content

Destiny Enflamed


TahuForever!

Recommended Posts

"You're mad. There's no way we can expect to overwhelm their forces. Especially with that do-gooder, Makuta-wannabe, Toa Tahu around, who always rushes in like the 'hero' he thinks he is every time a loaf of bread is stolen. . . To challenge them would be to court death!"


The Queen of the Sisters of the Skrall, sitting on her dark throne, slammed her staff hard on the ground, creating a piercing crack that echoed throughout the chamber.

"We've been to war with them before. Surely you've heard of this? Our lands are diminished and lacking in resources... of course we've led campaigns. What I wouldn't give to conquer their nations! But we have not the strength just yet." She fingered the striking red jewel that adorned her staff. "We have already lost many warriors."

A stranger stood before her, someone even she did not know. This stranger was cloaked in shadow, with a long robe that covered its entire body. A hood obscured the head and face so completely that even the Queen of the Sisters, with her experience with shadows, could not pierce it with her gaze.

The visitor was Toa-sized, and stood in the four-limbed upright stance that so many beings possessed, but they could still be many things, or even something new. The Queen could feel an aura of power resonating from the stranger, and an air of authority resembling her own. The convoy that had escorted the stranger to the Queen's court evinced that the being before her did in fact possess both.

Beyond this, one other betraying characteristic stood out, the voice. The stranger was obviously female. Her voice was sharp and clear. Strong, yet glazed with a softness that was a little chilling. The Queen approved and almost envied.

The stranger began her reply. "I am aware of your former excursions. I have not come before you merely to encourage another attempt, but to offer the hand of assistance. Besides that, I have already spoken with other groups, such as the Vorox, and the Skakdi, among many others. Groups with as much need for land and resources, and as strong a desire for revenge against the Glatorian and the Toa, as you. Many of them have already pledged their support. Feel free to confirm this through your contacts. What I have come to suggest is that a united front, which as I say others have already pledged to, would be much more likely to succeed."
 
The Queen was amused, and displayed the fact with a bemused half-smile. "You speak of unity among us. Yet you must surely realize full well what the outcome of such a united front would be if it failed. If we were to launch a full-scale invasion, the retribution would be swift and terrible, the vengeance complete. None would escape their retaliation should the campaign fail. We would have but one shot, and failure would mean death for us all. . . Yes, I admit this. Their power and capability is that great. I am not foolish enough to pretend otherwise. They may be far weaker than we in other ways, with their precious "mercy" and "honor", but even they have their limits. An invasion the likes of which you speak would arouse even their carnal feelings. Relations are fraught with tension as it is."

The stranger spread her arms wide, then slowly let them fall. The Queen cocked her head as the stranger went on. "What if I told you I could guarantee the end of our biggest obstacle? What if I told you my allies and I possess a weapon even the 'great and mighty' Toa Tahu would be helpless against? Something no other Toa, Glatorian, or warrior of any kind could resist."

The Queen was intrigued now, but skeptical. "Is this so? And what of their last-ditch, final-resort weapon of war? What of the one who was sought to end their silly civil war of not too long ago? What of Mata Nui and the Mask of Life?"

"Mata Nui hasn't been seen since the war you speak of, and hardly at all since the Great Reformation. We will strike so swiftly and decisively that the Mask will be in our hands before Mata Nui can take any notice. You are surely aware of his lethargic slumber and meditations."

"You know the Mask's location?" The Queen frowned. "I shall need confirmation of this before I agree to anything the likes of which you suggest. And what of Tahu?"

"Discovering the location of the Mask was not an easy challenge, but we have achieved it. You shall have your confirmation. Now, as for Tahu. . . Allow me to show you our secret weapon. Even Tahu shall be helpless before us."

She reached into her cloak and withdrew a round object wrapped in cloth, which she held upright. Allowing the cloth to slide open but to remain as a barrier between her hand and the object, she revealed a glowing green orb.

"Naturally you shall require a demonstration of its power first."

Several guardsmen stepped forward, as if afraid she planned to use it on the Queen. The Queen herself scowled.

The stranger returned it to the cloth and her cloak. "It would be useless against you, your majesty. It only affects Toa."

The Queen studied the stranger carefully. She was most certainly quite mad. Wasn't she? And yet. . .

She leaned forward in her throne, suddenly hungry to hear more.

"I'm listening."

 
* ~ *    * ~ *    * ~ *

 
The Great Plains stretched out in every direction. He thoughtfully took note of the contrast between it and the desert wasteland it had once been, so, so long ago. Now it glistened as far as the eye could see with luscious grass and other vegetation. In the distance, cities adorned the horizon.

In the center of the plain stood a great monument of metal, glistening as the sun's rays were reflected off its silver surface, though it was highly textured with the pits and wear of time.

At the very highest tip of this monument he stood, a figure of red and gold, alone but for his reflection on the shining metal on which he stood.

His mask, bearing an expression of the utmost intensity and bearing a row of three war lines across each cheek, gazed out over the landscape. In this place, far from civilization, he was free from the trials of everyday. Free to fully grasp the big picture of his life.

His name? Toa Tahu. He stood on the peak of what had once been known as Mt. Ihu. What a long, long time since it had been known by that name. . . he was almost surprised he still remembered it. Barren of the former stone that had stretched heavenward, it was now a mountain of metal. Indeed, he stood upon the face of the since-transferred Great Spirit Mata Nui. The nose, to be exact.

And what a life I've had, he thought. I've led rebellions, fought wars, guided societies, and walked the footsteps of so many strangers. He grimaced. And yet. . . how much have I, right now, to show for it? A good deal, some would say, more than most. . . but is it enough?

He contemplated the state of this world, and that of the past. Once, he and his kind had lived in their own well-structured world, governed by an overarching system of order. All they had to do was fulfill their duties, obey their instructions, and the world took care of itself. Only the rebellious, those who turned against this order, needed be opposed.

Granted, these rebels won great victories and greatly complicated the otherwise simple world, but nevertheless it stood in stark contrast to this. . . He had lived in that old world up until it fell apart. Since then his kind had lived in a far more different form of "freedom" than any they had ever known before.

Without the Great Spirit to guide us more directly, things changed so much. They had to figure life out for themselves. They had the principles and virtues of their old life to cling to, for which they were very thankful and grateful, but their world no longer had a clear structure of its own. They had to build one.

And so they had. They formed kingdoms, nations, they developed governments. But alas, this had led to many a war. Tahu, as the head of the Toa Order, had done his best to lead his brethren in their quest to maintain peace. But oh, the road had been fraught with hardship, and didn't always work out the way they wanted.

At least we were used to that part, he thought with a grimace.

And now? The world of Spherus Magna was spinning on as it ever had. The nations lived more or less in harmony. The Toa did their jobs well. Alas, their kind were diminishing in number, but then they had help from the Glatorian, among others.

Tahu often reminisced fondly the tales of old. Once upon a time his world had been straightforward and clear: Long, long, long ago, many millenia even before the old world had fallen. There had been many lifetimes of struggle with darkness even before the old world fell. But way, way back, there had been peace. Back when the world had been clear and simple, and there was a job for everyone to do good and a world that was also good, and served an immense purpose, and there was little room for darkness.
Alas that darkness had ever come to be! The more he thought about it and all the harm it had caused, the angrier he became. Sparks flew from his clenched fists. Finally he settled down. The world was. . . what the world was. If they wanted anything different, they would have to make it that way. If they wanted change, they would have to build it.

Unfortunately, not everyone wanted that. There were those groups, oh far too many such groups, who wanted to wrestle power over the world away from those who governed it well. Or well enough, anyway. The darkness, in short, wanted dominion and oppression. He had never understood it and did not believe he ever would. But there it was. The Skrall still lived out in their wastelands, the Skakdi in their old holdings. These among others stood in sharp refusal to convert to any kind of civilization, preferring violence and destruction.

They've been acting up lately, he mused. A lot of raids in a short time. Are they planning something? He shrugged off the thought in indifference. As if such plans hadn't been made many thousands of times before in his life by such beings, only to be thwarted in the end. Part of him relished the thought of another war, if only as an excuse to exercise his power and vent some frustration.

He would have felt guilty about this desire if he weren't often so frustrated with the world for refusing to shape up. Still, many millenia of war were a hard thing to shake out of beings who lived so long, even out of those who did not. In truth not all the Skakdi and Skrall clung to the old ways, and then there were those of his own kind who turned traitor. More nonsense he didn't understand, and a strange blurring of the lines.

Alas, he would have to give the world time. There are so many worlds out there. He remembered from his rare conversations with Mata Nui. How can we expect to get anywhere if we insist on tearing ourselves apart? He wondered if this were true of all worlds, if they all went through these trying periods. Growth pains, perhaps. He smirked at the thought, finding it amusing, in a not completely pleasant sort of way.


* ~ *    * ~ *    * ~ *


Distant sounds akin to beckoning thunder drew him from his contemplation.

It was faint, but distinguishable. Yelling. And. . . drums?

Surely it isn't the sounds of war. That was the last thing he wanted to deal with just then. Once, battle had given him a thrill. He was always quick to lead the charge, with the sense of virtue and charisma that was the hero's standard.

But now? After a long life-history of conflict, after experiencing many of the most pivotal moments in a universe's history, and after many millenia of leading a planet's people into the future, including his own, such feelings no longer came as easily.

He wanted it to end. He was tired of it. Sick of it. He wanted peace. Peace that would last.

But it was peace that was ever eluding him.

He strode, slowly but deliberately, to the far eastern edge of the summit. Looking out across Mata Nui's old cheekbone, and farther beyond that, he felt the muscles in his knees weaken.

No.

Beyond the lay of the Great Spirit machine, the eastern plains were darkened, blackened by swarming bodies. Marching soldiers.
And who were they? He saw Skakdi, Skrall, even Vorox, along with many other types of unscrupulous being. He knew there may even be a few turncoat Toa down there, and Mata Nui knows what else.

It was a grand army, looking to be a million or more strong.

He sighed. He closed his eyes. Come on, Tahu, you've got to work to do. Snap out of it.

Indeed, this army looked strong enough to challenge the nations in the west. His people among them, though he owed his allegiance to all the free nations.

He took a deep breath. Since the Great Reforming, the Golden Armor had given him great power. Not only was he a master of his innate elemental fire, but in the centuries since he had honed his skills in the use of the powers of the armor, which since being used to destroy Rahkshi Kraata had given him almost all the powers of a Makuta. It was a strange thing, as that same day so long ago of Rahkshi destruction and power gained had seen the end of his greatest enemy, the Makuta Teridax.

That armor he now wore.

He contemplated for a moment how to approach this. He then did a quick mental check of his powers. There were so many it used to be hard to keep track, though after millenia it came easily. 43 of them, including fire.
 
Then, tipping his toes over the edge of the summit, he began to slide.

After a few thousand feet of watching the silvery and pitted surface speed by, he was nearing the bottom of the peak. From there he launched himself into the sky and began to speed ever upwards, at an angle, passing over many more thousands of feet of silver surface. Gravity was his servant.

Finally the old shell of Mata Nui slipped to the rear of his view, and he beheld a great swarm of darkness many miles below.
He began to descend, at great speed at first, but slowing as he drew within a mile. Many weapons and blasts of energy were now being hurled at him, but his Mask of Shielding combined with his incredible dodging ability protected him from it all.

Now close enough to effect his powers, he waved his sword over a group of a thousand soldiers. They were suddenly overcome with great fear, and began to flee. He caused another battalion to become enraged, and they turned on each other in confused conflict. Still another group began to float into the sky, weightless. Another thousand soldiers were scattered by a tornado even as stormclouds gathered around the field; a large number were magnetized into a great heap, while still more were forced to clutch their ears against intense sound waves; some were teleported a mile away, others gripped by thorns and vines; still more weighed down with intense gravity, frozen in stasis, suddenly attacked by hordes of rahi, gripped in a wave of slow motion energy, confused and scattered, or literally fell asleep on the spot.

The Golden Armor hadn't had this much exercise in over a century, Tahu mused. He was beginning to feel some of that old thrill. Soon enough this army would be scattered and the free world safe once more.

But in the next moment Tahu was reminded of something. See, the trouble with the Mask of Shielding. . . it only protects you from the front. It doesn't protect from an attack on your backside. But a mile in the air, Tahu hadn't been expecting one.

Which is why it came as a surprise.

He was hit, hard, and whatever it was that struck him was pressing against his back and forcing him toward the ground at terrible speed. In that moment he was thankful for his armor-given powers of invulerability, quick healing, and adaptation, which he instinctively activated. These powers made it impossible for him to be physically harmed, possible for him to heal quickly, and to adapt quickly to a given situation. He wished he'd been using them before, but hadn't thought it necessary.

It's also been a while since I've learned something the hard way. . .

His mind was racing as he hurtled toward earth. The next thing he realized, which puzzled him, was that the powers he had just activated weren't working. He still hurt more than he should have. He also wasn't as sure of what to do next as he should have been. What was going on?

 He still couldn't tell what was pressing against his back. It felt like a weapon? Or a boulder.

In his confusion and perhaps a little sudden fear he thrust out his sword in order to emit a jetstream of fire to slow his descent. A chill went through his aching spine when he realized it wasn't working. He tried harder as he drew within one hundred feet of the ground.

Come on, come on, not interested in dying as a pancake. . .

Too late. He hit the ground, hard. He bounced, striking the ground again and again before rolling to a stop. Now he ached everywhere. And whatever it was that had forced him down now landed in the dirt a dozen paces away. He glanced up at the sound.

It was a hammer, and an exquisite weapon of elegant design. In the hilt was a glowing, emerald green gemstone. He thought its color and spherical shape seemed familiar, though he couldn't quite place it. The rest of the hammer was a beautifully crafted gray and gold.

He dimly realized he was now lying in the middle of the battlefield, and the forces around were slowly recovering from his attacks. He was, however, in the center of a wide empty clearing amidst them.

The only sign of anyone near was the sound of footsteps behind him. Groaning in pain and still wondering why he hadn't recovered yet, he pushed himself into a sitting position and turned round.

Striding toward him was a small group of Toa-sized figures. Every one of them was shrouded in a cloak so dark he couldn't make out anything more but the weapons they held and a rough sillhouette.

Their number was five. One bore both a shield and sword, another a pair of sickles, the next a pair of staves, and the other two, including the leader, no weapon at all.

They were striding toward him, and they came to a halt not far off, a couple of them crossing their arms.

Tahu slowly experimented with shifting to a standing position, every nerve on edge. He could feel his body beginning to recover its normal functions, and his mind struggled to form a cohesive plan of action. Whoever these beings were, they were giving off an aura of great power. He was wise enough by now to know there are certain beings you can't afford to take lightly, even if you did possess the power of a Makuta and millenia of battle experience. This is especially true when said powers aren't working like they should. These certainly looked to examples of such beings, especially given the way they had knocked him out of the sky and presumably weakened his powers.

They stood, silent, watching him. As if waiting for him to make the first move.

As an experiment, Tahu put his hands behind his back and attempted to make a small flame with his finger. It worked, and came as easily as it should have. His aches and pains were also healing quickly, and his mind began to race at normal speed again.

And yet caution must remain a virtue.

"What is it you want?" he demanded, as if he didn't have a pretty good idea.

He noticed that the armed forces were forming a broad circle around them, as if gathering to watch a fight. No, that was evidently exactly what they were doing. He presumed the five in front of him were the ones in charge.

Ignoring his question, they stood silent and still. Their arrogance somewhat chilled him. It had been a long, long time since anyone had looked down on him as a Muaka looks on helpless prey, and yet these beings seemed to be doing just that. It reminded him of someone he had once known. Actually multiple beings. Not beings he had liked.

And in that moment his hot-headed indignance at such treatment flared up in full force. Well, he would just have to treat them the same way he had treated the others, and if worse came to worse, escape and get help.

"I said, what is it you want? Speak!"

One of them, the tallest, the one besides the leader who held nothing, threw back his head and laughed, a deep resounding laugh, yet the voice was scratched. Tahu could feel his temper flaring.

The leader, then, merely raised an arm and pointed at Tahu. He then drew his index finger across his neck.

That did it.

"Seeking to fell the leader of the Toa Order, are we? You beyonders have greater gall, ambition, and foolishness than I've seen in long time. I will delight in knocking you from your pedestals." Despite his words, the great Toa of Fire still felt a chill. But he knew his duty.

It began. Making the first move with full confidence, having momentarily forgotten that his powers had ever failed, Tahu launched himself into the air with a wave of gravity, and launched waves of fear, anger, confusion, and sleep at his assailants.

They shrugged it off and retorted with attacks of their own. Tahu felt his own gravity counter-acted by the same force, while beams of ice, earth, and. . . light were hurled at him?

Their minds are well trained, shrugging off my attacks like that. . . and what's with the light?

A bolt of flame canceled the ice, while plasma melted the earth and, in a reaction both instinctive and ironic, darkness canceled out the light.

Instead of struggling against the gravity, he decided to go with it. Reversing course, he slammed, feet first this time, into the ground, sending shockwaves of plasma erupting through it. Bursts of lava jetted from beneath the surface and great pits of magma were opened across the immediate area. The circle of soldiers backed away.

A fitting field of valor for a Toa of Fire.

Raw battle erupted. Tahu exerted his entire arsenal of powers against his adversaries in every effective way he could think of. But what they lacked in power they made up for in sheer skill. A string of boulders he'd commanded some trees to throw were all shattered by a single expertly thrown shield, which bounced between them. Already one of them was freezing and solidifying pieces of his magma field, while the very plants he sought to control rebelled against him, commanded by an assailant who evidently had control of his own over the vegetation. Tahu was forced to slice a row of thick advancing trees with a great arc of flame.

Well trained Makuta-spawn, whoever they are. . .

The one he had recognized as the leader, also the one with the power of elemental light, did a twirl through the air and landed on a small island, upon which that hammer still sat. He gripped the handle and hefted it with a flourish before leaping away to avoid a wave of magma.

Right then, that's enough of this!

Unleashing a powerful wave of stasis energy, Tahu struck home, managing to lock all but one of his assailants in place. The leader was still free. He grimaced in satisfaction at the statue-esque forms.

The next instant he was dealt a searing blow to his side. He grunted, unsure of where the attack had come from. He knew he'd missed one, but the leader hadn't been close enough to. . .

He glanced up and saw him speeding away in a blur.

Great, now he's a Pohatu wannabe, is he? Well let's watch him dance. . .

Rising into the air again and dodging incoming attacks, he retorted with those of his own. But even with the help of the power which granted him perfect accuracy, he failed to land a felling blow.

Plasma beams, electricity, waves of gravity, tornadoes, firebolt after firebolt, and repeated waves of stasis, all to no avail.
He dances well. . .

Finally he tried something he found both simple and clever. Quickly and wildly calculating his opponent's next move, he raised a root out of the ground in his path.

Come on, come on. . . YES, nailed him!

The figure crumpled to the ground, losing grip on the hammer while something else was also loosed from his figure. It rose in the air and then fell at Tahu's feet. A Kakama.

They wear masks, or at least this one does. . .

In an instant the hammer was reacquired, and Tahu watched as he reached into his cloak, retrieving something Tahu couldn't see, and then lifting to his face.

Tahu was no longer feeling chilled, but now he felt a little disturbed. Who are they?

More roots locked his enemy's feet in place. Glancing about at the gathered army to make sure they weren't yet advancing, he strode forward. He wanted answers.

As he drew close, his opponent waved his hammer toward him. The Mask of Shielding instinctively came on, but no attack actually came.

Not from the front.

An instant later Tahu slammed back first into the ground, crushed by incredible gravity. His limbs were frozen to the ground in ice so cold it felt hot, his torso in earth so solid it was practically stone, and a vine of thorns wrapped itself about his neck.

How are they free!

He lashed out in anger, only for this to be replaced with fear when none of his powers answered his call. Not one, not even his mask.

Desperately he tried power after power, not one working. His five assailants were gathering around him, catching their breath but not making any noticeable effort to keep him in place, except that the leader was pointing the hammer straight at him.

They had him.

"What is it. . . you want with me?" he gasped against the intense pull weighing him down.

The leader handed the hammer to the being next to him, who kept it aimed at Tahu's chest, and strode forward. He stopped, put his hands on his hips, and looked Tahu over, slowly.

Then he pulled back his hood, revealing a shining gold Kanohi Tryna, and laughed. The laugh was shrill and high, and Tahu realized that he was a she.

"I've told you what we want. With you out of the way, the free world will soon be ours! It will soon belong to all who know what freedom really is!" She raised her arms, and the army, who had now gathered near, erupted in hoots and shouts.

"You. . ." Tahu breathed, the chill returning with great intensity. "I know you. . . thought you were. . . dead."

"I'm still alive as they come, dear." She smirked. "It was a clever charade, though, I must say, convincing the world of my death. Well, rather those who knew me, like you."

She began to walk in a circle around him, step after step.

"I've learned a lot since then, though, believe me."

"How have you. . . done this?" He had to keep her talking, praying for rescue.

"Beaten you? It wasn't easy, I'll tell you that." She leaned down and ran a finger across his mask.

"But oh, so worth it, my dear Tahu." She resumed her walk.

"You see the stone embedded in the hammer? Surely you noticed it. Does a certain. . . Toa Destroyer. . . ring a bell in that dusty memory of yours? I'm sure it does."

Indeed it did. A being whose power was purely anti-Toa. It had the power to completely nullify a Toa's elemental abilities, mask powers, and even their physical strength. A hundred Toa or so had died before they had been able to stop it. Unfortunately, they had never learned the source of its power. The scraps had flown too far, had been too scattered.

"Now then, you notice the crystal embedded in the hammer over there?"

The green, glowing orb. Tahu had noticed it alright.
 
"Well, tracking it down had been no easy feat, I assure you. I nearly lost an arm. But my point is, that gemstone was once the beating heart of that noble Toa Destroyer of old. It was the source of his power. And here's the best part, my dear Tahu. As you can see, I've learned how it works, and learned to use it against anyone I wish."

Tahu's mind raced. There had to be some way out of this. Something. . . anything.

Toa Tahu now felt great fear. Only he did not fear death. No, he feared something far worse.

"Tahu, you have no idea how long we've all been waiting for this day. The world, in fact. I'm almost sorry it's already over."

She reached into her cloak and withdrew a similar hammer, but somewhat more simple in its design.

"Do you like my hammers?" she crooned. "I find that they reflect my own character. Strong, noble, powerful. A striking image, they are."

Any feelings of hope Tahu had been feeling were quickly fading. His mind had exhausted itself of options. He saw little possibility that anyone would come to his rescue. He had told no one where he'd gone.

Time to accept defeat.

But not without a final word.

"You'll never. . . win. In the end, such as you will always. . . lose. In more ways than you. . . may ever know."

She was regarding him with amusement. He knew that look. But he also knew the truth of his own words. He had never expected to live forever, and he wondered if he was about to die.

I wonder what it's like.

One final idea hit him. He tried going nova. What to lose? But even that didn't work. And he knew there was no reasoning with beings like her. The best he might do is distract her, buy time. But his mind was so sluggish from lack of oxygen, he couldn't think of much to say.

"Well Tahu, you're about to discover a new world. . . or nothing. I don't know. I just know you'll be out of my way."

She thrust the hammer at him. He didn't even flinch. But she paused.

"Actually, it would be a shame to destroy such a trophy. . ."

She reached down and peeled the Hau from his face.

"Farewell, Tahu."

She leveled her hammer. He opened his mouth to speak, but it was too late.

And then the last thing Toa Tahu, great hero and leader of the Toa Order, knew before his passing, was light.
His final thoughts were these:

What will the world do without me?

 
* ~ *    * ~ *    * ~ *

 
And so the tale of Toa Tahu came to end. Or perhaps the next chapter began. He finally found the peace he sought, although in the final moments he wished it otherwise, for sake of his people.
Edited by TahuForever!

After five long years. . . The Master of Fire is back!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...