Why?
Normally, I dislike hypothetical stories. Nearly as much as I loathe speculation. But this one just... you know. Got in my mind. I had to write this.
So. Synopsis?
The Brotherhood is winning. The Order is disbanded. Hope is lost, unity shattered, duty forgotten, destiny apathetic in this dystopia... And Teridax marches to Karda Nui, ready to implement the final step of his plan... or he would, were it not for this shining beacon--Takanuva.
As Teridax battles this Toa, one final question remains in his mind... why?
Teridax laughed. This master of shadows, who had defied gods and demons, who had defied death and ruin, was the quintessence of darkness. From the cruel twist of his lips to the blood-stained gauntlets--truly, he was a sight to be feared. And yet... this one took no care of this. He had dared to raise a hand against he, Teridax, the true warder of this Universe. His name was Takanuva. And for this insult, Takanuva would be made to pay.
As he raised his staff of shadows to strike down Takanuva, he knew that it was the end of the Toa. Soon, he would find what he needed for his plan to reach completion. And all that stood in his way was this fragile, flickering, so-called beacon! Truly laughable was the fact that he still believed that he could win.
The staff fell. Takanuva grunted as the wicked blades sliced his shoulder open, allowing the blood to spill out--merely another wound. Teridax snorted. This was pointless. Every second he wasted here... would carry repercussions. He turned on the spot, intending to allow the battered toa to bleed--a death unworthy of him.
However, a bolt of light, hastily formed in Takanuva's hands, changed his opinion. As the scorching beam of incandescent energy spattered against Teridax's back, the latter whipped around, pure, unadulterated, rage blazing in his eyes. Now... Takanuva iwould/i pay.
Before his quarry could perform any action, offensive or defensive, Teridax was upon him. Roaring his wrath, screaming his rage, the Makuta indiscriminately fired shadowy bolts from the tip of his staff. He would show Takanuva the price of defiance. He would shatter this one, inexplicable threat to his plan.
One minute passed. His grisly deed was done. Takanuva was almost unrecognizable now--shadowy tendrils rose from his charred body. Confident, suppressing a smirk, Teridax turned again--
Only to hear a faint voice. A weakened, beaten voice, but still filled with foolish courage. "Not... dead... yet," Takanuva rasped.
His previous mood dissipated, Teridax turned on Takanuva again. This time, he did not bother with attacking. As much as he despised Takanuva... as much as he wished to get this over with... he knew there was one question he needed to ask. And if he did not get the answer... then he knew that he would never truly be satisfied. "Why, Toa? Why, when all light has been extinguished, when faith has failed you; why do you insist on fighting, when there is nothing to fight for? WHY?"
To his surprise, Takanuva smirked (at least, he assumed so. It was hard to tell, given his current state). "Why? And... why should I tell you? You... would not understand..."
For some reason, Teridax desired to know the answer. And he would get the answer... by any means necessary. Knowing coercion was useless against this one, he stomped forward, placing one of his boots firmly on Takanuva's back. He leaned over the Toa, using his least favorite power: healing. This would allow Takanuva to live... until he got his answer. "Try me," he hissed.
"Nngh... Unity. Duty. Destiny."
"What? Unity is shattered. Duty--forgotten! Destiny... gone! Your destiny, your charge of the light brigade, it ends here!" Teridax thundered, displeased with this answer. To show it, he applied more pressure...
"See? You... do not understand. How could you, Makuta, foul spawn of the dark, when you turned away from such things long ago?" Takanuva spat, apparently unfazed by his near death--a true Toa, fighting to the end.
Teridax snorted. Such petty things held no importance to him. "They... are pointless. Such things are nothing but hindrances. Unity--breeds treachery! Duty--to what? Slaving to a fallen God? And destiny... that I may believe in. Buy why should you? For Destiny handed power to me..."
The Toa of Light seemed to smirk again. "Hah... I almost pity you, Makuta. Such potential to do good... and you cast it down, as surely as you have cast down the necessities."
"What?" Teridax was puzzled by this statement. Necessities? He lived, did he not? Therefore, did he not have the necessities of life?
Takanuva grunted. "All you have is hunger. All you possess is rage. We have life. We have joy. We have--"
"What, then? Love?" Teridax sneered, compensating for his lost momentum. "How misguided you are..."
"Hmm?" Takanuva inquired.
Normally, Teridax would have crushed this one's spine, and move on. But he felt... some inexplicable need to explain himself. In doing so, he would crush Takanuva's spirit... and then, only then, would he have won. "Understand this, little Toa," Teridax chuckled. "No, we do not have Unity. neither do we have such foolish concepts as love for another. But then, that means we have no unhappiness. In that sense, we, not you, are happy. You may claim joy. You may claim laughter. In short, you try to compensate for your own misery."
Seeing that Takanuva did not respond, he continued. "Yes. Our state of happiness may seem... squalid compared to your overcompensation for your misery. But... that is the perfect state of mind--never in turmoil, always peaceful."
"That makes no sense!" Takanuva protested. "A world without love? Without care? But then, what kind of world is that?"
"Again, a world of true happiness. Yes, we have no... culture. We do not feel the need to quibble about archaic, false legends of eons past. All we have is power... and power brings about our happiness, our stability. "
Takanuva winced at this. He remembered the legends of Metru Nui. He remembered the kolhii games... the naming days... the ceremonies... the Virtues... and how the Brotherhood had taken all of that away from him... "We had culture. We had love. We had Virtues. We had--"
"The right to unhappiness. For culture is dynamic, it never remains the same. And with a dynamic state of being... comes chaos. Chaos begets misery. Do you not understand, Takanuva? I am doing you a favor," Teridax stated. This was beginning to bore him now.
"Then... I will take unhappiness! I will take it, as surely as I will take the Virtues!" Takanuva exclaimed defiantly.
"The point is moot. You have lost."
At this, the Toa grinned. "Not... the only one, though," he whispered.
Teridax frowned, as he leaned closer, voice becoming harsh with fear. If this upstart had truly said what he thought... "What?" he snarled.
"Behind... ya," Takanuva grinned.
Unbidden, as if some invisible force had taken control of him, Teridax did as commanded, raising his face to the horizon. And he saw horror. He saw... a blinding flash of light. Those that were ignorant would assume that it was dawn breaking. He knew... that it was the fury of the Ignika unleashed. The Mask, raging against the instability of the Universe, would wipe everything clean... and by remaining in Karda Nui, demanding answers, Teridax had inadvertently sealed his own fate.
Behind him, Takanuva laughed harshly. Before... he had his doubts. But now, after hearing the Makuta's plans for a 'perfect' Universe, one devoid of the Virtues, one devoid of love... his mind was set.
The Universe would die so that, paradoxically, it may live.
Because Takanuva knew what every being, Matoran or Toa, knew... and yet, Teridax, so-called conqueror of this Universe, failed to grasp.
Emotions begot the Three Virtues.
Unity and Duty wrought friendship.
Friendship birthed love.
Love, when laid bare, brought hatred.
Hatred sired desperation
Desperation and Destiny... bore the end of the Makuta, the sterilization of this curse, no matter the price.
Even as Takanuva laughed, Teridax screamed in rage and horror. The latter knew that their destinies were coming to their conclusions, intertwined ever since he had dared to strike down Mata Nui.
As the blinding light purged the dark essence from his armor, Teridax could only think:
Why?