[Tafum POV]
I stared down, across the battlements that decorated my home, at a bird, that fluttered to and fro. Once, my life was like that. Able to do what ever I could, without seeming consequence... But that was when I was a warrior, a Toa. The Toa were the defenders of justice, the guardians of truth. They were the law, they were judge, jury, and executioner. Gifted with powers to further their campaign of righteousness, they defeated any threat to the peace. I once died doing just that. Even now, maybe millions of years later, I remember the crushing regret and defeat I felt.
I had been teleported to what was best described as a blank dream; an odd mish-mash of vibrant and dull colors smashing and sliding into each other, popping into new colors. It was hypnotizing, mesmerizing; I could not draw away my attention from the surroundings. If this is what Sammy saw every time he had entered the Hype Stream, I didn't blame him for wanting to find a way to make this a method for near-instant transport. But so enamored was I, that I did not notice a shadow crawling up the wall and collecting into my nemesis; I heard a dark chuckle, and pulled out the only weapon I had on me, my pocket knife, gifted to me by Shade and JMP. Our battle couldn't be any less one-sided; my death was inevitable. It seemed my dark doppelganger had a dry sense of irony, because when I had been knocked to the ground, he slipped my knife from my hand, before proceeding to re/emempeatedly stab me, over and over, until my body was a scrambled mess of muscle, metal, and stab wounds. I died, hearing him, and a friend of his, report to their master, and felt my spirit separate itself form my body with a final close of my eyes.
"My death did not matter." I heard myself say, subconsiously. "I did not matter. I was simply a spirit who, like countless others, fell, and lost what was rightfully theirs. I remember my spirit being eaten, then waking, mid stride, with more power then I could imagine. I felt... so in tune with everything. But I did not know. I never could know, with all my power know, I still could not know. I was still a Toa, but I had more power then I knew what to do with."
Then, I could not comprehend the oh-so-integral role I would later play. Enough so, to bring me back from death countless times. At first, I associated this with my Hype abilities. But perhaps they were a foretelling of my destiny as a God.
"I would venture in countless adventures, wisecracking, never serious. Later, my allies would start relying on me for emotional support. Support that I myself was striving for. But I marched on, the jokester, never a sad moment in my multiple lives. I would joke about the greater reality that we were but a game for, and all the others would laugh, thinking me using my Hype powers to gleam some unknown alternative. I wish I could have their ignorance. "I wish I could fix everything, but even with all my power now, I still am useless to reverse time, despite all that I can do. But the only thing that could do that was lost with The Atom. With one of the-" I choked back tears. "One of the few who tried." Why was I speaking aloud? No-one cares. Why should they care, I'm happy-go-lucky too-stronk meme lord...
...
...
I felt my dark tirade slow down. Why did the universe despise me such? I simply want to do the right thing. Is that not enough of a good desire to catch a break?
Finally, I settled, nestled between two of the battlements. Tomorrow, a parade was going to be held, and I was supposed to assume a posture and appearance that fit my grand title of 'the God of Ice and Hype'. I shouldn't be up at these late hours, gazing at nature, remembering my troubled past that I had hid more then I would care to admit. But none the less, here I was. Perhaps it was my method of grieving those who actually cared. If I was honest with my self, I would say that it helped me immensely. I had not cared, only finally falling asleep at the first glimpse of a rising sun, painting the sea and sky a beautiful warm pink.
So, welcome everyone to my collection of one-shots! Instead of having a start-of-chapter A/N, I'll be using end-of-shot A/Ns to communicate with you!
I have a poll up for the next one-shot I write! Expect that sometime around June-ish or July-ish. Maybe sooner if lotsa people say stuff.
Thanks for reading! Have a great day.