To Have Loved and Lost
The Toa of Lightning ran for her life down the darkening corridor, fear in her heart and hatred in her eyes. The one person she'd ever tried to keep safe from the horrors of the world had been torn away from her – her sister, her young and innocent sister was dead, and it was her fault.
She saw light up ahead, but she also saw guards. Two huge Dark Hunters carrying swords as long as she was tall. She summoned lightning bolts from the sky to strike them down, but she was so tired from her escape that they merely shocked the two, making them even angrier then they had been before. They swung those huge swords at her, but she dodged easily. She threw more bolts at them, stunning them briefly, and ran as fast as she could away from that terrible place.
Eventually, she came to a small jetty that had been destroyed not long before. Part of the platform was floating on the surface of the water. She ran and jumped onto it, grabbing a long pole off of the ground as she did so. She landed safely on the wood and began to paddle as hard as possible. Her fear was still there, and she knew she'd not made it out until she was past the cliffs to the north of the island.
Unfortunately, there was a storm brewing out to sea, and as soon as she passed the cliffs, she would hit it, and her life would be in the hands of nature. She did not see it until she was caught in it, and before she realised what was happening, she was laid out on the makeshift raft, unconscious.
She woke up three days later. She had been sleeping on a large, comfy bed in a cosy hut. Judging by the size of said hut, it belonged to a Toa, or something roughly the same size.
She sat on the edge of the bed, trying to repress the memories of what had happened. She held her head in her hands and thought, What have I done?
She heard footsteps behind her, and whirled round to see a silver and black Toa stood before her. He wore a silver Mask of Clairvoyance and had a rain covered cloak on over his back and shoulders.
He took a step towards her and asked, "Are you alright?" His voice sounded so kind and gentle, and so much like a male version of her sister's, that she couldn't help but cry.
Startled, he sat down beside her and tried his best to comfort her.
"What's wrong?" he asked,
"Nothing you could help with, unless the Mask of Clairvoyance can resurrect the dead," she snapped.
He took his cloak and gently wiped the eyes of her gold and black Mask of Precision with it. She looked up at him; the worry in his eyes was obvious, as was the confusion.
"The Matoran found you on a raft, washed up on the beach. You looked like you'd had one heck of a ride," he said, as kindly as possible. The Lightning Toa laughed half-heartedly. "I came through a storm, how else would I look?" The male Toa smiled at that.
He let her calm down a little more before asking "What's your name?"
"Xirrea, Toa of Lightning" she answered simply. He thought about it for a minute.
"My name's Izerix, Toa of Magnetism and it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Xirrea!"
He stood up and gestured for her to follow. "The Matoran want to know if their visitor is ok. Shall we go tell them how you are?" Xirrea smiled, she was beginning to like this Toa.
"Yes, I'd like them to know they don't have to worry about me."
The Matoran of this island were the friendliest she'd ever met. They ran up to her as soon as she emerged from Izerix's hut, asking her over and over if she was ok, and telling that if she needed anything she need only ask them. She couldn't help but smile and laugh at their kindness, and thank them for their hospitality.
Izerix showed her around the island and introduced her to his two brothers, Ro'Dae and Krix. Ro'Dae was a Toa of Sonics, and Krix was a Toa of Plant Life. They were just as welcoming as the Matoran, although Ro'Dae seemed to have the personality of a Toa of Ice and was quite quiet.
The island was called Kisa Nui, and was only about a mile and a half long. It was home to a single, nameless village were about two hundred Matoran lived happily. There were many different types of Matoran, ranging from Fire Matoran to Sonics Matoran, but they were all just as friendly as the first few Xirrea had met.
A few days after he'd shown her the island, Izerix took Xirrea to a small clearing in the forest surrounding the village. The clearing was full of the most breathtakingly beautiful flowers she'd ever seen. There was a spring in the middle of the clearing, lined with perfectly round pebbles. It was quite wide and deep enough for Xirrea to swim in easily. There were a few fish Xirrea had never seen before in there, too.
Izerix saw her smile and laughed, "You like it then?"
"Izerix… it's beautiful!" she exclaimed.
A lot like you, Izerix thought to himself. "This is where I come when I'm feeling alone, or if I'm worried or scared." He turned to her, "And I'm worried about you," he added.
She looked at him, hearing the concern in his voice. "I… I'm fine."
"Then why were you crying before?" he asked.
"I… was scared. I'd just come through a storm, and I had no idea where I was!"
"I think it's more then that, there's something you're worried about. Wait, you said something about resurrecting the dead?"
"It's nothing!" she screamed, causing Izerix to jump back in shock.
"I'm sorry, I was just wondering if I could-"
"No! You can't help! If you really want to know, my sister, Kyra, is dead, and it's all my fault!" She turned to run away, but Izerix grabbed her arm and pulled her back. She tried to slap him, but he just grabbed her free hand, too.
"Xirrea," he said softly, "you shouldn't try to keep it all locked away inside you. It'll hurt you even more that way." She looked away, tears welling up in her eyes, but he didn't let go of her.
"She was killed by Dark Hunters, I would have been too if that Kavinika hadn't shown up."
"I'm sorry, truly. I know what it's like to lose someone close." He let go of her, and walked towards the spring. He sat down and began to speak.
"There used to be four Toa here on the island; me, Ro'Dae, Krix and our other brother, Drehx. Drehx was a Toa of Plasma, and cared very much about the island and the Matoran. But, one day, they Dark Hunters decided to come here.
"We were outnumbered, but when they said they only wanted Drehx, he instantly dropped his sword and let them take him. We've not seen him since."
Xirrea sighed and sat down next to him.
"I'm sorry I yelled at you, it wasn't right of me."
"Don't worry about it; I'd probably have done the same."
A loud bell rang somewhere off behind them. Izerix stood up so quickly that he almost knocked Xirrea into the spring.
"No… not now!" he cried out.
"What? What's happening?" Xirrea asked.
"The island's under attack!"
They ran to the village square as fast as possible. When they got there Ro'Dae and Krix where there, weapons drawn and shouting orders to the Matoran.
"All right! Everyone in to the caves!"
"Take only what you need. Help those that are struggling!"
"Come on! Get going!"
Izerix ran up to his brothers, "What's happening?"
"The Dark Hunters are back, seems they want another one of us!" Xirrea's heart missed a beat; they'd be here for her! Izerix knew this.
"Xirrea, go with the Matoran, will you? My two brothers and I will take care of these Hunters." Xirrea hesitated, and then nodded. She ran after the quickly retreating group of Matoran, Lightning Rod drawn and at the ready.
She followed the Matoran to the caves she'd heard mentioned and helped the Matoran to get into the small gaps that were the only openings. Once they were all in she ducked into one of the larger ones, she knew it was better to hide with what was being hidden and only fight if it was found.
They were hidden away in the caves all night and most of the next day. Xirrea had started to get cramp about an hour after they first got into the caves, and was now in agony all over her gold and black body. No-one had come for them, and Xirrea wondered if anyone ever would.
The sun was beginning to set when Xirrea heard footsteps coming towards the caves. She couldn't see who it was and so put her hand on her Rod for reassurance. Then she heard a soft, kind voice outside.
"Xirrea? Matoran? You can all come out now, its safe!" At the sound of Izerix's voice, Xirrea literally fell out of her cave. She picked herself up and threw her arms around Izerix's neck and cried.
"I was so worried, I thought you were…" She stopped when she realised they had an audience. She let go of him, dried her eyes and cleared her throat, "It's good to know you're alive."
Izerix smiled, "The same to you, Xirrea."
The village was still in one piece, much to Izerix and his two brother's relief. Xirrea asked how many Hunters there had been and if anyone was hurt.
"There were four or five, but they were only really suited as scouts rather than warriors. We took 'em down fairly easily. As for wounds, we didn't get hurt badly. Just a scratch here and a bruise there," Izerix told her. Xirrea nodded and then asked, "What did they want?"
"They didn't say, exactly, but…" He looked around and then whispered to her, "I think they were after you." She nearly burst into tear again. By staying here, I've put these wonderful people in danger. What sort of Toa am I?
A few more days past and Xirrea insisted that she help out with the fighting if there was another attack.
"I… I'd prefer you to stay with the Matoran; I don't think you've got all your strength back quite yet," Izerix told her, not looking directly at her.
"That's what you say, but what if you need Lightning on your side next time?"
"So, you think we're gonna be attacked by a Hunter that's resistant to everything but lightning?" he laughed.
"You might be!"
"I doubt it, Xirrea."
Later that day, Izerix went down to the spring. He wanted to be alone for a while, just to think about Xirrea and the Dark Hunters she was attracting. What he hadn't counted on, was that Xirrea had followed him.
He dived into the spring, loving the feeling of the water rushing over his armour. He was a good swimmer, but he always left his sword stuck into the ground so he could pull himself out with his Magnetism powers if needs be. Xirrea watched him as he swam round the spring. He was very graceful in the water, almost like a fish, but he didn't stay in for long. He sat in the sun on the edge of the spring, thinking to himself.
Xirrea stepped forward and said, gently, "Sorry if I'm intruding." Izerix leapt to his feet, sword in hand. When he saw it was Xirrea, he lowered his weapon.
"Sorry, didn't know it was you."
"Well, I shouldn't have charged in like that, so, I'm sorry, too." Izerix smiled at that.
She always makes me smile.
She sat down by the spring and dipped her feet into it.
"This place is so beautiful, I hope, if I ever have to leave this island, I will always remember this one clearing," she said, half to herself half to Izerix.
"If you ever go, I'll go with you." She turned round to him, slightly shocked.
"What?"
"If you ever go, I'll go with you," he repeated. Because I love you.
She stood up and walked over to him, her eyes locked with his.
"How far would you go with me?"
"I'd go to the end of existence with you," Because I've never loved anyone more then I love you.
"Truly?"
"Honestly." No-one else could ever take you place.
"Why would you come?"
"Because I love you." Before she could say anything, he kissed her. She didn't push him away or slap him or looked appalled when he drew away; instead she hugged him tight and kissed him back.
All the loss she'd felt towards her sister was disappearing and being replaced by love for this handsome Toa of Magnetism. She'd never forget her sister, Kyra, but now she had Izerix and they'd be together forever and-
There was the sickening sound of metal passing through armour and flesh – Izerix's armour and flesh. Xirrea took a step back, and saw that, to her horror, a Dark Hunter had just forced his sword through Izerix. The Toa of Magnetism fell to the ground with a thud, a thud that tore up Xirrea's heart into so many pieces that it would be impossible to count them.
"NO! IZERIX!" she screamed, shaking Izerix in an attempt to wake him up. "No! Izerix, don't die! Please!" The Hunter grabbed her by the arm and dragged her to her feet.
"Yeah, this is the one!" he called over his shoulder to two other Hunters who came forward and took a hold of her. The first Hunter kicked Izerix's body into the spring causing Xirrea to feel more anger in her then she ever had done before.
She called upon her powers of Lightning and shocked the two who were holding her so hard that their hearts stopped and they died. She ran at the remaining Hunter, screaming, but she needed to let her powers recharge. She took her Lightning Rod and swung it at the Hunter, but he grabbed it and snapped it in two.
Defenceless, Xirrea turned to run, but the Hunter drew a long thin dagger and threw it at her. It pierced her armour and the immense pain took all the strength out of her body. She fell to the ground, the pain was too great for her; she'd never get out of this.
Suddenly, she heard the battle cries of two Toa – Ro'Dae and Krix. They killed the Dark Hunter within seconds of their arrival, but Xirrea was unconscious long before that.
Xirrea awoke in the same bed as she'd found herself in about two weeks before, but this time there were bandages wrapped around her wound and her left arm was in a sling. She got up with difficulty and walked outside.
The two hundred-or-so Matoran and the two remaining Toa stood around a pile of logs and ferns and other bits of undergrowth. As she drew closer, Xirrea saw that Izerix's body was laid out on top of the pyre. She began to cry, attracting the attention of Ro'Dae, who came over to her and did his best to comfort her.
Krix looked at the two of them before setting alight the stack of wood. As she watched the body of her love burn, the loss of her sister came back, and she cried harder and harder.
About a month after Izerix's cremation, Xirrea sat alone on the bed in what had been his hut. She'd been awfully cold and unsociable to anyone who dared to come near her. Krix took no notice of this, though, and did his best to cheer her up. He brought her flowers from the clearing and crystals from the tiny mine to the south end of the island. He'd tell her stories of his and his brothers' triumphs against what little evil bothered with the island and legends a Turaga who'd once lived there had told him. But no matter what he did, she'd just snap at him to go away. After a while, he didn't bother any more.
She awoke on night after having had a dream in which she saw Izerix's death over and over again, and each time it had just been more and more horrible to see. She awoke and noticed that the dagger she'd nearly been killed with was lying next to her on a small bed-side table. Thoughts of where it could go passed through her mind and of what Izerix had said.
"If you ever go, I'll go with you."
Oh, Izerix. I'd do the same for you any day…
At first, no-one noticed that the Toa of Lightning was no longer amongst the living, as she had been so quiet and wrapped up in her depression that no-one had bothered to visit her. But after about two weeks, Krix finally went to visit her, only to find her with a dagger hilt sticking out of her chest, her heart-light dark and her body unmoving. He knew instantly she was dead, and so didn't bother to call Ro'Dae – the "official" healer of the island (despite Krix's knowledge of plant life told him what plants could help with what and such as) – and took her limp body straight to the clearing she'd so dearly loved.
He laid her down next to the spring, and began to stack wood for her pyre, sighing and muttering that the Dark Hunters caused too many unnecessary deaths. When done, he gently placed the gold and black Toa on top, and lit the wood with a flint and stone he always carried with him.
"Go on in peace, Xirrea. Find my brother and be happy in his arms." He walked away without looking back, and returned to guarding the Matoran.