Learning To Fly
Well I started out, down a dirty road.
Started out, all alone.
Nuparu, Toa Inika of Earth, stared at his advisory, as the storm clouds rolled overheard. It was the blue Piraka know as Vezok. Nuparu and his friends had already encountered the Piraka before, but now they were clashing for the first time. The five other Toa Inika, Nuparu's friends, were already fighting with the other Piraka. It would be up to Nuparu to challenge and defeat Vezok.
"Well, Toa, shall we begin?" Vezok asked, with a nasty grin crossing his blue face. "You should know that I have fought many Toa before. And I have stepped over their fallen bodies afterwards. Perhaps it would be better for you to just give up now and leave Voya-Nui forever."
Nuparu shook his head. Vezok obviously did not know much about the Matoran of Mata-Nui. They had faced Rahi, Bohrok, and Rahkshi before. Although Nuparu was now a Toa, he already knew how to stand his ground.
"I won't bow to the likes of you," Nuparu said sternly, as the thunder clapped in the sky. "If you persist, then I will have no choice but to flatten you."
"Then I suppose this is not the time for negotiations," Vezok said, as his eyes began to glow. "Let's begin!"
And the sun went down, as I crossed the hill.
The town lit up, the world got still.
Nuparu braced himself for an attack, but he was still caught off guard. Vezok's eye beams shot forth, striking the Toa of Earth and sending him plummeting backwards.
"Like my impact vision?" Vezok snarled, his grin ever present.
Nuparu hastily got to his feet, his mind racing. What could he use that would down the Piraka? As the Toa of Earth, he knew he had special elemental earth powers, although he hadn't used them very much. His Toa Tool consisted of a laser-powered drill, of powers which Nuparu had not yet tested fully. His hands ended in silvery claws that would help in hand to hand combat, but Nuparu wasn't sure they would be of use against Vezok's blue-colored armor.
There was, of course, he mask. All Toa have special Kanohi masks of power, and Nuparu was no different. However, Nuparu had the Kadin, the mask of flight. Being a former Onu-Matoran, Nuparu did not take gladly to being high up in the air, and he was reluctant to trigger his mask's power for fear that he would come crashing to his doom. In the back of his mind, he wondered why destiny had given him the mask, instead of the sky-bound Kongu, the Toa of Air.
Vezok was reaching for his harpoon, and Nuparu knew he had to do something quick. He lifted his laser drill, and took careful aim. As Vezok pointed his harpoon towards Nuparu, the Toa of Earth fired.
I'm learning to fly, but I ain't got wings.
Comin' down is the hardest thing.
A lethal energy blast struck Vezok in the chest, and slammed him into the ground. Nuparu drew back his laser drill as Vezok got back to his feet, winded.
"That was quite a powerful blast," Vezok commented. "Almost too powerful. Luckily for me, it was just right. Now I can do this!"
From his hands, Vezok fired a second energy blast, equal to Nuparu's in power. Before Nuparu could comprehend the extent of Vezok's absorption powers, he was caught by the replica of his own blast. His head hit the ground with tremendous force.
Well the good old days may not return.
And the rocks might melt, and the sea may burn.
As Nuparu struggled back to his feet, his mind wandered back into the past. Back into the time when he was a simple Matoran, on the island of Mata-Nui.
He had always lived in fear of the power of Makuta, the spirit of darkness. In the legends of old, it was said that Makuta had cast a spell on his brother, sending him into a dark sleep. Makuta had tried to conquer the Matoran, by sending forces of Rahi and Bohrok to crush them. The Matoran were protected by the great heroes known as the Toa. Toa Onua and his team defended Nuparu and his friends from the evil of Makuta.
Nuparu had faced his share of troubles as a Matoran. He had been present during the Gahlok siege of Onu-Koro. It was he who constructed the Boxer machine, and used it to fight back against the Bohrok. His invention gave the Matoran their best defense against the Bohrok, and helped them last long enough for the Toa to end the threat.
After many battles, the Toa eventually defeated Makuta, with the help of the Takanuva, Toa of Light. Then they returned to Metru-Nui, the city of legends they had been forced to leave long ago. They had believed that they had achieved peace at last.
They were wrong.
Nuparu had heard the story second hand from Jaller, but the true horror stuck with the tale. The spirit of Mata-Nui was not only sleeping, but dying. When Mata-Nui died, then the universe would end as well. All that the Matoran had worked and lived for would be for nothing.
The only way to cure Mata-Nui would be to acquire the Great Mask of Life. The Toa Nuva had been sent to obtain it, but they had vanished without a trace. Desperately, Jaller secretly led a team of Matoran to find the Toa Nuva and rescue them. The Matoran had traveled through Karzahni, the Land of Death, and witnessed horrors beyond comprehension. They had escaped half by luck, half by timing, and had come to Voya-Nui via Toa canisters.
On Voya-Nui, they were struck by a wild burst of energy, and turned from Matoran into Toa. Then they discovered why the Toa Nuva had fallen on their quest. They learned of the Piraka, who were after the Mask of Life as well. Now, the two forces collided.
"But what will come from this fight?" Nuparu wondered. "These Piraka cannot have the mask! For if they get it, Mata-Nui will die. And then everything in this universe would collapse, leaving nothing behind. How can their greed be so great that they would risk the utter destruction of everything to get it?"
Nuparu got back to his feet. Vezok's grin, if anything, was wider now. "How'd you like that, Toa?" he leered.
"You have some interesting properties," Nuparu grumbled. "I shall take a closer look once I've flattened you!"
Nuparu summoned his elemental powers of earth, and sent a wave of dirt directly towards Vezok. He had seen Toa Onua use this attack before with great effect, and he hoped it would work for him too.
The earth caught Vezok head on, but the blue-armored Piraka seemed to be unharmed. He used his absorption powers to send an identical wave of earth back towards Nuparu. Nuparu couldn't think of a way to disperse the attack; he still didn't know the full extent of his elemental powers. He then chose the only rational option left to him: he triggered his mask of flight.
Before Nuparu knew what he was doing, he was rocketing upward into the stormy skies of Voya-Nui. The elemental attack missed him, and Vezok stared up towards his foe, startled by his sudden change in tactics.
"This is it," Nuparu thought. "From up here, I can blast that villain without fear of retaliation."
I'm learning to fly, but I ain't got wings.
Comin' down is the hardest thing.
Nuparu rose higher in the thunder clouds, keeping an eye on Vezok all along. The Piraka wasn't moving, creating a better target for Nuparu. All Vezok was doing was staring up into the sky at the Toa of Earth.
"This should be quick," Nuparu said to himself. He gingerly aimed his laser drill towards the Piraka, and prepared to fire. Then Vezok struck.
Nuparu didn't even see the water daggers fired from Vezok's harpoon. The projectiles struck Nuparu with incredible force, causing him to spin through the air. Worst, they exploded on impact, and drenched him in water.
Then Nuparu remembered the number one rule he had learned on Mata-Nui about thunderstorms; never stay in the water when the thunder and lighting are above you.
Lightning struck! Nuparu was electrified, and all his limbs went numb. He lost control, and plummeted towards the ground. In the distance, he could hear Vezok's echoing laughter.
Well some say life will beat you down.
Break your heart, steal your crown.
Nuparu's vision began to return to him, after having it go black for the longest time. He had crashed into the rocks of Voya-Nui, and it was a miracle that he had survived the impact at all. Yet his body felt drained of all energy, and his limbs were numb. Vezok had not found him yet, but when he did, the Piraka would make short work out of him.
"I have failed," Nuparu moaned to himself. "I am not a Toa of Earth. I am just a Matoran pretending. How could I believe I could master my powers, my tool, and my mask? I cannot rescue Toa Onua, and I cannot get the Mask of Life. I am a disgrace to all Toa!"
"No you are not."
Nuparu tried to turn his head towards the sound, but he could hardly move. All he could see was a massive figure off to the side. His features were blurred, and Nuparu could not tell if he were friend or foe.
"What's to say that I'm not?" Nuparu wondered. "I'm an Onu-Matoran. I live in the earth. I cannot control a mask that carries me high into the sky. The Great Spirits were mistaken. This is not my destiny."
"Destiny chooses in the most unlikely ways," the being said. "It may be that you have a more important role to play after all, Nuparu. Fear not the powers you have been given. Instead, learn to use them, as if they were but another piece of equipment you have been given."
Nuparu felt the edge of a blade gently touch his neck. "Learn to fly, Nuparu. Then you shall discover your destiny."
Energy flowed into the Toa of Earth. The recharge happened so quickly that it took Nuparu a few seconds to realize that he could move his limbs again. He stood up, and looked around for the massive figure who had spoken to him. But he didn't see anybody of the correct statue around him. Instead, he saw Vezok crawling over the rugged landscape towards him.
"There you are, Toa," he sneered. "I do not believe we have finished what we started."
So I started out, for God knows where.
I guess I'll know when I get there.
Before Vezok could attack, Nuparu dug his claws into the ground and lifted up a giant chunk of earth. He threw it at the Piraka, and knocked him to the ground. Vezok got back to his feet, his eyes glowing. To Nuparu's delight, Vezok was unable to recreate the attack. His absorption powers had limits, after all.
"My turn, Toa," Vezok said. His eyebeams lashed out again, striking Nuparu with his impact vision again. Nuparu took the blow, and fell back to the ground. However, he used his earth powers to make the ground soft, and he was back up again and aiming his laser drill in a split second. Vezok was still grinning from his success, and caught the laser blast completely off guard.
Vezok crumpled, but still regained his feet. He was hurt this time, but the rage now filled his eyes. "You can't think that would down me," he snarled.
Nuparu was already rushing forward, claws outstretched. "No, but I know what will."
I'm learning to fly, around the clouds.
But what goes up must come down.
Nuparu's claws grabbed onto Vezok's armor even as the Piraka fired his impact vision again. Nuparu took the impact but ignored the pain. His claws hooked onto Vezok, and he activated his Kanohi Kadin. With a burst of speed, Nuparu was off the ground, and lifting Vezok up with him.
"What are you doing?" Vezok yelled, as his feet left the ground.
"I'm flying," Nuparu said simply.
I'm learning to fly, but I ain't got wings.
Comin' down is the hardest thing.
Vezok screeched and flailed. His claws and eyebeams struck Nuparu again and again, but they were ineffective at such close range. Vezok tried to bite down on Nuparu's shoulder, but the Toa of Earth had the Piraka immobilized. Soon, they were rocketing over the landscape of Voya-Nui. In the distance, Nuparu could see the power displayed in the fights between the other Toa Inika and Piraka.
"Release me!" cried Vezok, his impact vision striking Nuparu's chest.
"Not yet," Nuparu said.
I'm learning to fly, around the clouds.
What goes up must come down.
Nuparu was now so high that the features of the ground below were a blur. He and Vezok were surrounded by the storm clouds, and lightning flashed all around them. But they continued to move up unhindered.
I'm learning to fly.
Now Nuparu was high enough. His grip slacked on the struggling Piraka.
"What are you doing?" screamed Vezok, starting to comprehend what was about to happen.
"I have one question for you, Piraka," Nuparu said. "Can you fly?"
I'm learning to fly…