Author's Notes: Whimsical drabble-type thing. …Yeah. Well, I'm still alive. :)
Disclaimer: Don't own Bionicle.
Turaga Nuju watched the preparations for the Midwinter Festival, a slight but definite smile growing on his face. Ko-Matoran were rarely this excited. But throughout this whole week, every year, the cold, serene atmosphere in Ko-Metru changed visibly.
He heard footsteps from behind him, and turned to greet whoever had entered his office. To his surprise, his visitor was none other than the Toa Mahri of Fire.
"Toa Jaller? How can I help you?" he asked, barely concealing his amazement.
"Honourable Turaga. We can merely to visit the city. It is nothing for you to worry about."
"We?" Who was he talking about?
"The Toa Mahri," he replied quietly. "After all, it was his favorite time of the year."
"…I see."
&&&
"Jaller?" Hahli looked up when he came out of the Turaga's office.
The Fire Toa smiled grimly at her and their companions. "We've got visiting permission," he said, showing them the pass with Nuju's mark on it. "Shall we go?"
Nuparu nodded absently while Hewkii shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably. No one said anything for a long moment. Jaller finally broke the motionless frame by walking away slowly, the rest of the Toa team following.
"Ko-Metru sure is beauty-bright…" Kongu commented as the melancholic group walked through the well-lit city of ice. Matoran glanced at them knowingly. They seemed to be aware of the Toa's destination, but gave no indication. Instead, they continued with whatever business they had.
Hewkii nodded his approval.
Hahli looked over her shoulder at him. "Yeah. And to think that none of this would be here if he hadn't… If Mata Nui…"
"We should've done better," Jaller cut in bluntly. "If we had, his sacrifice wouldn't have been necessary…"
Hahli put a comforting hand on his shoulder, frowning. "It does no good to regret what happened now, Jaller. We all made decisions. We all made mistakes."
"And he had to fix them," was the muttered response.
"We're here," Nuparu grumbled quietly, stopping in front of a dome-like building.
"The Ko-Matoran are to be congratulated on their craftsmanship. Their effort is apparent. I'm glad."
Hahli smiled softly at Hewkii's words regarding the architecture.
Jaller sighed, waved the pass at the guard who saluted them, and opened the door.
There was a single prominent figure in the building. Standing in the center, an immense ice sculpture looked down at them. Determination was etched in the mask, and the light reflected off the eyes.
"It looks just like him."
Jaller swallowed hard, his face expressing awe.
Hahli sighed. "The Matoran captured his very essence in the sculpture. They might look carefree outside, preparing all the festivities, but…"
"They feel the loss of their hero and the savior of Mata Nui just as much as we do," Nuparu finished. "Ko-Matoran aren't the type to openly express themselves, are they?"
"So they show hurt-pain through the sculpture…"
"Exactly," Hahli agreed. "He looks so alive…"
Jaller stepped up to the figure, stopping in front of a plaque that bore the name of the hero of Ko-Metru. He smiled at it, then looked up.
"It's been a long time, Matoro."
Author's Notes: R.I.P., Toa of Ice. Um… Happy Holidays? XD Sounds so out of context given the angst I just showed you.