...Creation.
...It was so beautiful, so amazing. Especially when you had a mask to help you. Which was just what Artakha had. The great mask of creation.
...And his creation this time was more interesting than any he had made before.
...It is said sometimes that each being contains a certain amount of light and Shadow, each one deciding how good, or how evil they were. And many people—Artakha included—always wondered. Was there a sentient being behind this?
...And it was Artakha's goal to find out.
...Before him was a variety of things, but any observer would have instantly dismissed them, focusing on the small figure strapped to a table in the center of the room. A Matoran, being used as a lab rat.
...Overall, this entire scene screamed 'mad scientist' at the top of its lungs. But in reality, it was not that similar. Or the Matoran had submitted to this willingly, being one of Artakha's residents, and also because of the fact that Artakha was offering him the possibility of having all his Shadow withdrawn. After all, wouldn't you want to live without any evil whatsoever inside of you?
a wire here, a switch pulled here, this here, that there. And I'm done! Artakha thought, almost gleefully.
...Then it all went wrong.
...Well, technically it worked out perfectly. What seemed like a Shadow flowed down the tubes connected to the Matoran's body and into a star shaped crystal that was held suspended from the ceiling.
...That was the good news, the bad news was what happened next.
...The crystal began glowing a redish black, which was expected. What Artakha did not expect was the next thing.
...A voice spoke out inside Artakha's head, shocking even that ancient being.
...You fool! You try to tinker with the Shadow itself, thinking that once you have released it you can keep it bound. No. I can go anywhere, do what I want. But you freed me, so I'll not leave this room.
...And before Artakha could react, the Shadow disappeared from the crystal. And only a whispering laugh lingered.
...But Artakha knew one thing. Nothing inside this room cold ever leave the island.
...Life…
...That was all I could feel. I was drifting, drifting in a void. A void of darkness, a void of cold, of the absolute zero.
...Who am I? That is something I keep asking myself. Along with the question of how I got here, and where I had been before this.
...Yes, all those questions go together. And they should.
...But enough of this. I had to find a way out. I tried to move, but nothing responded. I simply floated there, paralyzed. And the more I tried to move, to force myself to move any part, the more I couldn't. And along with that came a feeling of terror, fear of floating here, helpless, unable to die. And what would happen if something attacked me? After all, this was a strange world. What if there was something hostile out there?
...And the more I thought about that, the more I kept believing it. And I was sure that there shapes in this void, sentient, malevolent, just waiting to spring on me.
...And the more I believed that, the more I could see. I was sure I could see shapes moving around, surrounding me, ready to pounce.
...A soundless scream I made, terrified beyond imagination, helpless unable to move, about to be devoured.
...And then I realized something. There was no way I was imagining this. There was a Dark shape floating in front of me.
...Who are you? What do you want? my mind screamed. I could almost hear a chuckle inside my head in reply.
...Oh, nothing much, little Toa. I just want, you. I started (At least mentally, I still couldn't move). What did this thing mean?
...What do you mean, me? The being simply continued its chuckling, that sound scaring me much more than anything else.
...I meant you. Your heart, your body, your mind, and your soul. If I could have moved, I would have given him a look of total disbelief. Seriously? This freaky thing wanted that? Oh well, it wouldn't get it.
...I don't care who you are, what you are, or how you got here, but you must be out of your mind to think I would agree to that, I snapped angrily back. And yet the laughter continued, even growing. Clearly I amused him.
...So brave, Toa. Yet so foolish. Just like all your kind. You believe that your power can banish all evil, yet so naive. So ignorant of what true power is. I enjoy tormenting your kind. For your morals, your foolish resistance is amusing to me. This continued to shock me. Who was this thing? What was he?
...I see your doubt, Toa. I see everything about you. And I know that you will never submit to me. At least, not yet. So will not ask again. I relaxed, thinking that this thing was going away.
...And by doing that, I made the mistake I would regret for centuries to come.
...For the being did not turn away. Instead he simply leaped at me. I felt him, I felt him inside me. I felt his darkness, his Shadow, his evil seeping into me. Another soundless scream I did utter. For it had dawned on me.
...I was him, and he was me. And we would never be separate.
...And right you are, Toa. I will always be here, I will always be your fear.
...Creation.
...Life.
...Feeling.
...Sight.
...The Toa of sonics felt all of this now. He was lying on a stone slab, and towering over him was a gray and green titan, a proud smile on his face.
...And Zarayna, the newly created Toa remembered nothing of his dream.
...But the Shadow was right. He would always be Zarayna's fear.