Author's note: Out of all the chapters in the story, this one was the most challenging. I hope it turned out decent though.
Matoran on Ice
Kopaka veered his body to the right, causing him make a wide right turn around the peak of Mount Ihu. He had more control over his balance as he shot down the mountainside, his speed increasing every second. Jaller had managed to shift his position from being held in Kopaka's hand to hanging onto Kopaka's back. Kopaka had spotted Hahli's location indeed, but he still didn't know how she had manage to wonder onto the other side of Mount Ihu when she was heading for Ko-Koro.
Was that blizzard really that bad?
'Apparently so.' Kopaka's mind muttered as he rounded the peak of Mount Ihu and saw the entire eastern side of the island. Still using his mask power, Kopaka could see Hahli's location coming right up ahead of them.
Twisting his skis to the right, Kopaka was able to slow down before skiing off a ridge. He stepped off his blades, and Jaller dropped from his back and into the snow.
"Where is she?" Jaller immediately asked as Kopaka reached down and picked up his twin blades. Quickly, Kopaka rushed over to the edge of the ridge and peered down below. Jaller ran to his side to see what the Toa of Ice was looking at. The sight almost made him leap into reckless action.
Down below was a round, thin, icy lake with the middle frozen into a little circle. Barely on that frozen spot of lake was Hahli.
Stalking around the cold lake were not one, but three Muaka beasts, all eager to devour the Ga-Matoran.
"Hahli!" Jaller shouted down to her. A frantic Hahli darted her head up and saw Jaller and Kopaka on top of the ridge.
"Jaller! Help!" Hahli cried out. A Muaka snapped its jaw at Hahli, startling her, and almost falling off her patch of ice and into the cold water.
"What do we do?" Jaller asked Kopaka, who had said nothing as he examined the situation.
Without warning, Kopaka grabbed Jaller and jumped off the ridge.
"Whoa!" Jaller shouted as he was taken by surprise.
Two of the Muaka heard Jaller's shout and glanced over at the newcomers.
Kopaka landed right side up and carefully let go of Jaller.
"Go get Hahli." Kopaka grunted as he ran forward, twirling his combined blades. Kopaka raised his weapon over his head and channeled his powers as he neared the lake.
In one motion, he gripped his weapon, and brought it down into the tip of the lake.
His ice powers stored in the blade were unleashed, and the entire top of the lake was frozen solid.
Jaller dashed directly past Kopaka, and over the ice. With each step, however, the ice formed little cracks in the layer.
"This better not break." Jaller warned nervously as he carefully stepped towards Hahli.
"It won't." Kopaka said. He had made the ice strong enough to support the weight of Matoran, but not the weight of the Muaka.
Trusting in Kopaka's words, Jaller broke into a run towards Hahli.
Seeing Jaller run across the ice, one of the Muaka took a hard step on the ice, now seeing that there was double the prey.
CCRAACK!
The Muaka bellowed as it pulled its sharp paw out of the icy waters. The second Muaka decided to go after the big prey instead of the two little ones. Kopaka saw the Muaka charging around lake, heading straight towards him. Bracing his legs, Kopaka waited for the right moment.
The Muaka roared as it lunged with its razor claws out. Kopaka dove aside at the last second. As Kopaka dove, he spun his torso around, and clubbed the right side of the Muaka's jaw with his shield. The Muaka landed on its four paws, but it staggered on landing. With a jerk of its head, the Muaka glared at Kopaka and roared. Kopaka could feel and smell the stifling hot breath of the Rahi.
The first Muaka who had attempted to cross the lake of thin ice glanced up at the roaring Muaka. Settling on fighting for a bigger prey rather than simply gobbling up the two little ones, the Muaka stalked after the Toa.
The last Muaka, however, was still determined to go after the Matoran, and continued to try and figure out a way to get across the ice on the opposite side of the lake.
The Muaka facing Kopaka roared and charged at high speeds. Kopaka jumped high and leapt over the pouncing Muaka.
Once he landed, Kopaka was face-to-face with the second Muaka lunging at him.
He barely had time to raise his shield up as the second Muaka attacked. The Muaka's teeth clamped around the edges of the shield, and the strength of the Rahi drove Kopaka off the ground and into the first Muaka's side.
(…,,,…,,,)
Jaller had reached the center of the frozen little lake. Hahli immediately unrolled out of her huddle and grasped Jaller as if her life depended on it.
"Jaller!" Hahli exclaimed with shaky relief.
"It's ok Hahli," Jaller assured, "I'm here for you."
"I'm sorry...I lost your lava board." Hahli quietly mumbled. Jaller had forgotten all about his lava board, he was mostly focused on finding Hahli and making sure she was safe.
"That doesn't matter now," Jaller told her as he helped her up, "we gotta get you outta here."
Deep growls soon caught their attention. Jaller and Hahli, still holding onto each other, stared at where the growls came from.
The last Muaka was prowling around the far edge of the frozen lake, trying to figure out the safest way to reach the two Matoran.
Jaller glanced over to the other side of the frozen lake, and saw Kopaka locked in combat with the two other Muaka.
Seeing that they were on their own for now, Jaller shifted out of Hahli's hold and faced in the direction of the third Muaka.
"Come and get me, Rahi." Jaller challenged as he drew out his blade. The Muaka saw Jaller's actions and bellowed.
It tried to take a step forward to attack, but withdrew when its paw broke through the ice. It snarled at the Ta-Matoran as it prowled around its side of the lake.
(…,,,…,,,)
Kopaka was down in the snow, now facing up at the Muaka that towered over him.
The Muaka let out a shattering roar as it rose up and brought down its jagged claws down.
He had rolled to the side, but winced as he felt one of the claws skim against his right arm.
Before he could stand up, he felt the stifling pain of sharp pointed teeth biting his torso from the second Muaka that had chomped on him. He was then tossed aside and landed in the snow.
Excruciatingly, Kopaka stood himself up and glared at the two Rahi.
Impatiently, the second Muaka ran towards him and lunged with open claws and teeth. Kopaka ran forward and step sided the Muaka, grazing the Muaka's side with his tip of his blade. As soon as he landed, the first Muaka shot forward to attack. Kopaka bent down and used his shield, strength, and leverage to throw the Muaka over and past him.
With a deep exhale, Kopaka stood facing the two Muaka and readied his weapon. The two Muaka quickly recovered and turned to face the Toa. The second Muaka charged, and Kopaka directed his power through his blade. A white jet of ice and snow shot out of the tip of the blade, and blasted against the Muaka. The Muaka snarled as it fought to push against the elemental onslaught.
The first Muaka leaped forward and attempted to swipe at him. Kopaka directed the blast of ice at the first Muaka, which struck the side of the Rahi, throwing it off balance. That was all the time the second Muaka needed to run up and bite down on the Toa.
Kopaka saw this, and quickly angled his body so the Muaka's jaws snapped right beside him. He countered the attack with a swipe of his ice blade. The Muaka slowly twisted around and gave a deafening bellow. Kopaka felt the hot breath from the Muaka breathe down on him as he readied to fight again.
The Toa of Ice was surrounded, circled by the two Muaka.
Kopaka was on edge, seeing that he could be attacked from any side. He flashed his eyesight between the two Muaka, who in returned glowered.
Then, one of the Muaka dove at the Toa. Kopaka maneuvered himself and evaded the attack.
He suddenly felt the razor-sharp pain clamp down on his left arm. Kopaka scowled in pain as he quickly turned to find the second Muaka biting his arm holding his shield.
Before Kopaka could react, the Muaka started thrashing its head around, dragging Kopaka's arm and himself along with it. Kopaka struggled to try and get out of the Muaka's bite, but it was too much to do when it felt like his arm was about to be ripped out of his socket.
After an intense second, the Muaka let go of Kopaka's arm. The Toa was sent crashing into a pile of ice and snow, knocking him momentarily unconscious.
(…,,,…,,,)
The only thing he could see was darkness. Unlike the darkness that was of Makuta, this one felt warm and comforting, almost beckoning for Kopaka to let the blackness take over his body.
Yet, there was something…off.
He could hear faint echoes in the distance somewhere, and also a feeling of intense heat coming from his body.
Reluctantly choosing to head away from the yawning darkness, Kopaka blindly followed the sounds.
The noises kept getting louder and louder until Kopaka could finally recognized them: they were the sounds of Rahi. On top of that, the intense heat had become searing wounds and stings.
Still, Kopaka couldn't see anything in front of him or behind him.
'Why can't I see?' Kopaka's mind shouted.
It was at that moment that he realized that his eyes were closed the entire time. With little effort, Kopaka opened his eyes.
As soon as he did, the searing wounds and stings on his body were replaced with hot pain.
The Rahi sounds turned out to be Muaka roaring in front of him, and he suddenly found himself laying on his side in the snow.
Above him, the two Muaka were snapping and snarling at each other, trying to decide which one of them would eat the Toa first.
In the close distance, Kopaka could see the frozen lake, Jaller and Hahli in the middle, and a third Muaka prowling around on the far side.
Jaller was aiming his blade at the prowling Muaka, which would prove no match against the huge Rahi.
'The Matoran…' was all that Kopaka's mind whispered.
Ignoring the pain throbbing throughout his body, Kopaka felt his connected blades in his right hand, and his shield still equipped in his left.
In a flash, Kopaka unleashed his power over ice through his blade and thrust the blade's tip up at the closest Muaka.
The blade barely stabbed into the Muaka before there was the crackling sound of the Rahi freezing over.
Glancing up, Kopaka caught a brief glimpse of the frozen Rahi before the other Muaka reacted.
(…,,,…,,,)
Hahli stood behind Jaller, who was holding his blade at the Muaka stalking on the shore.
Suddenly, the Muaka glanced down at the ice, and back at the Matoran. Jaller immediately figured out what the Muaka was planning.
"One the count of three, we run." Jaller planned. Once he said this, the Muaka scrunched its hind legs and prepared to jump.
"One…" Jaller started to count, but then he felt himself being shoved ahead.
"Three!" finished Hahli as she pulled him into a run.
The Muaka leaped high into the air, passing over the two running Matoran, and crashing through the spot of ice where Jaller and Hahli once stood.
Jaller and Hahli only heard the sound of the Muaka roaring mixed with the noise of breaking ice, and splashing water. When the two Matoran did reach the shore, they turned around to only see a huge Muaka-sized hole in the ice and the stirring icy water in the middle of the hole.
"Thank you, Jaller." Hahli said as she gave him a hug, one which he returned.
"Don't thank me," Jaller insisted, "thank Toa-"
Jaller stopped in midsentence, realizing Kopaka was looking down at them.
"…Kopaka." Jaller ended as he examined Kopaka.
The Toa had scratches on all parts of his armor, a gash in his arm, teeth marks on the other arm, and his torso looked like it had been mauled.
Still, Kopaka held onto his blade and shield and stood firmly and silently.
"Thank you, Toa Kopaka." Hahli said and bowed. Kopaka said nothing, as usual. Jaller glanced back across the frozen lake and saw the two other Muaka frozen solid.
"Sooo…what now?" Jaller finally asked as he looked up at Kopaka. The Toa glanced in the direction of Ga-Wahi. He could see Naho Bay in the distance from where he stood.
"You should return-" Kopaka began to say, but a sudden eruption from the frozen lake stopped him.
Before anyone could react, the Muaka roared as it burst through the layer of thin ice, and tried to climb onto shore.
The shore was too slippery, and it started to slip back into the lake's waters. Desperately, the Muaka tried to grab a hold of something, and its claws clutched onto Hahli's leg. Hahli screamed as the Muaka dragged her under the water.
"Hahli!" Jaller shouted and was about to go after her, but Kopaka had acted faster. Kopaka ran passed Jaller and dove after into the water. Jaller was left nervously waiting, since he couldn't see a thing in the water; too many chunks of ice, and the water was not settling.
After waiting for what felt like years, Kopaka emerged from the water, coughing for air. In his arm was a limp and unconscious Hahli. Still coughing up water, Kopaka crawled onto the shore, and carefully set the Ga-Matoran down. Jaller ran over and held Hahli's head off the ground; he was speechless. Before he could assume the worst, Jaller spotted Hahli's heart light slowly fading on and off.
"Kopaka, she's alive!" Jaller exclaimed as he tried to shake Hahli awake, "But we need to get her to safety."
Finally getting the water out of his lungs, Kopaka stood up and tried to decide what to do.
They couldn't return back to Ko-Koro, the journey and terrain was too long and hazardous, even when using the Great Mask of Speed, one slip and all three of them could end up dying by falling off an unexpected cliff.
Staring towards the North East, Kopaka could still see the shimmering waters of Naho Bay, and with his Akaku Nuva, he could see the floating village of Ga-Koro.
It was a far distance, but a straight path down the mountain.
"Hold on." Kopaka muttered as he picked up Jaller and held him under one arm, and carefully scooped up Hahli in the other. He carried them very carefully in his arms, while his hands held onto his blades and shield.
Despite the ache and hurt in just about every spot in his body, Kopaka activated his Kakama Nuva, and ran forward.
In an instant, they were gone from the frozen lake and frozen Muaka, and were travelling high speeds to Ga-Koro. Kopaka was only hoping that he would make it in time to safe Hahli's life.
TO BE CONTINUED…
Author's note: Wow…that was harder than expected. If you see any sentence structure errors, or if anything (if not everything) seems crammed up, I am very sorry about that.
