"For the last time, Onua! Get in the sub!"

Kopaka's patience was wearing thin as he stared at the Toa of Earth standing before him on the dock. His normally dark mask had turned a pale grey, and his knees were shaking almost as if he had been struck with one of his own earthquakes.

"Kopaka…you know how I am with water, and drowning," Onua replied.

"Yes," Kopaka said, "when you go underwater, you panic because you're hydrophobic and afraid you'll drown. It's an extremely irrational fear, and you need to get over it!"

"Can I please just stay up here at the trading post? It's not like you actually need me down there."

Kopaka sighed.

"Okay, fine. Stay up here. Just…never mind."

With that, he stepped into the waiting sub pod and pressed the button on its dashboard marked, "Dive." As the Toa of Ice watched the water level rise up around him, he shook his head. Wise, old Onua, scared out of his armor by his irrational fear of drowning.

"Doesn't get much more ironic," he thought, taking the steering wheel in hand and piloting the sleek craft through the water.

Alone with his thoughts, Kopaka stared out into the ocean. He watched as a school of Ruki fled from his craft. He saw a Tarakava stalking the sea floor, searching for prey. He could hear the soothing silence that could only be found beneath the waves. Kopaka was no Toa of Water, that much was obvious, but that particular element, the ocean in particular, held a special place in his heart; all thanks to a Toa of Water who had managed to thaw his icy heart, no less than a thousand years ago.

Glad for this brief time alone, he clasped the metal pendant that hung around his neck. Most of the time, it sat behind his chest armor, unseen, but now he pulled it out and opened it, gazed at the well-protected images it contained.

"I miss you," he said, holding it against his heartlight. "I miss you so much, Atuuh."

A few years after the Toa Mata had arrived on Huna Nui, the island had been invaded by an army of Aquaton, a sea-dwelling race known for its savagery. The amphibious beings struck hard and fast, catching the island's defenders off guard. The Toa had fought back, attempting to save their new home, but they could not be everywhere at once, and soon, the invaders had erected a number of fortresses, entrenching themselves within the island.

With no options remaining, the Toa Mata had called for aid, and within a fortnight, a ship carrying nearly a hundred Toa arrived, led by a Makuta named Antroz. Kopaka had been surprised that their own Makuta, one named Zerrek, had not led the charge but, upon inquiry, found Makuta Zerrek had his hands full with another situation. It was during the first week after the reinforcements had arrived that Kopaka had been given charge over a squad of Toa, and it was this assignment that would change him forever.

"Commander Kopaka," said Makuta Antroz.

"Sir," replied the Toa of Ice, bowing to the Makuta.

"I've given your brothers and sister their soldier assignments," replied the Makuta, handing the Toa a tablet. "You are the last, meaning the remaining soldiers are yours to command. You will get your assignments tomorrow, so I suggest you use this time to get to know your troops a bit."

Kopaka mentally cringed at the prospect. Personal relations were not his strong suit, but, having his orders, he bowed and left the room. He made his way out into the trading post's common area to speak with the remaining troops. As he opened the door, he was confronted with the voices of over a score of Toa, milling around the buildings. He took a deep breath and spoke up in what he thought was a loud voice.

"Excuse me?" he called, but there seemed to be no change in the chatter.

"Excuse me?" he said, louder this time. Still, no change.

Sighing in exasperation, he drew out his sword and shield.

"Hey! Listen up!" he shouted, banging his weapons together.

The noise caused the chatter to cease, almost instantly. Kopaka nodded and put his weapons away.

"Thank you," he said, "as some of you already know, I am Kopaka. I've been assigned as your commander. I'm, uh, going to call roll, to make sure you're all accounted for."

With that, he put up his weapons and pulled out the tablet.

"Garisen, Toa of Plasma?"

"Here!" came a call from beside the docks.

Kopaka nodded and marked on the tablet.

"Uresa, Toa of Lightning? "

"Here."

As Kopaka made his way down the list, he tried to remember the names and faces of those he called out.

"Hopefully, this will get easier," he thought.

Finally, he came to the end of the list.

"Atuuh, Toa of Water?"

There was no reply.

"Atuuh, are you out there?"

Still, no reply.

"Well, let's hope she shows up before –"

"I'm sorry, did you call me?"

Kopaka turned to the voice behind him, to find a Toa of Water standing there. Sunlight gleamed off her streamlined armor, and an embarrassed smile played over her Kanohi Kakama.

"I'm sorry I'm late. I ran across a wounded Gukko over there," she said, as she motioned down the beach, "and I couldn't just leave it there."

Kopaka quickly turned back to his list, realizing he had been staring at her.

"It's alright, um, Atuuh," he stammered. "We don't exactly have any assignments."

"Oh, well, thank you, Commander."

Kopaka turned back to face her, his face a tad flushed.

"Um, you can just call me Kopaka," he said. "No need for formalities."

With that, she nodded and walked off to join a small group of Toa, chatting by the dock. Kopaka quickly ducked inside the inn and sat down, taking deep breaths. He tried to control the rate of his heartlight, which had inexplicably risen significantly.

"What just happened?" he wondered, as a bizarre feeling swept over him. "Am I just nervous?"

He sat for a moment, before returning outside.

"I'll get used to this," he thought. "Maybe I should talk to Atuuh and see what she did with that Gukko."

Kopaka spent much of that day talking with his soldiers, but with Atuuh in particular. He could not explain it, but something in her voice and demeanor gave a feeling unlike anything he had ever felt before. As the war progressed, he found himself spending more and more time with her, for reasons he could not explain. When she was injured, he would rush to her side. When he felt lonely or needed advice, he would seek her out. And though his own actions perplexed him, what he found even odder was that she never seemed to mind. She seemed perfectly content to talk with him, sometimes for hours on end, while the other Toa were out enjoying themselves on the times when there was no fighting.

After the Aquaton had been driven from Huna Nui, and as the visiting Toa began to prepare to leave, Kopaka began to feel a pang in his heart at the thought of Atuuh leaving. It was then he finally realized that he had fallen in love with her. Just days before the visiting Toa were to leave, he gathered up the courage to tell her how he felt.

"Atuuh?" Kopaka asked.

The pair stood atop one of the Toa army's fortresses that had been hastily erected during the war.

"Yes?" she replied, the light of the moons casting a pale light across her armor.

"There's…there's something I want to ask you."

"What is it?"

Kopaka sighed as he turned towards the sea.

"Over the past few days, I've been doing some thinking. Are you," he paused, "are you sure you want to go back to your island?"

"I do, Kopaka. My home needs me."

Kopaka closed his eyes and thought, "She leaves in just a few days. If I never tell her, I'll never know if she feels the same way."

He sighed.

"The reason I ask" he said, unsure if he was going about this right, "is because, well..."

"What is it, Kopaka?" she placed a hand on his shoulder, concern on her face.

"Atuuh, what I'm about to tell you may sound crazy. I even think so, but I can't deny this any longer. Atuuh," he turned towards her, "I love you."

"There," he thought, turning away, "at least now I can't say I didn't try."

"I was hoping you'd say that."

"What?"

Kopaka turned back to the Toa of Water. If he had expected her to be angry or amused or perplexed, he did not get the reaction had expected. If anything, he could have sworn he saw relief in her eyes.

She turned back to the parapet and said, "When I first saw you, I noticed something special about you. I saw how you were always around me, keeping me safe and making sure I was alright. A part of me resented that, but I noticed you never acted this concerned about anyone else. It made me feel special. But those times you jumped in to protect me, I was more mortified than ever before in my life."

Kopaka noticed a tear drop onto the parapet. He wrapped his arm around her as she continued.

"I'd try to get ahold of myself. After all, I'd seen worse things in my life. But the thought of you dying kept me up at night. I didn't know what I'd do if you weren't there."

Kopaka took her in his arms and held her close, her tears dripping on his armor.

"But I'm still here, aren't I?" he said.

One moment, they were staring into each other's eyes; the next, the world around them ceased to be as they kissed for the very first time. The tears that still clung to their masks turned to crystal as the air around them began to fill with snow.

As Kopaka held Atuuh in his arms, he never wanted this to end. The air around him might have been cold, but his heart had never felt so warm. Reluctantly, they drew their lips apart and gazed into each other's eyes.

"No matter what happens," said Kopaka, as he wiped the tears from her cheek, "I will always love you."

The day she stepped aboard that ship at the Ga-Huna trading post, she had given him the pendant, meant as a symbol that they would always remember each other. They promised to keep in contact, and through the years afterwards, many a heartfelt letter passed between the two. They visited each other often, until a disaster struck her home. Kopaka had found this out while trying to gain passage to her home island. When he tried to find a ship heading for her home, he was informed that the Brotherhood of Makuta had quarantined the island and that no one was allowed on or off.

Coming back to reality, Kopaka broke from his reverie and tucked the pendant away as he entered the underwater caves that led to Ga-Huna. Even after all these years, he breathed a silent prayer to the Great Spirit that, somehow, somewhere, Atuuh was alright.