Chapter 13
Once, when Nuju was still a Matoran, he had felt the impulse to look into his personal future, even thought doing so was forbidden. He never got the chance, after almost getting caught by the Vahki once, he never tried again. Now, as Hordika, he wondered what he would have seen. His transformation into a Toa? All the heroic things he would do? Mutating into a Toa Hordika? Would he have seen how much he would came to hate the Rahi called Visorak, especially after being chased by them time and time again?
A particularly loud screech caused Nuju to look over his shoulder just long enough to give the Ropperak who was chasing him an icy glare. If he had known that his future had so much running in it, he probably would have told Toa Lhikan to take his Toa Stone and all the trouble it would bring and leave Nuju to his star-gazing. But he hadn't known, so he didn't say that, and so everything happened that had led him here. Another screech pulled the Ice Toa from his thoughts once more. Come on Nuju, focus on the present, Nuju thought to himself. I have to get rid of that Visorak before it catches up with me.
The white Hordika cast his eyes around the Coliseum, looking for something to help, and found, instead, another Visorak coming at him from the front. Nuju gave a low growl of frustration. Great. As he raised his eyes to ask Mata Nui why he was chosen for this, Nuju found his opportunity. Not wasting another second he jumped into the air and hooked his ice claw onto an overhanging Visorak web and swung up, allowing the two Visorak below to make a head-on collision. Nuju permitted his momentum to swing him onto the top of the web and stayed there for a few moments, catching his breath.
Taking advantage of the high view he began to search for his fellow teammates. Much to his dismay he found them all being forced into the center of the arena, where the Ice Hordika predicted they would become trapped and ultimately be defeated. He jumped down, landing on all fours, and started towards the other Toa, sure that they would need his help.
Nuju's sharp eyes spotted the Keelerak scuttling towards him and allowed him to counteract the Rahi's pincers by grabbing onto one with his Hordika claw. The two growled and pushed at each other until the Visorak jerked back, sending a surprised Nuju flying.
The Hordika landed hard on the ground, flat on his back. He sat up and held his head, hoping that his mind would clear relatively soon. As soon as the pain became bearable the Toa of Ice opened his eyes and jumped up with a surprised yell as he narrowly avoided the clamping jaws of a Boggarak. He slowly backed up, slashing at the oncoming Visorak, and found himself back to back with the other Toa.
"We're surrounded," Nokama said from behind Nuju.
"There're too many of them," Nuju agreed.
"What do we do now?" asked Onewa from Nuju's left.
Nuju was about to reply that there was nothing they could do when a haunting cry silenced both Toa and Visorak. Slowly, the surrounding Rahi cleared a path―for what, Nuju had a feeling they would soon find out.
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Nokama was the first to see the Rhotuka spinner. She gasped, but before she could warn them, the spinner struck, throwing all the Toa onto the floor. Looking up, Nokama saw a massive Visorak heading toward them, with a tall, dark, familiar figure riding on top. As the large beast bent down to allow its rider a gentle path off, Nokama pushed herself up, determined to meet the Visorak Queen standing.
"Nokama, how nice to see you again," Roodaka greeted, carelessly tossing away the Visorak reins and starting towards the fallen Toa.
"Roodaka," the blue Toa replied. "Where's Sidorak? I would have thought he would be here to capture his enemies."
Roodaka's smile was chilling. "So he would, if he were able."
Nokama frowned, confused at first, then thought back to what Vakama had told her, 'I'm not too clear on the details, but from what Roodaka's told me, Siderak's an unworthy ruler and she was going to dispose of him once she had all the Toa on her side.' "What did you do to him?" she asked, feeling that perhaps she didn't want to know.
"I didn't do anything," Roodaka laughed. "Your friend Keetongu took care of him for me. Convenient, was it not?"
"Convenient, but cowardly," Onewa said, now also standing. "Too afraid to face him yourself, were you?"
Eyes narrowed dangerously Roodaka replied, "Don't feel too brave, Onewa. Your usefulness, like Sidorak's, is limited. And like that worthless king, I'll have no regret killing you afterward."
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"Ready?" Vakama asked.
Matau faced his friend and nodded. "Ready."
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"What exactly do you want with us?" Nuju asked.
"Not with you, Toa of Ice, your elemental powers," Roodaka explained.
"You'll never get them," Norik declared.
"Oh, I wouldn't be too sure about that, Rahaga. You said the same thing about your friends, remember? I got them, didn't I?"
Norik answered with a cold glare.
"Well, as much as I would like to chat, my business is with the Toa. Don't interfere, Norik. Now," she said, once more turning her attention to the Hordika, "you Toa have something I want. The elemental powers: earth, stone, ice, water. Fire already belongs to me. Hand them over and . . . wait . . ." Roodaka's eyes scanned the line of Hordika. "One of you is missing . . ."
"That would be air."
Everyone turned to look at the new speaker, not very surprised to see Vakama with Matau in his grasp. The Fire Hordika shoved the green Toa forward, sending Matau skidding on his back to join the other Toa. "He's all yours, my queen." Vakama said.
Nokama kneeled and helped Matau to his feet. "Thanks," he muttered, and suddenly, winked at Nokama. She stared at him for a moment, thinking scornfully, What's he doing flirting at a time like this?
"Thank you, Vakama," Roodaka said, smiling at the red Hordika. "So Toa, are you going to give your powers? Or will I have to take them from your broken bodies?"
"You want them so badly?" Matau asked, suddenly kneeling and charging his Rhotuka spinner. "Then take them!" He raised his air claw and charged his Rhotuka spinner, filling it with elemental energy, and fired. The other Toa soon caught on and fired their weapons in the same fashion. Each spinner struck Roodaka dead on. But instead of a cry of pain, or even a yell of defeat, a strange sound came from Roodaka's lips. Ripples of energy coursed through Roodaka as she unmistakably and maniacally laughed.
"Alright, who fired the tickle spinner?" Matau asked.
"Fools!" Roodaka cried, grinning madly. "You, like your powers, are nothing if you are not united! And seeing as Vakama stands with me-"
"Actually," Vakama interrupted, "I wanted to talk to you about that."
Roodaka slowly turned to the red Hordika, who was now also charging his Rhotuka spinner. "You might defeat me, Vakama, but not all of them," she said, gesturing to the surrounding Visorak horde. "Strike me down and they will surely destroy you and your friends! Think about it."
"I have," Vakama replied, "and seeing as you convinced Sidorak to put me in charge of them . . ." He stood and shouted so all the Visorak could hear. "Get out of here! All of you! You're free! That," Vakama added, shooting a smile at the irate Roodaka, "is an order."
There was only a slight pause before all the Visorak in the Coliseum turned and started scuttling eagerly towards the nearest exit. "Traitors!" Roodaka called, but none of the spider-like Rahi were listening.
"Huh, that was convenient," Onewa said, grinning at Roodaka.
"You will all regret this!" Roodaka shouted. "Especially you, Vakama! I can't believe I was so foolish as to think you could be king!"
"You're right, I probably couldn't be king," Vakama agreed. "And I wouldn't want to. I lead only those who chose to follow me. That's the difference between being a leader and a tyrant like you. And a leader is all I want to be." Smiling, he sent a backwards glance to a smiling Matau. "A certain Toa taught me that."
Roodaka opened her mouth to reply, but then closed it, suddenly smiling. "Go ahead then, Vakama. Shoot me. But be ready for the consequences." She opened her arms, presenting the Fire Toa with a clear shot.
"No! Vakama don't!" Norik shouted, to late. Vakama, failing to notice the strange red glow that was now emanating from Roodaka's eyes and heart stone, fired. The spinner was well aimed and hit it's target exactly were it should have, at the heart stone. This time, Roodaka fell, dead.
A strange dark red light pulsed from Roodaka's heart stone and crackling energy filled the air around her body. A large hand, seemingly made out of shadow, emanated from the stone and slowly closed it's fingers around Roodaka. Light could be seen radiating from inside the fist, concealing the body from view. Then, as suddenly as it had come, the hand closed in on itself, and disappeared, taking the crackling energy and Roodaka with it. The only thing left out of the frightening spectacle was Roodaka's heart stone, now black with a small trail of smoke rising from it.
Hesitantly, Vakama walked over and picked up the dull stone. The heat didn't bother him, his hands were callused from years of work, but the origin of the stone troubled the Toa of Fire very much.
"Vakama, you have no idea what you've just done!" Norik said, clearly distressed.
Vakama knew very well. "Her heart stone, it's of the Makuta," he said.
"Yes! Carved from the same protodermis you sealed him with! In destroying it, you've broken that seal and released the Makuta upon us!"
"I know." Vakama looked at his team mates who where walking over to join him.
"We don't know that," Onewa interjected. "I mean, does anybody see Makuta coming to kill us all? I think he's still trapped."
"I don't know, brother. That dark-creepy shadow hand convinced me," Matau said, looking at the stone Vakama held out for him to see.
The sound of large, heavy footfalls drew everyone's attention away from the stone and to a very beaten Keetongu. The legendary Rahi was shaking violently with every step and his armor was dented in several places and blackened on others. Then, he fell.
"Keetongu!" exclaimed Norik. "Come, help him up."
"Looks like Sidorak wasn't so easy to defeat after all," Onewa murmured. He took one arm and Whenua took the other and together they lifted the large Rahi into a sitting position.
"Are you alright, Keetongu?" Norik asked. Keetongu said something in return, and the Rahaga looked relieved. "Good. I am glad to hear it."
"Will he be okay?" Nokama asked.
"Yes," Norik answered. "He says he's not seriously harmed."
As this was happening, Matau pulled Vakama off to the side and whispered something to him, after which Vakama shook his head violently from side to side. Matau pressed on and Vakama still held his position, even as the green Toa presented his reasons. The two began to argue in hushed voices until they noticed all the other Toa, the Rahaga, and even Keetongu watching with interest. Side stepping behind his friend, Matau pushed Vakama forward. Giving an uncertain look back, Vakama walked towards Keetongu. "In light of all that you've given, great Keetongu, you owe us nothing," he began. "But my duty requires that I ask: will you change us to Toa?"
Keetongu spoke a long strand of sounds and Norik translated. "He wants to know why you would want that, seeing as you've made peace with the beast within. That you may even be the stronger for it."
Vakama lifted his head to meet Keetongu's one-eyed gaze and spoke assertively. "It's our destiny to be Toa and to keep our promise to the Matoran."
Smiling, Keetongu nodded and said something to Norik, who happily translated. "Then so will you be." Keetongu then stood and pointed to Norik, who began to translate the Rahi's instructions. "He wants you all to stand around him in a circle, then to all join hands."
The Toa got into place and joined hands as best they could. Vakama found himself with Nokama on his right and Matau on his left. He gave a brief smile to Nokama, who returned it with a smile of her own. They then turned their attention to Keetongu, who held up his arms and began to glow with a golden light. Vakama closed his eyes, filled with anticipation, and for the third time in his life, he felt his muscles shift, stretch, and change.
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. . . . Did it work? Matau slowly opened one eye, then the other and looked down at himself. What he saw made him whoop for joy. "Ha ha! Look at me! I'm back! I'm good-looking again! Whoo-hoo!" He let go of his brothers and did a flip, rejoicing in his Toa form. Reaching up, he felt his Kanohi Mahiki and let out another jubilant cry.
The other Toa were now opening their eyes and were expressing their joy in their own ways. Onewa was simply flexing his hands and laughing, glad to have two good hands again to craft with. Whenua was thanking Keetongu profusely and even Nuju was smiling. Vakama, after making sure that what he was seeing was real, had been surprised to have Nokama hug him and tell him how much she had missed him.
This is right, he thought, looking around at his rejoicing brothers and sister. We are Toa.
- Author's Note: The part at the begining where Nuju mentions how looking into one's personal future is forbiden is made up. I don't think that it's mentioned, but I thought it made sense.-