CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR: INNER DEMONS
The next morning, Kopaka and Gali set out from their ice cave. They followed the narrow mountain pass along the edge of the chasm for what felt like miles before coming to a wide road leading up a hill. Kopaka shook his head, "It's never easy…"
He began to climb the hill, but stopped suddenly. "Gali…"
They both looked up to see a Kuma-Nui standing at the top of the hill. Gali was shocked to see Kopaka's ice-blue eyes turn blood-red at the sight of the Rahi. She scrambled away from him; he was suffering bloodlust. The incident with Amaka must have left mental scars as well as physical.
"Evil Rahi," he snarled in a voice that sounded nothing like his own. He propelled himself up the hill at impossible speeds, "Prepare to die!"
He launched himself into the air, slamming his spear down through the Rahi's claw as it came up to swipe at him. While he successfully pierced it, he was flung sideways into a snowdrift; his spear ripping loose from the claw.
The Kuma-Nui screamed in pain; tail lashing out and connecting with Kopaka's ribs. He was hurled sideways and came bouncing down the hill, passing Gali. He fell with increasing velocity toward the chasm, but stopped himself by digging his spear into the ice just in time. He bounded back up to the Kuma-Nui, stabbing with his spear and hitting it with his shield as he did so.
The Kuma-Nui's extendable neck shot out, and Gali covered her mouth as it picked Kopaka up in its jaws. Kopaka had other plans, however, and drove the spear into the giant Rahi's eye. The Kuma-Nui responded by dropping Kopaka and falling over, blinded in one eye. Kopaka leaped over and jammed his spear through the Kuma-Nui's jaw, nailing its jaws shut and piercing its brain.
The behemoth fell dead, and Kopaka landed next to it, wiping his spear in the white snow. "Weakling…"
Gali walked tentatively up to him and put her hand on his shoulder, "Kopaka?"
"What?" he snapped, turning to face her as his eye went from red back to blue. "Gali…"
Their eyes met for a moment, and then Gali did something she never thought she'd do. She gave Kopaka a hug.
Kopaka had always been a stiff individual; looking as though he was permanently standing at attention. If Gali thought he was as stiff as he could be, she was wrong. As she embraced him, he stiffened even more, and Gali thought he would snap himself like a twig.
"Kopaka, it's alright," she said, trying to keep her voice from shaking. It had scared her when he'd been infected with the bloodlust.
"Gali…" he said, "…I am sorry you had to see that."
She didn't release him, but hugged him closer, "Kopaka, I understand… just be careful…"
Kopaka thought that asking him to be careful when an anger rivaling that of Makuta pervaded his mind was a bit odd, but he nodded anyway.
"Gali… I'm sorry about that. I want you to know that it isn't what you think."
She looked up at him, confusion stamped on her normally serene features.
"All Ko-Ara Matoran have an inner being. I suppose you could say they're our inner demons. Well, mine went a bit wild back there. This has happened before. Sometimes it is easier to deal with, other times it is harder. Just know this, Gali. I would kill myself before I allowed my feral side to harm you."
She almost missed him muttering, "I'm just glad it didn't become physical again."