Chapter 8: Power Share

"Hey, Laney!"

Laney was getting quite annoyed with Matau at this point. First the constant complaining about being underground. Then the non-stop talking about the glory he'd earn for this mission. And then some nonsense about a date with Nokama…

"This better be important, flyboy." she growled. Matau seemed to deflate, before puffing up again. "Come on, Matau, spill it."

"Like tea?"

"NOT FUNNY!"

Matau leaned closer to Laney's ear and whispered some shocking news. "Nuju like-adores you. Wants you to be his love-dear."

Laney started laughing uncontrollably. "That's a riot! Nuju? Crushing on me? Matau, I take back what I said about all your jokes being stupid!"

"Not a prank-joke!" Matau sang.

Laney was doubled over with laughter. "Oh gosh, I gotta tell Shane, he'll get a kick out of this!"

Matau realized that Laney wasn't taking him seriously. "Don't blab-tell Shane! He'll get envy-jealous!" He was too late. Laney was already off to tell her boyfriend about Matau's latest joke. But on the way, she slipped on an ice patch. A white-armored hand stretched out to her.

"Laney! Are you all right?"

Laney refused the hand and stood up by herself. "Nuju, care to explain why there's ice on the path?"

"Vakama asked me to set booby traps for any shadow spawn. I didn't think you'd be here..."

Laney decided to test what Matau had said earlier. Judging by Nuju's blushing, maybe the airhead was right. "Nuju… do you have a crush on me?"

"Ugh! How did you find out?"

"Well I thought Matau was joking at first. But then I thought of how you acted all flustered around me, which is how Shane acts sometimes…" Laney's voice trailed off.

"Matau said I had a crush on you? Who else did he tell?!" Now the Ice Toa was having a rare moment of panic.

"I'm not sure. But you know I can't love you…"

Laney had never seen Nuju look so pitiful. She tacked on, "Not romantically at least."

"So I guess we're… friends?"

"Yeah. That works."

"May I… hug you?"

Laney paused before answering. "Yes."

Nuju wrapped his arms around Laney. The heat he first felt after Laney found the gems had since melted into a comfortable warmth. "Friends." he whispered, trying it on. He found out he liked it.

"No more secrets, Nuju?" asked Laney.

"Well, I have one more…" Nuju sucked in a breath. "I'm asexual."

"...that's a relief."

"Really?" Nuju couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Um, yes. Being surrounded by testosterone gets annoying sometimes."

Neither of them noticed the cold white energy flowing between them.

—-

Meanwhile, Keyok and Shane were bickering yet again. Keyok was, for some reason, still upset about the time Shane kicked a Kohlii ball and it hit Keyok in the face.

"Look, how many years ago was that?" Shane wasn't up for rehashing old arguments.

"I don't care! To this day, my nose looks almost... feminine!"

"I think your nose is cute," Cairos pointed out, trying to keep the peace. To make a point, he kissed Keyok on the nose.

Keyok lightly pushed his boyfriend away. "Not helpful, Cairos-ai."

At that moment Laney returned. Shane stopped arguing. His girlfriend looked radiant. More so than usual. "Hey Laney, sorted things out with Nuju?"

"You knew?" Laney wasn't exactly surprised.

"Yeah, we thought Matau was kidding but Whenua confirmed it." said Ronin. "Something about Nuju and Laney, sitting in a tree…"

"I swear, sometimes Whenua acts like a kindergartner." Haidie shook her head.

"In the meantime, Keyok," said Laney, "you need to accept the fact that you have a cute nose and let it go."

Keyok scowled, but then saw an opportunity to tease Laney. "OK, Elsa."

Unexpectedly, a snowy mist surrounded Laney's hands. She concentrated on a spot just centimeters away from Keyok's head. A dagger of ice formed in her left hand, which soon flew towards Keyok. It grazed his cheek, drawing a trickle of blood.

"Last time I checked, Elsa couldn't throw a dagger." Laney deadpanned.

Keika had just returned from an argument with Matau. She saw Keyok bleeding and got out her first aid kit.

"Keyok, hold still." she chided as she applied an ointment to Keyok's cheek.

"Tell Laney she's not allowed to throw ice daggers at me!" Keyok whined.

"I'm sorry, what?" Keika finished applying the ointment and put a bandage over the wound.

"She threw an ice dagger at me! I don't know how she did it!"

Keika rolled her eyes. "Nuju must have inadvertently shared powers with her. Terrific."

Suddenly a blast of light came from behind Keika. She whipped around, seeing Matau glowing with a golden aura.

"Uh, sorry-oops?"

"This is the last time grappling is used during an argument!" Keika glared at Matau, and summoned a strong updraft to send the cocky Air Toa towards the rocky cave ceiling. Caught off guard by the attack and the fact of Keika wielding Air, Matau hit the ceiling hard and hit the ground even harder.

"This is why I ever-hate underground!"

"Matau!" Nokama came running and helped Matau to his feet. Concern was written all over her mask.

Nokama pressed a kiss to Matau's forehead. "You'll be fine." She walked away, leaving Matau gaping - and soon, grinning.

"Underground isn't so nasty-bad…"

—-

Nokama sat down and held her head in pain. She had been French braiding Haidie's thick hair, which somehow transferred Haidie's psychic abilities to Nokama. And since the Water Toa wasn't used to the new power, she couldn't turn it off.

"Hearing everyone's thoughts all the time is exhausting!" Nokama complained.

"Oh, you think that's a problem?" Laney stormed up to Nokama, sounding downright infuriated.

"Laney, you're soaked! What happened?"

"I got into an argument with Keika. Right before I could leave, Haidie raised her hands, made a ball of water, and threw it at me!"

"You didn't get out of the way in time?" Nokama was surprised, as Laney had almost superhuman reflexes. As in, she often caught disks in mid-air and threw them back.

"I did. But somehow Haidie brought it back and turned it into a whip! Have you ever been tripped with ice-cold water, and then it splashes all over you?!"

Nokama opened her mouth to say no, but Laney interrupted, "Let me tell you, it's a cruel prank!"

"There's a hot spring that way." Nokama sighed loudly, as Laney finally allowed herself to shiver. Soon enough, she was gone.

Those kids are crazy, Nokama thought. How they haven't killed each other yet remains a mystery.

She saw a golden light in her peripheral vision. Turning her head the rest of the way, she saw it was Matau.

"Nokama, love-dear, you're pain-hurting. I can't just..." He lifted Nokama's chin. "I can't just quick-leave."

A tired smile made its way across Nokama's mask. She had been so caught up with the exhaustion of hearing everyone's thoughts… and almost losing Haidie earlier… and having to talk Laney down…

"You are a hopeless romantic." she finally teased. "One of the reasons I love you."

"I love you too."

Nokama rested her head on Matau's shoulder. The light Matau had picked up from Keika enveloped the Toa couple. An embrace here, a kiss there, allowed them to recharge. And for once, Matau didn't talk. He took the extra step to clear his mind, so his thoughts wouldn't transfer. That way, Nokama could experience peace.