(A/N): Welcome back to Destiny's Divide, folks! This week's chapter is one that focuses on Yang and Tahu, along with Weiss and Kopaka. We've got a little bit of introspection, a little bit of adventure, and a lot of action today, so let's get right into it!
(Also, something to keep in mind is that all the individual arcs on the island are happening more or less simultaneously. So Yang's adventure is happening at the same time as Weiss's, which are both happening about the same time as Ruby's fight last chapter. I hope this isn't too confusing!)
Yang usually loved seeing a beautiful sunrise.
But as the black sky began to burn red and the glowing orb of gold emerged from Mata Nui's eastern horizon, all that came was cold numbness.
She shuffled a little bit on the mountain trail she'd claimed as her perch, her good hand hooked around her raised knee while she leaned against her mechanical arm for support. Tired lilac eyes stared out across the vast expanse of scorched earth and trees, dotting the landscape with various shades of crimson and gray. Pools of lava became hotbeds of activity as distant creatures emerged from their burrows and nests, ready to begin another day in the tropical island paradise.
It was a gorgeous vista, and Yang knew she should have considered herself lucky for seeing something so amazing. Should have found joy in it.
So why did she feel so miserable?
Because with each sunrise I see here, it's just a reminder that time's running out.
Yang let out a slow sigh and let go of her leg, leaning back on both hands and closing her eyes as she let the sun shine down on her. It was already plenty hot in the so-called "Ta-Wahi," but there was just something about the warmth of the morning rays that invigorated and soothed her. There was something nostalgic about the sensation, even if she could only imagine it. Mornings like this, she decided, were best sprawled out on the lawn, where she could lay in the dew that clung to blades of grass and feel it warm up alongside her. Or they were meant to be experienced from a dormitory rooftop under a cozy blanket, with either a handsome man or a gorgeous girl leaning against her. Unfortunately, neither option was available to her, so she opted to shake the curls out of her golden-blond hair, feeling the flames crackle slightly with the movement.
We shouldn't be here, she thought to herself with a tight frown. They shouldn't be here.
It was almost funny, in a way. Twenty-four hours ago - or however long a day was on Mata Nui - she would have given up her left arm for a chance to see her friends and family again. But right now, despite knowing that they were here on the island with her, Yang Xiao Long felt lonelier than ever. She wasn't sure why news that should have excited and delighted her brought such an empty feeling. Maybe it was because Penny had died before she fell, and needed to be next to one of those little Matoran to stay alive. Maybe it meant that her sacrifice to take a blow meant for Ruby was suddenly meaningless, since it served as the catalyst for her team's downfall.
Or maybe it meant that everything they'd worked for had been for nothing.
She furrowed her brow and clenched her jaw. Team RWBY had fought tooth and nail for Atlas, and for all their strength and planning, Salem and Cinder had still steamrolled them like the girls were nothing but stubborn little patches of asphalt. Every argument they had about what to do. Every little victory they eked out. Every friend they lost along the way. It all led to the same damn thing.
Ruin.
Yang had spent the night furious and fuming, sleeping in short fitful bursts and brooding whenever she was awake. Questions spiraled and swirled through her mind, threatening to drown her in "what if"s and "could have"s. Should she have spoken up when Ruby started lying to Ironwood about the lamp out of fear? Should she have warned her teammates that she and Blake were going to try and talk to Robyn instead of arresting her like the General wanted? When the team split up after Salem's arrival, should she have stood with her sister and focused on getting the message out, instead of being so obsessed about the short term? Would Oscar still have been captured if she hadn't tried to strike out on her own and put him in such a vulnerable and exposed position? Would Penny even have needed to worry about the virus that tried to bend her to Salem's will, if Yang was there to help the main team? A thousand alternate scenarios played out in her mind, all of them with endings that seemed better than the one she'd just been through.
And those were the easy questions. Other questions her mind asked made her wonder about the futility of their fight, and how meaningless their struggles had turned out to be. What was the point of making Penny human to cure the virus if Cinder was just going to kill her anyways? Why bother saving the people of Atlas at all when they were just going to die in the desert? And where was the sense in fighting, in getting stronger and smarter and more powerful, if the bad guys were just going to pull the rug out from under them and kick them while they were down in the end?
Why did she still choose to be a Huntress when she couldn't save anyone?!
Her mechanical hand gripped the stone with so much force her seat nearly cracked.
"It's a nice view, isn't it?"
Yang almost jumped in shock as she whirled around to face the new voice, reflexively deploying Ember Celica with a flick of her wrist. When she saw who had traveled up the mountain path, she let out a sigh and collapsed her weapons. The Matoran behind her was not an enemy, and he wasn't a threat…at least, not to her. Not even with all the weapons he was carrying, all of which were almost as big as he was. It was almost adorable, if the look in his eyes wasn't so serious.
"Oh, hey, I remember you," she said once her nerves weren't tingling with danger. "It's...Jaller, right? What brings you all the way out here so early?"
"Patrolling and scouting," said the yellow-masked Matoran with a nod. "This is my usual route - it takes me a few kios into the highlands of Ta-Wahi, where I can see possible threats from a distance before they get too close to the village. 'Forewarned is forearmed,' as Vakama always says."
Yang chuckled. "Aren't you like the Captain, though? The guy in charge of the whole thing? You'd think a commanding officer wouldn't be caught dead doing grunt work."
Jaller laughed in turn as he shrugged. "I never thought of it that way. Maybe I just like leading by example. Plus, the view here is great. Gives me a chance to clear my head after a long night of working by torchlight. In my line of work, you find peace and take breaks whenever you can…speaking of which, is it alright if I take a seat?"
She shrugged and patted the rock next to hers, watching as the Ta-Matoran shuffled over under the weight of his weapons. First he set his spear and shield against the boulder, then he pulled the disk off his back and dug it into the worn stone at an upward angle. Finally, he climbed onto the perch and leaned back, using his own disk as a backrest. It didn't escape Yang's notice that even as Jaller seemingly relaxed with a long sigh, one of his mechanical hands was always in reach of the collapsible knife near his ankle.
"Comfy?" Yang finally asked.
"About as comfortable as stone can be," said Jaller with a shrug. "I don't know how the Po-Matoran manage to sit on these for so long." He looked over at her. "So. You spent the whole night out here by yourself? I'm impressed that you're alive at all, never mind that you're sitting there without even a scratch. Most of the village was convinced you were a goner after you stormed off last night."
The blonde brawler scoffed. "Please. I used to go camping with my family in Remnant all the time. A little darkness doesn't scare me." She flashed a grin. "Besides...I don't know if you noticed, but I can handle myself."
"Oh believe me, I noticed." Jaller gave a dry laugh. "Fighting a Toa single-handedly...and if the legends are true, you challenged the fiercest one of them all. Thanks, by the way, for stepping in when you did. It might have gotten ugly if you hadn't - and I've already lost too many good Ta-Matoran guardsmen this year. I don't want to think how many we'd lose against the Toa of Fire himself because of a misunderstanding…but I guess this way we won't have to find out."
Yang blinked slowly as she looked back at her guest in disbelief. "Wait. You're telling me that even if I hadn't been there, you guys still would've taken on Tahu? All by yourselves? Even with all his tallness and his mask powers and his sword of literal flaming death?! No offense, but…why?"
Jaller didn't seem offended. "Why wouldn't we? We've fought bigger and won. The people of Ta-Koro have been standing against the Rahi for centuries, we're not intimidated by size alone. If we were, well...let's just say there'd be less of us than there already are."
"Right...the Rahi." The blonde brawler looked back over the horizon with a somber sigh. "Vakama mentioned them in his tale last night. What are they, anyways?"
"Wild creatures enslaved by the Makuta to serve him," answered the Captain, "Not all of them were dangerous at first, but under his command they've all become horrible beasts, ruthless and fierce. Some can fly, others walk along the ground, and some, I've heard, even tunnel beneath it. We've battled many of them over the years."
Jaller sighed and looked out over the forest wistfully. "In recent times they've become bolder, stronger, and more dangerous than ever. The constant war of attrition and pressure on all sides has pushed us back into the shadow of Mangai. Our village and our territory used to reach all the way to the coast, before the Rahi began to advance more fiercely. The Charred Forest wasn't always like it is now; it used to be a lush place, green and peaceful, but in the fury of our battles it was burnt for the rest of time. And it's not the only permanent reminder of our struggles…we all bear some scars of our own, whether we show it or not."
Yang followed his gaze and fidgeted with her orange scarf as she took in the Captain's words. A dwindling people, trying to keep their friends and their culture alive even in the face of an immortal master of shadows and monsters. Maybe Mata Nui wasn't so different from home after all.
Maybe their battle for survival was just as doomed as the one she tried to win.
"So why keep fighting, then?" she finally asked aloud after a pause. "Back on Remnant, we have Huntsmen and Huntresses like me protecting the common people, so that they wouldn't need to face the Grimm on their own. If these Rahi are so dangerous, why keep pushing against them? Why not just hide in the volcano and wait for them to go away?"
"Because we are Ta-Matoran, and we will not surrender," answered Jaller with firm conviction. "We are born in the flame, shaped and molded and given life by it; if it comes down to it, we will die by the flame as well. We make the monsters pay for every bio into our territory, punish them for every step they take towards our home even if it costs us our own lives. The soil and sand from here to the sea is littered with the bones and masks of Matoran and Rahi alike, casualties of both sides as the gears of war continue to spin. And until the Toa liberate our island from Makuta's evil, we will march in time to their mechanical chorus, patrolling our stockades and trenches day and night with torches burning and disks sharpened. Because that is who we are."
A year ago, Yang would have been behind the rousing words of the Guardsman a thousand percent. But after losing part of herself - literally and figuratively - she learned the hard way that there was a fine line between unrelenting valor and suicidal stupidity. That painful reminder of her own foolhardiness still itched just below her right shoulder, and no matter how hard she tried to keep the crimson blade out of her nightmares, it still showed up in places where it shouldn't have been. What was more, after seeing the dangers of such extreme courage and how it could topple a kingdom from within, she was less inclined to be charitable to the Matoran's fighting spirit no matter how admirable it was.
After a contemplative silence she finally shook her head and let out a long, disappointed sigh. "You're all just gonna get yourselves killed. You know that, right?"
"Maybe," he said with a shrug. "But it's better than living in fear. It's better than letting Makuta just take what he wants. And it's certainly better than what you're doing right now."
That got her attention. She raised her eyebrow as she snapped her gaze down at him. "Excuse me? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"Tahu wanders the foothills of Tren Krom in search of his masks as we speak." Jaller narrowed his eyes. "Your friend travels with Takua, a misfit who's always wandering into trouble, to find others like you. The Ta-Matoran Guard is always looking for new recruits, especially ones of your stoutness and spirit. And yet...instead of helping any of them, you're out here sitting on a mountaintop feeling sorry for yourself, running away from every single fight while others struggle with their own. It's sickening."
A spark of anger flashed inside the blonde brawler. How dare he assume what was going in her head? "Look, you've got no right to talk to me like that. You have no idea what me and everyone else has just been through - "
"You're right. I don't." Jaller cut her off with a wave of his hand. "And I don't need to. You're hurting, that much is obvious. But do you really expect the enemy to take pity on you just because you're still licking your wounds? Do you honestly think that the fight won't keep going if you sit it out? Loss and failure are universal, Yang, but it's never the end - the world will continue to spin whether or not you're part of it, and if you don't pick yourself up and dust yourself off, it will be more than happy to leave you behind."
Yellow eyes stared at the horizon. "You think you're the only one who's lost friends and allies? You think you're the only warrior whose made mistakes or bad calls, and had to live with the consequences? I've been leading my people against the Rahi for over four hundred years, and I've seen many brave Guardsmen - braver than I, even - lose their lives in this war for survival. Some of them fell to the Rahi. Others cracked under the pressure. Still others saw throwing themselves to the lava as a kinder fate than letting the Makuta take them. I've lost so many friends I stopped counting. And if we stop fighting, if we stop standing up for what we believe in...then all those people died for nothing, Yang, and even more will join them. Is that what you want?"
Her hair smoldered at the implication. She wasn't running! She wasn't like that coward that dared to call herself Yang's mother! She wouldn't abandon the people who needed her!
…except wasn't that exactly what she was doing right now? What she'd been considering all night?
No! No, she was just taking a break! She wasn't doing...that.
Right?
"Like I said, I don't know what you've been through," continued Jaller. "But what I do know is that everyone has a Duty that guides them and gives them purpose, something they have to do even when they're hurting. Whether that Duty is to the Great Spirit, our fellow villagers, or even just to ourselves, we all have an obligation to do what's right - no matter how we feel about it. Because we're the only ones that can do it. Other people count on us to do what we do best. This is why, in the Three Virtues, Duty forms the bridge between Unity and Destiny. In knowing what our Duty is, we can draw forth the strength to protect the former and the courage to face the latter."
The Captain's glowing yellow eyes met hers. "My Duty is to protect my home. Tahu's Duty is to find the Masks of Power and defeat Makuta. Tell me this, Yang - what is your Duty?"
Yang furrowed her brow. In her rage she was tempted to answer that right now her "Duty" was to see how far she could dropkick the little Matoran. But deep down she knew better. Deep down, she knew that he was right. The question cut to the very core of the spiraling thoughts she'd grappled with all night, and it was only now when it was voiced out loud that she realized she'd been thinking about this all wrong.
It was all so simple, the answers that had eluded her. Just because she couldn't save everyone didn't mean it was alright to give up on saving anyone. Penny might have been mortally wounded by forces beyond anyone's control, but she was alive now and in the company of someone who deeply cared for her - someone who wanted to see her thrive. And no matter how many times the blonde brawler got knocked down, she knew she had to get back up, dust herself off, and get ready to hit back like she'd always done.
Yes, she'd made mistakes. She'd been impulsive, short-sighted, and acted rashly. But she was alive, and that gave her a chance to learn. A chance to improve, just like after the Battle of Beacon. And while failure wasn't always preventable, she knew that even in the face of loss and pain, she had to keep moving forward for the sake of those that counted on her. That's what Ruby did. That's what Weiss did. That's even what Blake did.
And that's what she was going to do, too.
"My Duty…as a Huntress…" she said, fire rising in her voice, "...is to fight for those who can't fight for themselves."
Jaller nodded slowly, and she could tell he was smiling under his mask. "I can't think of a more noble Duty than that."
Yang stood up as she felt a fire burn in her belly, taking a deep breath of the warm morning air. "And I think I'm gonna start by looking for that Tahu guy and helping him with his mask collection," she said. "Finding him shouldn't be too hard - just gotta follow the yelling."
That got another rare laugh out of the Captain. "Last I heard from my scouts, he was in the ash flats about half a kio east of here, looking for the Kanohi Pakari." He pointed towards a gray-and-black patch of land that to Yang's untrained eye seemed a half-mile away, towards the rising sun. "It's on the very edge of the Tren Krom break, past the river of lava that runs throughout Ta-Wahi. It shouldn't be too hot for you to navigate, but be careful for the geysers of flame and the local wildlife. Both can be dangerous to even the Toa of Fire."
"I'll keep that in mind and start there," she said with a nod. Then she looked down at the yellow-masked Matoran with a smile. "Thanks for the talk, Jaller."
Her unlikely friend snapped a salute at the much-taller Huntress, already gathering his weapons as he prepared to set out again. "May the fires of Mangai protect you, Yang. Hopefully we see each other again."
She returned the gesture with a grin. "Count on it."
And with that, the blonde brawler leapt off the side of the mountain and skidded her way down the slope, heart pounding as she got ready to throw herself into the breach once more.
Hang in there, ladies, she thought with a grin. I'll find you all soon enough. Just gotta see a Toa about a mask first.
The cold mountainous air was filled with the sound of whirring servos and steel scraping against stone. Kopaka clung to the side of the cliff with his sword and shield embedded into the wall, leaving footholds for himself and handholds for the Huntress trailing behind. It was a slow process, given how rough the terrain was and how stiff the rocky cliff face was, but the pair was climbing and making progress all the same.
Behind him, Weiss panted and groaned. "You sure this is the best way up the cliff?" she called up. "Cause I'm serious, I could just summon a Giant Nevermore and get us to this 'place of far-seeing' a lot quicker."
The Toa of Ice narrowed his gaze as he looked down, focusing on the white-haired human and not the icy ravine far below them. "This is faster, and less risky. The mountain gives us cover from the east winds, which at this height are strong enough to blow any flying mount of yours off-course. It's safer this way."
Weiss scoffed. "Right…because scaling the face of a sheer vertical cliff with no climbing gear is perfectly safe. Nothing could go wrong whatsoever!"
"If you're that worried, you can climb back down and wait for me at the bottom."
After a moment of silent contemplation, Weiss groaned and reached for the next handhold. "Just promise that you'll carry me for the return trip."
"We'll see."
With that matter settled, Kopaka focused himself on the climb once more, thinking back to the Turaga's instructions (translated from the strange bird calls by Matoro, of course). Before they left at sunrise Nuju had given him and Weiss a number of locations to check for his Kanohi masks, which ranged from the boiling lava lakes of Ta-Wahi to the flooded bogs of Fau swamp. He'd chosen to go after the one in his native region first - partly due to how close it was, and partly to avoid the rest of the island for at least a little while longer. In this case his mask was at the top of what the village elder had called a "place of far-seeing." He'd interpreted this cryptic advice to mean the highest point of the region that still afforded a view of the surrounding land, one that let them see Ko-Wahi without clouds forming to obscure their view.
After what felt like hours of climbing Kopaka finally saw the top of the cliff, the floor of which was covered by a thick layer of snow and ice. A few well-placed holes with his weapons later, he was pulling himself over the ledge with shield raised and sword humming with power. Moments after he confirmed that the surroundings were safe, Weiss hauled her body up and flopped into the snowbank, groaning as she rolled onto her feet and dusted herself off.
The pair soon realized that they were standing in a small snowy alcove, one that had been carved into the side of Mount Ihu by erosion and natural forces. The edges of the circular little landing flowed into the gentle slope of the surrounding mountain, the sides of which were covered in loose white powder that sat undisturbed for years. Faded Matoran writing along the exposed stone wall and a flickering lightstone in a shrine suggested that this was once a place of meditation, one that had been abandoned when the trek became too dangerous. It wasn't hard to guess why, between the whistling winds and the thin air - but the incredible view of surrounding hills and valleys that this place afforded was almost rewarding enough on its own.
Almost.
"Yeah...I'd definitely call this a place of far-seeing," Weiss said in awe as she looked at the distant horizon. "Just hope it's far-seeing enough for Turaga Nuju, and that we're not supposed to go climb a different cliff. I'd rather not do that again anytime soon."
Kopaka didn't answer, instead triggering the power of his mask - the Kanohi Akaku - and peering beneath the blanket of snow with X-Ray vision. The world around him went black and white, turning the expansive vista of icy blues and cold grays into a sharp monochromatic outline. He wasn't interested in the scenery, however - he was far more interested in the grayish-white outline that sat buried deep in a dark snowbank. Turning the mask power off so he wouldn't accidently walk off the invisible edge, he kept his gaze locked on the spot he saw and walked over, brushing away the dense snow with a single swipe of his blade to reveal his prize.
A mask sat there, waiting for him. The Kanohi Hau, the Great Mask of Shielding.
"You found it?" Weiss asked, turning her gaze away from the little device in her hand. He didn't answer.
The Toa of Ice stowed his sword and reached for the new Kanohi laying there in the snow, lifeless and gray and staring at him with an empty gaze. Though it was the same size as his own mask, its shape was different - a helmet-like form with angled eyes and three slashes in each cheek. He brought it closer to his face, stared at it for a moment, then as if guided by instinct he carefully placed it over his own Kanohi Akaku. Immediately a strange feeling overwhelmed him, as if a cushion of strength had settled in around him to protect him from all harm.
"I can feel the power of this mask, even when not directly in use…"he mused to himself.
But what of his other powers? Did this new mask affect them? Kopaka called forth the ability of his original mask, relieved to feel the familiar form of the Akaku reappear over the Hau. Glancing down at the ground he saw the icy snow, then the cold dirt underneath, and below even that he saw layers of rock crosscut with veins of minerals. Beyond that he saw only darkness.
"...yet the powers of the Mask of Vision are still mine to command," he confirmed with a slow nod. He was pleased. Not that he'd say that out loud.
Weiss finally joined him, looking up at the Toa of Ice even as he willed away his power once again. "Not that I'm about to call that climb a walk in the park, but...this feels a little too easy." She shook her head. "Doesn't it?"
Kopaka narrowed his eyes in equal parts annoyance and agreement. As irritating as she is, she's right. Makuta stole and hid these masks for a reason, he wouldn't just leave them -
KROOOOOOAAAAAAARRRR!
… unguarded.
He felt the ice and stone shift and rumble below his feet, and he instinctively extended his arms to balance himself. Weiss let out a yelp and nearly tumbled over the edge, digging her sword into the ground to anchor herself down. Neither of them had much of a chance to question where it was coming from - the source burst out the side of the mountain in a shower of rubble, revealing a monstrously huge frame, massive hooved front legs that hissed with steam, and a pair of horns the color of a burning sky that stood out against the mess of black and gray steel.
"A Kane-Ra," growled Kopaka, remembering the Turaga's tales of mighty stone bulls under Makuta's thrall. He furrowed his brow.
I hate being right.
Weiss was already standing back up and readying her sword in anticipation. "Alright. What's the plan? How do we stop this thing?"
Annoyance rose in the Toa of Ice as he shot a glare at the Huntress. "We do nothing. You wait here and be on guard. I will deal with this."
Her eyes widened in protest as she looked up at him in disbelief. "But - !"
"I won't have you dropping another wall of stone on me in the middle of a fight," he said icily, unsheathing his blade and feeling it hum in his grasp. "Stay out of my way."
And with that, he threw his shield onto the sloped ground and stepped on top of it, kicking off and sliding down the mountain to meet his foe.
Kopaka was certain that this foe would be no trouble at all.
Tahu didn't want to admit it, but he was in trouble.
Finding the Kanohi Pakari wasn't a challenge; much like the locals said, the wedge-shaped Mask of Strength was just sitting in a ruined temple waiting to be claimed. The difficulty came when a dozen bipedal biomechanical lizards suddenly leapt out of the surrounding geysers of flame, snarling and hissing at the Toa who dared enter their territory. Long sinewy tails balanced out hunched frames, their narrow snouts and rows of sharp teeth seemed perfect for tearing apart his armor, and the huge curved claw on each foot looked sharp enough to latch onto anything with focus and precision. Their tiny arms and stubby little wings would have looked comical and out of place...if the rest of their appearance didn't give off the look of a pack-hunting predator.
The Toa of Fire clutched his new mask close to his chest in one hand as the pack circled around him, waving his flaming sword menacingly with the other. "All of you, stay back!"
Sparks began to dance along the blade as he pulsed his elemental power in warning, but the Hikaki did not seem intimidated. One screeched and began running towards him on powerful hind legs, its jaws snapping in preparation to strike.
"I said stay back!" Tahu roared, firing a burst of flame at the offending predator. The force of the blast was enough to stagger the dragon, but nothing more. It shook its head to clear it, then let out another hiss. As if on cue, the others began to move in.
"I'm warning you!" he shouted, launching waves of heat and flame with each swing of his sword. "I am Tahu, the Toa of Fire, and you will! Yield! Before me!"
The Hikaki, much to his dismay, did not in fact yield to his attacks. If anything, judging from how their armor glowed from gray to deep crimson, they seemed empowered by the fire. One came within biting range, and he lashed out with his blade. While the strike was true and cut deep, it didn't seem to actually wound the beast, merely stoking its rage and hunger further.
Growling in frustration, he turned up the temperature of his blasts, his sword becoming a roaring inferno as it slashed ineffectually at the creatures and unleashed more waves of flame. Unfortunately, this only confirmed his fear - the Hikaki were indeed drawing strength from his fire, growing bolder and more aggressive as they moved in with snapping jaws and swiping claws. Tahu backpedaled and did his best to avoid the lunging lizards, but there was only so far he could move when there were so many of them.
A Hikaki leapt and sank its teeth into his sword arm, scrambling with its legs to get a stable foothold on the Toa of Fire. He roared in pain and began swinging and flailing his arm in a desperate attempt to shake the predator loose, but he only succeeded in making it grip his armor even tighter. His arm was only saved when another fire dragon leapt to join its brother; a last-minute wild turn smacked the mid-air beast with the first one, sending them both tumbling away.
Now that his arm was free, he hissed in pain and looked down to assess the damage. The bite wasn't too deep and hadn't done much more than poke the sensitive muscle underneath, but the armor itself was heavily warped and nearly torn open. He grimaced behind his mask -
Wait.
His mask.
Tahu caught sight of a trio of Hikaki closing in and trying to lunge, but a timely activation of his Hau blocked their attacks with a rippling barrier. He focused on the predators as they leapt and scratched, watching as claws and teeth ineffectually pounded against the protective force field. If he kept the shield up long enough, he thought, then the Rahi would surely realize he wasn't worth the trouble, and would move on to easier prey. Or at the very least, he would be protected long enough to come up with a new plan.
But what could he do? His best weapon - fire - was useless here, and not even the sharpened edge of his sword did much besides annoy the flame-fueled beasts. The pack had backed him up against the ruins, so he was practically cornered with no easy way of escape. He supposed he could keep the power of the Hau active as he slowly backpedaled out of their territory, but that would take tremendous effort on his part - he moved slower with his energy shield out, and he wasn't sure if he could handle the strain of keeping the barrier up for however long it would take to escape.
Maybe I can use my element in a way they wouldn't expect, he mused as his mind raced a mio a minute. Perhaps if I turn the earth into lava, or heat the air enough to create an explosion, or perhaps if I...
SKRAAAAAAAA!
A lizard that snuck around Tahu's shield and latched onto his unprotected back proved that not even he was invincible.
The Toa of Fire cried out in pain as he staggered forward, the barrier disappearing as he fell to his knees. No longer blocked by the force field, the other Hikaki charged forward and piled onto him, each one biting down and digging their claws into his armor. He willed mighty flames and blasted them. No effect. He tried to push them away. They only rushed back in. A blanket of claws and teeth enveloped him, setting his nerves on fire and rending his armor and -
BANG! BANG! BANG BANG BANG BANG!
That sound...he knew that sound.
He also recognized the yell that followed it.
Great. As if things weren't bad enough...now I must also suffer the indignity of her presence.
One of the Hikaki bearing down on him let out an alarmed shriek as it was suddenly yanked away, giving Tahu a view of the human female as she pulled on its tail and lifted it high over her head. Then she used the dragon like a living battering ram, plowing into the beasts keeping him trapped and knocking them away. When the last Rahi finally withdrew from the Toa's prone form, she drew back her metal fist and plunged it into the Hikaki's back while firing her weapon. The fire lizard went soaring into the smoky sky and vanished behind the clouds.
Yang panted and pumped her arms with a loud click, looking down at Tahu with concern. "Looks like someone's having a rough day. You alright?"
The Toa of Fire stared up at the yellow brawler for a moment, before scowling and rising to his feet with the Mask of Strength still clutched to his chest. "No. No, I am not 'alright.'" Then after examining his sparking joints he sighed. "But...I am alive. For that, at least, I am in your debt."
"Eh, just buy me something pretty and we'll call it even," quipped Yang with a smirk. Then her smile vanished as she turned to face the Rahi, who were circling around the Toa and the Huntress like hungry scavengers. Tahu took a step back and readied his sword, more for protection than anything else. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the loud one move closer to him, raising her fists in anticipation and narrowing her gaze.
"So what are these things anyway?" asked Yang as she stood back-to-back with the flaming Toa. "I didn't exactly get a field guide to Mata Nui's wildlife when I dropped in."
"The locals call them the Hikaki, which translates to 'fire dragon' in their language," growled Tahu as he popped his shoulder back into place. "Pack hunters by nature, their claws and fangs are sharp enough to tear apart even Toa armor. What's worse, they do not fear the flame - they are only emboldened by it."
"Makes sense," said the Huntress with a nod. "Anything that lives out here would have to be at least a little resistant to hot stuff. And let me guess, you tried blasting them with fire and they just shrugged it off?"
Tahu didn't dignify Yang's remark with an answer. Not that she needed one - his silence only proved her right. She stifled a snort.
"Alright, well...we can talk about your flat line of a learning curve later," she said with barely suppressed amusement that shifted into focus. "Right now, we gotta fight our way out of here."
The Toa furrowed his brow. "I told you already, they do not fear my fire - "
"Then don't use fire, you blockhead!" snapped Yang. "You've got a fist, right? Start throwing some punches! Here, follow my lead!"
And with that, the brawler leapt at the nearest Hikaki and brought her fists up into a two-handed blow, one that struck the beast right on the jaw and sent its head reeling back. A few more punches to the torso while the Rahi was stunned made it stagger under the blows, and one final strike sent it tumbling away into the nearest crater. It rolled back to its feet, shook its head to clear it, then wandered off with a dissatisfied hiss.
"See what I mean?" Yang said with a smirk. "All bravado, no backbone. Knock 'em around a bit, show 'em you mean business, and they'll know who's really in charge!" Two more Hikaki snarled as they approached her flanks, which didn't seem to worry her. "Hint: it's not them."
Tahu grimaced. Much as he hated to admit, the Huntress made a salient point; these Hikaki seemed to prey on anything smaller or less threatening than themselves, so if he proved that he was more powerful, they would begrudgingly respect that and go off in search of a meal less likely to fight back. But as he watched Yang flow and duck and weave between the two fiery lizards that snapped at her while retaliating with punches to the jaws and neck, he faced another uncomfortable truth - despite having mechanically augmented muscles, he didn't have the might to intimidate the Rahi. Certainly not to the extent that she could.
But perhaps, with the Mask of Strength…
A trio of Hikaki stepped closer with snarling hisses, reminding him of the danger at hand. Tahu slammed the Pakari over his existing mask and mentally triggered its power. Instead of forming a barrier around him like before, he felt an immense power flood through his limbs - one that made him feel strong enough to split the very earth itself with a single slam.
What an incredible feeling…he thought to himself in awe. No wonder the Turaga told us to seek out the masks. A Toa can get used to this kind of power!
The lizard behind him suddenly leapt at him, but this time he was ready. He whirled around and raised the gauntlet on his left hand, driving the fist into its body with all his strength. The result was instantaneous - the force of Tahu's powerful blow sent the Hikaki flying backwards, bouncing off the ground once, twice, three times before finally coming to a halt. It gave a shriek of shock, then limped away, leaving only two of the beasts surrounding him.
"Hell yeah, that's the ticket!" whooped Yang as she dispatched another one of her opponents with a flurry of furious blows. "Now watch what I do, and try to match it! You've got power, but you need form too. Lemme give you a crash course on how to punch!"
Tahu groaned, but watched Yang widen her stance as she faced down her last Hikaki. His own feet shuffled outwards to try and match it, and he stowed his sword on his back as he prepared to follow her lead. Another Rahi moved to face him, prompting the Toa of Fire to raise his fists just like the Huntress across from him.
"Right jab!" A quick opening hit with one arm.
"Left hook!" A sweeping horizontal strike to the unguarded flank with the other fist.
"Uppercut!" An upwards blow with the right fist to strike from underneath.
"And…cross!" A massive straight punch across the body with the left gauntlet, one that was strong enough to launch the Hikaki across the battlefield.
Tahu watched as Yang's opponent crashed into his own, sending both of them tumbling away. With the pack whittled down to about half its strength, Toa and Huntress gave each other a nod of understanding before launching into a barrage of punches. Yang flowed like fresh lava between the fire dragons, striking their flanks and overwhelming them with devastating blows. Tahu's own attacks were less elegant and graceful, but they were no less powerful with the aid of the Mask of Strength. She grabbed the tail of one Hikaki and swung it around herself to clear the area, knocking away its packmates before tossing it towards the horizon. He grabbed a beast that lunged at him in mid-air and slammed it into the ground, kicking it into the hills as it bounced back up.
One by one, the dragons fell before the pair. Those that were thrown aside hissed and limped away, likely slinking off to nurse their wounds and find easier prey. Some were smashed against loose boulders, while others were hurled out of sight. When it finally came down to the last Hikaki standing its ground, Yang and Tahu acted as one and punched together; he ran up and delivered a mighty uppercut with the gauntlet on his left hand, while she did the same with the mechanical fist on her right arm.
WHAAAAAAAM!
The final Rahi's scream grew more and more distant as it disappeared into the sky.
Tahu felt the tension in his shoulders finally relent as he willed away the mask's power, switching to his usual Hau as he panted for air. Next to him he saw Yang rest her hands on her knees, breathing heavily before leaning back and stretching.
"Well, I think that counts for my morning workout," she said with a soft laugh. "Nice work, Big Red. Put 'er there."
She raised her metal fist as if to punch him, which put him on guard before he realized that it never made contact with him. Instead Yang just...held her fist there, knuckles pointed towards him.
The Toa tilted his head. "What...kind of attack is that?"
Yang chuckled. "It's not an attack. It's a fist bump. You know, something you do with a friend whenever you do something incredible together?"
Tahu furrowed his brow, staring down at the Huntress with an annoyed expression. The smile on her face faltered somewhat, and her gaze dropped to the floor. The disappointment in her eyes made his own spirits sink, and he felt something deep inside gnaw at him when he saw her crestfallen expression. Eventually he let out a sigh and mirrored the motion, softly clinking his fist against hers.
Clang.
It wasn't much, and it was already more than he was comfortable doing, but it was enough for the Huntress's smile to return in full force.
Yang lowered her arm and turned around, golden threads trailing behind her as she moved. "So! That's one mask down, four to go, right? Well, technically two masks, considering you came with one...but nobody really counts the freebies. Anyways, I was thinking we should start sparring on our way to the next mask. You know, get you some hand-to-hand lessons so you stand a chance if your fire doesn't cut it. Sure, you might be a slow learner, but you can't be any worse to teach than my sister - I swear that girl has a negative aptitude for punching stuff…"
As the golden-haired brawler walked away while talking, Tahu followed silently.
The loud one is...well, loud. But she is also skilled, and quite strong. Perhaps traveling with her will not be such a burden after all… he mused to himself, though he wasn't ready to admit it out loud.
Not quite yet, at least.
Wind and snow whipped past Kopaka's mask as he slid down the slopes of Mount Ihu, using his shield as a makeshift snowboard that carried him quickly across the powdery terrain. He leaned to one side on his shield to bank right, swerving out of the Kane-Ra's path as it charged past him. His momentum almost sent him careening over the edge of the mountain, but an icy wall that sprang into existence underneath set him back on course. The Toa of Ice tightened his grip on his sword as he raced back towards the bull-like Rahi that skidded to a halt, forming a ramp up ahead that let him soar over the beast and deliver an aerial slash to its unguarded back.
His opponent roared and jerked up to ram him, but he was already gone and gliding across the snow on his shield. Kopaka frowned as he looked back at the Rahi, dismayed to find that all his attack had done was add another scratch to the beast's thick armor. The Kane-Ra was certainly a massive brute with heavy metal plating, but no creature was truly invincible. There had to be a weak point somewhere.
Not that the Rahi seemed keen on giving him a chance to find one. The tank-like treads on its back legs were already revving up as it prepared to charge again, smoke bellowing out its nostrils as it let out another ear-piercing roar.
He switched tactics. Rather than simply dodge out of the way and move in for a quick slash as he'd been doing, he chose to dig his sword into the snow and drag it behind him while channeling his power. A row of sharpened icicles formed in his wake, which grew and fused into a thick wall of ice that followed him. Kopaka raced across the powdery terrain and circled around the Kane-Ra, his icy trail becoming a prison for the beast.
Let's see how strong this creature is when it doesn't have a chance to build up momentum, he thought.
THUD. THUD. THUD!
He was disappointed to find that the beast was still plenty strong even without charging.
The wall of ice began to develop cracks like a spiderweb, which only grew each time the Kane-Ra threw its weight against its prison. Kopaka kept circling the wall at high speeds, channeling his power through his sword and pouring more ice into the failing structure. But no amount of elemental energy could have reinforced the walls forever; the Rahi eventually found a weakened segment near the base, and lunged with its horns just as the Toa of Ice was trying to fix it.
CRAAAAAAAASH!
His world exploded into stars as the wall next to him shattered, sending him flying off his shield and into the air. He looked back just in time to see a dazzling shower of icy shards hang mid-fall, a sight that was soon joined by a very angry-looking bull with steam hissing out its neck. The air was filled with the sound of mechanical whirring and hydraulic thumping, which nearly drowned out the low growl of the Rahi. With a grimace he quickly remembered Matoro's warning, the one about how the Kane-Ra (and its distant cousin the Muaka) could extend its neck at high speeds to deliver a ramming attack strong enough to shatter stone and more than strong enough to shatter him.
Time to see if the so-called Mask of Shielding lives up to its name.
The Toa of Ice barely had time to trigger the power of his mask, calling on the Hau he'd claimed just moments before. His Kanohi switched in a flash of light, and a barrier of blue energy formed around him just before the Kane-Ra's head blasted forward. It met the shield head-on (no pun intended) and sent waves across the force field, nearly making it buckle as Kopaka almost blacked out from the sudden mental strain. A moment after contact was made the laws of physics took over, sending him flying backwards into the side of Mount Ihu.
Fortunately, the shield protected him from the horns and the sheer force of the blow.
Unfortunately, it did not protect him when he slammed back-first against the mountain.
WHAM.
Kopaka's vision grew blurry as he felt the shock of impact ripple through his body, making him drop his sword and fall into the snowbank. He was vaguely aware of the fact that his mask was slightly askew, weakening the flow of power he needed to keep functioning and fighting. Through misaligned eye holes, he could see the Kane-Ra's head retract back towards its torso as it stepped out of the ruined prison, dragging its hoof across the snow as it prepared to charge. He could move, but his arms felt sluggish and slow, and he doubted that his opponent would be sporting enough to give him time to fix his mask.
All he could do was watch as the bull roared and started running…
BZZZZZZZAP!
At first he assumed he was seeing things. It was the way he could explain the sight of a massive lightning bolt striking the beast mid-charge like the judgement of Mata Nui himself. The resulting thunder almost made the Kane-Ra's roar fall on deaf ears as it stopped and bellowed at something at its side, only to catch a salvo of fireballs with its face. Kopaka turned his head just enough to see Weiss brandishing her sword like a magic wand, summoning circles of strange runes that turned into a barrage of flying icicles.
What is she doing?! Kopaka thought groggily as his hands struggled to reach his mask. I told her to stay put!
It took a tremendous amount of effort, but he finally felt the Hau snap back into place with a magnetic clunk. The world came back into focus just in time for him to watch the white-haired Huntress use a series of runes as stepping stones to meet the charging Kane-Ra, leaping just before impact and stabbing and slashing with the thin pointed blade. Unlike when Kopaka had tried to attack the beast directly, her sword was narrow enough to slip directly between the metal plates, drawing oil and blood with each lunge and thrust. She danced around the bull's hooves as they tried to slam down on her or knock her away, and she easily sidestepped the Rahi's attempt to gore her with its horns.
It was almost impressive, just how calmly and gracefully Weiss fought.
But it couldn't last forever.
The Kane-Ra eventually grew tired of its opponent evading all its attacks and chose to fight dirty, bringing both its hooves down against the snow and kicking a cloud of white powder into her face. While Weiss easily dodged the slam, she wasn't prepared for the snow that flew into her eyes, making her wince and look away for a fraction of a second. Unfortunately that was all the time the bull needed to tilt its head and deliver an upward slash aimed right at the Huntress's chest. She managed to twist her torso at the absolute last second to avoid the worst of the horn, but the damage was done even through her so-called Aura; her coat tore right off her back along with the outer layer of skin, and the force of the hit sent her flying backwards towards the fallen Toa.
Much to his surprise, Kopaka watched as Weiss flipped and twisted in mid-air once again, landing on a summoned rune that halted her momentum and left her suspended just over his head. She panted and wheezed as the circle of energy turned black around her, wincing from the pain and the sudden cold. The sleeves of her navy blue coat hung in tatters around her now-bare shoulders, which she tore away with an annoyed scowl. Despite the gash between her shoulders and the fatigue that threatened to set in, her icy blue eyes burned with an inner fire, one that glared back towards the Kane-Ra that growled at the pair.
It was only when he looked closer that the Toa of Ice noticed two things.
First, the wound on her back was already healing as new skin grew to cover the raw flesh.
And second, the white-haired Huntress was now carrying two swords.
"Weiss?" he asked, still recovering from his own shock of landing. "What are you - "
"When I give the signal, I want you to fire a freezing bolt right at that thing's center of mass," she said with confidence in her voice. "I can handle the rest."
Kopaka raised an eyebrow behind his mask. "Why do you need - "
"Just trust me!" Weiss snapped. She twirled the new sword in her right hand, the one that was curved and black like charcoal. "I know you need a minute to gather your energies, so I'll give you one! Just be ready!"
Before he could ask any more questions, the black rune turned ice blue, and the Huntress launched herself at the Kane-Ra once more. This time she bounced around the beast on summoned platforms, slashing with dual blades as she stayed in the air. The Kane-Ra couldn't reach high enough with its hooves to swipe at her and it couldn't properly aim its ramming neck attack while she kept moving, so it was limited to quick thrusts with the horns that were easily dodged or parried. After a few seconds of frantic dueling Weiss conjured twin arcs of flame that struck its eyes, blinding the beast and sending it into a roaring frenzy.
She kicked off of a rune and flipped to land outside the blind bull's rampage, flicking her wrist to collapse the black sword into some kind of smaller and more compact form. Her other hand waved the silver sword to summon a trio of red-orange runes that stacked concentrically, which she held level with the strange hand-sized cannon. An unfamiliar sound like barking thunder filled the air as something shot through the burning circles too fast for even Kopaka's eye to follow, erupting into fireballs that tore the Kane-Ra's treaded back legs to shreds. With the beast effectively crippled she stowed the other weapon in a back pocket, wielding her main sword with both hands as the chamber spun to switch the loaded minerals from red to blue. Another wave of Weiss's hand created a half-dozen runes around the Rahi, which pulsed with sapphire light before exploding into a flash flood that threatened to sweep away her opponent.
"Kopaka!" Weiss yelled. "Now!"
The Toa of Ice almost didn't need the signal, as he understood immediately. His hand darted to grab his sword and raise it. After aiming for a fraction of a second, a bolt of cold and frost soared out of the tip and struck the wave of dead center. As he suspected, the water served as an excellent medium for his power, freezing the fluid in place almost instantly - and the Kane-Ra with it.
Frozen from the neck down, the bull-like Rahi already began thrashing and throwing its weight around. Kopaka knew that the Kane-Ra would break out soon - although not soon enough, judging by how fast Weiss was stepping across more floating runes to close in again. With a final leap and a loud wordless battle cry the Huntress plunged her silver sword directly between the beast's eyes, stabbing deep into its armor to deliver the killing blow.
The Kane-Ra lowed and groaned as it let out one final hiss of steam and smoke, and then it struggled no more.
After a moment of silence settled over the mountain, Weiss finally drew back her sword and flicked it dry, then sheathed it on her hip. With a groan the Toa of Ice picked himself up and rose to his feet, collecting his fallen shield as he approached the Huntress.
"There, see? That wasn't so hard, now was it?" Weiss said with a sigh as she rubbed her now-bare shoulders. "Working together, I mean. Certainly easier than you think."
Kopaka narrowed his gaze beneath his mask. "I told you to stay out of my way."
"And I'm sure you noticed a distinct lack of walls falling on you this time around," she shot back. "I can be graceful and precise when I want to be. When I need to be."
It was hard to argue with that, given what he'd just seen. Still, there was something else that plagued his mind, something that confused him.
"Why did you save me?"
Weiss almost balked at the question. "What, you wanted to get trampled into dust?"
"No, I mean…" Kopaka shook his head. "Why did you risk your life for mine? You saw how dangerous the Kane-Ra was, how even I struggled with it. One wrong move against the beast, and you wouldn't even be standing here. You said last night that you had people waiting for you on your world, as well as friends similarly stranded here you wished to find. Why put yourself in so much danger, possibly even dying before reuniting with either group, all for someone you barely even know?"
The heiress looked up at the Toa of Ice, and for the first time Kopaka noticed that there was a long jagged scar under her left eye. A number of smaller cuts from the most recent scuffle still lingered on her smooth ivory skin, already in the process of healing and fading into thin lines. If the sheer amount of similar marks all over her exposed neck and shoulders were any indication, however, those wounds would never truly disappear; they would always linger as a reminder of every hit she took in the heat of battle.
She said she comes from a world of conflict, he thought, but just how many battles has she endured?
"Because that's what you do when you're allies," Weiss finally said in a quiet yet firm voice. "You protect each other. It took me a while to see that...but eventually I did. I hope you realize it too, someday. For your sake."
And with that, the Huntress turned and walked away, moving to the edge of the snowy mountain. Kopaka frowned again, but eventually sighed and followed. When he caught up to her he stowed his sword and threw down his shield, putting one foot on top of it to keep it in place.
"Get on."
She looked up at him with a confused look.
"We'll ride the slope and let the snow carry us down the mountain." He raised a brow under his mask. "Unless you changed your mind and you want to go climbing again?"
Weiss gave a soft, short laugh and a small smile. With a nod of thanks she stepped onto the improvised sled, kneeling at the front and gripping the ribbed edges tightly. The Toa of Ice had plenty of room to stand due to his passenger's small frame - not that the white-haired warrior seemed all that bothered by the intrusion of personal space anyways. He kicked off with his other foot to build up speed, and soon the pair were racing across the drifts of Mount Ihu in a storm of snow and dust.
Kopaka disliked relying on others, and he liked others relying on him even less.
But maybe he could indulge in both for the sake of the human who'd saved his life.