Chapter 9: A Vision Again
After the Toa, including Eli, had bid their goodbyes and headed back to their Koro, only Gali remained at the Kini.
"I need to gather my thoughts," Gali said to herself. "To recall all that has happened in the past few days." She sat down in the center of the Kini Nui and closed her eyes, trying to relax.
"I have them all..." a voice laughed. "I know you do," she heard herself say. Was she dreaming? Or was it real?"I know you know I have them all. I have them here with me...in my lair...chained...useless." The voice laughed again. And the large almond shaped eyes of Makuta appeared before her.
"You filthy..." Gali snarled.
"Toa of water...not you, nor any of your brothers...or friends can defeat me," he said softly.
"You know!?" Gali cried angrily.
"Oh course I know!" he laughed.
"But how?" she asked.
"I always know," Makuta said. It's hard not to, Makuta thought. Makuta stopped. Footsteps could be heard coming closer. Makuta's eyes faded and he was gone. Gali opened her eyes. So it was a dream...or was Makuta actually speaking with her.
"Gali?" Kopaka's voice came from behind her. Gali turned. Kopaka stood there with Eli at his side. Both covered in shadow. It had grown dark while she had been "dreaming". Kopaka looked her in the eye. "What are you still doing here?"
"I'd like to ask you the same question," Gali said.
"Uh...um...er...I was just showing her the way from her village to the other villages and here from her village. Speaking of your village, I haven't seen it yet," Kopaka said. He looked to Eli who nodded slightly.
"Sure..." Gali said rolling her eyes.
"Gali...are you feeling okay?" Eli asked randomly, speaking up.
"Yes...why?"
"Kopaka and I couldn't help but notice that you were talking to someone...in your sleep."
"I was dreaming...I think," Gali said quietly.
"You were saying things like 'you filthy' or 'you know?'..." Eli said.
"Is there something you'd like to tell me?" Kopaka said softly kneeling down and putting his hand on her shoulder.
"Gali...""Huh?" Gali whispered.
"Is there something..." Kopaka started. Gali held up a hand to silence him.
"I heard you...but something else." Kopaka and Eli looked at each other, worried looks on their faces. "Yes, there is something I would like to..."
"Gali...""What?" Gali whispered again.
"What, what?" Kopaka asked with a hint of impatience in his voice.
"I heard the noise again. It's a voice...can't you hear it?" Eli and Kopaka shook their heads.
"Gali, are you sure you're alright?" Eli asked worried.
"Yes...I'm fine," Gali said. "I need to tell you that..."
"Gali...You will not tell anyone of our meeting...NO ONE!""No!" Gali cried.
"What!?" Kopaka said angrily.
"Must..."
"You must not...""I-I m-must!" Gali struggled with the words.
"You must, what?" Eli asked frantically.
"M-m-must t-tell..."
"You must not tell...you know too much...I must keep your silence...and the Turaga!""Kopaka...E-Eli...I need t-to..." Gali started but never finished. She collapsed at their feet.
"Gali!?" Eli and Kopaka cried in unison. Eli ran beside her and Kopaka.
"She's breathing," Kopaka said with a sigh of relief. "Eli, get the other Toa. Tell them it's an emergency. Tell them Gali needs help. Tell them to meet here again," Kopaka told her. Eli gave a quick nod and hurried off in the direction of Ta-Koro.
XXXX
The gateway of Ta-Koro grew closer with every running step Eli took. One of the Ta-Koran guards spotted her.
"The Toa of love approaches! The Toa of love approaches!" The guard told the Captain of the Guard something. Jaller hurried to the gate to greet her while another guard went to find Tahu. The gate was opened and Jaller was eager to see what the eighth Toa looked like. Tahu had been talking non-stop about her since he got back from the Kini. When Jaller saw her, he knew what the word beautiful really meant.
"Hi...I'm..." Jaller started proudly. Eli ran right passed him and darted around a corner. She was still running, sweeping her eyes from side to side and not exactly watching were she was going. She turned another corner and CRASH! She ran right into a Toa Tahu, knocking him backwards.
"Watch were you go, you lowly..." Tahu said angrily standing up and brushing himself off. He looked up. "Eli?" Tahu said embarrassed. He rubbed the back of his head.
"As you were saying..?" Eli said smirking.
"Uh...never mind," he said quickly. "Come to bring me to the Kini once more?" Tahu asked grinning.
"Precisely," she glared. Tahu's grin vanished from his face.
"What's the reason this time? This is the third time in three days...for me."
"Let's just say it's an emergency. Something has happened to Gali. We don't know what. She just collapsed at our feet."
"Our feet?" Tahu asked curiously with a hint of anger in his voice.
Should I tell him? Eli thought. "I meant my feet..." Eli said quickly.
"I see," Tahu said quietly. "Was she using mystic waters for any reason? She collapsed when she used it on me...or at least that what Kopaka said," he said changing the subject.
"No. She did not use mystic waters or not that I know of. She was acting very strange. She was struggling with words and she said that she heard something...a voice to be exact," Eli pointed out. Tahu said nothing and something caught his eye. His eyes focused on a break in the heavy smog, of which some stars could be seen.
"There are eight stars..." he whispered.
"Huh?"
"Eli, come here," Tahu said sweetly taking her by the hand. She was surprised by his tone. He pulled her next to him. "See those stars?" Tahu said pointing through the clouds.
"Yes," she replied.
"Each one of those stars stands for one of the Toa," he said. The stars were shining the same light, all except for three of them. "See the brightest one..?"
"Yes," she said again.
"That star is yours...It belongs to you. You are the newest Toa so that is the newest star. The second brightest one is Takanuva's," Tahu continued.
"That one is so faint...why?" Eli asked pointing out the faintest of the stars. Tahu did not say anything for a few long moments. He did not need to. Eli figured it out on her own.
"That's Gali's star, isn't it Tahu?" Eli said quietly. Tahu sighed.
"Yes, Eli...It is Gali's star," Tahu said.
"If it gets brighter, she gets stronger..." Eli suggested.
"And fainter if weaker," Tahu finished. They stared at the stars for a moment. He reached for her hand but she pulled away before he could do so, but not purposely. Disappointed, Tahu asked,
"Is there something else?"
"I need to get the other Toa. It would be a big help if you got Onua and Pohatu. I'll get Lewa," Eli said. Tahu smiled.
Anything for you, sweetheart."Sure. Uh, before you go, I just wanted to say, how about a Kolhii match sometime? One on one," Tahu asked shyly.
"I'd like that," Eli smiled. "I think I'd really like that." Eli winked at him and ran off in the direction from which she came. Tahu leaned against a nearby wall and watched her go.
"Girls..." he laughed and headed off towards Onu-Koro.