Secret of the Mask 2
Chapter 6
Tahu walked along the shoreline, watching the bustling Matoran in amazement. Everyone worked quickly on constructing the ships to the point that no one seemed to have the time to notice the lone Toa on the beach.
A familiar Matoran crossed in front of Tahu and the Fire Toa stopped him. "Jaller!" Tahu didn't like to simply watch things getting accomplished, but would rather be a part of it. "Is there anything that I can do – any welding or anything of the sort?"
Much to the Toa's surprise, the Captain of the Guard chuckled and waved a hand. "That's all right. We don't need your help. Toa Takanuva's got it all taken care of." As the Matoran returned back to work, Tahu watched him with a puzzled expression on his mask.
"Takanuva?" he repeated. "Why is he in charge of all of this?"
Another familiar being came into view and Tahu walked over to him. "Lewa," he said as he approached the Air Toa, "how's the work coming along?"
Lewa grinned and put down a large iron rod that he had been carrying on his shoulder. "Very well, fire-brother. Everything's been going well since our new leader's been in charge."
Tahu blanched. "New…leader?" he repeated, shock registering on his mask.
"Don't you remember?" Lewa asked, looking at Tahu in the way that a Gukko Bird might look at an Ash Bear hanging upside-down from a tree. He then chuckled. "Of course, you must remember. It was future-told that our glow-brother would become the new leader of the Toa."
Tahu's brow furrowed. "I don't remember that part of the prophecy…" He turned at the sound of a different voice.
"Well, brother," a familiar voice said casually, "fancy meeting you here at the beach. I thought didn't like water."
Tahu gazed at his sister. "I never said that I didn't like water," he said. He gazed at her, trying to figure out what was going on. Why did she say that?
"Hey, Gali," someone said, and Gali turned to the visitor with a smile. Tahu followed her gaze to find…
"Takanuva," he said coldly. Tahu glowered when Gali hurried over to his brother and put her arm around his. Tahu glared at Takanuva and crossed his arms, attempting to hold back his rage. "I hear that you're the new leader…"
Takanuva grinned at Gali and then at the bristling Tahu. "Yeah. I guess it's because I defeated the Makuta and you didn't."
Tahu stared in shock, and then resisted the urge to strangle his brother. I must be dreaming,he rationalized quickly. Still, he knew that he couldn't sleep contentedly if he ended the dream with the image of Gali fawning over Takanuva in his head.
"Gali," Tahu said, trying to sound pleasant, "why don't I go get rid of that volcano like you wanted me to?"
Gali waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, it's all right. I don't need your help since –" she said and then stopped to gaze admiringly at a Toa other than Tahu, "Takanuva's here." Takanuva puffed up his chest as Gali sighed dreamily.
"Come on," Takanuva said. "I'll take care of that pesky volcano for you."
Tahu watched in utter shock as the pair strolled away, feeling as though he had just been attacked by fifty Exo-Toa. This is a disaster… Before he could do anything, he woke up.
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Tahu waited with folded arms outside of a hut in Po-Koro impatiently. Finally, he knocked on the door and was greeted by a familiar mask. "Good morning, Tahu Nuva," Vakama said, walking slowly outside of the hut.
"Wise one," Tahu said, "isn't it about time that we go? Being in Po-Koro puts us farther away from Kini-Nui than the other koros." Though he wouldn't have admitted it, he wanted to see the other Toa as soon as possible to make sure that his nightmare was not a reality.
Vakama smiled. "I know that, Tahu, but there will be no meeting today. I've decided to take the day off. I've already sent Pohatu to inform the other Turaga that we will not meet today." A warm glow radiated from behind the Turaga's mask as the Fire Toa gave his mentor a puzzled look. "But you go on ahead. The other Toa will still probably meet."
"Very well," Tahu said after a brief pause. He began to walk past Vakama when he was stopped.
"Since I will not see Takanuva today, I would appreciate it if you had a word with him about what happened yesterday," Vakama said. He looked down thoughtfully, and then said, "I feel that something may be amiss with the Seventh Toa."
"Don't worry," Tahu said gruffly. "I'll take care of it." With that, Tahu left Po-Koro.
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As Vakama had predicted, the other Toa had already gathered even though their Turaga had been dismissed. As Tahu approached the gathering of Toa, he heard a feminine voice.
"Thank you for listening to me yesterday," Gali said to Takanuva. Tahu's eyes burned with hatred at the Light Toa as the latter shrugged awkwardly.
"It was no big deal," he said and then gave Pohatu a guilty look. "By the way, I'm sorry about what happened the other day… I didn't mean to blind you."
Pohatu chuckled jovially as Gali gave him a surprised glance. "No real harm done. We found Turaga Vakama and he fixed me up. Everything's all right now." Takanuva smiled with relief showing on his mask.
"No," Tahu cut in and everyone turned to him. The Toa of Fire uncrossed his arms and strode toward Takanuva. "It's not all right." Stopping in front of the Toa of Light, he said, "Your recklessness nearly cost Pohatu his eyesight."
"It was an accident, fire-spitter," Lewa interjected. Tahu held up a hand to silence him without removing his gaze from Takanuva.
"It's not just the sparring match – it's everything." Takanuva gave him a surprised look. "I didn't say anything before, but it was fool-hearty the way you jumped into Makuta's lair like that."
"Fool-hearty?" Takanuva repeated, stunned.
"Yes," Tahu said with a glare. "You could've gotten yourself killed – not to mention the rest of us when you invited us in."
"I can't believe this," Takanuva said. His mind was reeling. "I defeated the Makuta, saved the island, helped to awaken Mata Nui, and you're giving me a lecture on recklessness?"
Tahu folded his arms with narrowed eyes. "As long as you're a part of this team, you're going to have to learn how to not put everyone else in danger."
Takanuva felt like he had been given a solid punch in the mask. He had done everything that could be expected of a legendary Seventh Toa, and this is what he got in return?
With narrowed eyes and a clenched fist, he said, "I never asked to be a Toa. I didn't even want to be one! But, no, it was my duty – or so everyone said." No one except Tahu dared to meet Takanuva's gaze, and instead looked away guiltily.
"I walked into the Makuta's lair, not knowing if I'd come back out alive. I did it because it was my – there's that word again – duty. And you call that recklessness?" Anger faded from Takanuva's eyes and was replaced by a new emotion that Tahu nor anyone else could explain.
Slowly, the Light Toa said, "When I was a Matoran, I looked up to you. You were my hero." If Takanuva had been outright angry, Tahu might have felt better when he said, "Now I know better."
Takanuva turned around and began to walk away with six pairs of eyes following him. "Where are you going?" Tahu asked.
Over his shoulder, the Toa of Light said, "To see my real friends."
As Takanuva disappeared from view, Gali shot Tahu an icy glare. "Tahu! How could you have said that to him?"
Tahu crossed his arms angrily over his chest. "I don't know – I guess it comes from being an 'arrogant ignor-…something,'" he spat.
The look that Gali gave him was one that managed to seep through Tahu's tough exterior. It was not one simply of anger, but pain. "Maybe Takanuva has a point…" she said softly. "I don't think I really know you, Tahu Nuva."
Tahu watched as Gali turned her back and left. He resisted the urge to call back after her and watched her disappearing form until he was the only one left standing at Kini-Nui.
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Takanuva met Jaller and Pewku at Ga-Koro's Kolhii Field, but said nothing about the meeting at Kini-Nui
Jaller glanced up at his withdrawn companion. "Don't you think that this match will be a little unfair?"
Takanuva furrowed his brow. "Uhhh…" he said.
Pewku chirped angrily.
Jaller raised an eyebrow. "What's the matter with her?"
Takanuva crossed his arms and sighed. "She's mad at me because I won't let her carry me around anymore." As though in agreement, Pewku chirped. Takanuva frowned, and then smiled slowly. "You know what? I have an idea…" He peered about, and then whispered, "I'll be back…"
"What –?" Before Jaller could finish the question, Takanuva had escaped into the one of the dark tunnels that led to the exits.
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Takanuva stood in the shadows and took another look around. As the Chronicler on the quest for the Seventh Toa, he had tried to avoid the shadows. Now, they almost seemed to be a protection…
The young Toa sighed to himself. "What am I doing trying to be a Toa? Maybe the Makuta was right…"
The words burned in his mind: "Toa of Light, now so bold. But at heart, you are still just Takua…"
Grimacing at the thought, Takanuva took an object from his backpack. It was his Kanohi Pakari, the mask of his former Matoran self. The Toa frowned thoughtfully, tracing the lines of it.
"I'm no Toa…" he said. "I can see where I was needed for a time, but now…"
Takanuva's brow furrowed with determination.
"It's time to take destiny into my own hands."
He put his hands on both sides of his mask and the Mask of Light grew dim…