I fell onto the dusty floor, staring in shock at this... this thing that I had just kissed. How could this be? I hoped that this was all just some frighteningly real nightmare, and that any moment now I would awake in my hard bed at the top of the Coliseum, back before it all began.
Seeing I was moving away, Roodaka called out, "No! Wait, Hikan! I can explain!"
"I don't think there's anything to be explained," I snarled back, pulling out my staff, "How could I have had a crush on Reka all these years, and now find out that she's really the viceroy of the Visorak hordes? It's pretty self-explanatory, if you ask me."
"B-but you see, Hikan, I had to take Matoran form!" Roodaka exclaimed. "If you'll just let me tell my side of the story..."
"No." I calmly replied. "You're a hideous, evil, disgusting creature. You don't deserve to live in this wonderful city that our protector Mata Nui has built! In fact, you don't even deserve to live! So that's why I'm going to kill you, right here and right now. Goodbye, Roodaka."
I pointed my staff towards Roodaka and started to build up a single, deadly bolt of energy. Suddenly, I felt something across my face and I staggered back, eyes half-closed.
When I opened my eyes, Roodaka was standing there, with one hand at her side.
Confused, I felt my mask. It was burning with pain. Suddenly, in that moment, I knew just what had happened.
Roodaka had slapped me.
The viceroy leaned in. "So," she hissed menacingly, "Are you going to let me tell my side of the story or not?"
Not wanting to be slapped again, I nodded yes.
-
"So," I said, sitting down on the cold, hard floor of the storage chamber, "tell me your side of the story, Roodaka."
"Well," she began, "Sidorak had just finished conquering the storm-ravaged isle of the Sotorans. Their princess, Kora or something like that, had already left because royal life was incredibly boring for her, so the Sotoran were easily overthrown. Without a leader to guide them, they were helpless."
Her lips parted in a smile. "It was great fun watching my Boggarak encase them all in cocoons. The screams lasted all night."
"Just stay on topic, okay?" I replied impatiently.
Taking my advice, Roodaka moved on. "After that, we traveled the underground tunnels to Metru Nui; the last remaining environ. Then, we..."
Snapping away from the story, she asked, "Hikan, do you know when the Visorak came to Metru Nui?"
I did not have the answer to that one. "Um... ah... three months ago?"
"No, Hikan. They were here before Lhikan and his team of ten Toa fought the Kanohi Dragon. They were here before the Coliseum was built. And they were here before the Great Cataclysm."
"No!" I gasped.
"It's true, Hikan."
"The Visorak have been in Metru Nui... all along."