CHAPTER SIXTEEN: ATTEMPTED PERSUASION

Gali crawled into the small ice cavern, mildly impressed by it. The inside reflected light from its icy walls, creating a mirrored chamber. In the center, Kopaka was forming a boat from ice.

"Kopaka…" she sighed, noticing how many provisions were stacked against the far wall, "Please don't do this."

Kopaka snorted derisively, continuing to whittle at the block of ice he was seated at. Gali looked at him sadly, "Please?"

Kopaka looked up at her and leaned forward across the ice block. "Consider this. Of all seven Toa, myself included, only three haven't voiced public contempt for me. Can you guess which three?"

Gali thought for a moment, and then answered. "You, me, and Onua?"

Kopaka snorted again, and Gali looked at him quizzically. "It isn't me, myself and I… is it?"

Kopaka had to let out a small laugh at this, "No. The answer was Gali, Onua, and Takanuva."

Gali sighed, "Right… at least I'm on the list, then."

Kopaka leaned back against the ice chair he was sitting in. "Are you surprised? The other Toa probably hate me by now, and I wouldn't blame them…" he gave a low chuckle, something rare for the white Toa, "…hell, I hate me."

Gali sighed again, "Kopaka, please listen to reason. If you leave, what will become of the Matoran?"

Kopaka's eye narrowed, "Takanuva can take care of them; they don't need me."

Gali walked forward and, surprising even herself, slapped Kopaka full across the face. She hit him so hard, in fact, that he toppled from his ice chair and landed facedown on the floor, nursing a throbbing cheek.

"Kopaka, you are such an ignorant FOOL!" she screamed, watching Kopaka pick himself up from the floor, "Why do you fail to see your Spirit-damned duty?"

Kopaka rubbed his cheek experimentally. "Sprits, Gali, you didn't have to hit me." At this, Gali flung herself across the cave at him, beating on his chest with her fists. This time, the stoic Toa was prepared and the blows did virtually nothing.

"KOPAKA!" she screamed, trying to beat him into his component atoms with her fists, "DO NOT LEAVE!"

Kopaka seized her by the wrists and held her at arms length, "Why don't you go back to Tahu and spare me from this?" he asked coldly, "Gali, I cannot be swayed by you… even if I wanted to…" he muttered the last part under his breath, but Gali heard it loud and clear.

"Kopaka, why are you doing this?"

His blue eye flashed for a moment before he turned to her. "You occupy my thoughts constantly, Gali…" he confessed. Gali saw a tinge of red seep into his pale face, "…it's driving me insane knowing that no matter what; Tahu is always a step ahead of me."

She looked at him in confusion, but he released her and turned his back to her. "That's why I agreed to fight him," he explained, "If I beat him, I win. If I lose, he wins. It is simple and yet elegant."

He turned back to face her again, a pang of regret filling his visible eye. "And yet the duel was interrupted by that self-righteous bastard Takanuva. Where do you think that left me? All I wanted was the spirit-damned certainty…" he let the sentence hang.

"Kopaka, at least let me say one thing to you if I can't sway you, alright?"

Kopaka nodded mutely, leaning against the ice block he'd been carving.

"Kopaka, no matter what, I love all the Toa. That includes you," she poked his chest for emphasis, "And that will not change… no matter how distant you try to be, or no matter how cold you want to be."

Kopaka smiled inwardly, "You say you love all the Toa," he said in his usual monotone, "Why don't I let you in on a little secret… then we'll see how much you love me."

He changed to the Vahi mask of Time, and then walked forward and placed his frigid hands on the sides of her head, and the world dissolved into blackness.