CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: SECOND CONFLICT

Kopaka stood up from the floor, rubbing his chin experimentally. He cast his cold glance over at Tahu, who was massaging his knuckles. The red Toa sneered at his brother.

"I invite you here to bury the hatchet; and you start getting cozy with Gali. Tell me, brother, what is wrong with this picture?"

Kopaka regretted leaving his ice spear at the cave, but brought his fists up to block another punch, "You," he answered, ducking a high kick. He hadn't known Tahu was as athletic as he was, but he admitted that he hadn't taken the time to watch.

He ducked a clumsy swing and brought his fist up into Tahu's stomach. The Toa of Fire doubled over, his face meeting with Kopaka's knee. He staggered backward, clutching his Hau. A visible crack now separated the eyes.

"You monster," he snarled, aiming a punch at Kopaka's lens eye, "You're a disgrace to the Toa."

"And you dancing like an inebriated Bohrok isn't?" he countered smoothly, causing a ripple of laughter amongst the Matoran. Tahu sneered again.

"At least I've got a shred of social skills, snowball."

Kopaka shrugged, knowing exactly where this was going, "I have an excuse to have next to none. What's yours?"

Tahu aimed another fist at his brother, but was surprised when a jet of water struck him full in the face. He spluttered angrily, soaking wet, as he gazed up into the face of Gali. Her normally serene face was replaced by a mask of anger, and she gripped Tahu by his shoulders and picked him up.

"Stop this, both of you!" she cried, not caring if she looked upset at this moment, "I don't want to be the cause of someone's death!"

Kopaka folded his arms across his chest – his default stance – and stared at her.

"I do not wish you to be either, Gali," he stated, walking over to the red Toa. He faced Tahu eye-to-eye, and uncrossed his arms. Rather than striking the red Toa, however, he folded them behind his back.

"If you so wish, Tahu, strike me now," he said, "But I will no longer strike you back."

Kopaka closed his eyes as Tahu changed to his Pakari; a malicious grin forming on his visage.

"So…" he pulled back his arm, "…be…" he grinned at his brother, "…it…"

The fist flew forward, slamming into Kopaka's face with enough force to shatter the mask into several parts. Kopaka himself flew backwards and off the ledge he'd been standing on. He plunged downwards toward the loam at the bottom of Le-Wahi, and he mentally cursed Tahu.

He felt his back slam through a heavy branch, and colored lights exploded in front of his eyes. He looked up to dimly see Gali looking over the railing of the Le-Koronan platform he had fallen from. Her yellow eyes were alive with tears as she watched Kopaka disappear beneath the foliage.

Kopaka slammed into the ground hard enough to scare several nearby Gukko Birds away. He lay there for a moment in the leaf litter, checking his body for injuries. His leg, which had finally begun to feel better, was now definitely broken again. His mask, which had hidden his face for so long, was now shattered into countless pieces.

The normally stoic Toa looked up at the light filtering down through the treetops. The moon was bright tonight, and he felt strangely at peace. Considering his injuries, he thought, that could be my body shutting down.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, and looked up to see Gali looking down at him. She was wearing her blue Miru, giving him a clue as to how she got down to him so fast. He closed his eyes, wishing for the protection of his mask.

Now, he knew, she would see the reason he never took it off. The other Toa took theirs off to sleep, but he had been known to never take his off.

Now she would know why.