CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: THE TRUTH
Kopaka awoke, much to his surprise, in Ga-Koro. Gali was sitting next to him, asleep in a hammock-like swing. Oh the subtle ironies… he thought, sitting up …was it that long ago that our positions were inverse? He looked across the room at a mirror that hung on the far wall, giving a small sigh. It had been about seven years since he'd even thought about taking off his precious mask.
The whitish-gray face that stared back at him was laced with scars. One ran diagonally between his eyes, splitting into four near his mouth. Another scar arced gracefully above his eye, while another extended from the corner of his mouth to his ear, giving him a ghastly-looking smile. He looked down at his hands, ashamed. He, better than anyone, remembered how he got those scars.
"So… you're finally awake?" asked a voice from next to him, and he looked up to see Gali watching him. "Apparently, so are you," he returned, calmly. "What happened?"
The blue Toa wanted to slap Kopaka so hard he'd never see properly again, but she refrained from violence. "You told Tahu that if he wanted to hit you he could… he…"
Kopaka nodded, "I see."
He tried to push himself up, but Gali forced him back down, "You, my fine frosty friend, are staying here," she ordered, "Taliwa says you're not in any state to walk around for at least four days – therefore, you're staying here."
"Taliwa…?"
"The Ga-Koro Healer," she explained, "You've gone and wrecked more than three-fifths of your body, Kopaka…"
Kopaka lay back on the bed, "You'd actually put up with me here for four days?" he asked, turning to look at her.
"Yes, Kopaka…" she sighed, looking at him, "…and don't give me any of our angst, okay?"
Kopaka closed his eyes, "Thank you."
She nodded, and then traced one of his scars with a finger, "So… how'd you get these?"
He opened one of his eyes, locking it with hers, "That Kuma-Nui… the one that killed Amaka."
Gali now understood why he kept the mask on. All of the Toa had at least one facial scar, but Kopaka couldn't even look in a glass of water without being reminded of his past. And, of course, he lived in a village that was made from highly reflective ice…
"Kopaka… you can't hide behind your mask… your past will catch up."
He turned over in the bed, presenting his back to her. More scratches, smaller and less obvious than those on his face, were showing. "Can we discuss this some other time, please?" he asked, "I'm not in a talkative mood right now."
Gali nodded and moved toward the door. He suddenly called out to her, "Gali!"
She turned to face him, and in the light streaming through the doorway, she looked like an angel to him.
"Yes?"
"Thank you…" he said, "…for helping me."
She walked over to him again, sitting on the edge of the bed he was in, "Kopaka, you don't need to thank me," she said, "You're my friend. I… I don't want to see you get hurt – not ever."
Kopaka sighed, rolling over in the bed to face her, "I figured as much, Gali…" he said, "…but I wanted to let you know that the kindness is not lost on me."
She leaned over and kissed his scarred forehead, "You're strange, Kopaka," she said, noticing the look of shock on his face, "I know it wouldn't be lost on you."
Kopaka nodded mutely. Her action of kissing his forehead was alien to him, and he needed time to process the information it had left with him.
"Thank you anyway…"