CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE: KO-ARA

Kopaka almost cried when he saw his village. Crying, in his book, was something that just wasn't done. Bodies were strewn everywhere, huts were caved in, blood stained the pristine snow, and fires raged on the thatched roofs of the few huts that hadn't collapsed.

"Spirits protect us…" murmured Gali from beside him. Kopaka ran forward into the village, kicking in hut doors and searching for anyone still alive. His search was rewarded with failure.

"Something isn't right here," he said, rubbing his temples, "There are too few bodies. Where are the rest of the Matoran?"

He knelt down next to some footprints, and Gali saw the hurt on his face. "I knew it… it's just like in the dream."

Gali walked over and crouched next to him. There was a trail of footprints that led both into and out of the village. Kopaka stood up, kicking angrily at one of the footprints. "This is Malak's work."

Gali sighed, "What do we do?"

Kopaka unsheathed his spear, "We stop him. He can't have gone far. I'll make him pay for this."

Kopaka walked over to a pillar that rose from the center of the ruined village. Carved around its base was the legend of the two Toa who would come and save them. Kopaka sighed and looked up. Something caught his eye at the top of the pillar, and he motioned Gali over.

"Can you give me a boost up there?" he asked, pointing to the top of the pillar. Gali switched to her blue Pakari and hoisted him in the air.

"See the soul corrupt by darkness," read Kopaka, "See the havoc his soul has wrought. Seek the Blade of Blinding Truth, burn the darkness from his heart. Two will come, but not in time, two will journey forth to cleanse. Ara-Nui will be bright once more, until then we must pray for the Toa's arrival."

He jumped down from Gali's arms and kicked the pillar, "I freaking hate riddles."

Gali smiled at him, "It's not that hard, Kopaka."

He sighed, "Explain it then, please, because I'm missing something."

Gali smiled again, "Let's go line by line. See the soul corrupt by darkness: that's probably your friend Malak. See the havoc his soul has wrought: I think that's what all of this around us is."

Kopaka nodded, this was beginning to make sense. "So he was prophesized to destroy Ko-Ara, then?"

"I guess…" muttered Gali, "But the next line confuses me. Seek the Blade of Blinding Truth… I have no clue. Burn the darkness from his heart: use the blade to purify this soul."

Kopaka sighed, "Is it ever easy?"

"Two will come but not in time," continued Gali, "Means that we arrived too late to stop him, and two will journey forth to cleanse means we're going to go after him to purify him."

Kopaka began beating his head on the obsidian pillar with a steady thunk… thunk… thunk… sound.

"Ara-Nui will be bright once more, until then we must pray for the Toa's arrival…" she finished, "I think that's self explanatory."

Kopaka stopped the assault on his forehead and looked back up at her, "So… what do we do?"

"Are there any records of a 'Blade of Blinding Truth'?" she asked.

Something clicked in Kopaka's mind, "Yes! I saw a manuscript by that title at the Ta-Ara Library!"

Gali shrugged, "Then what are we waiting for?"