Sorry for taking so long. T.T I got side-tracked.
Note: Makuta is not Tahu's father.
Chains of Memories
By Dragon of Courage
READY STEADY GO
It was past midnight. The city was quiet and peaceful. But, out of the dark silence came a faint noise. It was no sound of a car strolling from out of town. It was not the thundering of the planes flying overhead. It was a practically simple tune, and practically annoying.
It was the sound of a cell phone.
In a luxurious house that looked like a mansion, a young boy of fifteen slammed his hand over the vibrating, yapping phone. It was playing "UNDO" rhythmically. Such simple technology can become one hell of an alarm clock.
"Nii…" He flipped open the silver lid and yawned.
"Moshi moshi?"
"We've got a problem. The demons are here."
"…dammit. It's 2:15 in the morning. Can't this wait?" His left eye twitched.
"Unless you want to see your innards spilled out, I don't give a shit."
Ugh…the boy thought.
"Fine. Where is it?"
"Downtown Disney."
Then his mouth twitched.
"…What the hell?"
The night setting was switched to the day after. The city was noisy, bustling with cars and construction. With so many cars, there was always traffic during this time of day. Practically no one was on the side streets walking. Well, not really no one.
The driver at the front of the traffic signal busily ate a six-inch sandwich while he eyed the red light. The black Mustang next to him had the windows down, blaring rock music. The driver recognized the melody. What was it…Linkin Park?
The light turned green and he drove forward, passing the car with the loud music. As he drove, he noticed two figures on both side of the street rollerblading past him.
"What the-?"
Tahu skated his ass off trying to outrun his opponent on the opposite street. His heart was pumping fast as he jumped, grinding off a metal rail, and landed smoothly onto the hot cement ground, just a foot ahead of his friend.
Kopaka knew better. Besides, he played hockey since he was young. There was no way that he was going to lose to an amateur surfer.
The albino leapt up a ramp-like board, angled his body and absorbed the long impact, just a yard ahead.
He looked behind and stuck out his tongue. Small tuffs of spiked hair were barely seen through the holes of his helmet.
Let me see you try it…
Tahu grinned as he picked up his momentum. His blond, flaming hair was matted with sweat and his black sleeveless shirt was soaked with sweat, sticking to his chest and back. He wore black knee and elbow pads just in case he fell over. Even though he was thin, his lean body had quite a build.
Just by simply pushing his legs outward, his skates rolled faster and he propelled ahead of Kopaka and sped down a steep incline. Kopaka followed suit on the other side.
They skid to a halt just as the red light flashed. They panted for a minute as the cars zoomed past the two skaters.
"Ready…Set…" Tahu panted as he saw the opposite intersection turn red.
The walk sign turned on.
"Go!" Kopaka grunted as he quickly skated past a straddling biker.
Tahu bounded over a large patch of flowers used as decoration of a near by restaurant. He crouched low as the wheels hit the hot pavement. His body curled nearly into a ball as he sped around obstacles.
Kopaka looked ahead to see white buildings looming ahead. The parking lot next to them was packed with cars. He grinned.
It seems that I'm gonna win this race.
Tahu also glimpsed his goal ahead. Adding more energy to his vigorous muscles, he shot across the intersection to where Kopaka was racing.
They stopped at the crosswalk. Panting for breath, they looked at each other. Their minds were not determined to finish the race last. They had no time to talk. If they talk, they lose their energy to skate.
The signal turned green and they sped forward, trying to outmaneuver each other.
"Come on…" Tahu muttered to himself as they crossed over into the parking lot.
They swerved around rows and rows of cars. The two boys, exhausted from their race, would not give in to the other.
In a sound of screeching wheels, both arrived at the entrance to the mall. They stared at the crystal glass doors, panting like raved animals. Their roller blades were nearly steaming from the friction. Then the boys glared at each other.
"I WON FIRST!" They both cried at the same time. Several passersby looked at them oddly and one woman even dragged her staring child away.
"Don't look at the boys, Timmy. That's rude."
"Yah hear on the news?" Pohatu bit off a hot, steaming corndog. He, Lewa, and Onua were hanging out at the food court, waiting for two visitors. Pohatu wore a black vest over his white shirt with brown overlarge pants. Lewa, who is dressed in a yellow shirt with a phoenix design on it and dark beige cargo pants, looked at the brown-haired kid. Onua, well, looked the same. He glanced off into space, drinking his Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino. The dark teenager still wore a black tight shirt that reached around his middle, still wore dark pants, and still wore his long, black coat. On the bridge of his nose donned slick shades that reflected light from his surroundings.
"The police found lots of silvery fluid that stretched from ESPNZone to the Jazz Kitchen in Downtown Disney, Anaheim. And it's not even oil."
Onua continued to sip his frappuccino.
Lewa asked him on the other side of the table with Onua, "Well, then what is it?"
Before Pohatu can answer, an albino's head popped into their view upside down. His blue eyes were firm and unwavering. He spoke, "An inspector tested and found out that it's organic fluid. It had organic molecules structured in a weird way, like-"
"-Liquid metal." The blond hair with flaming red design in it finished the sentence. He was sitting behind the three boys and next to the albino, who was leaning his head back to face the group.
"Tahu! Kopaka!" Onua sat up.
Kopaka's head went up and he fixed his long riboon-like bandana on his forehead. Their roller blades and gear were piled on top of the gray table, still smoking from the race. Sweat still stained their shirts. Tahu only grinned, crossing his arms. His right arm was covered in a white bandage.
"'sup everybody?"
Pohatu grinned, "They said that it looked like something got splattered and sliced in a long distance. They've even found two imprints of human witnesses, or trespassers; both are very different in shape."
Kopaka chuckled, "Imprints?"
"In cement. I said, 'Can you believe that? They've must have gain favor of the cow-fairy!'" Pohatu banged his fist on the table with amusement. Kopaka and Tahu looked at each other.
"So, are the witnesses dead?" Lewa asked curiously.
"I don't know." Kopaka shrugged.
"They never said anything more of it," Pohatu cleared the statement.
They sat there for a while in silence. Pohatu finished his corndog while Lewa fidgeted with his wallet. Onua…well…is still drinking the frappuccino. Kopaka impatiently whacked Tahu on the forehead with his two fingers.
"Hey-."
"I'm thirsty. Wanna smoothie?" The albino got up and looked at the Juice it up! sign.
"Just water." Tahu answered nicely.
"Hold on, my friends. I'll be right back." Kopaka smirked.
"Naw, no need," Pohatu waved it off.
"We're gonna go and check out the LEGO Store. They've got new mod chips on sale," Lewa piped up.
Onua looked at them throught his dark sun glasses as he shook his head. He smiled as the last froth of the mocha disappeared into the straw. They're completely obsessed.
Tahu smiled serenely, "Alright, you guys can go. We'll meet you there."
"So…where's your cousin?" Kopaka relaxed on his black metal seat, sipping a nice, cool smoothie.
"Still in school," Tahu answered, slouching against his chair.
"He doesn't have teacher's in-service day?" His eyebrow rose a bit.
"Yeah, but he doesn't mind." The other smirked.
It was recess at a junior high. Takaishi sat underneath a large willow tree, reading a simple manga with complicated meaning. Sure many images have amused him, but this plot was brilliant. The simple story was about two brothers seeking something to take back everything they had lost.
Such humorous complex simplicity had gotten him hooked to it. He remembered the first time he saw this manga in Tahu's family library, piled with other Japanese texts.
"Hey, brother, the protagonist looks like me." Takaishi tapped the book.
"Eh?" Tahu swiveled around from his chair and looked at the cover page. Comparing the faces, the style, and the build, he smirked.
"Yeah, but he's fifteen year old and had a height of four foot eight. I think."
"Wow, he's short."
"Oh yeah," answered his cousin.
"Can I read this?"
"Sure!" The flame-haired boy grinned, "Besides, we've got more where it came from."
And so, Takaishi brought volume one to school. Flipping though the pages slowly, absorbing every detail of the graphic novel, he looked up and smirked.
"Hagane no Renkinjutsushi. Cool name."
He was sitting alone underneath the tree. The other boys played soccer or basketball. Girls with revealing clothes who act too old for their age flirted with other guys. Takaishi stopped reading and put the book aside to observe his surroundings. His braided hair sagged on the side of his neck. He still wore his mourning clothes underneath his white coat, which did give a few looks from his classmates. Although people and dubbed him the "new Japanese kid" or "loser," he was content of his environment.
As he stood up, the chain on his pants jingled.
Kopaka then trailed his eyes to the bandaged wrist on the other side of the table.
"I hope that get's better."
Tahu rubbed his right arm to comfort his pain.
"I don't think it was really necessary to kill those demons-"
"Rahkshi." The albino interupted.
"Yeah…Rahkshi." Tahu's eyes glazed at the actions he committed in the early morning. He blinked for a second and stood up.
"Well, it's time to meet the others." His empty cup was thrown skillfully into the trash with the flick of his left wrist.
Gali browsed through the window outside the music shop. She spotted something from the distance and then entered the store. People meandered throughout the shop, looking at skill crafted violins, grand pianos, and guitars. She strode forwards, trying not to leave her eyes from that one synthesizer.
It was a black Yamaha keyboard with fifty options of sound effects. There was a tempo adjuster for the beat and a large dial for the volume. More than a yard in length, the synthesizer was perfect for Gali. Touching the plastic keys, Gali felt them sinking smoothly, like flowing water.
The blue-haired girl looked around for a salesclerk. The young man approached her and asked, "Do you need some assistance?"
"Oh," she answered, "Do you have a chair I could use to test this out?"
"Umm, sure." He walked a short distance and whipped out a chair.
"Thanks." Gali smiled, taking the chair and sitting on it. Setting herself into a comfortable position, she started to play a melody that any Linkin Park fan would recognize.
That was when Tahu heard a faint sound. He paused and pivoted his body to hear one of his favorite tunes. Kopaka turned his head.
"Hey Tahu-."
Tahu hushed him. Then he grinned.
"It's Faint."
He walked briskly, following to wherever his ears took him too. Kopaka looked at him weirdly and questioned, "Faint? What do you – oh."
The albino almost slapped himself to forget that his buddy is a music fan. Tahu actually favored rock. Not heavy metal, but just rock.
They stopped right in front of the music store. Tahu's eyes gazed over at the piano player. Then he swore that his heart stopped beating. He peered in a little closer and his disbelief was confirmed.
"Gali plays the piano."
Suddenly the albino remembered something from school. Kopaka grasped his arm, "You know what this means?"
"I think we can compete in the Battle of the Bands," Tahu smirked as the light reflected off her flowing hair.
"I think she's got the potential for us to reach first place in the competition."
"Yeah," Tahu was mesmerized by how each note perfectly hit the right pitch and key.
"Tahu?"
"Hm?"
"I want you to talk to her."
Tahu gagged a bit. He swung around towards Kopaka. "Me! Why me?"
"You've got charisma." The other slyly smirked.
"Oh! No I don't!" he argued back.
"I'm the leader," Kopaka countered angrily, "and you're my pawn. So, get your scrawny ass over to her and at least ask her. All right?"
Tahu growled, glaring at his best friend. Looking into Kopaka's eyes, Tahu could see the dark pupils enlargeing, turning almost puppy-like. Damn your puppy eyes…
"Fine." He pouted a bit before he whipped his body around in her direction. Kopaka leaned closer to him. "You talk to her while I follow, okay?"
Given a slight push from Kopaka, Tahu rolled his eyes. "All right! Okay!"
His face looked a bit smugged, but when he laid his eyes on her, he blushed.
Her fingers rolled over the white and black keys like a smooth gentle current. With the last notes flowing through her arms, she gave a sigh. Gali always wanted a keyboard that can play as beautiful as the intruments at Ga-Koro. If there was any way to find her friends and go home, she might as well drag this keyboard with her, despite that it runs on electricity, which is an element her island doesn't have.
Suddenly, she was aware of a prescence behind her. She turned around and stared into the abdomen of a boy. Looking up towards the face, she stood straight up.
"Tahu!" She gasped.
Tahu gave a look of nervousness, "Surprise?"
"What are you doing here?"
"Um…" His eyes gazed over at the albino who was waiting by the entrance. Kopaka was grinning, giving a thumbs-up.
"All I ask is…um…" His hand became sweaty as he chuckled.
"Yourpianoplayingisawesome. Sowillyoujoinourbandforthebattleofthebands?" He talked so fast that Gali only blinked. Kopaka nearly cried, trying to bang his head on a white concrete column nearby. Tahu wished that he could flush his friend's head in the toilet. The semi-albino was making him feeling quite uneasy.
He rubbed the back of his neck and only grinned foolishly. Gali looked at him, still thinking about what he had just said.
So, definitely not the Tahu at Mata-Nui…Nevertheless he sounds nice, although he's uptight.
"Sure." She gave a small smile. Gali was, nevertheless, proud to help out a friend in need.
Tahu looked at her once again and his expression was relieved. I guess Kopaka was right…
The boy pivoted his feet around towards Kopaka and gave him the finger. He swore he saw Kopaka twitch.
"So, where are you going?" Gali followed the two boys.
"We're meeting up with the others at the LEGO store," Kopaka replied, putting his arms behind his head. He was satisfied that Gali was willing to be part of his band.
"Others?"
Tahu walked beside her, "You know…Lewa, Pohatu, and Onua."
Onua sat quietly alone in a store of blazing yellow, waiting patiently for his friends to be done with their "shopping spree". Who wouldn't be on a shopping spree for the Bionicle Battle Arena fans? For fifty percent off on all of the expensive mod-chips, it's a reasonable sale.
A whiz of green or brown can be seen at the corner of his dark green eyes. He smiled, putting his chin on his knuckles as his arm leaned on the yellow table. He waited for the others. He always did. He had waited for his father to return to him for nearly ten years. This type of waiting-for-friends was nothing.
A piece of LEGO block skidded across the table and stopped near his elbows. He slowly faced the black piece and cocked his head to one side. He picked the block with his two fingers and stared blankly at it.
The teenager felt a tug. Onua Nubawe turned his head towards a small child. The child was brown haired, wearing blue and white striped shirt and over-large jeans. His dark eyes were small and innocent, intimidated by the hulking dark figure of the teenager.
"Um…may I have that back, pweese?"
Taking a last look of the block, he gently gave it to the boy.
"Tank you, mista…um…" the eyes trailed to the dark shades that hid sensitive green eyes.
"Onua," replied the dark-haired teenager. The sunglasses shook as he nodded to himself.
"Onua…that's a cool name!" chirped the boy.
"Oh really?" Onua was amused.
"Yeah. There's a earth toa named Onua. His owner is from Germany. He's the current winna of Europe. The toa lost to Raiju, losing the Intanaashunol Plateenum Mask of Victory."
"Well, well. A toa model named after me?" He smiled at the kid when he heard a voice from afar.
"Ah, Onua!"
He turned around to see Tahu, Kopaka, and Gali walking to him. Patting the kid's head, Onua stood up. The child then ran off to meet his mother.
Tahu looked around, "Where's the others?"
His question had been answered when Pohatu yelled, "Whoa! Sweet! High Speed Plug-in 9 for ten bucks!"
Onua folded his arms and cocked his eyebrow. He said nothing.
Kopaka gave a sigh at such immaturity of the soccer player. As he rolled his eyes, he halted and spotted a concealed figure amongst the armor section of the BB workshop. The person was female with a familiar long brown hair and a purple outfit.
He strayed from Tahu, Gali, and Onua. Gali gave a double-look at Kopaka and the figure his was stalking.
"Hey, Tahu?" She tugged at his black sleeveless shirt.
"Yeah?" he turned to look at her.
Gali pointed at the figure. "Isn't that-?"
Suddenly the figure shot up and cried, "Wuah!"
"-Zara?"
The girl turned around and saw the albino. She didn't give a thought right after.
"Kopaka! You!" SLAP!
Kopaka flew out of the yellow aisle and skidded right in front of Tahu. As Tahu sighed, Gali gaped.
Oh, yeah. He's definitely not the Kopaka I knew.
L'arc enCiel
Bah! Bad ending… rushed T.T; I'll rewrite this if I have time again. . ;
Demon Saya:
It means "Well, see ya tomorrow, Gali!"
To everyone else who wonders about Takanuva: P