Author's Note: And here is the great MNOLG Kopaka vs. Muaka fight. This was always one of my favorite scenes from the game, next to the Lewa vs. Onua one. Some of you may have noticed I've given the chapters actual titles. I did that in part because I kept forgetting what I'd already written or where in the story certain parts were. Upcoming chapters include more Toa team ups, and I'll be posting a chapter a week for at least a month now. I finally got off my figuratively lazy butt and got busy writing and editing more of the story. Fun!
italics=Kopaka's thoughts
Chapter 13
Upon returning to Ko-Koro, Kopaka was surprised to find that Matoro was gone. Nuju was most unhelpful, only shrugging at the Toa's questions before ignoring him completely. When he asked the few Matoran lingering in the Temple, all they could tell him was that the translator went to the wastelands. He thought that since Nuju was not worried he shouldn't be either, but he still found it strange that the translator would leave Nuju's side like this. He decided to search for Kanohi in the wastelands and search for Matoro while he was at it.
Kopaka was truly grateful that his villagers were intelligent. When they ventured into the blinding storms of the wastelands, they would leave a trail of brightly colored flags, usually red, to guide them back out. To an Akaku wearer, the red dots stuck out wonderfully. When he found such a trail, he assumed it belonged to Matoro. Setting his Akaku to its heat setting, he found two small heat spots at the end of the flag trail, holed up in a cave. He wondered who else was out with Matoro. He also found a much larger heat source moving too close to the two Matoran for his liking. Kopaka picked up his pace, hoping the Matoran would stay in the safety of the cave. Then Matoro exited the cave, and the Muaka attacked, sending the small Matoran flying into some snow covered rocks.
Kopaka ran, feeling quite angry that he had not gotten there in time. He punched the big cat in the head, effectively distracting it from Matoro and what looked like a Ta-Matoran. He didn't have time to wonder what a Ta-Matoran was doing out here. The Rahi struck at him, but he was able to dodge.
Time to see what good the Noble Kanohi are, he decided.
Since he would be without the use of his Mask of X-Ray Vision, he willed the storm to abate before switching to the Huna, Mask of Invisibility. He charged the Rahi, attempting to get its infected Kanohi. When he vanished, the Rahi began flailing around trying to get its invisible attacker. One of its blind strikes got lucky, sending Kopaka hurtling into a snow bank. He found the incident embarrassing only because one of Tahu's villagers was watching.
He pushed the snow aside and switched to his Mahiki, Mask of Illusion. He needed to get the Rahi away from the Matoran. Focusing, he created two doppelgangers of himself. The doubles must have looked convincing because the Muaka backed away, snarling and looking from one to the next rapidly. As Kopaka backed it up against a deep drop-off, the Muaka started striking randomly. It went for the Toa directly in front of it, but its jaws met empty air. Kopaka could not wait for it to get lucky. He drove his sword into the ground, freezing and breaking the stone beneath. The ledge the Rahi stood on broke away and sank into the dark gorge and out of sight.
The Matoran were his priority right now. He could deal with the Rahi after they were safe. He switched back to his preferred Akaku and looked for the Matoran. Matoro was standing where one of his doubles was, gaping as it was no longer there. Then he saw the real Kopaka and looked embarrassed to have mistaken an illusion for his Toa.
It was then that Kopaka got a good look at the Ta-Matoran. The Matoran was red and yellow with a blue Pakari. He had not met many Ta-Matoran, in fact this was the first, but he surmised that blue was not natural for a fire villager. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. Matoro was out in the wastelands, something he never did, with an odd-looking Matoran, and Matoro was attacked by an infected beast. He strode up to the questionable Matoran.
"Who are you?" he demanded coldly.
Startled, the Matoran jumped and looked up at him. "I⦠I am a traveler, a wanderer," he said hesitantly. "My name is Takua, I think ā I've been told, at least."
"What are you doing here?"
"He came looking for me," Matoro spoke up in his defense, coming to stand beside him.
Takua nodded. "I need to speak to Turaga Nuju, but I can't understand what he's saying. I was told only the one named Matoro could translate." The multi-colored Matoran was shivering badly, and Kopaka couldn't help but feel protective of him. Even if Tahu's villager was not directly his responsibility, Takua was still a Matoran.
"He needs to get back to Ko-Koro," Matoro told the Toa. "He's already passed out a few times."
Kopaka nodded and pointed his sword along the line of red flags. He calmed the storm in its path, giving them a clear path back to Ko-Koro. "The storms won't be still for long," he said, scanning the way to make sure it was clear of Rahi. "Go." He left them to finish his fight.
The Rahi, he discovered, was guarding a Rau, Mask of Translation. After acquiring this Noble Kanohi, it was now possible for Kopaka to communicate directly with Nuju. He wondered if it would make a difference in understanding the cryptic elder, but he decided to try it out the next night.
"Why don't you speak like the others on Mata Nui, Turaga?" was the first question he posed.
"Why do you speak like the others on Mata Nui?" was the ready reply, as though Nuju predicted the question.
The Toa of Ice was pleased to find no frustration in his mind. He had been working on his aspect of self-control, and he decided the best way to test his progress talking to Nuju after a frustratingly fruitless day of searching for Great Kanohi.
"What is the Makuta?" he asked next. He didn't really care about the Turaga's peculiarities. Now he wanted to test himself against something he actually wanted to know.
"You already know," the shorter being answered tonelessly.
Kopaka squished his desire to stand up and just leave this unhelpful creature to his own madness. He took a second to clear his thoughts and asked the same question again.
"Why do you wish to know?"
Kopaka dared to hope he was finally getting somewhere. "Because I don't know."
Nuju cocked his head to the side, a thoughtful expression on his Kanohi. "He is the Spirit of Destruction, the Spirit of Shadows ā and you do know that." He turned his back on the seated Toa. "Get some rest, Toa Kopaka. You will now do well in your quest if you are yawning."
He glared at Nuju's back for a moment before standing and striding to a corner of the Temple. Propping his back against the joined walls, he crossed his legs and put his hands in his lap. From sunrise to sunset that day, he had been travelling all over Ko-Wahi. His body was sore and he was discouraged. He was still so far away from his destiny. Sleep found him quickly that night.
