Author's note: I had to work on this pretty fast, since inspiration tends to fade away over time. So if it seems rushed, I'm sorry.
Ko-Koro
Kopaka Nuva walked up the final hill of snow, while Jaller climbed after him.
Once the two reached the top, they found themselves overlooking the village of Ko-Koro across a giant bridge of solid ice curving over another deep crevice.
"Thanks for the escort, Toa Kopaka." Jaller said as he started for Ko-Koro. Kopaka watched as Jaller crossed the ice bridge.
Although he was no longer needed to escort the Captain of the Guard, he felt like he should pay a visit to his village.
'Perhaps I could obtain some new wisdom from Turaga Nuju,' Kopaka thought to himself as he walked down the hill, his natural power over ice holding his footing, 'if the Turaga didn't speak in riddles which I so hate.'
The two Sanctum Guards stationed at the gate were covered up to their masks in snow. Yet they held onto their weapons and stood at attention. As soon as they saw the visitors, both of them shook themselves out of the snow that had buried them. The sight of a Ta-Matoran wasn't what made them salute; it was the sight of their Toa protector.
"Thanks again, Toa Kopaka." Jaller thanked as Kopaka walked right past him and into Ko-Koro.
Kopaka said nothing and resumed his walk to the Sanctum. Just as Kopaka had taken a few steps, his hearing caught the conversation going on behind him.
"Did any of you happen to see Hahli enter the village by any chance?" Jaller asked both the Sanctum guards.
"You mean one of the Ga-Matoran Kohli champions that Ko-Koro played?" one of the Sanctum guards asked.
"Yeah, have you seen them by any chance today?"
"No."
Kopaka stopped in his tracks and stared down at the ground, now fully listening to the talk behind him.
(…,,,…,,,)
Jaller was speechless at what he heard.
"No…that can't be," Jaller said, his voice losing certainty, "she said she was heading here…"
"We have not seen any Ga-Matoran of any sort visit Ko-Koro today." one of the Sanctum guards reported. Jaller took a step back, not believing what he heard.
"But she said…" was all that Jaller managed to say before he suddenly lost his ability to speak. Jaller just ran into Ko-Koro, desperately trying to find Hahli.
"Hahli!" Jaller called out as quietly as he could, not wanting to disrupt the serenity of Ko-Koro, "Hahli!"
Despite his wishings, Jaller's voice echoed throughout all of Ko-Koro.
While Jaller was calling out for her, Kopaka took a brief moment to activate his Akaku Nuva and scan around Ko-Koro; no trace of Hahli anywhere.
"Hahli!" Jaller continued to yell quietly as he started to run past Kopaka's left side. Before Jaller could run any further, Kopaka's white shield flashed right in front of him. Luckily, Jaller was able to stop an inch away from the shield before his mask smacked right into the ice shield.
"She's not here." Kopaka told him. Jaller's shoulders drooped as he took in the truth.
"But she…she said…" Jaller mumbled, trying his best to accept fact. Kopaka activated his Akaku Nuva again and scanned the village again.
Same results; no Hahli.
He had spotted Turaga Nuju in the Sanctum with his X-ray vision. Maybe he had the answers, and maybe it wouldn't be a riddle this time.
"Come." Kopaka ordered Jaller, and began walking down the path to the Sanctum. Jaller tagged along behind the Toa Nuva of Ice, not sure of what to do or think.
(…,,,…,,,)
Turaga Nuju was pacing through one of the ice chambers in the Sanctum, his Ice Pick aiding him in walk around. Matoro was standing in the center of the room, quietly contemplating over what was going on.
"We have doubled our defenses, as you ordered, Turaga Nuju." Matoro reported the Turaga.
Turaga Nuju responded with a series of clicks and two whistles.
"Maybe we could create icicle spears?" Matoro suggested.
Before Turaga Nuju could reply, Jaller had entered the room, and Kopaka had ducked under the passage frame in order to fit himself into the chamber. Nuju let out a clack and a bunch of multi-pitched chirps. Matoro waited for Nuju to finish so he could translate.
"Nuju says, 'Kopaka, it is good to see you'," Matoro translated, "and you as well, Captain of the Guard.'"
Kopaka was going to ask the question, but Jaller beat him to it.
"Have you seen a Ga-Matoran named Hahli?" Jaller immediately asked.
Kopaka slightly pondered why Jaller had so much concern over Hahli.
'Was she really that much of a friend to him?' Kopaka wondered.
Jaller waited for Turaga Nuju to finish his whistling and clicks and then turned to Matoro for translation. Matoro gave Turaga Nuju a nod and then turned to Jaller and Kopaka.
"Turaga Nuju says 'No I haven't; we haven't had any visitors from any of the other Koro, other than yourself.'" Matoro interpreted. Jaller couldn't believe what he was hearing.
'First she steals my lava board, then makes me leave my Koro to hunt her down, and now she's not even where she said she would be!' Jaller grumbled in his head as he clenched his fists. The note she left…the tracks leading into Ko-Wahi…it didn't make any sense.
"You're lucky you weren't attacked by Muaka along the way." Matoro added. That last statement snapped Jaller out of his anger.
"What do you mean?" Jaller asked, now harboring fearful suspicions.
"There has been a rise in Muaka activity lately," Matoro explained, "they have been appearing more than they usually do."
Now Jaller was worried as he pieced together the information. If Hahli really did try to travel to Ko-Koro…and if what Matoro said was true...
Jaller quickly turned to Kopaka, who was looking right at him.
"Are you sure those were Hahli's tracks you saw?" Kopaka asked Jaller with a serious tone.
Jaller thought back to the tracks that he saw, as well as the drag marks he spotted alongside the footprints. That was probably the lava board being dragged in the snow.
Jaller nodded to Kopaka's question.
Kopaka then turned around and started to make his way out of the Sanctum, leaving a nervous Jaller standing with Matoro and Turaga Nuju.
Jaller quickly turned to Turaga Nuju and bowed.
"Forgive me Turaga Nuju," Jaller said as he straighten himself up, "but I have to go."
Turaga Nuju gracefully bowed his head. Jaller gave a crisp salute to the Turaga, and started to run to catch up to Kopaka.
"May Mata Nui protect you both, Jaller." Matoro cautioned as Jaller left the chamber.
(…,,,…,,,)
Kopaka quietly stormed out of Ko-Koro's gates and was already crossing the ice bridge that led to and from the village. He just about reached the other side of the bridge when he heard footsteps approaching him from behind.
"Toa Kopaka!" Jaller's voice called out. He didn't stop to turn around to see the Ta-Matoran with a yellow Hau mask chasing after him.
Kopaka had finally reached the other side of the ravine and took a few steps forward to prepare to take off in search for Hahli.
"Kopaka wait!" Jaller shouted. Slightly irritated, Kopaka turned around and spotted Jaller reaching the end of the bridge and coming to a stop in front of Kopaka to catch his breath. He hoped whatever Jaller had to say was quick, every moment wasted put Hahli at more risk.
"I'm coming with you." Jaller panted out. Kopaka didn't even give a second thought.
"No."
"Please, Kopaka," Jaller pleaded as Kopaka began to walk again, "I can help."
"You will be safer in Ko-Koro." Kopaka said crisply.
"Then I'm going after her myself." Jaller stated stubbornly and ran past Kopaka's legs. Kopaka watched as the brave Ta-Matoran started to run up a hill of snow.
He was faced with a bunch of decisions in his head, and Kopaka's mind flashed through them all in an instant.
Should he let Jaller go after Hahli by himself?
'No, that would put both of the Matoran in danger.' Kopaka thought in his head. It was bad enough that a Ga-Matoran was in trouble in his region, but if he did nothing, then both a Ga-Matoran and a Ta-Matoran would be in danger. His duty was to protect the Matoran, not put them at risk.
Could he let Jaller accompany him?
'That would still be putting him at risk.' Kopaka argued.
What would Tahu say if he found out Kopaka failed to protect Jaller while he was in on Mount Ihu?
Come to think of it, what would Gali say if Kopaka failed to find Hahli?
Then there was always the option of freezing Jaller and leaving him behind in Ko-Koro to thaw out and then go look for Hahli alone.
Although it was the safest choice, seeing as Jaller was being too stubborn to listen to Kopaka, it didn't seem like the right one.
'Sure, he'll be safe,' Kopaka reasoned, 'but when Tahu finds out, what kind of warm custody would Tahu give to the next Ko-Matoran he meets?'
Kopaka glanced up at Jaller as he passed over the snow hill, then back at Ko-Koro, then at the sun that now marked mid-day, then back at the snow hill.
He had made his choice.
(…,,,…,,,)
Jaller reached the top of the snow hill, only to see the cold and mountainous range of Ko-Wahi. He sighed in irritation as he started down the hill of snow. He didn't even know where to begin searching for Hahli, but he had to try.
"If anything happens to Hahli…" Jaller muttered to himself. The very thought of Hahli being threatened made him run down the hill of snow.
Suddenly, he heard the grating of metal against snow rushing at him from behind. Before Jaller could see what was coming, it was already on him.
"Whoaah!" Jaller yelled as he felt a hand grabbed onto his back and he suddenly found himself zooming forward over the snow.
Except, he wasn't hitting the ground. In fact, he was soaring over it by a short space.
Jaller glanced to his down to see two metal skiing blades, and what appeared to be Kopaka's legs standing on them. Comprehending what was going on, Jaller looked to his side and saw Kopaka right next to him, holding onto his back as he skied over the ice of Ko-Wahi, and balancing his shield in the other.
Kopaka was literally skiing while holding onto Jaller.
"Kopaka!" Jaller exclaimed in relief.
"The trip would be much smoother if you hold still." Kopaka muttered.
"Sorry." Jaller apologized and hung limply in Kopaka's grasp as Kopaka went across the snow.
Kopaka activated his mask power, and quickly scanned across the land of Ko-Wahi.
It took him a few moments to spot Hahli, but the sight of her condition only made him go faster across the ice and snow.
TO BE CONTINUED…
Author's note: Cliff hangers are both good and bad. Good because they add a striking point in the story that keeps readers on edge, but also bad because they cut you off from what happens next.
Again, if this seems rushed, I'm sorry.