M.I.A. Ch 18
*17,008 years ago*
Xipher, Saber, and Vaptech panted as they emerged from the forest and
followed Iruni to the now evacuated village, while Kualus went to report their
progress to Norik on the beach. All day they had chased and fought off large and
dangerous Rahi alongside the two Toa. However, the Toa did very little to help.
The Toa's defense was that they were supposed to evaluate their performance,
but mostly Xipher's, to which they were very pleased.
The mutants watched as the last boats carried evacuees towards a ship
off shore. Boomonga assisted by growing into a three hundred foot giant and
carried Matoran over.
"So," said Xipher "How long do you think it'll be before we can make it safe
for the Matoran to return?"
Iruni had his back turned and didn't answer.
"Iruni?"
The Toa of air turned around with a long and serious look on his face. "Not
for a long-long time."
"What do you mean?" asked Saber.
"Even if we locked up all the dangerous Rahi here, there would be one
that would constantly… escape, and we can't have that. So now we part ways."
Xipher snarled. "Wait a darn minute here! You said I was given a second
chance!"
Iruni leaned against his spear. "Last I've checked, you had several in your
life, and you blew them all. So instead of dragging you to prison, we made one
you'd willing put yourself in and refuse to leave."
Xipher was almost speechless. "You tricked me!"
Iruni then looked at the ship. His mask glowed and in an instant he
vanished. The three mutants were startled and looked around for him. Then
Xipher noticed the last boat leaving the island, with the four remaining Toa
onboard.
Xipher shook his head in disbelief and held himself tightly. "No, no, this
can't be happening." he cried.
He staggered a few steps and fell onto his knees in front of a hut. As he
hung his head low, Saber and Vaptech approached him.
Saber placed a hand on his shoulder. "Xipher, don't be hard on yourself."
"I should've known." he replied. "Kualus was being strange. Every time his
mask glowed, more Rahi came." Xipher then began to stand up, using the hut for
support. He still kept his head down.
"This is my fault," said Vaptech. "I talked you into this."
"No," Xipher replied coldly. "It's not your fault." His hands formed into fist
and he let out a snarl. "It's theirs!" He then swiped the hut, making a large claw
mark along its side. "They lied to us!"
Saber and Vaptech jumped back in surprise. Xipher cringed his teeth and
snorted heavy breaths. He then groaned.
"Xipher," cried Saber "Please, calm down. You're changing!"
Xipher spun around and stared at her with red, enraged-filled eyes. "I don't
care!" he roared, his voice almost demonic.
Saber gasped and cowered.
Vaptech grabbed her by the arm and pulled her away. "Just run." he
pleaded.
The two ran into the forest. Several seconds later they heard Xipher's loud
roar and ran faster.
The air was still and the forest silent as Xipher lead the Marines north. No
one spoke a word while they kept an ear out for Rahkshi. Thick fog surrounded
them until they reached higher elevation. After taking a short rest, Saber handed
Daniel over to Xipher, who carried him on his back.
With visibility improved, Daniel felt safe speaking up.
"Xipher,"
"Hm?" He didn't bother looking at him.
"I've been thinking…. If you were a Toa who mutated into this, why didn't
you have Deskera change you back?"
Xipher's eyes widened, but he didn't reply.
"Good question." Scott added.
The remark made Xipher stop. Everyone else stopped and stared at him
as he kept his head low and huffed. He then turned his head slightly towards
them.
"It's because I didn't want to explain the whole Toa-turned-Monster story. I
figured I could keep it secret until we parted ways and then go after her. You can
see how badly that backfired." He then started walking again.
"Wait a minute," Scott hurried himself and walked alongside Xipher. "You
mean to tell me that you put our lives in danger because you were afraid of being
judged?"
Xipher almost cringed. "I wasn't afraid of being judged." he snapped, but
then paused and hesitated. "I-I'm afraid of rejection," he said softly. "Of being
feared, of being despised… of being abandoned again."
Scott was astonished. The Marines and Matoran passed by him and took
a quick glance at his expression. It wasn't until Sam came up from the back of
the line and nudged him that he snapped out of it.
It was quiet within the group again until sunset. By then they had found an
open area along the edge of a plateau that stood over a thousand feet. From
their vantage point they could see the whole ocean a few miles out. To the
southeast they saw Destral, which revealed to be far larger than they thought.
Makeshift shelters were built, but no fire was lit. Three large logs were
gathered and were used as seats. Everyone ate what wild fruits they found and
talked amongst each other.
Xipher, however, sat along the edge of the cliff and stared at the first stars
of the night. His ears picked up the soft sound of footsteps approaching. He
looked over and found it was Sam.
"Hey, you okay?" she asked.
He looked away and stared into the sky. Sam then sat next to him and
dangled her legs over the cliff.
"It sure is a beautiful night." She put on a smile.
"I guess." he replied flatly.
She leaned back and rested her weight on her hands. "So, you decided to
stay with us after all."
"So?"
"You care about us, don't you?"
Xipher slowly looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
"Admit it, you care about our well-being."
"No." he spat.
"Your actions tell me otherwise."
"I killed Mike, remember?"
"I know. But I think I figured it out."
"Figured what out?"
"That part of you, Zyphor, is a product of rage and grief you've had
suppressed for so many years being released in an outburst. If you want to stop
it once and for all, you have to let go of your anger. The emotional burden you've
carried with you for so long needs to come off. You have to forgive yourself."
Xipher paused over it before slumping his head down and looking away.
"That's easier said than done." he said softly.
Sam let out a soft sigh of defeat and looked away. The two were silent for
several minutes. Then Xipher spoke.
"Sam… You've learned a lot about me these last few days. More than I felt
comfortable sharing." He looked over "What about you? How did you end up
where you are now? Other than the obvious."
She was surprised by the question, but answered anyway. "Well, it started
back over ten years ago. I was very young, had no understanding of the world
around me. I was at school, on a clear, sunny morning when it happened.
'A plane rammed into the north tower of the World Trade Center. We
thought it was an accident, but then a second plane flew into the south tower. It
was an attack carried out by terrorist. They hijacked two other planes. One hit the
pentagon, a military command center. Passengers on board the last plane
stopped the hijackers. However, their heroism cost them their lives as the plane
flew straight into the ground."
She paused for a moment. "The towers couldn't hold up to the damage
and both collapsed, killing everyone inside, including my brother."
Xipher was speechless for a moment. "I'm so sorry."
"It's alright." She tried not to choke. "Over three thousand died that
morning; Men, women, children, even the policemen and firemen who went into
the buildings to save them.
'The loss of my brother took a heavy toll on me. For years I felt broken,
angry, confused. I wanted to join the military to get vengeance…. But as I got
older I realized revenge wasn't the right path. I still joined, but, instead, to protect
my home."
She was quiet again, but soon pulled a bar out of her pocket. "Chocolate?
I was saving it for when we got off the island."
He shrugged. "Sure." He absorbed the bar through his mouth and savored
the flavor.
Sam ate her piece. As she chewed, she noticed an odd sound and slowly
looked at him. "Are you… purring?"
Xipher's eyes widened; the dark hid his blushing face. "No?"
She raised an eyebrow and smiled.
Xipher then cleared his throat. "If you'll excuse me, I need to go on patrol,
and you need to get some rest. I expect everyone to move twice as fast
tomorrow." He stood up and walked into the forest.
There was no real threat of Rahkshi; he would've sensed them by now.
What he really wanted was time alone to think. It puzzled him that regardless of
the terrible deeds he had done, Sam still believed in him. She was almost like
Naromia. She listened to him, comforted and stood up for him.
He felt as if they were meant to be together, as though it was destiny. He
stopped and his eyes widened.
"You've got to be kidding me," he growled and faced the sky. "Mata Nui, is
this really my destiny? All of this; the mutation, the murders, the exile! Was it all
so that I could save a few Humans!?"
He heard a rustle and spun around. Saber flinched before straightening
herself up.
"What are you doing here?" he barked.
"I wanted to make sure everything was alright," she said softly. "I
overheard your conversation with Sam." She then put herself within a few feet of
him. "Part of me wonders if Mata Nui didn't send you here for them, but rather
sent them here for you."
Xipher scoffed. "That's what I thought about the Toa Haga."
"Hear me out on this. First, you didn't want anything to do with them, and
then our lives and fates became intertwined. Your relationship with them might
be a little broken right now, but they've restored something in your life the Toa
Haga didn't."
"And what's that?" he asked with skepticism.
"A 'family'."
Xipher was blown back. He then brought his head down.
Saber put a hand on his shoulder. "You don't need to say anything. But I
would think it over if I were you." She turned around and walked away, only to
stop for a moment. "By the way, you should purr more often."
Xipher's face lit with embarrassment. "I wasn't purring!"
Xipher was perched along the cliff edge. The sun began to rise, revealing
the fog's absence down below. He had spent much of the night pondering over
several matters. If they were able to get off the island, then it would only be a
matter of time before he was interacting with the Matoran again. He worried he
and the Marines would be cast out.
What scared him most was the possibility of becoming Zyphor again. He
shook his head. "Sam's right, I have to let go, but how?" he thought. Taking her
advice wasn't possible. He could never forgive himself for what he'd done.
After contemplating, he concluded that the first step was acceptance. He
took off his cloak and gazed over it. The worn-out fabric swayed gently in the
breeze. He stood up and slowly held it over the edge.
For several minutes he stared at it, his arm and hand stiff. He then took in
a deep breath and let it go. The cloak rocked back and forth as it gently fell to the
earth below. Xipher then looked at himself. From now on, he would no longer be
able to hide himself. He didn't plan to.
A strong breeze then blew over, bringing cool, crisp air and carried with it
a scent that grabbed Xipher's attention. To the north, a small speck was off
shore. When he realized what it was, he immediately ran to Saber and shook
her.
"Saber, get up."
She stirred around. "What is it?"
"There's a ship."
She was still for a moment before rousing up. "Is it Makuta?"
"No. It's something else."
"Can you make out what's onboard?"
"No, but I know for certain there's no Makuta." He then ran over to Scott
and shook him.
"What?" Scott moaned.
"Get up, we're going."
Scott slowly sat up. "Rahkshi?"
Xipher shook his head. "Rescue."
As Saber got everyone else up, Scott and Xipher watched the ship from
the edge.
"What do you make of it?" asked Scott as he folded his arms.
"It could be anyone. Matoran, Deskera, Dark Hunters. All I can tell you is
that it isn't Makuta."
"Then we need to get to them before the Rahkshi do."
Xipher nodded. He then turned around. "Saber, escort them off the cliff.
Scott and I are going ahead to meet these strangers."
Scott looked at him with surprise.
Xipher then bent down and folded his spikes. "Get on."
Scott was hesitant, but climbed onto his back and wrapped his arms
around the mutant's neck.
"Hold on tight."
"Why?"
Xipher took a few steps towards the Marines and then turned around and
faced the cliff. Scott's eyes widened.
"Oh, no, no, no! You can't be serious!"
"Just trust me on this." replied Xipher.
"I don't trust you at all!" He then screamed as Xipher ran and jumped.
Xipher drew out his blades and dug them into the cliff face, slowing their
fall. When he was close enough to the canopy, he jumped away and landed on a
branch. It snapped and he immediately grabbed another. He hopped across
several branches until he was safely on the ground. After looking up at the cliff,
Xipher then looked at Scott, who was stiff and breathed heavily. He could hear
his heart beating hard and rapidly.
Taking quick gasps of air, Scott spoke. "Don't. Do that. Again!"
Xipher couldn't help but show off a sheepish grin. "You know, I've only
done that once before, with a cliff one tenth the height."
"Are we close?" asked Scott.
Xipher whiffed the air. "Yeah." He took several more whiffs and kept
walking.
"Hey," Scott said hesitantly. "About the last few days."
"I know." replied Xipher. "I should've been honest with you from the
beginning."
"It's not that. I just wanted to say I'm sorry."
Xipher stopped in surprise.
"I didn't know you had a hard past. Honestly, if I were in your shoes, I
would be hesitant to tell anyone as well."
Xipher wasn't sure what to say. Suddenly his ears picked up something
and he immediately faced its source.
"What is it?" whispered Scott. He readjusted himself.
"They're really close." Xipher took a few more whiffs of air.
He made out two scents, one of which was very familiar. He stopped and
crouched down. Scott slid off his back and readied his gun. Xipher then jumped
into the branches.
"What are you doing?" Scott whispered.
"Getting a better view. We'll approach from different angles. You go first."
"Me? Why me?"
"Cause you don't look as intimidating." Xipher snapped back.
Scott rolled his eyes and started walking. After passing through dense
vegetation, he stopped and saw two figures sitting on a log with their backs
turned against him. His mouth gaped opened and he almost dropped his gun.
"Xipher," he whispered, "They're just kids."
Xipher landed on a lower branch and was equally surprised. "Humans?
Impossible." He then began to growl.
"Easy there." hushed Scott. "Let me handle this. I can tell if they're real or
not." He then took a deep breath, straightened up his helmet and then
approached them.
When Xipher awoke, he found himself in the middle of a torn-out forest. As
far as he could see there were uprooted trees, trees that were splintered, and
others charred. He was confused at first, but then quickly realized what had
happened. He frantically got to his feet and looked around.
"Vaptech! Saber!" The fear in his voice echoed through the area. For
several seconds he got no reply.
"Saber! Vaptech!" He then howled. The sound carried itself for miles. He
still got no reply. He shook his head. "No, no, no! Not them too!"
He then ran. He had no idea where he was going; he just wanted to get
away from the destruction. Within an hour, he was tired. He stopped along a
large creek and rested. His image reflected off the water as it trickled down. He
stared at his reflection for along time before looking away in shame.
The sound of disturbed vegetation came from behind. Xipher spun around
and saw Saber and Vaptech. He immediately jumped to his feet.
"By the Great Spirit, you're alright!"
Saber and Vaptech didn't have the same look of relief as he did. Xipher
understood and took a step back.
"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"
Vaptech brought a hand up and cut him off. "We know. You were just
upset."
"We should've stopped you." whimpered Saber. "You were on a rampage
for over a day."
Xipher was aghast. "What?" Most of his violet outburst lasted a few
minutes, but a whole day was unheard of.
Saber's spikes went down. "You must of tired out and collapsed."
Xipher's mouth gapped and his eyes darted around as he tried to
comprehend it all.
"Xipher," said Saber.
He looked at her, his mouth still gaping.
"Are you alright?"
Slowly he shook his head. "No, I'm not." He turned around. "I have to
stay."
Saber and Vaptech lit up with surprise.
"What? No." Vaptech put himself in Xipher's way. "You have to keep
searching for a cure."
"Don't you get it?!" Xipher barked. "There is no cure! There never will be!"
he took a moment to calm himself. "Besides, if no one is around to stop me, then
there's no telling how many innocent people I'll hurt."
"But we can't stay here forever." whimpered Saber.
"We won't." replied Xipher. "We'll just wait until I can control this… other
part of me."
"And If you don't?" asked Vaptech.
Xipher was silent. "I don't know." he muttered and then walked off. He
didn't plan on staying here forever. But he knew it would a long time before he
could control himself. So he shifted his thoughts on the positive side of things.
Chances were that the Toa Haga were the only ones who knew of his
location, which means no more Dark Hunters, no more Toa trying to arrest him.
He would be alone and unable to hurt any more people. But still, he wanted to
get off the island. Prison was bad enough, but isolation was worse.
But with so many after him, he would have to wait. With enough time
passed, people would forget him and he'd just be a legend. And when he
escaped, he hoped he would be the hero he was meant to be.