Chapter 31: Green with evil
Chapter 31: Green with evil
Lewa still couldn’t believe it. He was willingly flying with the enemy into the dark spirit’s lair. But what else could he do? Maybe he could use his time there to find Makuta’s weak spot, beside brightest light. It still felt so wrong. Everything felt wrong.
In the corner of his eyes he noticed something bright. When he turned his head he saw something like a ball of light floating in the distance. In this area it looked so wrong like a Christmas tree in August.
“What is this?” he asked his Rahkshi companion.
“It’s called the Vortex”, Lerahk answered, “I think it can be used as kind of prison but I never was closer than that. The energy field around it is too strong.” He pointed at something hidden in the darkness. “Right now Makuta uses these caves. We should be there within a few minutes.
~~~***~~~
“I hope no one has followed us”, Lerahk said when they landed inside of one of the caves. He turned around quickly, maybe a bit too quickly because he still had his staff in his hands and now had scratched it over Lewa’s back.
“Hey, watch out what you’re doing with that thing!”
It wasn’t a deep scratch but it still was burning.
“Whoops, sorry”, Lerahk said with a sarcastic grin.
Lewa just gave him a dirty look. He knew that the Rahkshi was searching for a way to provoke him. He still was mad because of what the Toa had done to his brothers but he wasn’t allowed to attack openly.
There were lightstones hanging on the walls but they just gave a dim and dark light. At least it was light after all. And it proved that the dark spirit couldn’t see very much in complete darkness as well.
“The last few meters you will have to go alone”, Lerahk finally said. “I’m not supposed to hear what he wants to talk with you. Just go straight ahead.”
With that he turned tail and left off into the darkness.
Lewa’s heart was hammering. What if he was running right into his doom? But now he couldn’t return anymore. As if there had ever been a chance for returning… His back started hurting again. ‘Damn Rahkshi’, he thought.
He had reached something that looked like an empty room. There were windows carved into the walls. Through one he could see the Vortex glowing, through the others he just saw darkness.
“I have awaited you although you came earlier than I thought.”
The emerald Toa’s head shot around. Makuta was standing to his right, just a few steps away. How had it been possible Lewa hadn’t noticed the dark spirit so far? He tightened his grip around his Katana. Makuta must have noticed this quick movement because he said, “You don’t have to be afraid, Toa … Lewa. I just want to talk to you.”
“How can I be sure this is not a trick?”
The dark spirit chuckled. “Look, if I wanted to take you out, why should I send my son to get you here? I can look through his eyes now and completely take control over his body if I want to. If he had wiped you out it would have felt to me as if I had done it.”
“Alright then … forget it. So what do you have to say?”
“It’s more a question. And I wanted to know the answer for a very long time. Why do you believe I am the evil?”
This question caught Lewa completely off-guard. He had awaited everything but not that.
“W-Why?” he sputtered. “You need an explanation why? You destroy this world, kill living beings, why shouldn’t we believe you’re evil?”
Makuta lifted his hand. “Would you mind if I corrected you? I’m not destroying the world. Just the things the Matoran have built up. And tell me, when I have killed a living being other than the inhabitants. I mean all those, animals, those creatures living on the islands too?”
“You had them under your control and made them attack us.”
“But you were the ones who killed them. Haven’t you found out that you just had to remove the infected Kanohi from a Rahi to stop it?”
“Y-yes … but …”, Lewa stuttered.
“And haven’t you seen that the Bohrok can be stopped by removing the Krana?”
“Yes … “ Lewa now sounded a bit meek.
“But you’ve done nothing like that or less than you could have done. And it also were you who have killed my sons.”
“Yes …”, the Toa of air now said it so quietly that he nearly couldn’t hear his own voice. The scratch on his back was hurting stronger now.
But then he raised his voice again. “If you hadn’t sent them into battle nothing like that would have ever happened. Why do you even want to destroy our people? There’s no reason for it.”
The dark spirit laughed but it sounded bitter. “All people have the ability to build something up but look into their hearts and you can also see that they have the power to destroy. I am that power. I was formed by hate over thousands of years. Formed by people’s hate. It’s their own fault how strong I have become. Sure that I was jealous about my brother but my hate would have never grown that much if I hadn’t had the hate of people to suck up in me. People who hated others, who hated the world. And if they hated the world around them they also hated Mata Nui and me because we’re the protectors of it. But I’m the only one who can suck up the negative feelings. If my brother had this ability too he also would have started hating me. And fighting me.”
“You can only absorb negative feelings?” Lewa asked in between.
“I could absorb positive feelings too but only if they are concerning me which is hardly possible anymore. I’m not an evil god. I am what people made me to.” He paused and looked into Lewa’s eyes. “I can see you still have doubt in your heart. But why should I talk to you if I was just an evil megalomaniac? I’m talking to you because we have something in common, Toa Lewa. We’re both misunderstood. I because they think I’m pure evil and you because they just see you as a child. Or did they ever really listen to your ideas? They just think you as childish; they think you’re too weak.”
The emerald Toa looked down at the floor. He was right. Everything he said sounded so right. And it was hurting.
“But I see you as equal”, Makuta continued. “You’ve been through so many and still you are alive and fighting and I can say you had to bear more than any Toa before you. But no one of your friends seems to notice that not even your love. No, instead he yelled at you and called you childish after all he had promised you.”
Lime-kissed eyes shot up again. “How do you know that? Was it …”
“No, it wasn’t me. I didn’t have him under his control. I had no possibilities to control him through that distance or did you see an infected Kanohi on him? A Krana? A poisoned scratch by Lerahk? Besides I’m not the one to use psycho-drama. If he really had been under my control he rather would have attacked you all. No, he did it all by himself. He knew what he was doing and after he saw that he had hurt you he didn’t even go after you. He didn’t even think it was worth going after you.”
Sadness and hate were welling up in Lewa’s heart but the hate was overweighing. “They all should be punished”, he whispered, “They should feel the same I did…”
The dark spirit smiled. “Then I can help you if you want to. I can give you part of my powers and you will be able to make them suffer. And to eliminate them once and forever.”
Before the Toa of air could even say a word he felt something strange rushing through his body. It felt evil as poison. His skin was changing colours from light and emerald green to several shades of darkest green. The rage inside of him was burning stronger than ever.
“Now you can go and do with your ‘friends’ whatever you want”, the dark spirit said. Lewa just nodded and left.
“This was incredibly easy”, Lerahk’s voice came out of the darkness.
“I know, but I think he had given up fighting before he even met you. And I guess he won’t fight against my control. He won’t even get the idea that it’s me who lets his hate burn high, will think it’s his own feeling.” He smiled his evil smile. “The others won’t be able to attack him because he still is their friend.”
~~~***~~~
Gali jumped up again, axes drawn.
“Hold it, Toa”, the shadow suddenly said. “I’m not here to attack you. Those two might have killed you if I hadn’t brought you away.”
“What’s with Onua?” the sapphire Toa asked, “Now he’s all alone.”
“I’ll check him next but he’s doing pretty well so far. He can stand their attacks better than you. Gali, this is far too dangerous for you all. Whatever you wanted to do down here, forget about it. Go back as long it’s still possible.”
She shook her head. “No way. We have to do that, even if it costs our lives.”
The shadow sighed. “I can’t force you to but you should think about my advice well. You’re giving your lives for something you can hardly win.”
“But at least there’s a chance of winning.”
“Fine, whatever, but you shouldn’t stay here. Go to your fiery friend. Maybe he needs you. I’ll get Onua to him as well.” He turned around and was about to leave.
“Wait!” Gali called.
“What is it?”
“If you are one of Makuta’s shadows, why do you want to help us?”
“Not everything of Makuta is evil. He still has something good sleeping inside of him.”
With that he left and went up the hills again.
~~~***~~~
Tahu sent off a fiery blow, hit his enemy hard and pushed him back again but his attacks grew weaker and weaker the longer this fight was lasting. He already couldn’t feel his legs anymore.
Another time he was hit and fell back into the water but this time he was unable to get up again. His muscles refused to obey him. He could nearly hear Makuta laughing. One Toa gone for good, only five to take down next. His lungs were screaming for air but he couldn’t get up any more. He felt movements beside him. ‘Strange’, he thought, ‘it seemed like this thing used to glide through the water so why can I feel it move?’ His mind slowly drifted away.
But then his arms were grabbed and he was torn back to the surface. Tahu coughed out muddy water.
Someone was dragging him up and tried to put him back on his own feet again, supposed him when his legs threatened to give in.
“Tahu, are you okay? Man, I thought this thing was going to kill you.”
It needed some time until the ruby Toa noticed it was Onua’s voice.
“Exhausted…”, Tahu just mumbled. He tried to get a look at Onua without lifting his head too much. He now felt his muscles again, they had started to hurt. The Toa of earth looked worn out but he seemed okay else.
“I would have never made it … I mean all those shadows, two on the hill, this one here”, Onua said. “But I got help from – believe it or not – another shadow. He didn’t talk too much, just that Gali is in safety for now and that we should leave as long as we are still able to.”
“Where … where is Gali?”
“I don’t know. We were separated during the last battle but I hope this strange shadow was right and she’s trying to get to us as soon as possible. First we should get you out of too deep water and back up the hills. At least the rain has finally stopped. When we’ve reached a place that looks safe enough we can set another sign so Gali can find us.”
They got forward really slow. Tahu still had to be supported by Onua and the ebony Toa couldn’t carry his friend because then he would have sunken into the mud so deeply that it would have been impossible to move, even for a Toa of earth.
Onua suddenly dragged Tahu behind a group of rotten trees and down into the swamp water as far as possible.
“What …?”
“Shhh … there’s something flying over us”, Onua whispered.
The Toa of fire looked up. Something dark green had been flying a circle but now after it didn’t see anything strange it had disappeared again.
“Wasn’t that … a Toa? Tahu asked when Onua helped him up again.
“I don’t know. I’ve never seen a dark green one. But I hope he hasn’t noticed us. Even if it was a Toa I don’t believe he’s on our side. It’s just a very bad feeling.”
“He was flying like … like Lewa …”
The ebony Toa shook his head. “This Toa was of very dark green. I’m sure. And besides, what should Lewa be doing here? Even if he wanted to search for you he wouldn’t leave the others alone.”
“Maybe you’re right. Whoever it was, I hope we don’t meet him again.”
~~~***~~~
“Kopaka, can you hear me? Please, wake up.”
The icy Toa slowly opened his eyes. His head was hammering.
“Pohatu … w-what happened?”
“I can’t say … at least not exactly. Those things just drove right through you. For a moment I thought they had killed you. And then there was this other shadow and it helped me to get rid of the attackers. Or maybe it was just someone looking like one of those shadows. I couldn’t really see him, just his glowing eyes. And he said that we should try to get to the others because they could be in danger and that we should get outta here as fast as possible. What do you think ‘bout that?”
Kopaka rubbed his temples. “I don’t really know, but I have a bad feeling too. Maybe a good idea. But we will not leave Karda Nui before we have fulfilled our mission, that’s for sure.”
~~~***~~~
He was flying through the darkness faster than ever before, didn’t care anymore about that absence of light because his master gave him the ability to see better than before. He spotted Toa but those weren’t interesting right now. The colour he was searching for was red, not white or brown. The swamp came in sight. Trees were rushing by. He was flying in circles. Hadn’t there been a movement? Maybe not, all he saw were roots. Toa can’t just vanish in thin air. He already had searched the whole swamp for a sign of red. Nothing. But he didn’t want to leave without an attack so he scanned the territory for another victim. And he found blue.
~~~***~~~
Gali fought her way through the mud, plants and water. Her legs hurt but she had just walked for a few hundred meters. She wasn’t the one to march through this kind of territory, she was a swimmer but swimming was nearly impossible in this water. Maybe Kopaka would have had fewer problems. He had training in walking through thick snow. ‘Or maybe not’, Gali thought when she remembered the snow splitting up in front of the icy Toa. She hoped he was alright.
A sudden breeze brought the smell of wood, leaves and water, the smell of a swamp but not this one, a particular swamp on Mata Nui. After being in a rotten smelling area for so long time the swamp of Le Wahi scented like a perfume. Only one person she knew could bring up this wind. She looked up and saw something flying closer.
“Lewa! What are you doing here? Where are the others?”
The green Toa stopped a few meters away and slowly sank down. He had tilted his head to the side as if he was thinking about the words.
“Lewa? Yes, I remember, my former name. Now I don’t want it any more. I take whatever the master calls me. This old name reminds me of my old life too much, about my pain, about false friends.”
“What are you talking about? Who’s that master?” She now noticed that Lewa looked strange somehow. His colours were much darker than usual.
The Toa of air looked at her as if he already had forgotten that she was still existing.
“You Toa are the reason for my anguish. You shall be destroyed.”
He lifted up his Katanas again and suddenly jumped at her. Gali threw herself out of his way but still her side was hit. She now drew her axes but only for defence not for attack. Whatever had caught him, this was still Lewa. She couldn’t fight him.
“Lewa, what happened to you? Please be reasonable. Don’t you know me anymore?”
“I know you very well.” The green Toa shot her a glare that would have frozen Kopaka. “You are a Toa, my enemy. You shall be destroyed.”
“I am not your …” She was hit by a mighty blast of wind and a lot of mud. Lewa laughed. It was awful to hear his bright laugh in a situation like this.
“You won’t have a chance against me no matter how weak I am if you can’t even fight.”
Another blow but this time he was able to take plants and roots with it. They hit Gali like shrapnels. A few of them she was able to block off but only a few.
“Listen Lewa, I don’t want to fight you …”
“Then you’ll have to die!”
He charged at her. Gali blocked his stroke with her axes. Pain shot through her arms. She never would have believed that Lewa’s attacks could be so strong. Or was it because she already was exhausted and now had to fight with mud and a Toa who had just started the battle and was still floating in the air a bit so that he didn’t touch the swamp water?
Lewa was fighting like a berserk, as if he had held back his anger for years just to let it out on her now. A few blows she was able to evade or block but most of them hit her. Gali stumbled and fell against a giant root. This was it. She couldn’t even lift her arms any more. But before Lewa could reach her something dark shot over her head and crashed against Lewa.
Whoever this other one was, he was fighting like a berserk too. He had no problems attacking the other one. The battle only lasted for a few minutes then Lewa had to retread but not before he had sworn to return. The other one turned around. He was as tall as a Toa, black with a few green shades and crimson eyes. An appearance like Makuta in Toa form.
“Are you okay?” His voice sounded rough as if he hadn’t used it for months but it sounded familiar somehow. Gali looked up and into his eyes. They held nothing of Makuta’s coldness. No, this wasn’t the dark spirit. It was strange but she somehow knew this gaze.
