One Destiny von Aqua111 (Bionicle) ================================================================================ Kapitel 34: Chapter 34: To the Vortex ------------------------------------- Chapter 34: To the Vortex “Why have you never said anything that we knew each other before – that we have been friends?” Gali asked. She finally had found a chance to ask Tupua what she had wanted to ask since she had remembered that little part of her past life. The Toa of shadow didn’t answer immediately as if he was still thinking about how he could tell it then he finally said, “You know me … more or less … After we had seen each other the last time three years had passed. People can change very much over that time. I was afraid you didn’t want to be my friend anymore at first but when I saw you couldn’t remember anything about your past life I first wanted to see how much your personality had changed. I soon noticed that you haven’t changed a bit and still took me as I was even if I was a stranger to you now and I wanted to tell you that we once were friends but I never got the chance. Things happened so fast, I just needed a time of silence where we just could wander around without enemies interrupting us, a time like now.” “I always had this feeling inside of me that I must have known you. And it might be that you now have found more than one friend. We Toa share the same destiny. There are some things you can’t get through without becoming friends. Even Tahu accepts you now.” Tupua sighed, “I know. Since you have come to Aro Nui again I never had been in so many dangerous situations and still walking with you Toa feels better than staying between the Matoran.” ~~~***~~~ Tahu hadn’t guessed wrong. Time was still impossible to count but they all felt they had walked for a very long time. Their victuals slowly drew to an end and Gali could just produce very less water. The landscape was nearly completely dried out. Springs were rare. They had walked for miles and just slept when they only had the choice left between stumbling forward and sleeping but still the Vortex looked as if it just had come closer a very little bit. Finally all of the springs were gone. To become a real desert only the heat was missing in this land. To get a bit more water than Gali could make Kopaka created ice which was melted by Tahu then. They talked as less as possible. Lewa had even given up flying to safe energy. At least there was no sign of Makuta or one of his creatures. Whatever he was planning it wasn’t concerning this land or the Toa anymore. Although they tried to think positive one thought was stuck in their minds. ‘What if we will never reach it? What if our journey ends in this desert?’ “Have you ever thought about what will happen to us when we really will be the ones to fulfil our destiny?” Gali once had asked, “A Toa’s destiny is to defeat Makuta but what will be if we really have made it to that point. The Toa before us died or became Turaga when it was time for the next generation of Toa. The next generation is here already but we still are Toa. Will we still be Toa when this all is over? Will we die? Will we be changed to something different?” But the others didn’t know the answers as well. They hadn’t even thought about it until now. From time to time Tupua read in his book again to find any clues what to do after they had reached the Vortex. He still hadn’t been able to leave the old book behind although Takua had already scanned the pages. “The Vortex is mentioned here, not as a prison but as a place only the gods were able to enter.” “Oh great”, Tahu said, “But unfortunately we are no gods.” “A mortal being can get into it when it was allowed or ordered there by the gods … but it doesn’t say how this mortal being can get out again.” The landscape slowly changed, got hillier and then they were walking on paths between the mountains. The glowing light had disappeared behind them but now the Toa knew which paths they had to follow. Like a migratory bird will always know its way to the south and back they had the feeling they knew the Vortex’ position. And now it was coming closer very fast. “Is it just me or are we really closer than it looked before we entered the mountains?” Lewa asked. It was the first time he was speaking since they had left Makuta’s caves. “It’s no surprise if you think about the land in which we are”, was Onua’s answer. “The Vortex is a private space for the gods but now one of them has ordered us there. There’s less need for it to stay away from us for much longer, although it should have come closer a bit earlier.” “I can’t walk anymore”, Lewa moaned and leaned against the rock face. “This is too much for me. My legs can’t carry me anymore.” “Come on, it’s not far anymore. Just two or three mountains to walk by and we’ll be there”, Tahu tried to convince him, then he sighed and said, “And if your legs can’t carry you anymore I will do it.” With Lewa on his back he moved on. His own legs now protested but he didn’t care and even refused the other’s help. At least this he wanted to do for Lewa after letting him down too often. Their road now led upwards but still between the mountains not upon one of them. Then after some more time, maybe hours, they didn’t know, when all of them began feeling weak and tired again and wanted nothing more than resting a bit their path slowly came to an end. A basin was opening in front of them. A small path led down to an enormous lake surrounded by mountains. Bridges of wood or stone were built on it, leading away like solar rays from something floating in the middle of the lake just a few feet over the water, a gigantic glowing orb. The sight was so overwhelming that the Toa forgot about everything even to breath. Tahu was the first one to find his speech again. “And I thought the swamp was big …” He noticed the little path beside him. “So he really wants us to go down. But what next?” “I could go anywhere”, Lewa mumbled into his back, “as long as the water is drinkable.” ~~~***~~~ Gali had checked the water. It was of a better quality than they would have presumed in this land. They now were resting near a stone bridge. There still was no food but at least they had found water. Onua and Pohatu had gone exploring the area around them. Tahu and Tupua kept watch while the others were sleeping, although they didn’t think an attack would come to this place. They were both staring at the Vortex all the time. “What would happen if Mata Nui gets back his old Kanohi?” Tupua asked, “Maybe he needs a lot of energy to get himself free of that thing. I wouldn’t want to be near that thing when that happens.” “I don’t think there’s any need for us all to enter that thing. I mean, what if that would really keep you in there forever. Your book said nothing about the people who came out of it again, didn’t it? … And why hadn’t Mata Nui come out of it earlier so that we could give him his Kanohi outside. This mask can’t restore his energy. He has to do it by himself. But all he still wanted was the Kanohi of life.” Tupua was staring into the water as if he had found the solution in there. “No, he hasn’t gotten all of his energy back.” He looked at Tahu, “I’m wearing the last storage. So what if the carrier of the Manawa will bring the Kanohi of life with him?” “Do you mean you want to enter this?” “Who else will you send in there? And I don’t think that I would die or be captured forever. It’s Mata Nui we’re talking about.” Onua’s and Pohatu’s return ended their little discussion. They both were carrying round orange and red fruits. “We have found plants growing just a few meters away from here. Don’t know what it is but after the water wasn’t poisoned we didn’t think the fruits would be. I don’t think anything dangerous would want to grow around Mata Nui”, Pohatu exclaimed, “We have tried them and didn’t drop dead. They taste a bit sour but not too much. Shall we wake the others now?” “Yeah, maybe. I think now you should get a bit sleep”, Tahu said and gently shook Lewa. “Hey, wake up, dear. Breakfast is ready.” The emerald Toa yawned and opened his eyes. “Food? You have really found something?” “Yes, but don’t ask me what those things are called.” ~~~***~~~ They slept and kept watch by turns now. The fruits soon were gone but they also didn’t need more of them now. Tupua still hadn’t said a word about his plans. Then finally when all of them felt fit enough again he explained his earlier thoughts. “No, you can’t do that”, was Gali’s first reaction, “There has to be another solution than sacrificing one of us.” “And who will go instead of me? Because we already know that at least one of us has to go in. And then I will have to live without my Kanohi because he needs that too. Maybe I have already found out how to use it without noticing it because I feel this strange connection to Mata Nui right now as if I can read his mind, as if I can take a look into his heart, maybe it’s just there because part of him is still inside the Manawa but I know that he must have both Kanohi.” For a moment he held Gali’s hand then took a step back as if he was afraid she still would try to stop him at any case. “I will come back soon. Don’t worry about me. The way over the bridge will be long so there will be enough time for you to get out of here. And you have to get out because I don’t know how much energy Mata Nu will need to set free.” “But how are we supposed to get out so quickly?” Takua threw in, “We had a very long travel through wastelands, much longer than this bridge is.” “There has to be a second way. Mata Nui had to open the ceiling decades ago. I don’t think he could squeeze a whole island through the Kini Nui. And Makuta had to find a way down there too. He couldn’t enter through the Kini Nui because it’s a sacred place. Gali bit on her lower lip. She wanted to keep him back but the same time she couldn’t. Kopaka took her hand and dragged her away with him. “Come, we need to fly up and search for an exit before whatever-it-will-be starts.” To Tupua he said, “Good luck and try to reach the Vortex not too early.” They all wanted to use levitation, carried up faster by Lewa’s gust. The dark Toa watched them taking off then he turned around and walked over the bridge, not too fast but also not too slow. He suddenly felt incredibly stupid. What if he really was running into death willingly? ‘What are you afraid of?’ he asked himself over and over again. ‘You theoretically have died once. Just trust in Mata Nui again. And if this is really the last thing you do then why do you worry about it? At least you wouldn’t have to care about anything that happens after that,’ After a too long and to short time he reached the glowing thing. He didn’t know how high it really was because he was afraid to lift his head but he guessed a few hundred kilometres. He just went over to the part that was lowest over the bridges – it was just flying high enough that a Toa could walk under it – reached up a hand and touched the surface. ~~~***~~~ Lewa had finally found a gap that looked big enough for a Toa. They only hoped that it was leading out of Karda Nui and not suddenly ended somewhere. Behind them something started that sounded like many explosions. Blinding light spread over the land even filled the caves and tunnels. The walls around the Toa were shaking. More and more gaps opened but nearly all of them seemed to lead up. Through all the light they could only see very less, most time they had just to feel their way but still they tried to fly as fast as possible. And then they felt the cold fresh wind, saw the stars over their heads. They landed a few steps away from the gap they had exited and looked around. In the distance they saw the city of Ta Metru. Their landing place was the coast of Metru Nui, the island where the Matoran of Mata Nui now lived. Snowflakes were falling. Lewa tried to catch one of them. Snow hadn’t been usual on Mata Nui as long as the place where it fell wasn’t called Mount Ihu. They must have spent many weeks, maybe a few months in Karda Nui. For a few seconds everything remained silent. Then the water around the isle of Mata Nui exploded. The island broke into parts and a giant body rose out of the water. The god slowly opened his eyes but they weren’t of the awaited light blue. They were of a cold crimson. Mata Nui’s body had Makuta’s eyes. Hosted by Animexx e.V. (http://www.animexx.de)