BC4 - Run Through Flames

Tahu took the lead this time, while Gali hung back to talk with Kopaka. “You know Tahu does not mean all he says, Kopaka. But so many look to him as a leader, and to him that means he can never ask for help.”

“Then that is the difference between us,” Kopaka replied. “He cannot ask for help… and I don’t need it.”

But Gali was no longer paying attention. Her eyes were locked on the path up ahead and her expression was one of shock. “You may want to change your mind about that, Kopaka.”

The Toa of Ice followed her gaze and saw Tahu, swords drawn, standing before a raging wall of fire. “Toa of ash! What have you done?”

Tahu did a backflip away from the advancing flames. “It was not my doing, brother. It erupted from the ground like lava from the Mangai. Perhaps your icy breath can blow it away?”

“Perhaps you both can stop acting like quarreling Makika toads and pay attention!” said Gali. She pointed to a second wall of fire that had appeared behind them. “We cannot go forward, and back is not looking very appealing, either!”

“Up?” suggested Kopaka.

“At the speed these fires move, we would never make the climb in time, brother,” said Tahu.

Waves of heat washed over Gali and the world began to spin around her. She reached out to steady herself on Tahu’s shoulder. “Brothers… the heat… too much…”

Kopaka looked at Tahu. “You know the ways of fire. If we cannot go over or under…”

“Then we go through,” agreed Tahu. “Gali! We need the powers of the Mask of Speed!”

“Yes… of course…” Gali said, struggling to stay conscious. With great effort, she summoned forth the Kanohi Kakama Nuva.

Tahu took her left hand, and Kopaka her right. With a final glance at one another, the three Toa launched themselves at the fire at top speed. Running so fast their feet barely touched the ground, they broke through the flames and emerged on the other side, unharmed.

“You see? At such speed, even the fire could not touch us,” said Tahu proudly.

“No… no, there is something wrong here,” Gali muttered. She stumbled back toward the fire, reaching out to touch it. Kopaka rushed forward to stop her, but she brushed him aside.

“Gali! No!”

Tahu’s cry came too late. Without a moment of hesitation, Gali plunged her hand into the flames. But no cry escaped her lips, and when she drew it out again, it was not even scorched. “It’s not real. None of it. It’s a trick.”

At first, Kopaka and Tahu thought perhaps Gali had broken under the strain of lost powers and the long trek. But they both knew the Toa of Water too well. They could hear the absolute certainty in her voice, and so they believed her words. As soon as they accepted them as truth, the flames vanished.

“We have seen this once before, in the Bohrok tunnels. We thought it was the Bahrag’s work,” said Gali, her voice grim. “We were wrong.”

“Makuta,” Tahu whispered.

“Striking at us through our minds,” said Kopaka.

“We turned away from unity. When we did that, we turned from our duty and destiny as well,” said Gali. “In that moment, we became vulnerable to Makuta.”

“But no more!” thundered Tahu. “Now we know he sends nothing but illusions at us. And illusions will not stop the Toa of Fire! Come, we will find those Masks of Power! We will make Makuta regret ever hearing the name Toa!”

Without waiting for a yes or no from his companion, Tahu marched off. Gali and Kopaka followed behind, walking quickly to keep their brother in sight. “At least we know now we cannot be harmed, as long as we do not believe in the illusions,” Gali said.

“Yes,” replied Kopaka. “There is only one problem. What if the next danger… is no illusion?”


- BIONICLE Chronicles 4: Tales of the Masks, Chapter 5