| abstract
| - Nightmare is a short story written by user Toa Hydros. It takes place shortly after the events of the seventh episode of Society of Guardians. Eyes of yellow fluttered open sleepily even as a small yawn escaped from their owner's mouth. The owner of said eyes and mouth turned his gaze skyward; the expanse of nothingness that had been pure black throughout the night was beginning to turn a deep blue. Dawn was coming. Hydros' gaze left the approaching light of morning and settled on the once blazing camp fire that was now nothing more than a pile of ash and charred wood. Only a few feet from the ash pile was the sleeping form of Hydros' companion, Toa of Fire Moliki. Getting to his feet, the Toa stretched the kinks out of his back and limbs before looking around the clearing he and Moliki had camped in. There were no fresh tracks in the loose dirt, indicating that the Toa hadn't had any curious visitors during the night. He turned back to where Moliki slept. It was time to wake the rookie Toa and continue their journey. But even as he remembered their quest, Hydros grimaced. Pyra. he though darkly. The female "Toa" was a creation of Verahk's; a being made to be almost exactly like Hydros. This made the Society of Guardians' second-in-command grimace yet again; he remembered all too well another entity that was brought into existence by a piece of him – his darker side, Shados. Hydros remembered his confrontation with Shados… remembered his own image standing before him in black armor and commanding the shadows… remembered hearing his own voice speaking to him with traces of emotionless madness… Remembered almost giving in to the darkness within his own soul. Never again. the Toa said to himself. I'll never allow another of my own being to rise and destroy all I care about. Just then, Hydros' musings were interrupted by the sound of yawning. He turned to see Moliki sitting up and rubbing the sleep from his eye. "Morning," the Toa of Fire said sleepily. "Good morning, friend," Hydros replied. "Come, we must continue our mission. We can't allow Pyra to fall into Verahk's talons." Moliki couldn't help but sense how Hydros used Pyra's name as he used Verahk's – as if it were an obscenity. His brow furrowed slightly. "I wish you wouldn't speak of her like she is our enemy," the Toa of Fire said. "If you had seen the fear in her eyes yesterday… All I'm saying is you should get to know her before you judge her." Hydros' eyes rolled. This again. "Moliki…" he began gruffly. Before he could voice his annoyance at Moliki, however, Hydros gained control of his temper. "Moliki," he tried again in a calmer tone, "let's not discuss this at the moment. Like I said, we have a job to do." "As do I," came a familiar voice. Both Toa whirled around to see the form of someone Hydros loathed almost as much as Shados. "Proto-Beast," Hydros growled. The ex-Dark Hunter gave a toothy smile even as his eyes glowed a fearsome scarlet. "Nice to see you again as well, Hydros," the mutant protodite replied as he unleashed a blast of laser vision. Both Toa jumped clear just before the center of their clearing was scorched black by the searing beams. Hydros rolled to his feet and unlimbered his sword, willing intense flames to dance along its surface. "Why do you attack us?" Hydros demanded, though he knew the fact that he was breathing was reason enough for Proto-Beast. The Dark Hunter turned bounty hunter gave another vicious smile. "Need I a reason to make you suffer, Toa?" He then lifted his clawed hand and sent a bolt of lightning Hydros' way. The Toa's crippling weakness to electricity betrayed him, flinging Hydros backward. Proto-Beast gave a taunting laugh before turning around and running away from his foes. Moliki got to his feet first. "I'll get him," Moliki growled as he activated his Kanohi Kadin. The Toa of Fire then took to the air and followed their one-time ally. "Moliki, wait!" Hydros called to late. He was forced to wait until the spasms induced by Proto-Beast's attack faded. By the time he recovered, Hydros heard a chilling scream of pain. "Moliki!" Hydros finally got to his feet and activated his adaptive armor, gaining mechanical wings that blazed with energy. The Toa launched himself from the ground and flew in the direction Moliki had went. After only a minute or so, Hydros spotted Moliki lying on the ground at Proto-Beast's feet. Angling his wings, Hydros swooped down upon his rival like a bird of prey, slamming into Proto-Beast with enough force to send the hunter slamming into a nearby boulder. The bounty hunter slowly slumped to the ground. Hydros touched down just in front of his foe, stalked forward, and seized the reptilian being by the neck. "It's over, Proto-Beast," Hydros snarled. "Don't make me hurt you." Hydros expected to get a claw to the face as a response from his hated foe, or at least a vile threat or insult. Surprisingly, however, no response came. "Proto-Beast?" Hydros asked, his tone more unsure than a moment ago. Still, no response; Proto-Beast's body still hung limply in Hydros' grasp, almost as if he were… "No…" Hydros whispered in horror as he dropped Proto-Beasts lifeless body and took a few steps back, looking into the sightless gaze of his foe's eyes. He didn't… he couldn't have just killed Proto-Beast, could he? The Toa had seen the former Dark Hunter take far greater damage and get right back up; how could simply slamming into a rock do what hundreds of opponents couldn't? Hydros' mind raced to try and process what had just occurred. Maybe he isn't dead, maybe he's just unconscious. the Toa though feebly, not really believing his own thoughts. Proto-Beast was a vile monster. He deserved such a fate, maybe even worse, but Hydros was a Toa… how could he have allowed himself to do this - to have actually killed his foe without reason? Hydros didn't hear Moliki stir behind him. "Hydros?" Moliki asked as he got to his feet and walk over to where his companion stood. Following Hydros' gaze, Moliki looked down to see… "What the…" Moliki gasped. He then looked to his fellow Toa. "Hydros. What did you do?" This snapped Hydros out of his trance. He looked at the younger Toa and said, "Moliki… I… It was an accident." Hydros couldn't understand why he felt so panicked; he had indeed killed in combat before, forced to do so by foes who had left him no choice. Why was this different? Before either Toa could speak another word, a blast of lightning from above sent both Toa reeling to the ground. Hydros managed to recover quickly and looked up to see someone else he could have gone without seeing this day. "Verahk?!" Moliki gasped. The Makuta's fanged mouth curved into a smile as he touched down in front of them, his crimson-armored form radiating with menace. "What are you doing here?" Hydros demanded, pushing his thoughts of Proto-Beast's death aside for the moment. "Isn't it obvious?" Verahk said calmly. He then proceeded to raise his blade and blast Moliki away with a well-aimed burst of shadow. The Toa of Fire landed several yards away, barely clinging to consciousness. "I am here to kill you, Toa." Hydros charged forward, sword in hand, only to be lifted from the ground and suspended in midair by Verahk's magnetic power. He was forced to watch as Verahk walked over and nudged Proto-Beast's body with an armored foot. "Tsk, tsk, tsk," Verahk stated in mock-sadness. "And here I though Toa were protectors, not murderers." Hydros struggled feebly against the Makuta's magnetism. "I am not a murderer!" he sneered. Verahk simply chuckled. "No, no. Of course not," Verahk raised his sword. "I, on the other hand…" Before he could dispatch the Toa, however, a jet of intense flames hit Verahk directly in the face. The Makuta roared in pain and staggered backward, loosing his magnetic hold on Hydros at the same time. As Hydros gained distance between him and his foe, Moliki charged back into the fray and sent another fire bolt against Verahk. The Makuta growled and hit Moliki with a laser blast. "You dare?!" Verahk bellowed as he lifted Moliki with his power of gravity. Hydros charged and tackled Verahk's midsection, cutting the Makuta's concentration once again. "Release him!" the Toa yelled. Verahk managed to recover quickly, however, and seized Hydros by the throat. "You've ceased to be amusing to me, Toa," Verahk growled. "It's about time I put you out of my misery." The Makuta then raised his clawed hand and prepared to unleash a lightning blast that would no doubt kill his Toa opponent. A sudden flash of light filled both combatants' eyes. An instant later, Hydros was dropped to the ground as his ears were filled with Verahk's scream of pain. He looked up to see half of Verahk's left arm missing, what was left of it smoldering and smoking. "Leave them be!" a female voice came from above. Both looked up to see a Toa suspended in the air by a shimmering aura of some sort, likely a product of the glowing Faxon she wore on her face. "Pyra?" Hydros said dumbfounded; wasn't she supposed to be on the run? "You dare strike me?!" Verahk growled before unleashing a lightning blast that knocked the Toa from the sky. Pyra hit the ground near Moliki, shaking from the intensity of the electrical attack. "No!" Hydros yelled. He launched himself from the ground and attempted to wrestle the Makuta to the ground. Verahk had different plans. He used his Kiril to regenerate his left arm before backhanding his foe, sending Hydros flying several yards through the air before hitting the ground. "You will perish for your insolence, Toa!" Verahk bellowed as he turned back to the two younger Toa, who were just getting to their feet. Before either one could reply, an arm made of pure shadow erupted from the Makuta's chest and flew directly toward Pyra. "Look out!" Moliki warned even as he rushed to tackle Pyra out of the way. Hydros could tell what was about to happen. "Moliki, no!" he screamed, already knowing he was too late. Time seemed to slow down at that point. Verahk's shadow hand seized Moliki and Pyra both, squeezing them so hard they couldn't even scream as they were dragged backward and drawn into the Makuta's substance, disappearing in a horrible flash of crimson light. For a few moments, silence reigned over the immediate area. Until… "NOOOO!!!" Hydros screamed in both horror and anger. The Toa got to his feet, recovered his sword, and charged forward. As he ran, his sword blazed to life with fire. The Toa took the sword's handle into both hands as he leapt toward his foe. Hearing the Toa's approach too late, Verahk whirled around and could only watch wide-eyed as Hydros' sword came down and buried itself into his chest. Acting on pure instinct, Hydros focused his power of fire through his sword and into Verahk's metal body, filling the Makuta's form with immense heat and flame. Verahk could only scream in agony as he was incinerated inside his own armored shell. After several long moments, Verahk's screams faded. Realizing it was over, Hydros pulled his sword from Verahk's armor. It fell to the ground with a thud, and the Toa could only watch as the heat-induced glow of the armored form slowly faded. By the spirit... Hydros thought horrified by his handiwork. I… I did it again – I killed him in cold blood. The Toa dropped his sword, stepped back, and looked down at his hands – hands that had wielded his blade with such murderous intent. What was happening to him? How could he have lost control in such a way? The silence that had descended over the area was suddenly broken by a strange sound: Laughter. It started low, barely audible, but soon grew until the very earth seemed to shake. Hydros whirled this way and that trying to find the one who now mocked his situation. The earth continued to shake, even as the sky darkened with clouds and the wind howled with an eerie wail. Has Teridax found me? Hydros wondered to himself. Suddenly, he was hit from behind by a blast of shadow, sending the Toa sprawling. He rolled over to catch a glimpse of his newest foe. Before he could make out any definite features, however, a strong hand seized Hydros by the throat and lifted him into the air. "My, my," came a chillingly familiar voice. "You can certainly be a merciless killer when you wish to be, my brother. I suppose what you said during out last encounter isn't quite true." Hydros' captor brought him close, allowing the Toa to see him clearly. Shados smiled wickedly. "We are more alike than you could ever know." The air was then filled with the chilling sound of Shados' laughter. And Hydros screamed. "NO!!!" Hydros gasped as he jerked himself up into a sitting position. He turned his head this way and that, casting his wide eyes in just about every direction. He was still in the campsite. It was still night. The Toa turned his gaze the still-roaring fire; and lying next to the fire was Moliki, still asleep - still alive. Hydros allowed himself a great sigh of relief. It was just a dream… just a horrible dream. Hydros sighed again and buried his masked face in his hands as he composed himself. "Hello?" Hydros' eyes flew open even as his hand went for his blade. "Who's there?" he demanded as he got to his feet. A few moments later, a figure emerged from the blackness beyond the fire light. As the person stepped closer, Hydros could see the being was clad in deep blue and gold armor, clutched a staff in one hand, and carried a bundle of wood sticks and branches with the opposite arm. When Hydros' eyes fell onto the intruder's masked face, he found that he recognized her. "Kazepza?" he exclaimed in surprise. The Toa of Psionics smiled at her old friend as she walked toward the fire. "Hello, Hydros. I didn't expect you to wake until morning." She proceeded to sit down and toss a few sticks onto the fire. "What are you doing here?" Hydros asked as he sat back down. "I was already here on a mission when I was contacted by Atukam," she replied as she poked at the fire with a stick. "He asked that I seek you out and lend you my aid. When I arrived, you and Moliki there were already asleep, so I decided to fetch some firewood and wait for you to awake." "Ah," Hydros replied as his nerves, still riled by his nightmare, finally beginning to calm. "Well, your help will be appreciated." The male Toa shifted his gaze to the fire, his eyes distant and uneasy. For several long minutes, he sat in silence, barely taking his gaze away from the fire. Kazepza frowned. Though Hydros wasn't the most talkative person in the world, he always managed to open up a little around those he felt comfortable with. In the years they had known each other rarely had Kazepza and her friend gone more than a few minutes without getting caught up in a conversation of some sort; the only times that didn't hold true was when one of them was troubled. And she could tell when Hydros was troubled. "Hydros?" she tried. No response. "Hydros?" Still no response; it was as if his usually keen sense of hearing had abandoned him. Kazepza sighed but would not be denied. Using her power of telekinesis, she levitated a burning stick out of the flames of the campfire and willed it to fly toward Hydros' face. The projectile stopped mere inches away from Hydros' mask and startled him out of his thoughts. Hydros heard a light chuckling and turned to see Kazepza smile as she recalled the would-be missile and dropped it back into the fire. The male Toa couldn't help but break into a smile and give a small chuckle himself; Kazepza could always make him laugh. "Widget for your thoughts?" the Toa of Psionics said after recovering from the priceless expression she had seen on her friend's face. "You look… uneasy." Hydros' smile faded. "It's nothing, Kazepza," he replied in an unconvincing tone. "Just a little shaken up from a dream I had." This caught Kazepza's attention. "What was this dream about?" Hydros grimaced. Should he tell the female Toa about his dream? "Nothing that you should be concerned about, Kazepza," he replied. "After all, it was merely a dream." Kazepza hugged her knees to her chest. "Sometimes," she replied. "dreams act as messages from the distant corners of our mind – messages that our conscious mind is too busy to receive." Hydros looked thoughtful for a moment before turning his gazed back to the campfire, clearly hoping the Psionics Toa would drop the subject. No such luck. "Please, Hydros," Kazepza voiced, drawing Hydros' attention back to her. "Tell me." Hydros sighed; he knew from experience Kazepza didn't give up easily. Reluctantly, he told his fellow Toa what had occurred in his dream. When he was finished he waited as Kazepza seemed to ponder what she had heard. After a few moments she looked back at Hydros. "What do you think it means, Hydros?" she asked. Hydros was silent for a moment. "I think," he began, "the dream concerns my fear." "Your fear?" The male Toa nodded. "After the entire ordeal with Shados," He noticed Kazepza frown at the name; she had been one of the very few Hydros had allowed to know the dark being's true identity. "I was left horrified that someone so much like me could be so evil - could be such a monster that…" He stopped talking for a moment, the memories of his confrontation with his evil self were wounds that had yet to heal. "That…?" Kazepza prompted. Though she knew the pain the memories brought him, the Toa of Psionics wasn't going to give her friend a chance to try and shut her out. She knew if that happened Hydros would probably slip back into the same funk he had entered after his ill-fated mission to Metru Nui so many years ago. Hydros inhaled and exhaled before continuing. "That I began fearing what would happen if he ever managed to come back. I didn't know if I had what it took to resist his power again," The Toa closed his eyes for a moment. "And then I found out about Pyra." "Your reaction to that little discovery wasn't exactly the best," Kazepza said. Hydros lowered his eyes in shame. "You heard about that, I trust." Kazepza sighed. "Actually, I witnessed it," she admitted and watched as Hydros looked back up at the female with a hint of surprise. "I didn't see you there." The Toa of Psionics picked her stick back up and poked at the fire again. "I saw you storm off toward the infirmary with Shaza and decided to follow. By the time I caught up, you were in the infirmary arguing with the others," She flipped a stone over into the fire, creating a small, harmless spray of embers and sparks. "I figured it was best just to watch from the door. When you left, you were in such a rage I guess you just didn't notice me standing there." Hydros lowered his eyes again, ashamed to have allowed anyone to have seen him in such a state of anger. "I am sorry you saw me like that," he said. "It's just… When I saw her - someone who looked so much like me…" His voice trailed off. "You began to fear that she would be like Shados," Kazepza finished in understanding. "That was a large part of it," Hydros corrected. Kazepza arched a brow. "What do you mean?" Her fellow Toa sighed sadly. "If she did turn out to be like Shados – turned out to be evil, what would that say about me?" The Toa closed his eyes to compose himself. Kazepza scooted closer to her friend and placed a blue-armored hand on his shoulder. "You can talked to me, Hydros," she told him. "You know that." Hydros drew in a breath and said, "Shados was a vile monster… but he was created from a part of me – the part of me that was so full of anger and contempt and rage," He looked back to the fire. "What if this 'Pyra' truly is the same as Shados? What if both of these beings - beings created from parts of me - are evil because I am the same?" "Again, what do you mean?" Kazepza said. "You're not making sense." Hydros looked to her. "What if in some way I am not even aware of, I have the potential to become exactly what Shados was? What if I someday allow my darkest thoughts to rule my actions?" The Toa let out yet another sigh. "What if I become exactly like Shados, and destroy everything I now hold dear?" "That will never happen," Kazepza told him. Her companion looked away and closed his eyes. "How can you be sure, Kazepza?" Several moments went by, the only noise breaking the silence being the crackling of the fire and Moliki's light snoring. Hydros continued to keep his eyes closed as he tried in vain to force thoughts of Shados from his mind… Then, he felt two hands settle on either side of his masked face and gently turn his head to the left, forcing him to look directly into Kazepza's yellow eyes. "Because," she said in a determined tone, "you are you, Hydros; not Shados, not Verahk, not Proto-Beast, but you. You aren't a power-hungry monster, but a courageous, honest person who would give his life to protect those he cares about." With that, a smile actually appeared on Hydros' face. He reached up and took one of Kazepza's hands in his own. "Thank you, Kazepza," he said gratefully. "You always know how to give me the help I need." It was Kazepza's turn to smile, a small blush forming behind her mask. "It's what I do," she replied. The two continued to stare into each other's eyes as if mesmerized. After a several moments passed, Hydros realized something: He was still looking into Kazepza's eyes… and he was still holding her hand. Clearing his throat, Hydros quickly released Kazepza's hand and averted his gaze before asking, "Do you need to sleep? I could keep watch for a while." The blush forming behind Kazepza's Kanohi intensified as she snapped out of her trance. "Oh, uh, yes. I could use a little rest." She quickly shuffled to a comfortable spot next to the fire and laid down. After a few minutes, sleep began to claim her. "Goodnight, Hydros," she said with a yawn. Hydros could only smile at her. "Goodnight," he replied. The Toa spent the next several moments looking at the sleeping forms of Kazepza and Moliki before looking up to the night sky… just a little bit happier than he had been earlier that night.
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