Mazeka: Chapter Two

Threat to peace…

Mazeka whirled. Toa Krakua was standing in front of the fortress, shouting something urgent at him, but Mazeka couldn’t understand what he was saying. An explosion behind him rocked the beach, and Krakua was thrown off his feet.

“Threat to peace,” Makuta Teridax said from Mazeka’s left.

Mazeka whirled, but Makuta wasn’t there. No, he and Krakua were seemingly the only living things on the sandy island, but it was difficult to tell with the fortifications as dominating as they were. In fact, Krakua seemed to be the lone hero of this island fortress, abandoned to defend it by himself.

Another explosion. Mazeka whirled to see where they were coming from. To his shock, an armada of Order of Mata Nui, Dark Hunter, and League of Six Kingdoms vessels were all pulverizing the island with everything they had. It reminded Mazeka of how Helryx had detailed her plans for the Destiny War.

Is this the Battle of Destral? wondered Mazeka hazily.

In response, the entire landscape shifted and fell away, the blue sky above peeling back to reveal a stormy darkness. The world now matched what Mazeka recognized as Destral. The last time he had been here was with Tobduk, but now he was alone.

Alone except for Krakua.

Mazeka looked again at the Toa of Sonics. Krakua was back on his feet and running for the entrance of the fortress. Shadows seemed to spill from the stark structure, looking like they were going to consume his companion entirely. Mazeka shouted a warning, but Krakua did not hear him, and ran headlong into the darkness.

The Ko-Matoran raced after him, plunging into the shadowy corridors. The halls of Destral were a vast and winding labyrinth, like the Great Beings' fortress that Makuta had led him through. He didn’t know how he knew where to go, but he did not stop, did not hesitate as he plunged deeper and deeper into the bowels of Destral.

Then, rounding a corner, the scene he encountered gave him pause. In the light of the raging torches, Makuta Tridax stared down at Krakua, and the Toa held his gaze defiantly from his position on the chamber floor.

Somehow, as Mazeka realized what was about to happen, it did. A shadow hand erupted from Tridax’s chest and seized the Toa. But instead of absorbing him, the Makuta was content to let him wriggle and writhe, laughing at the sight. Mazeka rushed forward, but his movement was painfully slow, and the two seemed to grow more and more distant as he ran forward.

As he laughed, Tridax himself seemed to be sucked into his own shadow hand, and the hand became a blade that pierced Krakua. An infection seemed to spread throughout the Toa’s form, and he convulsed.

Mazeka finally arrived at his side, but it was too late. The armor of the Toa of Sonics had completely changed. Now his armor was jet black save for his face and limbs which were bright green. Bat-like wings jutted from his back, and three claws jutted out from his hands and feet. When his eyelids shot open, they were a dull red.

I’m too late, Mazeka realized in horror, feeling his heart drop.

The Shadow Toa stood to his feet. Mazeka held his breath and readied himself, expecting the corrupted Toa to attack.

But Krakua raised his arms… and Mazeka realized where he was. In his panic, he had not realized he had run deep into Tridax’s hall.

As far as his eye could see, extending endlessly into the distance and into the air, infinite number of parallel Krakuas all corrupted by Shadow lined Destral’s basement dungeon, all identical to the one that now stood before him. With dull red eyes and green-and-black coloring, they stared down at Mazeka. The Krakua who had just been corrupted lowered his hands.

Then his mask shattered.

✴        ✴        ✴

Mazeka awoke in a cold sweat, huffing and panting. As his mind cleared, the image of the infected Krakua remained, seared into his brain.

Glancing down at his hand, he willed himself to place the dagger on the ground.

It was dawn. There was no point in attempting to go back to sleep, so Mazeka rose and threw sand and dirt on the dying embers of the flame. As he did, he became aware of two voices softly conversing some distance away. Looking for the source of the noise, he spied the pearly white form of Makuta Teridax in the distance. But his companion was out of view.

As he moved closer, Mazeka realized there were two visitors, not one. The glistening white armor of both seemed to at once identify them as a Makuta out of the same alternate universe as Mazeka’s Makuta Teridax. Sifting through his memories of the Order’s Brotherhood files, the Matoran realized abruptly that the Makuta that was speaking was the charismatic Makuta of the Shadowed One’s homeland, although his name escaped him. The identity of the one beside him, the one bearing the Olmak, was vaguely familiar to Mazeka.

“…has been complicated,” Teridax was saying. “Although I remain optimistic as to the success of this project, the damage is far more deep-rooted than we had previously believed. The conflicts of this world have… left a major impact.”

“The Great Beings are eager to see the outcome of this experiment,” the first of the Makuta responded. “Your plan for this endeavor has impressed them more than even they let on. As scientists, they, like we, are hopeful that a beneficial outcome can be achieved. As for the Matoran in our care, his progress is likewise slow, but he is… improving.”

“Very good,” Teridax nodded. Hearing Mazeka behind him, he whirled. “Ah. You are awake.”

“We must go, but keep us apprised,” the first Makuta said. “And do not hesitate to call on us when you need. The dangers of this world are fierce indeed.”

“I will,” Teridax responded. “Farewell.”

The Makuta nodded in turn, before the Olmak flared to life and the Makuta winked out of existence, Teridax turned to look at Mazeka.

“What’s wrong?” he asked. The Matoran was visibly shaken.

“That — that was Tridax,” Mazeka exhaled.

“Indeed,” Teridax started back for the camp. “The Great Beings want regular status updates on our progress. You may have heard, but Vultraz fares well.”

Mazeka stared for a few moments at the footprints in the sand where the two Makuta had stood moments before. It was a bizarre feeling; although every logical reaction to seeing the alternate Tridax had been to dismiss it, his instinct had screamed out in protest at seeing the Makuta again and hearing his voice—even if he had looked completely different from the Tridax Mazeka had encountered on Destral. Yet even that Tridax had not been enough to make Mazeka worry before…

Mazeka shook his head.

“Makuta, you remember those three Shadow Toa we fought earlier?”

“Yes?” Makuta asked over his shoulder.

The Ko-Matoran started after him. “I did not mention this earlier, but… I know where they came from. They weren’t random intruders to this world. One of our, er… Makuta. He brought them here and corrupted them. It’s something the Brotherhood’s been doing for some time with Matoran. But this is the first time I’ve seen it done to a Toa.”

Makuta paused for a moment, his features inscrutable. “I see.”

“I know we were hoping to head north, but… I’m concerned what may happen with those Toa if we don’t kill them sooner rather than later. There are about a hundred, and they may get out of hand and spread — especially if Makuta sent them to other locations before his death. And, if Makuta Teridax’s words were anything to go by, he seems to have co-opted them during his reign. We must execute them before they can cause any more trouble.”

Makuta mused for a moment, his arms crossed as he stroked the chin on his mask. For a moment, Mazeka was certain that Teridax would reject the idea in favor of locating the Great Beings first. But then he unfolded his arms.

“I see your point,” he nodded, the distant lights of a fledgling settlement reflecting in his gold mask. “Very well. My duty is to undo the designs of the Makuta. I will not suffer darkness to cover these lands. Lead me to the source of these Shadow Toa, Mazeka. Together we will eliminate the creatures of shadow.”

Mazeka raised an eyebrow.

“We will illuminate them,” Makuta corrected himself. He grinned wolfishly.