Speed of Sound

Speed of Sound is Ahpolki Inika's entry for the Character Swap Contest.

Story
500 years after the Great Cataclysm, at an island south of Metru Nui

Dead. That was what the one word that described this land. The trees, the sands, even the wind itself was dead. Whatever life that once existed here was long gone.

An armored figure walked across the ash-gray sand, lifeless and unmoving. He saw other tracks here as well, possibly dating back thousands of years. How long has this place been abandoned, he wondered? And why?

Whatever the case was, it was his home now. Or at least, it was for the moment. He didn’t plan on sticking around for long, not with the Brotherhood of Makuta close behind. And he’d rather not be around when they arrived.

It had been nearly three months since he managed to escape from them. His memories were a bit hazy, though, after what they’ve done to him. They stripped him of his power, bound him to several different machines, and injected all kinds of chemicals into him. He didn’t remember the sights or sounds much, but he did remember the pain. The burning beneath his armor, the nameless liquids seeming into him, the rattling of a metallic cage…

Then the world blurred one day. The next thing he knew, he was standing before several guards, all of them knocked out cold. He recalled seeing five other figures, colorful silhouettes. They speed off into the distance, vanishing in the mists. The world was a whirlwind after that.

Shaking his head, the former Toa of Earth strode further towards the heart of the island. His emerald eyes scanned the horizon, looking for any signs of life. There was no sign of any Rahi here, not even the flying types. There was no signs of any existing here, not even bones.

What happened here?

At last, he came across something fruitful. The Kakama-bearer stumbled across a village, hidden within a small canyon. It, much like the rest of the island, was dead. Countless huts were rotting away, many of them already collapsing. One of them, however, stood out.

It was larger than the others, and was placed at the center of the village. This must’ve been the chieftain’s hut, the Toa deduced. Stepping into the old building, the Toa brushed aside some cobwebs and dust. The layout on the inside was rather simple.

A table sat at the center of the room, coated in dust and web. To one side of the building, there was a group of shelves, filled with fragments of… something. Walking his way there, he noticed that some of them possessed some writing on them. These must’ve been tablets (or at least, what was left of them).

Shuffling through the shards, he managed to pick out some of the larger fragments. He even managed to find a couple of tablets that were still intact. However, most of what he scavenged was illegible, worn to the point that he could barely read anything. So far, he’s managed to make out some faint bits of data.

'' Ba_____okk was raided by __ ___y  _f ____. T__ _____iants were scattered to the winds, with a few ___tor___ finding their way here. When the_ ___ght some _o_ ___nes with them. We were in need of ___ec__io__, so we led them to out shr___. When th_ sto__ were inserted, __ree new T_a were __n.'  ''

The visitor sat the tablet aside, grabbing another.

'' Several m__innia, a being in cr__on arm_r came up at our sho_es. He called himself “Kal__h” and proclaimed that th__ ___and belong to him and his _om_ades. When we didn’t sur__nder, he unleashed his armies upon us. Our To_ warriors fought bravely, _ut to no avail. We lost __s_rk.'  ''

'' Eve__ually, the League of the __x K_ng_oms bit off mor_ than they can chew. The Broth___ood of _aku_a brought them down. They were _x___ted for their crimes, and we were freed. The damage, h_w_ver, was already done.'  ''

'' Our _oa set off to find the means of __storing our home. Legends _poke of tw_leve mystical relics, the “_airu__ Sto__s”. They r_st at a place called Dy___li, hidden beneath the wav_s. The heroes set out, leaving __itru to watch over u_.'  ''

The ebony Toa sat that aside, pulling up the last one.

'' It has been cent__ies since the __a ___ left for __tee__. Things aren’t __ok_ng good for us. The isl_nd has fallen plague to a number of incidents. _irst, a swarm of ________ invaded Ay_meii, des__oying our crops. By the time we recovered, a hur___ane_ struck us. We lost Tui___ and several villagers to the R_d __ague that followed it. We’re leav__g the island as of this __cording. I’m… not sure where we’ll-'  ''

Before he could finish reading the last tablet, the hut exploded around him. Startled, he ducked and covered his head as wood and debris fell upon him. Bursting free from the rubble, he shook off the dust and splinters. Standing at the top of the canyon around him were several figures.

One of the uninvited guests was at least seven feet tall, clan in blue-and-yellow armor. He bore a featureless helmet and a mechanical arm, the latter ending in scissor-like blades. Attacked to its side was a bladed device, giving off a white glow. Around him several entities with of varying races, each one armed to the teeth.

There was a lower-class Steltian near the leader, bearing a massive device loaded with Knowledge Crystals. He recognized it as an Impact Crystal Cannon. A Vortixx was close by as well, with a Firework Revolver in hand. There was a red-and-green Skakdi with them, bearing an E2 Shotgun. Another one was with them, bearing brown-and-purple armor and a Vortixx Rhotuka Battle Axe.

And they were all aiming right at him.

“Toa Krakana, I presume?” Inquired the tall warrior, with a hint of laughter.

The Toa of Earth narrowed his eyes. “Yep, that’s my name,” He admitted. “But might I ask what in Karzahni a being such as yourself might be doing here? You know, besides blowing stuff up?”

Though he couldn’t see his enemy’s face, he’d imagine that it’d be neutral. “My associates are rather interested in your… condition. Not many could manipulate speed the way you do. I must admit, I am a bit envious of you.”

The warrior took out a small device from his own holster. He flicked it open, revealing a button beneath the lid. With but a simple push, the island quaked. The canyon’s ends collapsed on themselves, locking the village ruins within it. The unwelcoming committee leap down, surrounding the Toa.

Krakana smirked. “Trapping little-ol’ me inside of a canyon? That’s your plan?”

“Along with beating you to a bloody pulp,” Added Nixot, the Skakdi in emerald and crimson.

The Kakama-bear laughed. “One problem with that: I’m not trapped in here with you…”

As soon as those words left his lips, his body began to shake. He was quickly shifting into an ebony blur, barely recognizable.

“Yawl are trapped in here with me.”

The cloud charged toward his first challenger. The Skakdi fired his weapon, a web of vines flying toward the Toa. He merely shifted to the right, dodging the webbing. The barbarian kept firing, meeting with the same results. As his assaulter came close, he fired at the ground before him.

The earth exploded into leaves and thorns, creating a wall of vines and roots. The Toa wasn’t able to change direction in time, and collided with the obstacle head first. Taking advantage of this, his opponent circled around the other side. He bashed the butt of the firearm against the escapee, knocking him back.

Nixot continued to bash at the Toa till he grabbed his weapon. The two struggled, each one trying to pry the gun from the other. It came back to him, but not in the way he intended. The Toa suddenly shoved the gun into the Skakdi’s face, staggering him.

A swift kick knocked him to the ground. He rolled just in time to dodge the fist that came down. Krakana leapt to the side as the Skakdi fired blast of lime-green from eyes. The beam splashed against a hut behind him, leaving a coat of the same color. It was eating away at the ruin, sizzling as did so.

Caustic Vision… The Toa realized.

He was struck by a Rhotuka spinner from the other Skakdi, sending him flying. The brown-and-purple one gave chase, running towards the fallen Toa. He barely had time to dodge the heated blades, ducking as they hovered over him. He lashed out with a series of punches, his fists colliding with the torso and skull of the Skakdi.

The being seemed unfazed by them, lashing back with his axe. This time, the Toa was prepared for this. He blurred to the left, then to the right after another swing. He ducked under another Spinner, rolling back as the axe came down. He didn’t expect the other Skakdi to jump back into the fray, though.

A blast from the E2 Shotgun knocked him into some rotting crates. Dazed, he was grabbed and flung by the Steltian, right into the fists of both spiny brutes. He felt himself being lifted by his arms, with the white-and-blue behemoth before him. The Impact Crystal Launcher was aimed right at him.

He grinned. There’s more to speed than just crazy legs. He thought to himself.

He closed his eyes, concentrating. He could a shift around him, growing larger as time passed by. After a moment, the Steltian fired his weapon. Time seemed to slow for the Toa.

The Elemental Energy suddenly slithered up to his hands, like ethereal Doom Vipers. They spread into his arms, causing them to vibrate in an unearthly fashion. The two Skakdi were repelled by this, their faces frozen with surprise and disbelief as they went flying. He flung his arms forward, sending a blast of energy toward the projectile. He slowed to a crawl, giving the Toa more than enough time to sidestep it.

He was flung back by an explosion, rolling a bit before he caught his footing. He turned to see the Vortixx, Firework Revolver in hand. A smirk appeared on her face as she took aim, firing another incendiary round. He rolled to the right, sprinting toward her.

He spun around, bring a kick towards her. The ebony-armored titan blocked it, bringing the firearm before his mask. He knocked it out of her hand, engaging her in hand-to-hand. To his surprise, she was quite skilled in the art.

The two traded kicks and punches, following with blocks and twists. He enjoyed the rush, the flow of combat. There was a certain rhythm to it, some unspoken song or chorus. To him, combat was hardly any different from dancing.

He caught a glance of the lower-class Steltian behind his opponent, charging up his weapon. With only a brief warning to his ebony comrade, the brute opened fire. Krakana shoved the Vortixx into the blast, using her as a shield. When the dust cleared, the Vortixx was encased in a miniature Knowledge Tower.

''One down, four to go. ''He thought to himself with a grin.

Nixot and the other Skakdi -Wythilv- joined hands, channeling their power. A swirling storm of leafs, vines, and thrones flew its way toward the Toa. Too busy admiring his work, the former Onu-Toa was swept into the magnetic storm. The thorns scrapped against his armor, leaving numerous marks across it.

The thugs laughed, pointing their fingers at their victim. Then for some reason, the whirlwind began to slow down. They noticed the Toa’s hands glowing, with the light engulfing the trap. From the look on his face, it seemed to be putting some strain on him. Smirking, Wythilv fired a burst of lightning from his eyes.

What came next was rather unexpected. An explosion of force and sparks rocked the entire village, sweeping through like an invisible tidal wave. Nixot’s E2 Shotgun flickered for a moment, its lights dying out in seconds. Grumbling, the hired gun shook his weapon for a few moments. He tried smacking it, but it wouldn’t respond.

It wasn’t the only oddity, though. The leader’s mechanical arm went limp, dangling like a broken branch. He spun around in random directions, cursing in his people’s tongue. The Impact Crystal Launcher seemed to be have been disabled too, considering that he tossed it aside like some broken toy.

Krakana found that to be particularly interesting. What was the term for that sort of thing? “Electromagnetic pulse”, right?

He was knocked back into reality when the bulky firearm collided with his skull. Shaking off the headache, he turned to see the brown-and-purple Skakdi using his Lightning Vision once more. He rolled forward, ducking under the beam and leaping toward the spiny savages. The being held up his weapon, the Rhotuka spinner already charging. He fired, the wheel heading toward the Toa.

He held his hands forward, glowing with Elemental Energy. The spinner shifted to the side, flying by him. He landed on top of Nixot, bashing his face in. Wythilv let out another thunderous wave of energy, this time from his eyes. Krakana broke off from his fight to dodge the blast.

The Steltian bruiser charged, slamming his first toward the Toa. He ducked under the first swing, sidestepping the second. When the third came about, he spun around the brute, leaping onto his back. The hulking entity tried to shake him off, ramming through some ruins in the process. Krakana could barely hold on, and was already a bit dazed.

He heard a warning from Wythilv, no doubt towards their comrade. He leapt off just in time to avoid an electrified Rhotuka spinner. The white-and-blue armored tank wasn’t so lucky, collapsing from the shot. Judging from the glow of his heartlight, it only rendered him unconscious.

Two down, three to go. He thought.

A line of thorns brushed past him. He turned to see the Skakdi joining their powers again. This time, the vortex they created wasn’t just some maelstrom. It was an entity composed of their powers, an elemental puppet. Wythilv handed Nixot his axe, the latter with a sinister grin on his face.

He fired a Spinner of his own, this own a lime-green. Krakana already figured out its power, dodging it as it sailed by. His theory was proven when it ate away at a rock that once stood behind him. The emerald-and-crimson armored Skakdi charged forth, the blades on the battle-axe already heating up. He proved to be much more agile than his brutish kinsmen.

The former Toa of Earth had even more difficulty dodging the weapon this time. Every now and then, the blade would brush up against his armor, leaving a bit of a mark. He activated his Kakama in desperation (and out of need to conserve his Elemental Energy), running around the Skakdi in a circle. A sand-devil spawned, carrying the being into the air.

He dashed his way towards his partner, the golem moving toward him. A tendril of thorns and leaves lashed out, but the Toa was able to dodge it. He ran around the brute, following the same strategy. The creature shook, leafs and bark flying everywhere. Wythilv was already losing focus.

But the abomination retained its form, lashing out with a storm of spikes. One of them nicked him in the leg, knocking him off balance. He crashed and skittered across the dead earth, into a stone slab. He looked back in pain, seeing Nixot on his feet again.

The sly crook fired the other Spinner on his weapon onto the ground. A wave of roots moved toward the Toa, rolling just in time to avoid it. He noticed something shining in the distance, buried under some rubble. It looked like a staff of some kind, from the looks of things.

He made a break for it, speeding off to the ruin. He zigzagged past more wheels and thorns, reaching his target. Yanking it out, he found it to be something akin to a trident. The only difference was that it had two prongs instead of three.

''This’ll work. ''He thought to himself.

He sped back to Nixot, the “bident” clashing against the axe. The two weapons would exchange slashes and blows between eachother, following a sort of rhythm. The wielders themselves were dancing to its tones. This, he recognized, was a dance to the death.

Nixot made a miscalculation with one of the swings, leaving him open. Krakana wasted no time, shoving the bident straight into his face. The Skakdi stumbled back, allowing the Toa to trip over. Before he could hit the ground, the blunt end of the staff collided with his torso. He was slammed into the ground with a hard “bam!” With the wind knocked out of his lungs, he drifted into unconsciousness.

Two more… Krakana noted.

Switching to the axe, he made a mad dash towards the golem and its master. Firing a Rhotuka on the ground, he hopped on top of it. The spinner carried him over the heads of the construct and Wythilv, the latter’s face bearing a look of disbelief.

When a little push, he slammed the energy wheel down on the golem. The entity absorbed the energies, emitting a peculiar glow. Then it just… stopped. The plant-matter rotating inside was suddenly locked in place, frozen in time. The golem, unable to levitate, just toppled over to the ground.

He didn’t give the other Skakdi time to process the events. Just as all this was happening, he fired the other Rhotuka at him. It solidified, taking on the shape of a disk of dirt and sediment. The brown-and-purple brute fired an electric blast from his eyes, destroying the wheel.

It didn’t really turn out to be his best idea. The dust from explosion engulfed the warrior, blinding him. He felt some form of heat darting around in the fog. He was barely able to dodge a sweep from the Toa, stumbling back. He felt himself being knocked into the air, flaying as the heated blades scrapping against him.

When the dust cleared, he was laying on the ground in a daze. He won’t be getting back up any time soon.

Last man standing… Krakana thought.

He turned to see the ringleader of the gang, tapping the other fallen Skakdi with that blade of his. Only… it wasn’t just some blade. No, there were prongs on the end of it. The device seemed to be drawing a white energy from Nixot, encasing itself in it.

“Energy Siphon Blade,” “Discharge” explained. “Saved it for this occasion.”

He got into a stance, blade at the front. Krakana discarded the axe, switching back to the bident. The fork-like tool clashed with the device, brushing it against its owner. The warrior managed to knock it out of the Toa’s hands, striking the blade across his mask. It sliced against his Kakama, leaving quiet a scar.

The titan then jammed the prongs onto Krakana, emitting a spark as it did so. A stream of white energy slither along the blade, and into the capsule on the side. The former Toa of Earth broke off, backing a good distance. He wobbled a bit, clutching his head. He felt… weaker…

He shook his head. He could retrieve the bident, but it wouldn’t really do any against a weapon like that. No, he was going have to fight fire with fire. He casted gazes at the tools of his fallen foes. He made up his mind.

Activating his Kakama, he sprinted his way back towards the axe. “Discharge” gave chase, raising his blade. Just as the Toa slowed to retrieve the weapon, the titan struck. Though he managed to land one hit, the Toa was able to deflect the next with his weapon.

Krakana charged up another Earth spinner, firing it. To his surprise, the titan fired a tiny stream of tamed lightning at it. Much like last time, it exploded into dust, engulfing them. The ebony fighter used the opportunity to grab the Firework Revovler. Taking aim, he fired a few rounds at the cloud…

…only for them to pass by it. He cursed his luck. He never really was skilled with ranged combat. His opponent, though, proved to be the opposite. A thunderbolt struck him square in the chest, knocking the wind out of him.

The figure emerged from the dust storm, his pride evident in his stride. Just as he was charging up another jolt, Krakana unleashed the other spinner. Though it struck home, it didn’t really seem to have any effect on him or his shot. The Toa leapt out of the way, hitting the dirt as he did so.

When he glanced back, though, he noticed something odd. The being seemed… sluggish. If anything, it seemed as if he were removed from time. The effects wore off, and he managed to launch another bolt. This tie, it didn’t knock the Toa back. Rather, it locked him in place.

“Discharge” let off a volley of bolts after that, a never ending thunderstorm. Staggering, the warrior rammed the prongs into him, grabbing him by the shoulder. Krakana tried to resist, but couldn’t find the strength to do so. The Dark Hunter cast him aside, turning his attention toward the massive device.

Krakana turned to see the bident at his side. He looked back at his enemy, struggling to reboot the Launcher’s systems. He reached out towards it, channeling whatever power he had left into it. Glancing back, he saw that “Discharge” was already aiming at him.

With all his remaining strength, he flung the fork-like tool into the machine. Before anyone could so much as blink, it already embedded itself into the device. It bled tamed lightning and Protodermis, the sparks growing later each second. Before the Dark Hunter could discard it, it exploded into a flash of silver. The light solidified, encasing the titan.

Game over… victory… He thought to himself with a weak grin.

He heard someone clapping in the shadows. Raising back on his feet, he turned to see a group of fallen pillars. They’re shadows, though, were shifting and twisting in unusual directions. A blade poked out of the darkness, followed by its owner.

The entity was a hunchbacked being, clan in lifeless ash-grey, jetblack, and dull silver. He bore double-sided blades in each hand, as well as in a tail-like appendage behind him. He bore crimson eyes and possessed what appeared to be horns or antennae on the sides of his head.

“An excellent display of bravado,” Congratulated the being, with a hint of a chuckle. “But then again, such is expected from your kind.”

Krakana got into battle-stance, but the stranger held up his hand.

“Please, if truly wanted to fight you, I would’ve done so by now,” Said the being.

“By now?” Noted the Toa. “How long have ya been watchin’?”

“Long enough to know that you’re an interesting specimen,” Replied the entity. “But don’t worry. I have no interest in stuffing you into some statis tube.”

“Then what brings you here?”

“Besides entertainment?” Laughed the being, before straightening his face. “Ahem… now, there’s been talk in Stelt of unusual Toa roaming these parts. Would you happen to be one of them?”

Krakana gave him a puzzled look. One of them?

Something screeched in the back of his mind, removing him from reality. He found himself before several blurs, each one beginning to clear. They were all Toa, much like himself. There was one of Fire, another of Plasma, one of The Green, one of Ice, and another of Water.

Another memory came. This time, they were all running together, with himself ahead of them. Countless beings were chasing them, all servants of the Makuta. The world blurred, sending him face-first into some sand. When he rose back up, he was on another island entirely.

Then he returned to the real world. The stranger had a large grin on his face.

“We’re both looking for someone, you and I,” He began. “We both have a journey ahead of us, a certain road to take. I have nothing to lose in the long run, but you…?”

He let out a dark chuckle. “You have a rendezvous with someone. And it wouldn’t be wise to keep them waiting.”

“Where were these Toa spotted at?” Krakana demanded.

The spectator tapped his chin, almost in a playful manner. “If the Steltians’ are to be trusted, then they were last seen heading to the Southern Islands.”

The Toa cursed under his breath. Little to nothing is known about that region. Not even the Brotherhood themselves knew of anything in the south. But at this rate, he was willing to take anything. And besides, what did he have to lose?

Before he sped off, though, he had one more question: “Who are you?”

The stranger dropped his calm act, blinking. “Come again?”

“Your name,” Krakana bluntly demanded.

The figure gave off a peculiar smile. There was something emitting from it, but nothing of pride or arrogance. What was it, he couldn’t quite place it.

“Don’t have one,” he claimed. “Used to in the old days, but they’ve long since died out. My name died out alongside them. These days, most beings refer to me as ‘Shadow Stealer’.”

Krakana nodded, thanking the being for the information. He sprinted toward the exit, still encaging the village. Activating his Kakama, he sped straight for it. Instead of crashing into it, though, be actually ran up and over the obstacle.

He kept running straight into the ocean, striding across its surface. The Makuta might’ve cursed him with their experiments, but they did give him one advantage. In the past, he could shift the dirt and shake mountians. Now, though… Now he could break the laws of physics.

And he was about to defy more things in the days to come…

Characters

 * Krakana


 * Some Dark Hunters
 * Discharge
 * Wythlv
 * Nixot
 * An unnamed lower-class Steltian
 * An unnamed Vortixx
 * Shadow Stealer


 * Several other Toa (in a flashback, not mentioned by name)

Trivia

 * TBW...