Tides of Chaos

The second installment of the Redemption Saga.

Tides of Chaos
Jaaryn closed his eyes.

The swarm, angered, rushed towards him. His infections spread as his whole body warped. His mask, drained of color, was cracked and wrecked. He braced himself for the worst.

It never came.

Slowly, he opened his eyes.

A green Toa, disfigured but not on his level, had lifted him onto a rock. Her mask and body were unfamiliar, but her face he knew all too well.

“You!” he screamed angrily, and launched himself at her. She couldn’t dodge in time, and his sword struck her armor. It shattered.

Jaaryn looked at the now-useless piece of metal he was holding and tossed it aside. Grabbing a launcher that was resting on the ground, he fired it twice. Two balls of superheated plasma flew out and struck the Toa. She stumbled, but caught herself and looked up at him.

“What’s wrong, Jaaryn?” asked Toa Aru. “Don’t you want to see your old friend again?”

The last boat docked, and Matoro and several Matoran got off. The island was uninhabited, save for a few Rahi, and would be a good place to hide until he could find a permanent home for the Matoran.

Not for the first time, he thought of Jaaryn. The fire Toa had given up his life to give Matoro and the Matoran a chance to live. Matoro had once done something similar, but the death of his friend still hurt nonetheless.

Not for the first time, Jaaryn thought of Matoro. He had shaken Aru and was hiding in the former Resistance headquarters. It was the one place the Makutoids hadn’t found yet.

A sound made him jump. Jaaryn lifted his launcher and turned. It was only a Ta-Matoran, orange and crimson, wearing a Miru and carrying a rusted blade. Jaaryn knew the face but couldn’t place the name. He decided to be cautious. “State your business.”

“Jaaryn?” asked the Matoran in awe. “Is it really you? They left me behind!”

Jaaryn recognized the Matoran now. He was Ardros, the leader of the Ta-Matoran faction of the Resistance. Jaaryn decided to help him. “Come on. I’m trying to escape, too.”

The odd pair made their way through the catacombs under Agra Nui. Jaaryn led, with Ardros following close behind. They eventually emerged in the chamber from which Matoro had launched the boats. One boat was left. But there was someone standing in it.

“I knew you’d come,” said Aru quietly.

Jaaryn gave an inhuman scream of rage and ran towards her, firing his launcher. A burst of water neutralized the projectiles. But a loud splash distracted them both.

Ardros had fallen in the launch pool.

Before their startled eyes, he began to change. He grew taller. The fingers on one hand elongated into claws. His blade became a crisp, sharp sword.

He was a Toa.

He strode calmly out of the water, up to Jaaryn and Aru. He slashed his sword. And Aru screamed and fell backwards into the water.

Watching her dissolve, Jaaryn felt like laughing.

The new Toa of Fire looked at the old. “We should get out of here.”

Jaaryn, now stunned by his old enemy’s death, could only nod.

Epilogue

Matoro stared at the horizon. He had decided to stay on the new island. He called it Ratag Nui.

Now, a boat sailed closer. It had no one in it, but when it washed ashore, he had a blue youth named Bedura check it out. Inside were some provisions and weapons that had clearly come from Agra Nui, a broken sword, and this note:

We come.

Characters
Jaaryn

Ardros

Matoro

Aru

Bedura (Mentioned)

Makutoids