| On Second Days | |
|---|---|
| |
| Story | |
| Series | |
| Setting |
Metru Nui
|
| Timeline | |
| Previous | |
| Next | |
A Short Story Written by 117Jaller an KotaFi. It is a Fourteenth Story in the Misplaced Alternate Universe.
Story[]
Chapter 1[]
Vhisola snapped awake to the loud, incessant rapping on her door. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, Vhisola stared blankly at her alarm clock. It ticked faintly, the hour hand stuck at two.
Vhisola almost jumped when she heard an even louder pounding on her door. "Hello? Vhisola? Are you there?" It was Nokama; she sat up, panicked. Nokama can't come to her house.
The Toa of Water looks around at all the carvings of Nocama. Oh, goodness was I stalklery, she thought as she looked around at all the cravings of Nokama in her home. I need to get those removed, she thought to herself.
The craving we mostly covered at this point from knickknacks of her adventures as a Toa and the great disk she had found before being chosen by Lhikan to become a Toa Metru.
She shot up as she said, "Sorry I forgot to wake up Nokama; DON'T come in. I'm… uh... Indecent." Vhisola made an excuse as she scanned her messy room, desperate to look for her bag.
She heard Nocama's Voice through the door saying, "Indecent? What do you mean by indecent?"
Nokama rolled her eyes, saying, "Oh, Just hurry up. You know how I feel about being punctual." Vhisola found her bag under her desk and flung it over her shoulder.
She walked toward the door, picked up her Dual-Sided Water Trident on her back, and creaked open her door to reveal her old friend Nokama standing there.
Vhisola Squeezed through a narrow opening her door made and closed it behind her while Nokama looked at her curiously.
"You know, Vhisola, I've never been in your home in all these years of knowing you. And every time I'm near it, you get worried. Are you hiding something from me?" So noted the Ga-Matoran looking up at her Toa of water friend. Vhisola forced a surprised look on her kanohi Komau, "What?.... Of course not, It's just ….messy."
Nokama rolled her eyes and said, "It's been 'Messy' ever since we started hanging out. Are you sure it is not something else you can tell me?" Nokama said very persuasively.
"Well..." Vhisola said, contemplating her answer, "there just is so much busywork being a Toa, and I don't have as much free time as I had before... you know, duty and all."
"Of course' Nokama said, not believing her friend for a second, "Anyways, when and where are we going?" Nokama smiled enigmatically.
Vhisola knew Nocama didn't fall for her lie but knew they should get going. "Well, right now, of course! I'll show you where I found the Great Kanoka disk from all those years ago! It's going to be so much fun!"
The two hurried off as they passed other Ga-matoran, enjoying the two bright suns lighting up the wonderful day ahead of them.
Vhisola and Nokama swam through the underwater hydro-chutes until they were near the great temple.
Nokama eyed Vhisola, who pointed deep below. Nokama looked intrigued as they both started to swim toward the surface. Then, they both resurfaced and stayed with their legs in the water.
They sat next to each other as they talked, looking like glistening liquid protodermis. "This is where you found the great disk?" Nokama asked, confused. "Yes, but it is the mouth of a giant fish, and when I pulled it out, it tried to eat me." There was a silence as Nokama processed this information then she started laughing.
Vhisola started to laugh as well, realizing she just said she almost was eaten like it was something normal. "No wonder no one found it until you. You're the only one crazy enough to swim into the jaws of a hungry fish."
Vhsola chuckled and said. "To be fair, I didn't know it was a fish when I first found it." Their laughter ended when Nokama looked at Vhisola and said, "I guess I never realized how crazy being a Toa could be."
The two sat quietly, enjoying the beautiful view of the protodermis sea.
Vhisola felt like she could have sat there forever, staring into the ever-shifting crystal-blue sea, at the orange, purple sky. She thought becoming a Toa would make her relationship with Nokama strained, but she feels closer than ever to her friend. The two sat there enjoying the day and each other's company.
After a while, Nokama suggested. "Let's go walk around on such a nice day." Vhisola Noded, "Yeah, I should do some rounds, you know, being a toa and all." They both chucked as they stood up and walked around. They walked through the street, meeting the eyes of Ga-Matoran, who looked up to her in reverence and awe. One of them ran up to her excitedly, a Ga-matoran Vhisola knew very well.
"Kotu?" she asked her excitable friend. "Hi! Vhisola! A-and Nokama!" Kotu said, bouncing with excitement. "Whoa, whoa, calm down; what is up with you?" Vhisola said. "Oh my goodness, Oh My Goodness, OHMYGOODNESS!!!" Kotu replied, failing to calm down. "I just passed! Yeeeeee! I Passed. I'm so excited," Kotu added breathlessly.
Nokama replied, looking slightly concerned, "Passed wha-." Kotu, positively bouncing with excitement, cut Nokama off. "I Passed the medical exam, silly! Oh, My life dream is finally -finally- within my newly gloved hands," Kotu said, cutting Nokama off. "Oh, that's great -no- amazing news Kotu; I know you've wanted this for years!"
Nokama added, smiling, "They've been losing out on so much talent; I just know you'll do great there!"
Kotu's face suddenly fell. "Oh, I just remembered, I have to get Jorgan fruits, a cake, oh just so many other things, for the party tomorrow and the store closes in half an hour!" she said urgently.
Vhisola looked slightly confused, "Party…? -Oh- you mean for the graduation!" she said with sudden realization. "Of course, it's a graduation party," Kotu scoffed, "oh, before I forget, here are your invitations," she said, handing them a stack of thin, yellow tablets. "Here have these extras so you can bring anyone else you want! Oh, no, I'm going to be late! ~You two better not miss it!" Kotu said before bolting off in the direction of the closest chute station.
As they headed for the chute station as well, the twin suns slowly drifting behind the city skyline, Nokama smiled, looking at the sunset. "Well, it's getting late, Vhisola, and I need to prepare for tomorrow's lecture," Nokama sighed before smiling warmly up at her toa friend. "Thank you, Vhisola, for hanging out together again; you really made my day today," Nokama said, reading to leave.
Vhisloa felt warm and fuzzy inside hearing Nokama say that. "Yeah, no problem, I'll see you tomorrow at the party!" The two hugged goodbye and went their separate ways leaving Vhisola with a feeling of joy as she walked home.
Vhisola felt tired and headed back to her home. Vhisola opened her door and put her Toa tool lying next to the door. She put her bag on the ground and sat on her bed. Vhisola lay in bed and closed her eyes, still brimming with excitement for the next day to come.
Vhisola woke again, the light of the twin suns and the melodic chirping of birds filtering through her window. "Another beautiful day," Vhisola yawned, getting up from her bed and looking at the indecent carvings on her wall. Vhisola sighed, thinking out loud, "I really need someone to get rid of those who I can trust." Vhisola opened the door and took a deep breath; the brisk morning air and warm light of the twin suns greeted her.
Peering out, she saw two other toa nearby. One of the figures was weaning a champion Huna, her Blue armor sharp but worn. She was conversing with a Brown and silver armored Toa who wore a champion Kakama, but she really knew it was a Mask of Emulation shaped in honor of a past hero, although she never asked who.
She grabbed her Toa tool and stepped out of her home, approaching the toa veteran Toa. "Good morning Naho, good morning Pouks," she said smiling. "Well, if it isn't the drastic Ga-matoran herself or should, I should I say Toa," Naho rolled her eyes, "Oh, Ignore him," Naho said, "What he means to say is that we hope you're having a nice day few days off."
"Yeah, it's been really nice and relaxing," Vhisola said, the warm memories filling her mind, "I was with Nokama yesterday, and now I'm going to my friend Kotu's Graduation Party today," Vhisola said with excitement in her voice. "You know I really want to meet the famous Nokama you always speak of." Pouks teased.
"I don't… always…talk about Nokama. Do I?" Vhisola stuttered.
Pouks began to chuckle as Naho punched his arm," It's fine. We love hearing about her. I hear she is a great teacher!" Naho satiated as Pouks grin grew wider.
"Well, my team was invited... So it should be interesting." Vhisola said, desperately trying to change the subject. "Ehrye should bring the party at least."
There was an awkward silence as Naho said." Well, don't party for too long; we have training in the morning tomorrow!"
Pouks eyed Naho and said, "Oh, don't ruin their fun. It's a party, after all, and Vhisola needs all the quality time with her Nokama."
Vhisola awkwardly stood there," Right… Well, I better get going. Uh...See you… uh.. later." Vhisola said, slowly backing away. Turning around, her mask was hot as she heard Pouks laughing; she really needed to get rid of those carvings. "They're on to me!" she said, whispering. "I need someone who's a carver, someone I can trust, someone like…like" she paused for a moment, and it came to her "Ahkmou, of course!"
Chapter 2[]
Next stop, Po-Metru border terminal, a robotic female voice announced throughout the chute cart. All around, matoran stared lazily at their tablets or out at the cityscape, all looking tired in the faint yellow light of the morning sun. Vishola sat slightly cramped in the chute cart, studying the chute map in front of her intently.
Po-Metru… Border Terminal… hmmm… Vhisola leaned forward closer to the map, her finger running along the crisscrossing chute lines. So… I'm here right now, she thought, tracing the complex web of the chute map. So… Just one more? Wait, no, two more stops to carver's plaza. Tapping the map twice in affirmation, she sat back down with a sigh. As Vhisola nervously fidgets in her seat, her ever-present worries crept in from the dark corners of her mind. Oh, how am I going to ask Ahkmou to remove those carvings? "Just ask," Vhisola whispered to herself. But as soon as that thought had floated away, another came to weigh Vhisola down further. W-What if he spills to Nokama on accident or even as a prank or–
Vhisola's line of thought was interrupted by the soft airplane tones that chimed weightlessly from the loudspeaker. Again the bored monotone voice announced the chute stop saying: Next stop Po-Metru… Carver's Plaza. For a moment, Vhisola slipped back into her worries without even a second thought to the announcement. Yet piercing through her concerns and though floated to her mind from the beyond. Right... carver's plaza… Wait! What? THIS STATION is carver's plaza?
Panicked, Vhisola snapped from her seat, her eyes darted through the endless torrent of matoran rushing into the chute car. Uhg! I can't find a way through, she thought, looking even more hurriedly, hoping for a path forward, yet alas, nothing. Frustrated, Vhisola let go of the rails and pushed her way through the crowd. Soon protests of "HEY!" and "Watch it!" echoed from the misplaced matoran. Vhisola apologized profusely to the matoran, but she had to press on.
Vhisola doubled her efforts and, inch by inch, made her way to the exit. Then the torrent in front of her thinned, but there was no time to celebrate for the Toa of Water as she heard the doors of the next chute car over close with a hiss. Seeing her last chance, she almost leaped towards the exit, the final few matoran trickling into the packed car.
Then disaster struck as Vhisola, in her enthusiasm, failed to see the stairs she was precariously balanced on. As she prepared to leap for the exit, she tripped and fell forward onto a (thankfully) empty seat recovering only in time to see the doors of the chute car snap close.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing pushing everyone around like that?!" A bewildered Po-matoran yelled from the ground. "Damn it, I've missed my stop, thanks to you."
"Sorry, sorry, Pokall," she said, quickly twisting around to pull Pokall up from his unfortunate state. However, as Vhisola reached out, the world around her seemed to melt; the train car was replaced by red desert ruins and rubble strewn across pot-holed boulevards. To her shock and horror, the po-matoran before her was now pierced through his heartlight, his worn and ragged uniform, scuffed, and leaking; Cold dead eyes looking up at her.
Vhisola tried looking around frantically for help, but no matter what she did, she couldn't move her head, couldn't look away at the poor matoran before her.
"WHOA! HEY!" Pokall said as he fell back onto the ground. Turning to the Toa, Pokall gave her a look of dead anger, saying, "WHAT The f-." Then, observing the horror on the Toa's face, pokall was taken aback. He the cautiously continued, "...Hey, are you okay?"
"Wh-what I-I thought I saw…."
"A Ghost; You look like you just saw a ghost."
"I-"
Vhisola tried to respond but was cut short by the light tone that echoed through the chute car as the blurred world beyond slowing revealed what seemed yet another large plaza crossed by busy Po-matoran. As the intercom blared 'Carver's Plaza.'
"What… but I thought -"
"You missed carver's plaza." Pokall interjected, "I assume you mean that."
"Then how?" Vhisola said with a puzzled expression
"You know Carver's Plaza has two stops, right? One north, One south? It is Po-metru central, after all."
Vhisola looked back at the map, and just as Pokall had said, there were, in fact, two stations for carver's plaza.
"Oh, Pokall, I'm so sorry." She said, her face flush with embarrassment
"Ah, don't mention it, all the water under the bridge," Pokall said before looking out. "But hey, if you don't hurry, you're going to miss this stop as well."
"Oh, Crap!" Vhisola said as she headed towards the doors, "Oh yeah, thanks for the reminder! And sorry again."
Stepping outside, Vhisola sighed in relief, taking in the warm light of the suns, but she just couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Her mind started to race with questions, so many questions bubbling to the surface. These, these visions, what do they mean, and I could have sworn there was one station for carver's plaza, but obviously, there's two.
"Maybe I'm just stress-crazy" Vhisola sighed.
A Vhisola neared the southern station, she picked up her pace, making extra sure not to knock over any more matoran. Scanning the horizon, she saw Ahkmou talking with two matoran. She knew the matoran as Hafu and Onewa. She knew they were the best carvers in Metru-Nui, but she barely knew them, so she could not trust them with the "sensitive" information.
Ahkmou, on the other hand, well, she had known him since the days they played Alikini as matoran. He was always mischievous in nature, but since Toa Lhikan announced that the matoran who found the Great Disks would become the next Toa Ahkmou had seemed very determined to change. Ever since becoming a Toa, Ahkmou has grown up alot and takes his duty seriously. She knew he would be the perfect carver for the job. All she had to do was to ask him.
She walked over, overhearing the end of a conversation; Ahmkou was bragging, "You think me being a Toa, I'd be too busy to help you guys carve, but here I am assisting the less fortunate!" Ahkmou teased. Hafu cracked a smile while Onewa scoffed.
Maybe he did not mature as much as she thought, Vhisola jokingly thought.
Hafu was the first to see her walking over and said, "Hey, Ahkmou, one of your Toa buddies is here for you!"
Ahkmou turned to face Vhisola and smirked, "Oh, Vhisola," he said. "Hey, what brings you to this part of town? You're a bit far from Ga-Metru, aren't you?"
Vhisola smirked back. "Oh, I was on my way somewhere, and I decided to drop by."
Vhisola looked at the two matoran and said, "Terrorizing you old co-workers, are ya?"
Onewa interrupted by stating, "Yes, yes, he is!'
Ahkmou smirked and said, "I'm just joking around while helping them carve."
Vhilsoa took this moment to segue the conversation, "Speaking of carving…." She paused and looked over at his two matoran companions and said, "Actually can we talk in private?"
Hafu looked up from his work, chucked, and said, "OOOOOOOOOoooo!"
Ahkmou shot him a dirty look before he turned back and said, "Sure, let's take a walk. I'll show you some of the beautiful sights of Po-Metru."
Vhisola followed Ahkmou, and they went walking into the distance. She turned to see Hafu whispering to Onewa. After Hafu said what he said, he burst out laughing as Onewa facepalmed.
She wondered why everyone was talking behind her back today.
As if he knew what she was thinking, Ahkmou turned to Vhisola and said, "Ah, don't mind Hafu, he can be a bit…. Immature."
"Well, if I remember correctly, you were just as immature as they were," Vhisola added.
Ahkmou sighed, "Yes, I was. But now I'm a Toa, and I have a duty to this city and its people, but that doesn't mean I still can't joke with friends."
"Onewa kinda seems like he's irritated by you. Are you sure he is your friend?" Vhisola added.
"Yeah, he and Hafu are the best carvers in Metru-Nui, and Onuwa is just in his zone right now. Anyway, why did you wanna chat with me?"
"Well, you know how I, apparently, always talk about Nokama?" Vhisola muttered sheepishly.
"Yes, yes, you do!" Ahkmou confidently said.
"Well.." Vhisola paused, looking around very nervously to see if anyone else was listening. "I.." she breathed heavily, then lowered her voice, "Have carvings of her all over my wall!" She said, covering her mouth in embarrassment!
Ahkmous holds back his laughter, "Umm... Why are you telling me this?"
A pinkish hue illuminates from under her mask as she takes her hand off her mouth, "I need you to get rid of it; she is starting to get suspicious!"
Ahkmou struggled to hide his laughter but eventually burst out with a loud "PFFFFFt Hahaha oh my goodness! It's just Ahahahaa!" This drew the attention of nearby Matoran, causing Vhisola to feel a bit annoyed. "AHKMOU!..Quiet, Others are looking."
Ahmou's laughter fades, "Im sorry, I didn't mean to."
"Whatever, you can get rid of it to make it up to me!" Vhisloa said with her arms crossed!
"Of course, you're my friend; that's what Toa do for each other. Unity and all that stuff." Ahkmou said.
Vhisola chuckled, "You always know what to say, don't you?"
Ahkmou blushed and scratched the back of his head, "Yah, I guess I do."
The two walked in a warm but awkward silence through the glimmering plaza. Vhisola glanced towards her Toa friend, remembering the times he would rope in half and herself to plan pranks and to dream up increasingly inventive ways to skip work. But now here he was, still the same fun-loving Akhmou at heart, but he seemed to have matured, becoming a Toa, even if it was just a little.
Vhisola was so deep in thought that she almost didn't notice a slight change in Ahkmou's armor - his hand was now black. Nevertheless, she couldn't help but wonder how it had happened. However, she quickly dismissed the thought, deciding that it was probably just a trick of the light or some other minor alteration that wasn't worth mentioning.
"Hey, are you coming to Kotu's party later?" Vhisola said, trying to break the silence.
Ahkmou perked up at the mention of the party, "Of course, that sounds like a blast!"
"Ehrye is going to be there, but I don't think any of the others will."
"Ehrye certainly is an odd Toa of Ice, not that I'm complaining, of course."
The two share a chuckle at the thought of a Toa of Ice having fun at a party.
"Do you know who's not fun at a party, though?" Ahkmou said, nudging Vhisola
"Oh, cut Nuhrii some slack; he's got big shoes to fill. He's training and studying hard every day sure, but he's doing it so to live up to Toa Norik and Turaga Lhikan."
"No, I meant Vakama, of course," Ahkmou said sarcastically, "but yeah, Nuhrii has just been so uptight it's hard to even talk to him casually, if at all. If it isn't about work, training, or a report, he just ignores you. So much for 'teamwork' I just missed the days when he was just more… loose."
"I guess... I do miss the old Nuhrii too, but he's just doing what he feels is has to."
"Yea... I guess being the last Toa of Fire and the Leader of a new generation can't be easy," Akhmou added. "And he kinda has an entire Metru to protect by himself, most of the time anyway. So... well … no time for parties."
Akhmou paused for a second, "Man, I don't know what I would do without Bomungus."
"What?" Vhisola looked at him, confused.
"What? I just like it better, alright?" Ahkmou said," Anyways, I was saying that Bomungus helped just guide me through the basics of being a toa, and I'd honestly be lost without him... and Nuhrii is by himself. I can't imagine how difficult it must be for him, even with Lhikahn looking over his shoulder on occasion."
"Yeah, I get that, Ahkmou," Vhisola nodded, "I have to say I kinda feel bad about Nuhrii."
"Hey, Vhisola, you know, we could help him do his rounds, keep him company, let him know we're with him all the way. And before you ask Vhisola, I will try to take this seriously." He said with a smirk though his Great Kanohi Rau showed that he was serious.
Vhisola replied, "I think that's a great idea, Ahkmou. When we have the chance, we should ask him." Vhisola paused before saying, "When did you get so mindful and mature?"
Ahkmou just chuckled and left it at that.
Characters[]
Toa[]
Matoran