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(Also on AO3)", "writing": " [i]‘That little fool… he’s going to ruin everything… he’ll be the death of us all…’[/i]\n\n Tahu spat out the sand that had gotten in his mouth as he sat up, rage boiling within his fiery red core. He picked up his sword, its pure hot energy melting the sand beneath him into ripples of sculpted glass. All Tahu could manage to do was wallow in his own anger as he cursed the situation he’d been put in. \n It was only a few short moments ago that he’d first arrived on Bara Magna, having evacuated with so many other Toa and Matoran from the Great Spirit Robot that the Makuta Teridax now possessed. And now, the Makuta and the Great Spirit Mata Nui himself were towering above the atmosphere in their unfathomably-massive robot bodies as their battle threatened to destroy the entire planet. And for all this time, to learn that all he’d ever known was merely a speck compared to these titans that the Great Beings had created… that alone was enough to make his head spin. It was enough to make him question his purpose in the grand scheme of things. \n He had never felt quite so small before. What was the point of it all? Were they all merely insignificant cogs in this giant robot? \n But to make matters worse, Tahu had also just lost nearly all of his power. His adaptive armor - gone. His Nuva strength - gone. The Kanohi Ignika, the Mask of Life, had forcibly taken it all away from him. And, supposedly, the purpose of having his powers taken away was all for the sake of wearing this legendary ‘golden armor’. As for what it would do once he wore it, he still had no idea. And why he had to have his Nuva power taken away to wear it, the mask never explained. It all seemed so ridiculous. But if this was to be his destiny, then Tahu accepted it. \n But what angered the Toa of fire the most was that he now had to go on a wild Gukko-chase to find all these pieces of armor after Makuta’s blast had inconveniently scattered them. And then, just to pour extra salt in the wound, one of the pieces had already been snatched up by a mere Matoran. And what was that [i]thing[/i] that had sent him flying? It was nearly as fast as Pohatu Nuva, yet it was like no creature he’d ever seen before. But whatever it was… whoever this Matoran was… Tahu vowed to himself that they would not get away with this. This was not just about saving Mata Nui anymore.\n No.\n For Tahu, this was personal now. Getting the golden armor and becoming stronger than ever before, to restore the power that had been forcefully taken from him… that was now his main priority. Tahu was so close to fulfilling his destiny now. He could feel it. And with the final hour at hand, he would let [i]no one[/i] get in his way. Tahu swore [i]he[/i] would be the one to save the day. \n Even if he had to abandon his sense of duty - to protect the Matoran - to achieve it.\n “Stole it… he stole it…” Tahu fumed between his teeth as he gripped his fire sword tighter, the glass arena he’d created coiling and shattering all around him as the blade became intensely white like a white sun.\n “He stole MY [b]DESTINY!”[/b]\n\n Breathtaking. That was the only word that Marcus could think of to describe this alien creature that floated so delicately in the air before him. These last several minutes had been nothing less than a living hell; but when he looked at her, he almost thought that the Toa actually [i]had[/i] killed him, and he was now in Heaven. That seemed to make far more sense, anyway. \n “Are you okay, little guy?” the feathered dragon asked as she leaned in closer to him. “Don’t be afraid, you’re safe now. He won’t be bothering you anymore.”\n Marcus swallowed, his mechanical mouth feeling like it was suddenly rusted shut. His brain seemed to slow to a halt, much like an overheating computer. The look in those golden eyes of hers was so tender and caring. Until now, the only other faces he’d seen were those of the deceased, and those that were [i]not[/i] already dead had nearly killed him. But this creature, this angel amongst demons, was the only light that shone through the darkness. And although he couldn’t explain why, deep within her brilliant golden eyes, Marcus felt - no, he [i]knew[/i] that she was his soulmate. And it wasn’t something as simple or naive as ‘love at first sight’. No. It was an indisputable [i]fact. [/i]\n She was his home. His purpose. \n [i]“Well go on, say something.”[/i] Delta gave Marcus a mental nudge to wake him up from his trance, well aware of the strong emotions that he was feeling in that moment. \n “I-I… in your eyes, I see my destiny,” Marcus awkwardly mumbled as he looked down, immediately terrified by the words that came out of his own mouth.\n [i]“Nice one,”[/i] snorted Delta amusedly in his head. \n “S-sorry?” the Latias tilted her head as her ear flicked, wondering if she’d misheard him.\n “I… I said…” Marcus felt short of breath as he tried to come up with something else. But instead, something deep within decided to double-down. He looked back up directly into his savior’s amber eyes, feeling like they could easily swallow him whole.\n “In your eyes, I see my destiny.”\n “O-oh, my. Very, um… [i]poetic,[/i] aren’t you?” she asked, unable to help but blush a little at his romantic words. \n Marcus opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the sound of hoarse coughing and sputtering from a short distance away. They both turned their heads to see a blue being lying in the sand that looked somewhat similar to a Toa, and yet noticeably different. More organic in appearance, with an open-faced helmet rather than a mask.\n “Please… you, over there… h-help… me…”\n However, standing just before him was a menacing spiky black and red creature wielding a razor-sharp sword and a black shield adorned with a red runic pattern. And steadily approaching behind him were dozens if not hundreds more more, all armed to the teeth with similar swords, shields, and other strange weapons with large spiked metal balls attached to them. Even their biceps appeared to have swords strapped onto them. \n “Glatorian no fight! All Glatorian am weak! All Glatorian are [i]die!”[/i] The brutish obsidian monster proclaimed before pointing his sword downward and thrusting it deep into the Glatorian’s armored chest, swiftly snuffing out his life before raising his dripping blade.\n “Skrall forever mighty! Skrall forever strong! We are Skrall!”\n [b][i]“WE ARE SKRALL!”[/i][/b] his soldiers roared in triumph, following their leader’s grisly example and remorselessly hacking away at any nearby bodies they could find, living or dead. Their leader then pointed his weapon at the two horrified onlookers.\n “Shiny armor, puny one. We take.”\n “Hop on. Now.” Marcus heard an urgent voice speak to him. But before he could even react, he suddenly felt himself being hoisted up onto his rescuer’s silky-soft back and lifted high into the air, far away from the encroaching threat of the barbaric ‘Skrall’. Several of them launched their spiked cannonballs at the two, but were thankfully far too heavy to reach them. \n A few moments passed for the two to catch their breaths, calming their shaken nerves from the brutality they’d just witnessed. Marcus held on tightly to the front of the jet dragon’s wings with his metal hands, hoping he wasn’t causing her any discomfort. She didn’t seem to be bothered. \n “That armor must be something special, huh?” she asked, breaking the silence as they gained altitude to avoid any stray shots from below..\n “Uh… yeah, apparently,” Marcus looked down at his chest, feeling as though the glimmer of its hue was almost mocking him. “It saved my life, but… I’m starting to think it might be cursed or something.”\n “Well, if it kept you alive long enough for us to meet, it can’t be [i]that[/i] cursed, right?” she replied, earning a slight smile from him. “Serendipity.”\n “...So can I ask… what your name is?” Marcus asked, wanting to know what to call his guardian angel. \n “It’s Latias,” she replied, gently tilting her body past a gust of wind. \n “Latias, huh…” he muttered, taking the moment to appreciate how it felt on his lips. “My name is Marcus. I-I don’t mean to offend, but… [i]what[/i] are you, exactly? I’m sort of… new around here. And you don’t look like anything else I’ve seen so far.”\n “Again, it’s Latias,” she repeated.\n “So your [i]name[/i] is Latias, and you [i]are[/i] a Latias?” Marcus asked, slightly confused.\n “Mhm. At least, that’s all I can tell you, because that’s all I can remember,” Latias replied.\n “You lost your memory too?” Marcus asked, stunned. “Same here… other than my name, my whole life is a complete blank.”\n “Hm, maybe that means we’re here for the same reason, then,” Latias replied, looking back at him with a smile. “You think?”\n “Maybe…” Marcus mumbled, now deep in thought as his mind was suddenly filled with endless questions. Perhaps it was destiny that had brought them together, after all. \n [i]“So, you [/i][b][i]like[/i][/b][i] her, huh?[/i]” asked a familiar voice in his head with a chuckle. [i]“Don’t even try to deny it, I can read your every thought. I don’t really see the appeal honestly, but she seems nice, so I won’t judge. The only one so far who hasn’t tried to kill us… yet. But seriously, we really gotta get you out of my body before things start to get [/i][b][i]serious[/i][/b][i] between you two.”[/i]\n [i]‘Oh, shut up,’[/i] Marcus thought scornfully, though he could tell that Delta was just teasing him. In truth, even he didn’t understand exactly why he felt so drawn to this ‘Latias’. It seemed naive and even downright foolish to fall in love so quickly, and without reason, but there was no other way to describe this undeniable feeling he felt the instant he saw her. Something deep inside Marcus’s core simply told him that she was his fate, and his heart didn’t need any other further explanation than that. \n As he looked down at the battlefield far below, everyone looked no larger than insignificant ants as the armies fought one another to the death. So much bloodshed, so much loss… what was even the point of all this? Power? Resources? Total genocide? For all the fighting he’d seen, it still wasn’t clear to him as to what this war was even [i]for.[/i]\n “I enjoy being high up like this with you, Latias.” Marcus held onto her wings a little tighter for comfort, enjoying the sensation of her silky feathers as he tried to distract himself from the suffering below. “All of life’s problems seem so much… smaller.”\n “They sure do,” Latias replied, looking down at them as well before turning her gaze up towards the sky. “Makes me wonder how [i]they[/i] see us.”\n Marcus remained silent as he looked up again at the two impossibly-large robots continuing their fight above the stratosphere as they blocked out the sun. Their size was so unbelievably immense that the titans seemed to be moving in slow-motion to them, as each of their punches took several minutes just to make contact against one another. And yet, each successful blow they made nearly shook the entire planet with a deafening boom, causing intense sandstorms on the ground below.\n “Wo-woah!” Latias yelped as she was nearly blown off-balance by the shockwave until she corrected herself. “Whatever this whole fight is about, I just hope it ends… and soon.”\n It was at those words that Marcus suddenly remembered something.\n “That Tahu character, the red one you saved me from… this armor was really important to him. He said that every moment wasted could lead to more casualties, and there were three pieces left.”\n “You’re not actually thinking about giving it to him, are you?” Latias asked.\n “Hell no, he tried to kill me!” Marcus shook his head. “But it just got me thinking… if this armor can somehow stop this war, then I think [i]we[/i] should try to find the other pieces. He said there were three left besides mine, and he had two already, so there must be six in total. And with you being able to fly, we’ve got a great height advantage over almost everyone else here, so they’ll hopefully be quick and easy to find. What do you think?”\n Latias was silent for a time as she thought over Marcus’s proposal. Part of her wanted to just fly far away from here and hope this battle resolved itself on its own, but… another part of her knew that if the wrong side won, or if the two giant robots did any more damage, then the entire planet could be completely destroyed. She didn’t want to partake in the fighting, but it seemed there was no other choice.\n “...Okay. I’m with you, Marcus. We quickly find these three other pieces, maybe find a way to snatch the other two away from that jerk, and then… we’ll have to see what happens, I guess. Oh, and we have to not die.”\n “...R-right. That,” Marcus exhaled anxiously, idly rubbing her soft feathers under his metal hand. “By the way, I still never thanked you for saving me from Tahu in the first place. So thank you for… all that.”\n “No biggie!” she replied cheerfully. “It was really no trouble at all, and if he ever comes back for you, he’ll have to go through [i]me.[/i] There’s nothing I hate more than a bully.”\n [i]‘I think I’d refer to it as ‘attempted murder’ more than ‘bullying’,’[/i] Marcus thought, remembering the murderous intent in the Toa’s eyes.\n [i]“I still don’t understand it, though,”[/i] said Delta from within Marcus’s inner mindscape. [i]“I’ve known Tahu for over a year - well, I didn’t really [/i][i][b]know[/b][/i][i] him, we never exactly chatted much - but he’s always been nothing but a hero to us. Sure, he’s a bit hot-headed, but he would never harm a Matoran, I’m sure of it. Something feels… off. So if you run into him again, try to figure out what’s going on with him. Please. I promise, he’s not a villain.”[/i]\n [i]‘Well…’ [/i]thought Marcus, [i]‘I’ll see what I can do. But if it comes down to it, I won’t back down from a fight. I’m not just going to let him sacrifice me to your god.’[/i]\n [i]“What’s a ‘god’?”[/i] Delta asked.\n [i]‘Your ‘Great Spirit’ that Tahu was talking about.’[/i]\n [i]“Oh, Mata Nui? He’s right up there.”[/i]\n Marcus’s eyes seemed to move on their own up towards the smaller of the two towering robots. \n [i]‘Okay, you’re gonna have to fill me in on everything you know about this whole situation we’re in. Preferably quickly.’[/i]\n [i]“I don’t know if there is a ‘quick’ version of this story, but here goes…”[/i] Delta said. In a matter of milliseconds, Marcus suddenly saw [i]hundreds[/i] of years through Delta’s memories on the island of Mata Nui as he immediately projected all of his collective experiences into Marcus’s thoughts at once.\n “AAH!” Marcus shouted in anguish at the psychic shock, his brain overwhelmed with information.\n “What?! What?!” Latias shouted back, fearful that Marcus might have somehow gotten badly hurt.\n “Uh, n-nothing. I’m fine,” Marcus replied, embarrassed that he’d startled her unintentionally. “Sorry.”\n \"Ugh, please don’t scare me like that!” Latias scowled, turning back around as she resumed scanning the ground for anything shiny and gold. \n [i]‘Don’t [/i][i][b]ever[/b][/i][i] fucking do that again,’[/i] thought Marcus angrily. \n [i]“Huh, I guess there [/i][i][b]was[/b][/i][i] a quick version. Sorry about that,”[/i] Delta casually replied. \n [i]‘So I guess you Matoran aren’t really children after all, huh?’[/i]\n [i]“That’s just what I can remember, most of us are actually almost a hundred-thousand years old. That’s what the Turaga told us, anyway. We lost our memories about a thousand years ago, when the Makuta put Mata Nui and all us Matoran to sleep.”[/i]\n [i]‘What is it with everyone losing their memories…’[/i] Marcus thought as he rolled his eyes. \n “Hey, look! Down there!” Latias derailed his train of thought as she pointed out a faint but distinct glimmer in the sand far below. “Think that’s another piece?”\n “Hm, I’m not sure, it’s hard to tell. Let’s go down quick and check it out, it looks like no one’s-”\n Before Marcus could finish, a brutish blue creature with a gigantic jaw and crooked oversized teeth approached the shiny circular object that appeared to be a shield, kneeling down and picking it up curiously.\n“...found it. Shit. We might be in for a fight, after all.”\n “Future Sight,” said Latias, her eyes suddenly glowing a pure ethereal white as she was in deep concentration. \n “Wha-” Marcus was about to speak before she shuddered with a harsh gasp, quickly coming back to reality. “What was that? Did you… see the future?”\n “Um… yeah. It’s one of my moves.” Latias replied, a bit shaken.\n “What did you see?”\n “J-just that… this is going to be a tough battle, and I don’t know how it’ll end. But I’ve done all I can do.” \n “Wait, what does that mean?” Marcus wondered with a gulp.\n “It means that… we can win this. And I believe we can end this entire war. Together.”\n Marcus would have blushed if this robotic form was capable of doing so as Latias turned back to face him, her large eyes just as golden as the armor he was wearing - if not more so. The way she looked at him made him feel brave enough to fight over ten-[i]thousand[/i] Rahkshi as his green eyes and heartlight began to glow vibrantly. \n “So do I. Alright Latias, let’s do this.” Marcus spoke with an aura of steadfast determination as he held firmly onto Latias’s wings and gently leaned forward, steering her gradually downwards towards their target. This natural sense of connection he shared with this Pokémon was the only thing that made any sense to him so far in this bizarre and strange new world. But he believed Latias’s words fully - together, with her by his side, he knew there was [i]nothing[/i] they couldn’t do. \n The two finally neared the menacing creature holding the armor piece, and as Marcus hopped off of Latias’s back he gulped at just how big the beast was. He was easily several feet taller than Tahu, and towered over Marcus at three times his own small Matoran size. His back was covered in razor-sharp spikes that trailed from his thick neck and broad shoulder blades all the way down his spine. Needless to say, the blue monster had looked much, [i]much[/i] smaller from high above. \n “H-Hey you!” Marcus actively tried to quell his trembling mouth as he addressed the hulking giant. His eyes couldn’t help but notice the large scythe-like weapon he was holding, still dripping with an ominous silver liquid. “Gold isn’t your color.”\n [i]“There is no Toa here. That is a Skakdi warlord. We are going to die,”[/i] Marcus heard a terrified Delta whisper coldly in his head. He chose to ignore it, but acknowledged that this enemy shouldn’t be underestimated for even a second. \n The Skakdi tilted his head, furrowing his brow a bit in befuddlement before suddenly leaning back and giving out a hearty and guttural laugh. His voice was like gravel in a blender as he bared his gnarly brick-sized teeth. \n “Oh? You want to fight me for it, wee little Matoran?! Bah! You’re not even worth squishing under my big toe!” He let out another chuckle before his face fell into an ugly grimace upon noticing the golden armor that Marcus wore on his chest. He gestured to it with his weapon. “That armor, though… now that changes things, doesn’t it?”\n Marcus and Latias gave each other a quick glance, bracing themselves for anything.\n “Tell you what, little Lava Rat,” the behemoth snarled with sadistic delight. “If you seriously think you have a chance of besting me, I will humor you for a moment or two. And once I get bored, I’ll be peeling that armor of yours off your limp, headless corpse. And as for your [i]pet,”[/i]\n Latias felt an icy chill up her spine as she watched the Skakdi’s eyes shift to her, licking the gaps between his teeth. He was visibly drooling. \n “I think she’ll make for quite the delicious lunch, don’t you agree? So much fatty [i]meat[/i] on those wings… I can practically taste them from here.”\n Marcus felt his blood boil at that comment, stepping forward and raising his trembling fists with a soul-piercing glare in his green eyes. His fingertips began to spark and crackle with a faint trace of green static.\n “I’ll make you regret ever saying that,” he huffed through his teeth, clenching his fists tightly. The mental image of Latias being devoured alive was enough to fill him with pure hatred for this heartless demon. This wasn’t just about getting that armor anymore.\nThis evil piece of shit had to die. \n “Oho, did I strike a nerve? Does the bite-sized Matoran feel like a big, brave Toa hero?! BWAA-HAHAHA!” The warlord tilted his head back, his confident laughter as loud and ferocious as a lion’s roar. \n “My name is [i]Marcus,[/i] and maybe I [i]am[/i] just a Matoran… but I’m the Matoran that’s going to fucking [i]kill[/i] you.”\n “Such brave words, little mini-Toa. But you will soon learn the hard way that words do not win battles, only [i]strength.[/i] I’m going to enjoy breaking your foolish spirit, and that frail little body of yours, piece by piece, just the same as so many Matoran I’ve crushed before you. First you, and then your scrumptious-looking Rahi.” He licked the dripping silver fluid on the blade of his scythe hungrily, tasting the spoils of his previous victory. \n\n “Now you, ‘Marcus’, will be the next to meet your pathetic death against the brutal might of NEKTANN!”", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "            ‘That little fool… he’s going to ruin everything… he’ll be the death of us all…’

            Tahu spat out the sand that had gotten in his mouth as he sat up, rage boiling within his fiery red core. He picked up his sword, its pure hot energy melting the sand beneath him into ripples of sculpted glass. All Tahu could manage to do was wallow in his own anger as he cursed the situation he’d been put in.
            It was only a few short moments ago that he’d first arrived on Bara Magna, having evacuated with so many other Toa and Matoran from the Great Spirit Robot that the Makuta Teridax now possessed. And now, the Makuta and the Great Spirit Mata Nui himself were towering above the atmosphere in their unfathomably-massive robot bodies as their battle threatened to destroy the entire planet. And for all this time, to learn that all he’d ever known was merely a speck compared to these titans that the Great Beings had created… that alone was enough to make his head spin. It was enough to make him question his purpose in the grand scheme of things.
            He had never felt quite so small before. What was the point of it all? Were they all merely insignificant cogs in this giant robot?
            But to make matters worse, Tahu had also just lost nearly all of his power. His adaptive armor - gone. His Nuva strength - gone. The Kanohi Ignika, the Mask of Life, had forcibly taken it all away from him. And, supposedly, the purpose of having his powers taken away was all for the sake of wearing this legendary ‘golden armor’. As for what it would do once he wore it, he still had no idea. And why he had to have his Nuva power taken away to wear it, the mask never explained. It all seemed so ridiculous. But if this was to be his destiny, then Tahu accepted it.
            But what angered the Toa of fire the most was that he now had to go on a wild Gukko-chase to find all these pieces of armor after Makuta’s blast had inconveniently scattered them. And then, just to pour extra salt in the wound, one of the pieces had already been snatched up by a mere Matoran. And what was that thing that had sent him flying? It was nearly as fast as Pohatu Nuva, yet it was like no creature he’d ever seen before. But whatever it was… whoever this Matoran was… Tahu vowed to himself that they would not get away with this. This was not just about saving Mata Nui anymore.
            No.
            For Tahu, this was personal now. Getting the golden armor and becoming stronger than ever before, to restore the power that had been forcefully taken from him… that was now his main priority. Tahu was so close to fulfilling his destiny now. He could feel it. And with the final hour at hand, he would let no one get in his way. Tahu swore he would be the one to save the day.
            Even if he had to abandon his sense of duty - to protect the Matoran - to achieve it.
            “Stole it… he stole it…” Tahu fumed between his teeth as he gripped his fire sword tighter, the glass arena he’d created coiling and shattering all around him as the blade became intensely white like a white sun.
            “He stole MY DESTINY!”

            Breathtaking. That was the only word that Marcus could think of to describe this alien creature that floated so delicately in the air before him. These last several minutes had been nothing less than a living hell; but when he looked at her, he almost thought that the Toa actually had killed him, and he was now in Heaven. That seemed to make far more sense, anyway.
            “Are you okay, little guy?” the feathered dragon asked as she leaned in closer to him. “Don’t be afraid, you’re safe now. He won’t be bothering you anymore.”
            Marcus swallowed, his mechanical mouth feeling like it was suddenly rusted shut. His brain seemed to slow to a halt, much like an overheating computer. The look in those golden eyes of hers was so tender and caring. Until now, the only other faces he’d seen were those of the deceased, and those that were not already dead had nearly killed him. But this creature, this angel amongst demons, was the only light that shone through the darkness. And although he couldn’t explain why, deep within her brilliant golden eyes, Marcus felt - no, he knew that she was his soulmate. And it wasn’t something as simple or naive as ‘love at first sight’. No. It was an indisputable fact.
            She was his home. His purpose.
            “Well go on, say something.” Delta gave Marcus a mental nudge to wake him up from his trance, well aware of the strong emotions that he was feeling in that moment.
            “I-I… in your eyes, I see my destiny,” Marcus awkwardly mumbled as he looked down, immediately terrified by the words that came out of his own mouth.
            “Nice one,” snorted Delta amusedly in his head.
            “S-sorry?” the Latias tilted her head as her ear flicked, wondering if she’d misheard him.
            “I… I said…” Marcus felt short of breath as he tried to come up with something else. But instead, something deep within decided to double-down. He looked back up directly into his savior’s amber eyes, feeling like they could easily swallow him whole.
            “In your eyes, I see my destiny.”
            “O-oh, my. Very, um… poetic, aren’t you?” she asked, unable to help but blush a little at his romantic words.
            Marcus opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the sound of hoarse coughing and sputtering from a short distance away. They both turned their heads to see a blue being lying in the sand that looked somewhat similar to a Toa, and yet noticeably different. More organic in appearance, with an open-faced helmet rather than a mask.
            “Please… you, over there… h-help… me…”
            However, standing just before him was a menacing spiky black and red creature wielding a razor-sharp sword and a black shield adorned with a red runic pattern. And steadily approaching behind him were dozens if not hundreds more more, all armed to the teeth with similar swords, shields, and other strange weapons with large spiked metal balls attached to them. Even their biceps appeared to have swords strapped onto them.
            “Glatorian no fight! All Glatorian am weak! All Glatorian are die!” The brutish obsidian monster proclaimed before pointing his sword downward and thrusting it deep into the Glatorian’s armored chest, swiftly snuffing out his life before raising his dripping blade.
            “Skrall forever mighty! Skrall forever strong! We are Skrall!”
            “WE ARE SKRALL!” his soldiers roared in triumph, following their leader’s grisly example and remorselessly hacking away at any nearby bodies they could find, living or dead. Their leader then pointed his weapon at the two horrified onlookers.
            “Shiny armor, puny one. We take.”
            “Hop on. Now.” Marcus heard an urgent voice speak to him. But before he could even react, he suddenly felt himself being hoisted up onto his rescuer’s silky-soft back and lifted high into the air, far away from the encroaching threat of the barbaric ‘Skrall’. Several of them launched their spiked cannonballs at the two, but were thankfully far too heavy to reach them.
            A few moments passed for the two to catch their breaths, calming their shaken nerves from the brutality they’d just witnessed. Marcus held on tightly to the front of the jet dragon’s wings with his metal hands, hoping he wasn’t causing her any discomfort. She didn’t seem to be bothered.
            “That armor must be something special, huh?” she asked, breaking the silence as they gained altitude to avoid any stray shots from below..
            “Uh… yeah, apparently,” Marcus looked down at his chest, feeling as though the glimmer of its hue was almost mocking him. “It saved my life, but… I’m starting to think it might be cursed or something.”
            “Well, if it kept you alive long enough for us to meet, it can’t be that cursed, right?” she replied, earning a slight smile from him. “Serendipity.”
            “...So can I ask… what your name is?” Marcus asked, wanting to know what to call his guardian angel.
            “It’s Latias,” she replied, gently tilting her body past a gust of wind.
            “Latias, huh…” he muttered, taking the moment to appreciate how it felt on his lips. “My name is Marcus. I-I don’t mean to offend, but… what are you, exactly? I’m sort of… new around here. And you don’t look like anything else I’ve seen so far.”
            “Again, it’s Latias,” she repeated.
            “So your name is Latias, and you are a Latias?” Marcus asked, slightly confused.
            “Mhm. At least, that’s all I can tell you, because that’s all I can remember,” Latias replied.
            “You lost your memory too?” Marcus asked, stunned. “Same here… other than my name, my whole life is a complete blank.”
            “Hm, maybe that means we’re here for the same reason, then,” Latias replied, looking back at him with a smile. “You think?”
            “Maybe…” Marcus mumbled, now deep in thought as his mind was suddenly filled with endless questions. Perhaps it was destiny that had brought them together, after all.
            “So, you like her, huh?” asked a familiar voice in his head with a chuckle. “Don’t even try to deny it, I can read your every thought. I don’t really see the appeal honestly, but she seems nice, so I won’t judge. The only one so far who hasn’t tried to kill us… yet. But seriously, we really gotta get you out of my body before things start to get serious between you two.”
            ‘Oh, shut up,’ Marcus thought scornfully, though he could tell that Delta was just teasing him. In truth, even he didn’t understand exactly why he felt so drawn to this ‘Latias’. It seemed naive and even downright foolish to fall in love so quickly, and without reason, but there was no other way to describe this undeniable feeling he felt the instant he saw her. Something deep inside Marcus’s core simply told him that she was his fate, and his heart didn’t need any other further explanation than that.
            As he looked down at the battlefield far below, everyone looked no larger than insignificant ants as the armies fought one another to the death. So much bloodshed, so much loss… what was even the point of all this? Power? Resources? Total genocide? For all the fighting he’d seen, it still wasn’t clear to him as to what this war was even for.
            “I enjoy being high up like this with you, Latias.” Marcus held onto her wings a little tighter for comfort, enjoying the sensation of her silky feathers as he tried to distract himself from the suffering below. “All of life’s problems seem so much… smaller.”
            “They sure do,” Latias replied, looking down at them as well before turning her gaze up towards the sky. “Makes me wonder how they see us.”
            Marcus remained silent as he looked up again at the two impossibly-large robots continuing their fight above the stratosphere as they blocked out the sun. Their size was so unbelievably immense that the titans seemed to be moving in slow-motion to them, as each of their punches took several minutes just to make contact against one another. And yet, each successful blow they made nearly shook the entire planet with a deafening boom, causing intense sandstorms on the ground below.
            “Wo-woah!” Latias yelped as she was nearly blown off-balance by the shockwave until she corrected herself. “Whatever this whole fight is about, I just hope it ends… and soon.”
            It was at those words that Marcus suddenly remembered something.
            “That Tahu character, the red one you saved me from… this armor was really important to him. He said that every moment wasted could lead to more casualties, and there were three pieces left.”
                        “You’re not actually thinking about giving it to him, are you?” Latias asked.
            “Hell no, he tried to kill me!” Marcus shook his head. “But it just got me thinking… if this armor can somehow stop this war, then I think we should try to find the other pieces. He said there were three left besides mine, and he had two already, so there must be six in total. And with you being able to fly, we’ve got a great height advantage over almost everyone else here, so they’ll hopefully be quick and easy to find. What do you think?”
            Latias was silent for a time as she thought over Marcus’s proposal. Part of her wanted to just fly far away from here and hope this battle resolved itself on its own, but… another part of her knew that if the wrong side won, or if the two giant robots did any more damage, then the entire planet could be completely destroyed. She didn’t want to partake in the fighting, but it seemed there was no other choice.
            “...Okay. I’m with you, Marcus. We quickly find these three other pieces, maybe find a way to snatch the other two away from that jerk, and then… we’ll have to see what happens, I guess. Oh, and we have to not die.”
            “...R-right. That,” Marcus exhaled anxiously, idly rubbing her soft feathers under his metal hand. “By the way, I still never thanked you for saving me from Tahu in the first place. So thank you for… all that.”
            “No biggie!” she replied cheerfully. “It was really no trouble at all, and if he ever comes back for you, he’ll have to go through me. There’s nothing I hate more than a bully.”
            ‘I think I’d refer to it as ‘attempted murder’ more than ‘bullying’,’ Marcus thought, remembering the murderous intent in the Toa’s eyes.
            “I still don’t understand it, though,” said Delta from within Marcus’s inner mindscape. “I’ve known Tahu for over a year - well, I didn’t really know him, we never exactly chatted much - but he’s always been nothing but a hero to us. Sure, he’s a bit hot-headed, but he would never harm a Matoran, I’m sure of it. Something feels… off. So if you run into him again, try to figure out what’s going on with him. Please. I promise, he’s not a villain.”
            ‘Well…’ thought Marcus, ‘I’ll see what I can do. But if it comes down to it, I won’t back down from a fight. I’m not just going to let him sacrifice me to your god.’
            “What’s a ‘god’?” Delta asked.
            ‘Your ‘Great Spirit’ that Tahu was talking about.’
            “Oh, Mata Nui? He’s right up there.”
            Marcus’s eyes seemed to move on their own up towards the smaller of the two towering robots.
            ‘Okay, you’re gonna have to fill me in on everything you know about this whole situation we’re in. Preferably quickly.’
            “I don’t know if there is a ‘quick’ version of this story, but here goes…” Delta said. In a matter of milliseconds, Marcus suddenly saw hundreds of years through Delta’s memories on the island of Mata Nui as he immediately projected all of his collective experiences into Marcus’s thoughts at once.
            “AAH!” Marcus shouted in anguish at the psychic shock, his brain overwhelmed with information.
            “What?! What?!” Latias shouted back, fearful that Marcus might have somehow gotten badly hurt.
            “Uh, n-nothing. I’m fine,” Marcus replied, embarrassed that he’d startled her unintentionally. “Sorry.”
            "Ugh, please don’t scare me like that!” Latias scowled, turning back around as she resumed scanning the ground for anything shiny and gold.
            ‘Don’t ever fucking do that again,’ thought Marcus angrily.
            “Huh, I guess there was a quick version. Sorry about that,” Delta casually replied.
            ‘So I guess you Matoran aren’t really children after all, huh?’
            “That’s just what I can remember, most of us are actually almost a hundred-thousand years old. That’s what the Turaga told us, anyway. We lost our memories about a thousand years ago, when the Makuta put Mata Nui and all us Matoran to sleep.”
            ‘What is it with everyone losing their memories…’ Marcus thought as he rolled his eyes.
            “Hey, look! Down there!” Latias derailed his train of thought as she pointed out a faint but distinct glimmer in the sand far below. “Think that’s another piece?”
            “Hm, I’m not sure, it’s hard to tell. Let’s go down quick and check it out, it looks like no one’s-”
            Before Marcus could finish, a brutish blue creature with a gigantic jaw and crooked oversized teeth approached the shiny circular object that appeared to be a shield, kneeling down and picking it up curiously.
“...found it. Shit. We might be in for a fight, after all.”
            “Future Sight,” said Latias, her eyes suddenly glowing a pure ethereal white as she was in deep concentration.
            “Wha-” Marcus was about to speak before she shuddered with a harsh gasp, quickly coming back to reality. “What was that? Did you… see the future?”
            “Um… yeah. It’s one of my moves.” Latias replied, a bit shaken.
            “What did you see?”
            “J-just that… this is going to be a tough battle, and I don’t know how it’ll end. But I’ve done all I can do.”
            “Wait, what does that mean?” Marcus wondered with a gulp.
            “It means that… we can win this. And I believe we can end this entire war. Together.”
            Marcus would have blushed if this robotic form was capable of doing so as Latias turned back to face him, her large eyes just as golden as the armor he was wearing - if not more so. The way she looked at him made him feel brave enough to fight over ten-thousand Rahkshi as his green eyes and heartlight began to glow vibrantly.
            “So do I. Alright Latias, let’s do this.” Marcus spoke with an aura of steadfast determination as he held firmly onto Latias’s wings and gently leaned forward, steering her gradually downwards towards their target. This natural sense of connection he shared with this Pokémon was the only thing that made any sense to him so far in this bizarre and strange new world. But he believed Latias’s words fully - together, with her by his side, he knew there was nothing they couldn’t do.
            The two finally neared the menacing creature holding the armor piece, and as Marcus hopped off of Latias’s back he gulped at just how big the beast was. He was easily several feet taller than Tahu, and towered over Marcus at three times his own small Matoran size. His back was covered in razor-sharp spikes that trailed from his thick neck and broad shoulder blades all the way down his spine. Needless to say, the blue monster had looked much, much smaller from high above.
            “H-Hey you!” Marcus actively tried to quell his trembling mouth as he addressed the hulking giant. His eyes couldn’t help but notice the large scythe-like weapon he was holding, still dripping with an ominous silver liquid. “Gold isn’t your color.”
            “There is no Toa here. That is a Skakdi warlord. We are going to die,” Marcus heard a terrified Delta whisper coldly in his head. He chose to ignore it, but acknowledged that this enemy shouldn’t be underestimated for even a second.
            The Skakdi tilted his head, furrowing his brow a bit in befuddlement before suddenly leaning back and giving out a hearty and guttural laugh. His voice was like gravel in a blender as he bared his gnarly brick-sized teeth.
            “Oh? You want to fight me for it, wee little Matoran?! Bah! You’re not even worth squishing under my big toe!” He let out another chuckle before his face fell into an ugly grimace upon noticing the golden armor that Marcus wore on his chest. He gestured to it with his weapon. “That armor, though… now that changes things, doesn’t it?”
            Marcus and Latias gave each other a quick glance, bracing themselves for anything.
            “Tell you what, little Lava Rat,” the behemoth snarled with sadistic delight. “If you seriously think you have a chance of besting me, I will humor you for a moment or two. And once I get bored, I’ll be peeling that armor of yours off your limp, headless corpse. And as for your pet,”
            Latias felt an icy chill up her spine as she watched the Skakdi’s eyes shift to her, licking the gaps between his teeth. He was visibly drooling.
            “I think she’ll make for quite the delicious lunch, don’t you agree? So much fatty meat on those wings… I can practically taste them from here.”
            Marcus felt his blood boil at that comment, stepping forward and raising his trembling fists with a soul-piercing glare in his green eyes. His fingertips began to spark and crackle with a faint trace of green static.
            “I’ll make you regret ever saying that,” he huffed through his teeth, clenching his fists tightly. The mental image of Latias being devoured alive was enough to fill him with pure hatred for this heartless demon. This wasn’t just about getting that armor anymore.
This evil piece of shit had to die.
            “Oho, did I strike a nerve? Does the bite-sized Matoran feel like a big, brave Toa hero?! BWAA-HAHAHA!” The warlord tilted his head back, his confident laughter as loud and ferocious as a lion’s roar.
            “My name is Marcus, and maybe I am just a Matoran… but I’m the Matoran that’s going to fucking kill you.”
            “Such brave words, little mini-Toa. But you will soon learn the hard way that words do not win battles, only strength. I’m going to enjoy breaking your foolish spirit, and that frail little body of yours, piece by piece, just the same as so many Matoran I’ve crushed before you. First you, and then your scrumptious-looking Rahi.” He licked the dripping silver fluid on the blade of his scythe hungrily, tasting the spoils of his previous victory.

            “Now you, ‘Marcus’, will be the next to meet your pathetic death against the brutal might of NEKTANN!”", "pools_count": 1, "title": "(FANFIC) Destiny Delta - Road 1: The Cosmic Catalyst - Chapter 2: I Choose You", "deleted": "f", "public": "t", "mimetype": "image/png", "pagecount": "1", "rating_id": "2", "rating_name": "Adult", "ratings": [ { "content_tag_id": "5", "name": "Strong Violence", "description": "Strong violence, blood, serious injury or death", "rating_id": "2" } ], "submission_type_id": "12", "type_name": "Writing - Document", "guest_block": "f", "friends_only": "f", "comments_count": "0", "views": "108" }