I received a message from Tahu via our new Rahi courier system—Teridax, it seems, pays little attention to the wildlife of his universe. The Toa Nuva of Fire reports that Rahkshi have overrun the island of Odina, but the Dark Hunters had already relocated to Xia. Teridax could, of course, destroy them at any time, but it seems like he wants the challenge of sending his armies against them.

That may buy us a little more time.

Takanuva, Toa of Light

X X X

Mazeka stood on a ridge. Down below, he could see the remains of a dead village. He recognized it as having once been home to a small group of Matoran, those whose element was gravity, making the village a Ba-Koro. It looked like it had been overrun some time ago, but there were no sign of any Matoran corpses. Perhaps the villagers escaped into the hills, he thought, or maybe they were just captured.

"Your universe is very…turbulent," said Makuta Teridax. The white-armored warrior stood beside Mazeka. He came from an alternate universe in which the Makuta had never rebelled, but had instead stayed loyal to the Great Beings and helped save a world. He had come to this universe with Mazeka to try and free it from the control of his evil counterpart.

"That's one word for it," replied Mazeka. "It's hard to remember a time in my life when I wasn't fighting. I've been lucky. I'm still alive. Not sure that can be said about the Matoran who lived down there."

"If they died, maybe it was a mercy," said Teridax. "Maybe they are better off not seeing what their universe has come to."

"Now you sound like our Teridax," said Mazeka. "I guess you two aren't as far apart as I'd like to think."

Teridax shook his head. "A turn to the left instead of the right, a wound received or avoided, rising from slumber an hour too early or too late…these are the little things lifetimes hinge on, Mazeka. Your Teridax took a step on a path that circumstances allowed me to avoid. If circumstances had been different, who knows?"

"Meaning that if you took control of this universe instead of him…?"

"I might be just as wicked," Teridax answered. "It is always a possibility."

Around them, the winds rose. In a moment, they had gone from a gentle breeze to a screaming maelstrom, so powerful it knocked Mazeka off his feet and sent him tumbling toward the edge of the ridge. Teridax fought to stay focused, ignoring the storm as he used his power to keep Mazeka from falling. But the ground erupted beneath his feet, shattering his concentration. Mazeka fell down the slope, followed swiftly by Teridax.

They landed among the ruins. Mazeka's impact shattered the long-dead corpse of a Visorak into fine black powder. Teridax hit hard, but rolled with the fall and was back on his feet in an instant. Now that he looked around, he could see other bodies of Visorak spiders scattered here and there. The villagers who had lived here had gone down fighting.

Then a voice came from the mouths of the dead Visorak all around. Teridax recognized it as his own voice, but touched with madness and evil. "I see you have brought company, Mazeka…and such compelling company it is."

"It's Makuta," Mazeka said. "He's found us."

"Yes, I never noticed your entry, I must admit," Makuta said through the mouths of the dead spiders. "But did you really think a pale and weak version of myself could stop me now?"

"Weak?" challenged the white-armored Teridax. "Stronger, I say, for I resisted the temptations you could not."

"Indeed. Then let us see just what you are capable of 'resisting.'"

The air crackled with ozone, and then before Mazeka and Teridax's eyes, three figures appeared. Each resembled Takanuva, the legendary Toa of Light, but their armor was jet black and shadow energy swirled about their hands.

"I have been a poor host, brother," said the voice of Makuta. "Allow my new friends to welcome you properly to my universe."

X X X

Helryx avoided Tuyet's slashing attack and landed a sidekick in her mid-section. The corrupt Toa of Water staggered backwards, only narrowly avoiding being accidentally struck by Brutaka. The battle had begun only moments before, but already the chamber in which they fought was in shambles.

The issue over which they fought was deadly serious. Helryx, Makuta Miserix, and Axonn had decided that Teridax's control of the universe had to be ended, even if that meant destroying the universe itself. Tuyet, Brutaka and a possessed Lewa Nuva believed there was still hope of driving Makuta out without killing millions of Matoran in the process.

Miserix thought he would have the easiest opponent. He could sense that Lewa Nuva was not himself, but was under the control of another. Whoever that was, they had no access to the Toa's air power. That would make him ripe for defeat.

Unfortunately, Lewa's body was now home to Tren Krom, an ancient entity with enormous mental powers. Miserix's first solid blow knocked Lewa to the ground. The fallen "Toa" responded with a mental shock blast that came close to turning Miserix's brain to ash. Still, Miserix had been through alot in the past millennia—imprisonment, torture, humiliation—and no mind power was going to be enough to stop him. He gathered Lewa up in his claw and slammed his foe against the wall, once, twice, three times.

Axonn's heart wasn't in this fight. He had only recently rediscovered Brutaka and regained their old friendship. He couldn't believe they were already at each other's throats again. And he wasn't certain that Brutaka was wrong—maybe Helryx's plans were too extreme. Maybe duty lay in protecting the Matoran until the very last moment. For the moment, though, he had to concentrate on protecting himself. One good hit from Brutaka would take his head off.

Helryx had not wavered in her determination, but she also knew that this battle was sure to draw Makuta Teridax's attention. Her chance to act could disappear at any moment. She had to use the nova blast now, before anyone could stop her.

Tuyet could guess what was about to happen. She slammed an elbow into Axonn even as Brutaka struck at him. Taking advantage of the moment, she wrestled the warrior's axe from him. With a yell, she vaulted into the air and smashed Miserix with the axe. With a roar of pain, the reptilian Makuta fell backwards, right towards Helryx.

The mad Toa hit the ground and turned to watch the end of her handiwork. But to her surprise, just as Miserix was about to crush Helryx, the ancient female warrior vanished. The Makuta landed in a heap, but was barely slowed by his wound and already seeking out his attacker.

Tuyet never got a chance to defend herself. Helryx was suddenly behind her, teleported by Miserix, and was now catching Tuyet in a headlock. "Time to say goodbye," said Helryx. "We'll all go down together, and the universe will be better for it."

The world began to blur in front of Tuyet's eyes. At first, she thought that Helryx must be strangling the life from her. But then she realized that everyone was looking toward the chamber's entrance, where space itself seemed to be warping. The next instant, a massive figure stepped out of the distortion and stood before them.

"You…imbeciles," the figure said, in a voice both old and young at the same time. "You ignorant Stone Apes…is this how you try to save existence?"

No one in the room had ever seen the newcomer before. But there were some who knew his voice, and all felt a chill of fear at the sound of it. Only Helryx had the presence of mind to give their visitor a name, and even she spoke it in a whisper.

"Artakha."

X X X

Raanu, elder of the mega-city, looked at Mata Nui as if his guest had just transformed into a Sand Bat. "Ridiculous. Insane. Impossible!" he said, his voice rising. "How could you even ask such a thing!?"

Well, you couldn't expect an enthusiastic 'yes,' Mata Nui said to himself. You're not just asking a lot of these people…you're asking everything of them.

Mata Nui had shortly returned from his journey to the Black Spike Mountains, battered and weary, and carrying a small metal box. Ackar, Kiina and Gresh shifted uncomfortably behind their friend. Mata Nui had explained what he needed and why, but even to them it sounded bizarre, if not mad. He said the box contained the energy needed to power the giant robot unknowingly created by the Agori…a robot now serving as their main source of shelter. It still laid in its sprawled out position across the Great Barren. But their faith in their friend outweighed their doubts. If Mata Nui said he had to do this, then they would help in any way they could.

Raanu looked at the three Glatorian in disbelief. "You stand with him. Don't tell me you support this…this…this lunacy?"

"We know how it sounds, believe me," answered Ackar. "Still, Mata Nui has earned the right to be heard, hasn't he? Without him, we would all be slaves to the Skrall."

"I don't expect you to just take my word, Raanu," said Mata Nui. "Let me show you what I'm talking about. Please."

Raanu wanted to snap, "No!" and throw these maniacs out of his chamber. If Mata Nui was telling the truth, he didn't really want to know it, because the consequences to the Agori could be catastrophic. Yet if there were facts he was refusing to face, where would his honor be then? Ackar was right: they all owed Mata Nui more than they could repay.

"Very well," the elder said. "We'll go now. But I make no promises."

"I don't ask for any," Mata Nui assured him.

Less than an hour later, they were standing on the slope of a peak, looking down upon the city. Not long ago, the tribes of Bara Magna had lived in individual villages, built around massive metallic structures that dated from ancient times. After the war with the Skrall, it became obvious that the best way for the Agori to defend themselves from future threats would be to unite their villages into one giant city. With enormous effort, they dragged the huge structures across the desert and linked them together.

Mata Nui, Gresh, Berix, Kiina and Ackar were standing at this very spot when the pieces came together. In shock, they saw that the shelters when assembled formed not just a city, but a body—a gigantic robot body. Mata Nui couldn't help but see the resemblance between it and the body that had once been his.

Raanu had heard all the rumors about what the city looked like, most of them coming from Berix. He had been too busy setting up a new government for the Agori and arranging defenses against Bone Hunters and Vorox to worry about it. Now that he saw it, he couldn't deny what it appeared to be. "Interesting," Raanu said, as he looked down at his city. "Perhaps it was something the Great Beings built—or tried to—ages ago. But what of it?"

"You're right. They did create it," Mata Nui replied. Even having seen it before, the image of the robot body stretched out across the sand still shook him. "But something went wrong. It exploded, raining parts all over the desert. And they stayed scattered until the Agori brought them together again."

"You haven't answered my question," Raanu said. "So it's a failed experiment. It's also our home and our only protection against our enemies. What does it have to do with you?"

Mata Nui pointed down at the city. "I guess you could say it's my…ancestor. I once had a body much like that, before I came here. And if I am going to get it back again, I need to…borrow…that one."

Raanu glared at Mata Nui, his eyes as hard as shards of volcanic rock. "We're done here," he said. Without another word, he began the trek back down the mountain.

X X X

That night, Mata Nui sat around a fire with Ackar and Gresh. The mood was somber.

"Are you sure you have to do this?" asked Gresh. "There's no other way?"

Mata Nui never took his eyes from the flames. "I have told you bits and pieces about my story, but now is the time for you to hear my story in greater detail."

Around the fire, the others all nodded in turn.

Mata Nui took a deep breath, then began his narrative. "Long ago, the world of Spherus Magna was a prosperous and serene place. But the discovery of a powerful energy source at the core of the planet turned its people against one another in the Core War. Warriors fought for different sides, until the stresses of battle nearly tore the planet apart in the Shattering.

"Wise but fallible Great Beings constructed a giant robot. But the power source was unstable, and an explosion scattered parts of the metal giant across the face of the planet. One hundred thousand years ago, I began. Learning from their mistakes, the Great Beings desperately constructed a new, larger robot. This machine was infused with an intelligence and mission to learn about the universe, and thus I awoke as the intellect of a giant robot. Smaller beings called Matoran were placed inside me to maintain the inner workings. My earliest memories are of being activated on Spherus Magna. I was built to bring order back to my world and its people, but I lost my way. With your help, as well as the Agori's, I have one final chance to fulfill my duty and my destiny.

"Safety measures in the form of six Toa warriors were put into place, just in case of unforeseen disaster. Little did anyone realize how vital these six beings would be in saving countless lives. As my personal protectors, they were named the Toa Mata—spirit heroes.

"My construction was completed just in time. As I left my home planet, the inner substance, which I and my people call energized protodermis, leaked from the world's core and triggered a massive explosion that flung two huge chunks into orbit. These became the jungle moon and the ocean world. As you know, the desert world that remained was renamed Bara Magna by the survivors.

"I spent most of my existence exploring other worlds, measuring and analyzing the dance of stars and planets. After a time, I took the beings inside my metal body for granted, ignoring them and their constant squabbles to focus on the outside universe. This neglect would cost me—and my small workers—endless misery and pain. Inside my body, workers maintained machinery and repaired the damage and fatigue caused over tens of thousands of years. Most, like the Toa and Matoran, were content with their roles. But the Makuta dreamed of glory and power. My inattention gave them numerous opportunities to scheme and plot.

"Finally, my journey drew to its close a millennia ago. As I traveled back to the planet of my construction to fulfill my final destiny, one ambitious Makuta attacked. Teridax crashed my systems and sent my robotic body plummeting into the ocean moon, creating an event the inhabitants experienced as the Great Cataclysm. There, I slept for a thousand years. Automatic systems camouflaged my face, one of the only parts of my body above the waterline. A fake volcano was created, along with lush jungles, ice mountains, deep lakes, deserts and caverns. Toa brought Matoran workers to this island paradise and then transformed into Turaga leaders to guide the Matoran. These Turaga gave names to structures such as the Mangai Volcano, Lakes Pala and Kanae, and the Motara desert. The Matoran made their temporary homes there. Memories of being inside a robotic universe were erased from all but the Turaga.

"One year ago, the Matoran and Turaga returned to the universe. But Makuta Teridax had yet more plans. Not content with putting me to sleep, he schemed to eliminate his fellow Makuta and take over my massive robotic body. The sacrifice of brave Toa Matoro brought my body to life, but Teridax stole my robot form before my consciousness awoke. I was flung out of my own body, imprisoned in the Mask of Life."

Mata Nui took a short pause, catching his breath and letting his story sink into his closest friends. After a moment of watching the fire again, Mata Nui continued, "This is where you all come in. After being exiled from my own body, I found myself on the largest chunk of Spherus Magna, Bara Magna. Using the Mask of Life, I created a new, smaller body for myself, and learned more about duty and friendship than I had in all the thousands of years of being a Great Spirit. Along this journey, I have discovered several clues of how I might free my people, who remain enslaved by Makuta inside my old body.

"Spherus Magna's past could be my future. Only two things stand in the way of freeing my people: finding a way of fixing and powering the old robot, and getting permission to use it. I have a feeling neither will be an easy task. I followed an Agori villager named Tarduk far into the north, farther than even you all journeyed with me, my friends. I found more evidence of the Great Beings, and, more importantly, a massively energetic object that could power up the Bara Magna robot. It's ancient and unstable, but it's also my only chance to redeem my people's suffering. Now for the hard part: convincing the other Glatorian and Agori to allow me to use their new mega-village, made from the failed robot that exploded eons ago. After all they have suffered, the last thing I want to do is take away their newfound security. But I must ask—the fate of my people rests on their answer, and I also suspect your own well-being depends on this broken-down robot shell."

Mata Nui stopped there. Even if he'd had more to say, he would have waited for a response, but he didn't—that was his story. Now, it was up to his listeners.

Kiina slumped lower. "Wow…" she said quietly.

"That's quite the story," Ackar agreed.

"I've told you about my universe and my people—how I failed them, how my enemy, Makuta, seized control of it," Mata Nui said. "But there's one thing I left out."

"What do you mean?" asked Ackar. He had never heard this tone in Mata Nui's voice before. It worried him.

"One universe won't be enough for him," warned Mata Nui. "Makuta is hungry. He's waited tens of thousands of years for the power he has now, and now that he has it…" His voice trailed off. "I need your machine to save Bara Magna from a terrible fate."

"We thought the Skrall couldn't be beaten," Ackar reminded him. "You showed us different. Whatever force this Makuta commands—however big his army—he can't be invulnerable."

Mata Nui abruptly rose and stalked off from the fire. "You don't understand! The power at his fingertips…it's the power I used to wield. I know what it can do. He could crush us all under an armored heel and never notice, or sweep the entire city away with a gesture." He turned back to Ackar, a fierce intensity in his eyes. "Makuta could destroy this planet, before any of us could raise a sword against him. Believe me."

Gresh's eyes widened. He looked at Mata Nui as if he had never seen him before. "You mean you…?"

Mata Nui nodded. His voice dropped to a whisper. "Yes, Gresh. Before I came to Bara Magna, I could do all that and more."

"And did you?" asked Ackar.

"No," replied Mata Nui. "That wasn't why I was created."

The only sound then was the crackling of the fire. After a few moments, Ackar walked up to Mata Nui and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey. You believed in me when I didn't believe in myself. Anything I can do, just say the word." Ackar turned to Gresh. "How about you, kid?"

Gresh looked Mata Nui right in the eyes. "I've fought for the people here. All the Glatorian have, and long before you ever got here, Mata Nui. We thought you were one of us, or at least something close."

"Gresh!" Ackar snapped.

"It's all right," interrupted Mata Nui, raising a hand to his mentor and close friend. "Let him have his say."

"I'll have my say, alright," continued Gresh, his voice rising in pitch. "Now you tell us you were some kind of—I don't know what—with more power in one finger than every warrior on this world put together. And you say you want the city—that robot body—why? So you can have that power again? We didn't overthrow the Skrall so some armored giant could rule over us."

"That's enough!" chided Ackar.

Mata Nui took his sword and offered it, hilt first, to Gresh. When he spoke, there was no anger in his voice, but an almost frightening calm. "I'm not here to rule anyone. I'm trying to save your people and mine. But if you can't believe that, my friend, then take my weapon and lock me in a cell. I won't fight you."

Gresh hesitated.

"Take it," Mata Nui repeated.

Again, Gresh made no move to do so.

Mata Nui finally put the sword back in its sheath. "Then help me," he said to Gresh. "Or else get out of my way."