Deep beneath the island's surface, where no hint of light had ever penetrated, lay the lair of Makuta. Only his glowing red eyes and the shadowy outline of his hulking form were visible as he stalked around his lair.

"The earth shudders, my brother," he rumbled, speaking to the enormous mask on one wall of the chamber, a carved image of the face of the Great Spirit, Mata Nui. "The Seventh Toa has begun its approach." He sighed. "So," was the only word in a long breath. "Again the prophecies of the Matoran oppose my will. I set the Rahi against them…I unleashed the Bohrok swarms…but still they refused to break."

Makuta paced restlessly, clutching a stone tablet in one hand. The Toa were about to interfere with his plans. And this time, he intended to defeat them once and for all. He paused beside three massive carved stone pillars. The pictographs on them showed the masks of those who served Makuta's brother, the Great Spirit, Mata Nui. Makuta touched a pillar lightly.

"Has it come to this?" he mused. "Must I release those who should never see the light of day?" Makuta plunged his hand into his chest. When he pulled it out, it clutched three writhing, spiked snake-like creatures. The Kraata.

"l must strike the very foundation of the Matoran soul," Makuta hissed. "Now their unity will be poisoned."

He slapped one of the Kraata onto the first pillar. A beam of dark energy burst from the pillar as chunks of stone crumbled and crashed to the floor. Gradually, a dark, terrifying figure appeared from the rubble: a Rahkshi. The Rahkshi's body quivered with energy. Dark eyes burned behind in its ghastly pointed face, eyes filled with ruthless determination.

Makuta smiled grimly. Welcome, Lerahk, the Poison-Rahkshi, he thought. Your staff full of deadly poison will sicken anything it contacts. I trust you will quickly foul the Matoran's Purity.

He moved on to the next pillar. "Their duty will be broken," he murmured as he slapped on another Kraata. As the Kraata burrowed its way into the creature at the heart of the pillar, a long, sinewy blue leg burst out of the stone. With a burst of dark energy, the pillar collapsed, revealing a second Rahkshi. Its eyes glowed. Its limbs twitched with energy.

The Disintegrator-Rahkshi, Guurahk, Makuta thought with pride. Your disintegrator staff will destroy the homes of the Matoran, destroying their hope for Creation.

Makuta stepped over to the third column. "And their destiny," he whispered in anticipation, "l must shatter." He slapped a third Kraata onto the column. With a deafening roar, the column shattered. A brown Rahkshi burst through the stone.

Panrahk, the Fragmenter-Rahkshi, Makuta thought. The destructive arc of your dark energy will eradicate the Matoran's Faith.

Next to these Rahkshi, the Toa were naught but pitiful products of protodermis. Makuta stepped back from his creations as a door split open at one end of the chamber. "Go, my sons, my Rahkshi!" Makuta told them. "Use the shadows." He glanced at the mask of Mata Nui with grim resolve burning in his eyes. "And keep my brother asleep."

X X X

"Toa Pohatu has left for the north," Turaga Vakama told Takua, as he, Takua, Jaller, and Hahli walked together to the Ta-Koro gate. "He spreads word of your search."

Takua found that to be both encouraging and exciting. "Oh, thanks! I'll take all the help I can—uh…uh, give to Jaller!" he said quickly. He went on, trying to fix his mistake. "You know, for his quest…the one that's his, that is."

Hahli walked up behind Jaller and cleared her throat. "Look, don't get mushy, Jaller," she said. "We don't have time for a long goodbye."

Jaller faced Hahli, gathering his courage to say what he wanted before leaving on his quest, glancing over at Vakama occasionally. "I was just going to say, well…" Jaller took a deep breath. "You owe me a rematch on the Kolhii field."

Hahli's eyes softened. "Well then, you'd better hurry back," she said. "'Cause I'll be practicing." She touched him on the arm, then turned and walked away.

Jaller watched her go. How long would it be until he saw her again? Would he see her again? Trying not to think about that, he turned back to Takua, seeing him on his crab's hard-backed shell. "You're bringing Pewku?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Are you kidding?" Takua replied, smiling and patting the back of the creature. "I couldn't leave her behind if I wanted to." Pewku chirped happily and shifted, ready to go on the move. Jaller took a seat on her next to Takua.

"The shadows of the Makuta are powerful," Turaga Vakama warned before they could leave. "Do not take your journey lightly. It will tolerate none of your foolery."

"Um…how will we know where to start?" Takua asked Vakama.

"Trust in the mask," he replied. "Let it be your guide."

Jaller pulled the Mask of Light out of his bag, holding it up. As he turned it in one particular direction, it suddenly began to glow brightly. "Hard to argue with that," Jaller said.

Takua tapped Pewku's shell and the Ussal galloped off. As they rode away, Takua could be heard whooping Pewku on, and Jaller complaining, "Move over!"

Turaga Vakama's voice floated after them. "Remember your duty!" he called. "And walk in the light!" Watching them go, he added to himself, "Safely in the light." Behind the two Ta-Matoran, the Ta-Koro bridge lowered back into the lava as they rode away from the village.

Vakama turned back to join Hahli off to the side. "Do not forget your training, Hahli. The Sacred Fire reveals that Kolhii is not all that destiny has in store for you, and there is yet a role that you have to play, in a much grander game. As the Sacred Fire burns, so do all things expected come to pass, and some things we did not see. But know this in comfort—you have earned your place on the Wall of History, Champion. You will always be honored in Ta-Koro."

Hahli couldn't help a large smile from creeping onto her face. Such a compliment from Vakama was a high honor. "Thank you, Turaga Vakama," she said with a bow.

Hahli returned to the calm-again northern square of Ta-Koro. There she met Macku, finding her partner idly knocking a Kolhii ball against a wall over and over. "Now that you're the best, it's boring?" Hahli's voice rang to her.

Macku turned to her, letting the Kolhii ball roll by her. "No, of course not. I really like Kolhii. It gives me something to do with Hewkii—I'm just better now than I was before. Are you going back to Ga-Koro?"

Hahli sighed, then nodded. "Yes. It's been a big adventure with you, Macku, but it's time for us to go home. Jaller and Takua are on the search for the Seventh Toa—we should be with our people."

"Alright," Macku agreed, picking up her things nearby.

The two walked through the square toward the road they had taken just the previous morning to reach the fire village. Hahli deviated off-course in the square. "Just one more minute," she asked Macku. "I'll be right there."

Macku nodded; Hahli was heading for her friends' homes one more time. When she got there, it was odd to see the Wall of History abandoned—the last time she had seen it, Takua had been working hard at inscribing away at it. Now, his Chronicler's staff lay alone on the ground next to some tablets. Reflecting in the famous place, she left for Jaller's hut next. There, she felt a bit strange again with it deserted. She looked around at Jaller's spears and discs and maps from his many years of defending Ta-Koro. Saying a quiet goodbye to Jaller's hut, and a silent prayer to Mata Nui that he would be safe on his quest, she then left the dwelling to return to Macku.

The Ga-Matoran silently watched Hahli approach her. The two nodded in mutual agreement that it was time to return home, and then left to do so.

X X X

Aodhan looked up from his cart of igneous rock, the result of his workday as a lava farmer, once the Kolhii tournament had finished. His red-armored hand wiped some collected soot off of his yellow Kanohi Mahiki; the ash's color was the same dark grey as his torso, arms, and legs. His close friend, Tiribomba, wheeled a cart over to him from where he had been working down the lava river. He looked very similar to Aodhan—his armor bore the same three colors, though the colors of his mask and of his hands and feet were reversed. His Kanohi Ruru was red, and his hands and feet were yellow.

"Did you hear?" Aodhan asked, as he leaned against the cart to take a break, crossing his ankles and arching his back. "Takua and Jaller have left to search for a Seventh Toa!"

Tiribomba stretched his arms up high, getting rid of the stiffness in his muscles he had gained from working. Then he leaned against his cart, too, facing his friend. "Yes…but Turaga Vakama is very worried," Tiribomba replied. "He says that the object is sure to bring about the Makuta again…and you know what that means."

Aodhan frowned, turning away to look out at the slopes of the Mangai Volcano. He knew what Tiribomba was talking about. If Vakama was right, and Makuta were to come back and make an effort against the Matoran, the Era of Peace would be over. Just like the Dark Time and the Bohrok Invasion, there would be much more fear, sadness, and loss.

Aodhan pressed his lips together and squinted his eyes in thought. "Makuta, Rahi, Bohrok and Bohrok-Kal…I wish there was some place we could get away from all this danger—some place all Matoran could be safe."

Tiribomba agreed, though something in Aodhan's description reminded him of an old Matoran legend, one that had been passed down for years, dating back to the early years of the Dark Time—as far as he could remember. Then he brightened, pushing himself off of his cart. "Wait…there is such a place! Remember the stories?"

Aodhan gave his friend a look as if to say, 'Which ones?'

Tiribomba clarified, "The Great Artakha Refuge! The land no shadow can enter! The land where good Matoran go! Surely, if we find it, we can lead the Matoran there!"

Aodhan shook his head, unwilling to believe. He pushed himself off his cart to face his friend. "Oh, come on…that's just a story. Only a real Kolhii-head would believe that there is such a place. Astronomers and scholars know this island and its surrounding ocean too well."

"Not all of Mata Nui is known. We've been here for centuries, and the Mask of Light was just found!" Tiribomba countered. Aodhan had to think about that. While he did, his friend went on, "And the ocean? What if the Refuge is somewhere underwater—but we could still breathe…somehow…" Tiribomba noticed Aodhan's look. "Well, I don't know!" he said with a shrug, exasperated. "All I'm saying is that its not impossible. What if it's true? And what if we could find it? We could save our people, and be heroes, just like Captain Jaller!"

"I still think it's crazy," Aodhan said. "But, I don't want to keep fighting, either. I suppose we could ask Turaga Vakama about it. He's the one who first told us about the Artakha Refuge, but maybe it's time to ask him a bit more seriously."

"No, the Turaga would just tell us we were being foolish," Tiribomba said, turning away. "I think we should start looking right away!"

Aodhan's mouth dropped open. "Have you lost your Kanohi? We can't just go searching for a dubious legend with no direction! If you're confident enough to convince me to go, but not brave enough to pitch the idea to Vakama, I'm not going! That isn't fair."

Tiribomba looked sheepishly at his good friend. He had a very good point—he just didn't like being looked down on. "You're right," he conceded. "Let's go talk to Vakama and see what we're getting ourselves into."

Aodhan began walking back up the path from the lava site to Ta-Koro. "You mean what you're getting me into…" he muttered.

X X X

Hahli and Macku's return to Ga-Koro was met with great praise. They separated to retire, back at their own homes, with promises to spend more time together in the future. Macku handed the Charms to Hahli, telling her she was the real hero of the match. Her teammate accepted them graciously, at her friend's request.

On her way to her house from the town square, she passed Amaya, who welcomed her back warmly with a hug. Shasa, Marka, Kai, Okoth, and Kotu were all familiar faces as well. They all seemed themselves and gave Hahli the praise she was used to hearing. But when Nixie raced past her, roughly bumping into her, she was extracted from her concentration.

"Woah, Nixie!" Hahli exclaimed, rubbing her shoulder. "What's the rush?"

Nixie turned around, wildly waving her hands as she explained. "Oh, sorry, Hahli. I've just been away from my work for too long! Seeing you play in Ta-Koro was great, but I'm just so frustrated by this puzzle, I gotta keep working on it!"

"I see," Hahli said. Somehow she didn't see suggesting a break as successful—Nixie had just had one. "Maybe explaining it to someone would help. I don't understand your formula, but telling it to a fresh set of receptors might help."

Nixie calmed halfway down. "Alright…but come with me. I'd still like to get back there."

Hahli concealed a sigh as she moved to join Nixie on the walk to her laboratory. She adjusted her bag of items and slung her Kolhii stick over her shoulder using a strap she had made for it. As they walked, she tried to listen in at first, but quickly got lost and started only hearing half of what Nixie was saying.

"…two brothers—Mata Nui and Makuta," Nixie rambled on and on, "…three virtues…six principles…subtract one for the Chronicler, divide by the number of Toa…" she groaned as the two neared her lab. "Ugh! It's just not working! It should!"

Hahli's mind, meanwhile, wandered back to Jaller on his Search for the Seventh— Seven Toa, she thought, stopping dead in her tracks. "Nixie," she said simply, turning to the astrologer. "Did you hear about the Ta-Koro Captain and Chronicler after the Championship?"

"No. Why?"

"Jaller discovered a Mask of Light before the game," Hahli explained, now the one who was talking faster and more excited, happy to understand something. "The Turaga say it belongs to a Seventh Toa hidden somewhere on Mata Nui!"

Nixie didn't even reply, but instead turned toward her hut and raced toward it. The door was only halfway open when she bulldozed through, tripping over herself in an effort to find her equipment and recalculate. Hahli walked in as she heard Nixie saying, "Seven Toa would change everything!" Hahli continued to wait until Nixie visibly finished, plopping into a chair, mentally exhausted. "Wow! I can't believe that worked. It actually gave us a readable answer."

"Your answer is a place?" Hahli asked. "Is it Kini-Nui?"

"No, no," Nixie said with a wave of her hand. "Nothing so predictable. It's a Ga-Matoran coordinate: G9."

"That's within reach," Hahli commented. "I'm going to check it out. After having one adventure, I need another one!"

"I'm coming, too!" Nixie called, following Hahli out of the lab. She paused and looked back for a moment when she realized she had left the door unlocked, then shook her head and continued after Hahli.

Hahli was running down to the docks again, relieved to find Pelagia there. By the time Nixie got there, Hahli had already (as politely as she could) accepted congratulations for the Championship and asked Pelagia to run the ferry to the coordinate G9. When she asked for Nixie's fare, Nixie harshly told her that this was "for science", at which point she decided one extra rider wouldn't be a huge expense. Hahli paid the fee, and soon the boat was at the desired spot in Naho Bay.

Diving underwater, Hahli searched for anything out of the ordinary until she saw a structure. The lightstone lighting the entrance had given it away, but it was still concealed to the point that she would never have found it if she weren't looking for it. Entering, she saw a doorway and a small circular keyhole with an inscription above it. Still underwater, she swam up to read it. It read: 'All are one or none.' Hahli thought about it, her lungs just now becoming uncomfortable, yet still bearable. She thought more about it, remembering the Ga-Matoran Virtue of Unity. She removed the Charm of Unity from her satchel, and fitted it into the keyhole, causing the doorway to open.

Hahli retrieved the Charm before passing through. Two more doors followed, with two more riddles. The first, 'From Unity derived', referred to the Principle of Purity—Hahli answered it by inserting the Charm of Purity. The second 'From clear waters granted', was answered with the Charm of Speed. The second door opened into a large, dimly-lit temple. Thankfully, this portion was no longer underwater, either. An inscription on the ceiling read 'Temple of Purity.'

Around the room, there were four Matoran head carvings spouting water, but ironically, two of the waterfalls were disgustingly murky. An inspection of one revealed a valve on it. Experimenting, Hahli turned it, but instead of turning off the water, like she expected, it became more clean. However, it also polluted another stream. With time and patience, trial and error showed that by turning the valves in a specific group orientation, all four of the waterfalls spouted clean water.

Once they all did, a rumble shook the temple as a narrow walkway rose through the crystal-clear water, leading to the center of the pool. Hahli walked to its end, finding a glowing object lying in the center of a dais. She picked it up for a better look, but still couldn't tell exactly what it was. It wasn't shaped like a lightstone, yet gave off a light blue hue in its glow. She decided she should consult Nixie on her discovery—she had been down here for some time, already. Still considering the object, she returned to the surface.

As expected, Nixie was relieved to see Hahli; she helped pull her back into Pelagia's boat. "I was worried about you!" she said. "Did anything happen? What did you find?"

Hahli pulled out her acquisition. "I found this crystal, inside a place called the Temple of Purity." She handed the object over, then asked, "Any idea what it is or what it means? It was hidden pretty well."

Nixie took the item and examined it as Pelagia steered the ferry back to the Ga-Koro shore. "This is the Crystal of Purity," she said, with mystery detectable in her tone. "New Ga-Matoran legend speaks of it, though they're more like rumors than long-lived legend. It can't have existed longer than when the Principles were conceived—Nokama must have made it and stored it down there. The information on it is vague, though. It is supposedly significant to the fate of Mata Nui."

"Your formula was right, though," Hahli said, as the boat crested another wave. "Coordinate G9—the only way to get that number is if you were to use a seventh Toa."

"Yes…" Nixie murmured. "Perhaps…Vakama is right, and there is such a hero."

"If there is a Crystal of Purity, how likely is it that there are crystals representing the other villages' principles, too?" Hahli theorized.

Nixie shrugged. "I don't know a lot about that Crystal—we should ask Nokama about it. I'd say it's probable, though."

"Yes, but she's still in Ta-Koro after the discovery of the Mask of Light," Hahli said. "You stay here—I'll go back and ask her about it."

Pelagia brought the boat next to a pier and began tying it off. Nixie and Hahli climbed back ashore and walked to the village. They parted ways there—Nixie going back to her home and Hahli setting out once again for the village of fire.