"Yes, I know the legends of the Great Refuge," Vakama said to Tiribomba. Off to the side, Aodhan was listening. "But they may be just that…legends—even I do not know for certain. Still, if you are determined to search, you should begin at the lava falls. Perhaps the resting place of the Mask of Light contains a clue, for it is an important artifact that has just come to our awareness. But beware—beyond the walls of the village, Mata Nui may soon become a dangerous place once again."
"Thank you. We'll be careful," Tiribomba assured the fire elder. He went back to his friend and the two left for the site of the Avohkii's discovery. Aodhan had heard a description from Takua between the mask's reveal at the Kolhii game and his departure with Jaller to search for the Seventh Toa. Now, he and Tiribomba arrived at the site, only to search for about an hour, seeing nothing out of the ordinary.
"There's nothing here!" Aodhan exclaimed, looking around the area. "I told you this was a waste of time…"
"No, there has to be a clue here somewhere!" his friend encouraged. "Keep looking!"
A rumble knocked both Matoran from their feet. "What's that noise?" asked Aodhan, worried.
Tiribomba pointed down the river. "Another lava flood! Run!"
"But which way?" Aodhan yelled. The two were standing on the shore of the lava bank, close enough to be touched by the lava when it swelled through. They could run back up the bank, or run toward the lava falls, hoping they wouldn't lose their balance on the rocks protruding from the lavafall. Neither choice looked optimistic.
Then Aodhan saw a small cave—almost too small to be called a cave. It was elevated, and would protect them from the lava, but they would have to crouch and squeeze through in order to make it. "There!" he yelled, running off, with Tiribomba behind him. The two ran up the path toward the inconspicuous opening, quickly crawling through to escape the heat and lava. Luckily, the opening's interior was larger than the exterior appeared, so they weren't too pressed. In fact, the cave opened beyond, stretching as a path.
Tiribomba bent over onto his knees, catching his breath. "Whew! That was close!"
"Hey, look at this!" Aodhan said, walking over to a carving in a corner of adjacent rocks. "Every Matoran knows that place—it's Kini-Nui."
"What's that carving doing here?"
"Not sure," Aodhan puzzled. "But it is an important place…maybe we should check it out?"
"Sure, but how?" Tiribomba asked.
Before Aodhan could answer, the temperature dropped much colder than either had expected, and without reason. "Matoran…" a voice echoed from every corner of the cave.
"Who's that?" Tiribomba called. "Where are you?"
The voice rumbled through the darkness, seeming to change position every second. "I am Makuta. I am shadow."
Aodhan moaned quietly to his friend, "Oh, I knew this was a bad idea!"
"You will never find the Refuge you seek," Makuta told the two Matoran. "There can be no escape from my power or my sight. Return to your Koro…while you still can."
"No! We're not afraid of you!" Tiribomba called, with more courage than Aodhan thought he had.
"We're not?" he asked quietly.
"Turn back, and do not set foot on Kini-Nui," Makuta commanded. "You cannot hide from the eyes of Makuta."
"We're sure going to try! Let's go!" Tiribomba called defiantly. He grabbed his friend and dashed further into the cavern tunnel.
X X X
At the Ta-Koro gate, Hahli amicably greeted the guard, whom she recognized as Nuhrii—one of Jaller's soldiers in grey and red armor wearing a grey Kanohi Kaukau, like her. She found Nokama near the village Suva, in consultation with Vakama over the implications of the Avohkii's appearance.
"Hahli, I thought you returned to Ga-Koro," Nokama said, surprised, though there were still Po-Matoran and a few Ga-Matoran staying in Ta-Koro for fun. "What brings you to me?"
Hahli undid the lash on her bag and pulled out the Crystal of Purity, showing it to Nokama. "Do you know what this is? Nixie told me it was the Crystal of Purity."
"Nixie is correct," Nokama assured her. "And as such, it appears as though you are already on your way to beginning a new journey, just as Jaller and Takua have begun theirs."
"You know what this is for, then?" Hahli repeated.
"No. I do not know what this object is, only its name and appearance—the Crystal of Purity," Nokama answered. "It appeared without warning in my home not long after the Principles were conceived, along with a mysterious note. The note's origins are unknown to me, but it instructed me to keep the crystal in a place after its name. I took it to an old Ga-Matoran pumping facility, abandoned during one of the village's many relocations over the centuries. There, I renamed the place the Temple of Purity."
Nokama pointed to the crystal Hahli carried. "I do not know what it is for, only that it would not have appeared without reason, much like the sudden arrival of the Kanohi Nuva, and Nuva symbols, Mata Nui has been sending us dire equipment at the proper time—I believe this is no different." Hahli nodded as she stowed the Crystal of Purity back away. Nokama continued, "Hahli, with Jaller and Takua on their quest, I ask of you: gather the remaining crystals, for they certainly exist, even if little has been heard of them among the Matoran."
"And when I finish…?" Hahli asked.
"When you finish, you will know," Nokama answered. "For now, inquire of my brother where he has placed his crystal."
Hahli did so, learning from Vakama that the Temple of Courage was not near Ta-Koro, but rather, it was down on the Ta-Wahi beach, not far from the famous Eastern Telescope. Following his directions, Hahli jogged quickly along the path leading to the eastern shore. The green path put her out on the sand bar, where she did see the telescope, a Matoran head built into some of the rocks there, and a carving of a Toa head that looked fairly new, based on the cracks and surface. Walking up the steps to it, Hahli confirmed that there was a doorway with more riddles on it, to which she was sure she would have the keys.
'Pride of Guards' referred to the Charm of Duty, 'Conquers Fear' took the Charm of Courage, and 'Might of heart and limb' referred to the Charm of Strength. After she unlocked the final door, Hahli entered a chamber filled with a pool of lava and a walkway leading to the center of the room. There, the Crystal of Courage lay in waiting.
Hahli retrieved it and began walking back to Ta-Koro, stopping when she glanced toward the Eastern Telescope. There was another small mound next to it, like a Suva, but smaller. A stroll over to it showed that it had indentations in six of its sides, also like a Suva. Instead of holding Kanohi, though, the niches were smaller and less artistic, completely spherical in shape. Acting on a hunch, Hahli pulled out the Crystal of Purity and tried to insert it into the pocket, but it fell out.
That was weird. Hahli knelt closer to examine the geometry and size of the hole and double-checked that she was right. The hole was the right size for the Crystal of Purity, and its backward slant should have just let the ball fall in and stay there. She tried again, just to see it pushed out again, as if by some magnetic force. Happening to glance up in thought, she noticed a symbol above the slot. It was a pyramid made from small stacked circles—three on the bottom, two on those, and then one on top.
The symbol of Prosperity, Hahli realized, putting the Crystals of Purity and Courage back for now. She looked over the structure for a few more seconds before turning to leave the beach. So that thing is connected to the Crystals, then…but why? And when did it get here—the same time as the Crystals? And from whom?
Hahli sighed…the questions never seemed to stop on Mata Nui. For now though, she would have to take things as she had with Kolhii—one step at a time. Motivating herself, Hahli quickened her pace to return to Ta-Koro, just as dawn was breaking over the horizon.
X X X
To the surprise of Tiribomba and Aodhan, their tunnel led to an exit not far from Kini-Nui. Its entrance was small enough it had been hard to spot, and its exit was the same way, forcing them to squeeze through a small opening covered in neighboring flora. Following a path, they continued to the Temple's Amaja Nui sandpit.
There, Toa Gali Nuva was still meditating in the Amaja Circle, as the sun was coming up, gazing outward toward the surface of the temple pond. "Toa Gali!" Tiribomba exclaimed, excited by their find. He turned to Aodhan. "She is wise and knows the legends told by the Turaga—maybe she knows something!"
"Toa Gali!" Aodhan called, as the two came closer.
Gali stood up, turning to the two Matoran. "Ta-Matoran? So far from Ta-Koro—what are you doing here, at Kini-Nui?"
"With the Seventh Toa on its way, Vakama is worried the Evil One will return," Tiribomba said. In this place, even saying the name 'Makuta' seemed like bad luck. "We are trying to prove the existence of the Great Refuge!"
"Yes, Vakama is wise to be wary. I feel this mask will create much change on Mata Nui," Gali agreed. "As for your quest, I have heard of the Refuge. It is a tale first told long before the Toa ever arrived on Mata Nui, in a time when the Matoran had little hope. Some even believe the Seventh Toa waits there."
"Do you know where it is, Toa Gali?" Aodhan asked.
Gali shook her head. "No…but I believe Kopaka has learned of the legend from Turaga Nuju. Perhaps you could journey to Ko-Wahi and ask the Toa of—"
As Gali was still speaking, the bright sunlight was cut by a dark shadow. Thick gray clouds were rolling across the sky, turning ordinary day to eerie twilight.
Gali made her way to a plateau overlooking the entire temple, while the Matoran followed. What was happening? As she gazed down at the Suva Kaita dome, there was a sizzle of energy. An instant later, the Suva exploded into a million shards. A claw reached out of the smoky hole where the Suva dome had stood. A moment later three horrifying figures climbed out of the hole and stood surveying the destruction. Each one was easily taller than a Toa, had a wicked looking staff, spikes protruding along its angled back, and a pointed head.
"Mata Nui!" Gali gasped.
"What is THAT!?" Tiribomba exclaimed, as the Ta-Matoran and Toa of Water broke into a run.
"I don't want to know! If things like those are appearing, we need to find the Artakha Refuge more than ever!" Aodhan called. "But we need to warn the villages first!"
The group came to the edge of the plateau. One of the new figures swiveled its head in their direction. It banged its staff on the ground, sending sparks of dark energy arcing up. A zigzag lightning bolt shot into the air.
Gali summoned a jet of water which knocked the two Matoran off the edge, then somersaulted backward off the plateau. A split second later, the energy bolt struck the spot where they had stood, completely fragmenting the structure.
The three creatures climbed higher, seeking their targets. But neither Gali nor either of the Matoran were seen. Hissing with frustration, the trio gave up. Moving a small distance away, they jumped into a sitting position hovering off the ground by dark energy.
Beneath the surface of the temple pond, a group of Ruki fish swam, disturbing the surface. Aodhan had scared them away when his foot moved, earning him a look from Tiribomba. Gali, sharing the powers of the Kaukau Nuva, watched from beneath the water as the creatures flew away, disappearing from the temple area.
A moment later the still surface of the temple pond rippled, and Gali and the Matoran emerged. Gali had no idea what sort of creatures they were, but one thing was obvious—they did not come in peace. She glanced down the mountain. Her eyes widened as she spotted them in the distance, flying purposefully along.
"They are headed for Ta-Koro!" Gali realized in alarm. "I will warn Ta-Koro! You two go to Ko-Koro and find Kopaka!" she ordered, leaving the Matoran on land. Diving back beneath the water, she swam in the direction of Tahu's village, determined to warn him in time. As the river she was following flowed around the base of the Mangai Volcano, she took to the land, her wet feet leaving steaming footprints in her wake as she dashed toward the fire village. Calling upon her Kanohi Kakama Nuva, she raced even faster; she couldn't arrive too soon.
X X X
Hahli was arriving right as Gali was, and just in time, too. She had only just crossed back into the village a few moments ago when the Ta-Matoran guard Agni saw Toa Gali coming from his post. "The Toa of Water approaches!" he announced as she jumped onto the village wall. Hahli looked up at the distant sounds of the guard's alarm. "The Toa of Water—"
"Is here!" Gali finished for him, with the greatest urgency in her voice. "Sound the alarm!"
Agni was confused by the sudden ordeal, but he knew better than to disobey a Toa. He saluted, grabbed his horn and blew it. Other members of the Ta-Koro guard echoed the horn call and formed ranks around the village. The bridges to the village were withdrawn beneath the lava by the bridge operator, surrounding it with a moat.
Hahli ran alongside the other Ta-Matoran to shelters. One out of the panicked crowd bumped her so forcefully that she dropped the Crystal of Courage. With a painful crack it landed and bounced twice before starting to roll through the swiftly moving Matoran feet. "Excuse me! Pardon!" Hahli called loudly as she brushed past people to retrieve it. Once she did, she examined it, feeling her heart slump when she detected a three-lined forking crack on one side. Wrapping it in seaweed to offer more padding, she put it back away and double-tightened her pouch before rushing into a hut.
Up above, Tahu came into the ranks as well. "Why have I been summoned?" he said impatiently as he leaped onto the village wall. He glanced down and spotted Gali. Before she could answer his question, thunder rumbled in the distance. A huge dark cloud rolled over the village, obscuring the sun and glow of the volcano—only the surrounding glow of the molten rock around the village provided any sight.
On the wall, Gali waited. Turaga Vakama and Nokama approached.
They all waited.
Gali sighed, confused but still worried. Was this some kind of trap?
On the far side of the lake, the three nightmarish figures appeared, seeming to shimmer through the heat rising off the lava. They hovered over the ground, moving smoothly toward the Lake of Fire, where Ta-Koro sat.
"Rahkshi," Nokama pronounced grimly. "The sons of Makuta!"
Vakama nodded. "Shadows that cower in the depths. Exactly as foretold."
Tahu leaped off of the wall, front-flipping down the three story stone construction and landing roughly on his feet with a grunt. "None have breached Ta-Koro's gates before," he proclaimed. "And none shall this day!"
The Rahkshi didn't even pause at the edge of the lava lake—but merely floated on, moving as easily over the fiery surface as they had over the solid ground. Tahu blinked in surprise. Then he pulled out his magma swords, holding them at the ready.
As the Rahkshi reached the shore, the Panrahk raised its staff. A lightning bolt of dark fragmentation energy arced from its end, zigzagging toward Tahu.
The Fire Toa reacted quickly. A red shield appeared around him an instant before the bolt reached him. The bolt of dark energy hit the shield with awesome power, sending the Toa flying backward through the gates and into the village courtyard.
"Mata Nui protect us!" Vakama cried in horror.
Tahu slid to a stop, dazed. My shield, he thought blearily. What happened? Why didn't it deflect that bolt? What sort of enemy is this?
His thoughts faded as he slipped into unconsciousness.
"I'm coming, Tahu!" Gali cried.
The Rahkshi hovered through the wrecked gates and into the village. Suddenly Gali dropped into view from atop the village wall, her aqua axes at the ready. She looked up at the Rahkshi as the Guurahk swung its staff toward her.
She blocked the blow with her axes, then grabbed for the staff, trying to yank it out of its owner's hand. But the disintegrator was too strong. Gali went flying, tumbling to the ground.
Guurahk touched its staff to the courtyard wall. A shimmer of dark energy poured into the wall, and cracks spread outward like a spiderweb, moving through the structure with awesome speed. The village guards barely had time to leap off before a huge portion of the wall collapsed into a heap of stone debris.
The blue Disintegrator stepped closer, scanning the wreckage. Meanwhile the green Poison-Rahkshi, Lerahk, twirled its staff, then poked the stinger end into the ground. Poison flowed out of it, turning the earth a sickly yellow-green.
Tahu was finally regaining his senses. He sat up just in time to see the brown Panrahk walk by, scanning left and right as it went. As Tahu watched, the creature pointed its staff toward a lavastone hut, blasting it into pieces. Approaching the wreckage, the Fragmenter poked at it with the staff, shifting through it.
"Rahkshi!"
The creature turned at Tahu's bold shout. The Toa's swords burned with flames as he spun them and then planted them in the ground at his feet. Twin streaks of fire shot out of them, racing along the ground toward the Rahkshi. Splitting apart when they reached the creature, they formed a wall of flame around it.
Tahu approached warily. He jumped in surprise as the Rahkshi suddenly stepped out through the flames, unharmed. The Toa and Rahkshi fought furiously. Tahu was matching the creature blow for blow—for now. But he could feel its fearsome power. How long could he stand against it?
X X X
Guurahk slammed its staff into the wall near what had once been the village gate. Dark energy spidered through the columns and stones. The Rahkshi turned away, preparing to retreat. But Gali blocked the way.
The Water Toa held her axes crossed in front of her. A geyser of water erupted from the earth, beneath the Rahkshi's feet. The creature raised its staff in defense, but it was too late. The hard ground dissolved into sticky mud, and the Rahkshi's weight made it sink quickly until its feet were trapped.
The Disintegrator hissed angrily, fighting to free itself. Suddenly there was a rumble from behind it. The Rahkshi looked up in alarm—just as the gate wall tumbled onto it, burying it beneath a shower of rubble.
Satisfied that the Rahkshi was trapped for the moment, at least, Gali turned away. She saw Tahu across the courtyard, locked in battle with the Fragmenter-Rahkshi. Tahu was fighting hard. He managed to trick the Rahkshi with a false move, then flipped it onto the ground. Then he planted his magma swords in the ground. The earth beneath the Rahkshi split open and lava bubbled up.
Tahu jumped away as the Fragmenter sank out of sight. Hearing someone approach, Tahu glanced over to see Gali hurrying toward him. "Good job," she said.
When he turned his gaze back to the lava pit, he was shocked to see the Panrahk pulling its way out, dripping with lava but undamaged.
Gali saw the terrible sight, too. "We must get the Matoran to safety—now."
Tahu frowned. "Retreat? Surrender?"
"This battle is lost, Tahu!" Gali insisted as the Fragmenter stepped free of the lava. "We need to regroup!'
Tahu growled. But he realized that Gali was right. "So be it."
X X X
Guurahk smashed a hole in another Ta-Koro hut with its bare hand, having freed itself quickly from Gali's snare. Peering through, it saw two Matoran huddled, trembling with fear. The Rahkshi pulled apart the rest of the wall, then brandished its staff. The Ta-Matoran ran from the hut as the Rahkshi fired a beam that caused the rest of the dwelling to fall to the ground in dust. It looked around for a few seconds, then walked away.
Amidst the attack, Hahli had been forced into the open. She wasn't far away from the Rahkshi, trying to keep quiet as she backed against a wall. Then something grabbed her arm and pulled her away! She silently breathed out relief to see it was the Toa Nuva of Water. There, the two waited, hidden on a roof, while the Lerahk stalked by.
When it had passed, Gali instructed Hahli, "See the others to safety. Raise the bridges again so they can escape!"
"Yes, Toa Gali!" Hahli answered. She ran back to the bridge control room and pulled the lever, causing the stone segments of the Ta-Koro bridges to rise out of the lava. The moat of defense was now gone, but it had done little to stop these attackers, and now the Matoran could flee the village and harbor safety. She looked out from a window and saw Matoran and Turaga elders running to another safe slab of stone in the volcanic region, then joined them in their flight.
X X X
Meanwhile, Tahu and Gali were trying to find new ways to confront the Rahkshi, either by Kanohi, elemental powers, or weaponry combat. Off to the side, Vakama could be seen whacking a Rahkshi on the head with his staff. Tahu and Gali exchanged a glance, then raced toward the sound of the Turaga's struggle. They arrived to find Vakama weakly waving his firestaff, trying to hold off the Lerahk.
"Back, you foul creature!" Vakama cried. "One more step and I'll—"
"Well done, wise one!" Tahu called to him, leaping forward. "I'll take it from here." Vakama joined the exodus while Tahu spun his swords, bringing the blades in contact and channeling his elemental powers to surround the Rahkshi in superheated temperatures. The Rahkshi screeched for a moment, then tapped the heat wave with its poison staff and jumped through the hole it made, pursuing Tahu.
Lerahk dug the end of its staff into the chunk of stone Tahu was standing on. Before he could react, it flung him back several paces, causing him to lose his swords and land roughly on his back.
Nearby, Gali was helping to direct the Matoran out of the village when she heard his difficulty. Looking back, she saw that the Rahkshi had already gotten the upper hand and pinned Tahu to the ground, bringing the poison staff closer by the second. "Brother, be careful!" she cried. But she could see that Tahu would soon be crushed and touched by the poison staff…and she didn't want to know what that would do.
"Rahkshi!" Gali cried out. She sent a massive blast of water from both her aqua axes at the creature. But her call had distracted the monster, making it look over at her. When it did, Tahu surprised it with a push and tumbled them both over so he was then on top of it. Then the water blast hit, sweeping them both away. Gali watched in horror as the Rahkshi's staff tip slit the surface of Tahu's Kanohi in the tide. Tahu managed to land on his feet, then dropped to his knees. A faint greenish-brown scratch glowed on the surface of his mask, then faded and disappeared as if it had never been.
Gali rushed up to the Fire Toa. "Tahu, your mask! I'm sorr—" she began.
"It's nothing," Tahu cut her off, getting back to his feet and retrieving his weapons.
The Poison-Rahkshi, too, was ready to battle again. It planted its staff into the wall beside the two Toa, then into the ground. The Toa leaped away just ahead of the poison that was already spreading outward from the wall.
"This way!" Tahu yelled, leading Gali out to a side entrance of the village. Though the bridge had been raised for the main gate, the defensive moat still surrounded the rest of the village. There was no bridge for the Toa to use to regroup with the others, but Tahu was the master of fire. He combined his swords into a single lava board and hurled it through the air onto the lava's surface, jumping on and beginning to surf. Gali made it behind him to the rock's edge a second later. "Gali, jump on!"
Gali executed a high front flip, landing behind Tahu on the board. Together, the two rode away to the slab of rock where Vakama, Hahli, and the other Turaga had found solid ground and gathered. They landed and Tahu sheathed his swords, turning to assess the damage from the attack on Ta-Koro. What he saw surprised, and horrified him—Ta-Koro was sinking into the lake of lava. The destruction had simply been too much for the supporting rock.
And off in the distance, the Rahkshi hovered away, disappearing into the steam on the far side.
X X X
Tahu took a deep breath. Ta-Koro was no more. The strongest of the six villages had fallen. The Ta-Kini, which honored Tahu's arrival and accomplishments had been destroyed by the Panrahk. The Ta-Suva, which housed all his other Kanohi Nuva masks, was now under natural molten metals and rock, the Kanohi Nuva housed within undoubtedly destroyed. Luckily, the guards had time to retrieve his Nuva Symbol and escape with it (he didn't even want to think about what would have happened if that were gone also), and Vakama had also made time to grab the Mask of Time, but his power…his fortress…his home.
But as he glanced around at the crowds of Matoran huddled nearby, he realized that oddly enough, the entire population of the village had escaped. "They could have destroyed us," he said, both quietly and angrily. "Why didn't they?"
Turaga Vakama shook his head. "They are seekers," he said. "Whatever they came for they did not find."
"So what were they after?" Gali asked.
"Makuta fears for his spell of shadows," Vakama replied.
Gali and Tahu exchanged a glance. "The Mask of Light!" Gali said, suddenly understanding.
"Then they seek the Seventh Toa," Tahu said. Suddenly realizing what that meant, he gasped. "Jaller and Takua!"
"We'll summon the Toa to find them," Gali said.
Tahu stopped her with a quickly outstretched hand, "Don't trouble the others, sister," he said. "l will see to their safety myself."
Gali was surprised at first, then hurt. This had been the kind of discussion the Toa had been tolerating since they had become Toa Nuva. She couldn't stand for it any longer. "No, Tahu. No," she said firmly. "We must remain united."
Tahu turned away from her to look back at his home slowly sinking into lava. For an instant, a sickly yellowish-brown glow flashed through his eyes. Then it was gone. He sighed and turned back to Gali. "If you insist," he said.