He could hear them scuttling over the layer of rock that shielded his team, their one protection from the Visorak horde that eagerly waited for them outside. Every distinct tap, every faint click of frustration, echoed in Vakama's ears and mind, reminding him just how desperate and dangerous his plan truly was. They were all moments from facing the end of their battle, the final minutes that would decide the fate of Metru Nui and the trapped Matoran who had no idea how much danger they were truly in. If ever the Toa Metru needed divine intervention, he was sure it was now.

Matau stirred, breaking Vakama from his musing and drawing him to stare at the Air Hordika beside him. This was it. A few seconds more, and they would be fighting for their lives; theirs, and those of everyone else on the island. All that was left was for Matau to finish waking up. Wasting no time, the Fire Hordika looked at Onewa. "Can you make this dome explode?"

"Probably." The younger Toa replied with a frown. "Why?"

"Because I want you to take out as many Visorak with it as you can." Vakama replied before his attention shifted. "Whenua, once the barrier is down I need you to start an earthquake. Not an island-shattering one, but big enough to shake things off balance."

The Earth Hordika nodded once. "You got it."

"Excellent. That should buy us enough time to bring Roodaka down." The Fire Hordika looked to the rest of his team. "As soon as anyone else sees Roodaka, attack her. Elements only; physical attacks won't get us anywhere but a swift thumping."

"What if we lose control?" Nokama inquired, fidgeting anxiously with the webbing between her fingers. "If we lose ourselves in this, everything will have been lost. Everything will be for nothing."

Nuju spoke before the Fire Hordika had a chance to. "Nokama, through every trial we have faced, we always managed to pull together when it truly mattered. Now that we are here, I feel we are closer to each other than ever before, and in the end it will not be our own wills that hold us together, but the wills of each other. And that is a power that cannot be stopped." A small smile tugged his lips, peaceful and bittersweet. "I know now what true Unity is, and what it means to hold onto it with everything a person has. And I learned it from the last person I had ever expected to learn anything from."

Crystalline blue eyes turned to focus on Vakama now, nothing but gratitude glittering within. "You held onto the trust and friendship I allowed my anger to forget, and risked everything to remind me about it, even when I nearly killed you in the process." The bittersweetness left his smile as the twenty-eight year old nodded slightly. "Unity isn't just about working together to achieve a common goal or defeat a challenging enemy. It's about truly believing in each other, and trusting each other, no matter what gets in our way or what tries to separate us. It's about seeing past flaws and acknowledging the differences that make us who we are. For some, that is a battle in and of itself, and I know we have all had to contend with it. But look at us now; we're finally a team, finally trusting each other the way we should have when we first became Toa."

Nuju smiled a bit more as he looked the group over. "We may be mutants, and we may have fought in the past, but looking at how far we've come... I'm proud to call you my Toa Siblings. All of you." He chuckled, albeit quietly. "Even Matau and Onewa."

As the Ice Hordika stopped speaking, Vakama couldn't help but smile. It had taken a lot of struggle, and a lot of pain, to get as far as they had, but now that he was reflecting on just how much they'd endured, he couldn't help but agree. They had all come so far, and even now with everything barely seeming held in a balance, they all seemed so much closer. Even as Vakama looked at them, the other Toa Metru all seemed to be coming to the same conclusion as he and Nuju did.

Onewa started laughing. "It took us this long to figure it out, and now that we're in yet another survive-or-die situation, we finally get the picture. Mata Nui, we're a bunch of idiots."

Nokama giggled quietly. "Perhaps, Onewa. But at least it is a common ground for us to stand on. One last battle and it's all behind us. We'll finally finish what we started so many years ago, and we'll do it together."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Whenua said with a grin. "We've got history to make!" He looked at Onewa. "You ready to rumble, Brother?"

The younger Hordika grinned. "You kidding? I was born ready!"

Matau huffed slightly, though there was no hiding his own amusement. "Then get us outta here already; we're longdawdling!"

"Right!"

Onewa turned as he got up, pressing his hands against the stone barrier and focusing, pouring every ounce of his power into blasting the rock wall apart. With a resounding crack, the barrier exploded, shards erupting forth like a volley of stone arrowheads. Even as the Visorak were pelted and forced to retreat, some not even making it far enough to manage it, Whenua slammed his hands down, great tremors shaking the arena violently enough that even the multi-legged Rahi couldn't escape without staggering into each other.

In the midst of the chaos, Matau was the first to spot Roodaka's unwavering approach, an arm up to shield her face from the rocks, and her pendant glowing an ominous red color. The Hordika of Air took this as his moment, unleashing a war cry as he thrust his hands forward, a blast of unbridled wind smashing into the Vortixx as she just barely managed to brace herself soon enough to remain on her feet. Her pendant shone brighter.

Nokama's attention was drawn by Matau's exclamation, her eyes quickly focusing on Roodaka as she leaned into the howling wind. Instinct kicked in, the Water Hordika immediately unleashing her own elemental onslaught upon the woman who had stolen so much from them. Somehow, Roodaka remained standing, her pendant even brighter as torrents of water slammed against her lithe frame.

But not even the unusual might of Roodaka could keep balance as a basketball-sized chunk of ice smashed into her, knocking the Vortixx to the ground as the Hordika let up their assault, each too unsure to draw closer... Each, save for one.

Vakama's eyes were narrow as he made his approach, fire dancing over his clawed hands as he mustered every ounce of his elemental reserve, watching as Roodaka managed to push herself up on one knee. Cold blue eyes locked with burning red ones as she coughed, though traces of a smirk tugged her lips. "So... it has come down to this, has it?" She mused almost hoarsely. "Once allies, now sworn enemies." Her smirk grew as she tapped her brightly glowing pendant, now identifiable as a shard of red crystal. "You know how this can end; one more attack, and you defeat me... at a terrible price."

Vakama glared down at her, tail lashing angrily as he responded. "The greatest cost would be letting you go. Stopping you is by no means a mistake."

"Is it not?" Roodaka sneered, her voice holding sadistic and cruel tones. "You have lost so much by fighting me already. Your father, your control, your city... and if you go through with this, your brother. You know what lies in the Coliseum. Who has been biding his time, and now needs only one key to be free again. And we both know how much he hates traitors. The moment he is free, he will kill Mihkoro, and it would be all your fault."

Her smirk grew. "Be reasonable, Vakama... If you do this, your brother will die. Do you really want to be responsible for killing your entire family?"

Those words made him falter. Roodaka had been planning this all along? She played them like cards, right through until now? Everything he had done, everything he had been so sure would catch her off guard, had been predicted and played until now, as he still found himself caught in her web of trickery?

His mind thought back on the vision he had seen, recalling Mihkoro's suffering and defiance as he was transformed and practically tied to the one person who likely wanted him dead most. But even as despair tried to take hold in his heart, even as his hope threatened to fade, Vakama remembered the one thing that rekindled his inner fire and resolve. Of everything Mihkoro had said, one phrase stood out among the rest.

"Whether I live or die will be of little consequence... because you and your horde will finally come to an end."

A grim and firm air cast itself over Vakama as his eyes narrowed again, fearlessly returning Roodaka's mocking gaze with a look of unshaken willpower that made her smirk falter. "If it means ending your tyranny, Mihkoro would have it no other way." The flames that flitted across his fingers grew to burn white hot along his arms, crackling and glowing like otherworldly sleeves or gauntlets. "And if that's the case... Then so will I!"

Even as he threw his hands forward, even as the fire surged from him and washed over the woman who had caused so much pain and anguish, the Hordika saw her raise her staff one last time, thrusting it against his chest and unleashing a blast of energy from its clawed head. Vakama was flung backwards, flying several feet before landing and rolling several more. It felt strange, a blur of agony and numbness as he lay sprawled on the ground, his world darkening and vision smearing into hazy shades of muted, lifeless colors. He vaguely thought he heard a scream, or shouting, possibly both, though he had no idea if it had been him or someone else. All he was aware of was a growing sense of peace. They had won. Roodaka was defeated, the Visorak threat was stopped, and now his friends could finish what they had started. They could finally save the Matoran.

A frail smile formed on Vakama's face as he closed his eyes.

It was over.