Chapter Nine

Makuta was cold. Colder than he had ever been. Colder even than the darkness he inhabited. On his way to prevent Hydraxon from acquiring the Mask of Life, he had been ambushed by Toa Matoro, and frozen inside super-hard ice. Now even his energy was beginning to crystallize, not at all good from his point of view.

Through the clear ice, he could dimly make out the forms of the Toa Mahri, Barraki, and Hydraxon in a mad scramble for the artifact. None of them, he was sure, had the slightest idea what the mask could really do. To them, it was just a bright, golden treasure to be warred over like hungry Rahi after a meal. Makuta, of course, knew better. He had pieced together half-remembered legends, whispered rumors, even fragments of information retrieved in the long-past raid on the island of Artakha.

The Mask of Life was intended as more than just a cure-all for the Great Spirit Mata Nui in the event of his illness. No, no, the Mask of Life was a quick solution to another problem altogether. The Great Beings had created a universe, but they could not be certain it would operate as they wished. And if it did not, if the population plunged into war, if pestilence and famine took hold, if all hope was gone… the mask would activate, draining all life from every being and ending the universe once and for all time.

When the time came, the mask would first turn from gold to silver, and eventually to black when the end time had arrived. Axonn, Brutaka, Umbra — all the noble guardians of the Kanohi Ignika had never realized that they were protecting an item that could bring about complete annihilation. But Makuta knew its true importance and had factored that into his great Plan.

Of course, death by freezing had not been a part of this scheme.

That was when Makuta noticed something, something quite wonderful. A lone drop of water was falling down the outside of his icy prison. Then he saw why — Jaller had created a wall of flame. The heat was melting Matoro’s ice and freedom was moments away. The powerful limb of Maxilos shattered the prison, and Makuta guided his new body into the battle.

It was time to move the plan one step closer to completion.