Epilogue

Tahu Nuva stood in the center of the great Coliseum of Metru Nui, listening to the cheers of over a thousand Matoran, among them Tanma and the Matoran of Light. Beside him stood his teammates, and nearby were Takanuva and the surviving members of the Toa Mahri. All of them could not help feeling a surge of pride in this moment — even Kopaka was smiling.

After so much struggle, so many battles won and lost, at last the quest was over. It had been dangerously close, but they had been successful. The Great Spirit was awake, the core of the universe had been cleansed of the Makuta, and balance had been restored to the universe. While none of them had seen the Mask of Life since their escape, they felt sure its countdown to destruction had stopped.

“Now this is what I’m speak-talking about,” said Lewa. “This is being a Toa-hero!”

“I’m just glad we all survived,” said Gali, glancing over at the Mahri. Somehow, their team seemed so incomplete without the presence of Toa Matoro, who had given his life to save the universe.

“I never doubted it,” said Lewa, smiling. “As soon as we got there and saw those dark-bat losers, I knew it would be as easy as taming a Gukko bird.”

“Oh, really?” said Kopaka. “Funny, you didn’t seem that confident when you were trying to figure out how to steer the Axalara.”

“Yeah, how many stalactites did you crash into? Three? Four?” laughed Pohatu.

“Quiet,” said Gali. “Turaga Dume is about to speak.”

The wise Turaga stood in his box high above and looked out over the assembled crowd of Toa and Matoran. For a moment, he was overcome with emotion and could not speak. Then, at last, he found his voice.

“My friends, we are gathered here today for a great celebration,” he began. “But we must do more than honor the heroes who stand before us. We must use this time to remember all who have given their lives to bring us to this point.

“Toa Matoro, Toa Lhikan, and hundreds of other Toa whose names we may never know fought and died to keep the Brotherhood of Makuta from victory. Without their efforts, none of us would be standing here today. Without their light, shadow would rule the land.”

There was a long moment of silence, then Dume spoke again. “Over one thousand years ago, the Makuta struck at the Great Spirit, casting him into a deep slumber and robbing us of his protection and guidance. For this crime, they have paid the ultimate penalty. Now, at last, we are free of them, forever.”

The cheers began again then, rocking the very structure of the Coliseum. Dume made no effort to quiet the crowd. He knew this was an outpouring of happiness that was long overdue.

When the noise had finally subsided, he raised his staff of office and gestured toward the Toa Nuva. “We have emerged from the darkness and into the light. And we have the six heroes who stand before us to thank on this great day —”

His words were cut off by a fleeting shadow that passed over the twin moons and an ice-cold breeze that cut through the Coliseum. Tahu glanced at Gali, confused and troubled. They had all felt something like this before, but never expected to feel it again.

“Look!” said Kopaka, pointing up to the sky. “The stars! Look what’s happening to the stars!”

High above, the stars of Metru Nui were darting across the sky, spinning wildly. It looked as if the universe itself was being undone and remade at the same time. Slowly, the stars began to realign, coming to rest in a pattern both bizarre and horribly familiar. From random stars in the skies, they had arranged themselves into a shape — and it was the shape of the Mask of Shadows.

“This is impossible,” said Tahu. “Why would the stars shift to look like Makuta’s mask? Unless…”

“No,” said Onua. “No, it couldn’t be.”

“What does it mean? What can it mean?” asked Gali.

“I think I can guess,” Kopaka answered. “Radiak said the Makuta wanted Mata Nui to be awakened, but we could not guess why. Now, Great Beings protect us if I am right about what has happened…”

The reply came from everywhere at once. A dark, humorless laugh boomed from every stone, every star, from the ground, the sky, the ocean. Matoran huddled together in fear at the sound even as the Toa drew their weapons.

“Makuta!” shouted Tahu. “We thought you were destroyed, but if we were mistaken, we are ready to correct that mistake! Show yourself!”

The reply came in a rumble of thunder. “Show myself, you insignificant flea? Look around, Toa Tahu — I am everywhere. I am everything you see.”

“What new crime have you dared commit?” yelled Turaga Dume.

“No crime, wise one,” answered Makuta, his voice as soft as the breeze that heralds a storm. “Your heroes brought Mata Nui back from death… but before his spirit could return to his body, mine slipped in and took its place. And so when the Toa Nuva awakened Mata Nui, they awakened his body… with my mind.”

“We have fought you before,” said Kopaka, “and we will do so again!”

Makuta chuckled, sending a tremor through the Coliseum. “Will you fight the air you breathe, Toa? The ground you walk on? Understand — I no longer need to battle you in hopes of ruling the universe. I am the universe.

“Of course, you do have one hope,” continued the Master of Shadows. “Mata Nui himself. Too bad for you that I have banished his spirit into the Mask of Life, and now…”

The ground shook violently as a surge of energy flowed through all existence. “Now I have banished the mask from this universe. I hope you have enjoyed your fleeting moments of happiness, Toa… they are the last you will know for an eternity to come.”

And somewhere in the endless void between here and there, the Mask of Life flew. Free of the bounds of the Matoran universe, it had turned from silver back to gold once more. It carried within it in the mind and spirit of Mata Nui, on a journey whose destination no one could know. But if anyone were able to hear the being within the mask, one statement would have been clear, ringing through the void like the tolling of a bell:

I will return.