Epilogue

Once Takua considered the distance between Ta-Koro and the sacred temple of Kini-Nui to be a long one. After the journey he had just undertaken, however, and having the company of his village’s elder, the distance and time passed almost without his noticing.

By the time the two emerged from the jungle and climbed the stone steps to the temple, Takua was actually surprised to see six other dark forms already present around the suva. Indeed, it seemed the five Turaga of the other Koro had traveled to meet them. Turaga Nuju had been accompanied by his translator, Matoro.

Upon seeing the new arrivals, Turaga Onewa grinned. “Ah, looks like the Firespitters finally showed up. Thanks for dropping by, Takua!”

“Turaga!” Takua exclaimed. “Wise elders—what are you all doing here?”

“This is the place we were to gather after all six Toa Stones had been obtained,” Turaga Nokama said. “With Makuta’s attacks more vicious and unrelenting than ever, the appointed time has arrived. What’s more, we have decided the six villages cannot remain as separate as they always have been. We must be one people, not six peoples. One island, not six realms. Matoran, not Tohunga. Unity, not disunity, will bring an end to the Great War.”

Turaga Whenua stepped around the suva and took Takua by the shoulder. “Takua, I when you first set out to look for the Toa Stone of Onu-Koro, I explained to you that the Toa Stones were needed for us to tell the Legend of Mata Nui. But I also explained that they had another purpose. Now the time has come for that purpose to be fulfilled.”

“This is the place we were to gather after all six Toa Stones had been obtained,” Vakama said. “And it is from here that our summons will go out. A message must be sent. And a message must be received.”

“We heart-wish to see the coming of our Toa-heroes,” Matau informed. “For the ever-night has not been so dark as it is now. We endured this wave of Makuta’s fast-loyal minions. But a new dread-horde rises to the surface from the tunnels where he has corrupted them. A legion of elite Rahi more powerful than any we have just suffer-faced. They are monsters even you, hard-brave Takua, cannot hope to defeat.”

Nuju added something in his own language of clicks and whistles. After a while, Matoro relayed, “Nuju says the elders also desired to congratulate you, Takua, for completing your quest.”

Nokama smiled gently. “When I saw your face in the waters, I could not have imagined all that you would be capable of. You are our hero, little one… you have recovered the Toa Stones, the Vuata Maca crystals… and even us!”

Vakama snorted. “Hmph! I guess you did. Not bad for an amateur…”

“That reminds me: I suppose now would be a good time to return your staffs,” Takua said, retrieving the bundle from his back. Unstrapping them, he passed them each back to the elders who quietly took them back. Then he produced the Toa stones.

On seeing the stones, Nuju piped up in his customary whistles and clicks. Matoro hurriedly translated, remarking, “‘Now that the Toa Stones have been returned, we can once more tell the Legend of Mata Nui…’”

Whenua nodded. “…and prepare the way for the arrival of the Toa.”

“Turaga, let’s take our places,” Onewa said, stepping forward from the group past Nuju, “And let the summoning rite begin.”

“Good work, bold Takua!” Turaga Matau said. “Now please return the Toa Stones to their proper places in the temple.”

Vakama, too, spoke. “There are pedestals to accept the stones’ energies. Those pedestals will unlock the Stones’ power and bring the Toa to fight the Makuta and his Rahi. For though your adventure is ended, its ending, like all endings, is merely a beginning waiting to be born.”

The gathered elders stepped safely away as Takua took his position. As he placed the stones down on six smaller circles in the Amaja-Nui sandpit, they began to glow with energy, getting brighter and brighter as each additional stone was placed.

The Matoran looked around at the six sources of power surrounding him; he stood right in their center. “Um…Turaga…?”

Vakama inhaled and rushed forward. “Takua, get back! Now!”

But it was too late. A massive beam of rainbow-colored energy erupted and shot up from the sand pit, traveling far into the sky. The beam bound the colors of the elements together—red, blue, white, green, brown, and black. The Turaga had to shield their eyes, but Takua, so close to the explosion, was caught in the beam, which threw him high into the air above the island. The beam’s emittance only lasted a few seconds, but was enough to send the Matoran villager shooting so very high.

After a long time of flying skyward, gravity took hold and reversed the effect and he began to plummet back down, down toward the island of Mata Nui…until Takua slammed into the Ta-Wahi beach. By some miracle the sand affords enough padding to form a safe, if agonizing, landing. The impact was so great it could be heard for kio around and made a small crater in the sandy beach. As his consciousness dimmed and his vision turned to black, he was vaguely aware of a large, polished canister drifting up to the shoreline.

Then Takua’s mind and memory faded into nothingness…