Chapter 3

Kopaka saw Tahu fly by and crash into the wall. As the Fire Toa slid to the floor, stunned, Kopaka aimed his ice blade in front of the Manas that was moving in on the fallen Toa. The floor in front of the creature instantly froze once again, slowing it down long enough for Lewa to somersault in and drag Tahu out of range.

“This is ridiculous,” Gali cried as she defended herself against the second Manas. “They’re just too strong! We’d better retreat.”

“Never!” Tahu croaked, his voice hoarse but determined. “We must stay united. We must defeat them!”

Kopaka blinked, wondering why Tahu's words had struck such a chord in his mind. Where have I heard something like that before?

He glanced toward Gali and found her watching him. “What is it, brother?” she asked. “Do you know something? I — I think I do. I had a vision. It told me that something would happen after we found all the Masks of Power. That we would need to — unite.”

Kopaka hesitated. Could it be?

The words from his vision returned: …behold the future… you and the others shall… all the Great Masks of Power… together and defeat… three shall become… path of wisdom… myself, Akamai… of the warrior… only by uniting…

“I think I had the same vision,” he admitted at last. “I didn’t understand it at the time. I — I still don’t understand it.”

“Don’t you see?” Gali stared into his eyes, almost seeming to forget about the Manas, who were attacking the other Toa nearby. “I was told that three shall become Wairuha and walk the path of wisdom. Three shall become Akamai and walk the path of the warrior. Only by uniting will the Toa find the strength to triumph.”

Kopaka shook his head. “No,” he said. “It doesn’t make sense. How could such a thing happen?”

“I sense that it will happen if we want it to,” Gali replied quietly. She glanced briefly toward the battle behind them. “I'm thinking that I want whatever will help us all. Do you?”

Kopaka stared at her for a moment. How could he want such a thing? Three become one — it would mean giving up his own individuality. No! It was impossible…

Or was it? Haven’t I found that sometimes my own powers fell short? he thought reluctantly. Haven’t I found myself wishing at times that the others were with me? Haven’t we all experienced too late that if one of us knows something, it would have helped to tell it to the others in time?

Gali was still watching him. “Unity, duty, destiny,” she said urgently. “Think about those words, brother. Do you believe in them?”

“Yes,” Kopaka said at last. “Yes. I don’t like them much right now, but I believe in them.” He took a deep breath. “Let’s do it.”

“Brothers!” Gali shouted. “We need to retreat — just for a moment.”

Pohatu and Onua glanced at each other. Then they used their powers simultaneously to tumble down part of the ceiling and create a wall of rubble right in front of the advancing Manas.

“That won’t hold them for long,” Pohatu said breathlessly. “Now, what is it?”

Gali quickly described the vision she’d had. “We need to unite,” she finished. “Combine our powers. Otherwise, there is no hope of victory.”

The others nodded. “At this point,” Tahu said, “I’ll try anything.”

“Perhaps those two arches hold the answer,” Pohatu said, gesturing toward the arches on either side of the great Mangaia door dominating the chamber. “And look!” He gestured to the floor directly before the arches, each of which had circular indentations the size of their combined Makoki stones.

“When our stones combined to unlock the temple, Pohatu’s stone fitted into Tahu’s and mine to form one hemisphere,” Onua recalled. “And Kopaka’s combined with Gali’s and Lewa’s. Perhaps that is how they are to be fitted into these niches.”

As I saw in the vision, Kopaka marveled. This is meant to be.

Onua, Tahu, and Pohatu quickly fitted their Makoki stones into the nice before the arch on the right. Kopaka, Gali, and Lewa in turn fitted theirs into the one on the left. The arches rumbled and creaked, then rotated on an axis in the wall, rolling back to reveal small, glowing antechambers lined with circuits. In the floor were marks the shapes of their feet.

Wondering in amazement, each half of the team stepped in. As if part of one of his own dreams, Kopaka moved toward Gali and Lewa. Nearby, Tahu turned to face Pohatu and Onua. In each group, three Toa locked eyes… and became one.

“It is here that we join. Spirit of Valor, hear me!” Tahu, Pohatu, and Onua had joined to become one. “I – am – Akamai!” he said.

Gali, Lewa, and Kopaka had also joined together. “Spirit of Wisdom, hear me!” he said. “I – am – Wairuha!”

Akamai, the Toa Kaita blinked and stood up.

“Yes!” he bellowed, and felt the powers meld together in his immeasurable body. Immense strength from the part that used to be Onua. Swiftness and skill from what had been Pohatu. Fiery energy from the area that had come from Tahu. “Now the battle can begin.”

Beside him, Wairuha, the other Toa Kaita bent his arms in amazement. The energies of Gali, Lewa and Kopaka swirled in and around them, blowing a moist, chilly wind when he spoke.

“Brother!” rumbled Wairuha. “This is how it has to be. Let us do what has to be done.”

The two Toa Kaita turned around and, taking huge steps, started for the sheer stone wall. A moment later, the Manas burst through, jumping straight at them.