Chapter 3

When Hewkii opened his eyes, he found himself in the player’s tunnel of the Ta-Koro kolhii stadium with Hafu. At the prompting of the announcer, the two Po-Matoran leapt forward onto the field, where they were met with such thunderous applause it was as though Mata Nui himself was cheering. As Hafu conducted a regime of stretches behind him, he clanked his staff with Takua and Hahli. He wished them luck, even though he knew they didn’t stand a chance. The Matoran roared in anticipation as each of the spectators began chanting the name of their champion - and his name was Hewkii.

And yet, as the kolhii ball was launched into play, Hewkii struggled to gather concentration as he had done before, for he knew these events to have already transpired a lifetime ago.

The Ga-Koro challengers had won the match and many of the champions he now shared the arena with had gone on to become Toa, himself included. As Hahli slipped past him to claim possession of the ball from Takua, the Po-Matoran made no move to obstruct her, his mind receding back into the stadium as though he were just another observer.

“If this is the thrill that you desire, Toa of Stone, then why do you not participate?”

Hewkii turned to face the golden entity, who had descended to the arena from his perch high above the Toa Nuva and Turaga. As he approached, all notion of participating in the match escaped the Po-Matoran.

“It was to be my greatest triumph,” chuckled Hewkii, stealing a fond glance at Macku poised to defend the Ga-Koro goal. “But… to return to this after all I have seen?”

“It would have been a proud victory for all the Matoran to witness,” insisted the golden being, uncurling a claw and extending a patient arm in the direction of the spectators. “The first of many moments for you to stand among the Toa you so admire. A proud memory to return to in your quiet moments, though I suspect it is one of many memories you wish to have played out differently?”

Hewkii allowed his gaze to follow the kolhii ball as Hahli intercepted it from Takua, the familiar rhythm of play reaching to him but failing to grab purchase.

“When I became a Toa, I put my mind and muscles to work for a greater cause,” lamented the Po-Matoran, feeling the compulsion to speak impressed upon him. “I used everything I had learnt in the stadium - accuracy, agility, strategy, strength. It made me a worthy Toa and a formidable warrior… but not good enough.”

“You completed your mission but at the cost of a teammate,” remarked the golden colossus, with the familiar softness of shared tragedy. “I sense much ambivalence in your heart on the subject - to return from the depths of the Pit when another did not. Shame weighs heavily on you, Toa of Stone, even with your great strength. You can raise mountains and split great megaliths of rock, but the blame you carry is heavier still…”

Hewkii said nothing for a long time, watching the five Matoran chasing the kohlii ball, waiting for him to score the first goal but ultimately lose all over again. This moment was everything he had fought to protect and yet reliving it did not bring him peace.

“I will spend the rest of my days wishing I had been more prepared, that I had acted sooner and pushed myself further. Perhaps then he would still walk among the living…”

✴        ✴        ✴

Voyaging further north, the Toa Hagah and their mount eventually finished their journey in the industrial islands of Xia, Stelt and Zakaz, escorting the few remaining Rahi to safety. Reconvening with Bomonga along the way, the Toa of Earth greeted them with troubling news that had reached him from the surface of Spherus Magna, relayed to him by a Matoran messenger.

“Karzahni the tyrant… murdered by a Toa,” mused Kualus in disbelief as the group began the long journey south. “This can only sour relations with our allies. Toa Tahu will need to act quickly to disavow Lesovikk or we may very well lose the allegiance of the Glatorian warriors.”

Met with vague murmurs of agreement, the Toa tried not to acknowledge the troubling legacy of the Toa Cordak of air, who, for as long as any of them could remember, had served as a cautionary tale that even the earliest generation of Toa was not infallible.

Filling in each leg of the journey with conversation, the Toa Hagah recounted tales of their recent exploits, paying particular attention to Bomonga’s journey through the Nui Caves. Lacking his usual penchant for levity though, Iruini listened passively, watching as crumbling chunks of the Great Spirit Robot fell from the heavens overhead.

Now that the atmospheric controls had been deactivated, the Great Spirit Robot had become a sterile environment. There was no heat or light anymore, and what power had remained in auxiliary generators slowly ebbed away. Radiation from the ruptured propulsion system was gradually seeping into the shattered domes. What had once been dome structures and underwater chutes had collapsed, pieces of jagged metal rained from the sky as though a second Great Cataclysm had rocked the world.

With careful application of Kualus’ Kanohi and Pouks’ handling, the Toa took it in turns to direct the Rahi Nui, which followed their lead begrudgingly through the open plains of the southern isles. On occasion, it seemed as though the mighty Rahi might have been listening to the tales recounted by the Toa, but none of their number were naive enough to believe it wouldn’t tear them asunder and make a break for the wilderness the second they let their guard down.

When at long last the Toa approached the rupture in the Matoran universe through which they had entered, they were approached by a Su-Matoran gatekeeper and informed that they were the final recovery team to return.

“So this is it then,” sighed Bomonga ruefully, standing on the threshold of Spherus Magna. “We Toa Hagah… the final beings to leave the world that has been our home for over 100,000 years?”

“The Toa who stayed behind for the Rahi nobody else would rescue,” murmured Norik, turning to the Rahi Nui and motioning to the distant jungle visible through the fissure. “Go now, noble creature. Make your home in this fresh, new world that knows not the tyranny of Makuta. Mata Nui knows you deserve it.”

No sooner had Kualus deactivated his Kanohi, the Rahi Nui made a break for the treeline with gleeful determination, stinger tail swaying freely in the temperate breeze. Just for a moment, it paused to look back at its saviors, only to duck away and disappear into the foliage.

“Are you sure that was wise?” asked Iruini, watching the fragile world with concern. “What’s to stop the Rahi Nui from settling in a population center and terrorizing the villagers?”

“I suppose we are,” observed Pouks, slapping the cynical Toa of Air on his back. “But the Rahi Nui has lived long enough in captivity. It must be given the chance to roam free.”

“Wouldn’t that be nice…” grumbled Iruini under his breath.

Together, the five Toa Hagah stepped back onto Spherus Magna for the first time in living memory. Basking in the rays of a real sun, they angled first in the direction of the Great Ocean. Traveling south at the Su-Matoran’s instruction, they headed for the outline of the city. Jungle Agori could be seen working alongside Matoran, herding Rahi into makeshift pens with fascination and erecting colorful tents stocked with Madu Fruit and Thornax.

Passing a bustling tradepost, the Toa soon discovered merchants peddling the unclaimed salvage liberated from the Matoran universe.

“So many fascinating new creatures…” marveled Kualus, gazing in wonder at a Gravel Hawk being trained by an Agori handler. “I wonder what stories the fliers of this world might tell.”

Pouks smiled at the thought. It seemed Kualus would be kept busy adding more avian dialects to his ever-growing arsenal.

Meanwhile, Norik felt the urge to pause in his tracks and gaze deep into the heart of the marketplace, sensing something familiar amongst the rusted detritus hauled from the toxic oceans of the Silver Sea. He gazed for a long moment, trying to make sense of the strange impulse that gripped him before shuffling along.

Eventually leaving the tradepost behind, the Toa began to feel grass springing up underfoot. Not long after, the Toa found themselves in the outskirts of an ancient Agori settlement, with a large arena in the center. Calculating that they were near the planet’s equator, the Toa found themselves on the paving tiles of a modest village square. Many of the Matoran who had inhabited Metru Nui could be seen in the courtyard, crafting supplies and hauling building materials with the help of Ussal.

Almost immediately, they were greeted by the familiar visages of Turaga Dume and their sister in arms, Toa Gaaki, who stood waiting at the base of a large statue carved in the form of an ancient Glatorian warrior.

“Welcome to Spherus Magna, brothers,” announced the Toa of Water, clanking fists with Pouks, who bounded forward eagerly.

“Looks like we missed the heavy-lifting,” chuckled Kualus, gazing out at the small huts that had already sprouted up against the sprawling landscape.

As the Toa greeted each other, Norik passed a small bundle to Dume. He did so without speaking, nodding solemnly to the elder of Metru Nui. Iruini noticed the discreet exchange and narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

“This is one of the ancient structures of the Agori people,” said Gaaki, proud to show the progress made in the absence of her teammates. “They lost their homes in the Battle of Bara Magna. Once named the Citadel of the Great Beings and inhabited by our creators, now home to all who follow in their teachings.”

“A brave new world,” remarked Bomonga, who was still eyeing a large arena standing in the distance. “The will of the Great Spirit finally made real…”

Turaga Dume’s features stiffened as he wrestled with an uncomfortable question.

“What news do you bring of our former home?” he finally asked, unsure he wanted to hear the answer.

“The great Nui Mountains of the northern continent now hang from the skies like stalactites and the air grows as foul as The Shadowed One’s breath,” boasted Pouks, gesturing vaguely in the direction of the Matoran universe. “But we kept our word: no one got left behind.”

Nodding, the Turaga’s Kanohi dipped in thought. He did not share in the Toa of Stone’s abundant optimism.

“To think that all we have ever known - the histories we have recorded and cities we have built - is gone,” he lamented, examining the tip of his staff as though it contained some unbroken portion of his shattered homeland. “To have fought so hard to wrestle Metru Nui from the grips of tyranny only to see it destroyed - I cannot help but feel a profound loss.”

“It is an unfortunate charge to be a Toa presiding over the dismantling of the land we were once sworn to protect,” agreed Norik, recalling the centuries they had spent rebuilding the island after the Visorak invasion. “But it was never the chute lines and Knowledge Towers that made Metru Nui worth fighting for - it was the Matoran who gave it life. So long as they survive, the City of Legends can be rebuilt on Spherus Magna.”

“Besides,” interjected the Toa of Air, planting his Rhotuka shield in the ground and leaning against the rim. “We get to write the Wall of History anew. And with no shortage of Chroniclers these days, there’s no excuse for misspelling Pouks’ name this time!”

“Then by the wisdom of Iruini, welcome to the Great Reformation!” proclaimed Dume, extending his arms in gesture to the new world. “Toa Tahu’s leading council already shows tremendous promise in bridging the divide between the Matoran and Agori. Infrastructure and early settlements are cropping up. Spherus Magna has the makings of the paradise we fought so hard to win.”

As the Toa Hagah exchanged greetings and traded stories with their old friend, Gaaki found herself lingering on the Toa of Air’s words. Knowing the vague outline of future events, she was no stranger to the forces of destiny. Over the years, she had predicted great triumphs and bitter tragedies looming on the horizon, but none stung her in quite the same way as the knowledge she now held.

Resolving to stow her doubts for the time being, the Toa of Water allowed herself a moment to share in the occasion. There was great beauty in the reunion she now witnessed, and she chose not to disturb it. Thoughts of tomorrow could wait.

Today, they were Toa Hagah.