Introduction

Jaller paused from his labors for a moment and took a deep breath. He could not remember ever working harder than he had in the past few days. Ever since it had been announced that the Matoran were going to move from the island of Mata Nui to the island city of Metru Nui, villagers had been toiling day and night to build enough boats for the great journey.

For Jaller and his friends, the nonstop work was welcome. Their home, Ta-Koro, had been destroyed in the battle to save the island from darkness, and they were living in other villages until the time came to leave Mata Nui forever. Talk around the fires at night was about Metru Nui, what wonders they might find there, and how soon they would be able to leave for this new and mysterious place.

“We’ll never get to Metru Nui if the great Jaller keeps taking rest breaks.”

Jaller turned to see his friend Hahli smiling at him. The Ga-Matoran had recently been named the new Chronicler, and ever since she had been traveling from place to place gathering tales about Metru Nui. She hoped to be able to share the stories with the other Matoran during the long journey to come.

“At least when I’m working, I’m working,” replied Jaller good-naturedly. “You can’t build a boat with a story, you know.”

“Maybe not, but it sure makes the sailing go faster. I’m heading to see Turaga Vakama. He’s about to continue his tale of Metru Nui to the Toa. I am supposed to record it for the Wall of History we will build on the new island. Come with me?”

Jaller thought about it. He probably should keep working, but he was already far ahead of all the others. It wouldn’t do any harm to take a little time off.

“Okay. Let’s go,” he said.

The two of them set out for the Amaja Circle sandpit, the place where Turaga Vakama traditionally told his tales. After a short while, Jaller asked, “So is it true?”

“Is what true?”

“All the stories I have been hearing. How the Turaga were once Toa on Metru Nui; how they searched for six missing Matoran, but learned that one of the Matoran planned to betray the city; and how they gathered six Great Disks and used them to defeat a menace called the Morbuzakh.”

Hahli nodded. “Yes, it’s all true. Amazing, isn’t it? One moment, they were Matoran just like us, living and working in a great city. The next moment, they were Toa Metru with powers and Toa tools and everything!”

Up ahead, they could see the seven Toa gathered around Turaga Vakama. The Turaga had already begun to speak. “It had been a difficult and dangerous mission, but we six Toa Metru had triumphed. Metru Nui had been saved from the Morbuzakh, and we were certain that we would be hailed as heroes. But we were about to face another test, one that would threaten to shatter our newfound unity.”

The Turaga of Fire turned his gaze to the night sky, but all present knew that his eyes were truly viewing images from the past. “Toa would challenge Toa in the darkness below the city, in a struggle that still lives in my nightmares.”