Introduction

Tahu Nuva, Toa of Fire, struggled to accept all that he had heard. Many a time he had listened to Turaga Vakama, elder of the village of Ta-Koro, tell a tale of past glories. But never such a story as this.

He had asked the Turaga to share with him and his fellow heroes a tale of Metru Nui. The Toa would soon be leading the Matoran villagers to this new island. They wished to be prepared for any danger that might await them there.

The tale Vakama told was a shocking one. He revealed that he and the other village elders had, long ago, been Matoran, living in a great city on Metru Nui. Through a strange twist of fate, they were gifted with the power of Toa. Their destiny: to save their city from disaster.

“We believed Metru Nui to be a paradise,” Vakama had said. “But it was a city under siege. A dark, twisted plant called the Morbuzakh threatened from every side, bringing down buildings and driving Matoran from their homes. If left unchecked, nothing would remain of the city we loved.”

But how to save the city? The answer came to Vakama in a vision. The Toa Metru had to seek out six Matoran who knew the hiding places of the Great Disks. These disks, when used together, could defeat the Morbuzakh. It seemed a simple task, and one that would surely prove to all in Metru Nui that these new Toa were worthy of being called heroes.

But the six Toa faced many dangers before the Matoran could be found. Still unskilled in the use of their powers, they barely escaped traps that had been set along their way. It soon became clear that one of the Matoran was seeking to betray the others, and all of Metru Nui as well.

It was at that point that Vakama had stopped speaking. Now the Toa had gathered again to hear more of his strange tale.

Gali Nuva, Toa of Water, approached him quietly and laid a hand on his shoulder.

“Are you ready to continue, Turaga?” she asked. “Should we wait for another time?”

Vakama shook his head. “No, Toa Gali. These secrets have been kept from you for far too long. The time has come to speak. But… it is not easy.”

“You said that you felt sure one of the six Matoran was walking in shadow,” Tahu, Toa of Fire, said. “Why didn’t you turn him over to the enforcers of order in Metru Nui — what did you call them?”

“Vahki,” replied Vakama. “We had no choice. Those six Matoran were the only ones who knew the location of the Great Disks, and we had to have those disks. But we knew we must take precautions against betrayal.”

“Tell us more, Turaga,” said Pohatu. “Continue your story, please.”

“Very well, Toa of Stone,” said Vakama. “Now where was I? Oh, yes. With the six Matoran having been found, we Toa Metru were ready to begin searching for the Great Disks. Time was running out — with each day, the Morbuzakh grew bolder and more of the city was brought to ruin.

“It was decided that we would split into teams to search the city for the disks, bringing the Matoran with us. Of course, not everyone was happy about this idea…”