The Benefit of Grief/Transcript

(In the desert, Kai, Zane, and Dareth are walking exhaustedly.)
Dareth: So ... you're not ... thirsty at all?
Zane: No. Being a Nindroid is not without benefits.
Dareth: I wish I were a Nindroid.
(Kai spots a van driving by.)
Kai: Hey. Hey! Hey wait! Wait wait wait! Stop, stop please! Help! Help!
(The van stops and reverses to the ninja. Zane cloaks himself with his hologram.)
Sally: Hi, guys! Whatchu doing way out here?
Kai: We were, uh, camping. And we got a little lost.
Sally: Ah. How come you're dressed up like the ninja?
Dareth: We were, uh, costume camping. It's a thing. Lots of people are doing it. Anyway, yeah, we could really use a ride.
Sally: Sure! Hop in.
Kai: Thanks.
(They board the van. Sally turns on the music, and Sally's song begins to play.)
Dareth: So, you don't recognize these guys?
Sally: No, why? Should I?
Kai: He's just joking. Hehahaha. (He nudges Dareth.) Uh, so, are you moving or something, Sally?
Sally: Yep! All the way to Ninjago City! I'm gonna be a singer. I'm gonna be like, on the radio, and TV, and in concerts and stuff.
Zane: Is this one of your songs?
Sally: It sure is! What do you think?
(The song plays "Dig deep inside, and you will feel: an inner strength, an inner steel." Zane notices the lyrics.)
Dareth: Wow. You wrote that? That's great!
Sally: Thanks!
Zane: But humans are not made of steel.
Sally: Of course not, silly! It's a song, to make people feel better! Songs can help people come together and find their way. That's what I want my music to do.
Zane: That is a worthy cause.
Kai: Yeah! It's great, Sally.
Sally: Oh, you guys are sweet.
Zane: And who is that? (He points at a photo.)
Sally: Oh, no! (She starts crying and lets go of the wheel.)
Dareth: Oh! Look out!
Kai: Sally? What are you doing?
Zane: She has released the wheel.
Kai: I know, Zane! Do something! Grab it! Grab it!
(Zane pulls the brakes and the van stops. Sally bursts out of the van sobbing.)
Dareth: What was that about?
Zane: I do not know. (He approaches her.) Sally, what is wrong?
Sally: I - I ran away. From - home ...
Kai: Why?
Sally: Because - I wanted to go to Ninjago City. But, my dad said I'm not old enough. So - I went anyway, even though I knew it would hurt his feelings. Because I'm selfish, selfish, SELFISH! (Her voice echoes through the desert.) I - I have all these songs inside of me, and - and - and some - sometimes I feel like I'm just gonna pop! So, I - I kind of, sort of, borrowed his van without asking.
Kai: You mean, stole it.
Sally: No, I borrowed it without asking. Anyway, while I was borrowing it, I sort of, kind of, ran over a mailbox and accidentally changed the shape of the front of the van.
Kai: You mean broke it.
Sally: Changed its shape! Are you even listening?
(A police helicopter flies overhead.)
Police: This is the police! You are under arrest!
Sally: Oh, no! My dad called the cops on me? How could he do that?
Dareth: What?
Kai: They're not here for you, Sally. They're here for --
(Sally drives away frantically.)
Kai: Get on board, get on board!
Sally: Come on, come on, come on, come on!
Zane: Sally, this course of action is unwise.
Kai: Yeah, will you listen? They're not even after you! They're after us! Show her, Zane!
(Zane deactivates his cloak.)
Sally: I can't believe it! My own father called the cops on me. He must be so mad. I can never go home now. Oh, why. Why did I do it? Because you're selfish, Sally. Selfish, selfish, selfish! (She lets go of the wheel again. Zane calmly steadies it for her.)
Kai: Uh, Sally? Sally? Stop! Stop the van stop the van!
(Sally looks up in time to see the helicopter in front of them, and slams the brakes.)
Hounddog McBrag: Listen up, ninja! Y'all all rode the bull to the end of --
Sally: Hold on! (She drives off the road.)
Hounddog McBrag: Dang, didn't even get to finish my metaphor.
(They reach the edge of a cliff.)
Hounddog McBrag: Let's try this again. You're trapped, ninja. No way out! Do the smart thing and surrender!
Sally: Oh! Ninja? They're not after me! They're after you!
Kai: That's what I've been trying to say!
Sally: Why? What did you do?
Kai: We borrowed something without asking.
Sally: (gasps) You stole?! (She lets go of the brakes and the van slides backwards.)
Dareth: Sally, hit the gas!
(The van falls into the river.)
Butchie: Those guys are nuts.
Hounddog McBrag: Yep. But so am I. (He drives a car down the cliff as well.) Justice!
Police: Why didn't he just take the helicopter?
Butchie: Too obvious.
Dareth: You gotta be kidding me!
Kai: Who - who is this guy?
(Hounddog McBrag's car rams into them from behind.)
Dareth: And how is he doing that?
Sally: That is like, so uncalled for! This is my father's van!
Dareth: Uh, rapids, rapids, RAPIDS!
Kai: Hold on!
Hounddog McBrag: Y'all are under arrest! Stop the van and get out with your hands up!
Kai: Is he joking?
Dareth: He doesn't look like a jokey kind of guy!
(Zane reaches out and blasts ice at Hounddog McBrag, freezing his boat and the river.)
Hounddog McBrag: The ol' blast the windshield with the ice trick. Ha. Well, this ain't my first rodeo, partner. (He clears the windshields, but finds his car stuck on ice.) Nicely played, ninja. But I once tracked a tumbleweed through a sandstorm. I'll find you, sooner or later.
(On the desert, Sally's van has reached dry land.)
Sally: I can't believe we just did that! We got chased by a helicopter, and drove off a cliff, and fell in the river, and went on some rapids, ah! That was my first big adventure! Were you as excited as I was?
Zane: I shut off my emotion meter, to avoid unpleasant emotions.
Sally: Unpleasant? (She slams the van, and the bumper falls off. Then the van falls apart.) Oh no! This is all my fault! (She sobs, hugging the bumper.)
Kai: Here we go again.
Sally: I wish I could turn off my emotion meter. Then I - I wouldn't miss my parents anymore. And - and - and I could just run away and - and - and everything would be fine.
Zane: My creator Dr. Julien once attempted to protect me from feelings of grief by erasing my memory banks. But now, I am beginning to see that emotions, even unpleasant ones, do in fact serve a purpose.
Sally: Like what?
Zane: They are telling you to go home.
Sally: But - but - what if my parents don't forgive me?
Zane: They will, Sally.
Sally: How do you know?
Zane: It does not take a Nindroid to see that your parents love you very much. (He hands her the photo of her and her parents.)
(Sally's song resumes in the background.)
Sally: You think so?
Zane: I know so.
(Sally smiles. Later, they arrive at her home.)
Sally: Well, I guess this is it.
Kai: It was good meeting you, Sally.
Sally: You too.
Dareth: Oh, and keep up the singing. One day when you're older, you're gonna take Ninjago City by storm. I just know it.
Sally: Thank you. (She approaches the door, but hesitates.)
Kai: You can do it. Go on.
Zane: It will be fine, Sally.
(She knocks on the door.)
Sally's father: Sally? Sally, we were so worried!
Sally's mother: Oh, honey. Oh, Sally! Thank goodness you're home!
Sally: I missed you!
Kai: Say, did you turn your emotions back on?
Zane: I did indeed.
Kai: And why is that?
Zane: I realized there is a benefit to them. Even grief.
Kai: There's hope for you yet, Zane.
(The three leave to continue their journey.)
(End of the episode. For more information, click here.)
Category:Transcript
Category:2022
Category:Crystalized