The Merge: Part 1/Transcript

(The camera pans down to Arin posing on top of a gate, while his parents cheer him on.)
Arin (narrating): It seems strange now, but remember when Ninjago was the only thing on the map? When it was our entire world? I used to spend all my time trying to be like my heroes, the ninja. Practicing their moves, learning their poses ... I wanted to be just like them. To protect everyone in Ninjago. To ride dragons into adventure and mythical realms. Mysterious lands that could only exist in legend. (The sky splits apart behind him.) But I quickly found out those legendary realms are very real. And I was about to lose everyone that was important to me. My neighborhood must have been the very center of the Merge. But back then, we didn't know what to call it. It was just chaos.
Past Arin's mother: Arin, get inside! It's too dangerous out there!
(Past Arin screams as he is sucked into the Merge.)
Past Arin's mother: Arin!
Arin (narrating): That’s when my heroes, the ninja, arrived! We were in so much danger, but I couldn't help but be excited.
Past Lloyd: Hey kid! You get lost?
Past Arin: (He calls out the ninjas' names as he spots them.) Jay, the Lightning Ninja! Kai, Fire Ninja! Cole, Earth Ninja! Zane, Ice Ninja. Nya, Water Ninja! Lloyd, the legendary Green Ninja!
Past Lloyd: Hold on, kid. (He sets Arin on the ground.)
Past Arin: Green Ninja, my parents are in that storm! You gotta save them!
Past Lloyd: That's what we're here for!
Arin (narrating): And that’s when it happened. (The rift explodes and his neighborhood disappears.) As I saw my small neighborhood disappear and a new city show up on the horizon, I realized I had witnessed the Merge firsthand. The moment all the mysterious realms I had only heard about merged with Ninjago, for reasons no one’s been able to figure out. I survived, but I was alone. My parents and everyone I ever knew had vanished.
Past Arin: Mom? Dad? (He looks up to see Lloyd’s hood floating down from the sky, and he reaches up to catch it.)
Arin (narrating): With my parents and home gone, I had to make a new life for myself. Before, everyone I knew looked like me. Now I walk the streets with skeleton people, buy food from snail people, sell pies to frog people! And since the ninja disappeared, I realized it's up to me to carry on their legendary tradition.
(It is revealed that Arin is telling the story to some dogs in a junkyard at night.)
Sora: Arin, not to insult the dreams of my best new friend, but ... you are so not a ninja.
Arin: How would you know, Sora? You didn't grow up with them like I did. All I need is a master to train me.
Sora: Sure! Ah, one problem. There are no ninja masters around anymore.
Arin: Hey, uh, have you found what we need yet? I can only distract these dogs from making noise for so long. Uh, I don't have that many stories to tell.
Sora: Give me a second. (She picks up an item.) Boom! And we didn't even set off the —
(The alarm sounds.)
Security Bots: Halt! Halt! Halt! 
Arin: We should be leaving now.
Sora: I always like how you think.
(They flee from the robots.)
Arin: Oh, there’s got to be an easier way to get mechanical parts!
Sora: There is! It’s called "having money". Which is not exactly our situation.
Arin: After tomorrow it might be!
Security Bots: Halt! Halt! Halt! (They shoot at the two.)
Arin: Alright, then! Ninja, —
Sora: You’re not a ninja!
Arin: Wannabe ninja, go! (He kicks away the robots with Spinjitzu.)
Sora: Rough landing, but you’re getting better at that. Let’s go! Can you make a distraction?
Arin: I don’t think these bots want to hear my story about the Merge!
Sora: Then do something else!
Arin: (He swings around with his grappling hook to distract the robots, while Sora hacks them.) Up here! You! Garbage can!
Security Bots: Dance! Dance! Dance! Dance! Dance! Dance! Dance! Dance! Dance! Dance! Dance! Dance!
Arin: I will never get over how quickly you can hack stuff like that.
Sora: What can I say? I’m just naturally good at tech stuff. It's been like that since I was a kid.
Arin: We might not have money, but I'm sure the owners of this place would love one of my delicious homemade pies, right? As payment for the gear we're borrowing.
Sora: Who doesn't love pie? (They leave a pie behind and exit the junkyard.)
Security Bots: Dance! Dance! Dance! Dance! Dance! Dance!
----
(Arin and Sora make their way through the Crossroads.)
Sora: Hey, Mrs. R.
Arin: How's the wasp milk today?
Sora: Oop, watch your step, Newt.
Arin: Wow.
(A car nearly hits them, but Arin uses his grappling hook to get them out of the way.)
Sora: Hey! Watch where you’re going!
Arin: I still can’t get over how amazing the Kingdom of Imperium looks. It’s perfect, isn’t it?
Sora: Don't believe everything you hear about Imperium. I’m from there, remember? Their idea of "perfect" isn’t mine. The Merge slamming it up against Ninjago gave me the perfect chance to get out.
Arin: And the perfect chance to meet me! I’d still like to go there someday. Or go anywhere. I’ve never been out of my old neighborhood. The Crossroads just grew up around the area where my house used to be.
Sora: You want to experience other places? Look around! Why go anywhere when the best of all the realms moved here to the Crossroads? For example, me.
Arin: I’m glad you came here, Sora. You’re my BFF, my fam. But some of us are only here because we had nowhere else to go.
Sora: I understand, but you have to admit. Having our own penthouse is pretty cool. (They look towards the top of a building.) Race you to the top! (She starts climbing a ladder.)
Arin: Last one there’s a rotten egg! (He uses his grappling hook to overtake Sora.)
Sora: Hey, that’s cheating!
Arin: See ya! Wouldn’t want to be ya!
Sora: Careful, Arin! You’re going too—
Arin: (He crashes.) Dang it!
Sora: Fast.
(They enter their penthouse.)
Sora: Yes! The SA Mark 01 is gonna crush in the Mech Master 5000!
Arin: Tomorrow's race is the biggest prize pot of all time. If we win ...
Sora: When we win.
Arin: Right, right, when we win, we could find ourselves a real place to live. I could build my own monastery and invite everyone else who lost their parents to live with us. To carry on the tradition of the ninja!
Sora: And I could design a real garage and lab. And we wouldn't have to pay for parts with your pies anymore.
(Suddenly, the ground quakes violently.)
Sora: (She sighs.) Another earthquake? It seems like they're happening more often.
Arin: They never happened at all before the Merge. Hey, do you ever wonder if there's a greater purpose for all this? Like, a reason for the Merge?
Sora: The Merge might have taken away everything you had, Arin. But it's given me everything I have. Change can be scary, but it's also a chance for something better.
(She gazes at the Kingdom of Imperium in the distance.)
----
(At Imperium, Rapton speaks to Ras.)
Ras: The capture was successful?
Rapton: Of course! Transfer will begin first thing in the morning.
Ras: Your overconfidence is a weakness, Rapton. These creatures are dangerous.
Rapton: Trust me, this thing isn't going anywhere. Don't worry, Lord Ras!
Ras: Do not disappoint me. (He turns off the communication link.)
Claw Hunter: Lord Ras doesn’t sound like he’s got a lot of faith in us.
Rapton: He’' too uptight. We're the best there is at rounding up these animals. (Imitating Ras) Ugh, "your overconfidence is a weakness." (He laughs.) Lemme tell ya, I've never even heard the word weakness.
Claw Hunter: Really? It’s a pretty common word.
Rapton: No, I... I — I mean, I just don’t know what that word means.
Claw Hunter: Seriously? I can explain. Weakness: noun, the quality of — argh! (He is kicked away by Rapton.)
Rapton: Go away. (He leaps down and peers into a cell.) This guy in here, he ain’t going nowhere, ain’t ya? (He laughs evilly.)
----
(At the Crossroads, mechs line up for the Mech Master 5000.)
Alfonzo: Last call to register for the Mech Master 5000! The greatest race —
Sora: In the history of the Crossroads! And we're here to win it.
Alfonzo: Sora! Arin! Always happy to peep you two wild scamps. Up top!
Sora: Good to see you too, Mr. Frohicky.
Alfonzo: Wait, that's your mech? Oh ho, no offense, Sora, but, uh, not one of your more impressive builds, is it, hmm?
Sora: It's easily underestimated. Just like us.
Alfonzo: Sure, but I've got top mechs from around the merged realms here. Like an Underworld Mech.
Bone Guard: Freaky leapy.
Alfonzo: There's even a ... uh, uh ... that thing.
Lobbo: (He enters his mech.) Lobbo Lobbo.
Arin: Oh, that's Lobbo! He's a good guy. But, uh, never ask him about his mom. It's a ... it's a very touchy subject.
Alfonzo: Plus, all the regulars. It could get pretty vicious. Maybe you should sit today's race out? (He sighs.) Fine. Then ante up! (He sniffs the air and sees Arin holding out a pie.) I know you're not trying to pay your registration fees with baked goods again.
Arin: So you don't want a fresh pie, filled with roasted snowberries from the Never-Realm? Fine, I guess we'll just have to toss it. Maybe the dogs are hungry. Or maybe the raccoons?
Alfonzo: Well, it'd be a shame to just throw it out. (He gives in and takes the pie.) Fine! Line up!
(Arin and Sora push their mech into place.)
Kreel: Ha! They'll let anyone into these races, won't they?
Sora: At least we build our own gear, Kreel. We don't need a team of servants doing the work for us.
Kreel: They aren't servants! They're friend-ish people who work for me. They're here to cheer when I crush you! Like last time. And the time before, and, checks notes ... (She gasps dramatically.) Every single time. You kids don't learn.
Arin: Oh, we learn. But we just don't give up.
Sora: And I might've designed a bit of an upgrade since the last race. (She operates the mech, which rises to full height.) C'mon, Arin. Let's get our fuel couplings attached while Kreel contemplates her impending loss.
Kreel: (She laughs.) I'm not worried. (She whispers to a Whack Rat.) But just in case, loosen their cooling cable while they're gone. When they hit their turboboost, their engine will overheat and explode. (She laughs again.)
----
(At Imperium, a container bounces around.)
Rapton: Hey! Settle down in there! (He laughs.) Nice try, you animal. You can't —
(The container bursts open. A baby dragon escapes.)
Rapton: After that thing!
----
(The Mech Master 5000 begins and mechs race through a track.)
Arin: Are we winning? I can't see. Tell me we're winning!
Sora: Not yet. Get the bumper arms up.
(Competing mechs slam into each other, knocking out competition.)
Lobbo: Lobbo on the move. Lobbo Lobbo.
Sora: We're coming for you, you fancy-hatted egomaniac! (They encounter a fallen mech.) Hold on! (She makes her mech leap over the debris.)
Arin: Phew!
Lobbo: Lobbo avoids hazards. Lobbo Lobbo.
Arin: Hit the turboboost!
Sora: No! We can only use it once. Saving it for when we really need it.
(The SA Mark 01 and Kreel's mech approach the finish line.)
Kreel: Those punks? Oh no they don't!
Arin: We're in the straightaway. This has got to be the time to use the turboboost, right? Right?
Sora: Yep! Get ready to roll around in prize money, tossing it in the air, and going "Whee hee!"
(Suddenly, a metal board flies up from the ground and hits Kreel's mech. Sora screeches to a halt before the dust and gasps when she sees a baby dragon.)
Arin: Sora, go! We're so close!
Sora: We gotta go after that dragon.
Arin: What? We need to win this race!
Sora: Those dragon hunters are the Claws of Imperium. If they catch that dragon ... the things they'll do to him. Trust me, we have to stop them. Arin, what would the ninja do?
Arin: Let's save that dragon!
(They blast off in the mech.)
Kreel: Ugh, get up! Get up!
Lobbo: Lobbo Lobbo. (He glides past Kreel easily and reaches the finish line.) Lobbo wins! Lobbo a success! See, Lobbo's mother? Can a "malfunctioning tin can" do that? Lobbo Lobbo.
(A small distance away, the Claw Hunters hit the baby dragon with a blast.)
Rapton: No need to tell Ras about this minor slip up, understood?
(Arin and Sora arrive.)
Arin: Hop on, buddy!
Rapton: What? Who are these kids now? Get them!
Arin: Uh, looks like we're in another race.
Sora: Then good thing we've still got that turboboost ready to go. (She presses a button, but the mech goes out of control and falls from a bridge. The baby dragon bumps into her and powers her up.) Arin — (She reassembles the mech with her new powers.)
Rapton: Uh, did one of us make that thing explode? I mean, heh, I'm sure it was us, right?
Claw Hunter: Uh ...
Rapton: Dragons are resilient. Our target will survive. Those kids, not so much. Let's get down there and drag the lizard off the pavement.
(Arin and Sora fly past them in their mech.)
Claw Hunter: That's different than it was before, right?
Arin: How did you do all this?
Sora: I honestly do not know. But now's not the time for questions. It's the time for ... (They fly upwards.)
Arin: Woo hoo! Now it's my turn. (He leaps off the mech.) Self-trained wannabe ninja without a master, go! (He is hit by a blaster and barely makes his landing.) Eh, close enough.
(Just then, Ras arrives with a shockwave that sends everyone flying.)
Rapton: Lord Ras! We were just about to —
Ras: You failed me. I do not like that. (He drops Rapton.)
Arin: Uh, do you know who this guy is?
Sora: No clue.
Arin: He doesn't seem very nice. (He attempts to attack with Spinjitzu, but Ras catches his leg.) What? How'd you — (He is slammed onto the ground.)
Sora: Arin!
(Ras destroys the mech, then shoots the baby dragon.)
Ras: You are just the first. Now, I'm going to hunt down your entire family, wherever they are. (He notices a crack in the sky above.) Put the prisoners on the train. Quickly! I trust you won't have any more problems.
Rapton: Yes, Lord Ras. I mean, no, Lord Ras.
----(On the train, Arin and Sora sit together, both handcuffed.)
Arin: What do you think they'll do to us?
Sora: Whatever it is, they'll do worse to that dragon.
Arin: Really?
Sora: The Claws of the Imperium come from Imperium, same as me. And Imperium runs entirely on dragon power. With all these merged realms, I'm sure they're hunting dragons everywhere now.
Arin: But they say dragon power is safe.
Sora: Safe for who? You saw the look in that dragon's eyes. It wanted to be free. Just like I did.
Arin: So, uh, I've known you for a while now, and you've always been pretty good with tech, but ...
Sora: I have no idea.
Arin: You turned pieces of the SA Mark 01 into a flying mech, in midair!
Sora: Yeah. That was weird, right?
Arin: Well, that's one word for it. Other words would be amazing, impossible, defying all logic or reason!
Sora: It was that dragon. I could feel it awaken something in me. Some kind of power.
Arin: Like the Elemental Powers the ninja had! Powers I've dreamed of having. Water, Fire, Ice...
Sora: Not everything is tied to your lost heroes, you know.
Arin: If I lose hope that the ninja could come back, then I lose hope my parents could come back. Hope is the only thing the Merge didn't take from me.
Sora: Well, hope won't be enough anymore. We can't build you a new ninja monastery from an Imperium Prison.
Arin: It's called the Monastery of Spinjitzu. But you're right. The dream's over, isn't it?
(They hear shouting through the roof of the train.)
Claw Hunter #1: Hey! What —
Claw Hunter #2: Wait, aren't you ... no way!
(The metal grate on the ceiling is torn away. Lloyd emerges.)
Arin: (in an awed whisper) The Green Ninja!
Lloyd: I think that mask belongs to me.
(End of the episode. For more information, click here.)
Category:Transcript
Category:2023
de:Die Verschmelzung: Teil 1/Transkript
Category:Season 1 (Dragons Rising)