(In the Administration, the agents are doing their duties. Agents Roderick Allen and SsssSsss Underwood are walking past the line of applicants.)
Allen: I hate it when we get stuck on security duty.
Underwood: Not me, because I love to quash dissent.
Allen: Sure, I love a bit of dissent-quashing too. Only problem, there's never any dissent in the Administration.
(Underwood hears an applicant yawning. She rushes over to him.)
Underwood: (Gasps.) Was that a sigh of disssent?
Applicant: Huh? No. I'm just tired. (Yawns.)
(Allen pushes Underwood out of the way.)
Allen: You sure? Not a blatant call to rally others against the system that treats you like a cog in the machine, devaluing your individuality and identity?
(The applicant shakes his head.)
Underwood: No, it's fine. Whatever.
Allen: (Sighs.) Guess there's just nothing out of the ordinary going on around here.
(Sora and Arin, who hid in the line of applicants, sneak out of the line and throughout the Administration to the mail cubicle. As a Nindroid Warrior walks out of the mail cubicle, Arin throws a throwing star at the door, keeping it open. They enter the mail cubicle and use the tube to get to the Department of Reassignment. Arin soon lands on the ground of the Department. As Arin got up, Sora lands on top of him, knocking him down again. Sora helps him up.)
Sora: Sorry.
(Arin spots that no one is up at the Department's monitors.)
Arin: Empty? Weird.
Sora: But perfect for what we need.
(Arin and Sora get up to the monitors.)
Arin: Man, our first solo ninja mission. Just you and me, like the old days!
Sora: What's the deal with this place again?
Arin: Last time I was in here, the agent said they find people who went missing during the Merge and return them. But I think they were sending people to wrong places. If they found my missing parents, they could have sent them anywhere.
Sora: Still, if the Administration is good at anything, it's record keeping. They probably kept notes of—
(The monitors turn red and start beeping.)
Arin: What's happening?
Sora: Looks like the records were taken offline when the head of the department of realm reassignment, some guy named Agent Walker, went missing.
Arin: So info about my parents could have been here but I waited too long to get it? What's wrong with me? I got distracted by ninja stuff.
Sora: If you consider saving the world a distraction—
(The door opens and agents led by Allen and Underwood all roll in with blasters and forms.)
Underwood: Yes, yes! Finally some dissent!
Allen: It’s quashing time!
(Lloyd has a vision of Zeatrix, a red dragon, the Shadow Dojo, the empowered Wolf Mask Warriors training, a waterfall, and Ras putting the control implant on Nokt. Lloyd finds himself sitting in front of Wu's altar at the Monastery of Spinjitzu. Nya approaches him.)
Nya: Anything?
Lloyd: A lot. But not what I wanted to see.
Nya: Like where Ras' dojo went?
Lloyd: Exactly. Master Rontu teaching me to find harmony for my visions has been an enormous help. But that doesn't mean I can make any sense of them. I saw Wolf Masks training. But I have no idea where.
Nya: Or who the mysterious master was that Ras called out to during the Blood Moon?
Lloyd: What kind of being could have that much power? To make entire dojo disappear like that?
Nya: No clue. And until we figure it out, it's like we have no idea what our next step to—Woah!
(A flaming boulder lands in front of Lloyd and Nya. Wyldfyre jumps into the monastery.)
Wyldfyre: ? through! Kai once told me Boulder Golf would increase both my power and accuracy.
(Wyldfyre uses her power to hit the flaming boulder over the monastery walls. She then flies over the wall with her powers to get the boulder.)
Lloyd: Wyldfyre's been training nonstop since...
Nya: ...since my brave, stupid brother got himself trapped forever in the Nether-Space. Wyldfyre's trying to live up to what she think Kai would want.
(Lloyd and Nya look at Wu's picture.)
Lloyd: Huh. I know a thing or two about thinking that way. But I'm worried she's putting too much pressure on herself.
Nya: Says the king of putting too much pressure on himself.
Lloyd: That's how I know it's bad. And she's not the only ninja training I'm worried about. I expected to hear from Arin and Sora by now.
Nya: I'm sure they're fine.
(In the Department of Reassignment, Allen and Underwood stand in front of Arin and Sora.)
Allen: Agents, present arms.
(The other agents surround Arin and Sora, armed with blasters.)
Underwood: You better turn yourselves in, punks. We have blasters and injunction paperwork, and we're not afraid to use either!
Allen: Better listen to her. My partner's vicious with her paperwork. She'll bury you in 9-21Cs so hard, you'll wish you 51A'd your 39ZZs!
Arin: I don't know what any of that means, but we should be going.
(Arin uses Arin's grappling hook to escape the agents. Two agents catch Arin and Sora's leg.)
Arin: Hey, let go! Those are my favorite feet!
(Arin and Sora fall to the ground.)
Sora: We can't get captured on our first solo mission. Lloyd will never let us out of the monastery again!
(Arin uses a smoke bomb to distract the agents while him and Sora make a run.)
Allen: (coughing) I bet that smoke bomb isn't even licensed. Dispel the vapors!
(Underwood fans the vapors with her forms.)
Underwood: They've completely vanished! Impossible! It must be some form of magic!
(Arin and Sora sneak away from the Department of Reassignment and heads into the Department of Demolitions. They sneak past a Munce agent demolishing items into the furnace. The two make it out to the back of the warehouse, where Riyu is sleeping on the Explorer. He suddenly wakes up when the two exit the facility, going over to lick them.)
Sora: (laughs) Good to see you too, Riyu, but we gotta move. They might figure out where we went any second now.
(In the Department of Reassignment, the agents continue to search for Arin and Sora.)
Allen: Seriously, where'd they go? Oh, we'll never figure this out!
(Back outside the warehouse, Arin and Sora zoom away on the Explorer. Riyu flies besides the buggy.)
Arin: Mission was a total fail, Riyu. If the Administration had any clues to where my parents are, those clues are gone now.
Sora: It's okay, Arin. I'm sure we'll track them down with some other lead.
Arin: What other lead? There is no—
(Arin, Sora, and Riyu hear a roar coming from above them. They see a large dragon fly over them and crash right in front of them. They stop the buggy.)
Arin: What was that?
Sora: We've gotta check that out!
(Arin and Sora drive the buggy toward the large dragon. Arin stops the buggy right in front of the dragon, who seems to be severely injured.)
Arin: Whoa! It's a dragon!
(Arin and Sora exit the buggy, and Riyu flies over to the dragon and cries.)
Sora: It's the Matriarch of the Mountain Dragons.
Arin: Riyu's tribe mother.
(Riyu cries again, and the Matriarch lets out a weak roar.)
Sora: (gasps): Someone took her horns!
Arin: We have to help her.
Sora: I'll call the others on the Explorer's long-range comms.
Arin: They'll take forever to get all the way out here. The Matriarch needs help now.
Sora: But what can we do?
Arin: This is the Land of Madness. Riyu has a lot of friends here.
(Riyu continues to cry.)
(In the Shadow Dojo, the Wolf Mask Warriors are watching Nokt and Cinder duel. Cinder uses Shatterspin and his Smoke powers, but Nokt uses Shatterspin to knock Cinder into the Gong of Shattering. Nokt goes to attack Cinder.)
Ras: Cease, Nokt.
(Ras activates the control implant, shocking Nokt. He falls right in front of Cinder. Ras and Jordana approach Nokt and Cinder.)
Ras: This is training, not war.
Nokt: (panting) Everything is war.
Ras: Save your anger for when it matters. Your skills have improved since I freed you, Nokt.
Nokt: If you're so impressed with my Shatterspin, why don't you take off this blasted control implant so I can really let lose?
Ras: Because I don't trust you. I respect the Forbidden Five, but I am in charge here. And I do not need a knife in my back. Reset the match! We need to be at peak fighting form if we're going to beat the other elemental competitors.
(Back in the Land of Madness, the Craglings feed the Matriarch with their mud.)
Arin: The Craglings really do treat Riyu like a hero. They wouldn't use the healing mud from their sacred field for anyone else.
Sora: Yea, but I'm not sure it's working.
(Heatwave and Zanth arrive with Kai and Wyldfyre and Nya and Lloyd respectively.)
Nya: What exactly happened?
Sora: Someone attacked the Matriarch and stole her Crown of Horns.
Lloyd: Who could have done such a thing?
(The Matriarch growls weakly. Lloyd notices a map in the Matriarch's claw. He goes over and pick it up.)
Lloyd: What's this?
(Wyldfyre approaches the Matriarch.)
Wyldfyre: I'm Wyldfyre of the Fire Dragon Tribe, and this is Heatwave, my tribe father. We're here to help.
(The Matriarch roars.)
Wyldfyre: She's in bad shape. We need to work twice as hard here. Come on!
(The Matriarch roars again, and then hits her tail hard against the ground. She then roars at Lloyd.)
Lloyd: Do you all hear that? She's saying something.
(The Matriarch lets out a final roar, hits her tail again, and dies. The dragons roar while Wyldfyre lets out an emotional cry.)
Sora: How could someone do this?
Arin: Why would someone do this?
Lloyd: Right before she passed, I heard the Matriarch's voice in my head. Did anyone else hear that?
Arin: What did she say?
Lloyd: She said the Source Dragons are in grave danger.
(The ninja hear a chittering noise.)
Arin: You hear that?
(Riyu moans in agreement. He flies over to the chittering noise, while the ninja follow him.)
Sora: Is that crying?
(Riyu finds a hatchling in the Matriarch's pouch. The hatchling jumps down to Riyu. Wyldfyre walks over to Riyu and the hatchling.)
Wyldfyre: The Matriarch's child. This baby's gotta be the next in line to lead the tribe.
(Wyldfyre holds up the hatchling, and Heatwave and Zanth bows in respect.)
Wyldfyre: Whoever killed the Matriarch must not have known this kid was in one of her mama's nursing pouches.
(The other ninja walk over to the hatchling.)
Lloyd: Don't be afraid, little dragon. We're going to protect you.
Sora: And how exactly are we going to protect this baby? What if whoever killed the Matriarch comes back?
Lloyd: Only one way to keep it safe. We have to take it back to its home tribe.
Sora: Great idea, but big problem. The Mountain Dragons moved after Rapton and the Claws of Imperium found them, remember? We have no idea where they live now.
(Riyu roars and runs to the front of the two other dragons. The other ninja follow.)
Arin: What's that, Riyu?
(Riyu draws an arrow pointing to the direction of the herd's home.)
Arin: Is that your home, Riyu?
(Riyu roars in confirmation.)
Arin: Sure, but what about you? (Ponders.) Oh, I forgot! Remember when Riyu left his tribe to come with us? The Matriarch told him he would always be able to find them.
Lloyd: That's right!
Nya: But how does he do that?
'(Riyu groans and roars, pointing to the direction of the tribe's new home.)
Lloyd: He seems to think the tribe is in that direction. Are we sure he's right?
(Zanth picks Lloyd up. Heatwave approaches the other ninja.)
Wyldfyre: The other dragons are sure, and dragons have way more common sense than people do.
(Nya and Wyldfyre hop on Heatwave.)
Arin: Then let's go!
(Sora and Arin join Lloyd on Zanth.)
Arin: Thank you for your help, Craglings!
(The Craglings wave goodbye as the dragons and ninja leave the Land of Madness. The hatchling hops on Riyu, and he soon joins the others.)
(While the dragons are flying toward the tribe's new home, an aerial vehicle follows them from behind.)
Arin: Riyu, we've been flying a long time. It's okay if you need a break!
Lloyd: We sure he knows where he's going?
Arin: I'm thinking yes. I've never seen him this determined.
(A gun blast comes from behind. Rapton appears with the Claw Hunters in their aerial vehicles.)
Rapton: That's right, ninja! It's the return... of...
Sora: Rapton?
Rapton: Aw, I was gonna say that! You stole Rapton's moment!
Arin: I thought you and the Claws of the Imperium were on our side now! You helped us take down the Empress!
Rapton: Pfft, I was never on your side. I was just on the Empress' side even less! And we're not the Claws of Imperium anymore. We're the Freebooters now! Attack!
(The Claw Hunters shoot at the dragons. One vehicle hits Zanth. A fireball knocks a vehicle down.)
Nya: What does Freebooters even mean? Your boots are free?
(Nya jumps over to "Blorko"'s vehicle.)
"Blorko": Told you no one would get it, Rapton! I never liked the name!
Rapton: Freebooting is what pirates do! Flawless adventurers, like us! Haven't you ever read a book?
(Lloyd lands on Rapton's vehicle.)
Lloyd: Imperium doesn't hunt dragons anymore!
Rapton: Oh, trust me, I know. I was out of a job. And after I spent three days as a shoulder pad consultant... (Rapton fights back.) I realized Rapton isn't cut out to be a wage earner. I am a Freebooter!
"Blorko": The name still sounds stupid!
Rapton: (To "Blorko") Your opinion is wrong! (To Lloyd) So now, I'm a mercenary that sells dragons to the highest bidder. And it pays awesome! I can afford twice as many unicorn figurines now!
(A Claw Hunter shoots at Riyu. Heatwave knocks the vehicle down. Another Claw Hunter shoots at Zanth. Arin uses Spinjitzu to knock another vehicle down. Meanwhile, Rapton shocks Lloyd.)
Rapton: Huh, easier than I—
(Lloyd uses Spinjitzu from behind and knocks down Rapton. Lloyd grabs Rapton by his armor.)
Lloyd: How dare you kill the Matriarch!
Rapton: What are you talking about? I haven't seen a tribal Matriarch since that time you blasted us with that weird power!
Lloyd: You're a liar!
Rapton: Would Rapton lie? We heard those dragons howling and checked it out. And you got a baby dragon! You know how much that's worth?
(A Claw Hunter knocks Lloyd off Rapton's vehicle. Wyldfyre spots Lloyd, and using her Heat powers, Heatwave swoops down and catches Lloyd with his legs. Rapton gets back in his vehicle and pursues Riyu. He prepares to shock the hatchling.)
Rapton: Rapton's about to strike gold!
(Some Mountain Dragons suddenly appear from in front of Riyu.)
Rapton: Oh, come on! This isn't a fair fight!
(The Mountain Dragons knock the vehicles down, causing the Claw Hunters to land on Rapton's vehicle.)
Rapton: You'll pay for this, ninja!
"Blorko": Pay for what? Are we selling them something?
(Sora uses her powers to enhance the speed of the vehicle's booster.)
Rapton: It's a figure of speech!
(The dragons arrive in the World Forest. They lead them to one of the World Trees, where they see much more Mountain Dragons and their offsprings.)
Wyldfyre: Wow, the Mountain Dragons must've made the World Forest their new home.
(The hatchling walks over to the other Mountain Dragons. Riyu then starts to cry and mourn for the loss of the Matriarch. The other Mountain Dragons then join Riyu in mourning by roaring in unison.)
Lloyd: I promise you, we will find who did this to your Matriarch, if it's the last thing we do.
(The hatchling runs off and plays with the offspring Mountain Dragons.)
(At the monastery, the ninja are out in the courtyard as Arin walks around.)
Arin: Today was not what I was expecting. Finding info on my parents was a complete fail, and now we have the death of the Matriarch to solve. Where do we even start?
(A bright light flashes in front of the ninja. They see the red dragon from Lloyd's vision appear in front of them.)
Sora: Who are you?
Source Dragon of Motion: I go by many names, but you would know of me as the Source Dragon of Motion.
Lloyd: No offense, but I've met a Source Dragon, and let's just say, you're a little short.
Source Dragon of Motion: I suppose it is not fair to expect you to recognize me in this mortal form. But this is the ideal way for me to interact with you ninja.
Lloyd: Look, I was told firsthand that Source Dragons don't get involved in mortal affairs. So how do we trust—
Source Dragon of Motion: Enough!
(The Source Dragon of Motion disappears and reappears as a giant dragon towering over the monastery.)
Arin: Yeah, I'm thinking that's a real Source Dragon.
(The Source Dragon of Motion reappears in her mortal form.)
Source Dragon of Motion: I come here in need of your aid. I fear the Source Dragons face an unseen menace.
Lloyd: As the Matriarch died, I heard her in my mind. She said there was grave danger to the Source Dragons.
Source Dragon of Motion: The Matriarch of the Mountain Dragons is not the only dragon of her stature to have her life taken in recent times.
Nya: What, there's been others?
(The Source Dragon of Motion shows symbols of the three slain Arc Dragons.)
Source Dragon of Motion: The Matriarch of Fallen Leaves and the Patriarch of the Northern Spiral, their crowns also stolen. These dragons fell under the powers of myself and the Life Source Dragon. (The symbols of the slain Arc Dragons disappear.) I fear whoever is doing this is coming for the Source Dragons next.
(The Source Dragon of Motion shows the symbols of the Source Dragons.)
Wyldfyre: But you're a Source Dragon. You're more powerful than anything!
Source Dragon of Motion: I wish that were always true, but as you know, one of our kind was recently captured and contained by mortals with evil intent. And before that, the unthinkable happened. A Source Dragon's very life was extinguished.
Lloyd: We didn't know that.
Source Dragon of Motion: In this post-Merge world, even the Source Dragons are not safe.
(The symbols of the Source Dragons disappear.)
Arin: What would happen if there aren't any more Source Dragons?
Source Dragon of Motion: We have existed since before time had a name. We are the source of all Elemental Power in this universe. We hold together the very fabric of reality.
Arin: Okay, yeah, so no Source Dragons would be very bad. Got it.
Nya: Why are you telling us all of this?
Source Dragon of Motion: It is not our custom to involve ourselves directly with mortals, but these are dire times. Of all the mortals, you have the strongest connection to us. We trust you. I need you to find who this hidden threat is and stop them before more Source Dragons are destroyed.
Wyldfyre: You have so much power. Can't you just, I don't know, look down and see who's doing this?
Source Dragon of Motion: That is not how our powers work. The other Source Dragons are blind to the dangers. I come here on my own. I need your aid.
Sora: Where do we even start looking?
Source Dragon of Motion: That I do not know.
Lloyd: Wait, I found this in the Matriarch's claw. (Lloyd pulls out the map of the city.) It looks like part of a map. But there's not enough of it to tell where it could be.
Nya: Those streets don't look familiar at all, and I studied a lot of maps when I was in the Cloud Kingdom.
Source Dragon of Motion: It is the City of Temples.
Arin: City of Temples?
Source Dragon of Motion: Home of the Tournament of the Sources.
Nya: What? Like that Tournament of Elements thing Master Chen tricked everyone into?
Source Dragon of Motion: Not a competition founded by mortals. These are cosmic games, the legend of which may have inspired imitations.
Lloyd: So whoever attacked the Matriarch is somehow connected to this tournament?
Source Dragon of Motion: Perhaps. It is the only clue we have. Your path forward is clear.
Nya: Clear?
Source Dragon of Motion: You will enter the Tournament of the Sources to discover the identity of our mysterious enemy and stop them before it is too late.
(End of the episode. For more information, click here.)