01x03 - Crossroads Carnival

[bunniefuu]

[calm music]

[snoring]

Rise and shine! Time to train!

Wha...

Not just a dream.

It really is my first day of Ninja training!

Yes! Awesome! Maximum awesome!

[groans] It's the cr*ck of dawn.

I know. I thought I'd let you sleep in for your first week.

Meet me in the courtyard in ten minutes.

"Sleep in"?

-[grunting] -[Riyu screeching]

[yawning]

[yawning continues] Why are we training way up here?

We're becoming Ninja to help people.

Shouldn't we be around people?

You know, like, in the Crossroads?

You just wanna go to the Crossroads Carnival, don't you?

Well, duh! Don't you? We've never, ever missed one.

True.

And I was determined to win

the Pie Baking Contest this year.

Grab-Barg wins every time.

I've been perfecting my recipe all year.

[sighs]

Let's ask Lloyd if we can go.

[squeaks]

[Lloyd] Go where?

The Crossroads Carnival,

where everyone from the combined lands celebrates their traditions.

There's a ton of food and games

and a huge fireworks show

by this fireworks genius named Dorama.

Plus, a pie-baking competition.

It's super fun!

It does sound fun.

But it also sounds like a distraction

from something even more fun, training!

What are we supposed to train on?

There's nothing here.

Ah, to become a Ninja,

you must see potential where others do not.

What?

This always worked when Master Wu did it!

Oh, it's a whole big, impressive reveal!

Sounds like your mechanisms haven't been maintained.

When junk gets into gears, it can ruin everything.

When did you last clean 'em?

[grunts]

I was supposed to be doing that?

Uh, maybe if I... [grunts]

[both gasp]

The training course!

So cool.

One more thing.

You must complete the course before I finish my tea.

[sips, spits]

[groans] I burnt the tea.

Oh, I didn't even know that was possible.

I can't drink this.

How do I time your performance now?

Why were you going to time us with a hot beverage anyway?

I had the best teacher.

My uncle, Master Wu.

That's how he did it.

As your teacher,

I want to do everything like he did.

That's why I come here

and kneel on his favorite old meditation carpet

and ponder how to be just like him.

It's also why I grew this beard.

-Beard? -You're too far away to see it.

Still not seeing...

[Lloyd] Even closer.

Closer...

I guess I see something. Kind of.

Trust me, it's there. Now train!

How is this training to be a Ninja?

I mean, when are we gonna have to run over

some weird obstacle course in real life?

Oh, it happens way more than you'd think.

Get started.

We should get in a hundred or so laps today.

-[groans] -All right!

♪ Lost in the unknown So much to see ♪

♪ Together we will rise! ♪

♪ Yeah ♪

♪ We fight ♪

♪ Be a ninja for what's right ♪

[grunting]

[panting]

[Sora grunting]

Keep going!

[grunts]

[laughs]

[groans]

Again!

[grunting continues]

[yawns]

[screaming]

Sora, you must focus!

[yawning]

Ninjas must be awake at all times!

I'm up! I'm up!

[grunting, groans]

[Arin panting]

[groans]

Hmm...

Without tea, I literally have no way of knowing

if you did that fast enough.

But I think this was a pretty good first day.

Get some rest and we'll start again at dawn!

-Oh. -Whoo!

Smells good, huh, buddy?

Too bad no judge will ever taste it.

[pants, purrs]

[gulping, sighs]

Do you think every day of training will be like this?

I already need a break.

What if we just sneak out to the carnival?

Of course I want to go, but we have a chance to train as Ninja.

And under the Legendary Green Ninja.

I don't wanna mess this up.

He'll never find out.

We'll be back way before dawn.

Plus, sneaking out will test our stealth skills.

Even Lloyd would approve of that.

Uh, I don't know.

[sniffing]

Mmm.

That sure smells like a first-place pie to me.

It does, doesn't it?

Okay. I'm in.

[squawks]

[chuckles] Sure, Riyu.

You can come too.

But a dragon in the Crossroads will attract a lot of attention,

so you need a disguise.

And I know just the thing!

I'm not sure this "shaggy dog" costume will fool anyone.

It's carnival time.

Everyone will be too distracted to look at him closely.

[laughter]

[cheering]

Welcome to the Crossroads Carnival, Riyu.

[Riyu squawks]

Come wield a traditional Munce hammer and test your strength!

Wow.

Sweet person-charming, Mikloshe!

Sora, look at that!

Get your Moss Milk Ice Cones! Freshly cave-squeezed!

Come, everyone!

Champion Mech-Racer Lobbo buys for all!

Lobbo-lobbo!

[cheering]

Guess Lobbo's blowing through that prize money he won

from the Mech-Master race.

Look, Dorama's tent!

[crackling]

[all gasping]

Don't miss tonight! My best fireworks show yet!

[Sora] Hey.

Those are the pieces of our SA-Mark-!

The junkyard crew must've salvaged

the mech's wreckage and used it for their display.

That stuff belongs to us!

I gotta go enter my pie.

The deadline is, like, now!

Arin and Sora!

Oh, I knew I'd peep you scallywags

before the deadline.

You weren't gonna miss a sh*t at that bling,

were you, Chef Arin?

This is my year, Mr. Frohicky.

Hey! Watch it!

[Grab-Barg scoffs]

Ready to come in second again, kid?

Because your pie looks as mangy as your weird little dog.

[squawking]

[cheering]

Watch it, Grab-Barg.

We're not... Huh?

[tires screech]

Alarm! Alarm!

Is this the end of Lobbo?

[Lobbo] Lobbo-lobbo!

I'm on it.

-Follow me. -Follow?

Follow how?

[Riyu purrs]

Riyu, it would take hours to reassemble that thing.

If we're going to help Lobbo, we have to...

Whoa!

[heroic music]

[Sora] Now, come on.

[revs]

Wow. You see the best stuff at the carnival.

Arin? Sora?

They snuck out?

Oh, you've got to be kidding me!

We never would have done this to Master Wu!

That's a lie. We totally would have.

[tires screech]

Ah, there you are, Lobbo.

I hear you've been out spending my money.

No, Kreel. Lobbo has been spending Lobbo's money!

Lobbo-lobbo.

I'd have won that race if that little dragon hadn't shown up,

and you know it.

That prize money belongs to me,

so I'm going to take what's mine.

[Arin] Oh, no, you're not!

[heroic music]

-[tires screech] -Ah.

[scoffs] Where have you two brats been?

No one's seen you since you ran off after that dragon.

Oh, thanks for asking.

Some pretty amazing stuff has happened.

-We met-- -Yeah. Stop.

I don't actually care.

But now that you're here,

I can get back at everyone who ruined the race for me

all at once.

Get 'em!

[snarling]

[tires screech]

Ugh! Get off my ride!

[Riyu snarling]

[annoyed groan] Give me that money!

Lobbo defies you. Lobbo-lobbo.

[tires screech]

That was awesome, spinning them off like that!

Right? Just like we did on the obstacle course today!

Wait, did I learn something from training?

[Kreel groans] You fools!

None of this gets me closer to my precious Targle!

-[growls] -Hold up.

What's a "precious Targle"?

Not what. Who!

My right-hand minion.

He was taken by a mystery kidnapper

demanding an enormous ransom!

I was trying to get my money from Lobbo

so I can save Targy.

I have to get him back!

Since when do you care so much about your little henchmen?

He's not a henchman! He's my...

only friend.

You have a friend?

[scoffs] Come on.

Sora, if someone needs saving, we have to help.

Even if it's one of Kreel's g*ons?

Minions.

Ninja help everyone.

And we're Ninja now.

Well, kinda.

How about this?

We track down Targle, you let Lobbo go.

And stop trying to steal his money.

My money.

But fine. I need Targy back.

Find him, and this weird little orb guy

is free to go about his weird little orb life.

[burps]

Deal.

[grunts] Excuse me.

Have you seen two...

Wait! I'm looking for...

Hold on! I haven't been around this many people in a while...

Whoa!

[grunts]

Were people always that pushy?

[mellow music]

Pictures of us?

Excuse me. What is all this?

It's our neighborhood's way of remembering our great heroes.

The Ninja.

They put this tent up every year.

Once upon a time,

the Ninja protected the whole city!

[girl] And they had fun while doing it!

Then they risked their lives to save people during the Merge.

Now no one knows where they are.

Some people think they're gone forever.

Nah, I think they'll be back someday.

"Ninja never quit," right?

The world has changed so much.

I had no idea that we...

Uh, that the Ninjas were still remembered like this.

Of course, they are!

The Ninja stand for hope. Who doesn't need hope?

You know, you kinda look like one of them.

Yeah, I... I've been told I look a little like the Green Ninja.

Nah, you look more like their teacher,

Master Wu.

It's the beard.

You sure this is where Kreel said the ransom drop

was supposed to be?

Yup. Start looking for clues.

[sniffing]

[squawks]

[Arin] What'd you find, Riyu?

Hidden dumpster lever?

Yeah, that counts as a clue.

[Sora grunts]

See? [sighs]

That's how smoothly a mechanism can open

when its gears are properly maintained.

Time for those stealth skills.

Told you sneaking out was good Ninja practice.

[annoyed groan]

I'm never going to find them.

Huh.

Feels familiar.

No. There's no way they'd be running around town

with my meditation carpet.

They're running around town with my meditation carpet!

[Sora] Definitely looks like a bad guy lair to me.

[sniffs] Ugh!

Smells like one, too.

What was that?

They're drained or something.

Why would anyone do this?

[Dorama] For entertainment, of course!

[Arin] Dorama?

The fireworks guy? [groans]

Everyone loves you! You can't be a villain.

Do not typecast me!

I can excel in the role of the heavy.

Look, I'll admit, that was a great entrance,

but your whole thing of "kidnapping Whack Rats

for ransom" ends right now!

Set them free, or we'll make you!

Here in my theater,

I call the sh*ts.

[both grunt]

[gasps]

[Sora grunts]

Whoa!

Oh!

[both grunt]

[screaming]

Okay, I'll admit it.

Lloyd was right!

There are times to use obstacle course training

in real life.

[grunts] Why Whack Rats, weirdo?

To put on a better show!

They have a unique energy

which I can extract and use to create incredibly vibrant,

colorful fireworks.

That's why my carnival finale is always so spectacular!

[cackling]

[grunts]

You're draining these poor creatures

just to make your fireworks display a little better?

-[grunts] -Of course.

I may be the most celebrated entertainer in the Crossroads,

but you've seen that carnival now.

People from so many realms,

bringing so much exotic spectacle.

I will not be upstaged!

[grunts]

[Arin] But people love you already!

And I intend to keep it that way.

[screaming]

[Arin] It's over, Dorama!

[Dorama] Oh, please!

Do you honestly believe

I wouldn't have an understudy waiting in the wings?

Now that's just unnerving.

[both grunt]

[grunting]

[Lloyd] Leave my student alone!

This performance is canceled.

Correction,

time for an encore.

This is like that nightmare I had.

It's a nightmare everyone's had.

-[Sora screams] -Sora! No!

[grunts]

[grunts] I can't breathe.

[grunts]

[Sora groans]

How did you do that?

I don't know.

You transferred Spinjitzu to an object.

Not making sense to me either.

[Lloyd] It has gears?

Then I got this.

How'd you know how to do that?

This morning, someone told me when junk gets into gears,

it can ruin everything.

-[laughing] -[Riyu growls]

[screams] Stop!

This can't be the final act for the Crossroad's

greatest showman!

No, it's definitely closing night,

once we call the authorities

and let them figure out what to do with you.

[groans]

Well, if you were more emotionally available,

maybe she wouldn't have broken up with you.

Lobbo knows.

Lobbo often hides Lobbo's true feelings.

Lobbo-lobbo.

[Arin, sing-song] Kreel, someone wants to see you!

[Kreel gasps]

Targy! You're safe! Oh!

Lobbo, you're free to go.

Lobbo was always free up here.

Lobbo-lobbo.

Master...

Uh, Lloyd,

we're sorry for sneaking away without permission.

And for taking your carpet.

-[Riyu squeaks] -Well, I'm sorry, too.

For pushing you so much today.

I was so serious about my teaching,

I forgot this can also be fun.

We're all new at this. We get it.

No problem.

Hey, if we hurry, we can still make it to the pie contest.

[laughter, cheering]

In first place is...

Chef Grab-Barg! Congratulations!

[laughing]

Never any doubt.

[cheering]

And in second place...

Arin.

Uh, sorry, kiddo.

But it's still a great pie.

[sighs]

Don't worry. You'll win next year.

Next year?

Of course.

We can't miss the next Crossroads Carnival.

And this year's carnival isn't over!

There's still lots of food to try.

I had my eye on some candy mushrooms from the Realm of Lee.

A snack tour is exactly what we need

before training starts again tomorrow.

At the cr*ck of dawn.

[Sora sighs]

[cheering]

And so enters, stage left,

the authorities the Ninja said they'd call.

Pitiful.

So trite.

Predictable.

[man] That call was intercepted.

No authorities are coming.

Who are you, then?

Your new boss.

I have a job for you.

A patron of my arts, eh?

I knew the show would go on.

[cackling]

[closing theme music]