| The Cliffs of Hysteria << The Maze of the Red Dragon >> One Step Forward, Two Steps Back |
(The Ninja and Okino head into the Maze of the Red Dragon.)
Okino: (Narrates) I am Okino. Samurai of Terra Karana. My entire existence I have sought to fulfill my duty, guiding my masters across the dangers of Terra Karana. I have failed many times. (He remembers the times he failed his masters and honored them.) But now, I have masters truly worthy of my honorable efforts. I will not fail them!
Okino: We must stay together. The Maze of the Red Dragon has many twists and turns.
Jay: Pfft! No problem. I'm great at mazes.
Cole: This might be harder than the ones you're used to on the backs of cereal boxes. (Jay scowls.)
(The Ninja and Okino arrive walk to path of states that look similar to the ones from Dyer Island.)
Cole: Huh. Those statues look familiar.
Nya: Yeah. He's right. Those are just like the statues we saw at Dyer Island!
Cole: Oh, yeah! The ones that shot lasers at us- (The statue next to Cole shoots lasers.)
Cole and Nya: Woah!
(The Ninja summon their Prime Controllers.)
Okino: Go! Quickly!
(The Ninja and Okino run across the statues, deflecting the lasers and destroying the statues along the way. The final statue shoots its laser at Jay. Jay dodges the laser and destroys the statue.)
Jay: Gotcha!
Okino: They are many traps here. You must always be aware of your surroundings.
Lloyd: Good safety tip. Right, guys? (The Ninja nod in agreement. He takes a step but Okino stops him, then pulls out his sword and presses a floor panel. Spikes appear.) Thanks, Okino.
Nya: That... was close. (The Ninja and Okino slowly avoid the floor panels. Jay jumps over the others and reaches the other side.) Jay...
Jay: Heheh. (He looks at both sides of the maze.) Which way now?
Cole: Uh, Okino. Any ideas? Left or right- (All of Prime Empire except Okino pauses.)
Okino: (Gasps.) Master Lloyd? Nya? Jay? What is wrong? What has happened? (A flash of light appears and he covers his eyes. He sees his creator.)
Voice: Okino, my son.
Okino: Unagami! (He kneels to Unagami.)
Unagami: You may rise.
Okino: It is an honor to be in your presence.
Unagami: Yet I sense something's troubles you.
Okino: The Ninja. They have told me things. About Terra Karana. Things that are difficult to believe.
Unagami: They have told you that this world is not real? That you are not real? (Okino responds to Unagami's questions by nodding.) This is true. You were born in this realm. A place of illusion, a shadow of the real world. But you are not bound to this place. I am building a machine. A wondrous device that will allow you to enter the real world. Would you like to go there?
Okino: Hai.
Unagami: Then I shall bring you with me. But you must help me.
Okino: How?
Unagami: (He teleports himself to Okino and walks over to him.) The Ninja seek to stop me and destroy the machine. Instead, they must be destroyed.
Okino: But, they are my friends. They trusted me.
Unagami: (His face turns red and he teleports himself closer to Okino.) If you help the Ninja, you will never see the real world. You will remain trapped here in this illusion forever!
Okino: But I, I am a guide. It would be dishonorable to betray my masters!
(Unagami transforms into the Empire Dragon and roars in anger. Okino kneels as the Empire Dragon walks to him.)
Empire Dragon: You chose strangers over me?! Your creator?! Do your duties, Samurai! You will hear from me again... when the time is near!
(The Empire Dragon leaves and all of Prime Empire unfreezes.)
Cole: Right?
Lloyd: Okino? Are you okay? (He puts his hand on Okino's shoulder.)
Okino: I... I... I am okay.
Cole: So, which way? Left or right?
(Okino looks at both directions and points right. The Ninja and Okino head right.)
Okino: As we near the heart of the maze, the danger will grow.
Lloyd: We trust you, Okino.
Okino: Down. All of you! (They duck to avoid obstacles.)
Nya: Thanks again, Okino.
Okino: It is my duty. Run! (The walls close in on them.) Leap! (They leap over a gap.) Roll, quick! (They roll, but Cole isn't fast enough and is pinned down.)
Jay: Cole!
Cole: Get this thing off of me! (Jay frees him.) It's okay, it's not that bad. But I could use a booby trap break.
Okino: We can rest for a moment. It is safe here.
Nya: Are we getting close to the Key-Tana yet?
Okino: Hai. The heart of the maze is near. May I ask something?
Lloyd: Of course, Okino.
Okino: Why do you seek the Key-Tana?
Lloyd: We need it to stop Unagami, to free everyone who's been trapped inside the game.
Okino: They are your friends?
Lloyd: Well, not really. But they're innocent people, and they're in danger. We have a duty to help them, right?
(They approach the Key-Tana, which is guarded by the Red Dragon.)
Jay: There it is! The Key-Tana!
Okino: Shh! Speak softly!
Nya: Could've been worse.
Kai: How?
Nya: It could've been awake. If we're quiet, we can sneak by, grab the Key-Tana, and get out of here before it wakes up.
Okino: That is a wise plan. But one of you must retrieve the Key-Tana. I can only guide a quest, not complete one.
Nya: I'll go.
Lloyd: No, it should be the one with the highest Stealth rating.
Jay: It's me. I've been in the game longest and upgraded my Stealth the most. (He approaches the Key-Tana, but ends up trapped by the dragon's tail. The Ninja free him, but the dragon wakes up.)
Lloyd: Uh oh.
Jay: Hit it!
Cole: We gotta knock its hind forces down!*
Kai: Our hits aren't working!
Nya: There has to be a way to bring it down!
Okino: The Red Dragon's weak point is - (The game freezes again.)
Unagami: It is time. All you must do is remain silent. Let them perish. Do not help them.
Okino: But, they trust me.
Unagami: Remember what I offered. Escape, freedom, a place in the real world.
Okino: In the real world? (The game unfreezes.)
Lloyd: Okino! There's gotta be a way to defeat him!
Nya: Okino, help us!
Okino: I choose my own path! (He leaps onto the dragon and hits the dragon's weak spot, and it loses a life.)
Lloyd: The scale! That's the dragon's weak point! Hit the scale in the middle of his back!
Nya: I see it!
Cole: Yeah! We can do this!
(The Ninja repeatedly hit the scale until it loses all 16 lives.)
Okino: You have defeated the dragon. The amulet is yours. (Jay takes the amulet.) You are empowered to call upon the dragon in a future battle, but once, and only once.
Lloyd: We did it!
Nya: We did it with your help, Okino. (The game freezes again.)
Unagami: You have betrayed me, Okino, but you have only doomed yourself. The gate will still be built, but you will never see it. Never! (The game unfreezes.)
Jay: Thanks, Okino.
Cole: You were great.
Lloyd: Yeah, you should come with us, Okino. You were a big help.
Okino: I thank you, but I must go my own way. (Narrates) For too long, I have followed the ways of others. (He sticks his sword into the ground.) I am Okino, Ronin of Terra Karana. No longer do I guide others on their adventures. Now, I seek my own adventure.
(End of the episode. For more information, click here.)
