| Benched << The King, the Prince, and the Shadow >> The Samadhi Fire |
(In the sky train, the Monkie Kids drive away from Lantern City, which has been covered in crystals.)
Tang: Um, so uh, Mr. King, sir, I don't wanna rush you or anything but-
MK: I'm okay with rushing him. What's the plan, Monkey King? We've got all three Rings of Samadhi, so how do we use them to make the Lady Bone Demon go boom? Is there a switch or-
Monkey King: It's a bit more complicated than that. In order to reforge the Samadhi Fire we'll need to reach the summit of that mountain.
Pigsy: Huh. And, uh, that's where we'll find the fourth ring eh? Ain't that right, Monkey King?
MK: Fourth ring? W-what fourth ring?
Tang: Oh, Pigsy, I think you're confused. Monkey King said they split the Fire of Samadhi into three rings. Three rings hidden by the three great warriors, Monkey King, the Demon Bull King and-
(The train car stutters, MK looks out the window to see Ne Zha's Fire Ring.)
MK: Uh, who dat?
(The Fire Ring disbands, causing the sky train to stop moving. Ne Zha emerges from the ring. He throws two flaming wheels at the car, causing it to split.)
Monkey King: Get back!
(Monkey King quickly moves all the passengers away from the impact. Ne Zha lands in front of the passengers.)
Ne Zha: Sun Wukong. Finally.
Monkey King: Ne Zha, my old friend. Don't tell me you trekked all the way out here to hang out with lil' ol' me.
Ne Zha: You know exactly why I'm here. I will not let you reforge the Samadhi Fire and doom this world.
Tang: (Laughs.) I can't believe it's really you! The legendary Third Lotus Prince, Ne Zha! I must be the luckiest Tang in the world!
Ne Zha: Silence, mortal!
Monkey King: How did you find us? Wait, wait, don't tell me. You took a sneaky peaky at the map while you were supposed to be guarding it? Now who's untrustworthy?
Ne Zha: I didn't have to. I knew the ring I had been tasked to hide was safe in Chang'e's care until you stole it!
Monkey King: Borrowed.
Ne Zha: I had a feeling the Demon Bull King would've kept his instead of hiding it as instructed. No surprises there.
Monkey King: Yeah, I think we all saw that one coming.
Ne Zha: Which brings me to your ring. Worst kept secret ever!
Mei: Well, I mean, not wrong.
(Sandy nods in agreement.)
Ne Zha: This is exactly why the Rings of Samadhi should have been entrusted to me alone! Hand over the ring, child. I won't ask-
(Monkey King punches Ne Zha in the stomach, launching him far into the air.)
Monkey King: That's not going to stop Ne Zha for long. Go. You have to get to the mountain now!
MK: And then what?
Monkey King: Just wait for me there. I'll explain everything.
MK: But-but I can help! Let me help you.
Monkey King: There's no time, bud. Macaque could show up at any second. Go!
(Cut to Ne Zha in the air, he sees MK, Mei, Pigsy, Sandy, and Tang exiting the sky train. Monkey King, with the rings, jumps onto his Magic cloud and flies in the opposite direction.)
Ne Zha: You're not getting away this time.
(Ne Zha flies after Monkey King. Sandy drives the T.E.A. towards the Mystic Mountain. Monkey King and Ne Zha begin to fight.)
Monkey King: You're faster. I'll give you that. But we both know I hit harder! (Ne Zha launches Monkey King into a mountain.) Alright. That hurt. (Monkey King realizes Ne Zha has taken the rings.)
Ne Zha: You might hit harder. But I'm still faster.
Monkey King: Heh. And dumber.
Ne Zha: Why can you never just let me have the last word?
(Macaque emerges from the mountain and launches several spikes of crystal at Ne Zha and Monkey King.)
Monkey King: Not good.
(The crystal imprisons them both against the mountain. Macaque is revealed to have crystal encasing his arm.)
Ne Zha: Is that?
Monkey King: Macaque.
(At the top of the Mystic mountain, Sandy, Mei, and Tang approach the ritual site.)
Sandy: What is this place?
Tang: I think I think this is where they originally split the Samadhi Fire.
Mei: Does anyone else feel like-
Sandy: We've been here before? Yeah, that's weird, right? But yeah, I know I haven't.
Tang: Me neither. And yet this place feels so familiar.
MK: No, not me, man. This is all new to me. Hey, Pigsy-
Pigsy: Kid! Could you not.
MK: Earlier, you said something about a fourth ring, but that was just an accident, right? Just a slip of the old tongue?
Pigsy: Maybe.
MK: Maybe? What's maybe supposed to mean?
Pigsy: Maybe Monkey King's not as trustworthy as you think, MK.
MK: What do you mean?
Pigsy: Think about it. He told us he had a plan, but we don't know what it is. He told us there were three Rings, but maybe there's a four. He told us that map was so important, but it hasn't been useful once this whole trip.
MK: Yeah, we did basically find all the rings without it.
Tang: Yeah, not going to lie, I thought it was going to be more important than this. It has to be, right?
(Tang places the map on a pedestal, causing the entire ritual site to light up gold.)
MK: Okay. Yep, looks like it's definitely important.
Monkey King: So you got Bone Demon powers now, huh? Well, it is on brand for you to have a worse version of everyone else's powers.
Ne Zha: Wukong!
Monkey King: What? He does.
(Macaque rips the rings from Ne Zha's hands. He examines the rings closely.)
Ne Zha: No!
Monkey King: What? You got what you wanted, didn't you? You're not gonna gloat? Monologue a little bit before scurrying off to your master? Go on. The Lady Bone Demon is waiting.
Macaque: I couldn't care less about what the Lady Bone Demon wants!
(Macaque tears the rings apart, revealing them to be made of hair.)
Ne Zha: What? They were fake? Wukong!
Monkey King: Yeah...
Macaque: So, the real rings are with MK. Perfect.
Pigsy: Tang! What did you do?!
Tang: Me? I didn't do anything!
Pigsy: Oh so a piece of paper just magically made a bunch of light?!
Tang: That's exactly what happened and you know it!
MK: Guys! The rings are doing something.
(The rings circle around each other and create a beam of light. Mei clutches her chest in pain.)
Tang: Are you alright?
Mei: Eugh, I- I don't know.
Ne Zha: The ritual. They've started the ritual! Sun Wukong, what have you done?!
Monkey King (growls): I told them to wait! (Macaque moves to leave) Stop! If you hurt that kid I'll-
Macaque: What? Make things worse for MK?
(Macaque blasts towards the mountain.)
Monkey King: Stop! I have a plan!
(The rings glow, Mei recoils in pain.)
Tang: Gah! What do we do?!
MK: I don't know. What I do know is that glowy mystic sigil thingies are always, never good! Yeeee. No one touch anything else till our glowy mystic monkey gets here.(Spikes shoot up from the ground) I sure hope that's the right mystic monkey.
(Even more spikes emerge. A spike almost strikes Pigsy but Sandy blocks it, trapping them both. The hand of Macaque's Mech slams onto the ground. Like Macaque, half of the mech is covered in crystal.)
Macaque: Don't get in my way, kid. I don't have time for you. I'm just here for the Samadhi Fire. Then I'm done with you all.
MK: Here. Comes. Monkie Kid!
(MK springs into action, he transforms into a gorilla, punching the mech's arm off. Macaque laughs, reforms the arm, and grabs MK, who has turned back into a human, in his mechs hand.)
Macaque: So this was the Monkey King's great plan? (He repeatedly slams MK into the ground) How do you still not see that he has no idea what he's doing?! How about this for a plan? Stay down, MK. Or I will put you down.
Mei: M... K! (She pulls out her sword before curling in on herself, groaning in pain.)
Macaque: Not another move! (Macaque exits his mech.) I'll give you two options. Option A I take the Samadhi fire, you do exactly what I say, and I don't have to do anything you'll regret. Or option B, (Macaque dips into the shadows, he grabs Mei by the throat)I cut you all down. Starting with the girl!
Tang: Wait. Don't do this.
Macaque: Tang. Do what I'm telling you to do! Your friend's life depends on it. Finish the ritual!
Tang: All right. You win.