~Theme Song: "Footfalls" (Masayoshi Soken, THE PRIMALS)~
A sobering marching drumbeat plays softly as strings pick up the start of the song. The camera circles around the tropical island centered in the middle of Lake Nui Kaua. At one point connected to the main island by a bridge that has since crumbled away. A small boat carrying 24 passengers can be seen sailing towards the island.
Heart of ember, autumn tide, Cooling swiftly, bleeding light
The camera zooms in to see Chris waiting alone by the Po'ino Bonfire to be used for elimination ceremonies. He notices the boat and heads towards the docks to get ready to welcome the guests.
Smoldering softly, biding time. Marching forward, left behind
The Coals of Shame are revealed behind Chris as they smolder softly like the lyrics suggest. The camera moves along the hot coals slowly, as though whoever is holding it has been eliminated themselves.
Fire as shadows clash. Forgotten footfalls engraved in ash
The camera cuts back to what appear to be Chris's feet walking along the ashen sand of Nui Kaua beach, his sandals leaving small footprints behind him.
{And just before his feet leave the screen, a second pair of prints begin to form from someone, or something's, bare, hairy feet behind him}
Fire will be repaid. 'Fore our echoes begin to fade
{These new feet leave a tracks that eerily touched the very heels of the tracks Chris leaves behind}
The waves of the lake move in, and wash over the footprints left in the sand.
Fade away... Fade away...
The camera uses the tide to cut to the boat bringing the 24 passengers to the island.
Jerry, Kennedy, Marcus, Mari, Miriam, and Roach all stare silently towards the island from the bow of the boat as they each wear a white buff with an eagle motif.
Heart of ember, autumn tide. Burning brightly, hot and white
Along the starboard side of the boat, Alice, Arin, Jeremiah, Natasha, Nathan, and Salandro are leaning against the rails of the ferry and also looking out at the island. They each sport a blue buff with an orca motif.
Kindred severed never wear. Sorrow's silence, we needn't bear
Along the port side of the boat, Dante, Foster, Helene, Melissa, Moon, and Radar are gathered at looking towards the island as well. Their buffs are a forest green sporting a motif of a mole.
Stories sown along the way. Tales of loss and fire and faith.
At the stern of the ferry, the remaining contestants of Aditi, Gemini, Jacob, Nolan, Tina, and Vivian all do their best to get what glimpse of the island they can. Occasionally adjusting their red buffs sporting a dragon motif, as the camera pans away from the boat and starts zooming in towards Mt. Immolate, in the center of the island.
{Dys an sohm in} {Rohs an kyn ala na}{(Mah morn)}
The camera is circling Mt. Immolate, very low to the ground.
{Dys an sohm in} {Sahl djahs afah an}
The camera rises as it continues to circle the mountain, and it becomes clear the mountain is in fact a volcano as the camera reaches the top and zooms quickly down towards the magma below.
{Storm of blood, born from blood, of our fallen brothers}
Before the camera is submerged in the magma, it enters the cavern beneath the mountain, where many tally marks have been carved into the walls.
{Thunder stilled, oaths fulfilled, now we yearn for freedom}
The camera passes by a drawing of what appears to be some sort of demonic entity emerging from the mountain to eat people.
{Born in blood (still we forge ahead), stained in red (unto tomorrow)}
The camera cuts to Chris at the docks as the ferry pulls up.
{Bound by love (so we forge ahead)}, {Purpose fed (unto tomorrow, bring us tomorrow)}
Chris welcomes the 24 contestants to what he calls Total Drama's grand rebooting, and officially opens the season of 'Total Drama Zero Sum'.
{Courage thrives (ever forge ahead)}, {Hand in hand (unto tomorrow, welcome tomorrow)}
He hands maps to each of the teams. Jerry and Roach both snatch their map together and decide to just hold it open for the rest of the team rather than fight for who gets to hold it themselves. Arin manages to catch the map for her team, and they all look at it while Nathan rolls his eyes. The map for the forest green team nearly hits Foster in the face, but Radar manages to catch it almost without looking. The map for the the final team lands in Nolan's hands and he fumbles it into the ashen sand, but picks it back up and laughs it off. His teammates smile at the good humor.
{Souls aligned (that we forge ahead)}, {Forge ahead (yeah, we forge ahead, yeah, we forge ahead)} {Forward! (YEAH WE FORGE AHEAD!)}
Chris sends the teams off to their campsites, forcing them all to forge through overgrown jungle and poorly kept fields and beaches.
{Then the camera backs away and begins to circle the island again}
{As a bridge to the song plays, the camera checks in on each of the teams. The white 'Screaming Winds' team is in the hills just eats of the Muliwai River. The blue 'Killer Waves' team is on the secluded Kahakai Beach. The green 'Violent Quakes' team is located deep in the heart of the Nahele Forest. The red 'Raging Flames' team is in the middle of an ash-coated field of overgrown grass just south of Mt. Immolate.}
The camera switches over to a production tent located on Kokoke Island, another much smaller island in the lake as the lyrics pick up again.
Our song of hope, she dances on the wind higher, oh higher
The camera moves into the tent and rows upon rows of tikis to be given out to represent safety are shown, each meticulously handcrafted, and all seemingly depicting people rather than deities or animals or any other spirits.
Ere our vows endure, and remain forever strong
The camera shifts to show a pair of muscular arms chiseling at another tiki, depicting a woman that seems to have significance to the creator because tears fall onto the finished product as it is placed on one of the last few spaces left.
Standing tall in the dark do we carry on
The camera moves out of the production tent and heads up into the sky before zooming back down into the central cave of Kokoke Island.
On wings of hope, you rise up through the night higher, oh higher
As the camera zooms into the cave it uncovers a large underground tunnel.
Carrying our song, cradled fast within your arms
The camera traverses the tunnel and moves past four bipedal figures, obscured in shadow and hiding their faces from the camera itself.
That its chorus might ring for all
The camera reaches the end of the tunnel and it comes out behind some stalagmites in the cavern of Mt. Immolate, turning around to come face to face the cave drawing shown earlier.
{One brings shadow, one brings light}
{The camera cuts to what appears to be an urban alleyway where two men cloaked in darkness meet each other.}
{Two-toned echoes tumbling through time}
{One of the men takes off some sort of hat and costume and hands it off to the other one, along with a notebook.}
{Tumbling down to the never!}
{The second man then holds up the notebook and uses a small flashlight to light up a picture stapled to it, revealing the island of Nui Kaua, before the camera cuts out again.}
Every step we take, Echoes in our wake
The camera comes back to Nui Kaua again, where all four teams of players are seen making their way towards their campsites.
Winding 'round our fate, To forge ahead
In each of the four splits of the screen showing the teams on their trek, there is one shadowy figure following each of them before the cameras lose static and simply black out for the next cut.
Should we lose our way, Tire of all this pain
The camera splits off to show Miriam finding a slip of paper while the rest of the team works on the campsite on one side of the screen, while Alice finds a slip of paper for herself as she looks around the edge of the beach on the other side fo the screen.
We won't be afraid, To forge ahead
As they peer through their worn down chicken coop, Dante is shown finding a slip of paper on one side of the split screen. Meanwhile, Vivian is able to locate a slip of paper under her mattress in the open ash field on the other side of the screen.
The camera then cuts out.
Fearless hearts ablaze {When the world comes crumbling down}
The camera quickly cuts back in as the lyrics start up again.
The teams are all getting themselves suitably psyched up for the first challenge.
No more time to waste {Know I'll be there}
The teams are all marching towards the Nui Kaua docks, ready to make an impression.
No, it's not too late {Though our fleeting moment has gone}
Chris welcomes them all to the first challenge, a relay race through an obstacle course.
To forge ahead {You're not-you're not alone, yeah!}
The teams choose captains for the challenge. The Screaming Winds have Roach as a captain. The Killer Waves have Arin as a captain. The Violent Quakes have Radar as a captain. The Raging Flames have Nolan as a captain.
As we ride again {As you turn your eyes to the stars}
Chris sees to it that the other members of each team arrive at their starting positions.
To another end {Oh, I'll be there}
Chris tells the first runners, Miriam, Nathan, Dante, and Jacob, each carrying their captains, to get ready.
Where it all begins {With my chorus guiding you}
Chris holds up a racing flag….
Forge ahead {Forge ahead}
As the flag comes down, the four shadowy figures are seen together, in the distance, observing the challenge, before the camera quickly fizzles into static.