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Battle of Imagination: Part Three


by undeadfortune

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Act 2 – Scene 5 – Fortune’s Story, The Conclusion

Setting: The royal meeting hall from before. Amor and three Kyrii bandits are sitting around the large oak table, enjoying a drink. The room is empty besides them. Lima can see in through the door’s keyhole, and makes his plan accordingly.

Lima: (To Hazel.) You know what you have to do?

Hazel: (With a grin.) Of course I do!

Lima: If this doesn’t work… we’re going to be stuck in those jail cells for a long time.

Hazel: I know, I know, lets just get it over with.

Lima: (Continues without listening to Hazel.) We’ll be down there for years! No sunshine, friends, or fresh air! (Looks at Hazel.) No pressure.

(Hazel glares at Lima, then opens the door, and closes it slowly, but not so it clicks shut. Amor turns to see who it is, but once he only sees the King, Amor turns back to the Kyriis.)

Amor: Did you pay the Bandit Chief to let you up here to grovel to me?

Hazel: Well… yes. You see I understand why you’re doing this and-

Amor: (Cutting Hazel off.) Don’t try and lend me your help, I’m not interested.

Hazel: You’re going to try and run the city without any prior knowledge-

Amor: (Cutting Hazel off once more.) I’ve worked for you for ten YEARS! Ten long years! I know what it takes to be a king! (Amor stands up and draws his sword.) I should have done this when I first had the chance!

(At that moment, Lima kicks open the meeting hall door with his own sword drawn already. Amor orders the Kyriis to attack and Hazel draws his own weapon, a dagger from the bandit in the jail. Hazel pairs off with one of the Kyriis, while Lima takes the other two. After a moment of fighting, the Kyriis are subdued, but Hazel has been injured during the fight.)

Lima: (Alarmed.) Hazel! Are you all right?

Hazel: (Out of breath.) Yes… yes… finish the fight. Hurry!

Amor: How touching, best friends, to the end. (Twirling his sword.) Sadly, your end is now!

(Amor raises his blade and begins to slash at Lima. Lima parries the attacks, but it is easily seen that Lima has become stricken with fatigue from the previous fight. Amor continues to hammer out attacks and Lima looks for something to help him. Jumping onto the oak table, Lima rushes to the other end, and now has the entire room between himself and Amor. Amor jumps onto the table, and points his sword out, ready to attack. Lima raises the swords, pointing over his head and rushes Amor. Amor in turn rushes towards Lima and the two clash in the middle. Using his tail, Lima quickly trips Amor and kicks Amor’s sword from reach. With a quick hit from the hilt of Lima’s sword, Amor drops to his knees.)

Amor: (Out of breath.) I am… (Pause.) Defeated… (He collapses on the table.)

(Lima takes this break to check on Hazel, who is lying on the floor beside the table.)

Lima: Are you all right, Hazel?

Hazel: (Sheepishly.) That was some quick moves, old friend.

Lima: I couldn’t have done it without you. (At that, he helps the King up.)

Hazel: Things will be different now.

Lima: No more bandit guards?

Hazel: No. I’m going to hire real help. But I’ll need someone to train them. (He glances at Lima.)

Lima: Does that mean I’m no longer banished?

Hazel: That’s correct, as long as you never try anything as foolish as Amor here.

Lima: (Laughing.) No problem, I’m the Grarrl for the job.

(Lima and Hazel make their way out of the meeting room, looking for someone to help them remove the Kyrii bandits. Blackout.)

Act 3 – Scene 1 – The Criticism

Setting: Back in the living room of Mutt’s home. Fortune is sitting in a chair while Sweet and Mutt are sitting in beanbags on the floor. Fortune finishes his story and Sweet claps.

Fortune: The end. (He leans back.)

Mutt: That’s it?

Fortune: (Raising an eyebrow.) Well, what were you expecting?

Sweet: I thought it was good.

Fortune: (Rolls his eyes.) You think anything I write is good.

Mutt: Too much action for my taste, I thought you could have developed the characters more.

Fortune: (Eyes widen.) Develop the characters more?! I spent ten minutes explaining the links between Lima and Hazel! What more could you want?

(Mutt stands up and stretches out. Sweet stands up as well and grabs something from the kitchen to drink. Mutt waits until she returns to speak.)

Mutt: Who wants to go now?

Fortune: (To Mutt.) I think you should.

Sweet: I don’t mind going.

Mutt: Oh you’d like me to go, just so you can say my story has no action in it?

Fortune: (Pretending to fall asleep.) Or say it bores me with its character development.

Sweet: (Raising her voice.) I’ll do it!

(Mutt and Fortune turn to Sweet.)

Sweet: (Facing Mutt, then Fortune.) Take a seat, Mutt, and Fortune, don’t comment till it's finished.

(Blackout.)

Act 3 – Scene 2 – Sweet’s Story, The School

Setting: The playground for a school. Sponge, a blue Shoyru is standing by himself near the entrance of the schoolyard. Other Neopets are running about and playing all sorts of games that involve everything imaginable. Sponge is joined by a yellow Kougra and the two begin to converse.

Mere: Hey Sponge, ready for school today?

Sponge: (Looks sad.) Not really, who knew you’d be so young when you started school.

Mere: Oh, cheer up; it’s not as bad as you think.

Sponge: Really?

Mere: Actually… no, it can be pretty bad sometimes. Those bullies don’t help either.

(The two look across the playground and watch as two large Skeiths begin holding a small Meerca upside down. Neopoints and other small items fall from the Meerca’s pockets.)

Sponge: Doesn’t anyone do anything about them?

Mere: (Shrugs.) Most of the time, a teacher will come out here sooner or later.

(The Skeiths become bored with the Meerca who then races away from the bullies to join his friends. At this, the Skeiths look around for someone else to torment, and their gaze falls on Sponge. Without a pause they start to come over.)

Sponge: Uh Mere? They’re coming over here. (He turns around, to find Mere has left him.)

(The Skeiths continue to walk over, but the morning bell rings and all of the other Neopets begin to race to class. The Skeiths find their paths blocked, and Sponge makes his way quickly into the school. Blackout.)

Act 3 – Scene 3 – Sweet’s Story, The Class Room

Setting: Inside the school. The classroom is decorated with posters of all sorts and other learning objects. Letters and numbers also fill the walls, as well as colors and maps. The desks in the class are arranged in groups of four. Sponge sits with Mere and a small Krawk named RJ. The teacher’s desk is at the front, where the teacher herself, a Kau by the name of Ms. Zeppy. The Skeiths sit in the desks on the other side of the room from Sponge.

Ms. Zeppy: (As she talks, she holds her arms out.) Welcome, welcome, class! Welcome to another year at the Neopia Central School.

(She is greeted with a mixed response. Mostly the replies are negative.)

Ms. Zeppy: (With her hands on her waist.) None of that! None of that! We want to be positive, not negative, class. Now, let me see, who is in the class today. (She picks up a name chart.) Sponge?

Sponge: (Raises his hand.) Here, Ms. Zeppy.

Ms. Zeppy: (Checks off Sponge on the list.) Good, good, now… (Reads another name.) Mere?

Mere: Here, Ms. Zeppy.

Ms. Zeppy: All right, good, next is… (She looks up, almost disgusted.) Thai? Is Thai here… Again?! Thai this must be your fifth repeat of this class now.

(Thai, one of the Skeiths from before laughs to himself then raises his hand.)

Thai: Yea, I’m back. Going to be a great year isn’t it Ms. Z?

Ms. Zeppy: Thai, if I told you once, I’ve told you 100 times, its Ms. Zeppy, not Ms. Z.

Thai: (Not listening.) Whatever you say, Ms. Z.

Ms. Zeppy: (Pretending Thai said her name correctly.) Let me guess, if Thai’s here that means… Oni! You’re here as well?

(The Skeith sitting besides Thai smiles and laughs as well.)

Oni: You bet Ms. Z, I’d never leave my boy Thai here to pick on all these guys alone. He’d be having all the fun!

Ms. Zeppy: Oni, it is not nice to pick on others. Or to call anyone names, or play mean tricks or-

Oni: I get it, I get it, and I see where you’re going with this.

Ms. Zeppy: As you should, we only talk about this every time you’ve been in my class.

Oni: And we’ll continue to, until I finally pass. (He laughs.)

(At that, the rest of the class begins to nervously look at one another. Small conversations begin to take place between everyone sitting in the desks around Sponge and Mere. Ms. Zeppy tries her best to reassure the class, but to no avail. After the class quiets down, Ms. Zeppy finishes the checklist and class begins. Blackout.)

To be continued...

 
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Other Episodes


» Battle of Imagination: Part One
» Battle of Imagination: Part Two
» Battle of Imagination - Part Four
» Battle of Imagination - Part Five



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