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                       The Twilight Realm
                         SEASON ONE
                      
                     Written By Matthew Fisher                                      





Act One Title

We PAN across a roof, stopping on a warrior named KOBIYASHI 
TATSU. In front of him stands TETSOGARA, the demon lord of the 
Twilight Realm. Kobiyashi runs forward, unsheathing his sword 
and striking. They fight across the roof until Tetsogara pins 
Kobiyashi to the edge of the roof. As he rises his sword, 
Kobiyashi rolls away and hurls the Sai that was attatched to his 
knee into Tetsogara's stomach. As he stumbles back, Kobiyashi 
runs forward and slices into Tetsogara.

FLASH CUT TO:
GRATO JUNGLE

The Grato jungle sits peacefully. 

SCREEN TEXT 
200 years later.

The fog rises from the ground, the rain pours from above, and 
the dirt is changing to mud quickly. As we PAN across the 
jungle, a flash of light is seen, followed by TWO MEN running 
out from the brush. One of them is named HAIKU, the other is 
named NARAGO. They are both part of the GURADO NINJA CLAN.

HAIKU
Look out!
                     
Haiku turns and hurls a throwing star above Narago's head, 
sending it deep into a DEMON NINJA'S skull. As they stand, four 
ninjas land in a circle around them. Haiku takes on two of them 
with his sword, and Narago takes on the other two with two 
swords in either hand. Their weapons clash and clang in the 
mist. Narago parries with both swords, cuts into the ninja's 
chest, and then spins to cut his head off.

Narago turns to the other, parries, and swings into his lower 
body to cut him completely in half. Haiku parries a blow, jabs a 
throwing star into the ninja's chest, and cuts him deep in the 
gut. Haiku blocks the sword of the other ninja from behind and 
sends his foot into his stomach. Haiku spins quickly and hurls 
three throwing stars into him. The ninja falls as Haiku and 
Narago stand in the tense silence.

NARAGO
Is there any more?

HAIKU
Keep your eyes open.

Suddenly, a large cloud of smoke appears, billowing around Haiku 
and Narago. As it clears, Tetsogara stands before them.

[OPENING CREDITS]

Haiku and Narago stare at Tetsogara in disbelief as he stalks 
toward them. 
 
SCREEN TEXT
"DARKEST OF NIGHT"

Narago gets a deep breath and runs for him.

HAIKU
No wait!
               
It's too late, Tetsogara hurls him back with tremendous force. 
Haiku raises his sword to him, ready to fight.

TETSOGARA
How pathetic. Trust me Haiku, there will be no lucky break for 
you. 
             
A silence as Tetsogara effortlessly holds Haiku up in mid air. 
As Haiku drops his sword, two throwing stars fly in from the 
east. Tetsogara turns, dropping Haiku to face the incoming 
weapons. He raises his arm guard up to block them. It works, but 
the spark causes him to lose his balance and he falls. From out 
of the brush comes FARAL, who uses a staff, and DUROSA, who only 
uses throwing stars.

Tetsogara gets to his feet as Haiku gets a grip on his sword and 
Narago gets up from being hurled back. Tetsogara watches them 
with a smile on his face.
                
TETSOGARA
If I wanted, I could kill you all within a short timespan, but 
it's just not the time. I feel you need to not know when your 
death is coming, but deal with it when it arrives.
               
Durosa flips up and hurls two throwing stars. Tetsogara moves 
out of the way and raises his arms up, bringing a cloud of smoke 
around him again. When the smoke clears, Tetsogara has vanished. 

HAIKU
Damnit...
                
DUROSA
Where the hell could he have gone?
               
HAIKU
We must go back and see Master Mayashi. Perhaps he will have 
some insight as to Tetsogara's whereabouts.


Act I Scene 2

At the Gurado dojo, Haiku, Durosa, Narago, and Faral enter the 
living quarters of Master Mayashi. They bow to Mayashi and sit 
before him.

MAYASHI
I fear a great threat coming. He is more powerful than he was 
200 years ago.

He rises and walks to the end of the balcony overlooking a large 
meadow.

MAYASHI
Have any of you heard the story of Kobiyashi Tatsu?

They all shake their heads no.

MAYASHI
Kobiyashi Tatsu was the first...

NARAGO
First?

MAYASHI
The first to go after Tetsogara. Except...he did it alone. After 
Tetsogara finally learned he was out of the Twilight Realm, he 
declared war on Earth. His army invaded, many suffered and died. 
Then Kobiyashi stepped up, telling Tetsogara he would send him 
back where he came from. 

Mayashi walks back around and stands in front of them.

MAYASHI
Tetsogara of course laughed at his statement. But he didn't 
laugh long as Kobiyashi was able to destroy Tetsogara and send 
him back.

A silence.

MAYASHI
Kobiyashi Tatsu defines what you are fighting for. Believe me, 
what your doing isn't in vain as Tetsogara likes to say. 


Act I Scene 3

Tetsogara's lair.

TETSOGARA
The Gurado clan...hmph...what a pathetic excuse for fighters. 
The only true warrior I've ever fought...
 
He thinks for a moment.

TETSOGARA
Yes. Kobiyashi Tatsu...he was a worthy opponent of my 
qualifications. Why if someone were to give me that kind of 
fight now, I'd be happy enough to never attempt to conquer Earth 
again.

SURAL, one of Tetsogara's soldiers, doesn't respond.

TETSOGARA
It's true. He is the one who sent me back 200 years ago. Sealed 
me up inside this realm...but not this time. 

He stands up, a deranged look in his eyes.

TETSOGARA
No...this time there will be no victory for the heroes. Their 
blood will spill, count on it. 


Act I Scene 4

Gurado dojo. Narago and Durosa stand on the top of the dojo.

NARAGO
What if this is all a mistake?

DUROSA 
What do you mean?
 
NARAGO 
Well...I mean what if we're doing all this for nothing? What if 
we don't beat Tetsogara. If we don't beat him...who will?

DUROSA 
You shouldn't think about it. It's better just to go by each 
moment. The more you worry, the more power Tetsogara has over 
you.

NARAGO
I felt his power. When he threw me back in the Grato jungle, I 
felt his strength coursing through me. 

DUROSA
Tell me something...when is the time when you were most afraid? 
The time that the fear just...overpowered you.

NARAGO
When my father died. He was laying there, bleeding from the 
wound in his stomach that came from the bows of the Rurakal 
and...I was just in shock. I was just so afraid of losing 
him...the same way I'd lost my mother. What about you?

DUROSA
When I was seven years old, I was lost near the outskirts of the 
Larin desert. I was probably lost for three or four weeks, 
dirty, hungry...afraid. 

NARAGO
How did you get out?

DUROSA
It was Mayashi...he found me and brought me here to the dojo. 
Since then, I've always been afraid to venture out into that 
desert. 

NARAGO
You know...since my parents died, this clan has been my family. 
It's all I have...thank you, Durosa.


Act I Scene 5

Tetsogara's lair.

Tetsogara stares down a young ninja from the PARLAX NINJA CLAN. 
He rears back and cuts into his chest. The ninja falls, dead. 

TETSOGARA
Mortal men exist only so I can thrive. 

He turns.

TETSOGARA
Sural...

Sural runs up.

SURAL
Yes sir?

TETSOGARA
Take his body away.

SURAL
Right away.

Sural picks the body up and hurls it into the abyss.

SURAL
Permission to speak, sir.

TETSOGARA
Granted.

SURAL
How soon before we start?

TETSOGARA
Very soon. They will have no idea what hit them. And by the time 
they realize what's going on, it will be too little too late.

SURAL
If I may make a suggestion, sir?

TETSOGARA
Go ahead.

SURAL
We should go after Haiku first, seeing as how he's the most 
powerful.

TETSOGARA
That was the plan from the beginning. Eliminate the leader, then 
take out the left overs. It's fairly simple, but in order to 
make it work, we all must work as a unit. I want no screw ups.

A pause.

TETSOGARA
Get them ready.


Act I Scene 6

Gurado dojo. Haiku paces in front of his clan members in a room.

HAIKU
As leader of this clan, I've seen all of you grow greatly in 
strength. Your skill, determination, and pride easily rivals 
whatever Tetsogara can throw at us. The next course of action 
against Tetsogara will be our last, because I have faith that we 
will destroy him. We leave tommorow for the Junon forest, get 
some rest.

As they all exit, Faral stops and stays in the room.

FARAL
Haiku, do you mean it when you say we've grown in strength?

HAIKU
A great deal. You all move with lightning quick precision, 
sometimes I can't even keep up with you.

Haiku smiles thinly as Farel smirks and exits.


Act I Scene 7

Tetsogara's lair.

Tetsogara stands at the edge of a balcony.

TETSOGARA
Go!

Dozens of demon ninja's flip off of Tetsogara's lair, all 
heading for the dojo.


Act I Scene 8

Gurado dojo. 

It is a cold night as demon ninja's flip onto the grounds in 
front of the dojo. Haiku watches from the top.

HAIKU
Shit.

He takes off, unsheathing his sword. He rings the large bell to 
wake his clan members up. Haiku runs down the hall and jumps out 
the large window and lands outside on the dojo grounds as 
ninja's surround him.


Act II Scene 1

Haiku flips forward and slices into a demon ninja, cutting him 
clean down the middle. He parries a blow, kicks a ninja away, 
and cuts the ninja in the chest. He watches the other ninja's go 
for the top of the dojo and yells.

HAIKU
They're heading for the roof! Stop them!


Act II Scene 2

A demon ninja rips away at the roof as Durosa spins and hurls 
three throwing stars and kills him. Narago flips over Durosa and 
kills two ninja's. Durosa and Narago line up back to back.


Act II Scene 3

Faral runs down a hallway and spins his staff to knock back four 
ninja's. He uses the staff and vaults forward to kick a ninja 
back into three more. He looks out the window and yells.

FARAL
They're inside!


Act II Scene 4

Miles away from the dojo.

Tetsogara and Sural stand.

TETSOGARA
When I give the signal...


Act II Scene 5

Haiku turns quickly and knocks a throwing star away with his 
sword. He kicks one back, cuts into another, and back flips high 
up onto the roof. 


Act II Scene 6

Miles away from the dojo.

TETSOGARA
Go.

Sural takes off towards the dojo.


Act II Scene 7

They continue to kill ninja's, but they continue to come.

DUROSA
They just keep coming!

NARAGO
Where the hell are they all coming from?

Suddenly, they all vanish and Sural stands on the dojo grounds. 

SURAL
Tetsogara says you have fought well, worthy of a fight against 
me. But only one of you can fight...Haiku...

NARAGO
No...

HAIKU
It's okay.

SURAL
Leave now, or I send back your guests. Which is it?

Haiku turns to his clan.

HAIKU
I'll be fine.

Reluctantly, they head back into the dojo. Haiku runs forward 
and flips off the roof. Sural unsheathes his sword and blocks 
the shot as Haiku back flips away. They engage in battle, their 
swords clashing in the darkness. The fight goes on until Haiku 
pins Sural down.

HAIKU
Where is he?!

SURAL
He has a surprise for you all. Soon it will end for all of you!

Sural cuts into Haiku's leg and leaps up, vanishing. His 
comrades run up to him.

FARAL
Haiku!

DUROSA
Your leg!

HAIKU
It's not bad. 

Haiku looks up into the sky.

HAIKU
This was obviously a diversion to get us ready for the real 
battle. 


Act II Scene 8

Tetsogara's lair.

Sural and Tetsogara stand at the top of the lair.

TETSOGARA
He is strong I'll give him that, but their fight has just begun. 
The war starts tomorrow. 

SURAL
And the rest of the clan?

TETSOGARA
They will suffer my wrath.

We PAN OVER and see the demon ninja's in training.


FADE TO:
[CLOSING CREDITS]

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