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Episode #09: "Ransom"
Written By Matt Fisher
Act One Teaser
Murko city.
It is night as we intercut between shots of a SLEEPING GIRL and
Tetsogara walking with demon ninja's behind him. Once into the
city, Tetsogara motions to his ninja's. They flip up and onto the
roof of a house. One of them flips forward and jumps down the
chimney. He lands and runs into the bedroom of a girl named EMILY
RAINE, 19 years old. He grabs Emily and puts his hand over her
mouth to silence her screaming.
Tetsogara watches outside as the ninja flips down with the girl
in his hand. He smirks as they walk off.
TETSOGARA: We go to Folar city.
The girl's muffled scream goes by unheard.
[OPENING CREDITS]
Act I Scene 1
Murko city.
The city seems calm, peaceful.
SCREEN TEXT
"RANSOM"
Suddenly, the mother of Emily, JUDY RAINE, bursts out of her
house.
JUDY: She's gone! She's gone!
A young man runs up to her.
YOUNG MAN: What's wrong, Mrs. Raine?
JUDY: She's gone! My daughter's gone! I found this!
She hands a ransom note to the man. We steady on the note.
Act I Scene 2
Salar's home.
Haiku reads it out loud.
HAIKU: The girl lies in wait in Folar city. Seek the highest
peak to find her.
He crumbles the note up and throws it in the trash.
HAIKU: Damn!
Act I Scene 3
Folar city. Top of cliff.
Emily is tied up at the edge of the cliff as Tetsogara stands in
front of her.
TETSOGARA: You better hope someone comes soon, or I might have
to take aggressive action. I want the Gurado clan,
and this is the only way to get them.
She begins to cry.
TETSOGARA: Stop!
She looks up at him, tears streaming from her eyes.
TETSOGARA: Stop...crying...
A pause.
TETSOGARA: Crying is a sign of fear.
Act I Scene 4
Salar's home.
NARAGO: Well what do we do?
HAIKU: We go to Folar city.
He pauses.
HAIKU: Faral, you stay. You have family here.
SALAR: Oh no...you're all a team. You need to stay together.
HAIKU: No...I have a feeling that this could be what the
prohpet was talking about. If only one of us survives,
then I want it to be you.
FARAL: Me?
HAIKU: Yes.
FARAL: Why?
HAIKU: If I die, you'll need to lead the clan.
A silence as he motions for Narago and Durosa to follow.
FARAL: No!
They stop.
FARAL: You said once that if one of us goes down, we all go
down! I'm not gonna let you go back on that. I'm coming
with you whether you like it or not.
Faral hugs Salar tightly, then grabs his staff.
Act I Scene 5
Folar city. Top of cliff.
Tetsogara stands next to his ninja's. The ninja salutes, then
heads off. Sural stands guard next to Emily.
SURAL: Sir, how long are you planning on staying?
TETSOGARA: Sundown.
He looks at Emily, who is still crying.
SURAL: Then what, sir?
TETSOGARA: If they don't show up by sundown, kill her.
Act I Scene 6
Murko city.
As the clan exits Murko city, Emily's mother runs up to them.
JUDY: Please find her! Bring her back safely!
HAIKU: We will. I promise.
Even though the tears are pouring from her eyes, she still
manages a smile.
HAIKU: Come on.
They dart down the road for Folar city.
Act I Scene 7
Folar city. Top of cliff.
Tetsogara paces back and forth in front of Emily. The slightest
sound is enough to set Tetsogara off. Emily sniffs from crying.
Tetsogara pulls a knife from his belt and holds it near Emily's
neck.
TETSOGARA: Keep it quiet. If I hear even so much as a breath,
I'm not the least bit shy about cutting your throat
where you sit. Got it?
She nods slowly.
TETSOGARA: Good.
He sheathes the knife.
Act I Scene 8
Dirt road.
Our heroes continue down the road for Folar city.
Act I Scene 9
Folar city. Top of cliff.
EMILY(frightened): Can I get something to drink?
Tetsogara turns, angry at her just for speaking.
TETSOGARA: I told to to keep it quiet!
He runs up and back hands her. She falls to the ground, now
crying even more and in pain.
Act I Scene 10
Bottom of cliff.
A throwing star is hurled and sticks into a ninja's skull. Haiku
runs forward and clashes swords with a ninja, then cuts into his
chest. The other clan members look up to the top of the cliff.
NARAGO: That must be the cliff.
More ninja's come in for the clan.
NARAGO: Haiku, go! We can handle these guys.
HAIKU: Are you sure?
NARAGO: Just go!
Haiku kills one more ninja, then takes off up the cliff.
Act I Scene 11
Top of cliff.
Tetsogara unsheathes his knife again and raises it above her.
Act II Scene 1
Folar city. Top of cliff.
As he prepares to kill her, Haiku runs at him.
HAIKU: NO!
He jumps and tackles Tetsogara. The knife flies away and falls
off the cliff. Tetsogara rises and knees Haiku in the face.
Tetsogara runs at him, but Haiku leaps up and rams into him. They
rise and stare each other down.
TETSOGARA: Where's your clan?
HAIKU: They'll be here.
Haiku flips forward and kicks Tetsogara back. He goes for a
punch, but Tetsogara blocks it and kicks Haiku to the ground.
Act II Scene 2
Bottom of cliff.
Narago, Durosa and Faral fight their way through the demon
ninja's.
Act II Scene 3
Top of cliff.
Tetsogara ducks a punch and tackles Haiku. Haiku brings his knee
into Tetsogara's stomach. Haiku kicks Tetsogara in the ribs,
punches him in the jaw, then kicks him away.
Act II Scene 4
Bottom of cliff.
The rest of the clan continue to fight their way up the cliff.
Act II Scene 5
Top of cliff.
Haiku runs at him, but Tetsogara jumps forward and kicks Haiku.
Tetsogara unsheathes the sword from his back and grabs Emily. He
holds her with the sword to her neck to keep Haiku back.
TETSOGARA: Take one more step and I kill her.
HAIKU: Don't do it.
Act II Scene 6
Mid-way up cliff.
Narago blocks a strike and jams his two swords into a ninja's
gut. He runs up and sees Tetsogara holding Emily.
NARAGO: Tetsogara!
He turns just as Narago hurls a throwing star.
HAIKU: NO!
It clashes with the handle of Tetsogara's sword, causing sparks
to fly off of it. Tetsogara stumbles back and both he and Emily
fall off the cliff.
HAIKU: Damn!
Haiku takes off in slow-motion, desperitely trying to get to
Emily. He leaps forward, grabbing Emily's hand as Tetsogara loses
his grip of Emily and falls. We resume full-speed as Haiku has
Emily by the hand. The other clan members run up as Haiku pulls
her up.
HAIKU: Are you okay?
She nods.
EMILY: I'm fine.
Haiku looks to Narago, not totally mad, but a little angry.
NARAGO: I'm sorry...I just wasn't thinking. I could've got her
killed.
HAIKU: It's alright. At least she's safe. But be more careful
next time.
He nods as Durosa looks over the edge.
DUROSA: Oh great!
HAIKU: What?
DUROSA: Look.
They all look over to see that Tetsogara's body has vanished.
HAIKU: Maybe this wasn't the final battle. But we cannot escape
our destiny. We will go to the Twilight Realm after
taking--
He looks to Emily, as if asking her name.
EMILY: Emily.
HAIKU: --Emily back to Murko.
Haiku looks to Faral.
HAIKU: And so you can say bye to Salar.
FARAL: Right.
Act II Scene 7
Tetsogara's lair.
Sural helps Tetsogara in.
SURAL: Clear out. Master Tetsogara needs rest.
He takes him and lays Tetsogara down on his chair.
SURAL: Are you alright sir?
TETSOGARA: There's no doubt they'll be coming here. I want Fear
to head them off at the Junon forest.
SURAL: I'm on it, sir.
Act II Scene 8
Murko city.
Emily runs and hugs her mother as we PAN OVER and see Faral
hugging Salar.
FARAL: I'm gonna miss you so much.
SALAR: I'll miss you too. Take care of yourself.
They break away from the hug.
SALAR: It's been nice meeting all of you.
They nod and head out to the exit of the city.
Act II Scene 9
Exit of Murko city.
They walk down the road leading out of the city.
HAIKU: We finish it.
They walk off as we PAN UP.
FADE TO:
[CLOSING CREDITS]
NEXT EPISODE PROMO
NARRARATOR: On the next episode of the Twilight Realm...
MAN'S VOICE: My name is Fear. I can give you and all of your
clan members hallucinations of what it is they
fear the most.
A shot of Haiku engaged in a fist fight with FEAR.
FEAR'S VOICE: This is the end of your journey Haiku...
Haiku flies backward in a slow-motion shot.
DUROSA'S VOICE: Haiku!
BLACK OUT.
NEXT EPISODE
"Fear"
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