The Trigamon Project

The Divine Parody



   

Season 1: Episode 2: Night in the Theater

   

   
New Scene(Previously on Trigamon)

This is a quick recap of what happened in episode one, from the sphere of golden light to the battle with the doomsayer.


New Scene(Continued from Last Time...)

Benjy is standing near his father and brother; Chikorita is inside of Benjy's backpack, with his leaf hanging out of the top in a way that makes it look like a plant is in his backpack instead.

Benjy's Dad: So Alex's play is tonight?

Benjy nods.

Benjy's Dad: And where is it?

Benjy: Just around the corner. It's the Center for the Performing Arts.

Josh: Are you going to?

Benjy's Dad: I'm going to have to pick him up when he's done.

Benjy's farther turns towards him:

Benjy's Dad: Do you have your ticket?

Benjy: I was just about to get it.

Benjy's Dad: Do you have money for your ticket.

Benjy gives his dad an odd "why would you ask that" look; although Benjy's dad doesn't pick up on the subtlety and after a few moments Benjy responds with a verbal answer:

Benjy: I'm not you.

Benjy laughs uneasily and Chikorita meows from the inside of Benjy's backpack.

Benjy's Dad: So I'll pick you up by the library?

Josh: That works.

Benjy's Dad: Wait, you're going too?

Josh: Better than homework…

Josh responds by giving Benjy's father another look.

Benjy's Dad: Do you have money?

QST.camera shifts away from Benjy's dad and his brother, to Benjy who seems to be staring off into space.

Benjy's Dad: Okay, so I'll pick both of you up by the library then.

Benjy's dad walks away towards his car, and Benjy turns to Josh:

Benjy: I didn't know you wanted to come.

Josh: Tired of being inside.

The Millennium Gameboy Advance projects a hologram:

Yami Benjy: The play is inside though, correct?

Josh flinches.

Josh: I mean at home.


Refresh Scene()

Benjy and Josh are heading down the park path towards the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts. This lasts several seconds until they turn the corner onto the plaza in front of the center. (Note that the Library area is slightly different than in real life, with City Hall off to the side)

Benjy and Josh merge with the small crowd waiting for tickets, and the line starts to move almost as soon as they arrive. Benjy and Josh move with the line, and each buy their ticket before moving into the theater for seating.

Josh: Benjy, do you want to sit up front.

Benjy shakes his head.

Benjy: Don't want to distract her.

Yami Benjy: But what is the point, will she be able to see you?

Josh looks at Benjy, who gestures to a row of seats near the back of the theater.

Benjy: Some would say it's to be entertained.

Yami Benjy: I didn't think you find drama entertaining.

Benjy: I don't.

The theater is slowly starting to fill up, although it looks like the audience will be nowhere near capacity.

Benjy: I didn't know if you meant me or in general.

Yami Benjy: For you of course.

Benjy: Then too see the result of someone's effort.

Yami Benjy: But why?

Benjy: I guess you could put it this way…

Benjy shifts uncomfortably, and Josh realizes what's going on.

Benjy: If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it fall, then the sound it makes doesn't matter. Likewise, if a play goes on and no one is around to see it, then the play doesn't really matter.

Yami Benjy: I see. But I thought the question was did the tree make a sound.

Benjy: Of course the tree makes a sound. And even if you go down that route, others are observing the play too. And with that parallel, if we weren't watching it, the play wouldn't happen.

Yami Benjy: But if it did happen and didn't happen, that contradiction would mean space is illogical and the entire universe would cease to exist!

Benjy places his palm to his forehead.

Benjy: (A) It would just disprove the parallel, (B) Quantum mechanics would beg to differ. and (C)

At this point, the lights in the theater slowly start to dim, and Yami Benjy appears to forget about the conversation.


New Embedded Story()

Begin Play: [modified] Sleeping Beauty

A young man (about 12) dressed as "Father time" steps out from behind the curtain, dangling a pendulum.

Father Time: You are getting very sleepy.

Father Time: You are very sleepy.

Father Time: You are now under my control…

Father Time: You will now set all cell phones to silent, and put away all electronic devices.

QST.camera shifts Back to Benjy:

Yami Benjy: That doesn't apply to us, right?

Benjy: Just ignore it…


QST.camera returns to the stage:

(The first scene is roughly three minutes long and goes as follows):

The king and queen of a fairytale kingdom are expecting a baby, and preparing for the ceremony.

(Yami Benjy wonders if this is a true story, to which Benjy dismisses the notion)

They throw a party, where supposedly all of the kingdom comes, as well as three fairies (each played by children), each to bless the newborn (played by a doll).

Suddenly, after two of the fairies had blessed the child, a fourth fairy (played by a teen) comes onto the stage, angry at the royal couple for not inviting her. This new fairy, named Belladonna, has a darker atmosphere than the other three.

The royal couple tries to cover up for their lack of an invitation, saying that it had gotten lost in the mail, but this doesn't fool Belladonna, who then goes into a soliloquy about how the cover-up pissed her off more than the actual lack of an invite.

After ending the soliloquy, Belladonna puts a curse on the baby: she (the baby) would prick her finger on a spindle when she turned sixteen years of age and die, and then she leaves the set.

The third fairy is horrified, and tries to remove the curse, but after some nonsense language (fake magic) she is only able to reduce the curse, in this case from death to a coma.


QST.camera shifts back to Benjy, where the Millennium Gameboy Advance pulses faintly with light.

Yami Benjy: Benjy. I can do better than that. We should go!

Benjy cringes.

Benjy: That will mess up the play!

Yami Benjy: Is the play more important than someone's life?!

Benjy flinches again.

Yami Benjy: Huh?

Benjy: Yami, it's not real.

Yami Benjy: What do you mean?

Benjy: It's actors. It's pretend

Yami Benjy: But the curse…

Benjy: Also pretend.

Yami Benjy: But how do they know that?!

Josh taps Benjy on the shoulder, and Benjy looks up to see a man walking towards him.

Manager: Sir, please turn off your flashlight.

Benjy looks at the person who begins backing up as he does so, then down at the Millennium Gameboy Advance which is not emitting any light.

Benjy: Um, I don't have a flashlight…

The manager though now has backed up quite a ways.

Benjy: Is something wrong?

The manager gasps, then turns and runs. Benjy now realizes that his eyes are glowing and covers them partly with his hand. The story of the play now continues with the princess (now played by a real actress) growing up:

The princess meets her "ideal prince" and they sort of fall in love, but he refuses to stay with her until she becomes less spoiled. The princess gets upset and shoos him away.

QST.camera shifts back to where Benjy's eyes are glowing brightly, and Josh is helping Benjy cover them.

Now Belladonna appears in the castle as the princess fumes, and offers the princess what is supposed to be a spindle.

Yami Benjy.voiceover: Benjy! Benjy! Something's wrong!

Benjy: Will you let it go?

Yami Benjy.voiceover: That's not a spindle.

Benjy: It's a prop–

Benjy removes his eyes to see the spindle prop, and the light from them spills into the entire theater, although one seems to notice.

The girl takes the spindle, and as she examines it, she pricks her finger on it, suddenly causing everyone on the set to fall into deep sleep. However, it doesn't seem rehearsed, but more as if the actors have suddenly lost consciousness. The sound of heads getting bonked on wood is a giveaway. (Note, it doesn't look like the actors are acting)

And now the play and real life aren't so separate anymore…


After a few moments of nothing happening.

Yami Benjy: And now what?

Benjy: Maybe intermission?

From the stage "Belladonna" can be heard chuckling.

Belladonna: So earthlings have no caution about magic if you pretend it's fantasy. Good to know. Now to figure out what that (bleep)ing light is:

Chikorita quickly retracts his leaf into Benjy's bag as "Belladonna" jumps down from the stage and starts walking down the aisle. Benjy turns to Josh nervously.

Benjy: Josh?

Josh appears to snap out of a trance.

Josh: Benjy? What happened? (whisper)

Belladonna: Who dares to still be awake.

"Belladonna" is still marching down the aisle. Benjy starts getting up from his seat, in case he needs to confront her. At this point "Belladonna" arrives at the end of the aisle, where she can clearly see Benjy and Josh from the light coming from Benjy's eyes.

Belladonna: So you're… Who?

Josh: What do you mean by awake?

Belladonna: I don't have time for this.

Josh: Huh?

"Belladonna" extracts a wand from her costume.

Belladonna: Avada Kerzona!

Suddenly a massive bolt of green light leaps from Belladonna's wand and strikes both Benjy and Josh. Belladonna watches the light fade, and tenses up as she sees that Benjy is still standing.

Belladonna: And you're still alive.

The sound of someone throwing up comes from behind Benjy.

Benjy: Josh?! (horrified)

Josh: I'm okay… (weak)

Belladonna looks at her wand, curiously.

Belladonna: One more time. Avada Kedavera!

The green light explodes from Belladonna's wand and strikes Benjy, but still has no effect.

Benjy: What are you doing?

Belladonna: One more time. Avada Ke–

Benjy jumps up onto the seat.

Benjy: Wait!

Belladonna: –davera!

The green light from Belladonna's wand bursts forth a third time and Benjy shields his eyes with his arm. He flinches for a moment, just long enough for Belladonna to think that he's dead.

Belladonna: Now for you.

Benjy: Stop!

Belladonna flinches, and jumps backwards as the Millennium Gameboy Advance shines and Yami Benjy sprints towards her, jumping down off of the seats.

Belladonna: Avada Kedavera!

The green light again bursts from Belladonna's wand, but still has no effect on Benjy, who continues to approach her.

Belladonna: Kedavera!

A yellow-green blast of light strikes Benjy as Belladonna continues to back up.

Yami Benjy: I really don't think she's method acting.

With a blinding flash of light in the dark theater, the Millennium Gameboy Advance shines, forcing Belladonna to retreat again.

Yami Benjy: Just who are you?

Belladonna grits her teeth.

Belladonna: Avada Ke–

A large blade of light forms around Yami Benjy's right hand, which he swings at Belladonna.

Belladonna: –davera!

This blade of light reflects the light of Belladonna's spell.

Yami Benjy: What–

Rather than talking, Belladonna fires two more blasts of light at Yami Benjy, whom emerges from these and zips forwards, blade aimed at Belladonna. (Behind Benjy, Josh is videotaping the incident with his camera phone).

Yami Benjy slashes at Belladonna several times, and Belladonna leaps aside each time, in ways that shouldn't be possible, before landing on Yami Benjy's blade. With a mighty heave, Yami Benjy chucks her off the blade (towards the stage) and Belladonna does a mid-air cartwheel before landing on the ground.

Belladonna: (bleep)

Belladonna turns tail and starts running for the stage, and Yami Benjy immediately gives chase. Belladonna manages to climb onto the stage just as Yami Benjy approaches, and Yami Benjy starts to climb the stage after her. Belladonna takes a couple steps backwards and starts incanting something.

Yami Benjy: What are you–

Suddenly the stage pulses with green light and Yami Benjy steps onto the stage, to face Belladonna, who drops to her knees, placing her right hand on the stage. The green glow of the stage now engulfs the actors, and then Yami Benjy as he reaches for Belladonna. But before he can, they all disappear leaving an empty stage. The audience remains transfixed in a petrified state.


New Scene()

QST.camera is synchronized with Benjy's vision (mostly blackness, his eyes are closed). Around him, birds chirp.

Yami Benjy: Are you okay? I haven't seen you like this.

Benjy: What happened?

Yami Benjy: Open your eyes.

Benjy opens his eyes to find that he is lying on the floor of a forest. Butterflies dance about and birds chirp. Benjy rolls over and sits up, then tries to stand, but has to steady himself against a tree as he has a dizzy spell.

Yami Benjy: I cannot piece together where we are, I'm sorry.

Benjy: Don't feel bad, nor can I.

Chikorita pushes on the zippers on Benjy's backpack and forces the hole wide enough for him to hop out and begins sniffing around on the ground.

Benjy: Find anything?

Chikorita turns to Benjy and stares at him confused.

Chikorita: Chiko?


New Scene()

Benjy and Chikorita are walking through the forest, Benjy is examining every little thing, which isn't much as the forest is quite homogeneous. Due to the motion of QST.camera, Benjy is shown to be walking in a spiral out from where he appeared to make sure that he doesn't miss anything. After a few moments of this, Chikorita stops and growls at the ground.

Benjy: Something wrong.

Chikorita suddenly lets out a yelp and jumps backwards. Benjy quickly scoops him up. In his arms, Chikorita indicates that he wants Benjy to go elsewhere. Confused, Benjy bends down and touches the ground with one finger.

Benjy: Ow!

Benjy now starts backing up.

Yami Benjy: What's wrong?!

Benjy: The ground is warm, but that means…

Yami Benjy: Means what?

Benjy: Either it's an underground fire or…

Yami Benjy: Or?

Benjy: Magma!

Benjy takes off running with Chikorita in his arms as flames shoot out of the ground behind him. As he runs, Chikorita clambers back into Benjy's backpack, zipping it up after himself. After a small ways of running, Benjy trips on a root and goes sprawling. This gives him the chance to look back and see that the flames haven't followed him all this way. Benjy now looks ahead of him and blinks in surprise.

Ahead of Benjy, (revealed slowly by QST.camera) is a sparkling distinctly fairy-tale spring and waterfall. Some fairies playing a game of volleyball nearby to it.

Yami Benjy: I'll bet they know something…

Benjy: I just hope they didn't summon me to fight off some demon or something…

Yami Benjy: Why not?

Benjy: That's just not something I'm good at.

As Benjy walks around the spring, the ball the fairies are using is hit out of the court by one of the fairies. It rolls into the bushes where it comes to rest next to what first appeared to Benjy to be a rock. This is quickly disproven as the "rock" wakes up and crackles with static electricity. Looking around, it sees the fairies and charges. The fairies stare at the charging creature, frozen in fear. One of them screams.

The Millennium Gameboy Advance glows brightly.

Yami Benjy: Chikorita, razor leaf attack!

Chikorita jumps out of his backpack and launches razor leaf, slicing the creature and knocking it backwards to where the creature collapses, knocked out. Having caught their eye, the fairies approach Yami Benjy cautiously.

Fairy1: Thank you traveler…

Yami Benjy: Your welcome.

Fairy1: But why I ask do you come in such dark times?

Yami Benjy: Dark times? It seems perfectly light out.

Benjy: Dark times equal bad times…

Yami Benjy: Got it…

Fairy2: And why do the two of you share one body. What are you?

Fairy3: Are you the savior that they all talk about?

Fairy1: Be on your guard ladies! We don't know anything about him!

Yami Benjy: I come in peace.

Fairy1: I don't know what you're purpose for coming here was…

Fairy4: He could easily be that savior for all we know.

Fairy2: He did manage to KO that Towtow.

Fairy1: Maybe… Maybe… I'm not going to … just yet…

Yami Benjy: So we were wondering if you knew where we are…

Fairy1: We don't hand that information out freely you know.

Benjy: What could they possibly want from us?

Yami Benjy: I see, so you guys don't know either.

Fairy4: We know, you're in…

The first fairy grabs the 4th and they all huddle.

Fairy2: He smells of karma.

Fairy3: Maybe kid was a storysolver or something, takes hundreds of reincarnations to get rid of the karma smell.

Yami Benjy: I can hear you.

The fairies turn to face Benjy embarrassed.

Fairy4: You're in the moonview forest on the planet of Zanaris.

Yami Benjy: Zanaris?

Benjy: I've heard that name before. I just can't remember where it's from…

Fairy3: Definitely *could* be that savior. We're in luck if that kid was a storysolver, except the forest is going to reek of karma.

Yami Benjy: Karma?

Fairy1: He's probably just a kid lost in the woods. The town's that-a-way.

The fairy points in a direction.

Fairy3: Is that all you need.

Yami Benjy: It's a start. Thank you.

Yami Benjy heads off in the direction that the fairy pointed with Chikorita at his side. The fairies set up their net and resume playing.

Yami Benjy: What's karma?


Refresh Scene()

Yami Benjy walks through the forest leaving a trail of broken branches in his wake. After about 15 seconds (real time), Yami Benjy arrives at a clearing and sees a town, which he continues towards. Tired, Chikorita clambers back into Benjy's backpack when Yami Benjy comes to the town's edge, although no one is around.


Refresh Scene()

Benjy is walking through the old-fashioned town, although no one seems to be present and the town is eerily silent as a result, save for some Skiploom flying overhead, but Benjy doesn't notice them


Benjy: Should we go back?

Yami Benjy: To where? I think the fairies have moved by now.

Benjy takes a few more steps.

Yami Benjy: I sense… …people.

Benjy: Maybe there's a town meeting?

With Yami Benjy guiding, Benjy runs through some overgrown streets, and then suddenly stops as he sees Belladonna standing before him, just as surprised to see him as he is to see her.

Belladonna: You followed me?! (horrified)

Yami Benjy holds out his arm and the light condenses on it to form a blade.

Yami Benjy: You didn't really give me a choice in the matter. Who are you?!

Belladonna whips out her wand again.

Belladonna: Avada kedavera!

Another bolt of green light flies forth from Belladonna's wand, but it still has no effect on Benjy.

Belladonna: (bleep) it!

Belladonna bends down, and then leaps off into the air and takes flight.

Yami Benjy: Get back here!

But Belladonna doesn't come back, and Benjy's eyes start to glow with a light blue-purple color, as Benjy looks around wildly for anything that might be causing this tint in his vision. Chikorita meanwhile grows after Belladonna, then suddenly takes off running.

Yami Benjy: Chikorita!

Chikorita doesn't come back, and Yami Benjy is forced to take off after him. The chase lasts the better part of a minute, with the light from Yami Benjy's eyes getting brighter the further he goes until Yami Benjy gets the chance and lunges and catches Chikorita before he can run away again, although Yami Benjy's eyes are now glowing like spotlights.

Yami Benjy: I think we have to find out. Your eyes are glowing in response to something. We need to find out what it is.

Benjy: And how exactly do you suppose we do this?

Yami Benjy: It's a game of hot and cold.

The Millennium Gameboy Advance de-activates leaving Benjy holding Chikorita tightly in his arms.

Benjy: Very well then.


New Scene()

Benjy walks down a flight of stairs and along a concrete sidewalk to where a castle looms in the distance. As Benjy approaches the castle the light from his eyes intensifies.


New Scene()
Castle Ground Floor
Error: image not found.

The castles floor, walls, and ceiling are made of blue stone. Proportions might be off slightly.


The door to the castle from the inside opens and Benjy cautiously walks inside. From here Benjy continues across the corridor and up a flight of stairs at the other side, trying to make the light get brighter. Benjy arrives onto another story of the castle, as he follows the intensity of the light from his eyes, eventually reaching a hallway with a girl lying on the floor.

Benjy kneels down and checks for a pulse as his eyes shine as brilliantly as lighthouse beacons on a dark shore.

Benjy: Interesting…

Yami Benjy: Is she alive?

Benjy: I think she has something to do with it…. She's just sleeping as far as I can tell. But that's not surprising since she resembles the girl in the play… Her finger is even pricked where she was supposed to have pricked it on the spindle.

Chikorita walks up to the girl's forehead and sniffs her face.

Yami Benjy: Resembles the girl in the play?

Benjy: The actress.

Yami Benjy: Could it be her?

Benjy: There's no way to know for sure, but this world's resemblance to the play is uncanny.

Benjy now puts his ear to the girl's chest. Her breathing is fine Benjy ultimately concludes. Chikorita chirps, alerting Benjy to an object lying on the floor.

Yami Benjy: It's a spindle…

Benjy: Yes, and I wonder if…

Benjy accidentally pricks himself with the spindle, but nothing happens.

Benjy: Ow!

A murmuring from around the corner permeates the room. Benjy cringes, but time continues to flow as normal.

Belladonna: That stubborn prince, he keeps coming back. And I keep having to send him away. No matter how many times I send him away…

The lady from earlier turns the corner to see Benjy and the girl.

Belladonna: What do you think you're doing!?

Belladonna jumps to the girl with surprising agility, and snatches her away before darting off down the corridor. QST.camera follows her as she runs. In the darkness behind her, a golden light shines, and Belladonna looks back to see Yami Benjy running at her.

Yami Benjy: There's no longer any doubt–you're up to something evil!

Yami Benjy: Chikorita! Razor leaf!

Razor leaf strikes Belladonna in the chin, causing her to drop the girl. Yami Benjy has Chikorita follow up with a magical leaf, but Belladonna ultimately shrugs this off, grabbing the unconscious girl again. She runs to a window, and jumps out, and starts to fly again. Yami Benjy jumps after her, but misses.

Benjy: …!

Benjy: Look before you leap!

Yami Benjy crashes into a bush and the Millennium Gameboy Advance de-activates with the impact. Benjy stares up at Belladonna in disbelief.

Benjy: This is completely ridiculous.

Unaware to him, a pulse shoots up at Belladonna from Benjy's face. Benjy extracts himself from the bush, and then starts running, preparing to chase Belladonna on foot.


Refresh Scene()

Benjy runs from the courtyard after Belladonna.

Benjy: This is beyond ridiculous. At first I thought that that was a jetpack, but it should have run out of fuel by now if that's the case.

Benjy rounds a corner, and Belladonna comes back in sight as she flies towards the other edge of the town.

Benjy: Get back here! That's not possible!

Suddenly Belladonna's wings seem to be deleted, and she falls like a rock.

Benjy: And finally out of fuel!

Belladonna crashes to the ground about 100 meters ahead of Benjy, who is now charging at her. While Benjy runs, Belladonna puts the unconscious princess down, and starts to dust herself off, drawing her wand when she sees Benjy.

Belladonna: Avada Kedavera!

The green blast strikes Benjy head-on, but has no effect.

Belladonna: Avada Kedavera!

Belladonna: Avada Kedavera!

None of these spells have any effect on Benjy as he runs towards her.

Belladonna: (Bleep) it!

Belladonna charges towards Benjy, this time drawing a knife.

Yami Benjy: Benjy!

As Belladonna holds the knife out to stab Benjy, Benjy grabs her arm and crashes into her headlong, knocking her to the ground and knocking the knife from her hand as Benjy forces her backwards to the point that she is no longer between him and the unconscious girl. The Millennium Gameboy Advance then shines, and Yami Benjy pins Belladonna to the ground.

Belladonna: GAH! You filthy human! (Bleep)ed muggle! Get off me!

Yami Benjy: There's a fine line between method acting and insane.

Belladonna: How the (bleep) are you doing this? You're a tier (bleep)ing nine (bleep)ing human?

Yami Benjy: If you calm down I'll tell you.

Belladonna stares at Yami Benjy, with a combination of fear, demonic hatred and rage in her eyes.

Yami Benjy: There's a song we humans have. It's not by might. It's not by power. It's by spirit alone!

Belladonna: Then you should have died ages ago! Avada–

Belladonna is cut off as something knocks wand out of her hand into the undergrowth. Coming towards the town, a warrior approaches, carrying a large sword.

Warrior: You're wicked ways are over Belladonna! Any last words?

With a move that startles Yami Benjy, the warrior draws his blade and presses it to Belladonna's throat, but Belladonna smiles. With a sudden motion, she jerks her neck away from the sword, before grabbing the blade in her teeth. With what appears to be magic, Belladonna forces the warrior back by swinging the sword blade and knocks Yami Benjy from her as she grabs the sword's hilt and then grabs the warrior by the throat.

Belladonna → Ila: My name is Ila, don't wear it–

Benjy: Razor leaf!

Chikorita shoots a volley of leaves at Ila, forcing her to use the sword to defend against the attack. She is not entirely successful and some of the leaves slash her skin.

Ila: Yah! OK, I'll kill you then!

Ila throws the warrior to the ground where he lands in a heap, and charges at Yami Benjy who activates his blade gloves as Ila swings the sword. The block is successful, but Ila lurches towards Yami Benjy trying to stab him, but the latter bats the blade aside.

Ila raises the warriors sword to strike but Yami Benjy continues to parry her blows, though it seems that neither is accustomed to sword fighting.

Benjy: I don't get this… I need answers!

Yami Benjy: Well I'm trying to get them!

With this, Yami Benjy finally manages to slash Ila, and with it starts to gain the upper hand, finally smacking Ila with his arm and forcing her to drop the sword. Yami Benjy then dissolves the blade-glove and grabs Ila's arm dragging her aside.

Ila: You'll pay for this!!

Yami Benjy: Cash or credit?

Yami Benjy's grip on Ila's arms tightens further as Ila continues to struggle. Ila attempts to punch Yami Benjy, but she isn't that strong, and Yami Benjy catches his other fist.

Yami Benjy: Now I need some answers.

Instead of responding, Ila seemingly explodes into particles of light, which leaves Yami Benjy stunned. Behind him, the warrior gets up off of the ground.

Warrior: She teleported.

Yami Benjy: Teleported?!


New Scene()

Benjy and the Warrior are walking through the forest.

Warrior: I've only heard tales of you people. You appear in the most desperate and bizarre situations.

Benjy: What do you mean by that.

Princess: Wait up!

Warrior: We're not carrying you!

Princess: Forget that, just wait up!

Benjy and the warrior stand and the girl walks up to them.

Princess: I had the strangest dream.

Warrior: Dreams are always weirdest before you wake up.

Benjy: Especially if you've been sleeping for years.

The princess doesn't seem to know what to make of this

Benjy: Isn't it a bit weird that the prince always rescues the princess, but not the other way around?

Yami Benjy: I never thought about it like that. A bit odd, perhaps.


New Scene()

The three arrive in the town where people are lying all over the street, just starting to wake up.

Benjy: What happened?

Warrior: Odd things happen in these forests. That dark fairy put a curse on everyone here. You broke the curse prematurely, it wasn't scheduled to break for another 85 years. I've been showing up now and then for the last 15 years, but that fairy always chased me off.

Benjy: You don't look 15…

Warrior: Maybe not fifteen of your years, human.

The warrior chuckles.

Yami Benjy: Benjy, don't ask…

Benjy: What's your name?

Warrior: I'd rather not say.

Yami Benjy: We still have to get back home.

In front of them, people are waking up with what seems like a hangover. As Benjy watches, the warrior taps him on the shoulder, informing him that they should head to the palace. Benjy wonders aloud about the people, but the warrior insists that they'll be fine. He and the princess turn to go, and Benjy hurries off after them towards the castle.


New Scene(Partial Refresh of Previous Scene)

Benjy approaches the castle, and enters after the princess and warrior. Inside the people are also drunk-looking. The king is sitting in his throne against the wall of the ground floor, with the stairs leading upwards behind him. He looks a bit drunk, but perks up as they enter the building.

Once everyone is inside, the princess walks over to the king and he gets up and embraces her, then he turns to the warrior who bows.

King: My noble warrior, is there any way I can thank you?

The warrior hesitates intentionally to build dramatic tension.

Warrior: There is but one thing your majesty. If you would be so kind as to allow me to join your daughter in matrimony, then we shall–

The entire room bursts into applause and some people begin to cry in happiness. In the commotion, the king turns to Benjy.

King: Is there something you wish, as well? I know you had a significant part to play in the rescue of my daughter.

Benjy: Uh, yeah when I arrived, I…

King: If you would please, I don't actually want to know. If I were younger, then maybe. Though you seem as though something is troubling you.

Benjy: There is one thing your majesty. I would like to get home.

This comment appears to surprise, almost startle, the king

King: Where do you live?

Benjy: I'm not sure where I am now, but I live on the planet Earth, in the United States of…

King: You've traveled quite a distance then…

Benjy: How far?

King: I really don't think you want to know. Fetch the slippers!

An aide runs into the castle and returns with a pair of ruby slippers. The king instructs Benjy to put them on and he does.

King: Picture in your mind where you want to be, then repeat after me.

Aide: Please bear in mind the slippers might not put you *exactly* where you picture.

Benjy: Place pictured.

King: Repeat after me: There's no place like home…

Benjy: Repeat after me: There's no place like home.

King: Without the " Repeat after me" part.

{

King: There's no place like home.

Benjy: There's no place like home.

} x3

The slippers begin to glow and Benjy repeats the phrase a couple more times. The ground begins to glow blue and then space around Benjy shatters.


New Scene()

Benjy looks around panicked to find himself on the stage. Everyone else in the theater is fast asleep, and several are snoring loudly. Benjy attempts to tiptoe off the stage, but trips and falls over a sleeping actor. Then suddenly the princess from the play approaches Benjy.


Play(_resume_)

Princess: What happened? Are you the savior I dreamt of?

Benjy: I don't know.

Benjy now looks around shocked to see the whole cast and audience staring at him. Alex from across the stage, mouths something.

Yami Benjy: She's trying to remind you of your lines.

Benjy: But I don't…

Benjy: I don't know what you dreamt of. I don't even know how or why I'm here.

Benjy glances at Alex who is trying to mouth him lines.

Benjy: What's she saying?

Yami Benjy: You can't lip read?

Yami Benjy: I'm just a someone on my way home.

Benjy: I'm just a someone on my way home.

Yami Benjy: But, if you look yonder, your prince is waiting.

Benjy: But, if you look yonder, your prince is waiting.

Benjy jumps off of the stage and makes his way back to his seat as the play ends.

Play(_end_)


New Scene()

Benjy stands outside the theatre holding the spindle from the play, which Josh is examining. Alex is nearby, waiting for her parents.

Alex: And you said you couldn't act. You did pretty well there.

Benjy: That wasn't supposed to happen though!

Alex: Forgetting your lines? You remembered them pretty quickly, I'm sure no one noticed.

Benjy looks up at the sky.

Benjy: I wasn't supposed to be in the play. Remember how I never was at any of the rehearsals?

Alex: Wait, you weren't?

Benjy: No, I wasn't…

Alex: That's not what I remember.

Benjy: Look at the pamphlet Alex. My name isn't in there.

Alex holds the pamphlet up to the light and examines it.

Alex: That's weird.

Benjy: Someone messed with your memory, and messed with the play by transporting me into it. I have no idea how or why.

Alex: You really have no memory?

Benjy: Think hard Alex…

A moment of silence passes, only broken when the "spindle" in Benjy's hand begins to shake. Benjy loosens his grasp, as he and Alex stare at the "spindle." Slowly, the spindle begins to hatch…

As pieces of plastic fall away, a strange mechanical bird-like creature sits on Benjy's palm, and gently unfolds it's wings in the moonlight, then opens it's eyes and looks up at Benjy and chirps. Yami Benjy now projects a hologram of himself into the nearby air.

Alex: What kind of a pokémon is that?

Yami Benjy: It's not a pokémon. Pixielite, the satellite Trigamon.

Alex: Wait, what?

Josh: How is that any different?

Yami Benjy: Entirely different type of life form, albeit functionally very similar.

Josh: Go on…

Yami Benjy: That's all I remember. I can't remember why they are different.

Pixielite looks up at Benjy, Yami Benjy, and Alex with wide eyes. It blinks a couple of times.

Alex: So now that you mention it, there was something odd about tonight. But I can't put my finger on it–Hey it's my parents! I'll see you.

Alex runs off into the night towards her parent's car. They wave to Benjy as they leave.


New Cutscene()

Alex has a {quick} talk with her parents who also don't recall Benjy being in the play. Alex puzzles over this.


Yami Benjy: I don't know what happened, but at least everyone is safe now.

Benjy: That's always happy ending material.

Josh taps Benjy on the shoulder.

Josh: Dad says he just arrived.

Benjy and Josh start walking back towards the library:

Benjy: What happened after I left?

Josh: Nothing… For like fifteen minutes. I touched the stage where you disappeared and a weird symbol appeared: it looked like a story book. What happened on your end.

Benjy: We're going to need a physicist. I think I was sent to an alternate universe.


To Be Continued

© April 25, 2010-October 4, 2018 by Benjy Strauss