Volume 2 - Love & War - Something To Protect

Love & War - Something To Protect

Act 1, Scene 1 (Outside Moresuke)

Sparrow: *enters village*

Villager: Sparrow! You're back! We were wondering when you'd be getting back, being late and all.

Sparrow: Yes... I am back. Where's Imeda?

Scene 2 (Forest Near Moresuke)

Canon and Imeda: *walk along holding hands*

Sparrow: *enters scene* Canon, I need You to come with me! Right away!

Canon: *glances at Imeda, lets go of her hand* OK, im coming...

Scene 3 (Same, different location in forest)

Sparrow: *bound and gagged, struggling to untie himself*

Scene 4 (Shyaku's Old Shop)

Canon: *tied to chair, bound and gagged*

Fake Sparrow: (Standing in front of group of thugs) This is the one Shyaku said would do him in, he said this is the one who would overthrow the Prince if something didn't change.

Scene 5 (Imeda's Home, Night)

Imeda: Where is he...? He said he'd be back...

Scene 6 (Same, morning)

Imeda: *wakes up in same position, having waited all night for Canon* Something must be wrong, he wouldn't lie to me. *searches town for Canon, eventually stops outside of Shyaku's Shop* Hmm... someone replaced the window... and I don't think there were curtains before... something here smells fishy... *walks up to door*

Act 2, Scene 1 (Ameyura Meeting House)

Fake Sparrow: So yeah, I'm going to be investigating Shyaku's shop, and I don't want to be disturbed.

Others: Uh, ok...

Fake Sparrow: *leaves to shop*

Scene 2 (Shyaku's Old Shop)

Fake Sparrow: *sees Imeda outside of shop* Hey! What are you doing here? Didn't you hear, im investigating? ALONE.

Imeda: I can't find Canon, he must be around here somewhere!

F. Sparrow: Go look out in the forest, maybe he’s there. *pushes past Imeda* You need to leave now.

Imeda: Hey! You can't push me around!

F. Sparrow: If you know what's good for you, you'll leave. *enters*

Imeda: What is up with him! Agh! *follows him inside*

Scene 3 (Interior of Shop)

Imeda: Canon! *gasp*

F. Sparrow: I told you not to follow me! I don't want your blood on my hands as well! Gah! Tie her up!

Imeda: *is caught and tied up* Why are you doing this?! *starts to cry*

Canon: *despairing at seeing Imeda's tears, starts to cry himself*

F. Sparrow: I'm not Sparrow! My name is Suparo, I was Shyaku's partner, in show business. I was an actor, he was the magic man. What you see before you is all that is left of our troop. We came upon hard times, and when there was no other way out for us, Irakura approached us, offering a job. He wanted us to find Sparrow's protégé, and kill him, along with Sparrow himself. We arrived, and Shyaku decided to go in himself. He found Sparrow no problem, but we needed Sparrow's apprentice. At first, we thought the Gekkou boy was Sparrow's successor, the way he hung onto him, but then we saw you, and we knew it was you, Canon. I am very sorry. Shyaku told me about how strong the bonds of love between you two are.

Imeda: You killed Sparrow?

Suparo (F. Sparrow): No. Not yet. He's still in the midst of the forest. Alone. At night. With the wolves. The problem is, I can't directly injure people. It just isn't in me.

Imeda: Then why are you doing this, why didn't you just ignore the Prince's offer?!

Suparo: We lived in the capital, where I managed to see a few of Irakura's deeds. I believe in the Prince. So when he came to me with a job, I swore I wouldn't disappoint him.

Act 3, Scene 1 (Capital, Irakura on street)

Hebimaru: Your highness, are you certain you want to be walking the streets? I know that the capital is the safest place in the land, but after the terrorist attempt on your life...

Irakura: That failed miserably. Sparrow will be licking his wounds.

Hebimaru: Didn't the mind poison kill him?

Irakura: No. Some troops spotted him fleeing from Avalon... heaven knows how he got there. Leave me Hebimaru, I wish to be alone today.

Hebimaru: Very well, my lord. *leaves*

Citizen: You! *points at Prince*

Prince: It's true, I am the Prince. No autographs please.

Citizen: I hate you! You ruined my life!

Prince: I get that a lot. How exactly did I ruin YOUR life?

Citizen: You are building a new palace.
Prince: Yup. The old one sucked. The Ameyura terrorists broke into it for heaven's sake.

Citizen: You layed off most of the servants in the old palace.

Prince: Of course, it would be wasteful to have all of the servants while building a new palace. They will all be re-hired when the new palace is complete.

Citizen: I can't wait that long, my daughter can't! I've worked might and day to make enough money to feed us! Now you've fired me! This is your fault! *draws dagger* I have something to protect! And you're threatening it!

Irakura: Interesting. Did you know, we all have something to protect? For you, it's your daughter. For me, it's the entire nation. Can you comprehend how hard it is to try and protect everyone? I doubt it. You lost your job then went after me, when killing me can't even fix it. Pathetic. I struggle through impossible decisions every day! The strain of running a war is incredible! Not to mention the internal problems this country has! Just look at the nut-jobs in the streets, prancing around with their little daggers!

Citizen: *attacks Irakura*

Irakura: *sidesteps, disarms him, then twists his arm around and traps him* I have something to protect, and you're threatening it. *stabs him* I'll make sure your daughter is taken care of.

Scene 2 (Shyaku's Shop)

Imeda: Don't do this!
Suparo: Grunt, set the shop on fire.

*Grunt leaves*

Canon: *finally frees self of gag* Please, let her go! You can kill me, but don't kill her! Please, please, anything... *breaks down sobbing*

Suparo: *sheds a tear* I will wait here with you, and perish in the flames. I mustn't disappoint my Prince.

Canon: Please let her go, she's the thing I must protect...

Suparo: I have something to protect: The Prince. Without him, this whole country would sink into chaos. It's up to us, the people, to protect him!

Canon: We all have something to protect, but you shouldn't protect the Prince! He doesn't need your help! He doesn't want it!

Suparo: On the contrary! He adores his people, and is highly grateful to him! He had the whole court of nobles wear black when Sanyuta died. He loves every one of us, that's why the Ameyura are so effective, it breaks his heart to see his own people trying to kill him.

Imeda: So they are getting to him!

Canon: You-you-you're lying!

Suparo: Are you certain? Have you ever met the Prince? Or just heard of the horrific monster Sparrow describes?

Canon: I-he-but-then-agghh....

Imeda: Please, just let Canon go…

*Grunt shouts*: The place is burning good now!

Canon: Free her! Please!

Suparo: I can't stand this. *frees them* I'm going to disappear now. But remember, the Prince is more than Sparrow claims, while being less. You can't trust Sparrow. He killed Shyaku out of cold blood. *leaves*

Canon & Imedal *leave*

 Epilogue

Sparrow: *enters town*

Canon & Imeda: *distrustful glance*

Canon: You know, this is something to protect... *kisses Imeda*

Imeda: This, right here, IS what we protect.