INT. LABORATORY - DAY #1# It is a darkened room. In the middle of the floor is a small altar, a simple raised platform with magic symbols etched into it. On the platform is a confused looking man hunched over, his foot chained to a stake in the floor. Next to him is an empty suit of armor, looking suspiciously like HECHTER. VOICE (OFF SCREEN) ... (Random magic words) ... The symbols on the altar begin to glow green with NECROTITE energy. The confused man is getting scared. VOICE (OFF SCREEN) ... (More random magic words) ... The symbols on the altar are glowing with fierce energy. The confused man is standing now, energy visibly flowing around him. VOICE (OFF SCREEN) ... Arkanon Felleon ... Fateus! Energy shoots out of the confused man’s eyes and screaming mouth. The energy escapes his body as it collapses to the platform and flows into the suit of armor standing behind him. The armor glows for a moment and then stops. The glowing symbols on the altar fade. It is dark again and nothing moves. The armor, now animated by dark magics, raises its head - its eyes glowing green with terrible NECROTITE power. ANIMATED ARMOR I like boobies. BLACK KNIGHT (OFF SCREEN) Wait! Stop! The lights come on and from off screen enters FLUFFY, the BLACK KNIGHT, and SAPPHIRE, his assistant. FLUFFY pauses to examine the animated suit of armor. FLUFFY Hmm. At least this one didn’t explode... BLACK KNIGHT You promised me an army of fierce, indestructible warriors, Fluffy, not a bunch of blathering idiots! FLUFFY I didn't promise anything. You threatened me if I didn't make your army. I never said I could do it. I just said, "Don't kill me" and you just assumed. ANIMATED ARMOR (to FLUFFY) I like you. You are blue. FLUFFY And for the record, I motivate much better with positive reinforcement. The BLACK KNIGHT lifts FLUFFY off the ground with a single arm, pulling a sword from his back with the other. He points the sword at FLUFFY's throat. BLACK KNIGHT I'm positive that reinforcing your throat with new air holes will motivate you just fine. FLUFFY Stop! Please! Stop! ANIMATED ARMOR Tickle me next! Tickle me next! BLACK KNIGHT (inching sword closer to FLUFFY's throat) You've had five months now. Every day, the enemy grows closer, using the NECROMANTIKON to decimate my army and you... You have given me nothing! Corpses and idiots! FLUFFY This isn't easy! Removing the soul from a person's body is a very traumatic experience. Even if it does survive the transition, the damage to the mind is enormous. Under the best circumstances - which we don't have, I remind you - the procedure isn't guaranteed to produce the most... sane... results. (to the ANIMATED ARMOR) No offense. ANIMATED ARMOR None taken. BLACK KNIGHT You created HECHTER, didn't you? FLUFFY Like I said, not the most sane results. And that's with repairing his soul damage over decades and decades. It took time, which you won't give me now. The BLACK KNIGHT raises his sword once more and points it at FLUFFY. BLACK KNIGHT Then you are worthless to me. FLUFFY Wait! Stop! I can figure this out! BLACK KNIGHT I've given you more chances than you deserve already. FLUFFY Hold on! Just... just give me a second. BLACK KNIGHT No. As the blade draws closer to FLUFFY'S neck, an idea hits him and his eyes go wide. FLUFFY I've got it! I have a solution! The blade stops. The BLACK KNIGHT ponders whether to kill FLUFFY or listen to him. FLUFFY I've have an idea that will create your animated armors AND they will be under your complete control! BLACK KNIGHT I'm listening. FLUFFY gestures to SAPPHIRE, standing in the corner of the room. BLACK KNIGHT (to SAPPHIRE) Dispose of the body and take this... idiot... to the woods and lose him, like the rest. SAPPHIRE As you wish. (to ANIMATED ARMOR) You. Grab the body. We're going on a picnic. ANIMATED ARMOR Ooh boy! A picnic! SAPPHIRE and the ANIMATED ARMOR leave. BLACK KNIGHT Continue. FLUFFY Okay. The problem here is that taking the soul from the body is very traumatic for the soul. What we need to do is strengthen the soul before the procedure takes place. But that takes time, right? BLACK KNIGHT I know this already. I'm losing patience. FLUFFY What if we start with a soul that is already strong enough? BLACK KNIGHT And where do we get one of those? FLUFFY We already have one. You. BLACK KNIGHT You want to put ME in an armor? I'm already immortal. FLUFFY No, not you. Not all of you. You see, your soul is part god. And with all the dark arts you've used to gain your strength and immortality, your soul is without equal. It's so strong, we don't even need all of it to create one of these things. BLACK KNIGHT You want a piece of my soul? FLUFFY Exactly. Just a small, infinitesimal piece of your soul would be enough. The resulting... minion... wouldn't be completely autonomous. You'd control it, almost unconsciously... as if you were flexing a muscle. It would be part of you, and you would be its master. BLACK KNIGHT Interesting. An invincible army that I, and I alone, would have complete control over? How many of these can you make? FLUFFY With a soul as powerful as yours? Dozens. Maybe more. BLACK KNIGHT And this wouldn't be a trick of yours? A way to harm me, perhaps? FLUFFY You are part god, made immortal through ancient black magics. Even your own flesh and blood can not harm you. Believe me, if there was a way to hurt you, I would've done it by now. BLACK KNIGHT Good. Because if this doesn't work, I will kill you. FLUFFY It'll work. BLACK KNIGHT Then let's begin immediately. FLUFFY'S eyes widen in panic. FLUFFY Wait, no... I'm not... I need the NECROMANTIKON, at the very least. BLACK KNIGHT (pointing his sword at FLUFFY) You said that you had the book memorized. Were you lying to me then or are you lying to me now? FLUFFY This magic is a combination of several spells and techniques found within its pages. I'm not just following a set of commands while chanting words. I need to invent this spell, and for that, I need to reference the NECROMANTIKON in its entirety. BLACK KNIGHT (putting down his sword) I... believe you. FLUFFY wipes sweat from his brow and sighs. BLACK KNIGHT I will have the book in three days. We'll begin then. Make sure you have prepared everything you need. FLUFFY Three days? How will you get the book in three days? BLACK KNIGHT A plan has been in motion for some time now. Three days is all that is needed. FLUFFY You've tried to get the book before. How is this time any different. BLACK KNIGHT This time, I have a secret weapon. INT. MAUREEN'S ROOM - DAY #2# GILBERT is trying to push past MAUREEN to get to a closed door. GILBERT (shouting) Let me in! I want to see her! MAUREEN Well, she doesn't want to see you. GILBERT stops struggling with MAUREEN and gives her an icy stare. GILBERT She's my daughter. I have the right to see her. MAUREEN You get that right when you've earned it. GILBERT pushes past MAUREEN and starts banging on the door. GILBERT GILLIAN! Open up! It's me! Your father! MAUREEN She's not going to open the door. GILBERT GILLIAN? Why won't you answer? MAUREEN She won't answer you because she is afraid of you. GILBERT stops and turns around. GILBERT She's afraid of me? MAUREEN says nothing. GILBERT bangs on the door some more. GILBERT GILLIAN! Come on! Open the door! MAUREEN You should stop before you make a bigger ass out of yourself. GILBERT turns around towards MAUREEN, furious. GILBERT One word from me and those two guards outside will be in here to make you open that door. I don't need your permission. MAUREEN And that's why she is afraid of you. GILBERT says nothing. He just stares at MAUREEN. SAPPHIRE (OFF SCREEN) Ahem! GILBERT and MAUREEN turn around to see SAPPHIRE standing at the doorway. SAPPHIRE Begging your pardon, my lord, but your presence has been requested at the strategy meeting in 15 minutes. GILBERT I'm kind of in the middle of something here. Go away. SAPPHIRE The BLACK KNIGHT said that if you refused, I was to throw you into the dungeon and feed you spiders. GILBERT (sighing) Fine. I'll go. SAPPHIRE Very good, my lord. Do you need me to accompany you to the war room? GILBERT Bah. I don't need you to babysit me. I said I'm going. GILBERT walks out the door, grumbling to himself. SAPPHIRE Are you alright, Ms. Maureen? MAUREEN I can handle myself. MAUREEN pauses and looks around the room to see if anyone else is listening. MAUREEN (whispering) Any news on the rescue attempt? SAPPHIRE There's nothing new to report at this time. All I know is that things are in motion and we'll know something very soon. EXT. COUNTRY ROAD - NIGHT #3# A small horse and cart, being driven by BART, followed by a retinue of soldiers, marching in formation. Walking alongside the cart is RUBY and MINA. In the back of the cart is a treasure chest. BART I have a bad... RUBY If you say, "I have a bad feeling about this" one more time, I swear, I can not be held responsible for any physical and/or emotional violence that will swiftly and without mercy be inflicted upon your person. BART I was going to say that I had a bad... um... knee. RUBY Damn right you do. BART And my bad knee always acts up when it feels like a trap. RUBY Of course it's a trap, you idiot. That's the whole point of this. You think we are going to just roam around the countryside with the NECROMANTIKON for no reason? It's our trap! MINA Shut up you two. Someone's coming. A small woman, dressed in rags and face covered in a hood, runs up to them. WOMAN Please! Help! They're after me. MINA Calm down. Who is after you? WOMAN Them! The woman points behind her towards a group of a dozen or more ZOMBIES shambling after her. RUBY draws her sword and licks her lips. RUBY There's too many to fight off. We'd better use the book. MINA BART, get the back of the cart with the NECROMANTIKON. (to soldiers) Prepare for battle! RUBY Take your time! I'm going to have some fun first. MINA RUBY, take the woman to the back and keep her safe. RUBY What?! Why me? MINA Because I'm not cleaning up body parts again. Let the book do its magic this time. RUBY (sighing) Fine. Old... er... young... Um. Woman. Come with me. WOMAN Thank you. RUBY You sound familiar to me. Have we met? RUBY and the WOMAN walk towards the back of the line as the ZOMBIES attacks. MINA and the KNIGHTS manage to engage the ZOMBIES, but there are too many of them. MINA BART! What's the hold up! BART I can't find the right page! I remember it being near the picture of the goat head... MINA Please hurry up! BART Nope, not this one either. Man, there are a lot of pictures of goat heads in this book... MINA If you don't mind! BART Here it is! BART reads some magic words from the NECROMANTIKON, reading action behavior like "raise hands", "perform spirit fingers", etc. Once finished, he looks up triumphantly, only to discover that the ZOMBIES are still there. BART Huh? It didn't work! MINA Try it again, but this time, perform the actions in parenthesis - don't READ them! BART Oh... BART attempts to read the spell again, this time raising his hands and performing spirit fingers. The spell works. A bright light flashes and the ZOMBIES dissolve to dust. The KNIGHTS begin cheering. RUBY Uh... guys... They turn around to see RUBY being held at knifepoint by the WOMAN. WOMAN Give me the book or I kill her! BART Fine with me. MINA RUBY? What gives? RUBY Yeah, well... The WOMAN pulls back her hood in a dramatic manner, revealing AMETHYST, RUBY'S younger sister. MINA Am I supposed to know who you are? AMETHYST You don't know me? I'm Ruby's sister, AMETHYST? BART Sorry. You don't look familiar. AMETHYST She never mentioned me? Shown you a picture? Perhaps lamented my descent into evil? MINA Can't say that she has. AMETHYST (to RUBY) You never told them about me? RUBY I've been a little bit busy. Undead apocalypse and all. BART We don't know much about RUBY, really. I know she likes violence and laughs way too hard at puppet shows that involve violence. RUBY It was FUNNY! BART I didn't get it. AMETHYST Fine. Whatever. It would've been nice to get a little recognition from my sister, but I don't need it. Give me the NECROMANTIKON. MINA I don't know, BART. What do you say? BART She didn't say please. MINA That's true. A little courtesy goes a long way. AMETHYST DEMON KNIGHTS! At her command, the small band of knights are surrounded by a large group DEMON KNIGHTS - all with crossbows pointed at them. AMETHYST Please! BART jumps down off the wagon and joins MINA and the KNIGHTS. AMETHYST and RUBY get on the cart with the book. AMETHYST starts to ride off. MINA What about RUBY? AMETHYST I'm taking her with me. She may be inconsiderate, but she's still my sister. I don't want her to die. BART I don't understand. AMETHYST (to DEMON KNIGHTS) As soon as we are clear, kill them. AMETHYST and RUBY ride off, carrying the NECROMANTIKON towards the BLACK KNIGHT'S CASTLE. EXT. COURTYARD - DAY #4# The BLACK KNIGHT is standing in the courtyard with two of his DEMON KNIGHTS. AMETHYST arrives on the small cart, carrying with her RUBY and the NECROMANTIKON. BLACK KNIGHT Welcome back, AMETHYST. I assume everything went well. AMETHYST It did. Your book is in the back. The BLACK KNIGHT looks to his DEMON KNIGHTS and points to the cart. They take the NECROMANTIKON away. AMETHYST This makes is square. I'm done working for you. I'm taking my sister and leaving now. BLACK KNIGHT Square? You stole from me. We'll never be square. A group of DEMON KNIGHTS appear behind the cart, blocking its exit. AMETHYST But you said... BLACK KNIGHT I say a lot of things. That's how I get people to do what I want. The DEMON KNIGHTS grab AMETHYST and RUBY, gagging them both and tying their hands behind their back. BLACK KNIGHT Now... shall I kill you, or torture you and then kill you? SAPPHIRE appears behind the BLACK KNIGHT. AMEHTYST'S eyes grow wide and she starts to struggle. RUBY just looks angry. SAPPHIRE My lord, if I may make a suggestion. BLACK KNIGHT By all means. SAPPHIRE I believe these two are spies, working together to infiltrate our base and inform our enemies. BLACK KNIGHT I see. So... kill? SAPPHIRE Before you do that, I think it might be best if we were to interrogate them first - to find out what they know and whom they've told. BLACK KNIGHT Ah. Torture then kill. Works for me. (to DEMON KNIGHTS) Take them to the dungeon. The not nice one. SAPPHIRE Shall I go interrogate them now? BLACK KNIGHT Not yet. Let's let them stew for a few days. It'll be much more fun when they are weakened by hunger and their wills broken. SAPPHIRE (trying to hold in her nervousness) As you wish, my lord. SAPPHIRE walks off, peering over her shoulder in the direction of the NOT NICE DUNGEON. BLACK KNIGHT Now... Somebody find me FLUFFY! INT. MAUREEN'S ROOM - DAY #5# It's been three days since AMETHYST arrived with the NECROMANTIKON. LUCILE, dressed in a maid's uniform, is cleaning MAUREEN'S ROOM. MAUREEN is standing by, watching. MAUREEN Is it safe to talk? LUCILE puts her ear to the door, listening. LUCILE I think so. Sounds like the guards are playing cards. I don't think we'll be disturbed. MAUREEN (smiling) It's good to see you again, LUCILE. LUCILE and MAUREEN embrace. MAUREEN It's been weeks! I thought you were... LUCILE Dead? Nope. Almost. A few times. But GILBERT won't let them touch me. Has me working as his slave. MAUREEN Why do you think he does that? LUCILE I don't know. Maybe he doesn't want to make GILLIAN upset? MAUREEN Whatever the reason, I'm glad you're here. LUCILE Me too. They embrace again. A loud crash comes from the door and they quickly separate. LUCILE again puts her ear to the door. LUCILE It's okay, I think. Things are getting heated. I don't think we have much time left. MAUREEN Tell me what's going on with the rescue plan. LUCILE I'm not sure. It's been days since they got the fake NECROMANTIKON. We should've heard something by now. MAUREEN What's SAPPHIRE doing? She should've sent the signal by now. LUCILE I heard that they captured two women. One of them is a redhead with a fiery temper. I heard that they had to chain her up after she bit a guard's nose off. MAUREEN RUBY. LUCILE That's my guess. Perhaps SAPPHIRE is trying to rescue her first. MAUREEN Whatever the case, the rescue has to happen soon. Who knows how long it will be before the BLACK KNIGHT realizes that the book is fake? LUCILE I don't want to be here when he does... The door opens and a DEMON KNIGHT GUARD enters. DEMON KNIGHT GUARD You. Short hair. Time to clean the BANQUET HALL. LUCILE I'm coming. LUCILE blows MAUREEN a kiss and follows the DEMON KNIGHT GUARD out the door. MAUREEN We're going to need a plan B. INT. DINING HALL - DAY #6# GILBERT is sitting in the DINING HALL, reading a book, when LUCILE walks in, escorted by her DEMON KNIGHT GUARD. DEMON KNIGHT GUARD Excuse me, my lord. I did not realize you were here. (to LUCILE) You. Clean the stables instead. GILBERT It's fine. Let her clean. DEMON KNIGHT GUARD Do you need me to remain, my lord? GILBERT I'm the BLACK KNIGHT'S son. I think I can handle an unarmed girl. The DEMON KNIGHT GUARD salutes GILBERT and then exits. GILBERT sits there reading, in silence, while LUCILE starts to dust. After a while, GILBERT speaks. GILBERT Looks like rain tonight. LUCILE doesn't answer. GILBERT I like the rain. I never sleep better than I do during a heavy storm. LUCILE still doesn't answer, or even look at GILBERT. GILBERT Do you hate me, LUCILE? LUCILE turns and looks at GILBERT, her eyes filled with anger. Without saying anything, she turns back and continues dusting. GILBERT I don't blame you. I've done some terrible things. I've killed people. I took over an entire town. I tried to kill your childhood friend. Ultimately, I sort of did - though I wasn't a knowing participant. (pause) But I'm not that man anymore. LUCILE stops dusting, but refuses to face GILBERT. GILBERT I was confused. Angry. Things just seemed wrong, and I just grabbed on to whatever I could to make sense of things - even the lies of a dead wizard. LUCILE (turning angrily towards GILBERT) Those are just excuses! You did those things because you wanted to! GILBERT I did. But I was wrong. I had a lot of time to think in that void between worlds. And the more I thought about what I did, the more I realized how wrong I was. LUCILE You're full of crap. LUCILE picks up her cleaning supplies and starts to walk out. GILBERT Do you remember the adventures you had as a child with MAXIM? LUCILE stops. GILBERT Do you remember how you and MAXIM snuck into SMUGGLER'S COVE to rescue a puppy from a gang of bloodthirsty pirates? And how you were captured and bound below deck? LUCILE (still turned away from GILBERT) MAXIM rescued me. I don't know how he did it, but he defeated every pirate - there must've been thirty of them - with nothing more than a wooden spoon and a mirror. GILBERT Well, that's what he told you anyway. He actually bargained for you. It cost him every piece of silver he had saved up, but he bought your freedom from the pirate captain. LUCILE He told me that money was stolen! He was going to use it to travel the world! GILBERT But he didn't want to do it alone. LUCILE How could you know that? There's no way that MAXIM would've told you that. GILBERT He didn't have to. I remembered it. LUCILE I don't understand. GILBERT I have MAXIM'S memories. All of them. I can remember his childhood. I remember trying to join the THIEVES' GUILD. I remember swimming through the GIANT SLIME. I remember falling in love with the girl from the inn. And I remember that day at the castle - I remember stabbing the giant ghost in the heart and saving the kingdom, just as I remember being stabbed in the heart while trying to conquer it. LUCILE That's impossible. GILBERT And yet, his memories are my memories. When I look at you, I see both a complete stranger, and my oldest and dearest friend. LUCILE I'm not your friend. GILBERT I remember us growing up together in the orphanage. I remember how I would follow you around like a little puppy. I looked up to you so much. You were everything that I wanted to be. I remember the time you let me kiss you, behind the... LUCILE Stop it! Just stop it! MAXIM was like a brother to me. He was there for me when I needed him! He was the kindest person I've ever met! You may have his memories, but you are not MAXIM! You're nothing like him! GILBERT You're right. I'm not... LUCILE exits the room angrily. GILBERT (sadly) ...But I want to be. FLUFFY enters the room, looking worried. FLUFFY Is this a bad time? I really need to talk to you... INT. PRISON CELL (THE NOT NICE ONE) - DAY #7# RUBY and AMETHYST are hanging from chains attached to the prison walls. RUBY 99 bottles of beer on the wall. 99 bottles of beer... AMETHYST Will you shut up?! RUBY Depends. Are you going to talk to me yet? AMETHYST I have nothing to say to you. RUBY Well then... 99 bottles of beer on the wall... AMETHYST Fine. I'll do anything to make you shut up. What do you want to talk about? How I turned to my life of crime? How my daddy didn't love me enough? RUBY Of course he didn't. You were adopted. AMETHYST See, this is why I can't stand you! You always have to be the smart ass. Always have to be the toughest person in the room. I'd like to see what happens when you finally meet someone you can't bully - see that stupid smirk of yours wiped off your stupid face. RUBY I'm getting the impression that you maybe don't like me so much. AMETHYST Really? Most people can't stand to be in the same room with you for 10 minutes without wanting to strangle you! RUBY Nah. That's just BART... and MINA... and MAUREEN... and that guy who tried to strangle me... and that other guy who tried to strangle me... ANETHYST Imagine what it's like to be your sister! You just suck the air out of every room you enter. It's suffocating! RUBY So, you've turned to a life of petty crime because I get more attention than you? AMETHYST Yes! I mean... no. I don't know. Maybe. It's just that SAPPHIRE is so smart and pretty, and you're tough and bossy. Between the two of you, nobody ever notices that I'm there too. RUBY Kind of a stupid reason to become a thief, isn't it? AMETHYST What do you know? I'm good at it. No, I'm great at it! I'm a legend in the underworld. A legend! RUBY Meh. I've seen better. AMETHYST Oh yeah? Well, I kidnapped you and stole your stupid book didn't I? RUBY Ha! I let you kidnap me. You think you could take me? Don't make me laugh. AMETHYST Oh sure. You "let" me kidnap you. Right. I believe you. RUBY It's true. I'm here to rescue you. AMETHYST Rescue me? I don't need to be rescued. RUBY ... AMETHYST Okay, well I need rescuing NOW. I didn't need it when I kidnapped you. RUBY You aren't the only person on my list, pal. The sound of jingling comes from the door. RUBY Quick! Act dead! AMETHYST Why? RUBY Nevermind. Terrible plan. The door opens and SAPPHIRE pokes her head through, looking around. Seeing no jailer, she steps through, holding a ring of keys in your hand. SAPPHIRE Quickly. We don't have much time. The jailer will be back soon. SAPPHIRE reaches up to undo the chains on AMETHYST. RUBY Took you long enough. SAPPHIRE There were complications. The BLACK KNIGHT has had this entire dungeon wing blocked off due to his experiments. This was the earliest I could get down here. The chains snap open on AMETHYST, who starts rubbing her wrists. SAPPHIRE moves to RUBY's chains when she is startled by the sound of whistling coming from the hallway. SAPPHIRE Someone's coming! (to AMETHYST) Quick, puts your hands up. Pretend you're still chained up. As soon as SAPPHIRE manages to hide the keys behind her back, the door opens and the BLACK KNIGHT enters. BLACK KNIGHT Ah. Interrogating the prisoners, I see? Anything useful? SAPPHIRE (nervously) Uh... No, my lord. With a little more time, I think I could break them. BLACK KNIGHT Yes, yes. Carry on. The BLACK KNIGHT turns to walk out the door. SAPPHIRE sighs and starts to pull the keys out when the BLACK KNIGHT stops. BLACK KNIGHT (without turning around) Although... The BLACK KNIGHT turns around and looks at the two prisoners. BLACK KNIGHT I don't think we need these two anymore. My experiments are complete and nothing they can say matters anymore. Just two more mouths to feed. SAPPHIRE I... I don't think we have been feeding them, my lord. BLACK KNIGHT Really? Oh, well that's good. Let's kill them anyway. SAPPHIRE My lord?! BLACK KNIGHT It's just that my plate is really full right now and enacting revenge against this thief just isn't all that high of a priority. Let's just kill them both and move on, shall we? SAPPHIRE That would be a grave mistake, my lord! These two could have valuable information on the resistance! BLACK KNIGHT Yeah, but do they? I mean... do they? SAPPHIRE I'm certain that they do! Just give me a little more time and... BLACK KNIGHT Well, if you say so. But I really feel like killing them. It's going to throw off my whole day if I don't. SAPPHIRE My lord. Just one more hour. That's all I need. BLACK KNIGHT I know! I have a solution. We'll compromise. Never let it be said that I'm unreasonable. I'll just kill one of them. SAPPHIRE My lord! BLACK KNIGHT You don't need to question them both, do you? I'll just kill one now, real quick, and let you get back to your interrogation. SAPPHIRE My lord, I really don't think... BLACK KNIGHT Assistant, don't make me use my mean voice. If I didn't know better, I'd say you didn't want me to kill these two... RUBY Hey fat head! BLACK KNIGHT (turning towards RUBY) Are you talking to me? RUBY Do you see anybody else here with an unusually large head? Yeah, I'm talking to you. BLACK KNIGHT You are a feisty one, aren't you? ... I hate that. RUBY Get me down from here and see how feisty I really am! BLACK KNIGHT Are you challenging me? RUBY Come on, you big headed girl! Fight me! BLACK KNIGHT A duel? Excellent. (to SAPPHIRE) Get her down and give her your sword. SAPPHIRE, giving RUBY a rather worried look, moves to unlock her chains. RUBY won't take her eyes off the BLACK KNIGHT, a spiteful smirk on her lips. SAPPHIRE hands over her sword to RUBY. AMETHYST Don't RUBY! He'll kill you. RUBY (to THE BLACK KNIGHT) I win, you let us go. BLACK KNIGHT I win, and I'll feed your remains to the crows. RUBY and BLACK KNIGHT fight, swords swinging at each other. RUBY manages to disarm the BLACK KNIGHT, roll behind his back, and stab him through his chest - the bloody sword tip poking out inches from his front. The BLACK KNIGHT slumps forward on the ground, clutching his chest. RUBY walks around front to face him. RUBY I win. You let us go. AMETHYST You won, RUBY! You kicked his ass! The BLACK KNIGHT starts to laugh. BLACK KNIGHT Not bad... for a girl. The BLACK KNIGHT stands up, laughing. BLACK KNIGHT You won alright. I guess I have to let you go. But first... A victory hug. The BLACK KNIGHT reaches out and grabs RUBY, pulling her to his chest. The sword protruding from his chest pierces RUBY'S as she cries out. AMETHYST RUBY! The BLACK KNIGHT pulls RUBY off him. She is covered in blood. The wound is deep and fatal. He drops RUBY'S lifeless corpse to the ground. BLACK KNIGHT Oh, that was rewarding. AMETHYST You monster! BLACK KNIGHT (to SAPPHIRE) Assistant, I need your help. Come with me. SAPPHIRE Shouldn't I interrogate the prisoner? BLACK KNIGHT She'll still be there later. I need you to take my armor to be repaired. It appears to have a rather unsightly hole in it now. SAPPHIRE As you wish, my lord. SAPPHIRE and the BLACK KNIGHT leave the prison cell. AMETHYST pulls her hands down from the chains and rushes over to RUBY'S dead body. AMETHYST RUBY! RUBY! AMETHYST begins to cry. INT. MAUREEN'S ROOM - DUSK #8# MAUREEN is in her room, talking to GILLIAN. The sky through the barred windows is getting dark, with just a hint of orange still left. MAUREEN Are you sure you want to talk to your father? GILLIAN No. But I will. MAUREEN You are such a tough little girl. I'm proud of you. I wasn't as tough as you are when I was your age. GILLIAN You weren't? MAUREEN (smiling) Oh, no. But I'm tough now. SAPPHIRE bursts into the room. SAPPHIRE Pack your bags! It's time to go! MAUREEN What? Like, now?! SAPPHIRE No, like ten minutes ago! We need to be gone! SAPPHIRE runs over to the cupboard and starts grabbing clothes and throwing them towards the center of the room. MAUREEN I don't understand. What happened? SAPPHIRE The BLACK KNIGHT has finished his project, whatever it was. MAUREEN But the book we gave him was a fake!? SAPPHIRE I don't know what happened. Fluffy must know more than we originally thought. Hurry up and pack. I'm going to go activate the signal. The reinforcements are hours away and if the BLACK KNIGHT discovers us, we're going to need them. MAUREEN Then, you've rescued your sisters? SAPPHIRE AMETHYST has a key and a way out. It's the best I could do. She can take care of herself. MAUREEN What about RUBY? SAPPHIRE ... RUBY is ... I don't have time to deal with this. You need to pack and I need to get to the signal. MAUREEN What happened to RUBY? SAPPHIRE Later. We'll talk later, if we survive. On the way out the door, SAPPHIRE is stopped as LUCILE enters the room. LUCILE Did you send for me? SAPPHIRE Good. You're here. Help pack. It's time to get out of here. EXT. CAVE ENTRANCE - DUSK #9# A bunch of soldiers are sitting around a campfire at the mouth of a cave. It's almost night. BART is telling scary stories to the soldiers, while MINA uses a eyeglass to look off in the distance. BART And there, in the door of the carriage was... A HOOK! The soldiers all look scared and impressed. BART Hey, MINA! Why don't you join us? I'm running out of ghost stories! MINA I can't. Somebody has to watch for the signal. BART It's been days. Let somebody else do it. (pointing to random soldier) Like that guy. MINA I'm fine where I am. We need to... wait... MINA pauses and looks through the eyeglass. MINA The signal? The signal! It's time to move. All the soldiers start to bustle around, grabbing their weapons and armor. MINA (smiling) It's about time. INT. PRISON CELL (THE NOT NICE ONE) - DUSK #10# RUBY is lifeless on the floor as AMETHYST cries over her. AMETHYST You're such an idiot. You just had to challenge the invincible dickhead, didn't you? AMETHYST wipes her eyes and stands up. AMETHYST Of course you did. You're Ruby. That's what you do. AMETHYST walks over to a grate in the wall and starts to pry it open. AMETHYST I never told you this, but I kinda looked up to that. I mean, I hated it. But when I was bullied, I knew you'd save me. You wanted an excuse to beat up someone. But you'd still save me. (pause) That's why you fought the Black Knight, isn't it. He was going to kill me, so you distracted him. You died so that I wouldn't. Dammit Ruby, just once, stop saving me! AMETHYST scrapes her fingers against the grate, and they start to bleed. AMETHYST DAMMIT! I'll never get this grate open with my bare hands... RUBY hands AMETHYST a small sliver of metal from her armor. RUBY Here, try this. AMETHYST Oh, that's perfect. I can use this to pry... (pause) RUBY?! What the hell?! RUBY Don't stop. We need to open that grate. RUBY pushes AMETHYST aside and takes the metal. She begins to pry the grate open while AMETHYST stands there flabbergasted. AMETHYST Why aren't you dead?! RUBY Well, it's kind of a long story. AMETHYST So you'd better get started... RUBY (sighing) Fine. A while back I was bitten by a vampire. Luckily, before I became a vampire, I knew a guy who could reverse it. Unfortunately, he is a big stupid idiot and can't do anything right. So I'm kind of a half-vampire now. AMETHYST Half-vampire? What's that mean? Do you drink blood? Can you turn into a bat? You didn't explode in the sunlight. Do you have a reflection? RUBY Oh, it's nothing like that. I get sunburns like crazy and I take my steaks rare, but I can go out in the sunlight and I don't feel any particular desire to wear all black and speak at length about the eternal torment of undeath. Also, I heal really fast. AMETHYST Great. An invincible Ruby. Just what the world needed. RUBY Not invincible. More like invulnerable. Not even that far. Nigh-invulnerable, I guess. AMETHYST How... How long were you standing behind me? What did you hear? RUBY Oh, you mean the stuff about how you looked up to me and wished you were as awesome as me, and how your grief over my death was too much to bear... Didn't hear a word of it. AMETHYST That's not what I said! I didn't say that! Damn you Ruby! The grate pops off the wall. RUBY smiles with self serving satisfaction. RUBY After you, kiddo. AMETHYST I liked you better when you were dead. RUBY You'd be surprised how often I hear that. INT. VENTILATION SHAFT - DUSK #11# RUBY and AMETHYST are crawling through a dirty ventilation tunnel that links all the dungeon cells together. The path forks left and right ahead. RUBY Which way should we go? I'm lost. AMETHYST Of course you are. Go right. RUBY You think the exit is to the right? AMETHYST I don't care. If we keep turning the same direction, eventually we'll find our way out of here. RUBY If you say so. The two turn towards the right path and continue on. AMETHYST What's the escape plan now, oh nigh-invulnerable one? RUBY Plans are really more Sapphire's speed. I'm more of a go with the flow type of girl. AMETHYST Whatever. Where is that flow taking us? RUBY Out of the castle. We've got a small army stationed a few hours away. I'm sure Sapphire has lit the signal, so they are probably on their way here. We'll just meet up with them en route, make sure you are safe, and I'll come back with the battlegroup to kick some ass. AMETHYST I don't need you to save me. RUBY