Les jeux mystèrieux: The mysterious games
Second chapter! Wow! Only…*undisclosed number* to go! So let's start this again! As usual (for those who read the Slayers story) word in greater/less than signs are thought by the character if they appear when somebody's talking, or song lyrics outside of the talking. Granted, there are no songs in this story, but hey…
Luna: Aaaaah! I'm so confused!!!
Nick: Me too! What's going on???
Anne: And why am I hallucinating? Am I going crazy?
Kat: No, Anne, that happened a long time ago.
Max: And furthermore, why are the chapter titles in Japanese?
Jeff: I thought we pushed the English Switch last episode!
Chris: Maybe there's some ulterior motive for making them in Japanese.
Janna: Or it's just a mistake.
Kat: Can we stop talking now? I wanna see what's happening.
Episode 2: Ikai wa Taihen da! (This other world is really strange!)
(A sort of half-desert, half-wasteland area. The sun is brightly shining, and not in a happy way. More like a baking sort of way. A few lizards crawl around the dense rock cover only to become too hot and spontaneously burst into flames. Below, on the ground, Anne's still body lies motionless, not moving at all in her current prone state. Slowly, her eyes open.)
Anne: Urrrrrr…It's really hot… (sits up and looks around) Whoa…where am I? Where's the museum? Where is everybody???
(Despite all of her questions, the only answers are the caws of the slowly circling vultures, caught up in the cliché that is their existence)
Anne: (to the vultures) Yeah, same to you, your mom and your bald-headed granny! Oh, they're all bald…(snaps out of it) What's going on with me? Something odd is going on. Let's see…come on, brain, memories! What do I remember happening last?
(Anne thinks for a moment, and then remembers the museum, the book and the flash of white light)
Anne: That book…what did it say? "The story is an incantation, and those who finish reading it will receive the power. As soon as the first page is turned, the story…!!!!!!!"
(Anne's eyes widen as she sits up)
Anne: No way…I couldn't be IN the story? No way…not possible! Things like this don't happen, not in real life…but this is real, I think…the only way to find out is to find some people and get some answers.
(Anne gets up, and looks around. There's no civilization in sight, but there are some hills in the distance to the east.)
Anne: Hmm…hills…better than desert, I guess. Maybe there are people there.
(Anne heads for the hills)
*************
(The mountain pavilion)
Old Woman: By the gods, it worked!
Inexplicably cute little girls: (in unison) Yay!
Old Woman: Will you three be quiet? I need to rest. Summoning takes a lot out of you.
Insanely cute little girls: Fix?
Old Woman: No! I'm perfectly capable of resting by myself. Besides, I should send some word to the Emperor of Sailo to watch for a Miko…
(The three little girls look at each other, then poof out of the room. The Old Woman waves her hand, and the mirror's surface clouds over. She also vanishes, leaving the room empty. After a moment, the mirror's surface parts, showing a shadowy figure looking into the room.)
*************
(Anne has been walking for a long time, at least by her reckoning. She reached the hills a while ago, and they mercifully have given way to rolling grassland. Now, she can see what appears to be a city on the horizon.)
Anne: Great! Something that looks vaguely like civilization.
(Anne reaches the city's gates in about 10 minutes. The city is larger than she thought, and has large walls all around it. The construction looks East Asian, with sloping red roofs and simple white stone making up the walls. There is a gate, manned by two soldiers in what appears to also be East-Asian looking armor, much like the ones in the exhibit. From what she can see of their faces, they look a bit tanned.)
Anne: I really must be asleep. This architecture looks Japanese, or maybe Chinese.
Soldier 1: Halt! Who goes there?
Anne: Oh my god! They speak English! Um…me? Nobody important, really.
Soldier 2: Your business in Shijuen?
Anne: Shijuen…what a fascinating name. Sounds Chinese. Maybe I am in the book
Soldier 1: Excuse me?
Anne: Um…I'm here…for…um…vacation! That's it! A vacation! Great lie.
Soldier 2: A vacation? Well, I suppose I can let you in… Where are you from?
Anne: Oh, nowhere special, really. I'm just…passing through on my way home, really. I live…over thataways. (She points in the opposite direction from where she came from)
Soldier 1: All right…you may go through. Don't cause any trouble, or the Town Guard will see to you.
Anne: Absolutely not! Wouldn't dream of it! (curtseys) Thank you! (she walks quickly through the gate)
Soldier 1: Did you think…that girl was a little odd?
Soldier 2: A bit…that odd thing she did with her legs confused me. I wonder what that meant?
Soldier 2: Maybe she's from Hokkan. They have odd customs there.
(Anne walks down the street, looking amazed at the city of Shijuen and its people. They look very, very Chinese.)
Anne: Shijuen…never heard of it. It might be a city in China…but I doubt Luna, Kat or Jeff would know it…
(Anne passes a small stand selling small skewers of meat. It looks quite tasty, and she realizes that she is very hungry. A rather fat man sits behind the counter, frying more pieces of savory-smelling meat)
Anne: Mmm…that looks good Um…excuse me, sir?
Man: (turning around) Hello, young lady. What would you like?
Anne: Just a skewer of meat, please.
Man: Sure. (picks up a skewer and wraps a piece of thin paper around it) Here you go. That will be 5 bronze ryo.
Anne: (grabs skewer) Bronze ryo??? What kinda funky money is that? Um…let me see how much I have. (digs in pocket, comes out with a few dollars and luckily, a few quarters. She hands him a quarter, which he luckily doesn't examine) Here.
Man: A silver ryo, thank you very much. (he hands her back five bronze coins with holes in the middle)
Anne: Thanks! Um…gotta go! (runs off quickly)
Man: Strange girl…looked foreign. (looks at quarter) Hey…HEY!!!!
(Anne is out of earshot by now. She sits down in a quiet alleyway and eats her piece of meat. It's simply cooked, but very good. She pockets the skewer, which is made of metal. She pulls out a bronze ryo)
Anne: Hm…so the currency is called ryo here…very interesting. 10 bronze ryo makes a silver ryo…maybe there are gold ryos too? Oh well, at least I have some money now. I should go find somebody and find out where I am.
(Anne gets up, and enters the street again. She looks around in the crowd of people for anyone who looks like they would give answers easily. She eventually settles on an old, motherly woman. She pushes her way through the crowd to the woman and taps her on the back.)
Anne: Um…excuse me?
(The woman turns around slowly)
Woman: Yes?
Anne: I'm sorry, I'm sort of new here…I was wondering where exactly I am.
Woman: Well, you're in the Southwest District.
Anne: No…I mean in a more general sense. Like, instead of inside Shijuen, I mean like…outside of Shijuen.
Woman: What? Like the country we're in???
Anne: Yes, strange as that may sound.
Woman: Well, of course…we're in Sailo country.
Anne: In China?
Woman: China? Where's that?
Anne: Guess not. Never…nevermind. Thanks for your help.
Woman: Where are you from? To not know that we're in Sailo?
Anne: Um…I've…recently…um…lost my memory! That's it! You're becoming a regular fibber, aren't you?
Woman: Oh, really? You poor thing. You should visit the temple to Byakko, the guardian god of Sailo. The priests there can help you.
Anne: Thank you…where would that be located?
Woman: In the North District. Good luck.
Anne: Thank you… (she walks away into the crowd) This is not good. I'm not in China, although it looks like that…maybe I really did enter the Shi Jin Ten Chi Sho…
(Anne is jarred out of her thoughts as a young man bumps into her, almost knocking her down. He grabs her arm to stop her.)
Young Man: Oh, I'm so sorry! Are you alright?
Anne: No, I'm fine, thank you…
Young Man: Sorry to have bumped you! (he turns and walks away)
Anne: Polite guy… (She notices that her pocket seems…empty. She feels around, and her skewer is gone, along with her money.) Hey…STOP! THEIF!!!!
(Everybody turns to look at her, but she is already running after the young guy. She can barely see him in the crowd, but he is running away. She runs after him for a while, but after a while, she loses him, and has to stop to catch her breath.)
Anne: (panting)Shoot…I lost him…oh well, there goes my newfound money. If nothing else I won't have to worry about changing my dollars into ryo… I should take that woman's advice and head for the temple to Byakko.
(Anne looks around the crowd for some indication of where she is. Luckily, there is a large sign proclaiming "West District." Arrows point north and south, towards the "Northwest District" and the "Southwest District." Anne shrugs, and walks toward the Northwest District.)
(After about 15 minutes of pushing through crowds and avoiding being mugged again, Anne reaches the North District temple. The temple is large and ornately decorated, full of gold and what appears to be ivory. The entryway is open, so Anne walks in.)
(Inside is more of the same. Beautiful ivory floors give way to gold-gilded pillars. The temple itself is circular, with several white doorways on the perimeter leading to other rooms. Several priests are milling around in white robes, apparently doing absolutely nothing.)
Anne:Wow…how pretty.
(A priest notices that Anne has come in, and walks over to her.)
Priest: Hello, young woman. What brings you to the temple of Byakko today?
Anne: Um…I'm just walking around. I'm sorta new- No! I'm not new here! I mean, I've um…lost my memory, so I came to the temple for…healing!
Priest: Oh my! You poor girl! Well, you've certainly come to the right place. Here, follow me.
(The priest turns around and walks towards a door. Anne hesitantly follows him as he walks through a archway and into a hallway. The hallway is, extremely surprisingly, also white with white pillars. The hallway has a large statue in an alcove and Anne passes by it without looking. But then she stops, and takes a few steps back so she can see the statute. The instant that she does, the view zooms up close to her now wide-open eyes, cliché'dly blurring the edges of the screen. It zooms out to her awestruck body. The priest turns around.)
Priest: Young lady? Are you all right?
Anne: That…statue…what is it of?
Priest: Why, that's a statue of Byakko, the protector of Sailo.
(The statue is fully brought into view. It's a statue of a sitting tiger, white with black stripes.)
Anne: That…that's the tiger I saw in the museum! And in the book! Bi…ako? What did he call it? Byakko… I remember it…
Priest: Oh, you mean your memory's returning? That's wonderful. Byakko is a god, after all; maybe he is watching over you. Now, we will continue on.
(From the temple's main chamber, loud noises and a louder voice can be heard)
Male voice: We know she's here! Give her up!
(Anne's eyes widen again, and the priest walks quickly past her.)
Priest: Wait here. I will attend to this.
Anne: No! This is probably about me…I can't just stand by!
(Anne walks after the priest. There are two soldiers standing in the temple's entranceway.)
Soldier 1: There she is!
Soldier 2: You're under arrest!
Anne+Priest: What????
Soldier 1: You, um…I don't know your name, but whoever you are, you are under arrest for not paying for the meat you bought!
Anne: I did pay!
Soldier 2: Not in ryo! The currency was some odd money, but the man did not look very hard and ended up paying you five bronze ryo.
Priest: Well, maybe if she returns the money everything would be all right.
Anne: Well…I can't. The money was stolen from me.
Soldier 1: In that case, you have no choice but to take a trip down to the jail.
Anne: No! I'm not even FROM this world! I can't get arrested!
Priest: …what?
Soldier 2: Don't make excuses! You're coming with us!
(The soldiers walk towards Anne, but suddenly the Priest moves in front of them, holding his arms akimbo.)
Priest: No! I will not allow you to take this girl!
Anne: What?
Soldier 1: Don't interfere!
Priest: No! I have a strong suspicion about this girl, one that the Emperor himself will want to hear about!
Anne: Huh?
Soldier 1: The Emperor?
Soldier 2: What would he want with this common criminal?
Priest: Wait a moment. (he turns back to Anne) Tell me the truth. Did you really lose your memory or not?
Anne: No, I just came from another world!
Priest: Then…it might be true. Your clothes look odd enough, as are your looks and mannerisms…
Anne: Are you calling me odd-looking?
(The Priest turns back)
Priest: I believe that this girl is the Priestess of Byakko!
(Every single person in the temple, except Anne, gasps at this. The soldiers' eyes widen, and they instantly drop to their knees. Anne looks around, dumbfounded, as every priest does the same.)
Anne: What the heck? Um…why are you all bowing?
Priest: No, of course not…you wouldn't know, would you? (he stands up) Young lady…what is your name?
Anne: It's Anne. Why is he asking me? Maybe I shouldn't have answered…
Priest: Anne…what an odd name. Anne, you are the legendary Priestess of Byakko. Please, go with the soldiers. I will ensure that they escort you directly to the Emperor. If you are who you say, then all will be explained.
Anne: And if I'm not this…Priestess, then what?
Priest: Then you will surely be killed for bothering the Emperor. (Anne tenses up) Don't worry. I am nearly completely sure that you are who I say you are. Now, go with the soldiers. (to the soldiers) Escort this girl to the palace throne room!
-
Kat: What is this??? Priestess of Byakko???
Nick: I'm sure it's the Priestess of the god of Sailo.
Chris: No DUH!!!!
Kat: No! I mean why aren't I the Priestess? I deserve it!
Jeff: And Anne doesn't??
Kat: No, I didn't…mean it like that!
Anne: Right. I'm sure you didn't.
Max: But if she doesn't, she's gonna be killed, right?
Anne: Thanks for reminding me.
Luna: Byakko…odd name for a god.
Chris: But it's a tiger! Tigers are cool!
Nick: *Sighs* I guess we're gonna have to wait for the next episode, "Eh? Byakko no Miko desu ka???," or "What??? I'm the Priestess of Byakko????" to find out what happens to Anne…
All: LIKE YOU DIDN'T JUST GIVE IT AWAY COMPLETELY!!!!