The next chapter will be going up later on today.
The Three Little Pigs
The Cast
Narrator: Ciana
The Wolf: Suna
First Pig: Dylan
Second Pig: Esther
Third Pig: Arin
—
"Oh, this is wonderful!" Tidur squealed. "I can't wait to see my daughters perform together!"
"How many revision do you think Nāṭaka did to this one?" Roen mused aloud.
"A lot considering the actors chosen for the play," Felicity laughed.
The stage light came up to reveal Ciana standing at the front. "There were three pigs," she announced emotionlessly. "They left home and built their own houses. One straw, one sticks, and one of bricks. Then a hungry wolf found them."
"Ah, is she skipping over lines again?" Adalgiso asked warily.
"Yes," Sloan said sorrowfully. "She used to enjoy plays so much…!"
The stage lights came up, revealing Dylan standing underneath a flimsy stage prop that looked like a house of straw in front of a green countryside background. "T-There is no finer house than a house of straw!" He announced proudly.
Suna flew onto the stage towards him. "Keeeeeeuu! Keeeeeeuu!"
Dylan gaped at Suna in open confusion for a second before he remembered himself. "N-Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin!"
"Keeeeeeuu! Keeeeeeuu!" Suna roared in response. She flicked her tail against the house prop and it immediately fell down.
"The straw house fell down and the pig was eat—"
"Ciana!" Nāṭaka hissed.
"Oh, right," Ciana said. "The house fell down but the pig ran away."
"This already sounds less gruesome," Allise said.
"The wolf chased the pig to the house of sticks," Ciana announced.
The stage lights came up again, revealing Dylan and Esther standing underneath another stage prop that looked like a house of sticks. Esther was blushing and looking wide-eyed. "M—My house of sticks is the best house there is!" she almost screamed.
"Well, Miss Esther is doing a bit better," Adalgiso said.
Suna quickly flew back onto the stage. "Keeeeeeuu! Keeeeeeuu!"
Both Dylan and Esther stared in shock at the dragon. After a moment Dylan nudged Esther with his elbow. "N-Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin!" She quickly cried out.
"Keeeeeeuu! Keeeeeeuu!" Suna roared in response. Then she flicked her tail at the prop house and also immediately fell down. Esther screamed and ran offstage in the opposite direction, leaving Dylan and Suna gaping after her.
"They got away," Ciana announced as the stage lights lowered and soft laughter filled the theatre. "The wolf chased them, but we all know he won't be successful."
"Ciana!" Nāṭaka hissed again.
"Suna is the star tonight!" Sharon said excitedly.
"I-I can't go back back out there!" Esther could be heard yelling from backstage. "I'm too embarrassed!"
"Oh dear," Tidur said sadly. "Should I go back there?"
She started to stand, but then Sloan cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Esther! Esther!"
"Esther! Esther!" Adalgiso began shouting as well.
"Esther! Esther! Esther! Esther!" The entire theatre chanted.
There was a delay to the stage lights coming up, but when it did it revealed Dylan, Esther, and Arin underneath another stage prop that looked like a house of bricks. The theatre cheered, and Esther blushed even harder.
"I have a GREAT HOUSE of bricks!" Arin announced, enunciating with so much passion that he was shouting. "Nothing can topple it! NOTHING!" Daunte and Nakula clapped for him.
Suna flew back onto the stage. "Keeeeeeuu! Keeeeeeuu!"
"Not by the hair of my CHINNY CHIN CHIN!" Arin shouted.
"Keeeeeeuu! Keeeeeeuu!" Suna waved her tail at the house prop and it did not fall down. "Keeeeeeuu! Keeeeeeuu!"
"O-Oh no!" Esther cried out, and all three children looked towards the ceiling. "That—b-big bad wolf is coming down the chimney!"
"We're doomed!" Dylan cried out
"Never fear!" Arin said. "Turn on the fireplace! We'll smoke that big bad wolf out!"
"So they did and the hungry wolf was blown out of the chimney and ran away," Ciana said. "The end, good night." then she briskly walked offstage.
The entire theatre exploded in cheers, jumping to their feet and clapping and stomping their feet. The actors came back onstage (including Ciana) and looked shocked by the reception. All of the bowed to greater cheers.
"That was one of the best productions yet," Caesar said.
"It's nice to see the children here get to play and act like children for once," Dr. Yulin said.
"Wow," Nāṭaka said at the phenomenal audience response. "I guess my revisions paid off."
Imperial Love, Ninth Edition
The Cast
Tir: Caesar
Viktor: Pesmerga
Flik: Ruggiero
Milich: Leknaat
Barbarossa: Viki
Golden Hydra: Yuber
—
"Yuber and Pesmerga were cast in the same production?" Jeane said amusedly. "Oh…this will be very interesting!"
"Eresh is puzzled why Nāṭaka has not casted her in a production," Eresh said bluntly.
"Will Lady Leknaat be okay?" Arin asked Daunte.
"I think so," Daunte responded.
The lights on the stage came up and the theatre silence. Viki stood at center stage in front of a background of a city in flames. She looked very confused. ""Um—Ah—What we were doing again?" she called out.
"Oh, my God," Nāṭaka groaned, pressing both hands over her mask.
Pesmerga and Ruggiero ran out from stage left, and Caesar and Leknaat ran out from stage right. Or rather, Leknaat glided onto the stage effortlessly. Listen up Emperor Barbaross, villain of this story," Caesar said in a dull, uninspired voice. "I have the Toran Army, and Gregminster has fallen to us."
"That is correct!" Ruggiero shouted.
"…" Pesmerga "said".
"Wait, what's going on?" Viki asked. It was clear that she was supposed to be doing something dramatic, but she stood there gaping at the other actors onstage. Suddenly Caesar and Ruggiero jumped and screamed. Pesmerga didn't react at all.
"Emperor Barbarossa," Leknaat said, gliding forward to stand beside Caesar. "Any threats made against my lord will be met by my wrath."
"What?" Viki said, looking at Leknaat wide-eyes. "Did you just call me Barbarossa? But this isn't the Gate—"
"It's a stupid play!" Yuber shouted from backstage, scaring everyone.
"Yes, it is I," Leknaat said amusedly. "Flower General Milich Oppenheimer. The Fates has chosen your demise, and if you try to defy your fate, then it will end terribly for you."
"Uh—Um—"
"Oh, for the love of—!"
Yuber suddenly teleported behind Viki, grabbed her, and then teleported away. He then teleported back, alone, armed with his two swords. "I'm the dragon from that blased True Rune," Yuber said. "Come a get me!"
"Well, they just skipped a lot of dialogue," Allise said.
"Oh no, a Golden Hydra," Caesar said nonchalantly.
"Heh," Pesmerga said.
"Please forgive me my Emperor, but I am compelled to fight you!" Ruggiero shouted.
Caesar and Ruggiero ran to the front corner of stage right and huddled together. Pesmerga remained where he stood, as did Leknaat. "Master Tir, never forget," Leknaat said calmly. "You are the Tenkai Star and must persevere in this fight. The Tenkyu Star is not the hero of this story."
"Tell that to Milich," Georg muttered.
"If you come near me, sister of Lady Windy, I will make you regret it," Yuber said harshly.
"The script says that I must charge you," Leknaat said. "But the Tenkyu Star wasn't part of the final battle of the Gate Rune War."
"No," Pesmerga agreed. "But I was." He suddenly drew his sword and lunged at Yuber.
"STOP!" Daunte shouted, standing up. Both Yuber and Pesmerga stilled before their swords collided.
There was a sudden burst of light onstage, and Viki reappeared glaring at Yuber. "You awful jerk!" she snapped. "You dropped me off in a flower field in the middle of nowhere!"
"Because you were getting on my nerves," Yuber said sharply.
"A flower field?" Pesmerga said in genuine shock. "That's nice even for you, Yuber."
Yuber snarled and he lunged at Pesmerga this time. "I SAID STOP!" Daunte shouted again. Yuber went still again.
"Flower General Milich Oppenheimer!" Caesar shouted suddenly, racing across the stage to Leknaat's side. "Where are you going?"
"A flower bath sounds nice," Leknaat mused. "But I feel compelled to meet with the Tenkyu Star of the Gate Rune War regarding his revisionist history." Then she disappeared into a ball of light.
"BOO!" The audience shouted.
"What is wrong with the lot of you?!" Nāṭaka screamed, throwing her script into the air. "Why couldn't you stick to your damn lines?!"
"This was a waste of time," Yuber snapped. "I want to kill something." then he teleported away.
"Why is he so angry with me all the time?!" Viki complained.
Pesmerga scoffed out a laugh. "Because he loves y—"
"HAA!" Yuber suddenly reappeared and tackled Pesmerga off the stage.
"Damn it all!" Daunte cursed, hurrying towards the stage.
"Brother cursed," Arin observed.
"I don't blame him at all," Nakula said.
Ruggiero glanced towards Caesar. "Can I go now?"
"I think we should all go," Caesar said. "Before the building is destroyed."