FOREST REFUGE ANIMUS

By Josh Lazarus Brodersen

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Issue One, Part Two

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(Timothy and Tim2 are following Creede.)
Tim2:  * At least let me tell you what they said. *
Timothy:  * How can you understand them? *
Tim2:  * Does it matter, I just can? *
Timothy:  * Fine, explain it to me. *

(Mondriant wonders aimlessly, switching direction a few times.)
(Looks around, notices a familiar area of trees.)
Mondriant:  (Look of horror.)  Not here.  Please, not here.  (Flash:  Walks into an opening in the trees.)
(Mouse, obviously not Tim BTW, is standing at the other end of the grove.)
Mouse:  (Not maliciously.)  So you’re back.  Going to protect lives again?
Mondriant:  (Huddles.)  I have to.  If I can’t handle this, we’re all dead.
Mouse:  (Chuckle.)  Handle it.  Of course.  That’s what you do.
Mondriant:  (Yells.)  I’m a lot-
(Fade to black.)

(Same featureless background.)
Mondriant:  (Looks around, unsure.)  -stronger now.
Mouse:  (From behind him now.)  You could just go with it.
Mondriant:  (Turns, grabs the mouse by the shoulders, and pushes him up against a tree.  Make any background you see fit.  Have it appear as needed.)  How could you even suggest-
Mouse:  (Cuts him off.)  Go ahead.  You enjoyed it the first time.
(Flash:  Beak penetrating mouse’s eye.)
Mondriant:  (Drops him.)  It was
(Flash:  Beak breaks nose.)
Mouse:  Three pecks.  One in my eye, one broke my nose, the last fractured my skull.  (Maybe some blood effects in the surrounding forest.  This is in Mondriant’s head after all.)
(Flash:  Beak shatters top of skull.)
Mondriant:  (Weaker.)  an accident.
(Flash:  Mondriant leans back smiling, laughing. (maybe a howl or something))
Mouse:  Stop lying.  You forget who your talking to.
Mondriant:  (Sinks to his knees.)  It felt good.
(Flash:  Licking up blood.)
Mouse:  It was the best you’ve ever felt?  Primal, powerful, full of instinct.
Mondriant:  I was overwhelmed.
(Flash:  Rabid animal or two, Mondriant stands among them.  Looks just as bad.)
Mouse:  You didn’t even have the disease.  You just enjoyed the rush.
Mondriant:  (Cowers.)  Yes, I enjoyed it.
Mouse:  Would you kill me again?  To feel that way.
Mondriant:  No.
(Flash:  Mouse, lying on floor.)
Mouse:  Why not, you can’t hide behind Shade all the time.
(Flash:  Mondriant curled up in a ball, in darkness.)
Mondriant:  I don’t do that any more.  Every reprieve, every break in the constant attack of emotions, makes me weaker.
(Flash:  Pan back, Mondriant is huddled (same position as above) with Shade’s wings around him.)
Mondriant:  The more I try to absorb his stability, the more I depend on it.
Mondriant:  (Flash:  Mondriant pulling away from Shade.  Same scene as (8 pages) above.)  No more.
Mouse:  So what’s going to stop you next time?
Mondriant:  (Cowering.)  Every time I start to go that far, you’re there.  I see you everywhere.  You won’t leave me alone.  If I killed again, I’d see them also.
(Flash:  Mouse’s mangled face.)

(Back in real world.)
Mouse:  I glad that I cause you so much pain.  You use it to be stronger.
Mondriant:  (Practically in a fetal position.  Notices he’s back in real world.)  What?
Mouse:  Will I be your last victim?
Mondriant:  Yes.  (Standing up.)  Yes!
Mouse:  Then there’s one thing left.
(They embrace, the mouse disappears, just like the bat with Shade.)
Mouse:  I forgive you.
Mondriant:  (Sinks to his knees again, crying.)  I’m sorry, and thank you.

(Timothy and Tim2 are following Creede.)
Timothy:  * So the rabbit has to get the shard or the worlds doomed? *
Tim2:  * I figure that as long as someone gets it, there shouldn’t be a problem. *
Timothy:  * You make me sick. *
Tim2:  * You were thinking the same thing.  Why did I have to voice it. *

(Wyndle walks towards a grove of trees.)
Wyndle:  {This is near my old house.}  (Walks up to a charred tree.)
Wyndle:  Yup, this is the place.  (Walks up to house, puts hand on door, hesitates.)
Wyndle:  Why did it have to be here?  The one place where … (Turns away.)
Wyndle:  (Composes self.)  {Idiot, you just answered yourself.}  (Walks in.)
Wyndle:  (Hesitantly looks around.)  Hello?  Anyone here?
Wyndle:  (Looks around.)  Please, someone?  (Walks through several charred rooms into a normal looking room.)
Squirrel:  (Sitting in a chair.)  Hello child.
Wyndle:  Mother?
Squirrel:  Close enough.  So how’ve you been?
Wyndle:  I thought you were-
Squirrel:  Like I said, close enough.  You didn’t answer me dear.
Wyndle:  I’ve been chosen to be a-
Squirrel:  I mean personally.  Did you ever think about settling down?
Wyndle:  What?!
Squirrel:  How about that nice...
Wyndle:  Why do you always do that?  I just want to help people.
Squirrel:  That’s odd.  I thought you wanted conflict and danger in your life.
Wyndle:  (Snaps at Squirrel.)  That’s not … (Loses momentum.) entirely true.
Squirrel:  Really? So what would you do if you weren’t saving lives?
Wyndle:  (Taken aback.)  I, I don’t know.
Squirrel:  More thrillseeking?
Squirrel:  NO!
Squirrel:  You’d probably shrivel up and die.  You can’t handle the mundanity of a normal life.  The safety, the schedule...
Wyndle:  The monotony.  It’s a moot point.  I worked hard enough, so I don’t have to worry about what ifs!
Squirrel:  Like what if you hadn’t lit that match?
Wyndle:  That isn’t fair, I was too young to understand.
Squirrel:  (Fades, along with most of the lighting in the room, revealing it as deserted and charred.)  Are you so sure?
Wyndle:  (Pause.)  (Looks around.)  (Weakly.)  What about my shard?
Squirrel:  (From nowhere.)  Do you really understand?
(Flash of fire.)

(Flashback.  A younger Wyndle is playing with matches in an open, two story room, with an open staircase on one wall.  Lighting each individually, watching it burn then putting it out.  Wyndle looks on from outside the room.)
Wyndle:  What is this supposed to prove?
Younger Wyndle:  (Letting the matches burn almost to her fingers.)
Very Young Male Squirrel:  (Walks in from another room.)  Whatcha doing?
Younger Wyndle:  (Turns away, hiding the matches.)  Nothing.
Very Young Male Squirrel:  Can I try?
Younger Wyndle:  No, you’re too young.
Very Young Male Squirrel:  Am not!
Younger Wyndle:  Fine,  (Strikes a match.)  but you have to remember,
Wyndle:  No.  No!  (Walks into the room and tries to move VYMS, she passes right through him.)
Younger Wyndle:  When you play with fire, (The match burns down, she is holding it very near the top.)
Wyndle:  (Looks very worried.)  (Reaches out, and says next line in unison with Younger Wyndle.)
Younger Wyndle:  You might get burned.  (Match starts to char her fingers.)
Younger Wyndle:  Ouch!  (Drops match.  Starts a fire.)
Wyndle:  Mom!  Dad!  Get out now!  There’s a fire!
Younger Wyndle:  (Grabs VYMS and drags him to the door and pushes him outside.)  Stay out here, I’ll get mom and dad.
Younger Wyndle:  (Runs back inside, to the staircase.  The fire has already begun to spread to it.  She stops before it.)
Younger Wyndle:  (Clenches fist.)  Play with fire, get burned.  (Runs through the fire getting a little singed.)  Mom!  Dad!  Fire!
(As Younger Wyndle disappears upstairs, flashes back.)

Squirrel:  (Facing Wyndle, who shakes head as her senses snap back to reality.)  Do you really understand?
Wyndle:  Now I do.
Squirrel:  Then claim your shard.  (Dissolves into a pillar of flame with a shard floating in the middle of it.)
Wyndle:  (Looks at the pillar.  Considers reaching into it.  Then walks over to where the match landed, and picks up a clump of ash.)  I told you.  (Rubs clump, starts to reveal shard.)  I understand now.  (Shard glows.)  I’m not going to burn my hand off if I don’t have to.  (Absorbs shard.  Pillar dissipates.)
Wyndle:  (Running out the door.)  Good-bye.  (Quieter.)  and thanks.
Squirrel:  (Standing just outside the door as Wyndle disappears from sight.)  You do understand.  (Fades.)

(Timothy and Tim2 follow Creede.)
Tim2:  * All you have to do is take his place. *
Timothy:  * And die, I’m not one of the five. *
Tim2:  * The tree said only five on this world.  In case you forgot, you are not from this world. *
Timothy:  * I’ll only try if that rabbit is too ill. *
Tim2:  * So little ambition, how did you ever survive without me? *

(Aaron wonders around.)
Aaron:  {This is nuts, talking animals, running from my boss.  What the heck am I doing here?  and where am I going?}
One Tree:  That’s what I was going to ask.
Aaron:  (Looks around, then realizes the voice is coming from the forest itself.)  Why was I chosen?  Why not an animal?
One Tree:  Five were to be chosen.  I’m glad there was a human in the group.
Aaron:  Why, what’s the difference?
One Tree:  It shows humanity is not truly lost.
Aaron:  What?  You mean-
One Tree:  Few could take steps into this place.
Aaron:  (Stops walking.  Clenches fist.  Continues.)  Does this have anything to do with that virus?
One Tree:  Humanity is separating itself from nature.  My domain is the natural world.  I cannot tell what they are doing.
Aaron:  Is there any hope?
One Tree:  You being here shows that the division isn’t complete.  If you can embrace nature, so can others.
Aaron:  (Stops walking.)  Wait.  This is a test, isn’t it?  To see if I can join you?
One Tree:  Actually, this is a formality.  You have already been tested far beyond any of the others.  You have left your entire world behind.  Your job, your girlfriend,
Aaron:  Not everything.
One Tree:  Unfortunately.
Aaron:  You mean I have to give up even that?
One Tree:  Yes.
Aaron:  (Pause, looks down.  Looks up.)  I accept.
(Far shot of light from Aaron absorbing the shard.)

Creede:  (Wondering around, coughing up blood, and falls against a tree.)
Timothy:  (In a tree, talking to Tim2.)  * He doesn’t look so good. *
Tim2:  * Perfect, just wait a little longer, and we’ll know where he’s going. *
Timothy:  (Swings through Tim2)  * Will you please leave? *
Tim2:  (From background of next panel, this panel shows Creede from the front, he’s standing at the entrance to his house, but you can’t see the entrance because that’s where the camera is.)  * I’ll only leave if you really want me gone. *
Creede:  (Sigh)  Back to square one.
(Circle around, showing Creede’s back.  Creede is back at the entrance to his lab.)
Creede:  At least the cure might be finished- Aaaggh.  (Stumbles forward.)
Creede:  (Looks up, almost full infection.)  Not now.  (Closes eyes.)  Not now.  (Reverts to normal.)
Creede:  (Walks into his lab.  Looks at the cure apparatus.)  Three quarters dose.  I hope it’s enough.
Creede:  (Injects self.)
Creede2:  (A second ghostly Creede enters the room.)  Hello Creede, how-
Creede:  (Collapses on the floor.)
Creede2:  (Looked surprised.)  Are you all right?
(Shown from outside.)
Timothy:  * There’s some sort of barrier blocking the entrance. *
Creede2:  Oh no, you aren’t still infected.  You imbecile.  You should have given yourself the full dose.
(Back inside.)
Creede2:  Wyndle would have been fine with half a dose.
Creede:  (Struggling to his feet, full infection.)  You have no proof of that!
(Outside.)
Creede:  (Shouting. Letter this odd.)  I’m going to kill you for even suggesting it.
Timothy:  * This is starting to sound serious. *  (Starts chanting.)  Nyujokyoka …
Tim2:  * You honestly don’t think that’ll work without the amulet. *
Timothy:  * You just have to be right, don’t you? *
Creede2:  Aaaaagh!
(Barrier drops.  Timothy and Tim2 rush in.)
(Creede2 is leaning against the wall, ‘blood’ dripping from a wound in his arm.  Creede is standing in an offensive stance, and fully infected.)
Creede2:  That’s not- You can’t hit a ghost.
Creede:  I beg to differ, (Notices Timothy’s) But where are my manners, I have guests.
Timothy:  (Drops into a combat stance.)  * I heard a commotion, I just wanted to investigate. *
Tim2:  Actually, he was looking for a shard of power.
Creede:  (Attacks, Timothy tries a few finger counter-strikes that have no effect.)  The shard is here, but I’m going to destroy it.
Tim2:  (Looks closer.)  You can see me?
Creede:  Not just- (Creede backhands Tim2 into the wall.)  see.
Timothy:  * Hey, I’m the corporeal one here! *  (Maneuvers in front of the door.)
Creede:  Fine, you want attention, I’ll let you have it.
(Creede rushes Timothy, who jumps out of the way.  Creede goes through the open door, and Timothy closes it.  Creede starts pounding on it.)
Creede:  Do you think this will keep me out?
Creede2:  * We’re doomed. *
Timothy:  * I can see that. *
Tim2:  * What about that shard everyone’s talking about? *
Creede2:  * Creede’s the only one capable of absorbing my shard. *
Tim2:  * Are you sure? *
Timothy:  * I can’t hold this much longer. *
Creede2:  * The are only five on this world.  That’s it.  No more.  He has to absorb it. *
Tim2:  * He’s not from around here. *
Timothy:  (To Creede2)  * How do you know this language? *
Creede2:  * It won’t work.  He isn’t Creede and if he fails, both he and the shard will be destroyed. *
(Door buckles.)
Timothy:  * That thing out there... *
Creede2:  * Is Creede. *
Tim2:  * Used to be Creede, and it can affect you.  If he gets back in here, what will you do? *
Creede2:  * I’ll die, and take the shard with me.  And the world will be doomed. *
Timothy:  * Then we don’t have a choice.  There is no other way, but I’m not ready. *
Creede2:  (As Creede bust through the door and into the room.)  * There is always a choice. *
(Creede jumps at Creede2.  The panel goes black.)

(Timothy is standing alone against a featureless black background.  Tim2 walks up to him.)
(Flashes of the One Tree explaining about the shards.)
Timothy:  {I can understand them now.  The shards are the key, but Creede cannot-}
Tim2:  * What’s going on? *
Timothy:  * I don’t know. *
Tim2:  * Well, as long as we’re here,  WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING? *
Timothy:  * What? *
Tim2:  * You could have power, but no!  You said you weren’t ready. *
Timothy:  * I’m not! *
Tim2:  * You are always ready for power! *
(Flash of Timothy standing in front of a throne, a rat and a crow stand before him.)
Timothy:  * If I was ready I wouldn’t have ki- * (Chokes on the last word.).
Tim2:  * No, you want the power, *
Tim2:  (Grins.)  * Wait, maybe you want redemption. *
(Flash:  Timothy fighting the crow and rat.)
Timothy:  * I have to do this because it needs to be done, not for any personal reason. *
Tim2:  * Aren’t you worried about being corrupted, you enjoyed abusing your power last time. *
(Flash:  Tim and rat fight and break.)
Timothy:  * Yes.  I’m afraid. *
(Flash:  Rat drops twitching.)
Tim2:  * You’ll be just as bad. *
(Flash:  Tim chanting, max. energy.)
Timothy:  * No.  Never! *
(Flash:  Spell goes from Tim and strikes crow.)
Timothy:  * I’ll never be like that again. *
(Flash:  Scene from before:  Tim looks at amulet, and throws it.)
Tim2:  * And what about me?  I want you to be like that! *
(Flash:  Amulet lands.)
Timothy:  * You are a part of me... *
(Flash:  Amulet lies lifeless.)
Timothy:  * But you do not control me! *
(Flash:  Amulet glows.)
Voice Over (Creede2):  * You have a choice.  Choose. *
(As little translation as possible here.)

(Back at Creede’s lab.  Seems like after a freeze frame.  Creede hits Creede2, hard.)
Timothy:  * I’m ready.  I wish to be tested! *
(Flash:  Amulet flies up.)
Creede2:  (‘Bleeding’ profusely.  Leaning against the wall for support.)  * You already have. *
(Flash:  Amulet vanishes in a sparkle of light.)
(Creede attempts to strike Creede2 in the neck;  Timothy ties to stop him.  Tim gets knocked into Creede2 as he glows and dissolves.)
(Timothy drops to the ground, trying to contain the energy within him.)
Creede:  You are pathetic.
Creede:  (Turns toward Tim2.)  If you don’t dissipate with the death of your friend, I’ll kill you later.
Creede:  (Leaves, laughing.)
(Frame of Tim2 looking at Timothy, who lies still.)
Tim2:  He’s gone now.
Tim2:  You can stand up.
Timothy:  (Weakly struggling to his feet, amulet around neck.)  I’m not so sure.
Timothy:  (Surveys the lab.)  Let’s get going.  It’ll be a long walk.
Tim2:  (Points at amulet.)  Why don’t you fly?
Timothy:  (Looks at amulet.  Looks at Tim2.  Looks at amulet.)  It’s warm.  It hasn’t done that since-
(Shows outside of Lab)
Timothy:  (Still inside.)  I did it!  Hiko!

Shade:  (Walks back to original point.)  Anyone here?
Shade:  (Looks around.)  Guess I’m the first to get back.
Mondriant:  (Leaning against a tree for support, slightly hidden.)  Not exactly.
Shade:  What are you doing there?
Mondriant:  My testing didn’t agree with me.
Shade:  Are you all right?
Mondriant:  No, but I’ll manage.
Shade:  Are you sure you don’t-
Mondriant:  (Shouts, leaning toward Shade, who staggers back as if struck.)  I said I can handle it!
Shade:  How did you do that?
Wyndle:  (Walking up.)  Hi everyone.
Shade:  Hi.  You seem fine.
Wyndle:  Out of curiosity, was everyone’s testing as odd as mine was?
Shade:  Um, mine involved something from my past that I’m not proud of.
Mondriant:  Same here.
Wyndle:  I guess I went though something like that.
Aaron:  (Walking up in snake form.)  So what does everyone think?
Wyndle:  Who?
Shade:  Aaron?
Mondriant:  You’re the human?
Wyndle:  You look-
Aaron:  (Switching to a squirrel form.)  Different?  I noticed.
Mondriant:  How can you do that?
(Aaron and Mondriant get into a side conversation.  Note:  Aaron should have a different form in each shot.  Just keep changing it..)
Wyndle:  (To Shade.)  Have you seen Creede?
Shade:  No.
Timothy:  (Floating onto a nearby rock.  Mondriant and Aaron notice.)  He isn’t coming.
Wyndle:  (Draws three daggers.)  How do you know that?
Mondriant:  (Looks at Timothy.)  Because he has Creede’s shard.
Wyndle:  You have three seconds to start talking, or I skewer you.
Timothy:  (Hops to the ground.)  My name is Timothy, I’m a field mouse, and I’m not from around here.
Tim2:  (Appearing somewhere.)  He’s the guy who usurped Creede’s power.
One Tree:  You aren’t Creede.
Timothy:  I noticed.
Tim2:  This tree is a genius.
One Tree:  (Whispered to Tim2.)  Will you be quiet?
Tim2:  I’d like to see you make me.
Wyndle:  So where is Creede?
Timothy:  He tried to kill the shard bearer.
Wyndle:  I don’t buy it.  (Throws a dagger.)
Mondriant:  (As Timothy dodges, the dagger splitting the rock behind him.)  Creede was infected.
Wyndle:  (Ignoring him.  Closes hand to hand.)  You probably killed him yourself.
Timothy:  You don’t want to do this.
Wyndle:  (Swings, Tim taps her arm in several places.)  Why not?
Timothy:  Because next time, you’ll be pulling back a bloody stump.
Tim2:  (Yelling at Tim.)  Oh come on, you should have ripped her arm off the first time!
Wyndle:  I am not impres- (Drops to knees in pain, clutching arm.  Does not cry out.)
Aaron:  (In wolf form.  Interposes himself.  He’ll stay wolf for a while.)  Next one to attack deals with me.  Now settle down.
Tim2:  Since when are you in charge?
Timothy:  (Whispers to Tim2.)  Be quiet.  (Puts guard down.)
Wyndle:  I am not taking orders from a human.
Aaron:  (To Wyndle.)  In case you forgot, there’s a large, mean, group of animals infected with the Bloodfury virus coming this way.  Fighting among ourselves will not get us anywhere.
Wyndle:  (Thinks.  Puts daggers away.)  Fine.  This can wait.

Shade:  (Turning toward the One Tree.)  So what’s with these shards?
One Tree:  You are the Animus of the Moon.  As the moon obscures itself in darkness, so you have power over darkness.
Shade:  How do I use it?
One Tree:  It’s like the location of the shards, you already know how.
Shade:  (Thinks.  Drops into a combat stance, shadows pull toward him from the surrounding area.)
Shade:  Always wanted to try this.  (Jumps back into a shadow.  Falls out of one not too far away.)
Tim2:  (Sarcastic.)  Nice try.
Timothy:  (To Tim2, a little loud.)  I said be quiet.
Wyndle:  (To Timothy.)  Who are you talking to?
Timothy:  Uh, myself.
Wyndle:  You’re crazy, aren’t you?
Tim2:  Something like that.
Mondriant:  (Pokes at Tim2.)  I’d go crazy too if I had to listen to you all day.
Wyndle:  Don’t you start.
Tim2:  What’s the deal with the sparrow.
Mondriant:  My name is Mondriant.
One Tree:  You are the Animus of the Stars.  You are aware of your connection to the people around you.  This connection has been strengthened, -
Tim2:  Pathetic, you’re all talk.  No fangs.
Mondriant:  (Taking a half-step back.  Generating an energy ball.)  How - dare - you.  (Throws ball, knocks Tim2 back into a tree, tree cracks, knocks a few branches in two, tree behind it cracks, etc.)
Tim2:  (Under breath.)  I will not forget that, sparrow!
One Tree:  -and is now two-way.  You seem to understand the possible physical manifestations of it.
Wyndle:  Violent, talks to imaginary people, and now he’s dangerous.  Oh yes, I feel safe with him on the team.
Timothy:  Hey, lay off him.  He’s dealing with it the best he can.  So what are you, Little Miss Let’s Maim The New Guy?
Wyndle:  The name’s Wyndle.
One Tree:  Wyndle, you are the Animus of the Earth.  Gravity and inertia are your domains.
Wyndle:  That explains the rock.
Shade:  (Thinking.)  Moon, stars, earth- so who’s sun?
Aaron:  Good thinking.
One Tree:  Creede was supposed to be the Animus of the Sun.
Timothy:  But he was infected, so I assumed his shard.
Shade:  Wait, you said we were the only five who could absorb the shards.
One Tree:  Correct.
Shade:  So how did he survive absorbing a shard?
One Tree:  I don’t know.  It shouldn’t be possible, and Creede should be here.
Timothy:  Guess you didn’t take this Bloodfury virus into account.
One Tree:  Creede wasn’t infected with any natural virus.
Aaron:  It was man-made.
Tim2:  Looks like your god has a blind spot.
Timothy and Mondriant:  Will you be quiet!
Aaron:  Well, that explains why Creede isn’t here, but how did you survive?
Timothy:  (Holds up amulet.)  This used to belong to my parents.  It appeared on me when I absorbed the shard.
Wyndle:  A trinket.  You survived an impossible ordeal because you had a trinket.
Timothy:  Someone once told me it contains the power of a child’s imagination.  I know it allows my magic to work.
One Tree:  That shouldn’t have been enough.  There must be something about you.
Tim2:  Him?  I doubt it.
Timothy:  I don’t know.
Shade:  So what can you do?
Timothy:  Nothing.  I can’t do anything more now than I could have done without it.
One Tree:  You should have power over light.
Timothy:  (Tries a few methods.  Combat stance.  Ken-Ryu Fireball.  Nothing happens.)
Timothy:  I can’t seem to get it to work.
Wyndle:  So what the heck did you do to my arm?
Timothy:  (Shrugs.)  Pressure points.  I need the amulet for those too.
Aaron:  Look we can worry about this later.  Right now we better get going.
Shade:  Wait, what happened to you?
One Tree:  He is the Animus of the Cosmos.  All of nature is his domain.  You can see the results.
Aaron:  Am I that obvious?
Timothy:  So why aren’t you in human form?
Aaron:  (Sighs.)  Because humanity has turned its back on nature.  The separation is too complete to allow me to assume human form.
Wyndle:  Animus of Cosmos, huh?  Does that make you our leader?
Aaron:  Only as far as you like my ideas, and at the moment I think we need to stop a large infected horde.
Wyndle:  (Smiles.)  I’ll buy that.
Shade:  Let’s go then.  (All but Mondriant turn to leave.)

Mondriant:  Wait, one more question.  (Looks at Aaron.)  How did you know?  That we were here.  That you were one of us.
Aaron:  Well, I saw it in a dream.
One Tree:  Aaron and Shade are dream linked.  They can communicate through dreams.
Mondriant:  Why him?
One Tree:  He most wanted it.
Shade:  (Annoyed.)  Hey!  We can discuss this later.  Let’s get going.

Extra (Infected Animal):  That will not be necessary.  (All turn to look.)  We are already here.
Wyndle:  (Zoom in on Creede.  He should be off to one side.)  Creede?!?!?!?!?!?!
Extra:  That name has no meaning to him.
Tim2:  Told you he was infected.
Wyndle:  Creede, you can’t have forgotten.  Don’t you remember us?
Extra:  What he remembers is of no consequence.
(Combat is joined.  Creede stands relatively still, fighting to change back to non-infected.  Add a little flux effect in here.)
(Note:  At some time during the battle, Aaron’s ability to temporarily "store" damage should come up.)
Tim:  How can they be this fast?
Aaron:  The Bloodfury virus enhances their abilities.
(One of the infected animals misses Tim and breaks a large tree branch.)
Tim & Tim2:  No kidding.
Wyndle:  Creede, don’t allow this.  Help us.
Shade:  (To Mondriant.  These two might be back to back.)  Mondriant, why isn’t Creede fighting?
Mondriant:  (To Shade.)  He’s fighting with something.
Wyndle:  (Shakes Creede.)  Creede!  Creede!  Please talk to me!
Creede:  I’m sorry.  I can’t …  (Trails off, goes full infection.)
(Wyndle steps back.)
Creede:  DIE!!  (Swings at Wyndle, the blood that trails from his fingers forms into cutting slices.)
(Tim  knocks Wyndle out of the way.)
Wyndle:  (To Tim.)  I thought-
Tim:  We’re teammates.  It doesn’t matter how annoyed I am with you.
Wyndle:  Thanks, I think.
(Creede enters the fray.  Grabs Tim2 and gets clear.)
Creede:  (To Tim)  You were wrong to take my shard.  No matter, I’ve gained all the power I need.  Still, I want my shard.  If you don’t give me the shard, (twists Tim2 and puts a "blood claw" to Tim2’s neck.) he dies.
Wyndle:  (To Mondriant.)  Who is he holding?
Mondriant:  Tim’s dark side.
Tim:  (Laughs.)  You expect me to care that you’re going to kill my dark half.
Tim2:  Hey!  He really means it!
Tim:  Shut up!  I don’t need you.  I don’t want you around.  You are on your own.  Besides, it seems to me that if he can touch you, (Tim2’s eyes widen.) you can (Tim2 turns, grabs Creede’s arm and tries to gain some leverage.  He gets into position, but can’t get any power into it.  Creede starts to "spear" Tim2.  Before Creede can connect, Tim knocks  him into next week.) distract him.
Tim2:  Next time you want to cut something close, DON’T USE MY NECK!!!!
Tim:  Hey Creede, if you want this shard, you’re going to have to carve it out of me.  (They fight.)
(Tide of battle turns.  Infected animals leave.)
(Mondriant collapses from emotional shock.)
Wyndle:  Is it over?
(Shade goes to comfort Mondriant.  Mondriant TK’s Shade away.)
Aaron:  For now at least.  Now, does anyone mind if I ask a few questions?
(Fade to black.)

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