Scenario:Anne - What the Future Holds

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What the Future Holds

When the school passes out career assessments to everyone in Anne's grade, she is forced once more to confront her future. She realizes her time with Grea and the others is short—depressingly so—and begins to wish they could all stay at the academy forever. The next day, Anne seems to have overslept, but when Owen and Grea go to her room to investigate, they find the usually upbeat princess splayed out on the floor, claiming she can no longer summon her paragon spirits.


A few days have passed since the graduation party.
The students of Mysteria Academy return to their regular daily lives.
Anne: My career path?
A stressed sigh escapes Anne's lips as she looks at the paper in her hands.
Printed in bold letters across the top is "Career Path Assessment."
Anne: (I wonder how Grea and Hanna will answer this.)
Grea: What's the matter, Anne? You've got that look on your face again.
Hanna: Something bothering you?
Anne: Oh, it's nothing...
Anne: I was just wondering what you two thought of this whole career path thing.
Grea: I suppose I'm still thinking it over myself.
Grea: Of course, I want to talk to Dad and Mom before I make any big decisions.
Grea: But it would be nice to do something involving the piano.
Hanna: I plan on continuing my studies. I need to get an advanced degree if I'm going to teach at an academy.
Grea: I didn't know you wanted to be a teacher.
Hanna: Yep. Though I have my doubts whether I'll make a good one...
Anne: Both of you are already thinking of after graduation. I haven't even made it that far.
Anne: What am I going to do?
Grea and Hanna: Hm?
Grea and Hanna turn at Anne's unusually conflicted display.
Grea: What do you mean? Won't you be queen?
Hanna: Yeah, isn't it your duty to oversee the country as part of the royal family?
Anne: Yes, but you see... It's just...
Anne: ...
Grea: Anne?
Anne: Sniff... It's nothing. I think I'll head home now.
Anne picks up her bag and exits the room.
Hanna: What got into her, you think?
Grea: Poor Anne...
A distressed Grea looks on as the suddenly sorrowful Anne exits the room.
It's evening when Anne finds the strength to consider her future options once more.
She sits at her desk, contemplating the career assessment.
Anne: Graduation, careers... There's so much ahead of us.
Anne: (But I'm part of the royal family. I'll have to return to the castle, won't I?)
Anne: (And then I'll inherit the throne from my father and become queen.)
Anne: ...
Anne: (I don't have much time left to enjoy my freedom, do I?)
Anne: (More importantly, I don't have much time left to be with Grea or my friends...)
Anne: Ooh, I just wish things didn't have to change.
Anne's plea fades into the silence of the room.
Anne: Sigh... I should go to sleep. Stressing out like this won't help me come up with a solution.
Mind still wandering, the princess lies down for a night of fitful slumber.
After she finally drifts off, a paragon spirit materializes by her bedside and regards her with a stern but curious expression.
The next morning, Owen is quick to stop by Grea's room.
Owen: Forgive me for waking you so early. Do you have a spare moment, Grea?
Grea: Owen? What's the matter?
Owen: The princess has yet to wake...
Grea: And?
Owen: And, forgive me for the impertinence, but would you kindly go rouse her?
Owen: I'm not allowed to enter her quarters without permission.
Grea: Ah, all right.
Owen: Thank you.
Owen bows to Grea, and they head off together toward Anne's dormitory.
Grea: It's strange for Anne to oversleep.
Owen: I thought so myself. She never once overslept at the castle.
Grea: Something must be really bothering her...
Owen: ...
Grea: Would you happen to have any ideas, Owen?
Owen: Forgive me.
Owen: Though I have noticed something troubles the princess, I have not ascertained the source of her concerns.
Grea: I see. So she hasn't told you then.
Owen: Actually, I thought she would speak to you if anyone.
Grea: Hmm... I asked her a few times to spill the beans, but she never told me.
Owen: I see...
Owen: Well, if she wouldn't divulge her problems to you, I have no chance.
Grea: Why wouldn't she confide in me?
Grea: Doesn't she know I would do anything to help her?
Owen: (Grea certainly cherishes the princess.)
Owen: (I'm thankful they have each other.)
When they arrive in front of Anne's room, Grea gives the door a firm knock.
Grea: Anne, time to wake up. You'll be late if you sleep any longer.
Her call goes ignored.
Grea: Looks like we'll have to take desperate measures...
The half dragon reaches into her pocket and retrieves a key.
Owen: Grea, where did you get that key?
Grea: Anne gave me a spare to her room. Just in case.
Grea: But I never thought I would be using it to wake her up.
After twisting the key, Grea gives the door a shove and steps into the room.
Grea: Anne, wake—
Grea: Wait! Anne, are you okay?
The princess is splayed across the floor, her eyes dazed and slow to find Grea.
A soft yelp escapes the half dragon's lips as she rushes to assist her best friend.
Owen: Forgive me, Princess. This is an emergency, and I will be entering your quarters.
Owen, too, abandons his decorum to rush to the princess's aid.
Anne: Grea, Owen...
Grea: Anne, talk to me! What happened!
Anne: I'm not sure... But I feel weak, and... I can't call my spirits...
Grea: What!
Owen: What!
Though Grea and Owen have confirmed Anne's health doesn't seem to be in dire straits, her revelation still leaves the pair speechless.

What the Future Holds: Scene 2

A few days after losing her abilities, Anne's parents, King Roswell and Queen Leisha, pay Mysteria Academy a visit. The king reveals that the paragon spirits are the ones who choose the next monarch, and that their abandonment of Anne means she has been found unworthy of the crown. Unless she can find a way to restore their faith in her, she will never become queen. Later that evening, she confides her troubles to Grea.


After regaining a bit of her strength, Anne is depressed and dumbfounded by the fact that she can't use her spirits.
Grea and Owen take her to Ms. Miranda and Mr. Bertrand for support.
Mr. Bertrand: You woke up and couldn't summon your spirits anymore? Truly?
Anne: Yes... They seem to be gone without a trace...
Grea: Um, Mr. Bertrand, Ms. Miranda... Do you know what's happened to Anne?
Mr. Bertrand: ...
Ms. Miranda: ...
Ms. Miranda: I'm sorry, dears. I'm afraid we don't have a clue.
Ms. Miranda: Those spirits are beyond our expertise.
Grea: B-but you're teachers!
Mr. Bertrand: Yes, but those paragon spirits are considered top secret magic, whose knowledge is closely guarded by the royal family.
Mr. Bertrand: They are invoked only to protect this land.
Mr. Bertrand: As Ms. Miranda and I are simple educators, our knowledge of the paragon spirits is woefully limited.
Anne: Ah... I see.
Anne: Thank you anyway, Mr. Bertrand, Ms. Miranda.
Anne: I'm sure this is just a fluke. Who knows? Maybe I'll be back to normal by tomorrow.
Mr. Bertrand: Just to be safe, we'll study up ourselves and see if we can't help find a solution.
Anne: Thank you.
Anne gives the teachers a weak but polite bow before turning to leave the room.
Mr. Bertrand: That's quite the pickle...
Ms. Miranda: Isn't it? And Anne's the type to deal with problems by her lonesome, so she must be suffering more than she lets on...
Mr. Bertrand: Grea, Owen. I'm sure you know this, but Anne's condition isn't likely to improve on its own.
Mr. Bertrand: I'm trusting you two to give her the support she needs.
Mr. Bertrand: I'm afraid her anxiety may become crushing... That we may never see her smile again...
Mr. Bertrand: But as her friends, you have a chance to prevent the worst from transpiring.
Owen: Leave it to us. It's my duty to protect the princess—body and mind alike.
Grea: We won't let her down! Anne is too important to give up on!
Mr. Bertrand: Your enthusiasm comforts me.
Mr. Bertrand: Well, Ms. Miranda, shall we start our research? We need to help these kids as much as we can.
Ms. Miranda: Right away!
Ms. Miranda: Bye, Grea! Bye, Owen! Best of luck with Anne!
After Ms. Miranda and Mr. Bertrand leave the room, Grea and Owen exchange a determined nod.
A few days later...
Anne is attempting her latest in a long string of experiments to force her paragon spirits to return.
But no matter how hard she tries, it seems her powers remain inert.
Grea: No luck?
Anne: Zero. Up 'til now, I could call the paragon spirits like casting regular magic, but it's no use...
Grea: Stick with it...
Owen: Princess!
Anne: Owen, what's got you flustered?
Owen: The king and queen have come to the academy!
Anne: What! Mother and Father? What for?
Owen: I don't know the details... Only that they wish to have an audience with you.
Anne: I see. I'll go to them immediately!
Anne: Sorry, Grea! I'll be right back!
A flustered Anne rushes to the academy's reception hall.
Owen: I'll be here if you need anything, Princess.
Anne takes a moment to gather herself before knocking on the reception hall door.
Roswell: It's been too long, Anne.
Leisha: We haven't seen each other like this since your return.
Anne: Um, yes... It's been too long.
Anne: But more importantly, Mother! Father! Why have you come to the academy?
Roswell: A serious matter has occurred that could shape the future of our country.
Roswell: As king of this nation, it naturally falls upon me to investigate.
Anne: You mean...
Leisha: Anne, we know you've lost the ability to call the paragon spirits.
Anne: ...!
How did you find out?
Roswell: Never mind that.
Roswell: Anne, do you know who the paragon spirits once were?
Anne: Yes... They were the brave heroes who brought an end to the conflict which plagued Mysteria long ago.
Anne: Those heroes were revered for their bravery, causing their souls to bond with the land and become guardian spirits.
Roswell: That's correct. And they have stood watch over our country ever since.
Roswell: But in safeguarding our domain, they also serve a different role.
Roswell: It is they who choose the next monarch.
Roswell: Though there is power in our royal blood, it is ultimately up to the spirits to determine who sits upon the throne.
Anne: ...!
Roswell: The paragon spirits favored you. You were destined to become queen.
Roswell: But now that you've lost that favor...
Roswell: You've lost your divine claim to the kingdom. So the spirits have decreed.
Roswell: Thus, as the current king, it falls upon me to recognize their authority and officially revoke your claim to the throne...
Anne: ...
Roswell: However, as things stand now, we've yet to hear reports of the paragon spirits choosing another.
Roswell: This presents us with a bit of a grace period.
Roswell: Reclaim their favor before they elect a new monarch, and all will be well within our family.
Roswell: But if you cannot... You will never be queen.
Roswell: I hope you treat this situation with the importance it deserves.
Anne: ...
Leisha: Anne, I believe in you, dear. Those spirits will choose you again.
Roswell: Yes, I believe in you too. Just... be prepared for whatever may come next.
Anne: Yes, Father...
Though it has been ages since Anne last saw her parents, their words offer her no comfort.
As the queen and king cross the reception hall threshold, they turn back and look at their despondent daughter with a mixture of longing and pity.
After the overwhelming meeting with her parents, Anne returns to the music room where she can release her complicated feelings into the piano.
But the melody she plays is disorderly, as if her fingers can't help but fumble over one another.
Grea: This is rare. I didn't think you liked avant-garde music.
Anne: Grea...
Grea takes a seat beside Anne and begins to play in harmony with the disparate melody.
Grea: ...
Anne: ...
Grea: Hey, Anne. Why didn't you tell me anything?
Grea: Something's going on, right? You can come to me, you know.
Anne: ...
Grea: Have I been a bad friend? Would me knowing hurt you more?
Anne: It's not that!
Grea: Then tell me what you're thinking! I want to help!
Grea: We're... we're best friends, aren't we?
Anne: ...
Grea: I've never seen you in so much pain... I just want to help.
Anne: Grea...
Anne: Okay.
The princess, though hesitant at first, forces herself to divulge her conversation with her parents to Grea.
Grea: They'll cut you out of the lineage?
Anne: Yes. That's why I have to convince the paragon spirits I'm worthy.
Grea: ...
Anne: What would you do if you were in my shoes, Grea?
Anne: I always thought I would just become queen, you know?
Anne: But now... everything's changed...
Anne: I'm not sure what I want anymore. It's all so confusing.
A single tear wells in Anne's eye, caresses her cheek, and falls to the ground.
Grea: It's okay, Anne. You don't have to be scared.
Grea: I—no—we are going help you through this.
Anne: Grea...
Grea: Anne, let's talk to the others, okay?
Grea: If two heads are better than one, then I'm sure we'll find a solution if we discuss this with all of our friends.
Anne: Okay... Thank you, Grea.
Anne embraces Grea with a heartfelt squeeze. The half dragon tenderly pats the princess's head in response.
Though their troubles are many, as they sit together on the piano bench, somehow everything seems to become surmountable.

What the Future Holds: Scene 3

Taking Grea's advice, Anne seeks help from the rest of her support system at Mysteria Academy. After she explains her predicament, they conclude that her fear of the future is likely upsetting the paragon spirits. To help ease her worries, they insist that everyone will always be friends, even if they begin to walk different paths in the future. Back in her dorm, Anne successfully calls a paragon spirit and insists she's a stronger person for facing her fears. The spirit acknowledges her growth and returns her powers without further incident.


The next day...
Anne decides to take Grea's advice and has invited a chorus of familiar faces to a classroom.
She clears her throat before detailing the situation.
Owen: I can't believe this...
Hanna: They'll cut you out of the running for the throne? That's horrible!
Tsubasa: Yeah, is this some kinda sick joke or what?
Mr. Bertrand: Things are certainly more dire than any of us could have expected...
Ms. Miranda: Oh dear, I think I'm feeling faint...
Hanna: Well, at least we have the gist now.
Hanna: Tell us how we can help, Anne.
Anne: I want to call the paragon spirits once more, but so far I've failed trying to convince them on my own.
Anne: I'd like to request your cooperation—though I'm not sure what that looks like at the moment.
Agreement is immediate and unanimous.
Anne's mood is immediately bolstered by the show of support from her friends.
Tsubasa: For real though, the next time you're hurtin', speak up faster.
Hanna: Sigh... I second that motion.
Anne: Um...
Tsubasa: Princess, I'mma say this once: Real friends are ride or die, no matter what happens.
Owen: I couldn't have said it better myself.
Hanna: Exactly. Ride or die... I offer you what support I can.
Mr. Bertrand: Haha, likewise, I would be happy to help. It's nice to feel useful.
Ms. Miranda: That's right, Mr. Bertrand. We'll do our best to see you through this tough time, Anne!
Anne: Thank you all!
Though her cheeks flush, her embarrassment is mild in comparison to her sense of gratitude.
Grea: That was brave, Anne.
Anne: Thanks. If you hadn't convinced me to ask everyone, I would still be struggling with this alone.
Grea: I know. You always hold your cards close to your chest.
Anne: Oof...
Anne: B-but you're just as bad as me!
Hanna: Hah. I'd say you two are peas in a pod.
Anne and Grea: ...
Mr. Bertrand: Anne, asking others for help—and, indeed, receiving that help—is not something to feel embarrassed about.
Mr. Bertrand: Trying to tackle everything alone, on the other hand, that's the real problem.
Mr. Bertrand: Whenever you're in trouble, go to your friends. We all want to help you.
Mr. Bertrand: Please never forget that.
Anne: Yes, sir...
Though Anne knows Mr. Bertrand means well, she can't help but feel chastised.
Later, Anne and the others have begun weighing options.
But no matter how much they strategize, no one can come up with a concrete plan to resummon the spirits.
Tsubasa: Yo, Princess. Let's go over the basics one more time.
Tsubasa: Why can't you call your spooky dudes?
Anne: I'm not sure myself. I woke up and then suddenly they were gone.
Tsubasa: Maybe you royally screwed up something and didn't notice?
Owen: That's unlikely.
Owen: She could call the spirits during the graduation party prep. Nothing exceptional happened afterward either.
Hanna: And yet the spirits saw something in Anne that made them think she wasn't worthy of the throne.
The Trio: ...
Mr. Bertrand: Anne, just to be sure, were you able to call the spirits up until the party?
Anne: Yes.
Mr. Bertrand: But after the party, you weren't? What happened in the meantime?
Anne: I can't think of anything in particular...
Grea: Ah!
Ms. Miranda: Grea! Was that a spark of intuition I saw flash across your face?
Grea: It's just a hunch, but... Anne, something's been bothering you since after the graduation party, right?
Grea: Do you think your concerns might be the source of the problem?
Anne: Well...
Owen: With all this commotion, I forgot something was bothering you. That does seem likely.
Owen: It matches the timing of your condition as well.
Hanna: Now that you mention it, you definitely weren't your usual self.
Hanna: This business with the paragon spirits was just so distracting, it completely slipped my mind too.
Anne: Ah...
Anne: (I didn't want everyone to leave after graduation... And I wished we could stay together forever...)
Anne: (Could that be the cause?)
Anne: ...
Anne: (Hah, it must be. Even though it seems too simple of a reason for the spirits to abandon me...)
Anne: (But if that really is the reason, I'm not sure I can be the princess they require.)
Anne: ...
Mr. Bertrand: Anne, what did we just discuss? Won't you tell us what's on your mind?
Mr. Bertrand: Of course, don't feel forced if you're not comfortable.
Anne: ...
Grea: Anne...
Anne: ...
Anne: Okay.
Anne takes a deep breath before giving voice to her troubles.
Anne: Everyone... I, I was worried about what's going to happen after graduation.
Tsubasa: Hm? But you're set up for life, right? Once you become queen and all that.
Tsubasa: So why are you worried about somethin' stupid like a career path.
Anne: That's... not really it. I know my future is secure.
Anne: It's the fact we're all destined to go our separate ways.
Grea: Ah...
Anne: I first realized it after the graduation party.
Anne: Someday soon, we won't be together anymore.
Anne: What if we never see each other again?
Grea and Tsubasa: ...
Hanna and Owen: ...
Anne: I don't want to leave the academy.
Anne: I want things to stay as they are.
Anne: Even though I know that's not possible...
Anne: Sigh. I like the way things are. Why do things have to change?
Mr. Bertrand: I understand your feelings.
Mr. Bertrand: But I can see why the paragon spirit might be hesitant to choose you.
Anne: Yes. I see it too.
Tsubasa: Huh? How's that make her unfit for the royal chair?
Tsubasa: She's just feeling the same crud we all are?
Mr. Bertrand: Yes, but the royal family is fated to guide the future of a country and its people.
Mr. Bertrand: Yet Anne's vision of the future is plagued with uncertainty.
Mr. Bertrand: If a future monarch were to fear the very thing they're supposed to forge, where does that leave their kingdom?
Mr. Bertrand: Such hesitancy could lead a country to ruin. Or at least that's what I believe the paragon spirits have concluded.
Anne: ...
Hanna: Huh, this is the first time I've considered that perspective...
Hanna: Though I must admit I'm surprised this issue is troubling you so much.
Grea: Same here. Anne, are you really that concerned?
Anne: Of course I am! This is a serious matter!
Grea: Anne, it's true that we'll all go our separate ways after graduation.
Grea: And it won't be as easy for us to see each other.
Anne: ...
Grea: But that doesn't change the time we've spent together.
Anne: ...
Hanna: Exactly. Just because we're apart doesn't mean we won't be friends.
Tsubasa: Yeah. Ride or die, remember? Bros are bros for life.
Tsubasa: And you'll be our bro even if you become queen.
Anne: You guys...
Hanna: See? There's nothing for you to worry about.
Grea: No matter how far apart we are, Anne, we'll always be your friends.
Anne: Thank you...
The support of her friends is exactly the reassurance Anne needed.
Her concerns about graduation all but dissipate from her chest.
Where once her shoulders were downcast and joyless, she now holds herself high, secure in the support of her friends.
Though Anne no longer feels conflicted, the paragon spirits have yet to return.
But this only fills the princess with a new determination.
Anne: Still not satisfied, huh?
Anne: I thought they would come back if I resolved my worries...
Anne: Sigh... But of course worrying itself wasn't the problem.
Anne: It's just like Mr. Bertrand said.
Mr. Bertrand: Yes, but the royal family is fated to guide the future of a country and its people.
Mr. Bertrand: Yet Anne's vision of the future is plagued with uncertainty.
Mr. Bertrand: If a future monarch were to fear the very thing they're supposed to forge, where does that leave their kingdom?
Mr. Bertrand: Such hesitancy could lead a country to ruin. Or at least that's what I believe the paragon spirits have concluded.
Anne: (Am I truly in the wrong?)
Anne: (Is fearing the future truly so blasphemous for a monarch?)
Anne presses her face into her palms before collapsing onto the bed.
Anne: Hey, if you're still there, would you come out for me?
Anne: I need to say something to you.
Anne: Maybe I'm not worthy of the throne.
Anne: Maybe you'll find someone better to become the monarch, and I accept that. So, please... Heed me?
Anne: Heh. There's no way that would work, huh?
Despite Anne's doubts, a lone paragon spirit materializes before her.
Paragon Spirit: ...
Anne: ...
Anne, flung awake by the sudden appearance, sits dumbfounded.
Anne: You... You answered?
Paragon Spirit: ...
The spirit responds only with a steely gaze.
She sits up and prepares to spill her heart to the heroic specter.
Anne: First off, let me say thank you. For appearing before me just now.
Paragon Spirit: ...
Anne: You can't predict the person I'll become, so you have to judge me for who I am now, right?
Anne: And if I am to forge the future of this country and its people, I need to be a strong ruler...
Anne: So, by your standards, I must never be caught wavering, correct?
Paragon Spirit: ...
The spirit nods.
Anne: I won't disagree.
Anne: But I need you to know: stopping to examine one's life is a strength.
Anne: To stand and reflect, to look back on what was...
Anne: So many of my friends have helped me, made me into the person I am today.
Anne: It's only thanks to their influence that I hold any qualities of a ruler at all.
Anne: Shouldn't my hesitancy to leave them be a testament to my judge of character?
Paragon Spirit: ...
Anne: I know that I've struggled.
Anne: But it's because of my wonderful friends that I have the courage to walk forward.
Anne: It's true I'm going to miss them a lot when we have to depart this academy...
Anne: But this isn't the end. We'll still have the memories of the time we spent together.
Anne: They taught me that.
Anne: But it's because I've struggled and overcome my hesitancy that I've grown stronger.
Paragon Spirit: ...
Anne: Fearing the future is not a problem.
Anne: But boldly crossing into the unknown with nary a care? That sounds far worse to me.
Paragon Spirit: ...
Anne: I'm not sure if you will accept my thinking.
Anne: But if you do, I want you to return to me...
Anne: So we can build the best future together.
Paragon Spirit: ...
The spirit is unresponsive. Seconds seem to grow into an eternity, but Anne refuses to budge.
Eventually, the spirit nods and gives the princess an affectionate pat on the head.
Anne: Huh?
Paragon Spirit: ...
Before Anne realizes what has happened, the spirit dissipates into her body.
Anne: ...
Anne: I don't know for sure what you require of me.
Anne: But I can promise you this: I will protect this country that you so adore.
Anne: Thank you. For believing in me.
Princess and paragon are joined again.
And with their reunion, Anne is no longer plagued by doubts of the future.
Instead, her previous uncertainty has been replaced by a deep desire to shape that very same future.
A desire which the spirits of the land will see come to fruition, come hell or high magic.
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