Scenario:Melissabelle - Secret of the Golden Locks
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Secret of the Golden Locks
Vyrn and (Captain) are keeping watch on deck when a white owl appears to deliver a letter and corn on the cob from Melissabelle's parents. After fastening a letter of her own to the owl's leg, she works with (Captain) to ensure the bird has a safe return flight.
Silence falls over the ship as night draws near.
(Captain) and the others are keeping watch from the observation deck, when they spot a flying white object near the bow of the ship.
Vyrn: Hm? What's that?
The flying object enters the Grandcypher's flight path.
Vyrn: At this rate, we're gonna smash into it!
As the ship draws closer, it slowly becomes apparent what the object actually is.
Owl: Hoot, hoot!
Vyrn: It's an owl! Why's it heading toward us?
The owl swoops onto the deck of the ship.
Unfortunately for the owl, it botches the landing. The parcels attached to its feet are sent flying as it spins through the air.
Owl: Hoot, hoot!
Vyrn: That's one clumsy owl! What's in these parcels, anyway? Oh! There's corn in here!
Melissabelle: Ah! Bianco?
Vyrn: Hm? This owl's a friend of yours, Melissabelle?
Melissabelle: Yeah. He's my family's carrier owl. You really need to work on your landings though, Bianco.
Bianco: Hoot, hoot!
Vyrn: Wow. He's really attached to you! How'd he know you were here?
Melissabelle: I'm not sure myself. No matter where I go, he always manages to find me.
Melissabelle: He always brings me corn on the cob and letters from my family.
Vyrn: He might be clumsy, but that's one smart bird!
Bianco: Hoot, hoot!
Bianco proudly extends a foot toward Melissabelle.
Melissabelle: That's a good owl. I wrote this letter. Make sure it gets back home, okay?
Bianco: Hoot, hoot!
The owl begins to vanish into the inky blackness of the night to return Melissabelle's letter to her family.
Monster: Skrawwk!
Bianco: Hoot, hoot!
Bianco doesn't make it very far before a flying monster swoops in to attack.
Melissabelle: Watch out, Bianco! Head back to the ship!
Vyrn: This is bad! We've gotta save him!
Secret of the Golden Locks: Scene 2
The crew is taking a break from searching for information on Melissabelle's assailants. Suddenly a berserk woman appears and demands Melissabelle return her deceased daughter.
The crew visits an island to search for information on the people aiming to steal Melissabelle's hair.
Before heading to their next destination, (Captain) and company decide to relax at a nearby lake.
Melissabelle: Hey Lyria. Wanna help comb my hair?
Lyria: Of course!
Vyrn: Taking care of all that hair looks like a pain...
Melissabelle: It is. Just combing takes hours, so this is a really big help. Thanks so much!
Lyria: Sure thing! Just leave it to me!
Vyrn: And if you ever feel yourself getting hungry, just let us know!
Melissabelle: Haha, thanks. Mmm... I should be okay for now.
For a brief moment, the crew carefully tends to Melissabelle's flowing locks.
But this moment of tranquility soon comes to an end.
Vyrn: Who's there?
Crazed Woman: Give her back...
Melissabelle: Huh?
Crazed Woman: Give me back my daughter!
A group of ruffians suddenly appear. On the crazed woman's signal, they spring into action, ready to attack Melissabelle.
Vyrn: Whoa! This just got crazy in a hurry, (Captain)! We've gotta stop her!
Secret of the Golden Locks: Scene 3
The woman explains that she sought Melissabelle's hair in the hope of curing her sick daughter but failed when Melissabelle went missing. Wracked with remorse, Melissabelle apologizes to the woman after giving her a single strand of her hair.
The crew manages to stop the berserk woman, but the spiteful, bitter way she looks at Melissabelle has only grown more hateful.
Crazed Woman: O long-haired princess! Why didn't you save my daughter?
Vyrn: What's she talking about?
Crazed Woman: They said she was incurable. The doctors wrote her off as a lost cause. I had given up all hope. But then I started to hear the rumors...
Crazed Woman: Rumors of a long-haired princess! Oh, if I could just get my hands on those golden locks of hers, my daughter would be saved!
Vyrn: Wha...
Melissabelle: ...
Crazed Woman: I thought it was just a folktale, but then I heard that just such a princess had been born for the first time in centuries!
Crazed Woman: For you to be born at the moment my daughter and I needed you most? That's a miracle! A radiant, royal miracle!
Crazed Woman: Can you imagine our joy? Can you fathom our hope? That hair of yours was all that stood between my daughter and the clutches of the reaper!
Crazed Woman: Then we found out you had left your country. Where had you gone? Where?
Crazed Woman: I sank into the depths of despair. A few days later, my daughter passed.
Melissabelle: ...
Crazed Woman: Ohh... Sob... Why? Why didn't you save her?
Crazed Woman: Why... Why!
Crazed Woman: You just want to keep that power for yourself, don't you!
Crazed Woman: Sob... If only... If only you had been there!
Lyria: Oh my gosh...
Crazed Woman: Ohhh...
Melissabelle: ...
Vyrn: Hey, Melissabelle!
With an air of sadness, Melissabelle removes a single hair and places it in the woman's hand.
Melissabelle: I'm... I'm sorry...
Lyria: Melissabelle...
Vyrn: None of this is your fault.
Vyrn: She's just passed out. Let's head back before she wakes up.
Secret of the Golden Locks: Scene 4
Vyrn and Lyria offer words of encouragement to a distraught Melissabelle. Her owl returns with a letter from her parents, who are overjoyed that she's managed to find dependable friends.
Melissabelle: ...
Crazed Woman: Ohhh... Sob... Why? Why didn't you save her?
Crazed Woman: You just want to keep that power for yourself, don't you!
Crazed Woman: Sob... If only... If only you had been there!
Melissabelle: ...
Vyrn: So this is where you were.
Melissabelle: Lyria... Vyrn... (Captain)...
Lyria: It's already dark. You're going to catch a cold out here!
Melissabelle seems incapable of responding and continues staring out into the distance.
Melissabelle: Sorry for hiding the whole thing about me being a princess. There's just so much that's been happening lately...
Vyrn: Don't worry about it. Everyone has things they can't talk about.
Melissabelle: I was born into the royal family of a small kingdom. I've got two little brothers too.
Melissabelle: My kingdom is small, but long ago there was no divide between royalty and the common people.
Melissabelle: Everyone helped each other. They worked together. Wept together. Laughed together.
Melissabelle: But after I was born, that pleasant kingdom my parents knew slowly started to change.
Melissabelle: And it was all because I, the long-haired princess spoken of in legend, had been born.
Lyria: ...
Melissabelle: It wasn't just my kingdom. A lot of people in the surrounding lands also knew of the power my hair possessed.
Melissabelle: Then the hair hunters came, and with them people who wanted to protect me... or shun me.
Melissabelle: We were all supposed to live in peace and happiness. But those days were gone.
Melissabelle: Nothing was more painful than seeing how divided everyone was and knowing it was my fault.
Melissabelle: To end the conflict, I left my homeland and concealed my whereabouts.
Melissabelle: I live every day to ensure that no one knows where I am.
Lyria: Even your family?
Melissabelle: Yes. Bianco is the only connection I have left.
With her head hung low, Melissabelle continues.
Melissabelle: I don't know whether or not this hair of mine has the power the legends say it does.
Melissabelle: If someone's hurt or tired, I can heal them. That much is true.
Vyrn: Oh yeah?
Melissabelle: But I never even considered keeping my power to myself.
Melissabelle: I never wanted to keep this power from others. Never.
Melissabelle: If there's someone I can help, I want to help them. I want them to get the help they need.
Melissabelle: ...
Melissabelle: Hey, (Captain). Is what I'm doing... wrong?
Melissabelle: If I just gave all my hair away when those people attacked, do you think that woman's daughter would still be alive?
Melissabelle questions herself sincerely. Wracked with doubt, her eyes waver anxiously.
Vyrn: Nobody can know for sure, Melissabelle.
Vyrn: What I do know is hurtin' other people just to help yourself is no good!
Vyrn: That woman and those guys who attacked you back in your kingdom both did something they shouldn't have!
Vyrn: You haven't done anything wrong! So stop thinkin' you have!
Melissabelle: Vyrn...
Lyria: I... I was captured by people who wanted to use my power too.
Melissabelle: Really, Lyria?
Lyria: I thought about my powers a lot. Why I have them, what I was put here for...
Lyria: But then Katalina brought me into the outside world, and (Captain) showed me so many wonderful places.
Lyria: I realized my powers could help those important to me. I realized I wanted to use my powers to protect them.
Melissabelle: ...
Lyria: I don't know if what I'm doing is right or wrong.
Lyria: But I know this is what I want to do. Does that make it wrong? And does that make what you're doing wrong too, Melissabelle?
Melissabelle: Lyria...
Melissabelle: Oh, (Captain)... I wonder if I'll ever think of it like that...
Melissabelle: (Captain)... You're too nice.
Continue 1
From out of the darkness, a brilliant white bird draws close to the ship once again.
Melissabelle: Bianco!
Vyrn: He stuck the landing this time!
Bianco: Hoot, hoot!
Melissabelle: Nicely done, Bianco. You've been practicing, haven't you?
Melissabelle removes the letter from the owl's leg and calmly reads it.
Melissabelle: ...
The letter is full of happy congratulations from Melissabelle's parents, who are overjoyed to hear she's found steadfast friends.
Melissabelle: Mom... Dad...
Lyria: Hehe! You're surrounded by strong, dependable friends!
Melissabelle: They want me to stop worrying about the kingdom and do my best to stay out of danger...
Vyrn: Sounds like your mom and dad are some standup folks!
Melissabelle: (Captain). I've made those precious to me worry and caused trouble for everyone.
Melissabelle: But still...
Melissabelle: I want use the opportunity provided by this journey to figure out what it is I can do... and what I have to do.
Melissabelle continues to grapple with the meaning of her life.
Doubt still lingers within her eyes. But the determination demonstrated by her words is undeniably real.
Lyria: Okay! We'll figure it out together!
Vyrn: Yeah! We'll do everything we can to help!
Melissabelle searches for a path to follow on her journey with (Captain). But the kind of path that it will become, no one knows.