Sleeping Birdie
by Nefertanya dragongurl Ahhotep

Sleeping Birdie: Biyomon
Prince Dragon: WarGreymon
Demon Queen: Lady Devimon
3 Good Sennyo: Tentomon, Gatomon, Palmon
Good Emperor: Tai
Good Empress: Sora
Advisor/Narrator: Ken
Dragon's Dad: RedGreymon :)
Guards: Bakemon
Wise Man: Gennai
Errant Errand Boy: Hawkmon
Musicians: Gecko + Otamon
Queen of Light: Kari

**Act 2, Scene 2: Spare The Rod....**

*The darkness holds for several moments of contemplation. Then, a thin spotlight illuminates Ken. The cast is removed, and his clothing marks him as a slightly older man. He stands perfectly still, arms behind his back, as he addresses the audience in quiet tones. As he talks, a semi-lighted background reveals little snippets of his soliloquy*

Ken- "It has been almost 16 years since that fateful evening. The curse proved unbreakable-every magician and sorcerer in the realm tried their best and were only good at leaving the Empress disheartened. The Queen of Light *had* affected the spell's outcome, but the Emperor, determined to cheer his wife and save his daughter, was determined to thwart Fate.

He ordered that every spinning wheel in the land be chopped and burned. The peasant folk grumbled, but obeyed, taking up hand spinning for the safety of their future Empress.

Only *one* wheel escaped its destruction. The Emperor and his sister had in their possession an exquisitely carved spinning wheel. It had belonged to their grandmother, who had spun fine thread while singing the royal children to sleep. Loathe to part with such a treasured memory, the Queen of Light convinced her husband to smuggle it out of the country, hidden from prying eyes."

*Ken moves to one side of the stage, and it is fully lighted. Actors mill around, gossiping and sipping and eating merrily*

Ken- "It is the eve of the young princess' 16th birthday."

*A preening Biyomon is spotlighted surrounded by fawning maidens and gentlemen callers*

Ken- "Tonight, her father has promised to announce her coming-of-age with a special announcement..."

*The Emperor enters, the Empress on his arm. With a smile plastered on her face, she roughly elbows Mimi back behind the curtain, who is trying to convince her to switch crowns*

*Mimi- "Sora Takenouchi, you are a real MMph, mmph!!"*

*Palmon- "Mimi, behave!!'*

Tai- "Greetings and salutations, our friends! WE wish to thank you all, for coming to the celebration of our only daughter's birth!"

*Biyomon feigns modesty as she revels in the applause and adoring looks she recieves*

Sora(shooting a warning glance at Biyomon)- "And we are sure all your thoughtful gifts will be well used."

Biyo(sheepishly)- "Er, yes! Thank you all so very much! *leans over to one of the girls and stage whispers* "Did you *see* what the Lord of Knowledge gave me?! What am *I* going to do with an abacus?!"

*The girls titter, more from the freely-flowing sake than actual spite*

Tai- "And now it is time for a special announcement!"

Biyo(squealing)- "Oh, this is it! Oh, oh! Maybe Daddy's retiring early and giving me the *crown*!"

*The Emperor walks up to her and proudly puts his hands on her shoulders*

Tai- "My dearest daughter. We encountered many an obstacle to convince you into our world. As our child, we made sure you wanted for nothing. But now, *now* you are an adult, and with adulthood comes responsibilities."

*The Princess stands proudly, already designing her coronation gown in her mind*

Tai- "In three weeks time, you will be my child no more. *smiles at her wary face* In three weeks time, you will be wed to Prince Dragon of the Fire Kingdom."

Biyo- 'M-married??" *glances over her shoulder and watches all the boys that had flirted with her begin to court the other girls*

Sora- "Yes! Isn't that wonderful news?"

Biyo- "But...I've never even *met* the guy..."

Tai- "Yes, you did. You were just too small to remember. It was the night when-"

*The Empress grabs his sleeve, a warning look on her face. The Emperor is puzzled, then realizes what he was about to say*

Tai- "Er-well, it was when you were a baby."

Biyo(angry)- "THEN WHAT MAKES YOU THINK I'M HAPPY?!"

*The crowd is silenced by her outburst. The Emperor and Empress are hurt, shocked, and embarrassed by her behavior*

Tai- 'Young lady!!"

Biyo(stomping her foot)- "No! No, no, no!! I will not marry some joke simply because you don't want to love me anymore!!"

The Empress strides over and slaps her impudent daughter across the face., then pulls her hand to her mouth in utter horror*

Biyo(stunned, holding her cheek)- "Oh...."

Sora(tearfully)- "My baby..."

*She goes over towards Biyo, tears falling, but the Princess runs past her and off stage*

Random guest- 'Spoiled little brat, isn't she?"

Another guest- "Yes, quite ungrateful."

**Act 2, Scene 2: Sweet Dreams Till Sunbeams Find You**

*The stage is now darker, more ominous. Damp looking stone walls are eerily lit. The Princess comes tumbling up a staircase, and collapses in tears at the top. As she weeps, a crone appears onstage, holding a torch*

Crone- "Why do you weep, my lovely?"

Biyo- "My *hic* parents are forcing me to marry a man I've never truly met!"

Crone- "Ah. The young Prince Dragon. Poor luck, that one."

Biyo(horrified)- "Really?"

Crone(smiling)- "Yes. Handsome, strong, rich! All the qualities a proper girl should avoid, no?"

Biyo(beginning to think this marriage idea isn't so bad)- "Yeah, <sniff>, I guess so."

Crone(taking an air of confidence)- "You know....I shouldn't be telling you this, but your father has a special wedding gift for you."

Biyo(surprised)- 'For me?"

Crone- "Mm-hmm. Shall I show you? It's already in your chamber."

*The Princess leaps up and pulls the old crone towards her room. She runs in to find nothing out of the ordinary save for a large object covered in a sheet. Eagerly, she pulls it off-to reveal a spinning wheel*

Biyo(confused, yet intrigued)- "What is it?"

Crone- "What? You mean to tell me that Your Highness has never seen a spinning wheel?"

Biyo- 'A spinning wheel? No, I have not. Pray tell me, old one, what does it do?"

Crone(clucking)- "Tsk, child. Why, it's a device to change wool into fine threads. It is the mark of a *true* lady to know how to use one."

Biyo(insulted)- "Then you will teach me, and quickly, for I cannot wed the Prince if I am not versed in all things a lady should be."

Crone(hiding a smile)- "Of course, of course! It is very simple. First, sit here child."

Biyo(as she sits down where the crone has indicated)- "I'll have you no *I* am no child."

Crone(placating)- "Oh, yes, yes! Forgive me, Princess-no, *Queen*!

*The princess smiles and savors her future title. She doesn't notice the crone pull a conical object from her robe and switch it for the spindle, nor the muffled cries of 'Princess!' beginning to echo. The crone does hear, however, and quickly presses on with her lessons*

Crone- "Now, dearie. Take this end, yes, that's it! Now hold this here...Good girl. Now. Press the treadle! Quickly! Make the wheel spin with energy!"

*She moves so quickly that the Princess barely has time to register it all. The shouts are now louder, and they vie for her attention*

Crone(losing patience)- "Are you listening to me girl?! Press the treadle!!"

Biyo- "But...they are looking for me!"

Crone- "They....(her face brightens with a idea) They will punish me if they discover I showed you your present, unless you show them how well I've taught you to spin! Spin! SPIN!!"

Biyo- "All right, all right!!"

*She depresses the treadle just as the Advisor barges in*

Ken- "My Princess!! NO!!"

*A blue glow envelopes her, and her eyes turn a bluish-white. Her foot continues to pump, as her hands measure a thin blue-white strand*

Crone- "Ahahaha!! Too late! You see how her own vanity caught her! Now watch as my curse withers away your precious princess!"

Ken- "Curse...? Then you....ARREST HER!!"

*The crone ripples, and reforms to the Dark Demon Queen*

LadyDevi- "Oh, *please*! How are you planning to do that? And anyways, what good will it accomplish? The little brat is already-"

*She turns towards the princess, who is snoring lightly. The Dark Queen is confused, then grabs the girl's head for a closer look*

LadyDevi- "She's asleep. SHE'S ASLEEP!!!! HOW *DARE* SHE DEFY *ME*!"

Ken- "It's not her doing. It was the Queen of Light. She affected your spell so that she would merely sleep till restored!"

LadyDevi(enraged)- "NOOOOOO!!!!!"

*The Emperor and Empress have been drawn by the shouts, and now stand in horror. The Empress runs to her child, desperately trying to rouse her*

Sora- "My baby!! Baby, wake up! Please, my baby!"(breaks down sobbing)

Tai(quietly)- "What is *that* doing here?!"

LadyDevi(recovering now that despair is in the air)- "Like it? Consider it a wedding gift. Thank me later. Or rather, thank your dear sister. Seems she just couldn't part with it, so she had it smuggled away. Lucky *I* found it-who *knows* what kind of horrible person it could have fallen to!"(laughs at her little 'heroism')

Tai- "That's a lie!"

LadyDevi- "Is it? Well, you'll have a long time to dwell on it. As I have been denied my vengeance, so shall you be denied your release! None shall remember your treachery, nor your 'just' rule! Farewell...forever!"

*She floats through the ceiling and hovers over the castle. The sky around her darkens and folds in on itself before settling on the land. A dark wind sweeps through the castle corridors, turning every living thing it passes to stone. The dark fog makes the inhabitants of the realm forget the Emperor and Empress and their only daughter. The fog rolls past a caravan-*

Guard- "Hey, where are we going anyway?"

Gaurd#2- "What, you don't know? We're going...um...Hey! I don't remember either!"

Guard- "Should we ask the King?"

Gaurd#2- "Nah, it'll come to us eventually."

*The caravan presses on, and passes right by the enchanted castle without a second glance. From the Princess' tower, The Dark Demon Queen watches in amusement, and, laughing hysterically, fades away to her Dark Realm*

Go On!

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