Fan Fiction ❯ Night Duchess ❯ Starting Out ( Chapter 8 )

Night Duchess 8:

Starting Out

CAPTION: RUSSIA 2060. SASHA'S TREE HOUSE

{Shura finds sleeping hard. She turns side to side.}

Shura (thinking): 'I just can't sleep here. It's uncomfortable laying in this tree house and I'm in a different world and time. How am I supposed to train Sasha to become Night Duchess in her time? I've done the research at the library and I still don't understand.' (She sighs and sits up) 'This is going to be more difficult than I thought. Why did they resurrect me? Why not someone closer to this time? Someone who knew about this place and time? I can't do it.'

{She leans her head on her arms and daydreams about her past. She soon falls asleep.}

{The sun rises and Sasha gets up with newfound energy. Today was the first time in days she actually felt excited about going to school and who could blame her when she just learned that she was the descendant of only the best hero of Russia? After getting dressed, she goes to see Shura in the tree house.}

Sasha: "Rise and shine, Shura!"

{Shura groans and Sasha climbs inside.}

Sasha: "So how did you sleep?"

{Shura sits up. She has bags under her eyes.}

Shura: "Not well."

Sasha: "I'm sorry to hear that. Must be weird sleeping in a strange bed."

Shura: "Bed? There's no bed here! I'm lying on the floor!"

Sasha: "I'll remember next time to bring an air mattress from the house. Maybe you'll be more comfortable."

Shura:"I feel…odd in this time."

Sasha: "You'll get used to it. Now I've got to go to school. Feel free to take a walk, just make sure my parents don't know you're here."

Shura: "I might get lost."

Sasha: "Don't worry, there are maps in the park and everywhere in this city for tourists. Try to find those people you told me about."

Shura: "They usually find me."

{Sasha begins to climb down.}

Sasha: "I'll see you when I get back from school. Bye now!"

{Sasha climbs all the down and jumps.}

Sound Effect: Thud

{Shura leans over the doorway to see Sasha wave at her then run away. Shura returns to sleep}

New Scene: School

CAPTION: Could she make a new friend today? Or will they still hate her?

{Sasha walks on the sidewalk to school. She sees Phillip wave at her.}

Phillip: "Sasha! Hey, over here!"

Sasha: "Hi, Phillip."

{She walks up to him.}

Phillip: "Hey, where did you run off to yesterday?"

Sasha: "I just remembered something I had to do at home."

{They walk inside the school. Victor comes up to Phillip.}

Victor: "Hey buddy, meet at our usual place. We'll have loads of fun."

Phillip: "Actually…"

Victor: "Phillip, don't be such a wimp! Come on, you in or out?"

Phillip: "I don't really want to go. You guys can get in trouble."

Victor: "Chicken!"

Sasha: "At least he's got brains, unlike you, you turkey!"

Phillip: "Ha! Ha! Ha!"

Victor: Grr! Stay out of this, you freak!

Sasha: "If Phillip doesn't want to go then you can't make him! He knows better than getting thrown in jail! I'm going to class. {She goes to class and Phillip starts to go after her when Victor prevents him}

Victor: "You'd better bail out on me, Phillip. You're going to leave the whole gang for the freak? You think she knows how to have fun? If you're not there tonight, I'll make your life a living hell, you understand?"

Phillip: "Fine, I'll go. Just…don't do anything stupid and get us in trouble."

Victor: "Hey, trust me. We're just going to hang out."

Girl: "Hi Sasha."

Sasha: "Huh?"

{She looks at the person sitting across from her. Not many people say hi to her.}

Sasha: "Eliza?"

Eliza: "Inessa told me you scared Gretta during volleyball yesterday. (She smiles) 'Bout time someone made her shut up! Wish I was there."

Sasha: "Yeah, Gretta thinks she's better than everyone else. Like Zoya."

****

SCENE: Sasha's Tree house

Shura: "I can't rest anymore. I think I might as well go for a walk."

{She climbs down the ladder, trips, falls and lands on her back}

Shura: "Aaah! Ouch! That hurt."

{She gets up, rubbing her backside. She walks around the city, ignoring other people. The way Russia has changed is strange to her and she still thinks it's a dream. Shura goes through the park and goes deep enough to the forest.}

SOUND EFFECTS: Rustle. Rustle. Grr. Grr.

Shura: "What is that?"

{She stops and listens more. Gathering her courage she presses onward to the noise and finds a brown wolf with her front leg stuck in a poacher's trap. Her left ear is white and there is a white diamond-shape on her shoulder. The wolf looks up at her.}

Shura: "Don't…be afraid.

Wolf: "Pant. Pant."

{Shura gets down and tries to pull on the trap. It opens and the wolf pulls its leg out of the trap. Shura gasps when its legs lengthen.}

Shura: "Why…it's…you…"

{The wolf changes into Rema. The white markings she had on her fur is now on her hair. Rema nurses her wound and it heals}

Rema: "I do hate it when that happens. Damn poachers and their traps."

Shura: "Will you be all right?"

Rema: "Of course. It'd take more than a poacher's trap to keep me down. I've been searching for you, Shura."

Shura: "Ironic. I've been looking for you too. Where's Avis?"

Rema: "She's watching over Sasha. I believe I have something of yours." {She opens her arms and Shura's staff appears in them. She tosses it to her.} "Your daughter left it in my care. She fancied the batliff more.

Shura: Still looks like the way I remember it."

Rema: "Good. I hope you remember how to use it."

Shura: "I may have been dead for 800 years, but I haven't forgotten about the Night Duchess."

{Rema grins}

Shura: "I do wish you'd be nicer to the others and me. Like Avis."

{Rema laughs}

Rema: "I am. My bark is worse than my bite, half the time anyway. I have to be cold to get my point across. Kudram is under the earth but it will be only a matter of time until he's set free again. I come back here often to make sure no fools get near where he's buried. Soon though, this will be all gone".

Shura: "Why?"

Rema: "Mankind has changed. Times have changed. They no longer care about nature and the things that live in it. But once they find Kudram's resting place and open the cubicle he is in, they'll find out. You must prepare yourself. Prepare Sasha. We need the Night Duchess."

Shura: "How? Do I kill everyone that gets near this point?"

Rema: "If you have too, but eventually some curious fool will pass this point. I can feel Kudram's presence underneath the ground. I believe he's gotten stronger. We can't hide him anymore. We've fought him for centuries and we still cannot defeat him. We have only managed in trapping him."

Shura: "So we shall trap him again."

Rema: "No. If he comes free again, we will not just trap him. We'll defeat him. Once and for all. Even if I have to raise all the Night Duchesses and Night Raiders from their graves to do it!"

{Shura gasps and looks at her staff.}

Rema: "I've waited centuries, maybe even a millennium or two for this. I won't wait another. My patience has long worn thin. It's time to finish the job. Don't let me down."

Shura: "I'll start training immediately."

Rema: "That's what I like to hear." {She runs off, changing into a wolf}

****

NEW SCENE: ROOFTOP

CAPTION: EVEN AFTER 800 YEARS IN THE GRAVE, THE NIGHT DUCHESS REMAINS STRONG. WILL HER DECENDANT PROVE WORTHY?

SOUND EFFECTS: Jab. Swish. Twirl. Thrust. Thwack

{Shura practices her techniques. She jumps, swings her staff, ducks as if she were fighting an opponent.}

Shura (thinking): 'They will find Kudram soon. I have to teach Sasha how to be Night Duchess. Can I do it? If I do not teach her well enough, it will be on my head. She has much to learn and we don't have enough time. Why haven't they tried defeating Kudram much sooner?'

{She sighs and takes a knee to rest.}

Shura: "When Sasha returns, I'll teach her."

*****

NEW SCENE: SCHOOL.

SOUND EFFECTS: Ring!

{School is over and students crowd the halls to go home.}

Sasha (thinking): 'Good, not too much homework this time.'

Inessa: "Hey, Sasha"! (A girl with shoulder-length dark red hair comes to Sasha) "You did great in softball today!"

Sasha: "Thanks, Inessa! I think Gretta thought so too, huh?"

{Greta walks by with a black eye.}

Inessa: "Ha! Ha! I know, she didn't catch the ball, but got a black eye instead! I'll see you later!"

Sasha: "Bye!" {She closes her door and leaves the school} 'Weird, people are chumming up to me now. It makes no sense. One day they call me freak and the next they're saying hi to me and actually mean it.' {She bumps into someone of Victor's gang}

Boy: "Watch it, freak!"

Sasha: "Well, sorry, I didn't know you owned the hall." {She walked passed him.} 'Well, most of them anyway. I guess they grew up.'

{She goes back home and takes some food up to the treehouse for Shura}

Sasha:" Shura! I'm back from school. I hope you're hungry!" {She climbs the ladder and finds Shura standing in front of her with the scythe.} "Ahh! What are you doing with that thing?"

Shura: "I didn't mean to scare you. This was my weapon as the Night Duchess. It was in Rema's care. One of my advisors."

Sasha: "Oh." {She puts down some food and they eat as Shura explained her day.}

Shura: "I went to the woods and that's where I found Rema. Her foot was in a trap."

Sasha: "She okay?"

Shura: "I suppose so. Rema has always been a strong one and she told me that her legs get caught in the poacher traps often."

Sasha: "What did she say?"

Shura: "That Kudram is still trapped in the ground. She goes there often to see that he's still there. But sooner or later people will cut down the forest and bring him out. When that happens, we'll have to defeat Kudram. I've trained myself alone and now I'm going to train with you."

Sasha: "What do you mean, train?"

Shura: "I mean, you will become Night Duchess." {She gets to her feet.} "My medallion."

{Sasha hands her the medallion. Shura breaks it in half, keeps the mind and spirit half for herself and hands Sasha the half of body and heart.}

Shura: "I'm giving you the half that gives power to the heart and body. You will jump higher, run faster, hit harder and feel stronger. You will even have ability to heal yourself.}

Sasha: "Cool. What about your half?"

Shura: "Mind and Spirit. It will make me become invisible, like a spirit. I can phase and teleport. I become telekinetic."

Sasha: "Tele-what?

Shura: "Telekinetic. Move things with my mind."

Sasha: "Awesome. They made a few movies like that."

Shura: "Time for us to change."

Sasha: "How?"

Shura: "Just watch me. All you have to do is concentrate and see yourself how you want to be." {She held her half of the medallion to her heart, closed her eyes and she began to glow red and gold. Her hair shortens, a faint scar appears on her cheek and her clothes change to her Night Duchess fighting attire, the long cloak and leather armor with fur. She pulled her hood down and opened her once big and innocent looking, are now more narrow and long. Her eyes are still green, but darker and seem to glow. Her arms have two golden bands}

Sasha: "Night Duchess."

Night Empress: "No, you'll be the Night Duchess. I'm now the Night Empress. Now you try. We're running out of valuable training time.}

Sasha: "Okay." {She does just what Shura did. She put her half next to her heart and closed her eyes. She waits but nothing happens.}

Sasha (opening her eyes): "What's the deal? Nothing is happening."

Night Empress: "Concentrate. See in your mind's eye what you want to be. Chant it if you must."

Sasha (closing her eyes): "Easier said than done. Okay, I want to be stronger and tougher and I want to scare people. I don't want them to call me freak anymore. I want to show them for messing with me. I want to be cool."

{She starts to glow silver and green}

Sasha: "Hey."

Night Empress: "It's working. Just keep concentrating."

{Sasha's hair changes from brown to black. It shortens into a spiky and wild style and the bangs were dark green. Her school uniform changes into a black tank top and black leather pants, shimmering silver. Her shoes became combat boots. She wore a long black leather trench-coat and had two handguns on her hips. Around her chest was a band of bullets and she had a machinegun strapped to her back and some grenades. Her nerdy thick glasses became cool shades and the coolest thing about them was that they gave her night vision. Around her head was a purple bandana. After changing, she went to a mirror in the tree house.}

Night Duchess: "Damn. When I said I wanted to look cool, I got more than I wanted! My voice even sounds cooler!"

Night Empress: "Now we train."

Night Duchess: "Lead the way."

****

NEW SCENE: ROOFTOP.

Night Duchess: "Train away, Empress. Let's go!"

{Empress surprises her with a fast strike.}

Duchess: "Hey!"

Empress: "You're supposed to be fast."

Duchess: "You've done this longer than I have."

Empress: "That shouldn't be an excuse. Will Kudram care?" {She kicks her in the chest. Duchess falls back and gets up. She pulls off her trench coat.}

Duchess: "Okay, you've asked for it." {She tosses a punch and Empress twists her arm.} "Hey!"

Empress: "No good. Faster, Duchess. Give in to the power of your half of the medallion. Concentrate."

Duchess: "Concentrate. Concentrate."

{Empress prepares a punch and Duchess dodges it, kneeing her in the stomach.}

Duchess: "Oh, I'm sorry! Did I hurt you?"

Empress: "Now that's more like it. Let's keep going. Again. Faster."

{They continue to fight and Duchess starts to move faster. They go on until sundown when Empress suddenly stops.}

Duchess: "Why've you stopped?"

Empress: "Something is wrong. I see a bridge nearby. Young people up to no good."

Duchess: "Grr. Viktor and his gang, I'm sure of it."

Empress: "Take me to this bridge. I'm still trying to adapt to this new world."

Duchess: "With pleasure."

****

NEW SCENE: BRIDGE

{Viktor and his gang, including Phillip are getting drunk. Viktor brought up the idea of breaking into a store. Phillip decided against it.}

Phillip: "Viktor, you said we were just going to hang out."

Viktor: "I did? Sorry, pal. Musta forgot. Come on guys, let's go."

Night Duchess: "You're not going anywhere, Viktor!"

Viktor: "Huh?"

{Night Empress and Duchess walk up. Duchess is surprised to see Phillip with Viktor.}

Night Duchess (thinking): 'I thought Phillip wasn't going to come. What is he doing here?'

Drunk Gangster (hitting on Empress): "When did the lady cops get so sexy?"

{Empress phases out.}

Drunk Gangster: "Huh? Where'd she go?"

{Empress phases back in and knocks him out with a the blunt end of her staff.}

Phillip: "Viktor, I told you we'd get in trouble. We can't do this!"

Viktor: "You plan to stop me?" {He pushes Phillip over the bridge.}

Duchess: "No!"

Phillip: Aah!

{Before he goes over the edge, he feels something around his ankle.}

Phillip: "Huh?" {He looks up and sees Duchess holding him by his foot. Her shades slip down her nose and he sees the fear in them. He can sense her shock and anger, it feels like he felt it before and he does not know why.}

{Duchess pulls Phillip up and looks at Victor angrily. Her teeth is clenched in a snarl.}

Duchess: "You…I'll get you!" {she grabs his shirt before he can leave. She presses the barrel of her gun to his forehead as she leans him against the edge.} "How would you like to go? Huh? You want your brains blown out? Feel up for a swim?"

Viktor: "Let me go."

Duchess: "I'll kill you for this."

Phillip: "No! Stop!" {He grabs her arm and he can feel her hate.} 'Weird, I can feel what she's feeling.'

Empress: "That's enough, Duchess. Let him go."

Gangster: Duchess? The Night Duchess?"

Duchess: "Right."

{Duchess groans and instead of shooting him or knocking him over, she lets him go and punches him in the stomach.}

Duchess: "Next time, you might not get so lucky!"

Empress: "We've stopped them, now let's go."

Duchess: "Fine. Don't even think of trying anything tonight." {She looks at Phillip.} "You all right, Phillip?"

Phillip: "Yeah. How do you know my name?"

Duchess: "The Night Duchess knows all."

{The Night Empress and Duchess leave. After recovering from Duchess' punch, Viktor got up.}

Viktor: "Let's get the hell out of here. I'm too tired to break into something now."

Phillip: "Serves you right. The girl really had it in for you."

Viktor: "Just who the hell was she?"

Phillip: "She was the Night Duchess of course."

TBC

Copyright by Haley Dale