Card Reviver Ayame
Episode Four: “Ayame and the Designer Show”
By Minako134
Scene: Close-up of Ayame’s closed eyes. She
opens them slowly. Before her is a white nothingness. She’s wearing a battle
costume with a cape, and holding her wand.
Ayame: Where…?
(a bright pink light
appears ahead of her in the distance. We can here a distant voice, perhaps
singing, but it’s hard to hear)
Ayame: Who is that…?
(she walks forward
slowly, then walks a little faster, reaching for the light. The light doesn’t
seem to be getting much closer, so she breaks out into a run)
Ayame: Wait…!!
(Her hand stretches out, but in vain. She trips
and falls in slow motion to the ground with a deep thud)
Himeko: Ayame-chan!!
(Himeko, standing next to Ayame’s bed, shakes
her shoulders. Gal is floating next to Ayame’s head. Ayame opens her eyes, and
sees Himeko)
Ayame: Himeko-chan…Gal-chan? (rubs
her eyes) What is it?
Gal: You were talking in your sleep. Did you
have a dream?
Ayame: Talking…? Oh…(sits
up, thinking) …yeah, I was trying to…(remembers the bright pink light)…that was
strange.
Scene: Himeko, Ayame, and Gal are in the kitchen
having cereal. Ayame and Himeko sit in chairs while Gal sits on the table with
her arms crossed.
Himeko: Was it a nightmare?
Ayame: (smiling) No, nothing like that. I’m
fine.
Gal: Still, you should tell me the details of
your dream.
Ayame: Well…I was wearing some kind of costume,
and I had my wand. While I was standing there, I saw a light, and someone was
singing, and I tried to run to her, but I couldn’t reach her. Then I fell.
Himeko: You had your wand?
Ayame: Yeah.
Gal: Li-san’s memory
tells me that the Card Mistress’s dreams can be crucial to defeating the enemy.
Ayame-chan, have you had this dream before?
Ayame: Yeah. But I didn’t have my wand.
Gal: Hmm…I’ll have to think about this…it may be
connected…
Ayame: To what?
(suddenly, the door
opens)
Gal: Uh-oh… (flies
behind Ayame’s back)
Kiana: (enters, closes the door. She has carries
a purse, which she sets on the floor so she can take off her shoes) Good
morning, Ayame-chan! Himeko-chan!
Ayame: Morning!
Himeko: Good morning!
Kiana: (enters the kitchen) You
two are up early. Aren’t you still on spring vacation?
Himeko: Yes, but Ayame-chan was talking in her
sleep, so I woke her up.
Ayame: I had a weird dream, but I’m okay now.
Kiana: I see. Well, it looks like you got
breakfast already, so I’ll start on the laundry. (leaves)
Himeko: Ayame-chan, how long has Kiana-san been
your maid?
Ayame: Tomoyo-san hired her when she adopted me.
Since work has her so busy, she needed help raising me.
(smiles) I kinda have two moms!
Himeko: That’s wonderful. This will take some
getting used to. The other orphans were my only family before now. But living
here with you and Tomoyo-san and Kiana-san has been great so far.
Ayame: I’m glad you think so. (watching Kiana carry a bag of dirty laundry across the hall;
Ayame thinks to herself) I don’t know what we’d do without her.
Gal: (flies from behind Ayame’s back and onto
her head) Well, would you like me to finish my sentence from where I was so
abruptly interrupted?
Ayame: (looking up) Go
for it.
Gal: So, I think that Ayame-chan’s
dream-
Ayame: (stands up suddenly) Wait!! (looking at the clock on the wall) Today is Tomoyo-san’s Fashion Show. We promised we’d help her set up,
remember?
Himeko: Oh, that’s right!
Gal: What? But…
Ayame: We have to get ready!! (Ayame and Himeko
run upstairs)
Gal: But…(sighs, slowly
sinking and then landing on the tabletop) Poo.
Scene: Inside of a large auditorium with slanted
audience area and elaborate stage decoration. The walls and ceiling are white,
and have detailed patterns all over them. The curtain is pulled back on either
side of the stage, and several people are at work putting up ribbons and a big banner
at the top of the stage. Itaru is carrying a box across the stage. We see Ayame
and Himeko enter and run down one of the aisles.
Tomoyo: (comes around from behind the pulled
back curtain on the stage. Itaru stops walking and sees them) I’m glad you
could make it, Ayame-chan!
Ayame: I’m sorry! We kinda
forgot…(climbs onto the stage)
Himeko: (following Ayame) Ayame-chan had a
nightmare.
Tomoyo: (lowering her voice) Really?
Ayame: Yes, but I’m alright now. Gal-chan said…(stops, seeing Itaru approach them)
Itaru: Gal-chan? Is that who you’ve been hanging
out with for the past six days? (he places the box on
the floor, looking at her quizzically)
Ayame: (panicking, but trying to keep her
composure) Um…er…say! You haven’t been introduced!
Itaru-kun, this is my new sister, Niiyama Himeko. Himeko-chan, this is my
friend from school, Nakano Itaru.
Himeko: (bowing) Nice to meet you.
Itaru: (bows jerkily) Yeah, same here.
Tomoyo: I just got promoted at my job, so I
decided to use the extra money to adopt again.
Itaru: (to Tomoyo) Congratulations! (to Himeko) Are you going to come to school with us after
break is over?
Himeko: We decided it was too late in the year,
so Tomoyo-san is going to hire a tutor for me. Until then, I’m just going to
focus on making costum-(Ayame stops Himeko with a
quick poke in the ribs)-uuh…um…making…costume
designs! For my…RPG characters!
Itaru: Huh? You RPG?! (a grin breaks out) That’s awesome!
Himeko: Um, yeah, but mostly I like to play O.C.s. I think it adds more flavor to the game.
Itaru: Cool!! Have you done M.U.S.H.?
Himeko: I would, but we didn’t have a computer
at the orphanage. I read about it in magazines, though. Have you done Final
Fantasy at all?
Itaru: HAVE I?! I WORSHIP that game…!! I just
got FF-10 last week…
Ayame: (sweatdrop)
I…am really confused…
Tomoyo: (claps her hands once) Well, we better
get to work! The designer show is only a couple of hours away. We need to cover
decorations, getting the outfits to the rooms for the models…by the way,
Ayame-chan, are you still available for tonight?
Ayame: Yup!
Scene: Begins in darkness. Then, we see someone
sitting next to a large gorilla. It’s Mab, bandaging its wounds. The gorilla
sits still, breathing heavily. Mab finishes tying the knot around his arm, and
then closes her eyes. She holds her hands around three inches away from the
gorilla’s arm, concentrating.
Mab: (speaks something foreign; the bandage
glows, then forms into one whole cloth, completely seamless. She stands) I’m
sorry that happened, but it’s your own fault for letting your guard down.
(the gorilla grunts,
then gets on all fours)
Mab: (stands) Just go back home. I need to
think.
(the gorilla hesitates,
then turns and walks away into the darkness around them. Mab stands there
silently for a few moments)
Mab: I failed again, Davi-sama.
Davi: (unseen)
Think of it as a lesson. Don’t worry, Mab-chan. We have time. In any case, I’ve
been thinking about this ‘Ayame’…do you think she is the one?
Mab: (looks up, confused) I…don’t understand.
Davi: I think she
may hold the key to completing my project. We won’t know for sure unless…
Mab: Unless what?
Davi: It’s a risk,
but…if she becomes the next master of the cards…our search is over.
Mab: (eyes widened) Davi-sama…
Davi: If I know as
much about the cards as I think I do, there is work to be done…
Scene: Itaru and Himeko are decorating the rows
of seats in the auditorium with ribbons and bouquets.
Himeko: It was very nice of you to come and help
us out, Itaru-san.
Itaru: (sweatdrop) I’m
not that old…just call me Itaru-kun. Anyway, my mom works at Daidouji-san’s company, so she volunteered my help. This
show is a pretty big deal.
Himeko: Yes, everyone has come to help. (looks around the auditorium) Tomoyo-san said that part of
the money will go to schools in our district.
Itaru: That’s good. I can’t wait ‘till summer
vacation, though! School is so boring.
Himeko: Tsk tsk! (Itaru looks at her dumbstruck) You should be glad you
CAN go to school. I haven’t been to a public school my entire life.
Itaru: I suppose so…in any case, having a tutor
should be nice. Do you know who it will be?
Himeko: Tomoyo-san said it was a man who used
lived in
(a sound of clunky running
comes from the stage. Itaru and Himeko look up to see what is causing the
racket)
Ayame: (running to the front of the stage,
looking around. She has an old 18th-century style outfit on) Tomoyo-saaaan!! I need help!
Itaru: (lip twitching, he tries not to laugh) A…yame-chan…?
Himeko: (jogs up to the stage) What’s the matter, Ayame-chan?
Ayame: Himeko-chan…(blushes,
then drops her tone to a whisper)…do I really have to wear THIS one…?
Himeko: (smiles) Don’t
worry, you look really cute!
Ayame: Sure, but it’s really uncomfortable, and
when I tried on the hat, it didn’t stay on my head…
Kiana: (walks down the aisle to the stage; she
had entered unnoticed) Ayame-chan, do you need me to fix anything?
Ayame: Kiana-oneesan!
(hops off the stage)
Himeko: I didn’t know you were coming here. Is
Tomoyo-san paying you to help out with the show?
Kiana: No, I just felt like stopping by. I guess
it’s a good thing I did.
Ayame: Could you help me?
Kiana: Of course!
Scene: Inside a dressing room. Ayame, still in
the outfit, is sitting on a chair in front of a dressing counter and mirror.
Kiana brings over a hat with a large feather on it, and places it on her head.
Kiana: Hold still a moment. (takes
some pins off the counter and fixes them in her hair to support the hat)
Ayame: Are you coming to the fashion show,
Kiana-oneesan?
Kiana: Yes, Tomoyo-san invited me. I’ll be sure
to watch for you. Are you just doing this ensemble?
Ayame: Yeah, I only agreed to doing one…(Kiana fixes a pin to the hat and grabs a bit of Ayame’s
hair with it) Any more than that, and I might look like some preppy girl who
adores pop idols and talks on the phone for hours at a time.
Kiana: (laughs) All
because you modeled more than one outfit? In any case, I’m sure Tomoyo-san
appreciates this a lot. Just think about how you’re
helping the community.
Ayame: Yeah… and let’s hope I can walk in the
shoes…(Kiana laughs again)
Himeko: (opens the door to the room) Ayame-chan?
(comes in) Hey, you look great!
Ayame: Thanks! Kiana-oneesan
helped me pin the hat on.
Kiana: You better get out there,
I think they’re going to start to rehearsal.
Himeko: Come on, let’s see your walk! (takes Ayame out of the room, while Kiana smiles after them)
Scene: Li is walking along the sidewalk towards
the auditorium. Behind him, Gal flies closer to him, silently.
Li: (after a few seconds) What
are you doing here?
Gal: I was just going to ask you the same thing,
Li-san.
Li: I’m done with work, so I decided to help
out.
Gal: Same here…but not exactly…
Li: You sensed something as well?
Gal: Yes. But, Ayame-chan brought her wand and
the Cards.
Li: It’s unfortunate that it has to happen here.
Nobody should get hurt because of Suzuki.
Gal: (stops; she then flies up toward him and floats level with his head) You blame her for these
occurrences?
Li: (continuing to stare straight ahead) She only did it half on purpose, but, yes, she is the reason
why. I believe Mab’s master wants something from her.
Gal: That is a decent theory. Your memory has
given me similar thought pattern to you, I believe.
Li: So, you really are made up of mine and Suzuki’s
memories? That could be useful sometimes, I suppose.
Gal: By the way…
Li: Yes?
Gal: I’m sorry.
Li: Why?
(Gal says nothing. This causes Li to stop
walking. He then turns back and looks at Gal with anger, then hurriedly starts
walking again. Gal watches him go)
Gal: Seven years…you still carry the burden
after seven years…
Scene: Tomoyo is sitting in the middle seat of
the auditorium three rows from the front, studying the ladies in outfits
walking up and down the carpet on the stage. It’s a wide variety of
strange-looking outfits; one is reminiscent of Sakura’s first costume, even
with a red hat and cape. Offstage in the dark, Ayame and Himeko wait for
Ayame’s turn to walk.
Ayame: (talking to the wall, poking her fingers
together) Why am I nervous? I shouldn’t be nervous.
It’s absolutely ridiculous that I’m nervous.
Himeko: Don’t worry. They’ll love you!
Kiana: (approaches them from behind) Are you
alright, Ayame-chan?
Ayame: (shakily) Of course!!
Himeko: She’s just a little nervous.
Ayame: (whining) Am not!
Kiana: No worries, Ayame-chan. As long as you do
your best; that’s all that matters. You remember what I said in the dressing
room?
Ayame: (smiles) Yeah… I’ll be fine. (walks out to the line of ladies on the stage) Here goes
nothing…
Kiana: (sighs, watching Ayame) She’s not as
nervous as she thinks she is…not like me.
Himeko: (looks up at Kiana) Eh?
Kiana: I’ve known Ayame-chan since she was three
years old. Tomoyo-san hired me to take care of her, and in some ways, it feels
like I became her mother.
Himeko: (smiles, understanding) You’re worried that you took Tomoyo-san’s
job?
Kiana: Yes, but more than that. I wonder if it’s
my own fault that Ayame-chan is…how she is. I always taught her to think for
herself and not to let others talk her down. As of late, she’s been getting
into trouble at school, and…
Himeko: I think…that you don’t need to worry.
Kiana: Hm?
Himeko: It’s wonderful that you taught her to be
independent. From the things I’ve heard, she probably would have never meet
Itaru-kun if she was like every other girl.
Kiana: (smiles) Yes.
She did turn out all right, didn’t she?
Himeko: I knew from the moment she spoke to me
that she was unique. Just because she may be something of a tomboy doesn’t
mean-
Kiana: (sweatdrop)
Well, the tomboy thing isn’t my fault.
Himeko: Eh…?
Kiana: When Tomoyo-san first adopted Ayame-chan…(image bubble pops over her head, illustrating; she holds
up her finger while she explains) …Tomoyo-san liked to dress her up in dresses
all the time. I think Ayame-chan just got really sick of it…now she starts
twitching at the sight of dresses…
Himeko: (sweatdrop)
Then… it was VERY nice of her to do this designer show…
Kiana: (nods her head, arms crossed, trying to
look serious) Mm-hm…
Scene: Li reaches the main entrance of the
auditorium with Gal behind him.
Gal: Mind if I hide behind your head until we
figure out where Mab released the next animal?
Li: (hand on the door, his eyes jerk wide open)
I think I know. (jumps back and takes out his sword
from his jacket)
Gal: (inspects the door) It’s locked…no, it’s
frozen closed!
Li: God of fire, descend!!
(scene cuts; Mab is
inside the lobby, with a shining yellow magic circle in front of her.)
Mab: Do your stuff, princess.
(a hissing sound comes
from the floor. The door to the main auditorium opens five inches, then closes.)
Mab: Too bad Syaolan
Li is smarter than he looks. I guess I better split. (holds
her hand above her head, then throws something down at her feet. Smoke engulfs
her, and when it clears, all is silent, and she’s gone. The next second, a wall
of fire bursts through the doors to the lobby.)
(scene cuts; Ayame is
still waiting in the line of models onstage)
Ayame: (jolts; she senses something) What…something’s here…? (looks
around, then sees Himeko. Ayame runs offstage to her)
Himeko: Ayame-chan, you’re not still nervous,
are you?
Ayame: Kiana-oneesan,
could you excuse us for a moment? We’ll be right back.
Kiana: Oh…all right. Hurry back, okay?
Ayame: We will! (Ayame takes Himeko’s
hand and they jog through the stage door and into the hallway, closing the door
behind them)
Himeko: Mab?
Ayame: I think so. Watch the door for me, okay?
Himeko: Right!
(Ayame takes out her key, and it begins floating
in front of her)
Ayame: Key that holds the power of hope, reveal
your true form to me! I, Ayame, order you under our contract. Release!! (the keys spins, then stretches out into the wand form. She
grasps it out of the air.)
(scene cuts; Himeko and
Ayame are running down the hallway. They find another door that leads to the
middle of the auditorium. They push it open, and peek inside. Tomoyo is still
watching the rehearsal.)
Ayame: (whispering) I don’t see an animal
anywhere…but I can’t use my magic with everyone watching…aaargh,
what card do I need? I know this…
Himeko: Maybe something to distract them…or…
Ayame: (snaps her fingers) Fall asleep! That’s
it! (they close the door, and Ayame takes out a card)
Himeko: (smiles, taking out a pencil and
notepad) I love this part…
Ayame: (she tosses the card in the air) O card
sealed by Sakura…awaken from thy sleep and be revived…in the name of Ayame, thy
new Mistress. SLEEP!! (she pulls her wand back, then hits
the card straight on with it. The small blue fairy flies out, spewing blue
glittery dust everywhere.)
Himeko: Oh, it’s so…cute…(her
eyes droop, and she collapses to the floor)
Ayame: (rushing to her side) Himeko-chan! (looks at Sleep, annoyed) I didn’t ask you to put HER to
sleep! (Sleep looks at her quizzically) Well, I guess I didn’t tell you
anything…(pushes Himeko so she’s sitting against the
wall, then stands. She then grasps the handle on the door) When I open the
door, you fly in there and do your thing, okay? (Sleep stares at her again;
Ayame groans a little, rubbing her forehead) I mean, put all the people in
there to sleep!! (she pulls the door open, and Sleep
flies in. The blue glitter spreads everywhere, covering Tomoyo, the models, and
Kiana. They all close their eyes and fall to the floor, snoring. Ayame watches
from the open door.) Yeah!!
(she runs out to one of
the aisles, and Sleep flies back to her. It turns back into a card, which she
grabs from the air. The only thing we can hear in the auditorium now is the
catchy techno music that was being played during the rehearsal.)
Ayame: (puts the card away, looking around the
auditorium) Come out, whoever you are…I wonder if I put the animal to sleep,
too…
Li: (bursts through the doors in the back of the
auditorium) SUZUKI!!
Ayame: (turns) Huh…?
Gal: Jump! It’s right there!
Ayame: Wha…(looks down; a dark brown snake is slithering around her
feet) AAAAAHHH!! (flings out a card) FLY!!!(she takes off into the air just as the snake strikes and
misses)
Li: (calling from the ground) Are you okay?
Ayame: (fumming,
trying to stay cool) Why didn’t you TELL ME
SOONER?!!?!?!?!
Gal: (seeing the stage) Tomoyo-san…all the
models…
Li: Under Sleep’s spell.
Ayame: (soaring around) I needed to do something
so they wouldn’t see me, and I’ve seen Sakura do that a lot on Tomoyo-san’s tapes.
Gal: Where is it now?
Ayame: Um…(looks here
and there) I…don’t see it…HEY! (she spots it,
slithering on the stage, dangerously close to the sleeping Kiana) KIANA-ONEESAN!!!
Li: (takes out a parchment) God of Thunder-
Gal: NO! You’ll hurt her too!
Ayame: (dive bombs the snake) LEAVE HER ALONE!!
(she whizzes past and turns sharply, then lands on the
stage, facing the snake. Suddenly, the snake’s neck enlarges; it’s a cobra. It
rises up a foot, baring its teeth)
Li: Suzuki!! Watch out!!
Ayame: (enraged) You
won’t hurt my friends. (takes out a card, and throws
it in the air) O card sealed by Sakura…awaken from thy sleep and be revived…in
the name of Ayame, thy new Mistress. (the snake
extends its fangs, then lunges at her) SHIELD!!!
(Instantly, glowing orbs surround every body in
the auditorium. The cobra crashes into the Shield around Ayame, then falls to
the floor, hissing and getting more restless)
Gal: Excellent!
Ayame: FREEZE! (the
cobra is covered with ice, frozen to the floor. Ayame smirks) Go back to Mab,
and tell her I said hi. (the snakes body sakes and
wiggles, then shoots up into the air. It they shoots
across the auditorium like a bolt and bangs the doors open to the lobby as it
vanishes)
Li: (staring after it) What
was that?
Gal: It did the same thing before. My guess is
that after it’s defeated, it gets called back into the magic circle Mab
created. (the shields around everyone dissolve, and
morph back into a card in front of Ayame. She takes it from the air, then
sighs)
Ayame: That was really close.
Li: (conceals his sword in his coat) Suzuki!
They’ll wake up any second!
Ayame: (panics) Ah, crud!! (holds
her wand out, which glows, then turns back into a key. She stuffs it back in
her outfit as Tomoyo yawns)
Tomoyo: (stretching, she wakes up) Aaa…huh?
What…(see Li, and Gal) Gal-chan…Li-kun?
Ayame: (calls from the stage) Tomoyo-san!! Help
me think of some explanation!! Mab came, and I needed to put you all asleep,
so…
Tomoyo: (stands, smiling) That’s
wonderful, you’ve revived another card! I’m so proud of you!
Ayame: (sweatdrop,
still panicking) Yeah! That’s great! But…(suddenly,
the models on the stage begin to stir) Oh crud…
Model #1: Ow…my head
hurts…
Model #2: What happened?!
Model #3: (panicking) I ripped my dress!!
Tomoyo: (walking toward the stage) Is every one all right? You all look sort of tired.
Model #2: Did we all faint?!
Tomoyo: You’ve been working so hard, the lights
on the stage must have been too hot for you.
Ayame: (sighs, as Tomoyo gets things organized.
The models murmur among themselves and walk offstage. Ayame sees Kiana start to
wake up, and runs over to her) Kiana-oneesan! Are you
okay?
Kiana: (yawns) Huh?...Goodness,
did I just faint?
Ayame: (smiles) I’m glad you’re all right. You
should take a break. These stage lights can get really hot.
Kiana: (stands) I guess you’re right. I’ll be
more careful next time.
Ayame: I’m glad.
Scene: The auditorium is filled with hundreds of
people, chatting and finding their seats. Itaru is near the doors in the back,
taking tickets and handing out programs. Li enters, and holds out his ticket to
Itaru, who turns pale and shakily takes it. Back stage, Ayame is in full
costume, and Himeko and Kiana are with her. Ayame and Himeko are talking
quietly so Kiana can’t hear them.
Himeko: You should have seen Itaru-kun’s face when he woke up. He didn’t even admit he had
fainted in the first place!
Ayame: Where was he, anyway?
Himeko: On a bunch of boxes back stage. I guess
he had taken a break hauling all that stuff around. (smiles)
I think he had fallen asleep before you even activated Sleep.
Ayame: (blows a mushroom, grinning) Poor kid…
Tomoyo: (enters and walks around in circles very
quickly, looking nervous and excited at the same time) Okay…curtain up is in
one minute…
Himeko: I wish you a good show, Tomoyo-san!
Tomoyo: (finally notices the others, and smiles
halfway) Thank you, Himeko-chan. I hope so.
Ayame: You’re nervous?
Tomoyo: A little bit, yes. That ‘event’ this
afternoon threw everyone off, I think. I just hope nothing goes wrong…again.
Ayame: No worries! (Tomoyo looks at her, blinks)
Everything will come out wonderfully! You put everything into this show, and
I’m sure everyone else knows how much it means to you. I know I’ll do my best,
and so will you.
Tomoyo: (smiles, and bends down to hug Ayame)
Thank you, Ayame-chan.
(scene cuts; the models
are walking up and down the carpet set up in the middle of the stage. Tomoyo is
on the right side of the stage, announcing each outfit from a decorated
lectern. Ayame walks out onto the stage and goes out onto the carpet as the
model before her returns. Tomoyo smiles from the lectern, and Ayame returns it
with a blush as she stops and poses for the audience. Itaru and Himeko yell and
clap from the back of the auditorium, and it’s all that Ayame can do to keep
herself from laughing out loud in joy)
