Martine broke for a moment to look at the audience, like she was breaking the fourth wall. "Too many romance novels..."
@Sugar @122 Generation Laughter filled the air at Martine's line. But the laughter turned to gasps as three extras playing henchmen arrived to ambush the coach! "Nobody move! We've got this, Your Highness..." Ash assured Martine and Alyssa as he drew his blade. Misty did likewise, and Brock nocked an arrow as they tensely waited for the cue to begin the fight...
@Sugar @122 Generation The orchestra struck up some fight music, to the cheers of the audience as they watched the unfolding fight. Martine and Alyssa weren't needed for the next scene, so they could return backstage.
Alyssa headed offstage to see how the fight would turn out. She would be as surprised as the crowd would be.
@Sugar @122 Generation "Our heroes bravely fought off the three bandits," Melody narrated over the music and battle noises. "But when the dust settled and they thought they had won, they fell into a trap the bandits had set!" As if on cue, Ash, Misty and Brock screamed in panic as the music took a somber turn, making some in the audience gasp in fear. When the lights came up again, they were coughing up dust and bushing off debris.
Alyssa had to look away a few times during the scene, but she caught most of it. More importantly, she was safe.
@Sugar @122 Generation When the lights came up again, Ash, Misty, and Brock were coughing up dust and bushing off debris. "Your Majesty!" Ash cried, but his call echoed into the distance. "Where are you?" Misty called, but her call echoed into the distance too. "Calling for her's not going to work." Brock sighed. "Especially if she can't hear us." A sad melody began as Ash slumped into the dust. "NOW how will we protect Princess Caliste?" "If we're going to protect the princess in a time like this, it's hopeless!" Misty screamed in frustration. "We've failed our country, our people, and ourselves!" Brock brushed away a feigned tear and collapse into the dust, feigning sobs all the while. "Eliwood...crying? I've never known him to cry before..." Ash gasped. It was very rare for Brock to cry in real life, so even though this was only a play, this was serious even for his character. "Here, have a hanky." Misty dug a white handkerchief from her costume's pocket and offered it to Brock. He accepted it and dried his feigned tears. "I don't think we're hopeless, and we may not have failed, yet!" Ash announced as the music shifted to a major key. "Captain Vernet believes in us!" he added as he got up from the dust and brushed his costume off. "He does?" Brock asked, his feigned tears shining with hope. "He does!" he cried again, noticeably happier. "If Captain Vernet made us musketeers, he knew we could handle the work that came with the job, setbacks and all!" Ash continued. "You're right! Musketeers don't give up that easily!" Misty agreed. "That's the spirit!" Ash smiled. "Remember when we were little we always dreamed of being musketeers? Let's keep that dream alive!" He eased himself onto the road from the dust pit, then asked his friends "So, are we a team?" "I'll go with you, Rowan--even to the ends of the world!" Brock declared as he took Ash's hand as leverage to climb out himself. "I'm coming too!" Misty wasted no time in scrambling out of the pit. "We're off to save Princess Caliste!" Ash cried as he drew his sword in triumph. "No challenge too big!" "No danger too great!" Brock agreed as he too drew his sword and touched it to Ash's blade. Misty also drew her sword and touched it to the other two swords, creating their special three point star sign in the air. "We will save the princess, or die trying!" She sheathed her blade and motioned for the boys to follow her. "Let's go!" Ash and Brock were not far behind her as the lights went down.
@Sugar @122 Generation "Their spirits renewed, our heroes hurried off in search of the princess." Melody explained to the audience. "It wasn't long before they came to a great tower on the other side of a gorge...." The lights came up on the scene of a large bridge leading to a tower. Ash and Misty were pulling on the door, while Brock was on the bridge, looking off into the distance. After a few more minutes of pulling, Ash sighed. "A little help, here?" he asked Brock. "The door won't budge!" Misty complained. "I didn't see any other ways in, so I'll come help you." Brock offered as he joined Ash and Misty at the door.
@Sugar @122 Generation Ash, Misty and Brock pushed at the door with all their might as the lights went down. A creak of a large door opening on the dark stage made many in the audience tremble--what sorts of traps awaited Rowan, Brenna, and Eliwood in the tower?
@Sugar @122 Generation The director nudged Alyssa and Martine into position for the fight scene that would end Act 1. "Remember--give the fight team a realistic struggle." she reminded them.
@Sugar @122 Generation The lights came up again on the inside of the tower, where Brock spotted the lackeys climbing the stairs. "There they are..." he mused before motioning for Ash and Misty to follow him into a hidden nook. "Keep it down." Meanwhile, the bandits struggled to take Martine and Alyssa to the top of the tower. "What are we gonna do if the musketeers show up?" one asked. "They're not--we left them in the dust back there, remember?" the second one assured his partner as the three of them continued past the nook. Suddenly, Ash asked from the darkness "Miss us?" to excited murmurs in the audience.
Alyssa struggled in an attempt to escape while acting as a distraction for the others. It seemed to be working too.
@Sugar @122 Generation A triumphant stinger played as the bandits discovered Ash and the others behind them! "You're not taking another step!" Ash ordered. The first bandit was unfazed. "Throw them in their prison!" he ordered. Martine's and Alyssa's yelp was heard clear across the theater before landing in a prison cell. "Wanna have a little fun?" the second bandit asked as he approached Misty. "Sure!" Misty calmly drew her sword. "I love the game of 'Skewer the Bad Guys'!"