Right, so. Undecided about whether to keep this as it is. Like the scene, the wording, everything, but I'm worried that for an entry it's a little short. That said, I might end up adding scenes before deadline, and I have permission for this from Sakana.
tl;dr I like making things harder for the judges :V
For those interested, this is me attempting to remake Macbeth:
Act 1, Scene 7.
(The Myouren Temple. Shou?s quarters. Shou is currently pacing up and down the room, hand on her chin, muttering to herself at an ever-increasing pace.)SHOUIf e?er a time should come to seize my chance
Then now would be that golden moment. Yet
The soul remains unsettled, filled with fear.
Perhaps the creatures spoke to me in truth;
At worst, they spoke with just half honesty
For as they said I now am one step down
From taking Myouren?s temple as my own.
But one step can with ease destroy a man.
For Hijiri is such a mighty foe;
The only chance I?d have to see her slain
Is striking her while she, unknowing, sleeps...
Be still, my tongue! Why do I ponder this?
To strike out at the woman who I once
Considered as a mother, who was one
That I would trust with all my heart, and yet
I now reduce her to an obstacle?
What blasphemy has stricken my good mind?
The demons have invaded, with their words
Appealing to my ego, no intent
That cannot be sadistic in its source.
Mayhaps I should recall this vile deed
Before the crime cannot be taken back.
(Nazrin enters.)NAZRINThe monk is set to slumber in the hour.
Our time to strike approaches. Are you set?
SHOUMy Nazrin, I must question our approach.
Perhaps we should not force our hand tonight
And wait for Hijiri to hand me down
The title that the witches promised me?
NAZRINYou?d be a coward, then. A fool who waits
For fate to hand her what she feels it owes.
Entitlement is nothing but a fraud
That humans have enforced upon us; thoughts
That anything can be achieved without
The blood and sweat with which we?re so attuned.
When you were but a tiger in the wild,
Did you at any point sit back and think
?Perhaps for once my prey will come to me??
SHOUI?d never have survived with that belief!
NAZRINSo what is different now? Your chance awaits
And yet, although you have a tiger?s heart
You falter as the final hurdle looms.
I may have been mistaken to entrust
My heart to one who cowers quite like you.
SHOUOh, Nazrin, do not judge me with those eyes!
Can I be blamed for doubting what we plot
When we have been encouraged by those beasts
Who tread the finest line ?tween life and death?
You saw the trio in their vile forms.
The first, perhaps a human at one point,
With golden locks encased in crimson rust
And sheer unholy cruelty in her eyes.
?Twas her who said that Hijiri would choose
To merit me as second-in command -
She knew this all before the fact had come!
The second, a most twisted sight to see;
Her body lacking any sort of strength
Such that a gust of wind would be enough
To fell her, yet she stood and spoke of days
When I would stand as Vaisravana?s aide
And bring about his wishes on the earth.
The third, a fairytale gone awfully wrong,
Akin to she who traced the rabbit?s path
And came back broken from his wonderland.
Her fingers laced with strings, and on them, dolls
with dresses all adorned in blood-stained lace.
She whispered pretty nothings in my ear -
No being, live or dead, would claim my life.
NAZRINYou?ve seen, at least, that one of these is true.
What harm is there in taking them on faith?
What stands between us and your victory?
A woman slumbering with no defense.
If you cannot defeat a sleeping foe
You don?t deserve what they have promised you.
SHOUYou twist the point! It matters not how weak
She may be now, the morals are my fear!
What justice is there, killing off the one
Who?s brought me to this point, filled me with love
And courage, showed me how to look beyond
The feral life I used to live? ?Tis wrong
That I should seek to slay the one
Who feels that we should live at peace with man!
(Nazrin grabs Shou by the collar, pulling her in.)NAZRINYou?re still entranced by Hijiri?s beliefs?
I should have guessed. You always were a fool.
Her time was that before Gensokyo?s birth
When man was plentiful and sought to tear
Our kin to shreds. We?d never wronged their kind
And yet they fought because they were afraid
That someday we would turn and kill them all.
In those days, her equality was fair;
We could not fight against their numbers then
And trying would have led us to a rout.
But here in Gensokyo the rules have changed.
No more are youkai feared by human foes;
Our rule is wordless, yet is absolute!
The only ones who dare to stand against
Our power are those maidens of the shrine
Who take it on themselves to mediate
And solve Gensokyo?s petty ?incidents?.
All it would take is one wise youkai foe
To disregard the rules the maidens set
To save themselves, and suddenly it comes:
The mighty Hakurei is ripped apart!
None stand between us and our great conquest!
Now tell me, Shou, does that not pull you in?
Ignite the fires in your primal heart?
The thought of ruling as a mighty queen
And having Gensokyo under your thumb?
The people will obey your every word.
Their faith will be hard won, and those who turn
Or falter in belief will soon be met
With blades and spears before they can incite
Rebellion against your holy god.
The doubters and the skeptics put to rest,
At Vaisravana?s knees against their will
And forced to stay there, lest the mighty one
Should send his Shou to strike the villains down.
SHOUYour words may have a hint of truth within.
Could it be best to stand above them all,
And stop them from committing any sin
That comes to mind? Free will must be a threat,
For it?s in choice that man decides to fall
And stains his soul forever. If, instead
I lead each human on the noble path
And in that way they reach enlightenment,
What harm is there in using bloody means?
NAZRIN?Tis now I can recall why I chose you
To serve with my unerring loyalty.
SHOUAnd thanks, my Nazrin, for reminding me
That if I?m to achieve the greatest goals
The innocent must sometimes fall away.
(Nazrin and Shou kiss for a few seconds. A bell rings in the background and they break apart.)NAZRINThe time has come. Can I have faith in thee?
SHOUOf course. The monk will ne?er tomorrow see.
Though it may leave my soul in disrepute,
I know true justice must be absolute.
(Exeunt.)
