Never Say Never

+ JD, the son of a leader and wielder of the One Ring, possessing the secrets of morse code and an understanding of the oddities of their hometown of Garrett
	+ Heather, a dreamer of fate, wielder of the Vorpal Blade, and weaver of the intangible
	+ Ricky, gifted the bow of a hero, the bow of fabled Robin Hood, stands against an enemy that threatens his friends
	+ Scarlet, a two-gun rig of sandalwood sits slung on her hips, hers a lineage of heroes and champions

* Ahead of the army runs an old, skinny greying lion. He runs in front of a hoard of good. Above their heads is Falcor the Luck Dragon, laughing. Jack and Lily rush forth. Madmartigan, Sorcia and Willow take to the streets. Peter Pan flies through the air and crows "Cock-a-doodle-doo", leading the lost boys. Heroes and legends from movies and novels of the 80s rush forth to protect, defend and win.
* Behind the smaller lion is a larger, more regal lion, issueing commands.
* A whisper in JD's mind says, "I have returned."
* Lion ("Kitty") and Heather meet again, Heather wrapping her arms around his mane.
* Aslan issues Speed Racer instructions.
* Ben McKenzie waves a hand at Scarlet from over the fence at the Butt's residence.

#### Flashback: The Portal

* Before the arrival of the army, Scarlet threw herself through a portal (a slide) to rescue Ben McKenzie.
* When she lands, there's no portal, though she can hear it. She sees Ben before her. He's in a cell with stacks of magazines and comics. It's clear he's been here for several months.
* Scarlet tells him that his friends, Jerry Baker and George Butts, are on the other side of the slide waiting. Ben asks her not to tell his friends how long he's been here; perhaps a year.
* Scarlet tells him what happened related to his friends after they cast the spell and brought down the veil.
* Scarlet grabs a stack of comic books, they jump into a portal that has just appeared, and Scarlet is once again holding Ricky's hand ... but now she's holding Ben's hand as well.

#### The Streets of Garrett

* + Aslan: You've all done a wonderful job. Now your final task is to stay safe. This war is ours to wage. You have been fighting alone for far too long. Protect those you love and get somewhere safe.
	+ VH: Mr. Lewis and I got all of your families to the farm. Veronica and Jackie should have found your dad and taken him to the farm too. We can wait there until they need us.
	+ Aslan: Lion will stay with you. Protect them, Lion.
	+ Lion: With my very heart, General.
	+ Aslan: Stay safe and we will meet again when the battle is won.
	+ Scarlet: Shouldn't we help? We can't just not do anything.
	+ Ricky: This is our home. Can't be expected to leave it to Fate.
	+ Heather: We're here to be by your side.
	+ Aslan: You have led us to this point. There are dangers. You have faced them by yourself. Let us sweep up. It is the least we can do. My job is to keep you safe. Lion is my proxy. I vowed to do just that and fulfill the ancient contract, but I will not put you in danger. Your fight, as it would be, is over. Protect yourselves and those you love. There is still danger, but we will wage war.
	+ JD: When this is over, can we come visit you? I've always wanted to go to Narnia.
	+ Aslan: My boy, the veil is gone.
* Bubo chitters his displeasure about not joining the fight and lands on Ricky's shoulder.
	+ Heather: We'll do what you ask, but I just want to thank you for coming. Thank you.
	+ Aslan (crying a tear of mercury): My dear, you have given everything and defended an age. Nothing could have kept us from here.
	+ Heather: We would do it again.
	+ Aslan: I know.
	+ Scarlet: You did good, Heather.

* The five Keystones, Bubo and Lion get in the Lewis truck and head toward the farm. As they travel, they hear Thundercats, they see Kit, they watch the charge of small green plastic army men and take on the Gremlins, they see Conan the Barbarian. "By Crom!"
* They have less than a mile to go to the farm when the truck dies.
* They get out and walk.
	+ As they do, VH asks Ricky to go with her to meet her father, a great leader in this world who rules with love and compassion and makes his followers very happy. Ricky agrees.
	+ They exchange information on what they did when they were separated and their impressions of the Autobots.
	+ Ricky hands each of the kids a stack of letters that he wrote them while he was away at school.
	+ They all take a moment to express appreciation of one another. VH repeats what she said in the dream to Heather, "You're a daughter of two worlds."

#### Lewis Farm: Outside

* The vorpal blade has appeared on Heather's back.
* As they approach the farm, they realize that there are footprints in the snow heading towards the farm: four sets.
* JD suggests that he use the One Ring to turn invisible and investigate.
* This is the first time that JD has shown them the ring. They did not see him take it or use it in The Paperback Exchange. Heather recognizes it and tells him he shouldn't use it.
* Ricky and Scarlet are not familiar with it. Heather and JD hear in their heads "One ring to rule them all; one ring to find them; one ring the bring them all; and in the darkness bind them"
* Heather tells everyone that JD shouldn't use it. It's a powerful magical ring, but it'll corrupt his soul.
* In JD's head he hears, "Don't believe everything you read."
	+ JD: Everyone kind of used it like once or twice, right?
* Heather insists that JD give her the ring.
* The ring tells JD to go ahead and put it down or hand it to someone else to prove that there's no compulsion.
* JD tries to bargain: he says that he's only used it once and in a few years it might turn him into a golem. Scarlet doesn't feel like it's so bad. The Ring approves of "the football player."
* Ricky considers how to destroy it. "Keep me away from the farm boy!" says the ring.
* Heather manages to convince JD not to use the ring. He puts it in his pocket
* They ask VH for more details about what has happened. She says she put their families to sleep and Ricky's dad helped her carry them all here. Now they're all asleep inside the farm.
* Scarlet lays out the plan: Heather, JD, Van Halen & Lion will sneak and loop around to approach the four visitors from the other side. Scarlet & Ricky will approach from the front (not sneaking).

* As Heather, JD, Van Halen & Lion come in from behind, they see four individuals standing in the road, all dressed in black. Heather recognizes Janet. She shares that with JD and tells him that she's now worried about the people in the house.
* Scarlet, Ricky and Van Halen approach and they recognize Tom Hoffman, Peggy Swanson and Ollie Wright.
* Ollie taunts Ricky, "You or me, Dirty Dicky. No hard feelings." Ollie has a blade of some kind.
* They ask the kids what they're doing here, and Tom responds "I'm done playing second fiddle to a girl that made that one decent throw one time." and pulls out a similar blade. The blades look like claws.
* The four teens tell Scarlet and Ricky that they had to make a deal because things have gotten so weird.

* Janet turns to the barn and speaks to someone there: "They're here. We'll prevent them from running."
* In the barn is a massive wolf the size of a bull, with glowing eyes. It is The G'mork.

* The ring says to JD, "I can get you there in a heartbeat."
* "Sorry, Heather" says JD as he slips on the ring and starts running.
* Heather follows suit and charges The G'mork with Lion & Van Halen running behind her.
* Ricky lets two feathers fly at The G'mork.

* Scarlet charges Tom Hoffman with a bat, slides in and swings at his knee. He collapses to the ground.

* JD punches Ollie in the face, becoming visible as he comes in for the hit. Ollie falls to a knee, and when he looks up, his eyes are completely white. He turns to JD and says, "How can I help?" No longer an enemy.

* As Heather arrives on the scene, Janet intercepts her and screams, "He blames us for driving you away. Said we helped cause all this. I think that's bullshit. I think you ARE the cause of all of this." She pulls up her blade and targets Heather.
* "O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!" says Heather and disarms her sister. Then turns her back on her, dismissing her with disgust.
* Janet is not under the influence of any type of power. But seeing the ambivalence, she seems beaten and she walks away.

* Ricky fires another two arrows at The G'mork, injuring himself in the process.
* Scarlet intimidates Peggy, and as she does, something changes in Peggy and she looks around and there's a look of horror on her face. She runs off.

* JD pulls the ring back on and in the in-between world sees The G'mork for what it truly is: a being of shadow with glowing eyes.
* JD appears on The G'morks back. The G'mork charges Ricky, and Ricky kneels down, coming underneath the G'mork and pushing him up, just as JD is punching down on the wolf's forehead.
* The G'mork holds its corporeal form for a moment but then disappears. They know they've made a powerful enemy.

#### Lewis Farm: Inside

* The kids enter the house and all their loved ones are there. They greet them and Ricky tends to his wound.
* Scarlet looks out the window for Tom, but she doesn't see him. She continues to look out the window with a sad look on her face.
* The kids pause and imagine a possible future:
	+ Scarlet is graduating high school and Ben is there with her. They head off on a roadtrip together. Back in her room is the bat, signed by all her friends, the Keystones & the Autobots.
	+ Heather remembers a dream she had: not a specific event or time, but of a place where she's surrounded by friends and found family and things of significance, She belongs.
	+ Ricky takes Van Halen to the North but when he comes back, he returns to school and becomes well known and he learns about archery, above his bed is his bow.
	+ JD discovers a portal to Narnia in his attic, and he invites Heather to join him there the first time before inviting the other Keystones along.

* Other possible futures:
	+ Van Halen (Daphne) and Ricky go to Paisley Park to visit her father, the Prince.
	+ Scarlet grows to be a firefighter and a leader, much like her father.
	+ Ricky is a Federal Marshall, shaking the hand of the President of the United States with Daphne & his family in the crowd.
	+ JD is the Mayor of Garrett, meeting with the town's youth. He prepares in case anyone ever threatens his city again.
	+ Heather tells her children stories with lots of love: her favorites from childhood and her own stories. She is writing a novel, "Never Say Never"

* Randall Flagg appears in the kitchen of the Lewis Farm.
	+ S - “You!”
	+ H - “What are you doing here? Are you kidding me!?”
	+ R - “Are you hiding from the war?”
	+ RF - “It’s not my war.”
	+ R - “You came here to do something.”
	+ H - “Destroy a universe then came here to be what, a high school bully??”
	+ RF - “Of course not! I haven’t come here to fight, quite the contrary. I have an offer.”
	+ J - “What could you possibly offer us?
	+ RF - “Well you have dreams and things that may or may not come true; I can promise you fact and actuality. You’re ready. You weren’t, all those months ago outside of Castle Grayskull, now you are. You see, the Worlds need strength to guide them, to help them. Sometimes that strength needs to be gifted from dark hearted killers, sometimes, that strength needs to come from a place of love. But it must come from the strong.
	+ You see, I'm tasked with understanding what the Worlds need and giving it to them. Believe it or not, my work is vital to the spinning of these Worlds. Have I been a villain? Of course. Have I been a hero? Yes I have. . . Can I be both when the worlds need it? Absolutely. For what it means, my favorite song isn’t Sympathy For The Devil. Ask her, she knows the truth. Ask her if I’ve been known to help.”
	+ S - “What is he talking about??”
	+ VH - “He has but he doesn’t listen. He doesn’t follow any rules, he does what he wants and doesn’t ask for permission. He’s not in a band!”
	+ R - “The definition of heroism is doing the right thing. Doing the right thing no matter what. But injuring people and hurting people that’s not heroics, so how can you class yourself as a hero? And if what Van Halen is saying is that you don’t follow any rules.”
	+ RF - “Look where their rules got them, Ricky! I wanted to stop Arkeville and The Walker in the 60s but they wouldn’t let me. Said it would disrupt the balance. And look where we are. I’m done following the rules of some ancient agreement, and I’m done with dark hearted killers. You see, Maggie has her kids, her champions, her legacy. . . I want my own.”
	+ H - “You don’t have much of a reputation.”
	+ RF - “Heather, I do what needs to be done. I have been a hero, I have been a villain but what I have done is keep the Worlds spinning. Legacy is a big deal, Heather. It’s larger than oneself, and if managed correctly can conquer all space and time.
	+ Do you think it was a twist of fate that brought you here to Garrett? A twist of fate that convinced JD’s aunt and uncle to bring him here? A twist of fate that had the Mayor sign JD up for football? A twist of fate that in turn led JD to Scarlet?! A twist of fate that spun Heather’s circle into Ricky’s. . . A twist of fate that led you all together. . . No. It was me.”
	+ R - “So you’re saying none of that would’ve happened without you.”
	+ RF - “In all the worlds that I have walked between the rows, way before The Walker, it has never happened. The four of you. . . like hearts that have touched. . . you never touched in any other world except this one. Could it have happened? Maybe. But I made sure it did.
	+ Something’s going on here, something, some kind of game, the stakes are all of us! I am done being manipulated and used, I am finished with the lies. I intend to take back my fate and the fate of all us! I can go anywhere, any when, to figure out this mystery, and that’s exactly what I intend to do! There is an Age of Always out there and somewhere in it is the answer to this mystery. But I need help. I can go everywhere, I can be every when, I can see every thing, but I can only ever see it with my own eyes. I need fresh perspectives, I need to learn as much as I teach. That’s why I need all of you."
	+ J - “You said you were tasked, tasked by who?”
	+ RF - “My dear boy, by the same entity that tasks your lion friend, the same entity that tasks your Optimus Prime. The same being that tasks Maggie. I’m here to keep the worlds moving. Not to let them be torn asunder, be used, be squeezed.”
	+ J - “Isn’t that all you want to do with them? You just wanna be the one to doing it.”
	+ RF - “I only do it when I need to. Now, now we need to save them.”
	+ H - “Have you ever heard the saying, ‘the road to hell is paved with good intentions’? It’s not enough, you know, to want good. You have to do good.”
	+ RF - “Well, I agree. That’s why I think I need all of you. We will travel the worlds, see things that will pale your very notion of fantastic. I will teach you all I know, and you will tell me what you see. If you see me stray you tell me. If you see something that needs fixed, something that needs done right that I missed, you tell me.”
	+ S - “You think that’s what I want!? You think I want. . . that I busted my ass since I was a little kid to get where I am just to follow you! Some guy and tell him what he needs to be doing!? What am I going to be making your sandwiches next?! You said you put everything in motion to put us here?! You don’t know us! If you think we’re going to take this asinine offer of yours, go shove it up your butt!”
	+ RF - “My dear Scarlet I think you misunderstand me. I don’t mean to lead you at all. If anything, I follow.”
	+ S - “I have a dream. . .”
	+ RF - “And you keep it. I’m not like one of these ancient magics. I’m not going to take a year of your life. When we are done I’ll bring you right back here to this minute! You’ll be the same age you are now.
	+ Unlike the foes we face I will not steal years from you! Your lives will not be missed or lost, no. They’ll be waiting for you.”
	+ J - “What happens if we say no?”
	+ RF - “I can’t stop you. We don’t fight, this’ll be the end.”
	+ J - “If this was your end goal before, why didn’t you come to us with this proposal at Grayskull?”
	+ RF - “You weren’t ready. I had to be sure.”
	+ J - “And what told you we were? Because we’re here now?”
	+ RF - “You all made it here.”
	+ R - “You can’t take an army unless it’s prepared. Let’s be honest before all of this, would any of us been able to do anything we did today? Just two years ago?”
	+ J - “I know, I agree with you on that.”
	+ S - “What are you guys talking about?!”
	+ J - “We’ve gotten better, right?
	+ R - “Mmhmm.”
	+ J - “It was a test, an interview! To see what we were capable of!”
	+ RF - “I didn’t set up the test. But I couldn’t let it not happen.”
	+ J - “Who set it up? You put us together, so someone set it up.”
	+ RF - “Arkeville, The Walker. . . they have set something in motion but there is something else, somebody is manipulating everything. They keep changing it over and over again.”
	+ S - “Who is The False?”
	+ RF - “I can’t wait to find out.”
	+ R - “You said that we would be the ones to hold you accountable, but how are children supposed to stop you if you decide you don’t care what we say? And instead you decide to destroy a world?”
	+ J - \*\*inaudible\*\*
	+ RF - “I’ll renounce my power except for the ability to travel. I can do that, right?”
	+ VH - “Technically. . .”
	+ J - “Why would Van Halen know? Van Halen, why would you know what he can do??”
	+ VH - “I know the stories.”
	+ J - “Do you have an idea of who we’re trying to stop? What we’re trying to find?”
	+ VH - “Just whispers. I mean, he used to be a knight a long time ago. I don’t know if he still is one.”
	+ J - “You haven’t given us reason to trust you.”
	+ H - “You haven’t. How do we know you’re telling us the truth? How do we know you’ll keep to the commitment that we’ll do good for the sake of good?”
	+ RF - “I’ll join your band.”
	+ R - “That requires agreement from every member.”
	+ VH - “If he agrees using the Word, then yeah.”
	+ RF - “I’ll agree with the Word.”
	+ H - “What is the cost if we choose not to do this?”
	+ RF - “There’s no cost, Heather. You go about your life.”
	+ H - “No, to the world.”
	+ RF - “The world’s gonna pay a price because there are forces that are changing it, hurting people, stealing things. I can’t stop them by myself.”
	+ S - “What about the other forces that are working to stop them? Like the Autobots?”
	+ RF - “They don’t know what’s going on behind. They may still fail. Everything hangs in the balance, we’re talking about eventualities that may be over by midnight.”
	+ J - “Guys, I don’t like it but we might have to. We can’t stop doing the right things.”
	+ H - “I’m with JD.”
	+ J - “I mean, like I said I don’t like it but then everything we just did might not mean anything.”
	+ R - “Has he actually done anything against us that we know of?”
	+ H - “Well, he tried to stop us at Castle Grayskull. . . I thought that’s what he was trying to do, but I don’t know, I guess. . .”
	+ J - “What were you trying to do at Castle Grayskull with us? You trying to stop us?”
	+ RF - “To sway you.”
	+ J - “To sway us which way?”
	+ RF - “If you had turned around and went home I would have had my answer.”
	+ J - “The whole thing was a test.”
	+ R - “If you are as. . . you’re surely powerful enough to stop us there, you’ve got to give up some power.”
	+ RF - “Absolutely.”
	+ R - “Could you have stopped us if you had chosen?”
	+ RF - “Perhaps I could have.”
	+ H - “So when you think about it, did you guys really think I could, with my strength, push him away? Probably not.”
	+ RF - “Don’t sell yourself short, Heather.”
	+ J - “Heather, you could do that. You did that!”
	+ RF - “I told you before and I’ll tell you now, I can teach you. I can show you how to do everything I do.”
	+ S - “If we had turned around that day, Van Halen wouldn’t have been freed. And Chris.
	+ RF - “My friends, I ask you this: I will give up the power to do the evil that which you think I’m capable, I will swear by the Word. I ask you this, will you join me? Uncover the forces that are manipulating us, causing us pain and robbing us of our free will. I can only bring you all together, it is up to you to stay together. Are you ready for one more tale?”
	+ H - “I’m in.”
	+ J - “I’m in.”
	+ R - “As I said, if all band members agree, I’m in.”
	+ J - “Scarlet, if we don’t try, what could happen, it would be like we didn’t try now! I’m tired too, but. . . ”
	+ H - “We can make the right choices along the way, you know? Every step of the way.”
	+ RF - “Remember what I told you about choices, Heather.”
	+ R - “If he doesn’t have the power to do evil and we are directing things. . . that at least leaves it with an opportunity to do this right. He’s clearly done this wrong in some worlds. We can make sure he does it right. Otherwise he doesn’t give anything up and goes on destroying worlds and destroying lives.”
	+ J - “We can’t do it without you.”
	+ RF - “Only one correction, Ricky. I can only do any of those things you speak of if you all agree I get my power back. That’s the Word.”
	+ R - “So you agree to give it up and we all have to agree to give it back.”
	+ RF - “That’s it. Every member of the band, excluding myself of course.”
	+ R - “Well, you’re not in the band yet.”
	+ RF - “As you say.”
	+ J - “What’s wrong?”
	+ H - “Whatever you decide, it’s ok. It’s ok. I’m sorry. . . “
	+ J - “You ready to be done. . .?”
	+ S - “I’ll do it. . .”
	+ RF - “Then it’s done.”
	+ VH - “So what is it?”
	+ RF - “What’s what?”
	+ VH - “Your favorite song?”

## Characters

* Lion
* Ben McKenzie
* Jerry Baker
* George Butts
* Aslan
* Reggie Lewis
* Veronica Kirkshaw
* Randall Flagg
* Bubo
* Janet Jones
* Tom Hoffman
* Peggy Swanson
* Ollie Wright
* The G'mork

## Locations

* The Paperback Exchange
* Castle Grayskull
* Lewis Farm

## Lexicon

* Keystones
* The Army of Ever After