All of the Lights

#### Maplehurst Mall

* The Keystones are in a sound booth in Camelot Music in The Maplehurst Mall with Van Halen.
	+ VH: The veil, it was an agreement, a contract between the good people here, and the good people out there. And it can only be dropped by an agreement between the forces of good in your Garrett and everyone else. Only those that are kind and just can partake in the ceremony. Only the pure of heart can act as keys to lower the veil. We will send out a request into the place between and if we are deemed worthy, our side will be unlocked and my friends on the other side will unlock theirs. The veil will fall and my friends will come, as will those full of hate. And the Autobots (George, Shannon, Mitch, Ben, Rob, Jerry), they will come home. A battle for life eternal will be waged and the victor will be declared, if legends are to be believed. But through it all, I will remain at your side.
	+ R: That just means more bad things get here, and what happens if good doesn't triumph? We're only kids. There's only so much we can do.
	+ S: Good always wins.
	+ VH: The bad has found a way through. They are slipping in one at a time. The good cannot find a way through. I was the only one who could make it. We can't expect anyone else to come, not in the ways that would work or be quick.
	+ JD: Is the only way to bring down the veil, or is there a way to plug the holes that these bad people have found to get in.
	+ VH: We don't know what the holes are.
	+ JD: Sounds like a story.
	+ VH: We don't have a lot of time because the Age is coming to an end.
	+ JD: Where'd the other kids go, though? Like, if they're not in Garrett, are they in a different state? Like, where did they go?
	+ VH: They're in other worlds. Other places that probably look like this, but aren't this.
	+ JD: How?
	+ VH: The mirrors
	+ S: Whoa. Magic? (looking at Heather)
* VH looks at Heather too.
	+ H oblivious: Well, there's somebody else, somebody else good here. We were helping Optimus Prime. Maybe he can help too.
	+ VH: He came here a different way that only he could come. He nearly destroyed himself getting here.
	+ H: It's not good. He's not in good shape.
	+ S: Yeah. We got him some Energon. Yeah, that's what it's called. We stole it from that ALTA place.
	+ VH: Good. The metal man came from the stars.
	+ H: JD, I think the veil is going to come down anyway because its, you know, it's ... it's just part of how it's all supposed to work.
	+ JD: Well, if the veil is going to come down anyway, shouldn't we be just preparing for when it does rather than trying to bring it down sooner?
	+ VH: If we don't ... if we don't fulfill the contract, when the veil comes down, my friends will not be allowed to come.
	+ JD: The contract is, we bring it down so that good forces can come too?
	+ VH: Each side of good unlocks their side
* The keystones discuss and decide that the best choice is to fulfill the contract, and bring down the veil. Van Halen informs them that they need to go outside, and offers to take them to the roof.

#### Maplehurst Mall Roof

* It is 6:30PM
* They hold hands. VH -> JD -> Heather -> Scarlet -> Ricky -> VH
	+ VH: If you'll have me, I would be so honored to be a member of your band.
* The Keystones welcome her in.
	+ H: You gotta remember we have to *Stay Together*.
	+ R looking at H: *And Never Say Never*
	+ VH: Forget all that you know. Carry only love and friendship in your hearts and believe. Believe in all the things you were told to forget. Believe in all the magic the world wants you to leave in youth. Believe now and forever, and rest your hearts with each other. The mystics created this enchantment as a binding pledge. To utter these words is to be in service to the queen. To utter these words is to stay a child forever, eternally linked with the worlds beyond. Now, repeat after me: *Sweet song of youth, the wise, the meeting of all wisdom.*
* And the keystones repeat the enchantment.
	+ VH: to believe in the good of all
* They feel a pop in their ears, and a blizzard starts. Van Halen indicates to them that it worked, and the forces of good have been called. They now have to wait to hear a response.
* Given that they need to wait, they decide to get JD to the Tree Lighting Ceremony.

#### Town Square

* When they get there, JD's mother is on stage and clearly looking for him. He goes up to check in on her.
* On the stage is a podium and a gigantic tree. The Deputy Mayor comes out and welcomes everyone. Then JD's father comes out, greets his family, speaks to the crowd,and introduces the tree lighting.
	+ Mayor: "... and with that in mind, I want to leave you with some hope and excitement for both the end of 1988 and the start of 1989. President Reagan once implored President Gorbachev of the Soviet Union to "tear down this wall" in an effort to bridge the divide between nations. Well, it's no surprise to any here that the town of Garrett and The Loop have not been the best neighbors the last few years. Outsourced work, land disputes and legal action just to name a few. I ran on a platform to stand up to The Loop, and I'm here to tell you that on this, the night of our tree lighting, a new light has been struck between the town of Garrett and the Loop. The City Council and I have reached an agreement with the Loop to bring new jobs, advancements and money into Garrett at a rate not seen in decades. Garrett will soon be leading not only the state, but the entire nation in new technology, and the education needed to make it accessible to all. So while we shouldn't forget the troubles of the past, I would like us all to take a cue from President Reagan and Tear Down this Wall between Garrett and the Loop. And with that, I would like to introduce our honorary tree lighter, for 1988, Dr. Holter Arkeville.
* The Loop scientist, who should be in his 80s, looks to be in his 50s. He steps up to a large lever decorated like a candy cane. He pulls the lever, and the lights around town and the tree light up. But this year, the lights (having been provided by ALTA) have a blue tint around them.
* As one, smiles erupt across the faces of everyone in Garrett, and the lights are reflected in their eyes. Across the town, cable TVs begin to produce a subtle glow, even when turned off, air conditioners produce a bit of a strange, but pleasant smell, and television and power lines emit a low hum.
	+ Dr. Arkeville walks up to the microphone, pushing the mayor away, gives it a tap, laughing: "Welcome to your life. There's no turning back. Even while you sleep. We will find you acting on your best behavior. Turn your back on mother nature. Everybody wants to rule the world."
* The keystones are the only ones not affected by the dream that has fallen on Garrett. JD & Heather notice that Dr. Arkeville's lenses appear to offer some type of protection from bright lights.
* Scarlet heads up to the stage to join JD. Everyone around the town speaks but it seems preprogrammed. JD attempts to turn off the lights by pushing the lever back, but it doesn't work.
* Ricky notices Van Halen straining and chanting under her breath. He puts his hands on her shoulders and chants with her.
	+ Heather (noticing Ricky & Van Halen chanting): What if we called them and they didn't come?
* Sweat is poring down Van Halen's face, and Ricky tells Heather that they have to get VH out of the crowd. So Heather grabs both of their hands (keeping them connected) and begins to pull them away. Scarlet and JD catch up with them.
	+ VH: I can't keep you safe for long.
	+ Ricky: I've got to keep you safe.
	+ VH: These lights, they're doing something.

#### The Streets of Garrett

* The Keystones discuss where they can take her that's safe. Somewhere that's away from the lights ... but also the dark. They consider the park next to the Maplehurst Mall.
	+ VH: It's ok, just take me to Summer.
	+ VH: To do the spell, we have to ... just take me to Summer. Where's Summer?
* After an exchange, it's clear that VH doesn't understand that they can't simply go to Summer in this world. But she's insistent that she needs to be in Summer in Garrett in order to finish the spell.
* The Keystones try and fail to figure out how to take her to Summer.
* Blood begins to fall from her eyes.
	+ VH: I'm going to lose you. I can't hold the magic and when it drops you all will turn into them. (And she looks at the crowd.)
* As the kids try to figure out how to get VH to summer, JD checks his backpack to see if they overlooked anything from what they took in the library. The morse code from all the boyscounts is translated to "Summer Solstice".
	+ VH: You will forget everything that happened this day, and you will go back to your lives. And I can't stop it.
	+ H: You know, can you come, if we forget, can you come and remind us. Can you remind us, in the summer?
	+ VH: Six months, yes.
* Van Halen collapses and Ricky picks her up. The Keystones decide to try to carry her out of Garrett, even though they know there's not enough time. Van Halen tells Heather that she can't send Heather back ... that "he" is waiting for her.
* JD is the first one to go. His eyes fill with a blue light. "It's taking me!" And he's gone. And he walks away.
* Scarlet is the next to go. Her eyes fill with a blue light. "No wait. Come back. come back." And she's gone. And she walks away.
* Ricky is next. He hugs Van Halen. His eyes fill with a blue light. "Sorry." And he's gone. He carefully sets Van Halen down, and he walks away.
* Van Halen asks Heather to take them back to her tree. So Heather holds her as best as she can and walks her back toward the Maple Hurst mall.

#### Maplehurst Mall

* When they get back to her tree, Van Halen tells Heather that she can't let "him" take Heather. That he would change her. She puts Heather inside her tree and puts her to sleep.
* As Heather sleeps while JD, Scarlet and Ricky all forget the events of Dec 3, 1988 - and they do not see each other again.

#### JD

* JD keeps the walkie-talkie charged. It never goes off, but he stays vigilant. He continues his investigations, and months go by.
* He finds a note one day. It says, "Be safe." (He doesn't recognize the handwriting.) He finds another note. It says, "Keep this close." And there's a little crystal dangling from the note. He ties the crystal to his journal, just like his dads.
* A few days later, he receives another note, and it says, "Learn Morse Code. -VH" And so he does, and he becomes an expert at Morse Code.
* In June of 1989, he looks out into the crowd as his father is delivering a speech. When he sits down, he finds a four-leaf clover. And when he looks out into the crowd, he sees a girl that he knows he's seen before. He knows her name is Van Halen, and when he sees her, he remembers everything for two heartbeats before he forgets again.

#### Scarlet

* It's April 1989.
* Scarlet is trying out to play on the Braddock High School football team.
* A girl runs up beside her with a walkman. She says, "Hey you wanna try this?" and hands Scarlet a tape. On it, it says, "The Band's Greatest Hits". They run together, listening to the music.
* The girl asks "Are you ok, Scarlet?" And for a moment, Scarlet remembers that this is Van Halen and remembers everything. But it only lasts moments.

### Summer 1989

#### The Moon Tower

* No one remembers how they got there, but there is a large metal tower that reaches up to the sky: The Moon Tower, 10 miles outside of Garrett. Van Halen is wiping blood from her nose, and there's a pickup truck off to the right.
* With the exception of Heather, they all remember what happened to them over the last few months.
* Van Halen lets them know that more of the bad folks have come through, so it's even more important that they finish the spell, now that it's Summer.
* They all hold hands, and chant the spell. But this time, instead of snow, there is a splash of warmth. A burst of birds fly out of the trees and form a helix in the sky.
	+ VH: They answered.
	+ S: Are they coming?
	+ VH: We have to go back to Winter, for the last part.
* Van Halen explains that the final part of the spell can't be cast yet.
* Ricky lets everyone know that his family is loosing the farm on Jan 1, 1990, and he's going to the Maryland Military Academy in September. But he will be back for one last holiday at the farm in December.
* A golden clockwork owl flies in from the helix and lands on the bottom rung of the tower. Van Halen calls it "Bubo".
* The Keystones realize that they have no choice but to go back to forgetting for another six months, and wait for Winter to arrive again.
* They wonder what became of Optimus Prime, but Ricky says he's no longer in the silo.
* Van Halen suddenly screams and sends a bolt of something into the vortex. She's angry. They didn't tell her that it would go like this.
* Scarlet asks if anyone has anything on them that they can give each other to help each other remember.
	+ Heather says that she has something - some gifts that she had meant to give them for Christmas.
	+ She gives Scarlet a manilla folder and in it is a pencil drawing of a football player made like a Successories poster with "DARE" in a big font and underneath that "Had the guts, got the glory." signed Heather Jones.
	+ She gives Ricky a mixed tape with a quote "I think that somehow, somewhere inside of us, we must be similar, if not the same."
	+ To JD, she gives a book "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" with a bookmark that marks a page with a note "For the sake of the world, I prescribe more humor and less horror in our media consumption."
	+ JD gives Heather his four-leaved clover.
* And they all fall asleep

#### Ricky

* He's driving to the Maryland Marine Academy, still technically inside Garrett city limits when he sees a girl on the side of the road. His father pulls over and she's crying. He asks if she needs help, she says no - she's just waiting for a boy she likes, but it's not his fault. He's just forgot. Ricky hands her a tissue and she says, "Stay Ready." He realizes that this is Van Halen, and he doesn't forget. Ricky asks her to look after the others. Van Halen tells him to keep his window open.
* Ricky remembers everything, and he prepares for the coming war.
* Bubo visits him, bringing a note, "Stay Ready"

#### Heather

* Van Halen and Heather have a picnic on the beach at Malibu.
* Van Halen tells Heather that they're sisters. Both born of two worlds.

### Winter 1989

#### The Moon Tower

* Winter 1989
* They have no idea how they got there. But they remember everything, Scarlet remembers seeing a girl cheering for her in the stands. JD remembers getting visited by an owl with morse code messages that he translates into locations and points on a map of Garrett. Ricky prepared. Heather dreamed of being on a beach in Malibu.
* They join hands.
* VH: "I know you don't know what's going on, but they're here!"
* They hear the roar of a dragon.

## Characters

* Van Halen
* George Butts
* Shannon Locke
* Casey Mitchell
* Ben McKenzie
* Robert Ott
* Jerry Baker
* Optimus Prime
* Mrs. Davis
* Jeff Davis
* Dr. Arkeville
* Bubo

## Locations

* The Maplehurst Mall
* Braddock High School
* The Moon Tower

## Lexicon

* Keystones
* Autobots
* Energon
* ALTA