A Wild Mayuri Appears

The following takes place following: Mrs Travers Gone Wild

The Master soars beyond the edge of the city, heading straight for the wilderness. His search takes him to Waldeles National Forest, a few miles north. From high above, he scans the terrain and winding rivers, his eyes sharp and restless.

Hours pass before he spots something in a narrow ravine — a small body wedged between two large boulders at the base of a cascading river.

He dives down and lands beside it. It’s Mayuri.

She’s alive, but just barely. Unconscious. Her legs are shattered, pelvis broken, shoulder dislocated, ribs cracked, and her head bloodied. It looks like she fell from above, tumbled into the ravine, and got trapped in the rocks.

Moments later, Mr Konrad and Mr Raymond appear at the top of the ravine, peering down in shock.

Master Devlin: I found her. She’s alive — but just barely.

He gently removes the boulders and lifts her into the palms of his large dragon hands. Cradling her gently, he rises into the air and ascends toward the ridge where the two men are waiting.

Master Devlin: I’m taking her to the Master’s Council. She’ll be safer there.

The men nod silently as he turns and flies back toward the city.

****

Ed: Poor Mayushii. I was just gonna have her wandering around like a lost puppy. Maybe get snatched by a band of Bokoblins or something. But no, the co-editor must really have it in for her... Next she’ll be back in the rape hospital...

Cody: 😒 ... Anyway, a few hours later, back at the Master’s Council: Dr Crusher works on Mayuri in the council infirmary. Master Devlin enters.

Master Devlin: How’s it looking, Doctor?

Dr Crusher: Not good, I’m afraid. She has a serious concussion. We had to induce a coma. What the hell was she doing out there alone?

Master Devlin: Mayor Travers ordered her to be ‘released into the wild’.

Dr Crusher: Is that supposed to be a joke?

Master Devlin: Unfortunately not. That’s why I brought her here. She isn’t safe anywhere near Travers. If he panics, he might have her switched off in a moment of desperation.

Dr Crusher:She’s still his wife. He’ll have to be told eventually.

Master Devlin: Yes. And hopefully by then he’s come to terms with what he’s done.

Dr Crusher: Well, I’m hopeful she’ll recover — but her legs are in a bad way. She may never walk again.

Master Devlin: ...I see.

He shakes his head in quiet anger.

Master Devlin: And of course, Travers won’t see this as his fault, despite having her abandoned in the woods. He’ll put it down to his “clumsy, clumsy wife.”

Master Ron wanders in.

Master Ron: Ah, Devlin! Beverly! How are things? I thought I’d take a tour of the new infirmary. Oh… and who do we have here? Good day, young lady… now if I’m not mistaken, you look like a Little Akiban! What luck. I’ve been having some trouble programming my VCR lately, and you folks usually know your way around these things. Well, come along now, speak up — no need to be shy!

Dr Crusher: I’m afraid she can’t answer you, Master Ron. She’s been badly hurt. She’s in a coma.

Master Ron: Oh, yes, yes — that’s right. I heard that when I walked in. Such a shame. Well, Doctor, just so you know, little Akibans are a Japanese-descended people. They don’t usually “wok.” I think you’re mixing them up with the Chinese.

Dr Crusher: No, Master Ron — I meant walk with her.

Master Ron: Oh! Don’t worry too much about it, Doctor. Easy mistake, but we’ve got to be culturally sensitive about these things. It is 2024, after all.

Master Devlin: Sorry to hear about your VCR, Ron. Just a thought — Columbo’s about to start. Why don’t you hurry along before you miss the opening scene? I know you always get confused about who the killer is.

Master Ron: Yes, well, Master Don says it’s usually the most famous one! It’s probably McGoohan again... Oh by the way, whatever happened to that Lt. Waldo fellow? I liked him. He was just like Columbo!

Master Devlin: He was found selling switchblades to schoolchildren. I’m sure he’ll turn up again. If there’s been a murder, he usually shows up.

Devlin begins ushering Ron out of the infirmary.

Master Devlin: Thanks, Doctor. I need to go inform the mayor that his wife has been found.

****

Travers is sitting at his desk looking at his photoshoot models, making notes of which ones he will call upon later. The window that the Master smashed out of earlier has been boarded up until it can be repaired. Suddenly, two large boulders come crashing through Travers' window, causing significant damage. The Master flies through the broken void shortly after.

Master Devlin: Good evening, Mr Mayor… I found your wife.

Travers: Where is she?? Is she alright?? Ever since you planted that seed of worry in my mind, I’ve been very anxious.

Master Devlin: She's alive...

Travers: I insist that you take me to her right away.

Master Devlin: I’m afraid I can’t do that. She isn’t safe around you. But she is safe where she is, and receiving care. You should know what happened to her, though. After you had her dumped in the wild and chased off, she wandered through the vast woodlands of Waldeles National Forest, where she somehow stumbled into a ravine. What drove her there, I don’t know. It's cougar country, so perhaps she was chased.

But anyway, her condition is grave. She’s currently in a coma. Both her legs are shattered. She might not walk again. She fell quite far and got wedged between two large boulders — which, by the way, you can now see here in your office. Just remember,

Travers: you did this to her.

Travers: Oh my Ed! Poor Mrs Travers! She was the best of all of us! Well... not better than Mr Travers, but still... Master Devlin, I implore you... you must take me to her! She might need me to donate blood! Or a lung! She can have my kidneys too — I've got lots! They're around here somewhere...

Travers starts frantically searching his drawers.

Mr Boothe enters.

Mr Boothe: Everything alright, Mr Mayor, sir?

Travers: No... it's not alright. You killed my wife, you son of a bitch! Travers lunges at Mr Boothe and proceeds to goblin-maul him, classic Waldo-style. Mr Boothe screams in terror until the Master grabs Travers.

Master Devlin: Travers, get off him! The Master drags Travers away and plants him back in his chair.

Master Devlin: Don’t you dare blame Mr Boothe for this! You are not getting to see Mrs Travers until she asks for you. She needs to recover. And frankly... you pose a significant risk.

Travers: What the hell are you talking about? You act as if I hurt her! I’ve never laid a flipper on her. So I sent her for a walk in the countryside for some exercise and fresh air! How awful! She’s not a child. I know she looks not a day over 17, but she’s almost 30 years old. The fact of the matter is: she's my wife — ergo, my property. I demand to see her.

Master Devlin: Don’t you start your revisionist bullshit, Travers. You already admitted you were trying to get rid of her. Mr Konrad said she would disagree with your new disgusting policies — so you decided to “set her free” in the wild and had Mr Boothe chase her off. Your staff advised strongly against this. My concern is that if I allow you to see her in her current state, you’ll see her as a wounded animal that needs to be put down. You’d take matters into your own hands. I can't allow that.

Travers: That’s preposterous! I wouldn’t do that! Not unless her face or breasts were obliterated... They're not, are they?

Master Devlin: Umm... no. I don’t believe so.

Travers: Well there you go! As long as her face and breasts are intact, she has so much to live for...

Master Devlin: I’m still not letting you see her yet.

Travers: Why not??

Master Devlin: You can’t be trusted. You’re full of shit and you keep changing your story.

Travers: Master Devlin, you are speaking out of turn. Travers is nothing if not consistent.

Master Devlin: Oh really? Then why did you “set her free”?

Travers: It was supposed to strengthen our marriage. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, you know? I wanted to do the White Fang ending thing! We were supposed to run into each other’s arms in a field. It was all part of the plan. I didn’t know she was going to wander into a ravine!

Master Devlin: See! More bullshit. Just admit it, Travers — you wanted rid of her. This wasn’t a White Fang scenario. This was a Snow White scenario — with Mr Boothe playing the huntsman and you as the evil queen.

Travers: Outrageous nonsense! You’ve got it completely wrong — and you have no right, legal or otherwise, to keep me from seeing her! You're crossing a line, Master Devlin, and jeopardising our hard-won friendship!

Master Devlin: You already crossed a line when you sent her away. This is Council business now.

Travers: I am the Mayor. The Council answers to me!

Master Devlin: No, they don’t.

Travers: GET OUT! You're no longer welcome here and your employment is hereby terminated!

Master Devlin: You got it.

The Master picks up the boulders and throws them through another part of Travers' office wall and flies out.

****

The Master returns to Dr Crusher.

Master Devlin: Beverly, we need to lock Mayuri down. She needs to be on 24-hour guard. The mayor is on a power trip and may wish her harm. I don’t think he knows she’s here, but this might be the first place he comes looking.

Dr Crusher: Actually, the mayor has already been phoning ahead demanding to see her. I neither confirmed nor denied anything and I told him it was out of my hands. He proceeded to berate me and tell me he was my boss and that he is a “goddamn national treasure”. To be honest, he sounded very drunk. Anyway, I hung up on him. But we’ve had another development. Mayuri is awake.

Master Devlin: What? How?

Dr Crusher: I don’t know or understand it either. We induced a coma, but she seemed to come out of it on her own. Her MRI scans don’t show any swelling around the brain or risk of haemorrhaging. She’s very delirious from the painkillers, but she’s responsive and talking.

Master Devlin: Can I see her?

Dr Crusher: Of course. This way.

They walk into the room. Mayuri is sitting up slightly, groggy but awake.

Master Devlin: Mayuri, my dear, how are you? You gave us quite a scare.

Mayuri:Hello, senpai... I’m a little woozy but I’m okay. What’s going on? Where is Travers-san? Is this... is this... am I in that awful hospital again? 😭

Master Devlin: No, no — you’re in a safe place. The Master’s Council infirmary.

Mayuri:Really? Oh... okay.

Master Devlin: Dr Crusher is here. She’s been looking after you. You remember her from the mansion?

Mayuri:I think so... What’s happened to me?

Master Devlin: You took a tumble when you were out in the forest. Do you remember why you were there?

Mayuri:It’s all very foggy... I was... running... um...

Master Devlin: That’s okay. Take your time. Do you remember what you were running from?

Mayuri: I was lost. I thought it was a bad dream... It was some kind of monster... Mr Boothe!

Master Devlin: Ah. Mr Boothe... How did he seem?

Mayuri:He was upset. His face was all red. He said I was free to go. I didn’t understand. Then he got mad at me — then chased me with a stick... I ran... away... into the woods. Then after a while I was walking... and a monster appeared!

Master Devlin: A monster?? Can you describe it?

Mayuri: Um... It was red... big ears... it looked like a goblin — but bigger! Even bigger than me! It was about your size. It had a pig like nose and was carrying a large wooden club. It chased me...

Master Devlin: Hmm. What could it be? A troll maybe?

Wesley: Actually, from that description I’d say it sounds more like a bokoblin.

The Master turns around to see Wesley Wyndam-Pryce standing in the doorway, holding a small bouquet of flowers.

Master Devlin: Ahh, Wesley...

Wesley: I heard about Mrs Travers. I thought I’d come see how she’s getting on.

Mayuri smiles nervously as Wesley approaches and gently takes her hand.

Suddenly, Master Devlin's phone pings. He checks the notification.

"MAYOR TRAVERS ARRESTED"

The mayor has been arrested following a drunken tirade outside the Sass Hole Lounge in Wallywood.

Master Devlin: Oh dear. It seems the mayor has got himself in a spot of bother...

Mayuri: What happened?

Master Devlin: Seems he got blind drunk and got himself arrested again...

Mayuri: Oh...

Master Devlin: Well, I suppose I should go see if I can get the mayor out of jail. Although technically... he did fire me... Oh, and Wesley — we should meet later to discuss what can be done about this bokoblin problem.

Wesley: Of course...

Wesley nods, then turns back to Mayuri. The Master raises an eyebrow as he watches the two of them together before departing.

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