Kubo and the Two Strings Page #14

She hesitates.

KUBO:

Mother?

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Monkey takes a deep, solemn BREATH.

MONKEY:

My sisters and I went to the Temple

of Bones to kill Hanzo.

A moment of stunned silence. Kubo is still staring, in shock,

bachi pick poised upon the shamisen strings. Monkey raises

her eyebrows at him and clears her throat.

KUBO:

Oh. Right.

He begins plucking the shamisen strings again, and a delicate

tune begins to play.

Immediately all around the cave, pebbles and twigs and fish

bones and stalactites all begin to tremble and move. Just

like when the sail boat formed, they dance and weave through

the air to illustrate her story, becoming a kind of makeshift

planetarium depicting the night sky.

MONKEY:

At the bidding of the Moon King, my

sisters and I had come down from

the night sky and killed many noble

warriors. Your grandfather told us

that any man who found the magical

armor would grow too powerful and

be a threat to the heavens.

That night I arrived at the Temple

before my sisters. And there he

was. The mighty Hanzo.

The objects of the cave form an elaborate tableau of Hanzo

first meeting Mother in the Temple of Bones.

MONKEY (CONT’D)

“You have offended my father,” I

told him. “Now you must die.”

BEETLE:

Yeah, that’s so you.

Kubo nudges him with his elbow.

KUBO:

Beetle! Shhh!

The tableau Hanzo faces Mother, sword drawn. She falls upon

him with her own sword, robe and hair writhing about her.

*

*

*

*

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MONKEY:

We fought. Hanzo was strong. But *

then he stopped. He looked into my

eyes and uttered four simple words. *

These words changed everything.

A breathless beat.

BEETLE:

“I love you... Monkey?” *

MONKEY *

“You are my quest,” he whispered. I

had seen the wonders of the *

universe, but the warmth of his

gaze as I looked into his eyes...

That I had never known. It was his

humanity I saw. And it was more

powerful than anything in my cold

realm!

Hanzo and Mother dance, holding each other closely.

MONKEY (CONT’D)

In recognizing his compassion I

recognized my own. I spared his

life. He gave me mine.

Kubo stares at the new tableau that has formed: Mother &

Hanzo holding baby Kubo in their arms.

MONKEY (CONT’D)

And then he gave me you. *

Meanwhile, baby Kubo smiles happily, blinking both his bright

eyes. Whatever happened to his eye, hasn’t gone down yet.

MONKEY (CONT’D)

But your Grandfather found us.

The Origami family falls lifeless into Monkey’s hand. *

MONKEY (CONT’D) *

His rage at my betrayal shook the

heavens. *

And then the floating debris suddenly stops in place, rolling *

gently in the air a beat before unraveling and falling *

lifeless to the cave floor. Kubo has stopped playing the *

shamisen. *

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MONKEY (CONT’D) *

Your father and his army gave their *

lives, allowing me to escape with *

you in my arms. *

Kubo looks at the shredded paper in front of him. *

KUBO:

Why does Grandfather hate me?

Monkey strokes her hand through his hair.

MONKEY:

Oh, Kubo. He doesn’t hate you. He *

wants to make you just like him.

Blind to humanity, as I once was.

Only then can you take your place

beside him as part of his family...

cold and hard and “perfect”.

Kubo closes his eye tight.

KUBO:

I’ll never be like him! Never! *

MONKEY:

I know.

They sit in silence and, after a moment, Monkey realizes he

has fallen asleep in the safety of her arms.

She rises and carries him over to a corner where she uses his

robes to tenderly tuck him in.

MONKEY (CONT’D)

He’s exhausted.

BEETLE:

Me too.

MONKEY:

I’m not tucking you in.

Beetle smiles as Monkey pads back over to the fire. He

notices the blood staining her fur and her pained expression

as she sits.

BEETLE:

You’re hurt.

He reaches out to her.

MONKEY:

Just a scratch.

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She slaps his hand away, but there’s no malice in it.

BEETLE:

(gently)

Monkey? Why didn’t you tell him

sooner... who you really are?

MONKEY:

The magic that keeps me here...

it’s fading. Soon I’ll be gone, and

then Kubo will be alone again.

BEETLE:

Not alone. He is the son of Hanzo.

I will do everything I can to keep

him from harm.

Monkey appreciates this.

MONKEY:

Thank you, Beetle. To know Kubo has

someone to watch over him when I’m

gone. That would be a fine way to

end my story.

Beetle considers this.

BEETLE *

Your story will never end.

Monkey is surprised and a little moved by his sentiment. He

looks over at Kubo as he continues. *

BEETLE (CONT’D)

It will be told by him. And by the

people he shares it with. And by

the people they share it with. And

by the people they share it with.

And by the people they share it

with...

It’s starting to get a little awkward.

MONKEY:

Beetle...

BEETLE:

The point is, your story will live *

on. In him. *

And Monkey really likes the sound of that. She smiles. *

Kubo lies in the corner of the cave on his side, sleeping

soundly.

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BLACK:

Kubo’s eye blinks open.

(2600 KUD) KUBO’S DREAM

EXT. TWISTED RIVER - CONTINUOUS

Kubo is lying in long grass beside a river similar to the one

at the cemetery near his home. Somewhere close by, the

plucked notes of a shamisen are playing a BEAUTIFUL SONG.

Kubo sits up and looks around and sees a figure next to him.

It appears to be a sweet old man with a smile on his face. He

plays a shamisen.

OLD MAN:

Hello, my young friend. Why don’t

you join in my song?

KUBO:

But how did you..? You’re...

OLD MAN:

Even blinder than you?

The old man smiles to let Kubo know he is being lighthearted.

Never one to back down, Kubo adds...

KUBO:

Twice as much. To be precise.

OLD MAN:

Which means I see double the truth.

KUBO *

This is all a dream.

(wary)

Is this a good dream or a bad one?

OLD MAN:

See for yourself.

The man gestures across the river, which has suddenly

expanded into a giant moat, beyond which a majestic stone

fortress rises out of the mist.

KUBO:

My father’s fortress.

OLD MAN:

Yes.

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The tableau continues to shift before Kubo’s eye, dissolving

into rows of SAMURAI wearing the beetle crest on their armor,

standing frozen like statues. They are guarding a dazzling

golden helmet, floating in the air.

KUBO:

The last piece of armor! It’s here?

OLD MAN:

Follow the setting sun and you’ll

find it. In the place that might

have been your home. Claim your

birthright, Kubo! Give this

story... a happy ending!

And with that, the old man plucks a single VERY LOUD NOTE --

INT. CAVE THAT REMINDS US OF HOME - DAWN

Kubo sits up, wearing a look of epiphany on his face. He

turns to look at his companions.

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