Genre: Coming of Age Drama & Supernatural Adventure - Potential for Animated Feature | Feature Film, PG13

Personal Inspiration: The first time I wrote this script, my daughter, Maya was a young girl and I was inspired by her love of nature, her generous heart, and her fierce determination. She grew into a strong-willed, intelligent, and kindhearted teenager, and then went on to graduate from Vanderbilt University, poised to change the world. She now lives in LA and is also a performance artist and spins fire, which I find ironic in a life-imitates-art kind of way. For many years, the protagonist of this script was named for her, then was recently changed to Harmony because that’s the goal of the story, to create harmony and balance back to the earth. This script is a tribute to her and to all the fierce young women since it celebrates the strength in our spirits, the power of love, and the beauty of nature.

Maybe with the name change, she’ll stop playing with fire — probably not! (In case you’re wondering… Instagram - Maya_Blaze)

Log Line: A strong and determined, American Indian teenage girl discovers the essence of the earth’s elements (water, air, earth, and fire) in four, egg-shaped phenomenon, which she removes from their sacred place in the mountains to share with her blind grandmother, who’s a shaman woman. When the fire phenomenon is stolen by the evil ruler of the Underworld, she must journey there to take it back and save the planet and mankind from destruction.

Harmony and her grandmother, Spider live together on a remote section of a reservation near the ethereal dreamscapes of White Sands National Park, adjacent to the majestic Guadalupe Mountains, and close to an entrance to the mysterious and miraculous, Carlsbad Caverns. The movie opens as three of the four Sensations (earth, air, and water) are being formed from their elements and condensed into a powerful phenomenon the size of an egg. At the same time, Harmony brings Spider a fresh, white egg, which she holds during her morning meditation and chants.

The Red/Fire egg is formed later while Spider burnishes her “thrown” pots in an outdoor bonfire, which gets out of control. Though she can’t see its height, her Shamanic powers alert her that something profound is happening. Harmony returns home, rides her horse into the mountains, and discovers the four phenomenon, tucked away in a burnished black bowl. She holds each element and feels its power. Blue/Water is healing. Green/Earth has the power to grow and rumbles the ground. Yellow/Air lifts her up with the wind. She cannot even touch Red/Fire. She takes these four elements in their perfect black bowl and rides back down to share them with Spider.

Spider is in awe and explains the American Indian legend about the God of the Sky (Yebitsai) who comes down to rebalance the earth’s essential elements when the planet is in trouble. She implores Harmony to return them to their sacred spot immediately. Before Harmony can get them safely back to the mountain, the Red/Fire is stolen by Hades, the Ruler of the Underworld and the bowl gets damaged. She meets Yebitsai who tells her she must retrieve Fire within the next two days.

Harmony sets off on a harrowing journey accompanied by her admirer, Adam, the high school quarterback with a heart who’s intent on capturing her heart as well.

As they discover new depths of the earth in this stunning and surprising adventure, they learn that Hades is all about greed and power and has a wicked sense of humor. With the Red, he can destroy the world. The future of the planet and of mankind is in her hands.

The entrance to the cave that leads to the Underworld swarms with bats. Once inside, they’re confronted with challenges such as newly dead beings who try to steal their bodies, unexpected explosions, a river of slime, unyielding quicksand, impenetrable sharp rocks, and a variety of other hazards. They managed to navigate the terrain, but barely.

Meanwhile, Spider has agreed to go to the clinic so she can communicate with the “newly dead” spirits and asks them to watch over Harmony and Adam. Spider trades places with one of the spirits when she learns that they’re stuck in the quicksand. She drops her cane within reach, so Adam can pull them out with it. Before they left for the Underworld, Spider warned them not to leave anything behind or risk getting sucked back down there for eternity.

Harmony and Adam finally meet Hades. It doesn’t go well, though his dark comedy is entertaining. The only way to transport the Red/Fire is in the bowl, surrounded by the other three elements, which he wants in his possession. Instead of killing them, he instructs them to bring those to him.

Harmony gets a powerful crystal of sunlight from Yebitsai, which hangs around her neck. Adam gets a pouch of seeds from Spider. Harmony takes the other three elements in their cracked bowl without Yebitsai’s permission. It’s her only chance to save the world. Before she leaves for the Underworld, she and Spider “throw” a bowl that’s similar to the original one.

Harmony sets off alone with the three elements in their new bowl. Adam follows right behind, unbeknownst to her. They meet up on their next journey to the Underworld and use the powers of the Blue, Yellow, and Green at various times to get them out of a jam. Hades is delighted.

They confront Hades once more. He overpowers them and gets possession of the other elements. He shows her on the monitor the chaos that will become of the planet. The crystal of sunlight blinds him momentarily, and she escapes. She unties Adam from the roasting pit as Hades and his monster, Cerebus are about to kill them. Adam uses the seeds and the Green/Earth element to create a shooting stalk, which transports them out of there.. except, They never retrieved Spider’s cane.

Harmony, Adam, and Spider meet Yebitsai on the mountain before his departure. The new bowl is too big, so Spider adds her white egg to create balance. Yebitsai agrees and takes her in his arms. As he’s about to leave, Hades appears for one last battle. Adam throws the “winning” pass and knocks Hades out, allowing Yebitsai to leave for the Upperworld with the five elements in tact, but Spider’s body falls into the chasm. They saved the planet and mankind, but where is Spider? What happened to her body and her soul?

In the final scene, Yebitsai comes back months later to visit Harmony. He hands her the white egg, which is now an essential element to the earth’s balance and mankind’s survival. She holds the newly vibrant white egg close to her heart and hears Spider’s voice saying goodbye, letting Harmony know that her grandmother’s spirit of compassion is now embodied in the white egg, an essential element to balancing and harmonizing the earth. Harmony examines the egg and see Spider’s image. Her spirit survived.

TONE: Wonder Woman meets Brave