Campfire Interlude 1: A Story Takes Flight

I spent so much time getting Rouge and Kitsune to get along (Though I can't say I blame them for their initial skittishness--Fennekins and Fletchlings are natural enemies in the wild) that by the time I got them to somewhat tolerate each other, it was too dark to continue into Santalune Forest. So I made the most of the wasted travel time, and made my camp on the plains

Kitsune was more than happy to start the fire, and Rouge flitted off to go find some Berries. They returned sometime later--Kitsune with a huge Magikarp and Rouge with several beakfuls of Leppa, Pecha, and Cheri Berries.

[You said earlier you want to see what's beyond the forest...] Kitsune told Rouge.

[Yeah--I want to see the big city in the center of the region especially.] Rouge explained. [They say there's a beautiful tower there with millions of lights on it that they turn on when night falls--or so the Pidgeys and other Fletchlings that have flown that far have told me.]

{You sure you want to believe a Pidgey?] Kitsune asked. [They may just be telling a big lie to get your hopes up]

"But there is often a chance that they are telling the truth." I reminded both Pokemon as I got the guitar out and started to tune it. "Lumiose City is a long way, but we'll get there in a few days if conditions are good and we don't get sidetracked."

[The Chespin your friend adopted--he always told me the Gym Leader there is quite renowned as an inventor and tinker--even if what he invents doesn't always work] Kitsune told me in between bites of a Leppa Berry.

"Yeah--I'm told Clemont is a bit of a character." I smiled. "Very skilled with Electric types too."

[Do you know if he has a Pikachu?] Rouge asked. [I've always wanted to meet a Pikachu--they're always so happy and carefree.]

[I dunno--anger or bother them too much and they'll give you a Thunderbolt you'll never forget.] Kitsune cautioned--she did not like the idea of being shocked by a mob of angry Pikachus.

"I'm not sure if he does or not--but probably the most famous tamed Pikachu belongs to a Kanto boy who dreams of being the very best trainer in the world." I told both of them.

[If that boy ever comes to Kalos, I want his autograph!] Kitsune cried, stars in her eyes.

[You can always tell where Pikachus have been if you see charred Berries on the forest floor.] Rouge told me.

"I'll have to remember that tomorrow." I assured Rouge as I finished tuning up. "Now then...who's up for a story?"

[Only if it's not too scary...] Rouge replied.

[I wanna hear an adventure story!] Kitsune begged. [Magic, heroes, princesses, dragon Pokemon, and epic quests!]

I grinned at Kitsune's enthusiasm. "Well...in a far away land there reigned a king, and he had an only daughter who was so very beautiful that there was no one in the whole kingdom who could be compared to her. She was named Princess Petra, and the fame of her beauty, kindness,and wisdom spread far and wide."

Rouge sighed dreamily over my relaxed melody as she pictured what she imagined Princess Petra to look like. "There were many princes among her suitors, but the one she loved best came from a kingdom on the hills--we'll call him Derek. She obtained her father’s consent and blessing to their marriage, and then, attended by a huge retinue, set off with her lover for the shrine, Most of the princes who had been unsuccessful returned disappointed to their own kingdoms: but one of them, who was really the nightmare Pokemon Darkrai in disguise, was so mad that he vowed he would have his revenge."

[Uh oh...] Kitsune swallowed hard.

"So he turned himself into a whirlwind and lay in wait for the princess." I intoned over a minor keyed version of 'Here Comes the Bride' "When the wedding procession was about to enter the shrine, the air was suddenly filled with a blinding cloud of dust, and Petra went flying high as the highest clouds, and then right down to an underground palace. There Darkrai--who brought her down there to begin with--left her there, lifeless."

[Oh no!] Rouge gasped.

[D-did Princess Petra ever wake up?] Kitsune worried

"When she opened her eyes, she found herself in such a magnificent castle that she figured some king must have run away with her. She got up and began to walk around, When she got to the kitchen, the table was set with gold and silver dishes, filled with food of all kinds."

[Mmm...] Kitsune licked her lips at what the magnificent feast must have looked like.

"She returned to the sofa and lay down to rest, but being unable to sleep, she looked first at the door, and then at the lamp burning on the table, then at the door again, and then back to the lamp. Suddenly the door opened by itself, and four demons that were fully armed came in the room. They carried a golden throne, upon which was seated Darkrai. He came close up to the sofa and attempted to kiss Princess Petra, but she smacked him in the face."

Both Rouge and Kitsune roared with laughter as they pictured Darkrai receiving the slap and having little Torchics running around his head. "Understandably his cry of pain was so loud, that the palace walls trembled. Yet his love for her was so great that he did his best not to show his anger, and turned away as if to leave her. But as he was still a bit dazed, he fell down, dropping a cap he was carrying."

[There's your magic item...] Rouge grinned at Kitsune.

"Now, this cap had the power of making its wearer invisible." I explained. "The demons hurried up to their master, and placing him on his throne took him out of the room."

[And then?] Kitsune asked over the interlude I was playing.

"No sooner had Princess Petra found herself alone she jumped off the sofa, locked the door, and picking up the cap ran to a mirror to try it on and see how it fit her." I went on "Imagine her amazement when looking in the mirror she saw—nothing at all!"

Rouge giggled as she pictured the princess' reaction. "She took off the cap, and she was there again just as she was before." I continued. "She soon found out what sort of cap it was, and marveling in owning such an item, put it on again and began to walk about the room. Just then the door flew open, and Darkrai stormed in. But he found neither Princess Petra nor the cap, and concluded that she had taken it. "

Kitsune's laughter was the hardest as I played a "frantically searching" melody. "He began to search high and low; he looked under all the furniture, behind the curtains, and even beneath the carpets, but it was all in vain. Meanwhile Princess Petra, still invisible, had left the palace and run into the garden, which was very large and beautiful. There she lived without Darkrai having any clue, eating the delicious Berries, drinking water from the fountain, and enjoying the helpless fury of Darkrai, Sometimes she would throw the Berry seeds in his face, or take off the cap and show herself for a split second: then she would put it on again, and laugh at his rage."

[Hee hee...poor Darkrai!] Rouge wheezed.

"One day, while playing this game, the cap caught in the branches of a Berry bush." I intoned over a tense riff. Darkrai, seeing this, ran up, grabbed Princess Petra in one hand and the cap in the other, and was about to carry them both off when he heard the sound of a trumpet way off in the distance."

[The hero has come!] Kitsune smiled, confident at what happened next

"Darkrai trembled with rage and muttered words that I won't repeat here." I continued. "He cast a spell that put Princess Petra to sleep, covered her with the invisible cap, and grabbing huge sword, rose up in the air as high as the clouds, so that he might fall upon his assailant and kill him in one blow."

[What about Prince Derek?] Rouge interrupted. [What happened to him?]

"Well, after the storm had upset the wedding procession and carried off Princess Petra, the whole court was panicking." I explained "The king, the princess’s attendants, and Prince Derek sought her in every direction, calling her by name, and asking anyone and everyone they met. At last, the king in despair declared that if Prince Derek did not bring back his daughter, he would destroy his kingdom and have him killed. And to the other princes present he promised that whosoever among them should bring Petra back would have her for his bride and receive half of the kingdom. At this command, they all mounted their Ponytas and hurried off in every direction.

Kitsune tried oh-so-hard not to cry as I continued "Prince Derek, overpowered with grief and dismay, traveled three days without eating, drinking, or sleeping. On the evening of the third day he was quite worn out, and stopping his Ponyta in a field, got down to rest for a short time. Suddenly he heard cries, as of something in pain, and looking round saw an enormous Noctowl tearing a Buneary with its claws. Prince Derek grabbed the first hard thing that came to his hand; and with the heave of a huge piece of obsidian, killed the Noctowl with the first blow. The rescued Buneary ran up to him and gratefully licked his hands, but after it had ran off, the piece of obsidian spoke to him and said, “Prince Derek, accept my grateful thanks for the good turn you have done me. I belonged to an unhappy man who took his own life, and for this crime of suicide I have been condemned to roll in the mud until I was the means of saving the life of one of Arceus' creatures. I have been kicked about for nearly a thousand years, crumbling miserably on the earth, and without exciting the compassion of a single individual. You have been the means of setting me free by making use of me to save the life of that poor Buneary. In return for this kindness I will teach you how to call to your aid a shining Ponyta, who belonged to my master. She will be able to help you in a thousand ways, and when in need of her you have only to walk out on the plains without looking behind you, and to sing...."

I next played a D chord and sang the first eleven notes of Epona's Song from Zelda: Hoo-oo-ooh, hoo-oo-ooh, hoo-oo-oo-woo-ooh...

[Interesting song...] Rouge was intrigued.

"Prince Derek thanked the obsidian piece, dug a hole at the foot of a tree, and reverently buried it, repeating over it prayers for the dead. Just as he finished, he saw a small blue light come out of the ground and fly towards heaven." I went on."When he couldn't see it any more, Prince Derek made a sign of Arceus and resumed his journey. He had gone some way on the plains when he stopped, and without looking back tried the effect of the magic song, singing..." I then sang Hoo-oo-ooh, hoo-oo-ooh, hoo-oo-oo-woo-ooh... again.

Both Kitsune and Rouge waited for me to describe the Ponyta. "No sooner had Prince Derek sang the last note did a Ponyta with shining blue fire for her mane come running up to him. Her name was Epona, and she was light as air, with a shining white coat and a sapphire blue mane. When she asked Prince Derek what she wanted him to do, he told her everything. Then Epona sang..." I then sang Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul...

[A magic spell!] Rouge gasped.

"...and in a flash of red light, Prince Derek was clad in a suit of splendid armor." I went on. "In addition to silver plate, he wore a steel helmet inlaid with gold, and his sword and bow completed the look. What's more, he felt himself filled with superhuman strength and bravery. When he stamped his foot and shouted the earth shook and gave forth a sound like thunder, so much so the very leaves fell from the trees. 'What must we do? Where are we to go?' he asked. Epona replied, 'Your bride, Princess Petra, has been carried off by Darkrai, the Nightmare Pokemon. This powerful scourge must be defeated, but he lives a long way from here, and nothing can touch or wound him except the sword that belongs to a monster with the head and eyes of a basilisk.'"

[Here comes the quest...] Kitsune flared her ears in excitement.

"Prince Derek leaped aboard Epona, and they set off immediately, clearing high mountains, dark forests, raging rivers; and so light was Epona's step that she galloped over the grass without so much as bending a single blade, and along sandy roads without raising even a grain of dust." I continued over an exciting riff. "Finally, they reached a vast plain, strewn with human and Pokemon bones. They stopped in front of a huge mountain, and Epona said' Prince Derek, this mountain that you see before you is the head of the monster with basilisk eyes, and the bones that whiten the ground are the skeletons of his victims, so beware of his eyes. The heat of the midday sun has made the giant sleep, and the sword with the never-failing blade lies there before him. Bend down and quietly approach until we are close enough, then grab the sword. Without the sword, not only will the monster be unable to harm you, but he himself will be completely at your mercy.'”

[What did Prince Derek do?] Rouge gasped, her eyes shining in anticipation.

"Epona quietly approached the huge creature, upon which the prince bent down, and quickly picked up the sword." I explained over a sneaking motif. "Then, mounting Epona again, he cheered loud enough to wake the dead. The giant lifted his head, yawned, and turned his bloodthirsty eyes on Prince Derek; but seeing the sword in his hand he calmed down, and asked for Prince Derek to spare him.”

[Why?] Kitsune was intrigued.

"The monster explained that he had once been a great knight of the race of giants, and if it were not for the wickedness of Darkrai he should have lived in peace." I went on. "Darkrai was jealous of his looks and talents, and tried to kill him, or at least gravely wound him, winding up cursing him into his current form. All his strength, which is extraordinary, lied in his heart, and his body could only be cut by the sword in Prince Derek's hand. If he succeeded in killing Darkrai, he would be healed of his terrible curse."

Both Pokemon listened as I started an adventurous melody. "Prince Derek bade Epona carry him to the kingdom of Darkrai. They reached the garden gate at the very second when Darkrai had spotted Princess Petra and was running after her. The trumpet challenging him to fight had obliged him to leave her, which he did, after putting on the invisible cap."

[I see! It was the prince that sounded the trumpet earlier!] The lightbulb went off in Kitsune's head.

"As Prince Derek was awaiting the answer to his challenge, he heard a mighty rushing wind, and looking up saw Darkrai preparing to aim at him from a great height. But he missed his aim and fell to the ground so heavily that his body was half buried in the in the ground." I went on to some giggles. "The prince had no problem killing Darkrai with the sharp smiting sword."

[Yay!] Rouge cheered at Prince Derek's victory.

"With Darkrai dead, his spell on Princess Petra and his curse on the knight were broken." I went on over a happy melody. "When they got home, the king, overcome with joy, kissed Princess Petra fondly, and the same evening she was married to the devoted Prince Derek. The king himself led her to the altar, and to his son-in-law he gave half his kingdom. So splendid was the wedding festivities, that no eye has ever seen, nor ear ever heard of its equal since then."

[That was great!] Kitsune cheered

Rouge brushed away a happy tear. [I love happy endings...]

"I'll try to tell you guys a story every night as we travel." I assured the Pokemon as they romped off to bed..