Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Performers of Harmony

[EmeraldSky]

Act 31: An Adventure on the Fly (part 1)


The stars twinkled over the Great Canyon as the resident Pokemon hurried to join Xatu in watching the group's performance. But backstage, the group was undergoing their final preparations. "Nervous?" Lita asked as she emerged in a princess costume.

"More than any other show we have done." Ruby replied as she emerged in a simple fantasy outfit--with a big red 7 concealed behind a piece of fabric. Rio had come up with the idea of the hidden 7 to save Ruby time and a costume change.

"Remember--this was given to us as a challenge, and we've never backed down from a challenge before." Lita assured Ruby.

She looked out at her excited troupemates. "Let's show Xatu what we can do!"

Cheers went up in agreement as the group hurried into position. After a few moments, the orchestra struck up a dreamy overture. "On one warm summer's morning in a far away land, a little tailor--we'll call him Tomlin--was sitting by the window, happily sewing as he always did." Brenna narrated from a nook at stage right. "Though the pay he earned wasn't much, it was enough to get by from day to day."

She smiled at the excited audience. "It helped that Tomlin enjoyed his work." She let that hang as the lights came up on the set of a simple fantasy house, where Ruby was pantomiming sewing a jacket.

"Fresh berries!" Shimmer called from offstage. "Fresh berries, picked with love from the vine! Come buy! Come buy!"

Ruby snapped to attention. "Cherida's here! Let's go see what berries and treats she's brought this week!"

After setting the prop jacket aside, she hurried offstage. She returned a few moments later with a few jars of jelly, marmalade, and other spreads. "Okay--Rawst jam and Oran marmalade go in the cupboard for tomorrow..." she mused as she placed some of the prop jars in a cupboard on the set.

A stomach growl got her attention. "I see no harm in getting into the Grepa jelly now..." she smiled as she got some bread from the cupboard.

She noticed the jacket as she spread some of the Grepa jelly on the bread. "But this jacket's just about done...I should finish it first, then have a snack."

She set the bread on a plate, then returned to her work. After a few moments of quiet, the sound effect of Venonats buzzing played, annoying Ruby from her pretend work. "Hey! Who invited you?" she asked, swatting at the imagined Venonats while the audience laughed.

Finally, Ruby got a glass from the cupboard, and clomped it down hard on the table. When she counted how many feigned Vanonats she had killed, her face lit up. "Wow! I managed to kill seven with one blow...the whole town will know of this!"

"Tomlin eagerly set to work making a suit of cloth armor, with a huge number 7 embroidered in red on the torso." Brenna narrated as the lights went down, save for the ruffing and thumping of Ruby pretending to work.

A 'ta-da!' stinger played as the lights revealed the large red 7 on Ruby's costume. "Why stop at just the town? The whole world will hear of it!" she smiled, to some light applause.

The orchestra started an excited interlude. "Tomlin eagerly packed a few weeks' worth of supplies for his journey, and set out the next morning." Brenna narrated at the light went down. "At first, the journey was uneventful. The road led him up a mountain, and when Tomlin had reached the peak, there sat a powerful Machoke looking down at the valley below...

The lights came up on Ruby strolling into a mountain road set. A Machoke sat on a rock at stage right. "Good day, comrade, sitting there overlooking the whole wide world!" Ruby smiled. "I am just on my way there, and want to try my luck. Want to come with me?"

The audience laughed as the Machoke reared back at the huge red 7. "Maybe that big 7 means the number of rogues this lad has slain in battle..." he mused in an aside. "So it may not be the best idea to battle him...maybe I should test his wits."

He picked up a rock. "If you can squeeze the rock so that water runs from it, I'll trust you."

"Is that all? That's child's play!" Ruby smiled.

The audience laughed as the Machoke balked at the melted cheese. He located a rock and heaved it skyward. "Let's see you top that."

"Well thrown, but what goes up must eventually come down--I will throw you one that doesn't come back at all." Ruby confidently smiled.

With that, she heaved a prop Fletchling from her pocket, which fluttered offstage to the Machoke's feigned amazement. "How does that please you, comrade?"

"You can certainly throw, but now we will see if you are able to carry anything properly." the Machoke replied as the lights went down.

They came up on a forested set some moments later. The Machoke led Ruby to a prop tree. "If you are strong enough, help me carry the tree out of the forest."

"Sure! Take the trunk on your shoulders, and I will carry the branches and twigs; they are the heaviest." Ruby offered before scrambling into the prop tree's branches.

The audience howled with laughter at the Machoke straining to carry the "heavy" prop tree. When he set it down, Ruby climbed out. "You are such a great fellow, and yet you can't even carry the tree!" she taunted, a confident smirk on her face.

The audience roared with laughter over a trumpet's "wah-wah-wah-wah" stinger as the Machoke trudged offstage and the lights went down...

To Be Continued...