Act 33: An Adventure on the Fly (part 3)


The audience watched as Ruby told her entourage of Growlithes "Wait here, I will soon finish off the giants."

She then bounded off into another part of the forest set, where she clambored into a tree, where she could see the imagined giants. It was probably for the best we had the giants be offstage voices... Lita thought as she watched Ruby drop a rock from her perch. Pokemon on top of each other would look silly...

Some offstage dialogue alerted her the rock had hit its target. "Did you push me?"

"I did not!"

"Then who did?"

"I never touched you!"

"Oh, yes you did!"

"I did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

Even Xatu had to laugh at the whirling cloud of dust on the stage near Ruby's perch. "It is a lucky thing that they did not tear up the tree I was sitting in, or I would have had to jump onto another like a Pachirisu." Ruby noted to the audience as the cloud of dust whirled about, complete with fighting noises. "But we tailors are nimble enough."

Once the dust had settled, she tiptoed up to the large sand bags standing in for the giants, made a few gashes on them, then returned to the waiting Growlithes at the other end of the stage.

"Well?" one Growlithe asked as Ruby returned.

"Are the giants slain?" another one asked.

"The battle is over." Ruby smiled. "I have given both of them their final blow, but it was hard work! They tore up trees to use as weapons, but all that is to no avail when someone like myself comes, who can kill seven in one blow."

"But are you not wounded?" a third Growlithe asked.

"You need not worry about that. They have not harmed one hair of mine." Ruby assured the Growlithe.

"Will you allow us to see what you have claimed for ourselves?" a third Growlithe asked.

"Gladly. I have nothing to hide." Ruby replied as the group of Growlithes ventured to the dark part of the stage.

They returned a few moments later in shock. "By Arceus...what the tailor said was true!" one Growlithe gasped. "He has more than passed the first challenge!"

The orchestra played a victorious theme as the lights went down, then came up on Ruby and the Arcanine in the throne room again. "The soldiers confirmed that you have completed the first challenge--well done." the Arcanine smiled.

"What must I do now, Your Grace?" Ruby asked.

"The second challenge is this--in the forest roams a wild Beast which does great harm, and you must catch him first." the Arcanine replied.

"I fear one Beast still less than two giants. Seven in one blow, is my kind of affair." Ruby grinned over her character's triumphant trumpet motif.

"Tomlin took a rope and a bow with him, went into the forest, and bade those who were sent with him to wait outside." Brenna narrated as Ruby entered another forest set. After a few tense moments, a majestic Raikou puppet "ran" on the stage. But Ruby waited until the majestic Pokemon was quite close, shot an arrow with a rope around it into the tree, then leaped like a Sawbuck behind the tree. The Raikou puppet was easily tangled in the rope, and struggled mightily to get out, to the delight of the audience as the lights went down.

When the lights came up on the throne room again, Ruby proudly gestured to the "stuck" puppet. "Here is the Beast--he will not harm again!"

"That is a clever way to catch a Raikou..." the Arcanine smiled. "Now for your third and final challenge--I want you to catch a certain wild Emboar that wreaks great havoc in the forest. Some of the royal rangers will give you their help."

"Willingly--that is child's play!" Ruby smiled as the lights went down.

The orchestra played an interlude as Ruby and a crowd of bow wielding Charmanders arrived on a third forest set. "This is where the Emboar was last spotted?" Ruby asked.

"It is." one Charmander replied. "If you need help, we stand ready to lend our bows to your aid."

"Okay--if I need you guys, I'll just whistle!" Ruby smiled as the lights went down.

After a few tense moments, Ruby arrived in a more woodsy forest set. She gasped when she saw an Emboar puppet charging at her, but then spotted the entrance of an abandoned shrine close by. "SAY..."

She hurried into the shrine, and went in and out the window. The Emboar puppet ran in after her, but Ruby ran around outside and shut the door behind it, trapping the puppet inside.

Once satisfied with her handiwork, Ruby whistled, spurring the Charmanders to arrive with their prop bows drawn. "Stand down--I caught the Emboar." Ruby assured the rangers. She made a grand gesture to the trapped puppet as the orchestra started a victorious theme and the lights went down.

When they came up on the throne room again, Lita was with the Arcanine and Ruby in the scene. "You have passed the three challenges I gave you with aplomb." the Arcanine smiled. "My royal word is my bond--as promised, here is Princess Natalie. You will have half of the kingdom now, and the whole of it when I join Arceus in heaven."

"Aw"s went up as Lita and Ruby hugged. "Tomlin and Princess Natalie were married within the year." Brenna concluded as the curtains closed on the heartwarming scene. "The wedding was held with great magnificence and equally great joy, and out of a tailor a king was made."

Wild applause rang through the canyon as the orchestra started a joyous song for the curtain call...

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Now that I have seen your ability with my own eyes, I can say you have passed my challenge with flying colors. Xatu smiled. You did well working with what you had, and knew when to leave things out or cut them short. I will commend you for making the king a nicer character to Tomlin...is there a reason you took this different approach?

"Well...we felt it wasn't nice for the king to stall and break his royal word." Shimmer explained. "That was why we made the king a kinder character."

A pleased look appeared on Xatu's face. That creativity will serve you well on your travels. Don't be bonded to one specific version of a story--make every story your own.

He focused his psychic power for a moment. I have informed Meloetta that you are coming to the Garden of Melodies. I hope her musical training will be helpful to you, and allow you to add both musicals and music infused plays to your repertoire.

A happy look formed on his face. I believe...you all will perform for the Great Lord himself one day!

To Be Continued...