Act 43: The Blazing Tale of a Hero (part 5)


The orchestra started a quiet interlude. "After bidding his mother farewell, our hero went back the way he had come." Brenna explained from her nook. "He burned some of the herbs which Princess Crisanta had given him, climbed over the Arbok and went on his way. He passed the crystal, the silver, and the gold palaces without stopping, found his iron claws and began to climb down the mountain. At the end of a month he reached its foot, left the iron claws in the cave, found his mount grazing on the open steppe, and set out for the island." She let that hang as the lights came up on an island set.

Ruby arrived some moments later. After taking a minute to look around the set, she spotted a Goldeen puppet flopping on the stage. "Aw...let me put you back in the water, at least." Ruby smiled.

She carefully picked the small puppet up and set it in the "water". "Thank you for rescuing me, young prince." the puppet began. "Follow me, and I will show you the way to what you seek."

The lights went down, save for Ruby following the "swimming" Goldeen puppet. "The Goldeen led him to the island." Brenna narrated. "It swam one day, then two, and on the third it reached the island."

The lights came up on a forest set, where Ruby discovered a Ninetales puppet "struggling" to get its paw out from under a fallen tree. "Poor Ninetales...let me try to get you out." Ruby assured the puppet.

She drew a prop sword, then cut the prop log in half, allowing the Ninetales to get free. "Thank you for your help, hero." the puppet replied as it stretched.

With a flick of one of its tails, a ruby went flying into Ruby's paws. "Take this--it is a gift from me. Only invoke it in a time of great need."

"I promise." Ruby smiled as the Ninetales puppet bounded offstage.

The lights went down for a moment only to come up again on a set of a different part of the forest. "A Buizel puppet was nearby a "river", struggling to get free from a prop trap. "Aw...here, let me get you out." Ruby smiled before undoing the prop trap."

"Thank you for releasing me, hero." the Buizel puppet replied. After stretching, it heaved a prop sapphire in Ruby's direction. "Here--this is a gift from me. Only invoke it in a time of great need!"

"I promise." Ruby replied before departing offstage.

The lights went down for a moment only to come up again on a set of a different part of the forest. This time, Ruby spotted a Talonflame puppet struggling in some tangled vines. "Here...let me get you out of there..." Ruby offered before working to untangle the puppet's majestic wings.

Once freed, the puppet spread its wings. "Thank you for setting me free, hero. As you have done something good for me, let me do something good for you in return.

It pressed an emerald into Ruby's paws. "Take this--it is a gift from me. Only invoke it when you are in great need."

"I promise--thank you." Ruby smiled as the lights went down.

The lights went down for a moment only to come up again on a set of a different part of the forest. On this part of the set was a pond with a log inside. "Hm...I want to walk on that log, but it's just beyond my reach..." Ruby mused as she entered the scene.

A boom snapped her to attention, to some laughter as "rain" appeared on the stage. "I don't like the looks of the water level!" Ruby gasped as the "water" started to rise.

She scrambled onto a tree, moments before where she was standing was engulfed in "water". "That was close..." she smiled.

The log floating to her vantage point gave her an idea." "Oh yeah...if I can tie it down, then I can cut it and catch the Buneary!"

She waited for the "rain" to stop, then climbed down from the tree and approached the log. "HIIIIIIII-YAH!" she cried, only for her prop sword to bounce off the log!

Laughter rippled across the peak at Ruby's annoyed grimace. "No wonder I can't cut the log--it's HUGE!" Ruby sighed.

A red glint got her attention. "The ruby the Ninetales gave me! I am in a bit of a bind, so let's see what it does!"

She held the ruby to the sky, and sang Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul...

The ruby glowed, and the audience gasped in awe as the Ninetales puppet rushed from the forest and tore the log in half!

A Buneary puppet appeared in the log, but as it darted towards stage left, Ruby invoked the sapphire--Rou iitsa ron selga vichii...

The sapphire glowed, and the Buizel puppet from before sprang from the thicket. The audience laughed as the Buizel and the Buneary ran a few laps around the stage. But in the end, the Buizel cornered its prey!

A Ducklett puppet emerged from the Buneary puppet's stuffing, but as it climbed higher into the sky, Ruby invoked the emerald--Karuto, iichiida shou...

The emerald glowed, and the Talonflame puppet from before darted after it into the sky and grabbed it. The Ducklett laid an egg, and the egg fell into the sea, much to the audience's and Ruby's frustration.

"NOW how am I supposed to beat Darkrai?" Ruby sighed. "Going in the water is suicide for a Fire type!"

The Goldeen puppet from before emerged, and dropped the egg at Ruby's feet. "Looking for this, brave hero?"

"The egg with Darkrai's soul! Thank you!" Ruby smiled as she took the egg. "Now I can return to the mountain of Darkrai, and free my mother!"

To Be Continued...