Tale 47: Two of a Kind (Ash)

(real tale: The Twin Brothers)

"There was once a fisherman who longed very much to have children." Ash begins. "So he went to the town sage, and the sage told him to catch a Goldeen, have him and his wife eat one half, and then bury the other piece of meat. So the fisherman did as he was told, and thought nothing of it. Imagine his surprise when he found his wife had given birth to two children, a boy and a girl!"

Laughter fills the air as the audience pictures the fisherman's reaction. "On top of that, their Arcanine had two Growlithes, their Rapidash had two Ponytas, and two Cheri trees sprouted on each end of the front walk." Ash continues. "The children were named Kendall and Meredith, in remembrance of the waters the Goldeen had come from."

Ash continues "The years went by, and Kendall and Meredith eventually came of age. They both longed to go out into the world, but their mother assured them that Kendall would try his luck first, and if fortune be unkind to him, Meredith would go. So Kendall took his Growlithe, his Ponyta, and the harp Meredith had made for him...." Excited whispers race through the crowd as Brock retrieves his own harp. "and told her that so long as the Cheri trees bloomed, he was alive and well. But if either of them wilted, he needed her help. If one of them had bright blossoms, that meant he had found fortune, and she was to come join him."

The audience eagerly speculates what will happen to Kendall. "Kendall traveled a long way, until he came to a far away land." Ash continues as he watches Brock tune the harp. "He asked the local sage about the castle, and the sage told him that the king was seeking a husband for the princess--we'll call her Yumi. Each would be suitor had to pass three trials--if he completed them, he would have Princess Yumi's hand in marriage. If he failed, he would die."

Concerned murmurs and gasps race through the crowd. "But Kendall decided to try anyway--the next day, he traveled to the castle courtyard, and started playing his harp for the servants and the ladies." With that, Brock plays "The Riverbanks of the Moon" for effect.

Applause goes up when the last note dies. "Even Princess Yumi heard the song, and told her father about the minstrel in the courtyard." Ash continues. "The king summoned Kendall before him and asked what Kendall was doing there. When told that Kendall sought Princess Yumi's hand in marriage, the king gave Kendall his first challenge--cut a certain thick log in one stroke of a blade. Kendall was so distraught, he didn't even feel like picking up the harp that night."

Brock then plays a soft D chord to represent Princess Yumi. "Even Princess Yumi was concerned, and asked Kendall what was wrong, as she had grown fond of him. When Kendall told her what the matter was, Yumi just smiled and urged Kendall to play for her, and she would have an answer for him in the morning."

After Brock plays the song "Come Give Me Your Hand" to simulate the passage of time, Ash continues "The next morning, Princess Yumi told Kendall she had studied much about magic and fighting, to name a few things. She laid a hand on Kendall's blade, making it glow blue with a spell of strength. Needless to say, Kendall had no problem cutting the log!"

The audience applauds at this. "The king then told Kendall to take his Rapidash and ride for three miles with a chalice filled with water. If even a drop was spilled, the king would have his head." Ash continues, making more concerned chatter fill the air. "Kendall was troubled again, so much so that he didn't even pick up the harp that night."

The Meowths cheer as Brock plays Princess Yumi's motif. "Princess Yumi grew concerned, and asked Kendall what was wrong." Ash goes on. "When Kendall told her his dilemma, she urged him to play for her, and she would have an answer in the morning."

The waltz "Starry Night" fills the air to simulate the passage of time. When Brock finishes the song, he continues. "The next morning, before Kendall left, Princess Yumi laid a hand on the chalice and sang..." He sings Rou iitsa ron selga vichii...

More cheers go up at the sung "spell". "The water instantly froze to ice, thereby fulfilling the king's challenge.' Ash explains. "But the third challenge was the hardest--face Princess Yumi herself in a non-lethal duel in the royal arena. Kendall was a fine swordsman in his own right, and his sword still had the strength spell on it, but he figured Princess Yumi was years ahead of him in skill."

The group is silent as they ponder how Kendall could defeat Princess Yumi. "That night, Princess Yumi assured Kendall that she would tell him how to defeat her in the morning if he just played the harp for her that night." Ash assures the audience before Brock plays "The Fairy's Waltz" to simulate the passage of time.

When the last note dies, Ash continues. "The next day, Princess Yumi told him that at one point during the duel, she would throw out a sapphire. If he cut it, she would know to hold back and let him win--as she was so skilled, it would look very much like she lost naturally."

Brock then plays a frantic melody to simulate the duel. "The duel commenced, and Kendall did very well matching Princess Yumi step for step. In fact, for many hours, the duel was too close to call!" Ash announces.

"So did Kendall ever win?" Melody asks as the last chord fades away.

"At last, Princess Yumi threw out the sapphire, and Kendall cut it to seal his victory." Ash replies over a triumphant flourish from Brock. "The king didn't know that Princess Yumi had let Kendall win, as it looked for all intents and purposes that Princess Yumi had lost naturally."

He concludes over a triumphant melody. "Kendall and Princess Yumi were soon married, and even Meredith came to join in the festivities when she saw the right Cheri tree glow. They all lived happily for many years."

The crowd roars as Ash acknowledges Brock, who takes a bow...

(what Brock plays: The Riverbanks of the Moon, Come Give Me Your Hand, Starry Night, The Fairy's Waltz)