literature

The Tree of Life

Deviation Actions

LightningTopaz's avatar
Published:
288 Views

Literature Text

Episode 1: The Tree of Life (Maya)

Maya smiled when she noticed Ash, with his faithful Pikachu Tintri perched on his shoulder. "Welcome, and thanks for coming." she smiled as they embraced.

"The pleasure's all mine." Ash replied. "Where do we put the gifts for the gift exchange?"

"Gifts go on the card table in the living room, and any instruments can go by the piano." Maya explained.

She gasped as an ethereal voice sang Karuto, iichiida shou... warping Ash's gift and his gig bag to the specified locations. "Well! Didn't know Melody was coming too." She smiled as she gave a tiny sprite Pokemon a welcoming pat on the head.

"How can I not come when tales will be told and songs will be sung?" Melody smiled.

"That's true." Maya agreed. "Speaking of stories, I thought about having a little storytelling contest--but I'll explain the rules when everyone gets here."

Later, in the kitchen...

After everyone arrived and had settled in to enjoy the huge meal, Maya tapped a glass to get everyone's attention. "Okay...first of all, thank you for joining us tonight. While we eat, we're gonna have a storytelling contest."

"It may be no contest--Brock's a pro!" Misty commented, making everyone laugh.

"The rules are easy--tell us the best story you can." Maya continued. "The winner gets the first piece of the chocolate mint pie and a special gift from me..." She showed the group a wrapped gift in green diamond print paper. "Of course, if you want to help by doing voices or playing on small instruments, you can."

Once sure no one had any questions, Maya went on "So to inspire you guys, I'll tell you a story of my own while you eat."

With that, she began  "There was once a man who had three sons. When he lay on his deathbed, he called them to his side, and told them he had nothing to leave them but an orchard, which they were to divide among themselves. One of the trees of the orchard was the mythical Tree of Life; but which tree it was, and where it stood, he kept a secret."

"Just watch it be the most scraggly looking tree." Max whispers to May, who giggles as she helps herself to green bean casserole.

"So the man went on to heaven, and his sons divided their inheritance." Maya went on. "But the youngest son--whose name was Jack--was young enough that he was not allowed to be present when the division was made. The two older brothers divided the orchard between them, and a single tree in the middle of the orchard was all they gave their little brother."

[That's not very nice!] a Pichu wearing a red cape protests, but Brock just pets the Pichu to assure her all will be well in the end.

"They may have given him no land at all; under the assumption that if one of them owned the Tree of Life, they could still gather up the shining Berries that fell from it." Maya went on. "One day, a worrying rumor started in the royal city that the king's daughter, Princess Wendy, was very sick, and that the king had promised her hand in marriage and half the kingdom to whoever could heal her. So the brothers decided to try their luck."

"Ooh"s fill the air at this. "The oldest immediately ran into the orchard, picked a Berry from every tree, put them in a basket, and left for the castle. The way there led through a great forest, and as he walked through it he met an old woman, unaware it was the holy Delphox Kitsune in disguise, testing the generosity of those she met."

"Good day, good lad--what might you have in your basket?" she asks in an older woman voice.

"Froagies--why do you care?" she snaps in a mimic of Gary for the oldest brother.

"So may it be." she intones as Kitsune.

As herself, Maya continues  "The oldest brother went on his way and came to the castle gate. But when the guards lifted the cover to check the basket's contents, it was swarming with Froagies!"

The Pichu's laughter is the hardest at the comical scene. "It goes without saying the guards chased off the oldest brother." Maya grinned. "Meanwhile, the middle brother had run into his half of the orchard, and had picked a basket of Berries from all his trees. When he came to the forest he met the disguised Kitsune, who bade him good day and asked him what he had in his basket."

"Wurmples," she huffs in character as Barry, making Dawn giggle.

"So may it be." she replies as Kitsune.

[Uh oh...] the Pichu giggles in anticipation.

"But when he came to the gate and the guards lifted the cover of his basket, millions of Wurmples came crawling out." Maya continues, to laughter and "ew"s. "Needless to say, he got chased off too."

[And then? And then?] the Pichu begs before Brock shushes her.

Maya just smiles and goes on "Finally, it was Jack's turn to try his luck. He picked some Berries from his tree and set out. In the forest he met Kitsune.

''Good day, and what might you have in your basket?" she asks as Kitsune.

"Good day to you likewise--I have the holy Berries of the Tree of Life in my basket." Ash jumps in the role of Jack.

"So may it be." everyone repeats with Maya

"So Jack went on his way, and when he came out of the forest, the road ran along the coast." Maya goes on. "Suddenly, he saw the waves wash a huge Seaking on the beach. He felt sorry for the Seaking flopping about on the sand, so he took it and carefully put it back in the water. Then the Seaking spoke to him, and said...."

"Thank you, young lad." Misty jumps in the role of the Seaking. "If you are ever in trouble and I can help you, sing to this sapphire and I will come."

"Jack thanked the Seaking, pocketed the sapphire, and went on his way." Maya continued. "Next he  saw a Lucario and a Beautifly arguing over who was the fastest. So he carefully listened to both sides, and told them how silly it was to argue, since both of them were the fastest--Lucario on the land, and Beautifly in the air."

"Makes sense..." Lyra notes as she gets up to get more macaroni and cheese.

"So the Lucario and the Beautifly made up, and gave Jack a ruby and an emerald as thanks." Maya continues.

"We thank you for your good advice. If you are ever in trouble, and we can help you, sing to the ruby to call me..." Brock jumps in the role of the Lucario.

"...and to the emerald to call me..." May adds as the Beautifly.

"and we will come." Brock finishes the sentence.

"So Jack arrived at the castle gate, and when the guards checked his basket, the basket really did have the shining Berries of the Tree of Life, and when Jack gave the guards a few to sample, they felt so energized and full of life that Jack was immediately taken to the king, who in turn took him to Princess Wendy's room." Maya goes on. "He gave her a Berry, and she was completely healed.  The king's heart was filled with joy, and he asked if she wanted to marry Jack. But Princess Wendy wasn't sure, so she told her father that if Jack was truly brave, pure, and unselfish, he would first bring her the sapphire ring that the king had dropped in the sea twenty-four years before."

Everyone laughs as they picture Jack's face. "Jack panicked at first--how was he supposed to know where the ring was?" Maya continues. "But then he remembered the sapphire, hurried to a stream, then sang to the gem..."

Rou iitsa ron selga vichii... Ash sings as Jack.

"The Seaking dove down to the riverbed, and soon returned with the ring." Maya continues. "The king received the ring with great surprise, went to Princess Wendy, and told her..."

"You know what was promised the one who could cure you, and the boy has passed your test." Brock explains as the king.

"Princess Wendy, however, said the one test wasn't enough." Maya intones. "She had to have a husband who could provide her with a castle as large and beautiful as her current one, made out of  wax, and shine like diamonds."

[How is THAT possible?] the Pichu gasps. [If the sun got hot, the castle would melt like ice cream!]

"Well, at first Jack's face fell at the news." Maya explains. "And he did wonder how he was going to find wax that could withstand the summer sun." she adds, acknowledging the Pichu with a nod. "But then he remembered the emerald, so he ran out to an open field, and sang to the gem...."

Seios, higarima laisido... Ash sings as Jack.

"The Beautifly arrived and Jack told her everything." Maya continues. "She promised to do what she could, and enlisted some Combees to help her. The next morning, when the people woke up, there stood a castle of heat-resistant wax, as large and beautiful as the royal castle itself, and gleaming like diamonds."

"See? Toldja Jack would find a way, Tarina." Brock assures the Pichu before getting back into character as the king. "Now I can grant you no more time; now you must take him. You can see that he knows more than most people."

"Princess Wendy was surprised at what she had seen; but she still had one more test." Maya intones. "She asked Jack to bring her the three hottest pieces of rock in Mt. Ember. If he could bring her those she would be convinced of his bravery, kindness, and humility, and marry him."

"Hope Jack has a heat suit..." Max whispers to May.

"The king was understandably mad, yet he respected Princess Wendy's wishes, and told Jack what she wanted." Maya continued. "At first Jack was very sad--how could he survive Mt. Ember's scorching heat without being charred?  But then he remembered the ruby, hurried out to  the path leading to the mountain, and sang to the ruby...."

Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul... Ash sings as Jack, making the ruby in his Mega Ring glow for a few seconds.

"The Lucario came, and Jack told him everything." Maya narrates  "The Lucario promised to do what he could, and soon returned with the three rocks in a heat proof container. Jack took them, ran as fast as he could to the castle, and threw them into Princess Wendy's lap. They immediately flared up, and she was nearly choked by the fire and smoke."

Laughter goes up at the comical scene. "After collecting herself, Princess Wendy said she had no further objections to becoming Jack's bride." Maya concludes. "And so it was that they were married and he received half the kingdom as a wedding present."

[And they lived happily ever after!] Tarina adds.

Brock smiles as everyone else applauds. "Yes, that's right."  
Maya explains the rules of a storytelling contest, and tells a tale herself to inspire them

(real tale: oaks.nvg.org/marta.html#the-tr…
© 2014 - 2024 LightningTopaz
Comments0
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In