Tree of Life
(Theme song - Kim Possible by Disney Channel on YouTube)
(Abigail's POV)
It's been a few days since we saved Professor Pickle & Uncle Chuck from Eggman. Right now, we were in the Sky Patrol, heading for Mercia, to meet up with Rob O' & his Freedom Fighters. It felt really weird coming back to my homeland after a whole year. But if it meant finding a clue to the origins of my pendant, I was willing to go anywhere*
*When we arrived at the edge of Deerwood Forest, Friar Buck was waiting for us, just like last time. We all stepped out & greeted him*
Friar Buck: My dear friends. I welcome you all back to the Kingdom of Snottingham. Especially, Lady Abigail Catz. Welcome home.
Abigail: Thanks, Buck. It's great to see you again.
Friar Buck: Indeed. Come, the others are waiting in Hideaway.
*When we made it to Hideaway, we showed the scroll to our fellow Freedom Fighters & told them what the Professor told us*
Sonic: So, any of this ringing any bells?
Rob O': Hmm . . . I do remember my Mother telling me a story about such a place when I was a lad.
Amy: She did?
Rob O': Yes. You were probably too young to remember. It tells of an ancient tree that is far to the north and guarded by a warrior who is as old as the tree and attacks any who dares approach.
Abigail: Whoa.
Huckleberry: Chao.
Rotor: Do you really believe such a place exists?
Rob O': I'm not really sure.
Abigail: It's the only lead we've got so far.
*I pulled out a second scroll*
Thorn: What's that?
Abigail: It's a map Professor Pickle gave me. He said the archaeologists made this map after they returned to the University. In case they ever decided to go back.
Sally: Then it's settled. We'll set out tomorrow morning & follow the map to the tree.
*We all then went to get some sleep for tomorrow's adventure*
*The next day, after breakfast, we all set out. Following the map. We walked through the forest until we came to a very old rope bridge over a very deep canyon next to a waterfall that went down to a river below. Sonic shook it & a few pieces broke off*
Sonic: I think it'll hold it we go two at a time.
Sally: Good idea. You and I will go first.
*Sonic nodded & went ahead of her. They both carefully watched their steps until they made it to the other side*
Sonic: Nothing to it! Come on, guys!
*After that, each of us went across two by two. Huck & I partnered with Big & Froggy. Tails, Cream, Cheese, & Bunnie flew across & Rotor literally dragged a shaking Antoine across. Soon, most of us were on the other side. Lacey had to go alone because there was a uneven number of us*
Lacey:*to Rotor & Antoine* Are you two almost done?
*Suddenly, as she was halfway across the bridge, she fell through one of the planks. But managed to held on to some of the rope as the rest of the plank fell into the river. She had also dropped the map, since she was the one holding it*
Tails: Hold on, Lacey!
Lacey: Trust me! I wasn't even thinking of letting go!
*She quickly reached into her purse & took out her dental floss. The purse slid off her shoulder & fell into the river. She took some floss in her teeth & extended it. She then threw the box to a tree branch & wrapped around it. Using the floss like a vine, she swung to the cliff & started to climb*
Rotor: Hey neat trick, Lacey.
*Soon, she was at the top of the cliff*
Lacey: Dental floss. Don't leave home without it.
*Rotor pulled her up*
Bow: Apologies about your bag, Miss Lacey.
Lacey: No big. That one was from last season anyway. I've got extras back on Sky Patrol.
Abigail: It's true. She's got a drawer full of them.
Amy: Now which way do we go?
*Suddenly, my pendant started to glow a really bright purple light*
Rob O': Gadzooks!
*The light started to thin & turned into a beam of light that pointed towards a very think part of the forest*
Bow: I guess we follow the magic beam of light. *Buck cleared his throat* Ah! I mean, onward my friends!
*And that's what we did. Antoine & I went ahead of the group, slicing at the plants in our way with our swords*
Alan Quail:*whispering* Has her necklace always been able to do that?
Tails:*whispering* And a few other things.
*We walked a little bit further until we came to a clearing. In the middle of it was the biggest tree I'd ever seen (look up "Tree of Life" by "lordeeas" on "DeviantArt") (maybe even bigger than the Great Tree). At the base of the trunk was a stone entrance (look up "forest temple" by "Glucke" on 'DeviantArt"). The beam of light from my pendant was going through the entrance*
Bunnie: Oh mah stars . . .
Amy: It's beautiful.
Rob O': I don't believe it. My Mother's stories were true.
*I looked down at the beam of light & started to walk towards the temple entrance*
Sonic: Well, follow the leader.
*Everyone followed behind me. I was about 8 feet away from the steps to the entrance when suddenly, a knife was thrown at my feet & imbedded in the ground in front of me*
?:*off-screen* Who dares approach the Tree of Life!?
*We all got ready for battle*
Munch: Who's there!? Show yerself!
*Just then, a figure landed in the shadow of the branches in front of us. They stepped forward, revealing a brown female cat with long dark hair in a braid, blue eyes, peach skin, & wearing a blue tribal outfit (look up "Nakoma, Protector of the Tree of Life (redraw)" by "SwanGirl24" on "DeviantArt"). She was holding a spear*
Tails: Who are you?
Nakoma: I am Nakoma of the Naukan Tribe. Guardian of the Tree of Life. Who are you and why have you come here?
*Everyone put their weapons down. Sally & Rob stepped towards her*
Sally: I am Princess Sally Acorn. Leader of the Knotehole Freedom Fighters.
Rob O': And I am King Rob O' Hedge. Leader of the Mercia Freedom Fighters.
*Sally reached into her backpack & pulled out the scroll*
Sally: We came here to learn about the incantation in this scroll and how it's connected to the pendant our friend is wearing.
*Nakoma looked to where she was pointing & gasped. She dropped her spear & ran up to me with a stern look*
Nakoma: Where did you get that!?
*I backed away, a little scared. Sonic & Bow stood in front of me*
Abigail: I - I got it from my Mom, who got it from my Grandma.
*She stared at me for a minute*
Nakoma: And where did your Grandmother get it?
Abigail: I don't know. My Mom told me it was a family heirloom & that Grandma told her that it fell from the heavens.
*Her eyes went wide when I said that. She then turned around & picked up her spear*
Nakoma: Follow me. I will show you all what you wish to know.
*We all silently watched her climb up the stone steps & stop at the entrance. She motioned for us to follow. We all looked at each other, shrugged, & followed her inside. She then strapped her spear to her back, took a lit torch off the wall, & led us through the temple. We went down a few hallways & a long spiral staircase until we came to to a room that had shelves filled with scrolls. Plants were growing everywhere (including vines on the walls). There was a pond in the middle of the room & strange writing on the walls*
Lacey: What is this place?
Nakoma: This is the temple archives. Here, you will learn everything you need to know about the stone and the power it holds. You are the first outsiders allowed to enter the Tree of Life.
Tails: What about the archeologists?
Nakoma: Ah, you mean the thieves.
Amy: Thieves?
Nakoma: A group of hairless monkeys came here many moons ago. They had only found the tree by accident, but they decided to explore anyway. I forebade them from entering, but they didn't heed my warning and snuck inside under the cover of night. They managed to get to this very room before I chased them out. *she pointed to the scroll that Sally was holding* But not before they stole they very scroll.
*We all looked a bit concerned after hearing that story. Sally took out the scroll & handed it to Nakoma*
Sally: Here. We've found what we're looking for, so we should give back to it's rightful owner. I'm sure Professor Pickle will understand.
*Nakoma just stared at the scroll for a minute, but then pushed it back towards Sally*
Nakoma: I thank you. But I'm not the one the scroll belongs to. *she pointed at me* By right of passage, it belongs to you now. In fact, every thing in this room belongs to you.
Abigail: Me? Why me?
Nakoma: Because, it is your birthright. The stone around your neck and everything here has belonged to your family for many generations.
*She pointed to something behind us. We all turned around & I gasped in surprise. Just above the door we came in, was a picture of the sun & moon overlapping each other. Drops were coming out of them & they stopped at the stone*
Thorn: What does it mean?
Nakoma: They tell the story of the stone's creation. Thousands of moons ago, on a day when the moon covered the sun, two drops of light fell from the heavens. One from the sun and the one from the moon. The two drops combined to create the stone. Whoever possessed it, was given great powers.
*We were all shocked at this. Me the most*
Abigail:*in her mind* So that's what Grandma meant when she said it fell from the heavens. *out loud* Are seeing the future, turning invisible, creating barriers, controlling ice and snow, and healing some of those powers?
Nakoma: Yes. Healing is a gift granted by the sun.
Sonic: And what does the moon do?
*She didn't answer. She just silently went to the shelves, picked up a scroll, & handed it to me*
Nakoma: Read this and you will know. *I opened it & saw the same writing from the first scroll, but it was arranged differently. just then, my pendant started to glow & the symbols changed to words. Nakoma turned to my friends* I suggest you all stand back.
*Everyone backed away from me as I stood at the edge of the pond & read one incantation out loud*
Abigail: Wither and decay. End this destiny. Break these earthly chains. And set the spirit free.
*I looked around & saw nothin happened*
Nakoma: Try it again.
*I nodded*
Abigail: Wither and decay. End this destiny. Break these earthly chains. And set the spirit free.
(Third-Person POV)
*As Abigail repeated the incantation, she didn't notice the ground under her feet turn black*
Sonic: Uh . . . Abby . . .
*Everyone started to get scared as the plants around them died & the water in the pond turned black*
Cream:*clinging to Amy* I'm scared, Miss Amy.
Cheese: Chao-Chao!
Amy: Don't worry, Cream. I've got you.
*Suddenly, Abigail's eyes & the stone in her pendant turned completely black. Everyone started to feel really weak & fell to their knees. Huck & Cheese fell to the floor*
Sally: Okay, Abby. You can stop now - *cough* Abigail! *gasp*
*Abigail didn't seem to hear her. She seemed to be in a trance*
*Abigail singing*
Wither and decay
*The scroll fell from her hands & on to the floor*
End this destiny
*Her ponytail came undone & a black aura surrounded her body*
Break these earthly chains
And set the spirit free
And set the spirit free
The spirit free
*As she kept repeating the incantation, tears fell from her eyes. The room started to crumble & it was getting harder for everyone to breath*
Sonic: Abby . . .
Sally: Stop . . . Please . . .
*Using what little strength she had, Nakoma stood up & let out a yell as she ran towards Abigail & rammed into her, knocking her off her feet*
Freedom Fighters: ABBY!
*She landed on her back in the pond. Her pendant went back to it's original color & the black aura around her body disappeared. Feeling their strength coming back, the Freedom Fighters all ran to her. Sonic picked her up bridal style*
Sonic: Abby?
Tails: Abby, can you hear us?
(Abigail's POV)
*I opened my eyes when I heard my friends voices*
Abigail Well, that was . . . Unexpected.
*My friends all my sighed in relief & then turned to Nakoma with glares*
Sonic: What the heck was that!?
Nakoma: It is that power given to your friend by the moon. While the sun grants the power of healing, the moon grants the power of . . . Destruction.
*Everyone was looking worried & I was starting to get scared. Sonic put me down on my feet, but helped me stay upright*
Abigail: Is there anyway to remove the power from the stone.
Nakoma: No. The powers of the sun and moon work together in the stone to complete each other. Day and Night. Light and Dark. Good and Evil. Life and Death. This world is full of many things that are different, but the differences are what keep our world balanced.
Tails: So . . . It's like Ying and Yang?
Nakoma: Yes. You cannot have one without the other.
*I looked at my pendant, a little scared of it now*
*After I rested a bit, Sally & Rob decided it was time for us to leave. Just as everyone else left the room, Nakoma stopped me*
Nakoma: This is for you.
*She handed me a scroll & I took it*
Abigail: What's this?
Nakoma: This is another incantation. Possibly the most powerful of them all.
*I started to get nervous*
Abigail: Is it for the sun or the moon?
Nakoma: This one is a combination of both. *I was surprised to hear that* But you must promise to only use it when it is absolutely necessary.
*I stared at the scroll in my hands for a minute, & then nodded*
Abigail: I promise. And thank you for all your help. I feel like I've found a missing part of me now.
Nakoma: Good.
*I smiled at her & went after the others*
*As we were leaving the area, I looked back at the tree & then at my pendant*
Abigail:*in her mind* Grandma, what other secrets have you been hiding from us?
(Third-Person POV)
*Once the Freedom Fighters we're out of sight, Nakoma went back into the tree. She went to a different room, where a glowing pond (look up "Mirror Pool" by "Kooner-cz" on "DeviantArt") lay in the middle. She touched the surface of the water with her finger, making ripples. The water started to glow brighter & an image of a figure appeared on the surface*
?:*off-screen* Nakoma?
Nakoma: Elder, I have news. I have found the stone.
Elder:*off-screen* What!? Are you sure? Who has it?
Nakoma: A young girl by the name of Abigail Catz. I believe that her Grandmother is the Guardian who disappeared 60 years ago.
Elder:*off-screen* Naomi . . .
Nakoma: Yes. I have given Abigail the scroll of the Sun and Moon. All we can do now is hope that she will find her way to her rightful home.
*The image of the Elder nodded & then disappeared from the reflection.
Decay Incantation - Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure