A stream of sunshine blinded Vio as he tried to open his eyes.
The young purple-clad hero moaned as he sat up, wincing from the pain in his side. He looked down and saw a bloody bandage. Glancing around, he thought, Where am I?
He noticed he had been laying on a small bed made of wood and straw. Strangely enough his pillow was a log. It seemed he was in a small cabin that had been crudely constructed. Sunlight streamed through tiny holes in a tarp that served as a roof. What is this place?
"Hello?" called Vio weakly. "Is anyone here?"
There was no answer.
Vio eased himself off the bed and walked over to a table with an open book and a red chili pepper lying beside it. He flipped through pages, half reading the entries.
"Already reading someone's private diary, eh?"
Vio flinched and stumbled backwards. "No. I mean…I didn't know it was yours…I just."
An elderly husky man stood in the doorway. "It's okay. It's okay. My you're fidgety. Glad you're awake. I was beginning to wonder about you. Can't train someone who's dead."
"Can't train someone who's 'dead'?" repeated Vio.
"I've been watching you and your friends for the past two days." The man peered out of a hole in the wall that served as a window "Oh, and here they come now." The man stroked his snow-white beard "Right on schedule."
By now, Vio's head was throbbing with questions. Friends? Training? Schedule? "W-what are you talking about?"
"Shhh, shhh, here they come. Ha ha. They're trying to sneak up on the cabin. Oh, this is going to be good!"
"Who are you?" asked Vio flabbergasted.
"Your trainer." He paused and looked out the window again. "Oh my. They're arguing. The four of you really do have problems working together."
He's been watching us for two whole days? Then that means this must be the guy that Green was talking about. This guy's probably nuts! I've got to get out of here. Vio glanced around the room. An ax lay against the back wall. He quietly snuck over to it.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," said the old man still looking out the window.
Vio paused. Was he talking to him or the others outside? He reached for the ax again, keeping his eyes on the old man.
"Oh my gosh, that blue fellow is quite rude. I hope you know what you're doing, Impa." The old man turned and stared at Vio holding the ax. "Trust issues, eh?"
Vio held his ground and positioned the ax to swing it.
"Well," said the old man chuckling, "now what are you going to do?"
Vio nervously took a step back. "I'm going to join my brothers…and then…and then we're—" Vio grabbed his side, dropping the ax.
The old man walked over to him and picked him up. "You're not ready to fight yet." He laid him on the bed. "Rest now."
"Ahh," cried Vio. His wound had opened back up. Blood spilled out of the already soaked bandages. "Let me go! Please! Ahh!"
"Rest now. We'll talk later."
Vio watched the man walk back to the window. Who is this guy?
Meanwhile outside, the three crouched behind some barrels.
"That was Vio's voice!" said Red. "He sounds like he's hurting. Maybe a monster has him!"
"That's it!" said Blue grabbing a pitchfork resting up against some barrels, "We need to act now!"
Green grabbed his shoulder. "You don't even know who 'they' are! If we're not careful—"
Blue rolled his eyes. "Talk, talk, talk. I'm not just going to wait around while they murder our brother!"
Green doubled his fists. "Fine! Red, sneak up to the window and try to see what's going on."
"Why me? Why do I always have to go first?"
"Red," grumbled Green.
Red huffed and crept up to the window. "I can't hear anything," he shouted back.
"Whisper you, Idiot!" said Blue.
"Red, watch out!" shouted Green as a hand reached trough the window and grabbed the ruby-clad boy by the back of his tunic.
"Ahh! Green! Bl—!" Within seconds, the boy disappeared through the hole.
The two stood there in shock.
Finally, Green spoke. "He's gone! Just like that! Blue, what do we do?"
"What do you mean, 'what do we do'? You're the leader! Think!"
"I-I can't!" Green leaned up against the barrel. "Blue?" Green looked over where Blue had been crouching. "Blue?!" panicked Green as he saw the sapphire-clad boy march into the cabin.
Twenty seconds later, the pitchfork flew out the window that Red was abducted from and landed inches from Green's feet. With a shaky hand, Green pulled it out of the ground. He slowly removed a sapphire hat smeared with blood from the prongs.
No, he thought. N-n-n-o-o-o-o-o! Nausea took over and Green felt dizzy. You'll pay for this! Green looked up at the cabin's window. The dark shadowy form of a man stood watching him. Green shouted, "You'll pay for this! Do you hear me? You will pay for this!" He picked up the pitchfork and charged the cabin like Blue had done. Blue was right. We shouldn't have waited. Hold on guys. I'm coming!