Just Another Day in the Life
A/N: No prompt! Gasp! I really couldn't even begin to explain where the idea for this plot-bunny came from, but it gave us another update so why look a gift horse in the mouth, right? Anyway, I'm going to try and stick with my recent 500 (or 1,000) words or less. So without further ado, enjoy!
XXV
"I'm warning you, if you don't answer correctly, I'm coming back from the dead to kick your ass!" Fuu boomed from her literal cage. There were three, two of which she and Jin were less-than-proud to claim as their own.
It was all their faults. If they had just agreed to pay the toll, they wouldn't have been suckered into playing this stupid, stupid game. The river the bridge ran across didn't even have that swift of a current. If worse came to worse, Fuu would have had no problem simply swimming across. But no. Her two bodyguards were men. Stupid, pugnacious, obstinate, men.
The moment the bridge caretaker mentioned the other form of accepted toll payment, the trio was done for. Jin could never resist a good riddle, and Mugen could never back down from a challenge.
So here sat an imprisoned Fuu and Jin, a testament of what would happen if they gave the wrong answer. Mugen had wisely chosen to keep his mouth shut while his two companions attempted to stump the man.
"What is it you keep after giving to someone else?" Fuu had gone first, eager to prove that she could play ball just as well as the sharp-tongued ronin.
The bridge caretaker had laughed at her. "Easy – your word!"
Jin had gone next, asking, "There are four brothers in this world, all born together. The first runs, yet never wearies. The second eats, yet is never full. The third drinks, yet is forever parched. The fourth sings a song that is rarely good."
The man had taken a moment to think, absorbing the mouthful of information before his face lit up with a grin and sent Jin to his shame. "Water, Fire, Earth, and Wind!"
Mugen now stood, tapping his foot anxiously and trying to tune out Fuu's wailing and Jin's glare. "I ain't too good with words, pops."
The bridge caretaker ginned jovially. "Take all the time you need, boy. Neither of us is in a rush."
"Mugen, so help me –!" Fuu was too frustrated to complete her thought, finishing it off with a ferocious snarl instead.
"Surely, you must know at least one riddle?" Jin spoke from next to Fuu.
Mugen snapped his fingers in revelation and grinned wickedly. "Okay, old timer, riddle me this."
The man nodded patiently and quirked a brow in mild interest as Mugen drew his sword.
"It stands on one leg with its heart in its head."
He didn't even skip a beat, chuckling haughtily. "Cabbage, you –"
The pirate interrupted the man's insult when he placed his blade to his neck. "Wrong answer, pops."
A/N: Okay so I wasn't inspired by that one fairy tale – 3 Billy Goats Gruff? – until the end. I'm not even sure which fairy tale it is for sure, but it has something to do with a troll and toll over (under?) a bridge. This wasn't inspired by that. I remembered that tale while in the brainstorming process, actually. It just made more sense having them pay a toll over a bridge with riddles, instead of having them face a random opponent who fancied a good riddle when they could just knock his head from his shoulders in half the time. I mean, that's basically what our resident pirate winds up doing in the end, but either way, I hope you enjoyed. It was fun to write and hopefully fun to read. 440 words, excluding title and author's notes. As for the chapter title, XXV is 25 in Roman numerals (since this one didn't have a prompt). How did I do? Did I stump any of you? Let me know, or give me some of your own riddles! How about I make the riddle that stumps me the new chapter 25 title as reward! See you next update, loves!