"Look OUT!"
*TWANG*
*SNAP*
*CRASH*
Hyrule stared in horror as his eight companions now hung, suspended and helpless upside down from a series of magically infused vines. The strong green fibers moved fast winding tight cocoons around their bodies up to their necks from the canopy of trees above. They swung and bounced off each other in an undignified way.
"Oh For the LOVE OF-OW-HEY!" Shouted Legend angrily as he tried to thrash (wiggle?) about in his wrappings but only succeeded in busting his lip on the edge of Times shield when they swung into each other. He twisted around in the wind leaking blood up his face with a scowl. "What the hell is THIS!?"
"Well, It was a TRAP. Duh." Huffed Wars indignantly albeit slightly muffled, his scarf dangling up and obscuring most of his face, he tried and failed several times to blow it out of his way but there was just too much fabric. He was effectively blind. "One would think a 'Veteran of the Hero Business' would have maybe caught that bit.."
"Why You- ExCUSE YOU? SAY THAT TO MY FACE Y- OW! HEY!" Legend howled spinning in tight uncontrolled circles, once again smashing into Time, this time face to face hitting the bigger man square on the head.
"Ow….Would you STOP THAT!" Time demanded, making Legend immediately cease his wriggling and cussing though both still swayed and spun with the momentum of the ruckus.. "Is anyone NOT stuck?" He called out.
"I-I am!" Hyrule called up from the ground below. "I'll cut you down! I just need to.. get up there.."
"Well…thank goodness for That.." Legend mumbled under his breath.
"No rush.." Called Wild, who seemed to be taking this very well. He swayed gently from side to side mostly facing the rest of the group.
"I… I think Im going to be sick…" A thin whine came from Wind who was looing a little green around the gills.
"Keep it TOGETHER!" Time barked. "We'll get through this..remain calm and wait for-"
"Hyrule!" Cried Twilight in visible relief drawing everyone's attention to the spry young man.
He had managed to shimmy op one of the massive trees and was now hanging over a branch from his knees and trying very hard to cut a vine wrapping Twilight's middle.
"Please... Brace yourself" The smaller man begged as he worked, locking eyes with the rancher. "Be ready to drop. I can't stop the fall."
Twilight nodded, looking up at the ground, and squared his shoulders, preparing for a potentially very unpleasant fall. The others watched in tense silence, waiting.
"NOW!" Cried Hyrule as the vine snapped.
Twilight began to spin in yo-yo wrap-like fall, screaming the whole way. All faces stared in horror. There was no way to stop it. Just before he hit the ground the vine seemed to recoil and draw him back up. Winding around him as it reeled him back in.
"What?" cried Hyrule watching the event below him unfold. Before he could move or react another magic vine snagged his hands and wrapped him in much the same way as his friends save for the fact that he was actually upright. "What is this magic!? AAUGHHHHHH!" He screamed, really, for once actually losing his temper.
He kicked his loose feet in the air trying and failing to shake loose.
"Hey…Hey! It's Ok!" Called Twilight encouragingly to him from nearby. Being rewound up in the vine had done him no favors; still suspended upside down, his whole body save for one leg was now caught in the binding. The free leg he kept trying to hook behind his bound one to keep them together, but it kept slipping of the vine and left them splayed at an awkward and painful right angle. "We'll figure this out ok?" His body twisted away so that he could no longer see his friend. "'Rule? You hear me? It's gonna be ok.."
An evil little chuckle bubbled from above them.
"Man…" a silky, dark voice teased. "You guys are DUuuuuUMB."
A small black devil-looking winged creature with clawed hands and feet fluttered down in front of the chain from the canopy. It continued. "I mean… I've seen onesies-and twosies fall into the same trap but this?"
He alighted on Hyrule's head, leaning back into the fluff of his hair and kicking one small leg over the other bouncing his knee. He looked down into the man's upturned face. "This is a new record…"
"What IS this! SPEAK DEMON!" spat Legend at him, eyes burning with venom.
The creature laughed lightly and flew up to the screaming thrashing man, now fluttering upside down just to be in the man's face and be cheeky.
"THIS…is a trap!" clapped the little devil with glee. "It wasn't meant for you though… But, somehow, this is …Mmmmm even funnier?"
He snatched the blue cap from the top of the pink-haired mans head to a cry of protest.
"Oooooh. Cozy." He pulled it around him like a blanket. "Thanks, I think I'll keep it. Oh… and I wouldn't struggle if I were you. The vines will only get tighter."
He flitted off back up into the trees cackling despite, or perhaps because of the Hero's angry sounds. Below them a rustling of the brush caught the attention of everyone. A high, snide laugh rung out.
"Well, Well Well, What do we have he-…..oh." A very small pale man with green-tinted skin and large ears appeared out of the brush below and immediately buried his face in his palm. "Ohno.. not again. Bean's going to be so Mad.."
He sighed heavily and sat down hard on a nearby tree stump.
"I KNOW right!?" the little black devil-creature gushed, reappearing. he landed lighting beside the small green man with Legend's very much oversized hat upon his head. The green fellow sighed.
"Luci. You look ridiculous…Where did you even find that."
"Up there," Luci gestured vaguely to the men still dangling above. "I like it. It smells like the dark world and I'm keeping it. It's mine now. It's better than your stupid hat." As if making a point he burrowed himself into the blue cap like a sleeping bag and poked his head out.
"Luci. NO! Bad! We don't steal!"" The man complained.
"Mine, Elfo!" countered Luci and "Yes! Yes. We do…we SO do. Remember that wagon in Dreamland?"
"I-…" The man seemed to think this over "Well that was a long time ago and anyways I don't see how-
"Uuuh..Excuse me! Gents? There seems to be some kind of misunderstanding here.. Could you perhaps release this spell? We mean you no harm.." Time interrupted from above to the general rumblings of agreement from most of the company.
"Sorry Mister.." The green man said and seemed to mean it. "No can do. I mean.. I would if I could…*probably* you seem like 'ok' guys..if a little stupid. But I can't undo this magic. We'll have to wait for Bean. It's her spell" He swung his short legs over the side of the stump and looked up at them. "What are you doing here anyway? These woods are dangerous you know.."
"Yeah…We know." Said Wars, still unable to see behind the folds of his long scarf. "That's actually why were here."
The green man barked a short mirthless laugh. "Well, then maybe it's a good thing that we caught you.. because trust me these are no ordinary monsters. Now I'm sure your local village or whatever is super proud of you for all coming out and doing your due diligence or whatever,, But trust me. Whatever 'monsters' you think you came out here to slay and play hero? They're not what you're used to.. They're not even from this World. So when we cut you down… Just go on home. To your little farms and families. Say the problem is dealt with. We'll take it from here."
Legend made an indignant noise of disbelief, still staring daggers at the duo on the ground but bit his tongue on whatever he was thinking of saying.
"You're…fighting the monsters?" Time asked, carefully, eyeing the pair.
Luci snorted and The green man, now known as Elfo actually laughed out loud. "Oh Heaven's no!" He chuckled lightly, "At least not if I can help it.."
"We leave most of the heavy lifting to the Queen." The little demon smirked from his spot curled inside the hat.
"The ..Queen?" Time pushed. Before anything else could be said a rustling of leaves and brush nearby caused all to redirect their attention.
"*sigh* What are you idiots talking about? You better not be-" A tall white-blonde woman in a black cloak and absurdly tall boots walked out from the tree line. She groaned in aggravation and pinched the bridge of her nose when she looked up and saw the chain. "Oh great...I am ENTIRELY too sober for this shit.."
