Before I start, I would like to thank 80icrazy80 for the idea for this chapter. I'll mention something else at the end, but for now: Enjoy!
Legolas was in his room reading a book recounting every weapon ever made and every type of weapon known to the elves. He had been studying the section on bows, specifically the bows of the Galadhrim, hoping one day he might receive one. But the book wasn't important. What was important was that Legolas couldn't focus on the page because his mind was too busy scheming. It had been nearly a year since he had returned to Mirkwood after his and Estel's failed revenge on the twins. But today, any minute now, delegates from Imladris were due to arrive. Elrond himself wasn't coming, but he had sent a party of representatives in his name to do follow up negotiations in regards to almost a year ago when Thranduil and he had been together in Rivendell and had been doing political things. Legolas knew there was a good chance that Elladan and Elrohir were going to be among the representatives, and he planned to make their stay very 'welcome'. The elven prince flipped a page in his book, but never got to read the first word when a knock at the door interrupted him.
"Enter." Legolas said, looking up from his book.
A messenger came in and bowed, "Prince Legolas, your father has told me to come and tell you that the delegates from Imladris have arrived."
"Excellent…" Legolas said with an evil smirk. The messenger took a step back, frightened by Legolas' sudden evil expression.
"So… I will be on my way then- with your permission, my prince." Said the messenger.
"Of course," Legolas said, still evilly grinning, "You are dismissed." The messenger wasted no time sprinting out of the room.
Legolas arrived at the front entrance of the palace and found a small crowd of elves from Rivendell at the entrance, being greeted formally by his father. Searching quickly, Legolas easily spotted the two identical elves that were the twins. He snuck up on them and grabbed their arms quickly, pulling them into a nearby hallway.
One of them gave a startled "Wha-!?". Legolas glared at them in a not-quite-so-menacing way that only he and few others could achieve. It was the glare that made you think he wanted to playfully punch you in a way that you would appreciate.
"Don't think I've forgotten what you did to Estel and I last time we saw each other." Legolas said threateningly.
"Well hello to you too, Legolas." The twins said sarcastically in unison.
He continued like he hadn't been interrupted; "But now, this is my home, Mirkwood is where I live, and this time, I will get my vengeance." Now, the twins shared his evil smile.
"Is that a challenge to another prank war?" Elladan asked,
"The old one never ended." Legolas said,
"Well then-" Elrohir said, he took a step back and reached behind him, pulling a slightly shorter figure out of the crowd.
"Estel!" Legolas exclaimed happily.
"Here." The twins said, shoving Estel towards Legolas, "Just so it's a fair fight."
"I'm not a game piece, just so you know." Said an annoyed Estel, "Hey Legolas.". The human walked the rest of the way and stood beside Legolas.
"Not as if he'll be much help." Elladan muttered. Estel glared.
"So the pranking begins." Elrohir said, and all four of them evilly and mischievously grinned.
=========O=========
After an initial, very boring, obligatory, extremely formal greeting event, everyone was shown to their rooms. Estel put his bag in his room and then headed to Legolas' to plan their attacks.
"Not that I'm unhappy to see you, but why are you here?" Legolas asked before they started scheming, "I know your brothers are here as ambassadors, but what are you here for?"
"I asked to come along." Said Estel, sitting on Legolas' bed, beside the left-open weapons book. "And Father let me."
"Well that's lucky." Legolas said, "Because as long as I have been scheming, I have not come up with anything good enough." They both thought for a moment.
"Hey, what's this?" Estel asked, looking at the open page Legolas had not read. There was a beautiful coloured sketch of a long sword with an elegant silver blade and an artfully built handle that was tinged blue with a gold design. "This looks like the kind of sword Elladan and Elrohir have been talking about for months! They keep talking about how much they want one."
Legolas turned slowly; "Really?"
Estel nodded, then spoke in an overly exaggerated excited voice, imitating his brothers; "It's called a Hîrmegil! It's the best kind of sword available! Only about five were ever made and two were destroyed! It's the best sword ever! We want one so terribly!"
"Oh yes." Legolas said sinisterly, "But the question is; how terribly?" Legolas evil-laughed.
"What are you suggesting?"
"Follow me."
=========O=========
In the Armory…
Legolas led the way to the very back of the armory where sat an elegant box.
"Now look at this." Legolas said, taking the elaborately decorated box off a nearby shelf. It was empty, but they both looked at the box, etched into the side was a Tengwar inscription that read; Hîrmegil
"How do you have a Hîrmegil box!?" Estel exclaimed,
"Well…" Legolas began, but he was interrupted by the door suddenly opening. The same messenger from earlier stepped in, informing Legolas that there had just been another meeting scheduled for the next day.
Once the messenger left, Legolas turned back to Estel; "It doesn't really matter, but right now you need to help me with something."
=========O=========
The forest surrounding the palace was dark and dense as always mostly covered in shadow, but Legolas and Estel were not there to examine the shadow. They were there to catch a specifically horrendous, but not venomous or harmful species of toad. The two stopped by a small pond, murky and black.
"Look in there," Legolas pointed, "Do you see anything?"
Estel looked, "No."
The elf picked up a stick, kneeled beside the pond and poked it into the water. A splash on the surface appeared. Something brown-green and slimy could be seen momentarily.
"Here," Legolas said, handing Estel the net they had brought along, "I'll push it into your net, you catch it."
"Um, okay." Estel said doubtfully, kneeling beside Legolas "How do you know this will work?"
"I used to catch these for fun when I was an elfling." Legolas replied. The elf poked the stick into the water once more, looking quite ungraceful prodding the water. A large, sudden eruption of water splashed up into both of their faces and they fell backwards in surprised, covered in murky water. When the water was calm, Estel looked to Legolas;
"Did you know that was going to happen!?" He demanded.
"Yes." Legolas answered calmly, "However you would not have agreed to help had I told you."
Estel sighed in annoyance.
"Look!" Legolas said, eyeing the net to which Estel now turned his attention, "Success!" Surprisingly, there was something in the net. It was as big as Estel's hand and was a small, lump of a creature, brownish-green and quite ugly. Its eyes were a spotted black and purple.
"Poke it." Legolas smirked. Estel doubtfully glanced at Legolas,
"And why would I do that, elf?"
"Estel, nothing will happen."
"Then why did you tell me to poke at it?"
"Just do it."
"No. Something is obviously going to happen."
"I give you my word that nothing will happen to you."
"You're a bad liar."
"Only occasionally."
"More than occasionally." Estel snorted.
"Fine then, don't poke it."
"Why not?"
"You're the one who didn't want to poke it."
"Well now I do. Why should I not!?"
Legolas shrugged.
"Fine." Estel said, prodding the toad with his finger. The toad-thing croaked and more murky black water squirted out into Estel's face. The human yelped and covered his face. Luckily he didn't drop the net. Legolas burst out laughing. Estel glared. On a whim, he grabbed the toad in his hands and threw it at Legolas' face, who was caught unaware and got hit in the face with a toad.
"Gah!" Legolas screamed in a much undignified way. Now Estel burst out laughing. Legolas lunged at Estel with a snarl, but the human had assumed Legolas would do this and jumped out of the way-
Into the murky pond. Legolas chuckled as Estel surfaced, spitting out water.
"Let me help you." Legolas said, offering his hand. Estel gladly took it and pulled Legolas into the water with a splash. Legolas surfaced, playful murder in his eyes;
"If I wasn't already at war with your brothers and needed an ally, you would be dead, Estel." Legolas threatened.
"Luckily, you are at war with my brothers and do need an ally." Estel said cheerfully.
Legolas snarled again and lunged at the young man, tackling them both underwater. When they both finally managed to break out from underwater, they looked at each other, now they were both soaking in the black murky pond water. They both cracked smiles at each other. It was then Legolas noticed;
"Our toad escaped." He pointed out. Estel groaned, burying his hands into his face.
=========O=========
A few hours later, Legolas and Estel had managed to catch two toads and bring them back to the palace.
"Well, now for the actual prank." Legolas said. They had both changed into clean, dry clothes and had but the toads in a box in Legolas' room. Legolas slid the Hîrmegil box out from under his bed and opened the ornate lid. With Estel's help and some difficulty, they managed to lock the toad-things into the empty Hîrmegil box.
"How shall we give this to them?" Estel asked.
"That shouldn't be a problem." Legolas replied. He called the messenger that had told him about the meeting and about the twins arriving. The messenger arrived, looking doubtful and wondering what the prince wanted him for.
"Take this." Legolas said, giving the box of toads to the messenger.
"What is-" The messenger started, before Legolas cut him off.
"Do not ask what is in it, or why I want it delivered." The messenger shut up, "But you must take this to the Lords Elladan and Elrohir. Tell them only that it comes as a gift from the crown of Mirkwood. Then, I advise you leave the room swiftly." Legolas ordered. The messenger nodded, obviously confused. "Oh, and make certain you say not a word of this to my father." Legolas added. The messenger nodded again and walked off with the box of toads.
Legolas and Estel snickered and followed from a distance. Elladan and Elrohir were in a hallway talking to two dignitaries from Mirkwood. When they saw the messenger approach with the box, the two other elves bowed politely and left. Legolas and Estel watched quietly from behind a pillar. The messenger gave the twins the box and relayed Legolas' message to the word. Then he bowed quickly and ran out of the hallway as Legolas had advised.
The twins peered at the box in curiosity.
"What is this?" Elrohir asked.
"It seems to be a box" Elladan answered.
"Well obviously."
"What does this say...?" Elladan turned the box to the side and read the inscription, "Hîrmegil!"
"Honestly?!" The look on Elrohir's face was was priceless- his eyes lit up and he stepped closer to the unopened box.
"What did we do to deserve such fortune?" Wondered Elladan.
"Open it. I don't believe it!" Elrohir urged.
The twins opened the lid and immediately, the two toads sprang out onto the twins' faces. Obviously surprised, they dropped the box and Elladan fell back ending up on the floor.
"What!?" They exclaimed at the same. Elladan looked at the toad inquisitively.
"What is this?" He poked it. Guck water sprayed in his face. "Ahh!" Elladan tossed the toad away from him and it somehow ended up leaping towards Elrohir. Trying to catch it, the elder twin flailed his hands in front of his face, trying to catch Elladan's toad and trying to black his at the same time. Elladan tried getting up, wiping the guck out of his eyes at the same time, but his foot caught on Elrohir's robe and both of them fell onto the floor.
"Amusing." Legolas whispered to Estel,
"But not amusing enough." Estel said.
Legolas nodded, "My thoughts exactly." Just at that moment, Elladan's toad hopped towards Legolas, who picked it up. "Thanks for this idea." He whispered to Estel. With that, the elven prince threw the toad at the twins. The toad hit Elrohir's face and he looked up immediately. Elladan followed his gaze.
"Legolas! Estel!" They shouted. Then a full-fledged toad-fight broke out. The two toads flew through the air, hitting various faces. Many screams were heard down the hallway and they all went all-out, chucking the toads across the hall. The toads spat guck all over the floor and they all slipped more than once. Legolas brought his hand back to throw Elrohir's toad and Estel had just tackled Elladan who was just about to throw a toad at Legolas, when a voice rang through the air;
"LEGOLAS!"
It was Thranduil.
Legolas dropped the toad he was holding and it hopped over to Thranduil's feet. Estel climbed off the twin he had just tackled and Elladan stood up, trying his best to look as dignified as one could after being tackled to the ground holding a toad. The toads hopped around on the floor.
"Adar…" Legolas croaked out. "I- I can explain."
"Legolas, come with me. Now." Thranduil commanded harshly. Legolas dropped his hands to his sides and his head bowed in shame. He shambled off after his father, who's silver robes flowed behind him.
(Ynnealay)
Okay, so first off: Sorry for the delay.
Second: I have run out of ideas for pranks. If anybody has any ideas, please leave them in reviews or PM me or something. I'm out of ideas. This chapter's brilliant idea came from 80icrazy80 and I am very grateful. If you give me a good idea, I might tweak it a bit or keep it as is. In the chapter, I'll give you credit. So please send in ideas.
Also,if you want to give Riellebay any ideas, you can give those to her in her chapters as reviews and I promise I won't read them. Or at the start of your PMs to this account (since she doesn't have one of her own), just say they're for her. Again, I won't read them.
So I think that's it. I hope you're still enjoying this :)
Next chapter: The first chapter in a while written by Riellebay :P
~* Reviews Please? *~
*~Ynnealay~*
