Chapter Text
"Uh. So, is this a planet or an illusion? I honestly can't tell."
Ying fixed Air a withering stare, which was warranted with what was going on so far. "You're asking this now?"
"Well, the fact that I'm drenched despite having control over water is a great time to question reality."
Touché.
Climbing up this rocky hill filled with jagged edges, the girl clad in yellow groans in disgust. They came across this one...really gross octopus...monster squid, thing, uh. Ying doesn't know what it is, nor does she really want to find out if it was just a Creature or a literal Eldritch God.
They probably fought an Eldritch God.
Ying kicked an Eldritch God in the face. What a day.
Anyway.
So now they're climbing up this hill, their clothes soggy from whatever that Creature had as its insides--because apparently, Eldritch Gods are balloons--and it's terrible, it's horrible, and she just wants to Go Home Now, Please. "This is going to take ages getting this off my hair!"
"Yeah, but what did it taste like, though?"
Ying stares.
Api stares back.
...how did this guy get here? Ying's gaze flickered to the ground behind the fire wielder, and--okay, those are scorch marks. "Have you been running away from something?"
The guy shrugs like it's no big deal. "A giant wall with a giant mouth trying to eat me."
Ying and Air look at him. "What."
Api looked back. "It's probably coming here, too. We should probably continue running before we become its appetizers."
"What."
Just then, a portion of the sky changed color. A small swirling pattern formed--followed by screaming. Red, brown, purple.
Petir fell to the left, almost sliding down the hill if Air didn't react quickly and stopped the descent with a water bubble. Tanah and Fang weren't quite as lucky, tumbling down together to the right, but at least they didn't almost fall down the hill, too.
Tanah did end up on top of Fang when they landed.
Which would have been fine and everything, but then Fang blurts out. "You need to take off those clothes."
Tanah was so startled he shot up with a gasp. Ying could definitely see Fang's hand holding Tanah's waist at the back.
It took a second for Fang to realize the implications of what he said. He ended up sputtering. "I didn't mean--"
Tanah's cheeks were a little pink. "I know."
"I just thought--"
"I understand. I do. So can you, um. Get your hand off me?"
Fang removed his hand like he'd been scalded by boiling water. Tanah smoothly got up and walked away in a very fast pace that Ying couldn't blame him for to go pick up Petir.
Said eldest brother was scowling and contemplating murder. Well.
"Petir", Tanah tries as he gently helps the lightning wielder up. "You should be the bigger person--"
Petir seethed, pulling his sleeve up his arm. "Absolutely not. I'm cursing his entire bloodline."
"Petir, no."
"Petir, yes."
And to that, Ying just raised an eyebrow towards. Were they? Talking about Fang??
Probably not, because Petir was scowling up at the sky like God himself had personally come down to fistfight him or something. By the way this whole thing is going, that's probably not farfetched.
This is so unreal. Ying wants to take a nap. Or see some pretty flowers.
Flowers would be good.
"Hey!", Daun's voice suddenly piped up like flower blooming. "We're alive!!"
Ying turns his head to see Daun floating thanks to Angin. Yaya was flying alongside the two brothers. The three of them were wearing gowns made out of flowers. Ballroom gowns, with flowing skirts and--they actually look good in them.
...okay. Why not?
Ying can't tell if this is a planet or an illusion, either. Who's left? Only Cahaya, Gopal, and Boboiboy, right?
They see Cahaya wobbling in next. His clothes were practically in tatters, showing skinship that's definitely inappropriate, panting, and covered in icky transparent slime.
Um.
Okay.
Api can't stop laughing. Fang sighs. "I tried to warn you. It really was better for us to just fight the stupid dragon instead."
Cahaya aimed a Light Shot at Fang's throat. Fang shoves his coat at Cahaya in response, as if it was normal to see Cahaya practically naked.
And honestly? This was the least weird thing that's happened today. Why the hell not.
Daun looked as happy as a cloud, at least? He immediately draped himself all over Cahaya, not even caring that he'd be covered in the slime, too. "Haya! Want a pretty dress, too? You'll look pretty, I promise!"
Angin was avoiding on looking at Cahaya in the eye. Ying has a feeling Cahaya would have preferred Angin laughing at him than this. But Tanah had rushed over, pulling Cahaya gently to the side so he can properly use Fang's coat to clean up their youngest as much as possible, so Cahaya will most likely be fine.
They're fine.
Except Boboiboy and Gopal aren't here yet.
"I feel like the Collector's just playing with us at this point", Fang sighs. "We haven't even seen Honestbot yet!"
Ying winced. That, too. She honestly forgot the whole reason why they're in this twisted Alice-in-Wonderland situation in the first place.
It was basically a tasked deal kind of matter. Get these ten items, you will get Honestbot. Sounds fair, right? Just trading?
HAHAHAHAHA, no.
Turns out, there's a reason why the Collector didn't get these items by himself. Go figure.
"Should we just announce this as mission failure?", Ying brings up to Fang. "Or, like, regroup and find a place to clean up for now?"
Finding a safe place is going to be a challenge, but it can't be helped. Surely there's a place here in Knowhere where there aren't any Eldritch Gods around. Right.
Right?
"Guys! You're here!!"
Relief flooded Ying's system the second she heard that voice. She whirls around, ready to shake details from their dear leader--
Boboiboy's eyes are purple.
Why the hell are his eyes purple?
Even the others froze in their tracks the moment they saw the strange color. What was this??
"Um. Oboi?", Tanah calls out. "Are you okay? Where's Gopal?"
Sweet giggles, like silver bells chiming. Boboiboy continues to walk to them--
Walk? Why isn't he running?
"Gopal's fine!", Boboiboy then says. "He's riding with my new friend!"
"...new friend?"
Boboiboy spread his arms. As if on cue, the darkness Ying thought was simply fog behind their leader opened their eyes.
Eyes. Eight of them. It was glowing as the same color as Boboiboy's new eyecolor. And there's a giant needle that shows up and it's moving.
...yep. That's, uh. That's a giant spider, alright. An Eldritch God giant spider. Api's absolutely horrified screams just confirmed that.
Ying backs away. "Boboiboy is being mind-controlled right now."
Because a sane Boboiboy wouldn't just BRING AN ELDRITCH GOD TO THEM.
Fang gave her a look. "Nice. Great observation. What's the plan?"
Ying opened her mouth.
Then the ground disappeared and she was falling.
"Ying!!"
She fell into a whole pool of...was this goo? It's so sticky and gross! It's a goo trap, why is there a goo trap in the middle of a hill!!?
Ying really hates this so much. Can't she take a break already?
(Fortunately, they did manage to get the ten required items and traded it for Honestbot. The Collector grins at them with all teeth and waves after them. "Glad to do business with ya!"
Only Ying, Daun and Angin weren't limping and bruised as they were all leaving. With their stupid pretty flower gowns and their stupid long-ranged attacks. So annoying.
Ying hopes they'll agree to lending her one of the gowns. Especially Angin's gown; she likes the blue carnations in that white-themed getup.
...on second thought, nevermind. Now that she got a good look at it, that ballroom gown looks more like a Western wedding gown than anything.
Boboiboy was stumbling, clinging onto Petir's arm while holding a hand to his bandaged face. Gopal really did just drop out of nowhere to whack him over the head with a bat, and while that was what broke the mind control, that didn't mean there was still some serious damage. At least Daun was here before it could be a huge issue.
Either way.
With a haunted look on his face, Fang declares to everyone. "If we're asked about this, let's say absolutely nothing happened. Okay?"
They all collectively agreed.)