[center][h2]Speed Demons II[/h2]

[b]Word Count:[/b] 3,002 words
[b]EXP:[/b] +4
[b]Rapport[/b]: Primrose/Zenkichi +4[/center] 

Watching the moving platforms as the pair caught their breath, Zenkichi hummed with a bit of concern. The very first platform would require them to swing off it and land on a nearby ledge, continuing upward from there. Below was another platform that was placed to allow any pairs that fell to return to the climb, as well, but it also seemed to require a swinging leap. [color=BFBFBF]”They certainly didn’t make this easy on us, did they? Might as well just keep a steady pace, see how far we can get.”[/color]

Once they got moving, the pair made it onto the moving platform without issue, but the timing on the swing was another story. The first attempt was a failure, though it was because Zenkichi had taken too long to start swinging, and thus had too little momentum when the platform started moving back towards the entrance of the mine. This forced him to abandon the attempt, and wait until the platform raised itself once more to line up with the ledge before them. 

Primrose would much rather take a few attempts than a fall, so she didn't mind waiting for her partner to be ready. Being the first to swing was already daunting enough. When he did launch himself the dancer jumped right after, maneuvering herself up to the wooden platform affixed to the rock wall and pulling Zenkichi up via the rope.

Naturally, just after she thought she preferred the slow pace to a fall, the next rock they stepped on began to crumble away beneath their feet. Almost by habit Primrose touched her scarf, but it did nothing thanks to Balan's magic and she dropped straight down.

Zenkichi had just landed on the platform when it collapsed, and without time to get back to the wooden platform, he fell right with her, a started yelp escaping his lips as they landed in a heap back where they’d started moments before. [color=BFBFBF]”Well, that sucked. At least it wasn’t as bad a fall this time, but jeeze, this really is like a video game…”[/color] He mumbled that last bit, not trying to get into that bit of technology right now, before getting back up. [color=BFBFBF]”Alright, stupid crumbling platform. Round two!”[/color] 

Looking at the crumbling section that had left them stranded, Zenkichi hummed while the moving platform just above it went up and down. [color=BFBFBF]”Short cycle on that one. That’s a bit of a pain.”[/color] Nonetheless, he got right back on the proverbial horse with Primrose and they repeated the swinging that got them there, before taking a moment on the wooden platform to watch the movement of the mobile one. [color=BFBFBF]”We don’t get a lot of time, so we have to move quickly. Get on that crumbling block as it’s about to reach the bottom, then jump right away and land on the moving one. And if only one of us makes the jump, we can just pull the other up.”[/color]

The jump back to the platform was a little easier this time around, and all that remained was to put their plan into action. When push came to shove, it was…surprisingly easy, and they were on the rising platform with little issue and a moment or two to spare before the platform they’d left crumbled behind them. [color=BFBFBF]”Guess it’s more the element of surprise on that one, huh…”[/color] he commented. 

Primrose hummed in agreement. [color=D34C25]"I suppose that isn't the only fragile foothold either. Imagine if we chose the other direction, and encountered something like that in a much less fortunate place..."[/color] As she trailed off, her gaze flickered up around them. [color=D34C25]"Speaking of..."[/color]

There was another element to the mines that was only really apparent now, just a little deeper inside. Besides the dim light, the moving buckets, the crumbling rocks, and the shifting sand hills... there were also a lot of different paths. Before now, the way up had been straightforward. In the mines, they were likely to make things harder for themselves by choosing the wrong path. It was possible they'd get lost somewhere too, if the mines took up the entire inside of the mountain. Combined with the lighting issue, they were in for a rough time.

The elevator that Zenkichi and Primrose were on made a couple of return trips while they got their bearings. Eventually the two decided to make for the nearby moving platform, and after taking the time to make sure they were really ready they hopped from the second crumbling stone path onto the second conveyor. Now, though, they were faced with exactly the same problem: which way should they go?

There was an overhang slightly back the way they'd come that looked like it would bring them directly up. Another with a few "caution" signs hanging around it, and yet another moving platform that continued horizontally like the one they currently rode.

[color=D34C25]"All of them seem challenging,"[/color] Primrose said as she observed. Well, save for the other bucket, but who knew where that led.

As the pair rode back and forth, thinking, Zenkichi looked up at the single, small floating platform above them. He’d long since given up any hope of winning, but he still had [i]some[/i] pride in him, dammit! [color=BFBFBF]”Straight up.”[/color] It would require careful timing to even get there, but the goal was to go up, and going straight up would surely be the fastest way, if not the easiest. [color=BFBFBF]”That little rock right above us. We jump up, grab it, and swing from there. Grab the wall, swing around it, and onto that little platform just off to the side of it. From there, I see another platform moving. Or, the light from one, at least.”[/color] It was a bold strategy, and boldness like that had dropped them quite a ways before, but they’d been taking it pretty easy for a while now. They could afford a little effort. 

[color=D34C25]"Ambitious."[/color] Primrose followed the path Zenkichi laid out with her eyes. It probably wasn't what she would have chosen, but she had little want to refuse either way. Without the worry of getting hurt, falling risked only progress, and since those ahead of them were way ahead, they weren't likely to catch up even if they took an easier path. She nodded at his choice, and the two of them began to prepare.

That being said, to get the timing right took another couple of passes, but get it they did, clawed gloves digging into the rock. They'd executed the plan exactly as it had been laid out, waiting until almost the limit of their grip's strength to make sure each swing would end up successful. [color=BFBFBF]”[i]Yosh!/i][/color] Zenkichi cheered, slipping into Japanese for a second. 

Primrose caught her breath as they huddled on the small ledge they'd made it up to. Once their next destination, another elevator, was within sight they quickly hopped across another crumbling path onto it.

During another leisurely ride up, Primrose turned to her partner. [color=D34C25]"I admit we've made it farther than I thought we would,"[/color] she said. There were certainly worse pairing combos, as demonstrated by those behind them. It had been fun so far though. She only mentioned it now because directly ahead of them, as the platform continued higher, the next part of their chosen path came into view... and she wasn't sure exactly how much farther they'd get from here.

Gone were the floating planks of wood and the larger rocks. Instead, positioned almost entirely vertically, were several tiny stones with telltale fissures running through them. She spotted at least three before there was a glow from another bucket, which was moving much faster than the ones they'd been hitching a ride on so far.

[color=BFBFBF]”Yeah, this is gonna be tough…”[/color] Zenkichi unhelpfully commented, looking up at the rocks between them and the next moving platform. It was hard to tell, but he could just barely make out another small wooden platform near one of the partially-broken stones that they would have to use as platforms. He wondered if it was a sort of rest spot between the several crumbling sections they’d have to traverse before the next bucket. 

[color=BFBFBF]”I think we can take a rest on that little spot there.”[/color] He tried to point it out in the dim light, but it was hard to see, especially with the movement of their current location. [color=BFBFBF]”Ready when you are.”[/color] He added. 

Primrose glanced at him, one eyebrow raised. ‘Tough’ was an understatement. But she was up for at least trying, so the pair counted down quickly and made the leap just as their current platform hit its peak. 

They hopped to the crumbling stone platform, then quickly looked up and jumped to the next one, grabbing hold of its side due to the height of the required jump. [color=BFBFBF]”I got the swing.” [/color] Zenkichi said before letting go, shifting his weight to try and gain momentum. He could see the little wooden platform he had them aim for, but swung to grab the other side of the rock. [color=BFBFBF]”Alright, I’m on. Let go now and swing to the platform!”[/color] He called.

Primrose released her hold and swooped down beneath Zenkichi. She looked to be on a good course, but couldn't quite make it in just one swing. She needed a little more momentum. Instead she kicked her feet off the bottom of the platform to gain speed on her back swing. [color=D34C25]"One moment,"[/color] she said, conscious of both the time limit of Zenkichi's grip and the rock's chance to vanish. The second time she made it up, bracing herself to hold Zenkichi's weight and reel him in. [color=D34C25]"Alright."[/color]

The former turk was right, they could take a breather here. But with two grown adults, the space was tight. It was definitely the smallest platform so far, and the two of them had to stick pretty close in order to keep both of their feet on solid ground.

Primrose had caught her partner's earlier implication that he was a widower, and though so far he didn't seem to be the type he had fully admitted to being 'rotten,' so she couldn’t help but tease him, saying almost idly, [color=D34C25]"I trust you aren't getting any ideas."[/color]

Zenkichi shook his head at the implication, almost bringing his hands up on instinct to physically ward off any perception of himself as a creep, before realizing that doing so would knock her right off. [color=BFBFBF]”N-No ma’am! Nothing like that! Boy, we [i]are[/i] awfully close, aren’t we?!”[/color] Nervousness was coming off him in waves that somehow Akane-or Sandalphon- would find out and get the wrong ideas. He looked all around them, desperate for an escape from the awkwardness, before registering her tone and blinking. [color=BFBFBF]”You’re…messing with me, aren’t you?”[/color] 

Well, didn’t he just look the fool? Chuckling nervously, Zenkichi scratched the back of his neck. Two of those crumbling platforms before another moving bucket, he noticed, trying to move on from that moment. 

Amused by his reaction, Primrose turned her head away to futilely mask a chuckle. Though she did confirm or deny either way. Instead, once she was through having a laugh she nodded towards the next set of jumps.

They tried for the same careful timing in order to jump from one crumbling stone to the other, and then onto the moving platform above them. Their rhythm was not completely in sync at first, likely due to the joke Primrose had played on Zenkichi, but after narrowly avoiding a fall they made it to the fish bucket and could stand a regular distance apart while they judged their next move. Ahead of them looked like the toughest section yet, with a short underhang, another very small wooden foothold, and a speedy vertical elevator. If Primrose was reading it right, they'd have to jump from their current platform, grab the protruding stone, swing onto the tiny plank, and then swing from [i]that[/i] onto the next elevator...

[color=BFBFBF]”Alright…”[/color] Zenkichi muttered, still a little distant from Primrose. [color=BFBFBF]”Shouldn’t be too bad. It’s basically a repeat of what we did just before, actually, though I’m pretty sure that little wood platform is smaller than the last one. As long as we don’t mess up that swing, we’ll be fine.”[/color] Taking a deep breath to re-center himself, Zenkichi’s demeanor loosened up and he stretched his arms. [color=BFBFBF]”Ready when you are.”[/color] 

Primrose figured she was as prepared as she could be, and let him know as much. [color=D34C25]"I'm ready."[/color]

As Zenkichi said, this was basically a repeat of last time, a little further down below. The main difference was how narrow the platform they were trying to land on from the swing was, but with Zenkichi holding the wall while Primrose started swinging, they were in good shape. Once Zenkichi felt the rope go slack to signal that his partner had landed, he let go. Hanging from the rope while she pulled him up, Zenkichi caught a glimpse of Geralt and his partner not far below them. She was pulling Ganondorf up onto the little wooden platform below them. 

He decided not to call out to them, to avoid messing up their concentration, and once he was up, looked at the bucket ahead of them, moving up and down on its rail. [color=BFBFBF]”I’m good to keep swinging.”[/color] He confirmed, keeping them in their usual jobs as he jumped off the platform to start building momentum. The dancer held firm, content to let Zenkichi swing as many times as he thought he needed to in order for them both to clear the jump. with the light in the mine gradually brightening as they went up, the exit must not have been too far above them, she thought. After a couple of rounds of swinging, he called [color=BFBFBF]”Go!”[/color] as he swung by, Primrose leaping from the wooden platform to the elevating bucket, both landing just as it reached the bottom of its path. 

The arcs of their jumps had been perfect, and their timing spot on. So it was unfortunate that at that moment, just after touching down, a hurricane force vacuum began to pull everyone and everything not nailed down toward the bottom of the mine. Primrose felt her feet had scarcely touched ground when she felt the force suction her, Zenkichi, and most of the fish in the bucket they'd been about to land on straight down the way they'd come, and then some.

Zenkichi groaned as he felt the gale-force winds pressing down on him, and try as he might, he couldn’t catch hold of the bucket, so the pair found themselves being pulled down with everything that wasn’t nailed (or magically affixed) in place. They crashed into another bucket below them, still being dragged by the force of suction, then fell even further down to crash into a solid section of floor, where Zenkichi could finally dig his clawed gloves into the ground to keep them in place, as he yelled out, [color=BFBFBF]”This is [i]so[/i] unfair, you know!”[/color] at the Universe, not realizing that it was another Seeker that was causing the wind force. 

If not for the enchantment preventing damage, the two of them would probably have a few bruises the next morning with how they'd crashed down. While Zenkichi clung to the wall of the mine shaft they'd been forced down into, Primrose attempted to climb up the tether and add her grip strength to his. As it was, she was hanging half off the side of the platform they'd landed on. She couldn't pull herself back up while the vacuum was happening, so she just hung on as tightly as she could. Several seconds went by, and just when the two of them were about to lose their holds, the force subsided.

The dancer quickly lifted herself up with a huff. She doubted anyone expected that. How many others had gotten caught in that pull? After a few moments to catch her breath and regroup, she stood. Then she looked down to where the winds had come from.

She and Zenkichi had gotten pulled farther down than she thought, but not as far as some people. Below, she could just barely make out a whole group of people. The Koopa Troop, their partners, Ganondorf and his... she immediately noted that Therion, Ms. Fortune, Midna, and her partner Roxas didn't appear to be among them, nor did Sectonia or Captain Falcon or Goldlewis' teams. So they were either much farther ahead, or even farther behind.

[color=D34C25]"I see..."[/color] she murmured, motioning for Zenkichi to take a look as well. [color=D34C25]"Unfair indeed. Seems like everyone has tried their hand a cheating by now."[/color]

[color=BFBFBF]”To be fair, we [i]did[/i] both use magic to make ourselves go a lot faster…”[/color] Zenkichi muttered, a little frown on his face. That probably counted, too. [color=BFBFBF]”Oh, hey, Geralt got sucked down there, too. Ouch. We got lucky, managing to grab on here. Not much higher up, but still.”[/color] He sighed, looking around a bit more. [color=BFBFBF]”Wanna keep going, or what? I’m up for whatever, but that kinda sucked a lot of the fun out of the whole thing.”[/color] He admitted, shrugging. 

Primrose didn't answer immediately. Did she want to keep going? She had pride, but at least in some things she knew when to quit. And it was likely that she'd had all the enjoyment she was going to have during this game. She glanced at Zenkichi, then back down to the people below.

[color=D34C25]"I've had enough fun for now,"[/color] she said. [color=D34C25]"What say you to meeting up with the rest of them down there?"[/color]

[color=BFBFBF]”Sounds good to me. Hey, at least we got to confirm that both our spells work to speed us up. If we’re ever on a team again and we gotta run from some kinda giant monster, that’ll be good to remember.”[/color] Zenkichi commented, gesturing his head towards the others as he started his way back. [color=BFBFBF]”Maybe we can even let some of them hitch a ride, hah.”[/color] He joked.