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"All I'm saying is that we should find a more sheltered place for camp! We don't know what could be out here." The winds feel like bad tidings, a bad storm later today yet. Wind frowned at the others, keeping his true musings to himself, as per usual.
"You're worrying for nothing, Sailor!" Warriors called from his relaxed spot against a log as he polished his bits of armor, smirking as Wind’s scowl deepened.
Four, from a spot near the slowly building fire eyed him curiously, "Why do you say that, Wind?"
Crossing his arms, Wind looked up at the sky briefly before meeting the smithy’s gaze, "The air feels charged. I think it's going to storm tonight." I haven't been using the Wind Waker, or sailing for so long, to not be able to pick up on the winds whispers.
"How can you be so sure?" Twilight questioned skeptically, "Weather patterns on the mainland are vastly different from an ocean. Even near lakes, they tend to follow their own ways."
You guys wouldn't believe me if I told you… Well...maybe…maybe if I explain it as the batons doing? Wind opened his mouth to explain and defend himself, only to be interrupted by Legend.
"Besides, even if it rains it’ll just be a bit rain. Areas like this don’t generally get massive storms this time of the year. We’ve all weathered through worse." Legend looked up from his bag, smirking as there were a few murmurs of agreement. “Unless you're too cucoo to sleep in the rain." It's a challenge. A tease.
"No I'm not!" Wind shot back exasperated, though he can tell Legend is at least considering his storm prediction, thank goodness, but before he can continue, he is once again interrupted.
"Then what's the big deal?" Warriors griped before continuing in a mocking voice, "Or are you that worried about getting wet?"
Wind clenched his fists in frustration, anger starting to poke past all his efforts to keep it bottled in. Does he really think I’m worried about a little water? I live on the ocean, for crying out loud! Water was an everyday thing before this adventure! I’m not a kid that can’t handle a bit of rain, the sea is more dangerous than ‘a bit of rain’ on a good day! His fists slowly clenched in frustration as he got ready to cross camp to give Warriors a piece of his mind, but a hand firmly yet gently landing on his shoulder pinned him in place.
Snapping his gaze upward, Wind found Sky standing there with a placating smile on his kind expression. One that is just like the adults have when he would say or do something ‘childish’, and it just pissed him off further. "Calm down Wind, it's not worth arguing after the long morning we just had. Why don't you come sit down and relax with me?"
Wind jerked his shoulder free, feeling offended now as well as he curtly forced out, "No thanks, Sky. I'm fine."
Hyrule chimed in from the side, "You know, if you pay attention to the sky and winds behavior, it usually isn't hard to predict an oncoming storm. It's saved my butt more than once. But Wind… I can't tell that there is any sort of change. You may be confusing it with something from back home."
Wind clenched his jaw, refusing the desire to scream out ‘ I can control and feel the winds every move! I know that! I know more than you do! I’ve been taught by wind gods, for Hylia’s sake! ’
"Are you sure you're just not ready to settle down for the day?” Wild called from the fireside, still sporting a few bandages from the morning long fight, also trying to placate the young sailor, "I can make you a warm drink?"
Wind could only stare. He couldn't believe it . He couldn't believe them . He knew he was a bit worn out from the fight, but any fight could do that. When on the open sea, even if you were bone dead tired, you still had to be ready for anything. Exhaustion was a common companion for Wind. Just like the winds themselves after earning Zephos and Cyclos’ favor, and long before getting the Goddesses’ favor, whispering their secrets to the young wind waker. Guiding and informing him until it didn’t matter where he was, he was still able to feel their messages.
So even here, in a different time and land, he was still able to partially understand the wind, a testament to his being initially chosen not by the golden goddesses, but the brother wind gods of the Great Sea.
Then as the wind kicked up once again in the wake of the Champion’s offer, Wind only felt like screaming the truth out even more, but the fear pinned the words deep in his throat as apprehension dragged at him like a deep sea current. Will they still accept me if they knew I wasn’t ‘chosen’ by Farore? Can...can I trust them to believe me?
Even though he was afraid to tell them, he was still upset as well, but he couldn’t do anything without it seeming like he was...was throwing a temper tantrum. Like some stupid kid . Not like a fellow hero trying to get them to listen to his opinion. It was anything but a good combination, everything swirling together like a dangerous whirlpool ready to capsize the careful control he had on his emotions.
His frustrated thoughts were cut short as a hand roughly messed with his hair, the person's full body weight suddenly threatening to knock him clear off his feet, and he heard Warriors coo at him, "Oh, the energies of youth!”
Wind turned red in embarrassment, as Warriors chuckled from above and he spied a few smiles crack throughout camp. Unwilling to take the treatment, he dug his elbow sharply into the Captain's side, forcing him to release him as Wind hissed out, "Would you stop that?!"
Wild, barely managing to suppress his chuckles, "Come on Wind, it's just a joke.”
“Do I seem like I'm joking?” Wind pleaded angrily, expression thunderous now, face red with the growing traces of anger, feeling tears of frustration starting to burn in his eyes. "I know the weather is different on land! But I'm still saying that it's going to storm! Why won't any of you take me seriously?! I'm not an idiot! I know what I'm talking about. You guys don't know what it means to live by the weather, so stop saying that I'm just joking!”
"You can pay attention to the sky and the wind all you want, but it won't tell you everything! You can't understand the wind’s warning like I can!"
Wind froze as the admission slipped out of him, going sheet white under his sailors tan, having wanted to say anything but that . In the sudden silence, he can almost hear the keel of his resolve crack and start to splinter, digging its irreplaceable stability deep into his racing fearful heart. I can’t take that back...no...
"Wind?" Time questioned calmly, causing the boy question to jerk, "What do you mean by that?"
"I-I..." Wind stuttered out, throat and heart caught in a frightening mess of tangled rigging, unable to figure out what he could say to that. He had just admitted it . Not all of it, but just enough. Just enough for someone to piece together what it meant. Just enough that there would be so, so many questions.
Four, and his seemingly unending ability to sense internal conflict, questioned him softly, "Wind, is everything all right?" Wind shook his head once, more in denial than confirmation. There was a cold lump of fear building in his throat, choking him from denying or admitting anything else.
Warriors huffed from behind him, clearly a bit annoyed at Wind’s elbow having found its way into his sore ribs, and tactlessly commented, "Oh yeah? I bet it's something like; I blow and blow and blow, and get in everyone’s way."
Wind went stone still, expression blank as a numbness that felt a fair bit like rejection and anger spread from the depth of his chest. The fear sunk further down into him as he felt his lungs stop moving, heart pounding in his ears almost painfully, while the wind still breezed ever peacefully through the clearing.
The sound of clothing rustling, drew Wind from the depths of his mind just enough to spin on his heel and stalk out of camp, not even looking to see who it could’ve been, not wanting to hear or see whatever would’ve come of that. Not listening to the calls after him, to the protests of him walking off, just wanting to get away from the ‘true’ heroes.
They couldn’t stop treating me like a joke. A kid. Inexperienced. Someone who needed protection, and couldn’t protect someone else’s back. And now…now someone will figure it out. Put the pieces together. They won't stop asking questions until I explain. Until they know the real reason behind my title...that the goddesses didn’t want to have me as a hero... He paused mid step as a truly terrifying possibility crossed his mind.
What if they kick me out for not being a hero chosen by the goddesses’?
He crumbled to his knees, small rocks digging into the bony joints, but he could hardly feel it over the dreadful fear rising like a tsunami in him. If he finally broke and started sobbing then and there, well, no one was around to call him out on it. Or comfort him for that matter.
He didn't know which was worse.
Wind didn’t really mean to leave camp very far behind, but he needed to gather himself for the seemingly inevitable confrontation with the other heroes. Dread had sunk its claws deep into Wind, and was refusing to give him any sort of slack. His emotions were wound tighter than a properly rigged ship, and just as painful feeling as a ship’s mast being unfairly battered in a storm. He didn’t want to face the judgemental stares just yet, or at all, but he knew it would be coming. From the very beginning, he knew he was different from the others, but then again, none of them were really alike either.
But this...this was a different sort of different than what had quickly become their normal sort of differences. He kicked his feet through the dry leaves covering the ground, staring at the dirt as he slowly wandered deeper into the trees, an anticipatory sort of fear keeping him from turning back around just yet, but his reluctance to stray too far away had him moving slowly.
So when he heard branches crack under footsteps behind him, Wind hunched his shoulders with a sigh, waiting for the barrage of words to start, figuring that someone had followed him, and was now here to take him back to camp. Wind’s brows furrowed when instead of hearing a familiar voice he heard snuffling, he took a quick glance back, only to yelp aloud as he saw nearly a dozen monsters behind him.
The monsters, now aware of Wind’s presence quickly turn to face the young boy who pulled out his sword and shield immediately, mind quickly scrambling to figure out how to tackle this mess alone as the wind suddenly shifted from his back to his front at a sharp angle. His eyes widened as he felt the shift, the warning, loud and clear. That storm was on its way, and it wasn’t going to be pretty.
Wind slid into a ready stance, mouth set in a determined line as he tried to figure out the best way to get away from the beasts, more than well aware that he can’t do this on his own. Not in a big bunch like this with a storm on the way, not while alone. Most of these monsters weren’t from the Great Sea, and even if they attacked in similar manners, he was still horribly outnumbered. And running out of time. Nature never had mercy on the young wind waker before, and wouldn’t start to do so today.
With the first screech of the monsters starting their attack, Wind knocked the clawed arm away, stabbing forward to distract the lizalfos, and then darted back out of range. Not wasting a second longer, Wind took off in full sprint to the side, hoping to work his way around the group and start back in the direction of camp.
Maybe if he was lucky, he’d get back before the storm hit. Maybe...the others wouldn’t have left him to fend for himself. Maybe...they would still accept him as one of their own. Maybe he was just fooling himself.
His boots splashed through the mud and muck as he continued to run, breathing heavy as Wind tried to out pace the remaining monsters chasing him, hoping desperately he was running in the right direction of camp. Even if they had gone to find better shelter, someone was out looking for him...right? To make sure he was okay... right ? He is pulled from the painful musings as a branch caught him off guard and hit him in the face, having been impossible to see it in the whiteout downpour he was trying to run through.
Feeling the warmth of his blood run down his cheek briefly before joining the icy coolness of the rest of his face, Wind couldn’t help but to worry about his immediate health. If he didn’t get out of the rain soon, he could get really sick from the rain, he was too small and lanky to stay out in this without risking himself with hypothermia, or worse. Didn’t help that he’d gotten a few new injuries elsewhere when the monsters had caught up to him before, and he knew he was bleeding in some places, but he couldn’t feel those anymore. That wasn’t a good sign.
I really shouldn’t have gone so far from camp...even if...no. I don’t have time to think about that right now. I need to keep running. Slowing down slightly, Wind looked behind himself to see if he could still see anything, and was relieved to see nothing but white sheets of rain and the tall narrow shadows of trees. He slowed down his running to a walk, using the chance to catch his breath and rake his hair out of his eyes, cursing the longer than normal strands for blocking his view. Not that there was much to see as it stood, but it was a familiar action he had done time and time again when caught in a storm at sea. It was comforting. Almost.
Which brought Wind back to his current predicament. He was lost in a downpour, a strange forest and land, freezing cold, and more than likely still being chased by monsters. It wasn’t looking good for him, since he wasn’t even sure he was heading in the right direction to find the others. And even if they didn’t want him for not being the ‘goddesses chosen’ hero, they wouldn’t just leave him out in the storm...right?
It was a terribly dreadful line of thought, bringing back the perturbing amount of fear to the ice cold worry in the depth of his chest, that seemed to be making its way outward now, if his shaking had anything to say about it. Or was he shivering? Wind wasn’t sure, but he knew he was cold. Between the rain and his racing emotions, it was something not even adrenaline was able to tamper down.
Speaking of adrenaline, as Wind came to a halt in a...familiar?...seeming clearing he stopped in his tracks, brows furrowed with confusion since it seemed…familiar. Wind froze as a spike of bone-chilling dread creeped its way down his spine, adrenaline all but vanished from his veins as he realized why . This… This looks like our campsite. He stepped forward into the clearing, spinning around to take it all in, even if any evidence that could prove people had been there recently had been washed away in the downpour. Did...did they leave? Where could they have gone?! He worried his lower lip to try and quell the sudden rising wave of fear and rejection, the heavy feeling of pain sinking deep into the pit of his stomach, his heart feeling as if it had been stabbed by the other heroes' swords, blades twisting the dreadful emotions even deeper.
They figured it out… And left me… They don't want me. I'm not a proper hero…and now they know. They left me to the monsters. The others had pieced together the truth from his admission, and realized what that meant. What it meant in terms of his hero title. They didn’t need a false chosen hero in their ranks, and left him to fend for himself in the strange land. He wrapped his arms around his chest in a miserable attempt to comfort himself, only really succeeding in cupping the ice cold water against his shivering form. He stumbled to the edge of the clearing and pressed his back against the tree as he started to cry.
Well he thought he may be crying at least, his eyes had started burning even though he still felt like he was freezing, and was he gasping for air? Could he be hyperventilating through the rising tide of despair? He looked round with a skittish gaze, suddenly remembering again that he had been running from monsters, knowing he was monster food if found by the forest lurkers. Is...is that a howl he hears? Were there also wolfos chasing him now? He really was screwed.
Wind weakly reached for his sword, holding it in trembling hands, waiting for the monsters to find him once again, thoughts spiraling out of control, anxiety and trepidation viciously choking him in tandem with the cold grasping at his bones.
I wasn't..wasn't meant to be here. On this journey… I wasn't chosen...I'm not the hero of...of time reborn. It’s a lie...They don't want me. Don't need me. This… th-this is the goddesses judgment…Don't need the ‘winds’ kid. So...so many better heroes. A cry weakly wrenched its way past Wind’s numb lips as a shadow appeared through the rain, low to the ground, dark in color.
The wolfos found me… I...I'm so cold, the goddesses really must hate me, they don't need me on this quest... Wind’s sword dropped from his numb fingers, blade lodging itself into the mud, the growing shadow of the wolfos pausing briefly before advancing again. His situation, as distressing as could be, only grew worse when the wolfos howled once again causing him to jerkingly flinch away from the volume.
Having lost his balance at the howl, he sunk to the ground finally, the hilt of his sword eye level as he finally noticed that his vision was darkening at its edges, creeping in like a viscous black tide as he kept his dimming gaze trained on the growing form of the wolfos stalking toward him, towards its helpless prey.
Wind tried to reach for his sword buried in the mud at his feet, but his arms weren't moving , frozen in the ever rising tide of fear and cold. At least he's stopped shaking, shivering? He didn’t know anymore. He was just so cold, numbness dragging him down the longer he stared at the approaching beast, the physical form of judgment for the 'false' hero finally having found him. Unease trembled through him once more, viciously as he stared at his approaching fate, both as a monster he couldn't defend himself from and the chilling darkness threatening to devour him whole.
When the darkness finally took him, the sudden flash of blue couldn’t be warmer.