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“Why don't you let your wings out Wars?” Sky asks him. Some members of their rag-tag group turn their attention to him.
Warriors paused what he was doing, for a moment. He isn't sure if he should tell them.
“No reason to.” He settles for.
Because the aching pain in his back will never leave.
The look of pity from Lana and Zelda will never leave him when they find him. The whispers from the ghosts about what had happened, as the Pirate Ghost that usually followed his family had glared at them so coldly they would shut up.
He ignores the concerned look on Time's face, knowing that Time wants to know too.
He never wants to explain what happened to them to anyone ever again. Zelda had cried, begged him to forgive her for being late, for dragging him into a war that should have never involved him.
“That can't be good for your Wings, pretty boy.” Legend says.
“Yeah, you need to let them out once in a while,” Hyrule says.
__
“It's such a shame, hero,” Cia says, holding his wings out. He was captured, he got overconfident with the sword. He doesn't answer her, only glaring at her as she fiddles with his wings.
“You were given the wrong pair of wings. A raven isn't suited for a Hero.” The Witch says.
He doesn't answer her, he's not going to indulge her questions. His wings were fine, even if they appeared a few years ago. After Madallus's defeat. He remembered screaming, and finding raven feathers all around his bed. Nico was so grumpy about him screaming so early in the morning, until he entered and laughed fondly at the sight of them.
“A hero's wings are supposed to be bright, bold, and gorgeous birds.” The witch rants.
Link just glared daggers at her, what was she even going with this conversation?
The Witch ends up behind him.
“Maybe this time the Goddesses will give you a better pair of wings.” The Witch says.
Link's eyes widened. What?
And that's when she grabbed his right wing and started to pull at it.
He remembers screaming in pain as he felt blood drop onto his back, as literal bones were getting pulled out.
He remembers what Cia told him before blacking out. She had stroked his face as he saw his right wing on the ground.
“Don't break down on me yet, Link. It'll be alright, the goddess will give you better wings.” Cia says.
____________
“-iors?Wars? Link?” Wild asked as the cook stood in front of him.
He looked up as Wild looked at him in concern. Did he space out again?
“You okay Captain?” Time asks in concern.
Twilight had moved closer to him.
“I'm fine.” He lied.
Wild frowns at him, while Legend looks concerned. Grumpy? Stubborn? It was hard to tell.
“To answer your question, Legend.” He says, trying to change the subject, knowing that he would regret revealing it. Maybe there's a tear falling from his face, maybe it's sweat.
“There's no reason to let my wings out if I don't have them anymore.”
The sound of metal dropping echoed in the woods.