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Wind suppresses the urge to groan. Are we there yet? he thinks, the hot, humid air of the rainforest heavy on the back of his neck and sticking his clothes to his skin. Faron’s temperamental afternoon thunderstorms had delayed their travels multiple days in a row, constantly forcing them off the path in frantic search of shelter. Tensions in the Chain are running high, and if they come across any more diversions, someone—probably the captain—is going to flip his lid.
If nobody dies of heat stroke first, Wind mentally corrects, noting the general slump of exhaustion and multiple flushed faces.
What Wind wouldn’t give to be back on the ocean right now. The desert islands of the Great Sea are hot, buffeted by harsh, direct sunlight with little shade to speak of, but at least there’s a breeze. In the rainforest, every bit of heat and moisture sits suspended in the air for what seems like forever, building and building until everything’s covered in a thick coating of sweat. At this point, Wind might even prefer to be stuck on the freezing mountains of Hebra. At least there, he could throw snow at people—
“Guys!” Wild calls out from the front of the pack. Wind glances up to find the tree canopy thinning and bits of sunlight peeking through the leaves. “We found the beach!”
“A beach?” Wind gasps. With a sudden burst of energy, he sprints towards the edge of the rainforest. Finally, clean air, cool breeze, water—
The moment his feet touch the sand, he faceplants directly onto the beach, arms splayed as if to give it a big hug.
“Beach,” he mumbles into the ground, nearly delirious. “I love beaches…”
“Finally,” Warriors sighs, stepping out into the sun and immediately collapsing by a tree.
“We’re stopping here for the afternoon,” Time announces, tugging uncomfortably at the neck of his chainmail. Nobody argues; instead, their group gradually drifts apart, examining the new surroundings.
Wind, personally, only has eyes for one thing—the ocean. He peels himself off the ground and kicks his shoes to the side as he stumbles towards the water like a man approaching an oasis in the desert. Once he reaches it, he collapses backwards into the waves with a splash, soaking his clothes through a second time.
…Well, at least it’s cold.
“You okay, Wind?” Hyrule asks, peering over at the sailor’s face from where he stands.
“Fine,” Wind assures him. “The ocean is sooo good…”
“I figured as much,” Hyrule chuckles. “Don’t suppose you’d be interested in going exploring with Wild and I, huh?”
Wind shakes his head. “Nah, I’m staying here for like, an hour. Or three.”
“Legend didn’t feel like tagging along, either,” Hyrule comments. “I guess everyone could use the chance to rest.”
Wind quirks an eyebrow, glancing in Legend’s direction. Usually, the veteran takes it upon himself to keep Hyrule and Wild out of trouble any chance he gets. However, as described, Legend has planted himself under the furthest palm tree from the shore, arms crossed and unmoving. His accompanying scowl hardly screams “relaxed,” though.
“What’s up with him?” Wind asks, lifting himself up onto his forearms.
“No idea,” Hyrule shrugs. “Not a beach person, maybe?”
Wind considers this for a moment, then shrugs and lowers himself back into the waves with a plop. None of my business, he decides.
“Have fun with your exploration,” Wind says, crossing his arms behind his head to use as a pillow.
“Oh, we will!” Hyrule declares, then sets off.
Wind closes his eyes, letting the cool waves lap against his back while he basks in the sun. He barely notices the moment his quiet enjoyment turns into a full-blown nap, the gentle rhythm of the shore rocking him to sleep. Unfortunately, not long after, a deluge of water suddenly crashes into his face. He sits up, sputtering.
“What was that for?” Wind complains to Legend, who’s crouching nearby with a dripping bucket in hand.
“It was me or the tide. Take your pick,” the veteran shrugs.
Asshole, Wind thinks, rolling his eyes.
“Where’d Hyrule and Wild run off to?” Legend finally asks. “I saw you two talking earlier.”
“Usually we ask you that,” Wind says, still half-asleep.
“Did he say anything or not?”
“Nope.” Wind leans back down, trying to get comfortable again. The wet sand squelching beneath his weight is less appealing than it was earlier.
“Don’t sleep in the swash,” Legend scolds.
“Don’t tell me what to do,” Wind retorts.
Legend frowns. “Fine. Drown, or whatever,” the veteran says, then stomps off. Wind huffs. Maybe now, he can finally relax—
“Everyone, round up! We’re heading out soon,” Warriors announces. Wind groans and forces himself to his feet.
“Hyrule and Wild are missing,” Warriors comments after counting everyone present.
“Of course they are,” Legend groans.
“Twilight, can you—” Time begins to ask.
“Already on it.” Twilight shifts into his wolf form. He sniffs the air and sand, searching for a trail. After a moment, he lets out a whine, unable to find anything.
“Let’s look around some more,” Warriors says. “We’re bound to find something eventually…”
While everyone else trails after Twilight, Wind can’t help but notice Legend’s lack of attention. Sure enough, after a few more moments, the veteran falls behind the rest of the group, then turns and sneaks away. Wind follows him, far less subtly.
“Where are you going?” he asks as he catches up with Legend.
“The rancher’s not going to be able to track them,” Legend shrugs. “So, I’m going to get a head start on an actual search.”
“How are you so sure?” Wind asks.
Legend gestures to the air all around them. “We’re at the beach. What are the chances the trail goes cold in the water?”
Wind hums, considering. “Pretty high,” he finally says.
“Exactly.”
Legend speeds up, as if to leave Wind behind. Wind jogs to keep up with him.
“But where are you going?” he asks again.
Legend sighs, then raises a finger to point out a wide crack in the cliffs at the furthest end of the beach. A cave opens directly into the ocean, the waves gently lapping at its mouth.
“If I know Hyrule and Wild—and I do—” Legend begins, “they would have beelined directly for the coolest, most dangerous-looking cave in the area and immediately gone spelunking.”
Wind squints at the cave in the distance, observing the way water rushes in and out of its opening.
“That cave’s going to be completely flooded at high tide, though,” Wind says.
“Yes, it is,” Legend sighs. “I’m going to have some words for them once I’ve dragged them out of there.”
“Once we’ve dragged them out of there, you mean?” Wind corrects.
“Nope. You’re not coming.”
“What?” Wind complains. “There’s no way you’re going in there by yourself!”
“Sure I am,” Legend says. “I’m probably the only person with the right equipment for this sort of exploration, actually.”
“No way that’s true,” Wind argues. Though, he admits that he’s definitely not one of them. “If you’re going in, you should at least tell everyone what you’re planning.”
“Great idea. You should go do that.”
Wind frowns in disapproval. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily!”
“Fine.” Legend throws up his arms, resigned. “Come along, then. What do I care?”
Wind follows Legend into the cave, the incoming tide lapping at their ankles. His eyes bore holes into the back of the veteran’s head as they walk, and he frowns, deep in thought. Legend is prickly even on the best of days, it’s true, but still—
“You’ve been acting weird all day,” Wind suddenly says, deciding on a blunt approach. “What’s your deal?”
“I don’t have a ‘deal,’” Legend sputters, indignant. The rhythmic splash of his footsteps increases in tempo. “Mind your business.”
“That’s exactly what someone with some kind of deal would say,” Wind comments. His accusation echoes off the smooth, weathered stone of the walls, lingering. “Is it something to do with the beach? You’ve been in a bad mood ever since we found the beach.”
“I’m not afraid of the beach,” Legend snaps.
“So, there’s something you’re afraid of, then?”
Legend quiets. Wind tilts his head, curious, but it’s impossible to discern the other hero’s expression in these shadows. Wind guesses it’s something along the lines of “disgruntled.”
“Listen,” Wind tries. “Being afraid of beaches is pretty weird, I guess, but—”
“I’m not afraid of beaches,” Legend repeats, voice low.
“What is it, then? The ocean, or something?”
Legend quiets again. Bullseye.
“Oh, come on!” Wind throws up his arms, exasperated. “What’s to hate about the ocean? The ocean is awesome!”
“To you,” Legend grumbles. The light from the entrance now thoroughly swallowed by the depths, he raises his magic lantern, revealing his frown. “The ocean is awesome to you, specifically.”
“And what’s that supposed to mean?”
“Wind, you’re the Wind Waker,” Legend says. “Obviously, you wouldn’t have to worry about dangerous conditions while sailing.”
“Yeah, and?” Wind huffs. “A little storm never hurt anybody.”
“Storms very much hurt people, Wind,” Legend sighs. He fidgets with the handle of his lantern, uncomfortable. “Every boat I’ve ever sailed on has ended up shipwrecked in a storm.”
Wind blinks, baffled. Then, after a moment, he bursts into laughter.
“Wind! That’s not funny!” Legend sputters.
“Wait, you’re serious?” A wave hits Wind’s back, and he stumbles, but quickly recovers. The water nearly reaches their waists, now. “Vet, that’s basically impossible. How could you be that unlucky?”
“I don’t know!” Legend takes a sharp turn to the right, and Wind struggles to keep pace. He has no idea how Legend is keeping his balance in these waves.
“I think I see your problem, now,” Wind teases. He ducks under a stalactite after the veteran, entering a narrow passageway. Ocean water rushes beneath their feet in a rapid descent. “Try not sailing directly into oncoming storms.”
“Like it’s easy?” Legend nearly howls, gesturing wildly with his lantern.
“I’m just sayin’, it seems like a skill issue on your part—”
“Right, sure. Coming from the Wind God’s specialist boy—”
Wind slips on a rock with his next step. Legend’s arm shoots out to catch him before he can fall.
“Watch yourself,” Legend warns. “High tide is coming in.”
Wind glances around at the twisting crevice, grimacing. He hadn’t noticed how deep they’d strayed until now.
“Legend, are you sure they’re in here?” he says. “We haven’t seen any trace of them yet…”
Legend pauses. “Maybe not,” he says. “Maybe we should head back and report—”
The roar of tumbling water echoes from the entrance, louder than previous waves. Legend freezes. Wind turns around just in time to see the massive wall of ocean flood into the narrow passageway, threatening to send the heroes sprawling into the surf.
With a gasp, he reaches for the walls to steady himself, but the slick stone slips right through his fingers. He loses his balance and stumbles into Legend, who drops his lantern in the commotion. The water swallows the light, leaving them in complete darkness.
“Wind!” Legend cries… annoyed? Worried? Wind can’t quite tell. Without the lantern, it becomes increasingly difficult to remember which way is up. He flails his arms, scrambling for purchase, but before he can find it, he slams into a rock, hard.
Everything from then on is a blank.
The first thing Wind becomes aware of upon waking is his pounding headache. He groans, shifting against wet sand, and distantly recalls the cave, the waves. Being dragged under the water, Legend’s yells—
He sits up, blinking his eyes. Though he’s certain they’re open, his vision remains stubbornly black.
“Legend?” he calls out, voice wavering.
“Here,” Legend answers immediately. Wind lets out a sigh of relief. The orange flame of the magic lantern flickers back to life, lighting the small chamber they’ve found themselves in. “Sorry, I had to conserve my magic.”
“Conserve?” Wind repeats, thoughts still sluggish. “So, we’re…?”
“Still in the cave? Yes,” Legend nods. Wind collapses back onto the sand with a wet squelch, headache pulsing harder.
“What happened?” he asks once he finally feels ready for the answer.
“The cave began to flood, and you slipped and fell. Must’ve hit your head on the way down,” Legend explains flatly. “Luckily, I had a potion, but you were still out for quite a while.”
Wind raises a hand to run it through his salt-crusted hair, and his fingers catch on something sticky. He doesn’t need to see it to know what it is.
“How long?” Wind asks.
“Couple hours, maybe?”
“Hours!?” Wind jerks back upright, ignoring the way his vision swims at the motion. “But, the tide—!”
“Yeah,” Legend sighs. Wind glances around frantically. They’re surrounded by water and stone on all sides, with no discernable exit.
“So, we’re stuck?” Wind asks, an edge of panic in his voice.
“Not really.”
“Great. Just great—Wait, we’re not?” Wind blinks, incredulous.
“If you had listened to me earlier—” Legend grits out. Wind flinches. The veteran forces himself to take a breath, shifting uncomfortably, then continues.
“I explained that I have the right equipment for this sort of exploration,” he says. “It will be a bit tricky to navigate, but we should be able to swim right out of here.”
Wind’s eyes light up. “Really? That’s great!”
Legend doesn’t respond.
“...So, what are we waiting for?” he finally asks, nervous again.
“I should clarify,” Legend admits, slumping. “I have an item that will get us out, but I can’t use it right now.”
“Seriously?” Wind groans. “Some item!”
“It wouldn’t be a problem if I hadn’t twisted my ankle,” Legend says. “I can’t swim like this…”
Wind glances down at Legend’s legs, tucked tightly by his side. One of his feet is missing its boot, and in its place is a hastily-made bandage wrapped around his ankle. Wind grimaces.
“I can do it,” he offers. “I still have a bit of a headache, but I can swim.”
Legend purses his lips. For a moment, Wind is certain he’s going to start another argument with him. Instead, the veteran lets out a sigh and reaches for his bag.
“Be careful with this, okay?” Legend says, pulling a glittering piece of fabric out of his pouch. “It’s delicate.”
He passes the strange item to Wind, the gauzy textile crinkling between his fingers. Wind examines the item, at first unsure what it is he’s even looking at. Then, he notices the thin layer of iridescent scales running across the surface.
“Is this… a fish skin?” Wind asks, holding it closer to the firelight. It flashes cobalt blue, shimmering.
“It’s a mermaid’s tail,” Legend answers.
“Gah—!” Wind startles, dropping the skin like it’s burned him. Legend glares at his mistreatment of the item, but all Wind can think is Legend has met a mermaid? Legend has met a mermaid, and stolen her tail? Legend has met a mermaid, and he survived?
He really has seen it all.
“Why would you carry around something like this?” Wind says, disgusted. “You’ve got a sick sense of trophies!”
“What are you talking about?” Legend says. He rescues the tail from the incoming tide, brushing away stray bits of sand. “It’s just an item that lets you breathe underwater.”
Wind’s jaw drops. “You mean… you wear it?”
“Yes? What are you so up in arms about?”
“You turn into a mermaid?” Wind nearly shouts. Legend shushes him.
“Not so loud…” he grumbles, blushing, as though anyone’s going to actually overhear them while they’re buried several feet underground and surrounded by seawater. Wind can’t even take the opportunity to tease him, far too alarmed by the implications.
“Legend, don’t you realize what you’ve done?” Wind says, grabbing Legend by the shoulders. The veteran’s eyes widen.
“What are you going on about?” he asks.
“You’re cursed!” Wind declares. “That’s why you’ve crashed every boat you’ve been on!”
Legend sputters, speechless. “Huh?” he finally manages.
“The mermaid! She’s cursed you for stealing her tail!” Wind rambles. Legend shoves the sailor’s arms away, annoyed.
“Wind, I never met any mermaid. I found it in a random chest,” he says.
“Doesn’t mean it’s not cursed!”
“Okay, fine. Whatever. I’m cursed,” Legend concedes. “Can you just put it on and get us out of here, already?”
“No way!” Wind says. “The sea is my entire livelihood. I’m not risking the curse, too!”
“Wind—!” Legend hisses. “We don’t have time for your superstitious nonsense!”
“It’s not superstition!” Wind argues. “I know the sea, Legend. Things happen there that can’t be explained away by common logic!”
“So what?” Legend scoffs. “I see fantastical things all the time, and I have no reason to believe ‘mermaid curses’ are real. ”
“You aren’t listening—”
“What I do know is that this tail is our only way out, and you’re wasting precious time arguing about things that don’t matter!” Legend interrupts.
“You don’t understand!” Wind yells. “You have no respect for the sea. No wonder you’re an awful sailor!”
Legend opens his mouth to retort, then, in an instant, all of the fight appears to leave him. He leans back against the walls of the alcove and curls up tighter. Wind deflates, something like shame creeping up his chest.
“Look—” Wind mumbles, searching for a way out of this awkward situation. “We just need to come up with another plan. Maybe I have an extra healing item for your ankle…”
Legend nods, wordless, as Wind reaches for his own pouch. He already knows he doesn’t have any potions, but maybe, there’s a bit of soup left he can salvage, or some kind of snack, anything—
“Let me check again—” Wind insists when his search, predictably, turns up nothing.
“Don’t bother,” Legend grumbles. “We’re going to drown here.”
“No, wait, hang on—”
We’re going to drown here echoes in Wind’s head. It’s true, isn’t it? They’re going to drown. They’re going to drown because they don’t have another potion, because Wind insisted on following, because Legend had to use his last healing item on Wind instead of on his ankle.
Wind watches the water gradually creeping in on their ever-shrinking prison. He has never been afraid of the ocean before, not until today.
“Look, I’m sorry for being stubborn,” Wind suddenly says. “I’ll do it.”
Legend glances back at Wind, hesitant. “Are you sure?” he asks.
“Yeah,” Wind nods. “Pass me the tail.”
Legend complies. Wind stares down at the glittering scales as the tail gradually unfolds, nervous.
“So, you… just put it on?” Wind asks, biting his lip.
“Better to do it in the water,” Legend says.
Wind nods and shuffles over to where the tide gradually encroaches on their patch of land. Taking a deep breath to steel himself, he slips the skin over his legs. He squeezes his eyes shut, waiting for a burst of pain or discomfort at the transformation, but nothing happens.
“Is it working?” he asks, creaking one eyelid open at a time. Legend chuckles.
“I always knew you were a clown,” he quips, amused. Wind doesn’t get the chance to respond. When he glances down, his legs are no more—in their place, he has a tail, though not at all like the one he’d put on. Instead, his scales are bright orange, separated by large white stripes and streaks of black. He flicks the rounded fins experimentally, still not convinced they’re his.
“This is… a type of fish?” Wind asks.
“A tropical fish, yeah,” Legend says. “I guess it makes sense.”
“What’s yours, then?” Wind asks. Legend blushes, refusing to answer. “...It’s pink, isn’t it?”
“Let’s focus on the task at hand,” Legend says, changing the subject. “You’re going to have to carry me with you. Thankfully, I have a ring—” He raises a silver ring with an oddly-shaped red gemstone embedded in the metal. “that will let me breathe underwater indefinitely. So, you can take your time.”
Wind whistles. “That’s handy.”
“I always come prepared,” Legend shrugs. “But I won’t be able to keep my lantern on. Be careful.”
Wind nods. “Got it.”
Legend packs away his things, then joins Wind in the water. He slips the ring on, then takes a deep breath.
“We’ll be out of here before you know it!” Wind assures him. Legend nods.
“Let’s see if you’re half as good of a swimmer as you are a sailor,” he says, then wraps his arms around Wind’s shoulders. The younger hero dives down with a flick of his tail.
The gills on Wind’s neck flap open as the cool seawater rushes past. He takes a breath without involving his lungs, trying not to think too hard about the strange new sensations that come with this unfamiliar form, and glances around the flooded caverns. Somehow, the cave isn’t as dark underwater as it had been on the surface.
After a few minutes of indecisive meandering, Legend taps him on the shoulder. Wind scans for a nearby air pocket and surfaces.
“Do you know where you’re going?” Legend asks.
“Nope!”
“Right…” Legend sighs. “I marked the way we went. Follow the left wall to start—”
Now armed with directions, Wind dives again. He speeds up, a bit more confident in his control, and feels a smile creep onto his face as he whips through the underwater caverns. He’s never been this capable in the water, too used to slow, inefficient human ways of swimming. He could definitely get used to fins.
He cuts a corner slightly too tight, and Legend lets out a noise of displeasure. Wind winces.
“Sorry, vet!” he calls over his shoulder, slowing down. Somehow, his voice sounds with complete clarity. Legend simply shakes his head, exasperated.
Eventually, the passage begins to widen, blue light creeping in from the entrance. Wind breaches the surface at the mouth of the cave. The opening they’d come through originally is now just a small crack above the tide, and Wind lets Legend hang onto his back until they’re well past the threshold and closer to shore.
“Still with me, vet?” Wind asks.
“Yeah,” Legend coughs. “Just a bit tired.”
“Is that them?” a familiar voice calls. “Wind, Legend, are you alright?”
Wind swivels his head around to spot Hyrule and Wild nearby, riding a raft. He raises an arm and waves.
“Over here!” he calls back, then begins swimming towards the raft. He reaches them well before they coordinate paddling well enough to actually move.
“What happened?” Hyrule asks as Wild helps Legend out of the water. They wince at the sight of his ankle.
“You’re asking me that?” Legend says. “You two went missing!”
“What are you talking about?” Wild asks. “Rulie and I were just trying to see who could climb the tallest palm tree.”
“Were you looking for us out here?” Hyrule asks, baffled. “Legend, you know I can’t swim…”
Legend’s head sinks into his hands. Wind hangs onto the side of the raft, making no move to board it.
“Wind, are you gonna get on?” Wild asks.
“Oh.” He blinks. “Right.”
He straightens his arms, but instead of lifting himself, the raft violently pitches on its side. Everyone scrambles to keep ahold of the raft, yelping.
“Wind!” Hyrule complains, now soaking wet. “Why’d you do that?”
“That’s not how you board a raft!” Wild echoes.
“Wait, what…?” He used to climb onto the King of Red Lions that way all of the time and never once had an issue.
Once the raft has stabilized again, Legend helps Wind onto the vessel this time, eyeing the still-active mermaid tail. “Skill issue, huh…?” he mumbles, contemplative. Wind’s jaw drops.
“You mean—?” he sputters. “Oh, this is your fault! You cursed me!”
Wind tackles Legend back into the water. The veteran only laughs. Hyrule and Wild share a look, baffled.
“Has he always had that tail, or…?” Wild asks. Hyrule simply shrugs, resigned.