Chapter Text
The forest is usually quiet. Quiet, only broken by the chirping of birds dipping below the canopy and back up again, in a joyous dance.
But on that day, it was too quiet. The birds were nowhere to be seen, the forest was dark. The wind was not blowing and the air was quiet. Why did the wind not blow, when he was the one that watched over such a sacred place?
The forest was grieving.
Wind archer groaned in agony, curling up on the wooden bed in which he laid. Thoughts of the recent battle swam in his mind. The screaming of innocent creatures, the machinery hums, the spawn of evil, probing him, taunting him to commit to such vile acts. The face of that man kept coming back, his smile burning into wind archer's memory.
What a truly heinous creature indeed. Wind archer's only regret was that the smile he could not forget was never wiped of that smug face. Or maybe it was. Maybe he hadn't noticed. That thought only infuriated him more.
He tried to haul himself up, to do something worthwhile for once. He collapsed instantly, wincing as his ribs hit the bed and his nerves lit up.
Get up. Get up. Do something. Protect someone. Make an effort, to help millennial tree, to aid him in his duties, anything.
The thoughts only served to make him feel more useless.
Wind archer sat on a log, pensively watching the forest life. His body hurt. Really. A lot. But he bared through it. Many a cookie has been thrown so much worse. Why should I sit back in my quarters when so many others have struggled and fought in the worst of conditions?
"What are you thinking about, child?"
Millennial tree's sudden words jolted him, and by instinct he reached for his bow, only stopping when he registered who was there. The elder cookie laughed at the display of diligence. "Calm down, little wind. It's just me."
"Millennial tree." He struggled for a second, his brain willing him repress his thoughts and his heart willing him to speak. "Am I a burden to you, in such a state like this?"
He regretted asking the moment millennial tree's face fell.
"Child, is this why you have been so down lately? Do you really think after all you've done, that I could think of you as a burden?"
"I'm useless."
"You did incredible things, in that faraway land"
"And now, I'm useless."
Millennial tree sighed. There was no point in battling his guardian on this. "Go rest, wind archer. I better not see you training."
"..."
Two hours later, wind archer lay in his bed once more. He felt worse.
Even months after his trip to beast yeast, wind archer still wondered about the so called "ultimate cookie". He wondered about just how much of a threat it posed. It was kind of infuriating, just how little the beastly spawn "shadow milk" had told him. Wind archer was worried each day about every little thing he was unable to do. About his failures.
He needed to go for a walk.
The dessert forest was bright that day. Birds singing their usual songs, sunlight breaching through the dense canopy, leaves rustling in the pleasant gust that wind archer brought with himself as he walked, trusty bow in hand.
And for once, he didn't have so much bothering him on his mind.
Perhaps, just this once, he could allow himself to be at ease.
One of the only things wind archer truly enjoyed was archery. Not in battle, but in the moments he wasn't needed, the moments he could waste his time listening to his bowstring sing as he let the arrows slip from his fingers. He really didn't know why such mundane things brought him joy.
Is this what fire spirit meant by "having fun"?
Hmpf. Of course not. This is dignified. And "fun" is most certainly not.
After some thinking, wind archer decided he would try blind shooting. It was a hard thing to do. And that was the point. What kind of cookie calls himself an archer if he can't shoot reliably? If i want to improve, protect others, avenge myself, then I must improve myself 'till I can't anymore. That is the only way.
He slipped the arrow's notch onto the bowstring and closed his eyes, exhaling as he brought his bow into position, pointing it the direction one of his makeshift targets should have been. It was a bit nerve racking, knowing that if he misfired, he could hurt the nature he swore to protect. He had to screw his eyes tighter to stop from opening them.
He fired. The familiar twunk of an arrow hitting the target was all that was needed for his eyes to open and his breath to resume.
The arrow hadn't hit bullseye, no, but it was close. He almost felt proud of himself. But the doubt ate at his dough.
Not good enough. It should be be dead center. If it isn't perfect, I could miss. I could ruin everything.
He returned to position and raised the bow again. Exhale. Draw back the string. Close your eyes. Anddd...
CRASH
The arrow flew off course, hitting a rock and falling into the tall forest grass. But wind archer couldn't give less of a shit. He drew the bow quicker, trying to locate the source of the havoc which had interrupted him. Pushing aside vine and branch, he slid deeper into the forest, into a darker area, where the trees grew too dense and the sun could not peek through.
And right in the middle of this thick greenery, a cookie stood. Blue and black and troublesome all over. Ah, wind archer could never forget that smug face. The shock of the jester beast standing in front of him so suddenly almost distracted him from the fact that this thing had a body.
... Strangely, shadow milk seemed anything but smug. Was that... fright?
"What do you want, fiend?"
"I don't wanna fight, archie. I just thought," And in a blink his disheveled expression was gone. "That I needed some fresh air! Oh, I just love strolling around without a care! Haha!"
"... Why are you really here?"
The smirk he had momentarily sustained was gone.
"I've got nowhere else to go."
Wind archer was confused. Really confused. Of course, trusting shadow milk was the last thing anyone should do. But, his voice had no playfulness to it. He seemed almost... Lost.
No. This thing could not feel emotions.
"Leave." Wind archer hissed, full of venom "You don't belong in such a sacred place."
They stared at each other for a whole two seconds before shadow milk bolted into the thicket.
...
I need to tell millennial tree
He can't get away this time.