Chapter Text
Wild jumped up onto the wooden table so hard and so roughly that Wind faceplanted into his pie. Legend also in the middle of sitting down on the other sides bench jerked back so hard, he fell on his ass. Wild however remained focused on the blackened silhouette in the darkness, shield in hand. Unlike the guardians he had encountered in the past this one wasn’t glowing. Not blue or orange. Had the guardians learned how to sneak?? How could anyone survive their reign of terror if they couldn’t even see them in the dark??
Something sat on the top of the guardian giggling madly as its head twisted around and around. Something black wrapped tightly around the guardian's eye leaving it unable to target and shoot. Shadows? Tentacle shadows? Wild could remember her using that power on them before.
It was blind. It… Wild tightened his grip on his sword and shield to stop his shaking. He couldn’t make his body relax until Twilight pulled him down off the table and started rubbing his neck like a terrified kitten. Slowly Wild let out a gasping breath and start to breathe properly again.
“What exactly is going on.” Time asked firmly attempting to regain some control over the situation.
“There’s more of these down here. I thought I’d at least give you all a chance to see them.” Dinkle called from her perch between each of the guardian’s spins.
“What the fuck is it? Some sort of beamos with legs??” Legend grumbled as War’s helped him up and brushed him off.
“Ask Wild.”
“Kinda looks like he is busy with a fucking panic attack. Why don’t you explain.”
“Are you alright Wild.” Time asked leaning in enough to check on his state.
Wild slowly nodded eyes still firmly on the guardian. One mistake was all it would take to lose a brother here. He tried to remember they had a ridiculous amount of healing items on their persons.
“Fine.” She rolled her eyes and slowly hopped down.
“This is a guardian. These things normally glow! But apparently black blood as you've been calling it makes them not glow. I thought Wild could show you how to deal with this one but I guess not...”
‘No! I can do it.’ Wild couldn’t let any of the others deal with this. He couldn’t.
“Good... Oh darn. I got here too soon. I didn’t want to interrupt your meal.” Dinkle sighed.
“But this is a perfect room. Lots of tables to hide behind. Plenty of space. Show them how it's done Wild.”
“Wait. Wild are you certain about this.” Time murmured squeezing his shoulder.
Wild took a deep breath and found his courage burning in his chest. This was more than most people got. He could do this for his brothers.
‘Right. Let’s do this.’
After some discussion the others flipped over dozens of tables giving them plenty of spaces to hide behind and once Wild was the only one in view Dinkle released the guardian. It’s dark eye twisted around locking onto the only target. It’s beeps lengthened and finally the energy released.
Wild couldn’t hear anything as the beam shot towards him and he batted it away on instinct sending the beam off to the left.
“Try again! Take it out!” Dinkle yelled from her spot ontop of the guardian.
“Don’t distract him!” Warriors yelled back.
Wild dodged another beam by sprinting at the last minute and raised his shield once more returning the third beam perfectly back into it’s black eye.
Dinkle held on as the guardian collapsed from the strength of it’s own attack. He had managed it pretty easily, despite how long it had been since he had to fight something like that...
“Good! Now who is next!”
Wild just stared up at her in disbelief.
“What is that face for? Everyone is going to get a chance.” Dinkle send him a smirk sharp teeth glinting in the low lantern light. “Most of them have dealt with something like them before Wild. They just need practice.”
“I wanna go! Let me!” Wind ran out from his hiding place hand waving in the air.
“That’s what I’m talking about~!”
‘No! No!’ Wild ran forward like he could protect Wind from a dead guardian struggling to sign with his hands full that it wasn’t safe.
“Wild.” Dinkle sighed deeply. “This is important. They all need to at least know how to do this. I’m not trying to get anyone killed.”
Wild shook under Twilight’s gentle hands. Somehow it was so much worse to watch others. Watch... He felt that uncomfortable feeling of a memory building pressure in his mind and he tried to push it away. He really did. He needed to focus on how Dinkle’s sharp nails clawed into her own palm. How the black blood dripped down onto the machinery below her. How the guardian slowly healed and awakened to rain death and destruction upon the land once more.
Wild lost himself after the second beam shivering in Twilight’s arms.
It wasn’t until they were almost done and Twilight gently passed Wild to Time that the pair realized Wild had completely shut down staring horrified at whatever past clouded his mind. They didn’t have enough time to do more than cover him protectively.
Dinkle seemed to be able to resurrect the machine over and over allowing them plenty of time to practice.
“There's just one more thing before we finish so everyone pay attention!”
Twilight swallowed as the dark being held up a cucco made completely of black shadows.
“Go on little guy.” She tossed the cucco under it and the guardian reacted instantly slamming down on the poor thing before it even landed. Twilight’s ears twitched with sympathy at its pathetic little squawk as it became a shadow pancake.
“Don’t go under it while the legs are still intact it will squish you. You will regret it.”
Her crossbow lifted into the air and Dinkle’s arrow flew finishing the guardian off for the last time.
“Now how about that food? Can I have a bowl?”