Backlash's Story kept for the sake of memory Chapter 19: Chp 17: The Story of the Wind, a redwall fanfic

Author's Note: Hey all, how's it going? This is Oct 31st, and that is Wind's B-day! So, this is that day so I update on this day! HAHA! I make no sense, heheh… Oh…it DOES make sense? Shoot me… (BAM) NOT AGAIN…

AN-Y-WAY!

Feel free to read the chapter, 'Story of the Wind' and think to yourself: What kind of supposedly hero is this?

The answer to that is simple. I decided to settle for a wimp as a hero. GO ME! (GETS PELTED BY ROTTEN TOMATOES)

Until the next chapter, bu-bye! (EXITS STAGE LEFT AND RUNS RIGHT INTO THE WALL)

…

…I'M OKAY! (CRICKETS) I know I'm not loved…I'll just cry in this corner here—(RUNS INTO ANOTHER WALL)

Story of the Wind

By: biacebaolck

In the beginning of time, the Wind had been created just moments after Air, of the four main elements, had been with its comrades: Earth, Fire and Water. It had been created as a branch…as something that would do the required work while Air dealt with the more important work with the other Elements, leaving Wind to work with Ground, Flame and Liquid.

All four branches of the Elements worked well with each other, despite the rivaling conflicts between Air, Earth, Fire and Water. The branches were happy together, as they were working with friends.

One day, all of that changed.

The Wind really can't remember what happened after the four Elements finally clashed and fought against themselves in a blinding fury of earth, fire, water and air. All it remembers is being torn away from its friends after hiding with trembling fear and being punished. For what? It still knows not. It imagined that the others had been treated like this also, but since forbidden to meet…each of their original, happy and careful selves gradually began to disappear after time.

Before the Wind's self could be wiped, it cast a part of itself into a soul and then…all love from its matter disappeared, the only trace left being in the soul. Nobeast knows when the soul will be or when it was born.

The only clue…however…is shrieks like the wind and silver eyes.

The babe harboring the soul was born after a long while of waiting. He was a young hare with hazel fur and he was Torquoi. That's right…Torquoi. One of the two most respected species of hare.

When his eyes first opened and he cried, emitting the sound of life, his mother immediately knew something was wrong.

Born with silver eyes and a shrieking like the wind in a storm of anger and distress, this newborn was nothing like the other babes. His crying was loud and it could be heard for miles around. Despite that, she loved him. The babe's mother loved him, yet every time she set her eyes on him, she would recall the Story of the Wind, a legend as great as the knowledge of the Elements.

The legend had been told to her by her Great-great-great-great-grandsire and had always been passed down and told by the sires of the Thyst family. Her husband had died bravely in a war long since while obeying the orders of his master, Yuki, so she kept the legend to herself, but gave her child a name that would forever be his.

Breeze.

Yes, that was what he was called by his only friend, Gio. It was bearable, yes, but sounding like it was belonging to another.

Windbreeze.

His full forename, yet a complete stranger to him. Almost like it belonged to somebeast else, just like his nickname. He didn't like it, but he didn't despise it either. He just felt…well…UNCOMFORTABLE, when called that. Luckily, his mother was the only beast who did.

Wind.

A name he would always be excited about. It felt like him and gave him stamina, courage and strength. A word he wanted as a name. A name he longed to have. A word…a name…he loved dearly. A name…a word…he always ran with when it came and shared its emotions in his speed and personality. A dream…that he longed to be real.

Something…magical stirred inside him when he heard the word. Something—

"Yo! Breeze!" Gio spoke up behind the young hare.

"EYAAAAAAAAH!" He leapt up in the air, his writing book flying out of his paws, his quill dropped and the inkbottle, which had been balancing on his knee, toppling backwards, its ebony-coloured liquid falling out and staining his tunic. "Gio…" He hissed, his eyes narrowing at the culprit responsible, a demonic aura surrounding him. "DON'T DO THAT!!!"

"Ge-ez…" Gio snorted. "Tou-chy…" He watched as his best friend recapped the bottle and tried to wipe clean the oozy liquid on his tunic, only succeeding in blackening his paws.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!! IT'S BLACK! IT'S BLACK! MOM-MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!"

Gio sighed in disbelief as the eccentric young Torquoi rushed sobbing in shrieks to his mother. Pathetic. He walked to the middle of the room and took a curious look at Windbreeze's book.

He looked rather disgruntled as he flipped page after page after page, the same three words always repeating nonstop, without any pause. Why…from his expression, one would believe that Gio thought Windbreeze was rather…err…what's the word…OBSESSED with the three words.

Here was what every two pages looked like, the only NON-like-this being the empty pages Windbreeze had not yet written in:

Breeze. Windbreeze. Wind. Breeze. Windbreeze. Wind. Breeze. Windbreeze. Wind. Breeze. Windbreeze. Wind.

The same 3 words. Quite disturbing, neh? Well, it'd better be, because I spent HELL doing this all, so you'd BETTER THINK IT'S DISTURBING!!! Alright… Alright… AHEM. Better now?

"Yo." He spoke up as saw Windbreeze step back into the room, beaming like no tomorrow, his paws clean now and his tunic only sporting a minor black stain, about the size of the thinness of a whisker. Yep…almost unseeable. Almost. "Why write this over and over again? Either something's bothering you and you're not my best friend but a vermin in disguise, OR, you're obsessed and you're wasting parchment and ink and quills."

Windbreeze's face flushed as he strode over and tried to grab back his precious bound book, the one that had the three names about him in it. "Give it back, Gio!"

"Nyah, nyah!" Gio, being a good half-a-head taller that Windbreeze, dangled it up in the air as high as he could, his left paw pulling down the skin under his left eye and his tongue stuck out teasingly.

"STOP IT!!! GIOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" Windbreeze wailed out. "GIOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! GIVE IT BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!"

His ears ringing from Windbreeze's shrieks and loud crying, Gio dropped the book right after clamping his paws over his ears. "Oww…" Windbreeze stopped crying immediately as he caught the book.

"Don't do that again, okay, Gio?" Windbreeze sniffled, clutching the book tightly to his chest.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." You could tell Gio didn't really care.

"MOM-MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!" Windbreeze shrieked and caused Gio to go half-deaf before he could clamp his paws over his ears a second time. "MOM-MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!"

Maroline, his mother, far and brown-furred rushed in. "What's wrong, Windbreeze?"

"GIO'S BEING MEAN!!!" He shrieked.

She sighed a heavy sigh. Though Windbreeze was an only child, he acted like Gio was his mean big brother when all the hare wanted to do was make Windbreeze braver and less reliant on others and more reliant on fighting instead of crying.

"I'm sure Gio is sorry. Now, please, Windbreeze. Stop crying, okay? Your aunt and uncle's coming by and I have to tidy everything up."

"Breeze has an aunt and uncle?" Gio was curious. "My mom says you don't have any brothers and sisters."

"Well, your mother is right." Maroline knelt down, wiped the corners of a sniffling Windbreeze's eyes with the corner of her apron and stood up. "Emraan and Moon are from Windbreeze's father's side of the family. Emraan and Moon are both Ragnaroks, and since I'm Torquoi, this means Windbreeze is half of each. Besides, I think it'll be pretty exciting for Windbreeze to see his aunt and uncle again."

"Ragnaroks?" Gio's interest in the subject had increased greatly, especially since they were talking about Ragnaroks, the strongest hares ever and with the COOLEST traditions, such as the First Weapon Ritual, when they give a 5-season-old Ragnarok his or her first weapon, depending on the signs and when they were born and what they were born doing and such. His mother wouldn't even let him touch a weapon with a 10-foot-long pole, no matter HOW safe it was. "They're Ragnaroks? Can I stay for dinner?"

"I don't' see why not," Maroline smiled, tucking a loose strand of fur back in place. "Why don't you ask your mother first, if it's ok with her?"

"Aw…do I HAVE to? You KNOW she'll only so 'NO'…."

"Yes, but if I was your mother, I'd like to know where you were at all times. You do have a tendency of getting into trouble and fights."

"Alright…" Gio grumbled, and walked off.

"Mommy…" Windbreeze sucked on his thumb, using his other paw to yank on his mother's dress.

"Hm? What is it, dear?" She bent down and removed his thumb gently from his mouth. "Remember, you'll be 10 seasons today and you'll get your tribal markings. So, you should start acting more grown up because you're growing up."

"BUT I DON'T WANNA GROW UP!!!!" He wailed. She sighed, but hugged him comfortingly, silencing his tears.

"I didn't want to either, when I was your age, but we all have no choice over time. Time can change us, but we can't change time. It'll be all right, Windbreeze. Don't forget Uncle Emraan and Aunt Moon are coming by for your birthday!"

That last sentence seemed to cheer Windbreeze right up and he happily skipped outside, leaving Maroline smiling before she got back to hard work to prepare for his birthday party.

"Who's 10 seasons today? Why, it must be this little troublemaker right here!" Emraan tickled Windbreeze's sides expertly, as the younger hare struggled to get out of his uncle's grip, but failing.

"Hahahahahahaha! Stop it! Hahahahahahahaha! C'mon! Hahahahahahahahaha! Stop it! Hahahahahahahaha! Uncle! Hahahahahahaha! Please!"

Gio noted that Windbreeze couldn't cry at his loudest while being tickled and added that to his memory. Perhaps it would come in handy one day.

"That's enough, big brother! You'll kill him if you continue!" Moon pulled Windbreeze out of Emraan's tickle grip and held him in her arms. Even though the young hare was a full 10 seasons old, his growth development had no yet started, so he was as small and as light as he was when he was 7 seasons.

Emraan grinned as he ruffled the top of his nephew's head playfully. Windbreeze laughed in delight and at the moment, Gio glanced out the window and yelled excitedly, "Hey! Look at this! There's a big black bird out at front!"

Hearing this, both Emraan and Moon's faces become serious. Moon addressed her elder brother angrily. "You said you had a day off!"

"So did I, but whatever it is, for Master Yuki, it's important." He said firmly. "I have to go, Maroline. Happy birthday, sport." He rushed out of the house, leaving a crestfallen Moon, her ears drooping and her tears sprouting. She hugged Windbreeze tightly, as though wanting to…to…not feel as sad as she did at this moment.

"Don't cry, Auntie…" Windbreeze whispered, patting her on the head. She wiped her eyes and cracked a smile, but Gio noticed, alone with Maroline, that the female Ragnarok's smile had been almost…FORCED.

"MOM-MEEEEEEEEE!!!" Windbreeze wailed as the mid-wife cleaned his upper arm. "WHAT DOES SHE MEAN SHE'S GOING TO USE A NEEDLE?!"

"Well," Maroline said as patiently as she could. "She's…"

"She's gonna draw with a needle on your arm and give you your markings with the tip in ink and it'll be super cool and hurt like crazy when it's over!!!!" Gio said excitedly. Apparently, he was one hare who LOVED pain. Windbreeze did not share his enthusiasm in the same way.

"MOM-MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!"

For the umpteenth time of the day, Maroline Thyst heaved a huge sigh…and went over and helped the mid-wife's poor hears by blind-folding her child who turned silent. Peace and quiet at last, at least, until the markings were drawn.

But UN-fortunately, quiet wouldn't last for long.

"Glackgh!" Gio coughed out blood as his mid-section was kicked…HARD. Nevertheless, he kicked upright and the rat's jaw went flying. His vision was blurring and only one eye was completely open while the other was only half.

Maroline and Moon had sent both of the young hares away, managing to hold back the horde of vermin while Gio ran with a frozen Windbreeze on his back. Both hares had known, however, that the two brave females would die, even though their fighting skills were honed to the best possible. Strength in numbers for the vermin.

"Breeze…" Gio knelt down to a shaking Windbreeze's eye level. "Are you oka—" He was rammed from behind with a cutlass by the rat that had fallen. The blade's out stuck out from his chest, and he fell on all fours, coughing out blood. He clutched his midsection as he kicked the rat away, before collapsing from major blood loss in two vital areas.

"Gio!" Windbreeze squeaked and scrambled next to him and turned him facing skyward. The larger's hare's breath was becoming shallow and his eye lids fluttered open and closed, in an attempt to stay conscious.

"Breeze?" He gasped out, resulting in another coughing fit of losing blood.

"Yeah?" The afore mentioned hare said meekly. Gio gave a shaky, pale smile.

"It's been real nice being BFF, Breeze. Promise me, you'll avenge me, your mom and your aunt and live your life to its fullest enjoyment, 'kay?"

"Don't say you're going to die!" Windbreeze started crying. "DON'T SAY IT!"

"Haha…" Gio laughed weakly, coughing again. "Just promise."

"But—"

"Promise me."

"I—"

"Please, Breeze."

"Can't—"

"Do it for me."

"…alright. Just don't die!" Windbreeze clasped his paws over Gio's slightly larger one, sniffling.

"Too late, pal. Too late." Gio closed his eyes and his lips were pressed into a single smile. He left the living world, like that, his last word being, "Live."

"GIOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! GIOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! DON'T DIE! DON'T DIE! PLEASE DON'T DIE! IT'S NOT FAIR!" Windbreeze wailed, his small paws still clutching the now cold one of Gio's, his small form shaking.

"Aww…willye lookit tha'. Th' babe's cryin'!"

Windbreeze stopped cold, his eyes wide open and he slowly turned to the rat that had slain his best friend, his big brother… He stared at the sneering vermin that made their way to the rat.

What? What was going on? He wiped his eyes with the back of his paw.

"We killed th' annoyin' females. Huh, too bad theys didn't wanna join our ranks."

"Pointless tae imagine. Thems would've betrayed us'n all."

"Yeah." The fox nursed his dislocated jaw before the stoat next to him cracked it back into place. Blood was coughed out, but other than that, the relocation of the misplaced jaw was perfect. "Gals with tha' power ken by dangerous. They took out almost th' rest of the gang. We're the only 'uns left."

"Ye killed 'em both? Ye sure?" The rat questioned.

"Yessir." All three reported.

"Hear that? Yer little friends've died. All cuz of ye. All yer fault. Hows about we's end yer sorrows by slayin' ye?"

"No."

Windbreeze's suddenly firm and angry voice surprised even him as he let go of Gio's paw and stood up, glaring at the four.

"What? Ye wanna fight us'n all? 'Tis death. Don' beb like tha'. We'll add ye to our ranks, seein' as yer a friend o' all these good fighters, yer'll be bound te be as tough as 'em in a few seasons of tough ol' trainin' time." The rat offered.

"But, captain, ye sure ye wanna—"

"Course I'm asure, idjit!" The rat whacked the fox.

"Captain…ye sure 'tis wise?"

"What ye mean, buckoe?" 'Captain' glared at the ferret.

"What 'e means is that th' boy might turn on us." The stoat spoke up.

"Like tha'll ever happen."

"I wouldn't be as sure of that if I were you." Windbreeze spoke angrily, pulling out the cutlass from Gio's limp body and standing it at the ready. "I'll kill you all, even if I have to DIE doing it."

"Now, now. Why don't ye stop yer wild thoughts and face th' real life?"

"I'd sooner die than deal with scum like you!" He charged.

"Tsk, tsk. Pity…"

"Wot about me?" The ferret questioned, rather stupidly. The rat whapped him.

"Idjit! Now, Foxclaw, kill tha' boy an' give me back me cutlass!" The fox whipped out his blade and 'tripped' toward the Captain.

"Oh, so SORRY!" The fox said in mock-sincerity as he ran through the captain with his old blade, a smirk on his face.

"Wha—" At that moment, Windbreeze rammed the cutlass into him. With a dying, horrible sounding gurgle, the searat captain collapsed to the ground, dead as a doornail.

The ferret, fox and stoat easily overpowered Windbreeze with their experience and superior strength, but he didn't give up as the cutlass was taken away from him and he was pushed to the ground. Needless to say, he thrashed around rather wildly and angrily, not giving up. He opened his mouth to yell.

"Shut it, kid!" Pity the ferret, kicked him, shutting him up as he clutched his mid-section, tears sprouting from his eyes as he was soaked in unyielding pain.

"Let's jist kill th' kid, already!" The fox, Foxclaw, yelled.

"Hrm…" The stoat viewed Windbreeze at eye level through squinted eyes. "I'm a stayin' outta this 'un. I don' wanna lose me energy too soon."

"Huh…youse was always the cautious one, Kagroo!" Pity scowled. "Not too good fer a stoat traitor, always switchin' gangs."

"Leave 'im be." Foxclaw ordered. "Let's jist finish off this 'un before 'e finds a ways te escape."

Time seemed to slow as the two wielded their blades points downwards and prepared to strike down into Windbreeze's neck. The blades sank down into the ground as Windbreeze quickly rolled to the right.

He got up hurriedly, performing a sweep kick on both of them and grasping Foxclaw's sword from the ground while also retrieving the Captain's. He held the points at their necks, his silver eyes narrowed with anger.

"Die!" He pulled back and shoved the swords forward into the two vermins' necks before letting go of the hilts quickly. Blood splattered out the ground and the sword blades as Windbreeze turned to face Kagroo.

"Hrm…" The stoat tsked as he thought about what Windbreeze had done. "Bad fightin'…no finesse."

"What would YOU know about finesse!" Windbreeze bristled and charged recklessly, grabbing Pity's sword.

Kagroo side-stepped neatly and stuck out his footpaw, sending Windbreeze sailing through the air before karate-chopping his neck, and sending him landing in a heap. He threw the sword of out Windbreeze's reach and knelt down to eye level. Windbreeze gulped and shut his eyes tight.

This was the end!

He would get killed by this stoat, Kagroo!

He wouldn't fulfill his promise to Gio!

He would die!

"Go." Kagroo growled, guesturing behind him. Windbreeze's eyes opened almost immediately.

"Huh?"

"Jist go." Kagroo stood up. "I gots me a student te train. I don' have time te be awasin' wit' a weaklin'."

"HEY!" Windbreeze scrambled to his footpaws.

"Huh…" Kagroo flicked his forehead and Windbreeze fell to the ground yet again. "Fight me when yer're stronger, mate. I'll be at th' forest, half-a-day's walk. Th' Forest o' Tserof."

Windbreeze could only watch as Kagroo left, his eyes wide with surprise. A vermin…a vermin…a vermin…the type of vermin his mother had told him to always avoid no matter WHAT the cost…had…just…SPARED HIS LIFE?!

For the first time since his mother, aunt and best friend were killed…Windbreeze smiled.

"Don't worry…I'll be stronger!" He called to Kagroo's departing back. Kagroo didn't turn around, but a hint of a smile was on his lips.

"I'ma countin' on it." He muttered.

Then, the story is as follows as I am too lazy to write any detailed stuff as this thing is due TODAY by MY STANDARDS…haha…I'm evil, even to myself…haha…

Windbreeze was as good as his word. He kept on training, remincising the times he and Gio and his mother used to train together. Sometimes, if he concentrated hard enough, he would remember his father's voice, his strong voice… And that alone kept him going…along with his promise to Gio, of course.

But, when he went to the forest a few seasons later, shock was in his features. Kagroo…was DEAD. The promise Kagroo had made to fight him…was now null and void. All that training…for nothing.

But, for Windbreeze, his life was not over yet. His Uncle Emraan was still alive somewhere…and he would find him. No matter what.

"I'll find you, Uncle." He vowed. "And maybe, then maybe you can tell me who this Master Yuki is…"