A/N: Many thanks for everyone's input and suggestions! And once again, thanks for beta-reading, Quathis.
So what is Link's new name? Read on and find out. Hope you enjoy!
The Lost Hero
Wendy smiled as she watched Happy and Romeo scurry around the large trunks of giant trees and lush plant growth of East Forest with the young blond-haired boy tailing right after. However, she cringed whenever the two called the boy by his temporary name because it sounded so utterly ridiculous… Even having to say it out loud felt rather awkward for her.
"Bacon! Over here! Over here!" Romeo hollered from atop a large rocky protrusion covered in vines and other plant life. Happy was perched over Romeo's shoulder, waving a beckoning paw at the other boy below.
Bacon… Wendy couldn't help but roll her eyes at the name they had ended up giving the boy. It was mostly Natsu's fault.
During their late breakfast that morning at Fairy Tail, all the members that were present were informed on the situation regarding the boy. Friendly, sympathetic greetings eventually turned into a group discussion on what the child's name should temporarily be thanks to Happy bringing that subject back up again.
"He uses a bow, right? His name should be Bow," Romeo had said as he and others examined the boy's belongings sorted on top of the round table next to where Wendy was seated with her teammates. Everything but the boy's potions and his bag of jewels, which Master Makarov had 'confiscated', sat neatly on the table for everyone to see. Unfortunately, no one recognized any of the items or had a clue to where they originated.
"Grasshopper!" Asuka had shouted her suggestion with a gleeful smile. The little girl was up on her toes and playfully tugging on Wendy's arm to get the Dragon Slayer's utmost attention. "I want to call him Grasshopper! Can we? Please?"
"Asuka, he's not a pet," her mother, Bisca, had lightly scolded with a lighthearted smile.
Groaning, the little girl pouted while Natsu chuckled. "She's right, kiddo," said Natsu through a mouthful of food. "I think 'Bacon' sounds better. Right, Bacon? Bacon Bacon Bacon Bacon…" Gently nudging the boy with his elbow, Natsu repeated the name while vigorously nodding his head, wanting the kid to mimic him.
Bearing a wide, carefree smile, the boy bowed his head several times, imitating Natsu's actions without fully understanding what it meant. In fact, the boy would often try to copy the habits of others from facial expressions to body movements whenever he noticed them. Despite his mimicking of others, Wendy had yet to hear him speak. She had heard him quietly giggle a few times whenever something greatly amused him, proving that he wasn't mute.
Natsu broadly grinned, making the boy grin too. "See? He likes Bacon. We're calling him Bacon."
"That's silly! We can't call him that!" Wendy protested, greatly appalled. She was seated on the other side of the boy and at the sound of her voice, his blue eyes fell upon her. He was always attentive to her whenever she spoke, a behaviour she had accidentally conditioned into him. She gave him a warm smile before looking at Natsu crossly. "It has to be a nice name. Maybe a cute name… Loco?"
"Bacon," said Natsu, refusing to listen. The boy glanced at him expectantly for a brief moment before resuming to eat his honeyed toast that Mirajane had prepared for the group's breakfast. He was a messy eater, preferring to use his hands rather than the knife and fork provided. He was capable of using the utensils after Wendy had showed him how, but he didn't seem to like them. Crumbs and dripped honey covered the front of his shirt and the lap of his pants from his clumsy fingers, requiring a new change of clothes and possibly a shower once they finished their meal. She knew she had to be stern to teach him proper manners, however she didn't have the heart to be too commanding.
Carla heavily sighed. "His name should be more sophisticated," she had tried to argue. "Like… Artemis."
"Bacon."
"Pan?" Lucy decided to throw in with a tentative smile.
"Bacon."
"It has to be manly! I'd say Joro," someone else suggested from the small crowd gathered around their table. It sounded like Elfman.
"Bacon."
"Fairy," both Jet and Droy said as one. "It would go well because he'll be Fairy boy!" added the heavier man.
"Bacon Bacon Bacon."
The boy had been staring at Natsu throughout the discussion. When Natsu nudged him, the boy nodded at the mage, his face beaming with a sticky smile. The Fire Dragon Slayer pointed and sneered with satisfaction. "Look! Look! He likes the sound of Bacon. There's no denying it."
"But–"
Wendy was cut off by Happy suddenly proclaiming; "I like Bacon now!" The blue feline, standing on top of their table, raised his paw into the air and the boy did the same. Laughter broke out amongst the crowd.
Crossing her arms and shaking her head, Carla shot her fellow Exceed a sullen glare and quietly grumbled, "I suppose it's slightly better than Swordfish."
Mirajane giggled as she started to clean up the empty plates and glasses on the table. "Bacon doesn't actually sound so bad. I rather like it," she commented with a cheery smile. As she passed by the boy, she lightly tousled his blond hair in a playful manner. "Welcome to Fairy Tail, Bacon!"
And so the boy had adopted the name 'Bacon' thanks to Natsu drilling it into his head. It was only temporary, until the boy could remember his own name, so Wendy wasn't too disappointed by the outcome. Hopefully Fairy Tail's Medicinal Advisor, Porlyusica, would be able to help him.
Wendy, Natsu, Lucy, Carla, Happy, and Bacon were now on their way through East Forest to meet up with Master Makarov and the old woman. The guild master had gone ahead before asking Wendy and her teammates to join him when the group arrived at Fairy Tail that morning.
Romeo had tagged along as well, claiming he was bored, but Wendy suspected he was more interested in befriending the other boy. The novice fire mage had given Bacon some of his old clothes to change into and a worn pair of boots to wear. And now he was demonstrating on how to play, teaching the younger boy how to run, jump, crawl, climb, and navigate through the grand forest; he was pretty much showing Bacon how to be a normal kid, getting dirty and scuffed up.
Even though it was nice to see Bacon have fun, Wendy was constantly worried for him. He had yet to fully recover his strength. Whenever he tripped and fell, she was instantly by his side healing up his scrapes and bruises while scolding Romeo for not keeping a close eye on him. Surprisingly, Bacon only frowned whenever he suffered an injury; he never cried nor made a sound.
"He's a tough kid," Romeo had said after Wendy mended the younger boy's scraped elbow the second time. "You don't need to mother him, you know."
She couldn't help it. She just didn't like seeing Bacon hurt because it greatly reminded her of the time she had found him. She was anxious but also afraid to learn what had happened to him back in the ruins, remembering the ominous words Carla had spoken that night; "... the truth is something we would not like to hear…"
By an hour past noon, the group reached the enormous, familiar tree that was the home of Porlyusica. Towering tens of meters above them, Wendy couldn't see the top of the tree through the many thick branches of the forest canopy. Thin beams of sunlight poured through the small gaps, lighting up the staircase carved into the pale stone the tree grew upon.
The scent of Porlyusica – of Grandeeney – was ever present here, bringing a small smile on Wendy's face. It had only been a few weeks since she had last come here and received her mother's gift. There was a sound of wonder from Romeo for it was his first time meeting with Porlyusica. The girl had warned him of the old lady's dislike for humans and asked him not to speak out of turn.
Of course, the same couldn't be applied to Natsu. Banging on the carved wooden door, he loudly announced, "Hey, Gramps! Old hag! We're here!"
The door immediately swung open and standing within the shadows of the doorway with a mighty broom in hand was Porlyusica, her elderly wrinkled face distorted with anger. "Who are you calling an old hag?!" she demanded, jabbing the non-bristled end of her weapon into Natsu's stomach.
Natsu coughed and doubled over while Wendy and the others took a wary step back. Bacon, however, remained where he stood, staring up at the elder woman in his usual curious manner.
Winded, Natsu shrank away from the Medicinal Advisor and wheezed out, "S-Sorry… Ya didn't have to do that…"
Porlyusica's red eyes narrowed at Natsu with disdain for a short moment before she snorted and stepped inside. "Serves you right, human. Now enter and do not make another fuss or else begone with you."
Lucy sighed as she followed the groaning, hunched over Fire Dragon Slayer into the large hollow tree house. Wendy was right behind, pulling Bacon along by his hand while Romeo soundly gulped as he followed them.
Inside, the single room carved out of the trunk appeared much more spacious than from the outside, bringing a small gasp of surprise from Wendy. It was pleasantly cooler and rather cozy within the old woman's home. Natural light entered through the numerous glass-paned windows made into the thick trunk. Two large bookcases carved into the wood held many books both ancient and fairly new as well as several pots of living plants that were most likely medicinal herbs. On the far side was a magnificent indoor garden full of colourful blooming flowers, tall grasses, and climbing vines. There was a work desk on the left side littered with many ceramic and wooden bowls, glassware, utensils, tools, and jars full of dried plant material, translucent liquids, and oils. Scattered around were wooden crates, barrels, and small tree stumps that acted as chairs with a content-looking Master Makarov sitting on top of one of them, sipping what looked like a mug of tea. On the right side was a single bed and in the center of the room was a red and yellow oval rug that complemented an otherwise bare floor.
Makarov nodded in greeting at the group's arrival and Wendy caught Porlyusica's small welcoming smile directed at her for a fleeting moment before it vanished.
"Close the door," was the old woman's command once everyone was inside.
Romeo, being the last to pass through the doorway, flinched and hastily slammed the wooden door shut, making a few of the pots sitting on the shelves slightly rattle.
"Gently, boy! Gently!" Porlyusica snapped, pointing her fearsome broom at Romeo.
Romeo cowered and profusely apologized while Makarov lightly chuckled. "Now, now…" the old man began, but Wendy didn't catch the rest.
Something caught Bacon's immediate attention. He left Wendy's side before the girl had time to react. He stopped beside one of the bookshelves and craned his head upward. Mounted onto the inner trunk of the tree at the height of an adult's reach was a small Light Lacrima illuminating the corner of the chamber a soft yellow. Slowly hovering around the crystal was a pair of glowbugs, winged beetles with iridescent black shells and white glowing bodies. They were slightly larger than fireflies and they preferred to shine during the day rather than the night. They were also highly attracted to light infused Lacrima, making them a common sight in towns or cities. Always seen in pairs, glowbugs would spend all day flying around a light-giving crystal until nightfall where they disappeared into the darkness.
Bacon pointed at them and, pointing as well, Wendy whispered to him, "Glowbugs." He slightly tilted his head at the sound of their name, his wide blue eyes transfixed on the glowing insects spiraling around the Lacrima in an endless dance.
"It's rare to see them out here," Romeo added in a quiet voice, joining the two.
Wendy nodded, watching the beetles' long transparent wings flicker like sunlit jewels all the while listening to the others converse.
"… potion to cure his amnesia?" Natsu asked.
"As I have told the master, I do not know of any medicinal remedy to bring back memories that have been lost," Porlyusica frankly replied.
Wendy was disappointed to hear that and she could sense her companions feeling the same. She exchanged a saddened look with Romeo before her frown fell on Bacon. The younger boy was still captivated by the moving lights above them. He was smiling in awe, completely oblivious to everything around him.
"Is it possible that someone else may know?" Lucy inquired.
The guild master heavily sighed and shook his head. "I've asked the same question. There hasn't been any records of a cure for treating memory loss in both magical and medicinal research. The only thing left is for the child to remember on his own."
"So he is the one?" Porlyusica questioned, approaching Wendy and the boys. As the girl pried Bacon's attention away from the insects, the advisor's crimson eyes studied Bacon intently, the corner of her mouth perking in thought. "How peculiar…" she quietly murmured, noting his appearance.
Noticing Porlyusica standing before him, Bacon peered up at the tall woman and stuck out his left hand as a form of greeting that he was starting to pick up. Instead of taking his hand, Porlyusica reached into a pocket of her robe and pulled out a familiar corked glass bottle full of thick red liquid. "Memories are triggered through stimulation," she said, placing the bottle in the boy's open palm. "Familiar scents and tastes can trigger the mind into remembering past situations."
"What is that?" Romeo asked, eyeing the bottle curiously in the same manner as Bacon.
"This is one of his potions I was given to examine. It is a rejuvenating potion. If he drinks this, perhaps he could begin to remember something just from the taste of it alone."
Nodding Wendy uncorked the bottle for Bacon and carefully pushed it to his lips, prompting him to drink it. When the first drop touched his tongue, a look of disgust crossed the boy's face followed by the immediate rejection of the medicine all over the floor. The bottle and its contents would have joined the rest if it were not for Wendy quickly grabbing it out of Bacon's hand.
Porlyusica was not too happy at the mess on her floor before her feet. "So sorry, Grandeeney!" Wendy apologized on Bacon's behalf. She understood how difficult it was to swallow something that tasted as bad as it smelled. "I'll clean that up for you!"
Sighing, Porlyusica raised a hand to stop the girl. "Don't worry about it. And do not call me Grandeeney."
Wendy timidly nodded and shuffled her feet. "Err, right. Sorry, Miss Porlyusica."
The advisor turned to Bacon who was busy smacking his lips and cringing at the foul taste left in his mouth. Everyone silently observed, waiting for some sort of reaction, but Bacon seemed no different than before. He was looking rather displeased at the now corked bottle in Wendy's possession.
"Hmph. It doesn't look like it worked," Porlyusica murmured after a moment. She pulled out two more bottles, each filled with a green and blue liquid. "I doubt these two would work either and they both taste equally pungent if not worse."
Natsu wrinkled his nose. "Are they even safe to drink?"
"Why would the boy carry them if they did not aid him in some way? They aren't poison. I've yet to figure out the exact properties of these two potions but I have an inclination that they may heal magic energy." After putting them away, she held out her right hand before Bacon and gestured for him to do the same.
He was reluctant, most likely due to Porlyusica's stern expression and the fact she had given him a nasty tasting potion to drink, but Wendy kindly coaxed him into grabbing the elder's hand. Porlyusica gently enclosed her long, pale fingers around his smaller left hand and lightly touched the back of his palm with her other hand. Her red eyes narrowed slightly after a short moment. "His magic aura… It is quite different," she stated.
"We're guessing he came from a distant country," said Lucy.
"Perhaps. Or he could be from another world."
There were a few gasps. "Like from another parallel universe?" Happy exclaimed with excitement.
Carla crossed her arms and looked upon the elders in bewilderment. "Like Edolas?"
Porlyusica met Bacon's curious stare and allowed him to pull away. "No, not Edolas… Most likely another world that differs from Earthland and Edolas."
"It's a possibility we shouldn't ignore," Makarov informed, raising his brow. "If Edolas exists, so too can other worlds. His coming here may have been accidental as was the case with Porlyusica. However, we cannot overlook the temple and the state you have found him in. There must be more to how and why he ended up in the ruins in the first place. Natsu," he hopped off the stump and strolled towards the fire mage standing in the center of the room, "I'd like you to show me where you found the temple."
"What?" Natsu flinched and nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "You sure I should go back to Saffarion? They'll probably try to arrest me on sight."
The master waved his hand. "Oh, don't worry about that. I've already paid the damage fees."
Natsu was greatly relieved. "You did? How? Where'd you get the money?"
Wendy caught the snide little smile adorning the old man's face before he turned his back to everyone. "Let's just say I had a few extra Jewels in my pocket."
"Wait a minute…" Lucy narrowed her eyes at him in suspicion. "Did you sell Bacon's gems?!"
"Bacon?" The guild master twirled around, confused. Hearing his name, the boy perked up and looked at the old man. "Now who's… Oh!" Makarov burst out in amusing laughter when he saw the child's questioning stare. "Which one of you kids came up with that name for him?"
"I did!" Natsu proudly grinned, slapping a hand to his chest. "Isn't it awesome?"
Wendy rolled her eyes before frowning angrily at Makarov. "Master! You shouldn't have sold his treasure!"
Makarov looked off to the side in guilt and bashfully laughed. "I only sold a few gems… Just enough to compensate for the damages your team was responsible for while recovering the boy. It's his repayment, how about that?"
"But…" She wanted to argue how it wasn't entirely fair but the master soon became serious.
"Rest assured the rest of his treasure will be safe with me. I promise to return it all when he gains back his memories."
"How long do you think it will take for him to remember?" Wendy asked in a hopeful tone. She glanced at Bacon, seeing him gazing up at the glowbugs again after Porlyusica let him go.
Porlyusica grimly shook her head. "I am not certain. It could take days, months, years or, in the worst case scenario, never." Her usual stern face softened when she saw Wendy's dismay. "As long as you can find something overly familiar to him, it may trigger his memories to come back sooner. Favourite foods, sound cues, visual cues, even pain… anything that will stimulate his senses can have an effect. No matter how long it takes, do not give up. He needs our constant help."
Everyone nodded in agreement. Wendy smiled at Porlyusica, silently thanking her for bringing back the girl's determination.
Having done everything they could for the moment, the group left the Medicinal Advisor's home to head back to the guild with a new goal in mind.
Makarov lingered in the doorway, watching his children and the mysterious boy disappear into the forest trees. "Were you able to sense it aside from his magic?" he quietly asked.
Beside him, Porlyusica nodded. "Yes. A strange power… It lies dormant within him. From what I can tell, he is not affiliated with any demons or dark magic."
The guild master furrowed his brow and rubbed the bottom of his chin. "I wouldn't even have considered that. It is far from evil. It is something else entirely… Pure and holy… The nature of it matches the child's heart."
"He may be young and innocent now but what if his true nature is not what it seems?"
He raised his head, meeting Porlyusica's hardened gaze. She was not entirely trusting of others with the exception of Makarov and a select few from the guild. She had every right to be suspicious of the child, especially when he had no past or present and was in possession of a strange, otherworldly power. He gave her an assuring smile. "I believe in what I see. The child and his power is not a danger to us. What I'm worried about, however, is the truth behind his finding. What could have led him to the temple hidden in the forest and what was the main cause for his injuries? It must be fate that Natsu and the others had found him before it was too late."
"Hmph. So you are ruling out his discovery as a mere coincidence?"
His smile broadened. "My dear, there are never any coincidences in Fairy Tail. Every incident involving our guild happens for a reason."
Porlyusica soundly smirked. "If you believe the child poses no threat in the coming future, then I will stand by this belief. I will do whatever I can that is within my power to help him recover."
"Ah, thank you. I'm sure Wendy is happy knowing you are helping out."
Porlyusica turned away to hide a smile twitching upon her lips. She went inside to stop before the Lacrima lamp mounted above her head. Flying around it were two glowbugs entranced by the light of the crystal. "It's obvious she cares for that boy."
"Like a mother would for her child. Are you not the same?" Makarov chortled when he received an annoyed glare from the other.
"I am not a mother," she sharply replied, briskly walking to her desk. "And her mother is the Sky Dragon, not I." She turned back to the insects after grabbing a large empty glass jar. "The boy was rather fascinated by these bugs. Perhaps they remind him of something he has yet to understand." As she spoke, she plucked the crystal from its hold and carefully placed it inside the jar. The pair of glowbugs followed the crystal's trail, slowly descending into the glass to dance within the close quarters.
"From what I hear, he's rather fascinated by everything, especially shiny and moving things."
"Is that so? Well, just give this to him." She handed the jar to the old man who teasingly grinned.
"Shall I tell Wendy it was a gift from her mother?"
Crimson eyes flashed with anger. "Enough of that! Begone with you, Makarov!"
"Kidding! Kidding!" The snickering old man was already at the bottom of the steps before she could grab her broom.
Food was the first thing they tried to joggle Bacon's memory. After arriving back at the guild shortly before evenfall, Mirajane and Lisanna offered to prepare a few desserts.
"He's just a kid. I'm sure he has eaten plenty of sweets before," said Lisanna, carrying a tray full of strawberry ice cream sundaes for Wendy, Romeo, Bacon and Asuka who were all seated around the same table closest to the bar. Carla was silently sitting on top of the table near her partner, not really interested in the tasty-looking desserts that were beautifully garnished. "Ice cream is every kid's favourite!"
She was wrong. It looked like it was Bacon's first time eating ice cream; he was extremely delighted by the sweet taste and greatly enjoyed eating the frozen treat, making just as big of a sticky mess as Asuka.
Next, Mirajane came by with vanilla frosted chocolate cupcakes and the result was the same. They factored out sweet foods and tried out the rest in smaller portions; sour orange juice and fruits, raw bitter vegetables, savoury meats, salty chips, and spicy curry… No matter what he ate, it did not seem like his taste buds recognized any of them. However, they did find out what he liked and disliked and spicy food was one of the top things he hated, as to be expected with most children. Bitter things were also repulsive but surprisingly he could tolerate most sour foods.
As Kinana, the violet-haired waitress of their guild, picked up the dirty dishes, she gave the boy an empathetic look. Bacon didn't notice her for he, along with Asuka, was busy searching the jar Makarov had given him for the two glowbugs that have just vanished for the night. All that remained inside the glass was the yellow glowing crystal. "I feel really sorry for him…" the waitress murmured, slightly shaking her head in pity. "Unlike me, he doesn't remember anything at all…"
"He'll eventually remember," said Romeo with a confident grin. However, it soon faded. "We're hoping anyway."
"Gran – Porlyusica said it will take some time. The only thing we can do is to keep on trying," Wendy assured.
"In the meantime, we will also have to teach him the basics of survival," informed Carla.
"Erza will be returning from her mission tomorrow. Perhaps she could shine a little light on where he may have come from," said Mirajane, giving them a hopeful smile.
Carla's expression remained solemn but it soon turned into amusement when the two youngest children upended the jar to dump the Lacrima noisily onto the table.
Asuka was confused as she peered into the large empty glass lying on its side. "Where did they go? They were here and now they're gone!" she cried, looking rather sad. Bacon mirrored her sadness.
Wendy giggled as she lifted the jar and placed the crystal carefully back inside. "Don't worry, you two. They always disappear at night. They'll come back tomorrow if they can find this Lacrima again. We'll have to put it outside or on the window sill."
Seeing Asuka brightly smile at that, Bacon smiled as well.
Before the guild exploded into another crazy party full of hearty laughs and drunken antics, Wendy left the building with Bacon, Carla, Romeo and his father, Macao. The noise had grown too loud for Bacon, he was noticeably wincing and covering his long ears as more people steadily got drunk and rowdy.
With Lucy gone with Natsu, Happy and the master back to Saffarion, her apartment was therefore inaccessible so Romeo invited Wendy, Carla and Bacon to stay at his home for the night since Bacon couldn't really join Wendy at Fairy Hills. And Wendy didn't want to leave the boy's side since he was most comfortable with her around. After grabbing a few of her things from her dorm, Wendy followed the former guild master and his son to their residence less than an hour's walk away.
"Make yourselves at home!" announced Macao with a welcoming smile as he opened the front door to his one story house. With the snap of his fingers, all the lights inside turned on to reveal the mess that waited inside.
Wendy and Carla reeled back and covered their noses from the rank smell of stale, moldy food coming from the old, dirty dishes scattered around the living room and piled in the kitchen sink. There were stacks of yellowing newspapers in the corner by the fridge and newer papers strewn across the kitchen table, rugs and floorboards. Articles of worn clothing were haphazardly left all over the place, ranging from pants to what Wendy feared were the men's boxers.
The girls stood at the doorway, aghast at the horror that was the former master's home while Bacon followed Romeo inside, clutching to his chest his glass jar of light.
"Sorry about the little mess," Macao quietly chuckled in embarrassment, seeing the girls' appalled reactions. "It's only me and Romeo living here and we both tend to get lazy when it comes to cleaning. This place hasn't seen a woman's touch for over… seven or so years now?" He laughed again.
"A little messy?!" Carla nearly shrieked. "This place is worse than Natsu's disaster of a home!"
"Oh, come on! It's not that bad!" The man glanced around the visible kitchen and living room for a moment before sighing in defeat. "Alright… I suppose it's a little out of hand…"
"'A little' doesn't quite cut it. These conditions are clearly not suitable for us 'guests'," Carla stated bluntly.
Wendy stepped up and said, "I can help you clean this place up!"
Ignoring the man's protests, Wendy asked Romeo to give Bacon a bath and help brush his teeth before she jumped straight into the kitchen to wash the dirty dishes. Carla helped with the girl's task while Macao tidied the kitchen and living room by throwing out the old newspapers, picking up the discarded clothes, and sweeping the floor. Eventually, the boys joined in on the cleaning chores too, although putting the dishes away was hampered down with Bacon constantly putting things in the wrong place.
It was around midnight when everything was considered clean and everyone could finally get ready for bed.
Yawning, Wendy, dressed in her nightgown, dropped face-first on the spare mattress laid out on the floor in Romeo's bedroom. Carla wasn't too far behind, falling on the bed more elegantly.
There were only two bedrooms in the house, with the other being Macao's. Inside Romeo's room, it was a tad messy with dirty laundry pushed to one corner and a few toys and books lying around. There was a wide drawer against one side of the wall, its top covered in various knickknacks, framed pictures, and other things Romeo had collected over the years. Beside it was a chair and a small writing desk that held a can full of pencils, pens, and markers, a lamp, and a neat pile of paper. On the opposite side was Romeo's bed, its sheets crumpled and messy, and above the headrest was a square window left open with Bacon's glowing jar sitting on the wooden sill. The Lacrima, despite its small size, was bright enough to light up the whole room.
Hearing a familiar shrill sound cut through the quiet room, Wendy abruptly sat up and turned to Romeo and Bacon both sitting atop the older boy's bed. The mage was blowing much too hard into Bacon's flute, holding it awkwardly and randomly moving his fingers over the holes to produce a terrible noise. Bacon was watching him intently, grimacing every so often when Romeo fell on a shrieking note. "You brought his flute with you?" she asked when the mage stopped attempting to play the instrument.
Romeo grinned. "I wanted to try it out and to see if Bacon can remember playing it. And it's not a flute, it's called… an orca? Orca-something… Vijeeter mentioned the name but I can't really remember." He held out the instrument for the other boy to take.
Holding it in his own hands, Bacon gazed at the glossy blue flute for a brief moment before moving to give it to Wendy.
Surprised, the girl slowly took it and he sat on the mattress beside her. "I-I can't play it…" she told him, but of course, he didn't comprehend her and only stared back. She tried to give it back but the boy wouldn't take it.
There was snickering coming from Romeo. "Looks like he only wants you to play."
"It's probably because he heard me try to play it when he first woke up…"
"I'm sure it was a better sound than mine since he wants you to have it."
"No. I don't think it's any better… Just listen."
It was equally as bad. Wobbly notes and shrill screeches instead of a decent tune filled the room and Romeo burst out laughing. A little red in the face, Wendy retorted, "I've never played an instrument before! Stop laughing!"
"Well, Bacon seems to like it," the fire mage pointed out, nodding at Bacon's smiling face. "That orca… thing–"
"Just call it a flute," said Carla.
Romeo pursed his lips and looked off to the side. "Fine," he grumbled. "The flute… I have a feeling it's important to him. I wish I could hear him play it…"
Wendy sadly nodded, rubbing a thumb over the golden triangles on the mouthpiece. The instrument and his belongings were the only clues to who he once was. A young adventurer? A travelling musician? A strong heroic little swordsman? He could be none or all three.
It was a mystery that Wendy was desperate to solve.
Softly, she spoke his false name to draw his full attention, and made a promise to him; "It may take a long time, but someday, we will find out who you truly are…"
A/N: Thanks for reading!