Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Sometimes, there are things that won’t pass your mind and materializes itself into a clear thought when you are not bored. Safe to say, boredom and lack of anything to do are perfect mediums for weird, sometimes out of the box thoughts to form themselves within a human’s mind.

Naturally, Cale is someone who appreciates and prefers the lack of anything pressing for him to do. To live without any further obligations is a dream of his, after all. As a rich slacker, there will be nothing else for him to do other than to laze around all day and enjoy luxuries in life.

However, there are bound to be some days when stray thoughts enter his mind one way or another. And when that happens… Well.

The results usually come in something like this.

“Check,” Cale mutters calmly, placing his chess piece on the board. In front of him, the chair is empty and so is the room he is in, for at this moment there is no human or beast tribe or even dragons available to play together with him. However, despite how it looks as if he’s playing against himself, Cale is the only one who can hear the chatter of multiple people inside of him.

“Aaaagh, I lost!” The Glutton moans dejectedly inside of his head, her voice shrill though it quickly tapers off as another Ancient Power interjects.

“No, you haven’t, Glutton,” Super Rock’s calm voice can be heard. “It’s still check, not checkmate. We still have a chance.”

“Not with most of your pieces gone, dumbass,” the Cheapskate chips in, his voice booming in confidence as he speaks. “This would’ve been much easier if there’s a piece that can destroy everything in one go.”

“Then that won’t be chess,” Super Rock sounds tired.

“Why are we playing chess anyway? It’s boring,” Cheapskate complains.

“Why are you playing along when it’s boring?” Sky-Eating Water says with a bored tone, much akin to a cat rolling around on the bed during a particularly hot day. “The one who wanted to play was Super Rock. Then he lost, so Glutton joined in.”

“That’s because Cale looked terribly bored without the children around…” Super Rock tries to reason, though he sounds more like an anxious grandpa trying to find a way to connect with his more hip and cool grandson more than anything.

“Should we move the Queen to the right? Then Cale’s rook will be eaten!”

“What? No, if Glutton moves the Queen there, the Queen will be eaten in the next move you idiot!”

“Oh, I didn’t think of that.”

“...I am tired of thinking… I want to eat…”

Cale suddenly has a headache. Fighting off the urge to sigh, he says, his voice tired. “You guys know that I can hear you strategizing loud and clear right?”

A pause.

Then, the Ancient Powers start to yell.

“Aaah! Cale, does this mean you know our strategy since the first move?!”

“Wait, we’ve always talked to Cale this way… We knew Cale could hear…”

“You guys are idiots.”

“Excuse me, you joined us strategizing against Cale, too!”

“This won’t happen if we have the power to crush the enemies in one move!”

“This is chess, not war, idiot.”

“I’m hungry…”

Cale pinches and rubs his nose as the headache starts to become even stronger. Not withholding his sigh this time, he explains, if a bit irritated: “No, even if you guys stay quiet my movements would still be the same anyway. You guys just suck at chess,” he ignores the offended gasps his intangible companions let out, “and I’m going to win in two or three more moves anyway, so it’s game over.”

For some reason, despite not having any body or visible body parts, Cale can feel Super Rock’s disappointed, sulking emotions just fine. “Aah, we lost again. We really can’t win against you, Cale…”

Stretching his arms and fingers, Cale relishes in the cracking noises it causes. “Hnngh. Well. If you’re done, I’m going to sleep.”

“Again? At least do something.”

“Sleeping is doing something,” Cale deadpans.

“Cale, I’m hungry…”

Cale sighs, “I’ll eat later when Beacrox comes back from the market.”

“Should we play some more? The Thief hasn’t played anything,” Super Rock adds on at the end, in which it causes Cale to blink. “We’ve all played a round except for Thief.”

“Can Cheapskate’s quick defeat even be considered a round?” Comes Sky-Eating Water’s snarky reply. They all ignore Cheapskate’s screech of indignation, while the Thief herself seems surprised to be addressed all of a sudden.

Cale, for all that he acts as if he hasn’t been listening to the Ancient Power’s yapping since the morning, is acutely aware of how the previous owner of Sound of the Wind never voices out her input in any rounds of chess the Ancient Powers have with Cale.

“Eh, I’m not all that interested,” comes the Thief’s answer after a small pause. “Plus, I’m blind and I don’t have the wind to tell me about it just yet.”

Another short silence. Then, “If you want, Thief, we can just describe the board to you.”

“Too much work,” the Thief whines, and Cale agrees with her. “Besides, you doing that will reveal our strategies to Cale, again.”

“Well, we never win anyway!” Glutton chirps in, her voice cheerful. “If we play another round, will time pass by enough for Beacrox to come home and cook some food?”

“No,” Cale answers with little emotion, much to Glutton’s disappointment. Cale sighs. “Let’s just take a nap.”

In the end, the Ancient Powers agree, and thus Cale leaves the desk to settle on his bed, fluffing up the pillow for what will obviously be another good nap. However, just as he’s about to close his eyes, Glutton finds a chance to speak up.

“Hey, I have a thought…”

What is it now? Cale thinks a bit irritably. He wants to sleep. He just wants to sleep. Eating can wait, can he just sleep?

“Since we can help Cale channel our powers and we can talk to him… Do you think it’s possible for us to take over his body?”

Cale’s eyes that are about to close again snap themselves open, the redhead shivering as goosebumps appear over his body. He suddenly has a bad feeling about this.

“Take over my…?”

“Oh!” Glutton gasps, “Oh, I don’t mean it that way, Cale! It’s just a thought, you know--” What kind of dangerous thought is that?! So scary-- “I just thought, since Thief was blind, if she takes over your body for a little bit, do you think she can…”

The Glutton trails off, and the other Ancient Powers let out noises of surprise and realization. Cale, himself, finds himself at a loss of words, too flabbergasted to reply at once.

“That… You don’t have to,” the Thief says, though Cale is sharp enough to notice that it’s not a no. “We don’t even know if it’ll work?”

“But it would be nice~ And Cale can nap while you take control!”

“It probably won’t work,” Thief tries to reason again.

Cale smoothly ignores the ongoing conversation between the Ancient Powers, his hands folded above his stomach as he lies down on the bed. His gaze is directed towards the ceiling, but Cale barely pays attention to what he sees. Pro and contra thoughts fly about in his head, as well as some others.

In the end, Cale’s sigh is what stops the Ancient Powers’ conversation, and the redhead makes himself comfortable on the bed as he says, “do whatever you want. I don’t mind.”

“Yes!” The Glutton cheers, “Thief, try it out!”

“What-- Wait, are you sure, Cale?”

“As long as I get to nap and get my body back, I don’t care,” Cale answers easily, content when he finds a perfect napping position on the bed. “Now I’m going to sleep. Try it or whatever.”

“Eh? Eh?!”

“Cale’s asleep.”

“Eh?!”

And there’s that.

.

.

.

.

.

Although it takes some time, the first thing she notices when she ‘awakens’ is the feeling of softness under her--Cale’s--body.

The Thief, the previous owner of the Sound of Wind, is someone who was blind in her original body. Although she was blind, she had the wind to lead her way. She would always hear everything, feel everything, smell everything.

What the wind carried over to her, she would know.

That was why, she could be a thief.

That was why, even though she was blind, she could live as free as the wind itself.

However, after thousands of years, it had been a long time since she was dead that she was able to feel something.

Something other than the repeated feeling of water filling her lungs, the air leaving her as she was crushed under a boulder and left to die at the bottom of the vast ocean.

For someone as free as the wind, to be crushed in a place where she was bound was an awful fate indeed.

But that is not here or now.

Right now, she can feel the softness of the bed under her, something she has never felt before in her whole life. It makes sense, she thinks. This is not ancient times anymore, and Glutton has commented before about how the improved qualities of bread in this timeline. She figures that the changes are bound to happen as well with furnitures and bedding.

It’s soft, so soft that she thinks that this is may as well how it feels like to sleep on sheep. The texture is not rough when touched by this body’s fingers, and she basks in the comfortable feeling for a little bit more.

If this is how Cale feels as he sleeps, then she can understand why he likes to sleep so often. It is very comfortable and rewarding to sleep on this kind of bed.

Then, just as the wind back then delivered various scents and sounds for her, with this body too, she can hear, smell and feel.

The fresh air, the scent of soil and lush trees, no doubt coming from the trees surrounding this castle. Although the name of this forest brings bad memories, for it is called the Forest of Darkness, it is different in that it is very much alive, thriving and does not involve any kind of asshole cult.

The chirping sounds of the birds and other creatures, the sound of the wind as it passes by the trees’ leaves. The scratches of the tree branches as they sway along with the wind.

All of these are familiar for her.

Listening, smelling, feeling.

She basks in it for a bit longer, this familiarity. It’s so fresh and unexplainable, this feeling as she basks in being in a living body and feeling the same feelings she’s used to feel and even more.

It’s both familiar and unfamiliar, to the point where it scares her a little as much as it exhilarates her. This feeling of more is something she can see herself being drunk on, something that can make her feel… feel… attached. Addicted.

That’s dangerous, she realizes worriedly. Slowly, she sits up, and she curls her fingers into a fist before she relaxes them again, doing the squeezing motion repeatedly as she gathers her thoughts and wits.

It gains her clarity, that this is not her body. Her body is long gone, crushed under boulders and disappeared into nothing after so many years. These fingers are not her, for they are too long and the bone structure being different from one she knows of. These hands are not hers, and the tickling feeling of hair on the neck does not belong to her as well.

This body is not hers. It’s Cale’s.

Sighing softly, she squeezes her hands into fists a few more times, silently relieved that she’s been woken up from that sweet, tempting dream.

My body is long dead, and I am mere will left behind by the soul long departed, she thinks to herself, nodding. It is not good to be greedy. Not good to be tempted.

After all, this body is Cale’s. And she likes the boy, though reckless he sometimes can be. He has been so kind to lend this body to her for a little while while he naps.

It will be unfair of her if she becomes addicted to “living” and takes over this body permanently. ...After all, she is meant to be absorbed into Cale’s body instead of left here as mere wills.

(Honestly, Cale is just too kind, she thinks).

But above all, beyond this realization that this is… just a taste , a kindness given to her by the new host of her wind Ancient Power-- there’s fear. The kind of fear that comes from the unknown, the kind of heart palpitations that come from fear, apprehension and excitement. Anticipation boiling in this body’s veins as much as anxiety wars through it as well.

This is Cale’s body. She’s realized that with utmost clarity. This is Cale’s fingers, Cale’s hands, Cale’s legs, nose, ears and mouth.

Then… Cale’s eyes, too.

Glutton’s words pass through her mind again. If she can use Cale’s body, that means… She can use Cale’s eyes.

Cale’s well working eyes with perfect vision.

That means she will be able to see.

Ba-dump.

Ba-dump.

Her--Cale’s-- Their heart thuds heavily in their chest, and she wonders if she’s truly feeling afraid. After all, this is an entirely new experience for her. What will she see? What will she receive from these seeing eyes she’s never had before?

An unknown aspect of the world.

Ba-dump.

Ba-dump.

Slowly, she opens their eyes.

“Oh,” a soft gasp leaves their lips, their eyes widening at the sight in front of her. Magnificent, is the only thing that she can probably say. Although she’s known for a long time that Cale is crazy rich--no normal person would be able to obtain the Cheapskate and fortify his powers if they’re not crazy rich--knowing and seeing are two different things.

She doesn’t have the wind and elementals to tell her of her surroundings, not when she is already long dead. That’s why… seeing all of these… They’re all incredibly new for her.

Her gaze can’t seem to keep still in one place, eyes shifting from each corner to look at her surroundings properly. Cale’s room in the Black Castle is luxurious indeed, from the soft bed and blanket, the wide space of the room, including the furniture displayed inside. The many gold ornaments decorating the room are no joke as well, and it is her thief instincts that she has to reign in as their fingers twitch in want. These belong to Cale, after all. There is no need for her to steal or loot. Not in this place.

Still, her surroundings, despite the castle being black in color, are so bright. From the rays of sunlight permeating into the room through the large windows, the drawings obviously made by the children Cale took in, the papers glued to the wall like little trophies. The fresh flowers placed in a vase on top of the nightstand, the beautiful white flowers-- lilies, Super Rock chimes in helpfully in her mind--greeting her while swaying slightly along with the wind.

The chirping of birds brings her gaze outside towards the window, the redhead’s eyes staring at the world just beyond those windows.

Slowly, their legs slip out from the warmth of the blankets, bare feet touching the marble floor. The previous Ancient Power owner walks towards the windows, their hands pushing the windows open, their feet leading towards the wide balcony.

The soothing wind caresses their body, their hair tickling their cheek. But she does not pay much attention to it. Her gaze is fixated on the wide view of the lush forest, the garden before it, well maintained just behind the walls and gates that separate the Black Castle with the Forest of Darkness.

She sees birds flying in the air, butterflies hanging around flowers and trees, the rays of sunlight shining on the grass and tree leaves.

It's beautiful.

It's beautiful.

It's so, so beautiful.

A sound leaves their lips, something frail and contains too much emotions to be explained, their hands landing on the balcony's railing.

This sight, these things she sees--

All of them are so mesmerizing, she feels like she’s going to cry.

Never have in her whole life she thought that she could ever see things so clearly like this. In a way, she’s lived with it, she’s okay with it. The thief was someone who was just fine with her condition, because despite her being blind, she was free and she could feel the world in a way that was unique to her.

But this, this little chance given to her by Cale… It’s good. It’s amazing. It’s something that she can’t really describe beyond the sheer joy bursting in their chest and her whole thanks directed towards the grumpy and kind young master.

Cale is really a good kid.

Maybe he’ll be okay with her using this body to walk around the garden a little bit? Maybe she can--

“Human?”

The thief flinches at the familiar voice, turning their head to see a black dragon flying behind her. Ron, the grandpa assassin, as well as the two Cat children and Choi Han are there, too. For some reason, their eyes are wide in shock, and the thief is about to ask or perhaps jolt Cale awake forcefully from his precious nap, when Raon’s wings stop fluttering and he shouts,

“Human! Why are you crying?! Did something hurt you?! I’m going to beat them up!”

Ah.

She lifts their hand to touch their cheek, surprised to actually feel something wet. Tears. She’s crying?

“Oh,” she whispers, “I didn’t realize.”

“Huh?! You didn’t realize you’re crying, human?!”

Wiping her tears away, she blinks at the handkerchief suddenly offered to her by the grandpa assassin before she thanks him, taking the handkerchief gratefully.

“Thank you, scary grandpa,” she says, though she stops when she notices the full body flinch the butler did, and the wide eyed stare she receives from the others, as if they’re thinking that she is crazy.

“Human…? You’re being weird?”

“Young master-nim, that’s the first time you’ve called me that way.”

She blinks.

Then blinks again.

“Oh,” she says cheerfully, waving their hand in a careless motion. “No, no, I’m not Cale, haha!”

“...Huh?”

“What?”

“Excuse me?”

She laughs, though it tapers off at the sight of the surrounding people’s dampening mood and increasingly dangerous aura. “Hahaha, ha.. haha…. ha… Wait-- Let me explain!” She yelps at the sight of Choi Han unsheathing his sword.

“Then explain,” the scary grandpa says with a vicious smile, and their heart jumps in both fear and exhilaration, the thief remembering her past of happily looting from powerful people and the adrenaline that came from such activities.

“Yes, I mean, this body does belong to Cale, but umm, I’m not Cale, but um, I don’t mean any harm!”

“Then where is the human?! How did you take over his body?! I didn’t sense any magic!”

“No, no, baby dragon, that’s because it’s not magic!” She placates the dragon, who looks as if he’s very close to dissecting her in order to get Cale back. “I’m Wind!”

“Wind?”

“To be more specific, Sound of the Wind! You may recognize me as the Wind Ancient Power that has assisted Cale from time to time.”

“Huh?”

“What?”

Smiling, she nods slightly, placing a palm on their chest. “I am the remaining will of the previous owner of Sound of the Wind. After discussions with my friends who are fellow Ancient Powers belonging to Cale, as well with Cale himself, I’ve gained temporary control over his body.”

“...Are you saying that the young master agreed to this?” Ron asks, his voice still low and dangerous.

“Yes, that’s what I meant,” Wind says, “I’m only out while Cale is taking his nap. It’s only for a little bit. He will return when he wakes up after his nap.”

At the mention of Cale agreeing for something as absurd as body control switch in exchange for nap time, the two men and the children seem to relax, though they look a bit long suffering.

“Ah… Really, Cale-nim…” Choi Han mutters. Wind feels a bit bad, Cale really does end up giving people headaches without even meaning to. It’s like a talent at this point.

“Then, you’re human’s wind Ancient Power?”

“Yes,” Wind smiles, “just call me Wind, little kid.”

Raon puffs up his cheeks. “I’m not a little kid!”

She laughs. She’s never thought that looking at a pouting child, a baby dragon at that, would be so cute. Seeing is really a blessing, one way or another. “Kid, I lived in Ancient times! Compared to me, you’re a little kid! Even the ancient dragon, would be a little kid to me!”

Raon gasps, suddenly delighted. “You should tell that to Goldie Gramps! He’ll be a little kid like me!”

Oh, this little rascal. Cale really taught him well.

“If it’s alright with you,” Wind says, “Can I visit the garden? After that, I’ll give the control back to Cale, I promise.”

Cale’s people look at each other, before they nod. “We’ll keep watch.” Wind easily agrees. They’re just worried for Cale, after all.

This may be her last chance to see things like this after all. She’ll enjoy it when it is possible.

“Then, I will call Goldie gramps!” Raon exclaims, “Windy, you have to call him a little kid! It’s a promise!”

Wind--or Windy, as dubbed by Raon--cackles. The sight is probably weird since she is in Cale’s body, but she can’t help it.

Cale really, really did raise this kid right.

Chapter Text

Barely five minutes into meeting Windy, Raon is well into the opinion that Windy is weird.

Of course, it’s not the bad kind of weird! It’s just that... Windy is very, veeeery different from his human. The body is all the same, of course, because it’s his human’s body. But they’re so different as well!

From the mannerisms, the expressions, the noise and the way they talk!

So, so different!

And that’s why it is weird.

Windy smiles a lot more easily, a pretty roguish little grin that somehow fits his human’s face but looks odd at the same time. It’s not exactly the usual scamming smile Raon has gotten accustomed to. This smile is wilder, yet a bit softer than Cale’s usual smirk or grin.

Windy moves very differently as well. They swing their hands like a little kid while they walk, and their steps are so silent while they walk! It’s a bit surprising to see, considering how Windy walks as if they’re dancing, or traipsing through the air. It’s as if they don’t have any body weight at all, their feet may as well barely touch the ground before they take another step.

Though it does not mean that Windy is silent, no, his human is quieter than Windy. After all, even though they’re only walking right now, Windy is constantly letting out a noise.

The Ancient Power’s will that is possessing his human is humming as they walk, constantly turning their head to look at all of their surroundings. Their eyes sparkle with every new thing they see, constantly letting out small hums, ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ s at them.

Raon has to wonder, what is so exciting and interesting about the furniture in this castle? Raon doesn’t know. Haven’t they been living here for a while already? Windy, who is inside his human, should’ve known about all of these things already! Maybe it feels different seeing it in person than from seeing it while they’re dormant inside his human’s body? Raon doesn’t really know the details.

Though, when it comes to Windy’s flighty steps, Raon supposes that it’s because Windy is Wind. He remembers the Ancient Power as something that allows his human to create whirlpools and fly, or move at a faster pace while he runs. Windy is the will left in the Ancient Power, so it makes sense that Windy will move much like the wind, or even use the Ancient Power more subconsciously compared to his human.

Yes, this is the conclusion his smart dragon brain has come to after a few minutes of observation. He thinks that he hits it right in the mark!

“Windy!” Raon exclaims, flying close to the occupied body of his human. Windy blinks familiar reddish brown eyes towards him, a natural smile on their face. Ooh, it really is so different… His human would never smile so carelessly everywhere like this! “Windy, you’re so different from my human!” He says casually, for it is the truth.

Windy responds to that exclamation with a laugh, another thing that his human would never do. Raon stares at that unfamiliar smile, and he is sure that his siblings, Choi Han and grandpa Ron are doing that too. It really is an unfamiliar sight, but they can’t really say that such a carefree smile does not fit his human’s face.

If anything, it does make him look more youthful. Something befitting of someone his age.

But Raon doesn’t mind how his human acts usually. After all, regardless of his face expressions, his human is still his human.

Cale has always been kind in his own way. He’s weird and likes to scam other people, but he’s oddly kind at times, and hates the bad guys as much as Raon does! Raon really, really likes his human.

But he digresses. Windy is different from his human, and the difference is very stark and clear. He supposes not everyone can act like his human, even if the body is his?

“Well of course, kiddo,” Windy says, twirling their body so that they face Raon properly. The movement is so smooth that Raon can’t help but to look at it with a sparkling gaze. It really does look as if they are dancing!

Windy is smiling at him, he notices, their eyes are kind and soft, much like how his human sometimes is whenever he’s very comfortable and in the mood to be gentler than usual. “That’s because I’m not Cale!”

“But you’re in his body!”

“Well, yes, but we are different people!” Windy turns around just in time to expertly hop down the stairs. And hop they do, wind gathering around their feet and bringing them down to the lower floor with such ease.

Raon can’t help the flutter of worry in his chest, his round body nyooming towards Windy as quickly as he can.

“No! Windy! You can’t use ancient powers!”

Windy blinks at him, uncomprehending.

“The human’s body is weak! You can’t use his ancient powers, or he will cough up blood and faint!” Raon tells them, blue eyes monitoring any injuries that may come from his human’s body.

“Hmm? Oh! It’ll be fine, kid,” Windy says, their voice light. Their hand moves to rub Raon’s round head, the touch similar to what his human tends to do. “This much won’t mess with his plate at all. The reason he coughs up blood is because he uses stronger powers or uses a lot at once. It will be fine as long as this body doesn’t push itself too much.”

“Ho, is that so?” Ron lets out a sound at that, his calculative gaze firmly attached towards the young master of his since the very moment they left the bedroom. He cannot help it; after all, someone else--who is apparently the lingering will of an Ancient Power, someone from the ancient times-- is possessing his young master. Isn’t it just fair for him to be on the lookout?

However, even though he only wanted to watch over his young master’s body from afar, in order to make sure no harm comes to his puppy young master, to make sure that the Ancient Power doesn’t try to do anything weird-- what the Ancient Power just said is interesting enough for him to take note.

“Then, it would seem that the young master simply needs to be taught how to take care of himself,” Ron smiles benignly, ignoring how the Ancient Power shivers upon seeing his smile. The stiff smile on their face is reminding him of his young master alright, although the awkward, youthful look is something that Ron hasn’t seen in his young master since-- forever.

(Since the time his puppy young master started to act like trash--)

“Ah, um, yes,” the Ancient Power responds, coughing to their fist. “Cale is just-- like that,” they sigh, a bit long suffering. Raon is nodding in agreement, and honestly, the others who are following along agree as well. “Don’t worry, us Ancient Powers are doing our best to scold him as well!”

“Yeah! Scold him a lot, Windy!” Raon cutely cheers for the Ancient Power, followed along by the Cat children. The next moments are spent in a relatively normal way, and before long, they arrive at the gardens, the Ancient Power letting out a gasp filled with so much wonder.

It’s almost cute to hear that coming from his puppy young master’s voice. Hearing such a sound, it almost makes Ron feel nostalgic. Truly, he must have been getting too old. 

The Thief--or Windy, according to Raon--herself, however, pays no mind to the way Cale’s family and children are looking at her. She’s well aware that her mannerisms are far different from Cale’s, and she is not one to say that Cale and herself are the same person. They’re both different, and she is merely borrowing his body.

Ignoring the stares that she can feel at the back of their head, she crouches down near the flowers tended meticulously in this garden, eyes taking in the sight in front of her with wonder.

“They’re so pretty,” she breathes out, finger reaching out to gently nudge the flower blooming so beautifully in this garden. The mix of their scents are familiar and unfamiliar for her, for the scent of the forest is familiar, but the flowers are not. After all, there were a lot more things that were dead than alive when she was still her own person. She had no luxury to smell and touch the flowers back then. Not like this. 

“What are these flowers called?” she asks, not paying any mind to the way Raon lands on their shoulders, the cute little thing hanging around and fluttering his wings.

“It’s a lily flower, Windy!” Raon informs her. Near their legs, the Cat children have also crowded her, standing on their hind legs to peer at the flowers properly.

“This one is hyacinth, nya,” Ohn tells her, “the round pink ones are dahlia flowers, nya.”

“Cosmos is pink too! Just the one with darker shade, nya,” Hong pipes in helpfully.

The whole time, the thief can only respond with odd noises such as ‘oh? Oh… Hm… Mm’ . Her expression is getting more and more awkward as well, the Ancient Power scratching their cheek in thought.

Ohn, the observant child she is, notices first. Her yellow eyes blink towards the Thief, her paw tapping on their calf.

“Wind, what’s wrong?”

“Huh?” Windy blinks, “Oh, it’s nothing, I just… don’t know which ones you’re talking about.”

“Huh?”

“What?”

The kids sound confused and shocked, the Cats letting out confused little meows. Wind smiles at them, a bit sheepish.

“Actually,” she says, “when I was alive, I was blind.” She ignores the gasps she can hear from the children and Choi Han, the sheepish smile still present. “So… how to say it, I don’t know what certain things look like, or what colors are which…”

The children gasp again, their wide eyed gazes directed towards her.

“Windy, you were blind?! You didn’t tell us!” It is Raon who flies off from their shoulders, landing neatly beside the Cat children, his blue eyes a bit accusing.

“Haha, I forgot,” Wind answers easily, rubbing the back of their head. “Actually, that’s the reason why I’m here…”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“The other Ancient Powers can see, but I cannot. We are wondering if… If I were to take over Cale’s body, I would be able to see or not,” she explains, her voice soft. Her expression mirrors her feelings at the moment, a soft and fond smile present on their lips. “Cale agreed to let me try, to let me see… And turns out we were right.”

The people around her stand stock still, their eyes shaking. Never would they have thought that this kind of thing would be revealed to them. Who would’ve known that an Ancient Power user from the past was a blind person?

They are all understandably shocked, but perhaps among the lot of them, the one who is the most shaken is...

“Then… Is this your first time… seeing the world?”

Raon.

Wind looks at him, the soft smile still present. “Mm,” she nods in answer, reddish brown eyes watching as something seems to flicker in the black dragon’s eyes.

Raon is six, about to be seven years old.

He spent the first four years of his life trapped in a cave where no sunlight may touch him, where he couldn’t see even the stars.

For someone like him, being able to see something for the first time, being able to see the beautiful sky and the many amazing things in the world outside of the cave-- they are things that he cherishes, experiences that he thinks of as beyond any other, a testament of his freedom.

More than anyone else in this garden right now, Raon is the one who is most aware of how glorious it is to be able to see.

More than anyone else in this garden, Raon is the one who will be able to relate with Wind the most. Although not in every aspect, but in this matter of seeing, it is.

With shining eyes, Raon’s wings flutter as he starts to float again, flying closer towards Wind.

“Then I will show you, Windy!” Raon exclaims, a wide smile on his face. His round cheeks make him look chubbier while he smiles like that, and the excitement is enough to influence even the Thief herself. “This great and mighty dragon, Raon Miru, will teach you about all the colors in the world!”

Wind laughs, the sound boyish and fresh when it comes from this body. “Sure thing!” She answers, nodding easily. “Thank you, Raon.”

Raon’s wings fluttered even faster, his chest puffed out. “Of course!” The little dragon flies closer to the bed of flowers, pointing at one with his chubby paw. “This one is lily!”

“Lily!” Windy echoes, “just like Cale’s little sister, right?”

“That’s right, nya!” The Cat children join in, “exactly, nya!”

“What’s the lily flower’s color?” Wind can’t help but to ask, leaning closer to the flowerbed.

“This one is white, nya,” Ohn answers for her, “like a part of my fur, nya.”

Windy blinks, “that’s right! So this,” she points at the flower, then at Ohn’s patch of fur. “Is called white?”

“That’s right, nya!” Hong exclaims, “and my fur is red, nya!”

“Red like Cale’s hair!” Wind points to their hair, smile widening when the children cheer.

“This one is dahlia flower!” Raon points at another flower, “this light one is the color pink, the darker one is a shade of red!”

“So many shades of red,” Wind observes, sounding delighted. She points at another flower, “is this red too?”

“Yes!” The kids say, “just a different shade!”

“That’s cool,” Wind points to another, “then what is this flower? What color is it?”

The four of them continue to chat with each other, the kids enthusiastically introducing new things towards the ever curious Thief. Behind them, Ron and Choi Han watch along, small smiles on their lips.

They eventually have to finish their walk--the originally intended visit to the Gardens ending up into a whole tour to the forest and the Super Rock villa--Wind settling their body on top of the bed. This body is tired, obviously from having spent the whole day pumped in excitement, walking here and there with constant chatter together with the kids.

“Cale might complain about sore muscles when he wakes up,” Wind laughs sheepishly towards the scary grandpa, Ron having given her some refreshments for her before she switches back with Cale. “Sorry about that in advance.”

Ron gives her a look, though it’s not unkind. “Then the young master can just rest,” the butler replies, his posture calm and at ease. Though there’s a glint in his eyes that promises perhaps some pain for Cale.

Wind shivers, she sincerely hopes Cale will be able to endure whatever the old man may throw at him, lemonade and all.

“Thank you for today,” Wind says, lying down on the bed. Their eyes crinkle as she smiles, her happiness radiating from their whole body. “It’s fun.”

Ron says nothing in return, but his bow is polite.

She drifts to sleep.

--

“Was it fun?” Cale asks when he’s awake, his face a bit pale after receiving what could only be a scolding (why??? He didn’t do anything wrong!) from Ron and his blasted lemon tea.

“It is,” Wind answers from inside of him, her voice joyful. “The world is a beautiful place. So many new things to see. Thank you, Cale.”

Cale hums.

Then, suddenly,

“Wait! Cale! Doesn’t this mean that I can switch with you and eat a lot of delicious food too?!”

Cale closes his eyes. He studiously ignores Glutton’s words.