Lost and Found (BEN x FtM reader)

Ch. 9: Another Perspective

And there was nothing.

I tried to wake up, but there was nothing but the cool chill of the water around me. I had no idea how long I was down there. The moment seemed to last forever.

I tried to cling to consciousness.

And there was nothing.

~~~
[Y/N]
> [Tatl]
~~~

My fists clenched by my sides, the adrenaline running through my body giddying.

I couldn't do anything!

Skull Kid was right there, and I could see what he- or whatever was controlling him- was doing to [Y/N], but I... I couldn't hurt him. He seemed so stiff it was out of character, the wood in his arms cracking and flexing as he pushed my new friend further down.

I had to try to reach him.

"SKULL KID!" I yelled, my voice sounding more shrill than I'd hoped.

He didn't react, but I wasn't to be deterred. Not this time.

"Let him go- you're KILLING HIM!"

He finally seemed to flinch at my words, and for a moment I wondered if the friend I knew was still buried under that facade. I felt tears pooling in my eyes. High off the anticipation, I darted forward as fast as I could and rammed my shoulder into his in an attempt to weaken his grip.

He spared me only a glance, the yellow eyes of the mask glowing ominously. And then, as though some part of him deep down had heard my prayers, he began to pull [Y/N] out of the water.

His body... looked worse for wear. The wood was soaked through, and I couldn't help but hold my breath at the water dribbling from his mouth and the damp leaves strewn across his face.

Skull Kid didn't speak to me. He barely even acknowledged I was there, instead lifting [Y/N] and bringing him over to the platform in front of the temple. He set him down on the Deku Princess' emblem.

I followed him over, watching silently. He didn't seem to want to hurt [Y/N] anymore, and I didn't want to spend any more of my energy while he was passive.

Skull Kid paused for a moment, and then lowered his hand over [Y/N]'s face, pulling off his Deku mask. He stared down at his body for a moment... and then, unexpectedly, spoke.

"How are you talking like this?" He asked, tilting his head over to me. The motion looked unnatural, as if he was being puppeted. I could hear the leaves that made up parts of his body rustling with the motion.

"Talking like...? Skull Kid, I don't know what you're talking about, but-"

I paused. [Y/N] had told me that this wasn't Skull Kid. There was no point in pleading with him to bring Tael back, and no point in begging him to remember the time we'd spent together.

The time we'd been friends.

So instead I focused on [Y/N]- the only one I could help right here, right now.

"... What did you do to him?"

Skull Kid seemed amused at the question, leaning forward over [Y/N]'s shallowly breathing body.

"Do you mean [Y/N], or Skull Kid?"

The words sent a chill through my body, and the glow that surrounded me faltered for a moment. I'd wanted to know more about [Y/N], of course, and yet...

Curiosity ate away at me. Skull Kid had been my friend for longer, after all, and perhaps this would give us the answers we needed anyway.

"You seem smarter than usual, so I'll go ahead and share. It's been a long time since I tried talking to anyone from the game." The creature that had taken ahold of my friend spoke, giving an almost bored seeming yawn.