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secretlysheikah · 4 years ago

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Man and Mongrel

Looming Shadows chapter 2

It is finally complete! This chapter gave me some troubles, but I wanted to share before I talked myself out of posting it. I really hope you all enjoy!

As always I do not claim any ownership over the Linked universe that honor belongs to @jojo56830

I am but a humble writer who lives in an angst pit.

Start here:

They were gone, just gone. Sky had sunk into the cold spring water and Wild was tossed into the portal like a rag doll and Twilight was barely aware of the world around him. All he knew was the portal, Dark and the cold spring water that soaked his clothes and helped weigh him down. Once Wild had disappeared Twilight had forced himself to his feet with an energy born from desperation.

“Where are they?!” Twilight yelled from his place in the spring. No matter how he tried to move forward on his weak legs he could barely manage two steps before he would sway and stumble. But he tried, there was nothing else he could think of to do except try. Blood still dripped from his neck where the sword had sliced him and his whole body felt little better than a lead weight. His mind was a confused jumble of skittering thoughts and mindless exhaustion. He was fueled only by the need to somehow, someway get his lost brothers back.

“Don’t worry wolf boy, I will make sure to take great care of your friends!” Dark called from his place facing the portal. He didn’t even bother to turn around and look him in the eye.

“Who knows, maybe one of them will even be alive when I’m through. One can hope right?” Dark laughed as he made to walk through the portal. Breathing heavily and without a second of thought, Twilight scooped up a rock from the spring bed below and with all the strength he could gather hurled it at Dark’s head. To his immense surprise, it connected with a crack and Dark spun to face him. Twilight stood as straight as he could and balled his fists at his side as he called upon all the rage and frustration that had built up in him over the last week.

“Bring them back,” Twilight snarled, a little breathlessly. Dark glared back in kind and cracked his neck, his glare slowly turned into a devilish smile. In the blink of an eye, Dark was standing in front of him, his hand shot forward and wrapped around his bleeding throat and began to squeeze. Twilight choked and clawed at the iron grip as he was lifted from the water. Twilight heard Time cry out his name, heard him begin his unsteady way over to them but one quick hand motion from Dark had Time crashing into the water. He heard Warriors shout as well but another gesture from Dark had Time howling in agony and suddenly there was no more sound, no more signs of movement. Twilight’s vision was beginning to fade around the edges, but he could see the pointed grin plastered all over Dark’s face.

“I know I promised myself that I’d kill you all slowly, but I’ll be damned if you aren’t making it hard to keep that promise,” Dark snarled his eyes blazing with bright red hatred. Twilight could barely draw breath, let alone speak but he made due with spitting in Dark’s face. Dark roared his displeasure and tossed him away with ease. He landed hard in the spring, his head colliding with the rocks that hid under the water, his lungs dragged in a slightly water logged breath and he coughed and gasped as black specks burst in his vision. Darkness continued to flood his vision and he drifted in the water, dazed as the world around him spun in slow motion, his limbs relaxing against his will.

As he drifted he felt his hand brush against metal, his brain turned over the thought for a moment before it clicked. It was the metal of his discarded sword, in a moment he snapped back to the present. As Twilight rose from the water he shook his aching head to clear it and he scrambled to find the handle. Just as his fingers found the hilt of the sword a foot connected with his side with enough force to bruise his ribs. He gasped in pain and he clutched at his side and tried to rise but another brutal kick sent him sprawling back into the water.

“You are really testing my patience pup.” Dark snarled as Twilight lifted himself up shakily on his elbows.

“Fuck... You,” Twilight coughed out and Dark let out a bark of laughter. He felt Dark grab at the back of his neck and he had just enough presence of mind to suck in a quick breath before he felt his head being forced under the water. He struggled against the hold only to feel the grip tighten. His lungs burned with the need to breathe and he felt his body give an involuntary spasm. He could feel himself fading quickly, felt the water replace the air in his mouth and just as he was about to take a deep breath in he was pulled out of the water. He gasped and choked as he took in desperate drags of the air around him. It tasted like metal and wet leaves but the air that filled his lungs was the loveliest thing he had ever experienced.

“What’s the matter pup, you look a little pale.” Dark cooed as he let go of his neck. Twilight fell into the water and rolled to his side, every ounce of energy spent. His lungs burned with each new intake of air and his body shook with cold and overtaxed muscles.

“Aw, come on wolf boy, where’s that defiance? That can do attitude?” Dark pouted and Twilight felt him punch his shoulder playfully. If he had the energy he would have decked him, but as it was all he could do was glare.

“Don’t give up now, you really had me on the ropes,” Dark’s voice was full of false encouragement, like he was trying to build up his confidence again. Twilight swallowed painfully and he felt more coughs rack his body as he expelled some of the water that had made its way into his lungs. Dark chuckled lightly as if laughing at the silly antics of a child, it made Twilight’s burn with an imputant rage. Dark stretched a lazy hand toward him again but stopped when an arrow zipped past his fingertips and buried itself between him and Twilight.

“Touch him again, I dare you,” Warriors shouted, eyes blazing with so much anger that Twilight was sure that if looks could kill, Dark would be a smoldering pile of ash. Warriors stood in the ankle deep water, his narrow frame poised protectively in front of the collapsed heroes on the sandy bank. His arm was raised, bow in hand and another arrow nocked and ready to fire.

“And what do you think you’re doing?” Dark asked, his voice dripping with contempt as he stood from his place next to Twilight. Warriors snarled and drew the arrow back just a bit farther. Dark took a half step forward having seemingly lost interest in Twilight all together.

“Leave this place now shadow, or else I will skewer you with arrows,” Warriors commanded, and Twilight could see the barest tremble in his hand that held the bow.

“Come now, you aren’t even going to demand I bring your little friends back?” Dark groused and put his hands on his hips.

“Why bother, we all know you consider this whole thing to be a game. You must think it entertaining, you bastard,” Warriors spat and Twilight noticed that the slight tremble was starting to grow more noticeable.

“Not as stupid as you look.” Dark said as he gave a light stretch and a smile. Twilight thought his tone almost sounded bored if it wasn’t for the undercurrent of excited energy that colored his voice. “I should be on my way, I have left my guests alone for far too long as it is.” He finished and he began to stroll forward easily. Twilight felt his soul freeze over. No, he couldn’t leave, not now. With a superhuman effort, Twilight worked to get his tired body to obey his will.

“No, Wars, don’t let him leave!” Twilight cried from his place in the water and he clawed desperately at the stones beneath him. His heart raced in panic, the only link connecting them to the others was standing right in front of him and they couldn't just let him leave.

“Be quiet Twi,” Warriors hissed, his eyes never leaving Dark. Dark for his part seemed to be enjoying the attention.

“Wars, please, that bastard is our only chance to get Sky and Wild back,” Twilight pleaded but Warriors face only hardened more.

“Enough! Stop begging like a dog, it’s what he wants,” Warriors spat and Twilight recoiled, stung by the rebuke. Warriors refused to look his way and Dark laughed openly at the exchange.

“So callous! I expected something better coming from a captain of the royal guard.” Dark’s voice had a trill of amusement winding through his words.

“Leave now, I will not give you another chance.” Warriors sneered, openly ignoring the jab that had been sent his way.

A bright defiance filled Twilight’s heart and he worked all the more to get his feet under him but it was no use. He was too weak from the near drowning and from whatever poison Dark had cursed them all with. Dark didn’t say anything, just gave a little bow to Warriors before he walked off towards the portal. Twilight just managed to get to his knees when Dark reached the portal, turned and addressed them all.

“It has truly been a pleasure, I can’t wait to see you all again, very, very soon. I’ll send your regards to your friends. Ta for now!” And with one last jaunty wave and a wink towards Twilight he stepped backwards into the portal and both man and doorway disappeared.

******

Once the doorway disappeared Warriors dropped his arm, relaxed his tense grip on his bow and sucked in a deep breath of the metal tinged air. He didn’t want to admit it but he was glad that the shadowy bastard was gone. At that thought Warriors felt guilt tingle at the edge of his heart. That bastard had turned Sky against them, had toyed with and then kidnapped Wild and he had just let him go, and he was glad? Warriors forced the thought away, it wasn’t helpful to their current situation. Rising above the silence left behind by Dark’s exit, Warriors heard a soft, half choked voice rise from the spring just in front of him.

“Wars, how could you?” Twilight whispered from his place in the water. Warriors couldn’t look his way, couldn’t face the pain and betrayal that laid there. He felt himself shutting down, locking away his emotions until later when he had time and quiet. The group didn’t need emotions, they needed a direction and a new plan. Slipping easily into command mode he turned away from Twilight and addressed Four who was in the process of standing.

“Are you able to help the others into the spring?” Warriors asked tersely and at Four’s slow nod Warriors put away his bow and strode over to Wind who still hadn’t moved. He squatted down next to the boy and brushed his bangs away from his face. His eyelids twitched as he slept and Warriors didn’t want to think about what dreams Dark had forced on him. In one smooth motion he scooped up Wind and walked back into the cold spring water. He heard stumbling footsteps behind him but he didn’t turn around.

Warriors could feel Twilight’s hard gaze on him but he didn’t acknowledge the glare. Instead he walked Wind over to Time and knelt down. Time looked rough, his breathing was labored and he was shaking hard enough that small ripples formed in the water around him. Warriors wasn’t sure if that was due to the cold water or from pain but either option had him grinding his teeth. This shouldn’t have happened and Warriors felt the cold shard in his heart grow.

“Time, can you hold him for me? I need to help the others into the spring,” Warriors whispered as he swallowed back his hateful thoughts. Time took a steadying breath and sat down fully in the water, holding out his arms expectantly. Warriors hesitated for a moment before he carefully handed Wind over, keeping hold of him until he was sure Time had a proper grasp on him. When Wind settled in Time’s arms and came fully into contact with the cold spring water he gasped and jerked awake.

“Oh, ah, what... What the fuck,” Wind muttered as he grabbed at the sides of his head and curled in on himself.

“Language,” Time sighed softly but there wasn’t any real rebuke behind it. He just sounded tired and sad.

“How do you feel?” Warriors asked carefully and Wind cracked an eye open and gave him a flat look.

“Like sunshine and ocean spray, what do you think?” Wind said with so much sarcasm and spite that Warriors couldn’t help but be impressed that he was able to muster the energy for it.

“Good to know kid, I’ll be right back,” Warriors said with a forced laugh as he ruffled Wind’s hair. Wind grimaced and batted at Warrior’s hand irritably as he made to sit up but fell back against Time with a moan. Four and Hyrule came splashing up next to them shortly after and they both landed in the water with weary sighs, clearly spent.

Warriors bit back his grimace, and forced his face into a stoic calm as he splashed over to where Legend was struggling to stand on the sandy beach. Once he was close enough he grabbed Legend’s arm and helped him stumble his way into the water. Their progress was slow and Warriors could see just how much Legend was struggling. Even with his support Legend seemed to stumble over every stone. His thin frame shuddered with the effort to stay standing and his breathing was distressingly labored. It would seem that the Vet had gotten a larger dose of magic than the others. Warriors grimaced to himself as he puzzled out why that would be.

He supposed It made sense in a way, considering Legend had acted as the main healer for Wild, he had a lot of contact with that tar. It was a devilish plan, aim for the healers while also weakening and ultimately destroying the group when the healers are down and out? It was damn clever, and thinking about it, it’s a plan he would have considered using as well if he was in Dark’s shoes. Warriors footsteps faltered slightly as they walked, a bad taste filled his mouth as he realized he was in some odd way congratulating Dark on his plan. Warriors ground his teeth, he hated himself for even thinking that way. At the very least he should have seen this coming, he should have guessed that Dark would have no qualms about using a tactic as barbaric as this. He shook his head, poisoned pawn indeed.

His mind worked ceaselessly as he and Legend hobbled through the deepening water and finally made it to the small group. Twilight had finally stumbled over to the group as well, he was bloodied and soaking wet and looking absolutely furious. Warriors lowered Legend into the chilly water as gently as he could before he straightened and faced Twilight, readying himself for the blow up.

“You let him go,” Twilight accused, emphasizing the words with sharp jabs of his finger towards Warrior’s chest.

“And what should I have done? Fight him? Gotten hurt in the process then let him leave? Please tell me, I’m curious” Warriors steamed as he clenched his fists at his sides.

“You could have tried to stop him! You could have...” Twilight cried out and Warriors snorted loudly, interrupting the tirade.

“Okay, lets say I could have stopped that crazy fuck? Then what?” Warriors shouted and it took all his will power not to shake Twilight. He drew himself back a step and pinched the bridge of his nose and took a few steadying breaths before continuing.

“I would have had to have somehow over power him, tie him up and then somehow keep him in line while also giving you all the time to heal up. All this is in the vague hope that I would also have been able to somehow get him to comply with our demands,” Warriors said, feeling exasperated and frustrated. Frustrated with Twilight and his refusal to think logically, frustrated at Dark, at himself for not being able to do more. After a steadying breath he lifted his eyes to look at Twilight, he could see the pain that was swirling in his tired cobalt blue eyes.

There was silence for a beat as they locked eyes and he waited for Twilight’s response. He had expected more yelling, or maybe even stony silence but what he wasn’t expecting was Twilight to suddenly lurch forward and take a swing at him. It was clumsy and slow and clearly not well thought out. Warriors blamed the poison he had been exposed as well as the stress of the past hour, but that didn’t mean he was going to take the blow sitting down. Warriors shifted his weight and easily knocked Twilight’s arm to the side before grabbing his wrist and twisting his arm up and behind his back. Twilight struggled in his grasp but Warriors didn’t let up, he wrapped his free arm across Twilight’s chest and held him close.

“Stop, just stop Twi,” Warriors growled deep in his throat. He really didn’t want to hurt him but Twilight continued to struggle. Warriors grimaced and hiked Twilight’s arm higher up, forcing him to stop squirming.

“Listen to me Twi, I know you’re hurting but I will not hesitate to knock you flat on your ass, you need to calm down.” Warriors said as calmly as he could manage. Twilight was still trying to struggle but it was a failing endeavor. He was just on the edge of gasping for air and Warriors could feel the way his constant struggling was weakening as the seconds ticked by.

“As much as I hate to admit it, I’m not good enough to single handedly fight, capture and force a psychopath to follow our demands,” Warriors said furiously when after another minute of silence only offered more stubborn struggling.

“Let me go,” Twilight said in a breathless hiss and even though Warriors knew he wouldn’t be able to see it he shook his head.

“Not a chance, not until you calm down,” Warriors said, his voice came out in a desperate whisper as he continued to hold Twilight close. After another few seconds of struggling Twilight gave a howl of rage that quickly dissolved into a choked sob. Warriors felt Twilight’s legs finally give out and he had to adjust his grip in order not to drop Twilight into the water.

In one quick motion he spun him around and encircled him into a tight embrace. Twilight made no move to reciprocate the hug but Warriors didn’t mind. He could feel Twilight holding back his misery and Warriors felt woefully unqualified to offer any sort of emotional support. In war you had little time to process anything, let alone emotions when in the midst of battle. Even after the battle was done and he was back at camp he often would disappear into his tent safely out of view of his troops so he could process the day in peace. When you were looked up to lead it didn’t do anyone any good to see you crack.

So when he joined up with this little band of heroes from the past and future alike he found he had little experience in comforting others. He would often leave that up to Sky or Hyrule but given that Sky was now gone and Hyrule was barely conscious and unable to help, Warriors was on his own. He felt distinctly out of his element and he silently cursed himself for having the emotional awareness of a potato. All he could think to do was squeeze Twilight a little tighter and hoped it would be enough for now.

“Come on soldier, let's sit down,” He whispered quietly into Twilight’s ear and he could feel the barest nod against his shoulder. Carefully he lowered them both into the spring and he felt a shiver run through his bones. The day was coming to an end and the spring was bathed in the last dregs of golden twilight. He could feel the air around them growing cold and he hoped they didn’t have to wait too long in the quickly chilling water. Still Twilight said nothing and when Warriors pulled away from the embrace to look at his face all he could see were dull blue eyes. Twilight it appeared had shut down and that worried him. He had seen it happen in war before and the outcome was rarely good.

“How long do we have to sit here?” Came a shaky voice from just behind him and Warriors turned to see Wind sitting next to Time, his teeth were beginning to chatter. Stealing himself he turned his attention back to Twilight.

“You know this spring better than any of us, how does it work?” He asked and was met with a dead eye stare and a slow blink. He paused and tried again.

“Do we have to pray? Do we just sit here and wait? What do we do?” Warriors persisted and when he still got no reply he felt his temper running short.

“Come on! Snap out of it! We need this spring to heal and you’re the only one who knows how to use it. Please we can’t sit here all night.” Warriors said and he gave Twilight a little shake for emphasis.

“He’s right pup, you’ve got to come back to us,” Time ventured cautiously and Twilight sighed and closed his eyes. A visible shudder racked his frame and he slouched ever so slightly before opening his eyes once again to stare at his own rippling reflection in the water. Warriors thought his eyes still seemed faded and dulled but now there was something sharp, mean even, in the glare that Twilight gave himself.

“They’re gone, and I allowed the one person who could bring them back to escape. I might as well have just tossed them through that portal myself,” Twilight whispered bitterly as he bowed his head and prodded at the edges of the slice on his throat.

That quiet whisper was so full of pain and self-reproach that he felt himself flinch slightly. Warriors didn’t know how to even begin to respond to Twilight’s comment. Anything he could have offered to him now would best case scenario be ignored outright, or worst case scenario get him a punch to the mouth. He looked to the others to see if they had anything to offer but it was apparent they hadn’t heard exactly what was said. Warriors leaned in close, and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“I promise, we will get them back. But we need to heal, rest and regroup first. Just...” Warriors started but he didn’t know how to continue. He had given more than his fair share of rousing speeches to embolden his troops when the going got tough, but this was different. He wasn’t trying to convince a battalion, this was his brother. His brother, who was clearly struggling and hurting in a way that he couldn’t even properly express and Warriors didn’t have the slightest clue how to proceed. He didn’t know how to convince a broken man to keep on moving.

“Just one step at a time,” Warriors whispered imploringly, and squeezed his shoulder ever so slightly. There was a moment when he thought Twilight had just ignored him once again. He hadn’t made a move to acknowledge his words, so he was shocked when Twilight met his gaze. Warriors could see something new sparking in his eyes and Warriors wasn’t sure if he entirely liked that spark. Twilight gave Warriors a tight nod before he slowly got to his feet.

“Where are you going?” Warriors asked as Twilight wobbled slightly.

“I’m going to ask for some help,” Twilight said in a monotone, before squaring his shoulders and walking deeper into the spring without another look back.

********

The air was indeed growing chill as the night crept in around them but Twilight still felt numb and empty. The water grew colder the further into the spring he went but he paid it no mind, it didn’t matter. He could feel eyes on his back, knew they were watching him closely but even that knowledge couldn’t shake the numbness. One step and then the next and before he knew it he felt the thrum of magic at the heart of the spring rumbling through his boots.

Head bowed, he waited for the spirit of the spring. During his adventure he often would call upon the spirit of the spring for advice or help. But after his quest had ended, the spirit appeared less and less and oftentimes not at all.

Honestly he was surprised that it had manifested enough to heal Wild at all. Twilight swallowed hard as he remembered how the black smoke poured out from his protégé and his subsequent collapse into the water. He stopped himself before he could tread back over the events immediately afterwards, he couldn’t bear to look at his own failure again just then.

He watched the water darken with the fading light. The spring seemed lifeless in a way, cold and dead, and his mind pondered the fate of the spirit that resided there. Would it fade into oblivion, or was it merely sleeping? But that was a question to ponder another day. He gave himself a light shake and rolled his shoulders before he spoke quietly into the open air.

“Ordona, can you hear me?” Twilight ventured timidly, as he waited for a response he feared would never come. The wind whistled through the trees, leaves broke away and landed in the water around him. He could hear the other’s shifting in the water behind him. It took a few minutes for the response to whisper through the air and he was both relieved and terrified in equal measures.

“Little hero, you have seen better days,” Came a gentle voice from all around him. He didn’t lift his head, he couldn’t even bring himself to respond. His heart gave a painful beat and he had to swallow down the lump that formed in his throat.

“I apologize for today’s events. Truly if I had had another choice I would not have bothered you then or even now for that matter,” Twilight said thickly, his throat felt raw and tight.

“Why do you apologize? Your calls for help are not a bother. Nor did you have control over the actions of the shadow and his conniving plans,” Ordona’s voice placated gently and Twilight wanted to recoil at the gentle tone. He did nothing to earn their patience, their kindness. There was a weight in the air around him and he felt a pressure building softly all around him. It was gentle and warm and oddly comforting, like a hug.

“You place too much weight on your own shoulders, you are not responsible for the actions of others, and I hold no ill will towards you or the other heroes,” Ordona soothed and Twilight could feel hot tears streak down his cold cheeks. He didn’t deserve this kindness, he didn’t...

“That will be enough of that, little hero.” The voice interrupted his downward spiral with ease. Twilight took in a shuddering breath as he tried to bring himself back to the spring, instead of throwing himself down a rabbit hole of despair. He dug his fingernails into his palm in order to ground himself back in the present. The pressure around him built just a little more and he felt himself calm slightly.

“Do not lose heart and do not allow your courage to falter for you and your fellows are stronger than you realize.” Twilight lifted his head at that last statement but made no move to interject. He could feel the tingle of magic filtering in from all around him. There was a pale glow in the water around him just as it had done for Wild, but it was noticeably dimmer than before.

“I may not be as powerful as I was, but I shall heal you and your fellows to the best of my abilities,” Ordona’s voice became a whisper on the wind. All Twilight could manage was a weak ‘thank you’ as he felt the warm glow of healing magic gently wash away whatever poison lingered in his veins.

“I am here whenever you are in need.”

And just like that the spirit of the spring was gone, and the group was left alone in the dying light of day with only the whisper of wind to fill the air around them. Twilight turned around slowly and he felt the world spin causing him to catch himself as he stumbled. He was so incredibly tired and sore, and he supposed it was a mixture of stubbornness and spite that kept him on his feet at this point. He could see the glow in the water around the others, they all had their eyes closed as they each received the divine healing Ordona gifted to them. Warriors looked over from his place next to Legend, as he helped him stay in a sitting position. Twilight held his gaze and offered a small nod which Warriors returned stiffly before he turned his gaze back on to Legend. Twilight sloshed his way back over to the group at large, taking care not to slip on the slick rocks under foot.

“How are they?” He asked Warriors as the healing light began to fade. The others looked about the same as before but he did notice that some tension had bled away from all of them. Warriors opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by Legend.

“I feel like I’ve fallen off a cliff,” Legend slurred from his place in the water as he opened one eye to look around him. When he noticed who was supporting him he made an effort to sit up on his own, before he paused and flopped back onto Warriors, thinking better of his choice to move. Warriors lifted an eyebrow towards Twilight and he offered a small shrug in return.

“Well how about the rest of you?” Warriors called out and received varying replies claiming the same thing. They felt beat up and tired but otherwise better than before. Twilight supposed it could have been worse.

“What about you Twi?” Warriors asked, his crystal blue eyes searching Twilight’s own cobalt blues as he waited for his response. Truthfully, he felt like he could sleep for about a week straight if he had the chance, and he knew that in the morning he was probably going to feel a more prominent ache. But that was something for him to deal with later, the others were more important.

“I feel fine, I’ll be fine,” He answered blandly and Warriors offered him a squint in response. It was clear he wasn’t buying it but it seemed like he wasn’t going to call him out for his lie either.

“Is everyone okay to move?” Twilight asked tiredly and was met with a chorus of equally tired nods and groans in affirmation.

“Perfect, let’s get out of the water before we all freeze,” He said, rubbing his hands together to regain some of the heat he had lost.

“Good idea, I can start a fire and if we find a relatively safe spot we can all rest without...” Warriors began but Twilight was already shaking his head. A low tired chuckle worked its way free from his throat.

“I have a better idea, follow me.” He said as he bent down and helped Four to his feet. Twilight shot Warriors a glance from the corner of his eye as he moved on to help Hyrule to his feet. Warriors had a skeptical look plastered across his fine features and Twilight fought down a stab of annoyance that bloomed his chest.

It took a few minutes to get everyone on their feet and moving away from the spring and down the road. Before heading off on their way Twilight took stock of the group. By far the ones the worst for wear were their healers Legend and Hyrule. They both looked dead on their feet and Twilight worried they wouldn’t make it the short trip down the road. He apparently wasn’t alone in his assessment because Warriors took one look at them and shook his head.

“Alright, I’m going to carry one of you. Who will it be?” Warriors asked with a steely look in his eye. Legend raised a brow and jerked his thumb towards Hyrule.

“Take ‘Rule, he needs it more than me, I can manage,” Legend said pointedly ignoring the glare Hyrule sent his way. Warriors nodded and knelt down in front of Hyrule and waited for him to climb on his back. Twilight nodded easily and moved to stand in front of Legend.

“Come on Legend, you’re up,” He said and Legend balked.

“I’ll be just fine, I’m not a child,” He sneered and Twilight leveled a stern look at him. Without another word he gently poked Legend and watched as he stumbled and nearly fell.

“Yeah, just fine. Quit being an obstinate ass and let me help you.” Twilight snapped and after a few more minutes of tired arguing Twilight was hefting Legend up on his back. Once everyone was situated comfortably Twilight lit his lantern and took the lead as he led them down the pathway.

It was only a matter of about ten minutes of walking to get to their destination. Nestled amongst the trees of the clearing was the treehouse Twilight called home. A wave of nostalgia crashed over him at the sight as he looked at the roughly carved wood of the ladder. Memories floated in and out of head as he took in the sight of his home. He remembered when he had to fix some of the rungs on the ladder after one of the kids had used it as a springboard of sorts and broke it. He shook his head as more memories flitted around his tired thoughts and began walking towards the ladder.

As they approached Twilight had the ridiculous feeling of self-consciousness settle on his shoulders. He had left in a hurry and he didn’t quite remember how he had left the place. He hoped it wasn’t too messy. It had been months since he’s been home and he was both excited and nervous at the same time. Once they reached the base of the tree he turned to face the group.

“Welcome to my home, it’s small, but there should be enough room for everyone,” Twilight said as he hung his lantern on a hook next to the ladder. Its light was enough to illuminate the rungs before them. Time eyed the ladder carefully as if he was worried about it supporting their weight. Twilight caught his eye and offered a wan smile. Time offered his own encouraging smile and gestured for him to lead the way. He nodded and jostled Legend to get his attention.

“Alright, I’m going to climb up, make sure you have a grip,” Twilight warned as he faced the ladder. He waited a moment and heard a tired sigh from Legend and the distinct feeling of hands being buried in the pelt on his back.

Twilight made quick work of the ladder and pushed the door open to the darkened room. The hinges gave a low moan as if they too were tired. The house smelled lightly of dust and earth and the floorboards creaked with each step. Twilight walked over to a chair covered in blankets and as gently as he could dropped Legend onto the plush surface. Legend gave a light sneeze as dust puffed out from his landing but made no other comment. Twilight grimaced but forced the urge to clean to the back of his mind. He could hear the others making their slow way up the ladder and he wanted to get the fire started.

He walked through the darkened house with ease and grabbed some wood from next to the fireplace and struck a match. The fire was slow to build and he nursed it as he called out for the others to make themselves at home. He could hear the others as they fanned out through the dimly lit bottom floor of the house. Someone collided with the edge of the table just behind him and he snickered as that was followed by a string of curses. He forced his amusement down but didn’t bother to turn around, instead he gave instructions on where to find more blankets and to where the pantry was.

After about ten minutes the room was filled with light and warmth and various sleeping spaces were set up all over the floor. When Twilight was satisfied that everyone had changed clothes, had some food and were resting comfortably he gathered up all the wet clothes and hung them up to dry by the fire.

“Twi, come and rest. You look like you’re about ten seconds away from collapsing,” Four called out to him from underneath a pile of spare pelts one of them had found in an old chest in the basement. Twilight offered him a smile and a little shake of his head.

“I’m fine, I just want to get some fresh air before it gets too late,” He said easily and Four gave him a quick once over before he nodded and laid down. Everyone seemed to be in different states of rest and sleep. Legend hadn’t moved from the chair that he had dropped him in when they first arrived. Hyrule had somehow managed to squeeze himself next to Legend on the chair, and then someone, Time probably, had draped a thick blanket over them both. They were sleeping peacefully, Legend had an arm thrown over Hyrule’s shoulder and Hyrule was curled up as best he could with the space provided.

Time was slumped over where he leaned against the wall nearest the fireplace, arms crossed over his chest and head leaned up against the wall. His slow breaths ruffled the hair that fell over his face. Twilight walked over quietly and laid a thick blanket across his mentor’s shoulders and surreptitiously checked his forehead for any signs of fever. Time had spent a fair amount of time in the water and Twilight wouldn’t be surprised if he fell ill. Hell if Time did get sick, he would probably go on to deny it too. Twilight didn’t know if he wanted to laugh or cry at that thought, he couldn’t bear it if one of them got sick on top of everything else that was happening.

He turned to face the room again and scanned it finding the dark corner where Wind and Warriors were laying against a small pile of blankets. Wind was wrapped up in the Captain’s scarf and breathing steadily, the occasional twitch signaling that he was dreaming. He couldn’t see the Captain’s face, but judging on his body language it appeared that he too was fast asleep. Twilight let out a small huff of relief and very carefully slipped out of the tree house.

He didn’t go far, just a little ways out into the woods where he could see the light of familiar stars above him. The forest around him was quiet, the only sounds were his feet crunching of leaves, small rocks, the splash of water as he trod through puddles and the hoot of an owl. Before too long he found a place to rest and he sat down gratefully. The fallen log wasn’t the most comfortable place to rest but he didn’t much care just then. He just wanted to be left alone, just for an hour and then he would go back.

He leaned down resting his upper body on the tops of his legs and let his head dangle. He was tired, so very tired but he felt like he couldn’t rest. His brain while feeling empty and numb was also a buzzing bee’s nest. However there was no variety in his thoughts just the same loop on repeat. No time to waste, find and destroy Dark, get the other two back, better hurry. He stared blankly at a puddle at his feet, the dark water reflected the stars above and he watched them flicker and spark in endless twinkling.

He wasn’t sure how long he stayed like that but he was sure it wasn’t an hour when he heard the distinct sound of footsteps coming his way. He sighed, he probably should be concerned but at that point he almost wished a bokoblin would show up just so he had something else to focus on rather than the endless looping thoughts.

“So this is where you disappeared to,”

Twilight tilted his head to the side to look at the newcomer with bleary eyes. It took a moment but it didn’t take long for the slender figure standing before him coalesce into a bedraggled Warriors. Twilight eyed him thoughtfully for a moment. His hair was mussed, shirt rumpled and missing his blue scarf as well as looking as exhausted as Twilight felt.

“Shouldn’t you be resting?” Warriors asked as he rubbed at his eyes. Twilight just offered him a snort in response before letting his head fall forward again to resume staring blankly at the puddle between his feet.

“So what, you’re just going to sit out here and mope?” Warriors pressed, his voice holding a forced levity that rubbed against Twilight’s frayed nerves. He could feel Warriors weight settle on the log next to him. A tiny bubble of anger threatened to burst in his chest and he took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down.

“What can I say I have a lot on my plate,” He said bitterly, he could feel Warriors stare on his back but he refused to lift his eyes.

“You aren’t alone you know,” Warriors said softly and Twilight balled his fists in his pants.

“Could have fooled me,” Twilight muttered, his stare so intense he was surprised that the puddle hadn’t boiled away.

“That’s not fair Twilight,” Warriors said reproachfully “We did our best, there wasn’t much for us to do. We will get them back. Honestly what is the matter with you?” He asked and Twilight sat up fully and finally turned his way. He desperately wanted to snap and yell at him, but one look at Warriors tired eyes stopped him. He took a steadying breath and focused on keeping himself calm.

“I’m sorry, I guess I’m feeling, Goddess I don’t even know,” He sighed and put his head in his hands.

“I guess it’s like I’m a dog worrying away at a bone...” Twilight said, feeling as Warriors shifted uncomfortably next to him. Twilight couldn’t look his way, a strange mix of anger and sadness pulled at his thoughts and he just wanted to be alone.

“I need to apologize to you Twilight. I should have never addressed you like that,” Warriors said as he too leaned forward on his elbows and stared out into the forest. Twilight felt an odd sense of surprise at the apology, he never thought he would get one. They didn’t speak for a little while, the only noise that filled the space between them was the wind whistling softly through the trees.

“You know, I don’t make it a habit of telling people what I can do.” Twilight said softly, lifting his head so he could rest his chin on his hands. Warriors said nothing as he waited for Twilight to continue.

“The few people that have found out, either through the grapevine or rumors or what have you, have without fail have made subtle jokes about me being nothing better than a dog.” Twilight began emotionlessly. He could feel Warriors turning to look his way, but he didn’t want to look at him. Instead he continued.

“Some have openly called me a mongrel. Hell, I’ve even had rocks thrown at me.” He paused for a moment when he heard Warriors soft exclamations of anger but only shook his head.

“Don’t hold it against them, they associate me with a beast, a mindless killer that decimates livestock and makes their lives difficult.” Twilight said softly.

“That doesn’t make it right,” Warriors continued hotly and Twilight could only nod slowly.

“No it doesn’t, but I have come to terms with it.Sure I feel free when I allow myself to transform, but I tell no one about it if I can help it. This ability of mine, it is my burden to bear alone. Or it was until I met this little band of misfits.” He said with a sad little chuckle.

He glanced over at Warriors and noticed that he was biting his lip. He could see Warriors running through the early months of their adventure where he would disappear on ‘patrols’ only to have a wolf wander into camp, and watch until he would ‘return’ from his ‘patrol’. It had taken a lot of courage and a nip of alcohol, but eventually he had finally come clean about his ability. Twilight remembered how he couldn’t meet eyes with anyone in the group for days. Now with this new information out in the open it was clear that Warriors understood why now. Twilight’s throat felt dry and he swallowed roughly but found he couldn’t continue.

“I’m sorry, I truly am. If I had known, what you’ve been through… Well, I just hope you can forgive me for my poor word choice. I also hope you understand that I will do everything in my power to get our brothers back. I wish there could have been more I could have done, but, I...” Warriors started but Twilight leaned back and gently clapped him on his shoulder, stopping him mid sentence.

“I do forgive you, it’s not like you guys were aware of that particular part of my history. And I hope you can forgive me for acting poorly. They’re my brothers, but they are your brothers as well. I shouldn’t have insinuated that you stood idly by,” Twilight said with a soft smile that slowly morphed into a little grimace.

“I also shouldn’t have tried to punch you in the face, I’m sorry about that too,” He finished lamely as he coughed lightly into his hand. Warriors couldn’t hide the small smile that turned the corners of his mouth up.

“We will get them back, but first we need to rest. You especially Twi,” Warriors said firmly, his hand coming to rest on Twilight’s back. He felt himself sag forward slightly, Warriors was right. He felt completely drained and he would be lying if he said sleeping in his own bed didn’t sound nice. His eyes drifted to the puddle again and he watched the starlight flicker and dance.

He watched curiously as he saw something shift in the water. He squinted and he thought he could see a faint outline of a silhouette deep in its depths. He leaned closer to get a better look but just as he thought he could make out a flash of bright blue eyes, ripples suddenly burst across the surface of the puddle and obscured the image. Twilight pulled himself to his feet before he knelt next to the puddle and waited for the ripples to subside. Warriors made noises of curiosity but Twilight waved him off. After a minute the ripples finally calmed but all he could see in the still water was twinkling stars.

“Twi, are you okay?” Warriors asked tentatively as Twilight slowly got to his feet. He wasn’t sure himself to be honest. He wasn’t sure what he had just seen was his mind playing tricks, or if, somehow, he had just seen cub in the puddle. Twilight shook his head, he must have been seeing things, but still the thought lingered.

“I’m fine, I just thought I saw... I don’t know, I must be more tired than I thought.” Twilight said dismissively. Warriors gave him a skeptical look but slowly nodded his head.

“Alright, how about we head back to your house. I think it’s time for us to get some rest,” Warriors said with a yawn. Twilight offered his own yawn and nodded as he stumbled forward slowly. Warriors wrapped his arm around his shoulders and together they made their slow way back to the others who were slumbering peacefully back at the house.

#the sheikah writes #Looming shadows #tower troubles #linked universe #twilight linked universe #warriors linked universe #loz #fanfic #linked universe fanfic #dark link #dink #the linked universe #angst #linked universe angst

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the-unknown-storyteller · 6 years ago

Text

We are Four (pt.1)

(Loosely based on this discord message by @cassandrasdreamworld)

(Also, this request by anon came in just in time for this fic)

(Universe by @linkeduniverse)

Warning: Gender (?) Dysphoria, Probably Inaccurate Depictions of what could be described as dysphoria (I'm sorry in advance)

Summary: The Four Sword is a most peculiar sword with most peculiar side effects. Four is not amused.

______

They step up onto the podest, each raising their swords to the sky. Woeful expressions bid the last goodbyes in silence, before they simultaneously drive the Four Swords into the stone below them. Their bodies tremble, shake, merge back into one. A quiet “goodbye” leaves his lips as he opens his eyes to see that everyone is truly gone. They’re- He's alone now.

He steps down from the sacred stone and shoots Zelda, who's standing behind him, an unsteady smile. “It is done, we've won”, he says, glancing towards the sword one more time as they leave.

___

The first few days show how much he needs to adjust. Link makes his usual remarks, but looks and laughs in the wrong direction, expecting to see someone there. Only to then realize that, no, there is no one. Of course, why would there be? Link’s alone. As he has always been… before.

Still, there are always a few too many bowls on the table, a few too many spoons and forks and knives. He buys too much bread for one person to eat, too many arrows for him to carry around alone. His eyes are always magically drawn to the purple of certain lilies, the deep red of especially sweet and ripe apples and the vibrant blue of sapphires along the market stalls. The constant green of his tunic in his peripheral doesn't help. Neither does the shadow that seems to swirl and dance at his feet as the sun goes down.

To top it all off, he realises how wrong the name “Link” feels on his tongue and in his ears. It leaves a bad aftertaste in his mouth and makes his fingertips itch.

He tries out different names to look and see if the hollow feeling in his chest goes away or lessens in any way. But normal Hylian names won't do the trick, so he tries ones from other cultures, from other regions.

One day, on his way to the library to get a book on names from other lands because this is driving him insane and he's desperate enough to just find something that will remotely work, an old lady stops him on his way. “Would you reach over and give me some of those apples, my dear?”

Ripped from his thoughts he turns around, looks at the old lady, then at the apples behind him that are too far away for the small woman to reach.

She smiles at him sweetly and adds: “Four of them, please.”

Link carefully puts them in her basket with a distracted nod.

When he was talking to her, the empty feeling in his chest had dissipated for just a moment.

He takes a few steps away from the small fruit stall, while quietly repeating what the lady had said. Excruciatingly slow, word by word. It could be anything the small lady’s said, but he wouldn't reject it.

His lips slowly form the word “four” and he immediately knows that this is it. He's found it. Four, Four holds back from voicing his joy too loudly. The name is quite odd, since it is but a number, but it somehow feels right and soothes the strange feeling in his chest enough to be bearable.

_____

Shortly after that, he notices the bitter taste of “me” and “I”. His mind, which had been occupied with the issue of his name before, can redirect its thought towards the next one. This time it's pronouns. It gives him that same tingling sensation he felt back then. Whenever he refers to himself as a singular, it leaves a growing ache in his chest that makes itself noticeable again each time he says “I”. So he switches over to the most logical one he can think of.

And to them, it feels just right.

Days go by and the news have spread of the hero who doesn't want to carry the legendary name of “Link”, who vehemently refuses the implications of being just one.

But nobody dare say a word against it, you hear? How can we deny them this simple request of expressing who they are when we're the ones who caused this. We just don't have the right to be this arrogant.

While everyone did say and think that, the reality of it looks much different. People keep calling them Link by accident, refer to them with singular pronouns and the conversations that sometimes follow afterwards are tiring. In some instances they make Four wish they were “normal”.

Fed up by the constant confusion surrounding them and their name, they sit down one evening and think. They think about how they could make this easier. How they could show everyone that they're not the Hero “Link” anymore.

They let their eyes wander through the room until they land on the green tunic that's hanging over their chair across the room. It is one monotone singular shade of green.

As they are looking at it, they can't help but feel annoyance towards it, before it makes way to confusion, then hesitation and lastly satisfaction. They frown. They think some more.

Four then gets up and walks over to the chest beneath the footboard of their bed. Pieces of clothing and tools like a small hammer, nails and a few broken arrows go flying through the room. With a smile on their face they finally pull out three more tunics in blue, purple and red. A big pair of fabric scissors follow shortly after. They open and close them a few times, listening to the satisfying clicks, and get to work.

Soon enough each tunic, including the green one that was hanging over the chair, is cut apart into four separate, equally big pieces that slot together nicely. Four lays it down flat on the ground, making sure the edges aline, before they pin it down carefully. Excitement and waves of approvement rush through their brain and they slowly start to stitch the fabric back together. Each stitch puts them more at ease, makes them feel more like themselves and when they're done, they proudly pick it up, smoothing down some of the rougher edges.

“This will do”, Four whispers, puts it on and goes in a small circle to see every inch of their new tunic, that describes them perfectly, in the mirror. Yes, this will certainly do.

______

“Do you think that's him?”

“It must be. All the other boys around don't have the right characteristics.”

“You mean the golden hair? Twi and I don't have golden hair and there are actual a lot of boys here with that kind of hair colo-”

“Yes-, I mean, No! I'm talking about his face, you idiots.”

“Hm, yeah. I guess, he does have our faces.”

“I'm still the handsomest, though.”

“Sure, whatever.”

“Everyone, just shut up. Wind, you go and talk to him.”

“Why me?!”

“Because you're the least threatening since you’re small and all.”

“But-! Ugh, fine.”

______

“Hey there. Sorry to interrupt your… uhm, walking”, a boy with golden hair and a blue tunic approaches them with a waving hand. Four raises an eyebrow, but does stand still and wait for the boy to catch up. It's not unusual for them to be spoken to out of the blue.

“Are you Link?”, the boy continues, lowering his hand and wiping both of them on his tunic. Four ignores the uncomfortable feeling in their chest He's probably new around here, never seen him around. and nods with a pinched smile. “Yes, that's me.”

“I know this probably sounds crazy, but I'm Link too! Everyone calls me Wind, though, since it would be confusing because, you see, in that bush behind me, there are seven others whose names are also Link, we're incantations of each other, you know, an-”

Wind’s rambling is suddenly interrupted when a hand comes up from behind him and stops his river of words.

“How could we forget that Wind is really really bad at talking in high stress situations,” the boy groans. He’s wearing some kind of animal fur around his shoulders and there are strange markings on his face. He’s keeping a strong grip around Wind’s mouth who looks less than thrilled. “You can come out now, you guys. I don't think we can ‘ease’ him into the current situation anymore.

“We should have sent in Hyrule. He's way better with words. Also, look at his face and tell me you can say no to that.” The one in blue tunic and with a hooded cloak around his shoulders is squishing the face probably of the one called Hyrule.

“Whatever. We can't change how we've approached him and I don't think that discussing how we could've done it better in front of him is doing any good.”

“Legend’s right. We're achieving nothing with all of this blabbering going on.”

While the group of people in front of Four are discussing… something, they can do nothing but stare. At their faces and their clothes and the way they look like the same person, just slightly changed.

And it reminds them so much of Green, Blue, Red and Vio. The way they bicker and jab at each other. The aching feeling grows into something else. Tiredness and confusion make Four’s chest constrict in an all too familiar way, but it's different. The reason behind it is different. They're jealous. Jealous and hurt and stricken with grief that they have lost this and can't have it any more.

They are all so absorb in what they're doing, saying, thinking that nobody notices how the place around them warps and changes and takes all of them somewhere else.

_____

When they all, except Four who was still very much confused and didn’t know what to do, had noticed that they've changed dimensions again, they began to set up camp. They collected wood and pulled up small tent-like constructions, various maps were pulled out and spread across the ground.

After a quick round of introductions from the group’s side, they all go back to planning and checking on supplies or just leaning back and taking it easy.

“I am so sorry about this”, Hyrule says, sitting down next to Four who's staring into the flames of the campfire. They don't know what's going on, but after having gone through that kind of adventure back then where they were also thrown all over the place, they learned to just not question, but rather find out what to do. Even though they don't know what to do right now.

“Usually, we're fast enough with the explanations and all”, Hyrule continues. “But then, Wind kind of failed to do it and everyone started panicking a bit and now we're here.” An apologetic smile is sent Four’s way. “Since I can't really offer you a way home, I can at least give you an explanation, alright?”

Four still feels overwhelmed, but more so tired, so they just nod and listen to Hyrule, as he talks on and on about the Legend of the Hero and how he incarnates and passes on his name, his tunic and his piece of the triforce.

“A few months back, old man Time”, he gestures towards the one across the camp with the scar who looks the oldest out of the bunch, “was ripped from his universe and into Sky’s. He was incredibly confused. When he met the “Hero” of that dimension, they both barely had enough time to find out what was happening before they were thrust into the next world."

He pauses and looks down at his hands, then into the fire and then back to Four.

“Since then, they've been slowly collecting Links from all kinds of timelines and worlds. Time usually tries to give a short and precise explanation. That way the current Link won't be too overwhelmed when we change dimensions... Ah, but some time ago, in Wild’s Hyrule, the old man barely avoided getting stabbed. Wild wasn't too fond of the scar over his eye and the amor. To him, Time looked like an enemy. So then, we changed things up and sent me to explain instead since I look less threatening. We just met Wind a few dimensions over and thought it would be a good idea to send him, but you saw how that went.”

Four gives him a blank stare which makes Hyrule give a nervous laugh in response.

“Anyway, I can already see your head spinning. Let's just… lay back for a minute.” He lays down his hands on his lap and looks up towards the darker growing sky. First stars are starting to twinkle and sparkle faintly. The silence is the most comfortable one, but Four doesn't really know how to initiate a new topic or what to talk about for that matter. So they just let it be for now.

Four averts his gaze and awkwardly looks around. There's nothing they can really do, but wait for something to happen. They lean closer to the fire, hunching in a bit.

Different incarnations of them, huh?

“Hey, Link?” An unpleasant feeling crawls up their left arm. They turn their head back to Hyrule. A displeased expression on their face which the other doesn't see since he's facing forward. “This is kind of a strange question, but are you the hero of something? Like, Twi is the hero of Twilight which is why we call him that and Wild is the hero of the wild and so on, ya know. It's kind of confusing to call you Link because everyone will swivel their heads around out of habit.”

“Oh, uhm, of course. Just call me Four.” They would love to add on their preferred pronouns, but something is holding them back. It could be that everyone else goes by he/him and aren't they supposed to do that, too? Being another incantation and all.

All of this is giving them a headache and the Four Sword they can spot leaning on a tree across the clearing is making things even more complicated.

______

The days pass in a blur and the matters weighs down on their mind, their body and their heart. It gnaws and eats away at them and just reminds them so much more of how different they are to all the other Link incarnations.

Not only that, but there's also this sharp, stinging feeling whenever they overhear someone talking about them. They also feel an uncomfortable tingle shoots up their back whenever they have to talk.

“Four, could you take over the first shift?”, Hyrule asks. He's the one, Four been primarily talking to. The others are nice and friendly, too, of course, but something about Hyrule’s familiar brown hair and his soft way of talking reassured them.

“Yeah, w- I can do that,” they catch themselves and swallow down the ‘we’. They're back to being singular. They have to remind themselves a few times a day, even after having gone through with it for at least a week.

It's fine. It's okay. They can do it.

They sit down at the fire, while everyone else hits the hay, and throw in a few more sticks for good measure. Their gaze wanders around before it falls on the Four Sword. So far, they didn't dare use it properly, scared that someone might see them. All of them.

But tonight, for the first time, they're truly alone. He's the only one keeping watch. Everyone's gone to sleep already. This is the perfect opportunity to maybe, just maybe, try…

They pick up their sword and slowly get up. For a few moment, they don't move a muscle and wait for a reaction from the sleeping group a bit away from them. When there is none, they tiptoe away from the camp until they can be seen no more. With shaky hands they raise their sword up to the sky.

Deep breaths. Concentration. On the feeling of the glimmer within the sword. Pull it out, let it engulf you. They can feel their body changing, moving, splitting into four.

They keep their eyes closed and hold onto the sword for dear life. They're scared. What if...

Right then and there, they could have all cried, seeing each other again. Red throws himself into the arms of Green and Blue who are standing the closest together. A few heartfelt hugs are exchanged, accompanied by the sobbing words of Red and the embarrassed ones of Blue. They sit down in a circle. None of them can wipe the grin off of their face.

As they are talking and laughing and bursting with relief and happiness, no one notices how all of the Four Swords give off a faint glow that were growing weaker by the second.

“But guys, it's really not okay for Four to deny themselves. Because if they are, they're hurting themselves and the body,” Red cries out, when Green explains why everyone has this weird feeling in their chest.

“It's probably because they used the Four Sword for so long,” Vio contemplates. He takes out his journal and his pen and draws a quick sketch of a person. “Usually, when a person uses the Four Sword, they've received a lot of training beforehand, so that they won't lose themselves. They have to precisely know who they are, what they want and how to center themselves, since they're literally getting ripped apart into pieces. Four didn't have that training, but used the Sword anyway.” He draws two crooked lines across the person's body, parting it into fourths.

“Not only is Four really young, compared to past wielders of the Four Sword, but we also got separated on our journey. Now their center isn't in the right place and the power starts to weaken and crack every time Four is unsure or denies themselves. They're unstable and so are we as a result. It's not unexpected that something is going to happen to us if we're like this for too lon-”

Vio’s words are cut off by a sudden tightness in his chest. He grips his tunic tight with his left hand and supports his body on the ground with his right. He's heaving and coughing for air that doesn't want to fill his lungs.

He looks around with hectic motions and sees that everyone else seems to be fighting with that very same tightness in their chest.

“Crap, it's happening, ugh, sooner than I e-expected,” Vio gasps out. His left hand is shaking so badly and is feeling kind of numb. He watches on in terrified fascination when he suddenly notices that his hand is turning gray. So is his shirt. The bangs in front of his eyes are losing their golden glow. “G-Green?!” He can barely feel his left arm now.

“I got it!”, Green suddenly yells and lunches for his sword on the ground. Both of his legs look like the color is slowly melting off of them. His trembling hands grab the sword before he thrust it upwards, face pinched with pain and exhaustion.

The others understand immediately. Each takes their sword in hand and weakly lifts them up into the sky. They can feel their body changing, merging, moving back into one.

Four falls down to their knees, gasping for air. Beads of sweat cover their forehead. The sword falls from their grasp.

“Dammit.”

______

A/N: Dammit, indeed. I've just edited this crap on the desktop version on mobile because of that stupid 100 word block limit and it didn't frickin work. I'm so sorry but I'll have to split it.

#linkeduniverse #linked universe #pt 1 #we are four #this whole thing is such a mess #addison writes #hero of the four sword #hero of hyrule #hero of legend

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