#one verse

Blue bit back a curse as she shoved the two bokoblins out of her way. Red and Green would handle them, they had her back, and they were trusting her to get close to Shadow. Something was wrong, for it to be attacking them, and Blue was sure she saw a flash of, something, in its eyes when she had gotten close in their last fight. She sent another bokoblin flying with her hammer. She then swung back and threw it at the three standing in wait next to their old enemy turned friend, and with the momentum left from that threw herself at Shadow, pinning it to the ground moments before it realized she was there. She realized as Shadow thrashed around below her that step two was far less realized then step one. Emotions were Red’s thing, and knowing how Shadow’s brain worked was Vio’s. She had to do something for their friend though. If it really was the same Shadow they knew before.

As the sounds of his siblings holding off the enemies in the area surrounded them he felt Shadow stop struggling below him. He looked it in the eyes, and before he could say anything it spoke. Its voice sounded scratchy, painful, and as if it hadn’t spoken since they had lost it, and it looked, afraid. “Blue? Help me.”

Blue almost recoiled, but managed to keep her hold on Shadow. “We’re gonna get you outta here Shadow, but we’re down brainiac. They stayed at home trying to find a way to get you back.” Shadows’ eyes were losing focus and Blue actually cursed this time. “So you gotta tell me what you know!”

Shadow’s eyes snapped back into clarity and it leveraged an intense stare back up at Blue, “The mirror must be broken.” In Blue’s confusion it managed to shove him back off, eyes once again cloudy as it disappeared back into the shadows, leaving the three to finish off the remaining monsters.

Green’s boomerang took out a bokoblin to her left, and Red took out the last one on her right with their fire rod as Blue stood back up, grabbing her hammer as she stood. The two were running over to her, looks mixed somewhere between confusion, concern, and curiosity. Red stopped next to her first, eyes searching for any injuries. “Are you alright? Was that Shadow? Is it alright?”

“Red, slow down. Let him answer one question before you move on to the next.” Green put a hand on Red’s shoulder as he reached them, also noticeably checking both of his siblings for any injuries.

“Right, right. Sorry. I’m just worried.” Red didn’t even bother to look apologetic while they apologized, and Blue didn’t blame them. They were all worried about Shadow.

“I’m fine, and it was definitely Shadow. Our Shadow.” Blue bit her lip, knowing her siblings would not take this next part well, but also knowing it needed to be said. “It sounded hurt, and scared. It asked for help. Said ‘the mirror must be broken,’ then left.”

Red looked on the verge of tears, and Green immediately got into what the other three had all dubbed ‘Captain Mode’. He straightened his back, and the look in his eyes was reminiscent of their dad in a tough battle. “One at a time, hurt how?”

Blue nodded, treating this like a real field report would be fastest and most efficient. “Its voice sounded shot. One of those shatter scars seemed to be going across its neck, I’m not Vio, so I have no idea what physical repercussions a magical scar like that could have, but I’d be willing to bet it’s correlated.” He paused, thinking, before adding, “If I’m right then the vision in its left eye is also probably fucked up. It seems possessed in some way, so if we need to incapacitate it until we can get it out, that may be to our advantage for now.”

“We’ll need to watch its blind spot once we get it back on our team too.” Red added.

“Right.” Green nodded. “Next, ‘the mirror must be broken,’ are you sure it’s here? Now?”

“I don’t know.” Blue tightened her grip on her hammer. “There was so much clarity in its eyes when it said that, but I can’t imagine why it would ask for help and then tell me to kill it!”

“Blue.” It was a warning, but Blue wasn’t about to listen to it.

“No! I’m sorry Red, but Green, we can’t just ignore that that’s what it asked me to do!” He was pacing now, the other two having to back up as his hammer swung around with the force of his turns. “I don’t give a damn about what this witch is planning for Hytopia, we are not solving this problem by letting Shadow get killed. Again!”

“And I agree, but we have to think about this logically. There has got to be a reason Shadow said it, if it really was present in the current moment when it said that.”

“What does that matter?” Blue stopped her pacing to glare at her brother. “If it was present in the moment, it wants us to kill it ourselves this time!”

“It matters because that means we know to look for a mirror.”

“Green?” Red spoke up for the first time since the other two started arguing, face falling to a horrified gape at the implication.

“Not to break it, Red.” Green winced a bit, not having realized what he had implied at first. “But if the witch brought it back with a mirror, then she must be using the mirror to control it too. Look, let’s get back into town. We need to come up with a plan. We’re gonna put a stop to this, and get Shadow back. Then we’re gonna go home, and all five of us will figure out what the fuck is going on with those portals Vio has been studying. Sound good?”

“I vote we take this straight to the Witch now and break her face. She wants to make it personal, let’s get fucking personal.” Blue’s face was twisted into a pissed and disgusted scowl.

“Well now, isn’t that just sweet.” All three heroes’ heads whipped towards the new voice. “And here I thought the little menace was just deluded.”

“Lady Maud!” Green stepped forward as Red put an arm in front of Blue. “Where is Shadow!”

“Back home for now. It’s such a good little pet now that it actually listens to me.” She hummed, twirling her umbrella. “It was so difficult when I first woke it up. You would think it’d be more grateful of me giving it a new chance at life.”

Blue growled, “Listen here you-”

“Seeing as you heroes tossed it aside before.” Red pulled their hand back and Blue jumped forward, slamming his hammer down where Lady Maud had been standing. They all turned to face her when she spoke up again. “I thought if I brought it back without a physical thing tying its life down we could work out some kind of agreement, seeing as we once had the same goals, but no. It was just so convinced you heroes cared about it, so I simply had to use the mirror. To convince it of the truth.”

“So then,” Red spoke up, pout on their lips, and a glint in his eyes that their siblings recognized all too well, but a stranger would never notice, “Shadow’s life isn’t tied to the mirror anymore?”

“Oh heavens no. What a limitation. I can only imagine why its original creator did that.” Lady Maud tutted, clearly upset about Shadow’s prior ‘limitation’ but the three heroes didn’t care. She had just told them all they needed to know.

Green motioned for Blue and lightly tapped Red’s arm. The two responded in kind, Red nodding, and Blue moving back over to her siblings. Pulling out their fire rod Red stepped up in front of their siblings. “Missus Lady Maud?” The pout they gave her has swayed the mind of even the strictest Hyrule Castle guard. “Would you please just give us our friend back? This fight doesn’t have to involve it.”

Lady Maud raised an eyebrow, she had to admit, where she a weaker woman she might just cave. Instead she laughed. “Oh you sweet thing. No, no. It’s my strongest pet. I can’t just let it go.” She gave them a faux smile as she made a show of wiping a single tear out of the corner of her eye.

Red’s expression turned sour as they swiped their fire rod to block them and their siblings from Lady Maud with a small wall of fire. “I’m not so fond of you using my family as a weapon,” Red looked back up at her as they spoke, and smiled, “So what happens next, is on you.”

“We will get it back, Lady Maud.” Green addressed her as he stepped on the magic circles that would teleport them back to Hytopia Castle.

Vio cursed, jumping forward to protect their new brother from Vaati. They had let their fear and confusion freeze them for too long, and Sky had been hurt as a result. Vio would not let Vaati and his nonsense take another person they cared about. Sure, the last time they fought Vaati one-on-one they where still just Link, but with or without their siblings to back them up, Vio still had new tricks up their sleeves.

As the fight went on, however, it became clear that Vaati did as well. Vio was struggling to get an advantage over the mage, while also keeping him away from his unconscious friend. After one blow got them to close for comfort Vio decided it was time to change their tactic. It was easy enough to fake getting captured by Vaati, the mage was to self-absorbed for his own good. Vio was a bit disappointed to have dropped their sword in the process, but at least it would be here with Sky and the others.

“What a shame, I really thought you’d put up a bigger fight, Violet.” The mage laughed, not even trying to hide his gloating. That was fine with Vio, they would knock him back down a few pegs as soon as Sky was no longer at risk. The wind began to pick up as he spoke again. “Now to dispose of the other hero, and you and I can discuss business in peace back at the lair.”

There was a flash of darkness, like a blanket quickly being tossed over their heads, followed by a tugging feeling in Vio’s gut, and the clearing disappeared from under them.

Sky woke with a throb in his head and a pit in his gut, and as he sat up he remembered why. The area of the woods he was on the edge of looked more like a clearing now, and despite the clear signs of a fight, it was eerily quiet. The sun had fully set now, and if the rest of the group hadn’t been searching for him and Four already, they certainly were now.

Four.

Sky jumped up, needing to pause for a moment as his head throbbed and his vision spun. Hyrule would definitely need to check him for a concussion, but first he had to find Four. They had to be nearby. The world tilted every time Sky moved too fast, but he pushed forward, following the pattern of destruction left from Four and Vaati’s fight, desperately searching for any sign of his friend, calling their name the whole time. It felt like it took hours to follow the path to its end, but judging by the nearly stagnant position of the moon it took maybe half an hour.

Someone finally responded to his calls as he reached the fight’s end, but not the someone he needed to answer. It sounded like Twilight. Twilight was not Four. Not the owner of the Four Sword. Discarded in a pile of broken branches. Tip slightly embedded in the ground as if it had fallen from a distance. Amethyst gem sparkling in the moonlight.

Sky was only aware that the others entered the new clearing when he felt Hyrules hands gently pressing on either side of his temples. Sugar sweet magic flowed around his senses, and the less his head throbbed the more he felt the tears flowing down his face. Sky was waiting for one of the others to scold him for the two of them leaving. Or for getting hurt. Or for failing to protect their sibling. He knew he deserved it. “Sky,” All he got was Hyrule, very softly, as if fae was afraid Sky would break at the question. “What happened?”

And maybe Hyrule was right to be worried, because as soon as fae broke the silence a sob wracked through Sky’s body, and he collapsed, Warriors jumping forward to help Hyrule move him gently to a sitting position. “They thought it was in trouble. He lied to them.”

“Who did Four think was in trouble, Sky?” Twilight spoke barely louder than Hyrule, worried about Sky’s possible concussion. “Who lied to them?”

“Sunrise. It was Vaati. He tricked Four into thinking Sunrise was in trouble.” And the others all understood now, why the two had left town without them. Four had been given hope that his mysterious lost love was alive, but in trouble. That was enough to drive any of them out into the open.

“Warriors and Hyrule, bring Sky back to the inn, the rest of us are going to search for any clues to their whereabouts.” Time got to business quickly, setting the remaining Link’s up in groups.

Sky had no intentions of fighting them on this. He knew Time was right, and clocked that he likely had a concussion the second he woke up, but he did push past them a bit to hand the Master Sword to Twilight. “Hopefully, if she’s up to it, she can lead you to them. Or at least some kind of clue.”

Twilight nodded, taking the sword from Sky with a determined look. “We will find them Sky.”

Sky simply nodded and turned to follow Hyrule and Warriors back into town.

It was just after sunrise when the others returned, notably without their missing Link. Several of the younger Links looked like they had been told they would be getting heart containers for their birthday, but Twilight looked less enthused.

“We found them!” Wind darted in the room. “Well. Kinda. Twilight knows where they are!”

“This is not as good of news as the sailor makes it out to be.” The older Link sighed. “Yes, I am fairly certain I know where Four is, but, I’ll be honest, I have no idea how to get them back.”

Warriors raised an eyebrow at that, having looked up from the book he had been reading while the three confined to town had waited, when the others entered. “What do you mean?”

“Its a very long story.” Twilight started.

“We know where they are. That’s a start.” Time interjected. “We were all up all night. Everyone should get some sleep, and then in the afternoon we will head to where they are, and hopefully with all our expertise we can figure out a way to get them back.”

With some grumbling the Links all made their way to their rooms. Sky was bunked with Hyrule and Legend already, so luckily didn’t have to move. Once the others all left Legend walked over to Sky and handed him back the Master Sword. “Here. I don’t know what she did, but she sure led Twilight right to the answer.”

Sky smiled. “Thank you. Who has the Four Sword?”

“I do.” Legend paused, and checked that the door was closed, before dropping his voice. “Don’t tell the others, but I know what she does. I won’t tell, its not my story, but the magic in her. I don’t trust someone who doesn’t know about it to handle her.”

Hyrule hummed in agreement from fear’s spot on the other side of the room. “I donno what she can do, but that is some powerful magic she’s got. Probably best not to let someone unprepared touch her.”

Sky just nodded in agreement. At his silence Legend frowned. “Alright, spill. What’s eating you, bird brain?”

Sky paused for a moment before answering with a sigh. “Nothing I think I can say.”

“How do you mean?” Hyrule’s head was tilted in confusion.

“Just, some of the things Vaati said. I need answers to, and I think Four’s the only one who can give them.” He paused again, before mumbling. “Unless we somehow find Sh-Sunrise before we find Four.”

There was a questioning hum from Hyrule’s side of the room, and Legend raised an eyebrow. “Sh? Sky, do you know Sunrise’s name?”

Hyrule perked up at that, grin on fear’s face. “No way! When did they tell you? What is it!”

“They didn’t. Vaati did.” Sky looked pointedly at both of them. “And frankly, I think I understand now why Four was keeping it to them self.”

Legend sat on the bed, flopping his stuff down haphazardly, though Sky noted the Four Sword was still secure on his back. “You know. There are rumors in my time, if you know where to look, about the hero of the Four Sword.” Much gentler, he took the Four Sword off and placed it down. “You can never be sure how true these kinds of stories are, passed down as they have been, but there are a few that I believe to be true. Especially now that I’ve met them.” Hyrule had moved over to the other two, and Sky raised an eyebrow. “There’s a temple I traversed on my first adventure, called the Palace of the Four Sword. I looked into it sometime after my second adventure, and while we know it was built to keep the Four Sword safe, the stories are a bit muddled on who exactly built it. One theory suggests it was Shadow Link. It’s usually brushed off, on account of Shadow having been a known enemy to the Hero of the Four Sword on at least one occasion, however, some people claim-”

“It switched sides.” Sky cut him off. Legend grinned and Hyrule turned fae’s confused expression to Sky now. “Vaati seemed real pissed about that.”

“Four convinced their Shadow to change sides?” Hyrule looked amazed. “Sunrise is a Shadow Link?”

Legend chuckled. “Fours dating a Shadow Link.”

“Engaged.” This time it was Legend’s turn to look surprised. “Vaati called Shadow Four’s fiancee. Well, technically he called Four Shadow’s fiancee, but you know, same deal.”

“I know Four says they're not as young as the look,” Hyrule spoke up, “But really?”

Sky nodded. “Really. That’s like, one of the few things Vaati said that Four didn’t try to defend or dispute in any way. And honestly, I can’t see a reason why he would lie about that anyways.”

“How did they even end up in a relationship with their Shadow anyways?” Hyrule’s curiosity won out and fae tried to dig further.

“No idea.” Legend shrugged. “Even the scholars who agree that it was Shadow disagree on how the two came to be together. Some think Shadow became enamored with Link while watching their journey to save Hyrule, some think it grew tired of taking orders, some think it was a well-timed speech by the hero. Hylia, some even claim Shadow was the one who convinced Four to join it.”

Sky raised an eyebrow at that, and Hyrule let out a noise that was almost a laugh. “Somehow, I don’t think it was that last one. Though I will say, this does explain why Four knows Abyssal.”

Sky’s face made a few odd turns as he processed the new information. “Oh, i didn’t even think of that!”

“Honestly, that was one of my first clues that the rumors about Shadow where true.” Legend shrugged. “Rumors claim Shadow Link, Princess Zelda, and some sweet girl they met on one of their quests. I started to figure it was Shadow almost as soon as they started talking about it.”

“It could,” Hyrule frowned, “I mean, it could still be one of the others as well. If Shadow really is gone.”

“Eh, I’d agree with you,” Legend shook his head, “But Sky and Four dealt with Vaati today, and he was supposed to be dead too.”

Sky nodded in agreement. “Yea, with everything else going on, it’s gotta be possible for us to help Four get Shadow back.”

“Yea! Definitely!” Hyrule grinned in excitement for a moment, before deflating. “Although, sounds like we still have to find a way to get Four back first.”

“Twilight already knows where they are,” Time spoke from the doorway, “Let's have some faith.”

All three of the gossiping Links jumped at the sound of his voice, and it was Legend who spoke up first. “Fuck! A little warning old man!”

“How much did you hear?” Hyrule inquired.

“Enough to know you three should go back to calling it sunrise. You all seem remarkably relaxed about this.”

“I trust Four.” Fae responded with a shrug.

“Me too.” Sky added. “If they trust sunrise, then so do I.”

“Who am I to throw stones.” Legend glared at Time, daring him to say something negative. “Ravio is from Lowrule, he is technically a dark world version of myself in a ways.”

Time nodded. “I also trust Four’s judgment. That being said, not all of our companions may feel the same about this particular topic, so I think it’d be best to keep it to ourselves.” After waiting for a nod from all three of them, Time smiled. “Good. Now then. Stop gossiping about our missing friend and get some sleep.”

“We were not gossiping.” Legend challenged. “Something was bothering Sky. I was making sure he was okay.” He paused. “And comparing notes.”

Even Sky raised an eyebrow at that. “I don’t think you’re helping our point Lege.”