Hey guys! It's been almost 6 years, I know, but the five of my Four Sword Links are still quite near and dear to me, and recently I found that the Four Sword fandom itself is still quite alive and kicking! That's wonderful! And after some thought, planning, and help from some new friends, I decided to try writing them again. And so, I present to you all a series of three short one-shots featuring our favorite Links! I'd imagine these all take place post-Reminiscence, pre-split, or really, however you think makes most sense, haha. Thanks to TheFrozenSpark & ArienSun for headcanonin' with me and for inspiring these three one-shots to come to life. As for everyone else, I hope ya'll enjoy!

Sharing in the Silence

The cool, winter winds had finally begun to blow, and with them they brought lower temperatures, color changes to the leaves on the trees, and the shorter amount of time that the sun shone over the world below. And while the former two were rather enjoyable and were often accompanied by a festive mood, the last one quite often resulted in everyone having less time in their day than they had before to do all the things they needed, or wanted, to do.

And so the days became slightly more hectic, everyone trying to plan and organize their day's events in the shortened time they had before dark fell and the true cold began. Of course, with Vio and Green helping with planning, it was never really that much of an issue for the Links- the only concern they seemed to have, however, was getting everyone coordinated with the others.

Vio's plans of a day at the library, for instance, would conflict with Blue's need to be at the armory at that same time- and while Green was often willing to give up his own plans to ensure that others' plans weren't cancelled, after a while the others forbade Green from doing this, insistent that they could work things out on their own. More often than not, they were able to- but there was one instance in which their plans required everyone to be in different places at the same time. And normally, this wouldn't be that big of an issue.

What was different this time, was that Red's own plans had fallen through, and he was left with no one to be with, or nothing to do. Everyone else looked at each other awkwardly, none of them really wanting to volunteer giving up their day to keep Red company- hoping someone else would step forward, then feeling guilty and wondering if maybe they really should, just so that Red doesn't feel left out.

Of course, the first one to sigh and shake his head was Green, but before he could open his mouth there came a flash of a strange light- one they were used to, but still came as a mild surprise whenever they saw it- in the center of the group. They might think of it as a flash of 'light', sure, but in actuality, the energy was dark in color and nature and de-illuminated its surroundings rather than illuminated them. Thus, while the initial appearance of the flash was a surprise, none of the Links were taken off-guard by who appeared.

Shadow Link stood a few paces away from the half-circle of Links, looking at them with mild confusion and idle boredom. Out of habit, he crossed his arms and ended up feeling as if he had suddenly become the center of attention, as everyone's eyes had now locked upon the fifth Four Sword hero.

Eventually, Shadow himself broke the silence.

"... The heck are you all staring at me for?" he asked bluntly, already tired of the focus.

"PROBLEM SOLVED," Blue immediately yelled, his face brightening up as he leaped towards Shadow. Shadow, for his part, took a small step backwards with his expression changing to a mild recoil, but didn't pull away when Blue swung his arm over his shoulder. "Thanks, Shadow, you're a real pal!" Blue shouted, then immediately let go of Shadow and energetically jogged off.

Amused, Vio's frown turned into a small smirk. "I suppose that does work," he mused quietly, trying not to laugh at Shadow's confusion. He calmly walked past Shadow, only stopping to pat him once on the shoulder, before continuing to walk away.

Then, only Green and Red were left staring at Shadow. Realizing his fate was more than likely sealed, Shadow merely gave a resigned sigh and put his palm up to his forehead.

"What have they signed me up for, this time?" he muttered.

Of course, during this entire time, Red had been trying to convince everyone that no, it doesn't have to be a problem, it's fine. He could stay at home on his own, it was fine, really. But now, upon seeing Blue and Vio leave, and Shadow look visibly distressed at his 'assignment', Red couldn't take it any longer and shook his head, speaking out loud.

"N-no, Shadow, you don't have to! Don't worry about it! I'm fine!" he assured eagerly.

Green smiled sadly at Red and shook his head. "Red's gonna be left alone today," he answered, looking back at Shadow. "Everyone's got plans today, except Red. I didn't want to leave him alone... Don't worry, though, Shadow." Green gave a small laugh, and patted Red on the head. "I'll just cancel my plans and spend the day with Red."

Instantly, Shadow could see the disappointment on Red's face. And while he understood Green not wanting to leave Red by himself... wanting to make sure the smallest Link was both kept company and kept safe... at the same time, he felt Red's pain at being the crux of a problem he'd rather not have be a problem in the first place.

Decision made, Shadow rolled his eyes.

"Go on, Green," he said flatly. There was a small pause between the three, until finally Green let his sad smile become happy- relieved, even. He muttered a quick thanks, once more patted Red on his head, and walked off- hoping he wasn't late, but trying not to make as quick or opportune an exist as Blue and Vio had.

Shadow and Red watched Green leave, and once he had, Shadow then looked over at Red. He'd taken his hat off and was wringing it in his hands, looking after Green with a distressed expression.

"They don't have to worry about me so much," Red whined quietly, trailing off.

"Red." Shadow spoke firmly, making the other Link look towards him. Shadow took a few steps forward until he was close enough to put a hand on the smaller Link's shoulder. And the fifth Link looked him firmly in the eyes as he said, "the others shouldn't have to worry about leaving you on your own, ever. You're a lot stronger than they think you are- or you think you are, for that matter."

Red felt himself blush and looked away. "N-no, I mean, I understand why they wanna keep an eye on me, and, y'know, it's nice they wanna keep me company, but..."

Keep him company...? Well, that was fair- Shadow wouldn't want to think of Red being left alone to do nothing all day. Red wasn't a very independent Link, and the thought of him being alone all day was not a very good one. Still, there was a big difference between wanting to keep him company and worrying that he couldn't take care of himself.

After a pause of thought, Shadow crossed his arms and spoke.

"Alright, then. If we've got a few hours, let's spend 'em right. What do you want to do?" he asked, his voice dull but still serious. All Shadow could think of was that he was probably going to have a very annoying day, keeping the over-bubbly Red company, but he'd rather bite this bullet than let Red be left alone for a day. Might as well get it started, so it could get finished, right?

However, he was surprised by Red's answer- or rather, his lack of an answer. Red, his expression still conflicted and upset, could only look away in silence. Shadow read this expression like a book- feeling like a burden, Red was both embarrassed and envious of the others, felt both shame on why he was how he was, and a confused worry on how that might not ever change. And though Red spoke not a word, Shadow heard all of it and felt a fire rise up his chest.

"Well, fine. If you're not gonna pick first, I'll pick for you," Shadow responded with a mischievous grin, causing Red to look up in confusion. Shadow had but a second to enjoy this confused expression before it disappeared from his view- from all view, really- and an instant later, could see it once more, but in a different environment and turning from confusion to surprise, and then, to amazement.

In seconds, the pair had been teleported to the top of Death Mountain- overlooking miles of the world below them, from a point Red had never seen before. Red had stopped looking at Shadow, and instead turned his gaze towards- well, everything. His eyes were hungry and ate up every sight they landed on, and the more he looked, the more he felt like there was still left to be seen.

"Wow...!" Breathless, Red took a step forward-

-and the ground beneath him gave way.

In a blur, Shadow's hand reached out and grabbed the back of Red's collar, as the rock beneath the smaller Link tumbled away, making Red realize for the first time that they weren't just at the top of the volcano, but at the edge of the peak. Dangling from Shadow's grip, he could feel his heart racing- but also his eyes still hungrily eating up everything in front of, below, above, and around him.

"Watch your step," Shadow responded with a sarcastic smirk, easily pulling Red back from the edge. He'd figured that might happen, even though the edge of the peak was the best viewing spot, and had been ready to catch him.

Red gave a nervous giggle, looking back at Shadow once before his eyes once more pulled his gaze back out and around him.

"Wow, Shadow...! This is amazing!" Red shouted, his shocked and gaping mouth turning up into one of unyielding joy and wonder. The heat of the volcano didn't even bother him, all he could see was the seemingly never-ending expanse of grass, ground, water, trees, sand, rocks... everything!

Shadow didn't respond for a moment- instead, he found himself reflecting a bit on Red's reaction. Shadow himself had visited different places like this before, and he too enjoyed a place with a good view- but to see Red react so enthusiastically, with such wonder in his eyes and his breath... He knew he wouldn't get this reaction from any of the others. Sure, they might be impressed with the view, for a minute, but then they'd no sooner say so than turn and ask what their next course of action was to be. Red... Red, Shadow thought as he looked at the younger Link, Red could probably stand here for hours, just admiring the view.

Sort of like a certain... someone, he knew.

"So, where to next?" Shadow asked, his sarcastic smile turning into a genuine one.

As if his eyes couldn't get any wider, Red looked at Shadow in shock. "There's MORE?" he asked, his breath leaving him from those words.

Despite himself, Shadow laughed out loud. "There's the whole world, Red," he responded, grinning. "Wherever you want to go, whatever you want to see." He paused for a moment, then added wryly, "as long as you don't tell Green I took you to the top of an active volcano."

Red giggled at the joke, then, resuming his thoughts on Shadow's earlier words, he blinked a few times, then looked back out at the view. Soon, however, his amazed wide-open mouth had turned into a toothy grin, and he turned back to Shadow, his expression now eager and excited.

For the next few hours, Shadow took Red to various places across Hyrule, places he knew Red would enjoy visiting. The view from Death Mountain's peak was just the beginning- next, a trip to the Nomad's Sands where Red and Shadow rode atop one of the moving caravans, enjoying the trip regardless of where it took them. After that, a strange abandoned castle in the middle of the woods that Red didn't even know existed, which Shadow seemed to know like the back of his hand, even showing Red some of the secret rooms hidden from plain sight.

Several other stops were made, another being the beach by Lake Hylia. The two walked for miles along the edge of the shore, sometimes talking and sometimes silent. At one point, Red grinned and stopped, bending down to pick up a small seashell by his feet. He held it up against the sun, watching the light bounce off its prismatic, shiny surface. And when Shadow walked up beside him, Red turned and wordlessly handed it to him with a smile. Shadow held it for a moment in his hand, looking it over carefully- then, in the next moment the shell was enveloped in a warm wrap of that familiar dark magic of his.

A little confused, Red tilted his head and smiled. "You're gonna keep it?" he asked, of the little shell that he'd found and given to Shadow.

Shadow replied with a shrug and a small smile, and the two continued to walk along the shore.

Later, Red would find the two of them teleported to the middle of a great, expansive field of flowers. And while Red's face had lit up at every place Shadow took him, Shadow could see a special glint in the other's eyes as they looked over the flowers in awe and enthrallment. Red ran to a patch, fell to his knees, and immediately began to run his hands over the flowers, his eyes scanning each one intently and enthusiastically. Shadow followed quietly, and before he knew it the two were seated amid the flowers, with Red quietly and contently picking flowers and stems and weaving them together in his lap.

While Shadow wasn't exactly sure what Red was doing, he nonetheless sat quietly and watched Red work- until Red held up what he had in his hands, presumably in a way that indicated he was 'finished'. Confused, Shadow just tilted his head- and Red, grinning, took that as an invitation. He reached forward and draped the woven flower-crown over the top of Shadow's head, where it rested comfortably over his black hat and hair. The violets and yellows of the flowers worked surprisingly well against the black, but Shadow merely blinked in continued confusion.

"It's a flower crown!" Red finally answered, looking at it on Shadow's head with a proud grin.

Shadow was quiet for a moment, before finally responding with a small smile and a single question.

"How's it look on me?"

Red laughed out loud, but in a way in which his bright, blue eyes lit up in joy. "It's perfect! Now, I'll make me one," he responded, turning back to the flowers around them and reaching out for more. Shadow was quiet and still, careful not to let his new headpiece slide off, and continued to watch with an open, relaxed smile. For all the pressure Shadow held inside, for all the anger and mistrust and relentless self-doubt... for all of that, spending quiet time with someone else, in which nothing else was done or worried about... it was nice.

It was in the flower fields that they spent the most time, until Red finally finished his and put it upon his head gingerly and with glee. He'd made it with, of course, red flowers, but with accents of yellow and orange, creating almost the feel of a sunset in a gathering of plants. And by the time he finished, he looked up and saw the sunset all around him, as well.

"Ah... we've been out for a while, huh?" Red asked with a weak grin, rubbing the back of his head nervously as he looked up at the slowly setting sun.

Shadow shrugged. Sure, the day was coming to a close, but it honestly hadn't felt like that long of a time.

"Green's probably gonna get worried if I don't get back soon," Red said meekly, this time his gaze falling back down to the grass beneath him.

Pushing aside the warmth from earlier came frustration, and Shadow scowled quietly. "They don't have anything to worry about," he responded gruffly. "Even if I wasn't here. I already told you, Red, you're more than capable of being on your own."

"I know," Red responded with a small smile, looking back up at his friend with genuine appreciation in his eyes. "Thanks, Shadow." He looked down once more and used his palms to push himself back up to a stand, brushing off the broken-off stems and petals from his tunic. Shadow stood up as well- but spoke immediately afterwards.

"You good for one more?" he asked with a mischievous smirk. "I've got the perfect place to end it with." Shadow took Red's grin as response enough, and in the blink of an eye their surroundings had changed drastically.

The cold wind that had been blowing near Castle Town was nowhere near the frigid atmosphere of the peak of Snowfreeze Mountain. But Red hardly even felt the cold- not with the sight in front of him. The sun had finally set beneath the horizon, but it had left the most incredible parting gift of all of nature- an array of waving, chromatic lights dancing across the sky above them.

The colors shifted from crimson and chartreuse, sangria and azure, all shifting around each other, some colors taking the forefront for just a moment before another wrapped underneath and around it, as if it were a grand performance with the night sky being the boundless, limitless stage. The colored lights moved around in lines, but the top of each line faded upwards into a blur that gave the light a certain kind of depth Red hadn't seen anywhere else in all his travels.

The two stood silent for longer than either one realized; both with their eyes locked upwards at the performance of lights above and around them, the colors reflecting on the white snow all beneath and around them and creating an ethereal glow upon every surface. They neither felt nor noticed the cold winds, or the gently falling snow that melted upon coming in contact with their clothes or skin. Instead, both were entrapped by the celestial concert for the eyes.

Finally, however, even the lights themselves would start to fade, and the glow became softer and softer until it felt like it was more than a memory than anything else. Shadow glanced over at Red, seeing that he was still looking up at the dark sky with a content smile on his face.

"Thanks for showing me all this, Shadow," Red said, still looking up at the night sky. "You... you didn't have to. But, I appreciate it." With that, he grinned again, eyes closed happily as he released himself to the chill, refreshing wind of the mountain's peak.

The darker Link had been thinking for quite a while. He'd really only intended to 'keep an eye out' on the smaller Link for the day, but as the hours went by, he found himself showing Red more and more of the places that he personally went to on his own, when he needed a place to think and reflect and be with his thoughts. After all, while the other three Links might not've had the patience or appreciation for the various places they visited, Red had a deep understanding of the value and meaning of one's surroundings... and, as happy as it made Shadow to know that Red had enjoyed the day, if anything, it also made him happy that someone else besides him enjoyed these, too.

Finally, Shadow decided.

"I know I said this was the last one, but..." The red-eyed Link set his sights far out into the dark sky. "I just thought of one last place... if you're up for it."

Shadow was worried Red might bring up Green's worry again, or how late it was- but it seemed Red was no longer concerned about these things, and he merely looked back at his friend and gave a nod with a warm smile.

Moments later, the scenery around them had changed- the bright white of the snow around them, reflected by the dimming lights of the starry sky, had been replaced with a quiet, melancholy darkness that stretched on for what seemed like eternity in all directions. The stars were still in the sky, but they seemed so far away and so dim- and the world below them was just that- the world- yet they were so far above it all that every landmark felt so insignificant, so small.

Red's eyes had grown wider than they had at any time that day, and his expression both fell and lifted in a sudden, deep understanding of what he was witnessing.

The two Links stood at the top of the tallest tower of Hyrule Castle. The wind around them was quiet and unsteady, every so often blowing just enough to pick up the banner of the tip's flag and wave it idly in the breeze before it fell back against the pole it was affixed to. Beneath them was the sharply-sloped downward surface of the castle's roofing, and after the edge of it dropped off, the entire kingdom below.

The two Links stood, then sat down next to each other, atop the roof of the Castle. No words needed to be said- Red could tell, without words, that Shadow was sharing an important place with him, someplace that he had been to often enough that it held a special sort of meaning. And Shadow could tell that Red knew this, without needing to be told, that Red understood and accepted it, welcomed it, and felt honored that he had been chosen to share in it.

Neither one could have given the time they spent there any sort of estimate- but it was time well-spent regardless, in silent company of kindred hearts, more alike than any at first would think. Eventually, of course, Shadow did know he'd have to bring Red back to the others, and so he did, teleporting the other Link back to the front of his house. And though the day and night did have to come to an end, a new beginning had also come for the two of them- a beginning that had been set to last for a long time yet to come.

Green's Day Off

Red was the first one to notice it- which isn't all that surprising, really, but what WAS surprising was how long it took for it to be noticed in the first place.

The past few months had been littered with all sorts of events like it, after all- and quite reasonably so, as each of the Links had begun to fall comfortably within themselves and find little things here and there that they each liked to do with their spare time. And in that time of discovery for each of them, so was each followed by another period of time where they all worried, in some way, how the others would react to learning of their newfound pastime. Of course, such fears were groundless and would eventually be proven as such, leaving each Link to grow happily within their own hobbies and talents.

Red, for his part, found solace in the wide-open fields of flowers which surrounded him from all sides, and from there found joy in gathering the flowers, arranging them, and weaving them into flower crowns. Blue, when needing to let out his frustration and calm himself down, found comfort in isolating himself by the lake bed, skipping stones in surprisingly artful and skillful manner.

And though Vio took a bit longer to find his- as he often just fell back into the 'easy' answer of reading various books and spending as much time as he could in the library- he'd still come to find that the art of Origami was a sort of 'fruitless' hobby that he could still enjoy and find both relaxing and stimulating, in just the way he needed it to be.

So, then...

"Hey, Green?" Red asked suddenly, pausing at the door frame of their house and blinking in mild surprise.

"Yeah, Red?" came Green's response from ahead, already inside the door and leaning his sword and shield against the wall off to the side. The other two Links were also already inside, as the four of them were just returning home from a small, yet enjoyable camping trip.

Blue had already slumped into a nearby armrest, his exhaustion plain across his tired face, and Vio was already looking for things to examine and correct around the place- though for the moment, he was preparing to scold Blue for taking off his shoes and resting his feet on the table. Red was the only one yet to come inside- somehow, he was frozen at the entrance with a puzzled and perhaps slightly guilty expression on his face.

"Everything alright?" Green asked again, when he got no answer. He turned back towards Red, a little concerned- though immediately felt a sigh coming on as he began to hear bickering from behind him.

"So, uh... If I, uh, like to make flower crowns," Red mumbled, rubbing his arm with one hand as he looked to the side sheepishly, "and, uh, Blue can skip stones... and Vio's real good at that ory-guh-may thing-"

"OR-eh-GAH-mi," Vio corrected from behind him, pausing in between his quarrel with Blue to interject.

"Yeah, that," Red continued, looking back at his friends. His face became guilt-ridden once more as he mustered up the courage to ask.

"Then, uh... what's yours, Green?"

"... Mine?" Green asked, a bit confused, slightly tilting his head to the side.

The squabbling noises from behind ceased almost immediately- and Green suddenly felt all three sets of eyes focus on him at once.

"Uh, wh-what do you mean?" Green asked again, though his brain had already made the connection and he had the feeling that things were about to be not so good. His eyes were already darting to the side, looking for an excuse to end or change the conversation before it got too much wind.

Unfortunately for Green, though, that wasn't going to be possible.

"Hey! Yeah!" Blue suddenly yelled, jumping up and towards the other two Links. "You don't have something like that, do ya?" he asked, walking up closer to Green. He crossed his arms and said, almost accusingly, "I mean, if you HAVE, then you haven't told us. So, what is it?"

Vio's expression was one of mild surprise, but he remained silent for the time being, watching the exchange from a few feet away.

"Y'know, your, uh, thing!" Red chirped up, feeling steam from Blue's involvement and support. His expression changed from surprised guilt to eager excitement, hoping to hear something he hadn't heard before. "What do you like to do for fun, Green? What's your hobby?"

"Oh, I, uh, I guess, nothing, really?" Green stammered, grinning weakly as he tried to back out of the conversation. He could see the sink just a few feet to the side, with some dirty dishes stacked in it. There! All he had to do was reach it, talk about all that still had to be done, and he'd be able to get started on it without distraction or derailment. He took a few steps to the side as he talked, trying to get to the sink before they talked about his 'hobby' any more.

But, alas- it was now time for the smart one to speak up. Or rather, to walk up- and so he did, blocking Green's path to the kitchen. Vio stood with a raised eyebrow in front of Green's path and crossed his arms as Blue did.

"Nothing? Really?" Vio asked with a frown- not as accusingly as Blue, but a bit more inquisitive. He didn't necessarily believe that, but he wasn't about to jump to conclusions, either. But the matter was still something he believed needed to be resolved- Green was always working too hard, and it was important to him, and the others, that he have some way to relax like the others did.

"Well, yeah, I mean, I've got you three, what else do I need?" Green tried to respond with an innocent look on his face, and a weak grin. He tried to scoot to the side, around Vio-

"Nuh-uh. Nope." Blue shook his head, and stood next to Vio to face Green, blocking him once again. 'If only they could team up like this more often- just not against me', Green thought with a hint of sad irony, looking at the two and knowing he was probably beaten.

"You've gotta have SOMETHING for yourself, Green!" Red tried to protest sadly. "You deserve to go out and have fun, too!" He felt even more guilt wash over him- just how had he let this go unnoticed for so long? They all had ways to relax and let out stress- but it seemed that Green didn't.

"No, it's alright, really!" Green insisted, putting his hands up defensively- but was once again cut off by the other three, now each talking over each other so that Green didn't even have a second to interject. He hadn't seen them this fired up in a while, and yet knew that the only thing to calm them down or appease them would be something he couldn't easily do.

And yet, before he knew it-

The three of them had all gathered together behind him, all working together to shove a surprised Green out the door.

"Go out and find something fun to do!" Red insisted with a grin, taking Green by the arm and pulling him until he was outside.

"Yeah! Don't worry about us, for once. Take a day off," Blue added, forcefully pushing his leader further forward and crossing his arms once again.

"Red's right. You deserve to find something you enjoy, just like the rest of us," Vio finished- he stopped shoving sooner than the others had, but the way he stood in the doorframe was enough to tell Green he wasn't gonna be allowed in so easily.

Not a minute later, the door closed, and Green was left looking quietly at the outside of the door, wondering how in the heck all that just even happened.

A few minutes passed, and finally, Green let out a big sigh and rubbed the back of his head. Just what was he gonna do with those three...? Well, he thought idly as he looked back outside, at the very least, they were safe at home now and if he was gonna be locked out... might as well go for a walk or something, right? He rarely got such time to himself... It'd be nice to have some time on his own to think, and hey, who knows, maybe he WOULD find something. He took a few steps out- but found himself stopping to look back at the house.

It was still silent, and the door was still closed.

It took another handful of seconds, but the leader of the Four Swords finally found the strength to shake his head and put on enough of a smile to help him walk the rest of the way out into the world.

And just like that, the day was wasted.

Green trudged back to his house, cold, soaked to the bone, and feeling more lost than he'd felt in a very long time. He desperately wished his tunic had pockets, but had to settle for holding his hands under his arms, trying to keep whatever warmth he had to them. The past few hours had been one unlucky turn after another unfortunate mistake, and everything he tried just seemed to blow up in his face.

Hiking had given him nothing but a scraped knee and a multitude of bug bites in some very uncomfortable places.

Visiting the local art academy and trying everything they had resulted in some unfortunate spills and the losses of some, apparently very expensive, artistic materials, resulting in him getting kicked out.

Even the library, vast in all its knowledge and expansive in what all it offered, confused him with its endless rows and unreachable heights, and every book he pulled was either too confusing or too outlandish for him to grasp and find solace in.

His heart wasn't in any of the things he was trying, he knew that, but he was still giving them all an honest effort, if only for the voices he kept hearing that urged him out of the house to begin with. But after trying to fish out on the lake and having the boat tip over on him at the first tug on his line... well, he was just about done. He'd just have to tell the others that he was just a boring Link who didn't have a "thing". Green could deal with that thought, sure, but he wasn't sure he'd be able to deal with the reactions of the others to hearing it...

He closed his eyes, feeling a bit crestfallen at that last thought. Had he let the others down? Surely, this wasn't that big of a deal... right? He didn't mind the idea that he didn't have a 'thing', like the others did. He was always just content to be around them, and never really thought of needing some 'time away' or anything like that. But since they all had that, consequently they seemed to have felt that Green should have it, too. He sighed again and began to wonder how he would try to convince them that everything was fine.

At the very least, by the time he got home, thankfully he had dried off enough so that the others wouldn't worry too much about his misadventures of the day- still, his clothes were in a not-great shape and he idly wondered how he could even make it inside without causing them to be too concerned for all the trouble he'd gotten into during the half-day to himself.

And before he knew it, he was staring at the closed, wooden door of their house, and then at the doorknob, and then his hand. Well... he mustered up his courage, took a deep breath, and opened the door, stepping quietly inside.

And what greeted him was more trouble than he could've caused on his own in two lifetimes.

First, a heavy and thick smell of smoke permeated the entire area, and Red's bawls and hiccups were just barely loud enough to be heard under the loud curses and panicked shouts of Blue and Vio. Small splotches of red dotted the wooden floor, torn scraps of paper and linen were strewn across the place, Red was desperately trying to put out a small fire in the kitchen, Blue was hopping around on one foot, cradling the other in his arms and flinging curse after curse at the entire world, and Vio was desperately trying to gather up all the things that had come out of place, his expression wracked with nerves and mild panic, all while shouting after Blue to come back here you're bleeding on the nice rug stop being such a baby look at the mess you've made stop there's glass everywhere and Red is crying and the laundry is-

The sound of the door shutting behind him was lighter than a mouse's footfall, and yet it was still loud enough to instantly silence the other three Links in the house, and for all of them to lock eyes on Green.

Oh, boy... looked like the real work was just beginning.

Green smiled grimly, rolled up his sleeves, and wordlessly got to work.

First, he calmly put his hands on Blue's shoulders, steering him to a chair and sitting him down. He picked up a roll of bandages from the floor, handed them to Vio and sat him down on the floor next to Blue, so he could wrap up Blue's foot. Next, he went into the kitchen and put the pot with the smoldering... whatever it was... inside, in the sink, turning on the faucet and putting out the little fire that Red was sobbing over. He opened a window, wafted out the smoke, and grabbed the nearby broom to sweep up the pieces of shattered glass on the floor that Blue had cut his foot on, most likely from a fallen cup, and discarded the shards in the nearby trash bin.

After just a few minutes, Red's sobbing had silenced into the occasional small sniffle as he followed Green around like a lost puppy, Blue's grumbling was barely even audible under his breath, through gritted teeth as he allowed Green to unwrap, clean, and re-wrap the small cut on the bottom of his foot, and Vio had calmed down enough where he was able to help waft the rest of the smoke out of the window, throw away the ruined mess of food and gather the torn linen and miscellaneous debris that was strewn across the house.

The place had fallen deathly quiet when Green first entered, and aside from a few small requests he'd asked here and there for help fixing everything, no one had said a word. It wasn't until the smoke had finally cleared, the blood and glass cleaned up, Red's sniffling having stopped and the scraps of trash and cloth all picked up that someone finally broke the silence.

"G-Green, I'm sorry, I tried to m-make dinner, a-and I-"

Red's words were in earnest, but they were blubbering and about to bring back his sobs, so Green quietly wrapped his arms around his friend in a gentle hug.

"I know. It's alright, Red. It happens," Green responded with a gentle smile, ruffling the hair on the top of Red's head. "Cooking takes practice. We'll try again, and I'll help you. Sound good?" Red sniffed once more, wiped his nose on his sleeve and nodded, his sorrowful expression turning more hopeful and warm.

"Green, I-" Blue, feeling obligated to speak up, tried to do so, but fell short and looked away, angry at himself. He didn't have any excuse, he knew that, and he wasn't gonna make himself look even more stupid by trying to whip one up out of thin air. He wasn't Vio, wasn't smart enough for that. Still, he wasn't very good at apologies, either...

"Leave the bandages on," Green responded with a smile, this time crossing HIS arms and giving Blue a playfully mischievous glare. "At least until tomorrow. And this time, keep your shoes on, yeah?"

"Yeah..." Blue mumbled, trying not to let his emotions show too much on his face as he looked away, hiding a smile. Leave it to Green to accept an apology without actually accepting said apology, he thought.

Green turned away from Blue back towards the kitchen, where Red was happily walking back to, and noticed Vio out of the corner of his eye. He was leaning up against the wall, looking out the window and gripping his right arm tightly with the opposite hand. His shoulders were slouched, and his face hidden. Green walked quietly up beside him, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Hey. It's okay, y'know that, right?" Green offered with a smile. "The glass breaking was an accident, and Red just left the food on the stove too long. It's not a big deal."

Vio was quiet, but his head turned slightly more towards Green- enough so that Green could see Vio's downcast expression.

"Hey." Green said this again, more forcefully, and Vio turned to face him.

"It's not a big deal," the leader repeated with a smile. And now that Vio's hand had dropped off his arm, Green extended his other hand, holding out a wooden spoon.

"Red and I will need some help," he said, forcing it in Vio's hands. Vio looked down at it, unsure and unsatisfied. Nonetheless, Green smiled and turned to walk back to the kitchen, which had finally been cleaned up and was ready for round two.

He had barely made it a few steps forward when Vio finally spoke.

"This... this IS your 'thing', isn't it?"

Green paused, suddenly reminded of the earlier part of his day, and stopped. Blue and Red had also looked up, and were now intently listening- with both their ears and their minds.

Vio smiled sadly and shook his head. "You weren't kidding, huh? It's just... us. Taking care of us." He even laughed. "That's your 'thing'."

Well... it was certainly better than telling them of his failed attempts earlier that day. Green just looked over his shoulder with a smile.

"C'mon, I'm hungry."

Nightmare

In the absence of light and sound came a sudden and harsh awakening, cold sweat sticking to every surface of his skin as terror and despair ran through his icy veins. In that instant, all he knew was the incredible pressure he felt in his chest as it worked harder than it knew how, his lungs expanding and compressing at a rate faster than they had ever done. Each breath was sharp and painful, as if serrated knives were grinding away at his insides, punishing him for each inhale and exhale.

And yet, these were just the physical symptoms that ate away at his body- far worse were eating away at his heart, his mind, his very soul moment by moment. The metallic stench of blood, the screeching laughter of nails against steel, the slipping, sinking feeling of falling down from, and into, nowhere. Blinding eyes, tearing blades, the blurring lines of reality mixing into emptiness, screams of horror and loss.

He kicked the sheets off him as best he could, and in panic ran his hands across his chest, pulling sharply at the night-shirt that covered his chest until he could place a sticky, sweaty palm against it enough to feel the rapid beating of his heart beneath the surface. And once that first sign was registered, so his brain began to come into focus and be able to notice all the other senses available to him, though hidden by panic and dizziness earlier.

His breathing was raspy and harsh, quick and gasping. His eyes were blinking in the darkness, trying to adjust to the almost nonexistent level of light that peeked in through the closed windows, evaluating his surroundings enough so that he could see where he was, when he was, whether up was up or if the world still even existed. The sheets and cover on his bed had been kicked off the side, but still he felt hot and sweaty and his skin ached for a breeze, some fresh air, anything it could breathe against just to know that it was still there.

Yes... he was still in the room, in his bed. His vision was slowly returning to him, and his lungs, drinking all the air it could in massive gulps, were beginning to ache and cause a stinging sensation in the back of his throat. The hand which grasped his chest at the chest was slowly loosening its grip, and his other hand had wrapped its fingers around the edge of the bed, which were turning red from the tightness at which they clung to the mattress beneath him.

Again, though his surroundings were slowly being registered, still his mind's eye could only see the sudden slicing of darkened steel and rusted metal, feel the gaping hole tearing itself at him from the center of his chest, taste the metallic blood leaking from the corner of his mouth, hear the roaring cries of anger and anguish, smell the burning stench of dust and rot.

He had to get out. Out. He couldn't stay here any longer- though he knew what his surroundings were, they were still a prison, and as long as the thoughts were here then he had to leave. Without thinking, he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and half-way stumbled off the side, barely catching himself before he would hit the ground. Still gasping and panting, his balance still barely catching up to his body, he stumbled out of the room and shut the door behind him.

Only once he was several feet away from the bedroom did Vio finally stop, lean against the edge of the wall, and slide down until he was sitting on the floor, his arms wrapped around his knees which were bent and close up against his chest. The swirling thoughts in his mind, raging and screaming in chaotic distress, were only finally beginning to subside into the calm, rational thoughts he urged upon, begged for, to relieve him from the madness and the pain. He wasn't back There, it wasn't back Then, he was in his house and it was the middle of the night and he just woke up from... from...

... Was it... all just a nightmare?

The realization finally struck him, minutes after first awakening, but it was the thing that helped calm his rapidly-beating heart down the most. He could feel his pulse slow down as this understanding seeped through his body, as if through his very veins. It was... just a bad dream... wasn't it? Yes, he was safe at home, he'd been in his bed, sleeping, just woke up and panicked and... And now he was out in the hall, leaning against the wall, with his head against his knees and his eyes shut as tightly as they could in a futile effort to shut out what had poisoned him so suddenly and terribly.

And yet, even though this realization of the source of his panic was enough for the logical part of his mind to take hold and use to calm him down, it wasn't enough for the rest of him to think back on why it had happened... and how it had caused so terrible a reaction, a panic attack, even, where the senses of the world around him had blurred so violently that his body had entered a state of such terror, the likes of which he'd not had since...

The screeching, cackling laughter of the ethereal monsters. The glint of their blades as they rose and fell. The great, wide emptiness of the main room with the evil focusing in to one single corner, four tiny targets. The sudden, shearing pain of a red-hot blade sinking through the center of his chest. And finally, worst of all, the numbing terror of losing all that he held dear, creeping around his senses until he felt he could sense no more.

That horrible moment, up in the Sky Temple... when the invading ghosts had surrounded his friends, he had been unable to help- until the very last minute, when the only way he could help, was to give his life in order to save his friends. He could still feel the cold steel of the blade sinking through his chest, inch by inch... gasping, he let go of his knees, so that he could put both hands on his chest once more. No... the sages had undone all of that... had he actually... died...? He closed his eyes tightly, bringing his hands back from his chest up to his face.

That's what his nightmare had been about, he could only assume. That's why he'd woken up in such a panic, such terror, barely able to understand what the present was for the heavy presence of the past that weighed on him so. He tried to force his body to take slow, deep breaths. It was all just a nightmare, just a bad dream, his brain playing tricks on him and causing him to think that what had once happened was still going on, or had happened again, or was all and everything when in reality it was over and done with, he had moved on, he was safe and he was alive and...

He could feel the panic rising again in his chest, and he silently cursed himself over and over. No, he knew now what this was, that it wasn't all real, that he was still just sitting in an empty, dark hallway in the middle of the night, but why couldn't he force himself to calm down? Terror had gripped him like a vicegrip and would not so easily let him go. He counted numbers in his head, pressed his hands against the sides of his temple, whispered under his breath that it wasn't real, over and over, but nothing was working. Why? Why couldn't he just-

And then, for the first time, an external noise made itself known, and Vio's heart nearly stopped in shock at the sudden occurrence. The door down the hallway had squeaked open, just barely, and a set of bare feet slowly shuffled out of the door, shutting it quietly behind them. Vio couldn't even face them, he looked away quickly, embarrassed, flustered, his face red and his heart beating again.

"... Vio? Is that you?" came the tired, groggy voice of a Link that had just woken up.

Quietly gasping for breath, Vio tried to summon any sort of strength in his body to respond- to say everything was fine, it was nothing, go back to bed- but when he opened his mouth, only a weak, muddled croak came out. He very nearly choked on his own breath.

"... are you... alright?" the Link asked again- and by this time, Vio could already tell who it was. No, no, anyone but him... He'd never... live this down...

Vio's response bothered the other Link more than what he could put his finger on... in fact, he was quite ready to be angry or ready for a fight. Why else would he have woken up to such sudden noises, only to see Vio practically fall out of bed and rush out of the room? Still, he was glad, at the least, to see there was no real pressing danger. But that didn't mean what he saw wasn't still real. And he could hardly believe that he was even seeing it in the first place.

Slowly, the other Link walked towards Vio- and, quietly, leaned against the wall and slid down to sit beside him. Blue's eyes, normally wide and energetic and impatient, held a rare change in their light. Confused, but compassionate- unsure of the situation at hand, but sure of his willingness to do what he could to help. He sat cross-legged, hands in his lap, and leaned over to look at Vio a little better.

"Hey. Everything okay?" he asked again, a frown on his face. He was a little more woken up, now- and still couldn't for the life of him understand why Vio, of all the Links, was up in the middle of the night, leaning against the wall and breathing so heavily. He wasn't sick, was he?

"... n-no..." Vio finally gasped out, still not willing to even look at Blue, but hid his face on the other side of his arms. "I'm... just... just leave me..."

No...? Blue thought about this quietly for a moment. Since when was Vio not alright? Or rather... since when was Vio honest about NOT being alright? Well, one thing was for certain, he was most definitely NOT going to be leaving him. Stubborn, but only in wanting to help his friend, Blue stayed still and silent, not budging an inch. He couldn't ask, or talk to Vio, until Vio was able to at least look at him, or stop hiding his face. And if he had to sit here in silence with him all night for that to happen, then so be it.

Thankfully, it didn't take that long- though it was still quite a bit of time before Vio's breathing had calmed down once again, and he felt he had to turn his head back around, if only to relieve the awful straining pain that had come about as a result of trying to hide his face. When he finally did look forward, and Blue was able to see at least part of his face, the other Link was shocked speechless at what he saw.

He had always known Vio to have a serious expression, often even bitter or morose. It was just one of the things that made Vio, well, Vio. But this... his face looked as if it were twisted in pain, exhausted from a marathon-like experience of grief and confusion and terror. He looked, for all the world, that he hadn't slept in days, that he'd been unable to keep all sorts of terrible emotions from wreaking havoc upon his soul. And in that instant, Blue knew this was no ordinary moment of stress or worry for Vio... and he quietly pledged to himself that he wouldn't leave until that pain was gone.

"Do you want to talk?" Blue asked quietly- surprising both himself, and Vio, with how soft and calm his voice was.

Vio took another few deep, shaky breaths, trying to think of a response. Trying to think of anything, what he should say, what should be said...

"I... don't know..." he finally settled on, his voice sounding as if it had been torn to shreds and he was desperately trying to put the pieces back together.

Blue brought his knees up to his chest, draped his arms across the tops of his kneecaps and rested his chin on his arms, tilting his head towards Vio. "I'm here to listen. Or talk. Or..." he frowned, blinking for a moment as his own words circled back to himself and he realized... just how bad he was at this. Of course, he just wanted to help, but... how? He'd never tried anything like this before- heck, Red and Green were so much better at this than he was. Should... should he go wake one of them up and tell them what was going on? Would they be able to help Vio better than he could?

However, Vio shook his head in response to Blue's words. "I... I don't think that..." He stopped himself, took another shaky breath, and tried again. "I don't think that... that you can, Blue. I just..." Another pause. "Need... time, I think... to... think...?"

Well... Blue could do that. Maybe not easily, no, since every bone in Blue's body wanted nothing more than to jump up, grab Vio in a big hug, shout in his ear about how everything was okay, call for Green or Red and do everything in his power to find some sort of action that would solve this, but... but, if what Vio needed was silence, and time, Blue could manage that. At the very least, he was being told WHAT he could do to help... and so, that's what he did.

The two sat together in silence for even longer than before. During this time, Blue did everything he could to remain calm and still- holding back all of his energy that threatened to burst at the seams- and Vio tried the best he could not to let the other's presence distract or distress him any further, using the time to continue talking within his own mind about how it was over and done with, it wasn't there to threaten him, Blue being here was proof of that, even, and... and he would be okay. He'd be okay.

Ultimately, it was Vio himself who broke the silence. He took another deep breath, though this one was much more steady than the ones before. He tugged at the purple nightcap on his head, letting it fall to his lap as his other hand ran through his messy golden hair. He put both hands over his face once more, but finally let them fall to his lap, along with his gaze as his voice was finally calm enough to speak again.

"I don't... I don't even know if... if I actually... died, back there. You know, the... the Sky Temple." He forced the words out, and when they finally did, he heaved a heavy sigh of relief, as if saying the words themselves were like pushing a great weight off his chest. And after that, the rest flooded out. "I don't even... know exactly, how it all happened." He rubbed his eyes with both hands, keeping them covered as he choked out, "I just, I remember, the sword, the blood, the screaming and the pain and..."

Finally, Blue understood. He had spent the entire time, sitting in silence, wondering just what had caused Vio to be so upset. He'd worried if it had been something Blue himself had said or did that past day, or week, or something like that- if one of his teasing jokes had been too cruel, or if one of their bickering fights had struck harder than what he had intended. He and Vio argued all the time, sure, but Blue never wanted to hurt him. In a way, knowing it wasn't that was a relief- but in the other way, he felt a sort of despair upon hearing what the cause was. After all, he wasn't even sure what happened back then, either. He'd just been happy enough that Vio came back to question any of it.

But, even if he nor Vio understood why or how it happened, Blue could tell that the source of Vio's panic had been remembering the horror and trauma of the incident itself. He couldn't even begin to imagine... the physical pain of that mortal wound he had taken, and the mental and emotional pain of believing himself to be dying in the arms of the others. And the last of Vio's words, threatening to send him off again, cemented this understanding. No matter what, though, Blue told himself, he wouldn't let those feelings return.

Blue reached out and put a sturdy, yet gentle hand on Vio's knee.

"Hey. I'm right here, okay? We're right here, in the hallway of the house," Blue said, his words calm and steady and real, and Vio closed his eyes, half his brain not wanting to listen and the other half desperately clinging on to the truth of every word. He took in another breath, his eyes still closed, but strained himself just enough to subtly nod his head.

"What happened, back there..." Blue tried to start, but trailed off, his brain suddenly throwing up flags. He wanted to reassure Vio that what he did in the Sky Temple was noble and brave, give him the confidence to be able to own and move past it, but... was that really the right thing to do, for Vio, right now? Talking about 'it', after all, was what just now almost set Vio off again. Blue grit his teeth and tried again.

"It's... back there, alright? Not here. I'm here, you're here. It's the middle of the night and we're sitting on the floor in the middle of the hallway." He gave a grim smile- or at the very least, an attempt at one. "Yeah?" he asked, his hand still on his friend's knee, a desperate attempt to return Vio back from the panic of the past to the stillness and sureness of the present.

Slowly, again, Vio was able to give another nod, though kept his eyes closed. He rubbed them again, though, forcing them to open. Blue was right. He could feel the cool surface of the wood floor beneath him, and his eyes had finally adjusted to the different atmosphere of the hallway, enough so that he could make out the shape of the walls around him, the familiar bend and turn of the hall and the door that led to their bedroom just a few feet away. He could hear the crickets outside, feel Blue's hand on his knee, and there was no bitter taste of blood in his mouth- just a dry sensation and a yearning for some water.

"Y-yeah," he responded, his voice cracking again like the surface of a dried-up desert floor. He could feel the senses of his surroundings once again, and the senses from the past- which, for far too long in that moment, seemed far too real, were finally fading away back into his memories where they belonged.

He wasn't really feeling the blade through his chest, no- that feeling had come and gone long ago. He was actually just feeling pressure on his chest due to the soreness of his lungs, caused by the rapid breathing of panic awakening from his tormented sleep. The sounds of the screaming, shrieking ghosts weren't in his ears, they were in his mind. And the taste of blood was just the memory of those awful few moments before he... before...

Vio still couldn't bear to look at Blue- still feeling flustered and ashamed and confused beyond understanding- but, at the very least, he opened his eyes back and looked forward at the opposite wall, his hands tightly gripping his nightcap in his lap.

"Yeah, you're... you're right..." He swallowed away a knot in his throat and took a few more breaths. Finally, he was feeling the air enter and exit his chest in a calm and normal manner. Finally, he was feeling the cool touch of the floor beneath him overtake the chilled sweat sticking to his palms. And slowly, the world was beginning to come back into focus, and Vio felt his self returning, bit by bit. He ran both his hands through his hair once more and gave a finished, contained sigh.

Blue put his hand back on his own lap, still looking at his friend with a concerned yet supportive look on his face. He wasn't exactly sure all that had happened, no... and he couldn't understand all the feelings Vio was going through, he knew that. But this wasn't something that happened every day, and, if anything, he could even say it wasn't his friend that had just been panicking, but rather it was a horrible trauma that no one should ever have to experience that had resurfaced and threatened to poison his friend from the inside. And he'd be damned if he ever just sat back and let that happen.

The minutes passed in silence once more, but they were much more calming and recovering than those before it.

Until, finally, Vio felt his body relax, even though he hadn't noticed it start to happen. His back, arched over and tensed, was finally leaning straight against the wall behind him. His knees, bent up tightly to his chest, had finally straightened out and lay flat on the floor beneath him. And his hands were no longer tightly gripping his nightcap in his lap, but were instead calmly sitting on top of each other. Whatever madness had come, had now gone. He was sitting in the hallway, in the middle of the night, with Blue silently sitting beside him.

He uttered a quiet 'thanks', and Blue responded with an equally quiet 'no problem', and the two fell silent once again. Blue could understand how Vio might feel embarrassed by it all, but was adamant in his own mind that he'd never hold it against him, never bring it back up- heck, wouldn't even tell the others, if Vio didn't mention it first. And despite himself, Vio could almost feel this truth when he finally turned to face his friend and was greeted with a kind and reassuring smile, and found himself returning it with a pained, yet rejuvenated smile of his own.

And so, Blue waited just a little while longer for Vio to have the strength to end it, to put his hands on the floor beneath him and push himself up to his feet. Blue didn't need to offer help doing that- he didn't want to patronize Vio, he knew that Vio was capable of this regardless- but still stood up at the same time, wanting to be there for Vio if he needed him. Neither of them said any more, but instead wordlessly walked back towards their room. The night was still young, the two of them were tired, and it was time to return to the peace of sleep and the comfort of companionship.