Hey guys!
This is my one shot co-written with the fabulous ObscureNavyDusk. So don't kill either of us depending on who's profile you saw it on first, as we decided on uploading it to both. Please read and review, and tell us if you liked it. If you did, we might do another one sometime. Thanks!
Disclaimer: I do not own four swords. Or Zelda.
Red's Pov
It had been a difficult decision. None of us quite knew what to do at that point. The dangers of returning to one again could not be foreseen. Even Princess Zelda had no idea what to do. If the four of us returned to one, there was a chance that Link, Green, would be blind. We couldn't risk it. If there were four of us, and one of us were blind, it wouldn't be too bad, but Link was a hero. If he became blind, he wouldn't be considered one any more. He would be looked down upon. He would be pitied, and his life would change for the worse. However without returning to one there was a chance. Blue, Vio and Green could continue being heroes, and I... well I would just be me. Little blind red.
I guess you, whoever you are, are wondering how this happened? How I, the childish and innocent Link was blinded?
It happened whilst Vio was pretending to be on the side of darkness. We knew he was only faking, but Shadow had no idea.
The two of them had snuck into our camp one night. Vio says that Shadow had told him that they were only going to steal supplies and make it difficult for us to defeat Vaati. But, that's not really what he intended.
Flashback, Vio's Pov
I wasn't sure about this. The evil glint residing in shadows eyes unnerved me. He had reassured me we were only going to steal their supplies, just to head them off a little. With no supplies they would be greatly inconvenienced, and clearly have to take some time out to go and collect some more. Surely that wouldn't have been overly bad. I mean, sure I really didn't want to make things worse for them, I was still on their side after all, but this wasn't too harmful, and I didn't feel too uncomfortable doing it. However my plan to get in and out with Shadow and not getting caught back fired. We were too loud, and Red heard us. He came out, fully dressed with bleary eyes, not really concentrating on what he was doing, and without a sword. His naivety astounded me, but with the smirk on Shadow's face I knew that he was glad of it, yet worry struck my heart like a spear, what was going to happen to Red? Was I going to have to blow my cover?
He didn't notice us immediately, so I made an attempt to pull Shadow out of sight. I prayed to the three goddesses that Red would go back and assume that he'd just been imagining things, and that Shadow would let him be.
Unfortunately, Shadow just grinned at me, drawing his own sword from Nayru only knows where and stepping forward.
Red rubbed his eyes sleepily, before scratching his tousled hair. He looked around, and I knew, despite the obvious view of Shadow standing with his back to the trees, that Red still hadn't seen him. I pleaded inwardly for Red to just go back inside, or call for Blue and Green, but I knew he wouldn't do that. He was the naïve part of us, and in that moment, I wished for it to be Blue or Green, they would have thought to bring a sword with them if they heard a noise. But it had to be Red, and it was too late to do anything to make let him know to go back inside, not without Shadow noticing and my cover being blown.
"Is someone there?" He called, but it wasn't quite loud enough to wake the two sleeping heroes.
He nearly jumped out of his skin from fright when Shadow answered, "Yes."
The dark copy of us moved closer to the red-clad boy. He seemed relaxed, but so do most predators about to attack their prey. Red gasped in shock, completely terrified as it dawned on him that he had no way to protect himself.
"Ahh little Red, all by himself, with no protection." Shadow mocked.
Red's eyes widened further. His eyes darted around the clearing, clearly looking for some sort of escape that didn't exist.
"Wh-what do you want?" He stuttered, backing away slightly.
"Something bigger than your tiny mind could ever fathom."
"Are you going to hurt me?" Red said, shaking slightly.
My conscience was screaming at me to help him, but the signals from my brain didn't seem to reach my feet. I was frozen in place, trying to comprehend what I was seeing in front of me.
Shadow didn't bother answering Red's question, stalking closer until he was near enough to use his sword. Red stumbled backwards at exactly the same moment that Shadow lunged at him, his sword reflecting the moon hanging full on the sky above us.
Red had been extraordinarily lucky the avoid being decapitated, but he did not escape injury entirely. A sharp scream of pain echoed in the forest surrounding us, and the normally, cheerful bright-eyed Link collapsed to his knees.
Shadow raised his sword high, preparing to strike again.
Red's eyes sparkled with immense fear, and yet I still didn't move. I had to, who knew what Shadow would do to Red? There was no way to tell, and yet I just couldn't function. A cloud moving across the moon, shadowing us in thick obscure navy dusk. My sight of them was cut off for a brief moment, before it regained.
" So little Red, what are you going to do?"
It was then that I realised in that brief moment, Shadow had taken advantage of the darkness to leap on top of Red and pin him down. Shadow's hand covered Red's mouth, and despite the attempted bites Red was taking, it had no affect on Shadow who just laughed before spitting in Red's face.
I finally managed to force myself to move, my hand reaching for the hilt of my own sword. Cover be damned, I wasn't about to allow one of my team mates to die.
I was just about to charge at Shadow, to knock him away from the hero in red when one of Red's kicks actually succeeded in making contact, and Shadow backed off a little, practically doubled over in pain. Red took the opportunity to scramble back to his feet, backing away from the shade without taking his eyes off him.
Red tripped, falling backwards at exactly the same moment that Shadow recovered, lunging at him - his sword reflecting the moon hanging full on the sky above us.
Red had been extraordinarily lucky to avoid being decapitated, but he did not escape injury entirely. A sharp scream of pain echoed in the forest surrounding us, and the normally, cheerful bright-eyed Link collapsed to his knees.
Shadow raised his sword high, preparing to strike again.
" STOP IT!" I screamed.
Shadow turned to me, eyes widening in surprise. My cover had been blown. I didn't have time to think on it though. Red was in trouble.
" VIO! I thought you were my friend." Shadow commented, voice low and eyes flashing.
" Then clearly you aren't as smart as you looked."
Red let out a moan, and I turned to him. Blood was pooling at the side of his forehead.
" Red? Red? Are you okay?"
" Vio watch out." He moaned.
" Wha-?"
I had a moments notice and my eyes widened when I saw the advancing branch. I heard laughter coming from Shadow before I was smothered in darkness.
Shadow's Pov
Vio collapsed to the ground, unconscious. I could feel my sharp nails digging into the palms of my hands. They drew blood, but I didn't care - the pain in my heart was far, far worse. I thought that Vio was my friend. Looks like I was wrong.
"This is your fault," I hissed, turning to face Red.
The hero had begun to try and stand up, the wound across his chest bleeding freely, staining his tunic an even darker shade of red. I shoved him back down to the floor, kneeling over him again, being careful to make sure he couldn't kick me again.
I banished my sword, returning it to the shadows, and reaching back into one of my boots for a dagger I kept there.
"I was going to kill you quickly, but I'm not really in a good mood any more," I said, enjoying the look of horror that appeared on the red-clad boy's face as I waved the knife in front of his face, "I wonder how much blood you can lose before it kills you."
He tried to call out, doubtlessly for the other two idiotic heroes, so I covered his mouth, hushing him.
"Shut up. Now, where should I start..."
" Please. Please!" Red whimpered.
His cries merely spurred me on. He deserved this. They all did. It was his fault that Vio had deserted me, and for that he was going to pay.
" Now now Red, you can't escape me."
" Let me go!" He sobbed.
I cut at him, slashing at his red tunic and cutting through both fabric and skin, and he yelped.
" Stop it!" He cried, tears pouring from his bright eyes.
" Let me think about it." I said, slashing at him again.
" STOP!" He screamed.
Blue's Pov
" STOP!"
I shot up, as did Green.
" What's happening?" Green asked.
" Red?"
I turned, and yet his sleeping bag was empty. I knew he had been there when we settled down for the night.
"Follow me." Green commanded.
Normally, I would have refused to obey Green's 'orders', but this was different. Red was gone and we'd heard someone shouting out.
I grabbed my sword from where I had left it - right next to my sleeping bag, ready to be used at a moments notice - and got up, following after Green.
I did glare at him though, he isn't the leader. I should be the leader-
The thoughts crashed to a violent stop as we both heard another scream. Red's. I was about to go crashing through the trees to find him, but Green grabbed my wrist to prevent me.
"If he's screaming, he's still alive. If you go charging in like an idiot, whoever the bastard is that's hurting him may just choose to kill him," he whispered.
I had to admit that it was a fairly logical point, but I was worried that Red might be dead by the time we found him.
We were getting closer now. I could hear small whimpers of pain and it took all my strength - and all Green's apparently, looking at the marks I still have on my wrist - to not just run to him.
Finally, we reached a small clearing to see...
Shadow Link. He was crouched on top of a screaming red. He was cutting him with what seemed to be a dagger encrusted with Red's blood.
"What do we do?" I asked Green, all ideas suddenly escaping me.
"Just attack. We have to get to somewhere he won't see us coming first though." Green whispered.
We moved slightly shifting, before checking Shadow hadn't seen us. We passed Vio's body, but his chest was rising and falling in a steady pattern, and his head had a slight lump, but we both knew that he was going to be fine.
Suddenly an unearthly scream echoed around the clearing making me flinch.
" What's happening?" I asked Green.
He gave me a critical look, and I dropped my head slightly.
"STOP! STOP PLEASE."
I shifted again, and was so close to throwing up my tea when I noticed Shadow begin to gouge Red's eyes out. Fury took over me, and I couldn't bear it. How dare he? With the fury pulsing through my veins, I launched myself at Shadow.
... I launched myself at Shadow.
He didn't notice me until I was on him and I knocked him away from Red, leaving him sprawled on the ground.
For a fraction of a second, his bloody red eyes widened in shock, then they narrowed in anger. Shadow shoved me away from him, leaping to his feet.
I glanced quickly at Red, he looked almost dead, but Green nodded at me from where he was crouched next to him to signal that he was still breathing.
Shadow quickly darted forwards, slashing at me with his own sword - which I hadn't seen earlier, just where-
Acting on instinct alone, I parried the blow, the harsh sound of metal-on-metal echoing around us. I staggered backwards - the blow impossibly hard, as if the anger that seemed to roll of Shadow in waves was lending him strength previously unknown to everyone.
His eyes seemed dazed, and I used this to my advantage, using my sword to slash at him. He crumpled to the ground, and for a moment I had a fleeting sense of euphoria and pride before my mind drew me back.
Vio was moaning, and shifting slightly on the forest floor. I paid him no attention, my mind focusing on the unmoving Red surrounded by scarlet blood.
Green was crouched beside him, trying to stem the wounds, while ignoring the metallic tang of the blood seeping into the emerald of his clothes.
" I'm sorry."
I moved, sword drawn once more before I realised Vio was awake and standing beside me. A fleeting sense of annoyance flashed through me, and in that moment I realised how easy it would be to kill him. He had allowed Red to be hurt.
I took a deep breath, calming myself.
" It's not your fault."
" Guys, I need your help getting Red into the tent." Green called to us.
We hurried over. Between Green and myself we carried him, while Vio followed.
" Well then Mr Smart, what do you think is going to happen to him?" I spat at Vio.
Green gave me a glare, and despite the burning sensation it had on me, I ignored it.
" He has lost a lot of blood, but he won't die. But his eyes..."
" What about them?" I asked, eager for knowledge.
" It went through the iris."
" So what does that mean?" Green asked.
" There isn't going to be anything we can actually do. I mean if it hadn't have been the iris, maybe the retna, but yet still mild chance of it, I mean..."
" Get on with it. What is going to happen to Red's eyes?" I snapped, sick of Vio's babbling.
" He is going to be blind." Vio whispered.
End of flashback(s)
Red's Pov
It's really a miracle that we ever managed to defeat Vaati. I hadn't been able to see anything during the fight, and I thank the goddesses for giving us Hylians such good hearing, I'd never have survived without it.
We managed to locate the Dark Mirror after a while, and upon breaking it, the battle wasn't so difficult for the others, but I spent the majority of it trying not to fall of the top of the tower.
And now that we had defeated the Wind Mage and the King of Evil, it was time to return the Four Sword.
Except, we couldn't really.
The last hero to wield the sword hadn't been injured like I have. We didn't know what would happen to Link as a whole, and we didn't want to risk him being blind, losing his status as a hero.
Even the princess agreed, so we didn't return the sword - we remained separate.
I guess it'll be difficult to adjust to a life of permanent darkness.
AN: 'WE'RE HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE PEOPLE LOVE US. *clears throat awkwardly* So, this was done in pretty much roleplay fashion but look my bits are probably the worse ones or are they or is it too flowing and wonderful so that you will never know.
ANYWAY, thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. Leave a review maybe?'