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The individual characterisations of Four (Red, Gree, Vio, and Blue) are based upon the way author and artist duo under the pen name Akira Himekawa chose to portray Link in the Four Sword manga.

If you haven't read Himekawa's work I urge you to do so. It is a fascinating take on the Four Sword adventure.


Everything is dark.

"…"
First thing Four sees is gold.

"Open your eyes…"
The gold is bright.

"Mother of Moldorm! Close the blind! Some of us are still trying to sleep!"
A great surge of blue attempts to block out the gold.

"Wait… what?"
Wisps of green twist around the other two lights.

"Hello? Is- is someone there?"
And now a burst of flickering red.

"... It's too early for this."
Purple reluctantly begins to glow.

"Oh for the love of- LINK! Would you just WAKE UP already!"
The gold flashes, blotting out the four other colours

And Four awakes with a start!
In a bathtub…
Wearing only a pair of shorts.
Four does not remember taking off their clothes.
Or getting in a tub
Or anything really.


Now sounds like a good time to start freaking out.
What is hap- just calm down- easy for you to say- wait why are there so many voices in my- if you just let me explai- how did I get- would everyone just shut u- no you shut up- get out get out get out of my hea- EVERYONE JUST QUIET DOWN!

Okay, so Four might have a problem.
They've got no memories.
They've got no clothes.
They are in some kind of ritual-like shrine with creepy blue lights and a basin of water for an altar.
But by far the most concerning thing about all this are the five voices in their head.

The voices just refuse to quiet down or come to a decision.
By the Light Force! They've been awake for less then five minutes and already they have a headache.

Eventually Four comes to a unanimous decision.
Get out of the tub.
Solid plan, really.
Except for the part where Four has the coordination of a baby.
Great.

After a lot of falling, flailing, tripping, a mental breakdown over failing to put on a shirt, and face planting into several walls-
Four finally makes it outside.
Wow! This place is beautiful!

Gold: "Link-"
Green:"Oh good, Gold is talking again."
Purple:"They seem to have helpful advice."
Red voice:"I like her."
Purple:"... How do you know she's a she?"
Red: "Don't know. Just a feeling I guess. Gold? Are you a girl? Sorry if it's a bit personal. You don't have to answer if you don't want to."
Gold:"Yes I am a women, but that's not what is important-"
Green:"Wow. Good job Red. Guess you've got pretty good intuition."
Red:"Thanks!"
Gold:"Would you all just be quiet for one blessed moment! I'm trying to tell you something important!"
Blue:"Then stop being all mysterious and get to the point lady!"
Gold:"I'm TRYING!"

Blablabla. Exposition.
Hyrule needs help.
Four is apparently that help.

Gold: "Now go…."
Four: looks out across the wide expanse of wilderness, "Go where?"

The better question is how.
Four can't walk.

Old Man watches Four tumble down the hillside for the sixth time.
Four just want to eat the roasted apple.
But everytime they try to lean down and pick it up,
They tumble back down the hill again.
Balance and coordination still alludes them.

By the eight failed attempt the Old Man has become very concerned.
Old Man: "... are you alright child? Do you need help?"
Four: "Would you- by the Light Force- finally- YES!"

Old Man has to teach Four how to function like a normal human being.
It's so embarrassing.
And made worse by Four's inability to talk like a normal human being.
All their sentences turn into jumbled messes of unfinished thoughts crammed together in no particular order.

Four gets to live with the Old Man in his cabin for a couple of weeks.
It's okay. The Old Man is very patient and kind.
They don't see any other humans or hylians around, though.

Gold isn't talking anymore.
Red's worried for her.
Vio (didn't like being called Purple, so Vio it is) says she'll show up when she wants to.

Old Man introduces Four to their first shrine.
Four does not like how similar of an aesthetic it has to that crypt they woke up in.
They do, however, like their new Magnesis power!
Or at least Red and Vio do.

Vio theories that he has a natural affinity for earth.
Red's just good at playing around with magic.
(Gold: "Ahem!")
(Oh… I mean technology.)
(Because the Sheikah slate is totally 100% technology.)
(No magic involved whatsoever.)

After being very helpful for so long,
The Old Man is suddenly not helpful.
He kind of tries to murder Four by pushing them off a tower.

Red argues the ghost man was just giving them a helpful push.
Vio brings up the fact he handed them a paraglider right before tossing them off.
But Blue and Green are convinced the Old Man tried to off them.

The world is huge!
And full of monsters.
For a hot second Four doesn't know how to defend themselves.
Or even have anything to defend themself with!

Blue takes over control of their body and bluggions the bokoblins with their own weapons.
Good to know.
Blue can dish out brute force trauma like a pro.

Then the club breaks.
That's okay, Four just found a sword!
Green discovers he's an excellent swordsman.

Four tries to cook a meal for themselves.
The cooking pot burns to ash.
The personalities all agree never to let Green cook again.

Next meal time, Vio ends up on that list too.
Cooking time is not experimentation time.
Blue is convinced Vio actually tried to poison him.
He might be right.

Four's blade breaks on them.
Uh… what?!
All the personalities of Four are shocked.
But they reason the weapon was pretty rusted to begin with.
So it's not too unreasonable for it to break.

By the third weapon shattering, Four is straight up horrified.
The last two had been in mint condition.
They shouldn't have broken.

Apparently the blacksmiths in Hyrule are all garbage.
Because every weapon Four finds breaks on him.
It's maddening.

Ten broken weapons in and Four has had enough.
That does it!
They are going to find a smithy and make their own damn weapons!

Four: "Where's the closest smithy?!"
First Living Person Four has Met: "Uuhhh…"
Four: "Quickly now! It's a matter of life or death!"

The random person points Four toward the closest village.
Which is not close at all.
Because this Hyrule is just too damn big.

Four encounters their first lynel,
As well as their first blood moon.
At the same time.
Oh… and they run out of weapons during the fight.

Four does their best to forget about their first blood moon.
Just… it never happened.
Never.

While raiding a bokoblin camp, Four acquires a bow and quiver of arrows.
The personalities of Four discover Vio is an excellent marksman.
He kills two birds with one stone.
Literally.
Vio: "Looks like meat's back on the menu, boys!"
(If Shadow were here, he would have flicked Vio in the ear for that.)
(Shadow: "Stop quoting your stupid fantasy novels, you big nerd.")

Four stumbles across a horse stable.
They look up at the really giant horses.
Nope.

Four tries to learn to ride a horse anyway.
Because Hyrule is huge,
And if Four has to walk everywhere
They're feet will fall off.

Four never manages to tame a horse.
Getting on the horse was a pure miracle
Staying on was impossible.
Guess it's back to walking.
Curse their small stature!

Guardians are difficult as all Darkland to defeat.
Vio is fascinated by them.
Blue: "You can study the homicidal spider-legged pots after we've killed it, you idiot!"

Four finally makes it to Kakariko Village.
They grab the closest villager, "Where's the smithy?!"

Four learns they are a fantastic smith.
They also swear never to use any weapon not of their own making.

Anytime Four finds a new weapon,
They store it so they can study it and make a better replica that will not shatter on them.
It takes time out of their quest to make all these weapons themselves.
But all four parts of Four insist it is worth it.

Then the smith of Kakariko kicks him out.
Damn Darkland.
Now what are they going to do?

Four meets Purah.
They find out she's the one who put them in that creepy tub.
Green: "She couldn't have left a note explaining everything?!"
Vio:"Of course not. She didn't know we'd wake up with amnesia."
Blue:"No! I refuse to forgive her! Her negligence left us to wander around like bumblind clueless idiots for weeks! FOR WEEKS!"

Four is sent on a landscaping hunt to try and recover their memories.
It doesn't work.
Gold: "I don't understand… that should have worked. Why can't you remember?"
Green: "I'm sure it will work next time. Don't give up hope on us."

Four comes to a terrible realisation.
They're small.
Not just small.
But small for their age.
Four discovers this when he meets a child at one of the horse stables.
They are definitely older than the kid.
Yet the little girl is just as tall as them.

Therefore, Four is unusually small.
Which isn't fair,
Because this world is unusually large.

Bokoblins, lizalfos, moblins, guardians, stone talus, lynels, and hinoxes are all larger than Four.
Even most chuchu's are bigger than Four.

And then Four meets Prince Sidon.
Prince Sidon: "You are quite the courageous hylian, little minnow."
Four can't even be insulted.
Because compared to Sidon
Four is a minnow.

Sidon's dad,
Who is also unfairly ginormous,
Is very sad when Four tells him they've lost their memory.

King Dorephan: "But you and Mipha were so close."
Red: "Guys! I think we had a girlfriend!"
Blue:"He just said we were close, not mushy gushy with each other!"
Red:"I heard it in his voice. We were definitely a thing."
Green:"Well her statue is pretty, and if she's anything like her brother I can kind of see why we were a thing."
Vio:"... Not my type."

King Dorephan gives them Zora Armor.
He says it was made by Mipha herself for her future husband.
The armor is made to fit a human.
Red claims the armour as evidence toward his theory.
Blue reminds Red that their supposed girlfriend is dead.
Red is very sad now.
(; ⌒ ;)

The Zora suit is way too big for them.
Green: "Either we shrunk during our hundred year sleep, or Mipha was cheating on us."
Red:"No! I can't believe that! She- she wouldn't."
Blue:"You don't even know her! Or even if we were a couple!"
Vio:"Need I remind you the engineering mind behind our Resurrection Chamber is the same person who accidentally shrunk herself."

Four frees the giant steampunk elephant of Ganon malice,
And meets Mipha.
She's so sweet and pretty and… and forlorn.
Red cries.

Mipha: "When I first felt your presence I thought- I had hoped… but I see now that you are not my Link."
At first Four is confused by her statement.
What other Link could they be?
But the more they think about it… the more it makes sense.
Ever since waking up here, they have felt something off.
As if they do not belong in this world.

Four is starting to warm up to shrines.
Especially when the shrines can be used to download new runes.
Each of Four's different personalities have a favourite rune.
Surprising no one, Blue likes Remote Bombs.
Vio likes Stasis.
Green enjoys building their way out of tough spots with Cryonis.
Red couldn't pick a favourite.
He likes all of the slates magic abilities.
(Gold: "Hey!")
(I know! I know!)
(Its not magic.)
(Even though it totally is.)
(Gold: glares at author.)

Secretly Red likes the slates ability to save images of moments in time.
He has become quite the scrapbooker.
But Red won't say his favourite out loud.
He doesn't want the other runes to get jealous.

Red likes talking to travelers along their journey.
The one time Blue tries to socialise doesn't end well.

Red: "I can't believe you told her that her crush looked stupid! Now I'll never make friends with her!"
Blue: "How was I supposed to know she'd turn into a ninja and try to kill us?!"
Green: "Blue, you're missing the point! We're nice to people not because they might blow up like you and attack us. We're nice because it's the right thing to do."
Vio: "... I think you are all missing the point."

By the fifth time a traveler turns into a red ninja and attacks them,
Four gets the point.
Red is still convinced it's all Blue's fault.
Green: "Seriously, Red. They are a clan of evil ninja's who hate the hero and want to stop our quest of killing Calamity. We were never going to make friends with them."
Red: "Bet they wouldn't hate us if Blue wasn't so mean to them all the time."
Blue: "Of course I'm gonna insult them! They're bad guys!"

Four meets a really big wolf.
He's met wolves before,
But this one is different.
Mainly because instead of attacking Four
It attacks the lynel that is attacking Four,
And then it licks his wounds while wagging its tail.

Red: "Can we keep him!"
Green: "He's a wild animal, Red. We can't-"
Blue: "He's a freaking wolf! We're keeping him!"
Green: "No wait! Guys, let's be reasonable about-"
Vio: "The markings on this wolf are strange. And his eyes are surprisingly intelligent looking. He's definitely tracking our conversation. I wonder if perhaps we could find a way to communicate with him."
Green: "No, Vio! Not you too!"
Red: "Is it okay if I call you Wolfie?"
Wolfie nods his head.
Blue: "Face it, Green. We named 'im, so now we get ta keep 'im."

Wolfie lets them ride on his back.
All the parts of Four agree that Wolfie is better than a horse.

Four finds another spot landscape that matches the pictures on his slate.

Nope still no memories.
Woflie looks up at him with concern.
Red: scratches Wolfie's scruff, "It's okay Wolfie."
Green: "We figured it was a long shot anyway."

Wolfie cocks his head to the side in confusion.
Vio: "I guess you deserve an explanation. You see we were told that seeing familiar things places from our past might help us recover the memories we forgot."
Blue: "Unsurprisingly, none of it has worked."
Red: "All of us feel like we don't belong here. Like maybe… maybe..."
Vio: "We're the wrong Link."
Wolfie does not look surprised.
Vio files that reaction away for later contemplation.

The Divine Beast Vah Medoh is also unfairly huge.
And way up in the sky.
How the heck is Four supposed to get up there?
Green: "Wolfie… you thinking you could teleport us up there?"
Wolfie whines and shakes his head.
Blue: "Figures."

Four meets spirit Revali.
He's super condescending.
It makes cleansing the giant bird machine of malice really hard.
Because Revali won't stop insulting them.

They defeat Windblight Ganon.
Revali appears.
If spirits could choke, the condescending bird would be choking through his poor attempt at a thanks.
Revali: "I suppose I should thank you no- hck!"
What do you know, spirits can choke.
Revali: "You're not Link! You're just a mouse sized hylian!"
Blue: "That's it! I'm kicking the pin feathers out of your butt, you bird brained bimbo!"

After some scrambling of the other personalities of Four to smooth the birds ruffled feathers,
Revali agrees to give them his Revali's Gale.
But only because he pities the tiny hero.
Revali: "You'll need all the help you can get, little mouse."

All parts of Four agree,
Revali's a jerk.

Four buys a house.
Then turns it into a forge.
It's worth it.
Four finally gets to make as many finely crafted, unbreakable weapons as they like.

Four and Pura team up to recreate indestructible weapons out of Guardian parts.
They are a terrifying duo.

Four does better this next blood moon.
Mainly because they aren't relying on breakable weapons anymore.
And they have Wolfie.
Wolfie is vicious and protective.
All of Four thanks picori for Wolfie.
Wait… what's picori?

Four tries to go talk to the Gerudo chief to help with their Divine Beast problem.
Guards: "Sorry little voe, we cannot permit you entry into our sacred city."
Green: "Why no?"
Guards: "Voe are not allowed."
Vio: "By voe you mean… males?"
Guards: "Yes."
Blue: "That's just sexist!"

Vio and Red come up with a brilliant scheme.
Green and Blue are less than pleased.
They go along with it anyway.
Green: "I understand the outfit, but was the makeup really necessary?"
Red: "Absolutely!"

No one suspects the little blond vai child to be a voe.
Not even the chief, lady Riju.
It helps that Red and Vio are such talented actors.
Green is impressed.
Blue is also impressed, but won't admit it.

Four sneak into the Yiga clan base.
It's disturbingly easy.
And lots of fun.
Though Blue prefers the part where they get to beat the tar out of Master Kohga.

They give Riju back her Gerudo heirloom the Yiga had stolen.
Riju thanks them.
Blue blushes through a bashful, "It was no- uh- no problem."
Red: "Blue!"
Blue:"No."
Red:"Blue! You like her!"
Blue:"No I don't!"
Vio:"Denying it is pointless. We are literally in each other's heads."
Green:"It's okay, Blue. You know we support you."
Blue:"By the picori sacred blade! Would you all just drop it!"


Red: "I like her too!"
Blue: "AAAAAAAGH!"

Riju puts on the strange looking helmet.
Riju: "How do I look?"
Blue: "Beautiful- I mean! Uhhhhhhhhh…."
Red: "Oh my picori! She's so cute! Guys! Can we please date her! Please, please, please! Both me and Blue like her!"
Blue can't contribute anything to their inner conversation. He's still stuck on uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Green: "I don't know if pursuing a relationship with anyone right now is a good idea. We're kind of in the middle of saving Hyrule, remember?"
Vio: "Beside, we already agree this isn't our world. Don't set yourself up for heartbreak."

(Even if Vio doesn't remember.)
(He's speaking from experience.)

Four goes to cleans Vah Naboris.
They get to meet Riju's mom.
The personalities all agree, Urbosa's is awesome.

Four gets lost in some woods.
They try to get out.
But things just get foggier and foggier.
And the trees start having faces.
Seriously! Red isn't just being artsy.
Some of the trees really do look like they have faces.

They should have known going into these woods was a bad idea.
When Wolfie had refused to follow them in.
But Green and Vio had just been so curious.
Damn! And their map is not working!

And then they find it.
An ancient blade secured deeply into an overgrown pedestal of stone.
Eeh.
Four walks past it.

Gold: "Link! Stop!"
Red:"Yay! Godlie is talking to us again!"
Gold:"Turn around Link. Don't you recognise this sword?"
Blue:"No."
Gold:"It is your sword, Link. The Master Blade."
Blue:"Yeah, no. That's not ours. We did not make that chipped thing."
Gold:"Take the sword, Link. Pull it from the stone."
Vio:"Why? It would be of no use to us. Judging by its size, I doubt we would be able to properly wield it."
Gold:"JUST PULL IT LINK!"
Red:"But it's rusty! I bet it'll break the minute we use it. I don't want another sword breaking in our hands! It just feels so wrong!"
Gold:"For Hylia's sake, Link. TAKE THE SWORD!"
Green:"Alright, alright. We'll take it."

They do take it.
Or at least, they put their hand around the hilt.
Their vision flashes white.

(No wait! Not yet!)
(Fi: "This has gone on long enough.")
(But I'm not done! There's still so much-)
(Fi: "You are done.")

Four wakes up in their room.
In their house.
Not their house in Hateno Village.
The one right at the outskirts of Castle Town.
An undestroyed, bustling with life, happy Castle Town.

What?
A little voice squeaks beside Four's ear.
They turn to look.
Minish.
A minish friend is trying to speak to him.
In fact, several of the minish that live in his home are all clustered around, looking very worried.
They say Four has been sleeping for a long time.

And suddenly, Four remembers everything.
Four: "By the light force! The dumb bird was right! I am a mouse!"