Author's Note: This chapter uses "Ballad of the Windfish" with lyrics written by me.

An endless black filled the sky, hanging dark clouds above an even darker ocean. Waves rocked a wooden vessel with a soft hush as it floated along its surface. Aboard the ship, three shadows sat around a small lantern. One of the shadows, a young woman, stretched across the floor.

"That explains the earthquake," Marin muttered, leaning back. "I didn't think Hyrule got tornadoes, though. Or if it did, they were rarer than the Windfish."

"But it did," said Green while shifting his weight. "And now we're trying to get back home."

Marin sat up. "Speaking of your father, you said you and Red aren't twins? I think Erune told me at some point and I completely misheard it, sorry about that." She pointed from one boy to the other. "But if you aren't twins, how do you look so alike? I swear, even your names are like something you'd name twins. Or triplets."

Red nervously scratched his cheek. "About that…"

"Then again, Malon and I have different eye colors. Mom said it was to keep us from getting in trouble, but if twins can look different, maybe two people who aren't related can look like twins."

Green looked away. "Y-yeah, it's kinda like that."

Marin hoisted herself up from the floor. "Anyways, I'll keep an eye on the ship. You can use Anju and Linebeck's stuff if you need to and stay close to the lantern. Let me know if you need anything!"

The young woman turned on her heel, grabbing the ropes around the mast. From the floor, Green looked at the pile of blankets and borrowed clothes. It lay undisturbed a foot away from Red, slightly unfolding from being tossed onboard. Green crawled toward the pile, grabbed the top piece, and returned to his spot. Curiously, he raised the sleeve of the coat he pulled: Linebeck's coat of royal blues and golden threads. It pulled against Green's grip toward the floor, weighted like a blanket for cold weather.

"Hey, Green?"

The boy looked over. Red sat next to him with the coat's other sleeve in his hands. He fidgeted with the fabric as he looked at his other self. "Aren't you going to tell Marin?" he whispered. "What we are, I mean."

Green lowered his gaze. "I don't think she'd believe me. I mean, telling someone you were split into four elemental beings…she'd think I was crazy."

"But she saw Cole using magic at Mabe Village. That…" Red wiggled his fingers in the air. "Sparkly, zappy thing. If she saw that, she'd understand our story."

"Maybe, but she hasn't said a word about it."

"You could ask her. And you could tell her everything about us, Blue, and Vio." The crimson boy perked up. "Oh! I could tell her for you, if you want."

Green's grip on the coat tightened. "Red," he muttered. "I don't know…"

"What's wrong?"

Memories of the wagon ride flashed in Green's mind. "Malon and Erune saw Blue and I transform," he continued, pausing to still the ache in his chest. "Their faces…I don't want to scare anyone like that."

Red frowned. "I—I'm sorry," he replied. "But they still helped us. They could've left us at the broken bridge, but they stayed with us this whole time."

Green's eyes lit up. Images of Malon and Erune, alongside Red's words, played in his head. The sisters' fearful stares melted into eyes filled with kindness and determination, staying strong from afternoon to nighttime.

With those memories in his mind, Green nodded. "Right. But I want to ask her about Cole first. By the way…" He held Linebeck's coat toward Red. "You can use this."

"Are you sure?" Red asked, surprised. "It's pretty cold out here."

"I don't mind. The cold never bothered me anywa—" Green's head jerked forward. "Ah-CHOO!"

"Bless you! And that's definitely a sign you need this jacket, too." Red took the garment in his hands, raising it high above his head. "Hmm, I think we can share it. It looks long enough to cover two people." He flipped the coat sideways. "…kind of."

"You can toss it if it smells."

The boys jumped. They spun around and spotted Marin, still standing by the mast. "Ack, sorry!" she exclaimed. "Didn't mean to scare you. It's just that Linebeck was never good with laundry."

Green's body tensed. "…were you listening this whole time?" he asked.

"A little bit? I couldn't hear much aside from you sneezing." The sailor stepped forward. "Though I did hear something before that: you wanted to talk about Cole?"

"Y-yeah. Did you see him use magic?" Green waved his hands. "That electric thing?"

"That was real?!" Marin shouted. "I just thought being in that jail cell messed with my head!" She raised a hand to her chin, her shocked face shifting into a thoughtful one. "Though that would explain those horns: I always wondered why he wore two hats…" Her eyes widened. "Wait, does that mean the Windfish is real, too?"

Green blinked. "Windfish?"

"Oh! Sorry about that." The young woman cleared her throat. "The Windfish is a legend among Mabe Villagers. Born from an egg atop the tallest mountain, he flies through the sky as Koholint's guardian. Some say he flies down and eats children who don't eat their vegetables, but that's just to scare the kids." She turned her gaze to the sea. "I used to think the Windfish was real, but if magic exists…"

"Then anything is possible," Green added. He looked out to the waters, stories from his childhood flooding his mind. How his father would read them at bedtime or casually tell a story during a walk through town, especially the legend of the five goddesses. It never occurred to him that it could all be true, let alone rewritten as the king said. If that story was true, what else in the world was real?

The boy took a deep breath, nervously gripping his tunic. "Hey, Marin?" he asked. "There's something I need to—"

"Wait," the redhead mumbled, furrowing her brow. "…vegetables?" She whipped her gaze from the ocean to the boys. "Have you two eaten anything?"

Both swordsmen paused. They looked at each other, shocked and confused.

"…we had breakfast?" Green said.

"Please tell me you ate more than that."

The boy feebly shook his head.

The sailor buried her face in her hands, letting out a deep and frustrated groan. "Ugh, I knew I was forgetting something…" Her hands fell to her sides as she looked down. "Okay. Winds are still good, we should arrive around midnight or dawn. It's a huge window, but how do we deal without food 'til then? It's been a long day, people get sleepy after a long day…" She lifted her head. "Green and Red, have either of you taken a break at all today? It sounds like you've been running around nonstop."

Red sheepishly spoke. "We…took a nap on the beach for a few minutes."

"A few minutes?!"

Green raised his hand. "In our defense, we had to build this ship before sunset."

Marin blanked. She looked at the floor, then back at the boys. "I thought you were fixing Cole's ship, not making one. How did—? No. C'mon, Marin, focus." Her hands flew to the sides of her head as she closed her eyes, deep in thought.

"Um…Marin?" Red asked.

"Okay." The young woman clapped her hands. "Here's what we're going to do. I'm going to take care of the sail in case the winds change. Green and Red, you're going to bed…sleep…there're no beds here. Anyway, you need to rest. If you're not tired now, you're definitely going to feel tired soon. Trust me: it isn't fun."

"Wait!" Red leaned forward. "What about you?"

"I'll be okay," Marin replied with a smile. "When you're in a fishing crew, you learn how to stay up for long periods of time. After all, you can't catch any fish if you're sleeping." She brushed a lock of hair behind her shoulder. "Thank you for looking out for me, Red, but please focus on resting."

Green and Red faced each other, hesitance in their eyes. After a brief silence, Green looked at the woman. "Thank you, Marin," he said. "Please wake me up if you need anything."

"Or me!" Red chimed. "I can help, too!"

Marin nodded from her post. "I will. Have a good night, you two."

In the corner of Green's eye, Red worked his way through the pile of blankets. He grabbed two, thin linen rectangles and passed one to Green. The other, he took in both hands, messily mushing the fabric into a makeshift pillow. He set it on the floor and upon laying down, reached for Linebeck's coat. The top half covered Red's torso with a loud flap, barely covering his knees.

"The thin blanket isn't too bad as a pillow," Red explained. "Oh, and let me know if you want to switch sides: I'm not sure which half of the jacket is warmer." With a small shimmy, he settled in his spot. "Goodnight, Green."

"Goodnight, Red," the other boy whispered. Following Red's lead, Green folded his linen blanket into a pillow. He set it down and covered himself with the lower half of the coat. With one last look at the sea, he lay down on the deck—and grimaced. The hard surface pushed relentlessly against his back. Rolling onto his side only lowered his head, making his neck ache. He flopped onto his back once again, exasperated, and looked at Red. Instead of seeing a reflection of his discomfort, Green heard soft snoring. He frowned: how could Red sleep like this?

Up above
Up above
O look, my love

Green paused. He lifted himself slightly to see over his shoulder. The lantern's dim glow lit up Marin's face, her lips moving as she sang to the dark ocean.

In the sky
In the sky
See Him fly

Malon's words rang in Green's ears. "I'm a much better singer," she had said. He chuckled as he lay down: they both sounded phenomenal. Each sister had a different "tone" to their voices (Green quickly wished he studied music), but it was impossible to say who was better. He closed his eyes and listened, relaxing against the wooden floor.

Green's eyes snapped open. What about telling Marin the truth?

On wings of a dream
He soars forever in a heavenly stream
Through a moonbeam
Oh please
Dream of me

Marin paused for breath before singing once again, repeating the lyrics. Each musical note flowed around Green, lulling him into the night. The winds were still in their favor and the poor boy was exhausted: he could tell Marin when they arrived.

He listened to her song until at long last, he drifted into sleep.

Sunlight poured onto the waters, illuminating the shore up ahead. Two young boys stood on the sands as a wooden ship approached them. From the ship, Green peered over the side and waved.

"Blue! Vio!" Green shouted. "We're here!"

Blue and Vio stood in silence. They only watch Green leap from the ship to the ground, quickly rushing toward them. Vio averted his gaze with an annoyed huff while Blue crossed his arms, irritation clearly painted on his face.

Green stopped in front of the two, panting heavily. "Hey," he said between breaths. "Sorry it took so long: me and Red ran into some trouble at Mabe Village."

"What is that?" Blue asked.

Green wiped his brow. "What's what?"

"It's over," Vio hissed.

The boy in verdant clothes raised an eyebrow. "It's ove—what's going on?" He asked.

Blue and Vio only stared back.

"Guys," Green muttered, gripping his tunic nervously. "You're scaring me."

Crack.

Green looked down. A deep chasm split through the sands, a deep rumble rippling through the earth. Cracks sprinted and splintered around him and all too quickly, the ground began to come apart. Dark liquids creep up and around the boy's legs like vines, trapping him where he stood.

Blue, unfazed by the situation, opened his mouth.

"Blue! Vio!" Green cried. "Get out of here! It's dangerous!"

"No," Blue replied in a high voice. "Not now."

The ground below Green teetered away from his other selves. Now on a lone and weak pillar of sand, flames burst from the abyss below. Heat sears through Green's skin as his platform sways left and right, but all he can do is stare at Blue: the voice that came out of Blue's mouth was not his.

It was Red's voice.

Green stared in shock and confusion as the fire swallowed the two still swordsmen. Ashes flew past him into a black, foreboding sky. He reached for his sword, only to find none there. Under the creeping liquid, Green feels his feet stretching away from him. At an unnatural but familiar length.

The pillar below him cracks—and thunder fills his ears.

Green shot up. The sunny beach is nowhere to be seen, replaced by the wooden deck of a freshly-made ship. Before he can stand, the floor lurched, tossing him across the vessel. In the tumble, Green sees dark clouds and flashes of lightning swirling over the sail. Marin stands below the sail with her arms hugging the mast and a horrified look on her face, fixated on something beyond the bow. The boy hurriedly grabbed a nearby gunwale and followed the woman's gaze.

Giant black tentacles lashed and thrashed around a sandy beach.

A winged, humanoid silhouette swooped from above while a finned, humanoid silhouette splashed from below.

"Green!" Marin's voice shrieked. "What's happening to you?!"

Green froze. He looked at his hands: flesh had become wood. Below him, his toes stretched into long, brown roots. Flower petals dangled above his view as he placed his hands on his head, feeling the twig-like horns growing there. He looked at Marin in a panic. "I can explain—!"

"STOP!"

Green and Marin looked across the deck. Powerful waves of heat burst through the air as Red backed away, his entire body now set ablaze—and engulfing the ship.

"Please!" Red cried at his fiery arms. "Stop! Not now!"

The flames kept on. With each passing second, wooden planks melted into ashes on the ocean.

Red stood in a frozen panic.

Marin looked from one strange creature to the next on the now-sinking ship.

Green winced as flames bit his toes and sea salt stung his fingers.

With a low groan, the ship cracked and splintered in half.

Author's Note: I got so thrown off around the end of this chapter, I nearly wrote it in present tense instead of the past[ish?] tense. Apologies for the mixup there, but thank you so much for reading! ^_^