It turned out that getting away from the villagers was easier said than done.

"Agh!" Red jumped out of the way as an old woman threw a rock, barely missing him.

"Back off!" Blue swung his sword, parrying a blow from the club carried by the bearded man from before. He took a half-turn, readying his blade, and...

"No! Blue! We can't hurt these people! We're knights, right?" Red dodged another rock. "Or something close to it!"

"What is wrong with you!?" Blue's face flushed, but he stopped his slice at the last minute. He swerved, avoiding the bearded man's next blow. He almost fell, but he managed to join Red in turning around and running.

The boys put all of their power into their feet, but the mob was close behind. They kept up the pace, weaving in between the ruined houses and the shattered cobblestone roads.

"How...what's going on?" Blue managed to find the energy to huff out his lament. "They're chasing us for something we didn't do! What're we gonna do!?"

"Don't worry!" Red forced a smile, ransacking his memories of education. "There's always a way! Just look at our family history! Zange the Swift took out an entire encampment of bandits out on his own!"

"Whatever!"

"Lilto the Brave was swallowed whole by a kraken, and just cut his way out!"

"That's not an option here!"

"The Nameless Swordsman, may he rest in peace, made it as far as Gerudo Desert and..."

Red nearly tripped over something. He caught himself just in time and looked down. The item was a long rod, with a large orange ball at one end. Red picked it up. What could it be?

"Ah!" Blue grabbed Red by the tunic, almost making him drop the item. "Don't stop, you idiot!"

It was too late. The mob approached, screaming, spitting, and shouting.

"Get them!"

"Let's go!"

"Now!"

Then, at all at once, almost everyone in the mob halted. The few who did not stumbled when they saw what Red was holding.

Uncertainly, Red extended his arm with the rod. "Um...does this belong to someone?"

"Run!"

"We have to go!"

"He's gonna burn us!"

"I still have no idea what happened."

Blue and Red trudged between the stones of the village graveyard. It was a half-mile away from the crisped lot of houses, enclosed by a low wooden gate. It would be a safe haven, for a time.

"Me neither." Red walked behind Blue, his sword in its scabbard and the rod stuck in his belt.

"I didn't ask you to echo me." Blue hissed. The two of them kept walking towards the far end of the graveyard. There, they found a large mausoleum, surrounded by taller and more elaborately carved stones. The stone door of the mausoleum was swung open.

"I think I know what that is!" Red grinned and printed, remembering yet more from his old lessons. "King Gustaf, I think, liked to go to small towns during summer and wanted to be buried in one. He must've gotten a much better welcome than we..."

Blue twirled on his heel and turned to Red, wagging a finger. "I don't need your trivia. I don't need your jabber. I..."

"Look!" Red pointed. "Behind you!"

"What?" Blue turned back around. A half-second later and he had his sword out.

A Deku Scrub had materialized behind them, having likely hidden behind one of the gravestones. It sized up the two boys through its yellow eyes, tittered, and ran straight towards the open door of the mausoleum.

"Hey!" Blue started the pursuit, with Red following close behind.

"Come at me!"

"Almost!"

Vio pulled back, just barely managing to parry another blow. He took a few steps back, and Shadow chuckled. They were dueling alone in a well-lit chamber of the Palace of Winds. A dozen Deku Scrubs stood at a distance, cheering Shadow on.

"Come on. I can't imagine this match being too hard for you. I'm not even teleporting."

"No need for small talk!" Vio readied himself before leaping forward with his blade. Shadow sidestepped, sending the pommel of his own weapon straight into Vio's stomach. To his surprise, the purple-clad swordsman did not fall to his knees, but forced himself to stand even as he sucked in his breath.

"That's enough for now." He waved at the Deku Scrubs. "Shove off." One by one, the Deku Scrubs moved over to the open doorway. Vio watched them file out.

"There is more I would like to know about them."

"Their story's a simple one, really." Shadow tossed his sword aside. "They came from the Dark World, and they know some magic. It wasn't enough to save the forests they lived in, though. Droughts, tornadoes, you name it."

"So they found a way to open portals to this world?"

"They didn't have many options." Shadow snapped his fingers. "But even Hyrule's not ideal for them. There could be more trees, more groves. They tell me that every day."

"They sound demanding."

"They're not so bad." Shadow shrugged. "They really did me a solid before, I'll admit."

Vio's face twitched. "What kind of 'solid?'"

"A tale for another time." There was an edge to Shadow's voice now. "But at any rate, they signed on to Vaati's campaign. They hope to run Hyrule, or a piece of it, the way they like."

"They agreed to help Vaati?"

"Past tense. Past tense." Shadow stepped closer to Vaati. "What's said in this room stays in this room, understand? They know what's been ailing Vaati. They know about Ganon, about how he's slowly taking over. And they aren't convinced Princess Zelda will help out with his condition anytime soon. But they know me, and they know I can probably pave their road to the Lord of Darkness when he's fully revived."

Vio nodded. "And what will Ganon do?"

"Whatever he wants. But the Deku Scrubs are a headstrong sort. They think there's always a way if there's a will."

There was a long pause before Vio spoke up again.

"About Princess Zelda...where are you...I mean, where are we keeping her?"

"For the sake of..." Blue hissed, swinging his sword uselessly through the air. The catacombs were long, dark, and dank, lilluminated only by the small lanterns that were mounted to the stone walls. And there was no sign of the Deku Scrub.

"We lost him!"

"He couldn't have made it far, though." Red leaned over, hands on his knees. "All we have to do is take a breather and..."

"When did I ask you for advice?" Blue snarled. "You're useless!"

All at once, Red stood up straight. Gone was the optimism that usually occupied his face. His eyes were narrowed, staring straight at Blue's. It suddenly seemed impossible that he had been running...he seemed so cool and collected now.

"If I'm useless, what's that make you!?" Red snarled back. Blue had no answer. He was definitely not used to seeing this aura from Red. "Huh? Tell me! I'm all ears! You were the one rushing! I'll ask again! If I'm useless, what're you?"

Blue's mouth hung open, but he did not say a word.

"I don't know why you act like this all the time." Red put his hands on his hips. "I don't know why you act like you do with me, and Green, and Vio! I don't understand you, and don't think I haven't tried!"

Blue remained speechless.

"All I wanted was to be your friend." Red quivered. "And you treat me like trash at every turn. You...you think I don't notice? You think I don't see?" He paused to catch his breath. "You can make even someone like me mad! Seriously...why do you have to be you?"

Blue felt himself shrinking back. "I don't think now's a good time to..."

"No!" Red shook his head. "I want to know why!"

"I..." Blue hesitated. "I don't know how you guys do it. We're Link...we were Link, the prodigy swordman. I was Link. Now I'm not anymore, and there are three guys almost exactly like me. I...I'm not exceptional, I guess. I'm not...unique. And I don't know how you guys don't let that drag you down. I know it does a number on me."

At once, Red's rage seemed to leave him. "Oh, Blue...you could have told me before. You could have told me anytime you..."

There was a sudden gust of wind. Wind, here? In the tomb. It was unfathomable to Blue and Red, but there was a strong current of air that swept through. The flame of every lantern flickered, and then went out. The entire space was cast into darkness.

"Well, well..."

There was a third voice, raspy and low.

"Well, well, well, well. It looks like we have intruders..."

Kind of a filler chapter, but I was hoping to expand on the argument between Blue and Red regardless.