Chapter 4
On the way to the ranch, Green asked everyone to refrain from disclosing their secret to Malon. It wasn't that he didn't trust Time's wife—quite the opposite, actually. It was just that he felt like he owed Blue an apology and this was the best way he could think to do it.
After all, Green had promised Blue they wouldn't make any more big decisions without everyone's approval, and considering Blue's current attitude towards revealing their secret to the other heroes, it was safe to assume he would not be okay with Malon being in the know.
None of the Links objected, for which Green was grateful. It made their stay at the ranch much more relaxing than it would have been otherwise. Green was in control most of the time, and when he wasn't it was either Vio or Red, who practically vibrated with the effort to pretend to be Green so as not to blow their cover. If Malon noticed anything strange about them, however, she didn't mention it. Hopefully, next time they visited Blue would be more open to talking.
For the time being, they made do with their acting skills and their journal, which was used strictly for silent communication among the four of them. Green wasn't sure if it was the cozy atmosphere or not, but not a single bad word was passed between them. Vio and Blue even apologized to each other. Of course, Vio had to be the initiator, but the fact that Blue even admitted that he maybe sorta possibly overreacted was a feat on all on its own.
The journal was so useful that as they entered the bustling market of Castle Town the next afternoon, Green had half a mind to look for another. At the rate they were going, the journal Warrior had gifted them would be filled by next week.
"Alright, boys," Time said, stopping by the fountain that dominated the market's center and turning on his heel to survey the rest of them. "It's time to divide and conquer. Split into the groups we discussed earlier and get what you need. We meet back here at sundown.
"Until then, have fun, don't do anything I wouldn't do, try not to get lost—" The one-eyed hero eyed 'Rule specifically as he said this, earning a few snickers from the group, Green included—"and I'll see the rest of you later."
With that, the Links split, Wild and Wind running after Time, while Hyrule and Warrior followed Twilight in a different direction. That left Four with Legend and Sky.
"Well. Lead on," Legend invited him with a dramatic sweeping gesture of his arm.
Each group was equipped with a Link that was familiar with, or at least semi-familiar with, Hyrule Castle Town. Green definitely fell into the semi-familiar with category but seeing as Vio could read Time's Hylian and no one else could, he was still in a better position to lead than anyone else in his group.
"We're not going to find anything on our list here. This is the marketplace. All I see being sold is food, and Time's group is taking care of that," Vio said.
"Right." Green nodded, setting off in the direction he determined would most likely lead them to brick and mortar shops based off of his current surroundings and his knowledge of Castle Town's layout in his own era.
"Wait!" Red exclaimed. "I think I saw a stall selling pastries over there. To the right! Look to the right!"
Green concentrated on looking anywhere but to the right. Red was a terror in marketplaces. Actually, they all were, and through no fault of their own. It was normal to go shopping and want things. Of course, when you were one of four people sharing a body, those desires were mixed and switching was inevitable.
"Pastries aren't on our list," Vio reminded the red Four Sword Hero.
"I know but I want one."
Blue scoffed. "You wouldn't even be able to taste it."
"Actually, he could if he switched with Green, which is likely because sweets typically bring Red out," Vio said.
"Greeeen. Please?" Red whined.
"What should we look for first?" Sky asked as they left the crowded marketplace and entered a slightly less-crowded side street.
"I say we get whatever's closest," Legend voted.
Doing his best to tune out Red's pleas for them to backtrack and grab a snack, Green added his own two rupees to the conversation. "We should leave the forge for last. Otherwise you guys will be stuck waiting with nothing to do."
"We need a new whetstone," Blue piped up.
Green hummed softly in acknowledgement.
"Fair enough," Legend assented. "I still don't know why you bother repairing Wild's stuff, though. He's just going to break them anyway."
"Not if I make them more durable."
Legend scoffed at that. "I doubt you can make anything durable enough to stop Wild from breaking it."
"Is that a challenge?" Blue wondered.
"Legend, that's not nice," Sky admonished the pink-haired hero.
"It's true. Must I remind you of the Master Sword incident?"
Sky grimaced. "Please don't."
"Green, slow down," Vio ordered. "I can't read that fast."
Green slowed his pace and focused on a single sign, hoping Vio would be able to read it.
"Just look in the windows. It will be quicker," Blue said.
"Not all of the buildings have window displays," Red observed. "I think we should just ask someone!"
"Absolutely not!" Blue objected.
Vio shushed them. "I can read the signs. Keep going, Green."
"Is that a shop we need to go in?" Sky's question drew Green's attention to the fact that he had stopped walking.
"I don't know yet. I'm trying to give Vio more time to read the signs," Green said, keeping his eyes trained on a painted wooden board overhanging a building to his right.
"You can't read them?" Legend asked in a tone that suggested he should be able to.
"No."
"How? Weren't you there when Time was teaching Vio?"
"Yeah, but I wasn't paying attention," Green returned. To be honest, he had tried to pay attention, but Vio soaked up information much faster than he did. As a result, the lesson on Time's Hylian ended up moving far too fast for Green to follow.
"Next," Vio requested, and Green obliged, starting to walk again. They continued on like this for a while, Green passing his gaze from sign to sign and Vio deciphering it to determine if the shop sold what they were looking for.
"That one," Vio said finally as they approached the end of their third side-street. "They should have fishing line."
"This one,"Green informed his companions, stepping up to the building Vio had indicated.
Upon entering the establishment, it was obvious that it was a bait and tackle shop.
The shopkeeper greeted them with a hearty hello which Sky returned. Green simply waved while Legend dipped his head in acknowledgement.
Soon enough they were viewing the store's many spools of fishing line.
"Shouldn't Twilight be here? It was his line that broke, and I don't know the first thing about selecting fishing line," Green said, picking up a spool and wondering how it was different from the rest. Size maybe? Strength as well?
"Luckily, I do know a thing or two about fishing line," Legend said, perusing the spools for the proper one. "Which is why I'm here."
"How'd Twilight's line even break in the first place?" Sky wondered.
Legend shot him a deadpan look. "Do you have to ask?"
"Wild?" Sky guessed.
"Wild," Green and Legend confirmed.
"Wild's method of catching fish is much more effective than a regular old fishing rod," Blue claimed. "I say skip the line. Let Wild use those fancy bombs of his to catch our dinner."
"No."
"That's inherently bad for the environment," Vio scolded. "Not to mention the fish are no good when they're blown to pieces."
"The poor fishies!" Red wailed.
"No…what?" Legend prompted, sparing a glance at him as he sorted through the shop's wares.
Did Green say that out loud? Apparently. "I was just saying no to Blue. He said to forget the fishing line and let Wild fish with bombs."
"Dear Goddess, no!" Sky exclaimed, aghast.
Legend laughed. "I like how Blue thinks."
Warmth blossomed in his chest at Legend's comment, making Green smile. Blue in a good mood was always a good sign.
They browsed around the shop a bit more before Legend identified the perfect replacement line and paid for it.
"One stop down, two more to go," Legend said, slipping the fishing line into his pouch as they exited the shop.
Immediately, Green directed his gaze down the street, looking ahead for more signs to point them in the right direction. It was during this cursory glance that a flash of burnished gold caught his eye. Focusing on it was hardly a conscious choice. After all, everything was so monotonous in Time's Castle Town. Any pop of color that wasn't an earthy red or brown naturally drew the eye. Doubly so if that pop of color was moving, which this one was.
A dog filled his vision, and Green's head buzzed with excitement.
No. Green attempted to put his foot down, but Red wanted to pet the dog so bad, and in between one blink and the next Red was running over to the furry animal. The dog had noticed him as well and bounded over happily, tail wagging.
Red knelt down and held his hands out in anticipation, absolutely delighted when the dog all but launched itself into his arms with a yip and began to lick his face. He squeezed his eyes shut, giggling at the way the dog's tongue tickled his cheek.
Pounding footsteps sounded behind him, and Red opened his eyes just in time to see Sky and Legend approach.
"What in Din's name are you doing?" Legend demanded.
"Petting the dog," Red replied cheerfully, running his hands over the dog's soft but tangled fur. Hmm, that wouldn't do. He knew he never liked it when his hair got knotted. It always hurt to brush out, but he could brush it out. Unlike his new friend who had paws in place of hands and no owner to brush his fur for him, judging by the lack of collar around his neck. Maybe Red could brush it out? Oh, but not with his brush. Blue would be mad if the dog ended up having fleas and the bugs got into their stuff. Maybe just with his fingers then…
"I can see that," Legend's voice cut through his thoughts. "Why?"
"Because I like dogs," Red said absentmindedly, combing his fingers through the dog's fur. They got caught often.
"We don't have time for you to like dogs."
"What Legend means—" Sky interjected hurriedly and in a much more amiable tone, "—is that we have some errands to run, but we can come back and pet the dog later if we have time."
Red froze, clapping a hand over his mouth and looking up at his two traveling companions in horror. That's right. They were supposed to be running errands. And he'd just switched out with Green.
His head was scarily silent.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to come out."
"It's okay," Sky reassured him.
He shook his head, tears pricking his eyes. "But now Vio's not here, and I don't know how to read the signs."
Legend blew out an aggravated sigh. "How long does it take for him to come back?"
His hands trembled slightly as he patted the dog in thought. "Sometimes it's quick. Sometimes not."
'Vio come back,' he silently begged. 'Please.'
There was no answer.
"Great," Legend said in a tone that didn't sound like he thought their current situation was great at all.
"It's fine," Sky insisted. "Just let us know when Vio comes back, okay?"
Red nodded. He wouldn't mess that up.
"So we're just going to sit here then?" Legend wondered, sounding miffed. Red winced. Not even petting the dog could lift his spirits. He'd messed up, and now Legend was mad at him.
"No, we'll keep walking. I'm sure we can figure it out based on window displays and pictures on signs. The clothing shop shouldn't be hard to spot and neither should the forge," Sky said. "If we get really lost we can always ask someone for directions."
With a final pat on the stray's head, Red got to his feet.
"Don't run off anymore," Legend ordered.
"I won't!" He slipped one hand into Sky's and the other into Legend's to prove it. "Sorry, again."
Legend squeezed his hand. "S'fine. I'm not mad at you."
"Really?" He had to ask. It was weird but lots of people said they weren't mad when they really were. Legend seemed like the kind of person to do that.
"Really," Legend confirmed, eyes trained ahead as they began to walk.
Red squinted at the Hero of Legend, unconvinced. He had a frown on his face. Frowns didn't usually mean people were content. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, Red." A smirk replaced his frown. "Grumpy and done with the world is kind of my natural state if you haven't noticed."
Red giggled at that.
Reassured, Red's mood brightened, and he took great pleasure in looking around the town the way he wanted. It was nice to not have to beg Green to turn his head so Red could look at something. Now he could do it himself.
He was especially glad for his current abilities when a toy store came into view.
"Let's go in there!" Red exclaimed, taking the initiative and dragging his companions over to the building. It stuck out from those around it and not just because of the toys displayed in its windows. Bright blues, reds, yellows, and greens decorated the bricks in a blocky mosaic and colorful, triangular banners lined the windows.
"A toy shop?" Sky wondered, stumbling after him.
"Yeah!"
Legend pulled back, nearly causing Red and Sky to fall. "We don't need anything there."
Red shook his hands free, then, and turned to face Legend. "Can't we just look?" He clasped his hands together in a pleading manner. "Please?"
Legend didn't look convinced.
Thankfully, Sky was on his side. "I don't see why not. We're not in a rush and it will be a lot easier to find the shops we're actually looking for when Vio's around. Browsing in there should give him enough time to come back from…wherever he went, right?"
"Right!" Red chirped, grinning up at the Chosen Hero.
Legend rolled his eyes. "Fine. You two are such children."
Cheering, Red made a beeline for the colorful shop with Sky and Legend on his tail.
The inside was even better than the outside, mostly because of all the toys. Red wished he had a million pairs of eyes so he could look at everything at once but since he only had one, he settled with darting towards the first thing that drew his interest.
Little painted figurines stood proudly on a wooden shelf. Some were fashioned to look like people but most were animals. It didn't take long for Red to locate a bunch of little dogs, all different breeds.
"Look!" He held them up for Sky's inspection.
Sky smiled, taking one from Red's open palms and turning it over in his hands. "This is beautifully crafted. And so small! I wonder what tools they used to carve this…"
"Maybe the Minish carved them!" Red suggested. "Normal carving tools would be big to a Minish. It'd be like carving a life-sized sculpture."
"You think?" Sky asked, eyes shining in wonder at the prospect.
"No way," Legend cut in. "Didn't you say Minish hide from people?"
"They're invisible to adults, but they leave things for people all the time."
Legend plucked a tiny dog out of his hands to inspect it with half-hearted interest. "Do they make a monopoly off of it?"
"A what?" Red forgot what that word meant.
"A business. Profit," Legend explained. "You know, money?"
"Oh! No," Red said, setting the remaining figures in his hands back on the shelf, reorganizing them so they were all standing upright and happy again. "They leave rupees in the grass, but they don't take them."
"Then I doubt these things are actually made by Minish," Legend declared, plunking the figure in his hand down on the shelf as well.
"Perhaps they did and someone just found a bunch of them and decided to sell them?" Sky proposed.
Legend scoffed. "Now you're reaching."
Leaving Legend and Sky to their discussion of the tiny figures' origins, Red moved deeper into the shop. That's when he found it. The wall of plushies.
They were all so cute! Barely conscious of what he was doing, Red rushed towards the shelves and proceeded to test each stuffed toy for cuddlability. He quickly discovered an issue. They were all so cuddlable!
Before he knew it, his arms were full of fluffy, huggable plushies. He was then faced with a new problem. How to find Sky and Legend… His sight was obscured. He could just walk until he bumped into someone but what if it wasn't one of the Links? And even if it was, he risked losing one of the precious bundles in his arms.
Fortunately for Red, he didn't have to go anywhere.
"What are you planning to do with those?" Legend asked, peering around the mountain of plushies in Red's arms, a wry smile on his face.
"Buy them," Red answered easily. "Can you take some? It's hard to hold all of them at once, and I don't want to drop any."
Legend's smile vanished. "Hold on a minute. What happened to just looking?"
"I looked, I liked, and now I want," Red said matter-of-factly.
Legend barked out a laugh at that. "Aren't you too old for those things?"
Red pouted, pressing the soft toys closer to his chest. No one was ever too old for plushies…were they?
Sensing he'd struck a nerve, Legend quickly backpedaled. "Uh, I mean, whatever you're into. I don't care, but do you really need all of those?"
"They're not all for me!" That would just be ridiculous. "One's for Green, one's for Vio, one's for Blue, one's for you, one's for Sky, one's for Wind, one's for 'Rule-"
"Red, that's sweet, but I don't think everyone needs one," Sky interjected gently.
"But feel! They're really soft!" Red stepped closer to Sky, prompting the man to take a plushie from his arms.
As soon as Sky did so, he gasped. "Sweet Hylia! That is soft."
"Not you too." Legend groaned.
"No, really, Legend. You need to feel it," Sky insisted.
"I-" A plush was shoved into the seasoned hero's hand before he could finish his protest. "Oh. Oh. Din, that is soft."
"So I can get them?" Red asked hopefully, bouncing on his toes.
"Did you even look at the price?" Legend shot back.
The question gave him pause, and he shook his head.
Pushing past him, Legend peered at the sign attached to the shelf. "If I'm reading this right—and I think I am—they're one hundred rupees each."
One hundred rupees? That was expensive!
"How much money do you have?" Sky asked Red while Legend muttered something under his breath about highway robbery.
Red swayed in placed, wracking his brain for a number but coming up empty. Vio and Green normally kept track of that stuff, and they were never out of money so… "Probably enough."
"1,200?" Legend nodded to the pile of toys in Red's arms. "That's how much all of those will cost."
His distress must have shown on his face, for Legend stepped forward, relieving him of plushies one by one. "But I can assure you that if anyone else wants one, they'll buy it themselves. These can be put back."
"But what about Blue, Green, and Vio's?" Red wondered. "Can't I get them each one too?"
"Did they ask for one?"
"No but-"
"Let's see how much money you have first," Sky said. "Where's your wallet?"
Red dug out the pouch containing their money, and with Sky's help, counted the gems inside. They came up with a grand total of five hundred and two.
"A quarter of five hundred two would be…about one twenty five, I think?" Sky said after a few moments. "So you can get one. That way it's fair and all four of you have money to spend."
That did sound fair but… "Can't I get two?" He grabbed a bunny plush to join the scarlet fox plush Legend had left in his arms. If he only got one it would be lonely in his bag all day. He needed to get a pair so they could be friends and keep each other company.
"No. Put it back," Legend said.
"But-"
"Put. It. Back."
Red pouted, leveling Legend with his best puppy dog eyes.
"That doesn't work on me," Legend informed him. Red begged to differ. It only wasn't working because Legend was looking at the ceiling instead of at him.
"Maybe you can get one of those and one of those painted figures we saw earlier," Sky spoke up, ignoring Legend as he mouthed "weak" at the Skyloftian.
Red considered Sky's words and as he did, he liked the idea more and more. Compared to the plushies, the figurines were tiny, like the Minish. It would be like his fluffy friend had a tiny friend of its own! Warming up to the idea, Red glanced between the bunny and the fox, then at the other plushies lining the wall behind him. He could only get one so he had to choose wisely.
In the end, he gravitated towards a yellow fox, which upon closer inspection had three tails so Red wasn't sure it was a fox at all. Nevertheless, it was super soft and cute, and as soon as Red exchanged the plush toys in his arms for it, he knew it was the one.
Decision made, Red followed Sky back to the figurine display. When they got there, however, they were met with disappointment.
"Fifty rupees for one?" Legend griped. "That's ridiculous. There has to be a better priced toy shop around here."
"But I want this!" Red exclaimed, holding up the three-tailed fox in the air.
Legend remained unimpressed. "Another shop probably has it for cheaper."
"But what if they don't?" Red hugged the plushie close. Now that he'd picked it, he couldn't possibly put it back. That was like making a friend and deciding five minutes later you didn't want to be their friend anymore for no reason at all. It was cruel.
Legend rolled his eyes and was about to retort but Sky beat him to it. "You get that—" Sky nodded to the yellow fox in his arms. "—and I'll try to carve you a figurine or two later. How does that sound?"
Red brightened at the prospect. It sounded wonderful! "Could you make a little Wolfie?"
Sky chuckled. "I'll try."
"Thank you!" Red rushed forward to wrap Sky up in a tight hug, and Sky squeezed him back.
"You're welcome."
Legend ushered him to the counter after that, and Red paid for his new friend. He didn't let go of it even after they exited the shop.
"No more detours," Legend declared as they melded back into the afternoon rush, Red grabbing Sky's hand so as not to get separated. "We need to find a tailor."
A woman in a hurry nearly bowled over Legend, who treated her retreating back to some choice words that made Red cringe.
"Legend, don't cause trouble," Sky implored as Red pressed closer to his side.
"I'm not! Some people don't know how to walk."
"She was obviously in a rush," Sky said. "Leave it."
And Legend did. Until another person jostled them, and then another person and another. It seemed that the afternoon rush was in full swing. Fortunately, some people did say "sorry" and "excuse me", but shoves and "watch where you're going's!" were much more common place.
"You should put that in your bag so don't you lose it," Sky spoke up, eyeing the yellow plushie Red was clutching as tightly as Legend was his wallet.
"No, it'll get lonely."
Legend quirked an eyebrow. "You know it's not alive, right?"
Red shrugged. Sure, logically, he knew that. But another part of him screamed that if he put the toy away it would get lonely.
"Red, how old are you?" The question was so out of the blue that for a moment, Red just stared up at Sky. "I'm just wondering because you don't act like you're the same age as the others."
"I am," Red said, playing with the plush fox's long ears. "Just not right now."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Legend wondered.
"It means I'm little." It happened sometimes. Consciously, he knew the body was sixteen. By extension, that made him sixteen as well. However, sometimes he didn't feel sixteen. Sometimes he felt younger, like now.
"How little?" Sky asked.
He didn't have a habit of narrowing it down to numbers so it took Red a minute to form a response. Once the number "seven" passed his lips, however, it felt right.
"Well, now the toy shop makes sense," Legend said, placing a hand on his hip. "Do the others switch ages too?"
"I dunno." He had never asked the others about it.
The questions stopped coming, then, as Legend and Sky realized he didn't have answers.
Despite this, Red noticed Legend pressed a little closer to his side and Sky gripped his hand a little firmer as they continued their hunt through the town. Unfortunately Vio hadn't found his way back to the front yet, so the three of them were left to puzzle out signs themselves.
So far, they'd struck out at five shops. Just as they were exiting the fifth, Red's vision began to blur. He blinked furiously, hoping to clear it. To his frustration, the world in front of him jumped into sharp clarity before becoming even more unfocused than before. It was all he could do to tug on Sky's hand to tell him to stop. Each step was a gamble, his feet threatening to tangle and trip him. Were they even his feet anymore?
"Do you need to sit?"
Wordlessly, Red nodded, letting Sky lead him to a bench.
Once sitting, he rubbed his eyes, but that only made it worse. Having his eyes open at all was dizzying, like he'd spun around and around and around to get the world spinning. But he didn't want the world to spin. He didn't want to switch! He was having fun shopping with Sky and Legend.
"Who are you switching with?" Legend asked. "Vio?"
Sky shushed him.
"I'm just asking."
There was a tinge of hope accompanied with Legend's guess, but Red had no idea. He definitely felt someone pushing and pulling at him, but he couldn't tell exactly who it was.
Groaning, he squeezed his eyes shut and buried his face in Sky's side. A comforting arm slipped around his shoulders, but Red hardly felt it. He was already slipping back and back and back into the dark nothingness of their shared mind.
Meanwhile, Green stumbled forward, wading his way through the dark nothing until it turned into dizzy dark awareness, the sounds of the bustling town trickling into his ears before bursting like a dam. It was too loud. He flinched, pulling away from whoever he was pressed against and snapping his eyes open. After some rapid blinking, the Chosen Hero's image swam into view.
Green offered a small smile as his vision and hearing stabilized. "Hi."
Sky beamed back. "Hi."
"You dropped this," Legend said, causing Green to notice the yellow fox plush in the man's hand.
He stared at it, confused. That wasn't his. "What…?" Then the pieces fell into place, and he leapt to his feet, grabbing the toy to inspect it. The plushie was well-crafted and incredibly soft. It couldn't have been cheap. "Please tell me Red didn't spend all our money."
"We stopped him," Sky assured him.
"You're welcome," Legend added.
He breathed out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, guys. And…I'm sorry."
"What for?" Sky wondered.
"For not warning you. Markets and towns make us really switchy."
Sky smiled at him kindly. "Don't worry about it."
"Yeah," Legend agreed. "Red kept us entertained."
"So," Green said, staring down at the plushie in his hands. Upon closer inspection it wasn't a fox at all. Not a normal one, anyway, for it had three tails instead of one. It was odd, yet charming in a way. He could see why Red had picked it.
"So?" Legend prompted.
He shook himself, stowing the plush away in his bag. There was no way he could hold onto it for long. Already, he could feel Red pressing at the edge of his mind. He did not want to switch again. "Did we get anything done?"
"Nope."
Green winced at Legend's answer. "Sorry."
Sky was quick to reassure him. "It's not your fault, and we've still got plenty of time besides."
"Still, if you're feeling better we should continue moving," Legend said.
"We can keep going." A small headache pulsed at his temples but it was manageable.
The three of them set off once more, pushing through the afternoon crowd with no real destination. Fortunately, Green felt Vio's presence soon enough so puzzling out where they had to go became easier. The crowd became so thick at one point that Sky placed Green on his shoulders so he—and in turn Vio—had a better view of the shop signs.
"Clothing shop. Up ahead, to the right. Three signs down," Green announced, relaying Vio's instructions to his companions.
"Finally!" Legend exclaimed in relief. "Thank you Vio. And Green for being his eyes."
"And Sky, for giving us a boost," Green added, patting Sky's head to convey his appreciation.
"Yes, and Sky," Legend agreed.
Once at the entrance to the clothing shop, Sky let Green down and they ventured inside.
"I'll be with you in just a moment!" A woman's voice called from somewhere farther inside the shop, which was filled with customers.
Fortunately, it didn't take long for the shopkeeper, a lithe, middle-aged woman to appear with a friendly smile on her face. "Welcome. How can I help you?"
"Hi, we're looking for a cloak. Something warm that will fit this one," Sky said, putting a hand on Green's shoulder. The cloak was actually for Wind. With the weather getting cooler across all their Hyrules, they were all getting a little chilly. Wind, however, was the worst off as his clothes were thin and thus unsuitable for an autumnal climate, much less a wintery one. The sailor refused to acknowledge this, denying that he was cold even when it was fairly obvious that he was. That was why the rest of them had taken it upon themselves to get him a cloak to keep him warm. In secret of course, because Wind would refuse it otherwise.
Seeing as the Hero of the Four Sword was similar to Wind in height and build, it was decided that he would be used for fitting purposes.
The shopkeeper looked Green up and down, memorizing his height and shape before turning on her heel. "Follow me, please. I believe I have just the thing."
It turned out that she had quite a few options for them to choose from. Green ran his hands over the selection of cloaks. Some were coarser than others, some thicker, some thinner, some softer.
He opted for one that was thick and soft after some back and forth with Sky and Vio. The charcoal grey cloak fit him perfectly and was quite warm. A little bigger and it would be perfect for Wind. Now the issue was…how to ask for a larger size when this one obviously fit him well.
"It looks like it fits perfectly." The shopkeeper beamed, gently tugging on a hem here or there to get the cloak to lay nicer. "Would you like this one?"
"Actually, can we have something a little bigger? Want to make sure he can grow into you know?" Legend smirked, impervious to the war he'd set off in Green's head.
He felt his face grow hot. "Legend," he hissed, fidgeting uncomfortably as the shopkeeper excused herself to search for a larger size.
Suddenly the cloak was far too hot, and he slipped out of it.
"What? How were you going to say it?"
"Not like that!" Blue exclaimed indignantly. "We aren't children!"
"It's a valid excuse," Vio countered, altogether nonplussed by the whole affair. "Technically, males don't stop growing until their late teens, and we don't exactly look like we're in our late teens."
"Shut up, Vio! No one asked you."
"The cloak is for Wind anyway. Why does it matter?" Red piped up.
"It matters because Legend's calling us short!"
"But…we are short."
"That's an opinion," Blue shot back.
"It's a fact," Vio stated.
"I'll show you a fact!"
"I'd like to see you try."
Green glared half-heartedly at Legend. "Blue's planning your demise."
Legend laughed. "Good."
The shopkeeper returned a few minutes later with a deep blue cloak draped over her arm. "Try this."
Green obliged, delighted to find that it was just as cozy as the first cloak he'd tried. Wind would probably like the color more too.
Decision made, they quickly purchased the cloak, all three of them chipping in rupees for it. Just as they were about to exit the shop, Red stopped him.
"Wait! What about the headbands?"
That's right. They were each going to get a headband that matched their color.
"You coming?" Legend asked, holding the door open.
"Wait, Red just reminded me. We wanted to get different colored headbands so everyone has their own."
"I think you'd have better luck with that at a tailor," Sky said. "They have lots of fabric they can cut to size. I don't think this place sells headbands anyway."
Taking a quick glance around the shop, Green was inclined to agree. He stepped outside. "Alright, we'll find a tailor."
Finding said tailor didn't take long, courtesy of Vio who was so close to the front that he was practically in control. Before he knew it, he was looking at bolts upon bolts of fabric.
Green and Vio viewed the selection of reds first, getting feedback from the most optimistic Four Sword Hero and quickly selecting one. They perused the blues next, but Blue was being difficult.
"That doesn't match."
"It practically matches," Green mumbled.
"You're not going to find an exact match," Vio added.
"Watch me."
Green sighed, fingering a different fabric, this one slightly paler than the last.
"That's even farther!" Blue griped. "Are you color blind? Seriously, look at our tunic. Match it against that."
"I am," Green stressed.
"You aren't."
"What about this one?"Sky asked, drawing his attention farther down the line of fabrics to a rich blue that was just slightly darker than the blue of their tunic.
"That's close," Green and Vio said together.
"Not close enough."
Green made a face, and Sky took notice. "But...no?"
"Mmm….maybe. Blue's being picky."
"Well, we're not staying here all day. He better pick something," Legend said from where he was leaned up against the wall, thoroughly uninterested in their current errand.
"Yes, Blue, better pick something," Vio agreed.
"I'll pick the one that matches! So far, none of them match."
Frustration swirled in his chest, and it was all Green could do not to scream.
"I'll pick for you," Red offered.
"No."
"Pick in the next ten seconds or Red's picking,"Green threatened.
"Ugh, fine." He could hear the eye roll in Blue's voice. "Go with the one Sky picked."
"We're going with your choice, Sky," he informed the Chosen Hero.
"Okay, we just need to find Vio's now, right?"
"Right."
Because the colors were set up in the order of a rainbow, they didn't have to travel much farther into the shop to reach the purple section. To Vio's dismay, none of the colors were quite right. Some edged too close to pink for his liking while others edged too close to blue. None were a shade he'd classify as violet and those that were somewhat close were made of a fabric that he could tell was itchy just by looking at it.
"Oh! Look who's being difficult now!" Blue carped after a minute or two had elapsed without success.
Vio chose to ignore him as he crouched down to peruse the lower racks. A minute was nothing. Blue had wasted at least ten agonizing over his own decision.
"This one?" Green wondered, shooting out a hand to touch a nearby roll of fabric that looked fairly close in hue to the purple on their tunic. Silk. It would slip right off his head. Not to mention that silk was expensive.
Green must have had the same thought, for he quickly retracted his hand.
Perfectionist though he was, Vio refused to be a hypocrite and keep them in the shop until he found the exact match that Blue had longed for and been denied. Therefore, he settled for a sturdy indigo fabric when it became clear his ideal shade of violet was out of the question.
Soon enough, they had secured the fabric which Vio presumed Red would sew into headbands for the rest of them at some point and exited the tailor shop.
"Forge next," Legend declared.
"Forge next," Green agreed as Vio nodded.
"Do you want to ride on my shoulders again so you can see?" Sky offered.
"I don't think that will be necessary," Vio said. "The crowd's thinning." Apparently, the afternoon rush was ending, which was fortunate for Vio. He didn't exactly like being picked up, unlike Green and Red.
Casting his gaze out across the street, Vio began scanning signs. He wasn't sure if it was because he and Green were sharing control or not, but it seemed to take a little longer for him to remember which symbols meant what.
He didn't need to know how to read Time's Hylian in order to identify the book shop, though. The hanging book-shaped sign and stacks of books flooding the display windows made it evident enough what the shop sold. He found himself drifting over to it, only for his sleeve to be caught by Legend.
"That doesn't look like a forge."
Vio froze, angling his body towards Legend. "It's not. Sorry. I just really wanted to go in there. I can wait, though."
"Are you sure?" Sky had stopped as well. "We can go in if you want. We have time."
Vio stole a glance at the book shop before turning back to his companions. "It's more important that we get the materials we need to finish repairing everyone's things. We can come back here afterwards." Unlike the others, he had self-control. The books would still be there after they finished shopping for what they had come to town for.
"I don't want you to miss out, though. Do you think you'll be able to find it again?" Sky worried.
"Yes," Vio answered with confidence, taking in his surroundings and committing it to memory. It served him well enough most days.
"Of course he can," Legend agreed. "He's smart." Intelligence had nothing to do with it. Perceptive, more like. But Vio wasn't going to start anything over semantics. "Now let's go find a forge while the only person that can read this era's Hylian is still with us." With that, Legend ushered both him and Sky forward and neither felt inclined to resist.
Being in full control, Vio found, allowed him to be much more efficient and in no time at all he'd followed the signs and arrived at a forge. The heat radiating out from the building beckoned him closer like a warm, calloused hand welcoming him home.
A smile touched his lips as he strode inside, Sky and Legend at his heels. The blacksmith on duty found them quickly, and after Vio explained that he was a blacksmith himself in search of some parts, the man set him up at a workstation and gave him the supplies he needed—after he paid for them, of course—and left him to it with a warning to be careful. As if Vio needed to be told twice. He was practically raised in a forge.
The man didn't know that, though. He probably thought Vio was no more than a blacksmith's apprentice. An amateur playing at master. That was fine. Vio didn't much care what the man thought, so long as he could use the forge.
Blue did care what the man thought, apparently, for he shouted quite loudly about how they were not a child, as if the increased volume would increase the chance of the man hearing him. It did not.
Fortunately, once Vio began to pull out tools and weapons in need of repair from their bag, Blue quieted, pushing even closer to the front in order to get in on the action. It wasn't surprising in the least. Blue normally found solace in working with his hands. Smithing work was great for that.
"How long's this going to take?" Legend asked in his usual brash manner. Vio knew not to be insulted by it.
"A half hour," he declared, feeling as if he was slipping off metaphorical gloves as Blue took control of the hands. "Give or take. You can watch if you want."
"No, they can't," Blue refuted, still organizing their workspace.
Vio continued as if Blue had never spoken, which, as far as the other two heroes knew, he hadn't. "But you don't have to. Feel free to go back to the meeting place early. We'll join you later."
"I don't know if that's such a good idea." Sky's words gave both him and Blue pause and his gaze whipped around to land on the Skyloftian.
"Why not?" The words tumbled out of his mouth, a mix of curious and accusatory. The sharper tone was most certainly Blue, and Vio did his best to clear it from his voice. "Do you not know the way back? From here you take a left and—"
"No, that's not it." Sky interrupted with a shake of his head. "I think we can find our way back, but well, earlier when Red was out he said he was seven."
Vio felt his eyebrows knit together at that but he couldn't tell if the action belonged to him or Blue. Either way, the confusion remained. "What do you mean? Like…age?"
"Yes."
"Red's sixteen like the rest of us." It was strange for Red to be lying. So maybe Sky was lying? But then, what would be the point of that?
"He said that too," Sky confirmed. "But he also said he isn't all the time."
"And judging by your reaction, you have no idea what we're talking about," Legend observed.
A frown tugged at his mouth. "Can't say I do. Red has never mentioned de-aging before, and I've never experienced it."
"What about the others?" Sky wondered.
Slowly, he shook his head. "I don't think so. We don't just magically switch ages."
"Are you trying to say he was messing with us?" Legend demanded.
"No, I mean—I don't know. Perhaps, but it's not like Red to do such things like that." His tongue felt thick in his mouth, his head spacey. "I…we will talk to him about it later."
"Right, I think you should do that, but that's also why I don't like the idea of leaving you alone. If Red does come out, and he's little again…" Sky didn't have to continue for them to get the gist. A seven-year-old, even in the body of a sixteen-year-old, running around town without a responsible adult was dangerous.
Unfortunately, Vio couldn't express his agreement because Blue had stolen his tongue. "We don't need to be babysat."
Sky quickly backpedaled. "No, no, of course not. That's not what I'm saying. I just-"
"Think we can't be left alone?" Blue finished for him, switching to Green's voice. Vio was barely present anymore. There was no danger of their voices blending.
"No, I'm just concerned that Red might get scared or spend all your money or something if he suddenly finds himself alone," Sky explained.
"He won't," Blue claimed. "He knows better." Which was true, but it was also true that Red was impulsive, and if Sky and Legend were right and he was sometimes younger then that impulsiveness may be amplified. Besides that, Red did not like to be left alone. Blue knew that for a fact, so he supposed Sky's argument made sense, but he couldn't help feeling like they were being treated like children anyway.
"Who's speaking right now? Is it still Vio?" Legend asked suddenly.
"No. It's Green."
Legend narrowed his eyes skeptically. "What's the code?"
"Legend times four," Blue answered without missing a beat.
Legend nodded, satisfied. "Alright, just checking. You seem more agitated than normal."
"Blue's close," he offered by way of explanation.
"Did we make him mad? I wasn't even trying this time." Legend smirked, earning a disapproving look from Sky.
"He doesn't appreciate that you two are treating us like children. His words. Not mine," Blue hastily added when Legend raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
"Sorry, we don't mean to," Sky apologized, which was more than Blue had expected if he was being honest.
"Okay, well, I'm hungry so what if Sky and I leave—" Legend held his hand up to stop Sky's protest. "—and go get something to eat—"
"Without us?" Blue interjected.
"We'll bring you back something," Legend assured him. "But by then you should be almost done, and we can go back to the meeting place together."
"Book shop, then meeting place," Sky said. "Vio wanted to go back there, remember?"
"Yeah, so book shop then meeting place," Legend amended with a lazy wave of his hand. "So? Is that cool with Blue?"
He could do without the book shop but everything else sounded great and, truly, it was encouraging to see the other heroes taking into account their safety and everyone's needs. He paused an extra moment, pretending like he was listening to his own reply before giving it. "Yes."
"Great; see you soon, then," Legend said, swiveling on his heel. "C'mon, Sky."
Sky hesitated briefly, glancing between him and Legend before waving farewell and hurrying to catch up with the most seasoned hero among them.
Blue took advantage of the peace to lose himself in repair work, welding fresh handles to shields and sharpening blades with their new whetstone. Honestly, everyone's swords could do with some sharpening but he only had his, Hyrule's, and Wild's with him. Fortunately it didn't matter much because he didn't need a forge in order to sharpen blades.
"Where are Sky and Legend?" Green asked as Blue was in the process of adding another layer of metal to one of Wild's shields. If he had the time, he would have made a new one for the champion, but he didn't so this would have to do for now.
"Getting food," Blue mumbled distractedly. He had to get the metal sheet to overlay the shield before it cooled or else the entire endeavor would be for nothing.
"Yum!" Red cheered. "What kind?"
"Don't know." And at the moment, Blue didn't care. He had to focus on what he was doing. Wild wouldn't mind if he ruined the shield, but Blue definitely minded. He liked to do his work well.
"Sweets?" Red asked hopefully.
"Probably not," Green returned as Blue did his best to ignore them all.
"Red," Vio called, grabbing the most energetic Four Sword Hero's attention.
"Yeah?"
"Sky and Legend mentioned something about you de-aging earlier. Care to explain?"
"What?" Green piped up, confused.
"He said he was seven years old earlier," Vio explained for Green's sake. "Apparently."
"Because I felt like I was," Red said. "I know I'm not but sometimes I feel younger than sixteen."
"Since when?" Vio asked.
Blue felt the urge to shrug but shook it off. "Since…I don't know. Ever since we all merged back into one? But not immediately, like…it's not all the time."
"Why are we only hearing about this now?" Green wanted to know, sounding a bit miffed.
He could feel Red shrink back a little. "Dunno. I didn't think it was important. I thought you guys did it too."
"No."
"Never.
"Nope." Blue mumbled.
"Oh," Red hummed. "Sorry for not mentioning it, then."
"It's okay," Green assured him. "How often does it happen?"
"Not too often. I think it happened this time because of the toy shop," Red reported meekly.
"Then we'll avoid toy shops,"Blue muttered. He had finished the critical stage of his repairs, so he had no qualms with joining in on the conversation.
"Noooo! I like them. They have cute plushies."
"I thought you said you were sixteen like the rest of us most of the time," Blue objected.
"I am, but that doesn't mean I can't like cute, fluffy things."
Green laughed, and Blue shook his head, returning his full attention to repairs.
By the time Legend and Sky returned, Blue had finished fixing everything and exchanged the mini meat pie Legend handed him for a yellow rupee.
Only when he took a bite did he realize that he was hungry, and Blue found that he had no objections as the others helped him put the repaired weapons and tools away.
Before he knew it, they had backtracked to the book shop, and Vio surged into control so fast that he almost stumbled. Experience with jarring switches kept Vio on his feet, however, and he strolled inside, inhaling the familiar, comforting scent of leather-bound parchment.
He immediately made for the shelves, sliding a random book out and flipping through the inked pages in awe. In his hands was literature that wouldn't be written for centuries! This was a once in a life-time opportunity, and he'd be a fool to waste it, so naturally, he began tugging books off shelves.
"Wait wait wait! Don't spend all our money!" Green's cry startled Vio so much that he nearly dropped the books. Luckily, Sky and Legend were close enough to steady the precarious tower of books and take some off his hands.
"I was told you're the sensible one so I'm going to assume you're not purchasing all of these," Legend said.
"Of course not," Vio replied, appalled at the lack of faith both Legend and Green had in him. "I'm just trying to take stock of my options."
"Maybe you should review these options before you grab anymore?" Sky suggested, seeming to struggle with the amount of books he was holding.
Now that Vio took the time to look at the many books he'd picked out and feel how heavy the tower of books in his own arms was becoming, he had to agree. "Yes. Probably."
Gently, Vio set the stack of books down and grabbed one off the top, skimming it for a synopsis. He continued this tedious process of elimination long enough for Sky to doze off against the wall, and Legend to grow so bored that he left to return to the meeting spot early. Or well, now that Vio glanced at the window, it may not have been so early.
"Vio, they're books," Blue deadpanned. "They're all equally boring. Just pick one so we can go. You can't even read it anyway."
"I could read faster if you'd stop talking," Vio shot back. Concentrating on anything was a dreadful affair with voices in one's head.
A groan of aggravation filled his head, and he was tempted to vocalize it. "I wish I could leave like Legend."
"Relax," Green chastised, though Vio could feel his annoyance too. "He's almost done, right, Vio?"
There was still so many books he hadn't explored, but with the pace he was going at it'd be impossible to view them all. He surrendered to his fate with a sigh. "Right."
A cheer from Red and Green arose, but Blue refused to make any noise of joy until they had left the premises.
Smiling slightly at his brothers' antics, Vio forewent scouring the remaining pile of books and looked over the tomes he'd set aside earlier. After much debate, Vio chose two and returned the rest to the shelves. He paid for them first, then went back and nudged Sky awake.
Sky yawned, stretching. "Is it morning?"
"Not quite."
Understanding dawned on the Chosen Hero's face as he took in their surroundings. "Did you pick out a book?"
"Yes. Two, actually."
"That's good. Where's Legend?" Sky asked, getting to his feet and trailing after Vio.
"He abandoned us," Vio said as he pushed open the door and exited the shop.
"FREEDOM!"
Vio jumped at the sudden scream.
"Are you okay?"
Red giggled and echoed Blue's cry. "Freedom!"
Green let out a whoop.
"Yes," Vio grit out, rubbing his aching temples. "Blue decided it would be funny to scream."
"I didn't decide it'd be funny to do anything," Blue refuted. "I told you I'd celebrate when we finally escaped that torture chamber. That was me celebrating."
Vio released an exasperated sigh. He really couldn't sometimes.
"Ah, well…" Sky rubbed the back of his neck, a habit Vio had noted on multiple Links. It usually happened when they were feeling sheepish or uncertain. Vio guessed Sky fell into the latter category at the moment. Not that Vio blamed him. He didn't know how to react to the others shenanigans half the time. Often, there was no correct method other than ignoring them, and Sky did exactly that by changing the subject. "I think it might be a good thing Legend went ahead."
Looking up at the twilit sky, Vio agreed.
The two set a brisk pace back to the market center, pausing only briefly to take pity on a baker who was trying to sell the last of his goods before packing up his stall and heading home.
They got three apple-tarts out of it, and Vio only managed one sweet, buttery bite before Red took over and ate the rest. Accidentally, of course.
Upon reaching the designated meeting spot, they found 'Rule and Wind. Red wasted no time running over and hugging them both in greeting.
"Where's everyone else?" Sky wondered, drawing up behind Red at a more relaxed pace and handing off the extra apple-tart to Wind, who accepted it with shining eyes.
"At the inn," 'Rule said, eyeing the treat Wind had been given. Perhaps sensing his gaze, Wind broke the pastry in two and passed 'Rule half.
"We volunteered to wait for you guys," Wind chirped proudly, swinging his feet. They didn't quite touch the ground. The lip of the fountain was a touch too high.
"Thank you! We would have gotten lost otherwise," Red exclaimed. He chose not to dwell on the notion too long. "Vio took forever in the book shop."
'Rule chuckled. "We heard. Legend complained about it plenty when he met up with us earlier."
"He didn't do it on purpose," Red mentioned, feeling as if he needed to defend Vio even though he knew the Hero of Hyrule wasn't faulting him for their tardiness. "Vio just gets excited about books."
"How'd you finally get him out, then?" Wind wondered. "Did you force your way out?"
"No. I don't know how to do that, and it'd be mean to anyway. Vio deserves to have fun, and I had fun earlier. Oh! Look what I got!" Red quickly opened his bag and rummaged through it until he found the purchase he'd made earlier. He pulled it out with a flourish and held it up for Wind to see.
Awe filled Wind's eyes, and he hopped off his fountain seat to get a better look. "Whoa! What kind of animal is it supposed to be?"
"At first I thought it was a fox, but I don't think so anymore because foxes only have one tail and this one has three."
"Weird," Wind observed, tilting his head to the side to get a good look at the three black tipped yellow tails sprouting out of the plushie's backside. "But cool." The sailor reached out to feel it and gasped. "It's like petting Wolfie!"
"I know right!" Red bounced a little on the balls of his feet, giddy.
Curious, 'Rule wandered over and pet the plush animal as well, confirming the toy's insane softness with his own amazed gasp. "It's like a cloud."
"Where did you get it?" Wind asked, suddenly turning serious.
"See? I told you we should have gotten one for everyone!" Red said, addressing Sky. He quickly turned back to Wind. "I got it at a toy shop-" His excitement died in his throat as he realized he didn't know where the toy shop was located. He rubbed the not-quite-fox's ears worriedly. "I don't remember where though..."
"We can look for it tomorrow," Sky piped up, his tone light. "Why don't we head to the inn? We don't want to make the others worry."
"Good idea. Knowing Time and Twilight, they're all ready to come searching," 'Rule said.
Laughing at their companion's overprotective tendencies, the four of them departed for the inn, Red, Wind, and 'Rule eagerly recounting their market experiences the whole way.
YouTube Resource:
"The ETERNAL CHILD? Can ALTERS Age?! | Debunking DID Ep 11 | Dissociative Identity Disorder RE-UPLOAD" –DissociaDID