A/N: Hello! It's been quite a while since the last update. My apologies for that. Life has been rather hectic. Even so, I want to assure you that I am not abandoning this story. (or any of my ongoing stories.) I still fully intend to finish them. Will it be in a timely manner? Most likely no. But I will do my best to get chapters out whenever I can. Getting positive feedback (in the form of a review, follow, or favorite) always gives me a nice confidence boost. I love to know that people are enjoying the stories I write and are invested in finding out what happens next. Thank you so much for reading! I appreciate it, and I hope you are all staying safe. Now, without further ado, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

~Hylia

Chapter 14

Sleep did not come easily that night, and it felt like a sin. Here they were in a safe town with a roof over their head and a warm bed beneath them, and Green could not sleep. Worries and what-ifs ran rampant through his mind. Not to mention the conversation with the rest of the heroes earlier that night. He found it replaying over and over, each time discovering something new to cringe at or to berate himself for or to wish he had or hadn't said.

His headmates didn't help either. Their constant chatter buzzed in the back of his brain like bees, keeping him awake. Then, when he finally did manage to drift off, a nonsensical nightmare shook him back to consciousness.

By the time morning dawned, Green had only managed an hour or two of rest. Red encouraged him to snuggle back under the covers, but by then the others were stirring, and they had to move.

Breakfast energized him enough that he didn't feel dead on his feet as they traipsed around town to restock on potions. He even managed to remain lively when shopping for a cloak, patiently waiting through fittings and adjustments. Despite the chill in the air and the sun peeking out between the clouds, Green elected to stow the black cloak away in his bag.

He didn't intend on switching.

With their errands complete, the heroes set off for Kakariko. The trek took the better part of the day, and Green drifted for most of it. In fact, if not for Wind chatting his ear off about anything and everything, he might have actually floated off to dreamland.

When they finally reached their destination, the sky glowed a warm orange, tinging the clouds lavender and throwing long shadows across the dusty ground. Green's wish to curl up and sleep was promptly denied as Twilight located and introduced them all to Renado.

The man was tall and dark-skinned with a kind face. He invited them all into his humble abode, urging them to sit and relax like he understood they were heroes and didn't get that opportunity often.

"So to what do I owe the pleasure?" Renado asked once they were all seated on an amalgamation of wooden benches and soft, woven cushions.

"It can't just be a friendly drop in to say hi?" Twilight joked with a sheepish grin on his face.

"It rarely is with you," Renado returned in an equally teasing tone.

Twilight sighed, his light-hearted expression falling reluctantly. "You're right. There's trouble brewing in Hyrule again."

"No more Shadow Beasts, I hope?"

"No—well," Twilight glanced at Time before returning his gaze to Renado. "It's shadow-like in nature, but I don't think it has any connection to the evil that plagued the kingdom before. This threat is different. It taints monsters, makes them stronger than usual. My companions and I have been traveling to eradicate them."

Renado hummed, brow severely furrowed. "I see. That would explain why there have been less travelers than usual as of late. I figured it was the Bulblins getting territorial again, but if what you say is true…"

Green grimaced at the thought of innocent civilians being hurt and slain on the road. They were heroes. They should be able to stop it. But not even they could be everywhere at once. The portals made sure of that.

"Are the monsters going to attack the village?" the shaman's daughter asked, leaning forward with a face far too serious for a child. Then again, maybe she was older than she looked. He certainly was.

"No." Twilight's gaze softened. "I don't think so."

"They haven't attacked any civilizations as far as we know," Time added. "The village should be safe."

She sat back on her heels, shoulders slumping in relief. Her father wasn't so easily appeased. "Have you brought this matter to the Queen?"

"We tried, but we couldn't get an audience on such short notice," Twilight said.

"So that's why we're here." Legend pulled out the bottle of black blood from his bag and thrust it into Renado's hands. "We want you to examine this."

"It's black blood from one of the infected monsters," Twilight explained, sparing a quick look of disapproval at Legend for being so forward. "I was hoping you'd be able to locate the source of it for us? The monsters won't stop coming unless we cut them off at their roots."

Renado turned the bottle around in his long-fingered hands, peering at the contents with a critical eye. Finally, he snapped his gaze back to the group of heroes. "My training is primarily in healing, not scrying, so I can't promise anything, but I'll try."

A grin broke out on Twilight's face, and Green found himself mirroring it. "Thank you."

If this worked, they would have a lead! Not just a general direction of monsters causing trouble, but an actual lead. The excitement was palpable, not just in his chest but in the room, as he shared hopeful smiles with the others.

"Luda, fetch me a bowl of water, two candles and some incense please."

"Yes, Father." While Luda rose and scurried off to do as she was bid, the rest of them helped Renado draw curtains over the windows to keep the last harsh rays of the sun out of the room.

It wasn't long before they were all settled in their seats again, leaning forward eagerly as Renado and Luda prepared. Green didn't know much about scrying, but Vio said it was basically about seeing images and patterns. Sometimes in animal bones, sometimes in water. Sometimes in mirrors. Green was extra thankful they weren't using a mirror.

With candles lit and a large bowl of water in front of him, Renado uncorked the bottle of blood and carefully poured out a drop.

It struck the water with an audible plop! but that wasn't the shocking part. The shocking part was its behavior. Instead of dispersing in the liquid, the tainted blood consumed it, dying the water black as pitch.

"That's not normal," Vio observed, echoing Green's own thoughts.

Likely thinking the same, Renado glanced up, serious eyes roving across the group. "This substance is incredibly dark in nature. Are you sure you should be pursuing it?"

"We must," came Time's immediate reply and no one objected. It was true. As heroes, this was their duty. No matter how dark the magic, no matter how malicious the evil, they had to face it.

Nodding with melancholy understanding, Renado stoppered the bottle and gave his full attention to the bowl of blackened water.

At her father's side, Luda raised a finger to her lips. Quiet. They could do that.

After five minutes of the shaman staring into the bowl's inky depths, Wild began to fidget. Then Wind.

Green was doing well enough until the woody scent of incense twirled its way into his nostrils and made his nose twinge. He sniffed quietly, scrunching his eyes in an attempt to hold in the sneeze. Based on the way Twilight was furiously rubbing the back of his hand across his own nose, he was having a similar problem.

Fortunately for them, the sneeze or two that did escape didn't seem to interrupt the shaman's work. Renado's unfocused gaze snapped to clarity and with a motion to his daughter, the incense was snuffed out and the curtains thrown open.

"I saw a village," Renado reported. "But it wasn't one that I recognized. It appeared to be abandoned. A long dirt road ran up the center and on either side were multistoried buildings with balconies."

Twilight gasped. "I know where that is."

"Is it far from here?" Time wondered.

"It's about half a day's ride."

"That means it'll take us at least a day on foot, maybe more," Warrior surmised.

"Yes, and it's not abandoned completely either. An elderly woman lives there," Twilight continued, brow furrowed with concern. "Renado, what exactly did you see? Is The Shadow there?"

The shaman gave a slow shake of his head, long, braided beads clacking together. "I cannot say for certain. Scrying is a vague art and this session was no different. With the addition of the black blood to the water I can almost guarantee you'll find something there. However, I can't guarantee it is the source you seek."

"It could be more black-blooded monsters," Green realized.

"If that's true then that old lady is probably dead."

"Don't say that!" Red wailed. "She could have hidden."

"Whether it is infected monsters or just The Shadow it doesn't look good for her," Vio pointed out.

"If it is, we'll need a plan," Twilight said. "The Hidden Village is prime ambush territory. Lots of high ground and hidey holes. The last time I was there, I nearly got skewered by arrows."

Wind cackled. "The old lady ambushed you?"

"No, monsters did."

The mirth fled from Wind's face. "Oh."

"But Impaz was fine," Twilight hastened to add. "She hid in her house. If Renado is correct, I hope she hid this time too."

"See, see! I told you!"

"Yeah, yeah. Can it."

"Hee hee."

"I pray it is so as well," Renado rumbled while Luda bowed her head in agreement. "This magic is darker than anything I've encountered before."

Time narrowed his eye. "How so?"

"Well, for one," Renado gestured at the bowl. "You can see how the blood reacted to the water. Not at all how blood should."

"It changed the chemistry," Wild piped up.

"But we know that," Legend griped with an exasperated eye roll. "It makes monsters stronger."

"It does more than that." Renado said. "From what I can discern, it changes living beings at their core, somewhat like an illness that spreads throughout and consumes the spirit."

Green shuddered at the thought.

"So it could turn something good, evil, then?" Warrior speculated, arms crossed in a calculating manner.

"In theory, yes." Renado confirmed.

"How about people?" Warrior pressed. "Can it change people?"

Green's head snapped to the captain so fast he almost gave himself whiplash. He wasn't seriously suggesting…

"That son of a—!"

"Wait, wait, wait; we don't know that's what he's implying for sure."

"Yes, we do; he's obviously asking because of us."

"Perhaps." Renado hummed. "That's why I'd be extra cautious in pursuing this." The shaman looked them all in the eye. "Clean your weapons and clothes diligently. Don't let a drop of infected blood enter your bodies. Don't even let it touch your skin if you can help it."

"Right. Of course, we'll be careful," Twilight agreed.

"One last question," Warrior requested. Renado nodded and the captain continued. "Hypothetically, if a person did get infected, would there be any way for us to tell?"

Blue crashed into the body so fast the room spun.

"Don't don't don't don't!" Phantom vines snaked around his shoulders and down his arms in an attempt to hold him back.

He clenched his fists so hard his fingernails bit into his palms.

"Blue, calm yourself. Getting angry is only going to make him think he has a point."

"And he's wrong! We know he's wrong! Just leave it be!"

But he couldn't leave it be. Warrior made it clear he thought they were infected and going to go on a killing spree, and he just said it right in front of everyone. Worst of all, they were in front of strangers. Strangers who didn't know what the Four Sword did to them. Strangers who would label them as crazy if Blue suddenly began yelling at Warrior like he wanted to.

Gritting his teeth so hard it was a wonder they didn't crack, Blue leveled Warrior with his sharpest glare. The man didn't even flinch.

Renado, oblivious to the slap in the face Warrior had just delivered, answered. "This is speculation on my part, so take it with a grain of rice. However, seeing as it's an infection of the spirit, the person may start acting strangely. More violent, perhaps or even distant. You might catch them saying or doing things they wouldn't normally. Of course, you may not. It all depends on how sentient this magic is. It could be capable of masking itself, so you may not be able to tell if a person has been afflicted just by looking at them. Only a blood sample would provide concrete evidence."

If Warrior tried to draw a drop of blood from them, he was going to lose a hand.

The others thanked Renado for his guidance, and Blue managed to rip his glare away from the captain long enough to mumble empty words of gratitude alongside them.

Who was Warrior to say such things?! They weren't crazy and they weren't infected. They weren't going to kill anyone. Shadow wasn't going to kill anyone.

Blue wouldn't let him.

By the time they said their goodbyes to Renado and his daughter, Blue was set to burst. His clenched fists were ready to fly, his jaw ready to spring open. But he held it. He held it for one step away from the house.

Two steps.

Three steps.

Four steps.

Five.

Until he couldn't hold it anymore.

Blue rounded on the captain and shoved. Warrior barely stumbled from the blow, and he suddenly wished he did have super strength, just so he could knock the captain down a peg. "What in the Dark World was that?!"

Warrior raised an eyebrow, the epitome of calm as cries of alarm rose around them. "What was what?"

"Don't play dumb!" Blue seethed. The jerk knew exactly what he was doing. He meant to make Blue look like he was in the wrong, and it wasn't going to work. "You asked those questions because you think we're infected!"

"I'm sure he doesn't," Sky said, hands rising in a placating manner. He glanced at the captain. "Right, War?"

Warrior didn't reply.

"Warrior?"

The captain heaved a sigh, his shoulders slumping in resignation. "Look, I'm sorry. I had to make sure. I've dealt with my fair share of traitors in the war."

A knife plunged into his heart. "Do you really think—?!"

"No! I mean, I just…augh, I don't know!" Warrior threw his hands in the air. "I don't know what to think, okay? I've never known anyone to have—to be multiple people at once before. You're a wild card. I don't know what to expect from you."

"How about: stop expecting the worst, huh? Ever think of that?" Blue retorted. "We've fought by your side for months and never raised a finger against you."

Warrior's expression hardened. The face of a soldier. "I'm aware of that."

"Then why are you antagonizing us?"

"I'm not."

"You are."

"I'm not trying to. Look, it's not that I don't trust you; I don't trust this Shadow person," Warrior explained, hand on hip. "He came out of nowhere."

"He came from us," Blue retorted, not entirely processing the words as they left his mouth.

"Can you say that with certainty?" Warrior challenged, quirking a perfectly sculpted eyebrow.

"I—" He gritted his teeth. No. The answer was no, but he couldn't admit that or else Warrior would think he had a hill to stand on, and he didn't.

Blue shook himself. "Look, Vio's the smartest nerd around. If he says Shadow came from us, then Shadow came from us."

And if that was true, then Shadow didn't have it in him to harm his friends.

"I won't deny Vio's intelligent, but his theory is just that. A theory. It's not a fact."

"Like you have the facts!" Blue scoffed.

"I don't," Warrior admitted, crossing his arms over his chest. "But I do have experience, and coupled with what you told us last night about Shadow, he's dangerous."

"He's not! He won't hurt anyone," Blue found himself (Vio?) insisting despite the phantom chill that traced their body. He clenched his hand into a fist, resolute. "I won't let him."

"Then what was that ambush on camp?" Warrior pressed.

"A fluke," Blue swore. "It won't happen again."

"But you can't guarantee that, can you? How do we know Shadow didn't orchestrate it?"

"Because Shadow can hardly function, himself. He's not in any state to set traps," Vio snapped back when Blue faltered. "Besides, he's only been out a handful of times."

"That you know of."

"Excuse me?"

"That you know of," Warrior repeated. "You guys have memory loss when you switch, don't you?"

"Well, yes, but—"

"So Shadow could have been acting without your knowledge of it."

Vio rejected the proposition with a sharp shake of his head. "He'd never do anything to purposely hurt us or any of you."

"No? Because based on how you described him yesterday, he isn't a good guy."

"He is now." Shadow had never truly enjoyed playing the villain. He'd been forced into the role. In many ways, he was a victim, too.

"I don't trust him not to fall back on old habits," Warrior asserted.

Blue's grumble of mixed agreement blew in like a storm cloud heavy with rain, and nature bowed under it.

"Then trust me," Vio invited, slapping a palm to his chest and hoping it would knock any of his brothers' lingering doubt loose. "Trust me when I say he won't. Shadow is different now. The last thing on his mind is hurting other people."

Warrior studied him, eyes hard and expression unreadable. "Are you sure? Or are you just saying that because it's what Shadow said?"

"I'm sure, so drop it." Vio internally winced at how the words snapped at the air. "Please."

Unfortunately, his minor slip of manners had been enough to absolve Warrior of his. The captain's eyes narrowed. "What makes you so sure? Can you read his mind?"

"No, but—"

"How do you know he isn't putting thoughts in your head? Words in your mouth? He's in a perfect position to manipulate you and endanger all of us."

Vio quickly found his mouth opening and closing, grasping for words but unable to find any. The storm clouds inside darkened, swirling into a tempest that threatened to uproot everything.

"Captain, stop," Sky pleaded, stepping between them like his body would be enough to block out Warrior's distrust and their rising anger. "Let's stop talking about it for now."

"No." To their surprise, the refusal came not from Warrior, but from Legend.

"Vet, not you too." Sky sighed in obvious disappointment.

The Hero of Legend waved it away like an irritating gnat. "Pretty boy has a point. Four could've been infected by the black blood. He's around it enough."

"So are the rest of you!" Blue boomed like thunder.

"You do most of the weapon upkeep. Nine times out of ten, there's infected blood to clean off. If you had so much as a paper cut, the infection could have found its way in," Legend intoned.

The storm clouds burst, but instead of rain they held acid. It poured from his tongue and flushed his face volcano hot. "We're not infected!"

Legend's eyebrows met his hairline. "Really?" He began to tick off points on his fingers. "You're more violent than before, physically and verbally. You switch between moods constantly. You're spacey multiple times a day. You left during watch the other night, yet claim you didn't. That you'd never do anything like that, and I agree. You wouldn't. But Shadow did. Shadow who mysteriously appeared in your head. Or maybe it's not Shadow, but The Shadow? In any case," Legend wiggled his four raised fingers, "your symptoms match up with what that shaman guy said."

Their facial muscles twitched, pulled in all different directions by Legend's conclusive "evidence", before settling on furrowed brows and lips set in a firm line.

"That proves nothing," Vio declared. "We're the way we are because of the Four Sword. If we're acting differently than 'before' it's because you know our secret now, so we have no reason to hide it. The shaman was speculating anyway. If you recall, he said the only way to tell for sure was with a blood sample, and you've seen our blood. It's red."

"But if you're truly that paranoid and wish to check—" Vio closed the distance between himself and the veteran and thrust out his arm, wrist up. "—be my guest."

An inferno, a tornado, and a tsunami crashed into him all at once.

"NO!StopitVio!That'stoofar!"

Sickness rose in his throat, and his arm trembled with the urge to retract it, but he fought to keep it extended, to tamp down his brothers' panic and to hold Legend's glare with his own. Legend wouldn't hurt them.

He could see it in his eyes.

"That's enough." Time stepped between the two of them, gently, but firmly, lowering Vio's arm and leveling both Legend and Warrior with one of his sternest glares." This is ridiculous. No one's infected, so stop pointing fingers like children. Infighting is the last thing we need."

"Infighting is what I'm trying to prevent!" Warrior objected, rounding on Time. He raised his hands, almost pleading. "Our enemy always seems to be one step ahead of us. It wouldn't surprise me if they planted a mole. In fact, it'd be smart to. If the Shadow wants to get the best of us, betraying our trust is the exact way to do it!"

Time strolled over to clasp Warrior's shoulder. "Captain, I think you need to take a step back and reassess. This group is not your battalion. You're among friends."

Warrior scoffed, shaking off Time's touch. "Yeah, that's what I thought then, too. Nearly got me killed on multiple occasions, and it actually did get others killed, so excuse me, but I think I have a right to be cautious. I know what I'm talking about."

Vio felt his face soften with understanding. "Captain, Time's right. This group is different. We would never betray you."

The words that were supposed to be comforting only agitated the war veteran further. "You honestly expect me to believe that, coming from you of all people? You betrayed yourself!"

Vio reeled from the blow as if it was physical, and Blue jolted into control, aiming a swift kick to Warrior's shin.

The captain hissed in pain, and as he doubled over to massage his leg, Blue grasped his collar, forcing the man to look at him. "Take it back!"

Warrior kept his lips pinched just like the rest of his face. Blue shook him as if that would shake the apology loose.

Instead, hands wrapped around his, prying his fingers open and pulling him away. "You don't know what you're talking about, you hear me?!" he shouted as Sky and Twilight tugged him in one direction and Time yanked Warrior in the other. "Vio didn't betray anyone."

"I did...I-I—Shadow."

"No, Vi…"

"No? What about—"

Time cuffed Warrior on the back of the head, encouraging him to turn around. "Quiet. March, soldier."

Blue watched, heaving and tense as Time led a surprisingly cooperative Warrior away. He wouldn't admit it aloud, but he was glad it was Sky and Twilight restraining him and not Time. The old man reminded him a little too much of Father right now.

Even so, that didn't mean he liked being touched. He shrugged the Skyloftian and the rancher off. "I'm going for a walk."

"Do you want—" Twilight began.

"No. Don't follow me."

He didn't want company. He just wanted everyone to shut up. Shut up, shut up, shut up, SHUT UP! I'm not a bad person. Warrior was just upset with his past, not with us. But what if it was with us? What if he's right, and we are infected? We're not. But what if…?

Ugh, shut up!

Like the brunt of some divine joke, Blue's feet had carried him to a graveyard. A niggling thought in the back of his mind said it was disrespectful to stomp around on top of graves, so he plopped himself down by a headstone instead, trying valiantly to ignore the dirt rubbing against his clothes.

He glared at the shadow cast by the weathered slab at his back.

This was all Shadow's fault! Why couldn't he have just stayed dead?

That's not nice.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Blue mumbled, drawing his knees to his chest and burying his aching head in his arms. "Still his fault."

Vio's ire pounded against his temples like stones. "Stop blaming him!"

"Why?" he spat. "It is his fault. If he never showed up, none of them would have any reason to hate us right now!"

"They…they hate us?" Red whimpered.

Yes.

"No, I just think—well…Warrior wasn't happy. Or Legend." Green offered timidly, like a passing breeze swirling through a pile of leaves.

Blue released an aggravated sigh, raising his head and letting it fall back against the tombstone behind him. "They do hate us. And you know what? It isn't Shadow's fault. It's Vio's."

"Come on, Blue, that's—"

"No, it's the truth! The others didn't need to know about him. Now look. They think we're infected. Warrior thinks we're going to stab him in the back the second he turns around, and Legend—I don't even know what his deal is, but he's clearly already convinced we're dangerous. How long until the others follow suit, huh? Until they turn on us? Until we're not even being hunted by monsters anymore but by heroes?"

"The others…" Red sniffled. "Th-they wouldn't do that. We're friends…"

Blue scoffed. "Like that matters if your friend turns into a monster."

"No one is a monster," Vio asserted.

"Shadow—"

"No one," Vio reiterated, his tone as sharp as broken glass.

Blue's jaw tightened. He wanted to argue and yet something held him back. Because Shadow wasn't a monster at the end, was he? He was just a boy. A shadow. Their shadow.

And if he was still their shadow then he could believe it when his brother swore up and down Shadow would not hurt anyone. But if the Big Bad had somehow placed this Shadow in their mind, well, then he couldn't trust him at all. Which meant Warrior and the rest were right to scorn them, to treat them like traitors.

Because they were.

"Look, what's done is done," Vio declared. "If we just give them some time to think it over, I'm sure they'll come around and see sense."

"Yeah…yeah." The wind sighed, gradually growing stronger in its conviction. "Everyone is just scared and confused right now."

"They wouldn't be if you two had just kept your mouths shut," Blue pointed out. "But no! You just had to go behind my back."

"Hey, you agreed to it, too," Vio reminded him.

And that might have been true but… "Only because you twisted my arm! I had a bad feeling about it, but I let it go, because you said one of the others might know how to get rid of him. But they don't." He barked out a humorless laugh. "Of course they don't. They just think we're looney and going to fly off the handle at any second! All because you idiots never listen to me. You always have to be right, and I'm always wrong."

"I'm sorry, Blue," Red apologized, wilting like a flower.

"Yeah? Well, it's too late for that now, isn't it?"

A lump formed in his throat, and he choked it down. Stupid Red, get away from the front if you're going to cry.

Whether Red heard his unvoiced frustration or not, Blue felt his most emotional brother's presence melt into the background. Now his eyes were just gritty and sore. Gross.

"You don't have to be so hard on him," Vio admonished. "You're mad at me."

"Yeah, I am, so why don't you buzz off?"

Vio took his invitation without so much as a sound, and Green followed a few seconds later, sweeping deeper into the headspace and leaving a chill in his wake.

Of course, Blue was just imagining it. His brothers didn't hold any real substance so they couldn't generate warmth. His being chilly was purely the weather's fault. At least, that was what he told himself as he wrapped his arms tighter around his midsection and bowed his head into his knees to conserve body heat.

Finally, some peace and quiet.

…It wasn't as peaceful as he had imagined.