A/N: Hello! It's been over a month since the last update, which was in no way intentional. The Saturday after I posted the previous chapter, I woke up with the most excruciating pain I have ever experienced and wound up in the emergency room for kidney stones it was a nightmare, and I never want to do it again. After that, I had a little mental health dip, just about pulled myself out of it, and was ready to post the next chapter when one of my beloved cats of 17 years passed away. Obviously, that put me out of commission for another week. Suffice it to say, the universe clearly doesn't want me sticking to a regular update schedule so I'm not going to jinx it again by opening my mouth and promising things. Chapters will come out when they come out, and that is the best I can offer.
This chapter has been beta read/sensitivity read by the lovely Nebulapaws. Thank them! This chapter is much better than it was as a result of their help. Thank you, Nebulapaws! 3
TW: Some discussion of murder towards the end but no actual murder. If you would like to skip it, the section begins with "'I hope the Yiga stay far away…'" and ends with "A determined gleam…"
Disclaimer: I am not a professional on DID, I do not have the disorder myself, and if you are a system and your experience does not align with Four's, that's okay! Everyone's experience differs, and you are valid. In fact, you are much more valid than a DID system written by a person without DID, so don't feel like the way Four is represented is the "only" or "right" way for one to experience DID (or OSDD!) That goes for all my fellow singletons as well. Don't generalize real-life systems with Four's. Grain of salt, remember, grain of salt.
Without further ado, I hope you enjoy the chapter!
~Hylia
Chapter 17
Blue shot out of the portal, head spinning and insides climbing up his throat. He lurched to the side, toe catching on something soft, yet firm that sent him sprawling.
His palms hit wood with a painfully loud smack! and his stomach churned all the harder for it.
"Shhh!" Someone shushed him sharply.
Blue managed to raise his pounding head just enough to glare at a Wild-shaped blur crouched clear of the portal with a finger to his lips.
The champion began to sign, likely some kind of explanation, but Blue's eyes were spinning far too much in his skull to focus properly. He squeezed his eyes shut with a groan, lowering his forehead to the cool floor and slapping noodle-like arms over his throbbing head. The headache he could handle. It was the nausea and the strange, floaty disconnect between his mind and body that he loathed.
In this condition he was more likely to stab himself with his sword than an enemy. Speaking of his sword, it wasn't in his hand anymore.
Lifting his head to search for it wound up being a mistake. Black dotted his vision, and his forehead thunked to the wooden floor only partially of his own volition. Someone put a hand on his back, rubbing small circles. Red would have appreciated the gesture. Blue did not.
He made a sound of displeasure, vocal chords not entirely cooperative, and tried to brush whoever it was off. Unfortunately, that was kind of difficult when it didn't feel like his body belonged to him.
Vague sounds floated overhead as if through a long, winding tunnel, but he didn't need to hear what was being said to know it was probably some platitude or expression of concern over his current state.
Admittedly, it wasn't the best at the moment, but Blue bristled at the coddling anyway. He was fine. So long as he took it slow and kept breathing through it as Vio was so helpfully reminding him in the headspace, the portal sickness, and the floaty feeling would pass. It always did.
The important thing was he was in control, if tentatively at the moment, and Shadow was not. None of the others were either. The dark magic had untangled him and Vio, it seemed, so at least the portal proved to be good for something.
When Blue felt slightly more settled in the body, he slowly sat back on his heels and opened his eyes. A body clad in skin-tight red fabric, and a white clay mask lay before him.
He gasped, jumping to his feet and nearly falling over backward.
A hand on his shoulder steadied him.
"Okay?" the old man signed from where he lingered at Blue's back.
He pulled a face, signing a curt yes with a stiff jerk of his left fist and shrugging off Time's help. He didn't need it.
Now that his vision was clearer, Blue took stock of his surroundings. They were up high, in a loft or attic of some kind. Glass windows caged in the room, creating an airy-feeling enclosure. A display piece one might find in a shop stood proudly along one side, piled high with bunches upon bunches of perfectly yellow bananas. Across from the fruit display was a hallway, also lined with tall, black-paned windows.
The portal was nowhere in sight.
Judging by the two downed Yiga members and the abysmal amount of bananas, Blue could only assume they had landed in the heart of Yiga territory.
Vio came to the same conclusion, although Vio being Vio, had to take it a step further and annoy Blue with his thoughts. "The bananas are all in the exact same state of ripeness. Consumable but not in their prime just yet. Which means they'll all ripen on the same day. Surely, the Yiga Clan can't consume them all at once before they spoil. Unless they have some way of keeping them fresh…"
"Magic," Blue hazarded, not that he cared. But he would like Vio to shut up. His brother did no such thing.
"Preservation magic? I don't think that exists. At least, I haven't come across any such thing in my studies. Beyond Wild's slate, that is, but he says it's technology, not magic. Regardless, the fruit is open to the air and I can't sense a magical signature. Then again, I would probably need to be closer to discern such a thing if it was present. But perhaps it isn't. In which case it is possible the Yiga Clan is larger than I presumed, and they could consume all this fruit in a timely manner…"
It came as a relief when Wild waved for everyone's attention. Grateful for the distraction, Blue watched the champion's signs carefully. "We have to sneak out of here. This is the Yiga Clan's hideout, so there's way too many to fight. I can lead us out, but you all have to follow me carefully and quietly."
"Potions?" Twilight signed, and Wild slapped a hand to his forehead.
"That's right! Yes!" The champion unhooked the Sheikah Slate from his hip, tapping on it furiously until his arms were laden with glass bottles full of sludgy, dark indigo liquid. He lifted his arms slightly to indicate that the heroes should all take one.
Blue did so reluctantly, nose scrunched up in disgust. His stomach, while better than before, still rolled uncomfortably. All Vio's talk of bananas wasn't helping either.
"If I puke, it's on you," Blue commented.
"If you do, please be quiet about it," Wild begged. Nothing in his face belied a joke or even indifference. The champion appeared to be genuinely on edge, and that was the only reason Blue didn't flip him off. His feelings were understandable. They were in the middle of a hideout full of assassins who wanted the hero dead, after all.
That still didn't make Wild's request possible, though.
"Maybe you shouldn't take it," Sky fretted, eyeing Blue with concern. He barely withheld an eyeroll. What a mother cucco…
"No, they need to take it," Legend interjected, signs short and pointed. "If they switch and stumble while we're sneaking out of here, they need something to keep them quiet."
"Shut up," Blue snapped, his own signs just as sharp. "You have Moblin feet. If anyone needs to take it, it's you."
"Ha!" Wind laughed. Then slapped a belated hand over his mouth, eyes wide.
The heroes froze, ears pricked and eyes open for any sign that they'd been detected. Even Vio fell quiet.
A heartbeat passed in tense silence, every one of Blue's muscles wound tight.
Two beats.
Three.
His grip on the bottle grew slick.
After a full heart-pounding thirty seconds, someone dared to release their breath. Or maybe they just couldn't hold it anymore. Either way, that served as permission for the rest of them to do the same.
Blue jabbed a finger at Wind. "You really need to take it."
Wind's mouth dropped open, affronted. He nearly hit Hyrule in the face with his wide, sweeping gestures. "I do not! I'm the master of stealth!"
Blue smirked. "Clearly."
The sailor stuck his tongue out at him, but uncorked the bottle in his hand all the same.
"Can we not make anyone laugh, please?" Wild requested, expression strained and signs equally so as he glanced nervously around.
"I wasn't trying to," Blue pointed out. "I was just giving Legend a taste of his own medicine. Not my fault if it happened to be funny." He swiped his sword up from where it had fallen next to the Yiga he'd tripped over earlier and slid it into its sheath.
"Let's not fight amongst ourselves, either," Time said in a much sterner manner than Wild had.
Legend rolled his eyes. "I wasn't trying to fight, old man. I was just being practical. It's an actual concern, you know, them switching mid-stealth mission."
"Worry about yourself," Blue ordered, glaring daggers at the veteran. This was exactly why he hated the others knowing their secret. Even without the wrench Shadow threw in things, everyone had started to treat them like they were fragile. As if all the sudden they were less capable than before. But that wasn't true. They had functioned as multiple minds in one body long before they stumbled into this adventure, and they'd function just fine that way long after.
"I'd love to, but we're a group," Legend returned haughtily. "What one does affects the others."
"Exactly, so stop talking," Blue ordered. "If we switch, it's none of your business."
"It is if Shadow comes out," Warrior mentioned.
"Unlikely."
"He won't," Blue stressed, the mere suggestion felt like a slap in the face. "I'm in full control."
Legend quirked an eyebrow. "For now."
"Forever with you around," Blue retorted. Legend's brazen attitude had a habit of bringing him to the forefront because they were both hot-headed. Or maybe because Legend knew exactly how to tick him off. He was willing to bet on the latter.
"I'd wager it's both."
"No one asked your opinion," he threw back.
"Always a delight to have you here, Blue." He scowled, hating the way the sign for his name looked so much like shooing someone away. Unfortunately, there wasn't a better one. Name signs had never come up for them individually.
"I am a delight," Blue declared purely to counteract Legend's sarcasm. Uncorking the bottle as a means to end the discussion, Blue tipped his head back and downed the liquid in one, awful rush, grimacing at the chalky taste.
The potion dropped into his stomach like a stone. Yet, strangely, it didn't make the lingering nausea worse. If anything, the whirlpool in his belly stilled. He noticed the tight muscles in his face and shoulders relax a fraction as well.
Huh. Weird.
"Fascinating. I wonder what combination of ingredients causes that effect…"
Blue had no idea, nor did he want to know, considering the abysmal taste, but somehow Wild's gross potion had not only softened his movements but his stress as well. Outwardly, at least. Inwardly, his blood continued to boil like a pot of water. Someone had just put a lid on it.
The simple fact that he'd swallowed the potion after Legend's insistence rubbed him the wrong way, but he tried not to let it as he shoved the empty bottle back into Wild's hand and waited for the others to down their own potions.
Not taking it would have been stupid. They were in enemy territory and risked being overwhelmed by blood-thirsty assassins if so much as a misplaced step caused them to be discovered. His pride—though it ached almost more fiercely than his head—could take a hit to keep them safe, Blue decided.
The rest of the potions were downed in quick succession, grimaces accompanying each one, and as soon as the last bottle disappeared into Wild's slate, they began to move.
The champion, of course, took the lead, keeping low to the ground and encouraging the rest of them to do the same.
The heroes crept out of the banana storage room—or was it a shrine? Vio bet on shrine—and down the hall single file. The usual clinking and clanking of their weapons and armor were silenced by Wild's stealth potions, and Blue found himself appreciating the potion's effects even more. Switch headaches were annoying enough to deal with. It was nice not to have anything aggravating it for a change. Well, besides Vio.
The line of windows eventually ended, giving way to open air and treating Blue to a bird's eye view of the rafters and the large, square room below.
Blademasters paced the floor in purposeful paths, torches held aloft for light. Despite the glowing red lanterns strung above the windows of the loft space the heroes were currently traversing, the lighting below was rather terrible, which was good for them. It meant the Yiga had to work harder to see anything amiss.
Still, Blue didn't doubt they would be spotted if one of the assassins happened to look up, so he shifted away from the edge, reaching ahead to grasp the sailor's arm and forcing him to do the same. Just in case.
When the champion reached the end of the hallway, Blue expected him to turn left, following the wooden planks and window panes. However, Wild continued forward instead, leading them into a dark alcove where the floor turned into sandstone, and the walls pressed almost suffocatingly close.
Wild peered over the edge of the gap in the left-hand wall and abruptly raised a fist.
Everyone froze.
An enemy had been spotted. Unfortunately, even cramped side-by-side in the space with Wind, Blue couldn't see the threat that laid below.
There definitely was one, however, which was why Blue couldn't help but be baffled when Wild drew a banana out of his slate in a flash of cyan tendrils.
This was no time to be eating!
But eating, for once, wasn't on the cook's mind. It was mischief. Or at least, that was what Blue assumed it was because what other reason would there be to lob a bunch of fruit at an enemy?
His jaw dropped open in disbelief as he watched Wild throw himself bodily after the fruit. He wasn't the only one, either. The rest of his companions surged forward, pushing and shoving for a glimpse of whatever shenanigans the amnesiac hero was up to now.
Using his small size to his advantage, Blue wriggled his way to the front. The sight that greeted him nearly made him laugh.
A Yiga, their back turned, tip-toed like an overexcited toddler who knew nothing of subtlety over to the bundle of bananas lying on the floor, hands raised and ready to snatch.
Meanwhile, Wild alighted silently on the ground several feet behind the oblivious Yiga member, wisping away the paraglider he'd used to soften his landing and materializing a sword in its place.
Completely oblivious to the champion's presence, the assassin completed their surreptitious trot and reached a hand towards their find. They paused half-way glancing left and right as if afraid someone would appear and whisk away their prize, before grasping the fruit properly.
Just as they went to squirrel the bananas away in whatever pockets their ugly red bodysuit possessed, Wild struck.
It was quiet and clean and left no room for so much as a thud as he caught the body before it could fall and guided it gently to the ground.
Wild snatched up the bait—how dumb were these guys to not be suspicious of bananas falling from the ceiling?—and did a cursory glance of the narrow corridor before turning and giving them a thumbs up. He gestured for them to come down, standing by the fallen enemy to keep a lookout. Blue's hands were halfway raised to asking, "How?" when he noticed the ladder.
He descended rung by rung as quickly as possible. Wild may have incapacitated one Yiga, but there were many more where that came from. Dawdling too long in one spot was just asking to get caught.
And no one wanted that.
Blue was maybe halfway down the ladder when a rush of wind at his back caused him to turn with a gasp. He caught the tail end of a blur in his vision and directed his gaze down to follow it.
An oversized leaf sprung to life, drifting down to deposit its passenger—the sailor, Blue saw once the giant leaf was no longer stretched above the kid's head like a parachute—safely on the ground.
Jealousy banged around in the cage of his chest. He used to be able to do that. As annoying a hat Ezlo made, he had made an excellent parachute. Their replica hood, sadly, did not. In fact, it was more liable to choke them than break their fall. The fabric wasn't nearly billowy enough. Big design fail there.
Then again, it had been more for sentimentality than anything, if he recalled. None of them anticipated going on another adventure. They'd foolishly assumed they were done, so when Red insisted on making and sewing a tribute to Ezlo into their tunic, no one objected. Now, Blue was wishing he'd weighed in.
Unfortunately it was too late for that, so Blue found himself stuck climbing down the ridiculously long rickety ladder while any hero with an item to break their fall promptly used it to plummet past him.
It felt like an eternity before his boots finally hit stone and another before everyone managed to regroup.
Wild, thankfully, was quick to get them moving again, carefully checking for any patrolling Yiga before waving them around corners and down narrow passages.
As they approached a new room, the champion called for another halt. Craning his neck to peer around the corner, Blue immediately saw why. Two blademasters stood in the open archway, their backs so close he could reach out and touch them if he wanted.
Clenching his teeth, Blue retreated and pressed his back to the wall. How were they going to get past this?
More bananas, apparently. The cook already had several in his arms.
Blue slapped the back of his hand to the champion's shoulder, and directed his sternest glare at the teen.
"No way," he signed. "We're going to get caught."
Wild shook his head, a characteristically stubborn look on his face and set off to prove Blue wrong.
Brow creased and tongue poking out the side of his mouth in intense concentration, Wild wound back his arm and chucked the fruit over the Yiga's heads. Naturally, the guards startled at the unexpected projectile, confused grunts escaping their thick throats as the bananas landed with a dull thwack! on the other side of the room.
The well-muscled assassins exchanged what probably would have been a wide-eyed look had masks not covered their faces, and then promptly dove for the fruit.
Hissed growls of "mine!" and "paws off!" arose as Wild flapped a hand furiously at the group to go go go!
The band of Links did so with the barest hint of a pause, none of them unable to resist staring at the complete buffoonery playing out before their eyes. Blue himself hardly withheld a laugh as he slinked past.
Only when he slammed into someone's back, did his smirk fall. Wind, who had been similarly distracted, bumped into him next, but Blue didn't direct so much as a glare at him. He was too busy pulling Sky back from where the Skyloftian had abruptly froze and nearly stepped into the light of a patrolling Yiga's torch.
They flung themselves against the right-hand wall as the light brightened, and a hulking crimson-clad figure came into view.
Blue held his breath, sure that the rapid pounding of his heart would expose them. It was as loud as a hammer on an anvil after all, and the Blademaster stood not a hand's breadth away. It had to be audible.
But the Yiga didn't spare so much as a glance in their direction. They continued calmly forward, turning at the corner—their back now to the heroes—then eventually rounding the following corner and out of sight.
A shaky exhale gusted out of Sky, and Blue struggled not to mirror it, still distrustful. As idiotic as they were around bananas, the Yiga were still assassins and therefore ruthless fighters.
He didn't forget that again as Wild guided them through the rest of the Yiga Clan's headquarters and outside into a shaded canyon pass.
Even then, Blue didn't drop his guard, noting how the champion's body was anything but relaxed. So long as the resident Link remained wary, he would too. The Yiga would be dumb to not guard the entrance to their hideout, after all, and despite the show with the bananas, Blue didn't think them dumb. Well, not completely, anyway. They did lose credibility points for the banana thing. Who wouldn't? Bananas weren't even that tasty, and to abandon one's post for a common fruit was just plain stupid.
Then again, they were in the middle of a desert, as evidenced by the copious amounts of sand at their feet and the suffocatingly dry air. Bananas weren't known to flourish in such places. It was entirely possible they were a rare delicacy. Still, Blue would never abandon his duty for any fruit, no matter its rarity.
The Yiga guards posted outside were unavoidable, seeing as they were hidden high up in the canyon where none of the group could see them, much less reach. Fortunately, Wild had warned them ahead of time and the enemies were dealt with swiftly. Even better, none of them raised an alarm. It seemed that particular danger only existed so long as one was inside the base itself. Again, stupid, but fortunate for the heroes.
After that, they were free, walking for at least an hour before emerging into a blindingly bright desert. Rolling dunes of golden sand stretched to the wavering horizon, broken up here and there by dark, hazy structures.
As a blacksmith, Blue enjoyed heat. There was something about the way the air hugged his skin and pressed him more firmly to the earth that was comforting. He never complained about how hot everything became in summer. He loved it—even if he disliked how sweat plastered their hair to their face and neck. If he had his way, their hair would be cut short enough so that wouldn't be a problem. As it was, however, Blue remedied the issue with a tie.
Therefore, when Wild fretted about how he didn't have enough heat-resistant items for them all to comfortably traverse the desert, Blue wasn't concerned. He tied his hair back into as high a ponytail as he could manage and whipped out the blue headband to keep any flyaways that dared to escape out of the way, confident it would be enough.
However, not even fifteen minutes into their trek towards civilization, Blue found himself flagging. He wasn't the only one, either. Twilight panted like a dog despite no longer having that heavy pelt draped across his shoulders, and Hyrule's freckled face was red as an overripe strawberry from exertion. Warrior fanned himself with a hand that was too floppy with exhaustion to do much good, while Time visibly shuffled his feet through the sand instead of lifting them, the effort obviously too great even with his armor gone. Wind had developed a noticeable limp, and the collector held an ice rod to his forehead. Judging by the severe crease in his brow and the distinct downturn of his mouth, it wasn't doing much.
The only ones not suffering were Wild—who had donned a cool-looking silky outfit that made Blue jealous—and Sky who wore a sapphire circlet atop his fluffy hair, courtesy of the champion.
The fact that Sky was at the front of the group as opposed to the rear seemed to be a red flag, even for the Chosen Hero because he stopped before long, turning to squint back at the rest of them, eyes shaded with a hand.
"Are you guys okay?"
"Peachy," Legend grumbled, a scowl on his face as he clutched his ice rod close. It was unclear if the perspiration sticking his bangs to his face was from sweat or the melting ice rod.
"Just a little hot," Twilight said more amicably, but he was no less a liar, and Wind was quick to call him out on it.
"A little hot?! It's a lot hot! It's practically as hot as that volcano island I had to go inside one time. And there was lava everywhere. Please tell me we're almost there, Wild."
The wince that crossed the cook's face said it all.
Multiple groans sounded throughout the party, which made Blue feel slightly less ashamed for being one of them.
"I'm sorry. I think I might have a hydromelon or two for you guys to share." He began to swipe through the items in the Sheikah Slate. "It should cool you down a bit."
"You can have this," Sky said, removing the circlet from his head and offering it to Wind.
"But then you'll melt," the sailor pointed out, eyeing the item with a conflicted frown.
"We can take turns."
Heartened by the solution, Wind accepted the item, placing it on his head and instantly letting out a sigh of relief, eyes briefly closing in bliss.
Sky already looked like he was regretting the decision despite the soft smile on his face. Sweat beaded the Skyloftian's brow, and he raised a hand to wipe it away.
Wild, ever the provider, had produced a sizable dull green melon from his slate along with a wicked sharp knife, and began to cut the fruit into portions. Blue quickly found himself holding a slice, taking only a moment to inspect the melon's fleshy orange insides before taking a bite.
Cold juice exploded on his tongue, watery and sweet like honey, but duller. He went back for more even before the first bite had a chance to get down his throat. Hydromelons were officially his new favorite fruit, and it had nothing to do with the fact that he was currently sweltering. No. Not at all.
Before he knew it, only the bitter, chilled crescent of rind lay in his sticky hands.
Looking around proved the others had polished off their portions just as eagerly, their previously tight features softened in content.
The heroes set off again, steps lighter and bodies significantly cooler.
Unfortunately, the reprieve didn't last long. Complaints rose along with the temperature, and Time urged everyone to drink water, as if they hadn't already been doing just that.
Thanks for nothing, old man.
"He's doing his best considering the circumstances," Vio pointed out.
Blue grumbled unintelligibly beneath his breath. All the reminders didn't change the fact they were baking in the sun. At this rate, they'd all be red as lobsters come nightfall. If they lasted that long.
Wild cut up another melon in an attempt to help, but its cooling effect was too minimal to satisfy anyone for more than a handful of minutes.
Even the circlet proved rather useless. Turned out, passing around one magic cooling item among eight people wasn't very effective. As soon as the jewelry left your head, you were right back to melting. It was almost worse, in a way, going from blessedly cool to molten hot in an instant. It reminded Blue of quenching a blade, but in reverse, and that was dangerous. Metal certainly wouldn't withstand the abuse and neither would their bodies. Not for long.
Time had come to the same conclusion. "We have to stop. We'll all drop from heat exhaustion at this rate."
"I agree," Warrior chimed in.
"Same," Sky wheezed, hand clutched around the broach that kept his sailcloth fastened to his person. Blue eyed him in concern. The Chosen Hero had enough breathing problems as it was. He should have kept the circlet.
"Stopping isn't going to make it less hot," Legend griped.
"We can pitch tents. The shade and lack of movement will do us good," Time replied easily. He turned to Wild. "Is this area safe enough to make camp? Or is there a better one?
The champion took a cursory glance around, biting his lip. "It should be fine," he said finally. "Maybe…I don't know with all the portals and stuff. Plus we still aren't that far from the Yiga Clan's base…"
"We'll set a watch," Warrior decided. "Unless there is a closer, more secure place?"
"One with natural shade?" Hyrule added hopefully, no doubt already loathing the task of setting up their own cover. Those tents were a pain. "Like a cave?"
But Wild reluctantly shook his head. "No caves. Not near here. And if we wander too far we'll end up in Molduga territory. That's the last thing we need. Here's fine."
"Good, then we'll rest here until sundown," Time announced. That served as the signal for the majority of them to collapse bonelessly to the ground, only to instantly regret it when hot granules burned every bit of exposed skin. Legend especially was quick to hop to his feet, frantically brushing off sand while swearing colorfully.
Blue allowed himself a smirk and a sip of water—all too aware of the fact that his waterskin bordered on empty—before turning his gaze away. Wild and Warrior, with the sapphire circlet glittering on his brow, began to pitch the first tent. The second lay in a heap of fabric and poles where Wild had left it and though no one asked him to, Twilight took up the task.
Although staying on the ground would have been preferable, Twilight looked downright pitiful as he shuffled about with the heavy fabric, red-faced and panting. The farm boy might have been used to hard work, but he wasn't used to the heat. Not like Blue was. This was nothing. Or well, it was something, but he was in a better position than most. He could spare some energy to build them shelter, whereas someone like Sky, who was currently splayed out on his back and breathing hard, definitely could not.
Rocking to his feet with a groan, Blue squinted past the colored dots in his vision and strode over to Twilight, wordlessly picking up a pole and beginning to drive it into the ground. The old man joined their efforts soon enough.
Yet, even with the three of them working and occasionally cursing at the stubborn corners or stakes that refused to stay where they were told, Wild and Warrior still managed to pitch both of the other tents in the time it took them to erect one. But it was done and that was what was important.
Blue would have crawled inside and dropped right then, but the old man reminded them all with a word that there was business to sort out first. Watch.
"It would be best to have pairs," Warrior said, taking on that assertive commander tone of his that never failed to rub Blue the wrong way. "That way we can keep an eye out in every direction."
"I'll go first," Wild said, fidgety and on edge despite their barren surroundings. "My clothes keep me cool, and I can prepare some cold-resistant elixirs for us all for later."
"Don't you mean heat resistant?" Wind wondered.
Wild shook his head, sweaty hair swinging limply. "The desert gets freezing cold at night."
"Really? Weird," Wind commented. "I can't imagine all this cooling down even with no sun."
"It does," Wild assured him.
Twilight cleared his throat, directing them back to the matter at hand. "I'll join you on the first watch, Wild."
"Great," Warrior said, removing the circlet and tossing it to the rancher who deftly caught it. "We'll rotate every two hours so—."
"Make it three," Time said, squinting at the sky.
"Three," Warrior corrected himself. "So we need two more watch teams. Any volunteers?"
"I'll take second," Time offered.
Sky waved his arm in the air lethargically. "Me too."
"Maybe you guys should have a third person," Warrior mentioned. "Second will be the roughest, and Time, you do have a blindspot."
Blue's eyebrows shot up at that. Was the captain serious?! Judging by his expression, he was.
"Fair point, captain," Time intoned after a pause to consider the soldier's words. "However, we don't have enough heat-resistant items at our disposal. Just sharing the one between two of us will already decrease its effectiveness."
"That's true." The captain hummed, putting a hand to his chin.
"I think I might have enough ingredients for a chilly elixir or two," Wild spoke up, brow furrowed in concentration as he tapped at the Sheikah Slate. "Aha! Yes, I can make several while I'm on watch."
"Perfect. Then…" Warrior cast his gaze around until it settled on Wind. "Sailor, why don't you take second as well?"
"Ugh, fiiiine," Wind groaned. Displeasure painted every line of his face. "I don't get why we need three on the second watch, though. Time has done it alone lots and never missed anything."
"It's just an extra precaution, sailor," Warrior replied tiredly. "We are in enemy territory, after all."
"But the Yiga base is miles back," Wind argued, flinging an arm in the direction they'd come from.
"They can teleport," Wild reminded him. "And they do have a tendency to move into the desert proper."
"Exactly," Warrior nodded succinctly. "Now who's on third?"
Blue raised a hand from his folded arms. "I'll take it." The desert would be on its way to cooling by then and any lingering heat couldn't be worse than working all day in the forge.
While still unpleasant, it would be the easiest watch of all, which meant there should have been multiple voices rising right beside his, if not immediately after.
But there were none.
"Seriously?" Blue roared into the ringing silence, throwing up his hands. "No one?"
Legend idly twirled the ice rod, looking bored, while Warrior remained stoic and soldier silent, which was fine by him. The last thing he wanted was to be stuck sweating it out alone with the captain for three hours.
His gaze homed in on the only potential partner left, but Hyrule had found a sudden fascination with the sand beneath his boots.
Blue scoffed, furious but unsurprised. "Fine! I'll take it by myself."
That snapped Warrior to attention. "No. Absolutely not."
"Why? Don't trust me?" Blue challenged.
"That's not it."
"I think it is."
"It isn't," Warrior insisted, every bit as convincing as a giant masquerading as a Minish. "We're assigning double watches for a reason. You need a partner."
"Then why don't you volunteer?" Blue retorted even though that was the last thing he wanted. The man wouldn't actually take him up on the offer. He was too afraid, because he'd somehow convinced himself that they were cursed or otherwise compromised and was just waiting for them to "turn bad". Not that that would ever happen because Warrior was an idiot, but he thought he was smart and that made all the difference.
It meant watch became a babysitting job as Warrior neglected looking for real enemies and kept an eye on him, the "potential traitor". As a result, the captain taking watch with him wouldn't count. He wouldn't be able to concentrate on the surrounding desert, much less alert the rest of them to any potential threats before it was too late. The man was too darn paranoid.
But of course, the military had drilled decorum into the captain, as well as mountains of pride, so he would never stoop so low as to admit all that. No, instead the captain stood tall and gave a lame excuse about not getting enough beauty rest lately, and how it would be beneficial for the group for him to be at the top of his game as the most experienced tactician. He then smoothly passed the bomb to the veteran, who certainly didn't want it and protested vehemently. Meanwhile Hyrule did his best to become one with the terrain.
Cowards, the lot of them.
"I'll switch and take the third watch with you," Time interjected among the bickering. "Sky and Wind can handle second, and then that way everyone on watch will have some protection against the heat."
The best tactician among them couldn't come up with a reason to refuse other than to vaguely mumble about Time's impaired vision, but the old man waved it off this time around, promising he was more than capable, but if Warrior was truly so concerned, then he could join them for third. Blue agreed loudly, confident Warrior would do no such thing, and that was that.
The nine of them dispersed then, Twilight and Wild remaining outside while the rest retreated to the welcoming shade of the tents. Just having the sun's rays off his back made a world of difference, and he blew out a sigh in relief.
"He doesn't mean it, you know."
Blue glanced over at Time from where he was currently setting out his bedroll, "What?"
"The captain," Time clarified. "He's used to being responsible for hundreds of lives, weighing every one of his soldiers' strengths and weaknesses against each other to better command the battlefield and keep everyone safe. He means well."
"Yeah? Well, someone better tell him we're not chess pieces he can order around willy-nilly," Blue declared, angrily smoothing wrinkles out of his bedding. No blankets this time. It was far too hot. He huffed derisively. "Although, if we were chess pieces he probably wouldn't worry so much."
Time hummed curiously as he adjusted his own bedroll. "How so?"
"Chess has rules. You know the power and limitations of each piece. It doesn't change from game to game. But it's not the same with people. People change. We changed, or at least, his perception of us did, so…" Blue shrugged, not really knowing how to finish. Communication had never been his strong suit.
But Time seemed to understand the gist of his speech anyway. "I know traitors were abundant in the War of Ages. Often, the captain couldn't even trust his own men to have his back, and that left a mark."
Blue scoffed, unable to muster an ounce of sympathy. "Clearly."
"What I'm trying to say is it's not personal."
"Well it sure feels personal!" Blue snapped. Heat rose to his face, and it had nothing to do with their location. "I don't care what the captain is going through. He needs to lay off, and you defending him is making it even worse so do me a favor and shut up."
Blue threw himself onto the mat, laying on his left side with his back firmly to Time. No matter what the captain went through, it did not excuse him treating them like garbage. The old man would never convince him otherwise.
So it was a good thing he didn't even try. In fact, the old man didn't say another word. Not even to berate him for yelling, which he might have deserved on account of Time being one of the main authority figures in their group. One did not simply yell at authority figures and get away with it, after all. Blue had done it plenty of times before to know.
But as the seconds ticked by with nothing but his furious breathing and the distinct clanking and shifting of someone removing weaponry to fill it, he found himself gradually relaxing. Time wasn't going to scold him. Unless…he was doing that disappointed-dad stare of his. It made Blue shiver every time.
Were those eyes on his back or just his imagination?
He risked a peek over his shoulder to check, only to find Time with his back to him, laying out his own bedding.
He whipped back around, gusting out a breath through his nose and suddenly feeling ridiculous for checking at all. Of course Time would leave him alone.
He wasn't nosey and overbearing like the others had a tendency to be. Sky and Twilight especially. Those two took mother henning to a whole new level, and while their concern could be nice at times, Blue found it annoyingly invasive more often than not.
Time's silence, therefore, was a gift, and Blue chose to embrace it, closing his eyes and letting his overheated body relax fully into the mat beneath him.
Sleep claimed him quicker than anticipated. The humidity—and maybe a touch of heat exhaustion—cocooned him in a swath of sleepy warmth so similar to the forge that he found himself drifting off, half convinced he was home.
Consciousness returned slowly, like a hatching chick painstakingly pecking at the innards of its shell. First here, then there. Lazily tracing a line around and around and around again until the light of day peaked through. Until air whispered across his face, the crack steadily widening millimeter by millimeter until…
A limb broke free, reality rushing in all at once.
Green jolted upright. When had he laid down? Air puffed in and out of his chest in rapid bursts as he frantically blinked to clear his fuzzy vision, memories returning like a boomerang to his hand.
The Blademaster! His hand smacked the bare earth, curling instinctively around a nonexistent sword. Specks of dirt lodged into the spaces beneath his fingernails. Wait, no. Not dirt. It felt off. Grainier.
He lifted his fist, squinting at it through the dim light. Sand.
. . . ?
He froze, watching with his mouth agape as the grains slowly trickled through his fingers. There wasn't any sand at the Hidden Village.
Sand was for beaches. Were they—did they land in—did they change…?
Green opened his hand completely, shaking it to encourage the last of the granules to stop clinging to him. It didn't want to. His hands were clammy. Actually, his whole body was clammy. Why?
Rubbing his palm off on his tunic made him aware that he wasn't wearing his tunic at all. Just his undershirt.
His hand flew to his head, noting the blue headband there and the fact that his hair was pulled back like he had been smithing. Maybe he had? Although, the longer he sat there, the more he noticed the thickness in the air. It was hot despite the shade. Which, looking up, wasn't natural. It was man made. A tent. One of their tents.
Tan canvas and an absolute nightmare to set up from what he recalled. Although, the tents protected them from the elements when needed so they weren't all bad. It wasn't entirely clear what this one was protecting him from. Judging by the light illuminating the fabric, it had to be daytime.
Which was wrong because it was just nighttime.
How long had he been gone? Certainly not minutes. Hours then. Twenty-four? Possibly. Or more? Days? Weeks? Months?
Trembling at the possibility, Green cast his gaze around the tent for someone—anyone—to provide an explanation. Time and Twilight lay on their bedrolls to his right. Like him, they were stripped down to lighter clothing. Unlike him, they were fast asleep.
Waking them seemed wrong somehow. He couldn't see any injuries, but that didn't mean there weren't any.
At the thought, he took stock of his own body. Sticky skin, limp hair, dry mouth, upset stomach, throbbing head—which was normal—but no open wounds. No glaring aches or pains that would denote a healing one either.
Satisfied that he was unharmed, Green shakily got to his feet and lurched for the tent's opening. Pulling back the flap briefly blinded him, but Green refused to be deterred. He needed answers. So, shielding his eyes with a hand, Green ducked his head and charged outside, blinking furiously to try to force his vision to adjust faster.
It didn't really work. The sun glare was fierce as fire, and when his vision finally did clear, he realized why. Sand stretched as far as the eye could see. This was no beach. It was a desert.
Which only dropped another stone onto the growing pile in his stomach. Because Twilight's era did have a desert, and from what he knew of its layout, the desert was nowhere near the Hidden Village.
No way he'd only been out for a day. No way.
A short whistle whipped his frantic gaze to a sand dune situated off to the side of their makeshift camp consisting of three tents in a vaguely triangular formation.
Squinting, Green could make out an arm waving him over. He perked up at the sight. Answers.
Slipping on loose sand and somehow managing not to fall, Green dashed over to the designated watch location to find Sky and Wind. Both eyed him with curiosity that swiftly turned to concern upon noticing his frazzled state.
"Are you okay?" A sapphire sparkled on the Skylofian's furrowed brow.
Green shook his head, breath still coming in gulping gasps. "Where are we? What's happening? What day is it? How long has it been? I don't—I thought I—"
"Whoa, sit down a minute." Sky, eyes blown owlishly wide, timidly grasped his wrist and, when he didn't pull away, tugged him into a seat. Green all but collapsed to his knees.
"Slow down. Take it easy," Sky coached, rubbing his arm. The Skyloftian's skin was surprisingly cool despite the heat. "You're safe, smithy."
"Take a deep breath," Wind added, encouraging the direction by taking an exaggerated deep breath of his own.
Green's came out as more of a huff. He wouldn't feel better until he had answers. But for that he needed to appear calm or else the others would keep fretting. That meant one question at a time. He started with the first one that popped out of his mouth. "Where are we?"
"Wild's Gerudo Desert," Sky answered before firing back with a question of his own. "Who am I speaking to?"
"Green. How'd we get here? How long has it been since we switched, or no—since the Hidden Village. Since the Blademaster?"
"A few hours."
The response nearly made him faint with relief. A few hours. He wasn't gone for long after all. But still. A few hours. That was plenty of time for anything to happen.
"Is anyone hurt?" Green pressed, leaning forward on hands and knees to brace himself, partly against the response and partly against the light-headedness.
"Everyone's fine, Green," Sky assured him with a soft smile that made Green's tense shoulders drop.
"You don't remember?" Wind wondered.
He sat back on his heels, belatedly realizing the sand was scalding hot and shaking out his tingling hands. "No."
"That's okay, we can fill you in on what you missed," Sky offered amicably. "What do you remember?
His gaze bored into the sand beneath him as he wracked his memory. It was like trying to recall a fading dream, frustrating and slow. "I was fighting. Blue was helping. Kind of. He was there, but he didn't jump in until I…froze. Or…he made me freeze?" He shook his head. It didn't matter. The end result was the same. "We switched, but it was meaner? Not uh…I don't know how to describe it. It was like…he pushed me out of control and held me down but pulled me down too? And he did it so hard that I…blacked out."
The blacking out itself wasn't glaringly new, but the manner in which it happened was. A shiver wracked his frame at the icky phantom feeling that accompanied the memory.
"Eesh." Wind shivered along with him, expression perfectly mirroring how Green felt. "He can do that?"
"Apparently." Green wished his headmates would stop discovering new ways to freak him out. It—well—it freaked him out! At least the Shadow thing was an accident—terrifying as it was and still would be if it happened again. Blue, on the other hand, did this on purpose, and he had several words for the short-tempered teen, too. Not that he was around to receive them. No one was. Which set him on edge for an entirely different reason. He wasn't accustomed to being completely alone with his thoughts.
Fortunately, he had brothers outside his head too.
"I'm sorry that happened. It doesn't sound nice."
He shifted closer to the strangely cool Skyloftian. "It wasn't."
Sky hummed, gently tugging his fingers through Green's short ponytail. "If it helps, you didn't miss much. We finished up at the Hidden Village and found a portal behind Impaz's house. It spat us out in the Yiga Clan's Hideout."
"We had to sneak out!" Wind chimed in gleefully, and Green cracked a small smile at the sailor's excitement. "Wild distracted them with bananas. It was hilarious!"
"Bananas? How…?"
"He just tossed a bunch, and they went after 'em!" Wind giggled. "They acted like those animals we saw once in Twi's era. The uh…argh! I forget what they were called. They climbed trees and had long tails and bare butts."
"Monkeys?" Green offered.
"Yes!" Wind exclaimed. "Monkeys! They acted like monkeys. But they were fully clothed, thank the gods!"
"Thank the gods." Green laughed breathily in agreement.
"Anyway," Sky continued with a chuckle. "We followed Wild out of there and walked through the desert for a couple hours before deciding to make camp because it was so hot. We're going to continue traveling at night, when it's cooler."
"So now is our resting time," Green surmised, the image of his dozing companions flashing in his mind.
"Yup." Wind said, popping the p. "Sky and me are on watch."
"You have the next one with Time," Sky added helpfully, nudging Green's shoulder with his.
"How long until then?" Green wondered.
"We just started ours about ten minutes ago," Wind informed him.
He grimaced. Now that the disorientation had worn off and the accompanying adrenaline was abating, he felt anything but tired. If he went back to the tent, he'd be left to wallow in his own thoughts which he hadn't been a big fan of lately.
"I know it wasn't the plan, but…is it okay if we switch? I don't think I can sleep right now."
"Oh, uh, yeah! If you're up to it, then I don't see why not." Sky pulled away slightly to give him a once over in classic mother-cucco fashion. "You do feel okay, right?"
"Yeah, just hot."
Sky smiled in understanding. Reaching up, he removed the crown on his head and held it out to Green. "Here, this will help with that."
Curious, Green accepted the piece of delicate jewelry and placed it atop his own head. Immediately a wash of chilly coolness drenched his entire body as if he'd been dunked in water. Except, upon inspecting his bare hands, they were completely dry.
"That's why you felt so cool," Green realized, lifting his head to address Sky.
The Chosen Hero nodded, perspiration already beading his brow. "Enjoy it. Just remember to give it back to myself or Time when it's time for the next watch. Wild only has one of those circlets, unfortunately."
"Got it."
Green and Wind waved off the Skyloftian as he half-slid, half-jogged down the sand dune towards the blessed cover of the tents. Now they made a lot of sense. The sun was brutal.
He started suddenly, rounding on the sailor. "How are you not boiling right now?"
"Potion," Wind said, tapping on the glass of an empty bottle beside him. "Wild made some for the people on watch during his shift."
"Ah, okay, good." Green sighed, reassured his little brother would not collapse from heatstroke.
Wind turned back to the landscape, raising his sister's beloved red telescope to his eye, and Green took a seat at his back to keep an eye on the other half of the desert. Golden sand rose and fell in gentle waves, far-off breezes picking it up and dusting it across the shadowed shapes on the horizon every now and then.
He hoped a sandstorm didn't develop. The single one he'd experienced had been harrowing enough. The sand found a way to get everywhere, and he did mean everywhere. He'd practically choked on it and probably would have had he not come across that pyramid. Not that what awaited him inside had been particularly safe either…
He shook the memories out of his mind. It was done and over with. Unlike this adventure. They still didn't know much about their enemy despite all their efforts. It was troubling to say the least.
But Green was sick and tired of being troubled. He needed a distraction.
"Hey, Wind."
"Hmm?"
"Have you ever been to a desert before?"
"No, and I'm glad because this place is miserable. It's all the worst parts of the beach." Green didn't turn, but he could picture the disgruntled look on Wind's face, and it made him smile. Wind leaned back, his spine pressing purposefully into Green's. "What about you?"
"Once. I wasn't a fan then, either." In all honesty, he'd been immature and distracted when he'd first arrived, allowing a Gerudo to lure him into a massage that was so relaxing he'd fallen asleep. Nothing could have been more unproductive for a hero, and his face burned at the memory. When he did travel into the desert proper though, that's when he'd hit trouble. "A big sandstorm caught me. I could barely see my hand in front of my face and everything stung."
"There can be storms in the desert?" The sailor wondered, interest palpable in his tone.
"Yes," Green confirmed, falling comfortably into the conversation. "But not like on regular land or at sea. It's more like…a huge mass of swirling wind that whips up a bunch of sand and moves across the desert."
"Like a hurricane!" Wind decided.
"Yeah, something like that," Green agreed. "You definitely want to be indoors for them. Otherwise sand's going to get in your eyes and nose and mouth and pretty much everywhere else too. I swear I was shaking sand out of my clothes for a week after that."
"Ugh."
"I know."
"Are there signs for them?" Wind wondered. "Like can you tell when one's coming? Or does it just…happen?"
"No, you can usually tell. The wind will pick up. And if there is a sandstorm headed this way, you'll definitely be able to see it on the horizon. It's much darker than regular sand."
"Okay got it. So we're keeping a lookout for Yiga and sandstorms."
Green furrowed his brow at that. "I thought Sky said we cleared the Yiga base."
"We did, but Wild said they move into the desert sometimes. I guess it makes sense if they live here."
It was Green's turn to hum this time. He squinted at the heat wavering on the horizon. All this time he'd been under the impression they were keeping watch for monsters. But no. They were on the lookout for threats. For assassins. For people.
He didn't want to hurt people.
Protecting the kingdom like Father and the other knights had always been a dream of his. Still was in a way, he supposed. He wanted to protect people from monsters and wrong-doing, not maim or kill misguided people. That wasn't his job, to mete out punishment. Putting bandits and thieves and would-be assassins behind bars was good enough. Fair enough.
He had no right to make or deliver the ultimate judgment on anyone, nor did he want to.
And the fact that he didn't know what happened to the Blademaster they'd been fighting only made it worse.
He looked down at his palms, mind buzzing. They were calloused—had been as long as he could remember—but relatively clean. Not a speck of blood marred his skin.
But that didn't mean it hadn't.
"I hope the Yiga stay far away," he said quietly, praying Blue refrained from doing anything rash. It was a long shot with his brother who was so quick to anger, but Green wanted to have faith that he abided by the code of chivalry. It specifically warned against striking an unarmed, human opponent. There was no victory in that, in harming the defenseless. Surely, Blue stayed his—their—hand…
"Me too." The sailor's voice pierced through his spiraling thoughts like a ray of sunshine in a storm-tossed sky, and he jerked his head up and over his shoulder, surprised. "I don't like fighting them."
"Really?"
"Yeah," Wind said, still facing away from him. The boy poked a finger in the sand, idly dragging it through a spiral pattern. "It feels wrong even though they're…mean."
Green nodded slowly, though Wind couldn't see it. "It does feel wrong. It—it is." He closed his hands into fists. "Fighting monsters is different. They're made of darkness. They literally don't have a good bone in their bodies. But people…"
"People are more complicated," Wind finished for him as if he knew exactly what he was talking about. Green had a gut wrenching feeling that he did and straightened subtly to press his back closer to the sailor, a pillar of silent support.
"They have likes, dislikes, desires, wants, needs. And sometimes people can do cruel things to get their needs met, but it's not coming from a malicious place. They need to do it to survive. Sometimes it's so people they care about can survive too. Ganondorf…he was like that. He said he grew up in a desert. He described it as barren, lifeless, the people in desperate need of basic resources, but I couldn't imagine it. Not really. I've only ever known the Great Sea."
"But I think I understand it better now, being in this place." A pathetic strangled sound crawled out of the sailor's throat. "Not that understanding matters now. I already killed him."
Green whirled around to grasp Wind's arm. "You had to."
Wind glanced over at him, eyes stormy and far too old for someone his age. "I didn't. I had a choice, and I chose to stab him in the head."
"It was more complicated than that," Green protested, knowingly. Wind had regalled them with more than his fair share of stories over a blazing campfire.
"I know." Wind's voice was small. "But still…he was a person. I hated him for taking my sister, for taking Tetra, for spreading monsters all over my home. But I hated fighting him more. He wasn't a mindless monster. He just wanted a better life for his people."
"But all his people were dead and gone, Wind," Green pointed out. "There's no way his actions were justified. He would have destroyed so many lives if you didn't do anything."
"So…" Wind peeked over at him, green eyes glossy. "It's okay? What I did?"
He squeezed the sailor's arm, offering him a tight smile. "It is."
"Then why doesn't it feel like it?"
That was easy. "Because you're a good person. You value other people's lives. It was a tough choice, the one you made, but I think it was right. I…I would have done the same, I think. I hope… Honestly, I don't know if I would have been brave enough." His gaze drifted to the side, a bit guiltily. He was supposed to be a hero of courage, after all.
"It wasn't bravery," Wind objected. "I was barely thinking. I was just…going at that point. I just wanted it to be over."
"I get that." All the final battles of his adventures had instilled a similar urgency in him. After weeks of adrenaline pumping through his veins, and a good night's sleep nothing more than a fairy tale, Green had been antsy to get everything over with. The final battles were nothing but blurry flashes to him now.
"Anyway…I don't think I could do it again," Wind admitted, his voice little more than a whisper on the breeze. "Even if it came down to me or one of the Yiga, I-I don't know. War acted like it was nothing. He yelled at you guys for hesitating even, which was stupid." Wind shot him a look as if to cement how serious he was about the captain's foolishness. "You had every right to hesitate, and the fact that War didn't kind of…scares me. I mean, I know he was in a war, but I thought he'd been fighting monsters."
"Maybe there were some people on the other side, too," Green suggested. The Yiga Clan existed, after all. It wasn't too far a stretch to assume a similar group had popped up and fought on the side of evil in the War of Ages.
"Maybe. I just…how—" Wind's face twitched, contorting into a complicated expression. "—how many people do you have to fight to not care anymore?"
"I don't think it's that he doesn't care," Green said carefully, thinking of all the times the captain had protected the group and even helped out villagers in a town or two. "Just that he's become…numb to it?"
Wind gasped. "That's worse!"
Green nodded vehemently in agreement. Raising a blade to any person outside of a spar made his head swim. Heck, sometimes in a spar he got cold feet. He couldn't imagine bowling through people—knowing he was taking away someone's parent, sibling, lover, child—and feeling nothing.
"I don't want to become like that," Wind mumbled. "I don't want War to be like that."
"Me either," Green said. "But…I don't think we have to worry. Not about us, anyway. We won't be fighting any more people, right?"
A determined gleam alighted in Wind's eye, and he perked up some. "Right! If any Yiga come for us, I'll use these."
Wind produced a bunch of bananas from his bag and held them aloft as if they were a newly discovered treasure.
Green chuckled. "Where'd you get those?" They weren't entirely ripe just yet, more green than yellow.
"Wild," Wind answered, lowering the fruit to his lap. "I asked him for a few." He cradled the bananas to his chest, ears flushing slightly. "Just in case."
"Just in case you get hungry?" Green teased, elbowing the sailor lightly in the ribs. Their youngest had something of a bottomless pit for a stomach.
Wind giggled. "No!" He jabbed back with a pointy elbow of his own. "It's so if any Yiga show up we can defeat them with bananas."
"I know you said they were distracted by them before, but I'm not so sure you can just drop one in the middle of battle and have it work." Green laughed.
"Oh no, it'll work," Wind insisted, grinning from ear to ear. "We were right behind a pair of Blademasters, and Wild still managed to distract them with bananas."
Green's eyebrows shot up disbelief. "Seriously?"
"Yeah! It was awesome! We snuck past while they were fighting over it."
An image of two burly blademasters playing tug of war with a banana popped into his mind, and Green couldn't help but smile. Still… "I wouldn't bet on that working if there are more than two. They'd have to realize one isn't enough for all of them."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Wind wagged a disappointed finger at him, shaking his head. "Oh ye of little faith. What do you think all these are for?" Wind pulled out a small pig-like bag from his larger one and upended it. Banana after banana tumbled to the sand.
There had to be at least seven bunches scattered around them in total when the waterfall of fruit finally stopped.
Green pressed a hand to his chest, bowing deeply. "I am so sorry for doubting you."
"As you should be." Wind sniffed, nose in the air. "You see, Green, I have it all planned out. When the baddies come for us, we chuck these at them and make a run for it. It's a foolproof plan!"
"What if the baddies aren't Yiga?" Green tested, smiling just as wide as Wind now. "What if it's a bokoblin?"
"Same plan! Take a banana and throw!" Wind mimed doing just that, though he kept the fruit securely in his hand, unwilling to waste their precious ammo on a demonstration.
"Ah, I see, I see." Green rubbed his chin sagely. "No enemies will ever expect a banana being thrown at their face."
"Exactly!" Wind crowed, pointing at him excitedly. "And maybe they're just hangry. We'll give 'em a snack, and they'll leave us alone."
"Yes, it's genius," Green decided. "And if Vio has taught me anything, every genius plan needs a name."
"Hmm, okay," Wind hummed, his face suddenly turning serious. "Let's see…how about…" He perked up suddenly and flung out splayed hands dramatically. "BAM! Nana in your face."
Green laughed. "Not bad, not bad. But I think I might have a better one."
"What is it?" Wind leaned forward eagerly.
A self-satisfied smile stole across his face, and he spread his hands wide like a showman revealing a particularly wonderful act. "The Banana Split!"
Wind howled with laughter, toppling over backwards onto the sand to clutch at his sides and roll around in mirth. Green soon joined him, unable to resist the infectious giggles bursting like bubbles out of the sailor.
They bounced banana-related ideas back and forth between bouts of laughter that only grew more boisterous with each addition. Green didn't remember the last time he'd been allowed to let loose and be truly silly, but he basked in it now, immensely grateful to have the sailor at his side. After all, there was no one better to lead a banana army with.
Resources (remove spaces, substitute dashes, slashes, and underscores as indicated):
did (dash) research. o r g (forward slash) identity (underscore) alteration (forward slash) time (underscore) loss
^Information on how and why alters can experience black outs and time loss. Also includes some info on co-consciousness and co-fronting.
did (dash) research. o r g (forward slash) comorbid (forward slash) dd (forward slash) osdd (underscore) udd (forward slash) did (underscore) osdd
^I feel this is also important to put here because, while I knew of OSDD, I didn't really understand the difference between it and DID. This page helped clear some of that up for me. While I do have the intention of writing Four's system as a DID system, it has come to my attention that they can also be read/interpreted as an OSDD system.