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 singlets as well. Don't generalize real-life systems with Four's. Grain of salt, remember, grain of salt.

TW: Description of dissociation. If you would prefer to skip it, it starts around the line break (within the chapter, not after this note) and continues until around the paragraph beginning with "He shifted…"

A huge thank you to Nebulapaws for beta-reading/sensitivity-reading this chapter!

Chapter 18

It was a lot to take in. Even now, Shadow's mind swirled with Vio's tales. Tales of Link's life, of the world, of everything that had happened since he'd been gone. It was surreal to think the world had moved on without him. And yet…Vio never did.

He'd made that clear, and Shadow didn't know exactly how to feel about that. Touched? Honored? Confused? Angry? Obviously his absence benefited the rest of the world. Hyrule was safe. Or…it had been before the mysterious dark portals showed up anyway. But Vio had been miserable, tirelessly searching for a way to bring him back. He claimed Shadow's being here now wasn't his doing, that he wasn't even the same Shadow from before, but he begged to differ. He felt the same. Mostly.

Admittedly, the emotional turmoil was a bit thick at the moment, but that was just the lingering effects of being resurrected, right? It would pass. The icky feeling did before when the Four Sword Heroes had defeated him, and the Dark Mirror spit him back into existence. It had only been a few hours then, not years. So it made sense that the recoil would be more jarring this time around.

Vio must have known that. That was why the perceptive color had left a while ago. He was giving Shadow much needed space to process it all.

As much as Shadow had appreciated the gesture at first, he now found himself antsy. Sitting in his cave, curled up with his dragon breathing deep belly breaths into his spine didn't feel like enough anymore. He'd missed so much. He wanted—no—needed to see everything with his own eyes.

Gathering what scraps of courage he could from the darkness around him, Shadow stood and slinked out of the cave. The steady thrum of rain drummed down onto the rock around him, easily phasing through his incorporeal form. He squinted through the mist at the land below, frustrated that he couldn't make out anything more than smears of dull color and the hazy suggestion of far-off shapes. Were they buildings? Trees? Rocks? There was no telling. Not from his current vantage point. He needed to get closer.

Summoning his dragon with a guttural command, Shadow hopped on the creature's back and took to the sky. The clouds blocked out the sun nicely, so he didn't have to worry about getting burned. Still, he found the edges of his body shuddering, jagged and sharp, as he swooped down and left the safety of the mountains.

Last time he did, it hadn't gone well. Then again, that had been all Blue's fault. So long as he avoided the temperamental color, he should be fine. Besides, he had his dragon this time. Shadow patted the side of the creature's neck as if to reassure himself the creature was still there. His dragon would protect him.

Reassured, Shadow guided his ride lower, breaking free completely from the fog and fixing his eyes properly on the world spread out below. To his right lay the lake he recalled visiting with Vio on his previous outing, to the left a building with smoke billowing out of it. Occupied then. Probably. He would stay away.

In the middle of the field of rolling green stood a massive leafy tree that made even his dragon look small.

If Vio was to be believed—which he usually was…usually—the tree, and everything else he was currently seeing, resided only in Link's head. Shadow didn't think any living creature had a brain big enough to house such a humongous tree, much less an entire land hemmed in by forests and mountains.

Movement below caught his eye, and Shadow flattened himself on the scaly creature's back to peer over its thick shoulder. A smear of purple streaked through the muddy green.

He smirked and directed his dragon into a dive to cut off the figure.

Vio's face jumped in surprise. "You're out!"

"I am," Shadow agreed. He draped himself backwards over his dragon's hide, frowning at Vio's upside-down face. His arms swung back and forth lackadaisically. "And I'm booooorrrreeed. Show me outside."

"Really?" Vio blinked. "Are you up for that?"

He slithered off his ride, flipping over to hover on his stomach, hands propping up his chin. "Sure. But I only wanna see what Link's up to. No living. Just watching."

The living was too weird. He didn't know how Vio dealt with it all the time. Then again, Vio was actually a part of Link and a hero to boot. It probably wasn't that weird for him.

A smile stretched across Vio's face. "Of course. We can do that. You might need to leave the dragon here, though. I don't think it'll be allowed in the sanctuary."

Shadow glanced back at the beast, suddenly unsure. The dragon was his last tie to the cave, his last modicum of safety. Without it, he'd be unprotected.

But when he looked back at Vio, Shadow realized that wasn't true. He straightened to his full height, giving his friend a resolute nod. "Alright. Lead the way."

They began to walk, or rather float in Shadow's case, back the way Vio had come, moving closer and closer to the ridiculously huge tree and whatever lay beyond. His dragon tailed them, stomping along a few paces behind. Shadow would be lying if he said he didn't feel better for it.

They had just reached the tree when a shout, followed by a rumble of thunder—or maybe that was his dragon growling a warning?—stopped them. Shadow turned to see Blue, hands fisted at his sides and clothes dripping with water, stomping towards them. He didn't even seem to notice the mud every furious step flung up onto his leggings.

"Where do you think you're going?" Blue demanded.

"The sanctuary," Vio answered causally as Shadow slipped behind his friend, eyes narrowed and claws at the ready. Blue would not catch him off guard again.

"Not with that thing you're not."

Shadow hissed, stretching to loom over Vio's diminutive form and relishing in the way the fire in Blue's eyes flickered in fear.

"Shadow is not a thing," Vio admonished. "He's a person, and more importantly a part of us. Treat him with respect."

"Respect?" Blue scoffed. "He doesn't deserve respect. He ruins our life and we're supposed to just let him? I don't think so. You are not taking him to the sanctuary. He's going back to that cave where he belongs."

"No, he isn't," Vio disagreed calmly.

"If you won't take him back, I will. Don't make me fight you, Vio."

Shadow bristled at the threat, wrapping around the violet-clothed boy in preparation to shadow travel them both away from danger. The sword and shield in Blue's grip couldn't hurt him, but they could easily harm his friend.

Vio placed a gentle hand on Shadow's arm, a silent command to wait. He heeded it, though every part of him longed to jump away. Go back to the mountains, to the cave where it was safe and Blue-free.

"There's no need for that," Vio assured his brother. "We're just going to look. No one's fronting."

"Yeah, until he sees something that makes him. It's a dumb risk, and you're not taking it. I won't let you," Blue retorted hotly. He took a threatening step forward as if to make good on his promise, but a screech and a blast of fire cut him off.

Blue stumbled back with a curse, shield raised to protect himself from the smoke and ward off any errant embers from the blaze at his feet.

Emboldened, Shadow slid off of Vio and smirked. "Take that!"

"That's it! I'm killing you and your dragon," Blue snarled, summoning an ice rod that swiftly extinguished the smoldering line in the grass. His sword flashed with a holy light.

Oh no. Shadow snapped back to Vio like a string on a bow. The midnight blue scales on his dragon's throat began to glow vermillion.

"No, Blue, stop!" Vio shouted, flinging out his arms to block the angry boy's advance. He glanced over his shoulder to briefly meet Shadow's eyes. "Shadow, call off your dragon."

"What?! No!" The mighty creature would be skewered. Then he'd be next. And then Vio. Best to let his dragon destroy Blue so they could make a clean escape.

"Fighting isn't going to solve anything," Vio insisted. His amethyst eyes burned into Shadow's ruby ones. "Trust me."

Shadow faltered, his form little more than smoke at this point. He wanted to trust Vio. He did. But Blue…

"Don't worry about him. Look at me." Vio didn't continue until Shadow did so. "I promise it will be okay, but you have to call off your dragon. Let me deal with Blue."

Shadow searched Vio's face carefully, scanning for any trace of deception. There wasn't any he could find. Then again, he wasn't very good at noticing such things if his previous life was any indication. Still, he wasn't eager for a repeat of his last encounter with Blue, so, with a great amount of trepidation, Shadow ordered his dragon to stand down.

The glow died from its throat, and it stepped back, settling down on its belly to watch whatever would happen next unfold.

Shadow zoomed over to the beast, pouring himself onto its back and clinging there like dense smog. Just in case. Just in case Vio was lying. Just in case Blue did strike. Just in case…

"I understand it's sudden," Vio said, eyes trained on Blue and hands still raised placatingly. "Even I wasn't expecting this right now. Shadow came to me just a few minutes ago. But as risky as it may seem, it's a good idea. We need to start letting Shadow explore. Otherwise he's just going to keep being confused and scared and put us in more danger."

Wait. What? He put them in danger? When?

"Or he's going to get into things he shouldn't and put us in danger," Blue retorted. "I want him gone."

"That's not an option."

"Then I want him in that cave." Blue's seething glare fixated on the mist that Shadow had become. "That's your side, get it? Stay on it and stay away from the front."

Front, back, sideways, upside-down. Shadow didn't get the difference. If they really were all inside the same head right now—which, weird, he still didn't entirely believe Vio on that one—then who was to say which side was the front? No direction looked extra special to him.

"You know that's not always in his control."

"Then we bury him in that cave," Blue decided. "That'll keep him out of our life for good."

Vio heaved an exasperated sigh. "Blue, you can't do that."

The hot-tempered color's eyes flashed dangerously. "Watch me."

Shadow slinked under the wing of his dragon, suddenly wanting no part of this. He felt too exposed, every wisp left of him susceptible to being blown away like smoke from a dead candle.

He waited in anticipatory dread, listening to the voices outside the darkness of his chosen crevice.

"You cause plenty of trouble, and we don't lock you away."

Shadow caused trouble? He hadn't been trying to.

Blue spluttered. "Wha—?! I don't put us in danger."

"Right. And Shadow won't either if he learns his way around. But he can't do that if he never leaves that cave."

"Do you even hear yourself?! For someone that's supposed to be smart, you sure are dumb! You put him near the front, he will front."

"Maybe," Vio conceded, tone impossibly even despite the tense atmosphere. "But at least if he observes us being in the front, he can learn how to handle it when he inevitably does gain control again. I explained as much as I could to him about our situation since we put the sword back, but some things he needs to experience for himself. I can't put words to what it's truly like being co-conscious with another or how to reach back and feel for the people around you when you're out."

"He doesn't need to know that stuff," Blue objected haughtily.

"Yes, he does. Unless you want a repeat of him being completely terrified out of his mind and disoriented when he inevitably fronts again, thereby endangering all of us."

There it was again. Endanger. It wasn't just Blue that distrusted him, then. Vio did too. Admittedly, Shadow had caused a fair amount of trouble for the Four Sword Heroes—as well as Vaati and Ganon—but that was all in the past. Furthermore, it had all been on purpose. Since he woke up, causing trouble had been the furthest thing from his mind. But maybe it didn't have to be on his mind at all. Maybe he was just fated to be a burden.

To be bad.

A discontent grumble broke through his racing thoughts, but if there were words within it, Shadow couldn't make them out. His hearing was too muffled by the muscled, leathery wing he'd tucked himself under. It was just as well. He had just about heard enough.

Vio, however, wasn't done. He pressed on, voice rising slightly to indicate his speech's climax. "With him near the front, we can guide him. We can even teach him how to relinquish control when he finds himself in it, because honestly? He doesn't want to be in it. That's something you both agree on, if nothing else."

A scoff. "You'll believe anything he tells you. Don't you see he's just using you so he can do whatever he wants with our body? He had so much fun pretending to be us before. Now he truly can, and he doesn't even have to rely on magic to do it!"

"It's not like that."

"It is. You're just too blinded by his victim act to see it. Just wait. I promise you, you take him to the sanctuary, and you will get stabbed in the back. You stabbed him in the back, after all. Why wouldn't he return the favor?"

Shadow didn't hear Vio's reply. Whether it was in defense of himself or resounding agreement, he would never know. Because he chose that moment to pour all the magic he could into warping back to the mountains. His dragon came with, of course. He would never leave the majestic beast behind. It had protected him, after all. Evil had to stick with evil.

And he was evil.

Vio claimed he wasn't, but he had called Shadow bad when he'd attacked Blue. He'd apologized for it, but had it been sincere? Vio was exceptionally good with words. It wouldn't be hard for him to pick just the right ones to convince Shadow of nearly anything.

But Shadow had a brain, too, so he knew Vio's soft words from earlier didn't line up with reality.

Blue was angry with him, convinced Shadow would betray Vio, would hurt Link, would hurt all of them. It wasn't a baseless accusation, either because apparently he had done so already. Vio had confirmed it multiple times during his back and forth with Blue. He admitted Shadow posed a real danger.

Only he would never hurt any of them on purpose now—well, maybe Blue a little. The guy did always manage to rub him the wrong way—but never Vio or the others. Even though Vio had hurt him, Shadow had hurt Vio first, so it was only fair. He had deserved it. It was part of why he'd shattered the Dark Mirror in the first place. But Vio, Link, was a hero and didn't deserve being threatened, much less hurt, when all he stood for was good.

And in classic bad-guy fashion, it seemed Shadow couldn't help fighting that purity, even though he wasn't entirely sure what he had done to do so. In fact, he didn't understand anything.

This entire resurrection thing was so confusing, and it tied him in disgustingly complicated knots. The spontaneous outing had only jumbled his mind further, not cleared it.

Blue, as much as he despised him, was right. Shadow did belong in this cave. He wrapped the darkness around him, huddling close to the only living thing around that was like him. So long as he was here, he couldn't hurt anyone. Vio would be safe. Link would be safe. He would be safe.

At least, he hoped.

Sundown came, and with it, a flood of urgency. Green physically recoiled at the suddenness, fingers momentarily fumbling with the latch on his bag because hewasn'tfastenoughandohwait—actually…

Unease, relief, embarrassment, determination. The emotions flashed through him so fast Green's vision swam. He blinked rapidly to correct it, taking a deep breath he could only half feel. The sounds of the other heroes packing up camp suddenly sounded far away.

What the heck is going on?

"Don't worry about it," Blue's characteristic grumble returned. Of course, this only made him worry more and seeing as they were in the slippy-slidey state of maybe-switching, maybe-not, Blue caught it.

"Seriously, it's fine. That blasted Shadow tried to come near the front, but I scared him off. Relax."

Green found himself unable to do so. For one, the idea that Shadow had any interest in being near the front tied his stomach in knots. For another, Blue's presence reminded him starkly of what had happened last time they'd been co-conscious. How Blue had violently shoved him away. How Green hadn't been able to do anything about it. And, most importantly, how there was nothing stopping his hot-headed brother from doing it again.

And he wanted to do it again. Or at the very least Blue wanted to take front. Green could feel the desire like a persistent itch. He could scratch it—had scratched it countless times. But that was before. Before Blue had discovered this power to temporarily kick him into oblivion.

Now, Green found himself unwilling to give in unsure of what would become of him if he did. Would he be pushed back to watch or forced down to nothingness like before? The mere thought had him clawing for stability, floating his hand toward their waterskin and tipping it back.

A drop of water touched his tongue, and then…nothing. Empty?! Green barely resisted the urge to toss the container aside. Why now? It couldn't be empty. He needed it. Or at least something tangible to keep him from blowing away at the next strong breeze.

"I drank the rest earlier. I'd say refill it, but we're in a goddess forsaken desert."

Green lifted his head, mind lagging slightly behind as he swept his fuzzy gaze over their mostly dismantled camp. How likely was it that anyone else had water left? Not very, he realized, considering they'd passed the entire day away huddled in tents too humid to be truly comfortable.

Cool air brushed its fingers across his cheek, and while it might have been a blessing two hours ago, now it was just a tease. Bitterly, Green wished it was colder. The near freezing conditions that Wild had promised upon nightfall would have been enough to shock his system. Unfortunately, the temperature had been steadily dropping the last few hours, and he'd long since adjusted to it.

Even the sand had cooled off, the grains nowhere near as scalding as they'd been before. He squished a handful in a fist anyway, watching as the sand streamed

down

down

down

.

.

.

NO!

He hastily brought his now open palm to his thigh, rubbing off the extra sand and leaning into the rough prick of each stubborn grain as it rolled between his flesh and the fabric of his pants. The sensation escaped far too soon each time.

The tide pushed and pulled against him impatiently, ordering him to give in.

No. He didn't know what would happen then. Best if he stayed in control. Then he'd always be aware and never lose more time and oh, someone was in front of him, lift your head, that was…who was that? Fluffy honey hair and eyes as blue as the sky… Sky. Sky! What's he saying? Listen…

He squinted, his addled brain somehow thinking that would help him puzzle out the muffled words. And wow it was a good thing they were facing the sunset or that would have looked strange, way to go, don't blame me, I'm not even in control who is?

I am!

I am?

I…

Who was I?

A feather-light touch tickled their shoulder and they looked up—when had their head dropped?—to peer into someone's face—Sky's face!—and this time, sound reached them.

The voice was calm and patient, but held that slight lilt to the end that came with a question repeated several times over. "Are you okay?"

A nod—one they did not orchestrate or approve—dipped their head.

They were fine. No, they weren't. Yes, they were. No. Why not? Why not?

Because—

Well…

A blink, slow and purposeless.

Because…

What was the question?

Was there a question?

There were sounds. Distant and far off. Meaningless maybe words.

Murmurs floated through their ears like dandelion seeds in the wind, none of them coming close to landing. Cloth snapped out and draped across their shoulders. A hand automatically drifted up to meet it, rubbing the smooth fabric between two fingers. The cloth felt light and airy, yet inexplicably warm at the same time. They tugged it closer around the body—their body? A pleasant floral aroma like fresh buds opening for the first time in spring sunshine tickled their—his?—nostrils and nearly made him sneeze.

The sensation was enough to make his nose wrinkle, and he rubbed it, realizing a second later the motion was his and his alone. He knew who he was again. Green.

Finally.

And that was Blue, grumpy as always, and still far too close for Green's liking. He tried to shove him, just like the other had done to him earlier, but the effort only blasted Green back, sending him teetering on the precipice between inside and out.

They curled around the cloth, snuggling close to soak up the scent of sunshine falling dappled through hearty green leaves. The aroma was achingly familiar, and it took several deep inhales to place it. Sky. Or rather, Sky's sailcloth. The one the Chosen Hero's Zelda had made for him right before the start of his journey. It was a precious memento and somehow always smelled good despite all the traveling they did.

They wondered how much Sky cleaned it—probably regularly or else it would be gross. But maybe not. Maybe it was magically imbued. Their eyes roved over the fabric, fingers questing for…something in the fibers. What were they looking for again? Why?

Their eyes slipped shut as if to help them concentrate, remember, but there was nothing. Just half-formed thoughts slipping and sliding like inexperienced feet on ice.

An arm around their shoulder pulled them into a half-hug. They liked—hated—loved—disliked hugs.

They accepted this one, too scattered to make any decisions. They could only stare, eyes open but focusing on nothing. Were they nothing?

Were they ever something?

Someone?

…

…Yes.

But they had no clue who.

Breathe. Just breathe.

So they did. A flowery scent entered their nose, scratched at the backs of their eyes so they raised a hand to rub at the irritant. At the fog that had settled over their vision. At the fabric that caught on their calluses and reminded them they had a body.

That they were real.

And so was the world around them. The fragrance in their face made it real. The sturdy yet soft fabric cupping their cheek made it real. So did the ground beneath them and the warm side they were pressed against and the breeze that ruffled their hair.

Slowly, like a hibernating animal waking on the first day of spring, they began to take in the world around them. To concentrate on every sensation they could, the hair tickling the back of their neck, the pressure of their knees digging into their forehead, the grains of sand sticking to their sweaty hand, the warmth of their breath as it puffed back to them from where their nose was buried in sweet-smelling fabric.

Eyes focusing for the first time in a while, they noted the stark whiteness of the cloth, broken only by streaks of blue. They made a design, they realized after some time staring, and waiting for his vision to stop blurring. Blinking seemed to help. Deep breaths, more so.

He sat up a little straighter and traced the blue thread with his eyes. His fingers soon followed, feeling out the raised bump of line after line after line of packed thread.

Wings. A bird. One he knew well. It was featured in the Hyrulean Crest. On all the knight uniforms.

Only this cloth predated it. A sailcloth, he recalled, the knowledge trickling back lazily like molasses oozing out of a bottle. Sky's sailcloth.

Sky, whose side they were currently leaning against. When had that happened? Last he recalled, the man had been in front of them but no longer. Now the Skyloftian's arm loosely draped across their shoulders, easy enough to escape should they so wish.

And they did.

He did.

Green did.

Because he was with it enough now to be embarrassed, and the ocean was still hanging over his head along with the earth pressing ever closer, and the last thing he wanted was for those phantom feelings to be made physical.

He shifted away from Sky, sucking in a deep breath through his nose and straightening. He readjusted the sailcloth, so it rested like a protective shroud over his skull. Realistically, Green knew the cloth couldn't possibly stop Blue or Vio from pressing closer, but the action made him feel a bit better anyway. More in control.

Green peered around the barren sand dunes, noting with a pang of dismay that the rest of the group was huddled together, talking quietly amongst themselves but clearly waiting. Waiting for him.

"S-Sorry," he apologized, tripping over his tongue and nearly Sky's sailcloth as he surged to his feet. "I didn't mean to hold us up. We can go."

The light chatter stopped, and the heroes turned to look at him as one.

"It's no bother," Sky assured him, standing as well and dusting sand off the seat of his pants. The urge to do the same was strong, and Green just barely resisted. We're in a desert. There's no point anyway. I'll show you no point. "Don't worry about it."

"Yeah, we wait for Wild all the time," Wind chimed in, digging an elbow playfully into the champion's ribs. The young man made an affronted sound and pulled Wind into a headlock to roughly muss his hair. Considering how much of a wind-swept mess Wind's hair normally was, it didn't mess up much. But the boy screeched anyway as if it did.

A wan smile met his lips, the feeling that he'd disappointed his companions pulsing uncomfortably in his chest. "Still…"

"If you're ready to go, we can go. But only if you're ready, little one," Time said, single eye assessing their posture. It wasn't the same calculating once-over his father gave him during training sessions that spiked his anxiety and pushed him to do better. Time's expression was warm, less seeking out flaws and more seeking out strength. "There's no shame in needing a few more minutes."

But there was shame in it. Green was a hero. He had to act like it. He had to move. To continue. To keep going no matter what, and dragging down the group didn't count as moving. It was the complete opposite.

So, shaking his head vehemently and ignoring the dizziness, Green returned the sailcloth to its owner and marched over to join the rest of the heroes, every step purposeful and sure, if a bit lighter than they should have been. "I'm ready."

"You are not. Take another minute, doofus."

Shut up. Go away.

"No."

With a succinct nod, Time beckoned for Wild to take the lead, and they were off.

Almost.

"Don't forget this." Green turned to find Sky holding a bag out by its strap. A quick pat to his side assured him it was indeed theirs.

"See?" Blue's self-satisfied smirk flashed in his mind's eye.

Flushing to the tips of his ears and fighting to keep the displeasure off his face, Green thanked Sky and accepted the bag, fastening it to his belt where it belonged.

He did not almost forget it. No way. Shut up Blue.

Unfortunately, his brother was never one to pass up the chance to say I told you so.

Probably because the opportunities were so few and far between.

"You suck!" Blue roared, latching onto the errant thought immediately. "I'm right way more than you give me credit for."

And I'm moving so who's right now? Green challenged as he trekked after the others, every step completely his.

"Still me. You would've forgot all our stuff if it weren't for Sky!"

Maybe. Green had faith his memory wasn't that awful. He would have realized after a few steps.

Blue scoffed. "Yeah, right."

Green fell into the back of the line, concentrating on each and every step as sand shifted beneath his boots. Looking ahead proved he wasn't the only one. Everyone was moving slower than normal due to the terrain.

Therefore, it was no surprise when Sky took to hovering by his side. The Skyloftian normally walked at the rear of the procession and though he could have sped up to outpace the man like Blue requested—because we don't need a babysitter!— Green refrained. Sky's presence gave him something to focus on every time his mind began to wander into nothing and every sensation listed towards less real. Frustratingly, that happened a lot, no doubt because of Blue. But he refused to leave when Green demanded it, and Green couldn't force him down like Blue had done to him earlier, so he was stuck with the ever stubborn fog while they walked.

The Skyloftian engaged him with talk of the desert in his own era, describing the wonder of timeshift stones which, when struck, restored the dead land around them to life. He spoke of the sand turned sea and the reversal of all things decayed, which inevitably brought Vio forward and made the floaty-feeling worse. Luckily, Sky didn't expect a back-and-forth, content to chatter away as some unseen puppeteer guided their body along.

When that entertainment failed to keep Green grounded, the scent of the sailcloth—which Sky had regifted upon noticing one too many shivers—brought him back just enough to maintain his place.

Shortly after the last blazing orange ray of light disappeared below the horizon, the frigid temperatures arrived. Wild was quick to pass out the spicy elixirs he'd prepared during his shift earlier, and Green accepted it gratefully, Heat seeped through the glass into his chilled fingers, and a mistiness in his body Green hadn't even realized was there lifted.

He half expected the liquid to be scalding on his tongue, but it was pleasantly warm—if almost dangerously spicy—as it slid down his throat. He coughed, wrinkling his nose at the taste. He wasn't the only one either. Legend was nearly gagging.

"What—did you—put—in this?!" the veteran demanded through a series of raspy coughs.

"I don't think you want an answer to that," Wild said.

Legend glared, another cough erupting from his chest as he thrust the bottle at the cook. "I do."

"Why is it spicy?" Wind pleaded, eyes squeezed shut and face red.

"Spicy peppers. But I didn't even put in a lot! Those peppers are nothing compared to Goron Spice," Wild declared. "I don't get why you guys are acting like it's the worst thing in the world."

"Because we have—" Legend coughed. "—taste buds!"

"It tasted fine to me," Hyrule mentioned, calmly handing his empty bottle back to Wild. "Actually more than fine. It was kind of fun. Tingly." It figured their traveler wouldn't bat an eye at any flavor, no matter how intense. He hadn't exactly had the luxury to be picky.

"His taste buds are probably numb," Blue commented.

Legend rounded on the traveler. "You don't count!"

"Everyone has different tolerances for things," Twilight said, clapping a hand on Wild's shoulder. "It doesn't bother me too much either, but maybe next time add less pepper."

"It won't work then," Wild grumbled, pressing the empty bottles to the tablet where they promptly dissipated into wisps of cyan.

Sky gasped, face paling as he turned to Green. "Wait, didn't you say you were allergic to peppers?!"

"Bell peppers," Green corrected, holding up his hands to ward off the Skyloftian's panic. "Spicy ones are completely different. They're safe, although I personally wouldn't choose to eat them."

"I would. Could've spared yourself if you would just let me take the reins."

That was not happening.

The Chosen Hero visibly deflated in relief. "Oh, alright. Good."

"And why not?"

"I know everyone's allergies," Wild piped up, tone somewhat affronted. "I wouldn't poison him."

"Uh, hello?! Green? I asked you a question."

"Of course not! I just wasn't sure if you forgot or something."

"Why are you being so obtuse?"

"Ooh, that's a new word for you," Vio observed.

"Butt out."

"Hey! I only forget unimportant things."

"Green! Don't ignore me! I'm talking to you, you know!"

Legend quirked a challenging eyebrow. "So the whole life you lived one hundred years ago wasn't important?"

"That's different. It doesn't count," Wild claimed, voice steadily rising in defense. "And anyway, I write down all the important stuff like allergies, so even if I do forget, I have a reminder."

"GREEN!"

"Thank you for keeping track of it," Green interjected before the conversation could get any more heated. He didn't think he could tolerate conflict right now, especially with Blue screaming. "I like not being poisoned."

Blue scoffed. "Pretty low bar."

"Me too," Wild shot him a thin smile.

"Now answer me."

Later. He was too tired to get into it now.

"Says the guy who took a poison arrow once and didn't even realize it," Hyrule jabbed playfully.

Blue groaned but thankfully, dropped it.

"I—okay! First of all—" Chuckles filled the air as the champion dramatically recounted the event, and Hyrule added his own recollection to neatly shoot down every excuse Wild came up with.

Bodies warm and hearts full, the congregation of heroes continued their trek through the desert. Everyone that owned a lantern or light source that didn't drain magic used it while those that didn't stuck close to the ones that did. The multiple sources of light, minimal as they were, created a sizable pool of illumination when together.

Seeing the ground in front of him and being able to navigate around rocks and up and down tricky sand dunes was a blessing. Yet Green worried the party had become a beacon. All the firelight would surely stand out to anyone or anything else traversing the desert.

Surely the Yiga could see them all the way from their base despite the heroes leaving that area behind hours ago. He wanted to mention it to Wild, but ultimately remained silent. Hyrule and Wild were engaged in an animated conversation that had both of them laughing. It felt wrong to intrude. Then Vio commented about how this was the most relaxed Wild had been since they'd switched eras, and after that Green couldn't possibly ruin it.

In the end, Green needn't have worried.

Not about the Yiga, anyway.

An explosion erupted in the sand beside him, and instinct raised his shield just in time for something fast and powerful to thud against it.

When the pressure lifted, he lowered the shield a couple inches so he could peer over it. A lizard-like creature hopped from side-to-side before him, the single horn atop its head alight with visible, crackling electricity.

An elemental enemy. Green already hated it.

And there were more where that came from. A quick glance informed him that they were surrounded on all sides. Despite the firelight, none of them had noticed the camouflaged enemies before it was too late. In fact, if not for the monsters' horns buzzing with electricity, Green wasn't sure he'd be able to keep track of them even now. Their scales glinted just a shade off from the surrounding sands.

"Lizalfos! Don't hit their horns, or we'll all get fried," Wild warned, pulling the flameblade from his back and swinging it at a nearby enemy in one wide, powerful motion.

"Got it!" Warrior called.

Easy enough, Green thought. He thrust forward, hoping to skewer the Lizalfos post hop, but it proved to be faster, scuttling back out of reach and spitting out an orb of light. No, not light, Green realized as he dodged narrowly to the side, the hairs on the left side of his body rising with static. Electricity.

"Watch out for their ranged attacks," Wild added, a bit too late in his opinion.

"You don't say," Blue griped, tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Anyone wearing metal, either lose it or move to the middle." At the resident Link's command, the heroes shifted accordingly. Green, Hyrule, Wind, Legend, and Wild took the front lines while Time, Warrior, Sky, and Twilight played support from the center.

The battle was more annoying than difficult, what with the Lizalfos hopping all about. But an arrow or boomerang was more than enough to stun the monsters into momentary stillness for those on the outer edges of the somewhat circle to land hits.

Of course, the Lizalfos proved to be crafty dodgers so it wasn't as simple as that—when was it ever?—but after a while Green became wise to their frantic hops and let the monsters' movements work with him instead of against him.

It was all going rather well, until a lucky shot snuck past their defenses.

An agonized scream pierced him down to the bone, and Green whipped around, heart dropping to his toes as he saw Time fall, electricity sparking across the armor that covered his entire body.

"Time!"

"Old man!"

Twilight dropped to his knees beside the shuddering form of their eldest member, hand hovering close but not touching. Although, it was clear from the pinched look on his face that he wanted to.

The electricity showed no sign of stopping. Surely Time couldn't survive like that for long. He had to do something. Green took a step in their downed comrade's direction, determined to help. He didn't know how, but he'd figure it out when he got there.

Except, he never did.

"Hold your positions!" Warrior barked. Green froze at the command, belatedly realizing it wasn't only for him, but for Wind and Hyrule as well. "The fight isn't over yet."

Gritting his teeth in frustration, Green whirled back around just in time to meet a Lizalfos's rusted blade with his sparkling one. The monster clearly didn't know how to use the weapon—Gerudo-make, obviously stolen, and dreadfully uncared for—taking wild swings and hoping it hit something.

Green easily buried his sword in its side, his superior swordsmanship ending the scuffle quickly. But it wasn't satisfying. Not when Time still writhed and twitched on the sand somewhere behind him.

How dare the monsters touch him!

Judging by the fierce battle cries that had arisen since Time collapsed, the others were feeling equally vengeful. Not even the death of the offending monster could quench their thirst for justice. There would be no rejoicing until all the monsters were dead and their fellow hero confirmed to be alright.

By the time the last Lizalfos fell with a strangled cry, Time had long since fallen still.

"Is he okay?" Green asked, not even taking the time to catch his breath as he rushed over.

"I don't know," Twilight admitted, voice strained. "I can't wake him."

"Move. Let me see." Warrior dropped to his knees beside Time, placing two fingers to his neck and waiting with a furrowed brow.

Green bit his lip, brow equally furrowed and heart beating furiously.

"Come on, old man, don't let a stupid lizard take you out. You're better than that."

"It wasn't the Lizalfos. It was the electricity," Vio corrected. "The fact he's wearing so much armor doesn't help. Metal's a conduit."

"Shut up."

After what felt like an age, but must have only been a minute, Warrior spoke. "His pulse is weird, and way faster than it should be, but it's there."

"He's breathing too," Hyrule noted, ghosting a hand over the unconscious man's face.

A collective sigh of relief shuddered through the group.

"That doesn't mean he's out of the woods," the captain reminded them, and Green's previously dropped shoulders shot straight up to his ears again. "Anyone have a fairy?"

Hands plunged into bags, searching desperately but ultimately coming up empty. They should really make it a priority to stock up on more fairies. The heroing business was rife with life-threatening danger, as was all too apparent at the moment.

Green cursed himself for not being more prepared.

"That's okay," Hyrule reassured. "I have some magic left. Not for a full Life spell, but what I have should be enough to get him conscious."

"Good, while you work on that, the rest of you make yourselves comfortable and keep a lookout. We're staying here for a while until Time's well enough to continue."

"Time better wake up soon. I don't want the captain in charge." Blue huffed.

Green gave the barest hint of nod in agreement. Warrior was a natural-born leader—and a good one at that—but his recent enmity towards them made Green uneasy. With the power to turn the group against them, would he?

Green's gaze drifted to the captain. A severe frown dragged down the corners of the soldier's mouth, concern written in every stony line of his face as he helped Hyrule shift Time into the recovery position.

Warrior was clearly too busy to turn on them. Hopefully, it stayed that way.

No one wanted to leave Time's side and most dropped into a seat right where they stood, Green included. He tucked away his sword and shield, flexing his stiff fingers. He hadn't even noticed clenching them that tight.

The glow of Hyrule's healing spell was duller than Green remembered, but he chalked it up to the fact that the traveler was low on magic. There had been an awful lot of fire on the young man's sword during the battle.

A groan signaled Time's awakening, and Green couldn't help leaning forward in anticipation.

"Hey, there. You with us, Link?" Warrior asked, placing a hand on Time's shoulder as Hyrule's hands retreated.

An incoherent, pained sound wormed its way out of Time's throat.

"I'm going to take that as a yes. Do you know what happened?"

"...'iza…'fo?" The old man mumbled after a pregnant pause, each syllable slurred and unsure.

"Yes, the Lizalfos," Hyrule confirmed, a smile breaking out across his face. Green thought it was much too bright for how horrible Time sounded.

"They're all taken care of so don't worry," Warrior added.

"We got revenge for you!" Wind declared, thrusting a triumphant fist into the air.

Usually, the sailor's antics would have gotten a chuckle out of the man, but Time didn't seem aware enough to notice. In fact, his half-lidded eyes began to slip closed, and Warrior reached over to pat incessantly at his cheek.

"None of that yet. Stay with us. You need to drink a potion. Then you can rest."

Another groan that turned Green's stomach because it highlighted just how not okay Time was.

"I know, I know," Warrior soothed. "Twilight, help me?"

The ranch-hand didn't need to be told twice. In fact, he didn't have to be told at all. Twi had been practically hovering over Time ever since the old man opened his eyes, red potion at the ready.

Together, the duo levered Time into a sitting position and carefully fed him the potion. There came a sigh and the visible loosening of limbs as the medicine did its job.

"Better?" Hyrule checked, tone tinged with hope.

Time grunted, a tight, grateful smile meeting his lips. "Much."

"He's still in pain," Warrior tattled, eyes narrowed knowingly.

"Only, a bit. I'm fine," Time insisted. He even levered himself up on an elbow but Green saw the wince that crossed his face.

So did Twilight. "I'll get your bedroll."

"We should get you out of that armor too," Warrior said. "It'll be more comfortable."

"Don't fuss over me," Time grumbled. "I'm really fine. Just give me a minute and we can get going again."

"Stubborn," Blue observed. "Just like you."

Just like all of us, Green thought back. Not knowing when to quit seemed to be a heroic trait. It came in handy when facing evil. Injuries? Not so much.

"We're giving you thirty," Warrior declared, already starting on the ties holding on Time's bulky armor despite the man's protests. The fact that the old man was still shaky enough to not be able to swat away the captain spoke volumes.

"Everyone should remove their armor before we continue," Wild piped up, looking uncharacteristically pale in the lantern light. "I don't want anyone else getting shocked like that. I can keep your stuff safe in my slate if you want."

A murmur of agreement rippled through the group and those that had armor and weren't currently fussing over the old man, promptly began to remove it.

Green's hands itched for something to do, and he quickly joined Warrior in helping remove Time's armor. Warrior spared him a glance, but ultimately said nothing. That was fine. Green didn't care. So long as the captain didn't stop him from helping, he didn't mind. Well, he did mind. A lot, actually. It hurt to be snubbed, and it was even worse because there was no way for him to fix it. If he'd made a genuine mistake, at least then he could have swallowed his pride and apologized. But no amount of apologies would work here. There wasn't anything for him to apologize for. Except maybe splitting. But that had been Vio, and it hadn't even been a conscious choice.

Even so, Green felt the need to do something. Something to prove to Warrior that there were no hard feelings, and he could be trusted. Conveniently enough, Green found that specific something a few minutes later.

They had moved onto the last piece of armor, and in doing so Warrior had shifted just so, throwing a loose end of his scarf over his shoulder. An end, Green noted, which had been torn, likely by one of the Lizalfos darting in and landing a lucky swing.

Everyone in the amalgamation of heroes possessed a prized item they coveted above the rest. For Wind, it was his telescope. For Sky, his sailcloth. And for Warrior? His scarf.

In all the ensuing chaos after Time had been struck, Green doubted the captain had even noticed.

As they freed Time from the last of his armor, and Twilight moved in to help the older man get comfortable on his bedroll, Green sidled closer to Warrior.

"Hey, captain, I can fix that for you if you want." He pointed to the sizable slash in the blue scarf, effectively drawing the captain's attention to it. The dismayed frown that broke through Warrior's careful stone mask confirmed the man hadn't been aware of the casualty until now.

He cradled the torn fabric carefully, tsking at the sorry state of it.

"I'm pretty sure I have some blue thread that's a perfect match," Green continued, swiftly locating their sewing kit in their bag and pulling it out. "Here, just let me compare…"

His fingers had barely grazed the scarf before it was harshly torn away.

"Hands off!"

Green wilted, suddenly feeling like he'd been drenched in cold water. "Sorry, I was only trying to—"

"I can fix it myself, thanks." But the thanks came out hard. Clipped. Not at all grateful for Green's offer. Or so much as willing to give him a chance.

His vision blurred and no matter how much he blinked, it didn't correct itself. The embroidery on Warrior's ripped scarf remained fuzzy and incomprehensible. He couldn't fix anything like this, even if he wanted to.

You don't have to. Blue insisted. We aren't helping him.

A current dragged Green back before he even realized he was caught in its pull, and words tumbled out of his mouth.

"Fine," Green heard himself—Blue—spit, his tone coming out equally biting and twice as hard. "Last time I offer to help you with anything."

"Blue," Green objected, his voice faint and pathetic in its protest. Shakey, like a blade of grass caught in an errant gust.

Ignoring Green was easy, and Blue did so with the utmost pleasure, turning on his heel and stomping as far away from Warrior as he could get while staying close enough to the group to not be reprimanded. Goddesses knew Green would never have done so. If the decision was left to Green, Blue would be cajoled into staying, into apologizing, into saying he didn't really mean what he'd said when he did.

Warrior didn't deserve their help if he was going to be such a jerk. Blue wasn't going to let Green or any of the rest of his brothers further ensnare themselves by being overly kind. They helped people who needed it, and the captain did not. He could repair his ridiculously long scarf by himself, and if the stitches were noticeable afterward, well, then it wasn't any skin off his nose. It wasn't Blue's scarf. He didn't have to wear it, and they certainly weren't wasting any of their sewing supplies on the captain's craft projects, no matter how sentimental.

Blue stuffed their sewing kit into their bag to further the point and tugged out his smithing tools instead.

"Everyone, give your blades here!" he bellowed, not at all caring how he sounded. Although Green certainly did, insisting he drop the attitude before he made them more enemies.

"My attitude has nothing to do with it," he shot back with a low growl. "And if any attitude needs to be dropped, it's yours." Blue had no patience for Green's amiable make-amends attitude. There wasn't anything for them to make-up for. They weren't the ones in the wrong here.

Once the other heroes gradually started to hand over their blades, Blue set to work, throwing himself fully into weapon maintenance. He scraped burrs out of blades, banged dents out of shields, sharpened dull edges, and polished steel until it shined. Every single action was done with far more force than necessary, but he didn't care. It didn't hurt the weapons, and it made him feel better.

Especially when he pictured he was erasing Warrior's jerkwadness with every motion. Then Legend's. Then the rest of the group's doubts and fears. Then every other negative force he could think of until his mind alighted on Shadow and stuck there. Physically touching the boy was near impossible, but at the very least, he could imagine pounding him out of their head, and thus, out of existence.

"Why's he mad now?" Vio sighed, infuriatingly nonplussed.

He got the impression of nature shrugging, bushy treetops rustling in the wind. "I asked Warrior if I could fix his scarf for him, and he said no."

"Don't like the word no, Blue?" Vio teased.

"It was how he said it," Blue grumbled, sliding the whetstone along the Ordonian's blade with an ear-grating shink! "Not like you'd know because you weren't here."

"I was here earlier. I just left to try to check on Shadow."

"Mhmm." Shink shink shink! Because it's always Shadow, Shadow, Shadow, right? He's most important. Not us. Not our quest. Not our lives. Blue punctuated each clipped thought with a shrieking scrape of whetstone across blade.

"Careful," the wind rustled. "You're going to over-sharpen that."

"You need to calm down," the earth observed.

You need to take a hike!

"Seriously," Vio insisted, no room for play in his tone. "I can feel how tense the body is from here. When's the last time you people relaxed?"

"Never," Blue grunted.

"Earlier." Green reported, followed by a flash of vines wound tight around a tree. "Kind of."

Blue scoffed. Yeah, kind of, because even relaxed, Green didn't know how to relax. They'd tossed and turned plenty in that tent after their shift.

"Where's Red? He's usually good at helping us unwind."

"Dunno, don't care," Blue mumbled, setting aside Twilight's blade before he really did wear the life of the metal down and picking up Hyrule's White Sword. He made sure to gloss over the captain's blade. Yes, he was petty, Green. No, he would not apologize.

"I haven't seen him."

"I'm going to get him."

"You're wasting your time," Blue grumbled. There was no way he was letting Red take control. Not with Shadow getting bold enough to venture farther from the mountains. If he showed up, Blue knew he could keep the monster at bay. Red was another story.

He was the sweetest out of all of them. Red would let Shadow take control and tell him to have fun while he was at it. No. There was no way Red was fronting. Blue would fight him if he had to.

As it turned out, rejecting Red wasn't an option.

"I can't get to him."

What do you mean you can't get to him? Blue demanded. Vio could go more places in their shared headspace than the rest of them. There couldn't possibly be a place Red could go where Vio couldn't follow.

"He's in his room, but the door's locked," Vio reported.

"Since when?" Green wondered.

"I'm not sure. However, I believe the door being locked might have something to do with Red being upset."

"He's upset?" Concern dripped from Green's tone. "How do you know he's upset?"

"Because I heard him crying."

"Why's he crying?"

"I don't know."

Blue had a pretty good guess, and it began with a W.

"Did you talk to him, at least?"

"I tried. He wouldn't answer."

Make him answer. Bust down the door if you have to, Blue declared. They could repair it with a thought anyway.

"Not everything can or should be solved with violence, Blue," Vio reprimanded in that infuriating tone Blue hated because it implied he was an idiot, and Vio always knew best.

You want him to keep crying? 'Cause he will unless someone does something.

"I'll go see if he'll open the door for me."

Green's presence retreated much like the rustling of leaves across cobblestone, in one smooth sweep for the most part but somewhat jittery as they caught and stuck in cracks.

Blue continued his work, the movements familiar enough that the body practically did it for him. He'd slowed down considerably compared to before the chatter had started up. The realization angered him. But the emotion only splashed his ankles instead of soaked his whole body. It was the others, he knew. Talking and distracting him so that all his senses dulled. He wished he could hate it more right now.

It was almost a blessing when Green came back, wilting with failure because it gave Blue the perfect opportunity to relinquish the front to Green—not Vio, he didn't trust him if Shadow decided to show up—and disentangle himself from the haze.

Feeling more like himself with every step he took away from the sanctuary, Blue marched to the house and banged inside, letting the front door slam behind him. It would let Red know he was there.

Except, as Blue moved farther inside, he began to doubt that the noise had been audible in the first place. Red's wails filled the house despite all the wood between them. The sound grated on his ears, and only encouraged Blue to reach his brother faster. That wasn't a simple sad cry. It was raw, unfiltered anguish, and the sound tore his heart to shreds.

He pounded up the stairs, taking them two at a time and refusing to trip. Something was wrong.

Something was very wrong.

"Red!" The sobs had increased in volume, and Blue hurried to bang a fist on the door. "Open up!"

A wail punctuated by heaving sobs was his only answer. All right then, plan B.

"I'm coming in!"

Blue backed up to the opposite wall, got in position, and charged. The door didn't so much as creak under the force of his shoulder.

Gritting his teeth in frustration, Blue repositioned himself and tried again. His shoulder smashed into the door, and he ricocheted off the wood with a grunt, landing hard on the floor.

Ignoring the throbbing in his shoulder, Blue grabbed his hammer—the one he'd used to bash monsters' heads in with on his quests. No way the door could withstand this.

Raising the massive hammer overhead, Blue slammed its head into the door with a battle cry loud enough to match Red's.

It bounced off, the recoil landing Blue flat on his butt. He screamed in frustration, tossing the hammer aside and glaring at the offending wood. It was just wood. Not even reinforced with anything he could see. So why couldn't he break it?!

There wasn't even a dent from his hammer. That was it. Time to bring out the heavy artillery.

Imagining a bomb, round and blue and dangerous, Blue quickly found one in his hand.

"Stand back from the door, Red!" he bellowed, before lighting the fuse and setting the bomb at the door's base. He took cover on the other side of the hall, shield raised to ward off flying shrapnel.

The bomb detonated with a bang that momentarily drowned out Red's bawling. Impatiently, Blue waved away the resulting smoke. But even before it cleared, he knew it hadn't worked. He could see it plain as day, the wall and door completely intact. The floor too.

This house, this Din-darned door, was invincible.

No matter what he threw at it, hammers, explosives, fire, axes, the sharpest steel he could imagine, nothing penetrated the wood.

Finally, Blue slid down the wall, elbows resting on raised knees and head bowed while he stewed in fury. How could he be so helpless? And in his own head, no less? This had to be Shadow's doing. Every bad thing that happened to them lately was, after all.

Blue heaved an exasperated sigh, tilting his head back to thud against the wall. It was clear he wasn't getting past whatever magic barrier was keeping everyone out, so that left him with one option. The one option he tended to avoid in times of conflict because he was notoriously bad at it. "Come on, Red. Talk to me."

He waited a few seconds, listening for any sound that wasn't a sob.

It never came.

"You can't cry forever."

On the contrary, his soft-hearted brother seemed to be on a mission to prove him wrong, his cries never faltering despite the fact that he must have been at it for quite a while by now.

"Do…" He swallowed, voice catching. He couldn't believe it had come to this. "Do you want a hug?" Blue waited a beat before continuing. "If you do, then you have to come out. You hear me, crybaby? Offer's going once!"

He paused.

The crying did not.

"Going twice!" he threatened, yelling to make sure his voice got through.

Red sounded so young, so scared, so hurt. It boiled Blue's blood, even more so because he couldn't do anything about it.

"Going three times," he muttered, losing hope that his brother would respond. Maybe he couldn't hear him. Maybe the room was soundproofed for those inside as well as magically warded. In which case, Red believed he was all alone with his sorrow. He hadn't known anyone had come to check on him. He didn't even know Blue was outside his door right now.

As the minutes stretched on filled with nothing but broken heart-wrenching cries, Blue made a decision. He scooted over so his back lay flush against Red's door. Maybe his most emotional brother didn't know he was there. Maybe he did. Either way, Blue refused to leave.

He would stay until Red calmed down. Until he cried himself to sleep or otherwise settled. No one in so much pain deserved to be alone. Blue couldn't hug him or hold his hand, but he could be there. So he sat, spine pressed against solid wood, and waited.

YouTube Resource:

Beginners Guide To GROUNDING | Help For Anxiety, Depression, Dissociation | REUPLOAD –DissociaDID

(In which Chloe from DissociaDID explains several helpful grounding techniques and how to use them.)

Online resources (remove spaces and add punctuation as indicated):

therapist pages (forward slash) how (dash) to (dash) help (dash) someone (dash) whos (dash) dissociating (forward slash)

(Details how to spot someone dissociating and support them.)