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“We won’t ever forget about this…” Vio stated, solemnly.
“Thanks for everything, guys!” Blue winked at them. His smile was clearly faked, as he didn’t want to upset Red again.
“I love all of you guys!” Red’s eyes were still pink and wet from crying earlier.
“We’ll be together, always and forever!” Green’s face was determined, but poorly holding back sorrow and fear.
The four reached forward to surrender their swords back to the Four Sword’s pedestal.
“No. No, I’m not doing it,” Vio declared. He couldn’t believe he was the only one to crack. He was sure Red would be too upset and Green would cave. He was counting on the others’ emotional attachments to each other. He hadn’t believed for a second that any of them were ok with this. How come he was the only one to be saying anything?
Vio could guess the answer. The only reason they’d want to stay separated was because of selfish reasons. Vio was the most selfish of them all.
---
“...Vio. Violet Link. Hello? Are you listening?” Princess Zelda and the other three links were staring at him. They were sitting in the meeting hall, discussing some important laws. Vio wasn’t really paying attention, so he honestly couldn’t tell you which ones if you asked him.
“I apologize. I was distracted. Can you repeat what you said again?” Vio remembered to nod along this time, so that they’d think he was paying attention.
His spacing out had been increasing. He kept thinking about previous things that had happened to him. Most of them were related to Shadow, egging him on. He just wanted this meeting to be adjourned so that he could go back to studying. He needed to find a way to bring back Shadow.
---
“It’s like a Dark Fountain. As long as we have this mirror, we’re invincible,” Shadow explained, one hand on Vio’s shoulder, the other pointing at the Dark Mirror.
“Vi?” Shadow was staring at Vio, concerned.
“Yes?” Vio responded, turning away from the mirror to look at Shadow.
“When’s the last time you slept?”
“I slept last night!” Vio responded, confused, “Why?”
“Then why do you look so tired?”
“I don’t I- do I?” Vio looked into the mirror again. He was sure he’d looked fine a minute ago. But, Shadow was right, there were large dark bags under his eyes.
---
The Dark Mirror disappeared and left a river, and Vio’s exhausted face staring back at him. Vio couldn’t feel Shadow holding him anymore, but he still saw it in the river.
“I couldn’t sleep!” He exclaimed, “I had to find you! To save you!” Vio turned to look at Shadow in person, not just a reflection in the river, but he wasn’t there.
“Of course he isn’t there,” Vio told himself. “I still have to bring him back. This isn’t real, none of it is.” Vio bit into his hand, hoping the pain would ground him. His hand bled and he took a deep breath. He couldn’t take this much longer. It was getting so hard to tell what was real. Was any of this even real? He picked up a pebble. The pebble got coated in red liquid. He angrily threw a nearby pebble into the river.
---
The Dark Mirror crashed and shattered around Vio.
“You traitor! You’ve killed me! You were just faking this- this alliance? You may not be evil, but you are devious,” Shadow’s face was flooded with anguish at the betrayal.
“Shadow? Wait, no, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to!” Vio reached out for Shadow, but his dark counterpart was already being engulfed by light.
“This is all your fault. I will never forgive you.” Shadow disappeared.
---
“I used to think he was the smart one,” Green mocked, laughing with Red and Blue. They were in Death mountain. Lava was all around them.
“YOU DIRTY TRAITOR! I KNEW IT! ALL THAT BOOK LEARNING ROTTED AWAY YOUR MORALS!” Blue yelled.
“Leave you alone for a day and you join the forces with darkness.” Red stared at him, disappointed.
“I’m ashamed you’re even a part of me!”
“That- that’s not fair. You guys know why I did it! I faked joining evil to win the enemy’s trust!”
“You’re a traitor either way,” Green sneered. “You betrayed us, and you betrayed Shadow. You claim you care about him, yet you take leisurely baths in the river while you could be saving him?” Rivers? On Death Mountain? What was Green talking about?
---
Vio was face-first in the river. A stone was in his hand, newly cleaned. Vio sat up and coughed. Water poured from his mouth.
Everything was fine. Vio just needed to get to the Four Sword pedestal, and everything would be fine. Vio placed the stone gently in the river. Vio stood up, but soon doubled over. He was too weak. Too tired. Maybe he should just take a nice nap in the river…
Vio pushed the thought out of his head and kept trekking through the forest. Surely they’d make it to the Four Sword pedestal soon.
---
Oh, wait, they already found the pedestal. Vio had just said he wouldn’t put the Four Sword back!
“Oh, thank goodness someone else was thinking that too!” Red exclaimed, relieved.
“See, Green? Even the smart one thinks we shouldn’t…” Blue added.
“Guys, we can’t, you know that. Having the Four Sword out and about could cause disaster! Don’t be selfish!”
Vio was having trouble standing straight. He could tell he was standing lopsided, but he couldn’t seem to fix it.
“That’s the thing. I don’t care that I’m being selfish.” The first time this had happened Vio had practically begged. He wasn’t going to do that this time. He didn’t have time. He needed to save Shadow.
Vio drew his sword and pointed the blade at Green. “I’m not putting the Four Sword in. I’ll kill you if I have to.”
---
Green stared at Vio shocked. Vio’s sword was pointed directly at his throat.
“Vio, there’s no need to fight. I’m not here to hurt you, please, you’re unwell. We just want to take you home so you can sleep. You haven’t slept in weeks.” Green chided.
“I’m not going to sleep until I find Shadow.”
“Please, Vio, you can go back to hunting after you’ve gotten rest.”
“I’m. Not. Going. To. Sleep. Until. I. Find. Shadow.” Vio pushed the blade against Green’s throat. Not cutting yet, but very close.
---
The hilt of Vio’s blade sank into Green’s flesh. Green thudded to the ground, unconscious. He watched as a look of horror spread across Red and Blue’s faces.
“Green!” They yelped. Blue and Red raced over to Green’s unconscious form.
“Green, open your eyes!” Red begged.
“Well done Vio!” Shadow praised. “Now you’re truly one of us!”
“What, didn’t you believe me?” Vio heard himself taunt Red and Blue. “Deal with it.”
---
“I could tell you weren’t paying attention during the meeting, Vio,” Blue accused.
“So what?” Vio replied, “deal with it.”
“Ow, Vio, you’re cutting me!” Green exclaimed. Wait? Green?
---
“What?” Vio asked. Vio was standing in front of Green. He was pinning him to a tree, his sword against Green’s throat. Green’s throat was weeping blood.
Vio quickly removed his sword from Green’s neck.
“I’m sorry,” Vio whispered. You’re a traitor. I’ll never forgive you. Vio could hear Green saying it in his brain. He didn’t need it said aloud.
“I forgive you,” Green said, calmly.
“What?” Vio inquired, shocked, “how could you forgive me? I’m a traitor!”
“Vio, everyone deserves a second chance,” Blue snapped. “No one is perfect. Not even you. We don’t expect you to be.”
Vio felt tears running down his face.
“I’m pointless. I don’t deserve to be a part of you. I’ll never be valid. I’m the broken Link.”
“No life is a waste. Our identity doesn’t make us more or less than anyone.” Green stated. Finally, Vio could tell this was real. Nothing in Vio’s mind could be as cringy as Green’s moral compass.
But regardless, “I’m so selfish, all I’ve thought about since I forced you to not give up the Four Sword are my own personal goals!” Vio cried.
“Trying to stop something that’s killing you inside isn’t evil or selfish,” Green explained, firmly.
“I killed him, Green. It’s all my fault. He thought the only way he could be good was to destroy the mirror and kill himself! You don’t understand-”
“We do understand, Vio that’s why we’re here,” Red explained.
“You know that the Four Sword Pedestal somehow held the bonds that tied down Vaati and Ganon.” Blue started.
“So you want to examine it to see if Shadow is connected somehow.” Green finished.
“I- yes. That is why I’m here.” Vio confirmed, surprised. He was finally being heard.
“We could never forget Shadow,” Green smiled.
“We’ll figure this out Vio.” Blue winked.
“We’ll do this together!” Red cheered.
“Always and forever!” Vio finished, smiling for the first time since Shadow had disappeared.