Four Times the Hero - part 4

"What have you done with Princess Zelda?!" Green demanded, his fingers curling more tightly around the hilt of the Four Sword. Any clue, any hint Shadow would drop, Green would grab at – as would the others. As knights of Hyrule, Zelda was their first priority.

"Zelda? Well she's still in one piece if that's what you're wondering," Shadow cackled, taking a small step toward the line of Links. Taking on all four of them at once didn't even give him shivers. HE was the hero Link. HE had Zelda. And HE, was going to be the one to rule Hyrule. No one could stand in his way; especially not four cheap copies of Link who couldn't even escape a simple dungeon without squabbling!

"Where is she?!" Blue mirrored Shadow's movements and took a step forward, breaking the line they'd formed. "Tell us now or we'll beat it out of you!"

Vio moved forward to stand on Blue's left, cutting off Shadow's path to the right. Green stood next to Blue, reinforcing the block in front of Shadow. Red saw what they were doing and quickly took his place to Green's right and Shadow's left, effectively completing the half-circle around their enemy. Shadow could either engage them all at once or try to retreat backwards. Even with the settings sun in his eyes, Shadow didn't blink at Blue's threat.

"As if you could," Shadow yawned, placing a hand behind his back. "But I don't have time to play with you idiots right now." From behind his back, Shadow drew out a bomb. Before any of the Links could think the word, the bomb collided with the ground and a blinding burst of light encased them all.

"Hey!"

"Where is he?"

"OW! That was my foot…"

"Shut up, Red!"

"Keep your sword to yourself!"

"Go after him!"

"But we can't see…"

The light died away, and in the last rays of the sunset, Shadow was nowhere to be found. The sky was beginning to showcase stars, but there was no moon to outshine them this night. There was no longer a playful wind to bring a smile to Red's face, now displaying a profound frown. Green and Blue were staring each other down; each wordlessly blaming the other for Shadow's escape. Yet when Green looked away, he took all the blame for himself.

Why didn't I stop him before he took that stupid flash-bomb out? I should have known. Green's sense of leadership was more of a curse than a gift. When everyone listened to him, he was the perfect leader, but when he failed to bring them together in action he was the only one to blame.

"We need to move," Vio was the first to speak rationally. "We're in enemy territory and it's night now. We can't stay here." Red offered to lead the way with his fire-rod again but Vio declined, stating it would only draw attention to them as they traveled. For now, they'd have to adventure across the field without a guiding light. Red didn't protest; he saw Vio's logic and agreed with it. Without conversation, the four began their trek. It went without saying that there would be no sleep for them tonight.

Who does he think he is? Blue thought angrily. Acting like he's in charge all the time? I could be in charge – and I'd be better at it too. I couldn't have let Shadow get away like that. If it were just me here, things would be different.

"Knock, knock," Red's cheeriness came back after only a mile of walking.

"Who's there?" Green joined in. They could all use a laugh at this point; why not let Red have his fun?

"It's me!" Red giggled.

"Me who?" Blue continued.

"No, just me!" Red and Green laughed together, Vio joining in quickly. But while they laughed, Blue remained stone-jawed. He knew the joke was supposed to be funny because Red told it wrong he didn't find it humorous.

"That's not how you do it," Blue burst Red's bubble.

"You tell a better one," Vio proposed. The suggestion made Red smile before he could frown from Blue's verbal attack.

"No way," Blue folded his arms and turned his head away.

"Don't complain then," Green stuck his tongue out at Blue's non-attentive head and patted Red's back. "Tell us another one."

"Okay!" Red's smile widened. He thought for a moment and then remembered one he liked very much. "Two horses walk into a bar. A cucoo walks under it."