Chapter Text
It started because Four needed some space.
Honestly, the different parts of him cannot be expected to linger forever until they’re ready to let the rest in on their secret! It’s frustrating having to work as a team all the time, even when it’s something they don’t want to do, personally, and sometimes they just want to be able to move about on their own and make decisions for themselves and just... not have to hold a veritable council meeting anytime something needs to be done .
Can they really be blamed for that?
No, Blue thinks, they cannot. They cannot be blamed for wanting space because that is a perfectly normal thing to want.
Look at the other heroes, Green will tell them, look how they all wander off at times for some space! It’s fine, they think, if they want to do the same, split up a little bit, then it doesn’t hurt anyone as long as they just.... don’t get seen by the rest of the heroes!
So that’s what they do. They leave most of their brothers at the inn, save Sky and Wars who are visiting the pub and Legend who went out to do some errand or another (they think he said something about thread) and they find a quiet place to split.
“Thank Din that’s done with,” Blue is the first to say anything as they all stand there, feeling both more right in their skins but also still a little wrong after being one for so long.
Red is currently lying on the ground already, just enjoying being able to feel something all on his own without having to consult with the rest, and Green is already stretching and twisting out any cricks that Vio has neglected to let them tend. Their more apathetic element just watches them for a moment, then glances out to the street and the people still finishing up errands as the day gets closer to its close. “We should split up. If people see all of us together there will be questions.”
“We’re identical quadruplets,” Green reminds them, “that’s all you need to say.”
“I’d rather not,” the other returns, which is fair. None of them particularly like having to say that when they both are and are not siblings. They’re the same person and yet not, but saying as much is confusing to more than just other people. Trying to make it make sense in their own heads is a nightmare, even with Vio doing most of the thinking.
Their leader, or at least the leader of their little band, even if Time is the leader of the heroes as a whole, just shakes his head at the darker element before looking them all over. “Meet back up when the town clock strikes nine?”
Red, still on the ground, offers a thumbs up, and Blue nods. Vio makes some sort of sound of agreement before slipping away and that leaves Green free to go off by himself.
It’s nice, really, going off alone. Vio will be doing the same and the other two will probably stick together, as they do, passing as twins at a glance and either keeping each other out of trouble or getting into worse under the influence of each other. Whatever they do though, Green doesn’t have to hold them back. They’re all enough grown up by now not to do anything too stupid, and not needing to overthink their every action will be nice for a bit. More likely than not, those two will head off to explore, or find some source of entertainment, or maybe visit the local forge and pay to make use of it so they can tend their weapons and any damaged knives that have been brought to them by the other heroes. Vio will probably head for the closest thing this town has to a library, or maybe just find some place to enjoy the relative silence of his mind.
As for himself, Green has every intention of just taking a walk and enjoying having a body of his own for a short while. If he comes upon something interesting, that’s great, but if not, he won’t be upset.
The village their group has stopped in is a nice one, somewhat resemblant of those in their own era, albeit far bigger. The streets are wide as though with full intention of hosting an outdoor market in them, and there’s more space between the shops and homes that line the street than there were back in the captain’s Castletown. It’s a colorful town too, which makes his walk through it quite pleasant. If that walk turns into exploration, well, no one can blame him.
It’s fun, Green thinks, to follow the paths and see where they intersect and lead around and back to each other again and sort of map out the whole town in his head. It takes a fair bit of walking, and maybe an hour or so later before he’s got a general idea of where everything is, but when he’s got it down, he’s rather pleased with himself. When he’s done, however, he’s also standing out in the middle of the main street, sort of just wandering about and wondering what to do next.
It’s because they’re in a village he thinks, that his guard is lowered so much, but he doesn’t really think to worry about anything that doesn't sound like a monster or fighting nearby. He’s a Castletown kid by birth, so even loud noises in this town don’t worry him, being as they’d be common place back at father’s house in the city. The sounds of mothers yelling at their children to come in for the night, or neighbors tossing insults as they take the rubbish out at the same time, isn’t anything to worry about. The great creaking of shutters as some of the sooner closed shops begin locking up, or the sound of feet marching home after a long day, or even the sound of a horse galloping down the street are nothing more to him than sounds. Sounds of a happy town where people are safe, yes, but sounds all the same.
Maybe that’s why he misses, until nearly the last minute, that the sounds of galloping feet are so very close .
He’s just walking along one moment, and then the next there’s something slamming into him, arms wrapped tight around his waist but all the breath knocked out of him so he can’t even so much as protest. Everything moves too fast for a moment, and then when it slows, he’s being let go, and there’s a man standing over him, breathing fast and looking harried, all while a horse continues its rampant race down the main street, reins flapping loosely behind it.
“You alright, luv?”
He’s not expecting the voice, but when he looks up there’s some local woman moving to kneel at his side, her hand resting on the shoulder of the man that had, apparently, just stopped Green from being turned into a bundle of broken bones under all those thundering hooves.
The man nods, he’s shaking, breath too fast, but smiles at Green all the same, in an assuring sort of way even as children spill out of the house across the way. “Just fine, dear. Poor little thing,” and now they’re both looking at him, calling him a ‘poor little thing’ and all he can think is ‘thank Farore that Blue isn’t here’. “You alright then?”
“I’m fine,” his voice comes out higher than expected, but his heart is still beating away to burst from the fright of it. He really should have been looking out better, and maybe he’s also sort of shaking as he tries to sit up, tries to offer a smile to the man but knows full well it comes out wobbly. “Thank you.”
There are people staring, a few locals all looking worried and moving over to ask if he’s alright, if he’s been hurt at all, if his rescuer is hurt and then, humiliatingly “where is your mother, dear? Letting you wander out into the road at such an hour, I mean really!”
Oh. Oh shit. Oh crap, where’s Legend when you need him?
“Um...” does he play this off as a child or as an adult? Does he correct them and say he’s a man grown or just go along with it and say his parents are back at the inn and he wandered off? Din dang it, this is when it would actually be nice to have his counterparts all beside him to help him figure out the best course of action!
“Here,” the man who’d helped him offers a hand, and for lack of words to say, or better action to take, Green accepts it, letting himself be pulled to his feet, only to find himself tucked under a brawny arm. “How about you come inside with us? You can wait with my kids while we find yer mum and dad, okay?”
The man really does seem to mean well, and he looks harmless enough, his wife too. His children likewise seem perfectly nice, all staring at him with big eyes and worry and asking if he’s hurt, and was he scared? and promising that the horse will be put away where it belongs and not hurt him again. Unfortunately, Green isn’t particularly keen on the idea of waiting with them while the townsfolk wander around and potentially run into his brothers everywhere and, Hylia forbid, assume that they too are children .
Blue would probably explode, even with Red around to keep him in check.
“I-I’m fine,” he manages at last, and goddesses his voice is shaking so bad. It was only a quick scare, but it came out of nowhere and it has his adrenaline pumping furiously, body accustomed to needing to act when danger comes, to fight, to run, to do something. Standing here among strangers, but perfectly safe as far as he can tell, he’s got nowhere to put that energy,
“I insist,” the housewife tells him, catching hold of him and tutting ever so much as she squeezes his arm a bit. “Dear me, you’re all skin and bones. There's food inside, luv, and we’ll find yer folks sure as anything, but they’re sure not to want you out here past dark, you’ll catch a chill!”
Okay, he really needs to keep these people away from Blue! After all the brash element’s efforts to train their collective body, hearing someone call them ‘skin and bones’ would definitely hurt his pride, and the only way he’d be willing to show that to a stranger would probably be in a rather... violent manner. He’s better than he used to be, but only really a small amount and after being cooped up in one body with the rest of them for so long, that doesn’t mean anything at all.
“It’s fine,” he’s glancing about now, looking for a way out, looking for anything or any excuse to slip away without people making too much more of a fuss. “I’m okay, really.”
There. It’s stupid that he can feel the way his mind sparks when he sees their vet slipping out of a shop door, laughing some at something someone inside has said, but it’s worked twice before, and he’s pretty sure this could work again. He just has to play his cards right!
“Darlin’ your parents-”
“My mom’s right there,” it’s maybe the easy way out, but... he thinks Legend won’t mind? Save the drama by just calling the cowards way out, make the smart move, and leave in the morning without any drama. If they leave on Time’s usual schedule, he and Legend will be out of here before any of these people are even awake!
A few people follow his gaze, and the hand he uses to point out the vet, who’s currently scanning the road before his eyes land on Green. There’s a furrow of the man’s brows, a slight frown, and then, slowly, a glance over the small assemblage around himself.
Green makes a pleading face that he hopes beyond hope the people around him will read as a “please don’t be mad, beloved parent” face instead of “help!”. Red would do it better. Red’s cuter.
Legend looks very much like he’d like to face palm, and is only very barely managing to not as he moves from the shop door and towards the cluster of people still out in the setting sun. Unlike times before, the mask doesn’t flicker into being in a way Green can see, it’s just there already, weary and tired as the man walks over, skirts swishing more than normal (is he walking differently?) as he shifts the parcels in his arms to better stare down at Green. It’s not a big distance, but it feels bigger than it ought to be.
Before the vet can say anything, the arm around Green’s own tightens, and the housewife at his side is scowling at the veteran. “Are you her mother?”
Crap, ‘her’? Do people still think he’s a girl? He can take a lot, but being called a girl, without Vio or Red there to not care about it or Blue there to cackle about it really doesn’t land well with him. Not that anyone notices, they’re all busy staring at Legend.
The vet in question sighs, staring at Green with eyes that beg him to say this is isn’t happening, even as he nods to the woman standing beside him. “Yes, that’s me. What’s going-”
“She almost got hit by a horse!” One of the woman’s children declares excitedly.
“Daddy saved her!” Another pronounces, “he ran right up and- whoosh!” The girl mimics her father’s motions by grabbing the nearest little sibling in her arms, both of them giggling.
Legend looks torn between making an adoring face at their antics and staring at Green with either shock, worry, or the appropriately motherly combination of the two. He settles on staring at Green.
He lowers his head, ducking it as though it’s Father in front of him, or worse, his real mother. Father’s got a harsh tongue when he’s worried, but Mother.... Mother is Quiet.
Legend is quiet too, especially right now.
“Listen,” the townswoman speaks up over her children, who are being shushed softly by their father, “I of all people understand it’s not always easy to keep an eye on your children, but your little one could have been killed!”
The vet winces, ears flicking down and back.
“You’ve got to keep a closer eye on your kid!” The woman huffs, one hand still gripping Green as though defensively. “Or who knows what will-”
She’s cut off when Legend’s eyes widen and he starts, gaze flicking up somewhere past them and face contorting into something either panicked or furious as he shouts, in that well familiar voice, a very well familiar name . “Violet! Get down off of there right now!”
All eyes turn, and Green finds himself wanting to groan this time.
Vio is indeed sitting on a roof overhead, watching them. Although, now that he’s been caught, his counterpart is currently flushing slightly and moving to climb down, blessedly following along without question (because Vio’s always been a terrific actor, Green muses, maybe still slightly resentful).
His attention is drawn back to the vet as the man huffs, head hanging for a second, hands too full to really scrub at his face or run through his hair as he usually does. It’s only a moment, and then sharp violet that are nearly the same shade as his counterpart’s, although brighter, fall on him, and words he never thought he’d hear from a parent fake or real sound on his ears. “Why couldn’t you have behaved more like your sisters?”
It’s not the ‘sisters’ part that he’s surprised by, but typically speaking, its other people telling that to his brothers , about him , not the other way around.
What really makes the situation worse though is when Legend offers a weak half-smile to the woman who had just been scolding him, before glancing back over his shoulder and calling “Scarlet, Perri, come along!”
Out of the same shop as the vet had been in, come Blue and Red, holding hands and laughing to each other, but perfectly angelically obedient as they move to stand at the vet’s side.
Green’s jaw drops.
Legend smiles again at the gathered townsfolk, looking incredibly, horribly tired. “As I was, I’m sorry for the trouble caused, but as I’m sure you can imagine,” he smiles maybe a bit too sweetly at the woman who’d just been yelling at him, “handling quadruplets is hard.”
From his side, Red nods, fervently, even as Blue reaches up to try and take some of the parcels from the vet’s hands, making himself look incredibly helpful and well-behaved (or so a few people coo). “Olive is always causing trouble,” amber eyes flicker to him, well aware, entirely, of what he’s doing, even as Red pouts adorably, “poor Mama is always chasing after her.”
Blue, now with his hands full, nods knowingly. “Mama does her best, but Vi and Ollie never do what they’re told.”
If Four wouldn’t have to feel it tomorrow, Green would be sucker-punching Blue the moment that they get away from the crowds. Really? Him the badly behaved one? Who’s the person who usually keeps Four level headed and calm in the first place?!?
The townsfolk are staring now, even as Legend’s free hand pets through Red’s hair, earning a bright smile that is returned with a sort of warmth the vet only shows in Incidents like these. Green knows what it looks like though. Legend now looks like a tired mom with two very good kids and two very troublesome kids, and considering they’re all the same age, his excuse for not watching Green better is all but building itself.
“You poor thing,” someone sighs, eyeing the vet as though wondering how on earth he’d survived four kids this long. Green doesn’t want to know what their theories are, or any further thoughts on the matter. It's weird to think of Legend having kids- in either sense of the phrase!
“There’s four of them?” Scoldings turn to soft shock as the woman holding Green’s arm suddenly lets go to look over him and his counterparts.
“Five,” Legend corrects, and Vio’s head whips up so fast Green thinks he’ll snap his neck, but the vet just nods back down the street to their inn. “Their older brother is probably back at our inn room with his father still. The poor dears were so worn out after all our travels, I dare say they’ll have passed out already.”
“Your husband left you to handle four children alone?” The man who saved him pipes up, looking scandalized that any man would dare so such a thing to what, to them, must appear a very sweet and weary young woman.
Legend winces, shifting what he still has in his arms awkwardly. “It’s been rough travel, making sure we’re all safe all day long and whatnot. Fighting monsters isn’t easy, you know?”
The murmurings around them ease even as Vio finally reaches the vet’s side, and as though to make Green look all the worse, promptly hides himself shyly behind the vet’s skirts, perfectly playing up a role as the quiet, avoidant child, and not a true mischief maker like ‘Olive’ (he wonders who thought up those names, and if they really all had to be female).
Legend’s hand finds the darker element’s shoulder, slipping from Red’s hair and making the brighter aspect sigh, but Vio leans against the vet quietly in answer, earning coos from a few of the local women. “Now, if you’ll excuse us,” the vet sighs, “I really should be getting them to bed. We’ve had far more excitement than is our share today, haven’t we, kids?”
Dutifully, the other three nod, and it’s only the boxes hiding his face that stops everyone but Green from seeing how Blue is smirking as he does so. Nayru Bless, he’s a half a second from wringing his brother’s neck right now!
“Stay safe,” the housewife looks a bit awkward as she gives him a light shove towards the others, but she’s the one wincing as though regretting scolding the vet, especially after hearing about “the poor dear’s” long-suffering husband and their struggles with five children. No doubt, much like in the captain's time, she’s wondering how someone the vet’s age can even have that many children.
Not thinking about it , Green decides, hurrying after the others.
When Legend takes his hand firmly in ringed fingers, he plays along, letting the vet keep him close as they move along to the inn. It’s not until they’ve walked around the street corner to the door that the vet drops his hold, instead reaching for the packages in Blue’s hands and gathering them up in his own. “You four should probably turn back into Four again,” he tells them, “Before we go inside and the inn-keep asks me to pay for three additional guests.”
“How’d you know?” Vio asks, eyeing the vet.
Legend just snorts. “ ’Mothers’ know everything. Now merge, smithy. We don’t know if someone will follow after us.”
They do as they’re told. They duck into an alley to help hide the light-show it causes, but they do obey. And then Four is standing in front of the vet, and swirling colors meet weary violet.
“I won’t tell if you don’t.” They tell him, maybe speaking too quickly.
Legend sighs, eyes falling shut properly with a wince. “ Never . They can never know about this.”
That is... not what they meant, but they nod all the same. This is Legend after all, they can probably trust him with their biggest secret ever, especially since he hadn’t reacted that badly to seeing four of them, even if he had been rather startled, Four realizes, when Blue and Red happened upon him. Still, it’s one of the best reactions they’ve had, and Legend understands how important secrets are, and telling the others about Four would mean explaining their little escapade today, so...
“Let’s go in,” they suggest, reaching over again to take some of Legend’s purchases. “And pretend none of this happened.”
“Sounds good to me.” The vet sighs in answer, and it’s almost a promise of secrecy, or at least silence, either way, Four’s got no complaints (except for against Blue; Blue’s actions are resulting in repercussions already, although blessedly internal).