4 Swords: Shadowed Truth ch21

Chapter 21: Green and Ruto

Night has fallen over Zora's Domain. The four boys have returned to the guest cottage after being invited to dinner with Rutela. It has six beds arranged in three rows in a dormitory-style bedroom, a small den with a few couches and comfy chairs, and a small kitchen. They're currently in the den. Green is laying on one couch and Vio and Shadow are sitting together on the couch across from him. Vaati is sitting in a comfy chair in the corner nearest to Green, looking slightly bored and half-asleep. Green has been much quieter than usual ever since they got here and Shadow's sick of waiting for him to explain himself.

"(Shadow) Alright Green, spill it. You've been acting really weird ever since this "Princess Ruto" girl was mentioned, and it's obvious that you've been here before... Explain already!"

"(Green) I said I don't want to talk about it..."

Shadow glares at him.

"(Shadow) Do I look like I care? I'm the one who used to be evil, remember? Tell us already!"

Vio is trying to keep himself from laughing while Vaati looks faintly interested, perking up a bit as he decides that he doesn't want to take another nap just yet after all. Green gives up, letting out a small sigh.

"(Green) Fine, you win. This isn't the first time I've been here. It's actually the second. The first was several years ago, back when Zora's Domain was still isolated from the rest of Hyrule. I was around nine at the time and so was Zelda. Her father came here on a diplomatic mission to open relations with the Zora race while Zelda tagged along. My father was part of their escort since he's the General and he brought me along with him. While Zelda's dad and the King of the Zoras were negotiating and everything, Zelda and I met and started playing with the Zora princesses, Ruto and Rutela. Ruto was nine, the same age as me, and Rutela was eight."

"(Shadow) So you kids were sent off to play together to keep you out of the adults' hair, huh? Niiice."

"(Green) Yeah..."

Green sighs quietly, looking down for a moment.

"(Vio) What happened while you were here?"

Green looks up, grimacing a little.

"(Green) I'm getting to that. Ruto decided she had to force me to marry her the minute she found out my name was "Link." She said something about how the first Zora princess to be named Ruto gave this jewel called the Zora Sapphire to a young hero named Link, making him her fiance, but never actually managed to marry him... She thinks that she's fated to force me to marry her because of it."

The half-dragon blonde shudders a little at the memory.

"(Shadow) And Zelda didn't smack her?"

"(Green) No. Why would she? Zelda's like a sister to me..."

The red-eyed Link laughs, one of his fang-like canines showing.

"(Shadow) Green, you've sure got it tough with the girls... Not one, but two princesses crushing on you? That's gotta be some kinda record or something! Especially since you- Mmph!"

Green gives Vio a thankful glance, his cheeks flushed. Said purple-clad hero just covered his mischievious friend's mouth, much to the half-dragon Hylian's relief.

"(Vio) Shadow, I don't think Green wants people to make any strange assumptions about him. Vaati's listening, remember?"

He uncovers Shadow's mouth and the grey-clad boy nods in agreement.

"(Shadow) Oh yeah, I kinda forgot the purple brat was there for a second. After all, he's actually being quiet for once... Sorry about that, Green."

Vaati seems even more interested than before, deep in thought as something clicks in his mind.

'Vio and Shadow are obviously crushing on each other... And from the way the Red and Blue "Links" acted at the Sanctuary, their situation is likely to be similar... Green is afraid of people thinking he might be gay! How amusing! Hihihihihi...!'

"(Vaati) ...Hihihi... Hihihi...!"

The purple-skinned youth starts laughing uncontrollably, shaking with each hysterical giggle that escapes his lips. He's obviously caught on to something. Green stares at him for a moment, then takes a deep breath and resumes his explanation, speaking so quickly that his words run together and make abolutely no sense.

"(Green) ___________________!!!"
Shadow gives the hysterical Wind Sorcerer a disconcerted glance as his giggle fit starts to die down before turning back to Green.

"(Shadow) Uhhh, what? You talked waaaay too quickly just now."

"(Vio) He said: "Ruto said that she's going to challenge me to a duel the next time she sees me! And that if she wins, I'll have to marry her! I'm avoiding her because I don't want to marry Ruto!""

Shadow blinks.

"(Shadow) Oh. Thanks, Vio."

He turns to Green.

"(Shadow) Do you seriously think she could beat you? So much for being the fearless Left-Handed Hero! Hahaha!"

Green shoots his red-eyed friend an annoyed glance.

"(Green) It's not that! She has a tactical advantage!"

"(Shadow) What do you mean?"

"(Vio) It's probably related to her weapon of choice."

Vio goes into "teacher mode;" imaginary hat, pointer, chalkboard and all.

"(Vio) Different weapons have advantages over or disadvantages against other weapons due to differences in reach, power, mobility, speed, and other factors such as special traits specific to a weapon, like our swords' ability to collect Force. For example, take two fighters with equal skill levels with their weapons. One uses a boomerang, the other a bow and arrow. A boomerang travels in a curved arc, making it more versatile than a bow and arrow. However, a bow and arrow has a much greater range than a boomerang as well as being more powerful. Therefore, a bow and arrow may have an advantage depending on the situation, but the boomerang could also have an advantage, too."

Shadow sweat drops.

"(Shadow) Uhhh, right."

'I'll just pretend I understood all that while it sinks in...'

"(Vio) Anyway, what weapon does she use, Green?"

"(Green) All of the Zora warriors I've seen use custom-made javelins suited for underwater combat, so I'm guessing that Ruto uses one, too. Spears have a longer reach than swords, meaning that even if all she can do is simply keep me from getting close, that's still enough to make things really tough for me. Plus, knowing her, she'd probably force me to fight her in the middle of the lake or something just to give her even more of an edge. I don't want to give her any chance of possibly beating me at all, so avoiding her is my best bet. That way she can't ever make me marry her..."

Shadow stares at Green for a moment, then bursts out laughing.

"(Shadow) Ahahahahaha! Green's afraid of a girl! This is great!"

"(Green) I am not scared of her!"

"(Shadow) Really? 'Cause you sure sounded like it!"

"(Green) I am NOT afraid of Ruto!"

Shadow grins.

"(Shadow) Prove it, then. Let her have her little duel and be done with the whole mess. Unless, of course, you're too scared of losing~...."

He draws out the word "scared," his voice a lazy drawl laden with mischief. Vaati is silent, his giggle fit finally over with, and Vio just sighs.

'Why do I get the feeling that I'm the only "Link" who isn't an idiot in some way...?'

Green gulps nervously, then steels himself, falling for his friend's taunt.

"(Green) Fine, I'll do it. If only so you'll stop teasing me..."

He yawns, rubbing his eyes.

"(Green) Dunno about you guys, but I'm going to sleep."

Shadow yawns and stretches lazily.

"(Shadow) Yeah, it's gotten pretty late, hasn't it? I'm just about ready to turn in, too. What about you, Vio?"

"(Vio) Sleeping in a nice soft bed for once definitely sounds good to me. Looks like Vaati beat us all to it, though."

The purple-skinned youth is fast asleep in his chair, looking surprisingly cute with a peaceful expression on his face.

"(Shadow) Wow, the brat sure can sleep. He's been napping on and off all day!"

"(Green) ..."

'He must be so exhausted because he wore himself out helping me and still hasn't recovered yet...'

"(Green) You guys go on ahead. I'll get him."

The other two boys head off to the bedroom and Green follows, carrying Vaati easily.

'He's so light... Even without this strange strength I have now, it would still be really easy to carry him... Isn't being so light for this size unhealthy...? Or is it just because he's a Wind Sorcerer? He can't really be a Picori, right...?'

He shakes his head, sighing quietly to himself.

"(Green) I'm overthinking this because I'm tired, that's all..."

The four boys go to sleep, Vaati and Green taking the two beds nearest the window and Shadow and Vio the middle pair of beds, leaving the two beds nearest the door empty.

~Meanwhile~

"(Ruto) Unnngh... Wh-what was that thing, zora...?"
The missing Zora princess and unofficial warrior slowly picks herself up off the sand of the tiny island's beach, just waking up.

"(Ruto) Ouch...!"

She winces as she tries to stand, rubbing at her ankle. It's red, swollen, and very sore. The kitten is curled up next to her and appears to be asleep.

"(Ruto) Looks like I was knocked out for a while, zora... The moon is out already. I won't be able to get back to Zora's Domain today, not with those insane water currents and a twisted ankle, zora. I guess I'd better just settle down here for the night and hope Rutela doesn't get worried and tell anyone where I went. Father must be panicked enough about me already, zora. He'd just be even more upset if he knew where I was. I should get some rest..."