Chapter Text
WORD COUNT: 3,308
Light slumped on his bed roll at the edge of the tent, so near the wall that water droplets jumped and splashed from time to time in spite of their endeavors to keep it dry. At least he wouldn't wake up soaking wet next morning. Red sat next to him with a deep frown as she massaged her temples.
He silently looked up at her. She'd already taken off the rings that kept her hair straight at knee length. Without them, her natural red curls could move freely at their usual lowerback length, and her scalp could relax. Also, her riding dress had been replaced for an elegant velvet cape drapped around her shoulders and concealing the nightgown she changed into for the night.
He brought a hand up to her head and began combing his fingers through the fiery hair. She needed it after a long day of keeping it up; luckily, the days on the road meant she wouldn't need the rings anymore, and simple loose ponytails and braids would suffice.
But Red didn't acknowledge his help, and kept frowning at nothing.
A quick glance at Legend on the other side of the central fire was enough to guess his friend's plight. So, Light stopped combing and patted her arm instead, making the princess lay by his side with arms crossed and eyes fixed on the tent's ceiling. The other girls' furious murmurs and glances only made Red's frown darken. Hilda had stopped to look at them over her embroidery, while Hylia pretended to be absolutely interested in her pottage.
Light sighed and placed a hand on her arm, causing her to turn and settle on frowning directly at him instead. He smiled a little, more for her own benefit. "What's on your mind, princess?"
Red looked at the ceiling again. "Legend, who else?"
"I thought so. You've been grumpy since you talked to him. What was it this time?"
"Other than his usual attitude?"
He huffed quietly. "You mean the same I have all the time? And World? I don't see you disliking us as much."
Red chuckled and turned to him in order to pat his head affectionately. "Your grumpiness is charming, World's not so bad, and half of it is his natural resting face. But Legend's just annoying."
Light cocked an eyebrow. "Annoying how? The three of us are practically the same."
Red smiled warmly, so much so that the raging winds outside seemed to quiet down for a moment. The princess poked his nose twice. "You're the only you, Light, and I wouldn't change you for the World." His smile eased, and poked her nose in return.
"And you're the only Red I can stand, I wouldn't change you even for the Four Sword."
The princess shuffled to stand on her arm to lean over him and smile, some of her curls fell on Light's face, but he didn't mind it as long as they didn't make him sneeze. "Flatterer. I know how much you liked that thing." She said.
Light cocked an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "You think so?" Red leaned closer, her smile grew cocky. "I know so."
"Sorry..." Sky was hovering above them with an awkward smile plastered on his face like a kid.
Light sighed and sat up while Red retreated from above him. "Yes?"
"Yes, sorry. Black has her eyes on you two." The pair groaned lightly and rolled their eyes before sitting side by side facing the central fire. Black was shooting judgemental daggers at Red; Hilda and Granny cleared their throats and focused on their embroidery, but Legend simply stared silently at them over his plate. Light slumped on he ground again, but Red poked his side to make him sit properly.
They'd given up trying to explain they weren't dating or courting, but when half the Heroes and princesses around them were couples, it was difficult to change the general opinion, especially when their usual sterness toned down around one another. By the light, Tetra got even more annoying when she picked on Wind, who she'd been dating for three months now. No one was the ideal model of what a friendship, or a couple, should look like.
He didn't suffer alone, though. Time was also paired with Sheik. That he was engaged, never revealed his fianceé's identity and shared a deep bond with his princess didn't help him much. Minish and Four got away with it simply because they were young enough to be "just friends". But him, a grown adult? How could he just be friends with his princess? There must be something else there. It was infuriating to no end.
Only World understood him, and even he mistook their closeness from time to time. If Light ever suggested he was Hilda's boyfriend, he was sure he wouldn't wake up ever again, and Ravio would loot his body. He shuddered at the thought, Red turned to him and put an arm around his shoulders. "I've been practising a spell with Blue, would you like to see it?"
It perked Light's curiosity; Red was adept at magic but seldom used it, claiming her spells were for self-defense only. He clearly remembered the last time she'd used offensive spells, when aiding in his battle against Ganon.
"What's it about? A shooting trick? Something to use when riding?" The princess shuffled to sit directly in front of him.
"Sit properly for once." Light sighed but sat with his legs bent underneath so they were facing each other, and Red placed her bare hands on his shoulders. All emotion dissapeared from her face, muscles relaxed and eyes glazed over as she focused on her magic within. Depite this her green eyes bore into him and Light looked around, to her loose ginger curls, to the tent wall behind her, to his own hands, to Black prowling in the background, to Hilda that observed them curiously next to Granny, to Sky and Hylia that sat together by the central fire. Why didn't Black have her eyes on the only obvious lovebirds of the tent?
Suddenly, her hands warmed considerably, more than what was normal, and the heat extended through Light's shoulders to his chest, his belly, legs and feet, it travelled upwards to his neck and face until every single hair of him was cozy like a nice pot of Wild's stews. For a couple seconds it felt nice, and the it didn't.
"Too hot, too hot!" He swatted Red's hands away and backed off as the heat dissipated from his chest. He shook his head and turned to Red, that hid a small smile behind her hand. Light clicked his tongue and sat again, this time looking at Hilda, who was also giggling.
The blonde put down her work to smile at him. "I see the spell worked."
"Don't you say." He grumbled while straightening his back, and pulled his shirt to cool down. The woman sighed, and put down the embroidery to comb her blonde and purple strands, looking somewhat offended. He didn't really care, Light might've had a strong relationship with his Four Sword doubles, but he wasn't purely Reddie or Purple; instead, he had to balance when to spend energy on having tact and when to act efficiently.
And right now, he had to make sure the woman didn't... overly dislike him. He had to make a little effort. "It caught me off-guard, would you like me to smile and laugh like a child?"
Hilda's combing stopped, her face contorted into a frown as she fixed her eyes on him, and spoke through gritted teeth. "I'm just saying that Red put a considerable effort into that spell. There's no need to be rude about it, you've survived worse, am I wrong?"
Light squinted as impatience surged in his chest. His Blue side tried to be gentle, but Green was overly harsh and Purple somewhat cold; resulting in a dry attitude being the get-go for anyone who didn't pull its weight, took too much of his time unnecessarily, or simply got to his nerves; the latter was much more common in the constant company of all this people, including sensitive princesses. "So, according to you, barely surviving a forsaken desert makes anything else excusable? I'll forgive Red for anything, absolutely anything, including a slip in a new spell, but it's not your job to say how I should react. I don't go around pestering you for being sensitive, do I?"
Red's hand grabbed his shoulder, harshly. Her voice was as low as it was stern. "Light, apologize to Hilda this instant."
He whipped his head at her with confusion. "Why me...?" Her eyes glared at him like poison, with just one message. Do not protest.
His Blue side was reserved for people who deserved it, like his Zelda, who also lived with her own Green and Purple as default. Although it was her own fellow princesses that brought the Reddie side more often than not. She'd always be his childhood friend, but she wouldn't tolerate any disrespect, not even from him, not even if the recipient had earned it.
Light longed to slap her hand away, click his tongue and go back to his sleeping space to sulk. But he wouldn't dare; this was time for Reddie and Purple to work together.
He deflated and turned his attention at Hilda, lazily. Granny appeared dissapointed, while Sky looked away. Legend stared silently during the whole exchange. "I'm sorry, Hilda." He slurred, and Red slapped the back of his head. "I mean! I'm sorry, Hilda. I may be tired, but that's no excuse to treat you badly. Is that it?"
He turned back at his ginger friend, that still glowered. The pressure on his shoulder decreased, and then she turned to Hilda. "Your turn."
"What? It was him that blew this up!" Red's glance didn't waver. The blonde turned incredulously at her companions. Hylia shrugged and Granny shook her head disapprovingly.
"You have to apologize too, Hilda. You know Light's harsh, and were I ever offended by his antics, I'd chew his head off myself."
"Her Highness is right on that one." Said Black, finally deciding to join the hostile exchange that had overtaken the tent. "She's more than capable of defending herself, and trying to take sides against such a close companion is unadvisable."
And that was the main reason for Red's usual friction with Legend. World knew how to work in team, and Time was dependable, but Legend? He was one true lone wolf, harsh and crass, barely civilized and prone to ignore people that he deemed useless, like Pink. According to Red, that is.
To be her friend was to have a guardian lioness. Hilda was aware of this, but between a dear friend and a beloved childhood partner, Light had sligthly more priority.
Hilda shot daggers at Light, so many that if looks could kill, not even a great fairy would've been able to revive him. Finally, the princess let go of her comb and placed her head on her hand, still glaring but less likely to jump at him. "I apologize for taking your beastly behavior at heart."
That was the best he would get, so he smirked. "Worry not, gods know I don't." Hilda hummed, picked her comb and resumed her hair treatment, completely ignoring him. Legend blew through his nose, put his plate down and stood up to stretch his arms in the air.
"Well," Said the blond, pink-haired Hero. "That was something else, I don't think I've ever seen Red glare at any of the girls like that, have you, Sky?"
The aforementioned jumped in place and looked at the short Hero with an awkward lopsided grin. "I... don't think so. But Hylia, you said that Red is just as strict as Queen and Sheik, right?"
"Yes, she helps to keep the order, like a big sister. But she's not the leader type." The girl snuggled closer to him. Light had to look away to avoid feeling nauseous. He met Red's face, who also showed unease. Legend walked to the central fire and the cauldron on it to refill his plate. There, he stopped to peer at Red in that particular way when he found something new.
Red held the veteran's gaze as he spoke. "Is that so? And here I thought you just liked to glare at everything that moves."
"You just happen to be a perfect aim for glaring." She grinned as much as she could, which was unnerving. Legend chuckled lightly before retreating to his original position. This was the first time in months that Legend had shared a tent with the older princesses, and the first time he'd seen their more private interactions first-hand.
His posture spoke clearly that he was finding something worth investigating in Red, and Light didn't like the idea.
"Alright, lovebirds, it's sleep time." Black clapped her hands a couple of times. "And I don't want any more fights, understood?" She walked to Sky and Hylia, and pulled them apart in one swift move, took Legend's plate from his hands and zapped Light's forehead. Hilda chuckled and put her half-finished embroidery next to Granny's before turning to open a chest full of capes.
Light turned back to his bed roll to pull it closer to the fire. Now that his little hiccup with Hilda was over, he noticed that the heating spell was working still, and turned to Red, whose roll was right next to his. "Your spell hasn't worn off, you said Bluebird taught you?"
Red had taken off her cape to stretch it over her own "bed", showing her short nightgown and white breeches, more akin to men's clothing than a princess', practical in the open fields they'd been living on for months now. The garments were a bit thin for the weather. She turned at him with a playful smile and began combing and braiding her long hair. "She said it lasts for a couple hours. I applied it on after we finished setting up the tent, but since I did it to myself I could control the temperature better."
The braid was taking too long, and Light decided to help. It wasn't the first time he'd helped making her hair up, and wouldn't be the last either. "Speaking of spells, how's riding going?"
Red looked back at him, almost shining from excitement. "I was just talking to Little Red about it. She wants to take lessons with me and Queen tomorrow morning, although her Majesty insisted we take Sky and Hylia too, given they only know how to mount Loftwings. I proposed..." They spent the rest of the evening talking about horses and all the steps Red would practice in the field tomorrow. She was so immersed on their talk that she promptly forgot about the spell mishap; that was exactly what Light had hoped for, and he listened intently to her explanations even when he couldn't ride to save his life.
She didn't extend the riding offer to him, and for that, he was grateful.
Light opened his eyes. His heart raced, his hands trembled and half-forgotten memories flashed before his eyes, melting through his fingers as he tried to catch the dream. One thing was certain; the back of his hand itched, and when he lifted it to his eyes, the Triforce tattoed on it gave off the dimmest light as if it had reacted to his fear. He let the hand fall to the ground as he focused on Red's dark silhouette before his eyes.
He must've been dreaming of the Four Sword adventure.
The man rolled to fix his eyes on the ceiling of the black tent and replayed the sensations left by the nightmare. Pain, escape, roll, attack, hide, hide, pain, torn in pieces.
It was black like Dark Link's essence, and only the embers and an occasional thunder gave off any light. The sound of breathing permeated the tent, calm and disorganized; some light snoring from Granny, a long deep sigh from Legend, the shifting of fabrics as Sky turned in place, the quiet mumbling of Hilda. He was where he was meant to be.
And he needed to pee.
He made sure the shifting of his bed roll was subtle; it wouldn't have been the first time the flop of a cover had sprung a Hero into action. He knew Sky was one to sleep off a hurricane, but Legend was something he didn't remember quite right. The veteran could either jump at the slightest shift in the air, or like Sky, be a rock til morning.
The warm air inside the tent was nice, but still he went for his traveller's bag and the cape inside. Light tiptoed around the rest of the sleeping figures to the front of the tent, and pulled the smallest piece to get his face out. The draft burned his cheeks and he pulled inside immediately, turning back to see if anyone had awoken. When nobody moved, he took a deep breath and walked out.
The rain had diminished to a ligh pour more annoying than anything, clinging to his clothes in what would become dew in the morning, and walked some ways away.
The silent figure of a wolf slipped between the tents, and another one, taller and slender, soon crossed in the other direction. The night patrols.Making his way down the hill, Light looked for a place to relieve himself, and did so promptly. His face might tolerate the chill, but his bottom didn't agree with it.
Soon he was running back to camp with the cape drapped tightly around him, careful not to slip and fall. As he made his way up, the silhouette of a dark figure observed him from behind a tent, and he waved at it. The figure nodded and approached, revealing itself as Black. The Sheikah wore her cape as well as a deep green hood underneath.
"Greetings" He said. "Everything in order?"
"Everything in order. Twilight reports that the storm won't be stopping any time soon, but we'll see." Light made a face. This would make the morning arrangements a pain, especially for Granny's old joints.
"What time is it?" He asked. The blonde warrior stared blankly over his shoulder before answering. "About halfway through the second to last hour of night."
Light leaned his head slightly. Just this and another patrol before dawn, leaving him with about an hour of sleep. "Thank you, I'll leave you to it." The woman dipped her head and walked past him to resume her rounds.
He entered the tent quickly and shut the canvas tightly behind him, to again tiptoe back to his roll. He stopped for a moment, making sure nobody had stirred, and sat back on his roll. The cold had awoken him, but some deep breaths and the air's warmth enveloping him should be enough to make him go to sleep. He laid down again and closed his eyes until he could relax.
Deep breath in, deep breath out, slower, in, slow, out, slower.
Twilight's howl pierced the air. He sprung up, every nerve on his body standing on end. Hilda yelped awake looking around. Red was already up and searching for her bow. Granny breathed sharply, and Hylia was pushing Sky around to wake him up. Light searched frantically until he felt the hilt of his sword, and tripped over his own sheets as he ran outside.
Twilight's howl was the alert. He howled again, and was cut short by growling.
Light ran out just behind Hilda and Red. In the half-light, figures moved about just as ready and sleepy as him.
The mark on the back of his hand itched, and he tightened the grip on his sword. They were being attacked.