To nobody's surprise, Red starts crying long before they make it to the sanctuary. Green can tell he's trying not to be loud or annoying about it, but the atmosphere weighs heavily, soaking their boots and making it hard to breathe. Or maybe that's just the impending rain. It's fitting.
Zelda isn't with them. She'd respected their request to stay back, so she's waiting at the edge of the forest. She'll come if they're gone more than an hour, of course, and Green doesn't worry about that.
Five minutes into the silent walk, Green starts crying, but like the rest, he doesn't stop. Red holds his hand, and Green squeezes it back. He doesn't know when Blue's tears come, but by the time they reach the grove, only Vio's cheeks are dry.
Each of them holds their sword, sheathed, looking more out-of-place than they ever have. In the gray light and encroaching mist, the gold hilts look coppery and distinctly non-glimmery. Green almost wished they had lost one of them for good.
Vio's quiet, and as they approach the pedestal, he drifts closer and closer to Green's other side. Their steps align, all four of them, and Red's tears renew.
"I don't—" he says, and Green moves from holding his hand to wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "I don't want to say goodbye."
"It isn't really goodby-ye," Vio tries to explain, but his voice breaks on the last word, and he goes quiet instead of talking more.
Blue huffs, though it sounds wet. "We won't exist anymore. It's goodbye."
"The longer we talk," Green says, trying to be firm, "the harder it'll be. Come on. Let's just…" He's the first to pull the sheath off of his sword. It shines dully, and the first raindrops fall.
Vio's the second, and Blue is the third. Red hesitates, but follows, raindrops mixing with tears on his face. He hiccups. His emotions are making it difficult for Green to keep control of his own. It's probably the same for Blue and Vio, but nobody tells Red to be quiet.
They step up to the pedestal as one, swords held up. Is it Green's imagination, or do his brothers' swords flicker?
"See you later," Green says, a hurricane in his heart and his fingers clammy. He doesn't think, he just plunges the sword down into the stone.
—and it's pain—it's emotional turmoil—it's seeing the world from too many angles—it's being too big—it hurts—
And then there's just one of them.