Looking For Group

Part 23

Twilight didn't know what to say to that.

It was a shit situation and he couldn't blame Wild for feeling like that. The kid had three years asking himself why nobody looked for him, coming up with a thousand possible scenarios. Of course it didn't make sense why one of the richest people in Hyrule couldn't find him. But that wasn't a question Twilight could answer for him.

"I don't know what happened," Twilight said. "But Flora knows you're alive now. She wants you to come see her."

"She wants me to come see her? What, were all her gold-plated helicopters unavailable?"

"Her father is in the hospital and she didn't want to leave him. If she could be here she would."

Hearing about Flora's hospitalized father deflated some of Wild's anger. His shoulders slowly loosened as his brows furrowed together. He sighed softly. "Even if I wanted to... I can't leave. I have class in the morning, I have homework to finish-"

"You're a Hero now, you can get an extension."

"I never agreed-!"

"I know! I know. But whether you like it or not you're a Hero. You're only putting off the inevitable."

Wild straightened, the fight coming back into him. "You say it like it's a threat. You don't get to come to my apartment and demand I do anything..."

He trailed off as he came to a realization. He pointed an accusatory finger at Twilight.

"How did you know where my apartment is?" He asked. "I never told you where I lived."

Shit. The situation was already fucked, so there was no point in lying. Twilight steadied himself for what would come next. "When we realized you were a Hero... we looked up your information."

"You what-?" Wild curled his body away from him in disgust. "That is some stalker behavior. You're even worse than those freaks out in the hallway! Get the hell out of my apartment!"

"I'm not leaving," Twilight said.

"Get out or I'm calling the police."

"Your princess gave me a command. She told me to bring you to her. That's exactly what I'm going to do."

He stepped forward. Wild took a step back.

"Put on your shoes," said Twilight. It was not a request. "Grab your jacket, your wallet, whatever else you need. We're going."

Wild took another step back. Unease was slowly settling in. "So if a princess tells you to jump off a bridge, you'll do it?"

"Yes."

That startled Wild into silence, though it wasn't the truth. Heroes were not obedient dogs, willing to do any whim of a princess. A Hero had the right to refuse any command if they felt it was foolish, self-seeking, or brought harm upon the princess. It was rare when a princess acted in their own interests, and it was rarer for their Hero to disregard a direct order. Flora's order was not one of selfish desires nor was Twilight willing to wait another day to reunite the Hero to his princess.

Wild gave a glance towards the door, the only way in and out of the apartment. Twilight was standing between him and it.

"Fine," Wild said, holding up his arms in a pacifying manner. "Have it your way."

Twilight relaxed only for a fraction, when suddenly Wild grabbed the nearest thing to him- a lit lamp- and threw it at his head.

Twilight dodged, the lamp arcing over his right shoulder and shattering to the floor behind him. Wild used that small window of distraction to run past him to the door. Twilight swung down, hooking his arm around Wild's torso and hauled him back.

"Stop fighting me!" Twilight hissed as Wild struggled. "I'm not going to hurt you-!"

Wild stopped. He was breathing hard through his nose. "Okay. Okay. I'm calm now."

Twilight hadn't released his hold. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah."

"You're not playing with me?"

"No."

"Okay. I'm letting go now..."

His hold loosened. Wild immediately elbowed him in the gut and ran for the door again. He only managed to get the door opened for a fraction of the way, when Twilight's hand slammed down upon it, forcing it back shut.

There was a wave of concern from the peanut gallery outside. "Hey, are you guys okay in there?"

Twilight loomed over Wild with a dark expression. "Don't do that again," he said.

Like a rabbit caught in a snare, Wild came to realize there was no escape. His eyes darted around his apartment, looking for an exit, and when none came, he tried to appeal to Twilight's better person. "You're a Hero," he began. "You're not supposed to do things like this. This is kidnapping-"

"You think I enjoy this?" Twilight snarled. "I would love to do nothing more than fucking leave. But we are not allowed to walk away! We don't have that luxury! The few times a Hero ignored his responsibilities, people died. Heroes died. I don't want to do this. I fucking hate that you're being forced into this life, that you never had a choice, but there's nothing I can do to change that. The best I can do is guide you along the way. Teach you. Help you. But whether you agree to this or not, I have my orders and I will follow them. So don't make me do this, kid. Please."

He stepped back.

Wild had his arms up in defense, and it hurt Twilight to see the kid actually thought he would hurt him. As the long silent seconds ticked by, Wild lowered his arms. He thought about it.

In a small, defeated tone, Wild said, "Let me get my shoes."

A few minutes later the door opened and they stepped out. They were blinded by the dozens of phones going off all at once.

Twilight pushed through the crowd, ignoring their questions. From behind Wild followed closely, covering his head with his dark black hoodie.

"Where are you Heroes going?"

"Is this confirmation?"

"Show us your face! C'mon, kid, smile for the camera!"

It didn't matter if Twilight threatened them with legal action, these fools were going to do what they wanted. First he needed to get Wild out of here. He continued to push his way through, forcibly knocking arms and phones out of the way. One hand accidentally brushed the back of their knuckles against the Master Sword, and what followed was a screeching bellow of pain, and the victim knocking several people down in his haste to get away. Unfortunate for that poor fellow, but the surprise paused the flashes of cameras for a moment, giving Twilight a chance to get through the wall of bodies without further molestation.

Twilight and Wild ran down the stairs, out into the parking lot, finally alone.

"Hylia..." Wild breathed, staring back. "What the hell happened back there?"

"That's what happens if you touch this sword and you're not a Hero," Twilight said. He patted the sword lovingly. "Look, I'm tired as all hell. Do you mind if we grab a taxi to the train station?"

"Only if you're paying," Wild said.