1st Shard

[cantstopme]

Characters: Lil' Link and you!
Setting: Room 1-18 and both dorm floors.
Format: Either or!
Summary: Link freaks out and then freaks out a little more.
Warnings: None I think; will change if it happens?

[Room 1-18 and probably the hallway too.]

[Of all the ways Link has woken up before, this had to be the worst. First was the sleep paralysis; that gave him a good spook, since it's definitely never happened before. Only thing that equals paralysis in his mind are those stupid Redeads - but after gaining movement again, he already checked the room for those.
Thank goodness there aren't any. Yet.

But second was realizing, hey, this definitely is not anywhere he remembers being. Definitely, definitely not. This place is too... fake feeling to be anywhere on the Great Sea. So of course, he got up to check the room out.

And that's when he noticed the third thing - that collar clamped around his neck. Oh, this ain't good, no sir; it feels like something evil, and just looking at what he can see of it gives him a little bit of the heebie jeebies. Which means it must come off, and now.

So if you pass by that room or are lucky enough to be in it, you may or may not find Link with his back to the floor, hands clasped on what he can grab of the collar, and his little legs scooting him backwards across the ground like he expects it to help. It's probably pretty dumb looking.]

[Around the dorm areas.]

[Later, of course, is time for a little exploration; he's grabbed all he can carry out of his trunk, and he's making his way around to try and find the door outta here - which in his logic means "go around and open every door you find". So feel free to notice the little nine year old hero peeking his head into your room, there.]

Comments

[cantstopme]

Oh! You look familiar!

[So actually, instead of leaving, he peeks in a little more. Hope you don't mind an interrupting little tyke, princess.]

[sageprincess]

[Of course she doesn't mind! After the third Link she's started getting used to this, really. She smiles slightly, sitting up.]

As do you, though I do not believe we have met. Have you only recently awakened here?

[cantstopme]

Mhm.

[Link's going to hang around in the doorway, though; he hasn't really been invited in, and he doesn't want to be rude and just assume.]

An older Link told me a lot of stuff about this place, but not everything.

[sageprincess]

[Oh, so he already knows about the timeline shenanigans. That makes things easier.]

Ah, well, if you have any questions you would like to ask, I shall do my best to answer them. This place can be disorienting at times.

[She doesn't say anything about him lurking in the doorway, but she does tilt her head a bit. Honestly, she met the Link of her time because he barreled in through her courtyard, after all.]

[cantstopme]

Well, um...

You're the Princess Zelda that the other Link told me about, right?

[Numero uno of his questions, definitely. It's kind of obvious that she is, but he just wants to make sure.]

[sageprincess]

[Blink.]

If he meant here in this tower, then yes, I am.

[At least, she presumes so. She certainly hasn't seen any other Zeldas about.]

[cantstopme]

Yeah, I think that's what he meant. I guess you're the only Zelda here, huh...

[Not that he really minds, but you know. Tetra. :(]

... You're a lot prettier than the Zelda I know.

[sageprincess]

Yes, I believe so--

[CHOKES. ON AIR. Kids say the darnedest things...]

... I - uhm. Thank you. I suppose.

[cantstopme]

[Well it's only true! Though don't tell his Zelda he said that - she'd whack him.]

Can I come in? I wanna ask about where you come from!

Oh, uh... if it's okay, of course. Your highness.

[That's what you're supposed to say to princesses that aren't Tetra, right?]

[sageprincess]

[Hey, she's been crossdressing for the past seven years. Being called pretty is new. Either way, regaining composure...]

Ah, yes! Of course you may. What do you wish to know?

[It's still a bit odd talking to a Link that doesn't know her personally, but have a seat, little Link.]

[cantstopme]

[He gives her a little, quick bow then, before toddling into the room and hopping onto her bed.]

I want to know where you come from! I met another Link that comes from the sky, and I come from the sea. You have to be from somewhere like that, right?

Did you live in a castle like in all the stories my Grandma tells me?

[sageprincess]

[... asdfkljg so cute.]

I have had both feet on solid ground my entire life. My country is called Hyrule, and yes, I did live in a castle, once.

[cantstopme]

[And now he just gives her a look of amazement.]

You mean... you really lived in Hyrule?

Before the world was flooded?

[sageprincess]

Flooded?

[In contrast, she gives him one of concern. Why does she get a terrible feeling about this...]

Yes, of course I did, but what do you mean by 'flooded'?

[cantstopme]

Well, um... A long time ago, a villain kind of terrorized Hyrule, and because there was no hero to save them, the gods told everyone to live on the mountains and flooded the world instead.

It's why I live on the sea; Hyrule's all flooded and stuff.

[Oh no; he's starting to get a bad feeling about this, too... But in that "did I just tell her that her home was atlantis" kind of way.]

[sageprincess]

... W-what?

[She feels like the wind has been knocked out of her. Hyrule... is gone? Everything she did was for nothing?]

Who... who was the villain? Why was there no hero?

[Just starting to sound a little bit desperate here.]

[cantstopme]

I... I think the villain was Ganondorf? He said so, at least...

But it's okay! I beat him for you, and lots of people survived.

[Well, it's okay to him at least.]

[sageprincess]

[Yeah, no, it is not okay. Nowhere close.]

Ganondorf? But I... we sealed him away in the Sacred Realm, how could he have...

[If Ganondorf somehow escaped, a hero would need to take hold of the Master Sword and use it to defeat him. But... there was no hero. Could it be that, by sending the Hero of Time back, she--]

... Please, tell me. Why was there no hero?

[cantstopme]

I...

I don't know.

The King told me that he had left Hyrule, but I don't know what happened after that.

[He pauses then, frowning.]

I'm sorry.

[sageprincess]

[... She had condemned Hyrule to this fate.]

I sent him back.

[The princess just... looks to the ceiling, makes a futile attempt at keeping herself together (honestly, Zelda, you've barely even met this boy and now you're going to cry in front of him?), and then lets the tears flow.

It was all her fault.]

[cantstopme]

[He makes a shocked little noise when the princess begins to cry, hesitating a bit before climbing forward to wrap his little arms around her.]

... It mighta been too late, princess. It's... it's okay.
I don't understand fate and destiny and stuff like that, but...
But Ganondorf said something about me being that Hero reborn, and...
Maybe it wasn't his turn to be the hero that time?

[sageprincess]

[She makes no move to return the hug yet, but she also doesn't push him away. She tries, oh, she tries to keep her voice steady, to reign her emotions in, but... she just can't.]

No... no, you see, after the Hero of Time defeated Ganondorf, after we had sealed him away... I sent him back. To his own time. He had lost his childhood fighting for Hyrule, I thought... I thought I was doing the right thing, but...

[It was all for naught, it turns out.]

[cantstopme]

[He listens quietly, trying to understand - it's a little far out there for him to fully comprehend, but he's really trying. Link tightens his hug just a bit, before looking up at her.]

I... I don't really understand. I'm sorry, princess.
But I don't think it's all too bad. All the people survived, remember?
All of your people were okay, they just had to live on islands. They were my ancestors; the King said so.

And I beat Ganondorf, so he can never hurt anyone again.

[sageprincess]

You... You should not have needed to...

[And then she just breaks down into uncontrollable sobs, and it's entirely embarrassing, but, well, the boy is hugging her, isn't he? So she returns it, holding on tightly. It is a small comfort, but only that.]

[cantstopme]

[Link goes quiet again, holding her as best he can with his little arms.]

... I wish I could change it for you, princess. I don't like this at all.