Third Dungeon

[theherourherocouldbelike]

Characters: SS Link, and you!
Setting: The workshop!
Format: I'll follow!
Summary: Link's making things for friends!
Warnings: I fail to see any warnings being needed but Ghirahim might tag I'm not sure and he's a warning himself so I'll put down "possible Ghirahim sighting" as the warning.




[If you come into the workshop today, you may notice a familiar green garbed elf carving something out of wood! Upon closer inspection, it kind of looks like a girl. He chips away, completely focused on what he's doing. Why don't you come bother him! He'll make you something if you ask nicely.]

Comments

[theherourherocouldbelike]

He was the first person I met-- besides Ghirahim.

[sageprincess]

[Her smiles fades a bit, a sort of sickly pallor overtaking her features for a brief moment as her mind flashes back to just before... yeah. That particular memory is staying fairly fresh in her mind, despite time going on.

But she swallows that feeling, tucking it away for a more private moment, and forces her smile to return.]

Is that so. How fortunate.

[theherourherocouldbelike]

[He noticed her looking upset and frowns himself, a little worried.]

Is something the matter?

[sageprincess]

[... Oh, he noticed. Damn. She shakes her head.]

No. ... Nothing the passage of time will not mend, in any case.

[What is opening up to people.]

[theherourherocouldbelike]

...are you sure?

[You seem awfully upset...]

[sageprincess]

[Siiiigh. Okay, what if she tries smiling again, will that get him to stop fretting--]

Yes. Merely a bad memory, is all. Do not worry yourself.

[theherourherocouldbelike]

[Nope he'll fret anyway.]

...I will continue to worry but I won't bother you about it anymore.

[sageprincess]

[DAMMIT.]

I... I simply do not wish to burden you with such things. My apologies.

[theherourherocouldbelike]

[He smiles again, softly.]

It's not a burden to hear about someone's problems.

[sageprincess]

[There's a moment of silence as she wrestles with her need to tell and her instinct to hide. When she finally speaks, her voice is hesitant. Very hesitant.]

... Are you certain? It is not something that would be pleasant to hear.

[theherourherocouldbelike]

I am positive. I have heard, and seen, many unpleasant things. I don't think anything could burden me any more then I have already been burdened before.

[sageprincess]

[... Well. Okay. She takes a steeling breath, then, averts her eyes, and tries to keep her voice steady.]

When you... When you died, Ghirahim left your body on my bed. He left a note, saying you were a "gift," and... implied that he would do the same thing to others if I do not tell him about the villain in the conflict of my era.

[theherourherocouldbelike]

[That was..... unexpected. He is quiet for a moment, getting his thoughts together. He didn't want to seem bothered by any of this, he didn't want to worry her. But he couldn't help but be bothered.

When he finally speaks, it's quiet.]

...I see. I'm sorry that happened.

[Goddammit.]

[sageprincess]

[And this is why she wanted to keep it locked up and away, where the knowledge might eat away at her, but at least it could do no harm to anyone else.]

You have nothing to apologize for. It was not your fault in any way.

[She sighs a bit, looking down.]

I should not have told you.

[theherourherocouldbelike]

No, I'm very happy that you told me.

[He smiles again.]

I'm apologizing for letting myself be killed so easily, and letting Ghirahim get away with doing what he did.

[sageprincess]

[Yeah, no, that smile's not helping her feel better.]

Link, you are strong but you are not a god. No sane man would ever hold you accountable for such things.

It will be all right, so... please, do not do anything rash.

[She's already had to stop one Link from charging after him, and she doesn't think this one will be so easily distracted.]

[theherourherocouldbelike]

[His smile fades and he looks away.]


I already have.

[sageprincess]

[Those three words send a cold, horrible sinking feeling straight into her stomach, and honestly, she's not entirely sure she wants to know, given how this particular topic started.

But... Link is really hurting right now, and though she may not be the girl that half-finished figurine is in honor of, but she'll certainly do her best to help.

Quietly, she reaches out, cupping Link's cheek with a gloved hand. Her voice is calm, gentle in a practiced sort of way.]

Tell me.

[theherourherocouldbelike]

[He closes his eyes and sighs.]

A few days ago, I killed Ghirahim. I used a sword that wasn't even my own and I murdered him, not for revenge or for my honor. I was overcome with a strong attraction to the diamond that rests in his chest. I'm not sure why, exactly, but the want drove me mad. It was like I wasn't myself, like I couldn't control my actions or my thoughts. In the end, I had ripped it right out of him.

What worries me the most was that I was sickly pleased after killing him.

[In all honestly, Link was a pacifist. He didn't like hurting others, he didn't like killing others. He didn't enjoy murdering all of those creatures, and he didn't enjoy ending the lives of his enemies.

He didn't fight because he wanted to, he fought to save lives. If someone wasn't threatening to hurt or kill another, there was no reason to fight them; even if they were someone who once threatened his life.]

[sageprincess]

[Truth be told, that is a gruesome story, and it would be a lie to say Zelda is not at the very least shocked by it.

But she also knows something this particular Link does not know, and that's what keeps her from cringing.]

Did this happen while those strange sweets were circulating around the tower?

[theherourherocouldbelike]

Yeah, it did. Why?

[sageprincess]

[A gentle, knowing smile.]

If you ate one, then that is likely the reason why you acted the way you did. The vast majority of the sweets warped the mind of the consumer in some way, while one type in particular would return them to normal.

You did not feel like yourself because you were not yourself. You were under the influence of the tower's maintainers.

[theherourherocouldbelike]

...I did eat one of those sweets.

[That.... that's actually kind of a relief. He still feels bad about all of it but...]

So... those were... poisoned?

[sageprincess]

[She nods.]

In a sense, yes, they were. You were not the only one affected, either.

[theherourherocouldbelike]

Were you affected as well?