towerofanimus | ▲ 001 ▲

Entry tags:

▲ 001 ▲

Characters: Link and whoever wishes to poke him
Setting: Room 04-04 and Floor 1, breakfast time
Format: Prose preferred, but feel free to use action/brackets
Summary: Link wakes up, completely unsurprised and unbothered that his world has ended. That's old news. Time to go eat some oatmeal and figure out where he is.
Warnings: Spoilers for the Skyward Sword prequel manga

Link was only half-surprised to be waking up. One does wake in the afterlife after death, no? But as he sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, something was quite wrong. This strange suit was uncomfortable and strange looking. The room was sparse and seemed overly sterile. And how in the world did the ceiling glow? He tugged at the collar around his neck, frowning. Thankfully it wasn't restricting his breathing, but it was bothersome.

This was far from what he had pictured.

There were a few things to be inspected, though. Three other beds, all empty, as well as a nightstand with two envelops upon it. Frowning curiously, Link lifted the first one and carefully tore it open. Strange, that it did not require a seal to remain shut. There was a slight ache in his chest as he read it. Yes, he knew that his home had been destroyed. He didn't need that reminder of his failure. At least he could rest assured that his people were safe in the White Goddess's loving arms.

The second letter, however...

The further Link read, the stranger things became. All these things that were expected of him... This was where he would sleep; unexpectedly three others would be occupying the room with him. Food could be found downstairs. What was a 'network'? A postal system of some sort? Link placed the second letter on his nightstand next to the first. Perhaps he could find somebody to speak with about it.

He got out of bed, cracking the cricks out of his neck and approaching the chest that was obviously his and thankfully unlocked. He pulled it open with a grin.

"Excellent." He smiled as he pulled the Master Sword from the chest, inspecting it carefully. As expected, it had taken no damage in the battle. He pulled it partially from the scabbard, closely inspecting the triangular symbol that had appeared on the blade. He set the sword aside, pulling out his various other belongings. The ridiculous white jumpsuit was on the floor within seconds, soon to be replaced with Link's signature green tunic, hat, and boots. He contemplated putting on his mail and gloves, but chose not to. They would stay in the trunk. He was only going to eat breakfast, hopefully. Link put in his earrings, setting his gloves, sword, and armor back in the trunk and closing it. He opened his door and set out into the hallway.

Time to find out what this afterlife was all about.

Link fumbled for a moment with the elevator buttons before making his way to the first floor. The dining area was a reasonable place to look for people, and he was hungry.

He settled himself at a table with the bowl of oatmeal a worker had handed to him, taking a look around the room. There were other people milling about, chatting and eating. He dug into his oatmeal, which wasn't half bad. The food quality in Hylia had suffered significantly under the crumbling regime of the king.

Link had intentionally sat himself at one of the larger tables as if to hopefully invite company.

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"The ones who remain do not attempt to show otherwise," she remarks with just a hint of melancholy. With Dax gone, the only one who could truly be altruistic is Zo, and he is but a child. And Zelda knows all too well what the dire consequences of foolish children can be.

At the hero finally giving his name, however, she can't help but smile knowingly, thoughts going to a time that seems so long ago, now.

... Link? Strange... It sounds familiar, somehow...

"I am Zelda, Princess of Hyrule. It is a pleasure to meet you, Link."

"You as well." He tipped his head with an small, interested smile. "Hyrule. That is interesting... I come from a place called Hylia." The name Hyrule rolled off his tongue nicely. He liked the sound of it.

Ah.

"Would I be correct in assuming you know of the Goddess Hylia, then?"

It's not a guarantee (the lake of Hyrule is named Hylia, after all), but then again, she's found that there have been very few mere coincidences in her life.

Mr. Hero perked up at that.

"Yes...! How did you know?"

He couldn't possibly imagine where she was going with this. Zelda was a princess of a place called Hyrule. She couldn't be the chosen leader for the people in the sky, could she? Was that what they decided to call themselves? Hyrule?

The thought of his friends brought an ache back to his chest. He prayed that they were okay.

"The story is lengthy, and I cannot say I have all the pieces of it yet, but..."

She can't help a slight pause then, her smile taking a turn for the awkwardly reassuring. Considering how the last hero of the sky she spoke to kind of... shut down when she said the Surface would become Hyrule, she feels like she might be dropping a bit of a bombshell here.

But he asked, so...

"I am her descendant."

"Her descendant?" It took Link a moment to realize his mouth was hanging slightly open.

"How is that possible?" Did this explain the strange familiarity he had experienced?

"The way I understand it... After creating Skyloft and sealing Demise the first time, Hylia shed her divinity and reincarnated as a mortal girl so that she might be able to use the Triforce against Demise when he inevitably rose again. This mortal girl, the first Zelda, and her chosen hero would later descend from Skyloft to the Surface, defeat Demise, and found the country of Hyrule."

She speaks calmly, as though recounting such legends is something she was born to do, though... she does become a bit hesitant when she finishes.

"... Unless you mean how is it possible that I am sharing a meal with you despite clearly coming from a different time, in which case I would have to say that is a question better teased out of the administrators than myself."

Link watched Zelda in silence, for how long, he could not tell.

"Goddesses..." he whispered, sitting back in his chair. His gaze fell to the table between them as he tried to take it in.

"They called it Skyloft...." He looked naturally to the ceiling, then. "I was there. I was there when she-" he cut himself off "-when you sent my comrades into the sky. I had to stay behind. I was..." Link pulled off his hat, running a hand through his hair and finally looking back to Zelda.

"And they were able to return to the Surface?" There was an ache in the 'old' Hylian's chest and behind his eyes. They lived. Not only had they lived, but they had thrived.

The matter of how they had managed to jump through time seemed completely irrelevant right then.

Unseen by Link as he stares up in wonder, the Princess' hands instinctively clasp over her heart when he corrects himself, when he says that she, Zelda, had been the one to create the land in the sky. There's something... ancient and heartbreaking there, though she cannot begin to describe what it might be.

She makes sure the mild confusion at the feeling is gone from her expression when he finally looks back to her, and she nods quietly at his question.

"I do not know how much time passed between the creation of Skyloft and the founding of Hyrule, but yes. They did." She smiles. "Hyrule is a beautiful country. I would not want to live anywhere else."

And she decides right then that she is never going to tell this man how her actions would doom it to a watery grave.

Link leaned closer to the table, now on the edge of his seat with a boyish sort of wonder in his eyes.

"Tell me more about it. Please." He needed to know, needed to hear from her what had become of his home, and he was blissfully ignorant of any ill-doings or failures of fate that may have led Hyrule to ruin.

Hyrule... So the people never forgot their origins, never forgot the goddess who shed her immortality for their sake.

Edited 2013-03-16 20:23 (UTC)

Ah, now there are the eyes of the Link she knows. Truly knows, and not through old, long forgotten memories hiding in her bloodline.

Her smile turns to one of faint amusement, and she closes her eyes, envisioning the country she has not seen for over a year.

"... A great field lies in the center of the country, accounting for a majority of the land. There is a ranch in the middle of the field which supplies Hyrule with its horses and milk, and it is run by a sleepy older man and his hard-working daughter.

Hyrule Castle is to the north, on top of a hill that overlooks the busy town nearby. Castle Town is always lively, with a wide variety of shops and games to choose from. It almost seems impossible to visit them all in a single day.

To the north-east is Death Mountain, a volcano where the Gorons make their home. Their leader is a fearsome man, wild and brave, but he also loves music and dancing, and the easiest way to cheer him up is with a lively tune. At the foot of the mountain lies Kakariko Village, a traditionally Sheikah village, but my attendant Impa opened it up to the poor and has been revered by the residents ever since.

To the east is Zora's River, and the Domain they live in, which is the source of almost all the water in Hyrule. The Zora Princess is stubborn and proud, but she would do anything to help her people.

South of the river is the entrance to the Kokiri Forest, which is so dense and thrumming with magic that few outsiders have ever set foot inside. The Kokiri themselves are a race of eternal children, who are under the protection of a guardian spirit called the Great Deku Tree. ... I have a friend who spent a great deal of time there - if I ever see him again, I can tell him to find you, if you wish."

Did her voice just become a bit melancholy at that bit? Maybe, maybe not, but nevertheless, she dives back into her description.

"To the immediate south is Lake Hylia, a vast lake that sparkles in the morning sun. A few Hylians have set up businesses along its shores - a laboratory for one, and a fishing pond on the opposite side - and it is the most likely place for a non-Zora to see one, given that they tend to remain in their Domain, which only those who know the song of the Royal Family can access.

Finally, to the west is the Gerudo Desert. The Gerudo are a race composed almost entirely of women, with a single male born every 100 years. The desert is harsh, but the Gerudo people are spirited and enduring. They are thieves, but they also have a sense of honor, refusing to steal from women and children, and finding killing to be just as repulsive as anyone else."

Of course, Ganondorf is the exception to the rule. Taking a deep breath, she finally reopens her eyes, though she doesn't seem to immediately come out of her nostalgic reverie, as she continues to stare down at the table between them for a moment before looking back up.

"Is that a decent start?"

Edited 2013-03-16 22:29 (UTC)

"The Goron people... They helped us in our final stand against the Demon King." And they had been left on the Surface... Link was thrilled to hear that they had survived.

And great goddesses above, everything else!

"The Surface was nothing but a burnt wasteland when I passed on... Yes, that is excellent. Thank you, Zelda. Thank you a thousand times over." He tripped over the name Zelda, but what was to be expected, really? This was all coming as a shock, wonderful as it was. So many different tribes and races living on the land where the Kingdom Hylia once stood. It was sad, in a nostalgic sort of way. The world had moved on from the time of Hylia, from his time. Was he even remembered, anymore?

"I would love to speak with this friend, have I ever the chance."

"... He disappeared from the Tower some time ago, but occasionally people are brought back. I am certain you would get along."

Since, y'know, the whole 'hero' thing. Still... it's hard to hide the ache talking about this 'friend' brings. Whoever they are, it's obvious they mean quite a bit to Hylia's descendant.

She manages a smile, however, because she still must return his incredible gratitude. "You are most welcome, Link. I am glad I could bring you some closure. If you ever have any other questions, please do not hesitate to ask."

"He is... a very dear friend, then?" He didn't want to seem intrusive, but the fact that he had somehow vanished from the Tower was frightening. Enough of his own questions. This was clearly bothering Zelda, whom he still considered to be his goddess and savior.

"... Yes, very much so."

If she were younger, less experienced with the way the Tower works, and if he were anyone else, perhaps she would not be so open. Perhaps she would try to change the subject, and hide her pain for a more private moment. But... she inherently trusts this man, and not just because he wears the green of the hero.

She still feels vulnerable saying as much, but there's no point in lying when asked so directly.

"I am sorry." Link tentatively reached across the table, laying a hand over hers.

"There is nothing quite like losing a friend. But I am certain he will return. This place can cross through time and revive the dead, can it not?" He offered a sad smile. "Their power may someday be a blessing in disguise."

She glances down at the hand now covering her own, and oh, there are the confusing feelings in her heart again. She does her best to ignore them, and focus rather on what Link is saying.

There is nothing blessed about their power, she wants to say. They are evil and cruel and manipulative, and the way they revive the dead is disgusting. But she can tell he's trying to comfort her in the best way a stranger (or... whatever they might be) can, so...

"It is not the first time I have lost someone, nor will it be the last, as fatalistic as it sounds." Her father, Impa, all the people the Tower has taken from her - she stopped keeping track. "The best we can do is continue on, keeping them in our memory and hoping for a miracle one day."

Link pulled away from her, pain obvious in his eyes. She'd been trapped here too long. Far too long. There was a flash of anger, then, at this place. At the people running it. How dare they keep all of these people trapped here? How dare they keep her trapped here?

"How long have you been here, princess?" Perhaps it seemed like a sudden change of pace, but he had to know. He had hardly expected her attitude to be so defeatist. It was difficult, being a man whose optimism had always been impenetrable to a fault.

Oh, well, that certainly wasn't taken the way she meant it to be. In hindsight, perhaps she shouldn't have been so open with how the Tower as affected her. Inherent trust or no, this man is still a new arrival, unaccustomed to the 'nothing left to lose' kind of attitudes that are prevalent within the Tower's walls.

She averts her eyes, feeling she's disappointed him, somehow.

"... Fifteen months, give or take a few weeks." And yet it's felt like so much longer. "I apologize if I do not meet your expectations."

Link's eyes narrowed, though not in a hostile way.

"I have no expectations of you. Especially not in a place like this." Goddess or not, she was still a teenage girl with hardly a recollection of the legacy she carried.

But that was far too long. More than a year wasted, spent trapped in this strange and hostile place.

"You... do not?"

Princess, Sage, Bearer of Wisdom, Goddess' Descendant, Leader... The mantles she wears are heavy and thick, to the point that looking past them and seeing Zelda is something precious few have attempted to do. Or at least, so she believes. And yet, here is a man who has every reason to think her great and infallible, but he says he holds no expectations for her.

It's... strange, to say the least.

"There is only so much one young woman can do. What is one to do, trapped in here." Link smiled gently. He hesitated for a moment.

"If it helps... I have failed far more people in my days than you most likely ever will in your lifetime. And I was supposed to be a hero." Link himself had yet to come to terms with that. Was it odd to see the White Goddess like this? Yes. But gods were not without compassion. And could this princess truly be called a goddess? It was no insult to her, but Hylia's divinity was gone. She was hardly more than a tired girl, now.

But that was Link. His loyalty knew no bounds, and now was not the time to be critical of Zelda. She had more than enough of a reputation to live up to as it was; how could a human ever live up to a god?

"I doubt that," she whispers ruefully, more to herself than him. Just in case, though, she amends her regretful statement with: "Heroes are called as much because they leave some inspiring story behind. Even once they are gone, they bring light and hope in the darkest nights."

She knows nothing of this hero's legend, but the idea that Link, any Link, could fail is one that is entirely alien to her. She's quiet for a moment longer, though it's the tense sort of silence that people fall into when they are unsure if they should say something or not.

The tension evaporates in seconds, however, as she appears to decide against it, shoving aside those feelings for now. It's become so easy to compartmentalize those sorts of things - almost second nature - and the switch between tired, vulnerable girl and polite, if weary princess is visible by the way she sits up a little straighter, and speaks with a bit more formality than she previously did.

"Thank you, though, for your consolation. Your kindness is greatly appreciated."

Link paid no mind to Zelda's denial of his statement of his own failure. He would not wallow in self pity over it, especially not in front of this young woman. As much as he had loved his people, he had been a mere tool to them, one to be kept locked away until needed. He had been taken advantage of, and he knew that.

"I am only sorry that I cannot do more." Link didn't buy into the slight personality switch. Whether or not Zelda realized she had shifted herself to a more put-together position was irrelevant. What else was to be expected of royalty? There was a certain art to being a public figure.

"You need not be. You have done enough for my bloodline already." She doesn't know his legend, but if he personally knew Hylia, than he was instrumental in setting the stage for Hyrule to be founded. And even if that was not enough, this ancient feeling in her heart begs her not to ask any more of this man.

"And I am a grown woman, besides. I am capable of taking care of myself, so you do not need to fret over my well-being."

She had shown too much, exposed too much vulnerability. The lofty expectations she can do without, but she also does not need pity.

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forhylia - 2013-03-23 02:40 (UTC) - Expand

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