just this once, everybody lives!

[sageprincess]

Characters: Everyone.
Setting: Anywhere.
Format: Party style.
Summary: Post-Ex Machina catch-all mingle.
Warnings: See individual threads.

[After a long, drawn out battle, the infiltration team returns to the residential portion of the Tower, weary, battered... but victorious. Some catching up is in order.]

Comments

[lorule]

[ The smile was reassuring, and not so at the same time. It could barely hide all she had went through, and she replied with a brief nod. At least she was alright. ]

This is good to hear. ... May I ask-- [What happened, but looking at how exhausted the other princess was, it probably wouldn't be right to attack her with questions now. She marked a brief pause.] I mean, you need not be so formal when addressing me, princess.

[sageprincess]

[The question Hilda means to voice is obvious, but Zelda is tired enough not to protest when she cuts herself off. Still, there's a clear shift in her demeanor when Hilda brings up how to address her, a sort of awkwardness that Zelda's never shown much before.]

Oh...? Forgive me, I... I have not interacted with someone of my station in quite some time. [And then, so hopefully Hilda won't get too curious--] How would you prefer for me to address you?

[lorule]

[ How? Oh, that's... Not something she'd considered. After all, the most experience she had with other royalties herself was with the Zelda from her world. ]

Neither have I. The 'other you' is the only one holding a status similar to mine that I met prior to awaking here. She used to address me as simply 'Princess Hilda'. [Another pause.] But you can address me however you want. I do not suppose any of this has much meaning here.

[sageprincess]

[She blinks, as if Hilda's words have somehow lead her to a silent epiphany. Huh...]

... I used to say the same when I first arrived here. [Always insisting on dropping the formalities. Yet somewhere along the line she stopped minding so much. Something to think upon for another day, she supposes; for now she shakes herself out of those thoughts to focus on the present.] I do not think it would do for Hyrule to treat her twin with anything less than respect, so if 'Princess Hilda' is acceptable, I shall follow in my bloodline's footsteps.

[lorule]

[ She smiled lightly at that. ]

I suppose we are similar in more ways than one. [And dissimilar in even more ways, but she wouldn't mention that. She nodded. Her bloodline's footsteps...] You remind me of her. Your descendant, I mean. Or maybe it is ancestor.

[ The fact that she looked older unconsciously made her think she was the ancestor, but who knew. ]

[sageprincess]

[Well, Zelda has been dealing with timeline shenanigans long enough to have a few tricks on how to figure out how things line up.]

The distant relatives I have had the opportunity to meet here have been so different, that is almost strange to hear. [But then, none of them were raised to inherit a kingdom, so it makes sense.] I would like to think she would have written of Lorule if she were my ancestor, but I have also learned during my stay here that many of Hyrule's secrets have been lost with time.

[She hums thoughtfully for a moment.]

It is an unfortunate marker, but the rise of the Evil King, Ganondorf, has been the most reliable method of discerning whether a given person is from my past or future. If he is a figure in her Hyrule's history, then it is likely she is my descendant.

[lorule]

[ She nodded. She was right, her Zelda would probably have written of Lorule. Though, she might have spoken of it as a Dark World, and these things tended to be numerous in Hylian history so. ]

Ganondorf... [She had heard this name quite a couple times now in the tower. Who knew what had happened to the Dorf part in her world.] Ah, I only know him as the Demon King, Ganon. He is a very infamous figure of your history. There is a legend in Hyrule that details how he acquired the Triforce from your Sacred Realm before being subsequently defeated by the Hero and sealed away by the Seven Sages.

[ A pause. Connecting the dots-- If she had witnessed the rise of Ganondorf, it could only mean one thing. ]

The Princess spoken of in the legend-- The one who helped in fighting him and first received the Triforce of Wisdom... It is you, isn't it?

[sageprincess]

[Her expression sobers a bit as Hilda recounts her tale, but she does, eventually, nod and lift her right hand, allowing Wisdom to softly glow through her wrappings.]

That is correct. [At least one version of history remembers her more fondly than she would give herself credit for. She places her hand back in her lap.] I suppose that solves that mystery.

[At least one version of history remembers her at all, which is more than could be said for Tetra's era.]

[lorule]

[ Hilda obviously looks at Wisdom when it glows through the wrappings-- Maybe too insistently so until Zelda places her hand back in her lap. But she then nods. ]

It appears so. You may be happy to hear that Ganon was-- Or rather will be defeated, and your Triforce... Brought back together to your sacred realm.

[ No need to mention the reason this all happened is because she tried to take it to her Sacred Realm in the first place. ]

[sageprincess]

[...]

I would be, but... I regret it was the responsibility of my descendant to defeat him once more.

[I should have done more, hangs heavily in the air, but it goes unsaid. She doesn't know what more she could have done, at this point, and yet... the terror of the Evil King is not a burden she would wish upon anyone, much less her descendants.]

[lorule]

You should feel no regret. For all intent and purposes, the seal should never have broken and I am afraid I bear my part of responsibility in this. Your seal was perfect.

[ She didn't go into details of how she had a part of responsibility; this could mean a multitude of things, and none of which she wanted to speak. But this didn't feel right that Zelda would feel guilty for something she'd done. ]

[sageprincess]

[She shakes her head.]

Your words are kind, Princess, but... during my time here, I have learned of many timelines and worlds in which the Evil King breaks our seal. A perfect seal would not fall in so many instances.

[Perhaps she should ask what Hilda means by bearing her own responsibility, but the more she speaks, the less she sees a point on doing so. Not when Ganondorf's return is seeming increasingly inevitable regardless of what is done.]