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masque overflow - zelda

[sagesurvivor]

[continued from here]

[Again, her reassurances cause his lips to curl into that subtle smile of his, but something about it doesn't quite reach his eyes this time. Ah, if only she knew, but then... if she did, this conversation wouldn't be happening.]

... What a forgiving realm this is.

[Longing aside, it does bring up some intriguing ideas, if what she said about the nature of time in this place is true. Perhaps this could be a boon, despite the strangeness of it all-- a chance to learn the things surviving in a world as hostile as Ganondorf's Hyrule would not allow for. He still doesn't know enough to be sure it's safe, but maybe...

--Ah, right, there was a reason they came out here. She is as lovely in face as she is in temperament, he thinks but doesn't say as she removes that impractical mask of hers, recognizing the slight edge of discomfort in her response to his earlier compliment. Instead, he places his hand over his chest once more and tips his head slightly.]

Thank you again for your efforts to put the heart of a wayward stranger at ease. You may call me Sheik.

[... so about that whole "no similarity to the Sheikah she knows" thing.]

[multidisciplinary]

[ The name "Sheik" immediately strikes Zelda, like a little jolt from static electricity. For a moment, she actually expects him to add the "-ah" to the end the word—her eyebrows rising and her breath hitching with anticipation.

When he doesn't, Zelda quickly tries to couch her expression. Of course not. Sheikah don't introduce themselves like that, and no Sheikah would have such an on-the-nose name. The princess is just looking for connections where there are none. (Although a red-eyed stranger whose name is almost "Sheikah" is one hell of a coincidence.)

Zelda—again, coincidentally?—mimics his action, placing a hand over her heart and bending forward in a polite bow. ]

The pleasure is mine, Sheik. I am Zelda, Princess of Hyrule. Truth be told, you've saved me from being spotted unattended at this affair, so I am most grateful for your company.

1/2

[sagesurvivor]

[To say he stops listening after she names herself wouldn't be entirely accurate. The truth is that he can't hear her over the sound of blood rushing in his ears.]

Z-- Zelda...?

[His eyes widen, suddenly scanning her anew, hand at his side twitching to reach for the pouch of deku nuts that isn't there, vanished by the godmothers until the end of the masquerade. He should never have allowed them to touch him, he should have run when he had the chance, he was a fool to think it was safe--

I am Zelda, Princess of Hyrule.]

That's not...

2/2

[sagesurvivor]

[... possible. It sits on the tip of her tongue, but she allows it to go no further.

So what is this really, then? Some trick to flush her out, now that Link is so close to awakening the last of the Sages? Did the Demon King find some new dark magic to curse her with-- crafting an illusory landscape to lower her guard and a beautiful doll with her name to fool her into revealing herself? Is that what all this is? It's a more elegant attempt than his efforts to obtain the Spiritual Stones had been, certainly, but even so...

She doesn't even look like her; it's been years since she's seen her true face, but she's certain her eyes were blue.]

... something that is easy to believe.

[Sheik finally completes his thought, composing himself from whatever revelation he just had. He can't run - there would be nowhere to hide anyway if this is truly some cursed illusion - so all he can do is stay on guard and not allow anything to slip, as always. His tone remains polite, if reserved, though the glimmering pin on his lapel betrays him by dimming a bit.]

Forgive me, but none have seen the Princess since her flight following the King's assassination seven years ago. Can you verify that claim? How did you escape?

[Ganondorf would know it was Impa who helped her flee, but only few others would, and fewer still with the ability to craft a trap like this; it wouldn't be airtight proof, but the correct answer would confirm some suspicions at least...]

[multidisciplinary]

[ The moment Sheik stammers out her name, Zelda realizes that he recognizes her. She stiffens as she sees the looks of disbelief and disquietude snap momentarily across his expression, something like a sense of panic, before quickly composing himself.

So it has finally happened. Another Hyrulean has been brought to Songerein. And this time, instead of one of her trusted friends, it's someone she's never met. Someone who only knows the Princess of Hyrule by reputation.

A weight like a stone sinks into the pit of Zelda's stomach. All evening, she has enjoyed the way the anonymity of the masks stripped her of the burdens of her title and responsibilities. She wasn't Princess of Hyrule, just like she hadn't been when she first arrived in the dream world and elected to hide her royal heritage for awhile. And even since sharing the truth and using her title again, the other dreamwalkers have paid it little mind. No one has looked down on the princess for her failures like they did in Hyrule.

Zelda should have known it would not last. The other good things she has experienced here didn't last. Dreams, even one as real as this, have to end eventually.

Zelda's easy demeanor slips away as Sheik speaks, her pleasant countenance slipping. Tension shows in her posture, in the way her brows furrow and her lips press together tightly. No one has seen the princess in the past seven years. (Odd that Sheik is referring to King Rhoam's death as an "assassination," but Zelda supposes that isn't entirely untrue.) So Sheik is from a Hyrule even earlier than Zelda's, and nearly a century earlier than Link's.

Can the princess verify her identity? Zelda nods stiffly. ]

I was only able to escape with the help of one of the Champions—Link. We were away from the castle when Calamity Ganon awakened and though we hastened to fight it—

[ —the princess failed to manifest her sealing power, dooming them all to failure. But Zelda can't bring herself to speak those words, so she simply shakes her head. (So cowardly, even to this day.) ]

We fled to Fort Hateno, but—

[ —Link fell in battle protecting her. He nearly died, just like the other Champions, because of her. Zelda doesn't want to say this either. She shakes her head again. ]

I returned to the castle to face the beast and was able to seal it away. I have remained sealed with it ever since.

[sagesurvivor]

[He didn't expect an entirely accurate account, of course; there's only one person besides the Princess herself that could offer such a thing. But he did expect at least some of the finer details to match up. Enough to tempt him into correcting the ones that don't, betraying the fact that he knows more about the fugitive royal's fate than he's letting on.

But this is just... confusing. Link, a "champion"? He'd earned some renown among the Gorons and Zoras to be sure, but hardly to that extent. And "Calamity Ganon," what a nauseating title. "Fort Hateno" is completely unfamiliar as well, but even more than that...

What does she mean she's "remained sealed with it"? And why does she look so sad?]

... Hold a moment. Our memories of such events do not seem to align.

[His eye is scrutinizing, still, but erring closer to the side of "puzzled" than "suspicious" as his understanding of the situation breaks down once more. What is the point of making something up out of whole cloth like this? Especially since it seems to put Ganondorf's proxy in a such a vulnerable state. What is there to gain?]

The usurper, Ganondorf Dragmire, rules from beneath no such seal. And the boy known as Link only resurfaced very recently, after disappearing shortly after the Princess. I've no knowledge of the fort you describe, either. How is it that our recollections diverge in such ways, do you know?

[What are you trying to pull...?]

[multidisciplinary]

"Ganondorf Dragmire?"

[ The lines in Zelda's brow deepen, the name sounding awkward and clunky as it comes off her tongue. She notes the similarity—"Ganon," "Ganondorf,"—just like she did with "Sheik" and "Sheikah." But where she originally wrote that off as a coincidence, now she's certain there's something more to it.

Sheik is right—their memories don't entirely match. Zelda had originally assumed the discrepancy came from their individual experiences during the Calamity. It seems very unlikely that many Hyruleans who know what happened in Castletown when Calamity Ganon awoke survived to tell the tale. Naturally, those who did survive the Calamity would cobble together scraps of stories from different people to try to get an idea of exactly what happened. Discrepancies were to be expected.

But now she's looking more closely at Sheik's choice of words—describing Ganon as "ruling," describing her father's death as an "assassination," not knowing of the seal, not knowing of Fort Hateno.

And why does Sheik speak of Calamity Ganon as though it were a person? There's something about that... That little detail takes hold in her mind. ]

[sagesurvivor]

[Now, either Ganondorf has greatly improved his acting skills in seven years, or something truly strange is going on here. Sheik crosses his arms, stiffening in a way not dissimilar to how Zelda had a moment prior, fingers digging into the fabric of his suit jacket.]

Yes, the former King of the Gerudo.

[Don't think about it don't think about Father's blood on the floor of the throne room about the screaming through the walls of the secret passages about Impa's arm around your waist as she runs as fast as she can to get to the stables you weren't there don't think about it don't think about it--]

He's ruled Hyrule as a tyrant since his betrayal and murder of the King seven years ago. You mean to say you do not know of him, despite speaking of a "Calamity Ganon"?

for timesensitive

[sagesurvivor]

[He feels like he's going insane.

Every so often he hears it, the crystal clear tones of the Ocarina of Time. Faint and distant, rarely at the same time or place. Sometimes he'll go weeks without hearing it, and sometimes he hears it every other day. And yet, he's never been able to find it's source, no matter how hard he's tried. It's infuriating, and it's only the thought of what could be on the other side of that sound that keeps his frustration in check.

What is he supposed to do, if Link is here? What if he's from a different time, like the Princess is? What if it's not him at all, but someone whose inherited that precious instrument decades or centuries down the line? A million questions spin like a hurricane inside his brain, and he figures out the answer to approximately none of them before he hears it again. It's close, this time.

Sheik rushes like a man possessed towards the sound, taking to the trees when the winding roads near the outskirts of the city prove to be too inefficient. Bounding from branch to branch, clambering over rooftops and leaping across bridges, he cares for nothing except the path in front of him and that sound until--]

Link.

[--He stops just as quickly, breathless but frozen above the Hero of Time's resting spot, disbelief and hope warring in equal measure in his eyes. Is it... really him? If he breathes, if he moves, if he says anything other than his name in an urgent whisper, will he disappear without a trace, like he did that day seven years ago?

... The branch he's on creaks with his trembling as he waits.]

[timesensitive]

[Since he had arrived--or, well, since he had left the masquerade and been left entirely to his own devices--he'd turned to the Ocarina for some kind of help. Navi wasn't here, and he was keenly aware of her absence, especially when he was hoping for an explanation of something but mostly when he just wanted someone familiar to talk to. Aside from the other Link, anyway, who felt more like an adopted older brother than anything else. Link had a pretty good idea where he lived, but didn't want to bother him too much if he could help it.

So he kept to himself in a (formerly) abandoned treehouse, an upgrade from the tent he was camping out in before, if only because it could better fit his stuff. He didn't always need a sword and shield or bow here, and without arrows, the latter was basically a decoration.

It's here that Sheik finds him, out on the house's small deck. Had he arrived a few minutes earlier, he would have caught the hero in the middle of playing the Song of Storms, as he does periodically to see if it works at all. It never does, and neither do his attempts at contacting Saria. Coincidentally (or perhaps not), it's the royal family's melody.

Or it is until he abruptly stops, glancing up at the trees nearby. Did he hear something besides his instrument?]

Who's there?

1/3

[sagesurvivor]

[It's him. It's really him.

Sheik feels his heart pounding against his rib cage as his mind finally catches up with his body, a torrent of conflicting emotions crashing over him in a wave. Relief to finally see a familiar face in this bizarre world; joy that it belongs to the one person he values above all others. Anxiety for that same reason; dread as he considers what it might mean for both of them to be drawn in here. And guilt, of course. There will always be guilt when he thinks of the Hero of Time. Will he have to continue to lie to him, even here?

Perhaps... perhaps he shouldn't have rushed here. Perhaps he should allow Link this chance to live a relatively peaceful life for however long he remains here, away from the burdens Hyrule has placed upon him. It might be an issue if the future Princess finds him, but she'll be kind to him if she does. It doesn't seem like Link knows it's him yet-- he still has a chance to retreat.

His weight shifts. The leaves above Link's treehouse flutter counter to the wind. He pulls himself up to begin his way back, but then...]

2/3

[sagesurvivor]

[...crrrAAACK--]

3/3

[sagesurvivor]

[It turns out rushing forward without much heed to one's surroundings is a less than great idea, especially when one needs to look out for branches that can actually bear one's weight.

The branch tumbles to the ground, and Sheik tumbles down after it, landing on the forest floor below in an ungraceful heap. The Survivor of the Sheikah and Link's guide through cleansing the Temples and awakening the Sages groans in pain.]

Nngh-- ow...

[It's fine. He's fine. Give him a minute.]

[timesensitive]

[Now that he most definitely hears, and he just manages to catch sight of Sheik falling. Unfortunately, while he's a decent fighter, he's nowhere near fast enough to catch the young man as he falls--much like he's failed to catch him in any other capacity--and can only run to the edge of the deck to see where he's landed.]

Are you o-- [He'll figure out why someone was lurking around his treehouse later. But this person looks very familiar, so much later.] --Sheik?

[His jump down is a lot more graceful and once he's closer, he does realize that it's his mysterious friend.]

Sheik! It is you!

[And now he has so many questions, but he's not asking them yet, to make sure Sheik isn't gravely injured...and possibly that he can't escape this time as easily.]

[sagesurvivor]

[Ah. It would be too much to hope that he didn't hear that, huh. Damn.

Sheik doesn't answer Link right away, though the calls of his name ring in his skull. His focus is inward for a moment, scanning each point of pain as the shock from the fall itself wears off. His foot seems to have taken the brunt of it, though he'll be bruised all the way up his side for a while most likely. Still, not the worst fall he's ever taken. Very little will top Bongo-Bongo's thrashing in that regard.

Finally standing - though he favors one leg over the other - he breathes, deep and cleansing, before that familiar scarlet gaze lifts to meet Link's once more.]

... It is not how I envisioned our next meeting, but who am I to refute destiny? [Heh, a joke only he's able to appreciate truly. A sprained ankle seems so petty in the grand scheme of things.] Have you been well, Link? ... I do not see Navi at your side.

[Oh, Goddesses, is he here alone?]

[timesensitive]

[Unfortunately for Sheik, while Link isn't entirely ready for battle at a moments notice here, he's at least ready to get ready, and that means maintaining some sort of vigilance. Especially in the absence of his fairy companion.]

I'm glad you didn't fall through the roof. [He doesn't really know how to fix it. And, y'know, Sheik would have been hurt a bit more, but whatever.] I, uh--yeah, she hasn't shown up for some reason. I don't know if she's lost or...not here at all.

[sagesurvivor]

[... Sheik very definitely does not blush in embarrassment at the mention of potentially falling through the roof. Absolutely not, he's too cool for that. He's thankful for how much of his face is obscured for entirely different reasons right now. Yes.

Ahem.]

I see... I was told the passage of time flows differently between here and our homelands. The days that seem endless here are but mere seconds to our sleeping forms in Hyrule. If that is the truth, and she has not followed you, then... I imagine she must be watching over you as we speak.

[It's... an attempt at comfort, even if he can't possibly know what it must be like to have such a inseparable bond be seemingly severed. Still, he can't picture the fairy doing anything less for her charge.]

mail delivery

[multidisciplinary]

[ On Christmas morning, Sheik will wake to a special delivery... which has been unceremoniously shoved somewhere around his camp by the impatient fairy paid to deliver it. (Good thing the gift isn't fragile.) Though the princess doesn't know where Sheik camps, Songerein's fairies certainly do, and she has enough shiny trinkets to convince one of them to make this delivery for her. The gift is wrapped in folded parchment and sealed in red wax bearing the royal crest of Hyrule. It's probably looking a little worse for wear thanks to the fairy's careless handling, but it's the thought that counts, right?

Inside, Sheik will find a new tabard and cowl, hand sewn by Zelda, in the same style as his current one. The only difference is that the blue parts are a lot brighter—the same shade of blue as the Champions' garb. Is it an accident by someone who wasn't paying close enough attention to the original hue of Sheik's tunic or an intentional change intending to invoke the same honor Zelda once bestowed up on the Champions of her era? The princess will not say.

Atop the clothing is a short letter written in Zelda's familiar neat cursive. ]

Dear Sheik,

Warm blessings upon you this holiday.

In my era, we celebrate a holiday today in honor of the Goddess Hylia, during which time we give gifts to our friends in family in honor of Her generosity. Do you celebrate a similar holiday?

I hope this gift will be to your liking. I took the liberty, as it seems this realm has not been kind to the one you arrived with.

May the Goddess smile upon you,
Zelda, Princess of Hyrule

private SOS

[timesensitive]

[Link's been living in the dream world for nearly a year, and one might think that coming from a forest, he'd be more or less at home in this one. He kinda is, but this is a different season and while the landscape doesn't change drastically or frequently, he's managed to wander into an unfamiliar area and gotten himself lost.

He's not so worried about being in potential danger from the local fauna--he's got a sword, after all--but he didn't tell anyone where exactly he was going and isn't especially eager to find out how possible death is.

His first thought is to send out a general call for help, but quickly changes his mind and pens a message to a single person:]

Sheik,

[There's a pause after he writes the man's name while he thinks of what words he wants to put down.]

You know the wilderness outside of town pretty well, right?

I got a little

lost. Help?

[sagesurvivor]

[...

...

... tfw you go through the five stages of grief in just as many seconds.

Fortunately, Sheik hits "acceptance" before writing a response. This is possibly the worst possible timing for this to have happened, but there's nothing to be done for it. He can't very well leave Link out there, now, can he? (Navi you are so dearly missed.)]

stay where you are. start a campfire if you are able. i will come find you, and the smoke will make it easier to do so.

do you recall which direction you set off originally from town?

[timesensitive]

[That makes two people who miss Navi. He has tried to get her from the wishing well, but all he received was a refunded bauble and no fairy companion.]

West, I think. Opposite side of town from my house.

I've got a fire already.

[sagesurvivor]

good.

[That means Link probably has enough supplies already, so Sheik can travel light. He throws a canteen of water and some food in a bag anyway just in case and sets off westward, his lettering taking a turn for the sloppy as he tries to walk and write at the same time.]

i'm on my way. how long have you been out exploring, do you know? [Just how far out is he...?]

[timesensitive]

Three days almost

I shouldn't be more than a day away from town but I think I got turned around in some fog.

[He's correct, but he's been heading south instead of east, around the perimeter of the town instead of towards it.]

[sagesurvivor]

[oh my god—]

i believe in the future you should take a friend with you on excursions you think might last longer than a day. the link of the future would no doubt be willing, as would i.

[Look at that, he obliquely implied he's Link's friend. Isn't that something.

But Link being a day or more's travel away does increase the search area quite significantly. He doesn't revel in doing this, but... there will be a lengthy pause between this response and the next as he quiets his mind, focusing on Wisdom and listening for the ever so faint resonance of it calling to its sister.

...

... There. To the southwest, some fair distance away. Sheik should be able to get there before nightfall, at least. ... Though that also means likely a full night and then some of trying to control these damn bubbles around him on their way back to town.

Great. Just... great.]

[timesensitive]

[Sheik is most definitely a friend. Maybe not a best friend, but definitely a friend nonetheless.]

Didn't want to bother either of you. Besides, I'm used to doing this kind of stuff by myself.

[He is not, actually. Navi would be offended.]

I'll take someone else with me next time, I promise.

[He doesn't notice the locating trick, but the faint brand on his hand emits a brief pale glow in response, one he doesn't notice as he's preoccupied with collecting some branches to keep his fire going.]