songerein | here's the deal, ouroboros: bite down, or let go

Entry tags:

here's the deal, ouroboros: bite down, or let go

Who: Sheik('s noctaere) + You!
Which: (Mostly) Open log
Where: Around Reverein + within Sheik's dreamscape
What: Sheik finally breaks and goes noctaere. This causes some weirdness in Songerein, and perhaps some secrets to be revealed within his dreamscape if his defenses can be broken through...
Warnings: It's a noctaere plot. Violence is inevitable, but should be contained mostly to a specific (closed) thread.

When the nostilium finally overtakes Sheik, there is no explosive burst of violence and terror. One day, he is as he has been since he passed out during the world fragment crisis: sleeping, silent and still. The next, he's gone, vanished into the ether without a trace. It wouldn't be unreasonable to think perhaps he's awakened and returned to the Hyrule he was so desperate to protect.

But then some strange things start happening...

[Please note that characters do not need to have had prior cr with Sheik to participate!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Sheik will not be available for these prompts! Thread things out as y'all see fit.]

frozen in time;

Certain plotches of Reverein seem to lose their colors, like someone has taken saturation setting and turned it down. Within the desaturated space, time... doesn't work the way it should. Leaves that the wind should rustle loose hold fast to their branches; water that should ripple and flow when disturbed remains utterly still. What's more, the native flora and fauna of Songerein become as statues in these zones, entirely unmoving, and though the dreamwalkers can rescue them if they can move them outside of the area, even they may find themselves struggling sluggishly the longer they linger.

A pattern isn't immediately obvious among the spaces that are affected. A certain balcony of the dragon's castle, a clearing in the wildlands where one might find pieces of a shattered sword, a tunnel in the maze beneath Orkili, a horse-drawn sleigh left covered for the warm season, a bench where a flower festival stall once stood... but the area around Sheik's treehouse (and the dream eating tapir slumbering beside it) and Zelda's greenhouse are easily the largest and most strongly affected among them. Wonder why that is? Notably, dreamwalkers will be able to reverse the effect by utilizing dreamotion, with dreamotion fueled by fond and nostalgic feelings being particularly effective.

haunted by shadows;

One might also notice some peculiarity with their own shadow on occasion. Sometimes, they grow darker than they ought to, like a spotlight has been pointed at the one casting them. Other times, they might be of someone else entirely, like a girlish young child or an elegant woman. And sometimes, one might even catch them staring with strange eyes that blink before disappearing.

Feelings of guilt and paranoia often accompany these phenomena. Something went wrong for the people around you? It was your fault, wasn't it? If only you had been stronger, braver, wiser, none of this would have happened. And if they knew? Oh, they would all hate you, wouldn't they?

And as those feelings snowball, perhaps there's something in your shadow, feeding on that energy...

destiny written in stone;

The boulders that pop up here and there are less ominous, certainly, but no less strange for it. The symbol engraved upon them should be familiar to anyone who has spent even the slightest amount of time with a certain Sheikah youth, and interacting with the stones can lead to some unexpected results. They'll bounce around if struck with any kind of projectile, start spinning wildly if exposed to a flame, and even blast off like a rocket if something explodes nearby!

But, if one simply touches it, they'll hear a chipper voice ringing suddenly inside their head, imparting one of several juicy tidbits of gossip:

"They say that, contrary to her elegant image, Princess Zelda of Hyrule Castle is, in fact, a tomboy!"

"They say that Princess Zelda's nanny is actually one of the Sheikah, who many thought had died out."

"They say that Princess Zelda tried to reach the Sacred Realm with a boy from the forest!"

"They say that Princess Zelda escaped from Ganondorf's assault on Hyrule Castle, but no one has seen her since..."

"They say that the Sheikah would use their magics to hide in plain sight."

... They always seem to have something to do with Princess Zelda or the Sheikah, huh.

Edited 2024-07-15 21:08 (UTC)

[ Of course, Zelda is drawn to the strange stones immediately, thanks to the Sheikah Eye prominently carved on their surfaces. It's extremely suspicious that they would appear the exact same day that Sheik disappeared.

Normally, a dreamwalker's disappearance means that they have awoken to their own world, but Zelda can't shake the feeling that's not the case for Sheik. It isn't just because he promised her that he wouldn't leave her (even though they both know he wouldn't have any choice in the matter). There's something unpleasant niggling in the back of her mind, like anxiety without a source. It's like the way he called her to him in that pocket of nightmares-- not a shrill ringing in her ears, at least, but still impossible to ignore.

As she approaches the stone, her first instinct is, naturally, to touch it-- so Zelda extends her hand and does just that. ]

--BOING, BOING-- "They say that, contrary to her elegant image, Princess Zelda of Hyrule Castle is, in fact, a tomboy!"

I... I beg your pardon? [ Zelda pulls back her hand, affronted. Excuse?? ] Who says I'm a tomboy?

[Speak of a tomboy, and one might appear? Gina's been making careful patrols around Reverein and seeking out problems that are within her ability to solve! Now she's stumbled upon these strange stones - and the person talking to them.

She feels a strong nervousness once she realizes that this is Princess Zelda. After all, a few months back, she met and bonded with a young Princess Zelda in the mirror world. After the fact, she realized that must have been a younger version of the real princess, after seeing an adult Princess Zelda nominated at the flower festival. She's been too nervous to try to talk to the older Zelda, who clearly must be the same Zelda from the mirror, but now that she sees her talking to that strange rock, it feels like this might be the time to just do it.]

Sounds like it was that rock wot said it.

[She steps forward with her arms crossed and a light smile.]

Ain't nuffin' wrong wiv bein' a tomboy! [She knows she doesn't particularly care for trying to be traditionally feminine herself.] But it ain't nice to stick people wiv labels anyhow. Especially not some rock! It ain't none of its business.

[It is a very curious rock, though. The markings do remind her of Sheik...]

[ Zelda turns and sees an unfamiliar young woman approaching her. Not only does she not appear to recognize Gina, she doesn't even pause to think about it, as one might when trying to remember something from a dream. The princess was lucky not to be sucked into the mirror world at all, nor did she ever hear anything about a younger version of herself in there.

If anything, Zelda looks a little guilty as her gaze darts over Gina as she takes in her definitely-not-traditionally-feminine outfit. ]

N-No, there is nothing wrong with it, of course not. [ She awkwardly scrambles to make it clear that she doesn't have an issue with tomboys. ] I-It's simply not a rumor I expected to hear. I have been called a number of unflattering things in my life, but no one has ever called me a tomboy before.

[As Zelda looks back at her, Gina does look for any sign of recognition, only to find none. It does make her ache a little inside - while she had worried that Zelda would be disappointed in her because of her promise to help the young Zelda save her kingdom, she didn't really think about being forgotten entirely.

Still, Gina keeps it together outwardly for the most part. She tugs her hat down a bit to shield her brow, and a smirk returns to her face as she responds. It is amusing that she's worried about offending a tomboy.]

Easy there, I ain't gonna rake you over the coals 'bout it. I know you ain't against all tomboys or nuffin'. [She chuckles slightly.] 'Course, no one should be callin' you any unflatterin' things at all. Not that it really matters, but do you think you're like a tomboy?

[Mostly to figure out if this rock is accurate with what it's saying. She steps a little closer to get a better look at the Gossip Stone.]

[ Although Zelda is typically quite perceptive of the minutiae of people's expressions, she doesn't catch any of Gina's disappointment-- just the way she smirks as she tugs down her hat. She's also a bit ruffled by all this 'tomboy' business and her own need to never offend anyone ever. (At least Gina's amused by it.) ]

I have never considered myself a tomboy, no. [ Zelda looks down at her clothes. ] Plenty of women in Hyrule wear pants on occasion. And I never had a particular interest in participating in boyish activities when I was a child.

[ Zelda frowns at the Gossip Stone. ] One would expect a stone bearing the Eye of Truth would be more truthful with what it says.

[She does hold back a chuckle as Zelda assesses herself as a tomboy. It's kinda silly and endearing!

Though as Gina listens to her speak and looks at her more closely, she can't help but notice differences from the princess she met in the mirror. The sound of her voice, subtle differences in her facial features, her hair - a lot sticks out to Gina. But she doesn't know what to make of it. Some people do change a lot when they grow up, she guesses...]

Right then. Don't sound like you're a tomboy to me! Just a princess wiv pants. You're clear o' the charges!

[She gives a little mock salute that dissolves into playful laughter, before she goes on.]

So wot is the deal wiv this stone? I dunno about any Eye o' Truth, but that looks that symbol wot Sheik wears. [Considering Sheik is from Hyrule, she doubts it's a coincidence - and she just assumes that Zelda knows him.]

[ Indeed, the differences between Zelda and the young princess Gina met are slight at best and easily explainable as changing with age. But one feature in particular might stick out to Gina-- eye color. Zelda's eyes are a lush green color, while the young princess' were a vibrant blue. Though eye color can also change with age, it's not usually to this extreme.

Gina's teasing and mock salute get an open laugh out of Zelda; it's just so earnest it completely disarms the princess, knocking the awkward tension right out of her.

That Gina knows Sheik earns a look of surprise. ] You know Sheik? [ He's not exactly the most sociable person ever.

Zelda kneels beside the stone and traces the eye and tear shape with her finger. ] It is, yes. This symbol is called the Eye of Truth and it plays a significant role in Sheikah culture as well as serving as their clan's crest. As its name suggests, the eye represents seeking or seeing the truth, while the tear symbolizes a Sheikah's willingness to go to any lengths to fulfill their duty.

[The more she looks at her, the more she swears Zelda's eyes were a different color! She really doesn't know what to make of it.

At the very least, she's glad to hear her laugh. Gina didn't mean for her teasing to be mean-spirited in any way, so she's glad that Zelda got that.

She nods along as she answers the question.]

Yeah, I met Sheik just recently. A quite an' nice one, 'e is, wiv a lot of skills.

[She stands nearby and looks over the stone from another angle while Zelda explains. Gina does raise an eyebrow as she hears the clan's name! Is he really... Sheik of the Sheikah...? .....Gina's trying not to question others' cultures anymore, so she'll just keep that in her head while listening.]

That sounds like a powerful symbol alright. [Seeking the truth and fulfilling a duty - it makes her think of the battles that would erupt in the courtroom back home. Though after seeing him in action, she imagines Sheik's battles are much more literal...] Now that I know all that, I can see why this is so strange. Wot's this rock doin' goin' 'round tellin' corkers wiv the Sheikah stamp o' approval, yeah?

Eventually - perhaps inevitably - those looking for Sheik will find themselves diving into his dreamscape, as the one place even he would have difficulty running away from. Or perhaps they've stumbled here accidentally. Either way, they will find themselves standing before a grand stone temple with gothic spires and ornate windows, surrounded on all sides by a golden gossamer barrier. Those familiar might note a similarity in its aura to the sealing magic possessed by a certain Princess of Hyrule, and it denies all attempts to break or circumvent it by force or wit.

However, a triangular portal will also appear with the dreamwalkers' entrance into the dreamscape, shimmering with a similar golden glow. The gossip stones nearby, unlike their counterpoints in Songerein, all say the same thing:

"Truth is revealed by three broken seals."
a test of power;

The portal opens to a narrow valley of sorts, with high cliff faces on either side. The valley itself has a slightly gentler incline starting some 20 feet from the portal's starting point, and far in the distance, at the point where the valley meets the top of the cliffs, a golden triangle upon a pillar shines like a star. Surely that's what's needed to break the seal!

... The problem, though, is that the entirety of the valley between the portal and the triangle is covered in a sickly crimson substance that reaches up to an average person's kneecaps. Trudging through it would be difficult enough on its own, like wading through muddy water, but the stuff seems to drain one's strength as well, tiring them out even faster than they might have otherwise. By the time someone makes it halfway up, they'll be questioning if all this is even worth it. Wouldn't it be easier to just give up? Fall back and let the gloom take you? You wouldn't have to hurt anymore. You wouldn't have to try anymore...

Listening to that voice, faltering in one's determination, is the only thing that will cause one to slip, however. If they hold fast to their convictions, they will reach the top, however long it might take.

The pillar at the top will be tall enough that no one person can reach their prize without assistance, whether that's by standing on another's shoulders or by working together to topple the whole thing over. There is only so much a single person is capable of accomplishing on their own, after all.

Once the triangle is claimed, its glow intensifies to the point of being blinding. There's the sound of something cracking, and then as the light fades, the characters will find themselves in front of the Temple of Time once more.

a test of wisdom;

The portal opens into an extremely dark room. The walls, floor, and ceiling are all made of smooth stone, and the only light source is a thin beam of sunlight coming through a tiny hole in one wall near the ceiling that seems to open to the outside. Scattered around the room are a variety of narrow columns, all topped with angled mirrors, and in the center five parallel lines are carved into the floor, with six circles dotted between them. A clock hanging on one wall ticks away endlessly. Moving its hands seems to change the time of day outside, and the narrow beam of light dances around the room accordingly.

Using the clock and the mirrors (some of which will need to be held in place to keep them from tilting and swaying) to catch the light, it can be angled through each of the circles in sequence. When done successfully, the melody inscribed will play, and the room will brighten as a golden triangle descends from somewhere up above. Once claimed, it will glow brighter and brighter until it is blinding, and in the distance something cracks— before the characters are deposited in front of the Temple of Time once again.

a test of courage;

The portal opens onto a narrow path within a deep and shadowy forest. The sea of trees seems to go on endlessly, and the canopy overhead barely allows any direct light to reach the ground. Animals can be heard moving through the forest, though it's nigh-impossible to make out anything more than a dark shape darting through the underbrush, and, distantly, a wolf's howl carries through the trees. You should probably get moving.

The forest only grows darker and darker the further one treks along the path, however, and the ambient sounds of wildlife grow more and more menacing. Some might even recognize them as the sounds of monsters from their home worlds or nightmare creatures they've faced in Songerein. They get louder, closer with every step, until it is all but certain that the beast making them is right behind you.

Eventually, it will become so dark that nothing can be seen. In that darkness, the sounds of the monsters will be accompanied by the voices of one's own doubts and insecurities. Is this the right thing to do? Are you truly capable of this? What if it just makes everything worse? You can still turn back...

Alone, one will surely succumb to the urge to return to the light, but... by walking alongside another and encouraging each other to keep going, they will finally see a glimmering triangle at the end of the path. In truth, there are no monsters in this forest, and the only things to fear are the fears you bring with you, however buried deep they might be.

Claiming the triangle causes it to glow brighter and brighter until there is nothing in one's vision but pure light. Something cracks like thunder, and when the light fades, they will find themselves once more in front of the Temple of Time.

[Sheik will not be available for these prompts, but characters are free to attempt/complete as many or as few as they'd like! Threads with Sheik down below will assume someone has broken the seals, even if it's not clear who it was.]

[Gina's not completely sure what's going on, but she's ended up in this dreamscape that's in need of help, and she winds up undertaking the task of courage. The young woman in green unsteadily steps forth within the forest. She's a bit jumpy, as she hears the sound of various beasts in the shadows. Was that a wolf? Or a bear? She suddenly turns around, wielding her small steampunk-looking gun, but there's nothing there. (Aside from whoever is accompanying her?) She hisses a whisper.]

Wot was that??

[And she tries to step forward, but the darkness is overwhelming. Especially as it seems to echo with thoughts.

Worthless

Can't measure up to nuffin'...

Detective? Ha! Yer just a witless street rat playin' pretend.

You can't save anyone. Not even yerself.

You'll always be too late.

The Reaper shouldn't miss you next time.

Many, many voices like that haunt her. She trembles, breathing heavily and stats to sink to her knees. She wonders if she can really do this?]

[Gina's companion ends up being a tad delayed—call it fashionably late.

It seems almost natural to assume the form of the enormous scarred wolf in such a setting; all the better to blend in or otherwise deal with the dangers of this wilderness. He does his best to ignore the whispers and curses that follow him thus far, and each time one hits too close to the mark, he increases his pace as if he might escape them with speed alone.

His path brings him to a familiar figure, and with renewed purpose, he rushes to her side. However alarmed she may be at his approach—or not, if she's too distracted by the awful barbs pointed at her insecurities—he immediately adopts a defensive stance close to her, posture tense and teeth bared as he growls at the disembodied voices. His gaze darts to seek the source of her distress, though his eyes even in this form are all but useless against the supernatural darkness. What's even the point of being a vampire if you can't have night vision, he asks—]

Edited (that's what i get for tagging this late) 2024-08-30 08:57 (UTC)

[The voices are growing more and more overwhelming. She can't block them out, even covering her ears. She doesn't notice the approach of the creature until he's right there beside her. Gina does give a startled gasp once she realizes he's there, but the panic fades away as she recognizes him.]

V-Van Zeiks...?

[She might not have met him in this form too often, but it's still enough for her to recognize the prosecutor's other form. At the very least, his presence is a distraction from the voices. And it is comforting to see a familiar face, even as she's starting to drown in anxiety. What if he thinks any of those things about her?]

[He acknowledges her first with only a brief, icy glance; he's still cautious of what might be out there in the darkness, fur standing on end.]

Are you unhurt?

[A high titter reaches his ears:

As though he could protect anyone. A different voice continues, The man will always be cursed, and another with something like pity, Death follows him everywhere.

His warning growls quieten to nothing, but he still remains vigilant.]

Y-yeah...

[She softly breathes the answer to her question. Despite her fears that something could spring on them at any moment, nothing's happened yet. The fear still lingers, but now Van Zeiks is here.

Gonna 'ide behind 'im, is that it then? Gonna let 'im die for ya, like Windibank? Like Gregson? 'E took a bullet for you once. Let 'em finish the job.

It ain't like you can do nuffin' 'bout it. Not for 'im, not for any little princesses, not for no one.

She does let out a soft whimper as the whispers persist. So she softly admits.]

B-but I... I dunno... if I can do this. [She grips her arms as a chill runs through her. She gazes into the darkness of the forest and feels it overwhelm her.]

[The barrier surrounding the temple fractures with each broken seal, until finally... it shatters in its entirety, glittering pieces raining down around the dreamwalkers like thousands of tiny falling stars. Without the barrier in their way, there is nothing stopping them from entering the building themselves.

The Temple of Time is no less grand on the inside. Even in this construct crafted of dreams, the sanctum within seems at once ancient and timeless in its solemnity, fitting for its title. The weight of destiny hangs heavily in the air; this is a place where history is made, and will be for millennia to come.

Sheik stands at the far end of the nave, strumming a soft melody that echoes through the silent hall. Far above his head, in the center of the triangular symbol emblazoned above the archway behind him, floats a giant pink crystal, an oddly humanoid shadow within giving the macabre impression of a person trapped inside, though their features remain blurry and indistinct.

Another entering the sanctum causes Sheik first to falter in his playing and then stop entirely, sighing as he allows his arms to fall back to his sides. Nostilium flickers around him in wisps and snaps of static electricity—a passive warning not to get too close.]

... You won't turn back even if I ask you to, will you?

[He seems calm at the moment, if terribly regretful and resigned. Noctaere aren't known for staying that way forever, though...]

Edited 2024-07-15 22:49 (UTC)

[ This is not the first time Zelda has seen the Temple of Time from Sheik's era of Hyrule, although it feels like it's been ages, a lifetime past. Stepping into its hallowed halls reminds her of the sad state of the Temple in her own time, how she always wished she could justify dedicated resources to its restoration. (Hopefully someone someday in the future will do so.)

But Zelda has never seen that crystal before, one which sees to have a figure trapped inside it. Nor does she recognize the melody Sheik plays, though something about it pricks at the back of her subconsciousness. ]

No. I will not.

[ She halts on the hexagonal pedestal in the center of the nave, the one with same golden triangular symbol upon its surface. Although its name may have been lost to time in her era, Zelda knows the symbol. She knows it inherently, resonating at the very core of her being, in the sacred bloodline passed down to her.

Zelda finds herself wearing her old ceremonial dress, a once-hated garment she always donned when she went to pray in the Goddess' Springs a century long past. Fitting, isn't it? Because instead of her powers, she is here to awaken him. ]

[Of course she would make it here. Of course that would be her answer. As always, she is his better in all the ways that matter, and she defies him when it matters the most. Sheik is not surprised, seeing her there in her radiance, looking every part the mortal goddess amidst the ambient nightmare energy of his dreamscape, but he is pained, a deep grief etched upon his features even as most of them remain hidden.

He doesn't want to do this. He doesn't want to have to make her leave. But the alternative where she looks upon him with disgust for all his deceptions is too terrible for him to bear, and of the two of them, she made no such promise to stay at his side.

His posture shifts as he swallows that grief down as he's done so many times before, his expression smoothing out as he looks down upon her from behind the Temple's altar. If his disgraceful performance at the nostilium infected fragment of Lon Lon Ranch wasn't enough to keep her away, he'll have to try something more pointed.]

Why not? ... You've had no difficulty doing so in the past.

[The light streaming in from the temple's windows dims as he speaks, the sky above growing gradually more and more overcast. Beneath his feet, nostilium ripples like puddles of water.

This is for the best. This is what he should have done at the start. He's been a fool to let her get so close to him, and now, with her at the threshold of his heart, he's paying for it.]

[ She doesn't expect Sheik to be happy to see her. Things have been tense between them for weeks now-- and even though she's now realizing that might be due in part to the amount of nostilium he has been infected with, a part of it is because of her. Her actions in the wake of Link's departure were selfish and she has been so wrapped up in her own misery that she hasn't realized the way she's been hurting her friends.

Zelda winces at the accusation he levies against her. They're words prompted by the influence of nostilium, spoken intentionally to hurt her, but she suspects that there's some truth to them. Nightmares don't typically spawn out of nothingness-- sometimes, their roots are pain that has been festering in the heart for a long time.

For a year now probably, ever since he found her choking on her secret stone when she first returned. ]

That is not true. Every time I've tried to return home to complete my duty has been difficult. [ Her expression is somber as she regards him, catching from the periphery of her vision the nostilium rippling beneath his feet. ] You know the burden of duty.

[ Then a pause, as something occurs to her, ] Is that how you lost your princess? To her duty?

[ Zelda has no idea what happened to the princess of Sheik's Hyrule, the one he so adamantly insisted Zelda could not be the night they first met. (Really, she doesn't even know for sure that he directly served his era's princess; it's an assumption Zelda made based on his fierce loyalty to her.) ]

[Not difficult enough to spare any of them a second thought, he thinks to say, the unfair words sharp and acrid on his tongue. At least Impa had told him where she was going that day she set off for the Shadow Temple. At least the Princess of Destiny will apologize for her actions before she bids the Hero of Time her final goodbye. He does know the burden of duty, and he knows all too well how sharply it can cut any and all who draw near.

But her question catches him before he can breathe a word, his eyes widening in bemusement before—]

... Ha.

[Even he is surprised by the bark of a noise that escapes him (it's not a laugh, not really; it's too flat, too angry and bitter to be one), lifting a hand to brush his bangs away from his face as he recovers his composure. The shift in his disposition that follows is subtle, but likely still noticeable to one who has spent as much time in his presence as Zelda. While perhaps there had been some truth to the resentment he had regarded her with a moment prior, there was still an artifice to it—an act he had been playing to fulfill his goal of getting her to leave. They are not the whole of his feelings towards her, and she knows as much.

But now? As the conversation shifts to the princess they rarely speak so directly about?]

"My" princess is a craven weakling who cannot even show her face to the ones cleaning up after her.

[The complete and utter contempt that infuses his every word rivals that which he holds for the Demon King himself. It may even exceed it, perhaps.

His head cants back, eyes settling on the crystal floating above them, though at Zelda's distance it may seem as though he's only looking to the heavens for whatever answers or absolution they can offer. The clouds outside only grow darker.]

There is... no duty that she is capable of fulfilling. [Then, a sigh, the remorse he had greeted Zelda with once again overtaking him for just a moment.] ... Hyrule would be better served by you in her place.

[Has that not been proven? In all the ways their legends align, is there a single point where she has not been stronger, wiser, more capable than him in every way? Even in the times she cannot succeed, she at least manages to mitigate the damage to her people somehow. What can he say he's done, really, in comparison?]

[ Zelda's expression darkens as she hears Sheik call his princess a "craven weakling." The contempt in his voice is not something she ever expected to hear like this. For as long as she's known him, Zelda has always had the impression that Sheik has the utmost respect and devotion to his princess. After all, he was openly offended when Zelda introduced herself as the Princess of Hyrule when the two first met. Sheik epitomizes the loyal Sheikah warrior, a shadow of the Royal Family. Hearing him denounce his princess is not only difficult to hear, it's difficult to believe.

Zelda follows his gaze up to the floating crystal. She can't properly make out the figure trapped inside it, but the way Sheik regards it, Zelda is willing to guess his princess is inside it. Or, at least, that the crystal and its figure represent his princess in some way.

And it reminds Zelda of the last time that Hyrule seeped into the dream world and threatened to poison it. At the apex of the crisis, the princess and her champion both became trapped in crystals much like these-- crystals guarded by Blights that had to be defeated before they could be freed. Sheik faced one of those Blights, come to think of it.

Her brows furrow as she looks between Sheik and the crystal, weighing his words, sensing how the nostilium in the air shifts and grows. Is she here to save Sheik, or is he the Blight that must be defeated to save whoever is within that crystal? ]

Before the Calamity, many in Hyrule who would disagree with you. 'Heir to a throne of nothing,' they called me, when I could not fulfill my duty to awaken my sealing power. I often thought Hyrule would be better served by any one of my ancestors, that I was the greatest failure of our line.

[ Zelda takes a few cautious steps towards Sheik. ]

But I was wrong. And so are you.

You speak so confidently for one who knows nothing.

[Because he's told her nothing. Every time the princess of his era has come up, he's dodged and deferred and changed the subject, even when she asked him to do something as simple, innocent, and utterly impossible as welcoming her eventual return with open and understanding arms. How could a princess who fled her people and allowed them to suffer for so many years ever have a right to such a thing?

The face of a girl with blazing red hair contorted in disgust flashes across his mind's eye. His brow furrows as though pained, and the sparks of static that dance around him grow in intensity with each step forward Zelda takes. Why can't she just leave well enough alone...?!]

What has she left for you that makes you think so? In what scant legends remain of the Hero of Time, is there any mention of a Princess fighting at his side?

[He knows there isn't. Despite it not yet coming to pass, he knows that a hundred years after the Hero of Time defeats the Demon King, the Six Sages, immortalized in stained glass, will surround the Master Sword's sacred resting place beneath the rebuilt Hyrule Castle, and not a single image of Princess Zelda will be among them. He knows this, with just as much certainty as a young girl who knew the man from the desert wished for nothing more than to destroy the world as she knew it.

His gaze drops back to Zelda, and the look in his eyes is... strange as he looks down at her from his elevated position. Like there's something some part of him hopes she'll understand, even as he tells her that there's no way she possibly can.]

... Or, now knowing full well the cruelty of the flow of time, can't you see that perhaps there's a reason she hasn't shown herself?

[Eventually, Gina sets foot into the temple. There's a lot to take in. The appearance of the hall, the mysterious crystal, the haunting melody. And above everything else, there's Sheik at the center of it all.]

Sheik! [She calls out to him with concern. She takes only a few steps closer, wary of the nostilium surrounding him. But she speaks with a renewed courage.]

'Course, I ain't just gonna turn back. I know I've been at the sharp end in yer neck o' the woods before, but this is different. I feel like - no. I know I can 'elp. I'm 'ere for you, Sheik!

[Far from being encouraged by her answer, Sheik's shoulders sag as though weighed down by regret as she speaks. She's just... too much like Link, really. Ever since the very start, when she told a young girl she believed her and promised to help her no matter what. It makes all of this that much harder for him, and Gina will feel it as a chill sweeps through the Temple's sanctum.]

... You don't have to be, you know.

[There isn't a whole lot of energy in his argument, his voice low and melancholy. He knows this particular fight is one he's already lost, but still... he has to fight it anyway.]

All of this... it has nothing to do with you. Hyrule had already fallen long before you had ever heard of it. Even if you had been able to travel between the worlds, there was nothing you could have done to stop it. Such is the cruelty of time.

[Because that girl would never be convinced out of her own foolish plots. Can he truly say that he's changed at all since then? All this time, has he not had his plans for how he'd guide Link towards his destiny and then spare him from consequences of it? And yet Songerein has shown him that the peace he envisions will never last.

This is for the best. Better for him to stay here, alone, than cause further issues for any more innocent people like Gina and Link.]

[She feels the chill in the air. It's easy to guess the source of that chill, as Sheik speaks. It's what he says that has an effect on her. Gina's taken aback slightly as she remembers her time with the young Zelda and the promise she made to her. And the peek she saw of what had actually become of Hyrule...]

...'Ow do you know 'bout all that...

[Even as a detective, Gina hasn't put all the pieces together. She has surmised that there must be more than one Princess Zelda, but she hasn't seen any sign of this other princess around. Sheik must be connected to her somehow! That's all she can really conclude right now, even as one certain possibility has been creeping into her mind. But it's too unbelievable to be true! The two of them are just some different people - or are they?

In any case, Gina proceeds to object to Sheik with renewed force, ignoring her own question.]

W-well I could just go to a different time, right? This place takes people from all sorts o' times, so it's gotta go both ways! There's gotta be a way to make things right! I- I don't wanna give up easy! [She shakes her head as she circles back to the original point.] Anyhow, this is about you! I might not've known you for long, but that don't matter! No matter wot's 'appened before or can 'appen next, I'm 'ere for you right 'ere an' now! I wanna 'elp you, an' that's that! [She punctuates that by stomping a foot, the floor right beneath her shaking briefly with her determination.]

[Gina declares her intent, full of such earnest fire and fervor, and Sheik can't bear to look at her. He turns his head away, the uncovered parts of his face veiled by his long bangs, hiding the pained furrow of his brow. The hope she speaks of feels like nothing but thorns of ice piercing his heart for how he knows that such things are never to be, and the environment of the dreamscape reflects his despair as frost begins to climb up the grand windows and the sky beyond grows dark and overcast overhead.]

... I don't want your help.

[He answers, once he's found enough resolve to keep the tremor from his voice. It's all he's ever wanted to hear, ever since he was a child - that someone wanted to help him, that someone wanted to believe him, that someone wanted to keep reaching out to him no matter what - but... it's too late. It's always been too late.

The flow of time is always cruel. So, he must be, too.]

I want you to leave. Return home and forget about all of this, to live a good life without regrets. [For a moment as he turns back to her, he sees another blonde clad all in green in her place, but he banishes the image from his mind as he steels his expression to be as cold as the chill air around them.] I would rather you do so willingly, but if you won't...

[The floor beneath her rumbles again, more deeply this time, as though some slumbering primordial beast buried under the temple has begun to stir.]

... I will make you.

[Gina feels the floor quake beneath her feet. She remembers that Hyrulean village she was in one, and the horrible dangers within. She could only fathom the kind of danger that could surface. But regardless, she doesn't want to back down now. Her courage is bolstered, and her determination is solid. As she looks at Sheik, she can't imagine herself turning her back on him, no matter what he says.

Even if what he says almost sounds like an insult. She steadies herself in the wake of the rumbling floor and then fixes a scowl towards Sheik as she responds.]

A good live wivout regrets? Sorry Sheik, but it's a little too late for me on that one! [There's a hurt in her eyes as she finds herself thinking back on the regrets in her life. The people who've died around her, sometimes even even dying in connection with keeping Gina safe. The lies she's told in the past, everyone she couldn't save... There's a lot that haunts her, and it's topped off by the failure of her promise to Hyrule's princess. She grits her teeth as she looks up at him.]

I already got 'em in spades. And a lot of 'em are from losin' people. That's why I ain't leavin' you!! I ain't gonna add one more regret! Try an' scare me all you want. It ain't gonna work!

[She blinks back heated tears, while gripping her steampunk gun.]

So gimme your worst, an' it won't get me outta this place! Only way I'm leavin', is if it's wiv you!!

[What enters that sacred temple is a scarred wolf Sheik has not seen in some time, but this time with a voice he's heard much more recently.]

Your solitude has been indulged for long enough, my reticent friend.

[On alert but almost encouraged at the sight of the cloaked figure, he steps forward with confidence regardless of the ominous sight of the nightmare energy or the silhouette in the crystal. The setting gives him the sense of finality—judgment. He might almost liken it to the Old Bailey, the lives that were changed and ended therein, and the truths laid bare.]

What do you intend to do here?

[It's a long and arduous journey to actually find Sheik, and in the end, Aerith feels him before she sees him— the intense roiling of nightmare energy permeating the air around the Temple itself, chilling her to the bone as she crosses into the sanctum, grasping her staff between both hands. He speaks, and she stops short, shaking her head even as he remains turned away.]

I don't think I can. A lot of people have been looking for you, you know.

[People who care about him.]

You have good friends. Friends who want to help you.

[Eventually - perhaps inevitably - there comes a point where there's simply nothing else left to say. This dreamscape has been steeped in nostilium for just too long, and it colors the perceptions of the one to which it belongs. In this place, no matter the arguments to the contrary, Sheik knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that he cannot be understood, not without giving up the one secret he holds the most desperately above all others.

The people he's come to cherish in this strange world will certainly hate him after this, but, given the choice... he'd rather they hate him as this elusive shadow than as one who has deceived them all for so long.

The nostilium that had been flickering around the edges of his form flares, crackling around him like lightning, and then... he dissipates, dissolving into dozens of shadowy motes that float upwards to the crystal hovering above. The crystal seems to absorb the motes somehow, and for a moment, all is quiet and still.

Then, all the grand windows lining the temple walls shatter. Streams of nightmare energy pour through, drawn into the crystal as though it were a black hole. The heavy candelabras hanging from the rafters up above swing threateningly as the building itself trembles. Those who do not run out of worry of the whole thing coming down will watch as dark storm clouds billow and swirl around the crystal until they take the shifting and vaguely defined form of a great and terrible beast. Light bends around the creature's wicked form making it appear as though always cast in shadow, denying the observer of the chance to see the whole of the beast in its entirety.

As it lifts its head and roars with a force that shakes the very earth, however, one part of it remains solid. The crystal it formed around sits in its chest, glinting in the light—the one piece of the beast it cannot seem to obscure. Perhaps if the dreamwalkers can get to it, they'll be able to end this nightmare...

S̶̻̓c̴̺̈o̴͇͆ȗ̷͉r̵̜͝g̵̬̾e̸̦͋ ̴̟̓o̷̩͘f̵͓͋ ̷͚̅P̷͕͊r̸̟͊ī̴̯ṇ̶̇c̸̩͒e̷͕̓s̸͕̉s̴̠͗ ̷̺̕Z̵̹̾e̵̬̔ḻ̴̐d̴͌͜a̸̳̎
PROPHESIED BEAST

... but they'll have to reach it, first.]

[TBA]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

here's the deal, ouroboros: bite down, or let go

AROUND SONGEREIN; open

princess zelda and the audacity of this gossip stone

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SHEIK'S DREAMSCAPE; open

Courage

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SHEIK; open

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arrives impossibly late with dreambucks

BOSS FIGHT; closed to multidisciplinary + lestray

EPILOGUE;