animus_network | [video/text]

[Link makes his way to the hall mentioned by... other Link, giving her a nod and a smile. It's the most logical conclusion, he supposes, given their resemblance. The clothing makes it all the more obvious.]

Your name is Link, am I correct?

[He offers an amused smirk. He has to admit that he did not expect to be reincarnated as a woman, simply because he's male. But it hardly matters. He makes a good woman, thank you very much.]

[ Link is... nervous. Worried that he might not like them, maybe. He's obvious TALLER than them, which is a little intimidating, but it's kind of like... what they always imagined their father was like. There's a kind of semi-embarrassed smile and a nod.

Yeah, that's their name.

... Link has learned to use the Terminals a little better since they were here before, so thankfully there's a text-to-speech option and they hope you don't mind if they use it. ]

I never met any of my relatives, so you will have to forgive my fascination as to the ones who came before me.

[Link grins. Yes, it's very strange.]

Not at all. I've only just recently learned that my spirit was reincarnated so many times over. It is... something of an honor, I suppose.

[ This Link blinks a bit in return. Reincarnation, huh... is that what it is? It's an odd feeling to think about. And here all this time they'd just sort of thought maybe the title of Hero of Time was just kinda foisted on them out of necessity... and destiny. Shitty unwanted destiny, but destiny all the same. ]

Would you mind telling me what happened? The stories were lost in Hyrule.

Of course.

[Lost...? Link manages to hide his disappointment. Of course, he had failed. But Hylia! She had given everything for her people in the final hours spent on the Surface. And the people had forgotten?

Though he supposed they had never been overly loyal to him, had they?]

There is a lot of politics wrapped up in the matter. I suppose it is something I should be writing down.

The man whom you now call Ganondorf carries the spirit of the Demon King, a wicked beast of a creature who came to Hylia in search of the Golden Goddess' power. I am assuming you know of the power of which I speak... The land was corrupted. I was framed and sealed in the dungeons of the castle for four years. In that time, the situation grew worse. Hylia would fall. I was finally called [used, really] out of imprisonment to face the Demon King when defeat became inevitable. It was during our struggle that our Guardian Goddess, Hylia, descended from the heavens on a loftwing. She presented me with a divine blade and I was to face our mutual enemy.

[He pauses for a moment, the pride in his tone fading.]

I was overconfident. He struck me down like I was a foolish child come to face him. But Hylia... She sent her people into the sky. She saved them. That is where your history books pick up, am I correct?

[And apparently she had shed her divinity and become the Princess. Or at least whomever had come before the princess. And when the Demon King would break free, they would both be there to face him side by side.]

[ Link listens to his story intently, hanging off every word like... well, a child being told the most intriguing and important and terrifying bedtime story ever. But they know it's not just a story. It happened.

After all that's said... they need to think for a minute. Where was their gap... let's see. The Hylian gives a headshake. This is a lot to take in, but they do know there's some things he's obviously missing.

So Link takes a deep breath. And begins typing. There's a delay until they're finished all the same, but once it's played, the delay might hopefully make some sense: ]

Not entirely. Zelda--the Princess of Hyrule... she knows the legends better than I do. But the Great Deku Tree told me some of it. Much of it I learned firsthand. But perhaps I can help tell you what I know happened between us in the ensuing years. Admittedly, my knowledge has a large gap. I lived most of my life in the Kokiri Forest, and to go outside was thought to be death. Similarly, outsiders were unallowed.

What I do know is that the Royal Family, Zelda's bloodline, is said to have divine blood, and that the things they passed down protected the Triforce inside the Sacred Realm. The Master Sword, which I believe is the blade you speak of, was also protected there. The blade I now carry myself. Hylia... may have put a system in place later. I cannot be sure. There are six Sages who protect an element, a temple, and an area, sometimes also an entire people. The people in the roles change, the races are always different, but their job is to help keep our lands safe. A failsafe against evil, to protect the Triforce.

There is... much more to it than that, but I suppose that is a good place to start.

[ And Link would like to... conveniently skip over their role a little longer, maybe. Truth be told, in a lot of ways, they actually detest it. But a hero would never admit that. To being felt you were just a tool. ]

[Link has heard of the Great Deku Tree, yes. And he's glad to know that this Link knows of the Master Sword. Carries it, even. Funny, how time works. It is sitting in this Link's trunk right now!

He takes note of the tale, trying to put the puzzle together in his mind.]

I know nothing of any Sages, though I suppose it makes sense. The Goddess sent the Triforce into the sky with her people and the Master Sword.

[How lucky he is, he now realizes, that it fell back into his possession. Perhaps it was fate.]

It would need further protection when brought back down to the surface. Is that where you come in?

[We. You. No matter. It's all miserably confusing.]

[ ... Er... yes and no. Link looks confused for a moment... and is debating how to tell this, because there's a lot of guilt involved. Ultimately it had been HER fault Ganondorf obtained the Triforce at all. ]

Yes and... no. I do not know what came before that entirely, but... I know that the Master Sword was used as a seal inside the Temple of Time. When removed it would allow access to the Sacred Realm where the Triforce was then stored, to protect it. But normally, he would be unable to do this. It requires a special stone from each race--my people, the Kokiri, one of the Gorons, and one of the Zora. The final key would be the Royal Family's heirloom, a special instrument with magical properties, called the Ocarina of Time.

Even then, one had to know a certain song to open the doorway... and evil cannot wield the Master Sword, nor remove it from its pedestal...

[ ... Link feels guilty even typing this. Because, well, if the averted eyes are saying anything, Ganondorf never should've gotten in there... ]

[He can see it coming. How the goddesses' failsafe could be broken. The one carrying his spirit. This hero talking to him right now,removing the sword from its resting place.

He doesn't let on to his thoughts.]

Of course. Only we could. We and whoever else is in my line, of course...

[ Link falls silent and looks down. This is a look of extreme guilt... and a very small nod.

Yes, that's right. Only they could do it. Link thought it was meant only for the righteous or the Hero of Time or some such, but maybe it was more to do with the Goddesses than they initially expected.

It was all their fault all the same. Just remembering it was bad enough; knowing that you had single-handedly given the King of Evil seven free years to corrupt Hyrule was worse. But Link can't quite bring the words to say it, and honestly doesn't want to--it's a good thing their ancestor is pretty smart, because it's easy to see what happened.

That didn't mean Link had to LIKE any of it. At all. ]

[The first hero is silent for a long moment, waiting patiently until finally-]

If something happened, do not be ashamed of it. I simply wish to know.

[ ... Oops, they might be breaking a little right now. There was no way for them to put this off, was there? And once again, it's back to how badly Link had fucked up and underestimated Ganondorf. It never occurred to either of the two children their plan would just make his life EASIER. ]

It was all my fault it was all my fault I took everything and he used me to get to the Triforce if I had never opened the door and pulled this sword out he wouldn't have taken Hyrule over for seven years I wasn't there IamsosorryIfailedyourbloodline

[ It comes out in a rapid kind of succession of upset and unspaced text, and the speech function reads it mashed together toward the end, and Link falls silent. Cojiro ruffles slightly, looking upset to see its owner just as upset. ]

I failed, too.

[The words are simple. It's something that greatly bothers Link, yes, but he isn't afraid to admit it. Hylia was the true hero that day.]

You say seven years? Then you were simply a child. Please, there is no reason to be so humiliated. ...Yes, there is shame in failure. Especially when the world expects so much of you.

[He knows this better than anyone.]

But even a hero is not perfect, or beyond the limitations of humans. I was cut down in battle with the Demon King within minutes. The White Goddess saved the Hylian people, not me.

...

If our land had been left to strictly my protection, you would never even have had a Hyrule to save. So please. Let it weigh on your heart no further.

[ Oh... oh. I'm sorry, did you want a composed answer? Because Link really can't give you one. Not when they're being told this sort of thing--the kind of thing they'd usually never expect to hear.

There might be a few tears. Sorry. ]

[He is silent, carefully controlling the lump in his throat and the ache behind his eyes.]

Have you spoken with your princess on this?

[Take all the time you need, hero. He's patient.]

[ There's a very slow nod as Link tries to compose their emotions back into a semblance of "non-weepy child". ]

She knows it was our plan to get the Triforce before he did but we just led him right to it and as it stands I still have not finished my duties but Zelda comes from a point after me in the timeline assuring me we are successful in locking him away and setting things right but that does not fix any of it because now we know he'll only escape later after I return to my time and

[ The voice lingers as Link is unable to type anything after that.

And I don't want to go back is what she thinks. I don't want to leave her. ]

[It crosses Link's mind that it had been an awfully foolish mistake to make. But he has to keep in mind that they are simply children. Children who had felt trapped under the weights of a world plagued by evil.]

The King of Evil's spirit will always return... I cannot say why. I have not the faintest idea as to why. But do not blame yourself for his inevitable escape. There is a precious little we can do, even with our given power.

It is an awful burden, truly.

[ It's... taking all of their power not to actually show how young they really are. Trying not to break down, finally having someone who understands, who is older than them... it's... bizarre. Is this what having a parent would have felt like? Link's breathing is shuddering, and a little struggling. ]

It's not fair I thought we were supposed to be protected by the Goddesses why did they forsake us to this why did they leave the Triforce behind if all it will do is cause misery and pain?

The goddesses have not forsaken you. The Triforce's presence among the people of Hyrule is proof that they are with us...

They work in the most mysterious ways. You have been told this, I have no doubt.

[A pause.]

I was imprisoned for four years, chained to the dungeon wall of the very castle I was sworn to protect. There is much to the story, but the point is that I, as their hero, was their tool, a weapon to be pulled into battle when needed and scapegoated when unwanted. It is the people, not the goddesses, who forsake us. There will always be evil and apathy. And there will always be precious little to be done about it. And yet it is our fate... Truly a cruel one.

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Surrre thing! [Switching to action]

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