vatheon | Tea in the park

Zelda smiled, closing her eyes. Hyrule.

"Hyrule is located north of the equator of Demari, my world. It is said to be the chosen land of the goddesses. The palace and the capital are situated against the foot of the mountains at the northern end of the country. The tallest of the mountains is known as Death Mountain. In the past it was a highly active volcano, but now it is quiet for the most part. There has only been one eruption in the past two hundred years, and it was a minor one. We believe that the presence of the Gorons has calmed the volcano significantly. The Gorons are creatures that appear to be made of rock, they are large and round." She laughs thinking of them. "They are very friendly, though their size can be intimidating. They travel by rolling across the terrain much like boulders and their patron goddess is Din, the goddess of power."

"Over the centuries the eruptions from the volcano made the land extremely fertile; Hyrule is a lush, green country. If you were to head south away from the capital you would find a vast plain known as Hyrule Field. Creatures of all sorts make their homes there, including my people, Hylians. You can find migrating deku scrubs selling their wares, the ranch at the center that produces nearly all of the dairy products for the country, peahats, kobolds... it is a crossroads. If you head east out of the field, you will come to Zora's domain."

Zelda let out a small humming sound. "Zora's doman is beautiful. It is a watery paradise, not unlike you would expect Vatheon to be. The Zora are indigenous to the area, they are a fishlike race of people and highly intelligent. Of course, that is to be expected since the goddess they prefer is Nayru, the goddess of wisdom."

"If you head southeast from the field, you will come to the Kokiri Forest. It is an enchanted forest, watched over by the Great Deku tree and its children. Their goddess of choice is Farore, the goddess of courage. It is said that those who are not pure of heart will become lost in the forest. Many of Hyrule's fairies make their home there, as well."

"Finally, at the far southern end of Hyrule rests Lake Hylia. Zora's domain drains into it, and it is considered sacred to them. They even have an underwater temple in the center of the lake. Many Hylian villages are scattered along its shores as well."

She continued to describe the rest of the country with great vigor, gesturing wildly with her hands to indicate the size and shape of things and looking reverent when she described the magic of the land. There was no doubt about it - Zelda loved her land deeply.

((In-game Hyrule is small, but I've always imagined it to be bigger than that - Probably about the size of a smallish European country. I'm going to hold off on describing things that don't exist in the game though, orz.))

"It sounds beautiful," Shizuo replied. Though of course, that adjective didn't capture the vivid detail in which Zelda had described her planet. He didn't know anything about goddesses or the creatures of which she spoke, but Shizuo still enjoyed listening. He enjoyed nature, and it sounded as though Zelda's planet was filled with untainted lands. Nothing like the city lifestyle he led in Ikebukuro. And while he enjoyed the city, he couldn't deny that a break from that fast-paced, concrete atmosphere was refreshing.

It's why he liked Vatheon. Or at least, had liked it before he heard of Vatheon's darker side.

"It's a lot different from where I come from. There isn't much nature - at least not in Ikebukuro. If you venture out into other areas then there is, but I mostly stay in the city." It was where he lived and worked, after all.

She laughed softly. "Cities can be interesting too, though. At times, there are so many people that you can simply fade into the crowd and observe them. Such a thing is not possible in the country. I think that people are a beautiful part of nature, as well."

The princess leaned forward eagerly. "Tell me of your Ikebukuro. Is it true that it's all lit up, even at night?"

Shizuo wasn't nearly as eloquent as Zelda. He wasn't nearly as skilled at weaving depictions of his city, despite the fact that he had lived there for the entirety of his life. Still, he tried his best to create a verbal image for her.

"Yeah, it is. Always lit up, always moving, always going. It doesn't matter if it's night or not. There are buildings everywhere, streets and sidewalks. Tons of people, especially when normal work hours are starting and ending. There's a subway - a train - that takes you places. People drive cars, too, but for a lot of people it's easier to just walk or take the train."

He paused, trying to think what else he could describe. Immediately, he thought of work.

"I'm a bodyguard for a debt collector, so I get to see a lot of the negatives of living in the city. You know, the kind of people that get themselves into bad situations." He paused again. "But it's not all like that. There's a lot of opportunities for people in the city. School, work. Fun. It's a good place to live if you like being in the center of action."

Dark Link had made his way into the park after his mad race around town. He'd collected a few baubles but his heart wasn't in it after Zelda had denounced him so vehemently and so he'd retreated to the only place he felt safe and welcome; the trees. It was odd, feeling that for a place he'd never seen, but there was something in him that felt just a little more complete when surrounded with forest.

It probably had something to do with the original Link. That meant they were the same, right? She'd had no business telling him that he wasn't Link. Of course he was Link. It's why he was, period.

And then, suddenly, below the branch he'd sprawled across, there she was. Her face was bright talking to this man with the strange eye mask, and she spoke of their world, their Hyrule.

He'd never seen it, not really. He knew it had to be wonderful for how badly his master coveted it, but hearing her speak of everything... it made it real, concrete, and somewhere he desperately wanted. In what way, he couldn't say, but the words flowing from her mouth made him creep further down his branch to listen. It was beautiful.

She was beautiful.

Of course the man eventually started talking again and the images Zelda had conjured to his mind slowly faded. Hyrule was again a distant, unseen place.

He shifted on his branch, disappointed, and sighed bitterly, forgetting just how far a sigh can carry when one is not paying attention.

"I'll just assume that trains, cars and subways are modes of transportation," she said, vaguely amused at his attempt to clarify the word subway by calling it a train instead. She had no idea what either was!

"It does sound very lively. I can't imagine a city that doesn't sleep. People must be very productive, not even being hindered by the darkness," she mused.

And then she paused, looking around. Her ears were pricked up, flicking as she tried to locate the nearby sound. Zelda turned suddenly, spotting Dark Link on his perch above them. She looked up at him and narrowed her eyes, then took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

"...you. Why are you here?"

"Yeah. Transportation," he replied, looking a little shy. He knew he wasn't great with translating the details of his city to someone unfamiliar with the usual terms.

"Well, some people are. Others-"

But then Zelda was at attention and Shizuo, in turn, stood up, prepared to face any potential threat. He followed her stare upwards, then looked back down at her. Immediately, he thought of her video, and narrowed his eyes. He became aware of the fact that he was gripping the thermos hard - too hard. He set it down so as not to destroy it.

"Is it him?" he asked, prepared to launch an assault at her word. She may not have wanted to judge this intruder so quickly, but Shizuo had already had the sense that he was bad news.

Dark Link pulled himself back into the foliage, reminding himself he wasn't afraid. And he wasn't, not of the tall blonde man anyway, though he was wary of Zelda. He wanted her to acknowledge him, but if the incident before was any indication, she would do the opposite again. Denounce him, strip him of his identity, his worth, and he couldn't bear it.

But he had to know.

His voice came down from the branch softly, much like the leaves he dislodged with his movement. "Is that really what it's like? Hyrule?"

Zelda looked to Shizuo. He seemed ready to fight. She placed a hand on his arm and shook her head. "It is him, but I am not sure he is here to fight."

She was hesitant to answer him. It was difficult for her to even talk to him, especially when she couldn't see him - his voice was so much like Link's. She swallowed her distaste, remembering Signless's words. Even if Ganondorf had made him, he at least deserved to know of Hyrule. Her apprehension was visible when she finally spoke.

"...yes. Hyrule is all of that and more. It is the chosen land of the goddesses, the gate to the Sacred Realm and the home of the Hylian people. It is precious, and it should never, ever be owned by anyone. Watched over, yes, but never owned."

Ganondorf would never violate Hyrule again, she would see to it. Zelda covered her left hand protectively, staring up into the tree.

"Now come out into the open if you wish to continue speaking. For all we know you are planning an attack up there."

Zelda's hand managed to steady Shizuo, and allowed him to relax - but only a little. He still didn't trust the situation, and wouldn't fall into being caught off guard. He allowed Zelda to talk and try to take control of the situation, focused instead on fiddling with his glasses - while keeping a close eye on the guy in the tree.

"If he doesn't come down," he murmured to Zelda, "I can go up there." Easily.

He didn't want to come out of the tree. He was safe up here where he couldn't fully see her accusing eyes and set jaw that told him he was something else than what he was, that his existence was wrong.

He spared no thought for her companion. As far as Dark Link was concerned, Shizuo was a non-entity.

"Are you going to yell at me again if I do?"

She blushed profusely. She hadn't meant to yell at him, it had just sort of... happened. A creation of Ganondorf's, calling itself Link? It was ridiculous!

"I shall not yell at you as long as you accept that you are not Link. Link is alive and well. You cannot take someone else's place, you must make your own. Understand?"

Her voice was calm, but if her nails digging into Shizuo's arm were any indication she was anything but.

It didn't bother Shizuo that the guy in the tree didn't acknowledge him. In fact, he didn't care at all. In that moment, all he cared about was his promise that he would help Zelda when she needed it. He had the strength and the ability, all he needed was a good, solid reason.

And he was getting close. He barely felt Zelda's nails, but when he looked down, he could see that she was gripping him tightly. It made him tense again, his rage threatening to spill onto the surface. He was trying - trying very hard to be patient for Zelda, because she had been so kind to him, but that guy was still up in the tree. And it was clear to Shizuo that she didn't want him around.

"You better come down," he called up. "Last chance." Because Shizuo wouldn't be able to help himself - he hated that Zelda was so bothered. He could take care of the problem with ease.

That stung, it really did, enough to get him out of the tree and storming into their picnic area, curiously without sword and shield, which he'd removed to climb the tree and were currently hidden in a bush at its base.

"I am Link! I am! It's what I was made for! What should I be if I'm not Link?!"

"I don't know!" she gritted her teeth. She had to be patient with him, he was so young, and Ganondorf surely hadn't bothered to explain a thing to him. Zelda tried to correct her body language so she didn't look so hostile, but for the most part she just succeeded in looking like a robot.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell. But listen, please - you are a person. Your continued existence outside of Ganondorf's influence proves that. You are a person, but you are not Link. You're someone else. That is not something to be ashamed of. Why don't... why don't you choose your own name? We can start over then, you with a new name. We can be... friends."

Could they be friends? She wasn't sure. It had been fairly easy to befriend Shizuo, his quiet demeanor and her ability to ramble on meshed well. The fact that he had been employed as a bodyguard didn't hurt either - it explained why she felt at ease around him. Zelda had always, always had Impa nearby protecting her. The absence of her Sheikah left her feeling vulnerable and alone, and Shizuo's presence filled that gap. Being able to transform into Sheik just wasn't the same. But befriending a minion of Ganondorf's, one that wore the face of her most cherished friend... that would be difficult. It broke her heart just to look at him.

She tried to show them both a smile, but it was nothing like the one she'd given to the hero's shadow when she thought he was Link. It was a small, sad smile. Her voice wavered when she spoke, "Let's just sit down, alright? We can have some tea."

Shizuo clenched his jaw and curled his fingers into fists. His self-control wavered just as Zelda's voice did. The more it seemed she was struggling with the interaction, the more Shizuo wanted to spring into action.

"I'll stand," he said, easing his inner tension just enough to go digging in his pocket for his cigarette pack. "He can sit." He placed a cigarette between his lips and lit it, all the while keeping an eye on...not-Link.

"I don't want any tea!" Dark Link screamed in a cracking voice, kicking a thermos and sending it skittering away across the grass. "I don't want any tea and I don't want to be anyone else! I'm Link! If I'm not, then I've failed! Why won't you understand!?"

His form flickered, rivulets of darkness leaking from his shoulders and arms, causing his complexion to turn dark and indistinct. He wasn't doing it on purpose; he felt like he was unraveling and he hated the feeling. Maybe he hated her for making him feel it. Maybe he hated everything.

He stood, trembling, as darkness flowed around him until all that could be made out was an outline and two glowing red eyes.

This was exactly what Shizuo was waiting for: a clear, imminent threat. Proof that the guy who bothered Zelda so much was indeed dangerous. The darkness that seeped out of him reminded Shizuo a little bit of Celty - but he wasn't about to focus on that. He didn't trust himself to push Zelda aside - especially not in his current state - so he just stepped in front of her instead, grinning with anticipation for the fight ahead.

Initially, it was all about protecting Zelda. But once Shizuo was in his fighting mode, impulsivity took over, and his focus narrowed entirely on not-Link. Shizuo broke his cigarette in two, threw it on the ground, and stepped on it. He was ready.

"We asked you to sit!" he yelled, grabbing the bench that he and Zelda had previously been using. He tore it up from the ground and brandished it at not-Link.

Darkness continued to radiate from Dark Link, his expression completely obscured save for his eerie glowing eyes. "This doesn't concern you, Human!"

It looked like he turned his face towards Shizuo but it was hard to tell when it was completely blacked out. Dark Link reached behind him for his sword... and realized he had left it and his shield lying at the base of the tree he'd vacated moments before.

He started to back away towards the tree.

Like hell Shizuo was going to just let him slink away. His grin widened and he took a step forward. Everything else was blacked out in that moment. He didn't know what Zelda was doing - if she were watching or saying anything at all. All he knew was that he was going to make sure not-Link regretted crashing their outing.

With clenched teeth and using all his strength, Shizuo swung the bench as though it were a baseball bat. Except he let the bench go as soon as it hit his target, hoping to add to the follow-through.

He didn't know anything about magic or that strange darkness, so he remained primed for more action - in case that was not enough.

Zelda had initially been frozen in place. The sight of someone with Link's shape looking so evil was unbearable. Part of her was tempted to allow Shizuo to just handle the fight. Why not? It's not as if the shadow had reacted well.

Then she remembered the trinket she had given Shizuo on New Year's. It was meant to protect against dark magic by dissipating the spell. If it was used on the shadow (and it would almost certainly activate if he were to retaliate against Shizuo), he would surely die. It didn't matter if he only shared his appearance with Link, she couldn't bear to watch that.

"Stop it!" she commanded, throwing up a barrier between them. Rather than leave it invisible, she added a golden sheen to it just so they would both know it was there. "Both of you, cease this at once!"

Dark Link was left with no time to react as the bench came careening towards his face. The darkness he'd been exuding dissipated all at once, leaving his surprised and maybe a little terrified face visible through the golden hue of the barrier for an instant before the bench made contact and Dark Link went sailing through the air and out of sight into the underbrush.

He likely wouldn't be bothering them again any time soon.

And just like that, it was over.

It was easy for Shizuo to come back into the current moment once not-Link was gone. With the easing of his inner tension, however, also came the awareness of the barrier. And Zelda. And the fact that she had been yelling for them to stop.

He had reacted to Zelda's own anxiety, had waited until that not-Link guy had proven dangerous, had held off until that very moment. Self-control didn't come easy to Shizuo, but he had tried. Succeeded in keeping his anger at bay until he had all the evidence he needed.

And yet, hearing Zelda yell for them to stop, he felt the onslaught of what he had done. Maybe he should have checked with her first, or waited for her to say something -

But Shizuo was a reactive being.

He wasn't sure what he was supposed to say, now that the threat was gone and everything had slowed down to a halt. There was no bench to sit on, now, so he leaned against a tree and took out another cigarette, using his preoccupation with that to avoid having to say anything to Zelda.

Dark Link was gone. Seeing that Shizuo was calm again, Zelda lowered her barrier and let out the breath that she had been holding in. She could still feel the darkness nearby, though. Frowning, she moved over to the brush and uncovered Link's sword and shield, replicated down to the smallest details.

Of course, a shadow of the Master Sword was nothing compared to the real thing. She picked them up and walked back over to Shizuo, her face carefully blank.

"I'm sorry. I know that it must be extremely difficult to not fight when a creature of dark magic is before you. He is... not able to control himself either, I think."

It wasn't Zelda that should have apologized - but Shizuo, for giving into the rage like he had, for doing that in front of her. And he would have given her an awkward sorry, but wound up too affected by her diction to do so.

Either.

Izaya was always so intent on making Shizuo aware of the monster that he was - making him face it, time and time again, with each fight - reminding him both in speech and action. But Izaya had always been the only one brave enough to say it directly too him. Everyone else was too afraid to label him a monster, a fighting doll, or anything of that sort when he was within earshot. Why? Because he'd beat them within an inch of their lives if they dared.

Now things were different. Shizuo was in a strange place with strange people and here, before him, someone he couldn't fathom raising even the lightest touch against was drawing a parallel between himself a guy that had made her anxious and upset. Someone out of control - just like that "creature of dark magic."

Shizuo voiced none of this. He just nodded, dragged on his cigarette, and then straightened back up. He bent to pick up the fallen thermoses and held them out to Zelda. "I should get going," he explained.

Zelda didn't understand what she had done, but she could tell that Shizuo was upset. Was it because he had lost control? It didn't enter her mind that he was upset at being compared to Dark Link. She didn't consider him a monster, after all. A magical construct, yes, but it was as she had said to him: You're a person. We can be friends.

She took the thermoses without fear, sighing. "It's unfortunate that he showed up. I was going to have someone more skilled at this sort of thing speak with him... I'm afraid I can't do it myself."

Her ears lowered. It was pathetic. Just because he wore Link's face, she was completely useless.

"Perhaps we can do this another time, when he understands more about people."

Zelda may have called the "creature of dark magic" a person in an effort to diffuse the situation, but the way she had reacted to him indicated otherwise - at least as Shizuo interpreted it.

"Maybe," he replied, again with a short nod. "Sorry I couldn't help more." There was no way he'd ever be able to sit down and have a conversation with someone who was clearly volatile. Not when Shizuo himself was volatile, as he had just made clear.

"Anyway, I'll see you. Thanks for the tea."

She nodded and let him go on his way, looking down at the replicated Master Sword with disgust. Zelda vowed to direct her anger to the correct person next time - to Ganondorf, the one who had violated not only the image of her friend, but that of a sacred relic as well.

She'd just have to remember that it wasn't Dark Link's fault.

Tea in the park

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Jumping in! >.>

Thread order for now: DL > Zelda > Shizuo

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What I didn't change tenses at the end and have to repost that's ridiculous!

I'm going to bed but I'll be back tomorrow!

Gnight! <3 Also I so need to find a yelling icon. Merf.

Yes you do, he does a lot of yelling. And goodnight~ o/ PS I need an edit comment function

Ty you two :D

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I hate typos

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