Identity Crisis

[replicatedcourage]

Who: Dark Link and anyone who comes across him
Where: The park
When: January 5th, dusk
Status: Open

It hurts...

Not the park bench to the face, though that had dislocated his nose and given him two black eyes, causing him to look like a raccoon until he discovered Vatheon's version of a fairy's fountain, the coral.

No, he was fine now, physically, and he was safe here, camped out under the trees, even if his sword and shield had gone missing. What hurt was something else.

She knows everything. She knows about Hyrule, and magic, and everything I don't.

He fought to put the breaks on that train of thought, terrified of what lay around the next cognitive bend. But, as trains do, his thoughts rolled irrepressibly onward.

What if she's right? What if I'm not Link?

A long pause as his whole being fought tooth and nail to keep away from the looming question.

...if she's right, then what's the point of me?

Comments

[replicatedcourage]

"Neither do I..." Dark Link looked at his boots solemnly. "I'm supposed to be Link but Zelda keeps saying I'm not, but I feel like Link, and if I'm not Link then what am I really? My master says that if I do what I'm supposed to then I can take his place so I have to live up to that, right? But Zelda knows everything and if she says I'm not then what if I'm really not and I'm evil, but if I'm evil then I should go around killing people and setting monsters on towns and laughing all evil and play the organ but I don't really want to do any of that, I just want to be Link and have everyone like me and Zelda tell me she likes me too."

It takes him awhile to stop for breath.

[not_heavens_adam]

Johnny watched him, a brief look of sadness crossing his eyes before he banishes it again. Supposed to be evil but not wanting to be. Just like a vampire who didn't want to drink human blood.

"If you don't want to do those things...then don't. Whatever you answered to back home...isn't here. You can be who you want." He paused again, letting that sink in. "Why do you want to be this Link person? To be liked?"

[replicatedcourage]

"I don't want to be like him, I am him. I have to be, or there's no reason for me to exist." He says it so simply, so matter of fact, that it's clear he believes it to be on the same level of truth as the sky being blue and the grass being green.

"He's the hero, he's chosen by the Goddesses to protect Hyrule and the princess and my master said if I kill him, I can take his place and do all that instead." He views himself as an understudy, waiting in the wings until the lead role opens up due to 'unfortunate and tragic circumstances'.

[not_heavens_adam]

Johnny nodded, going quiet again. "I see your point. Have you ever considered being your own person? You have his face, I assume, and his name, but that doesn't mean you have to be him, does it? Wouldn't it be better to find your own kingdom and princess to save~?"

He looked off into the distance towards his apartment and smiled. "I have a friend in a similar position as you....anyway...it's just a thought."

I'm sorry he's such an emo kid, lmao

[replicatedcourage]

This guy might be nice, but he clearly didn't understand. Dark Link grew frustrated. "You don't get it. This is stupid, talking doesn't help! Just go away!"

He spun on the branch, turning his back on the man he shouldn't have talked to in the first place. No one understands.

XD Johnny can be very emo when he wants to be, no problem.

[not_heavens_adam]

"If you say so..." Johnny smirked and dissolved into a flood of bats that flew from the tree and into the sky.

However, a few seconds later, the bats circled back around and reformed at the base of the tree. "Oh...but...if you change your mind. I really don't mind listening. My name is Johnny Rayflo; call me if you need someone to listen."

[replicatedcourage]

Dark Link blinked once, then twice. "Did you just turn into keese and back?"

[not_heavens_adam]

Johnny paused, confused. "Keese? If that's what you call a bat where you're from, then, yes."

[replicatedcourage]

"Uhh, I guess? How did you do that?" He uncurled a bit, kicking his feet in the air off the branch and seeming quite interested. "Are you a sorcerer?"

[not_heavens_adam]

He smirked, shrugging in response to the questions. "It's just something I can do." A small laugh. "And, no, I'm not a sorcerer. Ever heard of a vampire?"

[replicatedcourage]

"A what?" Clearly not.

[not_heavens_adam]

"I'm not human and one of the things I can do is turn into... 'keetes' and fly around. There are other things I do that make me different from humans, but not all of it's pretty." Like killing humans to get food..traditionally. "Think of it this way: vampires are supposed to be evil, according to...pretty much everything where I come from."

[replicatedcourage]

Dark Link looked him up and down. "Do you kidnap princesses or play the organ?"

[not_heavens_adam]

Johnny laughed and shook his head. "No, I have no interest in princesses, besides, they're a rare breed in my world. As for the organ...I can play the piano...I think I'd like to play an organ some time. Violins are nice too, of course."

[replicatedcourage]

"I dunno, I think the organ has something to do with being evil."

He seemed quite certain about that, but music light up his expression.

"I like flutes and ocarinas and stuff though. And the harp."

[not_heavens_adam]

"Flute I have played. The others I'm afraid I've not. I doubt I'll try a harp...I don't think I'm built to play one."

He noticed the change and had an idea.

"If you ever wanted, we could play together. Perhaps a flute duet."

[replicatedcourage]

"What, really?" He lit up and pulled off his hat to reach inside. "I've got-...oh..."

His ears drooped and he replaced the hat, the momentary lift in his mood gone just like that. "Nevermind."

[not_heavens_adam]

Johnny gave a concerned look. "Hmm? What's the matter?"

[replicatedcourage]

"My hat doesn't work..." It came out a quiet mumble, as if some foundation of Dark Link's very being came crashing down with the simple realization that his hat was just a hat.

[not_heavens_adam]

He steps a little closer, peering at the hat with curiosity.
"What's it supposed to be doing, exactly?"

Hats were just hats in L.A.

[replicatedcourage]

"There's supposed to be stuff in it! Like the ocarina or bow and arrows or... everything. Anything."

But there weren't. And that, more than anything, made him feel the least like Link. His ears drooped as low as they could go as he stared mournfully into the empty hat.

[not_heavens_adam]

Stuff in a hat? What, like a backpack? Johnny decided it was best not to question the mechanics of other worlds, certainly not with this child looking so down. He ruffled the boy's hair a bit with a smile, not really minding if it was annoying.

"Hey, if there's supposed to be things in there that aren't, we'll just get new ones, okay? Besides, could just be this place, it doesn't take kindly to magical things like hat-storage."

[replicatedcourage]

Heaving a sigh, he put his woefully empty hat back on to deter further hair-ruffling. "No, it never worked. I don't know why I always think it should. And you can't just get all new items, they're key items. But you're nice for trying to make me feel better."

He managed a small smile in return for the kind words.

[not_heavens_adam]

"I just don't like seeing people be unhappy. We'll just have to find another time to play together."

[replicatedcourage]

"Um... sure, if you want to. If I can find an instrument."