Establishing Hyrule

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((I don't doubt you, but I have literally no idea what is going on. At all. XD Probably should've played Majora's Mask...  All these masks and spirits.... I CAN'T EVEN!))

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They're dead. Both of them. Sault and Sheik. I stand there, absolutely stunned by the turn of events in the last few minutes. I can't even think of any words to say, no clever fact that will solve all our problems. Sault and Sheik are dead. I continue to stand in a daze, still stunned, until I see Caoilainn sitting next to the spot where Sault fell, sobbing. I leave the group and go to her, kneeling and beginning to cry myself. She looks up at me, acknowledging my presence through teary eyes. As I stare into her eyes, I flashback to my childhood.

 

I sit by the remnants of my house, the place I had called home for my entire life. All of it is gone. Nothing more than a smoldering patch of blackened earth. And my family are all dead, every single one of them. My mother, my father, and my sister, all taken from me forever. I cry and cry and cry, until someone carries me back to the Academy. Even then, I sit on my bed, staring out my window that overlooks Skyloft, and I continue to sob, realizing the void inside me that has been created. This is something I will live with forever, I think as I look at my reflection in the glass, eyes full of tears.

 

I snap back to reality, and in Caoilainn's face, I see the reflection of that boy, so many years ago, who cried and cried when his family died. Without a sound, I put my arms around her, and we mourn our lost loved ones, not in words, but in tears and sobs.

 

((I had to write something sad... I'm sorry, just THE FEELS!!! ))

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Posted (edited)

I stand up, pulling away from Leoni. I appreciate his gesture, but I'm beyond the point of wanting comfort.

Sault and Sheik, gone so quickly, with no warning at all. Two of the most important people in my life... gone.

I walk away from Leoni, needing a few minutes alone to myself. I exit the chamber and begin to pace, back and forth like a madwoman, trying to recall Sault's message. Just those last few words, I want to remember them exactly as I'd heard.

A sudden thought stopped me in my tracks. What if I WAS going mad? With grief, possibly, with wishing and wishing for Sault to sneak up on me and jump up on me with his laugh.

Maybe I'd imagined it. What if Fintan was right, and I was letting it get to my head?

"Oh, goddesses," I whisper, shaking myself. "You need some fresh air, Caoilainn."

I resolve to help everyone get out safely, be it through teleportation or simply helping the wounded along, carrying the dead.

Sault's body, though, has shattered into tiny pieces, and trying to pick all of them up would be futile and impractical. Reluctantly, I decide to find some other way to honour his absence.

And to find a way to try and calm myself down, too. This could become detrimental after a time.

Edited by ButterflyBabyBlue (see edit history)

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We do what we can for the injured here. We dress wounds and pass out potions. Melaina helps me to fix a dressing over my reopened stab wound, her hands shaking. All the while I can feel the magic radiating from my pouch where I placed the mask from my fallen friend. My throat is tight as I work from the tears that I won't let myself cry, not while there's work to be done. I have to identify the fallen warriors - seven fallen.

Once everyone's cared for, we round up in the centre of the cavern, and Caoilainn prepares her magic to teleport us all home. Within seconds, we're standing back in the Sheikah camp. Those who are working stop, turning to look at us upon return. Frowned expressions fill the crowd, a ripple of whispers spread - they can tell something is wrong.

I make my way over to a tree stump, carefully climbing up so that I can address the crowd. I clear my throat, and take a deep breath. "Majora has been defeated, but it came at a great cost." I pull the list from my pocket, trying to level my breathing. "We lost a number of proud men and women... Khorne, Turin, Maia, Beorn, Elda, Sault... and Sheik."

Soft gasps pass through the crowd, and I lose control over the tears that fall slowly. "There will be a ceremony of passing at dusk tomorrow to commemorate all those who laid down their lives for a greater good. A new cheif will be named in good time, a decision that will be made communally, but in the meantime, the tribe will be maintained by the elders and mission leaders." I pause, looking around at the grief stricken faces around me. "I'm so sorry..." I say, before climbing down from the tree stump.

Grief bears down on my shoulders like a great, unforgiving, relentless weight. It makes me weak, I feel like I'm ready to just give in - but there's more work to be done yet. I reach into my pouch, pulling out the mask, which still radiates with power. I need to take this to the elders... they'll have something to say about it.

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"Alright, last chance!" Sault remarked as he took the lotus position one more time. Apparently time flowed differently in Majora's world, because just minutes after his first attempt at calling to Caoilainn her spirit began to shimmer at lower levels, indicating she was asleep. This would be the ideal time for trying to contact her, so he'd better make the most of it.

 

Giving it all he had, Sault reached into Caoilainn's sleeping mind and spoke the same words he'd used earlier. "Sault!? It really is you!" she replied, and now he could see her face again, complete and beautiful as ever. "I'm so glad I could see you one more time," he told her "Majora... I think it saved me from disappearing completely. It's not such a bad creature at all, it was just kidnapped and transformed into a monster by the Demon Lords. But now I'm going to help it return home, and I don't think I'll be able to see you again after I leave."

 

"Sault... you can't leave me! Please don't leave..." Caoilainn begged. Sault didn't want to leave either, but he shook his head in response. "I have to do this, for all of you. I'll watch over Majora. It said I had to become the 'bad guy' when I turn into a mask, but don't worry about that. I will always love you, but I want you to move on. Don't worry about me anymore, because it's my turn to watch over you."

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I wake with a jolt, breathing heavily. No, no, NO, this was all wrong!

Running a hand through my hair, a dry sob escapes me. I press my fist to my mouth to stop the pathetic sounds that escape me.

What did Sault do to deserve this? Cheerful, optimistic Sault who always had everyone's best interests in mind, who looked after everyone when they needed it? And now... gone. In the blink of an eye.

I reflected on what he said. Turning into a mask.... becoming the bad guy... what on earth did it mean?

I stand up, clenching my fists. Stepping outside, I bask in the cool night air, and count the steps to the forest. Finding a nearby tree, uncaring of size or sturdiness, I start bashing away at it, taking my frustration, confusion and misery out on it until I hear a distinct snapping sound, and something fall to the ground near my feet. One last kick, and then I sit at the base of the tree, mulling over Sault's words until the birds signal that its morning.

Fintan and the others were going to think I was insane. So far it seemed no one but me had heard Sault's voice. Pressing my fingers to the sides of my head, I took some deep breaths.

"You are not insane, Caoilainn, you are not insane..."

I repeat my little mantra over and over until I hear footsteps approaching.

"Caoilainn?" Fintan asks. "What are you saying?"

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Posted (edited)

The air is warm with the musty smell of insense as I make my way into the elders tent. The space is dimly lit, the only illumination being the softly flickering candles around the edges of the room
I find Avis sat on the floor, her legs curled up in the lotus flower position. A contented expression rests over her aged features as I assume the same position just in front of her.
"Fintan," she says softly. "I sense you possess an object with great magical potential."
"That's why I came to you," I reply. "When..." I falter, my voice feeling strained. "When Sheik fell in battle, his body disappeared, leaving only this mask behind. I was hoping you could tell me something of it's purpose."
She motions to the mask, so I pass it to her. Her bony fingers hold it gently by the edges, but the glimmer in her eye tells me she knows of it's power.
"Leave it in the care of the Mortal Goddess," she tells me. "It was serve it's purpose generations from now. A child of her bloodline will need protection from a great evil - this mask will offer her salvation."
"Thank you..." I say softly, taking the mask back.

I wake early the next morning, dressing quickly. Today is the day or the ceremony of passing and we decide upon a new chief. There's a lot of.work to be done, but I decide to start the day with some meditation. It's the only way to keep level headed.
So I make my way into the forest in search of a quiet spot. That's when I see Caoilainn at the foot of a tree, looking rumpled, muttering something.
"Caoilainn?" I ask. "What are you saying?"

(( See, by leaving Sheik's mask in Zelda's bloodline, it will eventually reach OOT Zelda. This mask explains how she transforms into a Sheikah she's never heard of who lived hundreds of years before her. It also explains her almost instantanious transformation in front of Link! See? ))

Edited by NayruGoddessOfWisdom (see edit history)

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Posted

((oh. my. gosh that is really clever! :D Very nice writing, I like what you did there!))

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((It is really clever yeah! Great job Nayru ;) ))

 

I'm plucking random harp strings while I'm sitting on the ground. Inside my head, it's a wild mess.... I can't believe we lost Sault and Sheik, I mean, we grew up with them! Sheik has taught us so much in our lives, and Sault has been a friend of us for so long.... And when he and Caoilainn found love with each other, this happens? I can't imagine how it would be to loose Fintan, so I don't know what to say to Caoilainn... I'm a bit lost to be honest. Fintan's too busy with the elders and the choosing of a new chief, so I haven't spoken to him properly. I don't even know were the rest of my friends are.... This just really sucks, and I don't know what to do. 

I sigh. 

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((Nice one, Nayru!))

I look up abruptly when I hear Fintan, getting up so quickly I almost fall over again.

"Fintan! What are you doing?" I ask, trying my best to sound irritated.

"I was just about to meditate; we have a long day ahead of us," he says. "But, Caoilainn, why are you out here?"

"I... I had a dream," I start, hating the frailty of my voice. "Sault was there, speaking right to me."

I hear Fintan sigh, and I make a noise of frustration.

"Caoilainn," he says, "this really-"

"I'm serious, Fintan!" I tell him. "Do you think I'd lie about something like this?"

"Caoilainn," he says, putting a hand on my shoulder. "This is going to drive you insane, sooner or later. I hate saying it, but Sault is not going to come back for you."

I fumble around, balancing myself against the tree trunk for support. I don't want to hear it, don't want to acknowledge it, even though I know Fintan has a point.

"Go and meditate, Fintan," I tell him. I move aside to let him pass, and after a moment he passes me, his footsteps soon fading. I turn and enter the forest from a different angle, sitting down and crossing my legs, folding my arms neatly.

I sit for a while, revelling in the tranquility of the forest. The only sound is that of wind travelling in and out throughout the trees around me. I lie back, arms behind my head, and curse the clone that killed Sault, over and over again.

After a while, I curl into a litte ball, wishing he was here, feeling colder than ever.

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((I'm gonna back a tiny bit, to during this past night/morning))

I can't sleep. 

After everything that's happened, my brain is so hyperactive that I can't even lie down for more than 5 minutes. I begin to pace my tent, but I soon realize that if anything, that will drive me insane more than lying down. I decide to leave, to go back into the forest. I grab a couple of blankets, and my notebook, and I write a quick note letting everyone know where I am, so no one will freak out.

I walk out into the forest and I look for a sturdy tree with large limbs. I find one after a few minutes, and I climb, blankets and notebook in hand. I settle on one of the larger branches, and I hang the blankets from a branch beside me. I open my notebook to the first blank page after "It's over" and I write. 

 

"It's not over. For once everything is not over, even though it feels like it. My conscience weighs heavily on me for Sault's death, especially after how he helped me, but I have to move on. If I don't moveon, I will caught in and consumed by an infinite loop of grief and pain. I read in a book that insanity is repeating the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. No matter how much I wish he were alive, I know that praying for him to return over and over would just end in my insanity. The problem is with Caoilainn, who is not level-headed enough (at this point) to know that. If nothing more, even if she hates me for a thousand lifetimes, I can't let her drive herself insane."

 

I close the notebook and stick back in its pouch, and I grab the blankets from the adjacent branch, finally calm enough mentally that I can sleep.

I'm woken some time later by footsteps and some yelling. I look down, and off to my left, I see Caoilainn being confronted by Fintan. After some conversation, Fintan heads on his way, and Caoilainn goes in a different direction, finally settling in a small clearing a little ways off from where I sit. I pack everything up, but I don't move. I don't want to bother her with my presence, but I don't want to bother her by leaving, so I just sit, as still as I can be. I quietly replace the blankets on the branch, and I read my notebook to pass the time. I can't let her drive herself insane, I think as I reread the story of how I almost did it myself. 

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Once I finish my meditation, I make my way back towards the camp. As I walk, I spot Caoilainn sitting in the middle of a clearing a little way off. I contemplate stopping to talk to her, but I know that it won't do her any good because she won't listen to me. Whatever she think she heard... it's not good for her. It's painful for all of us, her especially, but she needs to accept the fact that Sault's gone or she'll forever be clinging to this false sense of hope. He wouldn't have wanted that.

As I arrive back in camp, I find Melaina sat on the ground near to the edge of camp, plucking absent mindedly at her harp strings. She looks up when she sees me coming, and what looks like relief washes over her expression. "Hey Fintan," she says.

"Hi," I reply, sitting down next to her on the grass. The air is heavy with silence for a few moments before I break it. "How are you coping?"

She sighs. "I don't know... I don't feel great, but who honestly feels good after losing two of their best friends?"

"I know..." I reply. "I just... I wish they were here..."

I wrap an arm around her, and she leans into me, her cheek resting just below my collar bone. "Me too..." she whispers.

We sit like that for a few moments, the silence like a warm blanket around us. There's an unspoken knowledge between us, like the silence doesn't need to be filled. I'm perfectly content to sit quietly with her in my arms. Just like always, she's a simple comfort - and there's nothing better than that.

Eventually, I take in a deep breath, and she pulls away gently. "Come on..." I say as I get to my feet. "They're naming the new chief in a few minutes.

She lets me help her to her feet. "I thought you knew who it was?" she asks.

I shake my head. "No, only the elders are involved in the decision making process, the mission leaders just take care of the tribe in the absence of a chief."

She steps a litter closer to me, head tilted upwards. I quickly kiss her, before taking her by the hand as we make our way into the communal tent.

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I get up after another while,  hoping I won't have missed too much in my absence. The announcement of the new tribe leader will be made today, and I want to be there when it happens. 

I head back the way I came, tripping occasionally on the way. After a moment I hear a crowd, presumably gathered in the communal tent. I count the steps over and arrive at the doors, slipping in unnoticed. 

One of the elders is speaking, a female; presumably Avis. I find a seat next to some of the younger Sheikah and listen in.

"... Though there are many of you here who would -and perhaps, will- make excellent leaders some day, today we are to elect a tribe leader to follow Sheik. The elders have spoken for quite some time, and we have arrived at a conclusion we believe will benefit us all in the near future. The leader we have chosen is Fintan."

Immediately, there is clapping and cheers, some of the younger Sheikah stomping their little feet against the ground. I sit patiently while Fintan steps onto the small stand that has been set up, just as Sheik did before him. 

I know the ritual, have seen it done before. Fintan accepts a garland of flowers collected from all over the woods of Faron, bows before each elder, thanking them in turn. He then moves to the edge of the stand and makes his brief speech.

"As a dedicated Sheikah, I swear to all of you to do everything in my power to see our tribe is safe and well-maintained. I hope I can prove to all of you that I can be a worthy leader and successor to Sheik, who was a friend and role model for me. Thank you, all of you, for the support that you have given, and that I hope to receive again in the future."

His words are met with even more applause, and this time I clap along, a small smile on my face. Fintan deserves this, it's what he'd always aspired to be. I'm sure Sheik would have wanted this for him too. 

"There will be celebrations later tonight," one of the older Sheikah calls out amid the noise. "Food and drinks will be served after the passage of our fallen."

At that, I stop clapping, deciding to leave Fintan and the others to it while I train for a while. I don't feel up for celebrating, despite the joyful laughter of the Sheikah surrounding me. 

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I hug Fintan when he's finished with his speech. "Congratulations," I say to him. 

He smiles at me and then dissapears into a crowd of people that pat him on his back and congratulate him. 

I sigh, and walk to my tent. I sit down on my bench and sigh again.

I am happy for him, really, he deserved this... But I'm just... worried that now that he's the leader, he won't have time for me anymore.. I realise that sounds really selfish, but it's just what I think about it. Honestly? I've always thought that we, as Sheikah, were forced to fulfill our duties, while I wanted to do other stuff too... Not that I feel I don't belong here, I just don't always agree with our duties. And now that Fintan's our leader, what will become of our future? Will he ever have any time for me? I can kick myself for being so selfish because he truly deserves it, but it just sucks in my opinion. Should I tell him how I feel? 

I know that's what you're supposed to do in a relationship, and I want to be honest but... He'll be so dissapointed in me, I know it... 

I decide I'll think about it for a short while.

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"Well, I guess this is it, huh?" Sault figured to himself. It was time to face the music and join Majora in eternal slumber. He could already feel himself growing weary from trying to remain as a spirit, so it was almost a relief that the strange child was going to seal him in a mask. "Uh... before we do this, I think there's something I should tell you..." Majora said hesitantly. "When I was doing bad things for those Demon Lords... I kind of, well, made it so that Skyloft would fall down and kill everyone..."

 

"What!?" Sault blurted, causing Majora to cower and whimper. "It's ok, you couldn't help it... what can we do to fix this?" Sault asked but he already figured the answer. He only hoped there would be enough time to contact Fintan and let him know they had a big problem on their hands...

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