Princess' Shade | WW-era Hyrule Castle

[shadeofaprincess]

[This is but one of the legends of which the people speak...

Long ago, a princess tried desperately to save her kingdom and make those who mattered most to her happy. She failed, ultimately, and disappeared into obscurity along with the remains of her precious kingdom.

The remains of which you have found yourself in.

Deep beneath the waves of the Great Sea, the Kingdom of Hyrule lies in stasis, untouched by time or the ocean bearing down upon it. The grand castle the princess of legend built stands absolutely still and quiet, surrounded by a barrier of unknown origin, cutting it off even from the rest of the sunken land.

The interior of the castle is no less solemn, with fallen pillars and broken banisters as evidence of the ancient battle that led to the country's sealing. Yet a statue still stands tall and inspiring in the hall's center, framed by portraits of the old kingdom's ruling family on either side. But the battle is over, and the world silent and unmoving.

Except, perhaps, if you catch the ghostly melody echoing within the castle's stone walls. But then again, perhaps you are only hearing things. For all intents and purposes, this place is abandoned.]

Comments

[his_grace]

[ That song is...familiar. He can't explain why, but it reminds him of something important, both to his past and his present. Then again, it could be his present state that's making it so distantly familiar. In dreams, anything can seem familiar.

If this is a dream.

He knows his body is currently sleeping in the Sealed Temple, and for a purpose. Is this really one of his old memories? That would explain why the song was so familiar, and yet...

He wanders further, deeper inside the castle. Perhaps he'll find his reasons for being here if he keeps walking. ]

[shadeofaprincess]

[This castle, this forgotten kingdom, is her domain, and the sudden presence of someone vaguely familiar causes the spirit to pause in her chanting.

(Not the Hero of Winds, not Daphnes... but it also isn't...)

There is only one other being older than her left in this world, and yet, this boy rekindles curiosity she long thought dead. After a moment's time, the song begins anew, louder and clearer than before, seeming to come from around the area where the sword-wielding statue stands.

Who are you, child, and what business do you have in the world below...]

[his_grace]

[ That statue...

The clothes are different, yes. There's no telling if this person ever wore the color his hero once wore, the color he now wears, and yet...

He's drawn to it.

He walks closer to it, until he stands just before the base. His hand reaches out to touch the plaque, wondering. Was this some long forgotten place in Skyloft? Or perhaps the surface? A grand temple paying tribute to the hero...?

He looks down, hugging his arms to his chest. None of this makes sense. And that song... ]

[shadeofaprincess]

[The spirit simply watches for a moment, her song almost taking on a contemplative tone to match the boy's pensive mood. He knows of the Hero, recognizes the significance, and yet... there is confusion around him.

Without a sound - no footsteps, no rustling - she makes herself visible, standing behind him without much expression at all.

But she is curious. The song shifts, changes into words.]

You are not of Hyrule, nor the sea.

[Stated as obvious facts, but there is an underlying question laced within them. Why?]

[his_grace]

[ His posture straightens--jerks that way, a faint hint of the awkward boy he used to be, before destiny befell him. ]

I am from the sky.

[ He states that quietly, not turning to look behind him. ]

[shadeofaprincess]

[There is no change in her deposition - there is barely even any change in her ghostly voice. ... The sky. How?]

You know of the Hero.

[How can someone claiming to be of the sky recognize the Hero of Hyrule?]

[stop_calling_me_zelda]

[So Tetra didn't stay in the basement, she didn't see how it was a big deal. "This room isn't known to Ganon." blah blah blah. She wanted to see more of where her ancestors used to live so here she is, peeking into different rooms and tripping over her dress.

And then that song.

It's familiar but it sounds... wrong.

Pushing open another door, revealing a spacious bedroom, Tetra looks around with more caution than before she heard the song.]

[shadeofaprincess]

[Ah, the heiress to her kingdom (and her mistakes) is up and about. The Shade apologizes for the lack of quality to her voice, but being little more than a lingering spirit does not lend itself to the kind of tone she had in life.

Explore on, however, little princess. And don't mind that feeling of being watched, or how the song's volume seems to remain steady no matter where you go. Her following you is entirely benevolent.]

[stop_calling_me_zelda]

[She'll just have to practice more, won't she? Tetra can sing with her.

Until she knows what the shade of her ancestor is the one singing and following her though, she'll be nervous and jumpy. Tetra will even consider heading back to the basement but no! She's the Great Pirate Tetra and she's not supposed to be afraid of an empty castle. Or rather, one she thinks is empty.

Entering the room, it's a very pretty room, suiting royalty.]

Maybe this was the princesses room...

[shadeofaprincess]

[And a moment after Tetra muses idly to herself, the song changes into spoken words.]

Not quite. This is where her guests stayed.

[Oh hey, that ghostly woman standing nearby wasn't there earlier, was she?]

[stop_calling_me_zelda]

[ABANDON SHIP! That's the sight of Tetra jumping a foot or two of the ground in fright, almost thinking Ganon had found her. Except that was a girls voice unless Link kicked him somewhere tender since ditching her down here.]

Where th'heck did you come from??

[shadeofaprincess]

[Okay, yeah, she could have made her entrance a little less sudden, but hey, she hasn't seen another living being since Daphnes brought Link down here. Perhaps her social skills have suffered alongside her voice.

Still, she doesn't appear malevolent at all, and she remains in her own place even if Tetra cowers away.]

A mother and a father, same as any other mortal being.

[lostandforgotten]

[Other than the song, there is another sound - heavy, metal footsteps and breathing that sounds like a respirator. Both noises come from an anchor-wielding person, wearing an enormous diving suit.

An undersea castle is not what he expected to find, but perhaps his answers lie within this strange place.

He carries on, trying to discern the source of the sound of that music...]

[shadeofaprincess]

[He will not have to look far, as the song's source quickly appears before him: an almost transparent woman whose feet do not seem to be planted on the ground, bedecked in ancient regalia matching the aesthetics of the rest of the castle.

Her words are simply, ghostly - befitting her appearance - but her voice echoes within the castle walls all the same.]

What business do you have here?

[lostandforgotten]

[Nautilus stops at the appearance of the ghost of a woman, and stares her down for a few moments before addressing her question - he starts by bringing the anchor down from his shoulder, and letting it rest on the floor with a heavy clunk.

When he speaks, his voice is deep and rumbling.]

I seek the owners of this anchor, those who left me to die in the sea.

[shadeofaprincess]

[There is no flinch when the heavy piece of metal hits the floor, and while she distantly recognizes the kind of fear such a deep and intimidating voice would inspire in a living creature, she is but a spirit with nothing left to lose.

Quietly, she observes the anchor, taking in the craftsmanship of it, before shaking her head.]

The end of your quest lies not within Hyrule. The world above might offer greater insight, but this land has been abandoned for longer than anyone living can remember, and I have never seen such craftsmanship during my time here.

[lostandforgotten]

[There's a low rumble - almost like a growl of frustration. Nautilus hauls the anchor up, bracing it on his shoulder once more with a clank, and lets out a heavy sigh. It's both angered and weary, indicative of yet another fruitless discovery.]

Very well... Then I carry on, forever forward.

[He shows no intentions toward thanking Zelda, and turns to lumber back the way he came.]

[shadeofaprincess]

[Once again, the Shade is motionless, but she does speak up again before the armor man is out of her sight, and thus out of her domain. Perhaps it is not her place, perhaps it would be best to let the only living soul she has seen in decades pass without incident, but...]

If I may offer one grain of my observation before you go: your determination is admirable, your perseverance, rare. But take care of allowing one thought to consume your entire being.

[Her voice, though still airy and echoing, grows quieter, almost wistful. A rare display of barely-there emotion, an uncommon glimpse at who the spirit might have been.]

... Such devotion can lead to things even the most tenacious would not expect.

[Like being caught between this world and the next, unable to move on.]

[splitthetimeline]

[Time and time again had separated them. But his battle was now over, his skills passed on, his regret eased. Fate set his soul adrift and it was by chance that it caught the sound of a melody long since forgotten by all but him.

A broken, cracked ocarina joined in from beyond the castle gates. It's music still on key for all it's wear and tear. A reflection of the skeletal figure that played it.]

[shadeofaprincess]

[For years, she has sung alone, calling out her guilt and sorrow to the abandoned world beneath the waves with only the reverberation of the castle walls as proof that she still fully remained in this world.

But then there's that sound. That beautiful, heartbreaking sound that would have made her raise the question of her sanity if she hadn't already passed.

The ghostly voice stops abruptly in its song, the singer's attention immediately drawn outside. And within moments, the apparition of Hyrule's ancient princess appears before the one she felt she could never completely atone to, the one she had sent away in hopes of finding a better life.

... And she has no idea what to say.]

[shadesofregret]

[ ... A single wolf nudges its way into the doors. Flooded once more, these ruins are long silent. The hero has done his part, the villain has lost. But there remains loose ends.

How the wolf got there is unimportant. It stops as it hears the melody--one so very familiar--and begins following the source of the sound.

... Perhaps she took this form out of fear. Perhaps she is afraid of what she may find. Perhaps it is simply something she became accustomed to while teaching her "child"... either way, its senses are better. It made things easier. ]

[shadeofaprincess]

[The wolf will not need to search for long. Unlike when this castle laid in stasis, or when the Hero of Winds and the new Princess wandered its halls, the spirit has no reason to move about.

The song resonates from a ghostly, feminine figure, one who is crouched by the once secret entrance to the castle basement, next to the remains of a statue that has been sliced in two.

She does not seem to notice any other presence. After all, her kingdom is well and truly dead, her connection with it broken when Daphnes made the wish for a new world untainted by the tragedy of the Triforce. Daphnes himself has moved on, and the one being older than herself in this world has been slain. There is little reason to be watchful over this ruined land now...]

this is what happens when i forget to hit post

[shadesofregret]

[ Zelda...

It's funny. You would expect no life to be down this deep, but the golden wolf works its way toward the woman. There's a quiet howl--mournful, almost. One of recognition. She isn't sure what to say. What to feel or do. And so instead, she sits in front of Zelda, the one red eye she has left watching. What can she even do... that would fix both of their mistakes? Even if this is what she's so desperately worked for all this time in her death, it feels so hollow, to see Zelda like this. To see all they loved abandoned. ]

pesky post button

[shadeofaprincess]

[The singing stops.

Calmly, she looks up from the face of the broken statue to the golden wolf. While she does not smile, not quite, there's a fond, nostalgic glint in her blue eyed gaze. After all, it would seem that not all she has loved has abandoned her.

She reaches out, seemingly unhindered by the pressure or the water bearing down upon her, and cups the side of the wolf's jaw.]

Will you make me wait even longer to see your face again?

it is a stubborn thing. also this turned shippy fast--

[shadesofregret]

[ ... It just took so long. Maybe she was afraid you would be upset with her. Time does funny things. After a moment, the wolf is replaced by another specter of the past. Looking a little worse for wear, perhaps (not as badly as how she died, it was likely better that way), definitely missing an eye. Wearing the armor of one of your old knights, no less.

Funny, how that works out.

At first, Link is silent. Worried. Not sure what to say. But she didn't come all this way to make Zelda wait more. And so--she's just going to hug you.

Fuck this place being underwater. Fuck all that's happened. And screw them being ghosts and being WAY TOO OLD now. She doesn't care. She is still hugging you. She doesn't ever want to let go. There aren't any words--though as a mentor she learned many--not when Link feels actions will always speak louder. ]