It had been a while since Aeneas had seen so many humans assembled in one place—not counting the gatherings after stasis-release cycles, those were hardly organized—and from the collective looks they were casting, the general vibe of the group, he had a feeling that passing through them would not be easy for either traveler. Aeneas gave a low sigh, hesitantly smiling at his new companion and refurbishing his purr. The ambivalent vibrations were calming, therapeutic, and the best defense he had against the anger of the crowd.
“You helped me first,” he rumbled consolingly, “So the least I can do is return the favor. Come on.”
Sheik nodded stiffly, gazing ahead at the crowd. Already, he and Zelda can hear the murmurs - "-stupid girl-" "-should have suffered-" "-couldn't even protect us-" "-coward-"
"Stop it," Zelda whispered in Sheik's voice. But they were right, weren't they? She had fled and left them to rot.
[Zelda,] Sheik told her urgently, [Listen to me. Listen. There was nothing you could do. If Ganondorf had found you, you would have been killed - this way, there's hope. You and Link -]
His mental 'voice' faltered. Zelda and Link - that was all Hyrule needed. His part was done.
[You and Link are both needed. That's why Link slept for seven years. That's why I kept you safe - you didn't fail anyone. You did everything you could do - for the sake of all of Hyrule.]
"But..." Again, Zelda's words through Sheik's lips. "I left them... I've wronged you..."
[You never wronged me. Never. Zelda, listen to me - you did what you could!]
"I can't..."
((OOC: To Aeneas, he would have just heard the stuff Zelda's saying out loud (through Sheik), with the infliction and tone different to Sheik's normal voice. And there would have been gaps where Sheik is just communicating with Zelda (in the red). It's still physically Sheik's body, right now.))
Aeneas wasn’t sure what was making Sheik pause, or what kind of nervous feelings were enough to make his voice spike an octave or two, but it was hardly the weirdest thing he’d encountered in this place. Though, if it was one thing that he had trouble understanding, it was how the murmurs of crowd were able to deter him…
Yes, the vibe was plenty threatening. A single individual standing up to a large gathering was no casual matter, by no means. But it was only because of Stacy’s translators that what they said bore any meaning—and they were the only things that actually gave Aeneas a voice himself. Otherwise he would’ve communicated through movements, gestures, vibrations and simple vocalizations, crude yet intensely significant, and frankly that was all he needed. It was easy for him to listen to the words of these humans and brush them off, especially since he knew that they would only throw their voices, not their fists.
Not if Aeneas could help it.
The alien gave Sheik a gentle nudge forward, guiding him reassuringly towards the masses, purring deeply by his ear. “It is not your fault that they do not understand. It hurts them now, but inside they are thankful—search for that and keep walking.”
Neither spoke a word for a long moment, simply moving to the crowd like they were walking to their execution. And then Sheik spoke up again, hasty words tripping over themselves - he had to make her understand, had to make her see that these fears were baseless.
[You survived - you needed to survive to ensure the safety of everyone. Zelda, think! What could you have done? If you had revealed yourself, Ganondorf would have sensed you. Nowhere in Hyrule would have been safe. You would have died if you hadn't hidden, Zelda, and then these people - all of them - would have been condemned.]
They had reached the edge of the crowd, now - jeers and harsh words on one side, Sheik and Zelda on the other. Sheik's expression was drawn, his face white, his hands curled into fists, but there was no outward sign of the frantic words he was telling his princess.
[Zelda, I know you. I know that if you had been able to, you would have done everything you could to help. But sometimes sacrifices have to be made for the greater good - you couldn't help them for seven years so you could save them all. If you had helped them, it would have been worse for them. They would have no hope, then. Zelda, you did what you could.]
Sheik swallowed, and for a moment the dream allowed both to show, Zelda shining through Sheik like his skin was glass. Blue eyes in a tan face, the crest of the Triforce on their right hand, Zelda's soft soprano from Sheik's lips.
"I did what I could," she repeated to the crowd, head bowed. What could she have done? She trusted Sheik - his words rang true. "I could do no more, and I will make things right. I promise."
And the crowd was gone like it had never been there, and Sheik was himself again. He exhaled shakily, then glanced back at Aeneas. "Thank you," he said quietly, although his expression was still drawn.
A gentle nod, a reassuring smile. Aeneas had done his job—but they were still there. What else was keeping them there? What else did Sheik have to face before they could leave?
…No, they must not be the only ones there. Who else…who else was around? Were they hiding?
Aeneas blinked, realizing that something very odd was going on here. For one, there was the glowing, which he’d dismissed as some effect of the nightmare being defeated; now that he considered it, Sheik’s form actually changed. How did…?
Secondly, the creature was getting some really bizarre hormonal readings off this guy. It would definitely explain the awkward vocal shifts, though…though that other possibility was far more tantalizing.
It wasn’t his business. Aeneas shook his head, auricles flopping, and he gave an indifferent trill.
“Perhaps if we keep moving we can escape the dream’s boundaries,” he suggested absently, taking several limping steps ahead.
Sheik nodded, taking a step forward to where the path grew clear and green and pleasant. The sounds of the market were ahead - busy and bustling and full of life that Zelda and Link would have preserved. Another step, and then another, and then another, and then... he simply stopped.
It was quiet.
"Sheik," uttered a soft, small voice, and he turned to find Zelda standing behind him. He was free to continue, and he knew it - but it would come at the expense of Zelda being trapped behind a wall of shadow, of being unable to move on with her life... and all because of him.
His continuing up the green path to continue with his life meant holding Zelda back.
He sank to the ground on one side of the barrier, and Zelda did the same, reaching against it - if he reached out, he could feel the warmth of her palm through it. "Zelda," he whispered in return.
She gave him a small, sad smile. "This is your nightmare, isn't it?" she said softly. "I've faced my demons already... Sheik, what is it that you fear?"
His hand twitched against hers. "That..." he choked, "That I'm... I... I can't move on. Not so long as you're still trapped. Not when I'm holding you back." He curled his fingers inwards, wrapping them around Zelda's smaller hand, and the shadow barrier warped and twisted around his hand. "This is my doing," he whispered.
By now, his eyes were clouding up - he blinked, trying to hold it back. How could he do this to her? How could he prevent her from living out her life? "It's my fault," he choked, and he bowed his head. "Link can protect you better than I can, I'm... holding you back, you deserve to live your own life... you deserve to be whole and complete again..."
"Sheik, no," she said insistently, a tear running down her own cheek. "You know what that would mean!"
He nods, unable to meet her blue eyes. "I know," he said hollowly. "I would do it for you - you don't need me any more." He laughs a little, quiet and bitter. "You survived, Zelda. You were reunited with Link, just in a slightly different time and place. My part is over, now."
Glancing back at Aeneas, he gave him a tired smile. "Go on," he told him, "Down the path - you should be able to wake up. You've fought your demons - nothing is keeping you here."
((OOC: The path ahead is pretty bright, and walking down it would mean they all wake up, but Sheik basically can't do that himself without abandoning Zelda to the nightmares. So he's got to work through this. Aeneas would be able to see both of them, now - it's a dream, so they can both be here. He wouldn't be able to cross the barrier, either - it's something Sheik has to break down by overcoming all that crap in his head.))
Aeneas blinked, looking from one form to the other, befuddlement making his eyes cross. So this ‘Zelda’ person was inside Sheik? Was she a part of him? Or was she just someone really important that manifested within the dream? No, if that were the case then they wouldn’t have had to fight off her fears earlier. What if she was a separate personality? Like, an isolated consciousness, perhaps?
Nevermind, this was even more confusing than the hormones thing. He still had a debt to owe.
“Other than to repay your kindness, no,” Aeneas gave a curt nod, pressing his hand against the smoky barrier. It warped, but otherwise did not show any signs of giving in.
Perhaps…perhaps this was something these two had to work out themselves. The alien sighed, slowly pulling back his arm.
“…I could not live with myself if I willingly abandoned one who saved my life. Not again…”
Sheik nodded distantly at Aeneas, but almost all of his attention was on Zelda. "It's okay," he told her quietly, "I had my chance. It's yours, now - I'm just holding you back. It's already happened by Link's time - it just got delayed for a bit for us. It's your future."
Zelda shook her head fiercely. "The rules have changed," she whispered. "What was laid out by destiny no longer applies. Do you trust me?"
He nodded once.
"Then trust me when I say I don't want to do this without you!" Clinging to Sheik's hand like a lifeline through the barrier, she stared into his eyes, determined to make him understand. "Things have changed. We can make our own choices now, and my choice is for you to stay with me. It's not just my future, it's both of ours - you can have one here. Don't you want this?"
Again, he nodded, but more slowly. Yes, he wanted to live, but... "What about Link?" he asked softly.
"What about him?" Zelda said insistently.
"He adores you," Sheik said with a sad smile, "And I'm not sure he even trusts me. I'm sure he'd think you'd be better off without me there, too... you could have a normal life with him."
Zelda was silent for a moment, then, impulsively, leaned forward and pressed her lips to Sheik's through the barrier. "I don't care about normal," she told him, voice soft and shaken like a child's, and wiped her eyes. "If this is truly what you want, then I can't stop you, but... if my choices mean anything to you, then I don't want to spend my life without you."
Sheik remained silent for several long moments more, kneeling in the dust with Zelda's hand in his. Zelda's words had shaken him - he had assumed that he was a burden, that he was stopping any chance of normalcy. And Link, too - he loved Zelda, that much was obvious to him. And also obvious to him: Link did not feel the same way about Sheik. Wouldn't it be better for Link if he was gone?
But then, if Zelda wanted him to stay, then... he couldn't refuse her, could he? He never had been able to say no to her. Breaking the contract meant freedom for her, didn't it? But if she didn't want it... if he could stay...
Could he accept the possibility of actually having a future? Was this actually what Zelda wanted?
"It is," she said softly in answer to his silent question.
Sheik closed his eyes. "So be it," he whispered back, and reached forward through the barrier to gather her in his arms, breathing in the sweet scent of her hair, relishing in the simple feeling of her warm against him. "Ana sadir amah," he whispered, and she returned it in kind even as he broke the embrace.
And then it was just him again, kneeling in the dust, Zelda's comforting presence in his mind. A nightmare laid before him, but if he turned back to Aeneas and the path behind, the light faded to show one of the many corridors of the ship.
Sheik got to his feet, dusted himself off, and gave Aeneas a weak smile. "Well... let's go, then."
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no subject
“You helped me first,” he rumbled consolingly, “So the least I can do is return the favor. Come on.”
no subject
"Stop it," Zelda whispered in Sheik's voice. But they were right, weren't they? She had fled and left them to rot.
[Zelda,] Sheik told her urgently, [Listen to me. Listen. There was nothing you could do. If Ganondorf had found you, you would have been killed - this way, there's hope. You and Link -]
His mental 'voice' faltered. Zelda and Link - that was all Hyrule needed. His part was done.
[You and Link are both needed. That's why Link slept for seven years. That's why I kept you safe - you didn't fail anyone. You did everything you could do - for the sake of all of Hyrule.]
"But..." Again, Zelda's words through Sheik's lips. "I left them... I've wronged you..."
[You never wronged me. Never. Zelda, listen to me - you did what you could!]
"I can't..."
((OOC: To Aeneas, he would have just heard the stuff Zelda's saying out loud (through Sheik), with the infliction and tone different to Sheik's normal voice. And there would have been gaps where Sheik is just communicating with Zelda (in the red). It's still physically Sheik's body, right now.))
no subject
Aeneas wasn’t sure what was making Sheik pause, or what kind of nervous feelings were enough to make his voice spike an octave or two, but it was hardly the weirdest thing he’d encountered in this place. Though, if it was one thing that he had trouble understanding, it was how the murmurs of crowd were able to deter him…
Yes, the vibe was plenty threatening. A single individual standing up to a large gathering was no casual matter, by no means. But it was only because of Stacy’s translators that what they said bore any meaning—and they were the only things that actually gave Aeneas a voice himself. Otherwise he would’ve communicated through movements, gestures, vibrations and simple vocalizations, crude yet intensely significant, and frankly that was all he needed. It was easy for him to listen to the words of these humans and brush them off, especially since he knew that they would only throw their voices, not their fists.
Not if Aeneas could help it.
The alien gave Sheik a gentle nudge forward, guiding him reassuringly towards the masses, purring deeply by his ear. “It is not your fault that they do not understand. It hurts them now, but inside they are thankful—search for that and keep walking.”
He didn’t even know what Sheik did.
no subject
[You survived - you needed to survive to ensure the safety of everyone. Zelda, think! What could you have done? If you had revealed yourself, Ganondorf would have sensed you. Nowhere in Hyrule would have been safe. You would have died if you hadn't hidden, Zelda, and then these people - all of them - would have been condemned.]
They had reached the edge of the crowd, now - jeers and harsh words on one side, Sheik and Zelda on the other. Sheik's expression was drawn, his face white, his hands curled into fists, but there was no outward sign of the frantic words he was telling his princess.
[Zelda, I know you. I know that if you had been able to, you would have done everything you could to help. But sometimes sacrifices have to be made for the greater good - you couldn't help them for seven years so you could save them all. If you had helped them, it would have been worse for them. They would have no hope, then. Zelda, you did what you could.]
Sheik swallowed, and for a moment the dream allowed both to show, Zelda shining through Sheik like his skin was glass. Blue eyes in a tan face, the crest of the Triforce on their right hand, Zelda's soft soprano from Sheik's lips.
"I did what I could," she repeated to the crowd, head bowed. What could she have done? She trusted Sheik - his words rang true. "I could do no more, and I will make things right. I promise."
And the crowd was gone like it had never been there, and Sheik was himself again. He exhaled shakily, then glanced back at Aeneas. "Thank you," he said quietly, although his expression was still drawn.
Zelda had faced her demons - but what about his?
no subject
…No, they must not be the only ones there. Who else…who else was around? Were they hiding?
Aeneas blinked, realizing that something very odd was going on here. For one, there was the glowing, which he’d dismissed as some effect of the nightmare being defeated; now that he considered it, Sheik’s form actually changed. How did…?
Secondly, the creature was getting some really bizarre hormonal readings off this guy. It would definitely explain the awkward vocal shifts, though…though that other possibility was far more tantalizing.
It wasn’t his business. Aeneas shook his head, auricles flopping, and he gave an indifferent trill.
“Perhaps if we keep moving we can escape the dream’s boundaries,” he suggested absently, taking several limping steps ahead.
no subject
It was quiet.
"Sheik," uttered a soft, small voice, and he turned to find Zelda standing behind him. He was free to continue, and he knew it - but it would come at the expense of Zelda being trapped behind a wall of shadow, of being unable to move on with her life... and all because of him.
His continuing up the green path to continue with his life meant holding Zelda back.
He sank to the ground on one side of the barrier, and Zelda did the same, reaching against it - if he reached out, he could feel the warmth of her palm through it. "Zelda," he whispered in return.
She gave him a small, sad smile. "This is your nightmare, isn't it?" she said softly. "I've faced my demons already... Sheik, what is it that you fear?"
His hand twitched against hers. "That..." he choked, "That I'm... I... I can't move on. Not so long as you're still trapped. Not when I'm holding you back." He curled his fingers inwards, wrapping them around Zelda's smaller hand, and the shadow barrier warped and twisted around his hand. "This is my doing," he whispered.
By now, his eyes were clouding up - he blinked, trying to hold it back. How could he do this to her? How could he prevent her from living out her life? "It's my fault," he choked, and he bowed his head. "Link can protect you better than I can, I'm... holding you back, you deserve to live your own life... you deserve to be whole and complete again..."
"Sheik, no," she said insistently, a tear running down her own cheek. "You know what that would mean!"
He nods, unable to meet her blue eyes. "I know," he said hollowly. "I would do it for you - you don't need me any more." He laughs a little, quiet and bitter. "You survived, Zelda. You were reunited with Link, just in a slightly different time and place. My part is over, now."
Glancing back at Aeneas, he gave him a tired smile. "Go on," he told him, "Down the path - you should be able to wake up. You've fought your demons - nothing is keeping you here."
((OOC: The path ahead is pretty bright, and walking down it would mean they all wake up, but Sheik basically can't do that himself without abandoning Zelda to the nightmares. So he's got to work through this. Aeneas would be able to see both of them, now - it's a dream, so they can both be here. He wouldn't be able to cross the barrier, either - it's something Sheik has to break down by overcoming all that crap in his head.))
no subject
Aeneas blinked, looking from one form to the other, befuddlement making his eyes cross. So this ‘Zelda’ person was inside Sheik? Was she a part of him? Or was she just someone really important that manifested within the dream? No, if that were the case then they wouldn’t have had to fight off her fears earlier. What if she was a separate personality? Like, an isolated consciousness, perhaps?
Nevermind, this was even more confusing than the hormones thing. He still had a debt to owe.
“Other than to repay your kindness, no,” Aeneas gave a curt nod, pressing his hand against the smoky barrier. It warped, but otherwise did not show any signs of giving in.
Perhaps…perhaps this was something these two had to work out themselves. The alien sighed, slowly pulling back his arm.
“…I could not live with myself if I willingly abandoned one who saved my life. Not again…”
no subject
Zelda shook her head fiercely. "The rules have changed," she whispered. "What was laid out by destiny no longer applies. Do you trust me?"
He nodded once.
"Then trust me when I say I don't want to do this without you!" Clinging to Sheik's hand like a lifeline through the barrier, she stared into his eyes, determined to make him understand. "Things have changed. We can make our own choices now, and my choice is for you to stay with me. It's not just my future, it's both of ours - you can have one here. Don't you want this?"
Again, he nodded, but more slowly. Yes, he wanted to live, but... "What about Link?" he asked softly.
"What about him?" Zelda said insistently.
"He adores you," Sheik said with a sad smile, "And I'm not sure he even trusts me. I'm sure he'd think you'd be better off without me there, too... you could have a normal life with him."
Zelda was silent for a moment, then, impulsively, leaned forward and pressed her lips to Sheik's through the barrier. "I don't care about normal," she told him, voice soft and shaken like a child's, and wiped her eyes. "If this is truly what you want, then I can't stop you, but... if my choices mean anything to you, then I don't want to spend my life without you."
Sheik remained silent for several long moments more, kneeling in the dust with Zelda's hand in his. Zelda's words had shaken him - he had assumed that he was a burden, that he was stopping any chance of normalcy. And Link, too - he loved Zelda, that much was obvious to him. And also obvious to him: Link did not feel the same way about Sheik. Wouldn't it be better for Link if he was gone?
But then, if Zelda wanted him to stay, then... he couldn't refuse her, could he? He never had been able to say no to her. Breaking the contract meant freedom for her, didn't it? But if she didn't want it... if he could stay...
Could he accept the possibility of actually having a future? Was this actually what Zelda wanted?
"It is," she said softly in answer to his silent question.
Sheik closed his eyes. "So be it," he whispered back, and reached forward through the barrier to gather her in his arms, breathing in the sweet scent of her hair, relishing in the simple feeling of her warm against him. "Ana sadir amah," he whispered, and she returned it in kind even as he broke the embrace.
And then it was just him again, kneeling in the dust, Zelda's comforting presence in his mind. A nightmare laid before him, but if he turned back to Aeneas and the path behind, the light faded to show one of the many corridors of the ship.
Sheik got to his feet, dusted himself off, and gave Aeneas a weak smile. "Well... let's go, then."