Tune4Toons: Just to disclaim, usual spiel. Inspired by listening to "Eh? Ah Sou" (cover) by Mi-chan and Shamuon, it was made with Melee in mind (Majora's Mask in particular). This writing style—don't see a lot of these nowadays. It's a little mix of everything I've always wanted to try, like shōnen-ai and other things, an old piece now made redux. High-rated T, almost M, but just barely not there. Baca aja.
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ǝuo⅁
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My sword keeps flopping on my back with each step I take. Too many trees around blocking the moon, blocking its hue. They all look the same with no ground made like walking in endless circles. Shadows are everywhere. My lantern, my only light. My only companion.
I never stopped to think about it.
It never occurred to me to do so.
It probably wasn't a good idea to come here.
Glowing azure dots peep out of branch-tops, forest lighting up in blue. Glance up. Focus, each dot has a figure. A face. Too bright to make it out. Not a good idea to try.
Fairies.
It's a chilly night, and my lantern burns out, the fate of my sight falling into their hands. They fly in nearer, letting their light melt into my eyes. My skin. My mind. Such a deep contrast—leaves me shielding from it.
The wind blows. Leaves rustle. And everyone giggles but me.
I don't find it funny at all.
A forest of tiny laughter.
It fills my ears, drilling into my mind; the trees join in the chorus as well. But the fairies know me as I know them. They merge into one light, and they engulf me whole.
My lantern drops, and the forest falls silent.
Light blinks to black.
Can't see anymore.
Not breathing at all.
It probably wasn't a good idea to come here.
It must be a dream. It must be a dream. Maybe if I keep telling myself that, it'll come true.
Gasp.
My eyes snap open, and I push myself up. Immediately, I'm hit with dizziness. Head pounds. Sweat drops. Takes a while to catch my breath. The first thing I notice is the sparkling pond in front of me. Look up, the moon directly above. I end up expecting to see a face before realising it had long since left. A fairy flies into my line of view. Eyes follow it to the trees. There are more of them, floating around as far as seen, the whole forest alight. Eyes start drooping, and they all fly in closer.
Vision blurs. See them staring, watching me, singling me out among their number. I count how many fairies there are. One, two, five, seven…
They start to sing. Nine, eleven… Sound like children. Thirteen, fifteen… Took fifteen seconds at the time for me to decide. Took fifty seconds to squeeze the life out of you, my best friend. The 'friend' had to go.
So I grabbed your neck.
Can you hear them sing?
「 La la la la la la la. La la la la la la la. La la la la la la la… 」
I don't remember falling asleep; I don't remember anything. How I got here, where I came from, how long it's been. It'll come back soon. Except I hope it never will.
Stand up. Trees are the same as before, stretching, trying to reach the sky, trying to hold onto something, but there's nothing to touch. Yet they're still driven by that desire. Nearby fairies peek out of the trees and light the area as I step over and stare into the pond at my face. Dirty, but yes, that reflection is me.
It's slowly coming back. But there's something blotchy stuck in my hair and on my hat too. Feels rough and crumbly and dry. Looking down, it's there on my shirt and on my hands as well—reminds me of when we used to do colouring together. Smell of sweat forces its way up my nose. I get dizzy. Glance up, a flash. See blood pooling in front of me from earlier. I'm sweating. Still dizzy. Inhale, exhale. Breathing is forced. Stuck wanting to throw up all of a sudden.
My hands fall forward. Another flash. Instead of ground, they hit water. Slip in, start sinking. Bubbles surround me. Get engulfed in blue. Can't breathe. Can't breathe. Reminds me of how you squeaked and choked, and choked and squirmed. Can't breathe, can you? Maybe your sister could've saved you. Although, I had her hidden away somewhere. And still, you squirmed and squeaked for her, not me. Hurt me more than I did you.
So maybe that reflection wasn't me after all.
You said you loved me. You said you trusted me. You said you'd do anything for me.
And I loved you for that.
So I took you from the back and watched you bleed for me.
There's a whisper. Faint. Calls out to me, swirling while I drift in a slow spiral down. I'm starting to remember. It's coming together. They're coming together. Forming into one entity. Fairies can do that, you know. I bet they were watching me.
It's the same word over and over. Close to being able to make it out. Say that again? Almost got it. Say that again?
Link.
That's my name, isn't it? Link. That's what I want to hear you say. That's what I want you to remember. Link. Say it for me, please.
Say that again? Still can't hear you. Hearing a voice softer than the fairies speak. You were close, but it's not enough.
They remind me so much of you.
Everything reminds me of you.
I miss you.
But I can't even remember your name.
Swim back up to the surface. Inhale sweet, toxic air. Coughing as I crawl out onto the grass, water drips out like tears. Pieces of thoughts gather. Your whispers, my imagination.
Get dizzy again. Setting my sword down on the ground, I squeeze as much water out of my clothes as possible, squeezing out as much of my worries as well. Like how I squeezed your neck so your wounds weren't the ones that hurt anymore.
My shadow stretches in front of me. Light. Turn around. See fairies gathering into one, almost in a silhouette of— it's coming together. They're coming together. Dots connecting. Shape of someone's clothes and limbs and face. Oh, that face, the one you made. Silently screaming, pleading, begging me to stop.
All the fairies stare back. Moving as one, thinking as one perhaps. They keep watching me. Their gazes burn, and I turn away. Never liked it when they did that. Singles me out when they do.
There are so many of them, but there's no one to talk to. Or joke with. Or play with. They say having a doll helps. Already tried that. You took both roles, remember?
The fairies saw me try to stay in the pond, but I couldn't do it. A coward. Too scared to finish it.
That was why I had let go of your neck and ran.
Your blood on my hands.
Would you believe me if I said it was an accident?
I didn't mean for it to slip in so deep.
But you were going to leave me.
I hear a branch snap from behind. Turn around, and there you are standing with your sister piggybacked, at rest. You lower her down against a tree and step up to face me, your mallet in hand, well aware that I knew what's coming. I glance over your shoulder, noticing the girl's chest rise up and down. Sleeping, but not eternal. Wish I can change that.
I see you found your sister.
You flinch, but it doesn't stop your hammer from aiming for my neck. I cracked to long ago for me to react, noticing the blood on your jacket dried. Remnants of handprints and bruises lay engraved on your neck. Faded, but still there.
So you still take her over me?
You remain silent. Shaken. Just like everyone else who knows me.
I turn my back at you, and watch the fairies the way they did me. Strange creatures, those things. In them, I see you. Under submission, under my control, squealing and pleading and scratching and twisting. Grabbing. Pulling. Crying. Calling. Calling for me. Calling my name as I held your throat as hard as I could. Found it neat when your face turned purple. Green would've been nice, but I only had red to paint you with, not yellow.
At the time, I didn't want to hear you. Didn't want to see you.
Didn't want you to leave me alone.
The fairies are swaying now, a breeze blowing, carrying their singing through the air. Eyes start to droop. Thoughts disappear from my mind as their song replaces them. It'd be rude not to sing along; it has a nice tune to listen to.
It must be a dream. Me seeing you here. Maybe if I keep telling myself that, it'll come true. I'll wake up soon. Wake up to when we'd sneak into the forest like this. When we were spectacular. When it'd only be us. We're the only ones who know of this spot. The ones who found the pretty fairies here.
Wanna sing with me?
Mouth opens. I hear you rushing forward.
「 La la la la la la la. La la la la la la la. La la la la la la la… 」
And the world blinks to black.
…
I'll miss you.
And guess what?
I finally remembered your name.