Hello! Just thought I'd mention really quickly that this story is set before the three days mentioned in Ravio's journal. It's sort of a lead up to that. I hope you enjoy reading it!
Disclaimer: I do not own the legend of Zelda series or any of its characters.
"I'm glad you came," a soft voice said behind him.
Ravio turned in his seat in front of a large desk cluttered with maps and documents to look at the person standing in the doorway. It was Princess Hilda. He thought she looked radiant in the candlelight of the room. The small flames cast interesting shadows onto her pale, delicate face and the rubied tiara that adorned her forehead brought out the beautiful crimson shade of her eyes. Her deep purple hair was tucked behind long pointed ears, the rest of the strands falling elegantly to her waist. The dress she wore, which he remembered had once been her mother's, was a beautiful clean white color.
Ravio jumped to his feet and bowed deeply.
"Of course, your Grace, I'll always come when you call."
Hilda smiled at him and then motioned for him to retake his seat. As he did so, she moved across the room to sit on the other side of the desk.
"I've asked you here today, Ravio, because I need to speak with you about something very important." Ravio nodded at her, his brow furrowed in concern.
"Is everything alright?" He asked. Hilda looked away for a moment. Ravio gripped the edge of his seat tightly. He knew she only avoided eye contact when she had something serious she needed to say.
"I think it's going to be," she muttered. Ravio's head tilted in confusion. Hilda turned to face him, her calm smile back. "Yuga and I think we have discovered a way to save Lorule."
Ravio's mouth dropped open in surprise. This was a serious matter. Their homeland of Lorule had been slowly destroying itself for centuries, the land ripping itself apart, great endless chasms forming where the land was split. Monsters had appeared everywhere, even in the village southwest of the castle. The people were giving in to their darkest desires, like thievery and greed. The royal guards had even been swayed and were now worshiping and serving a terrifying beast. Recently, in Ravio and Hilda's lifetimes, the sky had begun to darken, the land turning brittle and dying from the lack of sunlight.
"H-how?" He stammered.
"Well, Yuga has discovered a crack on the stone slate the lies in our sacred realm. It seems to lead somewhere—"
"Why was Yuga in our sacred realm?" Ravio interrupted. He would never normally do so, but something about those words made his gut twist uncomfortably. Ravio didn't really like Yuga. He thought the man was weird and obsessive. Yuga was always going on about perfection and true beauty. Ravio didn't like the way he would sometimes stare at Princess Hilda, like she was some beautiful object he wanted to possess. Ravio never spoke of his dislike for the man though. He was too afraid. Yuga was a powerful sorcerer with almost limitless magic. The magic that Ravio had was small and feeble. Hilda scowled at the interruption.
"That's not important, Ravio. As I was saying, he found a crack in the slate and it seems to lead somewhere. We think to another world."
"W-What?" He knew he was probably gaping at her now, but he couldn't help it. A whole other world? How was that even possible. Hilda's face lit back up in a small smile at his shock.
"Yes, another world. And this one..." she paused as she took a deep breath. "Well, Yuga says it somehow mirrors our world, except this place seems to still have its Triforce."
Ravio stared, flabbergasted. A Triforce, an actual Triforce. Lorule had once had a Triforce, but the people of the kingdom had become filled with a mad desire to obtain the divine powers of the relic. The land had been torn apart by a great civil war. In an effort to stop the kingdom from destroying itself, Hilda's ancestors had destroyed the Triforce completely. Their efforts had backfired on them though. With the Triforce gone, Lorule had lost the one thing it needed to remain whole. It wasn't too long after it was broken that the first chasm had appeared, a deep dark nothingness forming around the very castle Ravio sat in now.
"W... wow. " he muttered. He felt a smile break out onto his face. "If they have a Triforce, maybe we could find a way to ask them to use it. We could ask them to wish for Lorule to be saved!"
He expected Hilda to smile at his words, or at the very least nod her head in agreement. So, he was very confused when he saw her frown.
"No, Ravio. That would never work. Our home needs a Triforce of its own in order for the land to stay stable. Simply wishing it fixed would only delay the inevitable."
Ravio deflated. She was right. Of course she was, she was always right. With their Triforce gone, Lorule would always break apart. There was no stopping it.
"Then how..." he trailed off. He suddenly felt as if he were missing something right in front of his face. Hilda must have thought he was too, because she sighed a little in annoyance as she answered his unspoken question.
"If we need a Triforce and they have one, all we have to do to save our land is steal theirs." Hilda smiled expectantly at him, like she was waiting for him to agree or applaud or something.
Ravio couldn't move though. He was frozen to his seat. Steal this land's Triforce? She couldn't be serious. If this other world had a Triforce it was because they needed it, just like Lorule needed theirs. If they took it, that world would be doomed just like their home was.
"N-no," he mumbled. Hilda's face fell.
"What did you say?" She asked. Ravio swallowed against a lump of fear in his throat.
"I said... no. No, Your Grace. We can't just take their Triforce!"
"Whyever not?" Hilda growled as she stood. Ravio shrunk back in his chair. "We need a Triforce, Ravio. Lorule won't last much longer without one. Since he discovered the crack, Yuga has been putting together a plan to take theirs, and I agree that we should do it. That place, Hyrule I think he called it, is not like our home. It's bright and lively, not a living hell like our world. We deserve to have everything they do. My people deserve it. I can't just sit by and watch this land fall apart any longer."
"But this Hyrule would be doomed just like Lorule was. We can find another way to save this land, Princess. There has to be one."
"Oh, really," Hilda scoffed. "Is some hero going to come and save us all."
Ravio flinched. That was a low blow, he knew Hilda knew that. Ravio may be one of her most faithful servants, but he was supposed to be so much more than that. His ancestors were once the heroes of Lorule. Brave men who would come to fight any evil that threatened the land. When the Triforce was destroyed, it didn't just take away the light from their world, it stole the courage from their hero. Ravio was supposed to be the one to step up and find a way to save his home, but their hadn't been anyone in his family strong enough to do that in a very long time.
Hilda hadn't noticed his discomfort, she was too busy rambling about this plan with Yuga. Ravio didn't pay attention. He didn't want to know the details. This idea of theirs was wrong. He could feel it in his bones. Nothing good could possibly come from them doing this. He watched her move from behind the desk to start pacing, the worn wood of the floorboards creaking with every step.
"In three days' time, Yuga will go to Hyrule through this crack and—"
"Please don't do this, Your Grace." He mumbled. She stopped her pacing to turn and glare at him.
"What?" Her voice was as icy as death mountain.
Ravio opened his mouth to speak again, but his voice had left him. He shook his head and stood, dismayed to feel a quiver of fear run through his body.
"It's not right," he whispered instead. When he turned to face her, he saw nothing but cold fury staring back at him.
"I don't care, Ravio!" Was she pleading now? It almost sounded like she was. "Lorule will crumble without a Triforce and we've no other way to get one. Hyrule is not ours to worry about. Please, help us do this. We can save our people, Ravio. Don't you understand that?"
Ravio shook his head mutely. He didn't understand, couldn't understand how she thought this was the right thing to do. If they stole that Triforce, everyone in Hyrule would die. How did even the thought of that not make her sick? Had Yuga truly tricked her into ignoring the consequences of this plan? She was so much smarter than this, she was the smartest person he knew! She had to know deep down this was wrong.
"Please, Your Grace... don't—"
"Why are you always such a coward!" Hilda yelled.
Ravio froze. He couldn't help it. He always froze when he heard that word. He saw Hilda's vivid red eyes widen in surprise at what she'd done. She'd never called him that before.
Everyone had at one time or another called him a coward. Everyone, from the lowest of servants to one of the few remaining nobles in the land. They'd whispered it behind his back and screamed it in his face. Ravio the Timid. Ravio the gutless. Ravio, the meek little rabbit, he'd be the hero who'd save them all. They'd sneer at him or spit at his feet. Every time, he'd just hide behind the mask of his robes. He'd let the vacant eyes of the rabbit's face hide the embarrassed tears streaming down his cheeks. Then he'd just shuffle away from whomever had spoken as he tried to ignore the vicious laughter that followed after him.
Hilda had been the only one to never say that hateful word to him. Not even when she was angry with him, or when she was just so, so disappointed. She'd never once called him the thing that made him feel like a knife had been taken to his insides, filling him with a searing pain that squeezed his heart and burned his throat and made hot shame sting the corners of his eyes. She'd never once made him feel like what he truly was. Worthless. Powerless. A failure to his kingdom.
Until now, that is.
Hilda looked like she very much wanted to take back what she'd just said, but he knew she wouldn't. She never did. Her words were the only power she truly had left. To take them back would mean admitting to have misspoken, to have made a mistake. As the ruler of a land on the precipice of destruction, any mistake could mean the end. He knew she would rather throw herself into one of the many chasms splitting the earth before she let that happen.
Ravio folded his trembling hands behind his back and tucked his neck down so his scarf was covering the portion of his face that was not blocked by his hood.
"If that is all, your Grace, then you'll have to excuse me. I'm feeling ill and I'd like to return home." He wilted at the pitiful sound of his own voice. He never could find a way to keep his emotions from spilling out when he spoke.
Hilda's stare turned cold and angry again and for a second Ravio though he saw desperation storming somewhere deep inside her eyes. Whatever he saw though was gone as quickly as it came. Hilda stalked back to her side of the desk. She leaned forward to start straightening the cluttered mess that lie upon it, her purple-black hair falling forward to curtain her face.
"Fine. Leave." Her voice was low, intimidating. Ravio shivered in fear. "But do not return until you've seen clearly. I do not need your preachings about right and wrong distracting me right now."
Ravio bowed and then spun on his heel towards the door. He needed to get out of this dark, suffocating room as fast as possible.
"I have to do this, Ravio," Hilda whispered softly as he reached to pull open the door. Ravio stilled, but did not face her. He just couldn't bring himself to look at her right now. "Please understand. It's the only way to save us."
Ravio bit hard into his lower lip. He'd felt it trembling, and he was determined not to leave here sobbing. There was no keeping the break out of his voice when he answered, though.
"It's not saving when you have to destroy another world to do so. You're just turning us into the very thing your ancestors were afraid of."
He didn't wait for her response, couldn't wait for it. He was too afraid of what it would be. He whisked the door open and fled down the steps. His throat felt like he was choking on lava, but he would not let his tears fall. At least not until he was far away from the castle.
He pushed past the few remaining servants, ignoring their teasing laughs as he ran. He crossed the single bridge that connected the castle grounds to the rest of Lorule, the never-ending blackness of the chasm below sending a chill down his spine. He moved southward quickly, creeping through trees and bushes to avoid the monsters that patrolled the area. When Ravio finally reached his home, he threw himself inside and bolted the door shut. Sheerow fluttered out of the pocket he'd been resting in during the meeting. The little white bird hovered in front of Ravio's face in obvious concern.
Ravio let out a strangled sob and slid to the floor. That was it, his only chance to talk her out of this goddessforsaken plan, and he'd failed. He'd failed Lorule, he'd failed Hyrule... and he'd failed her. There'd be no stopping her and Yuga's schemes. They'd go to this other world, and they'd take its Triforce.
Ravio would have to find a way to live with the guilt of knowing an entire kingdom was lost to stop the destruction of theirs.
Sheerow flew down to lightly bump into his nose. Ravio brushed him away, but the little bird ignored his hands and went back to pestering his face.
"Stop Sheerow!" He cried, "There's nothing else I can do! I'm not strong enough to stop Yuga and Hilda. Hyrule is doomed."
Sheerow squawked angrily and nipped his chin. Ravio flinched and pushed him away.
"That hurt! What did you do that for?"
Sheerow chirped and fluttered away. Ravio watched him fly to the other end of the room. His little friend settled on top of an ornately carved wooden box.
"The bracelet? It doesn't work, Sheerow." Sheerow squawked again, though this time he sounded exasperated. Ravio sniffed and used the back of his sleeve to wipe his eyes. He thought hard about what the tiny bird was getting at. "The bracelet is supposed to let its wearer cross portals. So..."
Sheerow chirped encouragingly.
"So you think I should use it to, what, go to this Hyrule?"
His friend flapped his wings happily. He'd figured it out. Ravio sighed.
"It's hopeless, Sheerow. I could never get the bracelet to work." He watched the bird glide over to his journal, which was open to a sketch he'd done of Lorule castle. Sheerow pecked lightly at the central most tower.
"Yuga is the one who found a way over there. I don't think he even wanted Hilda to tell me that. So, what, you think I should just sneak through Yuga's portal when he's not looking or something?"
When he tweeted a yes, Ravio scrambled to his feet.
"No! No way! I can't do that. It's way too dangerous. I could get caught by Yuga or Hilda! Or what if there's monsters in Hyrule? I could be killed!" Ravio pulled the hood of his robes down low over his face. His next words came out muffled. "I'm not brave enough, Sheerow. I'm not a hero."
Sheerow cooed sadly and then flew over to perch on his shoulder. He nipped lightly at a vacant eye of the rabbit face. Ravio lifted the mask just enough to peer out at the small white bird. They studied each other for a moment, and then a gasp of hopeful surprise left Ravio's lips.
"Hilda said Hyrule is supposed to mirror our world. So that means they must have a hero! And if they still have their Triforce, then their hero would still have his courage!" Sheerow spun happily into the air, a joyous birdsong leaving his beak. "If I go, I could ask him to save Lorule! I mean, I'm sure he'd want to. Heroes are supposed to want to do brave and selfless stuff like that, right?"
At the birds agreeing chirp, Ravio strode over to the desk and opened the box. Inside was soft, crushed velvet in a deep purple color. On top of the velvet was a wide gold bracelet with weaving lines of more gold in the shape of an eye. Inside the eye was a large amethyst jewel. An odd, tangy smell wafted up from the bracelet.
"Hilda said Yuga's going through the portal over there in three days' time. I'll just have to figure out what to do with this bracelet before then." Sheerow landed on his shoulder again and they both stared intently at the object in the box. Ravio felt a wave of fear settle in his gut, but for the first time in a long time he pushed it away.
"If I... no, when I figure out how to do this buddy, I'll finally be able to save her. She... she may hate me for stopping her, but I know it's the right thing to do." Sheerow cooed softly at him. Ravio ran his fingers lightly over the jewel. He thought he felt s pulse of magic.
"I just hope one day she'll see it too."