A Hyrule Historian
Chapter IV
I Can't Decide (Whether You Should Live or Die)
I stared in disbelief at this girl in front of me. Even though I had never seen her before, I already knew she was like me, someone who played the game and went forth to a new dimension. I knew I should say something, do something but I was stuck, mind racing with information that I had never thought of. It makes sense though. Of course there would be other people, other players of the Eclipse Game, here. The Legend of Zelda is incredibly popular the world over, especially now that Breath of the Wild has really put the series back into the limelight. There are probably countless people here. I'm not sure how to feel about that.
Well, I guess I shouldn't count on joining Link in his journey then, if there are so many more people here.
Wait.
Did I want to join Link on his journey? I had never really put too much thought into it. I guess I was just kind of assuming that since I ended up here that's what I was supposed to do. After all that's how all of the self-insert fanfics I had read go. But now, I'm not special, or more aptly not unique. If I'm not the only person here then that means it's not my "destiny" to go on his adventure. I could do whatever I wanted. So, that begged the question, do I want to travel with Link?
If this was Ocarina of Time, the answer would have been a very obvious yes, but since this is probably Breath of the Wild…I don't think I do. I don't really have much interest in the Divine Beasts, while they were truly marvels of machination and magic, they weren't exactly a font of knowledge when it came to history. That was probably the biggest let down in Breath of the Wild for me. They made a world so full of history and geographical wonders and all of the dungeons were really divorced from it.
You know, if I wasn't here to help Link on his journey, I could really spend some time looking further into the history of Hyrule.
As I was lost in thought, I barely noticed the girl walking up to me, that is until she used one finger to push my slack jaw shut. "You know, a pretty thing like you shouldn't let your mouth hang open like that. Makes me want to shove something into it. The name's Ashford, but you can call me Ash. What's your name, pretty lady?" She maliciously cooed. It was hard to compute, she was pretty definitely flirting, but her tone and still too wide grin gave off such an air of danger, that I really felt the need to run.
"I'm Lazarie…" I manage to force out, drawing the m sound out for too long as if it would make my heart stop its rapid beating.
Ash shifted her stance, no longer leaning sharply into my personal space in favor a lazier slouch that made her very short cut of shorts and fishnet stockings stretch over her brown thighs rather attractively. She had such an intimidating presence that despite being almost a full head shorter than me, it felt like she towered over me, as if I was just a child in comparison. "Lazarie, huh? Cute, and who are your prickly little friends here?" She tilted her head as she eyed, I'm assuming, Parcy and Ramona who must have moved to stand behind me at some point.
Either Parcy or Ramona, I'm not entirely sure which, made a noise in an obvious move to introduce them, but the girl, Ash, waved them off before it could really go anywhere.
"Actually, I don't care. I do however care about you. You're like me, aren't you? Not from around here? Impa's gonna be real interested in meeting you. Didn't expect more of us." She lazily sang punctuating most of the words by tapping the exposed skin on my chest from the heart cutout in my turtleneck crop top. I guess my outfit did stand out as being out of place, much like her own. I tried very hard not to flush at the extended amount of physical contact she was asserting, me having never really been an overly touchy person.
Ash swiftly turned around and sort of skipped, hopped maybe, over to the stairs leading up to what was now confirmed to be Impa's house. She turned back to look at us, me, in annoyance, "Well, are you coming?" she asked in clearly overdramatized exasperation.
"I don't think we should go." Parcy whispered from behind me, clearly hoping to not alert Ash.
"Yeah. I think she's right. Everything about that girl just screams dangerous." Ramona chimed in, uncharacteristically nervous for the usually infallibly brave girl.
They made a very good point, but I had already made up my mind. From the moment she mentioned both being from my world and knowing Impa, there wasn't really much of a choice to make as I saw it. "Sorry, girls. I think I need to go talk with her and Impa. If you'd like you can go hang out around town and I'll meet up with you later?" I apologetically offered.
"Not a chance."
"No way."
The both responded so swiftly and so vehemently that their answers really just merged into one. They shared a small smile before turning to face me again.
"There's no way we're leaving you alone with her." Parcy stated firmly.
"Yeah, besides, we need to be there in case she tries something. We'll show her who's boss." Ramona assured flexing her biceps in a comical show of confidence.
I smiled warmly at the two girls that, for reasons I couldn't imagine, had really adopted me as a friend over the past few days.
"Oh my god! Come on already!" Ash shouted from behind us. Forgetting the gratitude I was undoubtedly going to muddle my way through, I spun around to look at the clearly impatient girl behind me.
Ash was slouched dramatically knees bent inwards and arms hanging limp down her sides. In that moment I really had a hard time thinking of her as dangerous anymore. Looking at her now, she really just seemed like another edgy Goth girl that I had met countless times in countless schools.
"Alright, we're coming!" I called out to Ash confidently.
We sat rather awkwardly in a small sitting room waiting for Impa. The building was very clearly Japanese, complete with sliding paper screen doors and all, which despite the vastly different layout from the game, did give off a feeling of familiarity. The four of us sat on pillows around a low square table, Ramona, Parcy, and Myself on one side and Ash across from us stretched out to be on top of all three pillows on her side.
A man, who introduced himself as Titus, had come in and served us tea before quickly excusing himself. I hadn't really had any time to speak with him but it was easy to tell, even from just a glance, that he was Sheikah. His stark white hair, ruby red eyes, and dark tan skin had been a big give away, but it had to be the large Sheikah eye painted on his forehead and down his nose that was the most telling.
Ash hadn't said much besides the, "Impa will be down in a sec." that she had announced when she rejoined us in the siting room. She just stretched out and lazily watched us, the Cheshire grin ever present.
"Well, I'm bored. There shouldn't be any problem asking questions Impa wouldn't really understand while she not here right? So, Lazarie, where are you from? Also is that your real name or are you like a big fan of Steven Universe?" Ash finally broke the silence, the tone of voice and way she sung my name being a bit too sharp to be considered pleasant.
"Oh, well I grew up in America but I was born in France. Um, yes it is my real name, and while I did really enjoy Steven Universe, no that's not where it came from. It's actually not even derived from the lapis lazuli stone, but a French form of Lazarus, just with an i added to 'make it more feminine" or whatever." I rambled a bit. Talking to strangers always was a bit nerve racking but Ash was especially so, if nothing else because everything she said felt like there was something sinister just below the surface. She really gave off cute but psycho kind of vibes and I wasn't really sure how to respond to it.
"Oh. That's boring. But, I guess that explains the weird accent." She rolls her eyes and slumps further down, as if the weight of her boredom was as inescapable as gravity, slowly flattening her to the ground.
Wait.
"Accent?" No one had mentioned that I had an accent here before.
"Yeah. You don't sound like you're French, but you also don't sound like you're American just kind of a bunch of accents put together. But, in a way it's better, English speakers always sound so super harsh to me. Glad I don't have to deal with that." She droned out sounding drunk with boredom.
"Do- Do you not speak English? Oh man. Of course. It's not like these games were exclusively in English. I don't know why I didn't think about this before! And, with our sudden ability to speak and read Hylian, maybe it was more than just a way to make it easier to understand the world. A way that people from all over our world could communicate as well!" I rambled excitedly, only to be interrupted by Ash.
"Of course you didn't think that non English speakers would exist, you just said that you grew up in America." She scoffed with another very exaggerated roll of her eyes.
"You know, that's fair," I concede, "So where are you from? I can't quite place you accent either, but I just thought it was because of the difference from hearing English or French to Hylian. Are you also bilingual?" I questioned excited at this new development.
"God, you're like an overeager little puppy, aren't you. Should'a figured you'd be a big ol' nerd. Boring. But, if you have to know, I'm Mexican/Japanese. But I don't want any…Gringo Otaku shit from you. If you a Weeb I'm out." She sharply accused.
My brain took a second to really comprehend her last couple sentences. While I absolutely knew all of the words she used, having access to the internet and any kind of social media ensured that, it was another thing entirely to hear someone seamless string about four different languages together so comprehensively.
"I- I'm not a Weeb. That kind of fetishization is pretty gross to be real honest. I was studying to be an Archaeologist, though. So like, I might be a nerd, but I'll try to not be a bother?" I ended up asking instead of stating like I had planned.
"Alright. That's fine I guess. But just so you know, you're on thin fucking ice. One slip up and I'll fucking gut you." She threatened with no real indication of humor, setting the two girls beside me on edge. I'm certain they were completely lost as to what we were talking about but they knew a threat when they saw one.
"It's cool. Honestly, if I suddenly started acting like a Weeb, I think it would be pretty justified for you to just end me on the spot." I joked throwing in a double finger guns and a wink to try and defuse the situation.
It seemed to work when Ash burst out cackling. "Alright, Nerdlord. You can fucking hang. Like, threat still stands but don't worry I'll definitely put you out of your misery should the time come." Ash said cackling the whole way through.
"Ashford, there will be no threats to guests of my household." Came the stern admonishment from the doorway.
Snapping my head to face the newcomer, I was pretty surprised. In the doorway was a very tall woman, probably taller than me, who was also built like a brick house. She was intensely muscular, the skin tight Sheikah armor not hiding a single curve, and when paired with the distinctive paint around her eye and tight topknot her silvery white undercut hair was pulled into made her a clear authority figure. It also made my little gay heart beat incredibly fast. Hyrule was a dangerous place for bisexuals it seemed.
She confidently strode in the room lightly kicking Ash's feet to force her to move and sit like a normal person. She resolutely ignored Ash's cries of, "They aren't you're guests!" and, "Hey! Aren't I your guest, too! Where's your kindness towards me?"
"Oh? If you're a guest, does that mean you plan on leaving sometime soon?" The gentle but still humorous tone came from the door. I hadn't noticed before, but another woman stood in the doorway. She stood in quite striking contrast to the other woman. Though the both of them were clearly in their 40s, the seemed to wear it quite differently. This woman was much shorter, but also much bigger and softer than the first. She was wearing such light and flowing fabrics that she almost seemed ethereal. Her pitch-black hair and endless amounts of creamy pale skin also added to the effect. Though most surprising were the round human ears that kept some of her hair out of her face.
So I guess everyone is stupidly beautiful in Hyrule. Good to know. I'm pretty sure this is how my life ends. Sitting in a room with a group of too pretty women. My hearts gonna mcfucking give out any second now I know it.
"Hibiki. That's mean! Don't kick me out! You love me! Obviously, this little Goth bird has gotta leave the nest some time. But I never expected You, the nice mom, to kick me out!" Ash complained dramatically with a feigned look of devastation to her face.
"Ashford, enough. I apologize for her antics. While we have talked through this multiple times in the past several days since she arrived here, it seems she is keen to not 'play nice' as she so eloquently put it." The first woman spoke as both she and her companion sat on the cushions next to Ash, who was petulantly sticking out her tongue. "I apologize for the rude welcome you were given. I hope you are not too offended. I am Impa, head of this house, the Sheikah clan, and of Kakariko Village." She placed a fist over her heart as she gave us a slight bow before gesturing to the woman beside her, "This is my wife, Hibiki." Hibiki primly bowed in greeting as well.
Ramona, Parcy, and I sat up a bit straighter at the introduction before responding with our names in turn and bowing respectfully. I trembled a bit as I bowed, but for once not with anxiety. I was filled to the brim with a wonderful warm emotion that anyone who is not straight suddenly feels when they find out that they're in a room full of people who are also not straight. Safety. I suppose that was the best way to describe it.
"So, Lazarie was it? I assume Ashford was not simply joking around when she said that you are another traveller from her world." She paused waiting for me to confirm or deny the statement. Once I eagerly nodded my affirmation she continued, "Then this is a very interesting situation. When Ashford described the process required to travel here, the so-called Eclipse Game, I thought it might have been a blessing from the Goddesses to send us someone in our time of need. I was certain that this had to be related to the ancient prophecy, though I was not sure how. Now, I'm left to wonder. Have you met any other travellers so far? I'm curious to see how many of you there are."
"I didn't even know there were others until I met Ash. Though, I guess I shouldn't be surprised now that I think about it. The instructions for the Eclipse Game were pretty widespread, reaching potentially thousands of people, who knows how many actually decided to play it. But, I have to ask. What ancient prophecy are you talking about?" I try to answer as succinctly as possible despite my nerves. It felt similar to being in class and answering a question for one of my professors.
"I was not aware that the ritual was so well known. That could either be to Hyrule's fortune or to its detriment. I will admit, I am not very well informed on the specifics of the ritual or your world, since it is apparently rather painful to get any useful information from Ashford." She speculates ending with a rather exasperated glare towards Ash, who has crumpled into a pile with her arms and head resting on the table.
"I don't know a damn thing, I've never know a thing, I will never know a thing, and none of you are ever gonna make me know a thing, my dude." Ash says without picking her head up from the table.
With a rather fond looking roll of her eyes and a sweep of her hand, Impa continued on, "My point exactly. Moving on, to answer your question: There was a prophecy passed down by the Royal Family of Hyrule and the Sheikah who served them.
"Long ago, when the Kingdom of Hyrule was still young, the Royal Family was visited by a fortuneteller. They foretold of the destruction of Hyrule at the hands of Ganon. They were warned that Ganon would return his malice a never-ending plague on the land. They warned that one day far into the future, The Hero and the Princess would fail against Ganon's might and the realm would be left defenseless, without any way to seal his dark power.
"Unfortunately, the fortuneteller was not able to give any further information of instructions as they became weak and with as much abruptness as they appeared, vanished without a trace. They Royal Family, concerned for the ruin that would come, instructed the Sheikah Tribe to find a way to best protect Hyrule in preparation for that Day of Calamity.
"So the Sheikah set out, with their advanced talents in magic and technology, they constructed the Guardians, great beasts of unspeakable magic, who would protect the realms of Hyrule from the oncoming darkness. And, they constructed the Shrine of Resurrection, which in the time of Hyrule's greatest need, could be used to revive the Fallen Hero.
"The Kingdom was left only to wait for the fated day, but it did not come. Ages passed, and eventually the fortuneteller's warning faded to legend, then to myth. The location of the Guardians and the Shrine of Resurrection were eventually lost to time. Until, eventually the Prophecy was thought to be only fairytale, told by Matriarch to Matriarch, mother to daughter, as a way to impress upon them the importance of the role they played in the battle against Calamity Ganon.
"Tragically, our dear Queen never got the chance to tell these stories to the young princess. When Princess Zelda was merely six years of age, her mother very suddenly fell ill and died. Since she had not yet reach the age of seven, when, traditionally, the princesses are to begin learning of their birthright she did not receive any instruction from her mother, nor anyone else from her family we keen to the knowledge of the Queen. As her Nursemaid, I was then charged with assisting the young princess in coming into her birthright and preparing for Ganon to rise again.
"We faced many difficulties, but we never expected…" At this point Impa's calm façade broke. Her eyes squeezed shut and face tilted towards her wife. In that moment, there were no tears, no sounds, nothing that would be expected of such a deep grief. She just sat there her wife lightly touching her arm, and all of us, even Ash, seemed to feel the weight of her grief pressing us firmly into our seats. Distantly, I recognized the feeling of two hands lightly clenching the fabric of my pants. Quietly glancing at the girls beside me, I was really struck with the mirrored grief I saw on their faces. It made sense; this was their princess we were talking about. I'm sure it must be hard for them to hear about the struggle before the world went sideways.
Impa straightened in her seat, letting out a deep breath and seeming to pull herself together again, "I apologize for that," I open my mouth to reassure her there was no need to apologize but she continues on before I can, "As I was saying, We faced many difficulties in our endeavor to awaken the powers in the Princess. However, we ran out of time. The Calamity descended upon Hyrule starting at the castle. We were forced to face it with not enough preparation, and in result the Hero wielding the Blade of Evil's Bane was slain. In a desperate attempt to protect her people, Zelda gave her life to form a seal around the Calamity and trap it inside Hyrule Castle. It has been 10 years since that day.
"Every day since, I have noticed the Princess's Seal weakening, more and more Malice slipping through into the rest of the Kingdom. I had hoped with the sudden appearance of someone from another world, with extended knowledge of Hyrule and it's past, would possibly be a sign that maybe that Ancient Prophecy was finally coming to pass. That maybe the stories of the Shrine of Resurrection were truthful and I might get to see that precious girl's face, one more time." Impa finished strongly, although still clearly filled with grief she managed to get through the rest of the story no problem.
"Oh my god. This isn't Breath of the Wild…" I whisper in disbelief. My mind felt like it was racing, but that had to be the final nail in the coffin, the story was similar, but there were too many differences for it to actually be Breath of the Wild.
"What the hell? Of course it is? What other game would it be?" Ash piped up indignantly, finally coming out of her arm cocoon.
"I- well. I don't know. Maybe we aren't in any of the games or maybe we're in between some of them. But, that story just proves that even though this setting is so similar to Breath of the Wild, it can't be the same one, or if it is and the details from the game are left to way open to interpretation, then that still puts us here about 90 years too early for us to be in Breath of the Wild." I rapidly explain, both horrified and incredibly excited about this revelation.
Ash just squints her eyes at me suspiciously for a moment, "I don't know what that means and at this point I don't care."
"Well- I mean- It means that-" I fumble embarrassingly to try and explain myself in a better way.
"No. I don't care." Ash interrupts.
"But-" I try again.
"Ah! Bye! I don't care! You're not gonna make me care!" She yells as she promptly flings herself to her feet and out of the room.
I sit there silently for a while, both awed by her lack of care for social niceties and horrified by the rudeness she radiates because of it.
"Sorry, that's about how she usually reacts to people talking to her too much." Hibiki placates the three of us.
"That's alright-" I tried to reassure her, but I was at such a loss for words. What do you say when someone storms off like that? I'd certainly never really dealt with a situation like this before.
"If you would not mind, I would like to discuss what you were saying before Ashford stomped off. I cannot say I fully understood what you meant, but I assume it had to do with the stories of our world in yours, The Legends of Zelda, I believe? Breath of the Wild, was that one of those legends? I am afraid that Ashford has been rather vague on the subject." Impa questioned, obviously trying to direct our attention away from the outburst.
"Um. Yeah. It is. There are many stories, legends, about Hyrule and its Heroes. When I first got here a couple days ago, I noticed some inconsistencies with what I knew about the various legends and this world. All things considering, I'm not entirely sure what legend this is, if it is even one we have heard and not something in between or- Oh- Maybe in a different timeline? That could account for the differences…" I began strong but ended muttering my train of thought aloud to try and work through it.
"You are a curious girl. I would like to ask you the same thing I asked of Ashford when she first came here: If the Goddesses have indeed brought you here, will you do everything you can to aid Hyrule in its time of need?" Impa asked me in such a way that it truly felt like I was a character about to embark on a grand quest.
"Yeah- Yes- Of course." I stumble through to many affirmations under the pressure of her stare.
"Then I am grateful. If there is ever anything you need. Please, do not hesitate to come to me for assistance." Impa gave me a surprisingly warm smile before placing her fist over her heart and bowing, Hibiki next to her bowing as well.
Is this what it feels like to have adults, like actual adults compared to my 19 year old self who should not be considered an adult, be proud of you. I was both flushed with elation but also immediately terrified of disappointing them. I was quickly brought out of my stupor by to insistent hands yanking the fabric of my pants and cardigan around frantically.
"The Great Plateau" came the intense whisper screams out of Parcy and Ramona's mouths.
"Oh! Yes! There is actually something you might be able to help me with," I quickly inform an amused looking Impa and Hibiki, "I was curious if you knew any way to get up to the top of the Great Plateau, there is something up there that I really need- well, want- to see."
Impa looked surprised at the request but she seemed to give the request a decent bit of thought. As the seconds ticked by I felt dread build in my stomach. If the answer wasn't a simple thought for the current leader of the Sheikah Tribe, it probably meant I wasn't going to get an answer I wanted.
"No one has been able to scale the Great Plateau in many ages, but the Sheikah do have stories of our people making pilgrimages to the Great Plateau. I am not certain what I can do but I will look into it." Impa explained apologetically, "I can immediately send word for any information pertaining to it. How long will the three of you be in town?"
Parcy, Ramona, and I shared a wince, "Only until tomorrow." I said hesitantly, "But! I can come back. At latest, I could come back in a month when we need to do the milk run to Dueling Peaks. Who knows, though? I might be able to come back sooner if I can get my bearings sooner and start exploring a bit more and maybe find out a bit better of what story this is or even just what timeline it's on!" I prattled out trying to show that I was willing to make this work.
"Very well then, you work diligently to find out any information that might help us secure the fate of Hyrule, and I will search my sources and see if I can find a way to get you up onto the Great Plateau." Impa nodded firmly, satisfied that while maybe not the swiftest way we could do this, at least it would be efficient.
"Well, now that it's all settled, why don't we have some lunch? Have you three eaten yet? You're more than welcome to join us! Oh, and you said that you are staying the night in town, have you already reserved your rooms at the inn?" Hibiki joyfully asked, the dulcet tones of her voice making the words feel less intrusive and more soothing.
I looked at Parcy and Ramona for a clue on how to proceed, I was too exhausted from having so much attention on me for so long that I really just wanted someone else to make the executive decision for me. Thankfully, Ramona was fast on the uptake and answered for the group.
"Um, no we haven't eaten, yet. We had actually only just arrived when we ran into Ash. Yes, we would love to have lunch with you. And, no we haven't quite had time to get our arrangements for tonight." Ramona answered animatedly counting of the questions on her fingers as she addressed them.
Hibiki ended up convincing us to not only stay for lunch but for dinner as well. Then, since we were already spending so much time here, why should we go stay at the inn? Why not just stay in one of their extra rooms for free?
That was how we ended up in a room deep within the labyrinth of Impa's house, in borrowed sleeping yukata and munching on various sweets we had purchased.
"These are great but if I don't get something to drink, I think I'm going to go into a sugar coma." I complain playfully.
"Mm. Some tea would really hit the spot right now. I wonder if we could ask someone for any?" Parcy pondered aloud.
"Oh! Do you think you could read our fortunes! This feels like a perfect moment for it!" Ramona piped in excitedly, her infectious attitude ever present even from her languid sprawl on the ground, her red hair and blue yukata flowing across the ground in a picturesque way. Parcy chirped her agreement to the idea.
"Okay, well, if I'm gonna be expected to talk I'm definitely going to need something to drink." I acquiesce and push myself to a standing position, "I'm gonna go try and find someone to ask for some water or tea, BRB." I state before opening the door and stepping into the hallway.
"What does that mean?" Come the confused calls through the door.
I turn my head to tell them through the door, but the words die in my throat. Ash stands at the other end of the hallway. I hadn't seen her since she stormed of earlier in the day, having not shown up to either meal. She was dressed in what must have been her sleepwear, though I was hesitant to think that it would be comfortable enough to sleep in.
I'm not gonna lie, she kinda looked like one of those "sexy ninja" anime characters, what with the black loosely tied yukata, the leather belt that acted as a choker necklace and the top to her black mesh top, and the fishnets still covering her legs. She gave off way too much of a dominatrix air to be accidental.
"Hi." I say quietly, unsure if she was still angry at me and desperately fighting the urge to run away from any kind of social conflict.
"Yo." Came her bored response.
"Um. Do you happen to know where I could get some water or tea for us? We're planning on doing so Tarot readings and my mouth feels a little like glue from all the sweets we've been eating. Do you like Tarot? Do you want to join us?" It was like I suddenly blacked out and my mouth took over before my brain could even begin to control it. I was instantly filled with dread once I finished speaking.
Why the fuck did I just invite someone who obviously dislikes me to something that's supposed to be fun! Well, she probably won't say yes so it's fine right?
"Tarot? Sure. That sounds cool." She responds lazily still not looking super interested.
Fuck. What do I do now-
"Yo Titus!" Ash suddenly yells startling me.
Suddenly, the large stoic man was also in the hallway, "Miss Ash. There is no need to yell at this hour. How may I be of assistance?" He admonished blandly.
"Can we get some tea up in this bitch?" Ash asks gesturing in the direction of either the room behind me or in fact myself, I wasn't entirely sure which.
I was awed once again at her level of confidence. They way she dressed and the way she spoke were so confident and uncaring of any kind of consequence. It was honestly enviable, her ability to be comfortable in a strange place and time like this.
"I will bring some at once, Miss Ash." Titus nodded at Ash and I in turn before leaving the hallway.
We stood there for a second while I came to terms with the fact that I had not only invited her to hang out, but that she accepted. She lazily raised an eyebrow at me before motioning to the door behind me in annoyance.
I snap to and swiftly turn and open the door. Ramona and Parcy both look at my tense posture and awkward smile with hesitance. By the tense atmosphere inside the room, they definitely heard every single thing that had happened outside. I entered the room in small robotic steps trying desperately to come up with a way to get out of the oncoming disaster of my own making. Ash eventually got impatient with my pace however and feeling her hand press against the small of my back I was quickly shoved fully into the room.
The ensuing chaos was difficult for me to follow. One second I was stepping into the room, the next I was sprawled across the floor. Parcy had moved quickly to catch my head before it smacked into the ground. But the most confusing was the fact that Ash hadn't simply pushed me, she had also gone sprawling with me. So now we were on the ground, a mass of tangled limbs, my head being held up by Parcy and Ash's landing firmly on Ramona's back.
There was a moment of heavy silence before Ash's loud cackling laughter broke the spell hanging over us. Trying to untangle ourselves without injuring anyone was a struggle that rivaled any childhood game of twister, it probably didn't help that Ash's laughter was incredibly infectious and by the time we were all separated we were to out of breath to say anything.
Several minutes, a tea delivery and service, and many bouts of chuckling later, we were finally set up to begin my readings. Thankfully the tension from before was cut down immensely and despite the rocky introduction this morning, everyone seemed to be existing smoothly together.
"So how does this work? I've never actually done one of these in person before, only ever in video games, so like, I don't think those count." Ash asked from the other side of the large cloth I had spread out across the floor to place my cards on.
I smiled warmly as I pulled out my deck, the candlelight around us glinting of the gilded edges softly. As I began to gently shuffle the cards I explained how we were going to start, "Well, real Tarot is pretty different than what most games depict so yeah that doesn't usually count. As you can see, I'm shuffling the deck right now. Once I've done that, we can do a couple of different things. It depends on if you have a specific question you want answered, a type of reading you'd like, or just want to see what the cards want to tell you themselves."
I placed the thoroughly shuffled deck in the center of the cloth between us and looked at Ash patiently.
She wiggled her jaw around while she made up her mind, "I think, I'll just let it tell me something then? That kind sounds stupid but like magic is real so I guess whatever yeah?" Ash said with a visible nonchalance, but for some reason she seemed rather nervous about it. Almost like she was embarrassed. I shrugged it off though and began the next steps.
Spreading the cards in a line from right to left so they were on display between us, the blue and black impressionist styled backs of the cards each with a single eye in the center staring up at us indifferently, I began, "Alright, I want you to pick 3 cards. Which ever cards call to you the most. It doesn't need to be world shaking or anything, just three cards that catch your eye for one reason or another. Just pick three and keep the face down on the cloth." I made sure to keep my tone gentle and understanding, knowing that a lot of people can get stressed out by not knowing what a card calling to them feels like.
Ash nods her head at my instructions before leaning a bit forward to bring her face closer to the cards. She seems to realize belatedly that she looks too focused on this an no longer nonchalant because she quickly forces a lazy expression on her face and loosens her posture. She eventually pulls three cards out of the line up and I gently collect the rest of the deck into an orderly stack and place them on the corner of the cloth to my left. Focusing on the three cards she pulled I moved them to be in the center of the cloth and perfectly side by side.
"Alright, does this feel correct or do any of the cards need to change position or be flipped around?" I ask motioning for her to take a closer look at them before I began reading them.
"No. They're okay." She says with just a hint of uncertainty but willing to stick it out.
I nodded before turning the left most card over.
"The Two of Pentacles, reversed." I announce.
Normally the Two of pentacles represents someone who is well balanced, the dancing juggler with their many balls in the air, but this is reversed so, someone who's overwhelmed… unbalanced… Oh.
"You've felt lost for a long time now. They are so many options so many possibilities that you feel like you can't take any of them. You feel like you are supposed to know where you belong by now but you can't seem to find the correct rhythm." I words come out of my mouth almost on their own and while I hadn't thought of them before hand, they felt right as I said them. Judging by the wide eyes and held breath I figured I was on the right path.
I flipped the middle card.
"The Knight of Swords, upright." I smile not even needing a moment to ponder the meaning of it, "You are incredibly strong willed and quick to act. Hesitance has never suited you before, why have you been relying on it now?" The room surrounding was stifled and still.
I flipped the final card.
"The Devil, upright." I frown, that's strange. Normally the Devil represents failure, controversy, disaster, addiction, or other things like that, but that's not the feeling I was getting from this card at all. "The Devil speaks of something tormenting you, a cage built around you. But you know that, you know what's holding you down. Oh! Oh, you're in a prison of your own creation. Whatever obstacle you had that has previously made it impossible to find your place, to find your balance, it's gone now. Don't let what the past has done to you dictate your future. You know who you are; you know what you can do. No one can pass judgment of you if you don't let them." Yet again, I speak words that don't entirely feel like they're my own, after all these years I still get surprised at how the words always just seem to appear on my tongue.
Ash is quiet for a while after I finish; none of us make any noise in anticipation.
"Shit, just fucking drag me then." Ash moaned while dragging her hand through she choppy green and yellow bangs. Flopping backwards she laid on the floor arms spread out and legs still crossed over one another. We laughed at her grumbling while I picked up the cards and began shuffling the deck to prep for the next round.
Later that night, after a few more readings, many more cups of tea, and too many baked goods, I found myself sitting on the engawa veranda surrounding the house. I take in a deep breath of crisp mountain air, hoping it will seep into my being and clear the heady, post reading haze that fills me anytime I read multiple people's fortunes.
I hear the slide of the door from behind me. To my surprise it was Ash that stepped out to join me. She closed the door behind her and sat with her back pressed against the wall behind me. I turn and prop one of my legs up onto the wooden flooring so I can face her.
She lounged behind me a small black leather satchel placed securely in her lap. The many studs and enamel pins decorating a flashing sign that it must have come with her from home. I placed my hand on top of my ever-present star purse at the sight. Funnily enough it was this reminder of home above all else that really gave me a sense of camaraderie with the other girl. Right now, for all I know, she could be the only other person in Hyrule from home. The only other person who knew almost exactly what I was going through. And true, there could be others, but we didn't know that for sure yet.
"You know, for a nerd, you're not that bad." Ash said her manic grin toned down to a smooth lazier looking smile.
"Oh? That's nice to hear." I offer quietly, not wanting to break the soothing spell that the night has casted over us.
"Yeah. You don't talk like most nerd I've met, like you all big and important because you're smarter than everyone else. Wimpy little assholes that think the world should bend over at any moment and let them shove their smarts right up their ass. I don't really understand any of the shit that's going on here, or what you were trying to say earlier about this not being Breath of the Wild, or whatever. But, I don't really care about that. God this stupid. What I fucking mean is, I can't do all that detective shit but you know if you ever need help with like- I don't know- Punching? You can come to me. Or whatever." Ash was blushing and refusing to make eye contact by the end of her little speech, but it warmed my heart all the same. She continued in a much smaller voice before I could respond, "Did you really mean all that stuff?"
It took me a second to figure out what she was talking about, "What I said? In the reading you mean? Well, I don't really pick what's said in those. I just do my best to listen to what the cards are saying. But, I believe them. I've only known you for an afternoon and I'm already pretty sure you have enough determination to power a small country." I smile at her hoping to convey how sincerely I felt about it.
I saw her face flush again before she could cover it with her hands. I chuckled but decided to take pity on her.
"So, what object was your 'Obsession' in the Eclipse Game?" I have to admit I was pretty curious if hers turned into the real item as well, or if she even had a Zelda related item at all.
She looked at me before pulling a long wooden box out of her bag. It was maybe a foot long but very skinny; whatever was inside would have had to be small. The top of the box could be slid along a groove until it was pulled free. Once opened she turned it to face me and sitting neatly on a plush velvet pillow was the Wind Waker. I couldn't stop the surprised laughter that erupted at the sight of it.
I hurriedly dug through my purse before pulling out the velvet pouch I kept my treasure in. Pulling out the Ocarina of Time to hold up in the dim mixture of candlelight and starlight felt almost surreal. Ash's Cheshire grin was back, looking just as manic as it had when I first saw it this morning, but now it no longer had that same edge of danger to it. No, I suppose that's not right. It was clearly the same grin, but now I had context. Now, I didn't feel that same threatening edge, because now there's common ground. She's not an adversary. She's an ally.
"Of fucking course you have the Ocarina of Time." She cackled.
"Well, you have the Wind Waker! I wonder if it's a coincidence that we both have musical instruments!" I tease back filled with more joy than I really felt necessary.
"Hey, it's fucking rad- Wait. Wind Waker? What the fuck is that? This is the Baton of Winds." Ash blurted out in confusion.
"Well, yeah. Oh. Right, you don't speak English. That's the English name for it. The Baton of Winds is the original Japanese name of the game, yeah?" I explain.
"That's fucking dumb sounding." Ash said in a deadpan.
"You're not wrong." Was the only reply I could think of.
"Uh yeah. Of course I'm right. Besides, the Baton of Winds is the best fucking Zelda game. The combat is great. The puzzles don't take forever. And, it's cute as hell. Everyone is just a chubby little baby. Fucking love that cute shit." Ash stated firmly.
"Okay, fair. My favorite is Ocarina and Majora though. They were the first ones I played and they mean a lot to me." I said hoping I didn't sound to mushy about it.
"If you like them so much why don't you marry them?" Ash dramatically teased me with over the top kissing noises and everything.
"Maybe I will! You don't know me!" I came back just a strong on the dramatics.
We couldn't take it anymore and ended up laughing for far too long at far too stupid of jokes, but eventually we calmed down and caught our breath.
"Yeah, alright," Ash began, "You the type of white girl I can fuck with. But, just know I'm very serious when I say that if you turn out to be a Weeb I'm gonna gut you." She emphasized her point by making stabbing motions in my direction.
I found that I didn't really care if that was a serious threat, and I was a bit suspicious that it was.
"That's alright. I'll let you." I giggled out comfortably.
I was sad to leave Kakariko the next day, but I knew it wouldn't be too long before I got to come back, even if I had to do it alone. Ramona, Parcy, and I set of a bit after midday for the slow trek down the mountain. The next day and a half passed smoothly, with our stop at the Dueling Peaks Stable to sleep and collect the now empty wagon being the largest break from travelling. With no trouble on the road and only a short stop for lunch we managed to make it back to Lon Lon Ranch a decent bit of time before sundown.
We were putting the horses away in the barn in a comfortable silence when we heard voices from outside.
"Oh, what happened to your hair? Here let me fix it. It's partly so weirdly it looks stupid, hold on." A feminine voice warmly chastised her companion.
We couldn't really hear the response, but Ramona perked up.
"Oh? I don't recognize that voice. Maybe we have some new guests tonight? It's been a while since we've seen a new face out here." She whispered excitedly.
"Well, I for one have met enough new people for one trip. I'm going to go eat and then sleep. Have fun." Parcy groused before heading out of the barn the opposite direction of the voice and towards the main tent.
Ramona looked at me with so much hope that I really didn't have the heart to turn her down. I gather my tired limbs and prepared to follow Ramona towards the newcomers. I had not learned my lesson on the ride back and was back in my outfit from home. But despite the ache consuming my lower body, I followed Ramona out of the barn.
We didn't even have to fully pass through the doorway before we spotted the two new comers. In the late afternoon light it was nearly impossible to miss the eye-catching pair.
The girl was, as what we over heard her talking about suggested, smiling and messing with her companion's bangs, fluttering them around in front of his face. She was small; it was pretty easy to tell even from a distance that she was probably a foot shorter than me and incredibly petite. Her hair was this wonderful mixture of pale blues and purples that made it almost look iridescent.
We must have made some noise coming out of the barn because the pair turned to look at us almost immediately. The changed angle made everything about the girl so much more surreal, Her ghostly pale skin, her cute little button nose, and her round human ears. The biggest nail in the coffin however was the clearly modern clothing she was sporting. An all black snapback with tiny little horns, skinny jeans, stripped shirt underneath a flannel, and the sneaker clad feet made an unmistakable beacon of otherness.
My heart fluttered, she was very pretty.
In a daze, I shifted my gaze towards her companion. The fluttering stopped dead in its tracks.
"Oh Lazarie look! Another Alien!" Ramona grasped my arm excitedly.
I wanted to respond to her in excitement. Meeting to other travellers in such a short period of time was exciting. But, I couldn't really process any of that. The only thing going through my head was one word. One name.
Link.
Notes:
Wow. This turned out to be a doozy of a chapter huh? But! I was so excited to really get into this! Thanks so much for reading you guys. Please leave a review to let me know what you guys think! I didn't get any reviews on this last chapter so anything would be really nice!
Thanks.
