I don't really have anything new to say...I guess just, when you're leaving characters in review form, do make them detailed. It helps me to come up with stories around your character. Also, the quirkier, the better. :) Makes for better novel material!
ALSO don't private message me your characters. I go off of reviews because it helps me keep an order going. And yes, it also helps me to buff my reviews. :P Scratch my back, and I'll write you a story.
Thank you :)
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Parallel Tangent
with Khios Kyma
by Demigod 52
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He never would have had a chance otherwise.
Had they not rescued him, he would have perished in the dirt at the foot of the Great Deku Tree.
The fateful day that he was left in the dark underbrush of the forest, in the kelly shadows and the emerald light; cradled in the stiff arm of his lifeless mother; wailing in infantile confusion, fear, and need…
His cry was only an echo; his tears, only mirrored.
Four hands, four feet, four big blue tearful baby eyes, four pointed Hylian ears. Two noses, two hungrily sobbing mouths….two little baby boys, each wrapped and protected by a mother's frozen arm and cradled against the bosom of a corpse.
He had been lucky that they took pity on both, though only his brother had a future. His brother had emanated a light that the Great Deku Tree could see, and knew that the child before him had a future interlocked with the future of Hyrule itself. He hadn't- he had been a normal baby. And yet they took him in as well.
But his brother hadn't known. He had not a clue in the world.
They told him not to speak to his brother. "Not a word," they said, "It simply is for the best that way." And so he never did. Never spoke one word to his blood relation, kept out of the way and out of his way and out of trouble. He watched from afar, wondering how it was that the secret was so well preserved, wondering what would happen if the glass case of silence was shattered, wishing that someone would throw a stone.
But he never said a word, and his brother never knew.
He never would have had a chance otherwise.
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"Do you see anything, Navi? How far are we?"
The fairy rose higher into the air and peered about. "We have a ways to go, Link," she replied, "but we're getting much closer!"
Link paused and shifted his gear off the raw spots on his shoulders. He smiled, tired but relieved. "That's good. Hopefully we'll make it there soon, half a day if we pick up the pace. We need to restock."
The renowned hero and his trusty winged companion were making their way across Hyrule field in search of a place to spend the night. It had taken some time, but they finally saw a small gathering of establishments in the distance that appeared to be a small village- and, based on their map and general knowledge of this part of the country, it would most likely be receptive to their arrival. Granted, Link's camping and survival skills were quite honed at this point, and they had already spent some nights out in the field.
On the other hand…..they already had spent some nights out in the field. Link felt that splurging on a mattress and a hot meal perhaps wasn't such a bad idea.
To their pleasure, they indeed approached signs of civilization in no time- three or four hours perhaps. It was a small farm with a barn, shed, stables, and a little pasture for livestock. It was all fenced with a woodstake-and-rope affair, a means to keep in livestock or simply to mark territory rather than for protection. Link started to run a little up to the little double gated opening, and then paused.
Something was wrong. The gates were wide open, but they hadn't seen any stray sheep or horses on the way. It was quiet.
Too quiet.
Navi shuddered. "Link," she whispered, "I'm scared. Something's not right here."
Link didn't speak, but nodded his agreement as he scanned the space in front of him. He began to make his way towards the heart of the village. Navi cautiously few on ahead, pausing above the sheds and peering forward before disappearing out of sight. Although there was no threat made, Link had to keep himself from drawing his sword and shield. It would have been for naught- unless one could fight off the heavy air of expectation.
It was when he heard Navi scream, did he finally draw his weaponry. "Navi!" He called out, picking up a run past the houses and trees. He found her at the edge of the square, dim with fear- but when he ran to comfort her, he stopped short.
Everything was covered with blood.
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He was forbidden.
He could understand the explanation they gave him, but it still wasn't fair. He knew that there was a connection between the two of them that he couldn't just sever away, even if it was fate's jurisdiction- or so they said.
Why couldn't he talk to him? Joke and laugh, quarrel and fight, comfort, hate, love, respect him? He was his own blood, it seemed beyond unfair that they should be separate- and yet so close every day.
Because it was dangerous. If he knew there was another, a family relation to cling to, he would have been handicapped. A brother meant that there was someone else to look out for, someone else to find in peril- someone who might not have enough worth in the eyes of fate to survive, should such a situation arise. And if this were to happen before the one knew that he was- before his time, before fate made her introduction- there would be hell to pay. Knots in time. Frayed rope and singed edges.
And so he was quiet. He had a small tree house with a wooden bed and clay pots and his own space in the forest. He had friends, was friends with most, forest child and creature alike. He was fond of the fruit in the trees and the stories told by the Great Deku Tree. And he was quiet. He was quiet until one day...one day when he got lost.
He was walking through the forest, looking for stones to sharpen his cooking knives, and made a wrong turn. All he could hear was music from all directions- and not a direction in which the song was strongest. He could not hear his way back out of the darkness, where monsters lurked and waited. He wondered if he was doomed to turn into a skullkid.
Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw something flash. Just briefly, lightly. He turned his head and peered in the direction of which it came from. It was an inanimate object, he could tell by turning his head back and forth slightly- the light followed as a cue. He approached slowly, and was started when he stubbed his toe on something large and hard.
Then he saw it. The light was the metal from a hinge, and the hinge was attached to a large wooden chest.
He wondered what was going on- why was there a chest purposely sitting out in the woods? Sometimes there were small boxes filled with money or the belongings of others- usually those who were lost before- but this was too big to be the remnants of someone desperately seeking his way home.
Curiously, he approached the chest and lifted the latch. He took hold of the edges, drew a deep breath, and lifted the lid.
Light poured out from within, seeking its freedom from the moment the lid began to rise- and he himself was drawn within to the treasure that lay inside.
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Link was on guard, sword in hand, poised and ready for any threat to come his way. He slowly walked into the center of the square, looking about closely for any monsters or baddies that may have been planning an ambush. Navi flew close by, trembling slightly but quiet and ready to assist. But there was nothing. At least, nothing anymore.
Except for the mountain of dead flesh right in the middle of the square.
There were flies, insects, and rodents already trying to make even a dent into this massive pile of rotting meat which permeated the air. There were entrails splashed on the ground, walls, and rooftops. Blood seeped out from under the hill of dead, the smell of it in the air, mixed with the cedar and dirt on the ground and the earthy compound of the homes and shops.
Link carefully approached the flesh pile. "Goddesses….what on earth happened here?" He wondered, with a growing pit of worry in his stomach, if there had been a massacre on the people who lived there. After all, there was no one else...it had been so quiet. He tried to make out the forms of human corpses in the carnage, but he noticed that it was particularly difficult- the shapes simply did not equate to human shapes, or even proportions...
"Link!" Navi whizzed up to him. "Link, there are teeth on the other side of this pile! Big teeth!"
"What?" Link ran around to the other side to see what she was talking about. Lo and behold, there was indeed a ruptured jaw with a set of bloodied teeth, each about the size of a cuccoo. Upon inspection, there were also two large, dead, beady eyes in sunken sockets, grey with death.
This whole pile of flesh and blood was one humongous monster!
A dead monster.
How?
Suddenly, Navi squeaked and hid in Link's hat. Link turned around, sword in hand, to encounter a person standing a good ten or twenty feet away. It was a man, a simple man wearing everyday clothes and a working apron. He was spattered in blood, but aside from being shook up he seemed perfectly healthy. He looked at Link with wide eyes and a shock-slacked jaw. "You...!" He whispered.
And suddenly he broke into a huge smile, yelled out, and charged toward Link. Link was caught off guard, and tried to ready his shield to deflect whatever attack may come his way. But rather than attacking, the man scooped Link up in his arms and crushed him a huge and grateful bearhug.
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It was a sword.
It was a beautiful, brazen, sharp and gleaming razor edged broadsword with a golden handle and jewels embossed into the hilt. It was powerful, vibrating ever so slightly with the holy power that it lent to its wielder.
Which was him. He was the wielder. He was the new master of this glorious sword.
He picked it up with awe. Fingered the edges, and pleasantly surprised to see that even the slightest run against the blade could draw a little blood. The handle felt good in his hand, felt right and ready. He gripped it steady and gave it a swing, drawing it up to the sky.
The sword was illuminated with power. He could feel the sword's power cascading down his arm, strong with will, and in turn could feel the sword drawing power that was invested deep inside of him. Because he had power, he realized now. He bore a special importance that resided in his presence.
But it was not his alone; For this was the sword of brotherhood. This was the sword of self realization and connection with those closest to oneself. The sword that broke down and rebuilt in the strongest way.
This was the Four Sword.
And the Four Sword could not be used for one alone.
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"What- what?" Link choked.
The man still had him in a deadlock. Tears of joy dripped down his face as he joyfully replied, "It's you! You've saved us from this creature!"
"No, I didn't! I don't even-" Link tried to explain, but he was cut off abruptly by the man calling out to other villagers hiding in the half-desecrated homes.
"It's him! He's the one who saved us from this beast!" The man shouted. Whoops and cheers of joy and excitement sounded, and suddenly people came pouring out from every hiding space imaginable- doors windows, in trees and in the well, out of cellars in the ground, and every which way otherwise. Suddenly it was a smorgasboard of love and appreciation and *graciousness as people gathered around Link to hug and kiss and shake his hand and to tell him how thankful they were that he killed that awful beast, and how long it had terrorized them and now they were free of fear, and thank yous and how can we ever repay yous. Link was completely overwhelmed with the confusion and excitement that seemed to have erupted out of nowhere.
Finally, Link got a final word in edgewise. "I didn't kill the monster!"
Dead silence swept over the crowd. They all gave Link a blank, confused stare. Finally, after several pregnant moments one quipped up, "But we saw you do it!"
Link tentatively tried to reply to this, without alarming the villagers, "I don't know what happened that you were saved from this monster...but I do know that I had nothing to do with it."
"But then," one child replied, "...who did?"
Just then, a voice came out away from the crowd. "...I did."
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He knew it was his destiny.
He knew that this was his opportunity to become something...someone...
He never would have had a chance otherwise.
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Link was stunned to see a figure stand before him that paralleled himself. It looked almost like him in every regard. Same sand colored hair, slightly more mussed. Same blue eyes, slightly more downcast. Same nose, same lips, ears, hands, arms, body, clothing style...
As a matter of fact...he looked EXACTLY like him in every regard.
This figure stood before him, fairyless and stoic, almost slightly meeker than Link but the spatters of blood on his body and sheathed weaponry did not tell lies. It was obvious who had killed the monster and saved the village now. What was his motivation? What could have driven someone to risk their life for a people that he did not associate with?
It was clear that the people did not know who this person was. Confusion rose in the crowd, questions such as 'who is this,' 'are they real,' 'is one a doppleganger,' 'is this magic,' and the like. Link himself had several questions, but the one that rested most heavily on his mind was, "why does this person look exactly like me?"
The figure stared at Link deeply, understanding and almost emploring, but not allowing himself to show a shred of weakness in the moment.
This was HIS moment, after all.
Finally, Link gathered his courage and voiced the question to settle questions. "Who are you?"
The figure blinked, not quite sure how to respond. And then suddenly, he lifted his chin and he smiled. A welcoming smile. An ironic smile.
An indulgent smile.
"My name is Khios Kyma," he replied, "and I am your brother."
