Chapter 14

Sylvain Gautier wasn't a great person in this life. He was the son of wealthy socialites, expected to marry someone of his status, but he never had any real responsibility beyond behaving himself in public (which he rarely did, but regardless).

Turns out, he was a true leader in his past lives. He didn't have one timeline, like most. His split off again and again, different allegiances, different friends, hell, he even married multiple different people across his lives.

Sylvain Gautier, happily married. Hmm.

He couldn't really relate to those endings, though. He was just an eighteen year old boy, hitting on everything that moved and breathed. Part of him were worse back in the other life. Instead of being desired just for his looks and his wealth, he was also desired for his Crest, a power passed down from parent to child. Everyone wanted his blood, his lineage, to give them an heir. And so, he was even worse to the women around him, using them for sex and nothing more. He wasn't quite sure if it was a rebellion against the system or just a desire to enjoy his youth before he was married off.

At least in this life, no one was dying for him to impregnate them.

Maybe he should have learned from his future selves, learned to appreciate his friends. But then he saw timelines where he killed his own best friends, even his own brother.

It was hard to look at them anymore. He either saw Ingrid marrying him or impaled on his spear, Felix dying in his arms or dying of old age, Dimitri's descent into madness and spiraling down, down, down.

And so, Sylvain distracted himself with the only way he knew how.

Of course, he couldn't just flirt as intensely as he used to, in whichever life was relevant. People here were traumatized by their pasts just as much as he was, if not worse. Those who weren't traumatized had history upon history, kissing people they've never met but known forever, never leaving the sides of those they'd missed for millenia.

And then there was Peach Toadstool.

They hadn't known each other in their previous lives, which, given everything, was a bonus. No history to wade through. She was flirty, and more importantly, very casual about everything. She seemed unfazed by her past, one of the few people walking down the halls as a teenage girl, not a warlord or a murderer.

He'd never had any trouble approaching strangers in either life, so when he saw her at her locker, he knew it was time to finally approach.

"You know, when I saw you, I just had to come over and say hello because finding you here...feels like fate. Maybe we could go get some coffee. Get to know each other better?"

Peach looked up at him, sliding the sucker out of her mouth with a smirk. "Be honest, how often does that line work for you?"

He rubbed his hand on the back of his neck. "Admittedly, not as often as I'd like."

"Hmm. I'm sure for the ones that it does work for are more focused on your dashing looks rather than what's coming out of your mouth." She giggled and took another lick from her sucker. "You're lucky I'm more of the former."

"Well, I hope you eventually care about my mouth." Sylvain smirked back. "The name's Sylvain."

"Peach." She smiled.

"Would you like to eat lunch together, actually?" He asked. God, no, Goddess, he could never stomach anything when he sat with his friends. Maybe once he saw people instead of corpses, maybe then he'd be able to eat with them.

"Not today, I have a couple things I need to talk to my friends about. I'll message you after lunch, though." She popped the sucker back into her mouth and closed her locker.

"Glad to hear it." He flashed a smile. After all, he didn't want to seem impatient. "Talk to you then."

Lunch went about as poorly as usual. He wanted to be normal again, laugh with his friends like they used to, but nothing would ever be the same. Still, he faked a smile and tried to hold down his food.

His science class was boring. It's not that he didn't understand anything. No, he was actually far more intelligent than most people have him credit for, especially given that he'd never had to study. Eventually, his naturally gifted nature would kick him in the ass, but for now, his classes were one thing he didn't need to worry about.

So, after he finished the assignment (no lab, just a simple worksheet), he got on his tablet. He rarely got on the chat, assuming it would be just idle chatter about classes. Then, when Mr. Lowell banned the usage of tablets in his class, he figured even if it was interesting before, it wouldn't be now.

Peach had already messaged him. [So, coffee, huh?]

[Well, I normally prefer tea, but many people our age are off put by that.]

[Ah, so ur pretentious lol]

[I just have good taste]

[obvi, you're talking to me ;)] A moment later, she continued. [I don't see you on the chatroom often]

[What can I say, I'd rather see a girl's beautiful face when I'm talking to her.] He glanced around, making sure Dr. Alphys wasn't trying to get their attention. Instead, she was sitting at her desk, typing in a way that seemed… fake. Maybe that rumor that she watched anime during class was true. [Besides, I'd only contribute to the horny problem.]

[Oh, I actually made a separate horny chat lol]

[Oh?] Now that intrigued him.

[It's mostly guys though, so like, if that bothers you.]

[A pretty face is a pretty face no matter the gender.]

[Ayy, mood, let me add you to the group chat lol]

[Sounds good, I'll pop on in a moment.] He glanced up. Dr. Alphys had given up on her fake typing. [Say, what about that coffee? I'm free most evenings.]

[about that, there's actually a good chance I'm grounded, so, uh, that might not happen for a while. Sorry!]

[Understandable. What naughty thing did you do?]

[smoked weed with near strangers on a school night]

[That's unfortunate.]

He then got a notification that he was added to a group chat.

Peach T added Sylvain G to 'Horny on Sideblog'

[Jeremy S:] I HAVE A FRIEND WHO HAS A NAKED RAT

[Demyx H:] wow what a thing to ay as a new member joins

[Sylvain G:] Is there any context?

[Demyx H:] literally no

[Axel R:] and who's this cute new girl?

[Sylvain G:] uh

[Sylvain G:] I'm not a girl

[Link E:] how did you know he's cute, we don't have profile pictures

[Axel R:] dude you have a girly name

[Demyx H:] your legal name is lea

[Axel R:] and everyone at this school is got as shit

[Axel R:] fuck you

[Jeremy S:] THE RAT LOOKED UGLY

[Axel R:] is this a dick joke

[Jeremy S:] NO

[Demyx H:] im just surprised you had friends

[Axel R:] sick burn bro

[Jeremy S:] FRIEND IS A STRETCH

[Axel R:] i mean all of us grew up losers right

[Peach T:] buddy

[Peach T:] I should've called this group rude on slideblog goddamn

[Sylvain G:] Slideblog.

[Demyx H:] I mean we all know peCh is rich

[Demyx H:] hey syl are you rich or poor?

[Peach T:] oh my god demy you can't just ask someone if their rich

[Sylvain G:] I do come from wealth, yes.

[Demyx H:] nice

[Jeremy S:] DOES ANYONE WANT TO SEE A PICTURE OF THE NAKED RAT?

[Axel R:] omg shut up about your naked rat

[Peach T:] Scout, sweetie, we can't send pictures in here

[Peach T:] which like thank god

[Peach T:] because I know all of you would send dick pics

[Link E:] excuse?

[Peach T:] not you lol

[Peach T:] okay speaking of rich redheDs

Peach T added Daisy S to 'Horny on Sideblog'

[Daisy S:] WHY WASN'T I ADDED TO THIS BEFORE

[Peach T:] u really think I wanted to add my cousin to the horny chat?

[Daisy S:] are y'all actually horny or you're not trying to make fools of yourself in main chat

[Link E:] axel is, the rest are generally pretty chill

[Axel R:] fuck you

[Link E:] case and point.

[Sylvain G:] Case in* point.

[Jeremy S:] OH SO DAISY'S ALLOWED TO TYPE IN ALL CAPS BUT YOU CALL ME OUT ON IT?

[Peach T:] scout literally no one in the chat makes fun of you for it

[Axel R:] i mean i od but

[Peach T] yeah and you're an asshole

[Daisy S:] so basically we need more assholes to bully Scout

Peach T renamed the chat to 'Rude on Sideblog'

[Peach T:] syl I'm sorry for dragging you into this mess

[Sylvain G:] Nah, I'm having fun.

[Jeremy S:] I'LL BULLY YOU BACK

[Daisy S:] :)

[Sylvain G:] I think I am going to hop off for a bit, gonna work on my reading for English.

[Demyx:] it was nice meeting you!

Sylvain took a deep breath as he set down his tablet. Well, they were exhausting. He didn't mind, though. For the first time in a week, a millennium, he had a place where he could be the teenage human Sylvain Gautier, and not the lance-wielding monster that consumed his memories.

0-0-0-0-0

As it turned out, getting Zelda to talk about Urbosa was easier than expected. All Peach had to do was ask about the redhead she saw Zelda talking with in the hall, and Zelda started gushing about how cool she was. It almost felt excessive, and if the look on Link's face said anything, she wasn't alone in that feeling.

Still, Peach couldn't quite tell if she was gushing because she truly felt that intensely, or if she was just trying to make Link jealous.

So, it was time to go straight to the source.

"Hey! You're Urbosa, right?" Peach said as she approached her.

Urbosa turned away from her group of equally amazonian friends with a smile. "The one and only! You're one of Zelda's friends, aren't you?"

"Yep! I'm Peach. Mind if we talk real quick?"

"Not at all." She glanced back at her group. "I'll see you guys in class, sav'orq!"

The two started walking, and man, Urbosa passed the vibe check. Peach had only been next to her for a few moments, and she already felt like she could put her life in her hands. Maybe Peach just liked girls more than she thought. "So, uh, you knew Zelda in the past, then, right?"

"In my past? Yes. In her past, only a fraction of the lives she's lived has she even met me." Urbosa looked down at Peach. "You're here to ask if Zelda's feelings towards me are genuine, aren't you?"

Well, the cat was out of the bag. "Yeah."

"It's more complicated than it may seem. Zelda has loved so many people across her lifetimes. I do believe her love for me was real, but her love for others is just as strong. If this world was more accepting of open love, it would be easier, but in such a monogamous culture, I'm sure it's been hard for her."

Huh. Peach had never thought about it like that. "I… well, I can't exactly understand, but I can empathize with that. It sounds hard."

"We've been here less than two weeks. Don't force her to make a decision. She'll come to her conclusion when she comes to it." She gave a sad smile. "Sav'orq, Peach."

And Peach just wanted to shake Link down and ask why his life had to be so goddamn complicated. The longer she stayed in this school, the more glad she was that her past life was simple, and that all her drama was grounded in the real world.

0-0-0-0-0

Naminé was brave, but going on a date shouldn't be scary, right?

This wasn't even a date, and Naminé was a coward.

She sat on one of the benches outside of Blather's Museum of Art and Natural Science, watching the people walk around Square Park. She'd been sketching something before, but as nerves made her hands shake, she'd given up on it in favor of people watching.

How many of these people were monsters hiding in human skin?

She herself wasn't even human, a literal husk born from her sister's corpse. She could feel her hollowness the moment she stepped on campus. How many other's bodies contorted, innards warped beyond recognition?

But out here, everyone was blissfully human.

At the top of the bell tower, she saw a man in a hat and vest sitting on the ledge, back against the support. He looked like a true marksman. What was he doing up there?

He seemed to catch her staring, as he raised his cup towards her with a slight nod. Fuck. She immediately buried her head back in her sketchbook. Where was Link, anyway?

"Hey."

Oh thank God. She peeked up at him. Huh, he looked less… cartoonish. His eyes weren't quite as pointed, his ears not even half as large. He was dressed casually, and he had a sketchbook bag slung across his body.

"Oh, um, hi."

If Link noticed her awkwardness, he didn't comment on it. "You ready?"

"Yeah, sure."

She was on a date with Link. Was this a date? He didn't seem particularly dressed up, but the again, he didn't seem like the type to dress fancy for anything. She was a little more dressed up, even wearing a sunhat with her usual white sundress, but if Kairi had gotten her hands on her before she left, she was sure she'd be caked in makeup and plaid.

The two of them walked inside, and were greeted by the man at the desk. "Hello! Welcome to my museum!"

"Hello." Naminé smiled.

"There are maps and guides in the display, and do keep in mind that we are open twenty four hours a day, so take your time and truly enjoy your stay!"

A twenty four hour museum? Strange. Then again, this entire town was strange. She picked up the map. Wait, there was a whole aquarium here? Guess they took the 'Natural Science' part seriously. Interspersed between the text on the guide were cute drawings of owls. As she glance back up at Blather's, she realized that he was the owl. Huh. She wondered if he was from the same place as Isabelle.

"Art section first?" Link asked.

"Oh, yeah, sure."

And so, they made their way into the art wing.

The art was just as strange as the rest of the town, but in an odd way, she still found the museum calming. Their steps echoed, but they were otherwise quiet. There was no pressure to talk, just a chance to enjoy the art and each other's company. She finally felt at ease, since between the chaotic school and her chaotic sisters, she never had a moment of quiet.

Was any of this art from her past life? She was an artist then, too, but as far as she knew, no one else was a creative soul. She was locked up in a castle of pure white, a gilded cage, alone, alone, alone.

She found herself studying Link more than the art, at times. She could never quite tell what he was thinking about. He was just in his head as she was in hers.

As they walked into the next exhibit, Naminé finally let out a gasp. Oh, this was beautiful. A massive sculpture took up the entire room, with blue glass panels climbing up poles on one side of the room and bending parallel to the tall ceiling, like an ocean wave. Imbedded in the glass were thousands of LEDs, twinkling like stars. Naminé stepped further into the room in awe.

"Hello."

Naminé nearly jumped. Laying on the ground was a tall girl with pale blonde hair fanned out on the black carpet. Wait, it was Rosalina! Another kindred spirit, a quiet artist.

"I've finally found my home. Come, join me." Rosalina gave a soft smile.

And maybe Naminé shouldn't have worn a sundress.

No matter. She carefully laid down, and wow, it was even more beautiful from this angle. Multicolored glass formed galaxies above her, swirling and glowing in a way that ways just… memorized her.

"For thousands of years, I've walked among the stars. Now, that ability has been taken from me, and this is the closest I can get to that life."

Naminé sighed. As much as she didn't want to return to her past, so many others did. How awful must it be to know where your home is and be unable to return.

"Rosalina, how much LSD have you taken?" Link asked after a while.

"Enough to send me on this spiritual journey. It is an essential tool in reclaiming what I have lost."

Ah. That made a lot of sense. Naminé had always wanted to try psychedelics. Would it be rude to ask? Right now, probably. Besides, a public museum didn't seem like a good place to experience something so powerful for the first time. She looked over at Rosalina, noting her oversized pupils and dazed stare. "I'm glad you've found some solace."

"Thank you. I hope you find yours."

Naminé took one last look at the beautiful sculpture, then stood up. Link did the same, and they left Rosalina to trip in peace.

Eventually, they made their way out of the museum, having skipped anything that wasn't art related, and Naminé was exhausted. Even from the quiet, she needed to be physically alone. Back to the castle of pure white, the gilded cage, her own bedroom. "Hey, Link, I think i'm going to head home." Thankfully, there was a bus stop at the corner, and one near her house, so she could get home without having to call her mom.

"Alright." He looked tired too. The curse of introversion. "Get home safe."

And despite everything, Naminé was brave.

She kissed him on the cheek.

Before he could say anything, she turned on her heel and left. Fuck, that was a mistake. Was it? Part of her begged to turn around and see his reaction, but she couldn't bare the inevitable. She had done something careless, stupid. Link had given no indication that he felt this was a date, and definitely no indication that he wanted really any physical contact. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

He was already gone by the time she looked back.

0-0-0-0-0

Link fell face first into his bed. Oh. Naminé was into him. Huh. He wasn't expecting it in the slightest.

It was nothing against her, she seemed nice. Link just had so much more going on.

He wanted to message her, but he didn't know what to say. He hadn't needed to let anyone down gently before. People usually weren't into him.

He got at least a couple hours of sleep before Marluxia and Larxene started their campaign to ruin his sleep. Music to the max, and if he could tell anything from the rhythmic thudding above him, well, neither of them had had to let anyone down gently either.

Fuck.

He'd hoped by the time he finished making his eggs and toast, they'd at least be done fucking obnoxiously loud, but nope.

He knew that Demyx would let him in no problem, but then they're get roped into a conversation, and between Axel and Scout, that was honestly even louder than Larxene's exaggerated moans.

Apparently, though, he could sleep through it, since he was woken up by the tablet buzzing in his bed. Fuck, he thought he had notifications on silent. He looked at the tablet. Nope, he'd just snoozed them. Fuck. Okay, he'd gotten maybe an hour more sleep. Better than nothing.

Eh, there was no way he was getting back to sleep. The thudding had stopped, but the music hadn't.

And so, he checked his tablet. Only a few notifications from the 'Rude on Sideblog' group chat, a few of Peach dreading going home since she didn't want to be grounded, a couple of Demyx saying he'd bring home some pizza before Axel reminded him that they had leftovers. Par for the course. But then, the most recent messages caught his eye.

[Sylvain G:] So, not to get existential in the horny chat

[Sylvain G:] But does anyone else have multiple sets of memories or is that just me?

Link sighed. He was tired, exhausted from being with people, but hey, he wasn't a complete asshole. He wasn't gonna let this guy have an existential crisis, and honestly, he didn't trust anyone else in the group to handle it.

[Link E:] yeah

[Sylvain G:] First off, my condolences

[Sylvain G:] But secondly, I know it's kinda late, but do you mind if we hop on a voice call?

Fuck. Link didn't particularly want to, but he wasn't doing anything else.

[Link E:] yeah, lemme grab my headphones

A couple minutes later, Sylvain called him on a private call. Thank fuck, because the others would detract and it would devolve into Scout yelling about butt stuff or whatever.

"Hey, man." Sylvain said. "We haven't met in person, have we?" Was he drunk? He sounded like it. Honestly, fair. Link probably would be too if he had someone to buy it for him. Maybe he should light up a joint.

"Don't think so." Link didn't recognize his voice.

"Fuck, sorry to call and basically ask for therapy, then."

"It's fine." Link sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"So. You have multiple lifetimes worth of memories too, huh?"

Link sighed, lifetime after lifetime of memories flying by, brief flashes of fighting, even dying. "Yeah."

"That sucks, man."

"Yeah."

"So, like, do they involve any of your real life friends? Like, the ones you had before all this happened."

"No." It was only fitting that his life before was so meaningless.

"Oh."

There was a silence, one Link didn't know how to, or quite honestly, didn't care to fill.

"Turns out all my friends were religious zealots and kinda racist in my past. And now, every time I look at them, all I can think about is all the times I've had to kill them."

"That's rough." Because what else do you say about that?

"Have you killed anyone?"

He hadn't, at least people who were in his life now. He'd watched them die, in the tiniest flashes of memories, in the nightmares that had plagued his sleep all his life. "Only bad people. I think." He hadn't dared to read his entire backstory.

"I'd like to think that I'm the same, but…" But then his friends would be the bad guys. "Maybe I'm the bad guy."

"You listed as a villain?"

"Yeah, people from my world literally get no designation like that. While apparently, all of us have potential to do good and rid this world of the villains that fought over ours, each of us has been at war with our peers. Blood is on all of our hands, and so, none of us are heroes nor villains, just dealing with whatever hands we've been dealt."

"Oof." How the fuck was Link supposed to respond? He was reasonably sure that in all his past lives, he was a hero.

"I dunno, I just wanted to see if anyone else understood." Sylvain hiccuped.

"I get it." Link closed his eyes.

Another silence. "Hey, Link?"

"Yeah?"

"I dunno, thanks for listening I guess." Another hiccup. "You seem cool."

Why did everyone seem to think that? "Nah, man, I'm just here."

"Well, regardless." Yet another hiccup. "Let me know if you ever wanna get coffee or something."

"I will." He wouldn't ever want to go out, most likely. He had so much going on already. "Drink some water."

"Yeah, I'm gonna be so fucking hungover tomorrow." Sylvain laughed. "Goodnight, Link."

"Night."

Link fell back into his bed and sighed. Why the fuck did everyone want to talk to him? Finally, the music above him turned off. Maybe Link would get something

resembling a full night's sleep.