interlude dream; nought can deform the human race

[tapferkeit]

WARNING for some gore! May talk about brainwashing in the comments, so if that makes you uneasy, proceed with caution.

Also placeholding! Tags will come later. I just wanted to get this up.

Comments

I hope you don't mind action since I suck at prose tags..

[reloved]

[ The initial situation is a bit disorienting. Minako isn't quite sure where she has found herself, these cold walls and pillars all around-- but she does somewhat recognize the fighting figure, even if there's something off about him compared to how she remembers her Watch partner usually is.

Part of her wants to call out, but she knows better than to interrupt in the middle of a fight. Besides, it seems like it's almost done already. ... But then she notices the figure falling out of the armor, and for a moment she feels sick to her stomach at the sight of it. And even though she winces at the stab of the sword, she understands it's nothing but a mercy kill.

... She wants to speak up, ask, but she notices another one of the iron things has started to move, and even Minako knows it isn't the time. But maybe she should at least now let her presence be known, even if it's just that.. She takes a deep breath. She has no clue what this situation is, but if she at least knows him-- ]

... Link!

I HATE ACTION OMG HOW COULD YOU!!!!!!!

[tapferkeit]

[He looks over, thinking that it must be Navi - (And where is Navi, anyway? She's never far, but -) - and then he nearly drops his sword again. That hair - from a distance, he thinks -]

Zelda?!

[But the second Iron Knuckle is coming closer and closer. Link glances between it and her.]

But - you were -

WELL TOO LATE SINCE I'M ACTIONING IT UP IN HERE!!!

[reloved]

[ .. Zelda? She fairly quickly realises he's mistaking her for someone else, and part of her feels like explaining but she knows there's no time for that sort of stuff. ]

Later! [ She shouts, eyeing the monster. She gets a gold-colored pen out of her pocket, holding it up in the air. ] Moon Power, Make Up!

[ And with a flash of light, she's in a (rather not-Zelda-like) outfit, her Sailor V outfit, as she rushes over to Link to at least help him fight that thing somehow. ]

OMG RUDE!!!!

[tapferkeit]

[He stares in amazement at the transformation, not comprehending. It's only when he hears the Iron Knuckle grunt behind him that he scrambles to the side. The axe embedds itself in the floor bare inches from where he was.

Rolling and getting to his feet, he darts over beside Minako and holds his sword at the ready.]

What just - [No, she'd said later.]

You know how to fight these?

action tags are quicker...

[chauvinisms]

[Silently, she drops down from the ceiling, approaching the corpse of one of her sisters. Standing there, she stares down at the woman before looking up, regarding Link's back.]

I never would have thought you'd have it in you, rookie.

[Her voice is soft. Her tone is cool. Her eyes are hard. She has little interest in the second Iron Knuckle -- it shouldn't go after her anyway.]

/s l o w l y tags...

[tapferkeit]

[Link pulls his sword out from the Gerudo's neck and turns to face Aveil. His eyes are hard, even if they've got that brittle brightness to them.]

How can you support him when he does that to you?!

[chauvinisms]

[She wordlessly drops into a crouch before her sister in a caricature of mourning, and then makes her intentions known by looting the corpse for valuables.]

Because if I do not, he will do worse.

[She says this simply. There is no regret, no grief.]

You cannot comprehend a Gerudo's way of life, rookie. It is too foreign to you. I will sell my allegiance to the highest bidder. Always.

[There is an undercurrent of something in her words, and she looks at him sharply.]

Do you understand? Link, proclaimed Hero of Time?

[tapferkeit]

[His lips twist at that, and he looks away from her. The other Iron Knuckle is coming closer. He spins his sword and steps into his fighting stance, ready to move.]

Get out of the way before it comes.

[redacted_error]

Chell watches from a rather strange distance. To an extent, she feels close enough to interact with Link and the...er...whatever it is. And yet, she cannot find herself to move, her eyes momentarily fixed on the sword impaling the woman's throat before she feels physically flung forward.

She stumbles to catch her balance, standing just arm's reach behind Link.

Her eyes, however, move to the sound of the other beginning to move forward before she can speak.

[tapferkeit]

He hears Chell's stumble and pulls the sword out of the Gerudo's throat, holding it out between himself and her. He stares in complete shock at first, then he blinks. The entire dream flickers all around them, slivers of green rippling all around. And suddenly, he looks older. There's no obvious change - but the subtleties are enough. This is the Link from Demeleier.

"Chell...?"

He frowns.

"No... you weren't here..."

[redacted_error]

Her attention is drawn from the hulking mass of metal inching towards them. She frowns slightly. "Er...I suppose not." No, she really wasn't; she can't recall anything of this place in her memory.

"What do we do with that?" she said, making a motion towards the Iron Knuckle.

[tapferkeit]

He turns to regard the Iron Knuckle. He immediately folds into his attack stance, holding himself light and easily, ready to move. “We get that armour off of it first. Do you have your… um…” He lowers his sword and then, sheepishly, holds it the way he’d seen Chell holding her portal gun. “…? Because it might help getting around it…”

[dragon_savior]

Sometimes we don't have any choice but to fight.

[Ryu's voice comes from behind, sword in hand. His eyes are focused on the second Iron Knuckle.]

It never gets any easier, does it?

[tapferkeit]

[Link only looks over at him, unsure if he's there to fight or not. His words make him think of Sheik, but it's obvious that that's not who it is.

The Iron Knuckle walks to the center of the room. Link is suddenly at the other end, facing its back. Ryu is facing its front.

Meeting his eyes, Link gives a small, short nod. I'll get it from behind when it swings for you.]

[dragon_savior]

[Ryu nods, settling into a stance with his sword.]

Hey! Over here!

[He makes some attempt to get the creature's attention.]

[tapferkeit]

[He waits until it begins to walk towards Ryu. Once it’s closer to him than to Link, he begins to walk forwards, holding his sword out, ready to strike. The Iron Knuckle clanks closer and closer, until it raises its axe and…]

Jump!

[albinoidiot]

[Dante's confused. If this was another world, and these were dreams from people that lived here, why was Link here? The guy had to touch the wall.]

Am I dreaming in here...? [And then he turned to look at the guy.]

You know, the thing I learned about war is that no matter how hard you try to prevent it, someone's always gonna have to die. It's hard to be the one to do the killing but- well, we're chosen for it, you know?

That was very nice of you. I knew I worshiped you as a kid for a reason...

[tapferkeit]

[Link wipes his mouth with his own sleeve, then his own hand on the floor.]

I know. It has to happen. People told me that.

[He looks over at Dante and smiles. There's no curiosity as to why he's here; the other man is woven seamlessly into the dream. Link remains a boy.]

You do the job you have to do... right?

[albinoidiot]

That's right. It's not always an easy job, you might hate it all a little sooner or later, but there's nothing more satisfying than when you finally finished. When everything is fine again.

[He walked over to him.]

I know I always lose my thoughts on the matter but I didn't expect I would have to dream about you to learn a lesson. You're really bad-ass, man.

[tapferkeit]

[He smiles up at him, slightly confused.] Dreaming…?

[And there’s another flicker then. The room pulses around them. Even the Iron Knuckle’s slowly approaching feet are muted for a moment. Link frowns and rubs his eyes with the back of his hands.] We’re not dreaming… but…

[He looks up at him.] How’re you here?