[Invite-Only] Legend of Zelda: Explorers of Hyrule RPG

[invective~directive]

Shia was unhappy. They're fighting. Stop fighting. STOP IT. They can't hear me, why can't they hear me? She was barely whispering. "Stop fighting. You're better than this. Both of you." She grabbed her face with her hands. Why am I sitting on the ground? Oh right, he pushed me... She stood up, fists clenched at her sides. Her face was shadowed. "Stop acting like little kids." She wasn't talking loud enough to be heard. She turned sharply and started walking, then sprinting down the hill.

[AngelOzwin]

Ferondir couldn't think. He'd been so thick. Mayru is all about understanding and knowledge. But he had misjudged Zeph. It wasn't out of disrespect that he antagonized him. It was a defense, a fear. He was trying to run from his pain. "Heal myself?" What did he mean? Is he talking about my heart? How would he know what I feel. Is it so plainly written on my face? "I'm sorry. I like to think I know what I'm talking about, but I miss things. But you have a funny way of showing respect. Some of the things you say hurt people. You hurt me. You hurt..." Cassie. No, that was too deep a cut to deal. "...my feelings." Just say you'll be honest with me, say you didn't mean it. "I don't know what to do. Right now, I feel as lost as you." He stepped away from Zeph and turned away.
"I want to know. I want to help, but how can I when you hide yourself behind a wall of laughter?" He started down the steps. "I'll talk to you later. We should both think our answers through, friend." He ran off the way Shia had gone.

[TurboBrycerox]

Day 6 (Late Morning)/Guzore the Goron/20/Where: Mira Village/With:Everyone except Zeph, Ferondir, and Shia

MEANWHILE...

accompanied by a giant,

Guzore sneezed and looked into the distance.

[invective~directive]

Shia sat against the tree, exhausted. When she'd caught her breath, she clambered onto a low branch. For a second, she nearly lost her grip. I'm out of practice... The thought saddened her. She'd always loved trees, and she didn't want to lose that connection. She climbed a little higher, half to see better, half to prove to herself that she could.

[AngelOzwin]

Ferondir ran the way he'd seen his new friend go, but he lost sight of her in the trees. He had no idea what he was going to say to her, but he needed to explain himself. "Shia!" He knew he was close enough for her to hear. She can't have gone that far. Sound carried well out here. "Shia! I need to speak with you!"

[invective~directive]

Shia heard Ferondir yell for her. Darn it, he's close. She tried to move behind the trunk. But as she moved, her hand slipped. Hanging upside down, she found herself looking straight at Ferondir. She crossed her arms and tried to look somewhat dignified. Too late to get away now. I knew I should of practiced! "Yeah? What is it?"

[AngelOzwin]

Dang, that was smooth. "Do you always hang like a bat when you get mad?" Ferondir found it slightly hard to talk to her upside down, so he used his magic to float upside down too. "It's not that hard."
He rubbed his hair, witch was sticking out at odd angles now that he was upside down.
"I'm sorry, I just feel like I don't know him anymore."

[portal2lbp2]

Zeph stood there, head down, hair hanging over his face as he stared at the ground.
Why couldn't I of just left with some sarcastic remark like usual?
Zeph turned, slamming his hand into one of the stone pillars.
He began to walk out of the area, he just needed some time to think. Some time to rebuild his facade.
...
Minutes later, he found himself wandering through the Mira Forest- the bright rays of sunlight unable to protrude through the thick layer of trees overhead.
In several moments he was at the base of a towering tree, in which decayed wooden steps hung- making a ladder nailed upwards into a once beautiful tree house.
Well, you still exist now, don't you?
"If a tree falls in forest, the memories still remain before the ash." Is that what you are now, a memory? Zeph said, climbing the ladder into the forgotten tree house.
The inside was a derelict, abandoned version of the Tree house that he remembered spending so long hiding out in with his friends.
He looked around at the dusty objects that sat on various tables, or the faded drawings that were tacked to the walls.
Eventually Zeph settled down a chair, overlooking the path back to town.
He laid his head against his hand, which was propped up on an arm of the chair.
You've got to be stronger. He told himself.
You have a mission to do, finish that before you do anything else.

Some of the things you say hurt people

Ferondir had said
It's not just other people my words hurt.
I know you want me to be honest with you b-but, that's not easy for me. It hasn't been easy since...
Wind began to violently blow through the trees as Zeph felt gradually more stressed.
Ugh! Zeph screamed, releasing his frustration, he shoved his hand forward- a large blast of telekinetic energy shot from his hand, causing dozens of trees to crack and fall down.
Tsk. Tsk. If a tree falls in a forest and noones around to listen to Zephs little issues, did they ever matter? A voice said from behind Zeph.
He spun around, and he saw himself sitting in the chair next to him- except, it looked different.
Miss me? It said, standing up and grinning.
Y-you. You're the shadow, from my visions.
Oh spot on, somebody give the little boy a prize. Though that's not quite right. Yes, I was your shadow- but that was merely for aesthetic purposes. It said.
'It' was basically exactly like Zeph, except for a few differences- instead of a blue shirt, it was wearing a deep red shirt, and instead of pure white hair, its hair was a coal black and its eyes... its eyes were a bright red.
I figured I'd drop the act though, that was just boring. You wanna know what I really am? It spoke playfully, as it got right infront of Zephs face.
I'myou.
I'm the one you keep hidden deep, so very deep, down. Below all those disgusting emotions, and annoying sentiments. I'm the real you. The one they hate. The one that plaques you.
The one that Ferondir sees you as. The one they all see you as.
Zeph knew exactly what it meant. And it knew exactly what Zeph didn't want to hear.
No! I'm not you! I will never be you!
Heh. But you already are me. Just look around. Zeph hadn't even noticed the change. As he looked around, he was no longer in the tree house- instead he was inside of a fire- a forest fire.
You know exactly where this is, don't you? You know exactly what this is too.
No, no how can I be here? This isn't possible!
Oh, but it is. The voice said, suddenly behind Zeph.
Agh! That startled him.
You know, you're far more powerful than even you realize. You're far more dangerous.
To be fair, I suppose thats why I'm here.
And you know, I've already decided on what I'm going to do first once you get that whole mess figured out. It said, gesturing towards a blank space in the trees, in which Zeph could see dark silhouettes coming down from over a mountain, marching to the beat of a drum.
I'm going to finish the Job you already started for me. The Shadow gestured around towards the fire.
Thanks for that, by the way.
Zeph, who was now overwhelmed with panic, began to run through the forest- he didn't know where he was going, but he didn't care. As long as it was away from there.
You cant run from me.

F̼͔̿̑̒ͭr̺͇͉͇̥͚̮͛͡o͉̖̱͙͚̲̝͘m͖̞̺͚̰͇ͤ̑̔ͫ̚ ̮̺̤̤̠̠̱ͤ͂̀͝u̢̺̼͇s̤͖̩̤̲̍̇̃ͧ̎̈ a cluster of voices had said, in unison.

Gah! Zeph snapped awake, sitting in the chair- with his head in his hands.
Oh- Oh, thank the goddess, it was just a nightmare. Zeph got up from the chair quickly, and decided to start heading back to Mira.
He took one longing look back at the interior of the tree house before he descended the ladder and headed back.
Goodbye.

[invective~directive]

Shia blinked a few times, unsure of whether to lie or not. "Uh... To be honest, no I don't." She looked away. "It's better to think you don't know him than to think you do and find out you don't." Her face darkened. She clearly knew this from experience. "I hope he's who you think he is, for everyone's sake. If he wanted to, he could cause a lot of pain." She looked him in the eye. "But from what I've seen of him, he won't. I don't think he's that kind of person." That kind of person... I hope he's not. But I've barely met him, and he's... Confusing, to say the least. "I don't think either of you are." She pulled herself into a more professional position on the branch. "I used to be so good at climbing trees. Now... I don't even know who I am." She looked down, realizing for the first time how high up she was. She wasn't scared, just a little surprised.

[AngelOzwin]

"Yeah, maybe. I know there is darkness in his heart. I've seen it." Ferondir followed her eyes downward. "We're kinda high up aren't we?"
She looked up and her hat came loose and fell.
Ferondir darted down and caught it. He looked up at her, and saw a slightly envious expression. "You might be able to fly some day, if you work hard." He handed her her hat.
"I don't know if there is darkness in me. I hope not." Ferondir floated back to his original position. "I know he fights it. He's often victorious, but being born of magic... it has side effects." Ferondir looked down again, and saw a couple of rabbits run into the roots of a tree. "I trust him. I know he'd never hurt me on purpose, but he's not completely honest with me all the time. What do you think I should do?"