World Tree MUSH

  Spring has slowly begun to thaw the heavy snowpack of Hyrule's Peak Province. Although the summits will always bear their mantle of white, many of the alpine meadows and valleys are melting, and the riot of greenery and wildflowers is almost overwhelming to the senses.

  The grounds of the ruins have also greened up, and grass has been planted in the manor's courtyard. Most of the structures have been repaired, excepting the broken curtain walls and smashed gate. The walls are being built up higher, and the wrought-iron gate will be replaced by a thick, iron-banded oak gate. In effect, the defenses are being built up to withstand a siege.

  Zelda has meant to travel next to Faron Wood, far to the south, to retrieve the Master Sword and commune with Ordona, the Light Spirit appointed by Hylia to guard Faron Province. She's been waiting for the repairs to finish. That should be some weeks off, still.

  Currently the princess is in the small Temple of Hylia; a ghostly vision standing waist-deep in the steaming water. Her head is bowed, face hidden by her long, loose hair. Her posture is one of subtle resignation.

  The door is open a crack, just enough to hear Zelda's voice from within.

  "...suppose this means the ancient prophecies are true." Her tone is soft. "For too long I have dug in my heels and refused to acknowledge them."

  She lifts her gaze to the silent statue, eyes tired; far too old and tired for her twenty- some years. As there sometimes is, her eyes reflect a frightening wisdom. Slowly, she lifts her hands palm-up towards the statue.

  "O Goddesses of Hyrule," she murmurs, "I offer my most humble apologies. I seek Your forgiveness for my arrogant pride. The signs You have lain before me are undeniable."

  The princess sighs, softly, her breath fluttering the hair fallen before her face. It's the sound of someone unprepared for the weight on their shoulders. At the same time, it's the exhausted gesture of a world-weary deity.

  "Hyrule now faces a crisis. I would be foolish to ignore the signs. The hour is nigh to retrieve the Blade of Evil's Bane and bestow it upon the Chosen Hero." Her hands fall back to the water with a paired splash and her head bows. "It is time for me to face the inconvenient truth; that this is the age in which the ancient evil returns to threaten the Hyrule that I love."

  "Please, O Author of Law. Please grant this Daughter of Hylia the power to challenge this usurper king. Grant me the power to deal this evil that threatens my kingdom and people."

  Silence settles over the temple, broken only by a quiet ripple as the princess advances another step deeper into the spring.

  "Before it is too late."

  It's hard to imagine her as a woman of royal blood in this moment. She is without the arrogance of the aristocracy, and absolutely willing to cast aside what dignity or pride there is left, nearly abasing herself before her goddesses for the sake of her people. Her humility is incredible, especially for aristocracy; let alone royalty. With that kind of devotion, it's easy to see why she's considered so fondly among Hyrule's people.

  To listen to her prayers, she blames herself utterly for Hyrule's current plight. The coup destroyed any self-confidence she might have had in her own leadership, no matter how confident she might appear in public.

    Green is such a nice thing to see up this high and seemingly so early, though Terra really has no sense for this world's climate and probably not even her own. Each walk through the grounds yields new things to see, it would seem! New improvements, new greenery- everything is relatively new to someone whose earliest clear memories are shrouded in wintry white.

    While further spoiling of Zelda's unnamed horse is tempting, she finds herself drawn elsewhere. So she wanders. With no clear goal, not at first, she eventually finds herself in view of the temple. The temple likely means Zelda, which means company. Not an unwelcome thing, though she's often quite fine on her own so long as we aren't rationing apples!

    So, she draws toward the entrance, slowing before reaching out to grip the door. Beyond, she can hear the princess' entreaties but only partially. It seems almost wrong to interrupt! Still, after waiting to ensure Zelda has at least some privacy, she once again reaches for the door.

    She ducks a little as she enters, not so much to avoid bumping anything but more from an unconscious desire to be as unobtrusive as possible. That's easier if you're smaller, right?! Still, she's here, briefly silhouetted in the afternoon light before she pulls the door closed behind. Click.

    "Sorry, I don't mean to interrupt. I'm just..." Lonely? Without anything else to do? Unsure if Zelda's apparent fatigue is any better or worse than normal, the half-Esper squeezes her hands together. "Do you need anything? I'm happy to..." She glances to one side, unsure what to offer beyond that.

  The reaction to Terra's voice is almost instantaneous. Water thrashes as Zelda instinctively shies away from the sound of the voice. She hadn't heard the other woman's approach, which seldom happens unless she's deep in prayer or thought.

  "Terra Branford." The Hylian's voice is a little unsteady as she smooths the front of her ceremonial dress. Turning back to the stone-hewn likeness of Hylia, she clasps her hands before herself, bowing deeply to the statue.

  "No. There is nothing I need, though I appreciate the offer. Come. Have a seat." She straightens, turning slowly in the steaming water. The princess cants her head slightly to one side when Terra has some difficulty explaining herself. "Is something the matter? Are you alright...?"

    Terra startles herself, half-stepping back. She really hadn't meant to be sneaky; she just tends to be quiet much of the time! Odd how she manages to be so gentle in approaching someone that she manages to instead startle them! "I'm sorry!" She reaches behind, starting to fumble at the door blindly as if she might bolt like a frightened animal! Oh dear. Sorry.

    "Yes, I- No, nothing's wrong. I'm fine! It's nothing." Now she feels awkward and foolish for causing such a commotion, eyes darting to and fro before she settles her gaze once more on Zelda. "I was just about and heard you talking. I didn't mean to listen but you sounded so worried." A pause, then she finally starts forward away from the door.

    "I know you aren't. Not really. Alone, I mean. I just thought maybe you'd like more company." There, she managed to say it without clamming up or being even weirder than usual. Progress? She moves to be seated, anyway, settling in with a little sigh of relief. She at least feels better than she did a few moments before.

  The princess eyes her impromptu travelling companion for a few silent moments, letting Terra trip over her own words. She waits until most of the words are out before holding up a delicate hand, palm outward. Her hand is slim and delicate, but her fingers are callused in the pattern of a sword's hilt; arms slender but muscled as one who draws a bow. No helpless princess, this.

  "Peace." Zelda waits a moment for that word to sink in through the temple's silence. Her voice sounds just a little concerned when she continues. "Are you afraid of me, Terra Branford? You cringe from my presence as the beasts of the Twilight cringe from Her Grace's light. I do not know what your story is, not fully, but I know that you are no stranger to loneliness and pain. But you need not be afraid of me. And be not afraid of this temple. It is a place of rest, and respite, and you are made welcome, here."

  The princess lets her hand fall back to the water with a careless splash. "I often speak to the goddesses. I am surprised you have not found me in the middle of the night." Her fleeting smile is almost sardonic. "I have trouble sleeping. Prayer soothes my mind."

  "I appreciate the offer. As I said, you are welcome here." She gestures to the statue. "I am simply... faced with a hard road. I am not complaining, mind. I am no stranger to hard work or effort, and I welcome both. They are in fact vital to a person's well being, I think."

  Her eyes turn back to the statue and its benevolent, Mona Lisa smile. "But the road that lay before me... it is a hard one, Terra Branford." Zelda's use of the full name seems more a mark of respect than anything strange; it's a formality, one of the many little archaic mannerisms of hers. Whether it's a reflection of Hyrulean society as a whole or merely a reflection of her status as royalty, it's hard to say. "I know what must be done, but I question whether I have the strength to do it."

    So maybe her mannerism is more of a disaster than she thought. Terra takes a breath to just cool it, wanting to shed her own uncertainty though she has no clear way to do that beyond seeking out some of her more challenging companions.

    The question of whether she's afraid or not makes her squirm just a bit. She's not- is she? "I don't think-" Further exploration on that thought halts momentarily. "I'm-" No, no, stop offering apologies so much! She shakes her head, setting her lips and then speaks again. "I'm not sure. You've always been kind and you've never given me any reason to think you'd do anything but help. I guess that's why I don't want to be a bother or a burden. I'm afraid- Not of you! Or this place." That last bit is delivered hastily.

    Switching gears for the moment, back to listening, she nods. Trouble sleeping is nothing strange to her! Mention of work sees her unconsciously running thumbs over her own hands, exploring the hardness there earned by who knows how much time plying the tools of war.

    "It might be- Maybe with help, the work won't be quite as hard." There's already an example of this outside. Without help, this castle would have been so much less hospitable through the trailing months of winter.

    "I'd like to help. If I can. I suppose that's why I'm afraid. I feel lost, like I should be doing more. You're really amazing and I wish I could be more like you. Instead I'm... Here. Hiding from-" She cuts off, shaking her head and spreading her hands helplessly. "I don't know what."

  The princess folds her hands before her, silent as she lets the other woman work out her scattered and broken thoughts. She's no stranger to that. Sometimes, even with the unfair advantage of the Triforce of Wisdom, her mind is still an anxious jumble.

  Part of her is still processing and coping the full depth of what's happened to her kingdom, her subjects, and even her family.

  "Hm." Zelda tilts her head a little. The slow deliberation of the gesture suggests consideration. "Well, you may be at ease, in this place." Her faint smile is not unkindly. "Her Grace is not selective, and welcomes all who seek a place of respite. Your answers will come to you in time, I hope, just as Tachibana Yumi's will come to her." Those calm, summer-blue eyes settle on Terra. "Or is there something more specific that you fear...?"

    The half-Esper really is a mess upstairs. At least Terra isn't as fundamentally broken as the one face she remembers best out of all of her blurry, disjointed memories. A thing to keep her up nights, to be sure.

    A tragedy the two unkowingly share, to some extent.

    "I'm glad. Just to be here. To have met you all! Yes, I hope. I suppose I'm as frightened of what they'll be as what I'll have to do with that revelation." The question of what else she might fear once more conjures that face. The laughing. She balls up just a little, hugging her legs against her front. "I think I've remembered a few things. Someone... I think the person that did all of this to me."