World Tree MUSH

  An open invitation had been extended to Yumi Tachibana by the Hylian princess staying in Kaipo Village; that the girl was perfectly welcome to visit any time she felt the desire to between her other duties. Considering there haven't come any urgent communications from the desert, the strange group living there have presumably been unharmed.

  She had extended a gently-worded offer to the girl for the evening, given Kaipo's relative state of quiet and peace, and her own more general state of not needing to bleed to death or collapse from fatigue. Tea had been offered, and conversation.

  It's not really the content of the message that might disturb Yumi, but the means. The princess can communicate with others directly to their very mind. It's probably not a sensation Yumi's ever had before.

  The medium is the sound of Zelda's own voice, but it also carries flickers of impressions. Her presence is one of radiant light, something sacred and joyous, as though to celebrate life itself. The end result is not altogether unpleasant, but listening to Zelda's 'voice' is mentally exhausting. Even if her physical mannerisms are subdued, her spiritual presence is powerful.

  Yumi will find herself going the same way she had gone before, but instead of entering the inn, she'll find her way to the oasis behind the inn. People go about their daily routine of fetching water and watering their beasts of burden; laundering their clothes, and socialising with one another.

  There's a single figure at the near end of the oasis, closer to the inn, where the shore is quiet. A palm tree stretches out over the water, and sitting in the late evening sun is none other than Princess Zelda. She has her legs drawn up beneath her, and she's scattering a handful of something on the sand before her. Birdseed. A small flock of sparrows chatter and quarrel amongst themselves, getting closer and closer; a faint smile touches the deceptively plain-looking young woman as the birds unwittingly come close enough to touch. The princess still looks drawn and exhausted, but there's finally colour in her cheeks.

  Rydia told her to take it easy, in so many words, and so she is.

  Set up on a small wooden crates nearby is what appears to be a tea service. The water was heated recently; steam still issues from the teapot. A few pieces of bread and what looks like butter and a blunt knife are on a plate beside the kettle and the empty teacups.

    This makes visit number 3 to Kaipo for a certain Normal Girl(tm). And this one is happening /after/ a scolding for sneaking offworld without telling anyone. But as bad as she feels for the guy that's taking care of her, Yumi Tachibana is still concerned for Zelda in general. The Hylian woman was pretty bad off last time they saw each other, and she didn't have a chance to visit last time she was here in the town. What with being injured, and all.

    Of course, the fact the request was made /telepathically/ might have something to do with it.

    "You're looking better already," is the first thing Zelda will hear, a call from a fair ways away. Yumi is approaching slowly, so as not to scare off the birds, but she looks like she's moving well enough... aside from having her purse slung over her right shoulder, instead of her left, that is. She was healed, but not perfectly. So she's gotta take measures to /hide/ it, at least from the people who would make her life difficult over it.

  Summer-blue eyes flick up at the familiar voice, unfocused as they skim the horizon, but the voice is distant enough that it takes Zelda a moment to find Yumi. She smiles when she does, an expression that just seems to radiate that simple pleasure. The princess must be feeling better. She'd been miserable the first few times Yumi's seen her.

  It's like a weight's been lifted off her shoulders. There are still shadows under her eyes, but the desperate anxiety that had haunted her doesn't seem as sharp as it was. She's willing to smile. To laugh.

  "I feel much better today," Zelda acknowledges, bobbing her head. She looks younger without the weight of her royal trappings; maybe eight years older than Yumi, at the very most. One hand sets aside the bag of birdseed she'd been scattering, and the other smooths out her plain grey dress. Her hair's been left loose and unadorned, but it looks combed and clean; a dark honeyed gold closer to brown than blonde.

  The princess gestures toward the sand, where a blanket's been laid out. "Please, join me. I'm sorry I can't offer you something more comfortable, though. The commons of the inn is far too popular tonight; we'd scarcely be able to hear one another."

  "I do at least have tea, this time, and something to eat." She dips her chin to indicate the teapot and plate.

  She pulls something from behind her, settling it on her lap. It looks like a harp or lyre, and it looks very old, in spite of being cared for. Zelda experimentally runs the pad of her thumb along the strings, notes so soft they could be missed.

  Holding and strumming the thing seems to be more of a reflexive thing for her than an intentional performance; like a smoker toying with a cigarette. The way she handles it so carefully almost borders on reverence. "I would have met you in your realm, but it is too far for me to walk, and I am still not certain I understand the concept of... 'buses.'"

  "I have at least procured tea, although I can provide something else, if that is not to your preference." The princess tilts her head, regarding Yumi evenly. "I hope you have been well, Tachibana Yumi? It is good to see you again, and under less arduous circumstances, at that."

    The inn receives a brief, over-the-shoulder glance, before there's a soft chuckle. "Well, I don't mind crowds, but they do make it harder to talk, yeah." And given how softspoken Zelda is, this is probably a far better idea. "Buses? Oh, they're just... well, instead of owning a vehicle yourself, you pay a fee and ride one that follows a route. We have a couple different ways like that to get around."

    As Yumi settles in, she glances briefly to the snacks and tea, then replies, "The tea would be wonderful. Don't worry about the food, th-" Her polite refusal is cut off by a soft rumble from her own stomach, which immediately puts a hint of color in her cheeks. "...okay, maybe just a little." Ahem. "I'm doing better, after the other night. Rydia wasn't able to heal the wound completely, but she did make it a lot better, and it seems like it's healing well on its own now." She cants her head slightly, listening to the strumming of the harp.

  "Yes, and I am still sought after." Zelda closes her eyes, briefly. "Crowds are not comfortable for me. Not until I know I need not look over my shoulder. I am not afraid of his pets--" It's a lie, because her smile is just a little forced, "--but they are a danger to people around me."

  She leans back against the tree, cocking her head slightly at the explanation of what a bus is. She still isn't completely sure what a vehicle is, but it must be those conveyances she saw, on those oddly straight roads. Even Castle Town's grand avenues are curved.

  "I suppose," she finally says, slowly. "If that's what I think it is, it must be a great service to your people, to be able to go where they need to. But your cities are vast." The princess shakes her head, and her expression is one of a woman impressed. "I would imagine crossing them must take time..."

  She gestures loosely with the hand plucking the harp strings. "Castle Town is built around the southern face of Hyrule Castle. I would estimate its total length at slightly under a day's walk from the castle's outer bailey gates to the Gate of the Sun, accounting for its markets and its residental districts, as well as its industry... the fields, and a number of forests, lie beyond its curtain walls. It is still not so vast as your city, and it is the largest that I know."

  In other words, wow, that modern city thing is pretty mind-blowingly huge! There simply aren't any areas of Hyrule that compare, nor that many people gathered into one place.

  The princess allows herself a slight smile when Yumi's stomach speaks up for her. Her smile is one of commisseration; she's done the exact same thing herself over the past few days. "Good." The smile fades, like clouds gathering before the sun. "I am sorry I have been scarce of late. The Adept-Killer came clser to his goal than he could know."

  "I could have been of some help to Rydia. My sorcery can mend even grave wounds." She holds up her right hand, subtly, and Yumi might catch a glimpse of that triangular crest glowing softly. "But I have not the strength, as I am now." It might not kill her, but it would weaken her so badly that something else might as well finish the job.

  She studies Yumi intently, even as her hands play the harp seemingly of their own accord. It's a simple melody, but there's something soothing about it, both hopeful and melancholy, almost like a lullaby. "I am feeling stronger, however. If in a few days' time you still suffer from your wounds, Tachibana Yumi, I would welcome the opportunity to mend them for you, and repay you your kindness in some small part."

    Yumi can't help beaming a little. "Japan's cities are some of the most densely populated in the world. We're really good at getting a lot of people into a relatively small area." She pauses, then blinks. "...that sounded a lot worse than I meant it. It's not /uncomfortable/ living. And it also means we've got a lot of woodland, too. There's some pretty countryside out west of Natsuto." She relents enough on the subject of food to butter herself a slice of bread. She's definitely doing well at hiding her injury - there's only one brief wince, and she manages to play it off... passably well, at least. Enough to fool someone who doesn't already know. "I'd appreciate that, I think," she replies, with a bow of her head.

    But with that topic brought up, Yumi is quiet for a second or two, before murmuring, "...he shot at Rydia. I don't know if I can forgive that. I'm not so upset that he shot me or Cecil, but I can't get over the fact he shot at Rydia. Just because she's a mage. And at you, I guess. Both of you are good people. I /know/ both of you are good people. And he just..." She bites her lip for a moment, then shakes her head. "...he tossed me a bandage when he left. I guess because I'm normal. I threw it away."

  "There are that many people, there, too?" Zelda's brows arch as though impressed. "I had no idea. Your cities... they're indeed impressive, Tachibana Yumi. If it isn't too much of an imposition, when I have the strength, I would like to see it again, though I wouldn't dare stay long."

  Her gaze slides off to the side, and she frowns briefly. "I really must find a horse..."

  And not one of these charming but weird bird things. They have their merits, but her body isn't used to riding them. It comes much more naturally with a horse.

  "Oh..." The Hylian's expression falls further as Yumi explains. There's a flicker of pain in those summer-blue eyes. "I haven't seen much of Rydia since you'd met with him. She is in pain, but I would not insult her by robbing her of her space."

  Both of you are good people, Yumi says, and Zelda's eyes slide away from her again, fingers almost fretful over the strings. "Thank you for your kindness, Tachibana Yumi. You honour me with it."

  Her gaze drops finally to the strings of the harp, old but still bright-sounding. "I have it in my mind to establish a base of operations in Hyrule until my castle is restored to me, once a suitable location is found. Once I've managed to do that, I think that it would be safer to invite Rydia to stay there, if she's willing."

    Yumi beams. "I'd be glad to have you as a guest when you're feeling better. I'm still kinda learning the city myself, but I've already found some really nice places to visit." She's very good at packing away snacks while conversing, as it turns out - and she's businesslike about pouring herself a cup of tea to go with it. Which is good, because weighty topics are afoot. "...She's upset at me and Cecil," Yumi admits. "Or... I guess upset with us, is a little better way of saying it. We both got shot on behalf of someone else, and... and I think she's seen people she cares about get themselves hurt on someone else's behalf before." As young as the summoner is, it's understandably hard for her to see someone willingly get themselves hurt.

    Oh, but a base of operations! That's much more encouraging. "That, I can definitely help with! I might not have magic or high-tech weapons or anything, but I've got two strong ar- nnn." Whoops. Without thinking about it, Yumi went to lift her arm up and cheerfully 'flex', but she absolutely picked the wrong arm to do it with. And now she's very gingerly lowering it. "Okay, nothing above the shoulder for now. Ow."

  "Your city is so strange and different." Zelda manages a faint, sheepish smile. "But... that's not a bad thing. I would be honoured to visit and see more of it. In that case, I hope that we can both learn from each other." She gives a bob of her head, loose chestnut hair ghosting the movement.

  Her fingers splay over the harp strings to mute them, and her expression turns more somber at the mention of Rydia. "Yes. She had scarcely spoken to me in the days after I was attacked, and I've seen little of her after her own attack. She has suffered so much pain, and so young. I worry for her."

  "But I could not have changed the outcome. I am duty-bound to protect my people." Zelda looks uncertain for a moment. "But it's a duty that I can't ignore."

  "Even if I chose to hide, to ease Rydia's mind and keep myself safe, I would have given in. It would torment me with the choice." She shakes her head, reaching over to pour herself her own cup of tea. Her hand trembles, enough to hear the soft sound of clattering. It may be that she has colour again, but her strength is still coming back to her. "I would obsess over the matter until I chose the other path simply to quiet my own mind."

  She glances back to the inn, before looking back to Yumi, her stare flattening a little when the girl accidentally brings up the wrong arm, wincing and lowering it as though she'd done something she probably shouldn't have. Zelda sets her teacup and harp aside at once, reaching out for Yumi.

  She doesn't quite touch her, but stares at Yumi, intently. "You are still wounded, Tachibana Yumi. I am well enough to offer this much." It would be rude to just heal first and ask permission later. She gestures faintly toward the injured arm, arching a brow. "May I...?"

    Yumi's smile this time is softer, almost sad. "...I understand better than you might think." She sips at her tea, thoughtful. "Like I told Rydia, when that man was getting ready to shoot a defenseless, terrified girl... I was already there, but before I even realized what I was doing, I squared my feet and planted myself. It was automatic. And you know what? I knew exactly what I was doing. I... I didn't even bat an eye at the idea of getting shot." She only sounds faintly troubled by this. "...what kind of life did I even lead, before I lost my memory? To be that willing to..." Sigh. Not worth obsessing over right now. "...anyway, I understand."

    An offered hand, offered healing. Yumi stares at it, biting her lip... and then, shakes her head. "No, it's alright. It's already a lot better than it was, and you need your rest. Give it a few days, then I'll come back and you can heal it more properly. I promise. I won't flake out or 'forget'."

  "Mm." It's an unhappy and almost uncertain sound. "As you wish, then, Tachibana Yumi." Zelda's regard is a little dubious as she withdraws her hand. She doesn't press the issue of healing. Yumi's logic is sound, and she agrees with it. "I will respect your decision, and trust that you will return to me when you have need."

  She eases back against the palm's trunk, gathering up her harp again and skimming her fingers over the strings. "I understand," she says, maybe a little unexpectedly. Those summer-blue eyes are settled intensely on Yumi, and Zelda almost looks a little troubled. "That feeling. That driving urge. I understand it. I feel it, too. It isn't that I want to put myself in harm's way. It's more..." She looks away, frowning and searching for the words. "I simply can't stand by, as you said."

  "Judging by what you have told me, Tachibana Yumi, you did not lead an ordinary life. It is an extraordinary person who can throw themselves into harm's way for the sake of a stranger." Zelda allows herself a faint smile, almost shy, but not quite. "That should be commended... even if the paths we who would protect others follow are unforgiving and lonely."

  The strings are strummed again, gently. "For whatever it may be worth, I hope you can recover your memories. Not knowing yourself... I can't imagine how difficult it must be. You must be strong, to carry on with your head held high as you do." There's a flicker of a half-smile. "Maybe the Goddess Farore favours you? Courage is in her purview... and what you've told me speaks to your courage."

    Carefully, Yumi lifts her teacup again, listening - she doesn't say anything, but she doesn't really need to. She understands that sentiment all too well. Defending people who need it - it's so deeply ingrained in her that she wouldn't be able to look herself in the mirror if she didn't. But she does have things to say on the topic of herself. "Eheh... I guess I'm good at hiding it. Or keeping myself distracted. I've had a few nights where it's really bothered me. It's what I was thinking about when you and Thanatos showed up, at the crater." She lowers her tea, pushing away the doldrums for the moment. "Mm. I could think of worse things to be favored by than a goddess of courage, for certain. Could use a blessing or two, for that matter. Here I am standing up to guys with high-tech guns and armor, and all I can bring to the table is a baseball bat. Maybe I can get an enchanted one, or something." An enchanted baseball bat. Now there's a thought.

  "Maybe so. I have had enough sleepless nights of my own to understand that." Zelda drops her gaze to her harp, plucking a melancholy run of strings. "I wondered what you were thinking of, when I saw you by the crater. You looked so solemn..." Now she knows why.

  She smiles, faintly, though she doesn't look up from her harp. Speaking of courage, she probably ought to give the news to Yumi. "Do you remember the hero I asked you to help me search for? I have found him." The smile fades. "Well. He found me. He followed my blood trail from Hyrule to this place."

  "I will introduce you, but later. He is not here, not right now... and he has been cursed with the body of a wolf, so he would frighten the villagers by day." Zelda looks a little guilt-ridden at that. "I only wish I had the strength to lift the curse, but I know that I do not."

  "Maybe so. I have had enough sleepless nights of my own to understand that." Zelda drops her gaze to her harp, plucking a melancholy run of strings. "I wondered what you were thinking of, when I saw you by the crater. You looked so solemn..." Now she knows why.

  She smiles, faintly, though she doesn't look up from her harp. Speaking of courage, she probably ought to give the news to Yumi. "Do you remember the hero I asked you to help me search for? I have found him." The smile fades. "Well. He found me. He followed my blood trail from Hyrule to this place."

  "I will introduce you, but later. He is not here, not right now... and he has been cursed with the body of a wolf, so he would frighten the villagers by day." Zelda looks a little guilt-ridden at that. "I only wish I had the strength to lift the curse, but I know that I do not."

  The princess shakes her head and loks up, meeting Yumi's eyes with a slight quirk of her brows. Weapons? "I'm afraid I wouldn't be of much help. I have some training with a rapier, and with bow and quiver... but even at my peak, I have not the strength to challenge the likes of the Adept-Slayer. You might be better served seeking instruction from somewhere else, though if you desire to learn, Tachibana Yumi, I will teach you."

  There's a pause. Zelda glances down at her right shoulder, still swathed in bandages; the one she would use to draw a bow with.

  "...Later, though, perhaps."

    Yumi shakes her head, this time letting out a genuine laugh. "I was joking, mostly. I think a blessed baseball bat would be kind of silly to go into battle with. I don't think I'm cut out for a rapier or a bow, either." She settles back, looking skyward thoughtfully. "I wouldn't mind training as a knight, but that kind of thing takes years. So I'm not gonna worry about it for now." She blows out a 'long-suffering' sigh, then turns to look towards the inn thoughtfully. "I'm glad to hear you found who you were looking for, though! I hope he's doing okay, aside from the curse. Is he... he's still got his mind, right? He hasn't turned completely into an animal?" Not that she'd be particularly scared; she's mostly wondering how she'll approach the eventual meeting.

  "Oh." The Hylian tilts her head slightly, and the gesture only serves to underscore her sharply pointed ears. "Well, I wish you luck in finding a means that suits you."

  A knight. There's a momentary flicker of pain, and Zelda's smile is just a little too forced. "Hyrule had many knights. The finest of them became the Royal Guardsmen..." Zant murdered a pretty big swath through the lists. There might not even be any appointed knights left. "They were fine men and women."

  "It does take years..." Zelda eyes the girl thoughtfully. It's clear the wheels are turning, but it isn't immediately clear what she's mulling over. "Well, I suppose you'll find what answers you need, in time."

  Setting aside her harp, she takes up her teacup and cradles its warmth in her hands, closing her eyes and holding it up to breathe in its aroma. It's soothing; some kind of herbal tea that manages to be both calming and fragrantly sweet. "Mmm. Yes. He is still in possession of his mind, but he cannot speak."

  "It may be that he has the body of a wolf, but it is the heart of a man that beats in his breast, not a beast." She opens one eye, hooded, regarding Yumi serenely. "I can see him for what he is."

    After a moment or two of debate, Yumi finally decides to just flop down on the blanket, lying on her back, with fingers laced over her stomach. "He's tenacious enough to track you here all the way from Hyrule, and still has his full mind besides. Even if he's not in his normal body, he's definitely the best bodyguard you could ask for. Maybe even more than normal, with a nose and ears like that." Always some sort of bright side, regardless of the missing opposable thumbs. "Let me know when you start getting set up in Hyrule again, though? I can't cast magic or shoot a bow, but I can help move things, sort things, do inventory... I'd be glad to help, even if it's something like that."

  As Yumi describes the Chosen Hero's progress, the princess seems to huddle around her teacup. For a fleeting instant Zelda looks older than her twenty-two years; older and more tired, and a great deal more uncertain. It's gone in an instant, though, glossed over with a slightly forced smile.

  'Bodyguard.' Her smile turns a little more forced at that. "No, Tachibana Yumi. While he is technically my subject... it wouldn't be right to impose that on him. Perhaps I may ask him, if he has no more immediate goal in mind, to help me with mine... but I would never assume."

  Zelda sets her teacup aside, spreading her hands in a gesture of entreaty. "Besides which, we are strangers. It would be unfair to ask so much of him."

  "I will. I have yet to find a suitable stronghold. I have some ideas, but I suspect they may be too remote." Snowpeak was her initial suggestion, but the mountain is too savage, and accessibility is a concern. "If by some miracle Faron Wood can be liberated from the Twilight, maybe there's a place there that would serve... but forgive me; I'm getting ahead of myself."

  "I would welcome your efforts in Hyrule. If logistics are your skill, I will have need of a quartermaster sooner or later." Zelda manages a faint smile, clutching her harp close. After all, it's a pretty safe bet that Zant's pet shadow beasts probably ate the royal treasurer... and all of his staff, too.

  She pushes herself carefully to her feet, picking up her harp with a free hand, but she still has to brace herself against the palm's trunk. Paling a moment, she screws her eyes shut as the desert lurches underfoot. If she can stay upright, she'll be just fine... probably...

  Zelda squeezes her eyes shut and blinks hard a few times, eyeing the horizon to make sure everything's staying level.

  So far, so good. She lets go of the tree with exaggerated care.

  "I should rest, soon. I am sorry to impose any further... Tachibana Yumi, will you help me return to my room? The inn staff will see to the dishes." She put that request in earlier, knowing by the time she was done she probably wouldn't have the strength. Well, it's a step above doing it herself. "I could return myself, but I am still a little unsteady on my feet..."

    Finally, Yumi decides it's a good moment to turn and look Zelda's way, with an arched eyebrow. "He followed you all the way from Hyrule, Yo- ah, Zelda. I don't think you even need to do the asking, at this point." Now she /definitely/ sounds amused.

    But as adorable as Zelda's humbleness might be right this moment, she's looking awful unsteady on her feet. Before the queen-regnant even makes her request, Yumi's already on her feet, straightening her skirt a bit. "Of course." Honestly, she'd have gone into lecture mode if Zelda had tried to go any further on her own. She takes a few steps over and carefully situates herself on the princess's left, so that her good shoulder will be the one bearing the weight. And for being of thoroughly average height for a Japanese teen, she's at least built solidly enough to provide surprisingly stable support. "Alright, nice and easy... don't go any faster than you're ready for, okay?"

  "I would ask much of him, as the Chosen Hero, but I would not ask him to devote himself solely to my protection." Zelda shakes her head, and the idea seems almost distressing to her. "His fate is bound with much more important things than merely watching over me. I couldn't comfortably ask..."

  Actually, it's been a relief to know he's been watching over her at night, or to hear the music of a wolf echoing over the desert. The sound evokes no primordial terror. Wolves have never really been maligned in Hyrule.

  Average as Yumi is, she still looks like she might have a few pounds on the princess; although even with her soft-soled boots the princess' height is average.

  Zelda allows herself the faintest flicker of relief as Yumi supports her left side, though it brings an equal flicker of shame with it. She would be within her right to order people around to help her if she felt infirm, but unlike most royalty, it distresses her to do that.

  The princess seems to believe absolutely in her position as a servant to the poeple, not as their overlord; her sincere humbleness is a bit of an odd quality in a monarch.

  She steps carefully, testing her weight before putting her foot down, leaning on Yumi just enough to balance, but not enough to force the girl to stagger. "Thank you, Tachibana Yumi." Her admission is quiet, and a little unhappy. Zelda does not like asking for help. "No. I cannot walk any faster than that. I am only tired."

  "Before I came to this place," she explains, stepping carefully, "I was running from the usurper's beasts. I expect it's been... three to four weeks since my flight from Hyrule Castle... maybe... a few days on either side?" she muses, looking down for a moment. It keeps her from tripping on a rock, but it does make her dizzy, and she clutches at Yumi's arm with a soft sound of frustration. It's annoying to feel so weak when there's so much to be done. "Every time that I invoke the Triforce, every time I draw on my heritage, that draw is monstrous. It exhausts me even on the best of days."

  It's not far to the inn room, fortunately. It's empty, though tidy, and the bed is crudely made. She lets Yumi lead her over, setting her harp on the table and sitting down on the side of it.

  Her fingers tighten over the frame, as much to steady herself as anything else. "Thank you, Tachibana Yumi," she repeats, softly, kicking off her boots and pulling the blankets over herself wearily. "Travel safe, on your return. I am sorry to ask you so far out of your way..." Zelda manages a faint flicker of a smile. "But, I hope that we meet again soon. I cannot help but be comfortable in the presence of those favoured by Farore..."

  Comfortable enough to allow herself to rest; enough so that she never quite finishes her sentence. Her breathing slows, and her expression relaxes, losing some of its subtle worry.