Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Second Dream Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Forwarded to late night

[byakkoyagirl]

[Around the afternoon, Paprika was released from the experimental alternate universe and went back to being her cheery dream girl self. And, like most others, she thought she was spared from the continued experiments.

Oh how wrong she was.

Like on the first night she arrived in Luceti, Paprika is going to be dropping into people's dreams through teleportation. Prepare to get your dreamspace invaded citizens of Luceti. Please don't kill her for this - she really doesn't want to imagine the crazy stuff you dream of.]

[ooc: please read this and fill out this (if you haven't already) before posting here o/]

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Hello, have a nightmare

[blessedbyfarore]

[It's snowing, falling thick and fast and obscuring the plaza from view. (No, not quite the plaza, actually - further to one side, in the direction of Azzip.) There are footprints in it - bare feet, wandering in a meandering line towards some unknown destination.]

[Following those footprints will bring you to Link - dressed in his new feather pants, Master Sword slack in his left hand. He's watching a battle - Paprika may recognise Yuber and Nu, targetting and attacking and destroying Link's friends one by one.]

[Saria - half-buried in a snow bank, one hand wrapped around a pale brown ocarina.]

[Malon - red hair splayed out, blending in with the blood that stains the snow around her.]

[Darunia - fragments of rock scattered around in lieu of blood.]

[Zelda - curled in on herself, pink dress stained red.]

[The friends he's made here, faces Paprika may recognise - Tsuzuki and Hijiri, Duo and Hisoka, Foot and Salt and Rydia and Selphie and Ash and Rise and Vash and Giles and Usagi and Colette...]

[And Sheik, the target of Yuber and Nu's wrath. Link can only watch, horror and grief and guilt on his face, tears frozen on his cheeks as they brutalise him - and still, he doesn't move.]

[Sheik dies already died, and he does did nothing. Frozen in place, he watches.]


((OOC: Going to be quite slow, sorry in advance! Lots of uni stuff over the next week.))

[byakkoyagirl.livejournal.com]

[She doesn't recognize the two attackers nor Link, but the some of the victims are friends of Paprika's as well and she recognizes them.

But, she also knows this is a dream. So even if she sees the two attackers killing she does not react to them and approaches Link in the snow. Her feet make crunching noises on the snow, but leave no footprints behind. She isn't apart of this dream after all. Once she gets close enough she puts a steady hand on his shoulder, trying to snap him out.]

Why is this happening?

[blessedbyfarore]

[Link doesn't jump at the hand, doesn't look away from the brutal scene in front of him - when he does speak, his voice is distant, choked.]

Because I couldn't protect him. I can't protect any of them.

[byakkoyagirl.livejournal.com]

[She shakes her head.]

That's wrong. This isn't happening because of you. It's happening because of them. ['Them' being of course the two people mercilessly killing everyone. Even if she doesn't recognized them and even if she acknowledges them only as apart of his dream, the very action of them slaughtering people disgusts her. But she doesn't turn away either, for his sake.] You aren't the one killing all of these people, so this isn't happening because of you.

[blessedbyfarore]

But I'm supposed to be a Hero...

[The scene changes again - this time, the clarity and clearness of it shows that it's memory, not a dream. Early morning, a light dusting of snow on the ground, trampled underfoot and splattered with blood. While Link is removed from the scene, Sheik is still sprawled in the snow, sliced open by Nu's attack - Link drops to his knees beside him and reaches for his pale hand.]

He's my friend. And I should have been able to save him... [Sniffing, he wipes at his eyes with his sleeve.] This shouldn't have happened.

[byakkoyagirl.livejournal.com]

[She looks down with him, but still doesn't react to the corpse. Although it's admittedly hard for her to keep this apathetic demeanor when there's clearly somebody sliced up and she's getting the feeling that this isn't a complete dream.]

Whatever happened isn't your fault. And if you say that it is then those words will eat away at you, until you really begin to believe them.

[blessedbyfarore]

But it is my fault... he doesn't even remember me now. [Gazing miserably at Sheik's face, he reaches out, closing his eyes and brushing his bangs away.]

[And then he glances up at Paprika, frowning.] Who... who are you?

[byakkoyagirl.livejournal.com]

[Death penalty. So this man really did die.]

I'm Paprika. Sorry about coming in like this - I got teleported here.

[blessedbyfarore]

[Link looks up sharply, then sighs - and the scene changes again, the plaza on an ordinary snowy day. No bodies, no blood - it's almost peaceful.]

The experiment. [He sighs, then ducks his head, letting the bangs cover his face again.] Sorry you saw that... I guess dying gives you bad dreams, huh?

[There's a flash - blink and you'll miss it - of Yuber running Link through with his sword, then Link winces and forcibly scatters the lingering traces of memory.]

[byakkoyagirl.livejournal.com]

I can't say anything for certain on that, but I guess so.

[She notices the flash, but once again doesn't even react.]

Are you going to be okay?

[blessedbyfarore]

I'll be fine. [It's almost automatic, the way it comes out - then he pauses, and his shoulders slump.] No. I don't know.

[byakkoyagirl.livejournal.com]

[A small nod.] You can't blame yourself. That's the first thing you need to understand.

[blessedbyfarore]

I've fought tougher enemies before, though. [He's stubborn, this one.] And I was fine, and... I couldn't protect him. I couldn't even protect myself.

[byakkoyagirl.livejournal.com]

You can't win every battle you fight. But, I'm sure he wouldn't want you beating yourself up like this. [She pats his arm a little.] If you don't accept what happened then these nightmares will only keep occurring.

[blessedbyfarore]

He doesn't care if I beat myself up or not, he doesn't even know who I am. [...Perhaps that was a little more bitter than he would have liked.]

[Sighing, he kicks at a clump of snow.] And I don't know if they're gonna attack us again... or if we'll ever be safe again...

[byakkoyagirl.livejournal.com]

If he did remember then he would be upset. Plus, you two don't have to separate just because he doesn't remember. You can help him rebuild his memories and not just from scratch.

...I can't answer you that, because I'm not those killers. But, you can't live in fear. Trust me. That's what they want you to do more than anything.

[blessedbyfarore]

...Maybe. [He sounds a little doubtful - but this is an opportunity, isn't it? Had Sheik even liked him, before? Perhaps they could just start afresh...]

[Link smiles flatly, gazing at the back of his hand blankly (oh - when had his old clothes reappeared? All that was missing was the gauntlet supposed to be on his left hand).] Right... I'm supposed to be couragous.

[And he sighs again.] I just don't feel like it right now.

[byakkoyagirl.livejournal.com]

Courage isn't something you can just build up easily. It takes time. If you have a reason to be courageous then it will come easily. I think you are brave though.

[blessedbyfarore]

[He's silent, still gazing at his hand. He had only got this far because of his courage, hadn't he? But hadn't Farore just given that to him? Now she's nowhere near him - he feels very alone.]

...I guess, [he finally sighs, although, really, he still doesn't quite look like he believes her.] What should I do if they come back? I don't wanna fail again...

[byakkoyagirl.livejournal.com]

There's no telling for sure whether they will come back. But, I can't tell you what to do. It's something you need to decide on your own. I'm not a fighter of any kind.

[blessedbyfarore]

I guess... [Link sighs - if he falls apart, he can't do anything, can he? All he can do is try - try to protect Sheik, try to protect his friends, try to protect himself.]

[Tentatively, he gives Paprika a smile.] Thanks.

[Around them, the scene is changing - still the plaza, but the snow is fading, the flowers are blooming, the sun is starting to peek out from behind the clouds.]

[byakkoyagirl.livejournal.com]

[She doesn't react to the scene change with anything more than a smile.]

This is a much better scene.

[blessedbyfarore]

[Link gazes around, then smiles briefly - it's certainly better than the snowy plaza decorated with his friends' bodies.]

...Do you think I'll be alright?

[byakkoyagirl.livejournal.com]

That isn't something I should be answering professionally...but I think you will. If you give yourself time.

[blessedbyfarore]

Thanks. [He smiles a little sleepily, reaching up to rub at his eyes.] I think I'm gonna wake up now, okay?