Video; Questions

[replicatedcourage]

[As pleased as Sola was all throughout the RPG curse, cutting weeds and fighting monsters and just generally being in his element, he seems much more sombre when he appears on the network in the early hours of Monday morning. He's sitting on a couch, a small blue instrument in his hands. It seems he can't sleep.]

I thought the curse would help me forget about it, but...

[He turns the ocarina over in his hands, not looking at the camera.]

...what happens if you died on your world and then you get sent back there from here?

[He knows too many where this is the case, and if the tightening of his fingers around the object in his hands is any indication, it's something that weighs on him a great deal.]

And, um, Zelda? If you see this, I'm really sorry I couldn't make a wish.

[He tried very hard, but he just couldn't make it.

Unable to think of much more to say, Sola simply sits and turns the ocarina over in his hands, either waiting for an answer or simply unwilling to turn off the video.]

Comments

[Text]

[stridercentric]

[Oh Sola. Today was exactly the wrong day to ask that question. Bro doesn't check his SFC until late in the afternoon, after the flashmob's happened and he's found out just why Dave wasn't there. That's why he can't help but write a blunt, moody response. He knows he shouldn't, he just can't stop himself.]

nothing changes. end of story.

[Text]

[replicatedcourage]

[Oh, text. It's a little easier for him now that Dirk's installed a bigger keyboard on his SFC but that doesn't change his distress at the content of the message, even if he sort of suspected.]

are you sure? maybe the bubble sends them back fine

[He can hope.]

[Text]

[stridercentric]

ok. lets assume theyre fine.

no fatal wounds. maybe they remember why theyre fine. they remember this place.

and then what? ill tell you. youve got an alternate timeline on your hands. because it doesnt correspond with the memories your pals from the future have. now say this happens to everyone whos been in vatheon and got sent back. even the ones whove been here two or three times.

id draw a schematic but theres not enough pencils to be found in this whole damn bubble.

so in a nutshell. thats one big buttload of alternate timelines. a number that could probably reach into infinity. pretty sure it doesnt work like that.

[Text]

[replicatedcourage]

[Sola takes quite a long time to respond. he has to look some of the words up, and then take some time to understand the gravity of alternate timelines, but...]

but if it does then at least there not dead

[Text]

[stridercentric]

[Wow. Bro was not expecting this kind of drama from a guy who, if he's got it right, is essentially Dark Link. Or Shadow Link, or Phantom Link or whatever he's called. Probably depends on which Zelda game you're playing. Either way, looks like boss battles can be deceiving.]

and then you keep living for a couple more years and die anyway.

dunno how it is where youre from. but in my world? immortality doesnt exist.

[Text]

[replicatedcourage]

[Bing-bong, nail on the head! It's Dark Link alright, but there's way more to him than what little's explained in the N64 game.]

people from my world live a really long time like master ganon was here some months ago and he was way older than when im from

[There's a long pause, and then another message.]

i dont want to die again

[Video]

[coolerthansora]

I think- you just go back to how you were.

...that's why we need to figure out how to stay, right?

[Video]

[replicatedcourage]

But what about everyone who's already gone...?

[He's scared for himself, certainly, but Ion and Link and any others...

It's too much and Sola looks a bit like he wants to cry.]

[Video]

[coolerthansora]

I dunno. But- they came here once, right?

[Video]

[replicatedcourage]

Do you think they'll come back?

[He sounds doubtful.]

Ion's been gone a year.

[Video]

[coolerthansora]

I don't think we can count on them to just come back.

I was just thinking... if we figure out how to stay, maybe we can figure out how to bring them back, too.

[Text]

[relinquishing]

[It's much later when Guy finally reads this, knowing exactly who the young Hylian is talking about. It makes his heart sink a bit.

...]

Unless something with the bubble changes? I'm not sure anything will change.

I'm sorry, Sola.

[Text]

[replicatedcourage]

its not fair

[That's the only response Guy gets at first, but it comes to quickly it couldn't have been typed in anything but anger.]

[Text]

[relinquishing]

[Poor kid. Might as well make this conversation short and let him sort it out on his own.]

I know. I know it's not.

You're not the only one who's facing loss.

[Text]

[replicatedcourage]

but i dont want ion to be dead!! or link! or anybody!

[I don't want to not exist...]

[Text]

[relinquishing]

Easy, easy....

I know it's scary, Sola. But what will getting upset about them now do? It's not going to bring them back. It's not going to change anything. It's not what they'd want - they wouldn't want to see any of us suffering for their sakes.

Right now, we have to do what we can. And that might mean finding a way to make sure people can come back and stay here.

[not_heavens_adam]

[Johnny came into the room and switched off the SFC before coming to the side of the couch.

He knelt down and brought a hand up to Sola's face so he could encourage those red eyes to look at him.]

Hey...

[He leaned forward to briefly press a kiss to Sola's lips. Then he was pulling the smaller figure into a tight hug, wishing he could do more than that.

He couldn't tell Sola it would be all right because it wasn't and he didn't have any evidence that it would be. He couldn't even tell him that those who had died would go home revived because he knew that wasn't true at all.]

[replicatedcourage]

I tried really hard!

[Sola's voice is tight against Johnny's chest, constricted by trying to keep himself together.]

I did everything I could to help the bubble so I could wish for the Triforce and make Zelda happy and maybe wish Link back o-or save Hyrule!

[He doesn't return the hug, instead pressing his forehead against Johnny's collarbone. He doesn't feel he deserves a hug, or anything for that matter.]

I mess everything up. I'm not good enough to help anybody...

[not_heavens_adam]

[Those words send a lance through him and he pulls back to cup Sola's face in his hands.]

Don't say that, it's not true.

You did try really hard, and that's all anyone can ever ask of you, including yourself. Sometimes, no matter how hard we try, things don't work out the way we want them to.

[One of his thumbs ran along the younger man's cheek gently.]

You help people all the time, Sola. Whether you realize it or not. Don't measure those successes against this one failure, especially when the odds were so stacked.

[replicatedcourage]

But why? When everyone else tries really hard they eventually get what they want, but when I try...

[He'd tried hard to defeat Link and he couldn't and he knows he shouldn't even count that as a failure but he died so it still feels like one. He'd tried - still tries - to shake his feelings of worthlessness, of being not real but they still haunt him. He tried his very best to win that wish, to bring Link back, to help Zelda, but it never amounts to anything.

He doesn't pull away from Johnny's hands on his face, but his gaze turns sideways, not looking his matesprit in the eyes.]

Stacked odds...

...

Maybe I'm never supposed to succeed at all.

[He's just a replica, after all.]

[not_heavens_adam]

Hey...don't say that, it's not true.

Look at me...

[He leaned down to press a kiss to Sola's lips, partly in an effort to gain his attention.]

Maybe you didn't get it this time, but that doesn't make you a failure. There'll be other times...[Maybe]

Or are you just going to give up because this one thing didn't work out the way you wanted it to?

I didn't think the Sola I loved was the type to roll over and let troubles walk all over him.

Video, private

[zelda_hylia]

It isn't your fault, Sola. We have no guarantee that the scientists would have been able to do such a thing, anyway. I simply thought it was worth a try. It would have been a shortcut, but it is not necessary. It will be all right.

Video, private

[replicatedcourage]

[Hearing that from Zelda makes him feel a little better but not enough to calm the nagging guilt. He should be able to do something. He should be able to help, to make things right, to make things better. If he can't, then he's useless. Or worse, then he really could be bad, just like his master said.

He doesn't know what to say to the princess, so instead he bows his head. Maybe if she needed other help..?]

Is there anything else to try?

Video, private

[zelda_hylia]

[She wishes she could tell him there was something else, but there's not.]

I am afraid there are no other shortcuts I can think of. This will have to be accomplished through research. I will be counting on you if things come to blows, Sola.

Video, private

[replicatedcourage]

[He's at least good at that, fighting.

Well... sometimes. But...]

Comes to blows with who? The scientists?