❛You won’t achieve a thing by sitting here and pouting.❜
And it’s bordering on the line of pathetic, really— the way this creature
supposedly created from himself acted as though the very idea of
socializing with others terrified him. Since when would such a being care
for the opinions of others? Why should what floated about their minds
matter to it in any stretch of the word?Anything was better than remaining here alone and confined. Where
was the shadows courage? Where was its sense of adventure? Where
was the drive to make unfortunate circumstances better?❛If anything— it feels like you were created to be miserable.
It isn’t fair. It doesn’t feel right.❜It isn’t fair, he says.
What part of any of this was fair?
❛You shouldn’t just— you should fight against it.❜
If you’re anything like me,
you would want to.
“Life hasn’t been fair to either one of us. I don’t see how that’s about to change.”
What’s the use in trying, he thinks, when there is nothing for him to even live for? He has been robbed of all purpose, misplaced, and left to wander this land alone. How can he possibly create something from nothing? Is it truly as easy as his counterpart suggests?
Clearly not, for the hero urges him to fight against the poor hand he’s been dealt with, but he sees little point in fighting for a land he feels so detached from.
“How do you do it? How do you care so much about a world as rotten as this one?”
He just doesn’t understand it at all.
“You don’t owe these people a thing. and yet you fight for them so fiercely.”
And breath flows forth with an edge of frustration, mouth twisted downwards almost as deeply as his brows.
❝You sound bitter, shadow.❞
An obvious statement, perhaps— but one he felt needed to be said nonetheless. He had no time for petty quarrels, although he could be blamed for sparking their current situation. Fault upon his shoulders or not; the Hero found himself only having a limited amount of patience for useless comparisons.
The shadow was his, supposedly created from his own form and soul and blood; but that did not necessarily mean it had to encompass everything the shadow was. And in all honesty, he’d much rather it not.
❝You have the chance to change things for yourself, now.
Why don’t you use it instead of wallowing?❞
“–And you sound sickeningly optimistic.”
With a roll of his eyes, the creature openly scoffs at the idea of change. What does Link think that he can accomplish, exactly?
“What, do you really expect that I can make a decent life for myself - that I can forge my own future and live a peaceful existence, free from trying to fill your shoes?”
Goddesses above - that has to be the funniest joke he’s ever heard! He’d be tempted to laugh, but his sense of humor seems to be running on empty.
“Nobody is going to accept me out there– Nobody. I wouldn’t be surprised if the townsfolk tried to slay me within a week of revealing myself to them… And even if they didn’t, I’d probably screw it up somehow. There’s just no point in trying.”
Truth be told, the prospect of rejection is too terrifying for this coward to face. He’d much rather sit around and wallow, thank you very much!
❝—What?!❞
A shout; youth both shocked and offended by how low the shadow was willing to go.
❝It’s called sarcasm, you—❞
Idiot, he wants to say— but it almost feels a little bit too much like he’d be insulting himself; and really, it was hardly the shadows fault that it had been trapped within the belly of a Temple for so long. It simply lacked the social interaction Link had managed to gain for himself.
That didn’t mean he would halt himself from raising his voice, however.
❝Don’t talk about things you know nothing about!❞
“You’re one to talk.”
The shadows’ tone falls flat, darkened features losing their intensity. He hadn’t expected retaliation from his counterpart, and so his response certainly lacks creativity.
“Well done, you’re allowed out in the big, wide world with your pony and your fancy-schmancy fairy.”
Yes, he’s pretty bitter that Link gets to play hero and yet he’s still ‘mister no-fairy’, cast out from the world around him.
“It must be so hard for you.”
Lesson one: do not joke with the shadow.
Lesson two: the shadow does not appreciate sarcasm.❝You did not have to react with violence!❞
Lesson three: remember who you’re talking to.
❝I was attempting a joke—❞
“Joking at the expense of others!? What kind of ‘hero’ are you!?”
When the joke comes from your own self, it becomes as personal as it can possibly get.
“–And here I thought that I was supposed to be the horrible one! The outside world has ruined you!”
And the Hero’s just gonna land heavily on his back with a startled ❝Ack—!❞, before a solid knee shoots its way up into the shadow’s belly in order to shove his attacker off and onto the side; motion instant and instinctual.
❝That wasn’t a challenge!❞
–And off he goes, rolling some way before he stops, scrambling onto his hands and knees.
“You taunted me! You think I’m just gonna stand there and take it!?”
Impressive, surely.
But perhaps not quite as impressive as the sheer amount of sarcasm that dripped off his response.
❝Congratulations.
An entire single win.❞
The creature bristles at Link’s remark, apparently quite sore about his prior losses, and bodily launches himself at the hero.
Such an impulsive little brat.
“Fight me!”
A fair point.
❝—I suppose so.❞
Is that a victory on his part? It certainly looks that way!
“I win!”
A tut.
❝Sometimes I wonder if you are purposely difficult.❞
“I didn’t draw my blade upon spotting you - is that not effort enough for one day?”
For a creature that thrives on conflict, maintaining a peaceful atmosphere is actually quite difficult.
❝You could at least make an effort.❞
“That’s asking far too much. You may be concerned about pleasing others, but I am certainly not.”
❝You’ll turn unattractive.❞
And he can’t have that.
That is his face, after all.
“I’m composed of your most undesirable traits; my attitude alone wasn’t putting out a very attractive image to begin with.”
His face may as well match.
