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A LEGEND OF ZELDA ROLEPLAY
Welcome to ZRP! We are an non-canon RP site with an original tale taking place within the
lore of the Zelda Franchise. While the events of this site are entirely non-canon, we take advantage of the canons of other
games to explain its story fully. As such, we are located within the CANON TIMELINE. Do you like what you see? If so, feel free
to register and join our story! If you have any questions, you can join our discord, located in our important links!
11/12/21 GUESS WHO'S BACK! Thats right, and we are cooking up a good ol reset for everyone. Please be patient as things will be a little empty as we archive. Pop into discord if you have questions.
(I think I crossed too far into goblin territory. But I remember passing all my usual landmarks, two rocks past the drooping tree... Did they expand??) Marin thought to herself as she briskly power walked upon her usual quick route through the fields. She'd passed a bulblin on the way here, but as far as she could tell it hadn't deigned to chase her. That was lucky, since she really didn't want to get into a fight. Their weapons frightened her and she was pretty sure she couldn't overpower even one of them if they got a hold of her. Before Marin could finish that rather grim thought she heard the crunch of some debris that definitely hadn't come from her own feet. Marin tensed, withdrawing from her thoughts immediately and turning to glance over her shoulder.
Sure enough, the bulblin from earlier had been stalking her and was in the midst of trying to close the distance between them! She'd probably looked very tempting to a scavenger because of her rather harmless appearance. Marin hesitated only a moment before turning and bursting into a run to try and get away, ...a single moment too late. She felt a rough hand grab her by the shoulder and roughly yank her back. Right, right. Now was the time... to panic. A shrill scream rang out across the immediate area. She wasn't sure who exactly she was expecting to be listening, but it was probably her second best defense mechanism.
It hadn't been long singe Nyssa had left Kakariko Village, eyes set on the Castle Town in the distance, running at a brisk pace. Avoiding monsters would be the ideal situation, as she had a duty to do. It had been years since she was back at the central city of the kingdom, a bittersweet feeling of returning home, and returning to a prison. Still, it was her duty to her Princess, she had to find her and the rest of the Royal Family. Only then would she feel at ease.
A sudden cry, however, pierced the field, the shrill cry of a woman, and she stopped her run, skidding so a pivot would be easier. She looked around again, scanning the field for the commotion, and her eyes laid on a lone monster assaulting what seemed to be a young girl. She cursed, and drew her lance from its strap on her back. A strategy was devised within the span of a few seconds, before she pounced. The distance between herself and the creature was closed in the time it took her to unclasp her cloak, and she burst forward, throwing the garment off herself and over the bulbin's head. With its vision properly impaired, she ran into it, shoulder crashing into the monster, causing it to stumble back. She planted herself, only stumbling slightly from the impact, fall only stopped by planting her lance into the ground.
She took a few deep breaths, before removing the blade from the soil, moving to put herself between the bulbin and the girl. She didn't look back as she spoke, so she wouldn't realize who her charge was, but to Marin, her garb would be distinctive not only of Shiekah, but of Shiekah guard from all that time ago, a time before the world was in shambles. Not many wandered outside the Castle nowadays, so why she was there would be a mystery to the young princess. Perhaps Nyssa would be familiar, even?
Marin resisted with what little strength she had, leaning back and putting all her weight into pulling away from the bulblin. It was entirely ineffective at freeing her, but her pitiful resistance was all she could do to try and delay the clubbing she had coming. Bracing herself in fear, being let go of was the last thing Marin expected at that moment. However the next thing she knew her weight was wildly off balance and she was falling. The princess flailed a bit for something to grab onto but wound up falling on her rear. When her gaze regained focus, she found that another woman was standing over her. Bewildered but not ungrateful, she took about a second to marvel at the other's bravery and the odd sense of familiarity she got from eyeing her up before remembering she was in imminent danger and scrambling back to her feet. "...Thank you." Marin's understandably shaken voice replied before she quickly retreated to a safer distance, positioning herself behind a tree so that she would be able to attempt to juke the bulblin if it somehow managed to come after her again.
Meanwhile, the bulblin staggered backwards several feet before regaining its balance, all the while swinging its club rather erratically in the air in an attempt to ward off an enemy that was not there. The cloth Nyssa had thrown had bought Marin enough time to run away before the bulblin could recover, but the creature was quick to figure out what was going on after the shock of being hit wore off. It reached up to grasp the cloth and pulled it off, inspecting it for a moment before tossing it aside without interest. It then growled at Nyssa, hunkering its body a bit in a defensive posture and re-engaging her. Luckily, it seemed to be alone. It also seemed like it was waiting for her to make a move, perhaps reluctant to engage in a fight and hoping to scare her off instead. There would be little doubt that it intended to attack her the moment she tried anything that wasn't backing away.
There wasn't much time to worry about the girl, but regardless, Nyssa did take a brief look, catching brown hair and an intricate dress. Was she a lady fo some sort? None of that mattered at that point, though, as she faced the bulbin again, which had freed itself from the inconvenience of the cloak. Her eyes narrowed as it assessed her, and she felt her grip on her lance tighten.
One thing caught her interest, however. The creature was alone, and if she remembered correctly they traveled in packs. That could be useful, maybe blood didn't have to be shed. Still, she took her left hand off her lance, placing it on the hilt of the blade attached to her hip. The Shiekah took a small step forward, moving ever closer to her enemy, eyes locked on the beast.
The slide of metal on metal could be heard as she drew a portion of the blade out of its scabbard, taking another step forward, never looking away. She moved like a cat after prey, graceful and lithe, no momentum from her movements wasted. To the bulbin, she would come off as the predator, and in fact, that was just her intention. She was attempting to scare the beast off, which would make her life so much easier. Another step, and the full length of the blade was drawn.
The bulblin emitted an alarmed trilling noise as Nyssa began moving, becoming dangerously alert and taking a step backwards. Her gambit was brave. It would either get her hit with a club or it would work, with very little middle ground to be found. There could be no room for fancy dodging while plying chicken with a wild beast of a creature. The bulblin raised its club threateningly above its head and took another step back as Nyssa approached it, waving the club about as if preparing to strike. The strike never came, however. Not at Nyssa, anyway. Instead the creature would jump the moment Nyssa's blade was drawn, waving its club to block an expected strike before abruptly turning tail and fleeing! It wasn't all that fast because of its short legs and the very heavy club it clung to as if its life depended on it, but it didn't seem to favor a fight with the sword-wielding woman. It seemed like Nyssa's bravery had paid off.
Nearby, the frightened young woman she'd just saved watched her in amazement from her hiding place. One might take notice of Marin's eyes, an icy blue color she shared with her sister, distinct of the royal family. Marin was somewhat bemused by what she'd just seen. How had Nyssa done that..? Bewildered and a bit impressed, to say the least, she waited patiently for her heroine to acknowledge her again now that the threat was running away with its non-existant tail between its legs. ...Hopefully it wouldn't come back with friends.
She kept her eyes on the club as it rose, threateningly, but still pressed forward another step. This seemed to unnerve the monster and caused it to flee. With a self-satisfied chuckle, she sheathed her sword and collected her nearby cloak, shaking the dirt off of it. Lance was stuck into ground as she tossed the garment around her, the royal blue fabric offset with Shiekah script along the edge. When it was fastened, her weapon was retrieved, and she walked over to the tree where the girl had been in hiding, now out and watching her.
A proper look hadn’t been taken at the girl, but now that it had, Nyssa was very confused. There was an odd familiarity to this girl, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on. As if she’d seen her before somewhere, somewhere relevant. She looked soft, not much of a fighter.
“It's dangerous out here, leaving the city without a-“
Blue eyes widened as they locked onto the girl’s. Why hadn’t she noticed them before? Memories came back, to her days as a guard, and she remembered a young girl, often in the shadows of the royal family, a young princess. Zelda had a sister, but she was always so quiet, never speaking up. And yet, those eyes were something she couldn’t forget. Cursing herself for being rude, she composed herself, and bent in a small bow.
“I remember you from before, Princess Marin. Before everything happened, was one of the Guard of the Royal Family. I am Nyssa of the Shiekah, it is an honor to have been able to help you.”
She straightened, slipping her lance back into its holder.
“What brings you out here, your Highness?? Wherever you’re going, I can escort you back. Things are dangerous out here.
...Well hello~! Marin was always free for those who had manners and this one was a delight, addressing her by her proper title and treating her with dignity she hadn't expected to find out here today. "And it's a pleasure to see a familiar of the royal family, Nyssa." Marin replied, unable to take issue with the other's brief failure in memory after having been saved. There was a time and a place for everything, after all. Stepping out from behind the tree, she shifted to fold both of her hands in front of her. The rather small woman then met Nyssa's gaze with a very bright smile. "It's a large world out here. I never got to see much of it while I was in the castle." Marin explained somewhat indirectly. Somehow, it felt wrong to call this a silver lining, though. She did like getting out, but she dearly missed her home. Thinking of home... "I was actually just heading ... 'home'. Well, my 'new' home anyway. For now. I am not ready to return to the castle yet." Marin went on to explain somewhat awkwardly. She had, however, made a point to announce her intentions rather clearly. Normally she wouldn't be so eager to draw attention to her sister, but she trusted the sheikah almost as if they were members of her own family. "But that's actually a good question. May I ask you the same thing, Nyssa?"
New home. The reminder that the royal family had been run out of the castle, others on the throne, bit into her, and she frowned. Just how many of her people had turned against the bloodline they had protected for generations? She could practically feel her ancestors rolling in their graves, but she shook the feeling off in another bow to Marin.
“I was actually looking for some clues on an investigation of mine, into something of… Importance. I’ve been wandering Hyrule a rather long time… But you might be the answer I’ve been looking for, your Highness. If it please you, let me escort you back to your home. I’d sooner my own neck be risked than you be alone and at risk. After all, the Shiekah live to serve.”
She looked around, scouting for monsters that may be nearby, then planted her spear, sitting in the shade of the tree when it seemed safe. In reality, she’d been walking a good chunk of the day, and could use the time to relax. She withdrew a pouch from within her cloak, and untied the top, cloth falling down to reveal a bowl with food inside, dried fruits and meat and nuts. After a few bites, she realized how casual she was acting around the princess, and jumped. Formality was a rusty thing for her.
“Forgive me, your Highness, it was rude of me to not ask you to sit first. Would you rather we move on? Either way, I’m happy to ask whatever questions you may have for me.”
Marin offered Nyssa an inviting smile in response to her words, waiting patiently for her to finish talking so that she could answer her. Any eerie implications in Nyssa's servility were lost on her. She did, however, notice that Nyssa wasn't giving her her full attention. That in and of itself wasn't quite polite, but she had a general idea of why the other was doing it. "Well, if you're looking for the royal family..." Marin began, only to trail off as Nyssa... sat down and began eating. Now that just hurt her feelings. A part of her wanted to say something, but as was all too common for her she found another much stronger part of herself interjecting. To her, this display of disrespect merely indicated that she was once again a nobody standing in the shadows of her siblings. Tragic, but she understood why. The idea that it had been a mistake was lost on her.
Marin nodded, pursing her lips for a moment and beckoning for Nyssa to follow her as she moved to sit down with the other. The princess would fold her legs before her, placing her hands upon her lap. "That's alright. I could use a moment to rest after that attack. The goblins don't usually wander this far out..." Marin replied rather softly, lowering her gaze for just a moment in thought. "But, there are a couple of things I would like to know. For starters, what is this investigation you mentioned?" the princess would go on to ask, returning to her usual demeanor.
The look on Marin’s face said it all. She cursed to herself as she bowed her head, right arm crossed across her chest as she fumed in her regret.
“I am terribly sorry, your Highness. I slipped up on my training, and disrespected you. I can assure you it won’t happen again.”
When she sat up, fortunately, Marin was sitting with her, and she held the bowl out, silently offering her lady food. When Marin mentioned the attack, she nodded, understanding. But when Marin asked her the question she was dreading, she gulped, looking down. How could she explain that she ran, scared? That she looked so long for someone dead because she couldn’t accept the loss of the kingdom her people were charged to protect? She held the shame of not only herself, but other Shiekah as well, brothers and sisters and mothers and fathers. She gulped again.
“I… I have been searching long for your family, your Highness. I… I felt it was my duty to protect and serve you, and the family at the castle now is… Is…”
Why was she so nervous? It should feel so trivial, but the guilt knotted her stomach up. Idly, she took another piece of the dried meat, and shifted uncomfortably.
“It… It’s been a lot of wandering. I’ve searched high and low, but for now I’m researching a guild called the Heroes of Hyrule. I’ve heard rumors that they might know where the remnants of the royal family are, but now that I’ve found you, your Highness… My wandering has been for nothing…”
Her ears burned in embarrassment, and she looked away. Failure. Disgrace. Defecter. All words she expected to hear.
Marin nodded in quiet acceptance of Nyssa's apology. How strange this outside world was. Or had the world always been this way, and she just hadn't been aware of it? It seemed to her that maybe she should get used to the idea of people forgetting their manners. Perhaps it was the lack of the regal castle around them that caused it, or perhaps it was simply the time having past. She couldn't be truly sure. Listening to Nyssa speak, Marin was ... easily able to understand this. She still remembered when her big sister had 'died' and she had been left in the dark to grieve as if she were gone forever. If even she could be left behind, surely anyone could. She accepted the offered food and gently nibbled upon it. It was rather dry, but she appreciated the salty taste it had to it. "...Well, it sounds like you were on the right track!--Thank you--But I just found you first." Marin would explain, pausing briefly to thank Nyssa for the food she'd been given. Considering her words carefully for a moment, she continued. "I'm sorry that you've had so much trouble finding us. The sheikah have always been so good to the family. ...Right now though, there is a fight more important than anything we've ever been through going on. Is it still your inclination to stand by our side during these darkest of hours?" Marin would explain and ask, watching the other curiously. She fully expected Nyssa to say yes, but it was a matter of courtesy that she allowed the other to answer for herself.
”It was no trouble at all, your Highness. In the end, I suppose all that matters is that contact is established.”
She chewed thoughtfully on her food, pleased that her Princess hadn’t reprimanded her on the spot, stripping her of rank and honor. Maybe she was too hard on herself. Regardless, she took the formality of taking time to ponder Marin’s request to stand by their side. She knew Marin was aware what her answer would be, it was obvious. Slowly, she answered.
“Hyrule suffers without its bloodline on the throne. The people made a foolish choice, one I vehemently oppose, and we have suffered greatly for it. For months, I’ve traveled in the shadows, and worked for the royal family as envoy of your good name. It is not a matter of if I want to, but a matter that I must. The Shiekah stand to support the royal family, and I will be your stalwart guard. Others of my people may have defected, but they are not Shiekah any longer. They are outcasts. I wish to stand as champion of my people, Princess, and the best place to do that is at the side of the Hyrule family.”
She paused, to let it sink in, the last of her food chewed up and swallowed. With nothing else to do, she found herself unbinding the blade from her lance, producing a whetstone from her pouch. She liked to have something to do with her hands when nervous, it was calming. A soft grinding of hard grit against steel punctuated her silence as she awaited an answer, not too loud, but there.
There was a long moment of silence as Marin seemed to seriously consider Nyssa's words. She also wished to stand as the champion of her people, but this was not the time to confess solidarity with the other. She had already lost that cosmic lottery cosmic lottery, and the last thing she needed to do was casually suggest she was jealous of her sister to some poor Sheikah that probably had enough problems maintaining faith in the royal family without listening to her childish--
"Yeah--Me too."
...Alternatively, Marin could blurt it out anyway in a fittingly wistful tone because she wasn't actually thinking any of that. Nice job, nerd. ...It was almost as if her thoughts were entirely elsewhere, but this wasn't actually the case. Offering Nyssa a pleasant smile, Marin's focus returned to the woman before her. "That's why I'd like to ask you to be my champion." Marin went on to request. Before the sheer heresy of that seemingly poorly phrased request could kick in, however, she continued. "This world needs champions. Not just that but aristocrats, champions of justice. Reunifying Hyrule under the royal family will be no easy task. If we're to avoid an even greater tragedy than that which has already come to pass, the path to reunification will have to be paved with more than just honor and steel. There may come a time when we have to forgive those that have forgotten their debt to the royal family." Marin explained rather thoughtfully in a moment of maturity virtually unseen from this particular princess. "...But the fact that you have not speaks highly of you. So I'll ask again--Will you rise to my request and become not just a champion of the Sheikah but a champion of justice?"