Drag

The Dark Mirror… Here Vio stood, in front of it. He kept his grip tight on the sludgehammer he found earlier. At the time, he wondered about it, but now? Now, he found himself grateful for it.

Of course, he’d rather some other way, if only for…

Tch! He can’t afford to think of that right now! Hyrule was counting on him! Zelda and his fellow counterparts, too, he hoped…

Vio gave a determined glare to the mirror. If he doesn’t do this now…when would he? He lifted the hammer and almost swung.

Edited Date: 2021-06-25 08:15 pm (UTC)

From:

Almost is right. But only because the mirror is more than just an inanimate conduit of dark magic. The glass shimmered and the air vibrated. Nothing flashy, nothing aggressive, but the tension was suddenly so thick- almost as if that alone would deflect an attack.

That was the least of the power at work. Instead of Vio's reflection, the image wavered and changed to a view of Shadow, still asleep back in his room.

... Because is there somehow something Vio wants more than fulfilling a duty to his kingdom? Tendrils of magic pooled out and curled, like inviting limbs.

From:

Stopped before he even truly got started with the motion. Determined eyes opened, wide and clearly surprised.

Of course...did he really expect this thing to not fight back, however it could? To not show him Shadow? The mirror could show what they were doing, so why didn’t he expect it to know his own hesitation?

While Vio wasn’t about to let go of the hammer, he lowered it in front of himself, more positioned as a shield of some kind. A small step back from the limbs. “I see what you’re doing. It won’t work on me.” But then...why did his heart ache? Why use this weapon as a shield? He hadn’t intended to accept Shadow’s offer either, seeing through it, but here he was.

Being mocked by a mirror.

From:

That's only scratching the surface? Perhaps so. Suddenly the image of Shadow blurs away and turns into an all too familiar flash back to a simple moment of Vio reading his book under the shade of a tree, with Red tending the campfire as Green and Blue sparred.

So what- Vio might think at this? But it didn't linger on this new scene for long. It flashed back to Shadow reveling in his seemingly newfound camaraderie with him.

Then the montage continued, but the moments it flashed through wasn't anything from the past.

There was Vio with his other three counterparts celebrating a victory.

Another quiet moment the purple hero had to himself, home and safe, interrupted by Shadow draping onto him in a bored, yet casual movement.

A table, with the five seated, motions implying a rowdy conversation between 'siblings' as Link's- their father sipped a morning coffee.

Edited Date: 2021-06-27 03:03 am (UTC)

From:

So what, indeed. Why show him that? For the moments the scene was there, Vio lifted an eyebrow. What, did it not have-

Oh. For a moment, his breath caught in his throat as the mirror chose to reply that moment. The one that had him question this plan- even though he tried to end it with cunning before. Shadow, placing his trust in him…

And then, a victory. For a moment, visible confusion showed. If they’d celebrate any victory, it’d be Vaati’s defeat. So why show that…

Another change and-ah!? Vio tried to hide his reddening face behind the hammer, like that could do much. “S-stop…” He muttered under his breath.

Bingo.

To his own surprise, he found himself rather transfixed with the images. Why did this hold his interest? Or...was fear better to use here?

All of them together, like siblings, in a way… If it wasn’t his now-fading embarrassment that got him, it was this forlorn sense that gripped his heart.

Because while, yes, he accepted the fact that he was only around for this adventure, how could it change that a part of him wished that wasn’t the case?

From:

The silent images faded, leaving only the mirror's ambient energies slithering back into the glass and the hero's reflection.

From:

Once the images faded, Vio saw his own sad expression, almost as clear as day. That forlorn sense refused to let go.

All of that… He couldn’t have all of that. Maybe the victory, but… He couldn’t have any of it, really. Not as he was. Link could, and he was a part of him. But…now, it got him to wonder: what’d happen to the rest, once his fragment returned? Would he be forced to go quietly, or would Link have four new “voices” to deal with…

No, no! He can’t…afford to think about that. The mirror clearly could defend itself, but that shouldn’t matter.

Vio tried to pull up his previous determination. To try to burn that hand away from his heart. While he lifted the hammer again, hesitation slowed him. Subtly stiff, unnatural movements couldn’t compare to the ease he had shown previously.

He had to smash it. Now.

From:

The hammer went up and while the glass shimmered, the mirror didn't seem to be doing anything substantial to defend itself again. Vio's reflection remained crystal clear as he poised to strike-

But weight in his heart meant that something already won. Smoke billowed out at the hero's feet as the image of a mere boy hefting the hammer down toward the glass morphed before his eyes into a large bestial creature snarling back as it bore down to strike with its mighty claws...

...

... Or did it?

...

... Because there's no monster attacking, just a little man abruptly patting hard at Vio's back. "Hi there hero boy!" With an extremely grating voice. "What are you~ doing here?"

Edited Date: 2021-06-29 05:40 am (UTC)

From:

Whatever part of Vio may have caught that shimmer, he was too busy on his task. So focused that he hadn’t noticed the way his reflection morphed until the beast was already there.

“Ah!?” To avoid those claws, Vio dropped the hammer and moved back, narrowly avoiding crushing his foot. ~~Again.~~

Vio lifted both of his arms as an X in front of himself. A very flimsy defense against a beast such as that. But one his scrambled self could do.

…Huh? It’s not…? As Vio was about to check, a hard pat was all it took for his frazzled self to jump with a yelp of alarm and surprise. He grabbed the discarded weapon and turned to see a…tiny…green…man…

Was his mind playing tricks on him?

“Hero boy…?” Cause if it was, he’s pretty sure this is a mockery. Perhaps another illusion by the mirror?

…But, supposed it wasn’t, why was he here?

From:

"Hm?" The man peered at the other as if Vio hadn't said anything at all. "Aw, you changed? Now we're not the same anymore!"

Despite the rather skewed observation, they perked back up regardless. "Oh well! I bet you still know where to find some force gems around here...!"

From:

Not the same? Did he meet Green? Before Vio could correct the man, he pressed on anyway. Oh, come on…

~~Are you enjoying this display, Dark Mirror?~~

After the rather brief exchange with Vio trying to get Tingle to leave, he had enough and swung the hammer at the nuisance. Maybe that’s enough for Tingle to get the hint to get lost!

From:

Based on this
And this.

Earlier that month was when many things started to pile up. Some good. Some bad.

The Tågevalgten have long since been fractured to pieces and scattered by a rolling average of ferocity from monsterkind. The rift is somewhat sealed after a mass of sacrifices, but still, it's been spewing more interdimensional garbage every morning than the former mutants combed from N. Sanity beach in a single year.

And something reeks of sewage and death so much that it's far-reaching across Bavan.

That's not counting how the true assignments for new monsters were just starting to show themselves. Nausea and ravenous hunger became a source of deja vu, but at least everyone could get a decent night's sleep.

Meanwhile, at the single bit of good news at the Bandicoot House was the abundance of offers made to Crash from the city's wealthy cream of the crop. Politicians, CEOs, and young socialites clamored with their fattest wads of solars for a minotaur as a bodyguard. Sometimes he was too nice for his own good, but eventually, the hog minotaur settled on which of the knocking opportunities to pursue.

By the time the middle of the month rolled around, a status quo was established that while Crash had less time to be home or with his sister, there was now an abundance of storebought food (alongside anything wild-caught), clothing to their individual tastes, and creature comforts in the house.

A source of steady riches never took over their humble tastes on the island. That wouldn't change here either.

From:

overallsandlaptop

The change in how they lived was definitely bizarre.

Then again, so was everything else Ryslig brought to their lives. Whilst Crash was far more used to it, Coco was still trying to get used to it.

She stretches out with a sleepy yawn, ears drooping slightly as she starts to wake up. Coco's tail twitches, as she twists on the pile of pillows to try and sit up.

There is a certain irony to going from a strange fish to a strange cat. Her tail twitches a little, the stinger at the end of the scorpion tail wiggling somewhat. Her ears start to perk forward as she listens to the quiet of the bandicoot household.

"Crash-?" She calls out, "Are you actually here?"

From:

There's definitely someone else in the house within the radar of the monster feline's senses. A startled scattering of relatively tiny footsteps compared to the usual clunk of Crash's rhino or hippo-like 'hooves' and the miniature tree being rustled from something trying to hide behind it.

Also there's a lot more shed fur than normal infesting the blankets next to her.

From:

overallsandlaptop

"...Crash?" She calls out again. Her gaze lands on the fur. "...Are you shedding?" This wasn't a normal amount of shedding. When Coco brushed out Crash's fur, it wasn't ever this much.

The lack of response doesn't make her feel any better.

She pushes herself up onto her feet, moving towards the skittering in the next room. Her own footsteps are light, careful as she tries to track the sound. Her sense of smell tells her... it's a human.

Why would a human be in their home?

From:

Whoever it is that's hiding from Coco, at first they attempt to be discreet when they poke their head from their hiding place, eyeing the door. But despite the overwhelming confusion and near panic toward being stuck in some creature's house, the fact his name is being called over and over and that he woke up to such a thing next to him in the first place...

To answer would be a massive risk, but what is there to loose?

"Who are you...?" a kid's voice asked tentatively.

From:

overallsandlaptop

The manticore pauses, tilting her head to the side, snout twitching slightly. The monster cautiously crouches down to be more on the boy's level.

"Coco." She answers quietly back.

The orange mop of hair makes her wonder just for a moment. She sniffs a little, and pauses. The boy smells similar to Crash, not exact but with that orage hair...

"Are you okay, Crash?"

It's a careful question.

From:

It's telling that the child doesn't react with any familiarity to the former marsupial's name. He flinches back upon getting sniffed at but fortunately can see tell she's not about to attack him or something just from her demeanor.

A single beat after the inquiry, the kid- Crash frowned, yet quietly nodded his head.

Edited Date: 2021-09-25 07:28 am (UTC)

From:

It just wasn't very often between the two doppelganger siblings to their unique knowledge that they would do favors and other niceties for each other. That was the way things were and it went without question.

But after some choice words from a deformed throat, at last this Crash would be able to do the one simple thing that other buffoon never seemed bothered enough about. His accidental contributions to Coco's work in her lab resulted in the hideous Brio abomination she started to dote on and became the foundation for the slew of animals merged with plants.

So one would think, Crashworth insisted, she could find time in her schedule to put together what he deserved: the collar that would give him the entirety of his voice again. And that's exactly what he's back in his sibling's lab for, to check up on that project.

From:

precociouscoot

Coco understands why her brother wants his collar back, but it doesn't make her all that enthused to work on it when they have a whole new space to explore. A new place with untapped potential.

Still, she relents, setting aside her current pet project to work on the collar. Her ears flick forward at the sound of his familiar gait.

"I'm working on it." She says flatly enough to show she knows why he's here. "Give me another hour and it should be done."

From: