ZELDA POV
"I just don't get it, I mean I was completely aware that Zid is kind of a loose bullet but come on, I am his favorite girl, right?"
"HAHAHAHA, of course you are sweety. Didn't you notice? He wanted to flaunt his newfound prowess making knots. But he didn't want to brag about it, he wanted to show you… and maybe show Kid too"
"Well… he could have charged Link instead of me"
Carla stares at the Princess lifting an eyebrow "Could he now?"
FUCK, no he could not. Raziel would have defended himself… that is a fight I do not want to ever see.
"I get it… but I am not his favorite girl, I am his ideal prey"
Carla rolls her eyes and smiles "And the difference is?"
Zelda sighs in defeat.
I suppose this is what having a brother is like. I still would not change it for anything… I love that stupid ape.
"Well… he does make GOOD knots… did he gain weight?" Zelda asks.
"Not sure, we have not checked, but he IS a lot stronger now… he must have gained muscle weight. He exercises a lot and eats like an orphan" Carla laughs "That is Robert's fault but I we don't mind"
"Li's fault?"
Carla nods "He is set on making Zid gain weight, but not fat weight, muscle weight"
Kind of what Link is doing for me, gosh… I suddenly feel very loved, but Ziel hates me, doesn't he?
"Carla… would you mind telling me if it's going to take long? I would like to know if I can entertain myself watching a movie or something"
Carla rolls her eyes "Should not take them long… the pamphlet they are using is small and Dr. Strange left them alone in there" Zelda stares back puzzled, Carla giggles already accustomed to Stephen's antics. "I don't know what he left them doing in there, but knowing them they are already done or almost done"
A cellphone beeps, Carla checks on it and whines tossing it aside.
"Is… that ok to do? Isn't it important?" Zelda asks.
"It's the movers insisting on taking the rest of the musical instruments, but I already told them no" the Princess stares back puzzled, Carla sighs "SWORD agent have a series of artistic programs… it's all meant to keep them sane and controlled despite of what this job demands of them."
"Really? What type of programs do they offer?"
"Paint, wood crafts, metal sculptures, even pottery. They were making clay pots once I think… some of them where pretty, I wonder what happened to those?"
They were thrown away, but Link saved one for Nana I believe.
"Anyway… they had musical instruments too, suggested by Kid. But it's been a year and it didn't draw the attention of the rest of the agents, so we are getting rid of it" sighs "A shame really, Kid plays really well. Zidane pleaded me to stop the movers until later today. He wants to play with Kid and Robert before that I believe"
Really? Zid and Rob play?
Suddenly the girls start hearing a sound, the Princess is completely mesmerized by it, but Carla immediately identifies the instrument played as the accordion.
"Is that Skull playing?" Carla asks herself when she starts hearing a battery and a bass accompanying the accordion. Carla's eyes go wide as she stands up and rushes out of the room, she immediately tuns around, picks up her cellphone from her desk and taps on the Princess's shoulder. Zelda takes that as a signal to follow.
Why? What the fuck is going on?
The sound of a guitar joins in, Zelda checks that she is also carrying her cellphone and pulls it out.
---------------Singing---------------------
"I talk of six while forgetting five"
"can't even taste if my food is alive"
"I'm watching music that I can't hear"
"staring down some invisible fear"
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Holy fuck, that definitely is Link… He is singing? I must record this shit.
Zelda follows Carla inside a room, and finds all her boys playing an instrument, and a man also playing with them. He was holding a weird wind instrument between his hands and sitting in front of a small piano and a laptop.
Li signals for the girls to remain quiet. Carla is videotaping everything with her cellphone. Zelda begins to do the same. The Princess walks to the middle of the room and stars recording everyone around her playing. She catches Skull start singing with Link, the man notices and smiles at her. She rotates to Zidane once she hears him start singing too, the Pirate stares right at Zelda's and winks, never missing a beat on the battery. Zelda then turns to Li, he does not look at her, he is focused watching a countdown timer in front of him, and giving everyone reassuring nods. The Princess finally turns to videotape Link.
LINK POV
The hero closes his eyes but can't help watching the Hylian warrior version of himself staring back. This version's right arm had been replaced with a prosthetic. Said enhancement is what allowed him to hold the crystal used to contact every version of himself. And that is how they all eventually decided to put an end to this repeating cycle once and for all.
---------------Singing---------------------
"Oh Oh I remember now"
"Too far below to turn around"
"Too bright a light to let go now"
"Take me back my friend"
"Take me back on home"
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*Haha, that is what we want to do right Link? Bring your clones back home... are you sure it wasn't you who picked this song?*
They picked it themselves
*Then they do remember... in a way*
Zelda smiles feeling all the emotion Ziel put behind that part of the song. Trying to distract herself from it, she turned back to Skull, who stopped playing the keyboard and started playing the accordion accompanied by Zid's battery and Robert's bass. Then Ziel's guitar joined in, giving the song an eerie feeling. Link stared at his Princess and smiled at her while he continued singing.
---------------Singing---------------------
"Now what I´m saying is nothing new"
"This repetition's right on cue"
"A wise men said, you're amused to death"
"Too much talk, too much wasted breath"
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The Princess then felt a tap on her shoulder; Carla showed her palm where she had written with a pen ¨send me your recording of this¨ Zelda nodded enthusiastically mouthing ¨you too¨ Carla smiled at that. Zelda kept recording Raziel.
---------------Singing---------------------
"You are overjoyed"
"and over-fed"
"over-sexed"
"you're almost dead"
Li stared singing with Link.
"Gotta work gotta stay awake"
"God I'm tired can I take a break"
---------------------------------------------
For the next minute and half, it was the four of them singing the choir of the song and playing the hell out of their instruments. It was not a cute catchy song… but for some reason it fitted all of them perfectly.
At the very end Robert threw a punch in the air cheering. Immediately after the timer reached zero and started beeping. Zid and George were staring at the laptop waiting. Then both of them yell and hugged. Link approached them and sighs pleased. The screen read: 90%
"What was the score?" Li asks.
"90%" Link, Zid and Skull yell happily.
Carla clears her throat "Would someone explain that to me please"
"It's a program Robert found; it listens to your song and compares it to the original recorded version" Kid answers.
Carla raises both her eyebrows and begins to smile "You do realize that… not even the original singers manage to sound like their recorded version when playing live don't you? 90 is fucking good, I need that recording"
"90 MEANS WE ARE ALMOST GODS… BUT I DON'T CARE; I AM JUST FUCKING HAPPY TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PLAY AT LEAST ONCE WITH YOU GUYS" Skull yells with his eyes tearing up.
Carla turns away from George, she didn't want to witness him breaking apart like that, out of respect for him. Link touches her arm to draw her attention.
"You need to ask Dr Strange for it, it's his recording after all. He left the machine recording us to hear us reading his pamphlet using high and low pitch voices"
Pretty much preparing our vocals for singing now that I think about it... Fucking Stephen did this on purpose. Thank you Doc
"And we decided we wanted to try to squeeze a song played by us there. A present for the bastard because why not" Zid finished.
"And that was a good decision" Carla says still recording "You know, I never agreed with taking the music program down… in fact, Li" Carla hands Robert her cellphone "Record me please"
Li adjusts the zoom and begins recording. Carla dramatically turns smirking "William, I dare you. I fucking dare you to take this away from them"
Li raises an eyebrow at that. Skull chuckles and Zid starts howling at what Carla said. Link smiles shaking his head.
"Are you sure you can speak to the general like that?" Zelda asks concerned.
Skull breaks in laughter.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA… If anyone in this fucking building can do it, its HER" George says with pride as Carla clicked send smiling.
Vincent didn't want to gift us a cool brotherly experience... he gave us a shot at actually saving this program, I am sure of that now.