#mm had a plot yeah but it kind of accompanied the rest of the setting

[autumnoakes]

hi im ranting (positively! this game kills me but in a good way) about breath of the wild again

i know it's controversial but i love the way the story of the game is told. because you start the game in the middle, perhaps near the end, of the story. the game is entirely through link's perspective and he wakes up knowing and remembering nothing. in turn, the player starts off knowing nothing. the past is revealed as the story goes along, and the player learns about the past and about the land as link does. there are little tidbits about hyrule and about the calamity scattered across the land. an old woman in hateno village tells you of an age of desolation that she grew up in. the travellers you see on the road are younger people because they're described by older characters as more bold, whereas the older characters grew up being told to never leave the village, it's too dangerous outside (compare this even to tears of the kingdom, where travellers are more common because the land has been safer. even older characters have left their home to travel elsewhere (not including the lurelin villagers)). battlefields are still strewn with old rusty weapons and deactivated guardians that no one but monsters will go near. myths and legends about the princess and hero have been passed down, to the point where their legitmacy is questioned and everyone has a different opinion on them.

it's environmental storytelling. it's things like seeing drawings and a bow in zelda's study and seeing a child reading a storybook with a hero that wears a blue tunic similar to link's. it's the stories that the villagers share about old myths that turn out to be true. it's the ruins scattered across the land, long since overtaken by monster camps but still unmistakably being houses that people once lived in. it's the utter lack of civilization anywhere remotely near the castle and the feeling of dread in the ruins of the town that surrounds it. it's a kingdom entrenched in its past, with no ability to move away from it until the calamity is finally defeated.

[dietaku]

Amazing Quest 1: Chapter 8

Here it is, the penultimate chapter. Only a little bit more!

Chapter 8: Collect-a-thon! Alright, team, ready to get all the items necessary for the best ending? Of course you are! The first and most important thing in this chapter is that we can get Hiro's ultimate weapon now. We actually need to go back to the small, otherwise-useless lake near Toruble Castle and you need to go noodling a few times and then sit and wait 5 real-world minutes. Go ahead and grab yourself a drink or a sammich or something. Hiro: Doo-doo-dee-doo~ Hm? Suddenly, the water in the lake glows and a lovely, buxom lady rises slowly from the light. Hiro: What the heck--?! Woman: Fear not, Hiro of the Pudding Tribe, I am Eroustei, goddess of light and mercy. Eroustei then presents two swords, one a glimmering gold color, and one with an ornate hilt and silvery blade. Eroustei: Did you drop this Sword of Power, or this Gold Blade? Hiro: But I didn't drop a sword. I have mine right here. Eroustei: … Let's try this again. Did you drop a sword that will grant you great might, or this sword that will bring you great fortune? Hiro: Oh, I don't need either of those. I have my friends. So long as I have them, then I don't need to rely on artifacts and legends to find my way. Eroustei: YOU BITCH!!! Eroustei very angrily winds up and hurls both swords at Hiro, who bash him with their hilts. Hiro: GYAAAAH! Hiro is knocked flat. Eroustei: YOU THINK IT'S EASY DOING THIS LADY IN THE LAKE THING, YOU INGRATE?! Hiro: Owww... Eroustei: YOU NEED TO THINK ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE'S FEELINGS, YA JERK! Eroustei drops back into the water and out of sight. Hiro gets: PdngSword and GoldSword! Hiro: Wh-what just happened...? Hiro's best sword is, obviously, the PdngSword which is a huge step up from any other weapon in the game for him. The GoldSword is, in itself, useless (Loyroll can equip it, but it's not terribly strong), but leads to our next quest! We have to find the little encampment to the south of ToneLand's island, which can be a little tricky to get to. But once we're there, we'll meet an old man. Old Man: Hey there! I'm the weapons maniac! I dedicate my life to things that cut others short! Haha! A little dark humor there! Hiro: That's pretty dark alrig-- Old Man: Hey, is that a sword made of gold?! M-may I please see it? Hiro: Sure. Not doing us any good anyway. The Old Man takes it, admiring it lovingly. Old Man: The sheen. The weight. The beauty... Loyroll: The inability to retain an edge? Old Man: I... I must have this! W-what if I traded you for something of equal value?! Hiro: Um. I guess... that's fine? The Old Man runs into his tent and returns, giving the party the TinFlStar, the strongest weapon for Kimaywa! Kimyawa: Yatta! Old Man: This weapon is deceptively powerful. Treasure it always! Hiro: Um. Well, one man's trash, I suppose... At this point, wander around and get into a fight with Kimyawa and Loyroll in the fray. Have Loyroll use the Mirror of Ki and you'll be treated to an amusing scene where Kimyawa's new weapon gets caught in the fire and all the enemies get incinerated. Kimyawa: Nii-chan! Baka! You nearly cooked us all! Loyroll: Even after all this time, this legendary artifact of our ancestors contains fabulous secret powers! Perhaps we could harness this more constructively? You've unlocked Kimyawa and Loyroll's strongest dual tech: Over-Arcing. This deals huge light-based damage to all enemies. And now it's time to revisit an old friend: you have been taking care of Stinky the Griffohump this whole game, right? Well, if you have, by now, he's likely evolved into his adolescent form, where his wings are more developed and his mismatched eyes have evened out. Once all his stats are over 500, which should happen around now-ish if you've been taking good care of him, he'll evolve into his adult form, where he actually resembles a majestic creature of myth and even has a Pudding Warrior Knot on the side of his head, like Hiro's. Hiro: Yes! I knew you had it in you! You were just like me – you just needed a guiding hand to help you out! At this point, the rancher from before walks up. Hiro: Have a look! It's all thanks to you! Rancher: Who'd have guessed you'd really do it? Well done. Hiro: The last of his kind, the proud Griffohump~! Rancher: Oh. Right. That. Yeah, no, he's not the last of his kind. Hiro: W-what? Does that mean... you found him a mate? Rancher: … Dude, Griffohumps are everywhere. They're overpopulated in most regions of the world where they live because nothing wants to eat them. People that try usually end up in the hospital from food poisoning and depression. Hiro: … Rancher: We tell people they're the last of their kind to give them some kind of marketing appeal. I'm genuinely amazed that you made something of him. So I guess the joke's on me. Hiro turns to Stinky as the rancher walks off. Hiro: You and me. We are more alike than you know, my friend. Now with Stinky fully grown, we can ride him around on the overworld map! This not only moves us faster and reduces the encounter rate, he can even fly short bursts when you get a running start, allowing you to clear mountains and get into areas previously inaccessible, including one north of the ocean of Mermania to get Mancala's ultimate weapon, the Abacus of Ages. But as no one uses Mancala, who cares? There's also a neat, but ultimately useless trick you can use because the game maintains Stinky's speed regardless of turns, so if you have him run back and forth over two spaces rapidly, you can cause him to fly anywhere at any time. This is dubbed by the fans as The Stinky Shuffle. Anyways, now it's time to address a particular plot thread that's been dangling since chapter 2. Return to Toruble and speak to the King. King: Siigh... Hiro: … King: Siii-iiigh... Ozma: … King: Siii-iii-iii-i-- Ozma: What's wrong, daddy? King: Oh! Ozma! When did you get here?! See, I've just been a little melancholic lately. Can't quite shake it. It's just been so quiet here in the castle without you running around randomly braining people. Ozma: I have never done such a thing!! … Recently. … in the past few months. King: I just wish I could shake these blues. I haven't been nearly so proactive in banishing people recently either! Hiro: So some good has come of this at least. Ozma: Seems that way... The party exits and fans out. Kimyawa: Dame desu. This is no good. A king can't rule his land like this. Moore: There must be some means by which to cheer him up. Loyroll: It seems more severe than just having a rainy day. Perhaps he is coming down with a bad cold? Ozma: There's a doctor we could ask for help from, I suppose. Let's go have a chat with him! So, now it's time to return to the Mountain of Outcasts. Thankfully, this time, the Dreaded Mountain Maze is in rubble due to Ozma's last temper tantrum here and we can take a shortcut through it and monsters no longer spawn here. Once on the other side, there seems to be quite a change: there's way fewer NPCs here than last time. Eh, probably not important. Go back to the doctor's house and Ozma will knock. You go, JeffCom, reuse those art assets for great justice! Ozma: Doc, it's me. Please open up. The door opens a small bit. Doctor: W-what do you want?! Oh. Princess Ozma. Ozma: Daddy's been really down in the dumps lately. Would you please come have a look at him? Doctor: That's... not really a very good idea. Reasons, you see. Valid reasons, mm, yes. Ozma: I... what? Please, I'll talk to him about overturning your banishment and-- Doctor: No, no, quite busy here, please, and thank you! He slams the door shut and there's a sound of many, many locks being slapped into place. Ozma: W-what...?! What's he trying to pull?! Why that! I'll turn this door to splinters!!! Ozma winds up and slams into the door. When she hits it, she's stopped cold and overblown, comedic tears rush down her face. Ozma: … G-gimmie a hand, please! Hiro: Right. Ozma: On the count of three. Ozma backs up a few paces and counts on her fingers with an accompanying “click” sound so the player knows when to go. If you mistime it, Ozma will back up and count again, signaling you when to go again. If you both hit the door at roughly the same time, your party will go plowing through it and enter into a cave-like bedroom. Ozma: Alright! Doctor, now you listen here-- eh? Hiro: No one's home? Ozma: He couldn't have gone far. C'mon, how deep could these caves go, anyway? Let's find him! There's a bed you can rest in and a save point here, which is a none-too-subtle hint that this is more than just a town. You venture deeper into the caves and monsters start appearing like Banished Munchkins, Outcast Ostriches, and Willow Whips, ghostly plant-like monsters. Most monsters here fear fire attacks, so Kimyawa and Loyroll are excellent choices. A few floors down, the caves change and suddenly have crystal structures laced in the walls, giving this place a weird sense of style. Around here, new monsters like the Crystallis Caterpillar, and Wind-Up Golems start appearing around here and despite looking very rock-like, they're weak to earth attacks. Go fig, right? A little further in and the caves are completely replaced by metal corridors and what looks like a lab setting. Ozma: W-what in the world is this...? Loyroll: This is no mere hide-a-way for the untouchables. Whatever is happening here is happening on a grand scale. You can then go forward, but the puzzles here get a bit dickish. There's one room where you have to rush into a library and sort out books via Dewey Decimal System in a very short span of time, otherwise the room resets due to “Radiation” as a nearby sign will say. After that, you play a minigame not unlike the board game operation, and failing at it causes the miniboss monster, Chimantera, to spawn an infinite number of times. At least, in the SNES release. In the GBA remake, it'll only spawn once and win or lose, the door to the next room opens. Here, you play hopscotch against a kangaroo to cross electrified floors. There's a reason fans of the series call this area “The Cut Content Dungeon” as there doesn't feel like there's a unifying theme here. But once you're past that, you can then go to the last area here, a massive, circular room with a large tube in the center of the room with a woman inside of it and the doctor standing before it. Ozma: Doc! What are you doing?! Doctor: Gah! H-how did you get here?! Ozma: We let ourselves in. What is this? What were all those weird things we passed to get here?! Doctor: N-now that you've seen this... my, you've really put me in a bind... Ozma: What is that...? Oh my God! Is that... my mom?! Party: Say whaaaaaaat?! Doctor: … Well, since you're here anyway and you're so damn curious, I'll enlighten you. Your father hired me to save your mother from her unfortunate condition. At first I thought it a fool's errand – to find a cure for Disney Parent Syndrome! Preposterous! But... as I began my work, I started making breakthroughs and discovering new things... things previously completely unknown to modern medicine. Curiosities in the genetic structures of what we once believed to be ordinary humans. “Golden Tribe” indeed, I must say. Ozma: What are you...?! Doctor: I don't suspect a silverback gorilla such as yourself could appreciate it, but I've been wanting to tell someone about these discoveries for such a long time and I'm about to kill your asses here and now... well, let's just call this two birds; one stone. Hiro: Ozma! Ozma: I'm fine... Doctor: You see, true humanity is no longer with us. They haven't been with us in eons!! The mitochondria here indicates that there was an extinction event of some magnitude. Deima: Cough-cough-hack! Doctor: And now, modern chimerism is nigh-omnipresent! Every tribe! Every person! It's just a matter of dose! Ozma: I don't get any of this! And what's any of that have to do with my MOM, you creep?! Doctor: As I thought, you don't appreciate the meanings of the truth I've discovered here... very well. Let us cut to the heart of the matter then, shall we? The King tasked me to save the Queen... and abandoned her. I was the only one there with her in her twilight years! I realized she was... perfect. Ozma: Oh God, please tell me this isn't going where I think it's going... Doctor: She had to be... preserved. By any means necessary. Ozma: Oh God, it is!!! Doctor: She was too beautiful. Too pure... Ozma: Oh God, I'm gonna barf... stop lusting after my dead mom, asshole!!! Doctor: Dead? Dear girl, she is not dead. She is alive and well and I was just putting in my finishing touches on her new, perfected chimeran body! Ozma: You... you what?! Doctor: Arise! Perfect Human-Chimera 01! The tube's glass slides upward into the ceiling as the green goop pours out. In the Japanese version, the nude woman falls flat before standing up and throwing up some of the green fluids. This was removed entirely in the international release and she was even given a white towel from out of nowhere she clearly did not have previously. Woman: Where... where am I? Ozma: M... mommy?! Woman: O... Ozma? Is that you? You're so tall now... And, um, buff! Like, um, damn. Doctor: Oh-ho-ho... her memory is perfectly in tact too. Seems the “donations” made by my fellows here on the mountain weren't spent in vain! Loyroll: Stand down, you dastard and know when you're defeated. To flail about helplessly is disgraceful. Doctor: You think I am helpless? I'll show you the fruits of my labors, such that even simpletons like yourselves can appreciate them! The Doctor runs to a control panel and messes with buttons. Hiro and Loyroll advance, but the Queen steps into their path. Hiro: Y-your majesty?! Loyroll: Heh. Truly, this is not the first time a naked woman threw herself at me. I'm just not interested. Queen: H-help! I can't control my body! Doctor: Haha! Yes! It's better than I could have dreamed my perfect woman, my perfect creation, and your perfectly beautiful demise! Hiro: You're sick! Doctor: Prepare to die! Ozma: No! Mom!! -Boss Fight!- PHC-01 LP: 70000 MP: 6000 This is a dangerous fight as her stats are not dissimilar to Ozma's, having very high physical stats with very low magical abilities. Equally so, Ozma cannot attack directly during this fight, as you get the unique message “Ozma can't bring herself to do it!” so she's either benched or on support during this battle. Oddly enough, if you invoke her double techs with another character, this circumvents this – so punching her mom is a “no-no” but slapping her with a fish is A-OK! Focus on Kimyawa's elemental abilities or have her and Loyroll use Over-Arcing, use any attack items you have (which are calculated vs. magic defense) and heal often as her physical blows are enough to drop the likes of Mancala in one blow. When her health dips below 25%, then you have to worry about her special attack, Chimeran Rage, which hits the entire party for physical, melee damage and runs the risk of reducing physical attack and defense stats in the party. If this happens, you must heal quickly or she'll just reduce you to paste. -Boss Fight!- Queen: Ah... something just snapped. Doctor: No! Dammit! Move! Move! Queen: I'm free. Ozma: Mommy! Queen: My Ozma. You've grown so strong. And you have such wonderful friends. I couldn't be more proud of you. Doctor: This is an unforeseen turn of events. I didn't think they could go toe-to-toe with Perfect Human-Chimera 01!!! Queen: And as for you... The Queen turns to face the Doctor. Doctor: Oh... shit. Queen: My name is NOT “Perfect Human-Chimera 01”! My name is Valerie Po Toruble, Queen of the proud nation of Toruble! And as its Queen, I must establish justice within the boundaries of my beloved nation! Submit yourself to the court and beg for mercy as your sins will be dredged up before the light of day! Hiro: Um. Wow. I better take notes... Ozma: Mommy!! You're so cool!!! Doctor: Very well, Plan B it is. The doctor messes with the control panel again. PA: Emergency! Self-destruct sequence is initialized. This entire mountain is about to be leveled to the ground in 60 seconds. Have a nice day! Hiro: Quick! Grab him! There's time! Queen: There isn't. You lot get out of here. I'll ensure the evil of this place never spreads beyond this God-forsaken mountain!!! Ozma: Mother! Queen: Ozma. As the Princess of this nation, you must never forget... your heart gets a vote, but your brain has veto authority. Tell your father you love him, dry your eyes, and continue on your journey. You are our beloved land's future! Ozma: Mommy! No! Not without-- Hiro and the others restrain Ozma and pull her out the door. Queen: That's right. Be a good girl and listen to your mother. The Queen turns around, then just puts her entire arm through the Doctor's body. Doctor: BARF!!! Queen: This is the way it should be. The past is in the past and the future, set free into tomorrow. Farewell. The screen whites out here. In the SNES version, the party is returned to the overworld without further delay, but there's an extended scene that cues in the GBA remake when the party enters Toruble again. The House Man we saw briefly before walks in through the ruins of the lab. House Man: My, my what a loud explosion that was... He moves around, exploring the ruined boss chamber. House Man: Hmm... his research was thousands of years behind my own... but I must admit, he had some good ideas. I could probably put these to some good use, even if it takes some time. House Man chuckles to himself, as he uncovers a charred remains of one body. House Man: But then again, I have all the time in the world~! The party returns to the throne room of Toruble. Ozma: Daddy, I-- King: Oh-ho! Ozma! How good to see you! Ozma: Huh? Daddy?! King: I don't know why, but... it seems that funk I was in has been lifted from my shoulders! I'm ready and chipper and ready to start some banishing! Ozma: Ugh. Father... King: Oh, before I forget! The King goes to Ozma and gives her the Queen's Knuckles. Ozma: What on Earth? King: These were your mother's. I found them while taking my little trip down memory lane. I'm sure she'd want you to have them! Ozma: … King: What's the matter, dear? I thought you'd be happy! Ozma: I... I am. I have great friends and my whole future before me. I love you, daddy, but my travels aren't over just yet. See you soon! King: Do your best! Now Ozma has her ultimate weapon and unlocks her final attack “Regal Rampage” where Ozma bequeaths royal beatdowns, which hits six times and runs the chance of lowering one corresponding stat with each blow! Hiro: Your mother had a set of custom brass knuckles? Ozma: Yes, why? Hiro: No reason... And now, the only character without their ultimate weapon is Moore. At this point, we need to return to Moore's hometown and they'll mention a “legendary weapon of the miners” had recently surfaced and that a weapon's expert had it. So that's your cue to return to the weapon maniac from before. Old Man: Oh, hello. Here to discuss weapons? Hiro: Sort-of. We're looking for the legendary weapon of the miners. Deima: If this just ends up something dumb like a shovel, prepare for pain, old-timer. Old Man: No, no! Not a shovel! Much more sophisticated than a shovel! Moore: W-what? What is it? Please, tell us! I'd do ANYTHING to be not be rock-bottom tier in this game! All: … Moore: It's never going to happen, is it? Hiro: A-hem. Show us the weapon. Old Man: Can do! Got: Rusty piece of crap! Deima: Okay, so clearly, you want to die... Old Man: Eep! I just dug it up! If you want to see its true power, you'll have to go see the Old Lady Weapon Maniac! Deima: There's another one of you?! Old Man: Just head east from here! You'll find her there! Well, this is just a damnable lie. You need to go WEST from here to find the small hut in the middle of an island that's otherwise quite easy to overlook. Going east is useless as that section of the map is impassable. When you go there. Old Lady: Good morning! Are you here to ask about my weapons collection? I do love weapons! Moore: Sort of! This is... Old Lady: Ah, yes, the legendary weapon of the miners, unrivaled in their tribe as the pinnacle of design and form. Moore: So it can be repaired? Old Lady: Yes, yes! But I'll need the POLISH. Hiro: Special polish? Old Lady: Yes, but you're saying it wrong. It's POLISH. Hiro: Of course it is. Moore: Where do we find it? Old Lady: A merchant in Mermania has some! Mancala: Sounds simple enough. Let's go. So head to Mermania and speak to the merchant guild merman. Moore: So we're looking for the, uh, POLISH. Did I say that right? Guildmaster: Well, you're too late. I just sold the only POLISH I had to a man in Toruble! Hiro: Is this weapon really that great? Moore: It must be! It's the very best weapon of my people! Deima: Yes, God forbid we overlook the tallest of the dwarves. So head to Toruble! There, we find a wealthy looking fellow. Merchant: Oh? You want this POLISH? It cost me quite a lot! Moore: You don't understand, it's a matter of pride... Merchant: Hmm... okay! I'll give it to you! Moore: You will?! Merchant: But first-- All: ugh! Merchant: Bring me a Lucky Rabbit's Foot! Moore: Just... a rabbit foot? Merchant: No, ding-dong, the LUCKY RABBIT'S foot. The Lucky Rabbit only lives on Mushroom Island. Moore: That doesn't sound so hard. Let's go guys! So now, you need to head north-east-ish until you find a newly-made bridge and cross over to the previously-inaccessible island. There, you'll enter a cave and see a large, white rabbit sitting in front of many, many mushrooms with different spot patterns. Rabbit: What-ho! Welcome to the sacred ground of the Rabbit Clan! How can I help you? Moore: um. I am of the miner clan. I wish to request you for, uh, a Lucky Rabbit's Foot. Rabbit: That's all? That's not really a problem, but would you mind doing something for me first? Deima: HISS!!! Rabbit: Go to the top of the hill here and find me a mushroom that looks like... this! The rabbit places down a mushroom with a particular spot pattern. What pattern this is varies in each playthru. You then head up the mountain dealing with Mushkins, Hedgeshrooms, and Ecobandits, all of which can inflict poison. At the top of one of the four staircases are sets of mushrooms, so one of the 12 mushrooms up here is the one that matches Lucky Rabbit's request. Take it back to him. If you bring the wrong one, he'll scold you for being “dumber than a miner” and show you the one he's after once again and you'll return. Once you get it right, he'll speak to you again. Rabbit: Oh, frabjuous day! Here you go! Obtained: Lucky Rabbit's Ruler. Hiro: What? But this is a ruler and-- oh. Wait. I get it. Lucky Rabbit's... foot. Moore: Let's go guys! You then return to Toruble and speak to the merchant. Merchant: Excellent! Just what I needed! Hiro: Odd, I thought you wanted a, y'know, like a foot-foot. Like the Rabbit's actual hind-quarters leg. Merchant: Eww. You're weird. And gross. Here, take the POLISH and get outta here, ya weirdos. Hiro: Grumble... Then head to the Old Weapon Lady. Old Lady: Awright! Now I'll apply the POLISH and... there! Moore: Is it ready?! Old Lady: Almost! Head back to the Old Weapon Man and he should apply the finishing touches. All: Ugh! Moore: C'mon, guys! For all this work we're putting in, this weapon is going to be the best! So return to the Old Weapon Man. Old Man: Why, you lot have been busy. Now, let me just use my RUST REMOVER here and it'll be ready before you can say “Done”! And... Do-ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo-ooone! Got: Pickax! Moore: Of course!! Where a shovel fails, the Pickax prevails! All: … Deima: That tears it, everyone dies. Moore: But-- Deima thrusts her hand skyward and the Old Man's tent is blown away. Old Man: Oh noooooo! Moore: Cough. Cough. W-well, on the bright side I got my best weapon in the ga-- wait, does this mean I only HAVE two weapons in this WHOLE GAME?! Hiro: … The Pickax is... a little better than his shovel, I guess? But now that we have all the legendary weapons, we can finally go to that random forest in the north stretch of the game, with the healing spring in it. When we go to heal in it this time, Hiro and the party just jump into it. You'll then follow a spiral staircase downward until you reach a Pudding Shrine at the bottom. “But wait!” I hear some of you call out, “How the hell were we supposed to know about this?!” All I can say is: Player's Guide Sales! Go inside and Hiro will pull away from the party. Hiro: The final shrine... A small, strange, hairy creature appears before him. Hiro: Um. Lulz: Greetings, Hiro. I am Lul Invictus, but you can call me Lulz for short. Hiro: Very short. Lulz: Oh, the wit. Never heard THAT one before! You do remember my voice, do you not? Hiro: Um... Wait... you were the one who spoke to me when my powers first awoke! Lulz: Indeed so. Your journey is nearing completion, Hiro. You will need the fullest extent of your abilities now. Do you know what I mean by that? Hiro: Yes! My friends! Lulz: Indeed! You've learned much! I now release the limitations on your abilities and bless you with the mighty power of the Final Swirl Flavor Fusion! Hiro glows brightly. Hiro: Thank you, Lulz. Lulz: Fare thee well. And remember: Pudding is meant to be enjoyed! Not contained! Keep those snack packs a popping! Hiro: The more you speak, the less I understand. But I'll do my best despite that. Hiro returns to the others, draws out his sword and poses. Hiro: Do that which is right, live your life for others, and never, ever give up! That is the oath of the Light Puddings! Ozma: Heart~! Kimyawa: Sugoi, Hiro-ni-chan! Loyroll: Well said, friend! Deima: Heh. Hot. Moore: Mm! Mancala: Ooo, we should copyright that phrase and make mint after the war's over! And with that, the last optional quest is finished and we're ready to get us the best ending of the game! It's time to enter the next chapter, with our heads held high!

[imgilmoregirl]

Five Deals With The Dark One

AO3 Link

Notes: I got excited with the plot last time I was writing so, here we have a new chapter quickier than I expected.

Lady

Never before Belle had such a good night of sleep, maybe it was the fact that she was finally somewhere she wanted to be or the fact that her back hadn’t hurt, but even the baby had stayed quiet and allowed her to sleep. She woke up with a content sigh, feeling the sun bathing her face and a lazy smile spread on her lips as she groped the bedsheets beside her, trying to find the other body that should be there, however, she was the only one on the bed that morning.

Belle sat up, letting the bed covers slid down, pooling around her waist as she yawned and heard a rustle on the other end of the room and looked around to find one of the maids opening up the curtains to allow more light inside the room. Sliding off the bed, she seemed too caught up the redhaired woman’s attention and she turned around, smiling at her.

"Good morning, milady,"

"Mrs. Potts, right?" Belle inquired and the maid nodded. "Where is Rumplestiltskin?"

"Out for a deal," she explained, promptly heading towards the table for two set in the middle of the chambers where a great of amount of food was and pouring Belle a cup of tea. "He said you should have fruits for breakfast. It's good for the baby."

"Mm."

She didn’t know what else to say. Belle had never been cared for this way, nobody had ever left instructions about what she should eat or not and even though she was a bit sad to not find him in bed with her, the fact that Rumple took some of his time to let the household know he worried about her and their child was enough to bring a smile to her lips as she filled a plate with strawberries and papaya.

The tea tasted delicious and the fruits seemed to be brought from warmer places where they grow to be as sweet as possible. She ate in silence as Mrs. Potts walked around the chambers, making the bed and taking things out of the closet, setting them in a dressing table.

When she was almost finished, the maid appeared with a beautiful mint green maternity gown in hands, one of the finest pieces Belle had ever seen in her life, even after months living in a court.

"What do you think about this dress?"

"Beautiful," she answered.

"Wonderful," Mrs. Potts smiled. "You'll be wearing it today."

Drinking the rest of her tea, Belle reached for the bed where a fine shift was laid alongside a new pair of shoes and everything else she needed to look as beautiful as no greater queen had ever looked. She smiled, stripping her nightgown and pulling on the shift and then allowing Mrs. Potts to help her to slid inside the dress and lace it on her back.

The maid led her to a chair when they were finished and brushed Belle’s hair as she slid her feet inside the pair of white shoes that had been given to her. They had really small heels and felt comfortable as cotton. Mrs. Potts pulled her hair into a half-up style just like the one she was wearing when she arrived the castle in the night prior and Belle smiled at her image in the mirror.

"What should I do?" She asked as she rose to her feet, both hands caressing her bump.

"Do?"

"Yeah," Belle nodded. "Do you have any task for me? Should I help cleaning or accompany someone on a hunt?"

Mrs. Potts blinked and them exploded into a deliciously melodic laugher, that Belle didn’t quite understand. Everybody always had tasks for her, so why should it even sound funny to anyone? The maid probably noticed that she was staring at her very confuse and ceased her laughing with a sigh, smiling fondly at her.

"Oh, milady, you don't have to do any of those things," she assured her, touching Belle’s shoulder affectionally. "Chip can take you to have a look around if you want to."

"It would be lovely."

She nodded, but didn’t really moved to do anything else, only kept her glance fixed on Belle as if she was trying to analyse her, but in a good way. Belle decided that she liked Mrs. Potts very much. She was kind and funny and she was a mother too, so Belle guessed the two of them could have so good talks in the future.

"Master must like you very much, he never brought a woman home, even more one with child."

"We made a deal," Belle shrugged. "Five deals, actually."

"He must really love you then, he never does more than one deal with each person. Some few times he does two, but it is very rare."

Feeling some blush come to her cheeks, Belle looked down at the floor, feeling the first movement of the day coming from the child within her. She couldn’t quite describe the happiness she felt whenever the babe showed her any signs of their existence and she had seen the same happiness reflected in Rumplestiltskin’s face too, which always made her twice as cheerful.

It was the living proof that she had at least for one night belonged to the Dark One, to the most powerful sorcerer in all realms and to the man she couldn’t deny that she loved more every day.

"He said he wanted an heir."

"Well, master has always been very lonely," Mrs. Potts answered, tilting her hear and appearing to find that Belle’s dress wasn’t really aligned. "It doesn't surprise me that he wishes for a family."

She pulled the right side of the collar up and the left side down, hiding the thin fabric of her shift under the green dress before nodding in approval

"Ready."

"Thank you."

The maid gesticulated for Belle to follow her and they got out of her chambers, reaching for the corridor and then for the staircase, where Mrs. Potts stopped, looking around until she found her son playing with a woodened toy horse on the floor below theirs.

"Chip," she shouted out. "Chip, come here, boy!"

He looked up at them, seeking from where the voice came and dropped his toy to the floor, rushing up the stairs towards his mother and throwing his arms around her legs, offering her a childish smile.

"Mama?"

"Take Lady Belle to a walk around the castle," Mrs. Potts instructed. "Show her everything."

"Alright," he said, stepping away from her and grabbing Belle’s hand. "Come with me, milady."

Smiling, she followed him down the stairs and Chip started by giving her a proper tour of that floor. He indicated the chambers that belonged to each member of their household – that was their floor – and the larder, them, he took her down, showed Belle the dining hall, the treasure room – which she really loved, because there were a lot of interesting things – the kitchen and everything else.

The castle was even larger than she thought it to be in the night prior, there were a lot of empty guest bedrooms and other chambers which use she simply didn’t understand, but that after seeing so many incredible things in the last few months, she was sure that were probably important. Belle got really excited, however, when Chip finally took her to the garden and she could see all of its beauty in the lights of the morning.

Chip pointed the small houses near the gates, saying they were Master’s stables and that if she wanted he would take her to see the horses later, he even added that he had a pony himself and always fed him with the reddest of the apples. She smiled, admiring the carefully adorned bushes and feeling happy to notice the surroundings of the castle seemed to glow with life, unlike everything she had seen on her kingdom where all you could see before the woods was the grey walls and floors of the villages.

She felt the urge of taking off her shoes and feeling the grass under her feet, but Belle did no such a thing, only kept following the little boy who talked cheerfully about the property and distractedly ran a hand up and down her stomach, more eager than never to see her child’s face and introduce him or her to this amazing world.

“This place is very beautiful,” Belle pointed out as they walked towards a very flowery area. “Have you been living here for long?”

“Yes, milady, ever since my father was killed in a fire,” Chip answered. “Master made a deal with mama and brought us to live here when I was just this tall.”

He gesticulated with a hand to his knees which made Belle laugh. She found it was funny the way children saw some things, like their notion of time and measures, when she herself was very young she used to get confused between "yesterday" and "tomorrow", so she would say that she did things tomorrow and would to something yesterday. Colette, her mother, always had a good laugh with that.

“Tell me, Chip," she started, slowly, "what do you think about Master?”

“He is funny, I like him.”

Arching an eyebrow, she tilted her head. It wasn't the adjective she would use to describe Rumplestiltskin and it made Chip's opinion about him even more interesting.

“Really?”

“Yeah, sometimes he makes funny voices and pretends to be mad at people, even mama, but I know that he is really nice, because he always brings me things from his travels and he always gives me more blueberries when mama says I shouldn’t have more.”

A smile appeared in her lips as she stretched out a hand to run it through the bushes, touching the leaves. It appeared that the Dark One wasn't as dark as people thought, in fact he was as nice as she had suspected from the start, good with children and a bit of a loner, just like her.

“You’re a sweet boy, Chip,” Belle said, petting his red hair. “Is that your real name? Chip?”

“Obviously not,” he responded with a chuckle. “My name is Charles, but my mama started calling me Chip, because I’ve chipped a tooth. It fell last year, but I still keep it. Do you want to see?”

“Maybe later.”

With a shrug, he grabbed Belle's hand and dragged her all the way to the flowers. That was when she noticed that the blonde maid who had helped her yesterday was kneeled on the ground, cutting some red roses and pulling the to a big basket she had by her side.

“Agathe,” Chip called, waving at her. “I’m showing the castle to Lady Belle.”

The maid looked up at them, a weird kind of grin stamped on her face.

“Well, that’s very nice of you, Chip.”

“Mama says she has a babe on her tummy,” the boy pointed out, poking one of the sides of Belle's stomach.

“I see,” Agathe nodded, then turned to Belle with an inquisitive look. “Doesn’t walking around tires you, milady?”

Belle took a second to think about it. She didn't really feel tired of walking, although sometimes her feet would get swollen and sore after a long day and she obviously felt the weight of the baby, but even so, it wasn't an exhausting task like Agathe made it seem to be.

“Not really,” Belle shrugged. “I think the child isn’t really much heavy.”

Chip looked between the two of them and something seemed to click on his mind, because he tapped a finger to the maid's shoulder with a giggle.

“Mama says Agathe should marry soon or she���ll become a spinster.”

“Chip!”

“Sorry, but it is true, isn’t it?”

Agathe snorted aloud, clearly irritated with the boy's attitude. She folded her arms, narrowing her eyes at him and Belle had to hold herself not to start laughing at how childish she looked like right now.

“Just so you know, I had lots of suitors before I was brought here.”

“Did you make a deal with Rumple, too?” Belle asked, gently.

“We all did,” the blonde sighed. “My oldest sister was dying, she was the only one I had, so in exchange for her life I agreed to become his maid.”

Belle took a seat on the grass by her side and Chip fell to his knees in front of them, interested in their talk. He brushed a strand of hair away from his forehead, picking one of Agathe’s roses and starting to break the thorns from its stalk distractedly. Belle offered the maid the sincerest, but also one of the saddest smiles she had and that because she could feel Agathe’s pain perfectly. She too had been a desperate soul the imp came to help.

“I know how hard it is,” she said. “My original deal with Rumple was to give him my child once it was born so he would help me and my life would be spared.”

Agathe furrowed, cutting some daises from the bush behind her and placing them on the basked right above the roses.

“I don’t think this was something I could do,” the maid started. “I would never trade away a child of mine.”

“Yeah,” Belle answered, a bit resentful of herself, “now that I know how it feels to carry this baby within me and now that I love it, I can tell the very same.”

That was the reason she was there, after all. She couldn’t be separated from her child by any means. When she did that first deal with Rumplestiltskin she was too desperate to see clearly and she was too much of a silly girl too, she had no idea of what it was like to be a mother. Belle felt a kick on the lower of her belly and tears came to her eyes. It was a reassurance, that now she was doing things right, both for herself and for the baby.

“I bet you’re hoping for a boy, it is what every man wants,” Agathe continued. “I’m sure you’ll feel like you’ve failed Master if you birth him a daughter.”

“I – I haven’t considered that,” Belle immediately responded, covering her belly with both hands and feeling a sudden rush of fear take her. “Do you think he is expecting me to have a boy?”

“Oh, I’m pretty sure he is.”

“I think it doesn’t matter,” Chip interfered. “Master just wants a babe, right? Mama says he wishes for a family only.”

Belle smiled fondly at him. He was a nice boy and she was happy to know that her child would have him as a friend while growing up, however she had lived time enough at court to know that the maid spoke the truth. Rumplestiltskin wouldn’t have brought her there to have a little girl playing with dolls on his great hall. No, he wanted an heir, he had been clear enough.

“Your mother is really wise, Chip, but I think that, in this case, Agathe is right,” Belle answered. “Gaston would have wanted a boy too.”

“Who is Gaston?” Agathe inquired.

“My husband.”

She pulled on a confused expression.

“Are you married?”

Mouth falling open, Belle realised she couldn’t call Gaston her husband anymore and that was both amazing and strange at the same time. She was still wed to that man in the eyes of people and the gods, but she would never see him again, so she must think of him as dead.

“I was, but it was an arranged marriage, none of us were happy.”

“It must have been awful.”

“Believe me, it was.”

Agathe nodded, rising up on her feet and taking the basket up with her. She shook the dust from her skirts and fixed her blonde wavy hair back into a braid before looking down at them again.

“Well, if you excuse me, I need to go back to my duties and I think you should go back to your private tour.”

“I probably should,” Belle agreed, accepting Chip’s helping hand to stand up. “See you later.”

Belle had found some books on her chambers. Most of them were about magic and potions, so Belle discarded them quickly, but there were also some quite nice adventures and she picked one to read by the fire at night. She settled herself on a comfortable chaise, enjoying the silence of the room as she devoured the story, sometimes reading aloud the greatest scenes for her child to hear. It was a good distraction, and the fact that she was left alone to do it, was even better, but it didn’t really last long, as the door swung open and one of the butlers peeked a look inside.

“Milady?” He called. “Can I interrupt your reading?”

“Of course, Mr. Dove,” Belle said, pulling the book down. “What can I help you with?”

He took some few steps into her direction, stopping awkwardly in the middle of the room. Belle thought that he was a funny man, mostly because he looked all serious and dangerous, dressed in black and white like a brave knight, but was actually very shy and spoke very little.

“Mrs. Potts would like to know what you want to have for dinner and which colour of china she would use for the afternoon tea,” he informed.

“Anything she chooses is good for me,” she replied, simply.

The butler cleaned his throat, folding his hands on his back.

“I’m afraid she says you should decide. You’re the new lady of this castle and she would like very much for you to start acting like one and give some commands.”

Belle sighed. She was wearing the most beautiful gown, living in an amazing castle, but yet, she felt the same, as if she was still a peasant. Belle had no idea how to be anything else other than that and she didn’t know why Rumple expected her to suddenly become a lady, when not even Gaston did that. But well, Gaston really only wanted her to keep her mouth shut.

“Mr. Dove, can I confide you something?”

“Of course, milady.”

“I think I don’t know how to do that,” Belle murmured, worrying at her lip. “Some months ago, I was just a peasant and even when I became a part of King George’s court, I never gave commands to anyone. I have no idea what to order for food and I don’t even know what colour of china we have here.”

Dove seemed to take a second to think, then he tilted his head a bit a smile curving his lips.

“It seems you need to be trained, but don’t worry, you’ll find your way,” he guaranteed. “Now straighten your back, always hold up your chin and speak as if you are totally confident of what you’re saying.”

Adjusting herself on the chaise Belle felt a bit more confident. Maybe that was what she needed, guidance. Maybe if she became the lady Rumplestiltskin hoped her to be, then he would open up to her and be clear about his feelings towards her and maybe he even wanted to try again if this first baby wasn’t the boy he hoped it to be.

“Alright. What else?”

“Mrs. Potts makes a delicious salmon if you’d like to try,” Dove suggested. “And we have green, gold and blue china.”

“Salmon and blue then,” she said, decided. “Thank you, Mr. Dove.”

“You’re welcome, Lady Belle.”

They exchanged a grin and he left he room, closing the door behind himself and allowing Belle to go back to her reading.

She dined alone that night with only the household as company. They weren’t going to seat in the same table as she did to eat, but Belle insisted that they all were going to be a constant part of her life for now on and so she wanted them to be her friends. Belle had a nice talk with them while eating and Chip made some quips that were capable to make her laugh, so when she retired to her chambers, Belle was feeling like her day had been really worth it.

It was already late and she was already in bed when she heard a very distinct sound of a rustle in the room, but didn’t pay any attention to it, until she felt a hand on her leg and almost jumped out of bed, startled and feeling difficulty to breath.

“Enjoying some bedtime reading?”

“Gods, Rumplestiltskin, you almost scared me to death!”

He took the book from her hands and slid to her side, splaying a hand on her belly, all possessive and protective. She held it in place, pressing gently to make the baby kick for him, because she loved to see how his face lighted up when it happened.

“I’m sorry, precious Belle,” the imp apologised. “How is our little one today?”

“Very calm, which considering how energic they are, is very surprising.”

“I think it means they like the castle,” he shrugged.

“You could be right.”

Rumple stroked her a few times before standing up and walking towards the settee in front of he window. He slowly unlaced his boots under her glance and Belle decided that he probably used magic to pull it on every day because he couldn’t imagine him losing that amount of time with those laces.

“I’ve talked to Mrs. Potts,” he began as he kicked off one of the shoes. “She said you’ve done pretty well on your first day.”

“I didn’t know I was being tested,” Belle said with an arched eyebrow.

“You weren’t, I just want to make sure that you’ll learn how to be the Dark One’s lady properly.”

She bit down her lip, sliding down from the bed and making her way to him with curiosity shining on her eyes. Belle felt like she couldn’t take any more time without knowing what he wanted and expected from her.

“So that’s what I am?” She inquired. “Yours?”

“You’re not my slave, if that’s what afflicts you.”

“No, it is not what I meant,” Belle corrected. “Am I yours like a wife belongs to her husband?”

The imp looked up at her, surprised. He had just taken off his other boot and was unlacing his waistcoat, but he stopped at her question. Rumplestiltskin clearly didn’t see that coming but knowing her he should have imagined that she wouldn’t tire until she got the answers she needed.

“Why are you asking me that?”

“Maybe because that’s what I want,” Belle dared to say.

“You don’t know what you’re saying.”

“I do,” she assured him, coming even closer and taking his hands on hers. They still felt the same, calloused and texturized. Unique. “I’ve been yours once and ever since that day I’ve been longing to repeat the experience.”

He opened up his mouth, then closed it without saying anything. She lifted one of her hands to stroke his face and his eyes slid shut a hum of appreciation coming up his throat.

“We had a deal in that occasion,” he insisted to say.

“Well, would you be willing to make another one with me then, Rumple?”

Belle waited for the answer and while she did, she hoped.