Kismet (redux) – Chapter One

by taitofan

Rating: T (for now)

Author's Note: It's been almost 10 years since I wrote Kismet. I have a lot of issues with it, and thus, I decided to rewrite it. Some parts will be the same (the opening part is very similar) but overall this is a very different beast. If you've never read the original, that's fine. It's up to you if you want to check that one out, but remember that I'm rewriting this for a reason.

Finished 7-30-16

"…and remember that you must concentrate! You cannot let your mind wander or it shall not work!"

Vaati wanted to scream, to cry, something to get it across that he knew. He knew better than anyone that it was his lack of dedication that had caused him to fail for the past year since Link had defeated him and he'd gone back to being a Picori. But he was trying harder, the hardest he'd ever worked at anything in his life. He would succeed today. He had to.

"Yes Master," he answered once he was calm enough not to let his frustration show. If he let his negative emotions take hold, well, wasn't that what got him into trouble in the first place? "I understand."

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and began to clear his mind of everything but his goal. Nothing else mattered now, not even all of the hard work he'd shown. All that was important was focusing on his goal. He needed a calm, clear head, which was easier said than done. It was difficult not to think of all the terrible things he'd done in the past—things that he hadn't been able to let go of, which had caused all of his past failures. And with every attempt came a drain on his magical energy, which made him wait even longer to reach his goal.

He pushed the thoughts away. No more thoughts of failure.

There were a few moments of silence—even the usual outside noises seemed to have stilled. Then, suddenly, a bright flash of white light filled up the entire room. The energy hummed in his ears, but still he concentrated on what he wanted—no, what he needed. He needed this if he was to keep what sanity he hadn't lost yet.

'I need another chance. I need to make up for what I've done. Please, let me have just one more chance…'

And as suddenly as the light had manifested, it was gone. He didn't dare to open his eyes though. What if it didn't work? Surely, it must have! His dedication had to pay off eventually, right?

"Vaati, you've done it! Open your eyes and look!"

The young Picori apprentice's eyes flew open, and sure enough, there it was. A wish granting hat, just as his master had made a year ago. But this time, Vaati had made it. He rushed forward and grabbed it, as if he needed to verify that he wasn't dreaming. But no, it was real. He'd finally done it.

"Master…" Vaati had to pause to collect himself. Too many emotions flooded through him for him to trust his voice without at least a few deep breathes. "Thank you for teaching me all of these years. I never could have gotten this far without your guidance."

Ezlo smiled and laid his hands on his pupil's shoulders, pride practically radiating from him.

"You are most welcome. However, in the end it was you who made this possible. You finally understand that you cannot take shortcuts to achieve true strength, and you've show that your strength of character is greater than your quest for unlimited power. Your dedication paved the way to your success." He paused and chuckled, though it was rather melancholic. "I only regret now that I'm losing my greatest student."

It took a moment for Vaati to realize what Ezlo meant, but once he did, he once again found it hard to speak.

"Master…"

The sage shook his head, not allowing him to continue.

"Vaati, this is your victory, and you have no time for indecision. You have chosen your future and now is the time to achieve it. We shall meet again, I'm sure of it." He stepped back and offered the young Picori his warmest smile. "Go on; see where your wish shall take you."

Vaati looked at the hat in his hands and then at his smiling teacher. No, his smiling former teacher. It saddened him to know that he was leaving after having just learned his most important lesson, but… Ezlo was right. He had to go.

"Thank you Master." Slowly, he put on the hat and closed his eyes. "Goodbye for now."

"Goodbye Vaati."

…And then he was gone.

Five months.

It had been less than half a year since a strange boy had come to Termina and saved the world from the falling moon, and thus it had been that same length of time since Kafei had been married to Anju. After his marriage mask was returned and the moon's decent stopped, Kafei thought that his troubles were over. His body had reverted to its correct age, he'd married his childhood friend, the moon was safely back where it belonged…

And yet, as usual, nothing could seem to go right for very long.

It wasn't as if he hated being married to Anju—quite the contrary. He loved her, and he'd loved her for a very long time. But even marrying her hadn't stopped the rumors that had been swirling around Clock Town for years. Rumors that, though not being completely false, weren't true either. And if marrying Anju hadn't stopped them, he wasn't sure anything would.

Now, on top of everything, Anju was hinting about having children. By the gods, he loved her, but that was not what he wanted to deal with on top of everything else. Him, a father? That was more laughable than the rumors that plagued him.

Of course, he could admit that perhaps meeting her question of trying for a child by running out of the inn like a coward hadn't been the best plan of action. He'd have to go back and explain himself eventually, but at that moment, roaming Termina Field aimlessly was far more appealing than having to admit all the ways having a child was the worst idea he could think of to his wife.

At least, he thought, the day couldn't get any worse than it already was.

When a bright light lit up the sky immediately after he thought that, he chastised himself for tempting fate. Then the light faded, and his heart leaped into his throat at the sight he was met with. Mere feet from where he stood, a body laid on the ground. The barely breathing form belonged to a strange looking man around Kafei's age.

The man had ornately decorated clothes in deep purples, reds, and gold. They stood out on his pale skin, which seemed to be pigmented a pale purple, just shades lighter than the man's long lavender hair. Though the strange black marking under one of his eyes stood out perhaps even more. And the hat he wore made Kafei assume the man was a mage of some sort, though he looked like no one Kafei had ever met. After everything with Link, Kafei wasn't willing to rule out that wherever the man had come from, it wasn't Termina.

'I wonder what color his eyes are…?'

Kafei snapped out of his daze as the man let out a soft groan. He chastised himself again, this time for gawking when he should have been getting help. But he knew the people of Clock Town far too well. He knew just how many people distrusted foreigners, and this man was very obviously not like anyone in the town. Kafei realized that he could be ill-tempered, but at least he wouldn't turn away from someone who critically needed help.

Quickly, Kafei closed the distance between them, noticing that the man was shaking. Placing a hand to his forehead, it became clear that he had a fever. Kafei wasted no more time in lifting the man into his arms, noting that the man was far too light to be healthy. If the man could fight off his fever, he would still probably take a while to recover…

Kafei hated that he was happy for the distraction, but then again, it was hardly the first time he'd experienced that particular emotion.

Anju stood by the window at the Stock Pot Inn, trying to force down her worry. That light was surely nothing to worry about! And Kafei was definitely just fine! Everything was going to be okay!

She only half-believed what she thought, but she knew her husband well enough to know that he was just as good at getting out of trouble as he was getting into it. So even if he weren't okay, everything would end up fine in the end. She had faith in him!

If only she could shake the feeling that the odd light was about to turn her and Kafei's lives upside down…

But that was just silly, right?