The Lone Ninja marches purposefully up to Florenza's dorm and knocks loudly on the door.
"Open up, Florenza! It's Ningan! I want to talk!"
Florenza appears at the door with puffy red eyes and a finger pointed in Ningan's face. "He died for you!"
"Do you not think I know this?" Ningan retorts with fire. "I just wanted you to know that it wasn't your fault!"
Florenza eyes the man at her door: his panting breath, sleepless eyes and manic expression. Although he would never admit it, this news had also taken its toll on him. She steps aside, beckoning him in. Slightly taken aback, Ningan reluctantly enters. Florenza closes the door gently behind him.
Her dorm is somewhere he had never ventured before. All villagers were forbidden from entering, or face the wrath of the tribe's most ruthless warrior. The floor is bare; all her furniture is arranged perfectly to make the most efficient use of the space. The books on her shelf are organised alphabetically, and her bed is neatly made, just as one would expect. Something he did not expect to see, however, is the stuffed animal resting on her pillow.
"What are you staring at?" she snarls. "Sit down."
She pulls up a chair. Ningan obeys without question. Florenza throws herself onto the bed and continues to sob into her pillow.
"Just seeing him there…lying in a pool of his own blood…" she sniffs solemnly.
"He must have died relatively quickly." Ningan's feeble attempt at consolation.
"He was our devoted teacher…" the bereaved warrior wails. "Our courageous leader…"
A knock at the door suspends her woes. Marson cautiously enters with his injured arm.
"Sorry to bother you…" he apologises. "I just came to see if you were alright…"
Marson uncertainly parks himself on the edge of her desk. They allow a few minutes for her to continue her crying before Ningan breaks the tension:
"I spoke to him before he passed. He told me how to obtain the Fire Medallion."
He proceeds to narrate the story of how he had transformed into the fearsome dragon known as Volvagia and terrified the Gorons into handing over the Medallion. He tells of how Count Caedis had appeared from nowhere and snatched the Medallion, but his quick-thinking led to him transforming into a bird-of-prey, swooping in the nick of time to snatch it back. For a while, this exciting tale of bravado keeps Florenza's tears at bay, as she listens intently to his story.
"It was thanks to him that I have this." He presents her with the dazzling ruby Medallion. "Now we're evenly matched, with two Medallions each. Once I obtain the final two, I'll be able to face this guy and win."
Marson beams. "I believe you can do it, Ningan."
Ningan smiles back. "Those were Sherifu's final words to me. So I've made it my mission to succeed."
"This certainly has been a shock for us all." Marson reiterates. "Although, I believe Nazo was right: this was fate at play."
"I'm still sceptical about this whole 'destiny' thing…" Ningan confesses.
Florenza snorts. "Oh please, give up the jest, Ningan. You've always been the 'chosen one': the son of Impa, legendary leader of the Sheikah tribe. From the moment you arrived in this village, all eyes were on you. You were all the elders would talk about. 'Whatever will we do with him?'"
Her rant is disrupted by a flash of light through the curtain which snatches their attention. The three of them rush to the window and gaze out. Nazo stands in the centre of the village, pointing his umbrella to the sky. A continuous stream of blue light flows from the tip, gradually forming a dome around the entire village: an enormous magical shield.
Ningan, Marson and Florenza watch in awe of his enchantment; children of the Sheikah tribe wonderstruck by such a fantastical display of magic which fills their hearts with the promise of change, and a glimmer of hope. A new leader; a new Medallion; a newfound strength.