Chapter Thirteen: Flashbacks
Malum stared at the place where Kurai had been standing in disbelief. "Where did…she go?" he asked. The Light Arrows and now this? But it felt different from the magic that Kurai had taught him. It didn't make him feel ill or rampant. Instead he had felt wholesome and as if he didn't need to be in control of it, but only a channel for it.
"Vean, are you okay?" Link asked putting his right hand on Malum's shoulder. (His left arm was still numb from Kurai's last attack.) "I'm fine," he answered, but he felt far from "fine." He was now more confused than ever.
Suddenly, in the center of the fountain, the Great Fairy appeared again, but this time she looked like a normal Great Fairy with her dark skin, and white dress. "Young Waker of the Winds…and Great Oracle of Light…" she began in a sweet yet sorrowful voice. "Firstly, I must thank you for freeing me of the malefic influence of the Oracle of Shadows. Secondly, I must beg your forgiveness for all I have done to cause you harm."
Many months ago, Kurai had in fact taken Vean to the Temple of Light were she hoped to destroy him. "Why did you bring me here?!" Vean had asked her when they first entered the strange dark temple. "You and I both know that your hocus-pocus is useless against me no matter where we are!"
"Oh, but that's were you're wrong," Kurai said as she looked around admiring the temple. "Your power negates mine like a candle does the dark corner of a room. Nothing more," she continued. "But this temple was created a hundred years ago by none other then Lord Ganondorf! His powers were a combination of Light and Darkness, of the Triforce and the Sorceress Sisters' dark arts. This temple is a place where the two powers co-exist…and therefore, a place where your powers won't 'dispel the darkness.'"
Kurai snapped her fingers and a Mighty Dark Nut appeared. "Not so confident in your little theory if you're making him attack me," Vean said evenly, but in truth he was now desperately trying to get his hands free from the rope he was tied up with.
"The Oracle of Light restrained the powers of darkness. But no more," Kurai said as she gestured for the Dark Nut to attack. It charged at Vean without hesitation, but when it brought its sword down it hit his shield of light and disappeared. Relief flooded over Vean and he now calmly pulled at the knot tied behind his back. Kurai on the other hand was furious. "Blast! The rumors of Hyrule's demise must have been true… Without the Golden Land, Lord Ganondorf's powers are useless!" she said as she slammed her fist against the wall. She turned her attention back to Vean just in time to dodge a nut from his Slingshot. She quickly ran over and gripped him by the hand so hard that he dropped his Slingshot with a cry. "There's more than one way to destroy you! If I can't blow the candle out, I'll smother it!" she said as she opened a shadow portal and they both disappeared through it.
Kurai and Vean reappeared on Thorned Fairy Island inside the Fairy Fountain. "You are not welcome here, Oracle of Shadows," said the Great Fairy as she appeared with a scornful look at Kurai. The sorceress simply ignored her and rushed forward toward the pool of water thrusting her hand into it. The water began turning murky and Kurai winced as the fountain's magic fought against her. The Great Fairy clasped her hands and made a white lily appear in her them. She blew the petals towards Kurai, but it didn't seem to have any effect and the Great Fairy now looked exhausted. Vean rushed forward and tried to pull Kurai away from the fountain, but he was, too late. As he pulled her back, the water turned completely black and the Great Fairy disappeared in a puff of black smoke leaving behind a small swarm of little fairies. They all started flying for the exit, but a shockwave of black energy from the fountain caught a handful of them and they became little black fairies and disappeared with wicked little giggles. The few that escaped flew for Mother and Child Island to warn the Queen Fairy of what had happened.
Vean stared at the now eerily quiet fountain in horror. "What did you-" he began, but Kurai put him in a chokehold and dragged him to the edge of the pool of dark water. "This is still the fairy's magic, but I have enhanced it to a hundred times what it should be. It will 'purify your mind of everything and everyone you once knew. Once I erase who the Oracle was, I can make him someone incapable of wielding the light's power," she said with a malevolent smile. With that she threw Vean into the water. He quickly got up and clambered out of the pool, but passed out before he had two feet on the ground.
He woke up hours later in Kurai's castle on her small hidden island. "Malum! Its about time you woke up," Kurai said as she leaned over a large black spell book. "We must get back to your training immediately, my apprentice."
"So the other Fairy Fountains?" asked Link after hearing the Great Fairy's story.
"I suspect her Majesty, the Fairy Queen, ordered my sisters to take shelter in our own world less the same fate befall them," she said sadly. She then looked down at Malum and held out her hand to him saying, "Oracle of Light, allow me to right my wrongs. Step into the Fountain and I shall restore what you have lost." With that, the Great Fairy disappeared in a flash of light, leaving only regular little fairies flying around it.
Malum took a deep breath and stepped into the shallow water of the fountain. The fairies all started flying around him with a loud humming sound. Then they all dove into the water making quite a splash for just a few tiny fairies. Malum was now soaked from head to toe. Link ran up to the edge of the pool and asked, "Uh…Vean, do you remember anything?" Malum turned to Link, gave a sly smile, and shook his head. "No! The fairies were just showing off just now," he said sarcastically. Link didn't seem to get it, but he did notice that Malum's eyes where now green. "Yes, I remember that I'm Vean…and you're my annoying twin brother, Link."
"He's back!" Link shouted as he ran up and hugged his brother. Vean patted him on the back awkwardly and then pulled away. "Yeah, I'm back…mostly," Vean said pulling at his black hair. He didn't feel very different from how he felt a moment ago, except that he now knew that Link had been telling him the truth. His name was Vean, he was the oracle of light, and he had been avoiding Kurai for most of his life just to have it all end shortly after she had captured him.
"Vean!" shouted Siri as she came running up to them from the entrance. "What happened? Are you okay? Where's-You're eyes!" she gasped.
Vean remembered Siri now, too. His best friend for over seven years now. "Yep, your annoying persistence saves the day again," he said with a smile. Now it was Siri's turn to rush over and hug him.