Chapter 13: What Used To Be

Symphony lay awake in Telma's bed. "…" She turned her head when she saw a light under the door.

"So, it was Santino you say?" It was Telma's voice.

"Yes. I don't know why he did it…" And Link's voice.

"That boy…"

"You know him?"

"Of course. He's Symphony's distant cousin." A sigh could be heard. "I don't know what kind of man he's grown into though. The last time I saw him, his mother was scolding him as she pulled him away from Symphony."

"Why?"

"I don't know. I can't say much about the two since I'm sure it would upset Symphony."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I think that Symphony wouldn't want me telling you everything about her."

"I don't understand."

"Just ask Symphony, hun."

The door slowly opened and Symphony rolled over, hiding her face from Link and Telma. "…"

Link sighed. "I wonder when she'll start talking to us again."

"Santino has never made her bleed before, so I'm sure the experience was traumatic." Telma sighed. "Symphony… you poor thing, you're in so much pain…" she whispered before facing Link. "Come on, let's let her rest." They left the room and quietly closed the door.

Symphony got out of the bed and walked over to the window. It was raining outside, but a shooting star still dashed across the sky, despite the rain. Her fingertips gently brushed the glass. "I looked up at the night sky alone and saw a comet. It burst out for only an instant and disappeared but if I think about you, my chest feels painful…" she recited softly.

"…I can't see the stars." Symphony shut her eyes. Santino…my cousin …

X-X-X-X

"Santino, Santino!" The little girl ran through the field. "C'mon!"

"Symphony-sama, slow down!" The little boy caught up with her. "You sure are a fast runner, Symphony-sama. Faster than me!"

She giggled, "I know."

"Now what did you want to show me?"

She sat down and looked up at the night sky. "Look up."

He looked up. "I see nothing."

"Just wait."

He sat next to her. "Symphony-sama, we really shouldn't be out in the Hyrule Field alone at night."

"Don't be such a fraidy-cat Santino! Besides," the little girl turned to the little boy "You can always protect me."

"I-It's not that, Symphony-sama. We'll get in a lot of tro-"

"Stop calling me 'sama' will ya?"

"But Symphony-sama, I-"

"Quit it! I'll get mad if you keep calling me that. We're friends, okay? So there's no need to use formalities."

"…R-Right, sorry Symphony."

She smiled. "Good. Now be quiet and look up at the sky." They both looked up.

The dark clouds began to move away, revealing a big, bright moon, and billions of tiny stars. The little girl waited excitedly, for she knew that once every ten years, something spectacular could be seen from the fields of Hyrule. And then it happened. Hundreds of stars began to run across the sky, lighting up the world.

"Whoa!" The little boy jumped up.

"It's so beautiful!" The little girl hugged the boy. "Grandma told me about it, but it's so grand, more than I expected."

"Wow, thanks for inviting me Symphony."

"Well, I didn't want to see it alone, and we're best friends, so of course I would invite you." They faced each other. "From now on, this will be our secret. Every night of the tenth year, we'll come out here and watch the stars fall. This is our houkiboshi, our shooting stars. This will be the light that brightens up the darkness, just for us."

"Our hikari."

X-X-X-X

Tears began to fall from Symphony's eyes. "Our houkiboshi…Our hikari…" She closed her eyes. "The sky is too dark to see the stars fall…because we're not together…Santino…" She opened her eyes, a determined look on her face. "…I won't let you slip away like our shooting stars." She pushed open the window and leapt out.

--

Santino looked out of the window and saw a faint star move across the sky. "This is the night of the tenth year, but our shooting stars are as faint as our bond…Symphony…"

A man burst into the room. "Why so grim Santino?! Huh?!" The man spilled his cup of ale on the floor. "Come down and join us!! This is your celebration, so you should be down there!"

Santino turned to the man. "…Alright, fine." He left the room and descended a set of stairs, coming to a loud party.

"Santino." A man approached him.

"Kyros," Santino answered back.

Kyros put his hands on Santino's shoulders. "Great job today."

"…Thank you."

"That gift was more than enough to prove your loyalty to us, right boys?" The room suddenly got quiet. "Heh." Kyros grinned.

"What's so funny?" Santino asked as he looked around.

"Why you, of course!"

"What?" Santino raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

Kyros turned his back to him and laughed. "I mean, think about it. You're supposed to be the lone 'Master Thief of Hyrule', and here you are again, back to your roots." He whipped around and grabbed the tall Sheikah by the front of the shirt. "You got guts to come back here, kid. After that crap you pulled two years ago, we should kill you right now."

Santino shoved him off. "You value my talents too much to kill me."

Kyros studied him, then punched him in the stomach, knocking him to his knees. "You pathetic excuse of a thief. You gave us what we want, so what makes you think we'd keep you around? Who cares about your talents, they're old news." He got down to Santino's level. "And so are you."

"Hey boss, we caught someone lurking around our hideout!" Two men walked in holding a blue-haired girl.

Santino looked up and his heart stopped. "…!"

"Well, well," Kyros began as he stood up, "what do we have here?" He approached the girl. "What a pretty girl. What's your name?" She spat in his face.

"Boss!!"

Kyros just smirked as he wiped the spit off. "It's okay boys." He struck her. "Now I'll ask again, what's your name?" And she spat in his face again. "Stubborn brat!!" He hit her harder, knocking her to the floor.

"Boss, what a minute," one of the men started.

"What is it?"

"Check out that sash she's wearing."

Kyros took a closer look. "Well I'll be damned." He turned to Santino. "Santino, tell me what her name is. You both wear that crest."

Santino crossed his arms. "…Her name is Symphony."

Symphony winced. "Santino…" She got to her feet and gave Santino a pleading look. "Santino, I don't care about the path you've chosen, but please, give me back the shard. I need it, you know that."

"Sorry, no can do."

"Santino!" She was angry now. "Insolent fool! I am no longer asking you for it. I am demanding that you hand over the shard to me at once!" She crossed her arms. "You forget your place, you wretch."

"Do not speak to me in that tone!" Santino shouted. "You have lost your control many years ago!!"

"Santino, do not test my patience."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Kyros said. "What is this, hmm?" He pushed Symphony against the wall. "I don't doubt that you two know each other, but that which you're asking for cannot be returned. That jewel is mine now, and I have no intention to give it up." He dropped her. "And now the question remains, what should I do with you? You were intruding on our hideout, so the only punishment for that…is death." The men began to cheer. "Death to the intruder, huh?" He smirked. "Excellent."

"Stop!" Santino quickly yelled.

"Hmm?" Everyone looked at him. "Santino, you object? Humph, I should have known. Would you like to join her?"

"No, that's not what I meant." He stepped forward. "Let me do it, let me kill her."

Symphony's heart skipped a beat.

"Why should I?"

"So I can prove my absolute loyalty to you all. I am honest when I say that I wish to rejoin your group once again."

"Is that so?" Kyros pondered for a moment. "…Alright then, kill her right in front of us."

"…Okay." Santino removed his weapons from their places at his sides.

Symphony, having brought no weapon, just pressed herself against the wall. "Santino…"

Santino glared. Why did you come after me? I spared your life, wasn't that enough?

Symphony turned her head. I came to get you.

What do you mean?

I just…I just can't bare the thought of us not being together anymore. We were so close back then. I want you back the way you used to be. I want things back the way they used to be…

Life doesn't work that way. Symphony, you want to have stuff your way, but you're not willing to change in return. How can I go back to the way I used to be if you don't go back too? That's not possible.

Then I can change! Just give me some time…

You've run out. He looked around. And by the looks of it, so have I. Thanks a lot for making things worse. I don't know how we're going to get out of this.

"What are you waiting for?!" Kyros yelled. "Kill her already!"

"Boss," one of the men began. "Santino sure is hesitant. What if he told this girl to come here so she could distract us while he took back the jewel?"

Kyros looked at Santino cynically. "Hmm, that does seem feasible. Perhaps it is true. I mean, this hideout is pretty hard to find…"

"You guys are hiding out in a condemned ranch on the outskirts of the Eldin Province!" Symphony said sarcastically. "This place isn't that hard to find!"

"Be quiet!" Santino hissed.

Kyros glared. "…Kill them both." The men began to shout happily.

"Thanks a lot for opening your big mouth!" Santino scolded. He pushed Symphony back against the wall and stood in front of her.

"Oh shut up," she shot back. "I have a plan anyway."

"What kind of plan?" he tentatively asked, feeling nervous.

"Watch!" She shoved him out of the way and threw her arms out. "Fire!!" The room suddenly exploded.

XXXX

"Get up!"

Symphony sat up when something stung her face. "Y-You!" Santino held his hand up. "You struck me!"

"Well you're up, aren't you?" He turned his gaze to the burning ranch home. "It doesn't surprise me that you'd use too much magic and knock yourself out, but I guess that's progress." He helped Symphony to her feet. "You need to learn how to control your magic flow."



"Then teach me!" she cried.

"N-Now's not the time for that. We have to get out of here before they find us." He took her hand and tried to pull her along.

"Wait, we can't leave! I need that shard!" Symphony implored. "We have to go back!" She tugged on his arm.

"Are you crazy? I'm not running back into some fiery hell hole!" He snatched his hand away. "You go back into that inferno yourself if you want that shard so badly!"

"But you know where it is!"

"I said no!"

"Then just tell me where it is then!"

Santino looked down at Symphony, frustrated. He balled his hands into fists, then stomped the ground. "Fine! But that's as much as I'm going to help you! It's in a chest on the second floor in the storeroom."

"Thank you Santino." She stalled, looking into his crimson eyes, then ran back into the burning home.

Sweat began to roll down his forehead. He chewed on his bottom lip angrily, then dropped to his knees. "GAAH!!" How he wanted to wring Symphony's neck.

Covering his mouth, Santino began to think. If he followed Symphony, there was a possibility that he could die. If he left her, then he'd get away scot-free with his life. But then there was the prospect of eternal guilt if he abandoned a fellow kinsman.

Santino started to pull on his hair. "Why does everything in life have to be a damn life or death choice?!" The clouds began to dissipate overhead. "Man," he whispered. "This better guarantee a spot for me in Sacred Realm in afterlife…"

He sprinted towards the house, running past all the other men. They were too busy running and screaming like little girls to notice the Sheikah. When he reached the house, he took a moment to catch his breath, then charged in.

Once inside, he began to doubt his choice. "Maybe I should have just left her…" The heat was blistering and the flames licked at him. His metal gauntlets didn't make things easier, either. It felt as if his skin was cooking.

Trying to put aside the scorching heat, Santino moved upstairs, avoiding falling debris from the ceiling. Unfortunately, when he came to the door of the storeroom, there were burning beams blocking the path.

"Dammit!" he shouted. He meant to touch his covered lips with his hand to think, but the metal of the gauntlet burned his flesh, even through the cloth of the mask covering the lower half of his face. "Shit, this isn't good. What do I do now?"

The fact that he was a Sheikah didn't dawn on his for a while.

"Oh…" Santino whispered, embarrassed. "That's right." A picture of the storeroom entered his mind, then he teleported.

"Santino!" Symphony blinked when Santino "poofed" into the room. "You came…"

"Hey, I'm just doing this so I can get into the Sacred Realm when I die, okay?" He crossed his arms, blushing.

Symphony smiled as she shook her head. "Okay, whatever you say." Her sleeves where pulled over her hands as she held up the shard. "I got it."

"Then let's get out of here." He took her hand and they both teleported out.

Once outside, Santino sighed. "You didn't really need me, did you?" He was facing Symphony.

She smirked. "No, but I knew you would come after me, trying to be a hero."

"Don't flatter yourself. I would never want to be a hero."

"Then would you rather be a bad guy?"

"No, that's not what I said. I would rather be the guy on the sidelines, laughing and watching the hero and bad guy beat each other to a pulp. Speaking of hero…" It was his turn to smirk. "Where's your boyfriend?"

"He's not my boyfriend!" she suddenly shouted, angry.

Before Santino had a chance to respond, something came right through his torso. His eyes widened as he looked down at the bloody blade.

Symphony was pale, her thoughts flying into a messy tizzy. "S-Santino…"

"No one betrays me and gets away with it!" It was Kyros, and he was furious.

Santino panted as he turned around to face his former boss, the color leaving his face. "You…You son of a bitch…"

He reached for the hilt of the sword behind him, but Symphony stopped him.

"Don't!" she gasped. "You'll only make it worse!"

"But this thing is…it's not…" He fell to the ground.

"Santino!!" she screamed.

"Bwahaha!! Don't cry little girl!" Kyros bellowed. "You'll be joining him!!" He charged at her.

Symphony glared as she just stood there. "You think you're so tough!" she shouted, not taking her eyes off him. "Santino is a much better, stronger thief than you'll ever be!" She held up her hands. "And you want to know why?!"

Kyros was about three feet away from her, a spear drawn.

"Because Sheikahs will always be better than Hylians!"

A sharp, pointed rock burst out of the ground, impaling Kyros.

She put her hands down. "Magic beats brute force all the time."

"Th-That was…cheesy…"

Symphony spun around, gasping. "Santino!!" She knelt down by his side. "You're still alive!"

"What're y-you trying to s-say, huh?" He reached up for the mask and pulled it down, revealing an attractive face. "D-Did you really think that I-I would d-die so easily?" He coughed out blood.

"By the gods, I have to act fast!" She pushed him over onto his side and grabbed the hilt of the sword. "Don't worry, Santino."

"H-Hey! That's g-going to h-hurt if you pull that out!" he shouted.

"Shut up! I'll heal you, okay?!" She took a deep breath, then ripped the sword out, making Santino scream at the top of his lungs. "Relax, relax!!" She quickly summoned her healing arts and laid her hands on the wound. "Recovery spell…cure…"

Santino moaned as the wound began to close up. "God, that hurts so much, you know that?"

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

And the wound was gone like that, except for the blood.

"There." Symphony took Santino's arm and helped him up. "There might be some pain."

"Some?" Santino repeated, gritting his teeth. "It hurts like hell!!"

"I have some herbs that I can use to lessen the pain. I'll treat you when we get back to Telma's." She walked slowly, not wanting to cause Santino more pain.

"Telma? She's still alive?"

"She's not old you jerk!" she hissed.

"Sorry, it's just that I haven't seen anyone in a long time…" He grunted when a wave of pain washed over him. "Can't we just teleport?"

"Neither of us can do that at the moment. I exhausted my magic."

"Already?"

"I don't have as much as you do!"

"You suck."

And she dropped him to the ground, making him scream once again.

"What the hell was that for!? That hurt!!"

"You're incredibly rude."

Symphony sat next to him, ignoring the fact that he writhing in pain. "Hey, the clouds are clearing up…" She watched the sky. "I wonder…"

A comet streaked across the sky, making her gasp.

"Santino, look! A comet!"

From his lying position on the ground, Santino looked up. "Hey, you're right…"

But no more appeared.

"I guess we missed the others…" he whispered.

They sat quietly, not taking their eyes off the sky. After a moment, Santino turned his head to look at the younger Sheikah. His heart was secretly jumping for joy, though he'd never admit it.

Symphony, you've grown so much. I never thought I would see the day that you would save me, of all people. Maybe we can make this work after all…

"I'm sorry I abandoned you," Santino murmured.

Symphony turned to him, stunned. But she didn't respond, she just stared. Theirs eyes remained locked, as if trying to understand something about one another.

"Let's get out of here. I'm sure the Hylian military will be here shortly after that explosion. We don't want to get rounded up with the rest of those low lives." She got back to her feet and helped Santino up. "Besides, I think Link and Telma will be checking on me soon and they're gonna have a spasm when they see that I'm gone."

"That's just like you," Santino chuckled.

Symphony couldn't help but smile. "Yes, it is, isn't it?"

--

A/N: Sorry that I took so long to post this chapter. An excuse is an excuse, so I won't bother explaining why it took so long. Hmm, this chapter didn't end quite like I wanted, now that I reread it, but it's close. Anyway, I would like to thank everyone that's reviewed, favorited, and watched this story. It means a lot to me.