"I'm terribly sorry! There are no vacancies today... We've been booked solid with reservations. It's always this way before the carnival. I'm sorry."
Chapter Nineteen: Reluctant Reunions
"What is this? A mine or a volcano?"
The Goron Mines were quite inhospitable, way more so than the almost completely frozen mountains outside. Open lava pits were everywhere, and pillars of fire rose up from them every few seconds. Old stone pathways were connected by metal and stone bridges, leading to a hall of metal. Pipes snaked about the place, pouring out lava and fire into the pits every several seconds. The sight of the area was very familiar, and Link felt a comforting warmth in his heart.
He couldn't pay too much attention to that as the place felt as if they had walked into an oven or blacksmith's forge. Aryll gasped for air while Fi quickly put on a pair of red earrings. They started to glow with a red light, and she sighed in relief. She pulled out two extra pairs, giving one to Aryll, who quickly put them in after Fi told her it would help and then to Link.
The teen stared and shook his head. He was hot, for sure, but he wasn't trying to wear a pair of earrings. Yeah, his ears were pierced, like a lot of guys in his village, but he usually didn't wear any, not even small studs. Fi glowered, yelling, "Put them on!"
"O-okay…" Link muttered.
He did so and a cooling relief overcame him. The hot air became comforting, like the heat from a home's fireplace. Relieved, Link nodded, thanking Fi and she grinned.
"See? I knew bringing extra pairs of Fireshield Earrings would come in handy!" Fi cheered.
Daruk eyed her suspiciously, muttering, "You only got those from the ruby ore mined here."
"Oh. Well, thanks for still mining here, Mister Daruk," Fi told him.
"Yeah. Whatever…Anyway, that look in your eyes tells me that this place is familiar to you, right Link?" Daruk said.
Link nodded and Aryll asked about the pipes. The pipes, made from nearly indestructible and highly adaptable Eldin Ore, pumped lava from places where the Gorons were mining, protecting them and any humans that were working in the area. It also prevented intruders from entering as the intense heat was far too much for humans without fireproof clothing. The clothes that the elders gave Aryll and Link was enough to explore the mines, but not the rest of the volcanic region. But with those new earrings, they could.
"But don't get any ideas! We're gonna get that Oni…thing back, seal 'im up and start teachin' ya Earth magic, since ya far too weak to go to the Fire Sanctuary," Daruk told Link.
Raven woke up, laying up in a bed. He hadn't a clue how he got there, but…
"Oh, finally. You're awake."
Raven found that he was too tired to move and the voice was that of Groose's. The Gerudo sat in a chair next to the bed and he was relieved that his friend was finally awake. Raven couldn't remember much, but the last thing he did remember was the dream he had. It was far too vivid and…
"Where am I?" he asked.
"In Clock Town. Somehow, even though you had that gash on your head, you made it to this place. Cremia and me was chasing after Agitha since she stole a horse and we found you on the side of the road outside of town. We carried you back to Stock Pot Inn and…um…" Groose explained.
Sensing someone on his left, Raven looked and saw two others. One was a rather tall man with silver hair, dressed in odd garb, leaning against a wall. The other was a young woman that looked almost exactly like Agitha, but she was dressed in blue and white instead of blue and black. Raven instantly recognized her, but the man…he hadn't a clue who he was.
"The name's Kishin. And you're Raven, aren't you?" the silver-haired one said.
Raven glowered and Kishin pointed at his forehead, saying, "Telepathy. Anyway, nice to meet you."
Turning his attention back to Groose, Raven asked, "How long was I out?"
"Days, since it's Laruto 13th…And it was all touch and go. Din didn't think you'd wake up, Farore was sure that you were gonna die and Cremia was sure that you'd wake up, but have amnesia. But, at least you're awake now and we can go and find Agitha," Groose said.
Agitha's twin, Aryll, pouted, muttering, "Why find her?"
"Well, she's probably in town and…" Groose started.
"I don't want to look for her! She's not family anymore! Not after what she did!" Aryll shouted.
Raven winced, her voice far too loud. Kishin, as if sensing that, placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "Well, if not that, then we'll head to see the mayor. We still have to give His Majesty's gift for the Carnival."
Aryll calmed down and said, "I guess…"
He led her out of the room and Raven tried to sit up, seeing his sister leave and growing worried. He didn't care for the silver-haired one and…
"So, are you…?" Groose asked.
Raven saw that the Gerudo stared at him and he asked, "What?"
"You okay?" Groose asked him.
Raven nodded and Groose said, "Agitha…she…she's terrified of you. The only other person I knew that she was like that around was…an old friend of mine."
"Link?" Raven asked.
Groose eyed him with suspicion and said slowly, "Yeah…Her brother, Link. Link used to be a great kid, but after the accident…He lost his marbles and would turn feral often, attacking the twins, his mom, his grandma, me, Karane, Pipit…anyone that was in his line of sight when he was like that. And when he wasn't feral, he would rapidly shift into different personas, one of them being this really racist Labrynnan named 'Bart'. 'He' hated me often because I was Gerudo and the same with Karane. Neither of us could ask him why as he would attack us…but that persona had amnesia, just like Link."
Raven listened carefully, everything he was saying sounding familiar. Groose looked away, his gaze distant, and he said, "Before all that happened, I came to his village, Aboda Village, after losing my entire family to a monster…Link was the first to greet me and was like a brother to me. After the incident, he…hated me and that's when 'Bart' showed up. I was kicked out of their home and sent to live with one of the elders for my own safety."
Guilt rose up in Raven's chest and Groose continued with, "But, we still went to the same school since the village only had one. And when it did show up during school hours, 'Bart' would scoff, glare and even throw things at me and Karane, calling us 'filthy gorjas' or something. I dunno what that even is…"
"'Foreigner'…It's Labrynnan for 'foreigner'," Raven blurted out.
Groose eyed him, still suspect, but continued with his story.
"Then this guy showed up, his name was Oni. He showed up and he looked like he could've been an older brother to Link and the girls. But he was being chased by one of the Sheikah from Hyrule's capital, Hylia City. We didn't think anything of it as she didn't arrest him."
"But soon after Oni arrived, Link lost control of his powers and got himself banished as he destroyed much of the town. Aryll was distraught while Agitha wanted to forget him. But you'd already figured what my response was," Groose said.
Raven nodded, saying, "You followed?"
"Yeah, as we found out that they took Link to a hospital in Hylia City. I dunno what Aryll was gonna do, but we arrived and Link had managed to escape. Then we found him again near Lake Hylia, but found out how bad the world got without a Hero. But Link, he really didn't want to be one and after all that happened, I don't blame him," Groose explained.
"I understand. A destiny you didn't ask for being thrusted upon you," Raven muttered.
Groose didn't catch it and finished the story with, "Link tried to be the Hero we needed, but with Agitha hating him, Oni betraying us and the empire coming after him…he failed…"
"And he…died?" Raven asked.
Groose nodded and Raven said, "Then why is Agitha so terrified? The dead cannot come back to life, not without some powerful means…usual dark."
"I dunno why, but I think it's because of how the empire used her hatred of Link to find him…and they killed him. And Aryll hates her because of what happened to Link. But all that hatred makes no sense. It all started because Agitha thought that Link killed their father, Sigmund. But he didn't. Mister Sigmund had tried to go to the city to find medicine since Link was getting worse, but he was ambushed by monsters and all they found were his remains. Since then, Agitha hated Link as she believed that if Link wasn't what he was, their father would still be alive," Groose said.
"Not just that…"
The door opened and the pair was surprised to see Agitha. Her face was somber and Groose said, "Uh, how did you find us?"
"I asked around. But, it wasn't just that…Link…he would attack Aryll and me…and mom and Granny…Almost like he was more monster than human. Most times when it happened, we would lock the door and hope for the best. And some days, he would scream for hours before stopping…It…I…I never felt safe in my own home…and my father was dead and…" Agitha explained.
She teared up, shutting her eyes and yelling, "I hated him for that! He…I…"
The young woman sobbed and Raven found himself getting up from bed. He then hugged her, to which Agitha buried her face on his right shoulder. Groose, however, gave a suspected eye and Raven muttered, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Agi…"
Agitha stopped sobbing long enough and looked up at him. She then pushed him, looking terrified and said, "I…You…No one calls me that…only…"
Raven gave a sigh and Groose asked, "What's going on? Why did you call her…?"
Agitha hit the wall behind her, asking, "…L-Link…?"
"A portion of him…sorry…" Raven replied.
Groose eyed him and asked, "So, are you the same one that…?"
"Came from Link's fragmented psyche? Maybe. But…I remember some things, but most of my memory is recent," Raven replied.
Agitha shook violently and Raven said, "Whatever happened before, all I can say is…I'm sorry."
"But…you…you're just…" Agitha stammered, looking ready to run.
"Agitha?"
The inn room door opened a second time, and a very surprised Aryll had returned with Kishin and Farore. The twins looked at each other and Aryll asked, "What are you doing here?"
"What are you doing here?" Agitha repeated, her fear suddenly disappearing.
"Well, this is awkward…" Kishin muttered.
He then looked at Raven, who avoided his gaze. Farore, however, said, "I guess a reluctant reunion…"
With Din…
"What? What do you mean 3,000 rupees?!" Din shouted.
The Gerudo dancer screamed at a shopkeeper that tried to sell her a blue potion. She wanted to get some medicine to help Raven recover, but the obstinate shopkeep thought to upcharge her due to the coming Carnival of Time. Her yelling garnered attention from the townsfolk in West Clock Town and the shopkeeper said, "Well, if you have no rupees, then away with you."
Din sighed, seeing the owner in the back, watching her. She gave a wry smile, saying, "Before I do before what I'm about to do, I just want to let you know that I see this isn't your fault. You're just trying to keep your job, but someone needs to suffer for trying to keep me from healing my friend and unfortunately, you're the only one here."
She took in a deep breath and shouted in a booming voice, all while accidentally summoning a windstorm, "YOU'RE A WORM! YOU'RE A BOTTOM-FEEDING, RUPEE GRABBING CROOK! PEOPLE LIKE YOU ARE SQUEEZING THE VERY LAST RUPEE FROM HARDWORKING FAMILIES! PEOPLE LIKE YOU ARE THE REASON THE DARK ICE KEEPS SPREADING AND BABY GORONS HERE ARE HOMELESS!"
The people who were in attendance stared in horror as the shopkeeper whimpered, coming out from hiding under the counter. He trembled, handing Din the potion for free. The owner in the back held up prayer beads, thinking Din was some kind of divine retribution as her shouting had changed the weather. When she calmed down, Din took the potion and said, "Thank you."
"Uh, w-would you like anything else?" the shopkeeper asked, terrified.
"Sure. Another overpriced good…" Din said.
She took another deep breath, screaming as her eyes turned a fire red, "YOU'RE A WORTHLESS MAGGOT! A POINTLESS LITTLE…!"
"Uh, Din! Din!"
The dancer calmed down enough that the weather had returned to its normal, sunny skies and found the owner of the Stock Pot Inn, Anju Kisaragi. The wife to Kafei, the mayor's son, she had saw what happened and said to the crying shopkeeper, "I'm so sorry, Percy. She's just not happy with these upcharges. Give Mr. Murtagh my regards."
"S-Sure, Ms. Anju…" the shopkeeper said, a blubbering mess.
Anju grabbed Din's arm and said, "C'mon back to the inn. There's some good news."
"What? What?" Din asked.
"Raven's awake and the others have returned to the inn. So, let's go," Anju told her.
Din was relieved as she was so sure that the guy was going to die. But he was badly injured when they found him on the outskirts of town. So, how did he…?
"Din!" Anju said, at the entrance to Northern Clock Town.
"Oh, coming!" Din yelled, running after her.
"NO! Leave us alone!" Agitha yelled.
Aryll and she barricaded the door to their room, using books, their beds and Agitha's desk. The reason why was that Link had snapped again, suddenly becoming feral and chasing them into their room. Agitha locked the door, but Link started ramming into it, trying to break it down. But the girls had used everything they had to barricade themselves, hoping that their crazed brother wouldn't hurt them again. It was a nightmare as it had started to happen often, especially after Link's 12th birthday.
"GO AWAY!" Aryll yelled.
A vicious roar and the door was rammed into again. The girls had even pressed their bodies onto the many things they had, trying to keep Link from getting in. They had to until their mother and grandmother returned from the chapel. They had left them there, thinking everything was going to be okay. But it wasn't as Link snapped, attacked Agitha by biting her and clawing Aryll in the face.
Five more rams and the crazed sibling smashed his hand through the door, revealing claws and Aryll screamed. He tried to reach for them, swiping rapidly, to which Agitha took a heavy book and slammed it into his hand. A yelp and he used the other hand to reach for the door lock.
Agitha swung at his hand again, only for Link to catch it. He ripped it from her hands and peeked his face into the door. The girls gasped as his appearance changed terribly.
His skin was pale, marred with veins. His eyes were red and fangs bore from his mouth. He snarled, still trying to get in, but Aryll screamed, "Go away! MONSTER!"
Link seemed to hear her, wincing as she called him that. He backed away, removing his face from the hole in the door. Moments later, the two heard a thud and Agitha peeked, seeing that Link had fainted. She dared not remove the barricade or open the door, believing that Link was faking. Aryll was the same and she fell to the floor, breaking down in tears as her face was covered in cuts and blood.
Present day, Agitha's room…
Agitha sat on the floor, crying as she was terrified to re-enter the room Groose and Raven was in. Aryll and her companions, Farore and Kishin, had joined them. She removed herself, knowing Aryll wanted her out of her sight, and she really wanted to get away from Raven, or…one of the personifications of her deceased brother's psyche. How he managed to become a physical presence was beyond her…
"I can't…I really can't…How could…? I…I want to move on…but…Link…he…" Agitha cried, sobbing.
"So, you really hate him?"
The voice was that of the newcomer, Kishin. Apparently, he was telepathic and Agitha didn't appreciate that. Wiping her tears, she said, "What? You're invading my mind?"
"No. Just wanted to make sure you're okay. But, you really got a lot of hate in you, y'know?"
Agitha said nothing, but her heart apparently did the talking. Kishin's voice replied with, "I don't blame you. First your dad leaves and gets killed trying to get meds your epileptic bro didn't like taking. Then your brother starts going crazy with different personalities. And then he goes feral and attacks you guys repeatedly. Sounds more monster than human. So, I get it."
"You…do?" Agitha asked.
"Yep. But…He wasn't himself. Deep down, you know that. But, getting hurt by family like that…" Kishin said.
Agitha kept silent, trying not to remember all the times Link had attacked her and Aryll. And their mother and grandmother. And Groose and Karane. And Pipit. And other kids in the village…
"Wow…No wonder why your village hated your brother…and in turn, your family. Violent much?" Kishin said, prying into more of Agitha's memories.
More memories surfaced, with her remembering when Link nearly snapped while in the chapel. The priests were praying, praying for the Hero to return or something. But their prayers apparently agitated Link and he had a low, rumbling growl. Their grandmother noticed, placing a hand on his head and holding him close to her. He started to calm down, but it scared Agitha as she thought that he would attack the priest, maybe even killing one as they weren't known for fighting.
"So, all this happened…Including the stuff Groose and Raven told me. Huh. No wonder why you wanted him dead," Kishin said.
Agitha remembered when that Megara Poe and Hylian soldiers found them, taking Link and turning him into something far worse. That and how they took her and the others, torturing them for days on end as they were close to Link, the so-called "Hero". The memories of the torture sessions and her sleepless nights returned and Agitha found herself hyperventilating.
"Whoa! H-Hey! Calm down! I was just…! Hold on!" Kishin told her.
The young woman tried to get the thoughts out of her mind, but her getting burned, healed, beaten and healed again, all while wearing an All-Night's Mask. Whenever she tried to fall asleep while wearing the mask, the pain from her healed wounds returned and she had terrible nightmares with one where she would dream her father being alive, but then being torn apart by Wolfos and Bokoblins. Others included Link turning into a dark beast and violently attacking her, Aryll fighting and killing her over Link's demise and her mother abandoning her. All kept her up for years and she hadn't had a good night's rest until recently. And Kishin reopening those old memories…
"H-Hey! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to…!"
Kishin and Anju, the inn's owner, found her, with the tall man panicking as Agitha felt as if everything was falling apart. She fell onto her side, trembling and whimpering as her panic got to her. Kishin sat next to her, waiting for her to calm down.
"I got this, Anju. Just make sure that Raven doesn't come in yet," Kishin said.
Anju nodded and left the pair, leaving the door open. Agitha cried, sobbing loudly. Kishin kept quiet as she did, waiting for her to calm down.
"I'm sorry, Agi…"
Kishin watched, seeing Agitha starting to calm down. Her sobs slowed and Kishin muttered, "Sorry for all this…I wonder if there's a way to make it up to you…"
"Why would you want to?"
Raven had found them, apparently dodging Anju. He gave a wary look at Kishin, to which Kishin said, "So…you heard me?"
"Yes. Why would you want to 'make it up to Agitha'?" Raven asked.
"Well, why did you call her 'Agi' and apologize? You don't have to according to that Gerudo," Kishin asked.
Raven said nothing and Kishin said, "She…tried. She tried to let go. But, all those things that happened to her…I don't blame her for hating her brother."
Raven looked guilty and Kishin asked, "So, you think…that you're him?"
"Ah…I've forgotten. You said that you've telepathy. So, you already know," Raven said.
Kishin didn't admit that he couldn't see that far into his mind, as it felt as if there was a blockade preventing him from seeing his memories. Impa said that same about him, despite him admitting that he was a "Link" as well. So, was Raven one...too?
Wincing, Kishin held his head, sensing something off. Raven was the same, stumbling back and falling into the hallway. Agitha snapped out of her sadness, backing away from Kishin, who started glowing with ethereal light. Raven was the same and Kishin heard various voices talking at the same time.
Most voices had concern about Agitha's wellbeing, while others held bitterness of her longstanding hatred. Kishin opened his eyes a bit to see that he was fading and the sight terrified him. But, it also brought some comfort.
"H-Hey! What's going on?" Agitha yelled.
Raven fainted, disappearing. To Kishin's surprise, Agitha rushed towards the white- and black-haired youth, but was equally shocked to see Kishin fading from existence. She looked panicked and Kishin muttered, "It's okay…I'll be fine…"
He didn't know where that came from, but he could hear Aryll and the others. The girl was just as shocked as her sister, screaming Kishin's name as she ran towards him. Kishin fainted, the last sight being the sisters arguing and fighting.
Well…um…we got more backstory as to why Agitha hated/being utterly terrified of Link. And the twins are reunited, albeit not a friendly reunion.
So, now that more of the Links are coming together, what else is in store for them? Review?