Revelation.
Toru ran as fast as he could down the slope to the Castle Town. The two guards posted at the entrance would surely return him if he was seen, so instead he climbed over the railings and ran around the gardens of the Temple of Time. The peace of the Temple penetrated his heart and dulled the pain and rage inside him a little.
He slowed past the shrubs on the east side of the Temple and slipped between the Gossip Stones. The symbols of the Sheikah stared at him, and Toru shivered. There were four in a row, almost guarding the entrance to the Temple, making sure one with an impure heart did not climb the steps leading to the great doors.
Suddenly, Toru felt the last threads of his anger and resentment drain away. Almost in a dream, he changed direction and walked past the Gossip Stones towards the Temple. The stone eyes seemed to follow him, allowing him passage.
As Toru began the steps to the doors, he noticed a figure kneeling in prayer at the top of the flight of steps. Her forehead was touched to the cool stones, and in the moonlight Toru could see her long fair hair.
"Cici..."
"Hello Toru. I thought you'd come here. Tonight's the anniversary of when the Hero of Time opened the doors as a child and accidentally allowed Ganondorf to take over Hyrule." Cici's voice was soft and dreamy, almost coming from the Spirit World.
Toru climbed the steps and knelt beside her. The girl sat up and turned her face towards him. Her scar seemed more visible by night, and the dreadful slash stretching across her face made Toru cringe inwardly.
Cici continued with the legend, "He came back you know, seven years later."
"He was my grandfather," said Toru quietly.
"Mine too," whispered Cici. Toru flicked his head up, and was shocked to see Cici's sealed eyes shedding two clear tears. Without quite realising he was doing it, he reached out and took her hand. Cici released a gentle sob.
"How do you know this?" asked Toru.
"I... I don't know," trembled Cici, "It wasn't me speaking then; someone spoke for me." Her voice had returned to its normal level, all traces of dreams vanished. Toru felt a wave of compassion for her, and he hugged her close until she spoke again.
"I always come here to pray every night for my parents, but I never knew them. Then just now, someone spoke to me, but I knew there was no one nearby. They explained my heritage to me, but it was like I was dreaming... maybe I was. It's slowly coming back to me now."
In the pause that followed, a light rain began to fall. The raindrops became individual glistening crystals in the moonlight, and Toru felt Spirits surrounding them. Once he glanced up and thought he saw the twin's father silhouetted against the trees. He wished he'd brought his cloak.
Cici shuddered in another sob under his arms, and he hugged her tight, "What? What is it?"
"I'll... I'll see if I can remember. The Hero of Time, before he married your mother, he got involved with Malon of Lon Lon."
Toru tensed, "Go on."
Cici drew away slightly, "You don't really want to hear this do you?"
"How could you tell?"
"Your voice. You don't want to hear it but you really want to know."
Toru was stunned by her perception of his feelings, but he steeled himself and murmured, "Go on, Cici."
Cici carried on, "Unknown to him, when he left Malon for your mother, he left her with child." Toru realised her voice had changed again; it had slipped back into the ethereal voice that had spoken to him firstly.
"The child's name was Alex. Malon gave him away, wanting to forget she ever knew the Hero. It pained her, but she did it. The Gerudos took him in, eager for new men-thieves. He grew up alongside Katin the sword mistress' daughter, Kayla. The two had a short relationship. When Kayla's father found out that she had given birth to Alex's daughter, he was so angry that he slashed the newborn girl's eyes."
Toru blinked. When his eyelids reopened, the figure sitting cross-legged beside his friend had vanished. He could swear he had seen a small girl, barely older than Cici and himself, explaining Cici's tangled history using her mouth.
There was a moment of silence as the two children took in what had been said. The rain showered them with silver tears.
After a minute, Toru reached out a hand and tucked a length of Cici's soaking hair behind her ear. His other hand gently guided her hand to her ear, and her delicate fingers ran the length of the graceful point.
"Sister..."
***
Keiko and Tamasine sped down the length of the gardens. Keiko stumbled on a pile of broken pottery, and a closer inspection revealed they were roof tiles. She put on a burst of speed, knowing they were going in the right direction.
The twins ran along the ridge above the main gate and Keiko clambered down the vines. Tamasine was about to follow when he suddenly remembered his arm was broken.
"Kei, I can't climb down with this arm."
"Go back inside, Tam. I'll get him."
"Sure? I can find another way down..."
Keiko heard the clinking of armour from the guardhouse, and she shrank into the shadows as a lantern was thrust in her direction. The shivering circle of light only just missed her feet. Satisfied there were no trespassers, the guard returned to the room.
Keiko shot another look up, and Tamasine gestured for her to move. He flashed a smile and was gone, running back to the Castle.
Keiko resumed her run, darting down the path. Like Toru, she did not use the main entrance, but climbed the railings and stole around the gardens of the Temple. The air tasted different here, sweeter than normal. The bushes glimmered with what she thought to be fireflies.
She rounded a corner and crept past the Gossip Stones, when she heard voices from the doors. Peering through the bushes, she saw two figures seated at the entrance. One was unmistakably Toru. Keiko's heart leapt upwards as she recognised Cici's outline and the characteristic tilt of her head. She ploughed forwards towards them, but heard something that made her stop in her tracks.
"Keiko..."
Keiko turned slowly; coming face to face with a kneeling pale-skinned man, whose white hair fell across his red eyes. Moth grinned and caught his daughter in a long embrace, "Shhh, don't tell the Goddesses I'm here, will you?" Keiko shook her head, smiling so hard she thought her cheeks would burst.
"I miss you so much, dad. . ."
"I miss you too, love. I can't tell you how much. I can come now because the barrier between worlds has grown weak with Erion's appearance."
"Who?"
"Look, quick, beside your friend."
Moth pointed, and Keiko squinted through the bushes in time to catch a glimpse of a girl sitting cross-legged beside Cici. As she watched, the image faded into a thousand fairies, and then disappeared completely.
"She's Nayru's daughter," whispered Moth into her ear, "She rescued Toru when he was born from drowning in the Lake, and she's been watching over you since you were tiny babes. Strange, I've never heard her speak. Keiko, what were you and Toru doing out here? Where's Tamasine?"
"Tam fell off a horse a the Ranch and broke his arm, so he couldn't come. I'm here because Toru got angry and ran away from us. I came to bring him back, but mother doesn't know yet. We--"
She broke off as Moth's image flickered, "Kei, the barrier's getting stronger again now Erion's vanished. I have to go. See you next Winter, my love!"
Keiko blew him a kiss as he faded completely from Hyrule. She paused a moment, then ran through the bushes towards her brother.
***
"Toru! Cici!"
Toru looked up in alarm and saw his sister running through the gardens towards them, a grin on her face. He smiled too as Cici turned her head and whispered, "Hello Keiko!"
Keiko climbed onto the platform before the doors and hugged them both. "Toru, come back to the Castle, please!"
"With Cici."
"Well sure, but I dunno what mother would say..."
"Kei, she's our sister. It's kind of hard to explain, but we share one grandparent."
Keiko stared at Cici, a smile waiting to be smiled on her face. She embraced her again and kissed her cheek, "I knew it... I knew we were related. Looks like there was a part of your heritage that you don't know about, Cici!"
Toru glanced up and saw that the moon was already gone from above their heads and was sinking in the west, "Come on, we'll have to run."
"Are you sure your mother will believe me?" asked Cici nervously.
"Absolutely. We'll make up some story about why we were out so late, and explain everything. She can ask father too; he was here. He knows."
"Your father was here?"
"Yeah, Toru, and he's your father too, remember?" Toru said nothing, and Keiko opened her mouth to question his silence but thought better of it. Instead she took Cici's hand and they began the journey back to the castle.
***
Toru ran as fast as he could down the slope to the Castle Town. The two guards posted at the entrance would surely return him if he was seen, so instead he climbed over the railings and ran around the gardens of the Temple of Time. The peace of the Temple penetrated his heart and dulled the pain and rage inside him a little.
He slowed past the shrubs on the east side of the Temple and slipped between the Gossip Stones. The symbols of the Sheikah stared at him, and Toru shivered. There were four in a row, almost guarding the entrance to the Temple, making sure one with an impure heart did not climb the steps leading to the great doors.
Suddenly, Toru felt the last threads of his anger and resentment drain away. Almost in a dream, he changed direction and walked past the Gossip Stones towards the Temple. The stone eyes seemed to follow him, allowing him passage.
As Toru began the steps to the doors, he noticed a figure kneeling in prayer at the top of the flight of steps. Her forehead was touched to the cool stones, and in the moonlight Toru could see her long fair hair.
"Cici..."
"Hello Toru. I thought you'd come here. Tonight's the anniversary of when the Hero of Time opened the doors as a child and accidentally allowed Ganondorf to take over Hyrule." Cici's voice was soft and dreamy, almost coming from the Spirit World.
Toru climbed the steps and knelt beside her. The girl sat up and turned her face towards him. Her scar seemed more visible by night, and the dreadful slash stretching across her face made Toru cringe inwardly.
Cici continued with the legend, "He came back you know, seven years later."
"He was my grandfather," said Toru quietly.
"Mine too," whispered Cici. Toru flicked his head up, and was shocked to see Cici's sealed eyes shedding two clear tears. Without quite realising he was doing it, he reached out and took her hand. Cici released a gentle sob.
"How do you know this?" asked Toru.
"I... I don't know," trembled Cici, "It wasn't me speaking then; someone spoke for me." Her voice had returned to its normal level, all traces of dreams vanished. Toru felt a wave of compassion for her, and he hugged her close until she spoke again.
"I always come here to pray every night for my parents, but I never knew them. Then just now, someone spoke to me, but I knew there was no one nearby. They explained my heritage to me, but it was like I was dreaming... maybe I was. It's slowly coming back to me now."
In the pause that followed, a light rain began to fall. The raindrops became individual glistening crystals in the moonlight, and Toru felt Spirits surrounding them. Once he glanced up and thought he saw the twin's father silhouetted against the trees. He wished he'd brought his cloak.
Cici shuddered in another sob under his arms, and he hugged her tight, "What? What is it?"
"I'll... I'll see if I can remember. The Hero of Time, before he married your mother, he got involved with Malon of Lon Lon."
Toru tensed, "Go on."
Cici drew away slightly, "You don't really want to hear this do you?"
"How could you tell?"
"Your voice. You don't want to hear it but you really want to know."
Toru was stunned by her perception of his feelings, but he steeled himself and murmured, "Go on, Cici."
Cici carried on, "Unknown to him, when he left Malon for your mother, he left her with child." Toru realised her voice had changed again; it had slipped back into the ethereal voice that had spoken to him firstly.
"The child's name was Alex. Malon gave him away, wanting to forget she ever knew the Hero. It pained her, but she did it. The Gerudos took him in, eager for new men-thieves. He grew up alongside Katin the sword mistress' daughter, Kayla. The two had a short relationship. When Kayla's father found out that she had given birth to Alex's daughter, he was so angry that he slashed the newborn girl's eyes."
Toru blinked. When his eyelids reopened, the figure sitting cross-legged beside his friend had vanished. He could swear he had seen a small girl, barely older than Cici and himself, explaining Cici's tangled history using her mouth.
There was a moment of silence as the two children took in what had been said. The rain showered them with silver tears.
After a minute, Toru reached out a hand and tucked a length of Cici's soaking hair behind her ear. His other hand gently guided her hand to her ear, and her delicate fingers ran the length of the graceful point.
"Sister..."
***
Keiko and Tamasine sped down the length of the gardens. Keiko stumbled on a pile of broken pottery, and a closer inspection revealed they were roof tiles. She put on a burst of speed, knowing they were going in the right direction.
The twins ran along the ridge above the main gate and Keiko clambered down the vines. Tamasine was about to follow when he suddenly remembered his arm was broken.
"Kei, I can't climb down with this arm."
"Go back inside, Tam. I'll get him."
"Sure? I can find another way down..."
Keiko heard the clinking of armour from the guardhouse, and she shrank into the shadows as a lantern was thrust in her direction. The shivering circle of light only just missed her feet. Satisfied there were no trespassers, the guard returned to the room.
Keiko shot another look up, and Tamasine gestured for her to move. He flashed a smile and was gone, running back to the Castle.
Keiko resumed her run, darting down the path. Like Toru, she did not use the main entrance, but climbed the railings and stole around the gardens of the Temple. The air tasted different here, sweeter than normal. The bushes glimmered with what she thought to be fireflies.
She rounded a corner and crept past the Gossip Stones, when she heard voices from the doors. Peering through the bushes, she saw two figures seated at the entrance. One was unmistakably Toru. Keiko's heart leapt upwards as she recognised Cici's outline and the characteristic tilt of her head. She ploughed forwards towards them, but heard something that made her stop in her tracks.
"Keiko..."
Keiko turned slowly; coming face to face with a kneeling pale-skinned man, whose white hair fell across his red eyes. Moth grinned and caught his daughter in a long embrace, "Shhh, don't tell the Goddesses I'm here, will you?" Keiko shook her head, smiling so hard she thought her cheeks would burst.
"I miss you so much, dad. . ."
"I miss you too, love. I can't tell you how much. I can come now because the barrier between worlds has grown weak with Erion's appearance."
"Who?"
"Look, quick, beside your friend."
Moth pointed, and Keiko squinted through the bushes in time to catch a glimpse of a girl sitting cross-legged beside Cici. As she watched, the image faded into a thousand fairies, and then disappeared completely.
"She's Nayru's daughter," whispered Moth into her ear, "She rescued Toru when he was born from drowning in the Lake, and she's been watching over you since you were tiny babes. Strange, I've never heard her speak. Keiko, what were you and Toru doing out here? Where's Tamasine?"
"Tam fell off a horse a the Ranch and broke his arm, so he couldn't come. I'm here because Toru got angry and ran away from us. I came to bring him back, but mother doesn't know yet. We--"
She broke off as Moth's image flickered, "Kei, the barrier's getting stronger again now Erion's vanished. I have to go. See you next Winter, my love!"
Keiko blew him a kiss as he faded completely from Hyrule. She paused a moment, then ran through the bushes towards her brother.
***
"Toru! Cici!"
Toru looked up in alarm and saw his sister running through the gardens towards them, a grin on her face. He smiled too as Cici turned her head and whispered, "Hello Keiko!"
Keiko climbed onto the platform before the doors and hugged them both. "Toru, come back to the Castle, please!"
"With Cici."
"Well sure, but I dunno what mother would say..."
"Kei, she's our sister. It's kind of hard to explain, but we share one grandparent."
Keiko stared at Cici, a smile waiting to be smiled on her face. She embraced her again and kissed her cheek, "I knew it... I knew we were related. Looks like there was a part of your heritage that you don't know about, Cici!"
Toru glanced up and saw that the moon was already gone from above their heads and was sinking in the west, "Come on, we'll have to run."
"Are you sure your mother will believe me?" asked Cici nervously.
"Absolutely. We'll make up some story about why we were out so late, and explain everything. She can ask father too; he was here. He knows."
"Your father was here?"
"Yeah, Toru, and he's your father too, remember?" Toru said nothing, and Keiko opened her mouth to question his silence but thought better of it. Instead she took Cici's hand and they began the journey back to the castle.
***