Day V

The sword.

Kaysho stared. Stared strait into Ganondorf's amber eyes, his cold, fierce eyes. A small smile came to his lips, a smile full of his soul's most hidden treasure.

"Ganondorf…"

From his dream, Ganondorf suddenly awoke, and sat strait up in a cold sweat. He looked around, looking frantically for Kaysho. His eyes found the keaton, and he sighed slowly. Asleep on the rug, curled up in a little ball. The same place Kaysho was every morning, an d had been for the past few months. He looked from the sleeping Kaysho to out his window; perhaps the only window in the Spirit Temple. 'Just a dream…' he thought.

"…Oheayo."

"Huh?" Ganondorf threw off the sheet to his bed, and looked down.

Kaysho stood up, and yawned, exposing a full set of canine teeth. "Oheayo." He repeated, "Good Morning!"

Ganondorf couldn't help but smile. "Crazy keaton talk." He said with a laugh, and drowsily got up and out of bed.

Kaysho didn't understand the nature of what Ganondorf said. He tilted his head, and asked, "Is it a bad morning?"

"Soon enough, it will be." Ganondorf disclosed, "I have a sword match today."

"Again?" Kaysho asked in short disbelief, "Are they required of humans?"

"Of Gerudo, they are." He said, as he pulled a short over his head, and then reached for his belt, "I always lose though…all the girls are better at it than me."

"Then good omen to you." Kaysho said with a encouraging smile.

Ganondorf blinked, "Good omen?"

Kaysho chuckled, "Good luck, good luck! It means good luck, good fortune. Whatever you wish to call it."

Ganondorf just shook his head with a slight grin, and looked out the window again. "Do you want to come, Kaysho?"

"Come?" Kaysho looked up at him, "I've never even been to your fortress place before…I would be of no help to you."

Ganondorf shook his head, "You don't need to help with anything…I just want you to come." He paused, then averted his eyes from Kaysho's. Even if they were friends, Kaysho's unmoving stare could still bother him.

So across the scorching sands, they rode. Ganondorf held the reins of his proud back steed with one hand, and a shaky Kaysho in the other. Ironically enough, horses scared Kaysho to death. But at the same time, within his fear, he felt safe. From the fear he looked up at Ganondorf, who's pubescent, suntanned arm rested firmly around his neck. The horse Kaysho was so afraid of was definitely under Ganondorf's control; he looked like a man when he was atop his steed. Even though he trembled, Kaysho found tranquility in his master's arms.

When mid-day came, Ganondorf walked into the Gerudo Fortress, unhappily accustomed to the strange looks he sometimes received. But today, an even more unusual site: a strange little three tailed fox! Kaysho walked in beside Ganondorf, and stayed faithfully by his side. He didn't seem to care when the women whispered behind his back, but with such large and accurate ears, he surely noticed. It only put a cunning smile on his muzzle. The younger soldiers found him cute, the older found him strange, and many agreed that he was lanky. Some went as far to say that the Prince Ganondorf wasn't feeding him very well, for Kaysho was both a small and slender animal. A few wagered his hide would be worth a good sum of money. Ganondorf urged Kaysho to walk faster upon hearing that.

"This is the place." Ganondorf said to Kaysho, as the two walked into a small field, set up between the pueblo buildings that made up the Gerudo Fortress.

Kaysho looked up and around. The area had a deep red-colored chalk square in the center, the boundary lines. At each corner was a smoothly polished stone, each a seemingly transparent deep yellow-green.

Ganondorf sat down on one side of the ring, glumly waiting to see who his opponent would be. "Kaysho…" he said, and looked down to the Keaton. Even sitting down, Ganondorf was still a head taller than when Kaysho stood up.

"Pardon?" Kaysho answered attentively. But just at that time, through the other doorway walked their opponent.

Sleek, and graceful, with her hair tied tightly out of the way. A young lady who held her head high, and rightfully so. She strode onto the court, and held in her hand two swords. A wooden one, the ones the used for training matches like this, and a real sword. Beautifully crafted, with jewels engraved into the hilt. The blade was long, and curved inwards, from the middle of it an extra point stuck out. Wickedly shaped for ripping off the enemy's flesh.

Ganondorf looked up at her for a moment. "….Nabooru." He recognized. Kaysho chuckled.

"Prince." She replied, obviously disgusted in the way that she had to address him. Nabooru held a secret against him. "And…what is that?"

Kaysho smiled and answered for himself, "Hello."

Nabooru took a step back, she didn't expect it to talk. "…A Kitsune?" she asked, slightly raising one eyebrow.

"Kit-suu-nei?" Kaysho said, playing with the unusual sounds, "No. I'm just a keaton!"

"His name is Kaysho." Ganondorf unexpectedly spoke up, a hint of protection in his voice. He put on hand on the ground, and rose back to his feet. "Let's get this over with…" he said, almost already having given in to defeat. He knew very well that Nabooru was the most skilled person their age with the sword. Ganondorf reached for his own wooden sword, and placed it in his right hand. His left, though, he used to balance.

"Foolish," Nabooru said, taking a dare just by insulting a Prince, "These are two handed swords."

"I don't care." Was Ganondorf's indifferent reply.

A small smirked curled up her red lips, she raised her sword, and thus their quarrel began.

Kaysho watched, with pure fascination and wonder. 'They move so fast!' he thought eagerly, watching their swords clang and clash against each other like ancient titans. From one end to the other, they dashed across the court. Nabooru seemed to fly the way she moved so gracefully, and Ganondorf could barely keep up. 'So fast…' the thought ran though Kaysho's mind over and over.

Ganondorf was too busy fighting, or in his opinion, losing, to pay attention to little Kaysho…but Nabooru on the other hand was able to grab a few good glances at him. 'What the…?' she thought.

'…Huh? They're slowing down…' Kaysho thought, 'Are they tired?'

Ganondorf and Nabooru, oblivious to Kaysho's strange look, continued their fight. The final blow was about to be dealt. Ganondorf, angry in his shame of yet again being defeated, used the last of his strengh to charge after Nabooru. She on the other hand knew all too well what was to happen. He would charge, she would step aside and deal the blow. He would fall, yet again. The thought brought calmness to her heated soul.

Kaysho watched eagerly, hoping and praying that Ganondorf would win. He unconsciously wanted for than anything at that moment for his friend to be victorious; for his friend to be happy. A friendship like a fire…a flame burning within one's soul.

Nabooru saw it. Curiosity sparked her, as she looked over Ganondorf's shoulder, to the little keaton that sat behind the chalk lines. Victory was surely hers, so she fixated her attention on Kaysho. 'There!' For a split second, for the smallest moment, Kaysho's eyes shot wide open, then narrowed to a thin slit. But the pupil of his eye was luckily well hidden…behind the glow. A brilliant shining blue, as if the Arctic's glaciers melted and feel into his being. All the world's ocean was caught in a supernatural flame; a swirl of colors beyond human knowledge. Nabooru caught a glimpse of that haunting sapphire, an endless hue without measure or depth. Truly…the color of his soul.

The match was over. Kaysho blinked his eyes, and took a step back. What he hallucinating? He tried to remember what he saw, but his legs wobbled, and his chest throbbed. He could only remember what was in front of him.

Ganondorf gripped on his weapon loosened. 'Did you see me, Kaysho? Did you see?' was what part of him wanted to call out, but his mind was still caught on the fact. 'How?'

Nabooru was on the ground. Sword in hand. Defeated. "Impossible-" she started to say, but Ganondorf had turned away. He did not savor his victory, like other Gerudo would.

"Kaysho! Kaysho…" Instead of taking pride in a quick victory, he bent down to help his friend, "Kaysho…what happened?"

"I…I don't know." Kaysho replied quietly. He tried to return to his feet, but instead, only stumbled. When he stumbled, Ganondorf threw his sword to the side, no longer caring for it. He reached out his arms and caught little Kaysho.

Nabooru silently rose to her feet, and watched them silently. He had thrown down his sword. Right then, she could call herself the victor. She could laugh at him, the weak little Prince, she could even spit in his face. But Nabooru looked down at them, and realized. He simply wouldn't care.

"You look exasperated…it must be the heat." Ganondorf thought aloud, an wiped the sweat from Kaysho's brow.

"I suppose…" he answered softly, and managed a smile.

Nabooru was truly puzzled. 'To give up what is yours…for another?' She thought. That was something always discouraged against in the deserts. Why give something you own, to benefit another? It's your loss. That was the way of the Gerudo. 'But….they look happy.'

Ganondorf walked away from the battle, with Kaysho curled up in his arms, like a kitten. He left his sword, and even his lunch. He took no claim for the victory. He only turned, and walked away from it all.

Kaysho looked over Ganondorf's shoulder, and smiled to Nabooru, a way of saying 'Goodbye.'

She only stared, with unmoving amber eyes. In the midst of her thick, full black eyelashes, her eyes shone like a golden Sphinx in the Egyptian sunset. She looked from Kaysho, to Ganondorf, and back again and again. She could only ponder out loud, "…A fire. Burning inside."

Rise, O Kaysho! Hidden Phoenix!