Chapter 13: Koume and Kotake

"I'm hungry," Sean whined, almost dropping Juto in his staggered steps.

"You already ate what I bought you," Dark Link answered, several steps ahead of Sean.

"But there was so little—"

"There was enough to last you for a week at the least!" The wraith snapped. "And you ate it all in one day!"

Sean cringed, tightening his hold on Juto and waking up the Black Boe.

Dark Link sighed, his shoulders sagging slightly, but still walking and not turning his head back to Sean.

"I guess it's not your fault, since you've been more that starved for about five years."

Sean glanced up at the back of the wraith's head, one eyebrow cocked up. Was it just him or did he hear concern in the man's voice? It left him confused for awhile, but he just shook it off. It didn't matter.

The trees had begun to thin from around them, marshes becoming more and more frequent. The path that they walked on soon became nothing more than hard packed dirt that cut through the underbrush. Singing birds soon appeared after the death of the giant fish and the disappearance of Dark Link's anger. Every so often, Sean saw a small fox or squirrel scurrying about the plants or trying to hide.

Soon the trees became no more and the two stood in a clearing. A long, wide, river of somewhat clean swamp water cut through the mud in a slow, lazy current. The sky had now become a cloudy grey, a strange dampness filling the air. Lily pads, large enough for Dark Link and Sean to sit on one together, bobbed slowly in the currents of the river; a frog or two taking a quick rest on the large leaves.

Near the banks of the river stood a building on stilts, though slightly sinking into the mud. It was in horrible disrepair. The glass of the windows was shattered and ripped from the frames. Parts of the boarded walls were gone or broken, a door squeaking on rusted hinges in a soft pre-rain breeze. Rungs of the ladder were either missing or laying half-way on the rung below. The wood of the entire structure creaked and groaned, acting like it was to fall at any moment.

"What happened here?" Sean asked, breaking the silence.

"This happened well over ten years ago," Dark Link replied. "It was one of Link's first attacks of conquest."

"Why would Link attack a place so far hidden away as this?"

The wraith simply pointed at a long wooden object floating beneath the run-down building.

"That would be it. This river flows all over the southern area of Termina. Word of Link's betrayal would spread quickly," He explained with distaste, "and Link could not afford to have that in the beginning."

"So he killed everyone here?"

Dark Link nodded.

Sean looked back at the boat. "Could we ride it?"

The wraith shook his head. "It may be floating now, but it's probably so waterlogged that if you stepped on it, it'd sink like a rock."

Sean looked disappointed. "Does that mean more walking?"

"Yep," Dark Link replied, "more walking."

"I hate walking," The boy muttered.

"Get used to it, kid, because you're not going to be doing much else."

"Where are we going anyway?"

"It doesn't concern you," The wraith answered, "but I might tell you when we get there."

Sean moaned something about Dark Link being so unfair, Juto mewing in despair with him. Dark Link wasn't really paying attention to them because he felt something watching them from very nearby. Sean stopped making noise—Juto as well— when he noticed Dark Link looking around uneasily. He was about to ask about what was amiss, but Dark Link silenced him with a wave of his hand.

A white furry head popped up out of the brush. Its face was furless and had two clear blue eyes. It was one of the swamp-dwelling monkeys.

It hopped from the undergrowth and into the clearing before the trio. Its hands and feet were bare tanned skin—like its face—, while the rest of its body was covered in curly white fur; a long tail swishing eagerly behind it.

Juto gave it an angered growl, causing it to cringe back, but Dark Link signaled for the Black Boe to hush up.

"It wants something if it's come down from the trees to us," He said softly.

"What do you think it wants?" Sean whispered.

Dark Link shrugged.

"What is it you want, little guy?" Sean asked the monkey, who seemed pleased to finally be asked that very question.

It hopped back towards the shrubs, looked back at Sean, hopped back over to where it had been before, and then hopped back over to the greenery.

"It wants us to follow it," Sean said, enthusiastically running forward, but gagging to a stop when Dark Link grabbed the collar of his shirt.

"It could be a trap," The wraith warned. "Link could still have personnel here."

"Why would he have a monkey?" Sean asked, freeing himself from the wraith. "I want to follow it." With that, he ran into the brush after the furry creature.

Dark Link blew out a suffered sigh. He had never asked to take care of a kid and now he felt like a father—well, however fathers feel about their children since he wasn't so sure. With not much else of a choice, he dashed into the undergrowth after the boy and the monkey.

He soon caught up with the boy, who had stopped and was still holding Juto tightly. Sean was shifting his weight from one leg to the other, looking slightly uncomfortable. He turned to face Dark Link when the wraith approached him.

"Well, where's the monkey?" The wraith asked, beginning to find this entire situation amusing.

"It went into that clearing, over there," The boy answered, momentarily facing the clearing before turning back. "There's somebody in the clearing who looks dead."

Dark Link glanced up to see a dark lump in the clearing with the monkey hopping about it in distress. His red eyes narrowed with he thought he saw something familiar about the lump.

"What is it?"

Dark Link snapped back at the sound of the question.

"Stay here," He said, walking slowly for the clearing. "Juto, watch him."

Juto replied with a soft, "Kyuu."

The wraith stepped into the clearing, the monkey hopping over to him and bouncing insanely about his legs. Dark Link attempted to kick it away, but it hopped off on its own. He picked up his pace a bit since he knew he had little to fear from everything, yet he felt a little uneasy about something. He halted when the lump gave a groan—the monkey bouncing like crazy in circles— and sat up, facing away from Dark Link.

"Hmm? Popo? Where are you, Popo?" It asked, sounding like an old woman.

The monkey hopped to the front of the person, looking happy and proud.

A gnarled hand patted the ground until it finally found Popo and pat the monkey gently. "There's my little Popo. Did I worry you?"

Popo bounced some more and moved under the woman's hand until she was turned completely around and faced Dark Link—who felt his breath stop in his throat.

The woman was old and dressed in a black dress that had a red stripe around the waist and strange symbols on its trim. Her hair was a dirty grey, possibly once being bone white, and was held back in a bun. Her nose was large and curved like a hawk's beak, adding to her strange appearance. Her skin was an odd shade of green and a large red gem was worn on her forehead.

"Why, Popo. Who did you bring to help me?" She asked getting to her feet and making her way over to Dark Link, peering at him with squinted amber eyes.

She stood as tall as she could on her tiptoes, but barely made it to Dark Link's chest—nose included— and he simply stared back at her in dismayed shock. She suddenly muttered something, searching the folds of her waistband, and brought out a pair of bifocals. She set them on her large nose and blinked rapidly until her vision was clear.

"Why . . . What . . . . . . How?"

Dark Link took a step back, hoping to get away from this woman, but she just followed him. The wraith really became edgy when he heard Sean's face sound from right behind him.

"Who's she?"

Dark Link turned around to face Sean, who appeared curious and still holding Juto. "She's no one."

"Dark Link?" The woman asked, hustling her way around to stand next to Sean—standing as tall as the boy. A few more blinks confirmed her suspicions. "It is you. I knew it!" Large magnified eyes turned to examine Sean. "And you are you?"

Sean was leaning slightly backwards since the old woman was leaning into his face. Was her eyesight really that bad with glasses? "I'm . . . Sean," He said slowly, eyes jerking from the woman, to Dark Link, and back.

She seemed to grunt in approval and turned back to Dark Link. "I didn't know you had a child."

"He's not my son—dad!" Dark Link and Sean said at the same time.

The woman chuckled. "I expected as much. You look nothing alike!"

"And you can barely see even with those glasses of you," Dark Link retorted.

"Bah! So my eyesight isn't what it once was, but my memory is still sharp." She jabbed a boney green-skinned finger at the wraith. "I still can recognize your voice."

Dark Link snorted, crossing his arms, and looking annoyed. "I never expected to find you here in a swamp."

The old woman gave a nod, not really paying Dark Link any attention, and turned back to Sean—who jumped at the sight of her magnified eyes. "What's wrong with you, boy? You smell like bog water and are nothing back skin and bones. Didn't this lubber of mine feed you?"

Dark Link snorted again at the comment.

Sean swallowed, arms almost crushing the displeased Black Boe. He looked like he was going to faint—Dark Link rolling his eyes.

"Aside from that," The woman gave a sudden pat to Sean's shoulder, "I'll get you something to eat. Your ol' Grandma Koume will take care of you."

Sean's face twisted in confusion. "Grandma?" He repeated the word in the attempt to clear his thoughts and straighten everything out.

"Yes?"

"Don't start this up again, Koume."

"It's not everyday Koume gets a grandson, now is it?"

Dark Link let his anger and tension flow out with his breath. Koume had been like this the many years he had known her. "Koume, Sean is not your grandson."

"Yes he is," Koume answered as-a-matter-of-factly, "and so is Popo. Here, Popo. That's a good boy."

Dark Link looked like he was going to explode on the inside, though he exterior gave no signs. His fangs grinded together behind closed lips, watching the old woman pet the white monkey.

"Won't you two come back with me?" Koume asked. "I fear it is about to rain and I do know that you don't want to be in the rain with already wet clothes." She turned to Sean. "And don't worry; I've got plenty of food for you to eat." She looked back at Dark Link as Sean hopped around happily—along with Popo. "Will you be coming too? Kotake would love to see you."

Dark Link towered over Koume, his face back in shadow as it usually was. "Sean belongs to me. I go where he goes and he doesn't leave my sight unless I wish it."

"If that's how you say you're coming. . . ." Koume shrugged, showing him scant attention yet again. "Sean, Popo, let's go," She said, walking off with the boy and monkey happily tailing her.

Dark Link remained silent and followed. Sean was to never leave his sight for Link could appear at any moment and whisk the boy away and the wraith knew it. Link was no fool, but neither was the wraith. Dark Link had also hoped to never run into Koume and Kotake ever again, but fate wasn't on his side and hadn't been since Sean entered his life.

Rain pattered the roof and windows, blurring the outside world into a wash of colors. Thunder rumbled distantly, sounding like the hungry stomach of a massive dragon. The sky was grey, causing the Southern Swamp to appear as devoid as life as the Wasteland, but at least it rained.

"Why, look at how tall you've grown!" Kotake exclaimed—she looked exactly like Koume, but had blue where Koume had red and didn't need glasses— clasping her gnarled hands together in pride.

Dark Link grunted, once again, sitting shirtless on the floor of the twins' strange, elevated, house. His clothes had been stripped from him and placed on the railing outside to get cleaned in the falling water. All he really had to cover himself up with was his cloak, since it hadn't gotten dirty. He wore it about his waist like a skirt, feeling thoroughly embarrassed, but not showing it. If Sean hadn't been with him, he wouldn't have cared so much, but he still didn't like having himself stripped naked in front of other people.

The same exact thing had happened to Sean; even his boots were outside drowning in the rain. The boy—being as small and thin as he was— was wearing one of Kotake's blue and black dresses; Koume claiming the blue brought out Sean's eyes. The boy was sitting on his knees—on a chair— in front of a window, watching in awe as the rain slid down the glass. Sean was simply dumbfounded that water fell so carelessly in huge amounts from the sky. Since he had been so young when taken to Link's fortress, he had forgotten many things about the outside world—such as rain.

Juto sat next to the boy on the sill—Popo sitting in Sean's left shoulder, opposite of Juto— and it too watched the water slide down the window; growling at the rain drops that splattered on the glass panes.

"I see that you've kept yourself healthy and fit," Kotake continued to praise. "I never expected you to grow to adulthood."

"Why thank you," Dark Link muttered. "I'm glad you thought so highly of me." His tone was full of sarcasm.

"Don't take it that way," Kotake said, sitting in a chair opposite of the wraith, hands folded in her lap. "You were thrown into that horrible labyrinth with no food! Koume and I doubted you'd live to reach twenty."

"Well, here I am," Dark Link replied with heavy sarcasm; spreading his arms slightly as if presenting himself, "and I'm twenty-seven."

Koume giddily clapped her hands. "I'm so glad that we were wrong about that!"

"Koume!" Kotake scolded. "That is not good for your heart! Please sit down."

Koume did so reluctantly.

"Koume, you're not as young as you once were."

"I'm only five hundred years old!"

"Five hundred and nine."

"What's the difference?"

"Nine years."

"That's not what I meant!"
"Koume! This stress will give you another heart attack! Please calm down."

Koume sat on the floor in a huff beside her twin sister.

"So Koume hasn't changed much," Dark Link said with a slight laugh following, "and neither have you, Kotake."

"What would we change to?" Kotake replied. "We can't become sane."

Dark Link chuckled. "I suppose not, but then again, you two were never sane."

"There's so much water," Sean said in awe from his place by the window; Juto "Kyuu"ing with him.

"It's called rain," Koume said, getting to her feet and going over to Sean.

"Why does it rain?" Sean asked, not taking his eyes off the window.

"Well," Koume began, "some say that the rain is the tears of the Goddess, Nayru. They say she cries for the land as it dies and her tears replenish it."

"Then why is it so hot at the fortress?"

"Fortress?"

"Link's fortress," Dark Link said, causing everyone in the room to look at him. "That's where the kid's from."

Kotake's body seemed to sag in her chair. "I'm terribly sorry."

"You don't need to apologize for anything," Dark Link said. "It's not like you made him snap."

"It's not that," She replied, shaking her head. "We could have stopped him—prevented all the killing. We had a chance about fifteen years ago, but neither of us knew it was a chance for something."

"What was he doing here, specifically?" The wraith asked.

"He brought Koume back after one of her heart attacks and so I helped direct him to Woodfall." The witch sighed. "He seemed so kind back then and how could I not help to his cause—which was to stop Majora and the falling moon."

"Which lead to him having a taste of absolute power and how it felt to be a god," Dark Link said grimly. "So he's after this power again and is already two-thirds of the way there."

"Dear Farore," Kotake breathed, hands clasped over her mouth.

"Damn straight. He has to be stopped."

Kotake suddenly smiled. "I've never thought I'd live to hear those words leave your mouth."

Dark Link's face remained grim and stone-like.

"So, like him, you're going one a quest to stop some awesome power from obtaining control. I won't ask for your reasons, but," She got out of her chair and leaned close to the wraith's ear, "you could give that boy a better life—something you, sadly, never had. I know you, Dark Link. I can read you like I read a book. You can't hide anything from me."

Dark Link stood up abruptly. "I'm going to go wash up." With that, he left the room.

"Why is it hot at the fortress?" Sean asked again, since it was never answered.

"Well," Koume said, turning back to the boy, "that usually means that the fiery Goddess, Din, is angered and so people must suffer her wrath."

"Does that mean she's mad at Link?" Sean asked, the shadows of the falling water dancing across his young face.

Koume nodded solemnly. "I'm afraid so, my boy. I'm afraid so."