Chapter Four: Have You Seen the Shadow Man

Mystique looked down at the sketch her father had handed her. She glanced between the paper and the storefront she stood in front of, the smell of freshly baked bread wafted out from cracks in its open windows. Confident that the building matched the sketch, Mystique strode over to the door and went inside.

The smell smacked Mystique in the face and the warmth from the oven wrapped itself around her face. Counters filled with fresh breads and pastries lined the walls to the store, and a woman, a pink handkerchief tied around her head, hummed merrily behind the counter.

"Mrs. Knead?" Mystique called out into the store.

Mrs. Knead turned away from the counter, her face covered in flour, and smiled warmly. Strands of greying hair escaped from her handkerchief. "How may I help you today little one?"

Mystique walked towards the counter, and held up a box in her hands. "My father sent me to deliver your order to you."

Mrs. Knead's smile grew more pleasant as she went around the counter and onto the store floor. Bit of dough, chocolate, and fruit juices stained her apron. "You must be Saffron's daughter. Hold on one moment while I go get some rupees."

As Mrs. Knead left, Mystique pressed her hands against the glass and stared at the breads and pastries. She noticed an entire section of croissants filled with chocolate, jams, and cheese. Several tarts and pies took up their own row. Mystique glanced at the next case to see all of it was filled with any type of bread she could even think of. Her mouth watered as she stared at some rolls covered in icing. She was too entranced with the delicious sweets to hear Mrs. Knead as she walked back into the room, and behind the counter.

"Would you like one?" Mrs. Knead asked.

Startled, Mystique nodded. "What is it?"

Mrs. Knead bent down and plucked a roll from the shelf and plopped it into a little bag. "They're called sticky buns," she placed the bag on the counter. "Why don't you put the shoes on the counter so I can hand you the rupees."

Mrs. Knead handed over the payment and the sticky bun as Mystique placed the box on the counter. Satisfied, Mystique darted out of the shop and back into the bustling streets of Castle Town. As usual, she weaved through the streets seamlessly, like a fish going downstream. At the southern gate square, she stopped and stared at the fountain as it spurted water up into the air. Behind it, a long straight path led to the gate to Hyrule Castle stayed quiet and pedestrian free. Mystique folded back the bag to take a bite of the sticky bun.

She observed each figure on the statue, Zelda still stood in the exact center, her hands cupped against her chest. Behind her a figure lifted a sword high into the sky, water spurted out from behind him in long arches towards the rest of the figures. Mystique took another bite of the sticky bun and furrowed her brows as she tried to recognize any of the other figures. Suddenly, the fountain crumbled in front of her, and a long dark shadow emerged from the ground. Mystique squeezed her eyes shut, and waited with baited breath to hear the voice from her nightmare. After several moments of silence, she opened her eyes again to see the fountain still intact. She shuddered before she went on her way.

In front of Luriken's Shoes, pedestrians walked back and forth like it was a normal ordinary day. Mystique looked up at several men in decorative blazers who waved their hands in grand gestures as they walked by. Next to the door, a Hylian knight stood erect against the wall, spear in hand. Hesitantly, Mystique tip-toed over to the door, she glanced at the guard who did not move a muscle as she opened it.

Inside her father's store, Mystique immediately noticed a tall and slender woman admiring a pair of shoes in a mirror. Her white hair trailed out from a messy bun and down her back. At the sound of the little bell above the door, the woman turned to look directly at Mystique. Her eyes burned red against her tan skin, and a look of intrigue scanned across her face.

"Well you must be Mystique, I've heard so much about you from your mother." The woman folded her arms, covered in bracelets, across her chest.

"From my mother?" Mystique asked. She placed the rest of the sticky bun in her apron pocket.

It only took the woman a few steps to reach Mystique. She knelt down and cupped Mystique's face in her hands. It was at this moment that Mystique realized that the woman wore a pair of baggy pants and not a skirt.

"My name is Impa," the woman held a smug look on her face. "Now, tell me, where were you just now?"

"Delivering shoes for my father," Mystique answered through squished cheeks.

A small smile appeared on Impa's face, "that's very sweet of you to do."

"It's great!" Mystique exclaimed, "it helps me get better at delivering mail."

Impa crooked her head to the side, "and why would you want to be good at that?"

Mystique's eyes grew wide as excitement filled her whole face. "Because I want to be a mail person when I'm older."

Impa stared confused at Mystique, her mouth opened and closed a few times before she rested her chin on her hand. "A mailman? Why would you want to be a mailman and not something cool like being a secret service agent to the Hylian Royal Family?"

"That sounds like a cool job," Mystique answered, she looked over at Mr. Luriken as he worked away on his newest shoe project. She noticed his eyes as they glanced over at her. "But I've always wanted to be a mail person since I was really little."

"What made you decide that at such a young age?" Impa inquired, a little annoyed.

"Well," Mystique looked up at the ceiling, "there was a time when mother was gone for a really long time. It was just me and father at home. Every so often the mail person would come and deliver us some mail from mother, and father's face always looked so happy to get those letters."

Mrs. Luriken peered out from behind the dining room door. "Impa, you're still here?"

Impa stood up, "I had to try on some of your husband's shoes after how much you talk about them. And, I must say, that they are very well crafted. Maybe I can convince the Queen to order a pair."

Mr. Luriken's eyes darted to look at Impa, his mouth hung slightly open. Mrs. Luriken folded her arms as she fully entered the room. "Thank you for the compliment, but I also noticed you talking to my daughter."

"Can't a woman inquire about her acquaintance's kid?" Impa asked as she also folded her arms. "Mystique was just telling me about how she wants to be a mailman."

"Yeah!" Mystique butted in, "all I gotta do is learn to read and I'll be all set. I'm already fast enough for the job!"

Impa's eye twitched as she looked down at Mystique before she whipped her head to look at Mrs. Luriken. "Now I know the literacy rate in Hyrule has been down recently, but I wasn't expecting you of all people to have an illiterate daughter Cerise!" Impa tapped her foot against the ground as she waited for an answer.

Mrs. Luriken sighed, "we've been looking for a tutor for Mystique, but it isn't the easiest task."

Impa smirked, "that's an easy fix Cerise, Pom can tutor her, I'm sure she won't mind."

"That's very nice and all Impa," Mrs. Luriken faked a smile, "but I bet it would be very hard to get Pom outside of the castle away from her research."

"That's another easy fix," Impa snapped her fingers. "Mystique can be tutored inside the castle. And maybe she'll change her mind about what kind of professions she follows. I'll ask Pom today when I go back if she's willing to take on another student."

Mrs. Luriken frowned, her hand tapped furiously on her arm. "Let us think about it first, Impa," she replied.

Impa snorted, "Don't worry Cerise it'll be fine. If Pom can handle Zelda and her servant I'm sure your daughter will be okay." She turned towards Mystique, and bent down on one knee again, her face rested in the palms of her hands. "Before I go, I do have one more question for you."

Mystique raised an eyebrow and tilted her head. "Yes Ms. Impa?"

Impa's face remained stoic as she analyzed Mystique, "Have you had any weird dreams? Ones that involve a dark figure with red eyes by chance?"

In the background Mrs. Luriken sucked in air, her arms squeezed against her chest. Mr. Luriken placed the shoe he was working on down on the table and stared curiously.

"Yes," Mystique whispered into the silent room.

"Can you tell me about it?" Impa inquired.

"I was on the balcony upstairs, I looked down and there was a shadowy figure in the streets. Next thing I knew I was standing by the fountain. Everything turned red and crumbled away as the figure grew larger. It crushed one of the fountain figures and told me that I wasn't the hero."

The silence weighed down the air as Mystique's words drifted and digested. Impa, without hesitation stood back up. "Thank you for telling me," she said. Impa pulled out a pouch of rupees and threw it onto Mr. Luriken's work desk. " That's for the shoes, I'll be wearing them out."

Mr. Luriken looked into the pouch, his face turned red, before he nodded at Impa. Not before long the slender woman left Luriken's shoes, her own shoes in her hands. All three of the Lurikens stared back and forth at each other, each holding a different expression.

"Mother, who was that?" Mystique asked, confusion filled her voice.

Mrs. Luriken pinched her face, her eyes squeezed shut. She let out another sigh, "just an old acquaintance." Mrs. Luriken's face softened, "I'm sorry that she bothered you with so many questions. She can be a bit… pushy sometimes."

"Am I going to learn to read at the castle?" Mystique asked.

"I don't know if that's a good idea," Mrs. Luriken answered. "The castle itself is like a whole different city. I'm sure we can find you a tutor with less baggage."

Mystique opened her mouth and paused. "How… do you know someone in the castle?"

"Uh," Mrs. Luriken's eyes looked into the dining room. "We knew each other before she went to the castle."

"But why was she visiting you?" Mystique's confusion grew louder. "Why did she ask me about my nightmare?"

"She does a lot of weird work at the castle from what she told me," Mrs. Luriken continued to look in any direction that wasn't where Mystique was. "It must have been because of that." She slipped behind the door and into the dining room out of sight.

Mystique tilted her head towards the dining room, expecting her mother to come back into the store. After several moments of stillness, Mystique walked over to her father's work desk. Mr. Luriken greeted his daughter with a tiny smile and bright blue eyes.

"Do you have more deliveries for me to make father?" Mystique asked.

"I wasn't expecting you to deliver Mrs. Knead's shoes so fast," Mr. Luriken said as he pulled out a piece of scrap paper and a piece of charcoal. "You really have gotten fast. How about you deliver something to Mr. Bloom. I finished his work boots early, and I'm sure he'd love getting them today." Mystique's father reached for a pair of sturdy black boots and placed them into a nearby box. He handed the piece of paper and the box over to Mystique with a smile.

Mystique's eyes beamed as she held the box in both of her hands. She glanced down at the scribble on the paper and ran out the door without another word. Mr. Luriken sighed, and walked over towards the dining room. He wiped sweat from his brow as he watched his wife patching up a scarf.

"Do you think we should tell her?" He asked.

Mrs. Luriken looked up from her sewing, her face flushed from frustration. "I'd like to keep my daughter out of danger. If… if things weren't happening right now I'd welcome it with open arms, but not now."

"Is that what you talked about with Impa?" He placed his hands on Cerise's shoulders.

"I reported what Dario had told me, and his agreement to search for the sage of fire." Cerise stared up at Saffron.

Saffron sighed, "I hope that our Queen isn't leading a wild goose chase, but if even our daughter had the dream… something must be up."

"Yes," Cerise nodded, "something less kind than our Queen is looking for the same puzzle pieces. We have to get them first to prevent a tragedy." She paused, "and, even Mystique saw the dragon around Death Mountain.

Silence sat around the dining room as Cerise and Saffron gazed into each other's eyes. There was so much said, yet so little, between the way their eyes watched the other.

"Cerise, do you think it's wise then to let Nivan train to be a knight?" Saffron frowned.

"As I am not really his mother, I don't believe I have the power to stop him," Cerise muttered out, her gaze towards the door. "I wish I knew where his parents were so I could ask them to intervene."

"I bet you could find some answers in the castle about that." Saffron tried to smile.

"He's not from Castle Town," Cerise said. "I'm not sure where he could have come from but-"Cerise paused, she thought back to a cold night in castle town, the air escaped her in tiny little clouds. She jumped from roof to roof, and observed the barely lit streets of Castle Town. Cerise remembered she pulled out a piece of paper with elegant writing scrawled in detail notes, but the specifics weren't important. For shortly after she had looked at that paper, she remembered seeing a lone figure as it dragged its feet through a small alleyway. She had jumped down silently and came face to face to a boy half-dead to the cold. "I'm sure one day he'll tell us." She muttered.


Impa strode through the gates that separated the castle courtyard from Castle Town. As she held her head up straight, still holding her shoes, Impa passed perfectly manicured hedges and small fountains with sculpted fairies spewing water into the air. Several soldiers stood a few feet apart on both sides of the path. They saluted Impa as she walked towards the castle's door.

Inside, Impa stopped in front of the long corridor, a staircase bookended a balcony at the end of it. She walked below the balcony and placed her hand on an off-colored panel. The wall spun around Impa as she entered one of many secret passageways littered throughout the castle's infrastructure. The tunnel turned pitch black as the door closed behind Impa, she snapped her fingers to reveal a glowing orb in front of her face. Impa smirked as she darted down the dark tunnels.

Queen Kasandra browsed books in the library, her eyes sunken and surrounded by dark shadows. She held her chest as she coughed into the book spines, her face grimaced as she observed the titles of the books in front of her. Somewhere behind her, one of the bookcases spun around and spit Impa into the library. Queen Kasanda turned around before Impa had even gained her composure. The sheikah scrambled as she saluted the Queen.

"How was your mission Impa?" The Queen smiled.

"I was able to get intel from Cerise about her missions to Death Mountain these last few weeks." Impa opened a random book from off the shelf, she pretended to read it.

"And what did Cerise say?" Kasandra leaned against the table.

"She said what I suspected. Dario complied to search for the sage of fire." She flipped a page in the book.

Kasandra smirked, "and knowing you, you clearly learned more didn't you?"

Impa closed the book. "Of course my Queen." She sat on one of the stools near the table and crossed her legs. "Cerise's daughter experienced the dream."

"Interesting," Queen Kasanda pondered for a moment. "I wonder why Cerise did not report that to us herself."

"I have a feeling she didn't know." Impa rested her chin in her hand. "Cerise likes to keep her daughter in the shadows, so why should she tell her about a strange dream. The girl doesn't even know how to read."

"I'd expect more from Cerise," the Queen sighed. "She's never been the same since she ran away with that Hylian of hers."

"Speaking of her husband." Impa lifted her leg and slammed it onto the table. The boots were knee-length and were a solid bordeau with stripes of cream colored leather wrapped around to accent and decorate the wearer's legs. "He makes lovely shoes, I think you would enjoy owning a pair. Maybe Zelda would like a pair too?"

Queen Kasandra smiled, "that was very sweet of you to support his business. But, tell me more about the daughter."

"Well," Impa started, "I said that I would get Pom to teach her how to read…"

"What about the dream?"

"It lined up with what other kids in Castle Town have reported. The only major difference is that hers took place in the southern courtyard in front of the fountain." Impa replied.

"That's a first, usually it's just a pit of darkness." The Queen looked away from Impa, "do you think that means the darkness is getting even closer."

"It always has been," Impa said.

The two women stared at each other from across the table. Both of them exchanged conversations with their eyes, so when a regular ordinary castle guard entered the library he did not understand what he walked into.

"Queen Kasandra Tacita Hyrule and Impa Skygge. You are both summoned by King Suehprom Patroclus Hyrule and Princess Zelda Asteria Hyrule to the throne room." The guard saluted.

Queen Kasandra and Impa glided out of the library and down the hallway closely behind the guard. Neither paid attention to the ornate details of the castle, the tall ceilings with chandeliers dangled above their heads while paintings littered the walls. Turn after turn in the labyrinth of the castle hallways, Impa always made note that the closer someone walked to the throne room, that the paintings all focused on the kings of old. None of the men in the paintings smiled, their faces stamped with the signature kingly frown and long white beard. Above a large door, decorated with iron, a painting of the current King sat, his eyes watched emotionless as Impa, Queen Kasandra, and the guard entered the throne room.

King Suehprom sat erect in his chair, his body pointed towards the guest entrance to the throne room. Beside him to his right was an empty chair, slightly smaller than his own. In the third chair to the King's left, Zelda lounged while she swung her feet back and forth, her heels dangerously close to flying off her feet. Queen Kasandra smiled at both of them before she took her seat next to her husband. Impa stood behind the Queen's chair, her arms crossed against her chest, she turned her head towards Zelda's servant who clutched her wrists as she stood behind Zelda's chair.

"Who are we seeing today, my husband?" Queen Kasandra asked.

"You'll see in just a moment," King Suehprom said dryly.

Two guards opened the largest door at the end of the hallway, its wood creaked and groaned at the slightest forced movement. As the doors were about halfway open, a large man pushed them the rest of the way open with his. He scrunched his shoulders as he made his way through a door any Hylian easily walked through. The man's steps echoed like loud claps of thunder in the throne room, and the muscles on his arms bulged against large swirling tattoos. As he bowed in front of the Hylian royal family, he exposed his jagged rocky back, it arched over his spine like his own personal mountain range.

"Queen Kasandra, King Suehprom, and Princess Zelda I, Chief of the Gorons Dario, thank you for listening to what I have to say." The man stood up, his large round eyes, like gemstones shone against the candle light.

"What would you like to request Dario." King Suehprom stroked his blonde beard, its tips frosted white.

"The Gorons are in need of aid. Recently over the last few months a dragon has been flying around our homes and mines on Death Mountain. We believe it to be the fabled dragon Volvagia. My people are defenseless against this creature, and the weapon within our stories to defeat it is nowhere to be found. King Suehprom, I am here to ask for you for the assistance of your army to slay this beast. A beast according to our stories that only is resurrected when the King of Darkness is near." Dario bowed again.

KIng Suehprom glared over at his wife, his nostrils flared before he wiped his face with his ring covered hand. "What you are telling me Dario, Chief of the Gorons, are fairy tales. Death Mountain is known to be a hot and hostile place with danger that lurks around every corner. A dragon seems like a normal occurrence to me for a place like that, and I am surprised that you have no way to fight off something like it. I can send some troops to aid you, but if the creature flys, you might have a better chance asking the Rito Chief to the northwest for assistance. My men cannot fly after all."

Dario opened and closed his mouth several times as he stared at the cold eyes of the King. Queen Kasandra grimaced, her eyes apologizing as Dario continued to process Suehprom's answer. "Thank you for your honesty King Suehprom." Dario started, "my son Egan always admires the architectural wonders of your buildings and the technology the Sheikah make to provide easier lives for the people of Castle Town. It surprises me that a race of people with so many impossible and wonderful things would so easily ignore a threat as it looms over them just because it turned into a fairy tale over time. You do not need to send me soldiers, as I take your advice and travel to speak with Tyto of the Rito people. Thank you again King Suehprom Hyrule." Dario bowed one more time before he shuffled out of the throne room.

Silence filled the throne room as the guards shut the guest door. Impa broke the silence as she started tapping her foot against the marble floors while Zelda yawned.

"Take this as a lesson dear Zelda," King Suehprom said.

"What kind of lesson would that be, father?" Zelda looked up at the ceiling slightly bored.

"Don't let foolish men who believe in fairy tales strike fear into your heart. Don't let them persuade you to give up your own valuable resources over something small and insignificant." The King kept his gaze locked on the giant door.

"My king," Queen Kasandra started, "I believe that you were too harsh on Dario. Even if he mentioned myths and legends they still have a problem that needs aid."

"And my men cannot fly my wife," Suehprom shook his head. "Logic outweighs emotion in order to rule correctly."

"If you say so my husband," Queen Kasandra looked behind her chair to see that Impa had vanished.

In the castle courtyard Impa leapt down from one of the walls and directly in front of Dario's path. She glared up at him, her scarf blew in the wind around her face.

"What do you want Impa." Dario raised his foot over her, but placed it down after Impa stood still in his path.

"I wanted to apologize for the behavior of my King," Impa replied. "I have a feeling you came here from the influence of one of my people and met a sour answer."

"Correct," Dario smirkek bitterly. "When I told your agent Cerise that our hammer was missing, she informed me to ask for help here."

"I figured as much," Impa swayed her head back and forth. "While you go to Tyto, I will send some of my agents to assist the Gorons." She paused. "I'll also have a few Sheikah research to see where your hammer disappeared to."

"Knowing our luck it probably got buried with the last hero who used it." Dario grimaced.

"If that's the case we can easily dig it up for you," Impa chuckled. "I've dug up plenty of graves in my life."

"It seems when your agent told me to come here, she probably meant for me to find you and not the King." Dario asked.

"Correct," Impa smiled. "But having a unit of Hylian soldiers is a lot more appealing than a few Sheikah to fight your dragon isn't it."

"A little bit yeah," Dario said.

Impa snapped her fingers and fire danced against the fingertip of her pointer finger. "I tend to disagree. Sheikah can use magic after all, and we finish our jobs silently and quickly."

Dario's eyes grew wide as he watched the flame dance on Impa's finger. After a moment he glanced away and up towards the sky. "I don't think I'll make it to the next town before nightfall. Guess I'll have to find a Castle Town inn to stay at."

"Here," Impa threw a pouch of rupees at Dario. "It's the least I can do."

Dario looked inside the bag and nodded at Impa before he walked out of the courtyard and into the bustling streets of Castle Town. Impa's smile faded as she turned around back towards the castle and its cold stone walls.

"For Din's sake," Impa huffed. "How did we end up with a King who refuses to acknowledge the history of his own country."

Impa strolled over towards a hedge in the courtyard garden. She pushed aside the branches and leaves as she reached for a wooden handle mangled between the trunks of the bush. Impa opened the trap door and slid down below into another hidden corridor etched into the castle's infrastructure.


Mystique waved behind her, a flower in her hand, as she left Mr. Bloom's shop. She pressed the flower close to her face and inhaled its simply sweet scent. The petals tickled her face and the stem felt waxy in between her fingers. Mystique placed the flower in her apron before she darted through the streets of Castle Town. Several cats sprawled themselves on top of boxes near a building that people always shouted inside. A dog pranced around with a stick in its mouth and a kid nearby chased after it.

When Mystique entered the western square, she stopped and observed as several people in the center of the square lifted color rugs and shook them into the air. Tents crumbled down towards the ground, and several Hylians lifted large boxes onto carts carried by mules. Two Gorons lifted large boxes of gemstones and shuffled away towards the western gate. A Rito wrapped their produce into sacks while they hummed an unfamiliar melody. Mystique gawked at the Rito as it strode past her towards the western gate. The Rito whisted as it went, ignoring Mystique completely.

"Hey Mystique," a voice shouted somewhere in the distance. She turned in every direction trying to locate the source of the voice only to Hudde appear right before her face. "How have you been Mystique? Did your fairy give you my message?"

"Yeah," Mystique answered. "But Roul, Fiona, and Link are jerks."

"That was rude of you to say," Fiona said as she emerged from an alleyway. "And here I thought we were friends Mystique."

"We were until you were all jerks to Nivan," Mystique glared as Link and Roul walked out of the alleyway. "Why are you guys here? Aren't you usually playing in the southeast part of Castle Town."

"We were following you," Roul smirked, his blonde hair curled around his face.

Mystique took a step back. "What… why?"

"Because," Fiona walked closer to Mystique, her green eyes gleaming. "Link noticed Impa Skygge leave your house today."

From behind Fiona, a mischievous smile painted across Link's face.

"Why does that even matter, I don't know who that is." Mystique folded her arms across her chest and pouted.

Link scrunched his face, "you don't know who Impa is. How do you not know that?"

"I have more important things to know about." Mystique looked away from the group.

"Even someone as dumb as you should know who she is," Fiona waved her hand in the air. "Impa is the leader of the Sheikah secret agents in Hyrule. She's very important, unlike you."

"Or like any of you guys," Mystique stuck out her tongue.

"I still don't get why she would visit you," Fiona stuck her finger towards Mystique.

Link squinted his blue eyes as he leaned in closer to Mystique. "I've heard rumors from my ma and pa that the Queen sent Impa to search for the next hero of Hyrule." Link grinned, his teeth looked pointed and jagged to Mystique. "Maybe they think your weirdo friend is the hero of Hyrule." Link laughed, "I doubt it though he seems too weak anyways. That's why I always play the hero in our little games."

"I thought you played the hero because your parents named you Link," Hudde added in annoyance.

"Speaking of that weirdo, where is he anyways," Roul added.

"Nivan is out practicing in the field with Lumina," Mystique answered. "And I don't know why she was in my house, or if she was looking for a hero. All she did was ask me about some nightmare I had."

All four kids gasped and stepped away from Mystique. Fiona's long blonde hair waved in the breeze that filtered through the western square. Travelers shuffled by in the traffic and paid no attention to the five kids as they all stared at each other, their faces each carved with a different expression.

"So, you've had the dream too then," Roul puffed up some air at a lock of his blonde hair.

Link's eyes grew wide, his hands shook as he held them up to claw his face. "Hylia that dream was something else."

"Nivan said everyone gets the dream after they turn ten," Mystique glanced over a shadow in the alleyway. She sucked in her breath until a cat strolled lazily out from the shadows.

"That sounds about right," Hudde pondered. "I think I was ten when I had it."

Fiona shook her head, "I had it at the beginning of this year, so I was eleven."

Mystique stared at each kid, "do any of you remember what the shadow man said to you."

The four other kids thought in silence, as if on cue they all answered at once. "You are not the hero." They all replied.

"Is that what it said to you?" Hudde asked.

"Yeah, of course," Mystique answered. "I don't look like the hero type."

"Has Nivan had it?" Link asked, he glanced quickly in multiple directions.

"Yes," Mystique said.

"What did the shadow guy tell him?" Fiona placed a hand on her hip.

"I… I don't know," Mystique furrowed her eyebrows.

"Huh," Roul laughed. "Maybe he is the hero, and maybe that's why Impa visited you."

"Did Impa not visit your houses when you had the dream?" Mystique looked around concerned.

"Nope," Roul answered. "I just told my ma and pa about it and that was that."

"Well, we're about to go play a game, do you want to join?" Hudde asked.

Mystique looked at her feet, "thanks for the offer, but I'm good. I have to finish my delivery."

Before another word was said, Mystique darted past the group of kids and towards home. The sunlight bounced off of the rooftops of buildings as she ran, the sun slowly sinking behind her.

When Mystique arrived outside of Luriken's Shoes, she pushed the door open quickly and quietly. Inside, only her father was in the store, he swept the wooden floor with a broom that Mystique was older than herself. She walked over and placed the rupees on her father's work desk and smiled at him.

"I did it father!" Mystique beamed.

Mr. Luriken smiled back, "you're getting really good at this. Did Mr. Bloom like his new shoes?"

"Yeah!" Mystique proclaimed. She reached into her apron and pulled out a crumpled flower, her face faltered at the sight of the once perfect flower. "He also gave me this, but I broke it…"

Mr. Luriken watched his daughter as she placed the flower next to the pouch of rupees. "Don't worry, flowers are just very delicate. There's a reason I'm a shoe maker and not a florist." Mr. Luriken laughed. "Why don't you go grab some dinner with everyone else? I'm almost done cleaning the shop."

Mystique hopped from floorboard to floorboard, her toes barely touching the floor with each hope, until she reached the dining room door. She pushed through with a loud crash, and from the other room the sarcastic remarks of Lumina and the teasing from Nivan rang into the shop.

Mr. Luriken continued to sweep the store, picking up fragments of dust into one dust mound in the center of the room. He tilted his head towards the dining room, and listened to the banter erupt between his family, the stern voice of his loving wife Cerise as she attempted to keep the peace. The stubbornness and youthful pride in his daughter Mystique's voice. The sudden shift to shyness and words extracted delicately from Nivan, and the never ending sass from the newest member of his family. Saffron sighed as he swept.

"Dear Hylia, please if there is going to be a time of darkness, please let my family stay safe."

After dinner, Mystique dragged herself up the stairs and into her room followed by a low flying Lumina and sluggish Nivan. Both kids plopped into their beds and yawned, the poe's soul floated in its jar on the nightstand. Within minutes, all three of them were fast asleep in their beds.

Mystique woke up to the yellow glow from the poe's soul, and the sound of heavy footsteps down the hallway. She pulled her sheets up tightly around her face and rolled over in bed towards Nivan's bed. Her eyes grew wide Nivan's sheets sat sprawled against the floor and his bed empty. Mystique jumped out of bed and ran over to the doorway to her bedroom, she peeked out into the hallway only to see Nivan as he stumbled. Carefully, Mystique followed behind the boy as he went downstairs into the dining room. She kept her distance as he entered the store, and she watched as he struggled to open the locked entrance to Luriken's Shoes. After several pulls and pushes against the door, Nivan slumped onto the ground. His eyes were open, but instead of his icy blues, Mystique could only see the whites of his eyes.

"Not again," she sighed. Mystique walked over to a cupboard inside the dining room and pulled out a blanket. She went back into the store and gently placed the blanket over Nivan's shoulders. "I wonder why you do this."

Instead of a cohesive response, Nivan began to mumble gibberish. None of it was Hylian as his voice grew louder and became more chaotic until it was only just screams which escaped his mouth. Only a few words made sense to Mystique, they were the same every time:

Please… no… please.

Nivan screamed as Mystique leaned against the wall next to him. Her eyes drifted in and out as she stared at her father's work desk. She heard footsteps from upstairs and listened as the sound went down the stairs. Soon, Mr. Luriken stood inside the store, a worried look plastered across his face. Nivan screamed again.

"He hasn't done this for a long time," Mr. Luriken whispered. "Do you know what caused it?"

Mystique shrugged her shoulders as she yawned. "No."

"I'll have to tell your mother about it when she gets back from work," Mr. Luriken bent down and looked into the white eyes of Nivan. "Let me go grab some more blankets and pillows for everyone." Mystique's father disappeared back into the house, only to arrive moments later with as many pillows and blankets as he could carry. Cautiously, he placed a pillow behind Nivan's head, and made a nest of blankets and pillows on the floor.

Mystique curled into a portion of the blanket nest and yawned. Mr. Luriken wrapped blankets around himself as he faced Nivan. Another spurt of gibberish echoed out into the store. Mystique attempted to stay awake as the night crawled on, but the warmth of the blankets cradled her into a deep sleep.

When Mrs. Luriken walked in front of the entrance to Luriken's Shoes, she could see the outline of someone asleep on the floor through the store window. Without questioning what she saw, Cerise jumped onto the balcony and entered the house through that door, the faintest light of dawn illuminated the rooftops. As she strode into the house and down the hallway, she removed her scarf and tossed it on her bed as she entered her room. She quickly changed into a light nightdress, and made her way quietly down into the store.

Concern and relief took turns occupying her face as she stared at her family all fast asleep on the floor of Luriken's Shoes. Somewhere, as the morning sun crested over the horizon, a rooster crowed.