Link was leading against the railing as he nibbled on some toast and eggs. He was on one of Shahasrahla's many terraces (he had, like, seven of them) and was enjoying the last of the morning air. The elderly shaman graciously offered to fix the group some breakfast...though...the hero was regretting accepting the offer. The toast was burnt. The eggs were underdone. I should have made it myself, Link thought as he sighed. The hero was a decent cook (He could boil water!! Amazing!!), though the author didn't seem to agree with Link's assumptions (I'm sorry that I have no respect for the fourth wall...).

Ignoring the poorly made food, the hero turned to his right. The Kakariko graveyard was in perfect view from his vantage point, a place where Hylian royalty and Sheikah tribe were buried. It was just another thing that connected the Kakariko village of his era with the Kakariko village that he was in at the time. Yet...there were still so many differences.

The Kakariko of Link's era was located much further south of the imposing Death Mountain, where as this Kakariko practical stood on the foothills. And then there was the layout of the village. The Kakariko the hero knew was contained in a narrow ravine, with the buildings following the rock walls upward. The Kakariko of the past was built in what would be closer to a 'bowl of rock'. Why had the village change so drastically? Was it the course of time...or was it the fact the future Death Mountain was so violent? As Link continued to contemplate the the two Kakarikos, a figure crept behind him...

"Guess who!!" The figure squealed as she wrapped her hands around the hero's eyes, "You get only three chances!"

"Sigh...Rin...what are you doing..."

"Your no fun, Link-hun!!" The raven haired girl whined as she slinked around him. The hero tensed up as Rin grabbed his neck and pulled herself up to planted a kiss on Link's lips, then let herself down with a smile, "Next time play along! You like it..."

"R-R-Rin!! Stop it!!" Link exclaimed as he pushed himself away, "Your so...forceful!! It's like I don't have any say in the matter!"

"Ha...your kidding right..." The maiden smirked as she placed her fists on her hips and looked at the hero, "Your a guy, right? Most men would scream for a beautiful girl, like me, to be with them. So why don't you put on the man-pants on and make a move!!"

"Mak-Make a move?!" The hero repeated in a shaky voice while his right eye twitched, "I-I'm not...!! You and me?! I would never...!!"

(Needless to say) Link was at a lost for for words. It was just like when Meeko had enticed the hero in Veles Forest, Rin was just a friend and nothing more than that to him. Unfortunately, the raven haired maiden was not going to be mystically cured of her feels. These...sigh...were real. Rin suddenly affirmed the idea by entangling Link in a warm embrace, with an atmosphere of pink and flowers all around (might I add...the extra stuff was in the maiden's mind). Link cringed when the girl tighten the hug, cause Rin's small but evident...figures to burrow into the hero's chest.

"R-Rin! Isn't there something better that you should be doing?!" Link posed as he pulled the maiden away from himself.

"Link-hun..." The raven haired girl replied with a playful look in her eye, "To say something like that so suddenly!"

"What-WHAT!! NO!!" Rin took one look at the hero's sober expression and her smirk was whipped from her face, "Meeko told me about why the maidens got a break from school...around the time of the Autumn Festivals..."

Rin step back from the hero, a troubled look across her face.

"There...There isn't anything to worry about!" The maiden said with a forced smile, "Any priest or shaman can preform the prayers and rituals at the appointed time-"

"Rin." Link quickly interjected, startling the girl, "Meeko said that in the small villages, where there's no priest or shaman, the local maiden preforms the prayers. Rin!! Your village!"

The girl turned away from the green clad hero and moved to the terrace railing. The maiden was perfectly quiet as she stared over the grim surroundings. Link gazed at the maiden's back in silence. I wonder if...I should of said anything, the hero thought.

"...My mother was a maiden..." Rin voiced softly, close to a whisper, as Link remained still, "She met my dad in the War and married him shortly after graduating from the Cluster. After that...my dad died...in the same war..." Link blinked and released a tiny breath. He had learned that the Unification War had lasted some decades before truly ending...but he had never thought of the repercussions because of such a long conflict. The girl continued...

"When I was little, my mom had told me stories of her and my father when they were together. The day they found each other...the adventures they shared during the War...falling in love...sigh...

"The best part about it was watching my mother's eyes light up when told those stories. That heartfelt, bright look...I was hook! I needed to find my own someone and go off on misadventures of my own!! However...none the boys in my little village wanted an adventure...or anything other then farming taller wheat. So, I enrolled in a cluster for maiden...hoping to meet that someone like my mom did."

The raven haired girl swiveled around and faced the hero, her lips formed a light smile as she looked at Link. Rin's looked incited a small gasp from Link and a pink blush to form across his face. Is...Is this some kind of confession, the hero thought to himself. A moment of silence enveloped around the pair...

"Rin...I-" Link had started, but was quickly interrupted.

"Oh!! The spring of youth!!" The two looked over to doorway leading into the house and found the elderly shaman ogling them from the entrance. With tear streaming eyes and clasped hands, the old man went on, "A couple sneaking away to make a nice memory together!! Oh, how I so miss being young-GAAAHH!!"

Sahasrahla's fantasies were cut short by Rin's blow to his head...which knocked some teeth out. With a loud thud, the elderly shaman fell to the floor.

"DON'T compare us with your shameless youth!!" The raven haired maiden bellowed as she stood over the old man, "You really know how to ruin the moment!!"

Link just sighed heavily...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Meeko-san...I'm not sure about that..." A meek Puck related to a certain blonde maiden as the two walked down a hall (well...the fairy girl flew).

"Trust me, Puck-chan. Okiru is just another adolescent pervert who'll never marry anyone..." Meeko said knowingly, "He'll just end up like his old master, alone and peeping on women bathing."

"Meeko-san!!" The pink fairy huffed as she rocketed in front of the girl's face, "You just say that about every guy you meet! Well, your wrong!! Oki-kun is brave, kind, honest, and strong!!"

"Well...your wrong..." Meeko replied in a flat tone, then changed to a voice of admiration as she clasped her hands before her and looked out into the distance, "My beloved Izunoo-kun is the shining example of chivalry and manners. The perfect gentlemen! The only man I could ever love..."

"But what about Link-san?"

"WHAT?! That jerk?!" The maiden's eyes lost there luster as a frown appeared across her face, "Who would want a perv like him? Never in a million years could I like him in that way!!"

"But...last night...you put his hand your chest and confessed your feelings..." Puck stated, her finger tipping her chin as she recalled the events. The fairy's words froze Meeko to the spot with an unpleasant expression over her face, "Then you kissed him...and he pushed you away...and...OH! You said you didn't care if he was a perv!"

The maiden bit her lip as she rubbed her left arm. The instant in the forest had been running through back of her mind since last night, boggling Meeko's cognitive processes. It wasn't like what happened was her own fault, those damn flowers were to blame. S-she couldn't help b-b-being there! Rin dragged her into those woods and Titania wrapped Link and her together!! She would have went after anyone she was with because of that spell...right? The 'latent passions' was what Shasrahla had said, Meeko thought silently. In other words, the natural feelings in someone's heart. Does that mean...

"Do not worry." A new voice called, breaking Meeko's thoughts, "Everything is ready, we only need to wait for the proper timing..."

The voice was coming from a doorway down the hall, the morning sunlight raining from it. The blonde maiden and her fairy girl companion quietly crept to the door, slowly pacing every step (well...Puck was flying). As the two reached the doorway, they peeked their heads around the corner. Beyond the entrance the pair found grand terrace, thirty feet long and wide with greenery and flora across the floor. An odd miniature tree would popped up every few feet, creating almost no order to the area for it to truly be called a garden.

A small path lead from the doorway to the edge of the terrace, made from thin brick tiles. At the end of the path, Meeko and Puck found the back of a young man. It was Iago, the elder shaman trainee of the old man! He was on a single knee, bent down towards the ground and seemed absorbed in whatever business he was doing. The two girls silently moved to Iago, neither were sure of what to make of the scene.

"How may I be of help to you, Most Welcome Guests..." The shaman proclaimed warmly as he turned and stood. The movement started the pair, causing them to jump back slightly.

"I-I'm sorry, Iago-san!!" Meeko frantically related, "We didn't mean to disturb you!!"

"It is quite alright" Iago reassured the maiden, hand raising calmly, "I was merely taking care of my friend..." Taking a step to the side, the shaman revealed his 'friend'...a crow. The bird's head bobbed to and fro, checking for would-be predators, as it flipped is pitch black wings. Puck and Meeko stared at the crow, still a little confused. The young man explained, "This poor creature was found in front the household, it's wing injured. I have been nursing the bird back to health ever since then. I was just finishing feeding the little one. As embarrassing as it is, I was talking to it about when it like to start trying to fly again."

Iago finished the confession with small chuck and dazzling smile, receiving a light blush from the two girls. Oh my Goddesses, this guy's uber cute!! Meeko thought to herself, the fairy girl thinking in kind (...I hate...writing for girls...). Tilting his head somewhat to the side, Iago continued...

"If there was anything that you two need, know that I would not hesitate to be of service."

"R...Right..." The two sighed (STOP BEING MESMERIZED!!).

"HEEYY!!" A familiar voice cried from behind, "Meeko-chan!!"

Twisting around, the group discovered Okiru running towards them.

"Meeko-chan!!" The young shaman repeated as he skidded to a halt, "Meeko-chan, I've been looking for you!"

"Oh, really?" The blonde maiden asked bluntly as she narrowed her eyes at the boy, "What is it..."

"I need your help in market square! It's super important!!"

"Sigh..." Meeko pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to squeeze the aching away, "Such...a pain..."

"What's it about, Oki-kun?" Puck asked as she hovered beside the young shaman, "Was there something you wanted to buy?"

"Well...um..." Okiru looked back to the maiden, his face turning beet red. Then he dropped his head to his feet, "It's j-just...aaahh...JUST COME ON!!" the boy's cry was followed by him grabbing Meeko's hand and dragging her out the door at a fast pace.

"Hey!! Wait!!" The pink fairy squealed as she swore after them.

Iago was finally left alone once again and released a small sigh of relieve. For once Okiru performed a useful task, the young man thought silently. He turned back to the crow at his feet, a smirk lining his face. The black bird continued to bob it's head back and forth. All of a sudden, the crow's bobbing dramatically increased, creating a blur of a beak and face. The head abrubly stop...then the beak opened to it's reaches...

"Iago..." a voice whispered from the bird's mouth, "Now that the nuisances are gone...proceed with your report..."

"Yes, Master" The shaman replied with bow, "The barriers have been dissolved. All that is need is to wait for the proper timing...then the mind and the body can be joined..."

"Good, good..." The voice related, "Then we shall see how the Hero of Time can fair against his temporal counterpart...keh keh keh..."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Rin was wondering the streets of Kakariko, walking without any destination in mind. She was a sad sight to see...shoulders slouched, head hung down, a staggering pace...yeah, she was depressed. With a heavy sigh, the girl thought back to what Link had said her...

"Meeko said that in the small villages, where there's no priest or shaman, the local maiden preforms the prayers. Rin! Your village!"

"Why didn't he just rip my heart out and say beat it..." The raven haired maiden said aloud, the anguish washing over her, "Sigh...what am I suppose to do now..."

"Hey! Let go!! I said LET GO!!"

"We're almost there, Meeko-chan! Just a little-OW OW OW!!"

Rin twisted around, discovering her blonde friend grasping the young Okiru's cheek and pulling it a painful length away from his face. The tiny pink fairy was floating over head, spewing her concerns over the young shaman. The raven haired maiden stiffen her lip and held back the aurgh to laugh. The scene was cute, the two of them, but Rin would never had told them. Meeko would have killed her!!

"Meeko!!" The girl called over to the group was strode over to them.

"Rin!! What's going on!" The Meeko greeted her fellow maiden without a care in the world...while she continued to pull on Okiru's cheek, "Where's Link at? Did he stay at the house?" Rin instantly slumped back down, "Wha-What's wrong, Rin!! Did something happen?!"

"Nothings wrong..." She replied in a drew back manner, "...I'm just...walking..."

The blonde maiden released the boy (freedom at last!!) as a frown formed across her face. Rin's really in the dumps today, Meeko thought to herself, this must be Link's fault! He's getting an ear full when I see him next!!

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Back at the Sahasrahla residence...

"AaAaAhHhH..." Link abruptly sighed in a haphazard way as a chill ran down his spine.

"Oh...what is it, Link?" The elderly shaman inquired the hero.

"I don't know. But I get the strangest feeling that I'm going get an 'ear full' very soon..."

"Mmhh...You're starting to develop the sense that only men have..."

"Oh...That's interesting. AaAaAhHhH..."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"So..." Rin, recollected, started as she trailed back to conversation, "Where were you and Okiru-kun going?"

"He said something about 'helping him in the market square'?"

"...That's right!!" The young shaman exclaimed as he rubbed his swore cheek, "It's really important that you pick out a Kinstone!!"

"Kin-stone?"

Before Meeko could force out an anwser from the boy, Okiru ran off into the direction of the market square. The two girls sighed and chased after the shaman, Puck hovering after them. The three soon came upon gray stone paved town-square, several yards on every side. The stones were arranged in swirling pattern that came to a point at the center of the square it's self. Vendor stands and humble shops lined the edges of the square, allowing only a few entrances into the area.

So this is the market square Okiru was talking about, Meeko silently though. She had never been to Kakariko's busy markets before and on Fregerock Day, the square was sight to see. Hearts were EVERYWHERE: Pink hearts, red hearts, big hearts, little hearts on every inch of the square. A series of poles, dressed in hearts, held up streamers of...more hearts...sigh.

"I think I hate Fregerock Day, now..." Meeko quietly commented.

"HEEYY!!" Okiru screamed and waved to the group from across the square, "Over here!!" The three girls crossed the distance to the boy.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?! RUNNING AWAY LIKE THAT, AFTER ASKING FOR HELP!!" The blonde girl bellowed at the shaman.

"...just look, ok..." The boy timidly pointed to the stand he was next to.

Meeko blinked at Okiru a few times, then turned to the stand. It was a normal vendor's stand, nine feet tall with one tarp covering the top and second lying our the wares...though...there was something different about this stand. It wasn't largest, by far, but there was something. This stand held a single type of item, circular pendents of various colors and made from some standard-looking material. A white paper sign next to the pendents read, 'Fregerock Special - Two for One' or to put it more simply: Pay the price for one pendent and get two.

The two maidens stared at the pendents, not sure what to make of them. Puck quickly popped in...

"Oh!! These are Kinstones!! I heard that they bring good luck to whoever fuses two pieces together!!"

"Fuse together?" Meeko posed as she continued to gaze at the supposed 'Kinstones', "But...they're all in one piece..."

"That's because you haven't pick one yet!" Rin and Meeko looked up and found a round, middle-age man walking up from behind the stand, "You can't expect me to sell half a product! They'd be all over Hyrule!!"

"Is this way you asked Meeko to help, Okiru-kun?" The raven haired girl asked the shaman. Okiru gasped as a look of horror covered his face.

"Oh! So your buying a Kinstone your little girlfriend!!" The vendor proclaimed knowingly, "Going see if the old story is true or not!! HA HA HA!!"

"N-N-NO!! N-Nothing like that!!" The young shaman frantically related.

"No need to be shy about it!! HA HA-" The vendor was suddenly cut off when Meeko grabbed him by the collar and hauled him to eye level...

"Listen here, buddy...Say something like that again...and I'll take these Kinstones here and introduce them to the inside of your stomach!!" The vendor looked into Meeko's fire blazing glare, noting how Death itself lingered in it's depths (such an adorable little girl) and squealed, "...GOT IT!!" The man speedily nodded his head in acknowledgment.

"Meeko..." Rin tapped the girl on the shoulder and the blonde maiden released the vendor. Meeko made a quick gesture, pointing her two fingers at her eyes then pointing at the vendor ('I'm watching you...').

"S-So" The man uneasily started, "Was there s-something I could...hhhelp you with..."

"Um!" Okiru pipped up, stiffer than a rod, as he moved over to the front of the stand, "I would like to buy...a Kinstone...p-please!!"

"Hey kid, calm down! Your going to fall over before I sell you anything!" The young shaman took a hard shallow and turned to Meeko...

"Meeko-chan...?" The boy asked quietly, "Could you...please pick one?" The girl looked at Okiru, her head tilt to the side and eyebrow stretched up. Why is he asking me? The blonde maiden thought to herself.

"Mhh...quite a thing to do, little man!" The vendor announced, causing Okiru to jump. Seeing how the rest of the group were still confused by the young shaman's offer, the vendor explained, "Here in Kakariko, if a young lad fancies a girl, then he'll buy the lass a Kinstone. The stone breaks in two and if the two piece fuse together then the two are truly meant for one another!"

"Oh, my! I've never heard of this story before!" Puck proclaimed aloud, "How old is it?"

"Nineteen years on this day, little-fairy-chan!"

"And how long have you been selling Kinstones?" Rin posed flatly.

"Nineteen...OOOHHHH!! You almost got me there!! Ha ha ha ha!!"

"Fine...whatever..." Meeko sighed, finally caving. She pointed to a Kinstone on the far right, "Buy me that one...the yellow one there..."

"Sure thing!!" Okiru grabbed the chosen pendant and presented it to the maiden. With grin reaching to both his ears, the boy asked the vendor, "How much, shopkeep!"

"Sixty rupees!"

"AAAHHH!!" The young shaman toppled backwards and landed on the ground with a loud bang, "S-S-Sixty!! WWWHHHAATTT!!"

"Wow...you could almost buy Hylian shield with that much..." The raven haired girl stated bluntly (discount withholding, of course).

"WHO WOULD PAY THAT MUCH FOR A SINGLE KINSTONE!!" Okiru bellowed as leaped back up and began flailing at the vendor, "WHAT HAPPEN TO 'TWO FOR ONE'?!"

"But your only buying one!"

"Don't worry, Okiru-kun!" Rin stated in a cheerful tone as she pick up a green Kinstone, "I'll take this one! Then you'll get your money's worth!"

"Oh...thanks! Why do I feel like I'm still getting the stick end of the deal..." (Because your the man in the deal, and the man always gets the worst part of the deal).

"Now then..." The man behind the stand announced, "Sixty rupees for two Kinstones, please!"

The boy frowned as he slowly reached into his tunic. A dark leather bag was revealed as Okiru pulled back his hand, one that just large enough for sixty rupees. The vendor grinned happily as took a hold of the bag and pulled it...Okiru didn't let go...sigh.

The two males glared at each other as a mini-war-of-the-rupees started (damn, DAMN, DAMN THEIR GREED!!) Unfortunately for Okiru, the vendor was seasoned opponent. The man behind the stand paused in his glare and glanced at Meeko...not to look at the girl, but to remain the young shaman exactly why he was there for. With a heavy sigh, Okiru released his hold and let the bag jerk back into the vendor's hands.

"It was nice doing business with you!" The man smirked.

"...I hate being the man of the deal..."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The cool chill of an early autumn waved over Link as he stood in front of the Kaka Miya Shrine at the very center of the complex. The hero remembered what Okiru had said about the great shrine, how it had been there since the village was first been built. But the shrine was no where to be found in the future Kakariko. Suspicion filled the hero...

Something had happened to the village...something was going to happen to the village!! But what?

"Link-san...you seem deep in thought..." Twisting around Link found the elderly shaman walking over to him.

"Master Shaman..." Link greeted Sahasrahla.

"Now, now...such a title is too much. Plus...it is inaccurate. I am not your master nor are you my student...and it is pretty obvious that I am shaman..."

"Right...um...sorry" The hero rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "Well...your name is...really hard to pronounce!"

"Mmmmhhhh..." The old man didn't seem to appreciate Link's comment.

"H-How about...Saha-sama!" The elderly shaman 'Mmhh' again in reply, "Saha...dono?" Saha-dono smiled and gave a nod.

"So!" The old man posed in a lighter tone, "You were deep in thought when I came upon you...was there something specific?"

"Sigh...I guess I've been think about thousand things..." Link turned to the ground as his brow furled, "I could dumb it down into one question. But...I don't think I'd get a answer at this time..."

"Mmmhh...We all have questions. There are an unlimited amount of questions in our universe...though...a limited amount of answers. That being said, every question has an answer. The answers, young hero, are already known...I merely need to know the questions."

The hero looked back at Saha, bewildered by the shaman's comment (he got...like...half of it). The old man appeared confident about his wisdom, but Link couldn't help being skeptical. No matter how big of name Saha has, he's still just an man, the hero silently thought, a 'dirty old man' according to the girls. How could he know...

"Well...When I first came to Kakariko, that is to say, when I visited the village in the future...it wasn't here" The elderly shaman stiffened up and clenched his staff, "Is it possible...that the village had...will...move?"

"Mmhh...I have known villages and even entire cities to have moved for various reasons...war, natural devastation, famine. It is a risk filled venture, though necessary."

"So you'd think if something happened at Kakariko...like Death Mountain erupting, then the villagers would relocated...?"

"That is an option that is not at our disposal, " Saha responded as he faced towards the large shrine, "When Kakarikohime was enshrined hear...the sheikah and hylian inhabitants vowed to watch over the site. When the sheikah left, we took over the duty. If something would happen, some would leave...but the village would remain."

"That's just it...it isn't." Link looked to the shaman, still gazing at the Kaka Miya Shrine, "Kakariko is going to move down south, Death Mountain changes drastically, and this whole shrine complex is gone from anywhere in the village!"

"Then...it is not Kakariko!" The comment hit Link like a brick, "Kakariko is here, no where else. The buildings may burn, the shrines may rot, but this will always be the true Kakariko."

The hero shift his feet as he crossed his arms over his chest. He should have expected the old man's answer to be so...un-answer-ing-y (there's a limit to the English language).

"Link-san...your line of speech mention the eruption of Death Mountain." Saha started again, "What would lead to this conclusion?"

"Um...well..." The young man was placed off center by the elder's inquiry (translation: What?), "Ahh...A lot of the area around the mountain has changed. The mountain, itself, no longer has the same shape...but most of that happened in me era. It started to erupt like crazy because of the Fused Shadow being kept there."

"I know of this item...the Fused Shadow. The item is being stored in the confines of the mountain, but it could never effect the mountain alone..." Now, that was news to Link, "Death Mountain is apart of a trinity with the forest's Great Deku Tree and the Zora's Lord Jabu-Jabu, that helps fight against evil. There are barriers around Death Mountain that contain even the most devilish of fiends."

"But...it happen..."

"Then, like you said, young hero...something will happen..."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Meeko, Puck, and Okiru were heading back to the Saha's residence. As they were moving through the graveyard, the young shaman stared at the yellow Kinstone he bought for the maiden. The moment he had paid the vendor, the yellow pendent and Rin's green one had each broken into two pieces. The boy held the two yellow pieces in his hands with frown across his face. The blonde maiden was beginning to have enough...

"Hey...how long are going to stare at those?" Meeko asked in irritated voice, "You were stupid enough to buy those things Kinstones, so let's use them already!"

"..." The young shaman halted in step and twisted to the maiden, but refused to look at her. A uncomfortable feeling washed over Meeko...guilt. She glanced over to Puck as the fairy hovered in silence. Say something to make this less awkward already, the maiden thought to herself, Oh, way did Rin stay behind! The raven haired maiden had said that she needed to continue shopping before returning to the house. She had to find 'just the right gift for Linkie-hun!'

"If your not going to man up to it-" The blonde maiden was cut off suddenly when one half of the Kinstone was thrust to her. The girl blinked, then wrapped her fingers around the piece. With grim face and a sigh, Meeko positioned the piece and closed her eyes (don't you know? Magic doesn't work unless you close your eyes). After a few seconds, the maiden lefted her lids. Okiru was just standing there...holding the other Kinstone half for Meeko to take, "What?"

"Just take it..." The boy said flatly. Meeko was at a lost. She slowly reached her free hand up and took the other piece of the yellow pendant. She glanced at the two halves, then redirected to the shaman, "Back in the forest...I saw you and Link. I know it was just because of the Himerus flowers...but...I don't like the idea of not knowing. I lived my whole life not knowing where I came from or if someone doesn't care about me. So...I don't want you to not know...ok"

"Okiru..." The girl was astonished. Was this the little kid that always hit on her? The future dirty old perv?

"So, go find whats-his-face and try it out" The young shaman grinned at the maiden, obviously fake, and Meeko couldn't help but smile back.

"Such a cozy scene you two are weaving..." The girl and boy swung around and found a cloaked man who Meeko knew...all too well, "My dear maiden...have you forsaken your 'one true Izunoo'? Keh keh keh..."

"Rinkar!!" Meeko exclaimed to the man as he stood upon a slanted tombstone. The dark smirk on his face caused the maiden to boil in anger.

"So I finally meet the Decedent of Light, face to face..." Rinkar announced to the group, "...Or is this the second time...as to meet...keh keh..."

"Meeko-chan, who is this guy?" Okiru whispered to the girl, but Meeko ignored the shaman and raised her hands into a triangle...

"Hallowed Mothers who art in the sk-" But the maiden voice was cut off by the blooming Rinkar.

"YOU WILL BE SILENT!!"

The dark man's words became unseen force that gripped Meeko's throat. The blonde maiden threw her hands to her neck as she gasped for breath and collapsed to her knees. I can't speak!! The girl shouted in her mind, a simple fear for any person...though to Meeko it create an extra dilemma. Meeko was defenseless with out her chants.

"Now, girl..." Rinkar started to related in low tone, "You will be a good little child and sit there. No more adventures or fighting what is to come..."

"Meeko-san!! Are you ok?!" Puck franticlly asked as she landed on the maiden's shoulder. Meeko made no utterance, not a single sound, as her hands remained around her throat.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MEEKO?!" Okiru bellowed as he jumped in front of the girls, "ANSWER ME!!"

"Answering you would be a waste of me breath." The cloaked man replied sourly, "Your voice is irritating, curd! Quiet your mouth...know where the minor characters should stand..."

"MINOR CHARACTER?!" (Once again, no respect of the fourth wall), "I'LL SHOW YOU MINOR CHARACTER!!"

The young shaman thrust his hands forward at Rinkar and a torrent of lighting ripped from the boy. Arching and flying through the air at it's target, the lighting wave was bound to fry the cloaked man alive...but the man stay firmed atop the gravestone.

BOOM!!

The wave hit, and the surrounding rock and dust flung into the air. A thick cloud shaped around the blast site, disrupting the view for a second...then the figure of a man's shadow formed. Okiru recoiled in shock. That was my best shot, the shaman thought silently then cursed the cloaked man's tenacity, Damn it!! He's strong!!

"Okiru-otouto...you still have some way to go..." A voice proclaimed from the dust cloud, full of hostility and aversion. But it was not Rinkar's, "Why that old, decrepit pick you over me...he truly a fool!"

"Iago...!" The cloud dissipated and it was indeed the shaman trainee, Iago. Okiru gasped at the sight of the young man, "Why are you here...?!"

"I am protecting my master like any good student would!" Iago's smirk matched Rinkar's, who still stood on the tombstone behind the older shaman.

"OUR MASTER IS THE OLD MAN!!" The young shaman continued to scream.

"No...Okiru-otouto. Your master is Sahasrahla...he's not mine."

The simple revelation struck the boy at his very core. His eyes widen and his mouth dropped. Okiru was now against Iago...