Exacting Truths
The forest was not quiet. Between the crunching leaves under his feet, the birds chirping above him, and the unknown moving about him, silence had become a foreign concept. Still he pressed on, continuing his trek. At least he was on his own and left to his thoughts for once.
It wasn't that he disliked the company of Link and Marickiya, it had simply been awhile since he had some time to himself. It was a bit refreshing he had to admit, even with the noise of the forest bearing down on him.
Vaati was on a walk through the trees that skirted the entrance to the Kokiri village. He had been warned by Link that if he was to wander, outside the village was the best place to go. He said that there was another area called the Lost Woods and that it was easy to get lost there. Then he rambled on about going in there once and accidentally discovering an entirely different land but that it was a story for another time. Vaati, though intrigued by Link's partially told tale, decided it was indeed best to remain close to the village. He left Link and an unconscious Marickiya inside one of the Kokiri's houses while he went off on his own.
If he was honest with himself, he was a bit nervous. He did not suspect, even slightly, that Marickiya possessed any magic within her. He could always sense the magical signature that came from someone with those kinds abilities. Never, not once, did he sense anything like that from her. Yet her power was great, awesome...
And destructive.
That particular trait was what had put him on edge. She had nearly effortlessly demolished a rather large portion of eastern Hyrule field. How could she have hid this much power from him since they first met? Was it possible he was afraid of her now? No, that was not the case.
He feared the possibility of her becoming his enemy.
He shook himself of the thought. That wasn't possible. Her soul was pure, untainted by the jealousy and hatred of those she grew up with. If there was one thing he was certain of, it was her goodness.
On the same coin, though, there had to be a reason for this sudden outburst. Recounting the events of their brush with Ganondorf, he started connecting some details. For starters, he didn't detect any dark magic. What he did feel from her at the time of the attack was rage, sadness. He guessed that her emotional state was what caused her to explode like she did. That brand of magic was something he was familiar with. So, he had an idea of why it happened, now he needed a 'how'.
As if to answer his quandary, a thought struck him suddenly and he nearly stumbled. She never displayed any kind of magical power before this moment. It wasn't until immediately after receiving the Triforce piece did she suddenly have this ability. She could be utilizing the power of the Triforce! He wanted to laugh at himself for not thinking of that sooner. He breathed a sigh of relief. Then caught himself.
Why was he feeling this way? Alleviated and... happy? He was joyed at the thought of Marickiya not being his second target. Well, why wouldn't he be happy at that? Wasn't she his friend?
He slowed his pace, eventually coming to a stop beside a young sapling. He placed a hand on the bark and traced its intricate designs with his finger, distracted. There was another feeling, sitting quietly in the back of his mind. It had been there a while, waiting patiently for the time to come forward. All other emotion cleared away, presenting for it the opportunity to emerge.
In the quiet, it stood resolute, unnamed. He didn't know what it was. But it was. It felt good. It was desire, anxiety, bliss, belonging... All wrapped up in a convenient package. Oh.
"Stop." He said out loud. His emotions became overtaken by anger. He allowed it, if only to shut out all other sensations that were previously running rampant. How abhorrent! How could it have gotten this far without him realizing? He was mentally kicking himself.
He refused to acknowledge it. That there was anything more than camaraderie between himself and her. It could not happen. It wouldn't.
He breathed out through his nose to calm his erratic mind. There was no longer any need to press the matter. It was done with. Unnecessary... Many moments passed as he composed himself and cycled through his earlier musings to avoid dwelling on how he was feeling. Clearing his consciousness of anything besides his purpose for visiting this era, it was slowly becoming a possibility that Marickiya could be a threat. And no matter what he did, however angry he got, this possibility pained him.
He really needed to speak with the girl, to be sure. He wanted, almost desperately, for her to erase any of his doubts like only she could. As urgently as he needed this confirmation, he respected Link's request to talk to her first. After what they heard from Ganondorf, he couldn't imagine what the Hylian must be feeling just then...
0000
Marickiya opened her eyes. She was looking up at a ceiling she didn't recognize as she took into account what had happened. Besides a little beaten and bruised, she actually felt rather rejuvenated. The best she'd felt all day, in fact. Physically, anyway.
Memories were flooding into her mind, starting with what happened several days prior. She had been ambushed by Lana and buried in the Kakariko cemetery. That had been quite an ordeal. She could remember clearly the suffocation she felt, the pain, the terror, when she was buried feet beneath the earth. She wouldn't be able to fall asleep willingly in the dark for a while to come.
She could also remember what Vaati had done. There was a burning sensation in the pit of her stomach as she realized he had seen her past. He knew everything. She was completely bare to him now. That thought frightened her like nothing else. What would he think of her? She didn't want to get up from where she was. She didn't want to face anyone, unsure if she even could.
She noticed another with her in the room and decided it probably wasn't the best idea to continue lying there. She sat up and looked around. Then she spotted Link sitting on a stump by the opening that counted as a door, hunched forward, his mouth hidden by his hands. He didn't look happy. The burning she felt before turned into a sinking feeling as the rest of her memory caught up to the moment. A stunned feeling cascaded through her body, then she swallowed hard.
"Link-" she tried to begin. He held up one of his hands to silence her. She dared not move.
"No." He said forcefully. He kept the other hand hiding his mouth, making it difficult to gauge the anger she knew he must be feeling. "I will start."
They were quiet. Mari felt paralyzed. When he didn't say anything else for a few minutes, she slowly edged herself into a sitting position at the edge of the tiny bed she'd been laid out on. It was dark in the small hut even though there was daylight coming from outside the open doorway.
"Did you know?" She knew this question would come first.
"Yes," she quietly said without hesitation. The disappointed breath he let out through his nose hurt her deeply.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked.
"You know why," she said with even less of a voice, "For the same reason that you're angry right now." He finally moved his hands and placed them on his knees. He appeared as if his were steadying himself, his knuckles as white as the tights he was gripping. The frown he revealed made her heart plummet faster.
"You're right. I am angry." He growled. She held in a breath and her chest was tight. She knew this was inevitable from the moment the Deku Tree Sprout told her about her past. "I am so sick of people keeping things from me to protect me." He said viciously. That... wasn't what she expected him to say, though it was still a painful thing to hear.
"Tell me everything. Now. And you will not leave anything out." Marickiya let out a shaky breath and tried to hold back the tears she could feel knocking on the doors of her eyes.
"When we came here that one night with the Princess, I-" she swallowed again to compose herself. She wanted to get it all out right then. "The Deku Sprout called me to him in the night. He said he could answer any questions I might have. I asked if he knew who my parents were and he told me..." she trailed off. Her breath was catching again as she relived the visions the Sprout had shown her.
"What?" Link asked. She smiled sadly.
"He told me that you and I share a mother." The tears came down in waves. She couldn't stop them. "He showed me. She was so beautiful." At this point, her voice took on an edge. She was angry. "I also saw what happened to her, how I came to be. Ganondorf sought her for a prophecy that was made about her, about you," Her face fell into her hands. Sobs came through as she spoke her next words. "I really had no idea how to tell you, you who had not known your parents, that your mother was ripped from her happy life to be desecrated so terribly. He took her away from you and your father and when he was done, when I was born, he just threw her away." She took deep steadying breaths before she could say her next words. "They tried to flee Hyrule, to get help. But they were attacked and your father was killed, only allowing her to escape with you." That was all she managed to get out before she hugged herself tightly, a hand clasped over her mouth in an attempt to fight back the sobs that were easily escaping.
She heard him get up from his seat. She looked up to see him standing before her. For a moment fear coursed through her, not knowing what he was planning on doing.
Then he pulled her to her feet and embraced her in his strong arms. She was choking back her surprise. But then was overcome by the gesture he was showing. She buried her face in his chest and cried.
Everything that weighed so heavily on her was suddenly, indiscriminately lifting. It was like Link wasn't just holding her while she wept, but also tearing down all the worries that had plagued her for so long. She let it all go.
"I'm so sorry," she cried, muffled by his tunic.
"Marickiya, I do not blame you for anything." This statement almost had her melting again.
"But- but I killed her. I thought-"
"That is not true." He pulled away to look her in the eyes to show his sincerity. "No matter what he did, no matter how you got here, none of it was your fault." He smiled sweetly. "You are my family."
"You don't hate me?" she asked. His smile widened.
"I don't hate you." And he finally got her to smile back. "Just don't hide things from me." She fell once more into his arms and he felt her nod fervently.
0000
They hadn't brought that much with them so it wasn't long before they were saying their goodbyes to Mido and Saria and heading out of the forest. Vaati had returned to the group as he saw the others looking ready to head out at the forest entrance. He mentally took note of the lift in tension between the other two. Perhaps they had sorted out their little affair. He was eager to begin questioning Marickiya and had opened his mouth in order to do just that.
"I want to go see the Sages."
She cut across him. He wasn't sure she even noticed he was about to speak. As much as it annoyed him, he also found it somewhat amusing. It was like she hadn't been missing in action for the last few days, she just settled back into her role in the group. He caught himself becoming a little too delighted at her quick recovery. Adopting a passive face, he looked to Link who was responding to Marickiya.
"A-alright," he absently straightened his hat, caught off-guard by her sudden request, "Impa did say she would get back to us. Let's go meet them at the ranch."
Link was helping Marickiya onto the back of Epona again when he noticed Vaati standing on the ground looking up at the two of them expectantly.
"Would you like to meet us up ahead?" he asked. Vaati shook his head.
"I would prefer to walk. I have a matter to discuss with Marickiya." Link's eyes widened a bit. He had forgotten about Vaati's request to speak with Marickiya as well. He looked back at her and she shrugged.
"Okay," she said, hopping down from the horse. Now that travel arrangements were established, the three were on their way.
Considering all they had accomplished, it was still only about mid morning when they exited the boundary of trees and into the field. They stopped for a moment and Marickiya gaped when she got a good look at the crater she'd created.
"I did this." She whispered, awestruck.
"Do you remember when it happened." Vaati asked of her. She only nodded, still drinking in the scene. It made her a little sad that she had messed up the field so bad. Still, she could not get over the fact that this enormous display of magic came from her.
"I will assume that you have never been able to do anything like that before." She tore her eyes away from the field and locked onto Vaati.
"That's right." She stated. Why was he questioning her about all this? It was a fairly fascinating new development, she admitted. But the tone of voice he was using to discuss it wasn't that of curiosity. He was serious, critical. When Vaati first declared wanting to speak with her, she was sure it was about her past. She was beginning to realize that something else was on the mage's mind. "Is there something wrong with me?"
Vaati hesitated and that worried her. Something was wrong.
"It is not that." He finally said, halting her in her frantic thoughts. He started walking to skirt around the giant hole and she and Link, who sat upon Epona's back still, followed suit. "The way you used magic, without incantations or markings, is much like the way I utilize mine.
"This type of magic is one of the most dangerous." She was listening raptly. "It is very easy to over do it, and can result in injury or death."
She imagined the color draining from her face. What he was saying was that she could have died earlier if she had accidentally used too much of the power she had discovered. As she was thinking about this sobering fact, something else was triggered in the back of her memory.
"Have..." she began and Vaati looked over to her. "Have you had experience with this?" She felt completely wrong asking him this question. It wasn't her business to ask. Still, she was overly curious about if she was correct in her guess.
He knew why she was asking. She had seen it. He didn't want to reveal this secret he tried so hard to keep under wraps, and he felt selfish for it. He knew practically everything about her. Before he could change his mind, he convinced himself that it would be a good testament to what he was trying to teach her.
He looked away from her, not wanting to see her reaction. Without fail, he always received sickeningly pitying looks and he couldn't handle seeing one from her. He would not allow his hand to falter as he brought it towards his face and moved the hair that covered his right eye.
Marickiya was quiet as he did this, watching passively. Before, on the first night that Vaati had stayed in their house, she only caught a glimpse of what she now guessed was the result of misuse of his magic. She noted that his jaw was clenched and his expression stony. He didn't want to show her. It was too late to protest, though.
It wasn't a pretty sight, but she held her gaze. Her eyes were watering just looking at it. The skin appeared as if it had been seared off. A milky whiteness enveloped his right eye, leaving it blank and hollow, the opposite of the life his left eye held. It was quite a scar.
"You're blind in that eye," she breathed. At that point she was more impressed than anything. He was a very seasoned swordsman for being blind on one side. Vaati let his hair fall back over the wound, still looking distant. Marickiya looked up at Link, noticing he was paying close attention to their conversation. His own face showed that of marvel and admiration, he was just as impressed as she was. She smiled to herself.
"You're pretty amazing. I had no idea you were blind in one eye. You carry yourself like you're not." She sucked in a breath, wondering if he would accept her compliment, hoping he wouldn't take it wrong.
"I have learned to live with what I am given." He said. She let out her breath quietly and couldn't help but smile again.
"So what do you do to keep things like that from happening?" She was trying to revert to the original subject. He visibly perked up and followed her lead.
"You need an object to channel your magic through." He said simply. Marickiya thought she knew what he might be talking about.
"You mean like you're earring?"
She gave him that same cheeky look she had when it was first brought up. He turned to her with the intent on retaliating to her curt statement. He wanted to, but he stopped. She was looking ahead, maybe she wasn't expecting him to say anything. Whatever he was going to say died on his tongue. He was staring at Marickiya's ear that was exposed by the breeze. There was something there he never noticed before and it made him feel foolish. It was a split in her lobe where an earring might have once been...
She did have earrings at one point, and they had been ripped out. He set his mouth to a thin line. He wouldn't be giving in to her jabs this time.
"Yes," he swallowed hard, pushing down the anger that was growing within him. Was this... pity? He wouldn't have the pity of others, but it was right for him to pity them? How revolting.
He was angry. At himself for his unruly emotions, and at those who relished in the torture of the innocent. How could they beat and belittle someone for having different parentage? It was unbelievably evil. This, coming from someone who once tried to overtake a kingdom by turning its people to stone. He shook his head. He needed to rid himself of these thoughts.
Marickiya spared a glance in Vaati's direction. Her stomach dropped when she noticed the anger that was flashing over his face. She knew she had made her comment in a rather crass manner, but she hadn't meant to anger him. She didn't know what to say. Vaati spoke before she could find her words.
"There are, of course, other means," he said. Marickiya gave him her full attention and nearly stumbled. The anger she saw a few seconds ago had vanished. He was completely and convincingly passive. She blinked several times. "Like you mentioned before, there are also wands and staves. Or, like mine, you could use something that houses stones. A ring, for instance." He wanted to give her another option to detract from the delicate subject.
"A ring sounds nice," she mumbled more to herself. She perked up a little. "Will you help me find and make one?" She asked him. His lip twitched before he gave in to the grin.
"That was my intention." He said, and she was looking rather delighted. "For now, you should try to refrain from using magic until you have a way to control it."
Their conversation after that was more lighthearted and centered on the creation of her ring. She was very curious about how her magic was going to work. It made her excited to soon be able to do the amazing things that Vaati and Link could do. Her questions carried on all the way to the entrance to Lon Lon, where they all halted.
The ranch town was quieter than they'd ever seen it. Very few people roamed the streets which was a stark contrast to the weeks they spent in the small thriving town in the past. The three of them found it all rather odd.
"I wonder where everyone is," Marickiya mumbled. Link shrugged, intent on getting to the main house of the ranch town.
"They might all be inside. Just taking a day off or something," he said as he started off down the main road. Marickiya agreed and set off after him. Vaati didn't find it necessary to point out, since he could see into the houses that they walked past with his magic, that they were actually all empty. It didn't seem important to him, just strange.
Though there weren't many stalls open with such a lack of people, they did manage to locate an open jewelry vendor. Marickiya was immediately drawn in.
She gave the display of shining and polished objects a sweeping glance. She didn't want something too extravagant, just small and simple, yet subtly pretty. Her eyes locked onto a copper stone set flush against a silver band. Perfect.
"How about this one?" She asked of Vaati quietly. He examined it briefly, then nodded his approval. She smiled happily.
"How much for this?" She quickly asked the vendor, who looked all too happy to have a customer on a day like this.
"Twenty rupees, ma'am," he responded, whistling through a few missing teeth. While Marickiya fidgeted around in her coin pouch, Vaati was already laying down a single red rupee of his own. She froze, looking between him and the money. He had caught her off guard.
"Thank you kindly, sir." The man whistled again as Vaati turned away, leaving Marickiya to continue gawking uncharacteristically. She always had a quip for every occasion, but she was left speechless and blushing madly. It took her a second to realize Link and Vaati were leaving her behind. She trotted quickly after them to catch up.
She was trying hard to hide it, but Vaati could see through it. As much as he berated himself for even thinking he might have had feelings for this girl, it pleased him to see her so flustered at the implications of him buying her a ring. It was minor payback for her disdain she had for his earring.
Beside his small victory, he was a bit impressed with her selection. From his training with his former master, he knew a lot about what channeling stones worked best. The particular one she had chosen was one of the best out of all the choices that had been presented. Coincidentally, it was the same type of stone that was in his earring. Maybe she had seen it and picked one of a similar color. Or perhaps she merely chosen her ring because she thought it was pretty. He almost laughed out loud when he realized that that was most likely the reason.
Without the crowds to hinder them, they made it to the main house in record time. Link looked a little excited when they were at the door step. He gave an enthusiastic knock. Within seconds the door was opening, revealing Aine standing behind it. He gave them a welcoming smile.
"Hey guys. Haven't seen you in a while. How's it going?" Marickiya flashed him a smile to distract him from Link's crestfallen look.
"It's going and never stops, it seems." She responded, giving Link a small nudge. He stepped inside the house with her and Vaati just behind him. When the door closed Link asked the question she guessed was coming.
"Is Malon not here?" He tried to make it sound casual, but Marickiya had her fingers hiding a knowing grin. No one else noticed her reaction and carried on.
"No, she had to take a trip to the market to clean out the stalls there." Aine explained. Link looked a bit worried.
"Did something happen?" He asked. Aine shook his head.
"She just said all her business was here and she didn't need the market shop anymore." Link 'ah'ed in understanding, though his almost disappointed expression stuck with him. "Were you here to visit her?"
"Oh, no. We came to speak to Impa." Link said, his eyes wandering expectantly to the upstairs door which led to Malon's room, as it was the room where the Sage's usually congregated.
"None of the Sages are here right now." Link's gaze was back on Aine in a second. "Ruto and Darunia are with their people. They're still rebuilding from Ganondorf's first attack on them." The Sheikah boy began explaining. "Nabooru is investigating the Fortress. There have been some weird rumors of some radicals overtaking the leaders and imprisoning them." Marickiya dropped her giddy demeanor and was looking serious.
"Radicals?" She said. Aine nodded.
"They are showing outward allegiance to their 'King' by establishing dominance over the other Gerudo." He said. Marickiya was looking distressed so Link redirected the focus of their visit.
"Where is Impa?" Link asked. Aine turned to him. He didn't look like he would answer at first. Link resisted raising an eyebrow.
"I am unsure of her whereabouts." He finally said. Link noted his hesitation, but elected to ignore it for the time being. There was a pause while Aine fidgeted a bit. Link turned to Marickiya.
"So, what did you need to tell Impa?" He asked of her. Her eyes lit up a bit, she was excited to explain.
"I almost finished translating that book I found." She began and she pulled it from the satchel she had packed before they had left for the forest that morning. "I wanted to ask the Sages about something interesting I was reading about."
"What is it?" Vaati piped up. She was flipping through her notes, looking for the page that held the information she needed.
"I think it's going to help us." She scanned the page she stopped at, taking in its knowledge. The handwriting was a bit messy from the excitement she felt when she found this particular tidbit. "If I read it correctly, I think I found something that can be used to help us defeat Ganondorf."
There were a lot of raised eyebrows at her statement. The silence distracted her from her book and she looked up at her companions.
"Care to expound on that?" Vaati offered. She blinked and then nodded, going back to her notes.
"Remember what we found out when I started this translation project? How Ganondorf is the 'Dark One' who's been banished by the gods?" Link nodded when she looked up at them. Vaati remained quiet, waiting for her to say more.
"Okay, so, the gods knew the allure of the power of the Triforce would bring seekers. There's a legend that says the gods made the Triforce so that when someone, who did not have power, wisdom, and courage balanced in their heart the-"
"It would separate into three parts." Link recited. "'Power, Wisdom and Courage. Only one part will remain for the one who touched the Triforce; the part representing the force that one most believes in.'"
"That's correct," Aine confirmed with a nod. "At least according to the legend passed down by my people."
"Oh," Marickiya faltered a little. She flipped through some pages and notes she had made in her book. "How much of this legend do you know?" She asked, not taking her eyes from the book. Link looked to Aine who then gave a small shake of his head.
"That's about it, I suppose." He stated. Marickiya took a second to find what she needed, then excitedly pointed at her notes even though she was the only one who could see what was written in them.
"Alright, then." She gathered her thoughts, trying to summarize what she was reading. "So, the gods knew that with the creation of the powerful Triforce would bring people to search for it. Even Ganondorf would look for it and possibly regain his immorality. So they made a sort of back up plan." She paused to read a few lines before continuing. "They created a vessel that would be able to house Ganon's sealed power when the Triforce is split.
"It is called the Phoenix."
"Hold on one second," Link interrupted, but Marickiya didn't seem to mind. "The Triforce is split right now, between the two of us and Ganondorf. So, you're saying that the sealed power is already with the vessel, right?" She nodded in excitement, happy that they were on the same page.
"Right." Eyes back on her book, she went on. "That's not all. The vessel can also be used to extract even more of Ganondorf's power, turning him completely mortal and thus, easier to defeat." Everyone had shocked expressions again.
"Are you serious?" Link asked. She smiled widely. "This is awesome! Do you know where it is?" At his question, her smile faded and she looked a little sheepish.
"I, uh," she wavered again, "I haven't completely finished translating that part yet. I'm almost done, though!" she said quickly as Link's enthusiasm was visibly receding. "I could probably finish it right now, if you guys want to wait."
"Well," Link folded his arms over his chest, "We were already waiting for Impa to get back anyway. This would be a good way to kill some time."
All in agreement, Aine led the other three to the upstairs room. Marickiya sat down at the table without another word and immediately set to work scratching away with her quill. The words came to her easily now, since she'd already translated nearly half of the book thus far. She hardly looked over at the reference page.
For the next hour, Marickiys was buried into her work and Link and Aine spoke animatedly but softly, so as not to disturb her. They mostly talked about fighting styles and the types of weaponry each used. Vaati was lost in his own inner musings, oblivious to the conversation happening across from him. If he didn't have something nagging at him, he might have enjoyed listening in. A little while later, Marickiya's voice roused him. She had set down her quill, lifting the last sheet she had written upon, and 'Oh'ed quietly.
"It's a person." Link and Aine looked up simultaneously.
"A person?" Link asked blankly. She reread her page again and nodded. Link hummed. "That's going to make them hard to find."
"Not to mention, convincing them to help us. What if they turn out to be a child?" Aine added. Link's face fell again.
"This got a little more complicated." He mumbled. Then he brightened up suddenly. "What if it's the Princess?" He turned excitedly back to Marickiya. "How do you tell who it is?"
Marickiya wasn't entirely attentive to what Link was saying. She had seen Vaati, his arms crossed and stern look on his face.
"Vaati?" she asked of the stoic mage. He took a moment to meet her questioning gaze. "Is something wrong?"
"I am bothered by something." He muttered and then paused again as he put his thoughts to words. "Marickiya," he addressed her abruptly, "When did you first read about this?"
"The... the same time I realized the princess had the Triforce piece." She felt a flutter in her stomach when Vaati grimaced at her statement.
"That is what I feared." It was a simple statement, but it had her feeling incredibly uneasy.
"Wh-what is it?" She asked.
"Ganondorf somehow knew about the baby even though her existence was supposed to be secret. Only the three of us, the Sages, and the Kokiri knew of her." He delegated.
"Lana had been stalking us for awhile. Maybe we weren't careful when discussing it?" She offered. Vaati looked somber as he unfolded his arms and leaned his elbows on the table. He hid his mouth behind his hands.
"I do think this involves Lana, but I do not believe she discovered this secret by normal means."
"What do you mean?" That uneasy feeling was getting stronger. She was beginning to see what he was getting at.
"She changed her appearance to look like someone from your past, Marickiya. Something you have not spoken of to anyone." He watched Marickiya's face pale significantly.
"She could have gotten the info from a Gerudo-"
"She could have, yes. But I do not think she did." They became quiet after that. The she sighed and gave a halfhearted shrug.
"Well, it's not like it matters anyway. We don't even know who this 'Phoenix' is." She was grasping desperately at any hope she could find that wasn't what Vaati was suggesting. He shook his head.
"Yes, but if we begin searching for them, he will as well." Link was somber at this revelation. There was another lapse of silence.
"I think," Link began slowly, "That we do need to find the Phoenix. If he does know, Ganondorf will have already started looking." He clenched his fist and then faced Marickiya fully. "Does the book say anything about how to find them?"
"I haven't come across anything yet, but I'll let you know." Her nose was hastily back in her book. The others remained silent now that they had something to reflect on.
It wasn't that much longer when the sun was threatening to set. None of the Sages had made an appearance. Aine had gotten up to stretch his limbs. Then, Marickiya had set down her quill again looking quite agitated and groaned.
"There's nothing in here about where to find this Phoenix." She had her recent scribbles strewn out over the whole tables surface. "There's more in here but I can't match any of it with my translation notes. The words look similar but they're not the same as what I've been reading."
"Don't worry about it. You've done a great job so far," Link tried to encourage her. She was barely listening though, still pouring over the papers. "What do you think?" He inquired of Vaati.
"Ganondorf does have a fairly distinctive magical signature." He said. "I suspect if I was close enough, I could sense the sealed power within someone." Link nodded, though he didn't fully understand the workings of his kind of sorcery.
"That's a start, at least. It might take a while and some traveling..." he trailed.
"That might take too long." Vaati said frankly. Although he didn't want to admit it, Link agreed with him.
"We don't have many other options," he responded, scratching at his chin. He was thinking over some other ideas he thought not likely to work, playing out different scenarios in his head.
"'Join me at the Deity of Souls and you shall find the answers you seek.'"
All three heads swerved towards Aine who had walked around the table and was now peering over Marickiya's shoulder at her book. They all gave him blank stares. He pointed to a scrawled note under a picture in the open book. "That's what it says here." Marickiya raised her eyebrows.
"You can read this?" He looked nearly confused.
"Yeah. It's modernized from the Sheikah language." He explained but Marickiya was already shaking her head.
"No, I mean, can you see this?" She picked up the book and gestured at the page he had previously pointed to. He had a bewildered look.
"Well, yes." He replied. Marickiya looked crosswise at Vaati and held out the tome for him to see. He regarded it fleetingly and confirmed what she was mutely asking. He still could not see any of its contents. "Link?" He too peered at the pages and gave her small shake of his head.
"No one else has been able to see what's in this book." She revealed. Aine had a dawning expression.
"As a Sheikah, I am trained to 'see what isn't seen'." He said matter-of-factly. "It appears to be an old Sheikah text. It was likely written so that only those who see the 'truth' can read it."
"That's so cool!" Marickiya exclaimed elatedly. "Have you heard of the 'Deity of Souls'?" She asked of the group at large but Aine was the one to speak up again.
"I've never know it as the 'Deity of Souls', but there's a picture of a statue next to the message that I recognize." He pointed to the picture above the message he read out before. "I've known it as the 'Great Fairy of spirit'. But 'Deity of Souls', I'm assuming, means about the same thing." He was very pleased when Marickiya appeared quite thrilled by his revelation.
"Do you know where it is?" she asked. He smiled and answered enthusiastically.
"Yeah, it's inside the temple that the Sheikah tend to. The Shadow Temple."
During this exchange, Link happened to notice the sour countenance Vaati had adopted. His arms were crossed again, though this time not in thought. The man eyed the friendly young Sheikah with a coldness that Link was all too familiar with. He bit back a laugh and decided to add to the discussion.
"What does the statue look like?" He asked. Marickiya, distracted from her marvel at Aine's ability to read her book, tried explaining the statue they were looking at. When she failed at that, she pulled a blank piece of parchment from her bag.
"Hold on, one second." She began sketching on her blank page, using the Sheikah text as her reference. After a few minutes she handed him her drawing of a regal looking sculpture. It was of a tall looking woman with intricate wings and a simple dress, cradling a flower.
"I once defeated an escaped shadow beast at the heart of the temple. I never saw anything like this down there." Link said and then handed back the drawing. Marickiya took it back looking a little disheartened.
"You might not have seen the entirety of the temple. There are many secret and lost passages. There's a hidden doorway at the very beginning that leads to the chamber with this statue." Aine asserted, clearly trying to cheer her up. It had worked, much to Vaati's annoyance.
"So, it's definitely in the temple," she said, mostly to herself. She lapsed into silence while staring at her drawing, lost in thought. Link let out a long breath and stood up.
"I'm ready to head home," he glanced out of the upstairs window. It was still only about mid afternoon, but he wasn't willing to wait for the Sages any longer, especially if night was going to be falling soon.
"Alright," Marickiya agreed, gathering up their notes and packing them away in her bag. The last thing she picked up was her picture. Aine cleared his throat lightly and sidled up next to her.
"I hope I am not too bold to ask," he spoke quietly so that she had to lean toward him to hear, "Would it be alright if I could keep that?"
"Hmm?" She gazed at him confusedly, then back to the paper he was gesturing at. "Oh! Yes, that's fine," and she handed it to him. He gave her a joyful smile which she returned genially.
"Thank you." As his hand touched the sheaf, he felt a sudden burning on the back of his neck. He glanced sideways and spotted the pale man giving him quite a dirty look. He averted his gaze and swallowed, keen on putting a little distance between himself and Marickiya.
All packed and ready to move out, they were saying their thanks and goodbyes to Aine. Marickiya gave him a friendly wave and was making her way out of the door. Vaati was just behind her and had a hand at her back, hurrying her out of the room. Quite entertained by this new development, Link saluted the younger boy on his way after them. Once outside, Marickiya was chattering incessantly.
"This is so exciting! I wonder who it is was wrote that note. Maybe they are the Phoenix and they want us to meet with them!" She was practically bouncing up and down. Link took her fervor as an opportunity to pester Vaati. He patted the man's arm lightly.
"Way to be obvious," he muttered. Vaati looked like he had been jostled from a trance when he said this.
"Obvious?" He asked, nonplussed. "About what?" Link wanted to smack himself in the forehead, but he just chuckled.
"Nothing," he said dismissively. Marickiya noticed them lagging behind and stopped.
"What's the hold up? We need to get to the Temple." She tried getting them to walk faster.
"Right now?" Link groused. Marickiya stopped and faced him.
"Well, why not? This is the first lead we've had in months. I don't want to sit around any longer than we have to." She was very adamant in her stance. Link sighed.
"I suppose we could take a look. I've already been in there once and got rid of most of the monsters inside." Before he could finish his thought, Marickiya was already beaming and turning back to where they'd left Epona.
"Great! Let's get a move on, then." They had to pick up their pace to keep up with her hurried steps. She really was eager to find out about this Phoenix that would help them defeat Ganondorf. Perhaps, Link was thinking, she was feeling more beneficial to the team since she'd discovered it.
"I will not be joining you." This stopped the both of them. They both turned to Vaati, Marickiya looking more upset than Link about his declaration.
"Why not?" She asked, much like a child would when denied a treat.
"I have been there once, and I do not think I would be of much use to you." He looked away from her pleading face. "I shall be at the house when you are done." With nothing else to say, he was already calling forth wind and shadow to whisk him away. Another second and the two remaining of the trio were staring into the nothingness Vaati had left in his stead. Marickiya looked a little worried.
"What's up with him?" She asked with concern. Link was beside himself with how the two of them were acting. He managed to remain poised.
"Don't worry about it." He walked ahead of her, motioning for her to follow. Epona had spotted them and was ready to get going herself when they arrived at her stall. "Ready?" He asked.
"Ready." She said with a determined nod.
0000
She was so nice. Even after only seeing her a few times, he couldn't help but like her. He was very much used to be being picked on by girls his age for his small stature. Though, because he was smaller than most, he'd excelled in his Sheikah training. That was why he was chosen to be the princess's caretaker and not them. He kept that thought with him whenever he felt down.
Marickiya had never made fun of him. She smiled a lot and valued his input whenever he had something to say.
He was laying down on his bed, holding up the portrait he'd asked to keep from Marickiya. It was a really good drawing, in his opinion. He'd been to see the statue in person a few times and had always liked it. The likeness was equivalent. He wondered if this was her hobby. He truly could not keep his mind off of her.
"What is that?" The sudden entrance of a voice into his mind's wandering had startled him quite badly. He sat up and turned swiftly to the owner of the voice, Impa.
"Auntie Impa!" He stood and gave her a courteous bow. She eyed him for a moment before continuing her questioning.
"Did you draw that?" She asked. Aine didn't have to look to know what she was referring to. He shook his head, feeling nervous under her hawk like gaze. "Who drew it?
"Marickiya. She's the girl Link is always with." He admitted quickly. Her eyes narrowed and he felt that nervousness again.
"Where has she seen this?" This question was a little more demanding that the first few. She was beginning to frighten him.
"I-in a book." He quailed under her as her eyes narrowed.
"What book?" She said low and slowly. He gulped.
"I don't know." He squeaked. She backed away but kept her austere disposition.
"Aine," she kept her low, steady tone, "Are they going to that chamber?"
"They might. They didn't say." Impa closed her eyes and put the tips of her fingers together. He recognized that stance. She was trying to contact them. He waited for her to open her eyes again.
"They are not home." This time there was a hint of worry in her voice. "Aine," she rounded on him again, "You know those chambers are forbidden to those without a Sheikah guide."
That's what she was troubled about. He had completely forgotten this rule of the Temple. He didn't know why it was forbidden, he had always been inside with no problems and thought nothing of it.
"I am sorry, Auntie Impa. I forgot." He flinched when she raised her voice again.
"Being sorry will not help. They are in great danger." She quieted her voice but not her fierceness. "You cannot make mistakes like this when caring for the Princess. However small it may seem, one misstep could mean the difference between life and death." The statement took a moment to set in. His stomach did a few flips.
"Get to the stalls. You're going to need a horse."
0000
The sun was finally starting to set on what had been one of the longest days. Vaati had to admit, the view of the sun from the roof of their house was magnificent. It was very relaxing.
Just a few moments prior, he had seen Link and Marickiya walk through the town towards the graveyard. They had not noticed him as they passed and he did not hail them. He did not feel like having Marickiya try and talk him in to joining them. The idea of entering that place that blinded all of his senses and filled him with the hatred and malice of wandering spirits was not one he liked to entertain. Still, he could not say he wasn't interested in this 'Phoenix' she had uncovered. Where she was overly ecstatic about it, he was wary.
When he was sent to this place, he was bidden to rid the land of two great threats. He was working with his two companions towards taking down his first target, Ganondorf. The second objective had always been a hazy one. Nothing else seemed to truly jump out as catastrophic. He wouldn't be able to completely ignore Marickiya's new found magic, but he could not sense any dark power from her. That made him pursue other options. Such as the Phoenix.
Supposedly, this person was able to absorb Ganondorf's godlike power and render him mortal. That was fine and all, but his query rested with what happens to that person once they get that kind of power. Would they be able to utilize it? If so, who's to say they wouldn't try and terrorize Hyrule just as the King of Evil himself had done? If they were actually able to find and convince them to help in the fight against Ganon, he would be keeping an eye on them.
Darkness was on the brink of covering everything in the growing Kakariko Village. Some of its inhabitants were turning in for the night while others were putting up lights to stay up and continue running their businesses for those still out and about. Ever since Lana's few attacks, Vaati began keeping an eye on the entrance for newcomers. It was just about then that a rider caught his attention upon their arrival. It didn't take him long to figure out who it was. As no one was around to see, he rolled his eyes up to the sky in annoyance. That newcomer was rushing towards the house. Just as he topped the last step, Vaati jumped down to meet him.
"Oh!" Aine said in mild alarm as the mage appeared suddenly right in front of him. "Hello," the boy was out of breath but was attempting to mask it. Vaati did not offer him a word of greeting so he continued. "Is Marickiya here?"
"No." Vaati said tonelessly. He was satisfied with the Sheikah's uncomfortable squirm. He struggled with his next few words.
"Do you... uhh... know where I could find her?" He fidgeted a lot and couldn't keep eye contact with him. This only served to irritate the mage further. He clucked his tongue.
"They went off to that temple that you told them about." Vaati finally conceded.
"Oh!" The boy said again. "Well. Thank you." Then he was making his way back down the stairs.
Vaati watched him descend and then follow the path Marickiya and Link had taken toward the graveyard. He humphed to himself.
Marickiya had informed him that this youth was going to become the sole guardian to the new heir to the Hylian throne. This fidgety, blundering, boy would be the one responsible for the upbringing of the princess. He did not think he could agree with whomever had made that call. He shook his head and took his place back up on the roof.
He laid his head back on his hands and watched as the last of the days' sunlight dipped into nonexistence, beginning the night. He was trying to reorganize his scattered thoughts after that bothersome intrusion. Try as he might though, he could not get his mind back on track. He kept thinking about Link, Marickiya, and Aine.
He definitely sensed an air of urgency about the boy when he came to find Marickiya. Perhaps he felt he'd put her in danger by sending her on this mission. Vaati felt confident in Link's abilities and wasn't worried if they were together.
He could not quiet his heart. He couldn't even remember what he had been contemplating before that boy's appearance. All he could wonder about was what had gotten Aine so riled that he would come to Kakariko immediately. His feet were tapping tempestuously.
He groaned loudly as he sat up, hopped down onto the grass, and followed in the tracks of his comrades and Aine.
0000
The Shadow Temple felt a lot darker than he was used to. As soon as he had entered the foyer lit by many torches, he felt the same confinement he had come to expect from the Sheikah's Temple, but it was a little different. Compared to the outside, it felt like the transition from a sunny day to the utter blackness a windowless room would yield, too quiet, too dark. It wasn't natural. He was feeling extremely alone.
He wouldn't give in to that helpless feeling. Not now. There were people who needed him. He let out a breath and pushed forward.
'Forward' was a figurative term as he moved to the western part of the torch room and stood before a normal looking stone wall. Well, to anyone else it might look normal. For him, there stood another doorway similar to the main entrance at the northern wall of the room. He sucked in a breath to steady his nerves and headed through the open doorway.
Once he crossed into the brick-lined hallway, he felt completely cut off from the outside world. Even though he'd been here several times, he could not shake the disquiet in the back of his head. Something was out of place.
The hallway wasn't very long and he came upon a circular room with a split path. One door to the left and one to the right. Without the time for indecision, he approached the left path. He placed his hand upon the door and held in a breath, waiting. It was faint, but he sensed movement beyond the door. He pushed it open and started making his way down another passage at a quick pace, keen on catching up to Link and Marickiya.
The corridor made a sharp left and he followed along while keeping an eye out for any sign of the others. A few feet after the bend, he slowed down and began tip toeing. He was alerted by a shuffling sound. It was about then that the smell hit him.
He clasped a hand over his mouth and nose, so putrid was this odor. He could hardly breath.
As he neared a branching passageway, the shuffling became more pronounced. There were other noises to accompany it. One of them was gnashing teeth. He crouched to the ground and inched his way up to the corner to peer around it. His eyes became wide with fear and disgust.
'Oh gods!'
A Dead Hand had been making those noises as it chomped down on an unidentifiable rotting carcass. He was paralyzed at the sight. He couldn't tell if the foul stench was coming from the decomposition or the beast itself. He watched the thing raise its head to chew and swallow another piece of meat...
His blood drained from his face when he made a horrific revelation. It wasn't chewing... It was 'sniffing'.
He didn't waste another second and was inching back into his hall. Then there was a wailing screech that signified his presence had been revealed. There was nothing else for it except to bolt.
Adrenaline and terror were pumping through him, pushing him to sprint as fast as he could. The monster had spotted him as it rounded that corner he had a second before been hiding behind. He heard it shriek again as it made after him and dared not look back. The only thing he could think about was getting back through the door that had led him to this nightmare.
The end of the hallway was coming up on him fast. He skidded on the stone floor and with the door handle in his grasp, he wrenched it open and slipped through, then vigorously slammed it behind him. His breathing was heavy and he leaned against the door to catch it. Now that a barrier was between him and certain, painful death, questions were spinning through his head.
That door should have been sealed, but it wasn't even locked. He knew that there were sometimes Dead Hands in the lower dungeons, but those were always locked up quite securely. What in the hell was going on?
There was a thumping on the floor next to his feet that made his heart leap into his throat. He looked down at the source of the startling noise, then let out a tiny yelp. One of the hands had been severed and was now flopping about on the ground. It had been that close.
Before he could react, a muffled screech sounded from behind the door he was leaned up against. Then an almighty crash which could only be that thing slamming its body against the other side, had him scrambling away and tripping all over himself. He caved in to instinct and ran all the way back to the main torch lit foyer. At the mouth of his hallway, he fell into the wall and slid to his hands and knees.
A Dead Hand. What was a dead hand doing in a room that close to the entrance? He knew there was a very small amount of them taking residence inside the temple but they were heavily monitored and never neared the entrance of the place. In all the times he had been there, he'd never seen a Dead Hand in person.
A thought struck him. Was this what Impa meant when she said they were in danger? His heart plummeted. What if they had already been attacked? What if he was too late? The mass of flesh his Dead Hand had been munching on swam in his vision, making him feel sick. His face fell into his hands. If they were dead, it was his fault. Guilt was settling heavily over him.
Another foreign sound made him start again. He didn't think he could handle anything else like what had just happened. He slowly stood up, taking a cautious look at his surroundings.
The sound was a low moaning. It wasn't like a Redead's groan, more like... crying. He peeked into the lit foyer where the crying was loudest.
Through the many torch stands he spotted its source. Without any more hesitation, he rushed over to what he now recognized as two people laying sprawled on the ground, presumably unconscious. He knelt down beside the closer one, the one who was crying, and placed a hand on their shoulder.
"What is happening?" A voice came from the stairs. Aine whipped around and watched as Vaati, the wind sorcerer, walked down them. He stopped at the last step, when he saw the scenario in front of him. Then he exploded with anger. "What did you do!?"
"Nothing!" He could only react. He just realized how bad this looked. He held up his hands as the fuming mage, eyes alit with red, stomped towards him. "I didn't do this! I- I just-"
"Speak!" With the demand came a forceful gust of wind that knocked Aine back and away from the two on the ground. He tumbled back into the central podium, hitting his back rather hard, and his breath was knocked from him. Little lights danced in front of his eyes for a second. When he was able to get a grasp on reality again, he focused on the sorcerer who had just attacked him. The man was kneeling next to Link and Marickiya, for they had been the ones unconscious on the ground. He was checking them over...
For the most part, they were both simply asleep. There was nothing that was discernibly wrong with either of them. Except for the fact that Link's face was glistening with tears and his teeth were gritting. Vaati directed his attention back on Aine with a vicious scowl.
"What happened," he asked again, quieter this time, but still full of enmity.
"I'm sorry!" The younger boy was frantic with tears on his eyelashes. "I came here to try and prevent something like this from happening."
"You knew?" He looked even more livid and continued his approach. "You knew this would happen?"
"N-no!" Aine was beside himself. "Impa sent me! I came to stop them! Please!" He held his hands in front of his face protectively. Vaati was within arms length but he stopped. There was a tense pause between the two of them. Then Vaati backed off.
It took Aine a moment to realize that he had walked away. He caught a glimpse between his raised arms and saw Vaati had returned to their consorts. He saw him clench his fists then relax them. He took a deep breath.
"Let's get them back to the house."