Author's Note: Well I didn't think that this hadn't been updated since September, so that's my fault. I will explain that other than college (which is really giving me a hard time with work), I did spend a month on NaNoWriMo and making my life harder for myself. Anyway, here is not the Fire Temple as such, but hopefully something that makes up for it. Again, I can't apologise enough for the wait between now and before!
"Hiding the truth is the same as telling a lie."
~Unknown~
Shards of Time
An Ocarina of Time FanFiction
Chapter 21: Truth
"I never thought that I would actually be joyful to be back in Kakariko," I mutter under my breath as the quaint town bubbles up from the horizon. We didn't leave much more time to Kokiri, other than helping the kids clear up the debris left from the dead Deku Babs and everything, leaving us to spend the rest of the very early morning to ride back to Kakariko. I smile back at Link, but he doesn't seem to pick up on it. Allowing Luz to carry on without me, I turn. "You alright? You're a little quiet."
He snaps his gaze up to be, somehow startled that I pointed it out. "I'm fine. It's all just a little overwhelming," he assures, though it isn't long after a raise a brow at him that he sighs. "I want you to teach me that thing you did back in the Temple to save me. I want you to show me."
"CPR?" I say more as a question than a statement of fact. His fingers subconsciously trace the marks on his back. "I'm not going to let that happen to us again, alright? It was just one moment that we both got out of."
"Ciren, please—"
"I—" I break myself off when I finally meet his eyes. He doesn't look upset in many senses of the word, yet more ashamed than anything. How many times have I forgotten his side of the story? "Fine. I'll show you the basics so then we can stop looking back on that moment, okay?"
And then I remember Kaei's words on the swing to my reply.
"I suppose Exiles can have heart."
"Then I'll be waiting to see yours."
"Thank you, he mutters, then stays quiet for the rest of the journey, Navi making idle conversation before giving up too. When not rooting through the saddle bag for food, my eyes wander to the west. Even if the sky is a deep grey and churning on like a raging river, the sun's light feels like it is gravitating towards the Valley.
I'm going mad.
"You're not mad, Ciren," Navi whispers into my ear, startling me for more than one reason. I meet her eyes as she points to the west. "Because of everything going on, nature leans towards where the most power is, following wherever the Gerudo King goes." My eyes follow to west again, wondering what he could be up to. I can feel my hand wavering, Luz confused beneath me. The Guardian Fairy says nothing, biding her time to see what I will do. I think of the threat he made to me on the day we sneaked into the Castle, and then of Nisah; twisted in such a way that I don't recognise her.
Maybe that was her true feelings after all.
"She doesn't hate you." I whirl around at his voice, wondering how he read my mind. "I can see it on your face, no matter how much you want to hide it. You want to blame yourself in any way because she was your best friend, and at the moment there is nothing that you can do to help without revealing yourself and so many others to Ganondorf."
"Did you have a job failing to read people in those seven years?" I say bitterly, momentarily ignoring the memories he associates with that time as I attempt to cover my real reaction.
He shrugs, choosing to block out my latter comment. "Being kept out of a lot of things as a kid leaves you with a lot of time to do that sort of thing. But," he adds before I can say anything else. "I can see some of what you want to say but hide away... or I've gotten more used to the Gerudo than I thought."
I snort, then my smile fades, eyeing where the sunlight falls. "I won't go yet," I resolve, guarding my words after Link exposed them. "I won't go when he is there, not now anyway. My duty has and always will be to my Sisters, never to him. They come first." No one says anything in response, and then we spend the rest of the journey in silence, the stillness to the air palpable. Navi tries her hardest to keep some sort of conversation going, but we can't when he has seen right through me and I refuse to admit it aloud.
Nonetheless, Kakariko arrives much quicker than expected.
The golden sunlight filters in through the dark clouds, illuminating the entire village with its heavenly light. Despite the fact that it is early morning, numerous people are up and already going about their daily lives without a care in the world – well they try to, but I still notice their wary glances that fall my way and around the rest of the town as if they don't trust me nor where they are. After all I have done, I would hope that they would trust me slightly.
But my blood would always be tainted and corrupted to them.
Luz is calm and alert beneath me as his hooves, finally used to the grass instead of sand grains, crunch against the morning dew. There still seems to be a dense fog clinging itself to the mountains no matter how much alabaster light penetrates it. One of the guards in his formation nods at me as they make their morning rounds through the village, clanking of metal more than common in these parts.
Many of the windows, especially close to Impa's house, are madly and sloppily boarded up, perceived to be filled with spirits of those who died in there when the home became a makeshift infirmary during the invasion of corrupted Gerudo and their King. I was in there too at one point, if I can believe Kaei, and thankfully I was one of the few who made it out.
Goddesses, I was stupid when I was younger.
One child, who seems to be walking with his mother around the village, rushes up to the Luz as we make our way towards the building that was erected only a few years back where we had rounded everyone back up before setting off for the Forest Temple. Luz halts and nickers as the boy runs his stubby fingers across his side.
I watch him intently as Luz bumps his head with his own softly, making sure not to hurt the child, his curiosity getting the better of him. If it was any other time, most likely if I was younger, then I would have told him to leave Luz alone, but something about this world and the situation stops me; I don't know why. "Your horse looks like the one Anju found," he mumbles to me, not quite holding my gaze; too invested in stroking Luz, who takes it kindly after my lack of doing so.
"What horse?" I ask, however his mother spots him and rushes over, gathering him into her arms and lightly tugging him away no matter how much he wants to stay here and be near Luz. Her green-grey eyes bore into my own as they leave promptly, rounding a corner while the mother hushes her child and makes sure that he doesn't come near me again. I resist rolling my eyes, probably hearing some rumour and being a Hylian by believing it.
Why can no one think for themselves?
I nudge Luz's sides anyway, like the boy my curiosity over what he said gnawing at me, Link agreeing too from behind. We make our way up the numerous sets of stairs, shops and businesses beginning to open up for the day too. And, tucked into the corner, the increasing sunlight guides us to Anju's Cucco pen behind Impa's home, the owner out and ready for the day.
"I still don't get why you tend to chickens when you're allergic," I deadpan as a way of greeting her. Knowing that I am the only one who says it to her in such a tone, Anju whirls around, her apron and dress picking up to the slight breeze. Her brown bangs fall loosely around her face as I dismount, bright blue eyes glinting in recognition.
"I didn't know that you would be returning so soon, Ciren. You always seem to zip in and out of town in all of a hurry – I never have anyone to keep on top of the Cuccos with me!" she greets in return, hugging me tightly no matter how many times I tell her not to. "Where were you this time, then? Your curiosity is far too strong to be entirely spent in war time. I hope that we can see the end of all of this so you can get what you deserve…"
I force a smile onto my face as Link makes his way around the pen, his partner lighting up the pathway. "I've been further than you think, Anju, but it's for another day." I watch him for a moment, then Anju raises a brow at me. "A boy came by and said that you had found a horse. Where is it? I thought you didn't like horses."
"I'm not the biggest fan, no, but it seemed to be well tamed for racing around Hyrule Field like mad," she explains, starting to move away from the Cucco pen and towards another one in the far distance where a number of horses for the cavalry stand. A mare, I think, stomps her hoof against the ground timidly as she stands away from the rest of the horses. She is tame, which is strange for a horse with no rider or saddle, however is more than accepting of us and the other horses. "She wasn't hurt, but she followed my cart all the way back here."
Link makes his way towards the fence, catching the horse's attention near immediately. Her head snaps up and she freezes, questioning his presence and everything else about him. Anju and I stop our conversation as he pulls out the Ocarina and begins to play softly, breathy notes echoing around the village as he continues to play. Something in the song mesmerizes the mare, causes her to slowly muster the courage to meet him on the other side of the gate, nuzzling his chest as he plays. Her eyes seem to gleam with a sense of joy I rarely see in an animal like this, and something about it reminds me of Luz.
He lowers the instrument carefully, then he turns to Anju with that look on his face that tells me he has an idea that I'm not sure I'll like. "Would we we able to take the horse off of you?"
"You don't even know how to ride a horse!" I cry immediately before Anju can even think about speaking.
He raises a brow at me, stroking the mare's nose lovingly. "It shouldn't be too hard if you said she's tame." He says it like he knows about horses. "And besides, wouldn't it be easier on you? We can carry more stuff then, and then you don't have to suffer me on the same horse for hours on end." I think he tries to ignore the look that I give him, but he fails in the attempt. "It could be something else that you teach me."
I open my mouth to say something, knowing that he has got me somewhat, when someone calls for the both of us from behind. I spin around as Kaei and Sheik make their way down the steps and skid into a stop in front of us. Kaei nods to Link, uncaring for the "title" he has when he jokes, "New friend?" and nods towards the mare. Link smiles, though says nothing in reply. He turns on me. "You're back later than expected."
"A few days was late to you, but it was even longer for us, I think we can say." Behind me, I hear a snort in agreement. "But I think that's for another time."
Sheik nods, as if we didn't see him back outside the Temple. "We have more than enough supplies for you for the next Temple in the depths of Death Mountain, as I had once explained. I assume you will be staying here until everything is prepared for the road ahead?" I glance back at Link, but I wouldn't have needed to anyway. He wants to stay, and a part of me does too, however I choose it mainly for what he has been through; I don't know his limits, and I'm unsure of mine.
"You'd be right," I finally say. "So, where's the food?"
"I never thought that I would see the day." I overhear Kaei mutter this under his breath after taking a drink. Once returning to the house, we gathered what food and water that we could and began recounting the events of searching for Silva and the Sage of Forest. I take the reigns for most of it, although I do cast my gaze across to Link many times in case he wanted to speak at any point. He takes this offer every now and again, though has been more suited to listening rather than talking.
I roll my eyes and raise my glass. "And not even a toast for us? I never thought I would see the day either, Kaei."
He snaps his eyes to me, picking up the sarcasm in my tone straight away. "Either way, it was a triumph nonetheless," says Sheik, clearly distracted by something that I can't quite spot. "But there is trouble rising in this path. Death Mountain has been raging for years on end now, and the Goron population has been quickly diminishing. Not even the Goron Patriarch, Darunia, has gone too. Sources believe that the Gorons are being sacrificed to Volvagia within the Fire Temple, and we haven't had any other leads since."
"Who is Volvagia?" Link questions. "Do we know where the Temple is?"
Kaei clears his throat, signalling that he will take these questions. "Volvagia is a dragon manipulated by Ganondorf to "protect" the Mountain, but instead is rampaging all over it and destroying everything in its path, making the once dormant Mountain completely unstable. As for the Fire Temple... it's right in the centre of Death Mountain, where Volvagia lies. It's our only lead, but it's more dangerous than it is made out to be." I glare at him, knowing that his words sound worse in practice as well as in word form.
"What are we going to do then?"
"We're gonna go up there and check it out," I respond before Kaei or Sheik can, getting stunned faces from the both of them. "We aren't sending people up there to check it out because they will die. If we, which means as few people as possible to you Sheikah, can get in there without any troubles then we can be as spy like as you lot. We can't afford to have all of these people marching on Death Mountain, especially when Ganondorf will know things once his magic from the Forest finally depletes. He will know that something is wrong and fortify everything."
Sheik sighs. "As much as I hate to say it here, Ciren does have a point." I narrow my eyes, to which he shakes his head. "Not in that way. What I mean is that as much as I want numbers to match the rage of the dragon, we can't afford to do it and we physically can't anyway. This country is frail and dying; the men and women can't take up arms to someone like Ganondorf and Volvagia, not yet anyway." I ignore the comment about women fighting too, knowing enough Hylian law to know that what he says is incorrect; brushing it off as a personal opinion.
"But we can think back on this later, right?" Navi offers from atop her partner's head. "Things like this take time, and we can't reach a decision immediately. Hyrule may be dying, but its core is still strong. As long as Princess Zelda is out there somewhere and the Sages will heed their call in the end, then Hyrule still has hope and it still has heart."
"Nicely said." Kaei says, leading Navi to glow slightly more pink than usual. He places his palms down onto the table. "I need to run a few... errands for the few villagers left." As soon as he says this, we nod back at him firmly and he takes his leave, morning sunlight brightening the already dull room for a moment before the door shuns us to darkness and candlelight once more. I scan the room, finishing off my food before I go to take my leave as well, however there is a sudden tenseness to the stillness, and then Sheik speaks up.
"Could I speak to Ciren alone, please?" Link eyes me, silently questioning why he can't be in the room with me too, but I merely shrug it off, and so both he and Navi file out to leave me alone with the Sheikah. The tension between us is still palpable after what happened the last time that I was in Kakariko, yet I think the victory of the Forest Temple is helping to ease it; just a little.
We stand there for Din knows how long, fumbling over the silence as it thickens around us. But then Sheik's eyes narrow, and he finally builds the courage to speak up. "Why did you let the Hero of Time die?" He growls, stunning me for a moment.
Once the moment passes however, all I feel is irritated. I slowly fall back into my seat and clasp my hands onto the table, not even bothering to think on how to approach this before I near automatically say what my mind is thinking. "I think that the Hero of Time isn't his actual name. And I'm sorry," I cut in before he can. "I must not have put proper emphasis on he fact that Phantom Ganon was in a murderous—"
"Oh no," He responds curtly. "I know how he died in enough detail, Ciren, I just want to know why he died. Why you weren't looking out for danger after you let yourself get possessed."
I grit my teeth. "Don't act like you were there." I clench my hands into tight fists. "And don't act like I didn't do CPR for more time than I should have." He exhales loudly in disapproval, and I try my hardest not to let this become another fight, especially after what Navi said once it was broken up. "The only one who should be acting like a child here is Link, and that's because he is a child in an adult's body. But it seems that he is the only one who is acting anything like an adult here."
"Look, I'm not here to judge—"
I snort. "It's a bit late for that."
"—but don't let your guard down. We can't afford to lose him, not now, not after all this time of waiting."
My eye twitches. "You say it like it was his fault." I go to turn around and leave before I say anything, but something bubbles inside of me and I hold my ground. If he chooses to blame me for what happened down there, to consider a Gerudo weak and whatnot, then I can take that. But if he starts to blame the person who almost died, then he has chosen to cross the wrong line. "If you were scared while you were sitting here like a pampered princess then you could have just said. After all, "I can't judge" the mysterious Sheik."
Then I spin around and begin marching out of the room, what I said settling around me.
I gasp, though, when I am plucked from the air by unseen cords around my neck, thrown back around to face Sheik. The back of his left hand is glowing, almost like it is engulfed with golden flames. "You shall not speak of me in such a way, Gerudo." I immediately feel anger spark inside of me at his sudden shift in manner, using shadow magic against his ally like this is not him. Whatever is holding me starts to twist and tighten. "You know nothing of my duty and Wisdom!"
"Sheik... stop..."
With a burst of passion and a flick of his wrist, I am thrown into the wall with a resounding thud, leaving me to slide down to the ground as my neck is finally freed. "You shall use the title in which the Goddesses have bestowed upon me, the Princess of Hyrule." My head snaps up, staring at Sheik as his— her—eyes widen, the flare on her hand flickering out before she crumples to her knees. "Wisdom was always passive..." She whispers, uncaring that I am picking up on what she is saying. "It has always been..."
"Sheik, sweet merciful Farore, what was that?"
Realising that I am still here, she blinks at me numerous times before carefully rising to her feet. "Ciren... you..." I continue to watch intently as she falls down beside me. "I... I didn't..."
"All this time, Sheik. All this time when we have been trying to figure out where we stand whilst everyone wants to know where the princess is." I breathe out a laugh, remembering what hope Navi had before when she spoke about the Princess in such a way, and yet all this time she was hiding right underneath our noses, still unsure whether to trust us after seven damn years.. "I have to commend you for hiding in plain sight for seven years, but do you really doubt me that much not to trust me?"
She shakes her head lightly. "I never saw you as the enemy, for I have told no one; the Hero of Time included." She ignores my blatant glare for the use if the title, physically flinching at the glare. "Impa gave me this disguise so that I could evade capture by the Gerudo King, but once I return to my original form then I cannot change back without Impa's aid."
I raise a brow. "I thought she was in the village? There's no harm done..."
"There will be. Since Impa ventured into the Shadow Temple alone, she has not returned." I stare deep into Sheik's eyes, seeing the pain that she must have felt trying to hide from everything for the past seven years. And I can see it, something clouding her fake crimson eyes, and I can see how much of a toll everything in these past seven years have hurt her. "And because she is the only Sheikah left, I suspect that she is the Sage of Shadow and therefore in enough danger currently."
And because of my one moment of weakness, I say something that I immediately regret.
"Then come with us."
"What?"
"If you are so worried for Link and doubt me that much, then come with us to reassure the lack of crown on your head." I ignore the blatant glare and sigh, leaning against the wall and cross my arms. As much as I want to treat her with respect and I can feel a bitterness to my tone, I will give her the chance to finally prove herself after all of the cloak and dagger talk that she has been doing and saying for so long. "Look, I believe that you are the Princess, and it is annoying that you can't switch, but if you're going to be of use then come with us."
She raises a brow. "Would Kaei not be of more use?"
"Don't back out of the fight for the sake of humility and all of that." I almost growl back in retort, making my way towards the door. "It doesn't matter who comes, but you have said yourself that you doubt me, so I'll show you up and you can help. Kill two birds with one stone and all."
"I may just... in the future." She responds, ignoring the latter comment.
I shake my head, turning away from the door when I reach it. "No, I mean now. Today. To the Fire Temple. Or are you scared of a few flaming bats?" Sheik doesn't reply whatsoever, watching me intently. I exhale loudly, unsure of what to think of her. She may be the Princess of Hyrule and so I should respect her and her duties that she has to fulfill even without the throne before her, but I don't know what to think of her.
I leave.
And as soon as I close the door behind me, a voice calls out. "What in Nayru's name happened up there?"
I turn around, expecting to find Link and Navi but finding Kaei instead. He makes his way from the graveyard and meets me as soon as I move away from the bottom of the staircase outside the house. As much as I want to leave, he blocks me before I can and I'm not in the mood to fight him. "Nothing that concerns you, Sheikah. Not let me go past; you aren't the only one with things to do." I step to one side, but he follows me. I send him a glare, sighing loudly. "Kaei, move your—"
"When are you setting out for the Fire Temple?" Kaei demands. "Are you two going to sneak out when we have our backs turned?"
I shrug. "I don't know at this exact second what we are going to do. Didn't you hear Navi, what, five minutes ago? Probably within a day at the least, and I will fight the corner of going with just us." I am about to walk away, though I stop entirely when I notice something in his eyes. "You want to come with us too, don't you? I get that you've been wanting to help for so long, and you have been, but we can't take loads of people with us. Not when..." I cut myself off before I mention what I had told Sheik.
"Not when what?"
"Not when we have so much riding on this," is my only answer. I push on past him, determined to be alone and not have to explain every single thing that I have to do. But, instead, Kaei catches onto my arm on the way past, making sure that my feet stay firmly planted on the ground. "Kaei, I will leave no matter what I have to do. If you have any sense, you'd let me go."
And yet he is a fool. "You aren't seeing the truth, Ciren. Death Mountain is more unstable than ever, and we have to attack in the next few hours. We can't wait now. And I'm not letting you two go in there alone again. Yes I know that what happened in the Forest was no one's fault, but it still happened; and that's when Ganondorf didn't know about what was going on. He knows now, Ciren, he knows, and I won't let the two of you fall into any trap like that again."
"You don't know what I'm thinking." I growl. "Right now I would much rather go into that damn Mountain on my own and destroy that dragon without even hesitating. But I can't because I can't play the Hero, not when we already have one. The world needs a Hero, not a Gerudo. So I'm going to help him and not let anyone try and change that. No amount of Sheikah or warrior army could help us; the quieter we are, the further down we will fall under Ganondorf's radar."
He releases me reluctantly. "Ciren, don't—"
Then Death Mountain explodes, and the world falls into chaos.
