He was woken by a knock. Very involuntary. He hadn’t asked for being woken but perhaps it was better this way, though he would have preferred to sleep on for the next few days. The last weeks had made him more exhausted than everything else that happened before. Yawning, he robbed his eyes. Another knock.
“Oh stop it!”, he moaned loud enough for being heard on the other side of the heavy wooden door. “I am awake already!”
There was a strange noise coming from the door, then footsteps left. He turned his head to the door and his eyes met with a letter that had been pushed through beneath it. After he stretched another time, he went to the door, picked up the letter and found a piece of parchment next to it, giving him a hint that breakfast was prepared. Shaking his head he crumpled the sheet into a ball and threw it skilfully into the basket next to his desk, to which he sat himself. Not without robbing his eyes once again, he turned the letter around and recognised the seal immediately. It had been to be expected. There was no one except them who wrote to him. Nobody apart from them who would have reasons. With a little morning clumsiness he opened the seal and pulled the letter out of the envelope.
Dear Vaati
We are more than fine like ever. You’ll see, the Gorons will like you soon. Otherwise we’ll send Link. He already offered to wrestle them down the rocks. But I think they will calm down. That’s what Gorons are like. At first they roar around and then they are the best mates. And it is nice to know that at least Renado is on your side.
Link asks whether you already made friends with Telma. He means, if she likes you, the rest of the capital likes you too. You should try that, if you don’t want to flee from fruits again. Kafei advises you caution towards Zelda. You shouldn’t rush anything. She seems to like you a lot. Don’t screw it for yourself by being too open hearted. Don’t forget. She still has a crush on Link. Your descriptions confirmed it.
And be careful with Zhani. The warning comes from the hero in green in person. He advises you to not let yourself be deceived by him. He still wonders why Zelda didn’t throw him out yet. Probably he’s too good at cleaning. Even good enough Link needed a long time to notice that the rubbish he `disposed´, was no rubbish at all, if you know what I mean.
Anyway, as usual, the loveliest greetings from everyone. From Romani and Cremia too. They slowly get over the hole in their life. I too, I must say. Apparently the death of my father strengthened me enough that I can let my sister go as well.
And one more thing – if you ride out of town alone, try to give the birds a wide berth. And you should avoid travelling slowly at nighttime, no matter if the atmosphere is beautiful.
The rebuilding is almost done, by the way. There are still some smaller damages here and there though, but beside these, Termina shines again. Kafei really takes care of everything and everyone. I’m surprised to see he even has a lot of time for Link, me and the children left. But I’m sure that he will get to the point when he’ll sleep for several days because he’s too tired for anything.
The loveliest greetings, to Zelda too,
Anju and pack
Yes, the letter had brought him exactly the knowledge he had expected. Namely, none. Nothing he hadn’t known or guessed by now. Carefully he put it into the folder to the others and locked it up in its drawer again. Like every morning, he fought with the choice of clothes. Zelda had given him a nice advance. She wanted to see it as a present though, but he had set his heart on paying back everything. He had invested the biggest part of this advance in clothes, binoculars and a camera. Another part was waiting for more to soon make him independent of the weapons in the barracks.
Taking advantage of the Minish’s kindness was not easy, even if the wind was obedient to one. It was exhausting. Cutting grass was way easier than concentrating the air around every tuft. But it would be even easier with a reasonable sword, if he was able to handle such a weapon. He was miles away from Link’s talent and that his golden sword, which he had gotten from Onnoru, had been stolen, was no help for his improvement either.
He wasn’t too fond of the current fashion style in Hyrule. Fortunately there was another store in town which sold nobler clothing. That one had its price though, but after all he couldn’t wander through the castle like any middle-class nonentity. Outside, he at least tried to make a compromise.
Finally he got what he needed, unlocked the door, stepped outside, locked again and crammed his key ring inside the locket he hat gotten from Kafei. He was glad he had it. Especially with a pilferer among the cleaners. Like usual, the guards turned their heads after him barely visible. At least it was the proof that they weren’t sleeping while standing. It was no surprise to him that the guards of Hyrule were known for anything but being courageous. They were standing around all day long, watching doors. With the usual smirk and a wave of his hand, he opened the door of the dining hall. The mood during breakfast was as dull as always. Only Zelda and Aris desperately tried to raise it, what they naturally didn’t manage to.
As late as he had arrived, Vaati left the hall. At a smart pace he went to the stables. He could have teleported himself but he didn’t want to frighten the horses unnecessarily. Sruna welcomed him, albeit a bit spiritless. She was as tired as he was. Past more guards, he left the castle through the northern secret passageway into the field. Aimless. Just out into nature. Already very few hoof steps later he was facing his first decision. East or west? Or north even? Should he pay the Zoras a visit? They had turned out to be much more tolerant than the Gorons. Also the little Ralis was so taken by Vaati’s looks. Maybe he should really visit the young monarch. He had even fewer friends than Vaati himself.
He was almost at the entrance of the cave system when a flash on the horizon caught his attention. Unsure, his eyes fixed the spot. There it was again. According to the direction, it came from Lake Hylia. But above. Something was in the sky down there.
Ralis was forgotten at once. He pulled Sruna around and rode southwesterly in direction of the bridge of Hylia at full gallop.
After a long ride the colossal structure finally came in sight. Renovation wasn’t completed yet. Those Bulblins had wrecked quite some havoc on it and it was closed for reasons of safety. Passing was only possible after granted permission, thus, when the construction manager told everyone clearly enough to stop working, so deliveries could cross without problems. Vaati rode in direction of the outlet to the lake. Halfway at the house he stopped and searched for the cause of the phenomenon he had spotted before. It wasn’t coming from the construction works. After some moments he found it again: It was floating above the lake.
Vaati got his binoculars out of his locket and examined the strange glistening. In truth it wasn’t an actual glistening. It was dark and seemed to move. Like a flock of small birds. What exactly it was, he couldn’t tell. Carefully he mounted on the side of Sruna which was turned away from the workers. He made himself invisible, kicked himself off the ground and floated towards the peculiar formation. For a while he just stared at it, fascinated. His brain seemed to had turned off any kind of wits. Then it hit him as fast as his observing of the shimmering. His bafflement gave way to a sudden panic. He crammed the binoculars, took out his camera, pushed the button several times and teleported himself back to the castle, without regard for Sruna.
Completely dumbfounded and still invisible he stood in the entrance hall. What should he do? He wasn’t sure whether it had been what he though it was. Should he tell Zelda? He had to tell her. Or not? No. He wanted to be entirely sure. Immediately he teleported himself to his room, took the photographs from one of the two trays of the instant camera and got a fright when he noticed that he was still invisible. The moment his hands were visible again, he put the photographs down on the desk and examined them. No doubt. These were – but why above Lake Hylia? Coincidence? Why actually? What did this mean? He piled the sheets, concentrated on Zelda and teleported himself to her without thinking.
Struggling for air she spluttered into her basin when Vaati’s mirror image had appeared next to her. The latter, getting aware of his act, he went bright red with shame.
“Please forgive me, Highn- er – Zelda.”, he moaned, feeling warmth rising in his face.
“It – is – alright.”, she spat out the rest of the tooth paste with water and took a deep breath. “What is the matter? Did something happen?”
“I – erm – nothing – I – ”, was he really such a coward? “Was mistaken in the room.”
“Oh! Yes. Sometimes this happens to me as well. Every now and then I am so in thoughts when I teleport that I will not land where I wanted. But mostly the place shows similarities to my destination of choice. I assume, you wanted to visit a toilet?”
“Yes!”, lied Vaati, but noticed eventually that he somehow felt a need. “I – am going – then – ”
“You may use mine here. I will turn around until you are done.”
“That – well – fine.”, he sighed. “Thank you.”
That smile she gave him – it felt to him as if she wanted him to use her toilet. She though reached for her brush, turned around and started rearranging her hair. A bit hectically Vaati pulled down his pants and sat down. Mesmerized he watched the brush gliding through her beautiful blond hair. It wasn’t a uniform blonde. There were various nuances, from dark blond to light blond. He was so glad that he preferred to do his business sitting.
Onnoru once had brought him into a similar situation. He only hoped that Zelda didn’t start changing clothes like Onnoru had done back then. He had needed to sit five more minutes, under the pretext that there was more than his bladder that needed to be emptied. That had been true, but not what Onnoru had assumed in the case. If that happened to him with Zelda as well now – but she just made herself an elaborate braid and left the batch into her rooms. A bit relieved, Vaati finished, washed his hands and; after a short glance into the next room in which nobody could be seen; dried them with Zelda’s towel in delights. He already wanted to teleport away when Zelda’s voice came calling from outside.
“If you should be here still – could you probably lend me a hand for a moment?”, he considered briefly.
“Of course.”
Asking himself unnecessarily for what she needed his help, he entered the big, overly tawdry room. In general the decoration was luxurious, with many golden elements, but mostly it was pink. Very pink indeed.
“I simply cannot decide. I would like to ride to Kakariko today. Exchange with the Humans and Gorons there. What do you think? Which of the two shall I wear? You seem to have an eye for adequate clothing.”
Vaati didn’t believe his ears. Zelda – Princess Zelda – asked him what she should wear for a trip? How should he know which of the two dresses would survive a ride to Kakariko? And anyway – why did she want to ride there when she could teleport herself? At least she had chosen two plain dresses with subtle colours. He had never seen her in dark colours. Everything she had worn so far had been in pastel tones. Only sometimes there had been elements of darker – pink. The dress in her left hand was crimson and had blue parts sewn into the drapes of the skirt and light seeming trumpet sleeves. At the front it was laced with dark blue ribbons. Another dark blue ribbon hung around the clothes hook of which he assumed that it was to be bound around the waist. The other dress looked rural by its ochre, even though it was made from velvet. It was sleeveless, but she held a soft green blouse with ruffled sleeves to it instead. There was no need for him to take a long time considering.
“The red one.”
“Yes? Hm. Yes. It is wider and more comfortable for riding. Most of all I can adjust it to fit me. Fine. Thank you. Erm – but you would have to help me lace it. The front is all right. But I cannot reach the back. Of course only if you do not mind. I can call for my chambermaid as well.”
“Er – I – would – feel honoured.”, what was that now?
“Thank you.”
She smiled at him another time, laid the red-blue dress down on her canopy bed, hung back the other two pieces into her closet and – actually started undressing. He already wanted to flee back into the bathroom but was too bewildered for moving. Did she do that on purpose or did she simply not care that he saw her in her underwear? She put her plain white dress next to the other. Vaati tried hard to look away or at least at her legs. But suddenly even that was irrelevant as she got red underwear from her closet. No, it was only a red panty. Behind her back, Vaati bit so hard on his lips, he hoped he wouldn’t start bleeding.
Actually he would have had to feel privileged to having been granted to see the most important regents of the continent of the last decade naked. But slowly it became suspicious to him. He had even lost his innocence to Onnoru. Anju wasn’t more than a good friend for him though, but he had indeed had a crush on her husband for some time. And now even the princess of Hyrule exposed herself in front of him. However, she already stuck in her dress before he could finish his considerations at all. And she already laid her braid over her shoulder and turned her head to him. Fortunately she told him where to pull more and where less.
“I thank you. Do you have any plans for today already?”
“Thou intend to take me with Thee?”
“How many more times? There is no need for you to address me in a formal way when we are alone. Father and Impa were not formal in private life either. Though she had taken over the role of my mother and taken care of me, there had not been anything going on between them. Nevertheless they had been friends hat. Now you are my advisor. You are the only friend I have.”, now Vaati seriously got red.
“Certainly. And – you – hopefully know that I don’t mind to accompany – er – you – ?”
“I know. And thank you. I had no idea that you can be so sweet. I cannot even believe that you used to turn me to stone and kidnapped me several times. I am sorry.”, she giggled. „Do you want to change your clothes as well?”
“You don’t need to apologise. And – no.”
“Fine.”
~o~0~O~0~o~
It knocked. Esra never knocked. It was way too early as well. She usually didn’t return before midnight. Nor was his answer being waited for. So he could cram the book in the lowest drawer of his bedside table just in time before the door was opened. A bit hesitating, Link peered in, already in his pyjamas. He smiled with closed lips when he saw Dotour sitting on the bed.
“Oh. It is you. I already wondered who it could be. What do you need?”
“Esra is not here? Where is she?”
“In the bar.”
“Hm. Yes. Logical.”
“Logical.”, chuckled Dotour gloomy. “Yes.”
“May I come in?”
“Sure.”
“I hope I didn’t disturb you.”, meant Link, stepped in and closed the door behind.
“No. I – just – ”, he sighed deeply, “Dwelled in memories.”
“Let me hear.”, he sat down next to him on the bed and Dotour got out the book in landscape format again. “Photos?”
“Yes. I think, it wouldn’t hurt you to know where Kafei got his good looks from.”
“Hello? Just don’t start making yourself down again.”
“And you don’t start complementing me again.”
“Is this her? Of course. Why do I ask. They can really be mistaken for each other.”
“They can. They always did. Though I don’t have earlier photos as there was no such thing yet back then, but they even looked the same when they were children. This here was one of our most wonderful days.”
It was a black-and-white photography. A very pretty woman hang happily over the shoulders of a clearly younger Dotour who smiled broadly. In the background was a setting sun and a shimmering stripe of the sea. According to his posture, Dotour had hit the button himself. He wore his hair as loose as since the invasion, had a shorter beard and earrings. Link turned his head to the side. There he could actually see a little scar on Dotour’s left ear lobe. Apparently the holes had healed up after he hadn’t worn the rings for a long time.
“Yes, you saw right.”, said Dotour without removing his look from the book. “I took them out when I married Esra. I wanted to close this chapter. But love just can’t be – put into a drawer and forgotten so easily. That day – ”, Link looked at the next photograph which showed Ajrini drinking from a coconut, “Was the fiftieth anniversary of our marriage.”
“What? You two look like thirty!”, Dotour just smirked.
“Now you know how long Kafei will look like he does now. In that night we conceived him. And it was that night for sure. She knew it and we said, if not then, then never. And we wanted a child more than anything. After all these years we wanted a child. At the end we were megalomaniac concerning our luck. We were always happy. Until her death.”, his eyes became glassy and he turned his head away from Link who put his right arm around him. “That – ”, he turned over some pages, “Was – well. You can see it.”
Both had their bellies bared and stood next to each other, grinning childishly stupid. Dotour stretched out his belly as round as Ajrini’s was naturally.
“That was in her sixth month. Ydin had taken the photo. She also was at the birth. Here. That was shortly after.”
A sweaty, messy, exhausted smiling Ajrini leaned in Dotour’s arms. In her own arms she held a bundle from which two tiny hands, a snub nose, tired half closed eyes and sticky dark hair peeked out.
“He had had thick hair from the start. And he kept the nose. Her nose. Her sweet, cold nose. Yes, hers was usually cold too. He has so much of her. She lives on in him almost entirely. If she hadn’t had black hair, one would’t believe that he is my son.”
“You have more in common than you think.”
“Assumingly. Yes. Maybe I just don’t notice it because she is so present.”, they had skipped some pages wich contained Kafei getting older. “And he also kept that. His best friend. Here they were four years old. They had known each other for about a month.”
The little Kafei laid on his belly, in the middle of the Eastsquare and scribbled all over the paving stones with a chalk. On the opposite of him laid a girl with, on the photo, quite similar dark hair. Next to her in the background kneeled a second girl that looked like her copy. It were unmistakably the two Anjus.
“Sorrei laughed them down so hard when they were totally mad on the next day because it had rained at night and their masterpiece was gone.”
On the next page Link found a picture that surprised him. It had been taken in the Throne Hall of Ikana Castle. Kafei sat, a thick book resting on his legs, in the lap of a man who obviously read to him. Link recognised the craggy features and peculiar, horn like swatches of beard, two a side. On his head he wore the usual utopian construct in shape of a young moon. The way he sat there, protectively holding Kafei, so filled with love and care – it was a totally different Igos than Link knew. He was different from what Link had been told and what he had been granted to experience for himself. In the picture suspended below he, Kafei and Ajrini kneeled with crossed arms. Their hair stood bolt upright aloft. Only that let Link notice the branch. The photo was glued in upside down.
“Yes, that was him. King Igos the Second of Ikana, brutal and coldblooded murderer, loving granduncle as well as great-granduncle – and jester of the nation. The contradiction in person.”
“I can quite believe that. But he was darned well looking.”
“Yes. A female heart throb, despite all. He had many women. But never a serious relationship and no children either. If he had managed to, no woman would have been stupid enough to not fob the child to him. Therefore he loved Kafei even more.”, with a wistful smile Dotour paged down.
“And he didn’t abandon that either.”, Link smirked as he had spotted Kafei in a very girly dress, playing ball. “Is this – er – Sirileij?”
“Right guess. This here – ”, he pointed on a boy who almost knocked Anju over by trying to get the ball, “Is Toru. And that at the back – ”, further away sat a blurred, more black than white fleck squatted to the tree, “Is Nérimlath. He had always watched them. But they had never talked to him. If he hadn’t insulted some children every now and then, we wouldn’t have believed that he is able to speak. Here Kafei had gotten his first sword and there his first bow.”, on both pictures Dotour, Ajrini and also Igos tried to teach Kafei something that he already seemed to can do. “That here is one of the view pictures of the four of us together. I think you see that it is an official portrait.”
“Oh yes. Very contrived and cold.”
“If though none of us agreed with it since royal portraits didn’t exist in Ikana before it.”, Dotour sat on a chair, on the left hand of the observer next to him Kafei leaned against him, the hands laid around the shoulders of his father, Ajrini stood on the other side and Igos at the right side of the picture.
“I was feeling very queasy that day. That is why I’m sitting. In Ikana it is usual that the King only sits on individual portraits. And those are always paintings on stone. This was the only of its kind.”, he went further.
“My goodness! He really always did that.”, laughed Link when he saw Kafei, hanging in the middle of the flat castle wall, holding himself with one hand and a shoeless foot and waving down with a broad grin.
“Yes. He had done that long before already, but here he was nine years old. It was the last picture in Ikana. Later that day during the night – ”, he took a short breath, “After Ajrini’s death he had abandoned these things. He had dulled himself to a completely normal towns boy. He was the reluctant, lonely, plain noble son of the Mayor. Without blue hair and red eyes he wouldn’t have occurred to anybody. He had no friends anymore, left the Bombers and spent most time at the Laundry Pool. Alone or with Anju. She was one of the few he let get close to him. During this time he got that Keatonmask from Ilano. He had meant that the colour of the sun and the wisdom of the Keaton might convey him comfort.”
“A nice reasoning.”
“Personally I believe it was more likely a lecture telling `if you already have to hide, do it properly´. But yes. He had been hardly any time at home as we had housed Rim. They had shared his bed because Kafei hadn’t wanted him to sleep in the bed of his mother. At some point they had become more open and started to cheer each other up. I had no idea yet that Rim’s parents hadn’t died during the attack but that he had already had killed them some days earlier. The had rarely been out of their house. Anyhow, we moved Ajrini’s bed to the attic then. When Esra and I became a couple we ordered a new one for her. Now Tatl sleeps in the bed of her grandmother.
Here we are three years later. Kafei and Anju were so happy. They were a newly enamoured couple and did everything to bring Anidja to a white heat. I never had that much business with Anju’s mother ever again as in their first year together. Already then they had sworn each other that they would marry once they were adults. Of course one thinks that they, at such age, only stumbled into puberty. But as you see, this early puppy love lasted and lasts on. Kafei was almost as happy again as he had been before the death of his mother. Only Rim could get him in an earnest mood. The boy constantly bothered us. When he finally told us the entire truth about his secrets – let us say, we both became secret therapists.”
“When was that? Carnival, yes. But – they must have been something like my age now, right?”
“Yes. They were seventeen. He didn’t give a damn that the Hylian Law said he would have to wait four more years. We even had to delay the fireworks for five minutes because he elongated my speech. He delivered the quite most touching harangue I ever heard and proposed her in front of the whole country.”
“Really?”, Link aspirated unbelieving.
“Yes. And I don’t know because I don’t want to know it, but I think they also lost their virginity that night. And then Anidja did something they never forgave her. It was more unpardonable then all dead that are attributable to Igos’ fault. Nor Mutoh ever forgave her that she took their mutual son away from him. Especially as he had this severe illness. She waited until the Carnival was over. Until the town was quiet again. Then she gave the children a sleeping medicine and gave them to her husband who drove to Kakariko in the middle of the night. She made everyone believe that he had abducted them. Even three years later when Anila finally managed go home with her. She had intercepted and destroyed all letters of the two. Anju believed that Kafei had left her in the lurch. And that when he had sent a messenger pigeon every week. Anidja always caught them. If that woman was good at something then at screwing up people’s lives and at archery.”
“And Kafei?”
“Kafei always suspected her. But he was too disgusted by her. He refused to touch her memories on principle. Treated her like a pest. Didn’t dare to get in touch by any means. As hostile as to her he has never been to anybody. He really hated her. And he had every reason. Only she hadn’t any justifiable. And I think that is exactly the reason why he hated her. He tried to distract himself with his friends he found again.”
“Cards?”
“Yes.”, sighed Dotour. “One of the few follies that are my fault.”
“Oh!”, laughed Link as they had reached photos on which he could be see too.
“Yes, here we are.”, Dotour smiled again.
“They even turned out quite fine.”
“Oh yes. You never saw them.”
“No. My goodness I was small then.”
“Yes. You grew quite much.”
“No. Oh no! That – Romani took that. I could have bashed her down.”
“One can tell.”, he pulled one from behind the half glued in picture.
“No!”, moaned Link. “Put that away already!”
“Sh! Keep it down.”, giggled Dotour.
“Yes. Otherwise someone comes and then everybody sees it.”
“They all know it anyway.”
“Destroy it.”, moaned Link more pleading.
“No. This expression speaks volumes. It absolutely mirrors the whole amount of your feelings for Romani.”
“And how. Oh. My last performance as fake Mikau.”
“Yes. Too bad that you only played two songs.”
“I didn’t know more.”, chuckled Link.
“But these here turned out really sweet.”
“Help! Who captured this moment?”
One photo showed Kafei lying on his back in front of the Town Hall. He held Link, who fully trusted him, high up in the air. Both grinned from ear to ear. On the picture next to it he had let him down onto his belly and they pressed their noses together.
“In this moment Anju said to me that he would be the perfect father for their future children.”
“And to me he said that if I weren’t his witness, he would have adopted me no later than then.”, smiled Link nostalgic.
“Really?”
“Yes. Good that he made me his witness.”, a short pause – and both men burst into wild giggling. “It’s true.”, Link calmed down. “Although we had no idea back then and I probably rather would have said yes, today I know that it was good he didn’t adopt me.”, he smiled wistfully. “A lot happened, but I think it had to happen so we can be as happy as we are now.”
“Everything has a reason.”, nodded Dotour. “Even if I don’t want to believe that Ajrini’s death had a good reason. It is so unfair that she wasn’t allowed to live to see that all. But I think everything would have turned out differently.”
“Yes. Most certainly. Zelda would have had no reason for sending me to Termina. Look at it this way. That’s what I do. I know, I haven’t met her. But I know Kafei. And if she was like he is, she hasn’t deserved it. But when our time is over, it’s over. How, doesn’t matter. When our task is fulfilled, we leave. Or why else do you think I’m still here? I had my first big chance to die at the age of three. And I died often too. Many times. But I’m still alive. I think that speaks as much for itself as this horrible visage Romani has captured.”
Dotour snorted with a smile, the eyes on the pictures of Anju’s first pregnancy and Tatl’s first two years. Then already the second pregnancy came, many photos of the children and at last some pictures that had been taken without Link noticing, during said Carnival-Evening. He was really grateful to science that they were in colour already. So there was a beautiful picture of their kiss in public. Though an outsider wouldn’t recognise it was them.
Some small and big historic moments in the year after like birthdays or the coronation and finally a snapshot from some distance while Link’s return to Ikana. Then the celebration and the rebuilding activities after the recapture and almost at the end of the book one page filling photo. It showed the whole family with their close circle of friends. A soldier had taken it before Vaati’s departure to Hyrule. It had taken ages to get them all onto the picture properly, but it had been worth it.
“The culmination.”, smiled Dotour, shut the history-charged book and put his arm around Link now.
“How true. The beginning of a new book.”, smiled Link too and looked him in the eyes.
“Yes – you can say that again.”, nodded Dotour and put the book back to its traditional secret place. “And? Why did you come to see me?“, Link laughed because he had almost forgotten about it.
“They wanted to be alone, once.”
“And you not.”
“No. I didn’t want to use the guest room. And the kids would have been a too young company for me tonight.”
“So you thought you pay and old, lonely man a visit?”, he raised and put more wood on the fire in the chimney.
“How about somebody who became like a kind of father for me instead?”, smiled Link softly and Dotour turned to him dumbfounded. “Don’t look at me like that.”, said Link, went to him, gave him a kiss on the forehead and took him in his arms. “That’s the truth.”
After some seconds Dotour put his arms around Link as well, crying silently. But Link noticed it and pulled him closer. They didn’t loosen their embrace until Dotour’s tears had almost dried up.
“Er – if Esra should – ”
“Of course you are allowed to squeeze yourself at the other side of my bed.”
“Thanks.”
“No worries – my son.”
“You’re making fun of me. I was serious.”
“I am serious as well.”, nodded Dotour and laid his right hand on the other’s left cheek, whereupon Link startled slightly.
“Your hand’s like ice!”, he aspirated with big eyes and Dotour withdrew it.
“I am sorry.”
“Don’t you.”
Link reached for it again, as well as for the other. Dotour watched him robbing and breathing upon them. Holding them tight, he looked at him from slightly below.
“Kafei is right. You really are sweet.”
He nudged Link’s nose with a thumb and that one buried his face in balled up hands, giggling. Dotour loosened his hands from Link’s and pulled the young man back in his arms. They gave each other one more short squeeze and Dotour stroked Link’s upper arms before they finally broke their hug.
“Come. Let us go to bed.”, he smiled and went towards his bed where he got the pyjamas from underneath the pillow.
“You know, I just remember that I haven’t seen you naked yet.”, considered Link.
“Then enjoy the premiere.”, smirked Dotour and took off his vest.
“How am I supposed to understand this? Is there more you passed on to Kafei?”
“In this case it wouldn’t be a joy.”, he turned to him. “And I meant it ironic anyway.”
He opened the buttons of his white shirt and confirmed to Link what the Zora-costume had already hinted. He was very well built. The blue hair on his chest, on which his locket with the red stone rested, were really to be called such, whereas Kafei’s hair was just fluff he removed too often anyway. Dotour’s skin was even approximately as beautiful as his son’s.
“Do you train?”, asked Link.
“You see it?”, he opened the last button. “Yes. Actually I ever used to but I really lost touch. Since that thing with the Shadow Beasts I started training more intense again. I went back to ten rounds, but I probably will never again achieve my twenty I did ten years ago, if I don’t pull myself together.”
“Rounds?”
“Around the town.”
“When?”
“Every day.”
“What?”, boggled Link. “When the heck do you do them?”
“Before breakfast. There has been hardly any day yet which I left out. In addition I do thirty chins, for limbering up.”
“Limbering up.”
He pulled off the shirt at last and Link found his description proven. Though he saw another thing he hadn’t expected to find on him. From the shoulders to shortly at the wrists his arms showed decent tattoos of ornamental lines. The slightly faded auburn and black pattern appeared to look very ikana’n. He even found the famous flames. Dotour noticed Link’s interest, laid his hair over his left shoulder and turned his back to him while he folded the shirt and vest.
Link eventually recognised the pattern which spread over both scapulas as the decorations outside the Eastgate of Clock Town. The sun which was half there was complete and also the rest of the ornament was mirrored downwards. The lines on the arms weren’t that compartmentalized and more closed, but it seemed they were rising from the ornament. The curved, crescent moon like forms as well as the points faulted down the back, symmetrical to the spine. Shortly at height of the hips they framed the Emblem of Ikana and narrowed to the middle. The lowest tip was just possible for Link to see because Dotour had opened his trousers and pushed down his underpants dangerously far as well. He turned his head to the side and studied Link’s gaze.
“Well? You like it?”
“You see it?”, smirked Link. “A relic from youth?”
“Something like that. But a quite well preserved relic.”
“And how. Looks damn good. Why do you hide something like this?”
“You ask?”
“Fine. It’s big. Much. Ikana. And reaches forbidden low.”
Dotour finally pushed down the pants and got out of them. Link couldn’t determine deficiencies at his hips either. So he hadn’t lied regarding the training. There was something Link noticed immediately though.
“Oh! I know that one.”
“I would have wondered if you didn’t. Now you see the original.”, he folded the trousers, opened the laundry basket in the corner with a move of his hand, threw the underpants in a blind flight and let the lid fall down again.
“Yes. By now, I know the copy ins- o– ”,Link giggled and broke off.
“Don’t be shy. Inside out.”, Dotour winked to him and turned to the bed where he piled his stuff.
“This indiscreet, insolent, private sphere ignoring disregard. Now I know where Kafei got it from. Anju plagiarized it too. A contagious wildfire. Damn. He doesn’t only have your butt.”, aspirated Link flatly and raised an eyebrow which made Dotour grin. “And you said he’s got nothing from you.”
“Oh that one.”, he waved off and carried his clothes to one of the two closets where he consciously put it onto the left side of the board.
“Pardon? Do you have an idea how good the copy of that one is?”, murmured Link.
“But complaining about me.”, chuckled Dotour quiet and returned for dressing.
“Yeah, yeah.”
He laid down on the bed and Link followed after he had moved a bit closer to the other bed which converted them to a big one. When Link had comforted himself at Dotour’s right side, the latter covered them with the blanket. Dotour turned off the magical light and both spent several minutes listening to the cosy crackle of the open fire, looking deeply into each other’s eyes in the meagre light. Then Link laid his right hand on Dotour’s chest. He felt the gentle, steady heartbeat, twice as fast as his breathing. Dotour closed his eyes when Link wiped a single tear of hiss right cheek. Then he reached for the hand at his heart and pulled it close.
“You’re not alone.”, whispered Link. “Don’t forget that, you hear me?”
~o~0~O~0~o~
Thoughtfully he held the black cloth in his hands and stared at the object in it. Grey-black, seeming cold, the once orange lines just barely visible. He didn’t dare to touch the Shadow Crystal. Midna had given it to him as a memento before their farewell. She had kept her attitude towards Zant’s `gift´ to the last. Though what now? What was he supposed to do with this souvenir from the Shadow Realm? Privily he knew that Midna hadn’t left him this thing for fun. Did she want him to be able to transform into a wolf any time he liked? He couldn’t deny it had had some advantages. But would he be able to transform back? Basically it seemed logical to him that he only had to touch the Shadow Crystal. But the other way? That had always been Midna’s job. Wouldn’t he stay a wolf forever without her? Or at least until he got help from a Light Spirit? He didn’t even know whether there were such Light Spirits in Termina. And the Great Fairies were dead. Link really had a decision problem.
When he thought about the single regions of Termina he noticed something he never really cared about. There was a waterfall in the swamp. A Deku once told him that the Woodfall-Crater was flooded when there was heavy rain, which created a waterfall. Theoretically that made it two. Ikana had two waterfalls as well if the spring had enough water. And at Great Bay there were multiple waterfalls. Even the Mountain Village had one and the hot springs.
Termina had springs. Natural springs. So it was possible that Light Spirits existed in Termina? Because something had to keep the light here, not? After all the Light Spirits of Hyrule hadn’t been there only after the earthquake. The grottos had been there, filled with Sacred Water. The earthquake had brought them to the surface. Because of that and not only because they didn’t show themselves under normal circumstances, he hadn’t met these Spirits ever before. Why shouldn’t they, if they existed in Termina too, not just have been hidden? Suddenly the door went open. Link tried to hide the crystal so fast that he almost dropped it.
“Oh!“, giggled Kafei. “Did I disturb you?”
“I – er – no.”
“And how I have.”, he shortly sighed, closed the door behind, sat down next to Link on the bed and started kissing him. “You are trying to conceal something.”, he stopped after a minute. “What did you just hide there from me? A toy?”, he reached behind Link, grabbed the bundle of cloth and unfolded it.
“Something like it.”, snorted Link.
“Njila khai – ”, aspirated Kafei
“What?”
“Don’t you touch that thing. If it is what I think, just don’t touch it without the cloth.”
“What should happen apart from me becoming a wolf and that we have to go to Hyrule so a Light Spirit can transform me back?”
“You know what it is?”
“Yes. A Shadow Crystal. To be precise, the one Zant pricked into me. Midna gave it to me at the Desert Fortress. She could transform me any way round any time with it. But I assume, now that all mirrors are destroyed, it lost its power. And even if – are there Light Spirits in Termina?”
“Yes. What else did you think keeps our light?”
“I just had that consideration. But how did they manage to defend themselves against the Shadow Beasts?”
“I don’t know. I only know that their power is in a bad condition since the Great Fairies are dead. The one in Ikana couldn’t help Romani, remember? But your Fairy was from Hyrule. I suppose that’s why she could heal Romani. The balance, you understand? Even if it still works, I don’t think that one of the Light Spirits here can transform you back. And why a wolf? To my knowledge all beings from our world become ghosts once they get in touch with the Twilight or a shadow from that Realm.”
“I thought I mentioned this? Farore’s protection.”
“Oh – yes – rings a bell.”
“But there’s one thing I don’t understand. Why’s Zant still alive? I mean, when he killed Ganondorf I thought it might have been his ghost. And also when he stood there with Midna. You know. When they helped us. And Din spoke about him too, right?”
“Why his ghost?”
“Midna annihilated him.”
“Oh.”, Kafei’s eyes became big. “But Din – if I think about it, the way she mentioned him he could easily have been dead as well as living.”
“Strange.”
“Yes. Tell me – you had plans with that, hadn’t you?”, asked Kafei hesitantly.
“With the Shadow Crystal?”
“Yes.”
“No idea. I just considered whether it still works.”
“What did the mirror look like when Midna destroyed it?”
“There – was nothing left of it. Only the frame. Why?”
“Because I have a dull assumption that this Shadow Crystal still works for sure.”
“You mean, the mirror in the Clock Tower – ?”
“I’m through with Chaliém’s diary by now and – ”
“Whose diary?”
“The masks salesman.”
“Oh. He never told me his name, you know?”, Link countered a bit sharper than he wanted.
“Why am I not surprised? Never mind. Anyway, when he wrote in Hylian, he just mentioned the mirror as if he had no idea what it was. But fact is that he had discovered the mirror long before. It was still intact then. Obviously he was familiar with it. He knew that the mirror was weak. But he also knew where the other two mirrors stand.”
“The other two mirrors? There’s a third?”
“Yes. I told you that.”
“Where?”
“Unfortunately he didn’t mention. But he knew that the mirror in the Clock Tower wasn’t to be underestimated. There are multiple pages on which he speculated about it. And that means something. You know how thick this book is. He made the first entry at the age of five. The next, ten years later. But after that he wrote everything into it he discovered on his journeys – and another lot of things one simply couldn’t catch when getting water from Ikana River. He never wrote where he got it from though, but these are things he could only have gotten to know from the Archpriests. And I am certain that he hasn’t bribed them like Urol had. I am talking about the revelation of the greatest secrets of all time here. I’m really scared that the wrong people could find out what stands in Chaliém’s diary. Anyhow – I really doubt that it was the clock which destroyed the mirror. These mirrors don’t just break by jars.”
“You mean – give me break – ”
“I saw the mirror. There were no shards left. But this here.”, he pulled a silver locket out of his own. „And guess what’s in there and who wore it.”
“Gently! You think he destroyed the mirror?”
“In hope to stop the invasion. And he hid the shards so they wouldn’t fall into the wrong hands. Want to bet that Midna had spent the last half year wondering why one of her soldiers, as I assume, reported her that the mirror was entirely destroyed?”
“And that’s why she could help us!”
“Exactly. But if the shards still exist – all right. I don’t think we are to expect another attack. They both seemed to get a long again quite fast.”
“True. But the connection still remains. Maybe we can put the mirror together and – ”
“Are you mad?”
“No. I didn’t transform when I entered the Twilight through the portal. And if – if I take the Shadow Crystal with me, Midna can transform me back. Or even without it.”
“And? Then? You enter and fetch up somewhere.”
“Why?”
“Are you really that naive and think you’d reach the same place through a different portal?”
“Who cares? Then I’d have to go looking for her. The Twili will help me. And maybe Midna finds me anyway because she feels that a portal has been opened.”
“I don’t know. That doesn’t sound like a good idea to me.”
“What can go wrong?”
“There’s a lot that can go wrong.”
“And what’s a good idea in your opinion?”
“That we first make sure of many things.”
“Fine. You convinced me.”, disappointed he let the crystal; along with the cloth; disappear in his locket. “And? What are we doing now?”
“I feel unbalanced?”
“How? I thought, last night you – or did I leave the two of you alone for nothing?”
“No.”
“But?”
“But?”
“Kafei?”
“Yes?”
“Are you addicted?”
“Would I admit it?”
“Yes.”
“No. Don’t you have withdrawal symptoms?”
“I don’t care what you do to me as long as you’re happy with it. And if you ignore me.”
“Are you drunk?”
“No. What makes you think I am?”, murmured Link.
“You – want to transform into a wolf, go into the Twilight for searching for Midna – and now you even say something like this.”
“I love you. That’s all. And I’m bored.”
“Were did you sleep last night, by the way?”
“At Dotour’s.”
“What?”, chuckled Kafei. “But not – hopefully not in the middle?”
“No. I have no idea when Esra came anyway. Slept quite well.”
“Yes. He’s really good to cuddle with.”, considered Kafei and Link stared at him with big eyes. “What? It is true. Fine that you noticed. He badly needs it.”
“Supposedly. He still grieves for your mother.”
“I do as well. But he’s so obsessed about it that it eats him up from inside.”, Kafei sadly lowered his head.
“He can do the splits.”, giggled Link. “I would have never thought that he’s so agile. Neither how much he trains every day.”
“Yes. Somehow he’s to be admired. And nevertheless I would sometimes like to beat his pessimism out of him. But that’s not me. And it wouldn’t work either.”
“Can you do the splits as well?”, asked Link, just out of curiosity. “I mean, most likely you can, can’t you? But I’d like to see it.”
“You only want to know how flexible I can be in bed.”, giggled Kafei subdued and conceded a clap on the back of his head. “Relax.”
He raised and simply let himself sink down without stretching exercises, the right leg forward-facing.
“Damn!”, gaped Link.
“Pleased?”
“Can you do that sideways too?”
Kafei slightly pressed himself up with his arms, turned the legs like a propeller, feigned apathy in his face. Mentally he almost burst with satisfaction about Link’s expression. He pressed himself up once again. Now the left leg was in the front and the left at the back.
“I really need to refine myself.”, sighed Link.
Thereupon Kafei threw his arms over his head and bent back so tight that Link’s heart almost fell down into his boots. He pushed himself up higher and pulled the right leg through beneath himself to the front while he let his left leg fall down over himself. The moment it touched the floor, he pulled the rest of his body onward and stood straight again as if nothing had happened – without getting knotted in his hip long hair. With a chuckle he went back to Link and closed the latter’s mouth with a soft kiss.
“And? What else did he show you?”
“His back.”
“What surprised you more?”
“There was so much last night that surprised me, I don’t really know what stumped me more. He showed me photos. A representative sample of your life so far.”
“He showed that to you? Then you convey an enormous deal to him.”
“Seems so. He means a lot to me as well.”
“This book is his little private treasure. Esra doesn’t know about it. Please don’t tell him that I told you this.”
“I won’t. It was obvious to me immediately why he kept it in the lowest drawer under another book. There are very private moments in it.”
“Yes. Different topic?”
“All right.”
“I’d know a remedy for your boredom.”
“Yes?”, the next thing Link noticed was that Kafei plunked him a pillow in the face. “Hey! What the heck?”
“Pillow fight!”
“Just you wait!”
~o~0~O~0~o~
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