Nagori, Saimon and Senkyoku - A Wind Waker Tale

If you haven't already noticed, those crazy fairies of mine turned out to be a lot more complex than I anticipated... Is all so complicated - anyway hope you enjoy the chapter...



Chapter 37:
The Beginning of an End

Delia sat against the base of the bell tower as she watched her brother. He stood and stared out over the water. She could feel his frustration building, but what could she do? Kei was almost completely absent from her thoughts, wherever her alter was hiding, she was doing a good and proper job of it. Delia rubbed her forehead and pulled her knees up under her chin as she glanced at Dalkin again. He was still looking out over the wall but now was talking to Saimon.

"Sen?"

The doll was wandering in a circle nearby and paused to answer, "Yes Delia?"

"What do you think those two are talking about?"

There was a short pause as Senkyoku turned toward them and answered, "Sarith."

"Why him? It's not like he has anything to do...with...this," But even as she said it, she knew that he did. Somehow, Sarith was tangled up in this whole mess and with a start she realized she could no longer recall what he looked like. How could she have forgotten that? A man she'd been married to for twelve years and had two children with and she couldn't even remember the color of his hair. She resisted the urge to rock; she didn't have time for a panic attack.


"Why can't I remember?" she asked herself. Delia tried to think of what sent her into her terrified flight and could not. It was so vivid before but the memory was gone, like it had never been.

"Sen why can't I remember Sarith anymore?" The doll did not answer. "Sen?" Delia felt Senkyoku crawl into her lap and cling to her shirt. A little irritated Delia lifted the doll and said to her sternly, "Senkyoku, do you know?"

The doll tilted her head slightly. "Yes."

"Even if it's bad I need to know."

There was a short pause as Senkyoku seem to be listening to something, and then responded sadly, "No."

"Why?" she asked as she gave the doll a little shake.

"I cannot."

Delia frowned at the doll and tried again briefly to keep Kei in one place. Her alter ran from her hiding place behind some broken bits of memory and Delia sighed as she gave up and returned her attention to the doll.

"Kei knows doesn't she," it wasn't a question, "and you two don't think I can handle the truth?"

Again, there was a pause before the doll answered. "Truth is what brought us to this place, Delia. It is the truth of who Sarith is, was and is again. It is what brought Kei out of hiding and what Hito used to bring us here. You were wrong to believe you called your brother. You did not nor was Kei responsible. Now that truth is hidden from you all over again, Kei once more hides from you."

The memories I locked away, Delia thought and she mentally poked at them; she realized that somehow she inadvertently collected some of Kei's. Since Senkyoku's return, she and her other self were one. It made her anxious and she wondered which of Kei's memories were so precious to both of them that Delia sealed them up. She also knew she couldn't get at them without Al's help and sighed. Well, now you've gone and done it, she thought to herself. Senkyoku made her way up to her shoulder and Delia got up and walked slowly over to her brother. He was deep in thought and didn't seem to notice her as she came up behind him. Al was so much older than her now and if what Senkyoku said was true, why did he wait to come here.

"Al?" she said and he turned to look at her. "I'm sorry this isn't going well, I am trying, but it's just all wrong."

Al finished chewing on the piece of biscuit he was munching and said, "Tell me Delia, why did you really call me here?"

"What do you mean?"

"Whose idea was it to come here from the past, yours or Kei's?"

She hesitated remembering what Senkyoku told her but was unsure of what to say...something in his eyes wasn't right, "Why it was me of course," she said brow furrowed.

"Of course," he agreed as he nodded and took the last bite.

"Why would you ask that?" She better than anyone could see in his face when Mei wanted control and she felt herself shift nervously under his gaze. He doesn't believe me, she thought and asked him "Don't you trust me?"

He closed his eyes and for an instant when he opened them, Delia felt Kei's flash of panic. When he looked at her again there was a small smile on his lips. She was startled when he pulled out a biscuit and handed it to her. She took it after a moment and frowned. Al gently wrapped an arm around her, guided her away from the wall, and said to her in whisper, "Always."

Again Kei was there, "Run!" her alter cried and Delia jumped a little as she felt the intensity of Kei's fear. Delia tried unsuccessfully to get Kei to stop skittering about, but couldn't hold her in one place long enough to get an answer. Kei was terrified, really terrified. Whatever happened during her last encounter with Mei left her other self teetering on the brink and Delia turned her head and whispered to the doll on her shoulder, "Sen, what if Al can't control Mei?"

"That would be bad Delia."

Delia felt a moment of hopeless terror and squelched it. Mei wanted her, she thought. He had always wanted her and she felt her anger begin to well up within her. Delia was getting so damn tired of all this and used her anger to finally catch Kei's attention and this time she held her alter still.

(We/I cannot run from the past any longer. It has to stop here if anyone is to survive this, you have to help me...It's more than just my brother, so show me what you are so afraid of?)

She felt Kei's anguish, but her alter's thoughts stopped trying to run. In the shadowy part of her brain where Kei dwelt, they faced one another. Kei used Delia's eyes to guide her vision over the wall toward the oncoming darkness.

(Sarith is here)

Startled, Delia released her hold on Kei, who used the distraction to retreat again. As Kei's words sunk in Delia listened to the memory of the last conversation her alter had with Senkyoku.

When I lost you to the crystal and the madness returned, I lost track of the light......it frightened me but it terrified Delia. For a time I thought my dreams had come true......but imagine waking up from your dream only to realize your worst nightmare was there......standing in front of you, just hoping you'll run...

Delia started forward again and realized she didn't need Mei's help and felt her little package of memories grow warmer as she listened to Kei. The package started to split and Al asked her what was wrong but Delia paid him no attention as she walked back toward the wall. Delia stopped and stared at the approaching darkness as it approached and more jumbled memories of other strangely pleasant encounters with Hito began to creep in. Senkyoku still on Delia's shoulder hugged her ear to lend some comfort.

"This is what you wouldn't tell me? That Hito and my husband are the same man?" Delia asked Sen in a whisper, but the doll did not answer right away.

"Not the same Delia."

"I don't understand. How can you say that, they are..."

"Sarith is trapped within the shadow, just as you were trapped within Kei."

"But, you and I both know that Kei is only a different aspect of who I have always been."

"Yes but still no."
When Delia reached the wall she stopped and said, "...it was that last fishing journey...they were gone so long. He always was a much better farmer...this is so confusing ...do you think Al knows?"

"I do not know, he may suspect, but I did not tell Saimon."

"Why?"

"It was for the best, though I did tell him that Sarith may not have been who he thought he was."

"That's probably what Al and Saimon were talking about," Delia bit her lip, now worried because she knew that Al would figure it out sooner and not later. He always had a head for that sort of thing. "But why not just tell him?"

"Dalkin still struggles with Mei. He does not understand his alter, as you understand Kei. He still holds that one apart and I was unsure if it would be wise to tell him. He never liked Sarith."

She couldn't argue with that, the pair had almost come to blows when they told him of their plans to marry. Delia understood now why Kei was so adamant that Hito really did love her. Why her alter was willing to do what the Shadow asked of her. She even knew why Al asked her who had called him. Delia was no longer sure either, nor did she have a clue as to what she should do, it was all so clear just a few moments before. But Kei loved Hito, and she was Kei... Why can't anything ever be simple? she wondered. Goddesses please show me the way. I just don't know what to do.

"Listen to your heart Delia," Senkyoku said quietly, "and the goodness that dwells there will show you the true path."

"But I don't know what my heart wants..." Delia felt the lie in her words and was gripped by a moment of despair. She tracked Kei's thoughts down and said to her alter, I'm sorry Kei, I truly didn't know.

The part of herself that was Kei smiled as she melted back into her subconscious and Delia felt an odd sense of relief . For the first time, since she was a child, she felt whole and smiled inwardly as she felt Kei's hold on her magic dissipate, leaving her the knowledge and control of it. Delia turned back to her brother, who seemed satisfied to wait for her a few feet away. Al remained lost in thought and Delia would give everything to know what he was thinking right then.

She was about to join him so they could try the spell one more time before the sun went down but Al looked up suddenly and Delia thought she heard the strains of a distant violin. It stopped and every thing felt as if were held in a moment of eerie tranquility. Al looked around warily and then his eyes went wide. Moving faster than she ever thought a man of his age could, he rushed over to her and forced her onto her back, pinning her to the ground. Delia struggled in his grip but lay still when an incredibly strong gust of wind blew past them and over the top of the tower.

"Al!" Delia cried over the wind, "What's happening?"

"I don't know but keep your head down!" he shouted back as his hat was blown from his head.

Above the roar of the wind, Delia heard the sound of a dull clang from the bell that stood above the Tower. She tried to tilt her head in that direction, but was unable to turn it far enough. Al's eyes remained closed and she noticed the glimmer of the magic he was using to keep them stuck to the floor.

The wind subsided briefly and just as quickly replaced by a black wind that swept past the Tower and continued south. It's the beginning of the end, Delia thought. The time loops cycle must be ending and if Hito came back this time without the Princess, he would be furious. She glanced up at the moon; the lunar cycle was almost complete. If Hito failed he’d have to retreat until the next full lunar eclipse and Delia knew better than anyone alive, that Sarith now Hito, never liked waiting for anything.


Kage yearned to follow the song...it wanted him to. It called to him by the name that was once his, but not and it was trying to tell him something...something important. Kage looked at the garden and thought it good that they'd come here. The Lady was here and she would guide them.

The fairy sighed and thought again about Mei. That boy...Kage spent many years traveling with him, but still the memory of it all was colorless and dull and though Kage tried, he could not even remember the sound of that one's voice. This made the fairy sad as he thought how lucky Saimon was to have a friend; he did not have one, except his sister. Where could she be? Their was existence was bound and one could never leave this plane without the other. Kageri was out there somewhere and Kage hoped she found her way safely out of the darkness of Kei's crystal. The Princess had thought so.

The voice of his mother still called to him and within it his true purpose. However, Kage was determined not leave the Princess or the Wind Waker. They needed him as Mei once did and now that he'd shown them how to get here, he would have to remain until they found the answers they needed to defeat Hito. There was only one way to do it and the Wind Waker already possessed the key. Why the Goddesses proscribed him from just telling them, he did not know for he was quite prepared to do so, but whenever he tried, the wrong thing would come out.

Still, the song called him...he should answer, and Kage flew up a little further in that direction. When Kage realized what he was doing, he stopped and flew to the Hero's hat and pulled it over himself. As with Hito when the fairy was with the Hero he could no longer hear it and Kage peeked out and shifted slightly for a better view of things, but the Wind Waker paid him no mind. The Princess, however, did notice him and smiled. Kage felt strangely warmed by it. This was not a feeling he was used to, but it was not unpleasant and he thought, No, I will not leave her.


Komali grimaced as he strained to keep himself, Medli and Makar secured to the ledge. The first wind that carried them aloft had already subsided. However, a stronger, colder wind threatened to knock all three of them into the ocean. He didn't know fully why the Earth Sage wanted to come here, but he was not about to leave her or the still unconscious Wind Sage without any protection.

Link was conspicuously absent. Something must be stopping him, Komali thought, because Link always turned up just when he was needed. Komali always thought this the weirdest thing, but obviously, the will of the Goddesses directed him in his travels. When Rito Prince started to tire and almost lost his grip completely, he looked down to see a tiny sea fairy. She regarded him with a tilted head and seemed wholly unaffected by the winds raging all around them.

"Who are you!" he yelled and grimaced as he was buffeted by a particularly strong gust.

"I am Nagori," she said very calmly. "Tell me, why do you struggle against the winds?"

He stared at the fairy in disbelief for a moment. He could barely hear himself shouting but could hear the fairy as if she were right next to his ear.

"Cause we'll be blown half way to Windfall if I let go!"

The fairy giggled. "The Earth Sage will protect us," so saying she floated serenely to where Medli lay huddled and lightly touched her face. Though there was only a slight pause in the wind, but in that time, the Sage of Earth visibly relaxed and her words became less frantic. Her face calmed as she continued in her prayer to the Goddesses with her eyes closed, voice barely above a whisper. Komali could only watch in wonder, as the lip of the ledge they were on grew taller. The effect of the wind lessened as the barrier grew higher. He tentatively eased his grip on it he drew a long breath in relief when the wall seemed to hold.

"What did you do?" Komali asked the fairy.

"I gave her the chance to catch her thoughts."

"Well I have to say, I'm pleased to meet you Nagori, how did you get up here?

"The Wind Sage brought me with him. He is very brave."

Komali looked at Makar again, the little Korok stirred but still hadn't woken up, "So what now? We're here but what can we do?"

"You must call the White Bird"

"Who? That's just a legend, I can't call anyone."

"Are you not the Prince of the Rito?" the sea fairy asked. When he nodded slowly in reply Nagori tilted her head again. "Then it was not by chance that you find yourself here. Open your heart young Prince and you will surly hear the Goddesses' plans for you."

"What makes you think they have plans for me?"

"It is dangerous to run from yourself as Hyrule's Princess has discovered. "

Komali stared at the sea fairy; she gazed back at him with a knowing smile.

"If you call to her, she will come."

Okay, he thought, how do you call a legendary spirit you're not entirely sure exists? He dredged through his memories of the times his Grandmother or Medli had read or recited the legends of the White Bird. Only when she was truly needed would she would appear and always as if by happenstance and if the White Bird was the keeper and she had taken on human form, then she really would be needed. But to do that there was a rhyme he needed to recite, but at the moment he was drawing a complete blank. He closed his eyes in an effort to concentrate; this really was getting him nowhere and then he thought he heard what sounded like a reed pipe. The music sounded so familiar and pleasant he stopped wondering where it was coming from and just listened to the sweet sound of it. His thoughts calmed and he focused on a particular memory...

"Come on Grandma," he said as he struggled to sit up under the heavy blanket, "just once more?"

"It's late Komali, you need your rest. Your father expects you to be at your best tomorrow for the winter solstice festival."

"I know and I promise I'll go to sleep as soon as you're done."

She brushed some hairs out of his face and smiled at him, "Alright poppit, as long as you promise."

"Yes!" and he clapped his hands, "You're the best Grandma."

And there it was, the song he'd heard so many times as a child. He looked down at the fairy and a question formed in his head as he realized the song he'd heard, so bright and clear had been coming from her and he thought, This one knows far more than she's telling.

"What are you?"

"No more or less than I appear to be," the fairy responded.

"That, little one," Komali said with a smile. "I find hard to believe."


Keapora studied the portal for a moment and asked Jasper, "So how much time do you think we have left?"

"Very leetle," Jasper said as he put away his bow. "I believe that Hito plans to kill the Hero today whether he has found zee Princess or note. We have only until zee sun sets tomorrow."

"What of the others?"

"If Jake and Kotori are where zey are supposed to be, zey are on Tingle Island."

"Tingle has an island? Who'd have thought, must be charging more for those maps of his."

Jasper snorted and spread his hands out in front of him. "Ees a long story."

"We will need to find the pirate named Senza."

"He ees nearby, I saw heem when I arrived, but we weel need to deal wees zee moblins firs zo."

"Then we'll require a distraction," Kaepora said and pointed up. Jasper smiled and looked up at the fairy as she made lazy circles above their heads.

"Nazo?"

"Yes, Guardian?" the fairy answered.

"Can we rely on you?"

There was a short silence, followed by, "Yes."

"Are you worried about the coming dawn?" Kaepora asked.

Again, there was another pause and she answered, "Yes"

The Guardian held out his hand and the fairy landed there. It was then Kaepora noticed the former tekuragari had taken on a lighter tinge.

"I do not believe you have anything to fear from the dawn, little one," Kaepora said and the fairy tilted her head. "You have set yourself on the path back to the light and we are glad, but for now you must return to your mother. She is the only one who can complete this course. We will have need of you then so you must come back once you're through." This time the fairy nodded, but it was already getting harder for him to see her clearly. "And if you could do us one last favor before you leave..."


Senza was startled when a small light popped suddenly out of the fairy fountain. It buzzed the moblins, flying intermittently in and out of their faces. This caused not so bright monsters to start waving their spears about. Fine, Senza thought, while they're distracted. He signaled everyone who'd joined him to move forward and after a brief battle the moblins were gone and so was the light.

The pirate was about to step into the portal, when a seagull shot out of it, forcing him to take a step back. The seagull settled nearby and Senza looked back at the portal in time to see Gonzo step away from the hole. Senza waved for Gonzo to come closer when behind him, Senza heard the rest of the crew say things like: "Wow did you see that seagull move?" and "I wonder where it went..." No one seemed to see Gonzo at all...except him.

Gonzo approached slowly to where his friend stood and Senza noticed now the boy he'd seen in the fountain on Southern Fairy Island stood behind Gonzo.

Jasper was back.

"Just what in the nine hells is going on?" Senza asked the boy.

"What ees eet wees zees nine hells place?" the boy muttered.

"Senza, I have to go." Gonzo said pulling his attention back.

"Sure Captain, we'll shove off ..." Senza stopped when someone behind him asked who he was talking to and the first mate looked back at his friend and said in a low whisper, "You're not Gonzo...anymore."

The man who had been Gonzo smiled and said, "It's a little complicated to explain right now, but do you still have the fairies?"

"Uh yeah," Senza said as he reached into his pouch and pulled out to bottles. "This is all we have left..."

"They will do, thank you," the Guardian said as he took them. "If you and your crew leave now, you'll reach the area surrounding the Tower by midday tomorrow." And he turned to leave.

"Before you go..." Senza said, "that light, was that the fairy who was in the crystal?"

"Yes."

"Did she do this?" and Senza leaned a little closer and asked, "Can you turn into a seagull too?"

"Nazo is not responsible for the change in your friend. That was his choice," and the former pirate said as he looked at Jasper, "As for the seagull...meh, too small."

Senza gave a grunt of satisfaction and the small group just below let out cries of alarm as the largest owl any of them had ever seen, appeared and took off with a much smaller seagull trailing behind. Senza laughed as he turned back to his stunned crewmates.

"Alright you lot, I'm temporarily taking command of the ship, the Captain is otherwise occupied and we need to shove off...Dawn is coming and we need to be somewhere else. Move out!" he shouted and hopped down off the ledge.

Mako approached him cautiously and asked, "But what about Master Orca and Grandma Namaki?"

"She said she wasn't going back down to the village until it was safe."

"No," Mako corrected, "She said she wouldn't go back down until the shadow was named."

Senza sighed. "Make you choice then, stay here and keep and eye on her, or shove off with us."

Mako walked over to Zuko and the pair talked quietly. "I'll stay," Mako said, "Zuko is going with you."

"Alright then, good luck to you, come on men lets go."


Kotori dropped the packs and looked up at the crystals. She placed them there to be safeguarded by those statues surrounding that dais ages ago. Three glowed dimly in the darkness and she hoped the gems had gained enough power to defeat the shadow and his daemon. As she watched, the ruby crystal shone brighter, then it too subsided and took on the luster of the others.

A face flashed through her mind of the young man she knew he was the Captain of that pirate ship she'd first found herself on. He resembled the princess, though Kotori wondered if anyone ever realized they were related. However, for reasons she couldn't put a finger on, thoughts of him made her feel an acute sadness and her breathe caught and she shut her eyes as she realized Kageri managed the task she'd set for her. Though why this would sadden her was a mystery.

"Jake?"

"Jes, Kotori," he replied and Kotori thought her fellow Guardian sounded tired as he paused on his way toward the door. He'd placed the Princess on the dais and was returning to the chamber above to fetch Link.

"Who was the Captain?"

"Was?" Jake asked confused for a moment. He frowned as he waved a hand back at Tetra and said, "He was her brosser."

"No, I knew that...but I meant to Aryll."

Jake said nothing for a moment and after glancing up at the crystals she said, "He was a good friend."

"Is that all?"

"Jes," he said and walked out of the room.

Kotori's attention went back to the crystals again. Time was running short and the Princess needed to find her way back and soon, with or without her answers. Another random thought of the Captain ran quickly through her head, followed again by a moment of intense sadness. Aryll was young, but her trial had come when she was much younger and the experience had left its mark upon the girl. Jake, Kotori was sure, was not telling her the whole truth of Aryll's relationship with the Captain...

Gonzo...

What a curious name, Kotori thought and she shifted her attention back to the packs at her feet. A loud crash above made the chamber shudder and all four of the crystal gems began to hum, and Kotori looked at the door. Jake hadn't returned and she could only assume the Shadow was here on the island. Shadow's always moved most swiftly at night she thought.

The ceiling trembled and she had to dodge aside as small pieces of it began to fall all around her. With a thought Kotori made the heavy door slam shut and mentally felt it lock. She shouldered one of the packs, grabbed the other off the floor, and ran to the sleeping princess.

"Your time is almost up Princess, I hope you’ve found what you went looking for."

Kotori worried after Jake, but knew he could take care of himself. While the Shadow may find the Hero, Kotori was going to make certain he did not find the Princess. She stood near Tetra then, eyes closed arms raised to the heavens. She sang softly into the empty air causing a hazy yellow light to surround them. Lost in her song, Kotori continued to sing as the statues began to crumble around them.

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