Legend of Zelda ~ Sealed Away

Memories ~ Part 1

After a brief goodbye to Aria the next morning, Vaati and Lexi made their way out of the inn feeling refreshed and ready to face the challenges ahead. Vaati followed Lexi out of castle town while trying to push the memories of his confrontation with Shadow from the previous night to the back of his mind. Was Ganondorf really that angry at him? Surely Shadow was bluffing, right? Vaati couldn't help but let these questions fill his mind as he walked behind Lexi in an unnatural silence, pondering.

"Hey," Lexi said, noticing something off about Vaati. "Is something up? You look sort of worried." She slowed her pace to walk beside the conflicted Wind Mage, worried for the well being of her friend.

"Yes, I'm fine," he muttered, brushing her off lightly. Regaining his usual prideful stance and arrogance, he managed to push all thoughts about Shadow and Ganon aside. "Have you got the map?"

"Yeah, it's right here," Lexi replied, happy to see Vaati back to his old self. "It says that if we keep walking in this direction for about an hour, we'll reach a path that usually goes hidden unless one is really looking for it. From there we follow that path, and it should lead us straight to the temple!"

Vaati nodded his head in satisfaction, and the pair made their way to the temple following the directions of the map. They traveled along until Vaati's careful eye spotted the hidden path, and they went down the path until they reached a huge stone structure.

It was a beautiful old building made of crumbling grey stone and olden style engravings sunken above the dark entranceway. Lush green vines grew up along the sides of the structure, and the sun reflected off the dewdrops on the vines giving the place a mystical feel. "I think we're at the temple," Lexi spoke in awe, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape.

"You don't say," Vaati retorted sarcastically, rolling his eyes for good measure. "Come on," he said, walking up to the entrance of the temple. "I want to get this over with as quickly as possible, understood?"

Lexi nodded her head in silent agreement, and made her way after Vaati into the glorious temple before them.

They entered the temple and found themselves in an empty room with nothing but a closed door on the other side. Suddenly the way from which the pair had entered the temple closed with a loud thud, and Vaati rushed forwards to try and open the door on the other side of the room.

"It's locked," he spoke softly trying not to panic, though Lexi could detect growing nervousness lace his tone of voice. Being in a small room with no way out was starting to seriously get to him. "There's nothing in here, not even a refreshing breeze to calm my damn nerves! So what are we supposed to do?"

Just as Lexi opened her mouth to speak, a gentle, otherworldly female voice rang across the room, echoing off the cold stone walls. "Greetings, I see you have made your way to the temple, the place of the second task," the voice spoke clearly, and it was evident that the woman's sweet voice belonged to Nayru. "Here you, Vaati, will have to complete a most challenging task. The instructions are simple."

"You will enter the next room in a moment, and when you are ready you are to touch the glowing stone that you will find resting upon a raised pedestal in the center of the room. Only you may touch the stone, Vaati, for Lexi will only be allowed to stand and watch, as this is not her task to complete. When you touch the stone you will be brought into a past memory you hold. After watching that memory unfold before your very eyes, I expect you to tell me either what you should have done differently in that particular situation or what you have learned from it. Once you have told me this, you will be brought back into reality and the door on the other side of the room will open. If you responded to the situation correctly, you and Lexi will pass through the door to the other side and will enter the next room. Should you fail the door will still open, but when you pass through it you will end up in the four sword again for eternity and Lexi will appear at the entranceway to the temple where you began. Is that clear?"