The house is not painted. Rather, you can see the dark swirls of the timber, worn and faded by the weather. It is rather large, larger than your average cottage, at least. The windows are made of delicate glass, ones that the sun happily penetrates through. If you look into the window, as there are no curtains to hide the interior, you can see shelves upon shelves of books, potions, and messy stacks of parchment. It seems normal enough, but there is something amiss about it.

Ah yes, it must be the silence. No birds dance about the building, no shouts of children are heard from inside. Rather, the house is engulfed in a brooding, solemn silence. The quietude remains undisturbed, as if it has always been there, and always will be.

However, that is not so. A man throws open the door, his clothes rumpled and folded, as if he had just awaken from a nice slumber. His hair is a shiny black, the color of ink when spilled unto a white piece of parchment. Yawning grandly, the man opens his emerald green eyes, bright and ready for the day. Looking about, the man notices you and smiles brightly, as if he had never seen a human being or anyone of the same line before.

Waving his arms towards you, the man cries,

"Hello, my name is Masakazu! Come, come! It's been long since I've had a visitor to my home!"

Suddenly, his eyes grow extremely wide. Swearing under his breath, he mutters,

"Dang! How could I forget such a thing!"

Thus saying, he runs back into the house, and shuts the door partially. The door is still open just a tad, enough to show that it's not locked. You can hear the faint crashes of breaking china, the flutter of paper flying about wildly.

Aureliano was enjoying his daily walk in the happy sunlight, until he came across a cottage. It was bigger than a normal cottage, and something seemed abnormal about it. For starters, it had no paint, it had thin windows, and this house had been here for some time, since it was worn by hail, rain, sun, sleet and snow. The young Hylian finally noticed what striked him odd: It was the shelves of books. Something seemed wrong.

The silence got to Aureliano. It was eery and unnatural. The birds seemed to avoid the place, along with almost any other living organism. Suddenly, a man oppens the door and Aureliano draws his sword immedietly, only to realize the man has good intentions. "Masakazu, eh? I am Aureliano. I though you were an enemy." Aureliano tells the black-haired man, keeping his sword in his hand. He was still not confident about this person. Masakazu then walks inside, muttering something about forgetting. Aureliano notices the man has not closed his door, and hears china crashing and papers shuffling. The young Vassal desides to go in, despite risking to be put in an uncomfortable situation, and opens the door slowly.

Masakazu, having forgotten his visitor completely, dashed around the house madly. His shoulders crashed into his potion bottles carelessly, and his legs knocked over his messy stacks of parchment. It almost seemed as if he had lost his mind completely, his green eyes darting here and there. The man paused, slightly bent over, as if preparing for a surprise attack.

A small flash of flaming red darted behind the curtains. Masakazu yelled,

“Ah ha! Found you!”

So saying, he leaped over his books and outstretched his arms towards the windows. As he did so, the same flaming red made a ‘meow’ and came hurtling towards the man’s arms. Masakazu held a small cat in his arms, its eyes green as its owner’s. Sighing contently, he began to gently chastise the pet.

“I thought I told you to give the cat away.”

Suddenly, a tranquil yet aloof voice came from the hallway. A silver haired mage, her face pale as the moon, walked towards Masakazu. The man looked guilty as he explained,

“I was going to this morning, but…”

He trailed off, and noticed Aureliano lingering at the doorway. His gloomy face disappeared as he beckoned,

“Sorry! Right, tea! Come, come!”

The girl’s eyes turned to Aureliano, and she waved slightly. Sakiko grinned,

“Hello, Aureliano. Masakazu, this is Aureliano.”

The man smiled and replied,

“Ah, what a unique name. It has a certain… click to it.”

Sakiko rolled her eyes and began to pick up the pieces of fluttered papers. She sighed as she stacked the fallen books to their proper places in their shelves. The mage turned to Aureliano and pointed at the cat.

“Would you like to keep her? She needs a home, you know.”

Masakazu frowned.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with you, Sakiko. You used to like cats.”

Aureliano saw the crazy man knock over books, parchments, and pretty much everything in his way, following what looked like a bright red animal. When the animal went into his arms, Aureliano saw the happiness in the man's eyes, reminding him of his earlier life. As he chastised the pet, Sakiko appeared and asked the man if he had followed her instructions. He replied, and it was obvious the man did not want to give the cat away.

When Sakiko noticed Aureliano, he nodded at her. "So strange" he thought, seeing this man that acted like a six-year-old here with Sakiko. "Thank you, Masakazu. You have a nice name too," Aureliano told the green eyed man calmly. As Aureliano saw Sakiko pick up the books and what-not that Masakazu had knocked over, he began to think if they are related, or maybe even going out. This thought scared Aureliano. "He is too old for her. That would be creepy. Then again, I have seen it happen."

Sakiko then offered him the cat. "Why don't you let Masakazu keep it, or why don't you keep it. I already have a baby." Aureliano told Sakiko, pointing to his back. "If you do not let him take it in, I guess I would have no choice."

"Am I warming up to a cat? Am I really that weak? Why did I say that? Din, That was so stupid! Why do I want a cat? I guess, it is too late now, since I am not going to take my words back."

OoC:
yes, Aureliano carries Aureliano III on his back.

ooc: masakazu is the same age as sakiko.

IC: Sakiko sighed as she gave the cat back to Masakazu. A baby was enough. The mage had not noticed the baby on Aureliano's back until now. Staring at him with a somewhat surprised look on her face, the mage smiled. She commented,

"You're like a mother, Aureliano."

She held back some more chuckles and picked up her staff, which was leaning against the wall. The mage turned to Masakazu and said with brevity,

"I want to show Aureliano something. You clean up the mess, ok?"

Sakiko started to walk down the hallway, her footsteps echoing down to the darkness at the end. She did not stop to turn around, to see if Aureliano was following or not, as she took it for granted that he was. Somehow, the interior of the house seemed too large, compared to the outside of the house. The mage stopped briefly, and pushed open a door.

Its hinges seemed ancient, but it opened with no troubles, except its loud screeching. Inside, it was dark, as if the whole room was covered with a gigantic shadow. There were no windows, and it was cold as freshly melted ice. The walls were completely hidden by shelves of books, but they were neatly stacked.
Sakiko explained,

“This is my room. I usually don’t stay at a house for a long period of time, but Masakazu here had so many books that I decided to take up residence. Zapheta also lives here, and they’re twins. It’s kind of strange, because…”

She walked over to a nearby shelf, and pulled open a thick book. It read, Of Herbs and Medicine. Sakiko muttered,

“To be honest, I can’t remember most of the things in my past. I think it’s because I have tried all these years to try and forget my childhood, ever since my aunt Opegaria died, and I have succeeded. Masakazu and Zapheta claim that they used to know me when we were young, but I doubt that.”

A mother. Aureliano began to ponder the idea, toying with it. The only thing that resulted was gruesome pictures in his head concerning his own experiences with female caretakers. "Actually Sakiko, I prefer guardian."

Aureliano noted how pale, little Sakiko can be cold and controlling. This was quite frighting, like fighting Dodongoes, Ganon, or caring for a baby.

At that same instant the infant began to cry, and Aureliano was obliged to take out a small container of Lon-Lon Milk and feed it to the baby. Aureliano waited for the child to drain the container and then it became quiet (so it won't bother me).

Aureliano continued to walk down the hallway after Sakiko, not wanting to get lost in the big interior. He peered into the now open room and felt it's coldness. The books where all aligned and neat, and no windows seemed to be around to let the heat in. "How can a room be so cold?" He thought to himself, putting Melqi's cloak on over the bulge on his back to cover himself and the baby.

"Maybe they do know you Sakiko. You did strive to lose your memory after all." Aureliano said in a matter-of-fact voice.

Sakiko noticed Aureliano wrap himself and the baby with a cloak. The mage smiled, and said apologetically,

"Sorry, kinda cold, huh. But I like this temperature. It's very soothing, you know?"

The mage dropped the book on a nearby chair, and looked at Aureliano with her silver eyes. She said gravely,

"Yes. A part of me doubts them, but another - more dominant part of myself, the logical one - is forced to believe them. It's kind of..."

She trailed off, her gaze dropping to the floor.

"...awkward, I suppose. Because..."

The Hylian's voice thinned into nothingness, wisped away with the cold. She leaned against the wall, and looked at the baby. She quickly changed the subject,

"How are you doing with him?"

Aureliano noted Sakiko's discomfort and show of submission by the lowering of her gaze caused by the topic they were disussing. This sent Aureliano a wave of strange feelings. He felt hungry, like a predator for its prey. Like a wild animal.

Aureliano mentally shook it off. He realized this was the unconscious instinct he felt when he fought an enemy. He felt like a wolf, regal and untouchable. A predator. Invincible.

"The baby?" Aureliano asked, looking in Sakiko's eyes, experimenting. "We have been doing fine. He is learning to crawl." Aureliano felt the emotion again, very briefly. Only this time it was somehow different.

"He cries a lot, though." he added briefly.

"So what have you been up to, Sakiko? And why do you have so many books?"

Sakiko gazed at Aureliano thoughtfully, sensing his emotions with curiosity. She didn't say anything though - it was unlike anything she had ever felt before, and it was better left unmentioned. The mage began to become enraptured in the feeling, turning it over in her mind, confused.

The mage shrugged, and reached for the baby.

"He's so small. May I?"

She lingered her hands over the baby and Aurel, feeling their warmth. She withdrew her hand quickly, somewhat ashamed. Her paleness and coldness left her feeling as though she was some vile creature...unforgivable...

The Hylian shook her head,

"He'll probably cry some more because he'll be cold."

Her eyes turned a shade darker, bringing a sharp contrast between her eyes and her skin. Noting the coldness, Sakiko noticed how warm Aureliano was. She had never gave thought to it before, but standing in the freezing room, the mage could almost feel the heat radiating from him. She saw her own hands, so rigid and cold, like ice. Was she so cold before she had lost her memory? So fond of solitude?

Sakiko slided to her bed, a hard, wooden furniture. The mage, avoiding Aureliano's gaze, turned her eyes to the wall. She said hesitently,

"I met Zapheta some time ago, in a camping trip. It's weird, because she says that I've changed so much since I've last seen her. And Masakazu, he's...well..."

Her eyes met Aureliano's for a brief second, until she drifted her focus elsewhere.

"You know, intimate childhood friends, I suppose. But it's all behind me now, but some people just can't let go of their past. You know what I mean?"

Aureliano thought about the past. How the past made him flinch past the point of a handshake with another human being. How with Melqi dead, no one still leaved that he could say are part of his past. Hyrule and its citizens are now his past, his present, and his future.

Aureliano noticed Sakiko's attempt to grab the baby. He enjoyed signs of submission. It made him feel like a lion. He did not know why, but it ust happened. Enemies showing submission was aslo pleasant. The only thing was that Sakiko was not an enemy. Then again, his feeling was different.

"Maybe some people do try to forget the past, but the harder you repress it, the harder it will hit you when it resurfaces." Aureliano told Sakiko. "Or maybe, they enjoyed what they had so much that they cannot move on."

Aureliano took of the cloak and continued to unknot the leather throng that held the baby to him. He then proceeded to offer the baby to Sakiko.

"Go ahead, hold him."

Sakiko hesitated, but she decided to hold the infant, anyway. The baby fascinated her - a tiny being, yet so capable of all the basic habits of human beings. The mage firmly grapsed the bundle in her arms, feeling the warmth of the small person. She leaned her head to his head, her silver hair tumbling down her shoulders.

Was she supposed to feel love?

Adoration, perhaps?

Sakiko felt rotten, feeling incapable of immediate attraction to things small, cute, and cuddly. She knew that the majority of the feminine population would immediately coo and giggle at the sight of such an infant. She felt none of those emotions, only feeling the sense of emotion that the baby was there. Like seeing a chair in a room.

The mage held the baby fora few more seconds, until she handed him back to Aureliano. She turned away, and walked briskly to the door. Working the hinges unmercifully, she pushed it open, letting a flood of warm air into the gloomy chamber. She turned to Aureliano, and said,

"You must be freezing. I'm not a very good hostess, am I? Shall I show you the garden?"

Aureliano took the baby back. He then proceded to tie the him back up. The infant just looked around with the same clairvoyant eyes he was first seen with. He seemed well aware of the situation and of everything around him, making him look like a seer.

Aureliano had taken note that Sakiko did not go all mushy over Aureliano III like the rest of the females, and some males, have gone when he presented young Aure to them. It did not bother him, but he just found it interesting. As the gust of warmth swept the room, Aureliano began to store his cloak in his ruck. "Not at all, Sakiko. Do not worry about us." Aureliano reasured the mage. "Let's go the garden then. I am hoping it is spacious enough to let Aureliano III crawl for a little while.

Sakiko muttered in reply,

"Yes, spacious indeed."

She led the way, back to the hallway. This time, she went further down, away from the entrance. One could easily notice the beams of light brushing against the wooden walls now, away from the gloom. The mage approached a door, which looked worn down and bleached in the places where hands most went to. She opened the latch, and stepped outside.

It wasn't a garden at all.

It was a forest, except there were rows and rows of herbs. Sakiko made her way carefully through the plants, sometimes reaching down to stroke each leaf lovingly. She felt peaceful here, away from the world.

The Hylian reached a small bench, made from marble. Its legs had images of birds engraved onto it, as if they were trapped there. The sun shone right at the bench, making it gleam brightly. Beside it, a bird bath had taken residence, with a few colorful birds pecking at the water carefully. Sakiko smiled and sat down, feeling the cool winter breeze.

"Well, I think it's spacious enough for little Aurel, don't you think?"

Aureliano was awed by the sight of the beautiful, regal forest-like garden. He felt as if time had stopped in its ever-toiling tracks in this location. "It is quite spacious, Sakiko." Aureliano sat on the marble bench and simply looked at Aureliano III's reaction to all of the scenary.

The vivid colors caught the baby's eyes and he looked around curiously. His attention was grasped by the ravishing birds, shifted to the plants, and then to the trees. The infant seemed to be in a placable mood, though he always seemed that way, since he hardly ever cried or showed any signs of discomfort, for that matter. The baby always looked on with those clairvoyant eyes as if he was predicting the future.

Aureliano put Aureliano III on the ground and the infant began to crawl about, relieved to stretch his tiny limbs. He crawls toward the bird bath, and then to any colorful plant he sees.

"So you live here with Masakazu?"

Sakiko smiled as she saw Aureliano III crawling around - so she wasn't the only one who felt a home here. The mage could truly let go of her cold, selfish self in the 'garden'. Amongst her herbs and plants, she was amiable and loving. As close to loving as she could possibly get - to love was a dangerous risk to her... the scar that was left from loving her aunt and losing her had left its mark. As the mage looked into Aureliano's eyes, she felt a strange impetus to grab his hands and feel his warmth. But of course, being a creature of common sense, she didn't do such a thing.

The mage half-closed her eyes as she listened to Aureliano's question. She answered,

"I don't really live here, I suppose. I drop by now and then, for the books. And it does get tiring wandering around as a traveler sometimes, you know... but I just come here because Zapheta lives here too."

She looked up at the trees looming over them, the sun penetrating through the small spaces brightly. The Hylian began to rant about Masakazu and Zeze, until she felt herself emotionally aware. She leaned in, her face crumpling. Strange. Until just now, she could feel Aureliano's and his baby's aura strongly. But where was the baby? The mage stood up briskly, searching about the rows of herbs and plants meticulously. She clenched her fist, her silver eyes wide with shock.

"Aureliano..."

She turned to look at her companion, her voice a bit trembling.

"Where is the baby?"