Apothecary

Chapter 16

Link's POV

I glanced back and forth between Y/N's and Renado's faces. She was...a coward? What did she mean when she said that? And...Y/N was from Kakiriko? Why hadn't she said anything? She wasn't here when I freed the spring from Twilight, so how could she possibly--

"My mother used to run a shop...she taught me everything she knew about medicines...she died two years back...I had to run away."

And then an older story, one I had overheard when the Twilight had still enshrouded this place, popped into my head as if on cue. Something that Barnes had said when I found everyone huddled and scared in that sanctuary.

"Remember the lady from the general store? Just one of those things attacked her, and a whole gang from town went to save her! And what happened? She was already gone, and there were TWO monsters waitin'!"

Oh. Oh goddesses.

I turned to look at Y/N, who was clearly putting on her best brave face in spite of what I guessed had happened.

Renado just looked at her with sadness in his eyes. Knowing him, he had probably figured it out by now. "Y/N, your mother...you aren't a coward. What happened then was not cowardice." She nodded, but I wasn't sure if she'd heard. She was just...staring. It was almost like she wasn't seeing anything.

I really wasn't sure what to say.

Your POV

For obvious reasons, I was not too keen on going up to the Goron Mines. It was agreed that Link would be the one to go instead, and after a few awkward words he dashed off. I watched him go.

At this point I barely registered that conversations were taking place around me anymore. The village itself felt like it was threatening to swallow me up. I was alternating between anxiety at my return to the village, minor relief that at least Renado, Barnes, and Luda made it out alright, trepidation at what Link would think of me after this, and so much more. If I kept up the mood shifts any longer I'd be an emotional wreck.

But the one thing that wouldn't go away no matter what my mood swung to was my intense urge to avoid the building that once was mother's store at all costs. In fact I barely even looked at the thing, and whether consciously or unconsciously I gave it a wide berth whenever I went by it.

Renado noticed this.

"Y/N, maybe you should try to go inside. You...you may not like what you see, but it'll at least provide you with some closure." He sounded very hesitant. Just how bad was it?

I took a deep breath and finally turned to face the storefront. It...didn't look all that different, aside from the tattered paper triangles hung up everywhere. And whose face was that plastered on the door? I tore off the old poster and took another deep breath. Hands shaking, I finally opened the door on what used to be my mother's store. I wasn't sure how prepared I was to see it again, but I knew I had to face my past sometime. It might as well be now--

"Welcome, valued customer, to Malo Mart!"

...Excuse me?

My reverie was abruptly cut off by a voice I wasn't expecting to hear. I stared blankly at the scene before me.

Two of the Goron Elders--Gor Ebizo and Gor Liggs , two tribal leaders that I had never met, but had heard of and respected since my youth--were engaging in frightening and dimly familiar dancing in opposite corners of the room. Strange music blared from unknown sources. There was a fire going in the back, and instead of any shopkeeper behind the counter, there was a life size figurine of a short man--presumably Malo.