Today I would like to share a story with you about Master Kohga's Mama, Hotaru. It takes place when he was about seven years old.
(At the outset, please recall that Kohga's name wasn't Kohga when he was a child. However, because I am not sharing his before-name at this time, I will refer to him in this story as 'Little Kohga' nevertheless. Additionally, Hotaru called him by a nickname of his before-name that meant something sweet. So for purposes of writing this story, she will call him 'Sweetness.')
~~~ When Little Kohga was young, he loved to chase after kids a few years older than him. He was physically bigger than most of the other seven-year-olds. Thanks to his Nana, Master Kohga, he was also already learning many arcane techniques that nobody else--certainly no other child!!--would ever be able to do. And so, Little Kohga considered himself way too grown up and strong to hang out with the little kids.
Pah! He much preferred running around with his friends Daqo, and Laissa, and Mayu, and all their friends. These kids were ten and eleven, and even had their first masks already! They'd gotten them at the start of the year in autumn, and now it was winter. So is was a common sight, to see Little Kohga the Heir's Heir in his veil, playing with and (although he didn't think of it this way) being a bit of a mascot to these older boys and girls.
One day, Mayu reported that her older sister, who was seventeen and working on her Footsoldier training, was assigned to guard one of the secret doors that led to a tunnel that in turn went outside to the Highlands. Daqo, who was taller than everybody at the time and rather the demons-may-care ringleader of the band, got the very exciting idea to go out there and play. Technically (more than technically, absolutely), kids their age weren't supposed to be outside anywhere but in the confines of Karusa Valley without an adult, and technically (even more absolutely than that, if possible), Little Kohga at seven wasn't supposed to be out without an escort at all. But they tricked Mayu's sister into leaving her post for a few minutes, and out they went!
And they had a glorious afternoon! Running around after each other in the snow, throwing snowballs, rolling around to make shapes, jumping off rocks into the drifts, playing all sorts of games. Even now, Kohga remembers this fondly, as a very rare time when he got to feel the (albeit freezing cold) air outside and see the blue sky somewhere beyond the canyon's walls, when he wasn't training and having to focus with Nana. It was exhilarating being part of the group, and getting away with something, too.
Except, of course, they didn't get away with it. Eventually, Laissa's dad was the one to catch them--Mayu's sister snitched!!--and they all got dragged back inside.
And Little Kohga was brought to his Nana, who was so mad she didn't even yell. She just spoke, in a grave and harsh tone, saying she couldn't believe he would be so disrespectful as to break such an important rule! She said she expected better of her grandson, than this kind of foolishness. Little Kohga's ears burned red with embarrassment and shame and anger.
His Papa, the Right Hand, brought him back to the family's little quarters, and showed Mama Hotaru that their son was safe, and told her what Nana had said. Papa started to say that since nobody got hurt it shouldn't be as big of a deal as the Master was making it out to be--which was how Little Kohga felt! his heart swelled with gratitude for his father!--but Mama stopped him. She just said, 'I will take care of this.' And the day went on, and Little Kohga dreamed that night about building the biggest traveler frog statue ever out of snow, impressing all his friends and even Master Nana.
Early the next morning, Hotaru got her son up out of bed, putting her finger to her lips to tell him to stay quiet. She helped him dress, and they dressed warmly indeed. Mama even put on her big white fur coat with the hood, and made sure Little Kohga was wearing his warmest gloves and boots. Little Kohga couldn't even ask her where they were going or why! All Mama said was, 'I want to show you something,' before wrapping a scarf around his neck and adding his veil to finish the outfit. And then...the two went up through the very same tunnel the children had used the day before, and out into the Highlands.
When they were some way into the snowy landscape, farther than Little Kohga had run with his friends (though he could still see some remnants of their playing), Mama stopped at a small ledge of rock near a hill, and beckoned her son to crouch down with her and peek over the edge. Once they were hidden behind the rocks, Mama lifted one side of her coat and draped it over Little Kohga's head, pulling him close next to her.
Little Kohga looked up, and saw that his mother had turned herself white--the bits of her hair that could still be seen, the usually red Eye on her mask, the rest of her clothing...all, all white. An illusion! That was something Little Kohga's friends were learning how to do, that Kohga himself hadn't been taught yet. He could make a double of himself, and grab onto metal things with his energy, and even make three small pointy balls come out of nowhere when he concentrated hard, but illusions and disguises were something Nana thought he'd learn anyway, with the other children, and it wasn't quite time for that yet. So, seeing his mother change herself like this took his breath away for a second. Mama could do such wonderful things. But why was she hiding herself--and hiding him too?
Mama pulled him close, and whispered, 'Look, Sweetness. Do you see the hole in the hill there? Watch carefully.'
Nothing happened right away. But it was as if Hotaru had known exactly when to arrive at exactly this spot, because moments later, what should appear skipping over the snow but a beautiful snowcoat fox! And it really did look like snow. This deep into winter, even its paws were silvery white. Its fur shimmered in the sunrise. It was carrying a small rabbit, and it headed right for the hole in the hill Hotaru had pointed out.
As Little Kohga watched, spellbound, two fox kits poked their heads out of the den, then came out for their breakfast. Unlike their mother, the babies were deep brown, almost black in color. Mama Snowcoat pulled meat from the rabbit's belly for them, and they gobbled down the pieces.
After a few moments, Mama Hotaru spoke again, her voice still low, just for the two of them. 'Do you see, how these children stand out?'
Little Kohga glanced at his mother and tilted his head. Why would she ask that? The answer was obvious. He nodded, and tried his best to keep his voice down. He didn't want to scare the kits. 'Mmhm. The snow's white and they're black.'
Then Hotaru said, 'That is you.'
For a second, that didn't make sense. Little Kohga wasn't a fox. But then, it hit him. What Mama was trying to say. At least, he thought he understood.
'I stand out in the snow?' he whispered.
'You do.' With that, Hotaru gently pulled her son back from their lookout over the ledge, to sit behind the rocks. She kept him wrapped up in her furs and pulled him in close against her warm body. Little Kohga couldn't help snuggling into her.
'And not just in the snow, Sweetness, ' Mama continued. 'Everywhere. Because you are Yiga, and you haven't learned yet how to hide it.'
Little Kohga shivered. He'd heard it all the time, from his teachers and Nana and everyone, really, that all Yiga had to stay secret, outside of Karusa Valley. Because it wasn't safe. Because if Gerudo or Hylians caught you, they'd kill you. That was why Mama and Papa and Nana looked different in their rooms, around just each other and him, than they did with anyone else. That was why everybody wore masks in the first place. Not to mention there were lizalfos and other monsters to worry about. The world was dangerous. He'd just...never really thought about it.
Now he was thinking about it. He squeezed harder into his Mama.
'Don't worry, my love,' Mama told him, tilting his chin up. Even though she was wearing her mask, and he was wearing his veil, he thought he could see her face in his mind's eye. She was smiling. 'You will learn. But for now, that's why we have the rule. So you little foxes stay safe inside our burrow, until you know how to be white.'
Little Kohga gazed at his Mama, his mind suddenly sparking with hope and ideas for the future and his heart as always full to the brim with love for her. It all made sense. Yes! Maybe he was still just a kid now, so he'd stay inside the Complex and have the grownups protect him, but someday--!
"Can I look at them some more?" Little Kohga asked, and Hotaru nodded, helping once again to cover him up so the kits and Mama Snowcoat wouldn't see. They watched together while the family had its meal, until the mother fox barked just once, the babies jumped back inside the den quick as a wink, and the lovely white creature pulled the rest of the rabbit in with them all.
A moment later, the two Yiga stood up and started to walk back to the secret entrance, Mama letting her colors fade back in and Little Kohga staying by her side and keeping his eye out for any other interesting animals.
'You know, Sweetness,' Hotaru said, her voice thoughtful. 'Winter kits are rare. Those children will be bigger and stronger than their friends born in the spring, once summer comes. Just like you are, my big brave boy.'
Little Kohga basked in the praise, more of a strut entering his step as he made his way over the snow. Mama got it. She knew he was special. But while Little Kohga was thinking this, he didn't notice that his Mama had slowed down, and was now quite a few paces behind him.
'Still, it doesn't do for foxes or boys to let their guard down!'
Little Kohga turned around just in time for a snowball to hit him in the shoulder. He blinked in surprise, but his Mama was already bent down to roll up another. He let out a joyful whoop, and dove into battle.
Mother and son played together in the white, laughing and tackling and tossing, until the sun had climbed higher in the sky and it was time to go back into the warm tunnels and rooms of home. They had a bath, Little Kohga had his lessons and training for the day, and the family had dinner all together, even Nana.
And that night, the future Master of the Yiga Clan dreamed of little white foxes, running all together under a bright blue sky...
...and turning red, and purple, and golden, and every other color he could imagine.
