It took Mao longer than usual to notice the girl's presence, in part due to his frustration, and in part due to having seemingly lost Yorda again. He thought he had brought her up with him, but it seemed she hadn't been following behind him as closely as he thought. ...Or hadn't decided to follow him as quickly as he thought. She did seem a little distracted.

It wasn't until one particularly hodge-podge patchwork of an area's weirdness startled him from his worked-up mutterings that he finally noticed a power signature nearby.

"Who's there?! Don't bother to hide. I know you're there!" There was something vaguely familiar about that power too. And the memory of it only managed to piss Mao off even more.