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Chapter Text

The muted sunlight just managed to shine through the twisting branches of the Lost Woods. It didn’t matter how brightly the sun shone; it was never able to properly penetrate the leafy barriers of the seemingly infinite trees. Nobody, not even the Kokiri of the forest, knew just how large the Lost Woods truly were. The sole being that knew had been weakened and killed by a dark parasite two years ago. Until the new sprout formed, the secrets of the woods would be a mystery to all the world. Even the bravest of the forest spirits dared not travel too deeply into the trees until the new Deku Tree was born. There was an outsider, however, that threw caution to the wind and braved the unknown. All in search of someone irreplaceably precious to him.

Soft footfalls of a young foal were the only things breaking the silence of the forest. Slowly, the animal weaved her way through the trees as her rider gently guided her path. He was a young boy of twelve that donned the green clothes of the Kokiri Tribe, though he was not a member of it. He never truly was, and he never, ever would be. The boy realized this long ago, but that wasn’t going to stop him from searching the woods or wearing the outfit he had worn his entire life.

His hair was messy and all over the place under his hat, the boy not liking to brush it. Scars adorned his limbs, carried over from a disgusting timeline and the accidental result of a Princess’ kindness. More scars adorned the parts of his body his tunic hid, and all of them made him feel disgust with himself. The boy’s eyes were the most outstanding part of his body, at least to other people.

Most boys his age had eyes full of brightness, optimism, and innocence. His eyes were dull and practically lifeless, as if they belonged to a fresh corpse. There was no spark of innocence or joy in them, such things forced out of him years ago. This wasn’t helped by the dark shadows beneath his eyes, letting any that looked at him that he barely got any sleep at night.

“Just a bit further, Epona. We’ll stop to rest soon.” The boy, Link, whispered to his companion as he reached forward and gently patted her neck. “Ten more minutes. Alright?” One of the few childish quirks he still possessed was talking to Epona as if she could understand him perfectly. Just about everything else that made a kid a kid was wrung out from him long ago. Either way, the horse gave a soft snort, as if in response to what Link had said.

The two rode on in silence, Link’s voice having gone hoarse due to all the yelling. Shouting Navi’s name for hours on end took a toll on his throat and it needed rest. It had been over a week since the Hylian departed into the woods, looking for his long-lost Guardian Fairy. No, even calling her that wasn’t even accurate. She had been his companion and friend, but she could never really be his Guardian Fairy. It made Link concerned how all the fairies he came across in the Lost Woods, the ones that would stop and talk to him at least, had no idea where Navi was.

None of them had seen her in two years.

Was Navi really even in the Lost Woods at all? Link was starting to question this excursion of his, wondering if Navi hadn’t perhaps gone somewhere outside of Hyrule. Why would she, though? Link realized he didn’t want to think about this anymore. He stopped Epona at that moment, patting her on the neck once more. “Change of plans. We’ll rest now.” Getting another soft snort in response, Link got off of his companion and hugged her around the neck. “I got one apple left, you hungry?” Reaching into his bag, Link got out his last apple and offered it to Epona who accepted it graciously. “There you go…” He murmured, giving his friend one last pat on the neck, and giving her a small smile. Link knew that too many apples was bad for a horse, but he had only packed a few for the trip.

After that, the young boy shed his gear by a nearby tree, getting ready to rest and have something to eat himself. He tried to travel relatively light, not wanting to burden Epona too much, but spending long stretches of time in the Lost Woods demanded certain precautions.

First to go off was the Kokiri Sword that he had kept for so long before shedding the shield gifted to him by Zelda for the journey ahead. The Lost Woods weren’t as dangerous as when he had the body of a seventeen year-old, but it still held nasty and unknown creatures, so those were essential. The only other weapons Link brought were his bow and a quiver of arrows, though that was mostly for hunting.

Link was a rather skilled forager to the point where it was his role in the Kokiri community. On sight he could tell whether any berry, fruit, or mushroom seen in the Lost Woods was edible or not. Still, he couldn’t survive for long off of just berries or mushrooms, and fruit trees short enough to safely climb were rare in the forest. Most of the trees went up so high that their branches were hardly even visible. While eating meat was not a problem for Link, he rather enjoyed the taste of Cucco, he didn’t like the actual act of hunting himself. He detested having to actually go and kill again, but if he wanted the energy to keep going, he’d need meat. Thankfully, his arching capabilities were naturally skilled enough where he could consistently kill off the rabbits found inside the forest painlessly.

With the Hylian was a bag full of different pouches for the various tools he’d need for his long trip. He had promised his friends, who had almost begged him not to go, a time limit. If one month had passed without success, he would give up the search. At least temporarily. Inside the bag was a small knife, useful mainly for sharpening sticks into spears to go after fish in the occasional ponds and rivers found in the woods as well as skinning and gutting rabbits. There was even a section entirely for keeping mammalian kills in which currently held one rabbit killed less than twenty minutes ago. Lugging dead fish around was just too much, so he cooked and ate them as soon as he caught them. He had a number of bottles for getting drinking water from any river he came across, all of them being quite clean. Alongside that was a flint and steel for fires, a pocket to keep firewood he found, a blanket for him and Epona each, bandages in case of injury, and of course a change of clothes. The only item left wasn’t kept in his bag, a small blue instrument clasped to his belt.

The Ocarina of Time.

Sitting against the tree and next to his gear, the boy let out a shaky sigh and simply stared off ahead of him for a bit. He supposed there was one benefit to only having Epona as company. With no people around, Link was free to let his emotions out, no longer having to keep his mask up for the benefit of others. That being said, he still couldn’t help but feel slightly embarrassed if he got desperate in his calling for Navi or teared up a bit as he tried to sleep. Still, it was so exhausting keeping his mask in place at what seemed like every waking moment, so it was somewhat relaxing to let his true self out.

After a few minutes of rest, Link prepared to eat, getting some firewood he had stored away before getting the dead rabbit out of his bag. The boy let his mind go blank as he worked on preparing the kill for cooking, occasionally glancing over at Epona, now lying on the grass, as she stared over at her companion. Offering the foal a small smile, Link continued preparing his meal in silence.

Before long, the rabbit was cooked, and Link was slowly eating his meal. It was somewhat odd to eat meat without utensils like this. The Kokiri didn’t have things like knives, forks, or spoons, so all meals were eaten with the hands. When the boy moved into the castle, he was introduced to such concepts and spent two years getting used to cutting up his meat rather than tearing at it with his teeth and he had gotten quite accustomed to it. So, while an almost strange feeling, it felt good in a way to go back to what he did when growing up.

Once the meal was over, he relieved himself to put the fire out and let out a small and content sigh as he sat against the tree. A part of him was beginning to wonder if this wasn’t some kind of mistake. Saria had gone out to the woods herself a number of times at Link’s request in search of Navi and found nothing. What made him think he’d find anything himself? Saria searched on and off for two years, what would a month accomplish? The boy’s hand ran over the Ocarina, the temptation to play Saria’s Song cropping up in his head. Maybe he should talk to his oldest friend about this again? It was a good thing Zelda insisted on Link taking the instrument with him, so he could at least talk to one person whenever he chose to. The songs to warp him about Hyrule also served as a nice last resort if he found himself unable to leave the forest when the month was up.

Was all of this even a good the size of the Lost Woods wasn’t known even to Saria, who retained her memories of being the Forest Sage. It was as though the forest were a shifting, living entity that was impossible to get the grasp of. For all Link knew, he could barely search a fraction of the forest, even if he traveled until the end of time.

And, as everyone knew, Time was eternal.

Link’s thoughts were interrupted by a flash of light from above. He looked up but saw nothing. A darting fairy? What else could it be? The boy almost called out but stopped himself. Right now, he didn’t want to use his voice. He didn’t want to talk to anyone. Frustration coursed through his veins like small embers at what he perceived as weakness. Two years passed and sometimes such simple things were so hard, and it all phased in and out seemingly at random. At times, he was content talking to his friends and being with them. Then there were times where holding a simple conversation seemed like the most exhausting thing in the world to go through.

Letting out another sigh, Link decided to keep going. It was hard to tell at a glance, but it wasn’t even late afternoon yet. He had plenty of time to keep going before the sun set and further searching was made impossible. Gathering his things and standing was Epona’s signal to get up herself. With the Hylian on the young foal once more, the two ventured onward to the forest.

Above them, the flash of light darted from tree to tree, soon followed by a second, purple light…

The time went by slowly and quietly as Epona gently marched forward. Link wasn’t sure how much time was going by, but the infinite forest around him wasn’t growing darker, so it was still afternoon when he seriously considered another break. Right now, he just felt so exhausted. Everything on him felt so heavy and cumbersome, even the clothes on his back were like stone weights. Link was about to get off of Epona once again when that flash of light went by overhead once more, and this time it was quickly followed by a second one! Was that fairy following him? And with a companion? The boy looked up where he thought he saw the lights go, tempted once more to call out.

Fairies were shy by nature, generally, but the sight of a child in Kokiri clothes seemed to make them more willing to come out and talk. This didn’t apply to all fairies, of course. Navi was rather outgoing, always flying above Link’s head as he went about the Hyrule Castle Town or Kakariko Village. As the Hylian was looking about, he thought he saw something out of the corner of his eye, something closer to eye level. He didn’t get the chance to even turn before Epona let out a loud neigh of fear and reared herself onto her hind legs. Link was so caught off guard that he instantly fell off.

The boy barely had time to let out a startled yelp before the world went black.

The young horse collected herself quickly, gazing curiously at the two lights before her. One was white, the other purple. Fairies. “Wow, Tatl, that was easier than I thought it’d be.” The purple one, a male, said.

“I told you, Tael!” The white one responded with prideful edge in her voice. “Horses spook really easily; anyone could figure out what to do!”

Before Tael could respond, a third intruding presence made itself known. At first it was just noise, the sound of approaching footfalls on the forest floor. The snapping of a discarded twig.

Then, out of nowhere, the mask appeared.

At first it simply seemed to float towards the fairies, bobbing as it went. An ancient, heart-shaped object with spikes adorning its lower edges and its top. It was decorated with tribal paintings that, despite the obvious age of the mask, hadn’t faded at all over the countless years of its existence. Small scratches and signs of wear from the wood itself were present, but not nearly enough when taking in account how old it was. The worst part was the eyes. Large, orange, mad eyes with dark green irises. There was a brightness and intelligence to those eyes, an effect that gave the feeling that the mask was looking back at the world and was fully aware of all it surveyed.

The small imp wearing the mask faded into existence moments later. A mischievous creature, a Skull Kid, bore the mask on his face as he approached the fairies. No one truly knew where Skull Kids came from. The most common theory, one that Navi even told to Link years ago, was that they were children that became lost within the Lost Woods. Asking a Skull Kid directly would just get a sarcastic comment or a riddle with no answer.

The mysterious being wore an outfit similar to most others of its kind. Red and yellow garbs that were faded and torn around the edges. Clearly never properly cared for in any way. Upon his head, the Skull Kid wore a large red hat, one that would not look out of place on a scarecrow. His wooden body rattled audibly as he finally reached the two fairies, looking directly at them with the mask’s intense eyes and giving a haunting, mirthful laugh. “You two did good! This kid should be easy pickings!” Epona seemed nervous at the imp’s presence, backing off a few steps, but seemed unwilling to leave her rider behind completely.

The Skull Kid turned to the dispatched Hylian, still unconscious on the ground. Slowly and carefully, the imp approached the fallen child. Once he was sure nothing would happen, the creature of the forest started to go through the boy’s belongings. He started by taking off the kid’s bow. Looking it over, the Skull Kid tossed it over his shoulder. Then, the quiver was emptied, arrows spilled all over the forest floor before the quiver itself was also tossed aside. The imp then turned to the large bag that Link had, throwing the bottles within it away. Quickly giving up on that, the Hylian was shoved onto his back. That’s when the flash of pale blue caught the Skull Kid’s eye.

“Oh! Skull Kid, that’s an Ocarina isn’t it?!” Tael exclaimed as his partner took the instrument from the helpless victim. “Can I play it? Please?!”

Tatl slapped the other fairy upside the head. “Tael you idiot! You can’t play something like that! You’ll just drop it and break it!”

The Skull Kid ignored the two bickering fairies. He turned away from the unconscious child, studying the instrument in his hands a bit before raising the Ocarina under his mask and blowing into the mouthpiece. A single, offkey note range out into the forest, eliciting a laugh from the mischievous being. “See? It looks fun!” Tael argued back, rubbing his head a bit from the hit. “Come on, sis, I’ll be really careful with it!”

Tatl let out an annoyed sigh as the Skull Kid kept playing offkey notes and tittering to himself. “It’s too big! You can’t use the holes in it to properly play!”

“I could do it if I really tried! Just let me give it a shot!” Tael uselessly argued.

As the trio was distracted, Link’s eyes slowly fluttered open, a pounding headache making him silently wince. Shakily, he got to his feet, and it took him a moment to focus on the noises going on around him. Two voices arguing with each other, the sound of an Ocarina being played poorly followed by laughter. Turning to the noise sources, Link froze from what he saw. His back to him was a Skull Kid, playing the Ocarina while two fairies argued further on. The boy then noticed a bunch of his belongings on the ground, especially his arrows which had been scattered all over the place.

Link’s eyes formed into an icy blue glare, directed towards the trio of thieves.

It took only a few more moments for Tatl to notice Link, the fairy bristling in alarm, with Tael following suit moments after. “Uh…Skull Kid?” The female fairy called out, slowly floating upwards and out of reach, dragging her brother with her.

“Huh? What?” The imp said, watching his two cohorts fleeing. After a moment, the Skull Kid slowly turned around to see Link glaring daggers at him. The boy just couldn’t help but let his anger show since he was caught so off guard. Letting out a startled noise, the thief hid the Ocarina of Time behind his back, not moving another muscle afterwards.

Petty tricks like that wouldn’t work. Link saw the flash of blue and knew exactly what the creature had in his paws. The idea of unsheathing his sword went through the boy’s mind, but that would be too slow. No choice but to just go for it! Link lunged at the imp, trying to wrap his arms around the thief and hold him in place. To the boy’s shock, the Skull Kid jumped straight up into the air. Such creatures were agile, yes, but Link had never seen one just take off to the air like that!

To Link’s horror, the Skull Kid landed right on Epona with a taunting laugh, the horse whinnying in alarm and preparing to run. Leaving his bow, arrows, and bottles behind, Link instantly jumped and grabbed at the thief’s ankle just before Epona started her charge. He hadn’t even had time to think his options over, he just acted instinctually. The soft grass and dirt of the Lost Woods were now claws and teeth as the horse ran through the trees, dragging Link’s legs along the ground.

The Skull Kid was barely able to hang onto the foal as she frantically galloped onward. The imp kicked at Link in a desperate attempt to loosen the boy’s iron-like grip to no avail. Tatl and Tael quickly caught up, ramming into Link’s head in vain to get him to let go, but the Hylian barely even noticed them. Before long, Epona made a wide turn and her usual rider lost his grip on the thief’s leg, sending him tumbling along the ground. With another fit of laughter, the Skull Kid rode off on Epona, his fairy companions lagging behind, but still following their partner in crime.

Link was only stunned for a few moments before struggling up to his feet. His entire body was sore, and his legs were bleeding a bit, but that wasn’t enough to stop him! Epona wasn’t just Link’s friend, but a precious gift from a precious girl back home. He couldn’t imagine returning to the ranch and having to tell Malon that some imp stole her horse away. He refused to let a thing like that happen!

The retreating pinpoints of light went out of sight deep into a tunnel of sorts seemingly carved into a giant tree. It was a new and unusual sight for Link, but he didn’t think twice before charging after the fairies anyway. Ignoring the pain that shot through his legs with each step, Link ran as fast as he was able through the tunnel. He paused when he came through the other side. The boy found himself in a strange area where the trees around him were so thick and so close together that going through them was impossible. The only other path was a monstrously large tree with some sort of wooden slope or ramp going into an opening.

Seeing as that was the only possible path the Skull Kid and Epona could’ve gone, Link continued towards it. As he ran, he thought about how bringing the horse was a big mistake. The Lost Woods were dangerous enough for him as it was, he shouldn’t have dragged Epona here as well! Once he found his friend and got her back, he was going to warp them right back to the Temple of Time and return her to Malon. He’d…He’d just plan his trip more carefully and try again…

Running into the tree’s opening, Link found himself in a dark tunnel with nothing but the weak sunlight behind him to light the way. The only sounds Link could hear was his own footfalls and panting. The gallops of Epona were now long gone, making him worry about just how far he was lagging behind. It didn’t even cross his mind that he may be forever lost in the forest if he didn’t get his Ocarina back. All he could think about was getting his horse back safe and sound.

As Link kept going, he started to wonder about the passage of time. He could swear he had been going for well over twenty minutes with no change in scenery at all, save for him outrunning the sun’s rays and plunging him into complete darkness. Just as Link was starting to believe he was somehow caught in a trap; he saw a light ahead. Pushing himself harder, he charged forward and only at the last second did he realize something.

The floor ran out.

In a moment that terrified Link to his core, he teetered over the edge of a massive abyss which the unknown light source couldn’t fully illuminate. He tried to get his balance, but it was far too late.

Going over the edge…Link fell.

Chapter Text

Link wasn’t even sure if he screamed on the way down. He didn’t remember doing so, or if he did, he somehow didn’t hear it. What he did remember was the infinite darkness around him. The light above soon faded away, and he saw nothing below. He would also be able to later recall the strange noises he heard, a strange buzzing sound like hundreds of people talking at the same time. It was the only thing he was able to hear as he fell, not even the wind going past him was audible.

This freefall was a brand new sensation to him, and he had no idea what to do with his body. He could struggle against the fall all he wanted, but that wouldn’t accomplish anything. In the end, he just braced his body for the inevitable impact. He buzzing of the voices got louder and louder, and he swore he saw shapes fading in and out in the darkness around him. Link never got a good look at these shapes, and he had no idea if they were even real or not.

The fall felt as though it lasted several minutes, yet also seemed over in an instant. With a surprisingly soft thud, Link made his landing and the buzzing noise stopped instantly. What was even more surprising was the fact he survived without any serious injury. He would probably bruise a bit, but that was all. His heart hammering against his ribcage, the boy found himself shakily standing up for the third time that day, looking around to see where he was. A new unseen source of light allowed him to at least see a bit of his surroundings.

Sadly, Link wasn’t able to see very much of the room he was in. The walls around him seemed to be made of wood, as would be expected given he entered a tree. It didn’t feel cold like he would expect it to. If anything, it was almost a bit warm. Ahead of him was a small pool of shallow water. How did that get in here?

Moving on, Link looked down to see what he landed on and was surprised to see a massive flower, larger than any he’d ever seen before. How did he manage to fall so far and land without injury? At least, he thought he fell far enough to die on impact. It was all such a blur…

Link’s thoughts were interrupted as new sources of light appeared. Bright, blinding lights from above illuminated the room, making Link flinch and cover his eyes with his arm. After a moment, he lowered his limb and saw him. The Skull Kid. To Link’s surprise, the imp was actually floating in midair, lying horizontally as if on an invisible sofa. The two fairies floated behind him, having finally caught up with the little thief. Link couldn’t help but glance at the room now that it was fully lit. A grassy floor was beyond the large puddle, leading to the other side of the odd room, which held a large wooden door.

The Hylian didn’t even stop to consider why there was grass in a place without sunlight. Not wasting a second, Link once more gave the imp an icy glare. “Where. Is. My. Horse?” He demanded, doing everything in his power not to yell out, his voice barely managing to hold back his rage. Link knew he had to keep a level head here. Freaking out and starting to scream wouldn’t help him.

The Skull Kid let out a mocking laughter. “What? That useless thing?” He chided, shaking his head. “It wouldn’t listen to a word I said! So, I did you a favor and got rid of it!”

A tranquil fury bubbled within Link as he processed the words. At the same time, he was so shocked that he found himself unable to move forward. That, and there was one last thing stopping from simply charging forward.

Fear.

There was something seriously wrong with this Skull Kid. At worst, the imps were mischievous but weak beings. The most danger they posed was shooting small rocks from their flutes. On top of that, the most magic they were able to use was being able to go about the Lost Woods with ease, almost seeming to vanish before unprepared eyes.

Jumping so high in the air? Floating? That was beyond the abilities of a Skull Kid. Something unique was going on here, and Link believed it was that mask. While no expert in magical objects, that mask gave off a disturbing aura. Just looking at it, Link was able to tell that there was something wrong and sinister about it. The eyes of it almost seemed to glow orange, and the green irises seemed to be staring right into Link’s dull blue ones.

“What’s with the dirty look?” The Skull Kid went on. “I just thought I’d have a little fun with you…” He said in a blatantly fake apologetic voice.

It was that last push that got Link to draw his sword, body almost shaking with unbridled fury. “My horse…You…” A part of him didn’t want to believe it, that Epona was gone. Yet it was clear this thief had strange powers, so killing a horse wasn’t hard to believe. The young child put his fears aside.

He was going to cleave the floating monstrosity in two.

The violent thought surprised Link, who despised the act of killing, even if the one being killed was some sort of horrific monster. Yet something about the Skull Kid really brought out something nasty in the boy. Maybe it was the mask. It felt so hard to think straight…

Instead of being intimidated, the Skull Kid let out a nasty laugh. “What, you think you can defeat me as I am now?! You’re a fool!”

With those words, the imp shook his head erratically, a disturbing rattling sound echoing through the room, the mask’s eyes glowing intensely. Instantly, sharp pains stabbed throughout Link’s entire body. He collapsed to his knees, eyes wide open and mouth agape in a silent scream. He felt as though something invisible was crushing him, contorting him into a smaller form. While a lot of internal pain was raging through him, the boy’s very skin was oddly starting to feel numb. The worst part was that Link’s vision went white, so he was unable to simply look and see what was happening to him. In his hears rang the angry shrieks of dozens of creatures. Dekus? It was so hard to concentrate…

Link’s vision went from white to black, and he passed out once more.

Aching pain. As Link roused again from unconsciousness, an aching pain throughout his whole body was what he instantly noticed. The second thing he noticed was how the room seemed bigger than before, with the Skull Kid and the two fairies floating in the same place as before. He had to see what that imp had done to him! Slowly, he leaned over and looked into the water, flinching at what he saw.

There was a Deku underneath the water’s surface! A wooden, sad face stared up at Link from within the large puddle. Orange, depressed eyes lying over a perfectly circular mouth while underneath a head of yellowing leaves. To Link’s surprise, the Deku was even wear a large green hat. A hat…like his. It also wore a green loincloth of sorts, leaving it with a bare chest. The only other clothes it had was strange leather gauntlets and small leather shoes. Almost forgetting about the Skull Kid, or even Epona, Link reached towards the Deku and stopped. He glanced over to his arm. It was small and wooden…a strange leather gauntlet on it. He gazed back at the puddle, the Deku’s arm was raised in just the same way.

Link screamed.

At least, he tried to. The realization of what had happened to him would have normally made him scream at the top of his lungs, but the bizarre, alien vocal cords, throat, and mouth he had to work with stopped him. What came out of his circular mouth instead was a strange, raspy gurgling sound.

The Skull Kid erupted into a harsh laughter at the Deku Link before him. “That’s great! That’s rich! Honestly, it’s a good look for you!” The imp’s body shook at the giddy tittering he was directing at his victim. “You can stay like that forever!” With that, the Skull Kid started to float towards the door, which opened on its own as he got near, his two fairies following close behind.

Not even thinking, Link charged forward on his shortened wooden legs. He didn’t even consider how much smaller and weaker he was, all he thought about was stopping the imp and destroying that mask! “Hey! Don’t you dare!” Tatl yelled out, charging at Link and repeatedly ramming into his head. Normally, such an assault would have no effect on him, but his smaller and lighter form was actually knocked over as a result of the fairy’s attack.

As this went on, the Skull Kid and Tael were on the other side of the doorway. The purple fairy paused, looking back into the room. “S-Sis! Hurry, you have to-”

The door slammed shut.

Seeming to forget about Link, Tatl flew towards the door at top speed. “WAIT! Skull Kid, I’m still in here! Come back!” Silence. The fairy tried bashing against the door in a vain attempt to open it, to no avail. She turned as Link got up on his feet, her light going red. “You!” She practically hissed, flying into Link’s face. “This is all your fault, you little freak! If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have been separated from my brother!” Link simply stared at her. “Well, don’t just stand there, Deku brat! Help me out!” She yelled at the top of her tiny lungs.

Link was simply stunned at being yelled at like this. It had been so long since anyone had raised their voice at him in an angry manner. For two years, everyone walked on eggshells around him at all times. They seemed almost scared to say anything negative towards him, allowing him to be a worthless and terrible person without being called out on it. It was as if going against him would somehow shatter the boy into pieces in their minds. If the circumstances were different, it would almost be a relief for someone to treat him normally.

“What are you staring at?!” Tatl went on when Link didn’t answer, or really react at all. “Do I have something on my face? Come on, just go over and open that door!” She let out an irritated sigh, seeming to calm down a bit as her light went back to normal. “A poor, defenseless fairy is asking for your help!” Without waiting a for a response, she turned towards the door again. “Tael…will he be okay without me?” The fairy murmured to herself as she floated towards the door.

The shock wearing off, Link started to get his thoughts together. Okay. He was a Deku now, but surely this was something that could be undone. It was clearly some sort of a hex or curse, and those can be reversed! Somehow, he’d get his Ocarina back, return home, and perhaps one of the Great Fairies could help him out. There had to be someone in Hyrule that could reverse the spell. There just had to be! Besides, freaking out about it now would accomplish nothing anyway.

As he thought this all over, Link finally realized was he wasn’t wearing his gear anymore! He whipped his head about, even looking towards the large flower, but saw no signs of his sword or shield or anything! Did the Skull Kid somehow nab those as well? Yet he also had this large hat, but not his tunic? Despite just thinking about how freaking out wouldn’t help, the Deku couldn’t help but feel panic rising within him. Without his sword and shield, how could he hope to defeat someone with that kind of magic?!

Taking a couple of warbly, deep breathes, Link forced himself to calm down. He’d…He’d just think of something along the way. Once more, he reminded himself that freaking out over the situation would get nothing done. He decided to try and keep his mind on other things, looking over at the fairy that had helped get his horse stolen and was now asking for her help. A part of him wanted to swat her out of the air, but that would also not get anything done.

Besides, she was too high for him to reach.

With small but rapid steps, the cursed child made his way to the door and looked around it. There was always some sort of panel to push to get these things open. Ah! Just as Link thought, a small indentation in the wall nearby was visible and almost begging to be pressed in. When the Deku did so, the door opened up again and revealed a wooden hallway. Wasting no time, Link dashed ahead. The hallway was short and, though Link didn’t notice, decorated with strange paintings along the wall. Oceans and plants mixed together in strange hybrids followed Link as he went down the hallway and past the artwork. Before long, he came to another room.

Link wasn’t able to get a good look at the new area he just entered before a white light filled his vision. That fairy again! “Hey!” She belted out, backing off a bit. “Don’t leave me behind!” After catching her breath for a second, she let out a small sigh. “Look…about back there…I’m sorry about what I said, okay?”

May Din strike Link down on the spot if that dastardly fairy was even slightly sincere. Link found himself using the names of the Goddesses in vain at times, just a habit he picked up from hearing others do it over the last two years. It was something he hated, as he still had a hatred for the Golden Goddesses.

In any case, Link could tell she wasn’t remotely sorry for what she said. The cursed child decided to speak his mind to the one who had helped cause so much trouble for him. Simply put, he wanted her to just fly away and leave him be! “Ngh…kkko…ggg…” Was all that came from the Deku’s strange mouth. His throat seemed to clamp in an odd way when he tired to talk, and his mouth couldn’t move like it did when he was a Hylian, the feeling unbelievably unnerving to the boy.

Instantly, Tatl burst out laughing, clutching her stomach as she nearly tumbled out of the air. “Oh! That’s rich! Giants abound that’s really good!” Any signs of remorse, real or otherwise, was out the window apparently. “You can’t even talk right!”

In his haste, Link forgot about his failed attempt to scream correctly earlier. If he couldn’t even do that, how could he hope to talk? Still, he wanted to try again. “Mmaaa…Llll…ckck…” A part of him wondered how he was able to make sounds that required lips and a tongue to make. The other part decided he didn’t really want to know.

“Okay! Okay, stop!” Tatl demanded after another fit of laughter. “I won’t be able to take it! Listen, I actually don’t care at all if I hurt your feelings, but I need you, and you need me!”

Need her? When would Link ever need her? “Gggh…!” The Deku was hoping if he kept practicing, he’d managed to at least form half-coherent words at some point…

The fairy, clearly trying to hold in more laughter, cleared her throat. “Listen, you want to know more about that Skull Kid, right?” She asked rhetorically. “Well, I have an idea on where he’s going. You help me get to him, maybe I’ll talk him into changing you back. Deal?”

It was at this point that Link made another discovery about his body. He found that he was unable to make any changes in his facial expression when his attempt to glare at the fairy failed. He was just so filled with disgust towards her that he didn’t care about his mask at that moment. It was odd because he had seen Dekus express before. He supposed it was like his voice, where with practice he could pull it off. For now, he was stuck with miserable looking eyes. Either way, he hated to admit it, but the fairy was right. He couldn’t do this alone, and maybe the conniving fairy might be grateful enough to get his Ocarina back. Epona, sadly, was another matter entirely. What would he tell Malon?

He could already feel the guilt eating away at him, but as cruel as it may sound, he couldn’t worry about that at the moment. Getting the Ocarina back was his first priority. Maybe he’d be able to play it, even with the strange mouth he now possessed. After a few moments, he gave a slow nod to the fairy. “Ghh…Mngga….”

“Alright! Deal!” Tatl said, clearly not caring what Link actually thought. “Not that you can even say it, but my name’s Tatl, by the way. I guess I can just call you Deku Boy for now, huh?” Her tone was belittling and nasty, the kind of nastiness that came from someone who knew they could say whatever they wanted with no repercussions.

“Yagg…Rnggh…” Link wasn’t even sure what he was trying to say at this point. Right now, he just wanted to say one actual coherent word. Anything at all. It was almost a bit frightening, as he now had no way to communicate if needed. His inability to read and write meant that, at best, he could mime what he wanted to say if the situation called for it.

“Yeah, yeah…” Tatl dismissively said, turning away from the Deku to observe the room. The foundation was unusual, with another one of those large flowers dead in front of them, and then a drop into a pit, one deep enough where the bottom wasn’t visible. Across the pit, the path continued on, a door being the only barrier. “Well, this should be easy. Even someone as stupid as you should be able to get across!” She turned back to Link, who simply stared at her. “…What?”

“Hh…Bghh…” Link tried in vain to speak. With yet another sigh, he walked over and pointed down the pit. “Ngghhh…Oooo…”

“You don’t know about the flowers?” Tatl asked, floating above the large plant. “Dekus use them for flight, don’t you know that? Look, just try burrowing into it and you’ll see!” She talked as though she was speaking with a particularly stupid toddler.

Dekus could fly? In all his years in the forest, Link had never heard of such a concept. That being said, the Dekus and the Kokiri weren’t exactly friends, but he still saw a number of them around growing up. One thing Link knew for sure was that these large flowers were nowhere around the Lost Woods. Or…so he thought. Where was he right now anyway? Inside some giant tree he supposed, or he guessed he was underneath it? Was he still in the Lost Woods?

Thoughts for later.

For the time being, Link approached the flower and stood on it, not sure what to do. Looking down, he noticed the large hole in the flower’s center. Not sure what else to try, he placed a foot in it, and then the other. Like some sort of switch was triggered, something unseen within the flower practically dragged the Deku into it faster than he had a chance to cry out. Before he knew it, Link found himself in a cramped yet somehow comfortable dark place within the flower. There was a momentary panic within the cursed child. Was this some sort of trap? Did that dastardly fairy trick him? Maybe this species of flower ate Dekus dumb enough to walk over it!

Link’s thoughts were interrupted by Tatl, her voice somewhat muffled. “Hey! Look, I don’t really know how it all works, but try…I don’t know, grabbing for something? The Dekus I’ve seen do it come out with flowers!”

That at least eased Link’s nerves. If Tatl was really trying to kill him, she probably would have mocked him and left instead. So, he took her advice and groped about in the darkness. For a few seconds, he couldn’t find anything to grip on, then suddenly he wrapped his hands around what seemed like two stalks. Something else within the flower’s biology got triggered as suddenly Link found himself shot straight up into the air; the wooden boy so startled he didn’t even try to scream.

Next think Link knew, he was floating in midair! Looking two his hands, he saw each gripped a giant flower, the petals spinning around and keeping the Deku aloft. The next thing Link noticed was he was very slowly descending, the flowers only able to do so much.

“There! Maybe you’re not as useless as I thought! Just…lean forward, I guess, and you should get to the door!” Tatl called from below, flying across the gap herself and waiting by the barrier for Link.

Taking the fairy’s advice, Link leaned forward, slowly making his way across the gap. He found himself feeling a lot less nervous than he probably should have been. Compared to a lot of things he had done, this was nothing. Before long, Link found himself joining Tatl on the other side and by that point was close enough to the ground to simply let of the flowers, which instantly fell to the ground. “Brggh…Lkoo…”

Letting a snicker loose, Tatl shook her head. “You’re really bad at the whole talking thing huh? Keep trying, though, the attempts never get old!” She floated closer to the door. “Now make yourself useful and open this up!”

“Kkkcchee…” Withholding another sigh, Link quickly found the door’s panel and opened it up, allowing the two to continue on. The next stretch of the trip was long and uneventful. The Deku and fairy found themselves walking through what seemed like an infinitely long wooden hallway which consisted of a number of twists and turns. This time was spent with no real discussion. Tatl didn’t seem to want to really talk with Link, but the cursed Hylian spent a lot of the time trying to talk, if only to himself. As the time crawled by, he actually found himself getting closer to real words.

It was hard to tell how much time passed with no sun to use as a reference. It could have easily been an hour, but Link didn’t bother keeping track. “Hey! Look!” Tatl suddenly called out, nearly startling Link, who was looking down at his feet. The boy jerked up his head as the fairy flew over to what she had seen. Before the duo were two things. One was that the tunnel ended at a wall with a smaller, square opening leading even further. It was what stood before this opening that intrigued the cursed boy.

Tatl hovered near what seemed like an unusual, very small tree. It was only a foot or so taller than Link, and oddly enough didn’t have roots going underground. Perhaps some kind of a wooden carving? Yet, there were a few leaves growing out of it at its top and out of its only two branches. The most disturbing aspect was the face. On this tree-like object was a simple face, a disfigured circular mouth underneath two sad eyes.

It looked remarkably like a Deku.

“Li…ke…mmme.” Link managed to say. After all that practicing, he was able to at least form the words he wanted to some extent. Despite everything, he couldn’t help but be embarrassed by the difficulty in saying just those two words, or how much smaller and squeakier his voice was.

“When did you manage to talk? On our way here?” Tatl asked, turning to the Deku. “Your attempts at talking stopped being funny a while in so I stopped listening.” Not allowing Link to even respond, the fairy looked back to the tree. “It does look like you though. It looks so depressed, actually. It’s kind of sad…” For once, the minx actually sounded sincere about something aside from cruelty, seeming almost sad herself.

A Deku-like tree along the same path the Skull Kid went, and now Link was a Deku himself? Could the two things be connected somehow? Not wanting to think of the implications, Link went past the tree, Tatl following behind him after a moment’s hesitation. The smaller opening lead into a narrow hallway, one lined with small trees, none of them much taller than a fully grown adult. The other side was mere yards away, with another square opening leading into darkness. The duo pressed onward, and Link swore the hallway twisted and turned as he walked. Despite this, his vision remained the same, so he ignored the sensation.

The Deku and Fairy entered a dark room and immediately heard the sound of large wooden gears somewhere further ahead along with what sounded like running water. Link didn’t even have time to get used to the darkness and make out what the room looked like before he heard a strange grinding sound behind him. He whipped his head around to see a pair of thick metal doors closing behind him. A wheezing, alarmed sound came from his alien mouth, but before he could even make a move, the doors slammed shut.

Wherever he was now, there was no going back.

“What the heck?!” Tatl exclaimed, going to examine the blockade. “Those were never here before!”

Link ignored Tatl’s words, looking about the door and the wall surrounding it for some sort of button or switch to get it open. When nothing of the sort was found, he even tried opening it with his little wooden hands, not making them budge an inch. “Ge..t…ba..ck…?” It was hard enough to talk so speaking in full sentences was just impossible right now for the cursed boy.

“It’ll be fine!” Tatl assured, sounding confident. “Someone from town probably knows how to open it.” Her tone shifted to one of urgency, clearly wanting Link to just keep moving.

The Deku turned to his uncaring companion. “You…beennn h…ere…be…fffore?” That actually managed to calm the boy down a little, who was internally starting to panic. He felt foolish for doing so, in hindsight. Every door that closed could be opened again. Just because there wasn’t an immediate way to do it now, didn’t mean it was impossible.

“Well, yeah. I’m from here.” Tatl said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Tael, Skull Kid and I only go into Hyrule to mess about in the woods, that’s all.”

So, Link was no longer in Hyrule. While that wasn’t a good thing, he at least knew where he wasn’t. Given it took less than a day to get here, that meant he must be in some neighboring country! And, assuredly, there were other ways back home than some strange tunnel found in…where was he now, again?

Turning away from the steel doors, Link looked about the area he was in, wanting to get his bearings. He was inside some old, stone building of sorts, that much was clear right away. Another obvious aspect was that the interior didn’t seem particularly maintained well. There were brick walls, floor, and ceiling, all of which were full of cracks and chipped corners. There was moss or fungus all about too, a green mass that seemed to find great comfort in the damp area. It was too dark for the Deku boy to tell what it was exactly.

Walking forward, Link started to see the source of some of the noises he heard. Ahead of him spun a green, moss-or-fungus-covered waterwheel that seemed like it hadn’t been checked up on in decades, yet it seemed to go about just fine. Below it ran a shallow torrent of water, both going and coming from a place off in the darkness and shut off by iron gates. Thankfully, a third path in the form of what seemed to be a rickety ramp lead upwards into what must have been a tower of some kind. “Place is always so disgusting…” Tatl murmured to herself, as if reading Link’s thoughts.

Not offering any response, the Deku child made his way up the ramp with the fairy following, which was a lot less creaky than he expected. It could of course be the lessened weight of his new form. After the short walk, the two came across what seemed to be the only other room in the building. It was nicer looking, though that wasn’t saying much. The main appeal was the lack of disgusting greenery, and the bricks were in slightly better condition. Link looked about and saw a rotating wooden pole in the center of the building, extending far into the ceiling passed massive wooden gears that spun continuously. Worn and with slight cracks, it didn’t seem like anything like age or lack of maintenance would stop anything in this building from working. It seemed like the machinery could simply keep going until time reached its end.

And, as everyone knew, Time was eternal.

Despite the situation, Link found himself fascinated by the wooden pole and the gears. He had seen gears before, but not ones of such large size. It didn’t seem like the devices really…did anything. Yet, as the Deku listened closer, he swore he heard some kind of wooden grinding coming from outside. Pointing upward, the cursed boy looked towards Tatl. “What…isss…this?”

“What? You don’t know? With you being in the woods, I’d thought you’d have come here at least once.” The fairy replied, speaking in a way as if Link was missing something obvious. “Look, you’ll see when we get outside, alright? Save the stupid questions until then. Or, better yet, just keep them to yourself.” The fairy floated further into the room, over a small stone staircase leading to a pair of wooden doors. Like everything else in the building, they were old and worn. Adorned on the wood was a strange and intricate symbol painted onto it, one that Link didn’t recognize. In the cracks of the door, a faint sunlight spilled in and revealed the bits of dust floating about the air. The Deku went on to follow the fairy and nearly reached the door when-

“You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?”

“Gah!” Tatl exclaimed as she and Link quickly turned around. “Who’s there?!” She, almost seeming to do so instinctively, hid behind the Deku’s head, only to peek out a moment later.

Before Link was a surprisingly familiar face. One he hadn’t seen since Princess Zelda had returned him to his childhood. The man standing before the duo was tall and lanky, wearing a neat and clean purple outfit, complete with a matching robe, even his shoes were purple, ending in curled points and showed signs of wear and tear. He wore a pair of golden arm bands, and a matching ornament around his neck, suspiciously expensive for someone of his trade. The face of the man itself was just as it always was. A pair of squinty, almost closed eyes above a toothy and serene smile and below a neatly combed head of red hair. The grin was paradoxically calming and unnerving, and Link had never seen the man without it.

The man, the Happy Mask Salesman, was someone Link only met at all in the alternate timeline. By the time the boy was able to effectively go back into the marketplace after his quest, he had found out the Happy Mask Shop had closed, and its owner had moved on elsewhere. For reasons unknown, even to Link, he had felt saddened by the news. The salesman wasn’t someone Link had grown attached to, the boy didn’t even know his name, yet he still felt melancholy about knowing the two wouldn’t cross paths again.

It seemed fate had decided to finally rejoin the two, however. Link had noticed that the man hadn’t change at all these past two years, even wearing the same outfit. The one and only difference was the Happy Mask Salesman now carried a massive pack, one large enough that the Deku was surprised the man didn’t fall onto his back. He could see a few masks clipped to the outside of the pack; one displayed an unnerving screaming face, another a red and black demonic looking visage, and even the familiar Spooky Mask.

Link had to wonder just why the salesman was here. To get into this building, at least the way that the cursed boy got here, was through the Lost Woods. It wasn’t exactly a secret that those woods were dangerous, and it was very foolish for Hylians to enter it. Even Link was nervous about going in, but his desperate need to find Navi got him to enter. Besides, with the Ocarina of Time, he had a way to escape if needed. Why would a mask salesman be going through the Lost Woods, presumably all alone? Despite the dangerous area he had to go through, the ever-smiling man looked perfectly fine, no signs of injury or fatigue.

Still, in a way it was kind of a relief to see a familiar face all the way out here, even if the Happy Mask Salesman had no idea who Link was anymore even without the curse now placed on the child. “Who…arrre…y-you?” Link asked, having to play dumb. He couldn’t help but internally wince at his alien vocal cords making him stutter.

The Happy Mask Salesman let out a jovial chuckle, as if Link had told him a humorous joke. His toothy grin spread even farther, and he placed a hand over his chest and bowed to Link as the Deku took a few steps closer. Tatl continued to partially hide behind the cursed child. “I own the Happy Mask Shop, you see. I search far and wide in search of rare masks.” His voice was rich and cheery, Link almost thinking the man was about to open his pack and show him his wares. “During my travels, a very important mask was stolen from me by an imp in the woods.” Despite his words, he still sounded like all was right in his life.

An imp in the woods? “Ssskull Kid?” The Deku boy asked, feeling he already knew the answer. That strange and terrible mask the Skull Kid wore belonged to the salesman then? Why did he have such a mask? He didn’t notice it, but Tatl went entirely out of sight behind his head.

The grinning man let out another small laugh as he stood up straight again. “The very same! I was at a loss, but then I came across you.” Another small bout of laughter. “Now, don’t think me as rude, but I’ve been following you.”

“Nggh?” Link asked, his speech coming about so suddenly that he was unable to get the word out correctly. Just how did the Happy Mask Salesman follow him all this way? The area where he needed to use that flower alone should have stopped the man in his tracks, never mind the fact that neither Link nor the fairy noticed the man following them. At least, he assumed Tatl didn’t notice, thinking she would have spoken up if she had. Link was tempted to simply back up and make his way through the wooden doors, but he found his legs frozen in place.

As if reading Link’s mind, the salesman put his hands up in a surrendering gesture. “Now, I know that sounds sinister, but I assure you I have good intentions! After all, I can return you to your normal form!”

So, the Happy Mask Salesman even saw Link’s transformation? How? That room was so small, there was no way he could have been hiding in some corner somewhere. Perhaps…the man could turn invisible? What else could allow such a thing to happen? The Deku was tempted to ask about those sorts of things, but the promise of returning the cursed boy to his former self took priority. “R-R-Really?” He asked, his alien body forcing a stutter out of him.

“Really!” The man echoed back cheerfully. “If you can get back the precious item that was stolen from you, I will return you to normal. And, in exchange, all I ask is that you also get that mask from that imp and return it to me!”

Precious item? The Ocarina? How did the salesman know it had been stolen? Just how long was the man following Link? His initial comfort in the familiar face was now replaced with paranoia. Still, the salesman promised he could restore Link to normal…sure, he could be lying, but at the moment this was Link’s best bet. Despite this, he felt nervous about trying to get that mask back. Even if he was still a Hylian, there was something very off about the heart-shaped object and the Skull Kid that wore it. As a smaller, weakened Deku, he felt almost entirely powerless.

“You must not doubt yourself.” The salesman said, once more seeming to read the cursed boy’s thoughts. “Is it not a simple task? Surely for someone like you, this shouldn’t be difficult.”

Link wasn’t sure if he had blood anymore, but something inside him grew cold. The once-Hylian’s adventures through time were kept as a secret from the general public of Hyrule. Only the Royal Family, Sages, and Malon knew what had happened. No one else, especially a man Link technically never met, should know about his quest. Yet, what else could he mean by what he said? The most incredible thing he had done in the forest was managing to keep a grip on Epona for more than a few seconds as she sprinted through the trees. At the moment, Link wasn’t sure what to do or what to think, finding himself unable to move or talk.

“Yes, not difficult at all!” The smiling man continued on. “Except…” For the first time, he started to sound serious, actually sounding grave although his expression didn’t change at all. “…I am a very busy man, and I must leave this place in three days. I would be most gracious if you could gather your precious item and my mask within that time. Yes…you are young, and I know you have tremendous Courage within you. You’ll get things right away. I just know it.” He let out one last chuckle. “I am counting on you…”

Three days? That seemed like a lot of time, at least, but it depended on where exactly Link had ended up. If it was somewhere where the Skull Kid had a lot of places to go or hide from him, that three day period could be difficult to follow. Still, though, he felt a great sense of paranoia in regards to the man before him. Just how much did he know? He seemed so calm and jovial, yet he so clearly knew something he wasn’t supposed to, and that greatly unnerved the cursed boy.

Realizing that the man was expecting Link to start his search, the boy turned and had to resist the urge to run away from the Happy Mask Salesman, instead walking towards the door as he normally would, Tatl practically clinging to his hat. With a deep breath, not sure why he was even taking one, the Deku placed his hands on the door and pushed them open, letting the sunlight stream in…

Chapter Text

Dawn of the First Day – 72 Hours Remain

To Link’s relief, he finally got to take in fresh air for the first time in what felt like a full day. The sunlight temporarily blinded him as the wooden doors fell back into place behind him. As his orange eyes adjusted to the light, a whole slew of sensations flooded into Link as he soaked in the new environment he found himself in.

Looking about, the Deku saw he was in a town of some kind, reminding him mildly of the marketplace in Hyrule Castle Town. From a quick glance at the sky, it was clearly very early in the morning, couldn’t be any later than six, so the area before him had people going about, but not nearly as crowded as the marketplace back home got in the middle of the day. To Link’s mild surprise, the people he saw looked just like Hylians, even down to the pointed ears and the same sense of fashion with robes of all types of colors and patterns. One slight thing that Link noticed was some of the people walking about wore masks of all sorts of shapes and colors. These masked people didn’t seem to get odd looks from anyone else, so maybe it was normal here? He even saw a glance at a kid with purple hair and Keaton Mask walking down a staircase farther on.

There were a number of buildings, probably residential ones, along the edges of this area of town. Red bricked buildings that were all multiple stories high. Though it wasn’t too terribly crowded at the moment, there was still the buzz of a crowd of people talking in the air. Dead ahead of the Deku was some sort of platform with a man standing on top of it, staring at something in the sky. In front of the tower was…wait, was that…?

Link’s thoughts got interrupted as Tatl flew in front of his face, filling his vision with her white light. “Augh!” She spat out, shivering a bit. “That salesman guy gave me the creeps! How long was he following us?!” The fairy gave off an annoyed sigh. “Well, whatever. I can’t believe that guy only gave us three days to find the Skull Kid, and he could be anywhere!”

“You…Hhhad…idea…where…h-he was…” Link managed to squeak out. He distinctly recalled Tatl saying something about knowing where the imp was going. Also, her disgust confirmed she really hadn’t noticed the two were being followed…

“Well…I kind of lied. I mean, I thought he’d come out here, there’s nowhere else to really go after all. That being said, he could be anywhere in Termina.” There was a pause. “Oh, right, you’re new here right? Guess I got to explain things. Listen up, I’m not gonna repeat any of this, okay?” Link gave her a nod. “Good. The entire land we’re in now is called Termina, with Clock Town in the middle and the four areas in each compass direction. Even someone as dumb as you probably worked out that we’re in Clock Town.”

“Are…we…nnne…nnnear…Hyrullle?” Link felt he at least needed to ask and make sure.

“Heck if I know!” Tatl replied snootily. “All I know is that one day, the Skull Kid showed Tael and I that passage underneath the Clock Tower, taking us to Hyrule. We never left the forest there, so I don’t know much about it. Any other stupid questions?”

“Nnn…No…” Link replied. He had never heard of Termina before. Then again, no one back in Hyrule seemed to talk about the areas outside the kingdom very often. He vaguely recalled someone mentioning a place called Hytopia once, but that was it. Still…why was there a passageway from a giant tree within the Lost Woods leading into a Clock Tower? In the end, Link supposed it didn’t matter. He just wanted to get back to normal and go back home.

“Good! Now shut up.” Tatl went on. “There’s four parts of Clock Town, also mapped out using the compass directions, and we’re in South Clock Town. Now, we should head to the North, where the Great Fairy lives. If anyone knows exactly where the Skull Kid is, it’s her. Got that?” Link gave the demeaning fairy a nod. “Great, now let’s get going!”

A Great Fairy? Here? Then again, nothing the cursed boy ever heard about them stated they existed only within Hyrule. While Link wanted to go right away, he knew he had to make sure of something first. In front of that platform ahead was someone that caught Link’s eye. “Thisss….fiiirst…” He managed to squeak out, making a beeline towards the platform.

“Hey! Come back! That’s South, you idiot! North is the other way!” The fairy hissed loudly in the Deku’s…well, not ear exactly, but where his ear used to be.

Ignoring Tatl, Link went on. A few people passed by as the got their days started nice and early. They gave the lone Deku child a curious glance, but nothing more, as they went about their business. When Link got to the platform, he got a closer look at the person, the man, in front of it.

The most notable feature of the man was his large and bushy white mustache. The second was the angry expression that he wore, one directed towards the younger man on top of the platform. The mustachioed individual was short and barrel chested. There was no doubting it…Link had seen this man before.

He was the carpenter’s boss, Mutoh.

But how could that be? Why was he out here in Termina? Then again…if the Happy Mask Salesman was here, why not Mutoh? Looking about, Link noticed another one of the familiar carpenters sitting on a wooden crate, taking a sip of water. Perhaps Mutoh and his crew simply moved out here to do more work? Yes, that had to be it! After all, it wasn’t like Link had actually seen the men in this timeline. He had never been able to set foot in Kakariko Village since he was sent back in time, so they could’ve easily have finished their job and left without him knowing. He hadn’t actually seen hide nor hair of them since the Gerudo Valley in the alternate timeline.

“Hey! What’re you doing up there?!” Mutoh yelled to the man on the platform. “Get yer butt down here and get working! The Moon’s not falling, you idiot!”

Tatl, who had been fruitlessly tugging on one of Link’s small wooden arms, stopped. “The Moon? Did he say the Moon?” She asked Link. The two of them simultaneously looked up into the sky, where the man on the platform was gazing. The first thing that actually caught Link’s eye was the Clock Tower. In terms of pure height, it was the largest building he had ever seen save for Hyrule Castle. A large, brick-laid building with some large wooden mechanism on its front. It took Link but a moment to realize it had to be a clock of some kind, as it turned with each passing moment. It was adorned with odd paintings and symbols, ones unknown to the Deku Boy. He had actually underestimated how high up the tower was, only looking as far as the massive clock. Moving his eyes up, he saw some sort of stone lump on top of the building, its use a mystery to him.

His eyes shot up much higher when Tatl let out a terrified scream.

Link almost screamed himself at the sight. Far above the Clock Tower, but not nearly far enough, was a massive rock. No, not just a rock. Bigger than a boulder even. A gargantuan mass was hanging up in the air over Clock Town! That by itself was horrifying, but this rock, this apparent Moon, had a face. A scowling, grimacing face complete with a nose and two horrifying, piercing eyes. Eyes the same shade of orange as the two eyes of that horrid mask the Skull Kid wore. The Deku expected that, any second, the horrifying object would just plummet down and kill everyone in the vicinity. Yet, it just hung there, as if held by an invisible hand.

“Wha-Wha-What-What is that?!” Tatl exclaimed, pointing to the Moon. “That…That can’t be the Moon, can it?! Why is it here?! What’s going on?!”

At a loss for words, Link continued to stare at the object hanging over the town. What perplexed him was, well, no one was panicking. No chaos in the streets, no mass evacuation, nothing of the sort at all! Did no one care? By Tatl’s reaction, this clearly wasn’t normal. That still didn’t explain how that Moon, or whatever it really was, got there in the first place! The only thing Link could think of was…no, surely not…

Could the Skull Kid be that powerful?

“Uh, look. Deku Boy.” Tatl said, clearly nervous. “I don’t know what that thing is, but…it doesn’t seem to be doing anything, at least not now!” She sounded as if she was trying to convince herself more than Link. “Let’s just go to the Great Fairy! Maybe she can help somehow!”

Tatl was at least partially right. Looking back up at the so-called Moon, Link noted it really was just floating there for now. Who knew when that could change, though? But what else could he do? Not like he could stop that thing! The Great Fairy really was the best option at the moment. “Rrrght…” Link squeaked out. He did everything he could not to show it, but the cursed boy was terrified. What if that monstrosity above their heads suddenly fell, and without warning? No way anyone in the town would survive! He hated to admit it but relying on the Great Fairy was literally the only thing he could do. What other option was there?

With those awful thoughts in his head, Link followed as Tatl took him to the North. As the two went on, Link looked about the town some more. While he did so, he took a closer look at the faces of those he passed by. There was an odd mixture of serenity in those he saw along with nervousness. Some seemed as though they were trying everything in their power not to run away as fast as their legs could carry them. There didn’t seem like there was enough people in the latter group, though. How had the town not evacuated? What was wrong with these people? How could they just ignore that hunk of rock literally staring them in the face?

Then again, wasn’t Link doing the same thing?

Tatl lead Link past the Clock Tower and up a wooden ramp that lead around the large building. Through a short passageway, the two entered North Clock Town. Unlike South Clock Town, there were no buildings in sight. If anything, it seemed like some sort of large park with a couple of trees scattered about. Green, freshly cut grass bisected only by dirt pathways. Dead ahead was what Link assumed to be the town walls, plain white and ascending up nearly to the height of a small house. The only manmade structures aside from the wall that Link could see was a playground in the far corner of the area with swings and a slide.

Another difference that Link noticed was the lack of people. He was only able to see two people in the entirety of the area. One was  a strange man in green spandex, hovering over the area with a red balloon. Link could see that he was drawing something, perhaps the view from above? The other was a young boy with a red bandana, blowing up a blue balloon. The Deku could see a hole in the wall leading North out of town. Surely a guard was posted there, but at this angle, Link was unable to see him. Further, past the hole, was a cave that Tatl was leading the cursed child towards.

“The Great Fairy lives in there.” The fairy explained. “She’s pretty powerful and knows a lot. If there’s anyone that can help us out, it’s her.” Her voice seemed a bit strained, no doubt still shaken up from the Moon. It was clear, however, she was trying to remain calm and confident.

Link couldn’t help but be surprised at how close the Great Fairy was to Clock Town. Back in Hyrule, the Great Fairies were all hidden away to some extent from civilization. Yet this one was out in the open for anyone to just go talk to, apparently. As the duo got closer, something metallic caught Link’s eye. He looked over and saw that hole in the Clock Town wall, where he assumed a guard must be standing at a post. It turned out he was correct, but the guard himself struck the cursed boy down to his very core and made him stop in his tracks.

The helmet, the chainmail, the spear…the guard at Clock Town’s entry and exit was equipped exactly like the guards of Hyrule. In fact, this specific man looked…familiar. Not just from what he wore but living in the castle for two years allowed Link to familiarize the guards and servants within it. The man on duty noticed Link staring at him and gave the Deku a small smile and a nod of greeting, making Link turn away.

“Hey! What are you doing? Let’s go already, Deku Boy!” Tatl scolded, bobbing in front of Link’s eyes.

“So…rry…” The cursed child replied as the fairy herded him back towards the cave. Just what was going on here? First the Happy Mask Salesman, then Mutoh, now a Hyrule guard? The first two could be explained fine, but the guard was trickier. Maybe…Maybe this country copied the guard uniforms from Hyrule? It didn’t really make much sense, but that was the closest thing to a reasonable explanation that Link could think of on the spot.

The Deku pushed those thoughts from his head as the two neared the cave. He noticed two things as they approached. The first was a small shrine of sorts outside the yawning hole, with bowls and flowers and what seemed to be other small sacrifices to the Great Fairy within. The second thing was an energy all around him, one familiar to the cursed boy. It was literal magic in the air, the kind that could be felt in one’s bones. Though, Link wasn’t sure if he even had bones anymore. Best not to think too deeply into it. As Link entered the cave, he noticed Tatl started to fly behind him, seeming a bit nervous though he chose not to ask why. Navi never had problems like this, she was fine with Great Fairies.

To little surprise, a serene glow came from within the cave, and soon it melded from stone floor and walls to the clean white tiles of a Great Fairy’s Fountain. Ahead was a shimmering pond that gave off more light than it had any right to. When Link got near the water, a mass of orange, glowing forms erupted from the fountain’s center. Getting over the initial surprise quickly, Link found himself confused. There was no Great Fairy, and no regular fairies either!

The entities that came from the water looked like small, deformed children with large heads and shut eyes. Their entire bodies glowed orange, and they fluttered about on wings that seemed too small for them. “Cursed one! Please hear my plea! I have been broken and shattered to pieces by the masked Skull Kid!” A high-pitched voice rang from the swarm of creatures.

That got Tatl to fly out from behind her hiding place. “What?! Great Fairy, is that you?! How could the Skull Kid do something like this, he’s not strong enough!”

“I’m afraid I am.” The voice said, seeming not to come from any specific glowing entity before the duo. “The Skull Kid is more powerful than you know! Please, find the Stray Fairy somewhere within Clock Town and come back here! I will explain everything when I return to normal!” With that, the creatures, the Stray Fairies, vanished into the water.

Stunned, Link simply stared at the shimmering waters. Great Fairies weren’t exactly the most powerful beings back in Hyrule, but to shatter one like this was unheard of! Even Ganondorf never did such a thing, and one was sealed away right next to his castle. He didn’t want to imagine that the Moon was truly the Skull Kid’s doing, but if he was able to do this to a Great Fairy…

Link’s thoughts were interrupted as Tatl flew in front of his face. “This is bad! The Skull Kid is stronger than I thought! This…We’ve got to find the Stray Fairy right away!”

“But…wwwhere…?” The Deku asked. Where would a Stray Fairy even be? Away from people, he would think, but he really didn’t know enough about them to be sure.

“Well, not in North Clown Town, obviously.” Tatl replied, her voice condescending. “If the Stray Fairy was here, it’d be able to return on its own. We’ll just have to look everywhere we can until we find it.”

Link was starting to get annoyed at the fairy’s nasty attitude. She really had some nerve to treat him so poorly considering she and her brother started all this by spooking Epona. Link decided to hold off on talking back, however. After all, he was bound to find the Skull Kid by the end of the three day time limit given to him. At least, he hoped so. The cursed boy tried to just keep his mind on his current goal, to not start thinking about what would happen if he failed and was stuck in Termina.

Keeping such thoughts away, Link made his way out of the cave and into the sunlight. As the Deku stepped outside, he was suddenly struck with a wave of exhaustion Stopping in his tracks, the cursed boy leaned against the rocky wall by the cave’s entrance. Thinking about it, how long had it been since he rested? Now that he stopped to ponder, Link realized it had been sometime in the afternoon when Epona was stolen, now it was sometime after six in the morning. Somehow, he had been up all night without even realizing it. It didn’t feel like he had been awake that long. The horse theft seemed like it was only a few hours ago. Then again, while underground, there was no sun or sky to tell time with, so maybe the hours simply flew by, and it just didn’t feel as long. No matter what had happened, all Link knew for sure was that he was completely exhausted.

“Hey, why are you stopping?!” Tatl demanded. “We have to find that Stray Fairy right away! I don’t know what’s going on, but this is weird for the Skull Kid to do. We gotta find out where he is, right away!”

“Tirrred…” Link sputtered out as he sat down on the ground. “Rrrest firrrst…” He felt pathetic for thinking it, but for the moment he just felt he couldn’t go on. “N-Need sssleep.”

The fairy let out an aggravated groan. “Really? Right now?! Deku Boy, we don’t have time for sleep!” Alas, even as Tatl ranted, Link’s eyes started to flutter shut. She let out an annoyed sigh. “Fine! Go ahead and sleep!” She paused as the cursed boy’s eyes shut and he seemed to instantly fall asleep. “Maybe a nap could help…” The fairy murmured to herself, curling up on top of Link’s hat…

Link found himself wandering.

All around him was darkness, as far as the eye could see. No light, nothing at all was visible. It was all just an encompassing abyss. He didn’t know what else to do, so he simply kept walking. He wasn’t even sure what he was walking on as his footsteps made no sound. He even realized that the sword and shield on his back made no sound either even though he could feel them. Usually they rattled or clinked lightly, but no such noise existed. Link couldn’t help but feel a sense of urgency, like he needed to find a way out and fast, or else something bad would happen. Despite this, he found he couldn’t move faster than casual walking.

Time passed at a torturous crawl within this empty void, but Link just kept going. He had to get out or else…something would happen. But what? The boy’s thoughts were interrupted when the first noise he heard since entering this dark plain rang out. It was a strange shuffling sound. Leaves? He turned every which way but saw nothing but pure darkness.

Not knowing what else to do, Link simply went on his way. It didn’t take long before the shuffling sound came about again, this time louder. Once more, Link looked around the empty space he found himself in. He swore he saw a flash of red, but it was gone before he could even blink. Nothing else happened, so he kept going.

What felt like hours passed as Link wandered through the strange area he found himself in. The scenery, or lack thereof, never changed at all. He didn’t even remember how he got there, but all he knew was he had to somehow escape quickly.

The shuffling sound came back, louder than ever. This time, when Link turned about, he saw something concrete and permanent. A Deku Scrub, its leaves red and angry, was standing just a few feet from him. The shuffling came from its leaves as it shook in place. Before Link could even think of what to do, he heard another sound from another direction. Whipping his head to the new noise, he saw another Deku Scrub, its leaves also red. Then another appeared. And another. And another. And another. And another. And another. And another.

Before Link knew it, the empty space was filled with shuffling, shaking Deku Scrubs. The creatures surrounded him, pressed up against him and giving him barely enough room to breathe. Struggling for a moment, Link managed to squeeze his way out of the condensed crowd and ran away. Looking back, he saw that none of the Scrubs were chasing him, to his relief.

When Link looked ahead again, however, he saw a mass of red in front of him. Out of the ground, a massive Deku Scrub was rising from the inky blackness. Despite wanting to change direction, the boy found himself unable to stop running straight towards the monstrosity. The giant Deku Scrub stood there, awaiting as Link got close. The child panicked over what would happen when he got there, what that thing would do to him, what-

“Hey! Come on, nap time’s over!” Tatl’s voice rang out.

The cursed boy’s orange eyes flew open to see his fairy companion floating right in front of his face. “Nnn?” He groaned out, blinking a few times.

“I said wake up!” Tatl yelled out again. “We were asleep for too long! We’ve got to get moving!”

Feeling a bit sore and stiff, Link stood up and gazed up into the sky. Tatl was right, as judging from where the sun was in the sky, he reckoned it was around eleven about now. That left them with about 67 hours to go. As he gazed upward, he looked over to the Moon. Was it…bigger? No. No, surely not. It must just be his imagination. “Where…d-do we…gggo nnnowww?”

“I think right now our best bet is asking Jim if he’s seen anything. He always hangs out around here. If anyone saw the Stray Fairy fly off, it’d be him.”

“’im?” Link asked, still finding certain sounds impossible for his unusual mouth.

“Yeah, he’s right over there.” Tatl said, flying towards the boy Link had noticed earlier with the red bandana. The balloon he was inflating was up in the air. To the Deku’s surprise, it had the mask that the Skull Kid was wearing on it. The boy was shooting at it with a blow dart but kept missing. “Hey! Jim!” The fairy called as she got close.

Link followed after her, hoping that this Jim kid saw something. When Jim turned, Link felt his heart skip a beat. The boy before him…was familiar to the Deku. He remembered a small child that would wander the graveyard of Kakariko Village, trying to imitate his gravedigging hero. The cursed child never caught the boy’s name, but apparently it was Jim, and he was here in Termina as well.

No. No, it was just a crazy coincidence. That had to be the case. A lot of children looked the same, especially that young. Right? This Jim kid simply resembled the boy from the graveyard. Just happenchance. That’s all it was. What other explanation could there possibly be?

Jim looked between Link and his fairy companion; his head cocked slightly in confusion. “Hey, what’s up? Why are you with this Deku, Tatl? You ditch the Skull Kid?”

“Not…exactly. It was more he and Tael ditched me. Deku Boy here is just with me until we find him. You haven’t seen those two around, have you?” Tatl’s tone was a lot less nasty with Jim, apparently her behavior towards Link was just her not liking him.

Jim shook his head. “Nah, I haven’t seen ‘em since I kicked the three of you out of the Bombers.” He sounded a bit sour about whatever happened back then. “You guys get in a fight or something?”

“Mind your own business!” Tatl snapped. “Have you seen anything weird in this part of town? Anything at all?”

Not seeming phased by Tatl’s attitude, Jim closed his eyes in thought. “Mmm…No. Not really. Why? Is that Skull Kid up to something bad again?”

“No! Look, if you see anything weird, or the Skull Kid and my stupid brother, let us know, okay?”

“Yeah, alright. It’s our code to help anyone that needs it, and I guess that’d include you too.” Jim said, still sounding a bit annoyed at the fairy. He then turned his attention to Link, who had just been staring at the boy. “Who’s the Scrub anyway? You new in town, kid?”

It took Link a second to realize he was being talked to, his mind still trying to reject that Jim looked just like that boy in the graveyard. “Y-Yeees. I’m nnnewww…”

Link’s odd speech seemed to surprise Jim, but apparently his parents raised him right because he didn’t further acknowledge it. “Huh, alright. Welcome to Clock Town, then. If you ever need help with something, come to one of the Bombers, and we’ll help you out!”

Before Link could reply, Tatl piped up. “Right, right. Got it. Just remember to keep an eye out, Jim!” The fairy said as she started to flutter away, Link following behind.

“Yeah, yeah…” Jim half-heartily replied before turning his attention back to the balloon he was trying to shoot down.

Once Link and Tatl got out of hearing range, the Deku spoke up. “Bombersss? What…arrre they?” He couldn’t help but be a bit curious, especially since Jim and these Bombers had some kind of history with the trio of horse thieves.

“They’re just a group of dumb kids. They want to help people and spread justice or whatever.” Tatl said dismissively. “Jim’s the leader, and I guess he’s still sore about when the three of us were part of the gang. Skull Kid…well…the details aren’t important, but he got us kicked out.”

Link couldn’t help but notice the bit of hesitation there and wondered just what the Skull Kid did. He didn’t think Tatl would tell him, and he supposed it wasn’t really important in the end. “Ssso…what d-do we do nnnowww?”

The fairy let out a small sigh. “You’re an idiot, you know that? There’s not much we can do except just…look ourselves. There’s a lot of nooks and crannies in town for the Stray Fairy to hide at.” The fairy explained, looking down at Link with distaste, though the light she gave off hid it. “If I had to guess, I’d say the Stray Fairy is outside somewhere. I mean if it ducked into someone’s house, surely it would’ve been returned by now…”

Needless insults aside, Link agreed with the plan and Tatl’s logic. He still felt a bit worried. If the last two areas of Clock Town were as big as the ones he just went through, it could be a long time before they combed through any hiding places for the Stray Fairy. But what choice did he have? “Lead…th-the…waaay.”

There was little conversing between Link and Tatl for quite a long while after that. He didn’t want to socialize with her, and she clearly felt the same way. Honestly, that was just fine with the wooden boy. When the fairy first took Link into East Clock Town, one of the first things he noticed was another boy around Jim’s age, but this one wore a yellow bandana. He seemed to be guarding some kind of entrance. All this did was reinforce Link’s theory that the resemblance between Jim and the graveyard boy was simply a coincidence. After all, the kid in the yellow bandana very strongly resembled Jim. Heck, they could be twins.

While Link’s mind was focused on finding the Stray Fairy as Tatl led him about the area, he couldn’t help but make observations about the part of town. South Clock Town seemed to be a residential area, with a lot of houses and apartments visible just from in front of the Clock Tower, and there had clearly been more elsewhere out of direct eyesight. North Clock Town was more in touch with nature, with the only structures being the wall and the playground.

East Clock Town seemed like a place of pleasures and entertainment. At least as far as Link could tell. While he couldn’t read the various signs about the place, the signs themselves had pictures to go along with them. One had an arrow hitting a target, obviously a shooting gallery. One building had pictures of bottles of liquid on it, which Link guessed was a bar. While he was too young to actually go into bars, he recalled being told about them by Zelda. He even remembered coming across someone called a ‘drunk’ during his first visit in Hyrule Castle Town. Another building was in the shape of a treasure chest, and even had a sign on it depicting a chest full of riches, so perhaps some way to play for money.

There were also a number of stalls about the area. One was lined up with toys, one had a large collection of masks, another had trinkets and bobbles, another was stocked with fireworks of all shapes and sizes. Children gathered about these stalls, parents at their side as Rupees were exchanged and the customers clamored for their purchases.

That lead to the next observation Link had; the town was now a lot livelier than when he first entered it. It was about on par with the marketplace back in Hyrule at its busiest. It was a bit harder to maneuver and push his way through the crowds. He found himself getting bumped around and even knocked over once or twice by adults that simply didn’t notice him. Even when he was ten, he was tall enough where people in the marketplace were able to see him a bit easier and at least not push him over by accident.

Another bit of trouble was the people that actually did take notice of the cursed child. A few concerned adults in the less-busy parts of the area would stop and ask Link if he was alright, inquiring about where his parents were and if he needed help. It was at these moments that Link was thankful for Tatl’s attitude and blunt nature, as she would pipe up and tell the adults to mind their own business and go away.

Link was someone who almost never turned away kind attention thrown his way. Growing up with only one person that cared for him made him starved for the affections of those around him. Despite this, he found it nerve-wracking when multiple people would talk to him or if a line of them conversed with him in such a short time frame. All it took was three or more people and he could feel his anxiety build up, even if they were his friends or other kind people. He just wasn’t used to more than person having a conversation with him, and he despised how it affected him so much. Link couldn’t help but see it as a disgusting aspect of himself and was horribly ashamed of it. The Deku was just thankful that Tatl took care of these situations, and that his inability to make facial expressions meant he couldn’t outwardly show how nervous he was.

The duo spent several hours searching about East Clock Town, Tatl seeming to know the place like the back of her exceedingly small hand. She showed him all the alleys and hiding spots that the Stray Fairy could potentially be found, but unfortunately nothing came up. Something interesting that Link did see was during the search, he saw a Goron walking by with a large pack on his back. He didn’t ever remember hearing that Gorons only lived in Hyrule, so he wasn’t too surprised. After all, Dekus clearly lived in Termina as well, so why not Gorons? He even swore he saw a few Zoras in the crowd at one point, but before he could even blink, they were gone.

Something that did concern Link, however, was he swore some of the people in the crowd looked familiar to him. No names attached to the faces, but these people looked like ones he would see bustling about the Hyrule marketplace from time to time. He convinced himself that it was a coincidence, or perhaps that with all the stress and exhaustion he faced over the last day or so, his mind was just playing tricks on him. He did everything he could to keep his mind busy thinking about where the Stray Fairy could be. The familiar faces, Epona, whether he could ever return to normal…such thoughts were forced down and locked away. The wooden boy had quite a lot of experience shoving memories out of his conscious mind over the last two years. He was practically an expert on it. All the concentration meant nothing, however, as there was no luck in the East Clock Town search.

Before Link knew it, the sun had set over the horizon…

Night of the First Day – 60 Hours Remain

“Well, the Stray Fairy isn’t around here.” Tatl declared as the two stood in the main area of East Clock Town. A lot of the bustle of the area slowed down, allowing the two to easily stay in one place and not get pushed around by the crowds. A lot of people were filing off towards South Clock Town, with a number of them heading towards the building Link assumed to be a bar. He also saw several Zoras head past the guard standing at his post. The Deku tried not to think about the uniform again.

“Wwwest…Cl-Clock Town…?” Link asked, still feeling foolish for not being able to talk properly yet. That being said, he barely talked at all since entering East Clock Town, so he didn’t get much practice in.

“I guess we might as well try. There’s not nearly as many hiding places there, but it’s worth a look…I’m wondering where Skull Kid and Tael could be too. Surely they’re still in town somewhere…” Genuine concern filled the fairy’s voice as she led her Deku companion towards South Clock Town.

As the two went through South Clown Town, Link noticed the platform from earlier was built up a bit higher. What was being constructed? It was right in the middle of the main square, so it couldn’t be some kind of residential building. Oh well, it wasn’t important. He felt a small chill run through his body, as though he were being watched. He would bet anything it was the gaze of that horrid Moon up above the town. A part of him was tempted to look back at it, but he couldn’t bring himself to.

What if it had gotten bigger?

West Clock Town, from what Link could tell, was a place of trade. Again, while he couldn’t actually read the various signs, they were specialized with pictures showing off what they held within. One shop’s sign had a bomb, for instance, clearly a place to buy bombs. Another shop had a picture of a cauldron next to it, obviously a potions shop. On top of that, there were a few stalls here selling things like food and jewelry that were still open. Another thing Link noticed was all the businesses and stores were built within the walls of the town. There weren’t really any buildings to speak of in West Clock Town, not technically.

On the more disturbing side of things, Link noticed another familiar face as he and Tatl went up the main ramp of the area. A man kneeling in front of a large vault was giving Rupees to a woman as they made idle chatter. He was someone that the boy couldn’t forget; a beggar he had seen back in Hyrule. After all, how could he forget the lesson he learned on what poverty and homelessness was? Then again, Link hadn’t actually seen this man for over a year. Maybe he simply went off to Termina and was now doing better for himself. Of course, it was such a simple solution! What else could possibly be the case? Just another odd coincidence, that’s all it was…

It was as Tatl said, there weren’t as many hiding places in this part of town. No real buildings meant no alleyways. There were some old holes in the walls and checking behind some piles of boxes in a few corners of the area, but that was really it. That on top of how this part of Clock Town was less busy, with less crowds to push through, get swept up in, and wait to disperse, meant the search was concluded much faster. Within two hours, the entire area was combed through.

“Giants smite it!” Tatl exclaimed as Link sat down to rest by the guard post. “What do we do now? I mean South Clock Town is just so full, if the Stray Fairy was there it’d have been found by now. There’s nowhere to hide in North Clock Town, and we searched everywhere else!”

“Isss…there…rrreally no…where…elssse?” Link asked, feeling concerned. What if the Stray Fairy wasn’t even in the town anymore? What if it flew off to…well, whatever laid beyond the walls?

Tatl stayed silent for a bit, simply bobbing up and down in place. “Wait!” She exclaimed after a minute. “There’s one last place! Come on!” Getting up, Link followed as Tatl flew off ahead of him. The two went back to South Clock Town and up a staircase that, after a moment, Link recognized. That’s right! That boy in the Keaton Mask came from here…but where did it lead?

Going through a small pathway through towering walls, Link found himself in a remote area of Clock Town. It was the size of a small house in its entirety, a closed-off area with a manmade river running through it with a tiny stone bridge going over it. There was grass, flowers, a tree with lush green leaves as well. While there was a bench, and even a door leading off into some building farther on, the area was devoid of people. The only thing of note was exactly what the one thing Link and Tatl were looking for. Hovering above the water was an orange flowing creature: The Stray Fairy. “Th-There it is…” Link squeaked out.

“Of course, always in the last possible place!” Tatl exclaimed, sounding both relieved and annoyed. “You’ll have to go get it. You should be able to hop across the water as you are now. Go on, Deku Boy!”

Hop across the water? Granted, Link did feel a lot lighter, but was it really possible? As much as he didn’t like Tatl…she had no reason to lie right now. Taking a deep breath, the Deku charged towards the water and, to his surprise, bounced off of its surface rather than just falling in. It was automatic, almost natural to him, and it propelled him towards the Stray Fairy. Kicking off of the water again, he reached out and gently but firmly grabbed the creature out of the air before landing on the other side of the small river.

The Stray Fairy feebly struggled for a moment but then, as if sensing Link’s intentions, calmed down. “Young one! Please hear my plea! I have been broken and shattered to pieces by the masked Skull Kid! Please, return me to my fountain!”

“Of…c-course.” Link promised, gently keeping the Stray Fairy in his grip as he went back over the bridge.

“Alright! Finally, you did something right, Deku Boy!” Tatl cheered backhandedly.

Ignoring the nasty fairy, Link ran past her and towards North Clock Town, his companion following behind him. The more natural part of Clock Town was still rather empty. The only people out and about was the guard, the man on the balloon, and a few adults meandering through. Jim, noticeably, was absent.

Before long, the duo found themselves back at the Great Fairy’s Fountain. As Link approached the water, he let the Stray Fairy go as the other pieces of the being emerged from the fountain’s center. All the orange fairies flew around in a vortex-like motion and a light erupted that left both Link and Tatl seeing stars as a triumphant laughter echoed through the room. As their eyes recovered, the peered at the being before them.

The Great Fairy was, to Link’s mild surprise, exactly like the ones back in Hyrule. A large woman, much larger than any mortal one, floated above the two. A stunningly beautiful face resting below waves of long, orange hair looked down at Link. The wardrobe was also quite similar, the Great Fairy wearing nothing but vines and leaves that left little to the imagination. Link had recalled the first time he saw a Great Fairy. He felt strange looking at the…unusual style of not-quite-clothing they wore. Afterward, he had asked Navi about it, but she quickly said she’d just tell him about it some other day.

Thinking about it…she never got back to that subject…

“Tatl…and you who are trapped in that altered shape…you have my thanks.” The Great Fairy said. Her voice had a natural echo and force to it, though she sounded tired all the same. “I foolishly let my guard down around that masked imp and paid the price for it.”

Apparently feeling braver than before, Tatl flew above Link and looked up to the Great Fairy. “So, the Skull Kid really did this to you? He’s gotten that strong?”

“I am afraid so.” The Great Fairy responded. “I am sapped of my energy, but I can still grant you power. As the Great Fairy of Magic, I extend my gift to you, cursed child.” The air itself hummed with a mysterious force as the Great Fairy spoke.

Link started to feel light in the head as a strange sensation coursed through his body. All of a sudden, Link felt a sort of…clearing in his throat. As if instantly recovering from a nasty cold. When the magical power in the air ebbed away, Link felt vaguely more comfortable in this new form of his, but not dramatically different. Still, he looked up to the Great Fairy. “Thank you. I…” He stopped in shock. His voice came out squeaky and unusual still, but now he was able to speak without exerting so much effort. “I can talk? What’s going on…?”

“I helped you settle into your new form as much as I could at the moment.” The woman interrupted. “There is also a latent power within Dekus that I awoke within you. I insist you try using it, it may prove helpful.”

Nodding, Link looked down at his wooden hands, flexing his fingers lightly. He had to wonder just what that power was. “Thank you, Great Fairy.”

“Ah! Wait, before we leave!” Tatl interrupted, sounding nervous. “Great Fairy of Magic, please, do you know where the Skull Kid and my brother are? We’re looking for them…”

The Great Fairy solemnly shook her head. “All I can say for certain is that the imp is nearby. Likely within Clock Town. I suggest going to the elderly man in the observatory outside of town. Surely he can aid you.”

“The observatory guy, huh? Well…if you say he can help, I’m sure he must know something…” Tatl replied, not quite sounding confident and clearly trying to suck up to the Great Fairy.

“One more thing, Great Fairy.” Link spoke up. “Please, may we rest in the fountain tonight? There is nowhere else for us to go.”

Offering the two a small smile, the Great Fairy nodded. “Of course, you have more than earned the right. I myself must rest and regain my strength. I wish the two of you the best of luck!” Letting out another bought of laughter, the magical being shrunk down into the water below and vanished in a flash of light.

There was a pause in the room, which Tatl broke as she flew in front of Link’s face. “Well, at least we know the Skull Kid and Tael are in town, and where to go next. We’ll have to talk to Jim about the observatory.”

“Why Jim?” Link asked, moving away from the central part of the fountain and sitting against a wall.

“The Bombers guard the only direct path to the observatory. Didn’t you notice that kid with the yellow bandana?” Link gave the fairy a nod. “See? You can use that brain of yours if you really try! I guess we’ll have to wait until morning, though. Jim will probably be back soon after the sun comes up…”

Giving another nod, Link rested his head against the fountain wall. He only then realized just how exhausted he really was. Aside from a few brief rests in East Clock Town, he had been quite active since his nap that morning. Thinking further, he recalled he hadn’t had anything to eat or drink since he cooked up that rabbit in the Lost Woods. What did Dekus even eat? Fruits and berries, he assumed. If he had Rupees, he could buy some food, but he was outright broke. He’d have to worry about that tomorrow. For now, he needed rest.

“Okay. We talk to Jim tomorrow. I’m going to sleep.” Link said as he closed his alien orange eyes.

Tatl gave a grunt of acknowledgement as she perched on the cursed child’s hat. “Right. Good night, Deku Boy.” She said in a dismissive tone.

“Link.”

“What?”

“That’s my name. Link.” The Deku didn’t think Tatl cared, but hopefully it would lead to her dropping that nickname.

There was a pause. “Link, huh?” The fairy’s voice was impossible for the Deku to read. “I think I like Deku Boy better. I’ll just stick with that.”

Figures. Link should have known better. This was the fairy that helped steal away his horse and felt no guilt for being involved in his cursed nature, which was caused by her friend. Well, he only had two days left so surely within that time he’d part ways with her and never see her again. With those negative thoughts swirling in his head, Link fell asleep.

Link didn’t know how he managed to do it, but he escaped Termina. Somehow he got through those steel doors and left Clock Town behind. Unfortunately, he was unable to get the Ocarina of Time back or return to normal. Trapped as a Deku, he wandered through the Lost Woods. He was so exhausted, so ready for rest, but he had to get back to the castle…

As he went through the winding, infinite trees of the forest, a familiar figure appeared before him. Green clothes…green hair…it was Saria. Sitting on a stump in the middle of the Lost Woods was one of the most important people in his life. She had her eyes closed, Ocarina in hand as beautiful notes floated through the air and the leaves.

Thank Farore! She could help him get out! Link sprinted towards his childhood friend, the one that knew Link inside and out more than any other living soul. As he got closer, he stopped and called out to the girl. “Ngghh! Frrruuuu!” What the heck was that?! No…he had learned to talk properly! Why was he still making these odd noises?!

Saria’s eyes flew open as she looked down at Link. To his surprise and slight horror, she put on an expression of disgust as she gazed at the Deku. “Who are you? A Deku? What do you want?!”

What…? Why was she being so mean? This was Saria! She was nice to everyone! She had never expressed hatred for Dekus before, so why now? “Nghhaa! Llll…” No matter how hard Link tried, he just couldn’t get the words out.

“Get away from me! I have nothing to say to something like you! Get out of here!” She yelled, her voice harsh and angry in a way Link had never heard before.

“Mmmnnnggg…Rrraaffff…” Link squeaked out as he got closer. He had to somehow make her see who he was, that he was her Link. Her precious Link.

A foot shot out and rammed the Deku between the eyes, knocking him over. “I said get away! You’re disgusting! Don’t make me say it again!”

Terrified and panicking, Link scrambled to his feet and ran away. He felt so confused, so hurt, from Saria’s words and actions. The cursed child felt tears streaming down his face as he ran through the trees, every direction he looked seeming exactly the same.

Somehow, Link found himself before Lon Lon Ranch. How…did he get here? He was just in the forest, wasn’t he? Well, no matter. Maybe he could somehow get Malon to see who he was! Without hesitation, he rushed into the ranch proper. There he saw Malon, singing with the horses. When he approached her, to his relief, she at first seemed surprised but then smiled at him. “Hey! Who are you?” She tilted her head to the side. “You’re one of those Deku things, right?”

Frantically, Link nodded. Of course Malon would simply accept his presence. That’s just how she was! “Nggrrr…Graaa…”

That made Malon seemed concerned. “What’s wrong? Can’t you talk?” Link shook his head. “Well, that’s okay. We can still be friends. You’re from the forest, right?”

“Rrrnnngg…Ffffoooo…” Link gurgled, waving his hands about. How was he supposed to convey who he was? He couldn’t speak, couldn’t write, and he had nothing of his to show to her! Wait…his hat! It wasn’t the same size, but it was very similar. The Deku patted at the overly large headwear of his.

“Hm?” Malon seemed confused. “Hey…that hat…it’s kind of like Link’s! Do you know him?” A nod from the Deku. “He never told me he had a Deku friend before…how odd…”

“Mmrrrrrggh….” Link whined, not knowing what to do next.

“You know, he went off to the forest a few days ago. I wonder how he’s doing…” She trailed off, then gave the Deku a serious look. “If you’re smart, you’ll avoid him from now on.”

…Avoid? What did she mean by that?

The farmgirl let out a bitter sounding sigh. “Honestly, I’m glad he’s gone for a month. It will be a nice break. I’m so sick of him, my only regret is I let him take my horse.” Her frown deepened. “He’s just so NEEDY all the time. Always wanting to hold hands or be held…always wanting my attention. When we first met, he kept freaking out about stuff and crying constantly…it was so annoying! But I wanted to be nice, so I pretended to be his friend…what a mistake…”

Link couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Just how long did Malon feel this way about him? Did she ever really love him at all? Or even like him? He remembered being suspicious at first, but Zelda had told him it was just paranoia. He was right…the whole time she was just pretending…

“Okay, Deku?” Malon asked, staring intently at Link. “Just stay away from Link. He’s nothing but a leech. Alright?”

Using every fiber of his being not to cry, Link turned and ran away from Malon, who silently watched him go. He didn’t know what to think. Why did she pretend all this time? Just out of pity? He knew it! Link had told Zelda numerous times how strange it was that Malon could tolerate him, and it turned out he was entirely right! Who could ever love him like that? No one. No one ever could…

Before Link knew it, he was in Zelda’s garden. But…how? He wasn’t even the Castle Town, and he had no memory of getting passed the guards. Still, he found himself where he and Zelda had first met. The Princess herself was kneeling just in front of him, her back turned to the wooden boy. Maybe she could help…maybe. “Zelda!” The Deku shouted out, surprised at how the word came out flawlessly. How come only now he could talk?!

That made Zelda jump in place. Standing up, she turned to see who was in her garden. Her eyes widened in surprise at the sight of her guest. “Who…Are you? A Deku Scrub? How did you get passed the guards?” She sounded cautious, but not overly worried. Just like when she and Link met for the first time…

“Zelda…It’s me, it’s Link!” The boy in wooden form exclaimed. Normally, him keeping his stoic mask meant not raising his voice, but he was panicking too much to keep up the charade. “I’ve been cursed! Please, help me!”

That seemed to further surprise the girl, and she didn’t move from her spot. “I…I need some sort of proof. Tell me something Link would know.”

Fair. If Link was in Zelda’s shoes, he’d be uncertain of the situation as well. “This is where we first met! You gave me the Ocarina of Time before I went to the Lost Woods! I’ve lived in the castle for two years! I traveled through time!” He spouted out whatever he could think of as they entered his head.

“You…You really are Link…” She murmured, approaching the cursed boy, and kneeling down so they were closer to eye-level. “What happened to you? Who did this?” She asked as she placed her hands on his shoulders.

Link couldn’t help but feel slightly comforted at the touch. “A Skull Kid with some weird mask! He stole Epona, and the Ocarina, then turned me into…this! Please, I need help!”

To that, Zelda’s face darkened. “The Ocarina…? You got it back…right?” Her grip on Link’s shoulders hardened a bit.

“I…N-No. I didn’t. I’m sorry, but he was too powerful for me…” Link admitted, feeling like absolute scum.

There was a pregnant pause, the air feeling with an almost audible tension. “You lost it…and you returned without getting it back?” Zelda asked coldly. “After all I’ve done for you, the time I’ve sacrificed trying to help…and this is how you repay me?” Her voice had grown cold and almost hateful, her eyes glaring into Link’s.

What? How could she say that? Didn’t she care at all what had happened to him? Yes, he felt awful about losing the Ocarina, but was it really more important than him? “Zelda…Please, I’m so sorry…I didn’t mean to…If you help me become a Hylian again…I can go look for it!”

The Princess put on a face of disgust as she released Link and stood up. “You’re revolting. After all of this, and you can’t even keep a single instrument safe. Two years of my life wasted. I never, ever want to see you again!” Before Link could respond, she started to yell. “Guards! Guards! Intruder! Help!”

Almost instantly, as though they were there the whole time, two guards had grabbed Link by the arms and started to drag him off. The Deku struggled, but the men were simply too strong. “Zelda! Please, I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! Don’t do this! Help me, please! I’m sorry! I’m-”

“Deku Boy! Hey, come on, get up!”

Link jolted awake, momentarily confused as to what was going on. Then, things rushed back. He was in the Great Fairy’s fountain. Before his eyes was Tatl. On the ground was…a bunch of grapes? The Deku quickly mentally and emotionally recovered from the nightmare. That was far from the first time he had a dream like that, where those he held dear turned on him. It was sad to say, but he was used to such things. “What time is it?” He couldn’t help but ask.

“It’s a bit after six. Come on, I even got us something to eat! I…found it just a bit ago.” Tatl said, gesturing to the grapes.

Looking closer, Link realized one grape was missing from the bunch. From the way Tatl talked, he knew these were stolen. Well…it couldn’t be helped. Now he just had to figure out how to actually eat it. “Thank you.” He knew Tatl didn’t do it out of the kindness of her heart, but because he wouldn’t be able to function without food. He plucked a grape and just…inserted it into his mouth. The small fruit got sucked up instantly and Link felt it enter his stomach. No chewing, huh?

Within a minute, the rest of the grapes were gone, and the wooden boy felt better. “Alright, you done? We gotta get going! Jim’s out in his usual spot!” She said, flying towards the cave’s entrance on her own. “Hurry up, Deku Boy!”

Withholding a sigh, Link got up and followed after the fairy, trying to get himself ready for the day ahead…

Chapter Text

Dawn of the Second Day – 48 Hours Remain

When Link emerged from the cave, the first thing he noticed was that it was raining. The sky was a dreary grey as precipitation fell down from the heavens. It wasn’t a downpour, thankfully, but Link still wasn’t happy about it. He didn’t really like being out in the rain at all. Oddly, once Link actually stepped out from the cave properly, he found he didn’t mind it as much as he usually did. In fact, it actually felt kind of nice! After a moment’s thought, he chalked it up to being a Deku. After all, he was a plant…of sorts. The cursed boy really had no idea just how much of a Deku’s body was plant and how much of it was…well, maybe these were thoughts for later.

As Tatl had said, Jim was out in his usual spot and clearly not bothered by the rain. Like yesterday, the young boy was trying to pop that balloon with the Skull Kid’s mask on it with little success. Aside from the guard and the man in green floating above everyone else, the area was empty.

“Hey! Jim!” Tatl called out as she and Link approached the Bomber leader. “We need a favor!”

“Huh?” The boy turned to the two, looking up towards Tatl. “What? Another one?”

The fairy clicked her tongue. “Come on, keeping an eye out isn’t a favor and you know it! This one’s more concrete, you know?”

Letting out a small sigh, Jim nodded. “Okay Tatl, but only because the Deku kid is with you.”

“Link.” The cursed boy interrupted. He was getting tired of being called ‘Deku Boy’ or as ‘the Deku Kid’ by this point. Not that he was mad at Jim, it wasn’t like he had any idea what was gong on…

“Huh?” Jim seemed surprised at how clearly Link was talking properly now. Like before, he quickly shrugged it off. “Right. Link. You’ve caused a lot of trouble for us, Tatl, so this next favor will be for Link, alright? After that, I don’t know if I can help you in good conscious anymore.”

The fairy scoffed. “Way to be dramatic, Jim. It’s not like Skull Kid killed anyone!”

“Not the point.” The Bomber leader argued. “What’s the favor you need anyway?”

“The observatory.” Link butted in. “We need to get there.” He was so tired of the bickering and the back-and-forths between these two. He didn’t even care about what it was the Skull Kid actually did in the past anymore.

To Link’s annoyance, Jim shook his head. “Afraid I can’t do that. You need the password to get there. To get the password, you need to be a Bomber.”

“I’ll join, then.” Link countered instantly. A small part of him wanted to reach out and slap this Jim kid upside the head for being so stubborn. He never usually got this annoyed, but the last day had really pushed him to his limit.

That got the younger boy thinking. “Well…If you can pass a test, I’ll give you the password at the very least. How about that?”

“You serious?!” Tatl exclaimed. “We don’t have time for this! This is an emergency!”

“We can’t just give the password to anybody, especially if you’re involved, Tatl.” Jim argued back, his tone quite fitting for his age; childish and slightly haughty.

The fairy let out a groan. “Alright, alright! Just tell us the test!”

“Okay, you wait here. I’m gonna gather the other Bombers, and then the test can begin!” Before Link or Tatl could respond, Jim ran off towards East Clock Town, leaving them alone in the rain.

“I can’t believe we have to deal with these brats…” Tatl murmured as she floated about. “They were always this annoying, before you ask.”

Link wasn’t going to ask that. “Why do they guard the path to the observatory?”

“It’s their little secret club, basically.” The fairy huffed. “The old guy there lets them play about his observatory and look at the stuff he has and his telescope. That’s it, really. The Bombers act all important, but they’re just dumb kids that never really help anyone.”

To Link, it sounded like he would fit right in. Just a stupid kid that never ended up saving anyone. He’d be the perfect member. “What will the test be?”

“How the heck should I know?! Would you just shut up? I liked it better when you could barely talk.” Tatl snapped, taking a seat on top of Link’s hat.

Such an awful fairy she was. Even at this point it surprised Link at how nasty she could be. While most of the Kokiri mistreated him growing up, the fairies with them never participated in the torment, usually watching silently as they hovered about. The sole exception being a fairy that Mido got to pretend to be Link’s Guardian Fairy. Fairies, by nature, tended to be helpful and kind creatures when they weren’t being shy, whether they be Guardian Fairies, Healing Fairies, Great Fairies, or even just normal fairies without an explicit role to play.

Tatl’s odd nature aside, Link let the words role off him and obeyed. As he stood there in the rain, he began to notice more how nice it felt. It was hard to explain, but it was as if a thirst he didn’t know he had was constantly being quenched. Thinking about the rain made him think about the Moon. He hadn’t looked at it since he took that nap early yesterday morning. His morbid curiosity scratched at his mind, demanding that he look up and take a peek. As much as he didn’t want to, Link felt his head turning upwards, his gaze going up past the Clock Tower…

It was bigger.

Or maybe closer. It didn’t really matter. The point was, the Moon was changing, becoming a more imminent threat to the town below it. Link could deny it all he wanted but that wouldn’t stop what was up above his head. The scowling, monstrous chunk of rock above glared down at Clock Town as if in hatred, as if the people below did something to wrong it. Link still held the theory that the Skull Kid was behind this. There was something wrong with that imp, or more the mask he wore. While the Deku had no proof, he felt strongly that the purple object was somehow the source of his power.

“You noticed it too?” Tatl asked, interrupting Link’s thoughts. “It’s getting bigger…or falling. Whatever it is, it’s dangerous.”

Link chose not to respond, partly as a petty move towards the fairy. After all, she told him to stop talking, didn’t she? He scolded himself internally for being so childish, but he just couldn’t help it. The Deku felt all the stress over the last few days was getting to him. His thoughts of lashing out at Jim, even just a slap on the head, was so unlike him. Once this was over, he could just go back to the castle and unwind. No, not quite. Before he could go back to the castle, he would have to break the news to Malon about her horse…Goddesses, what would he say? What could he say? Apologies wouldn’t cut it; she loved that horse like a member of the family…and he let her die.

Pushing the thoughts away, Link looked down from the Moon and gazed at the Clock Town wall. He just needed to focus on the present, not the future. He would cross that bridge when he came to it. For now, he just had to get that mask away from the Skull Kid and get his Ocarina back. Then, hopefully, that horrifying Moon would stop or go away, and he could return home.

So, Link kept his mind blank as the two waited for Jim. It was a long and uneventful wait, taking well over an hour for the boy to return. When he finally walked back into the area, he was followed by four other boys, all wearing blue bandanas. To Link’s mild disturbance, he noticed that all of them looked very similar to each other. Twins he’s seen before, triplets he’s heard of, but was six children like that possible? What would that even be called?

“Alright, now the test can start!” Jim announced as he and the other boys stood before Link and Tatl.

“About time…” The fairy mumbled, quietly enough so only Link could hear her.

“Your test is to find the five of us before nightfall. Hide-and-seek, essentially. We won’t hide indoors, and of course we can’t leave town.” Jim explained.

Hide-and-seek, huh? Link remembered hearing about that with the Kokiri. Only Saria would play with him, and it wasn’t quite the same with two people, at least that was the idea that Link got. “That’s it?” The Deku asked.

“That’s it.” Jim echoed.

“You’ve got to be kidding! This is stupid! We don’t have time for your games!” Tatl yelled out.

Jim gave Tatl a dirty look. “Take it or leave it, we can’t hand out the code to just anyone.”

“We agree to your rules.” Link interrupted, not wanting a long argument to break out.

The Bomber leader looked over to Link with an almost grateful gaze. “Alright, then it’s a deal! Okay Link, close your eyes and count to sixty, then start looking!”

And so, the game was on. Ignoring Tatl’s grumbling, Link did as asked. Thankfully, he was able to count all the way to a hundred without using his fingers. Once he reached sixty, the search was on. The Deku decided to try North Clock Town first, as there was a lot less places to hide there. Unfortunately, it seemed the Bombers had the same idea. What few hiding places there were yielded no results.

Heading to South Clock Town, Link noticed there were even less people than yesterday when he first emerged from the Clock Tower. He applied part of it to the rain, but he had to wonder…were there people evacuating? He truly hoped so. The Deku recalled yesterday how so few people seemed to acknowledged the Moon hanging above their heads. He saw some of them look up to the sky in worry, but then go over to a stall and buy a mask. He heard a man whisper to a woman he was with about the Moon, but she scoffed and said that everything would be fine. Link wanted to feel disgusted towards the people for their stubborn nature and their denial over the obvious. Yet he himself fell into a state of denial himself, or at the very least he pushed the thoughts away. Did that really make him any better?

All Link could say for sure was that he was probably the only one in town who had any chance of stopping the Skull Kid, despite his countless failures in Hyrule. He wouldn’t allow so many people to die on his watch. Not again. Sadly, all of that would have to wait until this game of hide-and-seek was over.

Thankfully, Tatl’s knowledge of the nooks and crannies of Clock Town proved invaluable during the game the Bombers forced on them. Even then, there was a lot of places to look and a lot of ground to cover. Not to mention the Bombers never said they would hide in only one place the entire time. Link recalled seeing a flash of blue dart out now and again from an alleyway and into another.

The hours went by surprisingly fast, with Link and Tatl not stopping at all for any kind of rest. Even when one of the Bombers was found, they still had to be tagged to be counted. If Link was in his normal body, that’d be no problem at all, but with his shorter legs, it was difficult. The cursed boy was stuck having to just keep chasing each Bomber until they got too worn out to keep going, then tagging them.

As the town was combed over a second time, Link noticed that as the hours passed, even the bustling East Clock Town never got as busy was it was yesterday. Once more, Link thought of the rain being the main culprit. But, as he and Tatl searched, Link noticed a number of people leaving through the various gates around town. Most of the time, these people seemed to have their entire livelihood on their backs, with pairs of parents leading confused children past the guards into…whatever it was that existed outside the town walls. He found himself feeling a bit relieved that some people were smartening up and leaving town.

“Aw, you got me!” The fifth and last Bomber exclaimed, by sheer coincidence being Jim himself, as Link closed a wooden hand around his arm. He had finally slowed down just as he neared the man who looked like the beggar from Hyrule

Panting, Link nodded as in confirmation of Jim’s words. “You’re the last one…The others are waiting in North Clown Town.”

Despite his disappointed shout, Jim gave the Deku a smile. “Good work, Link, you sure got us all fast! Come on, let’s go!”

“You really pushed us back a ways, you know that?! It’s half past eleven!” Tatl scolded the Bomber leader as the duo followed him.

Jim scoffed. “Hey, it wouldn’t be much of a test if it was easy, would it?” He ignored the fairy as she let out an annoyed sigh. Soon, the five Bombers stood before the Deku and fairy. “Alright, you got us all fair and square! Normally, this would let you join the Bombers. But, thinking about it, I don’t know if I want a non-human in the group. Not after last time. What say you, Bombers, should we let him in?”

Without hesitation, the four Bombers in blue shook their heads. “No way! No Scrubs!” One of them yelled out.

Link instantly got over feeling bad about his thoughts of wanting to clock Jim over the head. All that and he still couldn’t even join?! Before he was able to move or voice his opinion, Tatl piped up, her light going red. “Are you kidding me?! You little brats, this isn’t some game to us, you know! We-”

“Hold on! Hold on!” Jim interrupted, holding his hands up in surrender. “We won’t allow you to join us, but since this seems so important, you can go down to the observatory, alright?”

Tatl’s light faded back to white as she calmed down. “Alright…Well…good. That’s really all we wanted.”

“Right! So, the password is…” Jim looked around, as if prying ears could be anywhere. Save for the guard and the man who was still up on his balloon, North Clock Town was empty. Despite this, the boy went up and whispered by where Link’s ear would be. “…5 4 3 2 1. Got that?”

While Link had calmed down along with Tatl, he still felt annoyed at the simplicity of the password. “…Right. Got it.”

Without a thanks or even a second glance, Link walked away from Jim and his Bombers, heading to East Clock Town as Tatl followed. “Giants abound, those brats…” The fairy muttered as the two got out of earshot. “All that time wasted for such a stupid password! Can you believe it?”

To his mild disturbance, Link found himself on the exact same page as Tatl. “All that matters is we have it now.”

“Not when time is of the essence! We wasted over five hours on those idiots!” The fairy argued, letting out a huff when Link didn’t converse further.

The Bomber in the yellow bandana was right where he was last time Link saw him. The younger boy eyed the Deku suspiciously as he approached, standing at the ready as if expecting an attack. “Hey, only those with the password can get into our hideout!” The child’s eyes widened in surprise as Link delivered the password to him. “Huh. Well, if you know the password, Jim must trust you. Fine, you can go on through.” Not giving the child another glance, Link and Tatl went by him and into the passageway below.

The first thing Link noticed as he entered the underground area was the lit torch in front of him as the sunlight behind him faded away. The Deku found himself in an area of laid stone, the sound of the fire crackling and running water filling the air. As Link approached the torch, he looked about at the ugly, dark area around him. The moist bricks, the man-made river running through with fish swimming about, and a bit of childish touches in the form of chalk drawings on the wall. A lot of what was drawn was too messy or disfigured by the building moisture to be made out, and there was a lot of writing too which was pure gibberish to Link.

“Some hideout, huh?” Tatl asked rhetorically. “Just as boring and ugly as ever. I guess the real treat for the Bombers is the observatory itself…But whatever, let’s get moving.”

Giving a silent nod, Link went forward through the hideout, having to sometimes hop along the water to reach platforms of stone as he progressed. More torches lit the way where no natural light could reach. A part of him wondered if this man-made river connected to the ones at the Clock Tower or where the Stray Fairy was found. He had a hunch that was the case. As the river was crossed, Link swore a scuttling sound pierced the air. “Did you hear something?” He asked Tatl as he carefully walked onward.

“Yeah…Might be something dangerous…” She said with surprising sincerity. Link had almost expected her to somehow scold him for pointing out something potentially important.

Link saw the hole in the ceiling and knew exactly what was going to happen next as he realized the scuttling was coming from up there. Tatl let out a startled noise as a large white shape descended from its hiding place, blocking the one and only path forward: A Skulltula.

Despite not vocally showing it, Link found himself afraid too. Outside of his nightmares, the cursed boy hadn’t seen combat or any kind of monsters for two years. At least, not real combat. A few times, he sparred with the guards as the day of his trip had approached. Aside from that, the closest he had ever truly gotten was hunting and the brief struggle with the Skull Kid.

The Skulltula chittered, breaking Link’s thoughts as it hovered before the duo from a strong strand of web. Its thick white shell in the shape of a deformed skull seemed to stare directly into Link’s eyes, but he knew the real staring came from the cluster of glowing red orbs below. Its long, yellow and black legs twitched and shifted as its potential prey stood before it. By this point, Link knew that Skulltula where cautious hunters, waiting for its prey to get close before striking. It wouldn’t make a move until Link did.

“Hey! What are you doing?! Squish that thing!” Tatl yelled out, floating well behind Link and away from the monstrous spider.

“How?” Link asked, not taking his eyes off the creature. “I’m too weak to use my bare hands.” With no sword, no shield, and no bow, Link was stumped on what to do.

There was a pause from the fairy. “That’s…right. You’re pretty much useless now, huh?” She noted. “Uh…Wait! The magic you have now! You’ve never tried it before, maybe it can kill this thing!”

Of course, the Great Fairy’s gift! Link had nearly forgotten about that! Granted, he didn’t actually want to kill the Skulltula. He held no pity for monsters, but just the act of killing made him feel so sick and revolting on the inside. Perhaps he could just wound it. But what were his powers? After a moment of thought, Link felt stupid for not realizing. He must be able to shoot Deku Nuts! The wooden child had no idea if that was actually a magical ability, but what else could it be? Of course, the question was how to actually do it…

Well, the Deku Nuts came from the mouth, so Link tried to concentrate…something around there. With all the alien body parts both internal and external, he wasn’t quite sure what to focus on. He kept trying, Tatl watching him expectantly as he made a few squeaking sounds as he tried to bring forth his magic. After a few minutes, he felt something finally working, something building up near his mouth. To his surprise, it wasn’t a Deku Nut but…

“A bubble?” Tatl asked aloud. Out of Link’s circular mouth, a large bubble was forming. “I’ve seen Dekus spit out Deku Nuts, but never a bubble! Is this the magic power?”

The strange bubble built and built, Link not sure if he was doing something right or wrong here. It started to grow so big that he didn’t know how much longer until it burst. With a push, he expelled the bubble out of his mouth, and it flew towards his target. With a loud and echoing pop, the Skulltula’s true face was covered in the bubble’s remains. While it didn’t seem to be seriously wounded, the creature was clearly startled and had its vision impaired as it let out a screeching noise and quickly ascended to recuperate.

Wasting no time, Link and Tatl ran past the ceiling’s hole and out of the Skulltula’s range. Neither stopped until they reached a large room, one that was drier than the hallway they came from. On the floor and walls were more, cleaner, chalk drawings. At the room’s other end stood an old, but sturdy, wooden ladder leading into yet another passageway. “So, that’s the magic you can use now? A bubble?” Tatl asked as the two of them stopped for a moment.

The Deku child gave a shrug. “It appears that way, yes. I didn’t know Dekus could do that.”

“Me neither, I-” Tatl started, but was interrupted as the room shook about. While the fairy couldn’t feel it, the rumbling was audible, and she could see Link stagger. Then, just as quickly as it started, the shaking ceased. “What…Was that an earthquake?!”

While Link had heard of earthquakes, he had never experienced one himself, finding it hard to keep his footing as the room shook. He at least managed to not fall over as the shaking stopped. “I…guess so. Are those normal in Termina?”

“No! I mean…I don’t think so? I don’t think I’ve ever experienced one before...” Tatl responded. After a pause, she shook her heard. “Well, whatever. It’s fine now, so let’s keep going!” She flew up where the ladder lead. “The observatory is right up this ladder, come on!”

Trying to shrug off the strange shaking, Link nodded and quickly ascended the ladder. Just as Tatl said, it was but a short walk down the hallway before the two reached an actual building. The room before them as small and circular in nature. Against the wall sat dusty boxes that seemed as if they hadn’t been opened in decades. There were various knick-knacks like small urns and a globe sitting among the boxes, all just as dusty. There were also valuable looking objects such as a sort of crystal kept in a glass box nestled underneath a winding staircase. A single, closed door lead off to who-knew-where. A Cucco napped in a cage hanging over a small square garden with turnips and radishes growing healthily despite the lack of sunlight. It seemed the man here didn’t like to go to the store often. That got Link thinking. Just where was he? He must be outside the town walls considering the path he had to take to get here. Pushing those thoughts aside, he noticed that the Bombers liked to be here too, as on the floor were a number of toys and masks left behind as well as crude crayon drawings on old, faded pieces of paper. On the wall was a miniature version of the massive clock on the Clock Tower, showing that it was getting close to noon.

“The telescope is upstairs, let’s look there first.” Tatl suggested, once more flying ahead of Link as she went up the staircase.

Link followed suit, coming into another circular room with strange and colorful floor tiles. Most of the room was taken by a massive telescope, larger than any Link had ever seen in his life which momentarily astounded him. The only other objects of note were another door, and a strange blue stone in a glass case that seemed to glow in the light. At the peering end of the telescope was an elderly and hunchbacked man in a blue robe, currently looking into the massive instrument. As Link approached, the man turned to look at him and Tatl, and he found himself startled once again.

This man was another familiar face. The wooden boy clearly recalled the old man who shared the story of The Man Who Could See the Truth in the dark and decayed timeline. There was no mistaking it, no handwaving it away as just a similar looking old man. The clothes, the hunched figure, the bushy white mustache, and kind eyes…they were all exactly the same. Not to mention, Link had seen this man a number of times in the marketplace in this timeline, even seeing him the day he left for the Lost Woods. It was absolutely impossible for this man to get here before Link and establish himself in the community like this. Just…what was going on? These other similar people had explanations, some more desperate than others, but the only logical conclusion here was that this observatory owner looked exactly like a certain old man back in Hyrule.

As these thoughts bounced around in Link’s skull, the man studied the Deku and fairy before him, offering them a kindly smile. “Well, well…an unusual child here today. Are you a new member of the Bombers?” He asked and continued on without waiting for a reply. “You already seem much better than that last one, that imp with that mask…”

At those words, Tatl hid behind Link’s head once more. The Deku needed a few moments to find his voice, trying not to ponder on the strange mystery before him. “I just got the password. I’m not a member.”

“Ah…I see.” The elderly man responded. “Those kids have gotten overly cautious, I see. Try not to hold it against them. They really are good boys deep down.” The man seemed to realize something. “Ah! My manners! Please, call me Professor Shikashi. What’s your name, young lad?”

The Deku wished he had gotten the old man’s name back in Hyrule, for the sake of comparison. Still, there were other things to focus on now! “Link. My name is Link, sir.” He replied politely. “We were told that you may be able to help us find the Skull Kid.”

That made the professor’s brows knit together. “Ah, that scamp…I was just looking at him through the telescope here.”

“What?!” Tatl shouted out, forgoing her hiding and flying out into the open again. “You just saw him?!”

Seeming unphased by Tatl’s yelling, Shikashi nodded. “That’s right. Please, look through the telescope and take a look.” He said to Link, stepping aside to make room.

Not being able to believe his luck, Link looked into the telescope and finally saw the outside of the Clock Town walls. It was these walls that he saw first. Plain white with strange red drawings splayed across them. The walls, and the town itself, seemed so much larger from the outside. This of course confirmed Link’s light suspicion on where the observatory was. On top of this, Link was able to see flat, grassy fields outside of the towns walls, and even got a glimpse at mountains off in the distance. Tall, white natural structures that seemed to almost claw towards the heavens above. But Link had no interest for the mountains. He had only one thing he wanted to see.

“Where is the Skull Kid?” The Deku asked.

“The Clock Tower. Look at the top!” The elderly man replied. “If you turn the knob on the side, it will let you look about.”

It took Link only a few seconds to work out how things worked and got the telescope’s gaze to the top of the Clock Tower. Shikashi had been right. There, standing calmly on the stone fist at the tower’s peak, was the Skull Kid. Still wearing that horrid mask, the troublemaker gazed off towards the mountains as a tiny purple light hovered above his head. Suddenly, the Skull Kid stiffened, whipped his head around and looked directly into the telescope.

“Is he there?! What do you see?!” Tatl demanded.

Link was stunned, but not too entirely surprised. After all he had seen the Skull Kid do, being able to sense when he was being watched was hardly far-fetched. What did surprise the Deku was when the Skull Kid looked away from Link, and up towards the sky. Using the telescope to follow his gaze, Link peered at the ominous Moon, now looking even closer than before. To the cursed boy’s further astonishment, some sort of flaming object fell from the Moon’s eye, crashing somewhere on the ground nearby with a loud boom.

“My, my, what was that?!” Shikashi exclaimed as Link took his head away from the telescope and looked up at the old man. “That sounded like the crashing of a Moon’s Tear. Go on outside and take a look, young lad.”

“Wait! What about the Skull Kid?!” Tatl asked before Link could even take a step. “You saw him, right?!”

The Deku gave a nod. “I did, yes. He was at the top of the Clock Tower.”

“Of course, he was right above our heads from the very start!” The fairy let out an annoyed sigh.

“How could he get up there?” Link asked both Shikashi and Tatl, hoping at least one of them had the answer.

“Well…Normally a path opens up at the start of the Carnival of Time.” The old man explained, seeming to momentarily forget about the crashing object. “As to how he got up there early…who can say?”

“So, we just have to wait for the Carnival of Time to start, then.” Tatl sounded calm in saying those words.

Carnival of Time? Link could ask about what that was later on. “When does the path open?”

“Just as it does every year.” The professor explained. “Tomorrow at the stroke of midnight, the Clock Tower’s upper doors will open up. Now, I insist you go outside and see about that crash. Moon’s Tears are quite valuable, you know.”

Link had to admit; he was curious as to just what a Moon’s Tear actually was. Leaving Tatl as she tried to get him to stay, the Deku opened the one and only door in the room and headed outside. As it turned out, the observatory was fenced off from the fields around it, the barrier too high even for Link’s Hylian form to easily climb. Embedded in the stone ground, mere feet from the door, was a familiar glowing blue stone. It looked almost exactly the same as the one in the glass case inside, except slightly bigger. The Deku had a dreary thought…if the Skull Kid truly controlled that Moon…could he control when and where these stones fell? Was he trying to hit Link through the telescope? Deciding not to think about it, Link went over and hesitantly touched the stone. He was surprised to find it was a bit warm, but perfectly safe to handle despite being on fire a mere minute ago. Perhaps it was the rain that helped it cool down so fast?

It was a bit awkward given his smaller size, but Link managed to take the glowing stone with him inside. “Ah!” Shikashi exclaimed as soon as he saw the object in Link’s hands. “Just as I thought, a Moon’s Tear! I insist, Link, take that with you. After all, you saw it land, so the claim is yours. Besides, I already have one for myself.” He nodded to his own Moon’s Tear in its glass case. “You could probably get quite a lot of money if you find the right buyer, you know…”

Money didn’t interest Link, not having known it even existed until he was ten. Still…perhaps he could get some use out of it. At best, maybe he could give it away as a gift. Girls like shiny stones, right? Maybe one of his friends back home would want it. He would want to give it to Malon first and foremost, if only to try and make up for losing her horse. Link didn’t quite grasp all the implications of giving a gift like this in place of losing a beloved horse. He just wanted to try and make up for his failure.

“You sure you can lug that think around, Deku Boy?” Tatl asked not even trying to hide her condescending thoughts.

“I’ll manage.”

“Well, I’m glad I could help you find that troublemaker.” Shikashi said. “Is there any other way I can help you, Link?”

The Deku shook his head. “No, thank you. We really should be going, actually.”

Nodding, the kind old man offered Link a warm smile. “Well, if you ever want to come by here again, feel free. I always welcome company.”

Offering the helpful professor another thank you, Link made his way down the stairs, his Moon’s Tear in tow. Tatl followed, and the two silently made their way back out of the Bomber’s Hideout. Getting down the ladder was a challenge, Link nearly dropping the precious stone and getting no help from his companion. The Skulltula was dealt in the same manner as before, and Link found that he could still hop along the water, even with the Moon’s Tear by some miracle. The return trip was far slower, and Link even stopped at the entrance to Clock Town to catch his breath.

By the time the duo emerged into Clock Town once again, it was half past noon.

“I guess there’s not much we can do for now.” Tatl pointed out. “We know exactly where the Skull Kid is and how to get to him…we just have to wait.”

Link nodded as he carried the Moon’s Tear awkwardly and went towards South Clock Town. He wasn’t even sure why he was walking that way, but a part of him felt the need to keep moving. “It seems that way. I-”

Whatever Link was going to say got cut off. He was looking up at Tatl as he walked and ran into a pair of legs, the impact knocking him onto his back and almost making him drop his Moon’s Tear. Sitting up, Link heard a harsh voice bark from above. “Agh! Bother! Bother! Watch where you’re going!”

That voice…it sounded so familiar. Slightly dazed, Link shook his head a bit to ward of his dizziness. “I’m sorry. I-”

Once more, Link was cut off, but it was him stilling his voice that did it this time. Standing before Link and glaring down at him was Ingo. Except…it couldn’t possibly be. Yet there he was, the Uncle of his girlfriend was towering over the cursed child, wearing some kind of colorful shirt with a strange circular collar. Like with Shikashi, there was no mistaking it. This man looked exactly like Ingo, save for the outfit. How could this be? Malon would have mentioned if her Uncle was going to leave Lon Lon Ranch, surely. Did he leave after Link left? How did he arrive first? Just what was going on…?

When Link didn’t continue his sentence, the Ingo lookalike scoffed and went about on his way, mumbling to himself about stupid children.

“He’s sure got a stick where the sun doesn’t shine.” Tatl commented as Link stood up, the Deku staring after the familiar looking man.

Link didn’t even hear Tatl. His mind was just too busy racing. What was going on? Why were there so many familiar faces here? Some he could explain away, yet others were impossible to deny. There was something wrong here, something not even remotely close to normal. But what was it? Was the Deku simply going mad? Were these supposed lookalikes not really that similar to people he knew in appearance, but he just saw them that way? Was it just some huge coincidence that there just so happened to be people that looked exactly like ones from Hyrule? No, that’d just be ridiculous. But…what other explanations made sense?

“…I’m going to the Great Fairy’s Fountain.” Link said, turning around and heading back towards North Clock Town.

“Huh? Why?” Tatl asked, following the Deku.

“Rest. It’s like you said, until midnight tomorrow, there’s nothing more to be done.”

“Huh. Yeah, that’s true. Looks like you made a smart suggestion for a change, Deku Boy.”

Ignoring Tatl, Link went back to the fountain as he said he would. Jim was so engrossed in still trying to pop his balloon, that he didn’t even notice Link walk by. Sitting against the fountain wall, Link placed the Moon’s Tear beside him. Doing everything he could to keep his mind blank, Link closed his eyes and soon let exhaustion carry him into slumber…

The next six or so hours were spent with Link drifting in and out of sleep and unable to stay asleep for more than a half hour or so at a time, much to his annoyance. Tatl took position on top of his hat as usual. Two things would wake him up; the ground shaking again, which neither he nor Tatl commented on, or some nightmare that he instantly forgot the details of. He was thankful that the fairy he was with kept her mouth shut. The last thing he wanted was to speak to her, or anyone else. He just didn’t want to think. He just wanted to go home.

As the sun set, Link’s eyes closed once more, and he drifted into his deepest sleep of the day.

Night of the Second Day – 36 Hours Remain

Link did it. He got the mask back, along with his Ocarina, and presented them to the Happy Mask Salesman. Currently he was going through the Lost Woods, now a Hylian once more and trying to leave the magical forest. The only thing he was missing of great importance was Epona. What was he going to tell Malon? How would she react? It almost didn’t matter because there was no avoiding it. Even before returning the Ocarina of Time to Zelda, he had to do this. The boy almost felt he would rather brave that cursed well and the monstrosity with endless hands once more than have to tell Malon what had happened. Almost.

Next thing Link knew, he was standing at Lon Lon Ranch’s entrance once more. He didn’t even recall leaving the Lost Woods, but apparently he somehow spaced out. His legs feeling like lead, the Hylian youth entered the familiar location with the darkest dread nestled in his gut.

Standing where she usually did during the day, Malon gazed up at the sky with a serene look on her face. To Link’s mild surprise, none of the horses were out and about. Were they all in the barn? Why? It was such a beautiful day outside! Shaking the thoughts away, as they were unimportant, Link walked towards the redhead.

As he approached, Malon looked down from the sky and beamed at the boy. It was a look that usually made Link’s stomach flutter. Despite how broken he was, that one simple look was able to make him feel calmer. Now, it just made his insides shrivel with guilt. He knew he didn’t deserve her smile, and in fact he never once deserved so much as her attention.

“Link! You’re back!” The farmgirl exclaimed, closing the distance between the two. “Did you find Navi? Were you…” Malon paused. “Where’s…Where’s Epona?” She looked around, as if the young mare would simply pop out of thin air, galloping towards her owner. “Where is she?”

The look Malon gave Link made the guilt feel even heavier within him. A gaze of concern and confusion that should never be on the face of someone like her. At first, Link couldn’t muster up the ability to even reply, as if his tongue had been stuck to the roof of his mouth. After a few moments, he cleared his throat and managed to say three small words. “I’m…sorry, Malon.”

That just made the redhead more confused. “Sorry? Sorry about what? Link, where is Epona?” She asked more urgently this time.

Finding it hard to look Malon in the face, but forcing himself to, Link swallowed a lump that had formed in his throat. “She’s gone, Malon. I’ve lost her.”

There was a pregnant pause. “…Lost her? What do you mean you lost her?” She still just seemed more confused than anything, as if the sentence she said simply didn’t make any kind of sense.

“She was stolen. An imp, he…he took her away from me. I tried to get her back; I really did.” Link realized how pathetic he sounded; a Skull Kid managing to steal away something of his so easily. “By the time I caught up with him, she was…gone…dead.”

There was another pause, one longer than the last. “You…You let Epona die?” Her voice was hollow, no hint of emotion within it.

“I didn’t mean to, Malon. I did everything I could, but-” Link was interrupted as a burning pain covered his left cheek and found himself almost staggering. It took him a moment to realize that Malon has slapped him across the face. The look on her own face was now one of fury, the kind of anger he had never seen on her before.

“You let Epona die!” She screamed, tears forming in her eyes. “I trusted you with my horse, and you got her killed!”

Slowly, Link brought a hand to his cheek, feeling tears welling up in his own eyes. “Malon, please, I’m so sorry…I did everything I could to save her, but I just…” What could he say? What could he possibly say to justify what happened?

“Get out.”

“…What?” Link asked, his voice cracking slightly.

“I said get out!” Malon screamed, pointing to the ranch’s exit. “Get out of here, I never want to see your face ever again!”

Link knew he deserved this treatment, but the words still pierced him in a way he didn’t think he could handle. “Please…Please, Malon, I’m so sorry…I tried to save her…”

Glaring into his eyes, Malon said the worst phrase he could ever imagine from her: “I hate you, Link!”

The Deku’s eyes flew open. Glancing about the room, everything was as he left it. The fountain’s pond still shimmered magically, the Moon’s Tear shone a brilliant blue, and he was still a cursed freak. The one thing he didn’t see, or rather hear, was the sound of Tatl lightly snoring on his hat. Cautiously, he reached up and felt all about his headwear, realizing she was gone. Maybe she went off to get more food…

With a heavy sigh, Link stared off ahead. He was used to dreams where his friends turned on him, but this one just felt so much more intense than usual. Maybe it was the added stress of the situation he was in that made him feel as bad as he did. His heart felt like it was in a strong grip, and his body felt heavy and made of stone rather than wood. Gazing to the cave entrance, he saw light streaming in from outside, a very faint light.

The wooden boy turned back and was contemplating whether he should try and sleep again when a voice rang out. “Hey! You’re awake, huh?” It was Tatl.

Turning back to the cave entrance, the fairy was slowly flying towards him, another bunch of grapes in her grasp. As she dropped it to the fountain floor and ripped a grape off, Link looked down at her. “More stolen food?”

“You’re welcome, brat.” She almost sneered back. “Eat up. Don’t want you complaining about being hungry later.”

“…Thank you.” Link said quietly as he ate his breakfast. He realized as he ate that he hadn’t had any water since before Epona was stolen, yet he wasn’t thirsty. Maybe being rained on was an equivalent process for Dekus? It certainly made sense to him. As the last grape went down, he looked towards the cave entrance again. “What time is it?”

“A bit after six.” Tatl responded. “We need to get going. There’s a problem.”

Seriously? Another problem? “What kind of problem?” What could it possibly be this time?

“Come on, I’ll show you.” Not waiting for a reply, the fairy took to the air and flew out of the cave entrance.

Grabbing the Moon’s Tear, Link slowly stood up and followed after his unwanted companion and stepped out into the morning sun…

Chapter Text

Dawn of the Final Day – 24 Hours Remain

The first thing Link noticed when stepping out of the cave was that the rain had stopped. This allowed the grass to shine in the morning light with the remaining moistness left by the precipitation. The second thing Link noticed was that both Jim and the odd man with the balloon were gone. With that, the only person left in North Clock Town was the guard, who was looking up at the sky with an uneasy frown on his face. That was what directed Link to the third thing. Even though he knew it was coming, Link felt his stomach clench when he followed the guard’s gaze and saw the Moon was bigger and closer than ever.

“Come on, let’s keep going. It’s in South Clown Town!” Tatl called, leading Link onward.

Still feeling uneasy from the Moon, Link followed Tatl and soon they were in the main square of South Clock Town. The Deku felt a bit disturbed to see how barren this part of town was. Even this early in the morning, at least two days ago, there were a couple of people bustling about. Today, the only two people Link saw was the guard and Mutoh, standing before a small tower where that platform had been. Aside from them, a single dog also scampered about the area, unaware of the danger it was in. The carpenter boss seemed absolutely fuming about something, arms crossed with his glare fixated on the Moon.

“What’s wrong? No one being here? They just evacuated, didn’t they?” Link was calmed at the idea of people escaping, but even then the emptiness of the town felt…wrong to him.

“No, not that, you idiot!” Tatl scolded. “The tower is incomplete!” She pointed towards the structure Mutoh was standing in front of. “Normally, the tower has a bridge attached it leading towards the Clock Tower, allowing people to get to the top, but the carpenters are all gone now!”

If Link had flesh, his face would’ve gone white at that. “So…There’s no way up there?” He looked up at the Clock Tower, for the first time actually noticing the small platform underneath the massive clock and the wooden door leading further into it. There were no stairs or ramp to get up there, just sheer tower wall.

“Unless you sprout wings like me there sure isn’t!” Tatl replied, sounding both frustrated and defeated. “I just don’t know what to do now!”

Wracking his brain, Link looked about South Clock Town, trying to think of some sort of solution. “There has to be something we can use. Some sort of spare ladder tall enough to get up there.”

“I…I guess we might as well try. What else can we do?”

So, the two began a search. All around South Clock Town, the two looked for something, anything, that could be used to reach that platform that almost taunted the duo. Not wanting to give up, the two spend four hours exhausting all possible options, to no avail.

It was as the two were starting to give up hope, that Link saw something up in the sky. “Is that a Deku?” He asked, placing the Moon’s Tear on the ground and pointing upward. Above the two, flying by odd leafy propellers out of some strange orange hat, was the fattest Deku that Link had ever seen. Rotund and shaped like a cartoonish depiction of a tear, the wooden creature flew by and closer to the Clock Tower.

“Follow him! Maybe we can…I don’t know, borrow whatever is making him fly!” Tatl yelled.

Picking up his blue stone, Link followed Tatl’s order and followed the airborne Deku. To Link’s surprise, he floated down towards a golden flower similar to the one the cursed boy had used to fly in that underground area. Goddesses, that seemed like weeks ago. The flower was tucked by a wall that was a pale white, the plant nearly blending in with it. It was no wonder Link had never noticed it before, it was practically invisible unless he was looking right at it despite it being mere yards away from the Clock Tower’s ground entrance. Somehow, the large Deku managed to burrow his way into the flower, disappearing entirely.

Approaching the large plant, Link called out. “Sir? Hello? Can you hear me?”

As quickly as he went in, the Deku Scrub popped out of his flower. “Yes? Yes, hello?” His orange eyes honed in on Link. A wooden hand reached up and stroked what seemed to pass for a mustache for this Deku, two leaves on either side of his mouth.

“Hey, that flower can make those floating flower things appear, right?” Tatl asked urgently.

Gazing over at the fairy, seeming to just notice her, the Deku nodded. Of course, nodding meant tilting his entire body as he had no neck. “Why yes, that’s correct my fairy friend.” His voice was kind, almost jovial. “Why do you want to know?”

“We need to borrow it.” Link cut in. He nodded up towards the Clock Town’s platform. “It’s important that we get up there.”

The Deku made a tsking noise, Link wondering how it was possible for Dekus to generate such a sound. “I’m afraid not. I own this land here, flower included. I can’t simply let a stranger into it, you see. Why are you here all alone anyway, young one? Where are your parents?”

Link nearly bristled at the question and chose to ignore it. “Please, sir, it will only take a moment. Just one launch and I’ll never need it again.”

“I’m afraid not, young one.” The Deku replied. “I bought this land myself, you know, so only I can use it.”

“Giants abound, are you serious?!” Tatl yelled out, her light going red. “We need this thing for literally ten seconds! This is an emergency, so just let the brat use it once!” She screamed as loud as her miniscule lungs would allow.

The stubborn Deku raised his hands. “Ms. Fairy, please calm yourself. While this land is mine and mine alone…I would be willing to trade.” His orange eyes narrowed on the Moon’s Tear that Link held in his hands. “Such as for that valuable stone there. Give it to me, and this land is yours, including the flower.”

That was it? Granted, Link wanted to keep it to give as a gift, but this was more important! “It’s a deal. This Moon’s Tear for the flower.”

“Hahaha!” The large Deku belted out, rubbing his hands together greedily. “It’s a deal! Just a moment!” Burrowing into the flower, the Deku emerged mere moments later, holding an important looking paper in his hands. On it was a lot of writing which, of course, Link couldn’t comprehend. “This is the deed to this land. Here, take it!”

And so, the trade was made. Taking the paper, Link gave away the large and valuable blue stone. “Right, so we can use the flower now?” Tatl asked impatiently.

“Of course! Use it however you wish!” The large Deku said, burrowing down into the flower once more. When he came out, he had some parcels and a large bag tucked under his arms. “Glad we could make this arrangement! See you around!” With that, the orange hat-like cone on the creature’s head sprouted those propellers once more and the Deku took off to the air. Hovering slowly, he made his way off to the South, and eventually out of sight.

Letting out a large sigh of relief, Tatl floated above the flower in a circle. “Great! All the pieces are in place! Go on, give yourself a launch!”

Not knowing what else to do with the deed, Link simply tossed the object over his shoulder. With that, he burrowed down into the flower and groped about in the familiar darkness within. Soon enough, the Deku was launched high up in the air, higher than the last time he did this, and used the large flowers in his hands to hover onto the Clock Tower’s platform. With that, he was right where he needed to be for tonight.

“Now we’ll just wait here.” Link remarked, sitting down on the platform and resting his tired legs. All that running around from earlier, with the Moon’s Tear in tow, wore him out.

“Yeah, guess we have nothing else to do.” Tatl commented, floating up to the platform and sitting next to Link. “We just have to wait for the Carnival of Time to begin.”

Looking down at Tatl, Link found his curiosity reaching its peak. “What is the Carnival of Time?” Might as well make some conversation as time ticked on by.

“Oh. Yeah. Guess you wouldn’t know.” Tatl replied flatly. “Basically, it’s this yearly thing with a big party and a bunch of masks. People climb up to the tower and pray for a good harvest from the Four Giants. That’s it really.”

Four Giants? Link recalled Tatl referring to Giants in a way he would use the names of the Golden Goddesses when upset. “So, they’re the gods of Termina?”

“Why would they be prayed to if they weren’t gods? Think before you speak.” The fairy replied with a nasty edge to her voice.

“…Right.” Was all the cursed boy could think to utter in response.

It was almost amazing to Link how awful the fairy really was. He would have expected that, at some point, she’d stop treating him like garbage. After all, while Link had his own goals in mind, he was also helping her reunite with her brother and friend. Apparently that wasn’t worth any kind of warmness, or even an apology for getting him into this mess in the first place. She didn’t even seem to regret in playing a hand with getting his horse stolen and probably killed. That much would have satisfied him. Honestly, he was surprised she didn’t just fly up and rejoin her companions now that she knew where they were. He had to guess that maybe she was afraid to face the Skull Kid on her own. After all, he nearly killed a Great Fairy and was probably behind the Moon’s descent on the town. He didn’t bother to ask, knowing full well she’d just get mad.

The hours ticked on by, neither of the two saying a word. Link watched the few people still in this part of Clock Town going in and out of their homes, a number of them going out of the town’s gate. Mutoh stayed right where he was the entire time, sometimes yelling at the Moon, demanding that it fall already if it wanted to so badly. As time passed, the tremors of the earth got more and more frequent, though strangely they didn’t seem to have any large impact on the various buildings of Clock Town. Was it the Moon causing them? Link wouldn’t know any science behind proving or disproving this. All he knew was the closer the Moon got; the more tremors seemed to occur.

He thought about the citizens of Clock Town, and how much disgust he had towards them. It wasn’t a fair emotion, and he realized that, but he couldn’t help himself. They saw the Moon descending upon them, the issue quite literally staring at them in the face. Yet only now did they decide to take it seriously and evacuate to this extent. Even then, some were too stubborn and foolish to leave, living in denial.

This level of denial was what Link found so annoying. Danger was looming over them, but they just kept ignoring it like that would somehow make it go away. What were they thinking?! This especially went out to those with children who had to rely on their parents. Maybe it was all the stress, but Link almost found himself hating the citizens of Clock Town, even though he knew that wasn’t fair…

Of course, Link himself tried to deny the situation, or at least ignore it. He saw the Moon just like the rest of the citizens, but he still went about doing his best to get to where he was now, just ignoring the Moon. But, at the very least, he instantly realized it had been a problem. It was just that he couldn’t actually do anything about it.

As the sun got close to setting, Tatl broke the silence. “So, you’re from Hyrule, right Deku Boy?”

Link was less surprised at the sudden noise than the fact Tatl almost pleasantly asked him about himself. “I am.”

“So, you know how those Lost Woods are dangerous, right? That’s what the fairies and Skull Kids there told me.”

“That’s right. Hylians avoid it.”

The fairy looked up at her companion. “Then why were you there? Are you really just so stupid you’d go around somewhere like that?”

Of course. Link should have known the pleasant conversation couldn’t last long. “…” He chose not to answer. Really, it was none of her business.

“Hey, come on, I asked you a question! Don’t be a brat!”

A pause. “It’s not worth discussing.”

The fairy scoffed, rolling her eyes even though Link couldn’t see it. “Fine. Whatever you say, Deku Boy.”

With those words, the sun set over the horizon and the earth shook once again.

Night of the Final Day – 12 Hours Remain

Link gazed up at the stars above as they started to seemingly blink into existence. It was a sight he remembered being fascinated by when he left the woods those two years ago. The sky wasn’t viewable within the Lost Woods, a mysterious haze covering it up. Link didn’t even fully see the sun until he set foot in Hyrule Field. It was a sight that he never got tired of, one that filled him with a sense of awe every time. A part of him wondered if this would be the last time he’d see the stars. Yes, he and Tatl could reach the Skull Kid, but what then? Link had no real way of fighting him, and he knew he’d never be able to talk sense into the imp. If Tatl wasn’t able to talk the masked troublemaker down…then there was no hope left.

As a beam of light swept across the sky, Link realized the Clock Tower acted as a lighthouse. Looking up, he saw the top of the building circling about, the light beam extending out into the distance. Link had never seen a real lighthouse, only in pictures. That was a pastime of his in Hyrule Castle; he would look at pictures in books and Zelda would explain what he was looking at.

Would that be something he’d be able to do again? Just sit within the castle’s library and look at the unusual pictures within the many tomes available? He knew his life would certainly never be normal, or rather his new normal, again. Epona’s death meant Malon would probably hate him, and Link couldn’t blame her for it. He deserved her hatred and would accept it, no matter how much it was going to hurt. Losing one of his dearest friends, someone he felt that he loved, was just so horrid to think about.

Not that it would have been the first time…

The Deku knew he should be resting for the confrontation ahead, but even as he closed his eyes, he couldn’t get to sleep. There was simply too much on his mind for his exhausted body to rest. Another thing that kept bouncing around in his wooden skull was these strange copies of people he saw about. Some he could explain away, but there were the cases of the professor, the guards, and the Ingo lookalike he simply couldn’t make excuses for that made sense. Just what was going on? He kept trying to think of any kind of explanation that made sense, and only one came to him, but he still felt it was too unusual to be reality.

Link recalled how Saria would tell him stories as he grew up. Some of them were Kokiri legends, some were from the books found on dead travelers in the Lost Woods, while some she made up just for him. He remembered several different myths and legends from books that involved adventurers finding pathways to entirely different worlds within forests. Could…this be such a situation? Was Link in some kind of a mirror world? It sounded implausible, but at the moment it was the only explanation that made any kind of sense.

Why else would there be copies of people he knew around the town? And, of course, Link got here by falling into a massive tree that somehow connected to the Clock Tower. It wouldn’t be the first time a myth or legend turned out to be true, after all. The Deku recalled finding the Lens of Truth, an object that those of Kakariko Village considered part of a spooky story and nothing more. If that myth could be true, why not the one about trees leading to other worlds?

Perhaps, one day, Link would come back and explore Termina. For now, though, he simply wanted to return home. Normally Link was very curious, one of the few childlike qualities he had left. Yet here, he just didn’t care about finding out what the rest of Termina was like. Heck, he didn’t even have any itch to explore Clock Town. For the time being, getting home was all he wanted and perhaps he’d make a return trip and see all that lied beyond the Clock Town walls. Maybe, just maybe, he’d be able to find Navi and bring her with him.

Perhaps Navi was in this world and that was why the other fairies of the Lost Woods had no idea of her whereabouts. But…then again…Navi probably couldn’t have gotten passed that closed door that separated Tatl from her own companions. It was a desperate thought and he knew it, but there could perhaps be a chance…

As these thoughts went through his mind, despite his earlier troubles, Link was finally able to fall asleep as exhaustion took him…

“Hey! It’s almost time! Wake up, brat!” Tatl’s voice jerked Link out of his sleep once more. He cracked open his orange eyes to see the fairy hovering in front of him. “Just another few minutes and the doors will open.”

The Deku stood up, stretching his muscles or whatever the Deku equivalent was, as he looked down at the town below. Just as before, the main square was empty save for Mutoh, the dog, and the lone guard. He then looked back to Tatl. “Are you ready? You only have one shot at this.”

“What? What do you mean?” Tatl asked sincerely.

“To talk the Skull Kid into stepping down. That’s the plan, you’ll try and get him to stop all this.” Did Tatl already forget how she said she’d talk sense into him?

“Oh…Right.” Tatl responded, sounding nervous. “I’ll try my best. After all he’s done…I just hope he’ll listen. Even this Moon situation is probably his doing, as hard it is to believe.”

“I wish there was more I could do.” Link truly meant it, feeling completely useless. “If you can’t convince him to stop, I don’t know how I could. All I have left are bubbles.”

Tatl had no answer for that, seeming too nervous to keep the conversation going.

Before long, an unseen bell within the Clock Tower chimed, forcing the duo to cover their ears. As this happened, fireworks from unseen sources exploded in the air, a dazzling show of lights and sound piercing through the heavens. Finally, to Link’s amazement, the Clock Tower started to change. The massive clock and the spinning top of it lifted up high enough where it almost touched the Moon. Just before that happened, the top of the tower swung down towards the North, transforming the giant clockface into a platform. A building changing in such a way was simply something Link never thought possible! The final event to occur was the wooden door on the Clock Tower’s platform opening downward, revealing another door. Then that door fell, and a multitude of others that formed a staircase leading upwards. Once the final door slammed down, and the last firework went off, a deafening silence filled the town.

Keeping the silence going, the two ascended the staircase and towards their final confrontation.

The clockface-turned-platform seemed so much bigger when Link was standing on it. That was the first thing he noticed. The second was the Skull Kid, floating in midair with his back turned away from the duo. As if suddenly noticing their presence, the imp turned about, floating as if lounging on a couch. He stared down at the two as he tossed the Ocarina of Time up into the air and catching it in his palm repeatedly. The cursed boy felt a righteous fury spreading through his body as he laid eyes on the Skull Kid, especially with how he kept using the Ocarina like a toy!

Before Link or Tatl could say anything, Tael appeared from behind the Skull Kid. “Sis! You’re here!”

“Tael!” Tatl called back, floating upwards a bit. “We’ve been looking all over for you two! Say, Skull Kid, why don’t you give that Ocarina and mask back now.” The imp said nothing. Though the mask obviously hadn’t changed, Link swore it was looking down at the duo with amusement. The same type of sick amusement a disturbed child got from watching a bug squirm after tearing its legs off. “Hey! Skull Kid, answer me!”

Tael flew up higher. “Listen, you two! Swamp! Mountain! Ocean! Canyon! Hurry! The Four who are there, bring them here!” The male fairy shouted desperately.

Link had no time to figure out what the fairy meant before the imp reacted. The masked creature floated up and cruelly swatted Tael almost out of the air, the fairy just managing to recover. “Don’t you speak out line! Stupid fairy!” The Skull Kid’s voice lost all of the cruel playfulness it had earlier, now speaking in a cold and hateful tone.

Tatl bristled, letting out an angry chime. “What do you think you’re doing?! How could you hit my brother like that?! Skull Kid, if this Moon thing really is your doing, the joke’s gone far enough! People are scared, it’s time to stop! Just return Link here to normal and stop that Moon! Come on!”

The Deku was actually surprised to hear Tatl refer to him by his proper name. Apparently the serious situation made her drop he cruel jokes. Still, what did her brother mean by the Four? Could it be…

“Well, whatever.” The Skull Kid said, interrupting Link’s thoughts as he went back to tossing the Ocarina of Time up in the air over and over. “Even if you called them, it wouldn’t make a difference! They couldn’t handle me anyway!” The imp let out a cruel laugh. “Just look above you…” He gestured to the Moon with his free hand as it inched closer and closer to the Clock Tower and the town beneath it. “If it's something that can be stopped, then just try to stop it!”

With that, the Skull Kid caught the Ocarina and kept it in his fist. Taking in an impossibly deep breath, the imp splayed his limbs out and faced towards the Moon and let out an otherworldly shriek. It was a cry that resonated power that Link, Tatl, and Tael, could feel to their cores. Link watched in horror as strange waves of purple energy radiated from the mask and towards the Moon. At first, nothing happened. Then, as the imp’s screaming came to an end…the Moon started to fall much faster. At the rate it was going now, there were maybe five minutes before it made impact!

“What do we do?!” Tatl demanded, looking up at the Skull Kid as he kept staring upward towards the Moon. “What can we do?! I can’t stop him! No one can!”

Horrified, Link was panicking as well. Tatl couldn’t stop the monstrous imp from playing this sick game, so he knew he had no chance! He couldn’t defeat the Skull Kid in this form. Heck, he wouldn’t be able to even as a Hylian! And then there was something about gathering Four beings? What did that mean?! He couldn’t do that either! But…there was one thing Link could still do. One last, desperate final resort. If this failed, all was lost. Taking a deep breath, Link prepared a bubble. Tatl watched on in silence as the projectile built and built, nearing the point of popping.

Knowing that this was probably his only shot, Link aimed…and fired.

To Link’s astonishment…it actually worked! The bubble hit the Skull Kid dead center in the chest. Whether the bubble was stronger than Link thought or, more likely, the imp was simply caught off guard, he was stunned. In this moment of pause, the Ocarina slipped out of the masked creature’s grip and fell to the platform below. For a second, Link thought the instrument may crack or break on impact, but it was unharmed.

Before the imp could do anything, Link sprinted towards the Ocarina and, finally, picked it up and held it within his wooden hands. It was at this moment that a memory replayed in his head…

“You’re really going to do this, aren’t you?” Zelda asked.

She and Link were standing in her garden, a week after Link’s twelfth birthday. By this point, he had long planned everything out for his trip. His mask was stronger than ever. The Princess stared with tired, but beautiful blue eyes deep into the dull and broken eyes Link had possessed for years.

“I have to, Zelda. I’ve told you that.” Link answered, keeping his face and voice completely neutral. “I thought I had your blessing.” He was entirely geared up. The boy had his Kokiri Sword, a metal shield gifted to him by Zelda, a bow and a quiver of arrows, a bag to hold possessions including bottles of water, food that wouldn’t spoil, a small knife, a flint and steel for fires, a blanket for him and Epona each, bandage, and a change of clothes. On his belt was Saria’s Ocarina, a way for him and Epona to travel back to the Temple of Time when his month was up. He still had to get over to Lon Lon Ranch to fetch the horse, but aside from that, he was all set.

“You do. Of course you do.” The Princess responded, still feeling she had no right to keep him from this. “I just worry for you. I don’t know if you’re ready. Your mind still needs healing, I know we’re both aware of that.” He had improved in some ways during the last two years, but he still had many issues. Link had still barley divulged much information on what happened on his quest, not having faced his past trauma as much as he should have.

The boy nodded. “I know. I just need to try. I can’t keep waiting, who knows how far Navi is now? I promise that I will return within a month, just as we talked about.” He had to get his friend back soon. This awful void within him due to her absence would just keep growing. Before too long, it would swallow Link up and erase him from existence…

“I don’t doubt your words. I just can’t help but worry. We’re all worried about your trip. Are you sure you won’t let Saria go with you?” The Princess would feel so much better if a Kokiri went with him.

“I can’t do that to her anymore. She’s searched so many times. I have to do this alone.” Everyone made all sorts of sacrifices for Link, none of which he deserved. Zelda especially allowed him to live within the castle, even giving him his own room. Along with being one of his best friends, she was practically his caretaker and doctor as well, working hard these two years to pick up the pieces of his broken mind. One day, he hoped to repay her.

The Princess sighed, feeling the situation was as best as it could be, save for just one thing. “I see. At least allow me to give you this.” Reaching into a pocket, she pulled out the Ocarina of Time. “Please, take this with you.” The blue instrument nearly sparkled in the sunlight, almost radiating an aura of power and beauty.

“Are you sure?” Link asked, staring down at the instrument. He knew how precious it was to the Royal Family. “Why do you want me to take it?”

“It would make me feel better. I know you have Saria’s Ocarina, but…having something so dear to me just feels right...” The Princess reached out, offering the instrument to her friend. “I’ll keep Saria’s Ocarina safe here for you.

Link felt strange about taking such an important item, but…if it would ease Zelda’s mind, even a little, he felt he had no choice. Waling over to his friend, he gently took the instrument. “Thank you, Zelda.” He said, handing Sara’s Ocarina to the Princess as he placed the sacred instrument on his belt.

“If you ever find yourself in trouble, please don’t hesitate to use it. It has many more powers than just being able to transport you across Hyrule.” Not all that she knew of, but surely such abilities would awaken if Link needed them.

The boy recalled how, in that decayed timeline, an older Zelda used the instrument to send him back in time. It truly was a powerful relic. “I will. I promise.”

The Princess hesitated for a moment before she entrapped the boy in a tight hug. “Be safe. I hope you return with Navi in tow.” She still had no idea what to make of the fairy’s disappearance, but she just hoped that she truly was out there somewhere.

Link hesitated himself before he gave Zelda a hug back, holding her close. “I hope so too.” He was almost tempted to just stay in the Lost Woods if he couldn’t find Navi within a month…but he couldn’t do that. Zelda, Malon, Saria, Darunia, and Ruto all worried greatly for him. He wouldn’t be able to bring himself to further their worry.

Soon, he hug ended, and the boy silently left his dear friend behind.

“Okay, you got your Ocarina back, but it doesn’t matter!” Tatl yelled, snapping Link out of his trance. “We have no more time left! We’re going to die!”

Time…More time…

That was it. That was the answer! If Zelda could transport Link back in time…why couldn’t he do the same for himself? Not knowing what else to do, Link raised the Ocarina to his lips. To his surprise, a strange set of horns appeared instead. An unusual instrument with five holes with which to expel music.

“What is that?! Where did it come from?!” Tatl asked, gazing at the strange instrument.

There was no time for explanations, even Link had no idea what was going on. Oddly, he found himself knowing exactly how to use the instrument he now possessed. Closing his eyes, he played the horns. The notes of the Song of Time blared out into the night sky, and Link’s vision went white.

Falling…

The sensation of falling was the only thing Link knew at that moment. Falling and the pure whiteness all around him. There was no warmth just as there was no coldness. No wind whistling by the Deku and he couldn’t even tell if he was screaming or not. All he knew was that he was falling with no signs of stopping.

Visions flashed before Link’s eyes as he continued to fall. Zelda giving him the Ocarina. Him and Malon sharing this first and only true kiss as he said goodbye. Riding through the Lost Woods. The Skull Kid appearing. Falling into that black void. The twisted tunnel. The Happy Mask Salesman.

All of a sudden, Link was standing before the Clock Tower again, facing outwards. Something was clutched in his hand as a dizzy spell took him. He had to stop himself from falling over as he gazed ahead of him. There was a light crowd bustling through South Clock Town as the morning sun peeked over the horizon. An angry and familiar man stood before a platform dead ahead of the Deku. A boy in a Keaton Mask ran down a small staircase.

Link almost jumped when a small voice rang out above his head. “What’s…going on?” He looked up to see Tatl was there, staring off a to the scene before her as well. “It’s like everything just…started over…”

The Moon.

Those were the first two words to pop into Link’s head upon hearing Tatl’s statement. Running forward, with the fairy following behind, he stopped and turned upward. High above the sky, just as it had been the first time he saw it was the Moon. Its angry, scowling face glaring down at those below it. “You’re right. Somehow…we went back in time.” What other explanation was there? It was as Link thought, if Zelda could send him back in time, why couldn’t he do the same? And he did! Using the Song of Time, he and Tatl were flung back to just when they left the Clock Tower for the very first time.

“Hey, look! In your hand!” Tatl exclaimed.

Link completely forgot he was holding something. Looking, he almost let out a gasp when he saw the familiar blue of the Ocarina of Time grasped in his wooden hand. Somehow, he supposed because he was holding it, he took the Ocarina back with him! On top of that, it was back in its original shape, no longer that strange instrument it had turned into. “The Ocarina…”

“Why didn’t you tell me you could do stuff like that?! You never said it could turn back time!”

“I didn’t know I could do it.” Link replied honestly. “I’m just glad it worked.”

“You didn’t know…?” The fairy trailed off, obviously confused. After a moment, she let out a chime. “Hey! That means we should see that creepy salesman guy, right Deku Boy?” She started to float towards the Clock Tower doors. “Come on, let’s go!”

For a moment, Link pondered. Sure, he could return to normal…but what then? He still had no way of defeating the Skull Kid. No way to reach him as he floated above the Clock Tower. His bow and arrows were left abandoned in the Lost Woods and he had no other long range weapons. Even if he could buy one in town, it wasn’t as though he had any Rupees to spend…

Without giving a response, Link followed Tatl and entered the Clock Tower. As the wooden doors creaked shut behind him, the Deku looked towards the Happy Mask Salesman. Of course, the man was still standing there, smiling like he always was. The salesman looked over to Link, letting out a hum of curiosity. “Yes? Was there something else you needed?”

It took Link a moment to realize that, from the salesman’s perspective, the cursed boy was gone for less than five minutes. As far as the man knew, Link hadn’t even had enough time to have looked through South Clock Town for any clues on the Skull Kid’s whereabouts. Either way, Link approached the adult, holding his Ocarina up where the man could see it. “I got the Ocarina back.”

Link was surprised at the lack of the salesman’s shock. Rather than questioning how the Deku could get the item back so quickly and without any visible effort, the man simply broadened his smile. “Excellent! You have your precious item back! See? Was it not a simple task?”

As Link pondered, he remembered that this was the same man who apparently knew of his past quest, despite having no possible way of getting that information. Really, he shouldn’t have been surprised at all with his relaxed response. “You can turn me back now, right?”

“Of course! Of course! Just as I promised!” The salesman belted out a jovial and very sincere sounding bout of laughter.

Link blinked and he almost let out a cry of surprise at what he saw. The Happy Mask Salesman was sitting at a massive organ placed against the far wall of the room. His massive pack sat by the bench he was perched on. “How…? Did you see that?” Tatl hissed where Link’s ear should be.

“Now, please pay attention!” The salesman called out, hands resting on the keys of the large instrument. “The process to return you to normal is quite easy. All you must do is play the song I am about to perform. Are you ready?” Getting over his initial shock, Link nodded and readied the Ocarina which turned back into those odd horns. The transformation didn’t seem to faze the salesman in the slightest. “Very good!” He turned towards the organ. “Now, play this song…”

His fingers slowly and gracefully dancing across the keys, the Happy Mask Salesman played a short song for Link. It was slow, sweet, and haunting. Just listening to the echoing notes made Link feel soothed and calm. The man played the song twice before pausing and allowing Link to have his turn. Closing his eyes and clearing his head, Link played those beautiful notes back to his audience of two.

The result was instantaneous.

At first, Link felt a bit dizzy, the horns turning back to the Ocarina, which fell to the floor. Visually and audibly, everything around him faded as his vision went black. In his mind’s eye, Link saw the massive Deku Scrub he had seen in his nightmare. But instead of Link running towards it, the youth stood still and watched as the giant creature receded into the ground, letting out a sound that seemed almost soothed. As this happened, Link felt his limbs growing in a process that was surprisingly painless. He also felt his torso expand upwards as more feeling went back into his skin and his face contort back into a familiar shape.

A flash of white, the clattering of wood.

Link’s vision returned to normal, and he looked at the source of the noise he heard. Down on the floor before him was a wooden mask, one that gave the boy goosebumps. It was a mask in the appearance of a Deku, its sad orange eyes staring up at him from the cold bricks. Raising his hands, Link saw they were normal and wrapped in Hylian flesh. He ran his hands all over his arms and torso, feeling his usual tunic underneath his fingers, as well as hearing the clatter of his sword and shield on his back. In checking, he found that indeed the two items had returned to their rightful place, as well as the bag of supplies he had in the Lost Woods sans the bottles the imp had tossed away.

“You’re…normal!” Tatl exclaimed, her voice genuine and in awe. “Well, I guess I can’t call you Deku Boy anymore, huh?”

A light-hearted laughter cut through the room and Link looked back to the salesman. Only to the Hylian’s partial surprise, the organ was gone, and the man stood where he usually had been with his large pack put back on. “You see, that song, the Song of Healing, is a very special one.” The man explained. “It heals troubled spirits and turns them into masks.”

A spirit? Link glanced down at the mask. There was a troubled spirit in that mask? Inside him just five minutes ago? He thought back to that tree that looked like a Deku. Could it be that the imp ripped the spirit from some poor Deku, and placed it within Link? After all he had seen in the past three days…it certainly seemed possible.

“I insist that you take that mask there.” The Happy Mask Salesman gently urged. “It is yours to keep, it would not be right for me to take it myself.”

Link stared at the mask below him. Did…he really want that thing? After being forced into such a cursed shape, did he really want a reminder of the ordeal? Still…there was a spirit within the mask. It felt wrong of the boy to just leave it behind or destroy it. He bent over to pick it up…

“Hey! Don’t touch that thing! It might be dangerous!” Tatl shouted out, making Link freeze before he could actually touch the mask.

Once more, the salesman let out happy laughter. “Worry not, for the magic is sealed within the mask. It is safe to touch, I assure you. If you want to return to that previous shape, simply put it on. Then you may remove it whenever you wish to go back to normal.”

Hesitating, Link touched the mask with the tip of his fingers. It…felt perfectly normal, at least. Slowly, he picked the object up and looked it over. He couldn’t imagine ever wanting to become a Deku again, but he still couldn’t find it in himself to just toss it away. “Thank you.” He said, not truly meaning it.

“Excellent, excellent!” The salesman crowed. “Now then…I fulfilled my promise to you.” His voice became more controlled and serious, yet the grin never left his face for even a moment. “Please, I ask you fulfill your end of the bargain.” He held out his hand expectantly.

The mask. Nayru above, Link completely forgot! He was so surprised at everything that had happened since playing the Song of Time that he didn’t even think about the fact he forgot that cursed mask! “…” The boy found himself unable to speak, awkwardly looking down at the mask he held in his hands instead.

There was a long, tense pause in the room. The only sound was the creaking of the various machinery within the tower and the ever-flowing water of the man-made river. “My mask…You did get it back…didn’t you?” The Happy Mask Salesman inquired, sounding hesitant. Seconds passed, neither Link nor Tatl answered him. Link looked back up and, to his surprise, the salesman’s expression changed drastically. Rather than his trademark smile, the man’s face was etched with an unbridled fury with his eyes wide open in a mad rage. “What have you done to me?!” The adult roared.

Link was so surprised that he had no time to react as the man wrapped his arms around his throat. Effortlessly, Link was lifted off of his feet and throttled. The boy found himself unable to fight back. Not just because he couldn’t breathe and was taken completely off-guard either. The youth was simply unwilling to draw his sword against another person. He refused to nearly kill another human in a fit of panic and desperation, recalling that assassin he had nearly slain! Instead, Link dropped his new mask and reached up and tried to pry the man’s hands off of his throat, but it was like trying to remove iron shackles!

“What are you doing?! Let go of him! Stop it!” Tatl screamed, bashing herself uselessly against the salesman’s head. “You’re going to kill him!”

Whether it was Tatl’s words or the realization of what he was doing, the salesman let Link drop to the floor. Instantly, the boy scooted away and doing everything in his power not to let his fear show on his face. He was at least able to mask that by coughing from the assault on his throat as he stood up and kept his distance from the violent man. Tatl flew behind Link, hiding away from the salesman.

Instead of apologizing or, even worse, going back on the attack, the salesman simply stood where he was and kept ranting. “If you leave my mask out there, something terrible will happen!” He screamed, that look of fury still etched on his face. After a minute and a number of deep breathes, the salesman started to calm himself. The smile didn’t return to his face, but at the very least his fury melted into a look of deep concern. “I…I should explain. As you may have guessed, that isn’t any ordinary mask. The mask that was stolen from me...it is called Majora's Mask. Have you heard of it?” He asked the question to Link as if he hadn’t been strangling the boy a mere minute ago.

Having calmed down himself from the initial panic, Link shook his head. He was somewhat at a loss of what to really do. The man had attacked him, but it was clearly in a moment of weakness. Link would’ve felt hypocritical to demonize the salesman for his actions considering the awful things he himself had done in the past. For now, he just kept his distance. “No…I haven’t.” Still, he felt a slight shiver at the name of the mask…

The salesman gave a grave nod. “I expected as much. The subject is not quite common knowledge. It is an accursed item from long, long ago. An ancient tribe, its name lost to time, used it in hexing rituals.” He spoke in an almost hushed tone, as if afraid someone would overhear the conversation. “It is said that an evil and eldritch power is bestowed upon anyone who wears that cursed mask!”

So, it really was because of that mask that Link was turned into a Deku and that Moon was called from above. He glanced over as Tatl slowly peered out from behind the boy, seeming to want to remain silent. “How powerful is it, exactly?” The boy asked, looking back to the salesman.

With a sigh, the man shook his head. “The tribe vanished under mysterious circumstances thousands of years ago. The mask would sometimes pop up in history in times and locations of great despair. That being said, no one truly knows its exact nature or how powerful it really is.” He let out another sigh. “I went to great lengths to get that horrible mask. When I finally had it, however, I could sense the doom of a dark omen brewing. It was that unwelcome feeling that makes your hair stand on end!”

“Why would you want such a thing…?” Tatl asked, now coming fully out of hiding and hovering above Link’s head.

The salesman completely ignored the fairy. “That imp stole it from me, not knowing what he was getting himself into! I am begging you! You must get that mask back quickly, or something unspeakable will happen!”

Link felt a sense of dread fill him. With the way the salesman talked about that mask, he now knew that simply getting a bow and arrow and firing at the imp wouldn’t cut it. Why did he think that would work? The Skull Kid, or rather Majora’s Mask, could bring down the Moon. How was an arrow going to stop him? He recalled the words Tatl’s brother said. The ‘Four’ had to be brought to the Clock Tower. Did that refer to the Four Giants? Link knew he had to do this. He couldn’t leave these people to die at the hands of some demonic mask! Still, the idea of going on another quest made him want to throw up. He didn’t want this! He just wanted to go home and live a peaceful life! Was that so greedy of him? He gazed down at his hands as he thought the situation over. Like usual, in times of great stress he felt the need to bite and claw at them, for reasons he couldn’t explain. He never did such things, but just the desire to made him feel uneasy.

After a minute of silence, Link nodded as he kept his mask intact. “I’ll do it.” As he said this, he picked up the Deku Mask and his Ocarina, placing the former in his bag and clasped the latter to his belt.

The smile and squinted eyes returned to the Happy Mask Salesman’s face as if nothing had happened. It made Link suspicious about how sincere the man’s earlier episode had been. “Really? You'll do it for me?” Again, Link nodded. “I was certain you would say that.” He let out another laugh. “Surely you will be fine! After all you’ve accomplished in the past, I know you can do this! Believe in your strengths! Believe…”

Once more, Link felt as though this salesman knew far more about the boy than he should. He was tempted to ask him some questions, but at the moment he felt he didn’t want to know the answers. The boy wondered how long this quest would take. After all, he promised he would return to Zelda within a month. If this truly was some parallel world…was time running just as it did in Hyrule? No…No, there was no time for such troubling thoughts. After all, this was all unavoidable anyway. Link couldn’t leave this world to just die, he had to save it! He just…hoped he could. All his friends…even Navi…would just have to wait for now. Link simply hoped he would actually be able to save this land and return home with his mind as intact as it was now.

Approaching the doors outside, Link looked up to Tatl. “Are you ready? You’ll come with me, right?” He imagined she would. After all, this was her homeland…

The fairy gave no answer, Link sensing anger from the tiny creature. He couldn’t blame her. He felt distraught, even angry, at the situation too. All he wanted was to find his friend, and now he was thrust into another quest he wanted no part in but found himself unable to deny. If he could complete it within a month after his departure from the castle, that would be the best-case scenario. He was trying not to panic, knowing it would get him nowhere. He had no choice in his future, so he would simply have to hide his emotions and stress behind his mask and march forward. What else could he do?

Taking a deep breath, Link placed both hands on the doors before him and opened them, letting the early morning sun flood into the room as he stepped outside once more.

Dawn of the First Day – 72 Hours Remain

Chapter Text

Link still hardly believed his eyes when he saw that South Clock Town was truly like it was three days ago. Or, at least, what felt like three days ago. People were milling about with a fearful atmosphere layered under forced optimism. Mutoh was yelling up at his apprentice while the boy in the Keaton Mask made his way back to where Link had found the Stray Fairy.

No matter how Link looked at it, he really did reverse time. It was so much more unnerving than when he time traveled before, too. Seeing the same people do the same things with the Moon moving back up higher in the sky just made him feel strange inside.

More than that, though, Link felt a bitter anger broiling in his gut. All he had wanted to do was look for Navi. He had waited two years before Zelda saw him fit to go, and he listened to her advice because he trusted her. Then when he finally managed to recover enough to go out to the Lost Woods, he got jumped by an imp, robbed, cursed, and then worst of all, he was thrust into another quest he had never wanted.

His hands balled into fists as he kept himself composed, forcing his mask to stay intact. Still, it was just so infuriating! Link recalled how Zelda promised him he wouldn’t have to fight anymore, but clearly that wasn’t going to be the case. He highly doubted stopping the Moon would be as simple as simply walking about Termina. No, he’d surely have to fight creatures along the way, not even taking the Skull Kid into consideration. Heck, he already had to deal with a Skulltula!

This just wasn’t fair! He kept getting promised over and over that he was free of this, that he could live a peaceful life! Still, Link wasn’t mad at Zelda for her constant reassurance. He knew she was only trying to help, and how would she ever be able to guess that something like this would happen? Despite that, he still felt furious. Not at Zelda, but at the situation in general.

Link glanced up to the fairy he had gotten stuck with. She hadn’t flown off yet, so he assumed it meant she was going to join him. He supposed there was nothing else for her to do, was there? The boy didn’t want her with him given how horrible she treated him, but she was from Termina and could act as a guide. Just like…

No. It wasn’t fair to compare Navi and Tatl.

He felt an anger resonating from the fairy, and he couldn’t blame her either. She, too, got forced into a situation she’d hate. Link couldn’t really bring himself to feel bad for her, though. Yes, she had no idea about the Moon and how far gone the Skull Kid was, but she still dragged him into this mess. For all he knew, she helped the imp steal Majora’s Mask in the first place.

Still, he didn’t want to just berate her. That’d get them nowhere. “Okay.” He said calmly, keeping his voice level and void of emotion. “Where should we go first? Which direction?” Link assumed one compass direction would be easier than the other three.

Tatl didn’t say anything at first. She just hovered by Link’s head, staring at the citizens before them and silently fuming to herself. “…South.” She said after a few seconds. Her tone, even with just that one word, was blatantly bitter and hateful. Without warning, she hovered in front of Link’s face. “This is your fault, you know!”

Link stared at the orb of light in front of him, his hands still clenched into fists. “What do you mean?” He asked, still forcing his tone to be free of emotion. The boy was determined to keep his true feelings locked away, but Tatl wasn’t making it easy…

“If you hadn’t gotten me separated from Tael and the Skull Kid, this wouldn’t have happened! Or, heck, if you weren’t wandering the woods like an idiot, we’d still be there having fun! But no, now the Moon is falling, and we have to go look for what I can only assume are the Giants themselves to stop this!” The fairy ranted, her light going a bit red in her rage.

Tatl truly despised the boy before her. If he hadn’t shown up, things would be okay! The Skull Kid and her brother would still be with her, and the three of them would be off parading in the Lost Woods for sure! Yet she felt stuck with him. Where was she going to go? Not up to the top of the Clock Tower. Not again. Not alone. So, she felt she had no choice but to stick with the runt in green…

The boy in question was absolutely stupefied at the lengths that Tatl would go to shift the blame onto him. So, he was somehow at fault for daring to be in the Lost Woods?! A small part of Link felt like she was trying to make him angry, to make him scream at her. But he knew that wasn’t true, he realized she had no idea that he hid himself from the world and why.

Link uncurled his fists, small marks left behind by his nails that went unnoticed by the fairy. “…Okay then. We’ll go South.” He decided to simply brush off everything she said. What was the purpose of fighting with her? It’d get them nowhere and waste time. Of course, can time even be wasted? Link was able to go back in time once, but could he do it again? Would he have to find all the Giants within three days?

Best to assume the latter, at least until further notice.

The boy walked towards the gate leading out of Clock Town, maneuvering around the crowds. Normally he would stock up on supplies, but he didn’t bring any Rupees with him to the Lost Woods, so he couldn’t buy anything anyway. Tatl let out a frustrated groan, probably mad at her rant being mostly ignored, but she followed him anyway.

Crossing her arms, the fairy glared down at Link as he walked. What was his deal? She screamed in his face, and he just shrugged it off! Didn’t he care? Wasn’t he mad? Tatl had actually wanted a fight…at least to an extent. If she was going to be stuck with him, he could at least react normally! He must have been trying to get under her skin or something. Or maybe he was some kind of a freak without emotions…

As Tatl fumed silently to herself, she noticed Link walking towards the Laundry Pool rather than the gate to the South. “Hey! What are you doing?! The gate’s over there you idiot! You’re going to the Laundry Pool!”

While Link was going to the gate, a thought had suddenly struck him. This was something he felt he could do to get a sort of edge for whatever trials lied ahead. “The Stray Fairy was at the laundry pool. If we get it again, maybe the Great Fairy will give me another gift.” Great Fairies were powerful, but he doubted they were strong enough to resist something like resetting time. She was probably shattered once more and wouldn’t know that Link had helped her once before.

Tatl hated to admit it, so she wouldn’t, but she thought that was a pretty good idea. Normally a Great Fairy would only give one boon per person…but this was a unique situation where Link could help the same one twice and get something extra! He seemed like such a goody-goody that she was surprised he’d do it. “Fine. Whatever. Just do it fast, okay?!”

Yes, normally Link may question the morals of something like this, but the way he saw it…no one was getting hurt. He was helping the Great Fairy and would get an extra gift. It was for the sake of aiding all of Termina, so what was the harm? Ignoring Tatl’s sass, he lead her to the Laundry Pool.

As expected, the Stray Fairy was hovering over the water, just as it was last time. The problem, though, was it was in an awkward position for Link to get it. It was too far for him to jump, and if he was splashing around loudly swimming over, it might fly away!

Last time, of course, he was a Deku…

Feeling his chest tighten, Link reached into his bag and took the Deku Mask out. Even just touching it made him feel incredibly anxious. The Happy Mask Salesman said that he could put it on and take it off as he wanted, but the idea of becoming a Deku again really didn’t sit well with the boy at all. “I’ll have to try the mask…” He murmured aloud.

“You’re crazy, right? You don’t actually trust that creepy salesman, do you? What if you get stuck like that again?!” Not that she really cared for Link’s wellbeing, but he was all but worthless as a Deku…

“I can play the Song of Healing again.” Link pointed out. It worked once, so it’d surely work again. “And why would he lie to me?” The salesman said he’d be able to take it off, so surely that’d be true. He’d get nothing out of lying to Link about something like that…

Tatl sighed. “Sure. I guess. Then put it on then and get the Stray Fairy!” Tatl ordered. The two were wasting daylight here!

Link really wondered if he should just not talk at all. Seemed like everything he said got some nasty remark from his unwanted companion. Oh well. With a deep breath, the boy raised the Deku Mask and with a second of hesitation, placed it over his face.

Instantly, the piece of wood seemed to latch to his face! Link’s hand fell away, but the mask stayed in place without issue. In fact, he swore he felt roots growing out of it, piercing into his face, and running through his entire body. The pain was horrible, but he found himself unable to make a sound! Like before, Link felt his body shrinking and contorting as his skin hardened and became numb, his flesh becoming wood once more.

The process only lasted maybe three seconds, but to Link it felt like a full minute of his body being forced into a much smaller and very alien shape. When it was over, he found himself standing before Tatl as a Deku once more. As before, his gear seemed to vanish, the clothes he wore being the only thing to carry over as well as the Ocarina of Time clasped to his belt. Maybe its magic properties resisted the mask’s own power…?

Not important.

In any case, Link quickly ran to the water and skipped across the surface as he had done before. He snatched the Stray Fairy out of the air and landed on the walkway on the other side of the water.

The Stray Fairy struggled as it did last time, but then calmed down again. “Young one! Please hear my plea! I have been broken and shattered to pieces by the masked Skull Kid! Please, return me to my fountain!” It recited, yet again doing the same exact thing as it did before.

Link felt unnerved at hearing the same exact wording like that. He couldn’t even really explain why, it was just so uncanny to see the same event play out like that to him. “I will, don’t worry.” The Deku replied, still able to speak properly, the Great Fairy’s previous boon carrying over.

“That’s good and all, but can you return to normal, still?” Tatl asked, flying over to her unwanted partner and the Stray Fairy.

Letting the Stray Fairy go, which just hovered in place, Link felt around his face. Around where his wooden face ended when it was a mask, he felt a sort of crease. It was small, but just big enough that he could latch onto it with his fingers. Breathing deeply again, he lightly pulled and hoped for the best.

Luckily, his face started to come off, as though it were still a mask. The sensation was far less painful, Link feeling his body grow back to its proper size as his flesh returned. While this happened, the roots seemed to retract back into the mask, if they even existed at all outside of Link’s mind.

Once more, the process lasted only a few seconds, but felt like a full minute. Either way, Link was holding the Deku Mask in his hands, once more a Hylian. His gear had also returned, everything where it should be. He had to withhold a relieved sigh, putting the mask back in the bag. “I guess that answers that.” The boy droned emotionlessly.

“Guess that creepy salesman was telling the truth…whatever…” Tatl mumbled as Link once more took the Stray Fairy in his hands. The two quickly made their way to North Clock Town and towards the cave where the Great Fairy resided. Jim was there as before, trying to pop the balloon, which Link tried to ignore. He once more found himself unnerved, seeing someone going back to what they were doing three days ago as if nothing had happened…

Inside the cave, Link released the Stray Fairy into the fountain, the other fragments of the Great Fairy appearing from the sparkling waters as the last missing piece joined them. The small entities swirled around quickly before once more the blinding light appeared. Link and Tatl were prepared for it this time and closed their eyes before it happened.

With a triumphant laughter, the Great  Fairy appeared before the two as they opened their eyes again. She stretched a bit as though waking up from a deep slumber as she lied in her side in midair. “Tatl, and you whom I’ve never seen…you returned me to my original form! For that, I thank you deeply!”

Link just tried to focus on the entity’s face, giving her a nod. “I was hoping you could help us. We have a long road ahead…” Might as well just say outright what he wanted. No time to waste, either.

“My, very forward!” The Great Fairy replied, sounding more amused than anything. “Yes, I do believe you’ve earned a reward. Let’s see…” She stared at Link, as if studying him for something. After a few moments, she reached downward, an object fading into her hand. “Here, this will be of use to you, I’m sure.”

The object in question was another mask, to Link’s surprise. To his further shock, it looked like the Great Fairy’s face. Exactly so, to the smallest detail. In all honesty, it was a very uncanny sight and Link was a bit disturbed, but he still took it. “Thank you, Great Fairy.” He really wasn’t sure what else to say, not even feeling up to asking what the mask even did. Still, he wasn’t about to just turn down the boon of a Great Fairy, no matter how odd it was.

“It’s the least I could do. I’d help you further, but my energy is all but drained. That accursed imp…you must be wary of him. Good luck on your endeavors. For now, I must rest!” Despite her words, she let out another loud bout of laughter as she shrank down into the glimmering water, vanishing in a flash of light.

Link and Tatl stayed silent as they left the cave, the boy studying the odd mask he was given. Only once they left the Great Fairy’s domain did Tatl speak up as the boy put the mask in his bag. “You’re seriously going to keep that?! This was a waste of time! We should’ve just gone South!”

“It was from a Great Fairy, so I’m sure it will be useful.” He wasn’t keen on actually putting it on. A small part of him was actually embarrassed to wear it, not just in front of Tatl, but the few others milling about North Clock Town.

Tatl rolled her eyes. “You’re just a worthless little brat, aren’t you?! Tael told us to hurry, and you’re wasting your time with this! We should be out of Clock Town by now!”

What a horrid temper she had. Link couldn’t imagine having to constantly put someone down like that. Still, he tried to just let the words roll off him. It was made harder by the fact he was already angry. The bitterness he felt about having to go on another, surely very dangerous, quest still rested inside of him, and he doubted it’d go away anytime soon.

“Fine. Let’s go, then.” He replied flatly, not giving Tatl the satisfaction of getting a real emotion out of him. With the grumbling fairy following him, Link made his way into South Clock Town once more and approached the gate, trying to ignore Mutoh and the carpenters as he passed them by.

The guard at the gate was glancing up towards the Moon as Link approached, and when he noticed the boy, he flinched. Quickly, the man gripped his spear and blocked the boy’s path. “Halt! I can’t let a child go out there alone! It’s dangerous!”

Link himself flinched a bit, his hand twitching. The world around him seemed to suddenly change in that split second, the child feeling like his life was on the line as the loud, armored adult suddenly lurched in front of him. He had very nearly drawn his sword in reflex of the man’s actions, making Link both angry at himself and the guard for startling him so badly.

“I have a weapon, sir.” Link replied, jerking his head lightly towards the hilt of his blade. “I can go out there with a sword and shield, right?” Surely that’d be okay. If it wasn’t, he wasn’t sure what he’d do, but he had to leave Clock Town!

“Wait…you’re right…” The guard replied, a bit sheepishly as he stood up straight once more. “I apologize. You can go out if you wish. Just be careful, Termina Field has become more dangerous lately.”

Link didn’t even reply, biting the inside of his cheek as he quickly walked by the guard, Tatl sticking her tongue out at the man behind his back. Although he had technically seen Termina Field back when he fetched the Moon’s Tear, he hadn’t paid very close attention to it. This time, as he exited Clock Town, he studied it a bit more carefully, or at least the area dead ahead of him.

The first thing he noticed was a massive object, the color of which drew his gaze. Normally purple wasn’t a color one saw in nature aside from certain flowers, yet Link saw something much larger than that. Far away, looming on the horizon was a purple mountain! It even had a ring of clouds around the top, just like Death Mountain did.

It was a very peculiar sight, but Link tore his eyes from it to look around more. Aside from the unusually colored mountain, the area south of Clock Town was fairly normal. It was mainly a grassy field with some trees scattered about. Unusual manmade pillars were erected on either side of the gate, going towards the South and there was even what looked like a massive hollowed-out log that served as a pointless tunnel.

Beyond that was a dense forest, but one that had a clear path going into it. Overall, it didn’t seem too dangerous at a glance. On top of that, Link realized it wasn’t too far of a walk to get to the forest. This didn’t seem to be like Hyrule Field where it would take him multiple days just to get to one destination, which he was grateful for. With only three days, an area as large as Hyrule Field would be a nightmare!

“What’s to the South, exactly? What’s it like?” Link asked, slowly starting to walk forward. Tael had mentioned four areas, but not where each one was. Even though things seemed safe, he still drew his sword and readied his shield in case something jumped out at him. He hated the feeling of this, on the lookout for danger, his weapon drawn, going to somewhere unknown…

It reminded him so much of Hyrule Field when he first visited it…

“It’s the Southern Swamp, where the Dekus live.” Tatl replied, surprisingly void of insults. “I guess you’ll fit right in, huh?”

And there was the insult, as petty as it was. Link brushed it off as usual, though. “How dangerous is it? What can I expect?” He had never seen a swamp before, not even in the picture books he went through at Hyrule Castle’s library. Though he did recall Zelda speaking of them once. She didn’t go into much detail, but he knew a lot of trees and a lot of water were to be expected. Nothing so drastic as a desert or a volcano that he had to worry about…

“Do you ever run out of questions?!” Tatl snapped. “You’ve never been to a swamp? There’s Snappers and Big Octos sometimes. Wolfos are there too. You can handle all that, right?”

“I want to know what lies ahead.” The boy replied. Link had only run into a Big Octo once and had no idea what a Snapper was. The talk of Wolfos made him nervous, though. The last time he fought one as a child…the…last time…

He stopped in place, eyes unfocused.

The Wolfos staggered in place, trying to approach its potential prey but its injuries making it trip and fall onto its front, further forcing the weapon further into it. It let out a whimper and stayed there on the forest floor, panting weakly and letting out pathetic whines.

The boy snapped out of his short trance. It was a memory he had seen in his nightmares dozens of times, but it had been such a long time since it forced itself upon him when he was awake. The boy, for a few brief moments, felt like he was actually there.

Link felt the exhaustion from the fight, heard the whimper so distinctly, and could see the near-dead Wolfos as if it were truly in front of him. He also felt hot all over his body and a very sudden stress grasped at his chest, but he managed to keep composed on the outside as those sensations slowly faded.

“Why did you stop? Come on, let’s keep going!” Tatl demanded. The already wasted enough time with the Great Fairy! Sure, it had been less than an hour since time went back, but every minute counted!

“I was just thinking.” Link replied vaguely, starting to walk again. Quickly, he changed the subject. “The four that we have to gather, those are the Giants, right?” He never actually confirmed this with Tatl, and really he knew very little about these gods.

Tatl shrugged. “Probably. I have no idea what else he could mean. Leave it to Tael to rush an explanation and leave out the details! I swear he’s almost as idiotic as you!”

“Then do you know how to gather them or where they are, exactly?” Surely if Tael knew, his own sister would know as well. Link really felt lost, in more ways than one. Not only was he in some unusual place, likely another world, but he only had the vaguest idea of what he even had to do!

“How should I know?! Would you just shut up?!” Tatl practically screamed, really sick of Link’s voice. He didn’t even emote or change facial expressions or anything and it was really starting to creep her out. She realized this was a bit extreme, but she just couldn’t stand the boy she was with, and he just kept talking and wouldn’t stop!

When he was still a Deku, Tatl thought she’d only have to deal with him for three days, so she wasn’t as angry. Annoyed, but she could mostly deal. Now there was no telling how long she’d be stuck with him. They still had three days, but how many sets of three days would it take to figure everything out? How many Cycles? That was part of what made her so angry and stressed, that she had no idea how long this would last…

Despite Tatl’s blatant dislike of him, Link still found himself a bit surprised at her outburst. He didn’t expect her to just yell at him like that for asking some important questions. Still, once more, he didn’t outwardly react. It was frustrating for him because he was trying to plan things out and get some idea of what he had to do. It wasn’t like Tatl didn’t gain from freeing the Giants either if that’s what they were really set out to do. She was affected by the Moon falling as well!

Biting the inside of his cheek again, Link kept his emotions under wraps.

“Alright. No more questions for now.” The Hylian replied, not even looking to the fairy as he spoke. He’d have to ask more about the other parts of Termina eventually, but for the time being he’d just work with what he knew about the Southern Swamp. Maybe she’d even chime in later on without him having to ask.

Tatl scoffed. “For now…” She echoed with a bitter tone in her voice. “Whatever…”

The trip went on in a very tense silence. Neither the boy nor the fairy wanted to be with the other, but they simply had no choice. Link was more than fine with the silence, but Tatl had the urge to keep chewing the boy out. She decided not to, however, silently fuming to herself, and just thinking the situation over more.

About an hour passed and the two were nearing the dense forest leading towards the swamp. The trip had been very quiet, neither of the pair uttering a single word since Tatl snapped at Link to shut up. There was wildlife within the field, rabbits darting between patches of taller grass and shrubbery, as well as a myriad of insects flying between flowers and other flora. Bird flew overhead, including the somewhat obnoxious calls of Guays, which thankfully left Link and Tatl be as they walked on. The boy recalled such birds also being in Hyrule, one even swooping down and pecking at him one time as he visited Lon Lon Ranch, though thankfully it didn’t do any serious harm.

Without warning, a strange creature appeared before the two. It seemed to simply materialize from the ground, no hint of its existence noticed by the two until it was fully emerged in front of them. The creature seemed to be made of a green, slimy substance. It had a mouth full of dull, rounded teeth and eyestalks like a slug topped with half-lidded eyes. Aside from that, it had no other features such as limbs or even any visible organs in its somewhat-transparent body.

Link had never seen anything quite like it, the closest being the creatures within Lord Jabu-Jabu. “Tatl, what is that thing?” He asked, slowly stepping away, shield raised.

“Don’t freak out, it’s just a Green Chuchu.” Tatl lightly scolded, some sarcasm in her voice. She rolled her eyes at the lack of any real reaction Link showed. No fear or shock or anything. Did anything phase him? “It’ll just hop at you, but I doubt even you can get beat up by this thing.”

Just as Tatl said these words, the Green Chuchu did as she said and leapt at Link. He kept his shield raised and felt a bit disgusted at the wet, sloppy smacking sound that followed the creatures impact on metal. Like Tatl said, though, it didn’t prove much of a reckoning force. The boy was simply too strong for it, and it fell to the ground in a heap before it reformed.

Link realized this thing really wasn’t a threat at all and walked around the Green Chuchu, walking away from it at a somewhat brisk pace. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the creature hop after him in chase…but it was too slow. Eventually, as the gap between them grew, it seemed to simply melt back into the ground.

He was relieved he didn’t have to kill it, though he wasn’t sure how ‘alive’ something like that even was. Still, he’d rather avoid the violence when possible. As he wiped some of the slimy residue from his shield, he glanced to Tatl. “How did it emerge from the ground like that?” Link wanted to know for future encounters, and also he was curious. Despite his situation and his bitter anger, his natural curiosity still peeked through. It was one of the few traits of an actual, normal child that he still held onto.

“Didn’t I say to stop asking me questions?” Tatl snapped back. “It’s not like I know anyway.” What was the point of knowing? Green Chuchus were some of the least dangerous things in Termina, after all. Even a twerp like Jim would put up a better fight…

“I said I’d only stop for a while.” Link pointed out. He didn’t even do so in a chiding or argumentative way; he was simply pointing out a fact.

Tatl sighed. “Whatever. It doesn’t matter, those things aren’t worth worrying about anyway, so just forget it.”

“Fine.” Link replied simply. He would just forget it, then. The Hylian pretty much knew that anything he said to Tatl would get a nasty response back at this point. Still, he figured eventually the very basic and important questions he’d ask would warrant something other than insults and dismissiveness. Apparently even asking about local dangers and things that were extremely crucial to their quest like if they were searching for the Giants or how they might be freed was just too much for Tatl…

Once more, the tense silence befell the two once more. Not much happened as they went on until they reached the log-tunnel near the start of the dense forest. Link noticed that Tatl slowed down as they went through, but she never came to a complete stop. He glanced over to her, curious as to what she was doing. The boy saw she was looking around as if trying to find something. Normally, he would ask what was going on, but he knew the second those words left his mouth, she’d get angry and throw some insults his way.

So, he kept his mouth shut.

It wasn’t long after that when the two reached the edge of the forest, the only visible path laid out before them. As they got close, however, Tatl seemed distracted again. This time, she flew towards a large, barren tree and Link followed. As he got close, he noticed something on its bark, near the bottom of the tree.

Drawn into the bark was a simple drawing. It took him a few moments to work out what it was. The picture was of a Skull Kid, notably one without any sot of mask, and two orbs nearby it, clearly fairies. It must have been that one specific Skull Kid. That being said, Link had no idea of any other of those imps were in Termina or just the one. No real reason no others could stumble onto the passageway between worlds, after all…

“I almost forgot about this…” Tatl mused, her voice softer and gentler than Link had ever heard it. “It felt really long ago…”

Clouds hung over Termina Field, dark and bulky as they covered the land in a heavy rain. Thunder boomed across the area, clearly not going away anytime soon. Through the nasty weather flew two fairies, one white and one purple. This nasty weather had been so sudden that they hadn’t had time to find shelter of some kind. Quickly, they spotted the small tunnel that lied south of Clock Town and flew into it to dry off.

“Geez, sis, that was awful…” Tael complained, shivering violently.

“Come on, don’t be such a wuss. We’re fine now.” Tatl gently scolded. She was the type to give tough love to her brother. While she cared for him deeply, she wouldn’t hesitate to call him out on anything whiny or stupid he said. Or, at least, anything she perceived as whiny or stupid…

“I’m cold, though!” Tael replied, still whining. “At least we…” He suddenly paused as a new sound filled the small tunnel. It was the sound of someone shivering heavily and even letting out a cough.

Startled, the two fairies turned to see that they weren’t alone. Nestled against the wall was a small figure, a strange entity the two had never seen before. It looked like a child, but it very clearly wasn’t one. Its flesh seemed to be made of wood, with glowing orange eyes, a face wreathed in shadow, and a beak-like mouth. The poor thing seemed miserable, and was looking up at the fairies, observing them as it shivered intensely.

In a rare moment of empathy, Tatl floated down towards the childlike thing, Tael cautiously following behind. Slowly, the fairies pressed against the shivering form, who graciously held the warm fairies close to it. The three huddled together all throughout the night, eventually falling asleep together as the rain slowly  faded away and then stopped.

The next morning was one of introductions. The creature, the Skull Kid, introduced himself to the fairies, who returned the fairies. The trio really had nowhere to go, and no permanent homes, so they decided to stick together.

And, for a while, they did, and everything was great.

The fairies and the Skull Kid would spend all day playing with each other, the siblings would listen to their new friend play on his flute, and they would sometimes pull pranks on people. Nothing overtly malicious, but juts something to get a chuckle from the three. For a good while, everything seemed almost perfect. The three were outcasts, but they at least had each other. And then at one point the imp drew the picture on the tree, depicting him and his new friends.

One day, though, the Skull Kid explained where he came from. He wasn’t from Termina, as it turned out. Instead, he came from somewhere called the Lost Woods in a place called Hyrule. Somehow, the imp had found a pathway that lead to Termina, where he had spent some time.

Excited to see someplace new, Tatl and Tael egged the Skull Kid to show them these Lost Woods, to which he happily obliged. It was an unusual place, the fairies not feeling quite welcome. While there were other fairies within this forest, Tatl and Tael were still outsiders, not the types of fairies that truly belonged. As long as they were with the Skull Kid, however, they were safe.

The imp showed him some of the spirits within the Lost Woods, and even told them a bit about the Kokiri and their Guardian Fairies, but not much. Before too long, Tatl and Tael felt a bit safer within the Lost Woods, even if they didn’t truly belong.

Things, however, quickly changed after that.

To the surprise of the trio, an adult had gone into the woods. A Hylian, yet he didn’t seem troubled by the usual nature of the forest, which the Skull Kid had also explained to the siblings. The imp declared he must be special and must have something unique in that large pack of his.

Tatl and Tael went along with this, but they were surprised at the method the Skull Kid used to rob the man. Normally, the three never really hurt anyone, but for this situation, the imp took a sizable rock and slammed it into the back of the salesman’s head, knocking him out. The siblings were unnerved, but just went along with it as the Skull Kid dug into the large pack, and pulled out a most unusual, heart-shaped mask…

Tatl floated there, relaying the story to Link. From the way she spoke, it seemed like she was hardly really aware of what she was doing, at least that’s how the Hylian saw it. She rambled on the story like some sort of compulsion came over her. “So, that’s how he got the mask…” Link murmured. He salesman seemed like he had some odd powers, so the boy was a bit curious how the imp managed to get his hands on it. Apparently a rock to the head was enough for the unusual man. Not that any of this mattered, of course.

“He told us that he had been fighting with his friends and that they had left him all alone.” Tatl went on, again more seeming to not really realize she was spilling out her feelings. “I'm sure it was because he was always playing tricks, so nobody wanted to play with him. But to do what he did just because of that...And once he got his power...” She shuddered.

Link actually started to feel a bit bad. For Tatl, mainly, not the imp. Link was treated horribly by most of his community growing up, and yet he didn’t go out of his way to hurt people. A bad past wasn’t an excuse! Still, the fairy sounded…hurt. “…We’ll stop him.” He wasn’t sure what else to say. Honestly, Link didn’t want to get too friendly with Tatl. This was just a temporary partnership, and neither of them liked each other, after all.

This finally snapped Tatl out of her small trance. “…Yeah. Whatever. Just forget it, let’s keep going.” Honestly, she had no idea what came over her. She saw the drawing and all those memories came flooding back. Things were so simple back then, and in such a short amount of time, her and Tael’s friend became something else. Something horrible.

Deciding it was best not to pry, Link shrugged the situation off and went on past the tree. “Sure. Alright.” He murmured as Tatl lingered for a moment or two, but then quickly followed.

The forest they entered wasn’t as massive or as eerie as the Lost Woods. That being said, the trees off the main path were denser. In the Lost Woods, you could see a long way in any given direction, generally. Not that it helped those that got trapped in there at all. They’d only be able to see more and more forest until its natural haze cut their line of sight short.

Either way, the boy was on high alert. There were Wolfos in the area, and something called Snappers. He doubted any Big Octos would be in the forest. There was that one in Lord Jabu-Jabu, but he was certain it’d normally only be found somewhere in or near water, not the woods. He kept his ears strained, listening for the snapping of twigs or heavy footfalls on the grass.

Despite his stoic outward appearance, Link’s heart was pounding fiercely. On top of the anger that still resided in him, he felt nervous at the same time. While he hid away his emotions, it didn’t mean he had stopped feeling them. It wasn’t just anger; he felt all the normal emotions that anyone had…or at least the negative ones. Truth be told, he was terrified of the idea of fighting a Wolfos. Even though he was older, bigger, and had a better shield, he wasn’t sure he’d win. It had been two years since he had participated in any real combat, the closest thing being the sparring matches with the castle guards...

For a while, at least, things were fine. Nothing to see along the path of real interest, and nothing came out and attacked. As usual, the pair kept quiet, not really wanting to talk to each other. Despite all the silence, Link still felt on edge. His heart just kept hammering away at his ribcage, not able to fully calm himself down even though things seemed safe. If anything, though, he’d want to stay on alert. The boy felt if he relaxed too much, he could be caught unawares and slaughtered…

About thirty minutes into the walk, the two came across a clearing of sorts. The only thing of note in it was a massive, dead tree. It had no leaves at all and even its bark was brittle. Unusually, though, a large swarm of Keese were flying about the top of the tree for some reason. Link didn’t really know much about the creatures, but it still seemed odd to him.

Not wanting to get too close to the swarm, Link and Navi gave the large tree a wide berth as they walked by. However, this brought them closer to the denser forest and its unknown dangers. As the two got around the Keese-infested tree, the Hylian heard heavy footfalls from behind.

Swiftly, Link turned around just as a beast swiped its claws at him. Raising his right arm, he blocked the attack, his opponent’s claws scraping against the metal shield to no effect. Eyes forming a concentrated glare of sorts, the boy saw he was dealing with a Wolfos.

“Geez! I didn’t even hear it coming!” Tatl exclaimed as the creature leapt back, fangs in a snarl and glowing eyes staring at its supposed prey. “Can you even handle something like this…?!”

He had no choice, really. Wolfos were fast, too fast for him to outrun. He’d have to stay and fight, as much as he despised the idea. Link heard the whimpers of a dying Wolfos in his ear, knowing full well it was just his memories haunting him.

The Hylian didn’t answer Tatl, lunging forward and swiping at the Wolfos. He was worried he’d be rusty, but somehow he felt just as he had two years ago. Perhaps it was the Spirit of the Hero, and Link wasn’t sure if he was grateful or furious about such a thing.

Either way, the attack didn’t amount to much, the Wolfos weaving around it and closing in on Link once more. Going defensive, he scooted back with his shield raised, slamming it into the beast’s snout as it lunged towards him. That got a cry of pain and anger from the beast, who started to swipe its claws at Link rapidly, the Hylian forced to block the blows.

Run. Run. Run.

Link kept repeating those words in his head, not even in a conscious effort. He wasn’t thinking about himself running, of course, but the Wolfos. The boy wanted the beast to realize this wasn’t worth the time or energy and just run off. But Wolfos were ferocious, and he’d have to damage it a lot more for it to want to do that, he was sure. After all, the others he fought went on until the death…

Tatl, meanwhile, hovered above all the action. She had no way of helping Link, or at least no way that wouldn’t put herself in danger, so she simply watched. To her surprise, the runt could actually fight pretty well! She assumed he was maybe twelve or so, and she couldn’t think of many people that age that could last even ten seconds against a Wolfos!

The Wolfos kept up the offense, wildly slashing at Link and snarling as the Hylian blocked the blows with his shield. The boy would counterattack when he was able, but for a good minute or two, he and the beast were at a standstill. Neither one got a good hit on the other, no matter what they tried.

Thankfully, Link’s luck changed. In a brief window of opportunity he had, the boy swiped at the Wolfos and the very tip of his sword cut the beast across one of its eyes. It stagged back, howling in agony as one paw covered its wound. For a second, it stared at Link with its uncovered eye…and then it ran off into the trees.

Link didn’t put his guard down yet. He stared off where the Wolfos ran off to, straining his ears as he heard its footfalls recede. They grew quieter…quieter…and then they cased. The boy didn’t even breath, waiting for the beast to lunge out at him again…but it didn’t. Apparently this Wolfos was more cowardly than the ones he fought in the past.

Finally letting himself relax, just a bit, Link exhaled. “It’s gone. We can keep going.”

Tatl…was actually pretty impressed. Not that she’d ever admit to that, of course! With just a dinky sword and a shield, this kid she was with managed to chase off a Wolfos! “Where…did you learn to fight like that?” She never really stopped to think of it until this point. Like the salesman, Link also was in the Lost Woods all alone save for his horse. He was armed with a sword, a shield, and had a bow with arrows before the Skull Kid messed around with them. Then he fights off a Wolfos and remains calm and composed the entire time!

Just what was with this kid…?

“That’s not important.” Was all Link said in response, starting to walk forward again. He didn’t feel he owed Tatl any kind of explanation. Even if he wasn’t still angry at her for the things she did and how she treated him, he didn’t want to share stuff like that with someone he barely knew. That…and a small, childish part of him just took a bit of satisfaction from denying her what she wanted. He realized it was immature, but he couldn’t help himself.

“Hey! What do you mean it’s not important?! Answer me, you brat!” Tatl argued, hovering around Link’s head as he walked, getting angrier as he ignored her. “Stupid runt…” She’d murmur to herself. It wasn’t long after the Wolfos encounter that the two entered the swamp proper, neither of them saying anything until they arrived. The two took a look around the area, a few sensations hitting them full force.

For one thing, it was quite humid in the swamp, a feeling that had started while they were still in the woods, and only grew until it reached its peak once they got to the swamp proper. The other was a horrid smell that was in the air. It smelled like something was rotting in the area, but there was no notable source to the smell.

Link took the sights in, having been a bit curious as to what a swamp was like. It was certainly like what he had heard. There were still a lot of trees about, and also a lot of water. It was like a massive pond, one that had trees growing out of it. Something was wrong with this water, though. Rather than it being clear or a nice shade of blue, it was a disgustingly unnatural purple color.

The only sign of civilization was a shack up on a wooden platform in front of the two. Certainly nothing big enough to house all the Dekus that Tatl mentioned lived in the area. Link could only assume this was someone’s home, and also noted there was a boat docked beneath the platform, floating in the putrid looking water.

As the two observed the area, Link started to feel extremely uneasy. There wasn’t just humidity in the air, or a nasty smell…but something more. He felt like there was a force exerting itself onto him, like a heavy and oppressive tarp was shrouded over him. His legs felt heavy, and he felt like something monstrous was watching him…

He felt just like he did within the cursed Temples.

Instantly, he felt panicked, but hid that from Tatl as he gripped his sword tighter. What was going on with this swamp? Was the entire area cursed? It felt that way, and the thought of an entire region being under such a dark spell terrified him. This meant there would be monsters, some entity he’d have to destroy to free the land…if his previous quest was any indication.

“Tatl, is the swamp supposed to be like this?” Link asked, voice quiet. He had a vain hope that maybe the area just held a strange feeling, and this was somehow normal. Just a fleeting sensation of denial, and he was well aware of it…

“I’ve never been here, but…I don’t think so. It feels so off, and I’ve never heard of purple water.” Tatl was lightly in a disturbed awe as well. Something was very wrong with the Southern Swamp, and she could feel the oppressive sensation as well.

Nodding, Link forced himself to remain calm, or to at least look calm. Approaching the building, he saw a sign was in front of the small boardwalk leading to the ladder up. “What does this say?” He’d worry about what he’d have to do later. For the time being, he had to gather information and figure out what to do. Granted, he’d surely be internally panicking the entire time, no matter what…

“Uh, what?” Tatl asked, a bit taken aback. “What, can you not read or something?” She asked, hovering by Link’s shoulder.

“No. I can’t.” It wasn’t something he was ashamed of, and he had even rejected Zelda’s offers to teach him to read and write. Link knew that once he found Navi…if he found her…she’d teach him. He’d accept no other teacher. “I can’t read at all.”

Tatl scoffed, chuckling in a nasty manner. “So, you’re an illiterate moron? You’re dumber than I thought!”

Link just tried to ignore her words and nodded at the sign. “What does this say?” He repeated. Fighting would get them nowhere, even if the anger and panic in his body made him feel like he’d burst…

Once more, the fairy was annoyed at Link’s lack of a reaction to her insults. Sighing, she looked at the sign closer. “This is just a tourist center. Talks about boat rides and stuff.”

Well, that seemed like a decent place to start asking a few questions. “Alright. Thank you.” With those few words, Link put his gear away and climbed up the ladder, Tatl following him into the building.

The interior didn’t have much to see. A clock was on one wall, a much smaller version of the one on the Clock Tower. There was some sort of booth against one wall with a square hole in it, but no one inside. Aside from that, all there was to see was a counter with a large, heavyset man with goggles on.

This man was deep in thought, murmuring to himself. It was to the point he kept thinking aloud even as Link and Tatl approached the counter. “Blimey…Where did he run off to? That spoiled child is off looking for fairies again, isn’t he…? He’s too old for that…!” He jerked in place as Tatl cleared her throat loudly. “Oh! Welcome!” The man said, looking at the two and then frowning a bit. “…Say, what are you two doing here all alone? Don’t you know it’s dangerous around here?”

“That’s why we’re here. What’s going on around here?” Link asked, getting straight to the point. No time to beat around the bush after all. “The swamp isn’t supposed to be like this, is it?”

“Well, no. Of course not!” The man replied. “You think I’d open a tourist center in a poisonous swamp? It just got like this recently out of the blue!” He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “But still, what are you doing here, kid? Where are your parents?”

Link chose to ignore that last part. “So, you don’t know why the swamp is like this? Who would?”

The man seemed a bit put off by how Link spoke. He droned on without emotion, not speaking like a kid at all. And, of course, the boy’s dull, dead eyes stared up at the adult, which surely added to the unnerving factor. “Can’t say I do. My partner went off to investigate, so she might know. She went off to her sister.” He jerked his hand up, pointing behind him with his thumb. “Her potion shop is that way, but it’s petty dangerous, kid. I can’t stop you, but you really shouldn’t go. The water is dangerous to even touch! I’d let you use the boat, but my partner’s magic is what makes it move…”

“I’ll be okay. Thank you for the help.” Link decided that going to this guy’s partner would be a better plan. Without another word, the boy just turned around and left the building, leaving the adult to call after him about his parents. But, he was ignored, and the boy and fairy shut the door behind them.

“Can’t even touch the water? How are we going to get far into this swamp?!” Tatl bemoaned, floating down the ladder as Link climbed down it. “The water looks kinda shallow, but you can’t even touch it!”

Link approached the edge of the grass, careful not to get to close to the purple water. He contemplated on what to do. There were bits of land he could see up ahead, but they were blocked off by the deadly water. Another thing he noticed was there were lily pads on the water’s surface, apparently hardy enough to survive somehow.

After a few moments of thought, Link braced himself, taking the Deku Mask out of the bag. Placing it on his face, he became a Deku once more, having to endure the painful transformation. Before Tatl could comment, he charged at the water and bounced along it towards one of the lily pads. After three hops, he landed on the plant, branching himself for it to start sinking.

But, apparently, he was too light.

“Giants abound! Why did you do that?! Did you know that’d work?!” Tatl exclaimed, flying over to the Deku.

“No. I was hoping it would, though.” It had been a risky maneuver, but he wasn’t sure what else to do.

“Geez! At least think it through more, you idiot!” The fairy scolded. If something happened to this kid, she was as good as dead! As much as she hated to admit it, he was the only hope they had of stopping the Moon…

Even when he did something right, she still scolded him. “I will next time.” Link said as he  turned away from Tatl and kept going forward. Thankfully there was another lily pad not too far away from where he was, and another one after that. The plants were pretty abundant, so that would help him on his journey forward, Tatl following behind and once more annoyed at the lack of a serious reaction from Link.

The trip was tedious, but not too difficult.

While moving forward, the two didn’t encounter any monsters or beasts. The water was surely too toxic for anything to actually live in it, so that was helpful in that regard. Though, again, the process was tedious. Link would have to scope out ahead to make sure there were lily pads for him to hop on. Other times he’d have to wait for one to drift by. Then there were times the two reached a stretch of land. Even then, they had to be slow and careful. The tall grass and reeds would sometimes hide pockets of poisonous water. Because of this, Link would stay in his slower Deku form, going by carefully as not to be taken by surprise when and suddenly find himself hopping along water.

Overall, the trip took a while. It didn’t help that aside from a vague direction the tourist center man gave, the two had no real idea of where they were going. But, eventually, they came across another sturdy bank of land, Link finally taking his mask off. Before them was a large overhead sign. Of course, the boy couldn’t read it, but the sign had depictions of potions, so he knew they were at the right place.

“About time! That guy didn’t tell us how far away the shop was…” Tatl bemoaned, following Link. The sign was over a pathway along a thicket of dense trees. So, the shop itself wasn’t quite in view yet. “It better be worth it…”

Link ignored Tatl’s constant whining, the fairy having groaned and moaned a lot during the trip over. It had really gotten grating and just made his bad mood even worse. It didn’t help he kept panicking internally about the familiar cursed feeling in the air. It wasn’t quite the same as Ganondorf’s, but the boy knew evil when he felt it.

The Hylian also felt eyes on him as they walked, having his sword and shield at the ready. Yet, he didn’t see anything, but heard rustling in the trees. Whatever was watching, it apparently wasn’t interested in attacking. Within a few minutes, the two came across a clearing that was quite different from the rest of the swamp.

For one thing, there was clean water! From a waterfall over a rocky cliff, clean and clear water flowed. It was assuredly from somewhere else given its nature. It formed a sort of shallow, ankle-deep moat around the main part of the clearing. On a small platform rose a tree with another platform on top connected by a ladder. On this platform was an unusual building shaped like a bottle.

As the two approached, they noticed a sign at the bottom of the ladder. “What does it say?” Link asked, once more looking to Tatl.

“Oh right, you’re an illiterate moron.” Tatl snarked, looking at the sign. “It says it’s a potion shop…and…ugh!” She groaned. “It says if there’s no smoke coming out of the chimney, it means she’s not around!” And, naturally, there was no such thing coming from the building. “We’re gonna have to wait!”

Well…that was annoying. Still, there was nothing to be done. Link walked over to the main tree and sat against it, shill having his shield and sword at the ready. He never felt fully at ease unless his back was against something, so nothing could sneak up behind him. Even back at the castle, he had his bed moved to the corner of the room.

“I guess we will.” There was nothing else they could do, so he decided to rest his legs.

“Stupid potion shop lady…where even is she? It’s not even noon!” Tatl grumbled, looking up at the sky. From her guess, it was around eleven. That trip from the tourist center took them ages!

“No point in guessing. We just have to wait.” Link replied, hoping it’d shut Tatl up. The fairy kept grumbling but didn’t really reply. As he sat there, he kept thinking about what might lie ahead. Some sort of monstrous being that kept the curse alive, if his past adventure was any indication. The thought terrified him…

Another thing he thought about was those back home. His friends had no idea what was going on with him. Did Hyrule experience the time travel to? Were they sent back three days? Since this was some sort of parallel world, Link had no idea what would happen each time he’d reset the three days!

But…wait! How could he forget?! Link put down his sword and shield, taking the Ocarina of Time from his belt. Quickly, he played Saria’s Song, wanting to contact his oldest friend. She couldn’t contact anyone outside of the Lost Woods, but at least she could know what was going on. After he played the song, the notes echoed far…

But nothing happened.

There was no connection! He didn’t feel himself linked to Saria at all! Panicking internally, he played the song again…but it still didn’t work. Saria being in another world must have prevented actual communication!

“Would you stop playing that song?!” Tatl demanded. It really struck a nerve with her since it was something the Skull Kid would play. Apparently someone taught it to him about a year ago. How did Link know it? Was it just a popular Hyrule song?

It was, of course, Link that had taught the song. He had searched the Lost Woods in short bursts a few times during his two year healing process. Saria would go with him, but they’d only look for a few hours. On one occasion, he came across a Skull Kid and taught the song to him on a whim. After all, he taught the song to a Skull Kid back in the other timeline, so he felt compelled. Who knew if it was the same one, though?

Either way, Link was taken aback by how angry Tatl was, but complied silently, putting the Ocarina back on his belt. With nothing else to do, he stared into space and tried to empty his mind as he and Tatl waited for the shop to open again. He was tired…hungry…thirsty…if only he had Rupees for supplies. The boy was drained, not used to trekking through swamps, that was for sure.

As Tatl mumbled angrily to herself, Link felt his eyelids grow heavy. She was awake and alert, so if he just rested his eyes for a few minutes, it’d be okay, right? After a few moments, he closed his eyes entirely, sighing softly through his nose, too quiet to be heard.

In his exhaustion, Link fell asleep.

Chapter Text

“Hey! Wake up!”

Link’s eyes snapped open, the sound of Tatl yelling at him jolting him from his sleep. He hadn’t even realized he had even properly fallen asleep, much to his annoyance, the boy only having planned to rest his eyes. Glancing around, Link saw it was still daytime, and Tatl was floating right in front of his face.

“How long was I out?” Link asked, his body a bit stiff, but nothing too bad. He imagined it couldn’t have been too long…

The fairy let out an annoyed noise. “It was like, four hours! It’s almost noon!” She exclaimed, pointing to the sun, which was indeed almost right over their heads.

“Well, why didn’t you wake me sooner?” After all, he knew she’d have no qualms about waking him up abruptly. As he asked this, he stood up and stretched lightly.

“Uh…well…I might have napped too, after a bit…” Tatl admitted, clearing her throat. “But anyway, there’s smoking coming out of the chimney, so let’s go!”

Losing several hours was annoying, but at least they didn’t have to wait any longer. For all Link knew, the shop keeper could’ve opened up shop only a few minutes ago. Putting his sword and shield away, the boy climbed up the ladder, Tatl hovering above him. He really hoped this turned out to be a helpful lead, otherwise he had no idea what they’d do. At the very least the shop keeper’s sister could move the boat, so maybe he could convince her to help!

As Link neared the top, he noticed that a lot of his anger had faded. It was still present in his chest, without a doubt, but it wasn’t as strong as before. He supposed one could hold onto an emotion for so long before it faded, especially after falling asleep. When they reached the top of the ladder, the Hylian turned to his unwanted companion. “You didn’t see the shop keeper or her sister at all, did you?”

“If I did, I would’ve mentioned it, you idiot!” Tatl snapped. Unlike Link, it seemed her anger didn’t lessen much after her nap. After a moment, her nose wrinkled. “That stench is awful now that I’m closer to it! Must be some weird potions! You go in alone; I’m waiting out here!”

Despite himself, Link couldn’t help but think of Navi. It wasn’t fair to compare someone like her to a nasty, bitter fairy like Tatl, though. Navi was by his side practically every single second of their journey, so his new fairy companion so casually separating from him, even for a bit, was unusual for him.

Still, it’d be nice to get a break from her. “Right. If you want.” He droned back to her, ignoring her scoff as he opened the potion shop door and went inside. When he closed the door, he noticed how hot it was inside the building. There was also a strong smell of various potions and brews, but Link didn’t mind it as much as Tatl clearly had.

The interior was dim, so Link had to really focus to get a look at his surroundings. It reminded him a bit of the potion shop he and Navi went to in Kakariko Village. He spotted ingredients on the wall; herbs, mushrooms, plants, and fruits that were drying on a rack. There was a counter with large pots of various potions, some bubbling from a lit fire beneath. Behind the counter was a single individual, the shop keep of course, that Link slowly approached. As he grew near and got a better look at her, he froze.

His breath caught in his throat, Link reached for his sword and gripped it, body shaking.

Sitting behind the counter, eyes closed…was Kotake! The witch was just sitting there casually like nothing was wrong, the blue gem in her forehead shimmering faintly in the dim light. The boy’s entire body felt hot, yet cold, at the same time. He felt nails digging into his face and heard Twinrova’s mocking last words to him. How was Kotake here?! She and her sister were dead! He had killed them! He…

Wait…was this even her?

That small, argumentative thought cropped up in the boy’s skull as fear and adrenaline pumped through his body. This wasn’t Hyrule. This was Termina. He had seen a number of these odd body doubles in Clock Town, so…was this another one? And, thinking of it further, he had only killed Koume and Kotake in the other timeline, but in a panic, he looked over that. He had no idea what became of the pair from the timeline he currently lived in, but he couldn’t imagine they’d go into the Lost Woods and end up here, right?

Still, his hand gripped the sword tightly. His body felt frozen as anger and fear kept fighting for dominance in his mind. He kept telling himself over and over that this surely wasn’t the Kotake that lived in the Gerudo Desert and helped raise Ganondorf. This had to just be some sort of alternate version of her. The whole thing just felt like a sick joke…

His face almost painfully forced into an expressionless mask, Link took a few deep breathes and forced himself to let go of his sword. He thought about things more, how the tourist center man mentioned Kotake’s sister, presumably some alternate version of Koume. The way he spoke of them…they couldn’t possibly be evil, right?

With all these things in mind, Link took a few more deep breaths, making himself calm down. Or, at least, calm down enough to make sure he could keep his mask on. If he was wrong about this, things could go horribly very fast. With one last deep breath, Link approached the counter and cleared his throat loudly.

Mumbling a bit, Kotake slowly opened her large eyes, her gaze soon narrowing in on the boy in front of her. To his internal relief, she looked to him without a hint of familiarity. “Hm? A customer? Didn’t expect a child to come to my shop with the state the swamp’s in…” She murmured to herself. “A non-Deku to boot!”

Instantly, Link felt considerably less stressed. So, she wasn’t the Kotake he was more familiar with. He couldn’t imagine she’d be so pleasant. Of course, the Kotake from back home wouldn’t even recognize Link anyway since they technically never met. Still, Link’s mind had just been racing that he had a hard time thinking everything through and looking at the situation from every angle…

Still, he found it hard to even look at the innocent shop keep…

“I was hoping to find your sister. Is she around here?” Link asked, having to force himself to make eye contact. Even though he knew that this Kotake, if that was even her name here, was harmless to him, a part of his mind kept screaming at him that he was in trouble. It didn’t help this feeling just wouldn’t go away…

“Oh, you’re looking for Koume?” Kotake replied. “She went off to the Woods of Mystery earlier, something about trying to find some plant to help the poisonous swamp.” She paused, pondering to herself. “She would’ve let me know if she was back…it’s been a while…”

“So, she’s still there? Are these woods dangerous?” Link lightly pressed. At the very least it was sort of a relief to be able to ask simple questions without getting a nasty response.

Kotake nodded. “Oh, yes, but not for my sister! The entrance is right by my shop if you’d like to look for her.”

So, this had been a waste of time, for the most part. “I see. Thank you.” Link was about to turn when Kotake said something else and stopped him.

“Say, young man! I can’t help but worry a bit…for Koume.” The hag said, getting a bottle from underneath the counter. As she went on, she slowly filled it with some Red Potion. “I can’t imagine she’s hurt, but…if she is, can you give her this? As a reward, if she’s unharmed, you can just keep the potion.”

A potentially free Red Potion was a pretty good deal. Link had no reason to refuse since he was going to go find Koume anyway. Slowly, he reached for it, a panic flaring up despite himself as his hand got close to Kotake’s. Still, he managed to take it back calmly, not retracting his hand too fast like he wanted to. “I will. And thank you again.” With that, Link turned around and left, managing not to rush out. Closing the door behind him, he placed the bottle in his bag.

Tatl was floating by the door, waiting, and turned to Link as he came out. “What took so long? Was that sister there or what?”

“No. Koume’s in the Woods of Mystery.” Link said, starting down the ladder and wanting to just get away from the shop. Granted, he was going from Kotake to Koume…so no matter what he’d be horribly uncomfortable. “Kotake gave me a Red Potion in case she’s hurt.”

“Great! A waste of time!” The fairy complained as the two reached the bottom of the ladder. “I’ve heard of those woods; they can be pretty tricky. I guess you went into the Lost Woods, so even an idiot like you can manage.”

Link walked around the tree holding up the shop and noticed there was indeed a forest nearby, a noticeable path leading into it. He had been so distracted by the odd shape of the shop and then with his nap that he hadn’t really noticed. “I’m sure we’ll manage.” Is all he said, getting his sword and shield ready as he walked down the path.

As the two entered the Woods of Mystery, Tatl let out a groan. There were paths leading in a number of directions, and naturally there was no way of telling which way was the right one! At the very least, the sun managed to shine through with ease, so it wasn’t as bad as the Lost Woods. “Great! Which way do we go?!”

Before Link could answer, a white shape dropped from the branches above. It was humanoid, smaller than Link himself, and the whiteness came from fur! The Hylian was baffled for a second before realizing what the creature was. It was one he had seen in one of Zelda’s books: a monkey!

The monkey hopped in place, letting out hoots at Link. But these didn’t seem to be aggressive at all. If anything, they seemed urgent or even fearful in some way. “It looks like it wants something.” The Hylian pointed out.

“Don’t be ridiculous! It’s just an animal!” Tatl argued. “It just wants a banana or something! Can you not be a total idiot for two seconds?”

At that, the monkey stopped, scratching at its back as it stared at the two. After a brief pause, it nodded as if confirming something. “Follow me.” It said, talking just like a person!

“Wait, what?!” Tatl sputtered out as the monkey started to hop down further into the forest, stopping a few yards to look back at the two. “It…talked!” It felt kind of awkward for her to know it had understood her. She insulted people to their faces all the time, but this just seemed far worse somehow…

“Maybe it’ll lead us to Koume.” Link theorized, starting to walk in the direction of the monkey. It was certainly surprising to see another talking animal like Kaepora Gaebora. Were all the monkeys around here like that?

“Or it’ll lead us into some kind of trap!” Tatl retaliated, but still followed alongside Link. “I had no idea these monkeys could talk…but it’s still a wild animal. Use your head and let’s just ignore it!”

Link decided to ignore Tatl instead, watching as the monkey scampered off ahead when he got close. It would keep pausing and waiting for the two, only going off ahead whenever they got close enough. After a while, Link noticed something. “Kotake said these woods were dangerous, but I haven’t seen anything.” Maybe the monkey was leading them through a safer route?

“Yeah, monkeys that lure stupid children to gnaw on their bones…” Tatl murmured, so that only Link could hear her. Really, she was frustrated with the whole situation. They were supposed to free someone, probably the Giants, in each part of Termina. Yet all they’ve accomplished was follow a monkey around! It all felt so aimless to her!

Once more, Link decided to ignore Tatl as he took in the area around him. The woods didn’t feel at all like the Lost Woods back home. Link noticed the lack of whispering spirits and the light fog up above. That was the only forest he had ever truly known, so it almost seemed odd to him to see one so radically different. The way down to the Swamp had trees, but it was such a wide path, it hardly felt like being in the forest at all…

Before too long, the monkey led Link and Tatl to a clearing. There, three more monkeys were standing by a figure on the ground. Instantly, the Hylian recognized it as Koume, his gaze honing in on the red gem in her forehead. He was expecting it this time, so though he felt his heart skip a beat and his blood grow cold, he was able to keep composed far more easily.

He just had to keep telling himself she meant no harm…

For a third time, Link ignored Tatl mumble to herself, something about being right for a change. As the Hylian approached the fallen witch, the monkeys ran off. When Link got close, he saw that Koume was breathing, albeit a bit shallowly. “Are you okay?” He asked blankly, staring down at the wicked shape before him. Each fiber of his being told him to run his sword through her, but he knew that wasn’t right…

Letting out a light groan, Koume opened her eyes and gazed up at Link and Tatl. “Help…me…” She croaked. “Cursed imp, attacking…from behind…”

“The Skull Kid?!” Tatl exclaimed. “But…he wouldn’t…” Of course he would. He had already done so before with that creepy salesman. He called down the Moon and who knew what else! If he was capable of that…or rather, that horrible mask…what else had he done? Could he have used it to poison the swamp…?

Link was having those same thoughts. If the Skull Kid had been in the swamp, maybe he was the one that had cursed it with his mask. If he could bring down the Moon, poisoning a swamp should be pretty easy to do. For the moment, Link just shook off those thoughts and took the Red Potion from his bag and handed it to Koume, who took it weakly. “Here. It’s from Kotake.”

After hearing her sister’s name, Koume perked up a bit. Or, at least, enough to sit up enough to take a swig from the bottle. After that, she quickly downed the rest of the potion. “Ah! Yes! That’s Kotake’s work alright!” She crooned, standing up. “Feeling better already!”

Seeing her jump up like that made Link take a step back. “Kotake said you were trying to help the swamp. Is that true?”

“Hm?” Koume murmured, looking at Link as if she somehow just noticed he was there. “Oh! Well…yes, but I haven’t had much luck. But enough about that, I must thank you! You really helped me out! Here. You can keep this bottle!”

Link looked at the empty container, recalling how moments ago she had it at her mouth. “No, that’s fine.” He replied instantly. “You really didn’t work out anything about the swamp?” Surely she had to know something…

“Look, if you want to know more, you’ll have to ask the Deku King! He’s sure to know!” Koume replied, putting the empty bottle in her cloak somewhere. “Come back to the tourist center, and I’ll give you a free boat ride as a thanks for saving me!”

Well…that was something. Link was hoping for a bit more, but surely if anyone knew anything about the swamp, it’d be the Deku King. He was a bit surprised to even hear such a figure existed. The Dekus back in the Lost Woods were scattered and unorganized as far as he knew. To his knowledge, there wasn’t even a village or any kind where they lived or gathered.

Link’s thoughts were interrupted when Koume produced a flash of red light, having mounted a summoned broom by the time it faded. This action caused the boy to internally panic, staring at the floating witch and remembering her and Kotake and what they did to Nabooru! No…

No…not her. Not this Koume…

Once more, he had to force himself to clam down, even though he had the desire to sprint in the opposite direction of Koume. Instead, he nodded at her. “Thank you.” With a merry laugh, Koume rose up above the trees and darted away, leaving Link and Tatl alone, the monkeys long gone.

“Great…we just get pointed somewhere else…” Tatl grumbled. This Deku King better know something useful, or she felt she would explode!

“At least we can get around easier.” Link pointed out as he turned around and started to head back the way they came. This area was nothing compared to the Lost Woods, so he was able to retrace his steps pretty quickly.

“Yeah, but we have to go back to the tourist center! That’s a long trip, or did you forget?!” Tatl snapped back. When Link, yet again, didn’t react at all, she flew in front of his face. “What is wrong with you?!” She demanded, nearly going red from frustration.

Well, that came out of nowhere. At least to Link. What could he have possibly said to make her have that kind of reaction? “What do you mean?” He asked, still keeping a stoic face and tone as he spoke.

“That right there!” Tatl hissed. “Why don’t you react to what I say like a normal person?! Why are you so weird?!” It was driving her nuts! She didn’t pay much attention to Link when he was a Deku, at least in terms of his emotions or anything like that. As a human, though, it was far more noticeable. Without the squeaky nature of a Deku, it was a lot easier to hear the complete deadpan way he said everything and with a face that can move easier, his lack of expressions was way more obvious!

“How am I supposed to respond?” Link wondered, though he had a good idea of what she meant. He just thought maybe if he played dumb, she’d get too frustrated and forget it.

But that’s not what happened, though Tatl get more frustrated. “Like…at all! You don’t react to me or anything else! You’re always so stoic and it’s weird!” Not to mention those dull, dead eyes he had. Getting a chance to stare at them continuously, she really started to notice how much they unnerved her.

Link didn’t want to have this discussion. He walked forward, Tatl moving out of his way. “That doesn’t really matter.” It really didn’t. Not to him, at least. It had nothing to do with their overall goal of stopping the Moon from falling…

Tatl let out a groan of annoyance as she followed Link again. “Fine! Be that way!” She huffed. After a pause, she let out a nasty little laugh. “You’re like some creepy doll. I bet you just don’t feel anything, you freak…”

That was the first time Link actually felt a bit insulted. Not enough to really sting, but enough that her words didn’t simply slide off of him. It was because of how blatantly wrong she was. Just because he didn’t emote didn’t mean he didn’t feel! He felt fear, anger, sadness…just like everyone else. He just hadn’t earned the right to express himself. But he didn’t bother to argue with her, there was just no point…even if a small part of hm wanted to.

As the nasty little fairy tittered to herself, the two kept going until they were out of the woods and back at the potion shop. As soon as this happened, three monkeys dropped from the treetops above, landing before them. “You there!” One of them said, sounding like the monkey that had led the two to Koume. “We need help!”

“Me been keeping eye on you…” Another monkey said, looking Link over with oddly intelligent eyes, even with its lack of grammar skills. “You have strange powers!”

“Yes, yes!” The third monkey piped up. “You change form! Very helpful! Please, help our brother!”

Link knew that time was of the essence, but…he couldn’t just turn someone down who was asking for aid. “What’s wrong with your brother?”

“Kidnapped by the Dekus! Temple above waterfall strange now. Swamp have poison water! Brother go to investigate…now captured by Dekus!” The first monkey said. “Sorceress offer ride…she take you to Deku Palace and you aid our brother!”

Well, that was pretty convenient, wasn’t it? “Okay, while we’re there, we’ll try and help your brother.” Still, the mention of a Temple worried him. This really would be like the other quest, wouldn’t it? He’d have to slay some monster, wouldn’t he?

“What?!” Tatl piped up. “We don’t have time for that! It’s already past noon and we haven’t even gotten close to being done in the swamp! And we have three other places to go!”

While that was true, Link would still have to try. As far as he knew, he could turn back time again…and if he could do it a second time, he could do it a third or a fourth. It’d be easy to just try again and be faster. Next time he’d go straight to the potion shop to get a potion and look for Koume and so on…

“It’ll be okay. Like I said, we’ll help.” Link guaranteed, wondering what sort of crime the monkey was being blamed for.

The three creatures let out hoots of excitement and happiness. “Thank you, odd child! We wish you luck!” With gratitude shown, the trio of monkeys ran past Link and Tatl, going back into the woods once more.

“You really can’t help yourself, huh? Like you’re some kind of folktale hero?” Tatl grumbled in Link’s ear as he started to make his way back towards the tourist center.

“It’s the right thing to do.” He couldn’t help but argue, instantly regretting that. While he believed himself correct, Link really didn’t want to fight with Tatl.

Thankfully for Link, though, the fairy just settled for grumbling something under her breath. She had to admit, it was tiring to rant at and insult someone who didn’t even emote. Of all the people she had to be stuck with, why did it have to be a freak like him…?

The trip back to the tourist center was a bit faster than before because they had a better idea of where to go. Still, it was about one in the afternoon when the two got back at the tourist center. Climbing up the ladder again, they entered the building. The man from before was still at the counter, but now that small booth had Koume present too.

“Oh!” The man exclaimed. “So, you helped my partner, eh? Koume told me all about it. You even got a free boat ride out of it!” He let out a chuckle. “You lucked out, kid!”

“Well, it was the least I could do.” Koume responded from her booth. She didn’t seem to realize that Link barely looked at her in the eye as she spoke. “Are you ready for your ride to the Deku Palace?”

Wanting to get away from Koume as soon as he could, Link nodded. “Yes, thank you.”

“Excellent! Just hop on the boat below the tourist center, and my magic will do the rest!” The hag explained, waving Link and Tatl off as they left the building.

Doing as Koume said, Link carefully boarded the boat, not wanting to accidentally fall in. Moments after he sat down, the boat started to shift on its own! Slowly, it turned and started to go through the swamp’s waters as if it were being rowed by an invisible force.

“Well, at least we can just sit back and let the hag do the work for us.” Tatl said, being positive for once as she sat on Link’s hat. It made for a much cozier seat than a boat.

Link had the same sort of thought; glad he didn’t have to get to the Deku Palace himself. Especially since he had no idea where it even was! When he got there, he’d have to find out what crime the monkeys’ brother was being accused of and what was going on with the swamp and how to stop it. If the Deku’s leader had no idea, then Link had no idea where else to turn…

The trip was quiet, neither Link nor Tatl wanting to speak up. It was, however, a bit slow. At the very least, Link used this time to work out how things might work out. The monkeys mentioned a Temple and that worried him a lot. He tried not to think about it earlier, but with nothing else to do, he just kept thinking to himself.

Link knew he’d have to enter that Temple, probably crawling with monsters he’d have to kill. He got lucky with the Wolfos, but how long would that luck last? Sooner or later, he’d have to kill again…he just knew it. Even though he knew to look above a waterfall for the Temple, he’d still go to the Deku Palace and investigate there. For one thing, to help the monkeys’ brother. And then there was the possibility that entering the Temple wouldn’t be so simple. He’d rather be safe than sorry.

While he thought of the Temple, an anger broiled within Link again. This wasn’t fair…he shouldn’t have to do this again! Zelda kept insisting to him he’d never have to fight again, but yet here he was! Though he still didn’t hold this against the Princess at all. This was impossible for her to see coming…but he still felt so angry and betrayed. Betrayed not by Zelda or anyone in particular, but against fate itself, he supposed…

As time went by, the boy’s stomach would growl a bit. He at that time realized he hadn’t had anything to eat or drink since he played the Song of Time. If he had to travel back in time multiple times, he’d have to find a way to eat and get water. Maybe…if he went to the observatory again he could get another Moon’s Tear. Perhaps he could sell it for Rupees and buy some food…

In any case, an hour passed as the boat went slowly along. The swamp seemed like it would’ve been actually pleasant, but the purple water and nasty feeling in the air really put a damper on things. Not much of interest was seen, save for a lone frog on a large log that Link felt a bit sorry for. It didn’t have anywhere to go but the poison water…

He once more looked up at the odd purple volcano, wondering what it really was. Was that where the Temple was, maybe? He didn’t see a waterfall, but the boat was drawing closer to it with every moment. Looking back down, he spotted a sort of cave they’d have to pass through and stood up as he drew his sword and readied his shield.

After all, a Big Octo was nestled right at the cave entrance. “They can survive this water?” He wondered aloud as Tatl floated by his head. The boy felt his heart race, remembering the monstrosity he had encountered within Lord Jabu-Jabu…

“Jeez, first the boat’s super slow, now this?!” Tatl whined. She looked vaguely up above them. “Hey! Hag, can you hear us with your magic?! There’s an obstacle!” She yelled…but the boat kept going.

In fact, it seemed to go faster. Whether Koume could hear Tatl or not wasn’t clear. As the boat gained speed, Link sat back down, afraid if he kept standing, he’d fall right in the water. What did he do?! Maybe he should go back in time, or…

Before Link could even reach for the Ocarina of Time, an invisible force came from the front of the boat that sliced through the water! It kept going until it reached the Big Octo, that had seemed content to let its prey come to it. The creature let out a surprised bellow as the force reached it and sliced it clean in half! Its bisected corpse collapsed to either side, letting the boat go on through.

“…I guess she heard you.” Link said, pretty surprised at what he just saw. If the Koume or Kotake he had known could do that…he’d probably be long dead…

“Uh…thanks…hag…” Tatl said nervously as the boat slowed down again, going back to its normal speed. The fairy had to wonder if she had really heard the cry for help. That’d be the last time she let out any sort of insult towards the sorceress, that was for sure…

Link tried to ignore what had just happened. The death of the Big Octo didn’t bother him too much since he didn’t do the killing. The violence had unnerved him, though, as did the stench of its corpse as they passed by it.

Trying to pretend that didn’t happen, the two found themselves in a very different looking area. To one side was a cliff with a massive waterfall, an opening on a ledge nearby it. This was surely the way to the Temple the monkeys mentioned! On the other side was land, and a lot of it. Unusual looking houses that resembled wasp hives in their material. Notably, none of the inhabitants were actually out and about, not that Link could blame them.

“This must be where the Dekus live…” Link observed as the boat came to a stop by the land. He hopped onto the safety of the grass, and after a few seconds, the boat turned around and went the other way. Ahead of the two was a large wall with an opening for them to go through.

“You’d better get through this fast.” Tatl grumbled. “Lets help that monkey, talk to the king, and then go to the Temple or whatever. That’s what those other monkeys said, right?”

“I’ll be quick.” Link promised, going through the entrance with Tatl close behind. The two found themselves in front of a large building, made of the same beehive-like material as the homes before. It was tall, though not to the level of Hyrule Castle or even the Clock Tower. There were walls and gates all around it, a lot of the area surrounding the building unseen, though there was one opening that led right to it.

As Link looked up, he caught sight of the Moon staring down at him. He had to withhold a shudder as he saw its piercing orange eyes. The Hylian had done a good job of not looking up enough to see the Moon since leaving Clock Town, but now that he had glimpsed at it again, he felt fear gripping its chest. It was as though the Moon was aware and watching him, and Link felt it staring at him. Even when he looked away, he could feel its eyes on him…

Trying to ignore this, Link went forward with Tatl to the entrance to the palace. It seemed like he could just…waltz right in? How odd! As he grew closer, though, two forms sprouted from the ground in front of him! His hand nearly reached for his sword, but Link then saw that these figures were Dekus! They looked different than the ones from the Lost Woods, less leaves on their heads, but plenty on their bodies. Some of these leaves were green, and some were red, which was even more unusual to him.

“Halt!” One of the Dekus cried. “You there, human and fairy! What do you want?” From the guard’s tone, it was clear he wasn’t exactly pleased to see the two…

Still, Link went ahead with his request anyway. “We need to talk to the Deku King, it’s very urgent.” It wouldn’t surprise him if most or all of the Dekus here hated outsiders. That’s how most of the Dekus in the Lost Wood were, disliking anyone that wasn’t them. That one Deku in Clock Town seemed more like an outlier than anything.

The other guard shook his head. “Impossible! No humans are allowed within the palace! You must turn back and go home!”

“Hey, come on! Do you have any idea how long it took us to get here?!” Tatl snapped. “We just want to talk to him, so let us through!”

“Impossible!” The first guard echoed. “No humans! The fairy can go in, though. Human, if you don’t turn around and leave, we will have to use force!”

Link wasn’t about to use force against non-monsters, at least not the kind where someone could get seriously hurt. “I understand.” He said simply, turning around and walking off. When he got far enough away, the guards went back underground.

“Are you serious?!” Tatl cried out, following Link. “You’re just going to give up so easily?!” She didn’t want to waste time helping the captured monkey, but she was baffled at how easily Link just turned around and left. She could’ve entered, sure, but she had no desire to do so alone.

“No.” Link replied, stopping once the two got out on the other side of the gate. They were still the only two out and about, so it made things easier as he took out the Deku Mask. “I’ll just become a Deku.”

Tatl paused, letting out a hum of thought. “I mean I guess they could be stupid enough to fall for it. Don’t you think they’d be suspicious?”

“I don’t have any other choice.” The Hylian said as he slipped the mask over his face. Once more, he experienced the horrible sensation of shrinking down into a Deku. Within moments, he once more took his alternate form. “Come on, just hide under my hat. You being with me might be suspicious.”

“Don’t order me around, brat!” Tatl sneered…but she still did what Link said. Not because he told her to, because she wanted to! At least that’s what she told herself.

Once more, Link approached the entrance to the palace. And, once more, the two guards came from the ground. “Halt! State your business, stranger!” One of the Dekus said.

“I’d like to speak with the Deku King.” Link replied simply. “May I go in?” Maybe adding a bit extra politeness would help…

“No one can go in unless they are on official business with the Royal Family!” The other Deku guard said. “…However, today is a special occasion! Anyone who wishes can go inside to see the traitorous monkey be humiliated!”

Traitorous? Link remembered learning what that word meant after Ganondorf’s arrest. What did this monkey do to deserve that title? In any case, Link was sure it had to be some kind of misunderstanding, but he wouldn’t say that out loud. “I’d like to see that.” He felt awful saying that, even if it was a lie. “Can I go through?”

The two Deku guards moved aside. “Yes! By all means!” One piped up. “Just go straight and you’ll enter the royal chambers, you can’t miss it!”

“Just don’t wander off to the sides. Those are the royal gardens and is prohibited to outsiders, even on a day like this!” The other added on.

“Thank you.” Link replied, walking past the guards who quickly burrowed back into the ground. The two had been right, the path behind them was pretty straightforward. There were only three paths, one to each side and one towards the palace. After making some distance from the guards, Link whispered. “You can come out now.”

Tatl flew from under his hat. “It’s like leaves under there! So weird!” Human hair being replaced with leaves was pretty odd! More comfortable than it sounded, though. Not that she’d admit to that.

Leading the fairy onward, Link entered the palace, noticing a buzzing murmur as he approached. When inside it properly, it was a dull roar. The room they entered had a lot going on. The entry room was tall, as tall as the palace itself, sunlight streaming in from large openings by the ceiling.

Within this room were dozens of Dekus of all shapes and sizes. Some were clearly adults, and some were just kids. In the middle there was a large fire pit roaring with a mighty flame. A number of Dekus were dancing around it, yelling, and even chanting as they went. Beyond that was the throne area. A large bobbing shape grabbed Link’s attention, and it took him a moment to realize it was a Deku!

This Deku was far different from any other he had seen, though. Unlike the others, this one was the size of a grown human man with a distinct torso and limbs, something Link had seen in no other Deku aside from himself when he wore the mask. He held a staff in one hand and danced before the throne, showing that he was indeed the Deku King.

The way the monarch danced was that of anger, like he was partaking in a furious ritual. In fact, the room itself seemed to be filled with anger. It seemed sort of like a party at first, but the sensation in the air was more of rage than merriment. The chants even sounded hateful and horrible. Still, Link kept his eye more on the Deku King than anything else, almost feeling the rage rub off from the monarch and onto him.

On his head, though, was something that grabbed his attention even more.

Whether it was decorative or a part of the king’s body, that wasn’t clear. It was a large orange orb of leaves and flowers. As the monarch did his dance, the orange shape bobbed and moved. Link kept staring at it, his breath catching in his throat at the sight. The way it went about it forced memories to flood into his brain.

In his mind’s eye, Link saw the horrific parasite that had infected his adoptive father and rotted him from the inside out! He saw it bobbing and moving as the entity shifted towards him, ready to devour him as he kicked and screamed in vain! Terror replacing his second-hand anger, Link took a step back, an action that thankfully went unnoticed by Tatl as she observed the room.

Taking a few deep breathes, the sounds of which were drowned out by the activity in the room, Link managed to tear his eyes away. To one side of the room was a fenced-off area where a few Dekus were gathered. Looking closer, he saw a wooden post inside the cage, and there was a monkey tied to it! “There. The monkey.” He said to Tatl, pointing him out.

Tatl was pretty weirded out by the Dekus and their dancing around and chants. When Link spoke to her and pointed out the monkey, she tore her attention from the plantlike people and looked. “Jeez, how are we supposed to help him? He’s right here in plain sight of everyone!” They should just forget the monkey and go, but knowing her stupid partner, that wasn’t going to happen…

While Tatl was right, Link wanted to at least try talking to the prisoner. He walked up to the fence, other Dekus gawking and even laughing at the monkey. At this point, Link quickly realized the problem. With all the noise around them, he’d never be able to actually hear anything the monkey would say. He knew that shouting at the prisoner all these Dekus openly mock and hate and even hinting that he could be innocent would just cause trouble.

So, he’d just go to the king.

“It’s too loud.” He said, leaning in towards Tatl so she could hear him. Turning around, Link laid eyes on the monarch again and the dancing orb upon his eyes. Once more, he felt nervousness creep into his soul, but he did everything he could to ignore it as he approached, Tatl floating behind as she asked him what he was even doing.

When the two approached the king, the monarch looked down upon the two. “Mmm…I’ve never seen your face! A visitor?” He bellowed at Link, his voice seeming to just be naturally loud. As innocent as his statement was, there was that underlying anger in the Deku King’s voice that couldn’t be ignored. “You’re here to see that horrid traitor, right?”

“Yes, that’s why I’m here.” Link lied, still hating having to say such a horrible thing. “And I am a visitor, so I don’t know what the monkey did. What was it?”

“You hadn’t heard?” The monarch replied, surprised. “He kidnapped my daughter! He insulted the Royal Family! For that, he will be punished tomorrow morning!”

So, the Deku Princess was kidnapped? That was pretty awful, but surely that couldn’t be true. The monkeys all seemed so nice. “He told you this?”

“No, he didn’t, but we know he did it! For that, he will boil!” The Deku King screamed, going back to his mad dance.

No proof? He couldn’t be serious! Link decided not to test his luck any further. Before he could leave, another figure came and gently pulled him to the side. It was another odd looking Deku, one with balls of moss as hair and very few leaves n his body. “I do apologize. His Majesty is so overcome with rage these days. As his butler, I’ve tried to calm him, but I simply haven’t been able to.”

At first, Link was startled a bit that someone had touched him so suddenly, but he quickly calmed down. As he looked at the Deku Butler, a strange sense came over him. He felt…nostalgic, even with a bit of longing. The sensation lasted only for a few seconds before fading. Just what was that…? The spirit within the mask?

“It’s fine. I understand.” Link quickly answered, feeling a bit unnerved and wanting to get away from the butler. And that’s just what he did, quickly walking away from the throne and towards the exit. He’d have to think of something…some way to get close to the monkey…

“Hey! Wait!” Tatl urged. “We’re just going to leave?!” What was the point of even coming into the palace, then?

“We’ll figure out a way to get to the monkey.” Link promised, though he wasn’t sure how. There had been an opening to the outside in the area the prisoner was being held…

Tatl groaned. Great, more running around blind! “At least snag us some food!” She said, gesturing to a table full of fruits and berries, clearly for the visitors, as well as some bottles of water.

Link hadn’t actually noticed the food, but since he was pretty hungry as well, he did as Tatl asked. Soon, the two had left the palace, the false Deku’s arms full of various food items and a bottle of water.

Plopping down next to the entrance to the palace, Link and Tatl dug into the small meal, exchanging no words as they satisfied their hunger. The boy nearly drained the bottle of water, leaving some for the fairy to finish off. She insisted he pour it into his mouth, not wanting his ‘gross wooden lips’ to touch the water at all.

As they polished off the meal, a figure dropped from above, startling the two. It was a monkey. “You see brother? He okay?” It asked, eyes wide with worry.

“Giants abound! Don’t just drop in like that!” Tatl scolded, really not liking these monkeys at all. The fact that they talked just unnerved her on top of it all…

“He’s tied up, but alive.” Link informed, handling his startle a lot better than Tatl. “There were too many people, so I couldn’t talk to him.” The false Deku really wanted to know everything he could about the situation before going forward. “The Deku Princess is missing, so we have to save her too.”

Tatl let out an angry chime. “Hey! I didn’t agree to that! We have to clean up the swamp somehow!” They couldn’t stop to solve every little problem they came across, there was too much to do already!

“I’m not going to just ignore her situation.” The Deku argued before turning back to the monkey. “Do you know a way to get to the cage?”

“Yes! You talk to brother and save Princess! Yes!” The monkey replied. “Go to garden! Flowers there! You use to get up high to cage! Careful of guards!” Without even waiting for Link to reply, the monkey climbed up the wall, using footholds and crevices only a limber animal like itself could properly use. In a few moments, it was out of sight.

“Okay, we’ll go into the garden.” Link said, walking over to one of the side entrances.

Tatl let out a groan. She wouldn’t be able to talk him out of this, she just knew it! “Fine! But you’d better make it fast, okay?”

“Of course.” Link replied, lowering his voice as he peeked into the entrance. There was indeed a garden of sorts there, walls, and hedges about. After a few seconds, he saw a Deku guard moving about on patrol. It really reminded him of Hyrule Castle. “You have to help. You’ll have to fly up high and tell me where to go and when.”

Always to the point, wasn’t he? Tatl sighed, flying into the garden. “Fine…but only because you’d be helpless without me!” Her voice was a bit smug, just wanting to annoy Link…but of course he still didn’t react to her taunts…

Tatl was pretty good at her job as she and Link went through the garden. It gave him a sneaking suspicion she had done something of this nature in the past. He also couldn’t help but be reminded of how Navi helped him reach Zelda for the first time…though he certainly tried to ignore the comparison. Navi didn’t deserve to be compared to someone like Tatl!

In any case, the process went by without a hitch. Tatl would keep an aerial view of the garden, going unnoticed by the guards. She’d then dive down and tell Link the patterns and when to move around. Thankfully there were numerous plants, walls, and other decorative pieces to hide behind. Eventually, Link and Tatl came across a flower that would let him take to the sky.

Either the guards didn’t notice Link take to the air, or just assumed he was another guard and didn’t bother to look closely. This allowed him to go along the tops of the walls surrounding the palace, using more flowers up high to get to the palace itself, or more accurately, near where the monkey was being held. There was a platform of sorts that Link and Tatl could wait at, the opening to the cage mere feet away.

The problem, however, was that the palace throne room was still packed. Link could go down there, sure, but the instant he did, the crowds of Dekus would spot him and he’d be in huge trouble. Hopefully the only thing they’d do to him was just throw him out. With nothing to do but wait for the throne room to clear out, Link and Tatl lied upon the platform and rested. The boy even removed the Deku Mask so he could be a bit more comfortable.

Link couldn’t stop thinking about Navi again, his earlier subconscious comparison between her and Tatl just got the fairy on his mind. Once more, he entertained the idea that maybe she was somewhere in Termina. Maybe she stumbled upon its entrance by mistake and explored it a bit. Did she just decide to stay here, or was she somehow trapped? That was assuming she was here at all, of course…

The Hylian found the anger brewing inside his gut again. While he was forced into this situation, Navi could potentially be getting farther and farther away. If she wasn’t in Termina, she was surely in the Lost Woods somewhere, right? For all he knew, she was close by when he was jumped by the Skull Kid! It wasn’t so much Termina or its people he was mad at, but more the situation itself. And as Link thought of this, he had to really fight the urge to glance towards that Moon…

Minutes turned into hours as the noise from the throne room kept up. The furious chanting and mocking the prisoner was relentless, and Link and Tatl could hear it all from right outside. As the sun started to set, Tatl became increasingly annoyed, grumbling openly and letting out noises of agitation as the horrid festivities still went on in the palace.

As the fairy came back from checking for what must have been the dozenth time, Link looked to her. “How full is the room?”

“It’s a lot emptier than before.” The fairy huffed, sitting on the platform. “But there’s still a bunch gawking at the monkey! What’s even the point? Is it really that entertaining?!” She groaned, looking to Link. “Can we just leave already? Is what he has to say so important that we have to talk to him?!” It was already past six in the evening! One day was half over and they hadn’t been able to accomplish much of anything!

“We need to know where the Deku Princess is.” Link reminded Tatl. “We can’t just leave her wherever she is.” He just hoped she was even alive, and that the monkey really was innocent, and this was just a big misunderstanding.

Tatl scoffed. “Enough of this we stuff! There is no we!” The fairy scolded, glaring at the Hylian. “I’m with you because I don’t have any choice, but because I want to do any of this! You have to know where this royal brat is, and you have to rescue her. Not me!” She really wanted to make things quite clear that she and Link weren’t exactly on the same side just because she was stuck with him. What else was she going to do? Sit around Clock Town and stare at the Moon? Besides, he’d probably die without her help…

Link didn’t want to do any of this either. He’d rather just have a peaceful life as a Kokiri, not having to risk his life for two separate countries he didn’t even belong to. But he did it because it was the right thing to do, and he was the only one that could help! He could have fled Hyrule back during his first journey, but he didn’t. It still didn’t make him a hero, but at least he didn’t just shrug off the suffering of others!

Rather than actually say any of that, Link gave a simple reply. “Okay. I need to rescue her.”

The emphasis on the ‘I’ was about as emotive Tatl had seen Link get. What a weirdo! Not even bothering to reply, she just crossed her arms and huffed.

An awkward silence fell between the two as more time passed, it soon reaching eight at night. Tatl went in to check the throne room and quickly darted out. “No one’s by the cage. Looks like all the guests are gone! There’s still the king, that butler of his, and some guards. I doubt they’ll be leaving any time soon…”

Link decided that was good enough. He could surely have a quick, quiet talk with the monkey. Slipping on the Deku Mask, he suffered through the transformation once more as he went into the opening. Thankfully, stacked crates and other structures allowed Link to get down to the floor from the opening.

The monkey was still tied up tight, staring at Link. Outside the cage, the Deku King kept his maddened dance going, the guards partaking as well while the fire still roared in the middle of the room. The prisoner looked down at Link in surprise, and he quickly put a finger over his mouth. “I just want to talk. I think you’re innocent.” Link whispered to the monkey.

This alone was enough to visibly put the monkey at ease. “Thank the Giants…you’re here to rescue me, right? My brothers sent you, right?” He replied, noticeably speaking a lot better than his fellow primates.

Link looked at the situation but saw no way to help. The monkey was tied up way above the ground, so even if he was in his Hylian form, he’d never be able to cut him down. “I can’t. Sorry.” He replied. “I want to help the Princess and cleanse the swamp, though.”

While the monkey was a bit disappointed, there was still hope in his gaze. “I see. Well, luckily these two things are tied to each other.” He let out a sigh. “The Princess and I are actually friends, you know, but it was a secret. The Dekus don’t exactly like most folk, just themselves and fairies. Anyway, we tried to find out why the swamp was poisoned and went into the Woodfall Temple to investigate. But a monster had made the Temple its lair and kidnapped the Princess…and of course her father blamed me…”

That made sense to Link, noting how genuinely distraught the monkey seemed over all of this. “I’ll go there and rescue her, don’t worry.”

“Oh, that’s such good news!” The monkey half-whispered in excitement. To get there, you’ll need to play a special song on the marked platform. You’ll know it when you see it. Do you have an instrument…? It must be loud!”

Link reached for the Ocarina of Time, remembering how it turned into a set of pipes back on the Clock Tower. As he grasped it, the instrument once more changed forms, the pipes returning.

“That’s still so weird…” Tatl murmured. What was with that Ocarina anyway? His behavior aside, Link was just odd. His unusually high fighting ability, this magic instrument he had…what was his deal?

“Ooh! How odd…” The monkey said, eyes widening. “But very helpful. Here, let me sing you the song: the Sonata of Awakening. Listen closely…” Quietly, so the guards couldn’t hear, the primate harmonized a short song, doing so twice to make sure Link got it. There was a certain power in the notes, even if quietly sung by a monkey, and both Link and Tatl even felt a bit more perked up than before! “Please, play it back quietly so I know you have it memorized.”

Play it back…? With the guards and Deku King right there? Link supposed he had to. Maybe he could play it quietly? He still didn’t know much about playing these pipes. When he played the Song of Time, it just sort of…happened. Still, Link tried to play the Sonata of Awakening quietly…

And he failed.

The notes of the song blared out from the horn, echoing throughout the throne room. Link internally winced as he played it all back to the monkey, doing so perfectly. By the time he realized how loud he was being, he thought he should just keep going since he knew the Dekus would be alerted anyway.

“That wasn’t quiet at all, you idiot!” Tatl scolded, looking to see all the Dekus in the room had turned to the trio in the cage. “Oh, no…” She murmured, hovering higher into the air.

“An intruder! What song was he just playing?!” The Deku King yelled out. “The monkey is trying to corrupt one of our own! Guards, throw that Deku out!”

The guards quickly rushed the cage, opening it up as Link backed away a bit. He put the pipes away, watching as they reverted back to an Ocarina. He didn’t put up a fight, letting the guards drag him out. “Please! You must make haste!” The monkey yelled after Link. “Save the Princess!”

Link was quickly escorted all the way out of the palace and past the duo of guards that were still underground. He winced a bit as he was thrown to the ground. “We’ll let you off easy this time. That monkey’s a tricky one!” One of the escorting guards said. “But try that again, and you’ll be locked up with him!”

Tatl, meanwhile, had stayed out of the scuffle by just floating up into the air and followed Link as he was dragged off. Floating back down, she let out a laugh. “They really got you, huh? At least all they did was throw you out…”

A part of Link was tempted to ask Tatl if him being almost thrown in a cage himself was really that funny. He supposed he was lucky the Deku King just assumed the monkey was somehow the bad guy in all this. “I guess so.” He stood up and dusted himself off a bit. It was as Link approached the exit to the community of houses that he realized just how exhausted he was. The Temple was so very close, but…even with that nap earlier in the day, he was so tired. It’d be best to rest a bit first before tackling something like that. “We should rest. Who knows what’s in that Temple?” He said as he took off the Deku Mask.

“What?! What about the monkey? He’s going to get boiled in the morning, don’t you care?” Tatl certainly didn’t care…or at least that’s what she told herself. She knew for a fact Link would, however. He was such a goody-goody like that.

“We’ll just have to wake up before morning. The Temple could be very dangerous, so we should be rested up first.” Link replied, drawing his sword and shield as he sat against the stone wall by the exit of the palace grounds. He was sure the Dekus would leave him alone from such a distance. Even in such a safe area, though, he doubted he could sleep without his sword and shield. Back at the castle, he had grown accustomed to sleeping without them…but he was in a new and unusual land at this point…

Tatl sighed. She was pretty tired, and while she’d never agree, she knew Link was right. If some monster had the Princess captured, it’d be a bad idea for them to go in when exhausted. Or Link at least. Not like she’d be doing any fighting! “Fine, alright. I’m sleeping under your hat.” She declared, darting under it before Link could argue.

Link just let it go. “Fine.” He replied quietly, closing his eyes. His head swam with images of what sort of monster he could face in the Temple, knowing that it wouldn’t help at all to ponder on it. Those images just kept coming, though, even as he tried to push them away. Luckily for him, exhaustion struck him hard as he sat there, the bugs of the swamp chirping and calling in the night. Even as his mind was filled with worries and stress, he found his consciousness fading, and he was soon asleep…

After what felt like only a few moments, Link was awakened by a nasty pain in his eye. It felt like something was biting it. Instinctively, he swatted around the area, sure it was a bug. When he heard a “Hey!” though, he opened his eyes.

Floating before him was Tatl, glaring at the Hylian. “Tatl…? Did you just pull on my eyelid?” That really hurt!

“Yeah, I called you and you wouldn’t wake up you idiot! It’s really late! Or…early, I guess!” Tatl cried, having checked the time on the clock in one of the Deku’s homes. “It’s four in the morning, we have to move!”

She called him? Really? Well, that aside, Link stood up as he stretched. It was hard to really tell the time at this time o f night, especially since the Moon was…well, he didn’t want to finish that thought. He was still kind of annoyed she had yanked at his eyelid, though…

“Alright, just give me a second.” Link put his gear away and turned to the wall, fiddling near his belt.

“What? Why?” Tatl asked as she hovered around Link. The fairy then grimaced as the stream hit the wall. “Ew! Warn me when you’re going to do that!” So gross! She didn’t want to see or hear that!

Link didn’t get the big deal and had to resist rolling his eyes. Still, a small and childish part of him was glad she got grossed out, almost like revenge for hurting his eye. He knew that was immature, but he couldn’t help it. After finishing up, he felt a lot better. “Did you see a way up to the waterfall’s top when you were out there?”

Tatl grimaced as she turned back around. “Oh! Yeah, that’s right!” She actually did go ahead and do that. The two had never discussed how he’d get up that high, so she did a quick look around. “There’s a bunch of those Deku Flower things you can launch out of. Some on top of these huge golden flowers in the swamp. You’re welcome.” The last two words were full of smugness.

“Thank you, Tatl.” Even though he knew how nasty she was being at the end there, he still appreciated the help. It even seemed to annoy her that he was sincerely thanking her as he donned the Deku Mask once more.

Going back to the clump of houses, Tatl led Link over to one of the flowers she was talking about, pointing out the path to go. The process was more monotonous than anything, Link having to go from flower to flower as he hovered to each one slowly. The only thing that impeded his path was the presence of huge dragonflies that buzzed about, their tails crackling with electricity. Thankfully, all Link had to do was spit bubbles at them, the projectile hitting them in the face and causing them to fly away. Before too long, Link landed on one of the platforms on either side of the waterfall, the entrance to Woodfall just one flower away! Before he could do anything, however, he heard a familiar call.

“Hoo! Hoo! You there, up here!”

Stopping in place, Link looked up see a large branch sticking out of the hive-like structure next to him. Perched there was… Kaepora Gaebora! There was no mistaking it! The same voice…the same look…the way he talked! Was it actually the same owl, or another counterpart? Link hadn’t seen the talkative bird once since he returned to being a child, sometimes having wondered where he had gone. Kaepora Gaebora’s unusual abilities, his ability to speak and how he had known so much about Link, was what made the boy really wonder if this was the same one.

He didn’t ask, however. Link didn’t like the idea of Tatl knowing about this business about copies. Something about her knowing anything about him just rubbed the Hylian the wrong way. “Yes? What is it?” He asked, looking to the owl.

“Hoo! I’ve been watching! Nasty business with the monkey, hm? But I know you can help. You have odd abilities!” Kaepora Gaebora, or whoever he really was, replied. “The next area is very dangerous! Not a lot of places to walk, and the water is much worse. If you fall in…you won’t come out…”

“Yeah, we know that! Tell us something helpful!” Tatl sneered back at the owl.

Somehow, though, the avian entity didn’t seem to be bothered. “Hoo! Oh, the water in other parts of the swamp is bad, but in Woodfall itself, it’s far, far worse. You’d be okay being in this water for a bit, but near the Temple, you’ll guarantee a painful death! Alas, if the Temple is not cleansed, the swamp’s guardian deity will remain lost!”

“You mean the Giant, right?” So, Link was right. Cleansing the Temple would help the swamp and help with the Giant.

“Exactly. I’m afraid that’s all I can help you with.” Kaepora Gaebora replied, hooting lightly. “Good luck to the both of you!” With that, he started to flap his powerful wings and soon took off to the horizon.

“Load of help he was…” Tatl grumbled. “Let’s ignore him and just keep going. Never heard of a giant talking owl before…” First monkeys, and now an owl? Was the swamp just full of talking animals?

Link decided to brush the situation off. Kaepora Gaebora didn’t say anything that made it clear if he knew who the boy was or not. So strange! Either way, he soon glided across the waterfall, taking off his mask as he and Tatl went into the entrance and to Woodfall proper.

The two were able to smell the area before they even left the cave, scrunching their noses at the stench of rot and poison. They went within the purple volcano that was visible even from Clock Town, and it was clear this was where the swamp’s curse originated. The area was more of a bog than a swamp, and the water was a far darker and dense shade of purple than any other that the two had seen. There was also very little land, but there were trees and other plants that somehow managed to grow from the water. With planks and Deku Flowers being the only way forward, Link realized how careful he’d have to be as not to fall into the water. Up above, staring down at the two, was the Moon, its face almost looking like it was grimacing at the foul bog below it.

Another thing Link noticed was on the planks were odd creatures, massive bugs that patrolled what little territory they had. “Tatl, what are those?” He asked, pointing one out.

“What? You don’t know what Hiploops are? They’ll charge right at you, so just knock them into the water or something. Even an idiot like you can work that out, right?” Tatl replied, deciding to actually give out some advice. It was like that owl said, if Link fell into that water, he’d die. As much as she hated the kid, she couldn’t just let him fall to his death…

“Thank you, Tatl.” He was actually pretty surprised that she gave him advice this time, even with the insult. Either way, Link had been worried that killing the Hiploops would be the only option. He had managed to avoid it so far since entering Termina, the Big Octo being entirely Koume and not him. Looks like that was going to end here.

As Link walked to the plank, the Hiploop there noticed him immediately. It made an angry chittering sound and charged forward, slamming into Link’s shield as he raised it to defend himself. Letting out a grunt of effort, his legs buckling a bit from the impact. But he was strong enough to force the Hiploop back, swiping at its face with his blade. This stunned the massive bug, causing it to whine and hiss in pain. Taking this chance, clearing his mind of what he had to do, Link swiped his shield, slamming it into the Hiploop’s side and knocking it into the water below.

The massive bug landed into the water with a splash…and it simply vanished. There was no struggle or anything…just a few bubbles. It seemed the poisonous water had simply killed the Hiploop instantly.

Unable to help himself, Link stared at where the Hiploop landed. He felt it harder to breath as he let the situation sink in. After two years…he had killed something. Bugs, generally, were fine for him. Link would swat a fly or kill a spider…but something so big, even if it was a bug, made him feel disgust towards himself. He just knocked it into the bog like it was no big deal. The urge to vomit kept building inside of him, but he swallowed it down.

“Hey! It’s dead, let’s keep moving!” Tatl urged. What was this brat doing? The owl mentioned how deadly the water was.

“Just making sure.” Link lied, turning away from the water, and went forward. The process of moving around Woodfall was tedious. Link had to go across narrow planks, fight off more Hiploops, and sometimes use the Deku Flowers to maneuver around. After about fifteen minutes, the two reached a manmade platform of sorts. On it was a circular platform with a Deku depicted on it.

“That’s gotta be it! The platform the monkey mentioned! I guess that song will make the Temple appear, but I don’t see any sign of the stupid thing…” Tatl had noticed there was nothing around that remotely looked like a Temple…

Link trusted the wrongly imprisoned monkey, standing on the platform in his Deku form. Converting the Ocarina of Time into pipes, he took a breath and played the Sonata of Awakening, nice and loud. As the notes echoed through the bog, nothing happened at first.

Then, out of nowhere, a rumbling shook the bog! In the center of the bog had been the top of two trees which Link and Tatl barely paid attention to. However, these two trees started to rise out of the poisoned water! With them came a stone structure, it being revealed the massive trees were growing out of the building! As the purple water poured off the massive shape, the upper part of a great ziggurat was revealed, its entrance wide open as the stench of rot and poison became stronger than ever.

“So, the Temple was sleeping. That’s why we needed the song…” Link murmured to himself, staring at the structure. A great fear gripped his chest as he stared the building down. The Deku Princess and some great monster were within it, and he would have to delve inside and fight his way out. There was the monster the monkey had mentioned, but given his experience, it wouldn’t be alone…

The false Deku walked up to a flower that was on the platform and burrowed inside, popping out and gliding forward and landing right in front of the entrance before shedding his mask, returning to a Hylian once more.

Tatl simply flew over, staring at the entrance and feeling sick to her stomach as well. She could sense a lot of dark magic, and she really didn’t want to go in there! “…You can handle this, right? Don’t tell me you’re stupid enough to bite off more than you can chew…” Despite her efforts, worry and fear bled out from her voice.

Reading his sword and shield, Link nodded. The fear kept intensifying, but he kept his face entirely blank. That anger also started to bubble up again, the boy furious that once more he had to delve into the Temple. Somehow, the fate of a great many people rested on the shoulders of a child. He wanted to scream, to run away, to go back to Hyrule…but he knew he couldn’t. So many people relied on him, and he had no choice but to accept the burden with a mask of stoicism.

“I can do this.” He replied simply, gripping his sword hard enough that his palm ached, and his knuckles went entirely white.

Tatl stared at Link for a moment, wondering just where he got that confidence from. Sighing, she flew after him, having no choice herself but to rely on Link, as much as she didn’t want to. “Fine. Let’s just get this over with then…”

Forcing his legs to move, Link entered the Temple, his begrudging companion right by his side.

Chapter Text

Link and Tatl were both struck by the smell of severe rot and poison as they entered the Woodfall Temple. It even stopped them in their tracks a bit as they took in their surroundings. The room they ended up in was massive and barely lit to the point where the ceiling wasn’t visible at al. It really seemed bigger on the inside than on the outside, a sensation Link was all too familiar with.

Though the room was dark, it wasn’t pitch black. Torches lined the walls, showing how massive tree roots grew in from the ceiling and snaked through the room before going down through the floor. Somehow, the trees didn’t just shrivel and die from the horrid, poisonous swamp water.

Tatl gagged a bit, unable to stop herself. “Giants abound, this is awful! The Deku Princess is in here somewhere?! How does she even breath for more than five minutes in here!” The atmosphere was genuinely unsettling to the fairy. This wasn’t like anything she encountered before, and she was more sensitive to it due to her nature as a fairy.

“Hopefully she’s still okay.” Link said, surveying the room ahead of him. He hated to admit it, but he was terrified. It seemed like nothing had changed since the went on his first quest. He was just a coward, not fit at all for the Triforce of Courage. In fact, he was partly staying in one spot to put off having to delve deeper into the Temple. His ears did pick up some noise though, a scuttling sound in the darkness somewhere. Though he strained his eyes, he couldn’t see anything. “There’s something in here with us.”

Link’s attitude really baffled Tatl. From what she could tell, he wasn’t scared at all! Even in a place like this, he was entirely stone-faced! What was his deal?! Didn’t any of this bother him at all? Thinking for a moment, the fairy had to wonder just what the Hylian had gone through in the past. He could fight off a Wolfos and remained totally stoic in a cursed Temple with a monster in it. She still hated him, of course, but her curiosity was stirred.

“Have you done something like this before? You’re way too calm…” The fairy prodded, floating by Link’s face. “You’re a freaky, emotionless doll, but even you’d have to be freaked out at this place!” Just the atmosphere alone was terrifying, and then there was that weird scuttling sound…just what was that?

There she went, calling him an emotionally dead doll again. Of course, she was entirely wrong. He was scared and would love to just go back to Clock Town and let someone else handle this…but there was no choice. And it seemed she was able to pick up on his past experiences, if only vaguely. Rather than give her a proper answer, he just slowly started on ahead. “That’s not important.”

Chiming angrily, Tatl stayed by Link’s head. “I’m asking, so it’s important!” She yelled, getting no answer from the boy. “Don’t ignore me, you idiot!” Again, no response. “So infuriating…!”

His ears picking up more of that scuttling noise, Link stopped in place. “Something’s getting closer.” The boy warned, looking around in the darkness. He felt his heart skip a beat when he saw two orange orbs dart about and vanish. In his mind’s eye, for just a moment, he saw a horde of Stalchildren marching towards him before he forced the thought away.

For a second, neither the boy nor fairy moved at all. Then, without warning, three creatures emerged from the shadows! To Link’s surprise, they weren’t nearly as threatening as they sounded. They were merely small black orbs that looked almost gaseous with small orange eyes. These creatures rushed at the boy, who reacted automatically with his sword, slashing through the closest one.

The first shadowy monster practically fell apart into a mist which quickly vanished. This didn’t deter the other two creatures, that also rushed to Link without much of a strategy on their part. Thankfully, a few more swipes of the sword was all it took to get rid of them, the scuttling sound now silenced entirely.

“Eugh! Black Boes! They’re pests!” Tatl whined, though felt relieved. “I thought there was something actually dangerous in this room…” Now she felt stupid for feeling freaked out! Of course, she doubted that monkey was just talking about Black Boes when he mentioned a monster…

Link wasn’t even sure how to feel about killing the Black Boes. They were living creatures, but…they seemed more like smoke than actual monsters or animals. Even with this uncertainty, an uneasy feeling nestled stubbornly in his gut. At the very least, he was sure there were far more dangerous creatures ahead, if past experiences had taught him anything. He had to wonder if Majora’s Mask and its powers could create monsters like Ganondorf could. If it could pull down the Moon and poison the entire swamp, then it didn’t seem out of the realm of possibility…

Before Link could try and shrug the situation off the best he could and keep going, something darted around above, just out of the corner of his eye. Something pink! Whipping his head to look at the object, he saw there was something hovering near where the ceiling melted away into an inky blackness. Still, he was able to make out that it was a Stray Fairy! Unlike the one in Clock Town, however, this one glowed pink.

“There’s a Great Fairy in the swamp too?” He asked, never having really stopped to think about other Great Fairies in places outside of Clock Town, let alone that they’d be shattered as well.

“I didn’t think it was worth mentioning! Great, I’m sure you’ll want to put this one back together too?” Tatl asked, feeling like it was a waste. The Dekus could surely handle this once the Temple was all cleansed, right? Knowing Link, he’d want to drop everything and help…

And Tatl was right, essentially. Link wanted to help this Great Fairy as well. “I’m sure she’ll grant a boon in exchange.” He pointed out. “I just can’t reach the Stray Fairy. Tatl, you try to get it to come down.”

Glaring at the Hylian, Tatl huffed. “Don’t order me around!” She snapped, followed by a pause. “…Fine. She’ll probably do something nice, I guess. That’s why I’m helping, because your sorry butt needs all the help it can get!”

That was fine by Link, who watched as Tatl flew towards the Stray Fairy. To Link’s surprise, it started to flee from the smaller fairy, who yelled out and started to chase it. Despite Tatl’s usual speed, the Stray Fairy managed to outmaneuver her almost casually as it went about.

Before long, Tatl gave up and flew down to Link, the Hylian glancing between her and the Stray Fairy. “You can’t catch it?” He asked, a bit surprised. As far as he knew, fairies were the fastest creatures around, at least in terms of pure travel speed.

“Shut up!” The fairy snapped, catching her breath a bit. “It’s this place…it’s throwing me off! I feel tired…” And Tatl genuinely wasn’t trying to make excuses to save face. This cursed Temple felt like it was sapping her energy or making her movements sluggish or something. “Let’s just forget the Stray Fairy and go. When the Temple is cleansed, it’ll probably fly back to its fountain!”

Link didn’t like the idea of that. The Stray Fairy in Clock Town had few obstacles to reach its fountain again. Clearly, for whatever reason, these small fragments of the Great Fairies were pretty helpless. And then there was something else he realized. In the fountain back in Clock Town, there were a lot of Stray Fairies, and it was just very convenient that only one escaped. For all he knew, the fragment he was looking at was only one of many within the Temple.

“There could be more of them deeper inside.” Link pointed out with a slight shake of the head. “We have to make sure all of them are safe.”

“There’s what ‘we’ thing again!” Tatl scolded, chiming in frustration. Didn’t this kid care about that monkey? Why was he wasting time?! “Also, how do you think you’re going to get it, genius?! I’m the only one that can fly, and this freaky Temple is slowing me down!”

That was the hard part! “We have to try, though.” The Hylian flatly agued. Still, Link had zero way of getting the Stray Fairy down. As he kept thinking the situation over, he suddenly remembered something! Digging into his bag, he took out the mask that the Great Fairy had given him. He had somewhat forgotten he even had it! The visage still looked a bit uncanny to him, but he felt it was the only shot he had.

Tatl was a bit startled when Link took the mask out. She, too, had basically forgotten he even had that thing! “You’re kidding, right? How’s that going to help?”

Link really wished, for two seconds, Tatl would not be critical over his every action. At this point he was going to think she’d start yelling at him for breathing too loud! Pushing his annoyance away, he looked between Tatl and the Stray Fairy. “It’s the only option.” Link flatly stated, slipping the unnerving mask over his face.

From the flowing hair of the mask, a light pink shimmer came forth. Almost instantly, the Stray Fairy floated down towards Link without fear, making a beeline towards him. As it got close, he wrapped a hand around it gently, just to hold it in place, as he slipped off the mask.

At this, the Stray Fairy was surprised, but not scared, so it didn’t struggle. “Young one! You have the boon of one of my own! I’m sorry for fleeing, but this place is just so horrible…” It trailed off as Link let it go, the fragmented Great Fairy floating by the boy. “There are more of my pieces within the Temple, please rescue us all! You may need to use that mask to lure the others to you…”

Nodding, Link put the mask back in his bag. “I’ll do it. Stay by me and I’ll lead you all out.” He wasn’t sure what else he could do with the various Stray Fairies; it wasn’t like he could carry them in his bag or something. Just a few of them would be too big!

“Thank you, young one! I will reward you once I have been returned to full strength!” With that, the Stray Fairy, to Link and Tatl’s surprise, shrunk down until it was about the size of Tatl herself and dove into the Hylian’s bag. Seemed it could make itself smaller if it really wanted to…

Tatl couldn’t believe that worked! It really irritated her when Link was right, as petty as it was. “A magic mask that attracts Stray Fairies…never heard of such a thing…” She grumbled, loud enough for Link to hear.

“It will be useful, at least.” He commented, starting to walk forward again towards the other end of the room. Link was also grateful that the Stray Fairy could do something like that. It’d be nice and out of the way while he and Tatl traversed the Temple.  

That really got to Tatl, his attitude. Or, rather, his lack of an attitude. Not in a way that made her angry, this time. As she followed Link, she once more had to wonder what was wrong with him. He was probably about twelve as far as she could tell, but he didn’t even remotely act his age! Not just because of the lack of emoting either, that wasn’t what Tatl was pondering about.

No, it was just that he didn’t talk like a kid at all! He barely even spoke like an adult either. Almost everything he said was right to the point and he rarely said anything that had nothing to do with their mission. Even when he was trapped as a Deku, he never really chatted with her even with all the ample time they had. Sure, she purposefully distanced herself from him, but it still struck her as odd when she actually tried asking him some questions about himself and he gave very short answers or dodged them entirely.

Tatl expected, maybe, he’d rub it in her face about what just happened. She was wrong, and he was right, something that had happened multiple times. He thought it necessary to talk to that monkey, and only by doing that did he learn the song needed to enter the Temple at all. He also insisted they find that hag, and only by doing that did they get a ride to the Deku Palace! It really frustrated her that she was wrong so often! That aside, she expected a kid his age to rub it in at least once, but…he just pretended like that never happened. Compared to her own life experiences, it was just so…odd to her. Not a single ‘I told you so’ coming from that brat…

Link heard Tatl sigh about something as they reached the end of the room. It was just a simple door going onward, the faces of Dekus carved into the wall on either side, a panel present to open it up. He hesitated for a brief moment before pressing it, gathering his resolve. No telling what was in the next room, or if this Temple was warped physically or not. The Hylian recalled how the inside of Lord Jabu-Jabu was much, much larger than what was actually possible due to Ganondorf’s curse…

Forcing himself onward, Link pressed the panel and the door opened, he and Tatl walking through, bracing themselves for what was on the other side. As they passed through the door, the smell of poison and rot grew more intense while the door shut behind them. They were up on a platform, the floor below covered entirely by a pool of deep purple water. Floating in the water were unusual plants, like lily pads, but with teeth! Some sort of carnivorous plant, clearly. There was a ramp made of wood leading down towards a door, and another door on the opposite side of the room, past the poisonous water.

Before Link or Tatl could do or say anything, they started to hear noises from further into the Temple. It was the furious beating of drums, echoing off the walls and the source from somewhere unseen. Before long, a chanting joined in, the anger clearly present even if it was in a language neither Link nor Tatl could understand. What really startled them was a horrific screeching sound, a death whistle that pierced the air and too seemed to have no clear source.

All these sounds made Link’s heart start to race. He was reminded of the beating of Bongo Bongo’s drum, the unusual ghostly noises within the Forest Temple, and the chanting of the Fire Temple. As these memories came flooding towards him, he felt his blood run cold, and panic spread through every inch of his body.

He couldn’t do this! He wanted to turn back and run to safety! But he knew he had to move forward, no matter what he felt. Link’s own desires weren’t important, not when there was some way for a large burden to be thrust upon him. At this point, he almost wanted his mask to break, to let loose the emotions deep within him. But he knew he couldn’t, he had to keep the mask on and just force the emotions down no matter how much it hurt. He didn’t earn the right to express himself, and on top of that he didn’t want Tatl, or anyone, to see him for the coward he was.

Tatl, of course, had no problems expressing her fear. “What is that?! Those noises?!” She exclaimed, looking around. “This place is so freaky…could some of that be the monster that has the Deku Princess?” She looked over to Link, noting there was no fear on his face. Seriously?! What was with him…? No way he could be so stoic, could he?

“We’ll have to just find out.” Link replied, not having any real way to answer Tatl’s questions. Those sounds terrified him, but he wasn’t going to let that be known. On top of that, he felt anger bubble up in his chest again, furious at this Temple for its very nature. He knew it was childish, but he was angry at it for being cursed…for frightening him so badly. Yet he just couldn’t make that rage go away, no matter how hard he tried to suppress it.

“What a helpful answer…” Tatl grumbled as Link walked down the ramp and towards the only real way forward. That other door was beyond their reach for obvious reasons. Despite her annoyance, it wasn’t like she had any idea what she wanted him to say, she just didn’t like Link at all…

Before Link could enter through the door, he saw something pink and glowing out of the corner of his eye. Turning, he saw two more Stray Fairies hiding beneath the platform where he and Tatl entered the room. Once more, he placed the mask he got from the Great Fairy on, and instantly the two fragments floated over to him. After they got into his bag, he and Tatl entered the next room.

The two were startled to see just how dark this room was. There were torches along the walls, but even then the darkness seemed to just swallow the light up. It was to such an extreme that the size and exact shape of the room was impossible to tell. Worse was that there was audible shifting in the darkness, almost overshadowed by the continuing drums and chants from somewhere deep within the Temple.

“More Black Boes, right?” Link asked, feeling Tatl would know better. That scuttling sound seemed like them, but…

“What do you think? Obviously it’s more of them. Sounds like a lot, though…” Tatl quietly snipped. “I…forgot to mention…they’re mostly pests, but they can bite.”

Link had no idea how that could possibly work when it seemed like they had no mouths, but he didn’t question it. He had encountered far stranger, after all. Still, with that in mind, he slowly made his way into the darkness, straining his eyes to try and seen anything at all in the inky void, but he had no luck.

Almost instantly, the scuttling grew louder, and orange orbs appeared in Link’s vision. Preparing himself, the Hylian slashed as one of the Boes lunged at him from right in front of him. At the same time, though, he felt a nasty sting at the back of his thigh, teeth sinking into his flesh. Turning around, he quickly dispatched the Boe that had latched onto his leg. Yet when he turned around to do that, his left arm had a nasty shot of pain as well.

Whipping his head back around, Link saw two Boes on his left arm, one near his rest, and the other by his shoulder. He tried shaking them off, but that just made the creatures sink their teeth further into his limb. Desperate, and hearing more approaching, Link slammed himself into the nearby wall, evaporating one of the Boes and stunning one so it fell off of him, which he quickly dispatched.

The process continued, a seemingly endless stream of Boes attacking Link from the darkness. A few of them got some bites onto his limbs, but for the most part he was wild enough with his attacks that he killed them before they could reach him. After what had be dozens of the pests, no more scuttling sounds could be heard, and the attack was over.

Panting heavily, Link winced a bit as he looked down at himself. All four limbs had bitemarks which looked disturbingly human. At the very least, the Boes didn’t bite hard enough to do any serious damage. In fact, half of his wounds hadn’t even drawn any blood, and the ones that did had already stopped bleeding. “I didn’t realize they even had mouths.” The Hylian commented.

That wince was the closest thing to actually emoting that Tatl saw from Link, though she wouldn’t count ‘in pain’ as a legit emotion. Either way, she was surprised at how many of those Black Boes were lurking in this room, but they all seemed gone now. Still, that gulping darkness was so unnerving. “I didn’t think they’d come at you in such large numbers! But come on, don’t be a baby, let’s keep going!”

Of course the bites hurt, but Link had suffered through far worse pain, more than Tatl could possibly imagine. Still, as he felt the teeth clamp on his limbs, he thought back to the Deku Babas and those baby parasites underneath the deceased god of the Lost Woods. On top of that, whenever he looked at flames, either in the Deku Palace or here in the Temple, his right shoulder ached and felt so hot…

Shaking those feelings away, he shrugged off Tatl’s insult. “Alright. Just keep an ear open.” He was sure if there were any more Boes in the room, they would’ve been drawn to the chaos, but who could say for sure?

“Don’t order me around!” Tatl snapped, following Link as he cautiously walked forward. How was she supposed to keep a good ear open anyway? That drumming and chanting hadn’t let up for a single moment…

Thankfully, the room was truly cleared of the small, biting pests. As they walked through, it somehow felt like it took longer than it should’ve. It was as though they entered a room too big to even fit within the Temple. Link, of course, had experienced this before but Tatl felt a bit uneasy as the room just went on and on. Eventually, though, they reached a door on the other side, no more Black Boes attacking the duo as they approached.

The next room was quite a bit different than the previous one. There were more large roots growing from an unseen tree going from the ceiling to the floor. The floor itself was also more natural, simply being grass and earth than laid with stone. On the other side of the room was a table with something on it, too far away to be made out. Up above, three Stray Fairies fluttered about.

But it was stood in the center of the room that made Link ready his shield and surprise fill him. There was a Dinolfos standing before the two! The creature almost seemed just as shocked to see the intruders than they were to see it as the monster simply stood at there staring at them, a blade clutched in its claw.

“You didn’t tell me these were in the swamp.” Link pointed out, staying by the door, and waiting for his opponent to make the first move. Already, he felt his right shoulder aching again, remembering that Dinolfos could breathe fire…

“I didn’t know! I’ve never heard of a Dinolfos in the swamp before!” Tatl argued, shifting the blame off herself. “They can shoot out flames, so don’t get all reckless!”

As Tatl rattled off the warning, the Dinolfos got over its shock and went in towards Link, blade at the ready. The Hylian was prepared as well, or as ready as he’d ever be. As Tatl flew up above to avoid the battle, the reptilian creature struck. With a cry, it slashed at Link, the boy blocked the attack with his shield, his legs threatening to buckle from the impact. The one and only time he fought a Dinolfos was in a lager, stronger body with enchanted gauntlets. As Link was now, he was barely able handle a blow from such a creature.

What was worse was that Link had no way of stocking up on Red Potions before entering the Temple. This meant any serious injury meant he’d have to stop and turn back time, doubting such a thing would fix his wounds. After all, he took the Ocarina of Time back with him the first time, so assuredly any wounds would stay as well. With all this in mind, he knew he had to be more cautious than ever…

When the first strike failed, the Dinolfos reared its arm back for another blow. It underestimated how quick its opponent was as Link darted to the side and ran his blade across the side of the reptilian creature. As soon as the blood started to spill from the monster, Link would backpedal away. And it was a good thing he did, as the Dinolfos quickly lashed at him with its jaws, hitting open air with an audible snapping of teeth.

As Link backpedaled away, his eyes widened as his opponent unleashed a torrent of flames at him, his right shoulder aching just as the sight of it as his blood went cold. He raised his shield to block the edges of the attack, the flames heating up the metal just enough for Link to feel it in his arm, but not enough to actually hurt or damage him. Still, it made fear grip his heart as he backed up even more to get away from the attack.

Once more, the Dinolfos closed the gap, swiping at Link with a ferocious bloodlust. The Hylian dodged around these attacks, or sometimes blocked with his shield when there wasn’t any time to move properly. As the fight went on, Link kept expecting Navi to dive down to ram herself into the monster’s eye, giving him an advantage to get in a fatal blow. But he knew that wouldn’t happen, and that his current companion had no intentions of aiding him directly.

Indeed, Tatl never left her spot way above the battle, where even the Dinolfos’ flames couldn’t reach her. She and Tael always fled at danger, she wasn’t one for heroics, so she would stay out of the way as Link fought. And she never planned on changing her mind on that in the future. She was still surprised at the fighting prowess of the runt she was forced to travel with.

Black Boes were easy, as were Skulltulas. A Wolfos was fierce too and not to be underestimated. A Dinolfos, however, was an entirely different story. Yet, as she watched, Tatl was shocked to see how well he was doing. The way he weaved around the Dinolfos’ blows or backpedaled away when it attacked with fire…it was almost like he had fought one of these things before, or something very similar, at least. His eyes changed too, which Tatl noticed. Normally they were disturbingly dead and dull, but now they were an icy blue as he fought for his life…

Tatl still couldn’t stand Link, but she was so curious about him…

The fairy flinched a bit as the runt got lucky, getting past the Dinolfos’ defense, and stabbing it in the neck. It collapsed to the ground, still alive, prompting Link to stab it in the head, piercing its skull with a sickening sound. To Tatl’s disturbance, he barely flinched as he did this. What kind of a freak was he…?

While Link didn’t flinch, he felt like he was going to vomit as he dispatched the Dinolfos. It was more humanoid than anything he had killed since entering Termina and it was closer to a real person than a Wolfos. He had to swiftly finishing off, not wanting to let it just bleed out. In his head, he heard the whimpering of the Wolfos he had to mercy kill, and in his mind’s eye he saw its lifeless form on the forest floor.

Withholding a shudder, Link glanced up at the Stray Fairies and put the Great Fairy’s Mask on once more. As expected, the three fragments floated down to him and were soon in his bag. As he put the mask away, Tatl floated down to him. “It’s a good thing this mask works so well.”

It disturbed Tatl just how easily Link shrugged off what he just did. Sure, it was just a monster, but…that kill was so violent. She tried not to look at the blood oozing from the corpse’s wounds. Instead, the fairy did her best to just ignore it and focus on what Link actually said. “Well, for once you were right.” She haughtily admitted, knowing full well it wasn’t the only time he made the correct choice.

Ignoring Tatl’s comment, Link walked over to the table on the other end of the room. He never got a good look on what was on there, and he was curious. For all he knew, it could be important. As he got closer, he was surprised to see what the table held. It was a quiver holding a few dozen arrows along with a strong looking bow. The objects all seemed old, yet still seemed sturdy and usable. “I didn’t know Dekus used these.” Link pointed out, picking up the bow. The ones back in the Lost Woods sure didn’t…

“How should I know? Quit acting like I’m some expert on Dekus!” Tatl snapped. As she watched Link put on the quiver and bow, she remembered how he had those items when he was robbed. So, he was good with a sword and shield along with a bow and arrow? “Where’d you learn to use one of those things anyway? I mean you do know how to use it, right?”

Link started walking back towards the entrance. “I can use it, don’t worry.” He replied, purposefully ignoring her first question.

“And my other question? I know you heard me!” Tatl pressed, chiming angrily in Link’s ear. “Don’t ignore me when I’m asking you something!”

Why did she want to know so bad anyway? Didn’t she hate his guts? It confused him that she’d keep asking about his past. “It’s not important.” Was all he replied with as they went back into the room where the Black Boes were.

Tatl didn’t even reply, she just groaned in annoyance. He was so stubborn! Crossing her arms as she flew along, she stopped with Link as they got back in the room with all the water, both of them staring at the only door in the room they hadn’t gone through. “How are you going to reach that anyway? Can you skip over the water that far?”

“I don’t think so.” Link wasn’t entirely sure of his limits as a Deku, but he was sure that far platform exceeded it. As he looked at the horrifying toothed lily pads, he had an idea. Slipping on the Deku Mask and suffering through the transformation again, he hopped onto the water, right for a lily pad!

“What are you doing?!” Tatl blurted out as the faux Deku neared one of the toothed lily pads. Did he have some kind of death wish?! She flinched as Link landed on the lily pads and…nothing. Nothing happened at all. Flying over to Link, she frowned a bit. “Why didn’t it snap on you?”

“I think I’m too light.” Link replied. He was so light in this form that regular lily pads could be stood upon with no problem. The way he saw it, these toothed lily pads were the same. Granted, he wasn’t entirely sure it’d work, but he saw no other option…

Tatl shook her head in disbelief. He really just tried that on a hunch, didn’t he? This kid was so weird! “…Whatever. Just…keep going…” She didn’t want to argue, too baffled at what just happened to do so.

Hopping along the toothed lily pads, Link made it to the last door in no time. Returning to a Hylian, he and Tatl went through. The next few rooms held little of interest. More poisoned water, some Black Boes and more of those massive dragonflies. Link would kill what attacked him, even slaying the dragonflies as he weaved around their electrically charged attacks. These rooms varied in size, and it started to really see the Temple was larger on the inside than the outside.

On top of this, the beating of drums, the chanting, and the death whistles followed the two wherever they went. No matter where the two went in the Temple, it never sounded like they got any closer to the origins of these sounds. Eventually, they just did their best to ignore them as they pressed onward through the rotting Temple. Link also helped a few more Stray Fairies who would be found at random in certain rooms, and he eventually got to ten in total.

At one point, they entered a small room with two doors on either side, Link deciding to go left first. This new room was similar to the one where the Dinolfos one was in terms of how it was very natural looking. The floor was grass and dirt, and there were even a few Deku Flowers about. Off in the corner was an object, but the room was too dim to make it out. There was also a cage on the far side of the room, one where five Stray Fairies were floating about!

“It’s a good thing we went this way first.” Link pointed out. If they had gone right, they would’ve missed so many of these Stray Fairies!

Before he or Tatl could move forward, a creature fell from the ceiling! It was an orange, amphibious creature with jagged teeth. The entity stood on two legs and was only a bit taller than Link himself.

“Is that a Gekko?!” Tatl exclaimed as the creature leered at the two. “I thought they were a myth!” She had heard stories of monstrous frog-like creatures that were called Gekkos for some reason. From what she understood, they were just stories to spook kids from wandering into the swamps. If they disobeyed and went South anyway, the Gekkos would gobble them up!

Myth or not, Link was prepared to fight the monster, wondering if it had somehow put the Stray Fairies in the cage. It didn’t really matter. The Gekko made short hops towards Link, brandishing its teeth as it got close. As it attacked the Hylian, the boy raised his shield to block the blow. As it turned out, the Gekko wasn’t nearly as strong as the Dinolfos as Link pushed the attack away with relative ease.

Going in for the offensive, Link slashed the Gekko across its chest in two quick swipes, a nasty blue blood leaking from the wounds. This creature wasn’t very fast either, it seemed. To the boy’s surprise, the Gekko hopped away from him. Usually, the monsters he fought stayed up close and personal. Before the Hylian could give chase, the Gekko cupped its hands to its mouth and let out a loud, horrid shriek.

As the screech bounced along the walls, the object in the corner started to stir! As it did so, Link and Tatl saw legs and a head emerge from it. It quickly became apparent it was a massive turtle. “Is that a Snapper?” Link asked, having heard of snapping turtles from Zelda. At times, she would read books to Link, one of which being about various animals…

“It is, but I didn’t know they could get so big…” Tatl murmured, watching as the Gekko leap towards the Snapper, her eyes widening as it jumped on the turtle’s back. “Hey, those things can move fast, so don’t slack off!”

Turtles moving fast? That was odd, but Link would trust Tatl. He was just surprised as the Gekko seemed to be riding the Snapper as a mount. The amphibious creature let out another scream, the Snapper getting into its shell as a response. Yet as the turtle did this, spikes emerged from its shell.

As Tatl said, the Snapper moved fast! It let out a guttural noise and started to spin before speeding towards Link! The Gekko held onto its steed, letting out what seemed tot be a cackling sound as it did so. The Hylian’s eyes widened, dodging to the side as the Snapper and Gekko combo slammed into the wall. The turtle seemed no worse for wear at the impact.

In fact, the Snapper quickly shot towards Link again, who was barely able to get out of the way of the attack. He felt frustration grow in him. The duo was too fast to use his sword or his bow. By the time he got an arrow ready, the Snapper’s spikes would tear him apart. Even if he hit the Gekko, there was no guarantee its ride would stop, and the arrows would surely bounce off the Snapper’s shell…

This process went on over and over, Link barely able to dodge as the Snapper came careening towards him. At the very least, he quickly realized that the turtle only moved in a straight line when it shot off which made its movements easier to handle. As he tried to figure out what to do, he noticed he was near one of the Deku Flowers, and an idea sprang into his head.

As the Snapper passed by him again, he quickly donned the Deku Mask. “Tell me when the Snapper is over me.” He told Tatl, burrowing into the flower before she could reply.

“Huh?! What do you…” The fairy replied, quickly realizing what Link had in store. She still hated him ordering her around, but she could scold him later. Tatl hovered by the flower, if only to get the Gekko’s attention since Link was out of sight. She didn’t consider this as putting herself in danger. Even with the speed the Snapper went, it wasn’t anywhere close to matching a fairy’s speed. The Gekko seemed confused for a moment at Link’s disappearance, but then pointed Tatl out and screeched, deciding she was just fine as a target. As the Snapper shot towards her, she got out of the way at the last second. “NOW!”

Just as the Snapper went over the Deku Flower, Link shot out of it. The impact was enough to send the turtle and Gekko into the air, the Snapper landing on its back, unable to properly move. Meanwhile, the Gekko slammed harshly into the floor. The faux Deku let go of the flowers as he took the mask off when he landed.

As this happened, the Gekko regained its senses and darted to the wall, starting to climb it and quickly reaching the ceiling. Without missing a beat, Link readied his bow and got an arrow prepared. It felt natural for him to use it in combat, as if it hadn’t been two years since he did so. Ignoring this sensation, he aimed and let the arrow fly, the projectile striking the Gekko right in its chest.

This impact made the creature flinch and fall from the wall, hitting the floor with a rough noise. Wasting no time, Link got his sword out and sprinted at the Gekko, stabbing it right between the eyes as it struggled to its feet. He knew if he hesitated, the guilt he felt would just be worse…so he did it swiftly. It didn’t stop the horrid feelings of self-disgust as he pulled the blade out and the Gekko let out a pathetic noise as it died.

Before Link’s eyes, a strange transformation occurred. The Gekko started to shrink! It became smaller and smaller, the arrow falling out of it and to the floor. Within a few seconds, it became a perfectly ordinary frog colored cyan. It seemed no worse for wear, and in fact let out an almost happy ribbit as it stared at Link.

“Is that normal? Do Gekkos do that?” Link asked, not sure how to feel. He killed the Gekko…but it turned into this frog. Was the monster actually just a cursed animal? Did it really actually die…? He decided he would just tell himself it never truly died, if only for his own sake…

“Didn’t you hear me? I said Gekkos were a myth…or at least I thought so.” Tatl replied, just as shocked as Link was. “So don’t ask me what’s going on here!”

Link decided the danger had passed and to just not worry about it. The Snapper was stuck on its back as far as he could tell, so he went over to the Stray Fairies. As it turned out, the cell door wasn’t even locked, so Link just opened it, donned the Great Fairy’s Mask, and got five more of the Great Fairy’s fragments in his bag.

When he turned around, he saw the Snapper had managed to gets itself upright but had just gone back to the corner and went back into its shell. Apparently it just wanted to be left alone. So, Link respected that as he and Tatl left the room and went across to the door to the right.

The room that the duo entered was the largest so far. On either side were large statues of sorts depicting Dekus, probably some form of royalty. There were alcoves on the wall lined with ancient looking pottery, some chipped or cracked from age. Before the two was a staircase leading to massive door. The drumming, chanting, and death whistles were at their very loudest within this room, yet the source was still unclear.

Slowly, the two went up the stairs and too the door, a rancid smell hitting their nose and a savage pressure hitting their bodies. The monster, what was surely keeping the curse going, was on the other side of that door. Link knew from experience that that’s what this feeling meant. He had to suffer through it more times than anyone should ever have to. Even though he had no idea what he would face, and though fear and a bitter anger gripped him, Link reached to the panel to open the door.

He felt a hot desert wind on his face.

Flinching, he wondered where that had come from, as the sensation stopped as soon as it began. Before Link could even fathom what had just happened, he heard a raspy breath behind him. Startled, he gripped his sword hard and turned around to see what was going on.

Standing there, mere feet from Link, was a figure in shadow. It was humanoid, the size of an adult. The entity was the deepest of black, as though cut from the night sky, the stars meticulously plucked from its being. The one and only thing that could be made out from its was its single eye, an orange orb with a dark green iris. The eyes of Majora’s Mask…or perhaps that of a large, god killing parasite.

In the blink of an eye, the figure was gone, leaving Link looking around for it. “Tatl, did you see where it went?” He asked, looking up to see if it was somehow floating above him.

The fairy had obviously noticed when Link looked away, glancing curiously at him. “See where what went? What are you talking about?!”

“You didn’t see that? Or hear it?” Link replied, shocked that Tatl couldn’t hear that raspy breath. It was so loud, or at least it seemed so to the Hylian…

Tatl had no idea what Link was going on about. She hadn’t seen or heard anything. “What? The Temple’s getting to you or something, there’s nothing there! Come on, I feel like this room is the last! Let’s get this over with!”

His imagination…yes…Link had seen things that weren’t truly there before. During his two years of recovery, he’d see things out of the corner of his eye. Dark shapes, or monsters he had slain. At night as he tried to sleep, he’d sometimes see creatures lurking in the darkest corners of his room. Naturally, if he lit his lantern and looked, there’d be nothing there. If he had to guess, it was from his trauma that Zelda had told him about.

Except…it had been half a year since anything of the sort had happened…

Shaking the event off, Link turned back to the door. “It must have been my imagination.” He agreed, opening the large door. No sooner did he and Tatl go on the other side did the door slam shut, and in that instant, the drumming and chanting stopped. The room was deathly quiet, and quite empty. It was large and circular, but there was nothing actually in it. No monster…no Deku Princess…nothing…Before Link or Tatl could say anything, a large figure came from somewhere up above on the ceiling, just like the Gekko. Except this new foe was entirely different…

To the surprise of both Link and Tatl, the being before them was quite humanoid. In fact, it really did look like a person…save for a few details. For one, the figure was absolutely massive, with Link himself only as tall as its knee! The creature was a warrior of sorts, war paint adorning its body which surely held meaning for it, but such symbolism was lost on Link and Tatl. In one hand was a large, green, diamond shaped shield, and a massive blade larger than Link’s body in the other.

What stood out most about this warrior was the mask it wore on its face. It was a terrifying visage made out of wood, a face of bloodthirsty rage present on the object that was complete with glowing red eyes. It looked as if it despised the world around it and wanted to burn it all to the ground. Three plumes emerged from the top of the mask, and earrings hung from its sides, all these things swaying as the masked warrior did the same. The eyes felt like they had an intelligence to them, not unlike Majora’s Mask itself, as if the wooden object on its own was perfectly aware of the world before it.

A horrid energy radiated from the masked warrior. A much worse presence than anything else they felt in the Temple, and it was clear to Link that this was the source of the curse. Or, at least, what was keeping it active if past experiences told him anything. If he could slay this monster, the swamps should become clean again! That was easier said than done, of course…

This wasn’t an opponent like Link had fought before. Most of the curse-bearing monsters he encountered were beasts. Parasites, a giant Dodongo, a dragon…with only a few humanoid exceptions. Even then, the exceptions were around Link’s height at the time, but this creature before him dwarfed them so easily! He wasn’t sure how to handle this situation, as there was no way he’d be able to block an attack from that sort of blade!

The masked warrior stood there staring at the two, dancing in place. To their surprise, it spoke! Or rather, it chanted in a language they couldn’t grasp. “K’iinam tòok òol…K’iinam tòok òol…” Its voice was filled with an unbridled and unexplained rage, as if it despised Link and Tatl as soon as it laid eyes on him.

Link stared the massive foe down, waiting for it to do something. Yet…it just stood there, swaying in its passive dance as it leered at him through its mask. The Hylian stayed tense, waiting for his opponent to strike…then he realized that wasn’t going to happen. The masked warrior was waiting for Link to make the first move. A sign of caution, or did it simply think he wasn’t a threat?

Tatl wasn’t sure what was going through Link’s mind, confused on why he and that warrior were just staring each other down. She just knew as soon as the fighting actually started, she’d make herself scarce. The fairy felt sick to her stomach already, hating the feeling this freakish monster gave off…

Staying where he was Link decided on his course of action. Slowly, he lowered his shield and placed it on his back. It’d be near-useless to him anyway. With the warrior’s massive sword, his shield would probably be unable to protect him at all. The Hylian kept his legs ready to move, but his opponent just kept standing there and chanting at him as he swayed back and forth.

“What are you doing?” Tatl hissed quietly, barely above a whisper. Thankfully, this didn’t trigger a reaction from the masked warrior either.

Link ignored the fairy, slowly putting his sword away and readying his bow with an arrow. During all this, the giant didn’t react in any meaningful way, still patiently waiting for Link to actually attack. The sheer confident it was showing made the Hylian very nervous. Still, this was probably his only chance to take his time with an attack, so he had to make it count.

Slowly, the boy aimed the arrow right at the creature’s throat, or at least where it was in the middle of the warrior’s swaying. He tried to steady his breathing as best as he could, but he was terrified. The creature before him cold cleave him in two with a single swipe and could probably slice right through his shield! Yet he also felt a fury towards the masked dancer and everything else going on with the swamp and Termina as a whole. He forced himself to at least calm down enough to fire at the warrior, however. Waiting for what he felt was the perfect moment, Link took several deep breaths and let the arrow fly.

In an instant, the sound of metal on metal rang out.

Faster than Link anticipated, the masked warrior blocked the arrow with its massive shield. At this moment, the warrior stopped chanting and swaying and in an instant went on the offensive! It took a massive step forward, clearing half the gap between it and the two it wished to slaughter. It covered the other half simply by swinging its blade, doing so vertically as it tried to slice Link in half.

The boy knew the second he attacked, the warrior would counterattack, so he was prepared as he sprinted out of the way. Tatl let out a yelp and darted away as well, her movements far too fast for the jungle warrior to hope to match. As Link moved away, he took readied another arrow and let it fly, aiming quicker and less carefully towards his opponent’s torso.

To Link’s shock, the warrior quickly retracted its sword and then leapt up into the air! It jumped nearly to the room’s ceiling, landing on the other side and dodged the arrow entirely. It then sprinted at Link, closing the gap within moments as it readied its sword. Moving fast, the Hylian shot another arrow at the warrior, who was in the middle of a step, and struck it in the chest. While the projectile dug into the giant’s flesh, it didn’t do enough to slow it down much. It simply gave a cry of rage as it once more swung its sword down upon Link.

Once more, the child evaded the attack, actually running towards the warrior, realizing it couldn’t swing its sword at him so easily from this position. Exchanging his bow for his own sword, Link stabbed into one of the warrior’s legs, driving the blade deep into its flesh.

In response to this, the masked creature used its other leg to kick Link. Its foot was large enough to basically strike the boy’s entire body, sending him sprawling away. Thankfully, he kept his grip on his sword, which yanked out of the warrior’s leg as red blood oozed out of the wound. Still, Link was sent sprawling as pain exploded through his entire body as he rolled into the center of the room. Up above, meanwhile, Tatl was watching the whole thing unfold, gasping out as her companion got kicked away.

As Link shakily got up, he saw the warrior spring into a maddened, furious dance as it started to screech. “Tòokik taali! Tòokik taali! Tòokik taali!” It roared, staying where it was and not pursuing the boy further.

Confused, Link kept his eyes glued to his opponent, wondering just what it was doing. He practically yelled out as something heavy and alive landed on his back! The boy felt the unfortunately familiar sensation of mandibles biting into him as an intense pain rushed into his shoulder. Looking, he saw a massive bug the size of his torso was on his back, biting at him! Around him, several more of these giant insects fell from the ceiling, perhaps answering the chanting call of their master, the masked warrior.

Link stabbed at the bug on his back, a nasty blue blood oozing from its wounds as he awkwardly drove his blade into it over and over. This position made it hard to get a really deep, good stab in, so he had to settle for a quick set of shallow ones. After a dozen or so of these stabbings, the bug let Link go and fell to the floor where he quickly finished it off.

Not wanting to waste and arrows, just in case, Link opted to rush the remaining bugs and quickly stab them to death. They moved slowly, so it was a simple task. Chances were they were ambushers and were relying on the one that fell on his back to hold him in place. After the last one was killed, Link looked to the masked warrior, the boy panting heavily as his blade was coated in blue blood.

“Can he take much more…?” Tatl wondered aloud, not sure just how much stamina Link had. After all, he had gotten through the Temple so far with pretty minor injuries, that kick from the warrior especially looking nasty. Still, the fairy stayed where she was, leaving the child to fight on his own.

Once more, the masked warrior seemed furious as it started to chant out a new phrase. “A'alik beora! A'alik beora! A'alik beora!” As it did so, to the shock of Link and Tatl, a swarm of moths seemed to spawn from its stomach! There were dozens of them, and they flew straight towards Link and started to swarm him.

At first, Link thought this was a tactic to blind and disorient him, so he was open to attack. Then he started to feel yet more bites along his limbs as the moths landed on him. This wasn’t a distraction; it was an actual attack! Panicking a bit, Link swung his sword at the cloud of moths around him, but actually hitting one was difficult. Even if he did actually kill one, there were so many that took its place that it hardly mattered.

As the moths kept biting at him, some crawled into his tunic and at his chest, biting there too. At this point, Link started to just angrily swat at himself, his anger rising at this cheap, nasty tactic as the bugs were flattened under his palm. It seemed no matter how many moths he killed, they just kept coming!

In desperation, Link only had one way he could combat this. Ignoring the stinging pain of dozens of biting insects, he got out his Deku Mask and put it on. After the agonizing transformation, Link found himself still swarmed with moths. And yet…as they landed on him again, he felt no further pain. He could tell the bugs were trying to bite at him, but his wooden skin was just too tough for the moths to bite through.

Of course, this left Link at an impasse. Yes, the moths couldn’t hurt him, but he couldn’t hurt the masked warrior that stood glaring at him. Still, he started to swat at the moths more, slowly whittling their numbers. At the very least, killing normal bugs never bothered him, but the large ones just seemed so much more intelligent that it still filled him with guilt.

It appeared that the jungle warrior realized what was going on and that Link could no longer be hurt by the moths, as he let out a roar of anger. As this happened, a ring of fire erupted around the faux Deku and the giant, an intense heat filling the room and burning with a horrid rage.

Link felt woozy at the heat, more than he felt he should, his right shoulder aching as the flames danced around him. Perhaps the wooziness was because he was a Deku? The moths were even worse off than him, as they were apparently unable to handle this much heat and simply all dropped dead in a disgusting pile on the floor. As soon as this happened, Link shed his mask and down his opponent, his entire body aching as small bites dotted what seemed like every square inch of him. The wooziness went away, but the heat still got to him, and his right should practically burned.

This seemed to be the tipping point, the masked warrior no longer playing games. It rushed Link once more, swinging its sword low and horizontally at him. The Hylian leapt up just enough to dodge the attack as he rushed towards the jungle warrior, an intense rage boiling in him. All of this was so horrid! Everything he had to go through again and it kept infuriating him. Though it was the worst monster of a single Temple, Link felt it necessary to unleash all his rage here!

Once more, it was nigh impossible for the masked warrior to actually use its sword on Link when he was so close. It kicked at him again, striking the boy before he could stab the giant. Link was tumbled away again, letting out a groan of pain as he struck the floor hard. He barely had time to recover before he rolled away as the masked warrior stabbed down at him.

Nearly getting skewered, Link got to his feet and charged his foe again while the tip of its sword was in the ground. Yelling out in effort, he slashed across his opponent’s leg, weaving around another kick as he drove his blade into the monster’s foot. It tried to back away from him, but Link wouldn’t back down as he let his anger out on the masked warrior.

Dodging around kicks and not letting his opponent get too far away, Link sliced the creature’s legs and feet up. The floor and his blade started to become stained with blood as the fight went on. Eventually, the giant couldn’t take the attacks anymore and collapsed on one knee, panting heavily.

Link stared down the creature as he stood before it. It was so low to the floor that even he could reach its neck with his sword. But…he hesitated. The warrior was giant and monstrous, but it seemed so human too. This gave him pause as the ring of fire continued to crackle around them, the Hylian drenched in sweat.

Tatl had watched the whole thing unfold from above, the flames bothering her too. “What are you waiting for?!” She called down. “Kill it now!”

The Hylian nearly flinched, almost forgetting Tatl was even in the room. He was used to Navi being with him at every moment when he fought, helping him whether it be with advice or physically attacking his foe. Since entering Termina, he had to fight everything on his own for the most part.

Growling, the warrior started to shift, clearly ready to attack. Eyes widening, he lurched forward and sunk his blade deep into the warrior’s neck. This caused its body to freeze up, a revolting gurgling coming from it. With a cry, Link slashed across its throat, cutting it wide open as he quickly backtracked. And it was good that he did that, as the warrior collapsed forward.

Link panted heavily as the ring of fire went away, the boy sick to his stomach. This thing couldn’t be a person…no…it was far, far too big. The monkey even called it a monster. That’s all it was. It had to be. It had to be. It had to be. Still, even as he kept trying to drive that point into his brain, he felt like he was going to throw up.

As Tatl floated down cautiously, the two watched as the creature’s body started to decay at a rapid pace. It was a sight all too familiar with Link, and it really proved further this was the same type of course that he had seen over and over within Hyrule. Within seconds, all that was left of the deceased warrior was its sword, shield, and mask. Panting heavily, Link put his sword away and picked it up. “We might need it.” He flatly said before Tatl could question his actions.

The fairy was, though she’d never admit it, impressed with what she saw. The runt took down that freaky masked warrior with just a few arrows and his tiny sword. And he just shrugged the ordeal off so calmly! Once more, Tatl’s curiosity picked away at her. “It’s just some freaky mask, but I don’t have to lug it around. Go nuts, I guess.”

And Link did just that, putting the object in his bag. It didn’t have any sort of unusual feeling to it like Majora’s Mask did, so he was sure it was safe. The only question was where the Deku Princess was. At the very least, the rotting smell in the air and the oppressive atmosphere already started to fade, showing the curse was broken.

Before Link could say anything, he and Tatl were blinded by a white flash.

The next thing the two knew, they were in a very unusual location. They were somewhere that looked to be outside, the two upon a massive pillar. Bubbles floated around them, with three pillars of some sort of green liquid coming from above, with a green mist or fog off in the distance.

Link realized quickly he felt no more pain. Looking down, all the injuries he sustained within the Temple were healed! It was like the power of the Sages back in Hyrule. “Where are we?” He asked Tatl, glancing over at her.

“How should I know?!” She snapped; a bit freaked out. How was he not freaking out?! Tatl looked around, entirely confused. Before long, she spotted something in the fog. “Wait…what’s that?”

Looking where Tatl pointed, Link saw the object in the fog too. It was a massive, humanoid figure. The fog was so dense that this was all could make out. Two arms, two legs, and a torso of sorts. That was all he could see. It was truly giant! Wait…giant…? “…Is it a Giant? One of the Four Giants?” He had cleansed the Temple, so maybe this was where the Giant was imprisoned? As he stared at it, Link felt a sense of awe, like he was in the presence of something beyond what he could comprehend, but not in a scary way. Rather, in a manner that actually made him feel a bit at ease.

Before Tatl could answer, a rumbling and inhuman sound came from the figure. It was a bellowing, melodic sound. After a pause, it let out the same exact noise. Eyes widening, she looked to Link. “Hey! It’s singing, isn’t it? Hurry up and take out your instrument! Come on!” The fairy did agree with the Hylian, though. Chances were, the figure before them was one of the Giants…what else could it be?

Link got the Ocarina of Time ready and put it to his lips. What sort of sone would he be taught, and what would it do? Closing his eyes, he listened as the Giant bellowed out its song one more time. Listening hard, he replicated the melody, the notes seeming louder and traveling farther than they should. The song itself was slow, and it held a strange power to it, a commanding sort of presence Link couldn’t explain.

As the last note from the Ocarina rang out, the Giant stopped its singing. It then started to bellow out, more like it was speaking than singing. Despite not saying any words as Link or Tatl understood, they were somehow able to understand it. Or rather, they heard a deep, yet somehow soothing voice in their heads.

He who slayed Odolwa. Remember the Oath to Order. When the time comes, call us.

Before Link or Tatl could respond in any way, another white flash blinded them as they were whisked from the mysterious realm…

Chapter Text

As the light faded, Link and Tatl found themselves in a brand new room within the Woodfall Temple. It was small, with the exit to the outside before them, and a large tree growing within the wall behind them. The first thing the two noticed was that the oppressive atmosphere and rotten smell was gone entirely. The second thing was the sound of rain coming from outside. It was unclear to either of them how long they were within the Temple, but it was at least past six! After all, they both recalled how it had rained on the Second Day the last time around.

“So, Tael really meant to gather the Giants…” Tatl mused, trying and failing to hide her shock of having encountered a guardian deity. “I guess that mask was holding it in place or something, who knows?” The fairy turned to Link. “But hey, you actually did a decent job! You’ve done this sort of thing before, haven’t you?”

Link was just wondering what that song was for. The Giant said to call him and the other Giants. Call them to stop the Moon, maybe? In any case, the boy had noticed his anger had severely deflated since that creature Odolwa was killed. It was as if he had vented his anger against the masked warrior! As Tatl once more tried to pry into his past, Link shook his head. “It’s not important.”

Tatl gritted her teeth a bit. She actually paid this brat a compliment and he threw it back in her face! Fine! See if she paid him a compliment again! “You’re so insufferable! I can’t believe I’m stuck with you!”

As the fairy said this, a shifting noise came from the tree, causing the two of them to look to it. There was another sound, and then a girl’s voice rang out from behind some roots at the front of the tree. “Hello…? Who’s there?” She sounded like a Deku!

Link quickly walked over, drawing his sword. He was so shocked at seeing one of the Giants that he nearly forgot about the Deku Princess! She must be behind the roots! “I’m going to get you out, please stand back.” He called out, started to hack away at the roots. To his surprise, the roots fell away easily, perhaps an effect of the curse on the Temple being free. The roots were there to keep the Deku Princess trapped after all, so with the curse gone they could’ve weakened.

In any case, within a minute or so, the last of the roots were cut away, and the two saw who the voice belonged to. It was as they thought, it belonged to a female Deku, who had leaves wrapped around her body that almost looked like a dress. She appeared nervous, but as she got a good look at the boy and fairy, she relaxed. “You two…who are you?”

“My name is Link, and this is Tatl.” The Hylian introduced. “You’re the Deku Princess, aren’t you?” He would be shocked if she wasn’t, but he had to at least be sure.

“That’s right!” The Princess remarked, sounding quite relieved. “My father sent you to rescue me, didn’t you? I am at your debt Mr. Link and Ms. Tatl!” She exclaimed with heavy gratitude and a strange touch of formality.  

“Not exactly.” Link replied, brushing off her gratitude. It wasn’t why he was here; he wasn’t doing what he did for any kind of glory. “It was your friend, the monkey, that did.” He thought he may as well be truthful, even if it’d hurt the Princess’ feelings.

The news did seem to make her a bit sad, maybe wondering why it wasn’t her father that sent her saviors. “I see…well, I’m glad he made it out okay. And thanks to you two for rescuing me! That horrible stench in the air is gone…you broke the curse, didn’t you?”

“The curse is gone, but uh…about your friend.” Tatl chimed in. “He’s…well, he’s set to be boiled alive today.” The fairy thought it was best to let the newly-rescued royalty have all the details. She knew she’d be mad if she didn’t get the full picture in such a situation…

“What?!” The Deku Princess exclaimed, her eyes wide in shock. “Why would he do that?! He’s my friend!”

Link wasn’t sure it was a good idea to share that much, but he supposed it was better that the Deku Princess find out without having to see it for herself. “Your father thinks the monkey kidnapped you and won’t listen to reason.”

At this, the Deku Princess started to literally shake in anger. “Oooh…! My father is so hotheaded! He always acts before he thinks! I’m going to stop him right now!” With that, the Princess ran past Link and Tatl and exited the Temple.

“Wait, isn’t it dangerous?! Go after her quickly!” Tatl may not have cared too much about the Deku Princess before, but it wasn’t like she actually wanted her to die or anything like that. And before it may have been more her emotions talking than anything. She had been so mad about this stupid quest she was forced to be a part of…but some of that rage had simmered down since she got a few chances to sleep…

“She should be fine. The curse is broken now.” Link said, though he still made his way towards the Temple’s exit. “The water is clean, and the monsters should be gone.” If anyone could make it back to the Deku Palace quickly and safely, it’d be a Deku. “We need to make a stop anyway.” As he spoke, he looked into his bag and noticed the mask Odolwa wore was gone! Perhaps it vanished as he and Tatl entered or exited the realm with the Giant. He guess it must not have been important for him to hold onto…

Tatl supposed Link was right, but she wouldn’t admit it out loud. “Well, fine, but where…? Oh…” The Great Fairy! She totally forgot! Hopefully all the Stray Fairies were gathered because she knew Link would dive back into the Temple and find any ones he missed…

As it turned out, Tatl was entirely correct. If Link realized he didn’t have all the Stray Fairies, he’d go back for the rest. He just hoped he didn’t have to go back in, even if it was cleansed…

When the two stepped outside, they instantly saw how much Woodfall had changed for the better. No more was there rancid smelling purple poisoned water. Instead, the water was practically crystal clear and even looked enticing to drink from. The Woodfall Temple had risen a bit out of the water, a stone walkway going to the entrance of Woodfall itself. The two saw the Deku Princess going through the doorway, even from a distance they could hear her muttering angrily.

And, of course, the sky was cloudy and gray as rain fell down even out in the swamp so far from Clock Town. The sun’s position, barely visible through the clouds, made it clear that it was around eight in the morning. Their trip into and through the Temple didn’t feel as long as it had taken, but time and its passing had felt unusual in that cursed place…

“Do you know where the Great Fairy might be?” Link asked Tatl. Surely she was somewhere nearby if her fragments were in the Woodfall Temple. He only asked his usually unhelpful companion because, as a fairy, she’d surely be able to sense if a Great Fairy’s abode was nearby. He thought it was pretty lucky she was broken apart, but fixing her was so easy…

Tatl was about to mouth off to Link when she stopped. As it happened, she was able to sense something! With the curse lifted, things felt so much clearer outside and in that clearness, she sensed the familiar sensation of a Great Fairy’s Fountain. “I can! It’s nearby! Hurry up!”

With no monsters or any other obstacles, the two quickly made their way to a nearby cave that they had overlooked when going across planks to reach the Woodfall Temple. As Link grew closer, he himself was able to feel the Great Fairy’s presence too, or what was left of it. As they went inside, they saw a Fountain, just like in Clock Town! Above the shimmering waters was a group of pink Stray Fairies, matching the ones in the Temples.

When Link approached, he opened his bag and all the Stray Fairies he collected came out of his bag and joined the group. They all spiraled together before a blinding flash of pink light appeared! With it came a triumphant laughter, and when the light faded, the completed Great Fairy floated above the water. As expected, she looked exactly like the Great Fairy in Clock Town, except this one had pink hair instead of orange. And of course, she wore little other than leaves and vines.

The entity stretched as though just having awoken from a deep sleep. “Oh, strong and young one! You have repaired me!” She lied down on her stomach in midair, smiling down at Link. “I am the Great Fairy of Power! For your deeds, I offer a boon to you. Please, accept it!”

“Thank you, Great Fairy.” Link replied, remembering his manners.

Floating down, the entity lightly tapped at Link’s tunic, the part covering his chest. As she did this, the clothing shimmered for a brief moment before turning to normal. At that, the Great Fairy floated back up. “I have imbued your tunic with power, and with that power comes protection! Your clothing is now immune to most any harm. With that, I must rest for I still feel quite drained. Farewell, young one!” As abruptly as the Great Fairy appeared, she vanished. She descended towards the water below her, shrinking down with a laugh until she was entirely out of sight.

Link couldn’t help but be reminded of the Great Fairy of Power he met in Hyrule. She, too, granted him the exact same gift. It seemed like it was another parallel between the two worlds. At this point he just assumed Termina was another world entirely, not knowing how else to explain all the doubles and other odd parallels.

As Link went out, he thought about the Great Fairies as a whole again, at least the ones in Termina. The two he met were shattered, all but torn to pieces. Yet they were still able to be put back together, just like that. Sure, they needed help in doing so, but once the pieces were all there, it happened in an instant…

Tatl, who kept quiet in the presence of the Great Fairy, thought about something else entirely. Once more, her thoughts honed in on Link and how odd he was. He had cleansed a Temple, freed a Giant, and even got another Great Fairy’s boon and this one seemed a lot better! Yet how did he react? He didn’t. Not a smile of victory or accomplishment or anything of the sort! It was like he barely even cared!

And he didn’t even react to the Great Fairies themselves much. He was twelve as far as Tatl could tell, but the scantily clad entities didn’t get so much as a blush from him! Weren’t twelve year old boys all crazy about girls? At least human boys? Eh, what did she know? Still, it was just so odd…

When the two stepped out of the cave, Link suddenly spoke aloud. “It must be nice…” He said, not even really meaning to. His thoughts just sort of slipped out.

“What?” Tatl looked over to Link, a bit surprised he spoke up like that. He never just rambled something off that vague before. “What are you going on about now?”

“I said it must be nice.” He repeated even though he hadn’t even meant to start the conversation. “The Great Fairies can be shattered, broken, but anyone can just put them back together.”

“Yes? And?” Tatl urged, finding it increasingly strange in regards to what he was talking about. This sort of musing was unlike him as far as she could tell. Normally he only talked about the quest and very little else. “What’s your point?”

“Wouldn’t it be nice if people were like that? If someone was broken, we could be put back together?” He went on as he gazed at the now clear waters of Woodfall, ignoring the rainfall softly hitting against him. He realized it was unlike him to go off on a tangent like this, but he felt he had to get the words out.

For two years, he watched and experienced several of his friends try to put him back together. Zelda gave him a home while Saria, Darunia and Ruto gave him friendship and support alongside the Princess. Malon gave him what was a sort of love he didn’t quite understand. Yet despite all these efforts, he was still broken, and he knew it.

Tatl let out a huff. “I mean, I guess? Where did this even come from? Why can’t you just talk like a kid?!” His behavior was so creepy, and it was really getting to her! First he barely reacts to anything, then he starts babbling weird nonsense! Why couldn’t he just be normal?!

Link looked at Tatl with his usual blank expression, though curiosity filled him. “What do I talk like?” He asked genuinely, though understanding what she generally meant. The boy realized he wasn’t like others his age. He was unusual in awful ways, and he felt he’d be an outsider forever. At the very least, he wanted to know what exactly he talked like…

“…Never mind. Let’s just get to the palace. Maybe the Deku King will give us some kind of reward. And then there’s that monkey you want to rescue, right? Maybe he’s not boiled yet…” Tatl said, flying ahead, trying to get away from that unfeeling stare of Link’s. The runt was really starting to freak her out, especially with those dull, dead eyes of his. And she was at least sincere in her suggestion. Surely rescuing a monarch’s daughter could fetch them some sort of reward. What that would be, she didn’t know, but maybe something helpful. The monkey remark was just to urge Link along…

The Hylian hated to admit it, but he was disappointed Tatl didn’t finish her thought properly. He also realized he had slipped up badly. Sure, he didn’t emote, but he still overshared his own way of thinking. Link wanted to hold Tatl at arm’s length, after all. He doubted they’d ever become friends, but if they did, they’d surely just be separated after the quest was over anyway.

Going back to the Deku Palace was easier than getting to Woodfall. When they reached the waterfall area, Link simply donned the Deku Mask again and jumped off, bouncing on the water and onto a lily pad. Like Woodfall itself, the rest of the swamp was now clean with no sign that the water had been horribly polluted less than an hour ago. He ditched the mask as he and Tatl approached Deku Palace once more.

To their light surprise, the Deku Princess was talking with the guards rather than being in the throne room despite her head start. At the very least, she seemed angry. “I told you, that’s not what happened!” She hissed at the guards as Link and Tatl drew close.

“Princess, that monkey must have tricked you! We know what he did!” One of the guards said, clearly not believing their prisoner could possibly be innocent.

“Yes, but you’re just in time! The prisoner will be dunked in boiling water within just a few minutes.” The other guard said jovially.

Shaking with anger, the Deku Princess started screaming in the guards’ faces. “YOU’RE BOTH IDIOTS!” She kept going even as the two Dekus flinched away. “The monkey didn’t do anything! I’m stopping this right now!” The furious Princess finally noticed Link and Tatl before turning back to the guards. “These two are coming in with me! Now out of my way!”

The guards moved, and as the Deku Princess went by, one piped up. “But, Princess, the human can’t…” He gulped and fell silent as the Princess stopped and glared at him. “N…Nothing…”

“Wow, she really gets her anger from her dad…” Tatl murmured as she and Link followed the Deku Princess into the throne room.

When the trio got inside, a very nasty sight awaited them. There were a number of Deku citizens there, as well as the guards, the butler and of course the Deku King himself who was still dancing and yelling angrily. This time, however, there was a large cauldron over the fire in the center of the room. It was too big to see inside, but the sound of boiling water was very easy to make out. Hanging upside down above it was the monkey, struggling fruitlessly and declaring his innocence over and over. The Deku Princess gasped out and made a beeline to the throne.

The Deku citizens and the guards were astonished to see their Princess return. So much so that no one stopped Link or Tatl as they followed behind her. The Deku King was so embroiled in his fury directed at the monkey that he didn’t notice anything was amiss until his daughter was standing right before him.

“Oh, my Princess!” He declared, stopping his dance. “My darling Princess, you’ve come back! I was so worried!”

The Deku Princess didn’t quite return his sentiment, shaking visibly as she glared up at the palace’s monarch. “You…foolish father!” She managed to hiss before ramming into the king and knocking him onto his back. In a fit of anger, she got onto his stomach and jumped down on him over and over, getting pained grunts from her father. The butler mere stood there watching in shock, not sure of what to do.

“Princess! What are you doing?!” One of the guards exclaimed, immediately cowering as she turned to glare at him.

“What are you just standing around for?!” The Deku Princess exclaimed, pointing to the monkey. “Get him down and bring over here this instant!” She screamed, watching as the guards scrambled to do her bidding. She then turned to the citizens. “And all of you! Get out of here! Go home! This monkey is innocent, so the show’s over!”

Like the guards, the citizens scrambled to obey her order and cleared out. Link and Tatl merely watched everything unfold, both of them feeling a bit awkward to just be standing there as everything was going on. Still, within a few minutes, the monkey was safely on the ground, rubbing his ankles and wincing a bit. “Oh…those ropes hurt…!” He murmured.

Only at this point did the Deku Princess get off of her battered father, rushing to the monkey. “Are you okay? They didn’t rough you up, did they? I’m so sorry you were blamed for this!”

The monkey beamed at this friend, shaking his head. “No, it was mostly just gawking and laughing, don’t you worry. I can understand why I’d be a subject, at least…”

Groaning a bit, the Deku King got to his feet. “So, it truly wasn’t you? And, Princess, why did you bring this human here?”

The Deku Princess turned and glared at her father. “No, it wasn’t him! And Mr. Link and Ms. Tatl here saved me, killed the monster, and cleaned the Temple! You need to thank them and apologize to the monkey! Now!”

Flinching a bit, the monarch cleared his throat as his butler and the guards watched on silently. None of them seemed brave enough to speak up at this point. After a moment, the Deku King turned to the monkey. “I deeply apologize for my behavior. I was so blinded with rage that I accused you wrongly.”

Letting out a cheerful ooking noise, the monkey smiled at the Deku’s monarch. “That’s okay, I really did seem like the most likely culprit. And no one got seriously hurt, so that’s what matters, right?”

Those words struck Link, having just realized how true that was. He was so caught up in his anger that had haunted him since he left the Clock Tower yesterday that he was blinded to some of the specifics of the situation! Koume, the monkey, the Deku Princess, the Dekus themselves…everyone he had encountered in the swamp had made it out of this alive! Back in Hyrule, every time he cleansed a Temple, it came at the cost of someone’s life. But here…no one was dead. It was a happy ending!

For the first time in what felt like years, Link felt a weight lift off of his shoulders as relief spread through him.

After being forgiven, the Deku King turned to Link and Tatl. “And to you two, those not even a part of this kingdom, you saved my daughter! On top of that, you cleansed the swamp and its Temple. For that, you have my most sincere gratitude. You two are welcome within my Palace at any time.”

Link wasn’t used to such formalities and even felt a bit embarrassed and anxious with so many eyes on him. “It was nothing, Your Majesty.” At the very least, he still kept his expression and tone in check.

“Hmph. Modest as well as a hero…” The monarch replied, seeming more amused than anything else.

The monkey looked Link over and frowned. “Say…you’re not the one who visited me in my cage. What happened to that Deku? No one else but him could’ve gone into the Woodfall Temple!”

Oh. That was right. The monkey had only seen him in his Deku form. He thought it was best to just go out and say the truth, fearing that dismissing the question would just cause tension. Without a word, he took the Deku Mask out of his bag and placed it on his face, soon changed into his smaller form.

Everyone in the room except for Tatl let out a noise of surprise at Link’s transformation. The Deku Princess and the butler especially seemed shocked. The former even took a few steps towards Link, eyes wide. “You…You’re…!” She suddenly stopped herself, shaking her head. “No…you just look like him…” The Princess murmured to herself.

“Quite an odd work of magic.” The monkey mused. “You really are an odd one, aren’t you?” Off by the throne, the Deku Butler whispered something to the monarch before silently skulking off to the outdoors, hardly noticed by anyone.

Link didn’t like being gawked at in such a way, but he felt the Dekus and the monkey wouldn’t believe him if he had just said it. When he looked at the Princess in this form, he felt…odd. It was like when he looked at the Deku Butler earlier, strange feelings cropping up from nowhere. Except this time, it was that of adoration, and the tiniest hint of how he felt around Malon…

“Well, it hardly matters.” The Deku King said, getting over his shock as Link removed the mask. “Powers or not, you’re a hero to our kingdom.”

Tatl just watched everything unfold, paying more attention to Link than anything. Even with all this happening, his stoic expression didn’t break at all! Not even a smile! She noted how some of the Dekus in the room and even the monkey looked mildly uneasy when they looked him in the eyes. She couldn’t blame them, those dull blue orbs still unnerved her even after seeing them so much…

Link acknowledged that no one had gotten hurt here, not seriously at least, but he still denied the title of hero. This one good act wasn’t enough to erase all the errors he made in the past and how people had died from them. Still, he couldn’t just say that to everyone’s face. “Thank you, Your Majesty.” He said to the Deku King. “If it’s alright, we have to get moving.”

“So soon? You just got here!” The Deku Princess exclaimed, clearly disappointed. “Can’t you stay for a day or two? I’m very curious about you…”

“As it happens, I have a request for you, hero.” The Deku King interrupted. “That is, my butler does.”

A request? Link felt a bit tense, worried it’d involve something dangerous. Yet he still had to at least ask. “What sort of request?”

“Hey, we don’t have time for this!” Tatl harshly whispered in Link’s ear, the Hylian being the only one able to hear her. “We have to go North, you idiot!” At least, she felt that was the best location to go next. From what she heard; the Gorons were a lot nicer than the Dekus. She let out a groan as Link just ignored her while the Deku King kept talking.

“He didn’t say, he wishes to speak with you within the Deku Shrine. Leave the palace, past the guards, and turn right. It can be found there.” The monarch instructed. “I’d make haste, he already left.”

Link looked around to see the butler was indeed already gone. He hadn’t even noticed! It sounded like an odd request, but it was entirely possible it’d be worth his time. On top of that, he had started to consider not going North at all, at least not in this set of three days, this Cycle. He still decided to just trust her that it’d be the best next area to go since she knew Termina far better than himself, obviously. It was something he’d talk to Tatl about later, though.

“We will, thank you.” The Hylian said, once more ignoring Tatl as she very deliberately sighed in his ear.

Before Link and Tatl could leave, the monkey and the Deku Princess went up to them. “I have to thank you myself for rescuing me, the Princess, and cleansing the swamp. I admit I wasn’t entirely sure you had it in you, but you proved me wrong!”

“Yes, thank you Mr. Link and Ms. Tatl! You’ll be welcome here any time, so please visit, okay?” The Deku Princess added on, having long since calmed down and put on a more pleasant demeanor now that all was well.

A visit? Probably not. Not that Link had anything against anyone here, but he just wanted to free the Giants, stop the Skull Kid, and go home. Of course, he wouldn’t just say that to their face. “I will one day, thank you. I’m glad I could help.”

With that, Link turned and left the Deku Palace, Tatl right by his side. As they went out in the rainy weather, the fairy started to rant in his ear again. “Why are we wasting time with this?!” A lot of her light admiration went out the window as she saw Link waste time! He had been right about stuff before, but what could a butler possibly provide? “We need to go North!”

“It could be something helpful.” Link replied simply as they went past the guards and went right. As they went around the palace, they saw a sort of cave opening in the stoneface next to the structure. “It shouldn’t take long either.”

“It better not…” Tatl grumbled, as though there was anything she could do about it. She realized there was a bit of an imbalance in the power dynamic between the two. Link was larger, had combat experience, and of course he was the one with the magic instrument that allowed them to go back in time. At the end of the day, all she could do was complain or yell if she didn’t get her way.

The two entered the cave-like opening and found themselves in an unusual chamber lit with torches. It was rather small, with the walls adorned with depictions of Dekus. Standing in the center was the butler, who bowed lightly to Link and Tatl as they approached.

“Thank you for accepting my request.” The Deku Butler said. “I was hoping you would partake in a race with me.”

“A race? That’s why you called us here?” Tatl replied, glaring at the Deku before her. “Why? Do we get something if we win?”

If the Deku Butler was put off by Tatl’s tone, he didn’t show it. Being the butler to such a rageful ruler apparently built up a resistance to such things. “Naturally so. I should say, I’m rather fast. You can try as many times as you’d like, of course.”

Link had already decided that going North should wait for another Cycle. So, he may as well try to win this race and see if the prize was something worth getting. “Okay, that’s fair.” The Hylian replied.

The Deku Butler paused, staring into Link’s eyes. For a moment he seemed a bit uneasy but quickly composed himself. “Yes. Well. Let’s begin, shall we? Good luck!” He walked over to the far wall and pressed a hidden panel, the wall itself sliding upwards to reveal a hallway. Without a further word, the Deku Butler lifted up his umbrella, the top of it starting to spin. Within a few moments, it actually lifted him into the air, and he started to fly away!

Without delay, Link sprinted after the Deku, Tatl following behind and hoping that this would be worth the trouble! “How is this fair? He can fly! What kind of race is this?!” The fairy complained, watching as the butler flew on.

Link didn’t really care and didn’t reply to Tatl as he had to focus on moving. It quickly became clear that the Deku Shrine was far larger than it had first appeared. The hallway wound on and on, sometimes branching pathways appeared. The Deku Butler flew on, always facing Link and Tatl, apparently knowing the area so well that he didn’t have to look where he was going.

It was a shock how large the shrine was, as even when the hallway was cleared, there was clearly a lot more to it. Link and Tatl found themselves in a large room with waterways going through. These waterways went by rather fast, and they were too wide to jump over. Thinking quickly, Link changed into a Deku and hopped over them as the butler kept flying to the far side of the room.

The entire race was like this. There’d be a short stretch through some hallways, then a room that was basically an obstacle course. One room had a bit with no ladder in the middle of it. The only way across was the Deku Flower that Link utilized. Another room had smaller pits in them that had to be maneuvered around. No matter what, though, Link was never able to properly catch up to the Deku Butler, even though he remained as a Hylian whenever he could which allowed him to sprint faster. The Deku Butler always hovered just out of reach. Tatl could easily pass him by, but she was sure this race was more meant for Link than her.

While it seemed like it was a massive ordeal, the entire race lasted only about five minutes. The three ended up in another large room, adorned with wall paintings of Dekus along the wall. With them, though, were four massive humanoid beings, clearly the Giants.

Panting a bit, Link caught up with the Deku Butler as he landed on the floor. “Hoho! You made it through all of that on your first try! Quite an excellent job, Mr. Link.” The Deku praised.

“But he lost!” Tatl griped, glaring at Link before looking back at the butler. “You go way too fast; he can’t catch up to you!”

“Quite right, but I’ve been doing this for years.” The Deku Butler said, not seeming cocky at all with his victory. If anything, he seemed happy.

Tatl groaned. “Look, you have no chance of winning, so let’s just stop.” She hoped just for once Link would listen to her. He really was a stubborn one…

“That’s quite alright.” The Deku Butler interrupted. “I was planning on giving something to you if you beat me, but…” He paused, as if not sure he should continue. “When you change shape, you remind me of my son. He went off to explore the world and hasn’t come back yet. We used to race all the time, and I’ve missed it…” With a solemn look, he stared off into space, clearly reminiscing. Shaking it off, he cleared his throat. “It’s for that reason, I will grant you prize anyway.”

“Wait, really? Hah! Well, I guess that’s not so bad then, huh?” Tatl felt relieved, worried that Link would keep trying if the Deku Butler had insisted the two keep racing until the boy won.

Link was relieved too. He indeed would have tried at least a few more times, but not much past that. “Thank you, sir. I appreciate that.” The talk about his son really made Link think, though. It reminded him of those feelings he had when looking at the Deku Butler and Deku Princess when he changed form. He felt emotions he knew weren’t his own! He also remembered that tree he saw before entering the Clock Tower, that one that looked like some sort of deformed Deku.

The Happy Mask Salesman had said the Song of Healing turned tormented souls into masks…so the Deku Mask had to have a soul in it. Could it be, possibly, that tree was the Deku Butler’s Son? Did the Skull Kid rip out his soul and forced it upon Link, transforming him? The thought made Link sick to his stomach, but it seemed like the most obvious conclusion…

Not noticing Link’s discomfort, the Deku Butler reached behind him. “Here. As it happens, I brought the object with me. I had a sort of feeling I’d end up giving it to you anyway.”

As the Deku Butler brought the object forward, Link flinched. Thankfully, the room was dimly lit, so he was certain the other two didn’t see this. It felt like a fist clenched around his heart as he stared at the object, and he found it hard to get a full breath.

In the Deku’s hand was a mask. It was an object that horrified Link with its awful visage. The object looked like the face of a boar with a grimacing, tusked mouth and pale eyes surrounded by dark flesh. Instantly, Link was reminded of the final battle of his first quest; the one where he fought Ganon. The monstrosity had been wreathed in shadow and hard for him to see, but he had seen its boar-like face in his nightmares countless times.

Hand shaking a bit, once more hidden in the room’s dim light, Link took the mask. Clearing his throat, he managed to keep his voice level. “Thank you for the gift.”

The Deku Butler chortled. “Yes, of course, Mr. Link! The Mask of Scents is a treasure of the Royal Family, but His Majesty didn’t mind at all with you having it.” With that, the Deku walked over to one of the walls, pushing a second hidden panel. To the shock of Link and Tatl, the wall moved to show the entrance. They had gone in a circle, more or less! “You may leave whenever you wish. I will stay here for a spell…”

Not wasting any time, Link and Tatl left the Deku Butler to reminisce as he gazed at the wall paintings. Soon enough, they were outside in the rain, Link staring at the mask. It disgusted him, but he couldn’t help but keep looking at it.

“Aren’t you glad we went in there? We even got an ugly mask out of the deal!” Tatl practically spat, literally hovering over Link’s shoulder as he gazed at the hideous thing. She had bit her tongue in front of the Deku Butler, but since he was out of earshot, she let her anger out.

“Does it do anything?” He asked the fairy, choosing to ignore her sarcasm. Link managed to stop his hands from shaking but looking at the Mask of Scents still made him feel uneasy. Despite this, he was curious about the mask. The only two he had gained in Termina so far had powers of some sort. If this was a treasure of the Deku Royal Family, it had to do something, right?

“How should I know?!” Tatl groaned, facing to the North as Link continued to stare at the newest addition to his tiny collection. “We have to keep moving!” It’d take them ages just to get back to Clock Town. Thinking of it, Link would have to wade through the swamp since the boat was gone. Just great…

Ignoring Tatl, Link slowly turned the mask around and raised it to his face. His chest tightened and he felt a sweat form on his brow as the piece of wood got closer and closer. “I have to see what it does…” He whispered, too quiet for Tatl to hear, as he placed the new mask on tight. He didn’t…feel any different at first, but then a strange smell assaulted his nose. One he never experienced before. Link had no time to ponder it before a loud, ungraceful snort forced its way out of him.

Tatl, who hadn’t noticed Link putting the mask on, whipped around. “What the…?!” She saw Link hunched over slightly, a series of snorts echoing out of his mask. It took her only a second to break, high-pitched laughter erupting from the fairy’s mouth as she dropped to the earth. “Is that you?! That has to be you, right?!” She gasped between fits of laughter.

“I’m not, I mean, I-” Link’s explanation was cut off by a loud snort that made Tatl howl with laughter. “That smell is-” another snort, and Link ripped the mask off of his face. “It’s the mask, not me.” He finally managed to push out as the smell instantly vanished. “I smelled something, didn’t you?”

The fairy was too busy trying to breathe again to answer as Link went over to where the smell had come from. It led him near a tree by the exit to the palace area, but he saw nothing out of the ordinary and, with hesitation, he put the Mask of Scents back on. Instantly his nostrils got filled with that smell again, and then Link realized it was coming from something underground.

Before another snort could ring out, he removed the mask and dug into the soil. It took only a bit of time to dig since the rain had softened the soil, with Tatl having recovered to see what he was doing and watched silently until he uncovered the source of the stench. “Truffles.” She stated plainly as the objects were revealed, a far cry from the hooting, amused tone she had just minutes before.

“It’s useless.” Was all Link said as Tatl broke out into another laughing fit. Normally her antics and mockery didn’t get to him, but he felt a petty rage flowing through him. Maybe it was because of how much the mask initially terrified him, only to make an embarrassment out of him that got to Link so badly. All he knew was he was never going to put it on again.

“Yeah, well, at least you’ll toss it, right?” Tatl said as she recovered from her laughing fit. Yeah, the Great Fairy Mask turned out to be helpful, but what were the chances finding truffles would ever be useful?

As tempted as he was, Link decided not to. “No. It was a gift.” He replied as he put the mask in his bag. “It wouldn’t be right.”

Tatl scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Yeah. Whatever. Look, if you’re done wallowing in the mud like a pig, we need to go North!”

Wiping any dirt and mud on his legs, Link decided this was the best time to tell Tatl his idea. “I think it’s best we don’t go North yet. Or anywhere. I think we should start a new Cycle.”

“Huh? What? Why?” Tatl had brought up going North several times, so why was it a problem now? “What about the Giant we just freed?!”

“Well, we’re unaffected by the time travel. The Giant we freed should be fine too.” Link pointed out. He even kept the Ocarina of Time in his hand when he time traveled with it. On top of that, he and Tatl retained all their memories. Clearly the time travel didn’t affect everyone and everything equally.

Tatl, again, hated to admit that Link was right. If anything would be kept after going back in time, it’d be the freed Giant. Thinking of it, she had to wonder where it even went? It wasn’t at Woodfall or by the Deku Palace. Maybe still in that realm until it was called. “I guess that’s true. But why not head North after?” At the very least she saw it as a nice shortcut. They’d be at Clock Town within seconds rather than hours.

“I’m tired.” Link said simply. Yes, he wanted to get this quest done as fast as possible. Yes, he had no way of knowing if Hyrule was effected by the Song of Time like Termina was. Yet he knew that if he kept pushing himself to exhaustion, he might get seriously hurt. He remembered when Navi had insisted he took a break from his quest to visit Lon Lon Ranch…and perhaps this should be another instant like that. “We need to rest.”

Well…they had been moving a lot the last day. Only taking some short naps outside. Tatl realized Link had to be far, far more exhausted than she was. After all, he had to go through the swamp and fight off monsters. She just flew about. Still, she didn’t want to make this last any longer than she had to. Then again, the fairy also realized if Link was exhausted, putting him against monsters would be dangerous, as there were surely a lot more ahead. It was actually a bit strange for her to have Link admit his exhaustion. That made him seem vulnerable, or more accurately made him seem more human than she was used to.

Groaning, the fairy crossed her arms. “Okay, fine. We’ll rest at Clock Town for a day or two. Then we keep moving, okay?”

Link was relieved she agreed. He’d probably have just done his plan anyway, but at least he knew she wouldn’t be complaining in his ear the entire time. “Thank you.” He said, ignoring how Tatl scoffed at his words. Ready to rest, just for a bit, Link played the Song of Time.

As before, Link’s vision went white as he and Tatl were flung back in time…

Chapter Text

When Link and Tatl were able to properly see again, they found themselves right in front of the Clock Tower and looking outwards, just as they had when Link played the Song of Time previously. The sun was just rising over the horizon, Clock Town was bustling, and it was no longer raining. Or, rather, it wasn’t raining yet.

“This is still so weird…” Tatl murmured, feeling uneasy as she saw the same events and people going on in front of them. She noticed the carpenter boss yelling at his workers and that odd boy with purple hair running from the Laundry Pool.

Link felt the same way, uncomfortable as he watched everything just reset like that. Worse still that he and Tatl were the only ones who remembered anything. He knew, for instance, if he went to try and leave towards the swamp once more, the guard would probably try and stop him at first before realizing he had a sword. Link would know, or at least he assumed, exactly what would happen while the guard would be clueless. Something about that just really rubbed him the wrong way.

“It is, but there’s nothing we can do about it.” Not much of a comfort, but really he had no idea what else to say. It was disturbing, but if all went well he’s only have to see it a few more times.

“Right. So, what are we even going to do? Just wander around all day?” Tatl asked, just realizing there was no plan for this break that Link wanted.

Link had at least put a bit of thought into it. At least when it came to where he was going to sleep. And also, he could make some Rupees so he could buy food and water for himself and Tatl. “I have a few stops we can make.” He said, heading to the Laundry Pool as the boy in the Keaton Mask dashed into it first.

“What sort of stops? You actually have a plan here?” Tatl asked, more baffled than anything. Well, whatever, she’d just see where this would be going.

Really, it was only two stops that Link made. The first was getting the Stray Fairy from the Laundry Pool and delivering it to the fountain. When questioned by Tatl, Link explained that it’d be a good place to sleep such as when he was a Deku. He’d just feel really bad if he used the Great Fairy’s Fountain as a resting place without at least restoring her first.

Notably, the Great Fairy herself offered no further boons, as if she somehow knew Link already had two of them, much to his and Tatl’s surprise. At first they wondered if she somehow remembered the time loops, but she made no such thing clear. The only other thing is if she just sensed Link’s boons and had nothing left to give.

The other errand really confused Tatl as Link went to the Bomber guarding the way to their hideout and gave the code. “I’m going to need money for supplies.” He explained to the fairy as they made their way to the observatory. “No telling if we can get free food like at the Deku Palace a second time.”

It quickly clicked with Tatl what Link had in mind. “You mean the Moon’s Tear? You think it’ll fall again so you can pawn it off?”

Link didn’t know what ‘pawn off’ meant, but he assumed she meant to sell it. “I just had this feeling the Skull Kid sent it down at us the first time, trying to hit us.” And missed, of course. Maybe on purpose just to freak Link and Tatl out, or maybe just sincerely not getting his target quite right.

Tatl hate to admit it to herself, but if Link was right on this, it was a good plan. “Well, there’s no telling if it’ll even work. What will you do then?”

Unfortunately, Link had no backup plan on that. “Try to find food some other way.” He admitted. Though, if he were right on this, maybe he could find an inn and pay for a room. Zelda had once told him about various buildings around Castle Town, one of which was a place where people could pay for a bed to sleep in called an inn. If he couldn’t get a room for whatever reason, the Great Fairy’s Fountain would be the backup.

“Well that’s helpful.” Tatl scolded with the roll of the eyes. “Guess you didn’t think that far ahead, huh?” She took it back; it was a bad plan!

Alas, it turned out that Link was entirely right. When they got to the observatory, Professor Shikashi welcomed them just as kindly as he did the first time. And, like the last time, he let them use his telescope when Link asked politely. As before, when Link looked through at the Skull Kid, a flaming rock shot out from the Moon’s eye, landing right next to the observatory with a crash.

“Ah! That sound…!” The elderly man exclaimed. “You should go an investigate that, young man.”

As Link and Tatl went out and saw that another Moon’s Tear had fallen, the fairy crossed her arms. “Well…I guess we got lucky, huh?” She was getting pretty annoyed at Link being proven right over and over. Though at the very least he was dead wrong that doing the Deku Butler’s stupid obstacle course would get anything worthwhile…

The Moon’s Tear was warmer than last time, probably due to the lack of rain, but Link was still able to pick it up. It was also better since he wasn’t stuck as a Deku this time, so it wasn’t such a chore to lift and carry as he walked.

When the two went back in, the Professor looked amazed. “Ah, a Moon’s Tear! I had a feeling! That’s a rare find, you know. And since you saw it first, you get to keep it.” He glanced at the glass case which held another such object. “I already have one of my own, so it’s no problem.”

Of course, Link knew he’d say that. “Thank you, I appreciate it, sir. We should get going.” No need to linger and chat, after all.

Professor Shikashi seemed a bit surprised but nodded. “Already? Well, I can’t blame you. Probably going to go show your folks that Moon’s Tear, huh?” The kindly man did seem mildly put off, and his gaze kept lingering on Link’s eyes.

“Yes. They’ll want to see it.” Link replied, deciding that just lying would be easiest. It wasn’t as though Professor Shikashi was going to remember this anyway. Normally he’d feel bad about lying but with that in mind, he was able to live with it.

“Good, good. Careful on the way back, now!” The elderly man said as Link and Tatl went down the ramp of the observatory.

Once they were out of earshot, Link looked to Tatl. “How much do you think I can get for this?” He asked the fairy. The Hylian still only had a loose grasp on Rupees and how much something would cost. On top of that, his math skills hadn’t changed since two years ago. Addition and subtraction were still hard for him if he was working with numbers in the double digits. He couldn’t count past one hundred very easily and had to use his fingers. So, he was going to have to rely on Tatl for both reading and math.

“How would I know that? Do I look like a shopkeeper?!” Tatl demanded, really hating when Link asked what she considered to be stupid questions. For whatever reason, it seemed like he thought she was just an expert in everything regarding Termina. She lived here, sure, but that didn’t mean she knew everything about it!

Link understood she wouldn’t know everything, but he had to at least try. He knew far less than Tatl, and he had no one else he could rely on. Yes, their partnership was forced, but it was still a partnership at the end of the day. He thought maybe he could look to her for help. Or, maybe, he just kept subconsciously acting like he was with Navi, who was more than happy to answer his questions to the best of her ability.

Of course, he didn’t like comparing the two fairies when he was able, that wasn’t fair to Navi…

“Can you tell me the best place to go to sell it?” Link pushed. Any amount of Rupees was better than none, so he had to get this thing sold off. Not to mention he could do this each instance they went back in time.

That, at least, Tatl knew. “The best place would be the Curiosity Shop in West Clock Town. I mean, the guy that runs it is kind of sketchy, but…he’s the best bet. Just try not to let him swindle you, think you can handle that?”

“I don’t know what swindled means.” Link confessed, though he sort of guessed what it meant. He still liked to know things like that, there were still hints of curiosity left in him, one of the few childlike traits he had left.

Tatl sighed. “Can’t read, doesn’t know words…” She mumbled, purposefully just loud enough so Link could hear. “Rip us off, pay us less money than he should. Get the picture now?” The fairy asked, her voice about as condescending as she could muster.

The Hylian expected Tatl to be nasty about it, so he just let her attitude run off of him as usual. “Alright, I’ll need your help on that though. I’m not good with money.”

Once more, Tatl sighed. “That doesn’t surprise me. Alright, I’ll help you out…”

“Thank you.” Link said, with a bit of sincerity. Maybe if he at least acted more polite to Tatl, she’d not be so hostile when he felt he had to ask her things. Given how she let out a grumble under her breath in response, he quickly began to doubt his plan would work…

Making their way out of the sewer was easier than before with Link able to carry the Moon’s Tear without issue at all. He had to wonder just what made the rock so valuable. Was it because it was pretty, or because it was rare? The boy had seen both the Princess and other members of nobility around Hyrule Castle wearing jewelry, as well as some of the women in the marketplace.

He never really understood the point, though. A lot of it was just gold, which was just a pretty golden metal, and different colored rocks. They were pretty rocks that shone a bit in light, but that made little difference to him. The Spiritual Stones were something important and held a sacred power in them, but all the gems, jewels, and stones that Link saw otherwise seemed meaningless. He didn’t ask anybody what the point was, feeling like he was missing out on something obvious and was afraid of looking stupid.

Well, it didn’t matter as long as the Moon’s Tear got him a lot of Rupees…

Before long, the boy and fairy had made it to West Clock Town. By that point, most of the shops were open, though it was still too early for too many people to be out and about. Tatl lead her partner to the Curiosity Shop, but stopped him before they went in. “Remember what I said! Don’t get swindled! I’ll try and help, but the guy in there will be paying more attention to you than me.” After all, Link was the one carrying the Moon’s Tear.

“I’ll try.” Link replied simply, not really sure how to avoid something like that. Turning the doorknob, he stepped into the shop, Tatl right at his side. The inside of the shop was a lot warmer than outside, and the air was actually a bit musty. Apparently whatever was inside the shop itself was old and gave off a corresponding and unpleasant smell…

The interior of the shop was somewhat cramped. Along the walls were large boxes filled with what looked like totally useless objects to Link. Ancient urns and pottery sat on shelves above those boxes, and there were also some masks on the wall that seemed more for decorative purposes than anything else.

Besides Link and Tatl, the shop was empty save for its owner. He stood behind the desk, eyeing the two as they walked in. The man was pretty average looking, wearing smoky sunglasses that made looking at his eyes somewhat hard. His head was mostly devoid of hair save for the sides. He also had a bit of a wispy mustache and a small beard.

When the two approached, the shop owner let out a low whistle as he saw the Moon’s Tear in Link’s hand. “Well hey, little man. That’s quite the rock you got there.” The man declared, smiling with a sort of smug confidence.

Tatl could already see the gears turning in the shop owner’s mind, as if contemplating any way to rip Link off. At least that was the vibe she got. She didn’t trust the guy as far as she could throw him! “Don’t accept his first offer, it’s going to be too low.” The fairy whispered in the Hylian’s ear, too quiet for the shop owner to hear.

“I was hoping to sell this.” Link informed the merchant, placing the Moon’s Tear on the counter. “How much would you give me?”

The shopkeeper looked at the large blue stone, humming to himself and turning it about to view it from all angles. “My, my…this is quite the sight! This is a Moon’s Tear, isn’t it…?” From his tone of voice, it was clear he knew exactly what it was, and was doing a poor job of hiding that fact. That, or he just didn’t care if Link knew. “Mmm…Ya know, normally these don’t go for a lot…but for you, I’ll give ya a hundred Rupees for it.”

A hundred Rupees? That was a lot! Link felt like he could buy a lot for something like that. “That sounds fine. I-”

“No!” Tatl exclaimed quickly, cutting Link off. She flew to his ear and pinched it with her tiny fingers. He barely felt it, but still felt some pain. “You idiot! I told you not to fall for his tricks!” The fairy hissed in his ear. Turning to the store owner, she cleared her throat. “Really? You can do better than that, can’t you? Moon’s Tears are a lot rarer than you’re giving them credit for…”

When Link had nearly accepted the deal without a fuss, the shop owner seemed pretty satisfied. But when Tatl interrupted, his smile was wiped off his face in an instant. “I dunno what you mean. They’re pretty common, ya know.”

“Rocks that fall from the sky are common?” Tatl asked, not hiding her disbelief in the man’s obvious lie. “I mean if they’re really common, you probably have some with you in this shop, right?”

“Well, no, I don’t. Doesn’t mean anything. Just means no one’s sold me any.” The shopkeeper argued, rolling his eyes behind his glasses. “But alright, fairy, if a hundred’s not enough, what do you want, then?”

Link stood there, feeling a bit awkward. He did exactly what Tatl told him not to do. But a hundred Rupees just really sounded like a lot. Was a pretty blue rock really worth more? Then again he still didn’t understand the exchange of Rupees to begin with. They were just pretty gems that served no real purpose. Yet people exchanged them for food, houses, clothes, water…all sorts of things!

Back in the Kokiri Village, things were so much simpler and made a lot more sense to Link. If someone wanted something that belonged to someone else they’d borrow it. Or if it was something like food, it’d be exchanged for something of worth like a tool, a different kind of food, or a favor of some sort. Those were all things that, well, mattered. Handing over shiny gems for crucial things just didn’t add up at all in Link’s head…

“Four hundred, take it or leave it.” Tatl said, having seen a lot of haggling before. She would say a price she knew she’d never get so the shopkeeper to actually go for. That way the price he haggled for would inevitably be higher, especially if she insisted the two would leave without selling him anything.

At that, the man scoffed. “Four hundred? Not a chance! Two hundred’s about the best I can do.” He insisted, crossing his arms at the fairy.

“Three hundred. This is a pretty big example of a Moon’s Tear, you know.” Tatl said, not knowing at all if that was even true or not. She just hoped this guy didn’t know that…

Sighing, the store owner rubbed the back of his neck. “Two-fifty. Not gonna lower it any more than that.” And this time he sounded a lot more serious than before.

Tatl knew this was the best she was getting due to his tone. “Alright, deal! Two-fifty!” She felt pretty proud of herself. After all, she more than doubled what the swindler was initially going to pay them! “See? That’s how you do it!” She said to Link, not even bothering to hide her smugness.

“Thank you, Tatl.” Link replied, grateful she fixed his blunder. As the store owner started to get the Rupees ready, he realized something. “I don’t have a wallet.” After all, why would he bring one to the Lost Woods? He was so focused on getting some money to use, it just slipped his mind! “Do you sell any here?”

The shopkeeper had seemed a bit annoyed, probably since Link had almost given him a far, far better deal than what he ended up with. At the mention of a wallet, though, he grinned. “Yeah…sure, kid. I got a pretty big one. Fifty Rupees and it’s yours.”

Link looked to Tatl, who shook her head back at him. “That’s too low a price to haggle. It’s not worth the effort.” She informed the Hylian. “Just get it at full price.”

Haggle? That must have been what Tatl and the shopkeeper had been doing. He was learning several new words this day. He decided to just listen to the fairy, he had already messed up once so far. “I’ll get a wallet then.” He told the man behind the counter.

That got a dry chuckle out of the shop owner as he reached under the desk and tossed a rather large wallet at Link, easily one big enough to hold all the Rupees he’d be getting and then some. “Why are ya walking around without a wallet or something to begin with? Weird kid…” He murmured that last bit to himself, but Link and Tatl were able to easily hear.

After Link collected his money and placed it in his wallet, he nodded to the shopkeeper. “Thank you, sir.” With that, he turned around and simply walked off, Tatl following him and the man in the glasses murmuring to himself.

“Geez, I told you not to go for his first offer!” Tatl scolded, glaring at Link. She piped up as soon as the boy closed the shop door behind him.

For once, Link actually felt like he deserved some of the scolding he got from the fairy. It was true, she gave him very specific instructions and he instantly messed up. “A hundred seemed like a lot to me.” That was the only real excuse he had, and it wasn’t a very good one either.

“For something like that? How much do you think a hundred is? How old are you anyway?” Tatl asked, arms crossed. She assumed he was about twelve, but he never actually told her his age. “You can’t read, and you barely seem to know how valuable something should be…”

Link knew he messed up, but did she have to keep ranting so much? He apologized and they got a lot of money, surely. “I’m twelve. I can’t do math well or really count past one hundred.” He thought he may as well tell her; in case they needed to buy or sell something or do anything that required math in the future. Of course, he knew that telling her meant…

“Jeez, you really are an idiot, huh? Didn’t you go to school or something? Your parents never taught you to read?” Tatl pressed, really starting to get frustrated over just how abnormal Link was. Or, at the very least, that she didn’t understand why he was so weird. He couldn’t read, do math, and probably couldn’t write either…yet he could fight monsters and use a sword and bow with expert skill. It just didn’t add up, and that wasn’t even considering the weird lack of emotions he presented.

And that’s where Link cut his sharing off. “Let’s go buy something to eat.” He stated, walking off ahead towards South Clock Town.

“Don’t ignore me when…” Tatl started, teeth almost gritting in frustration. However, she quickly gave up. “Oh, forget it…” She mumbled, realizing it wouldn’t accomplish anything.

The two went through South Clock Town and went right through to East Clock Town. Link decided to get some food from the stalls that were there, rather than going in to eat at some sort of restaurant. Using only about twenty Rupees, which he had a bit of trouble doing on his own, he got some food for them. The boy and fairy sat at an empty bench near the guard post leading out of Clock Town. Link had bought two sandwiches for himself, some fruits, berries, and some bottles of water.

For a few minutes, the two were quiet, digging into their meal. Aside from what they got at the Deku Palace; they hadn’t gotten any food since Link used the Ocarina of Time to reset the clock. Needless to say, they were starving, and just focused on devouring their meals and drinking their water as the hustle and bustle of the town went on around them.

After their appetite had been settled, Tatl let out a sigh of content while Link polished off the last bit of sandwich he had. “Is twenty Rupees a lot for all that?” He asked, a bit curious. The values of objects still confused him a lot, and he wasn’t sure he’d ever quite learn. It was still somewhat of a challenge for him to remember how much each Rupee was worth. After all, he hadn’t had to use any in two years.

“I mean, not really.” Tatl said with a shrug. “It was good, though. I really needed that…” The fairy felt a bit calmer after a meal like that. After a moment, she turned to her unwanted partner. “So, what are we going to do now? Just wander around?” He said he needed a break, but they’d do something more than go about aimlessly, right?

Link pondered for a moment. He did need a rest, but that didn’t mean he wanted to just sit around for three days. As long as he didn’t have to fight or kill, he’d consider it a good break. “We can explore the town more.” Or at least he could, since Tatl really knew this place more than him.

“And do what? Just see the sights? This is pointless, you know…” Tatl scolded, already getting riled up by what she perceived to be stupidity.

Well, in a way, yes. Link found himself curious about the area. He didn’t want to be here at all, but if he was going to be trapped in Termina, he supposed he could familiarize himself with it. At the very least he had to see if he could get a room at an inn, but that could wait until later, he thought.

A sudden line of thinking struck Link. Who was in charge of Clock Town? He learned from Zelda that towns and villages always had someone in charge of them. Darunia led the Gorons, King Zora ruled over his domain, Impa was the mayor of Kakariko Village, and so on. So, who was running things in this town? He was very curious about this due to how poorly the situation with the Moon was handled. There was no forced evacuation even though it was blatant that the entre town was in danger! Who would just allow something like that to happen?

“Who is in charge here?” Link asked Tatl, deciding he wanted to meet this person for himself. Not to convince some sort of evacuation, there was no point, but just to sate his own curiosity. He had to see the person in charge with his own two eyes.

“What? The mayor? Why do you want to know?” Tatl asked, brow raised. She wasn’t sure if he was just curious or if he needed to know for some explicit reason. “His office is here in East Clock Town. You don’t want to talk to him, do you?”

Well, that was certainly convenient. Getting up from the bench and wiping breadcrumbs from his tunic, the Hylian turned to the fairy. “I do. Can you lead me to him?” Link disliked having to rely on Tatl to lead him about. If he could read, he could just go on his own, sure that Tatl would grumble along the way, but still follow him. This meant if Tatl turned down his offer, there was very little he could do about it.

Thankfully, though, Tatl decided she was willing to do this. It wasn’t like they had any other plans. Granted, she still felt like they should be going North, but Link insisted he needed a rest. Of course, she did sympathize with him to some level. It couldn’t have been easy, doing what he did. A small part of her actually felt bad for him. She still sort of blamed hm for all of this, but he had too endure a lot just to clear one Temple…

Putting on a show to sigh and huff. Tatl took to the air. If she was going to play along, she wasn’t going to make it seem like she wanted to. “Fine, whatever. I’ll take you over, I guess. But we’ll have to wait a bit, it doesn’t open until ten.”

Glancing up at the sun, trying, and failing to ignore the sneering face of the Moon, Link figured it was around eight. He had taken his sweet time going from place to place and dragged out his meal quite a bit. So, he had two hours to kill? Withholding a sigh, he sat down again. “Alright, we’ll just wait.”

Sitting back down on the bench herself, Tatl sighed. “Well, what do we do, just sit here?” There had to be something else to do!

“Did you have another idea?” Link asked sincerely, looking over to the fairy. It was almost a bit of an odd sight if one were to look at him. Tatl wasn’t too terribly visible in the morning sun due to her own general appearance. If someone glanced over at Link, it’d look like he was talking to empty space right next to him. Of course, with the bustle of the town, no one really paid attention to the boy in green.

Tatl huffed as she shook her head. “Not really. Aside from heading North, but we’re not doing that now, so…I guess we just sit here.” Normally, for fun, she’d prank people or something, but without Tael and Skull Kid, it wasn’t the same. She knew goody-goody Link wouldn’t partake, and doing it alone just wasn’t fun for her.

And sit there they did.

The world went on around the boy and fairy as they watched. Once more, they saw the quiet panic that went on with Clock Town’s citizens. Some went about as if nothing were wrong, yet a few would glance up at the glaring Moon that hung above them. Their impending doom was staring them from above, yet far too many of these people denied its existence. It was actually frustrating to watch! Still, they had little else to do to pass the time. After a while, Link noticed that the man who looked like Ingo walked out of a building.

This made him think back to Malon and the others back in Hyrule. And, once more, he pondered about how time was flowing there. Was it doing so normally, or was time turned back along with Termina’s? He remembered how Zelda told him time was like a river, and how there were now two timelines back in Hyrule. The one he was living in for two years, and the one where Ganondorf had nearly gotten everything he had desired. If such a thing were possible then it sure seemed plausible that Termina was also another branch in the river of time, going off independently…

And then, of course, his mind wandered back to Malon and her specifically. He still had no idea how he was going to explain what had happened to Epona. With the cruel and dangerous things the Skull Kid had done, or what Majora’s Mask influenced him to do, Link had doubts he simply let Epona go roam free somewhere. The Hylian felt that Malon would despise him for letting her horse be lost forever, and he couldn’t blame her. He desperately hoped she’d be able to forgive him, of course, but he was fully willing to take whatever sort of hatred she threw at him if it came to that.

Tatl, too, thought of the Skull Kid. She gazed at the top of the Clock Tower, knowing that her friend and her brother were up there. The things that happened in the swamp with him attacking someone and leaving them to die and poisoning an entire area…that wasn’t him. He pulled pranks and stole things, sure, but the things he had done lately were just…beyond him. And she knew it had to be Majora’s Mask influencing him somehow. She just hoped that taking it away would fix her best friend.

The two silently mused to themselves about the problems in their lives, neither willing to be a shoulder for the other to lean on. Slowly, time ticked by, but eventually the sun and the massive clock on the Clock Tower told them it was ten. The latter for Tatl, at least, as Link had no idea how to tell time on such a device. Standing up, the Hylian stretched lightly as he got his gear back on. “You ready?” He asked.

Stretching herself, Tatl took to the air. “Yeah, let’s get this over with.” She mumbled, still not looking forward to seeing the mayor. To her it was a waste of time, but whatever. The fairy took Link through East Clock Town. After going through the crowds and past a number of buildings, reaching one that seemed particularly well-kept. “This it, go nuts, I guess. You’ll have to talk to the receptionist.”

Link didn’t know what that word meant, but he just went inside anyway. The interior was nice and comfortable, some comfortable seating to the side. There were two doors ahead on either side of a desk and standing behind said desk was a pretty young woman with green hair. The Hylian assumed she was the receptionist, and as he approached he noticed she was reading a bit as she hummed to herself and shook her hips side to side idly. Clearing his throat, the boy spoke up. “Excuse me.” He lightly called, noting how there was what sounded like some sort of argument coming from the room to his left.

Looking up from her book, the young woman seemed a bit surprised, surely not expecting a boy and a fairy. “You need something, honey? You lost?” She asked, her tone kind. Yet her gaze lingered on Link’s eyes, her mouth twitching towards a frown before correcting herself.

This look didn’t go unnoticed by Link. After all, a lot of servants in Hyrule Castle looked at him like that, especially when they met him for the first time. “I’d like to talk to the mayor, please.” He requested, ignoring Tatl’s sigh.

The receptionist ignored Tatl as well. She gestured to the room where all the arguing was happening. “He’s in a meeting and you’re welcome to go in…but don’t expect much, honey.”

Link was worried at that, and also wondered if this lady always called people ‘honey’ like that. “Thank you.” He said simply, walking to the door as the receptionist watched him curiously.

“Why are we going in there? He’s in a meeting!” Tatl hissed in Link’s ear. “There’s no point, he’s not gonna talk to a kid like you!”

“I know.” Link said with a small nod. “I just want to see what he’s like.” He never expected to have a long, impactful conversation with the mayor. The boy was merely very curious to see what the man was like.

As he opened the door, Link and Tatl were bombarded by arguing voices as they went inside. Before them was a fancy room with a desk and two bookshelves at the far wall. To one side was Mutoh and one of his carpenters. To the other were two guards, one of them looking more elite with gold-trimmed armor.

The fifth man in the room sat behind the desk in an ornate chair with a disturbing looking face at the top of it. Sitting in the chair was an almost frail looking man with deep purple hair. He had a wispy mustache and a goatee with wide and tired looking eyes. Though he was dressed in a fancy garb, he didn’t look very authoritative like Impa had, the only other mayor that Link had known. At least, this man had to be the mayor given no one else in the room could be, but Link was just surprised.

None of the five men acknowledged that a boy and fairy just walked in, carrying on their argument like they weren’t there.

“You cowards! Do you actually believe the moon will fall?!” Mutoh yelled, arms crossed and glaring at the guards before him. “The confused townsfolk simply caused a panic by believing this ridiculous, groundless theory. The soldiers couldn't prevent the panic, but outside the town walls is where the danger is! Captain Viscen is a cowardly fool! Isn’t that right?!” He said, looking to the mayor.

Sheepishly, the mayor scratched the side of his head in thought. “Um…Erm…Uh…” he mumbled, not adding anything helpful at all.

The more decorated soldier, clearly Captain Viscen, scowled at the carpenter boss. “Are you serious, Mutoh?!” He demanded. “It seems that giant chunk of rock above us hasn't caught your eye! Isn’t that right, Mayor Dotour?” The angry soldier said, looking to the man behind the desk.

Once more,, Mayor Dotour stammered out a bit, as if he had no idea how to speak to people. “Well…I…hmmm…” He mumbled, once more not adding anything to the discussion.

Mutoh let out a scoff. “If the soldiers wish to run, then run, Viscen! We councilmen will stick to tradition. This carnival will be a success! I've never heard of a defense unit abandoning its town!” The man smirked, looking to the mayor. “Madame Aroma would surely say the same thing, wouldn't she, Mayor Dotour?”

For the first time, Mayor Dotour perked up a bit. “Let’s…not bring my wife into this, okay?”

Link had seen enough. The five men had yet to even notice his or Tatl’s presence. He left the room, the fairy following behind.

“Well, was he what you expected or something?” Tatl asked as Link closed the door. The muffled fighting could still be heard.

To be honest, Link was a bit disgusted at the man’s weakness and inability to act. He didn’t usually judge people so harshly, but wasn’t it his duty as mayor to protect his people? Yet the Moon was falling, and he did nothing! He couldn’t even partake in a discussion! “I can’t believe how feeble he was.” The Hylian replied.

That was some of the harshest stuff Tatl head Link say, as little as that was. “Well, even I have to admit you’re right. Now can we go? This place is all stuffy and dull.”

Link shook his head. “I want to see what’s on the other side.” He said, looking to the door to the ride. Going up to the receptionist, he cleared his throat, so she looked up from the book she had started reading again. “Excuse me, what’s through the other door?”

“Oh? That’s where Madame Aroma is. Gorman’s with her now, but I’m sure you won’t mind if you wait in there to talk to her.” The receptionist explained.

The mayor’s wife? Link was a bit curious to see her as well, as it happened. “Thank you.” He said, walking to the other door, Tatl once more sighing out as she followed the boy. Before he could open the door, it opened and the man who looked like Ingo, surely Gorman, walked out.

“Bah! Out of my way!” He sneered, practically pushing past Link as he went by and went towards the exit, grumbling something to himself.

“Yeah, well, same to you!” Tatl shouted after him. Either Gorman didn’t hear her, or he just didn’t care as he walked right out of the building and slammed the door behind him.

Trying to ignore that situation, Link entered the room as though nothing had happened. This new room was very cozy and warm, the crackling of a lit fireplace filling the space. There were a few cushiony and comfortable looking seats. On one of the couches was a large Zora, and in the chair a large woman.

Link’s attention to the Zora as he spotted another copy. Before him was King Zora, or someone that looked remarkably like him. This version of the monarch was noticeably smaller, and rather than wearing a kingly garb, he wore a blue vest, and a top hat with a cane leaning against the couch next to him.

Once more, Link tried to ignore the fact that another person he already knew had a copy right before him. It helped that he and King Zora had barely spoken at all in either timeline. So, it didn’t cause him quite the amount of stress as when he saw Malon’s Uncle without it actually being him.

The woman, on the other hand, was someone Link had never seen in Hyrule. She was quite large in a golden dress and red hair. It seemed as though she didn’t even notice the boy or fairy, as her attention was drawn to a book she was reading. Yet, it seemed as though she weren’t quite paying attention to it, as though something were troubling her. Given what the receptionist said, she must have been Madame Aroma.

As Link drew close, the Zora perked up and looked over to him. “Ah! Are the fins damp lately?” He asked, noting how Link hesitated to give him a reply. “Oh, that’s the greeting amongst us Zoras. Who are you, young man? My name is Toto.” He introduced politely.

Link had never heard a Zora say that…it must be a Termina thing. “My name is Link, and this is Tatl.” The boy replied, glancing to the fairy. He recalled spotting a few Zoras during his First Cycle in Termina, but Toto hadn’t been among them.

“I see, I see. I’m actually surprised you haven’t heard of me.” Toto remarked. “I’m the manager of The Indigo-Go's that we Zora are so proud of. They've put out a lot of songs, have you heard ‘Ballad of the Wind Fish’ by any chance?’

Tatl felt she recognized that name. Usually, she just let Link do the talking, but decided to pipe up. “Wait, they’re that Zora band, right?’

Toto glanced at Tatl, as if just realizing she was there. “Not a Zora band, but the Zora band.” The manager corrected.

Link didn’t even know what a manager was, but Zelda had told him about bands at one point. “Sorry, but no.” The boy said with a shake of the head. “I haven’t heard of them. I’m new here.” He explained.

Before Toto could respond, Madame Aroma looked up from her book, apparently just noticing the two guests. “Oh! Young man, what are you doing in here by yourself?”

“We were just talking about The Indigo-Go’s, Madame Aroma.” Toto explained, looking to the woman.

“But he’s just a child. Is there some school fieldtrip I hadn’t heard about?” The woman asked, placing the book on a table next to her. “What are you doing here, young man?” Before Link or Tatl could answer, she spoke up again. “Wait, you must be that person-finder I hired! Yes, you came just in time!”

Person-finder? So, she had lost someone? Link hesitated for a moment, not sure on how to handle this. It sounded pretty serious, and the compassionate part of him wanted to help. “Who is that’s missing?” He asked.

Madame Aroma huffed lightly. “I’m sure the letter I wrote mentioned that! Oh, well, I suppose it’s fine. I can just tell you! The person you’re looking for is my son, Kafei. But you know him, don’t you?”

That was worse than Link thought, and he felt for the woman. Though…she didn’t seem as worried as he expected her to. Maybe she wore a mask like he did. “I haven’t, sorry. Can you tell me more about him?”

“What are you doing? This isn’t part of our quest!” Tatl hissed in Link’s ear, too quiet for Madame Aroma to hear her.

Like numerous times in the past, Link ignored Tatl, much to her annoyance.

“You don’t? Mmm…must be from out of town…” Madame Aroma murmured before shaking the thought away. “Well, in any case, he’s my son as I said. He’s meant to get married during the Carnival of Time…yet he vanished without a trace! Please, you must find him!”

An adult man, then? Link noted this involved marriage. During his two years at the castle, he finally learned just what that word meant. Zelda had given him a basic understanding of the term; it was when a man and a woman loved each other and became husband and wife. Then they lived together forever. It sounded very nice and various serious…

“Okay, what does he look like?” Link pressed, not having gotten much useful information. All he knew was he was looking for an adult man, after all.

Madame Aroma reached for a drawer in the table and opened it up, taking an object out. It was another mask, though it was a tad unsettling. This mask was blank save for a simple black circular hole for mouth and two for the eyes. Attached to it was purple hair, one reminiscent of Mayor Dotour. “Here. This mask was made in his likeness.” The woman explained, handing it to Link. “Wear it about as you look for him and see if anyone knows anything.”

Link took the mask, feeling uneasy looking at it. It was so devoid of any characteristics! How was anyone supposed to recognize Kafei based off of this? Still, he didn’t nearly have the heart to turn the request down. Nodding, he placed the mask in his bag. “I promise I’ll find your son.”

The woman let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, you are a gem! Please, do find him before the Carnival of Time starts. I’d hate him to miss his wedding, even if it’s with…” She shook her head. “Never mind. Now, run along, young man.”

It would’ve been nice to know who the wife-to-be was, but Link supposed if she knew anything, Madame Aroma would’ve known it and told Link already. “Yes, Madame Aroma.” Link said politely, leaving the room with Tatl as the mother and Toto waved him off.

“Jeez, that thing’s creepy…” Tatl murmured as Link closed the door behind him. “Why don’t you just toss it?” And it wasn’t like they had time for this anyway! Even if they found Kafei, he’d just be missing again when time was turned back again.

Shaking his head, Link went towards the exit to the building. “Of course not. I’m going to try and find Kafei.” He replied simply.

Tatl huffed. “You’re kidding, right? We’re not going to actually look for him, are we? You’re not going to waste time on this…right?!” She demanded.

Yet, to the fairy’s dismay, Link didn’t say a word as they left through the door.

Chapter Text

As Tatl soon learned, Link was not kidding about looking for Kafei.

He went about Clock Town for the next few hours, asking people about the lost man. It was pretty odd to be wearing a mask modeled after a specific person like this. Sure, there was the Great Fairy’s Mask, but that had powers that were surely tied into how it looked. Kafei’s Mask was somehow more uncanny, not even looking like a person. The mask had no color to it, and no expression at all. It was just a mostly blank slate with three black circles for the eyes and mouth.

Unfortunately, no matter how many people Link asked, no one knew anything. He tried the guards, store owners, stall owners, and then just random citizens that were willing to stop and listen to him. It was also stressful for Link to go up to strangers and initiate conversation like that. Still, it was for a good cause, so he sucked it up and did it anyway. Alas, nothing he learned was helpful at all. Several different people gave several different accounts on what happened.

One man said that Kafei was dead but offered no cause of death. Another man said that he ‘ran away’ with someone named Cremia…whatever it meant to run away with another person. Link certainly didn’t understand that! Another guy said that Kafei left Termina altogether, never to come back since was afraid of the Moon. Either way, Link felt a bit frustrated after a while. Dozens and dozens of people asked, but no one knew anything. Though he supposed if it was that easy, Kafei would’ve been found a while ago.

Tatl, on the other hand, was getting downright angry about this. Weren’t they supposed to be resting? Hadn’t Link said he needed to rest up because of what happened n the Temple? What happened to that? “We can’t waste time with this!” The fairy scolded, nearly going red with anger. “This guy probably ran off to avoid that monstrosity coming down on our heads!” She hissed directly in Link’s ear as he glanced up at the grimacing face of the Moon.

Link knew Tatl would each an anger point eventually. She had sighed a number of times very noticeably as the search went on. “Maybe. Shouldn’t we at least try?” Link asked, ignoring the groan Tatl let out directly into his eardrum. “Can we waste time if we have an infinite amount of it?” He asked with sincerity. Truth be told, he didn’t like to wear the mask. Even though it wasn’t the intent or the effect, it almost felt like Link was masquerading as Kafei, someone still alive out there, when he wore the uncanny thing. The lack of features, like a pale corpse, disturbed him as well. It was almost as if Madame Aroma had given up hope already…

Tatl bobbed erratically in front of Link’s face. “That doesn’t mean I want to spend time looking for one runaway husband-to-be when we have an entire world to save! When we stop the Moon, he’ll probably come back!”

“We don’t know that.” Link argued, preparing to put the mask back on. “What if he’s somehow in trouble?” Maybe he should go to West Clock Town again. He had already been that way, and even bought a Bomb Bag full of bombs for a hundred Rupees. Tatl was annoyed at his spending, but he felt like they could come in handy…

“No! Come on! Sure, maybe we can’t technically waste time here, but what about Hyrule?! Who knows if time is resetting there?!” She didn’t actually care about Hyrule, she just wanted to use any leverage she could. “Don’t you have someone waiting for you?” The fairy let out a “Tsk!” when Link simply stood there, looking up at her. “Who am I kidding, of course you don’t! You’re probably a freaky little loner with no friends. No one is waiting for you.”

This was the first time that Tatl’s words truly stung Link, though he did his best not to show it. He did have people waiting for him; Malon, Zelda, Saria…They all awaited his return, all unaware that he was thrust into another adventure. Yet…maybe it was best if he never came back. What use was he to them as a broken, miserable boy? They desperately wanted to put him back together again, but the pieces just didn’t fit. Link felt his mouth go dry as he pondered Tatl’s words, having to swallow several times to get his speech working again. “It’s a Break Cycle. We won’t be going North anyway.” He retorted in a soft voice.

Tatl let out a rather dramatic sigh. “Fine. Sure, whatever. You do whatever you feel like, but I’m going to take a nap!” With that, she dove into his hat and nestled into his soft hair. Link glanced back down at the mask in his hands and felt sick to his stomach.

Maybe he’d continue his search later…

Rather than keep looking for Kafei, he placed the mask back in his bag and slowly made his way back to East Clock Town. Thinking of it, he was feeling pretty tired. He had no idea how long he had been walking around for, but it felt like hours. While he could look up to get a view of the sun, he tried to avoid doing that when he could. It was nearly impossible to do so without glancing at the Moon, after all. Remembering he wanted to go to an inn anyway, he reached into his hat and gently prodded at Tatl.

The fairy had just started to fall asleep with Link’s finger jolted her awake. Groaning, she flew out from under his hat. “What?! We just finished talking, what do you want?!” She demanded.

Ignoring Tatl’s hostility, Link looked around. “I need you to help me find an inn. I can’t ready any of the signs, so I can’t do it on my own.” And despite how nasty the fairy could be, he’d rather ask someone familiar than a total stranger.

“Yeah, I know you can’t read.” She replied haughtily with a roll of the eyes. “But the main inn in town is the Stock Pot Inn. Everywhere else is probably full…” Tatl explained. “Come on, I’ll take you but then you let me nap, okay?”

“That’s fine with me.” Link replied, starting to follow Tatl as she took him through the crowds. Before long, the two came across a building with a large bell on its upper balcony. It seemed very comfortable, and not all too big. The boy wondered why the fairy thought this place would have a room, but not other inns. Before Link could even thank her, Tatl dove back under his hat.

Withholding a sigh, the Hylian opened the door and went into the inn. The front desk area was comfortable as the building’s exterior. There was the desk of course, but with no one behind it, and an open book lying on it. On the desk’s corner was a small statue depicting four humanoid figures, most likely a shrine to the Giants. Large masks adorned one of the walls, apparently just for decoration, and there was a green, cushioned bench across from the desk. There was also a large clock on the wall, ticking away, but Link still had no idea how to read it.

Link knew enough about inns from Zelda that there should be someone behind the desk, ready to take in guests. Since this person wasn’t there, Link decided to just wait. Shedding his gear and placing it on the bench, he sat next to his things and patiently started to wait. He kept his sword, sheathed, on his lap. Even though he was in a secure place, having his weapon ready to use at a moment’s notice helped make him feel more secure.

He remembered how Zelda didn’t like him having his sword or shield near him at all during his two years in the castle. It was difficult, at first, Link never truly feeling safe because he had no means of defending himself. He had found himself constantly looking over his shoulder, trying to spot some hidden danger that didn’t actually exist. Sometimes the paranoia got so bad he threw up…

Now that he had his sword and shield again, he felt more secure with them. Over the two years he did feel less and less paranoid about perceived dangers, but he felt much better than he did now that he had his weapon again. Link despised having to rely on it, but it was the only surefire way he had to make himself feel just a bit less stressed.

As Link pondered this, a person came up behind the desk from another part of the inn, causing him to look up. This person was a young woman with red hair and tired blue eyes, obvious shadows under her eyes. For a second, he just studied her, then his own eyes widened as he recognized this stranger…or at least her counterpart in Hyrule.

She was the Cucco Lady, the woman who introduced Link to chocolate. Since she wasn’t very prominent in his quest, it took a second for him to recognize her. She was there in Kakariko Village with the windmill…the graveyard…the well…the Shadow Temple…

Link felt his heart race as horrid memories forced themselves into his mind. A piercing red eye swam into his vision as the cries and forms of unspeakable creatures invaded his thoughts. He could feel the dampness of the Bottom of the Well and hear the drums within the Shadow Temple! His breathing became shallower, the Hylian finding it hard to even breath at all!

The woman seemed surprised at the boy, his eyes transfixed on her. Her own eyes darted to his sword and then back to his face. “Young man? Your face is pale, are you okay?” She asked a bit nervously. It seemed that she wasn’t sure how to handle the situation at all.

Her voice partially snapped Link out of his trance, looking at the redhead as if for the first time. Shaking his head a bit to try and get the thoughts out, he took some deep breaths. “I’m fine. I just don’t feel well.” He said, essentially telling the truth. “I was hoping to get a room here.”

That seemed to appease the woman, at least a bit. She still seemed rather fidgety. Maybe that was how she usually was? “Oh! I see. Um…do you have a reservation?” She asked, fiddling with her hands a bit.

Link was a bit surprised at her demeanor. She seemed like a total bundle of nerves, which made him wonder why she had a job where she had to talk to a lot of people. Of course, he still didn’t understand jobs and working very much. He also had no idea what a reservation was. “No, I don’t. Does that mean I can’t have a room?”

The woman shook her head. “I’m afraid so. All the rooms are booked, and the only vacant one is reserved.” She frowned a bit, looking about the foyer as though looking for something. After a second, she looked back to Link. “So, your parents aren’t at the inn? Are they nearby?”

The Hylian almost felt tempted to tell the woman he was an orphan. It was true, after all, but there was no need for that. He found it hard to look her in the face too much, swearing he could hear the distant beating of a drum every time he did. Link forced himself not to grip the hilt of his sword, not wanting to freak the poor stranger out.

“No, they’re not. So, there’s no way I can get a room?” He asked, for once wishing Tatl was with him. Alas, she was still asleep under his hat. Even if, unlike Navi, she was happy to let him handle social situations, her presence would at least be mildly comforting.

“I’m sorry, but no. The last guest should be arriving today. I suppose if he doesn’t, you can have his room.” The woman said, bowing lightly. “I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”

Well, at least Link had his backup plan of sleeping near the Great Fairy. Even back when he lived with the Kokiri, he only ever took naps outside. He never actually slept overnight under a tree or anything. And of course he knew that the next morning there’d be rain. “Alright. Can I sleep here then?” He asked, deciding to try that. After all, there was this comfy bench inside, and no one seemed to be using it…so he failed to see any issue.

The woman shook her head. “I’m afraid not. That’s not allowed, but…” She hesitated, almost like she was actually considering changing her mind. On top of that, she seemed to want to ask him something, surely about his parents. Instead of that, she just went on. “…I suppose it’s okay if you stay until closing at six.”

That was better than nothing. Link settled into the couch more. “Thank you, miss.” He said politely, glad he could rest somewhere inside for a while. At six he’d leave and find something to eat for dinner.

At that, the woman gave Link a small, friendly smile. “Of course. I can’t get you a room, but if you need anything else, please ask.” She said, giving another small bow towards Link.

Nodding, the Hylian held onto his sword, leaned his head back, and rested his eyes. The next few hours were uneventful as Link faded in and out of sleep. The woman behind the counter didn’t bother him, and Tatl remained under his hat. At one point, he opened his eyes to see the woman talking to a man with a red hat but didn’t pay attention to their conversation. Later, however, he was a bit startled to see a Goron walking into the inn. He had a large pack on, and Link somewhat recalled actually seeing him before.  

The Goron approached the desk, the woman there reading a book until she was approached. “I should have a reservation-goro. The name is Link. Don't you have it-goro?” The Goron said, speaking in a bit of an odd accent.

Smiling politely, the woman took a key from under the desk, handing it to him. “Ah, Mr. Link, is it? Our afternoon arrival? Your room is our ‘Knife Chamber’ on the second floor. Here is your key.” She handed the key over, getting a polite nod from the Goron who passed by her and went up the stairs.

The Hylian was pretty startled, another Goron with his name. He recalled the same situation in the other timeline with Darunia’s son. Even in this timeline, the Goron Chieftain had said he was going to name his future son after Link, much to the boy’s distress. After all, he felt he didn’t deserve such an honor. It made him wonder why this Goron was named Link. Maybe it just so happened to be a Goron name in Termina?

“Wait, did that Goron have the same name as you?” Tatl’s voice called from under Link’s hat. She poked her head grinning widely as she looked down at the Hylian. “That’s hilarious! Maybe he’s your brother or something!”

Not amused by the joke, Link ignored it. “It’s a strange coincidence.” He noted but didn’t want to think about it otherwise. “You were napping for a while.”

“I wasn’t napping the whole time. I poked my head out and saw where we were, and then went under. It’s dull here, what are we doing here anyway?” The fairy asked, wishing Link was more fun…

She didn’t like him asking people about Kafei, and she didn’t like him doing nothing. What, exactly, did she want from him aside from going North? “I was just going to stay until six, then we can get some dinner.”

“Good! I know a good place!” Tatl said, floating out from the hat. The woman behind the counter seemed a bit surprised at the fairy’s appearance but didn’t say anything. “It’s cheap, I think, so let’s go now!”

Link wasn’t sure what time it actually was, but he supposed he had rested up enough. “Okay, fine.” He said, gathering his gear and getting to his feet. “Thanks for letting me stay here.” The boy said to the kind woman behind the counter.

She offered a small smile back. “Of course. Sorry we were full. We hope to see you again.” The redhead replied, giving a third small bow.

At that, the boy and fairy left, and Tatl showed Link a small restaurant to eat at. It was almost a pleasant time, actually. The fairy ordered for them, and Link had some pasta and meat while Tatl had the same thing, in smaller portions, with some cheese. After that, they went to the Great Fairy’s Fountain and hunkered down there.

“So, we’re not going to look for Kafei again tomorrow, will we?” Tatl asked Link as they settled down, the boy once more keeping his sword on his lap.

“I will, at least for a bit.” Link replied. After a pause, he looked to Tatl. “Was there something you wanted to do instead?”

Tatl really wasn’t sure if he was being sincere or sassy. His freaky lack of emotion made it pretty hard too tell. “Well, not going on some fool’s errand. Whatever. Just do what you want.” She huffed, diving under Link’s hat before he could reply.

Holding back a sigh, the Hylian got as comfortable as he could within the rocky area. He closed his eyes, trying to sleep. It felt odd knowing that it would rain the next day…seeing a pattern repeat itself wasn’t soothing at all like one would expect, at least not to Link. Knowing things that will happen that others don’t made him feel…off. It wasn’t in a way he knew how to describe…

It took him a while to fall asleep, thoughts of what he still had to do lingering in Link’s mind. All the stresses he had to go through and the sure dangers he’d have to face. Yet, even with those, exhaustion took him, and he eventually passed out.

The next morning, as the rain fell from the heavens as it always did on the Second Day, Link decided to look for Kafei some more. He promised the fairy they could get some breakfast after just a bit of searching. She was, naturally, annoyed, but relented. They went to West Clock Town first, and Link spotted a man and a woman with some bags, heading towards the gate. He approached them, ready to don Kafei’s Mask when he heard the two start talking.

“Shouldn’t we head South? There’s so much more room!” The woman said.

The man shook his head. “It’s too poisonous, we’d never make it far! Besides, I heard the Deku King’s in an uproar about something!”

These words made Link and Tatl freeze in place, both staring as the couple went past the guard and out of Clock Town. For a few moments, neither the boy nor the fairy spoke. Did…they hear that right? “The swamp…poisonous?” Tatl murmured, baffled. “But…we cleared it. You cleared it!” She said, turning to the Hylian.

Link wasn’t sure what to make of it either. There was never anything that explicitly let him know that the Giant he freed would stay that way…but he just sort of assumed and hoped that would happen. After all, it was a deity, so he thought maybe it would be resistant to the flow of time. “Maybe they haven’t heard it’s clear now.” He suggested, trying not to panic.

Tatl was a bit more emotional, remembering how long it took them just to free one Giant. It took over a day! And something told her the others wouldn’t be any easier to help. “What about that mask you got, from that warrior? Do you still have it?”

Shaking his head, Link opened up his bag where he kept his masks and showed it to Tatl. “No. I noticed it was gone after we were transported from the Giant’s realm.” He said. “I didn’t think it was important, so I didn’t say anything.”

“Well, we have to check it out!” The fairy ordered. “We have to go South and see!” It was out of the way, but if it turned out the swamp was still poisoned, it meant the Giant wasn’t freed. And that meant that they did something wrong! Or, in Tatl’s perspective, that Link did something wrong.

The boy didn’t argue, starting to head to South Clock Town. “You’re right. We just have to double check.” He knew he’d never stop thinking about the situation until he saw it for himself.

Rushing, the boy and fairy got permission to leave from the guard at the South Clock Town gate. Running and flying through the wet field, the two went towards the swamps as fast as they could. They soon reached the tree where the Keese were. And, as they passed, one actually swooped down at Tatl.

She was caught off guard, yelling as the animal came at her. In an instant, though, it was cut clean in half by Link’s sword. As she panted, freaked out by what happened, she glared at the Hylian. “Geez, you let it get so close! Didn’t you see it coming at me?!” She yelled, not really meaning to. Tatl was just so scared that she felt angry as well.

Link almost let his jaw drop at that response. He just saved her life…and she yelled at him? The boy didn’t expect her to get on knees and thank him or something, but…at least some sort of acknowledgement that he stopped her from being eaten. Forcing himself to ignore his anger and disgust, he turned towards the swamp and just kept running without a word.

Tatl winced to herself, suddenly realizing how awful that was. He did just save her and she…yelled at him. Still, she swallowed back any sort of apology she may have given and simply followed the boy in green onward.

Like before, the pair felt and smelled the swamp long before they saw it. The oppressive atmosphere and the smell of rot. They tried to remain hopeful…but that was dashed as they saw the swamp water and their worries were confirmed. The water was a disgusting shade of purple, just as it had been when they first got to the swamp in the last Cycle.

“…I don’t understand. How could this happen?” Link said after a pause. He freed the Giant…he cleansed the Temple! The water was clear, and the curse was gone! Was the guardian deity really unable to stand against the tides of time?

“Don’t you get it?!” Tatl snapped, frustrated at the situation, and her emotions going out of control. “It doesn’t matter if we free the Giant, it’ll just…be sealed away again when time’s turned back.” That was the only explanation.

Without a word, Link put on the Deku Mask, morphing into his wooden form once more. “We have to try again. There has to be a way. Something we missed.” He said, approaching the water, ready to hop across the lily pads.

“Are you serious? What will that do?” Tatl asked, nearly turning red from anger.

“Do you have any other ideas?” The boy asked sincerely, looking up at Tatl. “We can’t just ignore this.”

The fairy paused before letting out a sigh. “…Yeah. You’re right. We can’t.” She relented, just feeling so awful that they had to go through all this again! Or at least Link did. Tatl started to feel bad for the boy, since he put himself in all the danger and did all the fighting…

And so, the two went.

They had to go the potion shop first because Koume was injured in the nearby forest. Thankfully, the shop was open when they got there, and Kotake gave Link the Red Potion that was needed. Soon after, the two entered the woods and was led to the witch by a monkey. And, just as before, when they left the woods, the other monkeys told them of their plight.

This string of familiar events was surreal to the boy and fairy both, who tried their best to ignore the strange feelings in their stomachs. At the very least, they knew all the steps they had to do right away, so things actually went by a bit faster. Though, on the return trip to catch their boat ride, the two got a tad turned around due to the darker skies and the rain.

They found themselves on a small island of sorts in the middle of the swamp, standing and floating in front of an orange structure that immediately went downward after the entrance. Normally, they would’ve gone on, but Link noticed something. “Wait.” He said, taking off his Deku Mask and looked to the structure. “Do you feel that? It feels cursed.”

Tatl noticed it too, a wafting sort of cursed air that came from the inside of the structure. “Yeah? And? The whole swamp is cursed! Come on, we have to move!”

“No, this is different.” Link replied, the sensation of déjà vu washing over him. It wasn’t the type of cursed air from the swamp but something he had felt before. “I want to take a look.” He said, approaching the entrance.

“What? Why?!” Tatl was confused now. They had to cleanse the Temple again, so why was he wasting time with this?!

Link stopped to look at the fairy. “This curse is different. Whatever is going on here might not be helped by the Temple being cleansed.” Granted, even with his previous quest under his belt, he wasn’t exactly an expert on curses. Still, what if someone in there was in trouble? He couldn’t just leave without taking a look…

Tatl groaned, knowing that no matter what she said, he’d just go inside anyway. “Fine. Whatever. Just make it quick you freaky doll!” She scolded, wanting to insult and make Link feel bad for wasting their time.

Ignoring the insult, Link went inside, Tatl following behind despite her complaints.

The inside of the structure was dimly lit by torches, and a staircase went downward. It wasn’t very far in, though, and soon the two were inside an entrance room of sorts. The walls were made of natural rock and grass, but there was a doorway attached to a manmade wall that was clearly part of some sort of building. The door had a spider-like symbol on it, which the two found unusual.

What was even stranger was there was a dog there! It was a scruffy thing, lying near the corner and whimpering as the boy and fairy drew close. Wanting to make sure the animal was okay, Link approached. As he did so, however, a Skulltula descended from the ceiling, right near the dog! Stepping back, Link drew his sword, ready to protect the poor canine…at least until the Skulltula spoke.

“Wait! No! I’m not a monster!” It yelled in a distinctively human voice, one belonging to an adult man. “Please, don’t attack me!”

“It talked!” Tatl blurted out, chiming in alarm as she floated backwards and away from the creature.

Link paused, getting a better look at the Skulltula. This had happened to him before…a talking Skulltula! Squinting, he got a better look at the creature in front of him. To his horror, he saw the monster, if he could even call it that, was more familiar than he realized. The creature looked like one of the cursed people in Kakariko Village, how they were turned into Hylian-Skulltula entities.

This creature…this man…was the same way. Link could see that one of the spider legs was in fact a man’s arm. The eyes that would normally be at the bottom were replaced with a mouth with humanoid teeth. And, oddly, it was actually wearing a mask! Link was shocked to see this was the Mask of Truth! But…how? Those were tied to the Sheikah! Were there Sheikah in Termina too? There were Dekus, Gorons, and Zoras…so maybe…?

Link also realized this was why the cursed air felt so familiar. This curse was the same, or at least similar to, the kind that was present in Kakariko Village. “…How did this happen?” He asked, stepping back a bitt despite himself. He knew, or at least assumed, the cursed man wasn’t dangerous, but he still felt the need to be cautious.

The cursed man let out a noise of relief. “Oh, thank you! You listened!” He said, letting out a strangled noise that Link realized after a moment was him attempting to laugh in his disfigured form. “I heard of a great treasure here and tried to steal it…and when I left the Spider House with it, I was deformed! Please, you must kill the Golden Skulltulas inside…every single one! There should be thirty…and when all are gone, I’ll be saved!”

Yet another parallel. Not only was there signs of the Sheikah in here, in the form of that mask which seemed to be the treasure in question, but a Golden Skulltula-centered curse. Link tried to ignore all these similarities and simply nodded. “I’ll help you, don’t worry.”

“Oh, thank you!” The Skulltula-Man replied. “I’ll make sure to repay you when this is done!” With that, he went up back towards the ceiling and stopped talking.

Tatl was baffled at what she saw. Link just…didn’t react to anything, did he? A deformed man cursed to become a Skulltula…and he just shrugs it off. “Does anything phase you?” She asked, shaking her head in mild disbelief.

“Of course things do.” Link replied, looking over at Tatl. “I didn’t expect that at all.” It never crossed his mind he’d run into the same minor curse in Termina for sure!

Sighing, Tatl just threw her hands up in defeat. “Okay. Whatever. Let’s just get this done. This place gives me the creeps…”

Nodding, Link opened the door and went through with Tatl. The two found themselves in a large room with red pillars on either side. In the middle of the room was a golden pillar of sorts, depicting a Skulltula. It seemed like some sort of grand hall, or even a place of worship, perhaps. Either way, the two felt like dozens of pairs of eyes were watching them…and they also heard the scuttling. Throughout the room, scuttling sounds rang out, coming from distinct and numerous sources.

It wasn’t long before Link found his first Golden Skulltula, the entity stuck on the side of the ramp leaning down into the room  proper. Like the ones in Hyrule, they didn’t defend themselves or run from Link. Instead, it just stood there as he stabbed it and, still like the ones in Hyrule, it left no corpse behind.

So, the hunt went. A number of Gold Skulltulas were in that starting room along certain walls or along the pillars. Tatl would fly around, searching for ones up above to help get the situation done faster. They’d have to go into other rooms, some of which were oddly very outdoorsy. One room even had a large tree in it that somehow grew despite not being exposed to sunlight. Another room had a strange pillar in it that was incomplete. It had faded text on it, so faded in fact that even if Link could read, he’d never be able to make out what it said.

It was in that room where the pillar stood where they found the last Golden Skulltula. After slaying it, the air instantly felt lighter and cleaner. Whatever sort of curse had lingered was gone. “I didn’t expect a cursed place within the swamp.” Link noted, starting back to the entrance room.

“I guess.” Tatl replied, just glad the ordeal was over. This house gave her the creeps. “How much of this sort of stuff have you done anyway? You just go with it so casually!”

There was that questioning again. Link looked up at Tatl. “How do you want me to react?” He asked sincerely. Did she want him to scream in horror and panic? That wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.

“I don’t know! Just…like a normal person!” Tatl said, letting out a groan. “Giants abound…you’re ridiculous!”

Shrugging her words off, Link soon reached the door to the entry room and left with the fairy. The Skulltula-Man had been healed, a normal man in his place, the Mask of Truth on the floor. Petting at his happy dog, the man sat on the floor, beaming up at Link. “You did it! The curse is lifted! Please, by all means, take the mask as a reward! I don’t think I really want it anymore anyway. With those Gold Skulltulas gone, the curse shouldn’t hurt you.”

That certainly made sense, so Link decided he should take the mask. While he hadn’t seen any Gossip Stones so far, he might come across some later. Maybe they’d be able to tell him something useful? He touched the mask, and when nothing happened, he picked it up. “Thank you, sir.” The boy said, minding his manners.

“Yeah, that’s great. Can we go now?” Tatl asked, not caring about the surprised look the curse-free man gave her.

“Yes. We can go.” Link said, turning from the man he just saved without hesitation and walking out as he put the Mask of Truth in his bag.

When the two emerged back into the rainy swamp, Tatl sighed. “That took at least thirty minutes! I mean I guess we know we can cleanse this Temple in about a day but still! Why do that? And why keep that ugly mask?!”

“He needed help.” Link replied simply. “And the mask was a gift.” He wasn’t one to turn down a gift, even if it was potentially useless. After all, he even kept the Mask of Scents despite it being useless to him and stressful to even look at.

The fairy rolled her eyes. “Fine. Whatever. Let’s just go! No time to waste!” Tatl scolded, not wanting to acknowledge they technically had infinite time…

“I know. It was something I had to do.” Link replied, putting on his Deku Mask again. At least, that’s what he felt. He couldn’t just turn away someone in trouble…

So, Link and Tatl continued retracing their steps. They went back to the tourist spot, got their boat ride, watched a Big Octo get cleaved in half, and arrived at the home of the Dekus. Rather than talk to the monkey, they just went straight to Woodfall. Notably, Kaepora Gaebora didn’t show up this time…

After fighting his way to the platform again, Link donned the Deku Mask and played the Sonata of Awakening and once more the Woodfall Temple rose from the bog, just as imposing as it had been the first time. After shedding his mask, the Hylian stood on the platform, staring at the structure.

Tatl noticed Link pausing and looked to him. “Well? Come on, let’s go! We have to free that Giant! For real this time...”

Link was just…afraid. He stared at the Temple, knowing exactly what awaited him inside. Despite what one may think, this didn’t make him feel much better. In fact, he felt himself starting to panic, barely even aware of the raindrops that hit his face as he looked to the terrifying structure. At Tatl’s words, he snapped out of it. “I was just thinking what could be done differently.” He lied, his flat tone of voice helping his fib impossible to detect.

“Heck if I know…but standing here won’t do anything, so let’s go!” Tatl declared, flying towards the Temple. She was scared too, but it wasn’t like they had any choice…

The second trek through the Woodfall Temple was easier to get through than the first. After all, Link knew everything it’d throw at him. The fact he had his enchanted tunic helped a lot as well. Oddly, in the Dinolfos room, the bow and quiver were missing, but there was a big bundle of arrows n their place. One thing he was disappointed to see was that the Great Fairy was broken apart once more, so he had to gather the Stray Fairies once more. The Hylian combated the Boes, the Dinolfos, the Gekko and its Snapper…and then once more arrived at Odolwa’s door. Unlike last time, he didn’t see or hear anything unusual…which made him question if that thing he saw was even real. It could’ve just been his mind making him see things. It wouldn’t be the first time…

Link’s fight with the jungle warrior went a bit smoother than last time. He knew the warrior’s tricks, like how it’d kick at him if he got in too close or how the moths it spawned couldn’t hurt Link as a Deku. Overall, he got through the fight with a lot less injuries, though the warrior had managed to get a good kick or two in.

As Odolwa disintegrated once more and the curse was lifted, Link and Tatl stared at the mask. They weren’t warped away to the Giant’s realm as they looked it over, so apparently that’s what triggered their transportation. “I still don’t know how to fix this.” Link said, staring at the piece of wood, its face snarling up at him.

“I don’t know! Maybe…uh…destroy it?” Tatl suggested, not sure what else to try on the spot.

Link wasn’t so sure about that, but…if it didn’t work, he could still try again…as much as that thought made him sick to his stomach. Readying his sword, he stabbed at the mask. As soon as the blade made contact, the two were enveloped in a white light.

Rather than meeting the Giant in its realm again, the two were taken right to the room where the Deku Princess was imprisoned. The curse was lifted like last time…but it didn’t feel any different. “I hope that worked.” Link mused. “I wonder why we didn’t meet the Giant, though.”

“I guess since we already met it once? I don’t know! Let’s just hoped that worked! Come on, free the princess and let’s go!” Tatl urged, feeling almost desperate to see if this worked.

Link did just that. He cut the vines of the Deku Princess’ prison, and told her what happened with her monkey friend. Once more, she stormed off to confront her father, leaving the Hylian and fairy to put the Great Fairy back together. Like with the one in Clock Town, this one didn’t offer him a boon either, as if sensing he already got one from her.

“We should go back now. No need to linger.” Link felt like watching the monkey being freed was pointless. The Deku Princess had it taken care of pretty well the last time.

“Yeah, let’s go.” Tatl said, feeling anxious. What if it didn’t work? What would they even do?! There was no way the two of them could gather four Giants in just three days!

So, Link played the Song of Time, and the two were sent back once more. Before they headed to the swamp to check in on it, they got a quick bite from one of the stalls that was open in East Clock Town and then went through the South gate.

Link sprinted towards the swamp, Tatl flying alongside him. Neither of them said a word, too nervous to speak. Due to the speed they went, the Wolfos that had attacked Link the first time didn’t do so again. Apparently it wasn’t close enough to notice him or deem him worth the effort due to how quickly he reached the area this time.

And as they went past the dead tree with the Keese, the sickening feeling of a curse hit them like a rock to the head. They arrived at the swamp…and saw how purple and poisoned the water was.

“But why? What happened?” Link asked, frustration and despair filling him as he stared at the water. “Attacking the mask didn’t work…so what will?” He looked to Tatl, desperate for some sort of answer.

“I don’t know! I just…augh!” The fairy groaned out, rubbing her temples. What was going on?! Why wasn’t this working?! Shouldn’t the Giants be immune to this sort of thing? Should the curses really be resetting so easily?! Sighing, she looked to Link. “…We’ll just have to try again.” She said, knowing that Link would have to go through the trials once more. And…she really felt bad for him. She knew it wasn’t her fault, but she almost felt like she was condemning him to some sort of punishment with her words. Sure, he could be a brat, but…he didn’t deserve this.

A childish part of Link wanted to refuse. He wanted to say this wasn’t fair or wasn’t right, but he knew that wasn’t the right thing. The boy was just so frustrated and so exhausted…but he knew there was no other option. “I know. We have to keep going.” He said, droning flatly as always. Withholding a sigh, he donned the Deku Mask again as he looked for the nearest lily pad…

Weeks passed.

At least it felt like weeks. Honestly, neither the boy nor the fairy was sure.

The two went through the steps once more. They saved Koume, freed the cursed man from the Spider House, gathered the Stray Fairies, and cleansed the Temple. Yet, as they went back in time and headed South, they saw the swamp was poison. Despite being exhausted, Link kept going after a nap near the tourist center door.

Over and over, the two went to the Temple and cleansed it, but no matter what, this never stuck. Whenever they went back in time, the curse would come back. Link even tried playing the Song of Healing to the mask once…but it didn’t make any difference. They tried again and again, but nothing changed. The swamps would be cleansed but would then go right back to their horrid state once the Song of Time was played.

Link and Tatl would take breaks too, short naps not able to give the boy enough energy to tackle the Woodfall Temple. They would spend a day or two in Clock Town, trying to unwind and rest. They’d utilize the reappearing Moon’s Tear to get more money, so they could always get food when needed. He didn’t look for Kafei again, focused on either going to the swamp or resting.

During one Break Cycle, Tatl actually convinced Link to try and steal the Knife Chamber at the Stock Pot Inn. “Come on, I mean Gorons can sleep on the ground and stuff, he’ll be fine!” She insisted as the two stood before the inn. “You need an actual bed to sleep in, you know.”

The Hylian was exhausted, feeling like he had only slept a few hours over the course of the last few days. His body barely wanted to move, so he knew he desperately needed some sleep. Fighting monsters over and over never really got easier, and all the death he caused in such a short frame of time was making him feel miserable and disgusting. But…he felt bad for the Goron…but Tatl also had a good point. It was just a room. No one was getting hurt. And it’d just get undone anyway. Maybe it was his sleep-desperate brain speaking…but it seemed so harmless…

Nodding, he withheld a yawn. “Fine. Okay.” He said simply, entering the inn. The redheaded woman was behind the desk as they entered this time, who looked over to boy and fairy.

At first she smiled politely, then a look of worry crossed her face, followed by her straightening out and clearing her throat. “Good morning. Are your parents guests here?”

Ignoring the look the woman gave him and the beating of drums in his mind, Link approached the desk. “I have a reservation.” He said, hating how he had to lie. “My name is Link.”

The woman seemed a bit surprised but checked the book on her desk. “Oh, we have you for an afternoon arrival, but…well, I guess there’s no harm…” She replied, seeming almost unsure. Still, she fetched the key like last time. “Your room is the ‘Knife Chamber’ just upstairs. Thank you for staying with us.” She said with a bow.

Link was surprised that work, but didn’t complain or reply as he took the key and went upstairs. He used it on the first door he saw, having seen servants in Hyrule Castle using keys before. The boy mimicked what they did, and the door was soon open. The Knife Chamber, despite the name, was very pleasant. Two beds, an unlit fireplace, and a window to the outside with the curtains drawn open.

“Wow, that worked!” Tatl exclaimed as Link closed the door. “That Goron will be fine, I bet…” She trailed off as Link walked by her, shedding his gear. As he got to one of the beds, he slipped off his boots, collapsed onto it, and fell asleep. “…Y…Yeah…I bet you’re tired…” She murmured.

Tatl wanted to hate Link, she really did. Yet as she watched the boy throw himself at danger over and over…she couldn’t help but start to respect him. He just kept going and going, and not once did he complain. At first she thought it was weird and a bit freaky…and sort of still did…but it was respectable too. And, most of all…she just felt bad for him. Of course, she’d never admit this to his face, but she was finding it harder to snap at him or be mean. Sighing to herself, she went to the other bed and nestled on its pillow. Exhaustion taking her, she too fell asleep.

The boy and fairy stayed at the room for two days, the woman with red hair feeding them lunch and dinner, Tatl complaining about how awful it tasted. Link wasn’t bothered, so he ate every bite. Sleeping in an actual bed and staying in a real room did wonders for his exhaustion. It didn’t make it all go away, but it really helped.

Still, they had to go back to the swamp.

Link and Tatl lost count of how many times they cleansed the Woodfall Temple, only for it to just revert back to normal. It had to be at least ten times, though. And every few tries, they’d take a Break Cycle for a day or two. They never did this for three days, and they both knew the reason, but never talked about it. It was because they were terrified of the Moon, especially as it grew too close…

After another attempt at the swamp, when the two arrived before the Clock Tower, Link put his instrument back on his belt. “Okay, let’s go. We-”

“Alright, no!” Tatl interrupted, feeling her anger at the situation reach a boiling point. “No more! Let’s just go North, okay?!” She demanded, more furious with what was going on than at Link himself.

“But what about the swamp?” The boy asked, feeling an intense anger towards their predicament as well. “We need to cleanse it.”

Tatl sighed. “That’s clearly not going to work! Let’s just…keep going. Maybe we’ll find a way to break these curses in a permanent way. Maybe one of the other Giants will tell us!” She had no way of knowing that for sure, but she was just desperate. Doing the same things over and over was really starting to get to her…

He knew she was right to an extent. There was nothing they could really do at the swamp, so maybe they should go North. “Okay. I understand. We’ll go North this time.” Link said, starting to go to North Clock Town. “I hope we can find some answers.” It had been a few weeks, and of course the boy still had no idea if time went back in Hyrule as well. What if time just kept going as normal there? What if he was stuck in Termina for months and that same time passed in Hyrule? What would his friends think…?

“I hate this! I hate having to go around with a freak like you!” The fairy snapped. While, yes, she had grown to respect Link more, she still wasn’t nice to him. She felt the need to pretend she despised his guts, not able to show that her opinion of him had changed. It was nasty, and she knew it was, but she couldn’t help herself. She realized what she said must have struck a nerve when Link stopped in his tracks and looked up at her.

“Then stay here. I don’t care if you follow me or not.” Was all Link said in response. Normally he never really fought back against Tatl, but the anger and stress he felt over the many attempts at permanently cleansing the swamp just got to him. With that, he just kept walking.

Tatl was a bit stunned. It wasn’t much, but that was the nastiest thing Link had said to her. Instantly, she felt regret at what she had said, but her nature wouldn’t allow her to just apologize. Instead, she scoffed. “…Whatever…” Was all she could think to say, feeling more sheepish than she put on.

Link and his unwanted companion went through the more naturistic part of Clock Town, going by Jim and the strange man hovering above on his balloon. Like in South Clock Town, the guard stopped Link at first, but relented when he was shown the boy’s sword.

Preparing himself for the worst, Link went by the guard and headed North.

Chapter Text

Link gazed upon the northern part of Termina Field, a bit surprised. Ahead of him was a white expanse that went on as far as he could see, which wasn’t too far as the horizon was blocked by mountains. Yet, oddly, they didn’t look much like Death Mountain. These ones were chalky white instead! Thinking of it, he vaguely recalled seeing them in the telescope during the First Cycle, but that was weeks ago…at least he thought so. Honestly, the Hylian had lost track of how long he had been in Termina for…

Stopping in place, the boy looked up at Tatl. “What do you know about the Northern part of Termina and these mountains?” Something he realized at that moment was, despite Tatl talking about going North for a while, he had never actually asked her, or anyone else, about what was up there.

Tatl was still a bit flustered, though she’d never admit it, from Link’s earlier comment. “Well, the mountains don’t stop any time soon. They stretch on and on.” She started, not nearly as nasty about that sort of question as she had been when Link asked about the swamp. “The Gorons thrive in rocky places like that of course. It’s too cold for someone like you in the winter, but it’s spring now so it should be fine.”

Well, that made sense. The Gorons in Hyrule lived on Death Mountain, so the ones in Termina would clearly live on some mountains too. He and Tatl had been so focused on the Southern Swamp that he didn’t put much thought in the other three compass directions. Of course, he saw a few Zoras, notably Toto, in Clock Town. This meant there was someplace where Zoras could thrive as well, and then one last compass direction that was a complete mystery.

The boy nodded, but still had more questions before he went on. “Is it dangerous? Normally, I mean?” Of course, he expected monsters there, assuming the land to be cursed, just like the Swamp. Even if it wasn’t, mountains could be home to very nasty creatures, as he had learned the hard way back in Hyrule.

“You’re pretty stupid, aren’t you?” Tatl rhetorically with a roll of the eyes. “You think the guards are here for show? That only the South has monsters?”

“I want to know exactly what I’m dealing with.” Link explained further, looking at the area to the North. Something he noticed was there were what looked like giant, pale, petrified mushrooms dotting the mountain’s base. What an odd sight…

“You know, Tektites and Wolfos. Mountain-dwelling creatures! This is pretty obvious stuff here!” Tatl chided as she flew on ahead. “And look down there!” She called, peering over a small wall to the land below.

Link walked over to the wall and looked down as well. At the base of the mushroom-like rocks was a sight that made his blood run cold for a second. There was a small herd of Dodongos milling about, at least half a dozen of them! Thankfully, they were all in the stage before their hind legs grew in, so dealing with them wouldn’t be too much of an issue. The problem was several of them blocked his path. He couldn’t just sprint past them and hope for the best. “Dodongos.” He murmured, making his way down a nearby ramp.

“Hey, where are you going?!” Tatl called out, following Link. “You know what those are? Aren’t you scared?!” She kind of hoped he would be a little bit frightened. Of course, not enough where he’d refuse to go forward.

What Tatl didn’t know was that Link was scared, very much so. But what was he going to do? Turn around and give up? He simply kept the fear hidden behind his mask. “I have bombs. I’ll take care of them.”

“You’ve done this before?!” Tatl asked, hovering by Link’s ear, half-yelling her questions right into his eardrum. She supposed she shouldn’t be too surprised. It was clear he had been in many combative situations before, given his clearing of the Woodfall Temple, but just how varied were his skills? Link didn’t even acknowledge her words. “Hey! Answer me!”

Reaching the bottom of the ramp, Link put a finger to his lips. “They’ll hear you.” He glanced at the nearest Dodongo, which hadn’t noticed the duo yet. Thankfully, Tatl took the hint and kept her mouth shut. Taking out a bomb, he snuck closer to one of the Dodongos that had strayed from the rest of the pack. Picking up a small rock from the ground, he beamed it at the creature, the projectile harmlessly bouncing off of its head. The lizard snorted and its beady eyes rested on Link. Giving off another, angrier snort, it approached the boy and opened its maw, a loud inhaling signaling its intentions.

In a flash, Link throw the bomb right in front of the beast and ran behind one of the petrified mushrooms, Tatl hiding under his hat. The lizard unleashed its flame, blowing the bomb up right in its face and blinded it. One bomb wasn’t enough to kill a Dodongo of this size, but it was enough to make it roar in pain. This attracted the attention of the other members of the pack, which went to investigate the noise and, more importantly, opened a path to the mountains.

Taking this chance, Link sprinted past the creatures as they gathered around their wounded comrade. By the time any of them noticed the boy, he was out of reach. “How did you know that would work?!” Tatl asked as she peered out of Link’s hat, the two of them now at the top of the ramp leading to the mountains and in the clear of the Dodongos’ wrath.

“I didn’t.” Link answered honestly. He sure was hoping it would, but there wasn’t any guarantee the other Dodongos would investigate the wounds of another. To that, Tatl had no response. The Hylian suddenly realized it was pretty cold up where he was and let out a small shiver. Ignoring it, he ventured into the path leading to the mountains but soon stopped in his tracks. “I thought it was spring.” He said to his companion.

Before the two was a literal wall of ice, one that stretched a dozen feet tall. Above it was a large chunk of ice hanging from the path’s wall. Tatl flew out of Link’s hat, staring in awe at the ice. “What?! But it is spring!” She let out an angry chime. “It’s the Skull Kid, it has to be! He must have made it colder here somehow!”

“Move.” Link said, taking out his bow and taking a few steps back as he readied an arrow.  

“Hey, what are you doing?!” Tatl demanded, but heeded Link’s advice and flew behind him. She watched as he unleashed a stream of arrows at the hanging chunk of ice until it broke loose from the wall and crashed down onto the wall. Both the chuck and the blockade shattered into a scattered mess about the ground of the mountain path. “I guess that works…” She murmured. The fairy let out a shiver as biting cold winds reached out from further up the path, the ice having impeded its progress. “Hey, you gonna be okay with all this cold?” The fairy asked Link, feeling a bit of genuine worry.

“I should be.” Link responded, moving forward without hesitation. What choice did he have? He’d simply have to try and move fast along the mountain and free the Giant there. He hadn’t seen any kind of winter clothing in the various shops of Clock Town, so for now his usual outfit would have to suffice.

Tatl halted Link’s progress by flying right in front of his face. “What do you mean should be? You’ll be either okay or you won’t!” She chimed loudly. “Have you ever been in a place this cold before?!”

Well, there was the Ice Cavern back in Hyrule. That was about as cold as the winds he was feeling now. Looking past Tatl, he could see snow forming on the ground. “Yes.” He moved past the fairy and peered around a corner, seeing as the mountain path sloped upward, the snow falling at a steady pace from this point forward and large piles of snow forming along the way.

“Hey, don’t just leave me hanging!” Tatl yelled, once more blocking Link’s path. “Were you born on a mountain or something? What’s the deal?!” She paused as he gave her a blank stare. “Though I guess with your manners, you were more likely raised in a barn…”

“It doesn’t matter.” Link answered, once more moving around his fairy companion and kept moving. So far no Tektites or Wolfos, but of course the trek up the mountain was just starting. He wondered if Tektites could survive temperatures like this since they had no fur. “How tall is this mountain? Or at least, how far up do the Gorons live?” He’d need to get information from them about the mountain and the trapped Giant.

“How should I know?! I’ve only heard some basic things, that’s all! You think I go around mountains and Gorons all day?” Tatl responded with a huff.

Link sometimes felt the urge to snap back at Tatl, just once. Each individual comment was tolerable, save one or two, it was just that it was how relentless she was. No matter how valid of a question Link asked, it was somehow the wrong one to ask in her eyes. He knew a part of it was just to get under his skin, but he really got tired of it! Still, he had to hold his feelings in and not start a fight if possible. It’d be a waste of time and energy. Though, of course, it’s not quite possible to waste time given infinite time loops. “I see. Help me keep a lookout for them, then.”

“Don’t give me orders!” Tatl shot back instantly, letting out an annoyed noise when Link ignored her and kept going, but followed silently. It frustrated her to no end when her comments failed to get any visible reaction from her companion, one she never even asked for or wanted. There was no way he wasn’t getting at least a little annoyed…right? She just wanted him to…well…when she stopped to think, she didn’t really realize what she wanted. At first she genuinely, truly loathed Link. She blamed him for the separation of her and her brother, along with the Skull Kid. At that point she truly believed that, after hearing some of the mischief that the Skull Kid had gotten into, that she could have talked him into fixing things if she had stuck with him. Of course, as the Cycles passed, she slowly realized how foolish that was. This was no longer the Skull Kid they were truly dealing with but instead that cursed mask he wore on his face.

Tatl wanted to keep hating Link, but she couldn’t keep blaming him for something that wasn’t his fault, she knew that deep down. Yet her stubborn nature refused to let the hatred go, even though she realized how misplaced it was. Not to mention, Link never said anything negative towards her. He never insulted her back, yelled at her, or anything of the sort. The closest thing was that he said that he didn’t care if she stayed behind or not. Which, really, was hardly even mean…at least compared to things she had said since they met. As illogical as it was, she wasn’t able to stop her anger or still her tongue where Link was involved. Tatl was used to keeping her guard up and pushing anyone that wasn’t Tael or the Skull Kid away from her, but now…

An explosion took Tatl out of her thoughts.

The fairy let out a scream as she looked around and saw chunks of snow spray everywhere, one the size of a fist barely missing her. She looked and saw Link with his Bomb Bag out along with his flint and steel. Tatl then saw large boulders of surprisingly compact snow further up the trail, blocking the way. So, he was using bombs to blow them up, huh? Wait, who cared about that?! Tatl’s light grew red, and she flew right in Link’s face, as she always did when she really wanted him to hear her out. “Hey! Don’t go throwing bombs around without warning me, you stupid loner freak!”

The first time Tatl called Link a loner freak, it got to him a bit and the words stung, but hearing it again made it lose its effectiveness. The boy tilted his head to the side ever-so-slightly in confusion. “I did warn you.” Indeed, before Link even lit the bomb up, he told Tatl he’d have to blow up the snow mounds.

Thankfully, Link wasn’t able to see Tatl flush in embarrassment given all the light her body gave off. She had just been so deep in thought that she didn’t hear him, she supposed. “Oh. Well. Just warn me louder next time. Okay?” She told him, trying to keep her embarrassment out of her voice as her light returned to normal. Link gave a silent nod at that. One thing Tatl noticed was she could see his breath as he spoke. It was only then she realized just how cold it was getting already. “Hey, are you sure you’re gonna be okay? It’s only going to get colder, you know.” She felt herself shivering already and was about ready to dive under Link’s hat.

“I’ll be fine.” Link answered, turning and marching forward. At least, that’s what he thought. Three days at the very maximum in bitter cold. He could handle that, couldn’t he? It wouldn’t even be that long. The Gorons would surely have nice, warm homes for him to stay in, so he would just have to grit his teeth and endure until he came across a cave or whatever types of buildings the Termina Gorons lived in. If they were even half as kind as the Gorons in Hyrule, any one of them would shelter Link without a second thought.

“Fine, but don’t go and complain about being cold, then!” Tatl demanded, flying under her partner’s hat where it was warm. At least, it was warmer than the open air.

Not bothering to make a reply, Link kept going.

The hours passed, and progress was slow. The temperature and wind got increasingly worse as Link climbed the mountain. His entire body was quaking and shivering with each step he made, and the barrage of snow made it hard for him to see. He had hoped Tatl would keep a lookout for danger as he traveled, but she stayed silent underneath his headwear. Despite all the nastiness she tossed his way, Link couldn’t bring himself to hate Tatl, or even dislike her. He knew, or at least had a strong feeling that she was simply scared and angry, like the Dekus in the South. She was in a terrible situation with someone she didn’t like, so she took out her anger on the only target she had: Him.

That wasn’t to say that Link saw Tatl as a friend either. In fact, he desperately wanted to dislike Tatl, to feel nothing at all when the two inevitably separated when…if…this quest was over. He couldn’t have chats with her, couldn’t share his background with her, not even to pass the time. If he did, he feared he’d start to grow attached to her. He had been surprised when Tatl opened up on her own, telling Link about when Tael and her first met the Skull Kid. He truly, truly wished she had kept her mouth shut. Her story made him see her not just as a yelling ball of light that hid under his hat, but as someone that needed someone else to help them out. He hated thinking that. He hated thinking of her as a potential friend. Link would give anything to just despise Tatl and leave it at that.

If only it was that simple.

The sun was starting to go down and Link was starting to worry. The climb itself had been mostly safe, the cold aside. The boy had heard Wolfos howling along with the wind, but he had yet to actually see any. A few Tektites stood in his path, which he dispatched without too much issue. The problem was that there had yet to be any signs of Gorons at all! In fact, no signs of anyone inhabiting this mountain had made themselves known to Link so far. What if the Gorons were more than three days away? What if this was where the quest ended? It certainly hadn’t helped that Tatl remained under his hat this entire time; she didn’t so much as pipe up since she dove in earlier. He knew she was still in there because he could feel her wings flutter every so often.

The worst part was that Link was being followed by something.

It felt that way, at least. There were times where he would see something on a mountain wall, a wriggling black and undefinable mass. Yet, each time he looked closer, there would be nothing there. No way for anything to hide, like a cave or crevice, and nothing could be fast enough to escape somewhere else before he turned his head. He had seen this entity several times, but never got a good look. He was starting to wonder if the mountain air was somehow causing him to hallucinate. Was such a thing possible? Surely not…

Unfortunately, the only other explanation was that Link was going mad. Madness seemed to seep into this world, at least the parts he had been to. A town full of people that deny that the Moon that inched closer, a swamp of poison and corruption that drove the kingdom residing there into an insane fury. Now a frozen mountain in the spring crawling with arguably existing horrors. Perhaps it was the wind itself that carried the madness down to the Hylian, as a spring breeze carries pollen. Or perhaps he had been mad since before he stepped into Termina, and only now was it getting to him.

Link’s disturbing, puzzling thoughts were interrupted as a strange bellowing sound rang out from behind him. He whipped around, sword drawn, to view something unlike he had witnessed before. A vaguely humanoid silhouette had seemingly melted into the mountain wall, like a shadow without a corresponding body. In horror, Link was only able to stare at the bizarre creature that showed itself to him. That echoing, bellowing noise went through the air again, rising above the mountain winds. An appendage snaked from the silhouette, crawling along the wall and then onto the snowy ground, beelining towards Link.

The boy’s legs were pumping before he could consciously demand them to. Somewhere to hide, anywhere at all would be welcome over whatever entity had set its sights on him. The idea of playing the Song of Time didn’t even enter his mind, and he wouldn’t have been willing to stop running to play it either way. What was Tatl doing?! Did she not hear what was happening?!

Tatl and her lack of action was forgotten when Link spotted a black hole in the expanse of white before him: A cave! Without any other choice, Link made a dash to the opening and nearly dove in. Instantly, he whipped around, drawing his bow and readied to fire at…nothing. Nothing was there. No bellowing, no shadow, no tendril making its way towards him. All that was there was the howling of the wind and the infinite snow. That was impossible. It was right behind him! He could feel it bearing down on him, where was it?!

Feeling suddenly drained, Link dropped his bow and arrow to the cave floor and leaned against the nearest wall, panting heavily and shivering almost violently. He was going insane. That was the only thing that made sense. There was no shadow monster, it was simply in his head…right? Link couldn’t say for sure, but what else made sense? The creature simply gave up because Link went into a cave? He couldn’t lose his grip on reality, not now! There was still so much to do, two entire compass directions left entirely unexplored by the Hylian!

His thoughts turned to something that had itched at his mind for two years now. Since Navi left, Link felt as though a part of him had been ripped from his body. The missing part of him then started to grow, a near unstoppable void that ate and chipped away at Link from the inside and would one day erase him unless Navi was found. It was something he had kept to himself, for he feared that his friends would think him mad. He knew he was sane, but what if no one else thought so?

A scuttering sound interrupted Link’s stream of consciousness. Instantly the discarded bow and arrow were back in his hands and ready to fire. From deeper in the cave, a lone Tektite stirred, making its way to Link with a gleam in its ruby eye. Was it hiding from the cold in here? Or from some unspeakable horror? All Link knew was that another sort of emptiness was bothering him now. As an audible grumble rose from the boy’s body, he let the arrow fly…

Tatl awoke with a yawn and a joint-cracking stretch. She hadn’t even meant to fall asleep, but Link’s hair was just so surprisingly comfortable! It took her a moment to realize that Link wasn’t moving beneath her. Not only that, the wind and cold had gone too. Finally, she kept hearing a strange, tearing sort of noise. Deciding to investigate, Tatl peeked out from her companion’s hat to find the two of them were in a cave. The sun was just about to set, leaving Tatl herself to be one of the main sources of light.

Link was seated against the wall, and the tearing sound that Tatl kept hearing was him eating. In his hands he held a large chunk of…something she couldn’t quite make out. Either way, the boy tore off a big piece of it with his teeth and wolfed it down. “What’s going on? How long was I out?” Tatl asked as she took to the air, dangling herself in front of Link. “What the heck are you eating, anyway?”

Gesturing to the remains of the antagonistic bug, Link chose only to answer the last question. “Tektite.” He tore off a bit of the chunk he was holding, this smaller piece being about the size of Tatl herself. “Here.” Link offered, holding it up to the fairy. He managed to keep his voice level and his face neutral. Internally, he was still panicking over what happened outside. The fact he got to focus on eating a bit helped calm him enough to suppress his true feelings.

Tatl made a disgusted noise and flew a bit away from the offered food. “Not a chance! Are those things even edible?!”

Popping the smaller portion in his mouth and quickly downing it, Link nodded. “Of course. Cooked or raw.” He remembered being in the marketplace with some money Zelda gave him to buy what he wanted, the boy wanting to dos something on his own. He bought, among other things, some raw Tektite. It surprised him how tasty it was. Of course, it tasted better cooked but that was hardly an option now. “No fire to cook it though.”

Ignoring the revolting meal before her, Tatl gestured to Link’s bag. “No dry wood out in that snow, how about we burn some of those useless masks of yours?”

“No.” He didn’t know if Tatl was serious, but Link would rather go back in time and bring firewood from elsewhere in Termina before even considering burning a mask. Even the Mask of Scents didn’t deserve to be burned. “We’ll have to sleep without fire.”

That raised a few alarms within Tatl. Fairies weren’t quite as sensitive to the cold as humans were, so she’d be fine. Link, on the other hand, was at risk. “You’ll be too cold! What am I going to do if you freeze to death?!”

“I won’t freeze to death.” Link assured, devouring the last bit of Tektite. With that, he got up and moved to the far side of the cave, as far from the entrance as he could get. It was a rather small area which was both good and bad. Good news was there were no small pockets or crevices for danger to be hiding in. Bad news was he couldn’t get very far from the cave’s entrance. To Link, going to find better shelter wasn’t an option. Just the idea of going back outside filled him with dread.

Tatl let out a groan as her overly-confident companion sat down against the far wall. She flew over to him, and her natural light showed his goosebumps and light shivering. “Your stubbornness is so annoying, you know that?”

Link chose not to respond to the question. He realized how woefully unprepared he was, not even a blanket to keep him warm, though he had no idea that winter would be here. Link was so desperate to make more progress on his quest; he chose to soldier on instead of going back to Clock Town when he had the chance. He could only hope that he could find some kind of settlement tomorrow. “Come here.” Link called, patting his chest.

The fairy could only stare at the object of her, though admittedly not really justified, hatred as he patted his tunic. “What? Why?”

“Body heat. We have to stay huddled.” If Link had his way, Tatl would just sleep under his hat like always, but this was a desperate situation. “Fairies are warm.” He recalled a few times where Navi would use her natural heat to help him keep warm during their journey together.

“You’ve got to be joking!” Tatl chimed, almost giving off red light in anger. “Why would I do that?! You just said you won’t freeze!” She really didn’t want to cuddle up to Link like that!

“Yes. If you’ll come here.” Link pat his chest once more to emphasis his point. He didn’t like it either, but he was willing to put up with it.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Tatl relented and made her way over to Link. “Fine. If only because you’ll probably die if I don’t. Then who will stop the Moon?” With that, she rested herself on Link’s chest. Not as good as his hair, but at least the tunic was still soft. “Just this once. Okay?”

“Mmm.” Link agreed. There was a pause for a few moments. “Tatl, did you hear anything unusual outside?” His mind couldn’t help but wander to that shadowy entity that tried to grab him.

“What now? I have no idea what you’re talking about. Just go to sleep!” The fairy huffed. “This is bad enough already without you talking!”

Withholding a sigh, Link let the subject go. That noise the creature made was even louder than the wind. How could she not have heard it? Maybe…it really was all in his mind after all. “Fine. Good night.”

Link was the first to fall asleep, his exhaustion overriding his unease, with Tatl not far behind. Before she fell asleep though, she swore she heard an odd bellowing noise outside. Who knew what that was? Mountains could generate all sorts of strange noises with all that wind…

Tatl knew something was wrong right as she woke up. Her entire body shook, but it wasn’t her that was shaking. Looking up, she saw that Link was gently holding her close to him and shivering violently. In this area that wasn’t unusual, but his body’s quakes were much worse than last night, and with the sunlight pouring in, it was much warmer than it was hours ago. That wasn’t all, of course. She saw that his eyes were barely open, and his face was horribly flushed.

“Link!” Tatl cried out, startled and flying out of the boy’s weak grip. “Hey, can you hear me? Say something! You look terrible!”

Felt terrible as well. His entire body was heated and sore from his head to his muscles and he couldn’t keep himself from shaking. And he was thirsty. So, so thirsty. It felt as if he hadn’t had a sip of water for weeks and it made everything so much worse. On top of that, Tatl’s yelling was like hammering on his skull. “Loud…” He murmured, unable to raise his voice above a harsh whisper. 

“Oh, uh…right.” Tatl said, lowering the volume of her voice. It felt weird to accommodate for Link like this. Normally she’d talk even louder just to torment him, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. In a brief moment, she saw him not as a Hylian, but as a shivering Skull Kid hiding from the rain. “Listen, you’re really sick, probably from that nasty bug you ate.” Though who could say for sure? Not Tatl, she wasn’t exactly a doctor. “We got to get back to Clock Town. Play your Ocarina.”

Slowly, Link shook his head, then winced as a minor dizzy spell hit him. “Keep going.” He whispered, struggling to stand.

“Uh-uh! No way!” Tatl belted out, already forgetting to keep quiet. She flew up in his face, trying to get him to sit down even if it made his headache worse. “Sit! You’re in no condition to climb a mountain, are you nuts?!”

Wincing, Link did as told and sat back down on the floor. Slightly delirious, Link felt he had to go on. He could get through the mountain if he really pushed himself, maybe. Surely the Gorons were just around the bend. “The Gorons, Tatl…” He mumbled, trailing off to something else the fairy couldn’t make out.

“The Gorons can wait.” Tatl responded, quieting down again. “Play the Song of Time. We can try again later. There’s always more time.” A part of her feel strange, almost nauseous, at being so nice to Link. Yet, another part of her couldn’t help but see a shivering, cold child as…she shook the thought out, once more remembering the Skull Kid…

Link realized that Tatl would yell in his face until he relented, and he wasn’t sure his head could take that. “Fine.” Link croaked, shakily holding up his Ocarina. He knew Tatl was right, deep down. Truly he wanted to keep going, to try and tough it out, but he realized that if he tried, he’d probably die. It took a minute to pull off, but Link played the Song of Time, the notes echoing through the maddening winds of the mountain as the clock flew backwards.

The next chunk of time was a blur to Link. He remembered following Tatl’s guiding light through South Clock Town and towards the East. A number of citizens gave the stumbling, sickly boy concerned looks as he went. A few even tried asking him what was wrong, but Tatl piped up to leave him alone, and the people backed off. Link soon found himself in front of the Stock Pot Inn, helplessly knocking on the door, leaning on it for support for his quaking legs. In his sickness, he forgot it wouldn’t open for another two hours.

Thankfully, Tatl remembered when the inn opened, and she rushed in through the keyhole. Link could hear muffled yelling from a tiny, but very strong, pair of lungs as his fairy companion talked the redheaded woman behind the counter into opening the door. Unfortunately, he was using that door to stand up and as she opened it, Link collapsed onto the dirty street. It was at this point that his world went black.

“I think he’s waking up…” Link heard Tatl say as his eyes creaked open. Instantly he felt his head throb worse than ever and he closed them back up again for a few moments. With a wince, he tried again and saw the ceiling of the ever-familiar Knife Chamber. Looking about, Link saw he was lying in his usual bed, and the redheaded woman was sitting at its foot. “There, his eyes are open!” Tatl’s voice rang out again. It took the Hylian a second to realize she was standing on the woman’s shoulder.

Before Link could respond or really do anything, the kindly innkeeper spoke up, speaking softly. “Are you okay, Link? That was quite a nasty fall you took.”

Tatl flew up off of the woman’s shoulder, hovering in front of Link’s face. “I explained it all to her, even our reservation. You’re welcome!” The fairy said the last two words haughtily as she landed on Link’s chest. “You were in bad shape, lucky that she knew what to do!”

Link finally started to get more of his bearings and realized some more things. One was that the throbbing aches in his muscles persisted like with his head. Another was that his head wasn’t quite so heated as before, as there was a damp towel folded onto his forehead, soothing him slightly. His hat laid on the room’s table, along with the rest of his things sans his clothes.

As he looked at the woman, he head the light beating of a drum…

He couldn’t help but stare at her, though, as she had kindly helped him in his time of need. A part of him hated how nice she was being, how she placed him in bed and started to aid him against his fever. He didn’t want to like her, or anyone else in Termina. He wanted to be indifferent to her, to see her as just the innkeeper. Swallowing his frustrations, Link kept a level voice as he spoke to the woman. “I’m doing better. Thank you…what’s your name?” He realized he had never asked or heard it get spoken.

The innkeeper smiled at the boy, though her eyes told an entirely different story. One of stress and a severe lack of sleep. Still, the brave face she was putting on was admirable. “It seems the fever isn’t too terribly severe. A few days and you should be right as rain. And my name is Anju, I’m sorry we couldn’t meet under happier circumstances.”

So, her name was Anju. As for her words, the Moon would kill everyone before then, and she knew it. In a way, Link felt frustrated further at how boldly she lied to his face, despite her good intentions. The fact that so many people in Clock Town refused to see the truth that was quite literally hanging over their heads infuriated him. Stubborn as he was, the citizens of the town had him beat. At least most of them got the hint on the third day and evacuated, as much good as that would do. To him, Anju was saying he was too stupid to realize the danger of the Moon, or perhaps she could convince him otherwise. He knew that wasn’t the case, but he couldn’t stop thinking that way.

Swallowing his frustrations, Link nodded silently. Tatl, for whatever reason, took this as her cue to pipe up. “Right! So, Anju said to rest a bunch and drink a lot, think you can handle that?” She gestured to some bottles of water laid right next to the bed. Link made a half-committed grunt of agreement. “Good!”

“I’ll leave you to rest.” Anju stated, standing up. “It’s a shame you have to get sick before the Carnival of Time. I’ll make you some soup, maybe you’ll get better before the festivities start.” Without waiting for a reply, the innkeeper left Tatl and Link alone.

“She sure is committed to her guests…” Tatl mused aloud. “Shame she can’t cook though, thankfully I don’t have to eat any!” She taunted to Link; all her sensitivities found in the cave were apparently left behind, not even bothering to keep her voice down.

Even with his earlier frustrations, Link couldn’t help but admire Anju’s dedication. She was clearly stressed out just by her expression and tired eyes, butt she still took time to aid a sick and troublesome guest. That is, someone she thought was a proper guest. Still, Link wanted to see her as just an innkeeper and nothing more.

“Her cooking is good.” Link half-whispered in response. He recalled how Tatl audibly gagged when she first tried Anju’s food, thankfully the redhead had already left the room. Link, on the other hand, found it enjoyable. Not amazing, but decent. Of course, he had never tried a food and not liked it to some capacity.

“Not all of us can have golden taste buds.” Tatl argued with a bit of a wince. “Just another reason why you’re a freak, I guess.”

There it was. Link was wondering how long a proper insult would take to come out of Tatl’s mouth. Tatl had been, at least for her, quite kind since he woke up with the fever. He had kept expecting her to, any second, scold and yell at him for getting sick, for accomplishing absolutely nothing and delaying their quest even further. Yet…nothing of the sort. At least so far. In a way, Link wanted her to go back to her cruel nature. It made it easier to dismiss her as just someone he had to stick with until the quest was over. For now, he had only one method of escape. “Going to rest. Wake me when Anju gets back.” He mumbled, closing his eyes.

Tatl mumbled something about not taking orders but left it at that. With nothing else to do, she flew up and about the room, pondering to herself. The fairy felt that she should be angry with Link for getting ill. Had this occurred a few Cycles ago she knew she’d be chewing him out right now. The thought of actually doing it, however, made her feel sick to her stomach. Link had never been in quite a state like this where he was so weakened. He had been injured in battle, of course, but nothing that was so serious he was bedridden. Seeing the boy like this made Tatl throw all ideas of direct insults out the window, she just couldn’t bring herself to be that cruel.

There was also the other part of it. As much as Tatl didn’t want to admit it…she was growing attached to Link. He and her never really conversed for an extended period unless it was pure business. Yet despite all the grief she gave him, Link never returned the favor save for one comment. He put up with her and never snapped or tried to leave her behind, though he had every right to. Perhaps it was also because he was the only person in this world who spoke to her at all and remembered her name aside from someone like Jim or the other Bombers. Who else could she grow closer to? He was an unusual kid, one that spoke of strange situations like people being broken, and he didn’t seem to have emotions, but he was still just a kid. A kid thrown into a horrible situation he never asked for. Just like her. At the end of the day, all they had was each other.

Tatl looked on as Link, having already fallen asleep, winced in pain and discomfort. The only real changes in expression he ever wore was the steely look he put on for battle, and ones of pain. Neither really constituted as true emotions, at least not to Tatl, which meant she never saw him emote. Not once. No smiles, frowns, anger…what was wrong with him? Even when they cleared the Woodfall Temple for the first time, he didn’t so much as crack a small grin of triumph. A part of Tatl had been, even at the start, very curious about Link’s background. She knew he was from Hyrule and could piece some things together on her own, like his obvious combat experience…but that was it. Link himself hadn’t revealed a single specific thing to her short of his name. Of course, she never asked nicely for information, always requesting it in a backhanded manner. Perhaps if she changed her tune, he’d be willing to talk…

With nothing to do, Tatl sat on the table and continued to think, eventually spacing out as her thoughts clouded. Several hours passed, and neither Hylian nor fairy stirred much. Around noon, there was a gentle knock on the door and Anju entered, a tray in her hands with some chicken soup that Tatl knew would taste like poison to her. “Hey, Link, wake up.” Tatl said directly into the boy’s eardrum, causing him to stir.

Link creaked his eyes open as Tatl flew into his view. For a slight moment, he saw a flash of familiar blue. An old, precious name nearly escaped Link’s lips before he realized who it really was, and he stilled his tongue. He then saw Anju with his meal, along with a new towel to place on his forehead, and sat up in bed. “Not so fast, now.” The woman gently reminded Link. “How are you feeling?”

The temptation to tell Anju he was more than capable of sitting up was present in Link. He had gone through more taxing physical trials than she could ever imagine. This wasn’t his first fever either. Link had been struck with fever twice in his life before entering Termina. The most intense was when he was about seven, and he had barely survived that ordeal. Thankfully Saria was there to aid him. The second time was when he stayed in the castle with Zelda, which was less intense, but the delusions he suffered were humiliating when he was told of them later. This fever was the most tolerable of the three. Aside from some momentary delusions and blurriness, Link was relatively okay. Rather than explaining any of this, Link simply nodded gently as he removed the old towel. “I’m okay. Thank you.”

Tatl floated by silently as Anju placed the tray on Link’s lap. “That’s good to hear. This soup will help. Make sure to eat slowly, okay?” She watched as Link gently pulled the tray closer and picked up the spoon. There was hesitation, but Anju decided to talk further. “Are…your parents here in town?”

Link kept his eyes fixated on the soup, his hand clenching the spoon tightly. “Thank you for the soup.” Was all he said in response, so quietly from his fever that Anju just barely heard him.

Another moment of hesitation, the woman gripping her skirt a bit in anxiousness. “Are they close by? Should I tell them you’re here?”

“Thank you for the soup.” Link repeated, but louder, looking up at Anju with a blank stare. Numerous times, Anju brought up his parents when he stopped by the inn, and each time it just made his insides twist up…

Clearly getting the hint, Anju nodded solemnly. “I see. I hope you feel better.” With that, she once again left the duo alone, gently closing the door behind her.

Tatl continued to float silently as she watched Link slowly eat his soup, occasionally getting a small sip of water from one of the bottles by his bed. That hadn’t been the first time Anju asked Link about his parents, and it wouldn’t be her last, Tatl predicted. Each time, the boy deflected the question, usually in a similar manner as he just did now. Sometimes he just outright pretended like she hadn’t said anything.

The fairy decided to follow suit and pester Link with questions of her own. “Why don’t you ever give Anju a straight answer? She’s just being nice.” And Tatl was actually serious about this, she was curious…

That actually took Link by surprise. He stopped his eating to look over at Tatl, not knowing what to make of her statement. There was that lack of sarcasm in the fairy’s voice, like she actually cared about how Link was treating Anju. Maybe it was just a way to get under his skin. Yes, that had to be it. “It doesn’t matter.”

“It matters if I’m asking about it! Give me an answer, you brat!” Tatl snapped, almost feeling a bit bad as Link winced at her voice. Here she was, being sincere for once, and he just shut her down! Though, given her attitude in the past, she guessed he was under the impression she was mocking him. “Hey, I’m serious here! What about your parents, anyway? They’re in Hyrule waiting for you, right?”

To that, Link gave no response, instead slowly downing the poorly cooked meal before him. Tatl didn’t prod him further, simply looking on as the boy she was stuck with finished the soup and a bottle of water. Placing them both by the bed, Link put the new towel on his forehead as he lied back down. “Need more rest.”

“Didn’t you just wake up?” Tatl asked, floating above Link as he closed his eyes. Fairies didn’t really get sick, not like humans did. The concept of a fever was completely foreign to her. All she had recognized was that Link was sick when she awoke in the cave. It was Anju that let her know what exactly was wrong with him.

“I need a lot of rest.” Link answered back, drifting off into an uneasy sleep before Tatl could think of a reply. Huffing a bit in frustration, the fairy let it go. Right now, the problem was what she was going to do to pass the time…

The day crawled by slowly, especially for Tatl. She didn’t feel right about leaving Link when he was sick, so she didn’t sneak out of the inn, opting to just stay in the Knife Chamber as he rested. Every so often, he’d wince or let out a small grunt of pain as he slept, his face screwing up a bit in discomfort. She couldn’t help but feel bad for Link when his suffering shone through. In a way, it was almost fascinating to watch. He was never this expressive, even if it wasn’t really emotions he was showing.

Tatl had to wonder if Link really had parents at all back in Hyrule. If she had to guess, she’d say no. No one got as messed up as Link with a healthy family life. Either he’s an orphan, or he had terrible parents. Didn’t matter, because the stubborn kid was keeping his mouth shut, and Tatl had the distinct feeling that wasn’t gonna change in the near future.

Later on, Anju delivered dinner without a word, though smiled faintly when Link thanked her for the food. Tatl watched silently as Link ate, reapplied his towel, and went back to sleep. Before doing so, he told her she should go find food for herself since she refused to eat Anju’s cooking. Thankfully there were some fruit stalls in Clock Town that she could quickly raid...

In the late evening, Tatl and Link slept in their respective beds in the Knife Chamber. Or, in Tatl’s case, the pillow of the other bed served as her entire sleeping grounds. The fairy slept soundly as the boy in green groaned lightly in his sleep, his mind plagued by awful visions.

Link found himself in the Bottom of the Well once more, in a room all too familiar in his nightmares. The walls, floor, and ceiling adorned with the rotting old bones of countless souls, a disgusting crunching sound echoing in the silent room with each step. As the boy walked forward, a revolting shape erupted form the ground before him. His faithful companion sprang out from under his hat, yelling out in alarm and trying to analyze the opponent.

The creature before Link was a hulking, hunched figure that didn’t belong in the world of the living. Pale skin stretched tight over the muscle and sinew of the creature splotched red all over. Gnashing, rotting teeth permanently barred as they grinded and clacked and awaited something to sink themselves into. Empty, black sockets that somehow gazed intently at the boy hovered above small arms that ended in useless stumps.

Before Link could do anything, a forest of hands erupted from the floor. Grabbing, rotting things with wiry limbs receding down into the dead earth beneath them. Two of them went for Link’s legs and immobilized the child before he could do anything. Another went for Navi, trapping her in a cage of fingers as it started to sink into the ground. All Link could do was stand there, frozen in horror as the hand’s wrist reached the ground and kept sinking. Navi was screaming, begging for salvation from her companion.

He simply watched as she was dragged underground.

Link awoke with a start, letting out a light gasp and sitting upright, ignoring the pulses of pain that coursed through him as he moved his sickened body. Panting heavily, he immediately looked over to Tatl, the fairy still sound asleep on her pillow. She didn’t see his mask crack. Good. Slowly and carefully, Link rose from the bed, walking near-silently towards the Knife Chamber’s door, closing it gently behind him. He then quickly went out onto the inn’s balcony, Anju always carelessly leaving the door unlocked.

The night was only mildly cool, though Link still shivered as he took small, silent steps to the railing, standing by the ancient, unused bell that was coated in dust. Link wasn’t even entirely sure why he was out here. Fresh air, he supposed. Gripping the railing, he looked down at East Clock Town below him. It was the middle of the night, of course, so no one was out and about. The only soul he saw was the guard standing at his post. An empty, quiet down that slept beneath a hateful gaze. The young boy looked up to the Moon hovering above, glaring to the South as rainclouds slowly moved in above it. Link simply stood there, shivering in the light breeze as his sickness pulsed through him. Hopefully by the time the third night came about, he’d be all better.

The Hylian was still mortified by what happened in the South, how no matter what happened, the swamp remained cursed. He never stopped panicking about it, even if it was subconsciously adding onto his constant stress. There was always the chance that a way to permanently free the Giant could be found in the other compass directions…but who knew if that would be the case or not? He could only hope, but optimism had never been the boy’s strong suit. Another thing was that he knew that Koume was hurt, and the monkey was imprisoned along with the Deku Princess. Every time Link and Tatl remained in Clock Town, people were suffering, and he knew exactly what they were going through…

“Link? Why are you out here?” A small voice chimed from behind. Link turned to see Tatl hovering there, silently awaiting an answer.

For a few moments, Link just stared at the light that hovered before him. A pale replacement for someone who had been so dear to him that her very absence would one day swallow him. In a way, he almost felt like Tatl was a mockery, sent by a malevolent force just to taunt him. “Fresh air.”

Tatl watched as Link walked by her, not even sparing a glance as he reentered the inn, and then the Knife Chamber. Following the boy, she continued to watch as he nestled back into bed. “Link, are you okay?” She finally asked before the boy could go back to sleep.

Confused, Link looked at Tatl as she floated above him, the fairy gazing down at the sick child. Why was she doing this? Her last two questions lacked any of the usual snark or belittling tones that usually came with the fairy’s queries. She called him a brat earlier, but here she seemed to sincerely be worried for him. Things were much better, much simpler, when she was horrible to him. It’d make their inevitable, permanent, separation when Termina was saved far easier. That way he wouldn’t be hurt when another fairy dropped him without a word. Link could easily be nasty right back to Tatl, make her despise him for good reason, but it just wasn’t in his nature. He simply couldn’t bring himself to be any worse than dismissive. “I’m fine.” With that, he closed his eyes and ignored Tatl asking him if he was sure, if he was really alright. Soon, he was asleep. Not long after, giving up for the night with a heavy sigh, Tatl went to her pillow and followed suit.

It was nearly ten in the morning when Link awoke, the familiar sound of rain hitting the window pane striking his ears. He didn’t know it was nearly ten, as even though there was a clock in the room, Link never figured out how to tell time with it. It felt strange to be surprised at how many clocks there were in a place called Clock Town, yet Link couldn’t help it. Back in Hyrule, clocks existed, but were not nearly as common, and they were far less elaborate than the ones in Termina. Here in this world, it seemed just about every room in every building within Clock Town had these machines present. It was as if the people of this world were obsessed with the notion of trapping time within wood and gears. Oh, if only it was so simple…

One other thing immediately obvious to Link was that his fever had gone down a bit overnight. The headache and muscle pains, while still present, had ebbed away slightly. He found his shivering lessening and his mind clearer as his body had cooled down just a bit. Indeed, the change must have been noticeable at a glance, as Tatl almost instantly piped up, flying over to Link as she watched him wake up. “Well, you’re looking better.” She commented, her voice far more neutral and less worried than the previous day.

Nodding slightly, Link sat up against his pillow. “Yeah. I should be recovered by the next Cycle.” He certainly hoped so at least. While he usually stayed within the Knife Chamber on his Break Cycles, it was another thing completely to be forced to stay inside. With his illness, he couldn’t even walk around the Town or at do much of anything without feeling drained afterward.  

“Hopefully, yeah…” Tatl agreed, floating above Link. After a few moments, she descended so she was in his face. “So, hey, about last night…”

“There’s nothing to talk about.” Link interrupted bluntly. He had a feeling on what she’d say, so he decided to stop her in her tracks.

“Why are you so hesitant to talk about it, then? If it’s really nothing, at least let me finish my statement, you brat!” Tatl snapped, bristling at the stubbornness of the child before her.

Looking out the window, Link shook his head. “It’s not important. It was nothing. Just fresh air.”

Tatl had a pretty good hunch that Link was lying. She usually had a pretty good record for her hunches, and this one was no exception in her eyes. Still, she could ask all day and probably get no answer, so she dropped it. Temporarily, at least.

Around noon, there was a knock on the door and a woman entered. Only, it wasn’t Anju. The woman who came into the room was a stone-faced individual that seemed to have little tolerance for just about anything she didn’t like. In her hand was a plate with two apples cut into slices on it. “My, you’re a handful, aren’t you?” The older woman said, handing the plate to Link, who accepted with a slightly shaky hand.

“Not like he meant to get sick.” Tatl said, almost a bit defensively. “Where is Anju, anyway?” Once they went into the Knife Chamber during their Break Cycles, they rarely left until it was time to turn back the clock. So the two had never seen this woman before!

“My daughter is out for a walk.” The woman replied with hardly a glance at the fairy, opting to look down at Link instead. “Don’t mistake my words for blame. In a way, it’s almost been a good thing. She’s been quite worried about you, you know.” The woman went on, not even noticing the blank stare she was getting from Link. “She’s still worrying over that deadbeat fiancé of hers, but this has been a nice distraction. In a way, I’m thankful.”

“Wait, fiancé?!” Tatl exclaimed, jaw dropping. “You…do you mean Kafei? The guy that went missing?”  

The older woman frowned a bit, looking back up to Tatl. “Yes, I do. Why, you don’t know something, do you?”

“No, we just know he’s missing. We never knew who he was engaged to, though.” Tatl responded, astonished that they passed by Kafei’s fiancé many times without even knowing.

Link…really wasn’t quite sure how to respond to this. He never asked who Kafei’s fiancé was, assuming that if she knew anything, Madame Aroma would know it. Still, he wondered if he should try talking to Anju later on anyway, just in case. He still wanted to find the missing man at some point, after all. That aside, he wasn’t sure how he should feel about what Anju’s mother said about the distraction and her worry. How should he feel about a situation like this? Partly guilt for making someone worry over someone like him, he supposed. Even if Anju won’t remember a thing once the clock was reversed once more. “I see.” Was all he said at first, a sort of default answer of his. “Thank you for the food.”

That didn’t seem to be the answer that Anju’s mother had been expecting or wanting, but if that was the case, she didn’t speak her mind. Instead, she gestured to the apples. “I don’t cook myself these days, so you’ll have to make do with these. Fruit is good for someone with a fever anyway. Eat, then rest.” Without waiting for a response, the older woman left Link and Tatl alone once more.

“Nice lady.” Tatl remarked, voice dripping with the ever-familiar sarcasm. She then flew onto one of the plates, looking at the juicy, red apple slices before her. “I can have one of these, right?”

“Yes.” Link started eating himself, taking small bites as he went along. He knew it would be at least until tomorrow, maybe even tomorrow night, before he could move around again and head back North. He’d be prepared next time. He wouldn’t let this happen, never again. Link wondered if Tatl would go back to normal once he was recovered, looking down at her as she took microscopic bites out of the apple slice in front of her. He prayed that would be the case. “And now we know who Kafei’s fiancé is.” The Hylian pointed out.

Tatl sighed. Yep. She knew it. “You really want to find him still?” The fairy asked, getting a nod from Link. “Whatever. You can do it on your own.” She’d be asleep under his hat when he wasted his time on that, and at this point she realized arguing against it was pointless. Link would just do as he wanted no matter what.

The day went by uneventfully, Tatl opting to ask a lot less questions than yesterday. Napping was how the duo spent just about the entire day, all the way until six in the evening, when Anju came up with more chicken soup. “Looks like you’re doing better.” She noted, placing the tray on Link’s lap. “Good to see that.”

Nodding, Link picked up the spoon. “Yes. Thank you for everything. Thank you for the soup.” He started to eat, noticing that Anju lingered in the room, seeming nervous about something. She didn’t say anything, so Link stayed silent as well. Tatl even stayed quiet, not sure if she should speak up.

Soon enough, the soup was finished, and, after some sips of water, Link looked up at Anju expectantly as the drums beat softly in his skull. “Um, Link…” She started, sitting on the bed. “I’d like to talk to you about something important.”

Important? It couldn’t be about Kafei, could it? How could it be? He just learned earlier that day that the two were connected. He suppose his mind was jumping to odd conclusions. “Okay. Go on.”

To Link’s surprise and mild discomfort, Anju placed a hand on his shoulder, staring at him intently as Tatl watched from above. “Link, tomorrow…my mother, grandmother, and myself are going to evacuate to Romani Ranch at this time. We thought it best to extend this offer to our guests as well. Would you like to come with us?”

All Link could focus on at first was how Anju was touching at him, and how she was looking at him. Those eyes of her showed…pity. Pity for, what Anju saw, as a defenseless child who needed her aid. Did she not see his sword? His bow? The light scars that ran across his limbs? Did he truly look so pathetic that he warranted such a look from her? He despised that gaze. That look that made him feel so completely worthless and small. A part of him wanted to smack her hand away, to tell her he didn’t need her help, that he didn’t want her help.

But…he knew that wasn’t even true.

Despite what Link may tell himself, he had enjoyed this light doting and caregiving that Anju and her mother had given him these past two days. Yes, it was mainly just bringing him food…but that still went out of their way to care for him, Anju especially. He had to wonder if this was what mothers were like. Saria was a sort of maternal substitute for him, but she could never fill the role for real. No one could. Only Link’s true mother could do such a thing, and she was dead. At least, that’s what Link was told. He had wondered if that was even true. Perhaps, even as a baby, his mother saw how worthless he was, how revolting and undeserving of her care he had been. So, she abandoned him in the woods, where a kind and ancient tree took him in out of pity. This unreasonable though resounded strongly within the boy, and in his head, it made perfect sense.

Link shivered, but he couldn’t even tell if it was just from the fever anymore. No one had really touched him in a kind manner since he arrived in Termina. Tatl had landed on his shoulder or nestled in his hair, but that wasn’t quite the same. All these thoughts were pushed aside as Link remembered he had to answer Anju’s question. “…Yes. Thank you for the offer. I’ll be ready to go at this time tomorrow.”

Giving the boy a relieved smile, Anju patted the boy on the head slightly in a friendly, calming gesture. She clearly wanted to ease the worries of what she saw as a helpless child. “Good, good. I’ll let my mother know. I hope you’ll be up for traveling by then.” When Link didn’t answer, her smile faltered a bit. Still, she said nothing, only taking Link’s tray away and leaving.

The boy stared at the door long after Anju closed it, lost in thought. Not knowing how to process the feelings inside him. At the moment, he hated Anju with all his strength, but even then he knew it wasn’t fair. She didn’t do this on purpose. He didn’t want to grow attached to her, to anyone in this cursed land. Not when no one would remember him once he played the Song of Time. All that remained was Tatl, who would surely abandon him without a word once his quest had ended. A part of him was also angry at himself. He would say out loud, if pushed, that he hated being doted on and pampered, even as little as he had been during this Cycle.

Yet, in his heart, he knew he wanted these things. Was it wrong to want to be doted? He felt that, yes, it was entirely wrong and selfish of him. Link realized he didn’t deserve to be treated so kindly by anyone. The friends he had in Hyrule, Anju here in Termina…their kindness was wasted on him. Despite this, he accepted these things because he was a disgusting, selfish brat. What had he done to be have a hot meal brought to his bed? Absolutely nothing. Anju owed him no such efforts, yet he took them anyway and it made him sick to his stomach.

Link’s thoughts were interrupted as Tatl finally spoke up. “Link, you’ve been staring at that door for a few minutes now. What’s your deal?”

His gaze turned to the fairy, who was now hovering by his head. His heart hammered against his ribcage, but his face gave nothing away save for the flush of sickness. “There’s a ranch. Should we go in a future Cycle?” For all he knew, something helpful could be there, or maybe if he was just taking a Break Cycle, it’d be a nice change of scenery.

“Why are you asking me? Doesn’t seem like we’ll ever need to!” Tatl responded, landing on Link’s shoulder. “Not like we need a horse or anything.”

Nodding, Link lied back down, causing Tatl to fly off of him. His mind wandered to Epona. Was she even still alive? He thought not, with the cruel things the Skull Kid had done, Link believed that the imp had killed off his horse. No, not even his horse, really, but Malon’s. “I see. I’m going to rest more. Goodnight.” Couldn’t think of those subjects. Not now.

“…Goodnight.” Tatl responded as the boy closed his eyes. She went over to her pillow and settled down as well. Thank goodness tomorrow was the final day of this mess. At least, she hoped so.

Indeed, the next day showed big improvements for Link. His aches were almost all gone, his shaking barely present, and his temperature was just about normal. The day also passed by without much incident either. Anju brought him lunch and reminded him of their evacuation later that evening, and Tatl didn’t bother Link with any big questions.

Around five, Link rose from the bed and gathered all his things. He was feeling even better than he had that morning, but…still not at full strength. “I may need a bit more rest the next Cycle.” He said, putting his hat back on.

“You really think so?” Tatl asked, sitting on the table. “You look pretty okay to me.”

No condescending remark…no scolding for time wasting. Even now, Tatl was going easy on Link, and that unnerved him. Could she really be…no. No, what wasn’t possible. Surely not. Right? Right. “Just until the second day. Maybe even a bit earlier.” He remarked, making sure he had everything with him. “We’ll need to prepare first. Gather equipment. Are you ready?”

“Ready.” Tatl replied as Link raised his Ocarina to his lips. The familiar, almost haunting Song of Time rang through the cracks and boards of the inn, and time went backwards once more.

This Cycle, Link prepared himself. Taking things slow and easy, he went about Clock Town looking for supplies he’d need. Plenty of arrows and bombs, that was a given. After that, while he couldn’t find winter gear precisely, he instead opted for plenty of regular clothes that he’d have to lair himself up with to fight against the cold. Plain, no-cooking-required food was next, and finally some logs to use for fires.

When this was all done, the last thing to do was to go and rest. Checking into the Stock Pot Inn once more, Link and Tatl slept until the late night. It was around three in the morning when the two went through North Clock Town once again. At this point, Link was essentially back to normal. No more aches, no more pains, and his temperature was right where it should be. All that was really left was a vague exhaustion, but that was so present in him normally that he barely noticed.

“You sure we should be going at night? It’ll be colder now!” The fairy pointed out as they neared the guard blocking their way.

“Yes. But only three hours until morning. I can handle that.” Link said as he showed off his sword and was granted permission to leave Clock Town. He was bundled up a lot more, heavy pants and a sweater on his body, a scarf on his face to protect from the cold as much as he could.

“You said you could handle it last time!” Tatl pointed out, halting Link as she hovered in front of his face. “And then you got sick!”

“I’m prepared this time.” Link argued, walking past the fairy. “No Tektite meat this time either.” He, like Tatl, had no idea if that’s what truly caused his sickness, but better safe than sorry.

Tatl thought it over and nodded. Not the best scenario, but it seemed Link really wanted to get moving. The kid was tough, she couldn’t deny that. Three hours in the night and he’d be fine, right? She’d seen him pull off more incredible feats in Woodfall, after all. “I guess that-” Tatl was interrupted as the two stepped into Termina Field proper, and piercing song invaded their eardrums. “Gah! What is that?!” She demanded, looking around.

Link looked around to, trying not to let the sound get to him. He finally spotted a lone figure who seemed to be dancing on one of the giant mushroom-like rocks. “There. There’s someone there. We should see what’s going on.” His curiosity allowing Link to take this small detour, the Hylian headed towards the figure.

Following close, Tatl crossed her arms. “Really should be hurrying, you know…” The fairy grumbled to herself as they went onward. She couldn’t find the inner hatred to be angry, not truly angry as she usually would be. The fairy hated to admit it but…she was warming up to the kid. She simply couldn’t stop herself. He didn’t get her into this mess, in fact he was the only thing that could get her out. A small part of her wondered if the two could end up friends. Link seemed like a brick wall at times but with the way Tatl had treated him in the past, she could hardly blame him. It was something that maybe she could work on as time went. She’d never admit to it out loud but…it’d be nice, making a new friend with this kid. Right now, though, a new thought invaded her mind…

Was that awful, eerie music getting louder…?

Chapter Text

Tatl really wondered where Link’s head was at times. She knew he was aware how much time was of the essence. Yet, as they slowly went towards the mountains, the boy became intrigued by a mysterious dancing man on one of the giant, mushroom-like rocks. Granted, she was a bit curious herself…but not enough to ignore their quest to take a look! Still, she knew talking Link out of it would be tough, so she just grumbled under her breath as they got closer.

And, as they neared, the odd music started to grow louder…

Link was very baffled at the sight and sounds before him. The strange man dancing on that rock…that music…what was going on? A big part of it, actually, was that the boy was worried for the man’s safety. Dancing and somehow producing that loud music near where Dodongos roam? If one somehow managed to get him off that rock…

Getting to the man itself was a bit of a challenge, as it happened. Link had to leap from one mushroom-like rock to another, and they were spaced out enough that he nearly didn’t make several of the jumps! On top of that, he heard strange shifting from the snowy ground below. No Dodongos in sight, but he swore he saw the snow moving…

Before long, the boy and fairy reached the dancing man, the music nearly ear-piercing at this point. That wasn’t all, though. As the duo got a closer look, they could make out more details of what the figure looked like.

The man wasn’t wearing very much, to the discomfort and distress of Link and Tatl. This factor showed off that the dancing figure had very, very pale skin. As for what he did wear, it was essentially a purple loincloth and little more. He didn’t even wear shoes as he danced upon the rock. His eyes were a bit squinted, and he had green hair pulled into a ponytail as well as a small beard.

“Hey, what the heck are you doing out here?!” Tatl demanded, pretty stupefied at the sight of the dancing man. The moves he performed were unusual too, swaying a bit, spinning, and then hopping back and forth before starting over again. He did these movements over and over again, not seeming tired at all. In fact, he barely seemed to even be breathing…

Not stopping his dance, even to speak, the man responded in a morose tone. “I am no longer part of the living…My sadness to the Moon…I haven't left my dance to the world...I am filled with regret.”

Link took a step back at the mention of being dead, and he looked at the dancing man closer. When he did so, he realized there were pale, nearly-invisible blue flames flickering around the man. He remembered once as Malon, trying to scare him with a spooky story one night, told him about spirits with blue flames surrounding them. She was a bit disappointed when the story she told failed to scare Link at all…he had seen far, far worse things than the kindly ranch girl could ever conjure…

“So, you wanted to teach your dance to someone?” Link asked, deciding this spirit wasn’t dangerous. He was going to warn the man about the dangerous around here, but if he’s already dead, there was no point. Despite the unflattering way the man dressed and the music that he could only assume was being produced by the spirit, Link felt bad for him. The by had a lot of regrets in his life, and the idea of regretting something so much that one stayed behind was a terrifying thought to him. Really, he hadn’t thought about it much, but now…

“Oh, Moon!” The man cried, glancing up at the grimacing rock in the sky. “Heal my wounds…Help Kamaro with his dance…” It was hard to really tell if he had even heard Link’s words or not.

Tatl was just getting annoyed, mainly by that horrible song that was playing! “Link, let’s just go! This ghost is weird…!” She wasn’t scared of spirits normally, fairies more in tune with such beings generally, but she didn’t necessarily like them either. Especially not ones that spoke in odd ways and produced unusual songs while doing a dumb dance!

“We should help him, shouldn’t we?” Link asked, looking to Tatl. He wasn’t very impressed either, but he still felt pity for Kamaro. “I can’t dance, though.” The boy recalled that slow dance that Zelda had talked him into, and a few times Malon tried to get him a dance. The redhead’s idea of a dance, though, was grabbing him by the hands and having the both of them take turns swinging each other around until they inevitably got dizzy and fell to the ground. He wasn’t sure if that counted as a dance…but he missed it…

“Why? We have other things to do, you know!” Tatl snipped, wishing Link wasn’t so easily distracted…

The boy noticed how tame Tatl was being. Sure, she snipped at him, but she didn’t insult him or call him named or anything else like that. It was…very unlike her, at least how she used to be. Trying to ignore that, he shook his head a bit. “I know that, but I can’t just abandon someone that needs help.” Even though, technically, he was doing that to everyone in the swamp at the moment. Unfortunately, he just couldn’t be in two places at once, and he couldn’t deal with Woodfall and go North…he’d just be too exhausted, he felt.

Sighing, the fairy crossed her arms. “I don’t know why I bother! You never listen to a word I say, I swear…” She grumbled, wishing Link would just listen to reason! There were times he acted like some hollow, emotionless weirdo, then others he was like a kid…and him being as stubborn as he was tended to be the main example! Granted, a part of her almost wished he acted more like a kid, or even just a human. A part of her even worried a bit…but she’d never admit that. Not a chance!

“I think I have an idea, though.” Link went on, glancing back to Kamaro, who was more or less ignoring everything the two were saying. The Hylian got the Ocarina from his belt and put it to his lips. Closing his eyes, he played the Song of Healing, the notes piercing through the music that the spirit seemed to be generating before they echoed off into the night.

For a moment, nothing happened, and Kamaro kept dancing. Then, as if suddenly struck by an unseen force, he let out a gasp. Yet, even at this point, his movements didn’t stop. “Oh…my weary form is mended…my sincerest gratitude! Spread my dance across the world... Train its followers...I am counting on you!” Kamaro spouted out to the pair. Before Link or Tatl could even reply, the spirit was engulfed in a blue flame that didn’t even feel hot, as odd as it sounded. Within moments, the dancing figure was gone, and the flames died out, as did the music. Yet as the fire and song vanished, something was left behind on the ground.

“Eugh…what…is that thing?” Tatl grimaced, watching as Link picked the object off of the ground. “Is that…a mask?”

It seemed to be! Yet, it was a very odd looking one. The mask was more like a sort of strap, but without any eyeholes or a mouth hole at the front. Instead, there was a depiction of Kamaro’s head and neck sticking out near the top in a sort of eerie manner. Frankly, Link wasn’t too fond of how it looked either. Still, he was satisfied that he was able to help put a spirit to rest…even though it’d surely be undone the next time he played the Song of Time…

“Well, it seems like one.” The boy responded, looking it over a bit and wandering if this was a mask that had actually existed before…or was just something that Kamaro’s spirit had conjured up.

“It’s hideous! How do you even put it on?” Tatl asked, grimacing even harder as she stared at the miniature Kamaro on the mask. It was so freaky, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away…

Link had to look it over a few times to really understand how to do so, but after a minute, he thought he had it worked out. “Like this, I think.” He replied, starting to bring it to his head.

“Wait! Do you really want to put that on? Remember the last mask you got by playing the Song of Healing? It changes your shape when you wear it.” Tatl pointed out, and her eyes widened when Link actually froze mid-action at her words. It was easily the most humane thing she had ever seen him do outside of combat. Even then, though, his face remained as blank as ever.

To be honest, Tatl’s words nearly terrified Link. What if this transformed him like the Deku Mask did? The idea of turning into Kamaro, or some sort of hybrid of the dancing spirit and himself, made the Hylian feel sick to his stomach. Still, he had to at least try to put it on. “…I’m sure it won’t.” Was all the boy said in reply after a pause…though he wasn’t too sure of his own words.

The fairy winced a bit as she watched her companion slip the mask on and…nothing. No transformation of any kind. At that, Tatl let out a sigh of relief. She really didn’t want to see him become Kamaro like that! “Uh, so, how does it feel? Any different?” Surely a mask from a spirit would do something of value…

As he put the mask on, Link realized there was no magic at work that allowed him to see! The world around him was entirely black, and it was a bit hard to breath. At first, he didn’t feel anything, but without warning, a lot of information went into his mind! It was hard to explain, but suddenly he knew exactly how to perform Kamaro’s dance! Yes, he saw it, and it was easy to memorize, but it was though the concept of how to do it without a single flaw was put into him. He knew, somehow, he could perform it with the greatest of ease, just as one knew how to stand up and walk, knowing it can be done without an issue.

“I…think I know that dance…how to do it perfectly.” Link replied, his voice a bit muffled due to the mask. Quickly, he took it off, and suddenly that sensation he felt went away. He still knew, generally, how to do the dance moves, but he felt if he tried it, it wouldn’t go too well. Not that he had any intention of trying, with or without the mask on.

“So…the mask lets you do the dance? What a waste…most of these masks you get are so worthless!” Tatl complained. A mask that let him sniff truffles, one that was used to look for a runaway fiancé, and that freaky white and red one that hadn’t been of any use yet! “Just toss it…”

Link shook his head, putting Kamaro’s Mask into his bag. “I can’t, it was a gift. Besides, Kamaro wanted me to spread his dance. I might be able to use this mask to do that.” It was a bit of an odd request, but if it was something he could do easily, well, he’d go ahead and do it. Link found it hard to turn down people in need, even if it was for something like a dance.

“You’re kidding, right? You’re going to spread some weird dance when we have a Moon to stop? We don’t have the time!” Tatl scolded, wondering just what was wrong with this kid! She swore, any time someone needed aid, he had to drop everything to help, despite the larger threat at hand! He was really some sort of goody-goody, wasn’t he?

“I might find an easy way. I can always try during a Break Cycle.” Link pointed out, not sure why Tatl got so worked up over stuff like this. If he did it between excursions to the four compass directions, what was the harm? Besides…he did feel a bit bad for Kamaro. He lingered behind due to his regrets, so Link especially wanted to help with that!

Tatl just wanted Link to focus on the quest at hand was all. Break Cycles should be used to rest, not run other errands! Then he can get back to questing shape as fast as possible and get all of this done sooner! The Kafei just enraged her the most, since she was so sure that the fiancé was just fleeing from the Moon and would return once everything was back to normal. “Whatever. Let’s just keep moving, okay? You’ve still got a mountain to climb…” And she sure hoped it ended better this time!

That was right, he had to try and reach the Gorons. Kamaro made for an…unusual distraction. “You’re right. Let’s go on.” He said, approaching the edge of the mushroom rock. Very carefully, he got as close to it as possible and hopped down to the snowy ground before. The white, cold material broke his fall a bit, and the distance wasn’t so bad that he’d have hurt himself badly anyway. Moments after Link landed, mounds of snow started to shift towards him, he knew he had seen something odd before!

“Oh! Wait!” Tatl cried, flying down towards Link, hovering by his shoulder. “I totally forgot to warn you about the Eenos! They come out at night from the snow!” The fairy warned.

Eenos? Link had never heard of those in Hyrule! As Tatl finished her warning, some of the snow mounds erupted from the ground, revealing unusual creatures! They really seemed to be living snow of some sort but had glowing yellow eyes along with large mouths. The creatures even had arms made of snow! There were about five of them, the Eenos varying in size, starting to pack up snow.

“They throw snowballs?” Link asked, wondering what the big deal was. Still, he readied his shield and hit one of the snowballs away as it got flung at him.

“It’s not the snowballs themselves you have to worry about!” Tatl declared. “Those just stun you, especially the really big ones. The Eenos will pin you down and bury you while stuffing your mouth full of snow until you suffocate and freeze!” The fairy explained, shivering a bit from revulsion.

What an awful way to go! Link sprinted towards the ramp leading to the mountains, using his shield to knock away snowballs. Some of these projectiles were actually really sizable, some of them the size of Link’s head! One, from an extra large Eeno, was the size of his torso! Thankfully, these weren’t able to hit him, and soon he had climbed to the wall of ice leading to the mountain proper, Tatl naturally at his side.

It was at this point that the Eenos stopped pursing up, apparently unable to head up the ramp, or perhaps they feared the cursed mountain. Relieved, Link readied his bow and did the same thing as last time, firing some arrows at the large chuck of ice up above. Stepping back as the ice fell at the wall, shattering it all to harmless, small chunks. Like before, biting cold winds soon blew from further up the mountain, hitting the two.

Link shivered a bit, getting his scarf on tighter around his face, the blue material clashing a bit with his otherwise green clothes. “Okay…we’ll go up until we find a good cave to huddle up in.” He said, starting to take a step forward.

“Wait!” Tatl cried, stopping Link in his tracks. He stopped to look at her, and she sort of froze in place. She knew what she had wanted to say, or at least do, but having him look at her with that black expression just made her freeze up. Gulping a bit, she sighed and just did what she wanted. The fairy dove at Link, getting underneath his tunic as she had the night in the cave, nestling in.

The Hylian was pretty stunned at this sudden action, staring down at Tatl for a few seconds before saying anything. “…What are you doing? I thought you said you’d only do that once.”

Tatl flushed in embarrassment, not that anyone would ever be able to tell due to the light she gave off. “Well…I mean, look what happened last time! You got sick and it set us back! I don’t want to do this, but I have to if you’re going to stay well!”

As it was, Tatl was providing him with some pleasant warmth that slowly spread through his body. Link couldn’t argue against her logic, he needed to be as warm as possible while outside and exposed to the elements. The clothing he had bought would help, but a little extra aid couldn’t hurt.

Really, Link was just surprised Tatl would be willing to do this at all. Her attitude having such a sudden shift was really starting to throw the boy off. Had she felt that bad about how sick he had gotten? Was this just out of some sort of pity? After all, he knew she was capable of it given her story about how she and Tael met the Skull Kid. She, as with Link, huddled with the imp to keep him warm.

While Link didn’t really want he and Tatl to grow close, he couldn’t argue with her intentions. It’d help him out a lot, he was sure, and he knew she’d be livid if he turned her down. Heck, maybe her feelings would even be really hurt if he denied her request. “…Alright, if that’s what you want to do.” The boy replied, starting to walk forward.

“Hey! I said I didn’t want to! I just…have to, okay?!” Tatl snapped back, crossing her arms angrily. The fairy wasn’t about to let Link get sick a second time. Honestly, if she saw Link like that a second time, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to stop herself from pitying him outright. Granted, there was that small part of her that felt bad for him…but she could at least fight it down at the moment…

Ignoring Tatl’s reply, Link simply focused on moving forward. As with the last trip up the mountain, there was little in terms of monsters that got in the way. No Tektites, and no Wolfos. He still had to bomb the large snow mounds along the way, always making sure to warn Tatl beforehand so she didn’t get mad at him. The fact that it was night made the trek a lot worse in terms of temperature. Even with the clothing and Tatl’s assistant, the Hylian shivered constantly as his teeth chattered uncontrollably. But the sun would be up before too long, Kamaro having taken up some time, along with the Eenos. He just had to keep moving until the sun came up, then he’d find a cave and take an hour or so nap before moving on…

As they went up, though, Link felt a sense of terror along the way. He hadn’t forgotten that unusual shadow that had stalked him the last time, the one that gave off that horrible noise! The way he saw it, there were two possibilities. One was that it couldn’t really exist unless it was a shadow cast over normal terrain. The second possibility was that it could exit among other shadows, and it could be just about anywhere

He kept his sword at the ready, as though he could fight a shadow with a blade, while keeping his ear open for its bellows. After about an hour, Link spoke up to Tatl. “Did you hear anything weird last time we went up? After you went under my hat?”

Tatl had just been nestled under Link’s tunic, trying to ignore the embarrassment of the situation. When he talked to her, she perked up and peeked out. “Huh? What do you mean? Heard what?” That pretty vague, after all…though either way, she had been asleep for the most part, so…

“I thought I heard some odd noises.” Link said, being vague on purpose, almost a bit embarrassed he even started asking at all. “They’re hard to describe…did you hear anything? At all?”

“Well, I don’t know what to even try to remember, so I guess not!” Tatl replied, rolling her eyes. “So stupid…” She grumbled, not totally over insulting Link every so often.

That was a bit closer to the old Tatl, which Link was almost relieved to see. Still, he felt stupid asking such a vague question. There was still that part of him that had no idea of that creature had even been real…or if it had just been a part of his imagination? He had seen things that weren’t really there before during his recovery. Mostly during the start of it, but they never went away entirely. Granted, it was always of stuff he had actually seen before, and they only lasted a second or two. This shadow thing lingered for a while, and he had never seen anything quite like it…

“Right. Well, just keep an ear open.” Link requested, wishing he hadn’t spoken up at all. Tatl gave no response, and just ducked back into his tunic. Withholding a sigh, he continued up the mountain, trying not to shiver too hard along the way…

Time went by at a crawl, but eventually, dawn started to break. This was when Link looked for a cave to bunker down in and managed to find one that was empty and simple like the last one. No Tektites, Wolfos, or any other creatures, and nowhere for anything to hide.

Only as Link sat at the far wall did Tatl finally leave his tunic. “How do you feel? Sick at all?” She asked, looking the boy over as he settled in. She managed to keep her voice neutral, forcing the worry out of it. Just a casual checking of Link’s health, she wasn’t concerned or anything…or at least that’s what she wanted him to believe.

“I just feel cold and tired…but not feverish.” Link replied, taking a few sips of water. “I’m going to sleep for about an hour, then keep going. The sun will be up more by then, so it shouldn’t be as bad…” And there was no rain n the mountain, it was far too cold. He remembered Zelda telling him about that, as there was never snow in the Lost Woods for him to even experience. It had bewildered him the first time he saw strange white shapes slowly falling from the sky…

“Good idea. Those Gorons better be close!” Tatl grumbled, diving back into Link’s tunic. “And don’t make a comment about it!” She quickly said, referring to her sleeping against him.

Link wasn’t going to, but he just shrugged her comment off and closed his eyes. “Right. Let’s just get a bit of rest…” He murmured, quickly slipping into a light sleep as the snow started to fall harder outside.

The Hylian found himself on a snowy, blank white mountain. He was only in his hat, tunic, shorts, and boots, yet he didn’t feel cold somehow. Without his weapons or other gear, he felt practically naked, though, especially since Tatl was nowhere to be found.

Wanting to get off the mountain, he started to head downward, trudging through the blindingly white snow as he tried to go as fast as he could. Though he didn’t feel any cold, his body moved slower than it should, even without considering the snow he had to walk through that went past his ankles!

No matter how far down he went, though, he didn’t seem to be making any progress at all! Of course, given how much of the mountain looked exactly the same, it was hard to tell for certain if he was getting anywhere or not…

His thoughts were interrupted as a horrid bellowing sound erupted from behind him. Whipping around, Link saw a vaguely humanoid shadow plastered onto the mountain! It was massive, dozens of times larger than the boy himself, and it quickly started to grow closer. The shadow slinked along the terrain, slithering without any sort of impediment from the deep snow like Link had to deal with.

Panicking, Link turned around and sprinted away from the shadowy being…that was, if the snow wasn’t stopping him from doing so. At most, he could move at a hurried trudge, but even that barely moved him along. Another bellow rang out, and the boy didn’t have to turn around to know the monstrosity was closing in on him fast and would reach him within moments!

Still, he tried to get away…but a few seconds passed, and he was suddenly hoisted into the air. He couldn’t see what was holding him, but Link was being held by his ankle, dangling upside down! The shadowy creature below started to change and morph, soon becoming an orb that was still flat against the snow. To Link’s horror, a single orange eye, like that of the grimacing Moon, appeared in the middle. Then, the outline of a mouth full of jagged teeth appeared and opened up.

Screaming at the top of his lungs, Link was released, and he fell into the shadowy maw…

The Hylian’s eyes snapped open as his breath caught in his throat. For a few seconds, he remained perfectly still, taking slow and deep breaths as he tried not to panic from his nightmare. The sunlight peeked in from the cave entrance, and he felt Tatl laid against his chest, just as she was when they fell asleep.

Reeling lightly from the nightmare, Link took a minute to catch his breath, trying to calm himself down. It really was a cruel joke that he remembered so many details of his nightmares, but in the rare times he had pleasant dreams, the specifics faded so quickly. Granted, he wasn’t sure when the last time he had a positive dream was. After a few minutes, he managed to calm himself down, lightly tapping Tatl to wake her up.

With a loud yawn, Tatl hovered from Link’s tunic and stretched a bit. “An hour already…?” She mumbled, rubbing at her eyes before glancing out of the cave. “At least it’s lighter, probably warmer…” Becoming a bit more awake, she suddenly looked to Link, glancing him over. “You feel okay? Not sick again, are you?” The fairy asked, keeping her toned almost accusatory.

Shaking his head, Link slowly stood up as he gathered up his gear. “No, I’m fine.” He replied, so distracted by his nightmare he forgot to even think about his sickness, or a lack of it. The Hylian really was feeling fine, or at the very least he didn’t have a fever. “Looks like the preparations helped.”

Tatl nearly let out a sigh of relief but held it back. No! She wasn’t going to be worried about this kid! At least, that’s the sort of thinking she tried to focus on, but she really had to force it! “So, we can get going, then? The Gorons gotta have warmer homes than these stupid caves…” She complained, diving back into Link’s tunic. “Come on, let’s get a move on!”

Link was hoping for the same thing, that the Gorons had warm abodes. The ones in Hyrule lived in such a hot area, so it made him wonder if they were really okay in all this ice and snow. He was also hoping that they were close by. If the Gorons were an entire three days, or more, away…he had no idea how he’d be able to proceed with his quest…

Shaking those thoughts away, the boy silently left the cave, bringing his sword out and looking around for danger. Specifically, he was looking for any unusual shadows…but saw none. Blinking a few time as the bright white snow in the sunlight nearly blinded him, the Hylian properly started going forward, starting to shiver within seconds from the severe cold.

The trip from that point was pretty uneventful, and it was hard to tell the time since the sun wasn’t very visible from the snow. On top of that, the scenery didn’t change much, just snow and ice and rocks everywhere one looked, so Link had trouble determining how fast he was going. Because of this, it didn’t feel like he was making much progress at all. One thing that did change, though, was the atmosphere. It started to feel a lot more oppressive and heavier than before, clearly whatever curse was surely on the mountain lingering in the air. It was a lot like how it was at the swamp, except there was no rotten smell, just the bitter cold all around them…

Still, though, eventually there was a pretty drastic change in scenery!

Link blinked a few times as the snowfall mostly stopped, though the ice and snow at his feet remained. In any case, the boy found himself in a flat clearing of sorts…a welcome change from the upward slopes of the mountain. There were a few hardy pine trees growing in the area, as well as a frozen pond going off into an icy river towards an entirely still waterfall. A large wall was on the opposite side of the pond, whatever was at the top out of sight. There was also a small bridge over the river, heading off further up the mountain.

However, the thing that stuck out most of all was a sign of civilization! Just a single one, though. In the middle of the clearing was a large wooden house, smoke billowing from its chimney meaning there was someone actually inside!

“Tatl…there’s a house here.” Link quietly called to his companion, gently tapping at the fairy-shaped lump in his clothing.

Once more, Tatl emerged from under Link’s tunic. Once more she stretched a bit, having dozed off as her companion got the two higher up the mountain. “A house…? Not the Goron Village?” She asked, turning to see the building in question. “There’s smoke…so someone’s in there…” The fairy pointed out. “Let’s take a look!”

“Shouldn’t we go to the Gorons first?” Link asked, surprised that Tatl would want to make a detour. She was usually the one rushing things, after all. Maybe she just really wanted to go indoors for a bit…

“What if a Goron lives there?” Tatl pointed out. “Who else would be all the way out here in the mountains?” The fairy went on. While, yes, a part of it was she wanted to be indoors for a bit, maybe whoever was there could tell the two how far away the Goron Village was.

Despite living in Termina her whole life, Tatl never went too far from Clock Town. She went near the swamps once or twice, but never entered the area properly. The mountains were too dull for her to want to explore, and the winter months were too freezing for her to even get close. Tatl did, however, go to the beach a number of times before. The warm sand and the calming waves were a favorite of hers, along with Tael and the Skull Kid. Of course, Tatl wasn’t foolish enough to ever wander to the East…

Link couldn’t argue with Tatl’s logic…and there was a part of him that simply wanted to rest inside such a cozy abode like the one before them. “Let’s hope they’ll take visitors.” The boy said, walking towards the cottage quickly. Thankfully, the snow in the area wasn’t nearly as high as before, most likely shoveled and kept in check by whoever lived in the cottage. Getting to the door fast, Link gave a few polite knocks, recalling how there was a time he had no idea what doors were or how to open them.

Almost instantly, there was a reply from the other side. It was a man’s voice, and it was pretty casual and cheerful. “Come in! Door’s open!” The man called.

The Hylian quickly did as invited, opening the door up so he and Tatl could duck inside. Once they were indoors, Link closed the door and let out a few shivers as he slowly got used to the warmth. The inside of the abode was as comfortable as the outside made it seem. It was very cozy, and the air was so warm that it was borderline stuffy. Of course, compared to the harsh winds and snow outside, a stuffy atmosphere was more than welcome.

Link and Tatl looked around, spotting a lit hearth right near the door, the flames crackling away and explaining the warmth. Ahead was a desk like a store would have, and an open doorway leading somewhere else in the building. To the right was a massive sword, one larger than Link’s entire body in both height and width, hung on the wall. Before this impressive blade was a man lounging on a couch, a table with some cups and a pot laid on it.

The man was very relaxed looking, and not even dressed for the environment outside. Rather than being all bundled up, he wore a blue leotard of sorts, one that left his arms and a lot of his torso exposed. Despite that, he was clearly comfortable, a tranquil expression on his face. Given the almost intense heat of the room, it was no surprise he didn’t dress too warmly.

“Geez…I wasn’t expecting it to be this warm in here…” Tatl murmured but was hardly complaining. “Wonder what that huge sword is for…” She pondered to herself, not even Link hearing her words. No way that weapon could be wielded by that guy on the couch. Even a Goron couldn’t properly use that thing…probably. Tatl had heard Gorons are extremely strong, but that sword was pretty ridiculous in its size…

After observing his guests, the man seemed a bit shocked, but quickly went back to looking calm. “A boy? A stranger all the way out here is surprising enough, but a child and a fairy? What are you two doing up here? Take a seat and have some hot cocoa! I insist!”

Link was pleasantly surprised at the man’s kindness. Not that he expected someone nasty to live in the home, but he had never been invited into someone’s house and offered cocoa. “Thank you, sir.” He said simply, letting the light blue scarf around his face loose as he sat down. The boy had wanted a green one to match his clothes, but no luck.

“Well, we can ask you the same thing!” Tatl said, sitting on Link’s shoulder as the boy poured himself a cup of cocoa and sipped at it. “What’s a human doing all the way up here? I’ve heard the mountains aren’t so bad in the spring, but…” As far as she knew, Gorons alone lived up North, but apparently not…

The man laughed a bit, as if Tatl asked something ridiculous. “You surely realize that this place is, right? It’s a smithy! Gorons are great at their craft, better than we ever could be, but they still come around. They taught us some techniques, and hire us for small, unimportant jobs. Enough of them to keep us living comfortably, at least.” He explained, and then looked between the boy and fairy. “I’m Zubora, by the way. And you are…?”

“I’m Link, and this is Tatl.” The boy replied, taking another sip of his cocoa. He had this a few times in the winter during his stay in the castle. His love for chocolate was one of the few things his condition hadn’t wrung out of him. “Thank you for letting us come in here.”

“Also, what’s this ‘we’ stuff? Who else lives here?” Tatl asked, looking around the room as if she was missing someone else’s presence.

Zubora leaned towards the open doorway on the other side of the room. “Hey! Gabora! Come out and greet our guests!” He yelled, sounding annoyed and grouchy to whoever Gabora was. His demeanor went back to normal as he turned back to the boy and fairy. “I’m sorry about that. Gabora can be pretty rude. A handful, really…”

Before Link or Tatl could respond at all, heavy footsteps made their way towards the trio. Within moments, a massive and terrifying shape emerged from the doorway. It was a hulking creature, one whose head would surely hit the roof if it wasn’t partially hunched over. The thing had huge muscles and wielded a hammer large enough to crush Link flat if swung on him. Its head was the most terrifying part, covered by an unusual metal helmet that hid any and all of its features from the neck up. As the entity entered the room, it let out a horrific, groaning yell.

In an instant, there was the sound of a breaking up, and a chair being toppled over. Link had erupted from his chair, Tatl flying off of him in a startled move, as he dropped his cup of cocoa. His hand went to his sword in the blink of an eye, and he drew his blade just as fast. Panting a bit, he stared down the figure, who seemed to be looking right back, though with that helmet, it was hard to tell.

“Link! Wait, I don’t think that’s a monster!” Tatl exclaimed, though she herself had been pretty surprised by what had to be Gabora. Was that guy even human? Didn’t seem to be a Goron…

At all the excitement, Zubora sat up properly. “Hey! Calm down there, kid! That’s just Gabora! He’s pretty scary, but he’s harmless!” The man insisted, turning towards the hulking creature. “Look what you did! You freaked the kid out!” He shouted, getting cross with Gabora once more. The massive man let out a softer groan, seeming almost apologetic.

For a few moments, Link didn’t even register he was being spoken to, either by Tatl or Zubora. His eyes were fixated on Gabora, his mind in the process of fight of flight. To the boy, the hulking being was a monster, and he had to determine if he could kill it or not. His hand gripped at his blade’s hilt so tightly, his knuckles turned white, and his palm started to ache. Link’s heart was racing, slamming against his ribcage as his breathing became shallow and swift.

Tatl noticed Link wasn’t calming down, floating down towards him. “Hey! You heard the guy! It’s okay!” She was afraid that the kid was actually going to charge Gabora. He had taken down a lot of monsters, but wasn’t sure he could win a fight against that thing…

It was the fairy’s words that finally snapped Link out of it. His breathing went from shallow breaths to deep pants as he looked around. Zubora and Tatl were staring at him, he toppled a chair over and broke a cup, spilling its contents on the floor. His blade was drawn, and it seemed like Gabora was staring at him as well, but with that helmet on, it was impossible to tell.

He realized how badly he messed up.

In an instant, without even waiting to find out if the large man was Gabora or not, he leapt into action and drew a weapon! The smithies allowed him and Tatl into their abode and he threatens one of them with his sword! What was he thinking?! Slowly, he put the sword back in its sheath and knelt down on the floor, starting to pick up pieces of the broken cup.

“I’m sorry. I thought he was a monster, and I acted without thinking.” The Hylian said, barely managing to keep himself composed and stoic throughout the entire situation. He felt like there were cracks forming in his mask…

Zubora cleared his throat, seeming a bit anxious almost. “Well…I guess I’d think the same thing. But hey, no one got hurt, so it’s okay, right?”

Tatl watched as Link silently cleaned the mess he had made, the fairy pretty freaked out about what happened. What was wrong with this kid? He’s been so weird since she met him…but what made him this way? She knew little of Hyrule, but was it really a place where someone like him was normal? No, couldn’t be. Imagining him fitting in anywhere just didn’t seem right to her. And she didn’t think that in a mean way, but she just couldn’t see Link with a lot of others like him. Something about him just screamed outsider…

Soon, all the pieces were gathered up and put in a trash can in the corner of the room. “I’m sorry again. We’ll leave now and get out of your home.” Link droned, looking to Zubora with his dead eyes. He felt like it was the right thing to do after the trouble he caused.

“It’s really okay, kid. Just a broken cup is all!” The smaller smithy insisted, starting to lie back down again. Yet despite his more relaxed tone, he kept staring at Link’s dull eyes, as if he just noticed how inhuman they were.

“We need to be going anyway. We have things we have to do.” Link flatly insisted. Even if he hadn’t ruined everything, he didn’t intent for him and Tatl to stay long anyway.

At that, Zubora let out a small sigh. “Well, no like I can make you stay. But hey, what are you two doing here anyway? Especially with this freaky long winter going on?”

Tatl perked up, trying to ignore what had just happened. “That’s right! Hey, you know where the Goron Village is, right? Is it close? That’s where we’re going!”

Scratching the back of his neck, Zubora seemed pretty surprised. “Really now? Well, it’s dangerous up here, but I’m sure you figure that already. Luckily, the village is right around the corner! Yeah, just go around back, go over the bridge, and it’s maybe five minutes away. Can’t miss it!”

Despite the situation that just occurred, Link felt a massive sense of relief. He had braced himself to hear that the Gorons were still several days away or something horrible like that. Knowing they were just a short walk away took a weight off his shoulders. “Thank you. Sorry again for everything.”

Zubora waved his hand at Link. “Don’t worry about it! I gotta say, though, apparently some trouble’s gone down at the village. I don’t know what, but apparently it’s really bad. The Gorons are usually the nicest folks around, but they might be a bit less warm and welcoming than usual…”

That was surprising to hear. What was going on with the Gorons? At the very least, it was good to know that the Gorons in Termina didn’t seem too different from the ones in Hyrule, at least in personality. “Thank you, again. We’ll be going now.” Link said, unable to even glance at the two smithies as he left, Tatl right behind him.

It was a real nasty slap to the face, stepping out in the cold again after experience the stuffy warmth of the quaint cabin. The two instantly started to shiver, Tatl diving into Link’s tunic. “Hey, at least we’re close!” The fairy piped up, trying to stay positive and to keep Link’s little episode out of their mouths.

Link decided to try and ignore what happened too. No use going on about it at this point, even if he felt humiliated and ashamed over it. His body had just acted on its own! “Yeah. Just a bit more and we’ll be at the village.”

With that, Link started to go towards the bridge as instructed. Halfway to it, he slowed down and looked over his shoulder. Somehow…he felt like he was being watched…yet he didn’t see anyone or anything nearby. He felt like it was coming from that odd wall off to the side of the area…but why? Nothing was there! Trying to ignore it, he just kept going and over the bridge.

Before Link could go on the path proper to the Goron Village, a voice called out. “Hello…? Anyone there?” It shouted, sounding itself like a Goron!

“What the…?” Tatl asked, peeking out from Link’s tunic. “Who was that?” She asked, looking about. “Did you hear that voice?”

“Up here!” The voice shouted out. Link and Tatl looked to see a small alcove of sorts in the rock and ice. High above was indeed a Goron! He was a bit on the smaller side, and he was shivering terribly in the cold. What was odd, though, was that he was wearing a strange mask on his head that looked a bit like a frog. When the Goron saw the boy and fairy noticed him properly, he seemed more relieved. “Thank goodness, I thought I was done for!”

“What are you doing up there?!” Tatl called, floating out of Link’s tunic. “Shouldn’t you be at the village?!”

The Goron let out a sigh as he shivered on. “Look, it’s a bit of a long story, but…I just sort of got stuck up here, okay?” He said, as if somehow the circumstances around his stranding were embarrassing somehow. “I can’t get down; I have no energy! Please, get me something to eat! A rock, a fine, chewy rock! Maybe it will get me the energy…”

Well, Link couldn’t just leave the poor Goron up there to starve! “Where could I get one?” The boy called up. “At the village?”

“You’re going to the village? Good! Get a rock for me and I’ll repay you, I promise!” The Goron insisted, letting out another series of rough shivers.

For once, Tatl didn’t admonish Link for wanting to help someone. Even if time would undo the good deed, they couldn’t just leave that Goron to starve to death. The fairy could be mean but ignoring a dying Goron begging for help was just downright evil! “How are we going to get it up there?” She asked Link.

“We’ll find some way. A Goron could help.” Link replied before looking back up to the Goron. “Okay, we’ll get you a rock. Just hold on as long as you can.”

With a newfound urgency, Link started to nearly run ahead on the path, Tatl quickly catching up and diving into his tunic. On top of all the other Gorons on the mountain he had to aid, Link had to make sure to help one starving to death. Surely he’d be able to get some aid for the poor Goron up on that ledge. Leaving someone to just die in the cold was something the boy couldn’t accept! After that, he’d surely find a Temple of sorts to cleanse, if the events in the South were any indication.

And, hopefully, he’d find a way to permanently free the Giants…

Chapter Text

The walk from the smithy’s wasn’t too bad, not nearly as much as the trip upward. Link found that the ground all the way forward was flat and even, all that was really intrusive was the snow that went past his ankles. At the very least he didn’t have to climb upward in such conditions. Shivering, he felt the oppressive atmosphere grow with each step, clearly the heart of the curse growing slowly closer.

Tatl was just relieved they were almost there. Though she never talked about it, she also had the same worry as Link, if the Gorons were too far away to reach in time. It was still a lot more of a trip than to the South, but maybe they’d find a faster way down the road.

It was as Zubora said, the Goron Village was very close by! Within just a few minutes, the two rounded the corner and arrived! Granted, there was a lot less to see than expected. The village simply consisted of several large, stone buildings caked with snow that stuck out of the icy ground. Off past the buildings was an edge to the mountain leading to open sky and a sheer drop downward.

Moving into the village properly, Link looked around and didn’t spot anyone at all. Tatl poked her head out, taking a look around too, but seeing no one. “I guess they’re all inside?” The fairy suggested. “I would be too if I were them…”

“I hope they’re all okay. What if the cold got to them?” Link wondered aloud as he slowly walked through the village. It was such a far cry from the Goron City back in Hyrule. There it was built within the mountain, nice and warm, bustling with activity and life, and felt so welcoming. This village was out in the open, cold, dead, and seemed to lack any citizens. Not that Link could blame the Gorons for the state of the village…it was all due to that horrid mask the Skull Kid stole…

“If that one other Goron back there was okay, these ones are probably fine too.” Tatl pointed out but understanding Link’s worry. As the two went along, she spotted a figure shivering by the largest building in the village. “There!” She exclaimed, pointing it out. “I think that’s a Goron!”

Quickly going to where Tatl was pointing, Link saw the figure as well. As he got closer, he saw it was indeed a Goron, shivering in the cold! This Goron turned to Link and Tatl, eyes widening at the sight. “Huh? What? A human child? What are you doing all the way up here?” He asked, teeth chattering lightly. “Don’t you know it’s so very dangerous on this mountain these days?”

“We’re aware.” Link answered simply. “I need to talk to the Gorons inside.” He bluntly went on, glancing to the door and seeing no real means of opening it. “How do I get in?” Hopefully he was even allowed to go in…

The Goron shook his head. “Oh, humans can’t get in on their own! Only Gorons can open this door, but I can only let other Gorons in right now. The Goron Shrine here is very sacred, and the Gorons in there will be blasted with the cold if I open the door. So, I can only open it for emergencies!”

“This is an emergency, though!” Tatl exclaimed, flying out of Link’s tunic. “Look, there’s a Temple up here, right? I’m sure it’s under some kind of curse, isn’t it? Also, you’ve got a Goron starving back near the smithy’s place!”

“What? A starving Goron? I can’t enter the building…I have to keep guard. But if someone comes out, I’ll tell them what happened!” The gatekeeper lightly argued. “And you mean the Snowhead Temple? Yes, something weird is going on with it, and our hero, Darmani III, went to try and help a few days ago, but…he perished!” The Goron sniffled, whether from the cold or grief, it was hard to tell. “We just finished making a grave for him, too! Oh, poor Darmani…!”

Oh, that was awful…! The Gorons lost their hero? What was worse was that apparently he died multiple days ago, so no matter what Link did, preventing this death was impossible! “I’m sorry you lost someone important, but we still need to get in.” Link insisted, hoping the softer words might sway the Goron.

Unfortunately, the Goron kept sniffling and even began to sob! It seemed he just didn’t hear a word that Link had even said! Before the Hylian could repeat himself, a large shadow passed over him, and he looked up. Flying by, to his shock, was Kaepora Gaebora! The massive owl flew past the three at the ground and towards the area where the mountain dropped off.

“Hey, maybe he can be helpful. This guy sure won’t be…” Tatl whispered up to Link as the Goron kept sniffling and praying under his breath.

Link still had no idea if this owl was the same one he met in Hyrule somehow or some other entity…but he supposed he’d kick himself if he didn’t exhaust all his options. “We can try.” The boy said simply, leaving the gatekeeper Goron to his misery as he went towards where the avian being flew to.

The boy and fairy stared on as they neared the mountain edge. As it turned out, the ground wasn’t visible at all, just clouds, the sky beyond, and mist. At least that’s how it should have been. Not far from the edge was a strange floating chunk of ice with an opening in it, like a cave. It was just in the open air, despite how blatantly impossible that was! Granted, it was hardly the oddest sight that either of them had seen. Though, there was one more thing to see far, far beyond that chunk of ice.

A long way away, off to the East, was a massive tower. It broke through the clouds like some sort of growth, the structure brown and larger than any building the two had ever seen before! Much larger than the Clock Tower, and Link could tell it dwarfed Hyrule Castle with ease! On top of that, the two felt sick to their stomachs as they looked at the tower. Despite how far away it was, it seemed to be looming right over them, oppressing the two with its mere existence regardless of its distance.

Link knew that one compass direction had to hold the home of the Zoras, and he couldn’t imagine them living in a place like that, so they surely lived to the West. With that in mind…just what was wrong with the East? Just looking at one of its structures filled him with a revolting dread so intense, he barely even noticed how cold it was anymore. And, knowing his luck, something told him he’d have to venture into that tower at some point…

Tatl felt unusual too, a sickened sensation in her stomach as she gazed at the tower. Being a fairy, she sensed the sort of vague wrongness that resonated from that structure more than Link could. Whatever the story was behind that tower, it couldn’t be a happy one. She had heard so many awful tales about Ikana, that she never dared venture there…but did what she see meant the legend of the Stone Tower was actually real…?

“Hoo! Up here, you two!” A familiar voice called, snapping the boy and fairy out of their thoughts.

As it turned out, the two had been so distracted that they didn’t realize the massive owl was right above them, perched on one of two wooden posts built into the ground. He gazed down at the pair with a curious and almost amused look. “Oh, right…” Tatl murmured, snapping out of her minor trance. “What are you doing up here anyway?”

“Me? Why, keeping an eye on the two of you, of course!” The owl replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “I was right about you, fairy child.” He went on, looking to Link and not seeming to notice the boy clutching his fists. “You’ve impressed me, and I believe you’ll free the land of its fate in due time! Hoo!”

“What makes you think that? I’ve made so little progress.” Link pointed out, having felt some annoyance as he was referred to as ‘fairy child’. It just got under his skin, and he couldn’t quite explain why. Maybe it just reminded him of Navi, rather than making him think of Tatl…

Kaepora Gaebora turned his head upside down, so his eyebrows became a fake mustache, and the spots on his chin became false eyes. “Ah, but you made it to the swamp, and you climbed this mountain! Is that not progress? It certainly shows strength! Alas, the road ahead is far more challenging, and the obstacles numerous!”

Tatl scoffed. “Is that all you came up here to tell us? That things will just get harder? That’s not helpful, you know!” The fairy snapped, really not liking this owl at all…

It seemed the fairy’s words didn’t deter the massive bird, as he let out a hooting laugher for a few moments. “Encouragement is good for you; don’t you know that? As are warnings. And here is another…the Gorons are in far more trouble than they seem. If this goes on, the mountain will grow colder and colder…up until no living being can survive!”

“Can you help us, then? Is there a cursed Temple here? Is it close by?” Link asked, remembering why he went over to talk to Kaepora Gaebora in the first place. He was hoping the owl would have some answers for him.

Turning his head upside up again, the large bird hooted again. “There is! Snowhead Temple lies close by, but you’ll need some help getting there. In fact, you’ll need a special item that is held within Lone Peak Shrine.” He raised a wing, using it to point to the floating rock.

“And how are we supposed to get there?! I mean I can, so is this item small enough for me to lift?” Tatl asked, not able to carry too much weight. Some grapes are fine, but anything much larger than that was no deal.

“It’s simple! I will fly across the gap and open the way! I assure you it’s very much possible!” Kaepora Gaebora responded, as if it were really so simple. “I will warn you to use your eyes and let Courage guide you. It may seem scary or impossible, but I assure you that I must be trusted! Are you ready to proceed?”

Link didn’t exactly see much choice. He never liked Kaepora Gaebora much, whether this was truly the one from Hyrule or a copy…but the Hylian had no reason to distrust him either. “Okay, I’m ready.” The boy said simply, just wanting to get this over with.

Kaepora Gaebora clearly approved, letting out another hooting laughter. “So full of Courage, though I’d expect nothing less! Prepare yourself and keep your eyes sharp!” With that, the owl started to take off into the air. Slowly, he flew towards Lone Peak Shrine, seeming to really shake his wings more than usual. As he did this, feathers notably dropped from the owl, falling downward slowly.

Approaching the edge, Link kept his eyes sharp as he was told, trying to see what it was that Kaepora Gaebora wanted him to witness. After a few moments, he realized what was going on, his eyes widening a bit as he saw what the owl had meant. As the feathers fell, a few simply stopped in midair! They came to a stop as if resting on something, just floating in front of his eyes!

But…he had encountered something like this before…things that weren’t what they seemed. It reminded him of the Lens of Truth and how it could uncover things visible and invisible alike. In his head, he heard the beating of drums and quickly shook those thoughts away.

“Invisible…platforms?!” Tatl gasped out, reaching the same conclusion Link did. “Floating invisible platforms?! Is that even possible?!” She exclaimed, floating over to one of the feathers. Slowly, she descended next to it, flinching as she felt herself land on a solid surface! It was very surreal, feeling something solid beneath her feet, but looking down and seeing nothing but open sky. Turning back to Link, she started to really worry. “Uh, are you sure you want to do this…?” There was no telling how much weight these platforms could take, or how big they were. What if he jumped short of one or overshot by mistake?

It wasn’t as if Link had a choice but to risk his life, a predicament he found himself in far more often than most other people. He watched as Kaepora Gaebora flew past the Lone Peak Shrine and off into the distance, then back down to where Tatl was. The boy openly steadied himself to run and jump, prompting Tatl to float out of the way.

Trying to just not think about the situation, Link sprinted to the edge and leapt…landing right next to the first feather. Like with Tatl, things felt horribly surreal for him as he stared down at his feet that were firmly planted on what appeared to be open air. “Just have to keep moving, it’s fine.” He said both to himself and to Tatl, who seemed pretty concerned for his safety.

Looking again, Link saw about six more feathers between where he was and the shrine. Taking a deep breath, he slowly shuffled his feet forward, extending a leg every second or two to feel out for the platform’s edge. His heart practically leapt out of his chest when his foot hit open air, and he took a step back. With another deep breath, he leapt to the next feather, aiming to land right next to it.

Tatl just watched with heavy worry as Link slowly went from one platform to the next. She didn’t want to say anything or make any sound to break his concentration. One bad move and that was it…he was finished. At most maybe he could play the Song of Time as he fell, but that was a gamble she didn’t want to see play out.

So, the fairy held her breath as Link slowly moved forward, silently urging the boy to be careful. Despite her trying to be quiet, she let out a startled scream as Link leapt to a platform and staggered a bit and teetering at the invisible edge. Thankfully, he managed to catch himself, taking a step back and panting heavily as he gained his footing. Despite this, even with his heavy breathing, his face was still somehow like a statue’s in a manner that really disturbed Tatl. Even now, after almost plummeting to his death, he still showed no emotion?!

Flying in front of Link’s face, Tatl spoke up. “Giants abound, are you okay?! You almost fell there!” Honestly, she was checking on him sincerely…but also partly trying to provoke some sort of emotion out of him. Relief, fear…something…anything…

Link had very nearly yelled out himself when he nearly fell, but only just managed to keep composed. Still, he couldn’t keep himself from panting a bit, all the air in his body seeming to have left him in an instant as he nearly went over the edge. He wasn’t very surprised by Tatl’s clear worry. Even when she first met him and despised him openly, she surely wouldn’t want him plummeting to his death.

…Maybe.

“I’m okay. Almost there, just one more platform.” The Hylian replied, again speaking both to himself and to Tatl. Naturally, he was terrified at the moment, but just refused to show it. After catching his breath, he leapt to the final platform and then quickly to the entrance to the Lone Peak Shrine.

Letting out a relieved breath, Tatl landed on Link’s shoulder. “I don’t think I could’ve done that.” She admitted, having felt freaked out by just standing on an invisible platform despite her ability to fly if she stepped off of it. “Doesn’t anything freak you out?” Once more, the fairy kept thinking about how totally abnormal Link was. Something had to have happened to him in the past. People weren’t just born like this…right?

Of course, Link dismissed her words, especially since she once more seemed to assume that because he showed no emotions that he felt no emotions. “Don’t worry about it.” Was all he said in response, enticing a sigh from the fairy as he stepped into the entrance he risked his life to reach.

The inside of the Lone Peak Shrine was very small and very simple. I consisted of only a single room, and that room had little in it. There was a hole in the ceiling, letting light in above a pedestal about Link’s height. On it was a single, very familiar object. Link couldn’t believe his eyes, his blood going cold as he slowly approached. It couldn’t be…what was something like this doing here?!

Yet, as he picked up the object, he couldn’t deny what it was: The Lens of Truth.

Or, at least, it was some sort of copy. He turned the purple magnifying glass in his hand, hearing the hammering drums in his mind once more. The boy felt white, decayed hands groping at his legs and arms, and he smelled the breath of a rotten, decaying monster.

Mistaking his pause for one of confusion or wonderment, Tatl floated off of Link’s shoulder and took a closer look at the object. “What the heck is this thing? A big, fancy magnifying glass?”

Link didn’t really realize Tatl spoke at first, the sharp image of a red eye piercing his mind. He found it hard to breath, and the beating of drums grew increasingly frantic with each passing moment. The boy closed his eyes for a few seconds before opening them again, trying to force himself to calm down…or at least enough to speak.

It was only after this did the boy realize what Tatl said to him. “Apparently. It must have some use.” He said, going with the natural instinct of pretending not to know what the object is or what it does. Slowly, heart slamming against his ribcage, he raised the Lens of Truth to his face to take a look. The last thing he wanted was to use this object again, but apparently he had no choice.

It almost felt like Termina itself was trying to torture him. He kept seeing familiar faces around Clock Town, in the swamp, and even in the mountains if Gorons in general were factored in. The Giants refused to remain free, ensuring that the boy would have to repeat his three day Cycle over and over and over again. Now he was clutching an object directly tied into the worst experience he ever had in his life, which was saying a lot given the horrors he faced on his first quest. The ordeal in that Well and in the Shadow Temple had been so bad that he hadn’t been able to step foot within Kakariko Village a single time without having a breakdown. Heck, even after two years, he could barely tolerate looking at Impa. The land itself seemed to just be toying with the boy, taunting him in any way it could as if it were designed just for his despair…

It took all of Link’s energy not to show fear and he was barely able to stop himself from just breaking down in tears as he peered through the Lens of Truth. He fully expected to see a massive red eye looking back at him…but he saw nothing at all instead. He gazed about the room; his throat tightened as his breath stopped but…there was nothing there. No abominations anywhere as he expected and feared…

“Well? What happened?! Can you see anything weird?” Tatl asked, still oblivious to Link’s internal panic. She had no idea what the weird magnifying glass could do, so she was just guessing it’d help Link see something.

The Hylian shook his head, putting the Lens of Truth down. He still had to wonder why this thing was here at all. Combined with the Mask of Truth, it once more caused him to ponder about if any Sheikah were in Termina. If Dekus, Gorons, and Zoras were in this world, it wouldn’t be that unusual for the Sheikah to be present too. It was just odd, as no one had mentioned the race, and he saw no actual Sheikah anywhere…

“No, but I have an idea.” Link said, walking towards the shrine exit, Tatl following him. As he got to the edge of the entrance, he slowly raised the Lens of Truth again. Clearly, his hunch was right as floating stone platforms suddenly became visible to him. It was a good thing, too, since the feathers that had rested on them had blown away since the two entered the Lone Peak Shrine.

“Wait, can you see the platforms with that thing?” Tatl asked, floating by Link’s head to try and peek through it. He shifted it a bit so the fairy could look as well, her eyes widening as the platforms became visible to her. “Oh, wow! That’s actually pretty cool!” She lightly praised. “I wonder what other invisible things are around Termina…but who is that guy over at the mountain…?” The fairy spotted a large figure near where they started, but the distance and snowfall made it hard to make out who or what it was.

What? Guy? Link looked through the lens more carefully at that. He was paying so much attention to the platforms that he hadn’t noticed the figure standing beyond them. His heart started to drop, and his blood went cold as he lowered the Lens of Truth and saw the figure vanish. What was he seeing with the lens, then? A monster? A spirit or ghost of some sort? He couldn’t imagine anyone alive and well could be invisible like that…

“I don’t know, but let’s be careful. It only appears through the lens, after all.” Link responded, not sure of the figure’s intentions, if it had any. Raising the Lens of Truth again, the Hylian slowly started to go back over the platforms again, the return trip naturally far easier. Every time he got to another platform, though, Link would look at the figure once more.

It never moved from its spot, just standing there, and staring off towards the Lone Peak Shrine. Though that wasn’t even entirely accurate, as when Link got closer, he saw the figure was floating! He started to make out other details as well with each platform he hopped across. The figure turned out to be a Goron, or what seemed to be the spirit of one. It had grey skin, and its legs faded away before they hit the ground, making the entity float. There were tattoos on its arms, and what seemed to be a large, fatal scar along its belly.

Link stopped at the last platform, staring at the Goron’s spirit, who stared right back at him. Tatl, meanwhile, floated above Link’s head, looking at the empty space where she remembered the figure what. “What is it? What do you see? A person? A monster?” The fairy asked, feeling nervous and paranoid that someone or something was in front of her that could see her, but not vice versa.

“A Goron.” Link responded, basically whispering out of nervousness that the spirit could see him. “Or the ghost of one. It’s all grey, and it doesn’t have legs.” He said, staring at the unusual figure through the Lens of Truth.

That made Tatl shiver a bit, grimacing at the description. “That’s creepy! First that dancing guy and now this?! Enough of the ghosts!” The fairy complained, wondering of something was just up with Northern Termina given how many spirits they’ve come across…

Without warning, the Goron’s spirit turned to look Link directly in the eyes, causing him to flinch. “You there, boy…” The ghost rumbled, his voice naturally deep and intimidating. “Is it…possible that you can see me? Can you hear me?” He asked, his tone hopeful and even a bit sad.

Link quickly realized that he was being a bit foolish being so scared of this spirit before. Gorons had always been some of the nicest people he had ever met in his life. Even when dead, surely a member of said race would be kind and not at all hostile. So, he decided to give the spirit a chance. “…Yes, I can see you.” The Hylian responded after a moment of pause. “Why are you here? Who are you?” That one Goron had mentioned a fallen hero…could this be him, maybe?

“I will explain later on. Please, for now, you must follow me.” The spirit said. Without waiting for Link to respond, the Goron’s ghost turned and started to float away, heading in the direction of the smithies.

The Hylian, not concerned about the spirit’s intentions, leapt from the platform to the main mountain and started to follow after the spirit, Lens of Truth in position at all times as not to lose the ghost.

“Hey! What’s going on?!” Tatl asked, not having been looking through the lens so having been unable to see or hear the Goron’s ghost. “Don’t tell me you’re following that thing! Is that really a good idea?!” She went on, having a pretty good guess at Link’s intentions…

“He told me to.” Link responded simply, continuing to follow the deceased Goron. “Have you ever met a mean Goron?” He asked with sincerity.

Tatl thought about that…and quickly drew a blank. Granted, she never encountered many Gorons, but all the ones she did see or talk to were very nice and polite. “Well…no…but it’s still a spirit!”

“So was Kamaro.” The boy pointed out. While a tad annoying and eccentric, the dancing spirit wasn’t mean or anything like that. “I think this might be the hero, Darmani III, that other Goron talked about.” Link went on to explain.

The fairy quickly realized what Link was planning here and couldn’t find fault with it. “So, he’d know more about the Temple and how to get there!” She exclaimed, feeling it was a good idea. “Okay, fine, but just be careful of it attacking you or whatever, okay?”

Was that…concern? No, surely not. Link quickly shook the thought away, pursing the Goron along with Tatl. They went out of the Goron Village, past the shivering, starving Goron that didn’t seem to notice them, and even past where the smithies lived. The spirit lead the two to the wall near the cottage, and it was only with the Lens of Truth did Link see that there were metal railings leading upward, which was good as the Goron’s spirit floated up to the top.

This would be a bit awkward with one hand, but Link stated his climb up the wall. He held back a wince; the metal very painful against his palm as he went up the railings slowly. Though he looked, he wasn’t able to find gloves at Clock Town, so he had to deal with his hands being bare as he went up the mountain. It was a miracle all his fingers still worked, really.

Tatl was a bit weirded out, watching Link climb, from her perspective, up nothing as he went upward. She could only assume some sort of ladder or something that was normally invisible allowed him to do this. All she could really do was watch him go up, floating along him slowly as they got closer and closer to the top.

Before long, Link was able to get to the top of the wall, burying his stinging hand underneath his opposite armpit to try and warm it up. Looking around, he saw there was little up at the wall’s top. There was a manmade opening in the mountain wall, and two living Gorons nearby it. Or, at least, there was one. One was shivering terribly, while the one next to him seemed frozen solid, and the boy wasn’t sure if he was alive or not.

The living Goron didn’t seem to notice him, murmuring to himself as he shivered in the cold and had his eyes wrenched shut. Link decided he’d check in on this Goron after he found out what the spirit wanted. Speaking of which, looking through the Lens, Link saw that the ghost was floating before the entrance, looking to the Hylian expectantly.

“Thank you for following me this far.” The spirit said, glancing at the two Gorons nearby with a heavy sadness before looking back to Link. “Please, just a bit further…” With that, he turned and floated into the manmade opening.

“This better be a good idea…” Tatl murmured, floating along with Link as they follow the spirit once more.

Inside the manmade entrance was a cave of sorts, torches lit with unusual blue flames illuminating the area. Yet, there wasn’t much to see. Rocky outcrops here and there, but also manmade stone spikes out of the ground, and then a stone slab of sorts in the center. It was at this slab that the spirit awaited Link and Tatl. Getting closer, Link saw the slab had a carving of the Goron’s spirit’s face on it, with some writing underneath that he naturally couldn’t read. Was this a gravestone, then…?

“The soaring one said the one who could see me would be arriving soon...” The ghost said as the boy and fairy approached. “I waited there near the Lone Peak Shrine, and then you came along, braving those invisible platforms. I never knew that the treasure within that place could allow one to see ghosts, yet here you are! Once more, I thank you for following me as I requested.”

At this point, Link held the Lens of Truth so that he and Tatl could look through it at the same time, so now the fairy could see and hear the Goron’s ghost. “Alright, we’ve come far enough!” The fairy exclaimed. “Who are you anyway?”

“Ah, I should have introduced myself earlier.” The spirit said, not seeming phased by Tatl’s attitude. “I am Darmani III, and I am a proud warrior and hero of the Gorons.” He introduced, then gave a light, miserable sigh. “At least, I used to be. As I’m sure you’ve gathered, this is my grave.” Darmani went on, gesturing to the stone slab in the middle of the room.

“We heard about you.” Link said, seeing that his earlier assumption was correct. “How did you die? Where is the Snowhead Temple?” A bit insensitive to ask so bluntly, that he knew, but he needed the information. Over the last two years, the boy had become increasingly straight to the point regarding things…

Darmani seemed a bit more surprised at Link than at Tatl, staring the boy in the eyes. In a way, they almost looked more dead than the one belonging to the ghost himself. “A demonic entity was rampaging across the mountain and causing a horrible blizzard to disturb our spring. Like a fool, I marched to Snowhead on my own, but this powerful gust came from nowhere and flew me off the edge off a cliff to my death.” The spirit buried his eyes in his hand in grief and embarrassment. “I didn’t even make it to the Temple before I died! What sort of warrior am I?!”

Tatl actually felt bad for the Goron, if only a bit. He shouldn’t have gone alone, but he died trying to help his people. The fairy could be mean, maybe even cruel at times, but even she couldn’t hear that sort of situation and feel nothing. “That’s awful, but we still need to know where the Temple is. We’re trying to go there too and stop this winter and this curse!”

“You two? A boy and a fairy?” Darmani asked, raising his head up properly. “Such a dangerous task…yet you made this far, I suppose…” The spirit mused. “Well, you can’t get there on your own. Only Gorons can open the way, and only the Goron Elder can give permission to open this path.”

“We tried to get into the village, but the gatekeeper wouldn’t let us in.” Link explained with a light shake of the head. “We didn’t even see the Elder.”

Darmani nodded, looking troubled. “I see. It must be to keep the cold out…” Once more, he buried his eyes in his hand. “Oh, my poor people! They’re suffering in this bitter cold! Since my death, all I’ve been able to do was watch! None of them can see nor hear me, so I can’t even offer them words of encouragement! Oh, I’d do anything to help them! Anything…!” Again, he raised up his head, staring at Link. “…And that’s why I asked you to come up here.”

“What do you mean? Why bring me here?” Link asked, not really understanding what Darmani was getting at. Like Tatl, he took felt pity for the Goron Hero. He understood what it was like to see a community in peril, knowing there was nothing to be done to help. Hyrule Castle Town had been destroyed entirely after Ganondorf took it over, and the boy was only able to despair at the destruction and the lives lost…

“That soaring one told me one other thing.” The spirit began, his tone a bit more hopeful. “He said you could use magic? Is that true? Can you?” As Link gave a slight nod, Darmani let out a joyous noise. “Thank the Giants! Please, you must use your magic to bring me to life! If you can’t do that…at least heal my spirit…allow me to rest so I can stop gazing upon my people’s despair…”

Feeling his throat tighten, Link glanced from Darmani’s spirit and his grave. Yes, it made sense why he brought the two here. Where else would he be able to bring the dead Goron back to life? Except…he couldn’t do that. “I don’t have the power to bring back the dead.” Link replied flatly, though he really wished he could. “But I can heal you, if you really want me to.”

“Yes! Please! I know it’s a lot to ask, but if I can’t help my people, I wish to at least move on!” The ghost begged, clasping his hands together in a begging gesture. “After that, you can tell the Goron at the gate what you saw and show him the treasure you have! Surely then he’ll let you in!”

Withholding a sigh, Link placed the Lens of Truth through his belt and got his Ocarina ready. It wasn’t that he was against healing Darmani, it’s just…a small part of him was jealous. He knew this would work, and he just wished he could do something like this for himself, that he could just play a simple song and all his woes would melt away…

Bringing the instrument to his lips, Link closed his eyes and slowly played the Song of Healing once more. The soothing notes bounced along the cave walls, as if trying to fill every nook and cranny within the area with its healing powers. Soon, these sounds faded away, the room going dead silent.

In an instant, Darmani appeared before Link and Tatl, the Lens of Truth no longer necessary. The fairy let out a startled noise, but quickly composed herself as the spirit gaped at them in shock. “Did…it work?” Tatl asked, speaking to both Link and Darmani.

“I…can feel it…” The spirit replied, placing his hands on Link’s shoulders. To the boy’s discomfort, he could actually feel their weight as if they belonged to a living being. “I can feel my sorrows fading…!” He let out a sigh of content. “Young man, I leave the fate of my people onto you. You must shoulder what I couldn’t do and save my race! Of that, I beg of you!”

Link stared up at Darmani, shocked at the blatant and forceful request. The dying warrior was dropping all his responsibilities onto a twelve year-old! It reminded him of his fate as the supposed Hero of Time he was meant to be. Before the Hylian could argue or say anything at all, the ghost started to fade away. The spirit melted into sparking lights that floated out of the cave and upwards to the sky. As the last bits of light faded away, the clanking of wood rang out as a mask fell to the floor. It was shaped like a Goron, its eyes staring up lifelessly to the ceiling.

Slowly, Link bent over and picked the mask up and stared at it, realizing right away it was special, just like the Deku Mask. That thought was quickly shoved out of his mind as he thought about Darmani’s final words. The ghost shoved his troubles and responsibilities onto someone else and then just…moved on peacefully. Just like that.

Why was it so simple for him?

Link stood before the painting, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. It was a portrait he had seen numerous times as he went through the halls of the castle. For some reason, on this specific day, he stopped to stare at it, a rage boiling in his gut. The painting depicted three majestic, womanly figures amongst the clouds, the Triforce formed between them. It was clearly meant to be the Golden Goddesses in all of their glory.

To Link, though, all he felt was anger as he stared at them. Even after a few months of his quest ending, he still harbored a hateful grudge against those that created Hyrule and placed him on that journey in the first place. For whatever reason, they decided a boy who had lived a peaceful life was the perfect candidate for their plans. And, no matter what, he’d never forgive them.

By pure chance, Zelda was passing through that hall. She saw Link standing there, hair disheveled, heavy shadows under his eyes, and wearing nothing but his green nightgown that went past his knees. His hands were clenched in clear anger, and he was openly glaring at the Golden Goddesses, his mask not having reformed by this point.

Slowly, she approached Link, the boy noticing her on his own, his hands letting go as he glanced away from the Princess. “Link, are you alright?” The young girl asked, knowing full well that he wasn’t alright at all.

“I’m fine.” Link responded automatically, refusing to look the Princess in the face. He hadn’t meant for anyone to see him like this, but he had been so caught up in his emotions…

Zelda wasn’t fooled for a moment, gently placing a hand on Link’s shoulder, frowning a bit as he flinched. “You still hold a grudge against the Golden Goddesses, don’t you?” She asked, the boy’s feelings towards the deities never having been much of a secret.

“…I do. I hate them…” Link admitted, unable to help himself. “Why shouldn’t I?” While he blamed himself for being unable to stop Ganondorf properly, he still despised the Golden Goddesses for making it his responsibility in the first place.

“Link, you really shouldn’t say things like that. Not to just anyone, I mean…” Zelda wasn’t about to tell Link he was wrong in his feelings, perfectly understanding why he’d dislike the deities. “Many people idolize and worship them, tanking the Golden Goddesses for their blessings. Hearing that someone despises them…well, that’d make them upset.” The Princess was aware that Link didn’t fully grasp religious beliefs and practices but wanted to let him know of some basic things at least.

The boy looked over to Zelda, feeling frustrated. “But why? What do the Goddesses do for anyone?”

“We believe that they give us blessings, as I said.” Zelda responded, staring into Link’s broken blue eyes. “Such as our food or homes. Many people are very thankful to the Golden Goddesses for that.”

“They haven’t done anything for me.” Link pointed out, resentment in his voice. “They left me like this!” He exclaimed, starting to tear up, ashamed on how his emotions spilled out so easily. The Golden Goddesses left him broken, feeling dead, exhausted, afraid…when was he going to get his blessing? He vaguely understood prayer, but he’d never do that to the Golden Goddesses, or any other god, not after what they made him go through…

Frowning with pity in her eyes, Zelda started to slowly lead the sobbing boy back to his room. “I wish I could tell you, Link. You never know, though, a miracle could happen. Let’s get you some rest, okay…?”

Yet even after so much time, no such miracle happened. Link still felt dead and empty, and he didn’t feel like he’d ever improve. Small things still terrified him, and he felt like such a coward. Red and orange circles, for instance, still filled him with dread, the visage of horrible eyes flooding his mind from such basic shapes…

As he stared at the mask, he recalled how he swore he’d never pray to any gods…but now…his will was starting to falter. Darmani shoving his responsibilities onto Link really disturbed the boy and filled him with an intense dread. He was used to having to save groups of people, or at least trying to, but having someone explicitly saying that their burdens were now his really struck him deep in his heart.

A part of it was that he wondered why he couldn’t do that. Why was it that someone else could put such a burden on him and then depart to the afterlife…while Link himself remained with all the hard work and the danger? It just didn’t seem fair to him, as childish as that may have been.

He swore he’d never pray to any gods…but now…he had to.

Link closed his eyes, not even sure how to pray. He simply reached out to whoever may be listening. He prayed to the Golden Goddesses, to Hylia, even to the Great Deku Tree and the Four Giants. That’s simply how desperate he was, he was willing to reach out any and all positive forces he could think of to help him…to perform a miracle and take this burden off of his shoulders. He wanted Termina, and himself, to be safe and sound. He wanted to be whisked away back to Hyrule, back to those he so deeply cared for. He’d do anything! Anything at all! If only it meant to be saved from his quest…

Yet, when he opened his eyes, nothing had changed.

Tatl watched as Link stared at the Goron Mask, closing his eyes before opening them again. As always, his face gave nothing away, it being as blank as always. Before, she would be yelling at him about wasting time, calling him an idiot or worthless or something. But she couldn’t do that anymore. Some snark, maybe, but as she was about to make a snide comment, she saw Link shivering in the cave, sick and defenseless.

With that, the words died in her throat, and she tried again.

“Hey, you okay?” Tatl asked, sincerity bleeding into her tone. “Is that mask like the Deku one? Can it change you?”

This snapped Link out of his desperate thoughts, trying to push down his disappointment. He had no idea why he thought that might actually work. The gods have never done anything for him, so why would they start now? “I was just thinking, that’s all.” He replied simply. “And this is like the other, I can feel it.” There was a sort of energy that Link could sense in the mask as he touched it.

Tatl wanted to ask what Link was thinking about, but she was sure he’d be vague about it…if he even answered at all. That drove her nuts! She so badly wanted to know what was going on in that kid’s head! The fairy had never encountered someone like Link…and she desperately wanted to figure him out. He sure wasn’t making it easy, though!

“Maybe you should put it on. Being a Goron could be really handy! They get cold, yeah, but not nearly as easily as you humans!” The fairy pointed out. “Go on, try it!”

Link was still confused as to why Tatl was starting to be nice to him, but he brushed it off. Either way, she was right. Gorons were strong and durable, so being able to become one would be immensely helpful. On top of that, he had to be one in order to get to Snowhead anyway, since only Gorons could enter the village buildings at the moment.

Taking a silent, deep breath, Link turned the Goron Mask around and lifted it to his face…

Chapter Text

Knowing what was in store, Link braced himself as he slipped the new mask over his face.

Immediately, pain shot through his body as the object latched onto his skin. The wood fused into his flesh, digging deep like the roots of a mountain into his Hylian form. After that, he felt his body growing outward and upward, his frame forced to expand and harden with muscle and thicker skin. It was a horribly uncomfortable and painful experience, his bones rearranging and popping as they were forced to conform to his body’s newest shape.

An agonizing pain erupted from Link’s back, as did rocks that tore from his insides like miniature hills. As they slowly forced their way to the surface, Link was surprised that blood didn’t flood from his back and onto the floor, but he supposed that was the magic of the transformation at work.

More and more he grew, until he was taller than he was when he was forced into an adult’s body, yet he still kept going! On top of the suffering, he was going through, Link simultaneously felt a sense of strength flowing through his body. With all the muscle he was gaining from becoming a Goron, that was hardly a shock.

While the process almost seemed like it took a full minute at least, it all happened within only a second or so. From Tatl’s perspective, she barely even blinked and no longer was there a Hylian before her, but instead a mighty Goron! Like most members of the species, Link wore basically nothing, but at least in his case, he got to keep his hat, and wore a green loincloth. On his arms and feet were gauntlets and boots that seemed to be made of metal, and there was a necklace of sorts around his neck. He had hair, just as Darmani III did, white as the snow that threatened the Gorons outside.

The fairy circled around Link, who was looking down at his new form, flexing his hands a bit. “How do you feel? It sure is a lot different from that Deku form…” Tatl murmured, feeling relieved that at least this mask let him turn into something powerful! As a Deku, Link was only better off in some pretty specific situations…

“I FEEL-” Link shouted out, but by accident. He quickly cut himself off, embarrassed at his bellowing. Like before with the Deku, he wasn’t used to his new body, so even speaking was unusual. His voice came out as almost a yell, despite him trying to speak normally. Taking a deep breath, he tried to just whisper. “I feel stronger.” The false Goron replied, still speaking louder than he intended.

Tatl flinched a bit at the initial shout, but quickly realized the cause. She still remembered how much trouble Link had speaking at all when he first became a Deku. The fairy also recalled how she mocked him for it, laughing at him all the while. Trying to shake those memories away, she nodded. “Good! I’m sure you’ll need that…jus try not to yell at the top of your lungs, okay?” Even if she wasn’t going to be horribly nasty to Link, she could at least poke fun a bit. “You should probably stay in here and walk around a bit…so you don’t fall down that wall or something…”

He ignored the light ribbing and nodded along with her suggestion. “You’re right.” Link whispered, his voice still coming out as a half-shout. Moving around as a Deku wasn’t too bad, but he was a lot larger than he had ever been, and there was the case of rolling as well. He was sure it’d come in handy to be able to do that. It could even help him get through the snow, maybe!

Yet, as he pondered this, Link’s mind wandered to Darmani himself, the Goron whose soul he was essentially wearing on his face. He assumed it was the Deku Butler’s son that he had as the Deku Mask, but Link never met him. For Darmani, though, Link spoke with him, or at least his spirit, and that just made this situation feel so…odd…

Link felt surges of guilt and depression through his alien body. He knew this had to be the remnants of Darmani’s soul having a light effect on him. The boy even felt a sense of despair as he gazed upon the grave for the fallen Goron hero. It almost felt as though he were looking at his own corpse instead, as unusual as that was.

Shaking these thoughts and feelings from his head, Link tried walking around the area a bit. He went nice and slow, swinging his arms a bit to get a feeling for those, too. To his surprise and relief, it wasn’t as hard to move around as he expected. Maybe it was because of the shape of their bodies, but the boy sort of thought that Gorons looked like they should be a bit clumsy, even though nothing he saw really showed that. As he walked about, he realized it wasn’t true at all, and he simply felt stronger and a bit heavier in his steps.

All around, it was pretty easy.

“How’s it feel? Hey, it must be nice being so tall now, right?” Tatl lightly joked. She felt a bit awkward giving friendly ribbings like that. It wasn’t something she was used to, but she wanted to try and be nicer to Link, and she just wasn’t sure how to do it…so she simply hid behind humor like a mask.

Link’s heart practically felt like a hand wrapped around it at that question. A part of him wanted to snap at Tatl to never say something like that again, but he bit his tongue. The boy despised the idea of ever growing taller, but of course there was no getting around it. Time marched on and there was nothing Link could do to stop it. Sure, he could now reset it to a certain point, but it would still go forward whether he liked it or not.

Swallowing heavily, the false Goron nodded. “It feels fine. Easier to move than I expected.” He had to wonder if maybe Darmani was somehow helping him? Was that even possible? Or maybe Gorons and Hylians moved in ways more similar than the boy realized?

“What about curling into a ball? Can you do that?” Tatl prodded, wanting to make sure the two had things set before they went back out there. Being a Goron wouldn’t be too helpful if he wasn’t familiar with the body of one!

“I’ll try.” The boy replied, looking down at his feet. He wasn’t sure quite what to do. Just…get on the ground and tuck his legs to his chest? It seemed to be more than that when Gorons did it, though. As he pondered, he once more felt a light sensation in his mind, Darmani’s lingering spirit echoing within him. It was hard to explain, but what Link did next felt like second nature to him. He simple leaned down, but kept going until he’d normally fall over, but instead, he tucked into his own body, and within a quick second, he was curled into a ball on the floor!

Tatl was pretty surprised he got it on his first try! “That was fast! Roll around a bit! Is Darmani whispering in your ear or something?” Given all the oddities of this quest so far, it wouldn’t shock her.

Once more, Link found himself acting as if through a second nature. Without having to really think about it, he started to slowly roll forward. Even when his face was to the floor or facing straight up, he was somehow able to sense the world around him. While he couldn’t see what he was doing, he didn’t need to in order to get around. Was this how Gorons were able to roll around without hitting objects? Link didn’t fully understand it, but he supposed it wasn’t necessary.

Still wanting to practice a bit, the false Goron rolled around the room, weaving between the stone spikes in the floor and the grave marking for Darmani. After a few minutes, he uncurled and stood up, surprisingly not even dizzy. “I can feel Darmani, or traces of him. I think he’s somehow helping me.” This wasn’t something he understood at all, but as long as it helped, he supposed it didn’t matter. He did wonder why the Deku whose soul he wore didn’t do anything similar…maybe an effect of what the Skull Kid did to him…?

“Well, I guess that’s pretty convenient.” Tatl said with a shrug. “But come on, we gotta get going! I can barely tell what time it is because of all the clouds, but we still should hurry!” The fairy only knew it was some point during the Second Day, but that was it.

Nodding, Link started to stomp towards the door, his footfalls heavy despite him trying to be casual with his walking, but another itch hit his mind. “Wait.” He unintentionally bellowed, walking back towards the grave. “There’s one last thing.” Darmani’s will urged him to go back around the small stone monument, and there Link saw there were what seemed like handles. Gripping them, the false Goron pulled back, finding the task far easier than he expected due to his new strength.

The grave was pulled back fairly easily, and when it was moved enough, a metal grate was revealed. Within moments, water started to rise from the ground and through this grate! It was green in color, but not a dirty, murky sort. Steam rose from the liquid as it filled the center of the chamber as though it were a bason. It was nice and warm, and Link found that it smelled nice too.

“A hot spring?! What the heck was it doing under here? But hey, it’s so warm…” Tatl remarked, floating near the surface of the water. It was too much for her to enter it directly, but hovering nearby it was very pleasant. After spending so much time in that awful, biting snow, this was just what she needed!

Link vaguely recalled hearing about those before, seeing a picture of one in a book he flipped through within the castle library. Zelda told him some basic details, about how there were pools of water out in nature that were naturally warm. The castle had heated water, warm baths that Link could take…they were some of the only times in the last two years he felt a sense of peace, wrapped up in the warm embrace of the water…

The false Goron sat in the water, letting out a heavy breath through his nose. He hadn’t gotten to rest in this manner in…how long had he been in Termina? Weeks? A month? Two months? He didn’t even knot anymore. There was no hot water at the inn, only cold baths, so this was remarkably pleasant for him…

Before he knew it, Link had spaced out, staring off at nothing as he tried not to think or feel anything. It was only when Tatl flew in front of his face and said something did he snap back into reality. “What? Did you say something?” Link asked, standing up.

“I said we should go! The spring is nice, but we have to get to Snowhead!” Tatl all but ordered. She herself had spaced out a bit, only shaking it off a few moments before going over to Link. “Come on!”

Link felt a bit embarrassed, getting all wrapped up in the spring. For a moment, he actually felt relaxed. Even during his Break Cycles, there was always the sense of urgency picking away at his brain and making it impossible for him to fully calm down. That dip in the springs was by far the most pleasant experience he had since entering Termina by a long shot. “Right. Sorry. Let’s go back to the village.”

The two went towards the cave exit and back to the biting cold of the cursed mountain. Link, though, found that the cold wasn’t as bad as it was before. Even though they were still suffering, it seemed the Gorons at least had a bit of a natural resistance to cold weather! Almost as soon as they went outside, a voice rang from their side, that of a Goron. “Darmani?! Is…Is that you?!”

Turning, the false Goron and the fairy saw it was one of the two Gorons by the cavern entrance that had spoken up. The one that was mostly frozen was still, but the other one was staring at the unusual pair and was the one that spoke.

For a moment, Link was baffled, and felt his insides churn. Despite wearing the Goron Mask, having felt Darmani’s will and thoughts, and even looking like the deceased hero…it took him a moment to realize that it was indeed him that the shivering Goron was talking to.

The idea really made Link feel sick to his stomach, that the poor Goron thought that he was actually Darmani. Not only was the boy wearing the soul of a deceased hero on his face, but he was accidentally tricking someone into believing he was that hero! For a moment, Link was tempted to simply tell the truth…but he knew he shouldn’t. For one thing, telling this Goron, or any other, that he was parading around changed into their hero would surely upset, maybe even anger, them. And if they thought that Darmani had come back to life, only to find out that wasn’t the case…it’d surely crush them.

For the sake of the Goron before him, Link swallowed down his self-disgust and nodded. “Yes, it’s me. I have no time to talk. Take your friend and go inside. The spring waters will warm you up.” Link bellowed out, still unable to talk properly.

Blinking a few times, the Goron seemed too stunned to react for a few seconds. Then, a wide grin broke out on his face, and he raised up his hand as if in prayer. “Oh, Darmani! You’ve returned! As a ghost, I’m sure, but you’re back! You’ll save us, won’t you?” He practically cheered out, not seeming to have heard the fake Darmani’s instructions.

Well, the Goron was sort of right, in a way. In a sense, Link was at least acting as Darmani’s ghost. Trying to get over how awkward and uncomfortable he felt, he gave a nod. “I’ll stop the curse at Snowhead. Now, enter the spring inside.” He prompted again, gesturing to the cave entrance. “Bring your friend and stay there.”

This time, the message got through to the Goron a bit, who nodded in understanding. “You’re right, of course! If you’re really sure since it’s your gravesite! Well, wait, what am I saying?! You’re back with us, so it’s not really a grave anymore, is it?” The Goron said, apparently unable to decide if the Darmani before him was a ghost or a living being.

Either way, the shivering Goron started to help his friend, who apparently wasn’t quite frozen solid, into the cave. The worse-off Goron moved stiffly and slowly, barely seeming aware of his surroundings.

When the two Gorons disappeared into the cave to warm up, Tatl cleared her throat. “That’s uh…kind of weird for you, huh?” The fairy asked, glancing over to Link. “They really seem to think you’re actually Darmani…” She let out a light laugh, shrugging. “But hey, the others will probably think so too, and you’ll be a bigshot hero!” Tatl was sincerely trying to just look on the bright side of an awkward situation. Who didn’t want adoration from lots of people?

The fairy’s words struck a cord in Link, his fists clenching a bit at his sides. At no point in his life did the boy ever consider himself a hero. After all of his failures in Hyrule, how could he think otherwise? It made him feel sick to his stomach whenever Zelda ever muttered the words ‘Hero of Time’ in his presence, it being a title that the boy fully rejected. He was nothing but a failure, and even if his friends didn’t see it, he sure did!

“That’s wrong to do.” Link replied, realizing Tatl was just kidding around. He still took it pretty seriously. “Even if I can’t tell them the truth, I can’t revel in their praise.” There was zero chance that the boy would take credit for the work and sacrifices of someone else, especially someone that was dead…

“Giants abound, I was just joking…” Tatl grumbled, a bit annoyed. She was just trying to make light of a weird situation, and she didn’t expect to be preached at. This kid was just so weird…who wouldn’t want to be cheered for? Though she supposed she didn’t understand what it was like to get praise when mistaken for someone else…

“Let’s just go.” Link replied simply, quickly realizing an issue as he approached the wall’s edge. In this form, he couldn’t see the railings, and he wasn’t sure if he could manage to climb down them as a Goron. Walking around was one thing but going down something so dangerous was another story. He could just take off his mask, of course, but as he was about to, he suddenly had an idea. Link knew that Gorons were excessively sturdy beings, mainly composed of rock and all.

Tatl watched as Link curled up into a ball. “ Uh…what are you…?” She started, before quickly realizing what the false Goron had in mind. “H-Hey wait, are you nuts?! What if-” Before the fairy could go on, Link rolled right off the edge! Yelling out in shock, Tatl swiftly followed as the boy plummeted to the icy ground below! She winced, unable to do anything to help, as Link struck the ground and…uncurled and stood up, clearly no worse for wear. That didn’t stop the fairy from getting angry though, flying in Link’s face. “What were you thinking?! You could’ve died! Do you have a death wish or something?!” She was trying to be more patient with Link, but a stunt like that was simply too much!

Link had a pretty strong feeling he’d be okay, knowing how sturdy Gorons could be. During his two years of recovery, Darunia even shared a story of how he accidentally let a Bomb Flower blow up in his hands, which barely hurt him at all. With that in mind, the boy was sure that a fall like that wouldn’t hurt him, especially if he was curled up. Yet…he pondered Tatl’s last remark. Normally, he’d never take such a risk like that, but here he did it without a second thought. Was it Darmani’s will telling him he’d be okay, or…?

He shook the thought away.

“Gorons are sturdy. I knew I’d be okay.” Link said simply, starting to walk back towards the Goron Village. He knew he could roll, and probably easily too, but it wasn’t exactly second nature of him to do so. The false Goron still thought like a Hylian, and so chose to walk to his destination.

Tatl sighed, knowing that arguing would get them nowhere. “This kid…what’s wrong with him…?” She wondered for what felt like the hundredth time. With each passing day, her curiosity about Link grew more and more. He just didn’t act like a kid at all…in fact he barely even acted like a human as far as she was concerned. Why was he like this…? Was it even possible for someone to be like this naturally? Letting loose a second sigh, Tatl put the thought away for the moment and flew after Link…

The two passed by the starving Goron once more, the masked, shivering form not noticing the pair. Link kept a mental note to ask about getting some food from the village. There was surely something there he could bring back to that poor Goron! Speaking of which, Link found that not only were Gorons better at dealing with the cold, but they were better at traversing it as well. Despite his large size, the boy was astonished to see he walked through the snow at a far faster rate than he had before, pushing through the white substance being a lot easier!

Within just a few minutes, the pair arrived at the village and saw it was still empty…save for the gatekeeper Goron, of course. As the two approached, it was this Goron that spoke up first as they drew near. “Hey! What are you doing outside of the…” His words faded, eyes widening as he got a better look at Link. “D…Darmani?! Is that really you?! Oh…I knew you weren’t gone! I just knew it! You were just recovering from what was surely a fierce battle!”

Once more, Link felt a sort of self-disgust as he was mistaken for the deceased Goron hero. He realized it wasn’t even a rational emotion to feel. It wasn’t like he was boasting about being Darmani…but he couldn’t help but feel guilt. This was made worse because he felt he had to just go along with the charade and actively lie. “I’m in a hurry. I need to get inside here. There’s a Goron that’s starving nearby and I need to get him food.” The false Goron bellowed out, still trying to make his voice leveled.

It seemed the Goron mistook Link’s accidental tone of voice as impatience. “Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t realize it was an emergency! You must be exhausted from your trip to Snowhead, so I’ll open the door to the Goron Shrine! Please, rest and then save us!” With that, the gatekeeper rounded up into a ball. He then performed an action Link had never seen a Goron do before! The smaller Goron shot up into the air, easily five or six feet, and then slammed back down!

As this happened, somehow triggered by the impact, the door by the gatekeeper slid open. Right away, a strange sound emanated from inside, but the mountain winds swallowed most of it up, making it hard to determine what it was. “Thank you.” Was all Link said as he rushed past the Goron, seeing that the door was slowly sliding closed on its own, Tatl following behind him.

When the two entered the Goron Shrine, it was made quite clear what that odd sound was. It was the sound of a baby crying! Not just that though, it was the sound of a very loud baby crying! More than that, it was practically ear-piercing, Tatl covering up her ears right away as she let out a groan of annoyance. Link was tempted to do the same thing, but instead looked around the area.

As expected, the interior was made up of rock, carved from the mountain itself without a doubt. The area had a ramp along the edge, spiraling upward and lit with many torches. To light the way, of course, but surely also for heat. Even as the door slid shut, it was quite cold inside the shrine. At the very least, there was no wind to deal with! There were openings in the stonewall, the homes and shops of the Gorons if the layout was at all like Goron City back in Hyrule. Dotted around the shrine were numerous other Gorons, all with their hands clasped over their ears with miserable expressions on their faces.

“Giants abound, what is that noise?!” Tatl yelled, having to do so in order to be properly heard by Link. “A baby?! Do Goron babies just cry this loud?!” Not like she ever heard a Goron cry, after all!

The sound was getting to Link too, but he kept himself composed. He didn’t have much experience with babies, being the youngest in Kokiri Village and there of course being none in Hyrule Castle. He saw a few during his quest, but most recently as he went through the marketplace on the way to Lon Lon Ranch, he sometimes saw a baby or two. If it hadn’t been for his anxiety of the large crowds and noise, he might have stopped to observe them closer, but he had just moved on. So, the wailing of a baby in despair was entirely new to him, making it far, far more annoying than it normally would have been!

“We should see what’s going on.” Link bellowed, this time more on purpose so he could be heard over the crying. The two needed to know exactly where to go to reach Snowhead and where to get food for the starving Goron. He doubted anyone would be much help with that baby crying!

Tatl whined, diving under Link’s hat in a desperate attempt to block out the sound, if only a little bit. “Fine! Just do it fast! I can’t stand this!” She yelled, feeling like the crying was rattling up her insides!

It was hard to tell exactly where the sound was coming from, but it seemed to be higher up in the shrine. Link went up, noting that the Gorons were screwing their eyes shut as thought that would help somehow, so none of them even noticed that the visage of their hero walked right by them. The crying just got worse as the boy went higher, wincing as it felt like his eardrums were going to burst! After he reached the top, he saw a long red carpet on the floor leading into another room, where the crying seemed to be coming from. Looking to a Goron right outside the room, Link decided to try and ask him what was going on. Going over, the boy placed a hand on the Goron’s shoulder, startling the suffering person as his eyes shot open.

Instantly, the Goron’s gaze widened, and his mouth went a bit slack. “Darmani?! Is that you?!” He shouted out, both in clear excitement and to be heard over the crying. “I knew you’d return! And just in time, we can’t stand this crying anymore!”

Once more, Link tried to ignore being called Darmani. “What’s happening? What’s with the crying?” He asked, still so very tempted to clamp his hands over his own ears…

“It’s the Goron Elder! He thought you were dead, so he went to Snowhead himself!” The Goron explained quickly, having to take his hands off his ears to talk properly and feel the full brunt of the crying. “He’s so old and we tried to stop him, but he insisted! Anyway, his son misses him and won’t stop crying! Please, talk to him!”

That was dire! Link, while annoyed at the crying, felt bad for the child. “I will. And the way to Snowhead, where is it?” He really had no idea how to ask for this information without seeming suspicious. So, he just went for it.

“Huh? Did you hit your head in battle or something? It’s right behind the village! This isn’t the time for jokes!” The Goron scolded a bit. “Please, talk to the Goron Elder’s Son!” With that, he put his hands over his ears once more and screwed his eyes shut.

Glad that went better than expected, Link nodded and entered the next room. Inside was a lightly furnished area, a small bed against the far wall. Sitting on it was the smallest Goron Link had laid eyes on, a lock of hair on his head and a mouth that was wide open as he let out a torrent of cries, tears falling down his face.

“Daddy! D-Daddy!” The child cried out, hiccupping a bit, the only relief from the crying before it started again. “Where are you?! I’m cold! Daddy!”

Approaching, Link knelt down and placed a hand on the child’s shoulder, making him flinch as he had apparently not noticed anyone was approaching. “Please, calm down.” The boy said, trying to ease the baby’s woes. “I’m here to help you. Your father went to Snowhead, right?”

Hiccupping out again, the Goron Elder’s Son looked to Link with wide, pleading eyes. “Darmani…? I was told you died! Please, find my daddy! He went to the Temple! Please, I miss him! I…I…” He tried to form another sentence, but just started to wail again.

Withholding a sigh, Link had hoped that he could at least stop the baby from crying, if only to ease the pain of the other Gorons. Quickly, he left the room and started his way downward again but stopped midway. He needed food! Goron food! With all the crying, he had nearly forgotten! He couldn’t leave the village again without helping that poor, starving Goron! He noticed there were signs above some of the entrances, which of course he couldn’t read.

“Tatl. Come out here.” Link prodded, taking his hat off to reveal the fairy, who was still covering her ears desperately.

“What?!” She exclaimed, her head starting to really hurt. Her tiny ears were so much more sensitive to his noise than Link’s or the Gorons around the shrine, so she was really suffering. “Can’t we just leave?!”

“I need you to read the signs. Is there anywhere to get food for that starving Goron?” Link asked, pointing to the nearest one. He was essentially going to steal some, not wanting to waste time with a proper transaction. But it was for a good cause, so he didn’t feel bothered.

“Fine! Fine!” Tatl exclaimed, looking to the sign Link pointed to. “That’s just an inn!” She explained, wanting to get this done fast. The two went down the ramp, the fairy reading out more signs. Near the bottom, she saw one that made her feel a sense of relief. “Food storage! Go in there!” She said, staying out from Link’s hat, since diving under it hadn’t even helped at all.

Doing as he was told, the false Goron entered to see a room with large chunks of edible rocks stored in crates. There was no one there, so he simply took a particularly large chunk and went out. Approaching the exit, he realized he couldn’t just open the door. Putting the rock down, he curled up in a ball. Hoping for Darmani’s will to help him once more, he felt a tingle in his brain. Moving muscles, he had no idea he had, Link went up in the air and slammed down, making the door spring open!

With haste, Link grabbed the rock back up and left the shrine along with Tatl. When they got outside, the moved away from the shrine until the door closed, the crying becoming mute to them. Panting a bit, Tatl took her hands off of her ears. “Are you okay?” Link asked, not realizing just how much the crying had taken a toll on her.

“No…” She replied miserably, now rubbing her temples. “Us fairies are a lot more sensitive to stuff like that than you humans…or Gorons, I guess.” The fairy was still sort of getting used to Link being in a brand new form. “Just give me a bit…” Without another word, and without asking, she ducked into Link’s hat once more.

Deciding to just let Tatl be, Link made his way back towards the smithy’s place. The Goron Elder needed aid for sure, but that starving Goron came first! It was only a few minutes before Link reached the masked Goron once more, still shivering up on his ledge. “You, up there. I brought you something to eat.” Link called up, tossing the rock up in front of the Goron.

This startled the starving Goron, who squinted down at Link. “Oh! I…I can’t tell who you are from up here…but I thank you!” What followed was some very fast consumption as the Goron wolfed down the rock food, soon finishing it off and letting out an impolite belch. “So much better! I can feel my energy coming back! I can move now!” With that, the Goron leapt down from the ledge, letting out a happy sigh of relief. Closer now, he looked to Link again, his eyes widening. “Darmani?! I didn’t realize it was you! You were going to Snowhead, weren’t you? I’ve been up there for days, so I have no idea what’s been going on…”

No matter how many times it happened, Link felt that twinge of guilt in his gut when he was called by the deceased Goron hero’s name. “Things came up.” The boy replied vaguely. “I’m going to look for the Goron Elder, then go. You should go to the village.”

Instantly believing Link’s words, the once-starving Goron nodded. “Yes, of course! But I can’t let you go without a reward! Please, take this! It’s call Don Gero’s Mask, named after the god of frogs that used to dwell here!” Without waiting to see if Link would even accept, the Goron took the odd mask off and handed it over. “Thanks again! Good luck, Darmani!” Once more, without waiting for Link to even say anything, the Goron curled up into a ball and rolled off towards the village.

As Link looked over the new mask he got, but never really wanted, Tatl peeked out from under his hat. Her head was feeling a bit better after a few minutes of resting her eyes. “Don Gero? I think I heard of that guy. Some huge frog that could talk to other frogs. Kind of a freaky mask…are you going to keep it?” She asked, floating out of Link’s hat to look at the mask closer.

“It was a gift, so I must.” Link replied simply, feeling too nasty about throwing away something given to him out of gratitude, even if he didn’t want it. Shedding the Goron Mask, Link was instantly shrunk down to his normal form, which made him feel dizzy for a split second. Putting Don Gero’s Mask into his bag, he then donned the Goron Mask once more.

“You’re kind of sappy, you know that?” Tatl joked, giving Link a bit of friendly ribbing. “And doesn’t it feel weird to change back and forth like that?”

The false Goron ignored the sappy bit but nodded at Tatl’s other question as he started to walk back towards the village. “It does, but I’ll be fine.” He said simply, not thinking Tatl really cared and was just curious. The fact she was acting far less hostile than before was still throwing him off a bit…

Would it kill this kid to talk in longer sentences? The fairy swore he always said the exact amount of words necessary, and it was just so strange to her. Another weird quality of the boy’s to be sure. Tatl was used to kids never shutting up, but with Link it was an effort to get him to say more than ten words at a time unless he was instructing someone or asking important questions related to his quest. Smalltalk just wasn’t in his nature, apparently…

After getting back to the village, the two went beyond it, keeping their eyes peeled for the Goron Elder. There was a large expanse of flat, snowy terrain behind the Goron’s homes and buildings, leading to even more mountainous terrain. However, in the mountain, there was a stone staircase built in, one that lead to a stone door that was sealed shut and depicted a mural that looked vaguely like Darmani. The stone door looked very old, and the mural didn’t look exactly like Darmani…but the deceased hero was Darmani III, so the mural could be depicting his father or grandfather.

Of course, it didn’t really matter. The two walked around the terrain, the wind kicking up snow that, combined with the snowfall from above, made it hard to see too far. “There’s not a lot here, so this should be easy, right?” Tatl asked, hoping it would be. She knew full well that convincing Link to just go straight to Snowhead and leaving the Goron Elder was impossible, so she decided not to even bother. To her, cleansing the Temple would surely save the elder, if he was even still alive, but she was sure Link wouldn’t find that good enough…

Yet, the two didn’t see any Gorons around. Link and Tatl kept going around the flat terrain, but they seemed to be alone. “Maybe he went through that door? I think I heard someone say he was really old…” Tatl said, only having half-listened to the conversations Link partook in within the shrine. All she knew was the Goron Elder was missing and his kid missed him.

“But that one Goron said he was old. Could he open the door?” Link wondered, getting closer to the slab of stone to take a closer look. As he did, he and Tatl noticed something by the staircase. It took him only a moment to realize the shape was that of a Goron, nearly frozen in the snow!

Quickly approaching, Link and Tatl looked the Goron over, inspecting how severe the situation was. The Goron was unlike any Link had seen, a massive, hunched back that went up and above his head! Speaking of which, his head was mostly covered by long, white hair that totally covered his eyes. Aside from that, the most visible part of his face was his mouth, featuring a very large, protruding lower lip. Around his neck was a small rope, a small bongo drum resting against his chest. The Goron, surely, the elder, didn’t react at all to the duo…because he was coated in ice!

“Giants abound, he’s totally frozen! How the heck did this happen?!” Tatl exclaimed, floating around the Goron Elder and getting a good look at him. “Is he even alive?!”

Link had no idea if he was or not, but he had to help! Normally, he’d take the elder back to the shrine, but…it was hardly any warmer in there than it was outside, so that wasn’t going to do much. That being said, he had a far better idea! “I know what to do.” He said, without explanation, as he wrapped his arms around the elderly Goron and picking him up. Link ignored the biting cold that came with it and started to walk back towards the village.

“Huh? Where are you taking him? Into the shrine?” Tatl asked, following behind, noting that the Goron Elder didn’t stir at all…and in fact, he probably couldn’t…

“No. It’s not warm enough.” Link responded, surprised at how light the frozen Goron felt in his grip. He went right past the village, the gatekeeper too busy trying to warm himself up to notice anything. The false Goron walked right out of the village and to the smithy’s. As he and Tatl approached the building with the frozen elder, he spoke up again. “That hearth the smithies have will work a lot better.” That or the hot springs, but getting up there with the frozen elder and unable to use the Lens of Truth was simply not going to happen.

“Oh! Right! That hearth of theirs will do the trick!” Tatl said, watching as Link approached the door, knocking at it with his foot.

From inside, Zubora’s friendly and laid-back voice called out. “The door’s open! Come in!” It really seemed he wasn’t afraid that someone potentially dangerous could be at the door. Though that made sense with only the peaceful Gorons living nearby…and the fact that Gabora could easily dispatch any invader. Even some of the larger Gorons probably stood little chance against the hulking behemoth…

Placing the elder down so he could open the door, Link then carried the frozen Goron inside. As he entered, he placed his cargo right next to the hearth. Turning to a lightly surprised Zubora, he closed the door as Tatl landed on his shoulder. “Sorry for all this, but we need your hearth.”

Zubora blinked a few times, sitting up on his couch. Gabora wasn’t in the room, off somewhere else in the cozy building. “Wait, is that the Goron Elder? I met him a few times…! What in the name of the Giants happened to him?”

Link watched as, already, some droplets of water started to fall from the frozen form of the elder. “He tried to go to Snowhead, and he ended up like this. We can use your hearth, right?”

“Of course, of course! I wouldn’t consider refusing!” Zubora insisted, calming down a bit from his surprise. “I just didn’t expect something like this to happen. But, hey, you look a bit familiar. Have we met…?”

The false Goron withheld a sigh, his hands nearly clenching into fists. “My name is Darmani.” He lied, feeling disgusted by using a dead hero’s name in such a manner. While Link was heavily bothered by the true Darmani unloading his problems onto the boy’s shoulders, the Hylian still held a respect for him. After all, he gave his life for his people…how could he not respect that?

“Ah! The hero! Well, you don’t have to worry! If the elder’s okay, our hearth will get him out!” The smithy declared with confident. “While we wait, how about some food? Gabora is a stupid oaf, but he can at least prepare something to eat! We don’t have any rocks that you Gorons eat, but…”

Link had indeed planned on staying, not feeling it right to leave without confirming that the Goron Elder was okay. And, thinking of it, he hadn’t eaten for quite a long while. His bag, along with almost all his other possessions, vanished mysteriously when he changed forms, so he couldn’t access his own food supply. So, he nodded as he sat on the floor next to the door. “That’d be good, thank you. I want to stay and make sure that the Goron Elder is alright.” Even as he spoke, a small puddle was starting to form around the frozen figure’s feet…

Smiling, Zubora nodded. Then, without warning, he yelled off into the back of the smithy. “Hey! Lunkhead! Get some food for our guests!” An intelligible grunting came from some other room, and it was enough to satisfy the smaller smithy. “He’ll be back in a bit!”

After this, things got pretty quiet. Gabora brought back a big plate of sandwiches, everyone eating their fill. Zubora then took a nap as Link and Tatl watched the Goron Elder thaw out as Gabora went off to a backroom to do…whatever it is he did in his spare time.

Tatl, perched on Link’s head, looked to the frozen Goron. The floor was starting to get wetter and wetter as the puddle grew, and she swore she saw a finger twitch at one point. “What do we do if he’s not okay?” The fairy asked, knowing such a scenario might be coming up…

“We go back in time. Get to him sooner.” Link replied, having thought ahead. “We go straight to him and bring him here.”

“What if that isn’t enough? What if he’s doomed before we can reach him?” Tatl pressed, trying to be realistic. After all, the Goron Elder was literally frozen in place, and who knew how long he had been like that?

Link glanced between Tatl and the thawing Goron a few times before answering. “I don’t know.” He answered honestly, not sure what action he could even take. Really, the boy had no idea if he could bring himself to tell the Goron Elder’s Son what befell his father if it turns out it’s impossible to save him…

As Tatl was about to answer, a low groan emanated from the thawing Goron, startling both the fairy and Link as they turned to look. The Goron Elder was actually moving! Standing, swaying, his chest moving as he heaved for breath! He was alive! “Hmmm…Wh…?” The old Goron murmured, looking about. “Wh…? What happened? Where…?”

Standing up, Link went over to the Goron Elder, helping him stay on his feet. “Take it easy. You’re at the smithy’s.” He explained, keeping the thawed Goron steady. “Here, let me help.” The false Goron gently aided the feeble figure, so he was sitting on the floor. “Are you okay?”

The Goron Elder moaned out again, too weak to do much else but let Link move him about. “Mmm…Wait…are you…?” He leaned closer, apparently his version of squinting as his hair covered so much of his face already. “Darmani…? I thought you died…”

This again. It never got any easier, no matter how much Link heard it. “I was just injured. But I’m back, and your son wanted me to find you.”

“Yeah, he’s been crying up a storm! A really, really loud storm…” Tatl complained, actually feeling relieved that the old Goron was okay. It felt…unlike her. She felt like she was gaining more sympathy lately. Before, she might not have cared if the foolish Goron Elder had frozen to death or not, but now…she was a bit happy to see him kicking…

“My son? He’s…crying for me? My poor boy…” The Goron Elder asked, trying to stand, but unable to do so. “Oh, I feel so weak…”

Link shook his head. “You should rest. I’ll tell him you’re okay.” The false Goron promised, wanting to do so quickly so he could then go to Snowhead.

The Goron Elder shook his head. “No…you’ll need this…” He slowly reached to the rope around his neck, taking the drum off and placing it on the floor. “To soothe him…play the Goron’s Lullaby…” He slowly tapped at the drum, playing three notes before stopping. “Mmm…Wait…” The Goron Elder mumbled, doing it again before pausing a second time. “Was it…?” He once more played the same three notes.

“Is that it? Not much of a lullaby.” Tatl remarked, shrugging the song off. “We really just can’t bring him with us?” She asked, directing the question to Link.

“He’s weak, so it’s a bad idea. He needs rest.” Link said with a light shake of the head. It was a miracle that the Goron Elder survived this far…there was no way Link was going to risk him dying now.

The Goron Elder sighed. “Oh, I just can’t remember the full song! I’ll teach you what I remember. Please…play it for my son…” At this, he played the same three notes, but repeated it to make six notes.

Link reached forward, playing the same six notes back at the Goron Elder. It was like with the pipes when he was a Deku…somehow he knew exactly the right way to play this unfamiliar instrument. The only one he ever played aside from his Ocarina back home was a gorgeous piano within Hyrule Castle. In any case, he assumed if he tried to use the Ocarina of Time when in this form, he would gain a new instrument, surely drums, to use instead. “I’ll play for him, don’t worry. You stay and rest. The smithies will care for you.” The false Goron promised, standing up.

Nodding, the Goron Elder let out a relieved sigh. “Thank you, Darmani. I just need a quick nap first…” He mumbled before leaning forward, growing still as a steady snoring started to come from him.

“Geez, for a second I thought he was gonna just croak…” Tatl murmured with a sigh. “He was frozen and then takes a nap? Whatever…” The fairy looked over to the exit. “Let’s just go play that song for the kid and go to Snowhead already!” She insisted, wanting to get this all done so they could leave this stupid mountain!

Link went over and left through the door with Tatl, sure that Zubora would take good care of the Goron Elder. This time around, the false Goron curled into a ball and started to roll forward, going through the snow with an even greater ease than when he walked! The white material seemed to practically part away in front of him, and the boy had no trouble telling where he was going! Within just a minute or two, he and Tatl reached the village to boot!

As he neared the village, Link stopped and quickly took off his mask, unclasped his Ocarina from his belt, and put it back on. As a false Goron, clutching an Ocarina, he tried bringing it to his lips. Like with his Deku form, the instrument changed shape. For this shape, the Ocarina changed to a set of five drums that were held by a rope around his neck and shoulders. Trying to put them away morphed the drums back into the Ocarina of Time.

Tatl watched on as this happened, really wondering how some of this magic worked…

In any case, the two said nothing as Link approached the gate, rolled into a ball as he held the Ocarina of Time safely at his stomach and pounded into the ground. Just as before, the door slid open and the cries of the Goron Elder’s Son went out into the mountain air. As Link entered, Tatl once more dove under his hat. Nothing had changed at all since Link was in the shrine last, the crying just as rampant with various Gorons about clasping their hands over their ears with their eyes screwed shut.

Quickly, the false Goron made his way back up to the crying child’s room. “Daddy! Daaaddy!” The Goron Elder’s Son kept wailing, hardly seeming aware of ‘Darmani’ entering the room once more. “Please come back!”

Link decided to try talking to the sad child first. “Your dad is okay.” He bellowed out, purposefully to be heard over the crying. This got the Goron Elder’s Son to pause, hiccupping and sniffling. “He was out in the snow, but I got him to the smithy’s. He’s resting now.”

Sniffling more, the Goron Elder’s Son only seemed partially pacified. “B...But…I-I want my Daddy! I want him now!” He started to hiccup again, clearly mere moments from bursting out into a full cry.

Deciding that words would do little, Link presented his drums once more, which startled the Goron Elder’s Son into a brief moment of silence. It was just enough for the false Goron to play the part of the Goron’s Lullaby that he had been taught.

The effect was immediate with the Goron Elder’s Son, who stared on at the Darmani imposter before him. “That’s…the song Daddy always played to me…before I sleep!” He sniffled once more. “I-I’ll sing the next part!”

To Link’s surprise, the Goron Elder’s Son stood up and cleared his throat. Harmonizing, he sang out the part of the Goron’s Lullaby that his father had played earlier. He then added on two notes to the end! At that, he sang the entire song again, looking to the false Darmani as he played the song back on his drums.

As Link played, the notes seemed to drift all through the shrine, and the false Goron even felt a bit sleepy as the song echoed out. Apparently it was a very effective lullaby, even to someone merely shapeshifting into a Goron! The impact was far greater on the Goron Elder’s Son, who yawned out before curling into a ball and almost instantly falling asleep.

Tatl peeked her head out, letting out a sigh of relief. “Oh, that’s so much better! Finally, that kid stopped!” The fairy said, floating out of the hat properly. “We’re done here then, right? Let’s get going!”

Link shook the tiredness from his body, turning the drums back into his Ocarina. He was pretty relieved too, both for the crying stopping and that he could help someone like the Goron Elder’s Son. Honestly, the boy had felt bad for the baby, who just wanted his parent to come back…something he could relate to, in a way.

Even though it was useless, Link wished at times he could meet his own mother, his birth mother. She had died so he could live, but he had no idea what she looked like or anything else. Saria may be the truest mother he had growing up, but he still loved and adored the woman who sacrificed herself for his sake. At least with the Goron Elder’s Son, his father would come back…

“Right. Let’s get going.” Link said simply, walking out of the room and back into the main shrine. To his and Tatl’s surprise, all the Gorons in there were curled up and asleep as well. Whether it was because of the lullaby, exhaustion from the child’s crying, or both, they were all fast asleep! Tatl tittered a bit as Link went down to the stone door, opening it before heading out into the mountains once more.

As they made their way to the door with the mural on it that lead to Snowhead, Tatl piped up. “So, how do you open this thing? Just slam down like the other one?” The fairy asked, wondering how that other door even worked.

“Probably. Only one way to find out.” Link said, approaching the door up the stairs before curling into a ball and smalling down. As expected, the large stone slab slowly rose up, allowing the two to pass through. They found themselves in a short, manmade tunnel that lead back out into the mountains. On the other side, they were suddenly hit with a nasty, negative energy, and this let them know just how close they were…

Up ahead was a structure that just had to be the Snowhead Temple. It was a large, imposing sight that was a far cry from the Woodfall Temple. This building seemed like it was simply carved from the ice and rock of the mountains, a long domed structure that reached up to the sky, icy spikes protruding from the top as if to defend from outside forces. A large, icy bridge lead towards the Temple, a seemingly bottomless pit surrounding the building otherwise.

“What a creepy Temple…” Tatl murmured, shivering a bit, and not from the cold either. “I feel sick just being near it.”

“Just like with Woodfall.” The false Goron mused, mostly to himself. This was unfortunately a sensation Link was all too familiar with, even before entering Termina. Without wanting to waste another second, he started to march forward, Tatl floating by his side. Without warning, a large gust of wind blew towards them, making Link slide back and nearly knocking Tatl to the ground.

“Man, that was a strong gust! Be careful or you’ll get blown right off that bridge!” Tatl exclaimed, reorienting herself. “What a pain…”

As Link approached, another burst of wind manifested, pushing him and the fairy back once more. “Something isn’t right.” He pointed out, noticing the wind died down as soon as they were pushed back far enough. Shedding his mask, Link had an idea. Something unseen was causing this wind, so maybe with the Lens of Truth…

Tatl watched as Link got the unusual magnifying glass from his belt and held it up to his eye. “What do you see? Some kind of a monster? Is that what’s making the wind blow?” She asked, getting a bit of an idea herself that the wind was acting suspiciously specific.

What Link saw truly startled him, and not for the reason he expected. He assumed he’d see some massive monster, maybe even the monster manifesting the curse of the North. No, instead…he saw a Goron! The largest Goron he had ever seen, but a Goron all the same. He sat in front of Snowhead, almost the size of the Temple itself. Cautiously, Link took a few steps forward, and watched as the hidden Goron inhaled and blew a gust of wind that pushed him back.

“It’s a giant Goron.” The boy informed Tatl once he oriented himself. “He’s blowing at us when we get close.” But why? Why would a Goron do that? Thinking of it…Darmani had mentioned a gust blew him off to his death! Did another Goron really do that? For what reason? “I know what to do.”

“A Goron…? That’s so weird. Must be really big if he can blow us away. But what are you going to do from all the way over here?” Tatl asked, trying to keep up with Link’s thought process. She had to admit, he could be a pretty quick thinker. A lot of the times, when he came up with some plan, it ended up working well…

Link put the Lens of Truth in his belt and donned the Goron Mask once more. As he was forcefully changed, he kept the Ocarina of Time in one hand, and converted it to drums once more. “I’ll put him to sleep.” He answered simply. Looking to where the massive Goron’s face was, generally, the false Darmani started to play the drums. For a second time, he played the Goron’s Lullaby, the notes seeming to swim through the mountain air, drifting all the way to the heavens…and to the Snowhead Temple as well.

In an instant, the giant Goron became visible, whatever spell was causing its invisibility apparently shattering. As Tatl let out a startled noise, the hulking figure let out a yawn that could be heard all the way from where the duo were watching. The Goron started to nod off, trying to stay awake…but it was no use. Letting out a second yawn, he curled up into a ball before rolling right off into the abyss below! Luckily, though, the pit wasn’t actually bottomless. The giant Goron soon hit the bottom, half of its body still visible as its loud snoring rang out into the area. Link swapped back into his Hylian form to properly put the Ocarina away before becoming a Goron again, starting to walk along the ice bridge without any interference.

“I’m glad that worked. But what the heck was that guy’s deal?” Tatl asked, looking at the slumbering form of the massive Goron. “Maybe the curse did that to him?”

“Maybe.” Link found it hardly mattered. Darmani was dead before the First Day, so preventing the tragedy from happening was impossible. Whatever happened to that giant Goron, it was beyond his ability to help. Maybe cleansing the Temple would help, but that wasn’t a given.

Within a minute or so, the two were at the yawning entrance of the Temple, the opening seeming pitch black and leading into nothingness. Link paused here, the air around him feeling much colder than anywhere else on the mountain, and the cursed energy draping over him like a heavy tarp. Even in his Goron form, it felt crushing against him…

Once more, the boy thought of the gods, and how they should be able to stop this. He glanced back at the Moon, something he had avoided doing since heading North this time around. It was so large, even just on the Second Day, and even though it faced South, Link somehow felt its gaze on him. Looking back to the entrance before him, Link once more pleaded, bargained with any deity that would listen to aid him. He’d do anything to be released from this burden…for the Moon to vanish and for him to go home…for his mind to be fixed. Surely the Golden Goddesses could do that much?

Yet, as he stood there…nothing happened.

“…Link? What are you doing?” Tatl asked, wondering why her companion had stopped. Was he afraid? Seemed silly to think about. As far as she was concerned, Link had no fear. He never displayed any, at least, and she couldn’t imagine him being terrified of anything. That’s what happened when the boy showed zero emotions whatsoever. What else was she supposed to think?

The fairy’s question snapped Link out of his thoughts. This was all so, so unfair. What had he done to deserve this? Why did he have to play the part of a hero once more? It didn’t help that he wasn’t a hero at all, and he would never be one. “It’s nothing. Just thinking.”

“About what? You don’t have to always be so vague you know…” Tatl remarked, trying not to snap out of annoyance. She swore he spoke more to just about everyone but her. He seemed so fond of giving her brief, four or five word responses almost all the time. Did he really hold that much of a grudge for when she was cruel to him?

Shaking his head, Link replied simply. “It’s not important.” With that, he walked into the Temple, forcing his new and sturdy legs to move him forward.

Tatl let out a sigh, not really surprised by his response, but still annoyed. Just once, she wished he could respond in a more meaningful and normal way. Whatever. Maybe one day she’d be able to pry something out of him.

For the time being, the fairy followed after the fake Goron, nervous to see what the Snowhead Temple held in store for them.

Chapter Text

Instantly, and surprisingly, Link and Tatl felt the temperature drop as they entered the Temple. Somehow, despite now being indoors, things were so much colder for the two than when they were outside. Even with Link’s Goron body and Tatl’s natural heat as a fairy, the two quickly began to shiver and had to fight to keep their teeth from chattering.

The room they entered into had little to offer. It was made of stone, with ice forming on the floor, walls, and ceiling. Most of it was a layer of icy décor save for the ceiling, where large icicles dangled. Aside from that, the only thing worth noting was a singular stone door ahead of them. It had no knob or handle, but it instead had grooves at the bottom clearly meant to be held onto so the door could be lifted.

A disgusting atmosphere lingered in the air, one that was very similar to how the Woodfall Temple felt. It was oppressive, making the false Goron and the fairy feel heavy and mildly sapped of strength. On top of that, the cold they felt seemed to pierce them all the way to the bone. It was an aggressive, biting chill that felt as though it were accompanied by a harsh wind despite the Temple air being very still. Worse of all, it felt as though the two were being watched, like the ice itself was keeping watch on the Temple’s guests.

“How is it colder in here than out there?!” Tatl exclaimed, knowing the answer already. She realized it was because of the Temple’s curse that made the cold far worse than it should be. The fairy was just so frustrated and felt she had to let it out!

“We’ll just have to try to get through this quickly.” Was all Link said in response, starting to approach the door. He was doing his best not to let it show just how much the freezing temperatures were bothering him, and hopefully if he just kept moving, it’d help him stay at least a bit warm.

Tatl shot Link a look as, once again, he plunged into danger without any sort of hesitation. Without thinking, she spoke up. “How many times have you done stuff like this?” The fairy all but demanded, staying where she was when Link reached the door.

“You mean how many times did we go through Woodfall?” The boy asked, sincerely confused at her question.

“No! I mean how many times have you done this sort of thing before you came to Termina?” Tatl asked, flying over to Link so she could look at his face. As always, it displayed no emotion. She had no idea if the fact he was a Goron made his blank expression more or less unnerving to look at.

Oh. He should’ve known. She was just trying to pry into his life again. It baffled him that she chose a time like this to ask these sorts of questions. If she was going to do this, couldn’t it wait until they were at the inn or something? A small part of Link wanted to just pretend like she didn’t say anything and keep going. For reasons he didn’t even understand, he actually gave an answer. “What makes you think I’ve done stuff like this before?” He asked, not looking directly at Tatl.

The fairy scoffed, complete with a small scowl. “Oh, come on! You’re able to use that sword yours so well, along with a bow and you use bombs so casually! You can fight monsters without batting an eye and you just go into these dangerous situations without a second though! You think I’m too stupid to figure out you’ve done things like this long before Termina?”

Link didn’t think Tatl was stupid, no, but he apparently underestimated just how much his past was in her thoughts. As less irritating as she’s gotten, he still had to wonder if she actually cared about him or if she just wanted to quench her curiosity. It didn’t matter which it was, he had zero interest in telling her anything. “It doesn’t matter. We just have to cleanse the four lands and free the Giants now.” He knew it wasn’t an answer she’d accept, but something told him if he just asked or demanded she stopped prying, it’d do little to stop her.

“Yeah, it may not be important, but I still want to know! What happened back in Hyrule, huh?” The fairy pressed, sneering as Link ignored her and opened the door in front of them. It revealed a stone passage, murals of Gorons on the walls with ancient, faded text. As with the first room, there was plenty of ice on the floor, walls, and ceiling. Lit torches allowed the two to see onward, the other side of the hall still swallowed by the darkness.

Tatl sighed as Link just walked through and started to go into the darkness. The fairy decided she would just give up for the moment. It was an awkward time, she knew, but it wasn’t like she expected him to go on a huge speech about his background. Granted, she’d love to see that once they were back at the inn! As she followed Link, Tatl started to think of some theories she had about the unusual youth.

The most prevalent of these thoughts that Tatl had was that Link was some sort of child soldier. She knew little of Hyrule, the Skull Kid never having mentioned too much about it. She knew there was a Royal Family, but that was about it. A kingdom needed an army, and armies needed soldiers. Not knowing what this Royal Family was like, her cynical side wondered if they trained child soldiers. Maybe Link was taken in when he was young, trained in combat and how to hide his emotions and true feelings. This would explain why he couldn’t read despite seeming to be a pretty smart kid. If all he was going to do was fight, there’d be no need for him to learn much else.

But was the King of Hyrule such a cruel man? Was he the type to really take children and turn them into soldiers? To her, it was sadly the most sensible theory she could come up with. Link was so stone cold, so lacking in what made a person seem human. Yet he also didn’t seem to enjoy what he did, not even the fighting or combat. If he were a child soldier, he’d have been molded to enjoy fighting, right? Maybe the training didn’t stick well? It also didn’t explain why he was in the Lost Woods with a young horse, nor why he was lacking in any kind of armor as expected of a soldier, child or not.

The fairy held back a sigh, having a feeling she’d never get the answers she wanted. Tatl was used to getting her way, made all the easier that Tael listened to her so well and generally did as told. Link withholding so much from her just drove her nuts and every day she spent with the odd Hylian just increased her curiosity! Her thoughts were interrupted as Link stopped in his tracks and shed his mask, returning to a human once more. She noticed he was looking at the ceiling and followed suit, seeing three Stray Fairies hovering near the ceiling! They looked the same as all the others, of course, save for a green coloration.

“The Great Fairy is broken here too. Help me keep an eye out for more Stray Fairies.” Link instructed, donning the Great Fairy Mask, and collecting the three creatures. He supposed he should have guessed something like this was happening up North too. The Hylian didn’t stop to ask, or even think about, a Great Fairy in this area, but since there was one in the South…

“Hmph. Well, she’ll probably give us something good, so…” Tatl mused, deciding to try and stop thinking about Link’s past…for the moment. She knew this new obsession of sorts would crop back into her brain sooner or later. As the boy donned the Goron Mask once more and looked at her, she flinched and let out a noise of discomfort.

Something she hadn’t noticed before, not looking at Link’s new form all too closely…was that his eyes didn’t match the Goron whose form he was taking! The Goron Mask, and presumably Darmani himself when he was alive, had purple eyes! Yet she looked into Link’s and she saw the same, dull blue that he had as a Hylian, just bigger to match his new body. The only thing she could think of was that old saying, how one’s eyes were the window to the soul. She had to wonder what kind of soul Link had to have eyes like his. They looked dull and dead, but it was clear he was a good person. If anything, he had what seemed to be an obsession with helping people, something Tatl had given him a hard time for in the past. Clearly, it was that he was damaged, not bad in any way, but she already realized that.

It especially astounded her because, as a Deku, there was nothing like this! Perhaps the Deku was simply too alien for his eyes to change in that form. A Goron, far from a Hylian, was arguably far closer than Dekus were, especially in the eyes. She really wished she hadn’t noticed all this, as looking at Link in this form with his usual eyes was just so uncomfortable for her! His regular eyes were bad enough, but this was almost too much!

“Is something wrong?” Link asked sincerely, having no idea about his eyes. After all, he hadn’t seen his reflection in this new form, so he had no way of knowing. For a moment, he thought there may be something in the area that Tatl sensed, but he saw nothing as he looked about.

In a split-second decision, Tatl decided not to bring up the eye thing, at least not yet. No reason to bring it up, as odd as it was. Especially since the sooner they got out of this freezing Temple, the better! Speaking of the cold…! “N-Nothing, it’s just unbearably cold in this place!” The fairy exclaimed, shivering a bit, and letting the chill rattle her so her surprised stutter seemed more natural.

Tatl’s trick worked, Link not suspecting anything. “Right. Let’s just keep going, then.” As much as he seemed calm, he was fighting against the cold too, having to really try not to stutter from the low temperatures. He was at least glad his Goron form helped fight against the cold a little bit.

The Temple held little of interest for several hallways and rooms as the two went forward. Just ice, snow, and the occasional wall markings were all that stood in their way. At the very least, they came across a whopping other seven Stray Fairies on the way. On top of that, there only seemed one way forward, so it wasn’t as though they were lost…yet the Temple started to quickly seem larger on the inside than the outside.

Link was reminded of how the Temples in Hyrule were warped due to Ganondorf’s influence. This certainly seemed similar with just how many rooms the two had gone through which seemed to mostly blend together and serve little to no purpose. On top of that, he wondered if the cursed Majora’s Mask could do the same thing. A part of him also wondered if the mask was more powerful than the Gerudo. Thinking of it, the curses that the object enacted reached much farther than the King of Evil’s. An entire swamp and a huge mountain range were each infected with this cursed energy, something Ganondorf was only able to do on the scale of the Lost Woods!

Of course, this wasn’t even considering the Moon.

His mind snapped out of things when the two entered yet another room and a deep growling startled them both. The room itself was nondescript as usual, ice and snow on the floor, walls, and ceiling. As usual, there was one exit, except this one was guarded! Two White Wolfos were at the far side of the room, the beasts quickly noticing the intruders and snarling at them. The orange eyes of the beasts rested on Link, the larger of the two targets. Of all the beasts that could be here, why did it have to be Wolfos?!

“Why the heck are these things in here?” Tatl asked, starting to float upwards to distance herself from the inevitable fight. The Dinolfos at least made a bit of sense, being a creature of some intelligence. After all, they could use weapons, so going through a Temple was hardly too much for them. Wolfos, on the other hand, were just dumb beasts. Did the Skull Kid put them in here? Why? Just to torment them? To stop someone from stopping the curse? Given all he had done, it wouldn’t really shock Tatl at all.

Link readied himself, muscle memory making him ready a sword and shield he didn’t even have on him due to his new form. Quickly catching himself, he was about to remove his mask, but the twin Wolfos sprinted at him before he could! Link was able to do little more than raise an arm up at one of the attacking creatures, the Wolfos’ jaws clamping over the false Goron’s limb. Link had thought quickly, allowing the beast to bite down on the metallic gauntlet he had in his Goron form. The beast was oddly determined, only trying harder to bite through the gauntlet as if it had a chance. That, or it was trying to keep Link still as its partner rounded from the back, going for a less straightforward attack.

With his newfound strength, Link swung around, taking the still-biting Wolfos with him, slamming the beast into the other as it tried to lunge at the false Goron. The two creatures let out pained yelps, the one on Link’s gauntlet letting go as they tumbled onto the icy floor. Inside, Link was begging for the Wolfos to just give up and let him and Tatl pass. Once more, he heard the whimpering of the Wolfos he had to mercy kill two years ago. How was it still haunting him after all this time?!

Link’s prayers went unanswered yet again as the two Wolfos quickly recovered from the attack and they both lunged for Link at once. Apparently, they felt a frontal assault would work if they went at it at the same time. Trying the same tactic again, raising both arms up to try and have the Wolfos bite down on them to nullify their attack. Unfortunately, the Wolfos foresaw this and dodged around his arms. One of them went for his neck with its jaws, Link just barely able to move so that it bit into his left shoulder instead. As this happened, the other Wolfos slashed the false Goron across his belly, drawing blood.

Thankfully, due to the natural toughness of a Goron’s body, Link didn’t take nearly as much damage as he would have if he were in his usual form. Both attacks made him bleed and sent stabbing pain throughout every inch of his body, but neither injury was actually severe! Gritting his teeth, Link slammed his fist into the slashing Wolfos, the blow connecting to its jaw. A pained yelp erupting from the beast, it was sent sprawling as one of its teeth completely shattered from the impact.

Not even thinking, simply acting, Link grabbed the jaws of the Wolfos digging into his shoulder and yanked it away while forcing its mouth open. In a swift motion he, not even realizing his own strength, snapped its jaws so violently that it shattered the Wolfos’ skull and killed it instantly. Startled, Link dropped the corpse, having to forcibly hold back a gasp as he realized what he just did. He realized he’d probably have to kill the two Wolfos, but doing it like that was just…

His self-disgust was interrupted as the other Wolfos got to its feet, snarling harshly at him. Spurred by its partner’s death, it sprinted at Link who once more acted instinctually. Raising his hand up, Link slammed down a fist onto the top of the Wolfos’ head, sending both straight into the floor. There was a sickening crunch and the beast laid there dead.

Horrified with his own strength, Link stared at the two bodies, panting heavily yet somehow feeling like he couldn’t even breath. His hands shook lightly, and not from the cold. He hadn’t meant to do either of those things, the boy not realizing just how much strength a Goron had! It was like with his voice, naturally in a bellow, that he let loose far more pressure than he had anticipated! Stabbing something to kill it was one thing, but to kill two Wolfos with his bare hands wasn’t remotely the same!

Tatl had watched the whole thing play out with light horror. She wasn’t nearly as shaken up as Link was, but the brutality disturbed her a bit. It didn’t cross her mind that Link meant to be so brutal, it just didn’t seem like him. Of course, he had to kill the Wolfos one way or another. It was either beating them to death with a Goron’s strength or stabbing them to death with a sword. Either way it was hardly pretty! “Giants abound, you really made quick work of them!” The fairy exclaimed, slowly floating down towards her partner.

Link didn’t even hear Tatl speak. In his own mind, the sounds of whimpering Wolfos and cracking bones kept playing on a loop. The horrid noises just kept getting louder, almost deafening! In his mind’s eye, he saw that Wolfos from the Lost Woods, lying on the ground and slowly bleeding out.

It’s suffering, Navi…

I can’t…I can’t just let it bleed out.

His own, younger voice haunted Link in his mind, his heart beating faster and faster as he heard the sound of a blade plunging into flesh. He could feel the hot blood on his bare skin, the struggle of a dying beast as it clung to life even in its final moments!

“Link!” Tatl exclaimed, having repeated his name what felt like a dozen times. As she approached him, she quickly noticed he hadn’t reacted to her. He just kept staring at his hands with that vacant stare in his eyes. The boy didn’t have to emote for her to realize his mind was a thousand miles away at that moment. She kept saying his name, but he didn’t budge, so she shouted it out instead.

Flinching, Link finally heard the fairy, looking up at her. Even through her natural light, he saw the open worry on her face. How long had he stood there, his past mistakes playing in his head over and over? “What? Did you say something?” He asked, putting his hands back down at his sides.

“What the heck was that? You weren’t answering me!” The fairy pointed out, wanting to ask specifically what was going through Link’s mind. She knew better, though, realizing he wouldn’t give her an actual answer.

Blinking a few times, the boy shook his head. “It’s nothing. I got lost in thought.” At the very least, he was sort of telling her the truth. He quickly realized that, unless the two find a way to permanently free the Giants in this Cycle somehow, he’d have to kill these two Wolfos in the future. Just the thought of it made him sick to his stomach, and the knowledge that the Song of Time will bring them back to life did nothing to ease his guilt.

“You’re a lot stronger than I thought. Those Wolfos didn’t stand a chance!” Tatl observed, once more deciding that pushing Link for answers would get her nowhere. “Might as well fight everything as a Goron, right?”

He understood what she meant, and he realized she was trying to be positive. The idea of having to kill with his bare hands was too sickening for him to agree. In fact, the only reason he didn’t go back to being a Hylian was to protect himself from the cold. A small part of him wondered if his Deku form could even feel the cold since his entire body would be made of wood. If there wasn’t the risk of being attacked in such a weak form, he’d almost be tempted to try it out. “It doesn’t feel right. I’ve only ever fought with a sword and shield before this.” Link remarked, not counting the few times he used bubbles as a Deku.

“I guess that makes sense. Just trying to see the bright side…” Tatl grumbled, rolling her eyes. She was just trying to be a bit positive! Didn’t help that she was perhaps a tad jealous of Link’s strength as a Goron. It wasn’t always easy being a fairy, after all. Sure, fairies could fly faster than any other creature in Termina could move. On top of that, fitting into tight spaces was helpful! Her small size also meant she needed far less food to survive. Not being able to properly lift, say, an Ocarina was a huge pain, though. She wished she could move things like humans could, let alone how Gorons could.

“There’s no bright side to this.” Link softly bellowed, unable to properly control his voice. His cynicism was too great to see any upside to his situation, especially if it meant it was just easier to kill things. Without a further word, he opened the only door forward as Tatl followed behind.

Tatl simply scowled a bit, rolling her eyes once more as she followed Link deeper into the Temple.

As before, there was little of interest in the Temple as the two went through its twists and turns. It did seem to get increasingly cold, however, and it felt as though strong winds were blowing around them despite the interior location. They could even hear the blustering winds, even though they shouldn’t even exist. Another oddity was they started to find pools of lava, very small ones, in some rooms. They got to safe distances from these pools, using the intense heat to warm up a bit before they kept on going. Thankfully, Link’s strong Goron body made him able to move about with his Wolfos-induced injuries with little issue. If it weren’t for his new form’s tough skin, that bite to the shoulder could have injured him enough where the fight could’ve ended very differently…

When going through yet another hallway, Link stopped and looked to one of the walls. On it was more cave paintings like before. The one he was looking at depicted Gorons standing outside the Snowhead Temple. Standing at its entrance, blowing a harsh wind depicted through drawings, was a very unusual creature. It seemed bovine in nature, like a bull, but had black skin and a humanlike face.

“What is that…?” Tatl asked, stopping to look too. “Some sort of freaky creature. But hey, it’s blowing cold wind! Maybe it’s somewhere here in the Temple!” There was that freaky, massive jungle warrior at Woodfall, so maybe something similar was lurking in Snowhead.

“What does the writing say, Tatl?” Link asked, the words as good as scribbles to him. He had the same thought as his companion; the creature depicted in the art may be real and lurking within the Temple. It would be like Volvagia or Bongo Bongo…both ancient evils brought back by curses to act as the bearing of said curses within Temples.

Tatl squinted, the writing a bit faded. Thankfully, it wasn’t so bad that she couldn’t make it out. “It’s a story about something called…Goht. Weird name.” The fairy remarked. “It’s saying how it brought terrible cold to the mountains, the Gorons powerless to stop it.” She frowned a bit. “I guess the story has to continue elsewhere, these drawings are very old. There had to be someone that stopped this thing.”

“Does the writing say anything about what Goht is?” Link asked, wondering if there was some sort of weakness to possibly exploit.

The fairy looked up higher, finding there was more writing. This new writing was even more faded, but she was still just barely able to make it out! “It says it’s a monster of metal and sheer cold. It sounds like some sort of demonic machine from what all this says. That has to be it! The Skull Kid must have brought this thing back somehow, and that’s why the mountains are so cold!” Tatl guessed, feeling a bit proud of herself. “That has to be it!”

So, if they cleanse the Temple, the curse stops. Not that Link had any doubt previously. It only reinforces how important this all was! “Nothing about a weakness?” Link pressed.

“Nothing like that. But I mean come on, you’re a Goron! What more than you need than that freakish strength you have now?” Tatl said with confidence. She had faith in her companion, at least in combat. So far, he hadn’t let her down in that department! “Just gotta turn that thing into scrap metal!”

Link wasn’t quite so confident. Sure, he had taken down all sorts of monsters of various shapes and sizes. It didn’t mean he was about to assume victory, however. Seemed pretty foolish to him. “Hopefully that will be enough.” Was all he said in response, turning and continuing down the hallway. If he was lucky, maybe there was some sort of weapon he could use such as the Megaton Hammer within the Fire Temple.

Tatl really wished Link could say something positive. Just once. “Such a mood killer…” She grumbled to herself, following after the false Goron. As they went down the unusually long hallway, one that seemed to slightly ramp upwards, the fairy saw more writing on the wall. “Hey! Look, there’s more!” The two of them stopped as she kept reading. “It says that it was Darmani that defeated Goht! Mmm…maybe Darmani’s grandpa? It leaves out ‘III’ after all…” She turned to Link. “See? Just need to use some of those Goron muscles to deal with this!”

Somehow Link felt like it wouldn’t be as easy as just giving this strange metal creature a good punch. What kind of monster was made out of metal anyway? Was it poetic? Was the text saying its skin was as hard as metal? “Like I said, hopefully that will be enough.” If the creature really was made of metal, he wasn’t sure his sword or arrows would do anything. Maybe a bomb blast would do some damage…?

Tatl sighed a bit. Giants abound, couldn’t he just be positive for once? “Come on, think about it! You’ll be like Darmani IV or something!” It was mostly a joke, the fairy trying to lift up their spirits a bit. A part of her thought things would be easier if Link could just lighten up, if only a little. This whole situation was horrid, of course, but no need to just mope around all the time!

The false Goron nearly flinched at those words. A mixture of anger and guilt broiled in his gut as he shook his head. “Don’t say things like that. I’m not like Darmani III, or any other Goron hero.” He insisted, even though he knew Tatl was only making a joke. The idea of the Gorons praising him as some sort of hero left a bitter taste in his mouth. They already thought he was Darmani, and it made him wonder if he should face them at all, even in Goron form, when the Temple was cleansed. He knew they’d cheer and praise him, and he also knew he’d feel horrible for it.

“Lighten up!” Tatl practically hissed, rolling her eyes openly. “It was just a joke!” Shaking it off, she settled herself before she really lost her temper. “Let’s just keep going, alright?” Without waiting for a response, she flew onward, not even glancing back at Link.

Link almost shot back that joking about stuff like that just wasn’t funny. Yet, he held his tongue. Getting into some stupid fight was just a waste of time. Instead, he silently followed as the hallway went up even more. The higher the two got, the colder it became. He had no idea why there was a pool of lava back where they had been, but he hoped another one came up soon!

Alas, nothing of the sort happened. It simply got colder as the two pressed on into the Temple. Eventually, they came across a large door that only a Goron could open. Frost was spread upon it and on the surrounding wall. Large balls of ice were around the doorway as well. “Do you feel that?” Link asked, a strong negative feeling emanating from just beyond the slab of stone. “It feels awful around here.”

Tatl had simmered down, the cold actually helping with that. Hard to stay mad and heated when it was so freezing! “Yeah, I feel that too. It doesn’t feel like it’d be Goht, though…” If the feeling of Goht was like that of that crazy jungle warrior, then it was clear there was something lesser beyond that door. As she floated closer, she stopped and stared at the ice chunks. “Oh…! Link…!” Her words died in her mouth as she felt a horrid shiver go up her spine.

Link looked closer too, his heart skipping a beat at what he saw.

The chunks of ice weren’t what they seemed. As the two looked closer, they saw that the ‘ice’ was actually the frozen remains of Gorons! They were all intact, but it was clear they had been lying there for a long, long while. There was no chance that they could be brought back, even if they were somehow thawed out. Counting them off, the two saw about ten of the deceased Gorons hunched over or curled up by the door. What really terrified the two was that these were the only Goron corpses they had seen so far. Whatever was on the other side of that door was what stopped so many would-be Goron saviors from moving forward!

Link instantly thought back to Dodongo’s Cavern and the Goron corpse he came across there. He was really struggling to decide if the dismembered body or the frozen victims before him were worse. The child found he couldn’t stop staring at the visages of the deceased Gorons, their expressions warped in terror and pain. Whatever did this to them clearly wasn’t instantaneous. They suffered greatly before they died…

“Tatl, do you know something that can do this?” Link asked, still unable to tear his gaze from the poor souls before him. The only creature he knew that could do something like this was a Freezard. Did they exist in Termina? He supposed Dekus, Gorons, and Zoras did, along with monsters like Tektites, Octoroks, and Wolfos…so why not? Still, a Freezard didn’t make sense since they couldn’t even move…

“Beats me! I don’t know what could just freeze Gorons like that. Goht is making all this cold, but it can’t be on the other side of that door. This feeling just isn’t strong enough…” The fairy was at a loss, able to look away from the Gorons, unlike Link. The sight made her sick to her stomach, and it baffled her that even at this moment, her companion showed zero emotion. Did he feel anything for the dead Gorons at all? Was he just shocked…?

Great. That didn’t help at all! Link wasn’t mad, though. He couldn’t expect Tatl to know everything like Navi could. If she were here, he knew she’d have some sort of theory at the very least. Finally tearing his eyes from the Gorons, he looked to the door. “Stick close to me and be careful.” The false Goron said as he approached, not wanting anything to happen to his companion.

Tatl didn’t need to be told twice, sticking right by Link’s shoulder as he opened the door. Instantly, a wave of foul energy hit the two like a slap to the face. Not only that, but what seemed to be a fresh wave of cold air went along with it. Before them was a large room, strange crystals on the floor and, as usual, only a single door forward. What was odd, though, was that there was no source of the increased cold…or any sort of monster. That being said, there were a large number of Stray Fairies at the ceiling! Ten of them!

Moving slowly into the room, his guard up, Link paid little mind to the Stray Fairies and tried to spot any sort of sign of danger. As he moved, though, he didn’t see anything aside from those odd crystals.

“Maybe the monster here left?” Tatl suggested hopefully, looking around constantly as well. It was unclear what sort of creature had frozen those Gorons, so maybe it was only in the Temple temporarily. That’s what she told herself, at least.

As if triggered by the fairy’s words, there was a flash of light from one of the crystals! Rising from the small space, despite how impossible it was, came a large and humanoid figure! It wasn’t any sort of creature that Link had ever seen before. The thing was tall, twice the size he was, even in his Goron form. It had blue skin, like the color of mold. While clearly not human, the entity wore a sort of clock to cover itself, and even held a staff within its hand. Its face was downright unnerving, a misshapen head with a visage to match, peering at Link and Tatl with yellow eyes.

The oppressive feeling from outside the door grew stronger, it being clear that the creature was the source. Link tensed up, readying himself to attack or defend depending on what the entity did. It was on the other side of the room, so he couldn’t reach it too easily. The thing kept staring at the two intruders, Link using this time to whisper to his companion. “Do you know what this thing is?” Despite trying to whisper, his Goron vocal chords made it come out at what would normally be casual speaking volume.

Tatl blinked a few times, thinking hard as she eyed the ugly humanoid before them. “I think that’s a Wizzrobe!” She exclaimed after a sudden realization. “They’re ugly magic users and they’re really sadistic!” The fairy went on, recalling stories she had heard about the dark wizards.

Link had no idea what ‘sadistic’ meant, but from Tatl’s tone it was clearly pretty bad. “What can it do? How do I fight it?” He pressed, staring at the unusual creature, wondering why it hadn’t attacked them yet. The thing just kept staring at them with those yellow eyes, as if pondering something. It wore clothes and held a staff, so was it intelligent? Tatl talked about it like it was a monster, so maybe it was like Lizalfos and Dinolfos; intelligent, but not enough to actually be people. At the very least it’d make killing the thing less awful…

“I’ve never seen one before. I just heard stories…” Tatl murmured, shivering from a mixture of fear and the horrid coldness around them. “They use a lot of spells, and I heard they could cast curses, but I have no idea!” The fairy wasn’t exactly a living encyclopedia. She wasn’t one to put herself or Tael at risk before all this madness started, so it wasn’t like she saw a lot of monsters firsthand!

“Not much to go on…” The false Goron murmured to himself. It was times like this that Link really wished that Tatl was more like Navi. His old companion would have some sort of advice, even if she was at a loss of what the creature Link had to fight even was!

As if somehow set off by the two talking about it, the Wizzrobe acted without warning! Letting out an inhuman cry, it raised its staff as energy visually gathered at its end. With another shout, it swung its weapon at Link and Tatl, a green orb of energy firing at them! Though Gorons were generally slower than the other races, Link still had the body of a powerful hero! Because of this, he was still able to jump out of the way, avoiding the attack entirely as Tatl flew up towards the ceiling. The orb hit the wall, bursting as the crackling energy quickly dissipated into the cold, open air.

Acting quickly, Link sprinted as fast as his Goron legs could move him towards the magical creature. Its eyes widened, clearly surprised at its would-be-victims dodging its attack. As Link closed the gap and prepared a punch, the Wizzrobe shrunk back down into its crystal and disappeared from sight!

“Link! Look out behind you!” Tatl shouted out, acting as an eye in the sky as the confrontation went on below.

Whipping around, he saw the Wizzrobe coming out from another one of the floor crystals. Letting out a cackle, it spun around in a circle, seeming to mock Link as energy built in its staff again. This time, a blue orb appeared, and a bone-piercing cold radiated from it. Even from a distance, Link had to hold back a shiver as the Wizzrobe prepared its attack! Once more, the dark mage let out a scream as it unleashed its spell, the chilling sphere shooting right for Link.

Quickly understanding how it was that the Gorons became frozen, Link curled up and rolled out of the way, but kept up the momentum as he barreled towards the Wizzrobe. The sphere hit the wall, a huge chunk of ice appearing at the impact as Link sped towards his opponent. Yet, even while rolling at high speeds, it just wasn’t fast enough. As the false Goron approached, the Wizzrobe ducked into its crystal once more, getting away just as Link reached it. Uncurling, he looked around for the creature to appear once more.

While he waited, he realized that he’d never reach his target as a Goron. Bracing himself for the cold, he took his mask off and returned to being a Hylian once more. Putting the mask away, he readied his bow and an arrow just as the Wizzrobe reappeared on the far side of the room. The air in the room bit at the boy’s skin, and his hands quickly started to shake, but he gritted his teeth hard and did his best to steady his shaking body. At the same time, he let out a wince as the wounds he took on from a Goron carried over to his human form. Thankfully, the wounds remained shallow, so he was still able to grit his teeth and fight!

As the blue-skinned being emerged, its eyes widened as it looked to see the Goron it was facing off had vanished, leaving a human child instead. It apparently got over it quickly, letting out yet another cackle as it charged an attack once more, this time the orb being red.

Without hesitation, Link readied his arrow properly and shot it at the Wizzrobe. The creature clearly didn’t see the attack coming, as it didn’t even react until the projectile had struck it right in the chest! Link had wanted to hit the Wizzrobe in the neck, but try as he might, he wasn’t able to stop his hands from shaking entirely. Either way, the arrow caused the creature to let out a cry of pain, its spell disintegrating as its concentration was broken. It gripped the arrow and yanked it out, not seeming to notice or care at how doing so caused its dark blue blood to start leaking from the wound. Glaring at Link, it tossed the arrow to the side and shrank away once more.

“Tatl, I need you to come down here.” Link said, looking up to the fairy. “I need your warmth.” He wasn’t sure how much of her natural heat would help, but anything at all to keep his hands steady had to be tried!

“Seriously?! Jeez, okay…!” The fairy was pretty hesitant, liking to stay as far from the action as she could. She had been impressed with Link’s quick thinking and he seemed to have it handled! Either way, she ducked into his tunic, quicker than the boy could blink. The cold air really reduced how much heat Tatl could give off, but there was little she could do.

Link was hoping for more, but he still felt the breathing warmth of his companion against him. It didn’t do very much, but if it helped with his shaking hands just the tiniest bit…it was worth a shot!

Moments after Tatl ducked into Link’s tunic, the Wizzrobe once more rose from one of its crystals, and still doing so far away from its opponent. Before the Hylian could act, the blue creature actually moved from its teleporting point. Moving much faster than expected, the Wizzrobe sprinted about the room, going at such speeds that Link and Tatl saw afterimages of the dark mage as it went.

Readying his arrow, Link tried to track his opponent’s movements, but it was just going way too fast for him to do so! Every time he thought he zeroed in on the Wizzrobe, it was already halfway across the room! Tatl’s warmth did little to stop Link’s hands from shaking, and at one point he felt he had as good a shot as any and let the arrow fly. Unfortunately, it went through empty air before hitting the far wall.

As soon as this happened, a green orb from seemingly nowhere careened towards Link! Tatl let out a yell and flew upward, dodging the projectile. The Hylian, however, was not so lucky. The magic attack struck him square in the chest, knocking the wind out of him as he felt dark magic surge through his body. On top of that, the impact sent him lightly off the ground, making the boy fall on his rear. This caused the Wizzrobe to stop running, stopping at one of the crystals as it pointed at its opponent while cackling wildly.

Despite the direct blow, Link wasn’t seriously injured. He felt that the tunic’s enchantment that the Great Fairy of Power gave him was what saved his life. The boon surely absorbed most of the magical impact! Still, it didn’t stop the pain from shooting through the child’s body, and the blow still left him struggling to get in a helpful breath. Luckily for the Hylian, though, the Wizzrobe seemed far more interested in taunting and laughing than actually finishing its opponent off. Apparently it was so confident in its new trick, it no longer saw Link as a real threat.

Tatl soon flew down to check on Link, just as he managed to get a lungful of air. “I’m fine.” He insisted before the fairy could open her mouth. Struggling to his feet, he got out another arrow. “The tunic absorbed most of the dark magic.”

The fairy let out a sigh of relief, ducking back into Link’s tunic. “Jeez, you really scared me there! Keep a better lookout for the magic, okay?!” She demanded, feeling a sincere worry for her companion. The Tatl from the day she and Link met would be so astonished at how the fairy acted and felt now…

At Link’s defiance, the Wizzrobe stopped laughing and gave its opponent a scowl. Without hesitation, it started to sprint about the room again, going just as fast as it had before. The Hylian tried to follow the creature with the bow and arrow, but it was futile! Quickly, though, an idea cropped up in his mind. Putting the bow and arrow away, Link instead pulled out a bomb along with the flint and steel. “Stay in my tunic.” He instructed Tatl, lighting the bomb up. As soon as the fuse lit, he threw the explosive into the middle of the room before getting his shield ready, crouching behind it as best as he could.

Tatl let out a startled noise, ducking down further into Link’s tunic as she heard a loud explosion echo through the room. Instantly, this was followed by the Wizzrobe’s shriek and a series of dumping, flopping noises. By the time the fairy peeked out from Link’s tunic, the boy had straightened up, put the shield away, and had his bow and arrow ready.

The Wizzrobe was lying on the floor, its legs shredded from an explosion it was apparently going too fast to even see coming. It was oozing dark blue blood onto the floor as it lied in agony. It uselessly held its staff in one hand as it tried to crawl towards one of the crystals on the floor. Without hesitation, Link fired off his arrow. This time, his aim was true, and the projectile pierced through the dark mage’s skull, killing it instantly.

Blinking a few times at the carnage, Tatl slowly floated out of Link’s tunic as the boy put his weapon away, donning the Great Fairy Mask to collect the remaining Stray Fairies. The normal fairy was still trying to process what just happened. Sure, she saw Link kill lots of monsters, but something about this instance just struck her in the gut. Not that she felt bad for the Wizzrobe, not a chance, but seeing its legs reduced to stumps really got to her. Once more, she felt herself pondering what happened in Link’s life where he could cripple an enemy and fire an arrow through its head without expressing any emotion…

Rather than voice her discomfort, Tatl went for a different approach. There was this part of her that kept nagging away to make things right with Link, to start treating him better. Ever since she saw him fall ill, her hatred and disdain turned to pity and eve a bit of admiration. It was impossible for her to deny that her companion was exceedingly skilled in combat, especially for his age. He cleared through the Woodfall Temple what seemed to be at least a dozen times, all without fatal injury! Maybe if she was nicer, he would even open up to her a bit more. A peek into the mysterious past of the strange boy was enticing indeed…

“That was some pretty quick thinking there!” Tatl praised, watching as the last of the Stray Fairies went into the boy’s bag. “With the arrows and bombs…” She went on, frowning as Link didn’t respond at all, taking the Great Fairy Mask off and putting it in his bag too. “Hey! Are you listening to me?!” The fairy demanded, knowing for sure she was talking loud enough to be heard!

Link’s mind had been elsewhere, to an extent. Like Tatl, the gruesome nature of the Wizzrobe’s death wasn’t lost on him. Like with the Lizalfos and Dinolfos, it was a clearly inhuman creature, but had enough intelligence to use weapons and strategy. It made him extremely uneasy, more than usual, to take lives like that. Then there was the case with Twinrova, which still haunted him whenever it crept into his conscious. Navi insisted witches were actually monsters, but…

Either way, Tatl’s first statement was enough to get Link out of his own mind. He chose not to respond, still confused as to why his unwanted companion had suddenly started being civil towards him. Heck, she was being downright nice to him too! It wasn’t lost on him that the change was the most dramatic after his fever, but why that’d change the fairy’s attitude was still a mystery in his eyes.

He didn’t reply to her because, frankly, he didn’t really know how to. Was she even being sincere? Then again, it had been a while since she was so overtly mean that she’d fake a compliment. Having only one person to talk to for a great deal of his life didn’t exactly help Link become socially adept. The last two years just made everything far worse. His brain not helping him out as much as he hoped, the boy just let his mouth move on its own. “I heard you.” Was all he said, looking over to the fairy.

Tatl let out an involuntary shiver, not just from the cold, at Link’s gaze. It never failed to unnerve her! They were dull and lifeless, yet at the same time they felt so…piercing. It was as if he was looking right into her soul! Shaking off her discomfort, she let out an annoyed huff. “Then why didn’t you say anything?! I’m trying to be nice; you know!” The irony in the fact she was yelling at him for not accepting her kindness wasn’t lost on her, but she didn’t really care at this point.

“I know.” Link responded, even though he hadn’t really been that sure. “I-”

His words were interrupted by an angry chime from the fairy. “Why are you like this?!” She demanded, knowing this was the wrong time and place for this. And yet, she couldn’t care any less! “You don’t react to anything! You don’t frown or smile to anything that goes on!” Even when he cleansed the Woodfall Temple for the first time, before the two knew it was futile, he didn’t seem to care! “Why don’t you show any emotion to anything?! Why don’t you feel?! I’m trying to be a bit nicer; you could at least appreciate that much!” Her words were all over the place, Tatl letting loose a lot of frustration at the Hylian before her.

Link was pretty baffled by all of this, really having no idea why Tatl cared so much. When they first met, she hated his guts, and made that abundantly clear for weeks afterward. All of a sudden she’s upset that he didn’t appreciate her kindness enough? What was going on? He was disgruntled by her demands to know about his mental and emotional state, knowing that was one thing he wasn’t about to share with her. “Why I’m like I am isn’t important.” The Hylian argued, fighting against shivering from the intense cold as the conversation went on. “I don’t need to smile or laugh to save the Giants.”

“I never said you did!” Tatl hissed, glaring at the child before her. “I asked why you’re like this! People aren’t like this! Not normally! What happened to you?!” She was no expert on the mind, but even she knew that people don’t just show zero emotion for no reason. The fairy knew that something had to cause this…

“I just said it wasn’t important.” Link insisted, having to hold back his anger. Who was she to demand he just open up to her? He didn’t owe her anything! It didn’t help that he felt a sort of…block. Even if he wanted to share, he wasn’t sure that he could. There were so many aspects of his first quest he hadn’t told anyone about. Not Saria, not Zelda, not Malon. No one. “I’m not talking about this, especially not here.” Without even waiting for a response, he put the Goron Mask back on, going through the painful transformation once more.

Huffing, Tatl knew that Link was right. This wasn’t the time for this, but her temper had just boiled over! This wasn’t going to be the last time she drilled him for information, that was a fact! “Fine. Whatever.” Was all she said in response, sulking behind the false Goron as he opened the door forward and the two went on.

Trying to ignore what just happened, both with the Wizzrobe and the fight, Link trudged forward through the icy Temple. Each step seemed to bring about colder and colder air, and the oppressive malice that surrounded them grew stronger. Nothing stood in their way for what seemed like hours of moving, the time around them seeming to distort and slow down to a crawl.

Eventually, whether it was hours or mere minutes after the Wizzrobe fell, the pair came across a large door. In size, it was similar to the one where they found the Goron Elder. It was made of stone with a Goron depicted on it, standing on top of a mountain and as large as the Temple itself. They both felt sick, the dark energy from the Temple’s curse clearly on the other side of the door.

Link, however, felt something else. Like in the Woodfall Temple, he felt a sudden dry heat, like that within a desert. In the blink of an eye, a figure appeared before him. It was vaguely humanoid and pitch black like it was ripped out of the night sky, the stars carefully picked from its form. The only exception to this was its two eyes, orange and piercing, that stared right into Link’s very soul. He found himself frozen on the spot, not even breathing as he stared at the entity. Then, he blinked, and the figure was gone.

Blinking a few more times, nothing happened, and the heat quickly faded. He had never told Tatl about the odd encounter in the Woodfall Temple, and it had only occurred the first time they cleansed it. He still wasn’t sure if it was something he was imagining, or something that actually existed. A physical manifestation of the curse somehow? The eyes were like that of Majora’s Mask, but…

He forced himself to shrug the situation off.

“Are you ready?” Link asked Tatl, his voice an unwanted bellow as usual thanks to his form. He just had to suppress the odd figure, since it hadn’t actually presented itself as a threat to him thus far.

“Let’s just get this done.” Tatl said in a curt tone, still mad at Link for brushing her off. She felt kind of silly with her wording, speaking as though she was even able to fight alongside the boy.

“…Right.” Ignoring the fairy’s attitude, Link opened the door and entered the room alongside Tatl. The room itself was the most freezing yet. They shivered uncontrollably, their teeth rattling in their mouths as they looked about. The chamber was unusual, basically a hallway that went on until it curved out of side on both sides. However, they instantly saw the one thing that the room had to offer aside from the chilling cold.

Lying mere meters from the pair, perfectly still, was Goht. It had to be, at least, the entity before them looking a lot like the cave drawings earlier. It was a massive creature, several times larger than a bull, with metal instead of flesh. Exposed gears and wires were visible as it lay on the floor, a mask placed upon its face with a grim visage. It was humanlike, a darkly serious expression on its face with horns and a sharp beard underneath. Above Goht, there was a massive hole in the ceiling, a snowy wind coming up from the creatures back and into the open air. Clearly, it was generating the cold that managed to ensnare the entire North of Termina!

For a moment, Link thought he might be able to take advantage of Goht as it seemingly slept in place. However, before he could act, the mechanical creature quickly became aware that it was no longer along. The cold air it was producing stopped as steam hissed from the bull’s joints. As the exposed gears turned, Goht properly stood up, looking right towards Link as it let out a thunderous below.

Without hesitation, Goht started to rampage! It charged straight towards Link and Tatl, the former barely able to jump out of the way as the latter flew towards the ceiling. To their shock, Goht simply kept going, not slowing down at all as it missed its targets. Flying down to Link, Tatl yelled in her companion’s ear. “Go after it! Roll! Roll!” That was the only way she could imagine they could both keep up.

Link had the same thought as Tatl, curling up before rolling after the mechanical monster as the adrenaline pumping through him allowed him to ignore the cold.. Sensing the area around him, he felt that he was closing in on Goht, and that the room around him just kept going as a long hallway. The manifested curse simply charged forward, not seeming to even think of how to beat its opponent. It didn’t turn around or slow down to let Link pass it, it just charged onward as though it was all that it could do.

Tatl followed Link with ease, the fairy able to do laps around her companion and Goht if she so chose. She actually wondered if, maybe, she could dash in front of the monster and startle it somehow. But…with how it acted before, it’d probably just charge right through her if she tried. So, she’d stick near the ceiling for the rest of the fight, not sure of what else to do…

Catching up quickly, Link wasn’t sure what his next course of action should be. He wasn’t adept at using his new form enough to try and fancy tricks, like uncurling while lunging at Goht. Not sure of what else to do, Link veered to the side, ramming his Goron body right into one of his opponent’s legs. The impact rattled the false Goron, sending him sprawling into one of the nearby walls. Yet, as that happened, Goht lost its footing enough to collapse onto the floor.

Wasting no time, Link got up and ran towards the fallen mechanical creature. Reeling an arm back, he slammed it into Goht’s side, feeling that his sword wouldn’t be able to pierce its metal hide. The impact made a dent in the creature’s tough skin, but little else. Grunting, Link let loose a barrage of punches, not even sure if he should aim for any specific part of Goht’s body as he wailed on the metal monster.

Once more, steam spewed out of Goht as it readied to charge again. In a desperate move, Link grabbed hold of one of the creature’s legs, but as it started to run, it ripped its limb from the boy’s grip with ease. Not even his Goron strength was enough! Link fell over from the whiplash, seeing that the many dents in Goht’s side did little to weaken it. To his surprise, though, he saw that the creature only ran ahead a bit before stopping and facing its opponent.

Getting up, Link was only able to watch as a surge of what seemed like lightning shot forth from between Goht’s horns towards him. This time, he was too slow to dodge and was struck in the chest. Letting out a bellow of pain, Link was momentarily stunned as the magical attack surged through his body. He very nearly fell to the floor again but was able to stay on his feet. Without the protective power of his enhanced tunic, he had to rely on a Goron’s natural strength and durability. Thankfully, that apparently allowed him to withstand such an attack and keep going.

Rolling up once more, Link winced through the pain and rolled towards Goht once more. He was able to dodge the second lightning attack, his speed increased many times over as he was rolling about. When he got close to Goht, it started to run off once more as he chased it. Despite its injuries, it seemed to go even faster than before, Link having troubles catching up. He was shocked as a hole appeared at the top of Goht’s body, his instincts as a Goron somehow letting him ‘see’ this happen. Out of the hole came a lit bomb! Startled, he veered out of the way, the explosive going off harmlessly behind him.

As Link kept dodging the bombs that came out, an idea suddenly struck him. As the fifth bomb shot out, he took his chance and uncurled. Digging his heels into the floor to stop his momentum, he caught the bomb in midair. Without taking much time to aim, he lobbed it right back at Goht with his Goron strength! His luck allowed the bomb to reach Goht before it exploded, doing so at its undamaged side.

Roaring out, the mechanical bull actually stayed on its feet to Link’s shock. Yet he did see sparks and crackles of electricity running over its body as a large chunk of its side was now destroyed. Once more, it stopped and turned around to face Link.

Knowing what that meant, the false Goron curled up before it could launch its first lightning attack. As it let out the jolt of magic, Link dodged around it, as well as the second. When he got close, Link noticed a sort of bump in the stone flooring. Using this as a sort of ramp, the boy thought fast and used it to fly high into the air. Careening towards Goht, Link uncurled as he got close and slammed his fist into the side of the beast’s face!

This impact was so great, that it knocked the mask right off of Goht! Before Link could get a good look at what lied beneath, the monster roared out again and charged away from it. It kept veering back and forth, having gone berserk. Its side slammed into one wall, then another. After that, it made a sharp turn and charged right into one of the room’s walls, collapsing as rocks were shaken loose and started to fall on the creature.

Within moments, Goht was buried in a rockslide of its own making, its mask lying on the floor for Link.

Panting, the boy took off the Goron Mask, actually feeling the temperature start to steadily drop right as Goht became buried. Still shivering, though, he glanced to Tatl as she flew down from the ceiling. “I didn’t expect that to work so well.” The boy admitted.

“Well, work it did. You’ll know for uh…for next time…” The fairy murmured, looking towards Goht’s mask. “We never found a way to keep the Giant freed.” Not that they really had any chance to look. She doubted the Gorons would’ve known, and there were no hints in the Temple itself…

That made Link’s heart sink, looking to the mask as well. “Maybe the Giant can help us.” The last one didn’t give out such information, but maybe this next one would be different. Going over to the discarded mask, he paused before touching it. Closing his eyes, he once more bargained with what seemed like thin air. Reaching out anything that could listen, any sort of deity or god…he begged that somehow, he’d find some way to free the Giants permanently. It felt foolish, but it was an act of desperation, after all.

Opening his eyes, Link grabbed the mask, and he was swept away in a flash of light along with Tatl.

The two once more found themselves in an odd realm, much like the first, with all of Link’s injuries healed. The air around them was hazy and fuzzy, the duo on top of a massive pillar. There was liquid all around them, just as before, but here it was white as the snow of the mountains. And, just like with the Woodfall Temple, there was a massive figure out in the distance. It was a bit clearer than the last time, Link able to see pink flesh of the Giant before them.

Tatl didn’t hesitate, flying a bit towards the protective deity. “Hey! Help us! How do we free you?! How do we stop you from becoming trapped again?!” She desperately yelled out to the Giant, recalling how the Giant of Woodfall never reappeared before them a second time. She only had one shot to get an answer out of this one…

As with the previous Giant, the one before them didn’t speak in a way they could grasp. Its low, soothing voice simply echoed in their minds.

He who slayed Goht. Free us all. Free all of us. Then, we can act as Guardians.

“What?! No! Hey! That’s not good enough!” Tatl exclaimed, not caring who or what she was talking to. “We can’t do this in three days! Please! Tell us more!”

Link felt like he was going to throw up. Free all of them? In one Cycle? Was that even possible? He had no idea what the West and East held! For all he knew, freeing just one of those Giants could take an entire three days! Yet…if it knew some trick, it would’ve told them. Once more, his bargaining was for nothing. “Tatl, it can’t help us.” He said, forcing his voice to stay a monotone drone.

“But…” Tatl started, looking back at Link. She stopped herself and sighed with a nod. “…I guess you’re right…” She thought the same thing as her companion. If the Giant could help somehow, it’d tell them what to do.

With this grim news, the two were left a lot to ponder with only a few words uttered by the Giant as they were whisked away once more by a second flash of light…

Chapter Text

Just as with the Woodfall Temple, Link and Tatl recovered from the flash of light as they left the Giant’s realm. Rather than appearing in the cleansed Temple as before, they found themselves in the clearing with the smithy resided. Instantly, they noticed the large difference in the area as they gained their bearings.

For one thing, the temperature was significantly warmer than it was before. Ice and patches of snow were still present, but in far less quantities than before. It was still rather chilly, but practically a paradise compared to how it was before. Another thing of note was the green grass and flowers growing around the area, exposed by the lack of snow on the ground. The pond nearby the smithy was even thawed out entirely, a single frog residing on a lily pad. Another thing of note was that it was the second night, as evident by the Moon’s proximity to Clock Town. The unusual flow of time within the Snowhead Temple made it very vague as to the exact time the two spent in there.

Granted, a lot of these things went somewhat unnoticed by Link and Tatl. The two of them were still reeling from the awful news that the Giant had given them. Somehow, someway, the pair was supposed to free all four of the guardian deities within the span of three days. Not accounting for necessities like food, drink, and rest. With heavy stomachs, the boy and fairy slowly took in what was around them.

“It’s Spring…” Tatl murmured out, not even really thinking. Her mind was still mostly back in the realm with the Giant, stunned at the terrible news they got.

At first, Link didn’t say anything. He simply walked over to the nearest tree, shed his equipment, and sat down with his back against it. While cold, it wasn’t so bad that he couldn’t spend an extended period of time outside. He wasn’t really thinking about that, though. Like with Tatl, his mind was still fixated on the Giant’s words.

“I don’t know what to do.” He bluntly confessed, glancing over at Tatl as she landed gently on his shoulder. “Is there really enough time to free all the Giants?” Link wasn’t even sure why he was asking the fairy. Maybe he just wanted some sort of blind optimism from her.

Instead, he just got blunt realism. “I have no idea. It took us until the second night just to get this part of Termina cleansed.” She had given up trying to see some sort of silver lining for a while, especially with Link’s attitude within the Temple.

Link should have expected that. Letting out a deep breath, he leaned on the tree more, his sword resting on his lap as he closed his eyes. “I need to rest.” He said simply, still exhausted even though his wounds had been healed.

“Right here? Outside? I guess it’s warm enough, but…” Tatl murmured, looking around the area. “There could be Wolfos around, you know?”

The boy nearly flinched at the mention of Wolfos, instantly remember the two he slaughtered with his bare hands. He didn’t heed Tatl’s words, almost to the point where he didn’t even care if something happened in his sleep due to how hopeless he felt. “Are you going to sleep?”

“Well, no…” Tatl said after a pause. She was tired, but the awful news the two had gotten all but guaranteed she couldn’t take a nap even if she tried. For a moment, she wondered how Link could sleep at a time like this, but quickly recalled all the physical tasks he had to perform this Cycle. The kid was surely exhausted, even if he didn’t show it entirely. Those deep, dark circles under his eyes told enough.

“You can look out for them, then.” He muttered in response, not even as an order or a request, practically like a suggestion. Even with his mind racing with despair and even anger, his body was so tired that he already felt himself starting to slip into slumber.

Sighing a bit, Tatl nodded, feeling that going against his wishes was pointless. She’d be bored, sure, but the fairy couldn’t find it in her to rob Link of his rest, even for a moment. Despite herself, she felt a great deal of pity for the Hylian. “Alright, fine. I guess I’ll make sure nothing gets near you.”

Even with the fairy’s promise, Link kept his sword securely in his grip. He wasn’t even willing to lie down flat on the ground, he had to fall asleep with his back up against something. The boy vaguely recalled how, back in the castle; he had his bed pushed against a corner of the room. He felt if his back wasn’t directly at a wall, something would get him from behind. Granted, being in a corner was hardly any better, but it wasn’t like his brain was functioning even remotely right during those days.

“Thank you.” Was all Link said in response as he fell asleep, his body relaxing after being tense for what felt like days straight…

The boy saw his breath clearly as he walked through the tunnel. Looking back, it stretched for what seemed like forever behind him, just as it did in front of him. Despite no clear source of light, he was able to see clearly, as if the ice lining the walls gave off their own glow.

Despite the nonstop shivering of his entire being, Link pressed onward, not even sure if he was going towards the exit. Tatl wasn’t with him, the child all alone as he slowly marched onward. It was almost dead silent, the only noises being his muffled footfalls in the snowy floor along with the shuddering he involuntary gave off as the cold bit at him.

On and on he went, the tunnel never seeming to change no matter how far he went. No turns, no change in scenery, nothing that implied he was doing anything but just walking in place. If it weren’t for the footprints he left behind, he’d be sure he was somehow not moving despite putting one foot in front of the other.

It seemed as though Link went onward for hours, violently shivering the entire time but never succumbing to the harsh cold. Eventually, however, the scenery finally changed. The child found himself in a wide open space, a chilling fog making it so he couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of him. Slowly, he marched onward, soon seeing a vague figure in the distance. As he got near, his eyes widened at what it was he saw.

The figure turned out to be Saria! Not quite, though. It was a sculpture of Saria, made out of ice. Its details were exact, to the point of being perfect. Except, that was, the massive hold in its stomach, rough cracks sprouting from it. Her face was twisted into a silent scream, to the point where even streaming tears were sculpted down her face. For a brief moment, Link saw the statue as the real Saria, a spear forced through her body as blood ran down her front. In the blink of an eye, she was merely ice once more.

Trying not to panic, Link moved past the sculpture, but very soon came across another one. It was far larger and depicted Darunia grinning right down at the boy. His body wasn’t damaged to the extent of Saria, but he was still chipped around the edges. While not as distressing, it was still eerie for Link to see a friend of his sculpted out of ice.

Once more, he kept going, but it was less than a minute before he came across yet another sculpture. This one was of Ruto, frowning heavily as her icy eyes stared at Link in a disturbingly lifelike manner. There were numerous cracks around her body, but nowhere near as bad as with Saria. Link didn’t understand what was going on, and just kept going.

The boy was moving closer to a jog at this point, going past a statue of Impa that he tried to ignore, horrid cracks sprouting from her eyes. Even at his point, he couldn’t bear to even look at the Sheikah, not even a false version of her. He went by an icy Nabooru, who stared at him with a heavy frown, many cracks across her form. It had been so long since he saw her, he had no idea how she was even doing…

Link paused as he came across something a bit different. Before him were two sculptures, one of Malon, and one of Navi. Against all logic, the sculpture of Navi floated in midair and resided by the rancher girl’s head. Unlike the other statues, these two shone brightly despite the dim lighting and were flawless without any chipping or cracks. They seemed more like they were made of some sort of crystal than ice.

Despite the state of the sculptures, Link still felt his stomach drop. He missed Malon so much, and he was still so desperate to find Navi. As soon as he left Termina and checked back with Zelda, he’d go back to looking for her. Never mind the initial deal!

Taking a few seconds to tear his gaze away, Link kept going until he reached two more statues. One was of Zelda, the Princess gazing at him with a mournful look. Cracks formed on her face and on her head, the young girl looking as though she were about to burst into tears at any moment. She looked so fragile…

The other statue, to Link’s shock, was of him. Even when made of ice, Link’s expression was void of any sort of emotion. Its eyes were just as dull and lifeless as the genuine article, unlike with the other sculptures which had very motive eyes. On top of that, this one was the most damaged of them all. Cracks ran across its entire body from head to toe, a real marvel that it was able to stay together at all. Link felt his throat tighten as he gazed at an icy version of himself, hating what he saw. The dead eyes, the cracks, even getting his exhausted eyeshadows right. Not even knowing why, he reached out and lightly touched the statue’s shoulder.

In an instant, it crumbled.

It was so sudden that Link flinched and stepped back as his sculpture became a mess of icy shards on the floor. The collapse was so thorough that it was impossible to tell that the pile of ice even formed something coherent to begin with.

On an impulse he couldn’t explain, Link instantly fell to his knees and started to try and fit his pieces back together. The shards of ice bit at his fingers, and the cold gnashed and grinded against his skin, but he didn’t care. Link was just so desperate to try and make the pieces fit that he ignored the pain. Not that it helped at all, as he wasn’t able to figure out what went where or what piece of ice used to be what body part.

Still, he tried in vain to mesh the pieces together, to try and make something concrete out of them. Yet, it was to no avail. It seemed like the pieces of ice morphed and changed shape every time he blinked, but Link still fumbled as he tried to make even a single comprehensive shape out of the ice.

As he got more desperate, Link started to pant as anxiety coursed through him. After what seemed like an hour of futile efforts, he suddenly realized he was surrounded. Jerking his head up, the young Hylian was startled to see that all the statues he had seen previously were around him in a circle. Except…they had changed.

Every single sculpture of his friends and loved ones were glaring at him with unbridled and unnerving hatred. They didn’t move any farther than this, apparently satisfied with their new positions. After Link realized they wouldn’t hurt him, he then understood what it was they wanted from him.

“I’m sorry…I’m sorry, I’ll try…” He murmured, attempting in vain to put the pieces back together. The longer he tried, the more intense the glares from the sculptures felt despite their lack of further changes. Tears soon started to stream down his face as he kept begging for forgiveness over and over. “I’ll put myself together, I promise…I promise…” The boy whimpered, trying his best not to break down sobbing. “I’m sorry…I’m sorry…I’m sorry…”

Link’s eyes flew open as he let out a startled noise.

The boy looked around, taking a few moments to realize where he was. Leaning against the tree by the smithy’s cabin, as he should be. His insides felt all twisted into knots, and he realized that while he still kept a grip on his sword with one hand, he was grabbing a fistful of grass with the other. As he panted, trying to get his breath back, he noticed two more things. One was that it was early morning and the other was that Tatl was asleep on his shoulder. Apparently she wasn’t able to stay awake all night, but Link didn’t mind. She didn’t see him waking up in a panic, so it was worth the risk of a possible Wolfos attack, as baffling as that seemed.

Link focused on taking deep breaths, trying to forget about the nightmare he had as his nerves steadied themselves slowly. He refused to even glance vaguely towards the sky, knowing full well that the Moon would be unbelievably massive with less than a day until its impact. Even as he thought about this, he swore he heard the ground shake, but the child didn’t know if it was just in his head or not.

It may have indeed been real, as moments later, Tatl’s eyes slowly opened as she let out a yawn. The fairy stood up slowly, stretching her arms as she quickly noticed Link was awake. Flinching, she lowered her arms and looked away from the boy. “Uh…I guess I fell asleep…sorry, I guess…” She murmured, not having even realized she had passed out.

Shaking his head, Link echoed Tatl’s actions stood up, gathering his things as his companion took to the air. “It’s fine. Nothing happened to us.” Really, that was all that mattered in the end. “Before we go back in time, we still have to return the Stray Fairies.”

Back to business, not even shocking anymore. Though Tatl had to admit, she sort of forgot about the Great Fairy due to the Giant’s bad news. “Oh, yeah. I have no idea where the Fountain is here, though.”

“We’ll have to ask the Gorons.” The Hylian replied, getting all his things together as he started to walk towards Goron Village. If anyone knew, it’d be them. That, and he wanted to check in and make sure they were all okay. Yes, the curse was broken, but he wouldn’t feel at ease until he saw the Gorons with his own eyes.

“Good idea. What are you going to tell them about Darmani, though?” Tatl wondered while she followed Link as he started towards the village. Something told her Link wouldn’t be able to help but tell the truth to everyone no matter how inconvenient.

Shaking his head, Link kept his eyes forward. “I won’t tell them anything.” He answered simply. Normally, Tatl would’ve been right here, and he would’ve told the truth, even if it wasn’t the most convenient thing. This time, he just couldn’t bring himself to do so. He couldn’t look the Gorons in the face and tell them their hope was false, and Darmani was truly dead. Especially since several of the Gorons had seen him…

“What? Really? Well, I guess going back in time would make it pointless anyway, right?” The fairy mused, not about to argue for Link to do something like that. She was pretty used to lying, whether it was convenient or not, so egging someone to tell others the truth wasn’t her thing.

Without the severe cold from before and the snow, the walk to Goron Village was faster than last time. To Link’s mild comfort, he saw numerous Gorons walking about, some of them spreading their arms and looking up to the sky, bathing in the warmth of the sun.

As the boy and fairy drew close, one of the Gorons went up to him with a large grin on his face. “Ah, human! You came just in time! It’s finally Spring here on these mountains!” He bellowed happily.

“Is everyone okay from the Winter?” Link asked, looking about more and as far as he could tell, everyone was okay. At the very least, no one looked upset as though they lost someone they knew. Of course, he wasn’t about to go ask every single Goron if anything was wrong either…

“Oh, yes, we had a few close calls, but it seems everyone made it out! The Goron Elder really gave us a scare, but he’s resting with his son now.” The Goron explained with a relieved tone.

Tatl couldn’t help but imagine how loud the son’s wailing would be if something actually happened to his father. A grim thought, but she swore her ears were still ringing from that brat’s crying. “Hey, so, do you know where the Great Fairy’s Fountain is around here?” She asked, not feeling any sort of magical sensation in the air.

The Goron blinked in confusion, looking to Tatl as if he just noticed her. “Hm? Oh, that’s at the Snowhead Temple. It’s on the bottom around the back. The rest of the mountain is a lot safer, but no one has been brave enough to check the Temple yet. If you really want to go there, I’d be careful…”

“We’ll manage.” Link replied bluntly. “Thanks for the help.” Without another word, he walked away from the helpful Goron and towards the entrance of Snowhead Temple with Tatl in tow. Thankfully, the stone slab was still opened, so he wouldn’t have to take Darmani’s form and potentially be seen. After a moment of hesitation, he drew his sword before going through the entrance, just in case.

When the two came out on the other side, they saw the Temple they had just cleansed. While it was still massive and sharp, it somehow seemed far less imposing than it had before. Though that wasn’t what caught their eye.

Sitting off to the side, off the edge of the cliff, was the gigantic Goron that had impeded their progress. He was so massive that he was able to see over the ledge to where Link and Tatl were. They flinched as they saw the Goron, but he didn’t do anything aggressive. Instead, he just stared at them for a moment before speaking.

“Mngh…What was…I doing…?” He asked, though he seemed to be talking to himself more than Link and Tatl. “My mind’s a blank…and I have this awful feeling in my gut. The last few days are just…a blur…” The Goron grumbled.

Link was astounded at the confession. Did this Goron really not know what he did? It wouldn’t be the first time he saw someone lash out due to some sort of mind control. He couldn’t help but think back to the time he fought Nabooru thanks to the mind trickery of two horrid witches! Did something like that happen here? Was the curse somehow responsible?

Like with the other Gorons, Link wasn’t able to tell the truth. He just couldn’t bring himself to do so. “Nothing happened, don’t worry.” He insisted, looking up at the massive form.

Tatl realized what Link was doing and felt the same way he did. The curse must have been responsible for the giant Goron doing what he did! “Yeah, the Winter’s over and everything, so you should just stop worrying!” She added on.

The titanic Goron hummed in thought, a sound that came out as an intense rumbling due to his size. “I don’t know. Maybe I need to take another nap. I feel so sleepy for some reason…” He mused, eyelids drooping even as he spoke.

“Good idea! Just take a nap or something!” Tatl insisted, actually starting to feel bad for the Goron. She couldn’t imagine hurting someone she cared about while under some sort of control. Normally, she’d have waved the situation off, but…she found herself becoming more empathetic lately. No doubt that Link’s nature was rubbing off on her somehow.

Moving quickly on from the large Goron as he closed his eyes, Link and Tatl went back towards Snowhead Temple. It was kind of odd for them to be going right back to the place they just cleansed. Link especially felt unease coursing through him, and he had the urge to ready his sword and shield. He had to keep telling himself that the Temple was safe, and he wasn’t in any danger.

Before long, the two reached the Temple and went around it. As they approached the back, Tatl was able to feel some faint magic in the air. It had to be from a Great Fairy’s Fountain! That one Goron had been right! Soon enough, the two saw the opening, an opening that felt almost as intimidating as the Temple’s actual entrance.

Yet, when the two entered, they saw the interior was just like the other two Fountains they had come across. The floor and walls were tiled, and a sparkling, majestic fountain awaited them with a handful of green colored Stray Fairies idly fluttering about. On top of that, it was oddly very warm within the Fountain despite its location. As the two approached the shimmering water, Link opened his bag and all the Stray Fairies he collected poured to the Fountain, reuniting with the others.

Like with the other two Fountains the Stray Fairies combined, and a flash of light materialized along with the uproarious laughter of a Great Fairy. She looked like the Great Fairies, of course. Same face, same body, same vines rather than actual clothing. The only major difference was her flowing hair that was a gorgeous jade green. She stretched and let out some more, soft laughter. After that, she looked at the boy and fairy. “I am The Great Fairy of Wisdom, and you have my thanks.” Though she sounded grateful, her voice showed that she was still weakened.

“I couldn’t ignore your situation.” Link politely responded, though he was pretty curious as to what she’d give him in exchange for his help. Even as that thought crossed his mind, he noticed that the Great Fairy was staring at him, as if studying something about him. “Is something wrong?”

The Great Fairy shook her head. “No, no, young one.” She replied with a light shake of the head. “I did sense something unusual about you. You have an item, one of power. You can change into a Goron, yes?”

“How did you know that? Can you really sense that sort of stuff?” Tatl asked in awe, feeling a bit bolder regarding Great Fairies due to how many times she had seen one at this point. Before meeting Link, she’d never dare speak to one before being spoken to.

With a smirk, the mystical women let out a light chuckle. “I have my ways. But young one, I can help make this form stronger. For your help, I will grant this boon to you!”

Before Link could respond, he found himself bathed in a bright light, but he didn’t feel any different. He figured whatever she was doing was doing something to the Goron Mask instead. Within a few moments, the lights were gone, and Link looked to the Great Fairy. “I appreciate your gift, but what did you do exactly?” He felt no different, so it must be that the mask itself was blessed instead.

“In your Goron form, simply roll at high speeds. The boon will make spikes jut out from your body, slicing up anything in your path.” The Great Fairy explained, sounding a bit pleased with herself.

Link had to wonder if that was something other Gorons could do. Certainly never something he had ever heard of, and he didn’t feel like it was something he could do. Darmani’s influence helped him a lot, but the boy never felt anything like spikes. At any rate, it would’ve been very helpful in his fight with Goht…though there would be at least one more battle with the unusual monster in the future. “Thank you, Great Fairy.” Was all the Hylian said in response, knowing he’d find use for it later on.

The Great Fairy nodded, though it seemed her energy was diminishing with every moment. “You may rest here if you wish, but I need to regain my strength. Young one, good luck with whatever trials you’ll face!” Without waiting for a response, the large woman shrank down into the shimmering waters before vanishing in a flash of light.

Tatl looked over to Link, her tiny eyes widened. “Spikes?! That sounds kind of cool, actually! Hey, you should try it out!” Like the boy, she realized how helpful those would’ve been against Goht, but oh well…

Shaking his head, Link took the Ocarina of Time from his belt. “Maybe later.” He really didn’t want to take Darmani’s form unless he had to. Even if there were no other Gorons around, it made him feel somehow guilty to walk around in their hero’s image.

“Oh, we’re going back, huh?” Tatl asked, eyeing the Ocarina. “I guess there’s no reason to stick around here, and it’s already the last day, so…”

For a moment, Link wondered if he should play the song right then. The Gorons just barely had time to enjoy the Spring after what seemed like an eternal Winter. They were able to go outside and were freed of the oppressive cursed air that had choked the mountain for so long. But…what would be the point in letting them celebrate? Time had to be reversed within a day anyway, and the Gorons wouldn’t remember what happened. Should he let the peaceful villagers celebrate for a while, or just get things over with?

“Is it wrong if I just send us all back in time right away? What about the Gorons?” Link asked Tatl, very unsure of what to do. There was a big part of him that just wanted to rest at the inn, but he knew he couldn’t just think of himself. Normally, he wouldn’t ask Tatl for advice, especially given how nasty she had been in the past, but he was truly at a loss.

The fairy was pretty surprised Link was actually asking for her opinion. Usually, he just did whatever he wanted, despite any objections. Pretty much the only time he listened to her in a major way was when she insisted he reset time when he got sick in that cave. As for the answer to his question…she had no idea.

“Uh, I mean…they’re going to forget all this anyway. Whether you do it now or in a few hours, it’s not gonna change that.” It felt odd to give advice to the kid, he seemed to unnaturally sure of just about everything. So blunt, so oddly mature and serious for someone his age. She still wanted to know his deal. “And aren’t you tired?” The nap he had surely didn’t do as much as a proper sleep in a bed would.

That answer didn’t help much, but Link at least felt some sort of ease that she seemed to be agreeing with him. “Me being tired doesn’t matter.” He responded, dismissing her concerns. Even with that nap, he was still exhausted. Of course, no matter how much he rested, Link never felt much better. It was as though his entire body was weighed down by something, like his bones were made of stone and dragged him down. “You think I should play the song?”

“I really dunno why you’re asking me, but let’s just go! We’re both exhausted, and one day we’ll find some way to help the Dekus and Gorons permanently!” Tatl was used to being the optimistic one, but compared to Link’s dreariness, that was hardly a challenge.

Link regretted opening his mouth. He felt like if he decided not to reverse time, Tatl would really nag his ear off. This was never an issue with the Dekus, so he wasn’t suer why he was bringing it up now. “Right. Okay. We’ll just go.” He replied, closing his eyes, and playing the Song of Time and undoing everything he had accomplished with that Cycle.

Like with the Woodfall Temple’s aftermath, Goht’s mask was missing after time was reset to the lack of surprise of Link and Tatl. As soon as the inn opened, the two got to their room and collapsed onto their respective beds. Even with Link’s nap and Tatl falling asleep on his shoulder, the two still slept heavily for nearly ten hours. The fairy had told Anju not to disturb them with lunch or dinner when they were checking in, so their rest went undisturbed.

And yet, even with all that sleep, Link still felt like he had just run for hours after he woke up. It wasn’t a surprise at this point, it had been that way for two years. He was just grateful he didn’t have another nightmare. The Hylian sat up to see that Tatl was already awake, the fairy sitting on her pillow and staring at him. “How long have you been awake?” The boy asked.

“Just a few minutes.” Tatl replied with a shrug. The fairy eyed the horrid dark shadows under Link’s eyes, wondering if they’d ever go away. It was pretty strange seeing something so severe on a child, and disturbingly the ever-present sign of exhaustion was the closest thing to an actual emotion he ever showed. “You look like you didn’t sleep a wink.”

Link ignored this observation, stretching a bit as he stood up and put on his boots. “I know you hate Anju’s cooking. Do you want to get something to eat with me?” He asked, feeling pretty hungry himself. The boy still had some Rupees left over from they last sold a Moon’s Tear. Enough to buy a meal at the very least.

Tatl scowled a bit at being brushed off, but she really wasn’t in the mood to have a fight. Instead, she took to the air, craving some food as well. “Yeah, anything’s better than Anju’s meals. Let’s hurry!”

“I think her meals are fine.” Link insisted, but Tatl ignored him. Taking his sword and shield with him, for the protection of course, Link went out with Tatl. The two got some fruits and vegetables from some stalls and had a full meal at an eatery with meat and some sort of pasta Link couldn’t pronounce. When they ate their fill, they simply went right back to their room at the inn, it being about six at that point. The trip to go eat was a bit awkward, as the two barely spoke to each other, not saying anything of real note even when they did speak. 

The fairy sat down on her pillow, watching as Link shed his gear. “You know there are no monsters in town, right? Why do you always take that stuff with you?”

Link always took his sword and shield with him any time they left the inn, sometimes he even took it to the bathroom. Of course, he took them so he could feel safe. In the castle, he had waned from needing the constant need to have a weapon and a shield with him, but since coming to Termina, such urges began to manifest again. A paranoia gripped at him, telling him that something dangerous was lurking around any corner. In a way, though, he was sort of right. The Skull Kid was always nearby, roosted at the top of the Clock Tower, and the boy had a feeling the imp watched his every move.

Rather than admit he had a problem, Link used the Skull Kid as an excuse. “The Skull Kid is dangerous like a monster.” He pointed out.

“Yeah, but he’s never tried to attack us directly! He just stays up on the tower all day!” Tatl argued, feeling unusually angry that Link would suggest the Skull Kid would attack them. It’d hardly be the worst thing her friend had done, yet she still felt insulted on the imp’s behalf.

“Better safe than sorry.” Link responded, just trying to bring the needless conversation to an end. It really perplexed him when Tatl tried to get inside his head. Why did she care? He didn’t see himself as worth the effort to get to know. It still baffled him he had any friends at all back in Hyrule.

Tatl let out an annoyed sigh but decided to change the subject. “Alright, whatever. So, we going somewhere new in the next Cycle?” Even with that horribly unfortunate setback, they still had to move onward. Going back South or North over and over wouldn’t help, they already learned that lesson. “I think we should go West, where the Zoras live. The East is…” She trailed off, shuddering a bit. Tatl had never actually gone to the East, but the stories she heard were enough to make her very wary of that part of Termina.

Link had made his decision on that pretty quickly after resetting the clock. Shaking his head, he shed his shed his boots as he tried his best to relax. “No. Maybe in a few Cycles.”

“Is there something you need to do or what?” The fairy asked, but she had a feeling she knew why he wanted to wait, and she couldn’t blame him. Poor kid probably needed a lot of rest after all that happened. Finding out the South couldn’t be cleansed, getting sick, climbing a mountain in the Winter, his clear discomfort with the Darmani situation, finding out the Giants couldn’t be freed permanently…it was a lot. She had to deal with some of that stuff too, but Tatl wasn’t going to pretend her woes were as dire as Link’s. He had to do almost all the actual hard work, she just went under his hat or floated nearby him.

“I want to rest.” He answered simply before pausing to think. “I want to try to find Kafei too.”

“Wait, seriously?” Tatl thought he was done with that! Though since they recently found out Anju was Kafei’s fiancé, she supposed she shouldn’t be shocked Link wanted to help further. “You know he’s either fled Clock Town or just fooling around with some other woman or something.” The fairy was pretty cynical genuinely, but also just felt like it was a waste of time.

“Fooling around? Like playing games?” Link asked sincerely, using the only definition of fooling around that he knew. “Why would that be bad?”

Tatl sighed and shook her head. Yeah, no. She wasn’t about to delve into that any further. “Why do you want to help out so badly? Just because you promised? Is that really it?”

Link still wondered what the fooling around bit meant, it could be a clue! Maybe Tatl was just being sarcastic or something. “I was asked to help, and someone needs me. I don’t need another reason.”

The kid was so selfless it almost made Tatl sick to her stomach. “Well, whatever. I guess if we’re not going West, it doesn’t hurt or anything…” Before, she was far more critical of this little side mission, but after warming up to Link, she wasn’t going to bite his head off over it quite so drastically…

He had noticed this difference too. Before, she seemed genuinely furious that he wanted to help. Now she was just sort of annoyed yet resigned to it pretty easily. Link was still pretty curious about this sudden change in attitude from Tatl. He at least realized that it happened after he got sick. Did that trigger her shift in demeanor?

“I’ll ask Anju about it next Cycle. I just want to rest for now.” He knew it didn’t do much to help out Anju and Kafei, any aid he gave being undone in the next Cycle, but he still felt compelled to help. Things like this were one reason it was so hard for Link to actually rest.

Even when he was lying in bed during Break Cycles, trying to sleep, guilt kept gnawing at his mind. While he was in an inn on a soft, warm bed, there were so many people suffering. The citizens of Clock Town with the Moon dangling right over their heads and slowly descending towards them. This wasn’t even mentioning the issue with Anju and Kafei that Link promised to fix. The Dekus to the South had to live in a poisoned swamp while their Princess remained captured, and an innocent monkey was imprisoned and tortured over it. To the North, the Gorons were freezing to death and an infant was wailing continuously over his missing father. Then there was whatever horrors were going on to the West and East…

Link was the only one that could do anything about these situations, but he instead chose to spend his time resting instead. Every part of him was screaming to take up his sword and shield so he could save those that needed it. He knew that such fixes would only be temporary, but there was a part of him that didn’t seem to care. It kept egging at him constantly to get up and save everyone that he could. The boy always liked helping people, it was the right thing to do and that was all he needed. When he was just sitting idly by when so many people were suffering, it stressed him out to a major degree!

Tatl didn’t have these sorts of grievances. She was far more open to the idea that not as much mattered when the clock could be turned back. Was it awful that the Dekus and Gorons were suffering? Yes. But she also felt that worrying about them until they could find a way to permanently fix their problems was pointless. Link could cleanse the swamps and mountains over and over, but it was pointless until he could find a way to keep them that way.

Once more, there was a bit of an awkward silence, Tatl wordlessly agreeing with Link’s plans. She knew he needed rest, so she wasn’t going to argue against him. The two simply lounged for a few hours in quiet, unable nap or sleep due to how much the did so earlier that day.

It was nearly midnight when Tatl noticed Link getting out of bed and putting his gear on. His sword, his shield, even his boots and his bag. And of course, he always took his Ocarina with him, even if he was just going to the bathroom. “Hm? Where are you going?” She asked, taking to the air.

“I want to stretch my legs.” He stated simply, feeling all cooped up and stressed. Since dinner, all he could think about was the Dekus and the Gorons. Unable to sleep, and not wanting to chat with Tatl, he figured a walk was the next best thing.

“Alright, but I’m coming with you.” The fairy responded, floating over to Link. Aside from one or two instances during their First Cycle, the two had never really been apart for more than a minute or two. Sticking by Link so often had really made Tatl feel weird about being separated from him unless he had to go to the bathroom or something. Besides, she felt the same way he did. It felt oddly cramped in the room, and she couldn’t sleep either.

Link didn’t mind that, giving Tatl no answer as he left the Knife Chamber and the Stock Pot Inn entirely. East Clock Town was so still and quiet at this hour that it was almost eerie given how bustling it was during the day. Still, the calmer atmosphere was nice and made Link feel at least a tad bit more at ease. He had no real destination in mind, so he simply started to wander about Clock Town, doing everything he could not to glance up at the Moon. Even so, he could feel its glare on him with every move he made…

Slowly, the boy and fairy made their way through East Clock Town and into South Clock Town. Aside from Mutoh, staying by the incomplete tower in the square, there were few people about aside from the usual guard. These stragglers seemed to just be on their way to somewhere else in Clock Town, safe for a man and woman moving past the guard as they fled. The carpenter boss scoffed as he watched them go but made no comment.

After that, Link and Tatl moved past the Clock Tower, the large structure’s own clock loudly ticking away the seconds to Termina’s doom. As the went by it, the pair felt a sense of unease, knowing that the Skull Kid was right above their heads along with that horrid mask of his. The two of them always felt this way when they went too close to the Clock Tower, but neither of them ever vocalized it. There was just an odd chill in the air, a sense that something improper and wrong was nearby, an aura surely emanating from Majora’s Mask…

Rushing by the Clock Tower, the two entered North Clock Town.

Link wasn’t sure why he was continuing to walk about. He stretched his legs and got a bit of fresh air. It wasn’t like he was enjoying himself or anything. Nothing he ever did brought him anything more than a bit of content or some relaxation at most. Even then, his mind would swarm with paranoid and self-hating thoughts if he was taking a warm bath or resting in bed. Even when he cleansed the swamp for the first time, unaware it wouldn’t last, he felt nothing. There was no sense of accomplishment or happiness…he just felt numb.

By this point, it was just about midnight, Link and Tatl still keeping their words and thoughts to themselves as they loitered by the entryway between the two parts of Clock Town. With no buildings or any real reason to enter this part of town, the area was all but empty. There was the usual guard of course, and also that strange man in green clothing floating on a balloon. Link wondered about him each time the two had gone to this part of town, but never asked Tatl about the unusual stranger.

As Link was thinking to himself, an old woman with a large bag over her shoulder came in from East Clock Town. Link and Tatl both thought it was odd that she was out so late, but it was the woman’s own business. As she drew closer, the boy and fairy were startled as someone else appeared. This new figure was a tall, thin, bald man with a devious grin on his face.

With no hesitation, the man ran towards the old lady, shoving her to the ground! As she let out a noise of surprise and pain, the man scooped up her bag and started to run towards the gate towards the mountains! “Help! Someone stop that man!” The old woman cried, still on the ground as she pointed the thief out.

Not even thinking, Link sprang into action. He ran at the thief, only wondering what his next course of action should be after he started to move. Tackling didn’t seem like it’d work too well, given the man was taller and an adult! The boy looked to see the guard was readying himself for when the bald man approached, but Link still wanted to try and help. Something inside of him demanded that he put in an effort!

Granted, he wasn’t sure what to do as he caught up to the thief, the boy proving to be a bit faster than the adult. If the bald man was aware of Link’s presence, he didn’t show it as he kept running boldly towards the guard! As part of an instinct, Link reached for his sword, but had no idea what he was going to even do with it. In his mind’s eye, he saw the assassin he had nearly killed outside of Gerudo Valley. He wasn’t about to do something like that again!

Thinking quickly, the Hylian dashed in front of the thief and slashed at him! Except he missed on purpose, cutting at the air directly in front of the man. This had the result that Link wanted, thankfully! With a startled noise, the bald thief dropped the bag he was carrying! Rather than go back for it, he pushed Link out of the way and just kept going. Unfortunately, when he reached the guard, the thief managed to slip by him as well!

For a moment Link just stared at where the thief went, the guard cursing under his breath but apparently decided leaving his post wasn’t worth it. The boy kept replaying the scene in his mind, or rather the horrid things that could’ve happened, mainly his sword swing actually connecting to the thief. He had no idea what he was even thinking, but that was all just way too close…

Snapping out of it, Link at least accepted that the robbery was over, and no one got seriously hurt. The boy picked up the bag, surprised at how heavy it was, and looked at the old lady. She was getting on her feet, Tatl remaining behind and hovering by the victim.

Walking over, Link handed the bag to its rightful owner. “Are you okay?” He asked, knowing that old people got feeble. Even when he was with the Kokiri he knew that. Saria had told him that Hylians grew brittle and weak when they got too old. It was a mental image that scared him, and it was far worse knowing it would happen to him one day…

“Oh, you courageous young man!” The old lady cooed happily, taking the bag. “Thank you so much for helping me! What a horrid man that was…” She said with a heavy sigh. “These bombs are crucial for my son’s shop, but I know he’d be glad if I reward you. Here…!” Before Link could argue, she pulled out a strange looking mask. It looked like a bomb, and even had a skull marking on it.

“Uh, is that a mask? It looks dangerous…” Tatl said, looking between the old woman and the object. If that was in the bag, that made it an explosive too, right? Only made sense!

The old woman chortled at this. “It’s the Blast Mask.” She happily explained. “With it, you can make your own festival fireworks show!”

Link was as unsure with the gift as Tatl was, but he wasn’t about to rudely turn it down. “Thank you, miss. I appreciate the gift.” He said politely, prompting the woman to pinch his cheek and walk by him, heading to South Clock Town. The boy had no idea why older women pinched children’s cheeks, he saw some do that in the marketplace back in Castle Town…

“Are you sure you want to carry that thing around? I bet it’s full of gunpowder.” Tatl observed once the old woman was out of earshot.

“It wouldn’t really explode, would it?” Link asked, really unsure about the situation. As far as he knew, all bombs had those fuses on them, and the Blast Mask didn’t. He didn’t fully understand how bombs and gunpowder actually worked, he just knew that bombs and fire made an explosion somehow. “I don’t want to throw away a gift.”

Tatl rolled her eyes. Even though she was warming up to Link, he really was stubborn to a fault. “I know you’ll just do whatever you want, regardless of what I say.” She lightly bemoaned. “Just don’t put that thing on, okay?”

“I won’t.” He replied simply, realizing that much at least was probably pretty dangerous. Instead, he put it in his bag, and the two tried to forget what just happened and started back to South Clock Town. Though in the back of Link’s mind, he knew that this robbery probably happened at this time every single Cycle. Each time Link reset the clock, that poor old woman got robbed! The only silver lining was that the thief only seemed to push her to the ground, and he hoped that was the same every time. Maybe the guard would have stopped the thief even without Link’s intervention.

He supposed he wasn’t used to other people helping out in situations so directly like that. Aside from Princess Zelda as Sheik and Navi’s interventions, he had to do just about everything himself in his previous quest. Every enemy slain, every Temple cleansed, every step forward was done all by him with few exceptions. Even in Termina, he had to do just about all the hard work on his own. No one else was able to stop the Skull Kid or the Moon, no one else cleansed the Temples as far as he saw, and only he could turn back time.

The weight of all the responsibilities just made him so exhausted…

Link paused as he passed by the Clock Tower, the structure’s massive clock still ticking loudly away into the quiet night. He found himself staring at the door as a sudden thought struck him. All this time, all the Cycles he went through…ever since he left the Clock Tower’s interior for the first time, he never went back in. He never saw the Happy Mask Salesman around Clock Town, not a single time! Did that mean he just stayed in the dark, cold interior of the Clock Tower?

“What’s up?” Tatl asked, looking toward the old pair of wooden doors leading into the Clock Tower. “You see something?”

“I want to talk to the Happy Mask Salesman.” Link said, walking towards the doors without even waiting for Tatl to respond.

“Huh?! Hey! Why?! He’s so creepy!” The fairy complained, but still followed her companion as he approached the entrance.

Link wasn’t entirely sure either. “I’m curious.” Was the only answer he gave. Maybe he just wanted to see if the salesman really did just spend all his time waiting in that same room. Or, maybe, he just wanted to see someone that seemed to know and remember him. The mysterious man seemed to somehow know of Link’s deeds back in Hyrule, so who knew what was possible?

Taking a deep and silent breath, Link opened the wooden doors into the Clock Tower.

Chapter Text

The wooden doors to the Clock Tower creaked as they opened, as if no one had touched them in years. Despite the sun not being out, what little light the stars gave off somehow managed to brighten up the entrance to the tall building. The grinding and rumbling of the gears and machinery of the Clock Tower’s innards were still working away, never ceasing for even a moment so that the massive structure could accurately tell time.

Link and Tatl both looked around, as if they had entered the area for the very first time. It had certainly been what seemed to be months of time since stepping foot within the unusual tower. Instantly, the two spotted the same thing, their gazes snapping to it in an instant, a sight that made their stomachs churn.

There, right where they left him, was the Happy Mask Salesman. It wasn’t any exaggeration that he was exactly where he was when they last saw him. He stood there, hands clasped together, grinning his usual grin as if no time had passed at all. The unusual man seemed to serene, despite the moist and uncomfortable area he resided. It was practically a surprise that roots hadn’t grown out from the soles of his feet given how stuck to the same spot he was.

“Ah, you’re back!” The salesman declared, not sounding at all like he had just waited nearly a full day. After all, he had to be subjected to the time rewinds like everyone else…though honestly Link wouldn’t be able to say such a thing with full confidence. “Did you bring the mask back?”

Letting the wooden doors creak shut behind Link, he stood right by them as he gave his answer. The last time he gave a negative report to the salesman, it hardly went well. Tatl, meanwhile, stood on Link’s shoulder. “No. Not yet.” The boy replied, ready for the redheaded man to start screaming or lash out at him.

Thankfully, this didn’t happen. Instead, the Happy Mask Salesman nodded in understanding, his smile not even faltering at all. “I see.” He replied simply, letting out a light chuckle. “What is it you want, then? I’m surprised you came back here to visit!”

The way he said that sent shivers up Link’s spine. Maybe it was his imagination, but the salesman’s tone almost made it seem like the boy and fairy had been gone for far longer than this Cycle had gone on for. He couldn’t stop imagining that the salesman was well aware of just how many times Link had played the Song of Time and just how long it had truly been since the two spoke. After all, the salesman knew about the alternate timeline in Hyrule, so why not this?

“I wanted to speak with you.” Link replied simply, slowly making his way down the short staircase, assuming things were safe. “But why are you still here?” He couldn’t help but ask the question. Surely if the salesman ever left the Clock Tower, Link would’ve surely spotted him at least once if Tatl hadn’t. Did the strange traveler really just stand in the same spot for three days straight?

Tatl was pretty freaked out, really feeling unsettled when she was near the salesman. There was just something about him that put her on edge, and that wasn’t even considering the time he picked Link off the floor and strangled her. If that freak tried that again…! Shaking the thought away, the fairy fought off the urge to hide behind Link or inside of his hat during all this. Why did he want to talk to this smiling weirdo anyway?!

“Why, I’m here waiting for you.” The Happy Mask Salesman replied simply, like Link just asked a silly question. “I’ll be here for three days, eagerly awaiting the return of my mask! What else should I be doing?” He asked, letting out another chuckle.

Link felt his lips go dry, licking them briefly before replying. Somehow just talking to the salesman made him nervous. As much as the boy knew he wasn’t a foe, the unusual man made his hair on the back of his neck stand on end! “You never leave? To eat or sleep?” Or at least just to get out of this dreary environment…

It was odd to Tatl to see Link doing something like this. Normally, if he was talking to anyone but her, it was almost strictly business. If he was buying something, he only said what he wanted. If he talked to Anju, it was to talk about their room or to thank her for food. If they were going somewhere for the first time, he essentially only discussed what he needed to move further towards their goals. This didn’t fit any of his usual criteria, and was almost a normal conversation, which kind of weirded the fairy out…

“Oh, don’t fret yourself with that.” The salesman replied casually. “I’m fine where I am. And you’ll know exactly where I am when Majora’s Mask is in your possession. I have faith in you!”

Link couldn’t help but feel frustrated at being brushed off like that. It was so blatantly obvious that the smiling man was hiding something. The irony was lost on him that he did the same thing to Tatl, never giving her a straight answer to any of her personal questions. “Aren’t you nervous I might just leave?” Not that he’d do something like that, but there was a part of the boy that just wanted to get some sort of direct response from the salesman. This wasn’t like him, not at all, but this was an unusual situation…

“I know you won’t do that. It isn’t like you.” Once more, the salesman remained casual in his response, very clearly not worried. “I wouldn’t have entrusted this important task to you if I felt you’d just run off!”

For a moment, Link nearly mentioned the Moon hanging above the Clock Tower, slowly descending right where the salesman stood. Did he know about the Moon? Was he aware that Link felt compelled to save Termina? Given all his other odd knowledge, Link wouldn’t put it past him. Yet, instead, the boy clenched his fists, holding back his frustration. “How do you know what I’m like? You don’t know me.”

It was a dangerous game Link was playing. For reasons he didn’t fully understand, he wanted the salesman to just admit he knew far more than he let on, that he was aware of the other timeline. Of course, if the adult did confess, then Tatl would hear the whole thing. Even at this point, Link wanted to keep the fairy at a distance, scared that when this quest was over, she’d just decide to leave him just as Navi did…

Letting out a light chuckle, the Happy Mask Salesman shook his head. “After the things you’ve done, I couldn’t imagine you’d go back on your word. You tried your best to get my mask back, and that’s proof enough.”

So, he was still playing dumb. Thinking of it, though, the salesman shouldn’t even remember the ordeal with the Ocarina of Time or the Song of Healing. After playing the Song of Time, Link and Tatl went back to an exact moment in time. After the First Cycle, it’d take at least a few moments to enter the Clock Tower. So, the time he learned the Song of Healing would have taken place after the reset time…so how did the Happy Mask Salesman remember it?

Link had him. He had him right where he wanted him, yet…he found his throat drying out like his lips. Swallowing several times, he found himself unable to just call out the man’s clearly unusual nature. The boy still had no idea why he was bothering with this. Was it because the salesman was the only person in all Termina aside from Tatl that remembered him? That knew who he was? 

It was hard, having people that Link had met treating him like a total stranger. He knew their names, their faces, even some of their stories. Yet, to them, he was constantly someone new. This brought a nasty sense of discomfort to the boy, knowing more about these ‘strangers’ he just met than they knew of him. He had gone through so many Cycles, he even recognized a few citizens of Clock Town, though not by name. Some boasted about how they felt no fear about the Moon falling but were amongst the first to flee to parts unknown as time marched on. Knowing their weak bravado instantly was just…odd to him. Then there was Anju and her problems, though not exactly a secret amongst the residents of Clock Town, they should be to a stranger. Yet he knew her dirty laundry before she even knew his name.

And he just knew things would get worse with time, he felt it in his bones…

“So that’s just it. You’re keeping a faith in me. That’s all?” Link pressed, not liking the answers he got. Though, if anything, he was more frustrated with his inability to truly call the salesman out on his lies. It would be so easy…but he couldn’t bring himself to do so…

“That’s all.” The salesman echoed back, staying remarkably patient with Link’s questioning as unusual as it was. “Now you tell me something. Have you gathered more masks? Has the Song of Healing proven useful? There are so many hurt souls out there, after all.”

For a second, Link pondered on whether or not this was something the salesman already knew the answer to, or if he was sincere. Just how far did his knowledge reach? Was he always, somehow, keeping an eye on this quest from the Clock Tower’s interior? “I’ve gotten a few.” The boy answered honestly, glancing towards his bag. “And I did use the Song of Healing twice.”

At that, the Happy Mask Salesman gave a giddy laugh. “Then by all means, I want to see! I can’t help but be interested in what you’ve come across!”

That made sense. It really did seem like the salesman was cooped up in his room at all times, so he was surely bored. This wasn’t what Link came for, though even he wasn’t sure why exactly he entered in the first place, but…why not? Slowly, the boy emptied out all of his masks on the floor in a neat row. “This is all I have.”

The salesman looked them over, finally moving from his spot to stand in front of them properly, sitting on the floor like an eager child. “Nine masks, hm? Your collection is growing fast!” He pointed out the Goron Mask and Kamaro's Mask with little hesitation. “I feel the essence of a healed spirit within these two. I’m sure these were where you played the Song of Healing, correct?”

It didn’t even surprise Link that the salesman could point them out like that. “Yes, that’s right.” He answered, sitting down as well. The situation felt so awkward, as if the Happy Mask Salesman wasn’t someone he should be having a casual talk to. Though, at the very least, they were talking about something he was so very knowledgeable about.

“I thought as much! I recognize a few of these such as the Mask of Truth. You know, I hear you can read the thoughts of humans and animals with these.” The salesman explained, chuckling a bit. “The Blast Mask is even here!” He practically applauded, apparently suggesting there were others out there. “A lovely mask full of gratitude, I can just feel it.”

Now that was something Link didn’t expect. “Gratitude?” He pressed, wondering just how the salesman could know that. Was he really watching Link’s quest, or was he able to just sense emotions in a mask, whether or not they were made by healing souls?

“Yes, gratitude. Tell me, how did you get this mask? How did you get all of them?” The Happy Mask Salesman implored, truly sounding like he was in his own element. Usually he sounded suspicious, even cryptic, but he sounded so…normal at this point.

Tatl found herself feeling pretty annoyed. What was Link doing talking to his weirdo about masks? He wouldn’t talk to her about, well, anything! Any time she tried to make any kind of small talk, he brushed her off! Sure, a lot of those times she was trying to ask personal questions, but was there really nothing he’d talk about with her? The longer the two humans conversed, the angrier the fairy got.

Unaware of Tatl’s annoyance, Link went on briefly explaining how he got each of the masks in order. It felt weird to him to talk for such a long period of time. Usually, he kept all interactions as brief as possible, but maybe it was that urge to talk to someone aside from Tatl that knew who he was that kept his mouth moving. “…the Blast Mask I got tonight after saving an old woman from a robber. It was a gift.”

“Gratitude! Just as I thought!” The salesman crowed, clearly proud of his skills of deduction. “This just enforces my faith in you. Each one of these masks represents someone whose soul you’ve healed, a person you’ve helped, and even someone you agreed to help!” He nodded at Kafei’s Mask at the last part. “You’re truly a remarkable young man, and I trust you even more than I had!”

It felt…wrong for Link to be complimented. Remarkable? Him? How? He was just some kid thrust into a situation he didn’t want to be in. It reminded him of how he was called the Hero of Time by several people during his first quest. Just thinking about it upset him, even recalling how he had nearly snapped at Zelda during his stay in the castle when she brought up the term. He wasn’t remarkable. He wasn’t a hero. All he amounted to was a failure. So badly he wanted to tell this to the salesman, anger filling his chest.

Instead, the boy gathered his masks and stood up. “I should go. I’m tired.” He said, at least being truthful about his exhaustion. After the excitement of saving that poor old woman and the somehow draining experience of talking to the salesman, he desperately needed sleep.

Tsking in disappointment, the salesman got up as well, doing so with surprising ease given that massive pack on his back. “A shame. If you ever come across more masks, I’d love to see them! And remember, young man, have faith! Have faith…”

Link didn’t respond, simply turning around and exiting the Clock Tower for the third time. When he stepped outside, an odd feeling washed over him, as if somehow the time he spent in the damp room had only lasted a second or two. It was hard to explain, and it was a sensation he wasn’t able to shake off no matter how hard he tried to ignore it…

When the doors closed fully behind the pair, Tatl flew in front of Link’s face. “Geez, why did we have to go in there?!” She complained with an audible shudder. “That guy is still so creepy!”

“I wanted to talk to him.” Link replied simply, standing in place. He somehow felt drained from all that, wanting to fully get his bearings before he went on.

Tatl let out a sigh at that. Great, back to short, useless responses, huh? Why did he talk to the salesman like an actual person, but not her?! “But why?! Why him?!” She demanded, just wanting an actual straight answer from this kid for once!

For once, Link decided to at least be partially honest. Talking about his past was one thing, but this wasn’t nearly that big of a deal. “He knows me. He’s the only one in Termina but you that does.”

In all honesty, Tatl wasn’t expecting to actually get a sincere answer out of Link. To the point where, for a moment, she wasn’t sure how to respond. “Well…uh…but so what? He won’t remember this anyway.” The fairy then realized something. “But, wait, why do you talk to him and not me?! Am I not good enough?! Are you still mad at me?!” The fairy demanded, actually feeling very offended over this. “I go and risk my butt going to cursed swamps and snowy mountains with you! I could die out there!”

Link hadn’t expected that sort of response, wondering where all that emotion came from. What was she talking about? Why did she care if he talked to her or not? Didn’t she want this quest to end so they could part ways? It was still a mystery why she suddenly got so less hostile towards him lately…granted, he didn’t really try hard to think of an answer.

Not sure how to answer, Link just went to what he saw as a safe response. “I’m not mad. I didn’t mean to offend you.” Even when trying to comfort the fairy, he still spoke in that same, monotone manner as he always did. He knew it’d do little to help, but he felt hiding himself away was more important. “You can just stay here, if you want.” Link didn’t mean this as an offense, he was very sincere. If Tatl was worried about dying, he didn’t want to drag her along the dangerous parts of the quest.

This just offended Tatl further, taking the boy’s words entirely the wrong way. “That’s it, huh?! You just want to go without because I’m useless?!” She demanded, having felt guilt before over not exactly being helpful as Link risked his neck. At this point, the fairy was glowing red with anger. “But fine! Just leave me here! Not like you need me! Not like you bother to talk to me like a person!” Despite her rage, she felt hot tears stinging her eyes before quickly running down her face.

Taken by surprise, all Link could do was stare at Tal for a few seconds, trying to process what just happened. He never expected to make her so upset that she’d cry. The tears were too small to see, but he could hear them in her voice, how her words cracked as she spoke. “Tatl, I-”

“Oh, save it! I know you don’t care, and it’s not like I can blame you after what I helped do, so whatever! You just keep going around being a stupid goody-goody hero to people that won’t remember you or even care about you!” The fairy shouted, flying up to Link’s face. In a fit of her anger, she kicked his nose as hard as she could and then quickly diving under the boy’s hat before he could get another word out. She just felt so hurt that apparently the creepy guy that strangled Link was someone he wanted to talk to more than her! She did bad things to him, said awful things too! She tried treating him better than before, but that just wasn’t good enough! Really, Tatl was hardly even aware of why Link’s opinion of her mattered so much, but she was just through with it! Even so, she didn’t really mean that last bit she said about people remembering or caring about him. It was petty, she knew, but she just wanted to say something that’d really hurt Link back.

And now she felt so stupid, flying under his hat instead of somewhere else…

Link was tempted to simply take his hat off and make Tatl talk to him, but he knew that’d solve nothing. She’d probably just scream at him some more. It was…almost unnerving being spoken to like that. The kick in the nose was a shock too, though due to Tatl’s size it didn’t really hurt. Even though Tatl had gotten annoyed with him during their quest, she had never gotten quite as furious as just then. For the last two years, everyone in Link’s life was so terribly careful not to make him upset in any way…so having someone scream her head off at him was just so startling!

For a second, Link just stood there, not sure what exactly he should do in response to all of that. Regular social situations were tough enough for him, so delicate things like this were a nightmare! Things were so easy with Saria, and when he left the Lost Woods, he had Navi to talk for him if he was having troubles. Since his first quest ended, he wasn’t exactly much of a social butterfly, spending large swaths of time either alone, or relatively silent if he was with someone else.

After a few moments of thinking, Link decided to just go back to the inn and let Tatl cool off. He felt like if he tried to make her talk, she’d just scream at him some more, and he’d rather not have that happen. He couldn’t help but wonder if she was going to stay in Clock Town in future Cycles or not.

Still feeling a bit awkward, Link slowly made his way back to the inn, ignoring the few citizens of the town that were out at such a late hour. When he got back into his room, he realized something…troubling. He wanted to sleep, but Tatl was still on his head. After shedding his gear and boots, the boy cleared his throat. “I’m going to bed now.” The boy announced, not sure how else to really say it. He still felt Tatl needed time to cool off before trying to really talk to her.

Link was proven right when Tatl darted out from under his hat and to the pillow on her bed. Without a word, she curled up on it, facing away from him.

Withholding a sigh, Link took off his hat and laid down in bed as well, staring at the ceiling. His one constant companion in Termina, for better or for worse, and he made her this angry. She had let out her frustrations at how he spoke to her before, but he really had no idea she was this invested in it. Had he really hurt her feelings that bad? Despite their differences, Link really didn’t hate her, and he actually felt guilty for making her so upset.

It was just so hard for him to consider whether the two could ever be actual friends. What if she just left him the second his quest was over like Navi? No matter what, that paranoid thought scratched at the back of his mind, making him hesitate to share anything personal about himself with Tatl. If he grew to like her and then she just left without a word…he had no idea how he’d handle it. Still, he knew he had to apologize and make amends. He’d just feel worse if he didn’t, and he realized Tatl didn’t deserve to feel as bad as she did. But…he didn’t plan on making small talk with her or sharing his life, so he was afraid on how she’d handle realizing that.

Meanwhile, Tatl was sniffling quietly to herself, trying not to tear up again as her frustration boiled in her gut. “Stupid brat…” She whispered, too quiet to be heard by Link. Even when she tried to actually reach out and treat him better, he still just pushed her away. The fairy realized she had done wrong by him, but would he ever forgive her and move on?

Despite everything, she wanted to be his friend…

The soft pattering of rain on the windows and roof of the inn stirred Link and Tatl from their slumber. While Link couldn’t read it, the clock on the wall said that it was nearly half past eleven. Normally the two didn’t sleep in nearly so late but going out for that walk messed with their schedules. Neither the boy nor the fairy slept well at all, rubbing the sleep out of their eyes as they both sat up.

Link looked over to Tatl, figuring it was best to just get the apology over with. If he delayed, he was worried he’d be too nervous to do it at all. “Tatl. I want to talk.” He flatly stated, not sure how to best start the conversation.

Tatl scoffed, crossing her arms, and refusing to look Link in the face. “Oh, so now you want to talk to me. Why should I?” She knew she was being a petty brat, but part of her thought Link deserved it a bit. “Why don’t you go chat up that freaky salesman? You can talk about masks all day!”

Well, Link didn’t expect the fairy to make this easy, so he wasn’t too shocked at her response. Keeping his composure, he let her words just roll off of him. He knew it’d be easier that way. “I want to apologize.” Might as well go out and say it. Beating around the bush might just work Tatl up again. “I’m sorry I hurt your feelings.”

Frankly, the fairy was expecting this a bit when Link wanted to talk to her. Yet somehow, it also managed to shock her. There was a part of her that thought he wouldn’t bother to apologize, yet she also knew he was a bit of a goody-goody, so another part thought it’d inevitably come. Two very polarizing thoughts, so either outcome would’ve surprised her, honestly.

For a few seconds, Tatl wasn’t sure how to reply. She had half a mind to just reject the apology and metaphorically spit in Link’s face. There was enough anger in her for just that. Yet…she knew this sort of thing didn’t happen often, where Link actually spoke to her like a person. It was almost always all business with him. He must have really felt bad if he was willing to apologize. Conflicted, the fairy decided to go down the middle. “…Whatever. Do you even get why I was mad?!” She demanded, not fully accepting the apology, but not insulting Link either. In her mind, that was about down the middle.

This was actually going better than Link expected, feeling Tatl might have yelled at him some more. “Because we don’t have casual conversation. Is that it?”

Wow, he actually understood! “How could that not insult someone?! Yes, that’s exactly it! You don’t talk to me like a person! It’s always just about this stupid quest or weird things like when we visited the Great Fairy of  Power!” That whole thing about people being broken…that was so odd…

“I didn’t think you’d care.” Link confessed. “I assumed you wanted to get far away from me.” It really baffled him that she bothered to leave Clock Town. Not like he could blame her if she chose to stay behind. Even if he did all the fighting, being in cursed places, especially with the biting cold of the North, was horribly unpleasant.

“…Maybe at first.” Tatl confessed right back, huffing as she took to the air a bit. “I despised you when we went through those first three days. But you knew that.” She made it so abundantly clear, there was no way he couldn’t have realized. “Now…” Tatl hesitated, feeling so weird about actually opening up. With a bit of a shudder, she forced the next few words out. “…I guess you’re okay. I don’t…hate you.” It was the best she could do at the moment.

That still confused Link. He didn’t see himself as someone worth liking. Why did someone that despised him so much suddenly care about it? It never clicked with him that she saw a bit of the Skull Kid in him when he was sick and shivering. To him, it came out of nowhere. “I see. I just have my reasons for how I am.”

Tatl huffed again, but at least finally looked Link in the face. “So, you’re still going to be all weird and closed off, right?” She didn’t expect that much to change, but she at least appreciated the apology. Not that she’d ever admit that.

“Yes, I’m sorry.” This was at least going far better than Link hoped, ignoring how she just described him. “Will you keep traveling with me?” He did wonder what would happen if Tatl wasn’t with him when he played the Song of Time. Would she remember what happened during that Cycle? Was the fact that she was near him the only reason she went back with him at all? Could he pull someone else back?

The fairy sighed, floating over to Link and hovered above him. “Yeah, fine, I guess.” In all honesty, her threatening to stay behind was a bluff, even when she was furious with Link. Just staying behind and waiting for him to play that Ocarina of his again sounded awful. At any moment she could be whisked away to the past without warning! That alone made it awful to consider. “I’m going to get something out of you before this is all over, though!”

Of course. Link realized how stubborn Tatl could be so that didn’t really surprise him. Rather than acknowledging that, he just started to get his boots and gear on. “Are you hungry? I’m going to buy some food.” He recalled this was the day Anju went out on a walk, so he couldn’t rely on her to cook. There was her mother, but he didn’t really like dealing with her. She wasn’t nasty, just sort of stern, and he’d just rather not talk with her if he could avoid it.

“Yeah, of course! It’s so late! We might as well just get lunch!” Tatl said, not even realizing how hungry she was until Link brought up food. “And we can get some real food!” Even at this point, she really didn’t understand how Link put up with Anju’s cooking. She almost felt bad for Kafei if they were reunited. Having to put up with that quality of food wasn’t a pleasant thought…

With a nod, Link went out of his room and down the stairs, Tatl floating along with him. When they came down, it was just in time to see Anju starting to walk outside, umbrella in hand. The boy paused, thinking things over for a second. “…I want to see where she goes.” He stated, starting to go towards the exit as well.

“Uh, what?” Tatl asked, doing her best to just go back to her usual self after that nasty episode the two just had. “You mean follow her? That’s creepy!”

That stopped Link in his tracks, looking up at the fairy. “How is that creepy?” He asked, completely sincere. With the life he had, the simple yet morbid concept of stalking wasn’t one he was familiar with. “I just want to see where she’s going.”

“How is that…?” Tatl half-echoed back before letting out a sigh. “You don’t get it? Really? You’re too…” She almost said ‘innocent’ but with his eyes alone she knew that wasn’t true. “…naïve about some things. Why do you want to know where she’s going anyway?”

Link still didn’t understand what the big deal was. He just wanted to see where Anju went on her walks. It never really crossed his mind to actually see for himself before! “Maybe there will be some clue about Kafei.” It made sense to him. Maybe she was looking for her fiancé or went somewhere that could help.

“You know, you could just talk to her.” Tatl said, sighing again. “You are going to talk to her when you see where she went, right?” The two hadn’t had much free time since they found out Anju was Kafei’s fiancé. They found out while Link was sick, then the two went to the North the very next Cycle. Then this time around, the two were rather distraught. Either way, maybe Tatl just wanted Link to act normally for once, no matter how unlikely that was or how many times she tried, and failed, to convince him of such a thing.

“…I don’t know.” Link answered after a pause. He wasn’t in the mood to talk to someone he barely knew, especially about something so important. After the talk with the salesman and Tatl’s earlier rage, he felt kind of worn out! Talking to Tatl regularly was fine, the two were…not quite friends, exactly, but close enough. That was different. He wondered if it was his trauma rearing its head once again that made this seem so hard.

Tatl sighed for a third time, shaking her head. “Whatever. Guess we better hurry then, before she gets away. Then we better get some food!” She was so hungry!

Without a reply, Link left the inn with Tatl right by his side. Ignoring the rain, he stepped out from under the balcony above the inn’s entrance and looked for Anju. Due to the rain and some of the evacuations starting, East Clock Town wasn’t as busy as it usually was. In fact, it only took him a few moments to spot Anju walking towards one of the entrances to South Clock Town! Thankfully, she was going pretty slow with her walk or else she could’ve been out of sight by this point!

Link quickly started to tail Anju, keeping his distance so she didn’t notice him while ignoring Tatl grumbling about the rain. He still didn’t understand what was creepy about this, but he kept his distance so he wouldn’t be spotted and forced into a conversation he didn’t want to have.

Thankfully, Anju was too wrapped up in her walk and thoughts to really notice Link’s presence. Not to mention the town was still crowded enough that he sort of blended into the other people. One thing that the boy and fairy noticed was that the innkeeper walked with purpose. She wasn’t just wandering around aimlessly; she was clearly going somewhere specific.

To the surprise of the pair, Anju passed through South Clock Town and towards the Laundry Pool of all places. There wasn’t really anything there to see. Just some water, a bench, a bell, and a door on the other side of the area that the two hadn’t bothered with yet. Still, as the distraught woman made her way up the stairs, Link and Tatl paused a bit before following. With such a narrow, quiet passageway, they’d surely be noticed if they tailed her at their usual distance!

After waiting about a minute, Link slowly crept towards the main area of the Laundry Pool, Tatl even dimming her light to try and blend in. Peeking from behind the wall, the two saw Anju sitting on the lone bench of the area. She was looking in Link and Tatl’s general direction, but didn’t seem to really notice them, apparently too deep in her own thoughts. For a few minutes, nothing really happened. The rain fell around the three as they stayed still as statues, silently letting time crawl by.

Then, without warning, Anju began to cry.

It was a soft, silent crying, the woman’s shoulders shaking as she buried the top of her face in one of her hands. She let out a small whine, but was clearly trying to suppress any noise she made despite apparently being all alone. Her frame kept shaking, and it was clear this was going to last for a long while.

Almost instantly, Link felt uncomfortable just watching someone cry. From his point of view, that was something most people did alone where no one could see them. That’s what he tried to do, at least. It always came with great shame when someone actually saw him break down. During his two year recovery, he tried his best to only cry in his room, the door shut tight. When he couldn’t hold in his emotions and shattered in front of someone else, he wanted to just throw up out of self-disgust…

On top of this, however, he felt a great deal of pity for Anju. He still didn’t fully understand romance, love, or marriage, but if the relationship between the innkeeper and Kafei was anything like him and Navi, he understood her pain. A small part of him wanted to comfort her, but he realized how bad of an idea that would be.

Ducking back behind the wall, Link his head and spoke quietly to Tatl. “I don’t want to just watch her cry. I thought she’d lead us somewhere helpful.” No, instead she was just going somewhere private to let her pain out. Only at this point did he feel bad for following her. “I don’t want to stick around.”

“Yeah, a good idea. I don’t like this either…” The fairy whispered back, also feeling pretty bad for the woman. Thinking of it, she never really saw many people cry. Adults especially! For the most part it was just little kids and babies crying over something unimportant. Seeing a grown woman break down and sob like that just hit her hard. “Come on, let’s just go eat and forget about this.”

The two in agreement, they went back to East Clock Town and ate inside one of the restaurants. Filling up on some steaks and vegetables, they made their way to their room at the inn. Even by that time, Anju still wasn’t back at her desk.

Link went to his bed after taking off his gear and grabbing one of the room’s towels to help dry off, looking over to Tatl. “I want to help her more now.” He confessed, the closest thing to sharing his feelings he ever really gotten for a long while.

Tatl was pretty surprised at that comment and almost called it out before biting her tongue as she used another towel to get the rain off of her. Maybe if she didn’t make a big deal out of what Link just did, he’d do it more often. “Because you saw her crying?” At Link’s nod, she scoffed a bit. “You’re such a softy, you know that?” She didn’t say it in a nasty way, just a bit in a teasing tone.

Link just let the comment slide off of him, lying on his back and staring at the ceiling. He did notice she didn’t complain about how stupid or pointless it was like she did before. A pleasant change for sure. “Tomorrow I’ll reset time, then work on helping her.”

“Why not tonight?” Tatl asked, floating over to her pillow and nuzzling down on it. Man, having a sleeping spot like that was so welcome! She pretty much only slept outside before meeting Link. At least that’s an upgrade from her older life…

“Kafei might have left already. Maybe he’s still in town on the first day. Anju leaves tomorrow too, to that ranch.” He had nearly forgotten that lats detail until just that moment, honestly. If anyone had any idea on where to look for clues, it’d be Anju. Of course, if she knew where he was or exactly what needed to be done, she would’ve done it herself. All Link knew was he asked a lot of people but the only thing he had to work off was someone named Cremia, who he never encountered in Clock Town at all…

Of course, the other reason he wanted to turn back time was because he hated it when it drew close to the final day, let alone being around for the third day to happen at all. The Moon being so horrifically close, as if it would open its maw impossibly wide and simply devour Clock Town in its entirety. The panic and fear that rippled through the citizens of the town that was practically palpable. The tremors that sprang up practically at random, reminding even those that lock themselves indoors that their death was inevitably drawing nearer with every passing second.

All of those things just made Link sick to his stomach.

So, during most Break Cycles, he played the Song of Time first thing in the morning of the third day, or sometimes at night during the second. Anything to avoid all those horrors. Once or twice, he was so exhausted he just slept through most of that final, terrifying day, barely registering the tremors as he slept in his bed.

Tatl felt the same way Link did, so she was more than happy to go back in time a bit earlier. “Sure, alright. I really wonder if he ran off with that Cremia woman, whoever she even is.” The name sounded so familiar to the fairy, though. It was on the tip of her tongue, as frustrating as that was.

“Why would he escape Clock Town with someone other than Anju?” Link asked, treating Tatl’s statement and the rumor in general as a legitimate clue. That was the only context behind ‘running off’ that he was able to come up with.

“Well duh, because…” Tatl trailed off, realizing Link had a very different idea of ‘running off’ than she and the gossiping townsfolk did. Yeah…no. She was not about to have that conversation if he was ignorant of what it meant! “I…I’m gonna take a nap.”

Link watched as Tatl rolled over, staring at the opposite wall. He was tempted to prod her for more information but decided not to. She probably just didn’t know the answer, that was all. Maybe he’d just ask Anju about it when he spoke to her in the next Cycle. Maybe she knew who Cremia was!

For the rest of that rainy day, the two stayed cooped up in their room. Anju brought them dinner around six, the encounter a bit awkward for the boy and fairy. The woman didn’t bring up Romani Ranch, never having asked Link about his parents and realizing he had no adults to rely on.

It was around midnight where Link found himself wide awake. The rain had long cleared away, leaving only the deafening silence of the night around him to keep him company. He wasn’t able to get back to sleep and was contemplating taking another walk. Some nightmares plagued his sleep, and it was one of those rare and thankful instances he couldn’t recall too many details. He just had that unsettling sensation that he witnessed something horrible in his mind’s eye without knowing just what that something was. With a heavy breath, Link sat up and started to get his boots on and then his sword and shield for unnecessary protection. He was thankful the Ocarina of Time clipped to his belt so easily, even when going to the bathroom he had it with him at all times when leaving his room.

He looked over to Tatl and saw she was sitting up too, stretching a bit with an exhausted yawn. Before she could even ask, Link answered her question. “I’m going for a walk.” The boy stated bluntly. “You can stay here and sleep if you want.”

“Again? Don’t you remember what happened last night…?” Tatl asked groggily, yawning again as she slowly took to the air. “But someone’s gotta keep you out of trouble, so I guess I’ll go.” The real reason was, honestly, Tatl hated the idea of being alone. She couldn’t remember the last time she was by herself for more than a few minutes at a time. There was always Tael to be with her, then him and the Skull Kid. Now, more recently, she’s been with Link essentially every moment of their quest. Even when she got mad at him and dove under his hat, she was still with him so that didn’t even count to her.

Buying into the lie, Link wasn’t sure what trouble Tatl even meant, but he shrugged it off. “Alright then.” Slowly and quietly, he and the fairy went down the stairs and out of the inn. As expected, East Clock Town was pretty deserted. Just about any moisture left behind from the rain had dried up as well. Without any sort of destination in mind, Link just started walking forward, Tatl shadowing him as she always did.

Aside from the guard, the two only saw maybe half a dozen people wandering about. One or two of them went out of the town gate, clearly fleeing to parts unknown to escape the Moon. Speaking of which, Link felt its intense gaze on him, the boy doing his best not to so much as glance up at it. That horrid, ugly, constant reminder of the nearing death that awaited all of Termina made him feel sick to his stomach whenever it caught his eye. He had no idea if it was actually alive, or if its face was just something the Skull Kid crafted using that mask of his…

Perhaps subconsciously, Link found himself wandering close to the Laundry Pool, just as Anju had earlier that day. He wasn’t even aware he was doing it until he stopped in his tracks as a very familiar song rang out from the secluded part of town. It was…the Song of Storms. Not only that, but the instrument playing it was unmistakable! Without a doubt, it was the same one played by that terrifying man in the windmill back in Kakariko Village! Link’s breath caught in his throat as that familiar song rang in his head. His body tensed and sheer terror gripped him.

The Well.

The Drums.

A creature in black tar.

Bleeding trees.

Darkness.

The Raven.

Screeching.

Darkness.

Unimaginable Shapes.

Wailing.

Darkness.

A red eye.

Link doubled over and threw up on the ground.

“What?! Hey, are you okay?!” Tatl exclaimed, darting around so she was in front of him. The boy fell onto his hands and knees, only maneuvering enough so he wasn’t touching the pile of sick he made. She saw that he was shaking, but he still kept that disturbing, stoic look on his face. It was like he was freezing cold despite it being a pleasantly warm night. “You’re not sick again, are you?! It was Anju’s cooking, wasn’t it?!” Unlikely since he ate it a bunch before and somehow never fell ill, but what else was there?

The boy only just barely heard Tatl speak, the drumming was so loud! It banged around in his skull, and the darkness was closing all around him! He could barely breath, and he felt like he was going to die! Didn’t Tatl hear the drums? Didn’t she see the darkness? Why wouldn’t it stop? Why wouldn’t it stop? Why wouldn’t it stop?

He couldn’t move because of how terrified he was. It took every fiber of his being not to scream his head off, and it he needed all of his strength to keep his mask on. But he couldn’t stop his body from shaking, feeling like he was going to throw up for a second time! Where was Navi? Why wasn’t she here to help him?! He needed her so badly! He just wanted to find her! Where was she?! Why did she leave?!

Then, as quickly as it started, Link realized what was going on.

None of it was real.

Taking a deep breath, he then started to pant a bit, getting some air in his lungs as his body slowly started to calm down. It was all in his mind. The drumming, the darkness…they were just part of his sickness. Yes. He was so grateful he was able to keep his mask on, but what an absolutely pathetic display that was. A deep sense of shame and humiliation washed over him as he slowly stood up, Tatl hovering near him in worry. “I’m fine.” Was all the boy said.

“You’re kidding, right?!” Tatl exclaimed, angry that he was about to just brush that off. “You just threw up and then you collapsed! How is that okay?! Are you sick again? Do you have a fever?” Worry started to swell up in her, replacing the anger in her little by little.

Link decided to take that route. To lie. Yes, he was just a bit ill. That’s what it was. “I don’t have a fever, but I felt sick all of a sudden.” He fibbed, his eternal pokerface and flat tone making the lie all the harder to see through. “Sorry. I’m fine now, it was just an episode.”

Tatl looked Link over, noting he did look reasonably fine. His body stopped shaking, he didn’t really look pale or feverish…but then what happened? Some sort of weird dizzy spell? “Well, whatever it was, let’s just go back so you can rest, okay?”

“Not yet.” Link said, slowly starting to walk towards the Laundry Pool. He remembered something Zelda told him during his stay in the castle. One day, he would have to face his fears, his traumas, and he had done a terrible job at it by the time he left. He never went to Kakariko Village, to Zora’s Domain, not even able to properly talk to Impa for long. So many of his experiences went unchallenged.

Maybe this was a chance to change that, if only a little.

“What?! But you’re sick or…or something! Why do you want to see anyway?!” The fairy demanded, wishing that just for once she could know what was going on in that boy’s mind!

Once more, Link lied. “I’m curious.” He plainly answered. Each step forward was practically torture. His entire body screamed at him to sprint in the opposite direction away from that horrid music. But he was going to face this tiny thing…he had to! The boy had been so terrified to face his traumas during those two years, so now he was going to make up for that, if only a little bit…

Tatl just stared at Link as he went up the steps to the Laundry Pool and let out a sigh. “What is wrong with this kid…?” She murmured to herself before begrudgingly following the odd child.

Chapter Text

Link tried to ignore his insides churning as that horrid song assaulted his ears. Its notes rose up to the sky, and they also echoed within his skull like blows to the head. He was tempted to just turn around and head back to the inn, but he knew he had to see this through. It’s something he knew Zelda would want him to try, and she just wanted what was best for him even if he didn’t deserve such treatment.

Tatl was still a bit stunned by what just occurred. Link just spewed chunks, collapsed, then got up and practically pretended like nothing happened. This was the first time something like this had happened with him, and she had no idea what to make of it. But she also knew that trying to force him to talk it over was futile. He said himself he was going to remain closed off.

When the two rounded the corner into the Laundry Pool proper, they once more saw a single individual there, sitting on the bench. This person was a man, however. A man with a mostly bald head and a pointed brown beard. His eyes were so squinted they were practically closed, and he had a big smile on his face. Of course, the most eye-catching thing was the odd instrument he had. It was essentially a box with a large tube coming out of it that spun about and gave off the loud music.

Right away, Link recognize the man. He was another copy of someone from Hyrule; an unusual and easily angered man that resided within the windmill of Kakariko Village! Just looking at the man caused the Hylian to start hearing drums in his head again, but he did his best to ignore the rhythmic pounding in his skull.

Tatl decided to be the one to speak up first, if only to quickly get the man to stop playing that song! It was kind of nice from a distance, but up close it was so loud it was starting to give her a headache. “Hey! What are you doing playing that out here?!” The fairy demanded, yelling to be heard over the instrument. “Do you know what time it is?!”

This didn’t seem to annoy the man at all, who kept the grin on his face as he kept playing. At the very least, the music started to die down a bit. “Oh, I know! I wanted to practice back at the inn, but the others kicked me out! So, I must play here!” Despite the story he told, the man still seemed rather jovial.

Link was still a bit stunned, standing there staring at the person before him. The man looked and sounded just like that windmill man, down to the instrument and song he played. It was as if he existed solely to torment the boy…or so he felt. Sometimes he had thoughts like this, as if Termina was some sort of punishment for his inability to save everyone back in Hyrule’s alternate timeline. It could be why he kept seeing copies of people he knew all over the place. This was the worst example by far, but who knew what other copies were out there for him to run into? He sometimes stared at the ceiling at night, dreading meeting someone that looked just like Saria, or Zelda, or Malon…

As Link stood there staring, Tatl realized that apparently she was going to be carrying this conversation for the both of them. She felt he was feeling a lot sicker than he let on, so maybe that’s why he was totally silent? “Well, why are you playing at all? You in a band or something?” The fairy asked.

“You’ve never heard of the Gorman Troupe?” The man asked, surprised yet still smiling as he played his odd instrument. “We’re playing for the Carnival of Time…if it even happens. As for me, I was in another troupe, once. An animal troupe! Oh, I am so, so sad. So I will tell you this tale so I don’t feel so bad!”

“I didn’t really ask to hear…” Tatl murmured, but her words were either unheard or ignored by the troupe member.

“Ah, there were all sorts of animals! Dogs and donkeys and such! It was amazing!” The man said, seeming to be mostly talking to open air…until he stared Link dead in the eyes. “But you ask why a man could join?!” He suddenly yelled, his eyes glaring and his mouth turning into a snarl. These things caused he boy to flinch and take a step back. “Because humans are also animals! So it was allowed!”

That scream nearly made Link forget everything and just run. He was reminded of the windmill man suddenly screaming at him and Navi for no good reason. Despite his desire to flee, the boy kept his feet planted to the ground, still not saying a word.

Tatl hovered between the man and Link, not even aware she was doing so. “Ease up! What’s your deal?!” She demanded, also a bit freaked out as the man screamed out of nowhere.

Once more, Tatl’s words weren’t acknowledged by the man as he kept rambling. “But the dog was the leader! Why a dog?! Humans are animals too! I should’ve been the leader! Isn’t that right, boy?!” The man demanded of Link, seeming unaware that the child hadn’t said a word the whole time. “I should have been the leader! Yes! A human leads far better than any other animal!” He was enraged at this point that his face started to go red, spit flying from his mouth and landing on the ground as he raved.

Flying back to Link’s shoulder, Tatl whispered harshly in his ear. “Come on, let’s get out of here. This guy is nuts!” She was annoyed when he didn’t even acknowledge her, the boy staring at the crazed man as if transfixed.

“So I stole it! I stole the mask of the troupe’s leader! That’s what I did!” The furious man went on, cranking the handle of his instrument faster and faster as he rambled. It was to the point where it seemed like he’d somehow break it! Then…as quickly as the rage began…it just stopped. The man’s eyes squinted once more, and his mouth formed back into a wide grin. His hand even halted, a deafening silence filling the air.

Tatl wasn’t sure if she should say anything, fearing it might someone trigger another enraged tangent from the odd man. The silence just went on, so she took the risk. “And…you still have the mask?”

The man nodded, looking to Link despite the boy not uttering a word the entire time. “Yes! I still have it! I no longer need it, so I give it to my guests! It has the qualities of a leader, and wearing it will make you one too!” Reaching into his pocket, the man brought up an unusual looking mask. It was the type that only covered the eyes of one’s face. It resembled a white beard with a prominent yellow beak and piercing red eyes.

As the unusual stranger handed the mask over, Link cautiously took it. Swallowing a few times, he finally mustered the ability to speak. “Thank you, sir.” Was all he could say, though.

This got a jovial laugh from the man, who started to play his music once more. “Of course! Of course! With this, you could start your own animal troupe! The leader was a good instructor. With the Bremen Mask there, the members matured quickly and they became adults in an instant.”

Link had no idea if the man was being literal or not, but that sounded awful. The idea of growing up was one the boy found severely unpleasant. Being forced into the form of a Deku was bad, but he’d rather suffer through that ordeal again than be an adult for even a second. Not that it mattered, because the flow of time marched onward, and it’d drag Link along kicking and screaming with it.

He had grown a few inches taller since he turned ten and believed he had reached his maximum growth under the false pretenses of being a Kokiri. Whatever tiny bits of baby fat that remained on his face and body had gone away and started to harden up into a bit more of a grown, mature look. His voice had gotten deeper, and he realized he had gotten naturally stronger too. It was just something he had to go through.

The boy still desperately wished that he was a Kokiri instead of a Hylian. To him, growing into an adult was the ultimate insult to his childhood. When he was forced into such a shape, he didn’t mind too much since he assumed it was temporary. But when the truth came out that he was a Hylian, he quickly realized it would one day be a permanent reality. Just the thought of becoming grown up made Link feel sick to his stomach, and he’d give anything to become a true Kokiri and stay young forever within the village…

Snapping out of his thoughts, Link looked the mask over more properly. The red eyes were a bit eerie, but otherwise it seemed like a decent mask…not that he was exactly an expert. As much as he disliked the words the man spoke, and how his music made Link feel sick to his stomach…he’d still keep the mask. It just seemed so needlessly nasty to him to throw a gift away.

Yet, with the mention of being an adult, Link felt extremely uncomfortable. So much so that he simply turned around and walked away out of the Laundry Pool. Normally he’d never be so rude, but he couldn’t stand to be near the musical man for a moment longer. And, of course, Tatl followed after him.

This, surprisingly, didn’t anger the man, who laughed and called after the pair. “Yes, yes! Go and start your own animal troupe! Have fun with it, my guests!”

Not wasting another second, Link and Tatl rushed back to South Clock Town, going close to the Clock Tower and out of range of the man’s music. Link was especially glad of this, his nerves having been on edge throughout that entire conversation. Of course, the windmill man’s clone distracted him a bit with his unusual rants and shouting…not that that was much better.

“Why are there so many weirdos around here?” Tatl asked with a shudder. “And it’s always the real friendly looking ones.” First that mask salesman and then that weirdo with the…whatever instrument that was. She had noticed how abruptly Link ended the conversation. Even when he was just trying to end a chat to move on with whatever he wanted to do, he still ended it properly. Here he just…walked away. Granted, she couldn’t blame him for wanting to just get away from that weirdo, but it still stood out to her.

Tatl recalled the last thing the man mentioned was how the members of the animal troupe became adults in an instant. Did that freak Link out somehow? Did he not like adults or aging? As it happened, the fairy had become increasingly curious about the boy’s past, doubly so because he’s so tightlipped about it. As time had gone on…she started to become nearly obsessed with finding out some basic outline of Link’s life at the very least. She held onto any bit of information she could get from him, whether it was something he said or alluded to or an observation she made. With the boy as her one and only constant in these loops, she had little else to focus on a lot of the time…

“At least all he did was yell.” Link pointed out as his nerves started to settle. He remembered how the Happy Mask Salesman strangled him, a memory that made him feel uneasy just to recall. “We also got another mask.” He noted, looking down at what the odd man called the Bremen Mask, though the boy had no idea what ‘Bremen’ even meant.

Scoffing, the fairy shook her head. “And you call that a positive? It probably doesn’t even do anything! That guy was nuts!” The talk about animals instantly maturing seemed like a complete lie to Tatl, though she’d believe little of what that man said, even if it seemed reasonable. She noted a dog walking about, sniffing at seemingly random spots on the ground. “You probably couldn’t even lead that dog!” The man had said it gave the wearer the ‘quality of a leader’ which could’ve meant a lot of things.

Link eyed the scruffy pup and decided to at least give it a shot. Who knew when leading animals could possibly come in handy? Feeling a bit silly, he slipped the mask on and started to walk towards the dog. As he got close, the dog stopped and sniffed at Link’s boot, but then just kept going. The boy stopped and watched as the canine stopped to scratch behind one of its ears. “I guess the mask doesn’t work so well.” He noted flatly.

“I dunno, maybe you have to play a song or something. This was a troupe, right? The leader probably played some sort of marching song!” Tatl suggested, not seeing much use out of this mask…but the idea of super serious Link marching a dog around while playing a song was a sight she had to see!

Unaware of Tatl’s more devious intentions, Link decided he might as well try it. As he took the Ocarina of Time from his belt, he felt an odd push to play it, a sort of subconscious urge that it was the correct course of action. Letting his body do as it wanted, putting the instrument to his lips. At this, the boy found himself playing a jovial marching song that he had never heard in his life, starting to slowly move about the area. At once, the dog started to follow him obediently, yapping happily along with the tune as its tail wagged back and forth.

Tatl’s jaw dropped as she stared at the unusual sight before her. Link was just…marching along with a dog, the canine at the boy’s heels no matter where he went. She felt like she was dreaming as she never saw the boy do anything remotely childish or goofy!

After a few moments, Link stopped the song and almost instantly the dog lost interest and wandered off. He himself was almost as surprised as Tatl was, just going along with the odd feeling the mask gave him. Was it magic in some way? He supposed it had to be since he just played a brand new song perfectly. Taking the mask off and putting the Ocarina of Time back on his belt, he looked the Bremen Mask over again. “I didn’t expect that to work so well.” He observed, also noting that the dog didn’t physically change at all. Maybe the man that gave it to him was lying or exaggerating.

It took Tatl a second to really recover from what she just saw, too stunned to even laugh. After shaking her head a bit to get her thoughts collected, she flew over to Link and stared at the mask. “Huh…Well, I didn’t expect that. No idea when that will ever be useful…I assume you’ll still keep it?” Wouldn’t be the first useless mask he kept…

Link put the Bremen Mask in his bag. “It’s a gift.” He replied simply, feeling that explained it all. He couldn’t just toss a gift like that! The boy grew up not getting many presents or gifts, only Saria caring enough about him to give him anything. So, whenever he got something from someone, he kept it whether it was something he even liked or not. As the boy put his newest mask away, he eyed the Mask of Truth staring at up at him. After a pause, he took the uncanny mask out.

“What, you want to try and read minds now?” Tatl asked, realizing the two never actually gave the Mask of Truth a proper try. “That seems kind of underhanded of you!”

“It’s not like I’d use it for a bad reason.” Link pointed out, staring down at the mask as it returned the action. “This might be useful too, right? Can I try and read your mind?” Of course he was going to ask permission first.

Tatl almost laughed at that, never thinking she’d be politely asked about getting her mind read. She felt nervous as the thought about it, however. What if the mask actually worked? Would he just read what she was thinking, or could he delve deeper into her mind and peek at whatever he wanted? She lightly chewed at her bottom lip, giving the situation some thought. The Bremen Mask worked, so maybe the Mask of Truth would too…but being able to read minds could be pretty useful. Something told her he wouldn’t read the mind of some stranger, something about not getting permission surely being an issue…

Sighing, the fairy gave a nod. “Okay, fine. Just don’t peek too long, okay?” As soon as she said this, she concentrated her thoughts on memories of her and her brother. She knew that Tael was, relatively, pretty safe, so she didn’t worry too terribly much for him. After all, he was just fine by midnight of the third day during the First Cycle, so why wouldn’t that be true for all the others? Tatl just kept those memories strong in her conscious mind, hoping that if the Mask of Truth worked, it wouldn’t be able to see anything else!

Even with Tatl’s express permission, Link still felt a bit awkward doing something like this. It was rather invasive, given a pass to do so or not. Still, he needed to know if it’d work, and he unknowingly got read like a book by Tatl. He’d really not be willing to just do it to a stranger, feeling guilty just thinking about it! Slipping the Mask of Truth on slowly, he turned his, and the mask’s, gaze towards the fairy.

As it happened, the mask did work…but not the way Link expected.

He wasn’t able to hear any clear, concrete thoughts out of Tatl. No sentences were heard by him, and no images flooded his mind’s eye. Instead, he heard a sort of buzzing noise, like a large crowd all talking over each other at once. It took him a moment to realize the many voices all belonged to Tatl, and what he was hearing were many, many thoughts or memories from her. Try as he might, he wasn’t able to single out anything he was hearing, everything sort of melting together in a mess! Maybe if he practiced over and over, he could pick something out, but for the moment, it was fruitless.

Taking the mask off, Link suddenly felt a bit dizzy, a bit of a headache coming on. “It’s no use.” The boy said, rubbing at his temple with one hand as he held the mask with the other. “I think I was hearing everything at once. It was too much to make anything out.” He explained further.

As disappointed as it was that the mask couldn’t be used effectively, Tatl was still relieved that Link didn’t peek in at anything private of hers. “Well, that’s just great! A mind reading mask that reads too much!” She bemoaned, glancing over at the dog as it kept pacing about. “…Do you think it works on animals?”

“What good would that do?” Link asked, also looking at the scruffy canine. “They wouldn’t know anything helpful.” Not that he could imagine, at least.

“Hey, it’s worth a shot!” Tatl pressed, more just curious to see if it worked at all. Could animals even think in a way the Mask of Truth could read? She doubted that it would be helpful as well, but she just had to know!

Link supposed that any bit of extra aid could be helpful…and it was a quick test, so why not? Obviously, he didn’t have as many qualms about reading the mind of an animal. Not like he could get the dog’s permission or anything. So, he slipped the Mask of Truth on once again and looked at the dog. This time…things were far simpler.

Odd smell. Odd boy. Where did the people go? The boy’s feet smell funny. What is that ball in the air? That marching was fun!

The dog’s voice pierced into Link’s mind without him really trying to, the Mask of Truth doing all the needed work. And it wasn’t even that he really heard the dog’s voice, just that he sort of grasped what the animal was thinking. This series of short, meaningless thoughts just kept going, that aspect of it not shocking Link too much. After having observed Malon’s dog Scamp, he noticed just how much of a short attention span the pooch had. Seemed that was true of all dogs. He was someone who quickly grew to like dogs thanks to Scamp, as it happened. A friendly, soft creature that just wanted to play or sit with people. Given his encounters with non-human creatures outside of the Lost Woods, something like dogs were very welcome…

When he took the mask off, Link noticed he didn’t feel dizzy, and his headache didn’t get any worse. Apparently there just wasn’t enough going on to affect him as much. “I heard its thoughts. It was just rambling to itself.” The boy informed, putting the mask away.

Huh. Well, that made sense to Tatl, actually! “I guess because dogs don’t have complex thoughts like fairies or humans. At least we know it works…if that ever comes in handy…” She had no confidence that it would, but watching Link read a dog’s mind was a bit amusing…

At this point, Link was just feeling exhausted. It was so late in the night, and dealing with the Song of Storms, the man that was all too familiar, and using the Mask of Truth…he was ready to go back to sleep. “Right. Well, let’s go back to the inn.” Without waiting, he started walking back to East Clock Town, rubbing his temples a bit to get the last of the headache to go away.

Tatl fluttered by Link’s side as always, holding back a yawn. “Jeez, how long did we come out here anyway?” Even with the massive clock on the Clock Tower…she didn’t bother to check. She didn’t really care too much, and the fairy just didn’t want to catch an eyeful of the Moon…

“In the morning, we’ll go back and talk to Anju.” Link said, hoping he would be able to help the poor woman out. Maybe he’d even be able to find Kafei in the next Cycle! Of course, every Cycle afterward would just separate them again…but at least he’d know how to help them…

The fairy still saw the ordeal as pointless to go through, but she bit her tongue. She knew that no matter what she said, Link would keep trying anyway. “Sure, alright. If you really want to.” Was all she said, but her tone made it clear she didn’t fully approve…and of course Link just ignored her. Tatl expected as much…

Both of them exhausted, the boy and fairy said nothing as they made their way back to the inn and went into their room. Neither of them bothered to glance at the clock, not that Link could read it properly anyway. He shed his gear and boots as Tatl curled up on her pillow. While the fairy fell asleep quickly, the boy stared up at the ceiling, tired yet unable to sleep.

As the boy remained still under the covers, he felt an overwhelming emotion swelling in his gut. Despite being broken, he did feel emotions at times. Generally, he felt a nauseous numbness that made him empty inside, not feeling any sort of emotions whatsoever. This could last hours, a day, or even a week. Of course, even when he felt something, it was always negative.

Anger. Guilt. Shame. Fear. Misery…

Link was feeling that last one most of all. A deep depression grew within him, and he had no idea what caused it. He gave up trying to fully understand his shattered mind ages ago, his world shifting and turning seemingly at complete random. He was never happy, but he wasn’t always sad either. A lot of the time it was just…blank. A numbness that was so strong sometimes he couldn’t even feel things around him such as the softness of his sheets or the coldness of Hyrule Castle’s tiled floors on his bare feet.

He had no idea if it was worse between the two either. Obviously feeling a heavy sadness was horrible…but at least he was feeling something. When his entire being was numb, he barely felt like he was even a person. It unnerved him and sometimes he wanted to bite or scratch at his hands just to feel anything. While he never actually did it, the unusual temptation cropped up in his mind numerous times over the last two years.

Lying there and wallowing in his own misery, Link felt this sadness grow deeper and deeper, and he had no idea why. Maybe it was the news he got from the Giant of the North. Maybe it was because of his earlier panic attack. Maybe it was because he was starting to feel like he’d never return to Hyrule. Or, perhaps, it was all three along with many more reasons.

All he wanted was to feel some sort of happiness again. Link barely remembered what it was like to actually feel some sort of joy and optimism by this point. Sure, he felt content or a general sense of relaxation at times, but that was it. What he called happiness…times like when he first met Navi, or the times Saria comforted or played with him when he was growing up…emotions like that didn’t exist in him anymore. They died out with the departure of who he desperately wanted to call his Guardian Fairy. That term was for the Kokiri, of course, but sometimes he liked to pretend…

It was worse because he couldn’t even cry, or rather he wouldn’t allow himself to. Link hadn’t yet shaken the idea that he had to hide his emotions away from anyone and everyone. Bottling up all the negative feelings left him exhausted and overwhelmed. A lot of the time, he barely felt present because of how mentally and emotionally drained he was! Worse yet was that he felt like his mask was starting to crack…it was becoming harder for him to hold things in place. Just that night he literally became sick because of how terrified he had felt when hearing that music! Since his first quest ended, he had never been strained so constantly and so severely and he had no idea how long he could keep it up…

Takin a deep breath, Link rolled over and closed his eyes, trying his best to make his mind go blank until he fell into an uneasy sleep…

The pair didn’t spend much time on the last day. After waking up and getting a bit of breakfast in them, Link played the Song of Time. They waited for the inn to open again and went in almost as soon as they heard Anju unlock the door. By the time Link opened the door, the innkeeper was back around the desk again.

Anju seemed a bit surprised, but still smiled and gave a small bow. “Oh? Were you waiting right outside the door? I hope it wasn’t for long.” She said with complete sincerity. “Welcome to the Stock Pot Inn! Do you have a reservation?”

For a moment, Link found himself almost frozen in place. It was odd…he had obviously looked at Anju before, realizing she was the counterpart to someone he met in Hyrule. He had even noticed the obvious stress and exhaustion she felt over Kafei. Yet he never looked at her in a strong comparison to the Cucco Lady from Kakariko Village. Really, she had been somewhat of a milestone in his first quest, if only a small one.

After leaving the Lost Woods, the first few interactions with people from the outside world had been unpleasant one way or another for Link. Kaepora Gaebora was startling to him and also a bit mean, he was initially scared of the first guard he saw, the crowds of the marketplace unnerved him, an odd woman tried to take him to an orphanage, Malon teased him and made him feel flustered, he barely really interacted with Talon, his encounter with Zelda and Impa were very stressful, he felt awful for the homeless man, and the second guard he talked to happened while he was injured and terrified.

It wasn’t until he spoke to the Cucco Lady did he have a truly nice encounter. He did a favor for her, and in turn she helped him find the potion shop and even gave him the first piece of chocolate he ever got to taste! The boy even remembered how she touched his shoulder and he felt oddly fuzzy inside, but he didn’t dislike the encounter either. She was just so…nice to him. Thinking back, it was practically like how Saria or Navi would treat him. The redheaded woman even had blue eyes like his childhood friend!

With all those memories flooding back to him, Link was momentarily stuck in place. Thinking of it, she was someone he had short, but very fond memories of. He wondered how the Cucco Lady was even doing. It wasn’t like the two interacted since Link finished his quest, the boy being far too scared to step foot in Kakariko Village.

It was at this moment that Link realized Anju was waiting for his answer. The boy hastily gave a nod. “Yes, I do. My name is Link.” He answered, walking up to the counter.

If Anju was bothered by Link’s unusual pause, she didn’t show it. Instead, she just looked into her guestbook and quickly found his name. “Ah, yes, here you are. You’ve got the Knife Chamber.” The redheaded woman reached under the desk and fetched the room’s key, handing it to the boy. “Do you want me to bring you meals?”

After a small pause, Link took the key and shook his head. “No thank you. We’ll be fine.” With that, he went up towards the Knife Chamber without giving the innkeeper a second glance.

“Hey, what about Kafei?” Tatl hissed in Link’s ear as they went up the stairs. “Didn’t you keep going on and on about him?!” To the fairy’s frustration, her companion didn’t answer her. After they went inside the Knife Chamber, she tried again. “Hey! What are you doing?! Are you going to ask her about Kafei or not?!”

Link didn’t want to ignore Tatl, he just had no idea how to really answer her question. Of course, telling the truth was out of the question as it usually was. Especially since he didn’t really know what the truth even was in this situation. As much as he kept insisting on trying to find Kafei and how they needed to talk to Anju…Link suddenly found himself getting cold feet. For what reason, he didn’t know. Maybe it was because he just realized how important the Cucco Lady really was? Maybe he just felt exhausted about the ordeal with the Bremen Mask? Truly, he had no idea. So, he quickly made something up. “I will today. I just want to rest first.” It seemed like no matter how much he slept, he was always exhausted…

Tatl wondered if he was still feeling sick. No one just pukes like he did ‘last’ night and just got over it, even if they had frustratingly stoic, brave faces like Link. At the very least, he clearly didn’t have a fever like before. Nodding in understanding, the fairy sat on her pillow. “Sure, as long as we get this over with today!” She had noticed that Link’s fatigue and exhaustion hung over him no matter what…not that it stopped him from doing some amazing feats. Still, he carried himself like every step was a struggle, and he had those awful, constant dark circles under his broken, unnerving eyes. No matter how much she saw them, at this point they always elicited a feeling of pity from her…

Nodding, Link shed his gear and boots before once more climbing into his usual bed. It helped that he really was exhausted, but he didn’t need sleep as desperately as he implied. He felt ridiculous, pushing off something he kept saying he’d do because he felt nervous. That’s just how things were with him, though. Sometimes he couldn’t stand to talk, or to talk to a certain person. It had gotten better as the two years went by, but it did rear its ugly head every so often…

For the next six hours or so, Link both napped and pretended to be asleep as he worked up the nerve to speak to Anju. He tossed and turned, drifting in and out of actual sleep as Tatl snoozed contently on her pillow. Once the time was a bit after two in the afternoon, the boy decided he had held things off long enough. He got out of bed and gathered his things, Tatl making some comment under her breath about the wait as the two went downstairs.

When the two reached the lobby, they saw there was someone already there. As it happened, Link witnessed this interaction once before when he entered the inn for the first time. He took a nap on the bench and vaguely recalled seeing someone in a red hat speaking with Anju. This time, he got a better look at the person and saw it was a man that he had met in Hyrule. Or, at least, his double.

It was the unusual man that had paid an unreasonable amount of Rupees for the Bunny Hood! He wore a similar outfit that he did in Hyrule, but now had a red bag and a hat of the same color perched on his head. In his hand was a letter that he was handing over to the innkeeper.

Anju took the letter, reading the words on its outside before her eyes widened in shock. “Ah! Wh…What is this, Mr. Postman?!” She asked, looking up to the man.

The Postman looked blankly at Anju before giving her a nod. “It is a letter. I am delivering it to you!” He said very matter-of-factly.

“I know! I mean…” The redheaded woman took a deep breath to compose herself. “Where did you get it?!”  Whatever was going on with the letter, it made Anju very desperate for more information, her hands trembling as she held the envelope.

“From a postbox.” The Postman answered in the same tone of voice. He didn’t seem entirely aware of just how important this seemed to be for Anju.

Once more, Anju was exasperated. “Yes, yes, I know! But which one? Please, you have to tell me!”

“From a postbox somewhere.” Was all the Postman said in response. “I must go now, and stick to my schedule!” Without waiting for Anju to reply, he turned and jogged out the door, not even offering the distraught woman a second glance.

Link felt awkward going in to talk to Anju after that, and stood by the staircase as she opened the envelope and read the letter inside. Clearly, this was something very emotional for her, and he wanted to give her a minute to recover.

“I wonder what that was about. That Postman guy is so dense…” Tatl whispered in Link’s ear, not wanting to be overheard. She felt the same way he did in regards to giving Anju a minute to collect herself.

After the innkeeper read and reread the letter, she sighed and placed it in her pocket. Once she did this, Link and Tatl waited a few extra moments, Anju not seeming to have noticed either of them. When the pause ended, the two approached the woman, Link speaking up. “Excuse me. I have to ask you something.” As he said this, he took Kafei's Mask out of his bag and showed it to Anju. “I’m looking for Kafei. He’s your fiancé, right?”

Anju’s eyes widened and her face went a bit pale. It was hard to tell if she realized that Link and Tatl witnessed that entire exchange with the Postman. “You’re looking for him too? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around before, but…” She paused, lightly chewing her bottom lip in thought. “…Could you meet me tonight? In the kitchen? I just got something that may help me, but I don’t want my mother walking in on us. And…I have to prepare something…”

That wasn’t the response Link was expecting, but he gladly went with it. The ‘something’ she got was obviously that letter she got. Was it from Kafei? “Okay, I can do that. What time should I be in there?”

Once more, the innkeeper paused in thought, apparently not having thought more than a step or two ahead as she came up with a plan on the spot. “How about…half past eleven tonight? That should work…”

Why that time specifically, Link had no idea. Rather than ask, he just accepted it. “Okay, that’s fine. We’ll meet you then.”

Anju let out a relieved sigh, as though a large weight was lifted from her shoulders. “Oh, thank you! You have no idea what this means to me! As I said, I don’t want my mother finding out. She’s…not very accepting of my faith in Kafei. Let’s just pretend we didn’t have this talk until tonight, okay?”

Link didn’t understand these sorts of things at all. Why would Anju’s mother not want her daughter to get married to someone she clearly cared about? He had little knowledge of just what marriage really meant outside of the basics, but…it just seemed odd to him to have an attitude like that. “We’ll keep quiet about it.” He promised.

“Good, now let’s get some lunch! I’m hungry!” Tatl exclaimed, pushing at Link’s back towards the door despite knowing that, at her size, it’d do nothing. Still, the boy went forward and the two left the inn.

The rest of the day was spent not doing much at all. They had lunch, sat on a bench in East Clock Town for a while, and tried not to look up at the Moon. Tatl was annoyed that they couldn’t just go West now and had to wait until at least tomorrow thanks to their late rendezvous with Anju. Knowing it was useless to complain, she just bit her tongue.

As the day turned to night, the two had dinner in another restaurant and went up to bed before eventually going to sleep. At about ten, Link got up and let out a yawn. He really had to pee…! Getting up, and leaving his things behind, he yawned again as he went to the bathroom alone. When he entered, he stopped in his tracks. When he opened the door, he saw…a…hand reaching out of the toilet! It was groping blindly at the air, clearly looking for something.

What was stranger was that it talked!

“Puh…puh…paper! Please! I need some paper!” A man’s voice bemoaned from…somewhere. It kept groping at the open air, it not being entirely clear if the hand was fully aware of Link’s presence.

Staring at the baffling sight…Link closed the bathroom door. He went outside, found a corner of a building where no one could see him and went against that before returning to bed and pretending he didn’t just witness that freakish sight…

Tatl awoke at a little before the meeting time and woke Link up. They went down to the kitchen of the Stock Pot Inn. It was their first time going in there, and it seemed pleasant enough. A counter and a stone oven for cooking, pots, barrels, and boxes that assuredly had various ingredients. Oddly, there was water in the corner, with fish and certain plants in it. Apparently for fresh ingredients?

Looking at the clock in the room, Tatl huffed. “She’s not here…! And it’s when she said to meet!” The fairy complained, letting out a loud yawn.

“Maybe she’s still asleep.” Link suggested, leaning against the counter, and resting his cheek on his hand. “We’ll wait.” At that, Tatl huffed again, but he ignored her.

The two had to wait another fifteen minutes or so before soft footfalls started to approach. To little surprise, Anju soon rounded the corner and entered the kitchen. She was dressed in her usual attire, and also had an envelope in her hands. “I apologize for being late…I’m still very grateful that you, and I’m sorry for having you meet me here at night.”

“Yeah, yeah. So, what do you want us to do, then?” Tatl spoke up, too tired and cranky to hold back on her rudeness.

Anju just took the mild verbal abuse, sighing and closing her eyes for a moment before opening them again. “I received a letter today…and I know it was from Kafei! It’s odd being contacted by a missing person…but I know it was him! So, please, I want you to mail this!” She held the letter out to Link, who slowly took it. “This is part of why I needed us to wait to talk. I had to put my thoughts together before I could put them on paper…”

“Wait, that’s it? Why can’t you just do this?” The fairy asked, baffled at how simple this request was. “You can mail it yourself, right?”

The innkeeper grabbed at her skirt, so clearly anxious, especially to Link. When his head was swimming with worries and his emotions ran high, he felt he had to just grab and twist at something, and his clothes were always the target of such urges. Anju cleared her throat and shook her head. “I-It’s not just that! I want you to watch the Postman take the letter…and follow him to where he drops it off. I just…I just can’t do it myself! I’m so nervous and…I-I’m scared! I don’t know why Kafei is gone, but still reaching out!” The poor woman’s voice kept cracking, and it sounded like she was about to burst out crying.

Pitying the adult before him, Link gave a quick nod. “I’ll do it, don’t worry. I’ll find out where Kafei is.” The boy promised, knowing all to well about feeling scared to do relatively simple things.

Letting go of her skirt, a relieved smile spread across Anju’s face. “Oh, thank you! This means so much to me! I don’t know how I can repay you!”

“You don’t need to repay me.” Link insisted. “I’ll go mail this now if you want.” He was sure that would make Anju happy…

Nodding, the redheaded women let out a sigh of content. “Yes, that would be wonderful, thank you! I am so, so grateful for this…”

At that, she took a seat on one of the boxes in the kitchen, trying to calm herself down further as Link and Tatl left the inn. Once they were outside, the boy looked up at his companion as she floated above his head. “How do we mail this letter?” He asked her bluntly.

“What, you don’t know anything about mail?” Tatl asked, sighing in annoyance. Couldn’t read, couldn’t mail letters…! She pointed out a box at a corner next to a building, a red little roof on it. “Those are mail boxes. Just drop the letter in the slot, and that’s it!”

That seemed simple enough. Link walked over and did just that, sliding the envelope into the box. “When does the Postman come to collect?”

Tatl huffed. “Well, he follows that weird schedule of his to the second. Always has!” She didn’t know the personal lives of many of Clock Town’s residents, but everyone that resided in it or visited often knew about that oddball’s strict schedule! “He’ll leave to get letters at exactly nine in the morning, and he gets back at his office at noon.” She explained, having seen the man run this route more times than she cared to count.

That was very, very odd to Link. Never before did he have to follow much of a schedule. Things were pretty relaxed in the Lost Woods where, even with chores, the children were able to sleep in pretty much as late as they wanted. As long as their activities were done by nightfall, no one really cared when things got finished. Then for two years in the castle, Link mostly did things when he wanted or when his trauma allowed him. “So, we’ll wake up at nine and wait, then.”

“Wait.” Tatl said before Link could move back to the inn. “I don’t think we should…” She knew changing Link’s mind on pretty much anything was hard to do, but she still wanted to try for this specifically…

“Why not? We need to see where the letter goes.” Link argued. They had just started to make some actual progress and now Tatl wanted to stop? “We can solve this tomorrow, right?”

“That’s just it. Kafei is fine. He sent a letter to Anju, so it’s not like he’s in any danger.” The fairy pointed out. “Maybe, for some reason, he doesn’t want to be found.” If he could just waltz back into Anju’s life whenever he wanted…then why didn’t he? “Is he really lost if he’s fine like this? If he’s gone on purpose, there’s gotta be a reason.”

Link found that made a bit of sense. He wasn’t going to pretend he was an expert on this subject, and Tatl’s logic was sound. It’s not like he could just drag Kafei back to the inn if he didn’t want to. “Shouldn’t we find out why he left or where he is?” It just felt…wrong to stop midway like this…

“It’s not really any of our business! If Kafei doesn’t want to be found and is safe, it’s not our concern! I feel bad for Anju, but we have more pressing matters! Look, he’s somewhere in Clock Town and we know he’s okay…so if we stop the Moon, he’ll  be fine. It’s not like he needs saving!” Tatl insisted. She really did feel pity for Anju, despite her earlier attitude, but the two couldn’t stop and help every sad face they came across!

The boy pondered this, Tatl’s logic being a bit cold but still making sense. That didn’t make the bad feeling in his gut go away, however. “I still don’t feel right. I want to help Anju.”

Tatl sighed, trying not to get mad. “What is your obsession with helping people anyway?” She asked, keeping her tone neutral. It really did seem like he had some sort of complex with it! Honestly, it surprised her that he didn’t get that stray dog by the Clock Tower a new home or something.

“Why don’t you want me helping anyone?” Link asked back, starting to get annoyed with Tatl on this subject. It seemed any time he wanted to extend a hand of aid to someone, she gave him a hard time! “Helping people is the right thing to do. Why do I need another reason?” It wasn’t…entirely so simple, despite his words. There was one, more selfish reason why he wanted to save those in Termina, the fact that it was the right thing was just one of the two reasons…

“It’s not that! It’s just…we have more important things to do! You can’t help everyone, you know!” Tatl found it frustrating that Link didn’t seem to understand all his hard work got undone anyway. Say they found Kafei and dragged him back to the inn…then what? When they went back in time, the situation would simply start all over. At least with freeing the Giants, they could get the Moon stopped and end the Cycles entirely!

“I know that. It doesn’t mean I can’t do what I’m able.” Link wasn’t ever able to shake the guilt knowing bad things were happening all across Termina that he could stop. The poisoned swamp, the freezing mountains, and then the smaller things like the mugged old woman or the situation with Anju and Kafei. He was almost constantly thinking about all of them…

“Look, this isn’t getting us anywhere. Let’s just…go to sleep and head West in the morning. We’ve stayed in town too long! Who knows what’s going on with the Zoras?” They could argue about this one subject all night, so might as well just cut it short…

Once more, Link knew Tatl was right. They had taken a long break since breaking the curse up North. Even with the bad news they got from the second Giant, they had to press on. “…Fine. But we’ll come back to Anju and Kafei.” Despite agreeing with Tatl’s points, he just had to see it through properly…

That was the best that Tatl felt she was going to get, she felt, so she didn’t push her luck. “Fine, alright. Let’s get some sleep then, okay?” Getting up in the middle of the night so many times was really getting to her!

Without a further word, the two went back to their room and went to sleep. As the rain on the window and roof of the inn awoke them, and decided it was best to start a new Cycle to get as much progress out of the new area as possible. It worked for Link, who didn't wan to risk walking by Anju after he went back on what he said he'd do.

In the early morning of the earliest day, the two went to West Clock Town, stopping by the gate. “What do you think is wrong with the West?” Link asked Tatl, aware that she had no way of knowing what was going on there.

“Well, you remember what Tael said. Swamp. Mountain. Ocean. Canyon. You haven’t thought about what could be going on in places like that? Obviously since the Zoras are West, so is the ocean. I just hope it isn’t dried out or something…” Tatl murmured.

The ocean…Link recalled seeing that disturbing expanse of blue in books at the castle. It was a sight he never wished to see in person. As horrible as it was, a part of him kind of wished that endless water was all dried up, just so he wouldn’t have to see it…

Preparing himself for the horrors in the third compass direction, Link flashed his sword to the guard as he and Tatl went West.

Chapter Text

Compared to the South and the North, the West seemed far less dangerous at first glance. The South made way to a crowded forest where anything could lurk, eventually leading to the swamp. The North was taken up snowy mountains that reached up to the heavens. Off to the West, however…was just sand. It wasn’t like the desert sands that the Gerudo were familiar with, no. There were no dunes, no harsh winds that made the sand whip at your skin and get in your eyes. It was simply flat sand stretching out until it reached a rocky passageway, a turn in said path obscuring what lied further in.

Link could see everything in the sand as he walked by the decorative fountains on either side of him, the area just outside of Clock Town remarkably stunning compared to the other two directions he had traversed. He saw no monsters ahead or any signs of danger. In fact, the only obstacle that was present was a metal fence that lay before the rocky pathway.

The boy paused at the top of the ramp going down to the sand, looking up at Tatl. “Are there monsters beneath the sand?” He remembered the Leevers and Moldugas from the Gerudo Desert. As far as he knew, any sand could contain them.

“What? There’s nothing in the sand.” Tatl replied, not able to fully blame Link for assuming so. With monsters seemingly around every corner during their quest, it was a fair question. “Leevers can sometimes be closer to the water, but never this far out.”

That took Link by surprised, finding it far too easy, but he knew Tatl wouldn’t lie. Slowly, he moved down to the sand and started walking towards the fence. Despite the fairy’s words, he kept expecting something to pop out of the sand at any moment, his sword at the ready. Despite the lack of danger, the walk wasn’t pleasant, Link’s limbs feeling heavy, the boy weighed down by his own thoughts and feelings.

He started to feel especially miserable in the last few Cycles, a heavy depression hitting him from what was surely the building stress from this entire quest. It was a sensation he was familiar with, his bones like metal as every moment felt like a chore. In all honesty, he’d rather go back to being numb than to feel so horrid. It didn’t help that he was getting closer to the ocean, something that he felt terrified of just seeing pictures of it in books. The vast blue that stretched to the horizon just…unnerved him.

Things came to a halt as they reached the fence, the two of them looking over and realizing something. “How do I open this?” The boy asked, once more looking up at Tatl. Indeed, there was no handle or switch or anything to open it up at all. The structure was tall, at least a good head taller than even his Goron form with the top of the fence being extremely sharp. On top of that, sand and moisture from the air coated the metal of the fence, making a grip hard to keep.

“I…have no idea.” Tatl admitted, scratching her head in thought. “I’ve never seen this fence before!” The Great Bay area was the only area outside of Clock Town she, Tael, and the Skull Kid went to multiple times. It was a lovely beach area, after all. “You can’t climb over it? Not even as a Goron?”

“I may be able to, but one wrong move and I’ll die.” Link argued, placing a hand on the object before him in thought. If his sense of humor wasn’t so dried up, Link would have almost found it funny that their quest was halted by a simple fence.

Link could probably pull himself up, but one slip and he’d critically injure himself, or even get a fatal slash on the sharp points of the fence. The sand and moistness covering the metal certainly made a slip a possibility. As a Goron, that risk was still there as Link really didn’t know just how vulnerable the softer underbelly of the rocky creatures were. Perhaps strong enough to not get pierced, but he wasn’t about to take that risk, especially given he still wasn’t quite used to moving around gracefully in such a body. He wasn’t even sure if he had the strength to hoist himself up like that as a Goron with their heavy forms…

“…Wait a minute!” Tatl piped up suddenly, feeling absolutely brilliant. “There’s that ranch near here! Romani Ranch!” Tatl had been down Milk Road a few times over the years, but never ventured to the ranch or the racetrack. She just never felt interested in doing so.

Immediately, Link realized what Tatl was going for. “A horse would be able to jump this. Epona surely could have.” He let the mention of Malon’s horse slip our as he repressed a shudder, wondering what horrible fate befell her. The Skull Kid had been so vague about her fate that Link assumed she was dead.

“Right…Epona…” Tatl muttered uneasily. She felt like he wasn’t trying to guilt her, but she still felt awful all the same. “Um…But we should be able to borrow a horse from there and jump the fence.”

Nodding, Link turned from the fence and made his way to the South. “It’s our only option. Let’s get going.” A small part of him was almost relieved on putting their trip to the ocean on pause…

The trip was quiet, Link thinking of Epona while Tatl just remained silent. Milk Road’s entrance wasn’t far from the entrance to the swamps, and thankfully unaffected by the curse down South. It was a pleasant, simple road that had a path to the Gorman Brothers and their racetrack. The way straight forward lead to Romani Ranch…or it usually did. As the two entered Milk Road, they saw a massive boulder was in the way of the ranch’s entrance! Before it was one of the carpenters from Clock Town, Link remembering his alternate self from Hyrule.

“Hey!” Tatl exclaimed, floating over to the man. “What gives?! Why’s there this big rock in the way?!”

The worker stopped, wiping sweat off his brow as he looked at Link and Tatl. “Hey, sorry about that. No one knows why, but this boulder is blocking the way.” He explained. “Should have it cleared in about…three days.”

“Three days?! We don’t have that kind of time!” Tatl bemoaned, grunting in frustration as the worker shrugged and got back to work. “Gotta be something we can do…”

Link felt like that boulder had to be the Skull Kid’s doing. What other explanation was there? For a solution, though, he had an idea. When restocking on bombs, he noticed the shop had a Goron there selling what was called Powder Kegs. The Goron had explained it was much more powerful than a normal bomb, and he’d only sell it to other Gorons. “Come on, I know what to do.” The boy said to Tatl, heading back to Clock Town.

After a quick trip back to Clock Town, Link came back with a Powder Keg, rolling it in his body as a Goron. Back at the boulder, he quickly reduced the massive rock into pebbles after getting the worker out of the way. The explosion was far larger than expected, making Link’s entire frame shake even in his Goron form.

“Wow! You sure saved me a lot of work there! Thanks a lot, buddy!” The worker said to Goron Link as he peered from behind the corner where he had fled. “I’m sure the ranch owner will be thankful too. You should go talk to her, maybe she’ll give you some free milk or something!”

With that, the worker made his way back to Clock Town, and Link returned to being a Hylian. “How expensive would a horse be to borrow do you think?” Tatl asked, glad the solution to their problem was so simple. She almost brought up the idea of stealing one, but she held her tongue. Didn’t want to push any of Link’s buttons, especially about Epona…

The boy wasn’t worried about the price, of course. “We can sell the Moon’s Tear again if we need to. It shouldn’t be a problem.” Link replied as he walked over the rubble from the boulder and into the ranch proper.

To Link’s mild surprise, Romani Ranch was a lot larger than Lon Lon Ranch back in Hyrule. The slight hills present in the ranch made it so he couldn’t even see all of it at once. This was strange since the ranch back home was flat, and had a huge section just for the horses. He just assumed all ranches would look like Talon’s. While there was no section for horses, he did see a house and a barn, along with just a small area for some horses that quietly grazed on the grass. He looked up at the large sign at the ranch’s entrance, then from the sign to Tatl, staring at her expectantly. “It just welcomes us to the ranch and that there’s delicious milk. I guess it’s a dairy farm only. I don’t see any crops…” She remembered how nasty she was to Link when he first told her he couldn’t read. That felt like such a lifetime ago…

“Nothing about borrowing horses?” He turned back to the sign, which looked like complete gibberish to him.

“Afraid not. We’ll just have to ask the owner. She has to be here somewhere. After all, that boulder was keeping everything in.” Tatl responded, slowly flying ahead.

Nodding, Link followed as they made their way further into the ranch. He stopped dead in his tracks when there was the sound of a horse whinnying further ahead. It was…familiar. Unmistakable even. “It can’t be…” Link murmured, sprinting towards the noise.

“Huh? What? What’s going on!?” Tatl asked, quickly dashing after her partner. “Link, did you see something?!”

Going above the subtle hill, Link saw the source of the sound: a horse. Not just any horse either, a young, red filly held within a smell pen attached to the ranch’s house. “Epona…” Link gasped out, running as fast as his legs could carry him until he reached the fence. “Epona, it’s me. It’s Link. How did you get here?” He uselessly asked the animal, feeling as if this had to be a dream of some kind. The horse let out a light neighing as she nuzzled Link’s hand as he reached through the fence to her.

“No way…” Tatl murmured as she caught up. “Your horse was really here the whole time?” She felt a huge weight lift from her chest as she saw the animal. The fairy never admitted it out loud, but she had felt horrible about Epona’s disappearance and possible death. At least, when she warmed up to Link, that was. She never knew what it was that the Skull Kid did to Epona, the imp disposing of her while off ahead of Tatl and Tael. So he just transported her here? But why?

“She’s really here…” Link whispered, gently rubbing Epona’s face as she snorted gently. “She was safe and sound the entire time…” A huge weight lifted from his shoulders, knowing he could get Epona to Malon safe and sound. He was never able to think of a way to explain the filly’s disappearance in a way that seemed acceptable…

“Great! I’m glad we found your horse!” Tatl said sincerely. After all the horrid things Link had to go through, a bit of good news was something he really deserved. “Hey, it also means we don’t have to pay!”

Link was too mesmerized by the situation to really hear Tatl’s words. The boy truly loved Epona despite her not really being his horse, and she doubled as a treasured gift from a treasured person. Knowing she was cared for on this ranch was the biggest feeling of relief he had gotten since he learned the Song of Healing and broke the Skull Kid’s curse on him.

“You like that horse, huh? She’s brand new!” A familiar voice rang out, snapping Link out of his thoughts and startling both him and Tatl. For Link especially, the words filled his veins with ice. It was unmistakable who it sounded like, but surely it couldn’t be…surely fate wouldn’t be so cruel to the poor boy. He and the fairy turned to see a young girl giving the duo a warm smile, hands laced behind her back. “Isn’t she pretty?” She prodded, bouncing on her heels idly.

Instead of answering, Link simply stared on in shock at the girl before him. He could deny it, but that would be foolish. The age, twelve year-old just like him, the shining blue eyes, the sweet smile, the orange hair that was even the same lengths as…as hers. As Malon’s. No matter which way Link looked at it, the rancher girl looked exactly the same as Malon down to the same outfit. Her voice was the same as well, not even the slightest bit different.

In retrospect, Link shouldn’t have been too surprised. He had met so many copies of people he knew, but this was a different matter entirely! After all, no one particularly close to Link had any of these copies in Termina Not that he met, at least.. Sure, they were people he had helped out or were related to his friends such as King Zora, now known as Toto, but none of his close friends had copies here. No one like Zelda, Saria, Darunia, Ruto, or though not exactly his friends, he hadn’t met any Kokiri lookalikes either. In a way, this was more shocking than the first time he saw one of the copies in Clock Town. Having to see someone that looked like someone so important to Link…it felt as though the world of Termina was mocking him, reminding Link of what he no longer had and may never get to have again if he didn’t stop the Moon.

Noticing that Link was, for reasons mysterious to Tatl, not talking, it was up to her to reply. “Yeah, she sure is.” She replied, floating down to the girl’s eye-level. “Say, how did you get this horse anyway?”

“Ooh, a fairy!” The young girl said, apparently having only just noticed Tatl. “Well, Ms. Fairy, it was the weirdest thing! This horse here just wandered onto our ranch yesterday, just before this big boulder fell onto the road!” The girl explained, slamming her fist into her open palm for emphasis. “We didn’t really know how she’d handle the other horses, so we put her in that pen for now.”

Tatl looked back at Link, noting his wide eyes and unblinking gaze. Eyes aside, he still managed to keep that mask of stoicism on his face despite all the thoughts going through his mind. Without an expression to really read, she came to her own, incorrect conclusions. Link thought the girl was cute! That had to be it! Surely even someone like Link could be flustered by something like this, right? The two of them encountered surprisingly few children about Clock Town. For the most part, the Bombers were the only ones. It seemed a lot of others with children evacuated, or perhaps shut themselves indoors as if that would keep them safe from the Moon. By and large, this was the first kid Link’s age he had any real contact with since entering Termina.

A mischievous smile on her face, Tatl flew behind Link. Floating back a bit, she charged forward with just enough force to get Link to take an awkward step forward. “Go on, talk to her!” She urged. “About the horse!” Though being impish, the fairy sincerely thought she was doing the boy a favor.

The slight shove jolted Link out of his trance. The girl didn’t seem at all put off by his zoning out or wide-eyed look. She simply smiled at him, still bouncing on her heels. The boy tried to say something, but felt the words dying in his throat as the cruel joke of fate before him seemed to be waiting for him to do something.

It seemed, however, that the girl’s patience wore out. “Say, who are you anyway?” She asked, not unkindly. “I’m Romani, I was given the same name as the ranch.” Romani tilted her head to the side a bit in curiosity. “What’s your name?”

Finally, Link finally managed to find his voice. Though his heart hammered hard against his ribcage and he felt sick to his stomach, he kept his face and voice nice and leveled. “Link. I’m Link. The fairy is Tatl.”

“Link?” The girl rhetorically asked back. She looked the boy over, humming quietly to herself. “That’s a nice name, but…how about…Grasshopper? That’s the name Romani gives you.” She beamed at Link as if she had done him a favor. “See, you're wearing green clothes, and you look a little jumpy, so Grasshopper it is!”

Goddesses, she even came up with nicknames as well. The Malon waiting for Link back home didn’t opt to give him one, but he still remembered her calling him Fairy Boy back in the other timeline. “Okay.” Link didn’t really know what else to say.

“You’re not from around here, are you?” Romani asked, once more unintentionally mirroring Malon. “Your clothes are strange…are you from Clock Town?” To that, Link simply shook his head. “Oooh…This is my first time meeting a foreigner.” She then gazed intently at Link’s face, as if studying it. After a moment, she seemed to reach a conclusion. “You’re cute!”

From behind Link, Tatl tittered shamelessly. The boy ignored the fairy and tried not to go red in the face. “Listen, Romani.” He said, gesturing to Epona. “This my horse, Epona. I lost her yesterday and need her back.”

“Oh? Really?” Romani asked, shock apparent on her face. “My sister thought it was weird that a young horse like her was all alone!” The girl put a grin back on. “Don’t worry, Romani will go get the key!” With that, she dashed into the house, closing the door behind her.

Link let out a breath he wasn’t even aware he was holding in. He felt so pathetic for letting something like this get to him. She looked, sounded, and even kind of acted like Malon, but this girl shouldn’t be getting to him so bad! At least, that’s how Link felt. It also seemed as though he was being taunted and mocked for something he desperately missed, a person he wanted to see again so badly. Now here she was in all but name and memories, a total stranger to Link.

“Well, she sure is trusting.” Tatl mused, flying over onto Link’s shoulder. “Just believed you right away…” She looked over and grinned at the boy. “That girl sure does seem to like you, though!” The fairy teased, tittering again.

Ignoring Tatl’s words, Link took some deep breaths to keep himself calm. “Now we know Epona is safe. Now we can get to the ocean. That’s all that matters.”

Tatl was about to tell Link off for being no fun, but Romani came back out at that moment. “Got the key!” She announced, a small and scruffy dog following at her heels as she held the tiny, rusty object in the air. The pup went over and sniffed at Link’s boots, tail nearly a blur as it wagged. Romani, meanwhile, went over to the small pen and unlocked the gate before opening it. “There we go!”

Epona instantly went over to Link, nuzzling at the boy as he hugged the animal and buried his face in her neck. Tatl couldn’t help but feel warmhearted at the sight, and a bit surprised. She had never seen Link act like this before! “You really like that horse, don’t you?”

Link leaned back, rubbing Epona’s face as he looked her in the eye. “Of course I do.” He tried to ignore how Romani also had a dog just like the one Malon had. That was so great a coincidence that it reinforced his idea that Termina itself wanted to torment him.

“Glad we could keep your horse safe for you!” Romani said, beaming at the pair. Suddenly, she let out a small gasp of realization. “Wait, if you’re here…that means the boulder is gone, right?”

Not looking away from Epona, it seemed Link didn’t want to answer her. Even looking at her felt difficult for him. Thinking the boy was just shy, Tatl piped up. “That’s right. We got rid of it. How else would we get in here?”

“That’s true!” Romani agreed, not seeming to mind the fairy’s slight attitude. “Well, if you got rid of it, my sister will probably reward you! Wait here!” Before anyone could argue, Romani dashed off past the barn and somewhere out of sight, her dog following behind.

“We should go.” Link said, ready to get on his horse. The sooner he was far away from this place, the better.

“What? Why?” Tatl asked, getting between Link and Epona. “What if the sister gives us something helpful?”

“I can return for it later.” Link argued, tempted to look over his shoulder and see if Romani was coming back.

“What’s your deal? I know we have to get to the Great Bay, that’s what the place to the West is called, but it’s still the first day! We have a lot of time!” Tatl was perplexed as to what Link’s problem was. He wasn’t usually in this kind of rush. Not so much of one that he couldn’t wait five minutes to get a potentially helpful prize.

Before Link could reply, Romani’s voice cut through the air. “There they are! See, look how calm the new horse is! She must belong to him!”

Once more, the duo turned to the sound of the rancher girl’s voice. And once more, Link felt his entire body go cold at what he saw. Romani was still a sight that made him feel sick to his stomach, but it was her sister that made him feel like he’d actually be physically ill. As it turned out, Romani’s sister was a perfect copy of Malon when she was seventeen. The same blue eyes, and just as Malon’s had been, these eyes no longer held the shine of innocence, but still had a kindness to them. Same hairstyle, same color, same length, same clothing. The temptation to whip out his Ocarina and reset the clock flashed across the boy’s scrambled brain, but he was too stunned to move.

The older girl looked Link and Tatl over a bit as she and her sister approached, the dog having run off somewhere. She had apparently seen a few fairies in her life, as the ranch owner didn’t seem surprised at Tatl. With Link himself, he noted that she frowned a bit. The sister clearly saw something in Link that Romani had missed. A somewhat pale complexion, the dark circles underneath a pair of dull, broken blue eyes. The more experienced sibling could obviously tell at a glance that something was wrong with the boy Romani called Grasshopper. Whatever else she may have thought, she apparently pushed aside as she put a smile back on as the duo got close.

“It looks like you’re right, Romani. That horse is probably his.” The older girl declared, placing a hand on her younger sister’s head. “My name is Cremia, and I own the ranch. Romani here tells me your name is Grasshopper, but I somehow doubt that’s true.”

Link didn’t respond. In fact, he found he couldn’t as the words got caught in his throat. Not one, but two copies of someone he cared deeply about were standing before him. Two reminders of something he may never get back if he couldn’t escape Termina. The boy couldn’t help but feel as if he was being punished for something, though what in particular he couldn’t work out. He hated this ranch, he hated what seeing two copies of Malon could do to him! His mask felt like it was going to just shatter at any moment…!

Tatl looked between Link and the siblings and let out a small sigh. She had to come to the rescue again, it seemed. As it turned out, from the fairy’s perspective, Link was simply powerless before two cute girls. “He’s Link. I’m Tatl.” She explained. “We busted that boulder looking to get a horse, but we found the one that got lost instead.”

Not seeming to mind that Tatl was speaking on Link’s behalf, Cremia nodded. “I see! I thought I heard a loud noise earlier. Thank you so much, you two! Now we can make deliveries again!” She offered the duo a warm smile as she gave a breath of relief. “How about you two stay for lunch? As a reward for helping us, of course.”

That snapped Link out of his silence. Before Tatl could reply, he shook his head. “No. We can’t. We’re in a hurry.” They couldn’t linger, he just knew he couldn’t handle it if they did!

“Aw, no fun, Grasshopper!” Romani whined, pouting a bit. With a shiver, Link noticed that she even pouted the same as Malon. “Stay for a bit!”

“Now, now, Romani.” Cremia gently chided, patting her sister on the head. “If he’s in a hurry, he’s in a hurry.” She looked between the boy and his fairy companion. “You’re welcome to the ranch at any time, either way. Before you go, please let me get some milk for you at least. On the house!”

Feeling a bit of relief, Link nodded. “That’s good. Thank you.” He felt bad for what he was about to do, but he couldn’t help himself…

“Alright!” Cremia chirped. “You wait right there; I’ll be right back.” The ranch owner went off into the barn, leaving the children alone.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Link hopped onto Epona before anyone could say anything more. The boy urged the horse forward, galloping past Romani as she whipped her head towards the retreating visitor with shock. “Grasshopper?! Hey, Grasshopper, wait!” She called out.

Link paid the girl no mind as Epona ran onward, quickly leaving the ranch behind. Tatl, followed Link and Epona, quickly landing on Link’s shoulder. “Hey! What’s the big idea?! What are you doing?!”

At first, Link didn’t respond. It was only after they had left Milk Road entirely that he had Epona slow down to a trot, directing her towards the West. “No time to wait.” He replied simply. “We have to keep moving.”

“We couldn’t have waited for a minute?” Tatl asked incredulously. She hovered in front of Link, shooting a glare at the boy…not that he could see it with the light she gave off. “There’s something you’re not telling me. Spill the beans!” Of course, there was always something he wasn’t telling her…

“I said we were in a hurry.” Link insisted, urging Epona to go a bit faster, though not quite a full gallop. “We pushed back our trip to the Great Bay long enough, remember?”

Tatl huffed, feeling like Link was just being difficult on purpose. “I mean yeah, but this isn’t like you!” She insisted, flying by the boy and crossing her arms at him.

“You don’t know what I’m like.” He replied without even thinking. It was true, though! Tatl didn’t know him, not to the extent he thought she should to know what is or isn’t like him. And he wanted to keep it that way!

“And whose fault is that?!” Tatl snapped, really trying to keep her temper under control. She wanted to be nicer to Link, but sometimes he just made it so difficult! Were they really going to have another fight? She just exploded at him so recently, but he kept getting under her skin!

Link didn’t reply to that, just urging Epona onward as he tried to keep himself together. “Come on, Epona…” He murmured, trying to keep his mask intact. Moment by moment he felt himself closer to falling apart. It was a sensation he couldn’t really explain, just a feeling that he was going to come undone at any moment. This forced trip into Termina was testing his mask in a way he hadn’t experienced in so long. It was so constant, too, it never felt like he had a moment’s rest, even during the Break Cycles…

Tatl sighed, following Link as she watched him interact with Epona. As they rode on, she noticed he kept patting at the filly, rubbing her neck or even murmuring supportive words into the animal’s ear. The fairy never thought she’d see Link so…caring towards something. It really showed he wasn’t just an emotionless, empty husk like he seemed at times. Granted, his face was still in that stoic mask, and his voice was devoid of actual feeling, but she knew there had to be love behind his actions.

The trip was uneventful, the closest thing to an issue was Epona being a bit nervous as they approached the sand, the young horse never walking on such a surface. But Link soothed her with a few pats and a whisper in her ear, and the filly slowly walked towards the fence. Even perched on Epona, the fence still seemed pretty tall compared to Link…

“You sure she can do this? She’s pretty young…” Tatl wondered if they shouldn’t have still rented a horse or something. “Has she ever jumped something like this before?”

“I know she can do it.” Link insisted, despite never having seen Epona leap a fence as tall as the one before them. During some of his trips to Lon Lon Ranch, Epona did do some exercises hopping fences, both with Link and Malon riding the filly. Still, the structure blocking the Great Bay was a bit taller. Still, Link had faith in the horse, confident in her abilities. After all, while she did so as an adult, Epona did clear that massive gap to Gerudo Valley…

Tatl winced, but said nothing as she watched Link back Epona off a good distance to give her room to speed up. Thankfully, the sand was packed in enough that running on it wasn’t an issue. Taking a breath, the boy urged Epona to a sprint, the filly quickly reaching the gate and leaping as hard as she could! Surprisingly to the fairy, she made the jump cleanly, landing on the other side without issue! Flying over the fence, Tatl looked Link and Epona over, as if making sure she just saw that happen and they were okay. “Well, you sure proved me wrong…” She commented, not unkindly. “I guess you should leave her here, though. Who knows what the Great Bay is like?

Link…hadn’t thought of that. What would he do with Epona? Leave her there like Tatl suggested seemed best. Termina Field had Dodongos at the very least, so who knew what else lurked? If she stayed on the sand she’d probably be fine, but what if she wandered off? What would she do for food or water? For all he knew, he’d stay there for the whole rest of the Cycle maybe! Link was aware she’d just go back to Romani Ranch the next time he played the Song of Time, but the guilt of something happening to her would still weigh down on him.

After a moment, Link hopped off of Epona, gently holding her head so she was looking at him. “Go back to the ranch, okay? Go there as fast as you can…” He gently instructed her…but Epona didn’t obey. Instead, the filly sputtered and lightly headbutted Link in the chest, not even enough to push him back. The message was clear, at least to the Hylian. She wasn’t about to go after the two had just been reunited.

It was a sweet gesture, but Link couldn’t risk Epona’s safety! She had nothing to eat or drink if stayed, and there could be monsters up ahead, so she had to go back to the ranch! The boy recalled how Ingo would get unruly horses to listen and move forward if they weren’t listening. A stab of guilt hitting his heart, Link reeled his hand back and slapped Epona on the flank.

This startled Epona, causing her to run at the fence and leap over it, though the second she landed, she turned back at Link. He wanted to think she understood why he had to do that, and he tried to tell himself she’d forget it once the Song of Time was next played. After a moment of hesitation, Epona whinnied and turned around, running in the direction of Milk Road! The boy and fairy then watched as Epona sprinted to the South, but she eventually went out of sight. Link just hoped she really did go back to the ranch…while he felt horribly uncomfortable there, maybe Epona could find some joy in Malon’s copy. Could the filly even tell the difference…?

At first, Tatl wanted to question why Link kept talking to Epona like a person. It was so strange to see him do something so childish. Though she supposed lots of people talked to their pets or companions like they can understand. It was still odd to see him do it at least. Though she seemed to react to him instructing her to leave so…maybe she did understand a bit? Either way, the fairy understood why he did it. Leaving Epona on sand with no food or water was a dumb idea in hindsight…

“Well, that’s taken care of. Let’s see how bad the Great Bay is, then.” Tatl lightly urged, already starting to feel the familiar sickening feeling of cursed magic in the air.

Link hadn’t felt it yet, being less sensitive to such energies as a fairy. Granted, he still felt sick for different reasons. Romani and Cremia kept lingering in his mind, no matter how much he didn’t want them to. On top of that, he was terrified of seeing the ocean for the first time, once more recalling how he saw the mass of water in books back at Hyrule Castle and how unnerved they made him feel. Without a word, he walked onward, his companion fluttering by his ear.

The walk to the Great Bay was pretty short, as well as of course being devoid of danger unlike the trips South or North. Despite his fear of the ocean, Link at least appreciated how much easier going through the West was so far. He noted the air smelled like salt, the new sensation almost intense for the boy. It was something he expected, though, as Zelda once told him about how tiny amounts of salt from the ocean’s water sprayed into the air. She had also warned him about drinking salt water and how dangerous it was. Not that he desired to even touch it…

As Link pondered these things, the two arrived at the beach.

By that point, the cursed energy started to weigh down on Link, but he paid it little mind as he looked at the area before him. The scenery was lovely, a gorgeous beach with the calm ocean waves gently easing onto the shore. There were palm trees and boats tied to wooden stakes, belonging to those who lived in the modest homes by the cliffside. Despite these signs of civilization, however, there were no people that the two could see. Off into the water was an odd platform with a building that had a giant hook on its roof. Farther out, large rocks peaked out of the water, and even further still was…something that was hard to make out. It seemed to be a large structure of sorts, but it was so far away and there was what seemed to be a wall of water around it, making it all but impossible to make it out properly.

Even with all these sights, it was the water that Link stared at while he did his best to remain calm. The pictures he saw back in the castle did little to prepare him for the sight. It was as vast as in the books, yes, going all the way to the horizon. That alone made Link nervous, never having seen so far ahead like that, not even in Hyrule Field. Somehow such a sight just…unnerved him. Then there was the way it moved. It wasn’t like a flowing river or how Lake Hylia would sometimes ripple with the wind. No, the ocean moved at a constant rate, as if it the impossibly huge watery mass were a living creature. This wasn’t helped by the waves on the shore, the watery hands acting as though they wanted to grab at Link’s ankle and drag him into the depths.

Once more he recalled how Saria taught him that larger bodies of water held larger fish. Small ponds held tiny fish while lakes had bigger fish and so on. If that were the case, what sort of monstrosities dwelled beneath the waves of the ocean? Even Lord Jabu-Jabu didn’t have this much water to swim around in, and he was one of the largest beings Link ever laid eyes on! It terrified him to think that there were probably monsters many times larger than the Zora deity lurking in the water right in front of him.

As Link stared at the ocean, his legs nearly shaking from fear, he realized just how hot it was. It wasn’t like how Summer days or the Gerudo Desert were hot. It was a gross, murky heat that made Link’s skin almost feel slimy. In his mind, a lot of sand meant heat, his experience from the desert in Hyrule giving him that logical connection. Still, he turned to Tatl and felt he had to ask about it. “Is it always this hot? It’s sticky here. How normal is this?” After all, she’d know more than him.

Tatl had noticed the heat a lot faster, not distracted by fears of the ocean. “No, it’s definitely weird. It’s usually warm, but this is something else. No people here either, so something aside from that cursed energy is here. The water’s all gross and murky too, like it’s poisoned…” Ocean water, at least in the Great Bay, was not meant to look like that! Were the fish okay? Maybe they weren’t, and that’s why the people left? She at least assumed that they had gone elsewhere rather than just being cooped up inside. As the fairy pondered, she noticed some seagulls gathering around something in the water, so that had to mean that…wait. “Hold on…what are those seagulls doing?” She asked, starting to float closer, Link hesitantly following.

“They’re going after fish, right?” He asked, recalling how he had seen birds swooping at Lake Hylia to nab fish out of the water. It was a location he had actually visited a few times, mostly with Malon. The Water Temple was there, yes, but compared to most places in Hyrule, it wasn’t nearly so bad…

“Yeah, but there’s something strange about this. I think I see something!” Tatl insisted, quickly reaching the shore. Her eyes widened as she managed to make out what that odd something was. “A Zora! There’s an injured Zora being attacked by the seagulls!” She yelled out, supposing that Zoras were sort of fish, so the birds pecking at one wasn’t too unusual.

Link wasn’t willing to go to the shore, eyeing the waves that gently made its way to the sand. He swore that each time he saw the water crash, the grabbing hands of the ocean extended farther and farther! His attention snapped to the seagulls, or rather their target, when Tatl mentioned a Zora. Squinting, he saw there was actually a Zora floating there! An adult male Zora floated at the ocean’s surface, barely moving. Clearly he was injured or sick and couldn’t just swim away! “But how did that happen to him? Is the water that dangerous?” Zora could swim pretty fast, after all. Ruto had demonstrated once at Lake Hylia, moving about the water at incredible speeds!

“I mean, a bit, but nothing that should catch a Zora! Come on, go and save him already!” Tatl urged, actually shocked that Link’s first instinct wasn’t to dive into the water. He could swim…right?

Yes, Link could swim. That wasn’t the issue, though. The problem was that he needed to swim in the ocean of all places! His fear of the watery mass was still fresh in his mind, and he felt his body freeze up at the mention of actually entering it. What was lurking down there? Some massive fish that’d swallow him whole to be sure! But…if that was the case, why wasn’t the Zora being eaten? Even with that logic, Link was terrified, finding his feet rooted to the sand as he stared at the seagulls and their prey.

Tatl yelled something, Link too lost in his mind to understand what, though. Surely something to urge him forward. Trying not to look freaked out, Link approached the water, shedding his boots and all his gear so it wouldn’t get wet, save for the clothes on his back…and his sword. He couldn’t imagine he’d be able to actually fight underwater, but he felt the need to have some kind of weapon. Yet, as he reached the water, the waves his ankles and sending a shiver of terror up his body as the scent of salty water hit him like a brick to the face. The water was warm, practically hot, and just made the ocean feel more like a living entity to him!

Once more he hesitated, barely able to breathe as he looked out at the hot, murky water. The waves kept moving about, making it almost look like something unseen was partially breaching the surface, biding its time for Link to enter the waters and into its domain. But he had to stop pausing! Gathering as much Courage as he could, Link leapt into the water! He was enveloped by the hot liquid, eyes stinging from the salt from the water, head flailing a bit as he spit out any of the ocean that got into his mouth.

Blinking the pain away, he tried to ignore the heat and how gross the water felt, focusing on the injured Zora. He swam his way over, expecting something to grab or bite down at his legs at any moment, but thankfully he reached the mass of seagulls unharmed. The birds didn’t appreciate Link interfering and pecked at him, prompting the boy to swat at the seagulls as he grabbed hold of the Zora’s arm with his free arm, starting to slowly drag the both of them back to shore.

The seagulls followed for a bit, but eventually left the two alone as they got closer to the shore. It was a tiring process, especially since the Zora barely helped, sometimes feebly kicking his legs, but that was it. It also didn’t help that the injured Zora held something in one hand, some sort of large fish skeleton of some sort. Before too long, the two reached the shore, Link desperately crawling onto the dry sand as he panted from the exertion, the Zora sprawled out next to him, still clutching that odd . He was an adult with numerous tattoos and covered in fresh wounds!

“Oh man, he’s in rough shape!” Tatl exclaimed, flying over to the two. “Wait…we don’t have any Red Potions, do we?” The two never made trips to the Potion Shop to the swamps. Going all the way there and rescuing Koume just to buy some was so much hassle! Link was always healed when he cleared out the Temples as well, so they weren’t as needed.

Link felt his stomach tighten, his mind’s eye seeing a wounded Hylian guard in a back alley. Trying to ignore the sickening guilt in his heart, he shook his head. “We don’t, no.” What were they going to do? No one else seemed to be around…

Coughing, the injured Zora’s eyes opened as he leaned up at Link to speak to him. “You…saved me…” He murmured, voice barely above a whisper. “My name is Mikau…I’m…the guitarist of our band…We’re supposed to play at the Carnival of Time, but…our vocalist, Lulu, she lost her voice…”

“Hey, just keep quiet for now and rest! You’ll be okay!” Tatl tried to ensure, though her tone gave away that she didn’t truly believe this. She felt bad for Mikau, but there was nothing they could do for him…

The Zora shook his head, coughing up specks of blood onto the sand. “I appreciate it, but we all know…I’m done for. The Great Bay…something weird is going on. The water…it’s awful now and the fish are gone…! And then...Lulu’s eggs were stolen by those pirates near here. I tried to save them, but…this is how I ended up.”

Link nodded at Mikau’s words, though he didn’t know what a pirate was. “We’ll get the eggs back and help the Great Bay, don’t worry.” He was sure the waters were cursed by the Skull Kid. They just had to free the Giant here and all would be well! As for Mikau…he’d just be faster the next time he came back here. Even if he freed the Giant this Cycle, if there was no way to make it permanent, he’d have to come back at some point…

Mikau gave a weak smile, his eyes drooping heavily. It was clear his strength was just about to run out. “Thank you, kid. I won’t…rest in peace like this, though. My spirit feels so…restless…”

Feeling a nasty knot in his stomach, Link knew exactly what he had to do. “I can help with that too. Just hang on a bit longer.” He flatly instructed, quickly getting his Ocarina of Time from his gear he left on the shore. “Just listen.” The boy instructed as he got back, taking a deep breath before he played the Song of Healing once more, the notes echoing in the air and dancing across the murky, cursed waters.

The Zora let out a noise of content, his pain seeming to simply melt away with each note he heard. “That song…hits me right in the heart…” He softly praised, eyes closing for the final time. After a moment, his body faded away, and all that was left was a mask in the visage of a Zora…

Link stared down the mask, feeling absolutely disgusted with himself. After all, this was all his fault. If he had just been faster…if he hadn’t hesitated…Mikau would still be alive! He knew he’d have to do better the next time he came here…and he would also be haunted knowing Mikau would die every Cycle he didn’t go West. There was the temptation to go back in time right at that moment…but Link was scared to. He couldn’t face Romani and Cremia a second time so soon, just thinking about it made him want to throw up, and it made him enraged at himself for his own cowardice…

“Man, that’s pretty awful…” Tatl murmured, observing the mask. “Eggs being stolen like that! Poor Lulu and Mikau…” She didn’t even realize how openly sympathetic she was being until the words escaped her mouth. “Well, I mean anyone would feel bad over stolen Zora eggs…” The fairy corrected, not seeming to realize Link didn’t judge her for being emotional. Either way, she wasn’t about to argue against trying to find the eggs, knowing there was zero chance Link would let something like that go. She still had to wonder how they would cleanse the Great Bay. Was there even a Temple around here? Not one she could remember ever seeing…

Slowly, Link picked up the Zora Mask, feeling Mikau’s lingering essence in his fingertips. “I’ll be faster next time.” He promised both Tatl and Mikau. “I won’t let Mikau die again.”

Tatl stared at Link, shaking her head. “You’re not about to blame this on yourself, are you? You heard him! He was a goner already! It was those pirates, those Gerudos that did this!” Now the Gerudo Pirates she knew about. A band of female-only pirates that tormented the Great Bay for years. Oddly enough, they did little to Clock Town itself, seeming to only be interested in the West. Granted, they weren’t allowed in the town, so even a casual visit for genuine relaxation or festival attending was out of the question.

The Gerudo?! They were in Termina too? A far cry from desert bandits, but that was just another parallel that Link was subject to. It seemed like the Kokiri were the only race from Hyrule not present in Termina unless they were in the East. But they were so closely tied too the Lost Woods…so there couldn’t be any here,. At least Link hoped so. If he saw copies of those forest spirits…he had no idea if he could face them…

Trying to ignore those thoughts, Link focused back on Mikau. “I can save him. I just have to be faster.” Link insisted, already putting the pressure on himself. Another burden for him to carry, but he was the only one that could save Mikau. Yet again, it seemed someone had only him to rely on. It started to grow frustrating if he was being honest. Sometimes it really felt like he was the only one able to accomplish anything for anyone…yet it still didn’t manage to be enough. People still died, people still got hurt, misery still spread. Despite having to play the part of the hero for the sadistic Golden Goddesses, they had still chosen wrong. Even outside of Hyrule, it felt like he was just their puppet in the game of fate and destiny.

The fairy frowned, wondering just how all this pressure would affect him as time went on. It wasn’t healthy to keep carrying so many burdens. “…Well…whatever.” She murmured, knowing arguing was useless. “We should go to Zora Hall, that’s where we’d find Lulu and the other Zoras. I don’t really know how you’d get into the Gerudo hideout. Someone there would be bound to know more. You’ll want to put that mask on, the only way you’ll get there is by swimming.”

Another soul Link had to put on…another person he had to pretend to be. What was worse was that Mikau’s death was only known to him and Tatl. Everyone else surely assumed he was still alive. At least with his Deku form, the Deku Butler was only reminded of his departed son. With Darmani, several Goron assumed he was a ghost. But Mikau was meant to be alive and well…it was just so much worse! Still, Link knew he had little choice, trusting in Tatl’s words. He gathered up his gear, placing the Ocarina of Time in the sand. He planned to wear it, if possible, as a Zora in case he needed to play the Song of Time in a hurry.

Once he was ready, he steeled his nerves and put the mask on.

Like with the other two transformation masks, the process was painful. Instantly, he felt the mask latch onto his face, fusing with his flesh. Speaking of which, his skin started to harden into scales, an extremely uncomfortable sensation. Worse than that, though, was that he started to grow taller again, his limbs and bones extending out into a lean form like Mikau’s. His hair vanished, and the back of his head elongated into a fin as two other fins pierced out of his arms, shooting pain through the limbs as the extensions formed. His neck felt weird, slits opening as gills formed on his body. As always, though it felt like it took minutes, the transformation only took a second or two.

Link stood there on the shore where Mikau once stood, looking remarkably like the deceased Zora. Not exactly, though. He had no tattoos, and he had the bottom half of his tunic along with leather gauntlets and boots. His head-fin also had a green tint to it, like his hat in a way. The false Zora looked to Tatl with his new eyes, a disturbing pitch black coloration with blank white pupils. “How far is Zora Hall?” He asked, his voice far easier to control than when he was a Goron. It sounded closer to when he was an adult, with a bit of a wavery, almost watery sound to it. The similarity to his adult Hylian voice did not sit right with him. Still, he was closer to being a Hylian in this form than when he was a Deku or Goron, which was helpful, even if the voice made him uneasy…

Tatl was a bit surprised at Link’s nonchalance, but he had done this twice before already. She pointed down the beach as the boy placed his Ocarina on his belt. “Just go down a ways. The hall’s entrance is a huge stone fish, its tail sticking out of the water. You really can’t miss it.”

He really didn’t like having to swim again, but he could at least take comfort that he could do so far faster as a Zora. Tatl started to lead the way, Link following along and finding his movements easier to handle in his current form than as a Deku or Goron. He supposed that of the three forms, a Zora was closer to a Hylian than the others. The fact this was the case and he was in an adult form certainly didn’t sit right with him. At the very least, he could remove the mask and return to normal. Of course, one day there’d be no escaping being an adult…

The two quickly reached another part of the beach, a waterfall off to one side leading to what was basically a small pond of sorts. Off into the ocean, Link saw that Tatl was right. The tail of a large stone fish was sticking out of the water, plain as day. He also saw that the unusual structure surrounded by a veil of water was beyond Zora Hall. Just what was that…? “So, I just swim down to the entrance? What about you?” Link asked, knowing fairies weren’t good swimmers.

Tatl paused, not having thought that far ahead. Fairies could tread water at the surface, sure, but actually diving down and swimming fully was a problem. “Uh…I mean you don’t even have bottles, right?” She didn’t exactly memorize what Link had at any given moment. Forget potions, did he have any container she could be placed in?

“I don’t.” Link clarified bluntly, gazing out at the water. He couldn’t just place her in his hands and close them up. Any gap would let water in, and by the time he’d realize what happened, it could be too late. That only left one thing. “My mouth. It’s a quick swim, right?”

The fairy let out an involuntary noise of displeasure. “You’ve got to be kidding me! In your disgusting mouth?!” Especially since he was a Zora! It’d smell like fish! “Can’t we just go back to Clock Town and…” Oh. Wait. Epona was on the other side of the fence.

“I don’t like the idea either.” The false Zora assured Tatl. “I’ll buy a bottle next time we’re in Clock Town. Okay?”

“Not okay!” Tatl hissed, but then sighed. “There’s no real choice, is there? Fine…! Just…get this over with! And we never talk about this, okay?”

Link didn’t respond, simply opening his mouth as Tatl reluctantly flew in. Closing his mouth tight, the boy approached the ocean once more. It was a tad bit easier for him this time since he already did it once. Being a Zora also helped to combat his fears. Not wanting an earful from Tatl if he took too long, he quickly leapt into the water.

The difference between the first and second swim was night and day! Link found that his Zora eyes were able to see much better in the ocean water than when he was a Hylian, and the salt didn’t sting his eyes either. Not that there was much to see, just sand and what Zelda had told him was called seaweed. Staring off, though, was a bit disturbing. Just nothingness until the murky water made it too clouded to see any further…

Link also found that he could breathe, not really sure how he was working his gills. The process just came naturally to him somehow…probably like how he got used to rolling as a Goron so easily. As he looked about, he saw the water was still murky, and devoid of fish like Mikau said. Wasting no more time, he swam towards Zora Hall, practically flying through the water, his swimming form much smoother than he expected. Again, he chalked it up to Mikau’s spirit subtly guiding him.

Within a minute, and ignoring the panicked sensation in his guts, Link reached the entrance to Zora Hall, the maw of a giant stone fish. A bit unnerving, but not the worst giant mouth he had to enter. Swimming up, Link soon arrived at an opening to real air, in a sort of manmade cave entrance. Quickly, he opened his mouth, letting Tatl float out. “You okay?”

Tatl shuddered, not even looking Link in the face. “Not the worst experience ever, but up there with the grossest!” She complained, turning to look the boy in the eyes. “You’re going to get a bottle to carry around as soon as possible, got that?!”

“I will.” Link assured, already having agreed the first time! He looked over to see what Zora Hall was like as Tatl kept murmuring negative things under her breath. The boy was reminded of Zora’s Domain back in Hyrule. Around them was a cave system made by the Zoras, cool air and well lit just like the other Zora society. There were numerous walkways and ramps going all about, actual physical doors leading into other rooms unlike in Zora’s Domain that mostly just had open doorways carved into stone. At the center of Zora Hall was a clamshell the size of a small building, wide open with several Zoras inside of it talking amongst themselves and fiddling with odd devices.

“Huh. I never actually came in here before, obviously.” Tatl said, getting over the whole mouth thing. “No idea where we should look for Lulu. Just go ask someone.”

That wasn’t something Link really liked to do, but he was too embarrassed to ask Tatl to do it for him. Pushing down his social anxiety, he approached the nearest Zora that happened by, which was an adult male.

“Oh! Mikau!” The Zora greeted with a wave. “You’ve been gone for a while, what happened?”

It felt so awful to have someone talk to Link like he was someone else. He felt like he was doing something wrong, parading about in someone else’s form. “Something came up.” The boy quickly and vaguely lied. “I’m looking for Lulu, where is she?”

The Zora nodded in understanding, gesturing to the back of the hall. “She’s out at Zora Cape. I think she’s been wanting to see you. Hard to tell these days, but…”

“Thank you.” Link curtly replied, rushing past the Zora, who gave the boy a confused look. He followed the stranger’s instructions, heading to the back of the hall while Tatl followed.

“I just hope Lulu can help us.” Tatl said as the two walked through Zora Hall. Occasionally one of the citizens would wave or greet Link, who usually just walked by them, something the fairy almost found a bit amusing.

“I’m sure she can. They were her eggs, so she should know where they were taken…” At least Link hoped that was the case…

Before long, the two found themselves at an exit to the large cavern, Tatl realizing what that meant. “Aw, I could’ve just flown around…” She complained, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“At least we know for next time.” If this had been two years ago, Link would have actually found that funny. His humor was all but shriveled up and dead by this point in his life. He hadn’t laughed since he was on his first quest…

The two went outside to Zora Cape, taking in the new location. It was little more than some land that immediately dropped off to ocean water, and not even a lot of land. Enough to walk around a bit, but little more. Off ahead was a small island with two palm trees, and off further was that odd structure veiled by water. Looking off at the horizon was still so unnerving to Link. He felt like if he just went out and swam, he could keep going until time came to an end before he reached land.

And, as everyone knew, Time was eternal.

Link quickly scanned the land and spotted a lone Zora woman off to a corner, instinctively approaching before he got a good look at her. When he did, though, his heart felt like it stopped beating.

Standing before him was Ruto, plain and simple. She took the form as she did in the Water Temple, every feature like that of the Zora Princess save for an elegant blue dress. Rather than the cheery and talkative Ruto he knew, the woman ,who was assuredly Lulu, had a melancholy expression on her face. When she looked at the false Zora, her expression lightened up, but only the lightest bit.

The boy felt his entire body go numb as he stared at Ruto- at Lulu. He let her die. But that wasn’t Ruto! But he let her die. She was someone else! But he let her die! She was simply a copy! But he let her die!

Link’s chest started to feel tight, and he wasn’t able to get a breath in, though he tried as he let out a strangled noise, taking a step back. His mind was screaming at him that Ruto had every right to despise him. He let her get killed! If he was faster, she would’ve lived! Mikau would’ve lived! Saria, Darunia, Impa, Nabooru! If he was just better, so many people could still be alive!

There was a ringing in the boy’s ears as he continued to try and gulp down a breath, Lulu frowning at him as his demeanor deteriorated before her very eyes. He couldn’t stop staring at her, guilt and terror overtaking him, as a sensation that he was about to die started to ring harshly in his brain. It was telling him if he didn’t leave right that second, something was going to kill him!

The world around him seemed to be spinning, and he could vaguely hear Tatl talking to him, but he couldn’t understand what she was saying. All he could focus on was trying, and still failing, to take an actual breath. The lack of actual air was making him dizzy and weak, and his vision started to grow a bit blurry. However, he saw one thing clearly. Behind Ruto- behind Lulu was a figure, one with piercing red eyes. His shadowy doppelganger.

Link threw up.

Leaving the pile of sick on the ground, he sprinted from Lulu as she took a worried step towards him. Of course, Tatl followed behind, calling after Link, but remembering to avoid using his name. He was still in disguise, after all. The false Zora ran through the hall, ignoring anyone that tried to talk to him and even shoving someone out of his way as he ran by. His leg didn’t stop until he reached the entrance, far from anyone’s prying eyes.

Tatl stopped when Link did, the boy leaning against the wall, panting heavily as his entire frame shook. “Link, what was that?!” She hissed, using his name given no one else was around. “Are you sick again?” This had happened just recently, after all, right before he got the Bremen Mask.

At this point, Link at least was able to hear Tatl properly. Still, he felt absolutely terrified, his frame still shaking as he tried not to cry. Despair, gilt, terror, and anger directed at himself filled every inch of his being. His mask was dangerously close to just shattering, the boy unable to handle dealing with Romani, Cremia, and Lulu all in one day. Not to mention having to dive into the ocean and his failure to rescue Mikau. It was all just too much!  

“I think I am.” He lied, unable to even look at Tatl. The boy just leaned against the wall, looking off at nothing. “I can’t do this. I need to go back. I’m sorry.” In his mind, it was better to just lie rather than confess anything. Why did this have to happen now?! While disturbing, he was able to deal with most of the copies he encountered so far, but why did he have to meet three in a single day that caused him such misery and anxiety?! Even Koume and Kotake were, somehow, easier than this!

The fairy frowned, buying into the lie. Still, it was a setback for them, they had just got back into pushing forward with their journey! “It’s okay…I understand. It’s fine! Just…play the Song of Time, and we’ll go back, okay?” Tatl didn’t have it in her to scold Link for being sick. It was like kicking a puppy, and that was far too low for her. Besides, every time she thought of Link being sick, he recalled that image of the Skull Kid shivering all by himself…

Link finally managed to start getting in full breaths, panting as he nodded. “Thank you. Just a day or two of rest. That’s it. I promise.” He had to pull himself together! The boy silently berated himself for being so weak. If he was going to save Termina, he had to stop having these attacks! What was wrong with him?!

“That’s fine! Maybe if you don’t feel better, we can see a doctor or something…” If he kept getting sick, it’d really be a problem! She really did feel bad for him, and that reaction he had actually sort of scared her. It was like he was having some sort of an episode! Tatl chalked it up to a coincidence that he got sick as soon as he saw Lulu. After all, what possible connection could there be? Either way, she assumed he knew what he was talking about, and that he knew he’d be okay after the day or two of rest like he said. She certainly hoped so, at least…

Without a word, Link nodded as he shed the Zora Mask. Unlike when items with him vanished when he went from a Hylian to his other forms, the Ocarina of Time clipped to his belt simply stayed in place as he reverted to normal. With shaking hands, he put his newest mask away before bringing the instrument up to his lips.

Ignoring the taste of salt water, the boy managed to play the Song of Time, the notes echoing in the hall as he and his companion went back once more.

Chapter Text

As soon as the Song of Time dumped Link and Tatl back at the Clock Tower, the boy headed towards the Stock Pot Inn on somewhat shaky legs. He felt sick to his stomach, as though he would vomit again. If that wasn’t bad enough, he was absolutely humiliated by throwing up in front of Tatl again as well as his breakdown. While he managed to keep himself relatively composed, it was still enough to embarrass him.

Floating by Link’s ear, Tatl frowned a bit in worry. “Hey, are you sure you’re okay? That’s the second time you threw up in just a short while…” He didn’t seem too sick aside from this vomiting, but the boy wasn’t exactly one to express how he felt at any given time.

Link nodded, not even looking at Tatl as he walked. He was in no hurry, given the inn didn’t even open for another two hours. “I don’t have a fever. So, I should be okay.” He insisted flatly, wishing it was really as simple as him being sick. “I’m sorry. We were just starting to continue the quest, too.” As pathetic as it seemed to him, Link wasn’t sure he could handle Tatl yelling at him right then. Normally he was, at most, shocked if she suddenly started to scream. Otherwise, he was able to just shrug it off…

But it was different now.

His mask was so close to just shattering that he honestly thought that her yelling at him would drive him over the edge and make it break. And on top of that, he had no idea how he’d react. Yell back? Cry? Who could say? The fact that he didn’t even know what he’d do was something worrying to him.

Truth be told, Tatl was a bit frustrated. They had taken quite a break, and now they were going to be taking another one, presumably for the rest of this Cycle. Still, she kept seeing the image of the Skull Kid shivering in the cold, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to scold him, even if she wanted to. “It’s fine. I mean it’s not like you can help it. We’ll just rest and try the next Cycle, okay?”

The boy was still surprised at how much Tatl’s attitude changed, but he had never been so glad for it than in that moment. “I’ll be fine next time. I promise.” He only hoped he could keep that promise. If he saw Ruto…Lulu…again, he had no idea how he’d react. At least it wouldn’t be a surprise the next time, but there was no telling how much that’d help. If at all.

Before long, the two were at the inn, quietly waiting for it to open. The second the door unlocked, they entered and got their room key before shutting themselves into the Knife Chamber. Once there, things remained silent as the two went to their respective beds and just rested. Link played the part of being sick and tried his best to nap, but his mind was rushing so much that it was impossible.

He really had to wonder if Termina was somehow created solely to torment him. The copies in Clock Town were eerie enough, but then he met the fake Malons and now a fake Ruto. It was as if Termina was reminding him both of what he dearly missed as well as his failures. But why? Hadn’t he suffered enough the last two years? Did he truly need further punishment? It wasn’t as though he wasn’t already horribly guilty over his past failures, it wasn’t like he needed to be reminded. At one point or another, the failures crossed his mind every single day, and he always felt terrible each time. Was this some sort of forced penance? Could he maybe, finally, feel good about himself or just feel decent in general when this was all over?

If it ever even ended…

What was even worse was, though it had run through his head all day, Link thought again about how Mikau had surely died again. If he died so fast after Link failed to aid him, no one coming to his rescue would just kill him faster. Sure, there was a chance someone else could come along in Link’s absence, someone far more competent…but what were the chances?

That was on top of all the other horrid things going on around Termina that Link thought about constantly. The poisoned swamp, the Deku Princess trapped in the Woodfall Temple, the innocent monkey being tortured, the Goron freezing to death, Lulu’s missing eggs, Anju and Kafei separated, and that wasn’t even taking the Moon into account! So many awful things happening, and there he was, just lying in bed all safe and sound…

Such thoughts kept rushing through Link’s mind as he eventually faded in and out of uneasy sleeps as the day went on. He wasn’t hungry and didn’t eat, which Tatl couldn’t blame him for. According to her, eating Anju’s cooking would just make him sicker anyway. It wasn’t until nightfall that the boy actually managed to fall into a deep sleep, finally getting some true rest…if it weren’t for the nightmare.

Everywhere Link looked, there was no land to be seen.

He waded in the salty water, the smell of the ocean stinging his nostrils and eyes as he tried to look for some sort of salvation. Yet no matter where his eyes fell, it was just water as far as his eyes could see. Link had no idea what to do, feeling panic rush through him as he tried to formulate a plan.

Yet even then, things managed to get worse. No more than a few dozen meters away, a strange shape momentarily breached the surface! He only got a small look at some sort of black hump before it went under the water…heading towards him! Without even thinking, Link swam in the opposite direction, desperate to find land or anything else that could save his life!

Behind him, Link heard the creature breach the water, the loud splashing it caused growing louder and louder as the entity closed in on him. At one point, the massive thing seemed to be right next to him, but he didn’t dare give it so much as a glance as he swam even harder. Whatever it was, it was surely big enough to swallow him in a single gulp!

The boy screamed out as he felt something grab at his leg. Disturbingly, it felt like a human hand rather than the appendage or maw of some undersea beast. Only having time to take a quick breath, Link was pulled down under the water’s surface! Instantly, things went pitch black, the boy unable to see anything no matter how hard he looked. The hand around his leg just kept dragging him further and further down, his lungs burning as the little air he had started to run out!

And just as he was about to give in, he fell.

Not dragged under the water. Not floating into the deep, no. He fell through the open air he suddenly found himself in. Link only had time to let out a yelp before he hit a stone floor. His body and clothes were still soaked, and he let out a cough before taking in some deep breaths now that there was air again. But the problem was that he was still in total darkness. No matter how hard he strained his eyes, it was inky blackness in every direction. Getting to his feet, he contemplated what to do next…but then a light appeared before him. A small light, but somehow able to illuminate a sort of spotlight beneath itself that pierced the darkness! And the light…was blue.

It was a fairy.

Navi.

His Guardian Fairy, Link not caring that she was never truly one to him, floated there in the void, silently staring at him. His body refused to move for a second, the shock of seeing his dear friend paralyzing every inch of his form! “Navi…” Was all he could sputter out, staring at the one he missed the most. “Navi…?”

Without acknowledging Link at all, Navi turned around and started to fly away. She kept at the same altitude but flew off from the boy. Without hesitation, he chased after her, but she always kept just out of his reach. “Navi! Navi! Wait! Please come back! Please!” Link pleaded, tears welling up in his eyes. Yet the fairy didn’t seem to hear him…or she was simply ignoring him…

“Please! I’ll do whatever you want! Anything! Just name it! A-Anything!” The child begged, voice wavering as he yelled. “I won’t show any emotion! Or I’ll show as much as you want! Anything you want! Please! Just give me a chance! Just one chance!” He screamed, trying to run faster, yet his body seemed to be moving slower somehow. “You don’t have to love me!” He shouted nervously.

At this point, he’d accept anything. All she had to do was talk to him and he almost felt like that’d be enough! She didn’t have to love, or even like him, he just wanted her to be there! He was that desperate for Navi, that her just acknowledging his existence would make all the waiting worth it!

“I’m nothing without you! I can’t go on without you with me!” Link screamed, tears streaming down his face. To his horror, the gap between the two started to widen and Navi didn’t so much as glance back at him. Worse yet, other lights made themselves known. Dozens of small, orange eyes started to appear in the darkness, glowing eerily as they surrounded and followed Link. He couldn’t see what the eyes belonged to, but he could hear them running at his pace.

“Navi! Please don’t leave again! I’ll do absolutely anything! I’ll be whatever you want to be! Just one chance! That’s all I ask!” Link tried again, hoping if he kept yelling enough, the fairy would at least humor him…but she didn’t. She got further and further away as the orange eyes started to slowly close in on him.

Up above Link’s head, a massive orange orb appeared, a dark green iris appearing in its middle. He heard something huge scurrying up above him, the sound of a dark parasite capable of killing the Father of the Forest. The monster lunged down at him and…

Tatl watched as Link shifted in his sleep. It was no later than one in the morning and she had simply woken up on her own. She would’ve simply gone back to sleep, but she heard Link moving about in his bed. Not even fully knowing why, she kept staring at him, knowing he was having a nightmare. She knew she should wake him up, but suddenly…he spoke…

“Navi…Navi…” Link murmured under his breath. “Navi…” He gasped, barely audible. His breathing quickened, and he kept tossing in his sleep more and more. Without warning, the tossing and talking stopped, and Tatl heard the boy taking deep breaths while laying perfectly still. Clearly, he had woken up, and was surely trying to calm his nerves.

The fairy’s light was nice and dim, so she was sure he didn’t notice her looking at him from across the room. It was so dark that she didn’t even know if he was facing her or not. She barely dared to breath, and after a few moments, Link turned over once last time and went still again. Minutes passed, and his breathing shifted so that it was clear he had fallen back asleep somehow.

She had no idea what to make of this! Navi, that was a name without a doubt. But who was Navi? Someone from his past for sure, but with what relation? Tatl found herself more curious than ever as she nuzzled back into her pillow realizing she had the perfect idea for tomorrow morning…

The two slept somewhat better the second go around, the soft pitter patter of rain against the window and roof easing them out of their slumber. No words were exchanged at first, the pair getting themselves a bit more awake as they stretched and rubbed at their eyes. Silently, Link reached for his folded up hat when Tatl decided to just…go for it.

“Tell me about Navi.” Tatl said, almost ordered, not able to stop herself. She finally, finally had a piece of concrete information on Link’s past she could ask him about. Her curiosity was just too built-up for her to let the chance pass! The question froze the boy in place and the room was filled with a suffocating silence. The only sound within the Knife Chamber was the pattering of raindrops. “Tell me about her.” Tatl continued on when she didn’t get an answer. She realized this was probably a sensitive subject if Link was having a nightmare about Navi, but the fairy wasn’t able to hold back her curiosity.

Link sat against the headboard of his bed, staring silently at Tatl with his dull blue eyes. He tried to speak, but the words got caught in his throat. He licked his dried lips and tried again. “How do you know her name?” He knew he never mentioned Navi to Tatl during his time in Termina, he made sure to keep his lips sealed about just about everything concerning Hyrule…

The non-answer let Tatl know that this had to be something important to him, but she just kept going. “I heard you muttering in your sleep last night. You were muttering her name, but I never caught any other details. Tell me about Navi.” She repeated, fluttering about the room, and landing at the foot of Link’s bed.  

“That isn’t any of your concern.” Was the only answer Tatl received. He was inwardly scolding himself for letting something like that slip out, even if it was in his sleep! It was probably the single worst thing he could have muttered out!

Well, she expected an answer like that. A small part of her imagined that maybe he’d spill the details since she asked something so specific…but she also realized how foolish that was. There was a reason her curiosity built up so much! The boy was just so secretive! “Well, why not?” She persisted, flying in close to Link’s face. “We’re friends, aren’t we?”

“You never called me that before.” Link pointed out, deliberately avoiding her first question. Tatl had gotten friendlier towards him, but at no point did she ever refer to herself as his friend. Though he didn’t show it, this conversation was already stressing him out. After everything that happened in the Great Bay, he felt so, so close to his mask just breaking. She was really making this hard on him!

“Well…I mean we’re at least friendly acquaintances!” Yeah, trying to make them out to be friends was a dumb move, but she was desperate! Of course it wasn’t like she was about to beg for him to start telling his secrets!

…Though she was maybe getting a tad bit close…

“Okay, so we’re friendly acquaintances.” Link was just being avoidant and obtuse on purpose. He was hoping she’d just get frustrated and leave the subject alone. “Why do you care so much?” And yet he couldn’t help but blurt that second part out, despite wanting the conversation to end. Numerous times, Tatl tried to delve into his past, and he didn’t understand why she’d be so curious!

“How could I not want to know about someone I’ve been traveling with?! You’re just avoiding the question!” Despite their talk earlier after Link went to the Happy Mask Salesman to show the weirdo his collection of masks, Tatl was still getting mad. She had opened up about something important to her, about how she met the Skull Kid, so why couldn’t Link ever return the favor?!

“But this isn’t any of your business. You listened to me sleep, and now you’re trying to pry into something I don’t want to talk about.” Link was almost never so vocal with his brushing off of Tatl’s personal questions…but this being about Navi just made things so much worse. Just thinking of his dear, beloved friend made his chest feel tight and his body heavy and numb. Why did it have to be her name that he muttered?! It could have been literally any other name and it would’ve been far less painful!

She hated to admit it, but Link had a bit of a point. Though not on purpose, she had been eavesdropping, and then pushed the issue even though Link clearly wasn’t interested in talking about it. Still, Tatl was the most stubborn person she knew, so she wasn’t about to quit now. Not when she finally had something concrete! “Look, you’ve got a bit of a point, I’ll say that much.” The fairy conceded with a sigh. “But I was serious about us being friends! Friends talk to friends! I told you about how Tael and I met the Skull Kid, remember?” Okay, Link never actually said they were friends, but she had to try anything! This was underhanded, but the fairy was getting increasingly desperate…

“You told me that on your own, I never asked.” Link pointed out, gripping his sheets until his knuckles went white. He was so tempted to yell at her to just shut up and stop trying to find out about Navi! His mask felt so weak and he had no idea how much more he could handle!

Once more, Link had somewhat of a point, but that didn’t keep Tatl from being insulted. “I actually opened up and shared something important to me! Don’t just brush that off, what’s wrong with you?!” This was the nastiest Link had ever gotten with her by far. When the two first partnered up and she would casually insult him and tried to goad him, he would just ignore her words instead of insulting her back. At this point he was practically being antagonistic, at least in her eyes. Was this Navi person so important that he’d resort to being like this? That he’d just brush off her sharing something precious to her?

She was right. That was nasty of him to say, and he felt horrible for it. Just as she was desperate to make him talk about Navi, he was desperate to make her leave the subject be. “You’re right, that was going too far. I’m sorry. It’s just a name, though. Is it really that important to you?”

“It’s like I said, we’re friends! Friends like to know about other friends’ lives! Do I really have to spell it out for you?” She had never met someone as tight-lipped as Link, that was for sure. Just what was he hiding? “Maybe talking about it will make you feel better. Come on, let me be your shoulder for one conversation!” A bit manipulative? Perhaps. Just because she wanted to be Link’s friend didn’t mean her entire personality had changed. And she knew he had to be feeling horrible. No one bottled their emotions up like Link could possibly have a happy life. “You always say things like ‘Now isn’t the time.’ or ‘That isn’t important.’ when I ask you about stuff. Why not just try and open up, just a teeny bit? Who knows, maybe being social for once will do you wonders!”

This was one of the roughest subjects Link could possibly talk about. It was to the point that the only people he really discussed it with was Zelda, Saria, and Malon. And for the first two it was only because they knew about Navi already and asked about her directly. Saria even volunteered to try and find the missing fairy…with no luck, naturally. Darunia and Ruto never asked, and Link was grateful for that. As for Malon, he only told her some sparse details, but the rancher girl knew that Navi was someone precious that was now gone. Even that much took over for him to muster up after he and Malon started to become friends. For the second time, technically…

In any case, Link realized that Tatl’s curiosity was nearly limitless when it came to him for whatever reason. Her just asking about Navi was so painful, so that’s when he made a decision. “…If I don’t tell you, you’ll just keep asking, won’t you?”

That wasn’t the response Tatl expected. It certainly wasn’t an affirmative, but it sounded so very close. “Yes, of course! I want to know about her!” Might as well just be honest…

He was afraid of that. The boy weighed the options in his mind as he let go of his sheets a bit. Was it worse for him to be repeatedly asked about Navi…or just get it over with and tell Tatl? That way she might just leave him alone about his past…at least for a while. Link in no way wanted to talk about this, but if it’d save him future potential anxiety…maybe it was worth it.

“…Okay. I’ll tell you. But only what I want to discuss. Okay?” It was almost painful for him to even say that much. He found it a bit hard to breathe, and he was finding it harder to look directly at the fairy before him. This was a horrible idea, but he just felt…trapped.

Shocked at Link finally agreeing, he hovered a bit away from him, sitting on the bed and looking up at him eagerly. “Yes! Whatever you want!” Anything was better than nothing. Even if it was just a tiny morsel! Tatl knew that her growing obsession with Link’s past was odd, to say the least, but she couldn’t help it. At the moment, he was the only constant in her life, so she couldn’t help but desire to learn about the boy!

Link didn’t say anything at first, having no idea where to start. He still found it hard to actually look at Tatl, and instead just glanced off to the side. “…Navi is a fairy.” He finally managed to spit out, his throat feeling like it was going to just close up any moment. It was becoming an increasing struggle for him to keep his mask up and his voice leveled. “She was…my Guardian Fairy.”

Tatl’s eyes widened as she leaned forward a bit. “Wait, what? But you’re not a Kokiri! They die outside the Lost Woods!” She knew that much at least; the Skull Kid had told her! He also told her and Tael about a few other facts about the Kokiri which included the Guardian Fairies. “So why would you have one?”

Link unclenched his fists, feeling his heart hammering violently at his ribcage as he took a deep breath. It was so pathetic to him that he found this difficult! Even after all this time, simply speaking about Navi was an entire ordeal. On top of that, Tatl’s question filled him with an internal panic he couldn’t explain. “I was a Hylian, raised by Kokiri. That’s all I’ll say on that part.” He saw Tatl wordlessly nod out of the corner of his eyes and kept going. “I was the only one without a fairy until I was ten and…I remember being so happy.” He closed his eyes as he breathed that last sentence, remembering how his heart swelled at Navi’s appearance when he realized it wasn’t a trick. Now he felt a sense of longing at the mental image of Navi without a hint of joy. “She was so kind, and she truly cared about me.”

It was hard for Tatl to imagine Link smiling or being happy. It was so blatantly obvious that he was a miserable and broken person. No one, especially a child, acted as he did without many, many issues. She felt a twinge of pity to realize how impossible it was to imagine Link with even a grin on his face. “But what happened?” She goaded, really wishing Link explained how he got raised by the Kokiri at all. Tatl had never heard of such a thing happening!

“She left.” The child replied, straight to the point. He kept his eyes shut, replaying the scene in his head as he spoke. “Without a word.” In his mind’ eye, Link could see it happening all over again. Navi silently flying up to the window of the Temple of Time as he uselessly chased after her, screaming out after his friend…

“Well...she couldn’t be your Guardian Fairy, right? She had to leave sometime…” Tatl said, feeling like she was missing a lot of context here.

“Don’t you think I know that?” Link opened his eyes, staring blankly at Tatl with his unnerving, lifeless eyes. Once more he gripped his sheets, hands nearly shaking as he felt like he was going to throw up. “I know we couldn’t be a pair, but we could still have been friends.”

Tatl winced, starting to think that maybe this was a mistake. She never should have brought this up. There was no way she could have known this was something so sensitive. This Navi situation really struck a nerve with him. And yet, she could stop herself from asking for even more. “So, what happened? Where did she go?”

“I don’t know. That’s why I was out in the Lost Woods that day.” Link explained, feeling a bitter anger bubbling in his gut. “I was looking for her when you came and helped steal Epona.” He had already forgiven Tatl, but talking about Navi and how his search for her was ruined got him feeling a nasty fury towards the younger fairy all over again!

Tatl flew up, out of Link’s reach. She did so instinctively, not thinking that the boy would actually attempt to strike out at her. Still, the way he accused her so bluntly wasn’t like him at all. Not that she had seen before! “Hey! It’s not like I knew that! How could I have?”

“On purpose or not, Navi is getting farther and farther from me. I need to find her. So that’s what the deal with her is. Are you happy?” It took almost all his strength not to ask that last question in a bitter, hateful tone. Link knew it wasn’t fair to treat Tatl this way, but he felt he was losing control of himself. Even at that moment, the anger he was feeling started to change into, to his surprise, a mix of fear and misery.

“I’m not happy, not really.” Tatl chided, crossing her arms as she looked off to the side. This had been a mistake. Yet even at this point, she couldn’t keep her mouth shut. The fairy was so used to always speaking her mind, after all. “She abandoned you. Is she really worth the trouble?” From the way it seemed to her, Navi didn’t even want to be found…

“You don’t get it.” Link closed his eyes again and took a few deep breaths to try and keep the cracks in his mask from opening up, but it was becoming harder. Really, he should have stopped there, but he couldn’t help but keep going. “I need her. Guardian Fairies are more than just a friend.” And he knew that Navi would never truly be his Guardian Fairy, but he liked to pretend. He liked to think of her that way.

“But why? Was she your only friend? Don’t you have anyone else?” Tatl found it hard to believe that Link could form other friendships. The idea of him making small-talk, playing with others, being social...it was an unusual and alien train of thought that Tatl just couldn't picture. He didn't seem to have interest in any kind of activities that children normally enjoyed. Sometimes it seemed as if he was something else pretending to be a kid. And even then, she wanted to be his friend, so she supposed it was possible…

“I do, I just…” His voice faded and his eyes opened up once more. Link unclenched his fists and looked down at his hands, trying, and failing, to keep his breathing normal. Over and over, he kept taking deep breaths, but it never felt like he was getting enough air! Link felt dizzy, like the world was spiraling about wildly and felt as if he’d throw up. He could feel his mask cracking more and more, and he realized he had reached his breaking point!

Tatl dropped all facades and let her true emotions show. She flew over to Link, worry etched on her tiny face. “Hey! Link, you can stop! I’m sorry I pried, okay? We can stop now! It’s okay! You don’t have to talk about this anymore!” Link’s skin had gone pale and she was sincerely afraid he was about to have some kind of panic attack. This wasn’t what she wanted! She never wanted him to get like this!

Link heard Tatl’s words, but they didn’t quite register in his head, like they got lost on the way to his brain once they entered his ears. For once, he wanted to spill everything, to finally admit to Tatl to something he’d never told another soul. Not even Saria. “I need her.” He whispered, so quietly that Tatl almost didn’t hear him. “I need her. Without her I…” Link continued to gaze at his hands and flexed his fingers over and over. “I’m not whole.”

He wasn’t going to stop, was he? Tatl accidentally removed some kind of block in Link’s mind, and now all his thoughts would flood out like a broken dam. “I don’t understand. What do you mean?”

“I need her to be whole.” He repeated bluntly, his hands shaking uncontrollably. Even at this point, he kept up the façade of stoicism, but it was nearing an end and he knew it. But he just couldn’t stop! “If I don’t have her, I’m incomplete. I have a piece missing, and it feels so disgusting. I don’t feel right.” He slapped at his legs a few times through the sheets, as if trying to confirm that they were indeed there and not some sort of illusion. “The missing piece felt like it was growing and growing over the last two years, so I knew I had to look for her. If the hole gets bigger, it will just swallow me. I won’t exist anymore…” It was surreal to admit that out loud to someone. He never thought he’d admit something like that to Tatl before anyone else, but his mouth practically had a mind of its own at this point.

Tatl was absolutely stupefied. How does one respond to something like that? This was out of her depth; she didn’t know what to do! They were in too deep for her to just try and drop the subject or something. It was too much! With all the carefulness of walking around broken glass, Tatl spoke up. “I don’t understand, Link. I don’t think-”

“Am I crazy?” Link asked, cutting the fairy off. His eyes were wide and dim, yet they were reaching out to her in a way she couldn’t explain. “Am I mad? I think I might be but I don’t know. I just can’t…” He trailed off, but his body language was practically shouting out what he wanted to say.

Help me.

But Tatl didn’t know how to help. In a way, this was more terrifying than anything she had faced alongside Link on their adventure. Any time they faced danger, there was a way for her to handle it, usually simply flying out of reach. But here…she had no idea what to do. She didn’t know how to handle this! Tatl was more of a tough love sort of fairy. When Tael was upset, she would tell him to buck up and shake off what was bothering him. For her foolish brother, it worked. For Link…she had a feeling if she dared to say anything like that to him, he may hate her forever. “I don’t…I can’t help you, Link.” She admitted, feeling like the worst person in the world for doing so. For once, Link was dependent on her, looking to an older, wiser person for aid. Looking like…well, a child. For the first time, Tatl thought of the boy as a helpless kid, and she couldn’t do a thing to help him.

And so, Link’s mask shattered.

“Tatl…” Was all he could choke out before things went downhill. It started off quietly. Link stared at Tatl as his eyes began to water, his vision growing increasingly blurred. Then, the tears began to cascade down his face in a steady, endless stream. Soon, a whine escaped from the child’s throat and, without warning, he started to sob. It was quiet, near silent at first. The only sign of the crying was the constant shaking of his shoulders as the pain filled his body. He sniffled and choked on his own words as he tried to speak further, but all that came out were pained whimperings and gasps that contorted his face into a mask of absolute misery.

“Link! Link, please, calm down. I…It will be okay! I promise!” Tatl desperately cried out, not knowing exactly what to do! For the first time, she saw Link show emotion and it was so horrible! For weeks upon weeks, she wanted him to show something! A smile, a glare, laughter, anything! But watching Link choke on his own words as he sobbed was enough to  break her heart. That confession about his incomplete nature terrified her, and now she was at a complete loss…

Gentle comforting was something mostly alien to her. What could she say? Should she get someone? Anju? No, that was the wrong answer. She knew that much. The fairy watched helplessly as Link’s sobs grew louder and he lowered his head so she couldn’t see his face anymore. In a last-ditch effort to soothe Link, if only a little, she flew to his face and hugged at his cheek. She felt a bit silly for doing so, she’d be surprised if Link even felt it. The poor fairy was just too small to really bring physical comfort to a human. Still, she tried her best, even caressing his face as best as she could. Mimicking mothers she had seen comforting their crying children, she gently shushed at Link to try and get him to calm down. She had no idea what else to do…

Indeed, Link didn’t even realize Tatl was latched onto his face. He was too wrapped up in his misery to notice. He felt so stupid, so weak for letting his emotions come out like this, but now that the waterworks had started, he couldn’t stop himself. He felt like a weak child that couldn’t keep his feelings in check and he despised himself for it. He hated how he couldn’t even feel happiness anymore. It was either sadness or anger, even since Navi left. She took his ability to feel joy when she flew out of the Temple of Time and the only way to get it back was to find her. He was better off not feeling at all until he found his Guardian Fairy. Until then, he had to hide the rest away. “Navi…” He sputtered out without even meaning to. Was it okay for him to want to feel happiness? Did he deserve it? After all, Navi took those feelings from him.

Maybe she had a good reason.

“It’s okay, it’s okay…” Tatl kept repeating, really unsure of what to do otherwise. This was all her fault, and she had no idea how to fix it. She realized that Link had to be a miserable child, but seeing him just let it all out like this made her pity him…

Unable to stop crying, Link felt the self-disgust and shame wash over him constantly as Tatl tried to comfort him. Without even thinking, he kept talking. “I’m sorry…I’m sorry I’m bad…” He sputtered out, repeating a phrase he hadn’t uttered in four years without even realizing it as he wiped away the continuous tears.

Tatl shook her head, her heart almost breaking at the childish sentence. She had to keep reminding herself that Link was a child underneath all his battle prowess and maturity. “You’re not bad…You’re not bad…” She murmured, not even understanding what he meant by it.

“I’m sorry! Please! Please…” Link sobbed, not even forming actual phrases. He just kept saying things like that, letting out his misery for the first time in what felt like years. Bottling things up was hard enough, but it was a nightmare in Termina, so he was crying harder than he had since Navi left him…

The two sat there for an uncertain amount of time, Tatl trying to soothe her companion as best as she could. The minutes passed at sluggish intervals as the rain outside continued to slap at the window. Link’s sobbing eventually started to quiet down, and he raised his head up once more. Tatl detached from his face and flew in front of it. “There…Are you better now? I’m right here, you don’t have to cry anymore.” Was that the right thing to say? Once more, she was mimicking things she heard from elsewhere. It was almost embarrassing for her to be so sweet, but for Link, she was willing to put up with that.

Link looked at her with a dazed, glassy expression. His eyes now puffy and red and his face was stained with tear marks. “For how long?” He whispered to her, once more so quietly that Tatl barely even registered that he even said anything.

“What? What did you say?” It was hardly the reaction she had expected…

“How long?” Link asked again, but louder. He sounded drained. Tired. His face was still pale, and his breathing was somewhat erratic. “How long will you stay with me?” At that moment, he was terrified. It was his fear that if he showed his emotions to someone, they’d leave him. On top of that, as different as they were, he couldn’t help but compare Navi and Tatl to each other. Navi left him after their quest ended, so…would Tatl do the same? He wasn’t sure if he could call her his friend yet, but the idea of her abandoning him made him want to cry all over again…

What? What kind of question was that?! Did Link think she would just leave without a word like Navi? Tatl was about to get upset, but then it struck her like a slap to the face. That’s exactly what he thought would happen, wasn’t it? He got another Guardian Fairy, or at least someone filling a similar role, and he just assumed he’d get abandoned again. Truthfully, she had actually put very little thought into what would happen when the Moon was stopped, and Majora’s Mask safely returned to the Salesman. That being said, just ditching Link without so much as a good-bye was not something that she had planned for. “I’ll stay with you as long as you need me.” That seemed to be the safe answer to give. After all, they couldn’t stick with each other forever. They were literally from two different worlds. She just couldn’t bring herself to tell that to him. Not now.

Link gave Tatl a look of sad disbelief. Why should he trust her? He wanted to, of course, but he never thought Navi would abandon him either. Yet she was in parts unknown and he was trapped in what seemed like some sort of world crafted entirely to torture him. Having to constantly see familiar faces no matter where he went, exact copies of friends and people he had helped in Hyrule. He could only be thankful there was no copy of Saria or Navi anywhere. He’d never be able to handle that. Link could barely tolerate Romani and Cremia while Lulu nearly gave him a panic attack! “What will happen when everything is over? Will you come to Hyrule?”

“I…I don’t know. The Skull Kid was from there, and the three of us went back and forth a bunch of times. I have no idea where that steel door in the Clock Tower came from.” Tatl had wondered about that just about every day since the adventure started. What if it never opened? What if Link was trapped in Termina? “There’s no reason we can’t still be friends, even if we can’t see each other every day. We can visit!” Tatl wondered how the old her would have reacted to this scenario. Tatl was still Tatl deep inside, but…she hated to admit it, but she felt herself going soft. Strange how this one kid could do that. The old her probably would have barfed at this sappy display.

The broken child stared at Tatl for an unnervingly long time, the fairy feeling as though he was trying to peer into her soul for the truth. Eventually, he spoke just two words. “Promise me.” He wasn’t sure he could bear it if history repeated itself. If Tatl did what Navi had done.

“If it will make you feel better…then fine, I promise you. Okay?” Tatl meant it sincerely but felt Link had calmed down enough for her usual snark to come back a bit. He did seem to be getting better since he stopped crying. His face was starting to regain color, and his breathing started to even out. He wiped away the remaining wetness from his face and, to her dismay, back on the mask of stoicism Tatl was familiar with. She wished she knew why he did that at all, but she had pried into his life enough for one day. “There, it’s all better now. Right?”

Link gave a small nod, even though he didn’t really mean it. He still felt miserable, and even more guilty for how he kept Tatl at a distance despite her openly hating it. “Tatl…I’m sorry I keep you at a distance.” He found it hard to look at the fairy, opting to look down at his sheets instead. “I was just afraid of…” Getting attached, was what he wanted to say, but couldn’t bring himself to.

“It’s fine. I understand why you were like that.” It was easy to figure out. If the two became friends and she left him like he clearly feared, it’d just make things worse. “Besides, I wasn’t exactly nice to you at first either.” She thought back to the times she accused Link of being some kind of friendless, freaky loner, and inwardly winced. “So, I’m sorry too, but don’t tell anyone I apologized, alright? Especially not Tael!”

Nodding, Link managed to look back towards the fairy again. “I promise.” He said, his voice now completely monotone again, as if nothing had ever happened. The boy underestimated Tatl’s capacity for kindness. She shattered his mask, sure, but she then went and helped pick up the pieces. Hopefully he could contain himself until the quest was finished.

The boy still felt a deep sense of humiliation after letting out his emotions in such a way. It had been months before entering Termina that he had cried last and he had hoped it wouldn’t happen again, especially in front of someone else. He also hoped that maybe since he let out so much of his anguish, it’d help keep his mask better intact for a good long while, maybe even for the rest of the quest. After all, there was less to bottle in. Link would hopefully be fine as long as Tatl didn’t somehow find out someone else from his past and he just had to luck out and not mutter anyone else’s name in his sleep…

After that, things went a bit quiet. The two weren’t sure how to proceed from there, so they tried to put what just happened behind them. They went to get some food from one of the town’s restaurants and spent the rest of their day in the Knife Chamber in relative silence. The air had been cleared, yes, but it was a bit hard to go from an emotional ordeal to their usual conversation, as little as there tended to be.

So, they didn’t say much, and this lasted until the dawn of the next day. Tatl watched as Link got his gear ready and eyed the Ocarina of Time. “You sure you don’t need more rest?” She asked, hovering by her friend’s shoulder. Neither of them had verbally agreed to it, but after what happened yesterday, it was all but impossible for the two not to consider each other friends. Especially with the promise that Link had Tatl make…

Link had nearly forgotten his lie that he was sick by this point, quickly remembering it thanks to Tatl. “I don’t want to stop things longer than I have to. We need to keep moving forward.” As much as he hated the idea of confronting Romani, Cremia, and Lulu again, it wasn’t like he had a choice. He especially hoped to cleanse the Great Bay in the next Cycle given he had to fetch Epona each time he went there, and that meant always having to at least deal with Romani. Maybe this next time, he could just take Epona and go if Romani went to fetch her sister again. Well, he had to rush, of course. The sooner they got to the beach the sooner he could get to Mikau and rescue him. Hopefully getting there sooner would allow him to save the Zora’s life! Link hadn’t even looked at the Zora Mask since this Cycle began, shuddering with just the thought of it being in his bag.

Knowing that a soul in mask form belonging to a person he failed to save was in his bag made Link feel sick to his stomach. It was far easier with the Deku, who he never got to meet, and Darmani since he had died before Link even entered Termina. But he was determined to save Mikau the next Cycle…but he also realized that even if he did, the poor Zora would die each and every time he didn’t go to the Great Bay for whatever reason.

In any case as Tatl gave a nod of confirmation. Despite his embarrassment of breaking down in front of her, he actually felt like a bit of a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders when it was done. Letting out all that raw emotion was almost liberating in a way. Yet just a day later, he felt the weight of misery pressing down on him again, a bought of depression that had struck him hard since he cleansed the mountains. He had no time to wait for it to pass, or rather he had all the time in the world, but couldn’t stomach making those that needed hm wait any longer.

Not just in Termina either. Though she didn’t need him, Link needed to find Navi, and he couldn’t continue his search until the Moon was stopped once and for all. He had to at least check in on Zelda first, having no clue how much time had passed since he entered Termina, and he once more pondered if this time travel somehow affected Hyrule was well. Had it only been three days since he fell into that massive, mysterious tree? Or had weeks upon weeks passed since then, with all of Link’s friends wondering just where he disappeared to?

Trying to wave those thoughts away for the time being, Link prepared himself for the confrontations he was about to have to face in the next Cycle. Ready as he’d ever be, he raised the Ocarina to his lips once more and played that beautiful song that made time turn back once more.

Chapter Text

Knowing that he had to go back to Romani Ranch so soon filled Link with dread.. It helped less than he expected knowing exactly what to expect there rather than being caught by surprise. This simply meant he had to dread every second until he faced the two sisters again. At the very least, he had the perfect reason to rush the interaction as much as possible. He had to get to Mikau as soon as he could to try and save the Zora’s life! If he at least knew saving Mikau could be done at all, it’d be a small weight off of his shoulders.

…Ignoring the fact he’d die each and every time Link didn’t go to the Great Bay at all…

As quickly as he could, Link got a Powder Keg from West Clock Town and used his Goron form to roll towards Milk Road. He once more destroyed the boulder blocking the path and went back to his Hylian form when the carpenter went off back to Clock Town.

While the boy dreaded every step he took within Romani Ranch, he couldn’t afford to drag his feet and take his time! Any second could be the difference between life and death for Mikau! Quickly, he reached Epona’s pen once more, the filly nuzzling against Link’s hand as he reached through the fence.

“You like that horse, huh? She’s brand new!” A voice called from behind Link, making his blood go cold as she spouted out the same words as the last time he was here.

One thing that Link noticed when going back in time over and over was how some people said the same words or phrases in the exact same way more times than he cared to count. Anju, for instance, usually asked about his parents when he went to her desk and tended to word it the same way each time. It was so unnerving to Link, seeing these people who he knew that didn’t know him saying the same lines again and again…

Steeling himself, Link turned to see Romani standing there just like last time, her dog wandering about and sniffing at the ground. He assumed that she would have noticed him approaching from inside or elsewhere, given the significant time gaps between their previous meetings. However, he was surprised to see that she had appeared at the same spot as he reached Epona. As he expected, even knowing that he was going to be seeing Romani, it didn’t make things any easier. It still hurt to see someone he cared for so deeply in the form of a copy that would always see him as a stranger.

This time, at least, he was able to speak for himself rather than having to rely on Tatl. Granted, it took him a second to find the nerve, and he wasn’t able to fully look Romani directly in the face, looking more to the side instead. “Yes. Epona is my horse and I lost her the other day.” He really just wanted to demand the gate be opened, but Romani still needed to be convinced that Epona really was his…or at least his for the time being.

Luckily, Romani seemed just as easily convinced as the last time. “Oh? Really? My sister thought it was weird that a young horse like her was all alone!” She explained, once more repeating herself from the last time. “She does seem really calm with you…she was pretty bad with my sister and I! Okay, I’ll go get the key!” With little hesitation, she rushed into her house just like before.

“Man, it’s really good how easily she believes us. Why are you rushing things so much?” The fairy asked, at least a bit glad she didn’t have to prod Link into talking this time.

Link never really explained this to Tatl, but he was surprised she wouldn’t have just realized. “The sooner we get to the ocean, the better of a chance Mikau has. I want to save him this time.”

Oh, of course. That made sense! Tatl remembered how Link had blamed himself the last time, despite Mikau insisting he was going to die anyway. “Look…just remember…the last time, he said he was a goner. Don’t get your hopes up too much, okay?”

Before the boy could respond, the house door opened up and Romani marched out with an accomplished air to her. “I got the key!” She declared, holding the small, rusty object for the two to see. The girl went over and opened the gate, cooing at how Epona instantly walked over to Link and nuzzled at him. “She really is your horse! That’s so sweet, I’m glad we could keep her for you…uh…what was your name again?”

Not wanting to spend any more time on the horrid ranch than he had to, Link hopped onto Epona. “I’m Link, but I have to go, sorry.” Without waiting for a response, he prodded the filly forward, ignoring how Romani called after him.

Tatl glanced back at the redhead, who ran after the boy for a few feet before giving up with a sad expression on her face. “Kinda feel bad for her, she looks pretty miserable that we just ditched…”

Link didn’t want to imagine Malon, not even someone that looked just like Malon, looking sad in any way. Shutting the image out as best as he could, he urged Epona to go faster. “Every second counts if we want to save Mikau.” Was all he said in response.

The trip to the Great Bay was just as fast as the last time and Epona leapt the fence just as easily too. Once more, Link had to slap her on the flank to get her to hop back over, realizing he’d have to do that each time he went to the ocean…

Following Link as he sprinted to the ocean, Tatl was preparing herself for Mikau to still be on death’s door like before. There wasn’t any time to get a Red Potion from that hag in the swamp, so the fairy assumed he was just going to die again. She really hoped Link didn’t take it too hard…

When the two arrived at the shore, Link scanned the water, looking for Mikau. He was ready to toss his fear of the ocean aside if it meant saving someone’s life, someone he now knew would die without his aid. Last time he hesitated, but he was above that now and he’d even use the Zora Mask to help, as morbid as that was to think about. Link barely paid attention to how the waves gently knocked against his boots or how the salty sea air stung at his nostrils. Instead, he just focused on looking for Mikau or the seagulls attacking him.

Except…

“Hey, where is he? He was in this part of the Great Bay, right?” Tatl asked, scanning the water as well, but seeing nothing. That flock of seagulls was pretty big and was all but impossible to miss! Yet the birds weren’t there, and the fairy even flew about near the water’s surface, but saw no sign of the Zora either. Flying back to Link, she started to grow concerned. “I don’t see him anywhere!”

But why? Where was he?! Link kept looking, but he saw no signs of Mikau at all! And he knew this was the right area! It had to be! The only thing he could think of was…! “Maybe we’re too early. Maybe he doesn’t appear until later.” Granted, it wasn’t all that much later in the day when the two arrived last time. They didn’t go to Milk Road as fast and had to make a trip for the Powder Keg, and then there was a few extra minutes spent at Romani Ranch. But that was it! Termina Field wasn’t as big as Hyrule Field, at least going to one of the areas in each compass direction, so the time difference really wasn’t that huge!

“We’ll just wait, then. And keep an eye out.” Tatl suggested, turning back to the ocean, but still not seeing any signs of the injured Zora.

Without much else to do, that’s just what the pair did. Link had the Zora Mask at the ready as they waited by the shore, the boy especially on high alert. Any time there was a larger wave of some kind, his gaze darted to the source of the noise, but Mikau was never there. Time went by painfully slowly, and eventually an entire hour passed but the Zora didn’t appear. “I don’t understand…” Link commented, looking up at Tatl. “Where could he be? We didn’t get here this late last time.”

Tatl was just as confused, scanning the water fruitlessly. Even if Mikau wasn’t too visible, that flock of seagulls was impossible to miss! There was no way the both of them could miss that! Nothing they did could possibly affect Mikau’s appearance either…unless…there was one thing. Slowly, she turned and looked at the Zora Mask and pointed at it. “…Is it that? His soul is in there…can two of someone’s souls possibly exist at once?” It was a farfetched idea, sure, but it was the only thing that made any lick of sense.

Link glanced down at the mask too, his blood going cold in the warm beach air. While he was of course familiar with souls, he was hardly an expert. Did anything Tatl just said make any sort of sense? He really had no idea! At the very least, he could see some logic in it. It’s not like there have ever been two or more versions of him and Tatl walking around, for instance. Maybe only one copy of a person, or their soul, was allowed to be in the same period of time?

But this meant that Link doomed Mikau. If he had just allowed the Zora to die on his own, there was at least a chance of him being saved in another Cycle. But now…if Tatl was right…then that one shot was it. Link completely ruined his chances of ever properly saving Mikau by turning him into a mask! And that meant Darmani III was gone forever too, his ghost surely now erased entirely!

With his own mask having broken recently and unleashing so much stress, Link was able to remain visibly calm, though inside he felt like he was going to throw up. “…So, he’s gone. Really gone. Forever.” The boy droned, keeping his voice level despite the despairing situation. Clearly, Mikau wasn’t showing up and apparently never would.  

Tatl frowned, wondering if Link would break again or not. “You shouldn’t blame yourself.” She quickly insisted, knowing that he was just about to do so. “How were you supposed to know that?” She still felt pretty bad for Mikau, just being erased like that! At least, in a way, he was living on…but then what happened to the Mikau of this Cycle? Did he ever exist at all? Did he just vanish when this Cycle started? Maybe it was best not to think about it too hard…

“It is my fault, though. I did this to him. And I can’t even fix it.” As horrid as Termina was, at least he was able to fix any mistakes he made. He had as many tries as he wanted to save someone or right some wrong…but Mikau and Darmani III were just…gone. Nothing he could do to help them! Even in a world where he could have as many chances as he wanted to make things right, he still found a way to permanently mess up…

“Link, that’s so unfair!” Tatl snapped, trying a bit of tough love since Link was in a better emotional state. “You’re really going to be mad at yourself for not automatically knowing this would happen?! You can’t save everyone! You’re not responsible for these people or what happened to Darmani and Mikau!”

Sure, he wasn’t quite so responsible like he was in Hyrule, there he was a Child of Destiny, he was literally handpicked by the Golden Goddesses to save the kingdom, and he screwed things up. Here, he just stumbled into the situation with the Moon and Majora’s Mask, but he was still the only one that could stop all the horrors Termina was facing. He may not be responsible, but he was the land’s only hope.

“It’s still something I did.” Link insisted, but realized he couldn’t stop and just give up. He still had so many other people to save. “We still need to get the eggs back.” Trying to move on from his guilt, just pressing it down as best as he could, he still wanted to help Lulu.

Tatl sighed, knowing that starting the argument back up wouldn’t help anything. “Fine, fine. Yes, the eggs. I don’t know why we went to Lulu last time, she couldn’t even talk to us. We’ll need to find someone else to talk to about how to get to the Gerudos…”

Link was glad Tatl suggested not going back to Lulu. He already had to face the false Malon every time he came to the Great Bay, he didn’t want to add the false Ruto to that list too. Even going back to Zora Hall was a nasty idea to him, though. So, thinking quickly, he pointed out the odd building out in the water with a giant hook on it. “What about there? If no one’s on the beach, what about that place?”

The fairy looked at the building and hummed. “The guy there is some kind of scientist…I mean he is closer so…why not? If he lives here he probably knows about the Gerudos a bit…”

Relieved to hear that, Link put the Zora Mask back on before Tatl could change her mind. Once more, his form was stretched and twisted into that of Mikau’s, the closest thing the Zora would ever get to living ever again. Ignoring the self-directed disgust, Link entered the warm, salty water. Thankfully, it was a very quick swim to the waterlocked building, Link not seeing any signs of fish or other living creatures beneath the waves.

Getting to the lower platform of the building, he climbed onto it and removed his mask. Tatl, just flying over, reached him at about the same time and perched onto his shoulder after the boy climbed the ladder. “What’s the scientist like? Is he nice?” Link asked, feeling like he should’ve brought that up before swimming over.

“I mean, I don’t really know him, but he seems nice I guess.” She and Tael only encountered him a few times, and it wasn’t like she wanted to hang around with some old guy all the time! “I don’t know if he’s even here anymore, I mean everyone else left…”

That was good enough for Link, who would rather take the chances with some unusual professor living in the water than risk seeing Lulu again. Without knocking, a concept still rather alien to him, Link simply opened the door and waltzed in.

Inside was a rather unusual home that didn’t look too comfortable to stay in. The first thing the boy and fairy noticed was a massive water tank that took up an entire wall of the room, but held nothing in it. To their right was a much smaller tank that, surprisingly, had a few red fish swimming around it. And on the left was a table with numerous vials and flasks full of oddly colored liquids. Like all the buildings they entered, there was a clock ticking away perched on the wall.

Standing by the table in front of a closed door was an elderly man, his back was hunched, and his face was a tad bit unnerving. His face was more like that of a goat’s, and his eyes were wide, but not from being startled, they seemed to just be that way and it was hard to look at. The man, surely the scientist Tatl spoke about, grinned at the two. “My, visitors? Haven’t had one in ages!” He exclaimed. “Who are you two?”

Link paused for a second because after taking a look at the man for a few seconds more, he realized that the man was actually familiar! He had only seen his Hyrulian counterpart once, so even with his distinct look, the boy needed a moment to recall. The boy had been able to make himself visit Lake Hylia a few times during his stay in Hyrule Castle, whether it was with Malon or Ruto. Being so close to the Water Temple made him anxious, but it wasn’t quite so bad compared to some of the other Temples. In any case, he saw the scientist from afar once, a hunchbacked old man that lived in a lab right near the lake. The two never spoke, but Ruto told him that the scientist had lived there for decades studying the body of water. Interesting how he lived at the ocean in Termina…

“My name is Link, and this is Tatl.” The boy introduced, gesturing to the fairy. “We were hoping for a bit of help.” It was good that the scientist wasn’t someone Link truly knew. Yes, seeing a familiar face was always unnerving, but he could put up with it relatively easily if it wasn’t a friend.

“Link and Tatl…I haven’t seen a fairy in ages! They don’t much like the water!” The scientist mused before shrugging the thought off. “If you need help about the ocean’s unusual nature, I’m afraid I can’t find the cause and can’t help you.”

The boy shook his head. “I need to know where the Gerudo are. How do I get into their hideout? Can you help with that?” If Mikau could get in, surely he could as well using Mikau’s form…

“What?! Why would you want to do a thing like that?! That’s so dangerous for a young man like yourself!” The professor crowed, eyes somehow getting even wider.

“It’s not us that wants to go in!” Tatl intervened, thinking a lie up fast. “A Zora friend of ours wants to go in. Some Zora Eggs were stolen by the Gerudo, and he needs to get them back. He just sent us here to ask for a way in. That’s all!”

Upon hearing that, the marine scientist took a few breaths, seeming relieved. “Oh, you nearly made my poor old heart give out!” He said with a light laugh. “I suppose if it’s a Zora going in, that’s not so bad. As it happens, I know how to get in. When I was younger, I discovered the hideout entrance by mistake. Those Gerudo pirates have been around for generations, you know!”

“Yes, yes, but how do we find it? Where is it?” Tatl pressed, wanting to get this egg situation done quickly. The two still had no idea where the Great Bay Temple was, but figured Link wouldn’t enter it without rescuing the Zora Eggs anyway. They could find that information out later!

“It’s to the south of here.” The scientist answered simply. “Not too far down the coast, but you can’t walk to it at all. It’s built into the stoneface, you see, a big metal fortress! Under the waves is an opening that leads right into the base! No idea why it’s there, but your Zora friend can get in easily.”

That sounded pretty simple! Link was glad for that much at least. “Thank you. We’ll tell our friend about this.” He didn’t like to lie, but it was better than leaving and coming back with the Zora Mask on.

“I wish him the best of luck. Actually…I say, he should bring the Zora Eggs here! If they’ve been far from their mother for too long, they’ll need extra special care.” The scientist explained, gesturing to the massive water tank. “Tell your friend to drop them in there, and I’ll make sure they’re nice and safe.”

The scientist seemed like a nice man, and what would he want with the Zora Eggs? Granted, what would the Gerudo want with them? Either way, the boy felt like he could trust the old man and gave a nod. “We’ll let him know, and he’ll be back as fast as he can, thank you.”

With that out of the way, the boy and fairy left the scientist as he kindly waved them off. After going back down on the lower platform outside, Tatl piped up. “Worked like a charm! Glad I thought of that lie, huh? I never actually went out that way before.” She mentioned, looking down to the south. “Tael and I just stuck by here or went near Zora Hall. I guess this means you’ll have to bottle me up, though…”

Indeed, Link had made sure to have an empty bottle just in case it was needed. “I’ll try and make the trip into the fortress quick so you won’t be in there for long.” He promised, taking the item out of his bag. “Are you ready, Tatl?”

“Hey, not so fast! How about we actually reach the fortress first?” The fairy insisted, floating away from Link a bit. While she was the one to suggest the bottle idea, she wasn’t exactly keen on entering one. She remembered hearing stories of nasty humans that would trap fairies in bottles and shake them or other nasty things. Then there were stories of humans that trapped Healing Fairies and forced them to use their magical properties as needed! Not that Tatl thought Link was capable of such things, but…

“That’s a good point. We’ll do it that way.” Link said, keeping the bottle out as he took out the Zora Mask and donned it once. After being forcefully transformed, he still had his empty bottle in hand for the last leg of the trip. Stepping into the warm ocean water, he looked up at Tatl. “I’ll stay near the surface so you can see me, okay?” After a noise of confirmation from the fairy, Link sank a bit below the surface and darted to the south. Even swimming as fast as he could, Tatl was still able to keep up with him easily. In a straight line like this, there was no creature he knew of that was faster than a fairy!

As the two went south, Link kept his eyes peeled for any sign of danger. There were apparently no fish in the area, but he was still weary of something attacking him from the murky waters. As he got farther from the shore and more into the open sea, he was especially anxious, feeling like he had to be aware of every direction at once or something would pop out at him! At one point, he even thought he saw something massive shifting in the distance…just close enough that he could vaguely see it in the murky water.

Yet, when he blinked, it was gone.

Thankfully, nothing impeded Link’s progress as he made his way to the south, and it didn’t take long before the two reached where the scientist had mentioned. Built into the rockface was indeed a giant metal structure, seeming to be little more than just a giant wall to hide the Gerudo’s base within. It didn’t look…right to Link.

Growing up, all the homes of Kokiri Village were made of trees, and it was all he knew for an entire decade save for the mysterious entrance to the Forest Temple. Then he left the confines of the Lost Woods he encountered houses made of dead wood and stone, the most stunning building being Hyrule Castle itself. When he first lived there, the stone walls and floors took some getting used to, the feeling of it against his feet or hands was a bit unnerving to him. Yet even that became normal for him after two years.

A structure made entirely of metal, however, was even more unnatural in his eyes. Metal was for weapons, shields, and armor, not to build a place for people to actually live! It seemed like it’d be so cold and miserable to be in that hideout for even a small period of time. Was the entire base like that, or was it just the wall…?

“Alright. This looks like the place. Ready the bottle…I guess…” Tatl still hated the idea of being put into one, but who knew what the hideout was like? She could fly over the wall, but who knew where the secret passage went to. The two of them could end up totally separated and unable to find each other!

Holding the bottle out of the water, Link uncorked it. “I’ll be as fast as I can.” He promised, watching as Tatl slowly descended into the bottle, hoping she would be okay. “Are you ready?”

“No.” The fairy bluntly confessed, voice wavering in fear. Even though the whole bottle thing was her idea, she was quickly regretting it. Tatl thought she could handle it, especially because she deeply trusted Link, but actually floating down into one made her feel ill. “J…Just do it! Hurry up!” She demanded, trying to steady her breathing so she didn’t use up all her air when the bottle was corked.

Link understood what was happening right away and felt bad for Tatl. He had the same mindset she did about the wall, though, and was afraid if she just went over as he went under, they may end up entirely separated! “Okay, just hold on…” Quickly, he corked the bottle and made sure it was in properly before diving under the water. Before doing anything else, he looked the bottle over, satisfied when he didn’t see any water leaking inside of it. Glancing around, Link saw a perfectly rectangular hole in the metal wall that went beneath the waves. It was far too accurate to be anything but manmade! But the false Zora also saw something troubling…

Skeletal fish, all swimming towards him!

Despite what Mikau said, there were fish coming at him! Or at least their skeletons! Given their eerie nature, they had to be monsters born from the curse! Even in the murky water, Link was able to see they had glowing orange eyes that made him feel anxious. Why did they always have to be orange?! Also, he felt his fins stiffen, seeming to react to the danger. They felt like they could give an opponent a good whack or a slice, but rather than do either of those things, Link instead swam around them. The skeletal fish snapped at him, but all missed as his superior Zora speed made itself useful.

The bottle clutched tightly in his hand, Link swam into the rectangular hole, the fish skeletons following him for a few seconds before losing interest or maybe just realizing they’d never catch him. At this point, the false Zora’s fins slackened as the danger passed, something he’d have to ask his companion about later on.

As the two escaped the unusual fish, Link and Tatl found themselves in a metal tunnel, one without a source of light, yet Link was able to see just fine somehow. Could it be his Zora eyes that allowed it? It made sense to him, he supposed. Though it wasn’t as though the darkness meant too much, as there wasn’t really anything to see in the tunnel. No branching pathways, no obstacles, no turns, just a straight shot for about half a minute. At that point, the tunnel went straight up, Link quickly ascending and hoped it lead to the surface. He had no idea how long Tatl could stay in that bottle!

The fairy was doing decently enough given her position. As soon as she saw those freaky skeletal fish, she screwed her eyes shut and refused to open them. Tatl did her best to just take shallow breaths to preserve the air for as long as possible, but she started to regret closing her eyes. Being trapped in a bottle was bad enough, but trapped in a bottle and not knowing where you were was worse. By the time she opened them again, the two were in the dark tunnel, and her small amount of light barely illuminated anything. At the very least, it soon felt like they were heading up! Just a bit longer in the glass prison, hopefully…

Before too long, Link and Tatl found themselves out of the tunnel and in a wider open span of water. Above them were objects moving about the surface which the false Zora quickly deduced were boats. Moving as far away from them as possible, Link slowly surfaced, only letting the top of his head peak out of the water. As he looked around, he lifted the bottle out of the water and let Tatl out.

As she flew out of the bottle, the fairy joined Link in looking about the place they found themselves in. Those objects on the surface were indeed boats, each having two women on them that moved the vessels about. Right away, Link recognized the sight of a Gerudo, the ones here in Termina mirroring the ones in Hyrule perfectly. Dark skin, red hair, piercing eyes, and even down to the poofy clothes that showed off their midriff. Over the last two years, Link had noticed a bit how nice pretty women looked…though he tended to be too busy with his internal struggles to think about it much. He just liked looking at them sometimes and he didn’t really know why…

Aside from the Gerudos, the two saw that the entire fortress was made of the cold, grey metal that the wall was. Walkways, ramps, and doorways were built right into the rockface, a small tunnel leading deeper into the fortress. There were some guards along these walkways and paths, but the two also spotted things like crates and barrels that were perfect to hide behind.

“This place sure looks friendly…” Tatl murmured, taking a few deep breaths now that she had all the air she wanted. “Glad I’m out of that bottle, though…”

“I tried to go fast, I hope it wasn’t too tough on you.” Link replied sincerely, only able to imagine what such an experience would be like.

Tatl tried not to smile at Link’s words, not that he’d easily be able to tell anyway due to her natural light. “Don’t worry about it, let’s just focus. I have no idea how big this place is or where those eggs might be…”

“Mmhmm…” Link was only half listening as he gazed at the Gerudo women before him. He recalled his run-in with them in Hyrule, and how he had been captured so easily! If it weren’t for Zelda’s aid, his quest could’ve ended right there. Since he started to live in the castle, the Princess told him that the Gerudo and the Hylians had drastically higher tensions than in the past. Many of the women were furious that Ganondorf was captured and executed, the race of thieves not yet having seen the true colors of their king.

For that reason, Link hadn’t gone to the Gerudo Desert, or even the valley near it, a single time since his quest ended. That meant he never saw any Gerudo women, not even Nabooru, in all that time. The two had only known each other for a very brief period, but the boy still saw her as his friend, and he at times wondered if she felt the same way. She knew of Ganondorf’s horrid ways, so she wouldn’t be mad at Link for aiding in his arrest. He just didn’t know if she ever really saw him as a friend or not. The boy also wondered if she tried to quell the anger of her fellow women, but Zelda had no information for him when he asked.

The boy’s thoughts were interrupted as Tatl loudly cleared her throat. “Hey, come on! Are you really ogling the women?! We have a job to do!” She didn’t take him as the type to do something like that…

Link glanced up at Tatl, shaking his head. “I wasn’t ogling. I was thinking.” Not about anything crucial to their goal, but it was still the truth.

“If you say so…” He was a boy like any other, his blatant mental issues aside. The fairy couldn’t blame him for staring a bit. “But anyway, I have no idea where to even start. It looks like this is just the outer area, so let’s head deeper inside!”

Shrugging off the awkward conversation, Link quietly nodded. Slowly and silently, he shifted around the outer edge of the area, keeping away from the Gerudo pirates on the boats so they wouldn’t spot him. Granted, he was probably safe in the water, but if they saw him, they’d probably be on high alert for a long while afterward which would make things pretty tricky!

Tatl even dimmed her light as much as she could, though she never really stood out in the daytime. Thinking of that, maybe they should have entered at night instead. Who knew if Link would even be that patient, though? And who knew what the Gerudo were doing with the Zora Eggs? Why even steal those things in the first place…?

It took a bit of time, Link moving slow and steady to make sure he wasn’t noticed, but he and Tatl made it to one of the ramps leading out of the water without being spotted. Thankfully, there were some crates nearby that the two ducked behind, Link removing his mask to make himself smaller and harder to spot. Glancing around the boxes, he and Tatl saw some Gerudo pirates patrolling the area, a few of them talking amongst themselves and not taking their jobs too seriously. With how tough it was for the average person to enter their fortress, they could hardly be blamed. It made the pair wonder just how Gerudo got in and out of their hideout. There had to be some secret entrance somewhere…

“You think I should act as a distraction? If they just see me, they wouldn’t possibly know that you’re here too.” Tatl suggested. Even with Link’s skills, she doubted he could handle fighting all the guards at once, let alone the inevitable reinforcements. And she knew he’d never be able to bring himself to seriously harm a human, there was just no doubt in her mind about that. It just didn’t seem like Link at all!

Link considered that for a moment, but he remembered how much the Gerudo back in Hyrule despised fairies. Was that something that carried over to Termina too? They could very well attack Tatl who would surely be able to dodge around the assault, but the boy felt nervous about risking it. “No. But you’re harder to spot, so I’ll need you to peek out and tell me when there are openings.”

Tatl decided to just trust Link’s plan. It was blatantly obvious he had been on a quest of some sort in the past. No one got that good killing monsters by just sitting around all day or even just training at some child soldier camp or something. His actions shouted loudly that he had a great deal of experience in all sorts of dangerous, unusual trials. Maybe he had even done some sort of infiltration before! “Alright, fine. Let me just study their patterns a bit…”

The boy ducked behind the boxes as Tatl watched the guards for a few minutes. Assuming these pirates had organized routes, there had to be some sort of window in there where the two could slip by. If there wasn’t, she’d have no choice but to be a distraction. Carefully, she eyed the guards one at a time, seeing where they went and how long they maybe lingered in one spot. She then tried to look in the general area all at once to see if they were any big gaps in their routine. It took some time, Link patiently waiting in his hiding place, but Tatl eventually felt like she had a grasp on it!

“You think there’s an opening?” Link asked when Tatl flew down behind the box with him. He was feeling pretty nervous, not sure what he’d do if they got caught. The best he could come up with is just donning the Zora Mask, sprinting to the water, and swimming away. Though this would still surely put the pirates on high alert, forcing the pair to either wait for a day to pass so the Gerudo calm down or just turn the clock back. Having to go back to Romani Ranch a third time so fast was hardly a pleasant thought…

Then there was the case if the two were caught deeper in the fortress. Sprinting back to the water may not be an option if they went in too deep, especially since there was no telling how large it even was. At that point a quick Song of Time could be the only option. This was assuming he wasn’t capture before then and stripped of all his items. At that point, all of Termina could very well be doomed if he wasn’t able to escape or get the Ocarina of Time back…

Once more, Link was shaken out of his thoughts by Tatl. “Yeah, I think so. It’s kind of a small timeframe, and you’ll need to hide a few times before we get to the next area.” It was lucky that there were barrels and crates along the way for Link to duck behind. “You ready?”

Link nodded, trying not to notice how hard his heart was beating. After a few moments, Tatl told him to quickly move forward. Keeping low to the ground, the boy moved as quick as he can, following the fairy’s instructions as he ducked behind a nearby barrel. All the guards had their backs to him, so there was no issue.

Slowly, the two made their way across the area, Tatl carefully picking the times for her and Link to move forward. Things went smoothly, though there was a moment where, after ducking behind a barrel, a pirate walked by it and lingered for a moment, her back to the pair. She just stood there, looking at something the intruders couldn’t see as they tried their best not to move an inch.

His heart slamming against his ribcage, Link especially felt the pressure. While he faced creatures in Termina that he did in Hyrule, found himself cleansing Temples, and even met copies of people he knew…this was just so similar to what he had done before that it struck him hard. Here he was, sneaking through the base of a group of Gerudo thieves as he tried to rescue something they stole away. He even relied on his fairy companion to aid him.

In his mind’s eye, he kept seeing the Gerudo fortress from back home, and he was practically able to feel the hot air and dryness of the desert around him. As he stared at the Gerudo mere feet from him, the boy had to stop himself from breathing too deeply, but it just felt like he wasn’t getting enough air! Without even thinking, he slowly moved his hand on his sword and gripped the hilt tight, prepared in case he was forced to use it.

Thankfully, Link didn’t need to use his blade as the Gerudo eventually walked off back to her route. After she was out of earshot, the two started to breathe normally as Tatl checked out the area to help her companion progress.

Nothing as stressful happened again as the two carefully progressed through the area. Despite that, Link was feeling himself grow increasingly stressed the entire time, paranoid that a Gerudo would look over at the wrong time and spot them. Yet, that didn’t happen, and after some sneaking, the pair arrived at the next area of the fortress.

This area wasn’t quite so guarded, the pirates probably assuming few would get this far. Despite the large area, there were only three guards patrolling it. Like the part of the fortress before it, it was made mostly of ugly grey metal that made Link uneasy. The major exception was a tower in the middle of the area made of wood. It had a bridge attached to it, leading to a platform with a door.

“Where do you think we should go next?” Link asked quietly as he ducked behind a nearby crate. The pressure was getting to him, and he wanted to be guided by his fairy companion like he used to be back in Hyrule! Things seemed somehow easier when Navi was guiding him along and telling him what she thought the best path was. Tatl didn’t do that as often, usually just giving him a direction to go to and trying to stop him from helping people…

Tatl had no idea why Link was suddenly asking for her advice, but she didn’t question it. “Mmm…I mean that tower looks important. The room its attached to could be important!”  Really, she was just throwing out an idea and had no idea how accurate it was.

In any case, getting there wasn’t too hard because of how few guards there were. Tatl spent a few minutes getting their route down before sending Link forward at the right time. Soon, he had climbed the ladder to the central tower and crossed the bridge as he and Tatl entered the unguarded metal door.

To little shock, the interior of the base was also made of the plain, cold metal. The two found themselves in a hallway where at one point was a small area with a barred window. Slowly, they made their way forward, there being no guards in sight nor ones that could be heard. Yet as they passed by the barred window, a woman’s voice yelled out that nearly made the intruders jump out of their skin!

“I’ve been waiting for you!” The women yelled, the voice coming from beyond the iron bars. Her voice sounded like it came from someone of authority!

Slowly and carefully, Link and Tatl looked through the bars to see what was going on. The two were able to peer into a room below them where numerous things of note could be seen. One was that there were several Gerudos in the room, and none were looking at the intruders. The shout was pure coincidence! Another thing of note was a large water tank that wasn’t as large as the scientist’s but was still massive. In it was a single large egg, surely one of the Zora Eggs! The third thing was there was a throne in the room, signifying this room was where the Gerudo pirate’s boss spent her time. Finally, there was a precious looking treasure chest up against a far wall.

The Gerudo who yelled, one in red clothing, was glaring at another pirate in white. This latter woman had her shoulder hunched as if in shame and gulped audibly before speaking. “I’m sorry, I came here as fast as I-”

“Just tell me if you have the rest of the eggs, Kohmi!” The pirate leader hissed, crossing her arms in an annoyed way as she spoke to her subordinate.

Shaking her head, the Gerudo in white, Kohmi seemed like she was afraid of her leader. “No, Buliara, b-but you see, it wasn’t our fault! The water is so odd and murky…and we were attacked by giant sea snakes!”

“Silence!” The leader, Buliara, sneered, causing the other Gerudo to flinch as if fearing being struck. “The Zoras will be looking all over for their precious eggs. If we don’t hurry, they’ll find them before we do! We only have four here now, but we have to get the other three before those snakes eat them!”

“Yes. Understood…” Murmured Kohmi, sulking as she walked off to the room’s exit.

“Wait.” The leader quietly commanded, stopping her subordinate. “You have to keep in mind how important this is! Those eggs are the only clue about the Dragon Cloud out at sea! If that imp in the mask was telling the truth…the Temple beyond the Dragon Cloud will have untold riches! We’ll be set for life! Now, go find those eggs!”

At the mention of the riches, Kohmi was in much higher spirits, saluting her leader. “Yes, ma’am! Understood!” She loudly declared as she left the room.

Link and Tatl moved away from the window at this point. The boy remembered Buliara back from Hyrule…she was the Gerudo he fought to free the carpenters! Suppressing those thoughts, the two learned so much just then! “Now we know why they want the eggs so bad.” Link said, speaking quietly in case the Gerudo below could hear. “There’s even one in that room with them.”

“And there are seven in all, three of them with some giant sea snakes! This is bad…” Tatl murmured but was more focused on something else. “The Skull Kid had to be the masked imp. I doubt there’s any treasure in that Temple. It’s probably a prank! That weird structure off at sea with the clouds must be what they were talking about…” So that was the Great Bay Temple the entire time!

“I think we should go for the other eggs first.” Link insisted. “The ones here have to be safe, but not the ones with the snakes.” Were there really snakes in the ocean? The thought alone was pretty terrifying to him! He recalled that massive shape he thought he saw in the water earlier…was that one of those snakes?

Tatl shook her head. “We don’t know where those snakes are, though. We should keep looking here for clues.” She paused as she heard a noise from beyond the bars. It was a buzzing sound! As she looked, she saw a nest on the ceiling, one home to Giant Bees! “As for getting to that egg, try shooting down that nest. The bees inside will scare them of!”

Link understood Tatl’s logic about where the sea snakes were. The ocean was just so massive, he felt like he could search for days and not find the snakes. At her mention of a hive, he nearly reached for his bow, but stopped himself. “We don’t know where this hallway goes. It could be the only way down to that room. If we scare them out, they might run right towards us.”

“Good point…we’ll scout ahead and come back to use the nest if we need to. Now come on!” Tatl insisted as the two went onward. Thankfully, no guards were in their path as the entered the room further down the hall. This room seemed to be a storage area with nothing but boxes, barrels, and sacks of foodstuff. There was one exception though in the form of a second water tank with a Zora Egg in it! “Hey! We found another one already, and it’s unguarded!” The fairy exclaimed. “How many bottles do you have, by the way?” The eggs seemed just small enough to fit inside of one…

Making sure he had a few empty ones for just this occasion, Link shook his head. “I only have three. Maybe there’s another one in here somewhere we can use.”

“I won’t give you the chance!” A woman’s voice called. The two turned to see a Gerudo had somehow appeared without their knowledge. She wore orange clothing, and in each hand she wielded a scimitar. “You thought no one would notice you trespassing?”

Link’s eyes widened as he instantly recognized the Gerudo as Aveil, the jailer from Hyrule that had been nice to him. Breathing heavily, he got his sword and shield prepared for a fight he desperately didn’t want. “Let us have the eggs. They aren’t yours and the Skull Kid is tricking you.” Of all the Gerudo, why did it have to be Aveil?! Knowing how much Termina loved to torment him, he was assured her name actually was Aveil!

“You expect me to believe someone that snuck into our hideout and trying to rob us?!” Aveil demanded, brandishing her blades. “If you surrender, I won’t hurt you. We’ll just take all your things and throw in the brig for a few days!” Her tone was so harsh, so much unlike the Aveil from Hyrule…

He had no idea if he could trust her at all. It was possible he’d never get this things back, or the Moon would fall before they even considered releasing him! “I can’t let you do that. And I don’t want to fight you. There has to be some other way.” Link flatly insisted, keeping free of emotion even in this situation.

Aveil gave Link a confused look, staring right into his dull blue eyes. From her expression, it seemed she was a bit unnerved regarding the boy’s appearance and mannerisms. “No way, you little freak!” She growled, wasting no more time as she started to close the gap between the two.

“H-Hey, you’re really going to fight a kid?! What’s wrong with you?!” Tatl demanded, flying up higher to avoid getting mixed up in the battle.

The fairy’s words fell on deaf ears as Aveil simply ignored her and swung at Link. Desperately, the boy blocked the attack with his shield, his arm shaking from the strength Aveil possessed. He let out a grunt of effort and managed to push her back, however, but stepped away from her rather than counterattacking.

“Not going to win like that!” Aveil barked, jumping at Link with an astonishing feat of acrobatics as she swung her swords in circles as she spun in the air.

Rather than even try to block the attack, Link ran from it and rolled out of the way before quickly getting to his feet. “Come on Link, you have to attack back!” Tatl exclaimed. “You don’t have to kill her, just cut her!”

Even that was tough for Link to do. He remembered when he fought the Buliara of his world and how he never actually cut her. This time, there was no promise that he could get away if he managed to beat his opponent, so he wasn’t sure if that would work! Maybe if he became a Goron, he could subdue her…but with the immense strength of that form, he could very well kill her by accident…

It looks like he had no choice.

Link charged Aveil, swinging his sword at her, but she easily blocked it and parried, nearly wrenching his weapon from his hand! Last time he had to do this, he was an adult wielding the Master Sword…but now he was smaller than his opponent and wielding a far less impressive blade!

The boy backed away as Aveil sliced at his side in a wide horizontal swing, but he wasn’t cut! Just like last time, he was saved by a blessed tunic. While the attack still hurt and would surely leave a bruise, it didn’t actually cut him as he was sent stumbling a bit.

Thankfully, Aveil was startled by this enough for him to get his footing. “A magical tunic, eh? I’ve never seen one before!” She admitted, growing more amused.

In a desperate display, Link dashed forward and sliced at her arm, the attack swift and shallow while actually managing to hit! The wound wasn’t remotely severe, though blood started to ooze out of the wound, much to Aveil’s fury as she kicked Link in the chest, sending him sprawling. As he tried to get up, her swords came down in an ‘X’ slice, which he blocked with his shield.

Once more, his arm shook as he blocked Aveil’s attack, and he let out a grunt as he slammed his foot into her leg, causing it to buckle a bit and the attack to stop enough for Link to roll out of the way. Once more, he attacked desperately, not wanting to hurt Aveil, but having no choice.

He swung in a horizontal arc as Aveil started to get up, his eyes widening as the blade neared her throat! But it was too late to stop the attack as his sword grew closer and closer to the exposed flesh. Link’s heart practically stopped beating as a flash of light reflecting from a weapon temporarily blinded him and he felt blood running down his face.

Scampering back, he looked to Aveil in horror, expecting to see her throat slit open and her lifeless corpse on the floor…but that’s not what he saw. He saw his opponent standing mere feet from him, panting but very much on her two feet, her throat entirely untouched. In fact, there wasn’t a second wound on her.

So why was blood running down his face?

His entire body felt numb, and he reached up and dabbed his finger onto his cheek, pulling it back to see the familiar red of blood. Not Aveil’s? There was something else sliding down his face, but he didn’t reach up to see it. Link started to feel dizzy, so out of sorts that he barely noticed Tatl screaming something at the top of her lungs. He didn’t even comprehend what she said. The boy was just so confused. Whose blood was on his face? What happened? Why was his body so numb?

Why couldn’t he see out of his right eye?

Chapter Text

All was still at first as Link, Tatl, nor Aveil seemed willing to make a move. The only sound was Link’s increasingly heavy and desperate breathing as he stared at the blood on his hand. If it wasn’t Aveil’s then it had to be…his…? But…he wasn’t…

In an instant, a stabbing pain pierced Link’s right eye and spread through his entire body.

Normally, he kept himself composed with the pain, but he couldn’t this time. Dropping his sword, he let out a loud, agonized scream of pain as his left hand flew over his eye, his stomach lurching as he felt something squish against his palm. He collapsed, falling onto his back as he continued to scream, the pain overwhelming him as his mask shattered in a mere second while tears streamed down the left side of his face.

“Link! Oh, Giants! Link!” Tatl cried, flying to her companion as he writhed on the floor. “Are you okay?! You have to stand up! Move your hand! Let me see!” She kept yelling out, her brain scrambled as she tried to work out what to do and how to help.

The sight had been horrible, the fairy witnessing Aveil slice Link right in the eye! From where she was, she knew she saw a chunk of it running down his face along with the blood! They had to get out of here and fast! Tatl felt so sick to her stomach and so awful for Link as he cried uncontrollably as he kept squirming on the floor, not seeming to have heard her at all.

It seemed this took Aveil completely off guard as, for a moment, she just stared at the two. After a moment, she readied her sword and took a step forward. “Okay, time to finish this…” She declared under her breath.

Tatl noticed Aveil’s movement and turned to see her approach. In an instant, the fairy was in the air between the Gerudo pirate and Link. “What are you doing?!” Tatl demanded, glaring daggers at the woman. “You won! The fight’s over, okay?!” She was furious that the warrior wanted to strike Link down when he was writhing in pain, and tears stung her eyes. “What’s wrong with you?!” She despised Aveil with all her being! How dare she do this to Link?!

“Move out of the way, fairy! I’m going to end this!” Aveil demanded, snarling at Tatl. “This boy is an intruder. If you prefer, I can just lock him away for the rest of his life. Which will it be?”

The fairy couldn’t believe what she was hearing. How could anyone be so horrid? The Skull Kid was corrupted, so that was one thing, but the Gerudo woman had no such excuse. Her light turning red, enraged tears streamed down Tatl’s face.

“He’s a child!” The fairy screeched, darting forward and slamming herself into Aveil’s right eye. Tatl then darted backwards as the Gerudo recoiled and took a step back, but the fairy quickly dove in and kicked the same eye again. While Aveil tried to swat or slash at Tatl, the small creature was way too fast to be hit. “You’re talking about a kid! He’s not even a teenager yet, you monster! What’s wrong with you?!” Tatl demanded again, panting a bit as she backed off, not risking an attack on the Gerudo’s eye anymore. Honestly, she was surprised at herself for this. Never before had she put herself in harm’s way to attack someone on Link’s behalf.

Speaking of Link, he didn’t seem to be entirely aware of what was going on. He hadn’t said a word, though the screaming at least settled a bit, and he was mostly just sobbing from the agony. The boy was staring up at the ceiling, whimpering, and taking large gulps of air as he tried, and failed, to calm himself down. “Help…Help…” Link finally murmured, but his voice was so quiet that he wasn’t heard.

“Just…let us leave, okay? We’ll never come back! You’ll never see us again!” Tatl both pleaded and demanded as her light went back to normal. “You won’t get anything out of killing my friend, right? Please, just let us go…Link is too hurt to be a threat…”

Even though Tatl was a mere fairy, getting struck in the eye over and over caused Aveil some noticeable pain, keeping her right eye closed as it went bloodshot from the impacts. Yet rather than being furious at the assault, the warrior seemed…ashamed. Gulping heavily, she looked between Tatl and Link, staying quiet for a good few seconds. “…He is just a boy, isn’t he? He never should have come here.” She said so quietly that Tatl barely heard her. With a huff, Aveil turned her back on the two. “Leave. Now. I won’t pursue you. I won’t tell anyone I saw you. If you get caught by someone else, I won’t help you.” Without another word, she left the room in the opposite door the intruders came in.

Tatl was rather shocked that Aveil had a change of heart like that. Perhaps the Gerudo really needed a verbal reminder that she was dealing with a child. Not giving it any further thought, Navi darted toward Link. “Okay, we have to go. Right now!” She felt horrible for rushing him, but the sooner they left, the sooner he could get help. Leaving the normal way was of course out of the question. With his damaged state and the way he’d possibly keep sobbing, the two would be discovered in no time. “Play your Ocarina! I know it hurts, but please try! It’s the only way…” As she said this, she pressed herself against Link’s hand, the one he had over his wound.

The contact helped Link snap out of his trance. Gasping with shuddering breaths, he continued to stare at the ceiling. “It hurts…It hurts…” He moaned out, never having experienced a pain quite like this one. “Navi! Navi…Navi…! Navi, please help me…!” Link moaned out without even realizing it. After a moment, he was composed enough to let out a “Tatl…!” as he let out a sob.

The fairy felt her blood go cold when Link mentioned Navi. She was sure he did it by accident, and that alone nearly made her heart break. “I know it hurts, but you have to be strong for just a minute!” Tatl insisted, trying her best not to break down sobbing herself. It just shattered her heart to see Link sobbing from pain like this. She didn’t care that Aveil let them go, she’d hate that woman for the rest of her life!

Link tried to gather himself, but it was just so hard! It seemed like no matter how much he tried to breathe, he couldn’t get a proper lungful of air! He felt so sick, like he would vomit at any moment! Shakily, he slowly sat up, Tatl floating off his hand so she was in front of his face. “I need help…” The child blurted out, not able to fully think straight from the pain and dizziness. It was to the point he didn’t even feel distraught over his mask shattering, it hadn’t even crossed his mind!

“I know, I know…” Tatl assured him gently. “Just play the Song of Time and we can get help, okay?” There had to be someone in Clock Town that could do something! Trying not to panic, she watched as the sniffling boy got his sword and put it away along with his shield. It was slow and a bit awkward since he seemed unwilling to take his hand from his eye. Yet when he got the Ocarina ready, he had to use both. Tatl couldn’t bear to look, keeping her eyes on the blue instrument instead.

Trying not to break down crying again, Link raised the instrument to his lips. Slowly, awkwardly, he tried two times to play the Song of Time but couldn’t get through it. Forcing in a few deep breaths, he concentrated as hard as he could and played it right, turning back the clock. He and Tatl felt themselves fall through the flow of time yet again and they were back in front of the Clock Tower.

Link let out a sob, staggering forward as he covered up his eye again. “Help…Help me…” He choked, a few people stopping to look at the child with blood and more running down his face. Before he could say another word, Link collapsed, prompting some people to yell out to him, for Tatl to scream his name. His world was getting dark, Tatl’s continued cries and the shouts of someone to get a doctor being the last things he heard before he lost consciousness.

Tatl let out another scream as her friend fell unconscious. “Link?! Link, get up! Get up!” She begged, flying down and tugging at the tip of his ear, which of course did nothing. Frantically, she looked at the crowd that had gathered, the people looking to Link in shock and horror as they mumbled amongst themselves. “What are you doing?! Help him! He needs a doctor!” The fairy screamed, light turning red as everyone just stood there and looked on in confusion.

“What happened to him? Who is that?” One of the construction workers that had wandered over asked. “There’s blood all over…”

The fairy couldn’t believe her ears! “Who cares?! He needs help right now! One of you help him or I swear I’ll…!” She was so frustrated, she couldn’t even finish her sentence!

It turns out that Tatl didn’t need to finish as voice piped out in the crowd. “What’s going on here?! What’s the commotion?!” Surprisingly, Mutoh pushed his way through, eyes widening as he spotted Link’s unconscious body. “What’re you idiots doing?! This kid needs help!” He growled, moving to Link and, without hesitation, scooping him up.

Of all people to come help, Mutoh was one of the last Tatl expected! His reputation as a grouchy man was greatly deserved and the fairy was no stranger to hearing his cursed-filled rants. Relieved, she flew up to the man, her light returning to normal. “Thank you!” She blurted out. “Please, get him to a doctor!”

Apparently, Mutoh hadn’t realized Tatl was there, flinching a bit as she flew towards him. “A fairy?! Well, whatever. If he’s your friend, then come on, I guess!” He demanded, turning and pushing through the crowd with the unconscious Link in his harm, demanding everyone move out of his way.

“It’s going to be okay, Link…It’s going to be okay…” Tatl assured the boy, flying by his ear. She had no idea if he could even hear her, but she had to at least try. It was terrifying to her to see his body so limp and lifeless, all covered in blood and…and…

She could barely even look.

Tatl didn’t exactly think Link was invincible or anything but seeing him with such a serious injury truly rattled her. It was another reminder that he was just a kid, and he wasn’t supposed to be doing things like fighting monsters or pirates. Some adult should be saving Termina, not him. Knowing his attitude, even if someone else stepped in and offered to do the fighting, Link would reject the offer and insist on doing it himself. That was the idea Tatl got, at least.

The fairy wished she could go back and give her past self a slap on the head for tormenting him the way she did. He was one of the last people to deserve any issues with the selfless way he seemed to want everyone he came across. It wasn’t like he wanted the fame either. As soon as he helped someone, he just moved on. What had happened to him to give him this attitude? It seemed so unusual to her…

As Mutoh carried the boy into West Clock Town, Tatl made a promise to herself that she wouldn’t let anything like this happen to him again! She couldn’t fight, but she couldn’t stomach it any longer to just sit by and watch him get hurt. Somehow, someway, she’d continue to help him, even if it was just someone he could talk to and rely on emotionally. Not that it seemed he’d want that, but she’d try to make him!

The doctor was soon reached, who was appalled at Link’s condition and got to work right away. Tatl wasn’t able to watch the process, turning her back to it, but answering the questions the doctor asked, if a bit vaguely. She didn’t go into detail about the Gerudo warrior specifically, just saying Link was injured with a bladed weapon.

By the time it was done, Tatl wanted to cry as she saw Link in his eyepatch.

Being far kinder than Tatl expected, Mutoh then scooped the boy up and asked Tatl where he lived. She told him she was from far away, but had a reservation at the inn, which the carpenter boss carried him to next. The building was open by the time the two arrived with the unconscious child. When Anju saw the boy and heard what happened, she went pale and very nearly fainted. But with Tatl’s explanation, the woman got the key to the Knife Chamber and unlocked it for them, Mutoh helping shed Link’s equipment, boots, and hats as he settled him in bed. Anju, caring as always, gently tucked him in…and simply sat there staring at him.

“What a horrible thing to happen to a child…” Anju murmured as she sat the bed’s edge, Mutoh having long gone. She looked up to Tatl, floating above her unconscious friend. “I’m glad he’s alive, at least, and has a room here to rest…”

The fairy didn’t expect Anju to linger, but it didn’t surprise her. She remembered how involved the innkeeper got when Link was sick. “I am too, I just…I felt like I could’ve done something…” Tatl didn’t expect to open up to Anju, but she couldn’t stop herself from blurting it out. She supposed it hardly mattered, the woman wouldn’t remember this anyway.

“I don’t know exactly what happened, but I’m sure you did your best.” Anju insisted without hesitation. It seemed she assumed the best of everyone she met. “He’s lucky to have a friend like you.”

Tatl almost laughed at that. After harassing him, calling him a freak, screaming at him, and failing to help him, she was about the worst friend someone could ask for. “If you only you knew…” The fairy murmured, too quiet for Anju to hear.

Link had zero knowledge of what happened around him once he passed out. He didn’t hear Tatl trying to comfort him, nor did he feel the pain of the doctor working on him. As he stirred into consciousness, all he knew was darkness, but then the voices came…

“I hope you don’t mind me staying. I don’t want to intrude, but I’m so worried…”

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it.”

“I just wish I knew what happened to him. The poor boy! Are you sure you won’t tell me the details?”

“That’s…it’s kind of complicated. Just please don’t ask him, okay?”

“Mmm…I suppose if that’s for the best. It’s like I said, he’s lucky to have you.”

“That’s…mmm…”

“Oh! I think he’s stirring a bit!”

“Link? Hey, Link! Come on, wake up!”

A mild, but pulsing headache was the first thing Link noticed outside of the darkness and the voices he heard as his consciousness started to truly fade back in. He then realized he was in a bed, one he instantly recognized as from the Knife Chamber given the dozens of times he slept in it. Blinking a few times, the world swam into view, and he saw the ceiling. His vision was blurry and a bit…off…and he tried to blink more to get things into focus. It only worked a bit, but it seemed like his field of view was lessened…

He then realized someone was sitting at the foot of his bed, and he had a good idea of who it was. Slowly, his body feeling heavy and sore, Link sat up a bit to look. That small action was more difficult than he expected, nausea filling him as his body cried out to just stay still and rest. Still, he sat up anyway. As he did this, the boy kept blinking to make his vision return to normal, but something was just off, and he was too groggy to work it out. There at the foot of his bed sat Anju, with Tatl floating by her shoulder. The innkeeper wore an expression of blatant worry that Link hated, it made him feel like he was a pest…

“Tatl…? What happened?” Link asked, the headache of his pulsing harder as he spoke, the soreness present on the right side of his face. With his episode over, his voice took on its monotone nature once again.

The fairy let out a breath of relief as Link sat up and spoke. There was this small part of her that was almost scared he’d never wake up. Sure, the doctor said he’d live, but Tatl was just so stressed at that point the paranoia got to her! “You don’t remember? We…arrived at Clock Town and you passed out.” She nearly caught herself mentioning time travel with Anju right there!

“Our doctor patched you up. Luckily you had this room booked, so a nice young man carried you here.” Anju explained. “I’m sorry for intruding, but I was just so worried…” Not that her expression hid that at all. It still had that blatant look of pity for the child before her.

Link didn’t remember anything since he passed out, but stumbling about in South Clock Town seemed barely familiar. “I see. I appreciate it, giving me a place to recover.” He just wished she’d stop looking at him like that!

“Um…Anju, is it okay if we talk alone?” Tatl asked, not normally so overtly polite, but she was so exhausted and emotionally shot that she couldn’t muster the energy to be even remotely demanding.

The innkeeper didn’t seem to like the idea…but she nodded anyway and stood up. “I really shouldn’t impose any longer, should I? I’ll be back later with a meal for you, alright?” With a light bow, the redheaded woman left the two alone in the Knife Chamber.

With Anju gone, Tatl let out an exhausted sigh. “Link…how are you feeling? Do you hurt anywhere?” The fairy asked, floating closer to her friend.

That just left Link confused, wondering why Tatl needed to talk to him alone. “What’s wrong, Tatl?” He was grateful Anju and her pitying gaze were out of the room, but he was sure the fairy wasn’t aware of that issue he had with it. As for talking about physical pain, he was fine with that, it was never something he felt ashamed of. “I feel sore all over, especially right…” The boy reached up to place a hand over his right eye and when his digits brushed against cloth, he retracted his fingers. “Tatl? What is this?” There were no mirrors for him to look in. It’d explain why he couldn’t see out of his right eye, though…

Tatl felt panic rise in her chest, feeling she had to be the one to tell him. Anju was filled in, but she didn’t want the innkeeper to interfere with this talk. “Link…your eye was really hurt bad by that Gerudo woman. It was bleeding and…” She shuddered and forced herself to keep going. “…Link, you were taken to a doctor, and he did everything he could to help you. He really did all he could! There are just no Red Potions here, so…”

Link didn’t understand the issue. Doctors healed people, he knew that much as Zelda told him about them during his stay in the castle. “So, what happened? When will my eye get better?” There must have been a patch over it, that’s the cloth he felt, right?

Not knowing how to word things, Tatl just spat it out. “Link, you don’t have that eye anymore!” She blurted out, feeling like she was going to be sick just from what she said. “It’s…gone. The eye is gone. The doctor removed it.”

For a second, Link didn’t even register what Tatl said.

His body was perfectly still, the boy not even breathing. As the words sank in and he realized the weight of what Tatl said, his blood turned to ice, yet his skin felt hot. What did she say? His eye? Gone? He could feel it hurting right that second! “Tatl, that’s not funny.” Link managed to breathe, unsure of what else to say.

Tatl felt like she just got slapped in the face. How could he think she’d joke about something so serious?! For a moment, she wanted to scream at him, but then a heavy sense of pity took over. “It isn’t a joke. Even if there was a Red Potion, it wouldn’t have mattered. That Gerudo woman, she…she tore out a huge chunk of your eye with that swing of hers. Even potions can do so much…” It wasn’t like they could regrow fingers or anything like that…

He didn’t want to believe this was real! It felt like a horrid nightmare, but the pain he felt was too sharp to be part of some dream! His breathing started to quicken, the boy feeling dizzy as he barely managed to get an actual breath. Once more, his mask simply shattered as panic rose within him. “It’s all gone? It’s…all…gone? It’s gone?” Link kept asking, his brain firing off every which way, but his mind not knowing how to process things.

The boy felt like he was going to die. His vision became blurry again, hands gripping the sheets as he tried to make sense of what he was just told. Injuries were nothing new to Link, but losing a body part…! Tatl said something to him, but the ringing in his ears drowned out her words as he let out a whine of fear, his eye swiveling about in its socket as he had trouble focusing on any one thing.

Tatl tried calling Link’s name, but he didn’t respond at all! “Hey! Come on! Link, try to calm down!” She yelled, not sure of what else to do! At that moment, she wished she was bigger if only to hold onto the boy and try to soothe him. It wasn’t like she could say anything to help. What was there to say? Was she supposed to tell him losing an eye wasn’t all that bad?!

Link didn’t even hear her, his hand reaching up to his missing eye and claspin it over his patch. Without even noticing, tears started to stream out of his left eye, unaware that even his tear duct on his right side was damaged and couldn’t produce tears anymore. This idea that something of his was just gone forever was so terrifying to him! On top of that, if his eye was gone, why was it still sore?! He could feel a throbbing pain in his right eyeball! It was there, clear as day!

His mind then wandered to his quest. How was he supposed to get through it with a massive blind spot?! The danger he had to face just got twice as deadly, and he didn’t think he could get through it! After all, he just lost an eye even when he was at full strength, now he had half his vision snuffed out…

“I can’t…I can’t…” Link sobbed out, not thinking about his words, and just letting his unfiltered thoughts spill out. He didn’t even react as Tatl hugged his cheek, the child rocking back and forth as he broke down for the second time within the Knife Chamber. Link told himself he wouldn’t let this happen again, yet he couldn’t last a few days…

The two sat there with each other for some time, Link sobbing until his tears dried up and Tatl trying to comfort him with little success. Eventually, the boy sniffled one last time as he calmed down enough to actually talk properly. His mind during his crying session was mostly muddled, and he was still barely able to even grasp the situation. He lost his eye, and he’d have to live with that for the rest of his life. A sense of self-disgust rose in him, this idea that he was incomplete being very horrid to him. He already felt he wasn’t whole due to Navi’s absence, that a void in him would swallow him hole…but now he lost another chunk of himself…

Tatl felt lost and useless, not knowing how to help her friend through this. She felt such an intense pity for Link that seemed to grow with each day. The fairy already gathered he had a miserable life, then she saw him break down, and now he lost an eye and broke down again. It seemed like life itself was just out to get him, and he didn’t deserve any of it. How was she supposed to help him? This was so beyond her and it actually scared her because she knew she had to be there for him. No one else would be…

Link finally managed to take a few deep breaths as he stared at the fairy fluttering in front of him. “I’m sorry about that.” Was the first thing he could think of saying, his voice uneven and still emotional, his mask not put back together yet.

“You’re really going to apologize for that?” Tatl asked with a light sigh. Who apologized for freaking out after losing an eye?! This kid, apparently. “But you know, the doctor did the best he could. There was just nothing he could do…” She shuddered as she recalled the injury. When Link was struck, he of course bled…but the other thing that slid down his face was a chunk of his eye! Just thinking about it made the fairy want to vomit…

“I assumed that. I’m not mad at him.” Link assured, trying to calm himself further, but he still felt on edge. What was almost the worst part of this was that he had no idea what to even do. How did he go forward? What was his next plan of action?

Tatl nodded, knowing Link was too nice to be angry at someone trying to help him. “After he patched you up, he fled Clock Town. He was on his way out before you were carried to his office, so he made an exception for you. Before he left, he just said for you to rest and gave you some medicine to dull the pain for a while.”

Whatever the doctor did, it seemed to be fading because his entire body felt a bit sore, not even just his eye or his head. Exhaustion filled him, like he had just spent an entire day running around. “Okay. So, we can go back to the Great Bay tomorrow.” The boy replied simply.

“What part of rest don’t you get?!” Tatl snapped without thinking. She couldn’t help herself, and her anger stemmed more from worry than anything else. “You need to recover! Do I have to remind you that you just lost your eye?!”

“I can’t just sit here. Lulu and her eggs need me.” Link responded, not minding Tatl yelling at him. He knew why she was doing it, though it was still a bit surreal. No matter how worried his friends in Hyrule got, they never yelled at him. A part of him appreciated their gentleness while another part was annoyed at how fragile they thought he was.

The fairy couldn’t believe he was being difficult now of all times! Though she supposed it wasn’t much of a shock. After all, she had to basically force him to rest when he got that fever. If it were up to him, he would have kept going up that mountain and probably would’ve died! “Yes, you can! Do you even know how exhausted you look right now? You probably couldn’t even make it to the Great Bay without tiring yourself out!”

She was right, of course. Even talking was pretty draining for Link, and he felt if he shut his eyes…eye…he’d instantly fall asleep. The only time he ever felt fatigue like this was when he was sick or after really difficult battles. “…You’re right. Tomorrow I might feel better, though.”

“But you probably won’t. I’m not letting you out of that bed!” Tatl promised, flying very close to Link’s face. “Can’t you just do this for me? You’re in no condition to go anywhere!”

Link didn’t want to wait anymore. They kept running into obstacles and halting their progress. Or rather, he kept halting it. He was the one that insisted on trying to cleanse the South over and over again. He was the one that got sick. He was the one that dragged out going to the Great Bay for so long and then interrupting their progress there twice. So much time was being wasted, and he had to get back home and look for Navi again!

…But he knew Tatl was right.

The boy was in no condition to go West and he was just trying to be stubborn. Even tomorrow was too soon if Link’s exhaustion was anything to go by. Despite his wishes, he had to stay behind and recover. Withholding a sigh, he nodded. “Okay. I’ll say and rest. We’ll see in the next Cycle.”

That was a lot better! The doctor never really said how long Link needed rest for, but three days seemed like a good amount. “Okay, good! You should go back to sleep, then. Anju should be back before too long with some food.” Tatl glanced at the clock, seeing it was a bit past eleven. Those five hours while Link was unconscious practically seemed like an entire day…

“I have a question first.” Link replied, staring down at his hands, unable to look at Tatl as he asked the question. “Was Anju in here the entire time?”

Not a question Tatl was expecting! “Yeah, she was. Her face went all pale when she saw you at first when me and the guy that carried you in told her what happened. After you were put in bed, she tucked you in and stared at you until you woke up…so why do you want to know that?”

Anju really stayed with him all that time? Link recalled the innkeeper’s mother saying it was almost nice when she got distracted from Kafei. When the boy got sick, it was Anju that checked in on him and seemed genuinely concerned for him. It was embarrassing to be treated like that…but it was also nice in a way, too. No one else in Termina really cared about him except for Tatl. The only ones that did only liked him when he did something for them first. Link hated how cynical that was, but he couldn’t help thinking that way.

“Oh. I was just curious.” Link replied vaguely as he started to settle into bed. “I didn’t think I’d wake up to her.” As he said this, his head hit the pillow and, despite the thoughts swimming in his head, he instantly fell asleep.

Tatl wasn’t sure she bought that answer as she stared at the sleeping child. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the eyepatch, the white square bandage that covered a horrid wound. It really rattled her that something so permanent happened to Link, almost made the quest seem more real than it was before. Yes, it always seemed real, but they could pause it whenever they wanted to in order to rest. The Moon still neared Termina, but otherwise Clock Town was safe. Now there was a constant reminder that Link was vulnerable and any monster or human he fought could wind up killing him.

Another thing that crossed the fairy’s mind was the people waiting for Link back in Hyrule. There had to be someone there he called a friend, though the boy was naturally very private regarding this. All she knew about was Navi, whom Link was trying to find. For those he called friend or family, how would they react to seeing him return missing an eye? They’d assuredly feel as disturbed as Tatl had been, if worse…

Feeling a wave of exhaustion herself, Tatl fluttered over to her own bed, nestling on its pillow. All Link needed was rest, so she could get a nap in while he slept. As much as Link had gone through, the fairy found herself fatigued as well. Within moments, her eyes closed and she too found herself asleep.

---

Link let out a tired noise when he heard a light knock on the Knife Chamber’s door. Once more, he blinked himself awake as pain coursed through his body, stemming from behind his right eye socket. And like before, he was groggy and exhausted, his left eye burning from a lack of good sleep. He had no nightmares, but the nap he had felt…empty, somehow.

There was another knock, and Anju’s voice came from behind the door. “Mr. Link, are you awake? I have some lunch for you.”

Blinking a few times, Link found it hard to get a good look at things around him. As he looked to the door, he noticed something was off about it, and it took him a second to realize it seemed a bit farther away than it always did. The boy had seen that door from his bed more times than he could count, so he quickly realized something was wrong.

“Yeah, you can come in!” Tatl’s voice rang out from her side of the room. Link didn’t even notice she was awake, and he had to turn his head entirely to see she was even airborne. The fairy flew over to him as Anju opened the door and entered the room.

As before, Anju made zero effort to hide the pity in her eyes when she looked at Link. In her hands was a tray with a bowl of soup, a glass of milk, a bread roll, and an apple. “I hope it tastes okay. I’m not the best cook, so I also have some things I didn’t cook at all.” She explained, placing the tray on Link’s lap as he slowly sat up. “How are you feeling, Mr. Link?”

“Link is fine.” The boy didn’t like being called Mr. like that. He knew it was something adults were called, and the less he was treated like a grownup the better. “Thank you, Anju. I’m sure the food will be okay.” Even with his exhaustion, he managed to pull his mask back together. The shock of losing an eye surged through him, but he had to keep himself composed, he couldn’t show how terrified he was due to his loss.

“Hey, I’m hungry too! Can I have some of your bread, Link?” Tatl asked, only just realizing how hungry she was. Glancing at the clock, it was a bit after noon, so now wonder!

Knowing how much she despised Anju’s cooking, Link nodded. “Sure, okay.” He noted that Anju once more sat on the edge of his bed, apparently she was going to be sticking around. When reaching for the bread, Link felt himself squint without meaning to and his hand just…missed. His hand went right past the bread and hit his sheet.

“Uh, you okay?” Tatl asked with a frown. “Just grab the bread, okay?” The fairy wondered if he was just groggy. She watched as Link reached for it again, but again missed, and he then felt up his leg and to the tray, not pulling his hand away. Soon enough, he reached the bread which he finally managed to pick up.

“I’ve actually heard of this long ago…” Anju piped up as Link took off a sizable piece of bread. “I remember a guard that lost his eye to a monster when I was a little girl. He couldn’t do his job so well anymore because he couldn’t see things so easily or aim. I didn’t think of it until just now, but…”

Link felt a nasty pressure on his chest as he slowly placed the two pieces of bread onto the tray. That simple action took him three tries. Looking back up at Anju, he realized that she, like the door, looked farther away than she should be. He tried blinking his eye a few more times, but nothing changed. Things looked…flatter, in a way. It wasn’t something he really noticed before, so shocked by what happened to him that everything around him looked like a blur anyway…

“This is permanent?” He asked, having to turn his head to look at his gear, specifically his bow and arrows. If he couldn’t even handle bread, how was he supposed to fight?! The Gerudo he fought managed to do this to him when he had both eyes. What would he do with only one? Not taking into account all the other perils he’d have to face? “It doesn’t get better?”

“I’m not an expert, sorry.” Anju replied, seeming to regret bringing it up in the first place. “I think it will, over time. Really, I don’t know much else.”

Tatl rested on Link’s tray, grabbing at the piece of bread he ripped off. For him, it was small. For her, it was nearly the size of her body. “Link, I’ve seen you do a lot of crazy stuff. You can overcome this! Just gotta rest up first!” She was worried he’d break down again…maybe she needed to shoo Anju out of the room?

Rather than break down, Link kept his mask sturdy. If he had to get used to things, maybe even train himself, it wouldn’t be so soon that he went back to the Great Bay! He had to be entirely sure he could handle it, or else he may end up losing his life instead of just an eye to the Gerudo. “I hope so.” Was all he said in response, reaching for his spoon. Like with the bread, it was hard for him to grab it, and he felt embarrassed as Anju and Tatl watched him struggle. With a few attempts, though, he managed. Actually, getting the spoon into the soup wasn’t nearly so bad, it being a far larger target. Slowly, carefully, he ate his meal, trying to ignore the others.

The fairy was pretty surprised at Link’s stoic nature just then. How did he so quickly repress his emotions like that?! A bit over an hour ago he seemed ready to have a breakdown, and then it seemed like he just didn’t care! She realized he hid himself away, but how dedicated he was to it was unnerving to her. It also baffled her because he already broke down in front of her twice, so he knew she knew he wasn’t just some emotionless doll. What did he gain out of pretending he felt nothing?

Link didn’t notice how much he was disturbing Tatl as he ate his soup. Even with the larger target of the bowl, it still took him some effort to eat it properly. He found it easier not to focus on the spoon as it came back to his mouth, as its distance always seemed off. It either seemed too close or too far away. Still, when he worked slowly, he was able to do it right.

Without warning, Link felt a hand on the top of his head. In a split second, a fear that his life was in danger overtook the boy as he felt his blood go cold. Flinching, his head snapped up to see Anju retracting her arm. He took a few deep breaths, eye wide as the innkeeper gave him an apologetic look.

Anju’s expression quickly turned into one of guilt as she glanced away. “I’m sorry. It’s just…after what happened…” She cleared her throat. “Things were so hectic, and, well, I never asked, but are your parents in town?” The woman asked as she looked back to Link.

Was that what it was? She just wanted to comfort him? Being touched so suddenly like that nearly sent him into a fight or flight mode, especially given what just happened to him. Link couldn’t be mad at her, though, since he knew she just wanted to help. “They aren’t here.” He replied calmly, looking back down to his soup. “Please don’t ask about them again.” Normally he wouldn’t mind her prying, but at the moment he wasn’t willing to tolerate it.

Despite how calm Link was over it, Anju lightly flinched like he screamed at her. “You’re right. It isn’t any of my business. I apologize.” She quickly said, getting no answer back from Link. As he ate his soup again, she slowly reached out and touched the top of his head again. This time, he didn’t flinch, and she gently stroked his hair on the top and back.

Slowly, the boy kept at his soup, refusing to look back up at Anju. A part of him wanted to demand she stop…but it wasn’t like he hated what she was doing. In fact, it was the fact that he enjoyed it that upset him. He knew it made him look pathetic and needy, but he couldn’t bring himself to speak up. A comforting touch from another human…it had just been so long.

Tatl just watched it unfold, slowly eating her bread. She felt no need to intrude during situations like this, unknowingly differing heavily from Navi who would have spoken up quickly. She was surprised Link didn’t tell Anju to stop…but she supposed even he had to seek some sort of a comfort no matter how emotionless he acted. If it weren’t for how dire things just became, the fairy would have been tempted to tease him about it later…

Link had to wonder, as he slowly ate a meal cooked just for him, comforted by a grown woman…was this what having a mother was like? Was this what most other children got to feel when they were upset or hurt? Saria was similar to a mother for Link…and he couldn’t help but see a bit of her in Anju. Kind blue eyes and even their hair is done in somewhat similar styles, even if the color is different…

“What was it like, having a mom?” Link asked, sitting in the garden with Zelda. The sun was bright, but Link didn’t feel its warmth. It had only been a bit over a year since he lived at the castle, his mask reformed, though it sometimes broke.

The Princess looked at Link, a small flower she had plucked twirling in her fingers. “Link, you’ve asked me that before.” She patiently pointed out. “And I know my experience with my own mother differs from the usual Hylian. Why do you ask again?”

Link shifted in place, feeling like he had upset Zelda despite it being clear he hadn’t. “It’s something I want to know about.” He replied simply.

There had only been one occasion where Link talked to the Princess about his parents. She had asked directly if he knew anything about them, and he told her he had no idea. It was never actually said, but she assumed that one or both of them were dead. If he was raised by the Kokiri, he had to get into the Lost Woods somehow. Legends said the Father of the Forest sometimes took pity on children…but never adults. Anyone that was with Link as he was left in the Lost Woods was assuredly a spirit now…

“You miss them, don’t you? They’re gone, aren’t they?” The Princess asked bluntly. In most cases, she allowed Link to ease himself into talking about personal things. With this, though, she hoped since it wasn’t directly involved in his quest, he may open up.

Indeed, the boy was taken a bit by surprise at Zelda’s unusual directness. Gulping, he stared at the grass. “…My mother is dead. I don’t know about my father.” He wasn’t sure why he felt like he could open up about this. This was the second time Zelda asked about his parents, and the only time she actually asked if they were dead. “I miss my mother, but not my father.”

That made sense to Zelda. It was something she noticed about Link, how much more comfortable he seemed around women than men. At times, he wandered around and followed some of the female servants, but never the male ones. It also seemed like he preferred when Ruto visited than Darunia. Him missing his mother over his father was just another part of the pattern. “And…she died for your sake, didn’t she?” It felt rough to ask such questions, but she wanted Link to be able to speak of such things. She guessed what she did given she couldn’t imagine Link would miss his mother if she had simply abandoned him in the woods or something similar.

“…She did.” Link replied after a pause. He felt stress building up in him along with heavy misery. “She died trying to take me to the Great Deku Tree.”

Slowly, Zelda placed a hand on Link’s shoulder, feeling guilty when he flinched. “You know…there are places called orphanages. It’s where children without parents go to get adopted…to get taken in by couples. I’m sure my father would be willing to skip past the orphanage stage. He could put out word you’re looking for a home, a mother. I’m sure you crave a more normal life, don’t you?”

For a moment, the paranoid side of Link thought Zelda wanted him gone. That thought lingered, but he tried to focus on the idea that she just wanted to help. It was useless, though. Who would want him? Why would anyone want a broken child? Despite his efforts, tears started to form in his eyes. He didn’t want a new mother. He didn’t want a replacement. “I don't want another mom, I just want my mom…I want her…” Link choked out, feeling foolish and knowing he'd never get to see her. “”I want my mom…I want my mom…” He kept repeating before breaking down in a harsh sob. His mask broke so easily, it seemed, and he couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of humiliation…

Zelda frowned, rubbing the broken boy’s back…and the idea was swiftly abandoned.

“I’m glad you enjoyed your meal.” Anju said, collecting Link’s tray as she stood up. Though a small smile graced her lips, the concern in her eyes was unmistakable.

“Thank you.” Was all Link said in response. He felt embarrassed, still, at how slowly and carefully he had to eat. Each spoonful of soup took what seemed like ages, and he had to feel along his tray to pick up the rest of his bread, his apple, and the milk. The milk especially he was not willing to try and just reach for. If he spilled it over, he’d have felt humiliated, more than he did by having to be so overly cautious.

Tatl remained quiet throughout the meal, only speaking up when Anju finally left. “She really cares about you, you know. I don’t think she’s just being polite.” She said sincerely, thinking it’d make Link feel better.

“I know.” Even with the general paranoia he had, Link couldn’t wave away the woman’s excessive kindness as anything but genuine. It wasn’t like she owed him anything or got anything out of it.

“…I think we’ll need more than this Cycle. You’ll have to get used to just the one eye.” The fairy mentioned. “It could even take weeks…and I’m not letting you go West until you’re ready!” Tatl promised, hovering in front of Link’s face. “Promise me! Okay? Promise me you won’t go West until you’ve gotten used to this!”

As much as he hated to wait any longer, Link knew Tatl was right. If he tried to go in the next Cycle, it’d surely turn out horribly. “I promise. Tomorrow I want to try and practice moving around.” As it was, he already felt another wave of exhaustion. “I’m going to just rest for today.”

“Good idea. Just get some sleep.” Tatl assured gently, trying not to sound too sorry for Link. She knew he’d hate that. “I’ll help you out…somehow. I don’t know how, but I will, okay?”

It almost felt like Tatl was replaced by an entirely new fairy sometimes. He couldn’t imagine the fairy he first met in the Lost Woods acting even half as kind or patient. “Thank you. I just need some sleep now…”

He nestled into his bed again, really starting to fully realize this was forever. His eye was gone, he’d need a patch, his vision was cut down, his ability to tell distances was damaged…and who knew what else? Despite these harrowing thoughts, his fatigue didn’t let him contemplate any further and the boy was soon fast asleep once again.

Chapter Text

“I’m glad you enjoyed your dinner. Have a good night.” Anju said with a small bow as she took Link’s tray and left the room.

The boy didn’t say anything, just watching the innkeeper leave. His nap had lasted a few hours, and he spent the rest of the time simply staring at the wall until Anju came in with his dinner. He and Tatl didn’t really say anything, as it felt like they had said everything they needed to. Link’s head hurt a bit still, but the aching of his entire body had mostly faded away by this point.

He noticed that Anju hadn’t touched him during his second meal. No pats on the head or anything like that. But she did sit there and watch him the entire time, that blatant look of pity on her face as he slowly ate her meal. A few times it seemed like she had wanted to say something, but she was never able to make herself speak. Really, Link was fine with that. Her actions during lunch already made him feel somewhat uneasy, so her backing off a bit sure helped.

“So, you still want to train yourself a bit tomorrow?” Tatl asked, breaking the silence. “I still want to help with that, but I wouldn’t know how…” It really felt like she did just about nothing to aid Link on his quest. Begging that Gerudo to spare his life along with some small bits of information had been about all she did for him. From this point on, she really wanted to do more…she just didn’t know how. Flying into the face or eyes of enemies seemed so terrifying to her, but she knew it wasn’t fair that she expected a child to go ahead and fight some opponents off. Especially now with his handicap…

“Tomorrow.” Link clarified. “Until then, I want to just rest.” His body was aching as much, but he still felt pretty weak. No telling if that was physical or emotional exhaustion…or some mix of both. “I just need to go downstairs to the restroom.”

Tatl recalled how hard it was for Link to grab his spoon or glass of milk. “Uh, you sure you can handle that?” If just eating made him take his time, how would going down the stairs fare for him?

“I don’t have a choice.” It wasn’t like he could hold it in all night! “There’s a handrail, so I’ll be fine.” Even if he didn’t say it, he appreciated her concern. He wished he could just stay in bed, but nature called…

“Oh. Uh, yeah, I guess that’s true. I’ll just wait here.” The fairy was worried for him, but not so much she’d follow him to relieve himself.

Link slowly swung his legs around over the edge of the bed and silently counted down from three. When he did so, he carefully stood up, almost instantly feeling dizzy as his somewhat shaky legs just managed to support him. He hadn’t stood up since he collapsed that morning, so his light difficulty was hardly a shock.

Carefully, with small steps, he approached the door as he walked on his shaky legs. It wasn’t so bad that he felt he’d fall over, but he also didn’t want to risk taking any bigger steps. When he got to the door, he slowly reached for the doorknob, but even being careful he managed to miss it and tap the door with his hand instead. He didn’t look to see if Tatl even noticed, feeling embarrassed no matter what. Withholding a sigh, he slid his hand to the knob and opened the door.

The hallway was empty, Link hearing muffled conversation from one of the other rooms. Getting to the staircase, he gripped the railing and looked down to the bottom, feeling nervous. It was just a staircase. Not a big deal. He had faced so much worse, so he once more felt humiliated, this time simply at his feelings.

Again, he tried to be cautious, and took the descent one stair at a time. One foot at the top stair. Then the other. One foot on the second stair. Then the other. He was going down like a toddler did, too scared to do it the normal way. But he felt like he shouldn’t! If someone saw him going down the stairs like it was some scary feat, it’d really make him feel awful. Taking a risk, he tried going down the staircase normally.

His foot slipped.

Link barely had time to let out a gasp, his grip on the rail slipping as he tumbled! Instinctually, he threw his arms around his head, to protect it as best he could. His body bounced and spun as he fell, the noise loud enough that everyone in the inn surely heard it! The short ordeal was an entire blur, and the next thing he knew, Link was at the bottom, his body aching all over.

The Hero of Time can’t even walk, it seems.

He had no idea why, but Sheik, or rather Zelda’s, words rang out in his mind as he laid at the bottom of the stairs. His entire body felt like one large bruise, but he was still able to tell he suffered no severe injuries. No broken bones to go with his missing eye.

“Oh! Are you okay?!” Anju’s voice rang out, and within a moment, the innkeeper was kneeling by Link’s side, placing a tender hand on his back. “That sounded like such an awful fall!”

Before Link could answer, another voice called, this time from the top of the stairs. “Link?! You’re not hurt, are you?!” It was Tatl, having squeezed through the keyhole as soon as she heard the commotion. She flew down to the boy, hovering near Anju as she looked him over.

For a second, Link was paralyzed. Not from the pain, but from the embarrassment he felt. He couldn’t even handle a simple staircase?! And now the two were doting over him like a helpless child. He found he couldn’t answer right away, the fall taking the air out of him. After a few seconds, he managed to shake his head. “I’m fine. I’m fine…” He assured, slowly standing up and managing not to wince. While his whole body seemed to throb, it was nothing like the pain he went through upon losing his eye. “I’m sorry. I should’ve been more careful.”

“It’s quite alright.” Anju insisted, still looking at Link with that pity-filled gaze that he hated so much. “Are you really sure you can move? Do you need help?”

Link really wanted to yell at Anju to leave him alone. He wanted to shout at her that he could handle himself, and that he had to go through things she could never even imagine. It wasn’t like he didn’t understand she just wanted to help, but it still made him so angry, and that did make him feel guilty. Normally it wouldn’t get to him so much, but he was just so out of sorts…

“No. I’m really okay. I can walk.” Link assured once more. He then turned to Tatl. “You can wait for me in our room, I’ll be right back up.”

Tatl knew Link was okay, she personally saw him take much harsher abuse and get right back up. On top of whatever else he had to deal with in his past, a fall down the stairs was nothing. “Yeah, alright. That fall just sounded rough…” Was all she said before going back to the Knife Chamber. She knew lingering on the issue would probably just annoy Link, but she had to see if he was okay…

Ignoring Anju’s concerned expression, Link slowly walked to the restroom as the redheaded woman sighed softly and went back behind the desk. After he did his business, Link paused on the walk back in the middle of the empty hallway. There on the wall was a mirror, and he realized he hadn’t seen his own reflection since he lost his eye.

A white, square medical patch covered his right eye, and tiny bits of a scar poked from the top and bottom of it. His other eye was akin to a doll, void entirely of any sort of emotion or life. The shadows underneath seemed worse than ever; despite all the rest he was getting.

The boy turned his head back and forth to make sure no one else was approaching. His curiosity gnawing at him, he removed the patch and looked at what laid underneath. The eyelid closed, he was able to see a nasty vertical scar from where the Gerudo struck him, one he felt was never going to fade away. He was about to put the eyepatch back on, but he just had to see…

Bracing himself, he slowly opened his right eye, and his stomach churned at the sight.

There really was no eyeball left at all. Instead, it was simply red muscle from the back of the socket ‘staring’ right back at him. Even with that grizzly sight and the explicit lack of an eyeball, it still seemed so surreal that he couldn’t see anything to his right. He simply had issues accepting that a part of his body was simply gone…

Despite himself, Link shuddered and quickly closed the offending eyelid and put the patch back on. He felt like he’d have to walk around with that patch for the rest of his life. No reason anyone else had to see what was under it! Still sore from the fall, Link went up the stairs nice and slow. He really made sure to grip the rail hard and took his time more, having both feet on each step before he went to the next.

When he opened the door, Link saw Tatl hovering there, clearly waiting for him. “Before you ask, I’m fine.” He said as he closed the door, so very sure Tatl would ask about the fall. “I’ll be more careful on the stairs.”

And he had guessed right. Tatl was about to ask if he was really okay, and couldn’t really blame Link for cutting her off before she could even speak. “I get it, I get it.” She assured, watching as the boy went back in bed. “You, uh, haven’t thought of a way I could help you tomorrow, did you?”

That was actually something he thought about a bit, and it wasn’t like he had any idea of how to help himself. “I want to try doing normal things over and over. Like just grabbing things.” That alone was somewhat of a challenge, but surely if he kept trying, it’d get easier. “I need to be careful about my blind spot. Could you move around the room so I can try and follow your movements?”

It was always a bit weird when Link said so much at once…but Tatl shrugged that thought away. “Yeah, I mean I asked for a reason! I…really want to help, you know? I mean hey, I owe you one…you saved my life, remember?” She never forgot how he stopped a Keese from eating her and she yelled at him. Sometimes Tatl really wanted to go back in time and slap herself across the face…

Link remembered that too, he recalled how genuinely angry her attitude made him. He’d never hold a favor he did over someone’s head, but being yelled at for saving someone’s life had just been too much. “You don’t have to think about it like that. I’d want you to help because you really want to.”

Tatl couldn’t help but let out a brief laugh, shaking her head. “Sure, okay. I should’ve known you’d say something like that. But…uh…” The fairy knew what she wanted to say, but she wasn’t sure she could spit it out…but she wanted to try! “…I…uh…well, I mean, if you need help with…anything, really, you can ask me, you know? Nothing wrong with asking for help…” It felt so awkward for her, but she just wanted to do things for Link! He had done so much for her and for others, but no one ever seemed to return the favor. It seemed like Anju was the only person in Termina that went out of her way to treat him well…

Taken aback a bit, Link wasn’t sure how to respond. Was she hinting at something? Tatl was so vague about what he could ask help with, so he suspected she couldn’t just come out and say it. Chances were it was about opening up given her multiple attempts to get him to reveal things about his past. Just assuming that would probably make her upset, though. “Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind.” After a pause, he kept going. “I appreciate you’d offer.”

The fairy couldn’t help but feel happy at Link’s gratitude, even though it was given in the same flat tone that he always spoke in. But hey, it was something! She really didn’t know what she was getting at when she said ‘anything’ but she wouldn’t mind lending an ear if he wanted to open up or vent. Anyone that spoke to Link for ten seconds would realize he had a lot of issues and she wondered if he had anyone at home to talk to about them…

“Well, uh, anyway, you should get some rest. Falling down the stairs didn’t exactly help.” The fairy suggested, floating over to her own pillow. She wasn’t tired enough to go to sleep for the night yet, but Tatl was slowly getting used to spending dull hours in the Knife Chamber…

Link simply nodded without a word and slowly settled into bed, managing not to wince at his sore body. Whenever he closed his eye, he was haunted by the image of the red, muscley socket that he now had. He tried his best to not think about anything, still reeling a bit over how drastically his life changed in such a short period.

Eventually, he fell asleep, his slumber plagued by nightmares that he forgot when he awoke in the morning…

As the rain pattered on the roof of the inn, Link was brought breakfast by Anju soon after he woke up. She had never done this before, but it was obvious why she did things differently this time. The woman asked how Link was, to which he gave a blunt, short response that he was fine. His body was still sore, and bruises had appeared where he hit the stairs the previous day.

Like the last time Link ate, Anju watched him the entire time, the fruit and berries she brought shared with Tatl. She didn’t touch him again, but it looked like she wanted to say something, but apparently thought better of it and just watched on as he ate. With a quick wish that he felt better, she took the tray and left after the two guests ate their fill.

For the next few hours, Link tested himself.

As he confessed before, he wasn’t entirely sure how to go about it. To him, it seemed logical that if he kept practicing the things that gave him trouble, he would improve over time just like with any skill. He started off simple, placing a bottle before him and trying to grab it like he’d normally be able to. Over and over, he found his hand missing the object or just hitting his hand against it because he thought it was farther than it really was. Trying to think of all possibilities, he moved the bottle to different places on the bed in front of him so he couldn’t accidentally cheat and just memorize where it was. He even placed it on its side just to change its shape and how he’d go about picking it up.

While it sounded like a simple, tedious activity, Link found himself growing weary before too long. His remaining eye strained and ached from him focusing with it so hard, even getting a headache as the eye had to do all the work it’d normally share with its twin. He chose to ignore this and just kept practicing, sometimes swapping the bottle with something else like his hat or one of his masks just to switch things up for himself.

Tatl watched on in silence, thinking that cheering Link on would break the boy’s concentration and just annoy him. He didn’t seem to take basic things like compliments or motivation all too well, so she kept her mouth shut. She noticed he sometimes glanced over at her when he failed at something, and Tatl had the idea that he was embarrassed, maybe even checking to see if she’d laugh. Normally, watching a kid pick up, or fail to pick up, objects over and over would be amusing at least for the oddity of it, but not in this case! She just wanted him to succeed and improve!

Truth be told, Link had no idea if these exercises were even helping at all. He didn’t expect his eyesight to ever return to normal, and he didn’t think it’d improve to a more manageable level in just a few hours or even a few days! The boy just wondered if doing this over and over would actually do anything or if he was just wasting his time. He recalled how wielding a sword or using a bow came unusually naturally to him, so it had been some time since he had to practice things. Saria teaching him to play the Ocarina happened so long ago that he couldn’t recall the lessons, so he was generally going blindly into this…

Link was so absorbed into his practice that he actually flinched when there was a knock on the door. As it happened, it was already a bit after noon, the time melting into itself and passing faster than he anticipated.

To the surprise of Link and Tatl, it was Anju’s voice that called out. “I have your lunch, may I come in?”

For a second, Link was just surprised that Anju was even there. Every other Cycle she was out on a walk by this point. “You can come in.” He called, watching the door open as the redheaded woman entered. She seemed initially confused at the sight of Link kneeling by his bed with a hat and bottle in front of him. However, she was clearly too polite to ask as she carried a tray of food into the room, with the same lunch as the previous day on it.

“It’s good to see you out of bed. Well, um, you know what I mean…” Anju said awkwardly, clearly thinking about Link falling down the stairs. In fact, she looked him over, and her gaze lingered on some of the bruises on his arms and legs as the boy got back under the covers. She offered a smile as she placed the tray on his lap and sat down on the bed. “Are you feeling any better?”

That was kind of a hard question to even answer. Did one ever get better from losing an eye? The thought of it still made him sick to his stomach. “I don’t really know.” He answered honestly, once more tearing up some of his bread to give to Tatl. It, to his annoyance, took him two tries to even grab it.

“I see…” Anju replied, not seeming sure on how to respond to Link’s non-answer. For a few minutes, there was an awkward silence as Link and Tatl ate while the innkeeper watched. Gripping her skirt, as if nervous, Anju broke the quiet atmosphere as he was finishing his meal. “Link. I’d like to ask you something important…” She trailed off, and looked at the child, but said nothing else.

It took Link a second to realize she was awaiting permission. “What is it?” He really didn’t know. Nothing regarding Kafei, that was certain…

“My mother and I spoke this morning, and…we agreed to go to Romani Ranch tomorrow to evacuate.” Anju explained, sounding forlorn at the concept. “We plan to invite our guests to come with us, should they want to. Would…you like to come?” Just like the last time she asked, the innkeeper placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder.

Link was starting to get confused. Anju’s schedule was just all wrong. She wasn’t going on her walk, and the last time they had this talk, it was dinnertime. At that moment he at least understood why she skipped her trip to the Laundry Pool. More than when he was sick, Anju was just concerned for Link and apparently didn’t want to leave his side. Maybe, somehow, this shift in her attention made Anju and her mother decide to leave Clock Town earlier? He had no idea, but he couldn’t think of any other situation.

For once, Link was planning on staying until the last day, as most of the time he reversed time before that point, hating the idea of seeing the Moon so close or feeling the tremors as it approached. The shaking of the ground made it so even holing up in the Knife Chamber was enough to ease himself. Still, he was going to remain this time around because the idea of walking through a crowded South Clock Town and making his way to the inn made him feel dizzy just thinking about it.

Still, there was a part of him that found it all but impossible to simply turn Anju’s offer down. As useless as he felt fleeing was, surely the Moon would destroy all of Termina, her wanting to take him to perceived safety was touching to him. People in Termina were generally either rude to him or was only nice to him if he helped first. Anju was just so different, and was always wanting to help the boy the second she laid eyes on him. This Cycle she even abandoned her walk to privately cry about her woes just to take care of him.

Once more, he had to wonder if this was what having a mother was like.

Unable to refuse Anju’s offer, Link slowly shook his head. “I appreciate that. I’ll go with you. When would we leave?” He felt like if he rejected her kindness, it’d truly, genuinely make her sad, and he wasn’t willing to do that to her.

Anju let out a sigh of relief, giving the child a warm smile as if he had just made her day. “Good! Um, I mean I’m glad. Tomorrow, around when we usually open. That’s when we’ll be leaving. Is that alright?”

Even when speaking of such an important event, Anju asked if the exact time was okay with him. She was so selfless! Again, Link nodded. “That’s fine with me, thank you.” Her smile faltered, but only a little, as the boy didn’t answer further, simply finishing off his meal.

“Thank you for your kindness. For your offer and the meal.” Link said, wondering if his flat delivery made his words of gratitude lose their impact.

“Of course. It’s no trouble.” Anju replied, taking the boy’s tray and leaving him and Tatl alone once more.

The fairy had decided to remain silent during the entire exchange, just focusing on her bread for the most part. Sometimes she liked to just stay out of things and sort of…study Link. His behavior fascinated her, especially when he was forced into a conversation with someone else. “Why did you accept the offer? You did that last time too.” Tatl pointed out.

“I didn’t want to make her sad.” Link answered honestly, choosing to look at the door rather than his friend.

Tatl picked up that Link really took a liking to Anju, not that she blamed him. He had no problems being blunt and direct with others, and while he had done that with the redheaded woman a few times, he still treats her better than most other people they interact with. Link always defends her any time Tatl makes an insult, mostly involving her poor cooking skills. He kept insisting on helping with Kafei, and had to be talked out of dropping the case. And then he kept sparing her feelings, even though he had no issues brushing off others, even fleeing from an upset Romani on horseback…

Heck, maybe he had some sort of innocent crush on the woman, the idea of which made Tatl grin a bit. She couldn’t blame him either. Anju was sweet, pretty, and very caring. Though the idea of someone as emotionally repressed as Link forming a crush was almost odd to the fairy. “Well, okay. But we’re not actually going, right?”

“No. We’ll turn things back before we’d leave.” Going to Romani Ranch was harsh on him, so he’d avoid going there unnecessarily if possible. Just knowing he’d have to go there at least one more time to clear the Great Bay was enough to make him feel sick to his stomach…

The next few hours were like the previous few. Link spent his time working on trying to do things normally even with his missing eye. Tatl flew about the room, and Link did his best to track her movements. Following his request, she tried to enter his new blind spot as much as possible, to make it more challenging for himself. He almost felt silly, just trying to stare at the fairy as she zipped about the Knife Chamber, but he knew it was important. Any opponent he faced with the slightest bit of intelligence would go for his right side. Link had to get used to the idea of keeping an eye on that part of him as best as he could. It felt surreal, not being able to just glance and see things to the right of him like he could before. In fact, he kept trying to by sheer muscle memory.

After Tatl’s aid, he simply tried walking around the Knife Chamber, sticking close to the table and chairs in the middle of it to try and train his depth perception. The boy found it was hard to tell how close or far he was from objects, and by the end of this training, he had banged his feet and shins against the furniture what he considered an embarrassing number of times. He even tripped and fell, but thankfully it apparently wasn’t loud enough for anyone else in the inn to hear or feel the need to investigate. The fact Tatl saw him fumble about was bad enough…

The fairy knew this sort of thing was embarrassing, and kept any sort of comments to herself as Link moved about the room and made mistakes. No laughter or snide remarks. Normally something like this would be funny, but the context just made it tragic…

Eventually, dinner came around and Anju brought Link and Tatl more food, which was quickly consumed. The kind woman reminded the two of the early departure on their way out.

“You need another night of sleep. How about we go back early in the morning?” Tatl suggested. It had occurred to her as well that moving around South Clock Town so early after losing his eye would surely be a real struggle for him…

Link couldn’t argue with that plan. He was feeling unusually exhausted given all he did all day was grab objects and walk around the room. Yet it felt like he spent all day traveling instead. Apparently he hadn’t fully recovered from losing his eye and the resulting surgery. “I’ll do that. Just wake me up if you’re awake first.”

With Tatl’s confirmation, the two went to their beds. The fairy fell asleep pretty fast, but Link stayed up and thought to himself. He didn’t feel like anything he did that day helped at all. It was still a struggle to just pick things up normally, and walking around the room left his legs rather sore. Keeping his eye on Tatl wasn’t easy either, even when he noticed she slowed down for him. This made him wonder how long he’d have to practice these things before he was ready to go back out and try to save Lulu’s eggs again. He knew if he went out there the next Cycle, or even the Cycle after that, he’d fail or even die.

There had to be something more he could do, but he just didn’t know what! Getting into any sort of combat was a horrible idea and he’d surely wind up getting himself killed. Maybe Tatl knew someone that could specifically help him…there had to be someone in Clock Town that could…

A thought that burrowed into his mind was how his friends back in Hyrule would react when…if…he managed to get back. He imagined they’d all look at him with the same pity that Anju did, not even trying to hide that they felt bad for the idiotic child that couldn’t do anything right. Link could tell that Zelda especially stayed up at night worrying him, there being times he noticed dark circles under her eyes. He had been so tempted to ask her about it, but not only did he know the answer, but he knew she’d just deny things. If he managed to return and she saw he was missing an eye, poor Zelda would just lose more sleep.

Saria, Darunia, Ruto, Malon…they’d all worry for him as well, trying to cheer him up or maybe wanting to do things for him because he was impaired. As kind as those actions were, the thought of them made Link feel sick to his stomach. He wished he could be more independent, but his broken mind wouldn’t let him be. Zelda was equipped to help him, as guilty as it made him feel, and he wasn’t ready to move to Lon Lon Ranch yet, as generous as Malon’s offer had been…

Trying to force these thoughts out of his mind, Link rolled over. No point in pondering about things that might not even matter. There was the possibility he’d just never get home. As the minutes ticked by, Link’s exhaustion caught up with him as his eye slowly closed and he fell asleep.

Link walked slowly down the inn’s hallway. Right away he could tell something was wrong, as he couldn’t see the end of it, the hall just stretching off until it was too dark to see. On top of that, mirrors lined the walls, all exactly the same and all within a foot of each other.

He found himself alone, Tatl not with him. The boy was wearing his sleeping garments from the castle, just a green gown and nothing else. As his bare feet hit the wooden floor, he glanced in one of the nearby mirrors and stopped in his tracks.

To no shock, his right eye was gone, still scarred. The lid was closed, so Link couldn’t see the grotesque red muscle in the empty socket. Link felt like his feet were rooted to the floor as he stared at his scarred face. He felt the need to lean in and take a closer look, studying the permanent injury. For a minute, he just stared, not moving a muscle.

Then he felt something move.

Letting out a cry of shock, Link saw something move…underneath his right eyelid. Something small, and he couldn’t tell what it was from sensation alone. All he knew was there was something in his empty socket! Panting from a mix of disgust and fear, the child leaned in close to the mirror and tried to prepare himself as he opened his eye…

Link felt his blood run cold, as he saw an orange orb there in his once-empty socket. It was the exact size of his old eye, just entirely orange. He found it nearly impossible to get a proper breath, sweat running down his face at the disturbing sight. Then it twitched.

The eye rolled forward, showing the dark green pupil of a certain god-killing parasite…

He wanted to scream, but he couldn’t move an inch, not even to yell. All Link could do was stare at the eyeball as it swiveled around on its own, clearly detached from him. Without warning, he felt a sharp pain around the socket and in his head, finally letting the boy scream out in pain, but the rest of his body still wouldn’t move!

In horror, Link watched as the eyeball started to grow, getting too big for the socket within moments as it started to push outwards. It turned out it wasn’t just an eye, but something was crawling out with it! Pincers and a sharp carapace…Link stared as a sort of tube emerged from his socket, hooked appendages taking bits of his flesh with it as the parasite slowly moved out of him! It was the same type of creature as the one within The Great Deku Tree, just more of a cylinder in shape!

He kept shouting in agony as the freakish thing pushed itself out of Link’s eye, the thing being a lot longer than should be possible if it could fit in his skull. Hooks and pincers kept cutting at Link, blood oozing down the right side of his face until, eventually, the last of the monster was pushed out and it landed on the floor with a disgusting wet slap.

Finally, Link could move, taking a few steps back as he slapped a hand over his now-empty socket. Panting quickly, he stared in shock and disgust at the wriggling parasite on the floor. Despite having no visible mouth, it kept shrieking and letting out other shrill noises as it thrashed in place. There was a temptation from Link to stomp the thing to death, his revulsion overriding his usual hesitance to kill.

However, the boy was too scared of the clearly helpless monster to get close to it. Instead, he ran down the hallway, the shrieks of the parasite ringing out so loudly it seemed like it was following him. Yet when he turned to look back, he saw it remained in place, wriggling on the floor helplessly.

As he ran, Link saw the mirrors to his left change. Or rather, what they reflected. He kept seeing people he knew in each one. Saria, Mido, Fado, Zelda, Darunia, Ruto, Impa, Nabooru, Rauru, Malon, Talon, Ingo, Anju, and numerous others who he had encountered on his two quests. They were all staring at him, silently watching as he ran down the hallway, the parasite’s shrieks still ringing in his ears.

It took him only a moment to notice that each of the people he saw had orange and green eyes, just like the parasite. They didn’t move, didn’t emote, and said nothing. All they did was stare at him as he fled from the monster that had pushed itself from his socket.

He was so busy staring at the mirrors that he failed to notice something appearing in the hallway ahead. When Link finally noticed, he saw it was a giant eye that took up the hall entirely! From floor to ceiling and from each wall, there was an eyeball! It wasn’t the eye of a parasite, no.

It was his.

A massive, dull blue eye was staring Link down as he ran toward it. With no eyelid, it wasn’t able to blink, just sitting there in his path. Despite his desires to, Link couldn’t stop himself from running! His legs were moving on their own! Within moments, to his further disgust, he ran right into the giant eyeball.

It didn’t feel like an eyeball, as Link found it was more like some sort of sludge in the shape of an eye. He sank into it a bit, running into it at an angle so the entirety of his right half was burrowed into it. Desperately, he pressed with his left to try and free himself, but his hand just broke the eye’s surface and it sank in too! Then he started to get pulled in, the lone eyeball sucking him into it!

No matter how much he thrashed, Link couldn’t get free, only sinking further into his own eyeball as he cried out desperately. The shrieking of the parasite kept assaulting his ears, never having grown any quieter. As he was nearly consumed by the eye, the mirrors of the hallway started to shatter in pairs, swiftly growing closer and closer as if some force was coming at him and then-

Link’s eye shot open.

He quickly sat up, panting heavily as a layer of sweat covered his body. Terrified, he placed a hand over his patch, trying to feel for some sort of unnatural movement…but there was nothing. Desperately gulping lungfuls of air, he looked over at Tatl and saw she was still asleep. It was always a worry for him that his initial reactions to his nightmares would wake her up…

His body shaking lightly, the child moved his hand from his lost eye and tried to calm himself down. He gripped at his sheets until his knuckles turned white, still panting as the sounds of a shrieking parasite rang in his ears. Didn’t he suffer enough during the day? Never feeling happy, always being miserable, angry, or just numb…wasn’t that enough? Wasn’t the fact he couldn’t do simple things on his own or look at specific things without his anxiety speaking already enough?

Did his sleep have to be so plagued as well?

Link wasn’t calming down, a sense of dread, like he was about to die, bubbling in his chest. He thought, maybe, some fresh air might help him. Things felt so confined and stuffy in the room, even though it normally never felt that way. Legs shaking, he slowly got off the bed, taking another look at Tatl, who was still sleeping.

Slowly, much slower than normal, he made his way to the door, trying to see in the darkness with his single eye, only the starlight from the window to aid him. When he reached the door, he very carefully and, somehow, got the knob on his first try.

As he stepped into the hallway, Link silently closed the door behind him. No one else was out and about in the inn, and he had no idea what time it was. As long as he didn’t run into anyone, that was fine by him. Yet as he was about to step outside and onto the balcony, he froze in place. There was something in the hallway with him, placed against the far wall. It wasn’t a giant eyeball, or some sort of parasite either, no. It was a statue.

The only reason it startled him was because there had obviously never been a statue there before. Even in the dim light, he was able to make out exactly what it was as his legs moved on his own as he approached it. He could barely breath, his eye wide in shock, wondering if what he saw could truly be real.

It was grey, colorless a statue of three women, connected in a circle with two standing as the third floated in the air, her body curved. This woman up top has strong features, a fierce, yet not unkind face as a long mane of hair flowed behind her. On the left, the woman was more refined, a stoic and serious expression on her face. She too had long hair, enough that it went down to her lower back. Then, on the right, was the last woman, who looked more carefree and was the only one smiling amongst the three. Her hair was a bit wilder, as if she never combed it, yet it somehow had an elegance to it. Behind the three was a familiar shape. Three triangles combined together. A shape Link saw a hundred times in Hyrule Castle.

The Triforce, with the three women being the Golden Goddesses.

At first, Link had no idea how to respond. He simply stood there, staring at the terrifying sight. Slowly, he raised a hand and rubbed his eye, making sure he wasn’t somehow seeing things. Yet when he looked again, blinking a few times, he still saw the statue clear as day! It was more than clear that the Golden Goddesses and the Triforce had no presence in Termina, there was no way the statue was real…and yet there it was.

Link was only able to come up with a single conclusion. This wasn’t just a statue, no. It was the Golden Goddesses themselves manifesting before him! What else was there? Yet it wasn’t like anything like this had happened before, so why now? Why in Termina? He was still unsure of what to do, staring at the statue and waiting for something to happen. Maybe one of the Goddesses would talk to him?

But nothing happened, Link just stood there in anticipation, but all he was met with was a deafening silence. His throat feeling clogged, he managed to croak out four words. “What do you want?” The child didn’t know what else to ask. Once more, he waited for something to happen…but nothing did. The statue remained still and silent, as if he hadn’t said anything. He was too scared to approach the object and see if touching it did anything.

“Why are you here? Why now?” Link prodded, his voice a bit louder and practically echoing in the near-empty hallway. “What do you want from me?” Yet despite his continued questioning, the Golden Goddesses didn’t respond. Was the statue even real? Why were the Golden Goddesses showing up now of all times? Why as a statue? Link wanted to deny the statue was even there, but no mater how much he looked down the hallway, it remained clear as day…

Even though nothing was even happening, Link felt a panic rise in his chest. He swore the Goddesses were staring at him, despite how lifeless their eyes were. “Are you here to taunt me? Do you just want to mock me?” He asked, his hands curling into fists, an angry edge to his voice as he willingly tossed his mask aside. That trio of horrid beings didn’t deserve the effort of keeping it up!

Of course they’d be there to mock him! They despised him, that much was clear! Link had decided this two years ago, seeing himself as nothing more but the deities’ plaything. What other explanation could there be for them to make it his Destiny to save Hyrule? “Is that why you aren’t saying anything? Just to make me angry? Go ahead and just say something!” Link demanded, glaring at the Golden Goddesses with his single eye, his voice raised just a bit more.

He was met with more silence.

“Don’t say anything then! Fine! But you’re here now, so why not save Termina? You can do it, right?!” They created Hyrule, they created the Triforce that could grant any wish. Link saw no reason why the Golden Goddesses couldn’t wave their hands and stop the Moon and undo all the wrongs the Skull Kid performed. When the statue once more did nothing, Link grit his teeth. “Look at what happened to Hyrule when you let its fate be in my hands! Just do something this time! People need you!” He openly glared daggers at the statue…and yet nothing happened.

Horrible sadistic deities! Link swore they just liked to watch people suffer! Still they refused to do as he asked! Wasn’t it reasonable?! Didn’t it make sense for such powerful beings to save innocent people?! But once again, the fate of many relied on the efforts of a single child! “Why do you hate me so much?!” Link demanded, fingernails digging into his palms. “What did I do that was so awful?! Haven’t I suffered enough?!”

The statue had no answer.

“Why do you keep taking things away from me?! When is it enough for you?!” Link practically growled, taking a step towards the statue. His mind, his life, his eye…! Was this entire ordeal in Termina just a part of his penance?! Was it somehow orchestrated by the Golden Goddesses to keep punishing him?! The boy suspected that Termina was crafted entirely to torment him, and who else would do it but the deities that had made his life so miserable?

This was a part of his second, more selfish reason he wanted to help people. The first was that he genuinely just liked to help others when he could, and that was entirely sincere. Now, though, he saw it as a part of his penance. He had failed to save Hyrule. So many of his friends died because of him. It was something he had long accepted.

But now he had a second chance. He could save Termina, and everyone in it. Link didn’t know how to do so yet, but with the power to rewind time as many time as he wanted, there was no excuse this time. This was his penance, his way of making up for his past failures. With each person he helped, he was closer to righting his wrongs and could maybe, hopefully, find some peace in his life. And for this, he saw himself as selfish. Link was trying to help himself as much as he was trying to help others, even though he knew he didn’t deserve help.

He found his emotions shifting wildly, having wanted to talk to the Golden Goddesses for years, but suddenly not knowing what he wanted to say when given the chance! “Please, just…stop this…” Link begged, his fists unclenching as he felt his anger evaporate. He still despised the Golden Goddesses, but their silence made it hard to hold onto his anger. “What do I have to do tot make you stop tormenting me? Is saving Termina really the only way?” The boy had no clue if this parallel world was simply somewhere the Golden Goddesses steered him toward, or if they outright created it, but he assumed the latter. “Isn’t there anything else I can do? You took so much from me…”

No matter what the said, it seemed like the deities had nothing to say in response. Were they there just to listen to him struggle? “You ruined my life! Without you, I…” Link trailed off, starting to wonder if they somehow orchestrated his mother to die for him, so he could grow up with the Kokiri. There was no proof of such puppeteering, but he’d be willing to believe in just about anything regarding them. “I tried so hard…! I did everything I could and I know I failed, but can I really have no mercy? You can fix me! Everything wrong with me you can fix! Why won’t you do it?!” His eye, his mind, even his life…they could surely do that for him!

Link blinked, and when he looked at the Goddesses again…they had faint smiles on their lips!  “You’re enjoying this! You’re really just here because you want to laugh at me! I hate you! Why do you keep doing this to me?! What do I have to do to make it stop?!” He was screaming now, his voice echoing throughout the inn. “I did my best! I tried my hardest! When will you be satisfied?! When-” He stopped as he blinked once more.

The statue was gone.

Startled, Link looked around…but the statue wasn’t anywhere. Not that there were many places for it to even hide, of course. It…really seemed to be gone. Once more, the boy found himself drenched in sweat as he panted heavily. No statue. No noise around him…in fact, the lack of noise was really unusual. It was only then that Link truly realized just how loud he was being, yelling loudly at the Golden Goddesses! Yet…the inn was silent. No one was checking to see what all the noise was about. There was no way that everyone in the inn managed not to hear that! Tatl and Anju would especially check in on things if they heard him screaming in the middle of the night…

Was any of that real? It made no sense that nobody was investigating all of that noise! Yet, as he stood there waiting, there was only silence and darkness around him. Had that been a dream? He pinched his arm, and he felt the pain clearly, so he wasn’t asleep at that moment for sure. With all the nightmares he had over the last two years, he had never done so while sleepwalking before, so that didn’t seem right either. If it wasn’t a dream, and it wasn’t real…what was it?

Maybe he was just going insane.

Link felt sick to his stomach, and abandoned his plan to get some fresh air. He was terrified, looking over his shoulder multiple times on the short walk back to his room, but he saw nothing out of the ordinary. When he peeked inside the Knife Chamber, he saw Tatl was still asleep on her pillow. Was she really asleep? Did she maybe just…pretend not to hear? But surely she’d investigate if she heard him screaming at someone…right?

Gulping lightly, Link gathered his Courage and lightly gave a “Tatl?” and observed. The fairy didn’t stir. If she was pretending to be sleeping, she would’ve surely answered his call, wouldn’t she? Really, he was scared of the idea that she heard any of that, but a bigger part of him had to check.

Slowly, he closed the door behind him and crawled back into bed, unsure of what just happened. Did the Golden Goddesses really visit him? If so, what did they want? Did they just want to see how miserable and broken he was? If that hadn’t actually happened…then what was wrong with him? Was he crazy? His mind was already so shattered, could he afford to get any worse?

Even though he was scared to, Link closed his eye, his heartbeat drumming in his ear. He thought that as he lied there, eye closed and vulnerable, something further might happen…but it never did. As was usually the case, his exhaustion eventually caught up with him and despite his mind racing, Link fell asleep…

“You sure you’re okay?” Tatl asked as Link gathered his things. She thought he looked a bit paler than usual, but his usual mask did little to clue her in on what was wrong. This was the second time she asked since the two woke up, Link insisting he was fine the first time.

“I’m sure.” The boy assured as he got his stuff together. According to Tatl, it was only a bit after six. Might as well turn back time as quickly as he could. “I’ve been thinking. I need to train for battles…is there anywhere like that in Clock Town?”

Tatl decided to just chalk Link’s demeanor up to not being fully recovered. At his request, she nodded, though her light hid the action. “Yeah, actually. I’ll show you tomorrow. I’m ready when you are.”

Link stared at the Ocarina of Time in his hands for a second, pondering last night. He was able to remember it so vividly…though that didn’t necessarily mean it wasn’t a dream. There were some, usually horrid nightmares, that he could recall every last detail of. The boy knew pondering on it wouldn’t help at all. In the end, it didn’t matter if it was real or not, it didn’t change his situation. The Golden Goddesses would never directly aid him, and he felt silly for begging them to do so.

Trying to block out the events of the previous night, Link slowly played the Song of Time, reversing time once more.

Chapter Text

Link appeared in front of the Clock Tower as he had done so many times before, more than he had cared to count. It practically felt like a hundred with how long his stay in Termina seemed. Normally he quickly went towards whatever he needed to do, whether it be getting a room at the inn or heading towards one of the compass directions.

This time, though, he hesitated.

The same sight met him as it always did; the townsfolk milling this way and that, running errands or preparing for a carnival that’d never come. Then there were the few people with sense that made their way towards the gate and left the doomed town. It was all as it should be, as it always was, yet it all felt so…disorienting to the boy this time.

For one thing, the child’s damaged depth perception was showing its true colors. Reaching for a glass or the doorknob was difficult enough, hard to keep track of even those still objects. The sight before Link was just downright nauseating. Everyone was moving at their usual pace, having no courtesy for the physically impaired outsider that stood by the ancient, wooden doors of the Clock Tower.

Watching the people move about, getting closer and farther away, moving in and out of Link’s blind side…it made him dizzy to say the least. His remaining eye tried tracking everything, swiveling this way and that, but it was impossible for him to focus on anything, his head starting to hurt just from the sight before him.

Blinking a few times, the boy looked up at Tatl. “I don’t think I can get through that crowd.” It was humiliating for him to admit, but he was sure it’d be far worse for him to try and fail. He couldn’t help but remember the marketplace back in Hyrule and how scary it was the first time he went there. Without Navi, he never would’ve made it through that crowd…

Would Tatl help him out like that?

“Oh…I hadn’t even thought of that.” The fairy replied, looking over the crowd. Poor kid had trouble walking around a table. How the heck was he supposed to get through a moving crowd? “We can just wait for it to clear out. The place I was going to show you is in West Clock Town, so we can just take the northern entrance there and avoid it!”

A small part of Link felt disappointed at the answer, and he didn’t realize why at first. After a moment, he realized he just wanted Tatl to act a bit like Navi, if only once or twice. Thinking back to his previous companion made him feel homesick, and his desire to find her swelled up again, not that it ever fully went away. Tatl was getting nicer, but she didn’t help him the same ways Navi did, she was more like…a mother…and Tatl wasn’t like that. Not that he could be mad at her for that. He just felt…sad.

“I should try to get used to doing it at some point, shouldn’t I? Maybe you could guide me through.” Link wouldn’t normally be so blunt about what he wanted, but he tried to word it in a way that it didn’t seem like something he actually wanted on an emotional level. It was just something to act as a bit of training…

Tatl hummed, rubbing the back of her neck. “I guess, yeah. You sure you want to do it right now, though? It’s not like I can stop people from bumping into you, you know.” And not like she could see all around her and know the exact right path to avoid any mishaps. She was surprised he wouldn’t be too embarrassed to be led through a crowd like a small child like that, Link never asked for a favor like this before.

“Like I said, I have to do it eventually.” Link reminded the fairy, indeed embarrassed about the whole situation. Getting some work on his maneuverability was more important than his pride, though. “The sooner we start, the better. I’d like you to move through the crowd and let me follow you.” Going in all by himself could come later.

The fairy shrugged a bit but gave a nod. “Sure, alright. I guess we can do that. I’ll lead you to the gate to West Clock Town, now let’s go!” She flew down low, at Link’s eye level, and started to float towards the crowd.

Taking a deep breath, Link followed Tatl closely, trying not to be too close, but also not lagging behind. It was tough for him to tell the exact distance, and even trying to do that little made his head throb. When the two entered the crowd, Link tried to move slowly and steadily, but the flow of the people around him wouldn’t allow it. Everyone was in some sort of rush, either trying to get tasks done or trying to escape the doomed town.

People skirted around him, nearly bumped into him, or rushed past the boy. He tried to fix his gaze on Tatl, but it was hard as she went through the crowd. Link could tell she was trying to go easy on him, but it wasn’t like she could predict the people’s movements and how to best get through them. It was endlessly startling whenever he saw some tall man or a person carrying some large box suddenly pop in from his blind spot, knowing that if he had both eyes, it would’ve been no issue at all. It became very clear to him rather fast that the only reason he was getting by so well, aside from Tatl’s aid, was that the people around him were far more aware than he was and able to avoid a collision.

Once more, the boy remembered the marketplace back in Hyrule. He recalled making his way through the first crowd of people he ever laid eyes on and how stressful it was. And of course, he remembered how Navi tried her best to help him, just as she always tried to aid him in whatever way she could. As he stared at Tatl, Link blinked and for a brief second, he saw a ball of familiar, soothing blue light in front of him.

He stopped dead in his tracks, and a stranger knocked into the boy, causing him to fall over.

“Watch it!” The stranger, a tall man, barked. “Come on kid, can’t you see where you’re…” His anger melted away and he started to trail off when Link looked up at him, the man’s gaze zeroing in on the boy’s eyepatch. “Oh. Uh. Sorry, kid…” He said sheepishly, going so far as to help Link to his feet before rushing off in clear embarrassment.

Absolutely mortified, Link rushed to the end of the crowd, nearing the edge and the gate to West Clock Town as it was. He shoved by a few people, but he was too humiliated to allow himself to be in that mob of adults for a moment longer!

Tatl joined Link a second later, watching as the child sat on the bottom step leading to the Laundry Pool. “Hey, you okay? You took a nasty fall back there.” The fairy asked, floating up and glaring at the retreating man. “That guy was a jerk…” She murmured to herself, too quiet for her friend to hear.

“I’m fine.” Link insisted, getting the fairy to look back at him. “It didn’t hurt.” If anything, it was just horribly embarrassing, he didn’t even register the pulsing pain in his cut palms that he used to break his fall. “It was my fault anyway.” If he hadn’t seen Navi like that…he would’ve been okay, surely…

“Do you think that really helped you at all?” Tatl asked, landing on the boy’s shoulder. She realized that the two weren’t exactly going about Link’s recovery in the most tried and true methods. The fairy certainly hoped that the tasks he performed, and these self-tests were actually doing something for him, but who really knew?

Link withheld a sigh, still feeling like a complete idiot. “I don’t know.” He answered honestly. “It didn’t feel like it, but we only did it once.” Compared to the other bits of so-called training he did, this one felt like the most worthless, and the one he’d want to do the least.

“Well, it’s done with now. Come on, that place I was talking about is open at all hours, so we can start as soon as we get there.” Tatl insisted, taking to the air. Yet, as Link stood up, a sudden thought hit her as she gazed towards the Laundry Pool. “Hey! Wait! I just realized something!” She shouted, prompting Link to look up at her. “The Great Fairy! If there’s anyone in Termina that could fix your eye, it’s one of the Great Fairies!”

It felt like such a slap to the face that Link hadn’t thought of it before. There was this part of him that just…accepted his terrible fate that he didn’t ponder any way to actually fix himself. But Tatl was right, if there was anyone that could help him, it’d be a Great Fairy! “Good thinking, Tatl. I never realized that either.” The boy praised, the kind words falling a bit flat from his usual monotone. “I’ll get the Stray Fairy and take it to the fountain.” Yet again, he thought of Navi, and how she always had ideas that’d help him out. Not that Tatl never suggested anything, but it was far less often…and he just couldn’t get his dearly missed friend out of his mind…

The two quickly went into the Laundry Pool, the boy with the purple hair and mask already out of sight by this point. As usual, the Stray Fairy was hovering about the water, lost as always. Link pulled out his Deku Mask, looking at it without actually putting it on, freezing in place.

Tatl noticed this, and the mask that Link chose to take out. “Wouldn’t the Great Fairy Mask be easier? Why do it the old way?”

“I was just thinking. If I put on one of these masks that change my shape…will my eye stay missing?” The idea of going back and forth of having a missing eye was nauseating to him. He was sure it’d be even harder to get used to if he regrew his eye and then lost it again each time he used these unique masks. Yes, he was still counting on the Great Fairy to help him…but there was no actual guarantee that she could or would. He was trying not to just assume his problem was about to be fixed, as much as he deeply desired that to be the case…

The fairy hadn’t even considered that. She, too, realized there wasn’t any explicit guarantee that the Great Fairy could fix the boy, but she didn’t want to think about the idea not working out. “If you want to try…” Tatl lightly prodded, admittedly now curious herself since Link brought the subject up.

For some reason, Link found the idea of actually answering the question unsettling. As though if he decided to find out, he was admitting to himself and to Tatl that he had no confidence in the Great Fairy. Still…he had to know. He had to find out! The curiosity was just eating at him! Slowly, he placed the mask on his face, feeling the roots burrowing into his flesh once more as he swiftly changed into a Deku.

Blinking a few times, Link got his answer. The right side of his vision was missing, and as he watched the Stray Fairy flutter about, he found it hard to keep track of her movements. He looked up at Tatl, shaking his head. “I got my answer.” He flatly told her. A part of him had to wonder why his lack of an eye transferred in such a way…

Tatl flinched at the somewhat disturbing sight. With the way Dekus looked, how there were shadows at and above their eyes, there was just blackness where Link’s right eye should be. At least in his human form, there was the eyepatch, and his eyelid and stuff was still there. Here, it was just blankness where something so prominent should be. “Oh…well…the Great Fairy should be able to fix this. Come on, get the Stray Fairy and let’s go.”

Without a word, Link carefully lined himself up and leapt across the water, miraculously grabbing hold of the Stray Fairy in a single try. As it did the last few times, the fragmented creature begged Link to take it back to the fountain. Thankfully, this was far easier than going through South Clock Town.

The two went right into the West Clock Town gate after exiting the Laundry Pool, Link having shed his Deku Mask with the Stray Fairy staying by him as he did so. West Clock Town wasn’t nearly as crowded, so getting through it wasn’t much of an issue. Getting to North Clock Town was a cinch, and that area was about empty, so getting to the fountain served zero troubles.

When they entered, Link watched as the Stray Fairy joined the other fragments, followed by a flash of light and laughter as the Great Fairy was reformed once more. The magical being stretched her limbs as she laid down in midair, looking down at her two guests. “Young one, I must thank you for freeing me! That wretched imp broke my body apart, but since you aided me, I will give you a gift!” She then looked Link over, clearly studying him, and hummed. “A magical tunic…a mask of my own visage…it seems you’ve gotten quite a few gifts. What shall I give instead…?”

Link cleared his throat, always feeling more nervous than he cared to admit when speaking to a Great Fairy. It wasn’t just because of their tendency not to wear any actual clothing either. “I was hoping for something specific.” He bluntly, but politely, stated. “I’d like my eye fixed. Can you do that for me, Great Fairy?”

The massive woman leaned in a bit, staring at the eyepatch. “Hmmm…! Oh, you should have mentioned the eye is missing, young one!” Her tone was more amused than anything, the Great Fairy clearly having no true empathy for the injured child. “If it was just injured, that would be one thing, but a missing body part…it’s simply beyond me.”

Those words hit Link and Tatl like a splash of icy water. They felt their bodies go cold and their throats clog up. However, the smaller fairy quickly recovered from the latter. “B…But Great Fairy…you can heal things, right? Why can’t you restore the eyeball?”

“Magic has its limits.” The entity remarked simply. “I can’t do anything and everything I desire. Healing an existing body part is one thing, but I simply cannot conjure something missing out of thin air.” Once more, she showed zero remorse for being unable to help. Despite her apparent gratitude, she didn’t seem concerned about Link’s wellbeing.

In a miserable way, Link was almost glad he didn’t get his hopes too high. So, that was it, then. Nothing in Termina could fix him. The Song of Healing soothed spirits, not physical injuries. The Great Fairy didn’t have the power either. Who knew if the Giants had any sort of actual powers of healing. There was nowhere he could turn to. Nothing short of the Triforce or the Golden Goddesses could fix him, and both were impossible for different reasons.

Gulping a few times before he was able to speak. “Thank you, Great Fairy. I’ll be going, then.” No reason to stick around. He felt so sick to his stomach, and entirely numb everywhere else.

The boy thought back to how that man that bumped into him stared at his eyepatch. He also recalled how Anju looked at him with that open pity on her face. Those were things he’d have to deal with for the rest of his life. People were going to gawk and stare at his missing eye, and the thought sent a nasty shiver through his body. While people had been openly put off by his dull eyes in the past, that never bothered him so much. Now, though…the idea of people staring at him started to make the boy feel self-conscious about his appearance more than he ever had in his life!

“Wait!” Tatl exclaimed, flying between Link and the Great Fairy. “You’re going to just sit there and say you’re too weak to help him and then brush it off like it’s no big deal?!” Normally, she’d never mouth off to a Great Fairy, knowing how foolish it was, but now she didn’t care. “Don’t you feel bad at all?! He’s just a kid, and you’re sitting there like he isn’t hurt or suffering! What’s wrong with you?!”

For a few moments, the fountain was silent, save for the light trickling of water that softly bounced off the cave walls. Then, the Great Fairy pulled an expression her two guests had never seen on such a being. It was subtle, the spark in her eyes dimming and her brow barely furrowing as her smile turned into a neutral line. However, it was enough to send fear in both the Hylian and the smaller fairy.

“Normally, I’d evaporate you on the spot. Know your place.” The entity demanded, her voice quiet, but full of a silent fury. “If I didn’t owe your friend, I’d do just that. You’re very, very lucky, you miserable spot of light. Consider your continued existence my payment. Now get out, the both of you.” Without waiting for a response, the Great Fairy shrunk down into the shimmering waters, not making a sound as she did so, and no flash of light marking her departure.

Link was absolutely stunned at the display, but still knew he shouldn’t linger. Quickly, he walked out, a shaken Tatl at his side as they went out into the early morning sunlight. Despite the warmth that should have met them, the two felt cold after such an encounter.

The boy recovered first, looking up at Tatl. “Why did you do that? She could have killed you.” He remembered how nervous she was, even hiding behind him. Link never expected she’d yell at a Great Fairy like that…

Link’s words snapped Tatl out of her own shock. She realized she had been a wave of the hand away from being killed, all because she opened her big mouth and got angry. “I just…got mad, I guess. She couldn’t help us and didn’t even seem to care!” The fairy herself was surprised at her own viciousness. She had mouthed off to humans before, ones that could crush her in an instant if they got her hands on her…but she had never been stupid enough to make a Great Fairy angry. “I lost control and just started letting my anger out.”

Anger? On his behalf? While Tatl had said outright she was warming up to him, he never expected her to go that far. Once more, he couldn’t help but compare her to Navi. The other fairy had gotten furious and yelled at people too on Link’s account, most notably with Darunia when he wanted Link to clear out the Dodongos. He never expected Tatl to ever get that angry and defend him, especially not against a Great Fairy.

“…I see.” Link wasn’t sure what else to say for a second. “…I appreciate that you’d do that.” And he actually meant it. In a way it almost felt nice that Tatl cared so much about him that she’d lash out in such a manner. Granted, it was easily the stupidest thing she had done since the two met, but that was beside the point. The boy felt like that fairy would like his gratitude, remembering how upset and angry she had been about him keeping her at an emotional distance.

And Link was right, Tatl was surprised, but happy that Link actually said something like that to her! It was one of the nicest things he actually said, thinking of it. The fairy wasn’t sure why it meant so much, but…she supposed she maybe liked Link more than she realized. His devotion, his drive to help others, the strength he displayed…some things bothered her at first, but she started to grow to like them…

“Uh, well, it was nothing!” Tatl said, clearing her throat. “It was pretty stupid to do…I’m just sorry she couldn’t fix you. I really thought she could…” She thought a Great Fairy could do just about anything…it never crossed her mind that giving Link a new eye was out of her depth…

“I didn’t get my hopes too high.” Link admitted, also thinking that’d make Tatl feel better. “Thank you for trying.” It was more painful than he let on of course, having to accept that he would never be fully whole ever again. In the back of his mind, he thought back to his earlier train of thought about his lack of an eye transferring to his Deku form. Maybe the magic worked in a similar way, things like scars being healed over during the transformation, but something entirely missing like an eyeball was just beyond the power of his three special masks…

Once more, Tatl felt good at Link’s words, but quickly moved on. “Well, now that we tried, let me take you to that one place I was telling you about.” She hoped it’d help take his mind off of what just happened.

Link just nodded, and the fairy took him to West Clock town. They neared the gate to Termina Field, with Tatl stopping at the establishment closest to the exit. Above it was a wooden sign with…something written on it, as well as two flags next to the door, also with writing on them. “What is this place, Tatl?” The sign was free of any designs to clue him in to what the place was for.

“It’s a swordsman’s school, called a dojo, and apparently its owner is a master or something.” Tatl answered. “I never went in, though, but I’m sure he can help you!”

For a brief second, Link wondered if this man was a better fighter than he was. If that was the case…maybe he could be an ally? He then scolded himself, feeling awful just for thinking about dragging someone else into this. Never mind the fact that he himself was also dragged into this whole ordeal…but Termina was his punishment and no one else’s.

“Better than me trying on my own.” Link pointed out, opening the door, and entering the building with Tatl. Inside was a very simple room with little furniture at all. There were holes in the floor, but something was filling them, something brown. On the wall was a massive sword, larger than even a fully grown Goron! Beneath the massive blade was a clock, just as seemingly every room in the town held. There was also a strange object, a metal circle that Link didn’t recognize as a gong. There was only one other person, a man sitting on a raised section of the room, a man that Link had never seen in Hyrule or Termina before. Most of his face was covered in hair, curly brown hair that reached the floor and met with his facial hair, mainly only letting his large nose be visible.

“A young swordsman hoping to hone his craft! Excellent! How excellent!” The man crowed. Despite his eyes being mostly covered up, he was apparently able to see just fine.

Link was a bit surprised at the man’s odd appearance, but at least if he was staring at the boy’s eyepatch, he’d never realize. “I wanted to train to fight. Recently I…” He trailed off for a moment, finding it hard to outright say what happened. “…I lost my eye. I need to learn how to fight with the injury.”

The Swordsman hummed, stroking his mustache as he stared at Link. “I’ve never done such a thing. I don’t even know if it’s possible…but I will try! Ten Rupees per hour, and I will teach you to the best of my ability!”

Relieved the man was willing to try, Link approached him, getting his wallet out. It took him a moment to recall what color was how many Rupees. Blues were five…and two fives…meant ten. Yes, that sounded right. He couldn’t add or count much higher than that on his own, and simply gave the Swordsman a lot of the blue gems. “This will cover for most of the day, won’t it?”

“You’re quite serious about this! This shall do nicely. Never had a student as determined as you…” As he said this, the Swordsman swept the Rupees up and pocketed them. “Now, shed all those unnecessary items like the bow and bags. You’ll only need your sword and shield!”

As Link did as told, Tatl flew off to the side, not wanting to get in the way. “Good luck! You’ve got this!” The fairy encouraged, sitting by the far wall, and watching the training unfold.

Once he had his sword and shield ready, Link was instructed to stand in the middle of those holes in the floor. As soon as he did, a log sprang from one of them, clearly meant to be cut. Immediately, he slashed at it, but to his surprise, the swing came up an inch short, leaving the log untouched.

“No! No!” The Swordsman scolded. “You can’t just lash out like that, you have to concentrate! Do it again, but right this time!”

How was he supposed to concentrate? He didn’t have time for that in battle! The fact he was being yelled at just made Link uneasy. Aside from Tatl, the times someone yelled at him within the last two years could be counted on his hands. The gentle way his friends treated him really made him sensitive to being screamed at. Still, he didn’t let it show.

Tatl very nearly yelled back at the Swordsman for scolding Link but held her tongue. He was the supposed expert, after all. Maybe he knew what he was doing. She watched as Link kept striking at the logs, the hairy man shouting out whenever he missed, but also offering equally enthusiastic praise when Link sliced one in half. It seemed the Swordsman didn’t want Link to stop and think about his actions, only to strike out. Yet whenever Link did immediately attack and missed, he was scolded. Didn’t the guy realize that Link’s depth perception was all messed up?

Again, it was frustrating for the fairy, but she chose not to interfere. She was sure it’d be embarrassing for Link if she fought all his verbal battles for him. It was hard to resist doing such a thing since he was such a pushover when it came to social interactions. Even when that freaky salesman strangled him, he barely resisted! So, she was going to sit back and let the training unfold, even if the smelly looking instructor got on her nerves. “Stupid old man…” Was all Tatl could muster, whispering it so quietly that no one heard her.

And the hours slowly went by, the training not stopping for more than a minute or two at a time to clear any cut logs. It was repetitive and exhausting for Link, who had to slice log after log after log on the Swordsman’s command. At no point was he allowed to actually stop and focus, only lash out at his next target. His limbs started to grow heavy, and sweat started to coat his entire body, but he still kept going and pushed back the exhaustion.

Tatl tried to keep Link motivated, but as time went on, even just watching the boy train made her exhausted. After about three hours, her eyelids grew too heavy to keep open, and despite the sounds of her friend’s cries of effort, she fell asleep…and when she later awoke, she was startled at the scene before her.

Without windows and the clock above her and out of eyesight, Tatl had no idea how long she had napped for. All she knew was that there was a drastic change in what was going on. Link was still training, yes, but he was far more exhausted and deeper into things than before. His hat and tunic had been discarded, leaving only his shorts and boots as he kept his sword and shield at the ready. Sweat covered his body, and his face was red from exertion. She had seen him shirtless before, but she always wondered about the scars that adorned his body, all faded and clearly granted to him long ago.

Yet, there was a difference now.

There were now large, nasty bruises on his torso and shoulders, yet Link didn’t seem to let them hinder his stance as he readied himself. Tatl then noticed that there were new types of logs present, ones that were hanging on chains from the ceiling. Just what was happening?!? She flew up, about to yell out, but the Swordsman beat her to it.

“Now, try to block again!” The man commanded. “You cannot block until the last moment possible! Now…go!” With his word, through means unknown, one of the logs swung at Link!

The boy turned to the incoming object; his shield lowered as he looked at the log intently. As it was about to hit him, he started to raise his defense, but he was too slow! The piece of wood slammed into his shoulder, causing him to fall flat on his back, the air knocked out of him as he hit the floor!

“Wait! Hold on, what’s happening here?!” Tatl yelled out, causing the boy and teacher to look at her. “Link, are you okay?! I…I fell asleep…” She sheepishly admitted before the anger and worry rekindled in her again. “What did I miss?! What are you doing?!” The fairy directed the last question at the Swordsman alone.

This didn’t deter the man in any way, who even scoffed at Tatl. “It’s training, of course! If this boy cannot time his guards efficiently, he will die in combat! You don’t want that, do you?” He rhetorically asked, no sympathy or mercy in his voice.

“Link…are you okay with this? You’re all bruised up! When was the last time you took a break?!” It was clear he was pushing himself far beyond what he should have. The poor boy looked like he was going to pass out at any moment!

The whole thing had been the most exhausting experience Link had been through. Yes, there had been fights in his past that brought him to the brink of death, but working so hard for hours on end was something he wasn’t used to. It really shocked him that he even had the energy to train for as long as he did, given how drained he felt all the time, especially lately.

He felt sore from the tip of his head down to the tip of his toes, and he swore even his hair was somehow pulsing with pain. Given a moment to rest, Link began realizing the room was spinning, and his entire body felt hot and slick with sweat. His limbs were so heavy, he felt he could barely move his arms and that his legs would give way at any moment. This wasn’t mentioning the bruises that adorned his body, having been hit by the swinging logs more times than he cared to count.

Catching his breath, or at least trying to, Link nodded as he spoke between heavy breaths. “I…don’t remember my last break…” Did he ever even have one? So much of the last few hours was a blur. “I need a break…”

The Swordsman let out a “Hmph!” of disapproval but shrugged his shoulders. “If that’s what you want. You should come back tomorrow and keep up the training! You’re improving, but you have much to learn!”

“Tomorrow? Not later tonight?” Tatl couldn’t help but ask. It had clearly been a few hours, but she knew Link was stubborn and would push himself to go back later in the night.

“It is tonight. Foolish fairy, how long do you think you were asleep?” The Swordman asked, pointing at the clock.

Startled, Tatl looked at the clock and saw it was a quarter past six! It had been, what, over eleven hours since the two entered?! The detour to the Great Fairy wasn’t a very long one, it couldn’t have been past seven when they arrived! “Oh, that’s it! We’re out of here for sure! Come on Link, we’re getting some food!” The fairy demanded.

Unable to read the clock, Link was just as surprised as Tatl was at the time. Eleven hours? Really? It hadn’t felt that long! He didn’t even reply to his companion, numbly nodding as he gathered his things, Link didn’t even notice as the Swordsman shook his head in disapproval. When he had all his things and his clothes back on, Link looked at the hairy man. “Thank you, sir. I appreciate your help.”

“Hmph.” The Swordsman replied, more amused this time. “Think nothing of it. It’s been an interesting experience. Now go, rest if you must, and then return!”

Tatl held her tongue until the two were outside, the cool air being a welcome change from how warm and stuffy the dojo was. “Man, that guy is nuts…” The fairy nodded as soon as Link closed the door. “He didn’t even let you have a break!”

“It was so he could help me. That’s worth it, I think.” Link responded, his body aching with each step as he slowly made his way to East Clock Town. It only dawned on him at that moment that he never registered at the inn, so he’d have to go back in time to get a proper rest in a bed. After the day he had, he wasn’t about to sleep outside…

“What was he even doing in there? He kept yelling at you whenever you took more than a second to cut the log!” Tatl pointed out, finding the hairy sword master to be pretty grating…

At first, Link had been pretty confused too. As time went on, though, he started to understand the man’s method. “It’s because he doesn’t want me to stop to look, because my missing eye makes things too hard to see right.” He was trying to explain things in a way that Tatl would understand…and that he himself would understand too. “He wants me to rely on my instinks and attack without thinking.”

Tatl paused for a second, trying to fathom if he just said ‘instinks’ instead of ‘instincts’. That was almost adorable, even though he was too old for that sort of mistake. Then again, he couldn’t read, so he clearly wasn’t educated…

Thoughts for later.

In any case, his explanation did make a bit of sense. Rather than stopping in the middle of a fight to figure out if the enemy is closer or farther than they appear, Link was being trained to simply know how close his opponent is by feeling alone. The blocking thing he was doing at the end was probably the same thought process. Link couldn’t stop to think if the enemy’s attack was as close as he perceived it. “I think I get it. Some sort of battle instinct.”

Wait, was that the right word? Link inwardly winced, hating it when he got words wrong. His inability to read didn’t bother him, but not being able to do a lot of math and mixing words up did. He was also surprised Tatl didn’t even poke fun at him for it. She really was changing! Reminded him of Navi and how she’d gently guide him when he didn’t know something. Though Navi wouldn’t have fallen asleep during his training, and would’ve made sure he got plenty of breaks…

He had to stop comparing the two fairies…

“Yes, that’s about it. After we eat, I want to go back in time and get a room.” Link declared as the two started to cut through South Clock Town. The usual bustle being totally absent was cathartic to him. He could walk right through the main part of the town without issue…and that’s exactly what he did, taking a slightly longer route rather than just going around the Clock Tower. This meant he passed by Mutoh, who stubbornly looked up at the Moon, shouting at it to just fall, along with some colorful sounding words Link didn’t know the meaning of.

When the pair got to East Clock Town, they entered the nearest eatery, and Link nearly fell asleep the second he sat down. His entire body was heavy, and he felt if he closed his eye fully for more than a second, he’d pass out. He was so exhausted that he even failed to notice the man taking his order giving his eyepatch a worried glance. Tatl ordered for them, just getting the first thing she spotted on the menu.

There was no conversation between the boy and fairy, the former too quiet to say much and the latter wanting him to rest. The meal was eaten quietly, Link feeling just a bit better after getting some food in his stomach, but when they paid and left the restaurant, he immediately sat against the wall by the door.

“Come on, Link, don’t just sit there! We have to go back in time, remember?” Tatl chided, flying in the boy’s face to try and keep him awake. She did feel pretty bad for him, though, he had to be entirely drained of energy.

Alas, he was just too tired. If he went back in time, he’d have to wait two hours for the inn to open anyway, and he knew he couldn’t last that long. “I just need a nap.” Link insisted, struggling to keep his eye open. “Can you wake me up before morning?” He didn’t want to get rained on, after all.

Tatl had started to realize the same thing. Even if they went back at that moment, they’d still have to wait two hours, and the poor kid wasn’t going to make it. “Geez…alright fine, I won’t let anyone step on you or anything, okay?”

Link said nothing as he closed his eye. Within just a few seconds, he was asleep, his body relaxing after half a day of vigorous training and a great deal of stress. It was the only time he ever looked at peace. Sure, when he was awake he wore a stoic expression a majority of the time, but something about him just seemed so wound up. Even when he slept, Tatl noticed he tossed and turned, clearly having nightmares of some kind, so even in his slumber he wasn’t truly at peace…

The fairy sighed, unable to really be mad at Link for needing instant rest. Next time they went to the dojo, she was going to put her foot down and insist he take regular breaks. At that thought, she chuckled to herself, almost feeling like she was dealing with Tael when the two were younger. He always needed her to look out for him and make sure he ate or slept enough or was just safe in general. It was still sort of the deal, but…not as much, at least.

Her moods shifting a great deal, Tatl frowned with worry as she looked up at the Clock Tower. If she squinted, she could just barely see a speck standing atop it, the Skull Kid. Despite her efforts, she could spot Tael. Either he was too tiny or maybe he was asleep, his light dimmed. Did the Skull Kid let him sleep? What did the two do up there for three days?

It was a subject that Tatl forced herself not to ponder too much. She worried deeply about her brother, but just thinking of him up there with that imp who used to be their friend…it just hurt too much. There were times she couldn’t help herself, and she was even tempted a few times to fly up there and talk to him and the Skull Kid. Convincing the masked child to stop his sick games was assuredly pointless, that accursed mask’s corruption would never allow that to happen.

Maybe, though, she could keep Tael company, or even get him away from the Skull Kid somehow. Would he pursue the fairies if Tael flew away? Thinking of it, there was never any point where she or Link saw the Skull Kid leave his perch, and it seemed he truly stood there atop the tower for three days straight…

At least she understood Link when he mentioned the people he helped having their troubles reset along with the Cycles. Even if Tatl managed to soothe Tael or get him away from the Skull Kid, it wouldn’t even matter. Once time reversed, her brother would be right back at the top of the tower…

Sighing again, Tatl forced the thoughts out of her head as she watched over Link’s sleeping form. Even if she couldn’t help Tael, she could help her newest friend, who desperately needed it despite never admitting to it. The more time she spent with the human, the more she pitied and cared for him and wanted him to have a happy ending. She may never know his life before Termina, but she wanted the best for him anyway…

A few hours went by, Tatl’s earlier nap keeping her awake as she kept watch. People passed by frequently, it wasn’t so late that the town was empty after all, and she’d tell them to keep moving if they looked like they were going to stop. Around midnight, the fairy woke Link up. The boy still looked absolutely exhausted, but he still felt good enough to turn back time like the two agreed to.

Once the clock was reversed, the two beelined to East Clock Town, going the way near the Clock Tower to avoid the crowd. Link was just too tired to try and get through them that morning. As they waited outside the inn, the boy leaned against the wall, and even then he nearly fell asleep.

When the inn’s door audibly unlocked, Link jostled fully awake and quickly went inside. Anju was just barely getting back to her desk by the time he entered, and to his frustration, she let out a small gasp at his appearance.

“Oh! Um, what can I do for you?” Anju asked, her eyes filled with unrestrained pity. She wanted to ask him what happened, not that she said so, but the look on her face made it explicitly obvious to both Link and Tatl.

Holding back his annoyance, Link went up to the desk, holding his hand out. “I have a reservation for the Knife Room. My name is Link. I won’t need room service.” He absolutely didn’t want to be disturbed…

Anju was mildly surprised, looking in the book on top of the desk. “I see, I just wasn’t expecting…well, it’s none of my business.” She fished the key out from under the desk, handing it to the child. “Here you go, sir, your room is right at the top of the stairs. I hope you enjoy your stay.” The innkeeper gave a professional bow, but frowned in worry the second Link turned his back to go upstairs.

The boy didn’t even shed his gear when he entered the Knife Chamber. He merely closed the door, flopped on the bed, and passed out. Tatl couldn’t blame him, going over to her side of the room and resting on the other bed’s pillow as she took a small nap herself. Even when she woke up, he was still fast asleep, and he stayed that way until the sun set when he finally, slowly pushed himself off the bed.

Tatl hovered over to Link, watching as he finally started to take his bags and weapons off. “How do you feel? You were out like a light!” That had to have helped, a nice full sleep rather than just a nap.

“Better.” Link bluntly answered, stretching a bit once he got all his things put on the floor. “I’m going to take a bath next.” It was a shame the inn only had cold water, but it was better than nothing. The warm baths at Hyrule Castle were some of the only bits of physical comfort he regularly got…

“Good! You really smell still…” The fairy jabbed in a lighthearted manner. “I’ll just wait here. You’re not going to go back to the dojo tonight, are you? You just got all rested up! I don’t want you going there for hours and hours like that again…”

Link did appreciate her concern, not wanting to repeat what happened today either. Even with the small bits of rest he got after training, he felt dead on his feet until his rest in the Knife Chamber. “I won’t go back right away. I won’t stay so long next time either.” The boy swore.

“I’ll hold you to that.” Tatl promised back. “…So, do you think that training helped? Did attacking or blocking those logs get any easier?” It was only one day, so she didn’t expect any miracles, but…

He stopped to think, the training session becoming more and more of an exhaustive blur as the hours passed. “I think so. Near the end, I was making a lot less mistakes.” Link knew he had to keep going back until he made zero or almost zero mistakes. If he was going to survive in Termina, he couldn’t get in a close confrontation without being as prepared as possible…

“I’m just happy my suggestion worked. Now go on and take a bath, just hop in with your clothes or whatever, they probably reek too!” Tatl insisted, only half-joking.

Link went to the inn’s bath and actually did as Tatl said, just hopping in with all his clothes on, having brought his second pair of clothes to change into afterward. During his desperation to have the Woodfall Temple permanently cleansed, he got his spare clothes blessed by the Great Fairy as well.

As he lowered himself into the cold water, letting out an involuntary shiver, Link considered what he’d do next. The next dojo visit could certainly wait, that was for sure. As he pondered, he kept thinking of the way Anju looked at him just a few minutes ago. He didn’t pay much attention to the crowds of the town, the Swordsman’s eyes were obscured, and he hadn’t even noticed how the server at the restaurant looked at him. Yet he knew as he went on his quest, more people would look at him like Anju did. A sense of pity and worry, or at the very least they’d stare at his eyepatch for an uncomfortably long time. Heck, maybe even Tatl did it, and he just wasn’t able to tell due to her light. One friend, however, he knew wouldn’t look at him like that.

Epona.

The poor filly that was stuck at a foreign ranch in a foreign world, spirited there by a nasty imp. She’d never look at Link with concern or pity, that much he knew. Despite being just a horse, Link felt attached to Epona, largely due to her connection to Malon. On top of that, she was his only friend that he knew wouldn’t judge him or ask him difficult questions. And despite their recent reunion, he found himself missing her again…and with that, he made up his mind.

Quickly, Link finished his bath and swapped clothes, going back upstairs where Tatl was waiting. Laying his soaking clothes onto the table in the center of the room, he looked to the fairy as she flew over to him. “I want to go back to Romani Ranch.” He bluntly stated, starting to gather his things.

“What? Why? There’s nothing for us to do there!” Tatl pointed out, knowing that it couldn’t be to try to go to the Great Bay again. She knew Link could be stubborn, but he wasn’t this stupid!

“I miss Epona, and I want to see her.” He confessed, deciding it was easier to just tell Tatl the truth. Having to deal with Romani and Cremia was a nasty thought, but Link was willing to muster through their presence if it meant seeing Epona again…

Tatl couldn’t help but feel a small bit of guilt, knowing Link forgave her for the horse theft. “That makes sense…okay, we’ll go right now then.” She did have to wonder if it wasn’t also to see Romani too. After all, the redhead was the only girl Link’s age that they encountered, but…maybe she was just jumping to conclusions.

With a nod, Link finished getting his things, leaving the wet clothes behind and left the Knife Room. He rushes passed Anju, almost glad she was in his blind spot before going out the door, ready to see an old friend once more…

Chapter Text

After getting the Powder Keg needed and leaving through South Clock Town’s gate, Link realized something. When rolling as a Goron, his lack of an eye didn’t factor in at all, as he merely sensed the world around him rather than actually seeing it. It felt almost weird for some part of seeing, even if it wasn’t truly seeing, to be unhindered by his lack of an eye. Still, it made reaching Milk Road a complete nonissue. Using his Goron strength, he heaved the keg at the boulder, letting the carpenter working on it to rush to a safe spot. Once more, the roadblock was reduced to rubble, and the appreciative man returned to Clock Town.

As he approached the final stretch leading to Romani Ranch, Link began to drag his feet as he turned back into a Hylian.

“I wonder why Skull Kid put your horse here.” Tatl mused as the two neared the sign at the ranch’s entrance. “He’s done so many horrible things, but he kept Epona alive.”

Link never stopped to think about that. Did the imp just not think it was particularly amusing to kill a filly like Epona? Or, perhaps, a bit of his old personality bled through, stopping him from outright murdering her. He supposed it didn’t really matter, it was just something that struck him as strange. “I’m just glad he spared her.” Was all he said back.

Given that it was a bit later than the last time the two went to the ranch, Link’s stomach churned when he saw Malon was already outside. No…not Malon. Romani. He saw Romani outside. There were few people in Termina whose presence upset Link as much as her. Her clothes, her voice, the exact shade and length of her hair, and of course her perfectly copied face…all Malon’s, but belonging to someone else. The only people that’d be worse would be Saria and Navi having clones running around somewhere. Who knew, he had yet to explore the East…

At the moment, Romani was with her dog, who of course had to look exactly like Scamp, and it seemed she was trying to set up something, a large open crate next to her. She was holding some sort of large orange object, and she was blowing into the side of it, puffing it up. What did Zelda call those? Balloons? And as before, Epona was in her small pen, the filly perking up a bit as she noticed Link. Still, he kept dragging his feet, but eventually, he and Tatl got close enough that Romani took notice.

The ranch girl beamed at the boy and fairy, apparently deciding right off the bat that the three of them were going to be friends. “Hi! Welcome to the ranch!” Romani greeted, placing a thumb over the hole in the balloon. “You’re new here, right? I’m Romani, I was named after the ranch!” The redhead declared, sounding quite proud of the fact.

Link instantly noticed that Romani’s gaze was fixated on his eyepatch. It wasn’t a look of concern or pity like with Anju, but an open curiosity. He just knew she was dying to know what happened to him. Before she had a chance to, he spoke up. “I’m Link, and this is Tatl. I’m here to get my horse.” He gestured to the pen, where Epona was fidgeting a bit, clearly wanting out.

“Oh! She’s yours?” Romani exclaimed, looking back at Epona. “We just found her wandering alone and took her in. Hold this, I’ll get you the key!” She handed Link the balloon, which he begrudgingly took, holding a thumb over the hole as the redhead scampered into the house.

“I forgot how trusting she was.” Tatl commented as Romani’s dog sniffed at Link’s boots. “Are we just hanging around here, or are we taking your horse somewhere else?”

Honestly, Link hadn’t thought about that. He just wanted to see Epona again, someone from Hyrule and the only one he knew for a fact wouldn’t look at him with pity. Sure, Romani hadn’t, but she was an issue for numerous other reasons. And if she realized he didn’t just hurt his eye, but lost it entirely, that’d probably change. “There’s nowhere else to go but Termina field, and there are monsters out there. I don’t want Epona in danger.”

“And Romani’s here, right?” Tatl asked, smirking a bit. She guessed that going all the way here to see a horse was just Link’s cover. The fairy thought that maybe Link felt a bit of an attraction towards the young redhead. Sure, he ran away the last time, but maybe he was just shy!

Link looked up at Tatl. “What do you mean by that?” He bluntly asked, not liking what the fairy was implying. He remembered the last time she mentioned that Romani took a very quick liking to him. “I just want to see Epona.”

“You traveled all the way here, got the Powder Keg and everything…just to see a horse?” Tatl didn’t even attempt to hide the suspicion in her voice. She believed that was part of it, but she had to imagine Link had some sort of interest in girls despite all his oddities.

“Epona’s not just a horse, she’s my friend. I thought she had been dead for weeks. Of course I want to come all this way just to see her.” A petty part of Link added his assumption of Epona’s death just to make Tatl feel bad. He knew it was wrong, but the fairy was just getting under his skin, even though she wasn’t trying to, it frustrated him!

And Link’s plan worked, Tatl feeling a sting of guilt that wiped the smile off her face. “Hey, I said I was sorry about that! You’re right, she’s not just a horse to you…but I-”

Whatever Tatl was going to say was cut off as Romani burst out of the house, a small rusty key in hand. “Found it!” She practically sang, going over to Epona’s pen. “I’m glad you came over to claim her. My big sister was really worried when we found her. No saddle or anything…we thought she was some wild horse that wandered over!” After a moment, Romani got the gate open and Epona instantly trotted over to Link.

Dropping the balloon, which Romani scrambled to snatch up as the air escaped, Link gave Epona’s neck a hug as the filly nuzzled up with him. He didn’t care he was showing off his much he missed the horse, this was one bit of weakness he didn’t mind if others saw. The boy felt so bad for Epona! He knew right where she was now, all safe and sound, but every time he played the Song of Time, she was sent back to the pen in an unknown place with someone that looked just like Malon. Chances were the young horse was confused and upset by that, just like Link was!

“It’s alright, Epona…” He murmured in Epona’s ear, so quiet that only she could hear it.

“Aw, that’s sweet, Grasshopper!” Romani cooed, holding onto her balloon again. “I decided that’s what Romani will call you. You’re dressed all green, like a grasshopper!” She tittered a bit, clearly happy with her nickname.

“Well, his actual name is Link, and I’m Tatl.” The fairy introduced, seeing that Link was a bit occupied. “What’s that orange thing anyway? Some sort of balloon?”

Romani looked a bit more serious, but still her perky self overall. “It’s a balloon, yes! It’s for target practice!” She then paused. “…How did you two get in here anyway? What happened to that boulder?”

Link was still hugging Epona, so Tatl took it upon herself to speak for them. “We blew it up with a bomb. The path’s all clear now.” She glanced over at Link, realizing that this was the most physical comfort he’s gotten aside from Anju, and the fairy pitied the fact it came from hugging a horse Giants knew the kid needed a real hug…

Nodding, the redhead beamed at Link and Tatl, the boy stepping back from hugging Epona. “I thought I heard a loud noise earlier. Thank you so much, you two! Now we can make deliveries again! How about you two stay for lunch? As a reward for helping us, of course!”

One thing Link knew he’d never get over was hearing people say the same words, sometimes exactly, that they said in a previous Cycle. It really drove home how messed up the situation was and how almost nobody in Termina really knew what was going on. As for facing Cremia again, he dreaded the idea of it, but a part of him felt it was worse to run. Tatl would keep pestering him if he kept fleeing from what she’d see as someone harmless. He wanted to stay with Epona, too…

Tatl predicted Link would refuse, speaking up before he had a chance. “Works for us! We haven’t had a home cooked meal in ages!” No way was she counting Anju’s awful food…

This just brightened up Romani even more, shoving the balloon back into Link’s arms. “Here, take this! I’ll go get my older sister! She’ll want to meet you anyway!” Without waiting for a response, she scampered off, her dog following behind her with a wagging tail.

“Look, just don’t get mad, okay? You wanted to stay, so I just took the offer!” Tatl blurted out, again not letting Link speak up first. “Besides, I really just want a homecooked meal, and I don’t care what you say, Anju’s food is awful!”

“It’s fine.” Link replied. “I was going to accept anyway.” Actually, it annoyed him that Tatl simply accepted without asking him. It was true that he really was going to accept, but she could’ve let him answer since Romani was asking him. At the very least, felt a bit less stressed now that Romani was away, but he knew it’d be far worse when she came back.

“You ran away last time! Why do you want to stay now?” Tatl asked, wishing she could just wrap her mind around Link.

Did she always have to pry so much? He did what she wanted, so why did she have to dig deeper?! “We were going to the Great Bay last time. We aren’t this time.” It might have been the stress over losing his eye, among everything else, but he felt such a nasty anger suddenly broiling in his gut, like he had a hot metal ball rolling around inside of him.

“Oh, please, it was more than that. You were in such a hurry to leave it was ridiculous! But whatever, it’s one of your weird secrets again, huh?” She had to remember that Link outright said he wouldn’t be totally open, even after the whole Navi talk. “Or maybe you just want to hang around with Romani. You really like her, huh?” The fairy teased, unable to help herself.

He didn’t even think, he just glared at Tatl and spoke. “Would you just leave me alone?! You just keep digging and digging!” Link only realized he yelled after Tatl flinched and hovered a few inches away. His mask just shattered again, and he just yelled at Tatl. Instantly, he felt regret, and then numb again like he wasn’t just furious a moment ago. “Tatl, I’m sorry…I…” The boy didn’t know what to say, and he noticed even Epona took a few steps back.

Tatl didn’t really know how to react to being yelled at by Link like that. He had been snippy with her, but just yelling was something else. It felt awful, with how patient he normally was, she immediately had the feeling that she did something horrible…but then she quickly realized she did not deserve that! Instead of yelling back, she turned away from him. “Fine. Whatever.” That was all she felt she needed to say. She felt horrible about his situation, but that didn’t mean he could bite her head off like that!

Link wanted to apologize again, but at that moment, there was a call from afar. “There they are! They cleared the boulder!” Romani’s voice rang out.

Not feeling prepared at all, Link turned to see two Malons approaching him. The older one was more tired than her younger sister, and her gaze quickly fell upon Link’s eyepatch. Unlike Romani, her features shifted into one of concern and a bit of pity. Not as blatant as Anju’s, Link was able to see those emotions, even from a small distance.

Cremia put on a more casual expression as she got close, even giving a small smile to the outsider. “So, you’re the ones that helped us out! We both owe you a lot! I heard a construction worker holler that he was working on the situation yesterday, but who knew how long that’d take! What’s your name, young man? Romani called you Grasshopper, but I doubt that’s your real name!” She put on a friendly, joking tone, but her eyes kept darting to his eyepatch…

For a moment, Link just stared and wondered why Termina had to be so nasty to him and make two Malons to torment him. Cremia even looked exactly like Malon did in the alternate future, as if she were the exact same age! It was such a specific detail that it didn’t feel like a coincidence, but something malevolent that just wanted to distress him! It hurt to see someone that reminded him of something he may never get to return to. He missed his friends so much!

He just wanted to go home…

Link realized that Tatl wasn’t going to speak up for him, and probably wouldn’t again any time soon. “My real name is Link. This is Tatl.” He still felt he should introduce his companion, even if she was mad at him. “I came to visit my horse, so I cleared the boulder.”

Cremia seemed surprised at that, a large part probably because of how flatly and casually Link mentioned bombing the path open. She quickly got over it and gave a nod, not seeming too bothered by Tatl’s lack of any response. “I see! Romani here mentioned offering you lunch. We’d love to have you as thanks!”

A small part of Link wanted to just refuse and leave, especially since Tatl wasn’t talking to him. She might start to yell at him if he kept changing his mind, though, and he actually found that scenario worse. As stressful as it was to be around Romani and Cremia, fighting with his only friend in Termina was a far nastier alternative. “We appreciate it.” Link ended up droning. “Thank you, Cremia.”

The older redhead paused, her eyes focusing, like she was trying to study Link somehow. It only lasted a second before she once more went back to her casual self. “Great! Well, we won’t be eating until noon, so you two can just play in the meantime, alright?”

“Yeah! You can help Romani set up the balloons, Grasshopper!” The younger sister practically demanded, taking the range object from Link’s hands. “I’ve got a whole bunch, so we’ll be busy for a while!”

“Remember, he’s a guest! He already did us a big favor, so don’t go working that boy too hard!” Cremia semi-scolded, but didn’t actually seem all that upset.

“I won’t! Romani was going to do most of it!” Romani argued with a huff. “Grasshopper wouldn’t mind anyway, right Grasshopper?”

Tatl spoke up at last, trying her best not to sound as furious as she felt. “He won’t mind at all.” Putting Link to work oughta show him! The fairy was still pretty sore about how Link treated her, even though she knew he didn’t mean it, and he even tried to apologize. She just couldn’t help it, after doing her best to help him with his lost eye, he snaps at her just because she asked a few questions! Though…she did already know he didn’t appreciate all her prying…but still!

Link couldn’t blame Tatl for being mad, and felt he deserved her volunteering him for setting up balloons, whatever that even fully entailed. He’d try to apologize to her later, if the two had a moment alone. “That’s right. I’ll help.”

Cremia shrugged. “Well, don’t let me get in the way of it, then. You two kids have fun and work up an appetite, okay?” She gave the pair a smile as she walked off, offering a backhanded wave as she went back to whatever chore she had been working on.

“Aw, you’re so sweet, Grasshopper!” Romani chirped once Cremia was out of earshot. “Cute and nice!” She let out a small laugh, starting to blow air back into the balloon once more.

It just didn’t feel right for her to call him cute! When Malon did it, he felt hot in the face, but he still liked it. With Romani…it was just wrong! “What are these balloons for anyway?” He asked. Normally, he never made small talk with the residents of Termina, partially due to the fact they’d never remember what he said anyway. If he was going to be there until at least lunch, though, he might as well try to make the time go by faster.

“Oh, these? They’re for target practice! Romani saved up all year to buy a bunch! I’m going to shoot at them with my bow!” She didn’t seem to have it with her, though, apparently the bow and arrows being in the house or something.

“Just for fun?” Tatl asked, also deciding that talking would make time go faster. A lot more than just silently fuming. She wouldn’t talk to Link, though! “Couldn’t you just buy a wooden target or something!”

Romani blew into the balloon again, the orange mass starting to take more of a proper shape, that being an oval. “No! I need lots of different targets all spread around! I need to practice and hone my skills before tonight!”

That instantly made Link worry. “Practice for what?” He asked, wondering if some sort of trouble was going to befall the ranch. But how could it? The only path had been blocked until just a little bit ago, and it was clear Romani assumed something would’ve happened tonight regardless!

This prompted the redhead to look around, as if searching for eavesdroppers, which there were naturally none of. “Tonight is when They come. They’ve been coming two days before the carnival for a few years now!”

“Who are They?! That’s so vague!” Tatl huffed. “And why doesn’t your older sister seem worried if someone is coming to your ranch?”

“They’re ghosts…!” Romani whisper-yelled, apparently still worried about being overheard by some unknown party. “They come from a ball of light in the sky, and They steal our cows!” Her voice was deadly serious, yet at the same time it almost sounded like she was relaying an old campfire story.

Link had no idea if Romani was just pulling their leg or not. Like the balloons were for actual target practice, but the story attached was entirely made up. He couldn’t help but be reminded of Malon, who tried to spook Link a few times with scary stories, and always pouted when she failed to frighten him. She had no idea that Link had faced things more disturbing than Malon could ever conjure up.

“If They come every year, why isn’t Cremia worried?” The boy asked, still not sure if he was meant to take this seriously or not. Beings appearing in a ball of light from the sky and stealing livestock was certainly…odd to say the least…

“She’s never seen Them, she’s always asleep!” Romani explained, pouting just like Malon did. “She thinks it’s the Gorman Brothers, but she’s never proved it. It’s not fair, she won’t believe Romani’s story because she’s never seen Them, but will think the Gormans did it when she also never sees them do anything!” She let out a huff at the end of her small rant.

It disturbed Link the ways Romani acted like Malon, such as her pouting and huffing. It was bad enough she stole his dear friend’s appearance, but even some of her mannerisms! Seeing Malon’s double acting like her sent a disturbed chill through Link’s spine. He tried to distract himself by wondering if these brothers were related to the Gorman from Clock Town. Link remembered how Zelda taught him about last names…

Tatl scoffed. “That sounds so made up! A bunch of ghosts coming from a ball in the sky?! Where do you come up with this kind of stuff?” Even with all the things she had seen with Link, Romani’s story was just too ridiculous for the fairy to believe.

“I didn’t make it up! I’m even using the balloons as practice! Speaking of which…” She pointed at Link’s quiver, which made him tense as he thought she was pointing at his missing eye for a moment. “…Grasshopper, how good are you with a bow?”

He wasn’t sure how to even answer that. Since his injury, he had been mostly thinking about his sword skills, not so much his archery ones. With one eye missing and the damaged depth perception…he imagined it wouldn’t nearly be so easy. That did, however, give him an idea. “I could use some practice.” Link vaguely answered.

Romani hummed, walking around Link as though she were studying him. Apparently she liked what she saw, as she beamed at him. “We can both practice, then! You can help me fight Them off tonight!”

“Wait, we never agreed to anything like that!” Tatl reminded the girl. “I don’t know about him, but I don’t believe your story!” She tried her best not to sound too angry when saying ‘him’ just then. The fairy didn’t even want to speak Link’s name at that moment!

“Aw, come on! Grasshopper, you believe me, right?” Romani asked, her eyes widening as she spoke. Again, this puppy-dog eye look was something Malon did to him a few times, mostly as a joke, though.

For a brief second, Link wanted to snap at Romani and tell her to stop, but he pushed that urge down. The more she kept doing Malon-like things, the more upset he felt. “I believe you.” He was lying, but this seemed like a good, free way to get some archery practice in. No telling if there was a bow and arrow equivalent to the dojo in Clock Town, and he had no desire to ask Tatl for a favor right then.

Instantly, Romani perked up and beamed at Link once more. “Thanks, Grasshopper! You’re the best! Don’t worry, once we drive Them back, Romani will reward you somehow!”

Link felt bad about lying, yet there was a part of him that tried not to care given how the girl before him kept pretending to be Malon. “I’ll do my best. How do we set the balloons up?”

The next while was taken up with the two kids setting up the balloons, which had faces that reminded Link of a Poe when they were fully inflated. Using weights tied to the balloons with a string, they were set up around the ranch. Epona mostly stayed near her pen, watching Link, and only moving around if he moved out of view so she was always watching him.

At one point, when Romani was off a ways, Tatl flew down to Link. She was still upset with him but had cooled down enough to at least speak to him. “You don’t really believe that story of hers, do you?” Her tone was cold, but not outright hostile.

It threw Link off a bit that Tatl was even speaking to him. He thought for sure her angry silence would last at least until the end of the day. “No, I don’t.” Link admitted as he set up his current balloon. “It sounds made up. I just didn’t want to upset her.”

“I thought so. Didn’t think you’d believe something that stupid.” The fairy thought it was strange how book dumb Link was considering how unusually mature he was for his age. Not just with the story Romani told, but in a lot of other ways like how stoic he forces himself to be. Yet he couldn’t read or write…

Link hesitated, but spoke back up. “Tatl, I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean to yell at you.” Might as well just suck it up and get the apology done with fast. “I just…” He trailed off, not sure how to say it. Even just admitting how stressed and miserable he was proved difficult for Link. The boy had a very hard time actually admitting he even had an issue with Zelda or anyone else during the last two years. Really, the only time was when he relayed Zelda’s diagnosis to Saria, and he was just saying what someone else told him.

Tatl wasn’t sure how to react at first. She knew an apology would happen at some point, but she honestly expected it to take longer. A part of her realized that being so angry at a kid for having an outburst was a bit silly, it was hard for her to remember he even was a kid at some points, sometimes he barely even acted human! “…You know, I hate how closed off you are. Most of the time, I can’t get anything out of you. That’s why I ask about you so much, you know! If you’d just talk to me, I wouldn’t have to always do that!”

“I know. But you-” Link didn’t get very far before Tatl interrupted him.

“Do you even realize I keep trying to get to know you because I like you?!” The fairy didn’t think she’d  be saying anything like that any time soon! “After being with you for so long, I actually enjoy being with you, even if you drive me nuts sometimes! I don’t care that I’ve said it before, you have to realize it hurts when you just shut me out, and then you yell at me for trying to understand you a bit more! Did you even notice I barely know a thing about you? Your name, being from Hyrule, and Navi! That’s it!” She didn’t even care if Romani overheard them at this point, though the redhead was out of earshot still.

Did they really have to do this now? As much as their relationship had improved, Tatl had a knack for focusing on stuff that, to Link, didn’t matter as much. He was a lot more focused on trying to save everyone in Termina or resting so he could get back to stopping the Moon. He grew to like Tatl, but improving their friendship wasn’t exactly a priority for him. When all of this was over, he wouldn’t mind it at all, but the fairy clearly had other ideas…

“I noticed. This just isn’t the time for these things. I have to focus on Termina more than building a friendship, I’m sorry.” Link replied bluntly, but still keeping his usual tone of voice.

“You don’t sound very sorry.” The fairy pointed out, glaring at Link even though she knew he couldn’t see it. “I know you won’t be going back to the Great Bay any time soon, so I thought it was fine if we could get to know each other.” Aside from the Skull Kid, she never really had any friends aside from her own brother. Because of that, she wanted to get to know Link better at an almost desperate level, especially since he was so reluctant to share most things about his life. “Like what kind of life did you even have? Do your parents know you went into the Lost Woods?” She recalled she asked about his parents before, but naturally got no real answer.

Of course she had to ask about some of the worst aspects of his past, the life he had to live and his parents. The idea of speaking of his dead mother made him feel sick, the boy missing her so desperately despite not even knowing her face. “I can’t do this.” Link admitted, shaking his head. “I can’t talk about these things. Please, let me have my privacy. When this is over…I want to take you to Hyrule and show you everything.” And he really meant it. He didn’t want to lose Tatl, he wanted her to be a part of his life…but at the moment, he needed more space.

It all felt like it was going in a loop, the talks to the two had. Fitting given that they repeated the same three days dozens of times by this point. Was that a part of Tatl going after the same talking points, or her own stubbornness? She had never met someone that was as much of a brick wall as Link, her persistent nature never tested so much. “…I want to see Hyrule too. I want to see the kind of life you have, Link. You better not go back on that, okay?” She half-joked, acting mockingly stern.

Tatl started to really feel better at that point, having talked things out. She was still a bit sore at Link, but she found it hard to be as angry at him when he apologized. The fairy had certainly noticed she had grown softer since becoming Link’s friend. Maybe she just felt so bad for him, she couldn’t be nearly as nasty as she had been when they first met…

“I promise I won’t go back on it.” Link assured, noticing Tatl didn’t agree on giving him space. He was about to reassert that, but Romani started to approach, waving at the boy and fairy.

“Grasshopper! Ms. Fairy! That’s enough balloons! Let’s practice!” The redhead called out, having gotten a bow and a small quiver of arrows while Link and Tatl were talking. “I’ll go first!”

Romani took Link and Tatl so they were standing a fair distance from the balloon they had set up. She got her bow ready, notched the arrow, and let it fly…and watched as it landed into the ground with a muted thud. The redheaded tried two more times, none of the arrows managing to actually hit the balloon.

“Hey, have you done this before? You couldn’t hit the balloon at all!” Tatl noted, really making her thing the whole ghost thing was fake. If they were real, surely Romani would’ve practiced way harder than this!

“I’ve practiced!” Romani insisted, pouting up at Tatl. “Romani has no one to teach her, so it’s been tough! Did you have anyone teach you, Grasshopper?” She asked Link, looking more cheerful when speaking to him.

Why did she have to keep pouting at him like that? Why did she have to stare at him with Malon’s eyes!? Every time Romani or Cremia spoke to him, Link felt the urge to flee the ranch, or play the Song of Time. He still didn’t want to risk making Tatl angry at him again, which was the only reason he was staying aside from having a chance to practice his archery.

“No, I didn’t.” Link admitted, getting his bow and an arrow ready. He felt a bit anxious, no idea how things would go. His sword and archery skills came to him naturally, he never had to practice them before. Losing his eye had a nasty impact on his use of a blade, but would it be the same for a bow? He readied the arrow and aimed it at the balloon. It was hard for him to tell how far away it was, steadying his arrow carefully. Taking a deep breath, he let the arrow fly…and watched as it flew right past the balloon and hit the ground.

“Oooh! That was close! Give it another try, Grasshopper!” Romani cheered, being far more encouraging than Tatl.

Link did his best to ignore Romani, getting a second arrow prepared. He remembered the Swordsman’s teachings and only took a mere second to aim before letting it fly! Whether the technique truly worked or it was a fluke was hard to say, but the arrow struck the balloon, letting out a loud pop as it burst!

“Oh wow, that was fast!” Tatl lightly praised, wondering if the arrow just caught the wind the right way. There was zero chance Link’s missing eye didn’t have any impact on his archery…

“Very good, Grasshopper! Now come on, let’s keep practicing!” The redhead practically demanded, going to fetch the fired arrows.

For the next few hours, the two children trained using the plentiful balloons that Romani had saved up. Tatl hovered above, sometimes making small comments as Epona wandered about, grazing on grass, but usually having Link in her line of sight at all times. Romani wasn’t too good at using the bow, only hitting two or three balloons. Link had a bit more luck, hitting a few more than Romani did, but it was clear his aim had been heavily impacted due to his disability. The two kids didn’t talk much, Romani trying to be social, but Link generally gave swift answers that didn’t warrant much of a response to try and shut her down. If it bothered her, she didn’t show it…

Around noon, Cremia’s voice called from the direction of the house. “Lunch is ready! You three come and get it!” She stood outside the front door of the home, waving the trio towards her.

“I’m starved!” Romani chirped, giving Link a toothy grin. “Come on, Grasshopper! Let’s go!” She grabbed hold of his wrist and dragged him towards the house. Tatl hovered alongside them, quietly tittering at the sight.

Link had to resist the urge to snatch his hand away from Romani, hating her presence yet not able to bring himself to purposefully make her upset. When they arrived at the house, he remembered his manners as Romani let go of his hand. “Thank you, Cremia, for the lunch.”

The older woman let out a light chuckle. “Really polite, aren’t you? You did a good thing for us, so this just makes us even!” She insisted as Romani practically bounced into the home. “Now come on, I made plenty!”

Taking a look inside the home, Link realized that, of course, the home was similar to the one at Lon Lon Ranch. It had a small kitchen area, and a sitting room with a couch and some chairs with a fireplace, then a staircase leading upstairs. One thing Link noticed was a small shrine off in the corner displaying four vaguely humanoid figures and a bowl with several herbs inside as an offering. Assuredly the four creatures were meant to be the Giants…

In the kitchen was a table with three chairs ready, a plate full of several types of sandwiches piled on top. There were a few different kinds, from veggie and fruit sandwiches, to one with a few types of meat, to mixtures of the other kinds, as well as peanut butter and jelly, something Link only learned about in the castle.

“Now that’s a spread!” Tatl praised, hovering around the sandwich mountain. Yes, they were simple, but compared to Anju’s cooking, the fairy was in heaven just near these things! Maybe if the two stayed for dinner, Cremia would make something warm to eat. Not that they couldn’t get something like that in the various eateries of Clock Town, but home cooking just had a different feel to it. The fairy had snuck plenty of such a thing in her time to say that for sure!

“Thanks, Cremia!” Romani chirped, taking a seat and grabbing two sandwiches, seemingly at random, and digging in without waiting for the other two. Cremia almost seemed like she was going to scold her sister for this, but then she closed her mouth, and a strange, forlorn expression crossed her face for the briefest of moments before a smile crept back on.

No one noticed except Link.

The boy took a seat too, taking a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, having found it to be a unique, lovely treat in the castle whenever he had his appetite. Tatl wanted one of the mixed sandwiches, and Link gave it to her, knowing she wouldn’t even be able to eat it all.

“So, Link, where are you from anyway? Never seen clothes like that in Clock Town.” Cremia asked, sitting down and grabbing a veggie sandwich. “You here for the Carnival of Time?”

More small talk. With two Malons. It was at that moment Link decided he’d leave right after lunch. He first took a bite of the sandwich, the sugary goodness soothing his nerves, just a bit. Knowing he couldn’t get away without answering, he forced himself to engage. “I’m from outside of Termina, here for the carnival, yes.” It was the easiest answer to give, so might as well just lie.

“But where are your parents? Are they back in town, Grasshopper?” Romani asked, kicking her feet a bit as she ate. She didn’t seem at all tired from the hours of practice, like she just had endless energy.

A small, mean part of Link wanted to say he was an orphan, just to watch the expressions on the fake Malons’ faces. But he knew he’d get a look of pity, which he just couldn’t stand the idea of. “They’re in town, they sent me to get our horse back.” Just another, easy lie…

“It was those Gorman brothers, wasn’t it?” Cremia asked, not masking the animosity in her voice at all. “Don’t trust those two, not for a second, ya hear?”

Link glanced at Tatl, wishing she could do the speaking for him. Navi used to do that all the time, and it made his social interactions so much easier! Alas, the fairy was working on the bread, stuffing her face like she hadn’t eaten in weeks. “It wasn’t them; it was an imp. I’ll still keep away from the brothers, thank you.” The boy replied. “Speaking of Epona, is it okay to keep her here until the Carnival of Time is over? There’s nowhere in Clock Town to keep her. I can pay if you want.” Speaking in such long streams was so unlike him since his mind broke…

“No need to pay. One little old filly won’t be much of an issue.” Cremia assured with a smile. “Now, say, I was curious…”

The small talk went on for a bit, Cremia and Romani taking turns asking Link about his life. He either gave vague answers, or just lied, and given Tatl’s silence, he was sure she knew he wasn’t giving real information out. He was just trapped! Miraculously, neither sister asked about his eye. Still, it was stressful, yet oddly serene. Just sitting around and chatting while eating some sandwiches…it was the most normal thing Link had done since coming to Termina.

At one point, Link recalled something when it came to Anju and Kafei. Though he was sure the long-lost fiancé was in Clock Town, given the Postman had a letter from him, he still wanted to be clear on something. “Cremia, I was wondering if you heard about Kafei. He’s been missing for a while.” He remembered hearing a few of the townsfolk mention the ranch and Cremia’s name, so maybe she knew something!

Instantly, the room seemed like it grew colder by several degrees in an instant, Romani even sinking into her chair a bit. Cremia gave Link a stern look. Not quite a glare, but still one that made him feel nervous. “Now I don’t know what people in town are saying.” She started, voice heavy with annoyance. “But don’t you go believing I’m involved at all. Ya hear me? I haven’t seen Kafei since he disappeared, and I have no idea where he is. Now if anyone asks, you tell them that, understand?”

Getting scolded by an older Malon was surreal to say the least, and Link was barely able to look her in the face. Still, he gave a nod and was only able to utter two words. “I understand.”

“Good. Now, eat your fill.” Cremia said, taking a big bite out of her sandwich. The awkward tension never went away, staying for the rest of the meal.

Thankfully, this wasn’t too long of a period. After about ten minutes of silence, Tatl decided to help out. She had wanted to see how Link could handle the situation, and it was better than she thought. It was clear he was making most of his answers up, and his tone was still all neutral, but it surprised her! Clearing her throat, the fairy took to the air. “We should probably be going. Your parents will be worrying about you if you’re gone too long, Link.”

“That’s right. Thank you for the meal.” The boy said, quickly standing up. “And thank you for caring for Epona.”

Perking up a bit, Romani cleared her throat. “You’ll come back tonight, right Grasshopper?” She glanced at Cremia for a brief second, but made it clear that she was being vague on purpose.

“I promise.” Link bluntly replied, seeing Cremia look between the two. Before the older sister could question anything, he quickly went out the door along with Tatl. As soon as he closed it behind him, Epona came softly trotting towards him. He held either side of the horse’s face gently. “You stay here, Epona. You’ll be safe, okay?”

Epona stared at him, almost as if she could understand him. Notably, when he walked off towards the ranch’s exit, she stayed near the sisters’ home…

“That’s one smart horse.” Tatl noted as she and Link went under the ranch’s sign. “We’re not really coming back here tonight, right?” He said he didn’t believe Romani about the ghosts, but his do-good nature was perplexing to her at times, so she had to ask.

“No. I think she was making the story up.” Link insisted. “Epona will be fine there.” He assumed so, at least. Cremia kept talking about the Gormans, but would they really steal a filly like Epona? Sure, the Skull Kid did, but that was very different…

Once the two neared Termina Field, Link took a faster way back using his Goron Mask. The rest of that day was spent at the inn or getting something to eat at one of the town’s eateries. Link was surprised at how well he used his bow and arrow that day, at the very least he felt it wasn’t quite as important as getting his sword skills back on track.

As for the fight from earlier, neither of them brought it up again. They had mostly reached an understanding that one day, when all things in Termina were finished, Link wanted Tatl to visit him in Hyrule so he could share parts of his life with her. The fairy wasn’t sure how long her patience would last, but for the moment she was going to try her best not to pry into Link’s past, as curious as she was…

The second day was spent mainly at the dojo. This time, Tatl stayed awake for it all, and made sure Link took numerous breaks to eat, drink, and rest. She even got into a screaming match with the Swordsman to go easier on the child, which he eventually relented to. The boy and fairy both noticed a bit of an improvement in his sword skills, showing that the training was working slowly but surely!

By the time night rolled around, Link was too tired to do anything but go to sleep, not waking up until nearly ten o’clock on the final day. When he did get up, Tatl noticed that he was gearing up to go outside, rather than playing the Song of Time as he usually did. “What’s up? We’re going somewhere?” The fairy asked as Link got all his things together.

He felt embarrassed for what he wanted, but there was no getting around it. “I want to check on the ranch.” Even though he didn’t believe Romani’s story, the idea of her being in danger kept eating away at him ever since he left the ranch! “Just in case.”

“I can’t imagine those ghost things were real, but…fine…but let’s reset after that. I hate how the Moon looks when it’s so close…” Or any other time when they were outside, but the closer it drew, the worse…

Quickly, Link and Tatl left through the south gate to Termina Field, and the trip was swift as Link used his Goron form once again. He reverted to a Hylian when they got to where the boulder used to be, and they both felt a chill. “You feel that, right?” The boy asked, walking fast towards the ranch this time around.

Tatl nodded, but realized Link couldn’t see it and spoke up. “Yeah…something just feels…off.” The air was still, practically dead, as if even the birds and insects decided to abandon the ranch.

As the two passed the sign and grew close to the house and barn, they realized something that made them stop in place. The roof to the barn was just…gone. No remnants of it were around, like some massive hand tore it off and threw it into the distance! “It couldn’t be…” Link murmured under his breath, sprinting to the barn with Tatl at his side.

The boy barged into the roofless building and saw that there were no cows inside. No signs of violence, save for the lack of a ceiling, was present. There wasn’t any blood, the door wasn’t broken in at all, and no marks that hinted at any sort of struggle!

“They couldn’t have been real…could they?!” Tatl exclaimed, not knowing what could just tear a roof off like this! Ghosts? It didn’t sound likely, but just because Romani called them that…wait…! “Romani! She was going to fight them, right?!”

Link spun around and ran out of the barn, but quickly stopped when he saw Romani sitting on a small crate by the home. In her pen stood Epona, looking a bit shaken, and was unable to reach her rider as the gate had been closed up again. Though relieved to see the filly was okay, the Hylian focused on Romani instead. She had been sitting so still, he hadn’t noticed her until just that moment!

He approached the usually cheerful redhead, ready to apologize…until he saw her face. Romani’s expression was a total blank, but not in the way Link did it. It wasn’t that she was hiding her emotions, but more she wasn’t feeling anything. Her eyes were looking at something far, far away, and her eyelids were half-lidded as if barely even conscious. She didn’t even register Link and Tatl’s presence, not so much as glancing at them. It was as if she were in some sort of trance!

“Romani…?” Link lightly said, hesitating before placing a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry I didn’t come back, I…” He trailed off, not sure what to even say.

Yet the young girl didn’t react, not for a few seconds at least. She lazily looked over at Link, though it was like she was gazing through him instead. Her eyelids opened ever-so-slightly, but she still looked so out of it. “Grass…hopper…?” Romani droned, her words lightly slurred. “Grass…hopper…”

Link had no idea what was going on, but something was wrong with Malon. Something awful happened to her! It was those ghosts, they did something to Malon, and reduced her to this! He could have been there, he could have helped Malon, but he was too stubborn to believe her story and now Malon was…!

…No…not Malon. Romani.

She was Romani.

“Romani…what happened? What did this?” Link asked, feeling like he was going to throw up. He felt his frame lightly shaking, and he was sure he was wearing a vulnerable expression, but at the moment he just didn’t care.

“Hm? Wait…we were going to…practice, right…?” Romani asked, clutching the sides of her head, as if she was in pain. “But for…what…? I can’t remember…”

Before Link or Tatl could reply, Cremia’s voice called from the house. “Link? What are you doing back here?” The two guests turned to see the older woman approaching, her eyes bloodshot and dark circles beneath them. She didn’t sound upset or angry, just…defeated.

Link took a step back from Romani, feeling almost afraid he’d somehow make her condition worse just by being near her. “Cremia, what happened? The cows…Romani…”

Cremia looked at her little sister, who was mumbling nonsense to herself. “I don’t know.” She replied bluntly. “Yesterday morning, the barn was like this, and Romani was gone with the cows. And then in the afternoon…she just…showed up like…this.”

“Did she tell you what happened? She’s so out of it…” Tatl inquired, feeling sick as well. This wasn’t right, this wasn’t right at all…

“I don’t know.” Cremia repeated. “She just sits and stares and…Giants, I don’t know if she’s even aware, or…”

“I’m sorry.” Link interrupted, his hands curling into fists. “I failed her. I was supposed to return that night, but I didn’t believe her story…”

The older redhead let out a noise that almost sounded like a stifled sob. “It’s not your fault. I’m her older sister…I should’ve believed her! I don’t know what did this, but…I think it was tied to her story…” Gulping audibly, she took Romani’s hand, standing her up. The younger girl wobbled on her feet, like she’d collapse at any moment. “Come on, Romani…let’s go inside. We’ll sit by the fireplace like we used to…” She whispered brokenly, not seeming to be aware of Link and Tatl’s presence anymore as she led Romani inside.

“Cremia…fire…place…?” Romani murmured, not even looking up at her sister as they entered the home and the door closed.

Link and Tatl were left outside with no one but the ever-watching Moon. The boy started to gasp for breath, feeling the world spin around him as the guilt started to settle in. “Tatl…we…I mean…I…” He choked out, staring at the house’s door. “What did I do…?”

“You didn’t do anything.” Tatl instantly replied, but realized how that could be interpreted. “I mean…this isn’t your fault. It was such a weird story! No one believed her…but we can fix this…right?” If there was one thing they had, it was chances!

This made Link wonder if this happened in every single Cycle. Without his presence, did she still go and try to fight Them alone and then…have whatever befell her happen? Has this happened to her and Cremia dozens of times?! Everywhere he went, there was misery that’d keep repeating every time he reset the clock! Was it really right for him to make so many people suffer?

The ground shook at that moment, making Link remember he had no choice.

“…I’m going to stop this. I have to.” Link didn’t care if his archery skills weren’t at their peak. He’d use his sword, or even his bare hands to save Romani if he had to! Even if it was just a single time…! He now knew every Cycle he didn’t go to the ranch, Romani would be shattered and Cremia barely any better.

“Come on, let’s go. I’ll help however I can! Just keep thinking about how we can help them!” Tatl didn’t want Link putting a shred of blame on himself, but a part of her knew he’d do so anyway…

Link didn’t respond, his mind set on one goal. He brought the Ocarina of Time to his lips and let the song he had played so many times echo across the empty, miserable ranch as time flew backwards once more.

Chapter Text

Link wasted no time in preparing. As soon as he appeared before the Clock Tower again, he began working towards helping Romani Ranch. He went to an equipment store and bought as many arrows as he could carry, then a Powder Keg from the Bomb Shop, it being a real help how early the two stores opened. Then, he left town and used the Goron Mask to roll to Milk Road and the boulder blocking the way forward, using the Powder Keg to blast it away! As soon as the carpenter left, Link shed his mask and rushed forward towards the ranch.

“Hey, just make sure you don’t tire yourself out preparing, okay?!” Tatl chimed, having been pretty silent since the two began the loop again. “They come pretty late at night, so…” She couldn’t even imagine how Link would react if he was there to help and still failed to save Romani…

For the first time since he started moving, Link stopped. His face was still mask-like as usual, but his hands curling into tight fists gave away his true feelings. “I have to do everything I can to help her. I can’t let her down again.” He stated simply.

Tatl hadn’t seen Link react so strongly to an individual in peril! She figured it was because neither of them believed Romani’s story and left her to face Them alone. The fairy kept wondering what They looked like and what They even did to the poor girl. “Okay…just remember that this is just one Cycle…” It was harsh, but true. Chances were, every single Cycle before this one resulted in Romani becoming a mumbling, blank mess. She assuredly went to face Them with or without Link’s promised aid…

Link had already thought of that. He knew that Romani would suffer the same fate each time he didn’t help her. It was just like everyone else he encountered so far. The Dekus and their monkey prisoner would suffer, the Gorons would endure a harsh winter, and the Zoras lived in a murky, cursed ocean. Not to mention everyone else and their other various problems…

“I know.” Link assured. “I just have to be there for her this time. I have to keep my promise to her as soon as possible.” Not that the guilt wouldn’t constantly eat away at him each time he didn’t save her, of course. She was just another addition to a growing pile of reasons Link had to feel horrible about himself each time a Cycle passed by. Her appearance made it a special sort of awful, though…

“Well, I know you can help her out. If there’s one thing you’re good at, it’s fighting.” Tatl said as a light joke. She quickly realized that was probably a horrible thing to say given his recent injury, but it just slipped out! “Uh, besides, I’ll be there to help you out.”

Link ignored the joke and nodded up at Tatl. “I appreciate that. Romani will need all the help she can get.” And with that, he went onwards into the ranch proper. They had gotten there so fast that Romani was still inside, so Link took the chance to see Epona again, patting at her neck through the fence.

“You like that horse, huh? She’s brand new!” Romani’s voice called after a short while, once more repeating the same phrase she had in the past.

Withholding a shudder, Link turned around to look at Malon- at Romani. She was standing there, bow in hand like usual, her dog going over to sniff at Link’s boots. Her gaze fell onto his eyepatch, something he tried to ignore. His insides churned as a nasty sense of guilt filled him, yet he was also relieved to see the young girl safe and sound. He wasn’t sure he could handle seeing her in that horrid state again…

“She’s my horse, actually, her name is Epona.” Link explained, finding it hard to look Romani in the eye, more than usual, that was. He kept hearing her droning, emotionless words each time he looked directly at her. What made that sort of tone she had even worse was that it reminded Link of himself whenever he spoke. He at least had the luxury of doing it on purpose.

Romani’s eyes widened, and she smiled as she looked between Link and Epona. “We were wondering where she came from! Say, who are you anyway?” She asked, not unkindly. “I’m Romani, I was given the same name as the ranch.” Romani tilted her head to the side a bit in curiosity. “What’s your name?”

Another repeat. Link remembered how she worded this the first time they met. No matter how many times something like this happened, it made his insides churn! He withheld another shudder. “My name is Link. The fairy is Tatl.” The boy answered simply. As he spoke, he noticed Romani glancing at his eyepatch, and he had no doubt in his mind that she was itching to ask him about it.

“Oh! A fairy! Hello, Ms. Fairy!” Romani chirped at Tatl before looking back at Link. “And Link? Hm…Well, you have those green clothes, and you look like you could be a bit jumpy. So, I’ll call you Grasshopper!”

A part of Link had to wonder if there was any possible way to avoid getting that nickname short of wearing different clothes to the ranch. He had no idea what part of him seemed possibly jumpy to her…maybe she was just making it up as an excuse to give him the nickname. Then Link realized he was putting far too much thought into it…

“…Okay then.” He answered simply. “I’ve been looking for Epona for a few days, thank you for taking care of her.”

“That’s right! Your horse!” Romani said, as if just remembering Epona existed. “I’ll go get the key real quick! Stay right here! You stay out here too, Scamp!” She ordered the dog, who was still very interested in Link’s boots.

Link had to marvel at the fact that the dog just had to share the same name as Malon’s, along with his looks. Typical. The more time passed, the more convinced Link was that Termina existed to torment him. Or at least he was drawn to such a coincidental world solely to punish him for his failures in the past. As he watched Romani head into her home, he leaned down and patted Scamp’s head a bit, getting some kisses on his hand in return.

“It’s kind of eerie seeing her normal after…well, you know.” Tatl mused, trying not to be too blunt. She felt bad for him considering how affected he was by Romani’s fate. The fairy did her best not to think about those in need across Termina. Or at least, she wasn’t as bothered as Link. Whenever he played that Ocarina of his, anything that befell everyone was reset, or at least partially reset.

She just needed to suppress the bad feelings…

“It is.” Link couldn’t help but agree. “It won’t happen this time, though.” He also wondered if he should stay at the ranch until the final night. If some mysterious force ripped off the barn roof, stole the cows, and reduced Romani to a shell of her former self…who knew what else could happen?

The next few events of the day transpired mainly how they did in the last Cycle. Epona was let out of her pen and stretched her legs freely, Romani fetched Cremia and the two guests were offered to stay for lunch. And then, out of nowhere, Romani talked about Them…

“…and they steal our cows!” The redhead announced, once more ending her story in a somewhat dramatic fashion. “You’ve got a bow, Grasshopper, so you’ve got to be a good shot, right?!”

Link’s guts kept twisting inside his body, each and every time he so much as glanced at Romani, his guilt flared up. “I’m okay with a bow, why?” He asked, hating having to play dumb.

“You could help Romani, of course!” The redhead exclaimed. “Please, Grasshopper, with your help, we could drive Them back and save all our cows! You believe me…right?”

The boy nodded, some determination mingling in with his self-loathing. “I believe you, and I’ll help you and do everything I can to help your cows.” And this time, he meant it. If he failed this time…he had no idea what he’d do…

“He’ll save your cows, don’t worry! He’s a lot more reliable than he looks!” Tatl insisted, tittering to herself as she teased Link a bit. She also felt guilty about Romani, remembering how last time she completely dismissed the story about Them. A part of her thought about how if she believed the redhead, she might have convinced Link to stay behind. But that’s what the time loops were for! Now they had a second chance!

“Thank you! Romani knew you’d help me out, Grasshopper!” The young girl chirped, giving the boy a smile that made him sick to his stomach. “We’ve got to practice, though, I’ll get the balloons and you can help me set them up!”

Once more, things proceeded much like last time. Link and Romani trained using the orange balloons like before. Link’s skills were mildly improved since the previous Cycle, popping more of the targets and with a faster pace. He still missed at times though, and it was clear his skills were still diminished than how he was when he had both eyes. Speaking of which, he once more kept expecting Romani to question his eyepatch, but she surprisingly never did. She just seemed like the type to speak her mind, but apparently some subjects were crossing the line for her.

Noon eventually came, and Cremia called the children and Tatl in for some lunch. It was a big pile of sandwiches like last time, and the experience was more pleasant since Link avoided talking about Anju and Kafei. Though he was still questioned about his past, and he gave the same sort of vague answers, or just outright lied. As far as the girls knew, he was just there for the Carnival of Time, and his parents were in Clock Town, but were fine with him spending time at the ranch.

When the meal ended, Link and Romani practiced more with the balloons, taking another break only after an hour or so. The two children sat on the grass, the afternoon sun shining down on them and the field around them, a light breeze making for a pleasant atmosphere. Or it would be if it wasn’t for the Moon off in the distance, practically staring right at the kids, as if it was explicitly desiring the destruction of the ranch in particular.

“Hey, Romani, what are They anyway?” Tatl asked, who was hovering around Link’s head. “You weren’t really specific, you know…”

“Romani doesn’t really know!” The redhead confessed, not seeming very troubled by her own words. “They’re from the sky somewhere, but they’re like ghosts too!”

That wasn’t helpful at all. Tatl really had to wonder just what these things were. She lived in Termina all her life, and she never heard of ghosts from the sky. All the ghosts she knew about lurked in the East. “You’re sure the arrows will work…right?” The fairy pressed.

“Oh, don’t worry! Romani managed to get a few last year…but they got all our cows…” This managed to put a bit of a damper on the girl’s mood. “Sister was so upset, and she blamed the Gorman Brothers. We struggled for a while, but…”

Link looked over at Romani, feeling bad for her. He disliked her existence, but she didn’t know what she was doing to him, so it wasn’t like he could hate her. “We’ll stop Them this time, I promise.” He ensured, though he also wished he knew more about these apparent ghosts that invaded the ranch. In the Lost Woods, he was surrounded by spirits and ghosts, and not just the Kokiri. Yet he never heard of any kind of ghost that lived in a glowing ball and stole away animals…

Romani beamed at Link, then simply stared at him for a few moments before her grin diminished a bit. “Say, why do you always look so glum, Grasshopper?” She asked, leaning in towards Link, as though she were studying him. “You don’t smile or laugh or anything? What’s the matter?”

Link, why don’t you ever laugh? I’m just joking, you know…I’ve never heard you laugh. Not once…

Malon’s voice echoed inside of the boy’s mind, making him feel sick to his stomach again, or as though he were about to panic. Why did Romani have to ask about that of all things?! For a moment, he wasn’t sure how to answer. He felt more comfortable dismissing Tatl’s questions…but with Romani, it felt different. Not just because of the guilt he felt, but because of how familiar this girl was to him.

Obviously, he wouldn’t tell the actual truth. That was out of the question. He didn’t want to upset Romani, especially if she’d try and make him leave. Would she actually do that? He had no idea, but he didn’t want to risk it. So, he just had to lie. “I’m anxious about tonight.” Link quickly realized that was a dumb lie to make. If he was going to stay after They were driven off, he’d have to make up a brand new excuse!

That seemed to appease Romani’s curiosity, as she let out a small laugh. “Oh, don’t be silly, Grasshopper! We’re going to be fine! Romani has faith in the both of us! Then you can smile!”

It was unusual for Link, having Romani with so much confidence in the two of them. He didn’t want to seem mean, but the girl was…pretty lackluster with a bow. She made less shots than he did, and he had a missing eye to consider! Chances were, he’d have to do a majority of the work. That didn’t bother him too much, though, he just kept thinking of how Romani asked about his mask, about his smile…just like Malon…

There were only a few weeks left before Link’s departure to the Lost Woods. Zelda had given him her blessing, and he told his friends about the trip he was going to make, Malon being the final one to find out. By that point, she knew who Navi was and how important she was to Link, so while she voiced her concerns, she ultimately accepted the idea.

Link and Malon were sitting against the barn wall, watching the clouds slowly move by. By this point, the boy hadn’t dropped his mask in so long, the redhead had forgotten when he last showed some sort of emotion. There were times when their slowly blossoming romance had bumps, but that was just life, no relationship was perfect, and Malon accepted that, especially since she didn’t blame Link for how he was.

“You’re really going to go in the woods for that long? You’re really not scared at all, are you?” Malon asked, looking over at Link. She placed a hand over his, and he allowed her to keep it there. “I know you grew up there, but you need a fairy to keep from getting lost, right?”

Of course Link was scared, but he was more desperate to find Navi than he was afraid. An entire month in the Lost Woods as an outsider was going to be dangerous no matter how well he prepared. While Saria was still technically a Sage, her powers never fully manifested in this timeline, as there was no need for them. And the Deku Tree Sprout, even without Ganondorf’s dark magic interfering, hadn’t formed fully. So, there wasn’t much protecting him from the spirits of the forest, Saria only able to stave them off a bit.

“It’s something I have to do.” He replied, moving his hand so it was covering Malon’s, gripping hers a bit. While his face was still a blank mask, body language was still able to give away his emotions a lot of the time. “If you met her, you would understand.”

“I understand! A bit…” Malon tried to ensure, not sounding entirely confident. “You need her, and if it’s that important to you, I won’t try to hold you back! I’m just…” She trailed off, this streak of a lack of confidence not normal for the redhead. Normally, she had a healthy amount of it, but every so often, she had a few moments of self-doubt.

Link looked over at Malon, seeing she was staring at the ground. “Just what?” He pressed, feeling like he already messed up somehow. While no expert in relationships, the boy realized things were difficult for Malon due to how he was. How could anyone have an easy time with him around?

At first, Malon didn’t reply, almost deciding to drop the subject, but then she went on. “I just wish I could make you smile. I wish you didn’t need Navi to be happy.” Link had described Navi to her many times, and it was clear to the girl just why he needed her so badly.

“I’m sorry.” Link murmured, always feeling like he had to apologize for something. “No one understands me but her.” She was the only one with him every step of his journey, the only one that remembered everything that happened to him on his quest. No one, not Zelda, Saria, or the other Sages, could relate to and understand him like Navi could.

Malon nodded solemnly and looked over at Link with a reassuring grin. “You’ll find her! And when you do, I’ll see you smile and hear you laugh!” She insisted, standing up and pulling Link along with her. “Now come on, let’s get some lunch!”

Link was astonished at how much Malon cared for him when, in his eyes, she had no real reason to. Navi’s departure took his ability to be happy away, but Malon did her best to bring it back. It was little wonder he felt content and safe with her. He stood up with the redhead, letting her hold his hand as they went inside the comfortable ranch home…

Blinking a few times, Link realized he had spaced out for a few moments, Romani looking at him expectantly. The boy felt like an idiot for losing focus like that! “We’ll both be fine, you’re right.” He agreed, which prompted a small laugh from the girl.

Standing up, Romani grabbed Link’s hand and pulled him along with her. “Now come on, let’s get some more practice in!”

Link had to resist the urge to snatch his hand away from Romani, wishing she’d stop touching him. He also ignored how Tatl giggled at the interaction, sure that the fairy was delighting in the situation. “Okay, let’s get to work, then.” He droned, ready to shoot more targets.

The two did little to practice for the next few hours, all the way until around six in the evening. With the sun lowering past the horizon and the stars starting to appear, Romani declared that it was too dark to practice. This worked well as, only minutes later, Cremia called the two in for dinner.

To Link, the training went pretty well. He felt his skills with the bow growing slowly sharper as the hours went on. Of course, he still wasn’t as proficient as he used to be, and he had doubts he ever would be. Still, it was as good as he was going to get for the appearance of Them, and he had to hope it was enough…

A delicious aroma met Link, Tatl, and Romani as they entered the home, seeing a cooked Cucco on the table, and a pretty sizable one! It didn’t mean much to the boy and fairy, but Romani seemed surprised. “Sister, that’s our largest, prized Cucco, isn’t it? Why are we having that?”

Cremia, who was pouring out some milk for the three of them, paused for a second, then shook her head. “Oh, it’s fine. We have a guest, and there’s no reason we can’t indulge, right? Now come on and sit down, both of you. I was watching you and you two worked up quite an appetite!”

As Link and Romani sat down, Tatl resting on the table itself, the smaller redhead didn’t seem satisfied with the answer. “But you said we couldn’t afford to eat her because she lays so many eggs, right?”

Cremia frowned at that, eyeing the two guests before looking back at Romani. “It’s fine. Just eat.” She all but ordered, starting to carve up the cooked bird. “Link, hon, what part of the Cucco would you like?”

Link couldn’t help but feel his face burn at the nickname. Malon sparsely called him that, and it always made his insides feel warm when she did. He had no idea why, but he just enjoyed being spoken to that way. “I don’t mind. Any part is fine.” The boy insisted, sipping at his milk.

Tatl tittered quietly, seeing Link’s cheeks go a bit red. His expression may be stoic, but he couldn’t stop the blood flowing to his face! She wondered if he understood what the deal with the Cucco even was. Romani may seem nonchalant about the Moon, she didn’t mention it a single time, but the fairy doubted Cremia was that ignorant. It didn’t matter what their financial situation was, the Moon was going to fall, and the older sister clearly decided to just let the two enjoy a larger dinner before the end. “Hey, don’t forget to cut me some of that, Link!” Tatl ordered, feeling hungry just from watching the two kids practice.

“Oh! I’m sorry, I almost forgot you were even here!” Cremia said as she cut off a thigh to Link and put it on his plate. “Plenty for all four of us!”

“Romani still says sister is acting weird…” Romani murmured as she was served the other thigh. Her suspicions clearly didn’t diminish her appetite, as she quickly dug in.

“So, Link, you’re staying the night, right? You’re sure your parents won’t mind you being here?” Cremia pressed, serving up some Cucco up for herself. “I’d hate to make them worry.”

Link shook his head as he cut off some of the Cucco meat for Tatl, who quickly started to dig in. “They said as long as I’m back for the Carnival of Time it’s okay.” The boy said, wondering if it was normal for parents to do something like that. “I hope me staying is okay.”

Cremia hummed in thought, but apparently Link’s answer was satisfactory. “Well, okay. We don’t have much room here, but the couch is open if-”

“I don’t want to be a bother. I’ll sleep in the barn if that’s okay.” Link insisted, hating the idea of having some sort of nightmare and the two girls hearing. He had no idea how noisy he was in his sleep, though. Aside from the time he murmured Navi’s name, Tatl never mentioned anything he said or did in his sleep…

Romani shook her head, giving a pout, the same exact kind Malon gave. “Aw, but the barn is for animals, Grasshopper! People sleep in the house! And Scamp, of course.” She added the last part as she beamed down at the scruffy dog, who was looking up at Link with pleading eyes for some table scraps. The younger redhead let out a giggle. “You can sleep in my bed, or maybe in sister’s!” Her tone made it pretty clear she wasn’t being serious…

Despite the tone, Link found himself taken aback a bit. He didn’t know why…but just the thought of sharing a bed with either sister made him feel all stuffy inside, and the boy once more felt his face go red, but more intensely this time. It was frustrating that he didn’t understand why he felt that way, which upset him more. Worse of all was that he had no idea how to even respond to that. “I still don’t think…” Was all he managed to say before he clamped his mouth shut.

Romani laughed at Link, in a good natured manner, but she was still making him the butt of a joke. Even Cremia tittered a bit and did a poor job of hiding it. “Romani, come now!” The older redhead admonished but didn’t sound cross in the slightest. “Leave the poor boy alone! I’m sorry Link, she’s just kidding, you know!”

He knew she was kidding, but he didn’t exactly like being laughed at. Link was used to being laughed at by the Kokiri when they’d mock him, so even a more lighthearted version of that didn’t sit right with the boy at all. Link glanced down at Tatl, hoping she might step up and help him out…but he saw her laughing along with the sisters. He was outnumbered!

“He’d probably like it, he’s just too shy!” The fairy ribbed, looking up at Link as she tried not to laugh too hard. She mostly joined in because she thought it was adorable how hard the boy blushed, and it was the closest thing to a positive emotion she’s seen him display. Flustered was  far better than rage or misery…

Link couldn’t help but be mad at Tatl for not having his back, even if it was in such a small manner. If it was Navi here, she’d…no…that wasn’t right. He shouldn’t compare the two, but…it was true, Navi would’ve told the sisters to knock it off. Why couldn’t Tatl do the same for him? “I’ll sleep in the barn.” The boy managed to finally reply, taking a long drink of milk to cool himself off.

The laughter died down at that, and it didn’t seem like anyone realized how Link actually felt, as the Malon lookalikes still had smiles on their faces. “Alright, alright, if that’s what you insist on.” Cremia said with a shrug. “But don’t come complaining to me if you get all achy, alright hon?”

Hon. That name again. Link did his best to ignore it and gave a nod. “I promise I won’t complain.” He said, starting to really work on his Cucco, finding the meal pretty delicious. Link hoped he wouldn’t be too sore for when They arrived, but it wouldn’t even be for a full night, so he should be alright.

With things calming down, the rest of the meal when relatively quietly and quickly. As Cremia cleared the table once everyone finished, Romani practically dragged Link outside by the hand, Tatl following the kids. “Okay, Grasshopper, that was a good plan, sleeping in the barn!” Romani praised when the two were out of earshot of the house. “That way, if I oversleep, you will be right where They’ll be attacking!”

Apparently Romani came to her own conclusion about Link sleeping in the barn, and he decided to just let her believe her own theory. “I thought it’d be a better plan than staying in the house.” He offered as he played along as he took his hand from the redhead. Link had to wonder how she’d react if he politely told her to not touch him…

“Wait, what do you mean if you oversleep?!” Tatl demanded, flying in front of Romani’s face the way she did to Link. “Don’t even think about leaving us out there alone!”

Romani shook her head and huffed at Tatl. “That’s if Romani oversleeps! I won’t do it on purpose! I promise!” She insisted, looking over at Link with a smile. “Don’t worry Grasshopper, I know you can take all of Them on all by yourself!”

Link really didn’t want to face an army of strange creatures from the sky all alone. On the other hand, maybe it was best she overslept. In fact…! “Maybe you should say in the house.” He suggested, feeling foolish for not thinking of this earlier. “You can shoot out the window and help me from there.”

Once more, the young girl shook her head. “No way, Grasshopper! Romani wouldn’t dare leave you down here alone! I’ll be coming down to the barn with you, okay?”

If Romani was anywhere near as stubborn as Malon could be, Link realized that arguing against her was pointless. Romani said she would go down to the barn, so he felt she’d go down to the barn no matter what he said. “Okay, fine then.” He relented. “What time do They arrive?”

The redhead hummed, as if she had to remember something so prominent. “Around two in the morning. Romani will be down at the barn by then!” She promised, flashing Link a reassuring grin.

“Okay good, so we’ll have plenty of time to sleep.” Tatl remarked. “I guess we should get to sleep now. We’d be getting a full night’s worth by the time They get here.”

“Just what I was thinking, Ms. Fairy!” Romani declared, pointing to the barn. “Just use some hay to make a bed for yourself, Grasshopper! Don’t worry about a mess, it’ll be worth it!”

Tatl cleared her throat loudly. “And don’t you forget not to oversleep, okay?” Considering Romani clearly didn’t oversleep last time, the fairy doubted it’d happen here. But with how different things were this Cycle, things like that could easily change!

Romani puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms. “Geez! Romani already promised not to oversleep!” She let out a ‘Hmph!’ noise. “It’s like you have no faith in me at all, Ms. Fairy!”

Rolling her eyes, Tatl really wished Romani just called her by her name. Or at least give her a more humorous one like Grasshopper. “I was just making sure. This is pretty important, after all!” The fairy insisted.

“I’m sure it’ll be fine.” Link butted in, just wanting the small spat to end. “Tatl and I should get some sleep now. We’ll see you tonight.” Without waiting for a response, he started to walk towards the barn.

“Rest well, Grasshopper! You’ll need it!” Romani instructed, not seeming annoyed at being walked away from. After a few moments, the closing of the house door signaled Romani’s departure.

The boy and fairy entered the barn, one of the cows looking up at the visitors with an almost greeting moo. Unfortunately, the barn was one of the only human-made interiors not to have a clock in it that the two encountered. So, they really had to rely on Romani to wake up on time!

“You really think it’s a good idea to sleep in here?” Tatl asked as Link started to make a bed out of hay. She noticed how casually he did it, as if it was something he had done before. Did he sleep in barns regularly in Hyrule? Was he some sort of farmer’s son? Maybe she was looking too deep into it, but she was still fascinated with the boy’s mysterious past. “If Romani oversleeps, They will come here without a problem and…what if we end up like she did in the last Cycle?”

Link liked to think that wouldn’t happen. He had no idea what They did to Romani, and it was possible he could still fight Them off if they entered the barn. But this was just guesswork since he still knew so little about Them. “Romani won’t let us down. She didn’t sleep in last time, remember?”

“Yeah, but you didn’t stay the whole day with her last time!” The fairy pointed out. “Things were different this time, so maybe her sleep changes too!” She felt pretty nervous sleeping in a barn while waiting for some sort of invasion to arrive with only the sleeping habits of a young girl keeping them from danger!

“We’ll be fine, she won’t let us down.” Link insisted as he got his hay bed complete. He shed his gear and settled down on the makeshift bed, trying his best to get comfortable. This confidence in Romani surely stemmed from her appearance, but he wasn’t going to admit that. At the very least, he knew those outside the barn were safe. Epona and Cremia were unharmed in the last Cycle, so it really seemed that They focused on the cows and anyone else in the barn. “If you’re that worried, you can sleep in the house. I won’t blame you.”

Tatl bristled at that, not thinking Link would offer that. It was a tempting offer, and she knew he meant it with the best intentions…but she just didn’t feel right taking it. She liked Link, she wanted him to be safe, and she’d feel awful leaving him alone in the barn, knowing that some strange creatures were going to attack it. “…No. I’ll…I’ll stay here. You’re not getting rid of me that easily, okay?”

Knowing that it was also pointless to argue with Tatl, Link instantly relented. He especially didn’t want her to think he was trying to get rid of her again. As unlikely as that’d be in this situation, he was completely blindsided by it last time, so he had tot be cautious! Link just wanted Tatl to be safe, even if he wasn’t. Granted, if his mind was warped like Romani’s and he wasn’t able to complete his quest, all of Termina would be doomed anyway…

“Alright. We’ll sleep here until Romani comes, then.” The boy said, closing his eye as Tatl rested on his chest, the two needing every minute of rest and couldn’t afford to talk any longer. His chest was a pretty unusual place for Tatl, but he just figured she didn’t want to sleep in hay or on the barn floor. He nearly offered her his hat, but he remembered how Navi used to sleep on it, and the last thing he needed was to get lost in thought about her! Internally shaking that subject away, Link did his best to clear his mind as sleep eventually took him…

“Grasshopper! Wake up!” Romani’s voice called.

Link’s eye flew open, quickly sitting up, which knocked the groggy Tatl off of his chest with a yelp. He saw that Malon was standing over him, a bow in hand a quiver of arrows on her back. Blinking a few times, the boy stood up as Malon…no, Romani…said something else he didn’t quite catch. “What is it? Are They here?” He asked, trying to fully wake up.

“Not yet!” Romani replied as Tatl slowly took to the air. “But they should be any minute! Come on, you’ve gotta get ready! And see, I told you I wouldn’t oversleep Ms. Fairy!” She bragged, seeming far more awake than either of them.

Tatl lightly slapped the sides of her face a few times to get herself properly awake. “Yeah, yeah, you were right, and I was wrong.” The fairy admitted with a yawn, too tired to be any more argumentative. “Come on, Link, you ready?”

As the two girls conversed, Link was getting his gear ready, also holding his bow in hand and ready for Them. “I am. Do you have some sort of specific plan, Romani?”

The redhead gave an urgent nod. “Yes! I’ll guard the cows from in here, and you fight Them off from outside! Scamp’s out there too, and he’ll bark at the invaders! Don’t worry, They ignored him last year, so he’ll be fine!”

“Wait…you’ll just be in here? Doesn’t that mean we’ll be doing all the work?” Tatl asked, having planned to also be a scout for Link. She figured if They came from some ball in the sky, They could easily come from any direction!

“I’ll just get any that slip by you! Grasshopper is a better shot than me…” Romani admitted, seeming a bit disappointed in that observation. “So, Romani decided it’s best for him to be the first line of defense!”

That was fine by Link, who was already approaching the barn door. “It’s fine, Tatl. Come on, They could come at any moment.” If they had more time to think, it was possible to come up with a better plan, but with so little time until the invasion, he decided to just go with what Romani wanted.

“Good luck, Grasshopper! I know we can do it!” Romani called behind the boy as he and the fairy exited, closing the door behind them.

Outside, the night sky was mostly clear, though there were some clouds slowly approaching to provide the rain that fell on the second day. The ranch itself was still and silent, eerily so. No chirping of crickets or fireflies glowing periodically in the darkness. Link figured he could search every inch of the ranch and he wouldn’t find a living creature that wasn’t a ranch animal or a person. It was like the wildlife knew exactly what was about to happen and fled. Then there was Scamp, as Romani had mentioned earlier. The dog’s tail was partially tucked between his legs, a clear sign of unease. It was to the point that the pooch didn’t even approach Link as he normally did, just wandering about the ranch grounds and whimpering every so often.

Link went to check on Epona, who was back in her pen, to see how she was doing. He knew that They would leave her alone, but it was clear she was feeling stressed. The filly was pacing back and forth, letting out signs of distress and even trembling a bit.

Link patted her on the nose a few times, which didn’t seem to do much to help the poor animal. “Tatl, do you feel anything?” He recalled how Navi and Tatl felt the cursed energy in Temples and wondered if this was something similar.

“Yeah, I do…” The fairy responded with a light shiver. She felt like something was watching her, and she kept looking over her shoulder. There was a heavy sensation in the air, like an invisible pressure was weighing down on her. Tatl even felt a bit sick, but not so much she still couldn’t help Link out. “It’s not like with the Temples, though, it’s something else I can’t describe…”

Of course, Link also felt something in the air. He wasn’t as closely tied to nature as fairies and animals, so it wasn’t as strong for him. There was a sense of unease, but that was about it for him. Stepping away from Epona, he started to scan the skies, looking for an orb of light to appear. It was hard to tell what time it was, which made the anticipation worse. “Do you think it’s almost two, Tatl?”

“How would I know? I just hope Romani didn’t wake us up an hour early or something!” The fairy responded, also looking for Their arrival. “I wonder how long They’ve been around. I’ve lived in Termina all my life and never heard of cow stealing ghosts…”

As it turned out, Romani did wake the duo up early. They ended up watching the skies with nothing happening for a good twenty minutes. If it wasn’t for the fact they saw the barn and what happened to Romani’s mind, they would’ve started to think it was just a prank. “Do you see anything at all, Tatl?” Link asked, a tense feeling in his gut that had been present since they started to scout the skies.

Tatl was about to answer when something caught her eye. Directly above her was a pretty orange star! She hadn’t seen it earlier, and she didn’t even know stars could be orange. She opened her mouth to reply to Link, but then she froze, jaw dropping as her eyes widened.

The star was getting closer.

At an insanely high speed, faster than absolutely anything Tatl had or would ever encounter in her existence, the star was moving closer! In fact, it was speeding right towards the ranch, growing larger with every passing second! Tatl gathered her nerves and looked over at Link. “H-Hey! It’s coming! From right above us! That orange light! It’s Them!”

Looking straight up, Link saw the orange light, his eye widening at the sight! He took out an arrow and was prepared as the orb, in only a few seconds, reached the ranch! It was almost blindingly bright, and about as large as tall as one of the trees that were scattered about the ranch grounds.

The pair stared at the orb, which kept zipping to opposite sides of the area, each time only taking a single second to do so. It didn’t seem to be going to any particular area for any purpose, almost like it was trying to orient itself. The light then went to the dead center of the ranch, and that’s when They appeared.

Lights came from the ground, and it almost seemed like They did as well. They were…unlike anything that Link and Tatl had seen before. They were vaguely humanoid, but not in the way Gorons and Zoras were. They had no legs, floating a bit off the ground, yet there was no visible method of how They did it. The entities had cylindrical bodies that were black with purple squares. Aside from that, They were head and arms, no real segments to their bodies or necks, even. Thin arms protruded from the tops of the bodies, ending in hooked orange claws. Finally, they had eerie and unnerving spade-shaped heads with no visible mouths, and instead just a pair of massive orange eyes with beams of light emitting from them.

There were at least a dozen of Them appearing all over the ranch, every single one directly facing the barn and slowly hovering towards it. None of Them so much as glanced at the house, Epona’s pen, Scamp, or even at Link or Tatl. With the disturbing and silent way that They moved, it was little wonder Romani referred to Them as ghosts, but they were clearly something else…

Gathering himself, Link quickly got to work. He had seen far, far worse things in the Shadow Temple, so he could handle this! Staying by the barn, he saw that Scamp ran towards Them, barking at the invaders just as Romani said he would. Oddly, the creature that the dog approached gave no sign that it even realized the pup was there! It just kept floating towards the barn, it becoming increasingly clear that They truly cared for nothing else but the cows.

Link figured this passive nature would drop the instant he started to attack. Readying his arrow, he got within a few yards of the first invader and fired! At such a close distance, he was able to hit his target despite his disability. The projectile hit the entity between the eyes, causing it to freeze in place and vanish in a puff of smoke!

Whipping his head around, Link was ready for the other so-called ghosts to start making Their way towards him…but that wasn’t the case. In fact, the other invaders didn’t acknowledge Their fallen comrade at all! Not even the ones that had Link and his killing of Their brethren in Their field of view! Did They really not care about him killing one of Their own?

Indeed, even after several seconds, They had no reaction to what Link just did. It finally cemented the idea that there was literally nothing to make Them do anything but pursue the barn and its cows. Speaking o which, Link had to wonder if maybe this is what happened to Romani in the last Cycle. She stayed in the barn and got stolen away with the cows. Then, for whatever reason, They returned her after doing…something to her.

“Tatl! I don’t think They’ll attack us!” Link called out, the fairy having remained where she was, seeming a bit frozen with fear. He, too, felt a nasty unease when he got close to one of Them, but it wouldn’t be enough to stop him from protecting the ranch! “They don’t even care I killed one of Them!”

Tatl had seen the whole thing was just as bewildered as Link was. These invaders were just so unusual! Not just from their looks but their behavior made no sense. Even the least intelligent bugs will swarm an attacker if they outnumber their opponent. But They don’t seem to care at all! “R…Right! Okay!” Was all the fairy said, still deciding to keep her distance. Yes, it seemed like They wouldn’t attack…but for all she knew, if she got to close, one of those things would extend a claw out and snatch her out of the air! The fairy quickly realized an invader was getting close to the barn and shouted for Link, which truly began the chaotic onslaught.

The orb never left the ranch, periodically flying about the area and depositing more of the creatures onto the property. Link sprinted about, firing off arrows at any invader he saw, sometimes following Scamp’s barking and sometimes Tatl’s shouts. Either way, the three of them were able to cover the ranch ground with relative ease. The invading entities moved slowly, didn’t fight back, and moved in a straight line. It sounded easy, and in a way it was, but that wasn’t the issue.

The invasion just went on for a horribly long time.

One thing that Romani neglected to mention was how long the invasion was going to last. After ten minutes, Link and Tatl thought it was going to be over at any given moment. There was no way too many of those things fit in that orb, right? Yet…a half hour passed, and They still kept coming. Then an hour. Then ninety minutes. Yet They still kept coming without pause!

Link and Tatl grew increasingly exhausted as the minutes ticked by, the boy running out of arrows relatively quick and having to pick used ones off of the ground. In desperation, he even fired an arrow into the arrow in one of the moments where it remained still. He seemed to hit it, but the projectile simply vanished into the light, not coming out the other side. It was as if the ball of light simply absorbed the arrow somehow. At the very least, this didn’t seem to prompt any change in behavior from the ball, but Link decided it was a waste of time and arrows to try it again.

By the two hour mark, Link’s legs felt like wet noodles, and his arms ached horribly from using the bow over and over again. Tatl swore her wings began to hurt and she kept feeling like she’d drop from the air. Even Scamp didn’t even bark anymore, just retreating further into the ranch grounds, presumably to rest. Yet They just kept coming! It made the pair wonder if Link’s arrows even actually killed Them or if they just reappeared somewhere else on the ranch. As ludicrous as that seemed, nothing about the situation was exactly normal.

The two also felt increasingly unnerved the more that they had to deal with Them. Their silent, emotionless onslaught was just so radically inhuman and so unlike any animal or monster that it felt like They weren’t even sentient! For all the two knew, They weren’t, but who could ever hope to explain just why They were so uncanny…

“I don’t know how much more of this I can take…” Link said between heavy panting, meeting Tatl near the barn at around five in the morning. “I don’t have much energy left…”

“Me neither…! Romani never said They’d attack for this long!” Tatl complained, taking a brief rest of Link’s shoulder. She was so exhausted she felt like she could just collapse and fall asleep right then and there, but she managed to resist. This pause didn’t last long, as more of Them kept moving towards the barn, making Link charge forward again.

Thankfully, however, salvation soon came. Just fifteen minutes later, as the sun started to peek over the horizon, it all ended. All of the invaders froze in place and then burst into smoke, no longer being replaced by more troops. This prompted the orange ball of light to maneuver erratically around the ranch and then, without warning, shoot up into the sky! It kept going and going, and within a minute, it was entirely out of sight! The invasion was over!

Link and Tatl could hardly believe it, expecting the orb to come back or for more of Them to suddenly appear and keep up the attack. Seconds passed, then a minute as the two stayed in place, both panting heavily and recovering their energy. Yet nothing happened. “I think it’s really done…” The boy murmured, collapsing onto his rear. His entire body was drenched in sweat, and every inch of him was sore, especially his arms and legs. Both his hands were raw, and even bleeding a bit from all the arrow shooting.

Tatl landed on Link’s shoulder, falling down as she let out a pitiful noise of relief. “Sweet, sweet rest…” She muttered to herself before speaking up. “You’re right, Link, it’s gotta be over. Oh, Giants abound, I never thought it’d end!” Once she was recovered, she was going to give Romani a piece of her mind for not mentioning how long the invasion was going to last! Speaking of which…! “We should see how Romani’s doing, right?”

In his exhaustion, Link had temporarily forgotten all about her! Struggling to stand up, he approached the barn. At the same time, Scamp slowly walked back, seeming tired but also far less stressed than before. Glancing at Epona’s pen, he saw she was the same way as the dog. The poor filly had neighed and bucked continuously during the invasion, but now she could get some rest! It was a wonder all the noise she made didn’t wake up Cremia…

When Link opened the barn door, he saw a very tired Romani standing nearby, the cows as unharmed as she was. Of course, she wasn’t as exhausted as Link, Tatl, or the animals, but she had clearly stayed up the entire time despite doing none of the fighting. He couldn’t help but feel a tad bit annoyed that, despite the two kids being a team, he did all the work. But…Romani and the cows remained safe, and that was good enough for him. A lot of the guilt lifted from his shoulders, in fact…but not all of it. She still got captured as many times as Link played the Song of Time, after all…or so he assumed. No telling if she truly got kidnapped without his appearance, but who could say for sure?

“Romani, They’re gone.” Link said simply, too tired to realize he was stating the obvious. “You’re okay, right?” He couldn’t imagine how she could’ve gotten hurt, but that lingering guilt pressed him to dote on the girl, if only a little.

The redhead gave a tired smile and let out a sigh of relief. “I knew you could do it, Grasshopper! You saved the ranch!”

“You could’ve come out…even if it was just once.” Tatl complained, too tired and too cranky to care about being polite. She wasn’t as mean to Romani as she sometimes felt like solely because the fairy believed Link had a bit of a crush on her.

“Trust me, Romani would have come to help! But you and Grasshopper didn’t need me! Besides, someone had to stay in here!” The girl argued, letting out a yawn. “Next year we can switch roles…”

Next year? What next year? Link blinked twice and stared at Romani. “What did you mean by-”

“Oh! I forgot!” Romani piped up, interrupting the boy. She reached into her pocket and produced a glass bottle full of milk, a label on it most likely advertising the ranch, not that Link could know that. “As a reward, Romani wants you to have a bottle of our famous milk!”

It didn’t seem like much of a reward, but it wasn’t like Link was doing this for some sort of prize. He took the milk with a light nod, wondering if Romani remembered they had milk at their meals. “Thank you, Romani.” He awkwardly paused there as the girl stared at him expectantly, and he wasn’t sure if he was meant to say something else.

“Go on! Have a drink! It’s not like the milk we served at dinner! It’s more special!” The girl insisted, as if reading Link’s mind a bit. “Not as special as Chateau Romani, but still! Now go on, put your hand on your hip and take a swig like we do here at the ranch!”

Link had no idea what Chateau meant, but he took Romani’s word for it. “Oh. Okay, sure.” She wanted to watch him drink? If it’d satisfy her and make her go inside, well…

Tatl was a bit annoyed at their lack of a good prize, taking to the air and settling down in some hay to rest. Earlier, she didn’t want to be in the stuff, but at this point she was exhausted, and it was better than Link’s shoulder! Speaking of Link, her eyes widened a bit as she saw the boy do his silliest action since they met! He uncorked the bottle, placed a hand on one hip, and took a big swig just like Romani said! If the fairy wasn’t so tired, she’d have laughed at the sight!

The milk was good…and of course, in a way that made Link miserable. Earlier, the milk he drank tasted just like regular milk. But this bottle tasted just like the milk at Lon Lon Ranch. Of course it did. The boy drained half the bottle, saving the rest for Tatl and himself for later. “It tastes great, thank you.” He praised flatly as he wiped his upper lip off.

Romani let out a giggle and nodded. “Good! Good! Maybe when the Carnival of Time starts, sister will let you have a bottle of Chateau Romani! But I’m pooped, and sister will be up pretty soon, so we should get some sleep!”

Nodding, Link stripped off his gear and laid down in the hay. “Yeah, alright. I’ll see you tomorrow, Romani.” He needed to stay, to see if the ranch ever had other issues. All the way until the night of the last day…

Grinning, Romani approached the door, opening it before pausing and looking back at Link. “Good night, little hero.” She said with a light giggle before closing the door behind her.

Settling into the hay, Link held back a scoff. Hero, huh? If she knew what happened to her last time he visited the ranch, she’d never call him that. She’d probably hate her guts. “I never thought I’d see anything like Them, did you, Tatl?” Link asked as he got comfortable, but he was met with silence. Looking over, he saw the fairy was asleep already. He couldn’t blame her…

Closing his eyes, he decided the two could talk tomorrow, maybe. They were such a horrid sight, silently floating towards the barn…and Link knew he’d see Them in his nightmares sooner or later. However, he wasn’t able to think about anything else as his exhaustion hit him like a brick and he fell asleep…

Chapter Text

“Hey, wake up…”

Link kept his eye shut but was still woken up by the words. He was so exhausted, the hay somehow felt like a comfortable, soft bed. Maybe if he kept his eye closed, whoever was talking to him would go away and he could get some more sleep…

“Come on, it’s almost noon!”

Almost noon? Link didn’t care. He was still so tired, his legs felt like jelly and his arms were throbbing! Just another hour or two was all he needed. The voice talking to him was becoming clearer, though. A young girl was speaking to him.

“Hey! Can you hear me?!”

She wasn’t going to give up, was she? Link groaned, cracking his eye open slowly, not even attempting to move the rest of his body. He just knew that the simple act of sitting up would shoot pain across every part of his being. Gradually, a blurred picture formed in front of his eye, which somehow managed to be as tired as his limbs. A girl…red hair…pretty blue eyes…of course, it’s…

“Malon, can’t I sleep in a bit more?” Link weakly asked, almost feeling drained just from speaking. He couldn’t recall a time he had been so tired. A lack of sleep was hardly new to him, and there were times where he went through an entire night without getting even a second of sleep. The difference here was that he spent hours straight chasing off an army of invading creatures from the sky. It had a way of making things far, far worse.

The girl tittered. “Grasshopper, you must be more tired than I thought! I’m Romani, you silly boy!” She teased in a friendly manner.

Link’s eye shot open as reality smacked him in the face. No. She was right. She wasn’t Malon. The one talking to him was her copy. An imitation of the real thing! And he just called her by the wrong name. Feeling his heart begin to race, he glanced down at Tatl, feeling a sense of relief when he saw she was still asleep. The last thing he needed was for her to get curious over another name she heard him mention.

Clearing his throat, the boy nodded. “Right. Sorry. I’m just tired.” He droned, trying to wave off the accident. “You said it was almost noon?” He felt like his cheeks were burning red, they certainly felt that way. Link inwardly cursed himself, knowing he had to be more careful!

Romani let out another light laugh, before giving a nod. “Yeah! Sister is wondering when you’ll wake up! She has to milk the cows today for a special delivery!” The redhead explained, seeming far more chipper than Link could hope to be despite staying up as long as he did. Though she did far, far less work…

“Oh. Sorry.” Link apologized again with a murmur. “I didn’t know what time it was.” Even if he could read the clocks, this was practically the only building in Termina that seemed to lack one. “We’re pretty tired, too.” If Romani hadn’t woken him up, he was sure he would’ve slept until nightfall. Despite sleeping for a decent amount of time, he didn’t feel rested in the slightest.

“I know! And you did such a great job! Can you believe Cremia didn’t hear any of that commotion?! She sleeps like a rock!” Romani said with a laugh. “But come on, get your butt in gear! We’ve got more training to do!”

What? No way. More training?! Link didn’t even feel like he could walk, let alone shoot an arrow, even a single time. “More? For what? I thought They only came once a year.”

“They do, but we’ve got a nice head start for next year. You’ll come by then, won’t you?” Romani asked in a hopeful tone. “We’ll work more as a team next time, and we’ll really show Them what we’ve got!”

Link blinked a few times and shook his head. “I really can’t. I don’t know if I can even fire a single bow today.” He answered honestly, hoping he’d start to feel better by the end of the day. A nice, warm bath would be so soothing right about now. If those hot springs weren’t so far away…

Romani pouted, once more doing so exactly the same way Malon did. “Aw, really? I mean…you did work pretty hard…but you’re leaving after the Carnival of Time, right? You’ll just have to promise me you’ll train every day until you come back next year, got it?”

The boy still wasn’t sure where Romani got the idea he was coming back from. She probably assumed he always went to the Carnival of Time. He didn’t want to upset her, so he decided to just agree. “Okay. I promise. I’ll train every day.”

This got the redhead to beam at the exhausted boy. “Good! It’s settled! Now come on, Romani fixed you and Ms. Fairy some food!” Without waiting for a response, she turned right around and practically skipped out of the barn.

Link felt almost awed that she had that much strength left in her. Oh well. He lifted an arm, getting a wince from the boy, as he gently shook Tatl. “Hey. Wake up. We need to leave the barn and eat.”

The fairy, who had slept through the entire conversation and missed every word, cracked her eyes open. “Giants abound…just let me sleep, Link…” She grumbled, closing her eyes again…until Link shook her once more, making them snap open. “Whaaat?! What is it?!” Tatl demanded, feeling just horrible. Her limbs didn’t ache like Link’s, but flying around for hours straight was enough to wear out any fairy!

“Romani said that Cremia needs the barn. She has some food for us.” He informed, not blaming Tatl’s cranky nature. If he didn’t try so hard to remain blank, he might’ve reacted the same exact way. “You can just rest on my shoulder.” The boy offered, thinking that’d get Tatl to go along just a bit quieter.

And that plan worked. Tatl let out a sigh, fluttering with a soft groan and plopping down on Link’s shoulder. “I hope she made a lot of food. I’m starving.” The fairy complained.

As was Link. Maybe it was because of the added stress of the whole ordeal, but he felt far more exhausted than he did when he trained with the swordsman for hours straight. Maybe it was a mental thing. He didn’t know, and it really didn’t matter. Wincing, he slowly got up, his arms and legs feeling simultaneously like lead blocks and like jelly. Gathering his things, he took small steps to the door and went outside. The rain from Clock Town reached the ranch, it seemed, as the light precipitation met the pair as Link stepped into the open air. Out of the house came Cremia, looking worried about something. But when she saw Link and Tatl, her expression instantly became more relaxed, offering the two guests a small smile.

“Well, I never thought you two were gonna get up!” The woman said in a joking tone. “Never seen anyone sleep the day away! It’s about noon, you know!” She almost seemed to be in disbelief, like the concept of sleeping in later was something beyond normal.

Link only found out how odd it was to just sleep in once he started to live in the castle. Back in the forest, the Kokiri could wake up whenever they pleased unless there was an important event that day. Though that was rare. Still, Zelda let Link go about each day as he pleased, which he was grateful for.

The boy still found it hard to look Cremia directly in the face, glancing off to the side as he nodded. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to.” She was clearly not upset, but still. Link had to wonder how she managed to sleep through all that commotion last night. Did she really not hear any of it?

“Well, it’s no harm done. Just gotta get some milking done to get ready for tonight.” The older woman replied, not seeming bothered by the lack of eye contact. “Gotta make a milk delivery, and I gotta hope that…well, never mind.” She caught herself, looking worried for a split second before putting on a smile again.

“Hope…what?” Link asked, seeing her expression flicker out of the corner of his eye as he continued to gaze at the open field. If there was some sort of issue, he had to help! He couldn’t imagine it was as severe as Them, but he wasn’t about to ignore the situation.

Cremia didn’t say anything at first, like she wasn’t sure if she should give any actual details…but apparently she figured it was okay. “Well, it’s those Gorman Brothers. You’re not from around here, so I don’t expect you to know much about this, but they’re a nasty duo! Just about every time I make deliveries, they attack my cart!”

That caught Link’s attention even more, finally forcing himself to look Cremia in the face. She was openly wearing her worry at that point, no longer trying to mask herself. All he could think of was how it was the same look Malon gave him when talking about Ingo when the two of them were seventeen.

Suppressing a shudder, Link nodded at Cremia’s words. “Why do they do that?” Just because they were mean? No, there had to be some other reason…

“Competition.” Cremia replied, practically spitting the word. “Our ranch here gets more business than their racetrack, and they can’t stand it. Never mind they have a completely different service than us, so it’s not like we’re costing them a Rupee!” Her tone grew angrier as she spoke, and she quickly halted herself, taking a few deep breaths before regaining full composure and a neutral expression.

Link was able to tell what the redhead was trying for, however. It didn’t matter how quickly she calmed herself or hid her expression, he saw right through her. In a way, she was like him, hiding her true emotions behind a mask. There was a lot of stress that Cremia was trying to hide, but she put on an air that everything was okay. The boy assumed it was both for Romani’s sake and not to make a fuss in front of a guest. Only problem was she couldn’t hide it as well as he could. She dropped her mask too frequently.

There was no chance she went through half the anguish, stress, and misery he did, but Link still felt pity for Cremia. He had the feeling she hid a lot of herself in front of others, and he realized the two were kindred spirits, in a way. “So, they just attack your cart? That’s pretty awful.”

“It is.” Cremia agreed with a light sigh. “Problem is, they wear masks, and they always deny doing anything when I confront them about it. I keep feeling like it won’t help anything to tell the guards in Clock Town…” She seemed to realize she was rambling too much again and shook her head. “But this isn’t anything you gotta worry about, hon.”

Link knew what he had to do. He couldn’t just let this go. “I’ll come with you tonight. I’ll help keep the cart safe.” The boy didn’t even ask, or even really offer, simply telling Cremia that it was something he’d do. As much as Romani and Cremia’s visage upset him, it was far worse when they were upset…

Cremia was caught off guard a bit, brows raised. For a second, there was only silence, save for the pattering of rain. “Hon, you don’t have to help me, you know. I saw you and Romani practicing, and you seem good with a bow, but this is more of an adult matter.”

“You’ve been very kind to me. I want to repay that.” Link pressed, using it as an excuse to let him help her. He remembered Romani, sitting outside with that horrid blank expression on her face. The boy would feel devastated if he let Cremia go alone and something bad happened to her. What if the Gorman Brothers really hurt her because she went by herself? What if it was something he could prevent? She was fine in the last Cycle, but maybe she didn’t go at all due to Romani’s condition!

The woman paused, studying Link’s blank face, peering into the dead, dull eye he stared back at her with. After a moment, she laughed through her nose. “Something tells me you’re more stubborn than I am. Alright, it’s a deal. You can help me. I’m sure I’ll think of some sort of reward for your protection.”

A reward wasn’t necessary, but Link figured it was pointless to argue against it. It could be something useful for his quest for all he knew. He had encountered masks with odd powers, so maybe Cremia had one. “Thank you. Just tell me when you’re ready, please.”

Cremia didn’t reply, offering a smile of gratitude to Link as she walked by him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder as she entered the barn. He gave off an involuntary shiver as she did so, but the woman didn’t seem to notice. When the barn door closed, he glanced down at Tatl, expecting her to tease him, but he saw she had already fallen back asleep, even with the large raindrops falling on her.

Relieved, Link entered the house, wanting to get out of the rain. Inside, there was a fire going on in the fireplace, Scamp resting by the warm flames, still seeming tuckered out from last night. Romani was in the kitchen, humming to herself as she worked on a plate of sandwiches. There were only a few, and not quite so well-made as Cremia’s, but Link didn’t care. He was so hungry, he’d eat a handful of crumbs if it was offered to him.

The young girl turned around and beamed at Link. “You took a while, Grasshopper! Talking to my sister? She didn’t notice anything last night! She’d sleep through the whole ranch burning down!” Romani said with a small laugh. “Come on, lunch is almost ready!”

Nodding silently, Link shed his gear and nearly collapsed in one of the kitchen chairs, his legs throbbing horribly. Yet they also felt a bit better since he got up and moved around. Gently, he prodded Tatl. “Wake up. Romani’s got some food for us.”

The fairy stirred and woke up for the second time, letting out a loud yawn. “Oh…right…I fell back asleep.” She had gone out like a light pretty much the second she started to rest on Link’s shoulder. So, she missed the talk with Cremia too.

Romani let out a light giggle, bringing the plate of sandwiches to the table. There was a nice little assortment; peanut butter and jelly, meat, veggie, and a few cheese sandwiches. But, again, Link hardly cared. He did genuinely mean that he would eat crumbs at this point. “Wow, you two really are tired! Next year, we’ll have to find a way to help with that!” The girl insisted, grabbing a cheese sandwich for herself. “Grasshopper, have you ever had coffee? Maybe that will help give you some energy!”

He had tried coffee once during his stay in the castle, curious about its taste. But the second the bitter liquid hit his tongue, well, he knew it wasn’t for him. Anything bitter-tasting just wasn’t for Link. “I don’t think so. But there’s plenty of time until next year.” The boy pointed out, grabbing a meat sandwich and breaking a chunk off for Tatl, who floated down and started to dig in.

“Yeah, can’t we wait to talk more about that?” The fairy insisted between bites. “Just hearing more about Them is wearing me out!” Oh, her poor wings…! She knew Link was going to have them do this again at some point. The guilt he felt from the last Cycle was surely doing to linger for a while…

The redhead huffed…but nodded. “Fine! Romani just likes to be prepared! But you’re right, we have plenty of time. You’ll just have to come earlier next time…or you can just stay here! I’d-We’d love to have you!” She quickly corrected, taking a small bite from her sandwich.

Just the idea of spending a year here made Link’s blood run cold. Of course, the Moon wouldn’t allow that. It was funny, he loved Malon for her kindness and her ability to just say what’s on her mind…but it was becoming an emotional burden for him when Romani kept doing such things. “We’ll see. I’ll be busy tonight anyway. I’m going to help Cremia deliver her milk.”

“You are?” Tatl asked, realizing she must have slept through that chat. Typical…he just had to help out whenever possible! He just fought off an invasion, and he was going to stay up late to aid the ranch again. The fairy was starting to think more and more that the kid just had a crush on the sisters.

Romani frowned a bit at that. “You are?” She echoed, glancing at the door, as if expecting Cremia to barge in. “When did you decide that, Grasshopper? Aren’t you too tired to help?” Her tone was odd. Not cold, but it was lacking a bit of her usual chipper nature.

Link didn’t understand the shift. He assumed Romani wanted to play into the night or try to force in some training or planning. The invaders weren’t due for another year. Was it that important for her to get things going in the next few days? “She told me about the Gorman Brothers attacking her cart, so I offered to help her.”

For a second, Romani didn’t say anything, just eating her sandwich. The atmosphere felt oddly tense for something that wasn’t a big deal! “Oh. Well, okay. You can do what you want to, Grasshopper. Those Gorman Brothers are really mean, you know.” Again, her tone was a lot less warm than it usually was.

The boy was wondering if he did something wrong. Did Romani not want him to help Cremia? He assumed she’d want someone to help her own sibling. “I heard. I’ll use my bow to scare them off, it shouldn’t be too big of a deal. When does she usually go anyway? I need to get more sleep.” Link was feeling a bit more energized, but he was still pretty exhausted.

“You’ll have to ask her. Now, are you going to eat your food?” Romani asked, seeming oddly grouchy, which didn’t mesh well with her usual self at all!

Tatl picked up things where Link didn’t. It was so obvious! Romani had a bit of a crush right back on Link! Apparently, she had a thing for heroes. The fairy had to hold back her laughter, realizing that Romani was jealous! She clearly didn’t like that Link was going to help out Cremia and spend time with her. The fairy had to wonder if Romani ever went to town with Cremia, and saw how men looked at the older, more mature sister...

Link was entirely baffled, not picking up on the situation at all. It reminded him of one time when Zelda asked him about a day he spent with Malon. He answered truthfully, but she seemed oddly upset. Not angry, she didn’t yell at him, but somewhat…detached. Like how Romani was acting. He didn’t get it then, and he still didn’t understand. The boy recalled Talon warning him that girls could be complicated, so maybe that was it. Maybe girls were just sort of weird…

“Okay. Thank you for the sandwiches.” Link offered, as a way to get on Romani’s good side, but she didn’t respond. He wasn’t sure how he made her upset, but he didn’t like it. Yet…he wasn’t going to apologize, since he didn’t know what exactly he did wrong or how to word it. The boy glanced at Tatl for guidance, but she was just smiling to herself, and just shrugged at Link.

How helpful.

The meal was quiet and awkward at that point. Tatl seemed pretty amused, but didn’t say anything. She was tempted to, though, but she knew Link would get mad at her if she brought up Romani’s jealousy in front of her. The redhead just ate her sandwich, letting out a small sigh once or twice, but didn’t actually say anything. Then poor Link just stared at the table, slowly eating his food and regaining his strength. By the time the meal was over, he was starting to actually feel somewhat energized!

“Grasshopper. Let’s go outside.” Romani suddenly said after the three finished their food. Not so much as the crust of a sandwich was left. Without waiting for a response, she got up and went out the door, clearly expecting Link to follow her out into the rain.

He stared after her, glancing over at Tatl. “Why did she seem so upset? Was it something I said?” The boy asked, feeling confused enough to open himself up a little to the fairy. “I don’t understand why she got so mad.”

Tatl wasn’t sure if she should just blurt it out right then. In all honesty, she mostly felt that way because watching Link struggle on something so harmless was kind of fun. Her mischievous nature was far from gone, she just wasn’t as mean as she used to be. Ah, what the heck! “You don’t get girls, do you?” She asked, getting a blank stare as a response. Poor kid, he was really clueless!

“What do you mean? What don’t I get?” Link pressed, wishing Tatl would just give him a straight answer! Things were so much simpler in the Lost Woods when it came to social situations. If a Kokiri was mad at Link, he always knew why, at least in his latter years growing up there. His lack of a Guardian Fairy made almost everyone resent him, and just his very presence was enough to make them angry.

“Romani wants you to spend more time with her, and not with Cremia.” Tatl explained, having to resist the urge to speak super slowly like she was talking to an idiot. Had Link never seen a jealous girl before? “She likes you a lot, so seeing you want to spend all this time with Cremia makes her upset!”

That was it? That’s what had Romani so annoyed? They spent all day yesterday training for Them! What did it matter if he spent the later part of the night helping Cremia out with the milk delivery? Malon never got like this, so it really caught Link by surprise. “Oh. Well, if that’s all it is. I can’t just go back on my promise to help Cremia, though.”

The fairy shrugged, hovering up and sitting down on Link’s shoulder. “I didn’t say you needed to. Romani really likes you, so she’ll get over it.”

Tatl had specified how much Romani liked him twice now. Link thought it was odd, since the two had technically only known each other for a day, but he shrugged it off. “Okay, thanks Tatl. I know what to do now.” He said as he gathered his things and went outside.

“What? Do what? What do you mean?” The fairy asked, poking at Link’s cheek, but he just ignored her as the two went back out into the rain. It was really awful when it rained for Tatl, whose raindrops kind of hurt when they hit her!

Outside, Romani was facing away from the house, staring off into the distance, only turning to Link once he walked up to her. She didn’t seem as upset as before, apparently having cooled off a bit in the rain. “Hey, Grasshopper. You’ll hang out with me until tonight, won’t you?” She asked, her tone having a lot more of the warmth that it usually did.

It really made Link uncomfortable just to be around Romani, but it made him feel horrible to see her upset. Why did she have to like him so much? He didn’t get it, and he almost wished that Romani and Cremia disliked him…but then he’d have to bear girls that looked like Malon treating him poorly. There was just no winning!

“I’ll spend more time with you. I also wanted to apologize for making you upset.” Link replied, making sure to look Romani in the face as he said this to make it more sincere. He knew she wouldn’t even remember this, but he wanted to do it right. “Tatl said you were jealous that I was going to help your sister.”

The fairy in question buried her face in her hands. He wasn’t supposed to say it so bluntly like that! This boy had no experience with girls at all, did he?! “Oh, Link…” Tatl murmured, too quiet to be heard by anyone else.

Romani was pretty shocked, just staring at Link for a few seconds, then blinked a few times. At first, she almost seemed offended…and then she let out a laugh. “Grasshopper! You’re so silly!” She exclaimed, continuing to giggle, her tone completely back to normal.

That wasn’t the reaction Link was expecting at all. Did he somehow say the wrong thing? He felt like he did…and yet Romani was entirely cheered up. Link was so baffled, he barely even felt anxious from how even the girl’s laugh was exactly the same as Malon’s. “So, you’re not mad?” The boy asked, wanting a straight answer.

Tittering a bit more, the redhead soon calmed down enough to talk, but was still beaming at Link. “I’m fine! Thank you for the apology, Grasshopper, I accept it!”

Even Tatl was a bit confused. She expected Romani to be at least a bit angry at being called out so bluntly…the only explanation the fairy had was that she was more moved by Link’s gesture than upset at his direct nature. “Just take the win, Link. Trust me.” The fairy whispered in his ear. Not that any of this really mattered anyway. Once the clock turned back, Romani wouldn’t remember any of this. Tatl tried not to let feelings crop up about such temporary things that would get undone with the Song of Time, but sometimes she forgot herself…

The next few hours passed without incident. Link and Romani stayed outside, ignoring the ongoing rain. As time went on, Link felt better and better, his aches slowly going away, Tatl feeling more mobile as well. The redheaded girl showed Link around the ranch a bit more, things that fascinated and had meaning to her more than anything. She showed the two a carving of a knight she made on a tree years ago, a nest of baby birds and their mother she had discovered the other week, and even showed them her parents’ graves, which were settled out of the way in their small, private area of the ranch. She also pointed out the Doggy Racetrack and Cucco Shack, two areas that were somewhat connected to the ranch that people could go to in order to pay for entertainment.

“Mr. Grog is all sad recently.” Romani said with a small frown. “He says the Moon is gonna fall, and he’s sad his chicks haven’t become Cuccos!” After a pause, she grinned. “But he’s silly! Cremia said that we’re fine, the Moon isn’t going to fall, right Grasshopper?” She said, looking at Link expectantly.

Link never thought about it before…about how cheerful Romani was despite the Moon lingering in the distance, its twisted grimace almost directed right at the ranch. Of course her older sister told her it was all going to be fine. And Romani had the upmost faith in her sibling, and instantly believed her words. He couldn’t help but be a bit envious of that ignorance. “She’s right. It’s going to be fine.” The boy assured, getting a smile from the redhead.

“Romani! Romani, come here!” Cremia’s voice suddenly called. The two kids and Tatl turned to see the older sister waving Romani over. “I need to talk to you real quick!”

“I wonder what she needs!” Romani idly said aloud, turning back to Link. “You wait around here, Grasshopper, Romani will be right back!” Without waiting for a response, she bound her way over to Cremia, practically skipping as she went.

Tatl scratched the side of her head. “Even the rain doesn’t damper her mood at all.” The fairy noted with a shrug. Considering she and Cremia were somewhat poor and had dead parents, Tatl found it almost remarkable how perky the redheaded child was. Not like Link, whatever happened to him in the past, it scarred him horribly…

“I want to see the Cucco Shack.” Link flatly declared, starting to walk over where Romani had pointed out earlier. There was a sign above the building, which was built into the rockface at the ranch’s edge, but of course that didn’t help him at all. “Romani said Grog needed help.”

The fairy held back a sigh. Of course Link was going to go try and do something about this. “And how would we do that? Last I checked, you can’t make chicks age really fast.” And it was a mystery to her why Link would want to help at all. The two of them had never even met this Grog guy!

“While we’re here, it’s worth checking out, isn’t it?” He asked as Tatl fluttered by his remaining eye. “It shouldn’t take long anyway, right?” The boy didn’t understand Tatl’s aversion and annoyance to him trying to aid other people. Link always had a desire to be helpful to others. It wasn’t even something Saria taught him, it was simply ingrained into his being, and he never questioned the reason. To him, it was simply natural for people to want to help other people, and he wasn’t able to comprehend those that were selfish and didn’t wish to aid others. He still liked Tatl, though, she just…confused him.

Likewise, Tatl wasn’t able to understand Link’s selfless attitude. Sometimes it seemed like he’d chop off an arm if it meant helping someone that he never met before. She and Tael grew up only having each other, and they had no time or need for compassion wasted on anyone else. Not until they met the Skull Kid, at least. To her, it was downright bizarre how obsessed Link seemed with doing favors for other people. Especially since the clock would just turn back and undo his good deeds anyway.

Still, he was somehow very endearing to her. Maybe she just liked someone that matched her in stubbornness. “Okay, whatever. Do what you want.” Tatl said, giving in as the two arrived at the shack.

When Link opened the door inside, he was met with a simple scene. There wasn’t much of a shack to speak of, really, despite the name. In fact, they weren’t exactly inside either. There were walls to the left and right, but no back to the supposed shack. Instead, it opened up to more outdoors, but contained by rockface all around. This outdoor area wasn’t nearly as big as the ranch, more about the size of the Stock Pot Inn. There wasn’t much in the area to look at. Some fences strewn about seemingly at random, a single tree, and a man sitting at the base of said tree. The only other thing of note where ten little yellow chicks strutting about, chirping and sometimes shaking rainfall off of their feathers.

This man didn’t even look up as Link and Tatl approached, the boy making extra sure not to step on any chicks. The shack’s owner seemed depressed, a pale man that didn’t even wear a shirt, staring at the ground with a large frown on his face. He also sported an unusual hairstyle that Link had never seen before. It was all spiked up and was only on the middle of his head.

“Excuse me. Are you Grog?” Link flatly asked, stopping a few feet in front of the sad looking man. When the stranger lifted his head, though, the boy’s heart skipped a beat.

People are disgusting. My own father and mother are disgusting. You must be disgusting too!

It was the same man. The man from Kakariko Village…or at least the man’s copy. Link never got the original’s name, and never met him a second time, but the depressed looking stranger’s words stuck in the boy for a good while after their single encounter. Something about how he so matter-of-factly declared Link disgusting resonated in the child. It was like he was stating a simple truth rather than giving an opinion. Link hadn’t thought about the lonely, sad man in a while, but seeing his copy in Termina…it made him start to feel disgusting. Moreso thanks to his missing eye…

“Nm?” The man, grunted, blinking a few times like he just woke up from a nap and was getting his bearings. “Oh, a kid. Yeah. I’m Grog. You need something?” Grog asked, sounding so miserable it was like he was about to burst into tears at any moment. Link didn’t respond at first, the man staring at the child in solemn anticipation. “Well? You just here to hide from the Moon, kid? You can stay, I guess. My gramps said it’s gonna fall. Dunno if it’ll kill us here, so…” He trailed off with a shrug, almost like he couldn’t care less if Termina was destroyed or not.

Link still didn’t say anything, blinking a few times and trying to form an actual word. Disgusting. He was so disgusting. That man in Kakariko Village had been right. He was disgusting!

Tatl frowned, not sure what Link’s problem was. So, she spoke up for him. “My friend just wants to know what your deal is. Something about your chicks?” She didn’t care at all, but if it’d satisfy Link for a bit, then so be it. What was the kid’s problem anyway? Was he that flabbergasted by Grog’s stupid hair?

Grog blinked a few times back, like he was slowly processing Tatl’s words. “Oh. Yeah. Honestly, it’s my only regret. Not enough time for these chicks to grow up and get into their prime.” He looked around the area, the chicks still walking about. “I’d love to see ‘em marching in a row, all ten of ‘em grown up and everything, but the Moon’s gonna fall before that’ll happen.”

Those words jolted Link out of his mild stupor. March? In a row? That sounded so familiar! After a moment of thought, he realized that’s what the Windmill Man, or at least his Termina counterpart, was talking about! The Bremen Mask! Link didn’t know anything about making the chicks go into their prime, but maybe marching them in a row would make Grog feel better. As somewhat horrific it was to come face-to-face with the guy, Link didn’t have anything against him personally, and he still wished to help.

“Maybe I can do something about it.” Link finally managed to say, taking the Bremen Mask out of his bag. “If you’ll let me, I mean.”

Grog stared the mask, then slowly looked back up at Link. “…Sure. I guess. Do whatever you want. I don’t really care.”

“Wait, you think that mask will do something?” Tatl asked, barely having remembered the two of them talking to that weirdo at the Laundry Pool. She did remember Link using the mask to make the dog in South Clock Town march around, though…

As cold as that response was, Link accepted it anyway. “I might as well try.” He said to Tatl, slipping the mask over his face. Taking the Ocarina from his belt, he brought it to his lips and started to play the same song as he did the first time he wore the mask. A chipper marching song that simply came to him, seemingly out of nowhere.

Link went around the area, playing the song and marching to its rhythm nice and slow. He wanted to make sure not to step on any chicks, after all. Whenever he approached one of the tiny birds, they enthusiastically began to follow him, marching along as best as they could. One chick. Two. Three. And so on. It took some time to find the last few, but before long, the boy rounded up all ten chicks. He felt absolutely ridiculous during the process, and he swore he heard Tatl snicker a bit as she floated along with him.

Things quickly changed as Link marched the chicks in front of Grog, however. There was suddenly a clucking sound, everyone turning to see that the chick in the back spontaneously turned into a fully grown Cucco! Link nearly stopped the song in astonishment, but kept going as a second chick suddenly changed into a Cucco too. On and on he went, back and forth as chick after chick aged up instantly, and before long, all ten chicks were in their prime, just as Grog wanted!

Only after the last chick changed did Link stop his marching, taking off his mask as he looked at his handiwork. The second the Ocarina left his lips, the Cuccos started to mill about, one of them approaching Grog as the man placed a hand on the bird’s head. “I don’t know how that happened.” The boy admitted, feeling like he had to clarify that this was something unknown to him. All he was trying to do was get the chicks to march, thinking maybe it’d cheer Grog up, even only a bit. The only thing he could think of was somehow the Bremen Mask did it, that it somehow aged the chicks up as they marched, filling them with energy to let them go into their primes. But he had no idea if that was true or not…

Grog just looked around for a few more seconds, then stared at Link in disbelief. After a couple moments, a small smile appeared on the man’s face. With how miserable he looked before, even the tiny grin was practically a wide, beaming, toothy grin on anyone else. “I don’t know what you did, but it worked.”

“Link, what the heck did you do? Was it just that weird mask?” Tatl asked, figuring that had to be it. It made her wonder if it was able to do anything else. At first it just seemed like it let Link make animals march, but this secondary power was a real shocker!

Grog let out a tiny chuckle, nodding as if in approval. “I don't really get it, but just seein' these guys with a crest and all...I don't have regrets about anythin' anymore. I'm perfectly satisfied. Here…You can have this from me...” His words were filled with a small bit of energy, a far cry from the empty words he spoke before. He reached into his pocket, pulling out an object that was familiar to Link.

It was the Bunny Hood! Yellow, floppy ears, and with two beady little eyes on top! Like with the Mask of Truth, it was a perfect copy of the item the boy encountered in Hyrule. Except Link wasn’t focusing on the mask. He stared at Grog, his single eye boring deep into the once-mopey man. The child just couldn’t believe what he heard, and it was taking him a few seconds to actually process it.

This man…he was depressed, he practically sounded like he wanted the Moon to fall. He was just an absolutely miserable sight to behold, no one would deny that. But now, just because some Cuccos matured…that was it? He was fine? He had no regrets in his life?! Why was it so simple for him?! It just didn’t make any sense to Link…and it just…infuriated him.

He refused to let his broiling feelings show, though, as he took the mask from Grog, only just then realizing it was a copy of a mask he encountered before. “Thank you.” Link said bluntly, doing everything he could to keep his voice level. Without waiting for a response, Link turned right around and walked out of the Cucco Shack, going faster than he needed.

Tatl noticed Link’s odd behavior…well, behavior that was more odd than usual. As the two went back to the main part of the ranch, the fairy hovered by Link as he stopped in place, staring at his new mask. “Hey. What’s going on?” She asked, glancing between the Bunny Hood and her friend. He didn’t respond, and she smirked a bit. “Oh, I get it, you just hate the prize. It does look kinda goofy, huh?” Though she had to admit, the idea of him wearing that hood was humorous and sort of adorable for her.

Link wasn’t even paying attention, and he had no idea what Tatl just said. He was just angry…angry at that man. How dare he?! He was miserable. Depressed. Ready to die. Then some chicks grew up and he was all better. Just like that! He was ready to die with a smile on his face so easily! Why did he get that? Why did he get to feel satisfied with life from something so simple?!

Why couldn’t Link have that?

The boy didn’t even know what would make him happy anymore. Not anything realistic. He lived in a castle, nice and safe, and he had friends that wanted to aid him, and a girl that he loved and who loved him back. But he wasn’t happy, he hadn’t felt actual joy in two years. Nothing helped him, nothing anyone did made him feel better, and he knew they tried to so hard, and he felt guilty that none of it worked! No matter what happened, he was still miserable, and nothing short of the Triforce seemed to be able to fix that.

On top of that, Link always had to go and help people. It was in his nature to, and it wasn’t that he disliked aiding others…but when was it his turn? He solved the problems of so many people in Termina, but when did someone swoop in to make him happy? When did someone with magic abilities come along and fix him?! Why did he have to remain broken?! Because of his failures? When did the punishment end?!

He was so lost in thought, he didn’t notice Tatl say anything until she practically screamed his name. This finally jolted him from his thoughts, the boy looking to see Tatl panting as she stared at him, only a few inches from his face. “What? What happened?” Link asked, trying to pretend he didn’t just space out.

“I kept calling your name, you idiot!” Tatl scolded, angry out of concern more than anything else. “You were just…staring at the hood. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I’m still just tired, I think. I didn’t even hear you.” The boy quickly lied, stuffing the Bunny Hood into his bag. He’d try it on later, maybe, to see if it did anything. Link didn’t even want to look at it because he’d keep thinking of Grog and just how unfair life was.

Tatl wasn’t buying that at all, but she knew pressing for answers was futile. “…Okay.” She answered simply, holding back a sigh. Glancing back out to the main part of the ranch, she saw Romani approaching. “Looks like she was looking for you. Maybe you can tell her about the Cucco thing.”

Link didn’t respond, walking towards the redhead as she waved at him with a wide grin…

Time went by swiftly from that point. Link and his two hosts had an early dinner, as Cremia planned to leave for Clock Town at seven, and she needed time to prepare. Romani insisted that she be allowed to go too, but Cremia turned her down, earning a pout from the younger sister.

“Grasshopper, you want me to go, don’t you?” Romani had asked, looking to Link in a hopeful manner.

He really didn’t want her to go, having just saved her the previous night. Link didn’t want to worry for her safety a second night in a row. What if the Gorman Brothers somehow hurt her, by accident or on purpose? “I think we should just do what Cremia wants.” He answered, trying to choose a safe answer. The boy got a pout in response.

Around seven, Cremia was all prepared to go, a cart with a mule ready to pull it outside the barn. In the back were numerous large containers of milk. Romani stayed inside as Link and Tatl went out to see Cremia checking to make sure all was well with the cart.

“I really appreciate you offering to do this.” The older woman remarked, sighing in relief as she finished going over the cart. “I was thinking you could stay in the back. I borrowed some of Romani’s arrows, you should have plenty of ammunition.”

“And you think the Gorman Brothers will really attack?” Link asked, really hoping the ride would be nice and smooth. He glanced to the house, seeing Romani peeking out from the barely-opened door. She really seemed bummed she didn’t get to go, it must have been that jealousy thing Tatl mentioned before.

“I hope they don’t, but I’m sure they will.” Cremia answered, sounding pretty sure of herself. “The ride will take about a half hour. So, keep your eyes peeled for that long.” She warned, getting into the front scene. “Come on, let’s get going!”

Link nodded, climbing in the back and seeing there was a bundle of arrows ready for him. “I’m ready to go.” He declared, barely able to finish his sentence before the cart jostled forward and the two were on their way.

“Having to do more defending with some arrows…” Tatl pointed out, talking so only Link could hear her. “Looks like these ladies are really putting you to work, huh?” She teased with a grin, settling down on Link’s shoulder.

“It’s fine. It doesn’t bother me.” Link replied, not catching that the fairy wasn’t being totally serious. “I want to help them.” As much as he disliked being near them, he felt that urge to aid anyone that needed it…

Tatl rolled her eyes a bit. “I know. You can’t turn down a cute redhead, huh? First Anju, and now these two…it’s like you have a type, huh?”

That caught Link off guard, glancing away from Tatl. A type? What did that mean? Why did she specify redheads? Granted…he did like the way Malon’s red hair looked. “It’s not like that.” The boy insisted.

Before Tatl could reply, Cremia called back. “You two doing okay back there? Sorry you’ve gotta put up with this.” Her voice sounded serious, and a bit tired, as the cart exited the ranch. “Things around here are just a mess. Been that way since dad died. Cows are all frazzled…finding broken milk bottles all over. Romani keeps worrying about these ‘ghosts’ that she thinks will steal the cows.”

“If only she looked out the window…” Tatl murmured, really wondering how Cremia managed to sleep through all of that.

“I’m sorry things are rough for you.” Link replied, thinking Cremia was looking to him for support. He felt weird providing it, but it’d be wrong not to. That, and the silence would be way more awkward. “You think the bottles are the Gorman Brothers?”

“They’ve gotta be.” Cremia huffed, glancing over her shoulder to look at Link for a moment, then she looked up towards the sky. “That Moon keeps growing. Grog’s given up on us surviving. What are the folks in town saying about it anyway?”

Link moved to the front of the cart so he could talk to Cremia properly. Despite the conflicting feelings, being near her and talking to her did partially bring him some sort of ease. His misery around the girls had that silver lining of being near someone like Malon…

“A lot of them are fleeing. Some won’t believe the Moon is going to fall.” Link informed, feeling a bit annoyed as he said it. That Moon was staring the down right in the face, but so many of them were too stubborn to do even run away before it was almost right on top of them.

Cremia hummed, as if in response, yet it didn’t seem like she was listening too hard. “I have a friend in town. Anju. Her wedding’s supposed to be the day after tomorrow. What is she doing? Did she leave yet?”

Link noticed Cremia didn’t ask about Kafei. He remembered how snippy she got when he asked if she knew anything. What relationship did they have? “She’s waiting for Kafei. I don’t think she’ll leave.”

The redheaded woman let out a sigh, but she didn’t seem all that shocked. “I had a feeling. She loves that man so much. Couldn’t imagine her leaving without him.” Cremia mused, sounding almost a bit miserable as she spoke. “I just wonder if that thing is really gonna fall. You know…you’re welcome to stay at the ranch if you want to. Until the Moon business ends…one way or another.”

From her tone, Link knew right away Cremia was aware of what was going to happen. He figured she was too smart to think the Moon was simply going to go away. “I appreciate the offer. I’ll take you up on that.” The boy just wanted to be polite to her, of course.

Cremia glanced back at Link with a small grin. “So polite. I don’t know if you have any family in town or elsewhere nearby, but they’re free to come too. We gotta help each other out in times like this.” The somewhat positive mood quickly dissolved, however, as the two went along Milk Road. In front of them was an iron fence that was never there before, the only open path being one that Link never went down before. As the cart stopped, Cremia suddenly got a lot more serious. “Boy. Ready your bow. This is a trap.”

Link realized Cremia was right, going to the back of the cart and getting an arrow ready. He had no intention of actually hitting anyone with an arrow, but if he could just keep the Gorman Brothers at bay with projectiles, that should be enough! “What’s happening, Cremia? Where does that other path go?” He felt he already knew, but he had to ask.

“We’re going right into Gorman Brother territory. Just gotta deal with two of them, alright? I saw you practicing with those balloons, I know you’re good with a bow.” Cremia stated, taking a deep breath. “Just be ready.” With that, she turned the cart so it went down the open path. This new area wasn’t as wide open or pleasant as the ranch, the three passing by run-down looking shacks where the Gorman Brothers presumably lived. There were posts to tie up horses at, but no sign of the animals themselves.

Past that was a long stretch with two rockfaces on either side, making the any sort of maneuver or scape impossible. “I heard about these two.” Tatl whispered in Link’s ear. “Troublemaking yahoos that are all jealous about their third brother. They shouldn’t be any issue for you, though.” The way Link handled Them was more than enough to let the fairy know he’d be okay. That was on top of all the other feats she saw him accomplish!

As the cart kept going, nothing happened. Link concentrated on the area behind them, arrow at the ready. His eye kept wandering back and forth, trying to see a sign of the brothers, but he couldn’t spot anything out of the ordinary. Without warning, however, a pair of riders on horseback seemed to come right out of nowhere! It was like they melted out of the darkness, hooves heavily beating on the grass. They must have been hiding in some small, hidden part of the area that Link missed in the darkness. The two men were dressed just as Link expected two farmhands to, like Talon and Ingo. Their horses looked old and unhealthy, but were still able to catch up to the cart with ease. Wielding pitchforks, the Gorman Brothers hooted and hollered, not saying actual words as the gap began to close.

What was disturbing, however, was the Groman Brothers’ faces. Or rather, their lack of them. They had unusual hoods on, their faces entirely hidden in an inky blackness. Even more uncanny was that, somehow, these hoods gave the brothers glowing green eyes, small pinpricks in the darkness that darted back and forth as the pair rode along.

“That’s them! Fire away, Link!” Cremia yelled, not seeming too concerned if Link actually hit the men or not. “I’ll go as fast as I can, but I can’t outrun them!”

Link just kept his gaze on the eerie riders behind them. Compared to Them, though, this was nothing. As one of the brothers got close, the boy let the arrow fly, hitting a mere foot int front of the horse. The man let out a startled noise and veered away, slowing down as his brother took the lead. When this happened, Link readied another bow and quickly fired away, the arrow whizzing by the man’s head, missing by a mere few inches. Like his brother, the hooded man let out a startled cry and slowed down.

“They’re not so tough! You didn’t even hit them and they’re acting all scared!” Tatl pointed out, a wide grin on her face. “Just spook them a bit more, this will be a piece of cake for you!” She could fly out and startle the horses, but that could really hurt the men, and she felt like Link would be upset if she did that.

Once more, the boy didn’t respond, wanting to focus on the men chasing after the cart and its milk. The Gorman Brothers pretty quickly recovered from their freight and charged in again, but Link was ready. Quick as a flash, he let loose two more arrows, purposefully hitting right where the horses where about to be, scaring the animals and their riders and making them fall back a bit.

It was at this point that Link realized just how easy this was going to be. As oddly desperate as the Gorman Brothers were to attack the cart and its milk, they didn’t seem willing to put themselves in actual harm’s way to do it. The second they had any sort of resistance, they backed off. Honestly, the boy felt like Romani could’ve done this without much issue. If anything, the only problem there is her aim not being so good, so she may actually hit one of the men or the horses without meaning to.

So, this went on for about thirty minutes, Link keeping the brothers at by with carefully aimed arrows, and the hooded men were too scared to even get close to the cart. After the half hour, the cart entered Termina Field, and the Gorman Brothers backed off, cursing and yelling as they went. It was such a far cry from how the invasion the previous night went. Here, Link barely broke a sweat!

“You did great, Link!” Cremia crowed from the front, beaming back at Link as she directed her cart towards the eastern gate of Clock Town. “They didn’t even get one single drop of milk from us! You were fantastic!” She praised, turning back and glancing back up at the Moon, her smile quickly diminishing as she did so.

“It wasn’t much.” Link responded quietly, gazing out towards the East. He hadn’t gotten a good look at it before, never taking the time to, save for the peek at that unusual tower that gave him such an uneasy feeling when he gazed upon it. As the cart moved to the gate, he saw just how barren this part of Termina was. The path towards the East had no grass or any other plant life that he could see. Just dead, cracked earth up until the entrance of a canyon. There were, however, structures along the way, ancient looking pillars with faces obscured by the night’s darkness. Either way, an unnerving chill filled the air as the cart neared the eastern part of the field…

There were a few men waiting at the gate, waving at Cremia as they got close, handing a bag to her as the cart stopped. They gave a wave to Link too as they went around the back. He just nodded in response as they took the bottles of milk into town with them. “Thanks, fellas!” Cremia called as she got off the cart and went to the back as well, beaming at Link once more. “Those guys are just carrying my milk to the bar. With all the milk we delivered, I got a nice pay.” She said, jingling the bag of Rupees she got. “I wanna thank you again, Link. It means a lot you’d help me out like this.”

“It wasn’t much.” Link repeated, wondering if Cremia even heard him the first time. “The brothers weren’t hard to scare off.” He hopped off the cart and stretched a bit. “I’m glad I could help, though.”

Cremia stared at Link for a moment, her smile still present, but faded a bit. “You’re pretty mature for your age, you know that?” She asked, still staring at Link, as though studying him. “Not like other kids. Certainly not like Romani.” This was said with a bit of a laugh, the redhead clearly teasing her sister a bit, then her tone got serious again. “You had to grow up fast, didn’t you? You’ve been through the wringer more than any of us, haven’t you?”

Link found himself stunned at this, his breath caught in his throat. He never thought about it before…but since he was so easily able to read Cremia…that had to have meant she could do the same to him. How much did she understand? Did she realize he had to wear a mask like she did? Then there were those awful words. Grow up. Link despised the idea of getting older, but it wasn’t up to him, time passed for everyone, and there was nothing he could do about it.

The process had long started, of course. He had grown taller, his voice had gotten deeper, his body started to harden, any sort of remaining baby fat he had long gone. It seemed like every time he looked in the mirror, he was becoming more like the man he became when he traveled into the future, and he despised it. Link knew he should’ve been a Kokiri, having eternal youth with Saria and the others.

But there was nothing he could do to change his fate.

“I don’t want to talk about that.” Link bluntly replied, feeling he had to shut this line of conversation down quickly. His chest was already tightening, and he felt a sense of panic rise in him. “It isn’t important.”

Cremia gave Link a look that could only be described as open pity, not seeming upset by his bluntness. “I understand. You have to hide your feelings from others. I do that too, with Romani.” She placed her hands on Link’s shoulders, either not noticing or choosing to ignore how he flinched. “You’re a strong man, you should be proud of that much.” She reached into her pocket, pulling out a mask. It resembled a cow, its eyes closed off to the world. “Here. This is Romani’s Mask. Named after the ranch, of course. It’s a sign you’re an adult, and it lets you into the Milk Bar.”

Link felt the urge to swat the item out of Cremia’s hand and stomp it into the dust. But he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Instead, he slowly took the mask, swallowing at a lump in his throat. “Thank you.” Was all he could think to say. It felt like Cremia was mocking him, playing a cruel trick on him, but he knew that wasn’t the case. Why did he have to be reminded that time was going to drag him kicking and screaming to adulthood? Why couldn’t he just stay a child forever?!

The woman gave him a small smile, patting the top of his head. “Come on. You can sleep on the way back. You’ve earned it. Can’t imagine those brothers will bother us on the way back.” Without waiting for a response, she went to the front of the cart, ready to go back to the ranch.

“…You okay, Link?” Tatl asked, frowning as she watched Link stare down at the mask. This was the second time that day that someone’s words seemed to really upset him. She certainly understood it more this time around. It was like Cremia just read him like a book!

“I’ll be fine.” He murmured, stuffing the mask into his bag and climbing into the cart. “I’m going to sleep. Please don’t wake me when we get there.” Link just wanted to slip away from consciousness. Grog and his easily settled mind along with Cremia telling him how adult he was really messed with his head…

Tatl sighed. What was going on in that kid’s mind? She respected Link’s wishes, fluttering up to Cremia as she got the mule moving. “You seem to think a lot of him.” The fairy commented, landing on Cremia’s shoulder.

Cremia glanced over at Tatl, almost like she forgot the fairy was even there. “I can see that look in his eye. He’s been through more than any of us have.” She paused, as if contemplating if she should keep going. “…What happened to him? Not just his eye. Just…what happened to make him like that?”

The fairy shook her head. “I don’t know. I only met him the other day. He won’t tell me what happened to him.” She figured Link wouldn’t mind her talking about him like this. It wasn’t like Cremia was going to remember anything she said. “All I know is he’s suffering, and there’s nothing I can do to help.” It felt strange speaking to someone else about Link. She hadn’t gotten the chance to do that before. Not like this. It felt cathartic, honestly. “I wish I could make it go away.”

That put a solemn look on the woman’s face. “I see. He seems lucky to have a friend like you, at least. Link can stay back there and sleep. More comfortable than the barn, at least. We’ll face tomorrow, all four of us, and whatever it brings.”

Lucky to have her? Tatl wasn’t so sure of that. She just gave a nod and fluttered back to Link, nestling against his chest as she closed her eyes. Cremia was right about one thing, though, the Gorman Brothers didn’t bother them on the way back. The ride back was smooth, and when they got to the ranch, she looked to see the boy and fairy resting comfortably in the back, fast asleep.

When morning broke, Tatl opened her eyes and rubbed the sleepiness out of them. She floated up and saw Link was awake already. And it seemed like he had been for a while. “Hey. You feeling okay? You seemed shaken up last night.” The fairy asked.

“I said I’d be fine. Don’t worry.” He immediately responded, wishing she’d stop asking him how he felt. “I want to go West. I want to cleanse the Great Bay area.” Link couldn’t keep putting it off. He saved Romani from Them, at least this time, and he needed something big to tackle. If he just rested next Cycle, he’d keep seeing Romani’s face, the way she looked after They took her and did…something to her.

“You sure you’re ready? With your eye, I mean.” Tatl asked, gazing at the eyepatch. “If you need more practice, I don’t think it’d hurt.”

“No. I can do it now. I have to. Lulu and the other Zora are counting on me. We’ll go back and go straight West, okay?” Really, he felt he should ask if Tatl was okay with it. She was free to stay behind, but something told him she wouldn’t do that.

The fairy nodded, letting loose a small sigh. “I’m ready as I’ll ever be. Come on, let’s do it now and get it over with, okay?”

Without a word, Link brought the Ocarina of Time to his lips. As beautiful notes filled the ranch air, time flew backwards once more…

Chapter Text

In a nasty twist of fate, Link couldn’t get to the Great Bay again without going back to Romani Ranch first. Once he and Tatl arrived back on the First Day, he quickly got to work achieving just that. After stocking up on arrows, he bought a Powder Keg, blew up the boulder blocking the ranch, and had Romani open the door to Epona’s cage yet again. Even though it was Cremia who gave him that horrible mask, he still felt it difficult to look Romani in the face. At the very least, he got in and out of there before she was able to bring Them up. Wouldn’t stop her from becoming broken, but at least she didn’t vocally remind him.

Like that actually made anything better…

Once he hopped the fence to the Great Bay area, he got Epona to leap back over and head back to the ranch. All of this happened in silence between the boy and his fairy companion, neither feeling the need to speak up much as the process went on.

As was usually the case, it was Tatl that broke the silence as the two made their way towards the shore. “I hope you’re really ready for this. I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to train in that dojo another time or two.” Just the thought of him going through that horrid fortress again made her chest tighten in worry. He hadn’t gotten into a real swordfight since he lost his eye, and she was worried he wasn’t properly prepared yet.

“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. I can’t keep avoiding this place.” Link insisted, in that usual flat tone of his. Even if all his work was going to be undone with the Song of Time, he needed to free the Giant in the West, hoping that somehow it may have information that can help him. There was that sliver of hope that he could do something to stop the Giants from becoming entrapped again as time flew backwards…

When the ocean came into view, Link felt his heart start to beat quickly. It felt a lot longer than it really had been since he saw the expanse of blue, and it was no more comforting than when he last saw it. He couldn’t stop himself from imagining huge behemoths in the deep that could swallow him in a single gulp. If Lord Jabu-Jabu was big enough for his lake, he could only imagine the size of the beasts lurking beneath the waves. Again, he recalled how Saria told him that larger bodies of water held larger fish. The ocean was so massive, he couldn’t even see the other side of it! There had to be creatures in it the size of Clock Town itself!

Link almost flinched as he reached the shore and the reaching waves crashed gently against his boots. He still had the mental image of the ocean trying to grab him and pull him under the water, never to be seen again. The soft surface of the water was just a façade, he felt that in his bones. Beneath that calmness was a disgusting world full of things he couldn’t imagine. He remembered seeing unnerving fish in the books of Hyrule Castle, and he had to assume those horrid things lurked in the ocean!

Tatl sighed, breaking Link out of his thoughts. “I just remembered, I’m gonna have to go into that bottle again!” She was entirely unaware of Link’s fear of the ocean, the fairy honestly forgot Link could even feel fear, sometimes. He certainly barely ever showed it, that was for sure. “Just try to make that part of the trip quick, okay? I don’t want to be in that cramped space any longer than I have to…”

“Sorry. If you want, you can fly over the wall if you want to. You know where I’ll come up.” Link pointed out. He by no means wanted to be under the water all alone, even Tatl flying near the surface was enough for him to be at least a bit secure. However, he’d deal with it if it meant Tatl didn’t have to be stuffed in a bottle, he couldn’t imagine how uncomfortable that was for her…

The fairy rubbed the back of her neck, a sense of unease flowing through her. “Mmm…I mean…it’s fine. They might notice me flying down to you or something.” In reality, she just didn’t want to be apart from Link. The two were almost constantly with each other through this entire journey, so the idea of them being separated, especially somewhere dangerous, made her feel anxious. Even if it was just for a minute, she hated the idea…

Link didn’t catch onto this at all, of course. “I guess that’s a good point. If you’re really sure, we can still do it with the bottle, then.”

“I’m sure. Last thing we need is for any of those guards to catch onto us early.” Tatl added on, wondering how Link was going to handle dealing with any Gerudo that confronted them. She wouldn’t blame him at all for being nervous about fighting one…

“You’re right. Let’s get this over with.” Link wasn’t even going to try and pretend how much he hated having to go back to the fortress. Putting on the Zora mask, he once more felt his limbs stretch and his skin harden into scales as fins pierced out of his elbows. Notably, his right eye was still missing in this form, but he had no reason to think that wouldn’t be the case. Taking a deep breath, that wasn’t even needed, he entered the warm, salty water.

Tatl followed along the ocean’s surface like before, barely able to see Link despite how close he was. Link, meanwhile, was able to see relatively clearly with his Zora eye. Yet they only went so far, and he kept thinking he saw large, alien shapes shifting just beyond the veil when things got too blurry. Yet as he swam towards the Pirate’s Fortress, nothing impeded his progress, but it didn’t stop his anxiety from coursing through him.

When they reached the large wall that hid the fortress, Link surfaced and got a bottle ready for Tatl. “Remember, just hurry to the other side, okay?” The fairy reminded him, holding her breath as she entered the bottle and it was corked back up.

Link made sure the container was sealed up tight by holding it underwater for a few seconds, seeing that the inside remained dry. With that, he fully dove down, entering the secret entrance to the fortress. Before long, the two once more surfaced on the other side, the false Zora quickly letting Tatl out of the bottle. “You okay?” He whispered, eyeing the Gerudo patrolling on their boats. Just seeing one of them made him feel sick, and his right eye socket throbbed, nearly making him wince.

He pressed his back against the wall, wanting to make himself as hidden and as small as possible. Closing his one remaining eye, he took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself as a panic knotted itself over in his gut. Was he really going to be able to do this? He felt like he was about to die! Why did this have to happen to him? Hadn’t he been punished enough?!

Tatl watched the display, frowning as she flew over to Link. “Forget about me. Are you okay?” She quietly asked, knowing this couldn’t be easy for him. “Look, if you need another few Cycles to rest…” The fairy couldn’t imagine going back to a place where something as horrid as losing an eye happened to her. She had the feeling that the horrid moment was replaying over and over in Link’s head.

As it happened, Tatl was correct. In his mind’s eye, Link saw the Gerudo’s sword approaching his eye. He felt the blood and eyeball fluid running down his face as his own screams echoed in his skull. Despite the warmth of the ocean water, the child suddenly felt icy cold, his body quivering beneath the surface. “…I’m fine. I’m fine. I can do this.” Link replied, trying to convince himself more than Tatl. “I can’t keep pushing this off.”

The fairy knew Link was just putting on a brave face, but she realized this was never going to be easy for him. Sooner or later, he’d have to confront what happened to him, and she could only hope the same Gerudo they encountered didn’t notice them a second time…

After another few deep breaths, Link made his way to the ramp like before, Tatl flying along with him, close to the water so the guards couldn’t see. As he returned to human form, Link went through the same motions and found himself hiding in the same places as before as he dodged around the guards. Like before, Tatl helped him, peeking out from behind cover to whisper instructions to him.

As it happened, a lot of this started to become a blur for Link. It was to the point he didn’t want to think about anything. Every time he looked at one of the Gerudo, he felt his right eye throb and his stomach churn into knots. Soon enough, Link’s body more or less started moving on its own, only vaguely aware of when Tatl told him to move or when to stay hidden for a few moments longer. Thankfully, this worked out for the pair, as they didn’t get spotted by any of the guards.

Unfortunately, though, Link’s awareness came back to him when he found himself in the room where he lost his eye. They had gone right past the room where Buliara and Kohmi had their meeting the last time the two were there. Without Link even realizing, he and Tatl were in the room with the first Zora Egg! The boy and fairy felt their blood run cold as a woman’s voice called out to them.

“Well, well! Never thought I’d see an intruder like you in here!” The voice said, very clearly amused. Link and Tatl turned to see Aveil standing before them, having once more gotten into the room without them noticing. Her swords were already at the ready, and her eyes lingered on Link’s eyepatch, but only for a brief moment. “I take it you’re here for our treasure. You’re a bit too young for the more crass reasons…”

Link wouldn’t have known what that even meant if he was focusing on her words. Everything she said after he gazed upon Aveil was muffled as he heard his own screams echo in his mind. Once more, he felt blood and the fluid from his eye running down his face, the memory of searing pain shooting through his skull!

His body was frozen, unable to even reach for his sword and shield. One thing he did notice was that Aveil looked at his eyepatch, but she seemed unbothered by it. If there was one person in all of Termina he wished would take pity on him for his injury, it was her. Given the cold look she was giving him, he couldn’t imagine that happening. He was lucky she spared him the first time, he couldn’t imagine it’d happen again.

Tatl, on the other hand, felt it was at least worth a shot to try and get more mercy from the Gerudo. “Hey, come on, he’s just a kid! Don’t you think those swords are a bit much?!” She very nearly pointed out his missing eye, but it wasn’t like Aveil needed that mentioned to her. A part of her was enraged when she looked at Aveil. Yes, the Gerudo had no recollection of their last meeting, but she was still the one that stole Link’s eye from him! Oh, what the fairy wouldn’t give to see Aveil get a taste of her own medicine…

“So? He broke into our fortress, and I can see he’s armed. If he didn’t want a fight, he should’ve stayed away.” Aveil said with a scoff. “Now, are you going to come quietly to the jail cell, or do I have to get a bit rough?”

A part of Link was tempted to just turn back the clock and avoid this. That was something that was difficult for this new journey he was on. In Hyrule, when faced with something difficult, he had no option but to move forward and deal with it, especially when deep in enemy territory. This time, however, he had the choice to simply play a song and travel back to safety. Yes, it made getting to a spot away from danger easy, but it also gave him the temptation to flee like a coward. At this moment, Link felt every nerve in his body ache for him to just reach for the Ocarina of Time and avoid facing Aveil…

“I have to get the Zora Eggs. They’re causing a lot of pain to Lulu. Doesn’t that matter to you?” Link asked, not able to comprehend how some people can go about life so cruelly. He always felt a heavy guilt when he made someone upset, so the idea other people could do that and not only be apathetic but outright revel in it just didn’t make sense to him.

“Lulu? That band singer, right?” The Gerudo asked with a small roll of the eyes. “I couldn’t care less what she’s going through as long as we get our treasure. I take it this means you won’t be giving up…?”

Link slowly shook his head, taking out his sword and readying his shield. He could only hope that Aveil didn’t notice how much he was trembling. The boy found it hard to sturdy himself, especially as the Gerudo gave him a cold look, clearly not amused at his decision to fight. “I need the eggs. I can’t leave without them.” He insisted, too scared to make the first move.

“Cocky brat…” Aveil hissed, making the first move since Link wasn’t going to. She charged the boy, no hesitation in her stride or in the way she raised her swords. With a cry, she began swinging harshly at Link, the smaller fighter using his shield to block the blows, the two of them slowly moving so that Link had to keep taking steps back.

The boy knew he had to fight back, but he found himself only able to defend, too scared to attack back and open himself up for damage. Over and over, he felt the sharp pain of losing an eye shoot through his entire body. The sensation of blood running down his face wouldn’t go away. His own screams kept ringing in his ears and he just wanted it to stop!

“Hey! Hold on, Link!” Tatl yelled, deciding she couldn’t just sit by and watch this unfold. Unlike last time, she was going to help him fight! With a cry, she dashed right at Aveil’s face, ramming into her right eye! The pirate let out a curse and flinched back, swatting at Tatl, but the fairy was far too quick to be hit by a person like that. She weaved between Aveil’s assault, and got her eye again, giving it a good kick! “Link, come on, while she’s distracted!”

As wide open as Aveil was, Link couldn’t bring himself to actually attack her. He knew he had to defeat her, but he felt a deep fear in his gut, and he instead circled around Aveil and put some distance between himself and his opponent.

The Gerudo snarled, whirling around to sneer at Link, ignoring Tatl. “What’s wrong?! Can’t even attack me?!” She hissed, sprinting at the boy, arms rearing back for a nasty swing!

Link raised his shield, managing to block the incoming attack, but the blow managed to knock the shield away from him, leaving him open to attack. In the blink of an eye, Aveil attacked again, slashing at the boy’s face! He reeled back, managing to avoid the worst of the attack, but he wasn’t fast enough. The tip of the blade ran across Link’s cheek, the boy managing to pull himself just enough to avoid a nasty, permanent scar. Instead, he merely received a cut along his face, blood running down his cheek and his chin.

Tatl felt her insides churn at the injury, her blood going cold until she realized it wasn’t anything severe. “Link, keep going, you can do this!” She yelled out, wanting to encourage him, all but certain he’d begin to freak out after getting cut by Aveil.

Staggering back, Link felt his chest tighten as a wave of panic washed over him, warm blood running down his face bringing back that memory once again! Panting, his one eye widened, staring at the Gerudo woman who smirked back at him, seeming patient and allowing Link to reel from the shock of getting sliced before attacking again.

Not again! Not again! Not again!

Link felt his head go fuzzy, his body growing numb save for the pulsing pain coming from his cut cheek. His right eye throbbed in pain, a searing pain shooting through it despite it no longer existing. This agony went from his empty socket down to the tips of his toes, and he wanted to scream but his own voice died on the way up. Not even thinking, he reached into his bag, which alerted the Gerudo and prompted her to prepare another attack.

As it turned out, Link was faster. He pulled out a mask and slapped it over his face, and his body began going through a transformation. In an instant, his height increased drastically, his muscles becoming like steel as his flesh turned into rock. Before anyone could even blink, the Hylian became a Goron, prompting a startled noise from Aveil as she stumbled backward.

Not hesitating for a moment, Link quickly closed the gap between him and his opponent and sent his boulder of a fist at her in a nasty punch! The Gerudo crossed her blades together in an attempt to shield herself, but it didn’t do any good. Link’s fist collided with one of her arms, and a crack rang out upon impact, the attack followed through and the fist slipping past the arm and hitting Aveil in the stomach. The redheaded warrior’s body went soaring across the room due to the blow, slamming against the far wall!

Tatl was stunned at the sudden turn of events, never thinking Link would use his Goron form on another person. If there was anyone that deserved it, the fairy felt, it was Aveil. She stayed hovering in place, unsure if she should interfere in any way. There was no way Link would go any further than this, right? She could understand him freaking out after getting cut, but she knew Link wouldn’t just kill a person…

And the fairy was right. Link was already horrified in himself as he saw Aveil’s form crumpled against the far wall. She was still conscious, but she was clearly out of the fight, the arm he hit bent at an odd angle as a sickened pain was written across the woman’s face. To her credit, the Gerudo gathered the strength to give Link a sharp glare from her lowly position. “Just what are you…?!”

Link didn’t say anything at first, approaching Aveil with slow, heavy footsteps. She tensed up, clearly expecting him to finish her off, but her expression was one of a stubborn defiance. He didn’t know what to do or what to say, feeling terrified despite his opponent not being able to fight anymore. But as she glared at him, that fear molded itself into a heated anger! “Why did you do this to me?” He asked through gritted teeth, his mask instantly dropping as a seething hatred dripped in his voice.

Aveil scowled, shaking her head in confusion. “What are you talking about?! You broke my arm, I barely even scratched you!”

However, Link didn’t accept that answer. Ripping the Goron Mask from his face, he returned to normal, pointing at his eyepatch. “This! Why did you do this?!” In his stressed state, he wasn’t even remembering that this version of Aveil never attacked his eye, and the two technically never met.

Indeed, the Gerudo met Link’s accusations with an angry confusion. “What are you talking about, you brat?! I didn’t do anything to you! We never met!” She hissed, her look of determination fading as her injury started to overwhelm her. It seemed she truly couldn’t stand up, as she didn’t even bother to try.

Link wasn’t listening. He tore off the eyepatch, opening his hollowed eye socket, forcing Aveil to look at the muscle underneath. “Look at what you did to me! I didn’t do anything to you! Why did you take this from me?!” His entire frame was shaking from how furious he was, the type of anger he hadn’t felt since the swamp. Normally, any foe or entity he faced that harmed him was dealt with in some way…but Aveil was right in front of him, only just getting punished for what she did to him.

“What is wrong with you?!” Aveil hissed, starting to look almost afraid. “Get away from me, you freak! Just take the egg and leave!”

“Link! Stop it!” Tatl screamed, getting between Link and Aveil. “This isn’t the same Gerudo, not really! Remember that!” The fairy felt so horrible for the kid, not blaming him for his temporary lapse in sanity. Facing someone that took something as precious as an eye…it was bound to mess with his head. “She really didn’t do anything to you…” The fairy went on in a gentler voice. The last thing she wanted to do was defend Aveil, but in fairness, this version of the Gerudo truly was innocent, at least in terms of Link’s injury.

It was Tatl’s voice that snapped Link out of his frenzy, the boy shaking all over, this time from overwhelming stress rather than anger. He just realized, fully, what he just did and the words he had screamed at Aveil. The boy still felt a deep rage towards the Gerudo, but he also knew Tatl was right. This version of Aveil wasn’t the one that took his eye away, the one that did that to him was long gone and he’d never see her again. “I’m sorry…I’m sorry…” He kept murmuring, his voice shaking a bit as he spoke, his mask still off entirely. As he repeated the phrase, he slowly put the eyepatch back on, and started to notice that Aveil wasn’t moving anymore…

“It’s okay! Listen, you didn’t do anything wrong!” If anything, Tatl was almost disheartened that Aveil’s skull wasn’t caved in. But she knew Link wouldn’t ever want to kill a person, so she kept that to herself. “We had to get past her one way or another, so it was better this got finished with fast, right?” She then noticed that Link was staring at Aveil, the fairy turning to look as well. “Hey…it’s fine. Look, she’s still breathing.” Indeed, the Gerudo’s chest subtly rose and fell, the woman apparently passing out from the pain, despite her stubborn demeanor.

Link stared at Aveil for a few moments before seeing that Tatl was right. The Gerudo was still alive, she just passed out. There was still that nagging temptation for him to play the Song of Time…but he realized this was about the best outcome he could hope for. Aveil was no longer a threat, but he didn’t have to kill her. Sighing through his nose, Link quickly put his mask back on, nodding at his companion. “Thank you, Tatl. I’m sorry I got out of hand.”

Tatl frowned as Link hid himself away again, but knew that bringing it up wouldn’t help anything. “Someone’s gotta keep you in check.” She said, making sure her joking tone was very evident. “Now come on, you gotta get that egg!” In all that excitement, she almost forgot the tank with the Zora Egg was in this room.

The boy gathered himself, blinking a few times as he tried to get his head back into the present. He took a glance at Aveil, feeling a sense of pity and hatred as he saw her unconscious form, his gut tangling on itself at the sight of her broken arm. Shaking it off, he approached the large tank in the room, getting a bottle ready and donning the Zora Mask, figuring even if the tank was shallow, it’d be easier to deal with as a Zora.

Climbing the ladder on the tank’s side, Link hopped into the water and gently grabbed the egg. Yet, as he felt his hand wrap around the delicate object, a tinge of regret coursed through his body, a remnant of the lost soul he wore on his face. Ignoring the sensation as best as he could, he carefully put the egg inside the water-filled bottle, the egg just barely able to fit through the bottleneck. Corking up the container, Link surfaced and left the tank, turning back into a Hylian and putting the bottle in his bag. “That’s one. We have to find another three.” The boy noted, climbing back down to the floor.

“You only have three bottles, right?” Tatl asked, vaguely remembering Link mentioning that last time. “I bet the Gerudos have at least one somewhere around here you could snag. No time to waste, if anyone comes here and sees the guard you took out, this place will be swarming with pirates!”

Link hadn’t even considered that! Looking around the room, he saw there were crates and barrels in the corner. Utilizing the Goron Mask, he gently moved Aveil behind them, both not wanting to stir her awake or make her wounds worse. As he returned to his human form, he felt a bit dirty hiding her unconscious state like that. “Now we just have to hope she doesn’t wake up until we leave.”

“Good thinking! Now come on, let’s keep going!” Tatl urged, floating to the far door. As Link opened it up, the two saw it led to a very familiar room. In fact, it was the room where the pirate leader was having her meeting! There were numerous barrels and crates hiding the boy and fairy from any guards, including a small alcove to the side with even more crates.

Thinking quick, Link silently shut the door behind him and hid behind the crates, Tatl joining him. “I have an idea.” He whispered to his companion. “There are still Gerudo in here, right?”

Tatl, as cautiously as she could, peeked into the main room. She saw there were two regular guards along with the leader of the pirates, sitting on a throne and looking over some sort of paper. Something that was out of view from the barred window above was another tank with a Zora Egg inside! Fluttering back to Link, she spoke in a soft whisper. “There’s a few. There’s also a Zora Egg. Remember that nest? Fire an arrow at it, that’ll get them running.”

Another tank? That was good! But that still left two more eggs to find. For all he knew, the other tanks for on the far side of the fortress or something. Still, he could get this second one with relative ease. Getting his bow and an arrow ready, he saw that he had a clear shot at that nest from where he was. Taking a slow, quiet breath, he aimed at the nest and let the arrow fly!

Naturally, the projectile hit its mark, striking through the stem of the hive, allowing the main body to fall to the floor. The hive shattered instantly, and the massive bees inside were furious, a droning buzz filling the room. Just as fast, the three Gerudo in the room let out terrified shrieks as Link ducked down behind cover. He heard buzzing, rapid footfalls, and then shrieks and exclamations of pain from the pirates as they fled the attacking insects. After a few moments, both of the doors were opened, slamming against the wall, the Gerudo all having fled the room.

Just to be safe, Tatl peeked out from behind cover. The three women were gone from the room, as were the Giant Bees. She didn’t hear any other commotion from the open doors, so the fairy figured the Gerudo were still fleeing.

“Everything safe? I need to get the egg fast.” Link whispered, straining his own ears, but not picking up on anything to be concerned about.

“Yeah, you gotta hurry and get that egg. There’s also a bunch of boxes, though, maybe you can find another bottle or something else helpful…” Tatl suggested, wondering just what was in all these crates and barrels they’ve used thus far. Provisions? Spare clothes? Who knew. Probably not much that’d help them.

Wasting no time, Link got a bottle ready, donned the Zora Mask, and entered the tank, getting the second egg secured in the small container. He once more found himself appalled at the actions of these pirates, willing to kidnap someone’s unhatched young. Somehow this was meant to get them to the Great Bay Temple, but he didn’t really get how that was going to work. Maybe once he gathered all the eggs, the method would be clear.

As he got out of the tank and turned back into a human, he glanced around at all the crates and barrels in the room. Again, he strained his ears, but heard nothing that indicated the three women were returning. “I’ll take that look around. Might be something we can use.” Link said as he put the second bottle in his bag. With Tatl keeping watch at the two doors, the boy began to look in the barrels and crates around the room.

Tatl was right that there was a lot of stuff that wasn’t any help to the pair. Spare clothes, preserved revisions, papers covered in writing that Link was unable to read. Nothing that he’d ever need. He kept looking, though, and before long he opened a chest and saw a peculiar object within. It was orange and metal, equipped with a handle with a cylindrical body and a hook at the opposite end. Something about it was very familiar to Link, but he couldn’t quite work out why.

Picking the object up, he looked it over curiously, noting it was light enough even for a kid like him to carry with ease. As he held it, he realized that there was a mechanism on the handle, one that seemed to need to be squeezed to work. Holding the pointed end away from him, Link squeezed the handle, and his eye widened as the sharp part of the device launched out, attached to a chain! It hit the nearby metal wall with a loud clang, making the boy flinch, nervous that such a sound would be overheard…

The sound startled Tatl, who flew back into the room, her gaze zeroing in on the strange device in Link’s hand. “What the heck? What is that thing?” She asked as the pointed end of the odd object retracted back into the main portion. “And don’t make so much noise, those pirates probably heard that!”

Pretty quickly, Link realized just what the object was. Yes, it looked very strange, but there was no doubt this was another Hookshot! Why it appeared so different from the one he was used to, he didn’t understand. Yet, as he held it, he remembered the graveyard of Kakariko Village. He recalled seeing the ghost of Dampé and then he saw the visage of one of those horrid undead monstrosities in his mind’s eye, the gnashing of its teeth, the clay-like mask it wore…!

Link closed his eye, taking a few deep breaths. He couldn’t panic. Not here. Not in front of Tatl. Yet he felt his blood going cold, he remembered the rotting teeth sinking into his flesh! His hands ached from how hard he was holding the device in his hands, this pain bringing him back to reality. Glancing up at Tatl, he shook his head. “I don’t know.” Even the idea of saying what it was truly called made him feel uneasy. “Let me try something with it.” Feigning ignorance, he pointed the Hookshot at a wooden crate and fired. As he expected, the hook dug into the wood and pulled him towards it!

Tatl let out a small exclamation of surprise, but was also impressed with what she saw. “Oh, wow! I’ve never seen something like that! I’m sure there’d be some use for it…you should pocket it!”

Getting the hook out of the crate, Link nodded and put the Hookshot in his bag. “I still need to find a bottle, though. Keep a lookout for a bit more.” He requested, digging into a nearby crate as Tatl went back to keeping watch. Thankfully, though he had to scrounge around in it a bit, that very crate held a bottle! Putting it in his bag, the boy and fairy went on into the next room, which was a cold, metal hallway.

It was a true mystery where the three Gerudo women ran off to, as there was no sign of them as the two traversed the corridor. Did the Giant Bees really chase them that far away? The two had to hope none of the three returned to the throne room any time soon, as they might notice the missing Zora Egg or the one from the room the two fought Aveil in. It seemed whichever pirate left the throne room in that direction was too preoccupied with the bees to notice the empty tank…

There were no other guards in their way, and nothing else of note until they reached a door, small bars on it streaming in sunlight. Tatl told Link to stay still and quiet as she flew to the door and peeked outside and fluttered back. “There’s this big courtyard area. Lots of guards, but there’s stuff to hide behind. Lots of doors to other places in the fortress, so I dunno where to go first to find more eggs…”

“Are they patrolling a path we can get around?” Link asked, wondering how many guards was ‘lots’ exactly. He wished he had some way of knocking them out quietly, but how he’d do that, he had no idea. While he could potentially fight them all off, it’d come at the risk of seriously hurting someone! “See if you can find any openings we can get through.”

That wasn’t exactly Tatl’s strong suit, but she tried for sure. If all else failed, she could always serve as a distraction. Still, she stared intently at the guards, seeing if there was any sort of pattern they did their patrols in. Of course, it all depended on what room she and Link were going to go to first. Something told her that the tower in the middle of the courtyard, a bridge leading to a door, was a good place to start. It had a guard at the top of the tower, but the fairy didn’t see her budge a single time, and she faced away from the ladder! If they were quiet enough…

“Okay, I think I see a way for us to go through. We’ll go up the tower and quietly over the bridge into the next area. Okay?” The fairy whispered, getting a nod from Link. “There’s a crate by the door, so wait before going out, then hide behind it.” Tatl informed, gazing at the guards, waiting for juuust the right moment! “Alright…now!”

Quickly, yet trying to remain quiet, Link darted out the door, closed it, and ducked behind a nearby crate with Tatl following him and landing on his shoulder. He couldn’t help himself, closing his eye and remaining deathly still, waiting for a guard to yell out that she saw an intruder…but there was nothing of the sort. Peering out, he got a better look of the outside area.

There were several layers to it, staircases leading up and down the different levels. It almost reminded him of the Gerudo Fortress in Hyrule, how it had numerous layers stacked on top of each other. As Tatl pointed out, there were numerous Gerudo patrolling the area, with a tower in the middle housing a lone guard. Stress built in his gut, as he knew one wrong move meant he had to escape, play the Song of Time, and try again. Facing off against Aveil a second time so soon…the idea made him want to puke!

Pushing the thought into the back of his head, he carefully watched the patrol, keeping an eye out for another opening. There were places to duck behind between his location and the tower, he figured two passes were all he needed to get where he needed. It took a few minutes of observation, the boy and fairy still as statues, both of them barely daring to even breathe. After memorizing the patrol pattern, Link made his move, darting to the nearest crate and curling up behind it with Tatl riding on his shoulder.

Once more, they froze, waiting for the call of a guard…but nothing happened.

The two intruders were too close to the Gerudo at this point for Link to peer out, the closest one getting within mere feet of the crate. Link especially felt too scared to even breathe, worried it’d somehow be heard, and the pirates would all attack him. Tatl peered out, her light dimming as much as possible, keeping watch to see the best time to move. After a bout a minute, all the guards were looking away from the tower ladder and she quietly urged Link to move.

Quickly, yet as quietly as he could, the boy moved to the ladder and climbed it, slowing down significantly as he neared the top. Somehow, it was silently communicated between the boy and fairy for Tatl to keep watch of the guard at the tower’s top as Link very carefully began to climb the rest of the way. He glanced up at Tatl, who waved him the rest of the way up as she kept watch. Slowly, he peeked out from the top of the ladder, seeing the guard was still facing in the opposite direction.

As silently as he possibly could, Link reached the ladder’s top and got onto the tower’s platform. Hoping that his equipment wouldn’t make any noise, he stood up and stared at the oblivious guard as he walked backwards to the bridge, Tatl right alongside him. The fairy kept lookout for Link as he turned around and slowly made his way across the bridge, terrified that a guard would look up and notice him. Yet, he was too nervous about making noise to just run across. His heart was pounding in his chest, he thought that any moment someone from below would begin shouting about an intruder, or the Gerudo on the tower would turn around and notice him…

Yet, he reached the other end of the bridge without issue. He and Tatl quickly made for the door, peeking through the bars to see an empty hallway before ducking into the building. Closing the door behind him, Link took a second to catch his breath, he and Tatl exchanging a relieved glance. “I thought she’d look back at us for sure.” Tatl whispered, too nervous to speak any louder. “I hope that was the worst of it…”

Link nodded in response, too nervous to even whisper a response. After composing himself, he and Tatl went onward, a turn in the hallway not too far off. Yet, as the two approached it, they heard approaching footsteps! There weren’t any crates or barrels to hide behind, and the footsteps sounded too close for the two to reach the door back outside in time! Panicking a bit, Link looked around for a solution, then glanced up and saw a wooden beam going across the ceiling! Without hesitation, he took out the Hookshot and shot it upward, the pointed end latching into the wood and pulling Link upward! Tatl followed him up, and just as this happened, a guard rounded the corner, oblivious to the intruders that she just missed.

The boy kept his body weight up with one arm, holding onto the Hookshot as he watched the Gerudo walk under him and towards the door leading outside. After what felt like several minutes of slow walking, she opened up the door and went off across the bridge. The realization that if the two had been about a minute slower getting this far meant they’d run smack into a guard was unsettling to the pair. Tatl also noticed just how easily Link was holding up his entire body weight. No matter how many feats of strength he displayed, it still astonished her just how strong the boy was. What the heck was he doing back in Hyrule to get that strong…?

Slowly, Link adjusted the Hookshot, the chain carefully lowering him to the floor, and then he retracted the pointed end once he was safely on the ground. He didn’t expect the object to be so helpful so fast! They would’ve gotten caught for sure without it! Worried that guard may return, Link rushed down the hallway she just came from, a non-barred door at the end of it as Tatl followed.

“I’ll have to just open it and hope for the best.” Link whispered, there not being any keyhole or anything else for Tatl to peer through. With a lump in his throat, the boy grabbed the doorknob and turned it slowly, creaking the door open and looking at what was inside. He instantly felt relief when no guards screamed that there was an intruder, there weren’t any Gerudo in the room! Furthermore, there was a tank off in the corner with not one, but two Zora Eggs! With those, the boy and fairy would have everything they needed!

Still acting cautious, Link entered the room quietly, closing the door gently behind him and Tatl. The fairy kept looking around, feeling nervous. “This seems too easy.” She murmured, remembering how the last two rooms with tanks had security of some sort. “Hurry getting those two eggs, alright?”

Yet, before Link could take a step forward, a voice called out. A woman’s voice. “You were right, little fairy, that would be too easy!” From the ceiling dropped a Gerudo warrior, one that had two swords like Aveil. She was different, though, her eyes colder and with a smirk on her lips. She looked Link over, her gaze lingering on his missing eye for the slightest of moments. “I never thought a young boy would ever get this far, but this is as far as you go. If you surrender, though, I might just let you live!” Despite those words, she took her swords out, seeming more than ready to use them.

Link quickly got his own sword and his shield ready. He was so close! If this Gerudo hadn’t arrived, they’d be on their way out of here by now! Despite how cold and horrid this warrior seemed, he had to at least try to talk it out. “I don’t want to fight you. I just want the eggs and then I’ll leave.”

This got a bark of laughter from the woman. “You think I don’t know that?! And do you really think I’ll just let you waltz out with them?! This is your very last warning to come quietly…” She slammed her swords together, sparks erupting from the impact as she readied herself to pounce.

He knew his words wouldn’t help anything, but he’d feel terrible if he didn’t at least try. Not wanting to be at a disadvantage, Link made the first move, charging ahead at the Gerudo. This seemed to surprise her for a split second, but she quickly got over it and swung her swords at the boy. With grit teeth, he managed to block the attack in its tracks. Thinking fast, he swung his sword at the Gerudo’s side, but quickly turned his hand so the end of his sword’s hilt slammed into the woman rather than the blade.

This strong impact knocked the wind out of the Gerudo warrior, allowing Link to use a shield bash, pushing her away and getting her off-balance. Keeping up the momentum, he charged forward and once more slammed the end of his sword’s hilt into the Gerudo’s side. He figured if he can’t cut her, he can use blunt attacks to knock her out!

Snarling, the Gerudo managed to recover, kicking Link square in the chest and off his feet! He landed harshly on his back, and she raised her swords to stab at him, but Tatl wasn’t going to take any risks. After what happened with Aveil, she was going to help Link far more than before! With a cry, she flew to the woman’s face, kicking her right in the eye, eliciting a shocked yelp of pain from the Gerudo warrior. This caused her to step away from Link and swing wildly at Tatl, but the fairy was far too fast for the woman to hit.

While his opponent was distracted, Link got back on his feet and strafed around the Gerudo, who was still focused on Tatl, especially when the fairy slammed into the warrior’s other eye. After an opening presented itself, Link charged at the woman and, once more, readied his sword’s hilt. Jumping up in the air, he slammed it into the Gerudo’s temple, knocking her right over! In fact, the blow was so damaging, it knocked the bladed warrior out cold!

“Good job, Link! You really got her!” Tatl praised, astonished at how smoothly the fight went. She wondered if the boy had devised strategies since the last time he was here. It really seemed like the kid aimed to get the fight over with as quickly as he possibly could…

A part of him felt guilty, even though he took the Gerudo down as non-lethally as he knew how. At least it wasn’t as violent as with Aveil. Wasting no time, he got two bottles ready and climbed the tank’s ladder, donning the Zora Mask and collecting the final two Zora Eggs of the fortress. As he got out and returned to normal, he placed the bottles in his bag.

“Do you think we should go back the same route we came in?” Link asked, figuring that surely by then the three Gerudo that he dropped the hive on had returned to the throne room. Though if that were the case, they’d surely have noticed the missing Zora Egg.

“That’s probably best. No telling how big this place is, we could get pretty lost otherwise…” Tatl said, thinking the same way Link was. Going back was the best way in terms of speed, but who could say if those three Gerudo had returned to that throne room yet. Link could handle a Gerudo warrior, but having the entire fortress after him at once…she wasn’t sure how well he’d do.

Not wanting to waste any more time, the two swiftly left the room back the way they came. In the hallway, they paused at the corner, listening for footsteps or the sound of the far door opening. When neither happened, they rushed down the rest of the way, Tatl peeking out the bars to the door outside and confirming no one was coming their way. Again, Link had to cross the bridge, having to go quietly, yet wanting to go fast in case any guards looked up and saw him. Thankfully, none of them did, and he made it back to the tower just fine with Tatl close by him.

However, that was where his luck ran out.

Maybe Link stepped on a part of the tower that creaked, and he didn’t notice. Maybe he was breathing too loud. Maybe the Gerudo just felt she was being watched. Either way, she suddenly turned around, eyes locking onto Link. The two humans froze in place, as Tatl hovered by Link’s head. It felt like the world came to a stop, and the young boy wasn’t sure what to do. Not sure what he could possibly say, he just slowly shook his head, realizing it was a futile attempt to defuse the situation, but he had no idea what else to do.

Of course, it did nothing to help. In a fluid motion, the Gerudo readied her spear and thrust it forward, Link barely able to duck in time. “Intruder!” The woman screamed. “Intruder in the fortress!”

By the time she managed to yell that out, Link was already halfway down the ladder. At the same time, the guards that were patrolling the area looked to see what the commotion was about, spotting Link reaching the ladder’s bottom. They didn’t seem to be bothered by the fact the intruder was a child, they charged him all the same, weapons pointed right at him!

Link got his sword and shield at the ready, solely to defend himself. No way was he about to try and fight all these Gerudo off! While he could turn into a Goron and roll his way through, he was too worried about crushing someone to death to actually try it. He sprinted to the door leading to the throne room, Tatl panicking as she flew above his head. One of the guards thrust her spear at Link as she grew near but was knocked off-balance as he parried the blow with his shield.

The guards kept demanding Link give himself up, some hurling curses at the child, but Link just kept running towards the door. However, more guards came from that direction, and he found himself surrounded on all sides! Stopping in hi tracks, he kept looking around at each Gerudo, waiting for one of them to attack.

“Drop the weapon now! Just give up!” One of the guards yelled, aiming her spear at Link’s chest. “Do it and we might spare you!”

The boy wasn’t sure what to do, still too afraid to go into his Goron form. He kept remembering how he snapped Aveil’s arm and nearly killed her! Slowly, he did as she asked, putting his sword in its sheath and shield on his back. This seemed to put the guards slightly at ease, but they didn’t lower their weapons. Before they could possibly attack, and thinking quick, Link whipped out the Hookshot, aiming it between two of the guards and at a wooden crate by the door.

“Hey! That’s-!” Another guard exclaimed, but was cut off as Link fired the Hookshot, the pointed end digging into the crate. Link was pulled off towards the wooden object, knocking two of the guards away as he felt by, getting a startled yell from all the women. Tatl, meanwhile, was elated, laughing heartily as she flew after Link. Getting a bit of a head start, the boy quickly put the Hookshot away and got his sword and shield back out as he sprinted for the door, the guards trying to catch up with him.

After that was somewhat of a blur to Link. He made his way towards the fortress entrance, pursued by angry, screaming guards. Thankfully, he didn’t have to fight any of them, the closest thing to that was one managing to get in his path in a hallway, prompting Link to slam his shield into her so she hit the nearby wall and was stunned. There were times when guards got near enough to attack, but he was always able to dodge or parry these blows.

As the boy and fairy were mere moments from the large area with the boats, Tatl flew to Link’s ear and spoke so only he could hear her. “Link, just swim off to that scientist guy, okay? I’ll meet you there!”

Link realized her idea, the two not stopping their retreat until they were far, far away from the pirates. “I got it.” He confirmed, putting his sword and shield away as he took the Zora Mask out of his bag. As the two reached the outside, they were right by a railing that led down into the water. The Gerudo on the boats were already aware of the intruder, bows and arrows aimed at the child.

Tatl flew up towards the wall, too fast and too small to ever be in danger from the Gerudo. Link, meanwhile, dove right into the water as a volley of arrows whizzed by him. Rather than put the mask on right away, he dove down deeper into the water. Despite this technically being part of the ocean, it was closed off from the rest and thus didn’t fully register as such to Link. As for him not putting on the mask, he already realized he couldn’t let the Gerudo see a Zora leave the fortress, even if they saw him turn into one. After all, if they hadn’t already, they’d soon realize the eggs were missing, and if they saw a Zoro swim away, they’d go after the rest of the Zoras in retaliation for sure!

Deeper and deeper he went, his chest starting to burn a bit, and his eye stinging from the salt. Yet he kept going down, the blurry water acting as his salvation. When he was so deep that he couldn’t handle it anymore, Link put the Zora Mask on and quickly changed. The pain in his chest leaving and his eyesight better, he swam towards the underwater exit and soon found himself in open ocean once more…

Chapter Text

Link didn’t even think as he swam out of the waters of the Gerudo’s Fortress and into the open ocean. He was just focusing on moving towards the marine scientist, moving closer to the water’s surface so Tatl could follow him. Indeed, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the familiar yellow orb of light following him as he darted forward. Like before, he was paranoid that something would swim out of the murky waters and attempt to swallow him whole…but no such thing happened.

Given his Zora form, it only took a few minutes for Link and Tatl to reach their destination, Link climbing onto the lower platform as he caught his breath. The excitement of the escape and that swift swimming got him a bit tired!

Tatl hovered by his head, looking him over as he took his mask off and returned to human form. “None of those guards hurt you on the way out or anything, right?”

“I’m fine.” Link answered simply as he climbed up the ladder. “We need to get the eggs into that tank.” It had seemed so very long ago since he spoke to the marine scientist, far longer than it had actually been.

When the boy and fairy entered the lab proper, the goat-faced scientist was focusing so intently on some papers in his hand that he jumped upon seeing the two of them suddenly standing before him. “Oh, my! You really gave me a fright!” He exclaimed, but seemed more surprised than actually angry. “What’s a child and a fairy doing in a place like this? If you want to know why the sea is so muddled, I’m afraid I have no answers at this time.”

“It’s not that!” Tatl exclaimed, deciding to do the talking. “We have some Zora Eggs that were held captive by the Gerudo. Uh, a friend got them for us, a Zora.” Just a quick lie to avoid questions! “He told us we should take them here for safekeeping!”

“Taken from the Gerudo?! Goodness, that must have been difficult!” The old man replied. “But yes, please, give them to me at once! The water in this tank has special properties that will help the eggs stay healthy!”

Link got the four bottles out, handing them over to the scientist who quickly deposited the eggs into the large tank. They sank down to the tank’s bottom where they rested, seeming brighter and somehow happy, in a strange sense. “Will they really be okay in here?” The boy asked.

Sighing in relief, the scientist nodded. “Oh, yes, no worries about that! They will be quite safe there. However…I don’t think they’ll be able to hatch until all are gathered. From what I heard, seven eggs were laid by Lulu, correct?”

“That’s right. We heard that the other three are near giant sea snakes.” Link informed, not even coming up with a lie of how he and Tatl would’ve come across such information. “Where are they?”

“Giant sea snakes…now that’s no good…! I don’t know if you’re aware, but the ‘giant’ part in their name is no exaggeration! These behemoths are larger than this very lab by a good amount! This Zora friend of yours would have his work cut out for him…” The old man explained, seeming nervous just talking about the sea snakes.

Link had no idea if he could even fight something that large. Not as a Zora, at least, it wasn’t like he could properly use his sword underwater even if he took it to the snakes in his alternate form. “Our friend is very insistent. Where are the sea snakes?” He wasn’t even aware snakes could live in the sea before entering Termina, it was quite a strange thought to him…

The scientist huffed a bit as he shook his head. “It’s quite dangerous, but…if you insist. The sea snakes, or I suppose Deep Pythons are their proper names, reside at Pinnacle Rock, which lies further offshore and between here and the Gerudo’s fortress. However, just swimming there won’t be so easy, not even for a Zora.”

“Because of how weird the ocean is being, right? But a Zora should be fine, right? How bad could it be?” Tatl asked, not knowing of any creature that’s better at swimming than the Zora race. Sort of like how rolling Gorons were the fastest beings on land, and how nothing could outfly a fairy.

The scientist shook his head. “It’s not that simple. Yes, Zora can generally swim against currents with relative ease, but the water around Pinnacle Rock are unique. The currents there move in unusual ways to the point even a Zora can’t pass through.”

“How would a Zora get to the Deep Pythons, then?” Link asked, mortified at the idea of a roadblock he couldn’t get around. It never occurred to him that entering a Temple might somehow be impossible, and with the time limit he had, that just made things worse…

“Seahorses!” The scientist exclaimed. “It is believed seahorses can navigate through these strange currents. Where you’d find one, I have no idea. They’re rather elusive, especially now with so few fish in the sea…”

Sea…horse? For a few seconds, Link believed the old man was pulling his leg. Seahorses. As in…horses that were…fish? It didn’t provide a very comforting mental image to be sure. Given how freaked out the boy was by the ocean, he didn’t take it upon himself to learn about the creatures that lived in it. He remembered seeing a picture of a massive fanged fish in a book in Hyrule Castle’s library, and that was enough for him! “Okay. Thank you, sir. We’ll tell our friend this.”

The old man hummed as he nodded. “Yes, yes. Please do. I admit, I’m curious what may happen when all the eggs are together and healthy. I’d like to meet this Zora friend of yours sometime as well! He sounds most interesting…”

“Oh, we’ll send him over at some point I’m sure…” Tatl said, wondering where the heck the two were gonna find a seahorse! Not like either of them could fish. Maybe if Link just kept swimming around he’d find one.

When the two left the lab, Link paused, staring at the beach as he wracked his brain. “Tatl, are seahorses real?” He couldn’t help but ask. The name was just so ridiculous, it couldn’t possibly be a real creature!

“What? Yeah, they’re real.” Tatl realized that Link being illiterate meant he’d never have read about one. It would sound weird to a kid that never heard of a seahorse before. “They’re not actual horses, they just kind of look like them, but are also pretty small.”

That made a bit of sense, Link supposed. Still, the idea of a fully grown horse covered in gross fishy scales was a strange thought to him. “Okay. And we have no idea where to find one.” He noted, knowing how fruitless it’d be to look for one fish in such a large body of water, even if the ocean was acting normal.

“We should go to Zora Hall and ask around there.” Tatl suggested. “If anyone would know where to find a specific fish, it’d be the Zora. And, you know, maybe you can rest there as Mikau. He’s gotta have a room to himself there or something.”

The idea of using a dead person’s room like that made Link feel a bit sick to his stomach. Stealing the Goron named Link’s room back in Clock Town was bad enough, but this was so much worse! However, there weren’t exactly any other places in the Great Bay area he felt comfortable sleeping at, and he was pretty exhausted after the situation with the Gerudo. “I guess we can use it. Just this once.” The boy insisted, feeling like it’d be far more than just a single time.

With that agreed on, the two made their way to Zora Hall. Link became a Zora once more and went in the front entrance as Tatl zipped to the rear entrance and met him at the entry area. “I just realized, people are gonna be asking about your eye.” Tatl pointed out, glancing at the scarred eye of ‘Mikau’. “What are you going to tell them?”

“The truth.” The false Zora replied, figuring that was the easiest way to handle it. “It was the Gerudo that did it.” Just saying that left a nasty taste in his mouth, and he felt the scar throb harshly. He could even feel the blood and eye juices running down his face before he realized it was just the ocean water dripping down.

“Yeah, that makes sense…just making sure you had a plan.” Tatl informed as the two entered the main area of Zora Hall. “Now the question is where we start…I guess you can just ask some random Zora walking around.” There were numerous Zoras walking about, something she hadn’t noticed before was the feel of unease in the air, assuredly from the ocean’s current condition and Lulu’s missing eggs…

As it turned out, Link didn’t have to do that, as a passing Zora noticed him and approached. “Mikau? Is that you? You look a bit weird…” The Zora said, flinching as he got closer and noticed the false Zora’s scarred eye. “Oh, wow! What happened to you?! Did the Gerudo do that to you?! Did you get any of Lulu’s eggs back?!”

Link was taken aback at the great deal of enthusiasm this stranger had. He was put on the spot far quicker than he had anticipated, though he supposed the Zora asked the ‘right’ questions of him. Thinking of it, he had no idea how Mikau might react to just about anything. At least when he was pretending to be Darmani, he only had to talk to a few other Gorons, one being a baby and another a near-senile old man. This Zora might tell that something was very off with the ‘Mikau’ standing before him.

Still, he had to give some sort of reply! “A Gerudo got my eye, and I found four of the eggs, they’re somewhere safe now.” Link responded flatly.

“That’s amazing, Mikau! I…wait…just four?” The Zora’s mood went from excitement to concern in an instant. “What about the other three? There were seven, right?”

“I overheard some Gerudo saying they lost some in the Deep Python’s territory. I can’t get through the current to reach them, do you know where a seahorse would be?” Link asked, hoping this wasn’t information Mikau would normally know. He wouldn’t know how to talk his way out of it…though he supposed Tatl could handle that.

The Zora went pale for a moment before collecting himself as he hummed in thought, not seeming surprised at the false Mikau’s lack of knowledge. “That’s pretty awful…those eggs wouldn’t make much of a meal for the sea snakes, but…uh, a seahorse? Those are really rare, I can’t remember the last time I actually saw one…”

Tatl huffed a bit but did so too quietly to be heard. This guy wasn’t helpful at all! “Well, who around here might know, then?” She asked, trying to keep her patience, having only realized how much of a rush they were truly in. If those Deep Python’s got hungry, well…

At that, the Zora flinched a bit, looking at Tatl and clearly only just noticing her presence. “Oh, a fairy! Never saw one around here before. You friends with Mikau or something?”

“Yeah, we bumped into each other as he was trying to get all the eggs back.” The fairy lied casually. “But come on, who here would know where to find a seahorse? There’s gotta be someone we could ask!”

“Honestly, I’d ask the members of the band.” Replied the Zora with a shrug. “Evan might get mad if you interrupt his practice, but Japas and Tijo might be able to help out. You should really try them, if anyone here might know, it’s one of those three!”

Link nodded, realizing he had no idea where these band members were or what they even looked like…and it wasn’t like he could ask. No way Mikau wouldn’t know this stuff! He’d have to find some way to get that information! “Alright, thanks. I’ll go and ask them.” The false Zora responded, watching as the real Zora gave a wave and walked off.

Tatl realized the issue too. If ‘Mikau’ was walking around asking questions he’d know the answer to, there’d be some sort of suspicion going around. Thankfully, lies were a strong suit of Tatl’s, so she quickly came up with something. “Hey, only that one Zora knows I’m here.” The fairy stated. “Or at least here with you. How about you hang back here, and I’ll get the information for you?” She knew of the band, of course, and the names of the members. The fairy never saw them play, but they were the most famous musical group in the area, so she could at least explicitly ask for each member.

He hadn’t thought of that! Stepping back further into the entrance to avoid being seen, Link gave Tatl a nod. “Good idea. I’ll stay here until you get back.” Even if it’s only a minute or two, the rest was welcomed. It wasn’t until he watched Tatl nod and dart into Zora Hall proper that he realized how exhausted he was.

The boy felt like his entire body was being weighed down. Not like how curses make the air feel heavy, but like weights were tied to his limbs. While he had been very active that day, something told him it wasn’t normal physical exhaustion. He felt numb…inside and out, like a walking husk as he wore the face of somebody else. Looking down at his hands, he flexed his fingers lightly, but it didn’t seem like they were really there. As it had happened many times, the temptation to bite at his hands, to make himself feel something, went through his head. Yet, as he raised his hands to his open mouth, he saw Tatl arriving out of the corner of his eye.

She paused, tilting her head to the side a bit in confusion. “Uh, Link? What are you doing?” Tatl wasn’t able to discern that he was about to bite himself, but it seemed like he was doing something odd.

“Nothing. Did you find out where the bandmates are?” Link was not about to explain just what he was about to do!

Tatl knew she’d never get a straight answer out of Link. Why did she even bother to ask? “Mmm…right…Well, I got the information, yeah. They’re all in their rooms, I’ll take you to them! I even asked where your room was, you’ll need to rest at some point, you know.”

Not until all the eggs were rescued, that was for sure. The Gerudo at least had their eggs nice and safe, the Deep Pythons could find and devour theirs at any time! “Alright, lead the way, then.”

The fairy took Link through Zora Hall, some of the Zoras there staring at the false Mikau with looks of surprise and worry, the latter directed at his missing eye. Any conversations that were attempted were ignored, though. Tatl led Link to the first room, which she mentioned belonged to Japas’ room. She said that he was the bassist, but Link had no idea what that meant.

Going into the door, the boy and fairy saw the room was surprisingly sparse. The ground was covered in sand, with a bed on one side, and a large desk with a bunch of papers strewn about it on the other. The lone Zora in there was Japas, whose name Tatl whispered in Link’s ear. Japas was playing an instrument similar to Mikau’s, but rather than a fish skeleton, it seemed to be partially made out of some sort of massive crab. Not that Link knew what a crab even was. As for Japas himself, he was a typical looking Zora, save for the fins on his head, which looked almost like hair that mostly covered his eyes.

Despite looking practically blinded by his own fins, Japas looked right at Link and Tatl as they entered the room. He had a relaxed expression on his face which quickly became a frown of worry when he saw Link’s eye. “Mikau, that you buddy? You’re looking worse for wear, what the heck did those Gerudo chicks do to you?”

Link began to realize every Zora he encountered was going to ask about the eye. Each time it happened, he felt the injury pulse and the cold steel slicing through him. Forcing down a shudder, he sort of shrugged his shoulders. He knew he couldn’t replicate how Mikau acted, especially since he only knew him for a few minutes, but he was hoping he could blame it on exhaustion and battle damage.

“I got careless, but I also got four eggs back.” Link responded. “Three of them fell near the Deep Pythons, do you know where I can find a seahorse?” Had to be direct and keep the interaction as short as possible.

Japas was openly worried, studying ‘Mikau’ as if there was a part of him that was aware it wasn’t his bandmate standing in front of him. After a moment, he sighed through his nose and shook his head. “Deep Pythons…I’d never tangle with those, you’re a braver Zora than I am, that’s for sure. Can’t remember the last time I saw a seahorse, though. I wish there was some other way. But hey, Tijo and Evan might know, so try them.”

Well, that was disappointing. Link nodded, holding back a sigh of his own. “Alright, thanks, Japas.” After a small pause, he felt he had to say something more. “Don’t worry, I’ll get the eggs back as fast as I can. All of them.” It was clear everyone was worried for Lulu’s eggs, like all the Zoras were one big family.

Mikau must have been very dependable, as those words alone got a relieved grin from Japas. “You know, you’re right. If anyone here can do it, it’s you. If I could fight, I’d help out, but…”

Tatl had to hold back a scoff as she rolled her eyes. She didn’t know much about Mikau, but she knew he was a part of a band, not exactly an esteemed warrior like Darmani III was. If Link could risk his life as Mikau, she saw no reason Japas couldn’t help. As she and Link left the room, she couldn’t help herself. “What a coward…” The fairy murmured quietly.

However, it wasn’t quiet enough, as Link managed to hear it. “If he can’t fight, why would he go after Gerudo or Deep Pythons?” He asked, not understanding Tatl’s reasoning.

The fairy hadn’t meant to be heard, and was a bit startled at being put on the spot like that. “I mean…Mikau was just another band member, and he went to the Gerudo Fortress all by himself. If he can do it, why can’t Japas?”

“Maybe Mikau was a fighter, not just a musician.” Link offered, not sure how to feel. On one hand, he sympathized with Japas, his desire to let someone else be the hero while he remained safe was something that cropped in his mind all the way back in Hyrule. On the other hand, he knew what it was like to be Mikau, the only one fighting while almost no one else helped.

“I guess.” Tatl said with a shrug, still not liking Japas very much. It was one thing to not help, but to say it to the face of the one doing all the work was something else entirely. This feeling surprised the fairy, knowing she wouldn’t feel this way had she come across the situation a few months ago. Traveling with Link really changed her…

“So, where’s the next band member?” Link asked, wanting to hurry things along. “We need to get a seahorse to help us as fast as we can.” He hoped it was some sort of intelligent being he could direct in some way. Thinking of it, if seahorses were just like normal animals, how was it going to help?

The fairy snapped out of her thoughts. “Oh, right. The next guy is Tijo, come on.” Tatl informed, leading Link to the next room. When they entered, they saw a more elaborate room with multiple stories of sorts. A grassy, rocky platform went from the door to the far wall with a ladder leading up to another rocky outcrop jutting from higher up in the rockface. Sitting on the ground level was an unusual looking Zora, looking somewhat like a manta ray, a name that he recalled Zelda telling him from a picture he saw in a book. The Zora, Tijo, was playing a set of drums that resembled round fish. As he struck them with his drumsticks, they produced the sounds of actual drums, which threw Link and Tatl off a bit!

Tijo looked up at the false Mikau as he walked into the room, stopping the drum practice as he gave a warm smile which then turned into a look of worry. Like Japas, his gaze honed in on Link’s missing eye. “Mikau! Didn’t expect you back so soon…or so hurt! Are you okay walking around like that?”

“I’m fine.” Link quickly dismissed, taking a few steps closer to Tijo. “I have four of the eggs back, but I overheard the Gerudo talking about the others falling to where the Deep Pythons are. I need a seahorse to get me to Pinnacle Rock, where can I find one?” No use beating around the bush!

The drummer seemed a bit put off by Link’s blunt nature, but seemed to shake it off quickly. “That’s not what I was hoping to hear…poor Lulu…!” He bemoaned before putting himself back together quickly. “As for a seahorse, I know Evan was talking about one the other day, but I forgot what he had said. He’d know for sure how to help. He’s been in a bad mood lately, so be careful…”

Another dead end, but at least Evan could apparently help. “Thank you. I’ll go talk to him now.” The false Zora responded, quickly leaving the room with Tatl. Without delay, she led him to another room, where Evan resided. This one was a bit more barren, with only a bed and a piano in it. Though that wasn’t the strangest part. What was more unusual was the small waterfall coming from above, coating the floor in water, and it seemed the liquid ran off somewhere else, preventing the room from actually overflowing.

Evan, who was at the top of a sort of staircase of stone platforms, looked a tad odd himself by Zora standards. Every single Zora Link encountered before was blue, but Evan was brown in color and his backfin stuck straight out behind him. He was playing on his piano, which seemed to be made out of the skeleton of some large fish of some sort.

The pianist was murmuring to himself, unaware of ‘Mikau’ and Tatl as the false Zora slowly walked up behind him. Link wasn’t even looking at Evan, however, he was staring at the piano. His mind was miles and years away. “No, no, that’s not it…” Evan mumbled to himself, unaware that Link was standing right behind him.

From behind the fake Zora’s head flew Tatl, who perched on his shoulder. “Link, what are you doing? Just gonna stare at this guy?” She hissed in his ear, not wanting to get Evan’s attention herself.

But Link wasn’t paying Tatl any mind. He just kept staring at the piano! When he had reset the Moon and Termina itself for the first time, Link had been treated to The Happy Mask Salesman playing on a large organ for him. At that point, his mind was so muddled he was almost working on autopilot, hardly even thinking.

In the present, however, his mind was far clearer. This caused an effect to overtake the boy, one he had experienced numerous times before. He wasn’t really there, with Tatl or Evan. No, his mind was flung back into the past, nearly two full years.

The soft, slow notes echoed through the grandiose room. It was a large, empty space save for the one piano near the back. Clearly a place for social gatherings, for adults to stand around and talk about boring things or perhaps dance.

At the moment, however, there was only one occupant in the room. A young boy, ten years old and dressed only in a simple green sleeping gown. The floor was cold on his bare feet, but he didn’t mind it. He didn’t focus on it.

Instead, he simply kept his mind on the notes that floated through the room like dizzy butterflies. His face was blank, like a mask, staring down at the keys. One hand danced across them, without much direction or grace. But he didn’t care.

He didn’t wish to learn the piano. He didn’t want to play a beautiful melody. He just wanted the noise. The distraction. It kept his mind from wandering, from-

“Link?” A soft voice called.

The boy looked, hand frozen, to the source of the voice. He hadn’t heard the door open, and there stood her. The Princess. Zelda. His caretaker of sorts, almost his nurse. The one that kept him housed and fed and alive. The one that was trying to put him back together.

“I thought I had heard the piano playing.” She continued, slowly walking to the large instrument and eyeing it. Zelda didn’t seem upset, almost amused if anything. The Princess even gave a small, albeit sad, smile as she looked from the instrument back to Link. “Did you want to learn?”

No noise came from the boy. For a moment, he just stared at her with those dull, broken blue eyes of his. After a few seconds, he merely shook his head. Today was another Silent Day.

For reasons even Link himself couldn’t explain, some days he simply couldn’t bring himself to speak. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to, it was just that he couldn’t. There was a sort of mental block that just wouldn’t let him get the words out. It was like something gummy was in his throat, causing all sound to just stop.

Zelda seemed to understand his silence, being more than aware she’d get no words out of him this day. “I see.” She tried to sound calm, even joyful, but worry and sadness bled into her tone. “Would it be alright if I played with you?”

Bringing his fingers away from the keys, Link would give a small, soft nod. His eyes would remain glued to the ivory rectangles.

The lack of eye contact made Zelda frown a bit, but she smiled moments later. Maybe to fool herself more than Link. She sat down next to the boy, giving him room on the bench as she placed her hands to the instrument. “Let’s see…what to play…ah, maybe…”

After taking a small breath, the Princess’ delicate fingers started to move along the piano’s keys. It was far more graceful and gentle than Link’s slow and almost clunky movements. His fingers were a drunken gait to Zelda’s elegant and soft dance. The tune was beautiful and floated through the room like dandelion seeds.

The boy just stared down at the keys as the song played, letting the melody ease him as best as it could, the music replacing the sounds of creatures growling or the clashing of blades. He sighed through his nose, listening to the song as the Princess played.

It felt like hours passed before she finished, only her speaking making him open his eyes. “How was that, Link? I learned that when I was quite young. Did you enjoy it?”

He opened his eyes, looking at the Princess. His expression had remained static the whole time. Link tried to keep things as bottled up as possible, but some days his mental and emotional states were too out of sorts, and he found himself yelling or crying when he didn’t want to. The boy gave a small nod, having found the music lightly soothing.

“Good, good. Do you want to go again?” Zelda asked, folding her hands neatly in her lap as she spoke.

Since it seemed Zelda really wanted him to play some more, Link complied. He had no tune or melody in mind. Not that he could know how to properly play it anyway. Once more, his hands danced along the keys, an awkward and staggering beat compared to Zelda’s.

As he played the aimless song, his mind wandered. He originally was playing the piano to distract himself, but perhaps it was the Princess’ presence that changed that. Rather than hearing the piano, he heard sword clashing with sword, the howl of a Wolfos, the beating of an unholy drum. In his mind’s eye, he saw orange spheres in the darkness, closing in on him.

The boy played louder, more erratically, not even noticing when Zelda meekly called his name. Had to drown it out. Had to distract himself. Had to make it all just GO AWAY!

With one final movement, he slammed his fists into the keys, making a loud and ugly sound erupt from the piano. He sat still there for a moment, the only movement being the shuddering of his body. He stared down at his own hands, panting as his frame shook.

“…Link…” Zelda murmured, staring at the boy with unhidden pity. Slowly, she reached a hand out to touch his shoulder, only to retract it when he flinched. There were days he couldn’t be touched. physical contact would just feel awful. She wanted to try just once more, placing her hand on his shoulder. This time, he allowed her.

Slowly, she’d rub his back, frowning as tears formed in the boy’s dull blue eyes and started to drip down on the piano’s keys…

“Jeez, Mikau! Don’t sneak up on me like that!” Evan’s voice called, snapping Link out of his memories. The pianist had turned around at that point, looking startled and grouchy. “Why didn’t you say something when you came in…and what in the name of the Giants happened to you?!”

Link didn’t even know what to say at first, not fully back in the present yet. After blinking a few times, he managed to get his head back into things. “Sorry. My mind was somewhere else.” He said, focusing on Evan instead of the piano. “I’ll just cut to the chase. I need a seahorse to get to Pinnacle Rock, some of Lulu’s eggs are there.”

Evan reeled his head back slightly, like Link tried to take a swing at him. “Pinnacle Rock…? Jeez, what are the chances?! But alright, a seahorse…I know I saw that fisherman on the beach catching one the other day, he might still have it.”

Finally, a clear answer! “Okay, I’ll check that out then, thanks.” Link responded, turning to leave, but Evan called out before he could move to the door.

“Hey, you didn’t tell the others about Lulu’s voice, did you? It wasn’t really possible to cover up the eggs going missing, but I don’t think anyone is any the wiser about her voice…” Evan’s tone was serious, almost angry.

Link could only figure Evan didn’t want people to worry, and he could relate to that. Lying about something bad happening or negative feelings to keep things together. “I didn’t tell anyone, the secret’s still safe.” The false Zora responded before he and Tatl left the room and went back to the entrance of Zora Hall.

Before the two could leave properly, Tatl spoke up. “What was that back there with Evan? You spaced out for so long!” The fairy asked, flying in front of Link’s face. He opened his mouth to answer, but she interrupted. “And don’t you dare tell me it was ‘nothing’ again! Do you think I’m stupid and don’t realize there’s something wrong with you?!” She was getting so sick of being pushed away…

Sighing through his nose, Link shook his head. “I don’t want to talk about it. It’s nothing that will stop me from getting the eggs back, so don’t worry about it.”

Still not an answer that satisfied the fairy. But if he insisted he could keep going with the quest, what choice did she have but to trust him? “Okay, fine. Anyway, the fisherman Evan was talking about lives right near the Great Bay entrance. I’ve seen him before, so I’ll meet you there.” Without waiting for a response, she darted towards the back entrance of Zora Hall as Link dove into the water.

Within a few minutes, the two met at the beach right by the Great Bay’s entrance. Going through the water wasn’t quite so bad for Link when he was near the shore, at least. A lot less room for some large, unknown creature to attack him. When he got onto dry land, he shed his mask and turned back into a human.

“Do you know what the fisherman is like?” Link asked Tatl as she flew to him, the fairy having arrived before he did. “Do you think he’d help us?”

“I just said I saw him, I’ve never talked to him.” Tatl corrected as she led Link to a nearby stone shack. “I’m surprised the guy is even still around, I bet everyone else around here went away when the ocean got all funky.”

The shack had no door, so Link and Tatl simply walked in. Inside was a tall, heavyset man with blue tattoos on his arms and the left side of his stomach. He had large, strong arms, no shirt, white shorts, and his head was shaved bald. The man was sitting in a lounge chair, seeming bored out of his mind. In the room there were some other chairs, a table, a fireplace, but most notably a large fish bowl full of water with a single creature floating inside. It was gold in color, and was somewhat shaped like a horse, but had scales and no limbs, just a curly sort of tail.

“Hm? Eh?” The fisherman grunted, sitting up in his chair. “If you’re here to buy a fish, kid, I’m all out. The seahorse here isn’t for sale…not for a kid, at least. I’m gonna sell it for a huge profit at the Carnival of Time.” This seemed to make the seahorse upset, as it swam backwards to the far side of the bowl.

“We need the seahorse more! A friend of ours needs to get to Pinnacle Rock right way!” Tatl insisted. “This is more important than just some Rupees!”

This got the fisherman to stand up with a grunt, huffing lightly through his nose. “Like I said, he’s not for sale to a kid. Ya wouldn’t have enough! But…” He paused, rubbing his chin. “…I guess I could maybe part with it if ya bring me something else.”

“Like what?” Link prodded, glancing over at the seahorse. What a strange creature it was! He never imagined something like that could exist…

“Well…I got a Pictograph to lend ya. If ya take a picture of one of those Gerudo warriors. A nice hot picture of one would make me part with the seahorse!” The fisherman said with a big grin on his face.

Link didn’t know what a lot of that meant. A Pictograph? Pictures? And he wanted one to be hot…as in heated? What did that mean? “I don’t…” He started, but was interrupted by Tatl flying in the fisherman’s face.

“You want him to do what?!” She yelled, her light turning a deep red. “You know how dangerous those pirates are?! You want to send a kid in there to get a picture of one of them?! What’s wrong with you?!” How dare he try to get Link to go back to that place!

The fisherman raised his hands up, taking a step back from Tatl. “H…Hey now, no need to be so harsh! Look, he just has to-”

“He doesn’t have to do anything!” Tatl cut him off, bashing into his forehead, which didn’t really hurt the man but still had him staggering back from surprise. “You give him that seahorse, or I’ll let everyone in Clock Town know what sort of deal you were trying to make!”

That really seemed to scare the man, who shook his head. “Wait, hey! It was just a joke! Look, if ya need the seahorse so bad, I’ll just give it to ya!” Quickly, the man rushed to the bowl and got a glass bottle sitting next to it. It took some difficulty, but he filled the bottle with water and caught the seahorse, placing it into the container. “Here, just take it! And keep this between us, alright?!”

Link, taken by surprise, took the bottle and nodded. “Right. We won’t tell anyone. Thank you, sir.” He said, quickly leaving the shack before the fisherman could change his mind. He couldn’t help but think of when Navi was angry at Darunia when the Goron tasked Link to take down King Dodongo. Link wasn’t sure how to feel, exactly.

Tatl followed Link out after giving one last scowl to the adult, her light returning to normal. “Can you believe that guy…?!” The fairy snarled, turning back to glare at the hut. “Trying to make you go into that dangerous fortress because he wants to ogle at the women!”

“Are you okay, Tatl? You got really upset back there.” Link asked, not used to Tatl really sticking up for him or getting that angry at anyone but him. He understood why she had been so mad, but it still just threw him for a loop. “What is a Pictograph?”

The fairy scoffed. “Of course I was mad! That guy had no right to ask that of you! And a Pictograph makes photos of stuff you point it at. Like pictures! So he’d just have a picture of a Gerudo to stare at!”

Oh, that’s what he wanted? He just really wanted to look at a Gerudo? Back in the castle, Link found himself looking at the lady servants that he found pretty, but he never really understood why. At one point, he almost asked Zelda about it, but for reasons he didn’t understand, he felt too embarrassed to do so.

“I see.” Link droned, pausing for a moment. “…Thank you. For standing up for me, I mean.” It truly reminded him of Navi, and for a moment, a heavy emotion welled in his chest. Said emotion was buried under a pile of numbness before he could even work out what it was, however.

Tatl was a bit startled by the earnest gratitude, clearing her throat as she composed herself further. She enjoyed that Link was talking to her in such a nice way…at least by his standards. “Well…it’s not a big deal, so…don’t worry about it. Anyway, how are we going to get that seahorse to take us to Pinnacle Rock?” By this point, the two had reached the shore, the very tips of the waves reaching Link’s boots.

“Pinnacle Rock?! You want to go there?!” A voice called out, startling the boy and fairy. The two looked around, but there was no one on the beach with them and no Zora poking their head from the water. “In the container!” The voice said again, one that was distinctly male.

The two looked to see the seahorse gesturing, as best as he could with no arms, about and looking between the boy and fairy. “Wait, did you just talk? A talking fish?” Tatl asked, looking around for a second more, practically expecting someone else to just pop out of thin air.

“Seahorses…we’re a bit special.” The bottled creature said. His mouth didn’t seem to move, yet his voice was heard. “I didn’t speak in front of the fisherman, I felt like if I did, there’d be no chance of him letting me go!”

Link never expected something like this. Though he supposed it wasn’t the first talking animal he encountered. A certain massive talking owl certainly came to mind. “I didn’t know seahorses could talk either.” He commented. “And yes, we want to go to Pinnacle Rock. Will you help us?”

“I will, I am very grateful for you helping me out of there!” The seahorse declared. “But…I need just one more favor. My girlfriend, she’s trapped at Pinnacle Rock, and I’m sure she’s still there, awaiting rescue! Please, after I guide you, help me!”

Another layer to the problem at hand. Still, Link had no reason to turn the seahorse down, and he had little choice but to help even if he didn’t want to. “It’s a deal. I’ll do my best to help.”

“Oh, thank you! But…thinking of it…even with my help, you can’t get to Pinnacle Rock. Humans can’t go against those currents!” The seahorse pointed out, moving about in the container as if fidgeting nervously.

That was something Link and Tatl totally forgot about! They did what they could to avoid letting people know about the transformation masks…but had no clue how smart the seahorse was and that he had sentience! Link couldn’t think of anything he could do except just tell the truth. “I can turn into a Zora. I’d rather not explain how it works.”

For a moment, the seahorse just stared at Link, its expression hard to read, but it seemed to be considering if the boy was telling the truth or joking around. “…Hm…Okay, show me.” The fish declared, apparently not totally convinced.

Link couldn’t blame the seahorse for being skeptical, and decided to just show the Zora Mask off right then. Taking the object from his bag, the boy placed it on his face and transformed right before the seahorse’s eyes! “So, you’ll take me to Pinnacle Rock?” The false Zora asked.

The seahorse’s eyes widened and he nodded his head like a person would. “Yes, of course, it’s a deal! Just let me in the water, and we’ll be on our way!”

“Hold up, wait, what about me?” Tatl asked as she just realized she couldn’t go too. “I’m not going to go in a bottle or something, but I can’t swim!”

Link had actually thought about that. “You’ll just stay up above and wait. I’ll surface when I’ve accomplished what I need to.” He disliked the idea of being separated from Tatl, but he saw no other choice. Thinking of them being apart made him feel uneasy…

Tatl didn’t like the plan either, but there was nothing else they could do. “Well…I guess. Just be careful, alright? I’ll be right above you as best as I can.” With the murky water, once he went too far deep, he’d be totally invisible to her.

With the plan in motion, Link opened the container and let the seahorse into the water, discarding the glass object as he followed the fish. Tatl, as she said, remained above the water, about a dozen feet up. She followed the false Zora and seahorse as they made their way further out to sea. Out there, far from shore, was Pinnacle Rock. Two stone spires with more rocky outcrops beyond them. The fairy had never heard of Deep Pythons, but she found the name foreboding…

Link, meanwhile, saw that the seahorse was glowing a bit in the water, a golden aura surrounding his body. Truly it was an unusual creature! The two swam out towards Pinnacle Rock, the false Zora feeling a tad bit more at ease than usual due to having some company underwater. The two traveled for several minutes before the seahorse stopped in place. “We’re getting near the unusual currents. You have to follow me exactly as I move, okay?”

Not really sure if he could even speak underwater, Link simply gave a nod. At this point, the seahorse moved a lot slower, and the two were more drifting through the water than truly swimming. Around him, surely due to him being a Zora, Link could feel strong movements in the water around him. Thanks to the seahorse, though, they didn’t affect him. Naturally, he had no idea how currents worked and it was just another reason why he felt the ocean was a terrifying place.

It was starting to get more stressful as the two went further out, Link unable to see anything but sand, murky water, and the seahorse no matter where he looked. No sign of land, no sign of any sort of structure. More than ever, he felt like something massive was lurking just out of sight, hidden by the underwater fog. At one point he swore he saw a massive shadow pass by, but the seahorse didn’t react and he didn’t see anything further, so he chalked it up to his imagination…

The path was seemingly random, at one point the seahorse going forward for a bit, then taking a hard left at random, then left, then left yet again. At another time, he led Link backwards for a bit before turning back around and going forward once more. It got to the point where the boy started to wonder if the current thing wasn’t even true and the seahorse was just messing with him. Not long after this, though, they arrived at their destination.

Breaking up the mundane view of endless sand, two pillars of water, the Pinnacle Rocks themselves, stood before the pair. Further than that by a few meters, though, was a massive hole. A yawning abyss that went down so deep that Link couldn’t see the bottom. Just staring at it made his insides churn. In the murkiness of the water, it almost seemed like the hole was the mouth of some unbelievably large creature, just waiting for some poor fool to swim inside.

At this point, the seahorse stopped in his tracks and turned to Link. “There’s no more current here. You can go straight ahead and down. Be careful, okay? Those Deep Pythons can swallow you whole! My girlfriend is probably near the bottom, too scared to try and come back up…”

For a moment, Link had the morbid thought that the other seahorse was eaten already, but quickly pushed it aside. Again, he gave a nod and forced his legs to move him towards the horrid abyss. It stretched a great deal forward, Link unable to see the other side of the hole due to the murkiness of the water. Holding back a shudder, he slowly started to descend into the hole, keeping his eye peeled for anything dangerous. Given how large the Deep Pythons supposedly were, surely he’d see them long before they saw him, right?

Tatl, meanwhile, was floating above the massive pit, unable to see Link’s descent. She felt sorry for the boy, having to go down there by himself. The fairy wished she could help, but all she was able to do was hope he’d make it out okay.

As Link made his way down, he noticed there were massive holes on the side of the pit. They were about as big as a small house and almost perfectly round. Slowly, the false Zora swam up to the edge of one and carefully peered inside. As he expected, there was something gigantic lurking inside! A pair of green, glowing eyes stared back at the child, and they were attached to the largest snake Link had ever seen! He was still perplexed at the idea of snakes in the ocean, but there was one right in front of it! Or rather, at the far edge of the tunnel it had made.

Most of the Deep Python’s body was hidden, only its brown head and glowing dead eyes were visible. The head alone was far larger than Link was, the seahorse being quite right that it could swallow him in a single gulp! He saw no signs of an egg or the other seahorse in the small cavern, so he slowly pulled away and out of sight, the monster apparently not having spotted him given how still it remained.

After getting out of the creature’s way, Link swiftly swam from the hole, and it wasn’t long before he spotted another one just as large as the last. He had to assume this one also contained a Deep Python. If only he had asked how many there were! As he got closer, he spotted something along the edge of the hole. It was a small object, able to easily fit in the palm of his hand. Round, white in color, practically glowing in the murky water…an egg! It was a Zora Egg, Link just knew it! The egg was unharmed…yet as he carefully peeked into the hole, he saw another of the Deep Pythons. Was the egg so small that the creature simply didn’t notice it…?

Link had his three bottles at the ready. Getting one out, he slowly made his way to the egg, putting as much of his body out of view as he could. He kept his gaze glued to the Deep Python, which didn’t seem to notice his presence, as it remained in place. Perhaps it did see him, but just didn’t view him as being worth the trouble. The beast was massive, so even as a Zora, Link barely constituted as a snack.

Whatever the case, he reached the egg, swiping it away and ducking it entirely out of sight as he placed it in a bottle. So far, so good, but he still had two eggs left and the matter of the seahorse’s girlfriend! And, thankfully, the Deep Python he got the egg from didn’t seem to notice him as he went further down into the hole.

Down, down, down…it really seemed like it had no end! What was worse was that it kept getting darker the further he descended, Link not grasping that sunlight can only reach so far down into water. Thankfully, his Zora eye helped him with this. In the same vein as how he could see without truly seeing when rolling as a Goron, he had a sense of what was around him even as his vision turned increasingly black.

After what felt like a half hour, but was really only a few minutes, Link reached the bottom of the hole. He hadn’t seen, or sensed, any Zora Eggs during his trip down. No sign of any seahorse either. Though as he got to the bottom, he ‘saw’ there was one at almost the perfect center of the hole’s bottom. Quickly, he swam to it and placed it in a bottle as well! Okay, that was two! So far, he didn’t have to fight anything…but how long could his good luck last?

There was another hole nearby, still at the bottom of the larger opening in the ocean floor. Slowly, Link went towards it, barely able to see the eerie, faint, green glow of the Deep Python’s eyes as it faced the dark waters outside its abode. His stomach sank when he was able to sense that there was a Zora Egg in the creature’s lair…about halfway inside. Already, his fins stiffened into blades, his body already knowing this wasn’t going to be as easy as with the first two eggs.

Link thought about what he should do for a moment and decided that the best course of action was to swim as fast as he could, snatch the egg, and retreat. He had no idea if the Deep Python would pursue him far outside of its nest or not. Bracing himself, he darted into the hole, going as fast as he was able! The Deep Python reacted faster than he anticipated, rocketing forward towards him, its maw wide open! Link had underestimated the speed of the creature and wasn’t able to make it to the egg before he had to retreat!

The false Zora darted backwards, firing out of the hole as the massive snake pursued him, teeth bared as its long, green body emerged from its home. It was such a large creature that its entire body didn’t even appear, like the monster just went on forever! Link realized he’d have to kill the beast if he wanted the egg, which he hoped was alright after the Deep Python’s emergence.

As the monster tried to catch up to Link, he circled around and swam at its body, slashing at it with his sharp fins. To his surprise, they really were like blades, cutting into the Deep Python’s body with relative ease. Unfortunately, its body was so thick and tough that he couldn’t get too far into its hide, but he at least made it bleed!

Unfortunately for the Deep Python, while it had immense size on its side, it didn’t have enough speed to match a Zora. It kept going for Link, but he was always able to dodge the bites and use his fins to cut at the monster. There was even a point where he dashed at its face and drove a fin into the snake’s left eye, rendering it useless. Though he did quickly feel guilty about that, he kept the fight going, his Zora body almost moving on its own as he fought.

The fight took place around the entirety of the giant pit, or at least it seemed that way as Link slowly slashed away at the Deep Python’s tough exterior. Eventually, it seemed that he managed to do enough damage to it as it started to slow down and eventually went limp, sinking down to the bottom of Pinnacle Rock’s large hole. As tiring as that was, Link didn’t stop to rest, swimming into the now-empty opening as quickly as he could, snatching the final Zora Egg and bottling it. That was well and good, of course, but the seahorse was nowhere to be found!

“H…Hello?” A timid and female voice called, startling Link. He looked around and saw a golden light come out of a small crevice in the Deep Python’s empty nest. After looking closer, he saw it wasn’t just a light, but a seahorse! “You actually killed one of the Deep Pythons? Who are you…?”

Link was actually surprised, yet relieved, to see the seahorse’s girlfriend was okay! Unfortunately, he couldn’t communicate, pointing to the seahorse and then upwards to the surface. He was trying to convey the other seahorse had sent him down there.

“You mean my boyfriend is up above?” She asked, prompting Link to nod. “Thank goodness he’s okay too! But yes, I saw some Zora Eggs fall here and wanted to rescue them, but the Deep Pythons almost ate me! I only survived by hiding in that crevice, too scared to leave…” The seahorse explained.

The false Zora showed the seahorse the three eggs he got, and pointed to the surface again, more urgently. Theye really had to get out of there!

“Oh, yes, of course! Please, let’s get out of here!” The seahorse frantically exclaimed, starting to swim out of the Deep Python’s nest with Link following.

As they exited the hole, however, they saw they weren’t alone. Stirred by the violence, blood, and the new carcass for the picking, the other Deep Pythons had emerged from their abodes. Two of them went for the body of their kin, biting large chunks out of it. The others spotted Link and the female seahorse as they darted upwards and gave chase! A group of snapping, fanged mouths pursued the two as they went to the surface and the sun’s light began to break through again.

The two didn’t dare look back, but felt the Deep Python’s chasing after them! Thankfully, the pair was faster, and emerged from the massive hole, the male seahorse startled at their appearance. The Deep Python’s didn’t turn in time, breaching the surface and startling Tatl! The fairy was high above the water, so she had time to dodge out of the way as the monsters broke the surface. As she gave out a cry, she saw Link poke his head out of the water and point to the shore. Wasting no time, she darted towards the beach as Link and the two seahorses swam that way as well.

The four of them didn’t stop until they reached the shore, the currents helping push Link and the seahorses along as they went. No one turned to look and check if the Deep Pythons were chasing them, and it hardly mattered as the underwater trio was in waters too shallow for those monsters to swim in pretty soon. When everyone reached the beach, Link stood on the dry sand, heart still beating rapidly from the tension of being chased by such massive creatures. Tatl flew to him, making sure he was unharmed as the seahorses poked their heads out of the water.

“Thank you so much, strange one!” The male seahorse called, he and his girlfriend nuzzling up against each other. “Something told me you could pull it off!”

“We won’t forget this! I think we need to go far away from this place. The air and water just feels so…wrong…” The female seahorse added, the two of them ducking into the water and swimming off before waiting for a reply.

“They were in a real hurry to leave…” Tatl murmured, rolling her eyes. She then looked over to Link once more. “Are you alright? I had no idea those things would be so huge!” He didn’t look hurt, but she wanted to be sure…

Link didn’t care so much about the seahorses rushing to leave. He could hardly blame them. “I’m fine. I didn’t get hurt down there. Let’s just get the eggs to the scientist.” The boy felt hesitant to enter the water again, but he sucked it up as the two made their way to the lab, Link shedding his Zora form before actually entering.

The old scientist jumped a bit at the door opening, but quickly looked pleased when he saw who it was. “Ah, my boy! Good to see you again! The eggs you brought me are doing quite well!”

Taking the three bottles out of his bag, he showed the eggs to the scientist. “I have the rest here. My friend got them for us.”

This got the old man excited as he let out a cry and clapped his hands once. “Goodness! Excellent! Please, put them in the tank with the others!”

Link did as asked, climbing the ladder and putting the last three eggs into the large tank. As he went back down, the three watched the eggs start to immediately shake and stir. Within moments, cracks appeared on the shells and baby Zoras sprang out of all of them! They looked a tad unusual, like tadpoles more than anything else. They swam about the tank before quickly going into an odd formation along the back wall.

“What are they doing…?” Tatl asked, staring at the Zora babies. “They almost look like music notes…” Indeed, the tails of the hatchlings resembled eighth notes.

“Fascinating!” The scientist exclaimed. “They seem to be forming a song of sorts. Young man, do you happen to be musically inclined? I can’t play a note to save my life…”

While he was good with the Ocarina, Link couldn’t actually read music. He saw such sheets in Hyrule Castle, but he refused Zelda’s offer to teach how to read them, wanting Navi to do so. Still, he took his instrument out. “I can try.” The boy replied, looking to the young Zora.

Yet, upon seeing the instrument, the Zora hatchlings seemed distressed. Like the Ocarina wasn’t what they wanted. “There seems to be an issue…” The scientist murmured. “I know the Zora use instruments made of fish skeletons, perhaps they instinctively desire that…”

So, Link had to become Mikau to do this. He could only assume a guitar may appear in the same way a set of drums did when he was a Goron. That meant, though, he’d have to transform in front of the scientist, at least not without wasting time pretending to go get his ‘friend’ as the Zora hatchlings waited.

“Don’t be alarmed by what I’m about to do.” Link said, giving the scientist little time to even react as he donned the Zora Mask and transformed right in front of him.

At this, the scientist yelled out, backing away from Link. “O-O-Oh my! What is this?! Some sort of magic…?!”

“Hey, don’t worry, he’s not going to hurt you or anything!” Tatl exclaimed, pretty surprised Link at how flippant Link was being about revealing his transformations. Though she supposed it didn’t matter, once the three days reset, no one would remember anything.

Link ignored the scientist’s reaction and readied his Ocarina, not surprised as it spontaneously changed into a guitar that was made from the skeleton of a fish. Not unlike Mikau’s guitar, of course. The false Zora somehow knew exactly how to hold it and how to position his fingers, a lingering sensation from Mikau, no doubt.

To this, the Zora hatchlings had a more positive result, enthused by the sight of the instrument. As if to help Link along, and despite the water and tank, the baby Zoras each sang the note they represented, giving Link the song needed. The tune was simple and fast, but managed to feel melancholic to the false Zora, though he felt that could also just be his bleak emotional state. Either way, he found his fingers practically moving on their own as he played the song back to the hatchlings, him and the seven babies playing the song in full for Tatl and the baffled scientist.

When the song ended, the Zora hatchlings sank to the bottom of the tank, closing their eyes as they fell asleep. The scientist, still reeling in shock, looked between Link and the baby Zora. “That was…quite fascinating! What a song that was! It needs a name…the…New Wave Bossa Nova…yes…I like the sound of that. But what about you, young man? How did you change that way…?!”

Link had no intention of explaining things, nor did he mind the scientist naming the song, it wasn’t even something he would’ve thought of. “That’s not something I can tell you. I need to know what that song was about.” If anyone could guess, it’d have to be the old man…

The non-answer put the scientist off a bit, but he sighed and answered after a moment of thought. “I’d say…since these eggs are tied to Lulu, try playing the song for her. Maybe it may help with her predicament. I can only imagine the hit her mood has taken with the loss of her eggs, the song they produced should help her…”

Restore her voice, maybe! Link accepted that as an answer, though he didn’t exactly want to see the Zora again. The scientist tried to prompt more answers out of the boy and fairy, but they insisted they’d explain some other time, though they didn’t intend to. Tatl even talked the old man into giving them some food as she realized they hadn’t eaten for such a long while!

Link sat on the edge of the lab platform, having returned to his human self to eat. The scientist gave some fruits and vegetables he got from Clock Town as well as some sandwiches. The boy didn’t want to stop to eat, but Tatl insisted. “So…we’ll give Lulu her voice back with that song, maybe. But we still have to find a way of getting to the Temple. The Gerudo mentioned the eggs were the key…so maybe that song will help…”

The boy really didn’t want to see Lulu’s face again, but if it was going to get them past the Dragon Cloud, he had no choice. “We’ll go see her once we finish eating.” Honestly, despite the day he had, he wasn’t hungry. He didn’t feel anything at all, in fact. His entire body was just numb, but he ate anyway to appease Tatl.

“Oh, no! You gotta rest! It’s already the late afternoon, in case you couldn’t tell.” The fairy pointed out, she herself barely having had realized how late it was. Still a good hour or two of sunlight, but still! “I don’t want to go out to sea like that at night…”

Link hated the idea too, having seen a picture of the ocean at night in Hyrule Castle. The pitch black waters…just imagining them made his stomach churn. “Where will we sleep?”

“Mikau’s room, of course. Just gotta deal with the roommate.” Tatl said, hoping Tijo would leave them be. “In the morning, we can play the song for Lulu, and hopefully she can help us get to the Great Bay Temple…”

Lulu…did he really have to see her again? The whole situation felt so wrong to him. Thinking of it further, he had the sense the hatchlings saw him as their father, which he didn’t even know how to begin to comprehend. “Alright, that’s for the best, I guess.” It was hard to imagine what the place would even be like. Woodfall Temple was wooden and forestlike while Snowhead was icy and rocky. The Great Bay Temple wasn’t even underwater, so that was out of the equation.

Pushing the thoughts away, Link finished his food alongside Tatl and he became Mikau once more as the two went back to Zora Hall. In Mikau and Tijo’s room, Link only then realized he had to sleep in his Zora form. At the very least, the larger Zora promised to be quiet as Link settled into bed, Tatl resting on a nearby desk on top of some papers.

The first thing Link realized as he lied down on Mikau’s bed was that the Zoras didn’t seem to have clocks in their rooms. It wasn’t something he even noticed before, having been in too much of a rush to find out about the seahorse. He’d have no way to tell the time without going outside to check.

Sighing through his nose, Link’s mind wandered back to the fisherman’s shack. Specifically, how Tatl grew so enraged at the man there for trying to put Link in more danger. He could only think of Navi and how protective she was, especially when Darunia asked Link to put himself at risk. Yes, he was touched that Tatl cared that much about him, but it seemed off to him. Tatl acting like Navi…it just made him miss his old fairy companion even more.

A small part of him wondered if she was actually in Termina this whole time, but he just never came across her by pure chance. There was still one direction he hadn’t explored…was it at all possible Navi was that way? He had no idea what laid to the East, but he recalled the unease he felt when gazing in that direction. If it was like that all along that part of this cursed world, he almost hoped Navi wasn’t there.

He tried to hope that he’d reunite with his precious friend one day, but a crushing weight on his heart said that would never happen. What surprised him was that didn’t even make him sad. He just felt…nothing. A deafening numbness that went from his head to his toes, like the void inside of him caused by Navi’s absence was overtaking him. Link didn’t even feel tired, it was like he was just floating in empty space. Swallowing heavily, he forced himself to close his eye, knowing he had to get rest…

“Hey! Come on…Mikau…wake up!” Tatl’s voice called, tripping over her sentence. Link opened his eye, there being no way for him to tell what time it was. “Hey, it’s seven! Come on, let’s eat and then go see Lulu.” She said the last part quietly, glancing at Tijo, who was in his own bed. The fairy didn’t want to risk him overhearing anything he shouldn’t.

Link blinked a few times, it really feeling like he had only just closed his eye. Sitting up slowly, the stiffness of his body told him he had been there overnight. “How do you know what time it is?”

“I flew outside, of course. I can fit through keyholes, remember? Lulu is right where she was last time we saw her…I wonder if she ever goes inside at all…” Tatl mused with a frown.

The false Zora stood up and stretched his limbs, going over to his bag to get some breakfast. “I see. Well, let’s eat and then go see her.” He replied, also speaking quietly as not to stir Tijo. A part of him wondered how it worked when he ate in a transformed state and how it transferred to his usual body. The same way his missing eye was a constant, he supposed.

In any case, the two ate quickly and snuck out of the room. As they approached the back entrance to Zora Hall, Link felt his chest tighten, and he was preparing himself to see the Not Ruto waiting for him. Before Lulu, he had remarkable luck in not seeing anyone in Termina that looked like a Sage…so why now did he encounter such a copy?

When the two went outside, the sun was just barely over the horizon, the Great Bay Temple barely visible from the Dragon Cloud, and the tiny island just off the shore seeming to almost shimmer in the early morning light. Lulu stood in the exact same spot, her gaze down at her feet. At least until she noticed ‘Mikau’ approaching, prompting her to look up. “…” She gazed at him with a forlorn expression, hands crossed over her chest as her eyes fell upon his missing eye.

Instantly, Link felt his insides turn to ice. No matter what he tried to think, he only saw the Zora before him as Ruto! Her gaze pierced through him, and a small part of him wanted to shove her away, push her into the water just so she’d stop looking at him!

She died because of you. Ruto died. It was your fault. Rudo died! You should have helped her. RUTO DIED!

“Hey, Mikau, play the song.” Tatl urged in Link’s ear, not sure what he was waiting for. “Come on, she’s waiting for you!”

Link snapped out of his thoughts, finding comfort in Tatl’s voice. Not that it stopped his distress entirely, but it was enough for him to summon his guitar. Without saying a word, he found his hands seeming to move on their own as the New Wave Bossa Nova filled the early morning air. As the notes floated to the heavens, Lulu’s eyes widened, and she gripped her throat. Not in pain, but in shock!

After a moment, the female Zora began to sing along with Link. Wordless vocalizations that danced across the water and to the horizon. As the duet went on, something shifted underwater! The tiny island began to shift and rise, startling the boy and fairy as they turned to look at what was emerging, Link stopping his playing as he took a step back from the shore.

To their shock, it was the head of a large sea turtle, its flippers showing moments later. It was clear that the island wasn’t what it seemed and was actually the shell of the massive turtle before them! To their further surprise, the turtle opened its mouth and spoke! “Mmm…! Ah, I slept quite well, yes!” The massive creature said in a low, soothing voice.

“Wh…Who are you?!” Tatl asked, half-hiding behind Link’s head. The turtle didn’t seem dangerous, but she was still pretty startled by its appearance!

“Hm…? My name is unimportant.” The turtle declared, its focus on Lulu more than anyone else. “It is good to see your voice has returned, Lulu.”

The female Zora’s eyes widened, a sense of familiarity in her gaze. It seemed she knew just what the turtle was. “How did you know…?” She asked, her speaking voice exactly the same as Ruto when she was an adult. Just hearing it made Link have to suppress a shudder.

“You should know that I see everything that goes on in these waters. As for you…” The turtle turned its large head to Link. “We have need of your assistance. Climb onto my back, I will take you to the Great Bay Temple! That accursed cloud around it will not impede me!” As it said this, it lowered its head, using it and its neck as a bridge of sorts to its shell.

Link saw no reason not to trust the turtle. It was clear the song summoned it, and Lulu wasn’t fearful of it at all. Without a word, he crossed onto its shell, Tatl following him as the aquatic deity turned and swam towards the distant Temple. The false Zora heard Lulu say something, but he blocked her out. “We appreciate you helping us.” The boy said, standing near the front of the turtle’s shell.

“My…I never expected things to get this bad.” Mused the god. “Even my sleeps were troubled by this murky water. But I know you can cleanse the ocean, Link.” He glanced back to see Link reacting in surprise at his words. “As I said, there is nothing that happens in these waters that escapes my sight, even when I slumber. I know your name and that you wear the spirit of Mikau upon your face. I doubt Lulu can see us anymore, so you may as well return to your true form.”

The boy couldn’t help but be reminded of The Great Deku Tree, and how he could see everything that went on within the Lost Woods. It dawned on Link that the turtle was a minor god of sorts. His opinion on deities was strained to say the least, but he kept his thoughts to himself as he took off the Zora Mask and returned to normal. “So, you can really get through the Dragon Cloud?”

“Do you doubt me?” The turtle asked, more amused than insulted. “That is no issue for me. Though the same can’t be said for them.” As it spoke, it nodded its head at three boats that were ahead of them, approaching the Dragon Cloud. They were small vessels with about ten Gerudo on each one! Their leader and her advisor were notably present, the women headed straight for the Temple!

Link felt like he should warn them of the danger, but before he could open his mouth, the vessels hit the edge of the barrier. Instantly, the boats and their inhabitants were swept in the air, the women all screaming out as they were carried higher and higher into the air. Once they reached the top of the Dragon Cloud, they were tossed in all directions, hitting the water violently on the way down. “Are we going to help them…?!” The boy asked, the cloud’s roar forcing him to speak up as they got closer to it.

“I see no reason to, after all they’ve done!” The turtle scoffed, his gentle tone allowing a bit of hostility to bleed in. “I will do nothing to aid them! Now hold on, things will get windy!”

Despite how nasty they were, Link felt bad for the Gerudo, spotting a few frantically swimming back to shore and some others floating motionless on the water’s surface. There was nothing he could do, the currents too much even for his Zora form. In any case, he did as asked, using the Hookshot as a way to cling to one of the trees on the turtle’s back. Tatl, meanwhile, flew into his tunic to shield herself.

As the three approached the Dragon Cloud, its roar grew louder as wind and water sprays slapped Link in the face, forcing him to squint. He braced himself as the turtle entered the barrier. True to its word, the deity was able to somehow remain on the water’s surface as he swam through as Link held onto the Hookshot with one hand and used his other to keep his hat from blowing away. Even if he screamed at the top of his lungs, he was sure the turtle wouldn’t be able to hear him, so he just focused on keeping his grip. After a full minute of angry, roaring winds and swirling water, the three emerged on the other side of the barrier unharmed! Link was soaked to the bone, as was Tatl, but they were otherwise okay. The turtle laughed, somehow amused by what just happened.

At long last, the Great Bay Temple came into proper view. To Link’s surprise, it was a massive fish made of metal! It even had eyes and a mouth as it partially breached from the water. What exactly was keeping it afloat was a mystery, and there was also a large opening beneath the mouth into the main part of the Temple. From this entrance spewed a dark sensation which was paired with the smell of rotting fish. The sight of the unnatural mockery of a fish made Link feel sick to his stomach for reasons he couldn’t quite explain…

Without hesitation or any word of warning, the turtle swam inside the gaping maw, Link and Tatl bracing themselves for what was inside.

Chapter Text

The interior of the Great Bay Temple was metallic and damp, its entry room rather small without much to see. There was a bit of the floor used for water, so the giant turtle was able to swim Link and Tatl a bit further into the chamber. “This is where we part ways.” The massive animal said as the boy and fairy dismounted his back.

“What can we expect in here? What’s the source of the curse?” Link asked, figuring this Temple wouldn’t be any different from the others. There was something large and terrible lurking within the structure's bowels that he had to slay. He figured if the giant turtle truly knew everything that went on in the area, he’d have an idea.

“Good of you to ask, young hero.” The giant turtle said with a chortle. “Long ago, there was a horrid and demonic fish called Gyorg. It devoured anything in its path, a truly monstrous being. It seems in recent times; it was brought back through a mysterious and dark magic.”

Honestly, Link should have assumed it’d be some sort of sea creature he’d have to fight. He just wondered where it’d be in a Temple like this…maybe it was full of water just passed this room. A deceased monster brought back through dark magic like this…it reminded him of Volvagia. Was there any limit to what Majora’s Mask allowed the Skull Kid to do?

It was terrifying, really. Ganondorf seemed like such a towering and invincible wielder of dark magic…yet the Skull Kid made him seem like a cheap magician in comparison. The imp managed to curse an entire ocean, presumably from the shore to the horizon, and maybe even further beyond. Far more than the Gerudo was able to do…and of course, there was the Moon that was slowly falling towards Clock Town…

“I see. Thank you for the information and for getting us here.” Link responded, wondering if the Deep Pythons were larger than Gyorg or if the demonic fish managed to be even larger than they were. He then realized that was silly, Gyorg probably wouldn’t be able to fit into the Temple if that were the case. Unless it was somehow larger on the inside than the outside, he was used to that sort of thing…

Speaking of the Temple, just the entry room was enough to unnerve the boy. It wasn’t just the oppressive evil in the air that all these cursed places had. The metallic nature of the room, along with the entire Temple, was something disturbing to him. He didn’t like the Gerudo’s pirate fortress for the same reason, but at least in the outside areas, he could see the sky. Here, it was just depressing greys with only the torches to light the way. Link was even somewhat used to Hyrule Castle’s cold stone nature, with its carpeted areas and windows at least offering views of the surrounding landscape.

This was just…unnatural.

“If you need to retreat to gather yourself, there is no shame in it.” The turtle declared, taking Link out of his thoughts. “I will remain here until you return, young hero. If there were more I could do, I certainly would.”

Not the first time a deity let Link down, and it’d be a surprise if it was the last. At the very least, the turtle was one of the least offensive examples and did more good than harm. “I can’t turn back, I won’t leave until Gyorg is killed.” Link declared as he turned from the turtle and started to walk forward. He already fled once before, and he wasn’t going to repeat that mistake.

Tatl flew by Link as he drew his sword and shield. “I hate to stop your roll, but look up in the corner.” She pointed out a Stray Fairy off hovering near the ceiling, this one violet in color. “Looks like the Great Fairy here is broken too…”

He had forgotten entirely about having to deal with the Stray Fairies. Suppressing a sigh, he placed the Great Fairy Mask on and drew the lost creature to him. Link ignored its pleas to find the others as it shrank itself down into his bag. He assumed there’d be another fifteen in this Temple, so he’d be keeping his eye peeled.

With that, Link entered the next room without further interruption, pressing a panel next to the door to open it. As the two entered the next room, the boy felt his anxiety spike at what was there. Somehow, the door and wall suppressed a great deal of noise that this room let out! Gears and a massive water wheel were in the room, churning and grinding, metallic clanks and hums assaulting his ears! The splash of water as a geyser shot out of a large device, turning said water wheel, made Link look down and see the entire floor was covered in several feet of water. There wasn’t much room to walk about, only some narrow walkways to move about and get him to the next door.

All this moving, living metal was distressing to Link! What was the purpose of such machinery?! It was an abomination to nature! He could hear the hardened material shrieking and scraping against each other as they fulfilled some unknown purpose. Link felt as though he was in the twisted innards of some monstrosity of a fish, as though the Temple itself was Gyorg! He had to resist throwing his hands to his ears, unable to comprehend the twisting, turning guts of the structure that kept moving before him.

“Geez, it’s really loud!” Tatl shouted out, used to more advanced technology than Link was, so this wasn’t so anxiety-inducing. Though with her being smaller, the sound hurt her ears more than with Link. “I don’t think we should mess with this stuff; we should just move forward!” She yelled, covering her ears.

The boy didn’t reply, swiftly moving along the nearest walkway and to the door. He kept his feet steady and did everything he could to walk in the exact middle of the path before him. Last thing he wanted was to fall into the water. Link swore he saw something shifting beneath the surface. A piece of machinery, some horrid creature waiting to feast on him, or just his imagination running wild? He didn’t intend to find out…

Link was so distracted that he didn’t notice something coming at him from above until Tatl screamed his name. He lunged backwards, nearly falling into the water, as he gripped his sword tightly in his hand. To his shock, the thing that came at him from the ceiling was a Skulltula! How could such a thing survive in this metallic nightmare?!

For a brief moment, Link felt a searing rage build at the startle, especially since he almost slipped into the water. The freakish interior of the Temple had quickly put him on edge. At the very least, he was outside of the monster’s range, so all he had to do was ready an arrow and shoot through its head. He still felt sick to his stomach at the wet thunk and the oozing blood from the wound as the Skulltula spasmed in death. Made worse when Link had to shove it aside to keep going since the walkway was so narrow…

It always made Tatl a little uneasy at just how nonchalant Link was about killing. Yeah, it was just a gross spider monster, but still. Even after all this time, she just wasn’t used to it, and she doubted that’d ever change. “Hey, uh, I’ll keep an eye out for those things from now on.” She felt a bit bad for not spotting it earlier, seeing how much it made Link jump. Really, what was a Skulltula doing in a place like this anyway? Just a part of the curse, she supposed…

Link wasn’t upset with Tatl at all, he was more mad at himself for not spotting the creature. “Thanks. I’ll try to be more observant too.” He flatly replied, keeping his gaze straight ahead…but also kept glancing up at the ceiling, just in case. The boy also looked about for other Stray Fairies that might be in the room, but he didn’t spot any.

Upon reaching the door, Link opened it up to see an even more unusual sight in the next room. It was much larger than the previous chamber, and a majority of the floor was gone, a very deep pool of water in its place. That wasn’t all, there was a massive device, a water wheel, churning the water clockwise for a purpose that Link and Tatl couldn’t fathom. Like before, there were walkways, narrow ones, that went only along the wall with a single door on the other side of the room.

“Hey, wait!” Tatl called as Link started to go along the walkway. “I think there’s a tunnel in the water there. If Gyorg is a big fish, we should look where there’s a lot of water, right?” She knew that meant going back in the bottle, but she wanted his place cleansed quickly.

The churning water looked hazardous, even for a Zora. Of course, he felt a surge of fear as he looked down into the water, the bottom veiled behind a cold blackness. It wasn’t even the case that water bothered him normally. Generally, only the ocean truly terrified him. He supposed because all the water in the Temple was somewhat connected to the ocean, and his inability to see the bottom, it just made him feel uneasy…

“You’re right. Okay, we’ll give it a shot.” Was all Link said, knowing he’d have to get back in the water sooner or later to fight Gyorg. He got a bottle ready for Tatl, the fairy holding her breath as she was corked into it. Becoming a Zora, Link didn’t hesitate as he leapt into the water, keeping a tight grip on Tatl’s bottle as he plunged into the water.

Right away, he felt the giant machine creating a current to go against him. He flipped a few times in the water against his will, surprised at how strong the force was! Even in his Zora form, he struggled against it. Still, he managed to right himself, and swam full speed towards the single hallway in the water…yet, he wasn’t able to! As Link got close, a powerful current fought against him, and even though he was trying as best as he could, he was pushed back!

Once more, Link flailed about in the water, needing a moment to correct himself. He looked at Tatl, making sure she was okay after all that. She wasn’t looking at him, though, she was looking downward and pointing frantically. Link looked down, his Zora eyes allowing him to see the bottom of the area…and the dozens of orange eyes going right towards him.

Skeletal fish began swarming Link, catching him off guard as his fins sharpened and he started to flail his limbs at the small monsters. He kept the arm holding Tatl’s bottle still as not to hurt her, of course. Being skeletal, the fish naturally broke apart as soon as they were hit, but there were so many that some got past Link’s limbs and bit into his flesh. Rotting teeth penetrated his flesh, and he quickly torpedoed himself to the surface, destroying the rest of the skeleton fish in the process.

Link leapt out of the water, landing on the walkway as he freed Tatl and took the mask off. The teeth of the fish didn’t cause any major injuries, but some of the toothmarks were bleeding, the injuries transferring over to Link’s human form. Tatl, meanwhile, was a bit jostled and had a headache after all of that, but was ultimately unharmed. She winced, rubbing at her temples as she turned over to Link. “Hey, are you…” She trailed off, staring at Link as he stood up and leaned against the wall, panting and dripping wet.

She watched him as he collected himself, seeing his injuries weren’t too bad. Even the bleeding wasn’t severe, the blood flow already halted from the few bitemarks she could see on his arms and legs. Yet there was something else horribly wrong with him. As he stood there, leaning against the metal interior of the accursed Temple, he just looked so…small. No, that was the wrong word. He looked faded. It was as if he was a mere shadow cast upon the wall and at any moment he’d simply recede into nothingness.

Tatl had no idea where this came from, she had never seen him this way before. He had been plenty pitiable before, yes, but never in such a severe way. Even his sole eye looked blank, as if belonging to a doll as it stared ahead while the boy caught his breath. A part of her wondered if he had simply reached some sort of limit. Those fish weren’t such a big deal for Link, and she knew that. It was just, on top of everything that had occurred during their journey, on top of him losing his eye and dealing with those horrific Deep Pythons…maybe that tiny event just broke him in some way…

Link’s arms and legs ached from the bites, but he knew they were nothing to worry about. Yet he felt exhausted. Drained. The child felt spread thin, more than usual of course. This Temple was practically torture for him, the mechanical features and how unnatural it all was made him sick to his stomach in a way no other Temple had. Yes, the Shadow Temple was far worse for many reasons, but just the sight and sound of the Great Bay Temple made Link want to puke. The only sign of anything natural anywhere was the water, but it just made him think of that horrid ocean.

Even then, in that large room, Link felt suffocated, like the walls were closing in on him! The whirring of machinery, the grinding of gears, the drumming of some far-off device…! Then there were the clangs, every so often, some metallic strike rang out and startled the boy, making him think there was something unseen approaching. Yet even with this fear and anxiety, he felt hollow. A husk that had to move forward, or else an entire land was going to be destroyed.

It was only seconds later that Link realized Tatl had called to him, to check on him, and he turned to see her staring at him. “I’m okay. Just a few bites.” He explained, pushing off the wall and collecting the Zora Mask and bottle off the floor. “The water kept pushing me out of the tunnel. I’m sorry if you got hurt.”

Of course he’d lie. Even as he moved and spoke, Tatl could barely see him as anything more than a faded being. Of course he’d only care about how she was doing. She really wished he’d be selfish for once. “It’s just a headache, I’ll live. But okay, guess we can’t go that way.” Tatl saw as Link turned to her, he became more whole than he was, just a bit. His eye was still so empty, and it tugged at her heart…

“There’s still the door over there. That’ll be our best bet.” Link replied, almost feeling like he had to shout to be heard over the machinery around him. Steeling himself, he got his sword and shield ready as he marched towards the door, keeping close to the wall to avoid falling into the water. Tatl fluttered by his side without comment.

When the two opened the door, they saw a relatively small chamber, a cube of suffocating metal. Along the walls were holes oozing a disgusting green slime down into vents on the floor. There were no other doors, but there was a large device on the floor that looked like it could be turned. At least to Tatl, who was more familiar with technology than Link.

“Hey, try to push on that.” The fairy said, pointing out the switch. “Maybe it’ll help out somehow.” Not much of a choice but to try. As Link walked towards the switch, Tatl’s nose wrinkled. “Giants, it reeks in here…what’s all that goop anyway…?”

The two of them froze in their tracks at the sound of some sort of slimy sloshing…coming from above. They looked up to see a gelatinous blob stuck on the ceiling, and there was a creature inside! Not just any creature, but it was a Gekko, astonishingly enough. “Another one of those things…?” Link remarked, walking backwards as he waited for some sort of attack.

“I thought they just lived in the swamp! Or…I guess the last one turned into a frog when you defeated it, right?” Tatl tried to recall, but even with the many times Link went to the Temple to try and permanently free the Giant, it seemed like it was years ago to her.

The Gekko was somehow swimming about in the jelly-like substance as if it were water. It spotted the two intruders, and a garbled screech came from its disgusting maw. At that moment, the jelly fell from the ceiling, prompting Link and Tatl to run so as not to get crushed by it. The hefty mass of gunk slammed into the floor, the Gekko still in it, the jelly expanding a bit at the impact before schlorping back into shape.

“Eugh! That’s so disgusting!” Tatl exclaimed as the Gekko leered at the two. To her further horror, it started to swim at them, but somehow the jelly around it went along! “How is it controlling all that?!”

Link didn’t respond, quickly taking out his bow and firing an arrow at the Gekko, aiming for its head. While the projectile hit the jelly easily, it instantly slowed down and didn’t even make it to the monster inside at all! It was too thick! The Gekko cackled at Link, the noise garbled from the jelly, as it kept swimming towards him and Tatl. They had to maneuver around the room to avoid the large globule of whatever that mass truly was.

Arrows didn’t work. The fuse of bombs would just go out. The Hookshot probably wouldn’t do anything either…! That’s when Link realized the obvious. If that Gekko could swim around in the jelly, surely a Zora could too! Without hesitation, he whipped out the mask once again and shoved it onto his face. Once transformed, he sprinted at the jelly and dove headfirst into it, confident that it’d work.

Needless to say, it was a revolting substance, not quite liquid, but not quite a solid either. No matter what it was, Link was able to swim in it, and much faster than the Gekko. The monster let out a startled cry as the false Zora launched towards it, Link slamming his head into the creature’s gut and knocking it out of the jelly, following it quickly.

As the Gekko recovered from the blow, Link tore off the mask and drew his sword and shield, feeling more comfortable fighting as himself. Tatl, meanwhile, was watching things unfold to the now-still jelly mass. Before, Link had seemed like a faded being, little more than shadow on the wall. Yet as she watched him fight against the Gekko, he seemed to change before her eyes. As she watched, it was as if Link became more solid, almost seeming to even grow a few inches before her very eyes. He looked like someone that could take on the world and actually have a fighting chance, a far cry from the withered husk he was mere minutes ago.

Link wasn’t thinking of how he looked, or very much at all. He was just focusing on getting out of this in one piece! The Gekko wasn’t any more dangerous than the one from Woodfall Temple, though it managed to get a scratch on his right cheek and his left arm. Enough for him to bleed, even. Yet he gave a stab or a slash in return each time, the Gekko’s wounds far more severe, revolting blue blood oozing from its body.

The Gekko let out a craved yell, swiftly getting behind Link and leaping on his back. It stared to smack and bite upon his head, Link crying out in pain as he quickly thought of a plan. He turned his back to the nearest wall and ran backwards at it, slamming the Gekko into it. Yet, it kept its grip on him, continuing to bite and scratch whatever it could get its claws and nasty teeth on. Link kept the effort up, however, slamming the monster into the wall another three times, going rougher with each bash, until it finally let go. Without hesitation, he spun around and slashed right at the monster’s throat, cutting it deeply as blue blood flooded from the wound.

Gargling harshly, the Gekko tried to make its way back to the jelly before it collapsed onto the floor. Just like in the Woodfall Temple, however, the Gekko began to change. It shrank and shrank, and it quickly became a small, ordinary frog colored red. Like with the other Gekko Link fought, this one didn’t seem injured at all despite the death of its old form. The frog almost seemed happy, hopping in place and letting out a ribbit. As this happened, the jelly blob began to dissolve and melt away, oozing down into the floor vents and out of sight.

Tatl hovered over, looking at Link’s injuries and wincing a bit. Some were still seeping blood, but not to the point his life was in danger. They really should have gotten a Red Potion before coming here. If only they didn’t have to rescue that witch just to get some. Such a long diversion for something like that, but it was worth it. If Link got too injured in this Temple, there was nothing they could really do. At the very least, she noticed he still looked more solid than in the other room, it was as if she had seen some weakened side to him, he tried to keep locked away. Not an emotional weakness, but a physical one, like he was only as strong as the situation called for…

She shook the thought away, knowing she’d ponder it later on. “Looks like the frog is happy to see us.” Tatl remarked, the amphibian ribbiting again as if in agreement. She suddenly realized something. “Hey, remember that mask you got from that Goron? The, uh…Don Gero Mask, yeah! You think you could talk to frogs with that thing?” The fairy recalled hearing some story about Don Gero being a large frog god that spoke to and commanded regular frogs. What if the mask had some sort of power related to it?

Link had nearly forgotten he even had that mask; he hadn’t actually worn it a single time. The only reason he bothered to keep was because it was a gift. Wincing a bit from his sore limbs and head, he reached into his bag to get the mask. The Gekko really scratched and bit at him a lot, but the wounds were thankfully shallow, and the Great Fairy’s blessing even made his hat and his head under it protected, so a lot of the Gekko’s bites didn’t actually wound him.

The boy took the mask out, seeing it as more of a hat, which meant he had to take his usual one off. It was a pain to put on, and the little hands on the mask covered his eyes, making him unable to see. Being unable to see with the murky darkness around him was unnerving, but he knew Tatl would watch for any potential dangers. He felt ridiculous, and given Tatl’s snickering, he looked the part.

To Link’s shock, the frog let out a loud ribbit, and then a small, croaky voice emerged. “Oh! Don Gero, it’s you!” It had to be the frog speaking, Tatl had been right! “Tell me, has Spring returned to the mountains! It’s been some time since that cursed was laid upon me…I think…”

Link wasn’t sure what to do. Did he just talk back? Would the frog understand him? It seemed to think that he was Don Gero, all because of the mask. He knew it wasn’t a transformation mask, he didn’t feel any different. Maybe they were just easier to trick because they were animals…? “No, not yet.” The boy responded, feeling stupid for talking to a frog he couldn’t even see. “It’s still Winter there.”

The frog made a noise that sounded like a mix between a ribbit and a grunt. “I see. I will go ahead and wait near the mountains, awaiting the melting snow. Farewell, Don Gero, the rest of the Frog Choir and I will await Spring and your return!” What followed was the sound of wet plaps, the frog hopping along the floor.

Risking breaking the illusion, Link lifted the frog hand covering his remaining eye to see the frog hopping towards the vents in the floor. Before he could advise against it, the amphibian dove into one and was out of sight.

“Uh…wow…I don’t know if going down there was the best idea…” Tatl murmured as Link took the mask off. It had been a real treat to see the boy putting on something so silly, she couldn’t help but snicker earlier. “You sure make that mask work, Link.” She teased, tittering a bit as the boy put the object back in his bag. “What did it even say to you?”

“It wanted to know if Spring had returned to the mountains. I told it no, but it went on ahead anyway.” Curiosity eating him, Link just had to ask. “Did I talk normally to the frog? Did I speak normal words to you?”

Tatl giggled again. “Oh, no, you croaked. It sounded really weird, you know.”

The way Tatl replied…Link had no idea if she was just pulling his leg or not. He decided he’d really rather now know what the mask fully did to him. “Right then.” Without further hesitation, he went to the large switch in the room. With the Gekko and the frog, he had nearly forgotten it. Despite its size, Link’s strength was beyond a boy his age, as he pushed forward, he was able to slowly push the large device around. After a few moments, there was a loud click and the switch wouldn’t move any further. On top of that, a loud humming and then the roar of some unseen device filled the room for a second before going quiet.

Looking around, the boy and fairy saw nothing had changed. No passage opened up to go further, the goop was still oozing from the walls. Nothing indicated pushing that switch helped them in any way. “Mmm…Uh…” Tatl was grasping for an answer as Link kept looking around for some sort of answer. “Let’s go back to the other room. Maybe something there changed…”

He hoped so. There weren’t really any other options, that current was too strong even as a Zora for him to get past. Unless there was another underwater tunnel back in the room with the Skulltula. At that moment, Link noticed four more Stray Fairies hovering in the corner by the ceiling. With the Great Fairy’s Mask, he collected them. After this, the two went back to the previous room, Link’s wounds starting to cease their bleeding by this point.

As the two entered the massive chamber, they indeed saw there was a difference. The large device that spun the water was going counterclockwise. “It’s spinning the other way! You should be able to go through the tunnel now. Let’s give it a shot!” Tatl exclaimed, starting to feel the need to be the moral support. Normally she just let Link go through things on his own, but after seeing him like that…she felt like he needed more pushes. This really wasn’t her thing, but she’d try…

Link noticed it too, Tatl was more upbeat and trying to help more than she normally would. It reminded him of Navi. She’d always be right there for him to help lift him up when he was down. Goddesses, he needed her right now! If she were with him, she’d know how to make him feel better. As soon as he had that thought, he felt guilty, knowing Tatl was doing her best. That wasn’t fair to her...! Still, he missed Navi more every day, he felt empty without her, and he had lost any hope she was somewhere in Termina long ago. They hadn’t gone East yet, but he doubted she’d be over there. If she were in Termina, she’d probably be in the swamps or with humans…

Shaking the thought away, he got the bottle ready as he became a Zora once more, Tatl entering the container as it was corked back up. Link leapt into the water, bracing himself for the rough waters this time, entering it with a bit more grace than last time. Still, the currents were strong and it took him a moment to gather himself. At the very least, there were no more skeleton fish to attack him. This time, when he swam to the corridor, he found he was not only able to swim through it, but he was propelled forward, the tide going fully in the other direction.

The pair found themselves in another large metal chamber, a large water wheel spinning from a water geyser spewing from a large green device coming up from the floor. Like usual, there were walkways to go along, Link getting up on one as he freed Tatl from the bottle and returned to normal. The sound of mechanical movement was still aggravating the boy, having to resist covering up his ears entirely. “Looks like it really worked.” He observed as he put the bottle and mask away. “I still don’t know what any of these things do.” It all seemed like pointless busywork to him. Link couldn’t even fathom what such a large structure could possibly do with all the moving machinery inside of it. At least with the Clock Tower it was very clear what the wooden mechanisms did…

“Your guess is as good as mind.” Tatl admitted with a shrug. She watched Link stare at the moving parts as if it were some sort of monster. A part of her wondered just how advanced things were in Hyrule. She never left the Lost Woods there, so she had no clue. A lot of this might be downright alien to the kid. “Never seen anything like this, have you?”

“No. There’s nothing like this where I’m from.” Link admitted, disgusted with the environment around him. Even being inside of Lord Jabu-Jabu was preferrable to this. Even if the minor deity was larger on the inside than the outside, things still made more sense there. Turning away from the machinery, the two made their way towards the door along the walkway.

What followed was a series of messing about with the machinery of the Great Bay Temple. For one reason or another, they found their way impeded because of water flow or a lack of a wheel turning. They had to enter other chambers, working large switches to progress through more underwater tunnels, or get a water wheel moving so a barred door would become unlocked for them.

The further into the Temple the two went, the more complicated the machinery became. Entire rooms seemed to be large devices in and of themselves. Countless whirling gears, shifting pistons, and gushing water spouts serving some unknown purpose. Link couldn’t help it, just seeing the perverse machinery made him want to puke. He’d rather tear down the affronts to nature than look at them for even another second. The child felt increasingly fidgety and tense the longer he heard the screeching metal and grinding of some unseen machinery within the walls of the metal Hell he was stuck in. At the very least, not much danger met the pair. Some Octoroks stuck their heads from the water to spit rocks at the two, but they weren’t too much of a hassle, and some Skulltulas hung from the ceiling that served as a brief startle. Aside from that, things weren’t so bad combat-wise. Along the way, more Stray Fairies were collected, one or two being in some of the various rooms.

After what felt like hours, the two found themselves in another chamber with twelve Stray Fairies collected. As for the new room they entered, there was thankfully no machinery to be seen. Just a large, square room with a door on the other side leading further in. Yet the pair didn’t move from the entrance. They were hit with the overwhelming sensation of being watched which they just couldn’t shake. However, when they looked around the area, they didn’t see anything. There was nowhere for any monsters to hide, no crevices or objects for anything to be behind.

That sensation just wouldn’t go away, though.

Just as Link was about to walk forward, something dropped from the ceiling on the far side of the room. It was a fleshy partially translucent pink blob! Whatever the thing was, it seemed to be alive, as it started to bounce about the area where it felt, not seeming to do so with any real pattern or purpose. At the very least, it didn’t seem like it was hostile in any way. This caused Link and Tatl to look up, startled at what they saw.

Attached to the ceiling was a gigantic eye! It truly was massive, about as big as Goht was! Yet, the eyeball seemed to be all there was. The thing stared down at Link and Tatl, surrounded by dozens of pink blobs like the one that fell from the ceiling. Upon being spotted, the giant eye widened even further, as if becoming aggressive. This was proven true as it fell from the ceiling, turning out to be part of some sort of green, scaley creature that was little more than a limbless ball with only the eye as anything resembling a face.

At the same time, the rest of the pink globs fell around the creature before swarming it. The strange blobs covered up the monster entirely, yet it still stared at Link and Tatl through its cover. It then began to slowly approach, every inch of it covered in the organic shield. One thing the two noticed was three of the globs had Stray Fairies trapped in them!

“I…have no idea what that thing is! You’ve gotta get rid of those pink things though!” Tatl yelled, disgusted at the unusual monster. “Shoot them! Hurry! Watch out for the Stray Fairies, though!”

That’s what Link thought to do at first. However, he only had so many arrows, not nearly enough to get rid of all the blobs. He was afraid to get close to the giant eye monster, having no clue what it was capable of or what it might do if it closed the gap. That’s when he remembered the Hookshot! With his sword in one hand and the tool in the other, he aimed the device at one of the blobs.

Backing away to give himself some distance from the beast, Link fired the Hookshot at one of the globs. As he had hoped, it attached itself cleanly to the pink flesh and pulled the entire thing off of the eyeball monster! As it got close, Link slashed it with his sword, the pink blob practically popping and seeming to just dissolve away as it broke apart.

With a plan, Link kept repeating this process. For whatever reason, the eyeball monster didn’t seem too worried, slowly trying to get to Link, but the boy was able to comfortably strafe around the unusual creature. He kept using the Hookshot to grab the pink blobs off the main monster, destroying them as they were brought in close. As he did this, though, the pink orbs kept covering up the main monster’s eye, the creature somehow controlling all the blobs somehow.

Yet there were only so many, and before too long, there was no more cover for the giant eye! During this ordeal, Link rescued the three Stray Fairies, freed without harm as Link destroyed their pink prisons. It seemed they understood he was trustworthy and entered his bag on their own. He assumed, like with the other Temples, fifteen meant he had them all.

Link still felt hesitant to let the thing get close to him. It stared at him without emotion, still only approaching him slowly, which was really unnerving to the child. While his arrows were still limited, he didn’t feel comfortable getting near the beast in order to use his sword. Getting his bow out, he readied an arrow and aimed at the monster. If it had any idea what Link was trying to do, it didn’t show it. Even as Link fired, the beast let the projectile fly towards it.

The arrow hit the monster right in the iris and to Link and Tatl’s shock, the thing somehow managed to roar despite having no visible mouth. At this point, it clearly got more serious. No longer did it meander around the room, it instead charged right at Link, moving so fast the boy had to dive out of the way just to avoid getting crushed. The monster went right past Link, going in a straight line, until it slammed into the wall in front of it.

Wasting no time, the monster turned right around and its eye locked right onto Link and it charged him a second time, going just as fast as before. The boy had enough time to get up and sprint to the side, Tatl right at his side, as the creature went past. Once more, it didn’t stop until it slammed into the wall. Link began to realize it was a stupid creature that had gone mad with rage. He readied another arrow and when the monster turned around, he let it fly into its massive eye. Naturally, he hit his target easily, right near where the first arrow struck. This got another roar from the creature as it veered off course, probably from the pain, and slammed into a wall once more.

This process repeated several times, the eyeball monster making a direct beeline towards Link at intense speeds. If he was able to move fast enough, he’d fire an arrow at the monster, otherwise he’d dodge out of the way. Even with the Great Fairy’s boon upon his clothes, he was sure if he was run over by the creature, it’d most likely kill him or otherwise make him unable to move and would die soon afterwards. He managed to fire an additional six arrows in the beast’s eyeball, blue blood oozing out of the various wounds. The more arrows he put into the thing, the slower it began to move.

After another few arrows, the beast was moving slowly enough that it wasn’t much of a threat anymore. Yet it still charged at Link, who charged right back. In a gamble, he leapt up into the air, sword at the ready! As the two met, Link plunged his blade into the creature’s eyeball, letting himself fall, keeping the blade inside the eye so it’d cause a huge gash through the orb. Despite this, the monster kept charging straight ahead, forcing Link to let go of his blade so he didn’t get crushed against the beast and the wall.

As usual, the monster slammed into the wall at full force, driving the sword deeper into its eye. When it turned around, though, it did so sluggishly. Rather than a roar, the eyeball creature let out a weak rumble before falling still, dying right on the spot as blue blood oozed from numerous different wounds. Link was glad that was the finishing blow, he really had no idea how he was going to get his sword back without the monster dying first.

Thankfully, the blade had been brought down enough from the slash so Link could pull it out with ease. When he did so, though, a small torrent of the vile blue blood spurted out, getting all over the front of his tunic. Granted, most of his body had blue stains at this point just from the jump and slash earlier. Still, it made him feel sick to his stomach. Didn’t matter if it was red or green or some other color, all the blood was revolting to him.

“Man, what the heck was that thing…?!” Tatl pondered, staring at the bulbous corpse left behind. “Never heard of a monster that was just an eye before.” She heard of some unusual beings, especially to the East, but nothing like what Link just killed.

“Me neither.” Link admitted, trying to wipe some of the blood off his sword using the back of his tunic with mild success. “Let’s hurry, in case it’s not actually dead.” Maybe it was his imagination, but it felt like the giant eyeball was still aware of him in some way…

As the two approached the door forward, they suddenly felt the air around them grow heavier and thicker with a malicious intent. They knew right away what this meant, the monster responsible for the cursed energy, Gyorg, was very close. On the other side of that door, maybe.

“You feel that too, huh?” Tatl asked, seeing Link shiver slightly. “Be careful opening the door, that dark energy is so strong, that fish monster has to be on the other side…”

Link slowly approached the door and opened it, surprised at what he saw. The next room was rather small, not even half as large as the one he was still in. There was no machinery or anything of the sort, just a hole in the middle with a ladder leading downwards. He and Tatl entered the room and gazed down below, and in doing so, Link felt his heart skip a bit.

A massive orange eye stared back up at him from a dozen feet down in the hole. It was unblinking and with a dark green iris. The orb seemed to stare right through him, and the boy felt a hot, sandy wind beating at his bare skin as he heard a distant howling. However, he was pulled from the sensation as Tatl spoke up beside him.

“Man, look how far down that goes! Just how big is this place?! Gotta be careful going down…” The fairy mused, not seeming to care about the giant eye.

Link blinked, and the moment he opened his eye again, the orange intrusion was gone. He no longer felt the hot wind or the sand scraping against his flesh. The pit was empty, leading down into the darkness. That eye shook him deeply, but it was clear it wasn’t real, his mind was just tricking him.

Trying to ignore what just happened, Link nodded at Tatl. “I will be. Will you light the way for me?” He didn’t want to be groping at ladder rungs in the dark. The tunnel wasn’t properly lit and went entirely dark not far down.

Tatl agreed and floated downward as Link started his descent. He took his time, not wanting to slip and fall as he felt the hole was a lot deeper than he’d expected. Indeed, this was the case. Several minutes went by as the two made their way down, even at the pace they were going, it was still unnerving. They weren’t able to see the entire Temple from outside, but surely it couldn’t truly go down this much? It already seemed far larger on the inside than the outside as it was. Link never stopped being nervous over how these curses warped the interiors of structures…

Eventually, though, the two saw a faint light from below. The bottom of the shaft was near! After about another minute, the two reached the bottom, seeing a large room below them. There was water all over, too deep and dark to see how deep it was. Unfortunately, the only place to walk was a platform in the middle of the room that went down to the floor under the water, and the shaft’s ladder didn’t even reach it. Link surmised it was a fall he could handle, but it’d still be a painful landing.

The smell of rot and the overwhelming pressure on the two told them this was where Gyorg presided, somewhere in the water, invisible to them from their position. The water was deathly still, not a single ripple or bubble to give away the monstrous fish’s location. Still, Link knew he couldn’t just stay on the ladder all day. Bracing himself, he dropped to the platform, landing gracefully, but the height from where he fell still made it painful, jolts of pain going through his limbs and across his entire body.

Tatl floated down with him, looking around at the eerily still water. “That fish is in there somewhere…I swear I can feel it watching us…” There was no way she was going to go looking for it either, having a nasty feeling it’d try to eat her.

Link felt it too, a pair of eyes watching his every movement. As he stood up properly, he started to look around as well, but saw nothing to indicate where Gyorg was. He could turn into a Zora and search, but he was scared to do so. Even if it wasn’t the ocean itself, the water in this Temple felt like it was the ocean to Link, as if he were truly in its depths, and the water in this room was no exception. For another minute, all things were quiet. Then, without warning, a loud splash rang out from behind Link and Talt. Turning around, they saw a large shape swimming at them, partially concealed by the water. They barely had time to react before it reached the platform and leapt into the air!

Out of the water came a massive fish, a pointed and sharp monstrosity that went far above the two as it leapt into the air. They only got a brief look at it, but saw it had gigantic teeth, two horns on its face, and scales that looked like they could cut a man apart. It had piercing green eyes full of hunger and hate. Not nearly as large as the Deep Pythons of course, but it seemed far more dangerous despite this.

As quickly as it made itself known, it crossed the platform and landed back in the water. Its fin cut through the surface as it skulked about the area, now able to be tracked with ease. “What the heck?! I didn’t think it’d be able to jump like that!” Tatl exclaimed, watching as the monster, assuredly Gyorg, swam about. “I think it’s waiting for you to enter the water. Not like we have anywhere else to go…”

Obviously Link had no intention of doing that…but it wasn’t like he had many options. He only had a few arrows left, and he doubted it’d be enough to finish Gyorg off. Really, he wasn’t even sure if his arrows could penetrate its scales, they looked so sturdy! On top of that, if Gyorg leapt out of the water again, he wasn’t sure his sword could damage it either, its skin almost looked as hard as the metal that surrounded them all.

The only thing he could think of was to become a Zora and go after the creature. With his sharpened fins he could at least gouge out Gyorg’s eyes. Maybe his fins could pierce its scales too…but he dreaded the idea of going in the water with that thing. One bit from those teeth was enough to cripple him, or just flat out kill the boy.

As he pondered his course of action, apparently Gyorg grew impatient. Without warning, it charged at the platform, ramming into it with such force that Link was nearly thrown off his feet. He staggered so badly that he neared the platform’s edge, seeing Gyorg back away and leer at him with impatience and a desire to devour him. As he regained his footing, he whipped out his bow and fired an arrow right at Gyorg! The projectile hit its back, and it seemed to penetrate its scales…but not enough to do any major damage. He wasn’t even sure if it drew blood!

This caused Gyorg to start swimming about more erratically, at least somewhat damaged from the arrow. Link decided he might as well use the rest. He doubted Gyorg would leap up at him again, so he had only a slim chance of hitting anywhere vital. Still, as he readied another arrow, he aimed for the monster’s eye. The boy didn’t dare get too close to the platform’s edge in case Gyorg rammed it again and knocked him into the water. He let the arrow fly, but Gyorg swiftly dodged it. One by one, he fired the four remaining arrows he had. Another missed, but the other three hit the demonic fish. Unfortunately, none hit its eyes or anywhere else vital, only getting into its side. As far as Link could see, none of these wounds drew blood, but he supposed some damage was better than none at all.

Once more, Gyorg swam rapidly towards the platform, Link moving to the center as the fish struck it. He was unbalanced from the blow, but not enough to fall off the edge. The boy knew he couldn’t put it off any longer, he had to enter the water and fight Gyorg directly! Taking out the Zora Mask, he looked over to Tatl. “Stay here.” He gently ordered, knowing Tatl wouldn’t go with him anyway, but he felt the need to say it. Without waiting for a response, he put the mask on and took on Mikau’s form yet again as he dove into the water.

“Link?! Hey! That’s too dangerous!” Tatl called, but by the time she spoke up, the false Zora was under the water already. She indeed had no plan to hover above the underwater battle or anything, but she wished she could do something but float about and worry!

As soon as he struck the water, Link’s fins sharpened as his instincts detected the danger around him. If Gyorg was surprised at the sudden Zora out of nowhere, it sure didn’t show it. The monstrous fish was clearly visible due to Link’s changed eye, the pointed being dashing right for him! Moving swiftly, Link dodged the charge, barely doing so purposefully so he could drag the sharp edge of this fin across Gyorg’s body. At the very least, it did more than the arrows, but not by much. Those scales were so much harder than they seemed! Still, the slice was deep enough to actually draw a bit of blood, Link being surprised to see it was red instead of some creepy and unnatural color.

Gyorg lashed out violently from the blow, quickly turning around and ramming right towards Link. It kept its mouth shut, aiming to skewer him with those disastrous horns it had. The false Zora was too close to Gyorg to dodge, so he reached out and grabbed onto one of the horns, planting his feet on the fish’s face so he could hold his body away from the horns’ points. Gyorg kept charging though, picking up speed if anything else.

Link quickly realized it was heading for a wall, wanting to skewer him with its horns! Like with the eyeball monster, he waited as the creature was nearing the wall. At the last second, he dodged off to the side, allowing Gyorg to slam into the metal barrier at full speed! There was a distinct cracking sound and as the monstrous fish pulled away from the wall, Link saw the smaller of the two horns had snapped off entirely! The larger one was in pretty bad shape, a bit of the top portion having been severely cracked from the impact.

This seemed to further enrage Gyorg as it once more swam right at Link, who prepared to repeat the process again. However, the demonic fish changed tactics at the last moment. Just before it reached Link, it turned in place and slapped the false Zora with its large tailfin. The impact was strong enough to send the boy careening backwards, spinning in the water as he tried to reorient himself. While he managed to do so quickly, it wasn’t fast enough. Gyorg was on him in a second, brandishing its remaining horn at him. Link managed to dodge to the side, but because of the shortened gap, it wasn’t enough. The horn slashed Link across the right arm, blood leaking from the wound and causing the boy to cry out in a garbled, pained yell.

As if spurred by the blood, Gyorg roared and quickly went for Link again, maw opened and showing off its countless teeth. Link torpedoed away, the massive fish giving chase. He kept swimming from Gyorg, but naturally it pursued him obsessively. Around and around the platform they went, Link surmising it wouldn’t fall for the wall trick again. After all, it stopped itself from being latched onto, the monster was smarter than it seemed! He felt the only thing he could do was slash away at it like with the Deep Python, but he wasn’t sure what the best time to turn around and strike.

Gyorg started to gain speed, even diving down further to get to Link from below. After a few moments, it charged at him from this angle, forcing Link to leap out of the water and into the air. With a massive splash, Gyorg followed! The child heard Tatl shout something, but he ignored her as he turned in midair, the monstrous fish’s jaws wide open for him! Thinking fast, he reached out his legs and kicked off of Gyorg’s face, propelling him away from the beast. As the two landed back in the water, he made the first move this time, rushing Gyorg and stabbing it in the eye with his sharpened fin!

Naturally, the demonic fish writhed against the assault, prompting Link to dig his fin into the eye socket even deeper! He moved his fin around, shredding and destroying the eyeball, making sure that it was entirely blinded! Link was going to try to push the fin in even more, maybe piercing the thing’s brain, when Gyorg slammed its body against him. Razor sharp scales slammed against Link, slicing into his torso and forcing him away from the creature.

The demonic fish continued to writhe about as blood drained from its socket, its eyeball little more than scraps floating in the water. Rather than going right after Link, Gyorg did something unusual. It started to flinch and twitch in an odd way, as though it were trying to throw up. Link kept his distance, not sure what the monster was capable of. To his horror, it did throw up…in a way. Rather than just a cloud of sick, Gyorg spewed out dozens of miniature versions of itself! They were practically carbon copies of Gyorg, just smaller.

Right away, the Mini Gyorgs made a beeline for Link, gnashing their teeth as they sped towards him. Acting fast, he started to slash his fins at the group of little monsters, but there was just too many! While he managed to cut a few apart, it wasn’t enough. A number of them slipped through his attack and latched onto him, digging their teeth into his limbs and torso, at least half a dozen of the things biting into his scaley flesh!

Pain seared through his entire body as the water around him became red with his own blood. He screamed into the water, bubbles spewing from his mouth as more of the smaller monsters rushed him. Bringing forth as much strength as he could, he stabbed and slashed at the incoming Mini Gyorgs, killing the ones still trying to get a bite out of him. He then worked on the remainders, their razor sharp teeth cutting and piercing his body! It was hard to reach some of them, having to dig his thumbs into their eyes to force them to let go of him before he’d finish them off. He then went for the ones he could reach with his fins, cutting them apart and freeing himself entirely.

Yet the moment this happened, Gyorg struck once more. Link had been so distracted with its spawn that he nearly forgot about the larger and more dangerous fish! It approached him, swimming on its side with its mouth wide open. He didn’t have time to dodge or strike back, only able to scream out as the massive teeth clench around his torso. Gyorg kept swimming, digging into Link’s skin as more red stained the water, the boy feeling his vision starting to fade from the blood loss.

His strength was waning by the second, and Link knew if he didn’t do something soon, he’d die. Not just him…everyone would die! Gyorg refused to let go, however, shaking Link back and forth while keep him locked between its teeth. He wasn’t sure what to do! He couldn’t reach Gyorg’s eyes from the angle he was in, and the scales were too hard to penetrate! Link’s wounds keep leaking red clouds as Gyorg worked him over, seeming to want to make his death slow and painful…

However, Link realized something! Gills! Fish have gills! He never tried to think of fish much, he found them disgusting…but he remembered Zelda mentioning that’s how they breathed, and if he recalled, they were right near the mouth! With his strength fading fast, Link stabbed Gyorg right by its mouth, hitting it right in the gills! Unlike the rest of its body, this part of the demonic fish was vulnerable Link’s fins!

Gyorg began to writhe once more, not able to properly breath as Link began to slash his fin around the insides of the beast’s large gills. Now red clouds were beginning to form out of Gyorg, its grip on the false Zora starting to loosen as it became weaker. Link didn’t let up, though, not until he was freed entirely. With the last of his fighting strength, he circled around Gyorg and drove his fin into its other set of gills! He wasn’t able to rip this set apart as much as the first, but it was enough to ensure Gyorg was no longer able to breathe at all!

With that done, he desperately swam towards the platform. Gyorg began to write and roar out into the water. Just as desperately as the false Zora, it began to swim towards the platform, seeming determined to eat him! Alas, even in his weakened state, Link got there first! He breached the water, landing harshly onto the platform, causing Tatl to cry out. A moment after, the demonic fish broke the surface as well, flopping its massive body onto the platform, but was only able to get about half of it on there. Still, it jerked about in place, its massive maw snapping opened and closed as it tried to reach Link, who was just out of its reach!

Tatl cried out again at the fish’s appearance, but was more terrified about Link’s condition. His body was covered in bites and scratches, blood continuing to drain from his body as he weakly crawled away from Gyorg. “Link?! Giants, what happened?! Quick! Get away! Further away!” The fairy yelled out, having no idea what to do or how to help. Why didn’t they think to get a Red Potion first?!

Link barely even heard Tatl, turning onto his back as he stared at the dying Gyorg. It was a matter of perseverance at this point. He was losing blood quickly, and Gyorg was suffocating. The winner of the battle was whoever let their wounds kill them first! He took off his mask, returning to his Hylian form and holding onto the object as he stared Gyorg down, the one-eyed fighters starting to go still. Meanwhile, Tatl was watching the two, not knowing what to do with herself. She felt like she couldn’t say or do anything of use, and it made her feel sick just having to watch!

As time slowly passed, Gyorg’s movements became sluggish and weak. It didn’t even seem to be trying to kill Link anymore, just focusing on trying not to die, yet seeming too drained to even go back in the water anymore. After a few more moments, the beast went still. Like with many monsters that held the curses of Temples, Gyorg began to decompose at a rapid rate, as if an army of invisible bugs was eating it.

Every part of it was vanishing save for its face. As the rest of the body went away, the face shrunk and repaired itself, soon clattering to the floor with a wooden clunk. It was a mask? It certainly seemed to be flesh when Link dealt with it, but he didn’t question the logic. As Gyorg vanished entirely, the mask was sitting there, waiting for him to take it.

“Come on, hurry! Just touch the mask and you’ll be healed!” Tatl couldn’t help but shout out. Assuredly it’d work the same way as the last two Temples!

Link didn’t respond, using all his strength to crawl towards the mask. His vision was starting to fade at this point, surrounded by his own blood as he crawled for the only remnant of that horrid, demonic fish. Just as he felt his energy run out, he clasped his free hand around the mask.

As with the other Temples, as soon as he did this, he and Tatl were whisked away in a flash of light.

Immediately, Link felt his strength return to him.

Once more, he and Tatl found themselves in that dreamlike world on top of a massive pillar. Link’s wounds were healed, and he felt his energy returning to him, the Zora Mask still in his grasp which he absentmindedly put in his mask. He quickly noticed his eye was still missing. Perhaps it was beyond the power of even the Giants to return it. Or, maybe, the Giant was angry at Link for not freeing him and his three companions and refused to fix him out of spite. A petty thought, but Link couldn’t help but think of it was an explanation…

The liquid around the two was a deep, rich blue as it poured from an unseen source high above. Far, far away, there was a massive figure partially shrouded by fog. It was a bit clearer, two mighty legs fully visible with pink flesh. Yet the top half was still mostly obscured.

Link had to wonder if it was even worth asking about a way to keep the Giant freed. Yet, he found himself talking. Quietly, but he felt like that Giant was still able to hear him. “Is there anything I can do? Is there any way I can keep you free?” His voice lacked any energy, though he was healed, he felt so empty and weak. Hollow.

As the Giants did before, this one didn’t so much speak as sing directly into the minds of Link and Tatl. Just three simple words were burrowed gently into their brains.

Help our friend.

Tatl piped up, flying high and shouting as loud as her small lungs could handle. “Yes! The fourth Giant! We know! There’s just not enough time! Link only has three days! He’s only a child! Help us keep you free!” She was so desperate to help, just wanting to do anything she could to make Link’s quest easier. The fairy remembered what happened the last time they met a Giant, but she felt she had to try.

Alas, the Giant gave no response and the two were sent back to Termina once more in a flash of brilliant light.

Chapter Text

As the light faded, Link and Tatl found themselves outside, a cool sea breeze hitting their faces as the smell of salt filled their noses. The two were at Lulu’s secluded spot, the Zora in question standing in her usual spot, the turtle in the water and looking at the boy and fairy. With the Temple cleansed, the air was no longer muggy and heavy, and the sunshine showed that the water was less murky than it was before. It was hard to tell how long the two had been in the Great Bay Temple, time always worked oddly in such places. At the very least, it seemed to be the same day, and it hadn’t yet gone to late evening.

The turtle chortled as a grin, which looked unusual on his inhuman face, formed. “You two did wonderfully! I knew I could trust in you! With the Great Bay Temple fixed and cleansed, it can slowly purify the water to how it used to be!”

So that’s what the machinery did. Not that Link and Tatl still really understood it all, but it was good to get an answer. “So, how long until the ocean is all normal again?” The fairy asked.

“Mmm…Hard to say…but it will get better each day. It shouldn’t be too long. The both of you should be proud of what you’ve accomplished. As for me, I must go back to sleep to watch over the sea…but perhaps I can stay a bit longer to hear Lulu’s voice…” The minor deity chortled to himself.

For all the good that’s done in the past. Link clenched his hands into tight fists, his nails digging into his palms. He had to glance away so he didn’t glare daggers at the worthless god before him. Unfortunately, without thinking, he looked right towards Lulu, who was approaching him. His breath caught in his throat, and he turned to face her, yet backed away a step, almost terrified of the visage of Ruto.

“I don’t understand what’s going on.” The Zora woman said, stopping a few feet from Link. “Who are you, where did Mikau go?” Her voice seemed to be struggling between gratitude and worry.

Link had no idea what to say, how did he even begin to explain what truly happened? Gulping, he stared at the ground, unable to stand looking at Ruto’s…at Lulu’s…pleading eyes. “He’s…gone.” The boy replied, struggling to find the right words. “I tried to save him, but he won’t be coming back. I’m sorry…”

“But he went into the Temple alone.” Lulu remarked, gazing at the structure, the cloud around it now gone. “How did you get here? Why did the turtle thank you? What happened?”

The minor deity hummed. “I suppose there’s no choice but to tell her, young hero. It is for the best, I think.”

Link’s breath caught in his throat again as he tried to ignore the turtle, still not knowing what to say. Link glanced at Tatl for help, but the fairy seemed as lost as he was. “That was me. I took his form. He died…at the beach, just the other day.” How worthless he was, unable to save a single Zora. Not only that, but he erased him through the Song of Healing. He’d never get a second chance to save Mikau.

Lulu’s eyes widened as tears formed. She did what she could to remain composed. “How…?! How did you…?! What do you mean you took his form?!” She was angry, yet sorrowful, taking a step forward, prompting Link to take another step back. “What did you do to him?!”

“Hey, hey!” Tatl intruded, feeling it necessary. “It’s…unnerving, I understand, but Link did all he could. This isn’t easy to talk about. I’m sorry about Mikau, but there’s nothing we can do for him!”

The Zora shook her head. “I can’t accept that! I need to know what happened to Mikau! Why won’t you tell me?!” She placed a hand on Link’s shoulder, which made him shake himself from her grip.

“He’s…” Link started, swallowing, then started again. “He’s right here.” Not knowing what else to do, he withdrew the Zora Mask from his bag. “With this, I can take his form. He asked me to, he wanted to save you and your eggs…”

“His words are true. The young hero does not lie.” The turtle remarked gently. “Lulu, your eggs are safe with the marine scientist. I know it isn’t easy to hear, but you should go to them now, and take pride in that Mikau, in his own way, did as he promised.”

Lulu seemed conflicted, but apparently decided the guardian deity was right. “I see. I’ll go see them and…try to wrap my head around things.” She didn’t even glance at Link and Tatl as she walked into Zora Hall, as though doing so would’ve been too painful.

“Thanks for that.” Tatl remarked to the turtle. “But hey, one more thing…where’s the Great Fairy around here? We found her scattered pieces in the Temple.”

“I’m not surprised you couldn’t feel her. She’s quite close by, a cave above a small string of tiny islands just in front of Zora Hall’s entrance.” The turtle explained. “You two really are going above and beyond for this slice of Termina…”

Link nodded at the creature. “Thank you, we’ll go to her now.” It felt awful showing thanks to a god. Yes, he had helped them out a bit, but if he was a true deity, he would’ve done more to prevent all this from happening. Gods were supposed to help others, so why did it seem like every single one he encountered was so worthless?! There was a part of him that wanted to scream this at the turtle, but he knew it wouldn’t help anything. Instead, he turned to Tatl. “Let’s just go from here. I don’t want to walk through Zora Hall.”

“Yeah, I understand that.” Tatl agreed. “I should be able to feel out where the fountain is as we get near it, so just follow me if you get lost.”

With that, the two left, the turtle watching as Link became a false Mikau and swam away as Tatl flew above him. As Link entered the water, he noticed right away it felt less…disgusting to be in. It wasn’t as murky or hot, and the salt content was a bit lower. He had no concept of what an ocean should normally feel like, so he couldn’t tell just how much more it had to go until it was entirely purified.

He tried to push out the looks Lulu gave him from his mind, along with the way she spoke to him. Link realized that when he inevitably had to cleanse the Great Bay Temple again, he’d have to explain things to Lulu once more. The boy shuddered as he swam on, wanting to just reverse time and get a bit of rest…

Before long, the two reached the small chain of islands that the turtle mentioned. They weren’t too far, and there was indeed a cave in the cliffside. Getting there wasn’t too difficult, the islands and an alcove by the cave had palm trees on them, allowing Link to use his Hookshot to pull his way to each one as Tatl hovered along with him. As he got near the cave, even he started to feel the weak and broken magic wafting through the air.

Inside the cave itself was a fountain like all the others he had seen, a few of the Stray Fairies not in the Temple hovering above the shimmering water. The soothing and peaceful atmosphere did little to ease Link’s exhaustion, his wounds were healed, but he was just about out of energy. As he approached the water, the Stray Fairies emerged from his bag and joined with the rest as they formed a Great Fairy, who roared in triumphant laughter. Naturally, she looked like all the others, except her hair was violet just like her broken pieces.

The Great Fairy stretched and let out a hum of content as she hovered in place, smiling down at Link and Tatl. “You two…I am grateful that you reformed me, well done! I will give you a boon as my thanks…you there, boy…you have an item of magic, don’t you? I can sense it…a mask…”

He knew exactly what she meant, taking out the Zora Mask. Link figured she was going to somehow upgrade that form like the previous Great Fairy did with his Goron form. “You mean this, right?”

“Exactly~! Now hold still, child…” The Great Fairy said as a magical light appeared around Link, affecting only the mask itself. After a few moments, the light vanished. “As a Zora, you can now generate an electric barrier, both in and out of water. I’m sure this ability will help you in your future quest!”

“Thank you, Great Fairy, I appreciate your boon.” As always, Link felt the need to be polite to the Great Fairies. They weren’t exactly gods, so he didn’t hold them to the same standards as actual deities, and they helped him a lot more than most other gods had. Of course he grew up with the idea of respecting forest spirits and fairies, so that had a big part of it, he could only imagine how mortified Saria would be if he didn’t offer a Great Fairy proper manners! The large woman said nothing else, letting out another shrieking laugh as she shrunk down into the water and vanished in a burst of light.

As the two exited the cave, Tatl glanced at the Zora Mask that Link still held in his hand. “An electric barrier…that sounds pretty useful! Hey, can I see it?!” She never saw anything like that before, and it sounded pretty cool!

Link just wanted to go back in time so he could rest…but he supposed he could do this one thing for Tatl first. And it’d be good to know just how powerful this ability was before he used it in battle. As much as he hated it, he put the mask on and changed back into a Zora. “I’m not really sure how to do this…you should stay back, by the way.” There was no telling how large the barrier was, after all.

As the fairy hovered away a bit, Link sort of…concentrated. On what, exactly, he wasn’t entirely sure. The boy simply focused deep inside himself, and through a process he didn’t fully understand, he activated his power! A cone of sparkling blue energy, a crackling electric barrier, appeared around him! It started at his feet and spread outwards as it went up a bit over his head! Despite being in the center of the swath of electricity, he didn’t feel any of it, not even a tingle.

“Huh! Wow, that’ll get monsters running!” Tatl exclaimed, keeping a fair distance from the barrier until it went down. “At least you’re getting something out of gathering these Stray Fairies, right?” After the barrier was gone, Link shed his mask and returned to normal. The fairy frowned when she got a good look at her boy’s face and saw how exhausted he was. His eyes had dark shadows under them, the one under his missing eye even showing past his patch. “Giants…you look like death.”

He felt like it too. This Cycle in particular had been so much more draining than usual, this Temple exhausting Link much more than the first two. His eye burned from the yearning for sleep, and he just wanted to flop onto a nice, warm bed and let himself drift off. Emotionally, he felt depleted too. He felt like an empty husk, not even able to be miserable as he failed to save everyone, knowing that Mikau was erased entirely. “I just want to go to the inn.” Link replied, swapping the Zora Mask for the Ocarina…but he hesitated, looking out at the ocean. “…I always do that, though, right when I cleanse a Temple. I don’t even give everyone time to enjoy the curse being lifted.”

Tatl sighed as Link sat down, his eye scanning the horizon as if he’d find the answer there. It wasn’t fair that someone so young had to even consider things like that. “They won’t remember it anyway. You have to stop thinking about how people will feel when it will be undone anyway. Eventually you’ll have to take Lulu from her eggs and make the ocean all cursed again…what will you even do? Just sit here until the Moon’s about to fall? Come on, let’s go back so we can get our rest. Staying here isn’t going to do anything.”

Link knew she was right, but hated it had to be this way. The Giant would be entrapped again, and all his work would be undone. He gripped the blue instrument tight in his hands, staring off at the ocean. “…I’m sorry…” The boy murmured to the Zoras and even the poor seahorses that’d be separated again. Without further hesitation, he brought the Ocarina to his lips as he turned back the clock once again, ruining everything he just accomplished.

As soon as the two were back in Clock Town, Link made a beeline to the inn, leaning against the wall by the door, Tatl resting on his shoulder as they waited for it to open in silence. All the while, Link kept thinking about the Great Bay despite himself. The waters were cursed again, Lulu was miserable and mute, the eggs were guarded by Deep Pythons or Gerudo Pirates and the seahorses were separated. Of course, the Deku were dealing with a poisoned swamp, their princess captured, a monkey being framed for a crime he didn’t commit. At the same time, the Gorons were freezing, Darunia’s ghost wasn’t at rest, the Goron Elder was frozen solid as his son cried out for him! The Moon was falling, no one in Clock Town was safe and…

…Navi was still gone, the thought alone making Link want to just cry.

A click jolted the boy from his thoughts as the inn opened. Wasting no time, he practically barged in, ignoring Anju’s look of surprise which then melted into confusion and pity. He got his room, making sure to make it known he didn’t want to be interrupted for lunch, and had to stop himself from sprinting up the steps. After entering the room, Tatl flew over to her bed as Link shed his gear and collapsed onto his, falling asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

The sudden drop disoriented him, the splash startling him as he was soaked to the bone. Instinctually, he kicked upwards, breaching the water’s surface as he got his bearings. The ocean. Infinite and eerily calm. No matter which way he looked, there was no sign of land or anything at all, really. Even Tatl was gone, leaving him alone to fend for himself. Desperately, he tried to call the fairy’s name, but his words died in his throat, and no noise came out.

Before he could try again, a clammy, cold hand grabbed his ankle and dragged him beneath the surface. He barely had the time to take in a full breath before his head was submerged entirely. Link kicked at whatever had grabbed him, yet when he looked down, there was nothing there, and the grip was gone. Somehow, he ended up farther down than he should’ve been, a dozen feet between him and the surface. In every direction was deep blue, the water far clearer than it should’ve been, allowing him to see vast distances all around him.. Except below, the way down seemed to cut off very quickly into inky blackness.

Link looked up, urgently swimming upwards, yet his limbs didn’t seem to want to work properly as he flailed about, unable to make any real progress. Somehow, he was able to hold his breath far more easily and far longer than he normally could, not feeling the strain that was expected. This silver lining was smothered, though, as Link saw movement out of the corner of his eye.

A vast mass loomed just beyond his clear vision, and it was getting closer. It wasn’t Gyorg, or even a Deep Python, it was larger than both those things! As it got closer, it didn’t exactly get any clearer, Link wasn’t able to make out many details of what was approaching him. All he could see was the immense darkness that was its mouth, open wide enough to swallow a house whole with ease!

Unable to stop himself, Link screamed, all the air in his lungs escaping in a mass of bubbles as he tried to swim away from the approaching void. Yet, like before, his limbs wouldn’t work properly, and he wasn’t making any progress in his escape! He kept looking at the entity making its way towards him, its mouth still agape. It was going so slow, he had the feeling it was just drawing out the experience to torture him!

The situation was just made worse as he tried to swim upwards and away at the same time, his lungs burning from a lack of air, but this just made him even slower. No matter how hard he tried to concentrate, his arms and legs just didn’t want to cooperate and he flailed uselessly towards his destination.

Time dragged on, but eventually the situation went from desperate to hopeless. Link’s lungs felt like they were on fire and to his horror, the world around him got darker as the beast reached him. The inside of its mouth was pitch black, and its throat seemed endless. Inch by inch, it overtook him, the shining blue replaced by an empty void as Link kept trying to move forward, but it was to no avail. What seemed like a mile ahead of him, the creature’s mouth began to close, the darkness becoming encompassing…

“Link! Hey! Hey!” Tatl’s voice called, jolting Link out of his troubled sleep.

The boy sat up in his bed, practically drenched in sweat as he panted heavily, barely able to catch his breath. His sole eye was wide with terror, Link was desperate to get air, not quite realizing it was abundant now and he didn’t need to worry. After a minute, his gaze fell onto Tatl, who was hovering nearby. “Tatl…? What is it…? What’s wrong?”

“You’re kidding, right?” The fairy asked, a heavy frown on her face. “You were tossing and turning and gasping out in your sleep! It was freaking me out!” She let out a sigh, feeling a bit relieved. “You were just having a nightmare, right?”

At this point, Link managed to gulp down enough air to feel safe, but he felt humiliated that he had to be woken up by Tatl. Normally when he had nightmares, he was rather quiet. He knew this because the guard outside his room at Hyrule Castle would check on him if he screamed in his sleep, which happened a couple of times. “Sorry. I didn’t realize I was doing that.”

“It’s fine, I was awake anyway. You realize it’s after five, right?” Tatl asked before remembering Link couldn’t read the clocks. “Uh, I mean, you were out for a while. You feel any better at all?”

The boy glanced out the window, seeing the sky darkening by the minute. “A bit…I think I need some fresh air.” Without waiting for a response, he got out of bed, stretched, and made his way out of the room, not even putting on his boots or getting his other things. Tatl followed him outside to the balcony of the inn, the massive bell sitting by its lonesome.

“Wanna talk about the nightmare?” Tatl was both concerned but also curious what went on in Link’s head while he was asleep. Her curiosity over his past and inner workings was still going strong.

“No.” Link answered simply. Even at this point, he felt the panic of being chased by some unknown creature, he was just able to hide it from Tatl. Even so, he had to resist the urge to turn around and make sure nothing nefarious was behind him. There was a bit of an awkward silence for about a minute, and then Link pointed ahead, towards the east. “Tatl, tell me what it’s like over there. In the canyon. Who lives there?” He realized he had never actually asked the fairy about that part of Termina, he didn’t even know what it was called. Link encountered Dekus, Gorons, Zoras, and even Gerudo…knowing his luck, there was some sort of alternate version of the Kokiri to the East that lived in canyons rather than forests.

Tatl couldn’t help but shudder at the question. All her life, she had heard stories about Ikana, it didn’t matter where in Termina she went. Countless tales that kept her awake at night and made her terrified of that entire cardinal direction. When she was with Link delivering milk with Cremia…it was the absolute closest she had ever gotten to Ikana. Even Tael, as stupid as he could be at times, knew not to meddle with that part of Termina and stayed far away from it. The fairy even refused to sleep outside in this part of Clock Town, she swore she felt something watching her from the East! Being in her bed at the inn was enough to wipe away that feeling, thank the Giants…

“Yeah…I guess that’s where we have to go next, huh?” Tatl murmured, somewhat putting off having to give an actual answer. “Ikana Canyon’s over there and…uh…no one lives there. Not anymore.” She felt so nervous just saying the name of that place! The people in Clock Town, as far as she saw, only said it in hushed tones, glancing over in its direction as if checking for someone listening in. “No one’s lived there in…I don’t know how long. Hundreds of years, maybe…”

Thinking of it, Link hadn’t heard anyone mention that part of Termina. He recalled the unusual pillars from his milk delivery with Cremia, and that massive tower he spotted up on the mountains. The feeling he got was…unnerving, and something told him that the East wasn’t pleasant, but he had no idea it was that bad. “What happened? Why doesn’t anyone live there?”

“There was a kingdom there, but some big war happened, and everyone died. Honestly, I don’t know a lot of the details. But listen, Link, that place was cursed for as long as I can remember. No one goes there! Not even kids do it as some sort of test of bravery or a dare or something. I’ve heard all sorts of horrible stories from over there, it makes my skin crawl just talking about it!” The fairy rambled on, feeling a frigid breeze as she spoke, not knowing if it was just her imagination or…

Link was surprised, he had never seen Tatl so anxious just talking about something before. It was starting to make him feel pretty nervous! “What sort of rumors do you mean? What’s over there that’d be dangerous?” It was the final unknown of Termina, he had to be prepared for it, especially with how dangerous Tatl was making it seem!

It was almost unnerving for Tatl to see someone talk about Ikana so calmly, even though Link couldn’t have known any better. “I mean…I don’t know. I’ve never been there…so I don’t know what rumors are true! The big one I hear about is that the dead walk the canyon, soldiers from both sides of the war that refuse to accept that it’s over. I’ve heard of all sorts of strange monsters and demons too, but like I said, I don’t know what’s true and what’s just a scary story.” After all the unusual things she had seen on her quest with Link, she’d believe just about anything at this point.

He figured having Tatl list out every last rumor she heard wouldn’t help much. Link would be looking out for too many things, and he’d probably distract himself trying to remember it all. “Okay, well, we’ll wait until the next Cycle to go.” The boy was still exhausted and would normally wait a bit longer, but there was that desperate hope in him that freeing the fourth Giant might uncover something that could help them…

“Maybe more than just one, you really need to be prepared for this! Like I said, Ikana Canyon was cursed way before the Skull Kid started causing trouble! It’s…double cursed, I guess.” Tatl argued, starting to feel ill just talking about the dreaded place.

Link was about to argue, but he had to wonder if Tatl wasn’t trying to put things off because she was afraid. She wasn’t exactly trying to hide how terrified she was of Ikana Canyon. He’d feel really bad dragging her to such a place so quickly…so he relented. “Okay, we can rest a few more Cycles. While we do that, I can try and help Anju and Kafei more.” He remembered what Tatl said when he dropped off the letter what seemed like months ago…but he still craved to know what’d happen as a result and if the two would be okay.

Tatl couldn’t help but let out a small laugh at the idea. “I had a feeling you’d never let that go. Alright, you do what you want with them.” At this point, she realized how fruitless it was to try and stop him. And after all he had been through lately, he earned it, she supposed. She glanced up at the clock of the Clock Tower, trying and failing to ignore the Moon grimacing down at the world below. “Speaking of Anju, it’s almost dinner. Better get back in your room if you want to eat that garbage.”

“It’s not garbage.” Link softly argued, actually disliking whenever Tatl was mean to Anju about her cooking. The boy wouldn’t admit it, but he felt a certain attachment to the woman despite the stress she provided him. Her pitying gaze and her concern for his lack of parents threw him off…but he also realized it was because she was so kind, so he found it hard to be mad at her over it…

The rest of the night went by without much incident. Link ate his dinner and Tatl managed to choke down enough to fill her stomach, and the two mostly sat in silence until they went to bed. Link had said to Anju he didn’t need breakfast or lunch from her the next day. He didn’t want to deal with Tatl whining about breakfast for one thing. And of course knowing Anju wouldn’t actually be cooking lunch, and her standoffish mother would be there instead. Link didn’t really like her as her curt attitude was unusual to him. He was so used to women being sweet and caring, so meeting one that was somewhat nasty sort of threw him for a loop and he didn’t want to deal with that.

Naturally, he had nightmares that night, but apparently he was too quiet for Tatl to notice, as she didn’t wake him up again. The next morning, he and Tatl went out to get breakfast, trying to ignore the rainfall. His stash of Rupees was running a bit low, and he knew he’d have to sell a Moon’s Tear sometime soon. After that, to even his own surprise, Link wanted to take a walk despite the rain.

“This is kind of a pain for me, you know.” Tatl murmured as she sat inside of Link’s hat while he aimlessly strolled around East Clock Town. The raindrops were bothersome to her, the bigger ones even somewhat painful if they hit her in the face. At least Link kept his hair clean…

“You can stay at the inn room if you want, I told you that.” Link responded, glad there weren’t so many people out and about, it’d make him feel odd talking to what seemed like nobody.

Tatl shrugged before remembering Link couldn’t see her. “Yeah, but…” She didn’t want to be away from him, but she couldn’t admit that. The fairy didn’t even know if she was worried about herself or Link being alone. “…I mean it’d be pretty boring just sitting around by myself.”

Link bought the lie. “Alright. I’ll make it quick, okay?” All he wanted was to stretch his legs a bit. The inn room was a place where he felt safe and comfortable, but sitting in there all day could be almost tortuous from how bored he’d get. Getting to move around in a mostly empty town was a lot better.

After a bit, Link found himself wandering into North Clock Town, the area was usually rather sparse save for people moving between areas, but it was especially empty that day. Jim was trying to pop his Majora’s Mask balloon as usual, the guard was at his post…but there was also a third person that Link had never seen before, a most unusual man.

He couldn’t recall any time he had been in this part of the town at this specific time, so it wasn’t too shocking he saw a new face. Must have been the man’s schedule to just be here at this time. As for the man’s appearance…unusual was still the right word. For one thing, he wasn’t even on the ground, he was floating in midair, a large red balloon on his back keeping him afloat. The second odd thing was his clothing, a sort of green jumpsuit with a point at the top and red speedos. The man seemed a bit on the older side, about in his 30s, but Link had a hard time telling such things.

The man was looking down at the world around him, drawing on a piece of paper, which seemed to be a fool’s errand in the rain, yet he kept at it. That was, until he spotted Link. “Oh!” Exclaimed the unusual stranger as he twisted something at the base of his balloon, causing it to slowly deflate. “Oh! Oh my!” He went on, staring at the boy with wonderment.

Right away, Link felt uncomfortable, but he was so bewildered by the sight that he found his feet rooted to the spot. Besides, there was a guard nearby, so it wasn’t like he’d have to deal with the stranger himself if he did something unusual. “Can I…help you?” Link asked, finding it a struggle to keep his mask, his voice barely managing to stay at its usual monotone drone.

“Your clothes!” The man spouted, as if that explained everything. When Link just stared back, he went on. “Your clothes are like mine! You’re a forest fairy, aren’t you, sir?”

That was about the last thing Link expected the unusual stranger to say, and he had no idea how to respond to it. Did he somehow recognize his tunic and hat as being from the Kokiri? Of course that wouldn’t even be accurate, the Kokiri are spirits, not fairies, a massive difference. Given the unusual parallels between races and even people between Hyrule and Termina, Link figured there was some similar group he hadn’t encountered similar to the Kokiri. After a moment, Link shook his head. “No, I’m not-”

However, he was interrupted as the strange man went on. “Tingle is like you, sir! At least, I believe I am! I believe I am a reincarnation of you fair folk!” The man, Tingle, crowed as he did an unusual little dance as he beamed at Link.

At this point, Tatl had to see what the heck was going on, hearing every word of the conversation. Fluttering out from beneath Link’s hat, she gave Tingle a look-over and grimaced. “Who the heck are you and what are you going on about?” There were no ‘forest fairies’ that looked like Link around in Termina. This weirdo was just spouting off legends that had no truth to them.

Tingle let out a dramatic gasp, his eyes widening as he stared at Tatl. “Oh!” He exclaimed once more, doing another sort of dance as he gazed at the ball of light fluttering above him. “A fairy! A true and honest fairy! My, I’ve never seen one up close! My father always said they weren’t real, but I always knew! I’ve been waiting for my own to arrive to me for decades now.” He tore his attention from Tatl and onto Link. “You’re a very lucky one, sir!”

Link felt an intense rage boil in him, his hands clenched into fists as he stared at Tingle. It took every fiber of his being to resist punching the man right in his stupid loud mouth! He was there to torment Link! That’s what this Tingle man was! A man in green clothes waiting for a fairy long beyond his childhood…it was some distorted version of himself! It was a way for Termina to torment him some more, the boy was convinced of it!

“Link, let’s get away from this guy, he gives me the creeps.” The fairy said, not caring that Tingle could hear them.

The boy didn’t need to be told twice, turning to go into South Clock Town. Before he could get far, Tingle grasped Link’s shoulder. “Ah! Mr. Fairy! Don’t leave just yet!”

Something in Link snapped. In an instant, his mask shattered and he turned back to Tingle with a scowl. “Don’t touch me!” He screamed at his perceived parody, wrenching his body away from the man as he sprinted into South Clock Town, Tatl following him steadily as they got away from Tingle.

The two just kept going until they were on the front side of the Clock Tower, the platform above the door shielding them from the worst of the rain. Link felt humiliated, letting his emotions slip so easily! He just couldn’t help it, though, not understanding why he had to be tormented so specifically like that. Was that meant to be how Termina saw him in the future? As a pathetic man waiting for a fairy, Navi, to come back to him? Refusing to let go and accept she wasn’t interested in him anymore?

No…it was fine, though. He’d never be like Tingle. If he could find Navi then surely he could talk her into giving him another chance. If he could save Termina, he could tell her about it and maybe she’d see some worth in him. Clearly he didn’t deserve her love for nothing, so he’d earn it in any way he could. Link would do anything, even save an entire land from a falling Moon if there was a chance it’d get Navi to see him in a positive light…

Tatl looked over at Link as he stared off into space, lost in his thoughts. “That guy really got under your skin, huh?” She had never seen him get so angry over something so small. It was easy for her to forget that Link was just a kid, it was normal for him to get mad over stupid or inconsequential things. He was just so…inhuman, almost, that she had to remind herself he wasn’t even a teenager yet at times.

“Sorry you had to see that.” Link murmured as he was pulled back into reality. “I didn’t like him, I wanted to get away from him…” Tatl would never be told the reason why, though, Link would make sure of that. “I think I want to go back to the inn.”

The fairy should’ve known Link would say something depressing like that, apologizing for showing emotion. “Right…I wanna go back too, this rain is too annoying…”

Trying to forget about Tingle and his unusual nature, the pair went back to the inn and out of the dampness of the outside world. As they made their way to the staircase, a noise caught Link’s ear. Fire. Not a roaring blaze by any means, but a comfortable and crackling flame. It couldn’t be Anju cooking, it was too late for breakfast and she went on a walk before lunch this day.

Curious, the boy decided to investigate. He went to the back hallway and past the kitchen, following the noise. It seemed to be coming from a room that he had never entered, its door open just a crack as a faint and warm glow emerged from within. He knew he probably shouldn’t be snooping, but he just couldn’t help himself.

Link carefully and slowly opened the door, though despite his caution it still creaked a bit. He and Tatl got a good look into the room, and both immediately thought of one word for it: cozy. The fire crackling was from a lit fireplace, which also explained the glow from earlier. Somehow these flames seemed to just wash a pleasant sensation over the two that made their worries and stress practically melt away. Their eyelids even started to feel a bit heavy just standing in the doorway.

The room itself was rather mundane otherwise, two bookshelves filled to the brim, some masks on the walls, a clock, a desk and chair, a wardrobe, and a bed. There was also an inhabitant of the room, one that made Link flinch a bit. An old, skinny lady sat in a chair that the boy found very peculiar, as it had wheels on it! Nothing like that existed in Hyrule as far as he saw, though he saw the genius of it right away. As it happened, he recognized the woman as the witch-like potion shop owner back in Kakariko Village. He recalled how terrified he was of her; how spooky stories rose into his mind as he laid eyes on the supposed crone.

However, the woman in the wheeled chair wasn’t nearly as intimidating, bathed in the warm glow of the fir as she read from a large tome in her blanketed lap. For a moment, she didn’t seem to notice the intrusion, but apparently the two eventually caught her eye and she looked up at the pair, a delighted smile spreading across her wrinkled face. “Ah, Tortus! So good to see you!”

Link flinched again, at the very least a bit less creeped out by the elderly woman than her Hyrulean counterpart. Thinking of it, Anju did mention a grandmother once, so he assumed this was her. At her words, he peeked behind him, thinking she was talking to someone else…but the hallway was empty. Looking back in he cleared his throat. “Are you talking to me…?”

The elderly woman chuckled and beckoned Link with a single, boney finger. “You and your jokes, Tortus! Come in and sit by the fire with your mother!” She invited warmly, gesturing to the carpeted floor before her. “I’ll tell you a story, how does that sound?”

This was just confusing to Link. He didn’t have any concept of how an older person’s mind may slip away like what was happening here. All he understood was that, for some reason, Anju’s grandmother thought he was her son, Tortus. He never saw, or heard about, anyone named Tortus though. Anju never mentioned him when she spoke of escaping to Romani Ranch. Was he still alive? Somewhere far from Clock Town, maybe?

He knew he’d feel awkward just walking away, in any case. Link peeked back into the hallway once more to make sure it was empty. Not a soul, not a peep. With hesitation, he entered the room properly along with Tatl, gently closing the door behind the both of them. That small action seemed to amplify the drowsy atmosphere in the room tenfold, it made the boy and fairy wonder how the elderly woman managed to stay awake.

“You’re really going to play along with Granny here?” Tatl whispered in Link’s ear. “I don’t think this Tortus guy is even alive anymore.” While she lived in Termina all her life, it wasn’t as if the fairy had a pulse on every single person in it. “She’s senile, you know…”

Link didn’t know what that meant, assuming it had something to do with her confusion. “It seems like it will make her happy if I play along.” He whispered back, not sure if Granny could hear the two having their secret conversation. “It’s just for a little bit.”

“What’s that there, Tortus? You find a fairy?” Granny suddenly interjected, her gnarled finger now pointing at Tatl. “They say befriending one is good luck. Don’t listen to the fools that tell you they lay curses on people!”

Tatl huffed a bit. It was nice knowing Granny wasn’t one of the superstitious folks that believed fairies were tied to dark magic…but they weren’t lucky charms either! “We’ll see who’s good luck, old lady…” She murmured, though didn’t plan on really doing anything.

“Yes, she’s my friend. It’s okay if she’s here too, isn’t it?” Link asked, wondering if he spoke remotely like Tortus did. Clearly his looks didn’t seem to matter, he doubted the old woman’s son wore Kokiri clothes and had a missing eye…

“Of course, Tortus. Good luck, like I said. Maybe some will rub off around here and your daughter will learn to cook properly!” Granny exclaimed, laughing a bit to herself. “Now sit down here, and I’ll tell you a story.” As she said this, she flipped through the book on her lap, clearly looking for just the right one.

Link wanted to mention Anju cooked fine, but he decided to bite his tongue. No use trying to reason with someone that was already so confused. “Maybe it will.” He commented as he sat down where directed. The boy hadn’t taken any of his gear, save the Ocarina of Time on his belt, so he didn’t need to clutter the floor. “What sort of story will you tell me?” Despite trying not to, he felt a painful nostalgic sensation, remembering how Saria would tell him all sorts of stories…

The old woman hummed in thought, ancient hands flipping through an even more ancient book. “Ah, this one! How about I tell you about how the Giants shaped Termina again? That’s always been one of your favorites, Tortus.”

Gods. Link had to fight back a scowl. Again, he was tempted to argue against the old woman, but he figured it was best to go along with it. “Yes, please, I want to hear that one.” Was being so overly polite okay? He had no idea, but it didn’t seem to register much with the confused elder.

“Excellent! Now let’s see, it all began eons ago…” The old woman started, seeming more put together as she spoke, like she was reciting something she said hundreds of times. “…Termina was a shapeless, dead world back then…but then…”

Link tried to listen; he really did. As much as he didn’t want to hear about the Giants, it’d at least pass the time. Yet he felt his eyelid droop almost right away. The warmth of the fire, the soothing tone Granny spoke in, and just his general exhaustion…it all fought against him. His body felt heavy, the carpeted floor more comfortable than it looked. Tatl was on his shoulder, fighting just as hard to stay awake, and it was a battle the two were losing horribly.

“What’s going on in here?! Who are you?!” A woman’s voice boomed, jolting Link and Tatl awake.

Awake?! Link quickly realized he was lying on his stomach, a bit out of sorts as he was snapped out of the slumber he hadn’t realized he fell into. He had been so tired, he didn’t realize how far gone he was. Blinking himself awake, he sat up, Tatl taking to the air, as he looked to see Anju’s mother staring down at him with a frown. “Oh…Um…” Link sputtered, too tired and embarrassed to get the words out.

“Oh, come now dear, you know Tortus.” Granny cut in. “I was just telling him a story, and it seems he fell asleep again, the poor boy.”

The haughty woman huffed and shook her head. “That’s not Tortus, mother, that’s some strange boy!” She looked at Link with a disapproving glare. “Now tell me, who are you?!”

Link gulped, standing up and wishing he could just melt through the floor. This is why he really didn’t like this woman, he hated how she was so curt and nasty. “I’m a guest here.” He said, deciding to just tell the truth, never mind how Granny may react. “I saw the glow and heard the fire, so I came in and she invited me in for a story…”

Anju’s mother stared at Link, like she was trying to see through whatever lie he was telling. After a moment though, she sighed. “I see. Well, my mother isn’t in the right mind, so you shouldn’t be bothering her.”

“Hush, child, I’m perfectly fine!” Granny insisted, shutting the large book of hers noisily. “And you’re upsetting Tortus!”

At this point, Anju’s mother seemed to give up on convincing Granny of anything and only focused on Link. “If you go back to your room now, we’ll forget about this.” Her tone was one of finality…not that Link was tempted to argue.

The boy didn’t even verbally reply, nodding as he and Tatl rushed past the redheaded woman and back into the pair’s room. “That was pretty unpleasant…” Tatl commented, glancing over at the clock. “How about we forget that and go out to lunch? We slept all the way to noon!”

Link was pretty embarrassed, but he was quickly getting over it. It was actually kind of pleasant, talking to Granny like that. She had no idea who he was, or rather who he wasn’t, but she was still sweet to him. The almost supernaturally cozy room was nice too, Link having had no nightmares as he slept…

He agreed to get some lunch, and things were uneventful for a while. After getting lunch and getting another Moon’s Tear, the two went back and stayed in the room until dinner, where Anju offered Link to go to Romani Ranch, which he declined politely. The kindly woman almost seemed like she wanted to argue, but held her tongue. Normally he’d turn back time before the Final Day, but he was sticking around this time. Even he didn’t exactly know why, maybe he just needed another reminder how serious things were, how the town would be almost entirely empty by the time night fell.

Tatl didn’t argue, just wishing she didn’t have to look at the Moon when it was so horribly close. It was almost impossible to tear her eyes from it completely, she found. Things remained an awkward silence as time went on, the Final Day beginning, Anju leaving with her family as she informed Link all the doors of the inn would be unlocked after they left.

As night fell, the fairy glanced over to Link, who was looking out the window. “Uh, hey, are we going back soon? You want to help Anju and Kafei more, right?” The fairy asked, hovering over to her companion.

“I just want to take a walk around town when it’s empty.” Link explained as the sun began to dip down past the horizon. “Makes everything seem more real.” After the Great Bay, he was just so drained, maybe that kick in the pants would help motivate him for Ikana Canyon. Tatl’s blatant fear of the location certainly made him weary of actually going there. Also, he needed to sell the Moon’s Tear, which he hadn’t gotten around to doing yet.

“It’s creepy here when it’s so quiet…but okay.” Honestly, Tatl wasn’t sure what she was worried about. Not like Link would just let the moon fall, he wouldn’t do that! Granted, it was pretty often that his thought process was a total mystery to her…

After the sun set entirely, the two made their way outside. The rainclouds had all moved away by this point, the sky clear with an infinite amount of stars peering down at the doomed land. Of course, the Moon was glowering down as well, the ground shaking a bit as it grew ever closer. Link had all his tings with him, not sure if they’d return to him if they weren’t on his person when he turned back the clock. East Clock Town was entirely empty, save for the guard by the gate, who was staring up at the Moon intently.

The same was true in North Clock Town of course, even Jim was gone, his parents assuredly rushing him off somewhere away from the Moon. Link had to wonder where it was that the citizens went to. They couldn’t all be going to Romani Ranch, could they? The North was so inhospitable, the West just went to the ocean, the East was clearly off the table…so maybe they went far past the swamps to the South…

From the greenery of North Clock Town, he barely went into the southern part of the town before heading to the west. He really didn’t want to deal with Mutoh screaming at the Moon. As expected, aside from the usual guard, West Clock Town was empty. Aside from getting trained at the dojo, he barely set foot in this part of Clock Town, it almost felt a bit seedy, but he couldn’t put his finger on why that was. He wondered if the pawn shop owner was even around still, he hadn’t stopped to think about that!

Quickly, he went down the stairs to the shop and tried the knob, surprised that it turned! Opening the door, he peered inside the cluttered, cramped room to see the shop owner standing right where he was the last time. He seemed almost nonchalant, as if he didn’t know the Moon was falling, or maybe he just didn’t care about dying. One thing Link noticed that was different was what looked like a mask on the counter. It had an odd shape with a lot of holes in it, almost like a net, and it had wide, red eyes…

“Hm? A kid? Your parents didn’t take you out of town?” The shopkeeper asked as Link and Tatl answered, seeming more curious than actually worried.

“No.” Link answered simply as he took the Moon’s Tear from his bag. “I want to sell this.” He thought back to the first time he and Tatl went in here and how he messed up the pricing, making Tatl haggle for him. Thankfully he never made that mistake a second time…

The man let out a hum of intrigue. “A Moon’s Tear, huh? What were you hoping to get for that?” He asked, but quickly spoke up again before Link could answer. “Actually, how about a trade. I’ll give you something special, no Rupees required, just that blue rock!”

Link glanced at Tatl. The shop owner never said this before, so he didn’t know how to react. She just shrugged. “…Okay…what did you want to trade?” The boy asked, looking back at the adult.

“This right here!” The man declared, holding up the odd mask. “It’s the All-Night Mask! A very rare specimen, probably the only one of its kind!”

It had been established multiple times over that even masks without spirits in them sometimes held powers. Could this be an instance of that? “Does it do anything or is it just rare?”

“It’s not called the All-Night Mask for nothing, kid. Put this on, and you won’t need to sleep! In fact, you can’t sleep with this thing on!”

Tatl snorted lightly. “Well, at least you could listen to Granny’s stories…” She murmured so only Link could hear. It didn’t seem like it was really useful to her, if the pitch was even true. If he didn’t need sleep, he’d just sit awake all night, and that sounded awful.

Link thought things over for a second. He could always just sell off the Moon’s Tear in the next Cycle, it wasn’t really a big deal. If the All-Night Mask really worked, there could be a potential use for it. “…Okay, I accept.” He declared, putting the blue rock on the desk.

The man smirked, it was pretty clear he thought he was ripping Link off. He tossed the mask to Link. “Alright, a deal’s a deal. No trade-backs, alright?” He asked, putting the Moon’s Tear somewhere behind the desk and out of sight.

“What are you even going to do with that? The Moon’s falling you know…” Tatl couldn’t help but point out, a bit annoyed at the man’s smugness.

Giving a shrug, the shopkeeper didn’t seem phased. “We’ll see. I don’t believe it.” Was all he said, very casually, like he was talking about the weather.

Tatl scoffed a bit as she followed Link out, the boy looking the mask over once they were outside. “Why did you make that trade? You think that thing works?” Wouldn’t be the strangest thing, but still. “How do you even put that thing on?”

“It might have some use if it works.” Link pointed out, turning the mask over in his hands. “…Doesn’t seem like I can just slip it on…” It seemed more complicated than that.

At that moment, the entire town shook, the Moon slipping even closer. Tatl shuddered. “Hey, we can figure this out later, right? Can we go back now?” The Moon being so close made her anxious despite knowing it wouldn’t fall for several hours.

Link saw no reason to linger. He was reminded of the terror in Clock Town by the absence of its citizens. It wasn’t quite the dramatic boost he thought he may get, but it was better than nothing. Putting the All-Night Mask in his bag, he nodded. “Okay. Next Cycle, I’ll help Anju and Kafei.” Once and for all this time.

With no argument from Tatl, Link played the Song of Time and the two were whisked back to the past once more.

Chapter Text

Once Link and Tatl arrived back in front of the Clock Tower, the boy wasted no time. He went straight to the observatory through the sewers and got his Moon’s Tear. It unsettled him how it only fell when he looked through the telescope, figuring it had to be the Skull Kid trying to kill him. That, or the imp was missing on purpose just to taunt him. Since the Curiosity Shop didn’t open until late at night, Link just placed the blue stone in his bag for the time being.

After that, he simply waited outside the inn with Tatl until it opened. He really hoped this would be the Cycle where Anju and Kafei would get reunited. The boy just didn’t understand why a man would run away from someone he loved so much. There had to be some other explanation, but Link couldn’t work out what it was! He didn’t really understand marriage very much, only the basic idea of it when he asked Zelda, so it was still confusing for him.

After the inn opened, the two went inside and got their room as usual. Link noticed the look Anju gave him, that open pity that made him so angry and embarrassed! He had half a mind to tell her to stop staring, but in this Cycle especially he didn’t want to upset Anju. Instead, he just thanked her for the key and went up to the room.

“Hey, you’re not going to ask her about Kafei?” Tatl asked as the door to their room closed. “That was the whole point of this, wasn’t it?” Not that she was complaining, if this silly little diversion Link was going on prevented them from going to Ikana Canyon, she didn’t mind much!

“Last time I did this, it was after the Postman came.” Link reminded her. “I think I should do things the same way. Do you remember what time that was?”

Tatl huffed. “I don’t remember small details like that!” Still, she tried to remember, closing her eyes and crossing her arms as she concentrated. “I think…it was after lunch time. I remember being really hungry after it.” So many of the Cycles melted together, but that encounter with the Postman was something she had only seen once, so it stuck out in her memory.

Link reached back into his own memories, and they seemed to line up. “Okay, we’ll do that, then. Meanwhile, I have an idea to pass the time.” He shed most of his gear beside the bed, only leaving the Ocarina of Time on his belt, and took out the All-Night Mask. “I can see if Granny will tell us another story.” He felt more confident doing it while Anju was around, she’d surely be a lot nicer if she caught the two in there than her mother was.

“Oh hey, good idea. Just tell me how it goes when I wake up.” Tatl knew she wouldn’t be able to stay awake as that old crone rambled.

With that, the two went downstairs and around the back. Anju was still at the desk of course, so they went by her quietly. The door to Granny’s room was open just a crack, just as it had been before, the sound of a warm fire crackling from within. When they entered, the scene was the exact same as before. Granny was sitting in her chair, a large book in her lap as the fireplace lit up the room and warmed it in a sleepy atmosphere.

After Link closed the door behind them, Granny’s head lifted from her reading. “Oh, Tortus! Didn’t expect to see you so soon!” The old woman cooed softly. “You look upset, let Granny tell you a story!”

Link was wondering if she could really tell how miserable he seemed or if it was just her confusion telling her so. Honestly, a part of Granny’s behavior terrified the boy. He met some old people during the two years he was living in the castle, such as some servants. Link observed how weak they seemed and how they forgot things easily, though Granny was far worse off. The thought of turning into that one day was mortifying…

“Yes, Granny, that sounds nice.” Was all he said though. As he sat down, he tried to work out how to put on the All-Night Mask. The warmth of the room was already creeping into his body and making him drowsy. Tatl just sat on a nearby pillow, not even trying to keep awake.

The old woman didn’t seem to notice Link fidgeting with the mask. “How about I tell you the story of the Giants again? I have the book right here, Tortus.”

A part of Link was tempted to refuse, he hated the idea of hearing some surely pleasant story about the Giants. But he wanted to keep Granny content. “I’d love that, Granny, thank you.” As he said this, he finally managed to work out how to put the mask on. When the mask was on, he still felt drowsy, but his eyelids didn’t feel as heavy. He wasn’t trying to resist the urge to fall asleep, it just simply never came.

Granny let out a light chuckle as she turned the old pages of the book. “Very good. Now let’s see…”

Long ago, before time and the sky, Termina was a barren place.

Sand, ash, rock, and dead wood was all that resided there.

Bringing time with them, the Four Giants emerged and looked at the dismal scene.

From where they emerged, they each took one hundred paces.

North, South, East, and West. Each in one direction!

The Giant to the South took the dead wood and carved the pieces into people and breathed life into them, creating the Deku.

When the Deku emerged, they looked at the Giant and cried out.

“Please, Giant, we need water to survive! Please help us!”

Moved by the woes of the Deku, the Giant dug with its mighty hands until it found water beneath the soil, creating the swamps.

It then breathed life into the remaining trees, allowing the new swamp to flourish and become a home for the Deku.

The Giant to the North saw a scolding hot mountain. It took some of the rocks and breathed life into them, creating the Gorons.

When the Gorons emerged, they looked at the Giant and cried out.

“Please, Giant, it’s too hot on this mountain! Please help us!”

Moved by the woes of the Gorons, the Giant took a deep breath and blew onto the mountain. Snow and ice was in its breath, cooling the mountain down for its new dwellers.

The Giant to the West came across an endless stretch of sand. It scooped up the sand and created the Zora, whose scales were as rough as the very substance they were made from.

When the Zora emerged, they looked at the Giant and cried out.

“Please, Giant, there’s nowhere for us to live and nothing to eat! Please help us!”

Moved by the woes of the Zora, the Giant began to weep. The torrent of salty water created the vast ocean, and with it came fish. A place for the Zora to live and eat.

The Giant to the East came across a region of rock and clay. Out of the clay, it formed people and breathed life into them, creating humans.

When the humans emerged, they looked to the Giant and cried out.

“Please, Giant, we need to live up high, so our enemies don’t attack! Please help us!”

Moved by the woes of the humans, the Giant carved out the canyons and pulled the ground up so the humans could perch their future Ikana Kingdom up high.

When Termina was flourishing with life, the Giants went to sleep, promising their people they would return when needed.

Eventually, some humans migrated out of Ikana and created Clock Town, celebrating the Giants that brought time and life to Termina.

Once a year, the Carnival of Time is celebrated, people carving masks based on what they believe the Giants look like.

Link listened to the story, thinking it’d make him increasingly tired. It made him more frustrated than anything, hating to hear the praise of gods. Still, the atmosphere of the room was far stronger, and he felt an intense desire to sleep. He even tried to close his eye and relax…but nothing happened, he never fell asleep! Tatl was already snoring peacefully, and he somewhat envied her. At the very least, he got his answer, the All-Night Mask definitely worked! No other way he could explain managing to stay awake for so long. The story was short, but Granny told it rather slowly…

“How about another story, Tortus?” The old woman asked with a wrinkled smile. “You’ve done so well in school lately; I think you’ve earned it.” Even as she asked this, she started to flip through the book to look for another story.

The boy took his new mask off, placing it next to him. Already, he felt an intense wave of exhaustion hit him like a punch to the nose. He was barely able to keep his eye open as he gave a nod and lied on his stomach. “I’d like that, Granny.” Link didn’t even hear her response before he passed out.

“Excuse me? Mr. Link…?” A kind voice called. Link’s eye opened, and he looked to see Anju standing over him, a tray of food in her hands. “Mr. Link, what are you doing here…?”

“Link? Who’s that? That’s Tortus, child!” Granny corrected. “He just got a bit sleepy listening to my stories, the poor thing. He’s working so hard in school, you know!”

Anju let out an exasperated noise, but quickly calmed down. “That’s not Tortus, that’s one of our guests.” She corrected.

Sitting up, Link glanced over to see Tatl was awake too. He felt a bit embarrassed, but this was at least a more pleasant encounter than last time. “I’m sorry.” The boy apologized. “I was just curious about what was back here.”

The innkeeper sighed through her nose, placing the tray in Granny’s lap. This got a bitter murmur from the old woman, something about ‘horrid cooking’ that Anju didn’t acknowledge. “This isn’t a place guests should be. I’ll have to ask you to leave.”

Even though Anju was being so nice, Link still somehow felt like he was being yelled at. Standing up, he made sure to pick up the All-Night Mask with him. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to cause trouble.”

“Oh, you’re being too hard on Tortus. He just wanted to hear a story, child!” Granny interjected. “And what a good listener he was, very quiet as I went on!”

Anju decided to ignore her grandmother this time as she led Link and Tatl out of the room. When the door was closed, she looked down at Link. It seemed like she wanted to appear stern, but a visible pity bled into her expression, like she couldn’t bring herself to actually be upset at the boy. “I won’t ask you to leave the inn, just please leave my grandmother alone. Her mind isn’t all there, I’m afraid.”

What a terrifying way to live. Link had a mental image of himself, withered and with grey hair, unable to recognize his friends or loved ones. What kind of a life was that to live? Why did people have to grow up at all? The Kokiri were so lucky…! “I understand. I’m sorry.” The boy said, hoping this wouldn’t conflict with the Kafei situation later on.

The redhead gave Link a small, almost sad smile. “Thank you. I remember you were scheduled to have lunch here. If you go up to your room, I’ll bring it up to you.”

Link didn’t say anything and just gave a nod as he and Tatl went upstairs. When they were in their room again, he sat on his bed with a sigh. “I’m glad it was Anju that caught us.” He murmured as Tatl hovered by his head.

“Me too, her mother is a real nasty woman.” The fairy agreed. “So hey, how about the All-Night Mask? You weren’t wearing it when I woke up!”

He looked down at the mask, its unsettling red eyes staring right back up at him. “I didn’t fall asleep when I had it on. I still felt drowsy, it was almost kind of painful, but even when I closed my eye, I couldn’t sleep.” Link gripped the mask, contorting its already uncanny visage. “To be honest, it was really uncomfortable.”

Being exhausted but physically unable to sleep…that did sound pretty painful. “Yeah, I don’t think that mask is going to help us at all. You should probably just toss it.”

It had been a while since Tatl suggested that. Then again, it had been some time since he got a mask that wasn’t helpful. “I don’t like to just toss things away.” Link recalled how things were in the Lost Woods. New things, things from the outside world, didn’t come along every day. He only tossed something if it was broken beyond repair and couldn’t be reused as something else. Every object from outside the woods was a miniature treasure! Not that the All-Night Mask was exactly a treasure, but he still felt bad at the idea of just tossing it. Maybe he’d be able to utilize it somehow…

Tatl rolled her eyes. Before she could call out the dumb idea, Anju came inside with lunch. The innkeeper greeted her guests and left the food just as she always did despite what happened downstairs. “You owe me some nice food after you sell the Moon’s Tear.” The fairy informed Link as she nibbled at a bit of Anju’s cooking he set aside from her. “Something sweet, maybe, how about some candy…?” Not exactly ‘nice food’ but for Tatl, chocolate was almost as valuable as gold!

“I’ll buy you whatever you want.” Link promised as he dug in himself. He’d never grasp why Tatl despised Anju’s cooking so much. Sure, it wasn’t exactly the best, but he thought it tasted pretty okay. Before long, the meal was done, and he left the tray on the room’s table as usual. “We should wait by the desk. The Postman could come at any time.” As he said this, he got his bag, tossing the All-Night Mask in it. He didn’t want Anju to see Kafei’s Mask, still worried about doing anything outside of order.

The two went downstairs, Anju was once more at her desk, waiting for any guests or other visitors. Her gaze fixated on Link when he came into view, and especially when he sat at the bench in the inn lobby. “Is everything alright? Are you waiting for someone?” The woman asked gently. “Your parents, maybe? They weren’t mentioned on the guest list, but…” Her tone was cautious, yet hopeful, her intentions more than clear.

A spiteful and childish part of Link wanted to just tell her that he was an orphan just to see the shock on her face, and to shut her up. He then scolded himself, not knowing where this aggravated attitude came from! Anju was always so sweet to him; she helped care for him when he was sick and when he lost his eye…what was wrong with him?! Perhaps he was just sick of her looking at him with open pity, treating him like a vase that’d shatter if he was hit by so much as a strong breeze.

“I’m not waiting for anyone.” He answered, placing his bag on his lap. “It’s okay if I sit here, right?” What else would the bench be for?

Anju frowned a bit before quickly correcting herself and putting on a more neutral expression. It didn’t stop the pity in her eyes, though. “I see. You can sit there, it’s not a problem.” She wasn’t able to stop the disappointment in her voice either.

For a good, long while, Link and Tatl remained in the lobby. Anju didn’t speak to them again, though every so often she threw a glance their way. A few times it was pretty clear she wanted to say something, but then she stopped herself. Time ticked by slowly, quite literally with the clock on the wall audibly counting down the seconds. Link wondered if he should have Tatl teach him how to tell time…though he supposed as long as she was with him, he wouldn’t need to. No clocks like that in Hyrule anyway, so what was the point?

At about two o’clock, the door to the inn opened and the Postman came in, right as he did last time! Link and Tatl watched as he delivered a letter to Anju, once more being frustratingly vague on where he got it from. After making an excuse about his schedule, the man turned and left, not giving Link and Tatl so much as a glance. The boy felt awkward, remembering he hid out of sight last time, and so tried to give Anju some privacy by pretending to be interested in the strap of his bag, fiddling with it as the woman read her letter. After a few moments, she sighed and put the paper under the desk somewhere.

This was the time to strike. Link got Kafei’s Mask from his bag and approached the counter. “Excuse me. Are you looking for Kafei?” He asked, holding the mask to his face like he was going to put it on. “The mayor’s wife asked me to help, and she said you’re his fiancé.” It still felt so wrong to deceive people, pretending like he had no idea what Anju’s relationship with Kafei was.

Anju let out a gasp, her hand flying to cover her mouth. She glanced about the room as if looking for eavesdroppers. She lowered her hand and leaned in, speaking quietly. “You’re looking for him too? He’s my fiancé, yes, but it seems like so many people have given up on him…”

“I haven’t. If there’s anything I can do to help, please let me know.” Link assured, glad that his getting in trouble earlier didn’t ruin this interaction.

The woman bit her bottom lip, quietly contemplating how to move forward. After a few moments of thought, she nodded. “Okay, yes, please meet me in the kitchen tonight. I’ll be there at half past eleven, we’ll talk then.”

Link had to wonder why she wanted to do this in such an odd way. He forgot to ask last time but chose not to do so this time either. The boy was still nervous about deviating too much and messing something up. “We’ll be there at midnight, then. Thanks for trusting me to help.” He replied with a light nod, going back upstairs with Tatl.

“Guess we just gotta kill time.” Tatl replied as Link sat back down on his bed. “What should we do?”

Already, the boy tossed his gear to the side and shed his boots. “I’m going to take a nap, we have to stay up really late to meet with Anju, so we should rest.” Link pointed out.

Oh. Yeah. Tatl didn’t like the stupid meeting time! “Okay, but later today you’re going to buy me that chocolate, okay?” She wasn’t going to let him forget that promise! Link just gave a simple nod as he lied down and went to sleep.

Later in the day, the two awoke from their naps, it only being the middle of the afternoon. Link got Tatl the chocolate she wanted, it was only a small piece, but bigger than her head. Yet she somehow managed to eat all of it, the boy getting a bit for himself too. He still remembered the first time he ate chocolate, a woman that looked just like Anju gave it to him. Or…he supposed Anju looked just like that Cucco Lady…

The two went out to eat, and when the Curiosity Shop opened, Link sold off the Moon’s Tear to get his wallet filled back up again. After that, they slept again, going to bed early to be sure they’d be awake enough for their meeting. Even though Anju didn’t get there late when they did this before, he insisted they get there at the allotted time anyway.

“Maybe this time she’ll get there when she said.” Link replied as Tatl whined about the wait. “Small things can make a big change, right?” Who knew why she was so late last time? Maybe something that happened in this Cycle made a difference.

Tatl shrugged. “I guess, yeah. It’s only fifteen minutes…” She just hoped Anju wasn’t later than last time instead. The fairy still felt all of this was a waste of time. Kafei was clearly okay, and after Link dropped off the letter he’d get, it really stopped being any of their business. Yet this was so important to him, she had to go along with it, maybe she just felt bad for him more this time around. Maybe it was that missing eye…

Later that night, the fairy awoke Link from his slumber when he wanted, and the two went down into the kitchen. Once more, they waited in silence, past the meeting time again. Another fifteen minutes or so later, Anju came into the kitchen in her usual attire, an envelope in hand.

The redheaded woman seemed relieved, as if she didn’t expect Link and Tatl to actually show up. “I’m sorry I’m late. It was difficult to write my feelings down how I wanted.” Anju explained, gripping the envelope tightly. “The favor I wanted was for you to mail this for me.”

“You’re too nervous to do it yourself? Are you that scared?” Tatl asked, already knowing the answer. She didn’t dislike Anju, but she found it annoying that a grown woman relied on a kid for help to drop off a letter.

Anju sighed and gave an embarrassed nod. “I know I should do it myself. The reason I asked you to come so late was so I could put the letter together and find all the right words to say. And to have the courage to ask for your help.”

Link extended a hand, a bit curious to see what the letter actually said. Not that he could read it even if he tried. “I’ll do it for you. I’ll drop it off right now.”

The woman let out another sigh, this one of deep relief. “Oh, thank you! This really means a lot to me!” Anju handed the letter to Link, but also placed a hand on his shoulder, not seeming to notice his brief flinch. “I know you probably don’t understand these things, but this is very important to me.” She hadn’t done this before, and her hand gripped hard at the boy’s shoulder. “I…I also want you to follow the Postman, see where he goes. I know this is asking a lot, but…I need to know where Kafei is…” Her voice cracked, like she was about to burst into tears.

Having to resist the temptation to shove Anju’s hand away, Link gave a nod. “I’ll do that.” It was true what she said, he didn’t fully understand the whole marriage thing, but he knew what it was like to lose a loved one and not know where they were. “I promise I’ll find out where Kafei is.”

Anju quickly calmed down, giving a small smile at Link as she finally let go of his shoulder. “Thank you. I know this is unusual, especially since you’re a guest. I’ll find some way to repay you for this.”

“That’s not necessary.” Link assured as he walked past Anju. “I agreed to help find Kafei, so I’m going to do it.” It was as simple as that in his eyes. He didn’t look back at Anju, still feeling her grip on his shoulder as he left the kitchen and then the inn itself with Tatl at his side. Once they were outside, he glanced up at the fairy. “Are you going to try to stop me again?”

“Not this time. I give up, you do what you want with Kafei. Still, none of our business, but you’re pretty determined about this.” Tatl replied with a shrug. She chose to leave out it was a nice delay to their Ikana Canyon trip.

Of course Link was determined. He pitied Anju, and saw a bit of his own situation in her. And it was just the right thing to do. Going over to the same mailbox as before, he dropped the letter in. “When did you say the Postman started his route?”

“Nine. Every single morning on the dot. Guy’s a real nutjob for his schedule.” Tatl replied with a shrug, never in her life did she have to follow any sort of schedule. Her time with Link was the closest she ever got to it.

“Okay, we’ll wake up then and wait here for him.” Link paused and cleared his throat. “Thanks for letting me do this. I really want to help these two.”

Tatl scoffed with a roll of the eyes. “You’d probably do it anyway unless I really hammered it in not to like last time. Not like I could actually stop you anyway.” She couldn’t help but cover how the thanks actually felt kind of nice. “Let’s just get to sleep, I hate being up this late.”

In the morning, Tatl woke Link up about a half hour before nine so they could get something to eat. Link only got lunch from Anju, so they were able to go out and get something Tatl could actually stomach without almost gagging.

At nine, they stood beneath by the inn’s door, the awning protecting them from the rain. They knew it’d take the Postman at least a bit to actually arrive at the postbox. It was hard to tell how long they waited since the sun was behind the clouds, but eventually they saw the Postman come from South Clock Town, right towards the postbox! He looked inside and grabbed the letter, putting it in his bag before going on his way.

Link and Tatl quickly followed, trying not to be seen. Not that it mattered much, the Postman seemed to be in his own world, not so much as glancing or stopping to greet anyone he passed. Time seemed to go at a snail’s pace as they tailed him, watching him check every single postbox and drop off letters at various places. Sometimes he went into establishments, sometimes he knocked on people’s homes. Either way, Link and Tatl always scoped out who he delivered each piece of mail to, but none of them were Kafei, none had that noticeable purple hair. To their dismay, around noon, he went back towards the post office, entering at twelve on the dot.

“I don’t understand.” Link said as he watched the schedule-obsessed man enter his workplace. “No one looked like Kafei. Is he done for the day?”

“Heck if I know. I just know his morning schedule; I don’t know every step of his schedule.” Tatl remarked with an annoyed tone. “Unless one of those homes was harboring Kafei, it looks like he didn’t drop off the letter Anju wrote.”

Link thought for a moment. “Should we go to the houses he went to?” Not that he could remember each one, he hoped Tatl did, though.

“No way. If one of those people was harboring Kafei, they’d never just tell us because you asked. It’s easy, Link, just go in and ask if he delivered all the letters he got.” The fairy suggested. “Just be vague, say you were really hoping for a letter to be delivered today, maybe he just eats lunch before going for the rest.”

That made sense! Link tried the door to the post office, seeing it was unlocked, and went in with Tatl. Inside was a most unusual area, at least to Link. There was a glass pane with a desk right in front of them, a large wooden structure on one wall with little cubicles in it where letters and other papers were sorted out. Like most interiors of Clock Town, there was a large clock on the wall, but there were also numerous others along the desks. Since they had hands on them, Link was able to get the general idea that they all had the same time on them.

On the other end of the area was a miniature bedroom. A bed, a desk, and a closet with the familiar red cap and bag hanging in it. The Postman sitting on the bed, eyes shut and seeming to be concentrating on something. Link glanced up at Navi, not sure if he should interrupt, feeling a bit nervous. Yet, she gestured for him to go ahead, and the boy cleared his throat. “Excuse me, Mr. Postman?”

The man let out a startled yelp and his eyes shot open, looking over at Link with wide eyes. “What are you doing?! You’re interrupting my training!”

Link flinched; he hated it when adults yelled at him. It was something he just wasn’t used to! “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were training.” What kind of training was he even doing? It just looked like he was resting his eyes.

“I’m trying to count to ten seconds exactly, not a single millisecond late!” The Postman explained, gesturing to the numerous clocks in the room. “It is important to keep with my schedule!”

“Hey, we didn’t know, so don’t bite our heads off!” Tatl hissed back. “We just had a question about a letter, that’s all!”

At the mention of mail, the Postman calmed down a bit, but still seemed mildly peeved. “If you have a letter to mail, drop it off in one of the postboxes. I will pick it up according to my schedule!”

“It’s not that. I was just wondering if a letter I put in last night was delivered. It’s very important.” Link assured. “It needs to be delivered today.” He also had to wonder what a millisecond even was…

The Postman huffed. “I am just following my schedule. I may have delivered it, but after my scheduled break, I will deliver the rest. You must have patience, young boy!”

“He really loves the word schedule…” Tatl muttered, quietly enough that no one else heard her. “Okay, we just wanted to check.” She said normally. “It’s just important to us, that’s all.”

At this, the unusual man waved away Tatl’s comment. “You should have marked it Priority Mail if that were the case. There aren’t many letters today, so it will be done according to-”

“Your schedule, yeah.” Tatl finished with a roll of the eyes. “That’s all we needed. Let’s go, Link.”

The boy didn’t argue, the Postman not even saying bye as they left, he just closed his eyes for his training again. When they went back outside, Link leaned against the nearby wall. “So, do we just wait?” It was past noon, and he was getting kind of hungry, but he didn’t dare go too far from the Postman…

“I don’t want to do this all over again…I dunno, let’s just wait. How long could his break be?” Tatl asked. “He’s so focused on his mail; it probably won’t be too long.”

Link rubbed his stomach lightly but nodded in agreement. Still, he moved farther from the office, not wanting the Postman to see them when he came back out again. “Okay, we’ll just wait.” Unfortunately, it took quite a bit of time, but eventually the schedule-obsessed man emerged, assuredly on the dot of whatever time he had chosen to finish his break.

Once more, Link and Tatl followed him around, seeing he went through each area of Clock Town again. They stopped by one of the stalls to get a quick snack in East Clock Town, and thankfully the Postman still seemed oblivious to their presence. It was nearing three in the afternoon when he made an unusual detour that he hadn’t yet done. After everything else, he went to the Laundry Pool of all places.

Making sure they were still out of sight, Link and Tatl peered around the wall, noticing Anju wasn’t at the bench. He had no idea how long she stayed there to cry, but he assumed she didn’t do that today, since she had more hope in finding Kafei and that surely must have lifted her spirits. In any case, the two watched the Postman ring the bell by the water, prompting a door on the far walkway to open. Out came the unusual boy with purple hair and his unusual fox-like mask, which Link recalled as being a Keaton Mask, at least in Hyrule.

Shockingly, the youth went over to the Postman and was handed a letter. It seemed like the two exchanged a dialogue, but with the adult facing away from the two and the strange kid’s face covered, it was hard to tell. When the Postman started to turn back, Link and Tatl rushed back to South Clock Town, ducking behind a few of the construction workers on break as the Postman came back out and towards West Clock Town.

Link and Tatl went back to the Laundry Pool just in time to see the mystery kid going back to his abode. “That’s weird. Who’s writing a letter to some kid? I don’t think that’s even a house over there, not that I’ve heard of.” The fairy mused. “Thinking of it, that kid…his hair looks like Kafei’s Mask, doesn’t it?”

“But that can’t be Kafei. He’s an adult.” Link pointed out. “Why does his hair matter?” Still, it really was pretty odd.

“Only other person in this whole town with purple hair is the mayor, at least from what I’ve seen.” Tatl explained. “Maybe that kid is like, Kafei’s little cousin or something, helping him stay hidden.” Her tone then lowered, distaste in her voice. “Or maybe Kafei’s been running around behind Anju’s back for years…”

Not understanding genetics, Link had no idea what that all even meant. He wasn’t even fully sure what a cousin was. And then something about running? “What would running have to do with anything?” He asked, wishing Tatl would be more clear about things.

Ah, yeah. Tatl forgot Link was still a kid, and a clearly naïve one at that. He seemed so eerily adult at times it slipped her mind. “Nothing, forget it. It was just a thought.”

The curiosity was going to eat at him, but he chose to shrug it off for now. In any case, Tatl sounded so sure about the cousin thing…so he chose to accept her wisdom. “Okay, so we just need to get inside. I doubt he leaves the door unlocked.”

“That’s easy. You hide in the water, and I’ll ring the bell. When that kid comes out, you duck inside.” Tatl remarked with a grin. It’d be kind of fun to trick someone a bit, it felt like forever since she got to. “If Kafei is in there, we’ll question him.” Hopefully this was even the right track, but this was the only delivery the Postman made that was so suspicious.

It was better than anything Link could think of. Save for breaking the door in as a Goron, but he’d rather not do anything so drastic. “Alright, let’s do it. We should do it now, right?” Without really waiting for a response, Link went to the pool and held his bag over his head as he got in. Didn’t want to get anything wet!

After Link got into the corner by the door and out of sight, Tatl rushed to the bell and slammed into it! The impact stung, but it was worth it, as the effort brought another, loud ring. She then flew over to Link, wanting to be out of sight as well. A good twenty seconds passed, and nothing happened. The two began to wonder if the bell was loud enough, but then the door to the mysterious abode opened and the masked child came out.

The purple-haired youth looked around, muttering something, but his words were muted by this mask. Still, he went down the path and across the bridge to investigate the bell and left the door wide open. Meanwhile, Link quietly slipped out of the water, he and Tatl slipping into the open door while the stranger wasn’t looking. The rainfall helped hide the noise as well as any wetness on the path that’d give Link away.

Inside, the boy and fairy saw there was very little to the home. A staircase went upwards and into a single room with very little to see. Some dusty boxes and books off in the corner, a small bed in another corner. There was a small area with a desk and an open book with scrawled paper strewn about. Aside from that, there was just the usual clock on the wall and a creepy mask that had eyes that seemed to glow. And…that was it. No other rooms, no place for Kafei, or anyone else, to hide.

“Wait, that can’t be right…” Tatl murmured. “If that kid isn’t hiding Kafei…was the purple hair just a coincidence?”

As she spoke, footsteps went up the stairs, Link and Tatl hiding underneath the desk as the boy came into the room. The youth took a few steps and then stopped, his hands clenching into fists. “Come out. I know you’re there.” For once, his words were clear enough to make it through the mask.

Cautiously, Link and Tatl came out from hiding. They were in front of the staircase, blocking off any way for the boy to escape. “Okay kid, fess up! Who are you and why are you in this dingey room?! Do you know where Kafei is?!” She was so ready for this fiasco to be over, so she just went all in!

“You’re looking for Kafei too?” The boy asked, his tone oddly calm given he was cornered. “Why? You’re just a kid, what do you have to gain from it?”

“I promised Anju I would. She’s sad, and she doesn’t understand why he left.” Link explained, giving the masked boy an intense look. “If you know where he is, you need to tell us. Did the Postman give you Anju’s letter?”

The masked boy stared at the pair. His eyes were hidden, yet they felt an intense gaze from behind the piece of yellow wood. “You’re trying that hard to find him, huh? And Anju’s really that upset?”

“I saw her crying about it once.” Link explained, remembering the time he and Tatl saw her sobbing on the bench. That’s when he really felt the determination to make the woman happy. “I’m not going to leave until you help us.”

There was a pregnant pause, even with his face hidden, it was clear the youth was thinking deeply. “…I see. Okay. I’ll tell you everything I know, but this isn’t easy to talk about. The only reason I trust you is because you were mentioned in Anju’s letter. Just remember, it’s a secret to everybody. Got it?”

“…Okay. I promise.” Link lied. He was going to tell Anju no matter what. It’d make him feel a bit guilty later on, but his desire to help vastly outweighed his distaste for lies.

There was a sigh from behind the mask and another pause. For a moment, it seemed like the strange boy didn’t believe Link. However, after another sigh, like he was prepping himself, he removed the mask. “I am Kafei.” He said simply.

Link’s eye widened and Tatl let out a startled noise. While, yes, the confession threw him off, it wasn’t just that that startled Link. It was the supposed Kafei’s face. There were differences, yes. His skin was a bit of a lighter shade, and his eyes were piercing red rather than a dull blue, which made Link remember the Sheikah. There was the purple hair of course, but…aside from that…

Kafei looked just like Link.

The damaged boy had stared at himself in the mirror enough to know when a reflection was before him. Yes, the eyes were different, but the shape of the supposed Kafei’s face was exactly the same as Link’s! His nose, his jaw, his cheeks…everything…it was a carbon copy! Thinking of it, the two boys were the same height too! The blonde felt his stomach churn, and bile started to fight its way to his mouth, but a stern swallow forced it back down.

“Hold on, how are you Kafei?” Tatl asked, hovering around the youth. “You’re just a kid! Kafei’s an adult, not a squirt like you! Are you trying to pull a fast one on us?!” The fairy was too distracted by the boy’s age to notice the similarities between him and Link.

Once more, the stranger sighed. “I know it’s hard to believe, but I really am Kafei, and I am an adult. Or at least, I used to be.” His red eyes glanced around, seeming paranoid. “Have you seen an imp around? One with a terrifying mask?”

“The Skull Kid?! Is he the one that did this to you…?” Tatl asked, feeling aggravation towards her old friends. Just how many lives did he mess with?! It was certainly easy to believe he’d do such a thing, he put Link through a far worse transformation. The way he spoke certainly seemed more adult than one would expect from his appearance, very clear and concise, a strange tone of maturity to it. It sort of reminded her of Link…

“If that’s his name.” Kafei replied with a shrug. “I was coming home from the bar one night; I might have been a bit drunk when I ran into that imp. I don’t even remember what I said, but it must have angered him because he made me…like this. Stuck in a kid’s body…can you imagine a worse fate?!”

That last statement snapped Link out of his trance. Right away, he felt a harsh anger broil in his gut. Kafei was really going to act like being a kid forever was some horrid curse?! That ungrateful man was living out Link’s deepest fantasy and he has the gall to whine about it! The Skull Kid should have done that to Link, not some ungrateful adult that clearly had zero idea how horrible it is to grow up despite already having done so!

The boy’s hands clenched into tight fists, which shook lightly, and as his nails dug into his palms, they very nearly drew blood. There was a deep temptation to punch Kafei right in the nose, or knock out a tooth or something. This spoiled man who had Link’s face and his dream…it just wasn’t fair! First Tingle mocked him by showing what he may become, not Kafei has his appearance and his most desperate desire…why did Termina keep doing this to him?!

“I can imagine a few.” Link responded, managing to keep his violent desire in check. Still, he had to fight to keep his entire arms from shaking and to keep his voice steady. He couldn’t remember the last time he had such a deep anger towards someone! “So, this is why you’re hiding, right?”

“Not entirely.” Kafei said with a sigh. If he noticed Link’s anger, he didn’t show it. “After being changed, I went to the Great Fairy to seek aid, but then something precious was stolen. A prancing, bald, grinning thief stole my wedding ceremony mask from me.”

A bald, smiling thief…both Link and Tatl recalled such a man, the one that stole the old lady’s bomb bag so many Cycles ago. “So, you’re just careless, then. How did a thief get to you in such a crowded town?” Tatl asked, but kept going before Kafei could even answer. “Is the mask really that important? You can’t even show your face in front of Anju?”

Kafei ignored the first part. “Of course it’s that important to me. My mask, the Sun Mask, is one I made myself. It’s a symbol of my love and devotion for Anju! To let it get stolen away…it’s unforgivable.” He mirrored Link’s actions, hands clenching into fists. “I know Anju is worried, but I promised I’d greet her with the mask in hand…”

“So, what are we supposed to tell her? You really think we can keep all this a secret? She’ll never be satisfied if we refuse to give any details…” Tatl couldn’t help but compare Kafei’s stubbornness to Link’s.

The cursed man reached into his shirt, pulling out an unusual pendant that had been hidden from sight. “Please, give her this. She’ll understand what it means. Trust me, this is the only way!”

Despite his near-hatred for Kafei, Link managed to calmly take the pendant. He really didn’t understand a lot of this marriage stuff. There were masks involved? Was it just a Termina thing? The boy could hardly focus on his own curiosity through his rage, his body felt burning hot from it despite being drenched in cold water. “I’ll take it to her.” Was all Link said, deciding he’d keep all the details a secret per Kafei’s request. Despite his feelings, he promised he’d help, and this was the way Kafei wanted things to go.

“And then what? Just wait? For how long?” Tatl implored with a huff. “What if you don’t get the mask back and return?”

Once more, Kafei paused in thought, but quickly came with a conclusion. “If I don’t return to Anju by about noon tomorrow, come back here.” He pointed to the odd mask on the wall. “That mask is a peephole into the Curiosity Shop, I’ve been keeping an eye for Sakon. If I don’t see him before tomorrow noon…I’ll just have to come up with something else…”

Seemed a bit faulty, but Link had no idea what else to do. This was far from his expertise, but he still wanted to help the pair even with his newfound disgust towards Kafei. He didn’t feel he had much of a choice but to trust in the adult before him and listen to his plan. “Okay, I’ll wait until tomorrow to come back here.”

“You sure about this? With how you are now, I doubt you could wrestle the mask back from that thief.” Tatl intervened as she crossed her arms. Link could, sure, but Kafei seemed like just a normal kid.

“I’m positive. Please, take that to Anju as soon as possible, I want her worries to be eased.” Kafei replied, shooing Link and Tatl away hurriedly.

Tatl clicked her tongue at Kafei’s rudeness, but wordlessly followed Link as he went back down the stairs and into the rain. Almost as soon as they left the hole in the wall, the door closed behind them. “I didn’t think things would get so complicated…” The fairy commented as Link observed the pendant Kafei gave him. She really thought that Kafei had just fled Clock Town or had a mistress or something, being cursed into being a kid never crossed her mind…

“I didn’t either.” Link replied as he started to make his way back to the inn. “I didn’t think the Skull Kid would be responsible for even more misery like this.”

The fairy silently winced. A part of her felt somewhat guilty for everything the Skull Kid did to others. If she had stopped him from the start, talked him out of attacking the Happy Mask Salesman…none of this would’ve happened! “So, we’re really going to wait until tomorrow, then?” She asked as she rode on Link’s shoulder. “You’re calling the shots on this.”

Link sighed through his nose. Made sense, he forced Tatl to let him do this from the start. “I’ll just do what Kafei wants. I don’t understand these things.” He confessed, feeling guilty about Anju. While he wanted to give her all the details, he figured he shouldn’t, he’d let Kafei fix his own problem.

Tatl couldn’t help but find that amusing and tittered lightly. “Hey, you never know. You’ll probably understand one day.”

What, like getting married? Link didn’t fully understand it, but it didn’t seem like something meant for him, even with Ruto’s desire for it. He just shrugged off her comment as they entered the inn.

Anju was standing at the desk as usual, a look of blatant worry on her face. When she saw Link, her expression brightened. “Oh! You came back! You were gone for so long, I got worried…” She placed her hands over her heart, looking almost terrified as she went on. “…Did you…find Kafei?”

Link wasn’t sure what to say exactly, holding up the pendant to her. “I was told to give you this, that you’d understand what it meant.”

The woman’s eyes widened, and it looked like she wanted to cry, yet it wasn’t from sadness. “His pendant! Oh…!” Anju took it from Link, seeming to have to hold back from snatching it out of his group. “Link, you don’t know what this means to me…! Thank you so much, you’ve done more for me than you think!”

She was truly right about that. Link didn’t understand why the pendant was so important. He was tempted to ask, but she’d probably say he was too young to understand or something. If it was so simple he was sure Kafei would’ve explained it. “What will you do now?” Was what he asked instead.

“I’ll wait. With this pendant, I know Kafei will come for me.” Anju explained, wiping at her eyes and clearly overwhelmed with emotion. “My mother won’t like it, but it’s what I’m going to do.” She took a moment to regain her composure, seeming to have to fight off a smile to look more proper in front of her guest. “As for you, you should leave town. It won’t be so safe here for long…”

Even through the walls and ceiling, Link felt the gaze of the Moon on him. Suppressing a shudder, he nodded. “We’ll leave in time, don’t worry.” Might as well just lie. It’d be easier that way. “I’ll be going back to my room now.”

Anju bowed, gasping a bit as she choked back a light sob. She was right, this meant so much more to her than Link realized. “Yes, of course, have a good rest. And thank you again, I promise I’ll find a way to repay you.”

Rather than argue about repayment, Link just went off to his room without another word. He couldn’t help but feel a bit of satisfaction from such a response, even though he hadn’t fulfilled his end of things. Kafei and Anju weren’t actually reunited, but hopefully tomorrow they would be.

“So, we’ll head back at noon tomorrow, right?” Tatl asked as she watched Link settle onto the bed. She really disliked staying around so close to the Moon falling, its gaze and form so close it was impossible to ignore it like she normally tried to do. “What if Kafei can’t get his mask back?”

“Then we’ll help him do it.” Link said simply. He still held a resentment towards the ‘cursed’ man that he didn’t think he’d be able to let go of any time soon, but he was still going to help.

The fairy shrugged and rested on her pillow. “I thought you’d say that. You’re pretty predictable, Link.” She teased, getting no response as Link lied down and turned towards the wall. Sighing silently, she closed her eyes and soon fell asleep.

Link and Talt simply killed time with little to do until the allotted time. They napped and then went out to dinner, staying in their inn room for the rest of the night. There were murmurs coming from a nearby room, a fight it seemed, and they assumed it was Anju and her mother talking about Kafei and the innkeeper’s plan. Anju was at her desk the following morning, and she seemed almost disappointed to see Link and Tatl who didn’t heed her warning to leave.

At about noon, after some lunch, the pair went to the Laundry Pool. The Moon seemed to glare at them specifically as they went through the near-deserted South Clock Town. When they got to the door to Kafei’s, Link tried the knob and found it was unlocked. Slowly, the two entered the abode and went up the stairs, noting how quiet it was. To their shock, it wasn’t Kafei in the bedroom, but the Curiosity Shop owner!

The man flinched a bit, and then relaxed when he saw who it was. “Hey, I know you guys. Not every day a kid sells off a rock like that!”

“What the heck are you doing in here?” Tatl asked. “Where’s Kafei? You do something with him?”

“What? No!” The store owner replied, openly insulted. “Look, I have a message from him. I don’t know if he told you, but I’ve known him since he was just a kid. Er, I guess when he was just a kid the first time.” He let out a shudder. “Let me tell ya, seeing him as a brat again was kinda creepy. Never saw anything like it! But when I saw him wearing the Keaton Mask, I knew it was him.”

“He hadn’t mentioned any of that.” Link mentioned, not entirely sure how much he trusted the man. He did have that air of untrustworthiness about him.

The man let out a chuckle and shook his head. “I guess he was too wound up in things to remember. There’s even stuff about his situation he didn’t tell me, after all. Didn’t expect him to keep the mask in such good condition for so long, though.” He reached behind him and grabbed something off a box and handed it to Link. “Here, something tells me he’d want you to have it, kid.”

Link took the object, seeing it was the Keaton Mask. Sort of surreal to hold it again, just like with the Mask of Truth. He wasn’t sure why Kafei would want him to have it. “Thank you.” The boy replied anyway.

“So, hey, what was this message from Kafei?” Tatl prodded. “Where the heck is he anyway?”

“Oh, right.” The shop owner said and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a letter with a fancy envelope. “This is a letter to Kafei’s mother, he wanted you to deliver it to her.”

Another letter? Link took it anyway, really wishing he could read. “What does it say?” He tried asking, more comfortable being nosey here than with Anju’s letter.

“What kind of guy do you take me for? I don’t read other people’s mail!” The man scoffed. “As for Kafei, well…it isn’t good. See, I have this regular customer, a thief named Sakon. Now I don’t ask where he gets his stuff, I just buy it. Anyway, Kafei was in the shop last night when Sakon was there, and he got all pale. Before I knew it, he was chasing after the creep. I don’t know where exactly the thief lives, but I think it’s somewhere in Ikana.”

Tatl let out a startled nose. “Ikana?! He actually lives there?! And Kafei went there on his own?!” Just talking about the place sent an intense shiver through her body.

“Yeah, I didn’t really remember that fact until the two of them were gone.” The man replied. “No idea how Kafei’s gonna handle things, I wouldn’t step foot in that area!”

Link put the letter in his bag along with the Keaton Mask. “Thank you for the information. We’ll get the letter delivered.” With a ‘good luck’ from the Curiosity Shop owner, Link and Tatl left the hole in the wall.

“Hey, I don’t think we should go to Ikana, not yet.” Tatl instantly piped up as the door closed behind them. “I know you want to help Kafei, but…Ikana, it’s…” She shuddered. “I think you shouldn’t go there unless you’re totally focused on freeing the Giant. It’s too dangerous to have to look out for Kafei too. At least the first time…” Not like she knew entirely what the place would be like, they had to have a good grasp on it before worrying about Kafei, she thought.

“What about Kafei? If Ikana is as dangerous as you say, he’ll need our help.” Link pointed out. Tatl’s nervousness rubbed off on him a little, she was so terrified of Ikana, it made him worried what it’d really be like.

“If that Sakon guy can live there, Kafei should be fine enough.” Tatl thought for a second if Ikana was truly as dangerous as she thought if someone could live there…but…with all the stories she heard over the years, she couldn’t let go of her paranoia.

Link rubbed one arm as he thought, holding back a sigh. “Okay. I’ll listen to you. I still want to deliver the letter, though. I said I would.” He still disliked Kafei, but he’d still do this favor, he supposed.

“Sure, alright. Just hold back on Ikana for now, okay?” Tatl was willing to go along with any dumb errand if it pushed off the visit to the East for a bit longer.

He really wanted this Anju and Kafei scenario cleared up, but if Tatl was so insistent about Ikana Canyon, he’d follow her advice. “Okay. We’ll wait.”

With that cleared up, the two went over to the mayor’s residence. Above them, the Moon was growing ever closer, its gaze intense and direct. It made the two feel uncomfortable, like the stellar object would suddenly swoop down and devour them.

At the mayor’s residence, there was the buzz of a meeting going on in the office, just like way back when Link and Tatl first heard of Kafei going missing. The receptionist was still there, who stared at Link’s face, notably his eyepatch, before clearing her throat. “Hey there, honey, what can I do for you?”

“I need to talk to the mayor’s wife. Is she in right now?” The boy asked, noticing the woman’s gaze darting to his missing eye every few moments.

“I’m afraid she’s a bit busy, is there a message I can give to her for you?” The receptionist asked.

Link reached into his bag and took the letter out. “I need to give this to her. Can you give it to her for me?” Kafei wanted him to do it, sure, but he doubted that he’d really care who gave it to Madame Aroma.

The woman shook her head. “Oh, I can’t just go around delivering letters like that, honey! That’s the Postman’s job, don’t you know that?” She asked, not unkindly. “And you shouldn’t be delivering it either, unless you wrote it.”

“I didn’t.” Link replied, quickly realizing that was a mistake. “Okay. So, I just give it to the Postman, then?” Too late to wait for tomorrow’s letter pickup. There wouldn’t even be a tomorrow. Thinking of it, was the Postman even still around? He didn’t recall seeing him…

“Exactly, if you’re in a rush. I see it’s Priority Mail, so if you give it to the Postman, he should get to it real quick.” The receptionist explained. “But say, shouldn’t you be heading out of town with your parents?”

“You’re still here, aren’t you?” Link asked, not even thinking before he spoke. Maybe he was just mad at her for staring at his eyepatch.

Rather than get angry, the woman gave a strange little smile, its emotion impossible to read. “I suppose I am. Can’t say I have anyone to leave with, so I don’t know why I’d bother.”

Link wasn’t expecting that response and stuffed the letter back in his bag. “I don’t really have anyone either.” Was all he said as he turned and left the office with Tatl in tow.

The fairy frowned at Link’s statement as they went back outside. She knew what he meant by it and had to wonder if he had any parents. Link mentioned being raised by Kokiri, but did that mean his parents were dead? Did he ever reunite with them? At no point did he ever mention them or say he was an orphan, and she wasn’t feeling brave enough to ask. “I didn’t think you’d mouth off to her like that.” Was what Tatl mentioned instead.

“I didn’t really mean to.” Link said as he started off toward West Clock Town. “I don’t like it when people treat me like I’m a helpless kid.”

It was hard not to pity him on sight, though. At least Tatl thought so. When an adult sees a kid with an injury, of course they’d get gentler with him, especially women. “I understand, but they’re not doing it to be mean, though.”

“I know that, I still don’t like it.” Was all Link could think to say. When they arrived at the Postman’s office, there was a sign on the door that wasn’t there before. “Tatl, what does that say?”

Tatl read the sign and then gave an aggravated sigh. “It says the office is closed until six in the evening. Great, so we still have to wait hours!” She sighed and glanced at the Moon. Even though it wasn’t looking in her direction, she felt its gaze upon her. “You’re sure you want to stay around so late?” As if on cue, the ground trembled, not that she felt it, but she saw Link brace himself.

“I’m sure. We just have to let this letter be delivered, and we can go back again.” Link didn’t like staying so close to the end either. He, too, felt the Moon staring right at him.

“Hey, in the meantime, you’re gonna run an errand for me.” Tatl declared, flying in front of Link’s face. “You’re gonna go to the swamp and get a Red Potion from that hag, okay? You’re not going to Ikana Canyon without one!”

That was a good idea, yes. Link foolishly never took the time to get one before going to the Great Bay and nearly died from it. “Okay, we’ll do that right now.”

With the use of the Goron Mask, getting down to the swamp was easier than before. He just rolled his way South, none of the monsters that’d normally bother him dared to impede a rolling Goron. It pained him to see the purple waters again, feeling his cleansing of the area was just a waste of time. Thankfully, Kotake was still in her shop, and she still mentioned Koume was missing, and gave Link a Red Potion to take to her.

“Let’s just go back now.” Tatl said as Link went down the ladder.

“What about Koume?” He replied, though not feeling like he wanted to help someone that tried to kill him in Hyrule…or at least looked like her…

“What about her? When we go back, she’d just be injured again.” Tatl pointed out. “You’ve let her lie injured there dozens of times, you can’t keep fixating on things you can’t permanently fix.”

“You’ll let me help Anju and Kafei, though.” The boy argued. “I can’t fix that permanently either.”

Tatl huffed. “Yeah, only after I argued you against doing it a dozen times, but you did it anyway. Look, you need that Red Potion, that’s the difference here. I refuse to let you go to Ikana without some backup, okay?”

Link still felt guilty, glancing over at the forested area where Koume was laying injured. Though…this was the third day…was she even still alive? “…Fine. This is the last time I’ll do something like this, though.” In a way, he knew Tatl was right. The monkey was being held prisoner for a crime he didn’t commit, the Goron Elder was frozen if he wasn’t dead, Lulu was missing her eggs, Romani had been taken by Them…he couldn’t save everyone, not all at once.

…Right?

The trip back weighed heavily on Link, and there was still a few hours left until the Postman’s office opened when they got back to the inn. Anju was still at her desk, seeming determined, yet exhausted. Link couldn’t even bear to glance at her, knowing where Kafei had gone, but unwilling to actually tell his fiancé…

In their inn room, the two rested, Link looking over the Keaton Mask as they waited for six o’clock to come. He ran his finger over one of the closed eyes of the mask, trying not to think about how this second mask from Hyrule was also in Termina. And Kafei’s eyes…red, like a Sheikah…was that a coincidence?

Thinking of it, it was almost like the Keaton Mask was Kafei’s true mask, not the one Madame Aroma gave to Link. The yellow object was what the cursed man used to hide his own face from the world. Link could relate to that, even if the circumstances were different. When Kafei returned to normal, he didn’t need the mask anymore. Heck, he already left it behind, it was just a useless object to him.

He felt another surge of anger course through him. How dare Kafei get so lucky with his ‘curse’ like that…it wasn’t fair! Why did he have to look so much like Link too?! Why?! Link nearly threw the Keaton Mask to the floor but stopped himself and just put it in his bag before sleeping uneasily until nearly six.

Tatl woke him up, and the two went back downstairs and saw Anju still at the desk. She still had hope in her eyes, but her energy was lower. Again, Link tried his best not to look at her out of guilt, and she didn’t acknowledge him outside of a small nod. When the pair got to West Clock Town, they saw the sign was still on the Postman’s door. Still, Link tried the knob and found the door unlocked, his other hand clutching the letter to Madame Aroma.

Inside, the office was a mess! Paper was thrown about, one of the clocks was busted against a wall, the sheets on the bed were bundled in a corner…and the Postman himself knelt on the floor. He clutched his head in his hands, groaning as in pain. “The…The schedule…I can’t…!” The man murmured, seeming unaware of Link and Tatl’s presence.

“Hey! What the heck is going on here?!” The fairy demanded, but her words apparently fell on deaf ears, the Postman didn’t acknowledge her.

“I want to flee! I have to! B-But the schedule, I have to follow the schedule!” The Postman exclaimed, his voice cracking as if he was about to break down in tears.

The sight was pitiable, yet almost disgusting to Link. If he was so scared of the Moon, why didn’t he run? Why follow some schedule that only he seemed to care about? At this point, Link felt guilty about wanting to ask him about the letter. Should he still do it…? “If you want to leave, then leave.” The boy said simply. “Don’t let something hold you back if you’re scared.” It wasn’t the Postman’s duty to save Termina, it all fell on Link, just like it always did.

“My schedule…! My…” The Postman moaned, but then stopped as he spotted the letter in Link’s hand. “Th…That!” He swiped it from the boy’s hand in the blink of an eye. “This is Priority Mail! The highest class! Yes, I’ll deliver this right away!” In just that small amount of time, the Postman went through a disturbing transformation. One second, he seemed ready to cry, and then he was entirely stoic and schedule-focused like always.

“But…weren’t you scared just now?!” Tatl exclaimed as the Postman got his bag and put on his hat. “Are you going to leave after this?!”

“No time to talk, I must deliver this! I know just where Madame Aroma would be at this time of night!” The Postman replied, rushing past the two and out the door.

Without really thinking, the pair followed the Postman, too curious to just call it a Cycle after seeing that display. The three went through into East Clock Town, passing through the near-empty South Clock Town. To the surprise of Link and Tatl, the Postman was heading right for the bar!

“Hey, you have a mask that lets you go in there, right?” Tatl asked Link as they grew ever closer to the building. “You want to see how this goes, don’t you?”

Link did, yes, but…he really hated Romani’s Mask. It seemed like he was hating more and more things lately, and that made him feel rotten. He took the cow-like mask from his bag, feeling disgust just from holding it. A symbol of being an adult…what a twisted object it was. What kid actually wanted to grow up?! “…I do, yes.” Was what Link said instead, strapping the mask on his head.

He felt ridiculous.

The boy had never been in a bar, but heard of how they were where adults drank weird drinks that kids weren’t supposed to have. He and Tatl followed the Postman inside, the interior being calmer than Link expected. There was a staircase leading downward into the main bar area. A stage was off on one side and the bar itself taking up most of the rest of the room. There were a few people sitting on stools, sipping at some milk and looking drained. The exception was Madame Aroma, who was a lot more chipper than the rest.

However, Link briefly paused when he saw the bartender. It was Talon…or…no…someone that looked like Talon. His eyes lacked the happy energy that rancher had, and he wore a suit that the real Talon wouldn’t be found dead in, he always wore comfortable overalls. Talon was one of the few men that Link really felt comfortable with, the other being Darunia. Unfortunately, the Goron was always so busy and rarely got to visit, and Link couldn’t bring himself to step foot in Kakariko Village, so he couldn’t visit Goron City. Talon, though, he was very nice to Link and was the only one to make the boy wonder what it’d be like to have a father, if only briefly.

The mustached man who wore Talon’s face gave Link a silent, curt nod as he dried a glass with a cloth. Meanwhile, the Postman went right over to Madame Aroma. Surprised, the large woman turned around and let out a dramatic gasp. “You! What are you still doing here?!” She asked, more shocked than anything.

“I have Priority Mail for you, Postmistress!” The Postman declared, handing Madame Aroma the letter. “I couldn’t let a letter be undelivered! Tomorrow’s delivery is…is still scheduled…” Near the end, his voice cracked, unable to hold in his emotions entirely.

The mayor’s wife took the letter, but didn’t take her eyes off the Postman. “Schedule?! Oh, that blasted schedule of yours! Did you see the sky?! The Moon?! It’s right on top of us!”

“But…But…The schedule…” The Postman weakly argued, though calling his stuttering an argument was rather generous.

Link couldn’t help himself and stepped forward as Madame Aroma sighed and started to glance over her letter. “Don’t you care about your life at all?” The boy asked, flabbergasted at the Postman’s reluctance. How foolish could he be?! Link had an obligation to put himself in danger, but the Postman didn’t! “Your life isn’t worth some letters or a schedule.” His tone was solid, and despite himself, a bit of anger slipped out.

Both adults looked over to Link, apparently just realizing he was there. “He’s quite right, you know.” Madame Aroma said, her mood a bit better and not seeming to mind the eavesdropping. “As for this letter, it’s from Kafei! Oh, a bit of joy, even in the end…!” She then turned to the Postman. “As for you, you schedule obsessed buffoon…! Flee! Get out of Clock Town and to safety, that is a direct order!”

The Postman gulped, but he didn’t argue. In fact, his shoulders slackened a bit as Link and Tatl practically saw his muscles unclench. “Understood.” Was all the Postman said as he turned and made his way out of the bar.

Madame Aroma sighed, then turned back to Link. “Thank you for your assistance. But my, you’re far too young to still be in town, I don’t care what mask you have on!”

Once more, Link couldn’t help himself. He had to know about the letter. “What does the letter say? You said it was from Kafei?” While he wasn’t technically lying, he was still deceitful in his next move as he took Kafei’s Mask from his bag. “You might not remember, but you hired me to find him.”

For a moment, the woman frowned in concentration, muttering something unheard under her breath. “Mmm…My, I must have been out of it, I simply don’t recall meeting you. These last few days have been a blur…but there’s no other way you’d have that mask. I suppose you have a right to know, but my dear Kafei wrote his situation in a letter to me, and I know he’s okay. He can’t see me face-to-face, but…well…it will have to do. As long as he’s happy, I’m fine with it.”

Link nodded, glancing over at the fake Talon, who was eyeing the conversation from afar. It made him uncomfortable seeing someone like him looking so dreary. His gaze snapped back to Madame Aroma. “I’m glad to hear that, I’m sorry I couldn’t bring him to you.”

With a light laugh, the mayor’s wife waved a hand dismissively. “Oh, it’s quite alright! You were on quite a tight schedule. I got to hear from my darling Kafei, and that’s all that matters. Now then, you should leave too. The Moon…well…the end is near; I think you realize that too. You’re not a fool like some people…” She muttered something else, Link and Tatl hearing a brief mention of ‘Mutoh’ in the grumble.

“If you know things are so dangerous, why are you here? Shouldn’t you run?” Link asked, feeling a bit surprised at his own curiosity. He’d been digging into the business of others so much recently.

Madame Aroma wasn’t offended, a sad smile on her face as she picked up her bottle of milk and took a sip. “My husband refuses to leave. He knows the danger, but he insisted on staying if others were going to. I just need a bit of liquid courage and I’ll be joining him.” She took another sip. “As long as Kafei is doing what makes him happy and I’m with my husband…it doesn’t matter what happens, I’ll be satisfied. I have no regrets.”

The boy swallowed heavily, never having given Madame Aroma much thought. He was obsessed with finding Kafei for Anju’s sake, but he entirely forgot his parents. After all, the initial promise to find the man was made to Madame Aroma, not Anju. “I’m glad.” Link actually meant it, though there was a twinge of envy. She didn’t get to see her son, and she clearly knew the Moon was going to kill everyone, but she was still so composed! He wished he could have an outlook like hers, but it was too painful.

Navi was just too important.

“Thank you, dear. Now I mean it, you should gather anyone you still care for and leave. I can’t order you about like the Postman, but I’d really appreciate it if you did that for me.” With that, she turned back to face the bar, sipping more at her milk.

Without another word, Link left the bar, with Tatl right by him. He practically ripped Romani’s Mask off when he got outside, somewhat wondering what a Postmistress and ‘liquid courage’ even meant. By the gate leading towards Ikana Canyon, the Postman was still there!

“What the…? Hey, didn’t the mayor’s wife tell you to get out of here?!” Tatl exclaimed as she and Link approached the schedule-obsessed man.

“I’ll be going, but I wanted to thank you first.” The Postman replied, sounding far less monotone than usual, a heavy relief in his voice. “You handed me that letter and you and the Postmistress helped me realize I needed to leave.”

Link wondered if the Postman realized that he and Tatl overheard him wanting to get out of Clock Town back in his office. The man clearly wanted to run the entire time; he just needed the push. “I didn’t do anything; you could’ve done it all on your own.” The boy pointed out.

The Postman smiled, more jovial than the pair had ever seen him. “Whatever you think is fine with me. I’m free now! I can set my own schedule!” He let out a sigh of relief and took the hat off his head. “Here, I don’t need this anymore. You can have it, young man.”

An odd gift, but Link took it anyway. Before he could give the Postman a word of thanks, the man turned and all but sprinted past the guard and into Termina Field. Link glanced over the hat, the bunny symbol on the front being something he hadn’t noticed before. It reminded him of how the Hyrule version of the Postman wanted the Bunny Hood…a coincidence…?

“You’re getting all sorts of weird stuff today, huh?” Tatl bemused before glancing back at the Moon. “But, uh, hey, can we go back now? The Moon’s getting too close for comfort.”

Link stuffed the Postman’s Hat in his bag. It felt oddly heavy in his hand, as if the weight of its past owner’s responsibility was weighing it down. “Are you ready for Ikana Canyon?” The boy asked as he readied the Ocarina of Time.

“No.” Tatl admitted with a sigh. “We have to go there sooner or later, though. So, we might as well go now.”

The boy looked over at the inn. He wondered if Anju was still there waiting for Kafei. A part of him was tempted to check, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Once again, he failed in his task to reunite the pair…but next time…he swore he’d bring them together again.

With that promise in his heart, Link played the Song of Time and all he managed to accomplish was undone yet again.

Chapter Text

Without wasting a minute, Link went right for East Clock Town as soon as the time travel concluded. He felt a little sick to his stomach, Tatl’s intense fear of Ikana Canyon rubbing off on him. If it was as bad as she said, it’d be the worst area in Termina by far. Speaking of the fairy, she seemed nervous as she floated alongside him, but her tongue was clearly tied, and she said nothing.

As expected, when the two approached the gate to the East, the guard held up a hand. “Hold on there! It’s too dangerous for you to go out this way. Please turn back!”

Link had to hold back rolling his eye as he showed his sword. “It’s okay, I’m armed. I’m not afraid of the field.” It was a minor blessing that Termina Field was a lot safer than Hyrule Field. Images of orange eyes gazing at him in the dark invaded his thoughts for a moment.

However, the guard didn’t step aside like the others always did. “Sword or not, I can’t let you by here, at least not alone.” He glanced at Tatl. “Without an adult, I mean.” This guard seemed a bit more on edge than the other three, something that the boy and fairy hadn’t noticed until this point. In fact, as he spoke, he glanced over his shoulder past the gate a few times, like he expected something to snatch him away.

Figuring it was pointless to argue, Link just nodded. “Okay, I understand. Sorry about that.” He briskly walked back to South Clock Town, glancing over at Tatl. “We’ll just go through another gate, I guess.” He could’ve just transformed away from prying eyes…but a small part of him was delaying things. With how much Tatl talked about Ikana, he was dreading the trip.

“I’m really not surprised he reacted that way.” Tatl mused. “I feel sorry for that guy, being so close to Ikana Canyon all the time.” Especially with his back to it!

With the slight hiccup in their journey, Link went through the gate to the South and just walked along the wall towards Ikana Canyon. He noticed that Tatl seemed uneasy, hovering very close to his face. “Are you sure you’ll be alright? Do you want to hide under my hat?” The boy didn’t even mean it in a mocking way, he was worried Tatl may not be able to handle Ikana Canyon. Goddesses knew he had his own demons he couldn’t face; he wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to step foot in Kakariko Village ever again.

Tatl knew he meant well, and was honestly tempted to take the offer…but she shook her head. “No, it’s fine. I can handle it.” If Link was going to face the accursed land, she would face it with him! No hiding! “Just be prepared for anything, I don’t know what we’ll be dealing with.” The myths were too numerous to count, and who knew which, if any, had any truth to them.

Before long, the two made it to the east gate, keeping quiet so the guard didn’t hear them. The only time they had gotten this close to Ikana was when they helped Cremia with her delivery. Not only were they a bit preoccupied to take much note of the area, but they couldn’t see it all too well either. They had noticed the pillars, but not how creepy they were!

Going from near the gate to the entrance to the canyon itself were numerous stone pillars in two lines. They were adorned with elongated faces, mouths wide open with jagged teeth. Despite how simplistic the carvings were, they still seemed like they were staring right at Link and Tatl. Another thing was just how dead the road to the canyon entrance was. The grassy field giving way made sense, but there seemed to be no grass, weeds, or anything living in the ground. On top of that, the usual sounds they heard in the field, like bird cries, seemed muted and miles away suddenly. Staring at the canyon entrance, the two shivered, and made their way forward, Link having his sword and shield at the ready.

Even the boy’s footfalls felt muted, the dead air around them swallowing up the noise. They felt like if they talked, they wouldn’t even be able to hear each other. That didn’t stop Link from trying, though. “Do you have any idea how big this place is?” He whispered, feeling like it was the smart thing to do, but he couldn’t say why.

“No idea.” Tatl replied, just as softly. Even though they hadn’t even entered the canyon proper, she felt a great unease. Being more attuned with magic and nature than Link, she felt an icy heaviness that he didn’t yet, making her shiver. “Like I said, I’ve never dared to fly over here.”

Link just gave a nod. He recalled how some trips to free the Giants took a long time, and he had a sinking feeling this would be a lengthier process. As they neared the canyon entrance, that cold sensation crept up on him too, despite the morning sun beating down on him. He remembered how warm Gerudo Canyon was, but here he felt like someone dropped some ice in his tunic. The boy felt the need to look over his shoulder, seeing Clock Town…which seemed like it was off on the far horizon. Even as he blinked, it still seemed so very, very far away.

He quickly snapped back to look ahead, figuring it was a bad idea to turn his back on the canyon for long. Nothing there, though. Giving Tatl a glance, as she had landed on his shoulder, he took a breath and walked forward. On either side, the dead rock walls of Ikana towered over the two, as if ready to pounce. The ground remained as dead as before, to the point that not even a shriveled weed was visible. Notably, the two didn’t notice any wildlife at all. No birds flying overhead, no bugs…nothing.

As Link walked on, he made sure he was ready for anything to leap out at him. There were a few turns along the way, and he kept expecting something to leap out at him every time he rounded a corner, but nothing did. After about ten minutes of this, Link broke the silence again. “It doesn’t seem like anything’s out here…” Once again, he felt the need to speak quietly.

“I mean…I’ve heard a lot of stories, but there was never any telling which ones were true.” Tatl reminded him. “It really feels like something is watching us, though. Maybe there are things lurking deeper in…” Of course if she had her way, none of the myths would end up being true, but something told her she wouldn’t be so lucky.

As soon as Tatl finished that sentence, a sound sprang up from behind. Rapid, barefoot footfalls sped towards the two! They sounded human, and they were approaching relentlessly from just a few feet away. Sword ready to swing, Link spun around, and he saw...nothing. There was nothing there, and as soon as he turned, the sound stopped.

The two stared at the empty space in front of them, neither daring to breathe. Link had his shield up, ready for…he didn’t even know what exactly. He glanced around, but nothing was there, not even kicked up dust to imply anyone had been present at all. Link gulped, and had to speak up. “Tatl, tell me you heard that.” He didn’t want to believe he just imagined it!

“I heard it too.” The fairy responded, feeling the same way Link did; she was glad he heard it too. “I don’t know what that was…but I think it’s gone.” Not that she had any way to know, but they couldn’t stay there staring forever.

Slowly, Link took a step back, and then another. Nothing happened. He took a few more…but still nothing happened. Ready to spring back into action, he fully turned around and kept going...yet nothing happened. “Was something like that in the stories you heard?” The boy asked, glancing over his shoulder, fully expecting to hear those footfalls again.

“I heard lots of talk of ghosts and spirits…not specifically those that sprint at you, but…” Tatl trailed off and shivered. There was hardly a cloud in the sky, the sun was coming out fully, yet she was freezing! Not the bitter, biting cold of the North, but an unnatural chill that seemed to stem from deep within her own body. “Not all those stories were specific…like some adults spoke of demons that’d come from here and snatch up naughty kids. I heard another about hungry ghosts that eat flesh, but I don’t know if they’re real or what they’d even look like.” She knew he was looking for some aid, but she had so little to offer.

Link had to hold his frustration back. If it were Navi, she’d have more information for him. Tatl never seemed to know what to expect when Link went into parts unknown. She always had advice for him, she always knew what to say! He then caught himself, realizing that wasn’t fair. He couldn’t just compare the two like that…! “I see. Just watch my back, and I’ll watch in front, okay?”

Tatl felt a bit guilty, wishing she could help more, but she did as asked. She sat on Link’s shoulder, leaning against the back of his neck as she stared behind them. Any second, she expected to see something peer from around the corner, or a specter to appear for a split moment, only to vanish again. As the minutes ticked by, though, nothing actually appeared. After ten minutes, she was about to check on Link, but he lurched forward, seeming to trip on something. “Hey, you alright, Link?!” She exclaimed, taking to the air up above the boy’s head, but only saw Link readying himself.

He spun around again, swinging his sword at empty air, eye wide and his breathing heavy. When he saw nothing was there, he looked up at Tatl. “Did you see anything, Tatl? Something grabbed at my ankle.” There was nothing there, but he knew he felt it! Strangely, it felt like a human’s hand, but he still stepped back a few paces as he desperately tried to see what had gotten hold of him.

The fairy was just as baffled, looking at the empty area, almost wondering if Link was upset at her for not spotting the potential danger. “Link, I really didn’t see anything! Or hear anything…” If this was anywhere else, she’d wonder if he just tripped, but not with Ikana Canyon.

Link held no blame on her, he was just startled, and he was getting tired of these games these spirits were playing on him. He stood his ground for a few moments more…then turned around again. “Let’s just keep moving.” The boy was starting to think the spirits were just messing with him more than trying to hurt him. Link recalled how in the Lost Woods, there were spirits that’d trick outsiders, flashes of light and disembodied voices that lurked between the trees. Even though he was an outsider, he had the special privilege of not having to deal with such interference. The Great Deku Tree, the newly made sprout, and even Saria saw to that.

Tatl perched on Link’s shoulder again as they went on. The walk from that point was mostly uneventful. More than Link, she noticed things around them, but nothing that required them to stop again. Every so often, she saw flickers of shapes in the corner of her eye, and she swore she heard a faint whisper at times. There was no telling if these were in her mind, so she didn’t say anything. A part of her wondered if the spirits did so little because it was daytime…she always heard that ghosts and monsters were more active at night, maybe there was some truth to that.

Not being as attuned to these things, Link didn’t notice most of what Tatl did. He found it noteworthy there didn’t seem to be any monsters, or animals at all, in the canyon thus far. The boy had to wonder if anything living was up ahead, or if he’d only deal with ghosts and the undead. How could anything living survive in such a barren place anyway?

After what felt like a full thirty minutes of walking, the two came across a more wide open space. It was dead like the others, but in front of them was an impasse, a massive wall of rock face they’d have to reach the top of to move forward. There didn’t seem to be any footholds or an alternate way up there as far as they could tell. Link nearly asked Tatl to fly up and take a look, but he stopped himself…he didn’t want to be alone, even if it was just a few seconds. Something told him she felt the same way…

The fairy huffed, hovering near Link’s head as she let out another shiver. As they went further in, she felt increasingly cold! “I didn’t see any alternate paths…there has to be a way up there! That thief that stole Kafei’s wedding mask lives here, so he has to have a home deeper in the canyon…”

“Yee hee hee! That’s right! There is a strange man that lives here!” A shrill voice called from above as the two were talking to each other. Link nearly jumped out of his skin, and Tatl actually let out a short scream as the two looked to see who spoke to them.

It was less of a ‘who’ and more of a ‘what’ as it turned out. The figure was sitting on top of the cliff face, feet dangling over the edge and kicking childishly as it held a long stick in its hand. It was something that Link had seen before in Hyrule, and he wished he had forgotten it. To his surprise, the figure was the Poe Collector, or at least something that looked just like it. Its hunched back, single glowing red eye, and purple cloak were all the same. The only real difference is this one lacked a Triforce on its clothing.

“What the heck are you?!” Tatl blurted out without thinking. She felt like she may have heard of something like this before…! According to the stories at least, a child-eating demon with a single red eye lurked in the canyon…but whether this was it or something similar…who could say?

The figure let out another cackle, waving its stick around in amusement. “My, isn’t that rude!” Even with those words, it didn’t sound offended. “Link, are you going to let Tatl here talk to me like that?”

Link and Tatl felt their blood run cold as it so casually said their names. Had it been watching them, or was it able to read their minds? There was no telling what the thing was, so it could have all sorts of odd powers. After all, it seemed to just appear out of thin air, it definitely not being on the wall mere moments ago.

Deciding not to press the name issue, Link swallowed the lump in his throat and called back up to the figure. “You know about Sakon then? How does he get past here?” No matter where he looked, he saw no obvious path forward.

“I could tell you, yes…” The thing replied, its eye glowing brighter for just a moment. “But where’s the fun in that?! Besides, as you are now, you won’t get very far in even if I do tell you.” Its voice was full of glee, clearly enjoying messing about with the boy and fairy.

“What’s that supposed to mean?!” Tatl demanded…though she did so while partially hiding behind Link’s head. The thing didn’t seem hostile, but no telling what it might do. “Is there something we need to do first?”

Once more, the figure let out a nasty laugh, waving its stick around even more. “Ikana Canyon is a place where spirits wander, amongst other things.” It replied cryptically. “Even before that imp came about, in fact! Either way, it’s not meant for the likes of you, those that still live. You’ll need two masks, those that let you connect with the dead that lurk here.”

Link wasn’t sure he could trust this thing, yet it didn’t seem like it was actually hostile. The fact it took the appearance of something like the Poe Collector just really got under his skin. That figure had been such an enigma that he thought little of in the last two years. “How does Sakon get in, does he have the masks?”

“Oh no, the thief doesn’t go far into the canyon, but I know you will!” The figure sounded very sure of itself, its red eye boring into Link, as if it was reading his mind and soul. “He has a secret passage, but I won’t reveal it, and he covers it up. You’ll just have to trust me!”

“I don’t know why we should!” Tatl exclaimed, still hiding behind Link’s head. Surely if that thing became hostile, he could handle it. “Where are the masks, then, if they’re so important?” Masks that had connections to spirits…it was a first for her, she never heard of anything like that.

The cloaked thing waved its stick around some more, almost like it was preparing to throw it at Link, though it never did so. “Why, one of them is right nearby, in the graveyard! You might not be able to see it, but there’s a turn over there.” It pointed a shriveled, crinkled hand to its right. “Go in there for one of them…and the other, well…it was taken by two men near the ranch. Wicked and petty men!”

Two men by the ranch…that sounded like the Gorman Brothers! Thinking of it, Link recalled the unusual hoods they wore when chasing Cremia during her delivery. Was that what the figure meant? As for the graveyard, just the word sent a nasty sensation through his body, and he instantly thought of Kakariko Graveyard, the visage of a massive red eye taking over his mind for a brief moment.

“Okay. And you promise you’ll let us in if we get them?” Link asked, already wanting to just turn back. He wasn’t sure he could handle a graveyard! His hand gripped his sword so hard his knuckles turned white, and a pain shot up his arm until he loosened his grip. “How will they help us?”

“I’ll let you through…and you’ll have to just find out what they’re for. No fun if I tell you everything, is it? Yee hee hee!” The figure let out another shrieking laugh as it kicked its feet like a hyperactive child.

Tatl leaned in and spoke softly into Link’s ear. “What do you think? Should we go along with it?” The detail of the Gorman Brothers seemed way too specific to be a lie, but…it was just hard to trust something so creepy.

“I think we should do as it says for now.” Link whispered back, though he had a feeling the cycloptic entity could hear him no matter how quietly he spoke. “We should at least go to the…graveyard.” Despite himself, a lump in his throat formed at the final word, which he had to swallow down.

The fairy noticed this, surprised at how openly Link displayed fear, as even that much was something she considered ‘open’ for someone like him. “You’re going to be fine, right? It looks like we don’t have a choice here.” She still spoke quietly, not wanting the robed thing to hear them.

Link really wasn’t sure. He couldn’t even go to the nicer parts of Kakariko Village, let alone the graveyard. The boy knew the memories would come flooding back, and he was terrified of having a breakdown in front of Tatl, it’d be so shameful! “…I think so.” Was all he could say, unable to fully lie, and then he looked back up at the figure up above. “Okay, we’ll do as you say, just remember your promise to us”

“Oh, that almost sounds like a threat!” The unusual individual crowed, sounding more amused than anything. “I won’t forget, and I’ll be waiting right here for you two! Now, go on and get going!” He let out another cackle, waving his stick around manically.

The pair moved away from the creepy figure and moved to where it pointed out the graveyard. Indeed, there was a turn that was hard to see from where they were, and it moved a bit deeper into the canyon before a shoddy, crumbling staircase was seen. It was the first manmade structure the two had laid eyes on since those pillars right outside of Clock Town, so it was almost surprising. Beyond it was more canyon and, presumably, the graveyard.

“I don’t suppose you heard any stories about the graveyard.” Link pressed, hoping to get a bit more information on the place before reaching it. He also may have been trying to delay the inevitable…he was trying to build himself up to enter such a horrid place, and it wasn’t going too well.

“Nothing really specific.” Tatl informed, rubbing the back of her neck and feeling guilty. “Things about the dead rising mostly…except for one thing. Something about this old army commander that’s buried there, and he was gigantic…but I don’t know how true that really is.”

That was less than he was hoping for, but he wasn’t surprised either, except to hear about a giant army commander. How giant were they talking? Like Gabora, that monstrous man from up North? “I see. Just keep an eye out…” Yet even saying that, he remained rooted near the stairs, his heart slamming harshly against his ribs as he tried to make himself move. When he noticed Tatl giving him a worried look, he forced a foot forward as he went up the small staircase.

Going forward, the two went around some bends, the feeling of being watched never fully leaving. After another turn, they found themselves at their destination, and Link felt the blood drain from his face. Before them was the first sign of life, despite the location. Half-dead grass sprawled out in front of them, and a few barren trees. All around, though, were tombstones of various sizes, dozens of them!

Link’s entire body felt like it was dunked in ice, and his mind was flung back two years ago. He heard the screeching of one of those masked creatures beneath the graveyard, their rotting teeth digging into his flesh! The beating of drums, a disgusting red eye staring right through his very soul! Gnashing teeth on the walls, a creature of dark mist, a monster of tongue…!  His lungs burned, he wasn’t even breathing, his frame felt weak as his lone eye stared back through time and into his own world.

Right away, Tatl noticed Link freezing in place, how he didn’t even breathe. The boy may not have realized it, but his face was twisted into a look of fear, eye wide with horror and his mouth agape. The air felt disgusting, but she couldn’t understand why he seemed so terrified. “Link? Link! Hey, snap out of it!”

He blinked a few times, head shaking as he was thrust back into the present. Link’s entire body felt heavy, and he kept hearing the drums in his ears, they just wouldn’t stop. He kept trying to get a full breath, but he just couldn’t! “Tatl. I…” Was all he could choke out, but wasn’t able to say anything further, his body was still like a statue.

“Hey! What’s up, Link?!” Tatl looked, but she saw nothing that’d make him react like this. The sensation in the air shouldn’t have effected a human so badly…just what was going on? “Hey, talk to me, what’s happening?” Yet he didn’t move, not even to look at her.

Link felt so horrible, so embarrassed and pathetic! Nothing had even happened, but he froze up like a scared child! All of this over things that had happened two years ago, but it just wouldn’t leave his head! The drums kept going, and a cold wind seemed to blow over him, his mask shattered entire as he let out a light whimper of fear, his entire frame shaking. “I hate this place…I hate this place…I hate this place…” He kept murmuring, unable to stop himself.

Tatl wasn’t sure what to do, going to Link’s cheek and hugging him the best way she could. “Link, tell me what’s wrong, I can’t help if you don’t talk to me!” The only thing she could think of was that something happened to him in a place like this…it was clear some horrible things happened in his past, was one of those things in a graveyard?

The fairy’s touch and words helped snap Link back into shape, gasping out as he was finally able to get a lungful of air. “…I…I’m okay. I’m fine.” Shakily, he took a single step forward, just so he could tell himself it was some sort of progress. “I’ll be okay, I can keep going.”

“I’m not accepting that anymore.” Tatl suddenly snapped, feeling an intense anger almost out of nowhere. “I’m done with these answers!” Her light nearly went red as she fluttered off of Link’s cheek. “You can’t just keep having these episodes and then brushing me off! I’ve had it! Tell me what just happened, or you can just go on in the graveyard alone!” It was a cruel thing to say, and she regretted the words as soon as she said them, but she was just so frustrated with this! She had truly hoped after the talk about Navi, she’d get more of an insight about Link, but that’s yet to really happen since.

Link was hurt by her words, but he couldn’t blame her for her frustration. He also realized her words were a bluff, he knew she wouldn’t abandon him in a place like this. The boy didn’t want to talk about this…but…bottling it up inside was getting to be so painful. At least with Zelda and the other Sages, he was able to talk about some things about his past quest, but with Tatl, he barely spoke about it at all, and keeping it to himself, started to make him feel like he was rotting from the inside sometimes.

The boy gulped down a lump in his throat and gave a small nod. “Navi and I were in a place like this once.” He felt awkward actually saying these things, and wasn’t able to actually look at Tatl as he spoke. “We went under one of the graves…and…” Link let out a shuddering breath, hoping the fairy would tell him to stop, but she didn’t. “…And…we found something underneath one of the graves…” Even as he spoke about that thing, he heard its paralyzing shriek in his ear, and he wanted to vomit.

Tatl was instantly regretting this. She had no idea why she had gotten so angry in the first place…maybe it was Ikana, the stress of the place had gotten to her. Being a fairy, the air almost seemed like poison to her. “…Link, you can stop there. I think I know where this is going…”

Link didn’t even hear her speak, the shrieks of that undead thing drowning out her words. “We found something. It latched onto me a-and it bit me and…and it kept biting a-and shrieking, and…” It became harder for him to talk, and he felt like he was going to cry as he could feel the rotting teeth digging into his flesh. Gulping heavily, he shuddered and managed to compose himself enough to not break out into tears. “…I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”

The fairy went to Link’s cheek and hugged it again, feeling his heavy breaths as he tried to calm himself down. “I shouldn’t have pried, I’m sorry…” Tatl felt like the worst person in the world at that moment. “…Do you think you’re being a burden when you try and share things like this?” She was trying so hard to understand Link, but he gave her so little to work with at times. After so many weeks together, she still felt she barely knew him.

The dam had already broken a bit, so Link just found himself speaking his mind. “Yes. I don’t want you to hate me and think I’m pathetic.” He didn’t even think, he just talked. “There are things I…I just can’t talk about. They’re so painful and…they make me feel sick just thinking about them.”

Tatl fluttered back and looked at Link’s expression. He had his guard down, and the expression he gave broke her heart. It was like when he talked about Navi for the first time, it was a pleading look as if he was begging for her help, but she had none to offer. As much as she wanted to, she couldn’t fix what was broken in him. It was at this moment that the fairy realized something, the sensation washing over her like a welcome breeze in the horrible place they found themselves in.

She loved him.

Not in a romantic way of course, not at all. It wasn’t even like how she loved Tael. Really, she wasn’t sure how to word it except that it was simply love. She may not know much of his past, but she realized she knew more about him than she realized. Link was devoted and kind, and while she gave him beef for it, it was endearing how much he wanted to help those around him all the time. He was strong, both physically and emotionally, despite what he may think. Tatl knew most people wouldn’t be able to go through half the stuff he did, with the world on his shoulders, and keep themselves from breaking…but he just kept going. Yes, he cried sometimes, but he was a kid. A child. And she loved him, and she wished she could make him happy one day.

Tatl snapped out of her thoughts as Link stared at her expectantly. “You’re not a burden, Link, so don’t think that anymore, okay? I’ve been trying to drag the truth out of you for a reason, you know…it’s because I want to know more.” It seemed so simple to her, so why didn’t he understand?

Link was actually surprised to hear those words. It didn’t change his mind instantly, he still saw himself as a disgusting burden, but Tatl being so nice about it…it was almost strange to him. A paranoid part of him expected her to agree with him. “…Thank you, Tatl. I’ll try to be open…but there are just things I don’t know if I can ever talk about.” As he said this, he tried to put his mask back up, and he wasn’t sure he could fulfill that promise. He knew that, really, his past was none of her business, but he trusted her, and he knew it’d make her happy if he shared…

“Thank you, Link. Now…are you sure you can keep going?” If just entering the graveyard was enough to trigger that reaction, she worried he’d have a full-on breakdown if they kept going.

“I don’t have a choice. I want to keep moving forward.” Link declared, taking a few more deep breaths as he, outwardly, composed himself. Deep inside, he was still at a panic, the shrieking of that masked thing from under the Royal Family Tomb echoing in his skull.

“Never thought I’d get visitors here!” A new voice suddenly belted out. The boy and fairy let out startled yells and turned to see the source. Before them was a deformed monster! Its skin was pale, and it had a hunched back, wielding some sort of a weapon!

Tatl fluttered away, going behind Link again. “What the heck?! Where did that come from?!” She yelled, having been so engrossed in her conversation and thoughts, she didn’t hear anyone approach.

“Hey! Hold on there!” The thing called as Link pointed his sword at it. “My face may be scary, but I'm not a bad guy!” It called, backing away from the boy’s weapon.

Those words instantly calmed Link down, because he had heard them before! Calming down, he got another look at the ‘monster’ and saw it was actually a man! One that was quite familiar to him. “Tatl, wait, this is just a person…” As he said this, he lowered his sword, feeling foolish.

The man let out a sigh of relief, and chortled. “That’s right! I'm Dampé the Gravekeeper!” He introduced, and indeed he looked just like the Dampé that Link was familiar with. The deformed face, the hunched back…and the ‘weapon’ he had was simply a shovel, caked in old dirt.

Tatl peeked out from behind Link, blinking as she took in the sight of the unfortunate looking man. “A…Gravekeeper?! What the heck are you doing here?!” She then realized how obvious the answer would be and corrected herself. “How did you land a job like this?!” Aside from Sakon, she never expected to run into an actual person out here…

“Well, hey, someone had to do it.” Dampé said with a shrug, but apparently got the sense that the answer wasn’t satisfying enough and went on. “Volunteered for this job ages ago. People back in Clock Town leave supplies for me by the gate I get every so often.”

The fairy had never heard of Dampé, or the idea that the town sent someone to Ikana to tend to an old graveyard. She figured the graves here were hundreds upon hundreds of years old. What was even the point? “So…you actually wanted to come out here and look over some old graveyard? Do you know how dangerous Ikana is?!” It just made no sense to her at all!

“People never liked looking at me. Figured this was a better option. Heck, I like the peace and quiet…and ya know, during the day, things ain’t so bad.” Dampé said with another shrug. “Sometimes I hear something or see something out of the corner of my eye…but it’s only at night that things get bad.” He said the last part in a whisper, fear sneaking into his oddly casual tone.

Link was about as perplexed as Tatl. Graveyards were already weird to him, the concept of burying the dead didn’t exist to the Kokiri. The idea that someone tended to it was stranger, and then the concept of going into a supposedly haunted region to tend to one all alone was…just baffling. Still, the last bit of what Dampé said intrigued him. “What happens at night? How bad is it?”

“Well…” Dampé murmured, shifting from one foot to the next. He glanced up at the sky, as if he was expecting sunset to already be approaching even though it was early morning. “That’s when those buried here crawl from their graves!” The man let out a shudder, gesturing to the area as a whole. “All over the place, walking bones and specters…they come out every single night! If I stay inside, they don’t bother me, but I can hear them sometimes…”

The pair believed Dampé, of course. That sounded like something that’d happen in this part of Termina. It almost felt like it was something that’d happen any second, even with the sun shining. Or at least, it’s glowing mildly, the clouds above Ikana muddying the sunlight. “Alright, so have you heard of an important mask buried here? Something related to the dead?” Link asked, figuring he might as well check. Not like there was anyone else to ask.

“Ah, so that’s why you’re here, eh? Treasure hunters!” Dampé seemed both amused and surprised. “Never thought a kid and a fairy would be brave enough to come here otherwise. I can’t let you go around digging up these graves, but I will tell you an old story I heard…”

Link had no intention of going underneath any of these graves, not after the things he went through in Hyrule. “Anything might help.” He insisted, hoping Dampé had the answers they needed.

“There’s a lot of soldiers buried here.” Dampé began, once more gesturing to the graveyard as a whole. “The usual, faceless masses along with many army leaders. One of them was Skull Keeta! Captain Skull Keeta! He was a giant, bigger than Gorons even! They say he was able to command his army with a special mask, and he wore the skulls of his opponents as a necklace, hence the name ‘Skull’ Keeta.”

Tatl made a light gagging sound. “Jeez, that’s horrible!” Why did he have to mention the skull thing? She had to wonder why there was even a giant marching around at all. The fairy had never heard of giant humans before, that one freak at the smithy being the only exception. Maybe that was just common in Ikana…a lot of its past was shrouded in mystery. “So, where is he buried?”

Dampé pointed onward, using his shovel to do so. There was a path further along, the way partially blocked by some fences and dead trees. “You’ll find him over there, you can’t miss him! Just don’t mess with his resting place, you don’t want to upset the spirits!”

“How have you stayed safe for so long?” Tatl couldn’t help but press. “Do the spirits really come out during the day? The dangerous ones?” She remembered those footsteps she and Link heard, and the way he was grabbed by something not long after.

The gravekeeper shrugged, seeming oddly casual about everything. “They don’t really bother me. Maybe with my face, they think I’m a monster!” He belted out in laughter, even slapping his knee. “But hey, you two should be careful. Don’t stick around after dark, you hear?” Even as he said this, he began to continue his patrol, marching along the dead earth, his shovel slung over his shoulder.

“We won’t, we promise.” Link assured while Dampé was still in earshot. The talk was a nice distraction from his minor meltdown, and he felt composed enough to keep going. Tatl stuck by him, perched on his shoulder as they went along the only path forward. They had no idea what to expect, and when they rounded the corner, they stopped and stared.

Before them there was another open space filled with tombstones. Further along, though, was a baffling sight. A wall of sorts was built into the canyon rock face, and there was a building attached with a single door. Clearly, that’s where Dampé lived. However, the wall had an archway, and in that archway was the largest skeleton the two had ever seen!

It was humanoid in nature, but the size was just unreal. Even in his Goron form, Link would’ve been dwarfed by the entity’s skull alone. The skeleton was lying on its stomach, its entire body not even visible. If the two had to wager a guess, though, they figured the skeleton was taller than the Stock Pot Inn. 

One thing that Link noticed, to his horror, was that the massive skeleton was eerily similar to a Stalchild. Right away, his mind’s eye saw a black void, orange and glowing eyes dotting it as they closed in…! This time, he kept himself composed. He was not going to freak out again! Still, he was unable to suppress a shudder, but he was sure Tatl wouldn’t think that was unusual given the ungodly corpse in front of them.

“I know…it’s creepy…” Tatl murmured, staring at the skeleton. “When Dampé said Skull Keeta was a giant, he really wasn’t kidding.” She looked the bones over, and noticed there was an odd thing perched on the skull, a sort of hat with bones attached. An ancient ribcage, with arms stuck to it, it was a grizzly thing to see, and she let out a shudder of her own.

“Dampé said it only comes alive at night.” Link noted, and he was going to assume the man’s testimony was accurate. “I don’t think we’ll know where the mask is without waking that thing up.” As much as he’d like to just take it and run, that didn’t seem to be an option.

Tatl sighed. “I had a feeling you’d say that.” That’d just be too easy for them! “I don’t want to just stick around here all day, though.”

“I think we should get the other mask first, the one the Gorman Brothers have. We can come back here at night.” Link wasn’t about to spend all day in the graveyard either. Just the few minutes he had been there was stressing him out immensely. Spending hours and hours there would drive him into a panic!

“You won’t get an argument from me! The quicker we get out of this place, the better!” Tatl exclaimed, having to resist the urge to just fly back to Termina Field in that instant. Spending this much time in the area was making her feel sick. “It’s probably those creepy hoods they were wearing when they tried to rob the milk delivery.”

Link started on his way out of the graveyard and did his best not to look at the tombstones. “That’s what I thought too. I just wonder how they got something like that.” The Gorman Brothers didn’t seem particularly competent or brave…the idea they went into Ikana Canyon and stole something valuable was unusual to him. Maybe the hoods just weren’t very well guarded…but why would they want the hoods to begin with? He couldn’t help but be curious.

The two passed by Dampé, who gave a friendly wave as they went out of the graveyard proper. On the trip out of the canyon, they rushed, Link nearly at a jog as Tatl kept an eye on anything that may come from behind him. The two of them both swore they heard whispers, and at one point even rocks shifting, but nothing was spotted. When they got back into Termina Field, it was like a breath of fresh air as the world around them felt normal again, even with the creepy pillars standing at attention in front of them.

“What if they don’t give you the mask?” Tatl asked after taking in a few breaths of fresh air. The nausea she had been feeling got better with every second they were out of that horrid place. “They’re pretty scummy, so they’re not going to just part with it.” She almost suggested he just turn into a Goron and take it by force, but she knew he’d never go for it.

He…hadn’t thought of that. Humming in thought, he recalled how things were back in Hyrule with Ingo. Yes, these men weren’t actually Ingo, but they weren’t far off with how he was in that darker timeline. Link remembered challenging Ingo to a race for Epona, and the corrupted man agreed to it. If the Gorman Brothers were similar enough to Ingo, they’d go for the same bait. “I think I have an idea on what to try.” Link said after a moment. “I don’t know if it will work or not, just let me do the talking.”

That was a bit surprising, Link never wanted to do all the talking. “Alright, it’s your call.” The fairy said with a shrug, wondering what he’d do. Maybe he was just going to buy it off of them? That might not even work, though, if the brothers went through a lot of trouble to get such a cursed looking mask.

Before long, the boy and fairy were on Milk Road, and Link felt a sense of guilt, knowing he had no need to visit the ranch and help Romani and Cremia. Romani would be taken by Them and Cremia would be devastated. At the very least, the path to the Gorman Brother’s property wasn’t far enough into Milk Road so he had to look at the large boulder blocking off Romani Ranch.

Compared to Romani Ranch, the Gorman Brother’s slice of land was hardly ideal. The entry area was devoid of grass, and was essentially two small buildings with a stable holding some horses in them. Just beyond this small square of dirt was a fenced off pathway that looked far livelier. Aside from that, the only pleasant sight was a bucket of carrots near one of the buildings. Standing by, pitchforks in hand, were the two brothers, scowling at the visitors.

One of the brothers spat on the ground and pointed a dirty finger at Link. “What’s a brat like you doing here? You get lost or something?”

“Wow, they sure are friendly, aren’t they?” Tatl whispered under her breath with a roll of the eyes. If it wasn’t for Link insisting on doing the talking, she would’ve given the man a piece of her mind. Didn’t want to tick him off, though, and risk the chance to get the mask they needed.

“I’m not lost. I heard you found something interesting in Ikana.” Link said, getting right to the point. He wasn’t scared of the brothers, though he remembered when Ingo pulled a knife on him when he had no weapons to defend himself with. Somehow that corrupted rancher caught him in a more vulnerable state than any monster in Hyrule…

The second brother squinted his eyes at Link, and took a step forward like he was trying to intimidate him. “And what if we did? What then?” His tone of voice made it clear that things would get ugly if Link said the wrong thing. He even raised his pitchfork a bit, like he was ready to run it through the boy.

“I want it.” Link replied bluntly, staring right into the second brother’s eyes. “I need it, and I want you to give it to me.” He knew they wouldn’t go for it, but it was a part of his plan.

“Wait, that’s what you had in mind? Just demanding it?” Tatl hissed in Link’s ear. No way that was going to work! She was about to speak up properly, but the two brothers broke out into laughter before she could.

With a guffaw, the first brother slapped himself on the knee. “And why would we do that?! You think we’d give something valuable to some kid because he wants it?! We wouldn’t give it to you if you paid us!”

Link expected a response like this. He remembered how Navi got Ingo to agree to the race before. “We’ll have a horse race for it.” The child insisted. “If I win, I get the item from Ikana. If you win, you get everything I have.” It worked with Ingo, so surely it would work with his lookalikes…

That quickly stopped the laughter, the two brothers glancing at each other with curious eyes. They then turned back to Link. “Really now? You’ll really make a wager like that?” One of them asked, looking Link over, more specifically all the gear he had. “Thinking about it…ya got a lot of stuff on ya…”

“If you don’t think you can beat me, then I’ll just leave.” Link responded, remembering how Navi goaded Ingo and challenged his ego. Even now, Navi was helping him…if this worked, that was…

Once more, the atmosphere changed, the brows of the brothers furrowing as they sneered openly again. “What?! You think you can beat us that easily huh?! Okay, fine! One race! You beat the both of us, we’ll give you one of those hoods we stole. We win, you leave all your stuff behind and get!”

Tatl was impressed, it wasn’t like Link to be so, well, forward. He played the men like a fiddle. “That was good, Link!” A far cry from the boy that couldn’t even haggle with the Curiosity Shop guy. She had to assume he wouldn’t actually hold up his end of the deal if he lost. A simple time reset would wipe the brothers’ memories, after all…

“It’s a deal. Where are the horses?” Link asked, not actually seeing them around, but of course he knew they had at least two of them. While he rode about on Epona a bit as she got bigger, it wasn’t since his race with Ingo that he really tried to ride her fast or do anything but just move around the ranch slowly. He hoped the two of them, in their smaller bodies, could actually win…

One of the brothers scoffed. “What do we look like, a charity?! We only have two horses! Even if we had more, you wouldn’t get to use them! Go get your own, and then come back!”

“You really wasted our time when you didn’t even have a horse?!” The other brother demanded as he spat on the ground.

Tatl couldn’t help but speak up after that. “We didn’t know! We have a horse we can get, alright?!” It was either Epona or nothing, and she knew that.

“That’s right. I have a horse I can get. The deal will still be good, won’t it?” Link hoped for an adult horse…could Epona really beat two grown ones? If the race didn’t go well, he feared he’d have to take the hoods by force, and he really didn’t want to do that…

“Feh! Whatever, alright!” One of the Gorman Brothers exclaimed. “You better get back fast, before we change our minds! Now get off our property!”

Link and Tatl said nothing, wanting to get away from the two as quickly as possible. As they went back to Clock Town, the fairy had to voice her concerns. “You think Epona can go against those two? She’s so young…” She had to wonder how Link knew that plan of his would work, but she’d ask later if she remembered.

“There’s not any other choice. Just have to believe in her.” Link replied, really wishing he didn’t have to face Romani again…

The two made their quick trip to the Bomb Shop to get a Powder Keg, returning to the boulder and blowing it up. At the ranch, Romani was already out and about, and Link got her to hand Epona over to him quickly. It was a quick and blunt trip, Romani barely getting to say much and not even getting to mention Them before Link and Tatl left, the boy riding on his trusted friend.

As they got back to the other ranch, the atmosphere shifted from what it was when they left. Rather than annoyed, the two brothers broke into another fit of laughter. One of them pointed at Epona, giving a cruel chortle as he did so. “And what the heck is that? Was that filly born yesterday?!”

“How the heck are you going to win with that?!” The other called, almost hollering with laughter along with his brother.

It was Tatl that spoke up this time, getting sick of these two! “What’s the problem?! Scared you’ll lose to a horse like this?!” Maybe it was because she knew how much Link cared about Epona…but seeing them laugh at her just riled the fairy up.

Yet again, the mood changed amongst the brothers, who quickly got just as mad as Tatl. One of them sneered at the fairy. “Shut it, you! Fine, the filly can race! Just don’t go whine if you two lose all your things! No backing out!”

Link really had no idea what this was going to turn out like. If he lost this time…he’d just go back and try some other method. Maybe he could pay for the mask if needed. Though if that didn’t work…force may be the only option…! “Okay, I won’t go back on my word.” He disliked lying, but with how awful the brothers were, he wasn’t too beat up about it.

Now cockier than ever, the brothers nodded as one of them opened up the gate to the racetrack. “Alright then, brat. You wait here, and we’ll get our horses ready.” Without waiting for a response, the two walked off and out of sight.

“You sure this is a good idea? I mean I’m sure Epona is fast, but…” Tatl started and then trailed off for a moment. “…I mean, is she fast enough for this?” The filly did run pretty fast in the Lost Woods, but she was also terrified…and also, the fairy was sure a fully grown horse would’ve gone far faster.

“Like I said, I don’t have another option. If I lose, I’ll figure something out.” Link responded, though he also had his doubts. Epona was a force to be reckoned with when she was fully grown, but at this stage in her life…it may not be enough.

Before long, the Gorman Brothers returned, horses in tow. The animals seemed like they seemed better days. Link and Tatl hadn’t gotten a good look at them in the darkness of night during the robbery, but in the day, it was clear they weren’t well cared for. The horses both seemed a bit on the older side, grey in color, and they were skinny too. Not so much their ribs showed, sure, but they were teetering on the edge for sure.

“Alright, we’ll start right by the gate. One trip around the track, and that’s it.” One of the brothers said. “Also, your stuff stays here. Don’t want you riding off with it all if you lose!”

Just like Ingo. The similarities really were uncanny. Link knew it was better than to argue, so he put his gear against one of the nearby buildings…except the Ocarina of Time. “Can I keep my Ocarina on me? It’s special to me.” He hoped if he played the Song of Time, all his gear would return to him even if it wasn’t on his person…if it came to that, of course.

One of the brothers glanced at the instrument and shrugged. “Whatever. Sure. Thing looks cheap anyway. Even if you run off with it, we won’t care!” The other brother nodded along, almost like they had the exact same thoughts. “Now let’s hurry up and start! One lap and that’s it, remember?”

Link urged Epona forward as the two men climbed on their horses, the three of them lining up by the fence. The boy was in the middle, with the brothers on either side of him. “Oh, and you!” One of the brothers said as he pointed at Tatl. “If you interfere at all, the kid loses automatically!”

Tatl scoffed and crossed her arms. “I know that! I wouldn’t do anything dumb like sabotaging the race!” It was pretty tempting, though!

As the three racers got all lined up, one of the brothers snickered as he got ready. “Ya ready, kid? Three…two…one…!” Mirroring Ingo yet again, he and his sibling raised their hands up, yelling out at the same time as they brought their hands down on the flanks of their poor horses, slapping them into a start!

The boy was ready for it this time and urged Epona forward just as the two brothers spec forward, robbing them of their early lead. It was harder to hang on and remain in full control on Epona without a saddle or reigns, but he’d just have to deal with it! The filly galloped as hard as she could, and was actually managing to stay in pace with her two opponents. It seemed the adult horses were worse for wear than they looked to be so slow.

Tatl, meanwhile, flew overhead to get a look at the track. It was basically just a big circle, with rock face acting as walls. From how fast the three horses were going, she figured the race would only last a minute or two for just one lap. She wished she could help somehow, but there was truly nothing she could do without cheating. Flying back down, she hovered a half dozen feet about the race, easily keeping along with it.

As Link rode, he saw the two brothers weren’t happy with Epona’s pace. They snarled at him, swatting at their horses more and more, hurting the poor beasts as they galloped onward. Link just tightened his legs around Epona a bit more, letting out the occasional “Hyah!” to get her moving more. Any time one of the three gained the lead, someone else would quickly overtake them, and this happened time and time again.

This lack of a solid lead just frustrated the Gorman Brothers more, who kept slapping and shouting at their poor horses to make them move forward. This was halfway along the track, the two men both getting in front of Link and Epona! At this point, the three came across a rocky part of the area, which one of the brothers veered towards on purpose. He looked back with a sneer as small rocks started to get kicked back at Link and Epona, which mostly missed entirely.

However, that same brother spotted a larger rock and went towards it, managing to time it so the rock was kicked off, and went right for Epona’s head! Thinking quickly, Link urged his horse to lower her head. When she did, he had no time to do anything else, and the rock slammed onto the right side of his forehead. For a minute, he saw white, and his head spun, Link barely aware of what was even going on. Then just as fast, he recovered, managing to stay on Epona as he felt blood running down his face.

Tatl let out a startled noise at what happened, flying down to Link’s ear. “Hey, you okay?! That was dirty! He did that on purpose!” The fairy had half a mind to spook the man’s horse and knock him to the ground! She knew it’d cost Link the race, though…

Link didn’t say anything, putting all his concentration on the race, urging Epona forward and around the turn. Without reigns, it was difficult, but he was able to lean and slightly pull at her mane to direct the filly. His head was pounding horribly, but he had gone through worse, and kept at the race. Despite the cheating, Link quickly found himself in the lead again.

Unlike before, the brothers’ horses were apparently too exhausted and sickly to keep up with the filly anymore and they lagged behind. All the while, Tatl kept by Link’s side, worrying he’d pass out or fall off his horse. Blood was all the way down his face and dripping off his chin, but he ignore it! One of the brothers yelled something, and the boy and fairy saw something fly by them, what looked like an empty bottle, but it didn’t interfere with Epona’s galloping!

Indeed, it was the filly that crossed the finish line, a good couple of seconds in front of the two brothers! Link had won the race! The boy maneuvered Epona back out of the track and into the main area of the ranch. His headache was splitting, and he nearly fell over as he got off his horse. “Tatl…I think I’ll be okay…” He said with a wince as he started to gather his things, seeing as the furious Gorman Brothers got back into the main area too.

Before the fairy could respond, the brothers dismounted their horses, practically shaking in anger. “You! How…How did you win?! You must have cheated somehow!” One of them yelled, the one that sent the rock at Link.

Tatl’s light went red, and she darted over to the man in an instant. “Link cheated?! I saw that bit with the rock and that bottle too! You’ve got some nerve to accuse him of cheating!” Before she could stop herself, she rammed into the man’s eye, making him cover it as he howled in pain.

“Hey! Easy on my brother!” The other man yelled, glaring at the fairy, and then at Link. “…Fine…Whatever, you won! You, go get the hood!” He demanded of his brother, who gave him a questioning look, but he did as asked as he grumbled to himself and entered one of the buildings.

Link, meanwhile, was helping himself to one of the carrots, feeding it to Epona as all his gear was gathered up. His head was throbbing, but he had dealt with much worse pain, he wasn’t going to waste any of his Red Potion on such a wound. The bleeding had already slowed, and he knew he’d be fine. “You could’ve hurt my horse.” He reminded the remaining brother, who seemed upset over the carrot. “You owe me this.” The boy was giving the man an icy glare, which seemed to put him off a bit.

At that moment, the other brother stormed out of the building, throwing a dirty brown hood at Link. “There! Just the one! Now get out of here and don’t show your face near us again!” He snarled, flinching a bit as Tatl hovered near him.

The boy looked over the hood, it at least seeming to be the same kind the brothers wore. Hard to tell for sure since it was so dark during their robbery. It smelled like dirt and a bit of rot, dark brown with a strange pattern along the front. The hood seemed eerie enough to belong to Ikana, so Link decided to trust them. “Thank you. You won’t see us around again.” He promised, walking Epona out of the ranch, Tatl following behind.

As they got back onto Milk Road, Tatl fluttered by Link’s head. “Hey, you sure you’re okay? That was a nasty hit to the head!” It was disturbing to see blood running down the face of a child, especially with how stoic he was about it…

“I’ll be okay. We have time to rest anyway.” Link said, as he urged Epona onward towards Romani Ranch. He hoped the girls would take her back in. “Dampé said the dead don’t rise until night, so we can stay in Clock Town until then.” Too late to get a room, but anywhere was better than hanging around that graveyard until the sun set.

“Oh, yeah, that’s right! Alright, let’s get going. You should probably wipe that blood off your face, though, it’ll freak people out…” A kid walking around covered in blood would make anyone in town worry.

Link just nodded as he started the walk back to Clock Town, looking forward to a rest before going back to Ikana…just the thought of it filled him with dread…

Chapter Text

Link winced as his head throbbed, feeling the spilled blood from earlier drying on his face. It was almost ironic that the two times he raced someone like Ingo, there was an attempt on his life. First with a dagger, then with a large rock to the head. He briskly walked past the guard of South Clock Town, holding his head down so the wound wasn’t obvious, Link didn’t want any adults stopping him to see if he was okay.

With Tatl in tow, the boy quickly made his way to the Laundry Pool, kneeling by the water as he washed off the dried blood. The boy was thorough, wanting to make sure no one noticed his injury and stopped him to try and help.

He paused as he gazed into the water, it being clear enough so he could see his own reflection. Link tried not to look in mirrors, and the sight before him was just another reminder as to why. A young boy on the cusp of becoming a teenager stared back at him, his single eye so lifeless it might as well be a corpse’s. Exhaustion was written on every inch of his face, especially the horrible shadows from a lack of proper sleep. Every part of the reflection disgusted Link, who held back the urge to slap the water and destroy the visage before him.

While he was there, Link eyed the Stray Fairy, realizing he could use it. Link quickly collected it and went with Tatl to North Clock Town and repaired the Great Fairy, who healed Link’s wound and agreed to let him and Tatl sleep in the fountain later on.

“Pretty clever. That Goron probably took our room by now.” Tatl mused as she and Link left the cave. “Or I guess…he has his own room, we just always steal from him.”

That fact was something Link had nearly forgotten by this point. He was so used to going into the inn and sleeping there that the Goron he kept forcing to sleep outside had left his mind. Now he just felt bad about it all over again, but at least the Goron had this Cycle to actually have a proper room…

For the rest of the day, there was little for the pair to do. They got some food and Link made sure he was fully stocked on arrows but aside from that, they sort of just wandered around aimlessly. There was a hanging dread over their heads, almost feeling tainted by their visit to Ikana, like a bit of the evil there had clung to them somehow. When they were in East Clock Town, they felt eyes on the back of their heads that had no source. There was no telling if it was just their imaginations, or something truly followed them back. Either way, aside from the unsettling sensation, nothing actually happened. Surely if something evil had clung to them, the Great Fairy would’ve done something about it or at least mentioned it…

When it was late afternoon, the two went back to the Great Fairy’s Fountain to sleep. The two found themselves positioned closer to the sparkling waters of the fountain than they were the last time they slept in the cave so long ago. It made them feel safer, especially as the sun went lower and the shadows grew longer, the dark edges seeming to resemble fingers…

The two slept until an hour after sundown but remained in the fountain for a good ten extra minutes, neither of them wanting to go back East. Going there during the day was unsettling enough…what spirits would be about once the sun fell? They eventually got up and moved, though and left through the nearby gate, looping around the outer wall of Clock Town towards Ikana.

Despite starting at the North with a cursed, eternal winter, Link and Tatl felt themselves grow colder the further from the mountains they got. It wasn’t like this when they made that delivery with Cremia…surely it was all in their heads! Even though they didn’t encounter much during their trip, it somehow shook them to their cores. This is why they started to think something may have gone back into Clock Town with them…

As the pair got near the pillars leading to Ikana Canyon, they stopped in their tracks. Link got his sword and shield ready, using his weapon to point ahead. “Tatl, do you know what those things are?”

Lights danced between the Clock Town gate and the entrance to Ikana Canyon. Purple flames floated a few feet off the ground, five clusters of these flames, each one about as large as Link himself. As the two looked closer, they saw the fires weren’t empty, no. Inside of them were humanoid skulls, small and batlike wings attached to their skulls and allowing them to fly about. The unusual entities had yet to notice the two and seemed to be wandering aimlessly.

“I…have no idea what the heck those things are. I’ve never seen anything like them before.” Tatl admitted, flying a bit higher to get a good look at things. Aside from the five…whatever those things were…she didn’t spot anything else that looked dangerous. “I don’t see anything else.” She reported as she floated back down to Link. “Just keep outside the pillars, we’ll just give those things a wide berth.” The fairy had to wonder if those things could wander too far from Ikana. After all, there was little stopping them from entering Clock Town…

Cautiously, Link did as Tatl suggested. Remaining on the outside of the eerie pillars, he moved closer to the entrance of Ikana Canyon. All the while, his and Tatl’s eyes were glued to the unusual, flaming skulls that seemed to mindlessly move about. If there was any pattern or logic to where and how the spirits moved, it was lost on the boy and fairy. The closer the two got to Ikana, the colder and sicker they felt, Tatl especially feeling like she was going to vomit. It was all so much worse than in the day!

Thankfully, the unusual dark entities didn’t notice Link and Tatl, not even as they went on the path to Ikana proper and went past the entrance into the territory. With nothing but the stars and Tatl to light the way, the path ahead was all but pitch black. The fairy did her best to be a guiding light for Link, but she also didn’t want to wander too far ahead, so he was only able to see a handful of feet in front of him. The boy kept glancing about, trying to see if anything might come for him…and he dreaded the idea of an invisible force grabbing at him again. Or worse, what if something unseen actually hurt him? Maybe the spirits were more active and dangerous in the night!

Things were as silent as the grave. Link and Tatl barely dared to even breathe loudly, the boy even scared to let his footfalls grow too loud. He accidentally kicked a small pebble, and the resulting noise nearly gave the two heart attacks as they stopped in place. Quickly realizing it was just a rock, they went on, not exchanging any words. Their eyes and ears were on full alert, both of them expecting to see or hear something dangerous or just plain terrifying at any given moment.

The pair stopped in place again as laughter rang out from the darkness in front of them, Tatl even letting out a small scream. The laugh was that of a child’s, one younger than Link, and seeming to come from a few feet away. When the two stayed still in silence, more laughter started to ring out, multiple voices cackling into the dark sky above. Tatl panicked and flew ahead, Link chasing after her, his shield raised just in case.

As Link ran, the laughs seemed to echo in his ears, and he felt hands touching him. One pulled at his hair, and another at the back of his tunic’s neck. Another hand gripped his ankle, nearly making him fall flat on his face! Luckily, he managed to stay on his feet and wrenched free from the grasp as he kept running, relying on Tatl’s light to see his way.

While the two kept going for a while, never slowing down, they outran the laughter after a few minutes. Yet they still rushed ahead, but then quickly realized they should’ve reached the area with that creepy cyclops. There had only been one path before, so it wasn’t like they made a run turn or something. Still, they knew they should’ve reached that large, open space, yet they were still in a narrow valley!

Rushing on, it was five minutes past when they should have gotten to the larger area, and yet they still hadn’t! Neither of them mentioned it, both of them too nervous to do so. Just as Tatl was about to finally say something about it when they entered the clearing. Only then did they finally stop, both panting heavily as they looked around, making sure they were in the right spot. Looking up, they saw the glowing red eye of their disturbing friend, who cackled out into the darkness, Link gasping out from the sudden and horrid noise.

Link took a breath, shaking a bit as he looked over at Talt. “It wasn’t my imagination, right? It took longer than it should have to get here…” Especially since the two rushed this time, having gone slowly on their first trip.

Tatl scowled at the cyclops for being so creepy, then looked over at Link. “I felt it too. I don’t know if this place is toying with us or what…” She supposed she should be grateful they reached the clearing at all. If the canyon really was shifting around them, they could’ve just as easily never got this far and just kept traveling all night…

“I don’t want to think about it.” Link admitted, suppressing a shudder as he walked towards the graveyard, Tatl once more lighting his way. As the two drew nearer, a sense of dread filled him, hoping he could handle what was to come. Climbing the stairs, he gripped his sword hard and had his shield ready.

The two stopped once more as they neared the graveyard entrance and peered around its corner. Off, into the graveyard itself, was light. Not just any light, but fire, multiple campfires were burning in the hallowed grounds. The two drew nearer, still staying mostly out of sight, as they took a closer look at these fires. Tatl gasped out, and Link felt like he was going to throw up at what they saw.

All around the campfires were Stalchildren! Skeletal beings with glowing orange eyes were sitting about these fires. Strangely, they didn’t seem to be doing anything particularly imposing or terrifying. It seemed like they were chattering amongst themselves, and one was even swinging idly from a tree branch. Another pair of the undead were off near another campfire, seeming to be playing a game about guessing the amount of fingers the other was holding behind their back. The losing guesser got a slap to the face, the skulls rattling as they were struck. Amongst the Stalchildren were glowing orbs, formless spirits that seemed to be partaking in the nighttime romp.

While the Stalchildren weren’t doing anything especially bad, Link still felt sick. In his mind’s eye, he just saw a sea of glowing orange orbs coming from the darkness and surrounding him. He felt the memory of a skeletal hand grabbing at his leg, digging its rotten nails into his flesh! Link heard them burrowing out of the ground, raspy breaths and chattering teeth filling the night air as they set their dead sights on him, wanting to tear his flesh from his bones.

It took Link a few moments to realize he wasn’t breathing, taking a big breath as he tried to swallow his fear away. The various Stalchildren didn’t notice the pair, though he noticed Tatl’s light dimming a bit as she tried to make her presence less obvious. Link had to wonder just how well Stalchildren could see in the dark given the ones in Hyrule Field chased him with little issue. Were they safe outside the lights of the campfires? He noticed that the outer areas of the graveyard were still fairly dark and may let him sneak by. On the other hand, he was sure his Goron form could dispatch all the skeletal monsters easily. However…he still felt afraid of them, and wanted to avoid them as best as he could…

“How do you want to do this?” Tatl whispered, having the same thoughts as Link. They could hug the outer walls of the graveyard, or Link could go Goron mode and destroy the skeletons. Those orb-like spirits worried her, though. What if they couldn’t be fought off and were actually very dangerous? Giving away their position would just be stupid in that case. “I think we should try and sneak by. I don’t know what those odd orbs can do. You might not be able to fight them.” They certainly weren’t fairies, that much she could tell…

Link nodded, his hand holding so tightly to the grip of his sword that his palm started to ache. Terror filled him, and he was using all his energy to stay together. His leg throbbed as he felt skeletal claws digging into his flesh from two years ago. He blinked a few times, composing himself and nodded again without realizing. “I think we should too.” The boy hadn’t even considered the orbs were dangerous. Small spirits of light like that were harmless within the Lost Woods, he even recalled seeing a few, and none had ever tried to harm him.

With a plan agreed upon, the two hugged the wall and slowly entered the graveyard, Tatl even landing on Link’s shoulder to make their presence smaller. The boy slid his feet along the ground, trying to be as quiet as possible as the Stalchildren chattered amongst themselves. It did seem they were actually speaking proper words, not some monstrous language, but Link didn’t focus on what any of them were saying. It wouldn’t have been anything good anyway, he figured.

As the boy and fairy moved, neither of them even felt like they could breathe, as if the sign of life would shine out like a beacon amongst the undead. Vague, shadowy silhouettes sometimes walked amongst the campfires, it being clear that numerous types of spirits were amongst the crowd, probably even including some that Link and Tatl had the inability to even see.

At one point, one of the Stalchildren closer to the two stopped and stared in their direction, causing the pair to halt in their tracks, staying as still as possible. Had it heard them? Had it sensed there was a living soul amongst the dead? Could it see them, even under the veil of darkness behind the campfires? With no expression on the Stalchild’s rigid skull of a face, it was impossible for them to gauge what it was feeling, its eyes were simple glowing orbs that gave nothing away. Tatl had to wonder if it could feel breathing, sensing the thing that only the living could do. She heard a few stories of phantoms that steal a person’s breath, envious of something the spirit could no longer do.

Whatever it was that caught the Stalchild’s attention either no longer interested it or perhaps it even just decided to ignore the two. All the same, it turned away from them and stared back into the campfire crackling in front of it. Having to hold back their sighs of relief, Link and Tatl continued on, thankfully having no other close calls like that.

Eventually, they found themselves in the further part of the graveyard where they seemed to be alone. There could’ve always been spirits they simply couldn’t see, but none made themselves known in any way, though there was a chilly atmosphere, and the two felt like they were being watched. That, however, could have just as easily been their imaginations.

Notably, Captain Skull Keeta was right where the pair left him. He strangely didn’t seem to want to animate himself like the skeletons and spirits not far away. The massive ones were still, and the sockets lacking the orange glow of the Stalchildren around the campfires. This was confusing to the pair, wondering why the one being they needed to lurk after sundown was still immobile.

“Maybe…it’s not late enough for him yet?” Tatl asked, just throwing ideas out as they came. “Or…maybe it’s not every night…?” She had no idea what to really say, she was dreading that their trip to the graveyard was wasted.

Link slowly approached the massive skull, heart hammering wildly in his chest. Suppressing his fear as best as he could, he prodded the large bone with his sword. Nothing happened. He swung the blade, chipping away some of the skull. Nothing happened still. What was going on…? Link was stumped too, wondering if that mask he had to get was meant to help…?

For a minute, the two tried to work out what to do, but each idea they thought of didn’t seem to work. Then, though, Link had a plan. “I think this might work. We should step back.” He moved away from the massive skeleton, Tatl going with him.

To her surprise, Link put his gear away and took out his Ocarina. He then played a song she hadn’t heard in ages. It was the Sonata of Awakening! Even Tatl felt just a bit more energized from hearing those notes. “Oh yeah, that song! That should…work…” As she spoke, she realized what it meant if the song did the job. Tatl hid behind Link as a slight rumble came from the bones.

The colossal skeleton stirred, rattling in place as life started to seem to flow into it. Within a few moments, glowing orange orbs appeared in its empty sockets, so empty yet somehow so full of life. One of its massive arms moved forward, slamming its boney hand to the ground, then it did the same with its other arm. It pushed itself upward, the stone arch resting above it starting to crack and crumble under the pressure being pushed up upon it. Within a few moments, there was a large cracking sound as the arch gave way entirely, fragments of stone falling to the ground as the massive skeleton started to stand fully upright.

Link got his sword and shield back out, ready for a nasty fight. Tatl couldn’t help but look over her shoulder at the other part of the graveyard, expecting a small army of skeletons to come at them. Surprisingly, this didn’t occur, it could be that the Stalchildren and other spirits did not want to impose on Captain Skull Keeta’s territory.

“Tatl, keep your distance, I don’t want you caught up in this…” Link warned, noting just how large his opponent was. It towered over him, Link only going up to its knees as it stared down at the pair, its orange eyes seeming to glow with a further intensity.

Captain Skull Keeta shifted in place, as if stretching the muscles it no longer had…then turned around and started to stomp away. Behind the stone archway was a path that twisted into the canyon, which the massive Stalchild was making quick progress on with its long gait. The boy and fairy stared as it moved, both stunned. Tatl then composed herself. “Hey! It’s…It’s running away! Go after it!” She blurted out, wondering why the giant skeleton seemed to be fleeing from them.

It took an extra second for Link to react to Tatl’s words, nodding as he ran after the massive creature. He took out his bow, firing a few arrows at the retreating monstrosity. The first arrow missed, but the second two managed to hit its right leg, both projectiles striking below its knee. While the arrows embedded themselves into the bone, it wasn’t like much damage was done. Some of the bone chipped away, but there was no flesh or muscle to tear through, no blood to spill from the giant creature. If he was to kill it…how exactly would he go about it? He somehow hadn’t truly thought of that since first seeing it.

Forgoing the arrows, Link got his sword and shield ready again, sprinting after Captain Skull Keeta. Even with its large strides, it didn’t take Link long to catch up with it and plunge his sword into its ankle. There was a clattering grunt of sorts from the giant Stalchild as it stopped to finally turn and face Link.

With a sort of snarl, Captain Skull Keeta aimed a swipe of its boney claw at Link, who blocked the attack with his shield. As large as the creature was, it was still a skeleton. No muscle behind its blows, and it weighed less than a normal creature of such a mighty size. Odolwa’s sword swings were certainly a greater threat to Link as he managed to knock back the skeleton’s blow. He then sliced at its ankle again, taking out a large chunk of bone with the attack.

Giving off a hiss, the large Stalchild retaliated, swiftly kicking Link and sending him flying back a good five feet, making him land painfully on his back. Captain Skull Keeta didn’t stop, closing the distance in an instant as it stomped down at Link. He rolled out of the way, though, stabbing at the skeleton’s foot as it hit the ground. Tatl, meanwhile, was keeping her distance as Link insisted. She wasn’t sure there was much she could do to help. Could she even blind a skeleton with her light? Would it effect those vague glowing orbs in its massive, empty sockets?

Link got to his feet, figuring if he could wear down the legs enough, that might let him win this battle. While he could become a Goron…he really felt most comfortable fighting as himself, and he’d only change form if he truly needed to! As the massive Stalchild tried to slap him away, Link dodged to the side and once more went for one of its legs, slashing it several times, wearing down the bone more and more with every strike. It didn’t feel like he was making any progress! It didn’t help that his opponent didn’t react to the blows with noises of pain or even discomfort. Chances were the undead giant couldn’t even feel pain in a proper way.

Still, he kept up the pattern.

The boy and the undead creature were locked in combat for a good few minutes as Tatl watched from afar. As Link kept going for the monster’s legs, ankles, and feet, it’d swat or kick him away. Each impact left Link dazed, the wind getting knocked out of him several times, and he figured the Great Fairy’s blessing on his tunic kept him from being damaged severely. Still, he felt his limbs grow sore and his vision blurred for a few seconds after each impact.

Slowly, Captain Skull Keeta’s legs were chipped away, and Link felt confident in his next course of action. With a cry, he raised his shield, charging into the more damaged of the giant’s legs, feeling it splinter a bit against the metallic impact. This caused the skeleton to sway a bit, and after a second charge, it fell over onto its skeletal rear. As Link readied his next move, his opponent did something that startled him so much that he stopped in his tracks.

“Wait! I surrender!” Captain Skull Keeta called, his voice massive and deep, yet shockingly human. “I give up! You’re the better fighter!” He went on, hands raised to show he was serious in his words.

Link and Tatl were stunned to a temporary silence, the fairy flew back down towards Link, hovering by his ear. “Did…that thing talk to us?” She murmured to Link, hardly able to believe it.

“I am not a thing, fairy!” The massive Stalchild corrected, somehow managing to have heard Tatl’s voice. “You must know who I am! I am Captain Skull Keeta, a military general for the Ikana Kingdom!” He corrected, actually sounding insulted at Tatl’s words.

Keeping himself ready in case this was some sort of a trick, Link kept his distance. “I wasn’t expecting you to talk.” He admitted, feeling almost sort of awkward in the situation. “Why didn’t you say anything before?”

Lowering his hands and almost getting into a more casual sitting position, Captain Skull Keeta chuckled as if Link’s question was obvious. “I was testing you, kid. I was seeing if you were worthy of taking my Captain’s Hat with you, and I figure you are!”

It seemed a tad too convenient, really. Link wasn’t sure if he should go with what the creature he was just fighting a minute ago was saying. “How do I know you’re telling the truth? That this isn’t a trick?”

The massive Stalchild let out an offended grunt and shook his head. “I may not be a pure soul, but I don’t lie! I swear on my honor as a military general, upon the name of Igos du Ikana that I’m being honest!”

Link could only gather that ‘Igos du Ikana’ was the king of Ikana in the past. Not that swearing on a dead king meant much to the boy…but the deceased captain seemed sincere in his words. Still, he kept his sword and shield ready, but his stance softened a bit. “Okay. I’ll trust you. So, where’s the Captain’s Hat and what does it do?” He figured this had to be what the creature upon the wall had mentioned he had to get from the graveyard.

At this, Captain Skull Keeta let out a sigh, an unusual sight given he was just a skeleton. Slowly, he stood up, his stance seeming a bit weak from Link’s earlier onslaught. If he was feeling any sort of pain from the slashes, he was hiding it rather well, assuming the deceased general could still feel any pain. “It’s actually right near here.” He said simply, but not answering the second part of the boy’s question. He then walked past Link and Tatl with his gigantic strides, back to where he had been sleeping before.

Tatl whispered in Link’s ear, more careful not to be heard by the large skeleton. “Be on your guard. I still don’t trust this thing…” She never heard of an undead monster that spoke so calmly, not even in the strangest story of Ikana that passed around Clown Town. Of course, she never heard talk of a gigantic skeleton either, yet there it was in front of them.

Link nodded in silent agreement, following Keeta but not willing to put his guard down just yet. He had never stopped to look at one of the monsters he fought as a person before. They were always too inhuman for that. A giant dragon, a grotesque bug, a ghastly phantom beneath Kakariko…the closest thing was Twinrova. Navi had insisted witches weren’t really human, but Link had since doubted that claim, just a bit…

Captain Skull Keeta took the two back to the arch where it had been sleeping, or what was left of it. He reached up to the part on the left, on top of the part of the structure that was Dampé’s home. From it, the massive skeleton grabbed something large, soon revealed to be an ancient looking chest, the wood worn and the metal hinges seeming too rusty to even budge. The chest apparently was tucked away and out of sight, so the boy and fairy hadn’t noticed it earlier.

“The Captain’s Hat is in here.” Captain Skull Keeta announced, placing the chest in front of the pair. “I don’t know if the chest will still open…give it a try!”

Still wary of the large skeleton, the pair worked together a bit. Tatl kept her eyes on the monstrous being as Link opened up the chest. It was tough to get it open, but he managed to open it up enough to peer inside. Within the ancient chest, a revolting smell of rot and decay emerged. Link and Tatl both recoiled, the fairy even breaking out into a fit of coughs, trying not to throw up from the horrid stench. Holding his breath, Link looked inside to see what was letting loose the nauseating smell.

The Captain’s Hat was a grotesque thing made out of bones. Yet they seemed too small to be human. The part that’d cover Link’s face was a tiny skull, rotting teeth jutting out from the top jaw, the bottom jaw being entirely gone. What seemed to be part of a spine reached back, two tiny skeletal arms coming from the side, going back to reach a sort of cloth in the back, another skull attached to it. Link didn’t even want to look at the horrid thing, let alone touch it, and he could forget about actually putting the awful excuse of a mask on. Bones didn’t bother him generally, but the way the thing smelled and its uncanny appearance really made him feel revolted.

“That’s the Captain’s Hat?!” Tatl exclaimed, unable to hold back a gag. “That’s so disgusting! Why would anyone even touch something like that?!”

At the very least, Captain Skull Keeta didn’t seem offended at Tatl’s disgust. In fact, he let out a deep and disturbing sounding laugh that seemed to echo in the skulls of the boy and fairy. “It isn’t the most pleasant thing, but it will help you on your way.” The massive skeleton insisted. “In life, it allowed me to control my troops with utmost efficiency in battle. In death, they will still follow its commands, no matter who wears it.”

“Your troops? You mean those skeletons over in the other part of the graveyard?” Tatl asked, watching in disgust as Link picked up the mask. The awful smell was slowly starting to wane, but the fairy had a feeling it’d never fully go away. She was just grateful she couldn’t wear it.

“Exactly right. It can do that and more.” Captain Skull Keeta replied, somewhat cryptically. “In return for giving it to you, I ask a favor, and I also give you a piece of advice. The advice is to have my soldiers open the large grave near the entrance to the graveyard. What lies beneath will aid you, a song that holds a great power in this land.”

The idea of going beneath a grave made Link want to cry, but he held himself together, though his chest tightened, and his head felt a bit dizzy. He felt rotting teeth burrowing into his flesh, dead limbs holding him in place…! Shoving the memories back as best as he could, Link swallowed heavily. “Okay. We’ll do that. What sort of favor do you want?” The boy wasn’t in the mood to do favors for the monstrosity before him, but he’d at least hear the undead general out.

“My soldiers don’t know the war is over. Ever since a humiliating defeat eons ago, I have not known peace either.” Captain Skull Keeta bemoaned, gesturing vaguely to the graveyard behind him. “Being undead, I can no longer use the Captain’s Hat like I used to, and I have had to live this endless life knowing that neither me nor my troops can fully rest.”

“So…you want us to kill all of you?” Tatl asked, not really sure where else the military leader could be going with this.

Shaking his head, Captain Skull Keeta let out a sigh. “It’s not that simple. If it was, I’d have done it ages ago. No…Someone living must take the Captain’s Hat and tell us to rest, to tell us we don’t have to keep coming back anymore. You and the grave keeper are the only ones around that draw breath, and I doubt he’ll be of much help.”

Link wasn’t expecting that response. As he thought of it, he felt a sort of anger well up inside of him. For two years he had wanted to know peace, and not once had he come close to it despite the attempted aid from those around him. Now he was even worse off, he knew he’d become an even further broken mess when this was all over. Knowing this, how was he supposed to react when someone that was trying to kill him a few minutes ago told him to just tell tormented souls to go to rest? Was it that easy?! It felt like a slap to the face!

Yet…Link felt pity for the spirits that wandered the graveyard. He didn’t know their stories. Surely not all of them were evil…but what about the ones that were? Did they deserve rest? Captain Skull Keeta referred to him as his soldiers…would they have attacked Link if they saw him solely because they saw him as an invader, someone trying to attack their home? The skeleton had said that his troops didn’t know the war was over…

The boy still felt a jealous anger burn in his gut…but he nodded his head. “Okay. I’ll do it.” Holding back a grimace, he placed the Captain’s Hat over his head, Tatl letting out another gag as he did so. He wasn’t far behind, gagging as the horrendous smell of rot hit his nose like a brick. Even worse, it felt like something vile went in through his nose and just settled down into his soul, he felt filthy just being near the thing!

Captain Skull Keeta, however, seemed amused at the reaction of Link and Tatl, giving a chortle. “Not so pleasant, I know! But truly, I am thankful for what you’re about to do. You have no idea how long we’ve been stuck here, waiting to pass on!”

As Link managed to recover from the worst stench he had ever encountered, a thought occurred to him. The Skull Kid had only been tormenting Termina for a few days…yet Captain Skull Keeta mentioned that many, many years had passed since he became undead. If the Skull Kid wasn’t responsible for this…what did the imp even do in Ikana? “Just tell me what to do, and I’ll do it.” The boy responded simply.

It was as if a flip was switched, Captain Skull Keeta snapping into a salute, as though his body was moving against his will. “Yes, sir!” He belted out. “Simply tell us our duties are done and order us to rest! That’s all there is to it, sir!”

Link quickly realized that the Captain’s Hat was actually controlling the massive skeleton. There was a part of him that wanted to test it out somehow, but he wasn’t sure how to go about it without coming across as a bully and humiliating the undead warrior. Again, he felt a rage bubble up inside of him. It was just so easy for Captain Skull Keeta and his soldiers, huh? All Link had to do was say to be at peace, and then they’d do it? How was that even remotely fair…?

Still, Link was going to keep his word. It wasn’t fair to punish others that were suffering just because he hated his own existence. He wasn’t sure if it was necessary to do, but he saluted Captain Skull Keeta back and spoke in a firm and clear voice. “Your duty is done, Captain Skull Keeta. Now rest and never awaken again.”

The massive skeleton saluted again and spoke as though he may start to cry. “Yes, sir! Thank you, sir!” His sockets ceased glowing, his sockets dull and empty. Captain Skull Keeta then fell apart, whatever force holding his bones together vanishing. His large bones fell to the ground, and disturbingly enough, burrowed down into the dirt, like bugs escaping a predator. One by one, the bones buried themselves deep, deep into the dead soil until they were out of sight. Captain Skull Keeta was now able to rest until the end of time.

And, as everyone knew, Time is eternal.

Link stopped the salute, glaring down at the patch of dirt where the military leader had been, his furious eye hidden by his mask. It just wasn’t fair.

“Wow, he was actually telling the truth.” Tatl mused as she too eyed the soil where Captain Skull Keeta vanished. “He even buried himself! I guess we should also do what he said about the grave thing.” She paused, remembering what Link said before about finding some creature beneath a grave and how terrified it made him. “…Think you’ll be able to handle that?” The fairy asked gently, sincerely worried about how Link would be able to deal with it. He freaked out when they first entered the graveyard, so entering an actual grave would just increase that tenfold, surely.

“I don’t have a choice.” Link pointed out. “Nothing I’ve done is something I can handle, but I have to do it anyway.”

That made Tatl feel almost a bit guilty for even bothering to ask. In hindsight, it was sort of a stupid question. He of course despised everything he’s had to do since setting foot in Termina. The fairy thought back to the numerous times he cleared Woodfall Temple alone, how desperate he was to try and keep the Giant freed. That was just on top of everything else…

Clearing her throat, Tatl tried to move on from the awkwardness. “Right. Well, we should just get it over with then, huh? Hopefully you can stomach wearing that thing for a bit longer.”

Link had been so angry about Captain Skull Keeta’s words that he nearly forgot about the stench. At Tatl’s words, it hit him almost like the first time all over and he gagged a bit. “Let’s just hurry so I can take it off.” He managed to choke out, trying not to throw up as he walked back towards the main graveyard area.

Given the proof he just saw of how well the Captain’s Hat worked, he had far less fear when approaching the skeletons and spirits of the graveyard. Of course, his stress still spiked the second he laid eyes on the Stalchildren, but he still managed to feel confident that nothing would happen to him. At least…he tried to feel confident…

As the boy stepped into the graveyard, the skeletal soldiers stopped their activities, whether they were talking, playing, or swinging from the dead trees. No matter what, they stopped what there doing, both feet planted on the ground as they all saluted at Link. “Captain Skull Keeta, sir! We didn’t know you’d be joining us!” One of the Stalchildren yelled out, almost seeming afraid of him.

Link wasn’t expecting quite that heavy of a response, for the soldiers to see him as Captain Skull Keeta himself. At the very least, the skeletons all saluting at him did help his anxiety, just a bit, as they acted in a submissive way. He still felt a great unease at their presence, still worried that they might see right through him and attack. Notably, the floating spirits and the vague silhouette didn’t seem to respond to his presence. Whether they saw through him and didn’t care or perhaps just had no loyalty to Captain Skull Keeta wasn’t something he could exactly determine.

Clearing his throat, Link spoke in a louder and commanding tone, not knowing if it was fully necessary, but doing it just in case. “I need to go under the grave by the graveyard entrance. Help me with this task!” He ordered, not at all used to yelling instructions at others. It made him feel awkward, especially given who he was speaking to.

Right away, the Stalchildren tightened their salutes. “Yes, Captain Skull Keeta! As per your orders, sir!” One of them yelled as he and the rest went to a large grave, working together to move the heavy stone out of the way, a staircase being revealed that went deep into the earth. Strangely, not far down, the walls began to be lined with lit torches, but even with them, the bottom of the stairs was impossible to see.

“Wow, they really are helpful. Makes me wonder if we could just take them with us…” Tatl murmured in Link’s ear. She had no idea if her presence would break the illusion the Stalchildren were clearly under, so she kept herself mostly hidden, even dimming her light. “They could be like, an army for you.” A lot of skeletons probably wouldn’t be too terribly useful, but maybe it’d mean he wouldn’t have to fight as much.

Link shook his head and murmured a response. “They already had to fight a war. I can’t make them fight anymore.” As much as the Stalchildren unnerved him, it’d be far too hypocritical to make them fight. He himself despised how he was caught in another quest to save a land in peril, how could he ask those that had fought and died to do so all over again? It’d just make him a monsters in his eyes.

Once the staircase was fully revealed and the rubble even thoroughly swept away, the Stalchildren all saluted at Link. “Do you have further orders, sir?!” One of them asked, standing rigidly at attention.

The boy took a deep breath, quickly regretting it from the stench of death in the air. He managed to retain his composure as he nodded. “All of you here…the war is over! Now go and rest, and never awaken again! Be at peace!”

The Stalchildren seemed surprised, but they did not argue. “Yes, sir! Thank you…!” One of the soldiers declared as his eyes went dim. Like with Captain Skull Keeta, the skeleton troops all fell apart, their bones somehow burying themselves into the hallowed soil beneath them. Just like that, those that had been conflicted undead were at peace. Link still couldn’t help but feel envy and anger over the situation. Notably, the other and not-so-physical spirits lingered. Could they not rest so easily, or did the Captain’s Hat simply hold no sway over them?

Cautiously, Link took the mask off, to see how the spirits reacted. The orbs in the air flickered and seemed alarmed at his presence, whispers filling the air, and he somehow caught the idea they were speaking about him. “…I’m not here to harm you or intrude. I just have business, and then I’ll leave.” The boy declared, wondering how much intelligence the spirits had. Some of the ones from back home were little more than fragments of souls and memories of those that found themselves swallowed up by the Lost Woods.

He paused, and nothing happened, and he took that as a sign that the spirits tolerated his presence.

As he put the Captain’s Hat in his bag, Link stood at the top of the staircase, staring down into the inky void below. Tatl shuddered. “I have a pretty bad feeling about this…just try and be careful, okay?”

Link barely even heard her. In his mind’s eye, he saw a blood-red orb staring back at him from the darkness, the beating of drums filling his ears as he felt his breath catch in his throat. Why did he have to do this…? What did he do to deserve it?! His hands shook as he got his sword and shield out, his chest tightening as he saw that single eye glaring back at him. He just wanted to turn around and leave…but, with a breath, he took a shaking step onto the first stair as he blinked and the piercing eye vanished.

Slowly, Link descended the staircase, Tatl right by his side and providing a bit of extra light to their surroundings. Both had to wonder how the torches stayed lit for so long, but neither felt compelled to voice any theories. Their trip downward seemed to take far longer than seemed possible, like it was too deep for anyone to bother making a staircase that dug so deep into the earth. Yet the minutes passed, and the stairs just kept going. All the while, Link tried to keep his breathing in check, almost feeling like he was going to faint as he went down, and the drumming in his ear grew louder.

Eventually, though, the two reached the bottom of the staircase, finding themselves in a stone hallway that was also lit by torches along the walls. Link froze as he gazed down the hallway. He expected something to lurch out of the darkness at him, some ghoulish shape to reach out and drag him into the inky abyss. His frame shook, despite his efforts to keep calm, and he hated how weak he was. On top of being in a grave, seeing all the fire made his right shoulder ache, a pain he had long accepted he’d carry with him for the rest of his life.

Tatl noticed Link’s fear, landing on his shoulder and putting a hand on his face. At times like this, she wished she was bigger, able to provide more comfort to him when he needed it. She didn’t say anything, letting Link take his time. She didn’t know if Link even noticed her touch, her hand so small she wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t feel it at all.

His blood turned to ice, Link cautiously walked down the hallway, his eye constantly darting around, looking for dangers or crevices that things could be hiding in. Thankfully for him, the hallway was empty save for the crackling torches. Nothing lunged at him, nothing attacked him. Before too long, the pair reached a door, Link had to take a few breaths before he opened it.

Inside was a small room, it too lit by torches on the walls, a closed curtain on the opposite side. In the middle, though, was what caught the duo’s attention. Standing there, still as can be, was an Iron Knuckle a massive, double-sided axe in its hand, its armor black and menacing. Link’s heart practically stopped and he took a step back, his heart slamming against his ribcage. “Tatl, stay away from that thing.”

“What, what is it? It’s just a fancy suit of armor…right?” The fairy couldn’t imagine there was something in that armor…unless it was some undead thing. Was that what Link meant?! “Wait, is that a monster or something? Have you seen one of these things before?”

Link didn’t respond, getting a bomb from his back and using his steel and flint to light the fuse. He only had one chance at a first strike, remembering how the first Iron Knuckle he fought didn’t react until he got too close. Link assumed that the song they needed was behind that curtain and that the Iron Knuckle wasn’t going to just let them by and take a peek at the music. The boy tossed the lit bomb at the suit of armor, ducking out of the room with Tatl and closing the door behind them just in time for the explosive to go off.

The two didn’t dare to make a sound…but then they heard heavy, metallic footsteps on the other side of the door. Link flung it open, then backpedaled quickly as he saw the Iron Knuckle walk out of a cloud of smoke and dust, some of its armor destroyed or partially melted, but it seemed to be mostly unharmed.

“Link…! Link, what is that?!” Tatl exclaimed, flying further back away from the wall of metal that went through the doorway. The hallway around them was wide enough that there could still be a fight, even with that gigantic axe taken into account.

“An Iron Knuckle. Just stay away.” Link quickly responded, charging towards the metal monstrosity as it closed in on him. With surprising speed, it swung its axe at him, which Link ducked under. He jammed his sword at his opponent, aiming for the gaps in the armor, the blade slipping through and meeting flesh. Link held off a grimace as thick, green blood oozed out of the slips between the armor.

As Link tried to back away, the Iron Knuckle spun its axe so the handle of it slammed into the boy’s stomach, sending him reeling and falling onto his back! The armor raised its axe above its head and swung down, Link only having the time to raise his shield as the mighty weapon came down. He yelled out in pain as axe hit his shield, the impact shooting through his limb and seeming to spread to every last inch of his body. His breath even seemed to escape him, barely having the strength to push back against the blade as the Iron Knuckle kept pushing down.

Seeming to see the futility in its efforts, the Iron Knuckle raised its axe again, moving to Link as it raised its foot to stomp the boy’s head in. Link rolled out of the way, once more lunging at the Iron Knuckle and stabbing through one of the gaps in its armor to draw blood. He knew if he stayed close, it wouldn’t be able to utilize its axe in the most effective way. As it tried to hit him with the handle again, he weaved by the attack and got behind his opponent, stabbing him in the back, a lot more of the thick, gnarly, green blood oozing out.

After this, the two began a dance of metal and blades. The Iron Knuckle tried to keep its distance from Link so its axe can have its best use, but Link wouldn’t let it stay away from too long. In turn, Link kept aiming for the gaps in the armor, even chipping chunks of it away as the metal slowly began to be covered in green ooze. At one point, Link even remembered his Bunny Hood, slapping it onto his head. To his relief, he really found he moved faster with it on, a youthful energy spread through his body as he found it much easier to weave between blows.

All the while, Tatl hovered near the ceiling and watched. The way Link fought…it was like something from a storybook, his precision with his blade and the way he dodged and dealt with attacks. How many of these things had he fought before? What had he called it? An Iron Knuckle? The fairy had never heard of one before…was it something undead? It bled, so it wasn’t just a possessed suit of armor, that was for sure. She had no idea if it even had eyes, so she didn’t risk flying into its helmet to try and blind it.

As the fight went on and the Iron Knuckle lost more armor, its movements became faster. Even with his Bunny Hood, Link found it getting harder to stay clear of his opponent’s attacks, catching a kick to the leg or an elbow to the gut. Each blow seemed to shoot pain all throughout his body, but he fought through it! However, he took a nasty hit, which threw him for a loop.

Link went in for another stab, hoping the Iron Knuckle was wearing down, though the armored warrior didn’t show much sign of fatigue. Moving swiftly, the massive foe reared its arm back and slammed its metallic fist right into the boy’s nose! Pain exploded through his body, his teeth seeming to all rattle at once as his head seemed to go blank for a split moment. Link suddenly found himself on his hands and knees, a small pool of his own blood forming beneath him.

His nose was hot and in pain, but also numb and almost felt detached. His vision was fuzzy, and he felt disoriented as he tried not to puke from the sensation broiling in his gut. Link only snapped out of it as he heard Tatl scream his name. He turned back to see the Iron Knuckle towering above him, axe raised over its head and ready to strike. With a mere second to spare, Link rolled out of the way as the mighty weapon came down.

The axe hit the floor, cracking it harshly as the metal dug into the ancient stone. Trying to ignore his pain and fueled by adrenaline, Link scrambled to his feet as pain continued to pulse through his body and he felt hot blood running down his face. He ran at the Iron Knuckle, who dislodged its axe from the floor and swung it horizontally. Without even thinking, Link jumped, his speed and jump height pumped up from the Bunny Hood.

The boy’s foot hit the blunt side of the axe, and he kicked off of it with all his strength, leaping over the Iron Knuckle. His body seemed to move on its own, swinging forward with such strength that he did a front flip, his blade cleaving through the helm of his foe, splitting it in half as green blood spewed from the impact.

Link managed to land on his feet, though he quickly fell to one knee as pain shot through his entire being. The Iron Knuckle fell forward, collapsing loudly as the metal slammed into the stone floor. It didn’t get back up, green ooze pooling around its corpse.

Tatl quickly rushed to Link, wincing horribly at what she saw. His nose was broken, bent and bruised with blood still running out of it. “Giants, Link, that thing destroyed your nose. Hey, remember, you still have that Red Potion! Aren’t you glad I made you get some?”

A broken nose, huh? Link could just add that to his list of firsts. He had been electrocuted, set on fire, deeply cut, bludgeoned, and had an eye sliced apart. Link just nodded, feeling like if he tried to speak, he’d puke. The boy got the Red Potion out and sipped at it slowly. He felt his nose corrected itself as the pain all across his body started to fade. He had to drink nearly half of it to fully recover, and he carefully touched his nose and felt it was truly back to normal. Of course all the dried blood running down his face was still there…

“I am glad, thank you, Tatl.” Link responded as he got back to his feet and put the Red Potion and Bunny Hood away. “I’m also glad I remembered to try and use the Bunny Hood. I should try to wear it more often.”

Tatl chuckled as she landed on Link’s shoulder again. “It was actually pretty helpful, it made you faster! Weird how that works…” She then tried to lighten the mood. “It also makes you look adorable, so that’s a plus.” The fairy tittered, pinching his cheek with her tiny fingers, which he didn’t even feel.

Link rubbed the back of his neck, trying to ignore the comment as he reentered the room now that its guard was gone. Just as he and Tatl reached the room’s center, the curtain began to rise on his own. Just to be safe, the boy had his sword and shield at the ready! Behind the red velvet barrier was a small stone stage, a large grave in the center. The grave had writing, which of course Link couldn’t read, and musical notes engraved into it.

Before Link or Tatl could investigate further, a man’s voice called out that was somehow familiar, yet distant to the boy. “Are you the ones that freed my spirit?” The voice called, its source unclear.

Tatl was the one who spoke up. “If you mean if Link here defeated that Iron Knuckle…then yes. He did it. Who are you…?” She looked around, trying to see some sort of spirit or specter, but none was visible. The fairy didn’t feel any malice in the air, but she could sense a presence all the same.

Without warning, a shape holding a lantern appeared above the grave. A spirit with no legs, pitch black skin, green clothes, and human hair. Link’s eye widened, knowing he had seen that spirit before in Hyrule! Before the boy could speak up, the Poe did first. “My name is Flat, I served the Ikana Royal Family as its composer. I must thank you for freeing my spirit!”

Link was baffled, never having expected to see one of the Composer Brothers from Hyrule. Or, rather, a copy of one of them. The boy recalled how Flat and Sharp had scared him back in Kakariko, but never actually harmed him. He felt nervous, despite Flat’s friendliness, unable to help himself. “I was just told to come down here to learn a song that will help me.” Link replied bluntly.

“Ah, you mean the song that my brother and I created together!” The Poe remarked, not seeming to mind Link’s blunt response. He did seem upset, though. “Oh, Sharp…! He sold his soul to dark spirits and even locked me down here! That Iron Knuckle was to keep my contained! You who do not fear the dead, learn this song I have inscribed on my tombstone! And…should you ever meet my brother, tell him this: The thousand years of raindrops summoned by my song are my tears. The thunder that strikes the earth is my anger!”

Those words struck a nerve within Link. A song that summons rain? It couldn’t possibly be what he thought it was…right? “I will tell him.” Was all the boy said, though, not wanting to have to explain to Tatl he may know the song Flat was about to teach him as he got his Ocarina ready.

Flat summoned a baton from nowhere and waved it. From thin air, notes played along with his movements as he played six notes, or rather three notes played twice in a row. He played these six notes a few times and then finished the melody. Instantly, Link’s fear was confirmed. It was the Song of Storms! He nearly died from an Iron Knuckle to find a song he already knew! Swallowing down his rage, Link played the song on the Ocarina of Time, getting it right in one try.

Even so far below the earth, a thunderclap was heard, muffled but still clear enough not to be mistaken for anything else. “Good! Very good. The Song of Storms has been passed on, and my request lies in your heart. Farewell, brave one.” Flat said as he soon vanished, seeming to pass on and rest.

“Wait, did that song really just make a storm?” Tatl asked, though she supposed songs Link learned had done plenty of odd things so far. “How’s that going to help us?” If anything, it just made the environment around them creepier!

“I think it did.” Link replied, playing dumb as he put the Ocarina away and got his sword and shield at the ready again. “I don’t know how it will help. Maybe the thing with the red eye can tell us.” He truly had zero clue how some thunder and rain was meant to help, but surely it had some sort of use he just wasn’t seeing! The boy knew he should be happy he helped a soul laid to rest, but he was so frustrated that it was hard to see the silver lining!

Tatl huffed. “That thing better explain some of this, or…well…I’ll really give it a piece of my mind!” Even talking behind its back, the fairy had a sense of unease about that cloaked cyclops. She wasn’t sure she could do much demanding of it!

The two left the room, going around the Iron Knuckle’s corpse and towards the staircase. Muffled thunder boomed again above their heads, and when they got to the stairs, the sound of rainfall reached their ears. Not knowing why they had to search for such a song, the two went upwards once more, Link especially eager to leave the grave…

Chapter Text

The rain was still falling heavily as Link and Tatl made their way back up to the surface. By this point, Link had donned the Captain’s Hat again, in case any of the lingering spirits might attack him without it on. It was terrifying, going back up to the graveyard. The rain had been so intense that the campfires had gone out, Tatl now the only source of light in the area save for the lightning strikes, which illuminated the hallowed ground only briefly. Each time it happened, the two swore they saw figures skulking about, but they could never be entirely sure…

“Where do we go now?!” Tatl asked loudly, wanting to be heard over the rain. “Back to that cyclops freak?!” She didn’t want to see that thing again, but it wasn’t like they could do much else at the moment.

While that seemed like the most obvious choice…Link didn’t like the idea. Ikana Canyon was scary enough just this far in. It’d surely get worse and worse the more they delved into the area, and he didn’t want to do that in the middle of the night like this! Maybe they could go back in time and go back through the canyon until they reached the cloaked figure again. On the other hand, even during the day, he despised going through that area, the invisible entities really stressed him out!

Then a thought occurred to him. Dampé!

“Let’s see if Dampé will let us stay with him.” Link replied, speaking loudly to be heard over the rain as well.

Tatl winced, just imagining the guy’s face gave her chills. “You really want to stay there? You sure about that?”

“I don’t want to go through the canyon like that again if I don’t have to.” Link informed her, just deciding to be honest about his fears. Even during the day it was an eerie place and he felt like it was pure luck nothing too bad had happened the few times they went through it.

The fairy reluctantly nodded. “…That…makes sense, yeah. I don’t want to either. Okay, let’s see if Dampé will even let us stay the night!”

Hurriedly, the two rushed through the graveyard, Tatl lighting the way the best she could. Each time lightning struck, they saw vague shapes skulking about, some right near them and others far away. Notably, these figures seemed to become less common the closer to Dampé’s home they got. Was it because of Captain Skull Keeta’s resting place, or did the spirits want to stay away from the abode of the living?

Link took the mask off before knocking loudly on the door, not wanting Dampé to mistake him for a Stalchild in the dark. He was met with a “Go away! I’m not letting you in, spirit!” from inside after a startled yelp.

“I’m not a spirit! I’m…” Link paused, realizing he never actually told Dampé his name. “I’m the boy from before, with the fairy! Please let us in!”

There was a pause, one heavy with hesitation. “…Okay…I’ll open the door…but if you’re a spirit, you’re getting a face full of shovel!” Dampé remarked. The door creaked open and his pale, disfigured face peaked out, a shovel in his shaking hands. “N…Not a spirit…? It really is you!”

“Just like we said!” Tatl remarked as the man calmed down a bit. “Look, we just need to stay the night, can we just like, sleep on the floor or something?”

Dampé looked around more outside, flinching as lightning struck. “Fine! Fine! Just hurry, and don’t let anything in with you!” He yelled out, ushering the two inside and slamming the door shut behind them.

The interior of Dampé’s home wasn’t much to look at. There was a bed, a few drawers, a food storage, a bookshelf and a stairway heading downward. “Well, at least it’s better than being out there…I guess…” Tatl murmured in Link’s ear so Dampé couldn’t hear.

Ignoring the fairy, Link put the Captain’s Hat away fully, just glad they were out of the rain. “Thank you for letting us stay in here for the night.”

Dampé put his shovel against a nearby wall, grinning a bit, seeming pleased with the kind words. “Don’t mention it, kid. Couldn’t leave you alone out there like that! Just what the heck were you doing in the graveyard at night anyway?”

“We lost track of time.” Tatl casually lied. “We were too scared to go past the ghosts and creatures out there, so we hoped you’d let us in.”

The man shook his head and clicked his tongue as he got an old, worn blanket from one of the drawers. It was barely big enough for even Link to use. “You’re lucky that’s all that happened. Thankfully, the ghosts don’t seem to wanna enter my home, but I have no idea why. Huge crash earlier too, but I wasn’t about to investigate!”

As Dampé handed Link the blanket, the boy realized he meant Captain Skull Keeta waking up. “I don’t know, it’s so dark out there I can’t tell if anything happened.” He lied as he sat against the wall, draping the blanket over himself. It was still pretty cold, especially with how wet he was, and the blanket didn’t do much to help. At the very least, Tatl rested against his face, offering some warmth.

“Well, I’ll see what’s going on in the morning.” Dampé responded as he laid down in bed. “I mean it about my house. Dunno why, but it’s safe, so try and rest easy, kid.” Without waiting for a response, he flipped over to face away from Link and Tatl as he quickly fell asleep.

The boy and fairy got as comfortable as they could and followed suit, the exhaustion from earlier that night catching up with them as they fell asleep…

He awoke in his room, the grey, stone ceiling meeting his gaze. His body was sore, and it didn’t feel like he slept even for a single minute. Nothing new. Link simply stared at the ceiling, not wanting to do anything. When being awake was enough to hurt, it made it hard to even want to get out of bed. Despite the luxurious nature of his bed, his room, even his life in Hyrule Castle…he couldn’t even enjoy any of it.

It took him fifteen minutes just to find the energy to sit up.

Another five just to crawl out of bed so he could take a bath.

The warm water was about the only thing that provided him with comfort these days.

Eventually he left his room, wearing only a green nightgown that went down to his ankles. His hair a mess, deep shadows under his broken eyes. Link didn’t know where he was even going, he was just going to wander. The hallways had carpets lining their centers, the material still feeling unnatural between his toes. Nothing in the forest felt anything like that…but it was nice, too.

He knew he should eat, he knew Zelda would ask him if he had eaten when the two would eventually see each other later on in the day. He also knew if he tried to eat anything, he’d vomit it back up. That was a good day for him, a lot of the time he didn’t know beforehand that eating would make him ill.

The guards and servants had grown accustomed to Link’s presence in the few months since he arrived. They knew he wandered the halls like a lost spirit, and a lot of them gave him his space. Others were nice to him, and tried to connect to the lost child, with little success.

However, there was one servant, a maid, that Link took a liking to, to an extent. Aliza…a pretty young woman with long, red hair. Link still had issues telling peoples’ ages, so he had no idea how old she was truly. Adults just looked so radically different, it made him confused. Especially since some looked younger than they were, and others were older than how they looked. So, he gave up trying to figure it all out.

Aliza was sweet, and gentle. She seemed to know how to deal with Link in a way other servants didn’t. She quickly caught on when he wished to speak and when he couldn’t. There were days he just followed her around, watching her work. Sometimes she worked in silence, only offering him a smile or a pat on the back if it was okay to touch him that day. Other times she rambled a bit about her life and interests to her audience of one. Either way, she seemed entirely fine with it once Link was overwhelmed with the presence of another and left, she sometimes offered him sweets before he went. Even when he wasn’t able to eat, he always took them just to make her happy.

One day she had found him huddled in a corner of one of the castle’s rooms, shaking and sobbing after he saw a painting…he didn’t even remember what it showed, but the large, red circle on it reminded him of the thing beneath Kakariko Village, and he had a panic attack and couldn’t move. She smiled and tended to him as he instinctually clung to her, and apologized profusely when she led him out of the room. All the while she was patient and gentle, and even gave him a calming, warm hug that made him feel more comforted than he had since arriving at Hyrule Castle.

“I don’t understand what it is that’s wrong with you, but I know you can’t help it.” Aliza had said, her tone full of warmth and understanding. No one outside of the King, Zelda, and Impa within the castle walls knew the full story of Link’s endeavors. Rumors went about, and the veteran guards and soldiers were quick to catch on that he was suffering from some sort of trauma, the information spreading in whispers and gossip within the stone structure. Link knew this, he heard them whispering when they didn’t know he was around, guessing at what could possibly destroy the spirit of a boy so young.

He also heard the guards joking amongst each other about him and Aliza, though he didn’t understand it. One called Link smitten, and he didn’t know what that word meant, the other guard saying he didn’t blame the boy in the slightest. Link never remembered to ask Zelda what the word meant, he still didn’t know what the guards were trying to say…

Weeks went by, and every so often he’d just be with Aliza. Sometimes she asked him questions on days he could bring himself to respond, and he usually answered. At times, he asked about her as well. It was through these talks that she found out he had no home outside the castle, no family that was waiting for him or missed him. In turn, he found out she had no family either, and admitted to being a bit lonely.

That’s when things took a nasty turn.

While wandering the halls, Link overheard Aliza and another maid talking in a nearby room. He stopped by the doorway, unseen and unheard as he listened in.

“…I don’t think he’s creepy at all. One of the soldiers told me he has some sort of trauma.” Aliza said, her voice just as kind and gentle as always, with just a hint of defensiveness in it. “He’s not hurting anyone, so what’s the harm?”

“I just wouldn’t want some dead-eyed kid following me around.” The other maid huffed. “Looks like a walking corpse half the time. If His Majesty says he saved Hyrule, I believe him, but that doesn’t mean I can’t find him weird.”

Aliza tsk’d the other woman. “He’s actually very sweet, in his way. Sometimes he’s even helped me if I needed an extra pair of hands with something.” She reminisced, not mentioning it’s only happened once or twice, and only took Link a minute or so out of his day.

“Well, if you say so.” Replied the nastier servant. “Doesn’t he have parents to go back to? Why is he just living here anyway?”

“You didn’t know? He’s an orphan. He…well, he hasn’t talked about it much. He only gave a simple ‘No’ when I asked if he had a family…but I think that’s all that needed to be said.” Aliza replied, pity in her tone. “…Honestly, I was thinking of asking His Majesty if I could adopt him.”

There was the sound of something hitting the floor, the other servant apparently dropping something in shock. “Him?! But why? He doesn’t even talk most of the time. What would be the point?”

“He needs someone.” Aliza responded simply, as if the question was ridiculous. “Not servants and a Princess his own age as a friend…I think if he had a mother, he’d improve drastically.” Her tone was sincere, that ever-present warmth radiant.

Link felt a complex series of emotions surge through him. He craved his own mother, the one that had died for him when he was just a baby. While he never remembered meeting her, he missed her dearly. The idea of having a new mother…it made him feel warm inside, but also ugly. He wanted HIS mother, not a replacement. Not only that, but he knew he didn’t deserve such love. Poor Aliza would be miserable trying to raise him, and he knew that. A sense of near-happiness spread through him at the thought she cared for him that much, but he was miserable and angry at himself for wanting something he didn’t deserve.

Also…if Link was going to accept anyone as a substitute for his mother…it had to be Navi. Saria was the only other option, but he knew he couldn’t live in the Lost Woods again, especially as he grew older each day, further from being a child. And…he was afraid that Aliza would just leave him too, just as Navi did, if he opened himself up to someone new in such a way, and he couldn’t handle that!

From that day on, he avoided Aliza the best he could. He felt it was the best thing to do, to keep away from her and stop her from wasting more time and energy on someone like him. She tried to speak to him, but he’d just walk away, and he knew it really hurt her, and he hated himself for it, but he just kept telling himself it was for the best. Eventually…she just stopped trying, but whenever they crossed paths by coincidence, there was care and pity in her eyes…

Link woke up feeling miserable, the dream fresh in his mind as he gazed around Dampé’s tiny home. Dampé himself was still asleep, and Tatl seemed to be as well, Link saw daylight creeping from underneath the doorway. He looked forward again, leaning his head back against the wall and stared into space.

There were times his dreams were just memories of things in his past…and he had to wonder why he was dreaming of Aliza at a time like this. He hadn’t spoken to her in well over a year, and he figured she had given up on him, as she should. Really, he hadn’t given her much serious thought in a long while, months before he departed to find Navi.

Navi…! Yes, he recalled her in his dream too. He still felt as he did back then. She was the only one he’d accept as his new mother, given that it was just impossible with Saria. If she came back to him, he knew that the hole in his being would fill back up again and he could finally feel happiness again…

Despite all the people he had supporting him in Hyrule Castle as well as outside of it such as Saria, Darunia, Ruto, and Malon…Link still felt so alone. No one, not even the Sages, understood him. Not really. Everyone he knew either had no memories of that other timeline, or only recalled it in faint, blurry pieces as if part of a simple nightmare. Navi was the only one that knew all he went through perfectly, and she was gone…so it was just him, holding the weight of his experiences by himself…

As he felt Tatl cozy up against his beck and cheek, he realized why he was thinking of Aliza as well. He recalled the time she had hugged him, how warm he felt, how safe it was to be in her arms. It was a feeling he hadn’t gotten to experience since coming to Termina…no hugs from anyone for…how long had he even been here? Months? How many? The longer Link stayed, the harder it was for him to keep track of such things.

Link hadn’t put much thought in it until just that moment…but he missed it. He wanted someone to hold him and comfort him. Tatl had tried to hug him a few times, and he appreciated her efforts, but she was too tiny to make any difference. It didn’t help…! In an instant, he suddenly felt entirely alone, like no one was around him for miles around, just floating in an inky, cold darkness that threatened to swallow him up and-

“Hey, Link, you awake?” Tatl whispered, jolting Link out of his thoughts with a flinch. “Sorry, did I wake you up?” She went on, yawning as she fluttered up and floated in front of Link’s face. “How about we get out of here before the grave guy wakes up? I don’t want to stick around and see what kind of nasty breakfast he’s got lying around.”

Just as they came, the thoughts of Link’s touch-starved nature went away as he forced his emotions down once more. Just had to bottle them up and try to ignore them. It was only when Tatl mentioned food did he realize how hungry he was…and that he had no food. “Well, we have to eat something. There’s probably not anything to eat from this point on.”

“Right…that’s true…” Tatl replied, grimacing a bit. “Okay, I guess we have no choice, huh…?”

Not long after, Dampé awoke, in a chipper mood despite the events of last night. As it turned out, the food he got was pretty well-preserved, with some salted meats that he made for breakfast on his stove, which he was happy to share. Link and Tatl ate heartily, the former not being very hungry but knowing he had to force the food down and get some energy. Once breakfast was over, Link gave his thanks to Dampé, who waved the two off as he investigated the destroyed arch that Captain Skull Keeta had once slept under. The grave keeper hadn’t pried into their business much, but he had been chatty, it being clear he missed human company. Honestly, Link and Tatl both felt a bit bad for him, but they didn’t have time to linger!

The graveyard was still eerie in the daylight, just as it had been the previous day. However, the sickening feeling in the air was a lot less extreme. Link letting the Stalchildren go to rest surely alleviated some of the negative feelings that lingered in the area. The boy did his best to ignore the tombstones, not wanting to suffer another panic attack as they went through the area and back to Ikana Canyon proper.

Thankfully, the hooded cyclops was close by to the graveyard entrance, so the two were upon the creature in just a few minutes. As they expected, the thing was still perched upon the high wall, waving its stick around like a bored child. It leered down at the two, its piercing red eye making Link want to throw up his breakfast. Of all colors, why did it have to be red…?

“Well, well, you two are back! Tell me, do you have what I wanted you to get? Don’t disappoint me now!” The thing yelled out with a maddened cackle. “Though you do seem like the type to get things done, Link…”

It really felt like the hooded thing was trying to get under his skin, and Link did his best to ignore the sensation. He took the Captain’s Hat and the unusual hood he won from his bag. “I have the two items you wanted. So, you’ll let us pass, right?”

“What’s with that creepy hood anyway?! Why do we need it?!” Tatl demanded…while somewhat hiding behind Link’s head. That cyclops really freaked her out! She understood why they may need the Captain’s Had, but the hood was a mystery…

“I suppose I can tell you.” The hooded thing replied, conveniently ignoring Link’s question. “That is the Garo’s Mask. With it, you can stir the Garo, who will sniff you out. I’d recommend it, they’ve been here since Ikana was a flourishing kingdom!” As the thing spoke, it gestured its stick about wildly, almost in a theatrical way.

Garo…Garo…Garo…Tatl felt like she heard that word before. “Wait…you mean those warriors from the war that destroyed Ikana? Their spirits are still here?” Though that wasn’t much of a shock. Those skeletons were still lingering, after all. From what she understood, though, the Garo were the invaders from parts unknown.

“The very same!” The thing shrieked with a cackle. “Yes, they may part words of wisdom for you, but it may not be as easy as asking!”

Link nodded, not sure if he should even trust the cloaked being…but what if it was truly trying to help him? “So, you’ll let us pass now, right?” The boy repeated, his voice a tad bit more forceful this time.

“So pushy!” The thing chided. “Yes, yes, I’ll let you pass now.” It waved the stick as if it were casting a spell or using it like a magic wand. As it did this, a tree emerged from the rock next to him! A dead, dry thing, but it seemed somehow sturdy despite how lifeless it was. “I know you have a mechanism that will get you up here.”

Honestly, Link wasn’t even surprised that it somehow knew about his Hookshot. It already knew his and Tatl’s names, so why not what gear he had. “Aside from the Garo…what can I expect going forward?” The boy wanted to get as much information from this creature as he could.

Unfortunately, the thing cackled in response and shook its head. “Oh, that’d be too easy if I just told you! I already gave you a juicy hint, didn’t I?” It didn’t wait for any sort of response before it vanished right before the pair’s eyes! Eerily, it didn’t just blink away, it slowly faded, becoming see-through until eventually it was no longer there at all.

Tatl couldn’t help but shiver. “That thing…it really gives me the creeps…” She knew it was far from human, but what it was…that was beyond her. Some sort of spirit, she supposed. “Still, at least we can move forward now. Use your Hookshot on that tree and let’s get going!”

Link put the masks back in his bag, trying to ignore the disturbing nature of the cloaked being. For a moment, he wondered if the thing wasn’t trying to trick him into hurting himself. What it’d gain from doing that after giving him such a runaround, he had no idea, but the figure was hardly trustworthy. As he took out his Hookshot, he took the Goron Mask out too, figuring if he fell, he could put the mask on, and his Goron form’s sturdy body could protect him.

Before Tatl could ask what Link was doing with that mask, she watched as Link used the device onto the tree, the metal tip breaching its dead trunk with ease. Without issue, the boy was pulled up to the higher area, Tatl flying after him as he caught his footing and stood atop the stone wall where the cloaked thing was just sitting. As Link put his things away, he and Tatl gazed at the path ahead.

There wasn’t much to it, surprisingly enough. There were large boulders in the way, though, as unusual as it was. This was still in the clearly uninhabited part of Ikana Canyon, no ancient structures visible as far as they could see down the path as it turned out of sight behind rock walls. Even with how peaceful things seemed, the two felt eyes on them, the sickening feeling of the area just growing stronger. Link got his sword and shield ready, slowly starting to move forward with Tatl at his side. “Help me keep an eye on things…” The boy murmured, wondering if he should put the Captain’s Hat on. Would it make a difference to begin with…?

The fairy felt like she was going to vomit, the air almost a poison to her as she rested on Link’s shoulder. She wasn’t sure she’d ever get used to it, and she almost asked Link to just turn back time so they could rest back at Clock Town instead. Before she could even try to ask, something came from the ground! Tatl was facing behind Link, so she shouted for him. “Link! Watch out behind you!”

In an instant, the boy had whipped around, ready to face whatever Tatl had spotted…and it was an unusual sight to be sure. Out from the ground came…a Goron? No, not a Goron. It greatly resembled one, a curled being made of brown rock, but it was…off. Its limbs were thinner and wrapped around itself, hugging its knees to its body. The eyes had less life to them, white with simple black pupils. It didn’t seem to really have a face, just its eyes, the knees hugged to its form hiding any other features.

Link couldn’t help but belt out a “H…Hello?” at the Not-Goron. It was uncanny and disturbing to see something so familiar, yet so out of place and…wrong. Yet he greeted it, wondering if it’d speak back, if it wasn’t somehow sentient like any other Goron.

The thing didn’t speak. Instead, it let out unusual grunts, clearly not as intelligent as a Goron, maybe not even sentient like a person. It rolled at him, slow and clumsy, but with apparent aggressiveness, clearly wanting to harm him as it lunged. Link swiftly stepped back, glancing to Tatl for some guidance.

Alas, while the fairy caught his look and understood its meaning…she was clueless. “I have no idea what that thing is…!” She confessed, disturbed at how it looked like some sort of malformed Goron. It wasn’t a ghost or spirit, given her status as a fairy, she could tell that much. “Just…stab it! It’s some kind of monster, right?”

It seemed pretty obvious, of course, but Link felt he should ask first anyway. Luckily, the Not-Goron moved relatively slow, so it made attacking it easy. The boy thrust his blade forward, striking the thing between the eyes.

His ears rang as clouds swam in front of his face…way up above his face, actually. It took Link a moment to realize he was lying flat on his back. It took him a few more seconds to realize his left arm burned. Yet even more time passed before he heard Tatl talking to him, right into his ear, but her words were muffled nonsense.

Link’s body was sore, aside from just his arm, as he sat up, remembering the Not-Goron he struck with his sword. It was no longer there, black scorch marks being the only hint that it had even existed to begin with. “Tatl, what happened…?” The words, despite being his own, seemed to come from far away, though the ringing started to dim, at least enough he heard her response.

“Giants…I didn’t know if you’d be able to sit back up! That thing just…exploded! Like a bomb!” Tatl explained, her chest tight and aching from the worry. Wasn’t exactly common that Link was caught up in an explosion, so her concern was greater than normal. Disturbingly, she was almost used to seeing him getting pummeled or cut…almost…

The boy glanced at his arm, which was red and raw, the hairs all burnt off. That’s why it hurt so much. The explosion burnt it! Wincing, he stood up as the ringing faded to silence. “I didn’t think something like that could even happen…” He murmured, hid aching as he got his footing more properly.

“I’m sorry! I told you to stab it and…well, look what happened! I didn’t know things like that existed!” Tatl desperately explained, feeling horrible, like it was her fault Link was caught in the explosion at all!

Link shook his head, wincing as the action sent a painful bolt through his skull. “You didn’t do anything wrong. You didn’t know. If more show up, we can just run.” The thing hadn’t been fast, so he could just outpace it.

“…I guess…” Tatl still felt guilt gnaw at her, but just nodded as Link marched forward. As it turned out, he’d put his words into practice right away. The two had gone maybe two yards when more of the Not-Gorons emerged from the ground, grunting and rolling at him. Link sprinted from them, Tatl above his head as the things slowly rolled after them. Apparently the awkward lurching was their top speed, and they even vanished back underground once the boy and fairy went far enough away.

The path went on for a while longer, the Not-Gorons eventually ceased to appear as the two kept traveling. It seemed with every inch forward, the area grew heavier and sticky. They began to feel eyes on them again, and at times a soft whisper rang in their ears, startling them, but never seeing what the voices belonged to. The language spoken was ancient and dead, so the pair couldn’t even understand what the spirits wanted…

After a while, they arrived in a new area as the canyon walls widened to an open area that actually had some life in it. It was just grass, but it was still surprising. Past the small field was a river running through the area, and just past it was a wall that went up high, similar to the one the cloaked thing was sitting on. Thankfully, some dead trees grew were on some ledges going up the wall, a clear path for Link to take. There was a path to the right going elsewhere, but that was clearly not the road to take, as past the wall, a structure loomed.

It was the Stone Tower, the building they had seen in the mountains, and it was far more imposing up close. The stone monolith seemed to stretch to the heavens, the building still a far ways away, but it almost felt like they were at its base. The behemoth of a tower glared down at them, having been blocked by the canyon walls and even still partially obscured. The two had a sensation of the Stone Tower trying to reach out and grab them, dragging them kicking and screaming into its walls.

On top of this, they felt like they were being watched by something. Not vague spirits, but something more tangible, something actually dangerous. They recalled the talk of the Garo, and maybe that’s what was leering at them from places unseen.

“Do you think I should try the hood?” Link asked, taking the object from his bag. “Apparently they can give us information we need.”

“I don’t know if I trust that thing, but…just be careful, alright?” Tatl urged, wincing as she watched Link take the hood out of his pocket and slip it on. Right away, a horrid shiver went through her spine. “Something noticed.” She blurted out. “Something’s coming, I can smell the bloodlust….!”

Link could feel a presence, but since he wasn’t a fairy, the sensation was less intense for him. He got his sword and shield ready, whipping his head around to see what was coming. His left arm stung from the earlier explosion, worrying him about his capabilities to fight…but it was too late to turn back. At the very least, he assumed he’d have to combat with the Garo, the cycloptic creature seemed to be hinting at it.

In a split second, the pair felt a presence behind them. A solid, physical presence. They turned to see a figure standing there, mere feet from them. It was cloaked, wearing a hood like Link, though the hood was attached to a full cloak that covered its entire body save for its slim, but powerful-looking legs. Its face was hidden in shadow, two glowing green orbs for eyes being the only features visible. Given the hood was so similar, they both figured it was a Garo, there was just no other explanation.

“Master! I came as you called…and…” The thing spoke in a blatantly male voice, but it petered off, seeming to look Link over closer. In an instant, a blade appeared from the cloak, on the left side. While the Garo’s expression was still wreathed in shadow, Link had the sensation it was glaring at him. “…What are you…?” It hissed, a blade appearing in its other hand.

Before Link could even respond, the ancient spirit lunged at him with shocking speed, its blades at the ready, death on its mind as it dove at the boy! Tatl hovered higher to get out of the way as Link blocked the first slash with his shield! There wasn’t much power behind the blow, but Link figured the Garo were more about speed rather than strength. This was proven as the Garo spun like a top, brushing by Link’s defenses as one of its blades sliced into his cheek, below his good eye.

Tatl nearly had a heart attack seeing that, a desperate gasp ringing out before she saw the cut was shallow and not as close to his eye as she had first thought. Ever since…ever since then…she got so worried when he fought a bladed enemy. It was almost silly, he was braver about it than she was, and he was the one that suffered the agony of the incident.

Link put some distance between him and the Garo with some swift backwards steps, his gaze fixated on the cloaked thing. To his surprise, though, it spun around and seemed to vanish! Some deep instinct within him demanded he looked up, and in doing so he saw the Garo divebombing him, its two blades out and ready to stab him!

The boy rolled to the side as the spirit reached the ground, slashing its blades in a wide arc, just barely missing its target. Link lunged at the Garo, stabbing it through the cloak. He felt like he hit…something…but he wasn’t sure what it was, exactly. When he pulled the blade out, there was no blood. Did that mean he didn’t injure it? Did things like this even bleed to begin with?

Once more, the Garo spun like a top, rapidly moving as its blades windmilled around it, stopping Link from going on the offensive. It moved towards Link, the boy raising his shield to stop the blows that just kept coming at a rapid pace. Each one on its own wasn’t an issue, but one after the other after the other after the other put strain on his arm as he tried to put more distance between him and his opponent.

In a desperate, foolish move, he ducked beneath the blades and stabbed upward, aiming for the thing’s neck. Again, his blade hit the cloak and sunk into…something…but it wasn’t clear what that was. The Garo froze in place, falling to one knee as Link yanked the bloodless blade out and leapt backwards…but the thing didn’t get back up.

“…Do you surrender?” Link asked, feeling this was a foe he could actually speak to. How rare that was…

“You’ve bested me.” The spirit replied, its words prompting Tatl to flutter down to Link once more. “Because of your victory, I will impart some wisdom. Up on top of the wall above, a man and his daughter dwell…”

“Wait, like actual humans?!” Tatl couldn’t help but blurt out. “There are people that live here?!” Sakon already seemed insane to do so, but a man and his daughter? Why would they choose to stay in such a horrid area.

The Garo nodded, not seeming to care that it was interrupted. “They remained safe from the Gibdo, all thanks to an invention, a water wheel that produces music. Alas, it has fallen silent now, and the undead surround their home. The well has been cursed, haunted, and forced to dry up. Perhaps you can fix it, unusual one…”

Link wasn’t expecting the Garo to be so…verbose. He still wasn’t used to non-humans he fought to actually speak to him. Though maybe the Garo had been a person, once upon a time. He had no idea what Gibdos were, but at least they sounded like something physical that he could fight off. “Thank you for the information.”

A small breath came from the fallen Garo, almost like a small laugh. “That is all the wisdom I’ll give. Now, to leave no corpse behind.” A hand extended from its cloak, a small bomb with its fuse lit hissing into the dead air. “Such is the way of the Garo…”

The boy and fairy made a distance between themselves and the Garo, Link putting up his shield and Tatl hiding behind him as the small bomb went off! Thankfully, they were far enough away that they remained unharmed. When they took a look, though, the Garo was gone entirely.

“Geez…I never heard anything about that…” Tatl murmured as she hovered by Link’s head. “I didn’t know spirits could even blow themselves up…if it was even a spirit at all.” Best not to contemplate too much on what was what in this accursed place.

Link took the hood off and put it back in his bag, he didn’t want to accidentally summon one of those things again. “I’m just worried about the family up there. I didn’t think anyone normal would be here.” Sakon being far from normal, in his eyes.

“My, I thought I heard a commotion!” An adult’s voice, a man, rang out. The boy and fairy nearly jumped out of their skins as they turned around to see who spoke. As if summoned from being indirectly mentioned, Sakon was standing just a few feet away, an eerie, overly friendly smile plastered on his face.

It didn’t seem like the dark, dim atmosphere of Ikana had much of an impact on the thief. Maybe his nasty nature just acted as a balance, or maybe he was just so used to it or could hide his assured discomfort. Link was wary, a temptation to question Sakon about this thievery rose in his gut, but he knew this wasn’t the time for Anju and Kafei’s situation. “Just ran into something nasty and had to fight it off.” Link answered, feeling uncomfortable as Sakon just stared at him. Adults could be freaky to him, and he didn’t know why…

“A lot of nasty things around here, yes.” Sakon replied, his tone as overtly friendly as his grin, like he was trying extra hard to seem trustworthy. The irony of his statement seemed lost on him. His gaze fell upon Link’s sword, which he still held onto tightly. “Say, that’s a nice sword you have…”

Link took a half-step back, not sure what to do. Sakon was a horrible person, but he was still a person. He couldn’t just attack him and try to cut him! “…Thanks…” Was all he felt he could murmur back.

“How about you let me look at it real quick? I’ll give it right back!” Sakon insisted, taking a few steps forward, arm outstretched as if Link had already agreed to hand the item over.

The boy’s chest tightened, unsure of what to do. Adults…stern adults…he didn’t like them; they freaked him out! He remembered the first time one that scared him, the man with the apples that roughly grabbed his arm. “…No…No, I…”

Tatl could see Link was having trouble handling this. Her light went red, and she rammed into Sakon’s eye, causing him to cry out and step back. “Hey! Step back, you thief!” She had no desire to mince words. “Go on, get out of here, or I’ll get your other eye!”

Sakon’s grin was wiped away in an instant, stepping away from Tatl in a cowardly manner, one hand on his sore eye, the other raised up in surrender. “Okay! Okay! I didn’t mean anything by it! Honest!” Yet his tone wasn’t very convincing. He turned and scampered off towards the route the two had noticed before, leading to the right of the entrance to the area. Soon enough, he was out of sight.

Link took a breath, feeling the tightness in his chest loosen. “Thanks, Tatl. I’m sorry, I didn’t know how to really…handle that…” It wasn’t often that adults were outright malicious to him, so it always threw him off. Sakon may have been all smiles and attempted charm, but the boy knew what he was trying to do.

“Don’t worry about it. Felt good to give that guy a bit of pain. We’ll have to take him down properly some other time, though.” The fairy commented, knowing Link was determined to aid Anju and Kafei fully. Now just wasn’t the time to do it!

“…We will, yeah…” The boy felt a bit of warmth at Tatl’s attitude and words. It reminded him of something Navi would do. He remembered when she helped him with the apple man, or when Darunia demanded Link go into Dodongo’s Cavern, and she verbally bit his head off.

Navi…

Link’s insides twisted up again as he thought of her. Where had she gone? Was she really in the Lost Woods somewhere, just waiting to be found? He had to get through all this…he had to continue looking for her. Goddesses, he needed her so badly…! Link forced down his emotions the best he could and moved onward. With the dead trees acting as helpful targets, he used the Hookshot to work his way up the wall and onto an even higher part of the canyon, Tatl fluttering along beside him.

Once they got up top, the two paused and looked around the area. A lot of it was flat, a few raised segments of the canyon here and there. It was dead, no grass or even weeds going through the cracks in the earth. All around, hollowed and crumbling buildings dotted the landscape for miles around to the left and right. Homes, businesses, maybe churches and who knew what else were fragments of what they used to be when this place once flourished. While the area was long, it wasn’t wide, a rockface not too far off being the end of the expanse. The Stone Tower loomed overhead, larger than ever, the entire thing visible, the horrid and sinful structure.

One thing stood out, though. A single building was in the middle of all the death and emptiness, painted bright colors with large horns on top of it, as if the building itself was a musical instrument. The structure was right next to a dried river, a waterwheel attached to the small home unmoving. That had to be the home that the Garo spoke of! And, as the Garo said, the home was surrounded by the undead.

At least a dozen figures circled the unusual looking house, standing tall, adult-sized beings. For a moment, they were hard to really get a grasp on how they looked, having unusual white, loose skin. Then it dawned on the pair that the ‘skin’ was actually bandages, some of the wrappings a tad bit loose as the creatures shuffled about. Link couldn’t help but gasp out as he got a better look at the things.

Inside the coffin was a corpse. Not a skeleton, no. An intact corpse. Intact may have been lightly generous, as it was clearly old and dry, yet it had been preserved. The corpse was wrapped in white bindings, which were tattered. What skin of the corpse that showed was dried and looked almost like charcoal.

He had encountered these things before! Those nameless monstrosities beneath the well…Gibdos, apparently…they were here in Termina too?! Of course they would be, the world was designed to torment him, so naturally monsters such as this would show up! He shivered, feeling rotting teeth burrowing into his flesh, rotting nails gripping his limbs and holding him still as the life was sucked from him!

Tatl noticed Link’s discomfort, the boy not seeming to notice that he was shaking as he stared at the Gibdos skulking around the home. The undead things didn’t seem to notice him, but he was still so scared for some reason! “Hey, Link, you okay? What’s going on with you?”

Link only then realized he was shaking, struggling to get himself to stop. The boy was about to dismiss Tatl’s concerns when he remembered he promised to be more open with her. “…I’ve seen things like that before…They…” Bite. Scratch. Piercing teeth. Screams for help. Navi…! “…They’re horrible…”

The fairy frowned, staring at the shuffling beings. They didn’t look too dangerous, but maybe there was more to them than it seemed. She trusted that if Link was scared of a monster, it was for good reason. “Well, we’ll have to move by them…if we can get the water moving again, they’ll vanish, right? Think you can handle it?” Tatl didn’t mean the question in a condescending way, she was truly worried if he could hold together. That breakdown in the graveyard worried her…

He knew she didn’t mean it in a nasty way, but her words still made him feel like an idiot. Why did he keep feeling so scared of things?! After two years, had he not improved at all?! Link took a few deep breathes to compose himself and nodded. He also took the Captain’s Hat from his bag, its awful smell not having lessened much, even overnight, as he put it on his face. “I think maybe they’ll leave us alone if I have this on.” He didn’t want to wander too far from the home in a wide berth, it may be hard to find the dried river again since it somewhat blended into the dead earth around it, no telling if it went in a straight line all the way!

“Good idea…but those things seem kind of slow…is that really necessary?” Tatl asked, not sure why Link was being so overtly cautious. She understood he had bad encounters with Gibdos in the past, but he was bigger and stronger now!

Link figured Tatl should know more details, in case the Captain’s Hat didn’t work. “Their screams paralyze you. Then they…” He started the second sentence without even thinking before literally swallowing his words down.

Tatl didn’t need to hear any more than that, wincing at the visual of those things biting at Link. “Right…Okay, I’ll just follow your lead.”

It took a few seconds for Link’s legs to start moving, wishing he was just about anywhere in Termina than near those skulking things. His movements were slow, fearful, and he found it hard to get a full breath. The stench of rot wasn’t helping either, his mask horrid and borderline torture to wear. Yet he kept going, glancing to see Tatl was right by his side, and that made him feel better. Just a little.

The groans and moans of the Gibdos grew louder with each step as they shuffled around the house. At first, the undead didn’t seem to even notice the pair’s presence. When they grew close, though, the bandaged creatures turned to look at them, Link’s ice growing cold at the movement. However, the Gibdos didn’t attack, apparently not interested in the boy and fairy.

As Link grew closer, however, he heard a haunting noise. Not a screech, no. To Link’s surprise and disgust, he heard one of the Gibdo speak to him. “Inisde…Inside…Let us iiin…” The thing droned out, not really clear if it was talking to Link or just wailing its annoyances.

Link flinched, backpedaling away from the Gibdo, Tatl going along with him. “What? What is it?” The fairy asked, looking around. “Did it look like it was going to attack?”

The boy stared at the fairy, head tilting in confusion. “You didn’t hear it?” The voice had been loud! Quite loud! No way she didn’t hear it!

“Hear what? I heard that thing groan, but that was it!” Tatl assured with a frown. “Hey, you’re not going crazy on me or something, are you?”

“I heard it talk. It said it wanted to go inside the home.” Link explained, an idea hitting him. “Maybe the Captain’s Hat let me understand it…”

Tatl shrugged, feeling glad she couldn’t hear the undead speak. That sounded downright eerie! “Maybe! Let’s just keep moving, we’re almost past the house!” She followed Link as he moved forward again, keeping close by to him. The fairy could tell he was stressed, even if he wouldn’t voice it, and she watched him step carefully around the Gibdo, not willing to stray far from the dried riverbed, just in case.

The two went up a hill to a higher part of the canyon, seeing a cave in the distance. It seemed the water source was there. “I’m going to keep this on, just in case.” Link commented, though his nose was going to suffer for it.

“Good idea.” Tatl responded, glancing down at Link. Before she could stop herself, she said what was on her mind. “You did a good job keeping it together. I’m sure that was tough…” Given he had some horrid experience with those things in the past, she was…well, she was proud of him, though she wouldn’t say all that out loud.

The words warmed Link a bit, the gentle praise taking him back to two years ago. Without even glancing up at the fairy, Link responded. “Thanks, Navi.”

Tatl flinched, startled almost, from that. Did he…just really say what she thought he did? No, she was sure of it. He just called her Navi! The fairy expected Link to comment on it or make some sort of movement to show embarrassment…but he just kept walking towards the cave, didn’t break his stride or anything!

But…what was okay…right? The kid was under a lot of stress…and he probably just let it slip out and didn’t even realize! Tatl decided to just let it be. It was the only time he made that mistake…no need to really dwell on it! Composing herself, Tatl gave a nod. “Yeah…it’s nothing.”

While Link kept the Captain’s Hat on, there seemed to be no use for it as the two went on. Aside from hollowed out homes, centuries old at the very least, they passed nothing of interest on the way to the cave. As they approached, though, a dry, heated, oppressive sensation draped over them.

“The Garo said it was haunted…maybe there’s something actually in there.” Link murmured, taking off the Captain’s Hat to clear his vision entirely. Had to be ready in case something came at him!

“I’ll keep my eyes peeled. Just be careful, alright?” Tatl chimed in, still mildly reeling a bit from the Navi thing. She didn’t want to think it was a big deal, but it was just…odd…

Cautiously, the two entered the cave to find…not much at all. The interior was rather small, a circular area with natural stone pillars on the other rim, and a large stalactite at the center of the room. Below the stalactite was a pit, hazy and purple water filling it, but not enough to overflow it and restore the river. One thing did stand out…bones scattered along the floor…human bones…

Bones on their own did nothing to scare Link, he had seen the remnants of humans back when he thought he was a Kokiri. Even years later, the idea that bones were harmless rested in his heart. Of course, it was what made the bones that put him on edge. Yet as he and Tatl looked around, the cave entrance letting in enough sunlight to do so, nothing seemed dangerous, but the air was heavy and smelled of rot…

“What business do you have in Ikana Canyon? Don’t you know that this is where the dead roam?” A male’s voice, an unseen voice, suddenly called out from the darkness. Beneath the stalactite, a specter appeared! Right away, Link recognized it as Sharp, the other Composer Brother. He appeared exactly as he did in Hyrule, with a lantern, a mustached face, and red clothing. “This is no place for the likes of you…a human and a fairy…! The father and daughter, and that thief…they were bad enough!”

Link took a step forward, sword and shield ready for combat. “You’re the one that cursed the water source…? Why would you do that?” Flat had said he sold his soul to the devil, whoever that was, but why would he do something like this?!

“If it drives out the family down the river, it’s worth the effort.” Sharp replied coldly. “Now, do you wish to stay and join the dead? I’ll be glad to help you on your way!”

“Wait! Look, this isn’t right!” Tatl exclaimed, not used to being able to argue with a foe. “That family didn’t do anything to you, the dead should rest and let living people go on with their business!”

While Tatl distracted Sharp with her comments, Link wanted to try something. He freed his hands and brought the Ocarina of Time to his lips, quickly playing the Song of Healing. Maybe the notes could soothe Sharp’s being and end the curse!

Sharp flinched at the song, his body going still. “My heart…! Somehow…it feels at ease…! That melody you played has such serenity to it…” He said, almost in disbelief. “And yet…for the dead such as myself, filled with darkness…the notes mean nothing!”

The spirit waved his hand, and haunting notes filled the cave as Link and Tatl felt pain shoot through their bodies. For Tatl, it was so bad she nearly dropped down to the floor, needing all her strength to stay in the air. It was like thorns were growing inside of their bodies, stabbing agony going through every part of their being! Link fell to his knees, nearly vomiting as the sudden, overwhelming pain made his vision go blurry.

“L…Link…! D-Do something…!” Tatl managed to sputter out, feeling like she was about to faint entirely. “Has to be…something…y-you can d-do!”

The boy barely even heard Tatl’s words, the shooting pain dulling his senses. He couldn’t even reach for his bow to shoot Sharp down, so he wasn’t sure what to do! As his vision began to almost vanish, he remembered what Flat had said about his song…!

And…should you ever meet my brother, tell him this: The thousand years of raindrops summoned by my song are my tears. The thunder that strikes the earth is my anger!

While it was a struggle, Link put the instrument back to his lips once more. With the last of his breath, he just managed to play the Song of Storms. In an instant, a thunderclap rang out through the cave as rain began to fall! There was some hole or crack above unseen by the boy and fairy that allowed raindrops to fall through!

All at once, the pain Link and Tatl felt vanished as Sharp’s cursed music stopped, the two of them gasping for air as the agony that just felt lingered in their minds. Sharp began to shudder, letting out a groan as though in pain. “What…What is this song?! It…It can’t be…!” He let out another groan and faded from sight.

The purple water cleared up, rising from its pit to the point that the river started to flow again, starting as a trickle but growing strong with each passing moment! Even the bones seemed to fade, and the oppressive atmosphere lifted as well! “That…was horrible…!” Tatl gasped out, this being one of the few times she felt the same pain Link did. Giants, did he go through pain like this every time they went to cleanse a part of Termina?!

Link stood up, getting his sword and shield as he put the Ocarina of Time back on his belt as the thunder rumbled overhead once more. “I’m just glad I remembered Flat’s words. Another few seconds, and…” He trailed off, not wanting to think about it.

Without warning, Sharp faded back into view, startling the boy and fairy! “Fear not!” The ghost announced, his tone clearer and even friendly. “Oh, Flat…forgive me…! I sealed you away and sold my soul to try and revive the Royal Family!” It seemed he was speaking more to himself than the pair before him for a moment. “As for you two, who do not fear the dead…I ask for your forgiveness as well. “You have freed me from my curse with my brother’s song, and for that you have my thanks!”

“You really almost killed us, you know…” Tatl murmured, wanting to really give the ghost a piece of her mind, but she felt it’d be a bad idea.

It didn’t seem Sharp heard her, or perhaps he simply chose to ignore the fairy. “Despite my earlier words, the dead should not be wandering about the mortal plane. It has been like this for eons, and that masked imp just made it worse!”

The Skull Kid! “Wait…” Link responded, confused. “The Skull Kid didn’t raise the dead entirely?” That didn’t make sense to him…the overall problems of every other reason were solely his fault!

“The dead have been restless in Ikana since the kingdom fell. All the masked one did was make even darker things lurk about. The Stone Tower is the center of all of this!” Sharp responded. “However, before you enter, you must speak to our restless King. He resides in the ruins of his castle, naturally.”

“Wait, we didn’t see any castle.” Tatl pointed out. “We surely would’ve noticed something like that!”

Sharp nodded. “Your words ring true. The castle has been hidden by rubble, thanks to the sands of time. You’ll need to find an alternative entrance. Speak to the man in the musical house, he will be able to aid you further. I know I should not ask for anything, but I beg you fulfill my final request.” The spirit didn’t even wait for a response, vanishing once more, the cave itself seeming to sigh as he moved on to the next life.

“Jeez…he didn’t seem all that sorry after what he did…” Tatl bemoaned, feeling Sharp’s apology wasn’t enough. “Still, that was quick thinking, Link. The river seems to be getting stronger, so I guess that means the water wheel will turn on again soon.”

Indeed, with each passing moment, the river grew fuller and faster. The water seemed clean enough to drink, even! Not that Link was going to attempt it. “You’re right. Hopefully the man inside the home can help us get to the castle.” He hadn’t seen anything blocking their entrance to the Stone Tower, but he trusted in Sharp’s words, that they’d need something that only the undead King could give in order to move onward.

“Yeah…” Tatl said with little enthusiasm, still shaken a bit from the pain she had felt. “You ready to keep moving forward?”

“No.” Link responded simply, but despite his answer, he walked out of the cave as the rain began to slow, the thunderclaps fading away. All Tatl could do was follow the boy who marched to another encounter that she could only hope wouldn’t be as bad as what they just faced…

Chapter Text

When Link and Tatl exited the cave, the river was flowing at a steady rate already. On top of that, a new sound hit their ears, it was the sound of music! It was loud, fast, and jovial. It sounded like the type of music Link heard from festivals in the marketplace. That was the music that drifted to Hyrule Castle, while the boy, too afraid of the crowds and haunted by memories of the destroyed market, dared not step foot in it.

The wheel on the side of the colorful house was spinning, the music coming from the large instrumental horns on top of the structure, probably echoing across all of Ikana! Link and Tatl went a bit closer to the house, getting a better look at the Gibdos surrounding it. They were no longer marching, standing in place and twitching erratically, their heads bobbing in every which way. The creatures let out groans, not like the usual kind they gave off, but they sounded like they were in pain! Link had no idea if they could even feel pain, but somehow, the music seemed to be causing it.

All the Gibdos were frozen in place, their twitching becoming more erratic, as if electricity was surging through them. Then, without warning, they raised their hands up above their heads, like they wanted to claw their way to the sky. Instead, as if pulled by some invisible force, all of the monsters were dragged under the earth, moaning all the way down, loose and dead soil covering the holes left behind.

Within moments, the monsters were gone entirely, there being no sign they were even around to begin with. Link and Tatl hesitated at first, somewhat fearful that the Gibdos would simply rise up again and resume their march…but no such thing happened. Things stayed peaceful! In fact, the two felt a bit at ease! It was clear those notes weren’t normal, like the Song of Healing, there was a magical quality to them.

The two flinched, though, as they saw from their angle, the front door to the home opening. And out stepped a perfectly ordinary looking little girl. Brown hair, freckles on her face, purple shirt…she looked very out of place in Ikana. Even stranger, she didn’t seem to be afraid, more surprised, of her surroundings. Apparently, she felt rather confident that she was safe. Not noticing the boy and fairy, the girl sauntered to the river, observing it, as if staring at the water would reveal the answers to how it came back.

Tatl saw as Link took a step forward, but spoke up quickly. “Hey, you think it’s a good idea to just go up to her? With those shadows under your eyelids and that eyepatch, you look pretty scary.” She hadn’t even thought of her words as she said them, and she meant it mostly as a joke. However, Link looked up at her, then stared down at the ground, lowering his head as if to hide his face a bit.

The fairy quickly realized she messed up. Link never seemed like the kind of boy that really cared about his looks, so she just blurted out a dark joke! Before she could apologize, he just walked forward, not saying anything to her. She sighed a bit, mentally kicking herself as she followed her upset companion.

When the pair were about a dozen feet from the girl, she noticed their presence and turned to face them, letting out a startled shout. “I’m not here to hurt you, we were the ones that got the water working again.” Link quickly called out, worried that the girl was about to run away from him. Did he really look that scary…?

The girl hesitated, squinting at Link, not seeming to believe his words. “You gave us the water back…? How would you be able to do something like that…?” Her voice was laced with skepticism.

Tatl scoffed with a roll of the eyes. “Come on! I’m a fairy and Link here’s just a normal kid!” She was compensating a bit. “We’re not monsters, those Gibdos around here vanished!”

This seemed to work, the girl seeming less ready to sprint away. “Well…okay…but why are you in a creepy place like this?”

“We could ask you the same thing.” Tatl remarked. “You have a whole house here! And…well, we’re here investigating something.” She had to make something up.

“Is your dad here? I heard a man lived here too.” Link thought it was weird how such a small child was coming out here alone. The boy even glanced into the open doorway, and saw no one.

The girl flinched, as if Link had just screamed at her. “My dad…? He’s…not home. He went out. You’ll have to come back later.”

At that moment, a sound resonated from the house. It was a thumping noise, and what sounded like a muffled, pained groan. Link’s sword and shield raised instantly, expecting something to emerge…but nothing did. “What was that?” He asked, glancing at the girl for a moment. “Sounds like someone’s in pain.”

“I didn’t hear anything! I think you should just go, and-” The girl started, but she was interrupted by another thump, with a louder groan.

“Something’s in there! Did a monster get in?! Link, you gotta go see! Her dad might be in trouble!” Tatl exclaimed, circling around the boy’s head.

The girl tried to speak up, but Link rushed into the house and didn’t hear anything she might have said. The room they entered was a typical living room, some chairs around a table, a staircase leading downstairs right near the door. Tatl and the little girl followed him. “Wait, just leave, you can’t-” the girl started, but was interrupted as a third bang and groan rang out, the sound clearly coming from the basement.

Without hesitation, Link and Tatl started to descend the steps. The girl seemed like she wanted to follow, but stopped at the first step, seemingly unable to force herself to keep going.

Link and Tatl went down into the basement, right away seeing a large piece of machinery at the bottom of the steps. Tatl figured it was what kept the music going, the notes still blaring out, even now. The boy, however, had no idea what he was looking at, technology like this still so foreign to him. As for the rest of the basement, it was rather small, and Link flinched as he saw pictures on the wall, one of a Garo, and one of a Gibdo. Text was all over them, but given his illiterate nature, he gleaned nothing. There were wooden boxes, and a desk with books and papers with words scribbled on them.

The last thing of note was a large wardrobe, which was closed. Yet there was no sign of anything that made the noise from before! Unless…! “Hey, I think the groaning came from in there.” Tatl said, pointing at the wardrobe. “Is that where the dad is…?” Why would he be in there, though?

“We’ll have to find out.” Link commented, shuffling closer to the furniture. He was about to reach for one of the handles when it flew open, making him leap back in response! Inside was a cushioned interior, paper tags along the inside, but more importantly, a Gibdo was in there!

However…this Gibdo was different. Unlike the others, it wasn’t fully wrapped, half of its face and a single arm were exposed! And rather than some monstrous, rotting form…the face was that of a human, a red-haired man! But something was wrong…his mouth was agape, a horrible moaning escaping, his teeth large and spaced out. His single exposed eye was yellow and bloodshot! The lurching figure locked its eye on Link, starting to stumble towards him.

From instinct, Link readied his sword. Something was off about the Gibdo, it didn’t look like a usual one…but it was clearly some sort of monster. Maybe it killed the girl’s father?! He readied himself to lunge at the creature despite his fears, despite how his legs felt like jelly at the sight of the monster.

Before he could, however, the little girl tore down the stairs! “Hey! No! Don’t!” She screamed, getting between Link and the monster! The girl lifted her arms in a protective gesture, but faced Link, seeming to be protecting the Gibdo! “Don’t you dare! Just get out! Leave him alone!”

This…wasn’t right. Link froze, not used to being yelled at by a kid in such a way. In the last two years, it was only ever adults he saw being nasty at all. Servants sick of his presence, Ingo’s grumpiness…this wasn’t something he was used to.

Tatl was confused too…why would the girl protect a monster?! But…something had to be up, this Gibdo wasn’t normal, it actually looked somewhat human. Could it be that this thing didn’t kill her father, but…! “Link! The Song of Healing! Do it!” The fairy yelled, remembering how Sharp was nearly cured of his own curse from the song.

This snapped Link out of his thoughts. What Tatl said made sense…but…if she was wrong, that thing might kill the girl! Link decided to trust in Tatl, however…he put more distance between himself and the shuffling monstrosity as he took out the Ocarina of Time. Putting the instrument to his lips, Link played the Song of Healing, the notes seeming to somehow be louder than the musical home.

The creature stopped in its tracks, clutching its head, swaying as if dizzy or in pain. The girl turned to look at the monster, worry all over her face. Before she could do or say anything, there was a flash of light, and the sound of something wooden hitting the floor. When the light faded, the creature was no longer there. Instead, the man beneath was whole, his mouth and eyes normal, no more wrapping, normal clothes on his body. He looked down at his hands, confusion written all over his face. “What…?” The man murmured, mostly to himself.

“Father…?!” The girl exclaimed, running to the man, and hugging his leg. He bent down, holding the girl close as she started to cry.

“Pamela…? What have I been doing this whole time…?” Asked the man, his gaze a bit unfocused, not even seeming to realize Link and Tatl were there.

Sobbing, Pamela shook her head against her father. “Nothing! You weren’t doing anything…! You were just having a bad dream, a nightmare! That’s all…” The daughter and father embraced, happy to be together and whole again.

Link and Tatl watched on, not sure what to do. Link, however, was also feeling frustration. Anger. Seeing Pamela and her father…a child and a parent…it just reminded him that he had nothing like that. Never did. Of course, for his father specifically, he didn’t care. He knew nothing of the man, didn’t know if he was even alive or dead, and he had no intention of ever trying to find out. But…seeing a sad child comforted by a parent…why didn’t he ever get to have that?

Why did his mom have to die?

Tatl glanced down and flinched at what she saw. “Hey, Link, look…” She whispered, jolting him from his thoughts. Link looked down and saw a Gibdo’s face on the floor! No…that’s not what it was. It was a mask that just looked like a Gibdo. “Maybe you should take it. Those other two freaky masks can do things, so this might too.”

The last thing Link wanted to do was touch something that looked like a Gibdo’s face. It came from a curse, too…did that mean he’d turn into one if he put it on?! Still, hesitantly, he picked it up. It smelled of rot and dust, and he stashed it into his bag. He couldn’t even glance at Pamela and her father as he and Tatl went up the stairs.

Before they left, though, Link halted. “Maybe we should stay. Pamela’s dad might know something about the Stone Tower.” Really, there seemed to be nothing stopping him from just waltzing up to the structure and going in. He hadn’t seen the entrance yet, but it was so close! No swamp water, no giant Goron, no water barrier…nothing blocking his way forward that he had seen yet. Still, getting any information about the place seemed crucial.

“Good point…he could help us out, maybe. But are you just going to wait in their house as those two have their reunion?” Tatl asked, glancing down the stairs, the father and daughter still not coming up yet.

Link was confused, sitting down as he prepared to wait. “I don’t get why not. It’s just a house.” Just a building. Why did it matter if he was inside of it or not? He never minded when Saria entered his treehouse without asking, and she never had a problem entering her home unannounced.

Tatl sighed with a shrug. “Alright, whatever. It’s still kinda weird, you know.” Still, she settled on the table, waiting alongside Link.

The boy was still feeling a bit anxious. He had been so close to killing Pamela’s father, without even realizing it. If she had gone down those stairs just a few seconds later, it would’ve been too late! It was lucky Tatl spoke up…it wasn’t something he was used to, her giving advice in such tense situations. He wished she’d do it more often…Navi would’ve helped like that for sure. She would’ve given him advice a lot more often than Tatl…

He wished she was with him instead.

His thoughts were interrupted as Pamela came up the stairs, the girl was alone. She seemed surprised to see Link and Tatl were there. “You two are still here? You really made yourselves at home…” Her tone was more awkward than anything, like she didn’t know how to react.

“Told you.” Tatl whispered to Link, but he brushed off her comment.

“We wanted to talk to your dad.” Link responded, gesturing vaguely off towards the east. “We want to talk to him about the Stone Tower.”

Pamela let out a shudder, as if just saying the name of that monolithic structure was some sort of taboo. “Why would you want to know about that place, Mister? Why are you even in Ikana at all? I was born here, so that explains my dad and I…but why would you come to a place like this?”

Mister. Why did she call him that? He had been called ‘Mr. Link’ by a few individuals like Anju and the Deku Princess…weird formalities that Link didn’t really get and didn’t really like. Hearing a kid younger than him call him just ‘Mister’ like that just felt…wrong. It made him feel old, and that really made him sick to his stomach.

“Link is fine.” The boy said, having to hold back his true frustrations. “We have something important we have to do. So, can we talk to your dad?”

The girl seemed hesitant at first, and Link noticed how stressed she looked. “…I guess. I’m glad you helped him…thank you for that. You have weird powers, so just don’t talk to him about it, okay? That’s how he got like that…”

“How did he get like that exactly?” Tatl couldn’t help but ask. “If it’s something we need to worry about happening to us, we need to know.”

Pamela shook her head. “I don’t know. He went off to do research and just came back like that. Then those Gibdos started to circle our house when the river dried up and…” She started to tear up, sniffling.

Link’s eye widened, seeing himself in Pamela. She just went through something awful, and now had to talk about it. He got down on one knee, getting more to her eye level. “You don’t need to talk about it anymore. It’s over now, okay? You and your dad are safe, and you’re going to stay safe.” His voice was firm, confident, stating things as solid facts. It’s the way he wished he had been talked to during the last two years, at least more often…

This seemed to have a quick reaction in Pamela, who started to calm down, nodding along with Link’s words. Tatl, meanwhile, watched the exchange with raised brows. Link just swooped in and calmed her in just a few sentences…how did he know how to do that? Did he have experience with this kind of thing?

“Thank you…” Pamela mumbled with another sniffle as she wiped her eyes with her sleeve. “You can talk to my dad, just keep everything that happened a secret, he doesn’t remember anything.”

Link stood back up with a nod. “I promise we won’t mention it.” He walked by her, heading downstairs, Tatl right by his side.

“Hey, Link, how’d you know how to calm her down like that? Didn’t know you had it in you…” The fairy remarked in the boy’s ear. “You deal with troubled kids before or something?”

He ignored her. Didn’t matter if he explained, she’d never understand. No one did. Only Navi. Not even Saria really understood him, not even before his life went so horrid. Tatl let out an annoyed scoff, but didn’t reply as the two reached the basement.

There, Pamela’s father was sitting at the desk. He looked a bit winded, but otherwise okay. The man was reading a book, one that looked old, bound in leather. As the boy and fairy approached, he looked up at them. “Ah, I think I saw you two a few minutes ago…I apologize, things are a bit fuzzy. I must not have slept very well. Are you friends of Pamela’s? All the way out here?”

Remembering his promise, Link shrugged lightly. “Something like that. We need to talk to you about something important.”

This got the man’s interest, brows raising as he closed his book. “Oh? And what would that be? Is it about the Gibdo and Garo? I’ve come up with an interesting hypothesis about how they work, so I can help you with that if you need it.”

He came up with a…what? Link leaned towards Tatl and whispered. “Tatl, what’s a…hy…hypotsis?” What a weird word…he wasn’t even able to spit it out properly. But the fairy didn’t say anything, acting as if he hadn’t spoken up. Link felt frustrated, knowing that Navi would answer his question gladly.

“It’s not stuff like that.” Tatl said to the man, brushing off Link gladly. See how he likes being ignored. “We need to know about the Stone Tower, we need to go into it.”

“What?!” The man exclaimed, standing from his chair. “Why would you want to do that? It’s very dangerous, you know. Even before things have gotten more…severe.”

Link had an idea of what he meant but prodded anyway. “Severe how?”

“The spirits and the undead have become much more restless lately.” The man responded, rubbing his chin in thought. “Before, they may have come out at night, and some places in Ikana are just downright haunted…but lately, it’s been much worse. I see specters and the undead all over the place, day and night. Then the river dried up, which kept the Gibdo at bay. I went to investigate, but…” He winced, as if in pain. “…I can’t remember much after that. How unusual…”

No mention of the Skull Kid, that actually surprised Link. Naturally, the imp simply had to be responsible. “We need to go in there, there’s something very important we have to look into.”

The man studied Link, staring at him like he was trying to figure something out, trying to find something. What that something was…who could say? Apparently, he seemed to see something that he approved of and nodded. “Something tells me you’ll go whether I tell you to or not. Is that right?”

“Pretty much. You’ll never meet a kid more stubborn than Link.” Tatl remarked, her tone more teasing, letting go of her petty annoyance at being ignored. She should be used to Link being closed off, after all…

It seemed like this was something Pamela’s father approved of given his expression. Seeing as he poked around in very dangerous things, it seemed Link willing to do the same thing was a positive in his eyes. “I’ll tell you one thing, you won’t be getting far if you enter the Stone Tower. I’ve tried entering it myself once, years ago, but didn’t make it far. I didn’t have the right tools.”

“What sort of tool did you need?” Link asked, dreading the next part. Something told him he was going to have to go somewhere and fetch something to aid him. He recalled having to get the Hookshot so he could enter the Forest Temple…

“Now, see, I’m not too sure.” The man admitted, rubbing his chin in thought. “I’ve read through records, and I’ve found that the ancient kings of Ikana used a special tool to scale the Stone Tower, but its exact nature wasn’t explained. However, if you go into the castle, you may find an answer.”

A castle? The two outsiders hadn’t seen any sort of castles around! “Where’s this castle anyway? It’s just destroyed houses, this place, and the Stone Tower!” Tatl exclaimed. “Is it hidden somewhere or something?”

“That’s it exactly, little fairy!” Pamela’s father remarked. “It is hidden within the canyon itself, its entrance long since buried by rubble. There is a hidden path…but even before all this began, the route was dangerous.”

Tatl almost chewed the guy out for calling her ‘little fairy’ like that. How demeaning! How’d he like it if she called him ‘big human’ or something?! “Why do you even live here if it used to be so dangerous anyway?” The fairy couldn’t help but ask. “Aren’t you freaked out by all the ghosts and monsters?”

The man chuckled, as if he got asked that often, despite his isolation. “The spirits interest me. Before things got so hectic…the dead knew that they were dead. The ones that haunted the canyon weren’t denying their death, they knew they were deceased, and they embraced it. It intrigued me…normally, people see wandering spirits as mournful or angry, in denial of their passing, but most of the ones here in Ikana were accepting of their fate. I simply had to know more!”

Tatl didn’t mince words, she couldn’t hold back this time. “You’re kind of a loon, aren’t you.” She said it as a statement, not a question. “Why would you want to know more about ghosts and stuff? Don’t you know they’re dangerous?”

Pamela’s father paused, sighing as he ran a hand through his hair. Apparently, this wasn’t something he was asked. “As you may have noticed, Pamela’s mother isn’t here. When she passed…I had to know what happened to her, if she was at rest. Maybe I could see her again! It began my obsession and…one thing led me to another, and now I’m here. I know my darling wife is truly gone now, but now I just want to know more about the spirits and the undead.”

Link’s eye widened, his chest feeling heavy as a surge of emotions hit him at once. It…reminded him of himself. He had to find Navi, his obsession bringing him to this canyon of the dead…! But…Navi wasn’t dead. Just missing. When this was all over, he’d find her.

He had to.

The boy realized they were getting way off topic at this point. “We still need to know how to get to the castle.”

“Ah, yes! Of course!” Pamela’s father exclaimed, apparently having forgotten the topic for a bit. “To get to the castle, it seems there is a hidden tunnel, or a well, really, not far off that leads right to it! I uncovered it not too long ago, though I’ve yet to traverse it myself…”

A well? Link’s chest started to tighten, and he heard drums far, far off in the distance, but they seemed to grow closer with every second. Why, of all things, did it have to be a well?! The drumming seemed to reverberate in his chest, his heartbeat adding to the dark song that rang in his ears and shuddered his very spirit. Link snapped out of his light trance as Tatl spoke up.

“Okay, so, where’s the well? Come on, we need to get moving!” The fairy urged. “We just take the tunnel, and then we’re in that old castle, right?”

“The well is up a few hills by the house. It used to be hidden, but I uncovered it, it’s hard to miss. Just a big hole, basically. And you should end up in the castle, yes. I’d just be careful…no telling what’s down there.” Pamela’s father warned. “Oh, but do tell me if you come across any interesting spirits! I’d like a chance to study something new!”

Link found the man’s obsession with spirits increasingly frustrating. Spirits weren’t there to be poked and prodded at! He had to bite his tongue, resisting the urge to tell him off. Saria and the other Kokiri were not just things to marvel over! It wasn’t like when he wanted to keeps bugs as pets as he grew up, spirits were more…aware, more complicated! Even the ones that weren’t used to be people, or were sacred in some way. The voices and shimmers of the Lost Woods, they were meant to be left alone, left to their own, quiet life away from normal humans, and Link figured most of the spirits of Ikana were the same way. The boy swallowed his true feelings and nodded. “Thank you. We’ll go off right away.”

“Now, hold on!” The man called, before Link could move. “I fear there may be Gibdo down there, so be extra cautious. Mmm…Maybe if you wrapped yourself in bandages…”

A sudden, nasty thought hit Link. He took the mask from his bag that he just got, the Gibdo Mask, he supposed. “Would something like this work?” He despised the idea of actually putting the thing on his face, but if it’d help…

“What a horrid mask!” The man exclaimed, yet despite his words he seemed almost excited. “Yes, that may do! You should let me borrow it when you’re finished, I’d love to take a closer look at that mask!”

Link saw the irony in the man wanting to observe such a mask, and he held back a shudder as he put the mask away. “Right. I’ll do that.” He lied, just to end the conversation. “Now we really need to go.” This time, he didn’t wait for a response, turning around and heading up the stairs, Tatl right with him. They passed by Pamela, who gave a silent, awkward wave as they left, Link giving a small one back.

Outside, the music was blaring still, so the boy and fairy moved away a bit to talk. Link took the Gibdo Mask out, not wanting Pamela to have seen it. Tatl hummed as she hovered near Link. “You know…the other masks you got through the Song of Healing changed you.” Except maybe that mask he got from Kamaro, but Link hadn’t even tried to put it on yet. “You think this one will do that too?”

“…That’s what I’m afraid of.” Link admitted, looking at the grotesque mask. “I’m afraid if I put it on, I’ll become a Gibdo.” It wasn’t like being a Deku, a Goron, a Zora…those were fellow people, just different races. A Gibdo, well, it was a monster. What if it changed his personality, what if he couldn’t put it back on?! What if the music from the house hurt him…?

Unfortunately, he had to try it on, if he wanted to get through the well safely. With a deep breath, he started to put the mask on, his hand shaking as the object neared his face. When he put it on…nothing happened. It smelled of dust and rot, but aside from that…nothing. “Oh, thank the Giants!” Tatl exclaimed. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if you changed into one of those things!”

Taking the mask off, Link had to hold back a grimace at the stench. “I don’t know either…” He murmured, realizing just how big of a gamble that may have been.

“You looked kinda creepy with it on. Way better with it off, so handsome!” Tatl declared, still compensating for her earlier comment. Even though he never said it, she knew it had upset him.

I was just straightening you up. We’ll be talking to a Princess after all. You look so handsome!

Navi’s words rang through Link’s skull. It wasn’t the same. Not when Tatl said it, not when she was trying to be like Navi, even when she didn’t realize it. Try as she might, she’d never be a stand-in for Navi. Never. Link didn’t say a word, putting the mask away as he readied his sword and shield, just in case, as he started towards the hills.

Tatl sighed. Was he really that sore about her comment earlier? Should she just apologize directly…? No…it’d just be awkward now. Letting loose a second sigh, she followed Link.

The farther the two got from the house, the less safe they felt. It was as if the music did more than just keep Gibdo at bay. Really, it almost seemed like it kept anything impure off of the pair’s backs. Not that there seemed to be anything around them. Yet the disembodied voices and the hands grabbing at Link from earlier on in the canyon let them know that seeing nothing didn’t mean they were safe.

In fact, as the boy and fairy moved out of the music’s range, they quickly felt as though they were being watched. Shadows seemed to flicker out of the corners of their eyes. The two stopped in place as they heard the giggling of a child from the ruins of a nearby home. Or what may have been a home. All the buildings around them now were too gutted to tell what they once were. Some were just a single wall that somehow managed to remain standing, even.

Something told Link neither of his masks would help much. He remembered the spirits in the graveyard, how none of them followed his orders, even as he wore the Captain’s Hat. From what he could gather, the physical undead would bend to his will or just ignore him, but spirits wouldn’t.

Link felt like he should be used to spirits…he grew up with them. Not just the Kokiri, but nameless lights and voices within the Lost Woods, fragments of those that got lost, and residual things from long before Hylians existed. Yet the spirits in Ikana felt more…malicious, more haunted. Link couldn’t quite explain it, but it seemed like they were dragged from somewhere else…if Saria were here, she’d be able to explain it better…one spirit feeling the emotions of another…

After all, he’d never be a Kokiri…

He tried to keep himself calm, knowing that another well was in his near future. Why did it have to be a well?! Termina really was here to torment him, wasn’t it? Link was surprised he hadn’t met a copy of Saria or something given how much this world loved to torment him. Maybe there was such a copy in Clock Town, and he just hadn’t met her yet. After all, Kafei was seemingly a sort of clone of himself, so…

Link was jolted from his thoughts as Tatl let out a yelp. His focus came back, and he saw what the fairy was fearful of. There was a lantern in front of them, held in midair by some invisible force. Even in the daylight, its flame was highly visible. It swung, back and forth, as if whatever was holding it was swaying an invisible hand.

Was it a Poe? Or something else? Link decided to give the object a wide berth, not wanting to attract whatever was holding that thing in midair. As he tried to do so, though, it flew at him, like it was being thrown! Link rolled out of the way, stood up, readied himself, and…nothing. Even as the lantern shattered on the ground…nothing happened. The boy and fairy remained in place, holding their breath…but nothing came at them…

They tried to ignore what happened, and what sounded like laughter caught in the light winds of the dead canyon. Eventually, going up some more hills, they reached their destination, or what they assumed to be it. It wasn’t a very dramatic sight, if they didn’t know what they were looking for, they might have gone right by it. Essentially, it was just a hole in the ground, little more than that. There were signs that the area around it was tampered with, assuredly Pamela’s father’s doing.

It was just a hole…but to Link, it was a lot more. In his mind, he heard the drums of Bongo Bongo again. They were coming right from the well’s entrance! And he felt…something coming from the hole, a heated, sticky air that smelled of rot. Tatl winced, smelling it too. “Do…you sense something too, Tatl?” He asked, hearing her wince.

“Yeah…there’s something awful down there…be really careful Link, I don’t think it’s going to just be Gibdos.” The fairy sensed something wicked down there, something they hadn’t encountered in Ikana thus far. It made her sick to her stomach…

Link couldn’t feel things as strongly as Tatl, but just his memories were enough to make him feel sick too. Slowly, he edged towards the well, peering into the hole. He nearly screamed as a single, red bloodshot eye stared back at him, the drums deafening. Link staggered back, panting heavily as his eye widened, hands trembling.

Tatl had peered in as well, but saw nothing but inky blackness and a ladder leading downward, so Link’s reaction startled her. “Link…?! Hey, what’s up?! Did you see something down there?” She couldn’t imagine what, surely she would’ve seen it too…

He didn’t even hear her, though. Anxiety spiked in his chest, and his breathing became stilted. His chest tightened, and his body started to feel weak. The drums kept beating, slamming in his skull, threatening to shatter him, to break him and drag him into the shadows!

With a gasp, Link fell to his knees, Tatl rushing to his side, saying…something…but he couldn’t hear her. All he could hear was the drumming and his own, shallow breaths. He dropped his sword, hand over his slamming heart, clutching his tunic in desperation, as if that may help. It was harder to get a full breath…

He was dying.

He was dying. He was dying…! He was dying! Dread and the feeling of inevitable death flooded him, Link’s eye staring off into nothingness, seeing Bongo Bongo’s pulsing red eye. “Can’t…I…I-I can’t…please…” Link managed to choke out.

Tatl was freaking out too, having no idea how to help Link! What was happening?! She had tried to call his name, but he didn’t acknowledge her at all! “Hey, come on, Link, speak to me!” The fairy pleaded, circling around his head as though that’d help in any way. “Do you need to reset?! Did you see something down there?! Come on!” It always made her almost a bit scared when that mask he put on shattered in such a drastic way…seeing him so strongly emote was uncanny enough to be a bit terrifying!

Link’s hearing started to return, Tatl’s voice managing to break through. The feeling of impending death still draped over him, but he was able to look at her…he saw a blue light above him. “I can’t…I can’t do it…please don’t m-make me…” He murmured, tears starting to run down his face, only his good eye managing to shed them.

“Make you what? Come on, Link, speak to me here!” Tatl wasn’t sure if she should go to Pamela’s father and get help or something. She didn’t want to leave him alone in a place like this, especially when he was so defenseless! Not that she could exactly fight anything off anyway.

“I can’t…Don’t m-make me go down there…please don’t…please…” Link begged, his mind becoming fuzzy, his grip on reality starting to sleep, his mind regressing. “I don’t want to…I don’t…I can’t…! Please…Please…” He began to sob, unable to control himself, his entire frame shaking as he struggled to get a full breath in.

Tatl was a few seconds from going to get help, desperate and feeling she couldn’t handle this situation. They weren’t somewhere safe, like the inn, where Link could cry and it’d be okay. No, this was Ikana…he couldn’t just break down in tears here, it was dangerous, he could draw in something…otherworldly…

“Link, come on, you can’t cry here!” Tatl felt horrible for saying that, but she didn’t know what to do! Yet she watched as Link kept sobbing, back away from the well’s entrance, like he was afraid something was going to reach out and drag him inside! She just didn’t get it, she looked in there too, but she saw nothing, and nothing was coming out of it! Was it like the graveyard? Did he have a bad experience in a well? Fall into one? What were the chances he’d encounter two situations that freaked him out back to back like this? “Link, come on, please just talk to me! What’s wrong?!”

He was only generally aware of what she was saying, his body shaking as he choked on his own spit, coughing as he tried to cry at the same time. Link felt like the world was spinning and fading around him, no matter how deeply he tried to breathe in, it never seemed to be enough, his chest ached, and he was never able to feel like he was getting enough air.

Link gazed at the blue light, the one only he could see. “Please don’t make me go…P-Please don’t…don’t make me go in there…I can’t…Please…Please…!” The tears wouldn’t stop, a streak of hot agony running down his face as the world around him seemed to close in, to try its best to suffocate him.

Tatl wasn’t just concerned, but also now feeling almost…guilty. Something was wrong with Link, clearly, but for some reason he seemed to think she was trying to drag him into the well, like it was her fault! That…that really upset her…was this how he felt deep down or something? Like Tatl was dragging him from place to place? It had been so long since she bugged at him to go to each part of Termina…demanding he fix what was wrong with the land…did he latch onto that? “Link, I’m not making you do anything! We can reset time if you want, just please calm down!”

The broken child shuddered as he sobbed, the sensation that he was about to vomit creeping into his gut. The monstrous thing…the one with so many arms, grabbing him, trying to bite him…! Goddesses, he could feel its claws digging into his legs! “Please…Help…Don’t make me go…Navi…I don’t…I-I can’t…please…!”

It was a slap to the face, Tatl flinching. Navi? Again? In the same day? The fairy wasn’t sure how to react, but…it must have just been his panicked mind. She recalled how he called out to Navi when his eye was lost. Giants, just remembering that made her feel ill! “Link, calm down! Please…!” At the moment, it didn’t seem like his tears would attract anything, but she was feeling paranoid. She flew to his cheek, giving the best hug she could. “Link, I’m here…I’m here…! Please, just calm down…”

Minutes seemed to go by at a painfully slow pace, Tatl kept hugging Link’s face, gently shushing him and trying to soothe him, feeling lost and helpless as her friend loses himself right in front of her. Eventually, though, Link feels the world start to right itself again. It stops spinning, stops trying to crush him. His lungs start to take in air properly, the sensation that he’s about to die fading.

He looks up to the sky, vision blurry from the tears…but he sees the Moon. It’s facing towards the swamp, but he swears that ones of the eye closer to him has shifted to look at him, its permanent grimace a threat, a promise that if he fails his quest, or takes too long…everyone will die. Link started to become more aware that he was in Termina. Navi wasn’t here, but Tatl was, and the fairy was holding his cheek, trying to calm him down. The claws on his leg seemed to slowly let go, and he felt strength return to his limbs.

“…Tatl…” He managed to murmur, wiping his tears away as the fairy moved off of his face and hovered in front of him. Link had sworn, just for a second, that she was Navi. However, he hadn’t realized he had said the fairy’s name, the last few minutes were mostly a blur to him. “…Tatl, I’m sorry…I…” Link trailed off, not sure what to say. Goddesses, if he had to even describe the things he saw under the well in Kakariko…the things he saw in the Shadow Temple…! He felt bile fighting its way up his throat even thinking about it, making him have to swallow hard. “I’m sorry…I just…” How did he even explain it? Even now, he was so scared, he just wanted to go back to the inn, hide under the covers like a scared child…

After all, that’s exactly what he was.

“No…Link…you don’t have to apologize for that! Don’t be ridiculous!” Tatl shot back. “Stop apologizing for crying and being scared! It’s…Giants, Link, what happened? What did you see down there?” She was still so sure he saw something that she didn’t. Little did she know that she was right, just for the wrong reasons.

How did he explain this? Something told Link that Tatl wasn’t going to just accept him brushing it off. He promised to be more open, but…this was just too much. Link supposed he could just be nice and vague, and hopefully that’d satisfy her. “…Been under a well before…I…it…” His words clogged in his throat, his frame shaking. “…I just remembered, and…I just want to forget. I can’t forget, though. I’m not allowed to forget, no matter how much I try…”

That didn’t really help clear that much up. Tatl wasn’t sure how much she should push these things. Getting Link to open up at all was a challenge…and this was something very distressing for him, clearly. But it couldn’t just be he fell in some well, no, it was way more than that. “…I’m sorry. I wish I could help. Do you want to reset time? Maybe you just need a rest, Link.” She wanted to make progress, but Link’s health came first!

Link shook his head, feeling like a complete joke, Tatl having to worry about him like that. Her words…reminded him of Navi…she’d also push for him to rest, for him to tackle things when he was ready. But no, Tatl wasn’t Navi, it wasn’t the same. Navi would have been more nurturing, more soothing. He knew it wasn’t fair, to compare the fairies, he knew Tatl was trying her best…but he missed Navi. Not just her love, but how much she aided him, how much she helped him stay in one piece mentally.

“I want to keep going.” The boy insisted, not sounding too confident. At this point, his mask was back intact, and he was going to try to keep it that way…but something told him it was a fruitless effort. Honestly, a small part of him was nervous that if he turned back and ran off now, he wouldn’t be able to brave the well again. Just getting from the house to here was a struggle for him…if he had to cross the canyon, scale the wall, stop the Gibdo again, and then go back to the well…all knowing that it was something he had to face…he wasn’t sure how he could handle it. It seemed impossible.

“You know, there’s nothing wrong with stopping to rest, or prepare yourself for something.” Tatl said, her voice a bit forceful. “You’re always pushing yourself, and I don’t know if you can handle it! You were just pleading with me, crying and sobbing, begging not to go in there. Do you not remember any of that?” Did he not remember calling her Navi?

Tatl couldn’t help but be bothered by that name slip, even though she tried not to be. As much as she wanted to chalk it up to Link’s mental state being so low that he just spouted the name out…it was the second time he called her that today. And neither time did he seem to even realize that he did it. The first time was so casual, too! It was a bit uncanny, almost, and Tatl really started to let her mind wander about it. Was the lost fairy simply on his mind, or was there something more to it?

The fairy had to wonder if Link saw her as some sort of…replacement for Navi. It wasn’t something that she had thought of before, but these name slips made the idea start to take root within her mind, especially now. She knew how desperately he missed his old friend, how much he wanted to find her…Giants, she remembered how he said a void in his body would kill him if he didn’t find her. He sounded insane, and she had to wonder if he was just babbling nonsense because he was freaking out or if he actually believes that. Honestly, Tatl was afraid to ask.

If Link saw her as some sort of replacement…how was she meant to take that? Like was she just the not-as-good Navi? Is that how he saw her? Was it always like that, or was it a recent thing? Given how distraught he was with losing her, it was clear his opinion of her was beyond high, he compared it to losing a piece of himself. How was she meant to hold up to that? Did she even want to? It wasn’t really fair on her that he’d create such a massive pedestal and expect Tatl to measure up…

That was assuming that’s what he was even doing. Tatl had no idea, and she felt like it was a terrible idea to even ask. No matter what, it wouldn’t end well. Either she’s wrong and Link got offended, or she’s right and she gets offended. It’s a mess no matter where the cards fall, and she wasn’t going to risk it, not yet anyway.

Link sighed through his nose, dusting himself off a bit, looking around to make sure nothing was skulking around while his guard was down. It seemed the spirits and the undead chose to leave him alone in his vulnerable time, though. Maybe daytime was just safer, maybe this part of Ikana wasn’t where the most dangerous things were. Chances were, the most deplorable things lurked beneath his feet and within the Stone Tower. He glanced back up at the structure, how it loomed, like it wanted to pierce the heavens…

Looking back at Tatl, he sighed through his nose again. “I need to keep going. I’m fine now. Sorry you had to see me like that, I won’t let it happen anymore.” Not that he felt he could even keep that promise, but he had to try. “Sorry if I freaked you out. I can’t go into more detail about why I was like that. Okay?”

Tatl really didn’t like it, she wanted Link to get some rest, maybe, or relax. Like so many times, though, she felt her words would be wasted, so she didn’t bother. He knew what she thought, and he chose to ignore her advice. What else was new? “…Okay. But if you freak out like that again, I’m gonna yell in your ear until you reset the clock. Got it?”

Link figured that was fair, and in turn, he felt no matter what he said, she wouldn’t listen. “Okay. It’s a deal.” With the situation settled, he approached the entrance to the well, Tatl at his side. Already, he felt his anxiety spike, his heart hammering wildly as he stood at the edge of the hole once more.

The smell of rot came out, like something exhaling…almost as if the well’s entrance was the maw of some massive, unknown beast. Honestly, Link and Tatl may have thought that was possible if not for the metal rungs on the side of the well. “I’ll stick close, light the way for you.” Tatl said, not wanting to get more than a foot or two away from Link at the moment.

The boy took a deep breath as he put his sword and shield away, freeing his hands. As his companion lit the way, he began his descent into the darkness, panic gripping his heart as the darkness consumed them both.

Chapter Text

The darkness was suffocating as it surrounded Link. Tatl’s natural light even seemed to be muted, like a veil was covering her. He could tell she was even putting more effort into the light, but it barely made a difference. Link was barely able to see the rails of the ladder mere inches in front of his face. Without this ability to see, he chose to go nice and slow as he climbed downward. Even with the slow speed he was going, though, it seemed the climb down took far longer than it should have, time seeming to drag along painfully during the descent.

As Link went further down, a heavy atmosphere pressed down on him, and the smell of rot and malice hit his nose. The place he was entering was full of something evil, that much was horrifically clear. All the while, he was doing his best not to remember the well from Kakariko Village, but the comparison was just too blatant to stop. In his mind, he kept hearing Bongo Bongo’s drums in the distance, as if the phantom had managed to follow him all the way to Termina…

Eventually, though, Link finally reached solid ground. Torchlight, surprisingly, met him and Tatl as they turned to get a look at where they were. The flames didn’t give much away, except the two were in a cave-like area, a hallway leading further into inky darkness. The air was freezing, yet humid, and the silence was so suffocating that the pair barely dared to breathe.

The boy remembered that he had to disguise himself as a member of the dead, taking the newly acquired Gibdo Mask from his bag.  It still smelled musty, of decay, but he put it on anyway. The other two masks of Ikana seemed to work well for him thus far, so he had confidence this one would as well. “Tatl stick close to me, I don’t know what might happen to you even if I have this on.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice…” The fairy responded, sitting on her companion’s shoulder. “Looks like there’s only one path forward.” As far as she could see, at least. The torches didn’t help much, the darkness seeming to swallow some of the light they gave off.

The boy nodded silently, drawing his sword and readying his shield. Even with the mask, he wasn’t about to walk around unarmed. Aside from Gibdo, who knew what was down there? If it was anything like that other well…he let out a shiver, feeling sick to his stomach at the memories. He tried to avoid looking at the flames from the torches too. Every time he did, his arm that the Not-Goron singed hurt, as well as his right shoulder…

Link! Link, Goddesses, I’m so sorry! You have to get up, it’s gonna attack again!

He shook his head, getting her voice out from his skull. She couldn’t help him now. Not until he found her again. Slowly, he started to move forward, almost flinching every time his footfalls made any sort of noise. Some paranoid part of his mind told him he was disturbing something old and slumbering with every noise he made. Not that there was even evidence anything was down there amongst the pair.

This was proven false as the two went into the deep darkness, minutes passing as a humanoid figure became visible in a further torch light. Link froze in place, trying to force his eye to adjust to the darkness and see what the silhouette was. Even if he wasn’t wearing a mask, the task would be difficult to do. Looking closer, he saw that the figure was a Gibdo, the thing simply standing in the near-darkness of the well.

Link slowly shuffled forward, deciding to test how well the mask worked. As he drew near, the Gibdo lifted its head, looking straight at him. “Need…want…food…need…food…again…” A raspy, weak voice rang out. The sound made him nearly jump out of his skin, and he realized the voice was coming from the Gibdo! Apparently the mask allowed him to understand the creature, and it didn’t seem hostile to him.

“Tatl, did you hear that…?” The boy whispered, wondering if his voice would break whatever illusion the mask provided him.

The fairy did her best to remain out of the Gibdo’s sight, dimming her light as Link’s words confused her. “Hear what? Its moan? Yeah, it’s pretty freaky, so let’s keep going…”

So, only he was able to hear the Gibdo’s words. Not that they’d ever matter, he was sure. Link decided to just walk by the creature, assuming it’d leave him be. It kept murmuring at him, trying to communicate, but he just ignored it and kept on going. After passing it, he glanced back at it a few times, but it just watched him go, remaining rooted to the spot.

Once they were a decent distance away, he whispered to Tatl again. “I heard it speak. This mask lets me communicate with the Gibdo.”

“You should’ve asked it which way we have to go to reach Ikana Castle, then!” Tatl harshly whispered. “I don’t want us to spend any more time down here than we need to…” The air itself made her feel sick, like it was poisoned. She was sure, to her, it practically was, and staying down here too long would be dangerous for the fairy.

Link hadn’t really thought of that, and he wasn’t keen on speaking to an undead horror…but he had to at least try, he supposed. The next one, though. He shuffled forward, wondering why the well was built in such a way, with hallways and torches. Though he supposed the well in Kakariko Village was also unusually structured too. From what he understood, wells were just there to provide water, so what was with all the extra features?

His thoughts were interrupted as another Gibdo started to become clear in a light up ahead. It seemed whoever placed the torches in the well did a thorough job, the flames lining the walls, seemingly, throughout the entire underground structure.

Clearing his throat, the boy moved near the Gibdo, but not so close that it could grab at him easily. “Which way to Ikana Castle from here?” He asked the thing, wondering if there were even alternate paths to take.

The Gibdo stared at him, and for a second, he was worried that him speaking made it realize he wasn’t a fellow creature. “…The…fairy…let me…eat it…and I’ll tell…” It groaned out, pointing at Tatl.

Link took a step back, wondering how intelligent these things were. Could he…argue with it? “No…it’s my snack.” He responded, feeling that was something a Gibdo may say. “Just tell me which way I need to go.” If there weren’t alternative paths, would that give away his ignorance? Would that prompt the Gibdo to attack?

For a moment, the thing just stared back at Link, its arm lowering, practically in disappointment. “…Fine…” It raised its other arm, pointing off deeper into the hallway. “…Go…left…up ahead…”

Holding back a sigh of relief, Link nodded. “Thank you.” He stated simply, being almost fascinated with the idea that Gibdo could hold proper conversations. Though he supposed that made their craving to eat humans and fairies more disturbing. They weren’t just dumb beasts, they could think and process but had such dark desires anyway.

“Really? A snack?” Tatl hissed as Link moved away from the Gibdo. “That thing wanted to eat me, right?” She understood why Link did what he did, but it still disturbed her a bit.

“Sorry, I thought that’s something a Gibdo would say.” He explained. “I just hope it told the truth and didn’t lie to me because it was mad.” Could these things lie? Were they smart enough for it? A dozen questions kept tumbling in his head, and he really wasn’t sure if he wanted the answer to a majority of them.

Tatl was wondering about some of those same things, and she wasn’t sure if it was a good or bad thing she couldn’t understand the creatures. She wanted some inkling of what they were saying, especially if it involved her, but…did she really want that? “…It’s fine, yeah. Just…freaky. Not blaming you…”

Things felt a bit awkward as the two went on, and as the Gibdo implied, they eventually reached a fork in the road. Two paths, right or left. Link felt he should trust the instructions given and went down that way. When he did, the atmosphere seemed to get heavier, which he wasn’t sure meant he was going the right way or not. He figured that Ikana Castle must be a hotspot of darkness and malice…so the closer they got to it, the worse the air would feel…right?

The area around them changed a bit too. They soon found themselves in a large, square room, numerous pathways ahead of them now. The Gibdo didn’t mention this! It just said to go left, that was all! “…It didn’t mention this.” Link blankly stated, looking around to see if any path looked any different than the others, as if some clue of how to go forward could be seen…but nothing stood out.

“Oh, great…this is the last place I want to get lost in…” Tatl murmured, starting to feel her chest tighten. She tried her best not to show it, but in all honesty, she was terrified. All the stories she heard about Ikana…it wasn’t anything like actually being there. She felt like she was being watched, and her stomach was trying to tie itself into knots, her frame shaking lightly as she tried to settle herself. The air just felt…wrong…wrong in a way that only a fairy could truly grasp. The two of them shouldn’t be beneath the well, they were encroaching on territory not meant for the living…

As Link pondered, he heard a sound from one of the tunnels. A familiar, sickening sound…the beating of drums. Not just any drums, of course not, but Bongo Bongo’s drums. It wasn’t just in his skull anymore, he knew he heard it…it was real…! His body froze, remembering the Shadow Temple. The horrid visages he saw, the monsters he had to encounter…it was like stepping into another world, a world that despised all things normal and alive. It even nearly ruined his relationship with Impa, who he couldn’t even handle speaking to for a long time once he started to live in the castle…

The boy wandered the hallways of Hyrule Castle, more like a spirit than a human. The closest Link would ever get to being a Kokiri. His hair was a mess, blond strands sticking up all over, his eyes were dull and lifeless, heavy shadows beneath them. Rather than his usual tunic, hat and boots, he wore a simple green nightgown, sleeves going to his wrists and the bottom going down to his ankles. He wore green, thick, warm socks. Link felt no need to get fully dressed, to bathe or fix his hair. In all honesty, he didn’t even know where he was going, he was just wandering around aimlessly.

It had been about a week since he began living in the castle, and his unusual demeanor was disturbing the guards and servants, with Zelda becoming very worried. He jumped at small noises, didn’t take proper care of himself, complained about sores on his body that had no clear origin. He was a mess, and felt like he was unraveling every time he took a step, leaving more and more of himself behind with each footfall. The nightmares were horrid, every night reliving the worst of his experiences…

He felt sick and frail, like he was going to just keel over and pass out at all hours. The fact he could barely stomach even the simplest of meals didn’t help much. Hylians had such unusual foods. Even something like bread was an oddity to him. Unusual, crusty lumps that they put with anything and everything. Not that it tasted bad, it was just…odd to him. Lots of things were unusual to him, living within stone walls was so unnatural and bizarre. He wanted to go back and live with Saria, but he was too afraid to leave the castle, he was convinced the world outside was dangerous to him still, and he’d die if he tried to return to the Lost Woods.

But even ignoring that, he just didn’t belong there, he never did, and he never would.

“I see you didn’t get properly dressed again today.” A familiar woman’s voice rang out. Link, who had been mostly staring at the floor, looked to see Impa standing over him. Her piercing red eyes bore into his dull blue ones. “It’s not becoming for a boy your age not to dress or bathe properly, you know.” There was a gentle chiding in her voice, more of a disappointed parent’s tone than a harsh criticism.

Link’s mind started to fill with images of the things in the Shadow Temple, the beating of drums, a darkness that was alive and hated him. His eyes instantly went to the floor again, unable to look Impa in the eyes. Even hearing her voice was enough to make his chest ache. “…Sorry. I just didn’t want to. Didn’t feel up to it.” It was the only explanation he knew how to give.

“Well, I don’t think the Princess will want to see you walking around so disheveled.” Impa pointed out. It seemed she realized how fragile Link was, her tone taking on a gentle nature as she spoke. “Come, I’ll go with you back to your room and wait outside until you’re done.”

The boy saw her reach for him out of the corner of his eye, and flinched violently, taking a few steps back. “D…Don’t touch me!” He managed to sputter out, a cry of fear, not of anger. “Don’t…Don’t…t-touch me…”

Impa frowned, confused. “You act like I’m trying to hurt you, but that’s not the case.” She had simply reached out to hold his hand. “It’s not a big deal, you just need to properly clean yourself if you’re going to live here, now come with me.” Her tone was slightly more stern, but still fair and without malice.

Link barely understood, starting to panic as awful shapes swam before his eyes, the gnashing of teeth and wailings of creatures not meant for this world howled in his ears! “Stop! Stop! Please stop! I don’t want to remember…!” He wasn’t even talking to Impa anymore, just the open air. “Please don’t…don’t!”

Impa stood there and watched, startled as Link sank to the floor, starting to sob violently, too terrified to even run away. “Link…Link, what’s going on? Come on, talk to me!”

Link suddenly came back to reality. He remembered a bit how Zelda had to come along and calm him down, it becoming clear that he couldn’t handle being around Impa, despite her kindness. Even up until near when he set out on his own to find Navi, Link had trouble tolerating her presence for very long. While Impa never showed anger towards him for this, he had felt so guilty over it, treating her like someone undesired, when he was fully willing to be her friend. His brain being sick just wouldn’t allow it, though.

“Hey, Link, you make a decision yet? You’ve been staring for like, a minute.” Tatl asked, not wanting to have spoken up. Something about the area around her made her hesitant to make too much noise.

How long had he been staring into space? Link shook his head a bit to try and clear it. “I guess I just have to pick at random.” He murmured, choosing one of the hallways and starting to go down it. The atmosphere didn’t change much, and Link wasn’t sure whether to take that as a good thing or not.

“Wish we had something to mark our way, in case we have to double back…” Tatl whispered. “Everything around here looks the same, I’d never be able to tell those pathways apart.”

Thankfully, it didn’t take long before another Gibdo came into view. However, this one was a bit different. It was kneeling on the floor, slowly dragging its nails along the ground, as if it were digging. With how slowly it was going and how little strength it seemed to put into it, the Gibdo wouldn’t be making any progress for a long, long time.

Keeping his distance, just to be safe, Link spoke up. “Is this the way to Ikana Castle? How much further is it?”

The Gibdo didn’t look up at him, it just kept digging at the floor. “Back…want to go…back…” It groaned out. “Want to…rest…go back…” Whether it was talking to Link or the open air wasn’t clear. Either way, there was a noticeable distress in its tone, which made the boy feel uneasy.

“Can you hear me? Hello?” He tried again, speaking louder. Yet the Gibdo ignored him, keeping with its digging.

“What’s going on? Did it say something?” Tatl asked. While she couldn’t understand the Gibdo, she could understand Link when he was speaking to one. Hearing one side of a conversation was frustrating.

Link shook his head. “It just said it wanted to rest, to go back. It sounded…sad.” He never thought he’d feel pity for something like a Gibdo, but there was something different with this one. “The Skull Kid brought back a lot of the dead, the spirits…maybe a lot of them didn’t want to be brought back…” There was Captain Skull Keeta of course, who outright asked Link to let him and his men to rest. Maybe the Gibdo were the same way. Maybe, once long ago, they too were human, twisted into something…other.

“Rest…want to…go back…!” The Gibdo murmured, again not seeming to really be talking to Link, but just speaking to the open, dead air.

The boy hesitated, then spoke with a firm, commanding voice. “Go, rest, and stop walking amongst the living. You’re free to rest now.” Yet…nothing happened. The Gibdo just kept scratching at the floor, as if it was the thing’s only salvation. Apparently the Gibdo Mask didn’t let him command the undead like the Captain’s Hat did.

“It was worth a shot…” Tatl muttered. “...It’s nice of you to try, you know.” The fairy would’ve just left the Gibdo where it was, but even a monster like that…Link tried to help it. He really had a big heart, even if he spoke in a lifeless tone most of the time.

“I guess.” Link shrugged off the compliment and kept moving. He started to wonder just how many creatures and spirits were lingering within Ikana’s borders, desiring eternal rest, the Skull Kid tearing it away from them? The boy supposed even things like the Gibdo might have a right to an eternal end…

It wasn’t long after that that the two found themselves in another large, square room. Unlike the last one, there was only a single hallway to choose from. However, something much more eye-catching was different about the room. In the middle of it was a hole, perfectly circular. It was smaller than the entrance of the well, and upon getting closer, it was clear it had no rungs with which to climb downward. Whatever it was, it didn’t seem meant to be climbed down into.

Curiosity got the better of the two as they approached the hole and looked down into it. Inky blackness was all that stared back up at them. Yet the two of them felt…something. A presence. Something stirring down below them. Five feet, ten, maybe hundreds of feet down below but…something was in the pit. With how silent the room was, the crackling of the ever-present torches even seeming muted, a sound slowly made itself known.

There was a stirring, flesh rubbing against stone, down in the hole. Something down there was shifting about in the deep, unseen and unknown to the two observers, probably the only living beings to acknowledge it for centuries, if not millennia. All the pair could really discern was that it was something large and wet.

I see you.

Link let out a startled noise, staggering back with his sword drawn. Tatl took off from his shoulder as she tended to do when he was about to enter combat. Yet nothing happened, there seemed to be no danger around them, the two were just as alone as they had been ten seconds ago.

“Link, what is it?! What?!” Tatl asked, looking around the room. “Did you see something?”

The boy was baffled at that response. Hadn’t she heard it? That voice had been as clear as day. Deep and raspy…but not quite human. He stared at the hole for a moment more, expecting something to emerge, but nothing did. “…You didn’t hear that? Really?” Link asked.

“No…I didn’t hear anything. Just that weird shifting noise. That’s why I thought you saw something.” Tatl explained.

Was it…the mask? Was it letting him hear things aside from the Gibdo? Things that Tatl couldn’t hear? He didn’t want to take it off to test it out. What if the Gibdo Mask was the one thing keeping him safe? What if there were things he wasn’t seeing that only held back because they thought he was amongst the dead?

Maybe he was just crazy.

“Something spoke to me. I think it was whatever is in that hole.” He explained, staring warily at the opening, his blade still ready to strike. “Tatl, I think there are things down here a lot worse than Gibdo.” If this was anything like the things he saw beneath Kakariko, that was a given.

“I didn’t hear any voice…I think it’s the mask letting you hear things I can’t.” Tatl suggested. “Did you see anything, though?” Would the mask allow that?

Link shook his head. “No, I don’t think so.” Seeing unseen things though…that gave him an idea. While he didn’t want to use it, maybe the Lens of Truth could help him. Just thinking of it reminded him of horrid things, but…if this place was similar at all to beneath Kakariko, it’d come in handy. He hadn’t had much use for it in a while, but of course he still hung onto it. As he took it from his bag, he took a deep breath. “I’m going to take a look around, see if there’s anything invisible I can see with this.”

“Well, alright, but make it quick. If something down there is talking to us, I don’t wanna hang around for long…” The fairy didn’t even want to know what the thing in the pit said and didn’t bother to ask.

The boy stared at the purple object in his hand. Why was a Sheikah item like this in Termina anyway? There was no sign that Sheikah existed in this world, unlike the Deku, Gorons, Zoras, and Gerudo. Some sort of coincidence…or another way the world was just torturing him. Even glancing at the object made him hear those accursed drums again.

Taking a deep breath, Link held the Lens of Truth up to his eye, and he felt his blood go to ice. He expected to see something wrong with the hole, or maybe a hidden passage. At most, a specter or being would be in the room with them. It wasn’t that simple, though, not at all. Link and Tatl were surrounded. All around the room were fragments of souls, silhouettes in the darkness, all humanoid in shape.

Link watched as the things that were once people shambled about, not seeming to notice his and Tatl’s existence. They just moved around or stood in the corners, staring at nothing with their eyeless visages. There had to be at least a few dozen, but they moved around so much that getting a real count was hard. His stomach churned as he watched one walk directly through Tatl. What made it worse was that he heard them too.

Where am I?

I don’t want to be here…

It’s so cold…

What happened? It’s so dark now…

Please, I can’t find her…where is she?

Hello? Is anyone there?

They were all miserable, desperate fragments of people. Were they even ghosts? They didn’t seem…complete enough for that. It was like the echoes of what used to be in a person’s soul, stretched thin and thrown down into the darkness to rot. Or, perhaps, due to the cursed nature of Ikana, this was as fully as the spirits could manifest, and these truly were entire beings. Ironically, Link wasn’t much of an expert on spirits despite being raised by them. For the most part, he knew only of what Saria had told him, and saw the bright lights and heard the disembodied voices of the spirits of the Lost Woods. These were clearly something very…different, very…other.

Tatl hovered over to Link. “Hey, let me see, is it something really bad?” He didn’t use his sword or tell them they had to run, so she figured it couldn’t be too huge a deal. The fairy landed on his shoulder and gazed through the lens. She gasped at what she saw, and what she heard, her entire being going icy cold at what the item revealed. Somehow, she hadn’t even sensed these things…was there not enough for them to sense, or was the area just so rotten she couldn’t distinguish these remnants from the general atmosphere?

“It doesn’t look like they want to hurt us…I don’t think they even know we’re here.” Link’s heart went to them, these…even calling them people felt generous, they didn’t seem to even be that much. He was reminded how the echoes of those that died in the Lost Woods left small scraps behind, playing their final moments or words on repeat, barely seeming to even have sentience or awareness in any form. “…I want to help…”

“Quickest way to do that is to cleanse that Stone Tower…” Tatl murmured, also feeling pity for the shadows before them. Spirits were less familiar to her, despite being a fairy. The woods in the swamps of Termina didn’t house spirits like the Lost Woods did, it was mainly Ikana that was known for housing such beings, though most were assumed malicious and avoided.

Before Link could answer, a sound rang out through the area. It was a horrid, almost tortured sounding shriek that came from the hallway the two had come from. Link knew what Gibdos sounded like, and it wasn’t one of them, it was something unfamiliar to him. The two nearly jumped from their skins at the sound, their blood curdling. As they realized they had to go, the sound boomed out again…louder…closer.

It also came with the sound of rapid footsteps.

Link didn’t say a word, putting the Lens of Truth into his belt as he sprinted in the opposite direction, Tatl flying alongside him. The pair kept going, finding themselves at forks in the hallways at certain points and just picked at random. This went on, blindly going forward, even passing Gibdo that meandered about, all until the footsteps of…whatever it was…were gone.

Once more, they found themselves in a large, square room with multiple hallways to pick from. The place was like a maze…not like a well at all. As Link caught his breath, a small part of him wondered if it was like how Ganondorf’s curses altered the interiors of the various Temples he went to. Maybe without the Skull Kid’s influence, this place was much smaller…

“Never heard anything like that before.” Was what Link spoke of instead, taking in lungfuls of air…that unfortunately smelled and tasted of rot thanks to his mask, which he still dared not take off. “My feet just moved on their own to run away…”

“You don’t have to explain that to me, I was right with you. It sounded…almost human…” Tatl responded with a shiver. “I’d rather just keep it a mystery.” Trying to keep the subject off of…whatever that was…she gazed around the room. “Now we need to figure out which way to go. How many forks did we even take? I don’t remember…” Who knew if they were even on the right track? For all she could tell, they may be going in the exact opposite direction of Ikana Castle…

Link caught his breath and gazed around at the hallways, looking for any sign that one may be different from the others…but of course, no such hints were present. An idea occurred to him, though. His mind once more drew parallels to the Shadow Temple, and he recalled how sometimes a hidden path was revealed by the Lens of Truth. So, as much as he hated to do so, he brought the object to his eye once more and peeked around…and instantly regretted it.

Like before, the Lens of Truth showed they weren’t alone. However, the things around them weren’t quite as pleasant as before. It wasn’t spirits nearby but…other things. Fleshy piles of what seemed to be living breathing mistakes. They milled about the room, not seeming to be in the same plane of existence as Link and Tatl, not seeming to be aware of their presence…if they could even be aware at all! When he tried to look at one, Link found himself lost, distracted by the many undulating features that rolled and meshed into each other, a maze of body parts with no beginning or end.

When Tatl tried to take a peek, Link swiftly lowered the Lens of Truth. “No!” He exclaimed, louder than he meant, then composed himself. “…No…don’t…” The boy shook his head, feeling like he was going to vomit. “Trust me. Just don’t look.”

She took his advice, but a small part of her almost wanted to look anyway. What in the name of the Giants was in the room with them, then? Tatl almost felt she’d rather know, even if it was something horrific! “…Well, did you at least see if any path was better than the others?”

Taking a second to compose himself, Link shook his head. “No. The hallways all looked the same. I don’t think the Lens of Truth is going to help us here.” If anything, all it had done was terrify the two even more than they already were. Fitting for such an accursed item, it really did seem like it was placed in Termina just to torment him. For a fleeting moment, he contemplated destroying it…but he held his hand, placing it in his belt again instead.

Honestly, what would’ve been the harm though? Link figured another Lens of Truth was right where he found the first one. Like how Kafei still had the Keaton Mask…that Link also had. It wasn’t something he wanted to dwell on too deeply, especially not in a place like this. As he let out a sigh, Link suddenly heard rapid footsteps coming form one of the hallways. Before he could even think of running, something lunged from the darkness at him!

It was something on the smaller side, only about chest height to Link, but it moved fast and it was strong! The entity bulldozed into him, knocking him onto his back as it lunged at him again, Tatl taking off to the air as she yelled out in surprise. In the darkness, the malformed shape didn’t register properly with him. It wasn’t as deformed as the things seen in the Lens of Truth just then, but it wasn’t anything the likes he had seen before. The creature had a snout like a dog, but he swore he felt human hands grip him. The thing had a long body, no fur, just blotted skin. However, the rest of the details were lost as Link pushed the thing away from his face, but it stayed latched onto him.

However, the thing lunged harder, biting down on Link’s left shoulder through his tunic. His skin wasn’t pierced, but he already felt a ring of bruises beginning to form. With the thing so close to him now, getting in a strike was easy enough. With a cry of effort, he blunged his blade into where he believed the thing’s neck was. To his relief, the sword dug in with ease, getting a gurgling howl out of the thing as a dark green substance oozed from its wound. With a startled shout, Link took out the blade and shoved the thing off of him. Thankfully, whatever it was, it seemed to be ‘normal’ flesh and blood creature, as it was already dead from being stabbed in the neck. With the corpse of the thing flopping into a heap on the floor, Link stood up shakily, more startled and scared than injured.

The entire ordeal happened so fast that Tatl barely had time to really react outside of flying out of range. Her face distorted in disgust as she saw the corpse of that…thing…that attacked Link. “What in the name of the Giants is that thing?!” She couldn’t even begin to hazard a guess as to what that creature was, if it was even natural or something birthed by the curse of Ikana.

His shoulder still sore, Link shook his head. “I don’t know. I just want to keep moving now.” Was all he said in response, picking a random hallway and walking down it, Tatl following closely, neither of them wanting to spend another second in that room.

Time passed at a slow meander, with no sun or sky to tell the two just how long they were beneath the dead earth of Ikana. It was also impossible to tell if they were even making progress towards Ikana Castle. There were still no makers indicating any sort of correct path, leaving the two to guess. On more than one occasion, they felt they had circled back to a previous room somehow, but with them looking so similar…it was just guesswork.

Link didn’t dare use the Lens of Truth again, too paranoid that he’d see something even more vile than what he already had. Or, alternatively, he’d see more discarded souls begging for help, and it’d bring his already depleted morale even further down if such a thing was even possible. Along the way, he and Tatl heard things down the various hallways of the wells, creatures and what sounded like humans screeching or roaring into the darkness. They did their best to avoid such things, and at one point something invisible rammed into Link, but he and Tatl simply fled as the thing gave chase. Thankfully, it gave up eventually.

Eventually, the pair came across a sight they hadn’t encountered yet. Before them was a Gibdo outright blocking the way forward, which was blocked by an ancient door! It was the only door the two had encountered in the well, so it assuredly meant something. “Link, get that thing to move.” Tatl whispered in the boy’s ear as they got close.

“Move out of the way, I need to get through.” Link ordered, really hoping this was the end of the well. For many reasons, naturally, but at that moment the top one was so he could take off the horrible-smelling Gibdo Mask.

“Kill…the big soul…” The Gibdo groaned. “Big…soul…in there…” It raised an arm, pointing into a nearby room, its entrance having been shrouded in shadow. “Then…you pass…!”

Link wasn’t expecting that answer. He just assumed it’d move out of the way when ordered, like how the first Gibdo he spoke to showed him the way when Link pressed the issue. And kill a big soul…? A human’s soul? A spirit? A Poe, maybe? If it was the latter…he supposed it was fine. Sharp and Flat were clearly human once, but he wasn’t so sure about normal Poes…

“…Okay, I’ll do it. Then you let me pass.” Link could just kill the Gibdo, but…he couldn’t bring himself to when it wasn’t even attacking him. He had seen that at least one Gibdo, and assuredly others, seemed to be suffering just from existing. Killing it would most likely lay it to rest…but was he so sure about that? Then was it really even okay to kill it if it was attacking him first? He felt his head ache from the moral dilemma.

As Link walked into the next room, Tatl followed, frowning. “What’s up? Why are we going in here?” She asked, glancing back at the Gibdo they left behind.

“It said I had to kill something in here, and it’d let me pass.” The boy explained, wondering to himself why the Gibdo wanted something like that or what it’d accomplish for it. There was still so much about the dead that he didn’t understand, so he knew trying to work it out would be pointless.

That was…concerning. Tatl sighed and gave a swift nod. “Whatever gets us out of here faster. I just hope it’s not like that thing that jumped at you.” She could still see it in her mind’s eye. Somehow, despite not having been in much danger since entering the well, the fairy still felt terrified, paranoid of what may be in the shadows. The fairy figured the atmosphere itself was making her feel this way, a heavy weight on her mind that probably wouldn’t leave even after she left.

The pair went into the next room, large and square like so many others, but with no alternate ways out.  Up near the ceiling in the area’s center was a large, floating lantern. Link instantly realized what was about to happen, not even surprised as a Poe appeared. One larger than the ones he had seen before, the Big Poe descended from the ceiling, its lantern swinging wildly as it flew towards Link. Apparently, the Gibdo Mask did nothing to prevent it from attacking!

Link was ready, blocking the strike with his shield, and swinging it harshly to parry the lantern away. When the Big Poe’s arm was jerked back, he slashed at the creature, hitting it in the chest. The thing let out a horrid screeching sound and backed away, small flames shooting from its lantern as it fled. Link didn’t hesitate, charging forward and moving around the flames as he closed the distance between himself and the dark spirit.

As he swung his sword, the Big Poe lashed out with its claw, a gash running down the boy’s left arm as he yelled out in shock and pain. The wound was deep enough to leak blood, but wasn’t so bad he couldn’t still battle! Gritting his teeth, he went for another attack, stabbing at the Big Poe and hitting it on the side of the head as it attempted to weave out of the way. It got its own cut, but it too wasn’t enough to end the fight.

Acting cowardly, the Big Poe kept backing away from Link, unleashing fireballs from its lantern as it moved about the room. Each time Link got close, it swung at him and he had to guard. This went on for several cycles of flames and swipes until the ghostly opponent acted too slow. As it swung, Link lunged forward, stabbing it directly in the middle of the face.

The Big Poe let out a loud, agonized shriek and evaporated in a mess of quickly diminishing purple flames, only its lantern left behind. Without anything to carry it, the lantern fell to the floor and shattered, a purple wisp with a vaguely humanoid face floating above the ground. Link stared at it, thinking of the first time he saw a Poe, back in the Kakariko Graveyard.

It made his mind jump back to Impa…a pang of guilt in his chest over how he treated her during his two years in Hyrule Castle. Avoiding her, refusing to speak with her when she was in the same room, even breaking down into tears because of her presence several times early into his stay. He cared for her, he truly did, but…he just couldn’t help himself from being absolutely terrified of her!

Not long before Link set out to find Navi, he was surprised to hear from a servant that Impa was looking for him as he wandered the stone halls of Hyrule Castle. Even that late into his stay, he still found himself walking aimlessly about, almost like he was searching for a purpose. Sometimes when he stayed in one place for too long, anxiety gripped him and wouldn’t let go…

Link went to see Impa, who was residing in Zelda’s garden, the Princess herself elsewhere. Despite having recovered notably since his first few weeks in the castle, Impa was a persistent problem he was unable to get past. While he could tolerate her presence without breaking down, he still heard the drums of Bongo Bongo when she was around, and found eye contact difficult. At the very least, he could hold a conversation with her.

“Zelda told me about your plan to leave for the Lost Woods.” The Sheikah stated as a greeting. “You realize that even you will get turned around there, don’t you?”

“Saria is the Sage of the Forest, she’d never let that happen. The growing Deku Tree will keep me safe too.” Link replied, though he didn’t know anything for a fact, if Saria even could protect him or if the new Deku Tree would make an exception for his quest. It’s what he chose to tell himself, though.

Impa nodded, her expression unreadable, though Link only saw it out of the corner of his eye anyway. “I know it’s pointless to try and talk you out of it, so I won’t bother. I want to wish you luck, I don’t remember much of Navi, my memory of that other time is muddled, but it’s clear how much she means to you.”

This made Link feel a mixture of gratitude and guilt. It’s not as though he ever said anything nasty to or about Impa, but he did his best not to acknowledge her for nearly two years, all because of something outside of her control. The Shadow Temple had simply been the worst place he ever had to go, surpassing any other Temple by a wide, wide margin. Despite the time that had passed, seeing Impa reopened those old wounds.

“…Thank you, Impa.” Link replied flatly, his mask intact, as it had been for some time. After a short pause, he went on. “Was that the only thing you wanted to tell me?” He didn’t mean to be pushy, but he didn’t want to be around her…

As if reading his thoughts, Impa spoke up. “You don’t want to be around me. I can understand that. I’m sure I bring back horrid images in your mind.” This was something she had never talked about before, not to Link himself, at least. “I remember some of the things I saw in there, I’m sure you saw far worse. To be honest, I wasn’t sure if you ever wanted me to mention it…but I feel the need to, to tell you not to worry, that I understand your reasoning, and I don’t take offense.”

Over the last two years, Link had never had this much of a talk with Impa, nor on such a deep level. He had been so worried about how she perceived him, if she resented him for treating her like he did. To find out she had no ill will…it was a shock, to be sure. He had been too scared to ask Zelda, and especially Impa herself, if she was mad at him…

“That’s right. That’s how things are…I’m still sorry, Impa.” Link stated, hearing the drums pounding loudly in his ears. Visions of twisted, inhuman things swam in his mind’s eye. “Thank you for not hating me.”

“Oh, I’d never hate you.” Impa replied firmly. “Not for something like that. There’s just one last thing. I don’t know if you’ll find Navi out there, though I hope you do. If you can’t…I hope you find something positive out in those woods. Some closure, maybe, but just…anything good. You truly deserve it after all you’ve endured.”

Link balled his hands into fists. “…I’ll find her. I have to, but thank you, Impa. I think I need to go now…” He started to feel sick in the Sheikah’s presence, guilt eating away at him as well. The boy walked away, feeling his entire body shivering…

The boy blinked, snapping out of his thoughts as he heard Tatl say something in his ear. “What? What’s wrong, Tatl?”

“You’re spacing out now of all times?! Link, look at the soul, it’s flying off!” The fairy cried. Link had just stopped and stared into space, apparently not even hearing her as she spoke right in his ear!

He looked at the soul the Big Poe left behind, seeing it was indeed floating away, off towards the sole door out of the room. Link rushed after it, Tatl right by his side, but they barely made it out into the hallway when they stopped in their tracks. The Gibdo they were doing this favor for had reached out its hands, trapping the soul in its grip somehow. It raised its hands to its open maw, breathing in heavily through its mouth…and the purple flame went within the small void, where it soon vanished entirely.

“I…can rest…now…” Was all the Gibdo said before it simply collapsed. It didn’t simply fall forward, no. The thing just simply turned to dust, its body falling apart into a heap of dust and bandages, the doorway now accessible.

“It…ate the soul…why?! How did that help it rest?!” Tatl asked, baffled and horrified. She didn’t think about the moralities of all of this nearly as much as Link, but she still felt sick to her stomach.

Link wondered if what he did was the correct thing to do. Were Poes like that ever really human? Just what had he done? It felt so morally questionable that he actually considered playing the Song of Time. But…there was no way he could bring himself to go into the well a second time, not without a long break first…and he either had to slay the Gibdo or let it eat a soul…there was just no winning. “I don’t want to know.” The boy replied simply. At the very least, the way forward was open, and he reached for the doorknob with a sense of hope that it was truly the end of the nightmarish tunnels.

“Why are you still wearing that stupid mask?”

The boy froze. That wasn’t Tatl. It was a very human voice. A familiar voice. It was his voice. He whipped around, sword at the ready, and his stomach dropped at the sight. Leaning against the wall was…him. Except not quite. It had his size and shape, but it was a deep black, like someone cut out the night sky in his image and carefully plucked out every star. The only part that wasn’t pure black was its eye, only having the left one, which glowed red.

His doppelganger was back.

Link glanced at Tatl, but saw she wasn’t there! It was just like before. Just like the Water Temple. He looked back to his dark copy, glaring at it from behind the Gibdo Mask. “What are you? What did you do with Tatl?!” Link demanded, his voice getting a dangerous, angry tone.

“I didn’t do anything.” The thing replied with a smug tone. “It’s just you and me for now. Let’s have a chat. You remember me, don’t you? I am you, after all.” It pushed off the wall, turning to fully face Link, but it simply stood in the dim torchlight, not seeming hostile at all. “Now, I’ll ask you again…why are you still wearing that stupid mask?”

If this was anything like last time, all Link had to do was run his sword through his shadow, and things would return to normal. However, he found his legs refused to move, fear running through his entire body and freezing it in place. So, he did what he was able to, and replied. “I need the mask down here, or the Gibdo would attack me.” Not that it stopped much else from doing so.

“That’s not the mask I meant. The one beneath that mask.” The copy replied coldly. “Why are we still wearing that stupid blank mask all the time?” There it went again, starting the ‘we’ business. “It’s not like we’re fooling anyone, do you think it makes us look emotionless? Do you think it lets us trick anyone into thinking we’re really not miserable?”

Link hated how his doppelganger did this. He remembered the last time, how everything he did wrong was his fault, but the thing considered itself a part of him, blaming him for ‘their’ issues. Yet the last one knew everything about him, it seemed, like truly was his inner thoughts come to life. And this one seemed no different, knowing about his mask, asking piercing, horrible questions.

“I’m not trying to fool anyone. I just don’t think anyone should have to deal with my emotions.” Link responded, keeping his voice as level as possible. “I never earned the right to show how I feel.”

The copy scoffed. “Well, that’s not totally wrong. We never deserved to be happy. Navi leaving made that very clear. If we deserved her, she would’ve stayed.” Its voice shook, clear grief and anger in its tone, like it truly was a part of Link. “At this point, it’s just a charade, that mask. Especially in front of Tatl. She’s seen us break so many times, and you let it happen. Remember when she asked us about Navi? It was such a pathetic reaction…”

“It’s necessary. I have to push down all the negatives, try to make them go away.” Link replied, not even seeming confident in his own words. This was the first time in so long he had to really explain these things…

“It’s pointless! Tatl already knows how weak we can be, thanks to you. We feel so horrible all the time…we haven’t been happy since we first met Navi. Two years since we got to feel any sensation of joy, all because of you!” The shadow took a step forward, as though about to attack, but made no other movements.

Even with the step forward, Link felt his feet planted in place. It was no magical force that kept him in place, just his own nerves. His hand gripped his sword tightly to the point that his palm began to ache. “I know it’s my fault. When I find her, I’ll tell her that, I’ll apologize for driving her away. I’ll do anything she wants me to if it means we can be together again.”

“She was too good for us.” The shadow agreed, its tone still filled with a sincere misery. “Even if we found her, she’d never take us back. We’re too broken now. Even Tatl won’t stay with us when this is all over.”

“She’s not from Hyrule, I never expected her to stay with me forever.” The child said, though he couldn’t deny it’s not something he’d take issue with. He’d…actually really like it. “I know we’ll part ways when this is all over.”

“And she’ll never want to see us again, not after all the weakness you showed her. Tatl is probably disgusted with us, wishing we’d stop being such a baby about everything. I don’t know why you cling to her anyway, she’ll never replace Navi.” Now the thing’s voice was filled with disgust and rage, as if furious with Link for comparing the two fairies.

The boy swallowed heavily, gazing down at the floor. “I don’t want her to replace Navi. She’d never be able to do that. I don’t know what I want.” He confessed, his voice weak and exhausted. “I just want to be happy.” Link saw no problem confessing this to his shadow, it already knew everything about him anyway.

“We both want that.” The darkness hissed. “Yet we got sucked into this world that hates us, that tortures us. We’ll never get out of here, we’ll never get to see Navi again, or Saria, or Zelda, or Malon…none of our friends. No one in Hyrule will know what happened to us…”

“There has to be some way to leave, to free all the Giants.” Link argued. “I just have to keep trying.”

“Every second you spend helping anyone that gives you sad look, Navi gets farther away from us!” Link’s doppelganger sneered.

Link shook his head. “People need my help…so why wouldn’t I help them? It’s the right thing to do.”

Scoffing, the thing shook its head, as if mocking Link. “That’s not why you do it. This is all a penance, for how we failed Hyrule, how we let so many people die. This isn’t about you being selfless, it’s about penance, about how we need to make up for what we did!”

That shook the boy to his core…because he knew the copy wasn’t entirely wrong. “It can be both.” Was the only argument he could make. “I want to help everyone, then I can leave…”

The shadow took another step forward, closing the gap between the two slowly. Even though it had no proper face, Link felt it scowl at him. “And if that happens, then what? Navi will never return to us; we’ll just keep growing until we’re…adults…” It said the last word like it was painful to even utter.

Link looked down at his limbs, past his injuries. They were longer, harder, closer to how they were when he was seventeen. He had grown taller the last two years, maturing into something he didn’t want to become…and it terrified him. “If I could stop it, I would…” He said, almost like an excuse, like it was somehow his fault that he was aging.

As Link spoke, the doppelganger got closer, until it was a mere foot away. “We’ll be a disgusting adult. Saria won’t love us anymore. We even messed with the spirits down here, sacrificing that Poe to a Gibdo…what would Saria think of that…”

“You’re wrong…even when I was forced to be one, she still loved me!” Link shouted, enraged that the thing would suggest Saria wouldn’t love him…but angrier because he knew it was a thought that had crossed his mind. He couldn’t even defend himself on the Poe situation, and didn’t even try.

“She’ll detest us, and she’d have every reason to. It’s probably why Navi left us too, she was so revolted at the idea we’d become an adult, she left! Tatl would hate us too if she saw us grow up. No one will want us around in that freakish, misshapen form!”

The boy took this chance, the thing was close enough for him to stab it through the chest! Right where its heart was…if it even had one. “…You’re right.” Was all the boy could whimper out.

He blinked.

Link was facing the door again, arm reaching for the knob. “Link! Come on, open up the door, what are you spacing out for?!” Tatl’s voice rang in his ear.

Was it all a hallucination? Something in his head? Was it the well that was messing with him? He stopped to catch his breath, suddenly feeling exhaustion wash over him. “…Sorry.” Was all Link could muster as he opened the door, ready for whatever was on the other side.

Thankfully, the idea that the Gibdo was guarding something important was correct! The two found themselves in a small room, lit by torches, with a ladder heading up to the surface! Notably, no light came down from above. Either there was a cover, the light got swallowed up…or they somehow spent so much time underground that it was night. Link recalled how time and space seemed to warp in the accursed Temples in Hyrule, so maybe it was like that here…

Link shut the door behind them as they entered, and he leaned against the wall, taking off the Gibdo Mask at last. The air around them was hardly better than breathing in the rot of the mask, but it was still an improvement. Not that he was able to focus on that. His entire body was shaking, he felt cold…anxiety spiking in his chest at the things he saw…the way his shadow returned…

The boy bent over and vomited onto the floor.

Tatl let out a noise of surprise. “What?! Hey, Link, are you okay?!” He kept getting so spacey, now he was puking?! Was he sick or something? As she gazed on him, Tatl felt unnerved. Link seemed…lesser than usual, it reminded her of how she saw him in the Great Bay Temple, how he had seemed stretched thin, like he wasn’t entirely there…

Link coughed a few times, spitting any remnants of his vomit into the pile. At Tatl’s question, he felt annoyance and anger flow through him as he glared over at her. “Do I look okay?” He asked before he could think, realizing too late how nasty his response was.

The fairy bristled at that, anger building in her as well. “I was asking because I was worried, you jerk!” She hissed at him. “I care when you seem sick or when you’re upset or hurt! How often do you ask me if I’m okay?!” This journey wasn’t nearly as hard on her as it was Link, he had to deal with all the dangers…but it wasn’t exactly a picnic for her either. But…she quickly realized her question wasn’t fair. Link asked her if she was okay or not, it wasn’t entirely one-sided…

He flinched at her words, his glare softening, eyes becoming dull and dead again. “…Sorry. I didn’t mean to snap, Navi. I’ll be fine.” Like before, he didn’t even realize what he just said, who he referred to Tatl as.

Tatl bristled again, swallowing heavily. That was the third time now. Why did he keep doing that? Was his mind just sort of scrambled? Was he just thinking about Navi a lot lately? What was the deal? Was there…something deeper to it? Tatl was tempted to call him out on it, but figured it wasn’t the right time. “…Okay. I trust you. Just be careful going up the ladder, okay?”

Link nodded, putting the mask away as well as his sword and shield. He was eager to leave the well, but he had a sinking feeling Castle Ikana would be worse, it’d be just his luck. With a deep breath, he began his ascent to dangers unknown, Tatl by his side, trying her best to light the inky darkness as they went further up…

Chapter Text

The darkness was suffocating, almost palpable as Link climbed up the rungs and towards the surface. Tatl did her best to light the way, but the gnawing teeth of the shadows chewed up most of the light she tried to give off. Thankfully, as the two went higher, the atmosphere grew less severe, and the feeling of impending doom lessened.

As it turned out, the reason no light came from above was because a metal lid was covering up the mouth of the well. Link was able to push it aside, and sunlight managed to seep in. Desperate to be back out in the open, the two went past the lid and found themselves in a small and shallow cave. Mere feet away was the outside, weak sunlight streaming in. It seemed as though the sun wasn’t fully up, which raised the question of whether it was rising or setting. Had the two been down there all night?

It wouldn’t have been the first time, Link had gone somewhere deeply cursed and spent far more time in it than it seemed. So many times within the places Ganondorf filled with darkness, it only felt like an hour had passed, only for several to have gone by instead.

Tatl glanced over at Link, noticing he looked more present than he did in the well, he was back to normal. As normal as he could be, anyway. She kept thinking about the Navi comment…why did he keep making that mistake? Was she really just on his mind more lately, or was there more to it? Paranoia crept into her mind, feeling there was a deeper meaning to it. Maybe it was just exhaustion, that she wasn’t thinking straight…

Link, meanwhile, was more concerned about the light. Were they down there overnight, or was the sun setting? As he slowly approached the cave entrance, the ground shook, and helped answer his question. It was the type of quake that occurred as the Moon grew close to Clock Town on the Final Day. He just hoped it was sunrise instead of sunset…

The two peered out of the cave, getting a good look at where it took them, Link getting his sword and shield ready, just in case. They found themselves in a secluded area, surrounded by cliffs and rocky walls, a basin that had no obvious exit. In the middle of the area was a large, stone structure that was practically crumbling before their very eyes. It was a multi-story building, a castle that didn’t shine like Hyrule Castle did, nor was it as grand. The building was crude, but effective, blocky and strong and seemed to be built to withstand attack. Time gnawed at its structure, however, chunks of the castle having fallen away, leaving the monolith in a dying state.

From the unguarded, wide open front door of the castle, an eerie energy came forth, a dark miasma practically visible in the weak sunlight. The area was dead silent, still as if frozen in time. No monsters or undead seemed to be around at all, anything vile in the area being hidden behind the decrepit stone walls. Link and Tatl were nervous to make a sound, even to speak, as if it’d rouse something unspeakable from its slumber.

It was the fairy, as usual, that broke the silence. “Wait here. I want to check something.” Without further explanation, she flew up into the air, leaving Link alone. She went up and above the cliff line, looking for the sun. Tatl saw it coming from the East, and she looked towards Clock Town, and how massive the Moon was. It was the Final Day, alright, sunrise. Looking around more, she saw they truly were in an isolated part of the canyon, the house where Pamela and her father lived off in the distance a ways.

When Tatl flew back down, Link stared intensely at her and spoke before she had a chance. “Why did you just fly off like that?” His tone was cold, but his words shook a bit, unable to help himself. “Why would you just go off like that on your own?”

Tatl was taken aback. Link never really spoke to her like that…what was his deal? “What are you scolding me for? I was just seeing how much longer we had. Somehow that well trip took all night, so I was worried something like that might happen again!” And…really, she did not want to be in a place like this during the night.

Link felt anger pulse through his body, his fists clenching. “Don’t do that!” He snapped, forgetting how much he feared making noise at the moment and the two of them froze, waiting for his sound to trigger something…but nothing happened, so he went on. “Don’t just leave on your own, not in a place like this. Don’t just leave me like that, okay?” His tone was quieter, but still cold and harsh.

The fairy was even further surprised. What had gotten into him?! This wasn’t like him at all! “I was only gone for like, ten seconds, what are you freaking out about?” She wanted to yell, but she was nervous to do so in a place like this, as if raising her voice would rouse the dead. Or something worse…

“In a place like this? It was a stupid thing to do. Don’t do it again, don’t separate from me like that anymore while we’re here.” It had only been for a few seconds, but being alone like that in a place like this…it terrified him. Something could’ve popped out from the shadows while he was alone. Or, worse, something might’ve just snatched Tatl out of the air while he was too far to protect her.

Tatl’s light went red, and it took all her restraint not to scream at him. “Don’t call me stupid, Link.” She hissed. “Don’t scold me like that, don’t you dare. Who do you think you are? You’re not in charge here, you know.” Like Link, she spoke quietly, but her tone was harsh. That kid had some nerve to insult her like that, to treat her like an idiot that couldn’t do anything on her own!

He quickly realized how harsh he was being, how out of sorts he felt at that moment. Link took a few deep breaths, trying to calm his nerves. “…I didn’t mean to say those things.” The boy didn’t even feel he could point out he didn’t call Tatl stupid, just her actions. “You just rushed off, and…in a place like this, we have to stick together.” And…in his mind’s eye, he saw Navi, fluttering silently away from him, out of his life.

Taking his happiness with him.

The fairy calmed down a bit, but was still pretty upset with Link. She was still also just very surprised that he’d speak so harshly to her. At least she knew how it felt when she’d hurl insults at him…though the things she had said were far worse. Some bordering on unforgivable. “Fine. Alright. Just…don’t say stuff like that. Are you sure you can even handle this, you seem so on edge!” Not to mention the two had apparently been wandering underground all night. No food or sleep…not that this was the place she’d dare to take a nap in, even under Link’s hat.

Despite spending all night in the well, Link didn’t feel especially tired or hungry, oddly enough. Was it the location? Did something in the air just mute his feelings, even the negatives like exhaustion and hunger? It didn’t make much sense to him, but it was the only thing he could think of. “I don’t think I can go through that well again. Not anytime soon. Not even after a break.” Link felt he may as well be honest. “I have to see this through and get whatever tool is inside the castle that will let us scale the Stone Tower.”

Tatl almost forgot that’s what they were even going here for in the first place. All that time in the well and how horrid it was…it really made the fairy’s head fuzzy. “What do you think we’re even supposed to find?” She might as well as Link, he’s clearly done stuff like this before. Once again she had to wonder just what he went through in Hyrule…he so assuredly fought monsters and cleansed locations in the past…

Unfortunately, Link was at a loss. “Maybe it’s a magic relic, or just a key to a door.” Pamela’s father calling it a ‘tool’ didn’t really narrow it down much. It could’ve been a dozen other things, but it really didn’t matter, in the end. “We just have to find something that really stands out. Let’s try for that.” That was the best plan he had.

The fairy actually expected a bit more than that, but she could hardly blame Link. “Alright, yeah. Let’s just go in and get this over with. I’ll stick right by your side the whole time, okay?” She was not in the mood for another tongue lashing!

Giving a silent nod, Link approached the entrance of the castle slowly, the sun inching up higher into the sky as he went. Normally the brighter things got, the better he’d feel…but that didn’t seem to work here. It could be noon and cloudless and it’d make no difference. If anything, there was a bitter chill to the air, and Link felt like he was being watched. This dark sensation, this heavy atmosphere, grew worse with every step he took towards the castle. Oddly, it still wasn’t as bad as inside the well, so that was a silver lining…

Link paused, standing in front of the yawning mouth that led into the castle. The fact that nothing had intercepted them yet was good, but also unnerving. The sheer silence and stillness of the world around him was bothering the child. It was like the castle was holding its breath, playing dead so he could walk inside and get swallowed up. Not the first time he’d be eaten whole, but certainly far worse than the first time.

For a second, he actually considered taking Tatl’s advice and turning back time, coming back and trying again after a rest. Maybe if he looked around, he could find an alternate path to the main part of Ikana, and skip going through the well. The ancient king had to have a convenient way of getting in and out of his own castle…right? Taking a well every time, even one that isn’t haunted, seemed completely unreasonable!

Gripping his sword tightly, though, Link pushed his thoughts back. He was terrified and his mental exhaustion was through the roof. But when did his feelings matter? His desire to rest was worthless, and he had to keep moving forward because that’s the only time he was useful. What was he going to do if he took a break, just sit and twiddle his thumbs while countless people and spirits suffered? No one else ever got a break, so why should he? Even with these thoughts, he knew he’d take a break sooner or later, because he was just that awful.

All the while as Link thought, Tatl kept silent, figuring he was just preparing himself. No doubt there’d be horrible things inside the castle walls. She almost suggested once more to take a break, but she didn’t want him lashing out again, so she kept her mouth shut.

With a shuddering breath, Link stepped into the belly of the decaying beast, hoping he wouldn’t get swallowed too painfully. Right away, he regretted his decision. The entry room to the castle was large and, like the outside, decrepit. A large hole in the ceiling let in the sunlight, with torches along the wall that, somehow, were burning. It wasn’t those things that made him regret his decision, though.

In the middle of the room were four monsters. Not just any monsters, no. That’d be too convenient for him. They were the monsters that roamed the dead marketplace in the dark future of Hyrule. The gnawing, moaning things that he found under a grave, that bit and sucked the life out of him!

There were pillars nearby, still in good enough condition to hide behind. The boy and fairy did so, the undead creatures not seeming to have noticed them. Still, the monstrosities let out moaning noises, but they always did that, so it was impossible to tell for sure without peeking. And neither Link nor Tatl were exactly aching to look around the corner and see what the creatures were doing, or if they were approaching.

Why?! Why did it have to be those things?! It could’ve been any other sort of monster, but it had to be those things from the marketplace, from beneath the graveyard! Link felt his frame shake, he felt their rotting teeth sinking into his neck! The boy couldn’t help it, he panted in fear, his heart slamming against his ribcage as he felt his entire body go numb. “No…No…” Link murmured under his breath, so quiet that even he barely heard his own words.

Tatl witnessed the small breakdown and hovered to his ear. “Link, remember the Gibdo Mask. Just put it on, and you’ll be okay.”

Her voice. So close. So clear. It snapped him out of his daze, and he nodded mutely. What was wrong with him? How could he panic at a time like this? No wonder Navi left him. His hand shook as he took the Gibdo Mask from his bag, placing it over his face. Slowly, he moved from around the pillar and stood where the monsters could plainly see him. He had to stop his legs from quaking as they turned to look at him…and then they looked down at the floor and stared at it, entirely uninterested in the child.

Never had Link been so grateful to smell rot and decay.

With that situation handled, Link took another look around the room, to see where he may try to go first. There was a large, round stone door on the other side of the monsters. There didn’t seem to be a convenient way to open it…but it didn’t matter anyway, as there were iron bars sealing the entrance away. “I bet the tool is in there.” The boy whispered, paranoid that if he spoke too loudly, the creatures would attack him. It didn’t matter that the Gibdo didn’t, he was still terrified of the possibility.

“Yeah, it would be behind a locked door like that, huh?” Tatl agreed, also speaking quietly. Link had the mask to hide behind, but she was out of luck! Thankfully, the lumbering undead didn’t seem to notice her. Or they were just ignoring her.

Giving the group of creatures a wide berth, Link approached the door, with Tatl lingering on his shoulder to stick by him. As he got near the door, he saw no way to lift up the bars, no switch or button of any kind. In a desperate move, he even tried to simply grab the bars and force them up…but they didn’t budge. “Maybe the switch is in another room.” He murmured, mostly to himself as he looked around the immediate area again and saw no means of opening the door.

Tatl pondered the situation a bit and came up with an explanation. “Mmm…From what the stories say, Ikana was very war-happy. I guess having a way to seal off whatever’s behind that door and keeping invaders from opening it up makes sense. It must be where the tool is, then, why else would it be so hard to get inside?”

Link had no frame of reference for how a kingdom at war would act, so he just took Tatl’s explanation at face value. He heard about the Civil War that Hyrule went through during his time with Navi, and finally learned more of what it was from Zelda when he lived in the castle. She never told him all the details, just that it was the various factions of the land fighting each other, and how a regular war was generally one kingdom versus another.

Looking even more around the room, Link saw there were other, non-barred doors, leading elsewhere in the castle. Wherever the switch was that opened the bigger door, it was probably in those areas. Once more keeping his distance from the shambling monsters, the boy went to the nearest door and went inside, he and Tatl finding themselves in a long hallway, lit torches lining the walls.

As they went inside, the oppressive atmosphere seemed to only increase. The end of the hallway wasn’t visible, the darkness swallowing it up. Maybe it was just their minds playing tricks, but the both of them swore they heard a skittering sound in the dark, something scurrying just outside of their field of view.

Cautiously, Link started down the hallway, keeping his eye peeled for danger…but there wasn’t any place for a creature to hide anyway. There were doors, occasionally, along the walls, but the boy just kept going. Knowing his luck, the mechanism he needed to open that main door was very far from it, it wouldn’t be this easy. It never was!

He froze as the skittering noise he heard grew louder, more palpable, it clearly real, and not just in his head.

“Tatl, do you hear it too?” He whispered to the fairy, who was still on his shoulder.

“You heard it? I thought I was imagining things…” Tatl responded. “Whatever it is, I think it’s getting closer…” Indeed, the scuttling grew louder with each second, yet nothing seemed to be ahead of them. Was it a spirit, something invisible? Or was it still just hiding in the darkness ahead?

The two remained still, holding their breath as the sound got louder and louder, yet nothing showed up! It was as the sound got so loud that it seemed right on top of them did Tatl notice something. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a shape on the ceiling! She let out a wordless yell, pointing upward!

Link looked to the ceiling, and saw what Tatl had spotted! It was something he had encountered before, something that he figured could only exist in the nightmare that was the Shadow Temple. The source of the noise was a large, dried claw of a hand…and nothing else attached to it. A disembodied hand moved along the ceiling, the noise being the ‘footfalls’ of its sharp fingers on ancient stone! He recalled having faced such a creature…of course something from the Shadow Temple would reappear here, Termina seemed so determined to torment him in endless ways, after all!

As Tatl hovered off of him, Link rolled to the side as the hand fell towards him! It missed by a hair, Link getting to his feet in a clean movement, using the roll’s momentum to do so. The hand turned to ‘look’ at him as he put distance between himself and the unusual creature. Even without eyes, the boy swore the monster somehow stared at him.

The thing lunged at Link, who raised his shield and pushed it forward in a Shield Bash as it got close. With a clanging sound, the deflection worked, the massive hand jolting back from the impact. Apparently, the tactic still worked, just as it had before! It was stunned for a moment, allowing Link to lunge forward and stab the back of the hand. Unlike before, he noticed this time that the abomination leaked out green blood as it was stabbed.

Pulling the blade out, Link backpedaled, knowing the thing would recover quickly, which it did. It lunged at him, faster than he expected! The thing slashed at him with its claws, catching him on the cheek, just barely. It was enough to cut the boy, blood leaking out as he winced from the pain and Tatl gasped out on reflex. Link slashed in retaliation, taking the pointer and middle fingers off of the monster, stunning it just long enough for him to continuously stab at its palm.

Link didn’t think, he just kept stabbing, green blood oozing continuously. It wasn’t until the monstrous hand stopped twitching about that he finally stopped, gazing at the gore-filled sight as he panted. He let out a noise of frustration, kicking the corpse, an action that surprised even him. The child was just so sick of this! So tired of facing things from his past! Hadn’t he been forced to do that for two years now?! When did it end?! When was it enough?! When were the Golden Goddesses going to be satisfied with his suffering?!

He looked over to Tatl, who was staring at him. With her light, he couldn’t see her exact expression, but he felt it was a look of unease. “…I’m sorry. I don’t know what got into me.” Link murmured, trying to downplay it.

Tatl wasn’t sure what to say, he hadn’t done anything like that before. She had to wonder if this place was getting to him, the region of Ikana in general. Ever since they entered the graveyard for the first time, his behavior has gotten more…concerning. By now, though, she knew trying to pry information from him was tough. Even with his promise to try and be more open, she figured it wasn’t worth trying right at this moment. Maybe later, once things had calmed down and they were back in the inn.

She still had to wonder, though…about Navi. The fairy from his past was still on Tatl’s mind, especially since she seemed tied into Link’s recent behavior. Just why was he so fixated on her lately? Did Ikana somehow remind him of Navi? The fact he had gotten Tatl’s name wrong multiple times in the span of about a full day just kept itching at her brain. What was going on with him…?

“…Alright. Yeah, don’t worry about it.” Tatl stated, doing her best to sound casual and brush it off. “Let’s keep going before another one of those things appears…”

Down the hallway they went, and unfortunately Tatl accidentally jinxed the two. More of those hand monsters attacked, three to be exact. Luckily, they always came one at a time, allowing Link to get through each battle with relative ease. He received a cut on his leg from the second hand, but nothing he couldn’t push through.

At the end of the hallway was a single door, which the pair entered. It took them into a large, square room that seemed to have been an armory at one point, ancient and rusted swords and speared on racks along the walls. As they walked through, Tatl stopped in place. “Tatl? What’s wrong?”

“You don’t feel that? It’s…something watching us…” Something new, at least. That’s the feeling she got!

In all honesty, Link felt nothing. Maybe it was because the atmosphere was already so heavy that this new sensation was numbed down and he couldn’t pick it out from the darkness in the air. He looked around, but saw nothing watching the two of them. Then a realization hit. “…Another Garo? Is that what you’re feeling?”

That made sense to the fairy…it did have such a similar sensation! “Maybe you should put on the mask to summon it. The last one you beat gave you advice…so maybe this one will too!”

The logic was sound. Not that Link wanted to fight another Garo, but if it could help him in any way…he had to do it. He swapped the Gibdo Mask for the Garo’s Mask. Almost instantly, another shrouded figure appeared, a Garo!

“Master! I came as soon as I could…I…” The Garo trailed off, just like the first one did. It then glared at him, Link felt those green, glowing orbs gaze upon him with what seemed to be a vile hatred. “…What are you…?” It asked, just as the other one had, as it summoned its blades.

Tatl flew up above as the fight began. Link felt the pain of the various injuries he had amassed during this Cycle. He still had nearly half of a Red Potion left, but he wanted to save it for when he claimed whatever tool he was looking for. The Garo rushed at the boy, who readied his shield for the oncoming blow…which never came.

Instead, the undead entity sprang upward, soaring over Link’s head and landing right behind the boy! It descended, blades ready for an ‘X’ shaped slash attack, which Link rolled out of the way of. In fact, he rolled in such a way that he ended up behind the Garo, leaping up as he used his sword, spinning around and cutting the warrior in a Back Slice attack!

While wounded, the Garo wasn’t defeated quite yet! It recoiled in damage, letting out a hissing noise as it backpedaled from Link. The thing bounced at him, for a lack of a better word, lunging at him but leaping on the way that perhaps was meant to confuse the boy. It didn’t work, and Link parried the blow and stabbed the Garo right where he figured its heart was!

As the Garo fell to one knee, Link pointed his sword at it. “I’ve beaten you.” He declared, figuring it’d get the shrouded entity to not keep trying. “I need any information you have about this place.”

“You have beaten me…” The Garo said, seeming almost amused more than anything. “Then I will tell you my secrets. Sunlight is the mortal enemy of the accursed. In some cases, it is the only way to defeat such beings.” Without waiting for any kind of response from Link, it pulled out a small bomb, its fuse already lit. “That is all the wisdom I’ll give. Now, to leave no corpse behind. Such is the way of the Garo…” It was as if it was reciting something, as it said the exact words as the first Garo Link fought.

Link ran away from the Garo, Tatl flying to him as the two hid behind his shield. They got far enough away that when the bomb exploded, the boy and fairy remained unharmed.

“I hate how they do that…what kind of code of honor is that?!” Tatl exclaimed, unable to hold her anger back.

The last time he fought a Garo, Link had been quickly distracted by Sakon showing up. The Garo just…killing themselves like that…it was a truly disturbing action that he hadn’t had time to really think about. They did it almost casually as well, blowing themselves to bits. He had to wonder, though, if it was a good thing. They were wandering spirits…maybe dying like this helped them find an eternal rest. That’s what Link chose to tell himself, but…

Link shuddered, shaking the thoughts out of his head. “I don’t know. It talked about sunlight…but I don’t get why he would.” The room they were in had no windows, only torches lighting the area, but not even by a lot. “The first Garo ended up being right, it helped us. I think this one was trying to do the same thing.” Maybe something in the castle was weak to sunlight, something between them and the tool they needed.

“I guess so, yeah. I just wish it hadn’t been so cryptic about it.” Tatl huffed, once more resting on Link’s shoulder as he moved forward and put the Gibdo Mask back on.

The castle seemed larger on the inside than the outside. Link and Tatl couldn’t tell if it was just their imagination, or if there was some darker force at play. Link especially remembered how much Ganondorf warped places he had cursed, not just in time, but in space as well. Like in the well, it became clear soon enough that trapped spirits walked the ancient, crumbling structure too.

Going down one of the hallways, Link and Tatl saw humanoid shapes shuffling alone. Old servants, perhaps, that didn’t seem to even notice the presence of the two intruders. The figures were too faded to even make out, faceless and barely even present, leftover scraps of what used to be people. Despite how harmless they seemed, the pair kept their distance, more out of pity, as if getting closer may harm the specters in some way or disturb them.

Along the way further into the castle, the two came across a sealed and wooden door, iron bars keeping it from being opened. For a second, the two thought maybe this is where the switch was being held and wanted to get inside, but there seemed to be no way of getting the bars to rise. As Link got closer to the door, he stumbled back as something on the other side slammed against the ancient wood. It sounded like a palm.

Then another slap came. And another. And another. Soon a chorus of slapping rang out, hands smacking against the door in a frenzy. Hands and hands, limbs and limbs, limbs and hands, all thrashing and writhing, fighting to escape the confines of their prison. Link stepped back more, looking over to Tatl. “…I…I don’t…” Was all he managed to murmur as screams rang out from the other side of the door, the smell of smoke filling the air.

“Don’t. Don’t you dare find a way to open that door.” The fairy quickly replied. She didn’t know what exactly was in that room, but she was just thankful to the Giants that it was sealed shut. “Let’s just move on and ignore it, okay? Trust me.”

Link didn’t need to be told twice, and was grateful she was the first to say to ignore what sounded like people in need. Whatever was on the other side of that door, it was not human.

Once more, time seemed to move at random paces, first seeming to go slowly, then it seemed to go too fast. Every so often they passed by windows with just enough light peeking through to tell them the sun was still up.

Eventually, though, they found a large and rusty lever in a small room that seemed to have no other use but to hold the switch, apparently one that would have been guarded heavily in an age long past.

Link pulled down on the switch, which was hard due to the rust that covered it, but he managed to pull it down fully. When he did, a loud clanking sound rang out, and the sound of mechanisms turning within the wall rang out as well.

“Think that was it?” Link asked, just hoping it didn’t open that second sealed room with the slapping and crying.

“Might as well check. If it wasn’t the right one, we’ll just keep looking.” Tatl replied, hoping they had made the right call. The castle wasn’t as bad as the well, not at all, but it was still an unpleasant and sickly place, especially for a fairy.

The two made their way back to the main entrance, the trip seeming somehow longer than before, but they figured it was just in their minds, or at least that’s what they told themselves. At the very least, they were pleased to see that second sealed room remained locked up tight. Along the way, Tatl’s mind wandered again, but to Navi. It was something Tatl couldn’t seem to shake, no matter how hard she tried, even in the creepy castle she found herself in.

She was starting to wonder if, just maybe, there was a deeper reason that he kept calling her Navi. Did he see her as some sort of…replacement? Another fairy that’s journeying with him, that will be there for him? Is that how he saw her, as just a second Navi, simply there to fill the void she left behind? No…no, that wasn’t like him. Link was just a kid, his behavior wasn’t perfect, but he was a good person with a large heart…to a fault, even. No way would he really see her as just some replacement…

That’s what Tatl kept telling herself, but the itch just didn’t seem to want to get scratched. A weight on her mind that wouldn’t go away no matter how many times she tried to dismiss it. She tried to tell herself not to worry, but she couldn’t help it. What if she was right? Maybe Link hadn’t seen her that way at first, but the more she tried to help him, the more he saw her as simply a second Navi. It had been made quite clear that the fairy’s disappearance left a deep scar on the boy. Tatl had to wonder if he wasn’t using her as a balm to feel better…

With these thoughts swirling in the fairy’s mind, the two returned to the entry room of the castle, where those lumbering monsters were still present. What was missing, however, were the metal bars. The switch they found was the right one! Still wearing the Gibdo Mask, Link slipped by the wandering creatures and got to the door. Gripping some handles on it, he found that when he lifted up, the door slid upwards and opened the way! Beyond it was a hallway leading to another round door, one that was thankfully unblocked.

Link kept the mask on still, just in case, and went to the second door and opened it. He and Tatl found themselves in a large throne room, two big windows on the upper wall letting sunlight flow in and light it up properly. However, the second the two entered, they felt heavily pressured, like a tarp was thrown over them, a dark atmosphere engulfing them despite the sunlight.

The throne itself was empty, and there were no other doors or passages leading elsewhere. “I don’t see anything in here that might help us.” Link noted, worried they had gone through all that walking for nothing.

“I guess the throne room being hard to access makes sense too…I really thought I was onto something here!” Tatl really didn’t want to spend even more time in this castle…

However, before Link and Tatl could leave, the door shut behind them, iron bars sealing their exit. As they were startled, a deep, male voice spoke. “You have committed a great sin, by entering the domain of the dead while you still draw breath.” The voice lacked any warmth, raspy and ancient. “You bathe in the warmth of the sun, underneath which countless of my soldiers have fallen.”

As the voice went on, curtains began to close over the windows, drowning the light and plunging the room into near-darkness. Small bits of sunlight managed to get through the edges of the curtains, just enough to see that a figure was now seated upon the throne. A tall, menacing figure, a skeletal man in what was once surely extravagant, royal garb, now torn and worn through countless years. A decoration sat upon his head, a crescent shape visible. Hair managed to still grow from his skull, a dark red. And, rather than human eyes, glowing green orbs rested within his sockets.

Link knew enough about royalty to know that only the king sat upon the throne of his kingdom. “You’re the ruler of Ikana, aren’t you?” The boy asked. “…Or, you were, a long time ago…”

The skeletal figure huffed. “I still am, you insolent boy. We may live in the darkness now, but this kingdom is still mine, my servants bow before me.” As he spoke, two such servants appeared, also skeletal. They wielded swords and round shields. One had a long skull, while the other’s skull was more rounded. In their eye sockets were red pinpricks of eerie light. “I shall show you what true darkness is before this fight is through!”

Fight?! Why a fight?! “I don’t want to fight you!” Link called desperately, not used to facing monsters that could talk back like this. The Garo attacked about as soon as they realized they were tricked. Here, the ancient king seemed more patient. “I just need the tool that will let me enter the Stone Tower.”

“We didn’t even want to come in here!” Tatl added on. “If we didn’t need that tool, we wouldn’t even have bothered!” She had heard tales of Igos du Ikana, the kingdom’s final ruler. Was this him, or perhaps a king even more ancient? One thing that Igos du Ikana wasn’t known for was his mercy…

“You invade my throne room and announce your plans to invade the tower, then you expect mercy?” The king asked, his tone dark and venomous. “To add insult to injury, you wear a mask of the dead, tricking my servants. I have seen you do so, do not deny this!”

Link took the mask off, having been so startled at talking monsters that he didn’t even register it failed to disguise him. Putting it away, Link shook his head. “I’m not invading. I didn’t even know you were here still. Ikana is dead, I’m trying to lift its curse so you can rest in peace!”

“I will not fall for your trickery, you are clearly a warrior. Your sword and shield, your injuries…even if I hadn’t seen you fight, it is evident you are a soldier.” Clearly, the dead monarch had no intention of listening to Link. “Now give in, and embrace the eternal darkness of Ikana!”

While the king stayed seated, his two lackeys marched forward, ready to fight! Link clearly had no choice, the ruler of Ikana not willing to hear him out. There was just enough light that he could fight back, but he was worried about fighting two opponents at once!

Link charged forward as Tatl took to the air, wanting to get the first strike! He leapt up, swinging his sword down harshly on the round-skulled lackey, who blocked with his shield. At the same time, the other undead soldier attacked Link with a stab. He only had enough time to block the blow with his own shield, being sent tumbling to the floor.

The two soldiers lunged at Link, stabbing down at him, with Link barely able to roll out of the way. He leapt up, and with a horizontal slash, he beheaded the round-faced soldier! However, his victory was short-lived, as the skull snarled up at him. “You brat! Knocking off my head like that…” It was still living!

Link watched as the beheaded soldier bent down and picked his skull up, putting it back on like it wasn’t even a big deal! If he couldn’t just behead them…what could he do?!

Tatl looked on from above as Link fought against the two undead soldiers. He was clearly struggling, his injuries starting to add up, and his lack of rest and food was draining his strength! Even if he was at full strength, the two lackeys wouldn’t stay down! Link managed to cut off the heads and other parts of his opponents, but whenever he did, they’d just reattach the parts! And the lackeys got hits in too, shield bashes and even slashes, Link’s blessed tunic the only thing saving his life! As it was, he had trouble simply staying in one piece, barely able to do more than block or dodge attacks!

That’s when the thought hit her. Sunlight…! That’s what the Garo had been talking about before! If Link was going to win, he needed sunlight! “Link! Shoot down the curtains! You need sunlight, or they won’t stay down!”

“Accursed fairy…” Igos du Ikana grumbled, a bony hand clenching into a fist. “Take out the boy! Hurry!” He yelled to his guards.

Link, however, was too fast. He backpedaled, taking out the Bunny’s Hood as he did so and slapped it onto his head. With this, he was able to run away much faster, the lackeys unable to catch up with him as he readied an arrow and shot at the rod of one of the curtains! Even in the dark, he managed to hit it in one try, knocking the curtain down and letting sunlight stream inside.

“That’s it, Link! Just stay in the sunlight!” Tatl called, glad she was able to help out. She was still so nervous about actually getting close to monsters, and she wasn’t a tactician at all, so the fairy felt she wasn’t as useful as she could be in fights. At least she was able to help out this time!

With sunlight streaming in, the lackeys seemed nervous, but still charged. Link was surprised as they entered the sunlight! Still, maybe this just made them vulnerable! Lunging forward, he decapitated one of them again, this time the one with the long skull. “Insolent child!” He screeched as his skull burst into eerie blue flames, his body following suit! The remnants of the soldier were soon reduced to nothing, the fire vanishing as well. It seemed that the undead could survive in the sun, but if they were ‘killed’ in it, they stayed dead, the sunlight making them vulnerable.

The remaining soldier snarled, his attacks growing more fierce. However, Link got a second wind with the knowledge that his opponents had a big weakness. Link dodged and guarded against the blows, doing far better against just one opponent. He managed to slice off one of the soldier’s arms, the limb burning away. While he was stunned from the blow, Link cut his head off, the rest of the skeletal being getting covered in blue flames and soon vanishing entirely.

Igos du Ikana snarled, standing from his throne. Reaching behind it, he pulled out a large square shield and a fierce-looking sword. “I suppose if I want my castle defended, I have to do it myself!”

Link tried one more time to deescalate the situation. “I don’t want to fight you!” He called, desperate. “I’m not an invader, I just need to get into the Stone Tower!” What was the tower to Ikana anyway? A sacred place of worship? The king was in the castle…so what purpose did the tower serve…?

However, the ancient king didn’t seem interested in listening. In fact, he didn’t even respond to Link. Instead, he hopped down the small staircase to his throne and swiftly approached the boy. Link still had the Bunny Hood and tried to use that to run behind Igos du Ikana to attack his back. However, the king was swifter than he looked. He quickly turned and slammed the shield onto the side of Link’s head, the blow so strong that it knocked his hat and the Bunny Hood off his head and onto the floor!

The boy didn’t have time to pick up the dropped items, he didn’t dare to try. Especially as the king closed the distance before he even had a chance! Link blocked the incoming sword swing, his right arm aching as the ancient blade hit his shield. Several more blows followed, each one making Link’s arm hurt more and more, his energy being sapped, he knew if this kept up that Igos du Ikana would just break through!

The boy lunged forward in a counterattack, managing to stab at one of the king’s ribs, and breaking it! However, this didn’t seem to impact the skeletal warrior much. Chances were he couldn’t even feel pain anymore. The swift retaliation supported this, Igos du Ikana lifting his leg and quickly kicking Link right in the throat! Coughing violently and unable to breathe properly, Link staggered back, barely able to dodge as his opponent came in for another swing. He blocked the next blow, but was still winded and was knocked onto his back.

Igos du Ikana approached slowly, raising his blade above his head to stab down at Link. As he thrust downward, the boy rolled out of the way, starting to recover from the kick. He got to his feet, running from his opponent to give himself time to gather his wits. To his surprise, the ancient king simply stood there and watched him flee.

Instead, the skeletal warrior pulled off his own skull! Rather than burst into flames, though, the head began to levitate on its own, making a beeline towards Link! It seemed there were specific rules to how the sunlight dealt with the undead here, much to Link’s annoyance. As the skull approached, the boy swiped at it with his sword, but missed. The skull went to Link’s head and bit down on it hard! He let out a cry of pain as he felt the old, rotting teeth dig into his scalp, feeling a warm wetness run down his head and his face, blood leaking from the bite wounds.

Link bashed the hilt of his sword against the skull, crying out in pain as he did so. After a few good hits, a splintering sound rang out, Igos du Ikana’s skull getting a nasty crack on its side, making the king let go. Wasting no time, Link went after the king as his skull went back to his body. The child sliced off the skeleton’s sword arm, watching it dissolve into flames.

As the ancient monarch let out a roar at Link, he leapt up and slashed horizontally, bisecting his opponent’s skull as he hit at its mouth. The top half was lopped off and burned away, the rest of the body soon following. Link stood there for a second, panting and wincing from pain. Slowly, he went over and gathered his hat and the Bunny Hood, putting the former on and stuffing the latter in his bag.

Tatl fluttered down towards Link as he took out his Red Potion and downed the rest of it, his wounds from the last day all healing up, though any dried blood remained. “I had no idea those three would still be around…I really thought the tool we need would be in this room…” Despite having no way of knowing what would happen, the fairy still felt guilty…

Link didn’t share her feelings, he didn’t blame her at all. “I thought so too. I guess it has to be deeper in the castle. Maybe if we can find another Garo…” He said it so casually, his usual monotone voice upfront…but that fight shook him up a bit. Having those ancient, dead teeth sinking into his skin…it brought him back to those monsters, those shrieking creatures that sucked the life out of him!

Without warning, there was a snarling noise, which startled the boy and fairy. From nowhere, the long-skulled warrior appeared again! Well…just his skull, which floated, wreathed in an eerie purple flame. For a moment, it stared at Link and Tatl, then the round-skulled warrior also appeared. He, too, was only a flamed, floating skull. He bashed his companion out of the way. “Let me at him! I can still take that twerp down! Don’t block me!”

The long-skulled warrior turned to his companion, scoffing. “Blocking you?! The only reason we lost was because of your feeble swordplay!”

Turning to his comrade, the round-skulled lackey let out a guttural noise of annoyance. “What was that?! Say that again, I dare you!”

With a laugh, the long-skulled warrior complied. “Feeble! Feeble! Feeble! Feeble! Feeble! Feeble! Feeble! Feeble! Feeble! Feeble! Feeble! Feeble! Feeble! Feeble! Feeble! Feeble! Feeble! Feeble! Feeble! Feeble! Feeble!”

Having enough, the round-skulled one yelled out in frustration. “That’s it! Enough! Pull out your sword!”

“…Huh? How?” The long-skulled one asked before breaking out into laughter.

Link and Tatl watched on, not really sure what, if anything, they should do. The skulls seemed ethereal, almost entirely see-through. Link wasn’t sure if his sword could even harm them anymore…

“Enough! Will you two fools stop?!” A voice called. From above, the skull of Igos du Ikana descended. It was also ethereal and wreathed in flames. “Don’t you understand at this point?! Wasn’t it petty fights like this that lead our kingdom to ruin in the first place?!” With his harsh words, the two lackeys vanished into a burst of flames, skulls twisted into fear.

“What, now you want to fight again? Link already beat you!” Tatl exclaimed, feeling braver since Igos du Ikana was reduced to just a head.

The skull shook as though it were still attached to its body. “No. I was not myself…the darkness of his land had consumed my mind. It made me think you were an intruder, trying to topple the remnants of my kingdom.”

“Pretty convenient that you’re all nice now that Link kicked your boney butt.” Tatl hissed back. She wasn’t buying this for a second!

“I can see why you’d think that way.” The ancient king replied not seeming upset at all despite Tatl’s words. “However, my words remain true. Someone thrust open the doors of the Stone Tower, and now more of the dead are trapped in the world of the living than ever before. And…worse things have begun to emerge from the blood-stained soil of Ikana.”

Link chose to believe the king’s words, that he truly was overtaken by the curse that riddled this land. “Tell me, what is the Stone Tower for? It’s not your castle, so why is it so large?” He couldn’t help but be curious…

The skull shuddered, the mention of the Stone Tower seeming to even make a spirit uneasy. “It was built long, long before my time. A blasphemous structure that was made to reach the heavens and conquer them. As you can see from the ruins of my kingdom, this did not work. I never stepped foot in it myself, even the kings were forbidden to do so. Dark winds blow from within it, bringing unearthly things with them. Up at the top…Twinmold dwells. I do not know what Twinmold is, it is a name my father spoke vaguely of in a terrified, hush tone on his deathbed. I feel if you slay the dark god within the Stone Tower, its doors will shut once more.”

While he didn’t know what ‘blasphemous’ meant, Link got the general idea. Even Ikana’s king feared the structure. He also at least had a target to go for at the tower’s top. “How do I get in, though? I was told I need a special tool to enter it.”

“Yes, you are correct. You have a heart of Courage, I can tell. Most men would be unable to ascend the tower, fear overtaking them and forcing them back…but not you. No. You can ascend to its top, I can sense it!” Igos du Ikana sounded impressed, even a bit hopeful. “However, you cannot ascend alone, you will need soldiers. And so, I grant you the ability to create a soldier without a heart, one that cannot feel fear. I see the instrument upon your belt. Listen and play back this song…”

With that, Igos du Ikana sang a short, sorrowful melody. Link put the Ocarina of Time to his lips as the ancient king sang a second time, the Hylian following along. The notes were sad, haunting, the sensation that someone he knew just died stirring inside of Link’s stomach as he played the song. He then felt a bit dizzy, like something was being pulled from his very core.

Link took a slow, stumbling step forward as something materialized behind him! It was…him! No, a statue of him. The wooden figure stood at attention, donned in his tunic and hat…and wearing a blank expression. What made Link really frustrated was the eyepatch that it donned. It was disturbing to look at, making Link feel sick to his stomach!

“What the heck is that thing?!” Tatl exclaimed, hiding behind Link. That thing was so creepy! Why did it look so sad…?

“This song is the Elegy of Emptiness.” The ancient king informed. “You will need these heartless soldiers to aid you as you ascend the tower. As I have not entered the structure myself…this is the only help I can give you.”

While still disturbed, Link turned back to look at Igos du Ikana. “…Thank you.” He hesitated, then felt he had to ask. “…How are you so at peace being dead? Doesn’t it bother you that Ikana is just ruined now?”

The king hummed, as if in thought. “It was horrible at first, yes. In time, however, the pain faded. I had to learn to accept what had happened, and not to let it consume me. For a time, I was at peace, but that the cursed winds from the Stone Tower stirred by hatred and bloodlust once more. Do not let pain linger inside of you, it will only lead to your ruin. I let my hatred consume me, and it destroyed my kingdom…Now, please, shine your light of justice upon my kingdom…”

With that, the ancient king faded.

Link and Tatl turned back to look at the statue, both still creeped out by it. “Well, that was…something. Wasn’t expecting this to be how we move forward.” The fairy declared. “I don’t get why it looks so sad, though.”

The boy turned to Tatl in confusion. “Sad? It has a blank expression.” That’s how he saw it. It was like him, wearing a mask that didn’t let others in. The king’s words, about letting go of pain…he just kept thinking of Navi. Two years later, and the agony of losing her hadn’t lessened at all…

From Tatl’s perspective, the statue was frowning noticeably, a deep pain in its painted, wooden eyes. “…That’s not how I see it. It’s…really creepy, really, that face…” She then realized she made another comment about Link’s looks, if indirectly. “I mean…well, not yours, just the statue’s. When you’re older, you’ll have to beat the ladies off with a stick!”

Link wasn’t listening too closely until the last part. Sighing through his nose, he shook his head. “I don’t know what that means, Navi.”

“My name isn’t Navi! It’s Tatl! I’m Tatl!” The fairy screamed, not even thinking before her frustrations just burst out. “Stop calling me Navi! What the heck is wrong with you?!”

This startled Link, who took a half-step back. “…What? What do you mean?” He hadn’t realized he called her Navi. The boy was entirely ignorant of all the times he got her name wrong.

“You keep calling me Navi, you’ve done it over and over these last couple of days, and I’m sick of it!” Tatl went on, not even fully sure herself why it made her so enraged. The paranoia was really getting to her! “Why do you keep doing that?!”

Link fiddled with the ocarina in his hands, a small attempt to comfort himself. With all he had gone through this Cycle, Tatl yelling at him was really getting to him. “…I didn’t know I was. I didn’t realize. I’m sorry.” He felt he had to explain himself more, even though it was a total accident. “I’ve been thinking about her so much lately. My words just…slipped, I guess…”

That wasn’t enough to satisfy Tatl. “So…what, you just see me as another Navi or something? Because I’m a fairy? You’re just seeing me as someone to replace her with?!”

Link didn’t even think, he just spoke. “You could never replace her.” It was only when he finished did he realize how nasty that sounded.

It was like a punch to the gut for Tatl, who teared up a bit. “I don’t want to replace her! Why would you say that?! You think I want to just be your…back-up Navi or something?!” Was that all he saw her as? Just another fairy to replace the one he lost? How long had he thought that way?

He quickly shook his head. “No, no…that’s not it. I didn’t mean that. I don’t want anyone to replace Navi.” Link was starting to panic, but did his best to remain stoic on the outside. “I just meant that no one could be like her. Not you. Not anyone else.” No one understood him like Navi did, not a single other person, not even Saria…

“Don’t know why I should believe you. You don’t even trust me to stop pretending like you don’t have feelings.” Tatl hissed, just letting out all her anger, unable to stop and think about what she was doing. “Stop wearing that stupid blank mask, you really think you’re tricking me into thinking you’re some emotionless doll?! Just frown or yell or just…show emotion like a normal person!”

Link turned around, not able to face Tatl, his stress turning into a deep anxiety. Like her words were a hammer, he felt his mask being cracked and chipped away. He gripped the ocarina in his hands until his palms hurt. “…I…I…” He sputtered out, trying to remain composed, but it was really getting hard. “I don’t deserve to show how I feel. I have to just press all the emotions down.”

“Why? Why would you do something like that? Huh?!” Tatl pressed, she wasn’t willing to just let things go anymore. She had let Link dismiss her questions for too long and she was sick of it! “Is it because Navi left?! Is it something else?! Tell me! Right now! I have to put up with it, so you better explain it to me!”

The child didn’t even feel like he could fight back. Tatl was berating him too harshly, really going for what hurt. It wasn’t like when they first met, and her insults were more surface level and generic. Now she knew how to hurt him. “It was before Navi. It was years ago. It isn’t important.”

Tatl flew around to Link’s front and bashed into his forehead, making him flinch. “Don’t. You’re not saying that again. Stop saying that it isn’t important, I hate it when you say that so much!”

“Tatl, I don’t want to talk about that. It hurts to talk about, is that what you want to hear?” Link managed to lightly defend himself. But that was it, he was still on the defensive, but at the same time admitting things he never told Tatl before.

“No, it’s not what I want to hear! Come on, you can fight monsters, but talking is too much for you?!” Tatl didn’t want to believe it, Link was too strong to let words hurt so much. For a moment, she forgot he was just a kid. “So just tell me! Do it! Tell me about Hyrule! You promised you’d be more open!”

“Stop!” Link managed to yell out, his mask crumbling away as he blinked back tears. “Please, just stop! I-I can’t! I can’t talk about these things, please, just stop…”

 Tatl realized how awful she was being, and hovered away. She was still angry, her emotions just bubbling and boiling over without logic. In fact, she kept looking for any reason to continue being mad, and she had no idea why. “You know, I stick by your side no matter what horrible place you go to. I feel like I deserve some trust.”

Now Link was feeling bitter and mad. A childish part of him wanted to lash out at Tatl for nearly making him cry…and he gave into his feelings. “You just don’t want to sit in Clock Town and do nothing. You don’t really have a choice.” And he didn’t mean that, he knew it was false. The small child within Link’s blank exterior just wanted to hurt Tatl.

“What?! Is that what you think?! You little brat, I care about you! If I stayed behind, I’d be worrying every second about what’s happening to you…I even came into Ikana of all places! You take that back! Do it right now!” Tatl’s light went red, her form quivering, shaking, so enraged she could barely hold herself back.

“You first.” Link replied, knowing how immature he was being, and not caring at all. “You made me feel so horrible for calling you Navi by accident and never said sorry.”

Tatl was tempted to bash Link on the forehead again, but held herself back. “It’s…weird, you know? You made me feel like I was just here to replace Navi, like some back-up fairy! I’m not going to apologize for being offended!”

Link frowned, his mask was gone entirely now, and he despised how vulnerable he was. The fact that statue seemed to just…stare at him made it worse, like this fight had an audience.  “Like I said, no one can replace her. That’s…That’s not what I was trying to do. Navi can’t be replaced, she’s…she was everything. No one will be able to be what she was.”

The fairy still wasn’t happy. Not even with Link’s broken gaze and tone, she couldn’t soften entirely. “…I don’t know what’s so great about her. Didn’t you say she just left you without saying anything? Makes her seem pretty awful to me.” The second those words left her mouth…she regretted them.

It was Link’s turn to explode, his eye turning steely as he glared at Tatl. “SHUT UP!” He roared, almost startling himself with how loud he yelled. “You don’t get to say that! No one gets to say that!” His entire frame shook, he felt like he was going to throw up from just how angry he was. “She was everything! She loved me, and it’s my fault she’s gone!” If he had been better, she would have stayed! “Don’t you ever say anything like that again! Don’t you dare!”

Tatl actually hovered away from Link, worried he’d swat at her or something! That was a very non-Link thing to do, but his anger scared her! She had never seen him like that, and it unnerved the fairy. Yet she was still stubborn, and wouldn’t apologize for speaking her mind. “I’m just saying how I feel about it. It doesn’t seem right to me that she’d do that. But you know what, I give up. I don’t want to talk anymore!”

Link calmed down, realizing how awful his outburst was, but did his best not to care. “Fine. I…I need to rest. I can’t go to the Stone Tower today.” Exhaustion started to creep on him. An entire day without food or rest started to hit him all at once. After all he had been through this Cycle, he just couldn’t bring himself to go into the Stone Tower on top of it all!

“Whatever. Rest all you want. I’ll be glad to get out of this place.” Tatl bitterly remarked, not even looking Link in the eye. She needed a break too, but was too angry at her friend to admit she thought a rest was a good idea.

It took the boy a moment to calm down enough to even play the Song of Time. He was just so angry…so bitter towards Tatl. He knew screaming at her more would get them nowhere. As the boy and fairy were whisked away, the statue was left behind, a silent witness to their struggles.