Chapter Text
“Can you help me? I need to reach my friend!”
Link raised his hand over his eyes, blocking the sun that had just begun to crest Pierre Plateau. There was no one behind him. The only footprints in the dew frosted grass were his own. He turned around, looking down the path he had not yet traveled, saw nothing, and shrugged his shoulders. The sunlight sparkled along the water of Mellenio Sandbar. He took a moment to admire his reflection. His polished boots gleamed back at him. His champion tunic was freshly pressed and the blue fabric popped against his collared white undershirt. He ran his hand through his long blonde hair before taking one more sweeping look of the surroundings. The voice called out once more.
“Please, I need to reach my friend!”
This time Link spotted where the voice was coming from. Just off the path, slightly hidden by a set of weathered offering statues, was a korok with a large knapsack strapped to its back. The forest spirit was waving him down. Or rather, they were flailing him down, thought Link to himself with a smile.
The korok had stubby arms and legs. A large gold and orange leaf sat on their face and was held in place by a short and pointed nose. Its body looked like it had been whittled from a small tree stump. If the forest spirit had been standing, they would have come up to Link's knee. This was impossible though, because the knapsack was at least three times the size of the forest spirit. Instead, the korok's arms and legs were dangling off the ground, flapping widely in the air like an insect in a spider's web.
The knapsack was bursting at the seams with a variety of odds and ends poking out of the top at odd angles. A tin cup and cast iron skillet were attached to either side with some spare twine, a bedroll was tucked neatly underneath the top flap, and sticks with red berries were poking out the top. Link approached the korok, smiled, and offered him his hand.
“Thank you, sir! I’m in a real pickle. I was traveling with someone and got separated. They should be sending out a smoke signal…”
The korok pointed vaguely behind themself. A green plume of smoke was rising above the treetops further along the path.
“I can’t wait to catch up!” The korok said breathlessly.
“I’m already headed to Wetland stable to take out Epona,” Link thought. “That smoke signal looks like it’s coming from the stable anyways and I would never leave a forest spirit to fend for themselves.”
Link kneeled down and grasped the knapsack from either side. He grunted in surprise and dropped the korok and his baggage with a dry thump. “What in Hylia’s name has this korok brought with him!?” thought Link.
“Is everything okay, mister?” Said the korok anxiously.
Link dismissed the korok with a wave of his hand, planted his feet in a wide stance and bent his knees. He slowly leaned over, careful to keep his back straight. He took a few calming breaths as he placed his arms on either side of the knapsack. With a sudden burst of energy he lifted the knapsack up onto his chest, breathing out as he did so. He repositioned his hands and took another deep breath before lifting the korok and its luggage over his head.
“I may have over prepared a bit…” started the korok, but after seeing Link’s pursed lips and flushed cheeks, they trailed off and went silent.
Link's feet sank a few inches into the muddy ground and his knees wobbled. He felt a building pressure behind his eyes and his vision started to blur slightly. A vein in his forehead began to throb. His shoulders began to burn as he started to plod along the path. In an effort to cheer Link along, the korok began to whistle a jaunty tune. Link grimaced as he realized it was a modified version of “Lost Woods”.
After a quarter of an hour, Link’s tunic was drenched in sweat and his hair stuck to his forehead. His boots were caked in mud. He could no longer feel his arms or shoulders and his hands and wrists were tingling from the loss of circulation. The remaining cartilage he had left in his knees was slowly grinding into dust. Each step reverberated throughout his body like an enormous gong. The korok, not knowing any other tunes, was still whistling the melody of “Lost Woods” on repeat, although the tone was now more sedate and serious.
Link praised Hylia as the Wetland stable came into view. Crenel Peak rose softly in the distance. Hylia river meandered lazily on the left hand side. An unusually large pile of firewood sat near the corral where the horses and other livestock were kept. In front of the stable was a campfire with green smoke. Dancing around the fire was a large gyrating tree shaking red maraca’s.
“SHALAKA! Thank you for bringing my friend Link!”
Link smiled with recognition. What had appeared to be a dancing tree was actually Hestu, the musician of Korok Forest. Hestu was ten times the size of any ordinary korok. He had large bushy bark that almost passed as eyebrows and large branches extending above his head with thick foliage. His arms and legs were as thick as a bristlecone pine. His chest was as broad as a mountain. Despite his size he was surprisingly agile as he danced and sang around the campfire playing with his signature fiery red maracas.
“Thank Farore that’s over! That’s the last time I powerlift a korok and their belongings again,” thought Link as he dropped the korok at Hestu’s feet with a dull thud and took a deep sigh of relief. His breath was cut short however, as the weight of the korok’s knapsack had raised a cloud of dust and Link had a brief coughing fit instead. Link gave Hestu a thin smile and a curt nod before heading over to the innkeeper to take out Epona. As Link was paying the innkeeper, he heard a man wailing inside.
“Oh what shall we do? Our beautiful Breezer’s is in disrepair and our troupe has been separated. Is there any hope left in this bitter world?”
Link, not able to pass up an opportunity to help a troubled soul, stepped inside to see how he could help him. A large multicolored top hat adorned the man’s head which had long brown hair styled into a single roll beneath his pointed ears. Tears were dripping from his eyes, down his spindly nose, and into his handlebar mustache. His ruffled white shirt bulged at the waist and the buttons protested as his belly jiggled in between the man's bouts of sobbing. A white baton hung loosely from his right hand. As the man continued to showcase his distress, he bounced from one foot to the other in pointy shoes that seemed impossibly small given his size.
The man turned as Link approached. His eyes widened and he suddenly threw himself at Link’s feet grabbing the hem of his sweaty tunic and kissing at his feet.
“Link, the hero of Hyrule! The chosen knight of Princess Zelda! The slayer of Calamity Ganon!” yelled the man. Then he smiled wryly and nimbly jumped back to his feet. “I can’t imagine a more fitting person to resolve this catastrophe…this crisis…this tragedy…this extreme misfortune that has befallen our troupe, the Stable Trotters!” The man struck a new pose between each pause as if conducting to an unseen group of musicians. Link gaped at the man, not quite sure what to say.
“Ah, the silent knight is speechless as ever! Fear not my good man, I can take a hint when I see one. I, the exalted Mastro, the leader of the Stable Trotters, humbly accept your offer to help”. Mastro started to bow low as he proclaimed this, but stopped short when the weight of his belly caused him to stumble forward. “It’s a simple task really. We just need to regroup with the other members of our troop and perform for the great fairies of Hyrule. Our violinist, Violynne, is here with me. That’s one down already!”
A petite woman with purple hair and violin in one hand smiled meekly at Link and waved.
“That just leaves our drummer, Beetz,” Mastro pounded his belly.
“Our flutist, Pyper,” Mastro trilled obnoxiously.
“And our horn player, Eustus,” Mastro mimed playing a french horn.
“Let me know when you’ve fixed our wagon, an easy task I assure you, and Violynne and I will join you!”
Link picked his jaw up off the floor of the inn and then nodded before walking back out the door to examine the troupe’s wagon. He wondered whether Mastro’s overwhelming presence might be the reason the troupe had separated in the first place.
At first glance, Link did not see the wagon that Mastro had mentioned. He looked around the stable again. The chickens clucked and pecked at the ground. The horses were drinking and eating from their trough. A stray dog was chasing its tail. Hestu and the unnamed korok were singing by the fire. Link's stomach fell as his eyes once again fell upon what he had at first thought was an excessively large pile of firewood. On one of the larger pieces of wood was faded yellow lettering that said “Breezer”.
“Farosh, Dinraal, and Naydra” said Link with clenched teeth. “Washing a hinox’s loin cloth with nothing but a korok frond would be easier than repairing this wagon! Mastro’s lucky he’s got me on the job, if it was anyone else, they’d tell him to take a quick trip to the depths!” Upon reflection, Link realized that was probably why Mastro was so pleased to see him in the first place.
The Breezer appeared to have been ripped apart by a large beast or monster. Perhaps Mastro had an unfortunate run-in with a Lynel or raid by a camp of bokoblins. It did not make much difference. There were missing floorboards in the bed and scraps of purple fabric were hanging from the bows which were off to one side. Rusty nails poked through the sides and shiny new nails were bent at odd angles from several hap-hazard repair attempts. More importantly, the wheels had been ripped clean off. The Breezer could hardly be called a wagon anymore.
Fortunately for Link, his Ultrahand ability gifted to him by Rauru would help him make quick work of the larger repairs. Link first attached the driver’s box with the bed. Then he placed the bows on top. He didn’t have any fabric to recover the bows and protect the occupants from the elements, but perhaps they would find something suitable on the road. Link then examined the wheels for damage. The rims showed the usual signs of wear and tear but were otherwise fine. Not one wheel had all of its spokes and the hubs were warped, probably from when they had detached from the axles. There weren't any spare wheels around however, so Link attached the wheels back to the axles and hoped that they would hold on until he could part ways with Mastro.
The other remaining repairs would require more time than Link was willing to spare. At the very least, the Breezer was now functional again. Thinking that this was probably good enough and that he’d rather get things over with, Link attached Epona’s towing harness to the ramshackle wagon and fed her several Endura Carrots as an apology for what he was about to put her through. He then called Mastro and Violynne over so that they could begin their journey.
“Ah, Link! I knew you could do it," said Mastro as he clapped Link on the back. Mastro suddenly paused for a moment and tilted his head to one side.
“...Link, where is our canopy? Our instruments are the finest available in all of Hyrule. We cannot simply allow any chance that they may get damaged by the weather!”
Link glanced at the baton in Mastros hand and at Violynne’s violin. The baton was nothing more than a stick that had been whittled down. The original wooden color could still be seen through the streaky white paint. The violin fared no better. There was a crack running down the middle of the body and only two of the four tuning pegs remained.
“SHALA-KALA! Did someone say iiiiiiinstruments?!” Hestu frolicked over, dragging his korok friend behind him. A small ditch was left in the wake of the korok’s knapsack.
“Link you sly lizalfo, what a clever solution to this perplexing problem!” chortled Mastro. “This dancing, singing, maraca playing tree is absolutely perfect! His luscious foliage supplies ample coverage for us all and his talents will be a spectacular addition to the Stable Trotters performances!”
“SHOOOOOO-KAY! Leeeeeeet’s do iiiiit!” shouted Hestu in agreement.
Link’s eyes began to twitch. He hadn’t counted on this particular development. He trudged over to the driver’s box, took the reins, and waved Mastro, Hestu and his friend, and Violynne to take their seats. The Breezer began to creak and groan as the passengers filed in. Violynne and Mastro posed no problems, though the Breezer began to make ominous cracking sounds as Hestu capered in. Link held his breath as Hestu lifted his korok friend into the wagon. The wheels sunk slightly into the earth, but mercifully the Breezer held together.
Epona turned to look at Link snorting and tossing her mane as she did so. Her eyebrows came closer together and her pupils narrowed. Link fed her another carrot. Epona’s eyes bulged in their sockets and her veins popped through her hide as she strained against her towing harness. She took a step. Then another. And then another. As the wheels of the Breezer slowly turned, Epona managed a slow walk. The wagon wobbled and creaked as they began to move forward.
“SHAKA-LAKA-KALA! Heeeere weeee goooooo!” cried out Hestu in jubilation. He began to jump up and down in a jig while shaking his maraca’s wildly. With an ear splitting CRACK the wheels of the Breezer all popped off. The wagon fell to the ground with a crash. Epona reared her front legs and neighed in protest.
“Shoko…sorry Link…” Hestu mumbled.
“Boo hoo hoo!” Wailed the Mastro. “That was our last chance, our final hope, our last resort. Now our beloved Breezer is truly broken!”
Link began pinching his leg through his tunic to keep the corners of his lips from twitching upwards into a smile.
“Don’t worry Mr. Mastro," said the little korok gently. “I think I have just what we need. Link could you open my knapsack and look inside?” Link suddenly no longer felt the need to pinch himself as he felt his chest deflating.
Link stepped down from the driver’s box and walked around to where the forest spirit was sitting. He undid the shoulder straps, set the korok in Hestu’s lap, and turned the back of the knapsack to face himself. Link untied the string keeping the top flap in place, removed the bedroll, and began reaching inside. He pulled out a tinderbox, monster extract, a half eaten baked apple, a mop, some marbles, and a small painting of the Deku Tree. Link looked at the korok and raised an eyebrow.
The korok stared at him blankly. “Keep going Mr. Link, it’s farther in.”
Link reached in further. This time he pulled out a hairbrush, some paper with doodles on them, a shoe lace, a vase, an assortment of different colored socks, a toy sailboat, a balloon, a lantern, and an old boot with a hole in the heel. Link glanced up at the korok a second time.
The korok’s eyes glinted in the sunlight. “You're almost there sir,”
Link reached back in the bag for a third time. He shoved his hand deep into the knapsack until it was up to his shoulder. At the tips of his fingers he grasped the edge of something rather large and round. It had deep grooves with a supple yet firm texture. Realizing the item was too heavy to lift with his arm outstretched this far into the knapsack, Link activated his Ultrahand and pulled out a set of four large rubber wheels.
The korok was right. These were far superior to the old and battered wooden wheels that the Breezer had been using before. They could probably climb up a steep rocky mountain with ease. Link thought back to when the korok had admitted to “over preparing for his journey”. This was a gross understatement of monumental proportions. Then he remembered when the korok’s had stolen the seeds from Hestu’s maracas a few years ago. Link swore he heard the korok snickering to themself.
Link glanced sideways and smirked at the korok as he attached the rubber wheels to the Breezer. He then detached Epona from the reins and sent her back to the corral. Epona’s eyes sparkled as she cantered back to the feeding trough.
“Uh, Link…don’t we need your loyal steed to pull the Breezer?” said Mastro with a slight quiver in his voice.
Link ignored him and reached into the korok’s knapsack. He pulled out a metal steering wheel covered in Zonai markings, attached it to the driver’s box, and climbed aboard the Breezer. With a hearty whack of his sword, the steering wheel glowed a subtle pulsing neon green and the wheels sprang to life, spitting rocks and dirt behind them. Link turned his head to look back at Mastro and ask him where he needed to go. Mastro directed him towards the old military training camp near Minshi Woods.
“Tera is quite accommodating compared to her sisters, she has only asked for the presence of Violynne and myself,”
Now that the Breezer was put back together and had a proper set of wheels, the trip to the first Great Fairy Fountain was uneventful. Link parked the wagon a short distance away from Tera’s fountain and sat back to watch the performance. Mastro climbed out, put his back to the fountain, and raised his baton. Violynne put her violin to her neck and Hestu raised his maracas in both hands. Link and the korok looked on with bated breath.
With a flick of his baton, Mastro began conducting to the musical duo. Hestu gently rattled his maracas and Violynne began playing a sweet melody. Link’s mouth watered as the sweet melody reminded him of a baked apple dipped in honey. As the music swelled the Mastro’s conducting became more unorthodox. He twirled to face the fountain and waved his baton wildly while shaking his rear from side to side. Hestu and Violynne kept playing their charming song without missing a single beat. Mastro twirled back around and used his baton to curl his handlebar mustache. Finally, he jumped into the air, somersaulted, stuck the landing, and tipped his hat to the Great Fairy. The final note from Violynne hung in the air.
Link rose to his feet and started clapping with gusto. As he did so, the Great Fairy burst from the fountain and sprayed water several meters in all directions, soaking everyone in glittering water. The Great Fairy, Tera, dwarfed Link and his companions. She was at least two stories tall and only the top half of her voluptuous body was above the water. Her light blue hair extended another two or three meters above her head and was styled in an enormous pompadour with long bangs that trailed down her cheek and onto her left shoulder blade. Behind her right ear was a massive rainbow butterfly clip roughly the size of Hestu. On her wrists were gold bangles encrusted with gems and each finger nail was painted in a plethora of vibrant colors. Her blue eyes were speckled with grey and were complimented by a deep red eyeshadow and a mauve blush.
“AH-HAAAAAAA, what a splendidly sweet melody!” Cooed Tera. “As a reward, let me bestow you with my blessing,”
Tera touched both of hands to her violet lips and blew a kiss. A warm wind swept over Link and his companions. Link's shoulders dropped and his jaw loosened. A dreamy expression washed over Mastro and Violynne’s faces. Hestu sprouted a few flowers amongst the foliage on his head. The korok’s leaf turned a deep red. A moment of stillness passed as they all looked upon Tera’s visage.
“Ah, how invigorating!” Said Mastro with a start. “But we must be going, we still need to find the other members of our troupe and perform for Tera’s three sisters.”
“Link, we should make our way to the Tabantha Bridge Stable by Tanagar Canyon. That’s where the Stable Trotters and Eustus were…erm, separated.”
Violynne’s eye’s flashed and her mouth opened and closed. After a moment, she seemed to think better of it and instead looked down at her feet. Link raised his eyebrows, lowered his chin, and looked down his nose at Mastro.
“Why the long face, eh Link?” Chuckled Masto nervously before hurriedly saying, “Thank you for the blessing, Great Fairy Tera, we must be off!”
Tera waved and disappeared back beneath the water as Mastro, Hestu, and Violynne climbed back into the Breezer. Link whacked the steering wheel with his sword once more and started making his way to Tanagar Canyon.