Another boring day in Clock Town. Celeste sighed and sat down in front of the forbidding wooden doors leading to the interior of the town's enormous clock tower namesake. A small white terrier that she saw often around this part of the city came scurrying over to her, yapping happily. She pet its tiny head and sighed again, shifting her beloved stuffed rabbit onto her lap so that the dog would not confuse it for a chew toy. Although Clock Town was well-populated and bustling for its size, its hostile, soaring walls effectively made her a prisoner. She had been born here, grown up here, and never known anything but this. "Termina was not always thus," her grandfather had told her one night by the fireplace, his favorite granddaughter seated beside his rocking chair and listening raptly. "When I was a child, this was a fair land..."
"It is still a fair land," Celeste's mother corrected him from the adjacent kitchen, where she was elbow-deep in the soapy water of the sink. "But a dangerous one."
"Why is it dangerous, Grandpa?" Celeste asked, gazing into the crackling fire and trying to imagine what the world outside of Clock Town's walls looked like.
"Evil lurks in the shadows," Grandpa said. "We do not know from whence it came. But it has been here for a long time, and grows more powerful with every passing second." He looked out the window at the night sky, and at the ferocious face of the staggeringly vast moon. Celeste, though young, was able to recall a time when the moon had not been so terrifying to behold. Only the very youngest children at her school thought that the moon was supposed to look that way. She followed her grandfather's gaze out the window, studying the moon's enormous, bloodshot eyes.
"That's enough of that," Mother scolded, emerging from the kitchen. "Don't scare her! She is too young for such things."
Grandfather waited until she had returned to the kitchen, and then leaned forward conspiratorially to whisper into Celeste's eager ear. "Termina is a rich land," he told her in a low voice. "Amazing geography. Can you imagine what a snow-covered mountain looks like when you see it with your own eyes?" Celeste shook her head. "How about an ocean? Water as far away as the horizon!" He winked at her, eyes twinkling. "Wooded swamps, desert canyons, lush plains. No matter what your mother says, make sure, someday, that you see these things for yourself. Yes, it is dangerous, but Termina is beautiful beyond measure . It is an ancient land, populated by fantastic races and cultures that you've never even dreamt of! There are so many stories, hidden in ruins or beneath trees or in the corners of forgotten graveyards: stories of life and loss, heroism and adventure!"
"Like what kinds of stories, Grandpa?" Celeste prodded him.
But her mother reappeared in the doorway to the kitchen just then, drying her hands on an old rag. "Alright, you two," she said. "Time for the little one to go to bed; it's getting late."
Celeste allowed herself to be scooped into her mother's arms. Looking at Grandfather over her mother's shoulder, Celeste saw him wink at her one more time, then turn away to gaze into the fire, lost in thoughts and memories.
Celeste climbed into bed, held her rabbit close to her body, and lay down. Her mother pulled the blankets over her daughter, tucking them carefully around her neck. "Good night, my dearest," she said fondly, blowing out the candle on the bedside table and tiptoeing out of the room.
Celeste lay in the dark for some time, listening. A few passers-by in the wide courtyard below her window bade each other farewell. Someone else walked by, their footsteps uneven; she heard him stumble and then continue on. Probably going to the bar, she thought. Downstairs, a loud series of creaks indicated that her grandfather had gotten into his rickety old bed. She rolled onto her stomach and looked out into the hall beyond her doorway. It was still faintly lit with candlelight, but a few minutes later, all was dark. Her mother had blown out the last of the candles and was undoubtedly tucking herself into bed now, too.
Celeste waited, and waited, and then waited a bit more. Finally, her mother's gentle, steady breathing could be heard, and Celeste knew that everyone was asleep. Sitting up, she hopped lightly onto the dusty wooden floor, got down on her tummy, and groped under her bed for the small stash of matches she kept there. She pulled them out, as well as a rather large, heavy tome, which she set upon her bed beside her pillow. Striking a match and reigniting the candle on the bedside table once more, she settled down comfortably and opened the book. "A Survey of Termina," she read on the cover page. Flipping past, she turned to her favorite part, in the middle of the book: full-color plates of dozens of the landscapes and vistas to be found in Termina. Here was the Great Bay, with water as far as the eye could see, just like Grandpa had said. And here, an unknown valley bisected with a clear, strong river: protected grasslands on one shore, forbidding red canyon walls on the other. She earnestly paged through this adored volume, which had already played host to her eyes and imagination so many times before. No one knew of her clandestine possession of this book – not even Grandfather, who had idly wondered where his old musty copy had gotten to. It was her secret: full of secret places, secret questions, and secret thoughts. She traveled through these pictures in her dreams, soaking in all of the wonders around her, as the land whispered its histories into her ears. No matter how dangerous it was out there, she thought, there could be no place in the universe as wonderful.
-.-.-.-
Celeste was brought back to the present by the little terrier giving her finger the gentlest of nips. She jumped and, looking down, realized she had been resting her hand rather heavily on its head instead of petting it. "Good puppy," she said, scratching its ears. She looked around her again and sighed unhappily, wondering if she would ever be able to see for herself the fantastical world outside of this town. The drudgery of the same scenery, every single day, was wearying. Nothing of interest ever happened here, except for the annual Carnival of Time. But Celeste was having trouble getting excited about even that. What was the big deal? A couple of fireworks, and making some masks? Thrilling.
"Hey, Celeste," a voice said. She looked up. It was Jim, one of those Bomber kids she went to school with. They were nice enough, but seemed very serious about some club they had made. "You look bored."
"I am," she admitted. "I've got nothing to do."
"You could join the Bombers!" Jim suggested enthusiastically. "We don't have any members yet who are girls." His brow furrowed . "I'm not sure if that's just a coincidence or because we have a rule against it..." Brightening, he continued, "But if it's a rule, we can make an exception for you! Because you're cool."
"Thanks, Jim, but...I don't know. What do you guys do all day?"
His brow furrowed again in confusion. "Well...we help people. We go all around Clock Town and look for people who need help, and when we find one, we help them!"
"Do you find lots of people who need help?"
"Well..." He looked downcast. "Not very often."
"I'll think about it, okay?"
"Okay, Celeste. I have to get going anyway, so I'll see you later. Time to head off to our hideout for a meeting!" He leaned over and told her in a low voice, "It has a secret passageway that leads outside of Clock Town. How cool is that?" He grinned at her and then went skipping off. Thunderstruck, Celeste watched him go. Seconds later, she felt the door behind her giving way, and she nearly tumbled backwards with it. Jumping to her feet and dusting herself off, she saw the door to the clock tower opening. From within its dank and eerie depths emerged a small Deku Scrub wearing green clothes. It was accompanied by a white fairy. She and the Scrub stared at each other. She was extremely confused, having never seen such an oddly proportioned member of this race before, and it appeared just as bewildered. It seemed to be thoroughly befuddled as to why she was sitting there next to the door.
"Excuse me," Celeste said politely, stepping aside so that it could move out of the doorway. The Scrub simply blinked silently at her, then walked past her and into the square. The dog beside her growled, barking ominously at the newcomer, and gave chase. The Scrub hustled away as fast as its squat little legs could carry it. Celeste observed these goings-on, recalled what Jim had said, and got an idea.
-.-.-.-
Celeste raced up to the sentry standing at the West Clock Town exit. Exaggerating her hurry, she panted dramatically, "Help! Please!"
"What's wrong, miss?" the guard asked, his face shadowed with concern. "What's happened?"
"Oh, it's terrible!" Celeste cried, continuing to gasp for air, and even whipping up a few tears for further effect. "I was in South Clock Town playing with my dog, when suddenly he went after a Deku Scrub and attacked! I ran to get help as quick as I could...I don't know what's happened since I left..." She sank to the ground as though about to faint.
"Where was the guard in South Clock Town?" he asked, now thoroughly alarmed.
"I don't know, I didn't see anyone there, so I came here to get help..."
"I'm going to go investigate," the sentry said. "Please wait here, miss. Just lie down if you feel too light-headed. I will send someone to help you as soon as I sort out the safety of your dog and the Deku Scrub."
"Thank you," she said dazedly. She leaned her back against the wall and watched him run off towards South Clock Town. He turned around once as he departed, and, satisfied that she had not moved, hurried on. The moment he was out of sight, she smiled to herself. Perfect.
She stood, gave the courtyard a quick glance to ensure that no one was paying her any mind, and slowly backed down the tunnel leading out of Clock Town. A morning shopper glanced her way, but seemed to look right through her; she was now completely shrouded in the darkness of the tunnel. Turning her back on her birthplace and the only world she had ever known, she took a trembling but determined step forward and into the land that lay beyond.
-.-.-.-
The morning sun, though it had not yet risen above Clock Town's fortress-like walls, was nevertheless bright. It doused everything before her, saturating the most brilliant colors she had ever seen. Holding her rabbit close, she hesitantly stepped forward out of the dimness of the tunnel and rubbed her eyes.
Directly in front of her was an enormous, wide ramp tiled in a pretty gray and blue checker pattern. On either side of it were two stately plazas with tremendous, flowing water fountains. At the bottom of the ramp was a great stretch of sand – a beach! she thought excitedly – a few imposing fences, and then a path through some natural rock walls leading to...
The sight of it took her breath away. Here it was, the Great Bay, right in front of her. So much water – water stretching on for miles and miles and miles – endless waves, twinkling orange in the remnants of sunrise. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever beheld.
Stepping forward a bit more, she found herself on a tiled road, of sorts, that stretched away along the walls on either side of her. It probably led around the entire perimeter of Clock Town, she realized. The sky was so big out here, when it was no longer hemmed in with imposing stone. To her left, all was green – trees, flowered meadows, and patches of scrubby grass dotting the plain . To her right, a snowy wasteland. How amazing! A tropical beach, and a nearly barren tundra, side by side! Termina was so interesting. How she wished she could tell Grandpa, "I've seen it! I've seen it with my own eyes! It has so many wonderful stories to tell!"
A brisk breeze refreshed her just then, carrying with it the tang of salt water. She breathed in deeply, appreciating this new scent and the temptations it held of places she had never been. She walked slowly towards one of the fountains, allowing no detail of this big world to escape her. Seating herself comfortably on the fountain's stone lip, she took further notice of the fact that Termina did not seem so dangerous, after all. She considered the possibility that, perhaps, it had been so long since anyone had been outside of Clock Town that no one had discovered that the scary monsters that used to creep across Termina's fields and infect its swamps had, for some reason, departed. She certainly saw no evidence of any reason to consider this place dangerous. She closed her eyes, still inhaling the scent of Great Bay, listening to the merry chortle of the fountain's cascading water, and felt every muscle in her body relax. If only she could come here whenever she wanted...if only she could stay here longer...
Her peace was interrupted by the sound of something jiggling and gelatinous, getting louder and closer. She turned around and shrieked in terror; a horrible creature was half-hopping, half-oozing towards her. It was translucent acid green, jellylike, and teardrop-shaped, and easily taller than she was. It had cruel-looking eyes, a large, toothy mouth, and a green object in its wobbly stomach. She leapt to her feet to flee, only to realize that there was nowhere to go: she could either face it, or leap off of the stone plaza some forty feet to the beach below, which was certain death. Having never faced even the remotest physical danger in her life, Celeste had no idea what to do, and so consequently panicked . "Get away! Get away!" she cried shrilly, hurling her stuffed rabbit at it; the creature dodged it with ease and it fell limply to the ground several paces away. She started screaming as the monster bobbled closer, preparing its internal acidic juices to digest a particularly tasty-looking meal.
The rhythmic drumming of swift hoofbeats reached her ears just then. Galloping at full tilt towards them from the north was a young sorrel horse, ridden by a blonde youth not much older than she and clad in green. A white fairy was close behind both. "Help!" she beseeched the boy, and already his sword was raised. The horse sprinted right up to them, crossing between Celeste and the monster, and pivoted a fast left in order to avoid crashing into the wall overlooking the stone ramp to the beach. The youth delivered one well-aimed slash of his sword, and the horrible green creature popped like a bubble, splashing its innards all over the fine masonry. A green pouch that it had been holding in its stomach remained behind.
Celeste sank to the ground as she had earlier, but this time trembling uncontrollably and legitimately about to faint. The horse had stopped galloping. She looked up and blinked through tear-blurred eyes: it was standing placidly on the other side of the fountain, riderless, and here was the boy, the fairy alongside, walking towards her, holding her rabbit. He handed it wordlessly to her. Aside from a few scraps of grass and flecks of dirt, it appeared to be no worse for the wear. She clutched it to her chest and looked into the boy's brilliant blue eyes. They were kind. He extended a hand and helped her clamber dazedly to her feet. She looked at the horse, the emerald goo spattered about them, and at his beautiful gold and silver sword, which was still drawn and sporting a slimy sheen, and whispered, "Thank you."
The din of shouts and cries cut off any reply he might have been about to give. Celeste saw her mother and two of Clock Town's guards emerging from the darkness of the tunnel into the dazzling morning sunshine. She turned back to the boy. "Who are you?" she asked.
He did not answer her, but instead pulled a small wooden mask out of his pocket, designed to resemble a Deku Scrub. He held it up to his face, and in the ensuing flash of light, Celeste heard a cry of agony. She rubbed her eyes and there, standing before her, was the Deku Scrub she had seen emerge from the interior of the Clock Tower earlier that morning. The boy was nowhere to be found.
"Celeste!" her mother cried, much closer now. She scooped her daughter up into her arms and hugged her close. "What are you doing out here? Are you alright? What happened?"
Celeste struggled a bit against her mother's suffocating hug, swiveling her head all around. "Where did he go?"
"Who?" asked one of the guards.
"Do you mean this Deku Scrub, here?" the other queried. "This is the one your dog was after, right?" The guard turned to the Deku Scrub standing silently at his feet. "Are you alright?"
The Scrub nodded without saying a word, and then began to walk away.
"There was a monster..." Celeste said quietly. "He saved me..."
"A monster?!" her mother shrieked. "Oh, my baby! I was so worried about you! You could have been killed!"
"Come back, Scrub!" one of the guards called. "If you saved this little girl from harm, we owe you our thanks!"
The Deku Scrub did not answer, and did not even turn around. It just continued walking away, with the horse now following obediently behind despite not having received any visible or audible command. Celeste finally had time now to process the great fright she had just experienced, and burst into tears.
-.-.-.-
That night, Celeste and her rabbit were tucked safely into bed. Her mother had been angry with her, and had tucked her blankets extra tightly around her neck, but it was obvious that, in the end, she was simply grateful that Celeste was unharmed. Grandfather, who had issued forth a few stern words in order to placate his daughter had had, Celeste could have sworn, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.
She curled onto her side, her rabbit tucked comfortably in the nape of her neck, and looked at the sinister moon outside the window. Somehow, she knew, today was not going to be her last foray outside of Clock Town. She resolved then and there to speak to Jim tomorrow at school about joining the Bombers. The delightful adventures that were surely awaiting her in the near future circled round and round her head until she drifted off, lost in dreams of sword-wielding boys, Deku Scrubs, and magical masks.