This was originally going to be a part of Nervous Wreck(ing), but ran away with me. Business as usual, really. And eventually, I figured it deserved its own title, especially when the theme of fatigue turned out to be about as useful as butter in the tropical rainforest.
Anyway, on to the story!
Link groans and throws himself against a tree, consequently sliding down the trunk and settling between the tree roots. Frustration radiates off him like storm clouds.
"Stupid monkey! If it wants me to follow so badly, why is it so determined to lose me?!"
"Because it's a monkey," Tatl gives the unbidden answer. "What did you expect?"
"I don't know. Some semblance of intelligence."
Link picks up a stick and starts playing around with it, only half-aware that he's doing so in his sulk. He should have memorized the way by now, but the fact that the Lost Woods change every day causes everything to blur together. Combining that with his overdue crashing at the Deku Palace, he has no idea not only where, but also when he is. It feels like the first day, but he can't shake the feeling it's actually the second. The moon isn't close enough for the third, or is it?
Maybe he should just forget about it and return to the first day. Or at least turn this cycle into a resting period. There's only so much strength that blacking out can recover.
Yeah, he should do that. He's at the perfect place already – the Lost Woods are his home, after all. Even this rocky, Twinrova-infested version. Koume and Kotake startled him at first, but he found they're nice enough when they aren't trying to sacrifice him to Ganondorf.
He tosses the stick across the clearing (or at least across what counts as a clearing in the Lost Woods) and stands, stretching all the while and relishing the thought of throwing all his plans for this cycle overboard.
"Oh well," he sighs contently, more for Tatl's sake than anything. "Let's see if we can rustle up something to eat!"
"Great idea!" the fairy cheers, eagerly fluttering around. "I'm starving!"
Link looks at her with a deadpan expression. "You're a fairy. You can't starve."
"And you're an idiot if you think I let you gobble up all the blackberries like last time, you jerk!"
"I was hungry, okay?"
"Not okay!"
That's the point where Link decides that the argument isn't worth his while. He never gets the last word with Tatl anyway. Besides, she's right. Eating all the blackberries had been cruel.
"Alright, you can have all the blackberries this time. Deal?"
"Deal!" Tatl cries, but her confidence wavers pretty much instantly. "Now we only have to find the blackberry bush again..."
"Yeah... That might be a problem." Link rubs the back of his neck, then a grin sneaks up his lips and he claps his hands with a resounding Smack! "But that's okay! We'll find another one!"
He takes off in a random direction, deeper into the woods. He's unconcerned about getting lost – he can play his ocarina and be out of here at any given time, and Tatl's presence protects him from turning into a Skull Kid.
In fact, Link couldn't be happier. Foraging for nuts and berries just feels so right! Sure, he has to dodge a couple Snappers, but he wanted to climb that tree anyway, so what gives? There's a beehive up there, and while Tatl distracts the inhabitants, Link raids the combs for honey. It goes well with baked apples... in case he finds an apple tree, that is. And a place where he can safely build a fire.
But he puts off worrying about that, too, especially when Tatl realizes that she can't put too much distance between Link and herself, and thus the bees, without running the risk of losing him.
"Liiiiiink!" she screams, startling the young Hylian. When he spots her speeding towards him, a swarm of bees trailing her, he wastes no time in stoppering the half-filled bottle and dropping to the ground to break into a run. Tatl joins him.
"They're catching up!" she shouts. "Quick, turn into a Deku!"
"I hate transforming!" he shouts back and spins around, sword and shield leaping into his hands. He slashes uselessly at the swarm a few times, collects a few more stings in the process, and decides that turning himself into wood is definitely worth the pain and floods of sorrow coming with it. At least it's something he's getting used to.
Plus, once the three excruciating seconds are over and Tatl is safely tucked away inside his cap, he totally laughs at the bees trying to penetrate the bark making up his face. Being a Deku isn't all that bad, so long as you're not trying to draw a bowstring.
"The honey better be worth it!" Tatl complains once the last bee has gone and she could peek out from under Link's cap again.
"Trust me, it will!" Still laughing, Link removes the Deku Mask – turning back is a considerably less painful affair – and waves his loot. "Now let's go find some fruit! And some coanuts would be amazing!"
He's right in the middle of tying the bottle to his belt when Tatl jingles in alarm. "Watch out!"
The warning is rather unnecessary, for Link heard it too: the underbrush crackling behind his back, under something not as heavy as a Snapper, but still heavy enough to hurt him. A year prior, he might have made the mistake of turning to look, but he's too much of a warrior now to lose that precious second. Instead, he cartwheels sideways, neatly evading the attack and still coming up facing the other way.
His breath catches in his throat. Tatl chimes again, this time more confused than alarmed. Their attacker isn't a monster – it's a boy. A boy clad in the green garb of the Kokiri, blue eyes glowering up at them from where he's crouching. Tendrils of blond stick out from under his cap. His left hand is clutching a short sword with a blue pommel and yellow crossguard, the other is hidden behind a Deku Shield.
Link figures it makes sense, in a way. If even the Fishing Hole Man has a counterpart in Termina, why not him, too?
It doesn't change the fact that he's about to be jump attacked, though. And yelled at. So when his doppelganger pushes off the ground, he sidesteps and, self-aware enough to know that he needs a recovery period, whacks his counterpart across the shoulder blades with his shield. It sends the other kid sprawling, but Link feels no need to make use of his advantage. He simply returns his shield to his back, idly wondering if he should be offended by how easy it was. He can't recall being such a pushover, but he shrugs it off. At least it's not Dark Link all over again.
"I don't want to fight," Link says, but his counterpart doesn't seem too keen to listen. Even on the ground he whirls around, springs to his feet and lunges without breaking stride. Link evades easily, arms crossed behind his back.
"Hey!" Slash. "Stop!" Slash. "It!" Slash, slash, slash. Link backflips to get some distance between himself and his opponent, then draws his sword to meet him head-on. He'd always benefited from his foes being unused to fighting left-handed people. Tasting his own medicine is a rather rare occurrence.
So much for this not turning out to be another Dark Link. He presses down on his counterpart's blade, locking them in a test of strength rather than technique.
"Why are you attacking me?" he asks, voice straining through gritted teeth. "I'm not your enemy!"
No answer. Just a glare of defiance.
Link hisses and jumps backwards, releasing the hostile blade. Why did no one ever tell him how much frustration his silence caused?!
"I don't want to fight!" he repeats, screaming now. "If you have a problem with me, we can talk about it like civilized people!"
Still no answer, unless you count the next thrust. Link meets it with the flat of his blade, sword pointing skyward and deflecting the strike rather than blocking it. His counterpart obviously didn't expect the move and stumbles.
Link acts completely on instinct as he twists his blade and wrenches the sword from his opponent's hand. It's sent flying across the meadow, and the other kid gasps. Link cringes a little – being disarmed this way is not something he wishes upon his counterpart, after Ganon did the same to him. But now that it happened, he might as well run with it.
Even though it hurts his soul to watch that panic-stricken look on a face he saw every time he looked into a mirror, Link backs his suddenly far less attack-happy doppelganger into a tree. He knows full well how slippery he can be, so he aims for the one farthest away from where the Kokiri Sword sticks out of the ground.
Mistake.
They're not even halfway there when something zips from the other kid's cap and straight into Link's face. "Leave him alone!"
Startled and momentarily blinded, Link drops his sword and swats at the thing, then Tatl is on the spot. "No, you leave him alone!"
"Stop fighting, both of you!" Link half whines, half commands, tiredly rubbing the white spots from his eyes. He doesn't need to look to know what – or rather, who – charged at him there, and it doesn't help his mood at all. "Please... Just stop."
And for once, it works. Link can't quite figure out when he stepped on the fallen blade to keep his counterpart from getting ideas, but it's just as well. He picks it up, sheathes it and backs away, then looks squarely into the eyes of his doppelganger. He's still quite fluent in Silence, and eventually the other boy gives a determined nod and walks off to get his own sword.
Link sighs and the tension leaves his shoulders. Tatl chimes next to him.
"Well, that was... something. I knew you're stubborn, but that was just trying to get through a brick wall headfirst."
"Well, some brick walls aren't as bricky as they look. It gets troublesome when you don't know what's behind that brick wall. Might be a torture chamber."
"Look, I appreciate that you're talking to me, but would it kill you to make sense for once?"
Link shrugs, his gaze wandering. "Hey, look! Blackberries!"
"Don't change the subject!"
"Then I'll eat them by myself."
"And don't go back on your promises, mister!"
Link laughs and saunters over to the blackberry bush. It bears enough to stuff Tatl until she bursts and leave plenty for a Hylian boy to snack on. Or two Hylian boys and a second fairy, as he realizes when a thorny twig almost hits him in the face.
"Whoa! Watch it!"
"Sorry."
Now it's Link's turn to let go of a branch, but he composes himself in time. "It's okay." He flicks a blackberry at Tatl and pops another one. He can't quite enjoy it. "So... Why were you attacking me?"
His counterpart sends him a look, a mixture of curiosity and suspicion on his face. "Why are you taking my form? How do you know what I look like?"
Good thing Link already swallowed his blackberry. He may have choked. "What? What are you talking about?"
"We saw you change from a Deku into a Kokiri!" Navi's counterpart joins the debate. "You're a shapeshifter, but I don't know what kind."
"I'm a shapeshif..." Link trails off and shakes his head in disbelief. "I'm not. It's a curse." He grits his teeth and starts vigorously gathering berries. "And I'll find a way to turn it on the one who cast it!"
"What's your true form, then?"
"Um... This one?" Link doesn't look at Navi. He can't. His chest seems to small for his lungs, and it's getting increasingly difficult to channel the pain into anger at the Skull Kid. Yet he has no idea what else to do with it. "Long story. The short version would be that I'm from a parallel world, and not happy to be here."
"I see. I wish we could help you, but Kokiri can't leave the forest–"
"Or they die. I know."
There's a pause, and no one seems inclined to pick up the conversation again. Until Tatl takes it upon herself to change the subject: "So, who are you? Are you called Tatl and Link, too?"
"Navi and Link, if anything," Link mutters, this time shoving two whole handfuls of berries into his mouth just to give himself something to work through. He never actually asked, but he never got the impression that Navi didn't know his true heritage. She'd been delighted with him growing up. And it makes it hard to tell whether or not his counterpart is an actual Kokiri. She may be faking for his sake. Or not know. This whole arrangement makes no sense.
"Your companion is right," the fairy shoots into his thoughts. "I'm Navi. This is Link."
Terminavi. He'd call her Terminavi. Maybe it helps.
"Right. Link said something about having a fairy companion before me."
Shut up.
"Really?"
Just shut up.
Terminavi starts circling him, the way Navi always did when she was worried or angry. Or both. And it crushes him. Like a Baby Dodongo that grows in size with every circle.
"How?" Terminavi asks, and she even sounds like his lost friend. Link can tell she's scared. "Does it mean I have to leave him, too?"
Leave.
It's the final straw. "Well, what do I know?!" Link snaps, all the pain exploding in a fit of rage. "As far as I'm concerned, you left me a year ago!"
His eyes sting, but at least he can breathe again. He turns on his heels and stalks off towards the closest tree, where he throws down his gear and scrambles up the trunk. He settles on a thick branch too far away to hear anyone, but still close enough to keep an eye on the meadow.
Not that he sees much of it.
He flops to his belly and crosses his arms on top of the branch to cushion his chin. His guts twist, seemingly for no reason at all. He's not upset anymore. Not angry or sad, but not better, either. Just... empty.
He doesn't realize he's got company until the branch under him sways, knocking the wind out of him. He sits up to check and spots his counterpart – Kokiri-Link perhaps – who's holding a hand out for him, fingers curled around something. Link can't see what it is, but he decides it's probably nothing dangerous and reaches for it.
A few sunflower seeds fall into his palm – his favorite, or at least what used to be his favorite before he tasted Malon's omelet for the first time.
"Thanks."
"Fairies are such tattletales. They seem to forget you exist."
Link pops a sunflower seed, utterly unimpressed. "Well, you're doing your darndest to keep it that way."
Kokiri-Link hums noncommittally. "I guess. You know what the two are doing? Comparing us."
"Seems natural."
"Sure, but it feels like we're apples and they're discussing who scored the prettiest one. Apparently, we're both prone to lashing out because we're incapable of crying. 'I think Mido bullied it out of him.'" He gestures at the two balls of light in front of the blackberry bush. "Can you believe it? I was right there!"
"And didn't say anything about it."
Kokiri-Link shrugs and starts swinging his legs. "They seem to have fun. I didn't want to disturb them."
"I know. It wasn't criticism, just a remark. I'm really not one to talk. Literally."
"I don't know. You seem a lot more confident than me. I spent so much time suppressing my feelings that I don't know how expressing works anymore."
"Then I hope you don't want advice from me," Link sighs and lies back down. "It all just kind of happened when I left the forest. And I've still got a long way to go."
"You left the forest? But you're a Kokiri, right?"
Link bites his tongue. Stupid, stupid! "I'm not. I was raised by the Kokiri, but I'm a Hylian."
"Really?" Kokiri-Link tilts his head. "What's a Hylian?"
That's an odd question. Link straightens, trying to figure out an answer. "They're people like us. They just... grow. And they can go anywhere they want, but in turn, they become slower and slower every year, and they can't avoid death."
Kokiri-Link squints at his counterpart, his gaze searching. "Hmm... Now that I think about it, you do seem a little taller than me. And leaner. Kinda like a..."
"Reed pipe?"
"I wasn't going to say that."
"That's why I said it." A yawn escapes Link and he stretches contently. He never really took note, but he's indeed growing into the beanstalk he's destined to become. He's more wiry than he was only a year ago. He lost the baby fat evident in Kokiri-Link's cheeks. He's well and truly turning into an adult.
He's still not sure what that actually entails, but he doesn't mind as much as he used to. He'll find out.
Kokiri-Link is still busy reflecting on the idea of Hylians, but eventually he nods and asks, "So you're like Koume and Kotake?"
"Koume and Kotake are Gerudo, but yeah. Pretty much."
"Is there a difference?"
"Not really. Only that Gerudo are all women." Link wrinkles his forehead. "And I think they like the sun better."
"You're so knowledgeable, it's amazing..." Kokiri-Link turns away, stretching his legs to stare at the tips of his boots. "You know, I tried to leave the forest once. I was lucky I fell over backwards when I passed out. I was kinda see-through for a couple days, and I swear, Navi would have eaten me if she hadn't been busy panicking." He sighs. "I wish I were a Hylian... But I'm just the weirdo from the treehouse. The only Kokiri in the history of ever who wants to leave the Lost Woods, and almost killed himself doing so."
"I never tried to leave... Then again, I didn't have a thousand years to make up my mind."
"How old are you?"
"I don't know." Link shrugs. It's not like there's anyone he can ask. "Ten or eleven, I think."
For a moment there, Kokiri-Link stops breathing. "That's so... few." He laces his fingers behind his head and flings himself back until he's dangling from the branch like a Keese, leaving Link dizzy from the sight alone. He'd never dream of doing something like that, not with that uncontrollable speed and especially not this high up! "You don't even have a tenth of my experience with the sword, and you still wiped the floor with me. That's kind of embarrassing."
"You never fought a real monster before, did you?"
"Nothing bigger than a Deku Baba," Kokiri-Link admits. "Unless you count Mido." It sounds like a joke, but when he pulls himself back up, he's all seriousness. "I'm sorry, by the way. For ambushing you. I really thought you were a monster pretending to be me."
"It's okay, I don't blame you. I probably would have reacted the same way... I fought that kind of monster before."
"You did? Was it hard?"
"It was... an experience, certainly. Taught me how annoying left-handed opponents are."
"I'll take that as a compliment." Kokiri-Link turns away, massaging his throat. "Wow, I haven't talked this much in decades. You don't happen to have some water on you?"
"Not exactly, but..." Link unties a bottle from his belt and tosses it at his counterpart, who eyes it suspiciously.
"What's this?"
"It's called milk."
"What's milk?"
"That's milk! Come on, try it! I thought you're curious about the outside world?"
"Hmm..."
Before Kokiri-Link can make up his mind, a "Hey!" from below catches their attention. Link hisses.
"Not again!"
He jumps off the branch, falling towards a Skull Kid rummaging through his gear at the base of the trunk. While in mid-air, he draws his sword and yells, "Paws off my stuff!"
The sight of a furious Hylian preteen sailing swordpoint-first toward it seems to be enough to frighten the Skull Kid off. A shriek and a thud later, it's disappeared into the trees, but Link has no time to be relieved. Tatl is shaking with anger, filling the air with the sound of three broken bells at once. "It took the Goron Mask!"
"What?!" Link instantly dashes off to give chase, but Kokiri-Link's voice pulls him up short.
"Wait! You'll never find her!"
"I don't care! I need that mask back!"
"Calm down, Link!" Terminavi butts in. "We'll get it!"
Link takes a deep breath to rein in his feelings. "How? Do you know that Skull Kid?"
"A little." Kokiri-Link drops into the scene. "I don't know where she is right now, but I know where she'll be. After Navi and me!"
"Hey, you talk!" Tatl remarks, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
"I know. It hurts."
"Typical."
Kokiri-Link crosses his arms and stares at Tatl, face completely devoid of emotion.
Tatl answers with batting her wings, a picture of indignation. "Oh, get over yourself!"
Link rolls his eyes. "Don't mind the glowing doucheball. We'll be right behind you."
"Actually," Terminavi cuts in, "would you be so kind and wait here for a minute?"
"Um... Sure."
"Thank you." She dips forward in a fairy bow, then whirs off. "Link!"
They have a short conversation just out of earshot. Kokiri-Link doesn't seem too pleased by it.
Tatl chimes. "What do you think they're talking about?"
Link only shrugs. "Maybe if they should let a sword-crazy shapeshifter anywhere near their Skull Kids."
Whatever it is, the discussion ends with Terminavi nuzzling Kokiri-Link's forehead, a sight so agonizingly familiar Link can almost feel Navi snuggling up against his own.
The blood in his veins turns to lava. His fingers curl into fists at his sides and he spins around. He shuts his eyes so tightly it hurts, desperately trying to banish an image from his mind that seems burned into his retinas.
He can't. He's not entirely sure what it is he can't, he just can't.
He knows he should take a deep breath, but his throat feels swollen. He finds he developed a shallow rhythm he can't break with will alone. His insides are twisting again, and all he wants is for Navi to come and make it go away.
He only wakes to Tatl's calls when she pulls at his ear. "Link! Link, snap out of it! Don't you dare turn into a Skull Kid on me!"
"Hey." Something touches Link's hand, and he automatically pulls away. A hiccup crawls up his throat, but he swallows it before it gets a chance to turn into the high, devastated keening of a lost child.
Tatl keeps tugging at his ear and shouting random things, and Link's focus eventually shifts away from the past and back to the present. He pushes the fairy from his battered appendage and sighs. "I'll be fine."
"That's what you look like, Mister Moon Slayer!" Tatl bobs and jingles angrily, but Link gets the feeling it's not him her frustration lies with.
He doesn't comment, and a complete silence ensues. Kokiri-Link, back by now and Link's main hand-touching suspect, shifts from one foot to the other in his spot while Terminavi hovers at his shoulder. Tatl flies in curves resembling a ribbon, her version of pacing. It's uncomfortable all around.
Eventually, Terminavi pipes up, "We should get going. I'm sure a walk will do us all good."
"Right..." Link mutters. "And I still need my mask back."
"It's decided, then!" Tatl proclaims, sounding as grateful as everyone else for the distraction. "Lead the way!" She pauses. "Where are we going, anyway?"
"My village." Even Kokiri-Link finds his way into the conversation. "You know, that Skull Kid's name is Ari, aaand... she really likes Mido."
"Mido?!" Link rubs his sore ear. Maybe he misheard?
But Kokiri-Link shrugs, making pretty clear he didn't. "Beats me, too."
"The point is," Terminavi takes over, "she often comes to the village to play with him. And sometimes, she brings gifts."
"Stuff she steals from travelers," Tatl deadpans, earning herself a sideways glance from Link.
"Like ocarinas? And my friend Epona?"
"I told you I'm sorry, didn't I?!"
"Um, guys?" Kokiri-Link cuts in. "That sounds like an interesting talk, but... no. She crafts things. Honestly, I can't recall her stealing anything. Ever. And Mido is a jerk, but even he doesn't approve of stealing. It's odd that she'd try something like this. Not much odder than meeting myself, granted, but still..."
"And not much odder than what's going down in Termina right now," Tatl adds. "I'm honestly not surprised."
Kokiri-Link stares at Tatl with wide eyes, then pulls himself together and shakes his head. "That sounds really alarming." He flexes the fingers of his left hand, clenching and unclenching until he finally settles for a fist. "I wish I could leave this dumb forest. I wish I could help."
"You can help! By getting us our mask back!" Tatl declares.
Kokiri-Link glances at her, then at Link. "How do you live with her?"
Link hums indifferently and crosses his arms behind his head. "Dunno. She attached herself to me, I didn't have the heart to push her away, and now we're here. But I have a thick skin, so... Yeah. She's a good friend once you get past her attitude."
"I'm right here!"
Link doesn't even look at Tatl. "Get over it," he says dismissively – not a tone he'd usually use, but with her, it counts as fun. "And now we better get a move on, or we'll be here forever."
"Whatever."
Tatl disappears inside Link's cap to sulk. Kokiri-Link sighs, hands on his hips, and Terminavi flutters around him. If Link had to guess, he'd say she's worried he'd go all desperate on her like Link did. Maybe try to leave again and fade away for real.
Kokiri-Link turns around and walks off without another word. Link's fine with that; all the arguing and discussing and attempts to keep everyone in line, himself included, have drained him of all energy for social interaction. Plus, as he sets off after his counterpart, he finally becomes fully aware of their destination: Kokiri Village. He's not only grappling with Navi anymore, he's going to meet Saria as well, and Mido, and everyone else. And he's going to witness how they would have treated him had he actually been a Kokiri.
He's not looking forward to that.
In case anyone's wondering why I made Link's counterpart a Kokiri: According to Hyrule Historia, Termina is a world generated by Majora's power using the Skull Kid's memories, and Skull Kid remembers Link as a Kokiri. In fact, it attacks when Adult!Link tries to play with it. With blow darts, I think. I was kinda busy getting my heartbeat under control instead of paying attention.
And both games have different Kokiri Sword designs. I used the OoT version before, and the disarming made a little more sense back when the crossguard was still wing-shaped and capable of jamming blades. But I've been playing so much Hyrule Warriors lately that a reddish brown hilt somehow didn't sit well with me, and now I'm afraid you have to live with a slightly inferior version of a swordfight. (Not that it had been the crème de la crème before, so you're not missing out on much. But at least I don't feel the need to hide it like most of the action scenes I try my hands at. I'm more of a character person.)
