INSOMNIA
based on The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Falling.
It could only have been for an instant: the ocarina was still warm in his hands and the grassy scent of the field was still fading away, yet his gut was telling him that he had been falling for hours, that this endless weightless descent through this nothingness had lasted for his entire life, longer even, a lifetime of lifetimes, an eternity of lifetimes, an eternity of eternities of lifetimes-
Falling.
-the clocks sped past him, the silhouettes of manyfold hands and gears hovering in the whiteness, and their unceasing tick-tock-tick-tock procession threatened to deafen him, tick-tock-tick-tock-tick-tock, his heart was beating in time, too, he was screaming, he heard his own voice screaming, he heard his own voice... talking?
Falling.
Tick-tock-tick-tock and he was sure he could hear his own voice, coming distantly from every directions. There were snatches of words... "Remember... said... before I left..." Why was he hearing his own voice? Was this a memory? Was his mind playing tricks on him? He twisted as he fell, searching for the source of the noise. "...travel through time... only play..." A flash of green. His reflection? His imagination?
A different voice was speaking, a young girl's. "The ocarina has power... true, but no power..." The voice was calm, reserved, strangely familiar. Where had he heard it before? Here? Home? "...every time you play that song..." There was something there, something dangling over the precipice between thought and flight, ready to fall either way. The voice was-
Falling.
The constant tick-tock-tick-tock of the clocks was drowning out the words, the voices were too fast, too slow, they were speaking outside of time itself, a different time. The meaning and the recognition slipped away from him, falling, spiralling, a hundred thousand million clocks ticking, ticking, ticking, wondering-
Falling.
A second later and he had forgotten even hearing the voices. He was simply there, falling, weightless, hurtling down though there was no such thing as 'down' here, the clocks ticking as one, always as one, he was falling, he had been falling for years and he was going to fall forever-
Standing.
Link stumbled forward. He dropped to a crouch and threw his arms out to his side, steadying himself. When he was sure he had readjusted to real-world gravity, he stood.
It was dark in here, and smelt of rust and algae. As Link's eyes adjusted he recognised some familiar sights – great slow-moving gears and pistons that spanned from floor to ceiling – and realised where they were. The ocarina had sent them back to the bottom of the Clock Tower, just like before.
"I didn't crash that time," said someone behind him. "That's an improvement."
Link turned around. Tatl was fluttering in small unsteady circles behind him.
She shot him a weak smile. "Not very pleasant, is it?"
"What," said Link, "the time travel?"
"Actually, I was talking about this place's interior design. But since you mentioned time travel, is it just me..." She flew towards him, overshot, ("Wingshreds, one sec...") made a second, slower attempt and landed cleanly on his shoulder. "Much better... Is it just me, or does that magic orakina falling thing go on forever?"
"I suppose so..." For a second, Link felt a vague twitch of unease. He had been thinking about something just then, hadn't he? While he had been falling through the whiteness, he had been thinking about something, or maybe noticed something...
"Something wrong?"
"I..." He struggled with the thought for a few more seconds before giving up. "Never mind. If it's important I'll remember."
Tatl shrugged. "If you say so, Deku boy."
"Link."
"Ah, my mistake. What say we step outside, Deku boy?"
Link shot her a look then started for the door. He pushed it open, ducked his head to shield his eyes from the sudden brightness, and stepped through.
Clock Town, morning. Even though he was expecting it, it still took Link by surprise how normal everything seemed. The town square was packed with morning shoppers and hyperactive children – the same shoppers, it occurred to him, the same children. He was sure their faces looked a little familiar from the last two times. In the distance the carpenters were erecting their festival tower. Further away a patrol of guards clanked past. All the same people going through all the same motions.
"Here we go again," said Tatl.
"Here we go again," echoed Link. He turned to look at her. "So. Where to next?"
"Where to...?" She blinked. "Oh, right, right. So like I said before, we need to go north."
"North," muttered Link. He took a few steps forward and turned, trying to get his bearings. "Behind the clock tower, through the park...?"
Tatl nodded, looking pleased. "Ah, you remember."
"I think I'm getting to know this town," said Link with a shrug. "What's to the north?"
"I'll explain as we go," said Tatl, motioning forward.
Link started to walk around the base of the clock tower. It was less crowded away from the centre of the town square; it was no trouble for him to sidestep the occasional hyperactive tot or scatter-brained adult.
"That giant," said Tatl, drifting lazily by his side. "The one we saw after you killed the big screechy monster. I was thinking about it after we left Woodfall, and I think I have it worked out."
"Yes?" said Link. A dog dashed past him, yipping madly. His eyes tracked it for a few seconds before returning to the path ahead.
"Yep. You asked me before about giants. In Termina there's a lot of stories about them, but most of them are complete crock, like, bedtime stories and all that. But they've all got a common thread. They're always about four giants, exactly four. And all the stories say that they once lived alongside people – I mean, a long time ago, billions of years, I bet – but now they're in hiding, guarding the world or something. It's a reassurance thing. People sleep better at night if they think they're being protected, you know?"
"So you think the stories are true?"
"Well, you know the saying. Every truth comes from a grain of story – every story's grain of truth has a – screw it–"
A woman appeared from behind a corner and cut straight through Link's path. He yelped and stopped just in time to avoid a collision, and turned to glare slightly at her as she walked past, apparently oblivious to his existence.
A second later it occurred to him that the woman looked a little familiar, though from where or when he couldn't say. Dark red hair, sombre maroon clothing, a bundle of dripping wet linen clutched underneath one arm...
"Have we seen that woman before?" he said aloud.
"Doesn't ring a bell," said Tatl.
Link frowned, the strangest sense of deja vu settling over him. "I'm sure we talked to her at some point..."
"You're thinking of the Romani Ranch woman. Same-ish hair, easy mistake. This one isn't covered in cow manure."
"No, not her," said Link. He thought about it for a few seconds. They had encountered plenty of people in Clock Town so far, so if he had remembered this woman's face there must have been a reason, something more important than just an accidental bumping in the street. He cast his mind back to his last visit here: the ranch woman, the guards at the gate, the Bombers, the blue-haired boy... "Do you mind if we follow her for a bit?" He turned and started walking in the direction the woman had gone.
"Yes," said Tatl, angling sharply to keep up. "Yes, I mind. We have better things to do than stalking strangers."
"It'll just be for a moment," said Link. "Keep talking."
"But..." The faerie sighed. "Okay. So since we both saw a giant with our own eyes, I figure they're probably real. I know, huge leap of logic, Tatl. And it was saying, what was it?... 'Call us'. Us, you see? It adds up. The four guardian giants, just like in the stories, waiting for Termina's time of need. And I think the whole end-of-the-world thing counts as a time of need, don't you?"
Link nodded. "Right."
The woman had made a sharp turn out of the town square and towards the eastern thoroughfare, where the pricier shops resided. As Link followed her around the bend he dropped his speed, not wanting to attract too much attention. Why was she familiar?
"And what I realised," Tatl went on, "was that Tael was trying to tell us about them. Remember what he said on the Clock Tower? Swamp, mountain, ocean, canyon, bring the four who are there here? 'The four who are there' are obviously the giants. I think he's telling us where they are."
"Uh-huh." Tall, female, angular face, dark red hair. Think.
"Of course, they're pretty vague directions, but that's Tael for you. He never worries about the details. It's all... Anyway, we must have gotten lucky back in the swamp, stumbled upon one of those giants by mistake. We just need to hunt down the other three."
Something clicked: Do you scrubs feel sad on rainy days, too?
"Of course!" said Link. "We saw her at the laundry pool. I was still a Deku scrub; do you remember, Tatl?"
Tatl blinked. "Uh... oh, right, kinda, now that you mention it. But listen – we're going to have to get creative about this giant-finding thing. None of the stories talk about where they went, they only say that they went. So I reckon we need to get there quickly and start talking with the locals. Like we did in the swamp, I guess, but not so much of a fiasco. I mean, really, that was some serious goose chasing we were doing there. At least now we'll have a better idea what we're looking for. Hmm..."
Link nodded. It was all coming back now. It had been his first – no, second – day as a scrub, and they had been trapped outside in the rain. The woman had been crying...
"On the other hand, maybe being all 'Hey there, seen any giants around?' isn't going to work too well. But there would have to be signs, something to look for. We found the first one in a temple, right? So maybe they hang around sacred places. That's the sort of thing we could ask for. Hey. Are you listening?"
"I'm listening," said Link. He remembered now, or at least he thought he did. The woman's fiancée had left her. Something about that had left an impression on him, this grown adult sitting on a park bench in the rain, crying her heart out to a stranger, to a Deku scrub of all creatures, having lost hope so completely, and there was nothing he could have done, that feeling of no matter how many people you tried to help there was still sadness in the world...
"Now, up north... hmm, can't say I know that area too well. Definitely haven't heard of any temples or stuff like that. It's all just mountains and more mountains. I think there's a village or two in the valleys."
...which was nonsense. Link shook his head. He hadn't noticed the voice of the Kokiri boy worming its way into his thoughts.
"The Gorons definitely have one – the rock people, you know them? The weather's warm this time of year, they'd be out and about."
He'd follow the woman for a little longer, Link decided. The least he could do was find out a little more about her situation, see if there was anything he could do.
"I think there are also unicorns around there. They live under the volcanoes, if you find them they grant wishes. Maybe you could just wish for a giant to appear. That would make things easier."
Just for a few minutes, Link decided. It wouldn't be the first time he had tried to-
Tatl growled and flew straight in front of Link's face, making him flinch.
"Link!" she snarled. "Stop ignoring me!"
"I'm not ignoring..." Link began, and then thought better of it as he caught sight of the expression on the faerie's face.
For a second they continued to stare at each other. Link realised she was waiting for him to say something.
"I'm sorry," he said.
"You'd better be. Can we go now?" She crossed her arms.
"Just a few minutes," said Link. "I just want to see-"
"See what? If you can help her? Find her missing beau? A picture book ending for everyone?" Tatl groaned. "You can't stop to help every person you come across..."
"Not every person-"
"...that's the Bombers' job. Hey, yeah. Why don't you refer her to them? We need to get going. More pressing problems, remember?"
Link raised his palms in a placating gesture. "Calm down. It will only take-"
"Calm down? Calm down?" Her glare was almost as intense as the sun's behind her. "The moon is falling! The world is about to end! And the one person who can do something about it is busy sticking his nose into other people's domestic problems and you're asking me to calm down?"
Link grimaced. The faerie had the knack of twisting things around to make it sound like he was in the wrong. "Look-"
"Oh, don't worry," said Tatl. "I'm calm." She exhaled through her teeth. "Why wouldn't I be calm?"
CYCLE 2: HYSTERIA
DAWN of the FIRST DAY
The red-haired woman headed straight down the eastern thoroughfare for a while longer, then stopped in front of a building on the side of the road. She stood in front of the door for a few seconds, inhaled, exhaled, and walked inside, shutting the door behind her.
As Link drew closer, he considered the building. The simple, antiquated designs painted onto the walls and the small square windows dotting its upper floor reminded him of a cottage, albeit a particularly large one. A few posters hung lopsidedly from either side of the door, cheerfully advertising the upcoming Carnival. ('Try new culinary sensations at Town Square! See the Indigo-Gos play live! Sideshow games for the children!')
"That's the Stockpot Inn," said Tatl. "They – you know what an inn, is, right?"
"Of course," said Link. He'd encountered half a dozen of them on his first night in Hyrule's capital.
Tatl nodded. "Okay. With you, I can never be sure."
"Well... wait, what?"
"The Stockpot Inn isn't the only inn in town, but it's the most popular. Oh, and the safest. Most of the others have, uh, issues... you know, like rotten food, peep holes in the bathrooms, murderous innkeepers who sell your body as meat, that sort of thing..."
"You're exaggerating," said Link. She had to be exaggerating.
"Whatever you say, kid," said Tatl.
They had drawn to a stop outside an inn. Neither of them moved.
"Anyway." Tatl circled around him, arms crossed. "Your mystery crying lady sounds like a local, so I reckon she works at the Inn. It's a family business, you know. They all live in the back rooms and – hey, that means she's related to Tortus!"
"Who's Tortus?"
"Only the most gullible guy ever. About, I dunno, thirty years ago, Tael and I managed to convince him that a boatload of pirates..." She shook her head quickly, snapping out of her reverie. "Look, this is nice and all, but why do you care? You don't really know her; we only ever saw the woman once."
"I just..." Link frowned. The why was hard to put into words exactly; it was a nagging feeling more than anything else, a sense that to do nothing would be somehow deeply, deeply wrong. "It's like..."
"Oh, come on. This is just sad." With an exasperated grunt, Tatl moved out of the way and motioned towards the door of the inn. "Okay. Go ahead. Go try to help every last stupid person you come across."
Link nodded and started forwards. "Okay. I'll make it quick-"
"Nonononono!" Tatl buzzed in his face again. "That was rev– That– I was being sarcastic, you numbskull! Did I mention that the world is ending? Maybe I forgot to mention that. The world is ending! Get a grip."
Ignoring her, Link swung open the door (sending a small bell ringing) and entered the Stockpot Inn.
The air inside was warm and stuffy and smelt faintly of onions. The walls, coated in peeling white paint, were bare of any decorations, while the floor sported a simple pattern of chequered green and yellow tiles. The immediate area was a foyer of sorts: as one walked in, there were chairs to the right opposite an L-shaped wooden counter to the left. Opposite the door, a passageway led deeper into the building. The counter was covered with odds and ends – a china vase with flowers, a pile of envelopes, a porcelain cow, a thin wooden block inscribed with 'Check Ins' that faced directly towards the door. Behind the counter was a large opening that revealed a candlelit hallway, presumably for staff access.
Tatl followed Link in, loudly complaining. "Just because I can't physically stop you from doing this doesn't mean you're not the biggest moron in all..."
She trailed off, her attention caught by the activity at the check-in counter.
The red-haired lady indeed worked here: she was standing behind the counter, arguing with another, older, woman. Where the former was tall and stringy, the latter was round and portly, covered in layers of caked make-up and expensive looking clothing. The folds of flesh on the side of her head made her face seem disproportionately small. The earrings and multiple layered necklaces merely cemented the appearance of a woman who wasn't afraid of wealth, decadence incarnate.
"...say what you want, but we all know what you were playing at," the older woman was saying.
The younger lady had her arms folded. "I don't have to put up with this, you know."
"Is that a threat?"
"No, but..."
"Don't think for a second you can threaten me. What are you going to do, call in your lowlife friends? I could have the town council on this rat's nest you call an inn in a heartbeat."
(Tatl seemed entranced by the argument unfolding before them; her eyes were sparkling with voyeuristic delight. Link couldn't say he was surprised.)
The red-haired lady's voice was cold. "The Stockpot Inn has been serving Clock Town's tourist industry for over a century. If you shut us down, there'll..."
The older woman let out a high-pitched laugh. "Empty threats, girl."
"I'm not threatening you! I just want you to get the hell out of-"
The bell at the door jingled. Link turned and hopped out of the way just in time to avoid a Goron – one of the race of thickset rock-people – who staggered in under the weight of a rucksack that looked big enough to carry a dozen humans.
"Oh, pardon me-goro," the Goron muttered, seeming to register Link's presence only five seconds later.
The red-haired lady shot the older woman a glare. "If you'll excuse me..."
"Pah! Such disrepect."
"...I have paying customers to deal with."
With that, she turned to the arriving Goron, a harried smile on her face.
"Welcome to the Stockpot Inn! Can I help you?"
"Yes, please-goro..." the lumbering creature replied.
The rotund woman snorted dismissively and turned towards the door. As her head moved she noticed Link and Tatl watching her. Her eyes narrowed and she walked towards them, the flab on her legs wobbling with every step.
Looking puzzled, she stopped in front of Link and asked of him:
"Are you the expert investigator I hired?"
Tatl was in Link's ear whispering before he even had a chance to begin shaking his head. "Lie."
Link shot the faerie a look – naturally that was the first suggestion she would make – and turned back to face the woman, who had evidently taken his silence as an answer.
"Of course you are. How else would you have found me in a dump like this?" The woman laughed, her thickly made-up lips parting to reveal two rows of perfectly white teeth. "Of course you know who I am. Madame Aroma, chair of the Carnival events committee and wife to the mayor."
She offered a perfumed hand. There was a oblong onyx gemstone set on a ring around her wrinkled middle finger.
Tatl was still looking at him expectantly. After a moment's hesitation, Link reached out and shook Aroma's hand. "Pleased to meet you," he said.
Madame Aroma looked him up and down. "Hmm. I must say, when they told me to expect a young man, I didn't realise they meant someone quite that young." She sniffed. "But never mind that. What concerns me are results."
"Right," said Link, nodding. "Results." (Tatl was quietly snickering about an inch from his left ear, making it very hard for him to keep a level voice.)
"The person I want you to find is my son, Kafei. Do you know him? No? Really? You must have at least seen the posters we put up. He disappeared about a month ago. He's about average height. He has his father's blue hair, and my father's thick frame. He... you know what, I'll have my husband's secretary send you the details." She folded her hands. "The thing you must know about Kafei is that he had no reason to run away. He went to all the best schools, made all the right connections... a few questionable friends, but on the whole... There were some business opportunities in the works, as well. Having a mayor for a husband has its perks, you know."
"I see..." said Link cautiously.
Aroma nodded. "Of course you do. Kafei had no reason to run away, you understand? You mustn't waste your time chasing down that path."
"So what do-"
Madame Aroma glanced around the room quickly and lowered her voice. "Just between you and me... see that girl at the counter behind me?"
Link made the obvious guess. "Was she Kafei's fiancée?"
Aroma blinked in surprise. "Why, yes! You really are a pro... Her name is Anju, and yes, Kafei was involved with her, believe it or not. I certainly can't. All her family have to their name is this ramshackle place and a cupboard of old silverware. And this girl, this Anju, is completely incapable of looking after herself. Why, she can't even cook. And to think he wanted to live with her for the rest of his life... If you ask me, she roped poor Kafei into this somehow. I don't know. Voodoo tricks. Blackmail. Wedlock. She isn't his type. I should know, I'm his mother.
"Anyway, I'm not saying there was any..." – she glanced around again – "...any foul play involved, but if there was... well, let's just say that Kafei changed his will not long before he disappeared."
Tatl had stopped laughing.
"You're not suggesting...?" said Link.
Aroma nodded grimly. "Of course, I'm hoping it's nothing so serious. But I'm sure someone of your calibre understands the need to consider every possibility. So... well... just keep an eye on that Anju woman."
"I'll look into it," said Link.
"Of course you will," said Aroma. "It's terrible, you know... I've been so worried since he disappeared. I can barely get food down my throat for worry. I've lost five pounds..."
Link couldn't help glancing at her bulging waist. "That's... too bad..."
"But my! Look at the time!" said Aroma. As an afterthought, she glanced at the nearest clock. "Yes, I'm supposed to be back at the mayoral office right now! Important business, you see," she added in a confidential whisper.
Link blinked. "Um..."
"Just come see me there if you need anything," Aroma said. "I have to dash. I... oh, but I do need to ask. Do you need anything... initially?"
Link furrowed his brow. "I don't foll-"
"Say you need ten thousand up front," whispered Tatl.
Link swatted at her. "No, nothing right now," he said. There was only so far he was willing to carry the ruse, and following Tatl's advice was well beyond the line as far as he was concerned.
Aroma's face brightened. "Oh. A gentleman of honour... Well, then."
Humming tunelessly, Madame Aroma turned and exited through the door.
"Well, that was interesting-" Tatl began.
A loud crash! from across the foyer interrupted her.
Link turned. A vase had fallen from the counter and shattered. Green-white shards of porcelain were still bouncing across the ground. A lone daffodil lay uselessly on the floor tiles, while a small mass of water and dirt slowly seeped out around it.
The innkeeper, Anju, still had her arm extended over the counter where the vase had once been. Her cheeks were flushed and she was breathing heavily. She caught Link watching her and slammed her fist on the counter, sending a pile of papers flying.
"I don't believe her!" she snapped. "Does the old sow think I'm deaf? As if I don't already have enough to deal with without her spreading her ridiculous insinuations around town?"
"Hey, hey," said Tatl. She flew over to the woman, hands outstretched. "Take it easy. We didn't mean to..."
Anju laughed sharply. "Don't flatter yourselves. This has nothing to do with you. If she wants to throw her money at private detectives, good for her, maybe something will turn up. But she has no right to barge in here every gods damned second morning, right in front of the guests, harassing me and my family..." She leant over the counter to look at the remains of the vase, and pursed her lips. "Wonderful."
Link's upbringing among the Kokiri kicked in. "Let me help," he said, striding over and beginning to gather the larger shards to one side.
"No, don't... to hell..." Anju made a half-hearted attempt to wave him away, then deflated. "Thanks," she said. "Goddesses... that vase has been sitting there since before I was born... I don't know what came over me there..."
"Bitchy mother-in-law?" suggested Tatl.
"...that sounds about right."
"I don't think it's personal," said Link thoughtfully. "Her son disappeared, she was scared, and she started conjuring wild theories. Maybe it's her way of coping." Just like that man in Kakariko village whose two sons disappeared: he became delusional, accusing his neighbours one by one of killing his boys for food (which, in those days, was almost plausible), and trying to kill them in revenge, until eventually he was banished. For everyone's safety, they said, as they cast him out to the mountains where nothing grew any more. He'll be better off there.
Anju frowned. "You don't know Kafei's mother than. From the very start..."
"Still, you can't blame..."
"Kid," muttered Tatl. "Just shut up, will you?" She turned to Anju. "You'll have to excuse Link here. He's a bit, well, young and stupid."
"Oh, it's no problem," said Anju. "I just hope you don't take Madame Aroma too seriously."
"So you're not an axe murderer?" said Tatl.
"I assure you I am not," said Anju.
"So there's no-one you'd want to take a hatchet to? Not even Aroma?"
Anju smirked and began rifling through a stack of letters. "Blood is messy. I'd use poison."
"Heh. Good point..." Tatl trailed off, seeming to have forgotten what the subject was. After a moment, she blinked and went on: "So, uh, do you have any idea where Kafei might be?"
"Wouldn't be here if I did," said Anju. "Believe me, the first week after he left..." She ripped open an envelope, frowning at the contents. "Oh, please. Who pays for window cleaning?"
"The first week...?" prompted Tatl.
Anju shrugged irritably, flipping through to the next letter. "I don't see how this matters to you, anyway," she muttered.
"Just curious."
There wasn't a broom or a dustpan in sight, so Link satisfied himself with picking up all the visible vase fragments and transferring them to a small waste basket in the corner.
(In the end it turned had out that, like dozens of other young headstrong fools, the man's sons had run from home to fight for the stronger side. They might or might not have been part of a squadron of men and monsters guarding Gerudo Pass. Link might or might not have encountered them. He might or might not have asked them to stand down. They might or might not have drawn their blades anyway.)
"That's all the sharp bits," said Link, turning to face Anju again. "If you want-"
"Oh, no, I can mop up the rest," said the innkeeper. "It'll give me something to do. Thank you for your help."
"You're welcome... are you sure, though?"
"She's sure," said Tatl. "Places to go, remember?"
"True." Link stood up.
Anju tilted her head and regarded Link inquisitively.
"What?" said Link.
"Your accent. You're not from around here, are you?"
Tatl protested before Link could decide what to say. "He doesn't have an accent."
"He does," insisted Anju. She opened another envelope and tossed its contents into a separate box.
"He does not."
"I-" began Link.
Anju shook her head. "He does. It's faint but it's definitely there. Believe me, I've been taking check-ins at this desk since I was twelve: I can tell."
Tatl looked at her dubiously. "Really?"
"Really."
"Does this matter?" said Link a little more loudly than was necessary.
The other two exchanged glances.
"...maybe?" said Tatl, trying and failing to hide a large grin.
"Actually," said Anju, "Madame Aroma wouldn't give a foreigner the time of the day. So I don't think you're the detective she hired. Am I right?"
Link grimaced abashedly. "Yes." Feeling uncomfortable, he added, "But I only lied be-"
"Hey, hey," said Anju, holding up a hand. "I'm sick to death of the old cow, especially after this last month. At this point I'd salute anyone who wanted to con her out of her money..."
"We're not trying to con her," said Link indignantly. "We just wanted-"
Anju winked. "If you say so, kid. Aroma has it coming."
"See?" whispered Tatl, who had found her way to his ear unnoticed. "I told you; this is what happens when you lie. No one-"
This time Link managed to clip her on the wings as he swatted at her. She laughed and darted a safe distance up into the air.
"Joking, joking," she said quickly. "Seriously, you need to calm down, kid. All done here?"
Link paused, considering. It did seem wrong just to leave things like this. But there were more urgent matters at hand, and he couldn't see any obvious ways of helping. One thing at a time: that would have been Navi's advice.
"I'm done," said Link. "We have more important things to worry about."
"Ah." Tatl looked on the verge of breaking something. "Really? I. Hadn't. Noticed."
Link turned to Anju. "We'll be off now. Sorry for-"
He paused, seeing her. The innkeeper was standing bolt upright in the same spot. Her face was pale; her eyes wide; her lips, opening and closing mechanically. She was tightly clutching the remaining unopened envelopes, staring at the top of the pile.
"Miss?" said Link. "Anju? Are you all right?"
She looked at him, her eyes slowly refocusing. "I? I... yes, yes. Yes, I'm fine, I just..." She looked back at the envelopes in her hand. "I thought..."
"What is it?" said Tatl. "Is it the letters?"
"Nothing's wrong," said Anju. She blinked a few times and looked around. "I... I'm just so stressed, is all. Imagining things." She looked at the envelopes in her hand again, as if expecting them to have vanished. "Please, I... Let yourselves out. I have work to... many guests, lots of work to do right now."
Link opened his mouth to say something, and Tatl immediately pinched him on the neck.
"Tact," she whispered. "Let's go."
She ushered him towards the door.
"Have a... nice day..." came the innkeeper's dazed voice from behind them.
Tatl waited until the door was shut behind them and they had moved well out into the busy street again before speaking.
"If she doesn't want to be disturbed..." she said with a roll of the eyes.
"She looked like she'd seen a ghost," said Link.
"So what if she has?" said Tatl. "I seriously can't believe this. I mean, the whole super-pacifist thing, I see where you're coming from, but you are not a god. You cannot fix everyone's problems at the same time."
"Well..." said Link. Something told him the faerie wouldn't accept Not today as an answer.
"Yeah, thought so. Look, I applaud altruism as much as the next faerie, but I seriously think you've got your priorities screwed up. What's so special about this woman and her husband anyway? We walked past half a dozen beggars last time we were in town and you didn't stop to get them employed. Do you want to go handing out free candy to crying kids as well?"
"We could-"
"And I'm ninety-nine percent sure that this Anju didn't do her boyfriend in. And his mother looks too flabby to be a murderer. So I'm betting that he ran away, doesn't want to be found, and there's no point sticking your nose into it any further."
"But..."
Tatl cut him off. "I mean, it's sad. But. It. Can. Wait. The time travel trick isn't going to work too many times, right? Skull Kid and that mask is our priority. If you want to go around playing matchmaker, detective, whatever you're thinking, there'll be time once our current crisis is out of the way."
"Or next time we're in town," added Link.
"Or... oh, for crying out loud." She threw her hands up in the air. "This is an attention span thing, isn't it? I bet by the time we get out into Termina field you'll have forgotten about this missing Kafei guy completely."
"Why would I forget?"
"Because – because... Come on. Let's get going for the mountains. We've lost nearly..." – she glanced in the direction of the clock tower, frowning – "...an hour already. Wait, no, half an hour. Um... ring points to sky... yeah, half an hour. I – hey, wait up!"
Link didn't slow down; he knew full well that Tatl could fly at twice his walking speed without effort. "Remind me again," he said, "what's in the mountains?"
Tatl groaned. "You're horrible, you know that?" She zipped past him and turned around, flying backwards. "So I was thinking about what Tael was saying..."
A/N: How is this chapter so long? Nothing happens...
...I mean, hi again and I hope you enjoyed the latest exciting, eventful chapter of Insomnia. Refreshments will be available during the interval. No birds allowed, sorry.
I took a break and then found it hard to get going. Especially because the sidequests are just so... augh. I mean, when I was planning this story out it didn't occur to me how ADHD my version of Link was going to get to explain how he even decides to start the sidequests in the middle of his fifteen days of hell. There was probably a more elegant way of handling it; I cut my losses. Reviews appreciated as always, though if you repeat exactly what I just said I may pop a vein or something.
Hmm, since the last update... I started/finished The Wind Waker? That was good. Story-wise it's better than Twilight Princess. (Not even the very awesome Zant and Midna could make up for the unnecessary-Ganon-appearance syndrome).
And, yeah. I really shouldn't be treating these author's notes as a blog, so I will totally shut up now. And plug "Girl and Wolf", which is a weird oneshot I totally just got around to uploading. And shut up.
-tiki
