Dawn of the Second Day – 48 Hours Remain
When Link emerged from the cave, the first thing he noticed was that it was raining. The sky was a dreary grey as precipitation fell down from the heavens. It wasn't a downpour, thankfully, but Link still wasn't happy about it. He didn't really like being out in the rain at all. Oddly, once Link actually stepped out from the cave properly, he found he didn't mind it as much as he usually did. In fact, it actually felt kind of nice! After a moment's thought, he chalked it up to being a Deku. After all, he was a plant…of sorts. The cursed boy really had no idea just how much of a Deku's body was plant and how much of it was…well, maybe these were thoughts for later.
As Tatl had said, Jim was out in his usual spot and clearly not bothered by the rain. Like yesterday, the young boy was trying to pop that balloon with the Skull Kid's mask on it with little success. Aside from the guard and the man in green floating above everyone else, the area was empty.
"Hey! Jim!" Tatl called out as she and Link approached the Bomber leader. "We need a favor!"
"Huh?" The boy turned to the two, looking up towards Tatl. "What? Another one?"
The fairy clicked her tongue. "Come on, keeping an eye out isn't a favor and you know it! This one's more concrete, you know?"
Letting out a small sigh, Jim nodded. "Okay Tatl, but only because the Deku kid is with you."
"Link." The cursed boy interrupted. He was getting tired of being called 'Deku Boy' or as 'the Deku Kid' by this point. Not that he was mad at Jim, it wasn't like he had any idea what was gong on…
"Huh?" Jim seemed surprised at how clearly Link was talking properly now. Like before, he quickly shrugged it off. "Right. Link. You've caused a lot of trouble for us, Tatl, so this next favor will be for Link, alright? After that, I don't know if I can help you in good conscious anymore."
The fairy scoffed. "Way to be dramatic, Jim. It's not like Skull Kid killed anyone!"
"Not the point." The Bomber leader argued. "What's the favor you need anyway?"
"The observatory." Link butted in. "We need to get there." He was so tired of the bickering and the back-and-forths between these two. He didn't even care about what it was the Skull Kid actually did in the past anymore.
To Link's annoyance, Jim shook his head. "Afraid I can't do that. You need the password to get there. To get the password, you need to be a Bomber."
"I'll join, then." Link countered instantly. A small part of him wanted to reach out and slap this Jim kid upside the head for being so stubborn. He never usually got this annoyed, but the last day had really pushed him to his limit.
That got the younger boy thinking. "Well…If you can pass a test, I'll give you the password at the very least. How about that?"
"You serious?!" Tatl exclaimed. "We don't have time for this! This is an emergency!"
"We can't just give the password to anybody, especially if you're involved, Tatl." Jim argued back, his tone quite fitting for his age; childish and slightly haughty.
The fairy let out a groan. "Alright, alright! Just tell us the test!"
"Okay, you wait here. I'm gonna gather the other Bombers, and then the test can begin!" Before Link or Tatl could respond, Jim ran off towards East Clock Town, leaving them alone in the rain.
"I can't believe we have to deal with these brats…" Tatl murmured as she floated about. "They were always this annoying, before you ask."
Link wasn't going to ask that. "Why do they guard the path to the observatory?"
"It's their little secret club, basically." The fairy huffed. "The old guy there lets them play about his observatory and look at the stuff he has and his telescope. That's it, really. The Bombers act all important, but they're just dumb kids that never really help anyone."
To Link, it sounded like he would fit right in. Just a stupid kid that never ended up saving anyone. He'd be the perfect member. "What will the test be?"
"How the heck should I know?! Would you just shut up? I liked it better when you could barely talk." Tatl snapped, taking a seat on top of Link's hat.
Such an awful fairy she was. Even at this point it surprised Link at how nasty she could be. While most of the Kokiri mistreated him growing up, the fairies with them never participated in the torment, usually watching silently as they hovered about. The sole exception being a fairy that Mido got to pretend to be Link's Guardian Fairy. Fairies, by nature, tended to be helpful and kind creatures when they weren't being shy, whether they be Guardian Fairies, Healing Fairies, Great Fairies, or even just normal fairies without an explicit role to play.
Tatl's odd nature aside, Link let the words role off him and obeyed. As he stood there in the rain, he began to notice more how nice it felt. It was hard to explain, but it was as if a thirst he didn't know he had was constantly being quenched. Thinking about the rain made him think about the Moon. He hadn't looked at it since he took that nap early yesterday morning. His morbid curiosity scratched at his mind, demanding that he look up and take a peek. As much as he didn't want to, Link felt his head turning upwards, his gaze going up past the Clock Tower…
It was bigger.
Or maybe closer. It didn't really matter. The point was, the Moon was changing, becoming a more imminent threat to the town below it. Link could deny it all he wanted but that wouldn't stop what was up above his head. The scowling, monstrous chunk of rock above glared down at Clock Town as if in hatred, as if the people below did something to wrong it. Link still held the theory that the Skull Kid was behind this. There was something wrong with that imp, or more the mask he wore. While the Deku had no proof, he felt strongly that the purple object was somehow the source of his power.
"You noticed it too?" Tatl asked, interrupting Link's thoughts. "It's getting bigger…or falling. Whatever it is, it's dangerous."
Link chose not to respond, partly as a petty move towards the fairy. After all, she told him to stop talking, didn't she? He scolded himself internally for being so childish, but he just couldn't help it. The Deku felt all the stress over the last few days was getting to him. His thoughts of lashing out at Jim, even just a slap on the head, was so unlike him. Once this was over, he could just go back to the castle and unwind. No, not quite. Before he could go back to the castle, he would have to break the news to Malon about her horse…Goddesses, what would he say? What could he say? Apologies wouldn't cut it; she loved that horse like a member of the family…and he let her die.
Pushing the thoughts away, Link looked down from the Moon and gazed at the Clock Town wall. He just needed to focus on the present, not the future. He would cross that bridge when he came to it. For now, he just had to get that mask away from the Skull Kid and get his Ocarina back. Then, hopefully, that horrifying Moon would stop or go away, and he could return home.
So, Link kept his mind blank as the two waited for Jim. It was a long and uneventful wait, taking well over an hour for the boy to return. When he finally walked back into the area, he was followed by four other boys, all wearing blue bandanas. To Link's mild disturbance, he noticed that all of them looked very similar to each other. Twins he's seen before, triplets he's heard of, but was six children like that possible? What would that even be called?
"Alright, now the test can start!" Jim announced as he and the other boys stood before Link and Tatl.
"About time…" The fairy mumbled, quietly enough so only Link could hear her.
"Your test is to find the five of us before nightfall. Hide-and-seek, essentially. We won't hide indoors, and of course we can't leave town." Jim explained.
Hide-and-seek, huh? Link remembered hearing about that with the Kokiri. Only Saria would play with him, and it wasn't quite the same with two people, at least that was the idea that Link got. "That's it?" The Deku asked.
"That's it." Jim echoed.
"You've got to be kidding! This is stupid! We don't have time for your games!" Tatl yelled out.
Jim gave Tatl a dirty look. "Take it or leave it, we can't hand out the code to just anyone."
"We agree to your rules." Link interrupted, not wanting a long argument to break out.
The Bomber leader looked over to Link with an almost grateful gaze. "Alright, then it's a deal! Okay Link, close your eyes and count to sixty, then start looking!"
And so, the game was on. Ignoring Tatl's grumbling, Link did as asked. Thankfully, he was able to count all the way to a hundred without using his fingers. Once he reached sixty, the search was on. The Deku decided to try North Clock Town first, as there was a lot less places to hide there. Unfortunately, it seemed the Bombers had the same idea. What few hiding places there were yielded no results.
Heading to South Clock Town, Link noticed there were even less people than yesterday when he first emerged from the Clock Tower. He applied part of it to the rain, but he had to wonder…were there people evacuating? He truly hoped so. The Deku recalled yesterday how so few people seemed to acknowledged the Moon hanging above their heads. He saw some of them look up to the sky in worry, but then go over to a stall and buy a mask. He heard a man whisper to a woman he was with about the Moon, but she scoffed and said that everything would be fine. Link wanted to feel disgusted towards the people for their stubborn nature and their denial over the obvious. Yet he himself fell into a state of denial himself, or at the very least he pushed the thoughts away. Did that really make him any better?
All Link could say for sure was that he was probably the only one in town who had any chance of stopping the Skull Kid, despite his countless failures in Hyrule. He wouldn't allow so many people to die on his watch. Not again. Sadly, all of that would have to wait until this game of hide-and-seek was over.
Thankfully, Tatl's knowledge of the nooks and crannies of Clock Town proved invaluable during the game the Bombers forced on them. Even then, there was a lot of places to look and a lot of ground to cover. Not to mention the Bombers never said they would hide in only one place the entire time. Link recalled seeing a flash of blue dart out now and again from an alleyway and into another.
The hours went by surprisingly fast, with Link and Tatl not stopping at all for any kind of rest. Even when one of the Bombers was found, they still had to be tagged to be counted. If Link was in his normal body, that'd be no problem at all, but with his shorter legs, it was difficult. The cursed boy was stuck having to just keep chasing each Bomber until they got too worn out to keep going, then tagging them.
As the town was combed over a second time, Link noticed that as the hours passed, even the bustling East Clock Town never got as busy was it was yesterday. Once more, Link thought of the rain being the main culprit. But, as he and Tatl searched, Link noticed a number of people leaving through the various gates around town. Most of the time, these people seemed to have their entire livelihood on their backs, with pairs of parents leading confused children past the guards into…whatever it was that existed outside the town walls. He found himself feeling a bit relieved that some people were smartening up and leaving town.
"Aw, you got me!" The fifth and last Bomber exclaimed, by sheer coincidence being Jim himself, as Link closed a wooden hand around his arm. He had finally slowed down just as he neared the man who looked like the beggar from Hyrule
Panting, Link nodded as in confirmation of Jim's words. "You're the last one…The others are waiting in North Clown Town."
Despite his disappointed shout, Jim gave the Deku a smile. "Good work, Link, you sure got us all fast! Come on, let's go!"
"You really pushed us back a ways, you know that?! It's half past eleven!" Tatl scolded the Bomber leader as the duo followed him.
Jim scoffed. "Hey, it wouldn't be much of a test if it was easy, would it?" He ignored the fairy as she let out an annoyed sigh. Soon, the five Bombers stood before the Deku and fairy. "Alright, you got us all fair and square! Normally, this would let you join the Bombers. But, thinking about it, I don't know if I want a non-human in the group. Not after last time. What say you, Bombers, should we let him in?"
Without hesitation, the four Bombers in blue shook their heads. "No way! No Scrubs!" One of them yelled out.
Link instantly got over feeling bad about his thoughts of wanting to clock Jim over the head. All that and he still couldn't even join?! Before he was able to move or voice his opinion, Tatl piped up, her light going red. "Are you kidding me?! You little brats, this isn't some game to us, you know! We-"
"Hold on! Hold on!" Jim interrupted, holding his hands up in surrender. "We won't allow you to join us, but since this seems so important, you can go down to the observatory, alright?"
Tatl's light faded back to white as she calmed down. "Alright…Well…good. That's really all we wanted."
"Right! So, the password is…" Jim looked around, as if prying ears could be anywhere. Save for the guard and the man who was still up on his balloon, North Clock Town was empty. Despite this, the boy went up and whispered by where Link's ear would be. "… 1. Got that?"
While Link had calmed down along with Tatl, he still felt annoyed at the simplicity of the password. "…Right. Got it."
Without a thanks or even a second glance, Link walked away from Jim and his Bombers, heading to East Clock Town as Tatl followed. "Giants abound, those brats…" The fairy muttered as the two got out of earshot. "All that time wasted for such a stupid password! Can you believe it?"
To his mild disturbance, Link found himself on the exact same page as Tatl. "All that matters is we have it now."
"Not when time is of the essence! We wasted over five hours on those idiots!" The fairy argued, letting out a huff when Link didn't converse further.
The Bomber in the yellow bandana was right where he was last time Link saw him. The younger boy eyed the Deku suspiciously as he approached, standing at the ready as if expecting an attack. "Hey, only those with the password can get into our hideout!" The child's eyes widened in surprise as Link delivered the password to him. "Huh. Well, if you know the password, Jim must trust you. Fine, you can go on through." Not giving the child another glance, Link and Tatl went by him and into the passageway below.
The first thing Link noticed as he entered the underground area was the lit torch in front of him as the sunlight behind him faded away. The Deku found himself in an area of laid stone, the sound of the fire crackling and running water filling the air. As Link approached the torch, he looked about at the ugly, dark area around him. The moist bricks, the man-made river running through with fish swimming about, and a bit of childish touches in the form of chalk drawings on the wall. A lot of what was drawn was too messy or disfigured by the building moisture to be made out, and there was a lot of writing too which was pure gibberish to Link.
"Some hideout, huh?" Tatl asked rhetorically. "Just as boring and ugly as ever. I guess the real treat for the Bombers is the observatory itself…But whatever, let's get moving."
Giving a silent nod, Link went forward through the hideout, having to sometimes hop along the water to reach platforms of stone as he progressed. More torches lit the way where no natural light could reach. A part of him wondered if this man-made river connected to the ones at the Clock Tower or where the Stray Fairy was found. He had a hunch that was the case. As the river was crossed, Link swore a scuttling sound pierced the air. "Did you hear something?" He asked Tatl as he carefully walked onward.
"Yeah…Might be something dangerous…" She said with surprising sincerity. Link had almost expected her to somehow scold him for pointing out something potentially important.
Link saw the hole in the ceiling and knew exactly what was going to happen next as he realized the scuttling was coming from up there. Tatl let out a startled noise as a large white shape descended from its hiding place, blocking the one and only path forward: A Skulltula.
Despite not vocally showing it, Link found himself afraid too. Outside of his nightmares, the cursed boy hadn't seen combat or any kind of monsters for two years. At least, not real combat. A few times, he sparred with the guards as the day of his trip had approached. Aside from that, the closest he had ever truly gotten was hunting and the brief struggle with the Skull Kid.
The Skulltula chittered, breaking Link's thoughts as it hovered before the duo from a strong strand of web. Its thick white shell in the shape of a deformed skull seemed to stare directly into Link's eyes, but he knew the real staring came from the cluster of glowing red orbs below. Its long, yellow and black legs twitched and shifted as its potential prey stood before it. By this point, Link knew that Skulltula where cautious hunters, waiting for its prey to get close before striking. It wouldn't make a move until Link did.
"Hey! What are you doing?! Squish that thing!" Tatl yelled out, floating well behind Link and away from the monstrous spider.
"How?" Link asked, not taking his eyes off the creature. "I'm too weak to use my bare hands." With no sword, no shield, and no bow, Link was stumped on what to do.
There was a pause from the fairy. "That's…right. You're pretty much useless now, huh?" She noted. "Uh…Wait! The magic you have now! You've never tried it before, maybe it can kill this thing!"
Of course, the Great Fairy's gift! Link had nearly forgotten about that! Granted, he didn't actually want to kill the Skulltula. He held no pity for monsters, but just the act of killing made him feel so sick and revolting on the inside. Perhaps he could just wound it. But what were his powers? After a moment of thought, Link felt stupid for not realizing. He must be able to shoot Deku Nuts! The wooden child had no idea if that was actually a magical ability, but what else could it be? Of course, the question was how to actually do it…
Well, the Deku Nuts came from the mouth, so Link tried to concentrate…something around there. With all the alien body parts both internal and external, he wasn't quite sure what to focus on. He kept trying, Tatl watching him expectantly as he made a few squeaking sounds as he tried to bring forth his magic. After a few minutes, he felt something finally working, something building up near his mouth. To his surprise, it wasn't a Deku Nut but…
"A bubble?" Tatl asked aloud. Out of Link's circular mouth, a large bubble was forming. "I've seen Dekus spit out Deku Nuts, but never a bubble! Is this the magic power?"
The strange bubble built and built, Link not sure if he was doing something right or wrong here. It started to grow so big that he didn't know how much longer until it burst. With a push, he expelled the bubble out of his mouth, and it flew towards his target. With a loud and echoing pop, the Skulltula's true face was covered in the bubble's remains. While it didn't seem to be seriously wounded, the creature was clearly startled and had its vision impaired as it let out a screeching noise and quickly ascended to recuperate.
Wasting no time, Link and Tatl ran past the ceiling's hole and out of the Skulltula's range. Neither stopped until they reached a large room, one that was drier than the hallway they came from. On the floor and walls were more, cleaner, chalk drawings. At the room's other end stood an old, but sturdy, wooden ladder leading into yet another passageway. "So, that's the magic you can use now? A bubble?" Tatl asked as the two of them stopped for a moment.
The Deku child gave a shrug. "It appears that way, yes. I didn't know Dekus could do that."
"Me neither, I-" Tatl started, but was interrupted as the room shook about. While the fairy couldn't feel it, the rumbling was audible, and she could see Link stagger. Then, just as quickly as it started, the shaking ceased. "What…Was that an earthquake?!"
While Link had heard of earthquakes, he had never experienced one himself, finding it hard to keep his footing as the room shook. He at least managed to not fall over as the shaking stopped. "I…guess so. Are those normal in Termina?"
"No! I mean…I don't think so? I don't think I've ever experienced one before..." Tatl responded. After a pause, she shook her heard. "Well, whatever. It's fine now, so let's keep going!" She flew up where the ladder lead. "The observatory is right up this ladder, come on!"
Trying to shrug off the strange shaking, Link nodded and quickly ascended the ladder. Just as Tatl said, it was but a short walk down the hallway before the two reached an actual building. The room before them as small and circular in nature. Against the wall sat dusty boxes that seemed as if they hadn't been opened in decades. There were various knick-knacks like small urns and a globe sitting among the boxes, all just as dusty. There were also valuable looking objects such as a sort of crystal kept in a glass box nestled underneath a winding staircase. A single, closed door lead off to who-knew-where. A Cucco napped in a cage hanging over a small square garden with turnips and radishes growing healthily despite the lack of sunlight. It seemed the man here didn't like to go to the store often. That got Link thinking. Just where was he? He must be outside the town walls considering the path he had to take to get here. Pushing those thoughts aside, he noticed that the Bombers liked to be here too, as on the floor were a number of toys and masks left behind as well as crude crayon drawings on old, faded pieces of paper. On the wall was a miniature version of the massive clock on the Clock Tower, showing that it was getting close to noon.
"The telescope is upstairs, let's look there first." Tatl suggested, once more flying ahead of Link as she went up the staircase.
Link followed suit, coming into another circular room with strange and colorful floor tiles. Most of the room was taken by a massive telescope, larger than any Link had ever seen in his life which momentarily astounded him. The only other objects of note were another door, and a strange blue stone in a glass case that seemed to glow in the light. At the peering end of the telescope was an elderly and hunchbacked man in a blue robe, currently looking into the massive instrument. As Link approached, the man turned to look at him and Tatl, and he found himself startled once again.
This man was another familiar face. The wooden boy clearly recalled the old man who shared the story of The Man Who Could See the Truth in the dark and decayed timeline. There was no mistaking it, no handwaving it away as just a similar looking old man. The clothes, the hunched figure, the bushy white mustache, and kind eyes…they were all exactly the same. Not to mention, Link had seen this man a number of times in the marketplace in this timeline, even seeing him the day he left for the Lost Woods. It was absolutely impossible for this man to get here before Link and establish himself in the community like this. Just…what was going on? These other similar people had explanations, some more desperate than others, but the only logical conclusion here was that this observatory owner looked exactly like a certain old man back in Hyrule.
As these thoughts bounced around in Link's skull, the man studied the Deku and fairy before him, offering them a kindly smile. "Well, well…an unusual child here today. Are you a new member of the Bombers?" He asked and continued on without waiting for a reply. "You already seem much better than that last one, that imp with that mask…"
At those words, Tatl hid behind Link's head once more. The Deku needed a few moments to find his voice, trying not to ponder on the strange mystery before him. "I just got the password. I'm not a member."
"Ah…I see." The elderly man responded. "Those kids have gotten overly cautious, I see. Try not to hold it against them. They really are good boys deep down." The man seemed to realize something. "Ah! My manners! Please, call me Professor Shikashi. What's your name, young lad?"
The Deku wished he had gotten the old man's name back in Hyrule, for the sake of comparison. Still, there were other things to focus on now! "Link. My name is Link, sir." He replied politely. "We were told that you may be able to help us find the Skull Kid."
That made the professor's brows knit together. "Ah, that scamp…I was just looking at him through the telescope here."
"What?!" Tatl shouted out, forgoing her hiding and flying out into the open again. "You just saw him?!"
Seeming unphased by Tatl's yelling, Shikashi nodded. "That's right. Please, look through the telescope and take a look." He said to Link, stepping aside to make room.
Not being able to believe his luck, Link looked into the telescope and finally saw the outside of the Clock Town walls. It was these walls that he saw first. Plain white with strange red drawings splayed across them. The walls, and the town itself, seemed so much larger from the outside. This of course confirmed Link's light suspicion on where the observatory was. On top of this, Link was able to see flat, grassy fields outside of the towns walls, and even got a glimpse at mountains off in the distance. Tall, white natural structures that seemed to almost claw towards the heavens above. But Link had no interest for the mountains. He had only one thing he wanted to see.
"Where is the Skull Kid?" The Deku asked.
"The Clock Tower. Look at the top!" The elderly man replied. "If you turn the knob on the side, it will let you look about."
It took Link only a few seconds to work out how things worked and got the telescope's gaze to the top of the Clock Tower. Shikashi had been right. There, standing calmly on the stone fist at the tower's peak, was the Skull Kid. Still wearing that horrid mask, the troublemaker gazed off towards the mountains as a tiny purple light hovered above his head. Suddenly, the Skull Kid stiffened, whipped his head around and looked directly into the telescope.
"Is he there?! What do you see?!" Tatl demanded.
Link was stunned, but not too entirely surprised. After all he had seen the Skull Kid do, being able to sense when he was being watched was hardly far-fetched. What did surprise the Deku was when the Skull Kid looked away from Link, and up towards the sky. Using the telescope to follow his gaze, Link peered at the ominous Moon, now looking even closer than before. To the cursed boy's further astonishment, some sort of flaming object fell from the Moon's eye, crashing somewhere on the ground nearby with a loud boom.
"My, my, what was that?!" Shikashi exclaimed as Link took his head away from the telescope and looked up at the old man. "That sounded like the crashing of a Moon's Tear. Go on outside and take a look, young lad."
"Wait! What about the Skull Kid?!" Tatl asked before Link could even take a step. "You saw him, right?!"
The Deku gave a nod. "I did, yes. He was at the top of the Clock Tower."
"Of course, he was right above our heads from the very start!" The fairy let out an annoyed sigh.
"How could he get up there?" Link asked both Shikashi and Tatl, hoping at least one of them had the answer.
"Well…Normally a path opens up at the start of the Carnival of Time." The old man explained, seeming to momentarily forget about the crashing object. "As to how he got up there early…who can say?"
"So, we just have to wait for the Carnival of Time to start, then." Tatl sounded calm in saying those words.
Carnival of Time? Link could ask about what that was later on. "When does the path open?"
"Just as it does every year." The professor explained. "Tomorrow at the stroke of midnight, the Clock Tower's upper doors will open up. Now, I insist you go outside and see about that crash. Moon's Tears are quite valuable, you know."
Link had to admit; he was curious as to just what a Moon's Tear actually was. Leaving Tatl as she tried to get him to stay, the Deku opened the one and only door in the room and headed outside. As it turned out, the observatory was fenced off from the fields around it, the barrier too high even for Link's Hylian form to easily climb. Embedded in the stone ground, mere feet from the door, was a familiar glowing blue stone. It looked almost exactly the same as the one in the glass case inside, except slightly bigger. The Deku had a dreary thought…if the Skull Kid truly controlled that Moon…could he control when and where these stones fell? Was he trying to hit Link through the telescope? Deciding not to think about it, Link went over and hesitantly touched the stone. He was surprised to find it was a bit warm, but perfectly safe to handle despite being on fire a mere minute ago. Perhaps it was the rain that helped it cool down so fast?
It was a bit awkward given his smaller size, but Link managed to take the glowing stone with him inside. "Ah!" Shikashi exclaimed as soon as he saw the object in Link's hands. "Just as I thought, a Moon's Tear! I insist, Link, take that with you. After all, you saw it land, so the claim is yours. Besides, I already have one for myself." He nodded to his own Moon's Tear in its glass case. "You could probably get quite a lot of money if you find the right buyer, you know…"
Money didn't interest Link, not having known it even existed until he was ten. Still…perhaps he could get some use out of it. At best, maybe he could give it away as a gift. Girls like shiny stones, right? Maybe one of his friends back home would want it. He would want to give it to Malon first and foremost, if only to try and make up for losing her horse. Link didn't quite grasp all the implications of giving a gift like this in place of losing a beloved horse. He just wanted to try and make up for his failure.
"You sure you can lug that think around, Deku Boy?" Tatl asked not even trying to hide her condescending thoughts.
"I'll manage."
"Well, I'm glad I could help you find that troublemaker." Shikashi said. "Is there any other way I can help you, Link?"
The Deku shook his head. "No, thank you. We really should be going, actually."
Nodding, the kind old man offered Link a warm smile. "Well, if you ever want to come by here again, feel free. I always welcome company."
Offering the helpful professor another thank you, Link made his way down the stairs, his Moon's Tear in tow. Tatl followed, and the two silently made their way back out of the Bomber's Hideout. Getting down the ladder was a challenge, Link nearly dropping the precious stone and getting no help from his companion. The Skulltula was dealt in the same manner as before, and Link found that he could still hop along the water, even with the Moon's Tear by some miracle. The return trip was far slower, and Link even stopped at the entrance to Clock Town to catch his breath.
By the time the duo emerged into Clock Town once again, it was half past noon.
"I guess there's not much we can do for now." Tatl pointed out. "We know exactly where the Skull Kid is and how to get to him…we just have to wait."
Link nodded as he carried the Moon's Tear awkwardly and went towards South Clock Town. He wasn't even sure why he was walking that way, but a part of him felt the need to keep moving. "It seems that way. I-"
Whatever Link was going to say got cut off. He was looking up at Tatl as he walked and ran into a pair of legs, the impact knocking him onto his back and almost making him drop his Moon's Tear. Sitting up, Link heard a harsh voice bark from above. "Agh! Bother! Bother! Watch where you're going!"
That voice…it sounded so familiar. Slightly dazed, Link shook his head a bit to ward of his dizziness. "I'm sorry. I-"
Once more, Link was cut off, but it was him stilling his voice that did it this time. Standing before Link and glaring down at him was Ingo. Except…it couldn't possibly be. Yet there he was, the Uncle of his girlfriend was towering over the cursed child, wearing some kind of colorful shirt with a strange circular collar. Like with Shikashi, there was no mistaking it. This man looked exactly like Ingo, save for the outfit. How could this be? Malon would have mentioned if her Uncle was going to leave Lon Lon Ranch, surely. Did he leave after Link left? How did he arrive first? Just what was going on…?
When Link didn't continue his sentence, the Ingo lookalike scoffed and went about on his way, mumbling to himself about stupid children.
"He's sure got a stick where the sun doesn't shine." Tatl commented as Link stood up, the Deku staring after the familiar looking man.
Link didn't even hear Tatl. His mind was just too busy racing. What was going on? Why were there so many familiar faces here? Some he could explain away, yet others were impossible to deny. There was something wrong here, something not even remotely close to normal. But what was it? Was the Deku simply going mad? Were these supposed lookalikes not really that similar to people he knew in appearance, but he just saw them that way? Was it just some huge coincidence that there just so happened to be people that looked exactly like ones from Hyrule? No, that'd just be ridiculous. But…what other explanations made sense?
"…I'm going to the Great Fairy's Fountain." Link said, turning around and heading back towards North Clock Town.
"Huh? Why?" Tatl asked, following the Deku.
"Rest. It's like you said, until midnight tomorrow, there's nothing more to be done."
"Huh. Yeah, that's true. Looks like you made a smart suggestion for a change, Deku Boy."
Ignoring Tatl, Link went back to the fountain as he said he would. Jim was so engrossed in still trying to pop his balloon, that he didn't even notice Link walk by. Sitting against the fountain wall, Link placed the Moon's Tear beside him. Doing everything he could to keep his mind blank, Link closed his eyes and soon let exhaustion carry him into slumber…
The next six or so hours were spent with Link drifting in and out of sleep and unable to stay asleep for more than a half hour or so at a time, much to his annoyance. Tatl took position on top of his hat as usual. Two things would wake him up; the ground shaking again, which neither he nor Tatl commented on, or some nightmare that he instantly forgot the details of. He was thankful that the fairy he was with kept her mouth shut. The last thing he wanted was to speak to her, or anyone else. He just didn't want to think. He just wanted to go home.
As the sun set, Link's eyes closed once more, and he drifted into his deepest sleep of the day.
Night of the Second Day – 36 Hours Remain
Link did it. He got the mask back, along with his Ocarina, and presented them to the Happy Mask Salesman. Currently he was going through the Lost Woods, now a Hylian once more and trying to leave the magical forest. The only thing he was missing of great importance was Epona. What was he going to tell Malon? How would she react? It almost didn't matter because there was no avoiding it. Even before returning the Ocarina of Time to Zelda, he had to do this. The boy almost felt he would rather brave that cursed well and the monstrosity with endless hands once more than have to tell Malon what had happened. Almost.
Next thing Link knew, he was standing at Lon Lon Ranch's entrance once more. He didn't even recall leaving the Lost Woods, but apparently he somehow spaced out. His legs feeling like lead, the Hylian youth entered the familiar location with the darkest dread nestled in his gut.
Standing where she usually did during the day, Malon gazed up at the sky with a serene look on her face. To Link's mild surprise, none of the horses were out and about. Were they all in the barn? Why? It was such a beautiful day outside! Shaking the thoughts away, as they were unimportant, Link walked towards the redhead.
As he approached, Malon looked down from the sky and beamed at the boy. It was a look that usually made Link's stomach flutter. Despite how broken he was, that one simple look was able to make him feel calmer. Now, it just made his insides shrivel with guilt. He knew he didn't deserve her smile, and in fact he never once deserved so much as her attention.
"Link! You're back!" The farmgirl exclaimed, closing the distance between the two. "Did you find Navi? Were you…" Malon paused. "Where's…Where's Epona?" She looked around, as if the young mare would simply pop out of thin air, galloping towards her owner. "Where is she?"
The look Malon gave Link made the guilt feel even heavier within him. A gaze of concern and confusion that should never be on the face of someone like her. At first, Link couldn't muster up the ability to even reply, as if his tongue had been stuck to the roof of his mouth. After a few moments, he cleared his throat and managed to say three small words. "I'm…sorry, Malon."
That just made the redhead more confused. "Sorry? Sorry about what? Link, where is Epona?" She asked more urgently this time.
Finding it hard to look Malon in the face, but forcing himself to, Link swallowed a lump that had formed in his throat. "She's gone, Malon. I've lost her."
There was a pregnant pause. "…Lost her? What do you mean you lost her?" She still just seemed more confused than anything, as if the sentence she said simply didn't make any kind of sense.
"She was stolen. An imp, he…he took her away from me. I tried to get her back; I really did." Link realized how pathetic he sounded; a Skull Kid managing to steal away something of his so easily. "By the time I caught up with him, she was…gone…dead."
There was another pause, one longer than the last. "You…You let Epona die?" Her voice was hollow, no hint of emotion within it.
"I didn't mean to, Malon. I did everything I could, but-" Link was interrupted as a burning pain covered his left cheek and found himself almost staggering. It took him a moment to realize that Malon has slapped him across the face. The look on her own face was now one of fury, the kind of anger he had never seen on her before.
"You let Epona die!" She screamed, tears forming in her eyes. "I trusted you with my horse, and you got her killed!"
Slowly, Link brought a hand to his cheek, feeling tears welling up in his own eyes. "Malon, please, I'm so sorry…I did everything I could to save her, but I just…" What could he say? What could he possibly say to justify what happened?
"Get out."
"…What?" Link asked, his voice cracking slightly.
"I said get out!" Malon screamed, pointing to the ranch's exit. "Get out of here, I never want to see your face ever again!"
Link knew he deserved this treatment, but the words still pierced him in a way he didn't think he could handle. "Please…Please, Malon, I'm so sorry…I tried to save her…"
Glaring into his eyes, Malon said the worst phrase he could ever imagine from her: "I hate you, Link!"
The Deku's eyes flew open. Glancing about the room, everything was as he left it. The fountain's pond still shimmered magically, the Moon's Tear shone a brilliant blue, and he was still a cursed freak. The one thing he didn't see, or rather hear, was the sound of Tatl lightly snoring on his hat. Cautiously, he reached up and felt all about his headwear, realizing she was gone. Maybe she went off to get more food…
With a heavy sigh, Link stared off ahead. He was used to dreams where his friends turned on him, but this one just felt so much more intense than usual. Maybe it was the added stress of the situation he was in that made him feel as bad as he did. His heart felt like it was in a strong grip, and his body felt heavy and made of stone rather than wood. Gazing to the cave entrance, he saw light streaming in from outside, a very faint light.
The wooden boy turned back and was contemplating whether he should try and sleep again when a voice rang out. "Hey! You're awake, huh?" It was Tatl.
Turning back to the cave entrance, the fairy was slowly flying towards him, another bunch of grapes in her grasp. As she dropped it to the fountain floor and ripped a grape off, Link looked down at her. "More stolen food?"
"You're welcome, brat." She almost sneered back. "Eat up. Don't want you complaining about being hungry later."
"…Thank you." Link said quietly as he ate his breakfast. He realized as he ate that he hadn't had any water since before Epona was stolen, yet he wasn't thirsty. Maybe being rained on was an equivalent process for Dekus? It certainly made sense to him. As the last grape went down, he looked towards the cave entrance again. "What time is it?"
"A bit after six." Tatl responded. "We need to get going. There's a problem."
Seriously? Another problem? "What kind of problem?" What could it possibly be this time?
"Come on, I'll show you." Not waiting for a reply, the fairy took to the air and flew out of the cave entrance.
Grabbing the Moon's Tear, Link slowly stood up and followed after his unwanted companion and stepped out into the morning sun…