Chapter 3
Startled by the voice, Link looked about himself, trying to pinpoint the voice's origin.
"Up here," the voice called again; strange how it was oddly familiar. Craning his neck, Link looked up to see a small, black bird perched atop the town wall, just above the stairs by the mailbox. Puzzled at the notion that this bird, this animal, had spoken to him, Link found himself staring wide-eyed at it, and before he or the creature could say anything more, it left its stoney perch and flew into the door at the top of the stairs.
"Don't just stand there, Deku boy!" Tatl commanded. "Follow it!" Being bossed around by a fairy wasn't on the top of his to-do list, but Link heeded her advice and scaled the stairs, entering the door as did the bird before him.
The place that the door emptied into was a small, green area with a small creek disecting its middle. To the left was a neat, wooden bench with a curious box propped beside it. A stone bridge patched the gap over the water that cut the area in two. A tree with several bushes surrounding it was just to Link's right.
"Help me!" Called a different voice. It was a tiny, desprate voice that originated from an equally tiny orange fairy. She wasn't like other fairies, there was something different about this one. She wasn't just a glowing ball of light with wings; she had a small body with a slightly larger head that had wings protruding from it. A strange power radiated from it, and Link was attracted to it.
"Who are you?" He asked from the edge of the bridge. The fairy floated up to him.
"Please hear my plea! The masked Skull Kid has shattered my body into fragments! Please find a way to return me to the fountain in North Clock Town!" The fairy bobbed up and down in Link's face, and then darted under his hat. He and Tatl looked at each other for a moment, confused.
"My, you take a hint well, don't you, boy?" Called the voice from before. Turning, Link finally spotted its owner, sitting quietly in the tree behind them. Then he realized why the voice sounded so familiar: It was his own! The figure perched in the tree was not that of a bird, but of a Deku just like him. The figure, in fact, was exactly like him in almost every way. It was the same size, had the same, blonde hair, and even wore the same hat as Link. The only difference was that everything about this scrub was dark and morbid. It's hat was black and matched the long robe it wore. Across its right eye were three scars; obviously a scratch from some beast encounter. It carried a long, T-shaped staff with a black bird perched atop it.
"Who....What are you?" Link asked, amazed by their striking similarity.
"That's none of your concern at this time," replied the scrub, hopping down from the tree he was seated in. "That orange fairy...Heed her words."
"Wait! Where are you going?!" Link cried. His dark alter-ego left the area before he could ask further questions about his situation. Following, he emurged at the top of the stairs he entered the grassy nole from. Looking around, Link found no sign of the scrub. Dissappointed and confused, he walked down he stairs and stood near the mailbox, still wondering if he should follow the instructions he was left with.
"Heed her words..." called the dark Deku. Link quickly looked for him but what he layed eyes on wasn't what he intended to see again; the black bird was perched atop another straw eve, and then flew northward behind the Clocktower.
"I think we should follow," said Tatl. "He...or it, led us to something important the first time, and I think it's trying to help us." Nodding, Link started back to the northern section he'd been to once before. Running blindly, he scaled the stairs and the click of his shoes faded into the scuffle of dirt beneath his feet as he entered the playground-like area again.
"The fountain," he panted. "Where is it, Tatl?" She fluttered toward an opening to his left, behind the hidden slide. Link slowly caught his breath as he walked up the dirt incline that lead to the cave. Cautiously, he and his fairy partner entered into the opening...
Startled by the voice, Link looked about himself, trying to pinpoint the voice's origin.
"Up here," the voice called again; strange how it was oddly familiar. Craning his neck, Link looked up to see a small, black bird perched atop the town wall, just above the stairs by the mailbox. Puzzled at the notion that this bird, this animal, had spoken to him, Link found himself staring wide-eyed at it, and before he or the creature could say anything more, it left its stoney perch and flew into the door at the top of the stairs.
"Don't just stand there, Deku boy!" Tatl commanded. "Follow it!" Being bossed around by a fairy wasn't on the top of his to-do list, but Link heeded her advice and scaled the stairs, entering the door as did the bird before him.
The place that the door emptied into was a small, green area with a small creek disecting its middle. To the left was a neat, wooden bench with a curious box propped beside it. A stone bridge patched the gap over the water that cut the area in two. A tree with several bushes surrounding it was just to Link's right.
"Help me!" Called a different voice. It was a tiny, desprate voice that originated from an equally tiny orange fairy. She wasn't like other fairies, there was something different about this one. She wasn't just a glowing ball of light with wings; she had a small body with a slightly larger head that had wings protruding from it. A strange power radiated from it, and Link was attracted to it.
"Who are you?" He asked from the edge of the bridge. The fairy floated up to him.
"Please hear my plea! The masked Skull Kid has shattered my body into fragments! Please find a way to return me to the fountain in North Clock Town!" The fairy bobbed up and down in Link's face, and then darted under his hat. He and Tatl looked at each other for a moment, confused.
"My, you take a hint well, don't you, boy?" Called the voice from before. Turning, Link finally spotted its owner, sitting quietly in the tree behind them. Then he realized why the voice sounded so familiar: It was his own! The figure perched in the tree was not that of a bird, but of a Deku just like him. The figure, in fact, was exactly like him in almost every way. It was the same size, had the same, blonde hair, and even wore the same hat as Link. The only difference was that everything about this scrub was dark and morbid. It's hat was black and matched the long robe it wore. Across its right eye were three scars; obviously a scratch from some beast encounter. It carried a long, T-shaped staff with a black bird perched atop it.
"Who....What are you?" Link asked, amazed by their striking similarity.
"That's none of your concern at this time," replied the scrub, hopping down from the tree he was seated in. "That orange fairy...Heed her words."
"Wait! Where are you going?!" Link cried. His dark alter-ego left the area before he could ask further questions about his situation. Following, he emurged at the top of the stairs he entered the grassy nole from. Looking around, Link found no sign of the scrub. Dissappointed and confused, he walked down he stairs and stood near the mailbox, still wondering if he should follow the instructions he was left with.
"Heed her words..." called the dark Deku. Link quickly looked for him but what he layed eyes on wasn't what he intended to see again; the black bird was perched atop another straw eve, and then flew northward behind the Clocktower.
"I think we should follow," said Tatl. "He...or it, led us to something important the first time, and I think it's trying to help us." Nodding, Link started back to the northern section he'd been to once before. Running blindly, he scaled the stairs and the click of his shoes faded into the scuffle of dirt beneath his feet as he entered the playground-like area again.
"The fountain," he panted. "Where is it, Tatl?" She fluttered toward an opening to his left, behind the hidden slide. Link slowly caught his breath as he walked up the dirt incline that lead to the cave. Cautiously, he and his fairy partner entered into the opening...