Disclaimer: I don't own Legend of Zelda or any of the characters in the Zelda series (if I did, I wouldn't waste my time here). I'm not making any money of this and if I forgot anything else in this disclaimer I did or didn't do that as well.

Chapter 23 - Masks part 1

Link woke up and looked down to see Romani sleeping on his chest. He reached down and kissed her on her head. She moaned softly and raised her head.

"Hey Grasshopper," she said half asleep, "you sleep okay?"

"Always when I sleep next to you."

Romani smiled and slowly sat up straight, looking for her clothes.

"Argh, fuck."

"What?" Link looked down in the direction Romani was looking.

Their clothes were lying around on the ground.

"Don't we do that at home as well?"

"Hah hah very funny!" Romani nudged Link, "at home we don't sleep so high above the ground. Now what the fuck are we gonna do?"

"Uhm, get them?"

"We're naked and it's cold," Romani pouted, "and what if Goro comes in?"

"That's strange," Link pulled Romani closer and kissed her neck, "it's warm here. And if Goro comes in, we'll ask him if he throws our clothes up."

Romani giggled as Link kissed down to her breasts and gave in.

Goro's hand went for the door but was stopped by Cremia.

"When they're ready to come out, they'll come out." She assured him with a small twinkle in her eyes.

"But my training..."

"Just practice on your own." She shrugged.

He lowered his hand as he gave the door one last look and turned around. Cremia sighed. Maybe it would be better for the Goron's training if she could convince Romani to sleep in her old room. She listened at the door, smiled, nodded her head and returned to Goron.

"Tell me Link, have you ever pulled a milkwagon?"

"Fuck." Link said.

"What?" Romani was awake again.

"It's 2:30 in the afternoon. I completely forgot about Link's training."

Romani closed her eyes as a silent "fuck" left her lips as Link jumped down to get his clothes.

"I completely forgot about him, sorry."

"Don't apologise, you have no need to." Link said with a wink.

Romani grinned widely as she caught her clothes Link threw up. Quickly they got dressed and left the barn, looking for Goro. Link frowned as he couldn't first spot the Goron until Romani nudged him and pointed towards the gate. Goro was pulling an empty milkwagon. He stopped for the couple and helped Cremia down.

"I hope you didn't mind I let Link help me bring milk to Clocktown?" she asked Link.

"Not at all. I hope you had a good trip."

Goro nodded.

"I really liked Clocktown, the people were very friendly and I hope I can return with you sometime."

"We will, but first we have to go someplace else. Romani, could you get the masks?"

Romani nodded and entered the house.

"Masks?" Goro informed.

"Remember I once said I was a decent Goron?"

Link slowly nodded.

"I could transform into a Goron, Zora and Deku scrub thanks to masks I found here in Tempora. And that's the main reason I'm here, to bring those masks finally back to their families."

"So, where do we go first?"

Romani came back outside and gave the bag with the masks to Link. He opened the bag and took out the Deku mask.

"Hm, water."

Link smiled as he looked at the troublesome face of the Goron. He motioned him to stay put on the side while he climbed the ladder to get the boattrip to the Dekupalace. A few moments later he jumped down next to Romani and Goro while the Goron still distrusting at the water, like he was expecting it to come alive and engulf him. Link started to grin when he thought this but froze when he suddenly remembered that really happened to him.

"Don't worry, Goro, you'll be in a boat."

"Yeah, but that boat don't really look... strong enough for me."

Link looked at the boat and had to admit the boat looked a bit more sturdy when he was ten.

"Well, try it, and if it doesn't hold, I'll pull you out. Don't worry."

"Of course not," the Goron said, without a trace of doubt in his voice, which kinda surprised Link, "if something happens to me, my dad's gonna find you."

Olay, that was a good threat. Link accompanied the kid to the boat and thank the Goddesses, the boat held, although it was probably safer for Link and Romani to get on the next one. When they were seated the boat slowly started to move. A little while later they stopped at the road to the Deku palace. After a short trip (with the young Goron still nervous at the great amount of water) they arrived at the palace gate.

"Hold!" a guard jumped out of the ground, "No one may enter the palace without official business. And I don't think you have official business."

"As a matter of fact," Link stepped forward, "I do. Could you please tell the princess her saviour from the temple has returned? Oh, and also bring the butler if you can."

"What are you talking about?" the other guard said, "Her saviour was a young Deku scrub, not someone like you."

"Just go." Link sighed.

The two guards huddled together for a few seconds, and then one skittered of inside. The other one kept his eye on Link as if he wanted to give the impression that Link was allowed to do anything funny and that he would suffer the consequences. Link gave him a look back that actually said, if he did anything funny, the only thing the guard would do was laugh if he didn't want to die. So it was perfectly understanding the scrub went crept back in his hiding place a bit, until he heard commotion behind him as his companion returned with the princess and the butler. Actually, he trailed the princess who came running to see her saviour again. She had grown in those years, obviously, but not only in length, obviously she took after her father who was a large fellow. She stopped right in front of Link and looked intensely at him.

"Yes," she said after a while, "you are the boy that freed me from the temple. But where's the Deku scrub that brought me back?"

"I am that scrub."

The princess raised what Link thought was an eyebrow. Link took the Deku mask and showed it to the princess.

"This mask enabled me to take the form of a Deku scrub. I'm sorry I deceived you, but I had no other option since no other races were allowed in the palace."

"How did you obtain this mask?" the princess asked.

"The Skull kid who poisoned the swamp turned me into a Deku scrub with the power of another mask, a masks salesman turned me back to normal and gave me this mask. When I travelled to Clocktown via the underground passage I found a Deku that had turned into a tree. I suspected this was his old form."

"My son." The butler stated.

"I thought so."

"He wanted to see the world and left the swamp. After the swamp was cleared I left to find him," the butler continued, "I found him in the state you just described. No wonder you reminded me of my son, you were him in a way."

Link slowly nodded.

"Then I believe it is best if I gave the mask to you then." Link handed over the mask to the old butler.

"I will keep this mask close as a memento to my late son."

"If I may ask, what was his name? He was the only one of my forms I didn't know."

"His name was Dekaru," the butler said, "and I think he would be proud that he could help you in your quest in his way."

"I'm sure he would be." Link said silently.

Suddenly the princess appeared to notice the two persons behind Link.

"Romani! What a pleasure to see you here," Romani bowed a little, "and this Goron, are you from Snowhead?"

"No, I'm not, your highness," the Goron bowed his head, "I'm from Death Mountain in Hyrule. I'm here with Link to explore new worlds."

"It is very brave of you to come this far, I've understood Gorons aren't too fond of water."

Link looked back at the water surrounding them and shook his head.

"To be honest, your highness, I'll be glad to be out of here, no offence."

"None taken," the princess shook her head, "I myself am not too fond of the cold of Snowhead either."

"I couldn't say, Death Mountain is an active volcano and has tremendous heat."

"Oh, then I definitely wouldn't come. Our kind is not too fond of fire. We burn easily."

"Then I think this is the only time we shall meet, what a pity." The Goron bowed his head.

"My, how charming, although my father probably wouldn't approve of an admirer of another species."

"Besides, not such a young admirer, remember you're only ten, Goro."

"Just ten? And already such a big boy." She said with a smile that implied a lot of things and even though Link was only ten, he knew what those things may be. Suddenly he felt uncomfortable.

"Anyway, I'm sorry to inform you that we must leave now, we have a long journey ahead of us. So if you will excuse us?"

The princess bowed her head as the trio turned around to go back to the boats.

"Thank you once more for Dekaru's mask." The butler said.

Link waved goodbye and stepped in the boat.