The Mask of Majora - Chapter 2: The Salesman of Happiness
The sudden voice caused Link to jump and turn to its source. It was a man. A man he has met during past travels. He even worked for him once. Link only knew him as the Happy Mask Salesman. Tatl, of course, didn't know this man and she ducked inside Link's hat, ogling the salesman in confusion. The man simply grinned as he always did, no matter how unwelcoming the situation felt. He bowed in greeting, causing the masks he carried in his enormous pack to quaver and clatter.
Link nodded back. "I remember you," he said.
If possible, the salesman's grin widened. "I own the Happy Mask Shop. I have traveled far and wide in search of masks. Surely you have met me long ago when Hyrule Market was just at its peak." Link nodded again and let the man continue. "During my travels, a very important mask was stolen from me. So here I am at loss..." he said, his shoulders slumping just ever-so slightly.
Link stepped forward and walked towards him. '...an important mask...? Stolen...?'
"...and now I've found you," the salesman added, clasping his hands together.
Little Tatl, even though not able to gain the man's trust, fluttered out of her hiding place, but still remained behind Link. The current deku child didn't know how to interpret what the man had just told him. "You're saying it like you've been waiting for someone like me," he said jokingly, a bit of confusion riddling his voice.
The salesman looked down at the deku boy, eyebrows raised. "Ah, but I am," he said and Link raised his eyebrows in surprise as well. "Now, don't think me rude, but I have been following you... for I know a way to return you to your former self."
Link could have inhaled the salesman's giant pack with the gasp he emitted. "You can?" he marveled. "How? I'll do anything!"
The Happy Mask Salesman rubbed his clasped hands together zealously, glad to see the child so eager. "If you can get back the precious item that was stolen from you," he paused as he looked from the small white fairy to the boy. "...I will return you to normal."
Get his ocarina back, huh? That didn't sound so hard. He had Tatl by his side, so he could find the Skullkid straightforwardly with her help. But then, Link frowned. The salesman has been following him...? He must know him better than that. The man knows Link is capable to do the undreamed of. "There's a catch, isn't there?" Link asked softly.
"Just a small task. In exchange..." the man paused again, getting both Link and Tatl kind of peeved. "All I ask is that you also get back my precious mask that the imp stole from me," he said as if he was implying this was no challenge at all. Link gawked at him like if the man had just grown four heads. How could he do this? He was a defenseless deku! He couldn't just walk over to that Skull Kid and rip the mask off his head. The salesman noted Link's shock. "What? Is it not a simple task?" he questioned in bewilderment. "Why, to someone like you, it should by no means be a difficult task."
The boy hero took in a breath and was about to argue, but he halted himself when seeing how uneasy the man was acting.
"Except for one thing," he said hesitantly. "You see, I'm a very busy fellow... And I must leave this place in three days. I would be very grateful if you could bring it back before my time here is up."
'Ohh... for Din's sake, I don't believe this!' Tatl thought to herself, shaking her head in disbelief.
"But I see you are young and have tremendous courage. And I'm sure you'll find it right away." The Happy Mask Salesman stood as upright as his pack would let him and put his hands on his hips. "Well then, I am counting on you. Run along, now."
At first, Link thought he had lost control of his body. When you say something like 'Saving Hyrule', it doesn't sound like an uber-large deal. Two little words could have fooled anyone into believing there are not many steps into something so big. And Link feared that this was what the salesman speculated. The gears creaking in the background seemed to fade. And without looking back, Link ran up the ramp of this strange, windmill- like tower as fast as his short legs could take him and disappeared behind the exit.
The Happy Mask Salesman looked up to him as he left. "...please, do not forget my precious mask."
When going past the wooden double doors, Link was greeted by the crowing of a rooster and the cool sun rising as noon was nearing. The sounds of chattering people and construction tools filled his ears. He watched with awe and mystification through his deep, yellow eyes. He had never seen so many grown-ups communed in just one place; not even in Kakariko or in Hyrule Market. For a few seconds, he stood there, quietly taking in the surroundings. Then Tatl jumped into his line of vision.
She hovered in front of his face, not looking at him directly. "Ucch! He gives me the creeps! That mask salesman was the--" She paused when she noticed she was being glared. "Sorry... just thinking aloud. But c'mon! Three days?! Even if we never sleep that still leaves us with a mere 72 hours!! Good gods, talk about demanding!"
"Should we just start asking around?" wondered Link. "I mean, with so many people around there was to be someone here that may have an inkling," He looked over at the workers carrying around bricks, wood, cutting the stone with sledgehammers... they looked way too busy with their work to talk to a little deku scrub. A little tingling sound alerted Link that Tatl had just come up with something.
"Oh, hey! Let's go ask around until we find some more information," she said.
"But, t-that's what I just--"
"C'mon, let's get moving! Follow me!" She led the boy to a ramp that lead to the east wall of this enclosed town. As they walked, Tatl began to explain everything. "I take it you've lived in Hyrule all your life. This place is called Clock Town. It resides on the very center of the land of Termina."
"...what's Termina?" Link asked confused.
"It's another land in the world of Hyrule. When you entered that portal, you traveled out of your own land's dimension and into this one." Tatl led Link thru a door in the east wall and they entered another section of this large town. The place was still rather noisy, but the construction noise was much fainter. "This is East Clock Town. It's usually the busiest place in town, so there's bound to be someone here who knows about the Skull Kid."
"Mm-kay." Link towards the entrance of an inn and out walked a man with odd- looking clothes. Link rushed up to him and tapped at his side. "Umm, excuse me?" The man turned around briskly and then looked down at him. "Could you tell if you've seen--"
"I'm busy!!" the man spat out and walked away.
"Geez, you'd think he'd have some protocol for you," Tatl muttered. "Maybe he's one of those kid haters."
"I don't like grown-ups anyway," Link murmured. He began to walk away when his senses suddenly recurred that meeting as a déjà vu. With widened eyes, he flailed his head to where the strange man had just disappeared from. "Wait a minute--! Mr. Ingo?!" he chased after the man at full-speed and a bemused Tatl followed him, scolding at him to slow down. The boy couldn't believe he actually saw someone so familiar in this odd world. It had to be Ingo...
Link stopped besides a building like any other, but this one had a swanky, green door in golden plated frame. Link ogled it for a moment before looking around him once more. "I wonder where he went...?" he wondered, scratching his head. "More of a question, how did he get here...? It is way too far from Lon Lon Ranch... it couldn't have been him..."
"What the heck are you talking about?!" cried Tatl. "Besides that mask creep back at the clock tower, there can't be anybody here that you personally know!"
Link tensed up, not willing to give in to those facts. "But... they looked so much alike," he protested to himself. "Wow... my mind has to be playing tricks on me or something."
"Darn straight," Tatl said with an unnoticeable roll of the eyes. "Now let's go inside this place. This is the Mayor's residence, so he might probably know the skull kid's whereabouts by now..."
Without too much dithering, Link walked to the unique door and reached for the doorknob, but he couldn't reach it by just four inches, even when he stood on his toes. Link groaned in frustration and Tatl laughed at this. "And I thought before you were a scrub you couldn't get any shorter!" Link grunted irritably and jumped in the air. He was able to grab the doorknob, but he was now hanging in the air, getting Tatl to laugh even harder.
Link propped his legs against the door as he turned the knob with both hands. The door finally opened. "Hah! I did it!" he boasted. His hands slipped and he fell over, landing on his back. Tatl (you guessed it) laughed some more and hid under Link's hat as he brushed excess dust away. Tatl did not want to be the center of attention in an office, after all.
The boy approached the front desk, where a young receptionist sat, smiling down at Link broadly. "Aw, such a cute little client!" she said. "I could just eat you up!"
Link smiled nervously. "Can I have a talk with the mayor, ma'am?" he said.
The receptionist smiled and uttered a silent 'aw!' seeing how mature the little scrub was trying to act. "So, you have some buuussiiinnesss?" she said in her failed attempt of baby-talk. "Well, the door to your left is the mayor's office, but it sounds like they're having a meeting in there. The door to your right is Madame Aroma's office and the drawing room."
"Okay, thank you." Link said politely, ran to the left door and jumped to reach the doorknob, opening it a little bit. He peeked in and he practically had to cover his ears to mute the countless chattering. They were having a meeting and a serious one at that. Several workmen stood beside the mayor's desk and across from them stood some of the town's top guards.
"Things look pretty ugly between them," Tatl commented.
"That's not very nice, Tatl. The mayor isn't THAT ugly..." Link said, referring to Mayor Dotour who was sitting behind his desk, right in between the debating groups.
"Heheh... good one," Tatl said apathetically. "Let's go; there's nothing to see here. The mayor's probably too busy to care for a kid like you--" she began, but was cut off.
"Shh!" Link hissed, trying hard to listen over Tatl's yammering. Tatl was offended, but she avoided a brawl between the two of them and hid under Link's hat again, mumbling something under her breath. "I heard that," Link said snappily.
"Don't care," Tatl replied.
He shook his head, striving to disregard her. He left the door ajar so he wouldn't have to jump to open the door again. He crept into the office and stood at a corner. Since he went unnoticed, he stayed in that position and listened in. "Most of the townsfolk already have taken shelter without waiting for the mayor's orders. The only ones left are public servants and committee members," said one of the guards. "Mr. Mayor and Carnival Committee Members, please order those who remain to evacuate!"
The mayor opened his mouth to speak out, yet he was interrupted by one of the workers that were on the opposite end of the room.
"You cowards! Do you actually believe the moon will fall?" he bellowed tauntingly. "The confused townsfolk simply caused a panic by believing this ridiculous, baseless theory. The soldiers couldn't put a stop to the panic, but outside the town walls is where the real danger is! You want answers? The answer is that the carnival should not be canceled!" The man folded his arms across his chest and looked over at the mayor. "Isn't that right, Mr. Mayor?"
The mayor scratched his head. "Uh, well--"
The previous soldier replied in shock. "Are you serious, Mutoh?!? It seems that giant chunk of rock above us hasn't caught your eye!" Link gasped inaudibly. Was it really true? The moon was really falling? "At this time every year, we are overrun by tourists! So why is the town empty? Clearly it is your job to ensure the carnival's operation, but that's if people are here for it! Don't drag the merchants and soldiers into this!"
"If the soldiers wish to run, then run, Viscen!" Mutoh shot back. "We councilmen will stick to the tradition. This carnival will be a success! I've never heard of a defense unit abandoning its town!" He smirked a bit when saying that. "Madame Aroma would surely say the same thing, wouldn't she, Mayor Dotour?"
Rubbing his temples, Mayor Dotour shook his head. "...Let's not bring my wife into this," he moaned.
Link crept towards the door and ran back to the main hall, accidentally slamming the door behind him. Uneasy about getting into trouble, he ran past the receptionist and to the main door as fast as he could. "Well, hello! So, how did... it... go...?" the receptionist asked him, but slowed to a stop when seeing how in a hurry the little deku scrub was. When Link was finally outside, he contemplated the sky. Tatl flew out of his hat and stared at him directly. "What is it with you and boring conversations?" she asked. "Don't you ever have an...? Uh, hello?! Are you listening to me?"
Link pointed to the sky. "Look," he whispered. Tatl did so and her line of vision was mostly blocked by the gigantic moon up in the sky. Her eyes widened at the sight. She's never seen the Terminian moon so big. "That's moon's gonna fall," Link said.
"Whaaat? T-That's impossible! A moon cannot fall!! ...can it?" she finished nervously.
Link's sorrowful deku eyes gazed at the young fairy. He wasn't sure it was possible, but by the looks of things, he couldn't depend on logic anymore these days. He walked to the center of East Clock Town and sat on a box that was sitting there against a post. He watched mournfully two twin jugglers who seemed to be the only smiling faces around the area. They were practicing their routine without a care in the world. Link wished that he could be that optimistic at the moment. But with his horse gone, his ocarina stolen, his true physical self not there and the danger that this innocent town may have to face... there wasn't much to smile about.
Tatl sighed, as if she was on his same train of thought. "You know, maybe we should get some food while were at it," she said to him, hoping to get him off that box and his sorry mood. Link just shook his head in reply.
"That's okay; you go ahead. I'll be here when you're back," he murmured.
"No, no, kid. You have to eat, too. How else are you going to keep your strength for the next two days, huh?" She tugged at his hat slightly. "Come on, I know a place. The woman is not the best cook, but--"
"I haven't eaten in five days. Why start now?"
"Five days?! Are you trying to kill yourself or what?!?" Tatl suddenly cried out. "Kid, you gotta eat something! What kind of stupid reason do you have for not sleeping right or eating in so long?"
He looked up in displeasure, not wanting to discuss Navi any further. The more he thought of her at that moment, the more painful the situation felt. Even worse, he was stuck with a Navi look-alike fairy that barked at him like a tyrant aunt. "Fine, let's go eat something," he mumbled in defeat. Link just wanted her to quit it. "But I'm only doing it for you, okay?"
Tatl was taken aback. She had never heard this out of someone else's mouth before. The person she always seemed to harass with her 'sisterly love' was her brother Tael, and not even he dared to defy her like Link did. "It's not like I care so much about you!" she snapped back in her defense. "I just don't want you whining about your aching stomach and slowing down at the last day because of this. You want your ocarina back? You gotta stay fully focused!" With that, she flew in front of the inn's door as if to point. "Now, upsy-daisy! It's past midday, now!!"
Link forcefully got up with a groan and slowly shuffled over to the inn. He thankfully didn't have to open the door, for the town's postman was just entering the public house. Link stayed behind the postman and awaited his turn to speak to the innkeeper. He sat on a cushioned bench in the waiting room as the two grown-ups conversed. Link really didn't care-- they usually complained about boring or stupid stuff, so he just stared at the ground, humming Epona's song as he swayed his feet.
When the postman finally left, Link stood up with haste and waddled to the main counter. Unfortunately, the counter was just as tall as he was, so he had to stand back and crane his neck when he spoke. He called for the attention of the lady behind the counter. Looks like she was the innkeeper...
She looked down and managed to pull out a small smile. "Well, hello there! What a cute little customer!" she greeted. Tatl whispered in Link's ear. "Brace yourself... you're gonna get that a lot in this town..." she said. The lady behind the counter stood up straight and looked behind Link. "Are you going to be staying here? Where's your mother?" she asked courteously.
Link blushed and scratched his neck. "Um... she's, uhh... I don't have..."
"Well, I'm very sorry, but we're all booked with reservations," the innkeeper lady said. "Could you tell that to your mother?"
Link sighed, not very sure about what to do. Tatl leaned close and again whispered something in his ear. When seeing Link nod, the lady assumed he had understood what he had to do. But Link did not leave the inn, so the lady put a hand up to her chest, worried all of a sudden. "Oh, my goodness. I'm so sorry... you DO have a mother, right?"
"No, she's just... out somewhere..." Link half-lied. "But she can't take care of me right now and I'm... hungry." He stressed the word 'hungry'; it was sort of hard for him to say it.
"Ohh! Oh!" The lady suddenly went into spasm and ran away from her desk, away from Link and Tatl's sight. They both just stared ahead in confusion.
"Oooh-kay... that was weird," Tatl mumbled.
Not even two seconds later, the lady came out again, this time from behind the deku boy via the first level doorway. She stopped right in front of him, kneeled down and grabbed Link's shoulders caringly. "You poor thing! You're hungry? Oh, please stay; at least until your mother comes by. I'll cook you something... follow me." She walked back to the doorway casually. Tatl did a little ding sound, emphasizing her winking. Link followed the innkeeper without hesitation.
"My name is Anju," the lady said, grabbing an apron that was hooked up to the wall and she led Link towards another door in the hallway as she quickly put her apron on. She spoke hurriedly. "I'll be back as soon as I can with some lunch. In the meantime, you wait in this room right here, alright? Don't worry-- I just hope you like soup." And she walked off to the other end of the hall and into the kitchen. Reluctantly at first, Link went through the door and entered a small, but cozy bedroom. He had to do a double-take before realizing there was somebody else in the room. It was a elderly woman, sitting by the dim fireplace with a book in her hands. Knowing it was best to not disturb her, Link sat across the room in a small chair waiting for Anju to come back.
Minutes later, Anju came back, holding two heavy-looking trays in her arms. Link stood up at once and took one tray out of her hands, willing to help out. Anju smiled at him and held the remaining tray with both hands. "My, you are a true gentleman!" she complimented. "Thank you."
Sitting back on the small, wooden chair, Link put the tray on his lap, since if he had put it on the table he couldn't reach it without standing up. He stared down at the food warily. It was almost daunting that this was the day he would break such a long fast; on account of that the food didn't look very appetizing. But he knew he had to... as a minimum he had to satisfy Tatl, unless he wanted her on his nerves for the next two days. Another thing-- how was he going to eat it?
"Just shove it into your mouth... or snout... whatever it is," Tatl said jokingly when she saw Link stared down at the food in confusion. But it seemed to work at the first spoonful... so Link continued to eat... fast.
"Oh, Tortus, take that thing away. I already ate lunch," said the old lady to Anju, slightly waving her hand.
Anju sighed. "Grandmother, Tortus was my father," she said in annoyance. "And you haven't eaten any lunch yet. You barely ever leave this room."
Anju's grandmother took her nose out of the book and looked at her. "Didn't I already say I have eaten lunch, Tortus? Impossible child!" she said. Link watched the scene while he ate; his plate almost empty. Anju face looked like she was about to explode. But instead, she slumped down her shoulders and closed her eyes.
"Fine, just don't eat my food then," she muttered wretchedly.
Her grandmother leaned back on her chair and looked down at the book she held once more. "Whew..." she uttered a little too loud for Anju's liking.
Anju's jaw hung open as she gripped the tray until her knuckles turned white. "...'Whew'?!"
"Uhh... I meant, whew-w-w-would you like me to read you a story?" the grandmother said sheepishly, trying to save her cover. Anju just sighed frustratingly and stormed towards the door. Before she could leave, Link stepped in between her and the door, holding the tray with the empty plate. Anju's frown curved into a small smile.
"Wow, you really were hungry!" she said. "So you really liked it? Would you like some more?"
Link frowned a little and shook his head quickly. "N-No, thank you. I'm... I'm full."
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To Be Continued...
The sudden voice caused Link to jump and turn to its source. It was a man. A man he has met during past travels. He even worked for him once. Link only knew him as the Happy Mask Salesman. Tatl, of course, didn't know this man and she ducked inside Link's hat, ogling the salesman in confusion. The man simply grinned as he always did, no matter how unwelcoming the situation felt. He bowed in greeting, causing the masks he carried in his enormous pack to quaver and clatter.
Link nodded back. "I remember you," he said.
If possible, the salesman's grin widened. "I own the Happy Mask Shop. I have traveled far and wide in search of masks. Surely you have met me long ago when Hyrule Market was just at its peak." Link nodded again and let the man continue. "During my travels, a very important mask was stolen from me. So here I am at loss..." he said, his shoulders slumping just ever-so slightly.
Link stepped forward and walked towards him. '...an important mask...? Stolen...?'
"...and now I've found you," the salesman added, clasping his hands together.
Little Tatl, even though not able to gain the man's trust, fluttered out of her hiding place, but still remained behind Link. The current deku child didn't know how to interpret what the man had just told him. "You're saying it like you've been waiting for someone like me," he said jokingly, a bit of confusion riddling his voice.
The salesman looked down at the deku boy, eyebrows raised. "Ah, but I am," he said and Link raised his eyebrows in surprise as well. "Now, don't think me rude, but I have been following you... for I know a way to return you to your former self."
Link could have inhaled the salesman's giant pack with the gasp he emitted. "You can?" he marveled. "How? I'll do anything!"
The Happy Mask Salesman rubbed his clasped hands together zealously, glad to see the child so eager. "If you can get back the precious item that was stolen from you," he paused as he looked from the small white fairy to the boy. "...I will return you to normal."
Get his ocarina back, huh? That didn't sound so hard. He had Tatl by his side, so he could find the Skullkid straightforwardly with her help. But then, Link frowned. The salesman has been following him...? He must know him better than that. The man knows Link is capable to do the undreamed of. "There's a catch, isn't there?" Link asked softly.
"Just a small task. In exchange..." the man paused again, getting both Link and Tatl kind of peeved. "All I ask is that you also get back my precious mask that the imp stole from me," he said as if he was implying this was no challenge at all. Link gawked at him like if the man had just grown four heads. How could he do this? He was a defenseless deku! He couldn't just walk over to that Skull Kid and rip the mask off his head. The salesman noted Link's shock. "What? Is it not a simple task?" he questioned in bewilderment. "Why, to someone like you, it should by no means be a difficult task."
The boy hero took in a breath and was about to argue, but he halted himself when seeing how uneasy the man was acting.
"Except for one thing," he said hesitantly. "You see, I'm a very busy fellow... And I must leave this place in three days. I would be very grateful if you could bring it back before my time here is up."
'Ohh... for Din's sake, I don't believe this!' Tatl thought to herself, shaking her head in disbelief.
"But I see you are young and have tremendous courage. And I'm sure you'll find it right away." The Happy Mask Salesman stood as upright as his pack would let him and put his hands on his hips. "Well then, I am counting on you. Run along, now."
At first, Link thought he had lost control of his body. When you say something like 'Saving Hyrule', it doesn't sound like an uber-large deal. Two little words could have fooled anyone into believing there are not many steps into something so big. And Link feared that this was what the salesman speculated. The gears creaking in the background seemed to fade. And without looking back, Link ran up the ramp of this strange, windmill- like tower as fast as his short legs could take him and disappeared behind the exit.
The Happy Mask Salesman looked up to him as he left. "...please, do not forget my precious mask."
When going past the wooden double doors, Link was greeted by the crowing of a rooster and the cool sun rising as noon was nearing. The sounds of chattering people and construction tools filled his ears. He watched with awe and mystification through his deep, yellow eyes. He had never seen so many grown-ups communed in just one place; not even in Kakariko or in Hyrule Market. For a few seconds, he stood there, quietly taking in the surroundings. Then Tatl jumped into his line of vision.
She hovered in front of his face, not looking at him directly. "Ucch! He gives me the creeps! That mask salesman was the--" She paused when she noticed she was being glared. "Sorry... just thinking aloud. But c'mon! Three days?! Even if we never sleep that still leaves us with a mere 72 hours!! Good gods, talk about demanding!"
"Should we just start asking around?" wondered Link. "I mean, with so many people around there was to be someone here that may have an inkling," He looked over at the workers carrying around bricks, wood, cutting the stone with sledgehammers... they looked way too busy with their work to talk to a little deku scrub. A little tingling sound alerted Link that Tatl had just come up with something.
"Oh, hey! Let's go ask around until we find some more information," she said.
"But, t-that's what I just--"
"C'mon, let's get moving! Follow me!" She led the boy to a ramp that lead to the east wall of this enclosed town. As they walked, Tatl began to explain everything. "I take it you've lived in Hyrule all your life. This place is called Clock Town. It resides on the very center of the land of Termina."
"...what's Termina?" Link asked confused.
"It's another land in the world of Hyrule. When you entered that portal, you traveled out of your own land's dimension and into this one." Tatl led Link thru a door in the east wall and they entered another section of this large town. The place was still rather noisy, but the construction noise was much fainter. "This is East Clock Town. It's usually the busiest place in town, so there's bound to be someone here who knows about the Skull Kid."
"Mm-kay." Link towards the entrance of an inn and out walked a man with odd- looking clothes. Link rushed up to him and tapped at his side. "Umm, excuse me?" The man turned around briskly and then looked down at him. "Could you tell if you've seen--"
"I'm busy!!" the man spat out and walked away.
"Geez, you'd think he'd have some protocol for you," Tatl muttered. "Maybe he's one of those kid haters."
"I don't like grown-ups anyway," Link murmured. He began to walk away when his senses suddenly recurred that meeting as a déjà vu. With widened eyes, he flailed his head to where the strange man had just disappeared from. "Wait a minute--! Mr. Ingo?!" he chased after the man at full-speed and a bemused Tatl followed him, scolding at him to slow down. The boy couldn't believe he actually saw someone so familiar in this odd world. It had to be Ingo...
Link stopped besides a building like any other, but this one had a swanky, green door in golden plated frame. Link ogled it for a moment before looking around him once more. "I wonder where he went...?" he wondered, scratching his head. "More of a question, how did he get here...? It is way too far from Lon Lon Ranch... it couldn't have been him..."
"What the heck are you talking about?!" cried Tatl. "Besides that mask creep back at the clock tower, there can't be anybody here that you personally know!"
Link tensed up, not willing to give in to those facts. "But... they looked so much alike," he protested to himself. "Wow... my mind has to be playing tricks on me or something."
"Darn straight," Tatl said with an unnoticeable roll of the eyes. "Now let's go inside this place. This is the Mayor's residence, so he might probably know the skull kid's whereabouts by now..."
Without too much dithering, Link walked to the unique door and reached for the doorknob, but he couldn't reach it by just four inches, even when he stood on his toes. Link groaned in frustration and Tatl laughed at this. "And I thought before you were a scrub you couldn't get any shorter!" Link grunted irritably and jumped in the air. He was able to grab the doorknob, but he was now hanging in the air, getting Tatl to laugh even harder.
Link propped his legs against the door as he turned the knob with both hands. The door finally opened. "Hah! I did it!" he boasted. His hands slipped and he fell over, landing on his back. Tatl (you guessed it) laughed some more and hid under Link's hat as he brushed excess dust away. Tatl did not want to be the center of attention in an office, after all.
The boy approached the front desk, where a young receptionist sat, smiling down at Link broadly. "Aw, such a cute little client!" she said. "I could just eat you up!"
Link smiled nervously. "Can I have a talk with the mayor, ma'am?" he said.
The receptionist smiled and uttered a silent 'aw!' seeing how mature the little scrub was trying to act. "So, you have some buuussiiinnesss?" she said in her failed attempt of baby-talk. "Well, the door to your left is the mayor's office, but it sounds like they're having a meeting in there. The door to your right is Madame Aroma's office and the drawing room."
"Okay, thank you." Link said politely, ran to the left door and jumped to reach the doorknob, opening it a little bit. He peeked in and he practically had to cover his ears to mute the countless chattering. They were having a meeting and a serious one at that. Several workmen stood beside the mayor's desk and across from them stood some of the town's top guards.
"Things look pretty ugly between them," Tatl commented.
"That's not very nice, Tatl. The mayor isn't THAT ugly..." Link said, referring to Mayor Dotour who was sitting behind his desk, right in between the debating groups.
"Heheh... good one," Tatl said apathetically. "Let's go; there's nothing to see here. The mayor's probably too busy to care for a kid like you--" she began, but was cut off.
"Shh!" Link hissed, trying hard to listen over Tatl's yammering. Tatl was offended, but she avoided a brawl between the two of them and hid under Link's hat again, mumbling something under her breath. "I heard that," Link said snappily.
"Don't care," Tatl replied.
He shook his head, striving to disregard her. He left the door ajar so he wouldn't have to jump to open the door again. He crept into the office and stood at a corner. Since he went unnoticed, he stayed in that position and listened in. "Most of the townsfolk already have taken shelter without waiting for the mayor's orders. The only ones left are public servants and committee members," said one of the guards. "Mr. Mayor and Carnival Committee Members, please order those who remain to evacuate!"
The mayor opened his mouth to speak out, yet he was interrupted by one of the workers that were on the opposite end of the room.
"You cowards! Do you actually believe the moon will fall?" he bellowed tauntingly. "The confused townsfolk simply caused a panic by believing this ridiculous, baseless theory. The soldiers couldn't put a stop to the panic, but outside the town walls is where the real danger is! You want answers? The answer is that the carnival should not be canceled!" The man folded his arms across his chest and looked over at the mayor. "Isn't that right, Mr. Mayor?"
The mayor scratched his head. "Uh, well--"
The previous soldier replied in shock. "Are you serious, Mutoh?!? It seems that giant chunk of rock above us hasn't caught your eye!" Link gasped inaudibly. Was it really true? The moon was really falling? "At this time every year, we are overrun by tourists! So why is the town empty? Clearly it is your job to ensure the carnival's operation, but that's if people are here for it! Don't drag the merchants and soldiers into this!"
"If the soldiers wish to run, then run, Viscen!" Mutoh shot back. "We councilmen will stick to the tradition. This carnival will be a success! I've never heard of a defense unit abandoning its town!" He smirked a bit when saying that. "Madame Aroma would surely say the same thing, wouldn't she, Mayor Dotour?"
Rubbing his temples, Mayor Dotour shook his head. "...Let's not bring my wife into this," he moaned.
Link crept towards the door and ran back to the main hall, accidentally slamming the door behind him. Uneasy about getting into trouble, he ran past the receptionist and to the main door as fast as he could. "Well, hello! So, how did... it... go...?" the receptionist asked him, but slowed to a stop when seeing how in a hurry the little deku scrub was. When Link was finally outside, he contemplated the sky. Tatl flew out of his hat and stared at him directly. "What is it with you and boring conversations?" she asked. "Don't you ever have an...? Uh, hello?! Are you listening to me?"
Link pointed to the sky. "Look," he whispered. Tatl did so and her line of vision was mostly blocked by the gigantic moon up in the sky. Her eyes widened at the sight. She's never seen the Terminian moon so big. "That's moon's gonna fall," Link said.
"Whaaat? T-That's impossible! A moon cannot fall!! ...can it?" she finished nervously.
Link's sorrowful deku eyes gazed at the young fairy. He wasn't sure it was possible, but by the looks of things, he couldn't depend on logic anymore these days. He walked to the center of East Clock Town and sat on a box that was sitting there against a post. He watched mournfully two twin jugglers who seemed to be the only smiling faces around the area. They were practicing their routine without a care in the world. Link wished that he could be that optimistic at the moment. But with his horse gone, his ocarina stolen, his true physical self not there and the danger that this innocent town may have to face... there wasn't much to smile about.
Tatl sighed, as if she was on his same train of thought. "You know, maybe we should get some food while were at it," she said to him, hoping to get him off that box and his sorry mood. Link just shook his head in reply.
"That's okay; you go ahead. I'll be here when you're back," he murmured.
"No, no, kid. You have to eat, too. How else are you going to keep your strength for the next two days, huh?" She tugged at his hat slightly. "Come on, I know a place. The woman is not the best cook, but--"
"I haven't eaten in five days. Why start now?"
"Five days?! Are you trying to kill yourself or what?!?" Tatl suddenly cried out. "Kid, you gotta eat something! What kind of stupid reason do you have for not sleeping right or eating in so long?"
He looked up in displeasure, not wanting to discuss Navi any further. The more he thought of her at that moment, the more painful the situation felt. Even worse, he was stuck with a Navi look-alike fairy that barked at him like a tyrant aunt. "Fine, let's go eat something," he mumbled in defeat. Link just wanted her to quit it. "But I'm only doing it for you, okay?"
Tatl was taken aback. She had never heard this out of someone else's mouth before. The person she always seemed to harass with her 'sisterly love' was her brother Tael, and not even he dared to defy her like Link did. "It's not like I care so much about you!" she snapped back in her defense. "I just don't want you whining about your aching stomach and slowing down at the last day because of this. You want your ocarina back? You gotta stay fully focused!" With that, she flew in front of the inn's door as if to point. "Now, upsy-daisy! It's past midday, now!!"
Link forcefully got up with a groan and slowly shuffled over to the inn. He thankfully didn't have to open the door, for the town's postman was just entering the public house. Link stayed behind the postman and awaited his turn to speak to the innkeeper. He sat on a cushioned bench in the waiting room as the two grown-ups conversed. Link really didn't care-- they usually complained about boring or stupid stuff, so he just stared at the ground, humming Epona's song as he swayed his feet.
When the postman finally left, Link stood up with haste and waddled to the main counter. Unfortunately, the counter was just as tall as he was, so he had to stand back and crane his neck when he spoke. He called for the attention of the lady behind the counter. Looks like she was the innkeeper...
She looked down and managed to pull out a small smile. "Well, hello there! What a cute little customer!" she greeted. Tatl whispered in Link's ear. "Brace yourself... you're gonna get that a lot in this town..." she said. The lady behind the counter stood up straight and looked behind Link. "Are you going to be staying here? Where's your mother?" she asked courteously.
Link blushed and scratched his neck. "Um... she's, uhh... I don't have..."
"Well, I'm very sorry, but we're all booked with reservations," the innkeeper lady said. "Could you tell that to your mother?"
Link sighed, not very sure about what to do. Tatl leaned close and again whispered something in his ear. When seeing Link nod, the lady assumed he had understood what he had to do. But Link did not leave the inn, so the lady put a hand up to her chest, worried all of a sudden. "Oh, my goodness. I'm so sorry... you DO have a mother, right?"
"No, she's just... out somewhere..." Link half-lied. "But she can't take care of me right now and I'm... hungry." He stressed the word 'hungry'; it was sort of hard for him to say it.
"Ohh! Oh!" The lady suddenly went into spasm and ran away from her desk, away from Link and Tatl's sight. They both just stared ahead in confusion.
"Oooh-kay... that was weird," Tatl mumbled.
Not even two seconds later, the lady came out again, this time from behind the deku boy via the first level doorway. She stopped right in front of him, kneeled down and grabbed Link's shoulders caringly. "You poor thing! You're hungry? Oh, please stay; at least until your mother comes by. I'll cook you something... follow me." She walked back to the doorway casually. Tatl did a little ding sound, emphasizing her winking. Link followed the innkeeper without hesitation.
"My name is Anju," the lady said, grabbing an apron that was hooked up to the wall and she led Link towards another door in the hallway as she quickly put her apron on. She spoke hurriedly. "I'll be back as soon as I can with some lunch. In the meantime, you wait in this room right here, alright? Don't worry-- I just hope you like soup." And she walked off to the other end of the hall and into the kitchen. Reluctantly at first, Link went through the door and entered a small, but cozy bedroom. He had to do a double-take before realizing there was somebody else in the room. It was a elderly woman, sitting by the dim fireplace with a book in her hands. Knowing it was best to not disturb her, Link sat across the room in a small chair waiting for Anju to come back.
Minutes later, Anju came back, holding two heavy-looking trays in her arms. Link stood up at once and took one tray out of her hands, willing to help out. Anju smiled at him and held the remaining tray with both hands. "My, you are a true gentleman!" she complimented. "Thank you."
Sitting back on the small, wooden chair, Link put the tray on his lap, since if he had put it on the table he couldn't reach it without standing up. He stared down at the food warily. It was almost daunting that this was the day he would break such a long fast; on account of that the food didn't look very appetizing. But he knew he had to... as a minimum he had to satisfy Tatl, unless he wanted her on his nerves for the next two days. Another thing-- how was he going to eat it?
"Just shove it into your mouth... or snout... whatever it is," Tatl said jokingly when she saw Link stared down at the food in confusion. But it seemed to work at the first spoonful... so Link continued to eat... fast.
"Oh, Tortus, take that thing away. I already ate lunch," said the old lady to Anju, slightly waving her hand.
Anju sighed. "Grandmother, Tortus was my father," she said in annoyance. "And you haven't eaten any lunch yet. You barely ever leave this room."
Anju's grandmother took her nose out of the book and looked at her. "Didn't I already say I have eaten lunch, Tortus? Impossible child!" she said. Link watched the scene while he ate; his plate almost empty. Anju face looked like she was about to explode. But instead, she slumped down her shoulders and closed her eyes.
"Fine, just don't eat my food then," she muttered wretchedly.
Her grandmother leaned back on her chair and looked down at the book she held once more. "Whew..." she uttered a little too loud for Anju's liking.
Anju's jaw hung open as she gripped the tray until her knuckles turned white. "...'Whew'?!"
"Uhh... I meant, whew-w-w-would you like me to read you a story?" the grandmother said sheepishly, trying to save her cover. Anju just sighed frustratingly and stormed towards the door. Before she could leave, Link stepped in between her and the door, holding the tray with the empty plate. Anju's frown curved into a small smile.
"Wow, you really were hungry!" she said. "So you really liked it? Would you like some more?"
Link frowned a little and shook his head quickly. "N-No, thank you. I'm... I'm full."
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To Be Continued...