3. Bad Moon Rising...

"So, um, where the hell are we anyway?" I asked.

Tatl did a fairy shrug. "Woods or something. Who cares?"

"What's that thing?" I pointed. It was a giant pink flower.

"Sheesh, are you a Scrub or aren't you?"

"Well I am now," I snapped.

"Oh...right. Um, that's, like, one of those Deku Flowers that Scrubs can use to uh...bounce...or something..."

I stared at her. "You really don't know anything at all, do you?"

"Well I'm not a Scrub!"

"I'm not one either!"

"Look, just jump in the stupid flower and it'll spit you out up into the air! We can get out that way."

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

Well this sucked so far. I walked forward warily, eyeing the flower. "So...is this thing gonna eat me or something?"

"Yes, fine, whatever. Just do it."

Since I had no better ideas, I hopped into the flower.

Immediately the petals closed around me, and tightened. It felt like I was really being eaten. Just before I started screaming, the flower spat me up in the air, really freaking high, and for a moment I hung there...

Then I came crashing to earth near a door. "Owww..."

"Should have rolled when you landed," Tatl advised me.

I told her to do something that was probably anatomically impossible for fairies, and she responded in kind.

I ignored her and went through the door. Another cave-ish room, with a bunch of bunch of platform pillars with those Deku Flowers on them. Hopping from flower to flower was still weird, but it was like a bit like running on ice. If you stop you're going to fall, so you just have to keep going.

Then I crash-landed on the last ledge. I stumbled to my feet, groaning. Tatl, ignoring me, bobbed over to a decrepit little tree. "Check this out," she said, "It's strange, but the way you look right now sort of looks like this tree. It looks all dark and gloomy...almost like it could start crying any second now... How sad..."

The fact was that I felt like I could start crying any second now, but I didn't need her pointing it out. So I glared and moved forward.

Something was...off, again. I walked through something very weird, that I probably should have examined before I walked through it. But once I was through it I found myself in a surprisingly normal-looking corridor. Except for the sounds of machinery from up ahead. Like...a giant clock.

We came to the end of the corridor.

"Woah," Tatl said, "a giant clock."

"Wow," I agreed. "Ooh, stairs."

We headed up (when did I start thinking of Tatl and me as "we?") the stairs alongside the waterwheel and all the clock machinery. I wasn't sure where the stairs went, but I didn't see any other way out. Unless that pool of water led somewhere. But I had the feeling I couldn't swim. What with being wood and all.

We got to the top and I was about to open the door, when there was a sound behind us. I turned quickly, preparing for battle. Then stopped.

"Hey!" I exclaimed, naturally surprised. It was the Happy Mask Salesman. He was carrying a huge pack on his back, full of masks, and looking at me oddly.

"You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?" he said. "I own the Happy Mask Shop. I travel far and wide in search of masks..."

Odd, why was he explaining this to me? He must not have recognized me.

"During my travels, a very important mask was stolen from me by an imp in the woods. So here I am at a loss..."

Imp, huh? That sounded familiar.

"And now I've found you." He laughed. "Now don't think me rude, but I have been following you..."

"What?"

"...For I know of a way to return you to your former self."

"Oh, okay then."

"If you can get back the precious item that was stolen from you, I will return you to normal. In exchange, all I ask is that you also get back my precious mask that the imp stole from me."

"Well..." That Skull Kid was psycho. I wasn't sure if I could wrestle the mask away from him in this body.

"What?" the Happy Mask Salesman said. "Is it not a simple task? Why, to someone like you, it should by no means be a difficult task."

Flattery will get you everywhere. And I had saved Hyrule... "Okay, I'll do it."

"Except...The one thing is...I'm a very busy fellow...And I must leave this place in three days. I would be grateful if you could bring it back to me before my time here is up..."

I shifted my weight nervously.

"But yes...You'll be fine. I see you are young and have tremendous courage. I'm sure you'll find it right away."

"Well...yeah, maybe... Sure."

"Well then, I am counting on you."

"'Kay."

We left the clock tower, and I found myself in a town. A big town. Full of people.

I felt horribly self-conscious, for pretty much the first time in my life. Though I'd never much paid attention to it, I knew I was a good-looking kid. I was used to being treated as one. Now I was a Scrub. And I couldn't even bite my lip to stop myself from crying.

But I swallowed a couple times and fought down the urge. "He gives me the creeps!" Tatl exclaimed. "That mask salesman was the..."

I stared at her.

She noticed. "Sorry...just thinking aloud. But three days? Even if we never sleep, that still leaves us with a measly 72 hours! Talk about demanding." She sighed. Then looked at me. "Well, don't just stand there! We're going to see the Great Fairy!"

"The...the Great Fairy?" I shuddered. Great Fairies always creeped me out.

"Look, you wanna find the Skull Kid, don't you?" Tatl snapped. "The Great Fairy will know what he's up to. She watches over everything. And just between you and me, the Skull Kid is no match for the Great Fairy. Go to the shrine near the North Gate. You'll find the Great Fairy in there."

I sighed. More people were going to see me. "So where's the North Gate?"

"Um, north?" She rolled in the air, which is the fairy equivalent of rolling one's eyes.

"Well which way's north?"

"Just follow me." She led me around the clock tower, past one opening, and through another.

More town. More people. Whoo.

I tried not to make eye contact with anyone, and just followed Tatl. She led me to the back of the area, to a ledge. The ledge led up to a cave. Inside the cave...was the Great Fairy's Fountain.

"Oh no! The Great Fairy!" Tatl shrieked. She zoomed forward and I followed at a run.

"Oh...wow. Bad."

The Great Fairy was not the freaky-looking nearly-naked woman with the mad-serial-killer laugh that I was used to and afraid of. Instead there were a bunch of weird fairy-like bunny heads floating around.

They/it/them turned to me and said, "Young one! Please hear my plea! I have been broken and shattered to pieces by the masked Skull Kid. Please find the Stray Fairy lost in town, and bring her to this Fairy Fountain."

"That Skull Kid has gone too far!" Tatl raged. "We can't just let this happen! Quick! We have to find the Stray Fairy and return the Great Fairy to normal!"

"Right!" I turned and dashed off.

Tattl bobbed up behind me. "Do you even know where you're going?"

"Uh...no."

"So you're just running off without thinking."

"It always worked before."

"Before? You've done this before?"

"Kinda."

"Listen Deku Boy, I don't know who you think you are-"

"Link."

"Huh?"

I stopped running and turned to her. "My name is Link."

"Link?"

"Yeah."

"Oh..." She bobbed thoughtfully. "That...sounds familiar."

"Oh goddess!" I exclaimed. "If that story has gotten here..."

"Story? What story?"

"No story. There is no story and there never was."

Tatl looked at me. "If we were in a raft I'd swear you'd been drinking seawater."

"What's seawater?" (I'd spent most of my life in the forest, remember? And Hyrule is land-locked)

"Salt water. From the sea."

"What's a sea?"

"You know, like halfway between a lake and an ocean."

"What's an ocean?"

"The biggest possible body of water ever."

"Oh."

"Why the hell did I just answer all those questions like that?" Tatl asked incredulously.

I shrugged. "If you ask a dumb enough question fast enough, people usually answer before they think about it."

"O...kay... You're insane aren't you?"

"No one's proven that." I scanned the town. "So where would a lost fairy go?"

"You think I know? Because that is racial stereotyping."

"I'm just thinking out loud. Sheesh."

I wandered back to the front of the Clock Tower and looked around. The only thing I could really think of to do was wander around and look. It was a plan at least. Sorta.

There was something very strange about Clock Town, aside from the fact that it was named Clock Town. It was a little after dawn, so the streets were mostly empty, but what people there were looked oddly familiar. Like people I knew.

But they were different. Slight differences in ages, different jobs... I hadn't moved through time again, had I?

No, I was pretty sure I hadn't. So where the hell was I?

Everyone mostly shooed me away and told me to find my parents, but there was one Deku guy who was friendly.

"I've already sold out of my wares, and the carnival hasn't even begun," he said happily. "I'm thinking of closing up shop so I can buy a gift for my wife and return to her in my village! I've heard that a stone called the Moon's Tear shines brighter than any other in the land, my wife would love it!"

"Hey, if I find one you'll be the first to know," I said.

"You mean it? That'd be great! If you give it to me, I'll give you my spot here, Deku Flower included!"

I promised and kept up my search.

I eventually came across some steps that led to a somewhat concealed opening that led to a big pool of water with a couple of laundry scrubber thingies leaning against the wall.

There was something moving in the shadows on the other side of the pool. I still wasn't sure I could swim though.

"Tatl, can Deku Scrubs swim?"

"Hell if I know. Why don't you try?"

"What if I drown?"

Tatl just looked at me.

"Glowing little..."

"Love you too. Now go drown."

I looked at the water. My reflection looked back. Goddess, I really did look sad.

I took a deep breath, and leapt into the water.

I was right, I couldn't swim, but I could skip across the water like a stone.

I reached the other side of the pool out of breath and a little freaked, but okay.

It looked just like the freaky little things in the Fountain, so I approached. "Hi there little, um, thingie."

"Please, hear my plea! The masked Skull Kid has broken me apart and scattered my pieces! Please find a way to return me to the Fairy Fountain in North Clock Town."

Great Fairies talk funny.

For some reason the way she was talking sent a pang through me, almost like physical pain. It reminded me of something, but...what?

"No problem," I said, trying to ignore that gonna-cry feeling again. "Just stick close to me and it'll be fine."

The fairy-thingie followed me back across the pool and all the way back to the Fountain.

Once we got there, the pieces of the Great Fairy swirled together and formed back into the big go-go booted leopard-skinned Great Fairy I had come to know and fear. Goodie.

"Tatl, and you, young one of the altered shape... Thank you for returning my broken and shattered body to normal. I am the Great Fairy of Magic. I thought that masked child was helping me, and I grew careless. All I can offer you now is this: I shall grant you Magic Power as a sign of my gratitude. Please accept it!"

Kick-ass! I can do magic again! But...what kind of magic can Scrubs do?

"The man who lives in the observatory just outside of town may know of the Skull Kid's whereabouts. But be careful! You must not underestimate that child's powers. Kind young one, if ever you are returned to your former shape, come see me. I shall give you something to aid you."

"'Kay."

There was one good thing about being a Deku Scrub, at least I wasn't unwillingly attracted to the Great Fairy.

"The Great Fairy said the astronomer knows the Skull Kid," Tatl said. "Hurry! We need to find a way to get out of town and to the observatory!"

"Well how am I supposed to do that?"

"Beats me. Ask somebody."

I sighed. There was a boy in a red bandanna nearby, shooting darts at a balloon. I tried to get his attention, but he was having none of it.

"Whaddya want, shrimp?" he snapped. "I'm busy practicing with my blowgun! If you can't pop that balloon, then don't mess with Jim!" Then he growled at me. Really.

I moved on.

Clock Town turned out to be pretty freakin' huge. It was divided by compass sections, and there were gates out in each side. The guards, however, wouldn't let me out. They said it was too dangerous for a little kid like me to go alone, and told me to go find my parents.

Honestly! I never had people telling me to find my parents back in Hyrule. Maybe that was why I had never missed having them.

Over in East Clock Town I found a kid in a blue bandanna who was willing to talk. He was sort of rude though. That's kids for ya.

"What's with you?" he asked. "You're wearing a weird hat for a Deku! Did you come to town to play? I bet nobody will play with you, right?" He smiled happily over having figured it out. "The adults are all busy getting ready for the carnival," he sighed. "The old astronomer at the observatory outside town is the only one who'll spend any time playing with us kids. We Bombers have our hideout at the observatory. You have to take a secret route to get to it." He stopped abruptly. "Oh! Don't be telling Jim that I told you that!"

Jim, huh? I thought. "Don't worry," I said. "I won't."

I headed north.

Jim was still practicing with his blowgun, even though it was now close to noon. I figured the best way to get his attention was to do in his balloon, so I focused on it, gathered my magic, and let loose with...bubbles? Whatever.

"Waugh!" Jim exclaimed. He'd apparently been so focused on the balloon that he hadn't even seen me. He looked around and finally saw me. "Are you the one who just popped that up there? Not bad for a Deku Scrub!"

"Heh, thanks," I would have grinned sheepishly if I could. "Listen, I need directions. Do you know how to get to the observatory?"

"We Bombers have a hideout that leads to the observatory," he grinned proudly. "You need a code to get in. Maybe I'll tell you what it is!"

"Really?"

"Psych! Don't think you're getting it that easily! I can't just tell you what the code is, you have to pass my test first."

"What...kind of test?"

He just grinned broader. "Are you ready?"

I shrugged. "What the hell."

"All right! Line up, guys!"

Out of nowhere, four boys in blue bandannas popped up and grinned at me.

"If you can find all five of us by tomorrow morning, I'll teach you the code," he gestured at his buddies. "Are you ready?"

"Hide and seek?" I asked incredulously.

"Yup."

I shrugged again. "Go for it."

"Scatter!" Jim shouted. And they did.

I won't bore you with the details, really, it's boring, but I found all five boys in only six hours. What can I say? They're really good at hide and seek. Tatl wasn't too forgiving about it though.

"Oh, why do we have to play these stupid brats' little games? C'mon! Hurry up and find them already!"

I ignored her. I'm good at ignoring fairies.

Two of the boys were nearby in North Clock Town. They weren't too tough, though it still took awhile. One of them was in West Clock Town, slightly more trouble. The toughest two were in East Clock Town. One of them was on the thatched roof next to the Stock Pot Inn. He ran when he saw me and I had to use a Deku Flower to chase him down. The last one was holding onto a cucco on another roof. He also jumped down as soon as he saw me.

I didn't want to be chasing kids all around Clock Town, but at least I got a good feel for the place as I did. Nothing helps you commit a town to memory like hide and seek.

"You're pretty good for a Deku Scrub!" Jim grinned reluctantly. "If only you were human... Then I could give you an original Bombers' Notebook and make you a member..." He turned to his buddies. "What do you guys think?"

"No way! No Scrubs!" they chorused.

"I guess not..." Now his grim was apologetic. "Once, we let some kid who wasn't human join our gang, and, boy, did we ever regret it! Sorry! But I'll teach you the code, just like I promised. I can tell you only once, though, so pay close attention! Are you ready?"

"For the last time yes!"

He told me the code. "The entrance to our hideout is in East Clock Town."

"Thanks...I guess."

It was now evening, but I didn't want to waste time. Other than grabbing a bite to eat on the way, I didn't stop once until I got to the observatory.

It was pretty cool actually. Plenty of telescopes and sciencey things that I didn't know the uses for. The only really odd thing was that the old guy in there looked just like the old guy from the lag by Lake Hylia. But it wasn't him. Looked like him, but wasn't.

Termina is weird.

"Well, yours is a face I'm not used to seeing," the old guy smiled at me. "Are you here to do something for me? I am Shikashi, professor of astronomy."

"Actually, I came for information."

"Ah, you've come to learn!" he smiled happily.

"Well...sort of..."

"Come, come, look here." He ushered me over to the biggest telescope, brimming with so much excitement that I couldn't disappoint him. "I have been enamored with the moon since I was a child. Now, I spend my days gazing at it from here. The moon has long been considered a mystical body, which people have worshiped and feared. That alone shows how the moon has a cosmic influence that affects our daily lives." He paused thoughtfully. "But lately, there is something quite strange with the moon. Strange, indeed... It seems as though the moon is being pulled down by something and is slowly drawing closer."

I stared at him. He was crazy, he had to be. The moon couldn't really be getting closer. That was...crazy.

"So, will you gaze into the telescope?"

I nodded and he moved aside so I could look. The first thing I did was look around until I found the moon, and then...

"Holy crap!" I exclaimed.

"I see," the professor sighed.

The Termina moon had a face. Not just any face, oh no. A giant, scary, evil-looking face with glowing red eyes and huge yellow teeth and a mad expression like it wanted to destroy us all. And it was huge. I could believe it was getting closer.

I couldn't look any more. I stepped away from the telescope.

"Well...could you see it?" the Prof asked sadly. "It already may be impossible to stop its descent...All I can do is accept what the cosmos has designed to be the destiny for me and this planet."

"No way!" I exclaimed. "You can't assume that it's your destiny to die! Especially when that moon has been so obviously screwed with!" (Okay, so I used a stronger word than "screwed," but I'm trying to beat Zel and keep my story PG-13. Or is it Teen now?)

The Prof blinked. "Are you a new friend of the Bombers gang?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Hmmm...Your manners seem much better than those of your mischievous friend from the other day." He laughed and I smiled inwardly. You never know how adults are going to react to profanity.

"What mischievous friend?" I asked.

"That ill-mannered troublemaker from the other day," the Prof sighed. "He said he'd break my instruments...He said he'd steal my Moon's Tear... There was no stopping him. Even now! Just watch him! He's probably causing trouble around the clock tower."

I turned back to the telescope and looked. The clock tower was just a little bit below the moon, and there seemed to be a figure moving around on top of it.

I zoomed in. Sure enough, it was that crazy Skull Kid. He was dancing around or something, wildly. He gestured sharply in the air, and, instinctively, I pointed the telescope up. Back at the moon.

Something fell from one of the mad red eyes. I t looked like a tear...but could evil inanimate objects cry? Whatever it was, it fell to the ground with a hug boom, near the observatory somewhere.

I stepped back again.

"Well, did you find that troublemaker?" the Prof asked. "And that loud noise...What was that? Perhaps another Moon's Tear has fallen nearby..." he said curiously. "Go and take a look outside." The Prof gestured toward the upper door.

"But I wonder how that troublemaker got on top of the clock tower?" he said thoughtfully. "The only way up there is through the clock door, and that opens only on the eve of the carnival. What could that troublemaker be doing atop the clock tower? I just hope he's not plotting another one of his no-good tricks..."

"Yeah, I hope so too..."

Searching around outside, I soon found a big tear-shaped rock. It was pretty enough, I suppose, but that sort of thing has never interested me.

"Come on, let's go!"

"Go?" I repeated.

"Don't you remember that Deku Scrub who wanted the Moon's Tear? Don't tell me you forgot..."

"I didn't forget...It just doesn't seem important."

"That flower on his land, it was right near the clock tower!"

"Um, so?"

"Goddess you're dense. Think about it. We need to get to Skull Kid. Skull Kid is on top of the clock tower. The door to the clock tower is really high up, plus it opens only once a year, at midnight on the eve of the carnival. Skull Kid is...well...he has ways. But you need to find a way up there! Like the flower!"

"You really think I can get all the way to the top of that clock tower by being spat out of a flower?"

"Hells yeah! Let's go!"

I shrugged. "Best idea you've had so far."

"Yeah! Wait...should I be insulted?"

"I honestly don't know."

That Deku Scrub guy was sure happy to have to Moon's Tear.

"Ah! That stone! You must hand it over to me! In exchange, I'll give you my spot here...Deku Flower included! Yes? You really helped me out! Now I have the perfect souvenir for my wife! She hasn't set eyes on a jewel or strange, sparkling stone like this in a very long time. The Title Deed for this spot should be in high demand among Deku Scrubs, but you already know that. If you don't need it anymore, you can always sell it!"

Then he dashed off

I peered at the flower. "You sure about this?"

"No."

"I'm asking around then."

"Aww..."

There were carpenters working on something nearby. When I asked, one of them told me it was the bridge up to the tower entrance. I'm not sure why the door couldn't just be at ground level, but I suppose that would be too easy.

"It'll be finished in two days," the carpenter told me. "Just in time for the carnival."

"See," I told Tatl as we walked away. "No need for the flower. Those guys are building a bridge."

"I still say the flower thing is a good idea."

"You just think it's funny to see me get eaten by a plant."

"True. Doesn't mean it wouldn't work."

"Come on, I need to find a place to sleep."

"Sleep is for the weak!"

"We have two days to kill, there is no reason I can't sleep."

"Pfft, that's loser talk."

"What is your problem Tatl?" I snapped. "Why do you act like this?"

"I'm bossy."

"I noticed."