Just as with the Woodfall Temple, Link and Tatl recovered from the flash of light as they left the Giant's realm. Rather than appearing in the cleansed Temple as before, they found themselves in the clearing with the smithy resided. Instantly, they noticed the large difference in the area as they gained their bearings.
For one thing, the temperature was significantly warmer than it was before. Ice and patches of snow were still present, but in far less quantities than before. It was still rather chilly, but practically a paradise compared to how it was before. Another thing of note was the green grass and flowers growing around the area, exposed by the lack of snow on the ground. The pond nearby the smithy was even thawed out entirely, a single frog residing on a lily pad. Another thing of note was that it was the second night, as evident by the Moon's proximity to Clock Town. The unusual flow of time within the Snowhead Temple made it very vague as to the exact time the two spent in there.
Granted, a lot of these things went somewhat unnoticed by Link and Tatl. The two of them were still reeling from the awful news that the Giant had given them. Somehow, someway, the pair was supposed to free all four of the guardian deities within the span of three days. Not accounting for necessities like food, drink, and rest. With heavy stomachs, the boy and fairy slowly took in what was around them.
"It's Spring…" Tatl murmured out, not even really thinking. Her mind was still mostly back in the realm with the Giant, stunned at the terrible news they got.
At first, Link didn't say anything. He simply walked over to the nearest tree, shed his equipment, and sat down with his back against it. While cold, it wasn't so bad that he couldn't spend an extended period of time outside. He wasn't really thinking about that, though. Like with Tatl, his mind was still fixated on the Giant's words.
"I don't know what to do." He bluntly confessed, glancing over at Tatl as she landed gently on his shoulder. "Is there really enough time to free all the Giants?" Link wasn't even sure why he was asking the fairy. Maybe he just wanted some sort of blind optimism from her.
Instead, he just got blunt realism. "I have no idea. It took us until the second night just to get this part of Termina cleansed." She had given up trying to see some sort of silver lining for a while, especially with Link's attitude within the Temple.
Link should have expected that. Letting out a deep breath, he leaned on the tree more, his sword resting on his lap as he closed his eyes. "I need to rest." He said simply, still exhausted even though his wounds had been healed.
"Right here? Outside? I guess it's warm enough, but…" Tatl murmured, looking around the area. "There could be Wolfos around, you know?"
The boy nearly flinched at the mention of Wolfos, instantly remember the two he slaughtered with his bare hands. He didn't heed Tatl's words, almost to the point where he didn't even care if something happened in his sleep due to how hopeless he felt. "Are you going to sleep?"
"Well, no…" Tatl said after a pause. She was tired, but the awful news the two had gotten all but guaranteed she couldn't take a nap even if she tried. For a moment, she wondered how Link could sleep at a time like this, but quickly recalled all the physical tasks he had to perform this Cycle. The kid was surely exhausted, even if he didn't show it entirely. Those deep, dark circles under his eyes told enough.
"You can look out for them, then." He muttered in response, not even as an order or a request, practically like a suggestion. Even with his mind racing with despair and even anger, his body was so tired that he already felt himself starting to slip into slumber.
Sighing a bit, Tatl nodded, feeling that going against his wishes was pointless. She'd be bored, sure, but the fairy couldn't find it in her to rob Link of his rest, even for a moment. Despite herself, she felt a great deal of pity for the Hylian. "Alright, fine. I guess I'll make sure nothing gets near you."
Even with the fairy's promise, Link kept his sword securely in his grip. He wasn't even willing to lie down flat on the ground, he had to fall asleep with his back up against something. The boy vaguely recalled how, back in the castle; he had his bed pushed against a corner of the room. He felt if his back wasn't directly at a wall, something would get him from behind. Granted, being in a corner was hardly any better, but it wasn't like his brain was functioning even remotely right during those days.
"Thank you." Was all Link said in response as he fell asleep, his body relaxing after being tense for what felt like days straight…
The boy saw his breath clearly as he walked through the tunnel. Looking back, it stretched for what seemed like forever behind him, just as it did in front of him. Despite no clear source of light, he was able to see clearly, as if the ice lining the walls gave off their own glow.
Despite the nonstop shivering of his entire being, Link pressed onward, not even sure if he was going towards the exit. Tatl wasn't with him, the child all alone as he slowly marched onward. It was almost dead silent, the only noises being his muffled footfalls in the snowy floor along with the shuddering he involuntary gave off as the cold bit at him.
On and on he went, the tunnel never seeming to change no matter how far he went. No turns, no change in scenery, nothing that implied he was doing anything but just walking in place. If it weren't for the footprints he left behind, he'd be sure he was somehow not moving despite putting one foot in front of the other.
It seemed as though Link went onward for hours, violently shivering the entire time but never succumbing to the harsh cold. Eventually, however, the scenery finally changed. The child found himself in a wide open space, a chilling fog making it so he couldn't see more than a few feet in front of him. Slowly, he marched onward, soon seeing a vague figure in the distance. As he got near, his eyes widened at what it was he saw.
The figure turned out to be Saria! Not quite, though. It was a sculpture of Saria, made out of ice. Its details were exact, to the point of being perfect. Except, that was, the massive hold in its stomach, rough cracks sprouting from it. Her face was twisted into a silent scream, to the point where even streaming tears were sculpted down her face. For a brief moment, Link saw the statue as the real Saria, a spear forced through her body as blood ran down her front. In the blink of an eye, she was merely ice once more.
Trying not to panic, Link moved past the sculpture, but very soon came across another one. It was far larger and depicted Darunia grinning right down at the boy. His body wasn't damaged to the extent of Saria, but he was still chipped around the edges. While not as distressing, it was still eerie for Link to see a friend of his sculpted out of ice.
Once more, he kept going, but it was less than a minute before he came across yet another sculpture. This one was of Ruto, frowning heavily as her icy eyes stared at Link in a disturbingly lifelike manner. There were numerous cracks around her body, but nowhere near as bad as with Saria. Link didn't understand what was going on, and just kept going.
The boy was moving closer to a jog at this point, going past a statue of Impa that he tried to ignore, horrid cracks sprouting from her eyes. Even at his point, he couldn't bear to even look at the Sheikah, not even a false version of her. He went by an icy Nabooru, who stared at him with a heavy frown, many cracks across her form. It had been so long since he saw her, he had no idea how she was even doing…
Link paused as he came across something a bit different. Before him were two sculptures, one of Malon, and one of Navi. Against all logic, the sculpture of Navi floated in midair and resided by the rancher girl's head. Unlike the other statues, these two shone brightly despite the dim lighting and were flawless without any chipping or cracks. They seemed more like they were made of some sort of crystal than ice.
Despite the state of the sculptures, Link still felt his stomach drop. He missed Malon so much, and he was still so desperate to find Navi. As soon as he left Termina and checked back with Zelda, he'd go back to looking for her. Never mind the initial deal!
Taking a few seconds to tear his gaze away, Link kept going until he reached two more statues. One was of Zelda, the Princess gazing at him with a mournful look. Cracks formed on her face and on her head, the young girl looking as though she were about to burst into tears at any moment. She looked so fragile…
The other statue, to Link's shock, was of him. Even when made of ice, Link's expression was void of any sort of emotion. Its eyes were just as dull and lifeless as the genuine article, unlike with the other sculptures which had very motive eyes. On top of that, this one was the most damaged of them all. Cracks ran across its entire body from head to toe, a real marvel that it was able to stay together at all. Link felt his throat tighten as he gazed at an icy version of himself, hating what he saw. The dead eyes, the cracks, even getting his exhausted eyeshadows right. Not even knowing why, he reached out and lightly touched the statue's shoulder.
In an instant, it crumbled.
It was so sudden that Link flinched and stepped back as his sculpture became a mess of icy shards on the floor. The collapse was so thorough that it was impossible to tell that the pile of ice even formed something coherent to begin with.
On an impulse he couldn't explain, Link instantly fell to his knees and started to try and fit his pieces back together. The shards of ice bit at his fingers, and the cold gnashed and grinded against his skin, but he didn't care. Link was just so desperate to try and make the pieces fit that he ignored the pain. Not that it helped at all, as he wasn't able to figure out what went where or what piece of ice used to be what body part.
Still, he tried in vain to mesh the pieces together, to try and make something concrete out of them. Yet, it was to no avail. It seemed like the pieces of ice morphed and changed shape every time he blinked, but Link still fumbled as he tried to make even a single comprehensive shape out of the ice.
As he got more desperate, Link started to pant as anxiety coursed through him. After what seemed like an hour of futile efforts, he suddenly realized he was surrounded. Jerking his head up, the young Hylian was startled to see that all the statues he had seen previously were around him in a circle. Except…they had changed.
Every single sculpture of his friends and loved ones were glaring at him with unbridled and unnerving hatred. They didn't move any farther than this, apparently satisfied with their new positions. After Link realized they wouldn't hurt him, he then understood what it was they wanted from him.
"I'm sorry…I'm sorry, I'll try…" He murmured, attempting in vain to put the pieces back together. The longer he tried, the more intense the glares from the sculptures felt despite their lack of further changes. Tears soon started to stream down his face as he kept begging for forgiveness over and over. "I'll put myself together, I promise…I promise…" The boy whimpered, trying his best not to break down sobbing. "I'm sorry…I'm sorry…I'm sorry…"
Link's eyes flew open as he let out a startled noise.
The boy looked around, taking a few moments to realize where he was. Leaning against the tree by the smithy's cabin, as he should be. His insides felt all twisted into knots, and he realized that while he still kept a grip on his sword with one hand, he was grabbing a fistful of grass with the other. As he panted, trying to get his breath back, he noticed two more things. One was that it was early morning and the other was that Tatl was asleep on his shoulder. Apparently she wasn't able to stay awake all night, but Link didn't mind. She didn't see him waking up in a panic, so it was worth the risk of a possible Wolfos attack, as baffling as that seemed.
Link focused on taking deep breaths, trying to forget about the nightmare he had as his nerves steadied themselves slowly. He refused to even glance vaguely towards the sky, knowing full well that the Moon would be unbelievably massive with less than a day until its impact. Even as he thought about this, he swore he heard the ground shake, but the child didn't know if it was just in his head or not.
It may have indeed been real, as moments later, Tatl's eyes slowly opened as she let out a yawn. The fairy stood up slowly, stretching her arms as she quickly noticed Link was awake. Flinching, she lowered her arms and looked away from the boy. "Uh…I guess I fell asleep…sorry, I guess…" She murmured, not having even realized she had passed out.
Shaking his head, Link echoed Tatl's actions stood up, gathering his things as his companion took to the air. "It's fine. Nothing happened to us." Really, that was all that mattered in the end. "Before we go back in time, we still have to return the Stray Fairies."
Back to business, not even shocking anymore. Though Tatl had to admit, she sort of forgot about the Great Fairy due to the Giant's bad news. "Oh, yeah. I have no idea where the Fountain is here, though."
"We'll have to ask the Gorons." The Hylian replied, getting all his things together as he started to walk towards Goron Village. If anyone knew, it'd be them. That, and he wanted to check in and make sure they were all okay. Yes, the curse was broken, but he wouldn't feel at ease until he saw the Gorons with his own eyes.
"Good idea. What are you going to tell them about Darmani, though?" Tatl wondered while she followed Link as he started towards the village. Something told her Link wouldn't be able to help but tell the truth to everyone no matter how inconvenient.
Shaking his head, Link kept his eyes forward. "I won't tell them anything." He answered simply. Normally, Tatl would've been right here, and he would've told the truth, even if it wasn't the most convenient thing. This time, he just couldn't bring himself to do so. He couldn't look the Gorons in the face and tell them their hope was false, and Darmani was truly dead. Especially since several of the Gorons had seen him…
"What? Really? Well, I guess going back in time would make it pointless anyway, right?" The fairy mused, not about to argue for Link to do something like that. She was pretty used to lying, whether it was convenient or not, so egging someone to tell others the truth wasn't her thing.
Without the severe cold from before and the snow, the walk to Goron Village was faster than last time. To Link's mild comfort, he saw numerous Gorons walking about, some of them spreading their arms and looking up to the sky, bathing in the warmth of the sun.
As the boy and fairy drew close, one of the Gorons went up to him with a large grin on his face. "Ah, human! You came just in time! It's finally Spring here on these mountains!" He bellowed happily.
"Is everyone okay from the Winter?" Link asked, looking about more and as far as he could tell, everyone was okay. At the very least, no one looked upset as though they lost someone they knew. Of course, he wasn't about to go ask every single Goron if anything was wrong either…
"Oh, yes, we had a few close calls, but it seems everyone made it out! The Goron Elder really gave us a scare, but he's resting with his son now." The Goron explained with a relieved tone.
Tatl couldn't help but imagine how loud the son's wailing would be if something actually happened to his father. A grim thought, but she swore her ears were still ringing from that brat's crying. "Hey, so, do you know where the Great Fairy's Fountain is around here?" She asked, not feeling any sort of magical sensation in the air.
The Goron blinked in confusion, looking to Tatl as if he just noticed her. "Hm? Oh, that's at the Snowhead Temple. It's on the bottom around the back. The rest of the mountain is a lot safer, but no one has been brave enough to check the Temple yet. If you really want to go there, I'd be careful…"
"We'll manage." Link replied bluntly. "Thanks for the help." Without another word, he walked away from the helpful Goron and towards the entrance of Snowhead Temple with Tatl in tow. Thankfully, the stone slab was still opened, so he wouldn't have to take Darmani's form and potentially be seen. After a moment of hesitation, he drew his sword before going through the entrance, just in case.
When the two came out on the other side, they saw the Temple they had just cleansed. While it was still massive and sharp, it somehow seemed far less imposing than it had before. Though that wasn't what caught their eye.
Sitting off to the side, off the edge of the cliff, was the gigantic Goron that had impeded their progress. He was so massive that he was able to see over the ledge to where Link and Tatl were. They flinched as they saw the Goron, but he didn't do anything aggressive. Instead, he just stared at them for a moment before speaking.
"Mngh…What was…I doing…?" He asked, though he seemed to be talking to himself more than Link and Tatl. "My mind's a blank…and I have this awful feeling in my gut. The last few days are just…a blur…" The Goron grumbled.
Link was astounded at the confession. Did this Goron really not know what he did? It wouldn't be the first time he saw someone lash out due to some sort of mind control. He couldn't help but think back to the time he fought Nabooru thanks to the mind trickery of two horrid witches! Did something like that happen here? Was the curse somehow responsible?
Like with the other Gorons, Link wasn't able to tell the truth. He just couldn't bring himself to do so. "Nothing happened, don't worry." He insisted, looking up at the massive form.
Tatl realized what Link was doing and felt the same way he did. The curse must have been responsible for the giant Goron doing what he did! "Yeah, the Winter's over and everything, so you should just stop worrying!" She added on.
The titanic Goron hummed in thought, a sound that came out as an intense rumbling due to his size. "I don't know. Maybe I need to take another nap. I feel so sleepy for some reason…" He mused, eyelids drooping even as he spoke.
"Good idea! Just take a nap or something!" Tatl insisted, actually starting to feel bad for the Goron. She couldn't imagine hurting someone she cared about while under some sort of control. Normally, she'd have waved the situation off, but…she found herself becoming more empathetic lately. No doubt that Link's nature was rubbing off on her somehow.
Moving quickly on from the large Goron as he closed his eyes, Link and Tatl went back towards Snowhead Temple. It was kind of odd for them to be going right back to the place they just cleansed. Link especially felt unease coursing through him, and he had the urge to ready his sword and shield. He had to keep telling himself that the Temple was safe, and he wasn't in any danger.
Before long, the two reached the Temple and went around it. As they approached the back, Tatl was able to feel some faint magic in the air. It had to be from a Great Fairy's Fountain! That one Goron had been right! Soon enough, the two saw the opening, an opening that felt almost as intimidating as the Temple's actual entrance.
Yet, when the two entered, they saw the interior was just like the other two Fountains they had come across. The floor and walls were tiled, and a sparkling, majestic fountain awaited them with a handful of green colored Stray Fairies idly fluttering about. On top of that, it was oddly very warm within the Fountain despite its location. As the two approached the shimmering water, Link opened his bag and all the Stray Fairies he collected poured to the Fountain, reuniting with the others.
Like with the other two Fountains the Stray Fairies combined, and a flash of light materialized along with the uproarious laughter of a Great Fairy. She looked like the Great Fairies, of course. Same face, same body, same vines rather than actual clothing. The only major difference was her flowing hair that was a gorgeous jade green. She stretched and let out some more, soft laughter. After that, she looked at the boy and fairy. "I am The Great Fairy of Wisdom, and you have my thanks." Though she sounded grateful, her voice showed that she was still weakened.
"I couldn't ignore your situation." Link politely responded, though he was pretty curious as to what she'd give him in exchange for his help. Even as that thought crossed his mind, he noticed that the Great Fairy was staring at him, as if studying something about him. "Is something wrong?"
The Great Fairy shook her head. "No, no, young one." She replied with a light shake of the head. "I did sense something unusual about you. You have an item, one of power. You can change into a Goron, yes?"
"How did you know that? Can you really sense that sort of stuff?" Tatl asked in awe, feeling a bit bolder regarding Great Fairies due to how many times she had seen one at this point. Before meeting Link, she'd never dare speak to one before being spoken to.
With a smirk, the mystical women let out a light chuckle. "I have my ways. But young one, I can help make this form stronger. For your help, I will grant this boon to you!"
Before Link could respond, he found himself bathed in a bright light, but he didn't feel any different. He figured whatever she was doing was doing something to the Goron Mask instead. Within a few moments, the lights were gone, and Link looked to the Great Fairy. "I appreciate your gift, but what did you do exactly?" He felt no different, so it must be that the mask itself was blessed instead.
"In your Goron form, simply roll at high speeds. The boon will make spikes jut out from your body, slicing up anything in your path." The Great Fairy explained, sounding a bit pleased with herself.
Link had to wonder if that was something other Gorons could do. Certainly never something he had ever heard of, and he didn't feel like it was something he could do. Darmani's influence helped him a lot, but the boy never felt anything like spikes. At any rate, it would've been very helpful in his fight with Goht…though there would be at least one more battle with the unusual monster in the future. "Thank you, Great Fairy." Was all the Hylian said in response, knowing he'd find use for it later on.
The Great Fairy nodded, though it seemed her energy was diminishing with every moment. "You may rest here if you wish, but I need to regain my strength. Young one, good luck with whatever trials you'll face!" Without waiting for a response, the large woman shrank down into the shimmering waters before vanishing in a flash of light.
Tatl looked over to Link, her tiny eyes widened. "Spikes?! That sounds kind of cool, actually! Hey, you should try it out!" Like the boy, she realized how helpful those would've been against Goht, but oh well…
Shaking his head, Link took the Ocarina of Time from his belt. "Maybe later." He really didn't want to take Darmani's form unless he had to. Even if there were no other Gorons around, it made him feel somehow guilty to walk around in their hero's image.
"Oh, we're going back, huh?" Tatl asked, eyeing the Ocarina. "I guess there's no reason to stick around here, and it's already the last day, so…"
For a moment, Link wondered if he should play the song right then. The Gorons just barely had time to enjoy the Spring after what seemed like an eternal Winter. They were able to go outside and were freed of the oppressive cursed air that had choked the mountain for so long. But…what would be the point in letting them celebrate? Time had to be reversed within a day anyway, and the Gorons wouldn't remember what happened. Should he let the peaceful villagers celebrate for a while, or just get things over with?
"Is it wrong if I just send us all back in time right away? What about the Gorons?" Link asked Tatl, very unsure of what to do. There was a big part of him that just wanted to rest at the inn, but he knew he couldn't just think of himself. Normally, he wouldn't ask Tatl for advice, especially given how nasty she had been in the past, but he was truly at a loss.
The fairy was pretty surprised Link was actually asking for her opinion. Usually, he just did whatever he wanted, despite any objections. Pretty much the only time he listened to her in a major way was when she insisted he reset time when he got sick in that cave. As for the answer to his question…she had no idea.
"Uh, I mean…they're going to forget all this anyway. Whether you do it now or in a few hours, it's not gonna change that." It felt odd to give advice to the kid, he seemed to unnaturally sure of just about everything. So blunt, so oddly mature and serious for someone his age. She still wanted to know his deal. "And aren't you tired?" The nap he had surely didn't do as much as a proper sleep in a bed would.
That answer didn't help much, but Link at least felt some sort of ease that she seemed to be agreeing with him. "Me being tired doesn't matter." He responded, dismissing her concerns. Even with that nap, he was still exhausted. Of course, no matter how much he rested, Link never felt much better. It was as though his entire body was weighed down by something, like his bones were made of stone and dragged him down. "You think I should play the song?"
"I really dunno why you're asking me, but let's just go! We're both exhausted, and one day we'll find some way to help the Dekus and Gorons permanently!" Tatl was used to being the optimistic one, but compared to Link's dreariness, that was hardly a challenge.
Link regretted opening his mouth. He felt like if he decided not to reverse time, Tatl would really nag his ear off. This was never an issue with the Dekus, so he wasn't suer why he was bringing it up now. "Right. Okay. We'll just go." He replied, closing his eyes, and playing the Song of Time and undoing everything he had accomplished with that Cycle.
Like with the Woodfall Temple's aftermath, Goht's mask was missing after time was reset to the lack of surprise of Link and Tatl. As soon as the inn opened, the two got to their room and collapsed onto their respective beds. Even with Link's nap and Tatl falling asleep on his shoulder, the two still slept heavily for nearly ten hours. The fairy had told Anju not to disturb them with lunch or dinner when they were checking in, so their rest went undisturbed.
And yet, even with all that sleep, Link still felt like he had just run for hours after he woke up. It wasn't a surprise at this point, it had been that way for two years. He was just grateful he didn't have another nightmare. The Hylian sat up to see that Tatl was already awake, the fairy sitting on her pillow and staring at him. "How long have you been awake?" The boy asked.
"Just a few minutes." Tatl replied with a shrug. The fairy eyed the horrid dark shadows under Link's eyes, wondering if they'd ever go away. It was pretty strange seeing something so severe on a child, and disturbingly the ever-present sign of exhaustion was the closest thing to an actual emotion he ever showed. "You look like you didn't sleep a wink."
Link ignored this observation, stretching a bit as he stood up and put on his boots. "I know you hate Anju's cooking. Do you want to get something to eat with me?" He asked, feeling pretty hungry himself. The boy still had some Rupees left over from they last sold a Moon's Tear. Enough to buy a meal at the very least.
Tatl scowled a bit at being brushed off, but she really wasn't in the mood to have a fight. Instead, she took to the air, craving some food as well. "Yeah, anything's better than Anju's meals. Let's hurry!"
"I think her meals are fine." Link insisted, but Tatl ignored him. Taking his sword and shield with him, for the protection of course, Link went out with Tatl. The two got some fruits and vegetables from some stalls and had a full meal at an eatery with meat and some sort of pasta Link couldn't pronounce. When they ate their fill, they simply went right back to their room at the inn, it being about six at that point. The trip to go eat was a bit awkward, as the two barely spoke to each other, not saying anything of real note even when they did speak.
The fairy sat down on her pillow, watching as Link shed his gear. "You know there are no monsters in town, right? Why do you always take that stuff with you?"
Link always took his sword and shield with him any time they left the inn, sometimes he even took it to the bathroom. Of course, he took them so he could feel safe. In the castle, he had waned from needing the constant need to have a weapon and a shield with him, but since coming to Termina, such urges began to manifest again. A paranoia gripped at him, telling him that something dangerous was lurking around any corner. In a way, though, he was sort of right. The Skull Kid was always nearby, roosted at the top of the Clock Tower, and the boy had a feeling the imp watched his every move.
Rather than admit he had a problem, Link used the Skull Kid as an excuse. "The Skull Kid is dangerous like a monster." He pointed out.
"Yeah, but he's never tried to attack us directly! He just stays up on the tower all day!" Tatl argued, feeling unusually angry that Link would suggest the Skull Kid would attack them. It'd hardly be the worst thing her friend had done, yet she still felt insulted on the imp's behalf.
"Better safe than sorry." Link responded, just trying to bring the needless conversation to an end. It really perplexed him when Tatl tried to get inside his head. Why did she care? He didn't see himself as worth the effort to get to know. It still baffled him he had any friends at all back in Hyrule.
Tatl let out an annoyed sigh but decided to change the subject. "Alright, whatever. So, we going somewhere new in the next Cycle?" Even with that horribly unfortunate setback, they still had to move onward. Going back South or North over and over wouldn't help, they already learned that lesson. "I think we should go West, where the Zoras live. The East is…" She trailed off, shuddering a bit. Tatl had never actually gone to the East, but the stories she heard were enough to make her very wary of that part of Termina.
Link had made his decision on that pretty quickly after resetting the clock. Shaking his head, he shed his shed his boots as he tried his best to relax. "No. Maybe in a few Cycles."
"Is there something you need to do or what?" The fairy asked, but she had a feeling she knew why he wanted to wait, and she couldn't blame him. Poor kid probably needed a lot of rest after all that happened. Finding out the South couldn't be cleansed, getting sick, climbing a mountain in the Winter, his clear discomfort with the Darmani situation, finding out the Giants couldn't be freed permanently…it was a lot. She had to deal with some of that stuff too, but Tatl wasn't going to pretend her woes were as dire as Link's. He had to do almost all the actual hard work, she just went under his hat or floated nearby him.
"I want to rest." He answered simply before pausing to think. "I want to try to find Kafei too."
"Wait, seriously?" Tatl thought he was done with that! Though since they recently found out Anju was Kafei's fiancé, she supposed she shouldn't be shocked Link wanted to help further. "You know he's either fled Clock Town or just fooling around with some other woman or something." The fairy was pretty cynical genuinely, but also just felt like it was a waste of time.
"Fooling around? Like playing games?" Link asked sincerely, using the only definition of fooling around that he knew. "Why would that be bad?"
Tatl sighed and shook her head. Yeah, no. She wasn't about to delve into that any further. "Why do you want to help out so badly? Just because you promised? Is that really it?"
Link still wondered what the fooling around bit meant, it could be a clue! Maybe Tatl was just being sarcastic or something. "I was asked to help, and someone needs me. I don't need another reason."
The kid was so selfless it almost made Tatl sick to her stomach. "Well, whatever. I guess if we're not going West, it doesn't hurt or anything…" Before, she was far more critical of this little side mission, but after warming up to Link, she wasn't going to bite his head off over it quite so drastically…
He had noticed this difference too. Before, she seemed genuinely furious that he wanted to help. Now she was just sort of annoyed yet resigned to it pretty easily. Link was still pretty curious about this sudden change in attitude from Tatl. He at least realized that it happened after he got sick. Did that trigger her shift in demeanor?
"I'll ask Anju about it next Cycle. I just want to rest for now." He knew it didn't do much to help out Anju and Kafei, any aid he gave being undone in the next Cycle, but he still felt compelled to help. Things like this were one reason it was so hard for Link to actually rest.
Even when he was lying in bed during Break Cycles, trying to sleep, guilt kept gnawing at his mind. While he was in an inn on a soft, warm bed, there were so many people suffering. The citizens of Clock Town with the Moon dangling right over their heads and slowly descending towards them. This wasn't even mentioning the issue with Anju and Kafei that Link promised to fix. The Dekus to the South had to live in a poisoned swamp while their Princess remained captured, and an innocent monkey was imprisoned and tortured over it. To the North, the Gorons were freezing to death and an infant was wailing continuously over his missing father. Then there was whatever horrors were going on to the West and East…
Link was the only one that could do anything about these situations, but he instead chose to spend his time resting instead. Every part of him was screaming to take up his sword and shield so he could save those that needed it. He knew that such fixes would only be temporary, but there was a part of him that didn't seem to care. It kept egging at him constantly to get up and save everyone that he could. The boy always liked helping people, it was the right thing to do and that was all he needed. When he was just sitting idly by when so many people were suffering, it stressed him out to a major degree!
Tatl didn't have these sorts of grievances. She was far more open to the idea that not as much mattered when the clock could be turned back. Was it awful that the Dekus and Gorons were suffering? Yes. But she also felt that worrying about them until they could find a way to permanently fix their problems was pointless. Link could cleanse the swamps and mountains over and over, but it was pointless until he could find a way to keep them that way.
Once more, there was a bit of an awkward silence, Tatl wordlessly agreeing with Link's plans. She knew he needed rest, so she wasn't going to argue against him. The two simply lounged for a few hours in quiet, unable nap or sleep due to how much the did so earlier that day.
It was nearly midnight when Tatl noticed Link getting out of bed and putting his gear on. His sword, his shield, even his boots and his bag. And of course, he always took his Ocarina with him, even if he was just going to the bathroom. "Hm? Where are you going?" She asked, taking to the air.
"I want to stretch my legs." He stated simply, feeling all cooped up and stressed. Since dinner, all he could think about was the Dekus and the Gorons. Unable to sleep, and not wanting to chat with Tatl, he figured a walk was the next best thing.
"Alright, but I'm coming with you." The fairy responded, floating over to Link. Aside from one or two instances during their First Cycle, the two had never really been apart for more than a minute or two. Sticking by Link so often had really made Tatl feel weird about being separated from him unless he had to go to the bathroom or something. Besides, she felt the same way he did. It felt oddly cramped in the room, and she couldn't sleep either.
Link didn't mind that, giving Tatl no answer as he left the Knife Chamber and the Stock Pot Inn entirely. East Clock Town was so still and quiet at this hour that it was almost eerie given how bustling it was during the day. Still, the calmer atmosphere was nice and made Link feel at least a tad bit more at ease. He had no real destination in mind, so he simply started to wander about Clock Town, doing everything he could not to glance up at the Moon. Even so, he could feel its glare on him with every move he made…
Slowly, the boy and fairy made their way through East Clock Town and into South Clock Town. Aside from Mutoh, staying by the incomplete tower in the square, there were few people about aside from the usual guard. These stragglers seemed to just be on their way to somewhere else in Clock Town, safe for a man and woman moving past the guard as they fled. The carpenter boss scoffed as he watched them go but made no comment.
After that, Link and Tatl moved past the Clock Tower, the large structure's own clock loudly ticking away the seconds to Termina's doom. As the went by it, the pair felt a sense of unease, knowing that the Skull Kid was right above their heads along with that horrid mask of his. The two of them always felt this way when they went too close to the Clock Tower, but neither of them ever vocalized it. There was just an odd chill in the air, a sense that something improper and wrong was nearby, an aura surely emanating from Majora's Mask…
Rushing by the Clock Tower, the two entered North Clock Town.
Link wasn't sure why he was continuing to walk about. He stretched his legs and got a bit of fresh air. It wasn't like he was enjoying himself or anything. Nothing he ever did brought him anything more than a bit of content or some relaxation at most. Even then, his mind would swarm with paranoid and self-hating thoughts if he was taking a warm bath or resting in bed. Even when he cleansed the swamp for the first time, unaware it wouldn't last, he felt nothing. There was no sense of accomplishment or happiness…he just felt numb.
By this point, it was just about midnight, Link and Tatl still keeping their words and thoughts to themselves as they loitered by the entryway between the two parts of Clock Town. With no buildings or any real reason to enter this part of town, the area was all but empty. There was the usual guard of course, and also that strange man in green clothing floating on a balloon. Link wondered about him each time the two had gone to this part of town, but never asked Tatl about the unusual stranger.
As Link was thinking to himself, an old woman with a large bag over her shoulder came in from East Clock Town. Link and Tatl both thought it was odd that she was out so late, but it was the woman's own business. As she drew closer, the boy and fairy were startled as someone else appeared. This new figure was a tall, thin, bald man with a devious grin on his face.
With no hesitation, the man ran towards the old lady, shoving her to the ground! As she let out a noise of surprise and pain, the man scooped up her bag and started to run towards the gate towards the mountains! "Help! Someone stop that man!" The old woman cried, still on the ground as she pointed the thief out.
Not even thinking, Link sprang into action. He ran at the thief, only wondering what his next course of action should be after he started to move. Tackling didn't seem like it'd work too well, given the man was taller and an adult! The boy looked to see the guard was readying himself for when the bald man approached, but Link still wanted to try and help. Something inside of him demanded that he put in an effort!
Granted, he wasn't sure what to do as he caught up to the thief, the boy proving to be a bit faster than the adult. If the bald man was aware of Link's presence, he didn't show it as he kept running boldly towards the guard! As part of an instinct, Link reached for his sword, but had no idea what he was going to even do with it. In his mind's eye, he saw the assassin he had nearly killed outside of Gerudo Valley. He wasn't about to do something like that again!
Thinking quickly, the Hylian dashed in front of the thief and slashed at him! Except he missed on purpose, cutting at the air directly in front of the man. This had the result that Link wanted, thankfully! With a startled noise, the bald thief dropped the bag he was carrying! Rather than go back for it, he pushed Link out of the way and just kept going. Unfortunately, when he reached the guard, the thief managed to slip by him as well!
For a moment Link just stared at where the thief went, the guard cursing under his breath but apparently decided leaving his post wasn't worth it. The boy kept replaying the scene in his mind, or rather the horrid things that could've happened, mainly his sword swing actually connecting to the thief. He had no idea what he was even thinking, but that was all just way too close…
Snapping out of it, Link at least accepted that the robbery was over, and no one got seriously hurt. The boy picked up the bag, surprised at how heavy it was, and looked at the old lady. She was getting on her feet, Tatl remaining behind and hovering by the victim.
Walking over, Link handed the bag to its rightful owner. "Are you okay?" He asked, knowing that old people got feeble. Even when he was with the Kokiri he knew that. Saria had told him that Hylians grew brittle and weak when they got too old. It was a mental image that scared him, and it was far worse knowing it would happen to him one day…
"Oh, you courageous young man!" The old lady cooed happily, taking the bag. "Thank you so much for helping me! What a horrid man that was…" She said with a heavy sigh. "These bombs are crucial for my son's shop, but I know he'd be glad if I reward you. Here…!" Before Link could argue, she pulled out a strange looking mask. It looked like a bomb, and even had a skull marking on it.
"Uh, is that a mask? It looks dangerous…" Tatl said, looking between the old woman and the object. If that was in the bag, that made it an explosive too, right? Only made sense!
The old woman chortled at this. "It's the Blast Mask." She happily explained. "With it, you can make your own festival fireworks show!"
Link was as unsure with the gift as Tatl was, but he wasn't about to rudely turn it down. "Thank you, miss. I appreciate the gift." He said politely, prompting the woman to pinch his cheek and walk by him, heading to South Clock Town. The boy had no idea why older women pinched children's cheeks, he saw some do that in the marketplace back in Castle Town…
"Are you sure you want to carry that thing around? I bet it's full of gunpowder." Tatl observed once the old woman was out of earshot.
"It wouldn't really explode, would it?" Link asked, really unsure about the situation. As far as he knew, all bombs had those fuses on them, and the Blast Mask didn't. He didn't fully understand how bombs and gunpowder actually worked, he just knew that bombs and fire made an explosion somehow. "I don't want to throw away a gift."
Tatl rolled her eyes. Even though she was warming up to Link, he really was stubborn to a fault. "I know you'll just do whatever you want, regardless of what I say." She lightly bemoaned. "Just don't put that thing on, okay?"
"I won't." He replied simply, realizing that much at least was probably pretty dangerous. Instead, he put it in his bag, and the two tried to forget what just happened and started back to South Clock Town. Though in the back of Link's mind, he knew that this robbery probably happened at this time every single Cycle. Each time Link reset the clock, that poor old woman got robbed! The only silver lining was that the thief only seemed to push her to the ground, and he hoped that was the same every time. Maybe the guard would have stopped the thief even without Link's intervention.
He supposed he wasn't used to other people helping out in situations so directly like that. Aside from Princess Zelda as Sheik and Navi's interventions, he had to do just about everything himself in his previous quest. Every enemy slain, every Temple cleansed, every step forward was done all by him with few exceptions. Even in Termina, he had to do just about all the hard work on his own. No one else was able to stop the Skull Kid or the Moon, no one else cleansed the Temples as far as he saw, and only he could turn back time.
The weight of all the responsibilities just made him so exhausted…
Link paused as he passed by the Clock Tower, the structure's massive clock still ticking loudly away into the quiet night. He found himself staring at the door as a sudden thought struck him. All this time, all the Cycles he went through…ever since he left the Clock Tower's interior for the first time, he never went back in. He never saw the Happy Mask Salesman around Clock Town, not a single time! Did that mean he just stayed in the dark, cold interior of the Clock Tower?
"What's up?" Tatl asked, looking toward the old pair of wooden doors leading into the Clock Tower. "You see something?"
"I want to talk to the Happy Mask Salesman." Link said, walking towards the doors without even waiting for Tatl to respond.
"Huh?! Hey! Why?! He's so creepy!" The fairy complained, but still followed her companion as he approached the entrance.
Link wasn't entirely sure either. "I'm curious." Was the only answer he gave. Maybe he just wanted to see if the salesman really did just spend all his time waiting in that same room. Or, maybe, he just wanted to see someone that seemed to know and remember him. The mysterious man seemed to somehow know of Link's deeds back in Hyrule, so who knew what was possible?
Taking a deep and silent breath, Link opened the wooden doors into the Clock Tower.
A/N: So starts a bit of a small lull in the main story. I've left a lot of the side content alone so far, and I wanted to fix that. Still unsure how long this will last, but I don't think Link will be trying to go West next chapter. Maybe the one after, but we'll see. It's pretty convenient that the three main transformation masks have some sort of secondary, magical ability. It makes the Great Fairy boons very convenient since I don't want to do something like extra durability of Link himself rather than his tunic or have anything close to a magic meter. Not much else to say for this chapter since not much actually went down. I will say, though I believed I mentioned this, that not every little thing is going to happen in the same order as it did in Tales of Termina. Some of the more minor masks, such as the Blast Mask, may be gotten earlier or later than I implied in that series.