Sorry for the delay, I decided to take a break for the holidays. I should be back in business for a while, so stay tuned folks!

Ch. V

Running out of time

Link was tired. He had spent the last day or so trying to find a way out of Clock Town, but the guards didn't let him through. They all thought that he was too weak to stray into the open world, and stood in his way every time that he tried to pass. During the two days that he had been in Clock Town, he had recovered the missing fairy, and the Great Fairy of Magic had been reformed. She had given him the ability to use his magic to create "Deku Bubbles". These bubbles were made when Link blew through his Deku mouth, and they were slightly acidic. The bubbles looked to be made out of sap, and they could shoot pretty far. He had thanked the Great Fairy and hurried off to find the Skull kid

Now, Link was running out of time. He noticed that the moon was hovering in the sky, and was easily visible even during the day. There was something very strange about this moon though. It had a face carved into its surface. It had red and yellow eyes, and it had a snarl on its face with yellowed teeth. All of Clock Town's citizens had noticed it by this point, and there was widespread panic. Link decided enough was enough and went to The Stockpot Inn where Halvard was staying.

When he arrived, a red-haired woman was standing at the desk.

"Cucco Lady?!, Link said incredulously.

"Who? I'm afraid you are mistaken. My name is Anju, ``the woman said. Link looked closely at her. She looked exactly like the Cucco Lady from Kakariko Village! She was wearing different clothes, but other than that, she could be her identical twin. He had once found all of her cuccos when they escaped, and she had given him an empty bottle. She had always seemed strange to Link because although she raised the Cuccos, she was allergic to them. Anju's voice broke through Link's thoughts.

"I'm sorry, little one, but there is no more space in the inn. We are quite full because the Festival of Time is coming today. Are you here to see someone?", She said.

"I came here to see someone, but what is the Festival of Time?", Link asked. Anju looked very surprised.

"You don't know about it? I don't explain it very well, so I suggest talking to my mother about it. She knows a bunch of interesting stories. And I am certain that she can explain it better than I can."

"Link shrugged.

"Ok, but can you direct me to the room that is occupied by a man named Halvard? I need to speak to him." Anju frowned when she heard this.

"I can, but I don't see what you would want to. There is something eerie about that man."

After giving Link the directions to Halvard's room, Anju went into a back room to help in the kitchens. Link pondered about the festival that was supposedly coming today and wondered if it could be a coincidence that the Mask Salesman was also leaving Clock Town on the same day. He wandered up the stairs, and down the hall until he came to the door that Anju had told him to knock on. He had hardly knocked on the door when Halvard said, "Come in."

When Link walked in, he immediately noticed Halvard getting up from a chair, and putting a mask into the giant backpack by his side.

"Why, hello there. Have you found my mask yet, Link? You are running out of time, and I shall have to leave soon."

"I have not found the Skull Kid yet. Tatl can sense him somewhere in clock town, but we haven't been able to find him yet.", Link said. The Mask Salesman suddenly looked furious.

"You haven't found him yet? Do you know what will happen if that mask is not retrieved? A total catastrophe shall occur if you don't get it soon!"

"Hey!, Tatl shouted, leave Link alone! We are doing our best here, and if you could help us, then maybe we can find the Skull Kid faster!" The Happy Mask Salesman sighed and looked down.

"I know that this is difficult for you, but you may realize that all of us are in danger because of that mask. I have an important role to play as well. I have been researching that particular mask for weeks now, and I think I can maybe find some way to get rid of its evil powers. Just find the Skull Kid before it is too late, Ok?" Link nodded and left the room.

A few hours later, Link and Tatl were desperate. They had both stayed up for three days straight and had found no sign of the Skull Kid anywhere. They had searched every single nook and cranny of Clock Town, and could not find him. It was nighttime, and the clock tower began to ring its bell. Eleven rings were heard all over Clock Town, and the people that Link saw were anxiously looking at the sky, where the moon was directly overhead, blocking out all of the stars in the sky. Its sneer almost seemed to be taunting link. Link shuddered as he remembered a similar sneer on the face of the Demon King, Ganondorf, long long ago.

As he looked at the moon, he noticed how it seemed to be looking at the clock tower. As Link squinted his eyes at the top of the tower, he thought he could see something-or someone move. He gasped as he saw a large straw hat poke over the roof of the clock tower.

"Tatl! Look over on the top of the clock tower! The Skull Kid is standing there!". When Tatl looked, she uttered a small curse as she glared at the Skull Kid.

"Of course that scumbag would be in the last place we look. We should be able to get up to him. On every Carnival of Time, at midnight, the door leading to the top of the clock tower gets lowered so that special ceremonies can occur. When that happens, we will have to hurry to the top and stop the Skull Kid before it is too late." Link nodded as Tatl spoke, but right as he was about to speak, he was interrupted by another round of ringing bells. This time, it rang twelve times, and a door next to the doorway into the clock tower opened.

"Well, it looks like it is time then." Link gulped and walked through the doorway with Tatl urging him to go faster.