Sorry about the lengthy chapter that happened last time. I had to cram a lot of events into a single chapter, and I might repost it one day into separate chapters. For now, enjoy this shorter chapter. And for all those wonderful folks who have favorited/followed this Fanfiction so far, thank you so much for your support!
Ch. XVIII.
A Final Song
Link opened his eyes to the dawn of a new day. Everything looked exactly the same as it did when he last traveled back in time. The carpenters' hammering echoed throughout the emptying main square, the postman jogged by, and a strange boy cautiously walked towards a mailbox, putting a letter in as he did so. Link stood in the sunlight, basking in its warmth before he set out towards the Stock Pot Inn. Although he still felt bad by taking someone's reservation, Link had made a habit of booking the Knife Chamber and taking the silver rupee inside one of the dressers. After doing so, and the standard awkward conversation with Anju, he went to the shopping district to purchase new supplies. It seemed that every occasion he went back in time, he always lost some measure of his items, mostly arrows, food, and bombs. With a start, Link realized he didn't need to keep buying those anymore, as he had been given the bomb mask. After purchasing his adventuring gear, he left through the Western area of Clock Town. Tatl had been very silent throughout the entire way, and Link was getting concerned.
"Are you okay, Tatl? You are being much more quiet than normal, and that's considering something." A faint smile crossed Tatl's lips, but it was gone in moments. She looked like she wanted to say something, but she seemed pensive, which was very unlike her.
"Are you sure you're ok? You can talk to me, you know.", Link said. Tatl gulped, then replied.
"I-I'm fine. It's just what we're doing… Link, are we even helping in any way? We've just been bumbling across Termina, and we keep on going to dangerous temples! Even when we do something right, it just all gets reset. Doesn't that upset you, or make you wonder how we are helping?" Tatl's sudden rush of words overwhelmed Link. He hadn't thought about it too deeply, but he realized she was right. Despite her words, and how he felt, he kept up a lighthearted appearance,
"Trust me Tatl. Time travel always works in mysterious ways. You still may not believe me, but I did save Hyrule by traveling back and forth through time. I'm certain that the Giants we have released are all free in that… Dimension? Yea, the dimension that they seem to live in, the one with all the water and the bubbles." Link's words may have convinced himself, but Tatl's face still looked doubtful.
"I mean… If you're sure…", she said.
Link then realized something. Where was Epona? He looked up and down the rolling Termina Field but saw no sign of her. Before his heart sank too low, he remembered her song. Taking his ocarina off his belt, he played her song loudly and clearly, hoping that she might come to him as she did in Hyrule. His heart sank when he saw no sign of his horse, but it rose to much greater heights when he heard a whinney in the distance. Galloping from the direction of Romani Ranch was Epona! Link rushed forward to meet her, hugging her neck when she came to a stop.
"You sure have one loyal horse.", Tatl said with a rare amount of respect. Link clambered onto Epona, and he made sure to carefully tighten the straps holding the saddle to her back. He would not have a repeat of the time that he and the saddle had fallen off Epona in Lon Lon Ranch. Malon had laughed herself silly afterward, and Link had justly been humbled by the experience. Brimming with excitement, Link spurred Epona into a gallop, relishing the cool morning wind rushing through his hair. He directed her towards where Tatl said the Great Bay was and closed his eyes in appreciation. He loved the feeling of riding, its freedom, and the bond that was created between the rider and horse. He was convinced that almost nothing compared to it.
After a surprisingly short time, Link found himself at the edge of a beach. He had needed to direct Epona to jump over a particularly large log that had blocked the road, but other than that, there was nothing to disturb his travels. He dismounted Epona and led her by her reigns through the sand. Whatever Tatl had told him about the sea, nothing compared to actually seeing it. Link gaped at the seemingly endless stretch of water that went as far as the eye can see. Only a few white clouds dotted the sky overhead, and it was one of the most picturesque places that he could see. Except for one thing. The water was very murky and had a brownish tinge to it as if a lot of silt or dirt had been dropped in.
"It shouldn't look like that", Tatl murmured. Link became more concerned. Had the water here been cursed as well, just like Woodfall? He scanned the beach and noticed for the first time that it was quiet. Too quiet. Save for the gentle, and almost soothing crashing of the waves, the beach had no signs of life. Link began to think that he didn't like it very much. He walked along the sand, Epona next to him, and he scanned the murky water to try to find anything living. A patch of bluish-white in the distance caught Link's eye, and he frowned in confusion.
The blurry patch of white in the distance did not fit in with the murky water, and a small flock of seagulls was circling it.
"Hey, Link, what's that in the bay? Maybe we should check it out…", Tatl exclaimed. Link wished he had a telescope, but shrugged off his sword and shield and dove into the foamy waves. To his surprise, the water was warm and tepid. The small amount of water that got into his mouth tasted salty, but also had a dirty and sour taste, like food that had gone bad. Ignoring the smell, Link swam in a practiced sidestroke, legs and arms flowing through the water. The large waves were new to Link, and he rose and fell in the water. By the time that Link had made it to the bluish-white object, he was getting tired, his arms burning from the constant strokes against the water. To his surprise, the object was not an object at all! Instead, he found a Zora with bluish-white scales, and a tattooed arm and head. The most important thing to notice, however, was the large gash in his check that leaked red. He was wounded. Link turned him onto his back and leaned his head over the Zora's mouth to check for breathing. He was breathing in and out slowly, with raspy breaths.
"Please", he wheezed, "Please push me to shore…" Link immediately jumped into action. Although tired from his long swim, he pushed through his exhaustion and pushed the Zora onto the beach. Without the current that pushed him to shore, Link wasn't sure if he would have made it there with the Zora. He clambered to his feet with wheezing breaths and rushed over to the Zora to examine his wound. There was too much blood. It seeped out, even now, and Link thought he could see the tinge of green that showed infection. He didn't know what to do, he wasn't a healer. Before he could try to staunch the bleeding, the Zora gasped and looked towards Link. He spoke in a weak voice that Link struggled to hear.
"... I am Mikau of the Zora people… guitarist in the Zora band… I think this is it for me. Will you listen to my final message?". Link was shaking his head.
'No, no! I can save you! Just hold out for a little while longer! I've got a little red potion if it'll help." Link took out the bottle of red potion that he had purchased and tried to unstopper it, but Mikau feebly pushed the bottle away from him.
"It's too late for me… Please, allow me to tell you my tale…", he said. In a burst of energy, he sat up and pulled a strange-looking instrument from his back. It was made from the skeleton of a large fish and had many small and thin ribs that extended above and below it. Mikau struck a chord on the instrument and began to sing with what little energy he had left.
"One, two, three! Oh baby, baby, listen to me! The carnival's starting soon. We're the ones they're waiting to see.
"But that girl, our vocalist, she laid some strange eggs. And she's lost her voice, you can't hear what she says."
"Woah-oh! In Great Bay now somethin' is a happenin'. Is it now?"
"Oh! Baby, listen to me. I don't want to beg. Gerudo pirates! They stole that girl's eggs. "
"I left the cape to stop the Gerudo pirates, then pow and bam! I got knocked down, now here I am!"
"Baby! If I die like this… Even if I die… It won't be in peace… That's for suuure!"
"Somebody, please rescue her eggs before the pirates take their toll. Oh somebody, somebody, please heal my soul."
And with a final strum on his instrument, Mikau collapsed onto the sand and wheezed
"That's all, thank you!", and he stopped moving. Link stood in shock. Being sung to by a man who just died in front of him was both the weirdest and the most horrifying thing that he had ever seen. Link crouched and murmured
"I'm sorry, Mikau. I promise I'll get your friend's eggs back. I just wish I could heal your soul…" Link realized as soon as he spoke those words that he knew what to do. Link closed the Zora's glazed eyes and stood up. He took out his ocarina and started to play the tune of the Song of Healing. He closed his own eyes and kept playing. Link almost swore that he could see something like a vision. He saw Mikau in his mind's eye, holding the hand of a Zora woman wearing a blue dress. As Link watched, Mikau and the woman walked towards a band playing in the distance, until their forms faded out of Link's view. Tears formed in his eyes as he felt the regret that Mikau had left. Bit by bit, it washed away like the ebb of the waves in the Great Bay. Link opened his eyes and stopped playing. Soft light seemed to glow around Mikau, and his body vanished, leaving only a mask in the shape of his face.
Somberly, Link picked up the mask and looked at its face. It looked resolute, with a slight frown, and the pale bluish color of most Zora. He looked to Tatl, who looked like she was trying to hold back tears. It was difficult to tell through the light that enveloped her body in a soft yellow glow. However, she seemed to sense Link's anguish.
"It wasn't your fault, Link. Mikau was already dying, and the potions that you brought wouldn't have helped him. It would have taken my mother, or another great fairy to save him. I'm glad that you could heal his soul… He must have gone through so much, just to die when his loved ones needed him the most…". Link blinked in surprise. It was very unlike Tatl to be this empathetic and emotional, and he didn't know what to do. He looked back down at the mask and traced its wood-grained surface..
"Should I…?" Link's thought trailed off as he considered putting the mask on. It would feel terrible for him to steal the identity of a Zora who had died in front of him, especially if that meant that he would have to trick those who were closest to him during his travels. Would he even be able to act like him? Before he could end up throwing the mask into the Great Bay in frustration, Tatl placed a small hand on his shoulder.
"I think he would want you to wear it, Link. I don't know why, but it's just a feeling. He would want you to take back his friend's eggs for him."
Link slowly nodded. With his hands slightly trembling, Link put on the mask. It immediately fused to his face. Despite using the Deku and Goron masks several times before, Link was not as prepared as he expected. This was different. His bones elongated, becoming thinner and more lightweight, his skin became flaky, turning into blue scales, and his skull morphed with cartilage growing out of its back and sides. The pain was unbearable, and Link was able to hold out for a few seconds. Eventually overcome by pain, he screamed, his noise muffled by the mask, and the world seemed to turn purple. Then, Link saw nothing more.
