Hello all! Extra long chapter, around 6,000 words! Super glad I went through yesterday and cleaned up some errors bc I am way too dead to do it now. Hope you enjoy it, and let me know what you think!
The next day dawned rainy and gray, but despite the rain, the town seemed . . .
"Does it seem more . . . empty to you?" Saval whispered to Tessen.
"This is nothing," Link muttered. "Wait till tomorrow."
"What's tomorrow?" Hazen asked, but Link just left the Stock Pot Inn awning and stepped into the rain.
"Follow me," was all he said.
Irene rolled her eyes as she followed the group, wondering if she had been that bad when she'd first met Hazen. He walked ahead of her, his cloak darkening from the rain, and stuck close to Link as the Hero ducked past people bustling to and fro, indeed fewer in number than they had been the day before.
"Where is he taking us?" she hissed, yanking on Hazen's cloak.
"How should I know?" he hissed back. "I've never been here before."
Irene was about to reply 'No shit' when Link turned into a doorway and led them into a quieter part of town. Stairs were carved into the ground with a median, leading upwards, and the curved path was lined with shopfronts. Link led them up the stairs to one door and didn't hesitate before entering.
He stood aside to let the others through and then shut the door quietly, sending out a glance to those watching from the street. They quickly found something else to look at.
Inside, Link walked right up to the man at the counter and dropped a bag of rupees on the surface. "For your silence," he said.
The man nodded without a word and took the rupees, then went on with . . . whatever he was doing. Tessen and Hazen exchanged a concerned look when Link turned from a mask behind the counter, a creepy thing, and said, "This is the only place in town where what you say won't be repeated or spread. If you can pay, anyway."
"And you trust him?" Saval asked, eyeing the man behind the counter.
"I trust money," Link corrected. "There's only a couple more things that buy silence better than money, but I'd rather not use them here."
A chill slithered down Irene's back. What kind of kid was this, anyway?
"Fair enough," Hazen muttered. "So who first?"
"I think you've got the gist of my story, so you can go first," Link said generously.
Hazen tapped his fingers against his thigh. "Very well then. It began when we went out for a ride in the woods . . ."
The telling took a couple hours, and when it was done, Link took them all in closely. He nodded faintly. "My turn, now."
And with that Link launched into a story unlike anything they'd ever heard. There had been no tomes about this journey in the libraries in the castle, no ancient tales turned to legend. Nothing. It took far longer than Hazen's own story, and before the end they'd cried for people they'd never met.
Skull Kids, masks made from dead people, a singular evil mask seeking the complete destruction of an entire world. Hazen took a deep, deep breath, sitting back against the counter. "You . . ."
His hand fell limply. Link watched impassively, nodding a little. "It's a lot."
"That's the understatement of the century," Tessen muttered.
"Do you need much longer?" Link asked impatiently. "There's a lot to do."
"What do you need to do now?" Saval asked, always the fastest to get herself together.
Link shrugged. "It depends. There are certain things I can only do on certain days, as I've explained."
"Would it harm anything," Irene asked carefully, "if we were to look around while you . . . work?"
"You're going to look for clues about Majora?"
Irene nodded. "We need to know about its origins, its history, anything more than what we have," she said. "If we want to kill it."
"You have to kill it here," Link said, earning four stares. "What?"
Hazen shared a look with his group. "I . . . I guess that makes sense . . . if it's from here--"
"What I mean is that you'll cause a rift in time if you kill it anywhere else," Link clarified. "Majora's Mask belongs here, in Termina. It's bound to this land through magic or something. You have to wait until it chases after you again while you're here, and then you can attack."
"What about Termina?" Tessen asked. "What about you?"
Up until that point Link had been perfectly stoic. But now he shifted on his seat on the floor. "This place is doomed anyway," he said flippantly, looking away. "And I can use the Inverted Song of Time. Better get on with your monster hunt."
Hazen and Tessen exchanged a look. "Link," Hazen said, and the command in his tone was clear. "What aren't you saying?"
Link didn't answer for several moments. Finally he sighed. "Termina is dying whether Majora's Mask is here or not," he relented. "But when it's not here, it's worse."
"Worse how?" Tessen asked sharply.
"Amplified. Without an enemy in the time it's supposed to be, time kind of . . . starts to collapse. I've seen it start a few times, mostly when Majora pops in and out of Termina, but it never stays long, and every time it leaves, the collapse starts again."
"So every time we hop through the Doors and it follows us, it's a trigger," Hazen murmured.
"Then we just have to stay here, right?" Saval asked, brows drawn.
"But what if the mask wants us to do just that?" Irene argued. "It's clear it doesn't care about whether Termina dies or not. If we stay, it might just give it the excuse to kill us all on its home ground. But if we leave, we stand a slim chance."
"No, I don't think so," Hazen said quickly. "Every time we jump, we have no idea where we end up, and we drag others into our battle. I don't want to ruin anyone else's lives, and the disorientation puts us at a disadvantage."
"Plus, the mask making jumps deals damage to Termina," Tessen added. "We can't risk Termina crumbling."
"What happens if it crumbles?" Irene asked.
"The timestream crumbles," Hazen said gravely. "At some point or another, Termina comes into the fold. Not to mention it's a flip-side version of Hyrule. If it dies, there's no telling what kind of damage it could do to Hyrule, both now and further on in the stream."
"So then it's a question of staying ahead of the mask in its own land while the land itself is on the verge of destruction," Tessen murmured, rubbing his chin.
Link had observed them all curiously the whole argument, noting how Irene sat back, irritated, and said, "Has it attacked you since you got here?"
The four exchanged glances. "Not that we've seen," Hazen said, his brows furrowing even as he spoke. "Wait . . ."
"We haven't seen it at all," Saval murmured, her eyes flicking between Hazen and Link.
"There's only one reason I can think of," Tessen said. "But is it even possible?"
"What, that the mask can't attack you while it's in its own time?" Link supplied, somewhat cheerfully. "That's exactly what's happening."
"How do you know?" Hazen demanded.
Link gave him a deadpan stare. "I transform into dead people. Of course it's possible."
Hazen winced. "Right . . . sorry."
The hero waved. "It's fine."
"So . . ." Tessen's brows were deeply furrowed. "He's had free range this whole time attacking us in other times, but now that he's home, he suddenly can't do a thing?"
"He's grounded," Hazen said, grinning stupidly. Irene rolled her eyes.
Saval watched Link amusedly. "You're rather calm about all this."
Link shrugged. "Again, I turn into dead people. Nothing surprises me anymore."
"Evidently," Tessen said, grinning. "So now what?"
"Now we need to find out information."
All eyes turned to Hazen, who'd stood. His mercury sword was buckled to his side, with the broadsword he'd borrowed from Wild Link strapped across his back. "We need to locate places of importance to Majora. Now is the perfect opportunity."
The others stood, clustering in a circle. "Where to first?"
"About that," Link inserted. The group turned to look at him while he dug in his pouch. He pulled out a clock on a chain, squinted at its face, and nodded.
"So, there are circumstances that make this more complicated than it needs to be, but basically, we can't do anything until the third day," he clarified. Hazen's shoulders fell.
"That's the day the moon is supposed to fall, right?" Saval asked.
"At midnight, yes," Link answered.
"Why do we need to wait until then?"
"That's why," Link said, pointing behind them. Irene followed his finger to see the mask from before, hanging on a peg. "I need that."
"What does it do?" Saval cocked her head.
"You'll see," Link said cryptically, and smiled.
"I feel anxious," Hazen muttered.
He rubbed his chest, leaning against the wall. The plaza below was deserted, the moon above was closer than ever, and the tightness in his chest was choking him.
Link watched across from him, his arms crossed. "It's the third day," he said, looking out over the plaza. "It'll only get worse."
Hazen tried to take a deep breath, but only got halfway through it. The pressure on his chest pushed down almost in answer, and he felt himself scowl.
Behind him, Saval dished out breakfast. Tessen had gone out at dawn and shot down a hawk. There wasn't much meat on it, but Saval made do. Irene had picked vegetables for a side, and now she sat hunched, watching them sizzle on her fire.
Hazen tore his gaze from her. "When do we go?" he asked Link.
"Soon," was the hero's answer.
Then Saval was pushing a bowl into their hands. Hazen smiled, his eyes lingering over her face, over the scars, and Saval noticed. She squeezed his hand, her gaze turning soft, and returned to the fire. "Stop that," she chided, smacking Tessen's hand. "You've had enough."
Hazen huffed a laugh, watching his best friend try to beg. He didn't realize Link had been watching him until the hero spoke.
"They must be precious to you."
He looked at Link, at the way he had his shoulders pulled forward a little, and nodded. "They are."
Link didn't answer. Hazen glanced at him, wondering. He was filled to the brim with questions, not about his adventures--no, Link had answered all of those. No, Hazen thought, he wanted to know about before.
Before Link fell through the hole, before he'd left his princess and his world. He hadn't shared any of that information, not even a tidbit, and now Hazen battled with his curiosity and the fear of violating the hero's privacy.
Eventually, the former won. "And you?" he asked. "Do you have anyone precious to you?"
Link was quiet for a long moment. He did not meet Hazen's eyes, and his voice was quiet when he said, "Just one."
How two simple words could hold so much, Hazen thought, he'd never understand. He tried to find a response, but Link beat him to it.
"Her name is Zelda," he said, avoiding Hazen's gaze. "She's the princess."
"Were . . . were you guys friends?"
"Friends?" Link stared at him. "How could I be? She's the princess. Every time I took a step in her direction, the court spat on me."
He turned back to the plaza, his eyes dark and angry. And sad. "I saved them all, and they belittled me," he murmured. "Mocked me and conscripted me in the same breath. They hated that I had saved them while they did nothing, and then used me for their dirty work. I should have--"
He broke off, snarling a little. Hazen watched him take a breath, gathering his anger and shoving it back down deep. He met Hazen's gaze, and for the first time, Hazen saw the 17 year old that lived in the child's body. The Hero of Time, a boy in flesh and a man in mind.
"It doesn't matter," Link said, turning back. "Not when I'm stuck here, saving a land that isn't mine."
The bitterness permeated the air, clogged in Hazen's throat. "So why do you stay?" he asked.
Link scoffed. "How can I leave? The Hero's Spirit is a curse as much as a blessing. I can't abandon people about to die--it won't let me."
"Do you ever regret it?"
"What?"
"Being the Hero."
Link considered it. "Sometimes. When I see Anju welcome me every three days, like she's never seen me before. When I put on my masks and feel the souls trapped in them. When I talk to the guards and they talk about the Carnival, and I see the fear in their eyes, the fakeness of their smiles. When I . . ."
He trailed off in a sigh, his eyes sad. Just sad now. "When I look at Lulu," he murmured, and now Hazen noticed the Ocarina in the hero's hands, turned over and over. "Every person in this land I've been able to help, in some way or another. Except four. Darmani, the Deku butler's son, Mikau."
He recited their names like a prayer. "They died," Link whispered, meeting Hazen's eyes. "They died before I could help them. And Lulu--I can't help her either. That's the worst part, you know."
He sniffed, looking down at his ocarina. "She'll never sing again, because I couldn't save Mikau. She'll never smile again, she'll never have eggs again, she'll never do anything again except stare out over Great Bay and wait for someone who's not coming home. Because I failed her," he suddenly hissed, leaning over.
He straightened as the rage in his eyes faded, his throat bobbing. "Yes, Prince, sometimes I hate this Hero's Spirit."
And he left, a child of ten walking with the guilt of kings on his shoulders. He passed the frozen prince, leaving the roof with only a comment that he'd be gone until nightfall.
Sometimes I hate this Hero's Spirit.
And it was only when he'd gone that Hazen realized that wasn't what he'd asked.
The sun was disappearing when Link returned and led them downstairs to the inn. Link bade them to stay in the stairway while he talked to Anju.
"It's just for the stories, Anju, I swear. They're friends."
"I don't know, Link, the inn is really booked--"
"They're not staying. I just wanted them to hear your grandmother's stories."
"Link . . ."
"Come on, Anju, it's the Carnival!" Hazen might have imagined it, but he thought Link's voice choked up just the slightest bit there. "Have a little fun. Here, I'll take her some of your soup."
The relief in Anju's voice was palpable. "Oh, would you, Link? You're a lifesaver."
"No problem, Anju."
He appeared around the corner with a steaming bowl of soup and jerked his head for them to follow. Either Anju had totally forgotten about Link's 'friends', or she'd let him get away with it. Whichever it was, she didn't call out to them as they went around the corner to her grandmother's room.
Once in, the group spread around the warmly lit place. Hazen shifted, drawing Irene's gaze. Link was right, he considered, watching the hero try to feed Anju's soup to the old lady in the rocking chair. The anxiety was much, much worse now.
"You feel it too?" Irene murmured, her eyes scanning the room.
"The feeling of being crushed, of thinking we've forgotten something vital and we're all going to pay for it?" Hazen muttered back. "Since this morning."
Irene's lips twitched. She met Hazen's gaze, and upon seeing her smiling, for once, her eyes blue as sapphires, he felt his lips turn up and his heart pump erratically.
They stayed that way a mere moment, and then Irene's mouth twitched, as if she wished to say something, but quailed at the last moment. Her face flushed prettily, hardly noticeable in the golden firelight, but Hazen saw it. And he saw how she turned away quickly, her throat bobbing, her humor replaced with nerves.
Hazen felt his own amusement fade for confusion to take its place, confusion and wondering and a desire that confused him further. He swallowed, turning his attention away from her sapphire eyes and pink mouth, and focused on Link, who was rolling his eyes at them while he coaxed the old lady to share her stories.
Finally she gave in, and Link joined them. "You may want to sit," he warned them. He pulled a mask from his pouch, the same one that had hung from the Curiosity Shop. Hazen watched him put it on with an accusatory look.
"Why the secrecy?"
"Because it's easier to move that way in this world," Link answered promptly. At Tessen's frown, he added, "Doing anything in Termina involves a lot of maneuvering and planning ahead, and even more going back in time. Being cryptic about this stuff gets our objective that much closer without all the explaining. Which is wasting precious time right now, wouldn't you agree?"
Hazen scowled, outdone. "Then what does the mask do?"
"Keeps me awake," Link said shortly. "I need it to make it through the old lady's stories without falling asleep."
"What about the rest of us?" Saval balked. "Will it extend to us?"
"Probably not," Link answered, unapologetically. "But maybe it will. Let's find out."
"Are you ready yet?" the old lady called out, agitated at being kept waiting.
"We're ready," Link said cheerfully. With a nod, he and the group sat down on the rug, and the old lady began speaking. "Which story would you like to hear first?"
"The one about the Carnival."
The old lady nodded. "Each season, the season of harmony begins when the sun and moon are in alignment. Paying homage to the way to the way that nature and time are tirelessly in the process of progressing, the Carnival of Time is when the peoples of the four worlds celebrate that harmony and request fruitfulness for the year."
Hazen gave Tessen a look, a brow raised. He received a shrug in return. Neither was sure what this had to do with Majora, but they'd keep their ears open. Link wasn't stupid; he wouldn't have suggested this option if he didn't think it would help.
"For ages, people have worn masks resembling the giants who are the gods of the four worlds."
That got Hazen's attention. Irene shot him a look, one that Saval shared with Tessen. Masks . . . could that mean Majora was a god of Termina? Was that how it controlled the Doors of Time?
". . . the centerpiece to the Carnival is the clock tower, and on the eve of all the festivities, the doors to its roof are opened."
Behind the group, Link's eyes narrowed.
"From atop the clock tower roof, a ceremony to call the gods is held, and an ancient song is sung."
What song could that be, Hazen wondered? If it happens, does that mean more masks like Majora could show up?
"All of these festivities for the Carnival of Time are held so that we may ask the gods for a rich harvest in the year to come!"
If the gods are called upon for a rich harvest and good luck, then Majora couldn't possibly be counted among them, Hazen thought, and found his conclusion in Tessen's eyes. He whispered to Saval quickly, her head nodding along. Then perhaps Majora was exiled, and he was taking revenge upon Termina for it, Hazen considered. Or perhaps it was jealous of the bounty of Termina, of the glory the gods received from the people, and sought to destroy it all.
There were too many missing pieces. Still, too much they didn't know. Frustration boiled in Hazen's gut, but before he could speak Link had already done so.
"The story about the giants, please."
"Yes, Tortus, yes," the old lady hummed, nodding. Link leaned back on his wrists as if he hadn't just been called a totally different name and cocked his head, waiting for the old lady to begin the next story.
Hazen shared a glance with Irene as the old lady began again.
"The four giants . . . this tale's from long ago, when the people weren't separated into four worlds like they are now. In those times the people lived together, and the four giants lived among them. On the day of the festival that celebrates the harvest, the giants spoke to the people . . ."
The old lady paused for effect. "'We have chosen to protect the people while we sleep. 100 steps north, 100 steps south, 100 steps east, 100 steps west. If you have need of us, simply declare in a loud voice your ailment, such as 'the mountain blizzard has trapped us', or 'the ocean is about to swallow us'. Your cries shall carry to us.'"
"Now then," the old lady added, "there was one who was shocked and saddened by all this. A little imp."
Hazen's lips parted. The imp in the vision. He and Irene's shocked gazes met. The imp wearing the mask--Majora's Mask.
"The imp was a friend of the giants since before they had created the four worlds. 'Why must you leave? Why do you not stay?' The childhood friend felt neglected, so he spread his anger across the four worlds," the old lady said, her voice pitched low, as if to speak of the imp would call it down on them. "Repeatedly, he wronged all the people."
"Overwhelmed with misfortune, the people sang the song of prayer to the giants who lived in each of the four compass directions. The giants heard their cry and responded with a roar. 'Oh, imp. Oh, imp. We are the protectors of the people. You have caused the people pain! Oh, imp, leave these worlds! Otherwise, we shall tear you apart!"
Despite herself, Saval let out a little gasp. The old lady continued as if she had not made a sound, as invested in her tale as her audience.
"The imp returned to the heavens, and harmony was restored to the four worlds. And the people rejoiced and they worshipped the giants of the four worlds like gods. And they lived happily . . . ever after."
Then she straightened, and just as it had descended, the curtain of thinly veiled sadness lifted from the room, shaken off as the effects of the story faded. That couldn't be it, Hazen thought, but the old lady was quite finished with her tale, now quizzing Link on the answer to some part of it.
Hazen quickly took his group aside as Link wrapped up with the old lady. "That can't be it," Irene said, before he could open his mouth.
"It's impossible, the four lands are clearly not at peace," Tessen added. "Do you think she's forgotten the rest?"
"She hasn't forgotten a thing," Link said, appearing suddenly. "That's as far as she knows. Now hush, and prepare yourselves."
"For what--" Saval began, but Link had already raised his ocarina to his lips. The tune he played was weirdly familiar, and yet skewed somehow, and abruptly that was the last thing Hazen could clearly think.
The next thing he knew, he was standing in the exact same spot, but fire was burning higher in the grate, and the old lady was soundly asleep. And most noticeably, the pressure in his chest was gone.
"What happened?" Tessen groaned, rubbing his head. "My mind feels fogged."
"That's normal," Link answered, his bag pulled up to his nose as he squinted inside. His arm was buried to the armpit. "I get it every time, but it gets easier the more you do it."
"Do what, exactly?" Saval asked, her eyes squinty, a bit groggy, but otherwise clear headed. More than the rest of them, anyway.
"We went back in time," Irene answered, her eyes closed.
Link grunted an affirmative, his face half-buried in his bag. Hazen blinked at her. "How do you know?"
She gave him a look, that look, like he was being stupid. It made his chest flip in the most uncomfortable way. He wanted her to do it again. "We came here at night on the final day. He told us he has to rewind time before the Moon falls, remember?"
Right. He had. Of course Hazen remembered, only now Irene's cheekbones were getting in the way. Pronounced without sticking out, soft and smooth in the candlelight. He caught his gaze slipping lower and cleared his throat, turning away, completely unaware of Irene's own eyes tracking him.
"Aha!"
Link's crow of success provided them with a distraction as he finally found what he was looking for. "A map," he explained. "But let's not stay. Anju will have a panic attack if she finds us here."
"Oh, right," Tessen muttered. "She won't remember the last three days."
Hazen abruptly recalled his and Link's conversation the day before and motioned for Tessen to shut up. Watching Anju welcome me like she's never seen me before . . .
He watched Link carefully, but whether or not Tessen's words had any effect, Hazen couldn't see. The hero led them out of the room and motioned to be silent as he climbed the stairs. They followed his steps, but Hazen and Irene got separated as two scantily clad women drifted right into their path.
They waited, Irene on Hazen's heels, and once they were past he pushed up the last few steps. Only the scrape of a boot on wood and her gasp made him turn in time to catch her, sliding an arm round her waist.
They tottered on the top step until Irene grabbed the railing, and then they were still.
Hazen opened his mouth to speak, but his breath was stolen. He'd seen Irene up close before, but for some reason now . . . it was different. Her skin was flushed, her eyes wide and blue and riveted to his. He swallowed, tried again, and still nothing came out.
Her breath fanned over his neck. He tried to hide how it affected him, how it made goosebumps rise over his skin, and was confident he failed. Abruptly he realized exactly what he thought of Irene--with her golden wit and her eyes and her silver tongue.
That tongue darted out to the corner of her mouth, and Hazen's gaze locked onto it, onto her mouth, as she slowly raised herself up by the railing. Then they were inches apart, and he was sure his chest shuddered.
Then she pushed on his chest, and he startled--unaware her fingers had even made it there. He let her go, suddenly breathless, and watched her pull herself onto the landing. She avoided his eyes, self-conscious in a way he'd never seen her, ever.
Shame came upon him swiftly, and he backed away, averting his gaze. "I'm s--"
At the sound of his voice she jerked forward, taking short stuttering steps, as if robbed of the ability to walk. Hazen watched her go towards the door in the back with a sinking heart, backing up till he hit the wall behind him.
What the hell was that? he wondered. A voice in the back of his head answered, an annoyingly insistent voice and one that he'd been acting on far too often.
Do it again. Make her look like that again.
For a moment he was tempted. He was attracted to Irene, he knew that already. But now he had an emotional attachment to match the physical, a desire to know her in every way to know a person. He had no idea where it came from, how it had descended so fast, but he knew it was true.
She was funny, in an annoying, smartass kind of way. She was smart, catching things that he and Tessen and Saval missed. She was a fine fighter, though she'd rub it in Hazen's face forever if he told her so. She wasn't afraid to say what she thought, wasn't afraid of his title or rank. And she was brave in a different way.
She'd followed them through fire twice, escaping Majora's Mask, plotting to fight it, helping people she'd known for a mere month, and even then didn't truly know. She had a fire in her, a fire impossible to put out.
But he didn't know how she felt.
No, Hazen thought. There was a fine line between acting on mutual desire and forcing his own on someone. Until she gave him a sign, some indication she wanted him to touch her, to pull her to him, to lean in and finish what that bastard voice started, he'd keep his distance. Let her find her way. She deserved at least that much from him, after what he'd pulled her into. If it led to him, fine. If not . . .
"Suffer in silence, I suppose," Hazen muttered. With a sigh, a deep breath, he braced himself and made his way to the door and onto the roof. They were in the middle of a discussion, catching Tessen's remark.
". . . guess that means we know the All Night Mask applies to us too."
"What would have happened if you didn't wear it?" Saval asked.
"The time would have flown by and we'd all be crushed by the Moon before I could play the Inverted Song of Time," Link said candidly, sitting beside them around the cookpot. Irene was busy with her head down, eyes unfocused even as she peeled carrots.
"So what have we got to work with?" Hazen asked, pointedly not looking at her as he sat. She gave no sign he'd spoken, which he supposed was neither a win nor a lose.
"Well, I think the story of the giants is really interesting," Tessen said, and Saval nodded. "Four separate lands, with a giant ruling over each, and, according to Link, a boss in each dungeon."
"The giants are real, and they've been freed," Link supplied, as all eyes turned to him. "Each of the giants is free of the evil mask that bound them. The Skull Kid, who wears Majora's Mask now, is being manipulated by the evil in the mask."
"Is he the imp from the story?" Saval asked, sorting the ingredients.
Link nodded. "Probably. He . . ."
Everyone waited for him to finish, but whatever he meant to say, he changed it. "He may wear the mask, but he never wanted this much destruction. The mask is manipulating him, making his desires worse, exaggerating his pain into hatred."
Tessen raised a brow. "You seem quick to defend him."
Link's voice was chilly. "Let's just say I have a soft spot for broken things."
The tale of his masks settled heavily in everyone's minds. Of the souls trapped in them. Hazen cleared his throat. "So. Now that the giants are freed, what are they doing to stop Majora?"
"Nothing," Link said, a trace amount of bitterness in his voice. But mostly, it was tired. "They're waiting for me, as usual."
"Then we should be finding information on Majora," Hazen decided. "The old lady's stories gave us a good history, but it's not worth much if we don't know Majora's role in it."
"We should go to the four dungeons," Tessen said, staring at the flames. "If the giants were held there, they might have some clues."
"Maybe," Link conceded. "Or maybe not. The giants didn't live in the dungeons, only the areas the dungeons are in. Namely, the entire land of Snowhead, or Woodfall, or Great Bay or Ikana. That's too much ground to cover."
"Then we'll do it in a three-day cycle, like you do," Saval suggested, but Link looked at her wearily.
"You don't want to do that to yourselves," he warned. "It gets really difficult, in ways you don't expect."
"We didn't want to keep fighting Majora, but we had to," Hazen reminded him. "It's not about what we want to do. It didn't start out this way, but Majora is our responsibility as much as he is yours."
Link frowned, but nodded all the same. "I would suggest splitting up," he said. "It covers more ground faster, and I might be able to give you starting points."
He pulled out the map and laid it out, safely away from the fire. "There are certain places in the four lands that are important to each land," he explained, marking the points with a piece of charcoal. "Ikana Castle and Stone Tower are both ancient. Stone Tower was the dungeon, so be wary of it. Don't go inside, not unless you really have to," he warned, giving each of them a hard look.
"Ikana Castle was once the stronghold of the ancient King of Ikana. He died sometime during or after the Great War of Ikana, I'm not sure which. I lifted him from the curse of Stone Tower Temple, another reason to not go inside. If you're going to find anything, start with the castle--it'll be free of any enemies since I lifted the curse--but be careful anyway. It's pretty treacherous, Stone Tower even more so. Have I mentioned staying away from Stone Tower?"
Hazen stared at Link, whose eye he swore was twitching. "Are you okay?"
Link sighed, though none of the tension left him. "Look, that place took me forever to figure out. I think my eardrum is still ringing from all the times Tatl yelled at me. I'll never see north the same way again."
Tessen and the rest exchanged incredible glances, and even Irene looked skeptical. "What kind of place was this?" Saval asked.
"A place that sucks," Link said flatly, but elaborated. "It's all twisted up, a massive fortress standing thousands of feet high. Whatever you do, if you have to go in, don't fall to the bottom. You'll never get back up again."
"How did you?" Tessen demanded, grinning.
"Because I'm me," Link said, matching the smile. But he quickly sobered. "But seriously, stay out of there. Whichever of you goes, you don't have any of my tools, so if you get stuck you'll really be screwed."
"Yessir," Hazen said, not unseriously. Link squinted at him before continuing. "Two of you will go to Ikana. The other two will go to Great Bay. Don't go to the Water Temple," he advised. "Not at first. Talk to the people at the Domain, get permission to explore the place. If you don't find anything, then check out the Temple. I'll give you a map."
"What about you?"
"I'm going to Woodfall," Link declared. "I'm the best suited for it, unless any of you can turn into Deku scrubs?"
No one nodded. Link did, and added, "If no one is back by the time I'm done, I'll go to Snowhead. Don't follow me; I know my way around here, and I can warp. If you guys get lost, or trapped, or stuck, then you're staying that way until I find you."
"How long do we have?" Hazen asked.
"Until the night of the third day," Link answered, standing. "If no one is back by then, I'll play the Inverted Song of Time and turn us back to the first day, then warp and find you. Are we clear?"
The rest of them nodded, rising to their feet. "Saval and I will take Great Bay," Tessen said, glancing at her for her approval. She nodded. "We've always been better at swimming."
Here he grinned at Hazen, who rolled his eyes. "Then I'll go to Stone Tower and Ikana," he decided, taking a look at the map. Then his heart sank as he realized what that meant.
So much for not forcing her, he thought.
But she surprised him. Irene stood and said, "Looks like I'm your partner. Don't drag me down."
Hazen blinked, unsure if she was serious or putting up a front. Either way, she seemed willing, so he nodded slowly. "Fine with me."
She sniffed. "It better be."
Then she returned to her skinning carrots, leaving Hazen wobbling on one foot.
Not that anyone paid attention. They all went back to their own tasks, with Link reminding them, "Remember: don't go inside the dungeons."
All right! I had *inhale* so much fun writing these next few chapters, because this is where it starts to pick up! *gremlin laughs behind hands*
Review replies.
To StJames1: you need to expose me in PM lmfao, youRE RUINING MY CREDIBILITY HERE. Also, I fixed it. It's more like 14,000 years now. Thank you for that tho in all honesty.
"This is getting darker with every chapter" you have no idea. I cannot wait!!
Okay, that's it for this week. I hope you guys enjoy it, and let me know what you think! Stay safe out there! I'll see y'all next week. Peace.