Chapter 4: A Town in Panic
Perhaps being mayor wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Mayor Dotour figured he would just be the person to solve the little arguments among the towns-people and organize events such as the carnival of time and other such things. He never knew he'd be stuck between two groups of people doing nothing but yell at each other and him be the one to stop it…somehow.
"Mayor, we have to evacuate the city. It's too big of a risk to let them all stay and possibly die!" One of the city guardsmen said.
"Pah, what a load of nonsense. The moon is going to fall, like that's going to happen!" The chief carpenter said.
"So you think that even though the moon is in plain sight for all to see even during the day you still say it won't fall? You're mad Mutoh!" Another guardsman said.
"Viscen, you are only listening to rumours. Remember the rumour that people spread about seeing a giant near the canyon so you nearly declared war on Ikana? And you call me mad!?" The chief carpenter Mutoh responded with.
"This is a completely different matter. The moon hangs over us as if wanting to crush us. Think about what happens if you're wrong. Every man, woman and child stays within the city walls and die because you didn't believe the people's concerns. Can you live with that?" The soldier known as Viscen retorted.
"But what if you're wrong, Viscen? The carnival would have to be cancelled! My men and I have been working for days to get things ready for the carnival and there are many other acts who have been booked that will have to stop as well! If we call the carnival off the city will enter an economic disaster with people demanding their money back which we might not have!" Mutoh yelled.
"Rather an economic crises than everyone dead." The first soldier added.
Both sides kept arguing, the soldiers looking out for the people's safety and the carpenters to keep the carnival going. Neither one wanted to let their side lose while the mayor sat in his chair behind his desk not knowing at all what to do. He couldn't side with the carpenters as he, too, was afraid the moon might fall. On the other hand, an economic disaster would not be good for the city and he would most certainly get the blame for allowing it to occur.
This 'meeting' had gone on for an hour already and Mayor Dotour was already tired of it, but too timid to stop it. He didn't know what to say and just hoped something would occur that would make them stop fighting, but hopefully not something bad such as the falling of the moon.
"Mayor!" Said a man who had just slammed the door open.
"Do you mind? We're in the middle of a meeting!" Viscen and Mutoh said together.
Mayor Dotour was glad for the sudden distraction and felt like this could slow or calm it down so he let this man take the floor.
"Yes Mr. Gorman, what is it?" Mayor Dotour asked.
"I just heard from your wife that my group, the Gorman troupe, have been cancelled! Is this true?" Mr. Gorman said angrily.
"Mr. Gorman, such a thing will only happen if we decide to evacuate the city. As you well know there are rumours suggesting that the moon may fall and destroy our beautiful city. If we believe this to be true, then we shall leave the city and, yes, the carnival and your act will be cancelled." Mayor Dotour explained.
"You- you can't do this to me! This is the only chance I have to make it big! How can you just cancel the biggest festival of the year just like that!?" A now enraged Gorman yelled.
"Mr. Gorman, please. Nothing has been decided yet; I am merely saying that it may be a possibility." Mayor Dotour continued to explain.
"You see mayor?" Mutoh called out. "It's things like this that could be disastrous to our economy! Many people won't be paid for shows and festivities as they are all cancelled, so people can not shop and keep the economy going!"
"Mutoh, you fool. You would choose money over the chance of life? Mayor, please. If we stay here we will all most certainly be crushed! And what about your wife?" Viscen pleaded.
Mayor Dotour was timid and found it difficult to make big decisions such as these, but when someone mentioned something such as family or something else close to him it was very apparent as to how he became mayor in the first place.
"Do not bring my wife into this."
The firmness of his tone had everyone in the room fall silent. Even the angry Mr. Gorman was quiet and calm in the presence of a tough speaking mayor.
"When I married her I chose her out of every other woman in the city, but when I became mayor I chose the entire city including her to cherish and protect. Do not think that the safety of my wife will make me change my decision for as mayor, I cannot hold one life higher than the lives of all my citizens. I would expect better of you, Captain Viscen."
Captain Viscen lowered his head in shame while the carpenter Mutoh looked at him smugly, as if he had won something. A quick look at the mayor, who was now looking at Mutoh with an equally shaming stare, showed he had not won anything at all.
"This meeting is now over. Leave me to make my decision."
Everyone in the mayor's office left to resume what they were previously doing, except Mr. Gorman who stood nervously by the door.
"Err, mayor, what about my troupe?" He shyly asked.
"Leave me to make my decision." The mayor said firmly.
"Uh, yes sir."
Mr. Gorman left in a timid state, but a moment later when he had left the building he returned to his usual, grumpy old self. A moment later and the mayor had returned to his usual state as well where he began to think long and hard about whether he should evacuate the city or keep the carnival of time running and risk certain doom.
---
"So then I had to slide down a long, steep tunnel just so I could enter the Fire Temple. I'll tell you, it was not a comfortable landing"
Link and Tatl had spent the many hours of the morning talking and looking around for the skull kid in case they would suddenly have a lead. No such luck came to them yet, though.
Tatl was enjoying listening to Link's story of him being a hero and of what he had done throughout time. She also asked small questions about some details here and there which made her enjoy it even more, however it became more difficult when Link told her of when he was sealed away for 7 years and of how he felt when he emerged.
The feeling of having time flow past you and not being able to experience it. 7 years of his life had been and gone and he didn't get the chance to live them to the fullest. He hardly even lived them!
Talking again became hard when he mentioned the loss of Saria, his best friend ever and love, then harder again when he told Tatl about learning he wasn't actually a Kokiri but a Hylian, meaning he could not return to the forest and live forever.
Despite all that, though, she was glad to hear about his past as it gave her a better view of him and helped her to understand Link more. She had wondered why Link felt so empty and emotionless, but losing the things most precious to a person might make any person feel the same way. Of course, any person wouldn't be given a destiny to save the world and go through such trauma in the first place.
He seemed to have picked up again, though, and was telling the story with a little happiness, or no sadness and hatred, which was a plus. It was impossible to tell how long these moments would last, but she had learned throughout life that it was best to enjoy the good moments while they last and not think how long they will last for. The skull kid taught her that.
"So then I-…"
Link had kept on talking during Tatl's thoughts but had now suddenly stopped. She guessed a pause or something like this meant something bad had happened, but it seemed so cut off that it felt something was wrong now, not in his story.
"Uh, Link? Link are you-"
"Who are you?" Link quickly said, almost ignoring Tatl's words.
"What? Link, you know who I am. I'm Tatl. Link, what's-"
"You haven't answered my question." Link quickly said again.
"Link, what are you talking about? Are you alright?" Tatl asked.
She was beginning to get worried now. Link hadn't acted like this at all since she had met him and something like this hadn't come up in his story so this was completely new to her. She was talking to him but he wasn't even listening, or that's how it seemed anyway. She felt like she couldn't do anything to get through to him, and she'd be right.
"I see." Link said. "Why do you feel it necessary to speak with me?"
"Link, you were talking to me! What is going on? Tell me!"
But he didn't. Instead he kept on looking ahead for a few seconds, then a glance towards Tatl, but not in acknowledgement. In that glance Tatl could tell Link had never been talking to her in the first place. She had guessed that much when he asked 'who are you', but still felt like she should reply and see if she was wrong.
"Where?"
Link seemed to look blankly into the distance now, not that there was one as he seemed to be looking directly at the city wall. Tatl had now given up on talking to him all together which would seem silly to do so here in hindsight as the odd daze Link had entered was about to come to an end.
A blink of the eyes was enough to show that he had come back to his senses and that he had, indeed, been in some kind of trance throughout the one-sided conversation with an invisible voice. To Link, though, it seemed like nothing had happened.
"So then I slammed the Megaton Hammer on his head and-"
"Link, what were you doing?" Tatl asked.
Link looked confused at the question as, to him, he was explaining what he was doing. She could be referring to that voice he had spoken to, but it had said it was him, in a sense, so how could Tatl hear what was in Link's head?
"What do you mean what was I doing? I was telling you about when I was in the Fire Temple." Link explained.
"No, no. Before that. You were talking normally then you started talking to someone."
"You- you heard that?" Link said with astonishment.
"Only what you were saying, and it didn't make any sense to anything I said so I figured you were talking to someone else. What was that about?"
He had spoken aloud? He thought that if the voice was speaking to him in his head, then he would speak back in his head too. He didn't realize that what he said could be heard by all around him. It's a good thing he didn't reveal anything to make the situation even more difficult.
Then again, the voice hadn't said much to make this conversation difficult anyway so he was safe no matter what he said.
He wished he wasn't though. He would much rather prefer knowing everything and risk others knowing than knowing practically nothing and nobody else knowing.
He might as well tell her what had happened, he thought. After all, if not much had happened at all in terms of personal information then what difference would it make if this little fairy knew? There was also the matter that if what this voice said was true, then Tatl knew just as little about what Skull kid had planned than he did, yet she would know enough to help him with the matter that the voice brought up. If only he knew what this voice actually was.
"I heard something, in my head. A voice." Link said.
"A voice? Are you sure it wasn't someone behind you or something?"
"No, I'm sure of it. It said it knew about what the skull kid had planned."
"Planned?" Tatl exclaimed. "Skull kid doesn't have anything planned. He just steals from people and pulls pranks. He never said he had anything planned."
Just as the voice had said. Tatl knew even less about what the skull kid was up to than anyone else. Except whoever this new person was. It agitated Link to hear that this voice did not 'feel a need to reveal himself' but also knew not to pick a fight with someone he could not see or gauge their strength. Especially when stuck in a restricting form.
"Yeah. It said something about him having plans but he didn't know exactly what they were. It said something about seeing an astronomer."
"Oh yeah, I know him! He lives just off the east part of town! Come on, I'll lead you to him." Tatl said, seemingly excited.
See. You would do well to trust me more in the future.
It was much more clearer this time and it didn't send him into another trance like before. What worried him more was the fact that it actually knew Link didn't entirely trust the voice in his head. I mean, if you heard a voice in your head that you didn't recognise, would you completely trust it straight away? Link wouldn't, and somehow this voice could sense that.
He managed to shrug the worry off soon, though, as he had experienced the same mistrust with strangers before and this was the same except he couldn't see the person. He had experienced voices in his head before too, but this was by far the most odd. The other voices had been tied to his destiny but now that he was free of it, why could he still hear voices in his head now?
It was something he would think about while following Tatl to the astronomer and discover whatever this voice had been looking for.
---
Every now and then he would try to break free of his magical prison, but each time proved that pushing alone would do nothing. At first the skull kid yelled at Tael for trying to escape, but when he tried and failed again later, he decided to let Tael try for all the worthless good it would do.
Tael was beginning to realise this himself, hence why his attempts grew less frequent as time passed.
He decided to give it one more shot before giving up for now, then trying again when he had more strength. Flying through the space he was allowed, then attempting to push through the boundaries set in place by the evil Majora.
"How many futile attempts do you require before you realise you have no hope?" Majora asked.
Tael kept on pushing until he felt drained of his energy, causing him to collapse to the floor. He couldn't even fly right now.
"How many legends does it take to show that evil never wins?" Tael asked in response.
"Why you little pest!" Majora said through clenched teeth.
He curled his hand as if holding something then threw it up, throwing Tael up as a consequence to the magic Majora was conjuring. A swift motion of the hand and Tael was back on the ground again, panting to get his breath back.
"Don't you ever talk that way to me again! I will not tolerate it!" Majora shouted.
He didn't know why he was getting so angry over a small, pathetic fairy but something about Tael had changed and it was something he did not like. He was becoming more like his sister. Mentally stronger, more confident and pushing against the boundaries instead of resting and knowing where his place is.
Why did this fairy matter anyway? It couldn't possibly be anything connected to the host body, the skull kid. Majora had taken over that completely so there was no way it could be that.
"Why don't you kill me?" Tael asked between breaths.
Majora had had enough for now. He raised his hand and slammed it down towards the ground, the invisible hand doing the same over Tael's weak body. He was out cold, not dead like he dared Majora to be.
Why didn't he kill him? Because he needed him. Majora desired for the boy to reach him so that he could gauge his strength for himself. He had lost control for that moment in the cave allowing only the deku curse and not death so this boy was truly lucky to be alive. Majora was interested because this boy had hoped to stand against him and showed great strength for such a small boy.
He had also heard the legends of the Ocarina of Time, the instrument that now lay in his hands but would not work for him. The reason, he guessed, would be because it worked for near all people, save those born from darkness.
Majora wished to see Link and to show that he could not be stopped. That this would be a legend like no other. One in which evil does finally win even when the light stood right before him! All he needed now was for them to arrive.
That other fairy would bring Link right to him just because she wants to see her brother again and that was the reason why Tael was still alive.
Regardless Tatl would still come looking whether Tael was alive or dead and when she did arrive and see, Majora would still have what he wanted so it wouldn't matter. He could kill Tael right now and everything would still be to plan. It might go even more smoothly than expected, so why didn't he kill Tael?
No matter how much he racked his mind Majora could not come up with a solution.
It had to be because of the skull kid. There was no other explanation. Majora never felt remorse or any other compassionate emotion of any kind so why would he only knock out this fairy when he could easily kill him? It had to be due to some lingering memories of the pathetic skull kid.
Gah, why am I wasting my time on this little runt anyway? The entire town can see it now and in a matter of days this world and all others will be mine! I must concentrate on my goals.
Tael still lay on the roof of the Clock Tower in a state of unconsciousness while a confused Majora continued to plot his dark and deadly plans.
---
Tatl had led Link to the eastern part of town – the part which Link thought would be the busiest – and then down into the network of alleyways leading into the nooks and crannies of town. It was here where they could find the way to the astronomer.
Already Clock Town seemed far more complex than Hyrule showing off just how advanced this world must be in comparison to his own.
The conversation with the voice had allowed Link to slip back to his old ways slightly and now that he was walking but not talking to take his mind off things he had almost completely reverted to the cold, emotionless self that he was once he learned that his best friend had gone.
Tatl seemed completely oblivious to this as she continued to lead Link through the winding passages of the dark city, as it was called. The main reason being that it was mainly dark in the alleys with not much light coming in, and that some shifty characters did business in these small alleys so they were avoided when possible. Apparently this was a shortcut.
A more happier Link might find this setting unnerving, but the cold Link felt as comfortable here as a fish is to water. In the shadows one could hide without being seen or noticed and where one could do what he wanted in secret and privacy. A place where people could be left alone and be forgotten.
"Come on. We're almost there!" Tatl cried.
Link had slowly fell behind with his mind chilling over again so he allowed himself to quicken his pace and turn the corner Tatl was indicating to. He ran right up to it, turned and crashed straight into someone standing where Link had thought to be open pathway.
"Hey, watch it scrub!" The person said.
"Watch it yourself! We're trying to get through here kid!" Tatl yelled back.
Picking his light and frail deku form off the ground Link managed to get a better look at the person he had just ran into. It turned out it was just a kid – aged 8 if he had to guess – wearing a simple blue and white shirt and blue shorts to match.
They both came to roughly the same height, but Link would have been slightly taller were he human but it didn't stop him from looking intimidating, even for a deku.
He just stood up and glared at the boy with narrow, cold eyes that even this child could tell were merciless.
"L-look, mister. I'm sorry but I was told to guard this place and help protect the astronomer." The boy stuttered.
"Who told you?" Anyone who paid attention could detect some anger amongst the coldness of his tone.
"Our parents. They said we should help the city by protecting our friends, so that's what we're doing. Honest!"
"I don't care what your parents said. I need to get through here and you are going to move. Now!"
"N-n-no."
Link didn't care anymore. He raised his arm and punched the boy around the face, knocking him down. He had wondered if he had given the boy splinters, attacking with a wooden arm and all, but then remembered that he didn't care and just walked off behind the boy.
Tatl couldn't believe what she saw. It was like watching the skull kid all over again. He knew what he wanted and if you angered him or didn't do as he said, violence would be his answer. And these boys were roughly the same age! Anybody who believed in the innocence of childhood should have seen this and instantly thought their theory was wrong.
But, was this what she wanted to do? Tatl stayed with the skull kid even after he got the mask because she wanted to protect her brother, who didn't want to leave the skull kid. Now she was travelling with Link to find and protect her little brother once more, but at the rate Link was going would he just give up on this insane quest and become another skull kid?
Then there was the current situation of what was going on now. Link had just hit this defenceless boy down to the ground and was now walking off. Her one chance at finding her brother was walking down into the underground, so should she follow him into the depths of the earth or stay above and help this beaten child?
She fluttered down to the boy's ear and whispered "I'm sorry" then left to catch up with Link.
She found Link near the point where what little sunlight from the outside came to a rest separating shadow from light. Dekus had better eye-sight than humans but they still had trouble seeing in the dark so he waited for Tatl to come and light his way.
"What took you?"
"Sorry. I took a hit from some water from a drain above. Took a moment to get back in the air."
It was a lie. A very obvious lie considering Link had been with a fairy before and knew how little rain affected fairies, but few people knew that.
Why she lied she didn't know right away but the fact that she did confused her. She had never lied to the skull kid but instead tried to calm him down when she needed to and play with Tael most other times.
Maybe it was because she remembered the good skull kid, but she had never seen the good Link so she had nothing to hope for in him. It may also be because she was afraid what Link might do to her if she told him she questioned going with him.
Was this what Tael felt? Feeling he would have to lie or do something else out of fear of what might become him? Tael was alone and Tatl was coming to protect him and cover for him, but who was coming for her? Who was coming to protect and cover for her? Why did she feel so alone right now?
Right now it didn't matter as she would have to keep following this strange boy with a dark past until she found her brother and could restore her old life. A life where she had to keep a 24/7 watch over her younger brother and make sure he wasn't being hurt by the horrid skull kid.
This is what she wanted?
She loved her brother and wanted to be with him again, but was this a life really worth searching the world to restore? She was beginning to question her attempt of what she was doing. Everywhere she went she was always stuck with some weird kid who bullied others without regret and she always put up with it. Maybe she should just fly away and start her own life, away from the bullies running her life into the ground.
Yeah, that was it. Just run away and start again. She would stay with Link until they were done with the astronomer and then she would fly away where no-one could find her.
"Come on, fairy. I need light."
Tatl's trail of thought made her fall behind slightly making the path in front of Link harder to see. Fortunately the one call was enough to snap her back to the physical world so she caught up before Link would call again, know something was wrong and quickly learn that Tatl had considered abandoning him.
Now that she had been brought back, she had the opportunity to look on her thoughts with a mind not enveloped by them. Abandon Link? He was the only one capable of getting that mask of the skull kid and turning him back to his previous self. That was the same reason she could not abandon the skull kid but to leave her little brother alone with him? How could she have been so heartless!
She couldn't remember how that trail of thought had started but she had a guess it might also be similar to the way Link thinks through things now. The only reason why there was nobody to call to him and snap him out of it was because he had nothing left to hold on to, except the prospect of finding his old friend but he had already said himself that the odds were slim. After all, he was searching one of the biggest forests in the entire kingdom.
Tatl only hoped that Link would someday find his old fairy and get the second chance at life he was deservedly given.
"Alright. We're here."
Tatl had led the way for another 10 minutes or so until they finally saw an opening at the end of the tunnel leading to the astronomer's observatory. Link was beginning to get tired with walking through these sewer-like tunnels and it was easy to see, but the prospect of reaching their destination made him less agitated than he was now. A good thing as talking badly to the astronomer would have proven to be a bad idea.
"Hello? Is anybody here?" Tatl called out.
At first there was no reply so they both continued to walk further in to find themselves in a large circular room. It looked quite shabby and run down with piles of straw and boxes and other strange and random things. The walls had turned from stone to earth with boards of wood holding it back but the floor had retained the stony feel to it.
"Jim? Have you come to pay me a visit?" An aged voice from above replied.
No. Tatl thought. He won't come and see you for a little while. At least not until he knows Link has gone.
"No. We're not from town. We heard about you and hoped you might be able to help us."
To Tatl's surprise, it was Link who said that. How can he threaten a child then push him to the ground but now be kind and courteous to an old man? It didn't make sense!
It did to Link though. One of his philosophies is that courtesy is given to those who give it first. The child was rude and so Link was rude back. This old man was nice so Link would be nice in return. However this also depended on his current mood as well, so if someone was nice to him when he was in a sour mood, he might not be nice in return due to the anger he would currently be harbouring.
"Oh, you've heard of me? Well come in! Come in. Make yourself at home; I'll be down in just a moment." The old man said.
Link did as the man said and sat down on one of the bundles of hay. Like the grass in the park, he noticed just how comfortable and soft it was just by stepping on a clump of it. Tatl felt slightly uneasy about sitting next to the boy that seemed to change so quickly, but kept feeling like she could sense her thoughts so she joined him instead of backing away.
Only a minute later and the old man could be heard coming down the wooden staircase. He did look old, but not in a bad way. He had white hair ending just above his neck and a friendly face not absorbed in wrinkles or spots. He was currently wearing a blue gown reaching down to his feet and a pair of lighter blue slippers.
"Oh, Dreek! I didn't realise it was you. If I remember rightly you said you would be here a couple of days ago. Got a little lost did you?" The old man asked.
"A little."
"Well when I receive a request to help the academy's top student I can't help but say yes. What can I do for you Dreek?"
"We have observed the strange things occurring with the moon and we all fear many things about what this may mean. We were hoping you and your telescope could be of use to us." Link said.
"Oh, yes of course. Unfortunately one of the lenses is damaged right now and the replacement won't arrive until tomorrow evening. If only you had come two days ago."
"I see. Well, thank you for offering me your aid professor."
"Oh, you're leaving? I was hoping for the chance to catch up."
"As sharp as ever. I have a place at the local Inn and I wish to do a bit more sightseeing for now. Perhaps we can talk again tomorrow evening when the lens arrives."
"Yes yes, quite. So many things to do with the carnival so close. Alright then, tomorrow it is. Thank you for stopping by."
To which the conversation ended there and "Dreek" left through where he came. But what on earth was going on? Link hadn't said any of those things out there. Strange things about the moon? What did it matter when it was so far away and out of everyone's reach?
He wasn't 100 sure but Link guessed that whoever it was talking was the same person who had told him to go to the old man in the first place. It would make sense why it would suddenly start speaking there and sound like he knew the 'professor'.
But, if that were the case then whoever this voice belonged to could control Link's body and make him say the things he said. That would mean that the soul wasn't used for energy but merged with him as well. This skull kid was so powerful as to merge two bodies and souls together? There were very few beings who could mess with souls so to realise a measly skull kid could do this to him certainly shocked him.
This would certainly be something he would have to talk about with 'Dreek' or whoever this person was and determine just what he could do.
Dreek knew this, too, but decided to wait a moment and let other things happen before he spoke up. Things such as questions from a very confused Tatl.
"Link, how did you know all that stuff? You're not the top student at the deku academy!" Tatl burst out with.
"That wasn't me. Someone was controlling what I said and did. I was powerless to do anything."
"What?! Who?" Tatl blurted out again.
"I don't know. Let's just forget about it for now and-."
Looks like you'll have to wait until tomorrow before you can find that little imp.
It was that voice again. The same one that said to go to the observatory in the first place. Link hadn't realised but he had just cut himself off mid-sentence and now Tatl was beginning to see and worry about it again.
"Who are you?" Link asked aloud. Tatl remained silent and only listened to one half of the conversation.
I told you I feel no need to tell you right now.
"Things have changed. Now tell me."
There was a pause for all. Tatl assumed it was a long response but Link knew that there was nothing being said at all, as if this voice was thinking things over and deciding what to say.
Alright. It said at last. But let's not leave your fairy friend in the dark this time, shall we?
Link didn't even have time to respond to it before the voice had once again taken control over Link's body turning him into a spectator only able to watch.
"My name, as you might have already guessed, is Dreek. I am the top student at the deku academy and a high ranked member of the deku royal guard, despite my apparent age. I showed great skill and intelligence so I worked my way up quickly." Dreek began.
"Hey, I heard about some deku who became the youngest commander in history recently. That was you?" Tatl suddenly said. The fact that she was talking to someone else besides Link had set in but the fact that she was now talking to a well known member of the deku guard was still sinking in.
"Yes, that is true. As for the question your friend Link so desperately wants to ask, I am here to stop the one who cursed you. I was sent by the academy to investigate the moon as it was drawing closer to our world and we grew concerned. Once I entered town I stumbled into the Clock Tower wondering if there may be a connection to the world beyond. Yes, some scholars know of Hyrule.
"Unfortunately, that is where I also met the skull kid alone and lost my life to him. Luck seemed to shine on me only days later when you stumbled along and wound up being tied to me and transforming you into your current state. I have you to thank for that little fairy."
"M-me? What did I do?" Tatl replied, taken aback.
"You had an influence on the skull kid that could, at times, bring out a brighter side to him. Link, when the skull kid had you in his sights he was going to kill you outright, but a part of him not corrupted by the mask shone through and sent my body and soul into yours. Before he did, he asked me something."
"What?" Link asked. Link's voice came out of the same snout as Dreek but the pitch and tone were different making telling them apart possible.
"He asked me to help you regain your body and to save himself from the mask that he now wears. It is a cursed mask known to some as Majora."
A cursed mask. That explains where the skull kid got his power from. It would also explain why the happy mask man would not want to retrieve it as well, since he would be facing an incredible power that now has a host body.
At least now Link partially knew what he was up against. A cursed mask with enough power to mingle with the souls of any being at will. Yeah, real comforting.
This would have to wait until later, though. Right now he had learned he was sharing his body with another and this deku was spilling the beans on who he was. He better take this opportunity to learn as much as he can.
"So how can you do what you are doing now?" Link asked.
"I personally don't know myself how I can do them, I just know I can. I can speak to your mind, I can read it as well so I know what you think and what you know, and I can also take control of the body like I am doing now. I believe that is the extent of what I can do. I also believe it can work the other way around, for example you can read my thoughts and speak to my mind."
Well that was encouraging. If he didn't believe what this deku was saying then he could read his thoughts to double check and make sure it was true. It also comforted him to know he wasn't as powerless as he previously thought.
So, he knew what he was up against, in a vague sense, he knew everything that was going on with him and he knew that his best chance at finding the skull kid would not come until the next evening. The question now was what to do in the meantime; talk more with this deku who knows the land seemingly more than Tatl or perhaps talk to her more to understand the skull kid more.
"I wasn't lying about that room in the local Inn. Perhaps we can go there and discuss a strategy." Dreek suggested.
Now that was a good idea. A militaristic idea, but a good one none-the-less.
During the talk they had slowly been walking through the tunnel leading back to the outside and now that they were done, they had just reached the end. As they walked out Link noticed that the boy he had pushed down had gone – for the best – but made him want to ask something.
If you can control my body when you will it, why didn't you stop me from hurting that kid? Link asked to Dreek's mind. He didn't feel like adding Tatl to this conversation, predicting word for word her answer.
Because I can also read your thoughts and I agreed that it was necessary to hurry instead of waste time.
If he had a mouth, a smile would be spreading across his face right now. A young boy with a good intellect and a militaristic attitude making sure they did what they needed to do with no interruptions. He was going to like this deku and he was going to be very useful as well.