A lot will notice the tonal shift in writing here, and I've got to explain. Recently, I went through something scarily similar to what happens in this chapter, but I swear, it's just a coincidence. I had this idea planned for months now, but it just so happened to line up with my life. There's the short answer, it's private. Anyways, this is actually one of my longest. Fast-paced, but please enjoy!
-Joost
A Terminian and the Twilight of Danger
Chapter 14: Unsure
"NO!" A scream rang out. "NO, NO, NOO!"
"What can't he ever just DIE?!" The figure picked up her crystal ball and smashed it. Taking out their wand, a blast of energy hit the wall, blowing more pieces away. They struck the wall again and again, making the room crumble.
"Of course, it fails. Who could've seen that coming?" The other said sarcastically, crossing their arms, rolling their eyes, the usual routine.
"SILENCE!" The angry one turned their wand and shot it point blank at the other, sending the snarky one flying across the room.
"What the hell was that for?!" The hurt one bellowed, flying up and firing their own magic back at the other.
"Stop mocking me!"
"It's hardly my fault you're foolish!"
Both figures approached and fused together, becoming their more powerful form. The union was hardly as coordinated as it could be, legs unbalanced and voices far too distinct to spout a coherent sentence.
"Unbelievable!" The tall figure screamed, before splitting in half and becoming the two smaller ones once again.
"GRAAAH!" Both yelled, starting to roll around in the dust, getting into a tussle.
They exchanged repeated punches, rage flowing through every strike. After a while of being evenly matched, they collapsed in exhaustion. All that could be heard were synchronized pants, proving just how much they were similar to each other.
"We need…" The rightmost one began. "…to get him… someplace where it... will hurt!"
"And what would that be?" The left one snapped, sitting up.
"I'm not sure, alright?! Let's put our heads together and think!" The left groaned in response and then stood. Taking each other's hands, they fused again, and sat down.
Keeping their fist to their chin, what felt like an eternity passed as they thought. Dozens of ideas were proposed and dismissed, until something clicked. A wide, impossible smirk grew along the fusion's face, and they began laughing.
"We'll need to go on a little trip…"
Link limped down the street, Jim and Skull Kid helping him make it past all the chunks of stone that were scattered about town. The fire that destroyed the Happy Mask Shop had thankfully been put out by the time they returned from the Temple of Time.
"Hey! Grasshopper! Jim! Skull Kid!" A voice came from the distance, on the other side of the wrecked fountain. The three boys knew who it was.
"What's up?" Jim waved back.
"Romani is going to help with the clean up! You guys want to join?" Romani hollered as a guard raced past her, carrying some wooden planks.
"Yeah! We just need to get Link home!" Jim said, moving his head forward to show Romani her injured boyfriend. It wasn't that bad, but one look at him told her that he would need some time to heal.
"Alright!" Romani turned away to continue helping others get their bearings, and the boys continued.
Opening the front door, Jim and Skull Kid got all of Link's gear off and set him on the couch to rest.
"If you need anything, just let us know!" Skull Kid chirped.
All Link did was mumble, his exhaustion finally catching up with him. All the adrenaline he had flowing through his veins before had completely washed away. Jim and Skull Kid waved their friend goodbye before leaving to help out.
For a while, Link was alone. The only sound in his ears was his own heartbeat, breathing, and the occasional voices coming from outside. He laid sprawled out on the couch for what felt like an eternity, but he eventually forced himself to sit up and actually think.
Some of the bloodshot had returned to his eyes, and the corners of his vision were blurry. Even his own thoughts were slurred, almost incapable of making something sensible.
Then Link heard a door open and some steps coming close. He turned, and all he could make out was a long, lovely mane of red hair. A big smile found its way onto his face.
"R-Romani…" Link grunted, stumbling his way over to her.
"Hm?" She responded.
Link didn't say another word. He just took her by the shoulders and started to kiss her tenderly. His mind was tired, and all he wanted was some kind of love after everything he'd been through over the past several days.
After a few seconds, Link didn't let up. Instead, he tightened his grip on Romani, primal, lustful thoughts entering his brain. He yearned for more from the kiss.
Then the front door opened.
"Alright, Jim will just need to get a hammer from upstairs. Skull Kid, you can-" Romani stopped dead in her tracks as soon as she registered the scene before her.
Link, kissing Malon. Malon, eyes wide. Neither rejecting what was happening. All the color drained from Romani's face. Jim's mouth went agape, and Skull Kid had to shield his eyes with his hat. The staff the imp held fell to the ground, the noise making Link finally open his eyes. His vision adjusted, and he was filled with horror.
Breaking the kiss, Link backed away from Malon as she remained still, frozen by shock. Then he looked to the right and saw Romani, Jim, and Skull Kid, all staring at him like he killed someone. He backed away more and then tripped.
"L-Link?" Malon muttered, unable to process what the boy in question just did.
Link started to hyperventilate, and he wiped his mouth. He shakily got to his feet and could only watch as a few tears dripped from Romani's face. Then she sniffled.
"Romani, wait." Link pleaded. His words fell on deaf ears and his girlfriend turned back and ran off into town.
"Romani! Hang on, please!" Link shouted, trying to run after her. He made it just past the door when he fell again, Jim and Skull Kid making sure to get out of the way.
Link wanted to shout again, but he lost track of Romani. She disappeared into the crowd, hands covering her face. All the others could do was watch with shock.
"What just happened…?" Jim asked, no clue how to even begin assessing the situation. He got no response from Link. The teen just lowered his eyes, then head, and silently began to cry.
Midday. Romani still hadn't spoken a word to Link. Her eyes wouldn't even go near him. Quilt and regret was all that could occupy the mind of the teen in green. He sat face down on his bed, wishing he could smother himself with his pillow.
The entire night, Link was plagued with terrible nightmares. Even without that dream demon to manipulate it, his mind was still troubled. Images of that nameless grave, the monsters that sailed past him, the face of the unruly spider. It was all he could see, and almost every hour he woke up in a cold sweat, and then went back in for more, hoping something would change.
Then there was a knock at the door.
"Come in…" Link mumbled. The turn of the doorknob proved that the person heard him. It was Skull Kid.
"So… you want to join me in heading back to pick up Navi? She's all better now." Skull Kid pointed out the window.
"She's… alright?" Link was a little shocked.
After all the chaos that ensued the night before, he had forgotten about Navi's injured state. He inwardly scolded himself for letting something so important slip his mind. Without a moment to lose, he nodded, almost eagerly.
"Alright! Let's go!" Skull Kid chirped, happy to see some form of a smile on Link's face.
The pair left the bedroom and headed downstairs. Before they could get to the door, Link spotted Romani in the kitchen, helping Anju make something. Her usual curiosity would always have her turn her way towards a new sound, whether it be a door opening, footsteps, anything. This time, she held no reaction. Anju, on the other hand, did, and she smiled weakly at her son.
All Link could do was get overwhelmed by shame. He lowered his gaze and followed Skull Kid outside, and Anju's smile disappeared. She knew what happened, but she knew she couldn't do much about it. She never had to deal with a mishap like the one Link was in.
Outside, Skull Kid noticed Link was a few paces behind, his bangs covering his eyes.
"What is it?" The imp asked, waiting for Link to catch up.
"She-" Link stuttered, his voice unsteady. "She wouldn't even look at me…"
Skull Kid didn't know how to respond. The situation was nothing like he had even been through. But he saw Link was in need, and he was more than willing to help him, just like he would if it were the other way around. It had been the other way around many times before.
"I think she just needs some time. Don't worry, Link. She'll talk when she's ready." Skull Kid thought that how Tatl would act when upset could at least be a little similar to how Romani was.
"A-Alright…" Link muttered. He remained silent for the rest of the walk to the Great Fairy Fountain.
Link followed Skull Kid as they crawled through the small passageway to the fountain. When the water illuminated, they knew things were going well.
A hearty laugh echoed through the room and the Great Fairy appeared. She looked quite casual considering the reason why these two boys stood before her.
"Greetings Hero, and hello again, Skull Kid." The Great Fairy said, her voice soothing the air.
Link and Skull Kid instinctively removed their hats in respect, and the boy in green stepped forward.
"Hello. The other day my friend left the fairy Navi here, because of her injuries." Link stated, making eye contact with the fairy.
"Ah, yes, Navi. She had quite the damage, but I assure you she has been fully healed." The Great Fairy extended her palm and it gave off a faint glow. Then she opened it, revealing a sleeping Navi.
"It's time to wake up, my child." The Great Fairy whispered. In an instant, Navi yawned and sat up.
"Navi!" Link exclaimed, too relieved to see his friend.
"Huh? Oh, hello!" Navi was back to her usual self. She stood and flapped her wings. Her first attempt to fly was short, but she got her bearings and took to the air.
Link put out his own hand and gestured for Navi to rest on his hand.
"Thank you, Link." Navi said, happily sitting on Link's palm. "Now, where's Tatl?"
Link was a little confused. Why would the first thing Navi asked be to know where Tatl was?
"She's back at the house." Link looked toward the Great Fairy again. "Thank you so much for your help."
"It was my pleasure, you two. Good luck on your…" After inspecting Skull Kid for a moment, the Great Fairy's expression changed. "…your journeys. Both of you."
Link, Navi, and Skull Kid just smiled before leaving.
When the front door opened again, Navi immediately took to the air again.
"Tatl?" Navi called out. Her question was answered in an amazingly short amount of time.
"Navi!" Tatl exclaimed from the stairs, flying down as fast as she could. She quickly embraced the blue fairy, and Link gave them both a baffled look.
"Are you ok? How is your wing? You sure you can fly?" Tatl peered over Navi's shoulder and tracked Navi's right wing. Her words flew out of her mouth at record speed.
"Yes, yes, Tatl, I'm fine." Navi gave Tatl a warm smile and they looked at each other in a way that made Link want to ask a million questions.
"Come on, you need some rest." Tatl took Navi's hand and Link never got the chance to ask them anything, as they took off up the stairs. He stood in a shocked silence for a minute.
"Wh-What was that?!" Link asked.
Skull Kid just shrugged and sat down on a nearby stool, gazing out the window and into town. For a while, Link stayed silent. When he went back upstairs himself, he was blindsided by Romani who was going downstairs.
"R-Romani!" Link fumbled with his words and couldn't get anything out before the ranch woman left abruptly, shielding her vision from ever going near Link.
"I-" Link stopped, and he was left alone on the stairs.
Link never finished his sentence, lowering his head once more and going into his room. Sitting down in the bed, his mind was swarmed with cowardly thoughts and terrible things. It was wrong, but he couldn't help it.
After a while, Link sat up and sighed. Looking at his hands, he watched as they shook. He was hungry but didn't care enough to do anything about it. Soon, he gave in and quickly left the room to grab a slice of bread from the kitchen. Scarfing it down in seconds, he went back upstairs and into his bathroom. He looked in the mirror for a while and hated what he saw.
"What do I do?" Link asked to his own reflection. He buried his face in his hands and wanted to sob.
"Forget." A voice said. A familiar voice. Link shot up instantly and was met with his reflection being in a different pose than he was.
"Oh no…" Link mumbled. His mirror image cracked a smile.
"It's me again. Been a little while." The mirror man said.
"What… What is this? What are you?" Link asked, nervously going towards the mirror to get a better look.
"It's not that hard to get. I'm you." The reflection shrugged and leaned forward. Link recoiled, afraid that he'd try to strangle him again.
"Why is this happening to me?" Link looked to the ceiling and asked the ones above, even if he knew it was pointless.
"I told you, just forget about it all." The mirror version stated.
"Why?" Link asked.
"Because all they do is pull you down. Wasn't your first ever interaction with others only hurtful words coming at you through the leaves of that forest?" The image looked deranged.
"What makes these so different?" Link's reflection talked in a wildly different way that how his counterpart did. He had a sick rhythm to his speech, ending certain words with an out of place vigor.
"Because they love me. They're my family." Link said defiantly, his fist scrunching up.
"Think so? What do I recall about mom and dad… Didn't they… adopt us?" A crooked smile formed. Link's fist began to tremble with how hard it was balled up. His muscles wanted to act.
"Stop." Link's nails were starting to dig into the bottom of his palm.
"Didn't they take us in out of… pity?"
"Stop it."
"Isn't why anyone sticks around you because they look down on you? Or because they want to use you? Like the captain?"
"That's not true."
"How do you know?"
"Because it's NOT!" Link brought his fist up and slammed it into the mirror. The glass cracked and the mirror version of Link vanished. Pain enveloped his hand and pieces of the mirror fell from the frame and into the sink.
A faint laugh made Link's ears twitch, and the hairs on his arm to stand on end. He gently took his fist from the remains of the mirror and held it. Grabbing a towel, he wrapped his hand up and left the room, hoping Anju could help with it.
"What happened to your hand?" Anju's nurse side came out in full force as she looked over her son's damaged hand.
"I… I was leaning on the mirror in my bathroom, and it cracked…" Link said, keeping his eyes down.
"Why were you leaning on it?" Anju asked.
"Just… tired, mom. That's all." Link's voice was a small mumble.
"Alright. Hang on, I'll have dad get some bandages." Anju waited for Kafei to come over and they tended to Link. When they were done, he returned to his room.
Link stayed in his bedroom for the rest of the day. So many problems, and he was just one boy. He only came out of the room when it was time for the family to leave to Termina for some rest.
Clock Town was lively, and everyone was glad to be back home. They even elected to extend their stay to four days, just so everyone could get their rest and recharge. All it meant for Link however was that he had more time to try and fix things with Romani.
The whole trip was silent, and Romani hadn't given Link a moment of her time. He didn't blame her, but a desire inside pleaded for him to force her to talk. A selfish, sick desire wanted to just fix things as soon as he could.
"Don't worry, bud. If you need anyone to talk to, I'm here for ya!" Jim put his hand on Link's shoulder and brought him in for a half-hug.
"Thanks…" Link said, looking at the Bomber out of the corner of his eye.
For the first day, Link stayed in Clock Town, knowing he needed to give Romani time. As he strolled through South and into West, he tried not to think about her.
"Hey pal! What can I do for you?" The Man from the Trading Post greeted Link with a wide smile. It'd been a while since they last had a talk.
"Hey… I was thinking I'd just stop by." Link said with a little smile.
"Something on your mind?" The fellow said, stopping to scratch his back before giving Link his undivided attention.
"I guess you could say that. But I'd rather not right now." Link said, eyeing the items on display.
"Understood, understood. So what would you like?" The man turned to see what Link was looking at.
"Maybe some Deku Nuts?" Link got a warm smile.
A few hours later, Link could be found repeatedly throwing Deku Nuts around his room. He had finally got some lawn work done, so he had an entire legion of nuts to use. Each throw he smiled a little. It was a niche distraction.
"Hey kiddo, I was wonde-" Kafei hadn't knocked, and opened the door just as Link threw another nut.
"AAAH!" Kafei yelped as he got blinded by the flash, and he tumbled to the floor.
"Dad!" Link got up from the bed and helped his father stand.
"Wha-" Kafei looked dazed. "What was that?"
"S-Sorry, I was throwing around some Deku Nuts." Link looked back to his bed, the pile of nuts on the corner of the mattress.
"Oh. Well, warn me next time, alright?" Kafei said, rubbing his eyes. "What were you doing with them anyways?"
"I was just… trying to get my mind off things…" Link said. Kafei knew what the boy was referring to.
"I see. Well, would you like some company?"
Link shook his head at first, but a second later he nodded. Kafei patted the teen on the head and entered the room. Sitting down on the bed, he looked to his right side and signaled for Link to sit down next to him.
"So, you accidentally kissed that Malon girl, but you thought she was Romani?" Kafei said, startling Link with how forward he put it.
"At least word it nicer…" Link grumbled.
"Sorry, sorry, thought I'd try to get a laugh out of you. I get it though. You messed up, and now stuff's weird, right?" Kafei had a bit of understanding on what Link was going through. When he was a teenager, he wasn't the best at making the ladies happy.
"You want to talk to her."
"Yeah…" Link was surprised how clear his thought process could be to Kafei, but he was the one who taught him a lot about emotions. Their family motto was the prime example of that.
"Listen, I know it's hard to not listen to that little voice that's telling you to just go and talk to her, but trust me, you got to fight it." Kafei tapped Link on the forehead. "What a boy can say will probably just mess stuff up more."
Link nodded slowly and leaned his head on Kafei's shoulder. The purple-haired man wrapped his arm around his boy and held him close.
"It's all about when she's ready. You might be ready to talk, but she's not you. She's different, just like how I'm different from you." Kafei recalled about how impulsive he used to be, and how much trouble it got him into.
"Ok… I'll try." Link said.
For a bit, it was just father and son. Kafei was glad that he could still have these moments with Link, regardless of if he was almost 17. Link was glad as well, since returning to Hyrule, it felt like he never had time to just relax with his parents.
Then there was a quiet knock. Kafei figured it was from downstairs, probably someone checking in.
"Wait here." Kafei said, standing and leaving the room. He kept the door open.
Link sat on the sit of the bed, and he stretched out. He considered lying down, but when he heard a certain voice from downstairs, his ears went on alert.
"I need to talk to Link." It was Cremia. It only then occurred to Link that it'd been ages since he'd last even seen the older ranch sister, let alone chat with her. He quickly left the room and went to the lobby.
"I'm not sure right now is the best time." Kafei said, rubbing the back of his neck. He was going to continue, but when Cremia started staring daggers at someone unseen, he turned.
Cremia was glaring at Link as he stood motionless by the foot of the stairs. His face was the shade of a tomato.
"Hey…" Link mumbled.
Cremia didn't respond. She pushed Kafei out of her way and walked up to Link. There, she slapped him in the face.
"How could you do that to her?!" Cremia demanded to know why Link had to be like so many other teenagers. Like so many other men.
"Hey!" Kafei yelled and ran up to his friend and son.
Cremia didn't give Link any time to recover from her slap and she pulled him towards her by the collar. The teen was astonished at her strength when he felt his legs dangle when they were lifted off the floor. It wasn't far, since there was not a considerable height difference between him and Cremia like there was years before, but it was still noticeable.
"Come on, tell me now!" Cremia was filled with rage. She removed one hand from Link's tunic and slapped him again.
"Sister, wait!" Romani's voice called from outside, and the younger sister opened the front door in a panic.
"No, neither of you get in my way!" Cremia almost fought back when Kafei and Romani forced her away from Link. Kafei acted as a shield for his son, and Romani made sure to keep her older sister at a distance.
"What on earth is going on?" Anju entered from the stairs and analyzed the scene. Kafei, shielding Link. Link, hand to a red mark on his cheek. Romani, blocking Cremia. Cremia, wearing a face comparable to the moon that once loomed in the sky.
"Did you know about this, Anju?!" Cremia asked, her tone making the innkeeper do a doubletake.
"What is this all about?" Kafei asked. He feared he already knew the answer.
"What do you think?! I don't even want to say it out loud!" Cremia finally gave up on trying to get past her little sister. She simply stood on the other side of the lobby, arms crossed, fuming.
"Fine, that was a stupid question, but that gives you no right to slap my son!" Kafei said. He had known Cremia for a very long time, but he never got a glimpse of this side of her.
Cremia huffed and turned away from the others. Her face was left in shadow, and her scowl was unlike any other.
"Cremia, I think you need to leave." Anju said, arms crossed. Now it was her turn to startle everyone with her tone. "Now."
Romani and her sister shared a look, and Cremia walked out. The door slammed with a force that made the adult innkeepers wince, and part of the wood got scratched. The four waited in silence, but Romani didn't follow right away.
"S-Sorry, Link." Romani said, turning to face Link. She looked him right in the eye, and her face conveyed how much she didn't mean for that to happen.
"I-It's alright." Link replied, having a difficult time focusing on anything else but Romani. She had actually looked at him, talked to him even.
Then, Romani left the inn. It took Kafei a minute to revert to his normal stance and stop being a shield for Link. He was still in the protective parent mode, and the same was true for Anju.
"In what realm does she think that was acceptable?!" Anju berated, not even sure what to think about what happened.
"No, no… I deserved that." Link said.
"What?!" Anju and Kafei said in unison.
"Nonsense, Link. You didn't deserve to get slapped in the face like that." Kafei worried that Link took his advice the wrong way.
"Well, I mean… wouldn't you do the same?" Link stated. Kafei paused.
"Dad, you said that everyone is different. Well, I think that was Cremia's way of handling it." Link was starting to understand. "Romani's never had to deal with something like this before, so Cremia feels protective…"
Kafei thought about it for a moment, and he somewhat agreed. Romani was Cremia's only sister, and Cremia herself had dealt with a number of deceptive men over the course of her life.
"I guess she just never thought you'd be like that." Kafei muttered. Anju turned to her husband; eyes wide when he finished his sentence.
"C-Come on, Link. You need some rest." Anju took Link's hand and went back upstairs to finally get him to sleep. It was late.
"She did WHAT?!" Tatl was enraged when Link finished telling her, Tael, and Skull Kid, the detail of the night prior.
"Sis. Hey, sis, calm down." Tael nudged Tatl's arm, but Skull Kid was afraid the fairy might break something in the hut.
"I- I just-" Tatl formed a brief stutter. "I cannot BELIEVE her!"
"Tatl, look, I th-" Link got cut off when Tatl flew up and put her hand on Link's lips, making him go quiet.
"Don't you 'Tatl' me, mister! I'm going to get her for that!" The fairy cracked her knuckles and looked out at the open door.
"No, Tatl, hang on." Link used his finger to move Tatl's hand and he made sure he continued before she could interrupt.
"I don't blame her for doing that. Romani is her only sister, and she was mad. Aren't you ever protective of Tael?" Link raised his eyebrows and Tatl had a quick flashback to when she did feel that way.
"Remember when Tael got smacked by Skull Kid when he had that mask?" Link said. Skull Kid immediately looked down in shame.
"Sorry…" Link noticed Skull Kid's reaction, but he knew he had to go on. "Well, you always felt protective of him. This was just how Cremia showed it with Romani."
"You're… not still mad about what I did to Tael, are you Tatl?" Skull Kid began to rattle, a telltale sign he was afraid. Moreso nervous than afraid, but it was how he coped with it.
"O-Of course not! That's in the past!" Tatl blurted.
Silence descended on the group for a bit as each thought about the past. All they had been through, all the mistakes they made. The spectre of guilt cast its shadow on them until finally leaving to haunt another day.
"Well, now what?" Tael asked, hoping to get the mood back to something less strenuous.
"I still kind of want to get her back for that…" Tatl said under her breath.
"Sis, you know that's not a good way to think. Besides, what would Navi think?" Tael hadn't watched his mouth, and Tatl's face was emblazoned with a furious blush.
"B-By the way, what exactly is going on with… you and Navi?" Link had wanted to ask for some time now, but never got the chance.
"Nothing." Tatl replied plainly, trying to brush the question off.
Tatl was met with silence and slowly looked at Link. He was giving her his skeptical face, and it made her twice as nervous. She never thought she'd actually feel the way she did towards Navi.
"I said nothing!" Tatl squeaked, her voice cracking.
"I see how it is." Link smirked, knowing how to get Tatl to tell him. He stood from the floor. "I guess I'll just leave."
"Wait! Hang on!" Tatl flew up but stayed behind Link. "Fine, I'll tell you!"
"I think… I may sort of… like… her." Tatl didn't look at Link, but he turned to face her. His eyes were wider than they ever were before.
"Pardon?"
"I said… I kind of have some feelings for… N-Navi…" Tatl reluctantly said it again. She didn't think it'd be true, but it was. Something about the blue fairy fascinated her, and she had fallen for her.
"I…" Link had to take a minute to process it. "I'm so proud of you, Tatl!"
"Wha- Really?" Tatl didn't think Link would be so open to the idea of her and Navi together.
"Of course! Why wouldn't I be?" Link asked.
"I don't know! M-Maybe because Navi used to like you and-" Tatl put her hand to her mouth before she could spout out anything else. She never intended to let that slip.
"Wait, what?" Link's smile went away in a snap.
"No! Wait! I didn't mean to say that! I… w-w-well…" Tatl put her hands to her temples and winced.
"It's true. She even told me." Tael decided to let his sister get a break from needing to explain so much. "She used to like you, a lot. But she sees you as just a friend now."
"Oh…alright." Link didn't know how to react in a way that wasn't strange.
Overall, Link was glad Navi didn't feel that way anymore, but should he feel happy about that? Was it just Tatl who changed her mind, or was it something he did? Was it good that she no longer felt such feelings for him? He was endlessly confused about how relationships, liking someone, and being liked back, all worked. How did Anju and Kafei manage to stay together if it could be this complex?
"It's ok, Tatl. I'm glad that you did actually share that with me." Link decided to let go of his bewilderment and just be here for his friend.
"Well, you did threaten to leave!" Tatl said, a little tinge of anger appearing.
"I wasn't going to leave, you know me." Link smiled and put his hand to his hip. Tatl just gasped.
"Hey! Not cool, Link!" Tatl's light turned red, and she started to ring rapidly. Skull Kid and Link had to cover their ears as Tael calmed his sister down again.
"Sorry!" Link's smile grew, and one look outside told him he actually had to leave. It was getting late.
"I'll see you guys soon, alright?" Link hollered from the nearest tree.
"See ya, Link!" Skull Kid waved goodbye with an eager glee. He was almost too excited to head back to Hyrule in a few days.
Link, however, had different things on his mind. All the walk home, his mind was clouded by everything.