The Bleeding Effect

Chapter XI

Link lifts the mask to his face, but pauses as his ears detect a faint rustling noise, too deliberate to be an animal.

"Don't!" The skull kid's voice pierces through the quiet, shriller than Link's ever heard it. He startles, mask slipping through his fingers to clatter to the forest floor.

The skull kid is perched upon a nearby tree, bright orange eyes flickering back and forth between Link and the Happy Mask Salesman. Link staggers upright. The image before him is fuzzy, the edges of the skull kid's form softening to the point where he seems to blend in with the tree he's standing upon. He rubs his eyes, squinting until he can differentiate them.

"If it isn't the imp." The Happy Mask Salesman's smile is all clenched teeth. Angry. Is he angry? Link thinks the man might be, but his senses are muddled, feeding him back misinformation along with shreds of truth. He can't decide. Perhaps he should ask?

"Are you mad?" Link slurs.

He nudges his friend's boot with his own, but the small movement overbalances him and he starts to fall. The Happy Mask Salesman grabs him, lowering him gently back to the ground. He feels his hair ruffled by a thin, papery hand, and in the process Link's cap is dislodged. He stares at it dumbly as it drifts to the ground. Should he grab it? Or what about the mask? Was he…doing something? Link can't remember. His head pounds to the rhythm of his heart. He slowly tips over so he's lying down, the side of his face pressed to the dirt and grass.

"I don't think…I feel well." Some blades of grass rustle, irritating his nose. The thought of moving a single inch to bat them away makes his stomach roil. Don't focus on that. He turns his head to watch the conversation between the Happy Mask Salesman and the skull kid. His friends. His true friends. The thought kindles a soft warmth in his insides.

The salesman's eyes have not left the skull kid. He stands, brushing errant strands of grass from his clothes as he approaches the forest creature.

"I was generous enough to let you live after our last encounter, and this is how you repay me?" The Happy Mask Salesman seems to glow with a white aura. He lifts a hand towards the skull kid, who is unable to move, stuck fast with dread. "You have interrupted my plans, you have wasted my time. And there is nothing that I hate more than that."

Not his friend. Not…Link should stop him. The skull kid is his friend too, he can't let the Happy Mask Salesman…but he can't do anything. His mind is a confused jumble, vision hazy and inconsistent. His limbs don't respond. It's all he can do to muster the strength to watch the scene take place in front of him. Link can't lose another friend. The skull kid hasn't betrayed him (yet). He makes small, abortive movements towards his sword. His hands tangle limply in the grass.

The Happy Mask Salesman fires some sort of white energy blast, aimed right for the skull kid, who remains stuck in the same spot, fear rooting his feet to the tree branch.

Unexpectedly, a burst of the same energy, shot from above, knocks the blast off course. It streaks past the skull kid's shivering frame, burying itself in a nearby tree. Before everyone's eyes the tree rapidly grows older, at first broadening, expanding, growing, then cracking, curling, rotting. The bottom of the trunk softens, and with an earsplitting groan, the tree begins to fall.

The Happy Mask Salesman whips his head upwards, lips ripped back in a feral snarl. He lifts his arms, shooting that same blast again and again. Link drags his eyes up to see what the salesman's attacking. He squints. A giant white smudge, and on top, a black-blue blur. What's going on? He can't tell anymore. The tree falls to the forest floor with an almighty crash. As the battle between the Happy Mask Salesman and the unknown smear of color rages on, Link looks back to where the skull kid was standing. He's gone now—safe, Link fervently hopes. Then blackness climbs into his vision and all goes quiet and still.

A harsh blast of wind throws open a wooden door. The door thumps against the wall several times as the wind continues to whip and howl.

There's some incoherent squawking that sounds strangely akin to muffled annoyance. Then, the skittering footfalls of an oocca. The door's hinges groan, the oocca's claws tapping on the floor—the small being must be trying to push the door shut. Judging from the creature's continued grunts of annoyance, though, the oocca isn't succeeding in the endeavor.

Link at last opens his eyes. They're gross and gummed up—how long has he been asleep? He rubs his eyes, and is greeted by the sight of a banal, light brown ceiling. He levers himself off the bed. The stone floor is cold beneath his naked feet. Link glances down at himself. He's been stripped of his heavy outer gear—the faded green tunic, the clinking chain mail, the belt on which his various item pouches hang. He's been left in a white undershirt and leggings. He touches a hand to his hair; no cap, either.

There are no black spots. The images in front of him are sharp and clear. Where is he? And how long has he been here?

Link shakes his head. First thing's first. He pads over to where the oocca is struggling with the door and starts to push on it himself. He doesn't fault the tiny creature for struggling so much; even Link is having some difficulty in getting the door to shut against the wind.

Once it's closed, the oocca clucks and chirps to him. Link looks down at the being, confused.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Ah, forgive me, Hylian." Says the oocca. "It has been far too long since I've had to speak your language. I had forgotten to switch over. I was asking you to latch the door, would you please."

Link does as he is bidden.

"My name is Oocctavian. It's a pleasure to talk to you, Link, and no longer about you."

"About me?" Link asks. "With whom?"

"Oh, gracious, you're awake at last!" Cries Ooccoo, as she scuttles into the room. Ooccoo Jr. buzzes around by her side. "We were starting to get worried, you know. You've been sleeping for three whole days! Another day and I was going to force Oocctavian to feed you another potion."

Oocctavian's small birdlike features slacken with relief.

"I am certainly glad we didn't have to resort to that. Our stock of healing potions has been cut dangerously low thanks to that confounded Argorok."

"Who—what—" Link fumbles for words, head once more filled with too many questions to ask. The two ooccas fall silent, giving Link a moment to gather his thoughts.

"Where is Midna?" He asks, finally.

The bird-like creatures exchange glances, saying nothing, and Link's insides twist. "Where is she?" He asks again. He starts looking around the room. It's a shop, he can tell that easily enough by the items displayed all along the counter. Midna is nowhere to be seen.

"…I'm here, Link." Comes her voice from below, without the usual spitfire. She pokes her head out from his shadow, by his feet. She's little more than an inky outline, but her eyes are still expressive. They're bleak with pain and the need for forgiveness.

"You can come out all the way, Midna." He says, voice also quieter than usual. "I won't get mad."

There's a short pause, and then Midna slides out from his shadow entirely. She scratches her arm, studying the floor. Distantly, Link notices that Oocctavian, Ooccoo, and Ooccoo Jr. slip away into one of the back rooms, giving the two traveling companions some privacy.

"Link, before anything else, I just want to tell you that I'm sorry. I should never have lied to you. I thought it would be better if you didn't know the truth. I thought I was protecting you—but I shouldn't try to justify what I did. Just know that I apologize for what I've done."

"You hurt me."

Midna winces.

Link looks down at his hands. "But I…overacted. I shouldn't have run, have left you alone. I don't—I don't understand why I'm like this. I get angry all the time, over things that are so—stupid."

"Link, there are things I must explain to you. About what happened after you…left. About who that red-haired man you were with really is. About why your emotions don't seem to line up correctly."

Link hesitates.

"You lied to me before. How can I trust you?"

"You…well, I guess you can't." Midna admits. "Obviously you can't trust anything I say. I've destroyed my credibility. You have absolutely no reason to place your faith in me again. But please…at least listen to what I have to say. Then you can be the judge of whether I've spoken the truth or not."

Link stares at her for a tense moment. Midna fears that he might say no, but the hero eventually gives her a stiff nod. He sits down on the floor, cross-legged, getting comfortable for what will be a very detailed explanation.

Midna breathes deeply, then launches into her explanation. She relates everything Roark told her. As she speaks, she watches the child in front of her carefully, a drop of anxiety squirming in her guts. She has vowed to tell the absolute truth, and that is exactly what she's doing. She leaves nothing out, but she wonders if she's making the right choice. After all, by exposing Link to the truth of his stunted maturity, she might cause him to grow bitter and enraged at Roark's trickery, leading the hero to be even more susceptible to the allure of the Fierce Deity Mask. But no. Roark instructed her to not withhold truths. Link's mind will remain pure not through cushioning deception, but through hard truth. (She hopes.)

Link doesn't interrupt her as she retells her story, though at times he looks as if he wants to.

"So once we found you," She is glad to be near the end of her tale. "we knew something was wrong at once. The way you were curled on the ground…spasming…what had he done to you?"

Link purses his lips. "He offered me a drink. I took it. I thought he was…I was stupid."

"No you weren't." Link snorts incredulously. "I mean it," she persists. "He was your friend, wasn't he? You know him from your own timeline."

Link nods.

"Of course you'd trust him. Now, if you went around accepting drinks from random strangers, I'd have to have an entirely different discussion with you about the many merits of common sense."

She actually gets a laugh out of him from that. She smiles. Good.

"Did you see what happened to the skull kid?" He asks.

"I saw him vanish back deeper into the forest after the first couple blasts. He's fine."

"Thank Farore." He murmurs.

"Roark was amazing. He managed to fend off all the attacks of the…smiling man. What is his name? Has he told you? Roark never mentioned it."

Link frowns. "Now that you mention it, no, I haven't. He introduced himself by his title, as the Happy Mask Salesman. But he's never given me an actual name."

Midna shrugs. "Well, regardless, Roark managed to fend off the attacks of the Happy Mask Salesman as he simultaneously dove down to rescue you. He swooped down, grabbing you in his talons. The salesman was furious." Chills climb her spine. The Twilight Princess shudders. "That mad grin is going to be at the forefront of my nightmares for weeks."

"So then what happened?" Questions Link. "How did we get—" He gestures to the simple shop that surrounds them. "—here? Where is here?"

"Once Roark had a hold of you, He used some magic I had never seen the likes of before. The light was so brilliant…and the arrays…stupendous. Impossible for any mortal mage to imitate or replicate. One moment we were there in the Lost Woods, and the next…we were here, right outside of this shop. Ooccoo popped right out of your item bag, and jabbered on about how excited she was to be home, to be here."

"And where exactly are we?"

"Look out a window. You probably won't believe me if I just tell you." An impish giggle bubbles out of her. "You might want to grab onto something nearby to steady yourself with beforehand."

He frowns at her, but he's not annoyed; rather, his curiosity is piqued. He stands, and strides to the nearest window. He first sees the, if not entirely normal, expected image before him—a crumbling temple, a relic of a more prosperous age, as well as the faintest silhouette of—was that a dragon? Din give him strength. He only barely escaped a fiery death from the claws of Volvagia. But it is when he glances towards the ground that he gasps. The land is surrounded on every side by wispy white clouds.

"The sky," He groans. "How are we aloft in the sky?"

"I told you to grab something to steady yourself. It's quite a lot to take in. We're on the outskirts of the oocca's city in the sky."

Link slumps against the wall beside the window. He glances back outside: the astounding view hasn't changed.

"Do you have a problem with heights?" She asks. She hopes not; it'll make traversing the city incredibly more difficult than it already will be.

"It's not that," Link denies. "I had to get over that fear very long ago. It's just…how is the city flying? What sustains it?"

"Excellent question, young man." Praises Oocctavian, as he and the Ooccoo family join Link and Midna once more in the main room of the shop. "It is one that has baffled our people for many years in terms of scientific reasoning and explanation. Logic dictates that the city never should have floated in the first place. The only explanation we have is that the Goddesses blessed and raised up our lands eons ago."

"But why would they ever do that?" Asks Link.

"To look upon us better. To show favoritism." The oocca puffs up a little as he speaks.

"And yet your people are not blessed with the single piece of the Triforce." Retorts Midna.

"Those golden triangles are more of a curse than a blessing." Oocctavian shoots back, though there is little real heat in his words. "How many wars have erupted between the earth dwellers over the pieces of the Triforce? How many have been tortured, how many have died?"

"Far too many," Says Link, as he recalls what the Great Deku Tree had told him about the fate of his mother, what had driven her from Hyrule Castle Town and to her death.

"Ours is a peaceful city," Continues Oocctavian. "Everyone lives in harmony, and not once have we ever gone to war."

A dragon's roar, loud and powerful, rips through their conversation. The ooccas all squawk, flapping their wings with agitation, and Link and Midna cover their ears. The items in the shop wobble, and the windows start to shake. Eventually the sound tapers off, and the shaking subsides.

"It seems," remarks Midna, "that all that not ever going to war business has come back to bite you."

Oocctavian nods gravely. "We have no way to defeat that fearsome dragon and all the other monsters that have infiltrated into our beloved city. Now that you're well again, Link, I must implore you to help us take back out city from these detestable creatures." Oocctavian shifts on his clawed feet. "I know this is much to ask of you. We're almost complete strangers. But I promise you, if you do this for us, your name shall be praised and celebrated for as long as the Oocca Tribe continues to live on."

"And don't think we won't be with you every step of the way, gracious no!" Interjects Ooccoo. "Much of our precious city has been destroyed. There are gaps in the foundation everywhere; if you just hold onto any one of us, we can fly you across the gaps."

"Plus Momma and I will stick right by you in case you need to warp back to the shop at any time!" Pipes up Ooccoo Jr.

"Additionally, you make take whatever you need from my shop." Offers Oocctavian. "Potions, arrows, whatever is necessary to stop those monsters." He pauses, then adds: "I'm sure we can also cobble together a sum of rupees for—"

"No, that's not—you don't have to do that." Interrupts Link. "I don't want money from you. Your assistance will be more than enough." Link pushes off from the wall, stretching.

"So you'll do it?" Ooctavian's voice is infused with hope.

"Of course I will." Link smiles at him. "Just tell me where my gear is so I can suit up and get on my way."

Link tightens the final strap on one of his iron boots before straightening again. Ooccoo and her son have already hopped into Link's item pouch, and Midna has receded into his shadow. It's only Link and Oocctavian now.

"Good luck. May the Goddesses guide you." Says the oocca, as Link throws open the door. The wind is blasting, lashing lines of air on his face. Link stuffs his cap into an item pouch just to be safe.

After shutting the door behind him, Link steps forward, away from the shop. As he passes a rippling pool of water, Link unfurls the map Ooctavian gifted to him before he left. He holds it carefully on the edges to minimize how much it flaps around in the wind. He glances over the route he came from; there's nothing beyond the shop. Two out of his three optional routes don't offer much either. It makes Link wonder—was the city always so small? Or had the strange, unexplainable power which kept the city in the sky aloft begun to fail, slowly but surely? Link shudders, and prays that it's the former. He heads for the one path that leads to the large remainder of the oocca city. He shoves open the city gates and steps inside. The ceiling has many shafts of light poking through its surface, but at least the foundation still remains, giving Link marginal shelter from the whipping winds. The brickwork is a dulled gray, and old ivy chokes the stone pillars.

"Just how old is this place?" Link wonders aloud.

"Not even we know the answer to that for sure, and we live here!" Chirps something by his feet. Link looks down. Two oocca peer up at him.

"We're here to give you a lift across the gaps." Supplies the second one. "Believe us, you'll need our help."

Link eases off the iron boots, stowing them away and slipping back on his normal ones. He then walks until he's almost at the edge of the flooring, feet but steps away from empty air. He looks down. Through the cloud cover, some jottings of green and blue, of forests and lakes, are visible. A yawning chasm looms between one side of the room and the other.

"Dear Farore." Link breathes. He really must be careful. He turns back to look at the pair of oocca. "What happened to the rest of the floor?"

Suddenly Link feels the ground beneath him begin to quake. The block he's standing on starts to change color, flickering to blue.

"Get off of there, hurry!" Squawks one of the ooccas, as it jumps up and down, flapping its wings. Link quickly backpedals until he feels the firmness of a wall behind him. He watches as the section of the floor that he was just standing on dislodges from the rest of the floor, sinking down, down, and out of sight.

"What just happened?" Link asks, through quick breaths.

"The city doesn't like the dragon."

"Doesn't like the dragon at all, no."

"If we can't get rid of the dragon, the city will continue to leave us until it's all gone!"

"You must help us, hero, you must!"

"I am, I am," Link assures them. "I'll root out all the monsters in your city, including the dragon."

"It looks like whatever magic that kept this place together has started to unwind," Murmurs Midna from his shadow, loud enough for only Link to hear. "No magic, no matter how powerful, can last forever. It's one of the most basic, principle rules of magic. They should know this. They should be planning to evacuate."

"But where else would they go?" Link whispers back.

Link crouches down and holds his arms out. One of the ooccas steps into his hands. He winces as the creature's sharp feet cut into his palms.

"Just pick me up, Hylian, and I'll fly enough for the both of us."

"You're sure?"

"Just be sure to run off the ledge to build up some speed, and do not let go. Do these things, and we'll be fine!"

Link takes a deep breath. His legs shake at the idea of jumping off the edge, but it's not as if he has another option. He sprints to the end of the floor piles, and pushes off the corner. He's in the air. He's in the air! This is nothing like flying around with the cucco in Kakariko. He closes his eyes. He has to restrain himself from kicking out to search for footing that just isn't there. The oocca clucks as he squeezes tighter, but he can't find it within himself to loosen his hold again.

He swallows thickly as his stomach lurches. "I think I'm going to be sick."

"We're almost to the other side," Midna assures him. "In fact—"

Link feels the blessed touch of ground on the bottoms of his feet. He peeks open his eyes again. He's made it. He sets down the oocca shakily. The creature guided them to a narrow strip of ground. He'll have to rely on the bird-creature's assistance again to take him to the next section.

An angry, animalistic squeal has Link drawing the Master Sword and his shield. There's a small monster further down the small platform which begins to barrel towards him. Link draws his shield up, and it butts fruitlessly against the strong Hylian metal.

"Midna, what is this thing?"

The Twilight Princess' orange eyes peer from his shadow.

"It's a helmasaur," She explains. "You need to remove its…helmet…thing. The clawshot is strong enough. Bombs, though, won't work."

"What happens if it manages to get an attack in?"

"It'll knock you down flat. Something that I really wouldn't advise to let happen to you in a place as narrow and small as this."

The helmasaur is rebuffed by the shield, again and again. The oocca huddles behind Link for protection.

"I don't have the time to get both hands free to set up the clawshot," Says Link. "So I'll have to just think of something else."

"What are you going to do?"

"It's time to make use of this stronger body my descendant has."

When the helmasaur charges once more, Link takes the offensive. He bashes the monster forcefully with his shield, strongly enough to send it reeling back. Link doesn't hesitate to take advantage of its momentary weakness. He darts over to the side of it, and gives the monster a powerful kick in the ribs. The helmasaur squeals as its stubby limbs fail to grasp the floor, and it falls off the edge of the platform. Link sheathes his sword and shield.

"Oh, well done Mr. Hylian!" Praises the oocca.

Link scoops the bird-like being up, and then they're off, flying across another gap. Link clenches his eyes shut again.

"You'll be surprised by how fast you'll get used to it." Says Midna.

"I sincerely doubt it."

About midway across the city, Link has to conclude that Midna was at the very least partially right. Necessity quite soon demanded that he had to keep his eyes open as he flew around, to direct the various ooccas that flapped above him to where he precisely wanted to land. The pit of nausea that jumps to life every time he jumps has abated in force, if ever so slightly. Link is getting used to the city in the sky—but he by no stretch of the imagination enjoys it.

He chooses to rest for a minute. The room is large, yet empty of any foes. Link isn't deluded—he's sure something will swoop in through the large holes in the walls any minute. If something does come for him, he'll be ready; but for the moment, Link is inclined to rest. He tugs off the clawshot from his left hand, placing it on the floor beside him. He pulls out a chunk of bread and a flagon of water, and eats slowly, savoring every bite. Aside from a handful of dried fruits and nuts, the bread is all that's left of his stores. He needs to defeat the dragon soon so he can return to Hyrule proper and eat some real food.

Link flexes his hand. It's stiff and sweaty after being confined in the clawshot for hours on end. He glances down at the weapon. It is both familiar and strange. It's reminiscent of the hookshot he received from Dampé, and the longshot he discovered in the bowels of the Water Temple. It's activated by the same type of switch mechanism. But where the hookshot had one large, sharp point, the clawshot has three talons. It's less useful than his old weapon—the clawshot cannot grasp onto half of the surfaces the hookshot would have been able to. The clawshot is a weaker weapon that needs to clutch onto its targeted surface. It has to wrap around objects, like a grate or tangle of vines. The hookshot, on the contrary, forcefully buried itself into almost anything; tree limbs, boxes, treasure chests, and more, along with everything that is also in the clawshot's range of abilities.

"You still in there, Link?"

The hero blinks, surprised to see Midna in front of him.

"Yeah." He bites off another piece of bread. "I'm still here. I was just…thinking. Everything is so different here, in the future."

"Link—"

"I don't want to talk about it," He interrupts. At her hurt expression, he adds, gentler, "Let's just focus on tracking down this dragon for the moment. What did they call it again?"

"Argorok."

"Argorok." Link repeats. He pulls a face. "Dear Farore, please don't let it breathe fire."

"You have some experience with dragons?"

"Only one. And that was enough." Link starts to roll up his sleeve, but then stops, sighing. "I forgot, this isn't my body. If it was, though, I could show you the scars left over from the burns of Volvagia's fire."

"Volvagia—wait—I remember that name from my history books."

"Oh?"

"There's much debate as to what weapons you used to slay it. Some say you slew the beast with sword and shield alone. Or even with your bare hands. Some claim bombs. Other claim your ice arrows froze the entire volcano. Some of the more out-there scholars even suggested that you used a fifty-ton hammer gifted to you by Din Herself!"

Link laughs a little at that. "They can't earnestly believe such a thing to be true. How would I even begin to lift it?" He shakes his head. "I've heard of the Gerudo Tribe possessing the magic to craft ice arrows, but I've never seen nor used one. Bombs would have been too slow, and even the Master Sword has limits to what it can pierce through. Volvagia's hide alone was impossible to break through with the sword, not to mention the tough bone structure around its head. That was like a rock."

"So how did you defeat him?"

"I did use a hammer. But it wasn't—wasn't nearly as heavy or as important as your scholars believe it to be. It had significance to the Gorons, yes—it was with the Megaton Hammer that a previous Goron has defeated and sealed away Volvagia many years before I was even born. But it was about—" He spreads his arms out to the width of a normal-sized cucco. "—this big, no larger. And it only weighed, say, forty or fifty pounds. It was difficult to lift, yes, but it wasn't some impossible weight."

Midna chuckles, then leans back against the wall beside him. She stares out at the patches of sky the walls are riddled with.

"I wonder how they'll distort our adventures."

"You mean your and your Link's adventures."

"No, Link, no." She places a small hand on his shoulder. He doesn't reciprocate in any form, but nor does he pull away from her, so Midna takes that as a rather good sign. "Do you think that I'm going to simply forget about you, about all that we've accomplished together, when you've gone back to your own time?"

The words just seem to explode out of him before he can stop them. "Well, you don't…you don't think much of me, do you? And it's clear that you don't want me here. You just want your Link back. And the only reason I'm here—the reason my mind is restricted from developing along its natural course—is because a God cannot trust me to chose right over wrong. After everything I've done. Everything. I'm still not trusted."

"Roark was not entirely wrong to doubt you." Midna reprimands him sternly. She knows that she should side with Link, help him rebuild his confidence, but she simply can't agree with his mindset. "When we came to rescue you from the Happy Mask Salesman, you were just about to put on the Fierce Deity Mask."

His face flushes. "I—I never would have been in that situation in the first place if you hadn't lied to me!"

"You can't foist the blame of your own mistakes onto other people!" She pokes him in the chest. He scowls. "You want to be mature, don't you? You want to be a grown-up. Well, I don't care what blocks Roark put up in your mind. Fight past them, and take initiative! Become who you want to be!" Her tone softens. "You don't have to do it alone—I'm here to help you. And once you return to your rightful time, you still have friends that I'm sure are willing and able to be by your side as well. But you must understand that I can only help you. I can't do the growing for you. I can't make you a better person. Only you can do that."

Link swallows, gaze dropping to the floor. With a sigh, Midna moves closer to him, and lifts his chin up so he stares her in the eyes. "And for the Goddesses' sake, cheer up. Don't be so hard on yourself all the time."

Link gives a tremulous smile.

"You're right. You're so right. I've been a fool, haven't I?"

"You have," Midna agrees. "And so have I. We rarely do things perfectly."

"But we still have to try."

"Exactly."

"Midna, I—"

Link's words are swallowed up by an earsplitting screech. He stands as the cry dies down. He stuffs away the rest of the bread and water, refitting the clawshot back onto his hand as he keeps an eye out for incoming enemies.

"What was that? It didn't sound like the dragon."

Midna shrugs. "I don't know. I've never heard that sound before. It must be a new monster."

Link tenses for an attack, fingers poised on the button that sends the clawshot flying.

"Well then," He says grimly. "I guess we'll just have to wait and find out what it is. Get ready. It's coming."

-TBC-