As the light faded, Link and Tatl found themselves in a brand new room within the Woodfall Temple. It was small, with the exit to the outside before them, and a large tree growing within the wall behind them. The first thing the two noticed was that the oppressive atmosphere and rotten smell was gone entirely. The second thing was the sound of rain coming from outside. It was unclear to either of them how long they were within the Temple, but it was at least past six! After all, they both recalled how it had rained on the Second Day the last time around.
"So, Tael really meant to gather the Giants…" Tatl mused, trying and failing to hide her shock of having encountered a guardian deity. "I guess that mask was holding it in place or something, who knows?" The fairy turned to Link. "But hey, you actually did a decent job! You've done this sort of thing before, haven't you?"
Link was just wondering what that song was for. The Giant said to call him and the other Giants. Call them to stop the Moon, maybe? In any case, the boy had noticed his anger had severely deflated since that creature Odolwa was killed. It was as if he had vented his anger against the masked warrior! As Tatl once more tried to pry into his past, Link shook his head. "It's not important."
Tatl gritted her teeth a bit. She actually paid this brat a compliment and he threw it back in her face! Fine! See if she paid him a compliment again! "You're so insufferable! I can't believe I'm stuck with you!"
As the fairy said this, a shifting noise came from the tree, causing the two of them to look to it. There was another sound, and then a girl's voice rang out from behind some roots at the front of the tree. "Hello…? Who's there?" She sounded like a Deku!
Link quickly walked over, drawing his sword. He was so shocked at seeing one of the Giants that he nearly forgot about the Deku Princess! She must be behind the roots! "I'm going to get you out, please stand back." He called out, started to hack away at the roots. To his surprise, the roots fell away easily, perhaps an effect of the curse on the Temple being free. The roots were there to keep the Deku Princess trapped after all, so with the curse gone they could've weakened.
In any case, within a minute or so, the last of the roots were cut away, and the two saw who the voice belonged to. It was as they thought, it belonged to a female Deku, who had leaves wrapped around her body that almost looked like a dress. She appeared nervous, but as she got a good look at the boy and fairy, she relaxed. "You two…who are you?"
"My name is Link, and this is Tatl." The Hylian introduced. "You're the Deku Princess, aren't you?" He would be shocked if she wasn't, but he had to at least be sure.
"That's right!" The Princess remarked, sounding quite relieved. "My father sent you to rescue me, didn't you? I am at your debt Mr. Link and Ms. Tatl!" She exclaimed with heavy gratitude and a strange touch of formality.
"Not exactly." Link replied, brushing off her gratitude. It wasn't why he was here; he wasn't doing what he did for any kind of glory. "It was your friend, the monkey, that did." He thought he may as well be truthful, even if it'd hurt the Princess' feelings.
The news did seem to make her a bit sad, maybe wondering why it wasn't her father that sent her saviors. "I see…well, I'm glad he made it out okay. And thanks to you two for rescuing me! That horrible stench in the air is gone…you broke the curse, didn't you?"
"The curse is gone, but uh…about your friend." Tatl chimed in. "He's…well, he's set to be boiled alive today." The fairy thought it was best to let the newly-rescued royalty have all the details. She knew she'd be mad if she didn't get the full picture in such a situation…
"What?!" The Deku Princess exclaimed, her eyes wide in shock. "Why would he do that?! He's my friend!"
Link wasn't sure it was a good idea to share that much, but he supposed it was better that the Deku Princess find out without having to see it for herself. "Your father thinks the monkey kidnapped you and won't listen to reason."
At this, the Deku Princess started to literally shake in anger. "Oooh…! My father is so hotheaded! He always acts before he thinks! I'm going to stop him right now!" With that, the Princess ran past Link and Tatl and exited the Temple.
"Wait, isn't it dangerous?! Go after her quickly!" Tatl may not have cared too much about the Deku Princess before, but it wasn't like she actually wanted her to die or anything like that. And before it may have been more her emotions talking than anything. She had been so mad about this stupid quest she was forced to be a part of…but some of that rage had simmered down since she got a few chances to sleep…
"She should be fine. The curse is broken now." Link said, though he still made his way towards the Temple's exit. "The water is clean, and the monsters should be gone." If anyone could make it back to the Deku Palace quickly and safely, it'd be a Deku. "We need to make a stop anyway." As he spoke, he looked into his bag and noticed the mask Odolwa wore was gone! Perhaps it vanished as he and Tatl entered or exited the realm with the Giant. He guess it must not have been important for him to hold onto…
Tatl supposed Link was right, but she wouldn't admit it out loud. "Well, fine, but where…? Oh…" The Great Fairy! She totally forgot! Hopefully all the Stray Fairies were gathered because she knew Link would dive back into the Temple and find any ones he missed…
As it turned out, Tatl was entirely correct. If Link realized he didn't have all the Stray Fairies, he'd go back for the rest. He just hoped he didn't have to go back in, even if it was cleansed…
When the two stepped outside, they instantly saw how much Woodfall had changed for the better. No more was there rancid smelling purple poisoned water. Instead, the water was practically crystal clear and even looked enticing to drink from. The Woodfall Temple had risen a bit out of the water, a stone walkway going to the entrance of Woodfall itself. The two saw the Deku Princess going through the doorway, even from a distance they could hear her muttering angrily.
And, of course, the sky was cloudy and gray as rain fell down even out in the swamp so far from Clock Town. The sun's position, barely visible through the clouds, made it clear that it was around eight in the morning. Their trip into and through the Temple didn't feel as long as it had taken, but time and its passing had felt unusual in that cursed place…
"Do you know where the Great Fairy might be?" Link asked Tatl. Surely she was somewhere nearby if her fragments were in the Woodfall Temple. He only asked his usually unhelpful companion because, as a fairy, she'd surely be able to sense if a Great Fairy's abode was nearby. He thought it was pretty lucky she was broken apart, but fixing her was so easy…
Tatl was about to mouth off to Link when she stopped. As it happened, she was able to sense something! With the curse lifted, things felt so much clearer outside and in that clearness, she sensed the familiar sensation of a Great Fairy's Fountain. "I can! It's nearby! Hurry up!"
With no monsters or any other obstacles, the two quickly made their way to a nearby cave that they had overlooked when going across planks to reach the Woodfall Temple. As Link grew closer, he himself was able to feel the Great Fairy's presence too, or what was left of it. As they went inside, they saw a Fountain, just like in Clock Town! Above the shimmering waters was a group of pink Stray Fairies, matching the ones in the Temples.
When Link approached, he opened his bag and all the Stray Fairies he collected came out of his bag and joined the group. They all spiraled together before a blinding flash of pink light appeared! With it came a triumphant laughter, and when the light faded, the completed Great Fairy floated above the water. As expected, she looked exactly like the Great Fairy in Clock Town, except this one had pink hair instead of orange. And of course, she wore little other than leaves and vines.
The entity stretched as though just having awoken from a deep sleep. "Oh, strong and young one! You have repaired me!" She lied down on her stomach in midair, smiling down at Link. "I am the Great Fairy of Power! For your deeds, I offer a boon to you. Please, accept it!"
"Thank you, Great Fairy." Link replied, remembering his manners.
Floating down, the entity lightly tapped at Link's tunic, the part covering his chest. As she did this, the clothing shimmered for a brief moment before turning to normal. At that, the Great Fairy floated back up. "I have imbued your tunic with power, and with that power comes protection! Your clothing is now immune to most any harm. With that, I must rest for I still feel quite drained. Farewell, young one!" As abruptly as the Great Fairy appeared, she vanished. She descended towards the water below her, shrinking down with a laugh until she was entirely out of sight.
Link couldn't help but be reminded of the Great Fairy of Power he met in Hyrule. She, too, granted him the exact same gift. It seemed like it was another parallel between the two worlds. At this point he just assumed Termina was another world entirely, not knowing how else to explain all the doubles and other odd parallels.
As Link went out, he thought about the Great Fairies as a whole again, at least the ones in Termina. The two he met were shattered, all but torn to pieces. Yet they were still able to be put back together, just like that. Sure, they needed help in doing so, but once the pieces were all there, it happened in an instant…
Tatl, who kept quiet in the presence of the Great Fairy, thought about something else entirely. Once more, her thoughts honed in on Link and how odd he was. He had cleansed a Temple, freed a Giant, and even got another Great Fairy's boon and this one seemed a lot better! Yet how did he react? He didn't. Not a smile of victory or accomplishment or anything of the sort! It was like he barely even cared!
And he didn't even react to the Great Fairies themselves much. He was twelve as far as Tatl could tell, but the scantily clad entities didn't get so much as a blush from him! Weren't twelve year old boys all crazy about girls? At least human boys? Eh, what did she know? Still, it was just so odd…
When the two stepped out of the cave, Link suddenly spoke aloud. "It must be nice…" He said, not even really meaning to. His thoughts just sort of slipped out.
"What?" Tatl looked over to Link, a bit surprised he spoke up like that. He never just rambled something off that vague before. "What are you going on about now?"
"I said it must be nice." He repeated even though he hadn't even meant to start the conversation. "The Great Fairies can be shattered, broken, but anyone can just put them back together."
"Yes? And?" Tatl urged, finding it increasingly strange in regards to what he was talking about. This sort of musing was unlike him as far as she could tell. Normally he only talked about the quest and very little else. "What's your point?"
"Wouldn't it be nice if people were like that? If someone was broken, we could be put back together?" He went on as he gazed at the now clear waters of Woodfall, ignoring the rainfall softly hitting against him. He realized it was unlike him to go off on a tangent like this, but he felt he had to get the words out.
For two years, he watched and experienced several of his friends try to put him back together. Zelda gave him a home while Saria, Darunia and Ruto gave him friendship and support alongside the Princess. Malon gave him what was a sort of love he didn't quite understand. Yet despite all these efforts, he was still broken, and he knew it.
Tatl let out a huff. "I mean, I guess? Where did this even come from? Why can't you just talk like a kid?!" His behavior was so creepy, and it was really getting to her! First he barely reacts to anything, then he starts babbling weird nonsense! Why couldn't he just be normal?!
Link looked at Tatl with his usual blank expression, though curiosity filled him. "What do I talk like?" He asked genuinely, though understanding what she generally meant. The boy realized he wasn't like others his age. He was unusual in awful ways, and he felt he'd be an outsider forever. At the very least, he wanted to know what exactly he talked like…
"…Never mind. Let's just get to the palace. Maybe the Deku King will give us some kind of reward. And then there's that monkey you want to rescue, right? Maybe he's not boiled yet…" Tatl said, flying ahead, trying to get away from that unfeeling stare of Link's. The runt was really starting to freak her out, especially with those dull, dead eyes of his. And she was at least sincere in her suggestion. Surely rescuing a monarch's daughter could fetch them some sort of reward. What that would be, she didn't know, but maybe something helpful. The monkey remark was just to urge Link along…
The Hylian hated to admit it, but he was disappointed Tatl didn't finish her thought properly. He also realized he had slipped up badly. Sure, he didn't emote, but he still overshared his own way of thinking. Link wanted to hold Tatl at arm's length, after all. He doubted they'd ever become friends, but if they did, they'd surely just be separated after the quest was over anyway.
Going back to the Deku Palace was easier than getting to Woodfall. When they reached the waterfall area, Link simply donned the Deku Mask again and jumped off, bouncing on the water and onto a lily pad. Like Woodfall itself, the rest of the swamp was now clean with no sign that the water had been horribly polluted less than an hour ago. He ditched the mask as he and Tatl approached Deku Palace once more.
To their light surprise, the Deku Princess was talking with the guards rather than being in the throne room despite her head start. At the very least, she seemed angry. "I told you, that's not what happened!" She hissed at the guards as Link and Tatl drew close.
"Princess, that monkey must have tricked you! We know what he did!" One of the guards said, clearly not believing their prisoner could possibly be innocent.
"Yes, but you're just in time! The prisoner will be dunked in boiling water within just a few minutes." The other guard said jovially.
Shaking with anger, the Deku Princess started screaming in the guards' faces. "YOU'RE BOTH IDIOTS!" She kept going even as the two Dekus flinched away. "The monkey didn't do anything! I'm stopping this right now!" The furious Princess finally noticed Link and Tatl before turning back to the guards. "These two are coming in with me! Now out of my way!"
The guards moved, and as the Deku Princess went by, one piped up. "But, Princess, the human can't…" He gulped and fell silent as the Princess stopped and glared at him. "N…Nothing…"
"Wow, she really gets her anger from her dad…" Tatl murmured as she and Link followed the Deku Princess into the throne room.
When the trio got inside, a very nasty sight awaited them. There were a number of Deku citizens there, as well as the guards, the butler and of course the Deku King himself who was still dancing and yelling angrily. This time, however, there was a large cauldron over the fire in the center of the room. It was too big to see inside, but the sound of boiling water was very easy to make out. Hanging upside down above it was the monkey, struggling fruitlessly and declaring his innocence over and over. The Deku Princess gasped out and made a beeline to the throne.
The Deku citizens and the guards were astonished to see their Princess return. So much so that no one stopped Link or Tatl as they followed behind her. The Deku King was so embroiled in his fury directed at the monkey that he didn't notice anything was amiss until his daughter was standing right before him.
"Oh, my Princess!" He declared, stopping his dance. "My darling Princess, you've come back! I was so worried!"
The Deku Princess didn't quite return his sentiment, shaking visibly as she glared up at the palace's monarch. "You…foolish father!" She managed to hiss before ramming into the king and knocking him onto his back. In a fit of anger, she got onto his stomach and jumped down on him over and over, getting pained grunts from her father. The butler mere stood there watching in shock, not sure of what to do.
"Princess! What are you doing?!" One of the guards exclaimed, immediately cowering as she turned to glare at him.
"What are you just standing around for?!" The Deku Princess exclaimed, pointing to the monkey. "Get him down and bring over here this instant!" She screamed, watching as the guards scrambled to do her bidding. She then turned to the citizens. "And all of you! Get out of here! Go home! This monkey is innocent, so the show's over!"
Like the guards, the citizens scrambled to obey her order and cleared out. Link and Tatl merely watched everything unfold, both of them feeling a bit awkward to just be standing there as everything was going on. Still, within a few minutes, the monkey was safely on the ground, rubbing his ankles and wincing a bit. "Oh…those ropes hurt…!" He murmured.
Only at this point did the Deku Princess get off of her battered father, rushing to the monkey. "Are you okay? They didn't rough you up, did they? I'm so sorry you were blamed for this!"
The monkey beamed at this friend, shaking his head. "No, it was mostly just gawking and laughing, don't you worry. I can understand why I'd be a subject, at least…"
Groaning a bit, the Deku King got to his feet. "So, it truly wasn't you? And, Princess, why did you bring this human here?"
The Deku Princess turned and glared at her father. "No, it wasn't him! And Mr. Link and Ms. Tatl here saved me, killed the monster, and cleaned the Temple! You need to thank them and apologize to the monkey! Now!"
Flinching a bit, the monarch cleared his throat as his butler and the guards watched on silently. None of them seemed brave enough to speak up at this point. After a moment, the Deku King turned to the monkey. "I deeply apologize for my behavior. I was so blinded with rage that I accused you wrongly."
Letting out a cheerful ooking noise, the monkey smiled at the Deku's monarch. "That's okay, I really did seem like the most likely culprit. And no one got seriously hurt, so that's what matters, right?"
Those words struck Link, having just realized how true that was. He was so caught up in his anger that had haunted him since he left the Clock Tower yesterday that he was blinded to some of the specifics of the situation! Koume, the monkey, the Deku Princess, the Dekus themselves…everyone he had encountered in the swamp had made it out of this alive! Back in Hyrule, every time he cleansed a Temple, it came at the cost of someone's life. But here…no one was dead. It was a happy ending!
For the first time in what felt like years, Link felt a weight lift off of his shoulders as relief spread through him.
After being forgiven, the Deku King turned to Link and Tatl. "And to you two, those not even a part of this kingdom, you saved my daughter! On top of that, you cleansed the swamp and its Temple. For that, you have my most sincere gratitude. You two are welcome within my Palace at any time."
Link wasn't used to such formalities and even felt a bit embarrassed and anxious with so many eyes on him. "It was nothing, Your Majesty." At the very least, he still kept his expression and tone in check.
"Hmph. Modest as well as a hero…" The monarch replied, seeming more amused than anything else.
The monkey looked Link over and frowned. "Say…you're not the one who visited me in my cage. What happened to that Deku? No one else but him could've gone into the Woodfall Temple!"
Oh. That was right. The monkey had only seen him in his Deku form. He thought it was best to just go out and say the truth, fearing that dismissing the question would just cause tension. Without a word, he took the Deku Mask out of his bag and placed it on his face, soon changed into his smaller form.
Everyone in the room except for Tatl let out a noise of surprise at Link's transformation. The Deku Princess and the butler especially seemed shocked. The former even took a few steps towards Link, eyes wide. "You…You're…!" She suddenly stopped herself, shaking her head. "No…you just look like him…" The Princess murmured to herself.
"Quite an odd work of magic." The monkey mused. "You really are an odd one, aren't you?" Off by the throne, the Deku Butler whispered something to the monarch before silently skulking off to the outdoors, hardly noticed by anyone.
Link didn't like being gawked at in such a way, but he felt the Dekus and the monkey wouldn't believe him if he had just said it. When he looked at the Princess in this form, he felt…odd. It was like when he looked at the Deku Butler earlier, strange feelings cropping up from nowhere. Except this time, it was that of adoration, and the tiniest hint of how he felt around Malon…
"Well, it hardly matters." The Deku King said, getting over his shock as Link removed the mask. "Powers or not, you're a hero to our kingdom."
Tatl just watched everything unfold, paying more attention to Link than anything. Even with all this happening, his stoic expression didn't break at all! Not even a smile! She noted how some of the Dekus in the room and even the monkey looked mildly uneasy when they looked him in the eyes. She couldn't blame them, those dull blue orbs still unnerved her even after seeing them so much…
Link acknowledged that no one had gotten hurt here, not seriously at least, but he still denied the title of hero. This one good act wasn't enough to erase all the errors he made in the past and how people had died from them. Still, he couldn't just say that to everyone's face. "Thank you, Your Majesty." He said to the Deku King. "If it's alright, we have to get moving."
"So soon? You just got here!" The Deku Princess exclaimed, clearly disappointed. "Can't you stay for a day or two? I'm very curious about you…"
"As it happens, I have a request for you, hero." The Deku King interrupted. "That is, my butler does."
A request? Link felt a bit tense, worried it'd involve something dangerous. Yet he still had to at least ask. "What sort of request?"
"Hey, we don't have time for this!" Tatl harshly whispered in Link's ear, the Hylian being the only one able to hear her. "We have to go North, you idiot!" At least, she felt that was the best location to go next. From what she heard; the Gorons were a lot nicer than the Dekus. She let out a groan as Link just ignored her while the Deku King kept talking.
"He didn't say, he wishes to speak with you within the Deku Shrine. Leave the palace, past the guards, and turn right. It can be found there." The monarch instructed. "I'd make haste, he already left."
Link looked around to see the butler was indeed already gone. He hadn't even noticed! It sounded like an odd request, but it was entirely possible it'd be worth his time. On top of that, he had started to consider not going North at all, at least not in this set of three days, this Cycle. He still decided to just trust her that it'd be the best next area to go since she knew Termina far better than himself, obviously. It was something he'd talk to Tatl about later, though.
"We will, thank you." The Hylian said, once more ignoring Tatl as she very deliberately sighed in his ear.
Before Link and Tatl could leave, the monkey and the Deku Princess went up to them. "I have to thank you myself for rescuing me, the Princess, and cleansing the swamp. I admit I wasn't entirely sure you had it in you, but you proved me wrong!"
"Yes, thank you Mr. Link and Ms. Tatl! You'll be welcome here any time, so please visit, okay?" The Deku Princess added on, having long since calmed down and put on a more pleasant demeanor now that all was well.
A visit? Probably not. Not that Link had anything against anyone here, but he just wanted to free the Giants, stop the Skull Kid, and go home. Of course, he wouldn't just say that to their face. "I will one day, thank you. I'm glad I could help."
With that, Link turned and left the Deku Palace, Tatl right by his side. As they went out in the rainy weather, the fairy started to rant in his ear again. "Why are we wasting time with this?!" A lot of her light admiration went out the window as she saw Link waste time! He had been right about stuff before, but what could a butler possibly provide? "We need to go North!"
"It could be something helpful." Link replied simply as they went past the guards and went right. As they went around the palace, they saw a sort of cave opening in the stoneface next to the structure. "It shouldn't take long either."
"It better not…" Tatl grumbled, as though there was anything she could do about it. She realized there was a bit of an imbalance in the power dynamic between the two. Link was larger, had combat experience, and of course he was the one with the magic instrument that allowed them to go back in time. At the end of the day, all she could do was complain or yell if she didn't get her way.
The two entered the cave-like opening and found themselves in an unusual chamber lit with torches. It was rather small, with the walls adorned with depictions of Dekus. Standing in the center was the butler, who bowed lightly to Link and Tatl as they approached.
"Thank you for accepting my request." The Deku Butler said. "I was hoping you would partake in a race with me."
"A race? That's why you called us here?" Tatl replied, glaring at the Deku before her. "Why? Do we get something if we win?"
If the Deku Butler was put off by Tatl's tone, he didn't show it. Being the butler to such a rageful ruler apparently built up a resistance to such things. "Naturally so. I should say, I'm rather fast. You can try as many times as you'd like, of course."
Link had already decided that going North should wait for another Cycle. So, he may as well try to win this race and see if the prize was something worth getting. "Okay, that's fair." The Hylian replied.
The Deku Butler paused, staring into Link's eyes. For a moment he seemed a bit uneasy but quickly composed himself. "Yes. Well. Let's begin, shall we? Good luck!" He walked over to the far wall and pressed a hidden panel, the wall itself sliding upwards to reveal a hallway. Without a further word, the Deku Butler lifted up his umbrella, the top of it starting to spin. Within a few moments, it actually lifted him into the air, and he started to fly away!
Without delay, Link sprinted after the Deku, Tatl following behind and hoping that this would be worth the trouble! "How is this fair? He can fly! What kind of race is this?!" The fairy complained, watching as the butler flew on.
Link didn't really care and didn't reply to Tatl as he had to focus on moving. It quickly became clear that the Deku Shrine was far larger than it had first appeared. The hallway wound on and on, sometimes branching pathways appeared. The Deku Butler flew on, always facing Link and Tatl, apparently knowing the area so well that he didn't have to look where he was going.
It was a shock how large the shrine was, as even when the hallway was cleared, there was clearly a lot more to it. Link and Tatl found themselves in a large room with waterways going through. These waterways went by rather fast, and they were too wide to jump over. Thinking quickly, Link changed into a Deku and hopped over them as the butler kept flying to the far side of the room.
The entire race was like this. There'd be a short stretch through some hallways, then a room that was basically an obstacle course. One room had a bit with no ladder in the middle of it. The only way across was the Deku Flower that Link utilized. Another room had smaller pits in them that had to be maneuvered around. No matter what, though, Link was never able to properly catch up to the Deku Butler, even though he remained as a Hylian whenever he could which allowed him to sprint faster. The Deku Butler always hovered just out of reach. Tatl could easily pass him by, but she was sure this race was more meant for Link than her.
While it seemed like it was a massive ordeal, the entire race lasted only about five minutes. The three ended up in another large room, adorned with wall paintings of Dekus along the wall. With them, though, were four massive humanoid beings, clearly the Giants.
Panting a bit, Link caught up with the Deku Butler as he landed on the floor. "Hoho! You made it through all of that on your first try! Quite an excellent job, Mr. Link." The Deku praised.
"But he lost!" Tatl griped, glaring at Link before looking back at the butler. "You go way too fast; he can't catch up to you!"
"Quite right, but I've been doing this for years." The Deku Butler said, not seeming cocky at all with his victory. If anything, he seemed happy.
Tatl groaned. "Look, you have no chance of winning, so let's just stop." She hoped just for once Link would listen to her. He really was a stubborn one…
"That's quite alright." The Deku Butler interrupted. "I was planning on giving something to you if you beat me, but…" He paused, as if not sure he should continue. "When you change shape, you remind me of my son. He went off to explore the world and hasn't come back yet. We used to race all the time, and I've missed it…" With a solemn look, he stared off into space, clearly reminiscing. Shaking it off, he cleared his throat. "It's for that reason, I will grant you prize anyway."
"Wait, really? Hah! Well, I guess that's not so bad then, huh?" Tatl felt relieved, worried that Link would keep trying if the Deku Butler had insisted the two keep racing until the boy won.
Link was relieved too. He indeed would have tried at least a few more times, but not much past that. "Thank you, sir. I appreciate that." The talk about his son really made Link think, though. It reminded him of those feelings he had when looking at the Deku Butler and Deku Princess when he changed form. He felt emotions he knew weren't his own! He also remembered that tree he saw before entering the Clock Tower, that one that looked like some sort of deformed Deku.
The Happy Mask Salesman had said the Song of Healing turned tormented souls into masks…so the Deku Mask had to have a soul in it. Could it be, possibly, that tree was the Deku Butler's Son? Did the Skull Kid rip out his soul and forced it upon Link, transforming him? The thought made Link sick to his stomach, but it seemed like the most obvious conclusion…
Not noticing Link's discomfort, the Deku Butler reached behind him. "Here. As it happens, I brought the object with me. I had a sort of feeling I'd end up giving it to you anyway."
As the Deku Butler brought the object forward, Link flinched. Thankfully, the room was dimly lit, so he was certain the other two didn't see this. It felt like a fist clenched around his heart as he stared at the object, and he found it hard to get a full breath.
In the Deku's hand was a mask. It was an object that horrified Link with its awful visage. The object looked like the face of a boar with a grimacing, tusked mouth and pale eyes surrounded by dark flesh. Instantly, Link was reminded of the final battle of his first quest; the one where he fought Ganon. The monstrosity had been wreathed in shadow and hard for him to see, but he had seen its boar-like face in his nightmares countless times.
Hand shaking a bit, once more hidden in the room's dim light, Link took the mask. Clearing his throat, he managed to keep his voice level. "Thank you for the gift."
The Deku Butler chortled. "Yes, of course, Mr. Link! The Mask of Scents is a treasure of the Royal Family, but His Majesty didn't mind at all with you having it." With that, the Deku walked over to one of the walls, pushing a second hidden panel. To the shock of Link and Tatl, the wall moved to show the entrance. They had gone in a circle, more or less! "You may leave whenever you wish. I will stay here for a spell…"
Not wasting any time, Link and Tatl left the Deku Butler to reminisce as he gazed at the wall paintings. Soon enough, they were outside in the rain, Link staring at the mask. It disgusted him, but he couldn't help but keep looking at it.
"Aren't you glad we went in there? We even got an ugly mask out of the deal!" Tatl practically spat, literally hovering over Link's shoulder as he gazed at the hideous thing. She had bit her tongue in front of the Deku Butler, but since he was out of earshot, she let her anger out.
"Does it do anything?" He asked the fairy, choosing to ignore her sarcasm. Link managed to stop his hands from shaking but looking at the Mask of Scents still made him feel uneasy. Despite this, he was curious about the mask. The only two he had gained in Termina so far had powers of some sort. If this was a treasure of the Deku Royal Family, it had to do something, right?
"How should I know?!" Tatl groaned, facing to the North as Link continued to stare at the newest addition to his tiny collection. "We have to keep moving!" It'd take them ages just to get back to Clock Town. Thinking of it, Link would have to wade through the swamp since the boat was gone. Just great…
Ignoring Tatl, Link slowly turned the mask around and raised it to his face. His chest tightened and he felt a sweat form on his brow as the piece of wood got closer and closer. "I have to see what it does…" He whispered, too quiet for Tatl to hear, as he placed the new mask on tight. He didn't…feel any different at first, but then a strange smell assaulted his nose. One he never experienced before. Link had no time to ponder it before a loud, ungraceful snort forced its way out of him.
Tatl, who hadn't noticed Link putting the mask on, whipped around. "What the…?!" She saw Link hunched over slightly, a series of snorts echoing out of his mask. It took her only a second to break, high-pitched laughter erupting from the fairy's mouth as she dropped to the earth. "Is that you?! That has to be you, right?!" She gasped between fits of laughter.
"I'm not, I mean, I-" Link's explanation was cut off by a loud snort that made Tatl howl with laughter. "That smell is-" another snort, and Link ripped the mask off of his face. "It's the mask, not me." He finally managed to push out as the smell instantly vanished. "I smelled something, didn't you?"
The fairy was too busy trying to breathe again to answer as Link went over to where the smell had come from. It led him near a tree by the exit to the palace area, but he saw nothing out of the ordinary and, with hesitation, he put the Mask of Scents back on. Instantly his nostrils got filled with that smell again, and then Link realized it was coming from something underground.
Before another snort could ring out, he removed the mask and dug into the soil. It took only a bit of time to dig since the rain had softened the soil, with Tatl having recovered to see what he was doing and watched silently until he uncovered the source of the stench. "Truffles." She stated plainly as the objects were revealed, a far cry from the hooting, amused tone she had just minutes before.
"It's useless." Was all Link said as Tatl broke out into another laughing fit. Normally her antics and mockery didn't get to him, but he felt a petty rage flowing through him. Maybe it was because of how much the mask initially terrified him, only to make an embarrassment out of him that got to Link so badly. All he knew was he was never going to put it on again.
"Yeah, well, at least you'll toss it, right?" Tatl said as she recovered from her laughing fit. Yeah, the Great Fairy Mask turned out to be helpful, but what were the chances finding truffles would ever be useful?
As tempted as he was, Link decided not to. "No. It was a gift." He replied as he put the mask in his bag. "It wouldn't be right."
Tatl scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Yeah. Whatever. Look, if you're done wallowing in the mud like a pig, we need to go North!"
Wiping any dirt and mud on his legs, Link decided this was the best time to tell Tatl his idea. "I think it's best we don't go North yet. Or anywhere. I think we should start a new Cycle."
"Huh? What? Why?" Tatl had brought up going North several times, so why was it a problem now? "What about the Giant we just freed?!"
"Well, we're unaffected by the time travel. The Giant we freed should be fine too." Link pointed out. He even kept the Ocarina of Time in his hand when he time traveled with it. On top of that, he and Tatl retained all their memories. Clearly the time travel didn't affect everyone and everything equally.
Tatl, again, hated to admit that Link was right. If anything would be kept after going back in time, it'd be the freed Giant. Thinking of it, she had to wonder where it even went? It wasn't at Woodfall or by the Deku Palace. Maybe still in that realm until it was called. "I guess that's true. But why not head North after?" At the very least she saw it as a nice shortcut. They'd be at Clock Town within seconds rather than hours.
"I'm tired." Link said simply. Yes, he wanted to get this quest done as fast as possible. Yes, he had no way of knowing if Hyrule was effected by the Song of Time like Termina was. Yet he knew that if he kept pushing himself to exhaustion, he might get seriously hurt. He remembered when Navi had insisted he took a break from his quest to visit Lon Lon Ranch…and perhaps this should be another instant like that. "We need to rest."
Well…they had been moving a lot the last day. Only taking some short naps outside. Tatl realized Link had to be far, far more exhausted than she was. After all, he had to go through the swamp and fight off monsters. She just flew about. Still, she didn't want to make this last any longer than she had to. Then again, the fairy also realized if Link was exhausted, putting him against monsters would be dangerous, as there were surely a lot more ahead. It was actually a bit strange for her to have Link admit his exhaustion. That made him seem vulnerable, or more accurately made him seem more human than she was used to.
Groaning, the fairy crossed her arms. "Okay, fine. We'll rest at Clock Town for a day or two. Then we keep moving, okay?"
Link was relieved she agreed. He'd probably have just done his plan anyway, but at least he knew she wouldn't be complaining in his ear the entire time. "Thank you." He said, ignoring how Tatl scoffed at his words. Ready to rest, just for a bit, Link played the Song of Time.
As before, Link's vision went white as he and Tatl were flung back in time…
A/N: Another mask obtained, just a bit over twenty to go. I'd like to clarify once again that not every little thing is going to match up to Tales of Termina 1:1. Things that happened or were mentioned in those stories may happen in different ways, in a different order, or just not happen at all. I also want to take some liberties with the layout of some areas, like how Link and Tatl could just walk to the Deku Shrine.
And I know this chapter was a bit shorter than what I usually put out. For chapters not leading up to or involving going through a Temple, I'm not going to fret so much about the minimum length as I usually do. The more "side stuff" chapters will probably end up being a bit shorter, simply ending when it feels they're right too rather than me forcing on fluff to make them longer. This chapter was such an example, as the race with the Deku Butler is hard to make exciting, so I just sort of glossed over it for the most part.