The wooden doors to the Clock Tower creaked as they opened, as if no one had touched them in years. Despite the sun not being out, what little light the stars gave off somehow managed to brighten up the entrance to the tall building. The grinding and rumbling of the gears and machinery of the Clock Tower's innards were still working away, never ceasing for even a moment so that the massive structure could accurately tell time.
Link and Tatl both looked around, as if they had entered the area for the very first time. It had certainly been what seemed to be months of time since stepping foot within the unusual tower. Instantly, the two spotted the same thing, their gazes snapping to it in an instant, a sight that made their stomachs churn.
There, right where they left him, was the Happy Mask Salesman. It wasn't any exaggeration that he was exactly where he was when they last saw him. He stood there, hands clasped together, grinning his usual grin as if no time had passed at all. The unusual man seemed to serene, despite the moist and uncomfortable area he resided. It was practically a surprise that roots hadn't grown out from the soles of his feet given how stuck to the same spot he was.
"Ah, you're back!" The salesman declared, not sounding at all like he had just waited nearly a full day. After all, he had to be subjected to the time rewinds like everyone else…though honestly Link wouldn't be able to say such a thing with full confidence. "Did you bring the mask back?"
Letting the wooden doors creak shut behind Link, he stood right by them as he gave his answer. The last time he gave a negative report to the salesman, it hardly went well. Tatl, meanwhile, stood on Link's shoulder. "No. Not yet." The boy replied, ready for the redheaded man to start screaming or lash out at him.
Thankfully, this didn't happen. Instead, the Happy Mask Salesman nodded in understanding, his smile not even faltering at all. "I see." He replied simply, letting out a light chuckle. "What is it you want, then? I'm surprised you came back here to visit!"
The way he said that sent shivers up Link's spine. Maybe it was his imagination, but the salesman's tone almost made it seem like the boy and fairy had been gone for far longer than this Cycle had gone on for. He couldn't stop imagining that the salesman was well aware of just how many times Link had played the Song of Time and just how long it had truly been since the two spoke. After all, the salesman knew about the alternate timeline in Hyrule, so why not this?
"I wanted to speak with you." Link replied simply, slowly making his way down the short staircase, assuming things were safe. "But why are you still here?" He couldn't help but ask the question. Surely if the salesman ever left the Clock Tower, Link would've surely spotted him at least once if Tatl hadn't. Did the strange traveler really just stand in the same spot for three days straight?
Tatl was pretty freaked out, really feeling unsettled when she was near the salesman. There was just something about him that put her on edge, and that wasn't even considering the time he picked Link off the floor and strangled her. If that freak tried that again…! Shaking the thought away, the fairy fought off the urge to hide behind Link or inside of his hat during all this. Why did he want to talk to this smiling weirdo anyway?!
"Why, I'm here waiting for you." The Happy Mask Salesman replied simply, like Link just asked a silly question. "I'll be here for three days, eagerly awaiting the return of my mask! What else should I be doing?" He asked, letting out another chuckle.
Link felt his lips go dry, licking them briefly before replying. Somehow just talking to the salesman made him nervous. As much as the boy knew he wasn't a foe, the unusual man made his hair on the back of his neck stand on end! "You never leave? To eat or sleep?" Or at least just to get out of this dreary environment…
It was odd to Tatl to see Link doing something like this. Normally, if he was talking to anyone but her, it was almost strictly business. If he was buying something, he only said what he wanted. If he talked to Anju, it was to talk about their room or to thank her for food. If they were going somewhere for the first time, he essentially only discussed what he needed to move further towards their goals. This didn't fit any of his usual criteria, and was almost a normal conversation, which kind of weirded the fairy out…
"Oh, don't fret yourself with that." The salesman replied casually. "I'm fine where I am. And you'll know exactly where I am when Majora's Mask is in your possession. I have faith in you!"
Link couldn't help but feel frustrated at being brushed off like that. It was so blatantly obvious that the smiling man was hiding something. The irony was lost on him that he did the same thing to Tatl, never giving her a straight answer to any of her personal questions. "Aren't you nervous I might just leave?" Not that he'd do something like that, but there was a part of the boy that just wanted to get some sort of direct response from the salesman. This wasn't like him, not at all, but this was an unusual situation…
"I know you won't do that. It isn't like you." Once more, the salesman remained casual in his response, very clearly not worried. "I wouldn't have entrusted this important task to you if I felt you'd just run off!"
For a moment, Link nearly mentioned the Moon hanging above the Clock Tower, slowly descending right where the salesman stood. Did he know about the Moon? Was he aware that Link felt compelled to save Termina? Given all his other odd knowledge, Link wouldn't put it past him. Yet, instead, the boy clenched his fists, holding back his frustration. "How do you know what I'm like? You don't know me."
It was a dangerous game Link was playing. For reasons he didn't fully understand, he wanted the salesman to just admit he knew far more than he let on, that he was aware of the other timeline. Of course, if the adult did confess, then Tatl would hear the whole thing. Even at this point, Link wanted to keep the fairy at a distance, scared that when this quest was over, she'd just decide to leave him just as Navi did…
Letting out a light chuckle, the Happy Mask Salesman shook his head. "After the things you've done, I couldn't imagine you'd go back on your word. You tried your best to get my mask back, and that's proof enough."
So, he was still playing dumb. Thinking of it, though, the salesman shouldn't even remember the ordeal with the Ocarina of Time or the Song of Healing. After playing the Song of Time, Link and Tatl went back to an exact moment in time. After the First Cycle, it'd take at least a few moments to enter the Clock Tower. So, the time he learned the Song of Healing would have taken place after the reset time…so how did the Happy Mask Salesman remember it?
Link had him. He had him right where he wanted him, yet…he found his throat drying out like his lips. Swallowing several times, he found himself unable to just call out the man's clearly unusual nature. The boy still had no idea why he was bothering with this. Was it because the salesman was the only person in all Termina aside from Tatl that remembered him? That knew who he was?
It was hard, having people that Link had met treating him like a total stranger. He knew their names, their faces, even some of their stories. Yet, to them, he was constantly someone new. This brought a nasty sense of discomfort to the boy, knowing more about these 'strangers' he just met than they knew of him. He had gone through so many Cycles, he even recognized a few citizens of Clock Town, though not by name. Some boasted about how they felt no fear about the Moon falling but were amongst the first to flee to parts unknown as time marched on. Knowing their weak bravado instantly was just…odd to him. Then there was Anju and her problems, though not exactly a secret amongst the residents of Clock Town, they should be to a stranger. Yet he knew her dirty laundry before she even knew his name.
And he just knew things would get worse with time, he felt it in his bones…
"So that's just it. You're keeping a faith in me. That's all?" Link pressed, not liking the answers he got. Though, if anything, he was more frustrated with his inability to truly call the salesman out on his lies. It would be so easy…but he couldn't bring himself to do so…
"That's all." The salesman echoed back, staying remarkably patient with Link's questioning as unusual as it was. "Now you tell me something. Have you gathered more masks? Has the Song of Healing proven useful? There are so many hurt souls out there, after all."
For a second, Link pondered on whether or not this was something the salesman already knew the answer to, or if he was sincere. Just how far did his knowledge reach? Was he always, somehow, keeping an eye on this quest from the Clock Tower's interior? "I've gotten a few." The boy answered honestly, glancing towards his bag. "And I did use the Song of Healing twice."
At that, the Happy Mask Salesman gave a giddy laugh. "Then by all means, I want to see! I can't help but be interested in what you've come across!"
That made sense. It really did seem like the salesman was cooped up in his room at all times, so he was surely bored. This wasn't what Link came for, though even he wasn't sure why exactly he entered in the first place, but…why not? Slowly, the boy emptied out all of his masks on the floor in a neat row. "This is all I have."
The salesman looked them over, finally moving from his spot to stand in front of them properly, sitting on the floor like an eager child. "Nine masks, hm? Your collection is growing fast!" He pointed out the Goron Mask and Kamaro's Mask with little hesitation. "I feel the essence of a healed spirit within these two. I'm sure these were where you played the Song of Healing, correct?"
It didn't even surprise Link that the salesman could point them out like that. "Yes, that's right." He answered, sitting down as well. The situation felt so awkward, as if the Happy Mask Salesman wasn't someone he should be having a casual talk to. Though, at the very least, they were talking about something he was so very knowledgeable about.
"I thought as much! I recognize a few of these such as the Mask of Truth. You know, I hear you can read the thoughts of humans and animals with these." The salesman explained, chuckling a bit. "The Blast Mask is even here!" He practically applauded, apparently suggesting there were others out there. "A lovely mask full of gratitude, I can just feel it."
Now that was something Link didn't expect. "Gratitude?" He pressed, wondering just how the salesman could know that. Was he really watching Link's quest, or was he able to just sense emotions in a mask, whether or not they were made by healing souls?
"Yes, gratitude. Tell me, how did you get this mask? How did you get all of them?" The Happy Mask Salesman implored, truly sounding like he was in his own element. Usually he sounded suspicious, even cryptic, but he sounded so…normal at this point.
Tatl found herself feeling pretty annoyed. What was Link doing talking to his weirdo about masks? He wouldn't talk to her about, well, anything! Any time she tried to make any kind of small talk, he brushed her off! Sure, a lot of those times she was trying to ask personal questions, but was there really nothing he'd talk about with her? The longer the two humans conversed, the angrier the fairy got.
Unaware of Tatl's annoyance, Link went on briefly explaining how he got each of the masks in order. It felt weird to him to talk for such a long period of time. Usually, he kept all interactions as brief as possible, but maybe it was that urge to talk to someone aside from Tatl that knew who he was that kept his mouth moving. "…the Blast Mask I got tonight after saving an old woman from a robber. It was a gift."
"Gratitude! Just as I thought!" The salesman crowed, clearly proud of his skills of deduction. "This just enforces my faith in you. Each one of these masks represents someone whose soul you've healed, a person you've helped, and even someone you agreed to help!" He nodded at Kafei's Mask at the last part. "You're truly a remarkable young man, and I trust you even more than I had!"
It felt…wrong for Link to be complimented. Remarkable? Him? How? He was just some kid thrust into a situation he didn't want to be in. It reminded him of how he was called the Hero of Time by several people during his first quest. Just thinking about it upset him, even recalling how he had nearly snapped at Zelda during his stay in the castle when she brought up the term. He wasn't remarkable. He wasn't a hero. All he amounted to was a failure. So badly he wanted to tell this to the salesman, anger filling his chest.
Instead, the boy gathered his masks and stood up. "I should go. I'm tired." He said, at least being truthful about his exhaustion. After the excitement of saving that poor old woman and the somehow draining experience of talking to the salesman, he desperately needed sleep.
Tsking in disappointment, the salesman got up as well, doing so with surprising ease given that massive pack on his back. "A shame. If you ever come across more masks, I'd love to see them! And remember, young man, have faith! Have faith…"
Link didn't respond, simply turning around and exiting the Clock Tower for the third time. When he stepped outside, an odd feeling washed over him, as if somehow the time he spent in the damp room had only lasted a second or two. It was hard to explain, and it was a sensation he wasn't able to shake off no matter how hard he tried to ignore it…
When the doors closed fully behind the pair, Tatl flew in front of Link's face. "Geez, why did we have to go in there?!" She complained with an audible shudder. "That guy is still so creepy!"
"I wanted to talk to him." Link replied simply, standing in place. He somehow felt drained from all that, wanting to fully get his bearings before he went on.
Tatl let out a sigh at that. Great, back to short, useless responses, huh? Why did he talk to the salesman like an actual person, but not her?! "But why?! Why him?!" She demanded, just wanting an actual straight answer from this kid for once!
For once, Link decided to at least be partially honest. Talking about his past was one thing, but this wasn't nearly that big of a deal. "He knows me. He's the only one in Termina but you that does."
In all honesty, Tatl wasn't expecting to actually get a sincere answer out of Link. To the point where, for a moment, she wasn't sure how to respond. "Well…uh…but so what? He won't remember this anyway." The fairy then realized something. "But, wait, why do you talk to him and not me?! Am I not good enough?! Are you still mad at me?!" The fairy demanded, actually feeling very offended over this. "I go and risk my butt going to cursed swamps and snowy mountains with you! I could die out there!"
Link hadn't expected that sort of response, wondering where all that emotion came from. What was she talking about? Why did she care if he talked to her or not? Didn't she want this quest to end so they could part ways? It was still a mystery why she suddenly got so less hostile towards him lately…granted, he didn't really try hard to think of an answer.
Not sure how to answer, Link just went to what he saw as a safe response. "I'm not mad. I didn't mean to offend you." Even when trying to comfort the fairy, he still spoke in that same, monotone manner as he always did. He knew it'd do little to help, but he felt hiding himself away was more important. "You can just stay here, if you want." Link didn't mean this as an offense, he was very sincere. If Tatl was worried about dying, he didn't want to drag her along the dangerous parts of the quest.
This just offended Tatl further, taking the boy's words entirely the wrong way. "That's it, huh?! You just want to go without because I'm useless?!" She demanded, having felt guilt before over not exactly being helpful as Link risked his neck. At this point, the fairy was glowing red with anger. "But fine! Just leave me here! Not like you need me! Not like you bother to talk to me like a person!" Despite her rage, she felt hot tears stinging her eyes before quickly running down her face.
Taken by surprise, all Link could do was stare at Tal for a few seconds, trying to process what just happened. He never expected to make her so upset that she'd cry. The tears were too small to see, but he could hear them in her voice, how her words cracked as she spoke. "Tatl, I-"
"Oh, save it! I know you don't care, and it's not like I can blame you after what I helped do, so whatever! You just keep going around being a stupid goody-goody hero to people that won't remember you or even care about you!" The fairy shouted, flying up to Link's face. In a fit of her anger, she kicked his nose as hard as she could and then quickly diving under the boy's hat before he could get another word out. She just felt so hurt that apparently the creepy guy that strangled Link was someone he wanted to talk to more than her! She did bad things to him, said awful things too! She tried treating him better than before, but that just wasn't good enough! Really, Tatl was hardly even aware of why Link's opinion of her mattered so much, but she was just through with it! Even so, she didn't really mean that last bit she said about people remembering or caring about him. It was petty, she knew, but she just wanted to say something that'd really hurt Link back.
And now she felt so stupid, flying under his hat instead of somewhere else…
Link was tempted to simply take his hat off and make Tatl talk to him, but he knew that'd solve nothing. She'd probably just scream at him some more. It was…almost unnerving being spoken to like that. The kick in the nose was a shock too, though due to Tatl's size it didn't really hurt. Even though Tatl had gotten annoyed with him during their quest, she had never gotten quite as furious as just then. For the last two years, everyone in Link's life was so terribly careful not to make him upset in any way…so having someone scream her head off at him was just so startling!
For a second, Link just stood there, not sure what exactly he should do in response to all of that. Regular social situations were tough enough for him, so delicate things like this were a nightmare! Things were so easy with Saria, and when he left the Lost Woods, he had Navi to talk for him if he was having troubles. Since his first quest ended, he wasn't exactly much of a social butterfly, spending large swaths of time either alone, or relatively silent if he was with someone else.
After a few moments of thinking, Link decided to just go back to the inn and let Tatl cool off. He felt like if he tried to make her talk, she'd just scream at him some more, and he'd rather not have that happen. He couldn't help but wonder if she was going to stay in Clock Town in future Cycles or not.
Still feeling a bit awkward, Link slowly made his way back to the inn, ignoring the few citizens of the town that were out at such a late hour. When he got back into his room, he realized something…troubling. He wanted to sleep, but Tatl was still on his head. After shedding his gear and boots, the boy cleared his throat. "I'm going to bed now." The boy announced, not sure how else to really say it. He still felt Tatl needed time to cool off before trying to really talk to her.
Link was proven right when Tatl darted out from under his hat and to the pillow on her bed. Without a word, she curled up on it, facing away from him.
Withholding a sigh, Link took off his hat and laid down in bed as well, staring at the ceiling. His one constant companion in Termina, for better or for worse, and he made her this angry. She had let out her frustrations at how he spoke to her before, but he really had no idea she was this invested in it. Had he really hurt her feelings that bad? Despite their differences, Link really didn't hate her, and he actually felt guilty for making her so upset.
It was just so hard for him to consider whether the two could ever be actual friends. What if she just left him the second his quest was over like Navi? No matter what, that paranoid thought scratched at the back of his mind, making him hesitate to share anything personal about himself with Tatl. If he grew to like her and then she just left without a word…he had no idea how he'd handle it. Still, he knew he had to apologize and make amends. He'd just feel worse if he didn't, and he realized Tatl didn't deserve to feel as bad as she did. But…he didn't plan on making small talk with her or sharing his life, so he was afraid on how she'd handle realizing that.
Meanwhile, Tatl was sniffling quietly to herself, trying not to tear up again as her frustration boiled in her gut. "Stupid brat…" She whispered, too quiet to be heard by Link. Even when she tried to actually reach out and treat him better, he still just pushed her away. The fairy realized she had done wrong by him, but would he ever forgive her and move on?
Despite everything, she wanted to be his friend…
The soft pattering of rain on the windows and roof of the inn stirred Link and Tatl from their slumber. While Link couldn't read it, the clock on the wall said that it was nearly half past eleven. Normally the two didn't sleep in nearly so late but going out for that walk messed with their schedules. Neither the boy nor the fairy slept well at all, rubbing the sleep out of their eyes as they both sat up.
Link looked over to Tatl, figuring it was best to just get the apology over with. If he delayed, he was worried he'd be too nervous to do it at all. "Tatl. I want to talk." He flatly stated, not sure how to best start the conversation.
Tatl scoffed, crossing her arms, and refusing to look Link in the face. "Oh, so now you want to talk to me. Why should I?" She knew she was being a petty brat, but part of her thought Link deserved it a bit. "Why don't you go chat up that freaky salesman? You can talk about masks all day!"
Well, Link didn't expect the fairy to make this easy, so he wasn't too shocked at her response. Keeping his composure, he let her words just roll off of him. He knew it'd be easier that way. "I want to apologize." Might as well go out and say it. Beating around the bush might just work Tatl up again. "I'm sorry I hurt your feelings."
Frankly, the fairy was expecting this a bit when Link wanted to talk to her. Yet somehow, it also managed to shock her. There was a part of her that thought he wouldn't bother to apologize, yet she also knew he was a bit of a goody-goody, so another part thought it'd inevitably come. Two very polarizing thoughts, so either outcome would've surprised her, honestly.
For a few seconds, Tatl wasn't sure how to reply. She had half a mind to just reject the apology and metaphorically spit in Link's face. There was enough anger in her for just that. Yet…she knew this sort of thing didn't happen often, where Link actually spoke to her like a person. It was almost always all business with him. He must have really felt bad if he was willing to apologize. Conflicted, the fairy decided to go down the middle. "…Whatever. Do you even get why I was mad?!" She demanded, not fully accepting the apology, but not insulting Link either. In her mind, that was about down the middle.
This was actually going better than Link expected, feeling Tatl might have yelled at him some more. "Because we don't have casual conversation. Is that it?"
Wow, he actually understood! "How could that not insult someone?! Yes, that's exactly it! You don't talk to me like a person! It's always just about this stupid quest or weird things like when we visited the Great Fairy of Power!" That whole thing about people being broken…that was so odd…
"I didn't think you'd care." Link confessed. "I assumed you wanted to get far away from me." It really baffled him that she bothered to leave Clock Town. Not like he could blame her if she chose to stay behind. Even if he did all the fighting, being in cursed places, especially with the biting cold of the North, was horribly unpleasant.
"…Maybe at first." Tatl confessed right back, huffing as she took to the air a bit. "I despised you when we went through those first three days. But you knew that." She made it so abundantly clear, there was no way he couldn't have realized. "Now…" Tatl hesitated, feeling so weird about actually opening up. With a bit of a shudder, she forced the next few words out. "…I guess you're okay. I don't…hate you." It was the best she could do at the moment.
That still confused Link. He didn't see himself as someone worth liking. Why did someone that despised him so much suddenly care about it? It never clicked with him that she saw a bit of the Skull Kid in him when he was sick and shivering. To him, it came out of nowhere. "I see. I just have my reasons for how I am."
Tatl huffed again, but at least finally looked Link in the face. "So, you're still going to be all weird and closed off, right?" She didn't expect that much to change, but she at least appreciated the apology. Not that she'd ever admit that.
"Yes, I'm sorry." This was at least going far better than Link hoped, ignoring how she just described him. "Will you keep traveling with me?" He did wonder what would happen if Tatl wasn't with him when he played the Song of Time. Would she remember what happened during that Cycle? Was the fact that she was near him the only reason she went back with him at all? Could he pull someone else back?
The fairy sighed, floating over to Link and hovered above him. "Yeah, fine, I guess." In all honesty, her threatening to stay behind was a bluff, even when she was furious with Link. Just staying behind and waiting for him to play that Ocarina of his again sounded awful. At any moment she could be whisked away to the past without warning! That alone made it awful to consider. "I'm going to get something out of you before this is all over, though!"
Of course. Link realized how stubborn Tatl could be so that didn't really surprise him. Rather than acknowledging that, he just started to get his boots and gear on. "Are you hungry? I'm going to buy some food." He recalled this was the day Anju went out on a walk, so he couldn't rely on her to cook. There was her mother, but he didn't really like dealing with her. She wasn't nasty, just sort of stern, and he'd just rather not talk with her if he could avoid it.
"Yeah, of course! It's so late! We might as well just get lunch!" Tatl said, not even realizing how hungry she was until Link brought up food. "And we can get some real food!" Even at this point, she really didn't understand how Link put up with Anju's cooking. She almost felt bad for Kafei if they were reunited. Having to put up with that quality of food wasn't a pleasant thought…
With a nod, Link went out of his room and down the stairs, Tatl floating along with him. When they came down, it was just in time to see Anju starting to walk outside, umbrella in hand. The boy paused, thinking things over for a second. "…I want to see where she goes." He stated, starting to go towards the exit as well.
"Uh, what?" Tatl asked, doing her best to just go back to her usual self after that nasty episode the two just had. "You mean follow her? That's creepy!"
That stopped Link in his tracks, looking up at the fairy. "How is that creepy?" He asked, completely sincere. With the life he had, the simple yet morbid concept of stalking wasn't one he was familiar with. "I just want to see where she's going."
"How is that…?" Tatl half-echoed back before letting out a sigh. "You don't get it? Really? You're too…" She almost said 'innocent' but with his eyes alone she knew that wasn't true. "…naïve about some things. Why do you want to know where she's going anyway?"
Link still didn't understand what the big deal was. He just wanted to see where Anju went on her walks. It never really crossed his mind to actually see for himself before! "Maybe there will be some clue about Kafei." It made sense to him. Maybe she was looking for her fiancé or went somewhere that could help.
"You know, you could just talk to her." Tatl said, sighing again. "You are going to talk to her when you see where she went, right?" The two hadn't had much free time since they found out Anju was Kafei's fiancé. They found out while Link was sick, then the two went to the North the very next Cycle. Then this time around, the two were rather distraught. Either way, maybe Tatl just wanted Link to act normally for once, no matter how unlikely that was or how many times she tried, and failed, to convince him of such a thing.
"…I don't know." Link answered after a pause. He wasn't in the mood to talk to someone he barely knew, especially about something so important. After the talk with the salesman and Tatl's earlier rage, he felt kind of worn out! Talking to Tatl regularly was fine, the two were…not quite friends, exactly, but close enough. That was different. He wondered if it was his trauma rearing its head once again that made this seem so hard.
Tatl sighed for a third time, shaking her head. "Whatever. Guess we better hurry then, before she gets away. Then we better get some food!" She was so hungry!
Without a reply, Link left the inn with Tatl right by his side. Ignoring the rain, he stepped out from under the balcony above the inn's entrance and looked for Anju. Due to the rain and some of the evacuations starting, East Clock Town wasn't as busy as it usually was. In fact, it only took him a few moments to spot Anju walking towards one of the entrances to South Clock Town! Thankfully, she was going pretty slow with her walk or else she could've been out of sight by this point!
Link quickly started to tail Anju, keeping his distance so she didn't notice him while ignoring Tatl grumbling about the rain. He still didn't understand what was creepy about this, but he kept his distance so he wouldn't be spotted and forced into a conversation he didn't want to have.
Thankfully, Anju was too wrapped up in her walk and thoughts to really notice Link's presence. Not to mention the town was still crowded enough that he sort of blended into the other people. One thing that the boy and fairy noticed was that the innkeeper walked with purpose. She wasn't just wandering around aimlessly; she was clearly going somewhere specific.
To the surprise of the pair, Anju passed through South Clock Town and towards the Laundry Pool of all places. There wasn't really anything there to see. Just some water, a bench, a bell, and a door on the other side of the area that the two hadn't bothered with yet. Still, as the distraught woman made her way up the stairs, Link and Tatl paused a bit before following. With such a narrow, quiet passageway, they'd surely be noticed if they tailed her at their usual distance!
After waiting about a minute, Link slowly crept towards the main area of the Laundry Pool, Tatl even dimming her light to try and blend in. Peeking from behind the wall, the two saw Anju sitting on the lone bench of the area. She was looking in Link and Tatl's general direction, but didn't seem to really notice them, apparently too deep in her own thoughts. For a few minutes, nothing really happened. The rain fell around the three as they stayed still as statues, silently letting time crawl by.
Then, without warning, Anju began to cry.
It was a soft, silent crying, the woman's shoulders shaking as she buried the top of her face in one of her hands. She let out a small whine, but was clearly trying to suppress any noise she made despite apparently being all alone. Her frame kept shaking, and it was clear this was going to last for a long while.
Almost instantly, Link felt uncomfortable just watching someone cry. From his point of view, that was something most people did alone where no one could see them. That's what he tried to do, at least. It always came with great shame when someone actually saw him break down. During his two year recovery, he tried his best to only cry in his room, the door shut tight. When he couldn't hold in his emotions and shattered in front of someone else, he wanted to just throw up out of self-disgust…
On top of this, however, he felt a great deal of pity for Anju. He still didn't fully understand romance, love, or marriage, but if the relationship between the innkeeper and Kafei was anything like him and Navi, he understood her pain. A small part of him wanted to comfort her, but he realized how bad of an idea that would be.
Ducking back behind the wall, Link his head and spoke quietly to Tatl. "I don't want to just watch her cry. I thought she'd lead us somewhere helpful." No, instead she was just going somewhere private to let her pain out. Only at this point did he feel bad for following her. "I don't want to stick around."
"Yeah, a good idea. I don't like this either…" The fairy whispered back, also feeling pretty bad for the woman. Thinking of it, she never really saw many people cry. Adults especially! For the most part it was just little kids and babies crying over something unimportant. Seeing a grown woman break down and sob like that just hit her hard. "Come on, let's just go eat and forget about this."
The two in agreement, they went back to East Clock Town and ate inside one of the restaurants. Filling up on some steaks and vegetables, they made their way to their room at the inn. Even by that time, Anju still wasn't back at her desk.
Link went to his bed after taking off his gear and grabbing one of the room's towels to help dry off, looking over to Tatl. "I want to help her more now." He confessed, the closest thing to sharing his feelings he ever really gotten for a long while.
Tatl was pretty surprised at that comment and almost called it out before biting her tongue as she used another towel to get the rain off of her. Maybe if she didn't make a big deal out of what Link just did, he'd do it more often. "Because you saw her crying?" At Link's nod, she scoffed a bit. "You're such a softy, you know that?" She didn't say it in a nasty way, just a bit in a teasing tone.
Link just let the comment slide off of him, lying on his back and staring at the ceiling. He did notice she didn't complain about how stupid or pointless it was like she did before. A pleasant change for sure. "Tomorrow I'll reset time, then work on helping her."
"Why not tonight?" Tatl asked, floating over to her pillow and nuzzling down on it. Man, having a sleeping spot like that was so welcome! She pretty much only slept outside before meeting Link. At least that's an upgrade from her older life…
"Kafei might have left already. Maybe he's still in town on the first day. Anju leaves tomorrow too, to that ranch." He had nearly forgotten that lats detail until just that moment, honestly. If anyone had any idea on where to look for clues, it'd be Anju. Of course, if she knew where he was or exactly what needed to be done, she would've done it herself. All Link knew was he asked a lot of people but the only thing he had to work off was someone named Cremia, who he never encountered in Clock Town at all…
Of course, the other reason he wanted to turn back time was because he hated it when it drew close to the final day, let alone being around for the third day to happen at all. The Moon being so horrifically close, as if it would open its maw impossibly wide and simply devour Clock Town in its entirety. The panic and fear that rippled through the citizens of the town that was practically palpable. The tremors that sprang up practically at random, reminding even those that lock themselves indoors that their death was inevitably drawing nearer with every passing second.
All of those things just made Link sick to his stomach.
So, during most Break Cycles, he played the Song of Time first thing in the morning of the third day, or sometimes at night during the second. Anything to avoid all those horrors. Once or twice, he was so exhausted he just slept through most of that final, terrifying day, barely registering the tremors as he slept in his bed.
Tatl felt the same way Link did, so she was more than happy to go back in time a bit earlier. "Sure, alright. I really wonder if he ran off with that Cremia woman, whoever she even is." The name sounded so familiar to the fairy, though. It was on the tip of her tongue, as frustrating as that was.
"Why would he escape Clock Town with someone other than Anju?" Link asked, treating Tatl's statement and the rumor in general as a legitimate clue. That was the only context behind 'running off' that he was able to come up with.
"Well duh, because…" Tatl trailed off, realizing Link had a very different idea of 'running off' than she and the gossiping townsfolk did. Yeah…no. She was not about to have that conversation if he was ignorant of what it meant! "I…I'm gonna take a nap."
Link watched as Tatl rolled over, staring at the opposite wall. He was tempted to prod her for more information but decided not to. She probably just didn't know the answer, that was all. Maybe he'd just ask Anju about it when he spoke to her in the next Cycle. Maybe she knew who Cremia was!
For the rest of that rainy day, the two stayed cooped up in their room. Anju brought them dinner around six, the encounter a bit awkward for the boy and fairy. The woman didn't bring up Romani Ranch, never having asked Link about his parents and realizing he had no adults to rely on.
It was around midnight where Link found himself wide awake. The rain had long cleared away, leaving only the deafening silence of the night around him to keep him company. He wasn't able to get back to sleep and was contemplating taking another walk. Some nightmares plagued his sleep, and it was one of those rare and thankful instances he couldn't recall too many details. He just had that unsettling sensation that he witnessed something horrible in his mind's eye without knowing just what that something was. With a heavy breath, Link sat up and started to get his boots on and then his sword and shield for unnecessary protection. He was thankful the Ocarina of Time clipped to his belt so easily, even when going to the bathroom he had it with him at all times when leaving his room.
He looked over to Tatl and saw she was sitting up too, stretching a bit with an exhausted yawn. Before she could even ask, Link answered her question. "I'm going for a walk." The boy stated bluntly. "You can stay here and sleep if you want."
"Again? Don't you remember what happened last night…?" Tatl asked groggily, yawning again as she slowly took to the air. "But someone's gotta keep you out of trouble, so I guess I'll go." The real reason was, honestly, Tatl hated the idea of being alone. She couldn't remember the last time she was by herself for more than a few minutes at a time. There was always Tael to be with her, then him and the Skull Kid. Now, more recently, she's been with Link essentially every moment of their quest. Even when she got mad at him and dove under his hat, she was still with him so that didn't even count to her.
Buying into the lie, Link wasn't sure what trouble Tatl even meant, but he shrugged it off. "Alright then." Slowly and quietly, he and the fairy went down the stairs and out of the inn. As expected, East Clock Town was pretty deserted. Just about any moisture left behind from the rain had dried up as well. Without any sort of destination in mind, Link just started walking forward, Tatl shadowing him as she always did.
Aside from the guard, the two only saw maybe half a dozen people wandering about. One or two of them went out of the town gate, clearly fleeing to parts unknown to escape the Moon. Speaking of which, Link felt its intense gaze on him, the boy doing his best not to so much as glance up at it. That horrid, ugly, constant reminder of the nearing death that awaited all of Termina made him feel sick to his stomach whenever it caught his eye. He had no idea if it was actually alive, or if its face was just something the Skull Kid crafted using that mask of his…
Perhaps subconsciously, Link found himself wandering close to the Laundry Pool, just as Anju had earlier that day. He wasn't even aware he was doing it until he stopped in his tracks as a very familiar song rang out from the secluded part of town. It was…the Song of Storms. Not only that, but the instrument playing it was unmistakable! Without a doubt, it was the same one played by that terrifying man in the windmill back in Kakariko Village! Link's breath caught in his throat as that familiar song rang in his head. His body tensed and sheer terror gripped him.
The Well.
The Drums.
A creature in black tar.
Bleeding trees.
Darkness.
The Raven.
Screeching.
Darkness.
Unimaginable Shapes.
Wailing.
Darkness.
A red eye.
Link doubled over and threw up on the ground.
"What?! Hey, are you okay?!" Tatl exclaimed, darting around so she was in front of him. The boy fell onto his hands and knees, only maneuvering enough so he wasn't touching the pile of sick he made. She saw that he was shaking, but he still kept that disturbing, stoic look on his face. It was like he was freezing cold despite it being a pleasantly warm night. "You're not sick again, are you?! It was Anju's cooking, wasn't it?!" Unlikely since he ate it a bunch before and somehow never fell ill, but what else was there?
The boy only just barely heard Tatl speak, the drumming was so loud! It banged around in his skull, and the darkness was closing all around him! He could barely breath, and he felt like he was going to die! Didn't Tatl hear the drums? Didn't she see the darkness? Why wouldn't it stop? Why wouldn't it stop? Why wouldn't it stop?
He couldn't move because of how terrified he was. It took every fiber of his being not to scream his head off, and it he needed all of his strength to keep his mask on. But he couldn't stop his body from shaking, feeling like he was going to throw up for a second time! Where was Navi? Why wasn't she here to help him?! He needed her so badly! He just wanted to find her! Where was she?! Why did she leave?!
Then, as quickly as it started, Link realized what was going on.
None of it was real.
Taking a deep breath, he then started to pant a bit, getting some air in his lungs as his body slowly started to calm down. It was all in his mind. The drumming, the darkness…they were just part of his sickness. Yes. He was so grateful he was able to keep his mask on, but what an absolutely pathetic display that was. A deep sense of shame and humiliation washed over him as he slowly stood up, Tatl hovering near him in worry. "I'm fine." Was all the boy said.
"You're kidding, right?!" Tatl exclaimed, angry that he was about to just brush that off. "You just threw up and then you collapsed! How is that okay?! Are you sick again? Do you have a fever?" Worry started to swell up in her, replacing the anger in her little by little.
Link decided to take that route. To lie. Yes, he was just a bit ill. That's what it was. "I don't have a fever, but I felt sick all of a sudden." He fibbed, his eternal pokerface and flat tone making the lie all the harder to see through. "Sorry. I'm fine now, it was just an episode."
Tatl looked Link over, noting he did look reasonably fine. His body stopped shaking, he didn't really look pale or feverish…but then what happened? Some sort of weird dizzy spell? "Well, whatever it was, let's just go back so you can rest, okay?"
"Not yet." Link said, slowly starting to walk towards the Laundry Pool. He remembered something Zelda told him during his stay in the castle. One day, he would have to face his fears, his traumas, and he had done a terrible job at it by the time he left. He never went to Kakariko Village, to Zora's Domain, not even able to properly talk to Impa for long. So many of his experiences went unchallenged.
Maybe this was a chance to change that, if only a little.
"What?! But you're sick or…or something! Why do you want to see anyway?!" The fairy demanded, wishing that just for once she could know what was going on in that boy's mind!
Once more, Link lied. "I'm curious." He plainly answered. Each step forward was practically torture. His entire body screamed at him to sprint in the opposite direction away from that horrid music. But he was going to face this tiny thing…he had to! The boy had been so terrified to face his traumas during those two years, so now he was going to make up for that, if only a little bit…
Tatl just stared at Link as he went up the steps to the Laundry Pool and let out a sigh. "What is wrong with this kid…?" She murmured to herself before begrudgingly following the odd child.
A/N: I won't lie, that breakdown of Link's was done last second. He was going to be disturbed by the Song of Storms, but not originally to such a degree. I was actually going to include getting the Bremen Mask in this chapter, ending it with a time reset, but I think ending it here almost works better. It's a better cliffhanger, not for us the audience maybe, but for Link for sure. In fact, a lot of this chapter sort of happened spontaneously. The fight with Tatl ended up being larger than expected, as was a lot of dialogue between Link and the salesman, which I think added a bit of awkwardness to the situation where Link was internally struggling on what he wanted and how to handle that situation. Because of this spontaneous nature, I'm very curious as to how I pulled this chapter off, so please let me know in a review.
As for moving the plot forward, there's not too much to do in Clock Town at the moment. I won't be getting Anju and Kafei's quest too far along, especially since the final stretch can't happen for a long while. So what might happen is that there will be some sidequest stuff next chapter but also a bit of Link and Tatl heading West. Normally I like to really separate those sorts of things, but I'll just play it by ear and see what happens.
Since it's New Year's Eve, gotta end things on a sappy note on how I started this story back in January and am probably not halfway through yet but I did want to get one last chapter done for 2022. Half the Temples are done, sure, but there's a lot of other side content and even mini-dungeons to do before things can really wrap up. So, I'd be surprised if the story ends next year, but we'll have to see. And then my Kingdom Hearts I story starting in March and only one "Not-Disney" world has been totally cleared so far. Hoping to make some good progress on that in 2023 as well. Fingers crossed and all that.