Compared to the South and the North, the West seemed far less dangerous at first glance. The South made way to a crowded forest where anything could lurk, eventually leading to the swamp. The North was taken up snowy mountains that reached up to the heavens. Off to the West, however…was just sand. It wasn't like the desert sands that the Gerudo were familiar with, no. There were no dunes, no harsh winds that made the sand whip at your skin and get in your eyes. It was simply flat sand stretching out until it reached a rocky passageway, a turn in said path obscuring what lied further in.
Link could see everything in the sand as he walked by the decorative fountains on either side of him, the area just outside of Clock Town remarkably stunning compared to the other two directions he had traversed. He saw no monsters ahead or any signs of danger. In fact, the only obstacle that was present was a metal fence that lay before the rocky pathway.
The boy paused at the top of the ramp going down to the sand, looking up at Tatl. "Are there monsters beneath the sand?" He remembered the Leevers and Moldugas from the Gerudo Desert. As far as he knew, any sand could contain them.
"What? There's nothing in the sand." Tatl replied, not able to fully blame Link for assuming so. With monsters seemingly around every corner during their quest, it was a fair question. "Leevers can sometimes be closer to the water, but never this far out."
That took Link by surprised, finding it far too easy, but he knew Tatl wouldn't lie. Slowly, he moved down to the sand and started walking towards the fence. Despite the fairy's words, he kept expecting something to pop out of the sand at any moment, his sword at the ready. Despite the lack of danger, the walk wasn't pleasant, Link's limbs feeling heavy, the boy weighed down by his own thoughts and feelings.
He started to feel especially miserable in the last few Cycles, a heavy depression hitting him from what was surely the building stress from this entire quest. It was a sensation he was familiar with, his bones like metal as every moment felt like a chore. In all honesty, he'd rather go back to being numb than to feel so horrid. It didn't help that he was getting closer to the ocean, something that he felt terrified of just seeing pictures of it in books. The vast blue that stretched to the horizon just…unnerved him.
Things came to a halt as they reached the fence, the two of them looking over and realizing something. "How do I open this?" The boy asked, once more looking up at Tatl. Indeed, there was no handle or switch or anything to open it up at all. The structure was tall, at least a good head taller than even his Goron form with the top of the fence being extremely sharp. On top of that, sand and moisture from the air coated the metal of the fence, making a grip hard to keep.
"I…have no idea." Tatl admitted, scratching her head in thought. "I've never seen this fence before!" The Great Bay area was the only area outside of Clock Town she, Tael, and the Skull Kid went to multiple times. It was a lovely beach area, after all. "You can't climb over it? Not even as a Goron?"
"I may be able to, but one wrong move and I'll die." Link argued, placing a hand on the object before him in thought. If his sense of humor wasn't so dried up, Link would have almost found it funny that their quest was halted by a simple fence.
Link could probably pull himself up, but one slip and he'd critically injure himself, or even get a fatal slash on the sharp points of the fence. The sand and moistness covering the metal certainly made a slip a possibility. As a Goron, that risk was still there as Link really didn't know just how vulnerable the softer underbelly of the rocky creatures were. Perhaps strong enough to not get pierced, but he wasn't about to take that risk, especially given he still wasn't quite used to moving around gracefully in such a body. He wasn't even sure if he had the strength to hoist himself up like that as a Goron with their heavy forms…
"…Wait a minute!" Tatl piped up suddenly, feeling absolutely brilliant. "There's that ranch near here! Romani Ranch!" Tatl had been down Milk Road a few times over the years, but never ventured to the ranch or the racetrack. She just never felt interested in doing so.
Immediately, Link realized what Tatl was going for. "A horse would be able to jump this. Epona surely could have." He let the mention of Malon's horse slip our as he repressed a shudder, wondering what horrible fate befell her. The Skull Kid had been so vague about her fate that Link assumed she was dead.
"Right…Epona…" Tatl muttered uneasily. She felt like he wasn't trying to guilt her, but she still felt awful all the same. "Um…But we should be able to borrow a horse from there and jump the fence."
Nodding, Link turned from the fence and made his way to the South. "It's our only option. Let's get going." A small part of him was almost relieved on putting their trip to the ocean on pause…
The trip was quiet, Link thinking of Epona while Tatl just remained silent. Milk Road's entrance wasn't far from the entrance to the swamps, and thankfully unaffected by the curse down South. It was a pleasant, simple road that had a path to the Gorman Brothers and their racetrack. The way straight forward lead to Romani Ranch…or it usually did. As the two entered Milk Road, they saw a massive boulder was in the way of the ranch's entrance! Before it was one of the carpenters from Clock Town, Link remembering his alternate self from Hyrule.
"Hey!" Tatl exclaimed, floating over to the man. "What gives?! Why's there this big rock in the way?!"
The worker stopped, wiping sweat off his brow as he looked at Link and Tatl. "Hey, sorry about that. No one knows why, but this boulder is blocking the way." He explained. "Should have it cleared in about…three days."
"Three days?! We don't have that kind of time!" Tatl bemoaned, grunting in frustration as the worker shrugged and got back to work. "Gotta be something we can do…"
Link felt like that boulder had to be the Skull Kid's doing. What other explanation was there? For a solution, though, he had an idea. When restocking on bombs, he noticed the shop had a Goron there selling what was called Powder Kegs. The Goron had explained it was much more powerful than a normal bomb, and he'd only sell it to other Gorons. "Come on, I know what to do." The boy said to Tatl, heading back to Clock Town.
After a quick trip back to Clock Town, Link came back with a Powder Keg, rolling it in his body as a Goron. Back at the boulder, he quickly reduced the massive rock into pebbles after getting the worker out of the way. The explosion was far larger than expected, making Link's entire frame shake even in his Goron form.
"Wow! You sure saved me a lot of work there! Thanks a lot, buddy!" The worker said to Goron Link as he peered from behind the corner where he had fled. "I'm sure the ranch owner will be thankful too. You should go talk to her, maybe she'll give you some free milk or something!"
With that, the worker made his way back to Clock Town, and Link returned to being a Hylian. "How expensive would a horse be to borrow do you think?" Tatl asked, glad the solution to their problem was so simple. She almost brought up the idea of stealing one, but she held her tongue. Didn't want to push any of Link's buttons, especially about Epona…
The boy wasn't worried about the price, of course. "We can sell the Moon's Tear again if we need to. It shouldn't be a problem." Link replied as he walked over the rubble from the boulder and into the ranch proper.
To Link's mild surprise, Romani Ranch was a lot larger than Lon Lon Ranch back in Hyrule. The slight hills present in the ranch made it so he couldn't even see all of it at once. This was strange since the ranch back home was flat, and had a huge section just for the horses. He just assumed all ranches would look like Talon's. While there was no section for horses, he did see a house and a barn, along with just a small area for some horses that quietly grazed on the grass. He looked up at the large sign at the ranch's entrance, then from the sign to Tatl, staring at her expectantly. "It just welcomes us to the ranch and that there's delicious milk. I guess it's a dairy farm only. I don't see any crops…" She remembered how nasty she was to Link when he first told her he couldn't read. That felt like such a lifetime ago…
"Nothing about borrowing horses?" He turned back to the sign, which looked like complete gibberish to him.
"Afraid not. We'll just have to ask the owner. She has to be here somewhere. After all, that boulder was keeping everything in." Tatl responded, slowly flying ahead.
Nodding, Link followed as they made their way further into the ranch. He stopped dead in his tracks when there was the sound of a horse whinnying further ahead. It was…familiar. Unmistakable even. "It can't be…" Link murmured, sprinting towards the noise.
"Huh? What? What's going on!?" Tatl asked, quickly dashing after her partner. "Link, did you see something?!"
Going above the subtle hill, Link saw the source of the sound: a horse. Not just any horse either, a young, red filly held within a smell pen attached to the ranch's house. "Epona…" Link gasped out, running as fast as his legs could carry him until he reached the fence. "Epona, it's me. It's Link. How did you get here?" He uselessly asked the animal, feeling as if this had to be a dream of some kind. The horse let out a light neighing as she nuzzled Link's hand as he reached through the fence to her.
"No way…" Tatl murmured as she caught up. "Your horse was really here the whole time?" She felt a huge weight lift from her chest as she saw the animal. The fairy never admitted it out loud, but she had felt horrible about Epona's disappearance and possible death. At least, when she warmed up to Link, that was. She never knew what it was that the Skull Kid did to Epona, the imp disposing of her while off ahead of Tatl and Tael. So he just transported her here? But why?
"She's really here…" Link whispered, gently rubbing Epona's face as she snorted gently. "She was safe and sound the entire time…" A huge weight lifted from his shoulders, knowing he could get Epona to Malon safe and sound. He was never able to think of a way to explain the filly's disappearance in a way that seemed acceptable…
"Great! I'm glad we found your horse!" Tatl said sincerely. After all the horrid things Link had to go through, a bit of good news was something he really deserved. "Hey, it also means we don't have to pay!"
Link was too mesmerized by the situation to really hear Tatl's words. The boy truly loved Epona despite her not really being his horse, and she doubled as a treasured gift from a treasured person. Knowing she was cared for on this ranch was the biggest feeling of relief he had gotten since he learned the Song of Healing and broke the Skull Kid's curse on him.
"You like that horse, huh? She's brand new!" A familiar voice rang out, snapping Link out of his thoughts and startling both him and Tatl. For Link especially, the words filled his veins with ice. It was unmistakable who it sounded like, but surely it couldn't be…surely fate wouldn't be so cruel to the poor boy. He and the fairy turned to see a young girl giving the duo a warm smile, hands laced behind her back. "Isn't she pretty?" She prodded, bouncing on her heels idly.
Instead of answering, Link simply stared on in shock at the girl before him. He could deny it, but that would be foolish. The age, twelve year-old just like him, the shining blue eyes, the sweet smile, the orange hair that was even the same lengths as…as hers. As Malon's. No matter which way Link looked at it, the rancher girl looked exactly the same as Malon down to the same outfit. Her voice was the same as well, not even the slightest bit different.
In retrospect, Link shouldn't have been too surprised. He had met so many copies of people he knew, but this was a different matter entirely! After all, no one particularly close to Link had any of these copies in Termina Not that he met, at least.. Sure, they were people he had helped out or were related to his friends such as King Zora, now known as Toto, but none of his close friends had copies here. No one like Zelda, Saria, Darunia, Ruto, or though not exactly his friends, he hadn't met any Kokiri lookalikes either. In a way, this was more shocking than the first time he saw one of the copies in Clock Town. Having to see someone that looked like someone so important to Link…it felt as though the world of Termina was mocking him, reminding Link of what he no longer had and may never get to have again if he didn't stop the Moon.
Noticing that Link was, for reasons mysterious to Tatl, not talking, it was up to her to reply. "Yeah, she sure is." She replied, floating down to the girl's eye-level. "Say, how did you get this horse anyway?"
"Ooh, a fairy!" The young girl said, apparently having only just noticed Tatl. "Well, Ms. Fairy, it was the weirdest thing! This horse here just wandered onto our ranch yesterday, just before this big boulder fell onto the road!" The girl explained, slamming her fist into her open palm for emphasis. "We didn't really know how she'd handle the other horses, so we put her in that pen for now."
Tatl looked back at Link, noting his wide eyes and unblinking gaze. Eyes aside, he still managed to keep that mask of stoicism on his face despite all the thoughts going through his mind. Without an expression to really read, she came to her own, incorrect conclusions. Link thought the girl was cute! That had to be it! Surely even someone like Link could be flustered by something like this, right? The two of them encountered surprisingly few children about Clock Town. For the most part, the Bombers were the only ones. It seemed a lot of others with children evacuated, or perhaps shut themselves indoors as if that would keep them safe from the Moon. By and large, this was the first kid Link's age he had any real contact with since entering Termina.
A mischievous smile on her face, Tatl flew behind Link. Floating back a bit, she charged forward with just enough force to get Link to take an awkward step forward. "Go on, talk to her!" She urged. "About the horse!" Though being impish, the fairy sincerely thought she was doing the boy a favor.
The slight shove jolted Link out of his trance. The girl didn't seem at all put off by his zoning out or wide-eyed look. She simply smiled at him, still bouncing on her heels. The boy tried to say something, but felt the words dying in his throat as the cruel joke of fate before him seemed to be waiting for him to do something.
It seemed, however, that the girl's patience wore out. "Say, who are you anyway?" She asked, not unkindly. "I'm Romani, I was given the same name as the ranch." Romani tilted her head to the side a bit in curiosity. "What's your name?"
Finally, Link finally managed to find his voice. Though his heart hammered hard against his ribcage and he felt sick to his stomach, he kept his face and voice nice and leveled. "Link. I'm Link. The fairy is Tatl."
"Link?" The girl rhetorically asked back. She looked the boy over, humming quietly to herself. "That's a nice name, but…how about…Grasshopper? That's the name Romani gives you." She beamed at Link as if she had done him a favor. "See, you're wearing green clothes, and you look a little jumpy, so Grasshopper it is!"
Goddesses, she even came up with nicknames as well. The Malon waiting for Link back home didn't opt to give him one, but he still remembered her calling him Fairy Boy back in the other timeline. "Okay." Link didn't really know what else to say.
"You're not from around here, are you?" Romani asked, once more unintentionally mirroring Malon. "Your clothes are strange…are you from Clock Town?" To that, Link simply shook his head. "Oooh…This is my first time meeting a foreigner." She then gazed intently at Link's face, as if studying it. After a moment, she seemed to reach a conclusion. "You're cute!"
From behind Link, Tatl tittered shamelessly. The boy ignored the fairy and tried not to go red in the face. "Listen, Romani." He said, gesturing to Epona. "This my horse, Epona. I lost her yesterday and need her back."
"Oh? Really?" Romani asked, shock apparent on her face. "My sister thought it was weird that a young horse like her was all alone!" The girl put a grin back on. "Don't worry, Romani will go get the key!" With that, she dashed into the house, closing the door behind her.
Link let out a breath he wasn't even aware he was holding in. He felt so pathetic for letting something like this get to him. She looked, sounded, and even kind of acted like Malon, but this girl shouldn't be getting to him so bad! At least, that's how Link felt. It also seemed as though he was being taunted and mocked for something he desperately missed, a person he wanted to see again so badly. Now here she was in all but name and memories, a total stranger to Link.
"Well, she sure is trusting." Tatl mused, flying over onto Link's shoulder. "Just believed you right away…" She looked over and grinned at the boy. "That girl sure does seem to like you, though!" The fairy teased, tittering again.
Ignoring Tatl's words, Link took some deep breaths to keep himself calm. "Now we know Epona is safe. Now we can get to the ocean. That's all that matters."
Tatl was about to tell Link off for being no fun, but Romani came back out at that moment. "Got the key!" She announced, a small and scruffy dog following at her heels as she held the tiny, rusty object in the air. The pup went over and sniffed at Link's boots, tail nearly a blur as it wagged. Romani, meanwhile, went over to the small pen and unlocked the gate before opening it. "There we go!"
Epona instantly went over to Link, nuzzling at the boy as he hugged the animal and buried his face in her neck. Tatl couldn't help but feel warmhearted at the sight, and a bit surprised. She had never seen Link act like this before! "You really like that horse, don't you?"
Link leaned back, rubbing Epona's face as he looked her in the eye. "Of course I do." He tried to ignore how Romani also had a dog just like the one Malon had. That was so great a coincidence that it reinforced his idea that Termina itself wanted to torment him.
"Glad we could keep your horse safe for you!" Romani said, beaming at the pair. Suddenly, she let out a small gasp of realization. "Wait, if you're here…that means the boulder is gone, right?"
Not looking away from Epona, it seemed Link didn't want to answer her. Even looking at her felt difficult for him. Thinking the boy was just shy, Tatl piped up. "That's right. We got rid of it. How else would we get in here?"
"That's true!" Romani agreed, not seeming to mind the fairy's slight attitude. "Well, if you got rid of it, my sister will probably reward you! Wait here!" Before anyone could argue, Romani dashed off past the barn and somewhere out of sight, her dog following behind.
"We should go." Link said, ready to get on his horse. The sooner he was far away from this place, the better.
"What? Why?" Tatl asked, getting between Link and Epona. "What if the sister gives us something helpful?"
"I can return for it later." Link argued, tempted to look over his shoulder and see if Romani was coming back.
"What's your deal? I know we have to get to the Great Bay, that's what the place to the West is called, but it's still the first day! We have a lot of time!" Tatl was perplexed as to what Link's problem was. He wasn't usually in this kind of rush. Not so much of one that he couldn't wait five minutes to get a potentially helpful prize.
Before Link could reply, Romani's voice cut through the air. "There they are! See, look how calm the new horse is! She must belong to him!"
Once more, the duo turned to the sound of the rancher girl's voice. And once more, Link felt his entire body go cold at what he saw. Romani was still a sight that made him feel sick to his stomach, but it was her sister that made him feel like he'd actually be physically ill. As it turned out, Romani's sister was a perfect copy of Malon when she was seventeen. The same blue eyes, and just as Malon's had been, these eyes no longer held the shine of innocence, but still had a kindness to them. Same hairstyle, same color, same length, same clothing. The temptation to whip out his Ocarina and reset the clock flashed across the boy's scrambled brain, but he was too stunned to move.
The older girl looked Link and Tatl over a bit as she and her sister approached, the dog having run off somewhere. She had apparently seen a few fairies in her life, as the ranch owner didn't seem surprised at Tatl. With Link himself, he noted that she frowned a bit. The sister clearly saw something in Link that Romani had missed. A somewhat pale complexion, the dark circles underneath a pair of dull, broken blue eyes. The more experienced sibling could obviously tell at a glance that something was wrong with the boy Romani called Grasshopper. Whatever else she may have thought, she apparently pushed aside as she put a smile back on as the duo got close.
"It looks like you're right, Romani. That horse is probably his." The older girl declared, placing a hand on her younger sister's head. "My name is Cremia, and I own the ranch. Romani here tells me your name is Grasshopper, but I somehow doubt that's true."
Link didn't respond. In fact, he found he couldn't as the words got caught in his throat. Not one, but two copies of someone he cared deeply about were standing before him. Two reminders of something he may never get back if he couldn't escape Termina. The boy couldn't help but feel as if he was being punished for something, though what in particular he couldn't work out. He hated this ranch, he hated what seeing two copies of Malon could do to him! His mask felt like it was going to just shatter at any moment…!
Tatl looked between Link and the siblings and let out a small sigh. She had to come to the rescue again, it seemed. As it turned out, from the fairy's perspective, Link was simply powerless before two cute girls. "He's Link. I'm Tatl." She explained. "We busted that boulder looking to get a horse, but we found the one that got lost instead."
Not seeming to mind that Tatl was speaking on Link's behalf, Cremia nodded. "I see! I thought I heard a loud noise earlier. Thank you so much, you two! Now we can make deliveries again!" She offered the duo a warm smile as she gave a breath of relief. "How about you two stay for lunch? As a reward for helping us, of course."
That snapped Link out of his silence. Before Tatl could reply, he shook his head. "No. We can't. We're in a hurry." They couldn't linger, he just knew he couldn't handle it if they did!
"Aw, no fun, Grasshopper!" Romani whined, pouting a bit. With a shiver, Link noticed that she even pouted the same as Malon. "Stay for a bit!"
"Now, now, Romani." Cremia gently chided, patting her sister on the head. "If he's in a hurry, he's in a hurry." She looked between the boy and his fairy companion. "You're welcome to the ranch at any time, either way. Before you go, please let me get some milk for you at least. On the house!"
Feeling a bit of relief, Link nodded. "That's good. Thank you." He felt bad for what he was about to do, but he couldn't help himself…
"Alright!" Cremia chirped. "You wait right there; I'll be right back." The ranch owner went off into the barn, leaving the children alone.
Without a moment's hesitation, Link hopped onto Epona before anyone could say anything more. The boy urged the horse forward, galloping past Romani as she whipped her head towards the retreating visitor with shock. "Grasshopper?! Hey, Grasshopper, wait!" She called out.
Link paid the girl no mind as Epona ran onward, quickly leaving the ranch behind. Tatl, followed Link and Epona, quickly landing on Link's shoulder. "Hey! What's the big idea?! What are you doing?!"
At first, Link didn't respond. It was only after they had left Milk Road entirely that he had Epona slow down to a trot, directing her towards the West. "No time to wait." He replied simply. "We have to keep moving."
"We couldn't have waited for a minute?" Tatl asked incredulously. She hovered in front of Link, shooting a glare at the boy…not that he could see it with the light she gave off. "There's something you're not telling me. Spill the beans!" Of course, there was always something he wasn't telling her…
"I said we were in a hurry." Link insisted, urging Epona to go a bit faster, though not quite a full gallop. "We pushed back our trip to the Great Bay long enough, remember?"
Tatl huffed, feeling like Link was just being difficult on purpose. "I mean yeah, but this isn't like you!" She insisted, flying by the boy and crossing her arms at him.
"You don't know what I'm like." He replied without even thinking. It was true, though! Tatl didn't know him, not to the extent he thought she should to know what is or isn't like him. And he wanted to keep it that way!
"And whose fault is that?!" Tatl snapped, really trying to keep her temper under control. She wanted to be nicer to Link, but sometimes he just made it so difficult! Were they really going to have another fight? She just exploded at him so recently, but he kept getting under her skin!
Link didn't reply to that, just urging Epona onward as he tried to keep himself together. "Come on, Epona…" He murmured, trying to keep his mask intact. Moment by moment he felt himself closer to falling apart. It was a sensation he couldn't really explain, just a feeling that he was going to come undone at any moment. This forced trip into Termina was testing his mask in a way he hadn't experienced in so long. It was so constant, too, it never felt like he had a moment's rest, even during the Break Cycles…
Tatl sighed, following Link as she watched him interact with Epona. As they rode on, she noticed he kept patting at the filly, rubbing her neck or even murmuring supportive words into the animal's ear. The fairy never thought she'd see Link so…caring towards something. It really showed he wasn't just an emotionless, empty husk like he seemed at times. Granted, his face was still in that stoic mask, and his voice was devoid of actual feeling, but she knew there had to be love behind his actions.
The trip was uneventful, the closest thing to an issue was Epona being a bit nervous as they approached the sand, the young horse never walking on such a surface. But Link soothed her with a few pats and a whisper in her ear, and the filly slowly walked towards the fence. Even perched on Epona, the fence still seemed pretty tall compared to Link…
"You sure she can do this? She's pretty young…" Tatl wondered if they shouldn't have still rented a horse or something. "Has she ever jumped something like this before?"
"I know she can do it." Link insisted, despite never having seen Epona leap a fence as tall as the one before them. During some of his trips to Lon Lon Ranch, Epona did do some exercises hopping fences, both with Link and Malon riding the filly. Still, the structure blocking the Great Bay was a bit taller. Still, Link had faith in the horse, confident in her abilities. After all, while she did so as an adult, Epona did clear that massive gap to Gerudo Valley…
Tatl winced, but said nothing as she watched Link back Epona off a good distance to give her room to speed up. Thankfully, the sand was packed in enough that running on it wasn't an issue. Taking a breath, the boy urged Epona to a sprint, the filly quickly reaching the gate and leaping as hard as she could! Surprisingly to the fairy, she made the jump cleanly, landing on the other side without issue! Flying over the fence, Tatl looked Link and Epona over, as if making sure she just saw that happen and they were okay. "Well, you sure proved me wrong…" She commented, not unkindly. "I guess you should leave her here, though. Who knows what the Great Bay is like?
Link…hadn't thought of that. What would he do with Epona? Leave her there like Tatl suggested seemed best. Termina Field had Dodongos at the very least, so who knew what else lurked? If she stayed on the sand she'd probably be fine, but what if she wandered off? What would she do for food or water? For all he knew, he'd stay there for the whole rest of the Cycle maybe! Link was aware she'd just go back to Romani Ranch the next time he played the Song of Time, but the guilt of something happening to her would still weigh down on him.
After a moment, Link hopped off of Epona, gently holding her head so she was looking at him. "Go back to the ranch, okay? Go there as fast as you can…" He gently instructed her…but Epona didn't obey. Instead, the filly sputtered and lightly headbutted Link in the chest, not even enough to push him back. The message was clear, at least to the Hylian. She wasn't about to go after the two had just been reunited.
It was a sweet gesture, but Link couldn't risk Epona's safety! She had nothing to eat or drink if stayed, and there could be monsters up ahead, so she had to go back to the ranch! The boy recalled how Ingo would get unruly horses to listen and move forward if they weren't listening. A stab of guilt hitting his heart, Link reeled his hand back and slapped Epona on the flank.
This startled Epona, causing her to run at the fence and leap over it, though the second she landed, she turned back at Link. He wanted to think she understood why he had to do that, and he tried to tell himself she'd forget it once the Song of Time was next played. After a moment of hesitation, Epona whinnied and turned around, running in the direction of Milk Road! The boy and fairy then watched as Epona sprinted to the South, but she eventually went out of sight. Link just hoped she really did go back to the ranch…while he felt horribly uncomfortable there, maybe Epona could find some joy in Malon's copy. Could the filly even tell the difference…?
At first, Tatl wanted to question why Link kept talking to Epona like a person. It was so strange to see him do something so childish. Though she supposed lots of people talked to their pets or companions like they can understand. It was still odd to see him do it at least. Though she seemed to react to him instructing her to leave so…maybe she did understand a bit? Either way, the fairy understood why he did it. Leaving Epona on sand with no food or water was a dumb idea in hindsight…
"Well, that's taken care of. Let's see how bad the Great Bay is, then." Tatl lightly urged, already starting to feel the familiar sickening feeling of cursed magic in the air.
Link hadn't felt it yet, being less sensitive to such energies as a fairy. Granted, he still felt sick for different reasons. Romani and Cremia kept lingering in his mind, no matter how much he didn't want them to. On top of that, he was terrified of seeing the ocean for the first time, once more recalling how he saw the mass of water in books back at Hyrule Castle and how unnerved they made him feel. Without a word, he walked onward, his companion fluttering by his ear.
The walk to the Great Bay was pretty short, as well as of course being devoid of danger unlike the trips South or North. Despite his fear of the ocean, Link at least appreciated how much easier going through the West was so far. He noted the air smelled like salt, the new sensation almost intense for the boy. It was something he expected, though, as Zelda once told him about how tiny amounts of salt from the ocean's water sprayed into the air. She had also warned him about drinking salt water and how dangerous it was. Not that he desired to even touch it…
As Link pondered these things, the two arrived at the beach.
By that point, the cursed energy started to weigh down on Link, but he paid it little mind as he looked at the area before him. The scenery was lovely, a gorgeous beach with the calm ocean waves gently easing onto the shore. There were palm trees and boats tied to wooden stakes, belonging to those who lived in the modest homes by the cliffside. Despite these signs of civilization, however, there were no people that the two could see. Off into the water was an odd platform with a building that had a giant hook on its roof. Farther out, large rocks peaked out of the water, and even further still was…something that was hard to make out. It seemed to be a large structure of sorts, but it was so far away and there was what seemed to be a wall of water around it, making it all but impossible to make it out properly.
Even with all these sights, it was the water that Link stared at while he did his best to remain calm. The pictures he saw back in the castle did little to prepare him for the sight. It was as vast as in the books, yes, going all the way to the horizon. That alone made Link nervous, never having seen so far ahead like that, not even in Hyrule Field. Somehow such a sight just…unnerved him. Then there was the way it moved. It wasn't like a flowing river or how Lake Hylia would sometimes ripple with the wind. No, the ocean moved at a constant rate, as if it the impossibly huge watery mass were a living creature. This wasn't helped by the waves on the shore, the watery hands acting as though they wanted to grab at Link's ankle and drag him into the depths.
Once more he recalled how Saria taught him that larger bodies of water held larger fish. Small ponds held tiny fish while lakes had bigger fish and so on. If that were the case, what sort of monstrosities dwelled beneath the waves of the ocean? Even Lord Jabu-Jabu didn't have this much water to swim around in, and he was one of the largest beings Link ever laid eyes on! It terrified him to think that there were probably monsters many times larger than the Zora deity lurking in the water right in front of him.
As Link stared at the ocean, his legs nearly shaking from fear, he realized just how hot it was. It wasn't like how Summer days or the Gerudo Desert were hot. It was a gross, murky heat that made Link's skin almost feel slimy. In his mind, a lot of sand meant heat, his experience from the desert in Hyrule giving him that logical connection. Still, he turned to Tatl and felt he had to ask about it. "Is it always this hot? It's sticky here. How normal is this?" After all, she'd know more than him.
Tatl had noticed the heat a lot faster, not distracted by fears of the ocean. "No, it's definitely weird. It's usually warm, but this is something else. No people here either, so something aside from that cursed energy is here. The water's all gross and murky too, like it's poisoned…" Ocean water, at least in the Great Bay, was not meant to look like that! Were the fish okay? Maybe they weren't, and that's why the people left? She at least assumed that they had gone elsewhere rather than just being cooped up inside. As the fairy pondered, she noticed some seagulls gathering around something in the water, so that had to mean that…wait. "Hold on…what are those seagulls doing?" She asked, starting to float closer, Link hesitantly following.
"They're going after fish, right?" He asked, recalling how he had seen birds swooping at Lake Hylia to nab fish out of the water. It was a location he had actually visited a few times, mostly with Malon. The Water Temple was there, yes, but compared to most places in Hyrule, it wasn't nearly so bad…
"Yeah, but there's something strange about this. I think I see something!" Tatl insisted, quickly reaching the shore. Her eyes widened as she managed to make out what that odd something was. "A Zora! There's an injured Zora being attacked by the seagulls!" She yelled out, supposing that Zoras were sort of fish, so the birds pecking at one wasn't too unusual.
Link wasn't willing to go to the shore, eyeing the waves that gently made its way to the sand. He swore that each time he saw the water crash, the grabbing hands of the ocean extended farther and farther! His attention snapped to the seagulls, or rather their target, when Tatl mentioned a Zora. Squinting, he saw there was actually a Zora floating there! An adult male Zora floated at the ocean's surface, barely moving. Clearly he was injured or sick and couldn't just swim away! "But how did that happen to him? Is the water that dangerous?" Zora could swim pretty fast, after all. Ruto had demonstrated once at Lake Hylia, moving about the water at incredible speeds!
"I mean, a bit, but nothing that should catch a Zora! Come on, go and save him already!" Tatl urged, actually shocked that Link's first instinct wasn't to dive into the water. He could swim…right?
Yes, Link could swim. That wasn't the issue, though. The problem was that he needed to swim in the ocean of all places! His fear of the watery mass was still fresh in his mind, and he felt his body freeze up at the mention of actually entering it. What was lurking down there? Some massive fish that'd swallow him whole to be sure! But…if that was the case, why wasn't the Zora being eaten? Even with that logic, Link was terrified, finding his feet rooted to the sand as he stared at the seagulls and their prey.
Tatl yelled something, Link too lost in his mind to understand what, though. Surely something to urge him forward. Trying not to look freaked out, Link approached the water, shedding his boots and all his gear so it wouldn't get wet, save for the clothes on his back…and his sword. He couldn't imagine he'd be able to actually fight underwater, but he felt the need to have some kind of weapon. Yet, as he reached the water, the waves his ankles and sending a shiver of terror up his body as the scent of salty water hit him like a brick to the face. The water was warm, practically hot, and just made the ocean feel more like a living entity to him!
Once more he hesitated, barely able to breathe as he looked out at the hot, murky water. The waves kept moving about, making it almost look like something unseen was partially breaching the surface, biding its time for Link to enter the waters and into its domain. But he had to stop pausing! Gathering as much Courage as he could, Link leapt into the water! He was enveloped by the hot liquid, eyes stinging from the salt from the water, head flailing a bit as he spit out any of the ocean that got into his mouth.
Blinking the pain away, he tried to ignore the heat and how gross the water felt, focusing on the injured Zora. He swam his way over, expecting something to grab or bite down at his legs at any moment, but thankfully he reached the mass of seagulls unharmed. The birds didn't appreciate Link interfering and pecked at him, prompting the boy to swat at the seagulls as he grabbed hold of the Zora's arm with his free arm, starting to slowly drag the both of them back to shore.
The seagulls followed for a bit, but eventually left the two alone as they got closer to the shore. It was a tiring process, especially since the Zora barely helped, sometimes feebly kicking his legs, but that was it. It also didn't help that the injured Zora held something in one hand, some sort of large fish skeleton of some sort. Before too long, the two reached the shore, Link desperately crawling onto the dry sand as he panted from the exertion, the Zora sprawled out next to him, still clutching that odd . He was an adult with numerous tattoos and covered in fresh wounds!
"Oh man, he's in rough shape!" Tatl exclaimed, flying over to the two. "Wait…we don't have any Red Potions, do we?" The two never made trips to the Potion Shop to the swamps. Going all the way there and rescuing Koume just to buy some was so much hassle! Link was always healed when he cleared out the Temples as well, so they weren't as needed.
Link felt his stomach tighten, his mind's eye seeing a wounded Hylian guard in a back alley. Trying to ignore the sickening guilt in his heart, he shook his head. "We don't, no." What were they going to do? No one else seemed to be around…
Coughing, the injured Zora's eyes opened as he leaned up at Link to speak to him. "You…saved me…" He murmured, voice barely above a whisper. "My name is Mikau…I'm…the guitarist of our band…We're supposed to play at the Carnival of Time, but…our vocalist, Lulu, she lost her voice…"
"Hey, just keep quiet for now and rest! You'll be okay!" Tatl tried to ensure, though her tone gave away that she didn't truly believe this. She felt bad for Mikau, but there was nothing they could do for him…
The Zora shook his head, coughing up specks of blood onto the sand. "I appreciate it, but we all know…I'm done for. The Great Bay…something weird is going on. The water…it's awful now and the fish are gone…! And then...Lulu's eggs were stolen by those pirates near here. I tried to save them, but…this is how I ended up."
Link nodded at Mikau's words, though he didn't know what a pirate was. "We'll get the eggs back and help the Great Bay, don't worry." He was sure the waters were cursed by the Skull Kid. They just had to free the Giant here and all would be well! As for Mikau…he'd just be faster the next time he came back here. Even if he freed the Giant this Cycle, if there was no way to make it permanent, he'd have to come back at some point…
Mikau gave a weak smile, his eyes drooping heavily. It was clear his strength was just about to run out. "Thank you, kid. I won't…rest in peace like this, though. My spirit feels so…restless…"
Feeling a nasty knot in his stomach, Link knew exactly what he had to do. "I can help with that too. Just hang on a bit longer." He flatly instructed, quickly getting his Ocarina of Time from his gear he left on the shore. "Just listen." The boy instructed as he got back, taking a deep breath before he played the Song of Healing once more, the notes echoing in the air and dancing across the murky, cursed waters.
The Zora let out a noise of content, his pain seeming to simply melt away with each note he heard. "That song…hits me right in the heart…" He softly praised, eyes closing for the final time. After a moment, his body faded away, and all that was left was a mask in the visage of a Zora…
Link stared down the mask, feeling absolutely disgusted with himself. After all, this was all his fault. If he had just been faster…if he hadn't hesitated…Mikau would still be alive! He knew he'd have to do better the next time he came here…and he would also be haunted knowing Mikau would die every Cycle he didn't go West. There was the temptation to go back in time right at that moment…but Link was scared to. He couldn't face Romani and Cremia a second time so soon, just thinking about it made him want to throw up, and it made him enraged at himself for his own cowardice…
"Man, that's pretty awful…" Tatl murmured, observing the mask. "Eggs being stolen like that! Poor Lulu and Mikau…" She didn't even realize how openly sympathetic she was being until the words escaped her mouth. "Well, I mean anyone would feel bad over stolen Zora eggs…" The fairy corrected, not seeming to realize Link didn't judge her for being emotional. Either way, she wasn't about to argue against trying to find the eggs, knowing there was zero chance Link would let something like that go. She still had to wonder how they would cleanse the Great Bay. Was there even a Temple around here? Not one she could remember ever seeing…
Slowly, Link picked up the Zora Mask, feeling Mikau's lingering essence in his fingertips. "I'll be faster next time." He promised both Tatl and Mikau. "I won't let Mikau die again."
Tatl stared at Link, shaking her head. "You're not about to blame this on yourself, are you? You heard him! He was a goner already! It was those pirates, those Gerudos that did this!" Now the Gerudo Pirates she knew about. A band of female-only pirates that tormented the Great Bay for years. Oddly enough, they did little to Clock Town itself, seeming to only be interested in the West. Granted, they weren't allowed in the town, so even a casual visit for genuine relaxation or festival attending was out of the question.
The Gerudo?! They were in Termina too? A far cry from desert bandits, but that was just another parallel that Link was subject to. It seemed like the Kokiri were the only race from Hyrule not present in Termina unless they were in the East. But they were so closely tied too the Lost Woods…so there couldn't be any here,. At least Link hoped so. If he saw copies of those forest spirits…he had no idea if he could face them…
Trying to ignore those thoughts, Link focused back on Mikau. "I can save him. I just have to be faster." Link insisted, already putting the pressure on himself. Another burden for him to carry, but he was the only one that could save Mikau. Yet again, it seemed someone had only him to rely on. It started to grow frustrating if he was being honest. Sometimes it really felt like he was the only one able to accomplish anything for anyone…yet it still didn't manage to be enough. People still died, people still got hurt, misery still spread. Despite having to play the part of the hero for the sadistic Golden Goddesses, they had still chosen wrong. Even outside of Hyrule, it felt like he was just their puppet in the game of fate and destiny.
The fairy frowned, wondering just how all this pressure would affect him as time went on. It wasn't healthy to keep carrying so many burdens. "…Well…whatever." She murmured, knowing arguing was useless. "We should go to Zora Hall, that's where we'd find Lulu and the other Zoras. I don't really know how you'd get into the Gerudo hideout. Someone there would be bound to know more. You'll want to put that mask on, the only way you'll get there is by swimming."
Another soul Link had to put on…another person he had to pretend to be. What was worse was that Mikau's death was only known to him and Tatl. Everyone else surely assumed he was still alive. At least with his Deku form, the Deku Butler was only reminded of his departed son. With Darmani, several Goron assumed he was a ghost. But Mikau was meant to be alive and well…it was just so much worse! Still, Link knew he had little choice, trusting in Tatl's words. He gathered up his gear, placing the Ocarina of Time in the sand. He planned to wear it, if possible, as a Zora in case he needed to play the Song of Time in a hurry.
Once he was ready, he steeled his nerves and put the mask on.
Like with the other two transformation masks, the process was painful. Instantly, he felt the mask latch onto his face, fusing with his flesh. Speaking of which, his skin started to harden into scales, an extremely uncomfortable sensation. Worse than that, though, was that he started to grow taller again, his limbs and bones extending out into a lean form like Mikau's. His hair vanished, and the back of his head elongated into a fin as two other fins pierced out of his arms, shooting pain through the limbs as the extensions formed. His neck felt weird, slits opening as gills formed on his body. As always, though it felt like it took minutes, the transformation only took a second or two.
Link stood there on the shore where Mikau once stood, looking remarkably like the deceased Zora. Not exactly, though. He had no tattoos, and he had the bottom half of his tunic along with leather gauntlets and boots. His head-fin also had a green tint to it, like his hat in a way. The false Zora looked to Tatl with his new eyes, a disturbing pitch black coloration with blank white pupils. "How far is Zora Hall?" He asked, his voice far easier to control than when he was a Goron. It sounded closer to when he was an adult, with a bit of a wavery, almost watery sound to it. The similarity to his adult Hylian voice did not sit right with him. Still, he was closer to being a Hylian in this form than when he was a Deku or Goron, which was helpful, even if the voice made him uneasy…
Tatl was a bit surprised at Link's nonchalance, but he had done this twice before already. She pointed down the beach as the boy placed his Ocarina on his belt. "Just go down a ways. The hall's entrance is a huge stone fish, its tail sticking out of the water. You really can't miss it."
He really didn't like having to swim again, but he could at least take comfort that he could do so far faster as a Zora. Tatl started to lead the way, Link following along and finding his movements easier to handle in his current form than as a Deku or Goron. He supposed that of the three forms, a Zora was closer to a Hylian than the others. The fact this was the case and he was in an adult form certainly didn't sit right with him. At the very least, he could remove the mask and return to normal. Of course, one day there'd be no escaping being an adult…
The two quickly reached another part of the beach, a waterfall off to one side leading to what was basically a small pond of sorts. Off into the ocean, Link saw that Tatl was right. The tail of a large stone fish was sticking out of the water, plain as day. He also saw that the unusual structure surrounded by a veil of water was beyond Zora Hall. Just what was that…? "So, I just swim down to the entrance? What about you?" Link asked, knowing fairies weren't good swimmers.
Tatl paused, not having thought that far ahead. Fairies could tread water at the surface, sure, but actually diving down and swimming fully was a problem. "Uh…I mean you don't even have bottles, right?" She didn't exactly memorize what Link had at any given moment. Forget potions, did he have any container she could be placed in?
"I don't." Link clarified bluntly, gazing out at the water. He couldn't just place her in his hands and close them up. Any gap would let water in, and by the time he'd realize what happened, it could be too late. That only left one thing. "My mouth. It's a quick swim, right?"
The fairy let out an involuntary noise of displeasure. "You've got to be kidding me! In your disgusting mouth?!" Especially since he was a Zora! It'd smell like fish! "Can't we just go back to Clock Town and…" Oh. Wait. Epona was on the other side of the fence.
"I don't like the idea either." The false Zora assured Tatl. "I'll buy a bottle next time we're in Clock Town. Okay?"
"Not okay!" Tatl hissed, but then sighed. "There's no real choice, is there? Fine…! Just…get this over with! And we never talk about this, okay?"
Link didn't respond, simply opening his mouth as Tatl reluctantly flew in. Closing his mouth tight, the boy approached the ocean once more. It was a tad bit easier for him this time since he already did it once. Being a Zora also helped to combat his fears. Not wanting an earful from Tatl if he took too long, he quickly leapt into the water.
The difference between the first and second swim was night and day! Link found that his Zora eyes were able to see much better in the ocean water than when he was a Hylian, and the salt didn't sting his eyes either. Not that there was much to see, just sand and what Zelda had told him was called seaweed. Staring off, though, was a bit disturbing. Just nothingness until the murky water made it too clouded to see any further…
Link also found that he could breathe, not really sure how he was working his gills. The process just came naturally to him somehow…probably like how he got used to rolling as a Goron so easily. As he looked about, he saw the water was still murky, and devoid of fish like Mikau said. Wasting no more time, he swam towards Zora Hall, practically flying through the water, his swimming form much smoother than he expected. Again, he chalked it up to Mikau's spirit subtly guiding him.
Within a minute, and ignoring the panicked sensation in his guts, Link reached the entrance to Zora Hall, the maw of a giant stone fish. A bit unnerving, but not the worst giant mouth he had to enter. Swimming up, Link soon arrived at an opening to real air, in a sort of manmade cave entrance. Quickly, he opened his mouth, letting Tatl float out. "You okay?"
Tatl shuddered, not even looking Link in the face. "Not the worst experience ever, but up there with the grossest!" She complained, turning to look the boy in the eyes. "You're going to get a bottle to carry around as soon as possible, got that?!"
"I will." Link assured, already having agreed the first time! He looked over to see what Zora Hall was like as Tatl kept murmuring negative things under her breath. The boy was reminded of Zora's Domain back in Hyrule. Around them was a cave system made by the Zoras, cool air and well lit just like the other Zora society. There were numerous walkways and ramps going all about, actual physical doors leading into other rooms unlike in Zora's Domain that mostly just had open doorways carved into stone. At the center of Zora Hall was a clamshell the size of a small building, wide open with several Zoras inside of it talking amongst themselves and fiddling with odd devices.
"Huh. I never actually came in here before, obviously." Tatl said, getting over the whole mouth thing. "No idea where we should look for Lulu. Just go ask someone."
That wasn't something Link really liked to do, but he was too embarrassed to ask Tatl to do it for him. Pushing down his social anxiety, he approached the nearest Zora that happened by, which was an adult male.
"Oh! Mikau!" The Zora greeted with a wave. "You've been gone for a while, what happened?"
It felt so awful to have someone talk to Link like he was someone else. He felt like he was doing something wrong, parading about in someone else's form. "Something came up." The boy quickly and vaguely lied. "I'm looking for Lulu, where is she?"
The Zora nodded in understanding, gesturing to the back of the hall. "She's out at Zora Cape. I think she's been wanting to see you. Hard to tell these days, but…"
"Thank you." Link curtly replied, rushing past the Zora, who gave the boy a confused look. He followed the stranger's instructions, heading to the back of the hall while Tatl followed.
"I just hope Lulu can help us." Tatl said as the two walked through Zora Hall. Occasionally one of the citizens would wave or greet Link, who usually just walked by them, something the fairy almost found a bit amusing.
"I'm sure she can. They were her eggs, so she should know where they were taken…" At least Link hoped that was the case…
Before long, the two found themselves at an exit to the large cavern, Tatl realizing what that meant. "Aw, I could've just flown around…" She complained, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"At least we know for next time." If this had been two years ago, Link would have actually found that funny. His humor was all but shriveled up and dead by this point in his life. He hadn't laughed since he was on his first quest…
The two went outside to Zora Cape, taking in the new location. It was little more than some land that immediately dropped off to ocean water, and not even a lot of land. Enough to walk around a bit, but little more. Off ahead was a small island with two palm trees, and off further was that odd structure veiled by water. Looking off at the horizon was still so unnerving to Link. He felt like if he just went out and swam, he could keep going until time came to an end before he reached land.
And, as everyone knew, Time was eternal.
Link quickly scanned the land and spotted a lone Zora woman off to a corner, instinctively approaching before he got a good look at her. When he did, though, his heart felt like it stopped beating.
Standing before him was Ruto, plain and simple. She took the form as she did in the Water Temple, every feature like that of the Zora Princess save for an elegant blue dress. Rather than the cheery and talkative Ruto he knew, the woman ,who was assuredly Lulu, had a melancholy expression on her face. When she looked at the false Zora, her expression lightened up, but only the lightest bit.
The boy felt his entire body go numb as he stared at Ruto- at Lulu. He let her die. But that wasn't Ruto! But he let her die. She was someone else! But he let her die! She was simply a copy! But he let her die!
Link's chest started to feel tight, and he wasn't able to get a breath in, though he tried as he let out a strangled noise, taking a step back. His mind was screaming at him that Ruto had every right to despise him. He let her get killed! If he was faster, she would've lived! Mikau would've lived! Saria, Darunia, Impa, Nabooru! If he was just better, so many people could still be alive!
There was a ringing in the boy's ears as he continued to try and gulp down a breath, Lulu frowning at him as his demeanor deteriorated before her very eyes. He couldn't stop staring at her, guilt and terror overtaking him, as a sensation that he was about to die started to ring harshly in his brain. It was telling him if he didn't leave right that second, something was going to kill him!
The world around him seemed to be spinning, and he could vaguely hear Tatl talking to him, but he couldn't understand what she was saying. All he could focus on was trying, and still failing, to take an actual breath. The lack of actual air was making him dizzy and weak, and his vision started to grow a bit blurry. However, he saw one thing clearly. Behind Ruto- behind Lulu was a figure, one with piercing red eyes. His shadowy doppelganger.
Link threw up.
Leaving the pile of sick on the ground, he sprinted from Lulu as she took a worried step towards him. Of course, Tatl followed behind, calling after Link, but remembering to avoid using his name. He was still in disguise, after all. The false Zora ran through the hall, ignoring anyone that tried to talk to him and even shoving someone out of his way as he ran by. His leg didn't stop until he reached the entrance, far from anyone's prying eyes.
Tatl stopped when Link did, the boy leaning against the wall, panting heavily as his entire frame shook. "Link, what was that?!" She hissed, using his name given no one else was around. "Are you sick again?" This had happened just recently, after all, right before he got the Bremen Mask.
At this point, Link at least was able to hear Tatl properly. Still, he felt absolutely terrified, his frame still shaking as he tried not to cry. Despair, gilt, terror, and anger directed at himself filled every inch of his being. His mask was dangerously close to just shattering, the boy unable to handle dealing with Romani, Cremia, and Lulu all in one day. Not to mention having to dive into the ocean and his failure to rescue Mikau. It was all just too much!
"I think I am." He lied, unable to even look at Tatl. The boy just leaned against the wall, looking off at nothing. "I can't do this. I need to go back. I'm sorry." In his mind, it was better to just lie rather than confess anything. Why did this have to happen now?! While disturbing, he was able to deal with most of the copies he encountered so far, but why did he have to meet three in a single day that caused him such misery and anxiety?! Even Koume and Kotake were, somehow, easier than this!
The fairy frowned, buying into the lie. Still, it was a setback for them, they had just got back into pushing forward with their journey! "It's okay…I understand. It's fine! Just…play the Song of Time, and we'll go back, okay?" Tatl didn't have it in her to scold Link for being sick. It was like kicking a puppy, and that was far too low for her. Besides, every time she thought of Link being sick, he recalled that image of the Skull Kid shivering all by himself…
Link finally managed to start getting in full breaths, panting as he nodded. "Thank you. Just a day or two of rest. That's it. I promise." He had to pull himself together! The boy silently berated himself for being so weak. If he was going to save Termina, he had to stop having these attacks! What was wrong with him?!
"That's fine! Maybe if you don't feel better, we can see a doctor or something…" If he kept getting sick, it'd really be a problem! She really did feel bad for him, and that reaction he had actually sort of scared her. It was like he was having some sort of an episode! Tatl chalked it up to a coincidence that he got sick as soon as he saw Lulu. After all, what possible connection could there be? Either way, she assumed he knew what he was talking about, and that he knew he'd be okay after the day or two of rest like he said. She certainly hoped so, at least…
Without a word, Link nodded as he shed the Zora Mask. Unlike when items with him vanished when he went from a Hylian to his other forms, the Ocarina of Time clipped to his belt simply stayed in place as he reverted to normal. With shaking hands, he put his newest mask away before bringing the instrument up to his lips.
Ignoring the taste of salt water, the boy managed to play the Song of Time, the notes echoing in the hall as he and his companion went back once more.
A/N: Yep, Link didn't make too much progress before going back, sadly. A new mask, and finding out Epona is okay was certainly good progress, though. And yes, I did reuse parts of my old Romani Ranch story, but even if I rewrote those scenes from scratch, they'd end up being 99% the same anyway. And at least this way I managed to get two long chapters in my two ongoing stories out in this short month.
I admit, I sometimes get tempted to introduce copies of characters that didn't get one in the actual game. Saria, Zelda, Impa, the rest of the Kokiri even, or perhaps Ganondorf given he was meant to be in the 3D version. But there's the part of me that feels like that's almost too easy. I sort of like having the restrictions of what characters I can use, only allowing standout characters that are actually in the game getting to be in Termina. Sort of makes me have to do what I can with what I'm given, which I like to think is helpful. Otherwise I can just have a Saria copy that's horrid, rude girl that torments Link if they come across each other. But that's too easy to do, as interesting as that'd be, and I don't want to just abuse my power as an author to do whatever I want. If that makes sense...
In any case, things are about to go entirely full circle next chapter, which I'm excited for. I can already feel the small bits of nostalgia...