As soon as the Song of Time dumped Link and Tatl back at the Clock Tower, the boy headed towards the Stock Pot Inn on somewhat shaky legs. He felt sick to his stomach, as though he would vomit again. If that wasn't bad enough, he was absolutely humiliated by throwing up in front of Tatl again as well as his breakdown. While he managed to keep himself relatively composed, it was still enough to embarrass him.
Floating by Link's ear, Tatl frowned a bit in worry. "Hey, are you sure you're okay? That's the second time you threw up in just a short while…" He didn't seem too sick aside from this vomiting, but the boy wasn't exactly one to express how he felt at any given time.
Link nodded, not even looking at Tatl as he walked. He was in no hurry, given the inn didn't even open for another two hours. "I don't have a fever. So, I should be okay." He insisted flatly, wishing it was really as simple as him being sick. "I'm sorry. We were just starting to continue the quest, too." As pathetic as it seemed to him, Link wasn't sure he could handle Tatl yelling at him right then. Normally he was, at most, shocked if she suddenly started to scream. Otherwise, he was able to just shrug it off…
But it was different now.
His mask was so close to just shattering that he honestly thought that her yelling at him would drive him over the edge and make it break. And on top of that, he had no idea how he'd react. Yell back? Cry? Who could say? The fact that he didn't even know what he'd do was something worrying to him.
Truth be told, Tatl was a bit frustrated. They had taken quite a break, and now they were going to be taking another one, presumably for the rest of this Cycle. Still, she kept seeing the image of the Skull Kid shivering in the cold, and she knew she wouldn't be able to scold him, even if she wanted to. "It's fine. I mean it's not like you can help it. We'll just rest and try the next Cycle, okay?"
The boy was still surprised at how much Tatl's attitude changed, but he had never been so glad for it than in that moment. "I'll be fine next time. I promise." He only hoped he could keep that promise. If he saw Ruto…Lulu…again, he had no idea how he'd react. At least it wouldn't be a surprise the next time, but there was no telling how much that'd help. If at all.
Before long, the two were at the inn, quietly waiting for it to open. The second the door unlocked, they entered and got their room key before shutting themselves into the Knife Chamber. Once there, things remained silent as the two went to their respective beds and just rested. Link played the part of being sick and tried his best to nap, but his mind was rushing so much that it was impossible.
He really had to wonder if Termina was somehow created solely to torment him. The copies in Clock Town were eerie enough, but then he met the fake Malons and now a fake Ruto. It was as if Termina was reminding him both of what he dearly missed as well as his failures. But why? Hadn't he suffered enough the last two years? Did he truly need further punishment? It wasn't as though he wasn't already horribly guilty over his past failures, it wasn't like he needed to be reminded. At one point or another, the failures crossed his mind every single day, and he always felt terrible each time. Was this some sort of forced penance? Could he maybe, finally, feel good about himself or just feel decent in general when this was all over?
If it ever even ended…
What was even worse was, though it had run through his head all day, Link thought again about how Mikau had surely died again. If he died so fast after Link failed to aid him, no one coming to his rescue would just kill him faster. Sure, there was a chance someone else could come along in Link's absence, someone far more competent…but what were the chances?
That was on top of all the other horrid things going on around Termina that Link thought about constantly. The poisoned swamp, the Deku Princess trapped in the Woodfall Temple, the innocent monkey being tortured, the Goron freezing to death, Lulu's missing eggs, Anju and Kafei separated, and that wasn't even taking the Moon into account! So many awful things happening, and there he was, just lying in bed all safe and sound…
Such thoughts kept rushing through Link's mind as he eventually faded in and out of uneasy sleeps as the day went on. He wasn't hungry and didn't eat, which Tatl couldn't blame him for. According to her, eating Anju's cooking would just make him sicker anyway. It wasn't until nightfall that the boy actually managed to fall into a deep sleep, finally getting some true rest…if it weren't for the nightmare.
Everywhere Link looked, there was no land to be seen.
He waded in the salty water, the smell of the ocean stinging his nostrils and eyes as he tried to look for some sort of salvation. Yet no matter where his eyes fell, it was just water as far as his eyes could see. Link had no idea what to do, feeling panic rush through him as he tried to formulate a plan.
Yet even then, things managed to get worse. No more than a few dozen meters away, a strange shape momentarily breached the surface! He only got a small look at some sort of black hump before it went under the water…heading towards him! Without even thinking, Link swam in the opposite direction, desperate to find land or anything else that could save his life!
Behind him, Link heard the creature breach the water, the loud splashing it caused growing louder and louder as the entity closed in on him. At one point, the massive thing seemed to be right next to him, but he didn't dare give it so much as a glance as he swam even harder. Whatever it was, it was surely big enough to swallow him in a single gulp!
The boy screamed out as he felt something grab at his leg. Disturbingly, it felt like a human hand rather than the appendage or maw of some undersea beast. Only having time to take a quick breath, Link was pulled down under the water's surface! Instantly, things went pitch black, the boy unable to see anything no matter how hard he looked. The hand around his leg just kept dragging him further and further down, his lungs burning as the little air he had started to run out!
And just as he was about to give in, he fell.
Not dragged under the water. Not floating into the deep, no. He fell through the open air he suddenly found himself in. Link only had time to let out a yelp before he hit a stone floor. His body and clothes were still soaked, and he let out a cough before taking in some deep breaths now that there was air again. But the problem was that he was still in total darkness. No matter how hard he strained his eyes, it was inky blackness in every direction. Getting to his feet, he contemplated what to do next…but then a light appeared before him. A small light, but somehow able to illuminate a sort of spotlight beneath itself that pierced the darkness! And the light…was blue.
It was a fairy.
Navi.
His Guardian Fairy, Link not caring that she was never truly one to him, floated there in the void, silently staring at him. His body refused to move for a second, the shock of seeing his dear friend paralyzing every inch of his form! "Navi…" Was all he could sputter out, staring at the one he missed the most. "Navi…?"
Without acknowledging Link at all, Navi turned around and started to fly away. She kept at the same altitude but flew off from the boy. Without hesitation, he chased after her, but she always kept just out of his reach. "Navi! Navi! Wait! Please come back! Please!" Link pleaded, tears welling up in his eyes. Yet the fairy didn't seem to hear him…or she was simply ignoring him…
"Please! I'll do whatever you want! Anything! Just name it! A-Anything!" The child begged, voice wavering as he yelled. "I won't show any emotion! Or I'll show as much as you want! Anything you want! Please! Just give me a chance! Just one chance!" He screamed, trying to run faster, yet his body seemed to be moving slower somehow. "You don't have to love me!" He shouted nervously.
At this point, he'd accept anything. All she had to do was talk to him and he almost felt like that'd be enough! She didn't have to love, or even like him, he just wanted her to be there! He was that desperate for Navi, that her just acknowledging his existence would make all the waiting worth it!
"I'm nothing without you! I can't go on without you with me!" Link screamed, tears streaming down his face. To his horror, the gap between the two started to widen and Navi didn't so much as glance back at him. Worse yet, other lights made themselves known. Dozens of small, orange eyes started to appear in the darkness, glowing eerily as they surrounded and followed Link. He couldn't see what the eyes belonged to, but he could hear them running at his pace.
"Navi! Please don't leave again! I'll do absolutely anything! I'll be whatever you want to be! Just one chance! That's all I ask!" Link tried again, hoping if he kept yelling enough, the fairy would at least humor him…but she didn't. She got further and further away as the orange eyes started to slowly close in on him.
Up above Link's head, a massive orange orb appeared, a dark green iris appearing in its middle. He heard something huge scurrying up above him, the sound of a dark parasite capable of killing the Father of the Forest. The monster lunged down at him and…
Tatl watched as Link shifted in his sleep. It was no later than one in the morning and she had simply woken up on her own. She would've simply gone back to sleep, but she heard Link moving about in his bed. Not even fully knowing why, she kept staring at him, knowing he was having a nightmare. She knew she should wake him up, but suddenly…he spoke…
"Navi…Navi…" Link murmured under his breath. "Navi…" He gasped, barely audible. His breathing quickened, and he kept tossing in his sleep more and more. Without warning, the tossing and talking stopped, and Tatl heard the boy taking deep breaths while laying perfectly still. Clearly, he had woken up, and was surely trying to calm his nerves.
The fairy's light was nice and dim, so she was sure he didn't notice her looking at him from across the room. It was so dark that she didn't even know if he was facing her or not. She barely dared to breath, and after a few moments, Link turned over once last time and went still again. Minutes passed, and his breathing shifted so that it was clear he had fallen back asleep somehow.
She had no idea what to make of this! Navi, that was a name without a doubt. But who was Navi? Someone from his past for sure, but with what relation? Tatl found herself more curious than ever as she nuzzled back into her pillow realizing she had the perfect idea for tomorrow morning…
The two slept somewhat better the second go around, the soft pitter patter of rain against the window and roof easing them out of their slumber. No words were exchanged at first, the pair getting themselves a bit more awake as they stretched and rubbed at their eyes. Silently, Link reached for his folded up hat when Tatl decided to just…go for it.
"Tell me about Navi." Tatl said, almost ordered, not able to stop herself. She finally, finally had a piece of concrete information on Link's past she could ask him about. Her curiosity was just too built-up for her to let the chance pass! The question froze the boy in place and the room was filled with a suffocating silence. The only sound within the Knife Chamber was the pattering of raindrops. "Tell me about her." Tatl continued on when she didn't get an answer. She realized this was probably a sensitive subject if Link was having a nightmare about Navi, but the fairy wasn't able to hold back her curiosity.
Link sat against the headboard of his bed, staring silently at Tatl with his dull blue eyes. He tried to speak, but the words got caught in his throat. He licked his dried lips and tried again. "How do you know her name?" He knew he never mentioned Navi to Tatl during his time in Termina, he made sure to keep his lips sealed about just about everything concerning Hyrule…
The non-answer let Tatl know that this had to be something important to him, but she just kept going. "I heard you muttering in your sleep last night. You were muttering her name, but I never caught any other details. Tell me about Navi." She repeated, fluttering about the room, and landing at the foot of Link's bed.
"That isn't any of your concern." Was the only answer Tatl received. He was inwardly scolding himself for letting something like that slip out, even if it was in his sleep! It was probably the single worst thing he could have muttered out!
Well, she expected an answer like that. A small part of her imagined that maybe he'd spill the details since she asked something so specific…but she also realized how foolish that was. There was a reason her curiosity built up so much! The boy was just so secretive! "Well, why not?" She persisted, flying in close to Link's face. "We're friends, aren't we?"
"You never called me that before." Link pointed out, deliberately avoiding her first question. Tatl had gotten friendlier towards him, but at no point did she ever refer to herself as his friend. Though he didn't show it, this conversation was already stressing him out. After everything that happened in the Great Bay, he felt so, so close to his mask just breaking. She was really making this hard on him!
"Well…I mean we're at least friendly acquaintances!" Yeah, trying to make them out to be friends was a dumb move, but she was desperate! Of course it wasn't like she was about to beg for him to start telling his secrets!
…Though she was maybe getting a tad bit close…
"Okay, so we're friendly acquaintances." Link was just being avoidant and obtuse on purpose. He was hoping she'd just get frustrated and leave the subject alone. "Why do you care so much?" And yet he couldn't help but blurt that second part out, despite wanting the conversation to end. Numerous times, Tatl tried to delve into his past, and he didn't understand why she'd be so curious!
"How could I not want to know about someone I've been traveling with?! You're just avoiding the question!" Despite their talk earlier after Link went to the Happy Mask Salesman to show the weirdo his collection of masks, Tatl was still getting mad. She had opened up about something important to her, about how she met the Skull Kid, so why couldn't Link ever return the favor?!
"But this isn't any of your business. You listened to me sleep, and now you're trying to pry into something I don't want to talk about." Link was almost never so vocal with his brushing off of Tatl's personal questions…but this being about Navi just made things so much worse. Just thinking of his dear, beloved friend made his chest feel tight and his body heavy and numb. Why did it have to be her name that he muttered?! It could have been literally any other name and it would've been far less painful!
She hated to admit it, but Link had a bit of a point. Though not on purpose, she had been eavesdropping, and then pushed the issue even though Link clearly wasn't interested in talking about it. Still, Tatl was the most stubborn person she knew, so she wasn't about to quit now. Not when she finally had something concrete! "Look, you've got a bit of a point, I'll say that much." The fairy conceded with a sigh. "But I was serious about us being friends! Friends talk to friends! I told you about how Tael and I met the Skull Kid, remember?" Okay, Link never actually said they were friends, but she had to try anything! This was underhanded, but the fairy was getting increasingly desperate…
"You told me that on your own, I never asked." Link pointed out, gripping his sheets until his knuckles went white. He was so tempted to yell at her to just shut up and stop trying to find out about Navi! His mask felt so weak and he had no idea how much more he could handle!
Once more, Link had somewhat of a point, but that didn't keep Tatl from being insulted. "I actually opened up and shared something important to me! Don't just brush that off, what's wrong with you?!" This was the nastiest Link had ever gotten with her by far. When the two first partnered up and she would casually insult him and tried to goad him, he would just ignore her words instead of insulting her back. At this point he was practically being antagonistic, at least in her eyes. Was this Navi person so important that he'd resort to being like this? That he'd just brush off her sharing something precious to her?
She was right. That was nasty of him to say, and he felt horrible for it. Just as she was desperate to make him talk about Navi, he was desperate to make her leave the subject be. "You're right, that was going too far. I'm sorry. It's just a name, though. Is it really that important to you?"
"It's like I said, we're friends! Friends like to know about other friends' lives! Do I really have to spell it out for you?" She had never met someone as tight-lipped as Link, that was for sure. Just what was he hiding? "Maybe talking about it will make you feel better. Come on, let me be your shoulder for one conversation!" A bit manipulative? Perhaps. Just because she wanted to be Link's friend didn't mean her entire personality had changed. And she knew he had to be feeling horrible. No one bottled their emotions up like Link could possibly have a happy life. "You always say things like 'Now isn't the time.' or 'That isn't important.' when I ask you about stuff. Why not just try and open up, just a teeny bit? Who knows, maybe being social for once will do you wonders!"
This was one of the roughest subjects Link could possibly talk about. It was to the point that the only people he really discussed it with was Zelda, Saria, and Malon. And for the first two it was only because they knew about Navi already and asked about her directly. Saria even volunteered to try and find the missing fairy…with no luck, naturally. Darunia and Ruto never asked, and Link was grateful for that. As for Malon, he only told her some sparse details, but the rancher girl knew that Navi was someone precious that was now gone. Even that much took over for him to muster up after he and Malon started to become friends. For the second time, technically…
In any case, Link realized that Tatl's curiosity was nearly limitless when it came to him for whatever reason. Her just asking about Navi was so painful, so that's when he made a decision. "…If I don't tell you, you'll just keep asking, won't you?"
That wasn't the response Tatl expected. It certainly wasn't an affirmative, but it sounded so very close. "Yes, of course! I want to know about her!" Might as well just be honest…
He was afraid of that. The boy weighed the options in his mind as he let go of his sheets a bit. Was it worse for him to be repeatedly asked about Navi…or just get it over with and tell Tatl? That way she might just leave him alone about his past…at least for a while. Link in no way wanted to talk about this, but if it'd save him future potential anxiety…maybe it was worth it.
"…Okay. I'll tell you. But only what I want to discuss. Okay?" It was almost painful for him to even say that much. He found it a bit hard to breathe, and he was finding it harder to look directly at the fairy before him. This was a horrible idea, but he just felt…trapped.
Shocked at Link finally agreeing, he hovered a bit away from him, sitting on the bed and looking up at him eagerly. "Yes! Whatever you want!" Anything was better than nothing. Even if it was just a tiny morsel! Tatl knew that her growing obsession with Link's past was odd, to say the least, but she couldn't help it. At the moment, he was the only constant in her life, so she couldn't help but desire to learn about the boy!
Link didn't say anything at first, having no idea where to start. He still found it hard to actually look at Tatl, and instead just glanced off to the side. "…Navi is a fairy." He finally managed to spit out, his throat feeling like it was going to just close up any moment. It was becoming an increasing struggle for him to keep his mask up and his voice leveled. "She was…my Guardian Fairy."
Tatl's eyes widened as she leaned forward a bit. "Wait, what? But you're not a Kokiri! They die outside the Lost Woods!" She knew that much at least; the Skull Kid had told her! He also told her and Tael about a few other facts about the Kokiri which included the Guardian Fairies. "So why would you have one?"
Link unclenched his fists, feeling his heart hammering violently at his ribcage as he took a deep breath. It was so pathetic to him that he found this difficult! Even after all this time, simply speaking about Navi was an entire ordeal. On top of that, Tatl's question filled him with an internal panic he couldn't explain. "I was a Hylian, raised by Kokiri. That's all I'll say on that part." He saw Tatl wordlessly nod out of the corner of his eyes and kept going. "I was the only one without a fairy until I was ten and…I remember being so happy." He closed his eyes as he breathed that last sentence, remembering how his heart swelled at Navi's appearance when he realized it wasn't a trick. Now he felt a sense of longing at the mental image of Navi without a hint of joy. "She was so kind, and she truly cared about me."
It was hard for Tatl to imagine Link smiling or being happy. It was so blatantly obvious that he was a miserable and broken person. No one, especially a child, acted as he did without many, many issues. She felt a twinge of pity to realize how impossible it was to imagine Link with even a grin on his face. "But what happened?" She goaded, really wishing Link explained how he got raised by the Kokiri at all. Tatl had never heard of such a thing happening!
"She left." The child replied, straight to the point. He kept his eyes shut, replaying the scene in his head as he spoke. "Without a word." In his mind' eye, Link could see it happening all over again. Navi silently flying up to the window of the Temple of Time as he uselessly chased after her, screaming out after his friend…
"Well...she couldn't be your Guardian Fairy, right? She had to leave sometime…" Tatl said, feeling like she was missing a lot of context here.
"Don't you think I know that?" Link opened his eyes, staring blankly at Tatl with his unnerving, lifeless eyes. Once more he gripped his sheets, hands nearly shaking as he felt like he was going to throw up. "I know we couldn't be a pair, but we could still have been friends."
Tatl winced, starting to think that maybe this was a mistake. She never should have brought this up. There was no way she could have known this was something so sensitive. This Navi situation really struck a nerve with him. And yet, she could stop herself from asking for even more. "So, what happened? Where did she go?"
"I don't know. That's why I was out in the Lost Woods that day." Link explained, feeling a bitter anger bubbling in his gut. "I was looking for her when you came and helped steal Epona." He had already forgiven Tatl, but talking about Navi and how his search for her was ruined got him feeling a nasty fury towards the younger fairy all over again!
Tatl flew up, out of Link's reach. She did so instinctively, not thinking that the boy would actually attempt to strike out at her. Still, the way he accused her so bluntly wasn't like him at all. Not that she had seen before! "Hey! It's not like I knew that! How could I have?"
"On purpose or not, Navi is getting farther and farther from me. I need to find her. So that's what the deal with her is. Are you happy?" It took almost all his strength not to ask that last question in a bitter, hateful tone. Link knew it wasn't fair to treat Tatl this way, but he felt he was losing control of himself. Even at that moment, the anger he was feeling started to change into, to his surprise, a mix of fear and misery.
"I'm not happy, not really." Tatl chided, crossing her arms as she looked off to the side. This had been a mistake. Yet even at this point, she couldn't keep her mouth shut. The fairy was so used to always speaking her mind, after all. "She abandoned you. Is she really worth the trouble?" From the way it seemed to her, Navi didn't even want to be found…
"You don't get it." Link closed his eyes again and took a few deep breaths to try and keep the cracks in his mask from opening up, but it was becoming harder. Really, he should have stopped there, but he couldn't help but keep going. "I need her. Guardian Fairies are more than just a friend." And he knew that Navi would never truly be his Guardian Fairy, but he liked to pretend. He liked to think of her that way.
"But why? Was she your only friend? Don't you have anyone else?" Tatl found it hard to believe that Link could form other friendships. The idea of him making small-talk, playing with others, being social...it was an unusual and alien train of thought that Tatl just couldn't picture. He didn't seem to have interest in any kind of activities that children normally enjoyed. Sometimes it seemed as if he was something else pretending to be a kid. And even then, she wanted to be his friend, so she supposed it was possible…
"I do, I just…" His voice faded and his eyes opened up once more. Link unclenched his fists and looked down at his hands, trying, and failing, to keep his breathing normal. Over and over, he kept taking deep breaths, but it never felt like he was getting enough air! Link felt dizzy, like the world was spiraling about wildly and felt as if he'd throw up. He could feel his mask cracking more and more, and he realized he had reached his breaking point!
Tatl dropped all facades and let her true emotions show. She flew over to Link, worry etched on her tiny face. "Hey! Link, you can stop! I'm sorry I pried, okay? We can stop now! It's okay! You don't have to talk about this anymore!" Link's skin had gone pale and she was sincerely afraid he was about to have some kind of panic attack. This wasn't what she wanted! She never wanted him to get like this!
Link heard Tatl's words, but they didn't quite register in his head, like they got lost on the way to his brain once they entered his ears. For once, he wanted to spill everything, to finally admit to Tatl to something he'd never told another soul. Not even Saria. "I need her." He whispered, so quietly that Tatl almost didn't hear him. "I need her. Without her I…" Link continued to gaze at his hands and flexed his fingers over and over. "I'm not whole."
He wasn't going to stop, was he? Tatl accidentally removed some kind of block in Link's mind, and now all his thoughts would flood out like a broken dam. "I don't understand. What do you mean?"
"I need her to be whole." He repeated bluntly, his hands shaking uncontrollably. Even at this point, he kept up the façade of stoicism, but it was nearing an end and he knew it. But he just couldn't stop! "If I don't have her, I'm incomplete. I have a piece missing, and it feels so disgusting. I don't feel right." He slapped at his legs a few times through the sheets, as if trying to confirm that they were indeed there and not some sort of illusion. "The missing piece felt like it was growing and growing over the last two years, so I knew I had to look for her. If the hole gets bigger, it will just swallow me. I won't exist anymore…" It was surreal to admit that out loud to someone. He never thought he'd admit something like that to Tatl before anyone else, but his mouth practically had a mind of its own at this point.
Tatl was absolutely stupefied. How does one respond to something like that? This was out of her depth; she didn't know what to do! They were in too deep for her to just try and drop the subject or something. It was too much! With all the carefulness of walking around broken glass, Tatl spoke up. "I don't understand, Link. I don't think-"
"Am I crazy?" Link asked, cutting the fairy off. His eyes were wide and dim, yet they were reaching out to her in a way she couldn't explain. "Am I mad? I think I might be but I don't know. I just can't…" He trailed off, but his body language was practically shouting out what he wanted to say.
Help me.
But Tatl didn't know how to help. In a way, this was more terrifying than anything she had faced alongside Link on their adventure. Any time they faced danger, there was a way for her to handle it, usually simply flying out of reach. But here…she had no idea what to do. She didn't know how to handle this! Tatl was more of a tough love sort of fairy. When Tael was upset, she would tell him to buck up and shake off what was bothering him. For her foolish brother, it worked. For Link…she had a feeling if she dared to say anything like that to him, he may hate her forever. "I don't…I can't help you, Link." She admitted, feeling like the worst person in the world for doing so. For once, Link was dependent on her, looking to an older, wiser person for aid. Looking like…well, a child. For the first time, Tatl thought of the boy as a helpless kid, and she couldn't do a thing to help him.
And so, Link's mask shattered.
"Tatl…" Was all he could choke out before things went downhill. It started off quietly. Link stared at Tatl as his eyes began to water, his vision growing increasingly blurred. Then, the tears began to cascade down his face in a steady, endless stream. Soon, a whine escaped from the child's throat and, without warning, he started to sob. It was quiet, near silent at first. The only sign of the crying was the constant shaking of his shoulders as the pain filled his body. He sniffled and choked on his own words as he tried to speak further, but all that came out were pained whimperings and gasps that contorted his face into a mask of absolute misery.
"Link! Link, please, calm down. I…It will be okay! I promise!" Tatl desperately cried out, not knowing exactly what to do! For the first time, she saw Link show emotion and it was so horrible! For weeks upon weeks, she wanted him to show something! A smile, a glare, laughter, anything! But watching Link choke on his own words as he sobbed was enough to break her heart. That confession about his incomplete nature terrified her, and now she was at a complete loss…
Gentle comforting was something mostly alien to her. What could she say? Should she get someone? Anju? No, that was the wrong answer. She knew that much. The fairy watched helplessly as Link's sobs grew louder and he lowered his head so she couldn't see his face anymore. In a last-ditch effort to soothe Link, if only a little, she flew to his face and hugged at his cheek. She felt a bit silly for doing so, she'd be surprised if Link even felt it. The poor fairy was just too small to really bring physical comfort to a human. Still, she tried her best, even caressing his face as best as she could. Mimicking mothers she had seen comforting their crying children, she gently shushed at Link to try and get him to calm down. She had no idea what else to do…
Indeed, Link didn't even realize Tatl was latched onto his face. He was too wrapped up in his misery to notice. He felt so stupid, so weak for letting his emotions come out like this, but now that the waterworks had started, he couldn't stop himself. He felt like a weak child that couldn't keep his feelings in check and he despised himself for it. He hated how he couldn't even feel happiness anymore. It was either sadness or anger, even since Navi left. She took his ability to feel joy when she flew out of the Temple of Time and the only way to get it back was to find her. He was better off not feeling at all until he found his Guardian Fairy. Until then, he had to hide the rest away. "Navi…" He sputtered out without even meaning to. Was it okay for him to want to feel happiness? Did he deserve it? After all, Navi took those feelings from him.
Maybe she had a good reason.
"It's okay, it's okay…" Tatl kept repeating, really unsure of what to do otherwise. This was all her fault, and she had no idea how to fix it. She realized that Link had to be a miserable child, but seeing him just let it all out like this made her pity him…
Unable to stop crying, Link felt the self-disgust and shame wash over him constantly as Tatl tried to comfort him. Without even thinking, he kept talking. "I'm sorry…I'm sorry I'm bad…" He sputtered out, repeating a phrase he hadn't uttered in four years without even realizing it as he wiped away the continuous tears.
Tatl shook her head, her heart almost breaking at the childish sentence. She had to keep reminding herself that Link was a child underneath all his battle prowess and maturity. "You're not bad…You're not bad…" She murmured, not even understanding what he meant by it.
"I'm sorry! Please! Please…" Link sobbed, not even forming actual phrases. He just kept saying things like that, letting out his misery for the first time in what felt like years. Bottling things up was hard enough, but it was a nightmare in Termina, so he was crying harder than he had since Navi left him…
The two sat there for an uncertain amount of time, Tatl trying to soothe her companion as best as she could. The minutes passed at sluggish intervals as the rain outside continued to slap at the window. Link's sobbing eventually started to quiet down, and he raised his head up once more. Tatl detached from his face and flew in front of it. "There…Are you better now? I'm right here, you don't have to cry anymore." Was that the right thing to say? Once more, she was mimicking things she heard from elsewhere. It was almost embarrassing for her to be so sweet, but for Link, she was willing to put up with that.
Link looked at her with a dazed, glassy expression. His eyes now puffy and red and his face was stained with tear marks. "For how long?" He whispered to her, once more so quietly that Tatl barely even registered that he even said anything.
"What? What did you say?" It was hardly the reaction she had expected…
"How long?" Link asked again, but louder. He sounded drained. Tired. His face was still pale, and his breathing was somewhat erratic. "How long will you stay with me?" At that moment, he was terrified. It was his fear that if he showed his emotions to someone, they'd leave him. On top of that, as different as they were, he couldn't help but compare Navi and Tatl to each other. Navi left him after their quest ended, so…would Tatl do the same? He wasn't sure if he could call her his friend yet, but the idea of her abandoning him made him want to cry all over again…
What? What kind of question was that?! Did Link think she would just leave without a word like Navi? Tatl was about to get upset, but then it struck her like a slap to the face. That's exactly what he thought would happen, wasn't it? He got another Guardian Fairy, or at least someone filling a similar role, and he just assumed he'd get abandoned again. Truthfully, she had actually put very little thought into what would happen when the Moon was stopped, and Majora's Mask safely returned to the Salesman. That being said, just ditching Link without so much as a good-bye was not something that she had planned for. "I'll stay with you as long as you need me." That seemed to be the safe answer to give. After all, they couldn't stick with each other forever. They were literally from two different worlds. She just couldn't bring herself to tell that to him. Not now.
Link gave Tatl a look of sad disbelief. Why should he trust her? He wanted to, of course, but he never thought Navi would abandon him either. Yet she was in parts unknown and he was trapped in what seemed like some sort of world crafted entirely to torture him. Having to constantly see familiar faces no matter where he went, exact copies of friends and people he had helped in Hyrule. He could only be thankful there was no copy of Saria or Navi anywhere. He'd never be able to handle that. Link could barely tolerate Romani and Cremia while Lulu nearly gave him a panic attack! "What will happen when everything is over? Will you come to Hyrule?"
"I…I don't know. The Skull Kid was from there, and the three of us went back and forth a bunch of times. I have no idea where that steel door in the Clock Tower came from." Tatl had wondered about that just about every day since the adventure started. What if it never opened? What if Link was trapped in Termina? "There's no reason we can't still be friends, even if we can't see each other every day. We can visit!" Tatl wondered how the old her would have reacted to this scenario. Tatl was still Tatl deep inside, but…she hated to admit it, but she felt herself going soft. Strange how this one kid could do that. The old her probably would have barfed at this sappy display.
The broken child stared at Tatl for an unnervingly long time, the fairy feeling as though he was trying to peer into her soul for the truth. Eventually, he spoke just two words. "Promise me." He wasn't sure he could bear it if history repeated itself. If Tatl did what Navi had done.
"If it will make you feel better…then fine, I promise you. Okay?" Tatl meant it sincerely but felt Link had calmed down enough for her usual snark to come back a bit. He did seem to be getting better since he stopped crying. His face was starting to regain color, and his breathing started to even out. He wiped away the remaining wetness from his face and, to her dismay, back on the mask of stoicism Tatl was familiar with. She wished she knew why he did that at all, but she had pried into his life enough for one day. "There, it's all better now. Right?"
Link gave a small nod, even though he didn't really mean it. He still felt miserable, and even more guilty for how he kept Tatl at a distance despite her openly hating it. "Tatl…I'm sorry I keep you at a distance." He found it hard to look at the fairy, opting to look down at his sheets instead. "I was just afraid of…" Getting attached, was what he wanted to say, but couldn't bring himself to.
"It's fine. I understand why you were like that." It was easy to figure out. If the two became friends and she left him like he clearly feared, it'd just make things worse. "Besides, I wasn't exactly nice to you at first either." She thought back to the times she accused Link of being some kind of friendless, freaky loner, and inwardly winced. "So, I'm sorry too, but don't tell anyone I apologized, alright? Especially not Tael!"
Nodding, Link managed to look back towards the fairy again. "I promise." He said, his voice now completely monotone again, as if nothing had ever happened. The boy underestimated Tatl's capacity for kindness. She shattered his mask, sure, but she then went and helped pick up the pieces. Hopefully he could contain himself until the quest was finished.
The boy still felt a deep sense of humiliation after letting out his emotions in such a way. It had been months before entering Termina that he had cried last and he had hoped it wouldn't happen again, especially in front of someone else. He also hoped that maybe since he let out so much of his anguish, it'd help keep his mask better intact for a good long while, maybe even for the rest of the quest. After all, there was less to bottle in. Link would hopefully be fine as long as Tatl didn't somehow find out someone else from his past and he just had to luck out and not mutter anyone else's name in his sleep…
After that, things went a bit quiet. The two weren't sure how to proceed from there, so they tried to put what just happened behind them. They went to get some food from one of the town's restaurants and spent the rest of their day in the Knife Chamber in relative silence. The air had been cleared, yes, but it was a bit hard to go from an emotional ordeal to their usual conversation, as little as there tended to be.
So, they didn't say much, and this lasted until the dawn of the next day. Tatl watched as Link got his gear ready and eyed the Ocarina of Time. "You sure you don't need more rest?" She asked, hovering by her friend's shoulder. Neither of them had verbally agreed to it, but after what happened yesterday, it was all but impossible for the two not to consider each other friends. Especially with the promise that Link had Tatl make…
Link had nearly forgotten his lie that he was sick by this point, quickly remembering it thanks to Tatl. "I don't want to stop things longer than I have to. We need to keep moving forward." As much as he hated the idea of confronting Romani, Cremia, and Lulu again, it wasn't like he had a choice. He especially hoped to cleanse the Great Bay in the next Cycle given he had to fetch Epona each time he went there, and that meant always having to at least deal with Romani. Maybe this next time, he could just take Epona and go if Romani went to fetch her sister again. Well, he had to rush, of course. The sooner they got to the beach the sooner he could get to Mikau and rescue him. Hopefully getting there sooner would allow him to save the Zora's life! Link hadn't even looked at the Zora Mask since this Cycle began, shuddering with just the thought of it being in his bag.
Knowing that a soul in mask form belonging to a person he failed to save was in his bag made Link feel sick to his stomach. It was far easier with the Deku, who he never got to meet, and Darmani since he had died before Link even entered Termina. But he was determined to save Mikau the next Cycle…but he also realized that even if he did, the poor Zora would die each and every time he didn't go to the Great Bay for whatever reason.
In any case as Tatl gave a nod of confirmation. Despite his embarrassment of breaking down in front of her, he actually felt like a bit of a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders when it was done. Letting out all that raw emotion was almost liberating in a way. Yet just a day later, he felt the weight of misery pressing down on him again, a bought of depression that had struck him hard since he cleansed the mountains. He had no time to wait for it to pass, or rather he had all the time in the world, but couldn't stomach making those that needed hm wait any longer.
Not just in Termina either. Though she didn't need him, Link needed to find Navi, and he couldn't continue his search until the Moon was stopped once and for all. He had to at least check in on Zelda first, having no clue how much time had passed since he entered Termina, and he once more pondered if this time travel somehow affected Hyrule was well. Had it only been three days since he fell into that massive, mysterious tree? Or had weeks upon weeks passed since then, with all of Link's friends wondering just where he disappeared to?
Trying to wave those thoughts away for the time being, Link prepared himself for the confrontations he was about to have to face in the next Cycle. Ready as he'd ever be, he raised the Ocarina to his lips once more and played that beautiful song that made time turn back once more.
A/N: And thing go back full circle, getting back to where my writing for Zelda began nearly four whole years ago. Didn't think what was just a oneshot I made out of a desire to make some angst would keep going for so long. And while I'm barely a blip on the radar a far as Zelda fanfics go, even if just Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask are counted, I'm glad I managed to at least get the amount of popularity that I have. It's a shame this story is far less noticed than the last, especially with direct reviews, but it's nice to get any at all. A big thanks to anyone that's read this far, and especially anyone reading this that was there since the start of my mediocre writing four years ago.
As for this chapter itself, I guess one thing I should point out that I don't think I ever did was Tatl's age. The way I have it, fairies in Zelda can live to be thousands of years old, Guardian Fairies sort of tying their life force to their Kokiri companions so one never outlives the other. But just because a fairy is really old by human standards doesn't mean she's super mature. Navi, though, was mature even by fairy standards and was probably "only" a hundred years or so from dying when she met Link, though she still retained a youthful look rather than being some old granny. That being said, I did deliberately keep her appearance rather vague along with any other fairy in the story so the reader can imagine what they look like under all that light.
Tatl on the other hand is "only" about a century old, but is only roughly 18-20 in terms of human maturity. Keep that in mind given how much she has to and will have to deal with Link's mental state. And even though I doubt anyone cares, Tael is roughly fifteen or sixteen in terms of human maturity in this story.