In a nasty twist of fate, Link couldn't get to the Great Bay again without going back to Romani Ranch first. Once he and Tatl arrived back on the First Day, he quickly got to work achieving just that. After stocking up on arrows, he bought a Powder Keg, blew up the boulder blocking the ranch, and had Romani open the door to Epona's cage yet again. Even though it was Cremia who gave him that horrible mask, he still felt it difficult to look Romani in the face. At the very least, he got in and out of there before she was able to bring Them up. Wouldn't stop her from becoming broken, but at least she didn't vocally remind him.
Like that actually made anything better…
Once he hopped the fence to the Great Bay area, he got Epona to leap back over and head back to the ranch. All of this happened in silence between the boy and his fairy companion, neither feeling the need to speak up much as the process went on.
As was usually the case, it was Tatl that broke the silence as the two made their way towards the shore. "I hope you're really ready for this. I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to train in that dojo another time or two." Just the thought of him going through that horrid fortress again made her chest tighten in worry. He hadn't gotten into a real swordfight since he lost his eye, and she was worried he wasn't properly prepared yet.
"I'm as ready as I'll ever be. I can't keep avoiding this place." Link insisted, in that usual flat tone of his. Even if all his work was going to be undone with the Song of Time, he needed to free the Giant in the West, hoping that somehow it may have information that can help him. There was that sliver of hope that he could do something to stop the Giants from becoming entrapped again as time flew backwards…
When the ocean came into view, Link felt his heart start to beat quickly. It felt a lot longer than it really had been since he saw the expanse of blue, and it was no more comforting than when he last saw it. He couldn't stop himself from imagining huge behemoths in the deep that could swallow him in a single gulp. If Lord Jabu-Jabu was big enough for his lake, he could only imagine the size of the beasts lurking beneath the waves. Again, he recalled how Saria told him that larger bodies of water held larger fish. The ocean was so massive, he couldn't even see the other side of it! There had to be creatures in it the size of Clock Town itself!
Link almost flinched as he reached the shore and the reaching waves crashed gently against his boots. He still had the mental image of the ocean trying to grab him and pull him under the water, never to be seen again. The soft surface of the water was just a façade, he felt that in his bones. Beneath that calmness was a disgusting world full of things he couldn't imagine. He remembered seeing unnerving fish in the books of Hyrule Castle, and he had to assume those horrid things lurked in the ocean!
Tatl sighed, breaking Link out of his thoughts. "I just remembered, I'm gonna have to go into that bottle again!" She was entirely unaware of Link's fear of the ocean, the fairy honestly forgot Link could even feel fear, sometimes. He certainly barely ever showed it, that was for sure. "Just try to make that part of the trip quick, okay? I don't want to be in that cramped space any longer than I have to…"
"Sorry. If you want, you can fly over the wall if you want to. You know where I'll come up." Link pointed out. He by no means wanted to be under the water all alone, even Tatl flying near the surface was enough for him to be at least a bit secure. However, he'd deal with it if it meant Tatl didn't have to be stuffed in a bottle, he couldn't imagine how uncomfortable that was for her…
The fairy rubbed the back of her neck, a sense of unease flowing through her. "Mmm…I mean…it's fine. They might notice me flying down to you or something." In reality, she just didn't want to be apart from Link. The two were almost constantly with each other through this entire journey, so the idea of them being separated, especially somewhere dangerous, made her feel anxious. Even if it was just for a minute, she hated the idea…
Link didn't catch onto this at all, of course. "I guess that's a good point. If you're really sure, we can still do it with the bottle, then."
"I'm sure. Last thing we need is for any of those guards to catch onto us early." Tatl added on, wondering how Link was going to handle dealing with any Gerudo that confronted them. She wouldn't blame him at all for being nervous about fighting one…
"You're right. Let's get this over with." Link wasn't even going to try and pretend how much he hated having to go back to the fortress. Putting on the Zora mask, he once more felt his limbs stretch and his skin harden into scales as fins pierced out of his elbows. Notably, his right eye was still missing in this form, but he had no reason to think that wouldn't be the case. Taking a deep breath, that wasn't even needed, he entered the warm, salty water.
Tatl followed along the ocean's surface like before, barely able to see Link despite how close he was. Link, meanwhile, was able to see relatively clearly with his Zora eye. Yet they only went so far, and he kept thinking he saw large, alien shapes shifting just beyond the veil when things got too blurry. Yet as he swam towards the Pirate's Fortress, nothing impeded his progress, but it didn't stop his anxiety from coursing through him.
When they reached the large wall that hid the fortress, Link surfaced and got a bottle ready for Tatl. "Remember, just hurry to the other side, okay?" The fairy reminded him, holding her breath as she entered the bottle and it was corked back up.
Link made sure the container was sealed up tight by holding it underwater for a few seconds, seeing that the inside remained dry. With that, he fully dove down, entering the secret entrance to the fortress. Before long, the two once more surfaced on the other side, the false Zora quickly letting Tatl out of the bottle. "You okay?" He whispered, eyeing the Gerudo patrolling on their boats. Just seeing one of them made him feel sick, and his right eye socket throbbed, nearly making him wince.
He pressed his back against the wall, wanting to make himself as hidden and as small as possible. Closing his one remaining eye, he took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself as a panic knotted itself over in his gut. Was he really going to be able to do this? He felt like he was about to die! Why did this have to happen to him? Hadn't he been punished enough?!
Tatl watched the display, frowning as she flew over to Link. "Forget about me. Are you okay?" She quietly asked, knowing this couldn't be easy for him. "Look, if you need another few Cycles to rest…" The fairy couldn't imagine going back to a place where something as horrid as losing an eye happened to her. She had the feeling that the horrid moment was replaying over and over in Link's head.
As it happened, Tatl was correct. In his mind's eye, Link saw the Gerudo's sword approaching his eye. He felt the blood and eyeball fluid running down his face as his own screams echoed in his skull. Despite the warmth of the ocean water, the child suddenly felt icy cold, his body quivering beneath the surface. "…I'm fine. I'm fine. I can do this." Link replied, trying to convince himself more than Tatl. "I can't keep pushing this off."
The fairy knew Link was just putting on a brave face, but she realized this was never going to be easy for him. Sooner or later, he'd have to confront what happened to him, and she could only hope the same Gerudo they encountered didn't notice them a second time…
After another few deep breaths, Link made his way to the ramp like before, Tatl flying along with him, close to the water so the guards couldn't see. As he returned to human form, Link went through the same motions and found himself hiding in the same places as before as he dodged around the guards. Like before, Tatl helped him, peeking out from behind cover to whisper instructions to him.
As it happened, a lot of this started to become a blur for Link. It was to the point he didn't want to think about anything. Every time he looked at one of the Gerudo, he felt his right eye throb and his stomach churn into knots. Soon enough, Link's body more or less started moving on its own, only vaguely aware of when Tatl told him to move or when to stay hidden for a few moments longer. Thankfully, this worked out for the pair, as they didn't get spotted by any of the guards.
Unfortunately, though, Link's awareness came back to him when he found himself in the room where he lost his eye. They had gone right past the room where Buliara and Kohmi had their meeting the last time the two were there. Without Link even realizing, he and Tatl were in the room with the first Zora Egg! The boy and fairy felt their blood run cold as a woman's voice called out to them.
"Well, well! Never thought I'd see an intruder like you in here!" The voice said, very clearly amused. Link and Tatl turned to see Aveil standing before them, having once more gotten into the room without them noticing. Her swords were already at the ready, and her eyes lingered on Link's eyepatch, but only for a brief moment. "I take it you're here for our treasure. You're a bit too young for the more crass reasons…"
Link wouldn't have known what that even meant if he was focusing on her words. Everything she said after he gazed upon Aveil was muffled as he heard his own screams echo in his mind. Once more, he felt blood and the fluid from his eye running down his face, the memory of searing pain shooting through his skull!
His body was frozen, unable to even reach for his sword and shield. One thing he did notice was that Aveil looked at his eyepatch, but she seemed unbothered by it. If there was one person in all of Termina he wished would take pity on him for his injury, it was her. Given the cold look she was giving him, he couldn't imagine that happening. He was lucky she spared him the first time, he couldn't imagine it'd happen again.
Tatl, on the other hand, felt it was at least worth a shot to try and get more mercy from the Gerudo. "Hey, come on, he's just a kid! Don't you think those swords are a bit much?!" She very nearly pointed out his missing eye, but it wasn't like Aveil needed that mentioned to her. A part of her was enraged when she looked at Aveil. Yes, the Gerudo had no recollection of their last meeting, but she was still the one that stole Link's eye from him! Oh, what the fairy wouldn't give to see Aveil get a taste of her own medicine…
"So? He broke into our fortress, and I can see he's armed. If he didn't want a fight, he should've stayed away." Aveil said with a scoff. "Now, are you going to come quietly to the jail cell, or do I have to get a bit rough?"
A part of Link was tempted to just turn back the clock and avoid this. That was something that was difficult for this new journey he was on. In Hyrule, when faced with something difficult, he had no option but to move forward and deal with it, especially when deep in enemy territory. This time, however, he had the choice to simply play a song and travel back to safety. Yes, it made getting to a spot away from danger easy, but it also gave him the temptation to flee like a coward. At this moment, Link felt every nerve in his body ache for him to just reach for the Ocarina of Time and avoid facing Aveil…
"I have to get the Zora Eggs. They're causing a lot of pain to Lulu. Doesn't that matter to you?" Link asked, not able to comprehend how some people can go about life so cruelly. He always felt a heavy guilt when he made someone upset, so the idea other people could do that and not only be apathetic but outright revel in it just didn't make sense to him.
"Lulu? That band singer, right?" The Gerudo asked with a small roll of the eyes. "I couldn't care less what she's going through as long as we get our treasure. I take it this means you won't be giving up…?"
Link slowly shook his head, taking out his sword and readying his shield. He could only hope that Aveil didn't notice how much he was trembling. The boy found it hard to sturdy himself, especially as the Gerudo gave him a cold look, clearly not amused at his decision to fight. "I need the eggs. I can't leave without them." He insisted, too scared to make the first move.
"Cocky brat…" Aveil hissed, making the first move since Link wasn't going to. She charged the boy, no hesitation in her stride or in the way she raised her swords. With a cry, she began swinging harshly at Link, the smaller fighter using his shield to block the blows, the two of them slowly moving so that Link had to keep taking steps back.
The boy knew he had to fight back, but he found himself only able to defend, too scared to attack back and open himself up for damage. Over and over, he felt the sharp pain of losing an eye shoot through his entire body. The sensation of blood running down his face wouldn't go away. His own screams kept ringing in his ears and he just wanted it to stop!
"Hey! Hold on, Link!" Tatl yelled, deciding she couldn't just sit by and watch this unfold. Unlike last time, she was going to help him fight! With a cry, she dashed right at Aveil's face, ramming into her right eye! The pirate let out a curse and flinched back, swatting at Tatl, but the fairy was far too quick to be hit by a person like that. She weaved between Aveil's assault, and got her eye again, giving it a good kick! "Link, come on, while she's distracted!"
As wide open as Aveil was, Link couldn't bring himself to actually attack her. He knew he had to defeat her, but he felt a deep fear in his gut, and he instead circled around Aveil and put some distance between himself and his opponent.
The Gerudo snarled, whirling around to sneer at Link, ignoring Tatl. "What's wrong?! Can't even attack me?!" She hissed, sprinting at the boy, arms rearing back for a nasty swing!
Link raised his shield, managing to block the incoming attack, but the blow managed to knock the shield away from him, leaving him open to attack. In the blink of an eye, Aveil attacked again, slashing at the boy's face! He reeled back, managing to avoid the worst of the attack, but he wasn't fast enough. The tip of the blade ran across Link's cheek, the boy managing to pull himself just enough to avoid a nasty, permanent scar. Instead, he merely received a cut along his face, blood running down his cheek and his chin.
Tatl felt her insides churn at the injury, her blood going cold until she realized it wasn't anything severe. "Link, keep going, you can do this!" She yelled out, wanting to encourage him, all but certain he'd begin to freak out after getting cut by Aveil.
Staggering back, Link felt his chest tighten as a wave of panic washed over him, warm blood running down his face bringing back that memory once again! Panting, his one eye widened, staring at the Gerudo woman who smirked back at him, seeming patient and allowing Link to reel from the shock of getting sliced before attacking again.
Not again! Not again! Not again!
Link felt his head go fuzzy, his body growing numb save for the pulsing pain coming from his cut cheek. His right eye throbbed in pain, a searing pain shooting through it despite it no longer existing. This agony went from his empty socket down to the tips of his toes, and he wanted to scream but his own voice died on the way up. Not even thinking, he reached into his bag, which alerted the Gerudo and prompted her to prepare another attack.
As it turned out, Link was faster. He pulled out a mask and slapped it over his face, and his body began going through a transformation. In an instant, his height increased drastically, his muscles becoming like steel as his flesh turned into rock. Before anyone could even blink, the Hylian became a Goron, prompting a startled noise from Aveil as she stumbled backward.
Not hesitating for a moment, Link quickly closed the gap between him and his opponent and sent his boulder of a fist at her in a nasty punch! The Gerudo crossed her blades together in an attempt to shield herself, but it didn't do any good. Link's fist collided with one of her arms, and a crack rang out upon impact, the attack followed through and the fist slipping past the arm and hitting Aveil in the stomach. The redheaded warrior's body went soaring across the room due to the blow, slamming against the far wall!
Tatl was stunned at the sudden turn of events, never thinking Link would use his Goron form on another person. If there was anyone that deserved it, the fairy felt, it was Aveil. She stayed hovering in place, unsure if she should interfere in any way. There was no way Link would go any further than this, right? She could understand him freaking out after getting cut, but she knew Link wouldn't just kill a person…
And the fairy was right. Link was already horrified in himself as he saw Aveil's form crumpled against the far wall. She was still conscious, but she was clearly out of the fight, the arm he hit bent at an odd angle as a sickened pain was written across the woman's face. To her credit, the Gerudo gathered the strength to give Link a sharp glare from her lowly position. "Just what are you…?!"
Link didn't say anything at first, approaching Aveil with slow, heavy footsteps. She tensed up, clearly expecting him to finish her off, but her expression was one of a stubborn defiance. He didn't know what to do or what to say, feeling terrified despite his opponent not being able to fight anymore. But as she glared at him, that fear molded itself into a heated anger! "Why did you do this to me?" He asked through gritted teeth, his mask instantly dropping as a seething hatred dripped in his voice.
Aveil scowled, shaking her head in confusion. "What are you talking about?! You broke my arm, I barely even scratched you!"
However, Link didn't accept that answer. Ripping the Goron Mask from his face, he returned to normal, pointing at his eyepatch. "This! Why did you do this?!" In his stressed state, he wasn't even remembering that this version of Aveil never attacked his eye, and the two technically never met.
Indeed, the Gerudo met Link's accusations with an angry confusion. "What are you talking about, you brat?! I didn't do anything to you! We never met!" She hissed, her look of determination fading as her injury started to overwhelm her. It seemed she truly couldn't stand up, as she didn't even bother to try.
Link wasn't listening. He tore off the eyepatch, opening his hollowed eye socket, forcing Aveil to look at the muscle underneath. "Look at what you did to me! I didn't do anything to you! Why did you take this from me?!" His entire frame was shaking from how furious he was, the type of anger he hadn't felt since the swamp. Normally, any foe or entity he faced that harmed him was dealt with in some way…but Aveil was right in front of him, only just getting punished for what she did to him.
"What is wrong with you?!" Aveil hissed, starting to look almost afraid. "Get away from me, you freak! Just take the egg and leave!"
"Link! Stop it!" Tatl screamed, getting between Link and Aveil. "This isn't the same Gerudo, not really! Remember that!" The fairy felt so horrible for the kid, not blaming him for his temporary lapse in sanity. Facing someone that took something as precious as an eye…it was bound to mess with his head. "She really didn't do anything to you…" The fairy went on in a gentler voice. The last thing she wanted to do was defend Aveil, but in fairness, this version of the Gerudo truly was innocent, at least in terms of Link's injury.
It was Tatl's voice that snapped Link out of his frenzy, the boy shaking all over, this time from overwhelming stress rather than anger. He just realized, fully, what he just did and the words he had screamed at Aveil. The boy still felt a deep rage towards the Gerudo, but he also knew Tatl was right. This version of Aveil wasn't the one that took his eye away, the one that did that to him was long gone and he'd never see her again. "I'm sorry…I'm sorry…" He kept murmuring, his voice shaking a bit as he spoke, his mask still off entirely. As he repeated the phrase, he slowly put the eyepatch back on, and started to notice that Aveil wasn't moving anymore…
"It's okay! Listen, you didn't do anything wrong!" If anything, Tatl was almost disheartened that Aveil's skull wasn't caved in. But she knew Link wouldn't ever want to kill a person, so she kept that to herself. "We had to get past her one way or another, so it was better this got finished with fast, right?" She then noticed that Link was staring at Aveil, the fairy turning to look as well. "Hey…it's fine. Look, she's still breathing." Indeed, the Gerudo's chest subtly rose and fell, the woman apparently passing out from the pain, despite her stubborn demeanor.
Link stared at Aveil for a few moments before seeing that Tatl was right. The Gerudo was still alive, she just passed out. There was still that nagging temptation for him to play the Song of Time…but he realized this was about the best outcome he could hope for. Aveil was no longer a threat, but he didn't have to kill her. Sighing through his nose, Link quickly put his mask back on, nodding at his companion. "Thank you, Tatl. I'm sorry I got out of hand."
Tatl frowned as Link hid himself away again, but knew that bringing it up wouldn't help anything. "Someone's gotta keep you in check." She said, making sure her joking tone was very evident. "Now come on, you gotta get that egg!" In all that excitement, she almost forgot the tank with the Zora Egg was in this room.
The boy gathered himself, blinking a few times as he tried to get his head back into the present. He took a glance at Aveil, feeling a sense of pity and hatred as he saw her unconscious form, his gut tangling on itself at the sight of her broken arm. Shaking it off, he approached the large tank in the room, getting a bottle ready and donning the Zora Mask, figuring even if the tank was shallow, it'd be easier to deal with as a Zora.
Climbing the ladder on the tank's side, Link hopped into the water and gently grabbed the egg. Yet, as he felt his hand wrap around the delicate object, a tinge of regret coursed through his body, a remnant of the lost soul he wore on his face. Ignoring the sensation as best as he could, he carefully put the egg inside the water-filled bottle, the egg just barely able to fit through the bottleneck. Corking up the container, Link surfaced and left the tank, turning back into a Hylian and putting the bottle in his bag. "That's one. We have to find another three." The boy noted, climbing back down to the floor.
"You only have three bottles, right?" Tatl asked, vaguely remembering Link mentioning that last time. "I bet the Gerudos have at least one somewhere around here you could snag. No time to waste, if anyone comes here and sees the guard you took out, this place will be swarming with pirates!"
Link hadn't even considered that! Looking around the room, he saw there were crates and barrels in the corner. Utilizing the Goron Mask, he gently moved Aveil behind them, both not wanting to stir her awake or make her wounds worse. As he returned to his human form, he felt a bit dirty hiding her unconscious state like that. "Now we just have to hope she doesn't wake up until we leave."
"Good thinking! Now come on, let's keep going!" Tatl urged, floating to the far door. As Link opened it up, the two saw it led to a very familiar room. In fact, it was the room where the pirate leader was having her meeting! There were numerous barrels and crates hiding the boy and fairy from any guards, including a small alcove to the side with even more crates.
Thinking quick, Link silently shut the door behind him and hid behind the crates, Tatl joining him. "I have an idea." He whispered to his companion. "There are still Gerudo in here, right?"
Tatl, as cautiously as she could, peeked into the main room. She saw there were two regular guards along with the leader of the pirates, sitting on a throne and looking over some sort of paper. Something that was out of view from the barred window above was another tank with a Zora Egg inside! Fluttering back to Link, she spoke in a soft whisper. "There's a few. There's also a Zora Egg. Remember that nest? Fire an arrow at it, that'll get them running."
Another tank? That was good! But that still left two more eggs to find. For all he knew, the other tanks for on the far side of the fortress or something. Still, he could get this second one with relative ease. Getting his bow and an arrow ready, he saw that he had a clear shot at that nest from where he was. Taking a slow, quiet breath, he aimed at the nest and let the arrow fly!
Naturally, the projectile hit its mark, striking through the stem of the hive, allowing the main body to fall to the floor. The hive shattered instantly, and the massive bees inside were furious, a droning buzz filling the room. Just as fast, the three Gerudo in the room let out terrified shrieks as Link ducked down behind cover. He heard buzzing, rapid footfalls, and then shrieks and exclamations of pain from the pirates as they fled the attacking insects. After a few moments, both of the doors were opened, slamming against the wall, the Gerudo all having fled the room.
Just to be safe, Tatl peeked out from behind cover. The three women were gone from the room, as were the Giant Bees. She didn't hear any other commotion from the open doors, so the fairy figured the Gerudo were still fleeing.
"Everything safe? I need to get the egg fast." Link whispered, straining his own ears, but not picking up on anything to be concerned about.
"Yeah, you gotta hurry and get that egg. There's also a bunch of boxes, though, maybe you can find another bottle or something else helpful…" Tatl suggested, wondering just what was in all these crates and barrels they've used thus far. Provisions? Spare clothes? Who knew. Probably not much that'd help them.
Wasting no time, Link got a bottle ready, donned the Zora Mask, and entered the tank, getting the second egg secured in the small container. He once more found himself appalled at the actions of these pirates, willing to kidnap someone's unhatched young. Somehow this was meant to get them to the Great Bay Temple, but he didn't really get how that was going to work. Maybe once he gathered all the eggs, the method would be clear.
As he got out of the tank and turned back into a human, he glanced around at all the crates and barrels in the room. Again, he strained his ears, but heard nothing that indicated the three women were returning. "I'll take that look around. Might be something we can use." Link said as he put the second bottle in his bag. With Tatl keeping watch at the two doors, the boy began to look in the barrels and crates around the room.
Tatl was right that there was a lot of stuff that wasn't any help to the pair. Spare clothes, preserved revisions, papers covered in writing that Link was unable to read. Nothing that he'd ever need. He kept looking, though, and before long he opened a chest and saw a peculiar object within. It was orange and metal, equipped with a handle with a cylindrical body and a hook at the opposite end. Something about it was very familiar to Link, but he couldn't quite work out why.
Picking the object up, he looked it over curiously, noting it was light enough even for a kid like him to carry with ease. As he held it, he realized that there was a mechanism on the handle, one that seemed to need to be squeezed to work. Holding the pointed end away from him, Link squeezed the handle, and his eye widened as the sharp part of the device launched out, attached to a chain! It hit the nearby metal wall with a loud clang, making the boy flinch, nervous that such a sound would be overheard…
The sound startled Tatl, who flew back into the room, her gaze zeroing in on the strange device in Link's hand. "What the heck? What is that thing?" She asked as the pointed end of the odd object retracted back into the main portion. "And don't make so much noise, those pirates probably heard that!"
Pretty quickly, Link realized just what the object was. Yes, it looked very strange, but there was no doubt this was another Hookshot! Why it appeared so different from the one he was used to, he didn't understand. Yet, as he held it, he remembered the graveyard of Kakariko Village. He recalled seeing the ghost of Dampé and then he saw the visage of one of those horrid undead monstrosities in his mind's eye, the gnashing of its teeth, the clay-like mask it wore…!
Link closed his eye, taking a few deep breaths. He couldn't panic. Not here. Not in front of Tatl. Yet he felt his blood going cold, he remembered the rotting teeth sinking into his flesh! His hands ached from how hard he was holding the device in his hands, this pain bringing him back to reality. Glancing up at Tatl, he shook his head. "I don't know." Even the idea of saying what it was truly called made him feel uneasy. "Let me try something with it." Feigning ignorance, he pointed the Hookshot at a wooden crate and fired. As he expected, the hook dug into the wood and pulled him towards it!
Tatl let out a small exclamation of surprise, but was also impressed with what she saw. "Oh, wow! I've never seen something like that! I'm sure there'd be some use for it…you should pocket it!"
Getting the hook out of the crate, Link nodded and put the Hookshot in his bag. "I still need to find a bottle, though. Keep a lookout for a bit more." He requested, digging into a nearby crate as Tatl went back to keeping watch. Thankfully, though he had to scrounge around in it a bit, that very crate held a bottle! Putting it in his bag, the boy and fairy went on into the next room, which was a cold, metal hallway.
It was a true mystery where the three Gerudo women ran off to, as there was no sign of them as the two traversed the corridor. Did the Giant Bees really chase them that far away? The two had to hope none of the three returned to the throne room any time soon, as they might notice the missing Zora Egg or the one from the room the two fought Aveil in. It seemed whichever pirate left the throne room in that direction was too preoccupied with the bees to notice the empty tank…
There were no other guards in their way, and nothing else of note until they reached a door, small bars on it streaming in sunlight. Tatl told Link to stay still and quiet as she flew to the door and peeked outside and fluttered back. "There's this big courtyard area. Lots of guards, but there's stuff to hide behind. Lots of doors to other places in the fortress, so I dunno where to go first to find more eggs…"
"Are they patrolling a path we can get around?" Link asked, wondering how many guards was 'lots' exactly. He wished he had some way of knocking them out quietly, but how he'd do that, he had no idea. While he could potentially fight them all off, it'd come at the risk of seriously hurting someone! "See if you can find any openings we can get through."
That wasn't exactly Tatl's strong suit, but she tried for sure. If all else failed, she could always serve as a distraction. Still, she stared intently at the guards, seeing if there was any sort of pattern they did their patrols in. Of course, it all depended on what room she and Link were going to go to first. Something told her that the tower in the middle of the courtyard, a bridge leading to a door, was a good place to start. It had a guard at the top of the tower, but the fairy didn't see her budge a single time, and she faced away from the ladder! If they were quiet enough…
"Okay, I think I see a way for us to go through. We'll go up the tower and quietly over the bridge into the next area. Okay?" The fairy whispered, getting a nod from Link. "There's a crate by the door, so wait before going out, then hide behind it." Tatl informed, gazing at the guards, waiting for juuust the right moment! "Alright…now!"
Quickly, yet trying to remain quiet, Link darted out the door, closed it, and ducked behind a nearby crate with Tatl following him and landing on his shoulder. He couldn't help himself, closing his eye and remaining deathly still, waiting for a guard to yell out that she saw an intruder…but there was nothing of the sort. Peering out, he got a better look of the outside area.
There were several layers to it, staircases leading up and down the different levels. It almost reminded him of the Gerudo Fortress in Hyrule, how it had numerous layers stacked on top of each other. As Tatl pointed out, there were numerous Gerudo patrolling the area, with a tower in the middle housing a lone guard. Stress built in his gut, as he knew one wrong move meant he had to escape, play the Song of Time, and try again. Facing off against Aveil a second time so soon…the idea made him want to puke!
Pushing the thought into the back of his head, he carefully watched the patrol, keeping an eye out for another opening. There were places to duck behind between his location and the tower, he figured two passes were all he needed to get where he needed. It took a few minutes of observation, the boy and fairy still as statues, both of them barely daring to even breathe. After memorizing the patrol pattern, Link made his move, darting to the nearest crate and curling up behind it with Tatl riding on his shoulder.
Once more, they froze, waiting for the call of a guard…but nothing happened.
The two intruders were too close to the Gerudo at this point for Link to peer out, the closest one getting within mere feet of the crate. Link especially felt too scared to even breathe, worried it'd somehow be heard, and the pirates would all attack him. Tatl peered out, her light dimming as much as possible, keeping watch to see the best time to move. After a bout a minute, all the guards were looking away from the tower ladder and she quietly urged Link to move.
Quickly, yet as quietly as he could, the boy moved to the ladder and climbed it, slowing down significantly as he neared the top. Somehow, it was silently communicated between the boy and fairy for Tatl to keep watch of the guard at the tower's top as Link very carefully began to climb the rest of the way. He glanced up at Tatl, who waved him the rest of the way up as she kept watch. Slowly, he peeked out from the top of the ladder, seeing the guard was still facing in the opposite direction.
As silently as he possibly could, Link reached the ladder's top and got onto the tower's platform. Hoping that his equipment wouldn't make any noise, he stood up and stared at the oblivious guard as he walked backwards to the bridge, Tatl right alongside him. The fairy kept lookout for Link as he turned around and slowly made his way across the bridge, terrified that a guard would look up and notice him. Yet, he was too nervous about making noise to just run across. His heart was pounding in his chest, he thought that any moment someone from below would begin shouting about an intruder, or the Gerudo on the tower would turn around and notice him…
Yet, he reached the other end of the bridge without issue. He and Tatl quickly made for the door, peeking through the bars to see an empty hallway before ducking into the building. Closing the door behind him, Link took a second to catch his breath, he and Tatl exchanging a relieved glance. "I thought she'd look back at us for sure." Tatl whispered, too nervous to speak any louder. "I hope that was the worst of it…"
Link nodded in response, too nervous to even whisper a response. After composing himself, he and Tatl went onward, a turn in the hallway not too far off. Yet, as the two approached it, they heard approaching footsteps! There weren't any crates or barrels to hide behind, and the footsteps sounded too close for the two to reach the door back outside in time! Panicking a bit, Link looked around for a solution, then glanced up and saw a wooden beam going across the ceiling! Without hesitation, he took out the Hookshot and shot it upward, the pointed end latching into the wood and pulling Link upward! Tatl followed him up, and just as this happened, a guard rounded the corner, oblivious to the intruders that she just missed.
The boy kept his body weight up with one arm, holding onto the Hookshot as he watched the Gerudo walk under him and towards the door leading outside. After what felt like several minutes of slow walking, she opened up the door and went off across the bridge. The realization that if the two had been about a minute slower getting this far meant they'd run smack into a guard was unsettling to the pair. Tatl also noticed just how easily Link was holding up his entire body weight. No matter how many feats of strength he displayed, it still astonished her just how strong the boy was. What the heck was he doing back in Hyrule to get that strong…?
Slowly, Link adjusted the Hookshot, the chain carefully lowering him to the floor, and then he retracted the pointed end once he was safely on the ground. He didn't expect the object to be so helpful so fast! They would've gotten caught for sure without it! Worried that guard may return, Link rushed down the hallway she just came from, a non-barred door at the end of it as Tatl followed.
"I'll have to just open it and hope for the best." Link whispered, there not being any keyhole or anything else for Tatl to peer through. With a lump in his throat, the boy grabbed the doorknob and turned it slowly, creaking the door open and looking at what was inside. He instantly felt relief when no guards screamed that there was an intruder, there weren't any Gerudo in the room! Furthermore, there was a tank off in the corner with not one, but two Zora Eggs! With those, the boy and fairy would have everything they needed!
Still acting cautious, Link entered the room quietly, closing the door gently behind him and Tatl. The fairy kept looking around, feeling nervous. "This seems too easy." She murmured, remembering how the last two rooms with tanks had security of some sort. "Hurry getting those two eggs, alright?"
Yet, before Link could take a step forward, a voice called out. A woman's voice. "You were right, little fairy, that would be too easy!" From the ceiling dropped a Gerudo warrior, one that had two swords like Aveil. She was different, though, her eyes colder and with a smirk on her lips. She looked Link over, her gaze lingering on his missing eye for the slightest of moments. "I never thought a young boy would ever get this far, but this is as far as you go. If you surrender, though, I might just let you live!" Despite those words, she took her swords out, seeming more than ready to use them.
Link quickly got his own sword and his shield ready. He was so close! If this Gerudo hadn't arrived, they'd be on their way out of here by now! Despite how cold and horrid this warrior seemed, he had to at least try to talk it out. "I don't want to fight you. I just want the eggs and then I'll leave."
This got a bark of laughter from the woman. "You think I don't know that?! And do you really think I'll just let you waltz out with them?! This is your very last warning to come quietly…" She slammed her swords together, sparks erupting from the impact as she readied herself to pounce.
He knew his words wouldn't help anything, but he'd feel terrible if he didn't at least try. Not wanting to be at a disadvantage, Link made the first move, charging ahead at the Gerudo. This seemed to surprise her for a split second, but she quickly got over it and swung her swords at the boy. With grit teeth, he managed to block the attack in its tracks. Thinking fast, he swung his sword at the Gerudo's side, but quickly turned his hand so the end of his sword's hilt slammed into the woman rather than the blade.
This strong impact knocked the wind out of the Gerudo warrior, allowing Link to use a shield bash, pushing her away and getting her off-balance. Keeping up the momentum, he charged forward and once more slammed the end of his sword's hilt into the Gerudo's side. He figured if he can't cut her, he can use blunt attacks to knock her out!
Snarling, the Gerudo managed to recover, kicking Link square in the chest and off his feet! He landed harshly on his back, and she raised her swords to stab at him, but Tatl wasn't going to take any risks. After what happened with Aveil, she was going to help Link far more than before! With a cry, she flew to the woman's face, kicking her right in the eye, eliciting a shocked yelp of pain from the Gerudo warrior. This caused her to step away from Link and swing wildly at Tatl, but the fairy was far too fast for the woman to hit.
While his opponent was distracted, Link got back on his feet and strafed around the Gerudo, who was still focused on Tatl, especially when the fairy slammed into the warrior's other eye. After an opening presented itself, Link charged at the woman and, once more, readied his sword's hilt. Jumping up in the air, he slammed it into the Gerudo's temple, knocking her right over! In fact, the blow was so damaging, it knocked the bladed warrior out cold!
"Good job, Link! You really got her!" Tatl praised, astonished at how smoothly the fight went. She wondered if the boy had devised strategies since the last time he was here. It really seemed like the kid aimed to get the fight over with as quickly as he possibly could…
A part of him felt guilty, even though he took the Gerudo down as non-lethally as he knew how. At least it wasn't as violent as with Aveil. Wasting no time, he got two bottles ready and climbed the tank's ladder, donning the Zora Mask and collecting the final two Zora Eggs of the fortress. As he got out and returned to normal, he placed the bottles in his bag.
"Do you think we should go back the same route we came in?" Link asked, figuring that surely by then the three Gerudo that he dropped the hive on had returned to the throne room. Though if that were the case, they'd surely have noticed the missing Zora Egg.
"That's probably best. No telling how big this place is, we could get pretty lost otherwise…" Tatl said, thinking the same way Link was. Going back was the best way in terms of speed, but who could say if those three Gerudo had returned to that throne room yet. Link could handle a Gerudo warrior, but having the entire fortress after him at once…she wasn't sure how well he'd do.
Not wanting to waste any more time, the two swiftly left the room back the way they came. In the hallway, they paused at the corner, listening for footsteps or the sound of the far door opening. When neither happened, they rushed down the rest of the way, Tatl peeking out the bars to the door outside and confirming no one was coming their way. Again, Link had to cross the bridge, having to go quietly, yet wanting to go fast in case any guards looked up and saw him. Thankfully, none of them did, and he made it back to the tower just fine with Tatl close by him.
However, that was where his luck ran out.
Maybe Link stepped on a part of the tower that creaked, and he didn't notice. Maybe he was breathing too loud. Maybe the Gerudo just felt she was being watched. Either way, she suddenly turned around, eyes locking onto Link. The two humans froze in place, as Tatl hovered by Link's head. It felt like the world came to a stop, and the young boy wasn't sure what to do. Not sure what he could possibly say, he just slowly shook his head, realizing it was a futile attempt to defuse the situation, but he had no idea what else to do.
Of course, it did nothing to help. In a fluid motion, the Gerudo readied her spear and thrust it forward, Link barely able to duck in time. "Intruder!" The woman screamed. "Intruder in the fortress!"
By the time she managed to yell that out, Link was already halfway down the ladder. At the same time, the guards that were patrolling the area looked to see what the commotion was about, spotting Link reaching the ladder's bottom. They didn't seem to be bothered by the fact the intruder was a child, they charged him all the same, weapons pointed right at him!
Link got his sword and shield at the ready, solely to defend himself. No way was he about to try and fight all these Gerudo off! While he could turn into a Goron and roll his way through, he was too worried about crushing someone to death to actually try it. He sprinted to the door leading to the throne room, Tatl panicking as she flew above his head. One of the guards thrust her spear at Link as she grew near but was knocked off-balance as he parried the blow with his shield.
The guards kept demanding Link give himself up, some hurling curses at the child, but Link just kept running towards the door. However, more guards came from that direction, and he found himself surrounded on all sides! Stopping in hi tracks, he kept looking around at each Gerudo, waiting for one of them to attack.
"Drop the weapon now! Just give up!" One of the guards yelled, aiming her spear at Link's chest. "Do it and we might spare you!"
The boy wasn't sure what to do, still too afraid to go into his Goron form. He kept remembering how he snapped Aveil's arm and nearly killed her! Slowly, he did as she asked, putting his sword in its sheath and shield on his back. This seemed to put the guards slightly at ease, but they didn't lower their weapons. Before they could possibly attack, and thinking quick, Link whipped out the Hookshot, aiming it between two of the guards and at a wooden crate by the door.
"Hey! That's-!" Another guard exclaimed, but was cut off as Link fired the Hookshot, the pointed end digging into the crate. Link was pulled off towards the wooden object, knocking two of the guards away as he felt by, getting a startled yell from all the women. Tatl, meanwhile, was elated, laughing heartily as she flew after Link. Getting a bit of a head start, the boy quickly put the Hookshot away and got his sword and shield back out as he sprinted for the door, the guards trying to catch up with him.
After that was somewhat of a blur to Link. He made his way towards the fortress entrance, pursued by angry, screaming guards. Thankfully, he didn't have to fight any of them, the closest thing to that was one managing to get in his path in a hallway, prompting Link to slam his shield into her so she hit the nearby wall and was stunned. There were times when guards got near enough to attack, but he was always able to dodge or parry these blows.
As the boy and fairy were mere moments from the large area with the boats, Tatl flew to Link's ear and spoke so only he could hear her. "Link, just swim off to that scientist guy, okay? I'll meet you there!"
Link realized her idea, the two not stopping their retreat until they were far, far away from the pirates. "I got it." He confirmed, putting his sword and shield away as he took the Zora Mask out of his bag. As the two reached the outside, they were right by a railing that led down into the water. The Gerudo on the boats were already aware of the intruder, bows and arrows aimed at the child.
Tatl flew up towards the wall, too fast and too small to ever be in danger from the Gerudo. Link, meanwhile, dove right into the water as a volley of arrows whizzed by him. Rather than put the mask on right away, he dove down deeper into the water. Despite this technically being part of the ocean, it was closed off from the rest and thus didn't fully register as such to Link. As for him not putting on the mask, he already realized he couldn't let the Gerudo see a Zora leave the fortress, even if they saw him turn into one. After all, if they hadn't already, they'd soon realize the eggs were missing, and if they saw a Zoro swim away, they'd go after the rest of the Zoras in retaliation for sure!
Deeper and deeper he went, his chest starting to burn a bit, and his eyes stinging from the salt. Yet he kept going down, the blurry water acting as his salvation. When he was so deep that he couldn't handle it anymore, Link put the Zora Mask on and quickly changed. The pain in his chest leaving and his eyesight better, he swam towards the underwater exit and soon found himself in open ocean once more…
A/N: Progress in the Great Bay at long last. Four eggs down, just three to go. Oh, but how troubling those three will be. I decided to skim certain parts of this fortress trip, one reason being that Link already visited, so there wasn't much new to say at first. For the fights, there's only so much I can do with Link fighting humans he's unwilling to actually cut, so not much to go with there. And the exit was just a long chase scene, so I made it rather short. Not much else I feel the need to say, there'll be a small bit of downtime before the last of the eggs will be gathered, but I don't know if it will last a full chapter or not. I feel what will happen is important to include, though, so I don't want to skip over it.