Link didn't even think as he swam out of the waters of the Gerudo's Fortress and into the open ocean. He was just focusing on moving towards the marine scientist, moving closer to the water's surface so Tatl could follow him. Indeed, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the familiar yellow orb of light following him as he darted forward. Like before, he was paranoid that something would swim out of the murky waters and attempt to swallow him whole…but no such thing happened.
Given his Zora form, it only took a few minutes for Link and Tatl to reach their destination, Link climbing onto the lower platform as he caught his breath. The excitement of the escape and that swift swimming got him a bit tired!
Tatl hovered by his head, looking him over as he took his mask off and returned to human form. "None of those guards hurt you on the way out or anything, right?"
"I'm fine." Link answered simply as he climbed up the ladder. "We need to get the eggs into that tank." It had seemed so very long ago since he spoke to the marine scientist, far longer than it had actually been.
When the boy and fairy entered the lab proper, the goat-faced scientist was focusing so intently on some papers in his hand that he jumped upon seeing the two of them suddenly standing before him. "Oh, my! You really gave me a fright!" He exclaimed, but seemed more surprised than actually angry. "What's a child and a fairy doing in a place like this? If you want to know why the sea is so muddled, I'm afraid I have no answers at this time."
"It's not that!" Tatl exclaimed, deciding to do the talking. "We have some Zora Eggs that were held captive by the Gerudo. Uh, a friend got them for us, a Zora." Just a quick lie to avoid questions! "He told us we should take them here for safekeeping!"
"Taken from the Gerudo?! Goodness, that must have been difficult!" The old man replied. "But yes, please, give them to me at once! The water in this tank has special properties that will help the eggs stay healthy!"
Link got the four bottles out, handing them over to the scientist who quickly deposited the eggs into the large tank. They sank down to the tank's bottom where they rested, seeming brighter and somehow happy, in a strange sense. "Will they really be okay in here?" The boy asked.
Sighing in relief, the scientist nodded. "Oh, yes, no worries about that! They will be quite safe there. However…I don't think they'll be able to hatch until all are gathered. From what I heard, seven eggs were laid by Lulu, correct?"
"That's right. We heard that the other three are near giant sea snakes." Link informed, not even coming up with a lie of how he and Tatl would've come across such information. "Where are they?"
"Giant sea snakes…now that's no good…! I don't know if you're aware, but the 'giant' part in their name is no exaggeration! These behemoths are larger than this very lab by a good amount! This Zora friend of yours would have his work cut out for him…" The old man explained, seeming nervous just talking about the sea snakes.
Link had no idea if he could even fight something that large. Not as a Zora, at least, it wasn't like he could properly use his sword underwater even if he took it to the snakes in his alternate form. "Our friend is very insistent. Where are the sea snakes?" He wasn't even aware snakes could live in the sea before entering Termina, it was quite a strange thought to him…
The scientist huffed a bit as he shook his head. "It's quite dangerous, but…if you insist. The sea snakes, or I suppose Deep Pythons are their proper names, reside at Pinnacle Rock, which lies further offshore and between here and the Gerudo's fortress. However, just swimming there won't be so easy, not even for a Zora."
"Because of how weird the ocean is being, right? But a Zora should be fine, right? How bad could it be?" Tatl asked, not knowing of any creature that's better at swimming than the Zora race. Sort of like how rolling Gorons were the fastest beings on land, and how nothing could outfly a fairy.
The scientist shook his head. "It's not that simple. Yes, Zora can generally swim against currents with relative ease, but the water around Pinnacle Rock are unique. The currents there move in unusual ways to the point even a Zora can't pass through."
"How would a Zora get to the Deep Pythons, then?" Link asked, mortified at the idea of a roadblock he couldn't get around. It never occurred to him that entering a Temple might somehow be impossible, and with the time limit he had, that just made things worse…
"Seahorses!" The scientist exclaimed. "It is believed seahorses can navigate through these strange currents. Where you'd find one, I have no idea. They're rather elusive, especially now with so few fish in the sea…"
Sea…horse? For a few seconds, Link believed the old man was pulling his leg. Seahorses. As in…horses that were…fish? It didn't provide a very comforting mental image to be sure. Given how freaked out the boy was by the ocean, he didn't take it upon himself to learn about the creatures that lived in it. He remembered seeing a picture of a massive fanged fish in a book in Hyrule Castle's library, and that was enough for him! "Okay. Thank you, sir. We'll tell our friend this."
The old man hummed as he nodded. "Yes, yes. Please do. I admit, I'm curious what may happen when all the eggs are together and healthy. I'd like to meet this Zora friend of yours sometime as well! He sounds most interesting…"
"Oh, we'll send him over at some point I'm sure…" Tatl said, wondering where the heck the two were gonna find a seahorse! Not like either of them could fish. Maybe if Link just kept swimming around he'd find one.
When the two left the lab, Link paused, staring at the beach as he wracked his brain. "Tatl, are seahorses real?" He couldn't help but ask. The name was just so ridiculous, it couldn't possibly be a real creature!
"What? Yeah, they're real." Tatl realized that Link being illiterate meant he'd never have read about one. It would sound weird to a kid that never heard of a seahorse before. "They're not actual horses, they just kind of look like them, but are also pretty small."
That made a bit of sense, Link supposed. Still, the idea of a fully grown horse covered in gross fishy scales was a strange thought to him. "Okay. And we have no idea where to find one." He noted, knowing how fruitless it'd be to look for one fish in such a large body of water, even if the ocean was acting normal.
"We should go to Zora Hall and ask around there." Tatl suggested. "If anyone would know where to find a specific fish, it'd be the Zora. And, you know, maybe you can rest there as Mikau. He's gotta have a room to himself there or something."
The idea of using a dead person's room like that made Link feel a bit sick to his stomach. Stealing the Goron named Link's room back in Clock Town was bad enough, but this was so much worse! However, there weren't exactly any other places in the Great Bay area he felt comfortable sleeping at, and he was pretty exhausted after the situation with the Gerudo. "I guess we can use it. Just this once." The boy insisted, feeling like it'd be far more than just a single time.
With that agreed on, the two made their way to Zora Hall. Link became a Zora once more and went in the front entrance as Tatl zipped to the rear entrance and met him at the entry area. "I just realized, people are gonna be asking about your eye." Tatl pointed out, glancing at the scarred eye of 'Mikau'. "What are you going to tell them?"
"The truth." The false Zora replied, figuring that was the easiest way to handle it. "It was the Gerudo that did it." Just saying that left a nasty taste in his mouth, and he felt the scar throb harshly. He could even feel the blood and eye juices running down his face before he realized it was just the ocean water dripping down.
"Yeah, that makes sense…just making sure you had a plan." Tatl informed as the two entered the main area of Zora Hall. "Now the question is where we start…I guess you can just ask some random Zora walking around." There were numerous Zoras walking about, something she hadn't noticed before was the feel of unease in the air, assuredly from the ocean's current condition and Lulu's missing eggs…
As it turned out, Link didn't have to do that, as a passing Zora noticed him and approached. "Mikau? Is that you? You look a bit weird…" The Zora said, flinching as he got closer and noticed the false Zora's scarred eye. "Oh, wow! What happened to you?! Did the Gerudo do that to you?! Did you get any of Lulu's eggs back?!"
Link was taken aback at the great deal of enthusiasm this stranger had. He was put on the spot far quicker than he had anticipated, though he supposed the Zora asked the 'right' questions of him. Thinking of it, he had no idea how Mikau might react to just about anything. At least when he was pretending to be Darmani, he only had to talk to a few other Gorons, one being a baby and another a near-senile old man. This Zora might tell that something was very off with the 'Mikau' standing before him.
Still, he had to give some sort of reply! "A Gerudo got my eye, and I found four of the eggs, they're somewhere safe now." Link responded flatly.
"That's amazing, Mikau! I…wait…just four?" The Zora's mood went from excitement to concern in an instant. "What about the other three? There were seven, right?"
"I overheard some Gerudo saying they lost some in the Deep Python's territory. I can't get through the current to reach them, do you know where a seahorse would be?" Link asked, hoping this wasn't information Mikau would normally know. He wouldn't know how to talk his way out of it…though he supposed Tatl could handle that.
The Zora went pale for a moment before collecting himself as he hummed in thought, not seeming surprised at the false Mikau's lack of knowledge. "That's pretty awful…those eggs wouldn't make much of a meal for the sea snakes, but…uh, a seahorse? Those are really rare, I can't remember the last time I actually saw one…"
Tatl huffed a bit but did so too quietly to be heard. This guy wasn't helpful at all! "Well, who around here might know, then?" She asked, trying to keep her patience, having only realized how much of a rush they were truly in. If those Deep Python's got hungry, well…
At that, the Zora flinched a bit, looking at Tatl and clearly only just noticing her presence. "Oh, a fairy! Never saw one around here before. You friends with Mikau or something?"
"Yeah, we bumped into each other as he was trying to get all the eggs back." The fairy lied casually. "But come on, who here would know where to find a seahorse? There's gotta be someone we could ask!"
"Honestly, I'd ask the members of the band." Replied the Zora with a shrug. "Evan might get mad if you interrupt his practice, but Japas and Tijo might be able to help out. You should really try them, if anyone here might know, it's one of those three!"
Link nodded, realizing he had no idea where these band members were or what they even looked like…and it wasn't like he could ask. No way Mikau wouldn't know this stuff! He'd have to find some way to get that information! "Alright, thanks. I'll go and ask them." The false Zora responded, watching as the real Zora gave a wave and walked off.
Tatl realized the issue too. If 'Mikau' was walking around asking questions he'd know the answer to, there'd be some sort of suspicion going around. Thankfully, lies were a strong suit of Tatl's, so she quickly came up with something. "Hey, only that one Zora knows I'm here." The fairy stated. "Or at least here with you. How about you hang back here, and I'll get the information for you?" She knew of the band, of course, and the names of the members. The fairy never saw them play, but they were the most famous musical group in the area, so she could at least explicitly ask for each member.
He hadn't thought of that! Stepping back further into the entrance to avoid being seen, Link gave Tatl a nod. "Good idea. I'll stay here until you get back." Even if it's only a minute or two, the rest was welcomed. It wasn't until he watched Tatl nod and dart into Zora Hall proper that he realized how exhausted he was.
The boy felt like his entire body was being weighed down. Not like how curses make the air feel heavy, but like weights were tied to his limbs. While he had been very active that day, something told him it wasn't normal physical exhaustion. He felt numb…inside and out, like a walking husk as he wore the face of somebody else. Looking down at his hands, he flexed his fingers lightly, but it didn't seem like they were really there. As it had happened many times, the temptation to bite at his hands, to make himself feel something, went through his head. Yet, as he raised his hands to his open mouth, he saw Tatl arriving out of the corner of his eye.
She paused, tilting her head to the side a bit in confusion. "Uh, Link? What are you doing?" Tatl wasn't able to discern that he was about to bite himself, but it seemed like he was doing something odd.
"Nothing. Did you find out where the bandmates are?" Link was not about to explain just what he was about to do!
Tatl knew she'd never get a straight answer out of Link. Why did she even bother to ask? "Mmm…right…Well, I got the information, yeah. They're all in their rooms, I'll take you to them! I even asked where your room was, you'll need to rest at some point, you know."
Not until all the eggs were rescued, that was for sure. The Gerudo at least had their eggs nice and safe, the Deep Pythons could find and devour theirs at any time! "Alright, lead the way, then."
The fairy took Link through Zora Hall, some of the Zoras there staring at the false Mikau with looks of surprise and worry, the latter directed at his missing eye. Any conversations that were attempted were ignored, though. Tatl led Link to the first room, which she mentioned belonged to Japas' room. She said that he was the bassist, but Link had no idea what that meant.
Going into the door, the boy and fairy saw the room was surprisingly sparse. The ground was covered in sand, with a bed on one side, and a large desk with a bunch of papers strewn about it on the other. The lone Zora in there was Japas, whose name Tatl whispered in Link's ear. Japas was playing an instrument similar to Mikau's, but rather than a fish skeleton, it seemed to be partially made out of some sort of massive crab. Not that Link knew what a crab even was. As for Japas himself, he was a typical looking Zora, save for the fins on his head, which looked almost like hair that mostly covered his eyes.
Despite looking practically blinded by his own fins, Japas looked right at Link and Tatl as they entered the room. He had a relaxed expression on his face which quickly became a frown of worry when he saw Link's eye. "Mikau, that you buddy? You're looking worse for wear, what the heck did those Gerudo chicks do to you?"
Link began to realize every Zora he encountered was going to ask about the eye. Each time it happened, he felt the injury pulse and the cold steel slicing through him. Forcing down a shudder, he sort of shrugged his shoulders. He knew he couldn't replicate how Mikau acted, especially since he only knew him for a few minutes, but he was hoping he could blame it on exhaustion and battle damage.
"I got careless, but I also got four eggs back." Link responded. "Three of them fell near the Deep Pythons, do you know where I can find a seahorse?" Had to be direct and keep the interaction as short as possible.
Japas was openly worried, studying 'Mikau' as if there was a part of him that was aware it wasn't his bandmate standing in front of him. After a moment, he sighed through his nose and shook his head. "Deep Pythons…I'd never tangle with those, you're a braver Zora than I am, that's for sure. Can't remember the last time I saw a seahorse, though. I wish there was some other way. But hey, Tijo and Evan might know, so try them."
Well, that was disappointing. Link nodded, holding back a sigh of his own. "Alright, thanks, Japas." After a small pause, he felt he had to say something more. "Don't worry, I'll get the eggs back as fast as I can. All of them." It was clear everyone was worried for Lulu's eggs, like all the Zoras were one big family.
Mikau must have been very dependable, as those words alone got a relieved grin from Japas. "You know, you're right. If anyone here can do it, it's you. If I could fight, I'd help out, but…"
Tatl had to hold back a scoff as she rolled her eyes. She didn't know much about Mikau, but she knew he was a part of a band, not exactly an esteemed warrior like Darmani III was. If Link could risk his life as Mikau, she saw no reason Japas couldn't help. As she and Link left the room, she couldn't help herself. "What a coward…" The fairy murmured quietly.
However, it wasn't quiet enough, as Link managed to hear it. "If he can't fight, why would he go after Gerudo or Deep Pythons?" He asked, not understanding Tatl's reasoning.
The fairy hadn't meant to be heard, and was a bit startled at being put on the spot like that. "I mean…Mikau was just another band member, and he went to the Gerudo Fortress all by himself. If he can do it, why can't Japas?"
"Maybe Mikau was a fighter, not just a musician." Link offered, not sure how to feel. On one hand, he sympathized with Japas, his desire to let someone else be the hero while he remained safe was something that cropped in his mind all the way back in Hyrule. On the other hand, he knew what it was like to be Mikau, the only one fighting while almost no one else helped.
"I guess." Tatl said with a shrug, still not liking Japas very much. It was one thing to not help, but to say it to the face of the one doing all the work was something else entirely. This feeling surprised the fairy, knowing she wouldn't feel this way had she come across the situation a few months ago. Traveling with Link really changed her…
"So, where's the next band member?" Link asked, wanting to hurry things along. "We need to get a seahorse to help us as fast as we can." He hoped it was some sort of intelligent being he could direct in some way. Thinking of it, if seahorses were just like normal animals, how was it going to help?
The fairy snapped out of her thoughts. "Oh, right. The next guy is Tijo, come on." Tatl informed, leading Link to the next room. When they entered, they saw a more elaborate room with multiple stories of sorts. A grassy, rocky platform went from the door to the far wall with a ladder leading up to another rocky outcrop jutting from higher up in the rockface. Sitting on the ground level was an unusual looking Zora, looking somewhat like a manta ray, a name that he recalled Zelda telling him from a picture he saw in a book. The Zora, Tijo, was playing a set of drums that resembled round fish. As he struck them with his drumsticks, they produced the sounds of actual drums, which threw Link and Tatl off a bit!
Tijo looked up at the false Mikau as he walked into the room, stopping the drum practice as he gave a warm smile which then turned into a look of worry. Like Japas, his gaze honed in on Link's missing eye. "Mikau! Didn't expect you back so soon…or so hurt! Are you okay walking around like that?"
"I'm fine." Link quickly dismissed, taking a few steps closer to Tijo. "I have four of the eggs back, but I overheard the Gerudo talking about the others falling to where the Deep Pythons are. I need a seahorse to get me to Pinnacle Rock, where can I find one?" No use beating around the bush!
The drummer seemed a bit put off by Link's blunt nature, but seemed to shake it off quickly. "That's not what I was hoping to hear…poor Lulu…!" He bemoaned before putting himself back together quickly. "As for a seahorse, I know Evan was talking about one the other day, but I forgot what he had said. He'd know for sure how to help. He's been in a bad mood lately, so be careful…"
Another dead end, but at least Evan could apparently help. "Thank you. I'll go talk to him now." The false Zora responded, quickly leaving the room with Tatl. Without delay, she led him to another room, where Evan resided. This one was a bit more barren, with only a bed and a piano in it. Though that wasn't the strangest part. What was more unusual was the small waterfall coming from above, coating the floor in water, and it seemed the liquid ran off somewhere else, preventing the room from actually overflowing.
Evan, who was at the top of a sort of staircase of stone platforms, looked a tad odd himself by Zora standards. Every single Zora Link encountered before was blue, but Evan was brown in color and his backfin stuck straight out behind him. He was playing on his piano, which seemed to be made out of the skeleton of some large fish of some sort.
The pianist was murmuring to himself, unaware of 'Mikau' and Tatl as the false Zora slowly walked up behind him. Link wasn't even looking at Evan, however, he was staring at the piano. His mind was miles and years away. "No, no, that's not it…" Evan mumbled to himself, unaware that Link was standing right behind him.
From behind the fake Zora's head flew Tatl, who perched on his shoulder. "Link, what are you doing? Just gonna stare at this guy?" She hissed in his ear, not wanting to get Evan's attention herself.
But Link wasn't paying Tatl any mind. He just kept staring at the piano! When he had reset the Moon and Termina itself for the first time, Link had been treated to The Happy Mask Salesman playing on a large organ for him. At that point, his mind was so muddled he was almost working on autopilot, hardly even thinking.
In the present, however, his mind was far clearer. This caused an effect to overtake the boy, one he had experienced numerous times before. He wasn't really there, with Tatl or Evan. No, his mind was flung back into the past, nearly two full years.
The soft, slow notes echoed through the grandiose room. It was a large, empty space save for the one piano near the back. Clearly a place for social gatherings, for adults to stand around and talk about boring things or perhaps dance.
At the moment, however, there was only one occupant in the room. A young boy, ten years old and dressed only in a simple green sleeping gown. The floor was cold on his bare feet, but he didn't mind it. He didn't focus on it.
Instead, he simply kept his mind on the notes that floated through the room like dizzy butterflies. His face was blank, like a mask, staring down at the keys. One hand danced across them, without much direction or grace. But he didn't care.
He didn't wish to learn the piano. He didn't want to play a beautiful melody. He just wanted the noise. The distraction. It kept his mind from wandering, from-
"Link?" A soft voice called.
The boy looked, hand frozen, to the source of the voice. He hadn't heard the door open, and there stood her. The Princess. Zelda. His caretaker of sorts, almost his nurse. The one that kept him housed and fed and alive. The one that was trying to put him back together.
"I thought I had heard the piano playing." She continued, slowly walking to the large instrument and eyeing it. Zelda didn't seem upset, almost amused if anything. The Princess even gave a small, albeit sad, smile as she looked from the instrument back to Link. "Did you want to learn?"
No noise came from the boy. For a moment, he just stared at her with those dull, broken blue eyes of his. After a few seconds, he merely shook his head. Today was another Silent Day.
For reasons even Link himself couldn't explain, some days he simply couldn't bring himself to speak. It wasn't that he didn't want to, it was just that he couldn't. There was a sort of mental block that just wouldn't let him get the words out. It was like something gummy was in his throat, causing all sound to just stop.
Zelda seemed to understand his silence, being more than aware she'd get no words out of him this day. "I see." She tried to sound calm, even joyful, but worry and sadness bled into her tone. "Would it be alright if I played with you?"
Bringing his fingers away from the keys, Link would give a small, soft nod. His eyes would remain glued to the ivory rectangles.
The lack of eye contact made Zelda frown a bit, but she smiled moments later. Maybe to fool herself more than Link. She sat down next to the boy, giving him room on the bench as she placed her hands to the instrument. "Let's see…what to play…ah, maybe…"
After taking a small breath, the Princess' delicate fingers started to move along the piano's keys. It was far more graceful and gentle than Link's slow and almost clunky movements. His fingers were a drunken gait to Zelda's elegant and soft dance. The tune was beautiful and floated through the room like dandelion seeds.
The boy just stared down at the keys as the song played, letting the melody ease him as best as it could, the music replacing the sounds of creatures growling or the clashing of blades. He sighed through his nose, listening to the song as the Princess played.
It felt like hours passed before she finished, only her speaking making him open his eyes. "How was that, Link? I learned that when I was quite young. Did you enjoy it?"
He opened his eyes, looking at the Princess. His expression had remained static the whole time. Link tried to keep things as bottled up as possible, but some days his mental and emotional states were too out of sorts, and he found himself yelling or crying when he didn't want to. The boy gave a small nod, having found the music lightly soothing.
"Good, good. Do you want to go again?" Zelda asked, folding her hands neatly in her lap as she spoke.
Since it seemed Zelda really wanted him to play some more, Link complied. He had no tune or melody in mind. Not that he could know how to properly play it anyway. Once more, his hands danced along the keys, an awkward and staggering beat compared to Zelda's.
As he played the aimless song, his mind wandered. He originally was playing the piano to distract himself, but perhaps it was the Princess' presence that changed that. Rather than hearing the piano, he heard sword clashing with sword, the howl of a Wolfos, the beating of an unholy drum. In his mind's eye, he saw orange spheres in the darkness, closing in on him.
The boy played louder, more erratically, not even noticing when Zelda meekly called his name. Had to drown it out. Had to distract himself. Had to make it all just GO AWAY!
With one final movement, he slammed his fists into the keys, making a loud and ugly sound erupt from the piano. He sat still there for a moment, the only movement being the shuddering of his body. He stared down at his own hands, panting as his frame shook.
"…Link…" Zelda murmured, staring at the boy with unhidden pity. Slowly, she reached a hand out to touch his shoulder, only to retract it when he flinched. There were days he couldn't be touched. physical contact would just feel awful. She wanted to try just once more, placing her hand on his shoulder. This time, he allowed her.
Slowly, she'd rub his back, frowning as tears formed in the boy's dull blue eyes and started to drip down on the piano's keys…
"Jeez, Mikau! Don't sneak up on me like that!" Evan's voice called, snapping Link out of his memories. The pianist had turned around at that point, looking startled and grouchy. "Why didn't you say something when you came in…and what in the name of the Giants happened to you?!"
Link didn't even know what to say at first, not fully back in the present yet. After blinking a few times, he managed to get his head back into things. "Sorry. My mind was somewhere else." He said, focusing on Evan instead of the piano. "I'll just cut to the chase. I need a seahorse to get to Pinnacle Rock, some of Lulu's eggs are there."
Evan reeled his head back slightly, like Link tried to take a swing at him. "Pinnacle Rock…? Jeez, what are the chances?! But alright, a seahorse…I know I saw that fisherman on the beach catching one the other day, he might still have it."
Finally, a clear answer! "Okay, I'll check that out then, thanks." Link responded, turning to leave, but Evan called out before he could move to the door.
"Hey, you didn't tell the others about Lulu's voice, did you? It wasn't really possible to cover up the eggs going missing, but I don't think anyone is any the wiser about her voice…" Evan's tone was serious, almost angry.
Link could only figure Evan didn't want people to worry, and he could relate to that. Lying about something bad happening or negative feelings to keep things together. "I didn't tell anyone, the secret's still safe." The false Zora responded before he and Tatl left the room and went back to the entrance of Zora Hall.
Before the two could leave properly, Tatl spoke up. "What was that back there with Evan? You spaced out for so long!" The fairy asked, flying in front of Link's face. He opened his mouth to answer, but she interrupted. "And don't you dare tell me it was 'nothing' again! Do you think I'm stupid and don't realize there's something wrong with you?!" She was getting so sick of being pushed away…
Sighing through his nose, Link shook his head. "I don't want to talk about it. It's nothing that will stop me from getting the eggs back, so don't worry about it."
Still not an answer that satisfied the fairy. But if he insisted he could keep going with the quest, what choice did she have but to trust him? "Okay, fine. Anyway, the fisherman Evan was talking about lives right near the Great Bay entrance. I've seen him before, so I'll meet you there." Without waiting for a response, she darted towards the back entrance of Zora Hall as Link dove into the water.
Within a few minutes, the two met at the beach right by the Great Bay's entrance. Going through the water wasn't quite so bad for Link when he was near the shore, at least. A lot less room for some large, unknown creature to attack him. When he got onto dry land, he shed his mask and turned back into a human.
"Do you know what the fisherman is like?" Link asked Tatl as she flew to him, the fairy having arrived before he did. "Do you think he'd help us?"
"I just said I saw him, I've never talked to him." Tatl corrected as she led Link to a nearby stone shack. "I'm surprised the guy is even still around, I bet everyone else around here went away when the ocean got all funky."
The shack had no door, so Link and Tatl simply walked in. Inside was a tall, heavyset man with blue tattoos on his arms and the left side of his stomach. He had large, strong arms, no shirt, white shorts, and his head was shaved bald. The man was sitting in a lounge chair, seeming bored out of his mind. In the room there were some other chairs, a table, a fireplace, but most notably a large fish bowl full of water with a single creature floating inside. It was gold in color, and was somewhat shaped like a horse, but had scales and no limbs, just a curly sort of tail.
"Hm? Eh?" The fisherman grunted, sitting up in his chair. "If you're here to buy a fish, kid, I'm all out. The seahorse here isn't for sale…not for a kid, at least. I'm gonna sell it for a huge profit at the Carnival of Time." This seemed to make the seahorse upset, as it swam backwards to the far side of the bowl.
"We need the seahorse more! A friend of ours needs to get to Pinnacle Rock right way!" Tatl insisted. "This is more important than just some Rupees!"
This got the fisherman to stand up with a grunt, huffing lightly through his nose. "Like I said, he's not for sale to a kid. Ya wouldn't have enough! But…" He paused, rubbing his chin. "…I guess I could maybe part with it if ya bring me something else."
"Like what?" Link prodded, glancing over at the seahorse. What a strange creature it was! He never imagined something like that could exist…
"Well…I got a Pictograph to lend ya. If ya take a picture of one of those Gerudo warriors. A nice hot picture of one would make me part with the seahorse!" The fisherman said with a big grin on his face.
Link didn't know what a lot of that meant. A Pictograph? Pictures? And he wanted one to be hot…as in heated? What did that mean? "I don't…" He started, but was interrupted by Tatl flying in the fisherman's face.
"You want him to do what?!" She yelled, her light turning a deep red. "You know how dangerous those pirates are?! You want to send a kid in there to get a picture of one of them?! What's wrong with you?!" How dare he try to get Link to go back to that place!
The fisherman raised his hands up, taking a step back from Tatl. "H…Hey now, no need to be so harsh! Look, he just has to-"
"He doesn't have to do anything!" Tatl cut him off, bashing into his forehead, which didn't really hurt the man but still had him staggering back from surprise. "You give him that seahorse, or I'll let everyone in Clock Town know what sort of deal you were trying to make!"
That really seemed to scare the man, who shook his head. "Wait, hey! It was just a joke! Look, if ya need the seahorse so bad, I'll just give it to ya!" Quickly, the man rushed to the bowl and got a glass bottle sitting next to it. It took some difficulty, but he filled the bottle with water and caught the seahorse, placing it into the container. "Here, just take it! And keep this between us, alright?!"
Link, taken by surprise, took the bottle and nodded. "Right. We won't tell anyone. Thank you, sir." He said, quickly leaving the shack before the fisherman could change his mind. He couldn't help but think of when Navi was angry at Darunia when the Goron tasked Link to take down King Dodongo. Link wasn't sure how to feel, exactly.
Tatl followed Link out after giving one last scowl to the adult, her light returning to normal. "Can you believe that guy…?!" The fairy snarled, turning back to glare at the hut. "Trying to make you go into that dangerous fortress because he wants to ogle at the women!"
"Are you okay, Tatl? You got really upset back there." Link asked, not used to Tatl really sticking up for him or getting that angry at anyone but him. He understood why she had been so mad, but it still just threw him for a loop. "What is a Pictograph?"
The fairy scoffed. "Of course I was mad! That guy had no right to ask that of you! And a Pictograph makes photos of stuff you point it at. Like pictures! So he'd just have a picture of a Gerudo to stare at!"
Oh, that's what he wanted? He just really wanted to look at a Gerudo? Back in the castle, Link found himself looking at the lady servants that he found pretty, but he never really understood why. At one point, he almost asked Zelda about it, but for reasons he didn't understand, he felt too embarrassed to do so.
"I see." Link droned, pausing for a moment. "…Thank you. For standing up for me, I mean." It truly reminded him of Navi, and for a moment, a heavy emotion welled in his chest. Said emotion was buried under a pile of numbness before he could even work out what it was, however.
Tatl was a bit startled by the earnest gratitude, clearing her throat as she composed herself further. She enjoyed that Link was talking to her in such a nice way…at least by his standards. "Well…it's not a big deal, so…don't worry about it. Anyway, how are we going to get that seahorse to take us to Pinnacle Rock?" By this point, the two had reached the shore, the very tips of the waves reaching Link's boots.
"Pinnacle Rock?! You want to go there?!" A voice called out, startling the boy and fairy. The two looked around, but there was no one on the beach with them and no Zora poking their head from the water. "In the container!" The voice said again, one that was distinctly male.
The two looked to see the seahorse gesturing, as best as he could with no arms, about and looking between the boy and fairy. "Wait, did you just talk? A talking fish?" Tatl asked, looking around for a second more, practically expecting someone else to just pop out of thin air.
"Seahorses…we're a bit special." The bottled creature said. His mouth didn't seem to move, yet his voice was heard. "I didn't speak in front of the fisherman, I felt like if I did, there'd be no chance of him letting me go!"
Link never expected something like this. Though he supposed it wasn't the first talking animal he encountered. A certain massive talking owl certainly came to mind. "I didn't know seahorses could talk either." He commented. "And yes, we want to go to Pinnacle Rock. Will you help us?"
"I will, I am very grateful for you helping me out of there!" The seahorse declared. "But…I need just one more favor. My girlfriend, she's trapped at Pinnacle Rock, and I'm sure she's still there, awaiting rescue! Please, after I guide you, help me!"
Another layer to the problem at hand. Still, Link had no reason to turn the seahorse down, and he had little choice but to help even if he didn't want to. "It's a deal. I'll do my best to help."
"Oh, thank you! But…thinking of it…even with my help, you can't get to Pinnacle Rock. Humans can't go against those currents!" The seahorse pointed out, moving about in the container as if fidgeting nervously.
That was something Link and Tatl totally forgot about! They did what they could to avoid letting people know about the transformation masks…but had no clue how smart the seahorse was and that he had sentience! Link couldn't think of anything he could do except just tell the truth. "I can turn into a Zora. I'd rather not explain how it works."
For a moment, the seahorse just stared at Link, its expression hard to read, but it seemed to be considering if the boy was telling the truth or joking around. "…Hm…Okay, show me." The fish declared, apparently not totally convinced.
Link couldn't blame the seahorse for being skeptical, and decided to just show the Zora Mask off right then. Taking the object from his bag, the boy placed it on his face and transformed right before the seahorse's eyes! "So, you'll take me to Pinnacle Rock?" The false Zora asked.
The seahorse's eyes widened and he nodded his head like a person would. "Yes, of course, it's a deal! Just let me in the water, and we'll be on our way!"
"Hold up, wait, what about me?" Tatl asked as she just realized she couldn't go too. "I'm not going to go in a bottle or something, but I can't swim!"
Link had actually thought about that. "You'll just stay up above and wait. I'll surface when I've accomplished what I need to." He disliked the idea of being separated from Tatl, but he saw no other choice. Thinking of them being apart made him feel uneasy…
Tatl didn't like the plan either, but there was nothing else they could do. "Well…I guess. Just be careful, alright? I'll be right above you as best as I can." With the murky water, once he went too far deep, he'd be totally invisible to her.
With the plan in motion, Link opened the container and let the seahorse into the water, discarding the glass object as he followed the fish. Tatl, as she said, remained above the water, about a dozen feet up. She followed the false Zora and seahorse as they made their way further out to sea. Out there, far from shore, was Pinnacle Rock. Two stone spires with more rocky outcrops beyond them. The fairy had never heard of Deep Pythons, but she found the name foreboding…
Link, meanwhile, saw that the seahorse was glowing a bit in the water, a golden aura surrounding his body. Truly it was an unusual creature! The two swam out towards Pinnacle Rock, the false Zora feeling a tad bit more at ease than usual due to having some company underwater. The two traveled for several minutes before the seahorse stopped in place. "We're getting near the unusual currents. You have to follow me exactly as I move, okay?"
Not really sure if he could even speak underwater, Link simply gave a nod. At this point, the seahorse moved a lot slower, and the two were more drifting through the water than truly swimming. Around him, surely due to him being a Zora, Link could feel strong movements in the water around him. Thanks to the seahorse, though, they didn't affect him. Naturally, he had no idea how currents worked and it was just another reason why he felt the ocean was a terrifying place.
It was starting to get more stressful as the two went further out, Link unable to see anything but sand, murky water, and the seahorse no matter where he looked. No sign of land, no sign of any sort of structure. More than ever, he felt like something massive was lurking just out of sight, hidden by the underwater fog. At one point he swore he saw a massive shadow pass by, but the seahorse didn't react and he didn't see anything further, so he chalked it up to his imagination…
The path was seemingly random, at one point the seahorse going forward for a bit, then taking a hard left at random, then left, then left yet again. At another time, he led Link backwards for a bit before turning back around and going forward once more. It got to the point where the boy started to wonder if the current thing wasn't even true and the seahorse was just messing with him. Not long after this, though, they arrived at their destination.
Breaking up the mundane view of endless sand, two pillars of water, the Pinnacle Rocks themselves, stood before the pair. Further than that by a few meters, though, was a massive hole. A yawning abyss that went down so deep that Link couldn't see the bottom. Just staring at it made his insides churn. In the murkiness of the water, it almost seemed like the hole was the mouth of some unbelievably large creature, just waiting for some poor fool to swim inside.
At this point, the seahorse stopped in his tracks and turned to Link. "There's no more current here. You can go straight ahead and down. Be careful, okay? Those Deep Pythons can swallow you whole! My girlfriend is probably near the bottom, too scared to try and come back up…"
For a moment, Link had the morbid thought that the other seahorse was eaten already, but quickly pushed it aside. Again, he gave a nod and forced his legs to move him towards the horrid abyss. It stretched a great deal forward, Link unable to see the other side of the hole due to the murkiness of the water. Holding back a shudder, he slowly started to descend into the hole, keeping his eye peeled for anything dangerous. Given how large the Deep Pythons supposedly were, surely he'd see them long before they saw him, right?
Tatl, meanwhile, was floating above the massive pit, unable to see Link's descent. She felt sorry for the boy, having to go down there by himself. The fairy wished she could help, but all she was able to do was hope he'd make it out okay.
As Link made his way down, he noticed there were massive holes on the side of the pit. They were about as big as a small house and almost perfectly round. Slowly, the false Zora swam up to the edge of one and carefully peered inside. As he expected, there was something gigantic lurking inside! A pair of green, glowing eyes stared back at the child, and they were attached to the largest snake Link had ever seen! He was still perplexed at the idea of snakes in the ocean, but there was one right in front of it! Or rather, at the far edge of the tunnel it had made.
Most of the Deep Python's body was hidden, only its brown head and glowing dead eyes were visible. The head alone was far larger than Link was, the seahorse being quite right that it could swallow him in a single gulp! He saw no signs of an egg or the other seahorse in the small cavern, so he slowly pulled away and out of sight, the monster apparently not having spotted him given how still it remained.
After getting out of the creature's way, Link swiftly swam from the hole, and it wasn't long before he spotted another one just as large as the last. He had to assume this one also contained a Deep Python. If only he had asked how many there were! As he got closer, he spotted something along the edge of the hole. It was a small object, able to easily fit in the palm of his hand. Round, white in color, practically glowing in the murky water…an egg! It was a Zora Egg, Link just knew it! The egg was unharmed…yet as he carefully peeked into the hole, he saw another of the Deep Pythons. Was the egg so small that the creature simply didn't notice it…?
Link had his three bottles at the ready. Getting one out, he slowly made his way to the egg, putting as much of his body out of view as he could. He kept his gaze glued to the Deep Python, which didn't seem to notice his presence, as it remained in place. Perhaps it did see him, but just didn't view him as being worth the trouble. The beast was massive, so even as a Zora, Link barely constituted as a snack.
Whatever the case, he reached the egg, swiping it away and ducking it entirely out of sight as he placed it in a bottle. So far, so good, but he still had two eggs left and the matter of the seahorse's girlfriend! And, thankfully, the Deep Python he got the egg from didn't seem to notice him as he went further down into the hole.
Down, down, down…it really seemed like it had no end! What was worse was that it kept getting darker the further he descended, Link not grasping that sunlight can only reach so far down into water. Thankfully, his Zora eye helped him with this. In the same vein as how he could see without truly seeing when rolling as a Goron, he had a sense of what was around him even as his vision turned increasingly black.
After what felt like a half hour, but was really only a few minutes, Link reached the bottom of the hole. He hadn't seen, or sensed, any Zora Eggs during his trip down. No sign of any seahorse either. Though as he got to the bottom, he 'saw' there was one at almost the perfect center of the hole's bottom. Quickly, he swam to it and placed it in a bottle as well! Okay, that was two! So far, he didn't have to fight anything…but how long could his good luck last?
There was another hole nearby, still at the bottom of the larger opening in the ocean floor. Slowly, Link went towards it, barely able to see the eerie, faint, green glow of the Deep Python's eyes as it faced the dark waters outside its abode. His stomach sank when he was able to sense that there was a Zora Egg in the creature's lair…about halfway inside. Already, his fins stiffened into blades, his body already knowing this wasn't going to be as easy as with the first two eggs.
Link thought about what he should do for a moment and decided that the best course of action was to swim as fast as he could, snatch the egg, and retreat. He had no idea if the Deep Python would pursue him far outside of its nest or not. Bracing himself, he darted into the hole, going as fast as he was able! The Deep Python reacted faster than he anticipated, rocketing forward towards him, its maw wide open! Link had underestimated the speed of the creature and wasn't able to make it to the egg before he had to retreat!
The false Zora darted backwards, firing out of the hole as the massive snake pursued him, teeth bared as its long, green body emerged from its home. It was such a large creature that its entire body didn't even appear, like the monster just went on forever! Link realized he'd have to kill the beast if he wanted the egg, which he hoped was alright after the Deep Python's emergence.
As the monster tried to catch up to Link, he circled around and swam at its body, slashing at it with his sharp fins. To his surprise, they really were like blades, cutting into the Deep Python's body with relative ease. Unfortunately, its body was so thick and tough that he couldn't get too far into its hide, but he at least made it bleed!
Unfortunately for the Deep Python, while it had immense size on its side, it didn't have enough speed to match a Zora. It kept going for Link, but he was always able to dodge the bites and use his fins to cut at the monster. There was even a point where he dashed at its face and drove a fin into the snake's left eye, rendering it useless. Though he did quickly feel guilty about that, he kept the fight going, his Zora body almost moving on its own as he fought.
The fight took place around the entirety of the giant pit, or at least it seemed that way as Link slowly slashed away at the Deep Python's tough exterior. Eventually, it seemed that he managed to do enough damage to it as it started to slow down and eventually went limp, sinking down to the bottom of Pinnacle Rock's large hole. As tiring as that was, Link didn't stop to rest, swimming into the now-empty opening as quickly as he could, snatching the final Zora Egg and bottling it. That was well and good, of course, but the seahorse was nowhere to be found!
"H…Hello?" A timid and female voice called, startling Link. He looked around and saw a golden light come out of a small crevice in the Deep Python's empty nest. After looking closer, he saw it wasn't just a light, but a seahorse! "You actually killed one of the Deep Pythons? Who are you…?"
Link was actually surprised, yet relieved, to see the seahorse's girlfriend was okay! Unfortunately, he couldn't communicate, pointing to the seahorse and then upwards to the surface. He was trying to convey the other seahorse had sent him down there.
"You mean my boyfriend is up above?" She asked, prompting Link to nod. "Thank goodness he's okay too! But yes, I saw some Zora Eggs fall here and wanted to rescue them, but the Deep Pythons almost ate me! I only survived by hiding in that crevice, too scared to leave…" The seahorse explained.
The false Zora showed the seahorse the three eggs he got, and pointed to the surface again, more urgently. Theye really had to get out of there!
"Oh, yes, of course! Please, let's get out of here!" The seahorse frantically exclaimed, starting to swim out of the Deep Python's nest with Link following.
As they exited the hole, however, they saw they weren't alone. Stirred by the violence, blood, and the new carcass for the picking, the other Deep Pythons had emerged from their abodes. Two of them went for the body of their kin, biting large chunks out of it. The others spotted Link and the female seahorse as they darted upwards and gave chase! A group of snapping, fanged mouths pursued the two as they went to the surface and the sun's light began to break through again.
The two didn't dare look back, but felt the Deep Python's chasing after them! Thankfully, the pair was faster, and emerged from the massive hole, the male seahorse startled at their appearance. The Deep Python's didn't turn in time, breaching the surface and startling Tatl! The fairy was high above the water, so she had time to dodge out of the way as the monsters broke the surface. As she gave out a cry, she saw Link poke his head out of the water and point to the shore. Wasting no time, she darted towards the beach as Link and the two seahorses swam that way as well.
The four of them didn't stop until they reached the shore, the currents helping push Link and the seahorses along as they went. No one turned to look and check if the Deep Pythons were chasing them, and it hardly mattered as the underwater trio was in waters too shallow for those monsters to swim in pretty soon. When everyone reached the beach, Link stood on the dry sand, heart still beating rapidly from the tension of being chased by such massive creatures. Tatl flew to him, making sure he was unharmed as the seahorses poked their heads out of the water.
"Thank you so much, strange one!" The male seahorse called, he and his girlfriend nuzzling up against each other. "Something told me you could pull it off!"
"We won't forget this! I think we need to go far away from this place. The air and water just feels so…wrong…" The female seahorse added, the two of them ducking into the water and swimming off before waiting for a reply.
"They were in a real hurry to leave…" Tatl murmured, rolling her eyes. She then looked over to Link once more. "Are you alright? I had no idea those things would be so huge!" He didn't look hurt, but she wanted to be sure…
Link didn't care so much about the seahorses rushing to leave. He could hardly blame them. "I'm fine. I didn't get hurt down there. Let's just get the eggs to the scientist." The boy felt hesitant to enter the water again, but he sucked it up as the two made their way to the lab, Link shedding his Zora form before actually entering.
The old scientist jumped a bit at the door opening, but quickly looked pleased when he saw who it was. "Ah, my boy! Good to see you again! The eggs you brought me are doing quite well!"
Taking the three bottles out of his bag, he showed the eggs to the scientist. "I have the rest here. My friend got them for us."
This got the old man excited as he let out a cry and clapped his hands once. "Goodness! Excellent! Please, put them in the tank with the others!"
Link did as asked, climbing the ladder and putting the last three eggs into the large tank. As he went back down, the three watched the eggs start to immediately shake and stir. Within moments, cracks appeared on the shells and baby Zoras sprang out of all of them! They looked a tad unusual, like tadpoles more than anything else. They swam about the tank before quickly going into an odd formation along the back wall.
"What are they doing…?" Tatl asked, staring at the Zora babies. "They almost look like music notes…" Indeed, the tails of the hatchlings resembled eighth notes.
"Fascinating!" The scientist exclaimed. "They seem to be forming a song of sorts. Young man, do you happen to be musically inclined? I can't play a note to save my life…"
While he was good with the Ocarina, Link couldn't actually read music. He saw such sheets in Hyrule Castle, but he refused Zelda's offer to teach how to read them, wanting Navi to do so. Still, he took his instrument out. "I can try." The boy replied, looking to the young Zora.
Yet, upon seeing the instrument, the Zora hatchlings seemed distressed. Like the Ocarina wasn't what they wanted. "There seems to be an issue…" The scientist murmured. "I know the Zora use instruments made of fish skeletons, perhaps they instinctively desire that…"
So, Link had to become Mikau to do this. He could only assume a guitar may appear in the same way a set of drums did when he was a Goron. That meant, though, he'd have to transform in front of the scientist, at least not without wasting time pretending to go get his 'friend' as the Zora hatchlings waited.
"Don't be alarmed by what I'm about to do." Link said, giving the scientist little time to even react as he donned the Zora Mask and transformed right in front of him.
At this, the scientist yelled out, backing away from Link. "O-O-Oh my! What is this?! Some sort of magic…?!"
"Hey, don't worry, he's not going to hurt you or anything!" Tatl exclaimed, pretty surprised Link at how flippant Link was being about revealing his transformations. Though she supposed it didn't matter, once the three days reset, no one would remember anything.
Link ignored the scientist's reaction and readied his Ocarina, not surprised as it spontaneously changed into a guitar that was made from the skeleton of a fish. Not unlike Mikau's guitar, of course. The false Zora somehow knew exactly how to hold it and how to position his fingers, a lingering sensation from Mikau, no doubt.
To this, the Zora hatchlings had a more positive result, enthused by the sight of the instrument. As if to help Link along, and despite the water and tank, the baby Zoras each sang the note they represented, giving Link the song needed. The tune was simple and fast, but managed to feel melancholic to the false Zora, though he felt that could also just be his bleak emotional state. Either way, he found his fingers practically moving on their own as he played the song back to the hatchlings, him and the seven babies playing the song in full for Tatl and the baffled scientist.
When the song ended, the Zora hatchlings sank to the bottom of the tank, closing their eyes as they fell asleep. The scientist, still reeling in shock, looked between Link and the baby Zora. "That was…quite fascinating! What a song that was! It needs a name…the…New Wave Bossa Nova…yes…I like the sound of that. But what about you, young man? How did you change that way…?!"
Link had no intention of explaining things, nor did he mind the scientist naming the song, it wasn't even something he would've thought of. "That's not something I can tell you. I need to know what that song was about." If anyone could guess, it'd have to be the old man…
The non-answer put the scientist off a bit, but he sighed and answered after a moment of thought. "I'd say…since these eggs are tied to Lulu, try playing the song for her. Maybe it may help with her predicament. I can only imagine the hit her mood has taken with the loss of her eggs, the song they produced should help her…"
Restore her voice, maybe! Link accepted that as an answer, though he didn't exactly want to see the Zora again. The scientist tried to prompt more answers out of the boy and fairy, but they insisted they'd explain some other time, though they didn't intend to. Tatl even talked the old man into giving them some food as she realized they hadn't eaten for such a long while!
Link sat on the edge of the lab platform, having returned to his human self to eat. The scientist gave some fruits and vegetables he got from Clock Town as well as some sandwiches. The boy didn't want to stop to eat, but Tatl insisted. "So…we'll give Lulu her voice back with that song, maybe. But we still have to find a way of getting to the Temple. The Gerudo mentioned the eggs were the key…so maybe that song will help…"
The boy really didn't want to see Lulu's face again, but if it was going to get them past the Dragon Cloud, he had no choice. "We'll go see her once we finish eating." Honestly, despite the day he had, he wasn't hungry. He didn't feel anything at all, in fact. His entire body was just numb, but he ate anyway to appease Tatl.
"Oh, no! You gotta rest! It's already the late afternoon, in case you couldn't tell." The fairy pointed out, she herself barely having had realized how late it was. Still a good hour or two of sunlight, but still! "I don't want to go out to sea like that at night…"
Link hated the idea too, having seen a picture of the ocean at night in Hyrule Castle. The pitch black waters…just imagining them made his stomach churn. "Where will we sleep?"
"Mikau's room, of course. Just gotta deal with the roommate." Tatl said, hoping Tijo would leave them be. "In the morning, we can play the song for Lulu, and hopefully she can help us get to the Great Bay Temple…"
Lulu…did he really have to see her again? The whole situation felt so wrong to him. Thinking of it further, he had the sense the hatchlings saw him as their father, which he didn't even know how to begin to comprehend. "Alright, that's for the best, I guess." It was hard to imagine what the place would even be like. Woodfall Temple was wooden and forestlike while Snowhead was icy and rocky. The Great Bay Temple wasn't even underwater, so that was out of the equation.
Pushing the thoughts away, Link finished his food alongside Tatl and he became Mikau once more as the two went back to Zora Hall. In Mikau and Tijo's room, Link only then realized he had to sleep in his Zora form. At the very least, the larger Zora promised to be quiet as Link settled into bed, Tatl resting on a nearby desk on top of some papers.
The first thing Link realized as he lied down on Mikau's bed was that the Zoras didn't seem to have clocks in their rooms. It wasn't something he even noticed before, having been in too much of a rush to find out about the seahorse. He'd have no way to tell the time without going outside to check.
Sighing through his nose, Link's mind wandered back to the fisherman's shack. Specifically, how Tatl grew so enraged at the man there for trying to put Link in more danger. He could only think of Navi and how protective she was, especially when Darunia asked Link to put himself at risk. Yes, he was touched that Tatl cared that much about him, but it seemed off to him. Tatl acting like Navi…it just made him miss his old fairy companion even more.
A small part of him wondered if she was actually in Termina this whole time, but he just never came across her by pure chance. There was still one direction he hadn't explored…was it at all possible Navi was that way? He had no idea what laid to the East, but he recalled the unease he felt when gazing in that direction. If it was like that all along that part of this cursed world, he almost hoped Navi wasn't there.
He tried to hope that he'd reunite with his precious friend one day, but a crushing weight on his heart said that would never happen. What surprised him was that didn't even make him sad. He just felt…nothing. A deafening numbness that went from his head to his toes, like the void inside of him caused by Navi's absence was overtaking him. Link didn't even feel tired, it was like he was just floating in empty space. Swallowing heavily, he forced himself to close his eye, knowing he had to get rest…
"Hey! Come on…Mikau…wake up!" Tatl's voice called, tripping over her sentence. Link opened his eye, there being no way for him to tell what time it was. "Hey, it's seven! Come on, let's eat and then go see Lulu." She said the last part quietly, glancing at Tijo, who was in his own bed. The fairy didn't want to risk him overhearing anything he shouldn't.
Link blinked a few times, it really feeling like he had only just closed his eye. Sitting up slowly, the stiffness of his body told him he had been there overnight. "How do you know what time it is?"
"I flew outside, of course. I can fit through keyholes, remember? Lulu is right where she was last time we saw her…I wonder if she ever goes inside at all…" Tatl mused with a frown.
The false Zora stood up and stretched his limbs, going over to his bag to get some breakfast. "I see. Well, let's eat and then go see her." He replied, also speaking quietly as not to stir Tijo. A part of him wondered how it worked when he ate in a transformed state and how it transferred to his usual body. The same way his missing eye was a constant, he supposed.
In any case, the two ate quickly and snuck out of the room. As they approached the back entrance to Zora Hall, Link felt his chest tighten, and he was preparing himself to see the Not Ruto waiting for him. Before Lulu, he had remarkable luck in not seeing anyone in Termina that looked like a Sage…so why now did he encounter such a copy?
When the two went outside, the sun was just barely over the horizon, the Great Bay Temple barely visible from the Dragon Cloud, and the tiny island just off the shore seeming to almost shimmer in the early morning light. Lulu stood in the exact same spot, her gaze down at her feet. At least until she noticed 'Mikau' approaching, prompting her to look up. "…" She gazed at him with a forlorn expression, hands crossed over her chest as her eyes fell upon his missing eye.
Instantly, Link felt his insides turn to ice. No matter what he tried to think, he only saw the Zora before him as Ruto! Her gaze pierced through him, and a small part of him wanted to shove her away, push her into the water just so she'd stop looking at him!
She died because of you. Ruto died. It was your fault. Rudo died! You should have helped her. RUTO DIED!
"Hey, Mikau, play the song." Tatl urged in Link's ear, not sure what he was waiting for. "Come on, she's waiting for you!"
Link snapped out of his thoughts, finding comfort in Tatl's voice. Not that it stopped his distress entirely, but it was enough for him to summon his guitar. Without saying a word, he found his hands seeming to move on their own as the New Wave Bossa Nova filled the early morning air. As the notes floated to the heavens, Lulu's eyes widened, and she gripped her throat. Not in pain, but in shock!
After a moment, the female Zora began to sing along with Link. Wordless vocalizations that danced across the water and to the horizon. As the duet went on, something shifted underwater! The tiny island began to shift and rise, startling the boy and fairy as they turned to look at what was emerging, Link stopping his playing as he took a step back from the shore.
To their shock, it was the head of a large sea turtle, its flippers showing moments later. It was clear that the island wasn't what it seemed and was actually the shell of the massive turtle before them! To their further surprise, the turtle opened its mouth and spoke! "Mmm…! Ah, I slept quite well, yes!" The massive creature said in a low, soothing voice.
"Wh…Who are you?!" Tatl asked, half-hiding behind Link's head. The turtle didn't seem dangerous, but she was still pretty startled by its appearance!
"Hm…? My name is unimportant." The turtle declared, its focus on Lulu more than anyone else. "It is good to see your voice has returned, Lulu."
The female Zora's eyes widened, a sense of familiarity in her gaze. It seemed she knew just what the turtle was. "How did you know…?" She asked, her speaking voice exactly the same as Ruto when she was an adult. Just hearing it made Link have to suppress a shudder.
"You should know that I see everything that goes on in these waters. As for you…" The turtle turned its large head to Link. "We have need of your assistance. Climb onto my back, I will take you to the Great Bay Temple! That accursed cloud around it will not impede me!" As it said this, it lowered its head, using it and its neck as a bridge of sorts to its shell.
Link saw no reason not to trust the turtle. It was clear the song summoned it, and Lulu wasn't fearful of it at all. Without a word, he crossed onto its shell, Tatl following him as the aquatic deity turned and swam towards the distant Temple. The false Zora heard Lulu say something, but he blocked her out. "We appreciate you helping us." The boy said, standing near the front of the turtle's shell.
"My…I never expected things to get this bad." Mused the god. "Even my sleeps were troubled by this murky water. But I know you can cleanse the ocean, Link." He glanced back to see Link reacting in surprise at his words. "As I said, there is nothing that happens in these waters that escapes my sight, even when I slumber. I know your name and that you wear the spirit of Mikau upon your face. I doubt Lulu can see us anymore, so you may as well return to your true form."
The boy couldn't help but be reminded of The Great Deku Tree, and how he could see everything that went on within the Lost Woods. It dawned on Link that the turtle was a minor god of sorts. His opinion on deities was strained to say the least, but he kept his thoughts to himself as he took off the Zora Mask and returned to normal. "So, you can really get through the Dragon Cloud?"
"Do you doubt me?" The turtle asked, more amused than insulted. "That is no issue for me. Though the same can't be said for them." As it spoke, it nodded its head at three boats that were ahead of them, approaching the Dragon Cloud. They were small vessels with about ten Gerudo on each one! Their leader and her advisor were notably present, the women headed straight for the Temple!
Link felt like he should warn them of the danger, but before he could open his mouth, the vessels hit the edge of the barrier. Instantly, the boats and their inhabitants were swept in the air, the women all screaming out as they were carried higher and higher into the air. Once they reached the top of the Dragon Cloud, they were tossed in all directions, hitting the water violently on the way down. "Are we going to help them…?!" The boy asked, the cloud's roar forcing him to speak up as they got closer to it.
"I see no reason to, after all they've done!" The turtle scoffed, his gentle tone allowing a bit of hostility to bleed in. "I will do nothing to aid them! Now hold on, things will get windy!"
Despite how nasty they were, Link felt bad for the Gerudo, spotting a few frantically swimming back to shore and some others floating motionless on the water's surface. There was nothing he could do, the currents too much even for his Zora form. In any case, he did as asked, using the Hookshot as a way to cling to one of the trees on the turtle's back. Tatl, meanwhile, flew into his tunic to shield herself.
As the three approached the Dragon Cloud, its roar grew louder as wind and water sprays slapped Link in the face, forcing him to squint. He braced himself as the turtle entered the barrier. True to its word, the deity was able to somehow remain on the water's surface as he swam through as Link held onto the Hookshot with one hand and used his other to keep his hat from blowing away. Even if he screamed at the top of his lungs, he was sure the turtle wouldn't be able to hear him, so he just focused on keeping his grip. After a full minute of angry, roaring winds and swirling water, the three emerged on the other side of the barrier unharmed! Link was soaked to the bone, as was Tatl, but they were otherwise okay. The turtle laughed, somehow amused by what just happened.
At long last, the Great Bay Temple came into proper view. To Link's surprise, it was a massive fish made of metal! It even had eyes and a mouth as it partially breached from the water. What exactly was keeping it afloat was a mystery, and there was also a large opening beneath the mouth into the main part of the Temple. From this entrance spewed a dark sensation which was paired with the smell of rotting fish. The sight of the unnatural mockery of a fish made Link feel sick to his stomach for reasons he couldn't quite explain…
Without hesitation or any word of warning, the turtle swam inside the gaping maw, Link and Tatl bracing themselves for what was inside.
A/N: A much longer chapter than usual, and I apologize for that. I realized that I didn't have enough material to split this into two chapters without adding a lot of fluff, which I didn't want to do. I really want to get the Great Bay Temple done since this part of the story had a huge divergence with Link's missing eye and everything. Even skipped the Pictograph bit, though I would have no matter what since there was no way Tatl was ever going to let Link go back to the fortress unless it was totally necessary. I also realized the Deep Python's couldn't do much fighting, being giant snaked with no way of fighting aside from biting, and fighting more than one of them would've been repetitive. That's why that segment was so short, mainly.
Either way, glad to finally be tackling another Temple next chapter, crazy how it's already the penultimate one, not counting Ikana Castle as it's just a mini-dungeon.