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Chapter Text

BOOK I – RESUMPTION

"You are already leaving this land of Hyrule, aren't you?"

The boy found it hard to meet her eyes. I'm not answering that, he thought. I don't know what she expects me to say.

The two of them stood outside of the great, stone wall that surrounded the castle's bustling marketplace, on the drawbridge that connected it to the seemingly endless, rolling hills of Hyrule Field. The sun hid behind the gloom of the cloudy midday, and the soft wind gently danced through the air. Zelda's summer dress hardly stirred.

He looked to his horse. The small, young steed, her brown coat and short white mane blowing in the gentle breeze, stood beside him patiently. He fiddled with the green fabric of his tunic. What is she hoping for? That I'll change my mind?

"Even though it was only a short time, I feel like I've known you forever," Zelda continued. He restrained himself from reminding her that they had known each other for much longer, in a future she would never know existed. He was renowned as the Hero of Time; he'd traveled forward seven years to vanquish a great evil, sealing it away across all ages.

That peaceful period following his return to the present had just ended. Now he was on a personal quest, to find a lost friend. His sword and shield were once again clad on his back, ready to protect himself from danger.

"I'll never forget the days we spent together in Hyrule, Link," Zelda added. "And I believe in my heart that a day will come when we'll meet again. Until that day comes, please, take this." Link watched Zelda outstretch her hand, palm up, to show a deep-sea blue ocarina resting there.

"I... I can't...," started Link.

"I am praying... I am praying that your journey be a safe one," she interrupted.

"I can't take that from you," persisted Link, pushing her hand back against her chest. "It's the Royal Family's. It's yours. It can't help me anymore."

"But it will. I believe that it's been kept in our family this long so that one day, it would find its way to you. Please, take it. If something should happen to you, it might come to your aid again."

He took the Ocarina of Time back into his hands; he'd sealed the wicked sorcerer away through its power. "Do you remember the Song of Time?" she asked. "The Goddess of Time helped you last time you were in trouble."

"Yes," answered Link grimly, slipping the ocarina into its usual pocket on his belt. There was a long moment of silence, and both of them merely stood together in it. Then, Link gave Zelda a small, weak smile, and turned to his horse. "Come on, Epona."

He led the young horse by the reins away from the princess... Hyrule... the ranch... home for the two of them. The horse looked back and forth between the two youths, confused at the moment of silence that prevailed. Link and Epona had only gone a few steps when Zelda broke it.

"Link," she called out once more.

Link stopped short, wondering if he should even turn around; it would be less painful if he kept walking.

He found the urge irresistible.

Zelda, at a loss for words, quickly found them. "Please don't forget me. Don't forget Hyrule. You'll come back, won't you?"

Link didn't answer at first. "I promise." And then he threw himself over Epona's back, and the two rode off toward the mountains, leaving Zelda behind on the drawbridge.

A sore back opened Link's eyes from his dream-infested sleep; the forest floor wasn't comfortable. He laid against a tall, strong tree, underneath the leaves' canopy of darkness. I can't tell if it's night or day, he thought.

His long, funnel-shaped hat was still up against the tree when he sat up, serving as his pillow. The ocarina rested in his left hand. Zelda, Link remembered. This ocarina and Epona were now the only two relics of his life in Hyrule, and he vowed to never let either leave his sight.

Link stood up, brushing the dirty lower half of his tunic as he got to his feet. He looked around in the misty darkness of the uncharted forest, wondering how much longer he would be traveling through it. He'd left Hyrule by crossing over Death Mountain, which he knew made up the northern border, and was now attempting to battle nature on the other side.

Link opened a small bag of Deku nuts on his belt and popped a few into his mouth, going over to pet Epona, who had also just awoken. He stroked the white stripe running along her nose. "Hey girl. Did you sleep well?"

Epona buzzed her lips in response, bending her head away from his hand to the bucket at the base of the tree she was reined to. The pail was now void of water, so Link picked it up and walked to the small stream they'd rested beside.

As Link bent to fill it, he heard a familiar noise behind him. It was a sort of twinkling, chime-like sound that faded quickly, but it was also filled with some characteristic of life. He spun around on his feet, dropping the pail of water and letting it spill back into the stream. "Navi?"

However, nothing was there. Link looked back and forth in search of the noise, even rounding the trees circling his small camp to see if anything was flying away. His small flame of hope died.

"Come on, Epona," Link said, walking over to her reins with a sudden urge to start moving again. He felt like they were on the verge of some great discovery. Epona, however, whined in protest when he began to untie her, and Link remembered that he hadn't watered her. "Sorry, I forgot."

Link quickly filled the pail and put it in front of Epona to drink, slipping his hat back over his blonde head. He had no need to keep the other various items on his belt while he had his horse. While passing through Goron City, he'd bought several bags to tie around the saddle. The only things he made sure to carry on his person were his ocarina, sword, shield, and the Deku nuts, which served the dual purpose of food and weapons.

He thought about the twinkling noise when he mounted his horse, but eventually decided that he must have imagined it.

Link once again found himself riding alone through the misty forest, in its mysterious, lifeless darkness. The only noises to echo through the forest were Epona's footsteps on harsh, twig infested grass. They pushed on, nonetheless, no true destination in mind.

Thomp... thomp... thomp... thomp...

The horse's footsteps kept their rhythmic tempo, and Link felt his head bobbing with it. His eyes grew heavier.

"The Great Deku Tree wants to talk to you! Link, get up!"

"I don't want to," said Link, going further into his half-sleep. The first time he'd ever met Navi replayed in his memory. Epona trudged forever onward through the forest as her master fell asleep. "I'm... I'm... too tired... I had a bad dream."

"Hey! C'mon! Can Hyrule's destiny really depend on such a lazy boy?"

"What do you mean... Hyrule's..."

"Link, get up!"

"Navi, I can't..."

"Link, get up!"

Suddenly, Epona whined loudly and reared up on her hind legs, and Link's eyes shot open in surprise. He instinctively grasped for his horse's reins, but his fingertips barely missed them. He fell, plummeting backward to the ground.

In the distance, he swore he heard a sickening snapping sound cut cleanly through the air. He let out a scream as the back of his head slammed into hard-packed dirt. He rolled over on his stomach, as the world spun and blurred. His head throbbed painfully.

"You two fairies did great! I wonder if he has anything good on him."

The voice was distant and unrecognizable in his small amount of consciousness left; he tried to get to his feet but could barely move. He heard the stranger speaking, small footsteps shuffling to where he laid on the ground. The attacker's foot was suddenly underneath him, flipping Link over onto his back.

The dizziness returned, and he looked up at the highwayman with blurred vision. Its face appeared heart-shaped, spikes coming from its top and bottom. Whoever it was, the assailant wasn't very tall, boasting old, frayed clothing. A large, witch-like straw hat adorned its head. Link's vision cleared as the person - if it was a human - rummaged through the items on his belt. Link smiled to himself when he remembered that he'd put most of his belongings on his horse. The only two things he had on his belt were his Deku nuts and his...

Something was removed from a pocket, and the thief waddled away.

"Ooh, ooh! What a pretty ocarina. Hey, Skull Kid, lemme touch it! I wanna see!"

Link's eyes shot open when he heard the thief blow into his ocarina, producing horrible, screeching noises from the obviously inexperienced player. Someone else, no... two other people, one female, one male. He's not alone. They were chatting, disregarding the boy they'd knocked over. Link regained the strength to stand, turning to face them.

He realized that the boy and girl accompanying the heart-faced thing were fairies. The little, glowing balls of light had only their small wings visible from the true sprite within. One was a dark purple, the boy, while the female one... was a familiar white shade. He knew this couldn't be Navi, however, and kept his expression of anger. The fairies noticed him first, each freezing in fear. The thief was facing away from him, still laughing and messing with the ocarina. However, the thief noticed that the fun and games were over when the fairies stopped moving.

The thing turned around slowly and let out a gasp when it saw Link. It looked down at the ocarina in its hand, then back up at the well-armed adventurer. Quickly, the thief put it behind its back, foolishly attempting to hide it. Link's expression was stone, not moving or twitching in the slightest at its attempt at humor.

He realized that the thing's face was not heart-shaped, but that it wore a heart-shaped mask. The spikes on the top and bottom were merely a part of the face piece. The mask was purple overall, but red where the nose and mouth would be and green at the cheeks. The eyes, however, stood out the most. They were wide, perfectly circular orange orbs with a green iris. They stared, unmoving and unblinking, drawing him inward. Link tried his best to avoid their hypnotic effect.

The creature wearing it was a skull child. They were playful, mischievous creatures, and he knew that it probably thought robbing Link was a game. He has no idea what he's tainting with, Link thought. Not only a powerful memory, but an instrument that once bent time to its will. The thief continued to stand there, trying its best to appear inquisitively innocent from behind the mask, unsuccessfully hiding the ocarina behind his back.

Link waited... waiting for something to happen, for the fairies to move, or for the Skull Kid with the mask to. Epona watched in the background silently, clued into the tension. Guess I'll make the first move. Link put his foot back to keep his balance as softly as he could. Then, he lunged.

Just before Link grabbed him, the Skull Kid flew skyward, and the fairies followed. Link's hands only grabbed air, and he fought to keep his balance after he missed. He failed, falling onto his face. He scrambled back to his feet when he realized where the Skull Kid had landed: on Epona.

Epona reared angrily at the unknown creature on her back, and the Skull Kid laughed in delight, grasping the reins tightly. Epona neighed loudly and took off through the forest, trying her best to throw the Skull Kid off, while the two different-colored fairies followed the thief on his new horse.

"Epona!" Link ran after his only companion. His sword and shield were latched tightly to his back, while the Deku nut sack swayed back and forth on his belt. Epona fought savagely against the control of the Skull Kid; the fairies were unable to influence events further but to follow.

"Come on, you... stupid horse!" exclaimed the Skull Kid, sounding like a young boy as he kicked Epona in the sides. The horse reeled back toward her true master, and Link took the opportunity to dive after her, grabbing onto the saddle before Epona went too far past. He held on as tightly as he could, dragged by the running horse.

"Get off!" exclaimed the Skull Kid. "You're ruining my fun!"

Link's hands were slipping from the saddle as Epona continued through the wilderness, weaving in between tree after tree, narrowly missing each and every stump. Link tried his best to hold on while keeping his legs in the air. His skin caught on the ground, tearing a long, slender cut into his leg. It bled, but Link merely squeezed his eyes shut and held himself closer and tighter toward his horse. I'm not letting him take you.

"Get off!" screamed the Skull Kid again, when something hit Link in the face. He almost let go of Epona, and looked up to see the Skull Kid reaching into his bags and throwing bombs at him. The imp had no way of lighting them in the high-speed horse ride, but the bombs themselves made great projectiles. Link was bombarded with a constant stream of unlit explosives.

"Stop!" was all Link could scream amidst the chaos.

The Skull Kid obeyed, looking down at Link curiously; Epona continued onward in a panic. The Skull Kid tilted his head to the side, as if not quite understanding what Link had said. Then, he laughed. Link's face boiled with anger, but his grip was slipping and there was nothing he could do.

The Skull Kid turned to the front and reined Epona to the right. She stumbled in that direction, and Link's lower body caught on the next tree stump. Link spun off his horse, trying desperately to grab onto something before he fell too far. His hands only met the new bags he'd bought from Goron City, and his momentum pulled them from the saddle.

Link hit the ground hard, rolling several feet before coming to a stop. The bags landed beside him, and the possessions within rolled out onto the grass. Link laid there for only a moment in shock, and then he got to his feet despite the soreness, with blood staining half his left leg.

Link ran for Epona without a second thought, not stopping to tend to his wound, or to pick up the numerous possessions that had fallen out. The only thing he needed was his sword, which he drew from the scabbard on his back, taking the Hylian shield into his right hand and charging tirelessly for his stead. Link did not stumble or falter, but Epona was too fast, and the Skull Kid and two fairies only got further away.

Link continued running nonetheless, knowing they'd have to stop eventually. Sweat broke out on his forehead when he started panting; his sore back urged him to stop. Eventually, Epona came to the underside of a cliff, whose wall of soil was broken by a large hole, and the Skull Kid drove her into its darkness and out of sight. Why would he go into a cave? the boy thought. Link knew if it led to a dead end, then he'd be able to fight them.

He was at the hole soon after, and Link charged inside without pausing. He plunged into absolute darkness and was quick to realize just how long the underground tunnel went. He continued onward, until the next step did not meet hard-packed soil. This particular step met thin air, and there was no recovering from his lunge off the hidden ledge. Link plunged downward into unknown depths.

He soon lost his stomach, letting out a scream as he fell further blindly. Link's breath didn't last long, and then he fell without sound, descending deeper into the chasm. Then, an entirely new feeling filled him. Visions flashed across his mind, and he saw an endless procession of faces and events played out before him over and over. He saw them repetitively - the same things, the same people, the same actions, as if he'd entered some loop that never ended, repeating back to the beginning every time.

The feeling intensified, until it was a part of him. It was still there, but now he had been forced to accept it and call it his own, never again to be rid of it. The entire time he continued spinning through the air, and then...

He stopped falling.

Chapter Text

Link lay on his hands and knees. He watched his fingers flex over the handle of his blade, fallen on the ground. I'm alive, he thought in disbelief. How am I still alive? There were enormous petals beneath him; he'd landed on a massive flower. Link stood, bringing his sword and shield into his hands.

The flower's large surface was soft and flat, and the hole at its center was wide enough for his foot to slip into. The flower was rooted at the base of an even larger puddle of water, directly beneath the deep chasm. The ceiling was nonexistent; the dirt walls stretched upward into infinite darkness. I fell for so long, he thought. How did a flower break my fall?

A light blinded him, ripping his attention away from the hole above. He shielded his eyes at first, eventually dropping his hands to find the imp: the Skull Kid with the mask. He levitated across the pond in between two torches now crackling with life. His mask hid all facial expressions, arms folded across his chest in relaxation. The purple and white fairies were on either side of him, watching the events with what might've been regret. Link didn't see Epona anywhere.

"What's with that stupid horse of yours?" asked the Skull Kid, losing his playful tone of voice. The words were now icy and sharp. "It doesn't listen to a word that's said to it. There's no point in riding a thing like that, so I did you a favor and got rid of it." He chuckled, appearing barely able to stifle uncontrollable laughter.

Link couldn't believe his ears. Epona? Dead? "You...," began Link, but he couldn't find the words. Suddenly, his fear turned to anger, and his hand firmly gripped the handle of his sword.

His face must have expressed this because the imp laughed again. "Aww, boo-hoo. Why the sad face? I just thought I'd have a little fun with you."

"A little fun?" exclaimed Link angrily, holding his sword up and pointing it at the imp. He stood firmly on the flower in the middle of the puddle, ready to fight. "You killed Epona!"

"Killed-?" inquired the Skull Kid, arms still folded, floating comfortably on some invisible bed. "I never said that."

"You got rid of her!" said Link. "She was the last person I had from home, and you took her from me!"

The Skull Kid laughed, though the two fairies merely floated beside him silently. "It's just a stupid horse!" he exclaimed.

"Shut up!" Link yelled, cutting his sword across the empty air threateningly.

Instantly, the imp froze. All traces of humor were gone. "Oh, come now. Do you really think you can beat me as I am now? Fool!"

Link's first instinct was to move forward, but the Skull Kid reacted first. He rocked his head from side-to-side, his mask sizzling with a vibrant spectrum of colors. The blues, yellows, purples, and greens worked their way toward him, as the magic of the Skull Kid filled the room. The air surrounding Link grew heavy as the spell's grip tightened. He thrust his head upward to gasp for air, but then everything went black.

He stood in a vast, empty space, filled only with the sound of coarse leaves bristling against each other, swaying. He recognized the sound instantly: Deku scrubs. Link ran from the noise, but soon it was everywhere, everything. The little wooden creatures were covered in red leaves that cascaded from the top of their heads to their mid-sections. They were child-sized and stick-like atop two twiggy legs. Long, wooden snouts protruded below their glowing orange eyes. They were a head shorter than Link, but he was vastly outnumbered. He stood no chance against the army of Deku scrubs.

Link tried to sprint away, but they closed him off, surrounding him with the rustling of leaves. He covered his ears and closed his eyes, but he was unable to end the madness. He let out a loud scream... and then it stopped.

The Skull Kid was there again, still levitating luxuriously with his arms across his chest; the two fairies remained floating by his side. Link was unable to read their expressions. He went to take a step forward, but when he did, he felt... his hands. His sword and shield were no longer there, but that wasn't the problem. His hands were made of wood.

He held them in front of his eyes only to find that his whole arm had changed. His appendages were now made of moist, flexible bark, more like the trunk of a sapling than a full-grown tree. Link looked past his hands to see that his torso also bore the same texture, bare of any shirt; his tunic was gone. All that remained was a green pair of shorts. His legs and feet were just as wooden as the rest of his body. Link hesitantly peered over the petals of the flower into the pond's reflection.

He screamed a high-pitched wail. It sounded like it belonged to a young, defenseless animal – which was true. The Skull Kid's spell had turned him into a Deku scrub.

A hollow, open-ended snout and glowing eyes stared back at him from the water. Instead of long, red leaves cascading down to his waist, he only had a crop of blonde hair. It hardly covered his forehead, just like in his human form. His funnel-shaped hat still adorned his head, but it now ran the length of his entire body.

Link trembled in disbelief, his smaller heart thumping wildly in its wood-like chest. He stumbled back onto the flower and collapsed to his new knees. I've been cursed! he realized.

The Skull Kid laughed uncontrollably, hardly able to keep himself airborne as he pointed childishly. "Now, that's a good look for you!" he exclaimed, floating backward toward the hard dirt wall enclosing the cavern. "You'll stay here looking that way forever!" The resolute wall slid open as if obeying the Skull Kid, revealing a secret passage. The purple fairy wordlessly followed the imp, but the white fairy didn't seem to notice. Instead, she stared at the screaming Deku scrub on the flower, appearing transfixed.

Link looked up from his fit of despair and saw the Skull Kid and purple fairy escaping. He ran after them, tripping in his new body that was almost the same size as his new head.

He splashed into the water. Link struggled to get to his tiny feet, but his legs could barely support him. He'd forgotten the white fairy was even there until she flew into his head repeatedly, knocking him back to the ground. She proceeded to stick her tongue out, which was hardly visibly from within her bright ball of light. Appearing satisfied, the fairy turned back to return to the Skull Kid.

However, she was too late. The imp and purple fairy were both already in the passageway, and the dark wizard obliviously flew backward, still laughing maniacally. The purple fairy turned around just in time to see her. "S-s... Sis!" he exclaimed. The large, dirt door slid back into place, cutting them off from each other.

The white fairy scrambled for the blank wall. "Whoa! Whoa!" she screamed, trying to get her voice through the door. "Skull Kid, wait for me! I'm still here! Tael, you can't leave without me!" She paused for a second, waiting for an answer, but when none came, she began banging on its surface.

Link's arms shook when he tried to sit up again. He was still in shock, a numb mind and a foreign body leaving him without any strength. He managed to stand after stumbling a few times, fighting against his disproportionately large, dizzy head. Link made a noise that he assumed would've been a scoff or a sigh in his human form, but it came out as a high-pitched squeak. He looked up just in time to see the white fairy – so closely resembling Navi that it pained him – ceasing to bounce against the secret doorway.

The fairy's wings drooped in dismay when the door didn't open. However, her wings were quick to pucker back up when she noticed Link was still there. "You!" she exclaimed. All it took was that voice, which was in many ways unlike Navi's, for his anger to return. He felt his cheeks would be flushing bright red, his sword drawn at this fairy's sheer nerve. Since Link's facial expressions were limited as a Deku scrub, he was forced to resort to clenching his weak, stick-like fists as tightly as he could, narrowing his eyes.

The fairy stopped flying an inch from his face. Link's orange eyes did not waver in their threatening stare. "If I wasn't dealing with you, I wouldn't have gotten separated from my brother!" exclaimed the fairy. Seriously?! Link thought. He couldn't find any words to address her mindless aggression. "Well, don't just sit there, Deku boy! Do something! ... Why are you looking at me like that? What, is there something stuck on my face? Will you stop staring and just open that door for me?"

Link responded with what might have once been a battle cry; it came out sounding like a wailing cat on its deathbed. He tried to grab her – planning to squeeze the life out of the fairy – but she narrowly avoided his wooden grasp. Link recovered from the dive and turned to charge at the fairy again. She avoided him easily by flying above the Deku scrub's limited reach. Link jumped up and down angrily, shaking his head in frustration and wailing.

He took in another deep breath to speak, but all that came out of his open-ended snout was nonsense. Link tried again, but the rims of his new mouth were not nearly as flexible as his lips had been. "Raing!" was all Link could get out. He shouted for a little longer and then gave up, collapsing to the floor in dismay. Link sat there, staring at his unfamiliar, monstrous reflection at the edge of the pond.

"Is your temper tantrum finally over?" asked the white fairy, daring to flutter closer to him. Link didn't even try responding and kept staring at himself instead. He felt a tear trickle along his cheek, tickling slightly as it ran across the rough texture of his new skin. Link wiped it away with a balled fist, whimpering. "C'mon. A helpless, little girl is asking you. So hurry up!"

Link took his time summoning the willpower to stand. He walked somberly over to the wall with his head hanging low. It was hard not to trip; it would take some time getting used to this new body.

Link ran his tiny hands up and down the dirt wall, as far as his little arms could reach. "You have to pull that notch over there!" called out the fairy, flying to join him. "It's too heavy for me to get." She hovered over a portion of the wall that looked slightly out of place.

Link grabbed the odd piece of soil pulled on it. It slid out of place to reveal a hidden groove. The wall reacted by unlatching with the hard-packed earth, forming a separate door. However, it did not slide open smoothly as it had for the Skull Kid.

Link bent down and put his fingers underneath the opening, pulling as hard as he could to slide it upward. His weak Deku arms could hardly accomplish it, but he somehow managed to get it wide enough to squeeze through, letting it slam shut behind him... but not before the fairy flew into the dark tunnel with him.

The Deku scrub didn't acknowledge the fairy and began his journey through the narrow tunnel of dirt and rock. He hardly made it a few steps before he heard a familiar twinkling sound. It was the same one every fairy made while flying, a pair of chimes drifting through the air. "Hey, wait for me! Don't leave me behind!"

The fairy flew directly in front of his face to stop him from walking. Link did just that, narrowing his eyes and making another odd Deku scrub noise. She took a deep breath from within the comfort of her small radius of light before speaking. "So, um... That stuff back there...," she stammered, "I... um... apologize, so... So take me with you!"

Link, once again amazed at her stupidity, almost attacked her again. "Wait!" she exclaimed, sensing his aggression. Link held back his urge to swat her against the wall. "You wanna know about that Skull Kid who just ran off, right? Well, I just so happen to have an idea of where he might be going. Take me with you, and I'll help you out. Deal? Please?"

She can't be serious, Link thought. Though, he was in no position to turn down assistance right now. He was a defenseless, young Deku scrub, lost in an unfamiliar land with no weapons or friends. The only things that kept him going were his promises to Epona and to never let his ocarina out of sight. Link had no choice but to agree. Even though he'd rather tell her to get lost, despite his inability to speak.

Link nodded. The fairy leapt in excitement. "Good!" she exclaimed, bobbing up and down at a happy tempo. "Then it's settled. I'll be your partner. Or at least until we catch that Skull Kid. My name's Tatl. So, uh, it's nice to meet you or whatever."

"I oo ont awk!" squeaked Link incoherently.

"Uh, what?" asked the white fairy. Tatl, as she'd called herself. "Scrub got your tongue?"

Link shook his head angrily. Focus, he told himself. "I... sh-ffff... oo...you...d-d...on...ch...stalk!"

"I don't think that's getting you anywhere," commented Tatl dryly. "Try talking from your... um... not your mouth, or something... your throat? I think what's making it hard is..." Link raised another irritated squeak in response.

"Um, listen, kid," said Tatl. "You've clearly got some anger issues, and I don't know your name –"

"Ink," he interrupted.

"Ink, huh?"

"Ah!" protested Link, becoming his de facto 'no.'

"Or whatever it is. I think we'd better get going if you want to get your stuff back. Who knows what he'll do with it if we don't."

Link almost protested further, but he didn't. There's no way I'm going to figure anything out by screaming. We've got to get out of this tunnel. One thing out a time.

"Now that we've got all that straightened out, can we stop messing around and get moving? I'll try and help you as much as I can. I'm not really all that familiar with this place either." This 'place?' Link thought. There would be time for questions – hopefully. For now, he nodded with his large, wooden head and continued walking through the dark tunnel.

It was nearly impossible to see in this tight, underground cave. If it weren't for Tatl's light bouncing off the walls, he'd be groping blindly. Link awkwardly progressed through the tunnel that became more cave-like as they went. Its floor was cool against his bare feet, and Tatl flew alongside him to light the way. His ancient-looking toes trod carefully on the uneven ground.

Link couldn't help but feel a faint sense of excitement. His mind quickly flashed back to trekking through underground tunnels with Navi. No, he corrected quickly. It's too soon to be thinking like that. This fairy was much more annoying than Navi had ever been. The Skull Kid could always just be around the next corner, which would end this whole expedition in a sour confrontation.

"Stop!" exclaimed Tatl. Link froze. Obliviously, he had almost gone right over the edge of another massive crater of death. "Do you ever pay attention when you're walking?" Link, after catching his balance at the edge of the cliff, looked over at Tatl accusingly. "Don't look at me! You're the one who walks like..." A baby, Link finished in his head, even though she'd stopped. Tatl must have realized that he was practically a newborn, given the current circumstances. "Well, that doesn't matter. Just don't go and kill yourself until after I find my brother."

Link scanned the edges of the crater for possible routes across. The small, narrow tunnel he'd been journeying through opened into a massive ditch. The floor of the tunnel sloped into it steeply, as if some landslide had occurred years ago. Signs of an ancient bridge were visible, though the debris now consisted of cracked and shattered stone. Regardless, the walls surrounding the ditch were too sloped to use as a way around, and he was too small to jump across.

"It must suck not being able to fly," commented Tatl, who hovered over the wide ditch easily. It must suck not being able to open doors, thought Link sourly, wishing more than anything that he could speak. "I don't know how you're going to cross." Link didn't either; the only thing other than dirt and stone was a remnant of another soft, flat flower. It was exactly like the one he'd landed on just minutes ago.

"You're a Deku scrub!" exclaimed Tatl suddenly, flying back to Link's face excitedly. Really? I hadn't noticed. "You can use the Deku flower over there to hover across!" Link looked aside at the large flower. He's seen Deku scrubs sleep and attack from the inside of those plants. "Go ahead and try it." Tatl floated beside it, beckoning him eagerly to get a move on.

Link waddled over to the flower and stared at it cluelessly. How do I use it? he thought. The large stigma was wide enough for him to squeeze into, but it was so loose and wet that it would take hours. "Go on. Don't be shy. We don't exactly have all day here," persisted Tatl. Link glared at her before stepping to the edge of the living flower's hole.

He stuck his foot out tentatively, but as soon as he placed it on the wet, mushy base, his foot slid right into place, becoming a part of the flower. It felt natural, easy, and right, as if it were made for him. Link quickly put his other foot inside, and with no effort at all, he slid his whole body into the plant. Link instinctively spiraled into its depths like a corkscrew. His snout was soon the only part of him outside, sticking straight up. "Whoa!" exclaimed Tatl. "How'd you do that?"

Link didn't respond, at peace now with his body and the flower. Even though his eyes were inside of the moist, comfortable plant, he felt his surroundings perfectly. Now one with the ground, even the tiniest vibrations were visible. It was perfect; Link could not remember a time he'd been more content in his human body.

"Don't get too comfortable!" exclaimed Tatl, after Link didn't say or do anything for a good minute or two. "We need to..." Before she could finish her sentence, Link mentally sighed, releasing his comfortable corkscrew position.

He shot upward at a frightening speed from the depths of the flower. His whole body was free within a second, and he reached for something to stop himself. His hands grabbed onto the stems of smaller flowers surrounding the larger one. His momentum ripped them from the ground and carried them into the air with him.

Tatl watched in astonishment as Link flew, a small flower in each of his hands. When he reached the peak of his ascent, the flowers opened up like parachutes. The wind gracefully turned the petals; the flowery propellers kept him steady in the air. Link, his feet dangling from his newfound height, squeaked with excitement. He was in the air for only a few seconds before Tatl caught on, flying to hover beside him. "Hurry, before you fall! Go to the other side!"

Link kicked his feet to push himself in a different direction. Very slowly, he turned to face the ditch. He pushed himself forward, gliding over as the petals twirled on either side. Once he was halfway across, the petals threatened to give out. Clearly, they couldn't hold his light, wooden body for long.

Just before he reached the edge, the petals surrendered. The delicate, pink propellers collapsed inward. Link plummeted like a rock, letting go of the stems and slamming onto the other side of the hole. He quickly pulled himself off the ledge and scrambled to his feet, panting.

Tatl slowly made her way back to the Deku scrub; Link smiled when he looked back up at her, still struggling to catch his breath. His little chest heaved in and out. I did it, he thought. I made it across. Expecting some sort of praise or astonishment, all Link got was: "Flying's a lot easier."

His smile instantly faded, but he stopped himself from getting angry again. Don't even give her the satisfaction.

Snap!

"Ow!" exclaimed Tatl. The twig Link had pulled back smacked the fairy in the face. "Watch what you're doing!" Link squeaked an apology, trudging up the inclined ramp. It was only the twelfth time he'd 'accidentally' hit her.

The tunnel had continued on for quite a while; the dirt eventually gave way to a stone floor. Though it was covered in overgrowth and decaying, it was a promising sign that civilization wasn't that much further. The dirt tunnel began squaring off, turning into an ancient, narrow hallway that slanted uphill. The thick brush was difficult to venture through, and the Deku scrub never missed an opportunity to 'not notice' the fairy as he pushed debris aside.

It was no easy journey. The brush constantly caught on him, tearing scratches into his oddly textured skin and getting himself stuck.

"I bet it was so much easier to get through here before the Skull Kid wrecked this place," explained Tatl. Link turned in her direction. She's trying to start a conversation, he thought. It was the first time she'd done that since getting him to follow her. He took advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime moment and looked up at the fairy in a gesture to continue. "He's been so reckless. I bet he doesn't even realize how much he's hurting everyone with his evil, little pranks." Evil, little pranks? Link thought. That seems to be putting it mildly. "Hey, look!"

Link pushed the large bundle of thick-rooted plants out of his way to see what lay ahead. It was a petrified Deku scrub, right where the hallway finally leveled out. The scrub appeared grown into the ground, its legs becoming roots and its arms and legs becoming tree branches. The only thing that distinguished it from a tree was its long snout and glowing eyes. The corpse or statue stared back at them with a profound sadness.

"It looks all dark and gloomy," Tatl said, "almost like it could start crying any second now. How sad." Link paused for a moment to look at it too, pulled out of his trance when the fairy called him to continue walking. Nothing we can do for it now. His own troubles made it easy to push that gloomy figure from his mind.

The hallway's brush became thinner and sparser as the dead Deku scrub was left further behind. Link, used to only hearing their footsteps and rustling through plantlife, noticed a different sound. Is that water? "Do you hear that?" asked Tatl, catching on too. "That's gotta be the clock tower. I knew we were almost there!" Tatl flew ahead of Link and left him behind in partial darkness. But not complete darkness, he realized. That meant they were nearing the exit.

Link ran toward the water, no longer worrying about stumbling in darkness or over thick roots. One foot after another, the walls of the hallway whizzed by, with Tatl slowing down to let him catch up. His footsteps echoed against the solid stone floor, no longer meeting grass.

The sound of the water hammered in his ears as the last stretch of hallway presented itself. He slowed down to take his final steps, but that feeling returned – the one that accompanied him as he fell through the dark hole. It felt like a trap, some endless cycle. It was a part of him, as it had been during his descent, and he felt pain in his chest as he walked toward the hallway's exit. The room started spinning, and Link stopped walking when he swayed on his feet.

"What's wrong?" asked Tatl. I'm gonna vomit, Link thought. The room kept spinning; he stumbled into the wall on the other side of the hallway. "Hey, snap out of it! We're finally there!" Link, leaning on the wall now, tried to look up at the exit in the spinning madness. He took in a deep breath and plunged through the uncertainty. The moment he and Tatl exited the underground tunnel, the sickness stopped. As if adding to this finality, a large, stone door slid into place, preventing Link or Tatl from going back.

"You okay?" asked Tatl. Link nodded, shaking the last of the queasiness out of his stomach. She seemed slightly phased herself, but the spinning had affected him far worse. "Okay then. We can enter the town if we go through here."

They were inside an impressively tall stone building. The floor ended at a man-made waterway boasting a powerful stream. The water turned a wooden wheel attached to a pole, that then spun around and out of sight. The water ran from both ends of the room through metal grates, obscuring the beginning and end of the stream. The floor above them was not completely sealed off; a staircase led over the water and to the second floor. The entire building was rather dark, though bright compared to the tunnels. It was expectantly dank, the air cool and wet as water sprayed over the edge of the stone bank. "Come on!"

Tatl flew over to the staircase, and Link wandered slowly over as well, looking around to take in the clanking gears. The water powered the entire thing; his wonder increased as he reached the staircase. When he made it to the second floor, he saw that the wooden pole came up from the waterwheel straight to the ceiling. Toward the very top, wooden gears turned along with the pole. Eventually, the machinery powered a massive wheel planted firmly into the stone wall near the ceiling. Link didn't quite understand what this accomplished, likely turning something on the outside he couldn't see. Tatl did say it was a clock tower, he realized. He stepped onto the open, empty second floor, broken only by the rising pole. On the other side was a large set of wooden doors.

Sunlight peeked in from behind them. Link followed Tatl, still looking at the machinery above with child-like awe. Just before they reached the doors, someone stopped him. "You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?"

The voice startled Link and Tatl. They turned around to find a man. He stood beside the turning wooden pole shooting up through the center of the floor. Was he following us? Link thought. I never heard any footsteps.

He wore fine, elegant purple robes, but he had an overly large backpack thrown over his shoulders. Masks of all shapes and sizes stuck out of its many openings. The bag bulged with the decorations, pretty close to the size of the man himself. He was hunched over by its weight, which made no sense. No one could've followed them that silently with so much luggage. The lanky, red-headed man was tall, but the crushing weight of his bag made it hard to tell exactly how high he might stand.

Link noticed that Tatl was shaking. Is she scared? The fairy cowered behind him; it was not like her to act so frightened. Link remained standing in the doorway a moment longer, as the Deku scrub and man stared at each other from across the room.

Link stepped away from the wooden doorway, over to the man standing beside the rotating pole. He felt Tatl's hesitancy, but she remained silent and followed diligently from behind. The man with the large bag of masks smiled widely, eyes squinted almost shut. The clanking of the wooden gears continued, accompanied by the water swishing through the grates.

Link stood silently, and so the man began the introduction. "Greetings, young one. I own the Happy Mask Shop and travel far and wide in search of masks. During my travels, a very important mask was stolen from me by an imp in the woods." Straight to the point? Link thought. This man's brief, blunt introduction was completely uncalled for. Link opened his mouth and squeaked softly, in agreement that the Skull Kid was a thief. Clearly, Link wasn't his only victim. The salesman continued, smiling widely. "So here I am, at a loss. And now I've found you."

Tatl summoned the courage to fly out from behind Link, but the salesman didn't even glance at her. He continued looking at Link intently.

"Now don't think me rude," began the salesman again, putting his arm across his waist and bowing, "but I have been following you. And I know of a way to return you to your former self." Link squeaked in shock, though Tatl withheld any surprise she might've felt. "If you can get back the precious item that was stolen from you, I will return you to normal."

He remembered... and knew instantly what the man was talking about. There was one thing that had constantly been on his mind other than Epona, and that was the sacred artifact passed down by the Royal Family. The Ocarina of Time, however, was now in the hands of an immature Skull Kid. Getting it back had already been an objective, but apparently this man could return him to normal with it.

The mask salesman saw the acknowledgment fill the Deku scrub's eyes and continued speaking, "In exchange, all I ask is that you also get back my precious mask that the imp stole from me." Link's heart sank. He'd been intimidated by the mask ever since he'd first seen it, its terrible eyes imprinted on his memory. He knew there had been something off about it, but now this mysterious man seemed to confirm that. The salesman's smile faltered slightly at Link's dismay.

"What? Is it not a simple task? Why, to someone like you, it should by no means be a difficult task." Link gulped, wondering how this man could possibly know him. "Except, the one thing is, I'm a very busy fellow, and I must leave this place in three days. How grateful I would be if you could bring it back to me before my time here is up." Link wished to question him, to figure out who he was and to get more details about this imp. But he couldn't, not until this man returned him to normal. Once his voice came back, the rest would follow.

"But yes, you'll be fine," replied the salesman. "I see you are young and have tremendous courage. I'm sure you'll find it right away." Link nodded, and then turned to leave with Tatl.

Link walked up to the awesome set of doors and placed his palm upon its surface. The wood was warm. "Well then, I am counting on you," called out the smiling man, as Link pushed the doorway open. The sunlight blinded him.

Chapter Text

The townsfolk in the main plaza of South Clock Town never paid the clock tower doors much attention. Their colorful, red markings curved around two half-shaded cyan circles that might be eyes. Eyes that liked to stare. And aside from the unsettling, face-like quality of the artwork, no one ever used the doors. Because whenever they opened, nothing good came of it. As long as anyone alive could remember, the first visitor had been the only peaceful one. An old man had stumbled into the sunlight and lain down on the pavement – a huge smile on his face. He'd died right there before anyone could do anything about it. The worst time, everyone agreed, was when the Skull Kid came. While at first he'd seemed to be a playful child, they'd quickly realized the extent of his corruption.

And now, oddly enough, another child stumbled out of the doors. This was no human or skull child, but a Deku scrub. Fresh cuts were open along his arms and face, and a cloud of dust surrounded him. He stumbled into the bright sunlight, large orange eyes squinted at the sky. A glowing orb with a pair of white wings fluttered out beside him: a fairy.

A group of construction workers in the center of the plaza looked up from their work. A flying, adult Deku scrub glanced over the massive, burlap sacks in his arms. A lanky man in a white jogging suit, mailbag slung over his shoulder, turned his head. A small child, baring a peculiar fox mask framed by purple hair, looked up as he ran from a nearby alleyway. All their eyes found the young Deku scrub, and he only stood there, eyes half-closed.

The clock tower doors creaked shut behind them.

"Where... are we?" asked Link, completely dazed.

"What?" asked Tatl. Before he repeated himself, he remembered he couldn't speak. He'd squeaked out the sentence without realizing it. This new place – the sounds, the people, the buildings – all had distracted him. Link shook his head, rather than persisting, as his pupils finally adjusted. "Yeah, you're still a useless Deku scrub, don't forget." … that can open doors! Link thought, rolling his eyes.

The massive clock tower overshadowed everything in the plaza, standing hundreds of feet tall. It was made completely of black stone, aside from the doors and an enormous wooden wheel near the top. The wheel's outside rim was tic-marked with twelve numbers. It carefully turned at a constant tempo, likely moved by the water within the tower. There was a white triangle at the top of the unmoving face, its tip announcing the current time to all. It was beautifully decorated. I bet you can read the time from anywhere in town, Link thought. A house-sized ball of stone sat at the very top, rotating with the wheel. A light shot out of it that likely wasn't as faint in the dark. Link bet it doubled as a lighthouse. Is there a body of water nearby?

A ramp went around either side of the tower, going up only a few feet before leveling out to other sections of town. A second ramp branched off to circle back to the tower, leading to a platform just above the clock tower doors. A second set of doors was inaccessible on this upper platform, likely granting access to the lighthouse.

In the clock tower's shadow was a marketplace, surrounded by equally impressive city walls. Though the tower was still much higher, the walls were no laughing matter either; they were fit for a fortress and completely obscured the outside world. Stalls were open along the walls, surrounding a small, wooden tower under construction in the center of the square. Carpenters hammered away at the wooden boards and planks, logs carried to and fro by the uniformed men. The leader shook his fists in the air angrily as he called out orders, hardly giving a second glance to the Deku scrub. Other than the jogging man, the carpenters, the purple-haired boy, and a shopkeeper at one of the stalls, the square was empty. The bustling crowd he'd expect in a place like this wasn't there.

A large gate sat across from the clock tower on the city wall opposite them. A guard stood in front of it, clad in armor and wielding a spear. The gate appeared to go outside, beyond the village's borders.

Link stood there for quite some time, absorbing everything in the walled square wondrously. "He gives me the creeps!" the fairy eventually exclaimed. Apparently, instead of being dumbstruck by this secret, flourishing town, all Tatl could think about was the odd man with the backpack of masks. "That mask salesman was the..." Link waited for her to continue, but she didn't. "... Sorry. Just thinking out loud. But three days? Even if we never sleep, that still leaves us with a measly seventy-two hours. Talk about demanding! I guess our first stop should be the Great Fairy."

The Great Fairy? Link thought, scrunching his face. "Look, you wanna find the Skull Kid, don't you? The Great Fairy will know what he's up to. She watches over everything and – just between you and me – the Skull Kid is no match for her. We should go over to the shrine at the North Gate. That's usually where she is." Link nodded, incapable of contributing to the conversation otherwise. "Well, come on Deku boy. This way!"

The fairy twinkled away from him, going up a ramp alongside the clock tower. Link turned to follow, but not before he noticed the boy with the fox mask again. The child couldn't be more suspicious, looking over his shoulder to make sure no one was watching as he bent over a nearby post box. He slipped a letter inside of the wooden slot. Then, the boy sprinted down an alleyway and out of sight.

"Hey! Over here!" Link turned back to Tatl, who seemed irritated with his child-like curiosity. "Jeez. I swear, it's like you're a ten-year-old." Link took offense, but he couldn't saying anything. Twelve, technically, even though I don't feel that young. Hylians tended to age faster than other races to begin with. Even then, he'd spent a good year traveling back and forth through time between the ages of ten and seventeen, which had thrown off any sense of a 'true age.' Now that he was trapped in an infant Deku scrub's body, he'd gone even further back in age. I bet I look ridiculous, Link thought. His long, green hat came close to dragging along the ground; no one could take a child this young seriously.

Behind the clock tower, they reached an open doorway in the city wall. The passed through it, transferring from the wooden ramp of South Clock Town to the dirt road of the Northern section. The grass was lush and green, and another large gate with a guard led outside of the city's northern border. Children were running through the grass under the bright, blue sky. It was a large field, with the dirt road forking off to either the gate or another doorway in the city wall.

"Weet-ee-waw-in," commented Link.

"Once again, little kid, I didn't understand a word you said," commented Tatl, hovering beside his head. "But if it was something about all of these walls, I completely agree."

The great, walled city left his mind immediately when Link noticed something else in the sky. While the sun still blazed brilliantly, another orb hovered over the town, as dull and dark as the sun was bright. It was a massive hunk of rock that reminded Link of the moon, except it wasn't nearly as far away as the moon should be. While it was well up into the sky, it was obviously in the sky and not in the heavens. It appeared ten times larger than Clock Town in its entirety.

The worst part, the part that made Link's legs almost give out in fear, was its eyes. The moon had a face. Its long mouth gritted its teeth, as if angry or in deep concentration. It had a substantial nose as well, with a pair of mansion-sized eyes above them. And they were the eyes of the imp's mask. The large, orange orbs penetrated through him, reading his every thought and rendering him defenseless. The face was frozen and immobile, as if carved into the rock, but he knew it was something far more sinister than that. The moon was thousands of feet above the town, its eyes staring and watching... everything.

Link let out a squeak of dismay, and Tatl heard it, following his gaze until she saw herself. "That's... not supposed to be there," said Tatl worriedly. "Okay, quick, we need to go see the Great Fairy right away! The moon thing has the Skull Kid written all over it." Link took a minute to break his stare from the giant rock gazing directly at him.

They ran through the field, stepping onto the grass and passing the kids playing tag. The children couldn't help but stop and look at the Deku scrub and fairy.

"Ah, cool, look! It's those things from the woods. What are they doing here?"

"The scrub's just a little kid."

"What's that little ball beside him? It's flying!"

"That can't be a fairy, can it? The Great Fairy looks so different."

"Let's go stop them!"

The four other kids nodded in agreement, running to cut off the Deku scrub's path. Tatl continued onward for a moment before she noticed; the children had very intentionally boxed him in. The kids were rather small, each wearing a similar blue or red outfit. However, Link was currently the smallest adolescent of them all.

The one in the red hat and red-sleeved shirt stepped up, looking down at the Deku scrub. "You're new around here, aren't you?" Link's only response was to stare back with angry eyes. He didn't dare speak, knowing that his voice would be way higher pitched than these five-year-olds. "I'm just asking you a question. You don't have to be mea..."

Link charged at the kid, wailing his newfound, squeaky battle cry. However, the kid in the red hat effortlessly threw him off. Link fell back into the middle of the crowd of blue hats. "You're not so tough!" exclaimed the kid happily. "We were worried that..."

"Get away from him!" The kids turned around, and suddenly a small, glowing ball of light flew into their heads and faces. The kids attempted to bat it away at first, but it always quickly retaliated with another bombardment.

"Quick! Run away from the fairy!" exclaimed the red-hatted leader, and they all followed suit. The little kids ran as far from Link as possible, as the angry little fairy chased them off.

"I hate those kids!" Tatl exclaimed, as Link got back to his feet. "They don't think twice about anything they do, and where are their parents? They're always running around on their own." Link turned away from the fairy, clearly embarrassed. I can't even chase off some kids, he thought. How am I supposed to stop the Skull Kid? "It's okay," Tatl encouraged. "It's not your fault. Let's move onto the Great Fairy. She's the best lead we have." Link accepted the pity pep talk, for now. I don't know how much longer I can stay cursed like this, Link thought. Even though that timeline was completely out of his control.

They crossed the verdant field to approach a small cave on an obscure spot along the city wall. The entrance was overgrown with plant life, and Tatl flew in without hesitating. Link followed, stepping into the stone-floored darkness. The dark did not last for long; he turned a corner and saw light.

A grand, stone doorway led into a shallow pool of water. Pillars surrounded the fountain, and the stone in the room was a bright white. Shimmers of sparkling light fell in the distance and surrounded the fountain; Link's pathway led directly into it. The water's beauty astounded him; it was the purest Link had ever laid eyes on.

"Oh, no. The Great Fairy!" exclaimed Tatl.

Link had been so busy staring at the fountain's beauty to notice what was inside of it. There was no singular, giant fairy and instead a group of twenty or so smaller ones. They were golden, larger than Tatl and grown beyond their balls of light. They flew aimlessly around the fountain, as if lost.

Tatl flew closer to the chaotic fairies, and Link followed slowly from behind. He reached the edge of the water, tentatively putting a foot into it. It was warm and hardly came up to his ankles. The golden fairies immediately flew to join them, circling around them to create a tornado of light.

"Young one!" exclaimed a collective, feminine voice. "Please hear my plea! I have been broken and shattered to pieces by the masked Skull Kid. Please find the one stray fairy lost in town and bring her back to this fairy fountain." Then the fairies disbanded, returning to their small, collective cloud.

"The Great Fairy...," stammered Tatl again, still in shock. "This is worse than I thought. The Skull Kid is stronger than he realizes. Link, we have to find that fairy."

"Iowa woan wee-reel."

"And seriously, when will you figure out how to talk? I've met plenty of Deku scrubs in my life, and all but one of them can speak decently."

"I qwan el-it, ee, ooman!"

"You've been a Deku scrub for almost an entire day now. You'd think you'd have the hang of it."

"Eit's oh!" Link exclaimed, heading madly towards the exit of the cave.

Tatl looked back at the fountain of fairies before following. "We'll be back, Great Fairy," she said. "I promise."

"You haven't seen a little golden fairy?"

"No."

"A Skull Kid running around with a mask?"

"No."

"A horse? A blue ocarina? A purple fairy?"

"No."

"Is that all you can say?"

"No."

"Well, you're no help at all!"

"I could give you a discount on some bottled red fairies."

"Bottled... fairies?" gulped Tatl, floating beside the silent Deku scrub, who was too short to see over the counter.

"Yes, bottled fairies. But no purple or golden ones," said the lanky, teenage shop keeper. His demeanor couldn't be more unenthusiastic, leaning against the counter on his elbow with his head in his hand. They were in one of the many indoor shops on the West Clock Town strip. Tatl's gaze nervously fell over the bottles on the shelves in the back. They had fairies inside of them, struggling to get out with all their might. The shopkeeper leaned over the counter to look down at the adolescent Deku scrub looking up at him. "Is this your fairy?"

Link nodded. He wasn't about to give up his only ally.

"Well, I guess I can't bottle you, can I?"

"Bottle me?!" exclaimed Tatl. "Come on Deku head. This guy's no help to anyone."

"Yawn yat me hat," Link muttered under his breath, turning away from the counter and going to the shop's front door. His arms were too small to reach the doorknob, so he had to leap into the air and use his falling momentum to pull it.

"Freak," Tatl commented dryly, once the door was closed behind them.

Link sauntered into the middle of the elongated section of town. There had been a second doorway behind the clock tower that led to West Clock Town. Similar to the South and North areas, there was a large, guarded gate directly across the entrance, but this section of town branched off into a narrow passage surrounded on both sides by tall buildings.

Link looked further down the alleyway, which declined on a slope until it curved into a second entrance to South Clock Town. He walked that way, looking up at the signs in front of the shops as he went. His eyes caught the giant clock tower that was easily visible above the walls. 1:49 in the afternoon. Their precious time was ticking away, and the moon continued to stare forebodingly at them all. Link noticed something odd about it, and he waved for Tatl's attention and pointed.

"What?" asked Tatl, looking at the frightening rock far above them. "Yeah, I know. The moon grew a scary face while I was gone and got a little bit bigger, but I can't tell you how it happened." Link shook his head and pointed at it again, squeaking. "I don't-" She cut off when she realized what he was trying to say. "... It didn't get bigger while I was gone, did it? It got... closer."

Tatl gulped, and Link agreed. The moon seemed even closer than it had when they first arrived. There was only a slight difference, so there was no way to tell for sure. But Link could feel the truth. Why is it getting closer? The fairy and Deku scrub stared at it for a moment longer, each overtaken by fear, until the fairy snapped out of it.

"No point in worrying over what we can't control," said Tatl. "Come on, let's keep asking people about..."

Link interrupted her with a head shake; his stomach wouldn't allow them to keep going. I haven't eaten since right before that imp attacked me. Adrenaline had kept him going, but now that things were calming down, hunger was undeniable. Link pointed to his stomach and rubbed it, and Tatl twinkled in understanding. "All right, I guess we'd better get this big strong man something to eat," she said sarcastically. Link didn't approve of her tone. "Come on, we should go see what we can get in the market. It might be a good idea to stop by the hotel first, though, since we're going to be here for a while. You'll need a place to sleep."

They followed the West Clock Town path until it curved back into South Clock town. They were now directly in front of the clock tower again, which stood off to their left. Across from the construction site was a staircase that led up to what Link supposed was the next section of Clock Town. They traveled that way, making sure to remain clear of the central structure and the many workers buzzing around its foundations. He passed in front of the guarded gate leading outside of the village. The guard stood his ground in front of the opening, remaining tall, strong, and adorned with gleaming armor and a large spear. Link pointed to the gate and looked at the fairy.

"There?" inquired Tatl. "That's the way out of town. There are a few villages way out in the other lands, but it's actually pretty dangerous, especially for someone like you. The guard won't let anyone through that isn't an adult or has a weapon."

"I yawt a ye-in!" exclaimed Link in anger, while gesturing with his arms.

"No. You don't. Skull Kid took that away from you, remember?" Link stopped walking and looked up at her, confused. Did she just...? "What?" she asked. "Wait a minute, did I… understand what you said? I… I did! I figured it out!" She bounced up and down excitedly. "This is amazing! You've said your first coherent sentence!"

"I geeing oose oo ish," Link commented, looking proud of himself.

"And there you go ruining it. We're back to gibberish."

Link shook his head and was about to speak again, but someone other than Tatl spoke.

"What're you doin'?!"

Link and Tatl turned around in shock. The man who'd spoken was tall and muscular, wearing a blue coat open to his bare, hardened chest. He had a white, bushy mustache and looked like he could throw a goron over those town walls with one hand. Link, obviously powerless to such a monster, stared frightfully up at him and made a small whimpering noise.

"Get outa' here! You're gettin' in my workers' way! We've got a carnival to prepare for! Either walk through or stay clear, but don't stand around like you're brain dead." His voice was harsh and commanding, and Link didn't even bother to consider responding. He quickly turned away and walked to the staircase. "Stupid animal," said the man under his breath, though just loud enough for Link to hear.

Shame overpowered Link as he climbed up the staircase into the eastern district; he hung his head low as he walked. Tatl, surprisingly, seemed to notice. "That guy's just a jerk," she said. "Don't listen to him. None of this is your fault. I'm the one who... uh..." Tatl stammered for a second, quickly rewording her thought, "... the Skull Kid did this to you. And we can't find him on empty stomachs, can we?" Wow, Link thought. Somehow, the fact that Tatl had been two words away from actually admitting to a mistake... or even worse, apologizing… cheered him up. "It should be pretty easy to find food here in East Clock Town."

Buildings covered every square inch of the town walls here; Link stepped out from behind the first one, which was shaped like a treasure chest. The square had a handful of people walking around, stopping by the many food and gift stalls; large wooden poles stood in the middle, decorative banners and flags strung in between them as if in celebration of something. There was another large, guarded gate that broke the chain of stores and buildings off to the right, but directly across from it was the bar and the hotel.

This appeared to be the main market. South Clock Town served as a smaller one, remaining a main entrance to the town and the showcase for the clock tower. North Clock Town held the grassy, park district, and West Clock Town was the strip mall scattered with housing. East Clock Town must be its commercial hub, Link thought. He assumed he'd now seen all of the town, and he thought this section would probably attract the most visitors.

The two wondered into the middle of the square; Link was slightly overwhelmed by all the buildings. "The Stock Pot Inn is over there. Come on!" exclaimed Tatl. It was two-stories, with a deck on the second story that held a big, decorative bell.

They passed over the beautiful square floor, going by what appeared to be two red-haired twin brothers, one in blue and one in red, juggling toy balls back and forth happily. They spoke loudly to each other as they juggled, but Link only caught a little of what they said: "... keep people smiling. No matter how grim things get, we must..."

"Entertainers," explained Tatl, "for the carnival."

"Ar-nee-ul?" Link questioned.

"Yep! Every year we have a big... Whoa, that's our deadline, isn't it? Three days – that's when the carnival begins."

"Huh?" Link asked, not following her rambling.

Tatl sighed. "Okay, don't tell me you've never heard about the Carnival of Time." The Deku scrub shook his head. The long end of his green hat almost scraped the floor. Tatl sighed again, more aggressively. "Everyone comes from all over the world! Where are you from, exactly?"

"Eye-ool!" Link exclaimed.

"Eye... ool? Sounds like a wonderful place," said Tatl. "Try and tell me again once you get a little better at talking."

Link gestured to the decorations to get her to say more about the carnival.

"Oh, right, the carnival. Well, every year we host the Carnival of Time, our biggest holiday. Tons of musical groups come in to perform, traders come with food, and everyone is supposed to wear a homemade mask. At midnight on the day of the carnival, the clock tower... you know, the giant thing in the center of town... please tell me that you saw that on your way in?..." Link raised an eyebrow; the tower could be seen at that moment behind the hotel. "... well, it opens up. The huge clock face points to the sky, and the staircase comes down and you can go up to the top! Pretty neat, huh?"

Link nodded, not quite understanding what this had to do with them. Tatl saw his confusion and explained, "That's our deadline. The creepy man with the masks said three days. And assuming he gives us until 6 a.m. to make for exactly seventy-two hours, the mask salesman leaves six hours into the carnival. Usually, this place would be overrun by people by now. You'd have trouble not bumping into anyone no matter what section of town you were in."

Just as Tatl said that, a young, lanky man practically trampled Link. He had a large red hat covering blonde hair and a white T-shirt above running shorts. An empty red bag hung over his shoulder. He managed to catch his balance ungracefully, twirling around until his back slammed into the hotel's front door, now covering the sign that read, "Stock Pot Inn, 8am to 8pm."

The man in the red hat stood there for a moment, panting and staring at the fairy and scrub. "Well?" exclaimed Tatl, after a moment's silence. "Are you going to say something?"

"Uh," he stammered, looking back and forth quickly. "Sorry, I... uh... have a letter to deliver. It's the first in... a while."

"Well, we're not stopping you! Go deliver it!" yelled Tatl angrily. The man in the red hat, who Link realized was a postman, stood there for a moment longer. Then he disappeared into the hotel. "Jeez! Some people are just complete idiots."

She scoffed, turning back to Link. "Anyways. Before we were rudely interrupted... I was saying that the town is unusually empty, and it's kind of scaring me. Take the postman for example – he said it was the first letter in a while, right? Well, that's not normal either! I'm telling you, this place is supposed to be the most chaotic this time of year! I wonder what's... wrong..." Tatl stopped though, and when she slowly looked back up at the moon. There it was, staring, its menacing eyes threatening death to all.

"Come on, let's go inside," suggested Tatl, and Link opened the door with a short little leap. His feet stepped onto soft, green carpet. The rest of the floor was wood; the lobby was small and featured a wide front desk. At the end of the lobby was a staircase and a hallway that wrapped around it.

"Ah! Wait!" The young postman stood in front of the desk. A young woman stood behind it, who looked oddly familiar to Link. She had short, shoulder-length dark red hair that came around her ears. She was slightly older than the postman, wearing a long blue dress that reached her ankles. I have no idea why she looks familiar, Link thought. And when he looked up at the postman beside her, he realized that he had that same hidden familiarity about him, too.

The postman was holding out a letter, offering it to her. She seemed either frightened or appalled by it. "This letter, wh-where did you...?"

"From the postbox," replied the postman bluntly, his eyes squinted confusingly. He looked back and forth between the letter and the lady, not understanding.

"Th-that's not what I mean!" she exclaimed. "From the postbox where?"

"Uh," the young man stammered nervously. "From the postbox somewhere?"

"That's not what I mean!" she exclaimed again. "Listen, I need to know where you got that letter from!"

"I... can't... tell you."

"Why not?"

"Because..." And then the postman dropped the letter on her desk. He turned, walked around the Deku scrub and fairy, and then went out the front door, leaving the lady to stare at the letter. Link and Tatl stood there awkwardly for a moment, not sure what to do.

The woman ignored them by picking up the letter and pulling back the envelope seal, slipping the folded piece of paper out delicately. She tried to unfold it with both hands while still holding onto the envelope, but she was shaking too much. The envelope fell from her fingers and swung back and forth on an invisible pendulum to the floor. Her hands moved further down the page as she read on, and then she looked up from it. She took one hand off to cover her mouth in shock. The innkeeper set it down on the desk and closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. She seemed to only just then notice Link and Tatl.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, her voice slightly weary. She recomposed herself and tried to smile again. "I'm sorry," she said again, "it seems I've lost my place – welcome to the Stock Pot Inn. Can I have your name?"

"Ink," answered the Deku scrub.

"Mr. Ink?" repeated the woman behind the counter, as she scooted the letter across the desk and turned to a notebook. She seemed barely able to contain her reaction to the letter. I wonder what is says, Link thought, though it truly wasn't any of his business.

"We don't have a...," began Tatl, but the lady interrupted her.

"You do have a reservation? That's good! I just found it here." The woman opened a drawer in her desk, rummaged through the many keys within, and eventually brought one out and offered it to him. "Mr. Ink, I have you down for an afternoon arrival. Your room is our 'Knife Chamber' on the second floor. Here is your key." Link turned to the fairy beside him in confusion. We have a reservation? he wondered. But Tatl was just as confused and offered no guidance, so Link merely shrugged and hopped up to grab the key. "Please relax," the woman added, immediately scooting the letter back over to scan its contents.

Link and Tatl left the lobby, wandering toward the staircase with their new key. "A reservation?" asked Tatl. "You were expecting to be stranded here, trapped in a new body, completely defenseless, and without a place to stay?" Link shook his head. Nope, he thought. I have no idea what just happened.

"That's really weird. Who would make a reservation for us?" She looked away from Link thoughtfully. "Is that your name? Ink?" Link shook his head again. "So you took someone else's reservation?!" Link didn't nod immediately, but instead turned to the staircase, making his way up slowly with his tiny legs. "That's just rude!" she shouted out at him, floating to his side as they made their way up.

"E's or ay oo oz!" Link whispered angrily.

"Oh, yeah. ee's-or-ay-oo-oz, I totally agree," she mocked.

Link did not press the matter. That's way too lucky, he thought. What are the chances the mispronounced version of my name happened to be a name that already had a reservation?

The staircase led out onto a long hallway running the whole length of the building. Directly across from the staircase was a door that read employees only, so Link and Tatl continued passed it, until they reached the second door on the right: the 'Knife Chamber.' "Sounds pleasant," commented Tatl. Link unlocked the door.

Two beds, two bedstands, and a dresser were all pushed up against the left wall. They also had a table, an unlit fireplace, and windows on the opposite wall. Light poured in from the waning day. The room was extremely green, thanks to the floor, wallpaper, and plants. Though it was brown too, in the patches of bare wall where the wallpaper had been ripped and torn. At least the furniture's decent, he thought.

Tatl was quick to enter the room and examine the plentiful holes in walls. "What a ramshackle inn," commented Tatl. "Is this room first-class? You can hear whoever's next door, for cryin' out loud!"

The Deku scrub ignored her, walking over to sit atop one of the two beds' soft, neatly fixed cover. "Well, whatever," Tatl said. "We're staying for free, so we can't expect much."

"Ood?" Link asked, looking up at Tatl hopefully.

"Food. Right." Tatl flew to hover right beside him. "How many rupees do you have?"

"Ull id oof in-al!"

"This is starting to get really aggravating. How are we supposed to work together if we can't even communicate?" Link responded by turning both of his palms up and showing his empty hands. Tatl took a minute to understand. "You don't have any money. Seriously?"

"Ull id!"

"Yeah, Skull Kid, I know. But we can't get you any food unless we can pay for it. I mean, why'd you say yes to going to check into the hotel if you knew you didn't have any money? It's not like you expected to accidentally say someone else's name and take their reservation." Link had no response. Tatl sighed and turned away from him, "You're hopeless! The first day's almost over, we have no food, we haven't seen any sign of the Skull Kid, your horse, the ocarina, or my brother, and we have no idea where the stray fairy is!"

"Oo-ee!" Link exclaimed excitedly to Tatl.

"Oo-ee? What are you, five now? I'm starting to think you're just saying nonsense to confuse me on purpose."

"Oo... Ee..."

"You can stop it now, Link." But Tatl swore that some small, unpronounced syllable was hidden within the word. "Wait. Are you saying...?"

"Oo... Pee..."

"Oo-ee? Oopee... Rupee?" Tatl turned around and saw the Deku scrub peering into one of the dresser drawers. She flew over to look inside and saw a small, pinkie sized gem. It was a perfectly symmetrical hexagon and might have been a shinier silver long ago. "You've got to be kidding me. A silver rupee? That's two hundred, right?"

Link nodded, happily scooping it out of the drawer and putting it in his purse. Of course, when he let it go, the rupee hit the floor instead. He looked down at where his purse would have been, before picking the gem up. Human clothes are so much more convenient, he thought.

"Don't complain!" Tatl said, reading his mind. "You lucked out with a free room and leftover money. That's enough food for you while we're here. Come on! We can go out and finally get you something to eat, and after that, we still have plenty of daylight to find the stray fairy."

Maybe things are going okay, Link thought. He hoped he wasn't prematurely celebrating their luck.

"Navi?"

The fairy didn't answer. She hovered in the light shining from the window at the top of the sanctuary. The sun's rays bounced off the spotless blade of the Master Sword, now lodged in its pedestal. Its work was done, and now it would rest until the next time a hero required its aid.

Link stood in front of it, finally letting go of its handle. It was over. He was done traveling through time, but he didn't know what happened next.

The Temple of Time's massive sanctuary was heavenly and ethereal; the many open windows on every side of the octangular room directed light to the raised platform in the center – to the sword. Otherwise, only sound echoed through the vast chamber.

"Navi," Link repeated. He stood sadly, worried that something was about to end forever. "Are you leaving?"

She seemed as if she was. The white ball of light was several of feet away from Link, and she hardly ever strayed that far. Directly in the sun, she contemplated something. "Link," she began.

"Yes?"

"I... the Deku Tree wanted me to help his child."

"You want us to go back to the forest?" asked Link. Why is she doing this now? Link thought. Where did this come from? They'd hardly had time to celebrate their victory, and already, she wanted to leave.

"No," she said. "You don't need me anymore, Link."

"What do you mean?" Link asked. He took a step forward so that he, too, was in the light.

"The Deku Tree told me to help you realize your destiny, and you did that. You've done your duty as the Hero of Time. And now that it's over, my home is still the Kokiri Forest, and yours isn't anymore. You belong here, in Hyrule, and I... don't."

"That doesn't mean anything! We can still be together," Link blurted out. The words sounded stupid as soon as they left his mouth. Why am I acting like a child? He looked down shamefully, as Navi flew a bit closer to them.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "A Kokiri child has a guardian fairy forever because they're a kid forever. You're not a kid anymore, Link. You were no longer a kid the second you pulled the Master Sword from the pedestal."

"So, I'll never see you again?" Link asked.

Navi only continued to float in place.

"You're going to become someone else's guardian, aren't you?"

Navi still didn't say anything.

"Can't we just have one more day to celebrate?"

"That would make it harder for me to leave," explained Navi. "This isn't easy, Link. I hope you know that. But it has to be done. You can't cling to your childhood anymore."

Link put his head down again, at first unable to bring himself to watch Navi leave. He was shocked when she flew for the open window without another word. Link opened his mouth to try to stop her, but there was nothing he could think of to change her mind. She was right. He was not a child anymore. But I don't want to be alone.

"Navi!" he shouted. At first, he didn't think Navi would stop. But she did.

Link, at a loss for words at first, found them. "Please don't forget me. Don't forget Hyrule. You'll come back, won't you?"

Navi didn't answer at first. "I promise." But it was an empty promise, and he knew it. Navi turned around and finished the journey, flying from the window and leaving the Hero of Time. Link stood next to the sword that had brought them together, powerless to stop her.

"You're weak." The moon's voice broke through the white, stone walls.

"No," he replied. "You're wrong."

"Do you really think you can beat me as I am now? Fool!"

The orange, horrible eyes shattered his dream... the eyes of the mask... the eyes of the moon. He screamed.

Link woke up still screaming.

His human voice turned to a high-pitched Deku scrub wail. He lay on his bed in the Knife Chamber, with a nighttime sky pouring in through the windows. Tatl instantly became alert, her dim, half-asleep light immediately returning with full force. She leapt from her pillow and opened her wings.

"Ull-id!" Link exclaimed, trying to explain himself. He looked around and quickly realized it had just been a dream.

"Really?!" Tatl exclaimed angrily. She flew right in front of the Deku scrub's face. "Are you serious right now?" Link tried to provide an explanation, but all that came out was gibberish. Tatl interrupted him quickly, "No! Stop it now!" Link did, pausing as he allowed the fairy to speak.

"It was really hard for me to fall asleep. You know why? Because I was thinking about you, and how useless you are to what I'm trying to do." Link blinked stupidly, taken back and confused.

"The Skull Kid has my brother," Tatl continued, "and I've been following you around hoping that you could help me find him. But you know what? You can't talk, you can't fight, you can't leave the city because you're a child, you have to eat every day and waste our money. And you have to take up several hours a day sleeping! I know that's not fair, because only fairies don't have to eat or sleep every day, but I've been clinging to you this entire time. And I'm not sure why, but I just realized... that I don't have to.

"I know it's my fault that you're the way you are right now, but I can't fix that, and there's no way you're getting that mask back for the mask salesman! The Great Fairy is the only one that can help us right now, and we spent all day looking for her stray fairy yesterday with no luck. Her fairy might not even be in Clock Town anymore. I was actually waiting for you to wake up so I could tell you that I'm leaving Clock Town."

"No!" Link exclaimed, jumping off the bed and looking at her. "Oo ant!"

"I can," Tatl replied. "I'll be back, but right now, I have higher priorities than keeping you company. I know it's not your fault that you're useless, but like I said... I can't help it. I'll be back as soon as we can get the Great Fairy's help." She flew over to the door but stopped before she went any further. "I'm sorry I yelled all of that at you, but that's how I feel. I thought about it yesterday, and it just seems like the best way to get things done. You have over a hundred rupees left and a room for the entire week. You'll be fine, right?" Link scrambled for a reply, but he eventually gave up and nodded. She's right, Link thought.

"Thanks," Tatl said. And then she flew underneath the door's crack and out of sight.

Link stood by himself in the hotel room for a moment, wishing he'd wake up in his bed again. What did I just do? The Deku scrub ran over to the door, jumped as high as he could to open it, and then scurried down the staircase on his small legs. When he rounded the corner and was in the lobby again, Tatl was just disappearing under the front door.

Link crossed the lobby and opened that door, too, now outside in the night of East Clock Town. "Wait!" he exclaimed, as loudly as he could... and as articulately as he ever had.

Tatl was already about to fly over the town wall into whatever lay beyond. She turned around at his voice. They stared at one another for a moment; the torches broke the silence as they crackled around the plaza.

Tatl turned away without responding. She was gone.

Link stood in the cold night by himself. The moon stared down at him from above, closer than ever. He thought he saw happiness in its eyes. As if it knew what had just happened. You're weak, the moon seemed to whisper. You're useless. Of course she left you. Why would anyone ever choose to be with you?

Chapter Text

Rain pattering on the windows: it came down in sporadic downpours, as it had ever since the early morning. Footsteps up and down the staircase and across the hallway: someone was pacing back and forth, maybe with as much on their mind as him. Thunder, rumbling in the distance: the mountain dweller sleeping outside of the hotel's front doors had been right about today's storm. A sad, adolescent Deku scrub lying on the bed of his hotel room, staring up at the ceiling and listening to all these pointless noises: that was himself.

At first, he'd blamed the fairy's departure on Tatl's bossy, controlling, irrational self. But she'd made some good points. Ever since he'd come through the great, wooden doors to Clock Town, he'd been following her around like a puppy, as if he was the fairy. While Tatl's departure was undoubtedly rude, it was only practical. Wasn't he only slowing her down by forcing her to keep him company? She was right, he thought. I can't do anything right now. He'd woken for the second time that day, lying on his bed in defeat for over an hour. Food? Link eventually thought. Yeah. I should eat food. He tried not to acknowledge a faint hope that Tatl would be waiting outside.

The Deku scrub sat up, his head bare of any hat. The long, green funnel was folded neatly in one of the dresser's drawers. It didn't fit him anymore, so it didn't make sense to let it drag on the village ground all day. His messy, blonde bedhead was no different from his human form, though it now rested over tired, orange eyes. He slipped off the bed, and his short legs went quite a distance before landing on the floor. He stretched; his arms extended as far as they could go, not quite making it past the top of his head. The equivalent of a human yawn escaped his snout.

Link wandered over to the dresser and pulled out a pair of small leather boots next to his hat. This had been he and Tatl's other luxury purchase. The boots were toddler sized. Custom made, because apparently no one that small needs practical boots, Link thought. He opened the top drawer next, scooped out a red rupee, put on his shoes, and left his hotel room, passing by the woman pacing outside his doorway. She was tall, red-headed, and wore a white leotard, clearly deep in thought.

Her head turn to watch Link as he passed by. He'd gotten used to the stares by now. Deku scrubs must not come to Clock Town very often. When he made it to the lobby, the first thing he noticed was the absence of yesterday's innkeeper. Instead, a middle-aged woman with dark red hair was in her place. She bared a striking resemblance to the younger clerk from earlier.

"Good morning," she said in a rough – yet kind – voice to the Deku scrub. "I hope you had a wonderful night here at the Stock Pot Inn."

"Wank you," Link responded, noticing a definite improvement in his speech. He completed his journey across the wooden floor and hopped up to open the door.

"You're welcome," she added with a smile. Though when he left the lobby and closed the door behind him, he heard what might have been a delayed gasp. Yeah, that really didn't' sound like 'thank' you, did it?

Rain still came down lightly, as the gray skies of Clock Town spared its inhabitants from the sun's fierce glare. Link took in Clock Town much less wondrously than he had the day before. When he looked up at the dark sky, he expected the hotel's roof to still blot out the moon, but that was no longer the case. That evil face was now closer than ever before, visible even from below the front door's awning. Link backed up slowly in awe. It's right over the clock tower, Link realized. What if it doesn't stop?

"Scary, huh?"

The Deku scrub turned to find two women and a child. The young child's hand was clutched tightly in one of theirs.

Link nodded gravely. "I'd leave if I were you," the other woman cautioned. "My family and I come here every year for the carnival, but not with that thing here. It's going to fall – there's no doubting it." She looked over to her family and then back at the Deku scrub. "The mayor still hasn't ordered an evacuation, but I'm not waiting for him to."

She bid him one last farewell before heading to South Clock Town: "Good luck to you if you're staying." Link had no response. The main market district, East Clock Town, was practically a ghost town today. The words of the man under the tower returned to him: Except, the one thing is, I'm a very busy fellow, and I must leave this place in three days.

That might be all the time left, Link thought grimly.

1:36. And he'd accomplished absolutely nothing.

He'd discovered the shattered Great Fairy over twenty-four hours ago, and he was nowhere closer to finding the missing fragment. There Link stood, wandering around the clock tower behind the ramp. He found himself in the plaza again soon, amazed at how diligently the carpenters kept working – regardless of the moon.

He continued walking until he noticed a Deku flower beside a shop stall. Has that always been there? he wondered. He never noticed it until now. The stall looked relatively well-attended and ready for use, despite its empty shelves. Behind it and up against the city wall, the grand flower boasted nothing but magnificence. It was multi-layered and a pale shade of yellow, and the tiny opening in between the stall and wall hid it rather well. Link quickened his pace to approach it.

However, he hardly made it five steps before someone above him shouted: "Wait! Wait! Hang on!"

Link stopped short and turned to see a Deku scrub flying into the square. A helicopter of green leaves spun from the top of his head and kept him afloat. He was obviously an adult Deku scrub, carrying many large, heavy bags under his arms. He descended toward the abandoned stall, and no one else seemed to notice or care but Link.

The adult Deku scrub's dangling feet barely missed the young scrub's head. Then, he was behind the stall and inside of the Deku flower, burrowing naturally inside of its depths. Wow, that does look weird, Link thought. Tatl must have been just as disturbed watching him do it yesterday. The adult Deku scrub's head popped out of the hole, keeping his luggage and his lower body hidden. He turned to the child from beside the shadows of the empty stall.

"This is my private property," he said, sounding slightly annoyed. "Don't try using it when I'm not around! The last thing I need is a bunch of kids tearing it up while I'm gone."

"Eye-oo ink it's oars?"

"Because I have the title to this flower. Beauties like this don't remain public property for long," he said. Does he understand me? Link thought incredulously. The adult spoke quite articulately himself. "Look in what a perfect position it is: the middle of Clock Town, the biggest village in Termina. I can easily fly to the top doors of the clock tower when the bell strikes midnight the day after next, and it's still secluded behind this stall, which I happily use as my own shop! Why would I give it up to someone like you for free?"

"I uz-n't oing oo ake it," Link added, trying his best to match the adult's speech. He failed, looking away from the adult Deku scrub to hide his embarrassment.

The adult tilted his head curiously. "Are you sick or something? You sound like you can barely talk."

"I ot a Eekoo Rub!" Link exclaimed suddenly, excitement building inside of him when he realized something. I can finally explain my entire situation to him – everything. No one else in town understood him enough to know he was actually a human. This is my chance, Link thought. He took a deep breath. "Ee acht ull-id ast a gagic well nd ay ee ern in-oo a Eekoo Rub. I'n an oo-man!"

The adult Deku scrub replied with blank, confused eyes. Link's heart sank. Not even another Deku scrub can understand my incoherent babble?

"Sure, sure," the adult eventually added. "Whatever you say. But I wouldn't put all of the blame on... the..." He raised his eyebrow slightly, as if still trying to piece it together. "... the fiery... blue fern that gassed you."

"Ut?"

"Look, don't blame me! I can't understand half of what you're saying. Try talking more from your throat. You're trying to use the rims of your snout and your tongue too much, like a human would."

Link paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts to follow those instructions. "Eeee... is...better?"

"Yes!" the adult said, "your last word almost sounded perfect." Link couldn't believe it. Speaking that way did feel a lot better. "But – before you leave – were you considering buying this property?"

"N-n-... No," he responded shakily, though still very high-pitched and unclearly. He was also confused by the scrub's change of heart; just a few minutes ago, he'd been bragging about his prized possession.

"It's just that... I've already sold out of my wares, and the carnival hasn't even begun," he explained, looking down sadly. Link only half-paid attention as he continued thinking about this new method of talking, practicing on his own silently. "I'm thinking of closing up shop so I can buy a gift for my wife and return to her in my village."

When the adult Deku scrub looked up at Link for a response, Link quickly stopped talking to himself and pretended to have heard everything. "Okee," he offered meekly.

"I've heard that a stone called the Moon's Tear shines brighter than any other in the land. If you've got one, I'd really like to get it from you. My wife would love it! If you give it to me, I'll give you my spot here." The young Deku scrub was suspicious. The flower did look rather appealing, and it was in a nice location. But do I really have time to ask around for a Moon's Tear?

"Deku flower included!" the adult Deku scrub added hopefully, seeing the doubt in Link's face. The young Deku scrub, after a moment's consideration, shook his head, missing the weight of his long green hat when he did.

"No time," Link added squeakily.

The adult paused before he said anything else, obviously disappointed. "Too busy looking for the antidote to the fiery blue fern's poisonous vapors?" Link nodded enthusiastically and took his chance to walk away. The adult sighed and returned to his flower.

Link passed the miniature tower's construction in the square, stopping in front of the nearby, bright red mailbox. Its hut-like roof was taller than him. Just like everything else. Link sighed, realizing that if he looked for a Moon's tear, he'd at least have something to do. He had no leads to follow and today was almost over. Rain came down lightly again as he looked at the town gate, wondering what Tatl was doing out there right now.

When he turned back to the mailbox, he noticed the alleyway behind it for the first time. Didn't that boy with the purple hair and the fox mask come from there? Now that Link considered it, it didn't appear to lead to North, East, or West Clock Town. Is there a whole new area?

Link walked to the person nearest him. The stall owner appeared to be packing all of her items hastily and didn't even notice the scrub. "Hey," Link called out.

She jumped in surprise but went right back to packing. "Hello little guy," she said. "Sorry, but I'm closing. I can't help you."

"No," Link answered, pointing to the tall, narrow alleyway behind the postbox. "Ut's there?"

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "That's the Laundry Pool, and the back door to the Curiosity Shop. Not exactly anything there you'd be interested in."

"W-" Link stopped himself before he made the same mistake again. "TH... ank you."

"You're... welcome?"

The alleyway didn't turn out to be very long, but it did cut through the thickness of the city wall until it reached another walled area. It was separated from South Clock Town and smaller than any of the other sections.

A dirt road led from the alleyway and crossed a man-made stream of water. The current flowed directly between two grates on opposite town walls, likely connecting to the clock tower. On Link's side of the stream, there was neatly cut grass and a small tree surrounded by flowers. A stone bridge near a bench connected the dirt paths on either side; it was the only way to cross the stream, as far as Link could tell. The other side offered nothing but the backside of a shop and its door. The Curiosity Shop, Link remembered. He was the only one there.

He wandered around this small, yet pretty, area. There was nothing for him to do, as the shopkeeper had tried to tell him. Link walked to the edge of the water and peered into its depths at his shimmering reflection, tired of the sad, pathetic Deku scrub returning his gaze. He walked over to the bench and sat down, putting his head in his hands. Small drops of rain fell into his short blonde hair as he moped.

How am I supposed to defeat the Skull Kid in a day in a half? He was a Deku scrub who was incapable of protecting himself, let alone attacking. And as far as he could tell, that wasn't changing any time soon.

Link looked up when he heard footprints coming down the alleyway. The innkeeper from earlier – the young woman that hadn't been there this morning – walked into the Laundry Pool. She had an umbrella open over on her head and wandered to the edge of the water. She peered across its surface and looked around the grassy area, as if confused... lost... not sure if she should be there.

The lady then closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and sighed. She walked slowly to the bench, sitting beside the Deku scrub, umbrella still over her head. The child looked up at her curiously, and she smiled down weakly in return. "Hello," she said.

"Hi," Link replied. He wasn't sure what to say. She still seems so familiar, Link thought, but he couldn't place it. Though as far as Link could tell, she didn't know him either. The woman turned away for a moment, mouth slightly open, as if wanting to say something but not quite sure how to word it.

"Excuse me for asking, but have you seen anyone since you've been sitting here?" Link shook his head. It took her a while to say anything after that. The rain was the only thing that filled the moment of silence; the two merely sat in each other's company, Deku scrub and human. "He has short, black hair. A tall man that's about my age. You haven't seen anyone?"

Link shook his head again. "Oo is he?"

"He disappeared about a month ago with his wedding ceremony mask," she answered. "I..." Link watched her stammer, trying to hide the tears pooling in her eyes. "I'm actually afraid to meet him and to hear why he wanted to disappear. And I can't keep waiting for Kafei like this. There are only two days until the carnival."

Then, she looked back to the Deku scrub, as if just now realizing he'd been patiently listening. "I'm so sorry," she said, wiping away the tears. Her other hand still held the rod to her umbrella. She quickly recomposed herself. "I didn't mean to bother you, but I just thought you might have seen him here."

"Eet's okay," Link reassured her, trying his best to smile.

She returned it. "Thank you for listening," she reached for a name, "Mr. Ink, was it?"

Link took in a deep breath, hoping it would finally, after all this time, come out right, "Link." That correction was insignificant to her, but for Link, it was liberating. Finally, he'd revealed his true identity.

"Oh!" the lady exclaimed, "I must have written your name down wrong. Sorry about that. At least my mistake didn't end up giving someone else your reservation." About that, Link thought, though he kept it to himself. "My name's Anju," she added. "It was very nice to meet you, Link."

It felt nice hearing his name again. "You too."

The two sat in silence for a moment longer, successfully ending the conversation on a positive note. Each remained occupied by their own thoughts until Anju spoke hers aloud. "Do you think it's going to fall?" Link didn't need her to clarify. All he had to do was look up to know what she was talking about. It was still there, as close as ever, but he had no real answer to her question.

"I don't know if I should leave," Anju said. "A lot of people already have. They think it's going to fall on the carnival, but I don't want to leave if Kafei is still waiting for me. But the moon scares me." Link nodded solemnly, wondering whether he should consider evacuating himself.

A familiar noise interrupted their conversation. It was a sort of twinkling, chime-like sound that faded quickly, but it was filled with some characteristic of life. "Tatl?" Link said, jumping down from the bench. Anju watched as Link ran to the edge of the water.

Link quickly found the source. It wasn't Tatl, but it had been a fairy. This particular fairy was too large to be concealed in its ball of light, orange tinted, and fluttered quietly to itself in the shadows of the bridge. It only took him only a moment for him to make the connection, and then his heart raced with excitement. It's not over yet!

Link ran onto the bridge and dropped to his knees, bringing his head toward the surface of the water. He stopped when he could clearly see the fairy underneath the bridge.

The fairy turned around, obviously frightened by him. "It's okay," Link said, taking one hand off the bridge to gesture her closer. His knee slipped, and Link gasped as he brought his arm back to stop himself from falling. Can Deku scrubs swim? he wondered.

"Link?" Anju said nervously, standing from the bench. Link ignored her, awkwardly clinging to the bridge's edge; his head dangled over the shimmering, low-current water. He could see straight through to the bottom of the man-made stream. It was probably four feet deep, which was an abyss to a small child.

Link made one final attempt to talk to the fairy. This mistake, however, cost him dearly. The fall was short and quick, and Link went headfirst into the water.

When he hit the surface, his body flattened itself so that he was lying on his back. He thought he would float at first, as if a piece of driftwood. But that experience didn't last very long. The rest of his body sank first, and soon only his bulbous head stayed afloat. His snout was halfway into the water, though, and the stream rushed inside, filling him and weighing him down.

The Deku scrub sank to the bottom before he could react. Link stretched his tiny arms out for the bank of the stream, but he was already too far down. His arms didn't even reach past his head. Soon, his body turned up-side down, as his head became the anchor that prevented him from swimming. He kicked his legs and arms to no avail. The shimmering surface of the water, whose small puddles of rain were interrupted by his large bubbles of air, gave way to the view of the stony, grimy bottom.

I'm drowning! Link realized. No matter how hard he tried to remain conscious, tried to kick his legs, tried to fight the nausea, he found that he could only accomplish less and less. His muscles were only allowing him to do so much.

Then, the nausea increased as he abruptly rose to the top. When he broke the surface of the stream, the first thing he expected was to breathe.

Anju pulled him out of the water, but the water was still unable to leave his snout. Link was outside of the stream and still drowning, still half-unconscious, still hardly able to see amidst the fuzzy white light filling his vision.

Anju laid his limp body on the grass and turned him onto his side. Water quickly rushed out onto the dry grass. Link coughed and spat, as the stream left his lungs and his whole body lurched with the effort. Anju knelt with him on the grass as Link coughed on his hands and knees. "Are you okay?" she asked.

Link, still breathing in deeply, managed to nod. He turned around to sit beside her. "Thank you," Link said, realizing that was the clearest he'd ever spoken. Even though his throat was sore, it was now moist, too. He'd taken a few sips of water since his entry to Clock Town, but he never realized how much drinking made it easier to speak as a Deku scrub.

"That could have ended badly. What were you looking at?"

Anju's question was answered when the fairy tentatively flew out from under the bridge. Its orange body hovered gracefully over the water, now in between them both.

"Please." The fairy spoke much more beautifully than Link's high-pitched Deku scrub wails. Anju watched with interest, remaining curled up on the grass beside the two smaller beings. "Hear my plea."

"The G-ate Fairy," Link said, as if hoping this would explain things. The fairy did not seem to understand, and neither did Anju.

"The masked Skull Kid broke me apart and scattered my pieces. Please return me to my fairy fountain in North Clock Town." She seemed afraid to fly out in the open, and Link thought he knew why. When he turned to look at the moon, the fairy did, too. She let out a small squeak and flew behind Link, cowering in fear from its all-seeing gaze. "The moon has the Skull Kid's eyes."

Link turned pitifully to the small creature, smaller and more defenseless than even himself. "Who is the Skull Kid?" asked Anju. "Is he the one who's making the moon fall?"

Link nodded, and the fairy behind him made a noise that seemed to confirm this. "I need to take her to the fountain," Link said to Anju.

"Okay," Anju said. She might have been disappointed that he was leaving, but she didn't show it. Link jumped to his feet and took a few steps toward the alleyway, as the shock from his near-death experience faded. The fairy followed closely behind him, making sure to always block the moon out with the Deku scrub's body.

Link turned back to face Anju before he left; she was still on her knees at the edge of the water. "I look for Coffee, too," Link said, making Anju smile slightly. "I will help you az oon zs I top the Ull Id."

"I appreciate that," Anju said.

She looked at the umbrella she'd dropped next to the bench, still fully open. Her hair was damp from the rain, but only the lower half of her arms were wet from pulling Link out of the water. He watched her smile fade, as she remained kneeling at the water by herself. I wish I could help you right now, Link thought. But I'll come back after I stop the Skull Kid.

I'm not useless, I'm not useless. I can do this by myself. Link happily ran through the grassy cave entrance, plunging into the darkness that immediately gave way to the Fairy Fountain's light. The orange fairy flew past him to immediately rejoin the others. Now that the moon was no longer in sight, there was nothing for her to fear.

The fairies seamlessly included the stray into their flight pattern as if she'd never left. The ball they were making became smaller and denser, until only one light singular light was discernible. Then it exploded into a mass array of light, momentarily blinding Link. He blinked past that quickly to see what happened next.

One much larger fairy grew from the explosion, laughing merrily. Her arms stretched outward to defy her confinements. She had long, orange hair that floated as if under water. The Great Fairy was bare of any clothing, her pale skin naked except for the vines loosely covering her. She relaxed to float in the air a few feet above the water. She seemed to be resting on an invisible bed, her arm supporting her head as she looked down on Link. The same way the Skull Kid floated, he noted. When he mocked Epona and cursed me. Though Great Fairies like this were not new to Link; they were all over Hyrule.

"Young one of the altered shape," the orange-haired Great Fairy began, "thank you for returning my broken and shattered body to normal." Finally, Link thought. Someone knows I'm supposed to be a human. He tried to ignore a hopeful, intrusive thought that seemed premature: Can she return me to normal?

"I am the Great Fairy of Magic. I thought the masked child was helping me, and I grew careless." Magic, Link thought happily. A smile spread on the rims of his snout. "All I can offer you is this: I shall grant you Magic Power as a sign of my gratitude. Please accept it."

The Great Fairy held out her hands, cupping them together palm-up. Link waited for something to happen, but when nothing did, he opened his mouth to clarify. Then, he was lifted off his feet before he could, and Link floated slowly upward. An orange light spiraled down from the black darkness of the ceiling, summoning him skyward. He grew dizzy and faint; his mind went numb as the light overpowered him.

The invisible force gently placed him back on the ground in a matter of seconds, and the light faded with the dizziness. He felt incredible as soon as the queasiness subsided. A new power felt like it had been granted to him; he felt it coursing through his small body. For the first time, he felt happy and content in his Deku scrub form.

"I know why Tatl left you, and why you doubt yourself," the Great Fairy said. "But trust me when I say that you have more power than you know, a power that the darkness in the mask the Skull Kid wears cannot possibly fathom. My magic power will help you while you are in your cursed form, but it in no way compares to the magic you possess."

Link nodded but didn't understand. This magic power feels much better than anything I have. She must have seen the doubt in his eyes and did not press the matter further. "The man who lives in the observatory outside of town may know of the Skull Kid's whereabouts. But be careful! You must not underestimate the dark powers of the mask. They will try to destroy you. And if they fail in doing so, corrupt you. If ever you are returned to your former shape, come see me. I shall give you more help, but I can do no more than that. The Skull Kid is far more powerful than I feared, and my magic is nothing against his."

And then, she threw her arms into the air again and laughed, growing smaller until she disappeared in a flash of orange light. She left no stray fairies behind. If ever you are returned to your former shape... Link looked down into its reflection, hoping he would see blue eyes looking back at him. But they were still orange.

Link turned away from the fountain and left for North Clock Town's field. He passed through the cave's dark entryway and then was once again in the sunlight, fiercer now that it was setting. It had broken through the clouds; the back of the clock tower was unable to tell him what time it was. Link looked down at his hands again, wondering what his new power was. I don't look any different, even though I feel different.

The small Deku scrub walked down the slope thoughtfully, not sure how he was supposed to get outside of town. She told me to go to the observatory. Tatl said the guards wouldn't let him leave, but Link decided to test that theory. He walked across the grassy field toward the town gate. The guard stood tall in its path, his long spear standing beside him. His eyes were hidden in the shadows of his visor, metal armor shiny in the light of the sun. Link only came up to his thigh.

"Have you some errand in the mountains?" the guard asked as soon as Link approached. The Deku scrub was intimidated by his deep, commanding voice, but he nodded anyways. I didn't realize there were mountains nearby. "It's dangerous outside the town walls, so I cannot allow a child like you to pass through here. Return once you are old enough to carry a weapon and can defend yourself." ... a child like you...

"I'm not a child!" Link exclaimed angrily, but the squeakiness of his voice reminded him that he was.

"Go find your parents before I bring you back to them. A child your age shouldn't be running around unprotected."

"I'm not defenseless!" Link yelled, but when he reached for the sword behind his back, it wasn't there, and his hand felt empty and defeated once it came back to rest in front of him. "Look," Link continued, clearing his throat. "I'm trying to stop the moon from falling. I need to leave Clock Town to do that."

"Well," the guard began, smiling down at the child, "the moon's over there, tyke, above the clock tower. You're going the wrong way."

"No! I need to find the man who's doing this to the moon. He's not here in Clock Town!"

"A man is doing this? How does a man fly into the sky and put a face on the moon?"

"He has an evil mask! Look, I have magic powers from the Great Fairy, I can stop him."

The guard laughed. "Look, I don't have time to waste talking to little children. Go play with the other kids unless you can lift me into the air and move me with your... magic powers." Link didn't reply to that. He stormed off, back toward South Clock Town. It turned out learning to speak wasn't the ticket to freedom he'd imagined.

At first, he didn't notice the children spying on his conversation. But he saw them snickering and whispering to each other as soon as he left the guard. There were five of them. They're the kids from yesterday.

"Hey! Hey you!" It was the voice of the red-hatted, red-shirted one, who was the leader of their little gang. He was probably only seven years of age. Link kept walking and ignored them. "Stop!" Link didn't, until the kid jumped in front of him. The look of anger he gave the guard only intensified.

"Go away," Link said.

"Make me," he said. "You have magic powers, don't you?" He laughed, and the other blue-hatted, blue-shirted kids surrounding him laughed, too.

"Yeah, he doesn't even have a broom!"

"Only old people can do magic."

"Or is that fairy going to stop us?" the leader asked.

"That monster fairy!" exclaimed one of the other kids behind him.

"She almost ate my face off last time. I saw its teeth!" added another one.

"I don't have time for you snot-nosed little kids!" Link exclaimed. "Get out of my way before I make you move."

"Do it," the leader added, and the other kids ooh-ed and awe-ed. Link didn't know how he did it, but he discovered his new powers.

The leader's face showed absolute disgust when a thick, green bubble formed at the scrub's mouth. Link's face was contorted in anger, frustration, and concentration as it grew rapidly. The bubble stayed there for a moment, shaking back and forth madly once it reached its capacity. It was perhaps as large Link's head, and when he stopped blowing, it whistled and released like an untied balloon - with precision. It hit the grass at the kids' feet, exploding to send green goop in all directions. The kids managed to jump back at the last second, but their eyes remained fixed in horror at the unknown, slimy substance in the grass.

For a second, no one said anything. Then…

"That was so awesome!"

"Yeah, he shot a magic poison ball at you!"

"He is a magician!"

"But he's not old?"

The leader of the gang, now separated from Link by the puddle on the ground, looked up at the Deku scrub. The other kids stood behind him in awe. "Not bad, for a Deku scrub."

Link almost smiled with pride, but he managed to keep a straight face. He wasn't sure what just happened. And was mildly disgusted. "We Bombers have a hideout in the alleyway in East Clock Town. It leads to the observatory outside of town. You need a code to get in, though." The red-hatted kid looked behind himself to the blue-hatted ones. "Should we tell him?"

They seemed to think about it for a moment, but they didn't hesitate with their answer. "No way, Jim! No scrubs!" they chanted.

The red-hatted kid, Jim, turned back to face Link. "If only you were human. Then I could make you a member. Once, we let some kid who wasn't human join our gang, and boy, did we regret it!"

"It was bad. He tried to eat my face off," explained one of the kids behind Jim. "I saw his teeth!"

"Where'd you say the hideout was?" Link asked. He didn't need the Bombers' approval, and he was done with this conversation. If there was a secret hideout, he wagered there weren't any guards nearby.

"Uh, East Clock Town?" Jim stammered. "It's through that doorway just over there." He pointed to one of the three official openings on the city wall. "You can't miss it, but why are you asking us? We just told you... you need a code to get in, and you don't have it!"

"Yeah, whatever," the Deku scrub said, turning around to leave his pile of goop behind.

"Hey!" Jim called out. "Where are you going?"

Link never responded. The moon urged him onward. As he'd feared, it was closer than ever before. The orange sunset was faint on its dark, gray rock. Three days. The first one had passed with no progress, but the second one got better every hour.

A yellow-hatted child guarded the secret passageway. They were on the elevated section of East Clock Town, behind the hotel. There were other buildings up here as well, and the 'secret entrance' was an alleyway crammed between two of them. Its floor descended on a rather steep slope into what looked like complete darkness. This kid was all that stood in Link's way.

"You need the secret code," the kid repeated yet again, raising his eyebrows. "I'm not letting you through until you give it to me."

Link chose to stand there in silence, a blank expression on his face as he stared. Is this kid serious?

"What... Why are you looking at me like that? Jim told me to stay here and not let anyone through!" Link still didn't say or do anything. "Hey! You're creeping me out. I'm not letting you in. If you try, I'm going to knock you out and get a guard to come and take you back to your parents... so you can... can... take a nap!" Still, Link held his composure and did not blink. "I'm going to tell you one last time: get out of my face, or I'll-"

A dense, light green bubble flew from his snout, except this time, it landed on the chest of his target. The kid's face went wide with shock, as his entire body was drenched in thick, green smudge. He screamed as the excess muck oozed off him and collected on the floor. He brought his hands to his face to try and get it off. But there was too much. "My eyes!" He ran from his post, hands over his face, back through the doorway and into North Clock Town.

Link smiled, confident that no one else had seen that. The Deku scrub continued onward into the alleyway's depths, finally past the dreaded walls that blocked everything from view... but underground. And it could not have been darker.

He walked carefully to avoid tripping. Just when you start to take a fairy's light for granted, Link realized. The tight space quickly became disconcerting. The tunnel was hardly large enough even for his small, cursed form. As it cut deeper into the wall and further underground, space became scarcer. The stone walls, ceiling, and floor were wet and covered in some sort of slime or plant growth.

When the ground leveled out, Link was surprised to find a torch blazing a few feet off. The firelight revealed a stone platform that went on for only a few feet, boxed in by walls and a much higher ceiling. He was definitely underground, and this was clearly a sewer system.

The platform ended at another man-made stream, except this stream was much wider and slightly deeper. It was the only way forward. On the other side was a ledge, but there was no discernible way to cross. The path on the other side promised to lead to this mysterious person in an observatory. Though, the water wasn't as clean as the Laundry Pool's; it was filth-ridden, green tinted and mixed with things better left unsaid.

No one's here to help me if I start drowning this time, Link thought. He decided against going back for help. Anju has enough on her mind, and why would anyone want to help a defenseless Deku scrub cross a dangerous pool of disease-ridden water? He had to do this alone.

He remembered falling off the bridge trying to capture the attention of the Stray Fairy. At first, he'd been a piece of driftwood in the water. My body almost wanted to float, Link recalled. It wasn't until his snout filled with water that his porous body absorbed all of it. Can I skip across the surface, just long enough to reach the other side? Eventually, a loss of momentum and gravity would pull him into the water, but perhaps he could go long enough to make it.

Link took a deep breath, taking a few steps back from the edge of the water and preparing himself. Then, his little legs sprinted for the stream; he leapt low and far. The moment his feet touched the water, he met resistance instead of sinking. His toes only went a few inches under before he could kick back out and hop forward. More Deku scrub super-powers! he realized.

The next jump went the same as the first. His feet hardly dipped in, and he was able to hop off the water like a solid object. As he came down for his third jump, he panicked when his feet went further in. Link was still able to kick back out of it, but this time with much less success.

The fourth hop was worse than the third. The first jerk of his legs didn't bring him out of the water at all, but the second did. He was now only one more good jump away from the other side. The fifth, he thought, would be the worst of them all, but Link mustered all the strength he could to leap the rest of the way. His arms reached out for the shallow end.

But he came just short of it.

Link plunged into the water instantly. He tried not to panic. This time, the ledge he needed to grab onto wasn't so far away. Link's snout instantly filled with water, but he brought his arms up to grab the ledge before he sunk too far past. He pulled with all his strength to break the surface, kicking his little legs. He climbed out of the sewer water and crawled across the stone floor, bending over to spit the murky, green liquid out. His lungs heaved with the effort, as they had at the Laundry Pool, and soon he was taking in massive gulps of dark, sewer air.

I did it! Link realized. I survived. By myself. As a Deku scrub.

However, his celebration didn't last long. He felt the presence of another living creature in the room. His heart stopped. Link quickly got to his feet and turned around. The sewer continued left until it turned at a hard angle through another doorway.

He ran quickly in that direction, not sure if he was quite ready to fight. But before he could make it, what looked like a giant skull descended from the ceiling and stopped him; Link ran right into it. The giant monster spun, hitting him and sending Link hurtling across the walkway. The scrub rolled several feet onto his back, but this time, he couldn't lie down and recuperate. Link jumped to his feet with what little strength he had left.

A skulltula had fallen from a nook in the ceiling: a man-sized spider. Its eight, long legs came out from its black body, though its back was colored as if it were the face of a skull. The spider landed on its legs, looking at the Deku scrub with red predator's eyes, taller than the child even on its stomach.

Link made an involuntary whimpering sound. The two animals stared at one another, two orange eyes looking fearfully at the many red ones. The skulltula made the first move, charging at the defenseless Deku scrub. The spider was surprised when a thick bubble flew from its prey's mouth, threatening to coat it in an odorous, speed-inhibiting liquid.

The spider, with sickening agility, avoided it and continued its approach. Link took steps backward, not daring to turn around, and fired a second bubble. This time, he considered the spider's speed, and the attack splattered all over its white back side. However, that side, posing as a skull, was also as thick as one. The bone on its back was unaffected by the globs of green, and it continued onward until it reached the astonished Deku scrub.

Link brought up his arms to defend himself, but the superior, longer, and stronger spider leg hit him in the gut in a single swoop. The skulltula slammed him into the wall, and Link fell, crumbling to the floor like a sack of twigs. Link struggled to get to his feet, but already, the spider was upon him. It held him to the ground easily with two arms, its disgusting head coming closer to his own face. Thick, black fangs opened toward his neck. Link screamed and wailed, squirming in vain against the skulltula; Link was forced to watch as its teeth came closer to his skin, its many red eyes blinking excitedly. When it took a bite, the sharp, piercing pain was followed by the creature's putrid stench and its tiny hairs brushing against his cheek. The skulltula was so close he could hear it breathing heavily in glee over its new meal.

Link was only able to scream for a few seconds; the venom acted almost instantaneously. Link squirmed his last squirms in the dark sewer. His limbs went limp, and his mind faded away. He had one final, coherent thought: I hate being a Deku scrub!

Chapter Text

"Navi, what do you think will be left after Hyrule?"

"What do you mean... after Hyrule?"

The two ventured across a vast, seemingly endless field. The verdant hills rolled on to connect the forest, to the mountains, to the castle, to the lake, to the desert, and to the many villages scattered throughout the expansive kingdom. It brimmed with light, as if only a dream to be shattered by the slightest disturbance.

Link's clunky brown boots crunched softly on the grass. He wore his usual green tunic with the matching funnel-shaped hat, and his sword and shield were clad on his back. His slingshot was tied securely to his belt, next to the sack of Deku pellets and nuts. He was only ten years of age, but this adventure had called him to adulthood sooner than expected. He'd just left the forest and received his fairy; his next destination was Kakariko Village, which lay in a distant mountain valley.

They approached the river stemming from the castle's moat. A stone bridge crossed it to connect Hyrule Field to the mountain territories of the north. The sky was clear and blue, boasting a brightly shining sun. The moon was nowhere to be seen.

"Hyrule wasn't here forever, was it?" Link pressed. He looked up at the white fairy by his side with the curiosity of a child. "What was here before Hyrule?"

"Chaos," Navi answered immediately. "That's all there was. When the Gods created Hyrule, they were saving it from darkness."

"So, when Hyrule is gone, that's all there will be? Chaos?" Link asked. The water rushed beneath them to surround the castle walls as they crossed the bridge.

"Hyrule will never be gone!" Navi exclaimed. "We were ordained by the Gods to be here, Link. We are their instruments to bring peace to the land. That's what it means to be a hero."

"I'm not an instrument!" Link replied. "I chose to help Zelda, didn't I? The Gods never told me to collect the Spiritual Stones and keep them from evil."

"Link, you're obviously too young to understand," Navi concluded. "The Gods do everything for Hyrule, for us. Hyrule will always be here."

Link opened his mouth to protest further, but nothing came to mind immediately. Maybe she's right, Link wondered. Maybe I am too young to understand.

"Link, get up!" Navi suddenly shouted.

Link furrowed his brow. "What?"

"Link, we have to go!"

"Well, come on then," Link said. "I'm right here. We're gonna talk to the gorons about the next Spiritual Stone."

"Link, wake up! That stupid thing is going to eat you if we don't get you out of here!" Navi yelled.

"What are you talking about? I'm awake!" Link yelled back, angrily running over to the fairy. But when he took his first step, he descended into darkness. The sky, the sun, the verdancy; it all disappeared. It was as delicate as he'd feared.

And then he felt his Deku scrub eyes open, but he couldn't see. Link was tightly wrapped in a bundle and sweating profusely in the dark space. I'm upside-down, he realized. He couldn't see, and his arms and legs were uncomfortably swaddled together. Link tried to squirm unsuccessfully, and even that slight movement caused his head to spin. The skulltula's venom was not completely gone from his system.

"Link, are you awake?" The voice came from outside of his suffocating prison of darkness. He recognized it instantly.

"Avee!" Link exclaimed, though his words were incoherent again. How long have I been like this? Awhile, if his throat was dehydrated enough to handicap his speech.

"Avee?" questioned the voice from outside.

Wait, he thought. Navi was just a dream. She couldn't possibly be here.

"That gloomy hotel-chick told me you figured out how to talk!"

"Attle!" Link exclaimed happily. "Elp! Ider it I eck an I to ill me!"

"Deku boy, there's no time to babble like an idiot right now," the fairy said seriously. He tried to squirm again, but his constraints were too tight.

"Ant oove!"

"You're in a freakin' cocoon. Of course you can't move!"

A cocoon? He imaged himself wrapped in a ball of webbing, tightly suspended from the ceiling, and dangling over the sewer system.

"Elp, Attle!" Link exclaimed again, shaking back and forth, hardly stirring the long string that kept him attached to the ceiling. The webbing surrounding him was so thick that it made breathing hard. It was probably a good thing that the venom had kept him unconsciousness.

"It'll be okay, Link," Tatl reassured him. Though Link thought her confidence sounded forced. "I flew all the way back here to apologize to you. I don't plan on letting you die. It's my fault that you're in there. I'm gonna get you out!"

"Then oo it!" Link exclaimed. Apologies aren't going to save my life! he thought.

"All right, fine, fine. Jeez, I was trying to say I'm sorry. I was trying to-"

"ELP!" Link exclaimed.

"Whatever," Tatl finally agreed. "Okay, so, I'm not sure I can untie it. How do you want me to do this?"

"I own no!"

"Well... um... um... I got it!"

Link waited in the darkness for something to happen. Eventually, something slammed into him, and the entire cocoon rocked forward. Link was too shocked by it to react, and when the cocoon reached the height of its arc, it traveled in the opposite direction, swinging on its pendulum. Tatl likely was pushing the cocoon, hoping to use its own momentum to break him free from the ceiling. "Hold on, Link!" Tatl exclaimed, as she pushed his silky prison again.

It only took a minute before Link fell downward – instead of side-to-side – and he wailed the whole way down. The splash was loud, and the cocoon's webbing immediately absorbed the water and grew wet and weak. Link slithered from the confines of his prison, breaking himself free one appendage at a time. The dank air rushed in to fill his lungs with relief. Link sighed, crawling out the rest of the way and kicking the loose strands off.

Thankfully, drowning was never a concern. The water was shallow in this unfamiliar stretch of sewer. The long, stone hallway went in the same direction on either end. On the ceiling, several other cocoons dangled, but none of their inhabitants made any noise. Link got to his feet quickly, picking off the damp, stringy residue wherever it still clung to his body. Tatl meekly flew by his side.

"Link?" Tatl began.

Though he paused at the sound of her voice, Link didn't turn to face her. Anger had quickly replaced his adrenaline. She expects me to be grateful? he wondered. She'd ditched him because she thought he was useless, and seconds into her return, she'd saved him yet again.

Despite his emotional resolve, Link swayed on his feet. He caught himself before he fell, but he was still dizzy. The poison would take a while to leave his body.

"I'm sorry," Tatl said again, softly. "If it makes you feel any better, I didn't find anything while I was gone. The hotel lady told me that you found the stray fairy. And she told me your name."

Link stopped attending to the webbing on his arm. Tatl's been calling me by name this entire time, hasn't she? He hadn't noticed until now.

"Hello?" Tatl said. "Link, I'm trying here! I don't really know how to apologize. But I need you, Deku head. I may have to bail you out every other second, and I do all the speaking. But I can't fight the Skull Kid by myself. I've always had Tael, so I've never been alone before, and... I don't even really know what I'm saying here!

"Link, please just turn around and say something! I was only gone for a day. I didn't save your life to have an excuse to rejoin you. I did it because I didn't want to lose you. Please."

Link considered. I'm just supposed to forgive you? That easy? He moved to turn around and say something.

But the skulltula interrupted him.

Its massive body descended from the ceiling and knocked into the Deku scrub - hurtling him against the wall. He crumpled inward just like last time, collapsing into the thin layer of water. The skulltula let go of the web and crawled speedily through the sewer toward the helpless animal. "Link!" Tatl exclaimed.

Link somehow managed to stand, turn around, and sprint along the hallway as fast as his little legs could carry him. He never turned around to see his attacker; all that filled his ears were his own splashes in the shallow water. His legs wouldn't last much longer; he had no strength left.

"Run faster! He's almost got you!" Tatl's advice was useless to Link; he was already running as fast as possible. There was no speeding up.

A new wave of adrenaline carried him. He rounded the corner at the end of the hallway and found himself where he'd been initially kidnapped. The unexplored doorway – which had been his destination before the skulltula first attacked – was just on his left.

Link saw a thin shadow on the floor growing longer. The spider's leg had risen for attack.

Link barrel-rolled into the new doorway, just as the arm came crashing down. He managed to land on his feet after rolling twice, but his momentum was too great. His feet slipped out from under him; Link rolled painfully into the new, dry room. He tried scrambling to his feet, but the skulltula was faster.

Link summoned all the energy he could to produce a green bubble, and he released it just before the spider reached him. This time, he aimed for its black, unprotected head.

The spider screeched in pain and confusion. Its many legs gave out, though it continued sliding toward Link. It stopped just before hitting him, and the Deku scrub immediately fled the scene while the spider picked goo from its face.

Tatl finally reached him as he sprinted through the new room. There was no stream of filthy water in it; it was large, square, and made of stone. A few pipes ran up against the left corner, which went from the ceiling to the floor. Otherwise, it was empty except for a crude ladder at the far end. It led up to yet another passageway, which was high on the wall and inaccessible any other way.

"Did you just vomit on that spider's face?!" Tatl exclaimed, as they ran for the ladder. Link didn't bother wasting any breath to try and answer. His journey was cut short, however, when something else came from the dark ceiling: another skulltula. Link stopped in his tracks, eyes wide with fear. It scaled along the wall, over the ladder, and then leveled out on the floor. All eight legs twitched eagerly for its meal.

Hardly a second passed before he heard the first skulltula behind him. Link glanced over his shoulder to see that the green goop had been removed from its eyes. "Um," Tatl stammered nervously, as the two skulltulas on either side surrounded their prey. Link remained frozen in indecision. "Is throwing up on both of them at once an option?"

The skulltula from earlier – the one currently enraged by the goop still stuck to its cheeks – was the first to charge. Link tried to jump out of the way, but one of its legs pierced Link's boot. The beast reeled Link in, who was dragged across the floor by his foot. He kicked his boot off to free himself, but the other leg came down immediately after, tearing straight through Link's upper arm. The Deku scrub screamed in agony, and the Skulltula lifted him into the air like a fisherman who'd made his catch. The leg was deeply latched into the bleeding, wood-like flesh of his left arm. "Stop it!" Tatl yelled, flying into the skulltula's face repeatedly.

The spider roared in protest, still holding Link over everything. The scrub kicked his legs uselessly in response to the pain shooting through him. The second skulltula scurried to join them, taking advantage of the other one's distractions: the screaming prey, the fairy attacking its face, and the green, thick substance sliding over its eyes again.

Slyly, the second one wrapped one of its arms around Link's waist and tore him off the spider arm he was staked too. It was painful beyond expression. Link lost the ability to wail as the venom took over his body again. The spider threw him into the ground and away from the initial predator, holding him down with two legs. Link could barely squirm, too weak and raddled with agony.

Link saw a blurry image of the new skulltula rearing its teeth to bite, but then it unexpectedly shrieked in pain. The Deku scrub hardly noticed when it let him go; the other skulltula had come to fight for its food. In the distance, the two spiders now battled over him, legs locked in conflict as they screeched with fury.

Tatl entered his blurred vision as he lay on the floor. "Come on Link!" she exclaimed, nudging him lightly. Link could only clutch the bleeding wound that went completely through his arm, shivering vehemently. "We've gotta get outta' here!" Link weakly lifted his head to look at the ladder only a few feet away. He struggled to his feet, as the two skulltulas continued battling on the other side of the room. "There you go," Tatl said softly. "It's not that far away. Come on!"

Link took one shaky step after the next, leaving a trail of blood behind. "You can do it. We'll get help as soon as you climb that ladder. Those skulltulas won't be done anytime so-"

Tatl was interrupted by a sickening ripping noise. It was the sound of a weapon piercing flesh. Link turned to see that the battle between the skulltulas had just ended. His initial captor had claimed victory. Its leg stabbed the underside of its enemy, triumphantly watching the light fade from all eight of the spider's eyes. The loser twitched only once, and then it was still, legs curled inward to grow rigid. The victor pulled its leg out of the dead spider, shaking with rage.

Tatl turned Lin's head back to the ladder. "Don't worry about that! Just go!" Link took her advice, stretching out for the wooden rungs. Tatl helped him, nudging his arm from underneath. It aggravated his open wound to grasp the rung, but his uninjured arm did it much easier. Link pulled himself upward as the skulltula behind them abandoned its dead competitor. "Link, I know you're kind of dying right now, but... Go faster!"

Link tried. One stride of the arm after the next pulled him closer to the ledge, but it was a long ladder. It creaked with his light weight. His bare and booted foot took turns bringing him further upward.

"Link!" Tatl screamed one more futile warning as he reached out for the ledge at the top. The spider's leg was not long enough to reach Link, but it stretched as far along the ladder as it could. It slashed through the rungs below Link, and the ladder fell apart instantly. Link's hand just missed his one chance for escape. He fell amongst the wooden debris, but he was too weak to scream. The spider put its arm up to catch the falling Deku scrub and slammed him into the ground.

All the air was squeezed out of him. He'd been crushed; he could feel his insides bruised and compressed into the stone. Link kicked himself out from under the skulltula's leg and tried crawling away, desperate to survive. As he crawled away, he gathered his last bit of life to blow one final bubble. Link shook with the effort, hiding his surprise attack with his back turned.

The skulltula screeched with anticipation once more and reared over Link, four legs and an underside suspended over the defenseless child. It would smash him with its body and then rub his remains all over the floor. But it never got that chance.

As the skulltula came down, Link turned around with the largest, thickest, greenest bubble yet, and it tore through the spider's soft underside. The beast shrunk away, stumbling on its legs as the Deku poison infected its body. It collapsed in the corner, twitching as life ebbed from its many legs and eyes.

"You did it!" Tatl exclaimed happily. "Link, you killed the skulltula!"

Link was unable to celebrate his victory; a weak attempt to nod failed. Then his eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he collapsed.

"Link!" he heard faintly. "I'm… going to get help right now! Please stay with me!"

The world slipped away.

Link stirred underneath a warm blanket drawn over him; his head rested on a soft pillow. Where am I? His left arm throbbed terribly, and Link took it out from under the covers to see that it was crudely bandaged. Dried blood completely coated the injury site. Link took in his surroundings and found that he could move his head without it swimming.

He was in a large, round room. The floor was wooden, and the walls were stone. An old door was on the right wall, and a staircase spiraled up to a second story. It was impossible to see what was on the second floor from beneath the ceiling, which seemed to be more of a basement than an actual first floor. He was lying on top of a crate in the corner.

Link lay his head back on the pillow and noticed a glass of water beside him. He eagerly drained it, savoring the moisture that returned to his throat. But the rest of me still feels so terrible, he thought. He remembered the spider throwing him around the stone room and piercing his arm. His body wouldn't stop hurting anytime soon.

A bright ball of light appeared on the box next to him. The fairy's glow returned as she awoke, stretching her winds to fly beside the Deku scrub. "How do you feel?" she asked. She clearly hadn't been sleeping deeply; there was no grogginess in her voice.

"Okay," Link answered. "Sore. Tired."

Tatl blinked in surprise. "So it's true. Deku head finally can talk. And fight. You were pretty great back there, too, getting tossed around like a rag doll who can blow bubbles."

"Was dat a compliment?"

"Yes. You're the fiercest bubble warrior in all the land."

Despite the sarcasm, a small amount of warmth stirred in Link's chest. He'd proven himself - at least a little. Enough to get a half-hearted compliment from Tatl. "I've... done bedder," Link stammered, not quite sure what to say. Neither of them made direct eye contact. "I'll have to do bedder when we stop the moon from falling."

"Uh, yeah. About that. There's something you should come see. The Skull Kid... he's... Well, the astronomer can tell you."

"We're at the observatory?" asked Link excitedly, throwing his blanket off and slipping from the top of the crate. His legs were surprisingly sturdy, but he had to hold his injured arm in place. The bruises that throbbed elsewhere on his body were minor in comparison.

"Yep," Tatl said. "I went and got him to carry you back here. I imagine you'd have been food for something else otherwise. He's a very nice old man."

"Is he upstairs?"

Tatl nodded, and Link followed her lead up the staircase. They rounded the final curve to reach a truly spectacular room. It was as wide as the basement, but the ceiling was much higher. Its arched dome was just tall enough to fit a massive telescope. A raised platform was just beneath the knobs at its center, and the astronomer stood there. The eyepiece came down at a perfect height for him, descending from the extensive machinery above. The outward facing lens stuck through a hole in the roof, aimed for the sky and the world beyond.

The man looked down from the eye piece when he heard the Deku scrub. He was rather old, as Tatl had said, wearing long, blue robes that covered his feet. He was ghostly pale with mystical blue eyes on a wrinkled face; long, white hair flowed past his shoulders. He was tall, though his back was hunched greatly. He sported a blue cap on his head and a thick mustache beneath his nose. A column stood beside him, and on top of it lay a glowing blue stone in the shape of a tear, surrounded by a glass case.

"Well, well," the old man began, in a voice as aged as his face. The Deku scrub walked up to the platform, and Tatl followed behind him. "The strange-looking child has joined me today."

"Thank you for saving me." Link wondered how this old man had managed to do that all on his own.

"Oh, it was nothing, really," he replied in a faint voice. "I've gotten the Bombers gang out of trouble down there before. Are you a new friend of theirs? Your manners seem much better than those of your mischievous friend from the other day." He laughed lightly, and Link merely smiled politely, waiting for him to finish. "That ill-mannered troublemaker said he'd break my instruments."

"One of the Bombers gang?"

"Now that I think about it, I'm not sure he was," the old man said.

"He's talking about the Skull Kid, Link," Tatl explained. The fairy floated to confront the old man herself. "No, Shikashi, the Skull Kid isn't one of the Bombers gang."

"He's too wicked to be," the astronomer, Shikashi, continued. "He said he'd hit me with my Moon's Tear." He trailed off, as if overwhelmed with memories of the Skull Kid. "Even now! Just watch him! He's probably causing trouble around the clock tower!"

"Ull id's... in... Clock Town?" Link looked over to Tatl, confused.

"That's kind of what I was afraid to tell you, Link."

"How didn't we see him?"

"Well..."

"Why don't you look into the telescope and see yourself?" Shikashi suggested, gesturing his hand toward the eye piece. Link tentatively walked to it. The old man reached up to turn one of the knobs so that the eyepiece lowered. Link peered into it; its rim was cold on his face.

For the first time, Link saw the outside of Clock Town. A giant wall obscured almost everything, enclosing the city in a circle. The only thing visible was the clock tower rising above it. The tower's dark stone was easily noticeable without turning the knob to look closer, its massive clock-face turning rhythmically. It was nighttime, and the black sphere on the top rotated in a slow circle and boasted a powerful light. It was as Link had guessed; the clock tower doubled as a lighthouse. Its massive beam of light stretched far.

An untamed, grassy field surrounded the walled city; it was much less magnificent than the great fields of Hyrule that surrounded the castle. White mountains could be seen in the distance, far away behind the walled city and the grass field.

He moved the eyepiece, easily turning the telescope's body to get out from behind a tree. How could Tatl see the Skull Kid? Link wondered. All you can see above those walls is the clock tower!

When he shifted his gaze a little closer, Link saw something moving on top of the tower. Link centered the scope on the small dot atop the revolving lighthouse, and he turned the knob as instructed. He felt his mouth go dry when he recognized the Skull Kid.

His orange and yellow outfit was still the same: frayed, fit for a forest child, and complemented with a witch-like hat. But the mask still stood out the most. Its heart-shape was bordered with spikes around the edges, and those eyes… Glowing. Orange. Hypnotic. There the imp was; after all this time, Link had been venturing throughout Clock Town looking for someone who'd been in the very center, watching. And laughing the entire time.

The Skull Kid stood staring upward; his expression was hidden beneath the mask. He wouldn't break his gaze, so Link followed it. Link froze in fear when the scope revealed a corner of gray rock. He continued turning the telescope, helpless to the alluring gaze he knew he would fine.

There it was: the menacing chunk of rock staring down at the city. The great, orange eyes were that of the mask, and it had grown to a magnificent, horrendous size. He felt his legs trembling at its awesome appearance, commanding the fear and attention of everyone underneath. He felt helpless beneath its all-seeing gaze. There was no room for anger – only fear.

The Skull Kid was no longer playing games. He meant to slam the moon directly into Clock Town and destroy it, which would devastate even those mountains in the distance. The Skull Kid had to be defeated... but how?

He remembered something Tatl had said on their first day: At midnight on the day of the carnival, the clock tower... well, it opens up. The huge clock face points to the sky, and the staircase comes down and you can go up to the top! Pretty neat, huh?

It all came together. If what the mask salesman said was true, they had six hours after the tower opened to stop this kid's plan. The carnival would give Link an opportunity to walk to the top and confront him. He wondered, now, if the mask salesman had known the moon would fall all along; the coincidence was just too great.

Link's thoughts were interrupted by the moon's left eye when a small ball of fire sparked in its pupil. That sphere expanded until it was hurtling toward the ground. He watched curiously, following it and zooming out, until he realized that it was hurtling toward them.

It was too late to react. Only a second passed before the projectile zipped right for them, just barely missing the telescope and the building. A large thud! shook the ground. Link turned the telescope to see that a fence surrounded the observatory, and the object had landed within it. A black, scorched crater now marred the sidewalk surrounding the observatory, housing a glowing blue rock that had fallen from the moon. He returned the telescope to its original position before backing away, which centered it on the clock tower. Link noticed one final thing before he stepped down: the imp had seen the telescope moving. He was now staring into it... at him.

The Deku scrub and the Skull Kid stared at one another from miles apart, and then Link backed away from the eyepiece on the telescope.

"What was that?!" Tatl exclaimed.

"I'm not sure," Link confessed. "It fell from the moon, whatever it was."

"A Moon's Tear!" Shikashi theorized. "A very rare and valuable gem. Did the object have a blue aura?" Link nodded. "And did you find that troublemaker? I wonder how he got on top of the clock tower. The only way up there is through the tower doors, and they open only on the eve of the carnival."

"So, we weelly can go up there?" Link asked, as squeaky as ever.

"Yes," Tatl reassured him, "at midnight, six hours before the sunrise of the carnival. That's exactly what I was thinking, Link."

"Then let's go back to Clock Town," Link said, turning to face the old man. "I'm not sure how much time is left."

"Take the Moon's Tear before you go," the astronomer said. "Its glow will keep away anything that might decide to attack you on your way back through the sewers. The leader of the Bombers gang, Jim, carries a shard of one with him. That's the only way they ever get through alive." Link nodded, hopping off the platform and walking through the front door.

Even though Clock Town was open to the sky, this felt like the first time he'd actually been outdoors in a while. Those walls do a lot of stifling, he realized. Even before then, the dense forest beyond Death Mountain had blotted out the sun, and his struggles through the underground tunnels had been in complete darkness. Afterward, Clock Town had been completely walled in, and the sewers had been boxed in as well. Now, he could finally see grass and sky simultaneously. The only thing that stopped him from running through it was the extremely tall, black gate that encircled the observatory.

Link looked immediately to his left and saw the blue stone. He wandered toward the blackened crater, looking at its glow inquisitively. He didn't doubt its potential to ward off skulltulas in the sewer. He bent over, at first afraid to touch it.

It was surprisingly cool when his fingers made contact, and his wide eyes watched its magnificent glow pulsate. He cupped his hands underneath it but brought them back instantly when he touched the blackened pavement; it was still quite hot. Link carefully removed the stone without touching the scorched ground. The gem was in the crude shape of a tear.

Link exchanged a glance with Tatl before turning to look at the clear, nighttime sky. He took in a few final breaths of fresh air. Only the moon ruined nature's splendor, a terrible blight upon the midnight canvas.

Link returned inside with the Moon's Tear under his uninjured arm. He realized that the pedestal beside Shikashi housed a nearly identical tear. "Thank you for everywing," Link said. Shikashi looked up from the eyepiece to see them off.

"It's always a pleasure to meet new people. Good luck in your endeavors."

Link and Tatl descended the staircase and opened the basement door that returned them to the darkness of the underground tunnels. "Here," Tatl said, "let me light the way. These go on for a little bit before they lead back into the sewers. All the turns can get confusing." Link nodded, and Tatl flew ahead. Her light illuminated small stretches of the walls, revealing grime and dank air. Link sighed. I'm never going into a tunnel again once I get back to Hyrule.

They walked in silence at first. Tatl remained slightly ahead to guide them, though she always hesitated before every turn. "Are you sure you know where you're going?" Link asked.

"Yeah, it just takes me a minute," Tatl explained. She doesn't sound very confident, Link thought. He followed nonetheless, holding the radiant blue stone under one arm. His left was still tightly bandaged, though he could now let it hang stiffly by his side.

"Tatl," Link called out after a while.

"Yeah?"

"I wouldn't have made it without you. Thanks for coming back."

She stopped flying, at first still facing the darkness of the tunnel. "I... didn't expect you to forgive me, Link," she eventually said, turning around. "Thank you for not throwing your glass of water at me. I deserved it, after everything I said back in the hotel room. I thought... I thought I could do it on my own. I just wanted my brother back, and I didn't realize how messed up everything the Skull Kid and I did to you was.

"But now I know. I want to make sure you get your body, your ocarina, and your horse. It's my fault you're in this mess, and I'm not stopping until we get out of it together."

"Thanks Tatl," Link squeaked. "I really didn't want to stop the moon from falling by myself."

"Yeah," Tatl agreed, leading them onward through the tunnel. "Though I'm not sure how I can help with that. We can wait until the clock tower doors open, but then what? I'm not sure anything we say would get through to the Skull Kid. And we can't fight him. Unless you've been holding out on me and can summon a massive crater of rock from the heavens, too? I guess you can throw up on him, but he's not a skulltula."

"That wasn't throw up," Link explained. "The Great Fairy gave me a magic ability."

"Right. But you can't blame for me doubting that there's enough bile in your body to douse the entire moon."

"I'm not gonna throw up on the moon."

"Then what are you gonna do?"

"I don't know. Do we need a well-thought-out plan?"

"Uh. I'd like to think so. Unless you like the idea of becoming a moon pancake."

"What could anyone do to stop the moon from falling?" Link pointed out. "Like you said, he's too powerful. But we have to try confronting him. We have to go to the top when those doors open up."

"That's suicide without a plan!"

"Just trust me, Tatl. Confronting the Skull Kid will be enough, and there's not really an alternative anyways. The mask salesman will be gone soon, and Clock Town will be a wasteland. If we don't go to the top of the tower and try stopping him, then no one else will."

The fairy considered as she took one last turn, happening upon the large, square room. The new ladder Shikashi had used led down to the floor; the two skulltulas bodies had eerily vanished.

"If you say so, Link," Tatl finally agreed. "I'm just not sure you realize what you're getting yourself into."

When they exited the sewers into East Clock Town, it was still dark. A slight, purple tint had begun at the skyline, but the sun had yet to rise. The Deku scrub ran from the sewers and into the empty East Clock Town plaza. When he ran past the hotel, Tatl stopped following. "Link, where are we going?"

"To deliver this!" Link gestured to the Moon's Tear, and then continued toward South Clock Town.

"To who?"

Link walked past the carpenters and their practically finished wooden tower, all in the shadow of the larger, stone one. He stopped in front of the empty shop stall with a yellow Deku Flower behind it. "Hey!" Link exclaimed loudly.

The adult Deku scrub jumped from the flower's depths, keeping his lower half inside. "What?" the Deku scrub demanded, his sleepy eyes opening.

The adult seemed to recognize Link, but before he could say anything regarding the matter, the little Deku scrub held out a glowing stone. Its light radiated hypnotically, eliciting a squeak from the adult. "Ah! That stone! You must hand it over to me! In exchange, I'll give you my spot here – Deku flower included, as promised! Yes?"

Link nodded, "As promised."

The cool, radiant stone left his fingertips, as the adult Deku scrub trembled while taking it into his own. "You really helped me out. Now I have this perfect souvenir for my wife! She hasn't set eyes on a jewel like this in a very long time."

"Glad I could help."

"I'm not the only one who just got a good deal, though! The Title Deed for this spot should be in high demand among Deku scrubs, but you already knew that. If you don't need it anymore, you could always sell it."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"And wow, you really figured out how to talk, didn't you? You fixed that... poisonous blue fern problem?"

"Uh, sure. Let's go with that."

"Thanks though. Have a great..." the adult Deku scrub looked nervously up at the moon before he finished, "... carnival!" He then disappeared into the depths of the Deku flower and popped back out carrying a bunch of bags – Moon's Tear already packed. He reached into one, pulled out a folded green piece of paper, and handed it to Link, "Here you go." Link took the deed as the helicopter-like leaves on the adult's head spun. He left as he came: over the city wall. And then it was only Link and Tatl standing at the unoccupied flower. Link unfolded the new title curiously.

"That was... interesting," Tatl commented. "You two know each other?"

"Sort of. He asked me to get him a Moon's Tear. This should make it easier to get to the clock tower doors when they open."

"Well, I'm glad we got it then. Can we please go back to the hotel now?" Tatl asked. "I really, really need some sleep. It's almost the last day before the carnival, and I don't want to..."

Dee-dong!

The bells echoed, scaring off a flock of birds perched on the city wall. Tatl jumped and turned to look at Link, but Link wasn't looking at her. He was looking around the town, as if just now noticing something.

No one was there; only the carpenters hammered away busily on the wooden tower. All the other stalls were empty and without vendors. The late-night shoppers from the night before had vanished.

Dee-dong!

The town bells echoed through the empty streets of Clock Town, and no one stirred, because only the guards standing at the town gates and the carpenters remained.

Dee-dong!

The moon hung ominously over it all. Link had to crane his neck backward to see the whole thing. Its eyes stared threateningly at its targets, teeth bared, as if preparing to plow into everything below.

Dee-dong!

The final seconds of the second day faded. Forty-eight hours were gone, and Link and Tatl knew what came next. They would wait until midnight, six hours before the Carnival of Time. And then they would walk up the steps and face the coming apocalypse. Light spilled over the city walls as the sunrise broke. It was the last one Clock Town would ever see, should their plan fail.

Dee-dong!

Dawn of the Final Day. Twenty-four hours remain.

Chapter Text

"Skull Kid, you're really going to kill people this time. It's not a game anymore."

"I know." His voice was cold. All tones of playfulness were gone.

"But think about it. The moon won't just destroy Clock Town. It'll destroy everything!"

The Skull Kid turned to face the purple fairy, floating just above the clock tower's peak. He tilted his head to the side as if not understanding what Tael had said. The mask's still, orange eyes were ice.

"Tatl – my sister – do you remember her? Your friend? You're going to kill her, too!"

"I don't care about your sister," the imp said dryly. The clear, bright sky did not match the aura of death surrounding the moon just above them. The few townsfolk left below them were ants. "I don't care about anyone down there. I want them all to die. They're dumb things."

"What happened to you?" Tael asked.

"Nothing," the Skull Kid said. "You're the one who's trying to ruin my fun. But I won't let you stop me, and I won't let you leave. Someone's gotta survive all of this with me."

Tael retreated backward. "You're… really going to kill all of them?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Why not?" And then he laughed, chuckling loudly as everyone below them took in their final hours of daylight.

"It's time to wake up, Link."

The Deku scrub had the covers pulled over his head. His sleep had been restful but short, and waking up proved rather difficult. He moaned. Five more minutes, he thought groggily. He expected to find Navi in his Kokiri house. He'd be a man-grown at seventeen, and they'd start their day cutting more evil Deku babas from the forest. I'm not ready, Link thought. Tell Mido to do it instead.

However, he opened his eyes to find the underside of a hotel bedsheet. He was in Clock Town, a town which he'd never heard of three days ago. He was with a fairy that wasn't necessarily his own, and there was a giant rock floating above their heads, slowly creeping toward them. "Link, it's almost noon," Tatl said from outside the covers. "Don't you think we should be doing something? I feel useless just sitting here and waiting for the clock tower to open. Don't you?"

"No," Link murmured. "Resting is doing something. I don't want to pass out from exhaustion walking up the staircase."

Tatl scoffed, "Well, six hours is plenty! How much sleep could a little thing like you need, anyways?" Link threw the sheets away and glared at the fairy floating by the bed stand. "Uh, we're still on joking, slap-each-other-on-the-shoulder playfully terms, right?"

Link didn't answer and slipped out of bed instead. He turned to look out the small windows of the Knife Chamber. The sun confirmed Tatl's noontime declaration. "What should we do?" he asked.

"The only thing I've landed on is to not sleep the day away."

"Have they ordered an evacuation yet?" Link asked, turning from the window and going over to the drawers.

"I don't think so, but I doubt they will if they haven't yet."

"It'd make me feel better if I knew no one was left in town when... Well, you know." He slipped on his boots, though the one pierced by the skulltula still had a hole. The bandages on his left arm had been freshly changed, and he no longer had to cradle the wound. It doesn't even hurt anymore, he thought. The astronomer must have had exceptional healing materials. The bruises and scrapes along his body were already fading, too.

"We can go talk to the mayor if you'd like. His office should be open."

"If that'll satisfy your urge to do something." He stopped when he opened the wrong drawer and found his hat. Link picked it up to thoughtfully trace the long, green fabric. It doesn't feel right to leave it here when I confront the Skull Kid, Link thought. He slipped it on, opened the drawer he'd meant to, and grabbed some money.

The Mayor's Office was on the elevated side-district to East Clock Town, near the sewer alleyway. Link passed through the front door to find a nicely decorated lobby, furbished with paintings of mountains and lively flowers. A receptionist greeted him from behind the desk against the far wall. A small replica of the clock tower's face was just above the young woman's head, turning as it ticked away the hours remaining.

She looked down at the little Deku scrub accompanied by a fairy, smiling. "Aw, look at you. Are you looking for your parents?"

"No," Link said. His efforts to deepen his voice failed. It didn't help that he was also a head shorter than the countertop. "We need to see the mayor."

"Well, he's a pretty busy man," the receptionist responded condescendingly. "He has to make some big grown-up choices today."

"Listen, lady," Tatl said. The smile immediately faded from the receptionist's face. "We don't have time for your baby crap. If you think he's cute, you can flirt with him when the moon isn't about to slam into your pretty little face and everyone else you know." The woman had nothing to say to that. "Which door can we find the mayor in?" When she raised her arm and pointed at the door to her right, Tatl flew off without another word. Link followed her, smiling.

"It's pretty great when I'M not the one you're mad at."

"I can't stand people that treat everything smaller than them like a joke," Tatl said, fully aware that she was still within hearing range of the stunned receptionist. "Trust me, I know how you feel. I deal with the 'you're too small to be taken seriously' crap all the time. 'Oh look, a pretty little fairy. Let's go play magic princess with her.' Nope. Wrong. Sorry." Tatl stopped her rant when she noticed Link looking up at her. "What are you smiling at?"

"Nothing," he remarked, turning to open the door. "Let's just go see the mayor before the receptionist changes her mind."

The mayor's office wasn't anything too impressive. There were bookshelves against the back wall on either side of a grand window. A desk was the main feature, sitting on top of a red rug and overflowing with papers and trinkets. A man with long, slicked-back purple hair, a purple mustache, and a crimson set of fine robes sat at it: the mayor.

Two guards stood on the right side of the desk, while two of the carpenters – among them the leader – stood on the left. The guards and carpenters were regarding each other with contempt, but the mayor in the middle seemed uncertain about everything. None of them noticed the Deku scrub and fairy.

They walked in while the guard closer to the table spoke passionately. His distinguished armor identified his higher rank: a red cape over his shoulders and a gold plate on his helmet. "Most of the townsfolk already have taken shelter without waiting for the mayor's orders! The only ones left are public servants and committee members. Mr. Mayor and Carnival Committee Members, please order those who remain to evacuate!"

"Ah... hmm... well...," the mayor stammered, scratching his head and looking directly at the two intruders without seeing them.

The leader of the carpenters interrupted before the mayor could answer. Link's body tensed at the sound of his voice: Stupid animal, he'd said on Link's first day here. "You cowards!" he exclaimed now. "Do you actually believe the moon will fall? The confused townsfolk simply caused a panic by believing this ridiculous, groundless theory. The soldiers couldn't prevent the panic, but outside the town walls is where the danger is! You want answers? The answer is that the carnival should not be canceled! … Isn't that right, Mr. Mayor?"

"Umm... I think that... Well..."

"Are you serious, Mutoh?" exclaimed the high-ranked guard. "It's my job as captain of the guard to oversee the people's safety. And it seems that giant chunk of rock above us hasn't caught your eye! At this time every year, we are overrun by tourists! So why is the town empty?" The leader of the carpenters, Mutoh, merely stood there, staring at the captain with narrowed eyes. "Clearly, it's your job to ensure the carnival's operation, but that's if people are here for it! Don't drag the merchants and soldiers into this!"

"That's a good... um... but he..."

"If the soldiers wish to run, then run, Viscen!" exclaimed Mutoh, interrupting the mayor yet again. "We councilmen will stick to tradition. This carnival will be a success! I've never heard of a defense unit abandoning its town!" The captain's face turned bright red, but Mutoh continued before he could retaliate. "Madame Aroma would surely say the same thing, wouldn't she, Mayor Dotour?"

"Let's not bring my wife into this," Mayor Dotour pleaded, sighing as he put his head on the desk in surrender.

"Hey!" Mutoh suddenly exclaimed. This time he addressed neither the mayor nor the captain. Link jumped in shock to find their eyes on him. "Didn't I tell you to leave me alone, kid?"

"I... I... came to speak to the mayor," Link stammered.

"Oh yeah?" Mutoh said, laughing. "And what do you think we should do?"

"Uh." Link gulped, suddenly finding his throat rather dry. "Evac-woo-ate."

"What a great idea!" Mutoh said. "Did you hear that, Mayor? He thinks we should evac-woo-ate!"

"Please, Mutoh," said the mayor. "He's just a child."

"Yet he speaks more sense than you, Mutoh," said Captain Viscen.

"More sense them me? Maybe you should have put Deku scrubs in charge of the carnival!" He paused, feigning a response from the captain. "Wait, what? That's right, you put me in charge, because I'm not an animal."

"Listen, you rotten, good for nothing, sack of dog barf!" Tatl suddenly exclaimed, turning everyone's heads instantly.

Mutoh dared a wicked smile. "Are you talking to me, twinkle ball? Oh Nayru, the mayor's office has turned into a barn!"

Tatl left Link's side and stopped an inch from Mutoh's face. "You're the animal, sacrificing all of the guards so that you can have your stupid tradition! To Din with tradition. There's a ball of rock bigger than your over-sized head coming straight toward that stack of twigs you have built in South Clock Town!" Tatl backed down, satisfied for the moment and turning to the mayor. "You know what, don't order the evacuation. I'd pay front row seats to see this guy's grin leave his face when the moon comes down all over his bloated ego."

Viscen, Dotour, Mutoh, Link, and the other two men in the room had no response to the string of insults that had just flowed from Tatl's mouth. "Come on, Link," she said, flying back to his side. "Let's go." The Deku scrub didn't hesitate and left the awkward moment of silence quickly.

"Tatl," Link said, as they walked back to the lobby. "That was amazing."

She managed a smile in response. "You haven't seen anything yet."

Link and Tatl stood in the middle of East Clock Town's plaza, as if lost. There was no one to buy food from. They were alone; everyone else had fled.

The ground vibrated once again - a small earthquake. It only lasted a few seconds, but the moon's proximity was physically affecting the town. Though it had yet to cause damage, it was unnerving to be rattled up and down. The hunger in his stomach turned to fear.

A family ran out of a building in the square. They juggled the possessions they could carry, frantically running for the town gate. He didn't blame them; it was the third earthquake of the day. Link felt taunted by the fact that he could run just as easily. Surely, the guard would allow him to run for his life, even if he were 'defenseless'. But I can't leave, can I?

Link turned around to look at the time on the giant clock tower; the moon appeared to rest on it like a stone bust on a column. It was 1:34. In less than seventeen hours, Clock Town would be rubble. The Deku scrub, however, didn't think he could last that long without something to eat. He turned to face the fairy, who was occupied by her own thoughts. "Tatl, isn't there anywhere we can get food?"

"Um," Tatl stammered, exiting her train of thought. "Maybe we can pay Anju to take some food from the Stock Pot's kitchen. Since it's the end of the world, I'm sure she'll make an exception. Especially for us." Link had told Tatl everything about his second day adventures. The fairy had been the more hesitant of the two to divulge exactly what she'd been doing.

When they entered the hotel lobby, Anju was behind the front desk. She looked sad as she folded papers to pack them away, put them in drawers, or merely drop them in a waste bin. There was a travel bag open on the counter. "Are you leaving, Anju?" Link asked, trying to hide his disappointment as he walked up to the front desk.

Anju smiled faintly at the Deku scrub but did not look up from her work. "Shouldn't you be leaving, too?" she asked.

Link didn't answer; he wasn't sure how to.

"Or are you going to stay here? Did you... find who's doing this to the moon?"

Link found no mockery in her voice; unlike the guards at the town gates, Anju actually believed he could do something about this. He nodded.

"We're going to a ranch a few miles outside of town for shelter with friends and family. If you wanted to come, you'd be welcome to."

I'm not sure how a ranch a few miles outside of town will protect you, Link thought. But he kept that to himself. "Thank you, Anju. But we're staying. We actually wanted to know if we could use your hotel after you leave. Until it's time."

"Oh," Anju replied. "I guess all the other food stalls will be closed by now. I'll leave you the keys to the hotel and some food in the kitchen, if you want."

"That'd be great," Tatl thanked. There was a moment of silence afterward, but Anju opened a drawer behind her desk without saying anything else. She pulled out a ring of jingling keys, holding them low over the counter so Link could reach them.

"Please don't forget," she said, as he reached up for them. "If you ever change your mind, don't hesitate to take shelter with us."

Link's small hands closed around the keys and brought them down to his side.

"And Link?"

"Yes?"

"Good luck."

Dee-dong!

The town bell broke the town's heavy silence. Its solemn note was no longer stifled by the everyday noises of busy townsfolk. Only those willing to face the morning of the carnival together remained: the mailman, Mutoh, the mayor and his wife, the bartender in the milk bar, the owner of the Curiosity shop, and one guard at each gate.

Dee-dong!

A Deku scrub sat on the roof of the hotel. His small, wood-textured back leaned against the long fence, looking over the town wall that separated East from South Clock Town. The clock tower's wooden wheel remained ever-turning; the day blazed behind it, a fiery orange as it disappeared below the skyline.

Dee-dong! A fairy floated by his side. They both took in the horizon's powerful, golden rays.

"I'm scared, Link," Tatl confided. "I don't want this to be the last time I ever see the sun."

The moon was baffling; it was now visibly bigger than Clock Town, steadily drifting closer to obscure most of the sky. Its menacing gaze did not acknowledge Tatl's plea, unconcerned with the blood it would spill. Another earthquake shook the ground; the hotel rumbled underneath them as the moon rattled its prey.

"Me neither," Link squeaked.

"Should we go to the ranch with Anju? I know the way."

Dee-dong!

"The ranch won't save us, Tatl. Nowhere's safe. We have to stop it or no one else will."

"But what if we can't, Link? What if we don't stop him, and we... die?"

"Then we'll die together, knowing we did everything we could, rather than dying in fear and hiding."

Tatl didn't say anything else. Instead, she floated closer to Link until she was resting on the Deku scrub's shoulder, nestling her head close.

Dee-dong!

They watched the sunset together. The final rays of light narrowed into a fine, thin beam that left the town in twilight. The sun was gone, and the sky only grew darker from then on.

And the orange eyes did not waver.

Link lay on the hotel bed while staring at the ceiling, as he had the second and third mornings. Tatl was unable to relax at all, flying around the room nervously. Eventually, she cracked. "It's almost time," she said. "It's... Shouldn't we do something? Link, are you listening to me? There are only a few minutes left."

"Do you want to go, then?"

Tatl was trembling. He could tell, even from within her ball of light. "Yes. I'm tired of being inside. All of these earthquakes are unnerving when you can't see how close the moon is."

"Then let's go."

Link slipped off the bed. His feet hit the floor, as they had multiple times during his stay at the Stock Pot Inn. He wondered if he would ever do it again. If the moon fell, then for obvious reasons, he wouldn't. But what would happen if he did stop it from falling? One thing at a time, Link thought. He made sure his long hat and bandages were on snugly, tightened his boots to his feet, and then crossed the floor to exit the hotel room, not bothering to grab any money.

The fairy followed him as Link's footsteps echoed through the empty building. Only the ticking of the lobby's clock filled the silence otherwise. Anju was not there to greet them when they passed around the corner... and that was when Link realized that it was really happening. The final battle, he realized. He and Tatl would walk up the tower with no one there to support them. They would have to do it on their own, and they were going off pure nerve and instinct.

When they ventured into the main plaza, they crossed it as if dreaming. As with everywhere else, it was abandoned. The torches lit the plaza only because the carpenter had insisted on doing so. They passed under the crackling light, the moon always prevalent in their peripheral. They walked down the staircase into South Clock Town, where the clock tower stood tall.

Link stood directly in front of it. The tall, wooden structure that the carpenters had built – a monument to the Carnival of Time – remained several feet behind him. In front of it stood Mutoh, arms across his chest, still surrounded by an aura of arrogance.

The Deku scrub's neck was craned back, attempting to take in the full height of the original stone tower and moon at the same time. He stood there for a couple of minutes, Tatl floating by his side and doing the same. The carpenter waited behind them, curiously watching.

"So you decided to stay after all?"

Link and Tatl turned to face him against their better judgment. "We were never going to leave," Tatl answered. "We're going up there to stop it."

Mutoh laughed. "It's not going to fall."

"Are you serious?!" Tatl exclaimed. "The truth is literally about to come crashing on top of your head, and you still won't accept it?"

"It's not going to fall!" Mutoh exclaimed angrily this time. "Cowards! All of you! If you're gonna fall, then fall already!"

Tatl almost spoke again, but Link stopped her. "Just ignore him. If we keep giving him our –"

Ding!

The loud, sharp pitch cut through what Link was saying, and then there were explosions popping brilliantly around the clock tower: fireworks. The dazzling colors exploded with fanfare and jubilation, but the ecstatic cheers of the people were absent. There was no longer a cause for celebration.

The black sphere on top of the clock tower, with the beam of light cutting through the night, rose into the air. It traveled on a thick, wooden beam extending from the roof. It grew taller, and as Link looked up in awe, he thought for a second that it would touch the moon.

It came just short of the rock. When it reached its maximum height, the extended lighthouse tottered, as if it would snap off and crash to the ground. A small earthquake started at the same time, dangerously teetering the clock tower head. When the quake ended, the stone ball fell over, coming down and swinging around so that the wooden clock face aimed at the sky. It stopped when it was exactly parallel; the ball that had once been the searchlight was now aligned to the ground. The massive wheel of time was now the roof.

The doorway above the clock tower's entrance opened automatically, sliding out of sight and revealing a slightly higher door behind it. That door slid down so that it stopped just above where the last had, revealing yet another door. The procession of doors continued onward, until each, slightly higher than the last, made a staircase that cut upward through the tower. It led to the new roof of the clock tower, open to the sky and directly beneath the moon.

The fireworks stopped. The last fizzles of light dissipated before they reached the ground, and Link and Tatl were now standing in front of the open clock tower... on the night of the final day. Six hours remained.

Are we actually doing this? Link wondered. A moment of doubt paralyzed him, and another earthquake shook the ground, this time longer and more severe.

"Link?" Tatl said. "Are you ready?"

Despite the terror rooting him to the spot, Link nodded.

"I'm glad I have you for this, Deku head," the fairy said. "I'd still be trapped underneath Clock Town if it wasn't for you. No matter what happens... thank you, for everything. And I'm sorry. Because I know leaving you wasn't the only thing I did."

"It's okay, Tatl. You came back. That's all that matters."

Tatl managed a smile. "Well come on, Deku brain! We've got a world to save."

Link and Tatl ran for the yellow Deku flower, and his feet naturally slipped into its opening until his whole body was submerged. He burst from its surface, carrying a flower in each hand. The petals twirled like propellers as he flew toward the platform with the new staircase.

The petals closed just in time, and Link landed lightly on the upper platform. The doorway where he'd first entered Clock Town was just beneath him. The Deku scrub and the fairy each shared a glance before turning to continue up the staircase.

There they walked, side by side, to confront the dark magic. They climbed to the top of the tower in the center of Clock Town, its face now done ticking away their final minutes of freedom.

The carnival had arrived.

Link stepped onto the wooden surface of the clock's face. It was a massive stage hewn for the final act; he had never seen it this closely before. The colorful lines crisscrossed to frame strange faces, wings, and ocean water, intricately designed to catalog the odd wonders of this land. The clock face's tick-marked rims were taller than the Deku scrub and made a circular wall, blocking everything below them from view. The sky's dark red glow ominously veiled everything with an unspoken threat.

The rock was not even five hundred feet above Link's head. The Skull Kid was there too, floating in between the moon and the clock face. He appeared deep in thought from the top of his nest.

As Tatl settled beside Link, the masked Skull Kid turned to notice them. Link's eyes went to the object in the imp's hand. The Ocarina of Time, Link realized. The child casually tossed the instrument up and down. He remained floating in leisure with the end of the world above him. Two pairs of threatening, orange eyes stared down at the Deku scrub at once.

The Skull Kid remained silent, as if daring them to speak first. Or daring them to make fools of themselves. I have complete control over the situation, that mask communicated without a word. I'm gonna crush you. Why did you even waste your time coming up here?

"Sis!" The purple fairy flew to reveal himself from behind the Skull Kid.

"Tael!" Tatl exclaimed from beside Link. The Skull Kid did not offer anything in reply but his continual glare. Link's fairy tried to be diplomatic anyways. "We… we've been looking for you two." Still, nothing. Tatl gulped. "Hey, Skull Kid, what if you gave that mask you're wearing back now? Hey, c'mon. Are you... listening?"

Tael flew from the imp's reach and hastily spat out a warning: "Swamp. Mountain. Ocean. Canyon. Hurry – the four who are there – bring them here!" Tael meant to say more, but the Skull Kid slapped him into submission with the back of his hand.

"Don't speak out of line! Stupid fairy!" In that moment, his voice became deep, powerful, and commanding, filling the air with unbelievable malice and horror. It did not belong to a child. It did not belong to anything capable of empathy.

The town bell continued tolling below in celebration of the carnival.

"Stop!" Tatl yelled. "Don't touch my brother like that! Skull Kid, do you still think you're our friend after everything you've done?"

The Skull Kid went back to a position of luxury, floating in place and tossing the ocarina. "Well, whatever," he said. "Even if they were to come now, they wouldn't be able to handle me. Just look above you."

"It's going to kill and destroy everything," Tatl said. "You don't know what you're doing. You can't... we won't let you do this!"

The Skull Kid chuckled. "If it's something that can be stopped, then just try to stop it!" And then he stopped tossing the ocarina, threw his hands into the air, and screamed. It was a horrible, bestial screech that pierced the sky as waves of light flew from the Skull Kid's arms. Tael tried to fly away, but the spell caught him in its grip, trapping him in place. The magical lights cascaded upward, rippling over the surface of the moon.

The magic power continued to flow from his arms to the moon, and everything shook: the moon, the ground, the clock tower. The moon plummeted to the ground faster than it ever had before, robbing them of the few hours remaining. It would take less than a few minutes before they were all flattened. The Skull Kid continued to shake as he summoned the moon to finish the job.

"Tael!" Tatl exclaimed. Her brother was still trapped, though thankfully unharmed in the magical prison. "Link, do something! Look what's happening. It's coming down right now!" She panicked, flying back and forth in front of Link frantically.

The tower didn't stop shaking. Link heard groaning from far, far below; it sounded like wood and stone popping. The tower's going to fall, he realized. The Deku scrub and fairy stood helplessly between it all.

"Link, you have to stop him!"

"What am I supposed to do?!" Link yelled back, looking over at Tatl with nothing but fear.

Dee-dong!

"You-you... use your bubble thing!"

Oh, Link remembered. He turned to the Skull Kid and summoned all the power he could. The green bubble formed at his snout, shaking madly as Link trembled and the ground shook. He released it, and Tatl and Link watched as it soared through the air and popped over the imp.

The Skull Kid stopped screaming when the goop exploded all over him. The spell ended abruptly, and something else fell from his hands, spinning toward the clock's face. The blue ocarina landed only a few feet from Link, hardly making a noise when it hit the wooden surface. Link sprinted toward the flute as the imp sluggishly flicked the poison off.

"You did it! You-" However, it didn't take her long to realize that the moon was still pulling itself closer to the clock tower. It hadn't slowed down at all. Her excitement died, and she turned to see Link enraptured by the instrument. "Link? What are you doing?"

His fingers traced the smooth, oceanic surface of his lost ocarina. It was still beautiful; the Skull Kid hadn't damaged it. He smiled, somehow forgetting the moon was about to kill him. I have it back. My last connection to Hyrule. "Snap out of it! What are you doing? Lost in memories? Get yourself together. I was wrong, the moon's still falling! Getting that old ocarina back isn't going to help us!"

Link looked up to Tatl, as if exiting a trance, but he brought the ocarina to his mouth, regardless. When he tried to seal his lips around the mouthpiece...

He couldn't. He was still a cursed Deku scrub, and he wasn't sure how to play with a large, open snout.

"Link, don't give up on me!" The ground shook again, and the groaning at the bottom of the clock tower only got worse.

"Sis!" They turned to find Tael free from his prison. The purple fairy flew for his sister as the Skull Kid suddenly screamed with rage.

The same light as before exploded from the imp, this time vaporizing the green muck coating him. Pure anger was etched into the Skull Kid's shaking body as he looked down, scanning the change of events quickly. The first thing he saw was Tael reuniting with his sister.

It was quick and sudden; the Skull Kid threw out his arm as if throwing a ball. Neither Link nor Tatl saw what traveled through the air to hit the fairy. Tael gave a quick, sharp shriek, and his ball of light went out. Tael's tiny, winged body drifted to the wooden surface, just short of reaching his sister.

"TAEL!" screeched Tatl, flying to her brother's body. "Tael... please... Tael, do something. Wake up... say something! Tael... Tael..." The small, gray fairy, no bigger than a human's hand, didn't respond. Tatl's enraged eyes found the Skull Kid. "You killed my brother! You monster... you killed him!"

The Skull Kid didn't say anything. Instead, he laughed manically, leaning back in the air and pointing his finger.

Link turned back to the ocarina in his hands. Tatl's cries of pain and the Skull Kid's laugh felt distant. I can't play it. After all I did to get it back, it won't save us.

The shaking took a turn for the worst; the clock tower swayed. The moon was now only feet away from ending everything. Link stumbled on his feet, trying to catch his balance as Tatl looked up from her dead brother. The Skull Kid only laughed harder, flying away from underneath the moon as it delivered its final blow.

"Link, we have to get out of here now! There's nothing left we can do! We need more time! Stop looking at that ocarina and let's go!"

"You can leave, Tatl," Link said, allowing the arm that held his ocarina to rest at his side. "You can leave without me and never get hurt."

"No," Tatl said, her voice shaking with tears and adrenaline. "I'm not losing you too. We're in this together." A smile flickered across Link's face amidst the chaos, and Tatl returned it, despite everything.

That was when the moon's force became too great. The clock tower leaned in one direction and didn't re-balance itself. The great, stone structure toppled over.

Link stumbled with it, ocarina still in hand. The clock face left from underneath his feet as the tower's top half began toppling into South Clock Town. The bottom half remained rooted to the ground securely while the rest rained down over it.

Link was in free-fall; his hands wildly reached for something that wasn't there. He fell back, descending among the fallen black stones. Tatl kept herself airborne as the Deku scrub was torn away from her. "Link!"

The Deku scrub lost his stomach as he spun. His screams were inaudible over the earthquakes and crumbling tower. He fell past the clock face, which did not immediately slide from its crumbling supports. The wooden disc cut through the air last, eventually falling right toward Link. Tatl flew into the chaos to reach her companion.

Link's fall ended abruptly when he hit the platform above the tower's entrance. His body crumpled inward; unbelievably pain shot through his limbs and back. The skulltula's injury was nothing in comparison. Heavy debris rained all around him, threatening to break even more of his body. And then there was the wooden wheel of time behind it all, beaming straight for him.

"Link!" Tatl exclaimed again, still a few feet away. He barely saw her amidst the falling stones in his blurred vision. "It's coming right toward you! Hurry!"

He managed to roll partially out of the way. There was a sickening crack as the clock face wedged directly through the platform. The impact tossed Link skyward so that he plummeted straight into the plaza. The ocarina flew from his hand, and Link landed painfully into the middle of the square. He noted the abandoned carpenters' tower; Mutoh was no longer there.

Link didn't have enough life left to scream, and the debris kept raining down. The moon had replaced the top of the clock tower – where he'd been standing just moments ago. A red haze surrounded it as the sky began to bake with heat. Link watched Tatl flying to join him, but behind her, the platform he'd been flung from was sliding off the clock tower. The wheel was still halfway driven into it, groaning as the impact's high-pressure threatened to give way. It's gonna land right in front of us, Link realized. It's gonna kill us both. He couldn't do anything but shake, however, his snout trembling just short of speech. He felt the stone ground already wet with his blood.

"Oh Din, Link!" Tatl exclaimed. "You have to get up. Please, please, get up." She was hardly intelligible or even audible. The Deku scrub's eyes stared, wide with horror. Given that everything was one giant roar of noise, Tatl must not have noticed the bomb of debris behind her.

"Tatl!" he finally managed. "Look out, you-!" Tatl turned around, but she was too late.

The strain of the wooden wheel wedged into the platform reached a climax when it hit the ground. The wood violently shattered into millions of pieces, and they showed no mercy. Tatl was instantly bombarded with bullet-like shards, and Link curled into a ball to protect his face. He could feel fresh cuts ripping into his arms and stabbing him just like the spider's leg.

Several moments passed, and Link remained huddled into his ball as the roaring continued... but the noise of falling debris ceased.

He slowly and carefully left his protective ball. Everything hurt. His head spun. He was surrounded by an ocean of wood and stone. Link found one small, white ball lying on top of a shattered plank in the middle of the pile. The Deku scrub crawled over to her, hardly registering the fresh cuts that opened beneath him. He laid himself gently beside the fairy.

"Tatl?" Link squeaked. Her ball of light hadn't gone completely dim, but she was silent. He scooped his fingers underneath her, so that she rested in the palm of his hand. Link brought her up to his face, shuddering. "Tatl?" he repeated. The fairy's light flickered, threatening to give out for good. "Don't... die."

"It doesn't really hurt...," she whispered to him softly. "... Dying..."

Link's lips quivered. Dying, he realized. She's right. That's all there's left to do. The sky was fire; a huge ball of it surrounded the moon. It was moments away from the city walls. The ground shook madly, the air was ablaze, and the fairy and Deku scrub sweated profusely as they bled out. Noise was a deafening roar.

This was the end of the world. The fire would scorch them alive before it destroyed Clock Town, and then, when it hit the ground, the resulting explosion would wipe out all the lands surrounding this one. And there they were, underneath it all.

Link shook as he tried to fight back any tears. "Thank you for not leaving me," he struggled to say into his hand.

"No... prob... lem, Deku head."

Her light had almost left her, and Link whimpered at the near lifeless body in his hand. It was as puny as Tael's had been. He brought the fairy close to his chest as tears left his eyes. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you." Tatl made an incomprehensible noise in response, but she could muster nothing else.

Link turned his green-hatted head away from Tatl, squeezing his eyes closed. Everything was so hot and dry; it made crying hard. When he opened them and looked around, something other than ruin caught his eye: the blue ocarina, lying in the debris not but a few feet away.

Link struggled to crawl across the pile with Tatl in his hand, one stride of the arm after the other until he finally reached it. He lay on his side and picked up the ocarina with his free hand. Link rested the fairy on his scarred chest and lay on his back, now content with never moving again.

He brought the ocarina to his face and wiped off little chips of wood. His fingers found a crack in its surface. I'm never going to see Zelda again, Link realized. He looked up when he heard the town walls crumbling; the moon had entered the city. The great, white stone tumbled downward, crashing into the plaza and spilling over the square, bright red and scorched.

Link hardly took notice and brought the instrument to his snout. He blew with what little strength he had left without perfectly sealing the mouthpiece. It worked better than he thought it would, and the open note flowed beautifully through the holes. The Deku scrub closed his eyes restfully, at peace with himself as his fingers played a melody from Hyrule. The song took him back to the verdant green hills... to the beautiful, shining sun... to the small villages filled with light...

Tatl twitched on his chest, as if soothed by the melody. Link's swan song comforted them both; he guided them into the dark abyss they fell deeper into – willingly and helplessly. He wanted it to happen now, before the fire had to do it.

And so he fell back, welcoming it, as he huddled together with his fairy on the pile of debris. The sky of fire was gone, the moon tearing down the town walls was no longer there, and the noises faded into silence. A ringing noise filled his ears as his limbs tingled with numbness. An empty void surrounded him as he descended through the dark chasm of time.

Chapter Text

Epona dashed madly through the woods.

The Skull Kid grasped the reins tightly, forcing her swiftly through the trees. Two fairies – one purple and one white – tried to keep up underneath the dense forest veiled in darkness. Link held onto the saddle as they weaved in between tree after tree, narrowly missing each and every stump. His skin caught on the ground, tearing a long, slender cut into his leg.

Link, get up! It bled, but Link squeezed his eyes shut and held himself closer to his horse. I'm not letting him take you. Everything spun, but he refused to let go. Link, get up!

When the Skull Kid reined Epona to the right, his lower body caught on a tree stump, and Link spiraled from the horse, bringing all his belongings to the ground with him. There was a sickening snapping sound in the distance... or was there?... loud and crisp.

He lay there for only a moment in shock.

The Skull Kid was there again in the spotlight, levitating in a posture of luxury.

The two fairies remained floating by his side; Link was unable to read their expressions. He went to take a step forward, but when he did, he felt... his hands. His sword and shield were no longer there, but that wasn't the problem. His hands were made of wood.

He screamed a high-pitched wail. It sounded like it belonged to a young, defenseless animal – which was true. The Skull Kid's spell had turned him into a Deku scrub.

"Take me with you, and I'll help you out. Deal? Please?" The white fairy waited for his response in the darkness of the underground tunnels.

She can't be serious, Link thought. Though, he was in no position to turn down assistance right now. He was a defenseless, young Deku scrub, lost in an unfamiliar land with no weapons or friends. The only things that kept him going were his promises to Epona and to never let his ocarina out of sight. Link had no choice but to agree.

"Good!" she exclaimed, bobbing up and down at a happy tempo. "Then it's settled. I'll be your partner. Or at least until we catch that Skull Kid. My name's Tatl."

"What? Is it not a simple task? Why, to someone like you, it should by no means be a difficult task." Link gulped, wondering how this mask salesman could possibly know him. "Except, the one thing is, I'm a very busy fellow, and I must leave this place in three days. How grateful I would be if you could bring it back to me before my time here is up." Link wished to question him, to figure out who he was and to get more details on this imp. But he couldn't, not until this man returned him to normal. Once his voice came back, the rest would follow.

The rushing water spun the wooden wheels within the darkness of the clock tower.

The townsfolk in the main plaza of South Clock Town never paid the clock tower doors much attention. Their colorful, red markings curved around two half-shaded cyan circles that might be eyes. Eyes that liked to stare. And aside from the unsettling, face-like quality of the artwork, no one ever used the doors. Because whenever they opened, nothing good came of it. As long as anyone alive could remember, the first visitor had been the only peaceful one. An old man had stumbled into the sunlight and lain down on the pavement – a huge smile on his face. He'd died right there before anyone could do anything about it. The worst time, everyone agreed, was when the Skull Kid came. While at first he'd seemed to be a playful child, they'd quickly realized the extent of his corruption.

And now, oddly enough, another child stumbled out of the doors. This was no human or skull child, but a Deku scrub. He bled profusely and was surrounded by a cloud of dust and filth. He stumbled into the bright sunlight, large orange eyes squinted in the sky. A glowing orb with a pair white wings fluttered out beside the Deku scrub, in much better condition than her companion: a fairy.

A group of construction workers in the center of the plaza looked up from their work. A flying, adult Deku scrub glanced over the massive, burlap sacks in his arms. A lanky man in a white jogging suit, mailbag slung over his shoulder, turned his head. A small child, baring a peculiar fox mask framed by purple hair, looked up as he ran from a nearby alleyway. All their eyes found the young Deku scrub, and he only stood there, eyes half-closed at the town that had rebuilt itself before his eyes.

Link's legs only supported him for a split second. He collapsed in the clock tower doorway; the ocarina spun from his hands across the plaza. He blinked dazedly in the sunlight. The fiery sky was still burnt into his eyes, as if forever engraved. His senses reeled in confusion. The debris was gone. The sun was out. The clock tower was sound and sturdy behind him. Am I dead? he wondered.

"Whoa, whoa!" Tatl exclaimed. Her wings went rigid when she saw her fallen ally. Link could only moan, huddled on the ground in the first day's soft warmth. He still had no strength, as if he remained lying on the piles of stone and wood. I'm still dying, he realized. But he was now suddenly in South Clock Town like nothing had happened.

"Tatl," he managed. "Something's wrong." His cough was sharp against his throat; he tasted blood.

"Did you just talk? Are you okay?" The fairy flew closer to the Deku scrub. "What happened, Deku boy? You fell over and now you're..." She stopped when she noticed just how bad things were. "Oh Nayru – Help!" The crowd stared slack-jawed at them. Even the postman had paused to watch among the merchants and carpenters.

"What happened?" the lanky teen asked, adjusting the red bag on his shoulder.

"I don't know!" Tatl exclaimed. Her voice started shaking. "We were just fine under the clock tower, and when we came out here, he suddenly... started bleeding... ugh, it looks like he's been eaten alive. I don't know what happened!"

"So you both…," the postman began, turning to the clock tower's doors, "... came from those doors? From where?"

"Look, I don't have time to explain. Just get him help!" The postman merely stared back at her stupidly, but Tatl made sure she was clear the next time: "Turn around, and dance on your clumsy little spider legs to the nearest medically proficient person in this town. Don't stand there like an idiot! He's dying!" The postman didn't need to be told a third time. He spun on his heels and ran across the plaza.

Tatl took in the forming semi-circle around them. The crowd was thickening, but no one did anything to help. Link recaptured her attention with another cough; the white fairy turned back to his face. Link lay on his side as blood seeped from between the fingers clutching his stomach.

"Tatl," Link stammered.

"Yes?" the fairy asked. She sounded so worried.

"I was wrong. I did save you." He smiled, but Tatl seemed as confused as ever. Her attempts to keep him awake faded into oblivion.

The two of them stood outside of the great, stone wall that surrounded the castle's bustling marketplace, on the drawbridge that connected it to the seemingly endless, rolling hills of Hyrule Field. The sun hid behind the gloom of the cloudy midday, and the soft wind gently danced through the air. Zelda's summer dress hardly stirred. The green-clothed, blonde-haired youth led the young horse by the reins away from the princess... Hyrule... the ranch... home for the two of them.

"Link," Zelda called out once more.

Link stopped short, wondering if he should even turn around; it would be less painful if he kept walking.

He found the urge irresistible.

Zelda, at a loss for words, quickly found them. "Please don't forget me. Don't forget Hyrule. You'll come back, won't you?"

Link didn't answer at first. "I promise." And then he threw himself over Epona's back, and the two rode off toward the mountains, leaving Zelda behind on the drawbridge.

The wind blew fiercely in his face as he rode; the cloudy sky grumbled, urging him on. He didn't make the mistake of turning around again. I've been preparing to leave for so long, he thought. I can't give up now. He kept his shield, sword, and ocarina on his person. He intended to purchase everything else on his way through Goron City.

Soon, Epona's hooves bounced off the moat's stone bridge. The mountains, while still far off, grew larger as the castle shrunk. Link and his horse began ascending the sloping valleys that climbed into Hyrule's mountainous north.

Only the howling wind and his horse's breaths accompanied them. In an hour, the town gate was finally in view – tall, wooden, and guarded by a soldier. The modest village of Kakariko rested right before grass gave way to rock; past the northern border, the tall and dangerous cliffs cutting through Death Mountain overshadowed the villagers. The wooden gates of the town were reinforced on each side by elevated land.

Link passed through slowly on his horse. The guard recognized his forest clothing instantly. "Good day, Hero. Is there anything you need?"

"No," he said. "Just passing through." This is the other place I'll miss once I'm gone, Link thought. He and Zelda had spent a lot of time with the Cucco keeper here, who was their closest friend. I have to say goodbye to her, too.

He passed the oak tree near the entrance where Mutoh – the head carpenter – yelled angrily at his younger employees. Link smiled to himself, continuing onward to the first group of buildings. On his way to the keeper's house, Link looked to his left at the dark, town well. Its stone was black and slick. Will that monster come out of there again? Link wondered. Or did defeating it seven years in the future defeat it now, too?

Link pushed on regardless, turning his green-hatted head away as Epona stopped at the two-story house. He slid from his saddle, tied the horse's reins to the post out front, and then knocked on the door. "It's Link."

"Come in," replied a young voice. Link turned the door's unlocked handle and pushed it open.

His eyes found...

A crash awoke the Deku scrub from his dream.

His heart raced in his wooden chest as he gathered his surroundings. Link was in a small room very similar to the Knife Chamber. Though, it was larger and yellower. Standing in the room between the two beds was a wooden mannequin that boasted an elaborate, white dress. A bright, golden mask covered the mannequin's face. Link looked further to the room's closed door. On the other side, he heard shuffling and the twinkling of glass shards against wood.

As Link calmed his heart down, his first instinct was to sit up. His body rejected that move immediately when his head swam and seared with pain. The Deku scrub feebly rested his head back on the pillow. He lifted the covers to see gauze and bandages covering almost his entire body. He recalled falling several stories from the clock tower, only to be bombarded with debris. I can't even sit up, he realized. Even lying down hurt immensely. As his dream faded, the pain was quick to flood back in. He gritted his teeth to try stifling it.

What happened? Link wondered. He remembered falling. He remembered seeing the city walls crumble. After that, I died, Link thought. All my injuries killed me. Tatl and I died together. His journey from the forest to Clock Town had flashed before his eyes. Then, he'd suddenly appeared in front of the clock tower doors. As if nothing happened, Link thought. As if the moon never came down. And now he seemed to be in the Stock Pot Inn.

I need to talk to Tatl, Link concluded. Whatever had happened, she was in the same situation. Hopefully she's figured it out. Though Link didn't see her anywhere, which was strange. Last time he'd fallen unconscious, Tatl had been waiting for him to wake up.

Link could only sit and wait, bound by a body racked with pain. The window beside his bed gave him a view of the late night, though he couldn't quite see the moon. The door to his room opened several minutes later, and a young woman with shoulder-length, dark red hair entered. She wore the same outfit – skirt and all – that she'd worn the day he checked in.

"Anju," Link said weakly from across the room. He couldn't help but smile. Maybe she'll have answers, too.

She carried a tray with a glass bottle of water and a bowl of soup. "Uh, hi," Anju stammered. She appeared to have some difficulty balancing the meal. Through the doorway, Link saw a second tray upside-down on the floor. "It's nice to see you're finally awake," she added.

She set the tray on the bed stand beside him, removing the stopper from the bottle. Link turned his head, trying not to move anything else. His stomach immediately lurched away from the warm, curls of heat rising from the bowl. My body's not ready for food, Link thought. "Thank you," Link squeaked anyways, taking a sip of water instead.

Anju merely stood there, looking at the Deku scrub and incapable of finding words. She seemed confused or perhaps shocked. "What's wrong?" Link finally asked in his high-pitched voice.

Anju shook her head, blinking away her stare. "Nothing. It's just that no one ever really comes from inside of the clock tower. And you were… saying things in your sleep." Anju trailed off, nervously glancing at the wedding dress.

"What did I say?"

"You mentioned Kafei," Anju said. "I know we should be talking about you, and how you're doing. But I have to know if what you said about Kafei is true. I mean, how do you even know him? How do you know me?"

Link licked his snout nervously; the only moisture in his body seemed to come from that one sip of water. "From yesterday when you gave me the hotel, so I had something to eat before the moon fell. And the day before you saved me from drowning."

Anju didn't seem to understand. "I don't know what you're talking about." She paused, as if afraid she might hurt his feelings. "I didn't save you from drowning. You must be thinking of someone else. I don't even know your name. This is the first time we've spoken."

Link tried to find playfulness in her face or tone. He found none. "But you did. You were sitting on the bench next to the Laundry Pool. It was raining, and it was the second day."

"From what I've heard from everyone else, this is your first day here. You walked into South Clock Town and immediately collapsed."

What? Link thought. He couldn't make any sense out of this conversation.

"But you have to tell me," Anju continued. "Is Kafei dead?"

Link turned to face her again, brow still furrowed. Her eyes were shining with hope, or perhaps trepidation. "I... wouldn't know. I've never seen him before."

Anju had no response. She seemed frustrated as she turned away, walking out of the room and not shutting the door behind her. Link continued to stare at where she'd been, lost in thought. She doesn't remember me? Link thought. He gulped, wondering what all of this meant. Anju had just been so rude to him, but he didn't have long to think before someone else entered the room.

The white fairy entered shyly at first. She seemed just as concerned as Anju had been. "Tatl!" Link exclaimed excitedly.

"Uh, hey," Tatl stammered, flying to his bedside.

Her tone caught Link off-guard. "What's wrong?"

"I just don't understand why you're excited to see me," Tatl finally said, after a moment's thought. "I mean, I don't even know your name."

Link froze. She's joking, he thought immediately. She's kidding. Tatl, of all people in this town, couldn't have forgotten him, too. "It's me, Tatl," Link said fearfully. "It's Link."

"Link?" Tatl said. "That explains why I thought you were saying Ink."

"You don't remember me?" Link stammered. The full weakness of his physical condition descended upon him again; the excitement at seeing Tatl was quick to return to pain. "You don't remember us?"

"Of course I do!" Tatl exclaimed, but Link's small burst of hope faded with what she said next. "The Skull Kid stole your horse, turned you into a Deku scrub, and then left you behind with me. We kind of got stuck together."

"That's not what I mean," Link said. "You don't remember us in Clock Town? Us waiting for the clock tower to open up so we could see the Skull Kid? Us..." Link gulped before he said it, "... dying together?"

Tatl's face almost boiled over with anger, but she stepped herself from saying whatever came to mind. "Kid... Link... you were talking about all that stuff while you were sleeping, but no one here – the astronomer, Anju, her mom, the postman, the guard – have any clue what you're talking about. No one here knows you at all, except me, but not apparently as well as you think I do. We've been waiting for you to wake up and figure stuff out. We're still not sure why you suddenly fell over covered in blood."

"Stop it!" Link squealed, taking Tatl by surprise. The small Deku scrub threw the covers off and slid to the floor. His head swam dangerously, and his legs pleaded with him not to stand. Somehow, he managed.

"Whoa, Deku boy!" Tatl warned him. "Get back in the bed! You're not ready to stand up yet."

"No, you don't know what you're talking about!" Link yelled back. "I spent three days in this place, and you were there for most of it! We accidentally took someone else's reservation when we checked in here. We fought the skulltulas to get to the astronomer. We had to wait until the clock tower opened at midnight on the carnival, and then when we went up there, everything went wrong! The Skull Kid killed your brother. The moon knocked over the tower and killed both of us. Or it almost did."

"Link, I have no idea what you're talking about!" Tatl interrupted. "None of that ever happened. The moon never crashed into the city, like you said over and over again in your sleep. You just... fell over. That's the only thing you've ever done in Clock Town! You fell over because you suddenly had a bunch of gashes in you!"

"I had a bunch of gashes in me because the tower fell. WE were both on top of it when it happened!" Link yelled.

"Oh yeah?" Tatl asked skeptically. "Then why isn't the clock tower destroyed right now?"

"I don't know!" Link said. He tried to take a step forward but had to hold onto the bed for support. "We were both lying there, bleeding, and then I started playing a song on my ocarina. Then I blacked out. I woke up in front of the clock tower like nothing ever happened."

"What?" she exclaimed in disbelief. "What song did you play? 'Mary Had a Little Cucco?' Did it magically make everything better, as if nothing happened?"

"No! I played the Song of..." he stopped short though. … time. The Song of Time. Suddenly, it all made sense. The clock tower wasn't destroyed, no one had left town yet, no one remembered him... because none of it had happened yet. The Goddess of Time helped you last time you were in trouble, Zeld had said. The Goddess must have helped him again, but this time, instead of sending him seven years into the future, she had sent him three days into the past.

"Link, you really should get back into bed," Tatl warned him.

"I went back in time," he finally said. "And for some reason, you didn't come with me."

The fairy stared at him blankly. "And yet your ocarina did?" Tatl asked. "I'm not sure when you got that back. I was there when the Skull Kid took it from you. Why didn't you say anything to the mask salesman about having it?"

"You were there when I took it back," Link said. He started losing his breath. I can't stand, he thought, panting. I'm going to fall.

"Stop saying that!" Tatl said. "I wasn't. You never went back in time. You're just delusional."

"No, you are," Link said stupidly. He leaned fully against the bed now, unable to stand at all.

"Get back in bed before Anju has to lift you off the floor."

Link almost protested, but he was on the verge of fainting. He slowly climbed back under the covers, once again at peace. He shut his eyes.

"You were with me," Link said distantly. "You were touching me when I played the song. Why didn't you come back in time, too? We were both dying."

Then, he understood. It all clicked. Link's look of puzzlement fell into a deep sadness as he stared at the ceiling. "I didn't save you," Link realized. Tears pooled in his eyes. "You died."

Tatl remained floating by his bedside, unsure how to respond.

"You died on my chest while I played the Song of Time," Link continued."That's why you couldn't come back in time with me. That's why you were there like nothing happened, because the Tatl I knew... didn't exist anymore." A tear rolled across his cheek onto the pillow beside his ear.

Tatl was speechless, drifting there silently.

"She died, and all of our memories with her." Link turned his head to see the fairy floating beside him just now. Yes, this was Tatl, but it wasn't the same Tatl he'd grown to trust over their three days in Clock Town.

A moment of silence prevailed. Link wiped the tears away, trying to recompose himself. He recalled the last thing she'd said to him underneath the moon's full power: Deku head. He wished he could hear her say that again now.

"Link," Tatl finally replied. "I think you've made up this fantasy because of something else." Link wanted to get angry again, but he was too weak. And I don't blame her for not believing me, Link decided. It all sounded so crazy. "You're the one who's dying," Tatl said. "Shikashi, the astronomer, did everything he could to heal you, but whatever really happened to you did a lot of internal damage. He said you have two or three days left. At most."

Link wasn't sure how to take the news; he merely continued staring at the ceiling. His eyes were wide and thoughtful. Images of the apocalypse were still so crystal-clear. The red sky. Tatl dying. The moon falling.

"Someone had to tell you," Tatl said. "And I thought it should be me."

Nothing was left in his bones but pain, weakness, and sadness. He didn't have the capacity to react, "Thank you," he finally said, adding, "Tatl" afterward with much difficulty.

"Can I do anything for you?" the fairy asked.

"No. I don't think so."

"All right." Tatl flew away as she spoke again. "About what the mask salesman asked you to do – to get the mask and your ocarina back? – I'm gonna try and find the Skull Kid." She waited for a reaction, but Link didn't give one. "I have a feeling he's not actually here in Clock Town. I need to find him and convince him to give the mask back. And obviously you can't help me. I'll be back before... you know. I'd only be gone for a day or so. Will you be fine with Anju?"

Once again, Link said nothing.

"Please. It's only practical. The mask salesman gave us three days, and I'd feel useless just sitting around here. I've been thinking about it all yesterday, and it just seems like the best way to get things done. You have Anju to take care of you and this room as long as you need it. You'll be fine, right?"

"You've already done it," Link answered.

Tatl paused. "What?"

"You already left me. You said I was useless, and then left Clock Town to try to solve everything on your own."

The white fairy wasn't sure how to respond. "I... I'm sorry. It's the only thing I can do." And then she turned to leave, pausing before she left through the door. Link sighed, turning back to his tray of food and drink. He picked up the bottle of water as a thought occurred to him. I chased her last time, Link remembered. And he couldn't just lie here this time, either. If he did, then all hope for Clock Town was lost.

"Wait!" Link called out. He looked at the doorway hopefully, and Tatl turned to acknowledge his call. "What if I could prove all this to you?"

Tatl remained floating in place, considering. "Prove the time travel stuff?" Link nodded, with the covers pulled up to his neck, and Tatl flew closer. "You're telling me that you have something on you – right now – that can prove this time travel stuff?"

"I think so," Link said, looking seriously at the fairy. Tatl stopped just at his bedside observantly. He scooted himself into an upright position, still huddled under the covers for warmth. Thankfully, his head gave him a moment's reprieve.

"Well, what is it?"

Link leapt from the bed at the fairy. Tatl's wings only had time to stiffen in shock before he came down on top of her. He crashed to the floor with Tatl in his arms, holding her closely. The fairy struggled to get free as Link lifted an arms, using his stronger one to keep her held down. "Gahhh!" Tatl shrieked, struggling against the feeble Deku scrub. He was on the brink of collapse; his dying body barely obeyed him. But thankfully, he was still strong enough to hold a fairy down.

Tatl's arms were too small to fight him as the glass bottle entered her peripheral. Only a few drops of water remained in the bottom. "No... you... don't!" But it was too late.

Link grabbed the fairy and shoved her into the bottle, squeezing her past its small opening. "Gaaaahhh!" It was twice as big as her and offered little room to fly around. She rushed toward the opening, but Link twisted the cork snugly back in place. As the bottle moved, Tatl appeared disorientated by the movement, though she could easily see through its clear glass.

"What in the name of Din do you think you're doing?!" Tatl shrieked, banging against the see-through barrier. "Dying, delusional Deku scrub or not, you're finished when I get out of here!"

Link sat on the floor, panting. He summoned every ounce of strength to remain conscious, as the bottled fairy rested in his left hand. Tatl continued struggling for freedom, but it didn't make a noticeable difference to Link.

"I'm...," Link said, trialing off. Breathing was dangerously hard. "I'll prove to you... that my ocarina can time travel."

Tatl looked up from within her prison. "You've got to be kidding me," she said, ending her escape attempts. "That's great. How do you even get yourself into these messes, Tatl? Here you are, in the bottle of a deranged, dying, cursed Deku scrub. He's gonna play a magic song and take us back through time. How wonderful."

Link struggled to his feet instead of responding.

"You really might want to reconsider, though. You don't look so hot. Not sure you're in the best condition to be... time traveling."

He continued nonetheless, managing to get both feet flat on the ground.

"You know, you still have two days left. I wouldn't waste them on this. Anyways, what good would it do, taking me back in time, if any of this were even true? We'd go back to this morning, and you'd still be dying. Going through all this just makes it worse, because then we'll have to convince Anju to take care of you again."

"Because Tatl," he said, staring at the open door across from him intently. "Don't you know what this means?"

"That you're going to kill yourself trying to convince me that I died?"

"The Goddess of Time helped me before. She let me travel back and forth in time seven years – to stop Hyrule from being destroyed. I think she's helping me again, except this time I can relive the same three days – until I figure out a way to stop the moon from falling. I can't let Clock Town's last chance for survival die with me."

"Wait, you were being serious? You honestly think the moon's going to fall?" Tatl asked.

Link used the tables, dressers, and bed for support as he walked to the door, passing by the wedding dress.

"Just because it's bigger and has a face now doesn't mean it's going to crash into the town. You're insane! It was just a dream, Deku boy!"

"It's the Skull Kid. We have to stop him."

"No, you have to stop, right now! Where do you even think you're going?"

"To...," Link stopped short. I have no idea where my ocarina is, he realized. He'd dropped it in South Clock Town and woken up here. "Where did you put my ocarina?"

"Why would I tell you?" Tatl asked. "You sure didn't think this plan through very well, Mr. Kidnapper."

"Tatl," he said, stopping at the doorway. The shattered glass and tray were still in the hallway. "The fairy that was loyal enough to die by my side... did die. You're not her, and I'll force you to tell me where it is if I have to."

"Force me?" Her wings twitched, as if skeptical of his sincerity. "You don't have the guts."

"You can tell that to the torches burning in East Clock Town. I bet they could heat glass pretty quickly." Link tried his best to sound convincing, even though he knew he could never follow through with it.

"You've lost it!" Tatl finally said. "Seriously, dude. Just let me go!" She banged futilely on the glass one final time before sighing. "All right, fine. If you want to kill yourself, go ahead and do it. The ocarina is in the front desk in the lobby."

"Thanks," Link replied, ignoring the fairy's grumbles. You'll thank me later. Tatl never would've come with him voluntarily. This was the only way.

He stepped into the hallway carefully, avoiding the glass and hyper-consciousness of his weak legs. They almost failed him more than once, but he kept on, using walls and the stair rail for support. Tatl watched nervously from within the bottle, likely concerned for their well-being.

Link miraculously made it behind Anju's desk without running into anybody or falling. He opened drawers hastily and at random, finding only keys and papers. "You're seriously going through all of her stuff?" Tatl spat, sighing when Link didn't respond.

The drawer at the bottom contained a single sheet of paper, next to an envelope pulled gently open. The letter, Link realized. He remembered the postman delivering it to Anju on his first day here. Her reaction had been so intense, and he still had no idea what any of it was about. Obviously, it had been delivered again in this second timeline, despite the chaos of him appearing in South Clock Town.

Tatl's gasped was audible from within the bottle. "Wh-... you can't be serious? We came here for your ocarina, not for you to snoop through her things and...! Are you listening to me?"

He wasn't. Link's eyes scanned the page, still bent over the open drawer.

My love,

We've been apart longer than I can bear. Know that you deserve far, far better than my disappearance, my silence, or this cryptic letter. I wish I could give you more, but I cannot return to your side until I can keep my promises. But I haven't forgotten us. I'm still here, still waiting for the moment I can take you back into my arms. Please, write back, and address it to the Laundry Pool. I need to know that we can still exchange our masks when the clock strikes midnight, when the Carnival of Time has begun once again. I hope to tell you everything then.

Yours,

Kafei

Link carefully read the letter twice, trying his best to make out exactly what it meant. No wonder Anju was so sad at the Laundry Pool, he thought. Cryptic was an understatement. What promises does he mean? Kafei made it sound like their relationship might not survive long enough for the Carnival of Time. Link had been there when the tower opened. He hadn't seen any sign of Kafei, and Anju had already left for the ranch at that point. I guess she makes up her mind by the final day, Link realized. He didn't blame her. Link wasn't sure he would wait for Kafei either; there was no mention of the apocalypse anywhere in the letter.

The Deku scrub reazlied that Tatl was no longer paying attention. Her eyes stared widely behind him instead. Link turned to find Anju in the doorway, her gaze on the letter in his hand. Din, Link cursed.

Anju didn't say anything. She didn't look angry or particularly sad, clearly waiting for Link to say something first.

"I...," he stammered. "I was looking for the ocarina." He held up the letter, as if that explained everything. When Anju still said nothing, Link ungracefully returned the message to its drawer and closed it. Tatl merely watched, unable to go anywhere and smiling at the turn of events.

When he turned back around, Link noticed something small and blue in her hand. She held out his ocarina for him to take. "I was going to bring it up to you, but then I thought I heard someone going through my desk."

Link took a deep breath to steady himself. "Anju, I know you don't remember me, but it's because of that ocarina. It turned back time. The moon will destroy everything here, and my ocarina is the only thing that saved me. I need it so that I can show Tatl I'm telling the truth before I die. Because that's how we'll Clock Town, and you and Kafei."

Anju didn't reveal how she felt about any of that. Whether she didn't believe him, feared for Link's life, or was only interested in fulfilling a dying child's wish, she held out the ocarina. And her face was blank. Link took it hesitantly. There was still a crack from the fall, though it had been cleaned. He held it in his hands – his Deku scrub hands – wanting more than anything to have Hyrule's grass beneath his human feet.

Anju turned to leave without another word, but Link had one more thing to say.

"You could come with us."

Anju stopped but did not look back.

"I'm not sure how this time travel thing works yet, but you don't have to wait here and die. You can come with me and Tatl, because this timeline will end the same way no matter what – with the moon destroying the world. You don't have to die again."

She took a moment to respond, but her answer was final. "If there's still a chance that Kafei is here, then I can't leave. No matter what. Even if your story is true, I couldn't live with myself if I left. Even in some timeline that ended in an apocalypse, what if he shows up to be reunited with me, and I'm not there?" Link opened his mouth to answer, but Anju left before he could. "Don't let me stop you. Do whatever you need to do."

Link didn't press the matter further. I have my ocarina back, he thought. I don't have time to try changing her mind. He lifted the bottle from the desk containing the now enraged fairy, going around the stairwell to leave.

"What about me?!" Tatl exclaimed after Anju, though her voice was still muffled by the bottle. "Don't worry about the poor, defenseless fairy being dragged along to a suicide mission!"

Tatl sighed again as Link weakly pushed open the Stock Pot Inn's door. They stepped into the darkness of East Clock Town's late night. Only two people stirred in the plaza's torchlight, which made for a much busier night than on the carnival's eve.

Link hobbled across the stone. His green hat was askew on his head, his pace was slow and clumsy, and he had a scarred, bandaged body fighting to remain alive. He shivered as he walked, though the night wasn't particularly cold. His body merely demanded the warm comfort of his hotel room's bedsheets. Tatl's prison remained tightly in one hand with the ocarina in his other. He ignored Tatl's expression – somewhere in between anger, fear, and pity.

"Where are you taking me, anyways?" Tatl asked. "Can't you just play your magic little time travel song anywhere?"

"I have to show you," Link exhaled, now halfway through the plaza.

"I applaud you for being so specific," Tatl grumbled. "Really though, you don't have to kill yourself over this. Why don't we go back to the inn? You can get in bed, and maybe when you're feeling a little bit better, we can try again tomorrow."

"Moon. We can't waste time."

"Oh, that's right, because the moon decided to join us for the Carnival of Time." She waited for a response, but Link had no more strength for talking. "All right, okay! I believe you! In fact, I even remember dying. It was... it was pretty painful, and then I saw the light. Yeah, that's right, the light! And I saw Kafei, too! ... You did say he was dead, right?... Anyways, it was crazy. But then, pop! Your magic song made me come back from the dead and defied the laws of nature and all that good stuff, so that we could have a nice, happy reunion and..."

Link flung the bottle forward in irritation, causing Tatl to slam into the other side. She growled angrily, "This is fairy abuse! Get me out of here right now. I hate being bottled!"

It felt surreal as he descended the staircase and crossed the South Clock Town plaza. All passerby merely watched with confusion. A young Deku scrub struggled to walk to the clock tower with a bottled fairy in his hand. It was the same Deku scrub who had appeared only nineteen hours earlier bleeding profusely. Link's mind was numb and blank, homed in on one objective. He stared at the spot just in front of the clock tower intently; Tatl could do no more than watch.

Then, he made it. He stared up at the awesome height of the black, stone tower. The wooden wheel turned onward, no longer parallel to the ground to beckon the carnival. The moon's hideous face was far above it, two days away from smashing it flat against the ground and killing everyone. Link had given up any notion of survival; though walking here had brought death upon him quicker, he would have died anyways in that bed. Even though I got away, the moon will still claim me as its victim, Link thought. No one from the first timeline truly escaped.

He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath, putting the bottle under his arm as he took the ocarina in both hands. "Link?" Tatl asked nervously.

Please let this work, Link thought. Part of him hoped that his theory was right and that Tatl had died. The other half hoped that somehow, somewhere, the Tatl he'd grown to know as another Navi still existed. He didn't want to believe her corpse had been left behind to be scorched by the moon.

Link brought the ocarina to his snout once more. The same notes flowed forth, except this time, others could hear it. Tatl listened from within the bottle, as the carpenters stopped working to glance over – all to watch the dying Deku scrub play a beautiful melody…

… Tatl felt immensely soothed by the song. Each note pulled her further into a blissful slumber. She attempted to fight it at first, but its irresistible, mighty grip proved too powerful. Tatl gave one last attempt, but then found herself spinning out of the bottle and into darkness.

Tatl and Tael shook side-by-side, frantically searching for shelter in the downpour. They were in the great field just outside of Clock Town. The round, walled city was easily within flying distance, as well as the observatory just outside of it. The dark, stormy sky ominously shook with thunder, high above everything and as it rained gloom.

Tatl spotted an over-turned, hollow log in the middle of the field. "Hey!" she exclaimed to her brother. "Over there!" Tael's wings expressed agreement, and they quickly flew for its protective innards. The log formed a short, wooden tunnel that was blissfully dry, though the rain roared like a waterfall as it bounced off its wood. Tael remained huddled into her as they shook the water off, struggling to provide them both warmth. "It's okay, Tael. We're all right now."

However, Tael unexpectedly gasped. His wings stiffenedd in shock, and Tatl followed his line of sight to discover they were not alone. Sitting on the grass and shivering against the opposite wall, another creature hugged themself for warmth. They had small, glowing eyes, a beak-like mouth, and frayed, scare-crow's clothing. This third refugee was small, defenseless, and thoroughly drenched: a skull child. He's alone, Tatl thought. She watched with her brother as the small child cried in complete solitude.

It wasn't long before all three of them were huddled together for warmth. The dark skies continued hammering endlessly on the world below it.

The sun shone brightly upon the fields of Termina. Tatl allowed the daylight to warm her skin. Termina's pretty every now and again, she realized, as she took in the swaying stretch of grass and the smells of the forest. Not all the time. But sometimes.

"Skull Kid! That's not fair!" Tael exclaimed.

The white fairy turned around to find her brother angrily watching the laughing Skull Kid, who had popped from the tall grass to scare him. Eventually, even her grumpy brother joined in with the imp's laughter. Tatl smiled as she flew to join the fun.

The forest's dense trees blotted out all sunlight. Tatl made sure no one could see them, and then realized Tael hadn't done anything to stop the Skull Kid. The imp continued rummaging through the backpack of masks on the traveler's unconscious body. Their victim was sprawled out on the forest frail, mouth agape. "I don't think we should be doing this," Tatl whispered to her brother.

"It's just a game," Tael reassured her. He flew to join the Skull Kid again. "Whacha' got?"

The Skull Kid revealed a mask in his hands. "It's so cool!" he exclaimed.

It was a dark, heart-shaped mask with spikes sticking from the top and bottom. The mask was purple overall, but red where the nose and mouth would be and green at the cheeks. The eyes, however, stood out the most. They were wide, perfectly circular orange orbs with a green iris. They stared, unmoving, at the children who had found it.

For some reason, it made Tatl feel incredibly uncomfortable.

"Take me with you, and I'll help you out. Deal? Please?" Tatl waited for his response in the darkness of the underground tunnels. Her body provided all of the light for them both to see; the kid trapped in a Drku scrub body watched her suspiciously.

You're stuck with me, kid, Tatl knew. Until we find my brother. She hated being alone, so even though she wanted nothing to do with this stranger, Tatl didn't really have a choice. She'd need his help to catch up with the Skull Kid.

The cursed Deku scrub eventually nodded.

Tatl leapt in excitement. "Good! Then it's settled. I'll be your partner. Or at least until we catch that Skull Kid. My name's Tatl."

Then, she was in South Clock Town.

Tatl was slow to understand she was no longer immersed in memories; the world had returned to her. She twitched her wings, as if to confirm she was awake.

The townsfolk busily buzzed beneath the bright, sunny day. All of them looked up only once to see the newcomers; none of them appeared concerned with the fact that night had just turned into day. At first, Tatl didn't realize she was still in her bottle, but as soon as she did, Link released the plug. She slowly flew out of the small opening, stunned into silence…

… Link watched her reaction, still as exhausted as he had been nineteen hours in the future. He dropped the empty bottle and kept the ocarina in his other hand. He didn't say anything, closing his eyes and taking in the sun's warmth.

"Wh- What just happened?" Tatl said. "Everything has..." She stopped short, as if still making the connections in her mind. "... started over."

She flew out from under the shadow of the platform to see the moon, now further away. Checking out every part of my story for herself, Link realized. He limped out to join her as the fairy finally found more words

"Wha... what are you, anyways?" Tatl asked. "That song you played... that instrument..." She trailed off, but her wings were quick to perk up again. "That instrument! The mask salesman said that if you got back the precious thing that was stolen from you, he could return you to normal!"

Link's eyes slowly filled with understanding. Of course, he realized. That was always the goal, wasn't it? Over these four days, he'd forgotten at some point. Survival had taken over as the primary objective.

"Did you completely forget, or what?" Tatl asked. She flew to the clock tower doors. "Come on!" She pushed it open and flew in ahead of him.

The dying, cursed, homesick Deku scrub did not immediately follow. Instead, he stared at the doorway's face-like painting, realizing a few things at once. Tatl's here again, he thought. She's no longer a completely blank slate. The past night they'd spent together was the beginning of a relationship, though it was different from the one they'd had before. Can it ever be the same again? he wondered. The first Tatl had died and was gone forever, undeniably. And all of our memories with her.

But everything about that Tatl was somewhere in this fairy, too. She would never be the exact same companion, but perhaps they could build something strong together, too. I won't let you die again, Link decided. It didn't matter if there would be another Tatl to take this fairy's place if it happened. A life would still have been lost and left behind. I will protect you, Tatl. I promise. Barring his fatal injuries killing him within the hour, of course. But if the mask salesman can lift my Deku scrub curse, maybe he can heal my body, too.

Link smiled, using his new-found hope to limp into the darkness of the clock tower.

Chapter Text

Link closed the door behind him, blocking out the sunlight and the buzz of the townspeople.

It was replaced with the tower's darkness and the sound of rushing water. The wooden pole cut through the vast floor, rising above them to turn the rhythmic gears. At first, Link could only see Tatl; she was a beacon in the dim, cool building. His eyes adjusted to find a grown man waiting in the room.

He still wore the elegant, purple robes with a bulbous backpack of masks hunching him over. He was tall and lanky with short, red hair on top. The mask salesman smiled at them as they approached. Link clutched his chest as he did, bent over and limping.

"Why, hello there," he said. Tatl did a better job hiding her fear, but she still remained behind the scrub. "You look like you've been having a great day."

Seriously? Link thought. He gave no response. He was very clearly on the verge of death.

The mask salesman continued anyways. "Were you able to recover your precious item from that imp?"

Link almost answered, but another thought occurred to him. From his perspective, didn't we just walk out that door? They'd gone back in time to the moment after talking to him, which would've taken place maybe a minute ago.

"Well," Tatl started, surprising Link, "As far as you can tell, we just walked out the door and came back in. There was no time for us to get the ocarina back."

The mask salesman acknowledged Tatl for the first time, never losing his smile. But he turned back to Link instead of responding to her. "Well, did you just walk out the door?"

Link wasn't sure what to say. "Why do you think we didn't?"

"I hate it when someone answers a question with a question," the salesman said. His eyes widened when he saw the ocarina in Link's hand. He ecstatically took two giant steps toward him and bent down to grab his shoulders, shaking the small child. "Oh! You got it, you got it!"

"Yes, he got it!" Tatl said defensively, flying to push him away. "Now please get off him. He's hurt!"

The mask salesman stopped, as if noticing Link's injuries for the first time. The Deku Scrub could barely react to being shaken, putting all his effort into not throwing up. "I'm terribly sorry," the mask salesman said, clearing his throat and backing away. "Well, looking at the condition you're in..." He turned away from them and walked to the other side of the clock tower. "There's no time to lose."

"Where are you going?" Tatl said.

The salesman didn't answer, continuing toward the wall seemingly just as dark as the rest. Link watched him, albeit still hunched over in misery. He squinted closely to realize there was something large hidden near the wall. A black sheet completely hid it, blending in with the darkness and making it unnoticeable. The salesman whipped the cover off, tossing it behind him to reveal a grand piano.

It was made of fine, brown wood. Three rows of keys were layered atop one another, and there was no cover to hide the piano strings. Its back ran against the wall vertically rather than horizontally; it was a beautiful piece of art that must've been lovingly crafted.

"Wow," Tatl said. "How did we not notice that?"

The salesman slid his heavy backpack off and placed it beside the instrument; a creepy mask fell out of its many pockets and clattered to the floor. He ignored that, pulling a bench out from under the piano and sitting as he stretching his fingers before the mighty piano. "Do you have your ocarina ready?" he asked.

Link nodded.

"Then listen to me. Please play this song that I am about to perform, and remember it well."

Link glanced at his ocarina, overwhelmed by fatigue. Even blinking was difficult, let alone standing. Yet, this small, blue ocarina once again had his life in its hands. If whatever the salesman showed him worked, then so be it, but if it didn't, Link didn't have the strength to go back up the stairs to Clock Town. "Tatl, if it doesn't work..." His squeaky voice pained him, but the fairy interrupted.

"No, Link. It's going to work. Don't say that. Get ready to play, and this will all be over soon."

Link timidly brought the ocarina to his snout, shaking as he looked up at the pianist.

"Follow along after me," he said, allowing his fingers to flow across the keys. The notes came out confidently, and Link closed his eyes, straining to recognize each note. He'd always had a knack for playing music by ear, but now he had to do it while on the verge of death.

"Dah-duh-dum, dah-duh-dum," Link hummed to himself as he fingered his ocarina without blowing. Tatl ignored him, clearly enraptured by the piano.

"It's beautiful," she said. "I've never heard anything like it. What is this song? Huh... Link? What do you think?" He shushed her, trying his best to concentrate on the notes. "Okay, okay. Don't mind me here. The poor musically inept fairy." The mask salesman continued, though the song was rather short. He looped the same phrase with only slight variations.

Eventually, a soft whistle from the ocarina joined in. Link winced at the incorrect note and tried another one timidly, nodding before he played two more. He was quick to join the mask salesman's performance and match him note-for-note.

Tatl was clearly left out between them, as the salesman played the keys of the piano and the Deku scrub played the ocarina. When the mask salesman broke out of his original musical phrase, Link somehow followed the unexpected change, as if anticipating it and already knowing the song by heard. "How do you…?" Tatl stammered, not finishing her thought.

Link continued playing, eyes closed; he allowed the music to take over him. Even when he got light-headed, Link never fought it. It reminded him of the Song of Time's mighty grasp. When he could play no more, the ocarina's notes continued in his mind. He dropped the clay instrument, which rolled away from him as he fell back... back... away from the clock tower...

There was emptiness. Link eventually spotted someone far off. There was a single Deku scrub, though without red feathers cascading from the top, nor a crop of blonde hair. This Deku scrub was not shorter or squatter than him either, as most typically were, but the same height and stature. Instead of hair, three green leaves stuck out apart from each other.

They were twins. The two wooden-textured creatures walked up to confront one another, Link peering intently at the new visitor. Or maybe I'm the visitor.

"Who are you?" Link squeaked.

"When you find my father," the Deku scrub replied in Link's exact voice, "tell him that I love him. I didn't run away. I just wanted to see the world. Please, tell him where I am too, so he can say goodbye."

"I don't...," said Link, shaking his head. "Who's your father? Where can I find him?"

"Goodbye, Link. I am in your debt forever. You've freed me." And then the Deku scrub turned away, walking off into the darkness and leaving Link behind.

"Wait, what are you talking about?" he called out, taking a step to follow him. "Where are we?" Link's next step met thin air, and then he fell, spinning through the darkness until…

He opened his eyes. There was no more music, though he heard wood clatter on the stone floor. He was still underneath the clock tower, accompanied by the sounds of turning gears and rushing water. Tatl watched him intently, floating beside the mask salesman who had once again equipped his massive backpack.

Link looked down to find the source of the fallen wood. His own face stared at him from the floor – his Deku scrub face. It was frozen in time, watching with those familiar, glowing eyes. Is that a mask? he wondered. His attention turned away from the frozen image of his Deku scrub face when he felt his hands. Link held them out and thought he was dreaming.

"Link!" Tatl exclaimed, as a smile spread across his face. My true face, he realized. He'd grown two feet taller, and his wooden-textured skin was tanned and soft. He wore a full green tunic, his brown boots were no longer toddler sized, his hat was not disproportional to the rest of his body, his red belt was again tight around his waist, and... he was himself.

"Ta-ack!" Link stopped short on his exclamation, accidentally speaking from his throat. Now he could speak normally, without the high-pitched, squeaky handicap. He took a deep breath, relishing in the weight of his human chest. He was no longer dying; every injury had been healed. His sword and Hylian shield were once again clad on his back.

The Hero of Time had returned. "Navi! It worked! It actually worked!" It sounded like music to hear his own teenage voice again, and he turned to look at the fairy who'd remained by his cursed side. He ran his fingers through his blonde hair and blinked his blue eyes.

"Wow, it did," Tatl said, for some reason losing her excitement. "But I don't know who Navi is, Link." Link's face betrayed his confusion, forgetting that emotions were much harder to hide in his human face. What is she talking about?

Before he could ask her, the mask salesman spoke. He'd been standing there patiently the entire time, smiling. "This is a melody that heals evil magic and troubled spirits, turning them into masks: the Song of Healing." What he'd done was a miracle. He has an instrument that channels the magic of the gods, too, Link thought. "I am sure this song will be of assistance to you in the future."

The boy looked back to the mask on the floor and picked it up. He examined the Deku scrub face thoughtfully; the mask did not have eye holes, nor any for a nose and mouth. It would be impossible to see or breathe while wearing it.

"Ah, yes," the mask salesman said, as if reading his mind. "I give you this mask in commemoration of this day. Fear not, for the magic has been sealed inside the mask. When you wear it, you will transform into the shape that you just were. When you remove it, you will return to normal."

Link's immediate reaction was fear. I'm never putting on this thing again, he thought. What would happen if I put it on and it didn't come off again? Yet, it was probably premature to get rid of it. He looked down at his belt, realizing there was no way to attach it; the mask didn't have a hole or string anywhere. While the belt did have a small, tight pocket for his ocarina, he'd have to carry the mask until he found a bag. Link retrieved his fallen instrument while it was on his mind, slipping it back in its pocket. Finally where it's supposed to be.

"Now," the salesman said, recapturing Link's attention. "I have fulfilled my promise to you. So, please, give me that which you promised me." The salesman held out his hands, palm up, expecting his reward. Link's face flushed bright red; he'd forgotten the deal. The imp's mask in exchange for my body, he remembered. Tatl had been the only reason he'd remembered to come under the clock tower at all.

Link managed to meet the salesman's smiling eyes. "Uh," he stammered, turning to the fairy for support. Tatl was gravely silent.

"Don't tell me," he said. His smile began to falter, and his eyes opened wide with fear. "My mask… You did get it back, didn't you?"

The rushing water far below was his only answer, and the shock on his face quickly melted into anger. He screamed in anguish, reaching out for Link. The young man backed away, forgetting for a minute that he had his sword. The salesman lifted him off his feet, shaking him furiously in the air.

"Hey!" Tatl shouted, but she backed off as soon as she saw wildness etched into the salesman's eyes.

"What have you done to me!" he exclaimed.

Speaking while being shaken proved rather difficult. "I... did... n't... re... mem... ber... I... just..." The salesman abruptly let him go, and Link fell to the floor on his bottom, quickly scrambling to his feet.

"If you leave my mask out there, something terrible will happen!" the salesman said, hands on his head as he rocked back and forth on his heels. He managed to calm down though, taking in deep breaths.

"I didn't mean to cheat you," Link answered. "I was dying."

That didn't appear to make a difference to the mask salesman right now. "That mask that was stolen from me – it is called Majora's Mask." Instantly, Link pictured the heart-shaped mask and its terrible eyes.

"It is an accursed item from legend that is said to have been used in an ancient tribe in its hexing rituals. It is said that an evil and wicked power is bestowed upon the one who wears that mask." Link vividly recalled the Skull Kid's spells. He'd summoned the moon, cursed him into the body of a Deku scrub, and killed Tael. "According to legend, the troubles caused by Majora's Mask were so great that the ancient ones, fearing such catastrophe, sealed the mask in shadow forever, preventing its misuse. But now, that tribe from the legend has vanished, so no one really knows the true nature of the mask's power."

When the salesman finished, they allowed the soothing sounds of the clock tower to fill the silence. I knew it was the mask, Link thought. Somehow, I've always known that was the true enemy.

"But I feel it," the salesman said again, looking up at the ceiling as if to plead with the gods. "I went to great lengths to get that legendary mask! When I finally had it, I could sense the doom of a dark omen brewing. It was that unwelcome feeling that makes your hair stand on end. And now, that imp has it." He turned back to Link. "I am begging you! You must get that mask back quickly or something terrible will happen! I'm begging you! I'm begging you! You must do it!"

The salesman stopped, eagerly awaiting Link to answer him. "I...," the boy started, but the salesman interrupted him.

"Really? You'll do it for me?"

"I never said..."

"I was certain you would tell me that."

"But I don't..."

"You'll be fine! Surely, you can do it."

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do!" Link yelled. The mask salesman finally gave him room to speak. "I've already been to the top of the tower to face him, and I lost! I fell off the tower and almost died – until you healed me. All I have is my sword, and that's not anywhere close to what I need to stop the moon! Have you been outside lately? It's huge! There's nothing one person like me can do to stop it." The boy wore his frustration all over his face, waiting for the salesman to say something.

Finally, he did. "So, what else then? Are you going to go back to Hyrule and let all these people die? Are you going to let your dear friend's brother die? Your horse? Anju?" He remained looking down at the shocked Link, waiting for an answer.

"How do you...?"

"It doesn't matter. What I do know is that you can't leave this place before you've chosen between the light and the dark. You must face the Skull Kid, Link. You can't leave before you've done that."

"Light and dark?" Link asked. "What are you talking about? How do you know so much about me? Where did you come from?"

The mask salesman only laughed. "You're wasting your time talking to me, Link. You must go out and stop him before it's too late."

"But I don't know how!" Link yelled once again. Why does he constantly avoid all of my questions?

"Come on, Link," Tatl finally said to him, gesturing him toward the door. "Let's just go."

Link hesitated. Now, he felt a little guilty. The mask salesman had just saved his life, and Link had gone back on a deal. Nonetheless, he agreed with Tatl, walking with her up the staircase. He paused at the set of doors before returning to Clock Town.

"Believe in your strengths," the mask salesman encouraged him from behind. "Believe."

They stepped into the first day's warmth together. And I can finally enjoy it, Link thought. I have my body again, and I'm alive. He was still in disbelief. When he looked at Tatl, floating beside him, he was surprised when a pang of sadness overpowered his joy. The fairy who'd originally walked out of those doors was now a pile of ashes in some forgotten timeline. That image momentarily overpowered him. I'm scared, Link, that Tatl had said. I don't want this to be the last time I ever see the sun.

"That mask," this Tatl said, interrupted his thoughts. Link tried his best to swallow his feelings and give her his attention. "The Skull Kid uses the power of Majora's Mask to do these terrible things. We've gotta do something about it."

"And what would you suggest?" Link asked, as the carpenters looked up from their work. He didn't pay attention to their disgruntled expressions, likely wondering where the Deku scrub had gone.

"Um," Tatl said, trailing off. "Ooh! The Great Fairy could help us! She watches over everything and – just between you and me – the Skull Kid is no match for her."

"You've already said that," Link said, walking into the town square. "Word for word."

"Well," Tatl scoffed, following him, "what would... uh... past me have done?"

Link sighed. "I'm not sure. She died."

"Well, I know that, De-... Hm... I guess I can't call you Deku boy anymore, can I?"

"No, you can't," Link said flatly, holding up the Deku scrub mask to further prove his point.

"So," Tatl said, choosing to ignore his short tone. "Seriously, what do we do now? I'm guessing I'm stuck with you until we find a way to stop Majora's Mask from killing everybody?"

"Yes, that's what it looks like," Link commented. Tears kept threatening to take over. Don't cry, Link thought. You should be happy right now. But even if he had his body back, Tatl was dead, and no one in the world even cared. The fact that she kept talking to him now, regardless of her past life's memory, made everything so much harder.

"Are you okay, Link?" Tatl asked. "I thought you might be a little happy, you know, now that you're not a Deku scrub anymore."

"Yeah, I just...," Link trailed off.

"Just what?" asked the fairy. Link didn't answer. "Where are we going, anyways?" Link stopped walking when he realized they were halfway through the East Clock Town plaza. He'd subconsciously ventured to the Stock Pot Inn. "You realize she won't remember you, right? There's no reason for this Anju to help you."

"I know," Link said, continuing onward regardless. The fairy scoffed but followed anyways.

They entered the lobby to see Anju behind her desk, looking down at a notebook opened before her. She was, once again, wearing that same blue dress. Her short red hair was neatly done, and she looked up with a forced smile on her face.

"Hello, welcome to the Stock Pot Inn," she greeted. Link watched Tatl's expression, realizing this was her first true time-travel-affected interaction. It was eerie interacting with a person who suddenly didn't remember you. He also noted Anju's strange familiarity again, as if he'd known her before Clock Town. Deku scrub drama had prevented him from questioning her about it, but now, this next 'first' meeting jogged his memory. Has she been to Hyrule before? Link wondered.

Link and Tatl were completely unaware of how creepy they looked just standing there, until Anju grew visibly startled. When Link became self-aware and walked toward her, the innkeeper tensed, as if not sure what to expect. Link fumbled for the right words. "Have you ever been to Hyrule?"

"Hyrule?" Anju stammered. "I don't believe I've ever heard of it."

"You've... never heard of Hyrule?" He was flabbergasted. That's impossible, Link thought. Sure, Tatl hasn't, but another human? "You've never heard about the largest kingdom in the world, center of practically all global power?" Anju merely shook her head. "Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, the king? His daughter, Princess Zelda?"

"Where is this place?" Anju asked, after a moment's thought.

"It's..." Link stopped, when he realized he wasn't sure, at least in relation to Clock Town. "I came from underneath the clock tower, so I'm not sure what direction it's in."

"So Hyrule is an underground city?"

"No," Link said. "It's... where is here, anyways? How come no one has heard of anywhere else?"

"We're in Termina," Anju answered. "I'm not sure what else to say about it."

"Has no one ever left? Do people not come and go regularly?"

"Well, from other corners of Termina," Anju added thoughtfully. Link sighed. "But please, sir, I'm not sure what this has to do with anything. Do you have a reservation, or is the only reason you came here to ask me about... Hyrule?"

Link shook his head. "Sorry. Yes, I have a reservation."

"All right then," Anju said, returning to her business voice. She scanned the notebook below her. "Name please?"

"Link."

"Link? I don't have a Link in here."

"Oh, sorry, I meant to say Ink," Link quickly corrected himself. He ignored Tatl's gaze behind him. "Mr. Ink."

Anju threw him a skeptical look, but continued nonetheless. "Well, Mr. Ink, I have you down for an afternoon arrival, but I guess you can check in a few hours early. Your room is our 'Knife Chamber' on the second floor. Here is your key." She handed it to him, and then Link nodded and turned away.

"Thank you." He walked up the staircase to his room, and Tatl followed.

"What was all that about?" the fairy asked. "And did you just steal someone's reservation?"

"Yep," Link answered. "Me and..." The other Tatl, he stopped himself from saying. He swallowed nervously. "The first time around, I accidentally stole someone else's. I don't see the harm in doing it twice."

"You're making someone sleep out on the streets?" she said softly. "That's terrible."

"It's for a greater cause, right?" Link asked, as they reached the second floor.

"Sure," Tatl said, clearly withholding something else on her mind. "Whatever you say, Mr. Ink."

"Tatl! Look out, you-!" Tatl turned around, but she was too late.

The strain of the wooden wheel wedged into the platform reached a climax when it hit the ground. The wood violently shattered into millions of pieces, and they showed no mercy. Tatl was instantly bombarded with bullet-like shards, and Link curled into a ball to protect his face.

And there they were, underneath the moon's ball of fire. Tatl was in his hand, dying just as he was, some unseen injury within her ball of light. "Thank you for not leaving me," Link struggled to say.

"No... prob... lem, Deku head."

Link couldn't hide his concern from Navi. They were in the Temple of Time, beside the Master Sword returned to its pedestal. "So, I'll never see you again?" Navi only continued to float there, just out of reach. "You're going to become someone else's guardian, aren't you?" The fairy still didn't say anything. "Can't we just have one more day to celebrate?"

"That would make it harder for me to leave," explained Navi. "This isn't easy, Link. I hope you know that. But it has to be done. You can't cling to your childhood anymore."

Link, once again defeated, only stood there.

"I... didn't expect you to forgive me, Link," Tatl finally said, turning around to face him in the darkness of the sewer system's maze. "Thank you for not throwing your glass of water at me as soon as you saw me. I deserved it, after what I said to you back in the hotel room. I thought... I thought I could do it on my own. I just wanted my brother back, and I didn't realize how messed up everything the Skull Kid and I did to you was.

"But now I know. I want to make sure you get your body, ocarina, and horse. It's my fault you're in this mess, and I'm not stopping until we get out of it together."

"Thanks Tatl," Link said. "I really didn't want to stop the moon from falling by myself."

Link awoke from a light sleep to find the hotel room's darkness. The images of the past faded instantly; Link lay there for a moment quietly.

The dreams of Navi hadn't gone away. If anything, they were stronger. Why? He had already come to terms with his new fairy companion, who slept on the other bed's pillow. She was there, and the first Tatl had told him he was a useless weakling and abandoned him this very night. Even Navi had left him, but this fairy hadn't. But this fairy isn't Navi or Tatl, is she? Not really.

Link hated that the relief of getting his body back was so short-lived. Turns out, getting un-cursed hardly fixed any of his problems. Epona was still gone, but now this new land – Termina, as Anju had called it – seemed to be in need of him. If he left on his horse, could he live with himself, knowing that he'd doomed Termina to be a barren wasteland? Would the power of Majora's Mask spread past Termina into Hyrule?

Returning to his body wasn't enough. How can I fight that evil mask? It had killed Tael with the flick of a wrist. It had cursed him to inhabit the body of a Deku scrub. It had summoned the moon itself from the heavens to crash into Clock Town. What could possible rival that?

Link turned in his bed to see the ocarina sitting on the bedside table. My ocarina proved itself, he realized. The ocarina's notes had lifted the curse. True, it had been the Song of Healing that had done the job, but he didn't think any instrument would've harnessed its powers. That was the key: his ocarina.

But was he ready to face the Skull Kid again? Could another song defeat him? Confronting the imp at the top of the tower might have to wait.

But he killed Tatl.

No – Tatl was across the room from him, asleep.

Yet after he returned to bed, the dreams still tormented him.

Chapter Text

The gray, grumbling sky cast rain upon the Laundry Pool. Anju sat at its bench with an umbrella over her head, crying softly in the isolated corner of Clock Town.

Link spotted her when he came through the South Clock Town passageway. He once again wielded his green tunic and hat, both finally proportional to his body. He'd left his sword and shield behind in the hotel room, and his blonde hair was only slightly damp with rain. He approached Anju as she stared at the waterway across from her.

"Are you okay?" Link asked.

She turned to face him lethargically. "I'm fine," she said. Link took a seat beside her anyways, remembering that Kafei had brought her here last time.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

She paused, clearly much more defensive than she'd been on the first cycle. "I didn't come to the Laundry Pool to cry alone because I wanted to talk about it."

Link tried his best not to bristle. This is my fault, he remembered. I'm the one who made things awkward yesterday by bringing up Hyrule.

"Why are you here?" Anju asked.

"I..." Link paused, collecting his words carefully. "I was looking for you – to say sorry. I didn't mean to get angry yesterday. It's just weird to find a place that hasn't heard of my homeland before. I wasn't expecting that."

Anju remained on guard, though her expression softened slightly after the apology. "Why did you come to Termina?" she asked.

Link furrowed his brow. Why did I come here again? "To find Navi," Link said, surprised at his forgetfulness.

"Who's Navi?"

"Someone that left me," he said distantly. Why hasn't this come up until now? Link wondered. His time in Clock Town had been extremely chaotic; so much was resurfacing now that things had calmed down. "I've been looking for a while now. I don't even know why she left to begin with. It was all so sudden. I think there's something she wasn't telling me."

"Oh," Anju replied. That's the first time I've told anyone that, Link realized. Tatl had never asked what his errand had been when they robbed him. "I'm looking for someone too, for the same reasons."

Link remembered the letter he'd read, and everything that Anju had said on their first encounter at the Laundry Pool. "Maybe we could look together."

Anju smiled, but then glanced up at the moon. It was still there, still in the sky baring down on everyone. "Maybe after this whole ordeal with the moon passes over. We're supposed to take shelter tomorrow in the ranch just outside of town. If you don't have anywhere else to go, we'd be happy to let you stay with us."

Link returned her smile. "I would, but I have somewhere else to be that day."

"If you change your mind, let me know."

"Link!" Tatl flew from the South Clock pathway, holding a leather satchel by its shoulder strap. "It's perfect for the rupees, the mask, and whatever else we have to carry around! The rest of the money is in here, too."

"Thanks," Link said, meeting her halfway and admiring the tough, brown material. The boy put it around his shoulder and let it hang over his side. When he'd stolen Mr. Ink's reservation a third time, the silver rupee had been in the same drawer. He was excited by Tatl's new purchase; it was much nicer than any bag he'd had in Hyrule. Link turned to Anju. "Well, we have to go. I hope you find whoever you're looking for."

"And I hope you find Navi," she said, managing a smile.

Link brown boots splashed in puddles of water as he left the Laundry Pool, his new bag snug at his hip. The white fairy lingered for a moment before she followed Link. "Who's Navi?" she asked.

"Uh," Link stammered. "She's... a fairy. The one that helped me Hyrule, before I came here."

"Hm," Tatl breathed skeptically. "So this whole fairy companion thing is something you do often?"

"No," Link said. "Where I come from, every child has a fairy once they're old enough. They become your guardian for life. Navi just happened to be mine."

"What happened to her?" Tatl said. "She didn't die too, did she?"

Link glared at Tatl as they reached the South Clock Town plaza.

The fairy immediately backed down from that comment. "I'm sorry," Tatl corrected. "I'm not sure why I said that. That was mean."

Link sighed, moving the conversation onward. "She left me after we saved Hyrule. I have to find her and understand why."

"Is that what you were doing when we... robbed you in the forest? You were looking for Navi?"

"Yes," Link answered. There was a moment of silence between the two, only broken by the carpenters' hammers.

"Well, once we're done with this tiny errand – you know, defeating the moon-loving mask from the depths of the underworld – I'd be happy to help you find her."

Really? Link thought. He hadn't expected that; he doubted that Tatl could follow through with such a promise.

"Link," Tatl pressed, clearly catching onto his spacey, distracted awkwardness. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Link said. "Let's just go back to the hotel room so we can try out the new bag."

"Okay. Sure." She followed timidly. Link hoped that she hadn't noticed he'd refused to use her name all day.

Ding!

Link stood in front of the clock tower, neck craned back as it had been while a Deku scrub. The torches surrounding South Clock Town were all lit, illuminating the boy and fairy. Mutoh was just behind them, prideful of the completed miniature tower behind him. The moon was as close as on the previous final night; it was midnight, six hours from impact. Its eyes forever wielded that horrible threat.

And then, the loud, sharp pitch of the town bell cut through the night. Explosions popped brilliantly around the clock tower: fireworks. The dazzling colors erupted with fanfare and jubilation, but the ecstatic cheers of the people were absent. There was still no cause for celebration.

The black sphere on top of the clock tower, with the beam of light cutting through the night, rose into the air. It traveled on a thick, wooden beam extending from the roof. It grew taller, and Link looked up, his angry face illuminated by the fireworks' glow.

The extended lighthouse came just short of the moon. It tottered, as if it would snap off and crash to the ground. A small earthquake started at the same time, dangerously teetering the clock tower head. When the quake ended, the stone ball fell over, coming down and swinging around so that the wooden clock face aimed at the sky. It stopped when it was exactly parallel; the ball that had once been the searchlight was now aligned to the ground. The massive wheel of time had become the roof. The same procession of doors slid downward, forming a staircase to the top again.

The fireworks stopped. The last fizzles of light dissipated before they reached the ground, and Link and Tatl were now standing in front of the open clock tower... on the night of the final day. Six hours remained.

"Link," Tatl said nervously, "can we please play the Song of Time?"

His sword and shield were clad across his back. His bag was over his shoulder and filled with rupees and the Deku mask. And his ocarina was safely on his belt – a last resort. "No," he said. "We're going to the top."

"Why?" Tatl asked. "Did you forget what happened last time you went up there? I died, and you came back half-dead yourself. Nothing's changed!"

"I'm not cursed anymore," Link explained, still not taking his eyes away from their destination. "And I finally understand what my ocarina is capable of."

"Yeah, it's capable of taking us back in time so we don't get our faces squashed by that rock!"

"It healed me, and it destroyed his curse."

"But the Skull Kid isn't cursed, Link. And why would we want to heal him anyways?"

"Can't you just trust me? I know what I'm doing. I wouldn't risk our lives again." Link turned to the fairy, realizing he'd let some of his composure slip.

Tatl didn't seem convinced at all, looking at him with so much concern. "Okay Link. Just promise me we'll leave before anything too bad happens."

"I promise."

Link stepped onto the wooden surface of the clock's face. Its outer edges were still taller than him, forming a circular wall that obscured everything below them. The sky's red, unspoken threat had not changed from the last cycle.

The moon was in the same spot five hundred feet above him. The Skull Kid floated just below it, deep in thought. As Tatl settled beside Link, the Skull Kid turned to face them. He bore that horrible mask, using its eyes and the moon's to intimidate them. Link watched the events play out as an observer, one who knew every word but had no control over the script. The imp did not deviate from his role; he waited for them to speak first.

"Sis!" The purple fairy flew to reveal himself from behind the Skull Kid.

"Tael!" Tatl exclaimed from beside Link. "We… we've been looking for you two." The Skull Kid did not offer anything in reply but his continual glare. "Hey, Skull Kid, what if you gave that mask you're wearing back now? Hey, c'mon. Are you... listening?"

Tael flew from the imp's reach and hastily spat out that same line. A warning, Link realized. His eye's widened; he'd forgotten that Tael ever said this. A way Tael found to defeat the Skull Kid. "Swamp. Mountain. Ocean. Canyon. Hurry – the four who are there – bring them here!" Tael meant to say more, but the Skull Kid slapped him into submission with the back of his hand.

"Don't speak out of line! Stupid fairy!" That icy, venomous voice returned once more. The town bell continued tolling below, regardless, in celebration of the carnival.

"No, you don't speak out of line!" Link yelled. He interrupted Tatl, who'd been about to interject with a final plea to the Skull Kid. The boy's words ruptured the script, irrevocably altering the course of events. But Link didn't care. His anger couldn't wait any longer.

"What did you say to me?" the Skull Kid said, leaning forward.

"You killed her!" Link shouted. "You sent the moon straight into the tower and killed her! It's your fault she's dead! You killed Navi!" Link drew his sword from his scabbard, unsure if he meant to fight the imp or the feelings he'd laid bare on the clock face.

"Is that it?" Tatl said pointedly, surprising Link. "Is that why you can't call me by my name anymore? Because I'm not good enough to be Navi? Or my previous self? You can't do that to me! I've been here beside you the entire time. I'm not Navi, but I'm still Tatl! You haven't lost her. I'm right here!"

"You don't get it," Link stammered, tears pooling in his eyes. "She did die! That Skull Kid killed her, and I'll never get her back! I played the Song of Time and left her body behind!" He pulled the ocarina from his belt, waving it in front of her face.

"I'm not dead!" Tatl exclaimed back. "I don't know what you want me to do. We're the same person! Yeah, some other version of me died, but I am her!"

"No!" Link spat, forgetting the imp, the moon, and the apocalypse in his anger. He only had eyes for Tatl. "You can't replace them!"

"I can be what Tatl and Navi were to you if you just give me a chance!"

… The Skull Kid watched with steadily growing confusion; the purple fairy beside him was too blinded by fear to pay any attention to his sister's conversation. The imp, however, couldn't tear his eyes from the ocarina. It felt wrong, somehow, that the boy was holding it. The imp looked at his own empty left hand, flexing his fingers. His mind strained to think of something very important, just out of reach. The Skull Kid looked down at the two arguing children, though his eyes kept returning to the blue, clay instrument. That's not supposed to be there, the Skull Kid mused, recalling the moment the ocarina had been given to him three days ago. I remember –

The floodgate broke, and the memories rushed back to him.

His eyes widened. I'm supposed to have the ocarina right now. The boy, as a Deku scrub, had hit him with a bubble and knocked it out of his hand. The Skull Kid then struck out at Tael and killed him. He'd summoned the moon to crash into the tower. Tatl and the boy had fallen with it, and then they'd landed in the plaza, surely dead. You killed her! the boy had shouted. You sent the moon straight into the tower and killed her! The fairy had died, but somehow the ocarina had saved him. And now there was another Tatl by his side. I played the Song of Time and left her body behind!

He understood. I've been tricked, the Skull Kid realized. The boy could travel back in time, resetting events until he made things go the way he wanted. Impossible. But the imp didn't have time to consider that. He'd kill them now, before they could regain their wits.

The imp moved his arms in a circular, rhythmic motion from far above, summoning magic. Purple electricity sizzled, conjured from thin air and collecting around his hands. He brought his arm back, as if to thrust it out and direct the energy to a certain spot…

… "I know I'll never replace them!" Tatl said. "But I care about you, Link! And I'm what's left of the Tatl you knew. Please don't do this." Link kept crying as he looked at the fairy, unable to find words. His sword remained clasped firmly in his left hand the ocarina in his right, blinded by this bubble of despair.

Until one observation broke through: a crackling, electric sound from above.

Tatl must have figured out what was happening first. "Link – the Skull Kid!"

Link didn't understand, still looking at the fairy who now flew toward him. He turned to see the Skull Kid far too late, who targeted him from afar. A bolt of violet energy shot outward from the Skull Kid's fingertips.

The magic's brilliance reflected in the boy's wide eyes as it cut through the air mercilessly. There was no time to think in the presence of such a deadly, precise, and instantaneous attack. In his state of fear and surprise, two possibilities instantly presented themselves. Tatl flew to intercept the attack, so she could take the burst of lightning in an act of sacrifice. There was no time for him to take out his shield or dodge the spell. He could either allow Tatl to die for him again, or he could...

Link took a step forward and knocked Tatl out of the way. The bolt of dark magic traveled straight through his ocarina and went further to strike him in the chest.

The attacked lifted him off his feet and across the clock face. His sword spiraled out of his hand. Link's eyes were shocked zeros as the high concentration of dark magic seared into his body, sending jolts of electricity through him. He glided backward, hanging in the air for only a moment before he slammed into the circular perimeter.

Tatl recovered from Link's push to see him slumped against the clock face's wall. A large, open scorch mark had burnt through his clothing and scarred his chest. He slid down to land on his slide, curled into a ball of pain as the magic rattled his body. Link struggled to lift his head and open his eyes.

He saw his ocarina several feet away. The Skull Kid's strike had burnt a black mark into the instrument's surface. The scorch mark was solid in the area just above the mouthpiece. Thin, black lines snaked outward to surround some of the nearby playing holes. Link had come here thinking it was the key to defeating the imp, and now, there it was – he and the instrument put in their place.

"NO!" Tatl flew to his side.

"I've destroyed it!" the Skull Kid proclaimed from above, his voice once again possessed by the mask. "No magic is superior to my own. This realm will fall to my omnipotence, and I will claim my freedom!" Then the Skull Kid threw his arms skyward and screamed. It was a horrible, bestial screech that pierced the air as waves of light flew from the Skull Kid's arms. The magical lights cascaded upward, rippling over the surface of the moon.

The magic power continued to flow from his arms to the moon, and everything shook: the moon, the ground, the clock tower. The moon plummeted to the ground as fast as it had the previous cycle, robbing them of the few hours remaining. The Skull Kid continued to shake as he summoned the moon to finish the job. "This world will end in fire!"

Link hardly noticed. He lay on the ground shivering, still huddled in a fetal position. His eyes were squeezed shut in agony as he clutched his wound.

"Why did you do that?" Tatl said softly, reaching his side. "You were supposed to go back in time and stop him. If I'd died, a new me would've taken my place."

Link blinked dazedly, focusing on her bright light to keep himself from slipping away. He battled the dryness in his mouth to speak. "No," Link said. He took in a ragged breath. "It wouldn't have been you."

Tatl had no response but to watch her friend sadly. The boy remained lying on the floor up against the wall, his fairy just beside him.

When the Skull Kid finished his spell, the moon continued plummeting. He looked down to face his victims again. "Humans are weak," he stated, no longer commanded by the voice of the mask. The Skull Kid floated toward the boy, and Tael nervously followed. "Your emotional infancy caused you to toss what little power you had aside. This fairy is a stranger to you. You don't love her. You sacrificed yourself for something that is already dead." The Skull Kid's feet stopped just short of touching the floor. The moon caused the entire world to roar and shake as it closed the remaining space.

"Navi's not dead," Link stammered, though only Tatl could hear him.

"Link," Tatl whispered. "It's happening again, isn't it? This is what happened before?"

Link nodded. "I didn't mean to break my promise again." His fingers kept clutching the delicate, sensitive skin around his chest's scorch mark. The scar was large, a red center surrounded by a deep, charred black. He struggled to hold his head up to address the fairy. "Go," he exhaled weakly. "Please. I don't want you to die again."

"No," Tatl said. "I can't do that. If I left now, there would be nothing left for me to come back to."

Link closed his eyes, allowing his head to rest on the floor. Tatl came closer, to his fallen hand lying limply on the clock face. "Termina isn't all there is, Tatl," Link whispered. "You could go to Hyrule and tell them what happened."

"Link, I just tried jumping in front of a lightning bolt for you. When will you get it through your head that I'm not leaving you?" He smiled faintly. I want to protect her, Link thought. I want to escape and save her and make sure she survives this. He hated that it had taken another traumatic experience for him to realize this. I should've listened to her. I should've played the Song of Time.

Link turned to face away from the moon and the Skull Kid, spotting his ocarina and bag further along the wall. The bag had swung open and his rupees lay scattered, though another item stuck halfway out. Link's brow furrowed when he recognized the mask, and he recalled what had truly saved him from his first clock tower battle: becoming a human again.

"Link, the tower's going to fall," Tatl said, surprisingly calm. The tower's swaying had reached a familiar, dangerous crescendo. Link ignored it, attempting to sit up and pull his bag toward him. But he couldn't. His chest hurt too much, and it was just out of reach.

"Tatl... the mask..."

The fairy turned to see him stretching out for the bag. She flew to grab its strap, dragging it to rest in front of him. Link quickly pulled the wooden mask from its depths, taking care not to move his swimming head. He held it in one hand, staring at it with a mixture of reverence and trepidation.

The glowing eyes looked up at him as they had from his reflection those first three days in Clock Town. He continued to stare at the Deku scrub mask, wondering if the mask salesman had told the truth about its powers.

Tatl gasped with a realization. "Can it save you?" she whispered. "Is your Deku form healed?"

Link didn't know, but there was only one way to find out.

"Are you still alive?" The childish voice was suddenly right behind him. Link froze. He was still facing the wall and hadn't noticed the imp flying to join them. He saw Tatl turn to face Majora's Mask where he could not.

"Hand me that ocarina behind you," the imp say to the fairy. "You and your brother can live. Fly far away from here. But the meddler dies, and I will claim his magical powers for myself."

Link heard the purple fairy twinkle with excitement, but Tatl seemed far more conflicted.

"I…," the fairy stammered, trembling before the all-powerful mask demanding the ocarina's possession. Link remained huddled against wall, silently moving the mask toward his face. He didn't dare move quick enough to draw the Skull Kid's attention.

"No," Tatl eventually said. "I won't. I don't care that Link was just yelling at me. He proved that my trust wasn't misplaced when he knocked me out of the way. He's a better friend than you could ever be. You're an immature child with far too much power.

"So, no. I won't pick up the ocarina for you. You can do it yourself."

The Skull Kid was silent at first. Instead of reacting with words, a familiar noise filled the air: crackling lightning, as if the imp was preparing another attack.

"Wait!" Tatl exclaimed, clearly not expecting such an extreme reaction. However, Link recaptured everyone's attention when the mask made him scream.

The moment the cursed, wooden image touched his face, it became alive. The mask clung to his cheeks as a parasite would its host, completely covering every inch of his face. Link gasped for air, as the wood pressed against his nostrils and restricted all air flow. He could not see, and his screams were soon muffled by the snout covering his mouth. He kicked his legs as the mask sunk further into his face, as if destroying his human one. The still, orange eyes became life-like as they replaced his own.

Once his face transformed, his body changed next. His skeleton shrunk beneath skin that tightened itself into a wooden texture. As he shrank, his tunic remained the same size and was suddenly far too large. His head expanded, hollowing out as he lost body mass. When it all stopped, Link was dizzy and light-headed, overwhelmed and confused. Tatl merely watched in shock.

Link's senses slowly return as air rushed into his snout. Dark energy still crackled behind him, so Link fought his confusion and quickly jumped to his unsteady feet. The shield, however, was still over his shoulders, and its weight surprised him, immediately weighing him back down. As he crashed to the floor, he formed a plan in the half-second they had left.

"Tatl!" Link exclaimed, in that familiar, high-pitched voice. "Quick!"

The fairy flew to his side as the Skull Kid's fingers followed her, releasing another crack of purple lightning. Link slipped his thin wooden arms out of his shield's handles and hid behind it, holding it up as Tatl joined him. The purple wave of energy struck the shield and was unable to penetrate it. The force of it pushed Link back against wall, but he remained standing. Tatl huddled against him as the purple waves rippled off the shield's metal harmlessly.

When the spell ended, Link opened his eyes and caught his breath. He was a Deku scrub again, and he'd left his human form's lethal state behind. This time, his scabbard, shield, and tunic had stayed with him. The green tunic was baggy and loose, and his oversized scabbard dangled from his back. His boots were far too large, and his hat once again almost touched the floor. It had been a complete transformation: the wooden textured skin, the orange eyes, the snout... everything, as if he'd never played the Song of Healing or fallen off the tower. The large hole from the lightning strike was still burnt into his tunic, but the Deku skin underneath was unharmed.

But there was no time to celebrate. Link lowered his shield to see the Skull Kid far away, as if he'd backed up to cast the lightning strike. Tael remained at his side, too frightened to do anything else. The imp was still as a statue and clearly unable to comprehend what had happened. Link didn't waste this chance.

He dropped his shield next to his bag, running for his sword off to the left. "Grab the ocarina!" Deku Link squeaked to Tatl. The fairy took a moment to understand before she flew for the scorched instrument.

"No!" the Skull Kid said, turning his attention to Tatl. He raised his arm to cast a spell, but Tael shouted a warning first.

"Sis!"

Tatl turned around just in time to avoid a small, blinding crack of light. The fairy wearily looked up to see the Skull Kid preparing another one, but Tael flew into his mask repeatedly. "Don't touch my sister, Skull Kid!"

"Tael!" Tatl exclaimed. "Stop – he'll kill you! He's not himself!"

The Skull Kid backhanded Tael and rose his hands for more unspeakable magic. But a green bubble flew into his face before he could. The imp screeched as the thick, green sludge submerged his body. He stumbled backward, raising his arms in disgust as he flung the goop off.

Link went to rejoin his fairy, but the clock tower began leaning dangerously in one direction. Oh no, Link thought. He stumbled with the falling building, afraid that it wouldn't re-balance itself. But it did, and Link regained his footing. He knew there was only more tilt left before the clock tower toppled.

As Link and Tatl joined each other, the purple fairy flew to join them, too. The boy's belongings surrounded them in a pile, close enough to touch. "Quick, everyone huddle together!" His sword, scabbard, shield, and bag were underneath him as he put his treasured possession to his snout. Link didn't give the black mark a second thought. Though its clean surface was marked, it did not appear broken. He played the Song of Time, once more beckoning the goddess who had always watched over him. The ground grumbled violently, as wood and stone popped dangerously below.

"What's he doing?" asked Tael, confused by his musical solo in the midst of the chaos.

"Just shut up and touch him!" Tatl exclaimed, flying to rest against Link's green garments, which came down to his ankles like a dress. The purple fairy hesitantly joined her…

… The moon had reached a deafening roar. The voices of the three escaping children barely pierced the hot inferno. The Skull Kid – weighed down by the green sludge – screamed as he released a blast of magic that dissolved the poisonous prison. In his fury and rage, the Skull Kid spotted the boy and fairies huddled together. The one who dared to defy him had the instrument at his snout. They're going back in time! the imp realized.

He flew swiftly toward them with anger as his guide. He felt dark magic coursing through his veins and allowed no room for mercy. The Skull Kid's feet touched the floor just in front of his prey, lifting his arms to strike them into oblivion.

"The Skull Kid!" Tatl screeched. However, the boy didn't dare stop playing the melody; every second was precious as the tower leaned backward again. This time, it would not re-balance itself. The boy's eyes were shut to the rest of the world as he summoned enough concentration to avoid making a mistake.

It was Tael who answered Tatl's call. The purple fairy left their huddle and flew into the imp again. The dark magic backfired, exploding in the Skull Kid's face and thrusting both he and Tael away. The imp looked up in time to see the boy and Tatl falling away – on the toppling tower. The purple fairy jumped in shock as his one hope of escape fell away.

"Tael!" his sister screamed helplessly, still clinging desperately to Link as they fell.

Tael and the Skull Kid flew after them, but quite suddenly, they vanished.

The boy, the white fairy, and all their possessions were gone. The clock face was bare of anyone as the moon's force knocked it into Clock Town. It fell apart; the mass jumble of stone and wood poured into the plaza, showering upon the empty ground. The moon continued onward to fill the sky with that intense heat.

The Skull Kid's fury boiled over. He opened his mouth to scream, but pain interrupted him. My spell, the imp thought. It backfired. He clutched his stomach, his mind racing with the realization that he'd lost.

There was only one outlet for his aggression: Tael – a purple dot on a red canvas. The fairy was frozen, unable to do anything but look at Majora's Mask in horror.

The Skull Kid would rip him to pieces. He raised his hands to kill the fairy –

But before he could, the imp was sucked into oblivion. Everything around him faded from view.

Suddenly, the sun was there, shining upon them in its golden warmth.

Link blinked twice, squinting in the early morning. The white fairy slowly let go of him, thrown off by the abrupt change in scenery. The Deku scrub looked around in awe, taking a moment to comprehend. I did it, Link realized. I played the Song of Time. They'd successfully escaped with their lives. His sword, shield, bag, and scabbard were at their feet, and the townsfolk looked confusedly at the Deku scrub and fairy with a pile of possessions. I brought Tatl with me this time.

"Tael," Tatl exhaled, looking around for her brother. "He didn't make it, did he?" She didn't seem all that surprised.

"No," Link said, wondering if the ocarina was even capable of bringing anyone else back in time. "I'm sorry, Tatl."

Tatl nodded solemnly, though she seem didn't too saddened. Saving Tael had never been something they'd considered, as terrible as his lost might be. We didn't have to watch him die this time, Link thought. That makes it easier.

"I can't believe we made it," Tatl eventually said. "We got away."

"Yeah," Link said. "We did."

He looked down at the ocarina in his hands. The black mark would be a constant reminder of the threat looming above them. I won't go up there again, Link decided. Not until we've found a way to defeat the Skull Kid.

He absently reached for his belt to put his ocarina away, but it hung far below his waist now, drooping at his knees. I'm gonna have to carry around my sword and shield as a Deku scrub, aren't I? At least until they found someone to heal his human body.

Link picked up the bag and put his shield, scabbard, and ocarina inside. They barely fit, so he decided to keep his sword in hand. Link shortened his bag's strap and put it around his neck, ignoring the shield that stuck out of its opening. It was way heavier than before, but he would manage.

"It was like he knew," Tatl said, as Link situated his belongings. "The Skull knew the ocarina was taking us back in time."

"How could he know that?"

"I don't know." She looked off thoughtfully. "It's just scary. If he figured out what we're doing, what else does that mean? What if he's immune to the whole time travel thing and still remembers everything?"

"No," Link said. "That can't be right. He was doing things exactly the way he did last time. At least before I interrupted him."

"I guess it doesn't matter either way. We escaped, and that's that. But what do we do now?" Tatl asked. "The swamp, mountains, ocean, and canyon that Tael was trying to tell us about – do you think he meant the four areas just outside of town?"

Link recalled her brother's warning. "I bet he did. Maybe we start somewhere outside of Clock Town and look for help?"

"What would we even look for?" Tatl sighed. "Tael always skips important stuff."

"Does one of those directions have a healer?" Link asked."You know, so I'm not stuck like a Deku scrub forever again?" He feared that even Shikashi's healing couldn't mend the Skull Kid's magic.

"A healer? We can go to the swamp. There are two witches pretty famous for their healing potions."

"Healing witches?" Link said. "Sounds promising." With a sword in hand to defend himself, Link knew the Clock Town guards would finally let him through. "Let's go."

Tatl didn't immediately fly to join him. "Before we go…"

"If you're apologizing, don't," Link interrupted. He smiled up at her. "What happened up there was my fault."

"You almost gave your life for me!" Tatl exclaimed. "I wanted to thank you. I know we've said some stuff to each other, and we haven't always been friends. But… I trust you, Link. I just wanted you to know that. So, thanks."

The Deku scrub's smile widened. "You're my fairy now, Tatl. I know things are confusing – with Navi and the other Tatl – but I trust you too. I'm glad we're doing this together."

Tatl returned his smile and gestured to the gate at the square's end. "Come on Deku head. I think it's time we gave that Skull Kid what he deserves."

Deku Head. Link never thought he'd hear that term of endearment again. It sounded just like the first Tatl had said it. Link nodded happily, taking a step toward the town gate.

But a sudden pain cut sharply through his chest. Link bent over, clutching the spot he'd become familiar with. He looked down at the hole in his shirt. A thin, black line now marred his chest's Deku scrub skin. Link touched it gently, which sent another small save of pain through him. The lightning is overpowering the Deku mask's magic, Link realized. Slowly, his fatal wound would begin to show, until he was no better off than he had been while a human. How much time do I have? Link wondered.

"Are you okay?" Tatl said. She'd turned to face him when he never followed.

Link looked up from the hole in his shirt. "Yeah, I'm fine." Tatl clearly didn't believe him, but she didn't press the matter.

They left the base of the tower, the plaza, and finally, Clock Town. And the moon's gaze followed.

The Skull Kid saw light.

He blinked, confused by its radiance. He held up his hand to stop it from blinding him. The masked imp slowly lowered it when he realized it was the sun. The sky was once again a healthy, rich blue. He was at the top of the clock tower, but everything had changed. He looked up to see the moon far away, where it had been days ago. The Skull Kid's mind reeled as he took in these changes. The sea of fire was gone, replaced both by daylight and the townspeople walking like ants far below. He spun in confusion. Everything had… started over.

Realization came. Vividly, he remembered striking the ocarina with his dark magic. It had left a mark – his dark magic, infused with the ocarina. In the boy's act of pure love and sacrifice for Tatl, he had doomed them all. Majora's magic was infused with the ocarina's. Now, whenever it sent them back through time, he would join them.

The Skull Kid's confusion and anger gave way to joy. Pure, unadulterated joy. The imp smiled. That boy and fairy carried around the black mark that spelled doom for all of Termina, and they had no idea what it meant. His stomach flared with pain before he could laugh, and the Skull Kid bent over to stifle it. He'd need to heal himself before he fought anyone again. Yet, that didn't ruin this victory, as he watched the boy and fairy leave Clock Town.

You think you've won, don't you? the Skull Kid thought, eyes intent on his prey. I will find you, and I will kill you. And I will end this world in fire.

Chapter Text

BOOK II: CORRUPTION

Link had finally conquered Clock Town's great city walls.

The sunrise spilled a vibrant orange over the baby blue, cloudless sky. And aside from that spectacular view, Termina Field wasn't very extraordinary. It doesn't even come close to Hyrule Field, Link thought. He'd only seen Termina Field once before when he'd ventured through the sewers to the astronomer's home. The observatory was far off to the left, next to a tree line running parallel to the south face of Clock Town. The field itself was void of trees, except for a wide, hollowed-out log in the distance. The other cardinal directions outside of Clock Town were not visible from here.

He stood on a sidewalk that surrounded the enclosed city; an old staircase led into the field. It eventually reached a dirt path that cut through the tree line. Link, wielding a bag with a shield sticking out of it and a sword in his left hand, took another step forward. His clothing was still far too big, and his feet were too small for his boots. Hardly two steps in, and he was already uncomfortable. The Deku scrub held up his arms, annoyed at the excess clothing bunching up at his sleeves. My tunic feels like a gown.

"You know," Tatl said, exiting the southern gate beside him, "something tells me that's not supposed to be a dress."

"I don't get it," Link squeaked. "When the Skull Kid turned me into this, my form came with clothes that fit. Why wouldn't the Deku mask do the same thing?"

"Maybe we should go back and ask the Skull Kid to redo it."

Link glared up at her and then back to his oversized Kokiri outfit. "I'll take the mask off when we get to those witches. Then I'll never have to put it on again."

"Let's hope not," Tatl responded. "Baby voice Link isn't my favorite."

"Which way do we go?"

"Um." Tatl floated in front of him, distracted for only a moment by the over-turned log. "Straight off the path and through the trees, if we're going through the swamp."

"If that's where the witches are, then yes." Link walked from the sidewalk, down the old staircase, and into the field, his shoes flopping along with his bag. Even the sword in his left hand was harder to hold up; it kept falling too low and hitting the grass.

Tatl did a poor job hiding her judgmental smirk. "You might have some trouble getting to the swamp like that," she said. "Not everyone in Termina is a hospitable fairy. Which wouldn't be a problem if you were an able-bodied human, but as a baby Deku scrub..."

"I'll be fine, Tatl." Link pushed onward, stepping over the grass quickly despite his handicaps. Tatl sighed and followed closely behind.

The tree line ended eastward somewhere past the observatory. To the west, it ended at a passageway bordered by rocky cliffsides. The dirt road led that way, but Link wandered off it to head into the forest. Hopefully, these legendary witches would ease the dull pain in his chest. Before it becomes something much worse, Link thought.

At the entrance to the forest, the fairy stopped at another dead tree. "Oh! I remember this!" Tatl exclaimed. Link begrudgingly halted; the shield was already unbearably heavy.

He saw her point to a crude, white drawing driven into its bark. He easily recognized it as a drawing of the Skull Kid; two white balls of light were on either side. They looked close enough to be friends, and Link understood for the first time that they had been. The Skull Kid was always an enemy in his book. But that's only half the story, Link realized.

"Tael and I drew this with the Skull Kid when we first met him," she explained. "He told us that he'd been fighting with his friends and that they had left him all alone. I'm sure it was because he was always playing tricks, so nobody wanted to play with him. But to do what he did just because of that..." She turned away from the drawing and then looked down at the Deku scrub. "And once he got his power..." She never finished her sentence. More proof that the mast is responsible for all this. Link opened his mouth to comment.

Flop.

A mass of red muck knocked him to the ground before he could. He managed to hold onto his sword, but the bag fell from his shoulder. Link scrambled to his feet to face his attacker.

It had two eyes on stems that protruded from its body and a threatening, teeth-bared grin. And that was it. The rest was just red muck; it summoned all its weight into the air again, leaping several feet. It didn't appear capable of doing much else, given its lack of legs and arms. Its only method of attack was to fling its body into enemies.

"What is that?" Link squeaked, backing a step further as the creature took another giant leap.

"That would be a chuchu," Tatl said distastefully. "A red one. They weren't really all that annoying to me and Tael, but when Skull Kid joined our group, we had to watch out for them. Until he got the mask and started blasting them into bits." It flopped forward again, and Link kept his sword at the ready. However, the chuchu stopped when it reached Link's fallen possessions. Those grotesque eyes blinked stupidly at the brown bag. It bent down and slipped inside the flap.

"Hey!" Link exclaimed. "My ocarina's in there!" He stepped forward to intervene, but a disturbing slurping noise interrupted him. He watched as the chuchu hopped back out and pulled the shield with it. The metal weapon stuck halfway from its mouth in a failed attempt to eat it. It started hopping away regardless, as if the shield wasn't hanging out of its body obtrusively.

Link watched in disgust. "Yeah, they're not very smart. Just annoying," the fairy said, flying over to the red creature. "Hey!" Tatl landed right in front of the chuchu's face. It stopped hopping, looked at her with blank, clueless eyes. "Why don't you just let that thing go, huh?" It responded by making the slurping noise again, and then the whole shield slipped through its mouth. The red creature expanded to make room for the weapon, and then it continued hopping away regardless of the fairy and scrub. Link's shield remained visible through its translucent body.

"Hey!" Link screamed again. He ran after it, grabbing his bag as he sprinted by. He checked to find his ocarina and scabbard still inside. The red chuchu looked back to see Link in pursuit and started hopping faster. The Deku scrub caught up easily, but instead of stabbing the creature, he came up with another plan. You're about to be more useful than you've ever been your entire life, the boy thought.

Link grabbed his bag's long straps, spun them over his head, and threw them out like a lasso. They fell around the chuchu's eye stems and stopped the beast immediately. Link dropped his sword to fasten the straps around its eye stems. Soon, the chuchu was unable to break free. Link's shield remained suspended inside.

"What are you doing?" Tatl asked skeptically.

"Finding myself a little helper," Link answered, backing away from the chuchu. It looked around obliviously and tried to hop away. Link pulled back on the makeshift leash and stopped the creature from going anywhere. It turned around confusedly, clearly unable to comprehend why it couldn't leave.

Link slipped out of his boots and tossed them over to his pet. The chuchu eagerly swallowed those too, adding them to its internal collection. Link then bundled the rest of the bag into a ball, since only his ocarina and scabbard were inside now. He pulled the bag forward as the red chuchu devoured his shoes, forcing the creature along.

"My shield's too heavy," Link explained, when Tatl still seemed skeptical. "And my boots don't fit. I'll just let him carry my stuff until we get there."

"It might work," Tatl said doubtfully, "if something else doesn't kill it before we get there. Or it gets away."

"It won't get away," Link said, continually stopping its escape attempts. The chuchu kept squirming for freedom, and Link tugged on the bag relentlessly.

"Link, it's not going to work," Tatl said. "It's just a stupid animal. It doesn't know to follow you. Nothing you do will… hey!" The red chuchu unexpectedly attacked her, but the fairy narrowly avoided a full-body slam. The red glob immediately turned to face her again, and this time Tatl was prepared to dodge it. It happened a third and fourth time, and Link did nothing but watch with his slack leash. "Why aren't you stopping it from attacking me?"

Link only met her pleas with a smile, while Tatl flew to dodge yet another attack. "Hey!" she yelled. "Are you listening?"

"I am," Link said. "But I think this might be the only way. Can't you just… lead it in the right direction? You know, let it jump after you so that it'll follow us?"

Tatl searched the scrub's face for a joke as she dodged another attack. "Wait," Tatl stammered. "You're being serious? Link, I refuse to be chuchu bait!"

"Tatl, please?" He smiled up at her, waiting for a response. The white fairy only stared back. She was finally high enough to avoid any further attacks, but the red chuchu kept jumping up and down for her, regardless.

She sighed. "And to think I was about to jump in front of a lightning bolt for you." Tatl went closer to the chuchu, who immediately leapt after her. Soon, she got the hang of its speed, leading the chuchu further into the forest as it carried Link's shield and boots.

"Thanks, Tatl."

"No problem, Link," she said bitterly, once again flying just of reach of the chuchu's next leap. The Deku scrub held onto the loose, makeshift leash as they ventured further into the forest.

Link stopped when pain shot through his chest. His hand instantly went to grab the wound, and he peered through the hole in his tunic. The black mark had grown, but not by much.

When Link stopped, the red chuchu's next leap was violently interrupted by the now immobile leash. Tatl looked behind her. "What's wrong?" Even the chuchu turned around to see.

He quickly let his shirt fall back over the wound. "Nothing," he squeaked. Tatl opened her mouth to argue further, but the chuchu interrupted by charging after Link. "Hey, get back!" Link swung his sword threateningly, and the chuchu stopped for a moment to reconsider.

Tatl flew back and forth in front of its face to regain its attention. "Hey, stupid red blob! Yeah, that's right, you!" It started following her again, and Link made sure to keep up. Though the throbbing in his chest never faded.

"Skull Kid!" The purple fairy flew over South Clock Town's wall and went to the top of the clock tower. "6:07" ticked closer to ":08" as it continued its never-ending rotation. When Tael reached the tower's peak, he thought the moon looked a little closer. That's not a good sign, Tael thought.

"I'm back!" the fairy exclaimed, looking around for the Skull Kid. "That horse won't be getting out anytime soon!"

Tael quickly noticed that he was alone, which also wasn't a good sign. The Skull Kid told me to meet him here at sunrise, Tael remembered. I'm only seven minutes late. Tael did one last circle, but there was no sign of the imp.

Where is he? Tael wondered. The Skull Kid had been acting odd these past few days, but not odd enough to explain disappearing. Tael decided to head for the mountains. The imp went there often – for reasons he and Tatl had never quite understood.

The Deku scrub finished tying the bag firmly to a tree trunk. The chuchu pulled relentlessly against its leash, appearing to have an inexhaustible supply of energy.

Link walked to a smooth boulder in the forest, falling on its large, cool surface. A few rays of light dotted him from above the treetops. "Not a bad spot," Tatl said, flying to join him. They'd earned a break after several hours of walking. Even without my shield, that bag and sword are heavy, Link thought. Deku scrubs clearly weren't made to be pack mules.

Tatl probably needed rest from being chuchu bait just as badly. "So, Mister Adventure Expert," she said. "Just how many times have you ventured through a forest all heroically?" Link realized that's exactly how Tatl had met him: venturing through a forest. The day she, her brother, and the Skull Kid scared me off my horse and robbed me.

"I grew up in a forest," Link explained, curling into a ball around his slowly emerging chest wound. He tried his best to hide the pain from Tatl. "That's why I wear this tunic. The Kokiri were forest children that are never supposed to leave the woods, and we're supposed to have our guardian fairies forever. We also don't age past childhood. The big downside, apparently, is that we'd die if we ever tried to leave the forest."

"Really?" Tatl said, resting on the rock beside Link. They both managed to tune out the chuchu struggling to break free, shield and boots bobbing inside of its body. "How come you didn't die? Was that the name of the forest we were in? The Kokiri Forest?"

"No," the Deku Scrub squeaked. "And the Kokiri lied to me about being one of them. Or maybe most of them didn't know either. That's why I didn't die when I left the forest, and why I didn't have a guardian fairy until I needed one to save Hyrule. My mother brought me to the forest to hide me from a war in Hyrule. The Deku Tree was the Kokiri guardian who raised me away from the fighting. I didn't find out until I was older, when the Deku Tree asked me and Navi to save Hyrule from an evil sorcerer named Ganondorf."

"Wow," commented Tatl. "That's a mouthful. And you and Navi stopped this evil sorcerer guy with the obnoxious name? And then she left you?"

Link took a moment to answer. "Yes," he said. But he wasn't sure what else to add. It feels weird to say it so bluntly, he thought. Though that's exactly what'd happened. They stopped Ganon, and then Navi left.

"You know," Tatl said. "That offer I made back in Clock Town still stands, even if you didn't really acknowledge it then. For me to help you find Navi, after we stop the Skull Kid?"

Link looked up at her, smiling. "Thanks, Tatl. I hope we make it out of this and get to do that."

"I'd like to see Hyrule anyways," Tatl admitted. "From the way you talk about it, it sounds better than this rat hole kingdom."

"At least you've left Termina before. Most people here don't seem to know anything but Clock Town. But you definitely left when you were in the forest with the Skull Kid."

"Hm," Tatl pondered, looking off into the trees. "I guess so. I'm not even sure how we did it. What direction do those underground tunnels go in, anyways? The end of the swamp is unchartered forest, no one's ever crossed the ocean to the west, the canyon eventually becomes an uncrossable gorge, and then on the other side of the mountains..."

When she trailed off, Link sat up eagerly. "What's on the other side of the mountains?"

Tatl waved a hand to dismiss whatever troubled thought had caught her off guard. "It's where the Skull Kid goes ever since he got that mask. Something there must help him feel stronger because he goes whenever he's hurt. I honestly don't know what it looks like, since Skull Kid won't let us see it. He says... we're not ready. I honestly don't care enough to see for myself."

"Maybe we can go there next, after the swamp. Tael said to find the four from the swamp, mountain, ocean, and canyon, right?"

"He did, but we don't have to go to the other side of the mountains," Tatl corrected. "I'm sure whoever we're looking for is in the mountains, and not... across the border."

"I don't understand why everyone here is so afraid of crossing Termina's borders. There's plenty of world out there."

"We can go if you really want to Link. I just think that... I don't know." Tatl was uncharacteristically flustered and speechless. She always has a comeback ready, Link thought. Something was off about this 'other side of the mountains' story.

"Sorry, I'm just... curious, I guess," Link apologized, pressing his hand down over his chest's burning scar. "I'm gonna take a nap. You can too. I'm sure our day of walking has only just started."

"That... sounds good to me Link."

The Deku scrub closed his eyes, and Tatl floated to lie on the rock's other end, still deep in thought.

Flop... flop... flop... flop...

"I think we should take turns," the fairy suggested, dodging another leap from the chuchu. Tatl guided its floppy forest floor excursion the entire way. Absolutely nothing had changed about the creature during its pursuit, and the shield and boots thankfully hadn't deteriorated while suspended inside of it. They'd been traveling for hours since their break, taking a direct path through the trees. The setting sun no longer bared down from above the canopy.

They'd taken note of the wildlife: several keese, guays, two other chuchus, and one wolfos, but they had either passed by without notice or received only a threatening glare. Link followed the leaping red glob and fairy with much less enthusiasm than earlier. He still carried his sword in his left hand and the bag in his right – balled up and serving as the end of the leash. The straps loosely dangled between him and the chuchu, and the creature never looked back to notice its true master. Which he was grateful for. The scar was becoming an overwhelming burden, flaring from his human form.

"Is that a no?" Tatl asked. "You won't take turns with me?"

Link managed a faint smile. "If I could fly, sure."

Tatl had perfected her job as chuchu bait, maintaining an ideal distance at all times. "I think we should name him. He's become a worthy contender for spot number three on our time-traveling squad. I mean, look at him! So much... determination."

Flop... flop... flop... flop...

"How do you know the chuchu is a he?"

"I don't," Tatl admitted. "Good point. I imagine chuchus don't have much use for gender." Flop... flop... flop... flop... "But they still need a name. Floppy? Chewy? Blobby Mule?" Tatl stopped when she noticed Link sulking again. He winced at his next few steps. "Are you sure you're okay, Deku head?"

"Yeah Tatl, I'm fine. Just a little sore from when bubble brain knocked me over."

Tatl didn't seem to buy it, but she still let him get away with the lie. "Bubble Brain, huh? I like it. What do you think, Mr. Chuchu?" Its only response was to continue flopping after the fairy. "Bubble Brain it is!"

Eventually, they found a clearing. It was the end of the dense forest, and it marked the beginning of a tall, pointed plateau. Two passages ran on either side of the plateau; leftward offered more forest while the right was barren. Before the plateau, the clearing offered only a few tall, dead trees.

"Well," Link said, trying to ignore his chest pain. He refused to lift his oversized shirt to see how bad it'd gotten. "Which way?"

"Um," Tatl stammered. They both ignored Bubble Brain's angry battle against the eye stem leash. "I think right. I'm liking the forest-free change in scenery."

They only made it a few steps before a creature howled behind them. The Deku scrub's blood froze, as did the chuchu's. For the first time since that morning, Bubble Brain ended its pursuit to tremble in terror. The howl came from the tree line; Link recognized it. I've battled against that howl way too many times in Hyrule. But never as a Deku scrub. Especially one that was once again fatally injured.

"We should hurry," Tatl said worriedly. "I don't like the sound of that... thing."

Link gripped his sword tighter, turning away and pulling on the leash. "Come on, Bubble Brain." The red creature remained frozen, still trembling in place. Link tugged several times, but the chuchu was too afraid. "Come... on...," Link pleaded, pulling even harder. "It'll eat you if you just stand there!"

"We have to go, Bubble Brain!" Tatl said, tempting the chuchu by flying in front of its face. It worked, and the chuchu resumed chasing after Tatl, completely forgetting the scary howl. "That's better, Mr. Chuchu. It's what you were born to do: carry a baby's grown-up shield and boots."

They took the plateau's right path, bordered by rocks on their left and more forest on their right. A second call sounded only a few steps in. The chuchu froze again, and Link let out a wail of aggravation.

His aggravation was short-lived when he spotted the black-haired wolfos behind him. It sat at the edge of the forest, wielding bright, yellow eyes. It was a massive creature with huge paws and a long snout. Long, sharp teeth were bared. It was on all fours, staring at the three meals a couple hundred feet away, all doe-eyed in the distance. "I don't think this one's just passing by," Tatl said.

The wolf creature released another powerful howl into the early twilight. There was no movement at first; Link remained absolutely still, as did Tatl and the petrified chuchu. "Link," Tatl whispered, barely moving her lips. "What are we going to do?"

"It might just walk away," Link replied. "Wait for it to make the first move before we start running."

"It has its teeth bared! And a red blob, an injured baby, and a dainty fairy aren't very intimidating."

"Uh. Good point."

So he spun around, running with the leash in hand. However, the chuchu didn't respond when the straps pulled taut. Bubble Brain still stared at the monster with wide eyes, even as the beast sprinted toward them. Link didn't waste any time coaxing it to follow. He dropped the leash and ran. Bubble Brain turned to join them far too late, hopping desperately after Link and the fairy.

"Agh!" Tatl exclaimed. "Why are you never a human when you need to be?"

The wound on Link's chest seared as he ran. Each step sent a sharp pain burning directly through him, and he couldn't keep up his pace. Eventually, the dark magic was too much, and he screamed out as it overwhelmed him. That horrible night atop the clock tower abruptly flashed through his mind with each slowing step.

Though, they weren't his memories.

He was the Skull Kid. He saw the ocarina in his human hand from far away, and he was horrified that there was magic to defy him. It healed him, the imp realized. And it sent him back in time. I have to kill the boy now. One bolt of lightning will do the trick. Then, I can finally escape this wretched place.

... "Link!"... The voice was faint. The Skull Kid hardly heard it as he summoned all of the dark magic he could into his fingertips. The fool was so distracted, crying miserably about a dead friend. ... "Link, get up!"... The fairy – it had noticed! The Skull Kid quickly released the lightning before she could warn him. That stupid boy was only turning his head when...

"Link! What are you doing?!" He suddenly awoke. He lay on the grassy floor, face-up and staring at the darkening sky. His chest hurt immensely, and he stirred as if from a nap. The urgency in Tatl's voice reminded him they were in trouble.

"You can't take just collapse when an angry wolfos is chasing us! Get up!" He looked past the fairy to see the beast charging in between the plateau and the forest. The wolfos had just reached the wide-eyed chuchu hopping as fast as it could.

A giant paw swiped Bubble Brain without slowing its pace. The red glob burst into clumps of crimson jelly, splattering the grass as if it had never been alive. The wolfos continued unrelentingly, trampling over the now exposed – and Bubble Brain coated – shield and boots.

Link jumped to his bare feet and ran. The clearing ended at a shoreline. The water was muggy, dirty, and green, about the size of a pond and bordered by a cliff. A wooden pier sat where the grass gave way to water, running until it reached a taller platform that supported a small hut. The only way to reach the building was to cross the pier and climb a ladder at the platform's base.

Link ran directly for the pier. Once he climbed the ladder, the wolfos couldn't reach him. "Hurry!" Tatl encouraged, but he'd hardly taken his first few steps when the wolfo's panting was on his neck.

And so, he swung around, bringing his sword hand up. It was perfectly timed. As the beast reached his back – sprinting full-speed – it met with the shining blade. The sword sliced into its jaw as the wolfos dodged too late. The beast landed on its feet in an awkward stumble, howling in pain as the deep cut shone with blood. Spots of it made a dotted path between it and Link.

Link didn't halt his run for the ladder, keeping his bloody sword at the ready. The wolfos recovered quicker than expected, and when Link turned around to attack again, the wolfos smacked the sword out of the Deku scrub's hand. Link's thin arms weren't strong enough to resist. The wolfos latched both paws into the young child's shoulders and pinned him to the ground. Link shrieked when his sword hand, chest, and now crushed shoulders all burned at once.

The two were face to face, and the wolfos reared its head back to tear out his throat. Link released an uncharged, green bubble before it could, coating its face in only a small amount of sludge. The wolfos let go regardless, as its paws went up to scrape the poison off.

I can't keep going, Link thought, but he pushed onward. He leapt onto the pier on all fours, scrambling to his feet as he ran for the ladder. His little feet pattered lightly and unevenly as he sprinted with a limp. Somehow, his chest caused more pain than anything else, even though it hadn't been injured by the wolfos. It intensified, and he once again found his consciousness slipping away.

He saw himself, Tatl, and Tael huddled together on the edge of the clock face on the tower. The sky was red and filled with fire, and the Skull Kid floated far above as he witnessed the Deku scrub playing the ocarina. No, the imp thought, I'll smash them to bits with magic they've never seen before! The image of the ladder broke through the memory; he could hear Tatl screaming in the background, though he couldn't make out the words.

As he reached out for the rungs, the image of the Deku scrub and the two fairies returned. Except this time, he was flying quickly toward them, raising his arms to blast them into oblivion. He'd strike them down before that boy could finish his song. However, the purple fairy rammed him unexpectedly in the gut.

Link jolted awake when his hand almost slipped from the ladder. He had been halfway up, but the whole thing shook violently. The first thing he saw was Tatl, already at the top of the platform, egging him onward. Link looked down and saw the wolfos tearing at the ladder. It ripped its massive claws through the wood as if it were paper, intent on revenge. Its jaw bled and its enraged eyes ignored the green sludge sliding into its lopsided mouth.

The damage shook the entire structure, threateningly to fling Link into the water. He gripped desperately to the unsteady rungs. Each stride of Link's arm pained his chest more than the last.

"Come on, Deku head!" Tatl exclaimed. "I'm getting help!" She flew out of sight, now hidden by the platform's underside.

Link gasped when the ladder jerked violently again. Only one hand managed to hold on, and he tried to return his feet. But that part of the ladder had dissolved away; there were no longer any rungs below him. Link hoisted his entire weight with the one arm, raising his other one to grab the next rung.

The ladder stopped shaking. The wolfos had demolished the lower part, and now it jumped and snapped its jaws at the empty air below the Deku scrub's feet. Thankfully, the upper half of the ladder had held together, so there was no way it could reach him now. Link lifted his legs as high as he could, bringing them up as he climbed the rest of the way. The wolfos was furious, madly barking at the Deku scrub who'd escaped.

Link pulled himself onto the platform and immediately collapsed. He didn't think he could reach the door. He panted as his chest seared alongside his swimming head. The hut's door was open, and a heavy, bearded man stepped out. His torso was bare of any clothing except for an open leather jacket. His skin was tanned, his arms were powerful, and his stomach was large. The tall man looked worriedly at the small child crumpled at his doorstep. Tatl flew out from behind him. "Link, one of the witches was supposed to be here, but she's not here right now!"

Link moaned, and Tatl flew down to his level. "Tatl," he said weakly. Link used his remaining strength to flip onto his back. He slipped his arms out of the tunic and pushed it down to reveal his chest.

His human chest's black mark had now almost completely taken over his Deku scrub form. It looked deep, and its many branches snaked far. It was a scar that not even the power of his Deku mask could hide. "Link! How long has it been like that? Is that why you've been acting weird all day?"

"Go," was Link's only answer. "Get the witches, now!"

He tried to say more, but words failed him. The Deku scrub's vision faded. His last image was of the large man bent over him. "What's wrong, kid?"

Suddenly, he was in dazzling sunlight, on top of the clock tower as he looked down on a Deku scrub and fairy. They were on the plaza floor, walking toward the town gate. I will find you, and I will kill you. And I will end this world in fire.

The two traveled through Hyrule Field, accompanied only by the wind and the horse's hooves thumping onto grass. They eventually reached the modest village of Kakariko, which rested in Death Mountain's valley.

Link passed through slowly on his horse. The guard recognized his Kokiri clothing instantly. "Good day, Hero. Is there anything you need?"

"No," he said. "Just passing through." The cloudy skies above grumbled as Epona continued through the village. Link and Zelda had spent a lot of time with the cucco keeper here, who was their closest friend. I have to say goodbye to her, too, Link thought.

Epona stopped at the two-story house. He slid from his saddle, tied the horse's reins to the post out front, and then knocked on the front door. " It's Link."

"Come in," replied a young voice. Link turned the door's unlocked handle and pushed it open.

His eyes found a young woman with shoulder-length, dark red hair resting around her ears. She sat with her back to the front door, facing the fireplace on the small home's other end. Her head was tilted into her lap, hanging low before the crackling fire. Link stepped through the doorway, closing it behind him as the buckles on his scabbard creaked.

He stood there silently at first. She never turned to greet him. "Hi," he tried eventually, taking a few steps closer. His boots clunked on the wooden floor.

"Hi," she replied sadly. Link stopped when he reached her chair, waiting for her to speak next. "I guess you're leaving then?"

"Yes," Link said.

"You won't change your mind?"

"I can't."

She stood up, setting down the object that'd been in her lap: a picture of a young, handsome man that Link instantly recognized. She wrung her hands together as she searched for more words. "Thank you for saying goodbye. One last time."

"I won't be gone forever," Link added. "I wouldn't leave you and Zelda behind for that long, especially since..." He trailed off.

"I know."

Link turned to leave, but he stopped before he reached the door. "And Anju?"

"Yes?" she said.

"I'm sorry. I know I've already said that. And I know words don't help at all right now. But I truly am. No one expected him to die like that. Kafei was a good man."

"I know," Anju said. She had nothing more to add, and neither did Link. So, he left.

"I'm starting to get worried."

Link heard a voice, but it sounded far away. He struggled to focus from behind closed his eyes. Tatl, Link recognized. Is this another dream?

"He'll wake up when he feels like it, stupid fairy! Just give him time." This second voice was unfamiliar and high-pitched.

"Don't call me a stupid fairy, you stupid hag!" Tatl yelled back.

"I'll stop calling you a stupid fairy as soon as you stop calling me a stupid hag!" the second voice screeched back. There was a cacophony of banging and clanking as the second person worked relentlessly.

"I'm already done calling you a stupid hag!"

"Then I'm done calling you a stupid fairy!"

"You just called me a stupid fairy, you stupid hag!"

"Have you forgotten that your friend's life is in my hands?" the second voice retaliated. "This is very dark magic. If I were to stop treating him, he'd be as dead as that chuchu you befriended!" This caused Tatl to shut her mouth, until the second voice exhaled one last insult. "... Stupid fairy..."

"Hey!"

"Tatl," Link breathed. He spoke with human lips; the mask had been removed.

"Link!" Tatl exclaimed. "You're awake!"

"About time, too," the second voice mumbled from further off. "I was getting sick and tired of you talking in your sleep. You do that a lot, you know. Kafei this... and Anju that... the Skull Kid stole my horse... Navi left me... Seriously, you might want to fix that. Anyone that sleeps next to you will know every dirty secret in that soft skull of yours."

"Hey, he's injured!" Tatl said. "He can't help it."

"Oh, my bad, I didn't realize he was hurt. Maybe that explains why I've been working for hours, while you keep uselessly nagging about your friend that's supposed to save the world."

"It's true!"

"Oh really? Well, if the Skull Kid can kill your savoir at the flick of a wrist, he'd better be shooting light arrows out of his butt before he tries to kill that imp again."

Link finally opened his eyes; Tatl had already left his side to continue the argument.

There were inside of a wooden shack, as rickety and old as the one he'd passed out in front of. But I don't think this is the same one, Link thought. The room seems smaller, and that man isn't here. Objects were cluttered messily throughout this half of the building: used pots and pans, jars filled with herbs, tattered books in odd languages, blankets and cauldrons, and then the bed he lay on, pushed against the wall amidst the ocean of possessions. The building's halfway point was marked by a counter, and on its other side, the area was neatly kept. That side's for visitors, Link realized. It contained a single couch up against the wall for sitting and the only door into and out of the shack.

The argument between Tatl and the stranger took place behind him. Which surprised Link, because there was only a microscopic amount of space outside his field of vision. He attempted to lift his head from the dusty pillow, stirring beneath the blanket. He found an old woman up against the back wall in a chair.

There was a cauldron in her lap, and she stirred into it, crouched over its steaming contents. Her eyes were large and wide, and a long, crooked nose almost touched the contents within the black pot. Her long, white hair stuck straight up; she wore a shawl over loose, frayed clothing. Her entire body was rather small and fragile, bundled up underneath her clothes on top of the chair. A blue gem was on her forehead, appearing engraved rather than loosely attached for decoration.

"He doesn't have to shoot light arrows out of his butt!" Tatl said.

Link sighed, turning to rest his head back on the pillow. The old witch never looked up from the cauldron, even when she argued back. She concentrated on the powders and liquids that needed adding instead, completely enraptured by the red, bubbling potion.

"I disagree," the witch said. "That would be far too amusing and effective."

"He has the only weapon he needs!" Tatl replied. "His ocarina is ten times more powerful than the Skull Kid will ever be!"

Link gasped. "My ocarina!" He immediately sat straight up. His messy, blonde head was bare of any hat. His chest seared with pain at the movement, and Link clutched it once the covers fell from around his shoulders. His chest was bare, revealing the gross, black scar burnt into his light skin. It was as large as before, but it was no longer red in the center. It'd scarred over since his fateful encounter with the imp's dark magic.

"Whoa, whoa, now, Mr. Hero," the witch said, putting her cauldron down on a cluttered shelf and crossing over to his bedside. She pushed him down to lay flatly, and Link had no strength to resist, squeezing his eyes shut.

"I forgot my ocarina in the bag," Link explained, as the witch tossed the covers back over him. "I dropped it when the chuchu wouldn't follow... and..."

"Don't worry," the witch said, hopping back into her chair and scooping up her cauldron. "I grabbed all of your stuff – your shield and boots too. That wolfos won't be causing you anymore trouble either." She cackled madly, as if she'd done something truly horrible to the beast. "And you're pretty lucky to have brought that red chuchu with you. I've been running low on supplies lately, and without that jelly, it would've taken me a lot longer to heal you."

"You would have done it even quicker, if you weren't wasting your time mocking me!" Tatl said. Link sighed again, throwing the covers over his face and ears. She's going to get us kicked out of here, Link thought.

"Wasting my time?" the witch screeched back, this time setting her cauldron aside. "All you've done today is complain – constantly. You haven't done a useful thing since flying up to my doorstep and begging for help!" The fairy didn't have a response, backing away as the witch leapt back into the chair and continued her work. "I can't believe it. I don't see how you live with her, fairy boy! I'd have shown her the back of my hand long before now."

Blessed silence replaced the argument. Link removed the covers when the fighting didn't continue. He saw the witch still busily working, and then looked back at Tatl to see her staring hatefully at the old woman. "So," Link said, clearing his throat. He was surprised by how much better he felt. "Can you take the black mark away completely?"

"No, no. I don't know if anyone could do that," the witch answered, tossing the dirty, wooden spoon across the room when she was done. She pulled a heavy tome close and flipped open to a page somewhere in the middle. "What's happened to you is very dark. Darker magic than I've ever seen before. I've healed plenty a scar in my time, but this – it's not a normal mark."

"What do you mean?" Link asked.

"I mean that it's not just a mark. It's a curse. Some of the dark magic is still inside of you. You and your ocarina, mind you. Where the black marks are. I'm not sure what that means yet, but it's not going away. It could spread, it could corrupt you, it could kill you, it could do nothing. I'd love to keep you locked up and observe exactly how your body deteriorates, but agency, free will, ethics, blah-blah. All I can really do is make sure the attack's initial impact doesn't kill you, and that's it." She stopped at a page, looking down at it carefully before sighing. She slammed the book shut and tossed it behind her. "I don't understand how that little imp got so powerful. I've seen him messing around here like an idiot plenty of times. It's why the swamp has been poisoned and the temples have gone mad."

"The swamp's poisoned?" Link asked. He pushed away the thought of a deadly curse in his chest for the time being.

"Not around here, but further down it is," she explained, lying back in her chair as she closed her eyes. "What did you do to make him so angry? He's always messed around like a child, but I've never seen him outright murder."

"Then obviously that big chunk of rock in the sky hasn't caught your eye," Tatl mumbled.

"What's that?" the witch asked.

"Nothing," she said, smiling to herself.

"Exactly right. Nothing. Meaningless, worthless noise. I'm surprised something finally stopped your tongue from dirtying the world with your speech!" Tatl's smile faded instantly, but the witch kept going before the fairy could reply. "So! Fairy child, what is it that you and this imp have against each other? He's not going to come after me now that I've helped you, is he?"

"No," Link said carefully. "At least, I don't think so."

"Then why'd he shoot you in the chest with enough energy to kill you?"

"Because... he...," Linked realized he wasn't sure why. He sifted through his memories on the clock tower, but there was still no explanation. "I honestly don't know. I was talking to Tatl, and then she yelled my name just in time for me to see him trying to kill me." The witch looked up at him thoughtfully. We never thought about that before, Link considered. Of all the talking we've done about that night, we never considered why the Skull Kid tried to kill me so suddenly.

"So, you've had no quarrel with him before?" the hag inquired, her frail body scooped up on top of the chair. "A stranger tried to kill you both while you were having an innocent little chat?"

"No," Link corrected, still staring at the ceiling. The covers were scratchy and old, but it was still comforting to have them over him. "We were going to the top of the clock tower to try and stop him from destroying Clock Town with the moon."

"The moon?" she exclaimed, cackling again. "Burning a permanent curse into someone with unknown, powerful properties is one thing. But using the moon to destroy a town? He wishes! No one is that powerful."

"You see it outside the window, right?" Tatl said. "It's a lot bigger than it was a week ago, and it has a face now! Doesn't that strike you as a little bit odd?"

"It's not the imp's fault, though!" the witch cried back. "No single creature could obtain that kind of magic on their own."

"What are you talking about?" Tatl yelled back. "How else do you think it got like that?"

"A magical imp is the only explanation for that, is it?"

"What else co-"

"Tatl," Link interrupted, looking at the fairy. "It's because we're talking about the wrong thing. It's not the Skull Kid."

Tatl summoned immense willpower to back down from the witch, turning to face her friend. "What do you mean, Link?"

Instead of answering the fairy, he turned to the witch. "Have you ever heard of Majora's Mask?"

The witch's playful tone instantly vanished. Her eyes widened, and she let her feet fall from the chair and touch the floor. "Are you trying to say that Majora's Mask is responsible for giving the imp his powers?"

Link thought carefully before answering. She was suddenly on high alert, making both Link and Tatl slightly afraid. Should I lie? Link wondered. Will she hurt me? He decided against lying. If they avoided ever discussing the mask, they could never truly face it. "Yes," he finally answered. "I've seen it myself, on the imp."

"How would you know what Majora's Mask looks like?!" the witch yelled at the top of her lungs. She leapt from the chair to be face to face with him. The boy shrank underneath the covers.

"I... don't," Link admitted, gulping.

"Then don't you dare suggest something as dark and terrible as that!" she yelled into his face. She then looked away to take breaths and calm herself. "I've seen the imp wear a mask too, but never did I think..." She spun back around to face him.

"Majora's Mask was a terrible thing, a legend dating back many, many years ago. My ancestors weren't apart of the tribe who created it, but ours was a sister tribe long ago. I've heard and read... very dark stories recorded from those days. The one tribe using it in its hexing rituals had awoken a power they did not fully comprehend. It was our forebearers’ collective decision to lock it in a realm far away, where it could never escape and realize its full potential. And that's it – Majora's Mask is gone, and you will never mention it again!"

"A mask salesman I met claims to have found it," Link dared to say. "He lost Majora's Mask when the Skull Kid robbed him."

"No, he did not!" the witch suddenly yelled again, jumping to her feet and bringing her nose an inch away from his. "That wretched relic is history. It doesn't exist in this world and never will again!"

Link gulped, deciding to remain silent after that. The witch walked away angrily, grabbing a small bowl and dipping it in the cauldron. She handed its contents to Link. "Drink this now," she demanded. "When you can stand on your legs, you'll repay my favor by going into the woods and finding my sister."

Chapter Text

"I hate that stupid hag!" Tatl said.

Link closed the hut door behind them as they stepped into the muggy air. They were in a completely different area of the swamp; this was not the hut he'd fainted in front of.

The witch's shop was on a tall, raised platform in the middle of a shallow pond, surrounded by a grassy bank enclosed by forest. Directly behind the building, a rock face broke the tree line, continuing out of sight and boasting a narrow waterfall that bled into the pond. A small stream in front of the shop snaked through the forest, which was the only visible path that avoided dense trees. It was impossible to tell where they'd come from, but he wagered it was over the waterway.

"You heard her, right?" Tatl continued. "It wasn't just me imagining things?"

Link turned to face her, once again green-hatted and clothed in his Kokiri tunic. After healing him, the witch had sewn the lightning strike's hole shut. His belt held his ocarina again, and his boots were no longer coated in chuchu jelly. His shield was clean too, resting atop his sword returned to its scabbard; the bag contained his Deku mask. His chest wound was still sore, but it had been reduced to a faint, pulsing pain. Though it didn't physically look much better.

"Yeah, I heard her," Link said, turning to see if the witch – Kotake – was listening through the window. "But I'm not sure what to think."

"Everything she said was complete garbage!" Tatl exclaimed.

"I don't know, Tatl," he replied, turning to climb down the ladder.

"What do you mean? She was being a complete idiot. And she didn't listen to anything we said about Majora's Mask. She's in total denial!"

"Yeah, but how do we know the mask salesman even knows what Majora's Mask is? She seemed pretty frightened by it, and I think she understands it more than we do."

"The mask salesman knows everything, though!" Tatl pointed out. At the ladder's bottom, Link touched the soft ground beneath the shallow pond. "At least, he seems like he does."

"Maybe, but he hardly shared anything with us," Link said. "We should pay the mask salesman a visit once we leave the swamp and get him to answer more of our questions: about this place, the mask, and all that other stuff."

"This place – you mean Termina?" Tatl narrowed her eyes in confusion. "I can answer anything about that. I've lived here almost my whole life."

"Almost your whole life? Really? Then where were you before Termina?"

"Um... I don't... that was a long time ago, Link."

"See! My first question, and you couldn't answer it."

"That wasn't even a question about Termina!" Tatl sighed. "Anyways, I agree that the other questions are important. We should go see the mask salesman. It might make following Tael's directions a little easier."

"We can't leave yet," Link said, looking out at the forest.

"Why not?"

"Because we have to find... Ko... oo... um..."

"Koume. Kotake said her sister's name was Koume."

"Yeah, her. We promised, and I need to pay her back for saving me."

Tatl rolled her eyes. "Does it really matter, Link? Once we play the Song of Time, it'll be like we never helped her: Koume lost in the woods and the stupid old hag spazzing it up in her shack again!"

"We can't think like that," Link protested. "Or else we'll never get anything done. Tael said to find the four who are there, right? How do you know Koume and Kotake aren't two of them?"

"My brother wasn't very specific, was he?"

"No, he wasn't. So I think we should snoop around the swamp and keep an eye out for someone helpful. Besides, once we play the Song of Time, we'll appear right in the front of the mask salesman."

"Fine, fine," Tatl sighed. "Let's go do some hero stuff then."

"All right," Link agreed, keeping his eyes on the tree line. He was looking for an entrance or a path. The cloudy sky rumbled with thunder, hiding daylight behind a gray sheet. The first day had already come and gone.

"Where do you propose we break this tree line, Mr. Hero?"

"That way," Link answered, pointing to a random spot when he couldn't find a path.

"Um, any reason that way stood out?"

"Because it's the prettiest," Link joked, daring to banter with Tatl. It wasn't something he risked often.

The fairy raised an eyebrow. "They all look the same, Link. That's why it's called the Woods of Mystery. Aren't we worried about getting lost?"

"My ocarina can take us back to Clock Town no matter where we are," Link reassured her. His boots splashed in shin-deep water as he started their venture.

"I'm no longer comforted by your ocarina's powers. You had the ocarina when the Skull Kid shot you in the chest. And when the wolfos tried to eat you. You almost died. Both times. The ocarina didn't help."

"But this time will be different."

"Sure Link, sure," Tatl said.

When they stepped into the forest, the green canopy blocked out the sun's already feeble light. Darkness engulfed them. Link's footsteps passed from a wet riverbed to moist grass. Tatl remained by his side, shaking when a raindrop made its way through the canopy into her glowing orb. They continued onward, deeper into the forest and away from the swamp. The heavy smells of wet mugginess were replaced by damp, earthy bark.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Tatl asked again. The swamp was already completely obscured behind them. "We're walking blindly into the Woods of Mystery without knowing where we're going. With no way to find our way back."

"What else could we do?" asked Link, stepping over a large root carefully. "Kotake wasn't very specific when she told us where her sister was."

"You're hoping we just stumble upon her? Do you ever think anything through?"

"I know what I'm doing, Tatl," Link retorted. "I lived in a forest almost my whole life."

"Almost your whole life? Really?" Tatl said mockingly, as she smiled to herself. "Then where were you before you lived in a forest?" Link glared up at her, tripping over a root when he did. He managed not to fall, dusting off his tunic as he blushed. "Clearly they didn't teach you how to walk through a forest in all those years you lived there."

"Be quiet, Tatl." Link refrained from saying more, refusing to fuel her sarcasm the way Kotake had. I'm not nearly as witty as either one of them, Link reflected. I can't keep up.

Tatl, surprisingly, gave no response. Only silence accompanied Link's footsteps for a time. Which worried him. "You okay, Tatl?" he asked. "I didn't actually mean for you to stop talking."

"Psh, like I'd ever shut up because you asked me to!" she said. "I was just thinking... about the other side of the mountains. And what's across the canyon and the ocean. I've never really thought about those things before. It's weird. Almost like it was never something anyone wanted to... or should think about. It's hard to explain, you coming from Hyrule and all. But you've made me curious, Link. I'm just not sure if that's a good or bad thing yet."

At least someone here is taking my questions seriously, Link thought. "You said this forest was uncharted, didn't you? That the end of it would mark the end of Termina?"

"Uh... yeah," Tatl stammered.

"Then why don't we keep going straight? Eventually, we'll reach new lands, won't we?"

That suggestion made Tatl visibly nervous. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Don't chicken out on me now, Tatl. You said a few seconds ago that you thought it was a good idea!"

"Yeah, but I didn't think we'd do anything about it so soon."

"If we don't do it now, then when will we?" Link said. "If the border happens to mark the edge of a massive cliff, I promise we won't leap thoughtless into a never-ending abyss, okay?"

"If you say so, Link," Tatl finally acquiesced. She's really, really terrified, Link thought. Why is she so afraid of leaving Termina? Even looking over the border intimidated Tatl. And it wasn't only her. No one in Termina seemed to know anything about the 'outside' world. The mask salesman was the singular exception. Even Anju, who he swore seemed so familiar, had no clue of its existence.

"Anju!" Link exclaimed, stopping immediately.

Tatl practically bumped into him. "Yes, Anju. She's the clerk at the Stock Pot Inn."

"No, Tatl. I remember!" Pure disbelief and discovery baffled him. How could I forget so easily? he wondered. "We were really good friends. Me, her, and Zelda spent so much time together in Kakariko Village! She was a cucco keeper. She was engaged to Kafei."

"What are you talking about?" Tatl asked. "Did those swamp fumes finally get to your head? What's Kakariko Village? Who's Zelda? And yes, I already know Anju is engaged to Kafei."

"No, Tatl. Was engaged. Kafei's dead."

The fairy's tone immediately lost her sarcasm. "Kafei's dead? And you didn't tell her?"

"After the wolfos attacked, I remembered something while I was knocked out. Kotake said I'd been talking in my sleep, but these weren't just dreams, they were memories! I knew Anju as a good friend, and when I left to find Navi, I said good-bye to her."

"Are you sure?" Tatl asked. She was such a bright light in the dark forest, watching Link carefully. "How could you forget something like that? If she was your best friend, then why didn't you say something when you met her? You two acted like strangers."

"But that's the thing!" Link said. His face still beamed with excitement. "I swore I'd seen her from somewhere else, but I couldn't figure out where!"

"That still doesn't make any sense!" Tatl persisted. "How could you just forget about her? Did you hit your head when you fell down that hole?"

"No," Link said, concentrating as he tried putting more puzzle pieces together. "This place is so different, but it has so many similarities to Hyrule. Even though no one here has heard of it. Termina's like a different world entirely, but also a mirror image of Hyrule."

Tatl's face was blank with disbelief. "Do you even hear yourself, Link? A different world? I think the better explanation is that it was just a dream. You've never met Anju or Kafei outside of Termina. They just appeared in your Hyrule dreams, because, well... it's a dream! Anything can happen in those. Plus, those two things are probably on your mind a lot. It makes sense that they'd get mixed together."

"I don't think so, Tatl. It feels so real now that I remember it."

"Yeah, dreams are supposed to feel real. That's the point of them."

Link scoffed, putting his hand to his forehead as he grasped for an explanation. I know her. I know I do. But how could I forget so much? It was hurting his head to press the matter further.

Tatl continued in his place. "Besides, how could this be a different world? You traveled on your horse to the forest, and then the Skull Kid robbed you. When did you have time to switch dimensions?"

Link realized he didn't have an answer. How did I get to the forest again? he wondered. He remembered the plan: travel on Epona over Death Mountain and into the forests on the other side. But he couldn't remember the specifics. What happened after I left Anju's house? Did something bad happen on Death Mountain? He felt the answer was yes, though a vast field of blankness prevented him from remembering. As if my mind doesn't want me to.

An image flashed across his mind: himself, riding on Epona as fast as he could. The sun shone brightly behind him. Please, Link remembered thinking. Don't let this happen. This can't be real. The memory sent a bolt of pain across his skull, and he shirked away from the recollection, grabbing his head and squeezing his eyes shut. He felt a throb from the scar on his chest, too.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine," Link said, opening his eyes to continue walking. "Let's just keep going straight until we reach either Koume or the end of the forest. You're probably right, Tatl. It was just a dream."

Tatl was so good at reading him already. He could see the disbelief all over her face. "Okay, Link. I can do that. Let's keep… hey, watch out!"

Something knocked Link out from under his feet, and he landed jarringly on his back. He scrambled to his feet, checking his now flaring ankles to find two fresh cuts ripped open. Blood glistened in the glass near the gashes. They'd been hit simultaneously by the creature coming to stop in front of him: a turtle-like animal. Its tough, green body was encased in a much tougher, darker shell. The shell was rimmed with pointed spikes, threatening to slice open anything that rubbed against it. The turtle's yellow eyes looked at Link wickedly as it turned back to face him.

Link's ankles pained him as he stood, but he ignored that as the creature brought its body back into its shell. The beast spun around silently, those sharp edges spinning dangerously toward him again. Link jumped out of the way, rolling to land on his feet and face the enemy. He drew his weapons when the creature didn't stop. This time, it continued in an arc to attack a third time.

Link held up his shield, and the creature slammed into its metal surface, jagged edges first. The impact knocked Link onto his butt once more, but the creature blasted backward as well, exiting its shell dizzily. Link was much quicker to recover. It'd hardly regained its senses when Link brought his sword over the creature's exposed head. Its life ended just like that; he'd finally quenched his Kokiri blade's thirst for blood.

Link panted, backing away from the dead turtle thing as he stared at its corpse. The green skin became red where its head had been severed at the neck. Tatl and Link stood there in surprise, shock, and even admiration as the hero caught his breath.

"Whoa," Tatl said. "Way less melodramatic than your fights usually are. No more weak, puny Deku scrub battles for us. I could get used to this!"

"What was that?" Link asked, ignoring the fairy's sarcasm. He wiped the excess blood dripping from his blade on the nearest tree trunk.

"That was a snapper. They're pretty nasty. They won't attack if we keep walking though. I think if we hadn't stopped to chat, this wouldn't have happened."

"Right," Link replied, returning his blade and shield to his back. "Guess that means we should keep moving?"

"Genius!" Tatl exclaimed. "Why didn't I think of that?"

Link smiled, leaving behind the snapper's body with Tatl right beside him.

"What have we learned today, boys and girls?" she said. "Don't discuss crazy, alternate universe theories while in the middle of a beast-infested forest. Or turtles will slash your ankles."

Link stared down at the pile of wet wood angrily. His green hat was heavy and completely drenched. His blue eyes watched dejectedly as rain poured from above the trees to soak his would-be fire.

Tatl floated silently behind him, trying her best to refrain from laughing. "Are you... um... just going to stare at it all day?"

The second day was almost over, as the hidden sunset behind the gray clouds revealed. Thunder rumbled in the distance as Link's hat slid from his head and hit the ground. He sighed, ignoring the blonde hair clumping wetly to his forehead. "Link? We shouldn't waste any time. It's already the second night, and we still have no idea who we're supposed to find. That gives us only... thirty-six hours?... before everything we've done is erased."

"There's nothing to erase," Link countered. He picked up his hat and wrung some water out of it before dropping it in his bag. The cuts in the back of his ankles still stung, but they'd stopped bleeding long ago. "It'd be pretty easy to redo everything if we had to. Just run into the forest, let a wolfos attack me, and then stumble into this place and get lost."

"So we're lost in the creepy, dark forest? I totally didn't see that one coming."

"It's just so infuriating!" Link exclaimed. "I spent a good half an hour collecting all of this!" He kicked the wood, which made his snapper cuts hurt. Ouch.

"I tried warning..." Link glared up at her before she could finish, and Tatl sighed. "I guess there's no point in blaming anyone. Let's just make a plan." She looked around the dark forest in all directions. Each was the exact same as the other: trees, with rain falling through the canopy, a cloudy sky overhead and wet grass underneath. "I think our options are limited. We could walk left... or right... or forwards… or backwards. Or we could play the Song of Time and get out of here. Then we can ask the mask salesman what's going on!"

"No," Link said immediately, picking a random direction and leaving the clearing behind. "Every time we play that song, we leave behind people to be flattened by the moon."

"No, we don't," the white fairy replied. "We're still here, just back in time, and besides... aren't you getting kind of hungry? Everything that witch had you eat looked disgusting, and we already spent the entire first day without eating. Even I'm starting to get hungry, and fairies don't eat very often. You're a human."

Link only took notice of his growling stomach then. He'd been on countless adventures that required limited food, but recently, he'd gone through a year of steady meals at Hyrule castle. It would take time to get used to hunger again. "Let's just find Koume. We can worry about food once we get back to Kotake's."

"Fine, fine. Whatever you say."

"You'll come back, won't you?"

"What?" Link asked, turning around to face Tatl.

"What what?" the fairy asked. "I said 'Fine, whatever you say.'"

"No, after that," he said.

"After that? You stopped walking and asked me what I said."

"No, Tatl!" he exclaimed. "I thought I heard you say something else, but it didn't sound like you."

"Then it probably wasn't me?" Tatl said, clearly confused. "Are you starting to hear voices now? Who did it sound like?"

"Never mind," Link said, dismissing the conversation.

"No, seriously! Who?"

"Someone from Hyrule. No one you know."

"Link, I'm tired of you constantly dismissing every conversation we have about you. I'm not giving up this time. Who was it? Your girlfriend?"

Link shook his head, though he couldn't help but smile as they kept walking. "It was the princess of Hyrule, Zelda."

"Ooh, a princess! Lucky you, fairy boy. I think you've mentioned her once or twice before. So, you thought you heard her say something?"

"Yeah, the last thing she said to me, actually. Before I left to find Navi. 'You'll come back, won't you?'"

Tatl took a moment to respond. "Well, will you?"

"I hope so," he answered. "I really miss that place, and her. But first I have to save Termina and find my horse."

"Hm, I forgot about your horse," Tatl said. "What about Navi? Won't you look for her, too?"

This time it was Link who didn't have an answer. "I don't know," he eventually said. "She did leave me. I'm not sure if she'd want to be found, wherever she is."

"Do you really have to go?" the voice asked again.

Link stopped abruptly. Instead of looking at Tatl, he looked past her, searching for the source of the voice. Only the pattering of raindrops on the forest floor answered him. Until… he saw someone. Off in the distance and behind a tree. They vanished behind the wooden trunk as soon as Link spotted them. "Hey!" he exclaimed, running past his confused fairy.

"What happened?" Tatl asked. She followed regardless, as Link reached the tree and looked behind it.

No one was there. He looked around hastily for a sign of the pursuer, and he spotted movement further into the trees. Link sprinted that way immediately.

"Link! What did you see?" Tatl asked. He didn't answer, singularly focused on his target. "Link!"

He paid enough attention not to trip over roots on the forest floor. His wet bangs stuck closely on his forehead as he ran through the thick rain. "Navi left you, Link. I'm still here. You don't have to go." Zelda's voice somehow rang through the trees so calmly, even as the person ahead of him sprinted so fast.

"Zelda!" Link called out. The only response was in his chest: it began throbbing acutely with pain again. The Skull Kid's dark magic festered.

"You left me, Link. What happened is your fault because you weren't there to stop it."

"Zelda!" Link screamed now. This isn't real, he thought. This can't be real. Yet still, he ran after her.

Link stopped when he realized he'd lost track of the stranger. He screamed her name again, looking around to no avail. "Link!" Tatl exclaimed, finally catching up to him. "What's wrong with you?"

Link ignored her again, spotting that distant, dark shape and continuing his pursuit.

"Snap out of it!" Tatl shouted. "Link – your eyes! Something's wrong!"

He didn't pay her warning any mind. Link had finally reached the stranger. Someone, backed turned, stood in between two trees. Link grabbed their shoulder and spun them around.

He saw her blue eyes. She seemed shocked. And then she fell back... back... into the grass, away from him as she dissolved into the rain around her. "You came too late, Link."

"Zelda!"

He stood on a beach, staring at a massive fortress wall that ran from cliff to cliff. The waves of the ocean crashed and fell behind him.

They wouldn't be expecting him for quite a while now. They thought he'd already robbed them of everything and had no reason to return. But he'd learned the truth. The mask had told him. He'd fooled the pirates into stealing the eggs, yes, but that hadn't been enough. Majora wanted the eggs destroyed. If they weren't, then the temple could be accessed. And that couldn't happen. The swamp, the mountain, and the canyon had been secured days ago, but now the ocarina had given his enemies time. Time was a luxury he could not allow.

He glided gracefully into the air, landing atop the gate and staring down at the fortresses' outskirts. There was only one watch boat on the lake. The red-headed, dark-skinned pirate sat sleepily as she circled the water.

She looked bored. He felt obliged to entertain her. She noticed him as he came down, confused at first, but she soon read his hostile intent. Raising her spear did absolutely nothing to save her. He flicked his wrist, and purple flames enveloped the boat. She crumbled into pieces with her vessel as it caved in and sank to the bottom of the lake.

Hehe. That was funny.

The mask had taught him that. Death was fun. Majora had been kind enough to explain that to him. True, it had taken him a long time to understand. He'd been reluctant at first. Afraid. But he soon learned to trust Majora. Majora would never lie to him.

He flew toward a massive wall marking the fortress' entryway. A few of the guards looked up as he passed overhead, likely stunned. He landed on top of the wall, looking down at the open-roofed plaza connecting all the major rooms and buildings.

A tall watchtower was in the center. The pirate manning it noticed him immediately, freezing in terror. She ran quickly across the bridge, which connected to a balcony along the fortress walls. He smiled. When he shot his arm out in the tower's direction, its base exploded. The fire rose skyward, catching onto the wood as its supports blew out. The tower leaned over as orange flames spiraled toward the top. The bridge fell with it, sending the pirate into the fiery debris as it all collapsed into the plaza.

The others screamed. He only smiled wider, laughing as he descended to confront those on the ground. He held out his palms to release purple flames that smoothly rolled over the cold, stone floor. The beautiful, dark dance of fire ensnared any pirate that attempted to flee. The destruction was bright in his eyes hidden by the mask. He cackled maniacally as the moon gazed onward with those same orange eyes.

"Link!"

Link opened his eyes, but the fire did not go away.

It was all around him, cackling madly as brilliant, purple light engulfed the dense trees. He gasped, taking in hot, smoky air that was devoid of moisture. It continued burning brightly despite the light rainfall, defying the dark night.

Link was lying on the forest floor, and he quickly got to his feet. He turned, the purple fire reflected in his eyes as he looked for a break in the inferno. They were surrounded. Tatl floated with him in the fire's eye, wildly searching for an escape. "Look what you did!" Tatl exclaimed. "We have to get out of here!"

His survival instincts trumped his confusion as he spun in the dense heat. He realized the fire came from the trees' canopy downward; it was only inches away from reaching the grass. The death of the pirates burning in the Skull Kid's wrath was still pressed into his mind's eyes, preventing him from seeing clearly. Eventually, he saw it: a point in the circle of fire where it hadn't yet connected.

Link ran for the gap, and the fairy followed. He leapt from the inferno onto wet grass on the other side. He wasted no time lying there, running further away from the blaze. Once they were a safe distance, Link and Tatl turned around.

The oddly colored fire grew, surviving the gentle rainstorm. It'd already spread past the initial circle, catching quicker in stretches of forest that were shielded from the water. Link noticed that the rain was coming to an end; soon, the dark forest fire would show no mercy. The two merely stood there, each looking up in awe at the wave of purple destruction. Columns of smoke plumed into the nighttime sky.

"I... did that?" Link stammered.

"I don't know," Tatl answered. "You thought you were running after Zelda, and you seemed really determined, like you honestly thought she was there. But you were angry too." She swallowed, as if afraid to continue. "Link, your eyes turned dark purple. The exact color of the fire and the Skull Kid's lightning. It was scary. It was like you were... him." The fire carried that ominous note, filling their eyes with a radiant darkness. That's terrifying, the boy thought.

"When I fainted, I was him," Link explained. "He was at this fortress, near a beach, and the Skull Kid... he burned so many people to death. And he was laughing while he did it." Tatl didn't respond. Link turned away as the memory replayed itself. "That wasn't the scariest part. I… I wanted to laugh too, Tatl. I felt and thought the same things. It's like we were the same person."

He was on the verge of tears as he shook his head. His chest wasn't hurting anymore; it was the complete opposite. The scar burnt into his body felt good, as if satisfied by the presence of the imp's dark magic. "What does it mean, Tatl?" he asked.

She wasn't sure what to say, merely watching the fire reflected into his face.

A monkey cut their conversation short. The creature excitedly ran toward them; the small, light brown animal stopped right behind them. "Hey!" the fluffy monkey exclaimed, unable to hold still. They bounced up and down excitedly on all fours and only came up to Link's waist.

A monkey? Link thought. They looked up at the boy and fairy, eyes shining with hope as if they had found gods. Their attention was diverted quickly by the purple flames. Now that the rain had stopped, it was spreading quickly and ruthlessly robbing the air of moisture. "Mmm," the monkey stammered nervously. "Follow me." The creature looked back up at them, waiting for a response.

Link and Tatl exchanged a glance before turning back to the monkey. "Listen," Link said, the intense heat drawing closer to their backs "We're looking for someone, and now that there's a fire, we have to find her right away. Have you seen an old witch lady named Koume? She should be very small with a long nose. Probably old."

The monkey nodded, as if that's what they'd been saying all along. The creature beckoned them with their hand, "Follow me!" The monkey turned to run hastily away from the fire, not giving the boy or fairy a chance to follow.

"Hey – wait up!" Tatl exclaimed as she flew after them. Link waited behind for only a moment, still in complete shock at what he'd supposedly done. He turned once more to look at the raging dark magic as it destroyed the wildlife. His head had to crane back to fully encompass its might. Kotake's words returned to him: It's not just a mark. It's a curse. Some of the dark magic is still inside of you. You and your ocarina. Where the black marks are. I'm not sure what that means yet, but it's not going away. It could spread, it could corrupt you, it could kill you.

Link left the glowing beacon of warmth and destruction behind.

Chapter Text

They found Kotake in another clearing.

Link had predicted they were identical twins when describing her to the monkeys, and he'd been right. She was just as old and small. Only the gem within her forehead differed; instead of Kotake's dark blue crystal, hers was crimson red. She lay huddled in a ball, eyes wide with panic.

Link and Tatl stopped when they reached the clearing, though the monkey eagerly rejoined Koume's side. Two other primates already hopped there in place. They greeted the latecomer enthusiastically, and then waved their arms to urge Link and Tatl onward.

For a moment, the boy wondered if Koume was already dead. Her wide-eyed expression hadn't changed, and she was still as a statue. The grass beneath her was stained with dried blood. However, a cry shocked him halfway over to joining her.

"Help me!" Koume struggled to lift her head, arms shaking. "I was busy minding my own business, picking mushrooms, when BAM!" The final outburst surprised Link again, and he swore he saw curls of smoke leave her nostrils. "I got hit from behind! That pesky Skull Kid! Did he think an old hag wouldn't recognize him if he hid his face?" She let herself relax again, slowly resting her head back on the ground. "To think he's that powerful. And now I can't even move."

"We're here to help," Link said. "Your sister sent us to find you."

"Kotake?" she said. "That useless bag of bones isn't good for anything. I've been out here for three days, living off spare potions. It took her this long, and then she didn't even come herself. Tell me, why are you doing this? I imagine she healed you, and you're returning the favor?"

She's quick to get to the point, Link thought. "I got attacked by a wolfos."

"A wolfos?" Koume asked. "If you're helpless wolfos bait, this forest is too dangerous for you. The Woods of Mystery marks the end of Termina, you know. Past these trees is nothing but darkness, and traces of it still linger among the leaves. Wanderers often see things. People they've lost, or left behind." Link's face lit up in understanding, and the witch smiled. "Looks like my warning is a tad late?"

However, her smile was short-lived. The purple glow had stretched into the night sky, and Koume craned her neck back to notice the column of smoke. The sound of popping wood crept inward, bouncing off the branches. The fire was far away, but its dark presence had just made it to the clearing's edge of perception.

"You need to get me out of here," she said gravely. "I considered using fire to get Kotake's attention, but I was afraid the whole forest might go up in flames. Guess someone else beat me to it. Kotake will see the smoke, but it's anyone's guess how quickly she'll get here."

I wonder how she planned on starting a fire? Link wondered. "All right," he said, pushing the thought away and bending beside her. "Should I carry you?"

"Unless your fairy has big enough biceps to do it herself."

Tatl glared from behind them but said nothing.

Link gently scooped the tiny witch into his arms; her head rested against his shoulder. The now exposed circle of dried blood was bigger than he realized. Link noticed a stain on her lower right side.

"Are you sure we can do this?" Tatl asked. "The fire's spreading quickly."

"I'm sure," Link said, walking where he'd entered the clearing.

"No, the other way, you fool!" The witched pointed to the left.

Link obediently redirected his course, and the monkeys trailed along behind them.

Tatl sighed. "It's not like we're really going to save her. The moon will make sure of that."

"What?" Koume spat sharply. She kept her head facing forward as they walked swiftly. "What is she talking about?"

"Nothing," Link answered. "She's crazy. She thinks my ocarina can travel through time. I keep trying to tell her that it's just made of clay and couldn't possibly do that."

"Hey!" Tatl exclaimed. "I'm not the crazy one who thinks we're in an alternate universe!"

The injured witch with the red gem cackled. "Every universe is an alternate universe to someone. What's the name of your universe, Mr. Hero?"

Mr. Hero. Everyone always assumed that title of him so quickly. He wasn't so sure he deserved it anymore. The distant fire's crackle reminded him of that. He pushed away thoughts of the purple-eyed demon he'd allegedly become. "Hyrule," he finally answered. "Please tell me you've heard of it?"

"Hyrule?" she said, thinking over the word for a moment. "Nope. Sounds made up."

"Well," Link said, unable to restrain his disappointment. "Hyrule is the dominant world power. To everyone. You'd have to live under a rock to never know about it."

"I could say the same thing about Termina," Tatl responded.

"Really?" Link said. "A dominant world power? You people are too afraid to even cross your borders. You don't know anything about the outside world."

Tatl didn't have a response.

But the witch did. "It's too dangerous. Look at what happened to me picking mushrooms out this far. Things act strangely when you're near the outskirts. If I didn't need to venture here to make a living, I wouldn't bother. It's hard to imagine what awaits on the other side."

"But you should want to face those fears," Link persisted, "rather than staying cooped up in the dark. Right?"

"Only a fool," Koume said. "The darkness is out there, not here."

The six of them continuing onward through the forest, slowed by the injured witch. The monkeys came and went as they pleased, obviously much faster than their traveling companions. The fire grew louder; the purple glow pierced the forest's darkening canopy.

They were attacked near the end of their journey.

When the other monkeys had left on some unknown errand, the remaining one yelped in alarm to warn them. Link and Koume continued onward, but Tatl couldn't ignore it. That monkey is doing more screaming than walking, she thought.

"Ugh!" Tatl finally exclaimed, spinning around. "Just shut up, you stupid monkey!" It continued screeching, and Tatl's irritation left when she noted the... urgency. She turned to the hero equipped with his bag, sword, and shield a few steps ahead of her. "Link, I think he's trying to tell us something."

Link stopped walking to listen; the witch remained quiet in his arms. The forest offered only the raging inferno, the monkey, and one other unexpected but familiar sound. "It's…" A spinning turtle shell, surrounded by spikes, spared him from finishing.

It went for his ankles as the last one had, but this time, Link's reflexes won. He let go of Koume's legs; the witch's eyes widen in shock as her feet hit the ground. Link rolled out of the shell's path, holding the witch close with one arm.

The hero landed on his feet as the snapper flew past him. The creature's wide arc ended nearby. Link laid Koume up against the tree nearest him, his hair still slightly damp from the evening's rain. He drew his sword and shield and threw his bag beside the witch. "Watch this while I deal with the monster turtle."

"Certainly," Koume said, scooping the bag close. The monkey fled from the scene, likely going to warn their friends.

Tatl hovered next to the witch as Link brought up his shield. "You know, he's actually pretty good at this adventuring stuff," she said, as Link deflected another charge from the snapper. "Getting his sword and shield back helped a lot."

"Let's hope so," the witch said. "What brought you two here in the first place? Before that wolfos got you?"

"That's actually a very long story." One that you probably wouldn't believe, Tatl thought. She turned to see Koume rifling through Link's bag. "Hey! Don't you have any manners?" The witch brought out the completely soaked, funnel-shaped hat and looked at it curiously.

"What is this supposed to be? A fairy tent?"

"No!" the fairy exclaimed. "That's Link's hat."

"Well, it doesn't look very practical." She then pulled out the Deku mask. "Neither does this."

"Put that stuff back!" …

… Link narrowly avoided the snapper's next spin, dancing away on his feet. Ouch. This morning's ankle injuries screamed in protest. This monster turtle did not pause to regain its senses, spinning around immediately for another strike. Link ignored the pain, bracing himself for another leap.

However, the snapper stopped its attack short, peeking out from within its shell timidly. Link rose an eyebrow when he realized the snapper was shaking. It refused to move; all aggression had left its body. Because of the fire? He wasn't sure. The fire was close but not right behind them. The wide-eyed creature entered its shell and fled from all of them.

"Well," Tatl said, joining Link when the snapper retreated. "Looks like you scared it off."

Link merely shook his head, looking around cautiously.

"What?" the fairy asked.

A long, loud howl answered her. Several more followed it, surrounding them in the darkness. The bestial cries chilled his blood.

The first wolfos revealed its glowing eyes and bared teeth from behind a tree. More pairs of narrow dots filled the dark forest, all paired with vicious snouts. The distant flames created a soft halo on the approaching pack, as if they'd emerged from the underworld itself.

Link backtracked to stand in front of Koume, Tatl at his side. The fire sounded closer than ever. "Aren't you puppies scared of the fire?" Tatl asked nervously, as the hero readied his blade. The monsters offered no response, crawling further out of the woods until five beasts surrounded the tree at Link's back.

The first wolfos charged. Link ran to meet it, slashing his sword out for the jaw opening to bite. It diverted its mouth, and his weapon opened a gash in its side instead. Link turned to face the wolfos as soon as it landed to his left, looking to see the others crawling closer.

The hero rose his shield when the first one attacked again, and the wolfos' claws latched onto its edges and pulled. Link batted the beast away with his sword, stumbling backward and almost trampling over Koume. His weapon caught the wolfos' chest, and the monster retreated in agony. As another wolfos charged from behind, Link heard its growl just in time; he spun with his shield to knock the leaping beast to the ground.

A third one snapped at Koume behind him. Link scared it away with a sword slash, but another wolfos on the opposite side went to strike. I can't hold them all off, Link thought, barely deflecting the new attack.

"What are you doing?" Link heard Tatl shout behind him. He had no time to respond, though he realized she was talking to the witch. "This isn't the time for meditating! We have to help him!"

"That's what I'm doing!" Koume shouted. "Hero, get out of my way!"

Link threw off another wolfos, turning just in time to see the witch's red gem glowing fiercely. He barrel-rolled aside as she shot her arms outward. A massive ball of red and orange fire hurled outward when her palms opened; it hurtled for the three wolfos before them. The fiery sphere – a stream of flames trailing behind it – engulfed the two nearest her. The third one barely leapt out of the way, and the remaining two fled the scene.

The two unfortunate woflos were instantly ablaze, abandoning their attempt to corner Link as they bestially shrieked. They were living torches that charged aimlessly to their deaths. The remainder of the red and orange blast caught the tree across from them ablaze; the purple forest fire was illuminated anew, still ruthlessly consuming all trees in its path as a new fire started.

The hero scrambled to his feet, wide-eyed before the orange fire. A wolfos leapt for him as he got to his knees, and he spun just in time for the beast to latch onto his shield. Link tossed it aside, bringing his sword around to deal a killing blow. The wolfos shrieked and went limp beside the witch, a spray of blood dotting the tree bark behind her. Link brought his shield up, as one of the two that had fled returned. These things are relentless, Link realized. They appeared completely unconcerned for their safety. Koume's orange fire kept spreading as the purple closed in beside it...

... The fairy's eyes went wide when she witnessed the witch's fire spell.

"So what was that about sitting here and doing nothing?" Koume asked, cackling at Tatl's astonished face.

Tatl noted the glowing gem on her forehead. "Can your sister do that?" she asked.

"Not with fire, but yes."

"Well, don't do it anymore," Tatl said, sweat beading on her forehead in the growing heat. "We don't need a third forest fire."

"If I hadn't... Ack!" Tatl spun when she heard Koume scream. One of the returned wolfos had grabbed the witch by the back of her collar, dragging her behind the trees lit by fire.

"Koume!" Tatl exclaimed, turning to Link for help. However, Link was preoccupied with his own fight, battling the other beast that had skulked back.

She looked nervously at Koume being dragged away. The fairy scanned the area, spotting the Deku mask, damp hat, and empty bag. That will have to do, she decided…

… "Let me go, you hairy beast!" Koume exclaimed. The wolfos did, and she fell to her back only to be face-to-face with the monster's threatening eyes and jaw. It growled, preparing its teeth to dive into her. Her eyes shimmered in despair; there was no time to conjure more fire.

Koume closed her eyes, but the wolfos' attack never came. Instead, she heard its bark cut short, followed by a whimper. The witch opened her eyes to see the fairy holding the green hat over the wolfos' snout. The fairy pulled it back tightly, as the wolfos fought madly to free its nose and mouth.

Koume scooted into the firelight, away from the beast. Heat flooded the back of her neck in response. She stopped at the nearest tree, backing into it and watching as the fairy wrestled to keep the wolfos at bay.

The damp hat quickly ripped open. Green shreds fell to the forest floor, and the fairy retread back to Koume's side. The wolfos bared its teeth at them again and lunged. Koume winced, as there was no strength left for her to conjure more fire.

Link's sword came up from underneath it before it could kill them, cutting its soft underbelly. He swung the dying wolfos into the ground, though his sword caught in its ribs. He tugged to pull it free.

"I killed the other one, but we have to –"

A charred, blackened wolfos – more corpse than animal – leapt from the fiery shadows. Link barely had time to put his shield between them, knocked to the ground and on his back. He recognized it as one of the two Koume set aflame, now feral and beyond self-preservation. The piece of metal was the only barrier separating their faces. Its eyes were in a blind rage as it snapped its jaw, saliva running in thick lines across the Hylian markings. The teeth were nearing his face, reaching over the rim to rip out his cheek.

The beast unexpectedly lurched back and howled in pain. Link took his opportunity; he rose to his feet and overpowered the wolfos, flinging it into the nearby flames. Its howl was cut short as the brilliant light swallowed it. Link turned to see Koume, dagger drawn and coated in blood. Before they could say anything, a blazing tree branch fell from above, crashing almost right on top of Link. He jumped, retrieving his bloody sword and huddling against an untouched tree with Koume and Tatl.

Link looked around to realize the purple fire was almost all around them. No, he thought in terror. The dark flames must have doubled in size. It wasn't only coming from the left; it approached from the opposite direction, too. The separate paths of violet fire now came to meet where they cowered for safety.

Link put away his sword and shield as he scooped Koume into his arms. Tatl followed as he ran past the tree where his bag and mask lay. He disregarded the possessions as the fires roared; the fairy stopped to retrieve them instead. She stuffed the mask inside and grabbed its strap to fly back to Link. They only made it a few feet before they had to stop.

Just in front of them, Koume's orange fire raged, spreading to encompass all trees in that direction. To the right was the wall of purple heat, racing after them. The two purple forest fires had merged, their white-violet dance joining to roll forth as one.

The wolfos and snappers were either dead or had fled, and the air was now heavy with smoke, cinders popping off the trees into the soot rising around them. Link's lungs burned, and his eyes watered. He, Koume, and Tatl – bag in the fairy's hands – had no choice but to huddle together. They were in the very center, a spot in the forest where the fires raced to meet. The red, orange, and yellow were reflected in their eyes, and the purple warmed their backs. There was no way out.

The immense heat swirled around them, a dragon's colorful breath stretching out to swallow them whole. The flames were moments away from colliding where they stood.

Suddenly, Link's chest seared with pain. "You let me burn, Link," Zelda's voice whispered. "You left me behind, and now I'm burning."

"Zelda!" Link shouted, though his dry throat was almost inaudible in the roaring inferno. Only Tatl noticed…

… She instantly understood what was happening. The amount of grass beneath them diminished rapidly, as the blazing vortex's eye closed. "Link!" Tatl screamed. "Don't do this. Get your ocarina out!"

"It's not my fault, Zelda," Link said from behind tears. "It's not my fault."

"Play the Song of Time! We can get out of here! It's not too late!" Tatl pleaded. She flew right in front of his face. He only looked at her with an expression stricken by unbearable grief; he shook as he cried. Koume merely looked up at them from his arms, clearly confused.

"Snap out of it!" Tatl kept trying. "We don't have time for this. The fire will roast us alive in the next twenty seconds if you don't get us out of here!"

"It's not my fault!" Link yelled. He dropped Koume, who gasped as she fell to his feet. "And you can't help me. Because you're not her. "Stop trying to be Navi!" The fairy didn't let it shock her; there was no time to back away. She felt the flames on her neck. Her eyes were as dry as paper, but she refused to close them, watching Link's face contorted into anger. The boy's eyes glowed the dark purple she'd seen before; they were the same color as the fire alive behind him.

"No!" Tatl screamed back. She noticed the grass underneath Link's boots searing at the edges, as if they were about to burst into flames. "Stop it right now! You're about to make us explode, right here before the fires even reach us! Snap out of it, Link!"

Her words didn't break through. The forest was playing its tricks, and Tatl didn't know how to stop it. The dark magic in his wound had been triggered again, and this time there was nowhere to run from his imminent explosion. A purple flame curled from Link's clenched fists, and Tatl reacted by flying less than an inch from his face.

"You are going to stop!" Tatl screeched, instantly causing Link's purple eyes to meet hers.

Tatl began her final plea – the last chance to save them from the dancing fires. She screamed despite the sweat and the heat and the fear. "You chose to leave Zelda behind to find Navi. You made that choice! And you did find her. In me! You've completed your mission, Link. You found your Navi! Zelda and Hyrule are waiting for you whenever you want to go back to them. Nothing is stopping you from going there! Don't blame me because I'm the only person that listens to you. You're here in Termina for your own reason: to save all those people in Clock Town! You don't have to. You can go home. All you have to do is play the Song of Time right now and get us out of here!"

Link's eyes slowly returned to blue. Though the pain and exhaustion did not leave his face. Link fell to his knees, catching himself from falling on top of Koume with his hands. Tatl floated down just in front of him.

"I don't want to go home, Tatl," Link whispered. He breathed in to continue, but his sentence ended abruptly. His mouth remained wide open – gaping for air.

Tatl's next breath gave her the same realization. The fairy fell to the ground when air refused to enter her lungs. Her wings gave out, as immense heat traveled down her throat and prevented her from breathing. Tatl's lungs lurched for something that wasn't there. They were suffocating in the circle of fire, left with only smoke.

Her vision blurred as the forest spun, and she saw Link hastily pull the ocarina from his pocket. He put it to his mouth but only lurched from behind it. He can't play the song, she realized. Her world continued spinning as Link dropped the ocarina and lay on the ground beside Koume. Tatl weakly joined them, finding it impossible to face the wall of orange heat as her ears rang.

Dying, she thought. I'm dying. She wondered if the first Tatl had felt this way.

Then a burst of ice-cold air bellowed across her face. It was the most relieving thing imaginable.

Her throat instinctively took in great gulps of chilled air, her small body shocked into clarity with the sudden temperature change. She shuttered, trying to keep her eyes open as the cold air spread. She got to her knees and felt her throat go raw. Link and Koume were also looking up, sharing her confusion at the gift swirling around them.

Tatl rose from the brittle, dry grass as her wings batted the crisp air. The tornado of coolness grew, driving away the purple and orange flames alike. The violent and red-yellow teeth clashed with one another, but some invisible barrier protected them from its lashing teeth.

As the flames spread further apart, a familiar witch descended into the forest on a broomstick. She moved her arms around with the cold air, as if commanding it. The blue gem on her ancient forehead glowed brilliantly. Kotake continued lowering toward the forest floor as she manipulated the icy wind, eyes closed in concentration. Her feet touched the chilled grass. The vortex's eye was now robbed of all moisture and frozen.

Tatl shivered as all the heat left. Her body was in shock, barely able to process the temperature change. The fairy looked down to see Koume smiling as her sister stepped off the broom. Kotake's eyes were still closed, and her hands still manipulated the flames. The fairy couldn't believe either her power or their survival. Link appeared similarly stunned, sitting up with his neck craned back as his blonde hair blew in the magic wind.

Once she tossed her broom aside, Kotake's eyes opened, and she pushed her hands outward. The cold air responded. It blasted outward into the abated fire, driving it further away. The air carried crystals of frost now, its gentle, white specks replacing the gray and black. More of it continued to come from Kotake, until all remnants of danger were extinguished.

Kotake had killed the entire orange fire quickly. The purple one was far too massive to control from here, but Kotake had driven it off for now. She let out a deep sigh, finally bringing her hands down. Kotake didn't say anything at first. She watched Tatl and Link shivering in their newfound life. Koume broke the silence – by bursting into laughter. Kotake joined her.

The blue-gemmed witch reached into her robe and pulled out a bottle filled with thick, red liquid. Koume continued laughing with her twin as she took it, removing the cork and somehow draining it while chortling. Tatl shared a confused glance with Link and then turned back to the two obviously insane, but powerful, witches.

"That's good stuff!" Koume said, finally ending her laughing fit. She jumped to her feet, the pain in her side already forgotten. The red-gemmed witch aggressively snapped to her still-smiling sister. "What took you so long, you lazy fool? I was almost eaten by five wolfos and burnt to a crisp!"

"Lazy fool?" Kotake retaliated. Her smile faded. "Me? I sent those two idiots to find you. I didn't realize they'd spend the whole day finding creative ways to kill you!"

Koume gasped. "If it hadn't been for them, I would have been wolfos chow long before you came!"

"Yeah, and if it hadn't been for me, all three of you would be barbecue sandwiches for stupid turtles!"

"Well, I wouldn't have been in the forest at all if it wasn't for you! Whose idea was it for me to go mushroom picking, when it was obviously your turn?"

"My turn?" Kotake exclaimed furiously. "My calendar had it clearly marked as your turn!"

"Who gives a Din about your calendar? My calendar specifically said you were supposed to do it!"

Tatl and Link turned to face each other again, and the boy shook his head. "Okay," Tatl said, as the two witches continued bickering, "not even I'm that bad."

Chapter Text

Link kept his eyes on the ground as they trekked through the forest. Koume walked ahead of him and Tatl, using the fire in her palm to light the way. The night was no longer young, so the darkness was heavy. Only Tatl's light and the dancing shadows cast by Koume's flame pierced the thick veil. Kotake had trailed behind, hoping to contain the full extent of the dark flames.

They'd made quite a bit of progress since the forest fires. Their destination was the witches' hut, but Link wasn't sure what came next. Sleep, he decided. To rest after all the awful things that happened in these woods. He walked half-asleep already, carrying the heavy weight of disbelief and shock. At the very least, they'd accomplished their task: saving Koume. But that had come at a high price.

"Hey Link," Tatl said. He looked up from the grassy, root-infested floor. His fairy bobbed beside him, floating along at their pace. "What were you going to say? You know, before you lost your breath in the fire."

Link took a moment to respond. Though his emotional exhaustion was extreme, his clothes were also incredibly uncomfortable after being drenched in the rain. The fires had sped along the drying process, but he truly wanted nothing more than to shut his eyes and lie down. For Tatl, he summoned the will to speak. "I wanted to tell you that you're right," he said. "It's my choice to be here. Zelda isn't gone forever, and neither is Hyrule. I'm not sure why a part of me thinks they're both gone, but I think that's what triggered the… uh… trance. You reminded me that I could go back home – if I wanted to. But I'm staying until Termina is safe."

He looked up to see her smiling back at him. The fairy's expression literally glowed in the late night, illuminating their path alongside the witch's fire.

Koume spoke before Tatl could. "That's touchy and all, but I think the more important issue is this so-called 'trance' itself. You're the one who started the forest fire, aren't you?"

Link didn't answer. While the fire hadn't killed them, it had come fairly close. I bet I ruined some of their mushroom spots by the border, he realized. He wasn't sure what to say, so he merely looked away, hoping the dark forest hid his blushing.

Koume chuckled. "Don't worry, I won't shoot fire at you. Kotake, however, would toss you in the poison water if she found out. She's not exactly the understanding one."

Tatl scoffed. "If you already knew he started the fire, then why are you bringing it up?"

"Do you blame me for feeling unsafe around him?" Koume asked, raising an eyebrow. "I want to make sure my hut won't burst into flames in the middle of the night, or that you won't randomly attack me when you have a bad dream. This condition you have – it's fueled by powerful dark magic. Do you know where it came from?"

Link exchanged a glance with Tatl, both asking the same silent question: do we tell her? The boy remembered what Kotake's reaction had been, but he decided against lying. "We think it was Majora's Mask."

Koume stopped walking. Link made sure to stop as well, eying the witch's steady, constant flame. "Majora's Mask?" she said distantly.

"Yes," Link said. "A mask salesman claims to have found it, but the Skull Kid stole it from him. That's probably where he gets his powers from. The Skull Kid struck me with lightning when I tried to get the mask back, and ever since then, the scar has been doing weird things. I think it's the reason I set the forest on fire and almost killed us." When she still didn't turn around or respond, Link added more. "Kotake is the reason the wound didn't kill me immediately."

"Did you tell her that you think Majora's Mask is responsible?" Koume asked.

"Yeah," Link said uneasily. "She kind of overreacted when I mentioned it."

"Overreacted!" Koume exclaimed, spinning around and throwing her arms down. Fire erupted in a wide circle, coming within a few inches of Link. He cowered from the intense heat, but it quickly dissipated and left them in darkness. Tatl's ball of light was just bright enough to reveal Koume's wide, angry eyes. "You don't understand what that would mean if it was true! You can't toss the word 'Majora' around like it's a tranquil flower!"

"Then can you please help me understand?" Link asked, allowing anger to guide his response. He took a step closer to the witch, who seemed shocked by his boldness. "Your sister did the same thing and refused to talk about it! What would you do if Majora's Mask really did come back, huh? You'd never know it had because you're too afraid to talk about it!"

This time it was Koume's turn to be silent. Eventually, she scoffed, shaking her head as she turned around. The fire returned to her open palm, and she motioned them onward again. Link and Tatl agreed, following even closer behind Koume.

"Majora's Mask corrupted an entire tribe of our kind, long, long ago," the witch explained. "They did terrible things to awaken the spirit that would possess it. But they did not create it. No, Majora's origins remain foreign even to us. All we know is that this spirit somehow found itself a powerful name, and that name's strength gave it command of immense darkness. Darkness that the ancient tribe thought it could control.

"They hoped to use its powers to influence the other tribes. To control them, likely. But the mask didn't just bend to their will. It influenced them, too, and corrupted them. It wasn't long before Majora's will reigned supreme. That tribe, behind secret walls, did wicked things under the influence of that mask, killing and torturing, slowly expanding its territories. No one on the outside truly understood what happened on the inside. It wasn't until they had formed an army and attacked that the other tribes discovered Majora's horrors."

Koume sighed as she continued, looking up into the dark sky. "The war could not have been darker. It's why our existence as a people – Gerudo who use magic – is so scattered. Most Gerudo today forbid arcane practices, for risk of repeating those ancient mistakes. Many Gerudo died, and we soon realized that the mask wanted to annihilate all life. Those remaining formed a resistance and a plan of attack. They decided to seal the mask away into the furthest realm they could reach, rather than breaking it and risking release of the spirit. Kotake and I obviously weren't there, but such a strategy was foolish. Majora should have been destroyed, but our ancestors were obviously too afraid to try.

"If what you say is true, Hero, then there can only be one explanation: Majora broke out of that realm and wants to continue its mission."

Silence guided the next few minutes of their walk. The fire broke it only to light their way with a soft crackle. The trees had thinned; the end of the forest drew closer.

Koume eventually dared to say more. "The mask's magic, its power, its influence... it goes beyond the one who wears it. I fear it has found a home in your scar. It will only continue to grow inside of you the longer you live."

"What do you mean by 'the longer he lives?'" Tatl snapped.

Koume's face remained hard as stone. "If you ever want to rid the world of Majora's influence forever – assuming that the Skull Kid truly is wielding Majora's Mask – your friend must die. Otherwise, Majora will return through him once the Skull Kid is disposed of." The witch turned to note their reactions, though Link withheld his. "I only say this because, according to our ancient texts, there was never a way to reverse its corruption. Once an infection began, it didn't stop."

"We have found a way to reverse it, though," Link said hopefully, pulling out his ocarina. Koume's eyebrow rose doubtfully, but Link kept it illuminated in the firelight. He'd opened his mouth to explain, but he closed it when he saw the black mark burnt into the clay. The witch looked up from the ocarina with a look of puzzlement.

"Is that another mark from the Skull Kid?" Koume asked.

Link didn't answer, and the witch shook her head, turning away.

"It still works, though!" Tatl said defensively.

"Works?" Koume scoffed. "Serenading the mask won't stop it."

"No, it can take us back in time," Tatl explained, looking at Link for support. However, he didn't provide it. It's useless, Link realized. Koume's right. The ocarina's just as cursed as I am. Tatl, nonetheless, held onto hope. "Every time Link plays the Song of Time, we appear in Clock Town, rewinding everything to how it was when we first got here two days ago. Tomorrow is the day when the moon crashes into the town and destroys Termina. We've been reliving the same three days, trying to find a way to stop it. And no one – including the Skull Kid – remembers anything that happens in the last cycle. It's a blank slate to begin again, every time!"

The witch didn't seem fazed. "Sure. A time-traveling ocarina. Now I've heard everything. Even if your claim was true, it doesn't matter. If you could relive the same three days over and over again, it wouldn't help you stop the mask."

"Yeah, but that gives us an infinite time to find a way! You and Kotake could help us. I'm not sure if Link and I can do it alone. I mean, you two have your fire and ice powers! Link only has his sword and ocarina. If you came with us, then you wouldn't have to be crushed by the moon tomorrow, and we could all stop the Skull Kid together."

"First," Koume said, "there's no reason for me to believe your time travel scheme is even possible. Second, we have yet to establish for a fact that the Skull Kid is wearing Majora's Mask. Lastly, why do you think the moon is joining us for the festival tomorrow?"

"Because the Skull Kid's controlling it!" Tatl said. "Come on. Are you and your sister's heads both filled with sawdust?"

Koume merely sighed. "I'll talk to Kotake. But I won't make any promises."

That resulted in yet another silent stroll, each entitled to their own train of thought. Link was the first to speak his musings aloud: "I saw through the Skull Kid again."

"What?" Tatl asked. She sounded shocked.

"When I set the forest on fire the first time, I saw through him," Link said. "Remember?"

"Yeah."

"It happened again, but you brought me out of the vision before I could finish it."

"Okay," Tatl said nervously. "What is the Skull Kid up to now?"

"He was still trying to kill everyone in that fortress," Link said. "The ones who survived his initial attack managed to form a resistance, but they're still losing. And the Skull Kid is still laughing, as if it's a game." Link spotted the witches' hut, still standing in the middle of the pond. The thin waterfall loudly and soothingly cascading behind it.

"Home," Koume said, putting her arm down and letting the fire vanish. "You two are welcome to stay the night as long as you don't burn the hut down."

"We would be honored," Tatl said. "But only if Kotake keeps her distance from me."

In the fountain's waters, Link's blue eyes were distorted. He watched his reflection shimmer, hovering just above the decoration's gray, stone bottom. Link sat at its edge, his white, Hylian robes pulled close in the late night. He looked up toward the fountainhead and eyed the stone representation of three triangles: the Triforce. Water gracefully fell from either side.

"It's not too late to change your mind," the young princess said from behind. They stood in one of the castle's courtyards, grass underneath their shoes and an open, stone hallway surrounding them. Twilight enveloped them in a late evening without sunlight.

Link didn't look away from the water. "I don't have a choice."

"You really think you'll find her?" He heard Zelda take a few steps closer. "You think she'll just happen to be somewhere north of Death Mountain? Based off some hunch? It doesn't make sense for you to leave when you don't know what her reasons were or where she went."

"I don't expect you to understand," Link responded.

"You haven't helped me try to understand. You were happy here, with us. I thought you'd forgotten about Navi. I never thought you'd sacrifice our life for such a tiny chance to speak with her again."

Link turned away from the fountain, finally meeting Zelda's eyes. They matched the light blue of her evening dress. "I never forgot about Navi," he said defensively. "All this time, I thought I could ignore what she did. But she… she left me, Zelda. She just turned around and flew away. I thought she was my guardian fairy, and then she just left, right after we'd done what the Deku Tree asked us to. I have to know why. I don't believe she never cared about me. That can't be true. There must've been some secret she couldn't share, because maybe one of us was in danger. I don't know. She… she never…"

"Link," Zelda interrupted. She took a step closer, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"But maybe I was just a tool to her," Link said, stammering on the words. "An instrument that she could cast aside when she didn't need it anymore." He was angry at himself when he felt tears pooling in his eyes. Why does Navi matter so much? Link thought. I have Zelda. I have Hyrule. Why can't I stop caring about the one person who abandoned me?

"Link," Zelda said again, taking a final step. She grabbed his hand, gently pulling him off the fountain side. Link dropped lightly to his feet, keeping his hand in hers. He forced himself to return her stare, despite how hard that was.

"I don't want to leave you," Link said, voice shaking.

"Then don't," she said.

He saw fear in her eyes. He recalled what Zelda had dared to ask just last week: If you go across the mountains, you won't ever come back, will you? Because you're an adventurer. Because you can't stay in one place. All this talk about Navi doesn't make sense. She's just an excuse, isn't she? For you to go somewhere else? For you to find more people to save? If you're going to leave this land of Hyrule, please be honest with me.

Link had managed to convince her that his yearning to find Navi was legitimate. Zelda had agreed to take Link at face value – to believe him that his stated reasons for leaving were true.

But still, that fear flashed in Zelda's eyes. He saw it. And he hated the doubt that crept upward from deep within his chest. "I love you, Zelda," he finally managed.

The princess did not say anything back.

"Link!" Tatl's voice startled him, and his eyes popped open. "Are you gonna sleep all day? Come on and get up. We have visitors!"

He lifted his blonde head from his pillow, throwing the blanket off and turning to his side. Link sighed as he tried piecing his mind together. He was still in Koume and Kotake's hut. He looked over the counter to see that only the blue-gemmed witch was there, brewing potions again. He'd slept on the floor since Koume took precedence; there hadn't been a third bed.

"Link, we can't waste time today," Tatl continued. "We don't even have a full twenty-four hours before we have to play the song again!"

"All right," Link moaned, slowly getting to his feet. His ankles were still sore, but an ointment the witches gave him would soon heal that injury for good. He'd slept in his tunic and only needed to don his boots, sword, shield, and bag. His eyes blinked heavily as he did. "Wait. You said we have visitors?"

"The monkeys," Tatl said. "They want to talk to you."

Monkeys? Link shook his head, wondering why they'd decided to return after everything he put them through. He took a step toward the door, but a thought stopped him in his tracks. Wait. He scanned the floor where his stuff had been lying, searching in front of the counter.

"Are you looking for something?" Tatl asked. "You didn't lose the ocarina again, did you?"

"No, I just can't find..." he trailed off, walking behind the counter. He stopped once he saw the large heaps of clutter.

Kotake looked up from her cauldron, glaring at him. "What are you doing?"

"Looking for my hat," Link said.

"Well, you won't find it back here. Get!" She shook her wooden spoon angrily, flinging red goop on his shoulder. Link disgustedly rubbed it off and went back to search the other half.

"I can't find it. It was in my bag last night, wasn't it? I thought I put it there after it got wet."

"Link... your hat is gone."

"Gone?" Link asked, stopping his search. He turned to face his fairy, eyes wide in disbelief.

"I used it to stop the wolfos from eating Koume," Tatl explained. "It was ripped open."

Ripped open? Link thought. "It's..." He didn't have words.

"Link, I'm sorry, but if I hadn't of..."

"It's fine," he interrupted, shaking his head. "Let's just go talk to the monkeys."

"Are you sure?" Tatl asked uncertainty.

Well, there's nothing we can do about it now, Link thought, but he didn't dare say that aloud. His hat had been with him through so much – in Hyrule and beyond – but it wasn't worth Koume's life. He summoned the willpower to swallow his sadness. With less than a day left, now wasn't the time to get sentimental about something so small. "Yes," he finally said. "I promise. We can worry about getting a new one later."

Link didn't give her space to reply, walking past her to open the hut door.

He immediately made eye contact with all three of the small, white creatures from earlier. They sat on the porch – wide-eyed and silent – staring up at him expectantly. Link stopped without fully opening the door. "Um," he stammered. "Hello?"

The middle monkey stepped forward without consulting the other two. Link let go of the doorknob and met them halfway. "You have strange powers, no? Me been watching you! Lately, this swamp, been filled with poison water!"

"Temple above waterfall strange. Brother go to temple," said another one eagerly, jumping to stand beside his brother.

The third one quickly followed suit. "But brother no able to find temple entrance. Temple for Deku only. Brother captured by Deku. Now in palace."

"Help!" the first one concluded, as if hoping this one word would explain everything.

"Help... your brother?" Link said, holding his hand up to shield his eyes from the sun's fierce glare. The waterfall roared noisily behind them.

"Deku execute him!" the middle monkey exclaimed. "Need help!"

Tatl flew beside Link, lowering herself so that his blonde head blocked out most of the sun. "So," Link said. "You're... brother... went to a temple above a waterfall, because the swamp was poisoned. Then he was arrested by Deku scrubs?"

"Going be executed!" the monkey on the left pleaded.

"He speaks true!" said the third monkey.

"What he be do that so bad?" Tatl asked, mimicking the monkeys' poor grammar.

"We no know," the middle monkey added. "Only Deku go in palace. You kill them and go in!"

"Whoa! Kill them?" Tatl exclaimed. "We're not mercenaries. You're barking up the wrong tree if you want us to slaughter an entire palace of Deku scrubs."

"But brother need help!" the monkey pleaded again.

Tatl turned to face Link, whispering, "I'm starting to think we should force Koume and Kotake to come back in time with us. We can talk to the mask salesman, get all of our answers, and then all four of us could go take out the Skull Kid."

"I don't know if they'll be able to stop him," Link whispered back. "He took out an entire fortress of pirates."

"Yeah, but none of the pirates could shoot fire or ice out of their hands, could they?"

"The Skull Kid summoned the moon to crash into Clock Town, Tatl," Link reminded her. "Something tells me shooting lightning at people is only a fraction of his power."

"What do you think these mysterious 'four' will be able to do?" Tatl asked. "Call me crazy, but something tells me they won't be able to create lightning, summon the moon, or shoot fire and ice out of their hands. Besides, how do we even know Tael knew what he was talking about?"

Link sighed, looking back at the monkeys and then back to Tatl. "Are you really going to let their brother die?"

"Here we go again, Link," Tatl said, rolling her eyes. "Anytime I start making more sense than you, you play the morality card. Besides, as I've pointed out numerous times, once we play the Song of Time, it'll be like we never helped the monkeys. Their brother will be executed anyways in the next cycle."

"If I'd listened to you the first time you said that, we never would've found Koume."

Tatl stopped to ponder that for a second. "Touché."

"Besides, I think Tael knew what he was saying. He was with the Skull Kid by himself for three whole days. Poking around the swamp is the best way to find out about 'the four'."

"Okay, okay, we'll help the monkeys," Tatl said. "... under two conditions. Promise me we won't slaughter an entire palace of Deku scrubs. And that we won't go into whatever temple they're talking about. I hate temples. Buildings built to worship spirits are never kind to outsiders."

"All right, Tatl," Link agreed. "We won't slaughter Deku scrubs or worship spirits."

"Thank Nayru!" Tatl exclaimed, turning back to the monkeys. They looked up at her in confusion. "Um. Right. Please disregard the irony in me thanking a spirit right after I bashed temples."

The monkeys didn't seem to understand that either. "Help brother?" the middle monkey asked hopefully, wide-eyed and high-pitched.

"Fine," Tatl sighed. "We help brother." A wide grin spread across the middle monkey's face, and then all three jumped in jubilation. "Whoa, don't get too excited now." The monkeys paid no attention to Tatl, and then they filed one by one down the ladder back into the swamp. They ran off into the forest without another word. "Hey, wait! Where's the Deku Palace? How're we supposed to get in?" Tatl scoffed. "Well, isn't that just great! Not even a thank you!"

"We could always ask Kotake," Link suggested, walking back into the hut.

"Oh, yeah," Tatl said. "... Stupid old hag..."

"I heard that!" Kotake shouted.

"How?"

"By actually listening," she said, flipping through some massive book without ever turning to face them. "You can't get to the Deku Palace."

"Listening?" Tatl exclaimed. "More like stalking!"

"You're on my front porch," Kotake snapped back.

"What do you mean by 'we can't get there?'" Link asked, willing their mind-grating bickering out of existence.

"Unless you can swim through rivers that'll burn your skin to a crisp, you can't reach the palace. You'd better learn to walk on water, fly, or live without skin."

"Can we take a boat?" Link suggested.

Kotake stopped rummaging through pots and looked up, as if completely dumbfounded. "Yeah, I guess you can do that." She then immediately returned to her chores. "Do you have a boat?"

"Yeah, we always carry one around in his bag," Tatl said dryly.

"No need to be a snarky fool," Kotake said, finally pulling out an empty cauldron and putting it on the counter. "I'm sure Koume would be more than happy to give you a free boat ride after you... 'saved her.' You remember the hut you fainted on after getting attacked by a wolfos?"

"Yeah," Link said.

"That's where you'll find her."

"Where exactly is that?"

"Do I look like your slave?" Kotake exclaimed, lifting her cauldron and slamming it on the counter again. "I healed you and fed you last night – for the second night in a row. Then I had to go into the forest and save you after you set the whole thing on fire! I'm not helping you any longer!"

"Like we'd want to ask you for help anyways," Tatl said. "Come on, Link. Let's get out of here."

"Kotake," Link said, sensing that something else was up. He ignored his fairy's sarcastic remark yet again, hoping the witch had too. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Kotake spat, looking away from her work. "You two just showed up, and suddenly..." She didn't finish.

"We'll come back when we've hit another dead end," Link offered. "We can save you from the moon, and then we can all stop the Skull Kid together."

"I don't want to talk about that right now," Kotake said. "Take your crazy time-traveling, Majora's Mask theories and get out!"

Link didn't bother protesting any further. He left the hut, and Tatl eagerly followed. Soon, they were down the ladder and following alongside the winding waterway. The banks on each side were small, quickly giving way to dense forest. They remained outside of the tress, expecting the channel to eventually connect to the other hut. They soon left Kotake's pond behind, beneath an orange, newborn sky with an infant sun.

"I can't stand that woman!" Tatl exclaimed – though not until they were a safe distance away. "Not only is she crazy and evil, but she's totally stalking us!"

"It's a good thing she's stalking us," Link said. "Otherwise, we'd be burnt to death by now."

Tatl scoffed. "Okay, sure. Maybe. But sometimes it's really annoying."

"Kotake's probably just upset about all the bad news we've brought. I bet she's lived here for years without anything changing. Now, we're claiming some all-powerful, dark deity from her ancestors' past is here to kill everyone. That's enough to make anyone crazy."

"You always give people the benefit-of-the-doubt, don't you Link?"

He shrugged, smiling slightly but unable to think of a witty response. He tried his best not to touch the clear water on his right; it was possible the poisonous water did not look any different.

Tatl spoke a few minutes later. "You sure you're okay about losing your hat?"

"Of course," Link said. "It's just a hat."

"That's not true. It was important to you. I could tell." She paused, waiting for a response. When he gave none, Tatl unsurprisingly resorted back to jokes. "I'm not sure if it's an improvement on your appearance though. This whole rebellious, untidy hair thing is a little extreme. Do they even have barbers in your dimension?"

Link didn't grace that question with a response.

"But on the other hand, you did look like a dweeb with your pointy green hat all the time. How long has that been your fashion choice?"

Link decided to answer that one. "I'm honestly not sure. I got my first one when I was seven or eight, but I lost it one day when me and Saria went into the woods. I got another one after that, so... maybe ever since then?"

"Whoa, hold on a second. Into the woods with Saria? What happened to Zelda?"

"That was before I met Zelda," Link said, feeling his face flush red. "Besides, we were just playing... as friends."

"Mhm, sure. 'As friends'."

Link shook his head, stopping when they reached a fork in the path. He decided to follow his bank around the corner, since going any other way would require him to wade through water.

"Any who," Tatl continued, "you really should change up your wardrobe every now and then. Wearing a green hat and tunic every day has to be socially unacceptable no matter where you're from."

"I don't always wear this," Link said. "I had three tunics. This one, a red one, and a blue one."

"You've gotta be kidding me," Tatl sighed.

"You don't ever wear any clothes!" Link pointed out.

"They don't exactly make clothes my size," Tatl said. "I prefer my bright ball of light."

Eventually, the grassy bank ended at a vertical rock face. A new pond started off to his right with no walkable path around it. The swamp water changed from muggy-green to dark purple as it emptied into the basin. His options were to turn around, wade through the violet water, or run back into the forest. Across the pond, there was a cave halfway underwater, promising to lead further through the swamp. Large, red mushrooms bloomed from the water's murky depths. They didn't start until closer by the cave, surrounding a floating tree trunk. The debris and fungi could probably serve as steppingstones, but they were too far away from Link.

Earlier, Link had been afraid to touch the clear water. Now, he realized the poisonous water was visibly different from all the rest. The violet waters were unnaturally still, appearing thick and heavy.

"Purple," Tatl commented dryly. "The color of evil. I'm guessing you won't swim through that?"

"Uh, no. But you can if you want to."

"How about I fly across it? I could see what's through that cave. It might be the palace or Koume's boat place." She flew off to scout ahead and left Link behind on the bank. The hero looked for a sign of life in the water and was terrified to actually find one. A dark blob was obscured beneath the pond, gliding slowly away from the bank. Link gulped, looking up when Tatl returned.

"It's the palace!" Tatl announced happily.

"Nice," Link said. "Any sign of Koume?"

"No. We should probably follow the path we didn't take earlier. I'm starting to remember how to get there a little better."

"You forgot?" Link asked. "Weren't you the one who went to get Kotake when I passed out?"

"Yeah, but I was kind of freaking out the entire time. I wasn't sure if you were dead or unconscious. And besides, I'm not the one who completely forgot my best friend."

Link tensed at that remark, but he let it go. She was right. My memory loss still doesn't make any sense, he thought. And he didn't feel like talking about it again right now.

They turned around to retrace their steps. Eventually, they reached the fork again; he felt more comfortable trying to cross the muggy water now that he'd identified the purple spots. Still, he dipped a finger to make sure. It was slimy, but his skin didn't burn. Link carefully let himself into the water, wading deeper as his boots led the way. The water ended up only coming to his neck, and he held his bare head and bag above the water. When Link climbed out on the other side, his tunic was soaking wet again.

"It really must suck not being a fairy," Tatl said. "You know, having to actually walk and eat food every day."

"At least they make clothes my size," Link remarked, as the forest on their right gave way to a small field of grass. Link recognized it as where he'd been attacked by the wolfos. The wooden pier was still there, leading out to the building on the raised platform. The ladder, however, was gone. Some of the debris was scattered on the pier, though the rest was lost to the water. "… But it would be nice to fly."

They walked toward the pier regardless, stopping beneath the deck. "Hello?" Link called up. There was no answer, and Link turned to Tatl.

"Fine, pathetic human. I will fly up there to see if anyone can help." Link waited once again, watching her disappear from view. It wasn't long before someone peered over the edge to see him; it was a large man with a familiar face and a thick, black beard. It only took Link a few seconds to recognize him. He was the man who'd found him collapsed at his doorstep as a Deku scrub.

"You need to see Koume, eh?" he asked.

"Yes," Link responded. "Is there anyway I can get up there?"

"Yeah." He disappeared for a moment, returning with a rope ladder in his arms. He tossed it over the edge, allowing it to unravel before Link. The man didn't hold onto its other end, so Link assumed it was nailed down to the platform's top. It swung back and forth as he climbed upward. "A wolfos tore it to pieces the other day, so we keep it rolled up here. We had a Deku scrub running up trying to get away from one. The poor thing probably died, unless Kotake found a way to heal it."

"Darn those pesky Deku scrubs," Link heard Tatl say. He climbed onto the platform and met the man who'd let down the ladder. His fairy was just beside him.

"I'm the guide for this tourist center," he said, scooping up the ladder. "Koume deals with the boat rides. You can go in and talk to her about it, mate."

"Thanks," Link said, as he walked by him and entered the hut. It was about the same size as Kotake's, except the counter was off to the left instead of in the middle. An open window revealed a backroom on the far wall. Koume stood behind it, head in her hand and elbow on the sill. She perked up at their appearance.

"Look who it is!" Koume exclaimed. "Come over here, and we'll talk about that boat ride your fairy mentioned. I owe you one after you... well, I wouldn't say you saved me, exactly, but you did find me so that Kotake could do the rescuing."

Link approached the window and ignored her insult. "The boat goes past the Deku Palace then?"

"Of course it does," Koume answered. She bent out of sight and returned with something in her hands. "But before you go, I'm required to give you this." The witch placed a small wooden box on the windowsill. It was thick and had a cylindrical lens protruding from one side.

"What is it?" Tatl asked, as Link picked it up and turned it over.

"A pictograph box," Koume said. "You see, this building is the Swamp Tourist Center, and we like to do something different each week. Usually this is when we have the most tourists, so we host a photograph contest. But, seeing how the moon is all scary looking and there are monsters everywhere, our plan kind of failed. You're our first participant."

"I don't know," Link said skeptically. The pictograph box would be rather heavy and bulky in his bag. "I have to carry everything with me, and we're going to be traveling a lot."

"I insist," Koume said. "It'll make up for you burning down half the forest and almost killing us. I have hundreds of these things in the back." Tatl almost spoke out against it, but the witch continued before she could. "Go outside and ask the big man to set the boat up for you. You'll be steering it on your own."

Link paddled the small boat smoothly across the water's surface. The day was still young and clear, though he found himself staring at the moon for most of his journey. It was facing the swamp. Its eyes – the eyes of the mask – bore down on him as they had in Clock Town. He wondered if those eyes defied even time, somehow seeing beyond their three-day cycles. What's happening with the pirates will be nothing compared to what the moon does, Link thought. Everyone he'd ever interacted with in Termina would be dead. The eyes of the moon showed no remorse, only ever-staring with some great, dark wisdom behind their cold demeanor.

"Link, are you going to steer the boat?" Tatl asked.

Link turned away from the moon, blinking the trance away. He'd been slowly drifting toward the bank. Link redirected the boat into the swampy stream, leaving the Swamp Tourist Center behind. The sail-less rowing boat was rather small in width and hardly large enough for one person. The fairy flew alongside as he guided the vessel toward the poisonous waters.

"Sorry about that," Link said. "I just can't help but think of the Skull Kid's mask every time I look at the moon."

"Yeah, I can hardly tell the difference between the two," Tatl said sarcastically.

"So, this might be a good time to tell you that I saw a massive creature swimming around in the pond we're going to."

"Um. What do you mean by 'massive creature?'"

"It might be friendly..."

"Yeah, because we have a lot of luck running into friendly creatures."

"It might not even be there anymore," Link said. "I told you so you'd be prepared."

"Thanks Link. Glad I can always count on you for a heads up."

Link made sure to be prepared himself, keeping his equipment nearby as he rowed. Within a few minutes, the pond surrounded by rocky cliffs came into view. The forest on either side disappeared along with the banks. Link pulled the paddles back toward him one more time, and then the boat passed over murky-green and into the still, purple poison. Link feared for only a moment that the water might disintegrate even the boat, but it didn't. Its wooden material clearly wasn't as vulnerable as human skin.

As if in response to the thought, his right hand suddenly screamed in pain. Link drew it back to see a strip of his flesh now gnarled and red. Without thinking, he'd kept paddling like normal, and a droplet of water had splashed onto him. Then he realized he'd let go of the paddle in shock, turning to see it already drifting away.

"Link!" Tatl exclaimed. "Look what you did!"

The boat drifted closer to the mushrooms, and Link attempted to use his only paddle to push them to the cave wall. He only ended up spinning the boat, sending them closer to the fungi. The three mushrooms were grouped together; their surfaces were flat and more spacious than even his boat. Not the worst place to end up, Link decided. He accepted their fate and laid down his remaining paddle. He cradled his raw right hand as they drifted.

"What in the name of Nayru made you decide to dip your hand in that water?" Tatl asked.

"I didn't dip my hand in," Link said. "I accidentally splashed it. That's all."

"You've gotta be more careful than that."

"I was actually thinking about how the boat is immune. Maybe there's a way I could get across on my own." He eyed the wooden tree trunk, which sat just in between the mushrooms and the cave.

"Did you figure out how to turn into a piece of wood, Link?" Tatl asked.

As the boat bumped into the mushrooms, he carefully got to his feet. Losing his balance would be fatal. "No," Link answered. "But I can turn into a Deku scrub."

Tatl didn't seem convinced. "But you'd sink right to the bottom, wouldn't you?"

Then he saw it: the dark shape, moving beneath the poisonous pond. "Tatl, get away from the water."

The fairy noted his urgency and immediately spun around. Link stood, frozen in an awkward, half-standing position, and he watched as the crown of the beast's head emerged from the water. It swam straight toward them.

"It's the thing you saw!" Tatl exclaimed. She flew over to the mushrooms as Link scrambled to the boat's far end. His erratic movement caused the vessel to spin in the wrong direction – away from the mushrooms and toward the creature.

The beast remained mostly submerge, wrapping two long, purple tentacles around the boat. One grabbed Link's foot just before he could leap for safety. His face came an inch from plunging into the poison as his chest slammed into the boat's rim. The tentacle started dragging him across the boat back toward itself.

Link pulled his sword from his scabbard, turned over onto his back, and slashed through the tentacle holding him. A gurgled shriek could be heard beneath the pond as the severed arm flopped into the boat. The vessel rocked dangerously, but Link paid no heed to that, already returning to his feet. Droplets of the poison water freckled Link's legs as he ran, stinging him with a fiery bee's fury. He leapt. The mushrooms offered safety mere feet away. Behind him, the creature hoisted its entire body atop the boat.

Link barely landed on the mushroom's squishy surface, pulling himself up without touching the water. He turned to face the beast, sword readied and Tatl at his side. The creature ripped his boat to shreds with its remaining three tentacles. The creature was an octo – and a big one, at that. Its skin was squishy and purple, and a large, flimsy snout protruded underneath its glowing, green eyes. Its head's hard, white, spiky top glistened with poison water, clearly immune to its burning powers.

Link tread carefully on the shroom's slick, fleshy surface. The big octo tossed the damaged boat aside and brought up a tentacle to smack Link from afar. The hero met it with his sword, though he only managed a gash instead of cutting it off. The octo roared in terror again, looking away from the wound to Link with wild eyes. Link took the chance to ground himself, planting his feet firmly and steadily on the fungus.

Unexpectedly, the octo filed a projectile. A round, white ball flew from its snout, and Link only had time to widen his eyes in shock. It slammed into his stomach and shattered, though its force still sent him airborne. Thankfully, he landed on the mushroom behind him, but he'd been disarmed. His sword remained lying on the first mushroom, only inches away from sliding into the water.

Tatl flew swiftly to his side. "Get to your feet and get your shield out! It's coming back!"

"No, I'm not using my shield," Link said, as the octo rounded the mushroom to fire again. Just as it launched another ball, Link pulled the Deku mask from his bag and put it against his face.

Unlike on the clock tower, the change was instantaneous. There was hardly time to blink before he was no longer a human. Link was once again in oversized clothes; they appeared exactly as they had when the wolfos attacked him: bootless, a hole with black scorch marks at his chest, and no sword and shield on his back. The bag had also disappeared, but his hat had returned. When Kotake removed the mask, the mask salesman's magic must have saved his physical condition and apparel for the next time he wore it – effectively duplicating the clothes on his person. Thankfully, the ill effects of the scar were still gone. Though he once again had wooden-textured skin, glowing orange eyes, and a snout. The octo's white ball flew right over his shorter head.

Link fired a projectile of his own, jumping toward the purple water and leaping out of his oversized tunic. His green bubble whizzed swiftly into the octo. Link's Deku feet hopped across the water's surface, just like in the sewers. He skipped three times before landing on the mushroom with his sword. The octo, meanwhile, shrieked in anger yet again now that it was covered in green goop.

Link summoned a bigger, stronger bubble next, taking advantage of the octo's temper tantrum. In moments, the beast had another reason to scream, and it fled in confusion and agony, disappearing beneath the purple water.

Content with his victory, Link looked down to examine his Deku scrub body again.

"What was that?" Tatl asked, flying over to join him again. "Since when can you walk on water and turn into a Deku scrub instantly?"

"Ee-ack," Link coughed, clearing his throat and remembering to talk correctly for his form. "I've been able to hop on water for a while now. The instant transformation thing I kind of gambled."

"Well, look what it did! You even have your hat back, Link. Congratulations. You're a dweeb again."

Chapter Text

Soot fell lightly from the burning walls, and the embers popped and crackled. She struggled to restrain her coughing as heavy smoke filled her chest, though it made her eyes water.

The imp floated over the sprawling throne room. Purple fire burned like a dark beacon behind him. He stared at the middle-aged woman, who knelt on the floor before him and trembled terribly. Long, red hair covered wide, fearful eyes. She refused to meet the dark mask's stare, keeping them on the ground instead. But I can feel them cutting right through me, she thought.

She finally obeyed his order. The woman fought to keep her arm steady as she pointed off to her right, at a large fish tank against the wall.

The Skull Kid rose his arm toward the aquarium, and when the imp closed his fist, the glass shattered. Water spilled onto the floor, bringing with it a clam-like creature with sharp, pointy spikes and a large, blue-green egg. The soft egg didn't roll far before it stopped with a wet thud. The clam flung itself across the room, dying in the open air. The Skull Kid flicked his hand out again, and the egg's innards exploded outward. Now, only lifeless muck oozed through the spilled water.

The imp turned back to the woman, who immediately brought her eyes from the shattered tank back to the floor. "Please," she stammered. "You've destroyed the eggs. Let me live."

"Why should I?" the Skull Kid asked coldly. He remained floating, arms across his chest.

"We didn't do anything wrong!" she exclaimed, finally looking up to show her tears. She was unable to hide her shallow breathing as she talked through the smog. "We did what you said. We got the eggs so we could find the treasure at the temple and split it with you! We didn't do anything against the deal!"

"You only found four of them, Aveil," the imp said, calm despite the open purple flames and her cowering. He doesn't care, Aveil thought. He doesn't care about anything. The pirate lord of the fortress had been reduced to a begging, sniveling girl, but it was either that or die. Fear had replaced pride. "Besides, there was never treasure at the temple. I wanted you to find all the eggs so I could destroy them. I lied to you."

The words were a blow to her stomach. Aveil squeezed her eyes shut to withhold a reaction. "But why did you have to kill us all?" she asked, weaponless and defeated. "We would've cooperated."

The Skull Kid looked away, as if not sure how to reply. "Have you seen the moon recently?"

Aveil averted her eyes, gulping. He's going to kill me. She couldn't stop trembling; her mind was frantic as she spoke carefully. "Yes."

"Have you noticed anything different about it?"

She continued to shake, closing her eyes again as she answered. "Yes."

The Skull Kid wouldn't look away. "And what's different about it?"

"... I don't..."

"What's different about it, Aveil?"

"It's... bigger...?" she stammered.

"Bigger?" the Skull Kid mocked. His childish laugh had no warmth. The darkness was thick on his tongue. "It's closer! Not bigger! I'm going to slam it into the clock tower tonight and kill everyone in Termina!" The imp stopped abruptly, as if surprised by a sudden thought.

"Why?" Aveil screamed. "Why would you do something like that?"

The Skull Kid didn't answer, still distracted by some idea. He turned around to face the fire, leaving his back to the pirate. Her eyes darted to the left, where a sword lay on the floor a few feet away. Her breath caught in her throat. Aveil silently crept in its direction.

"That ocarina," the Skull Kid said aloud. Aveil froze, but the imp still hadn't turned. He continued speaking to the fire itself. "Where are they?" Aveil crept for the blade, using years of stealth training as her guide. There was blood already on the weapon's point.

Aveil held her breath when she leapt for the sword. The Skull Kid turned around as her hand circled the handle. "If they..." He stopped short when he saw Aveil's newly reclaimed blade lunging for his face.

The pirate screamed as she attacked. It was a battle cry; it was her last hope for survival.

The imp threw his arms upward, bringing a wave of purple fire with him. It stopped the blade before it touched the mask, sending Aveil hurtling across the room. The pirate collapsed, defenseless yet again.

Aveil screamed, sprawled out in defeat. She gritted her teeth as she lifted her sword arm. It was scorched black and red, twisting with white-hot pain. The Skull Kid glided across the floor to reach her. He cocked his head to the side, as if curious. "Why?" she screeched again, holding up her burnt hand to protect herself.

"Because," he said. "It's fun." He moved his arms in a circle, preparing a spell. Aveil's eyes widened in horror.

The lightning's shadow zapped across the wall as it soared. A high-pitched wail filled the space between his fingertip and his target.

Her scream was cut short.

Deku Link hopped his last hop across the purple water. He landed on a grassy shore on the cave's other side. As he pulled his feet out of the swamp, he noted the only other landmark beside him: a wooden dock.

"You know, it's too bad we didn't get to leisurely sail here," Tatl said, flying next to Link. "We always have to do things the hard way, don't we?"

The poisonous water continued past the dock in a wide stream bordered by rock walls and grass. Tall trees grew from the water; their tops formed large, red, circular platforms instead of leaves, appearing as squishy as the mushrooms. Lily pads and other poison-immune wildlife floated along the water. However, this area's grandest feature was further up the grassy shore from the dock. On the distant rockface, a fortress wall broke the stone with crude wood. It stretched high and offered a doorway at its base, promising to reach beyond this swampy enclosure.

Tatl directed him that way. "I believe the Deku Palace is through that doorway, Mr. Deku baby."

Link made sure his hat was secure on his blonde head, but he realized there were no other clothes to fix. "This doesn't feel right," Link squeaked, observing his wooden body. "I can't go in without clothes on."

He'd jumped out of his over-sized tunic and boots mid-battle, so they wouldn't weigh him down. They likely had disintegrated immediately in the purple water. "You have a hat on!" Tatl reminded him, though Link wasn't amused. "Deku scrubs don't wear clothes anyways, Link. I was going to suggest hiding your hat before you went in."

"Deku scrubs are supposed to have a skirt of leaves!"

"Young ones don't have skirts yet," Tatl said. "And besides, now that you've given me the... opportunity... to see a naked Deku scrub, I can see there's nothing scandalous to even hide with clothes. Humans are among the few with all that nasty stuff."

Link scoffed. "Fine, Tatl. I'll take the hat off. It still feels weird going into a palace without clothes on."

"Welcome to not being a human!" Tatl said.

An idea came to Link as he held his hat uncertainly. He set it and his sword on the grass and then backed away from both. He then grabbed his face where he thought the mask should be.

"What're you doing?" Tatl asked.

"I want to see if my human form is exactly like I left it," Link said. "My Deku form still somehow had my damaged tunic and my hat. If I take my mask off, maybe my fixed tunic and bag will come back. Which would mean all these different forms save whatever outfit I was last wearing. And if that's true, I might be able to hide stuff in each form."

"That's, uh, really confusing Link, but I think I get what you're saying. I just hope you're right about still having clothes on when you turn back into a human."

"I'm hoping my sword and hat won't disappear since I'm not touching them. Maybe that's the trick to all this."

"I guess there's only one way to find out."

"I'm not sure how to actually take it off," Link said, still grabbing the edges of his face. "How'd Kotake do it?"

"Well, she sort of poured a bunch of potions on you and rubbed your face until the mask fell off. It was a little creepy, but you were dying, so I wasn't about to complain."

"I don't have any potions though," Link said, frustrated as he continued to search for the mask.

"Maybe you have to visualize it," Tatl said. "You know... be the mask."

The fairy blinked, and suddenly, a fully clothed, blonde-haired boy replaced the naked Deku scrub in front of her. His repaired green tunic, bag, shield, boots, and scabbard had all returned, too. The Deku mask was in his hand, successfully removed. His sword and hat had not vanished with his Deku form, as predicted; they remained resting on the grass at his feet.

"It worked!" Link exclaimed, picking up his sword and sliding it into his scabbard. He smiled as he pulled his hat back over his untidy hair.

"Don't get too excited. You have to be a Deku head again, remember? The monkeys said only scrubs are allowed inside, and you promised me you wouldn't slaughter them all."

Link sighed, holding the Deku mask. "I don't like being near the poison water as a human anyways," Link said, looking at the burns on his right hand. He slipped the mask back over his face, and he instantly transformed into a naked Deku scrub again. All his possessions had vanished once more, this time including his sword and hat.

"Guess that means your tunic with the scorch mark is gone forever, huh?" Tatl said.

"Yeah," Deku Link said. "Looks like duplicating my clothes was only a one-time thing."

"Interesting," Tatl said. "It's too bad that mask didn't duplicate your ocarina or your sword. That could've been really handy. What is it with magic being so unpredictable and unhelpful?"

"Hey, I still think it's pretty cool that I can hide anything I want in my different forms," Link said, heading up the slope and through the fortress wall's doorway. "So I won't complain."

"What if we fly into the sky, and you touch the moon while you put your Deku mask on? Might save us a lot of time if we could just hide the apocalypse in a magic mask."

Link shook his head. "It's too big. And besides, what if I accidentally duplicated it like I duplicated my clothes?"

"Touché, naked baby."

On the wall's other side, the grass ended at a massive purple pond. It wrapped around a fortress on the opposite end and acted as a moat. The fortress bore similar tall, wooden walls to the one behind them, completely hiding the palace. The pond, moat, and fortress were enclosed by sheer, rocky walls acting as a second level of fortification. Many thin, wooden bridges led from the grass, across the moat, and to the palace entrance. The bridge floated, tied down on either end to prevent it from drifting away.

"So what's the plan here, exactly?" Tatl asked.

"I'm not sure," Link said. "Look for the monkey?"

"How surprising," Tatl said sarcastically. "This sounds extremely familiar to your last plan. You know, roam around aimlessly until we find Koume?"

"We found her, didn't we?" Link said, smiling up at her.

"I hate you sometimes, Link," Tatl said, leading the way over the bridge. Link followed behind, noticing the wooden planks dip into the water with his weight. This would not go over well as a human, he thought. The sun continued its journey across the sky; there would not be another one before the moon fell.

They soon reached the tall entrance between the fortress walls. Two Deku flowers blocked the path inside; an adult Deku scrub hopped out of each one as they approached. They had leaves on their heads instead of hair, and Link was positive they had skirts on. Though, it was hard to tell with their lower halves remaining in their flowers.

Neither one of them spoke or moved to let them pass. Their orange eyes stared threatening in place of speech.

"Uhh," Link stammered. "Hi?" He suddenly wondered if baby Deku scrubs and fairies were forbidden from entering.

"This is the palace of the Deku Kingdom," the one on Link's right said. "Only those on official business may enter. So what errand does a naked child such as yourself have here?"

"Uh."

"Remember what the king said?" the Deku scrub on the left interrupted. His interjection was acknowledged with a glance before the first one turned back to Link.

"Right. You may enter to see the public humiliation of the foolish monkey who angered our king. Follow this hall straight to the Royal Chamber. Do not enter any other areas whatsoever!" Then they both disappeared into their flowers, allowing Link to step over them into the palace.

"See?" Link squeaked, looking up at Tatl. "Easy."

Tatl whispered back in response. "Yeah, but something tells me it's not Let-Any-Peasant-Off-the-Street-Take-a-Monkey Day. Rescuing him won't be as easy."

"We'll figure something out," Link whispered back.

Beyond the entrance, a narrow passageway led to a cave. Tall, fortress walls guided them that way, broken only by two small doors. They obeyed the guards' instructions and ignored those doors. Instead, they walked straight into the cavern at the dead end ahead.

The palace chamber within was vast. The walls and ceiling were dark stone, and the floor was packed dirt. On the other side of the room sat a dais with an elaborately decorated wooden chair. The six Deku scrubs in the room all immediately looked up to spot them.

One of them sat in the fancy chair, and he was just as massive as his furniture. He had a bulbous, flower-like head, and his arms were draped with vines. A staff topped with a flower rested in one of his hands. To the right of the regal Deku scrub stood a tall, slim one with a green handlebar mustache. On either side, two ramps were guarded by ordinary Deku scrubs with spears. A firepit sat in the center of the room, crackling wildly with life.

The guards quickly lost interest in Link and Tatl. They resumed dancing in place, and the regal Deku scrub continued basking in the worship. The mustached one's expression quickly drooped with annoyance at the young, blonde-haired scrub.

Off to the left, there was a cage. It was a massive prison on a raised platform; wooden bars crisscrossed to prevent any from entering. A tall, wooden pole within the bars ran from the ceiling to the floor, and it had a monkey tied securely to it. His feet dangled, struggling furiously at the ropes binding him. That has to be our monkey, Link thought. He went that way first, remembering that he'd been given permission to witness his torture. The mustached Deku scrub watched them from afar.

The small, white creature continued kicking his legs and feet, but he stopped once he heard the fairy's twinkle. The monkey's eyes only lingered on Tatl for a moment, and then he found the Deku scrub accompanying her. "Get away from me," the monkey said, speaking much more articulately than his brothers.

"Excuse me?" Tatl replied.

Link quickly intervened before things got ugly. "We're here to help," he whispered.

"Sure," the monkey said, trailing off. "That's what the others said before they started throwing rocks at me."

"Your brothers sent us though!" Link said, wondering how far his high-pitched voice traveled. The monkey's ears perked up. "You took the princess to the temple, and..." The monkey rolled his eyes, struggling against the ropes again.

"Just shut up!" the monkey screamed, resuming his furious kicking.

"No, you shut up!" Tatl said under her breath. The bars were too close together for even herself to fit through.

"No, no, no!" the monkey said. "They keep saying that I kidnapped her. No matter how many times they say it, it's not going to bring the princess back! If they're not careful, the princess will fall victim to a monster!"

Before Link could respond, a guard grabbed him from behind. The surprise attack successfully grappled him, and he couldn't break free. Link surrendered as the guard dragged him away from the bars. He watched the monkey fade further away; the primate simply hung his head in defeat.

Tatl followed as the guard tossed Link at the regal Deku scrub's feet. The flower-headed scrub now stood from his chair, displaying the full might of his awesome, mighty stature. He bent closer to the child. "I haven't seen your face before," the large Deku scrub boomed. The king, Link decided. "Are you visiting?"

Link nodded, getting to his feet as Tatl flew beside him.

The Deku King continued. "Usually, I don't allow the likes of you in my Royal Chamber, but today is different! We're about to punish the foolish monkey who kidnapped the Deku princess." He looked up at the ceiling with a large smile, likely relishing in his vision for the punishment to come.

"How do you even know he did it?" Tatl asked.

When he turned from the ceiling, his smile was gone. "He has insulted this Royal Family," the Deku King said. "I'll show him what happens when you do that!" He dismissed the fairy and pointed his staff at Link's face. "And you! Stop talking with the monkey and start harassing him. Take some rocks from the fire pits if you must, but he will suffer! You will not show him any kindness as long as you are in my chamber."

"I bet you didn't even give the monkey a chance to prove himself!" Tatl said.

"Silence!" the Deku King yelled. "Only Deku may speak in this palace!"

"But..."

"If you are not here to harass the monkey, then begone!"

The fairy opened her mouth to continue, but the tall, mustached Deku scrub stepped forward before she could. His wooden skin appeared frail and elderly compared to the others. "I'm sorry, ma'am," he said softly. "But his beloved princess is missing."

The monarch narrowed his eyes at his servant's intervention. "You deal with these miscreants, Butler. I do not have time for them." The butler nodded, guiding Link and Tatl off to the side of the dais. The Deku King resumed waving his staff in anger at the monkey, simultaneously basking in the glory of his dancing guards.

"I apologize," the butler said. "His temper's only gotten worse since she went missing."

"We already knew she was missing," Tatl said. "We want to find a way to stop the monkey's execution. He's innocent. We either have to prove that or break him out."

The butler hardly paid any attention to her words. Instead, his eyes seemed to have noticed something about Link for the first time; he stood transfixed by the young, blonde scrub.

"Um, hello?" Tatl said. "You are more reasonable than your king, aren't you? Or do you think the monkey's guilty too?"

The butler eventually tore his eyes away from Link. "I'm terribly sorry," he said. "Your friend over here seems familiar to me. I... " Link only furrowed his brow in confusion, so the tall Deku scrub sighed and dropped the matter. "I don't know if that monkey is guilty or not, but that isn't our top priority. I fear the princess may be in trouble, just as that monkey claims. But in his current state, the king can't even send troops out to look for her."

"So what are we going to do about it?" Tatl asked.

"I'm not sure there's anything we can do," the butler said. "I'm afraid our king will not listen to reason. We must hope the monkey outlives the king's temper."

"We're just going to sit here and hope he changes his mind?" Tatl asked, raising her voice. Link looked to see if the king had noticed, and he had. His expression was an angry warning thrown in their direction.

"I'm going to sit here and hope he changes his mind," the butler said. "I'm just an old servant, after all."

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Tatl asked.

"I'm not sure."

"Was the princess last seen at the temple?" Link said, looking up at the butler curiously.

The butler seemed nervous to reply, but eventually he did. "Yes, she was. We assume her and the young monkey went there together. The young princess likely went to investigate the source of the swamp's poisoning. Her father wouldn't let her leave the palace, but one morning, the guards found her missing from her bed. When guards finally made it to the temple, there was only the one monkey. He claimed she'd been kidnapped."

"So they just assumed the other monkeys kidnapped her?" Tatl asked.

"That about sums it up, yes."

"Where is the temple?" Link asked.

Tatl instantly spun to face Link. "Link! You promised me we wouldn't go in any temples."

Link only felt a tinge of guilt, but it seemed to be their only option. "We'll be fine, Tatl."

"It's outside of the palace," the butler said. "You must have passed it on your way here. There's a cave along the outer wall with a Deku flower underneath. If you go through there and hop along the red trees, you should find it. But one cannot enter unless they are a member of the Royal Family, I'm sorry to say."

"That's okay," Link said. "We'll find a way. Thank you for helping us."

"It was my pleasure," the butler said, bowing slightly. "Take caution in whatever rescue mission you may attempt."

"I will," Link said, following the path around the fire toward the exit.

"What are you doing?" Tatl asked, furious as she followed Link. "We can't go to the temple. You said you wouldn't! And besides, it's like he said, only a member of the Royal Family can enter."

"I'll try not to go inside of the temple, Tatl," Link reassured her. "Let's at least look around it."

"Oh, I don't trust you. I know we'll end up in there, trapped in some horrible predicament that will get us almost killed. I, for one, will not be…"

The Deku King's booming voice interrupted her from across the room. "Are you leaving without harassing the monkey?" The fairy and Deku scrub had made it halfway around the fire pit, but they both stopped in reply.

"Um," Tatl stammered, turning to face the monarch. Link, however, kept his back to the king.

"Not you, pixie ball," the king said. "I already told you that your kind aren't welcome here. I'm talking to your friend. You came here. You need to throw something at the monkey."

Link turned around slowly. His orange eyes met the king's narrowed ones from across the fire pit. The flames blazed between them, growing tall enough to almost scrape the ceiling. Link looked off to his left at the monkey; the prisoner stared wide-eyed from the pole, pleading silently for mercy. For the first time, Link noticed the dried blood on his ropes and the bruises along his arms.

Link took a step forward, aware of all the guards watching too. He didn't say anything, mind racing as he considered his options.

"What's the matter?" the Deku King asked. "Are you friends with this monkey? Do you, perhaps, have an ulterior motive? Did you come here so you could find out where he was... to help him?"

"I was just leaving," Link said, hardly audible to the monarch across the room.

"You didn't answer my question," the king said. The guards no longer danced, standing ready and stone-faced. "Do I have to arrest you too?"

He felt blood rush to his face. "I didn't mean to... I came... I don't know the monkey... I wanted..." Words continued eluding him.

"Just wanted to-?" the Deku King mocked, slamming his staff into the chair and leaping from it. "Guards! Arre-!"

"Sire!" The king was cut short, and his wrathful eyes found the butler beside his chair.

"Butler?" the king said, standing tall over his servant. "Why did you interrupt me?"

"Because he's a child," the butler said, maintaining eye contact with his master. "I'm positive he had no intentions of freeing the monkey. He probably didn't even know you had a prisoner on display. He's a commoner. He likely wandered in, like any curious child would... sir."

The king waited, his eyes intense upon the butler. Guards, monkeys, scrubs, and fairies – all eyes were upon the dais. The tall, thin Deku scrub never averted his gaze.

"Fine," the king said, returning to his chair. "Never return to my chamber again, foolish child, and you may walk free." Link nodded immediately, taking one step backward and looking at the butler. Some secret was hidden behind those eyes, but he wasn't sure of its nature. And then there was the monkey, his gaze hopeful that these might, in fact, be his rescuers.

Link left the chamber in its deathly silence, and the fairy followed.

"That was close!" Tatl exclaimed. They were once again in the hallway bordered by tall fortress walls, open to the sky with grass at their feet. "I thought you'd have to take off your mask and fight."

"I actually forgot I can change back now," Link admitted. "I'm so used to being stuck as a Deku scrub."

"Well, you can, thanks to the mask salesman."

"I should probably stay a Deku scrub as long as I can while I'm here, though. The swamp doesn't seem all that kind to humans."

"Hey... isn't that...?" Tatl trailed off. Link turned to follow her finger, his eyes squinting in the sunlight peaking over the fortress walls.

A small white creature climbed down the wooden barrier toward them, swiftly and silently. They landed in front of Link and Tatl, likely sneaking past the guards at the palace entrance. The monkey beamed as they bounced up and down; Link recognized them as one of the other three. "What are you doing here?" Tatl whispered. "If you could climb in here whenever you wanted, why'd didn't you free your brother?"

"No can untie brother without be seen," the monkey said, their smiling fading as they scratched their head.

"Well, I guess that makes sense," Tatl said. "You know, I was surprised your brother actually knew how to talk. It's a pity he's the one who got captured."

"Was my brother all right?" the monkey asked, either ignoring Tatl's sarcasm or not understanding it.

"Yeah, yeah, your brother was fine," Tatl answered. "He's hanging in there."

"Did you see entrance to cage?" the monkey asked, cocking their head to the side.

"It's barred. There's no way in."

"No, no. Entrance to cage!"

"Yes, entrance to cage. There are thick bars stopping anyone from getting in."

"Do you mean another entrance?" Link squeaked.

The monkey nodded in excitement. "We know secret route there. Enter secret route from Outer Garden entrance. But entrance in tall place. No can reach it. Need bean from bean seller. Live beneath palace garden."

"You're saying there's a bean that'll take me up high so I can reach the secret entrance?"

The monkey nodded again.

"How's a bean supposed to do that?" Tatl asked. "And where'd you say this bean seller was?"

"Beneath palace garden," the monkey repeated.

"And how are we supposed to get there?"

"Sneak through garden and palace until reach cave. Bean seller in there." The monkey pointed behind them to the doorway on the left fortress wall.

"Wait a minute," Tatl said. "You're telling me that we have to sneak by a bunch of Deku scrubs, find this cave you're talking about, and climb underneath the garden?" The monkey, yet again, nodded. "Why would anyone want to sell beans there? He can't be getting much business!"

"Me go now," the monkey said. "You understand my meaning?"

"I think so," Link answered. "Where's the secret entrance, once we have the bean?"

"On outside palace walls," the monkey explained, as they jumped back on the fortress wall. "Hop across purple water to side of palace." The monkey scurried away from them back toward the sky.

"Got it," Link said, even as the monkey was already out of earshot.

"You know, a 'thank you' would be nice every once in a while," Tatl grumbled as she turned to Link. "Are you sure you want to do this, Deku head? It sounds like it's dangerous and a lot of work, and something tells me we're not any closer to finding one of 'the four'."

"The monkey could be one of them," Link said. "Or the princess."

"I hope it's not the princess. The king wouldn't be very happy if we found his daughter, only to actually kidnap her." Link didn't have a response, taking a few steps closer to the doorway and looking back at Tatl. "Okay, for the millionth time, I'm going to suggest that we go get Kotake and Koume and return to the mask salesman."

"And for the millionth time," Link said, "I'm going to remind you that it doesn't matter how long it takes us to get Koume and Kotake. As long as we do it before this day is over, they'll still be there before the moon falls. We have the rest of this day in Woodfall, so we should use it to explore. Koume, Kotake, and the mask salesman aren't going anywhere. I don't want to waste the rest of this day by calling it quits now."

"It's the safe thing to do, Link," Tatl reminded him. "Besides, your visions of the Skull Kid kind of scared me. What if we run into him?"

"We won't run into him. The Skull Kid is at the top of the clock, remember? And he doesn't remember anything. As far as he knows, he hasn't seen us since he cursed me into a Deku scrub."

"He wasn't on top of the tower in your visions."

"That's because I had those on the second day. We only know that he's at the top of the tower by the final day."

"Okay, okay, if you say so, Link," Tatl finally gave in. "I'll trust you this one last time, okay? Every other time you've convinced me to do something, it's turned out bad."

"This time's different," Link said, giving his most innocent look.

"Yeah, like you've never said that before," the fairy said, rolling her eyes. "Come on, let's go find the magical beans."

The sun had almost reached its zenith, shining fiercely on the remaining inhabitants of Clock Town. Most had left; the streets were empty, save for the few who dared challenging the moon's authority. The Skull Kid watched everything while standing atop the city's western wall, observing the district's sloping walkway. He saw no one except for the teller at the banking stall, who was too busy counting rupees to notice the masked imp staring at him.

"They're not here," the Skull Kid said softly. "Where are they?"

Search the town.

But where would they go? the imp thought. "They have no friends here."

They rest in the hotel. Go there.

The Skull Kid smiled behind the mask. He lifted off the town wall and flew above South Clock Town. The carpenters paid no attention as he glided to the eastern district.

Anju looked sadly at the mess on her desk. She folded papers to pack them away, put them in drawers, or merely drop them in a waste bin. Her short, red hair was well-kept, as was her blue skirt and vest, but she didn't feel that way as she emptied the front desk. I feel alone, she thought. She lifted Kafei's letter and read it yet again. The words hadn't changed, and her love wasn't any closer. I need a break, she told herself. She left to follow the hallway behind her desk. Make some soup. Clear my head.

Anju wiped the fatigue from her eyes as she rounded the corner to go upstairs, but she froze halfway. The lobby was in view again, and a stranger stood in the middle of it.

He was a small child with frayed clothing and a tall hat. The mask hiding his face stood out the most. It was heart-shaped and mostly purple. Two spikes came from the top, acting almost like horns. Its eyes were the oddest part, though: two orange orbs. The masked child merely stood in the middle of the lobby, staring at her.

Anju's body had instinctively stiffened in terror. Don't be silly, she thought, relaxing her stance. It's just a child. However, she hadn't heard the front door open or close, nor had she heard any steps on the carpeted floor. The child had appeared out of nowhere, and he hadn't said anything. Anju took a step toward him.

"Hello," she said. She knew that her mother hadn't returned with her grandmother; she was alone in the hotel.

The masked child did not respond. She took in a deep breath, trying to appear calm. "Welcome to the Stock Pot Inn. Do you... have a reservation?"

The masked child took several slow, soft steps across the green carpet. The eyes of the mask never left hers.

Anju took a step backward, putting her hand back on the railing. The imp stopped a few feet from her, neck craned back to meet her eyes. The two said nothing for what felt like an eternity. She found it hard to turn away from the mask.

"Have you seen a blonde child in a green tunic, with a fairy?" the child finally asked, in a voice not nearly as threatening as his stare.

Anju opened her mouth to answer, but she hadn't drawn enough breath to respond. She swallowed, parting her lips to try again. "No, I don't think I have. Are you looking for them? What's the boy's name?"

"I didn't say the child was a boy," the imp said immediately. His childish tone vanished. Anju's heart sank, and the fear bubbled deep within her, causing her fingers to tremble. Boy? she thought. Why did I assume a boy?

"I'm... sorry," she stammered. The mask wouldn't look away. "Is this person your friend? What's... uh... his or her name?"

Anju waited for a response, frozen in place otherwise. Go away. Please, just leave.

The masked child cocked his head to the side, as if curious. He lifted his hands, and Anju gasped.

But the child lowered his arms abruptly. "Wait. I remember now. I watched them. They left. Through the southern gate." And then the masked imp turned around, walked across the lobby, opened the door, and left. Anju couldn't move. She watched the closed door, as if expecting him to return.

Chapter Text

"How in Din's name are we gonna sneak past these two?" Tatl asked.

Link wasn't sure. He knelt on a patch of soft soil with Tatl just beside him, peering around an imposing fortress wall. He watched two Deku scrub guards – spears in hand – stand before a row of Deku flower buds. Each was at attention, their eyes intent on his hiding place. As if they're used to people sneaking around here, Link thought. Do people actually try stealing from this place?

"I'm not sure if we can," Link squeaked in his Deku voice. They'd already progressed through the first garden only to find another one. Rows of flower buds were surrounded by fortress barricades that scraped the sky.

"It'd help if it wasn't the middle of the day," Tatl said, looking up at the fierce sun uninhibited by clouds.

"Well, we don't have enough time to wait for night," Link said. "Maybe we should go back. There might be a path to the bean seller from the other garden."

"Or how about you wait here while I go do some distracting?"

"What?" Link said. "What do you mean by 'distracting?'"

"Flight, Deku head. I'll use the power of flight for the greater good while you run. Since – you know – you're stuck on the ground. Sound good?"

"Sure Tatl," Link said, rolling his eyes. "I'll make sure to open any doors we come across in return."

Tatl scoffed, for once left speechless as she flew around their hiding spot. Link scooted as close to the edge as he dared, bracing himself to run.

"Excuse me!" Tatl said to the two guards. They immediately spotted her. Tatl danced over the young Deku flowers, feigning an absent-minded, carefree flight path. "Do either of you know where the nearest fairy fountain is? I'm parched and don't feel like going all the way to Clock Town."

"You have no business here, fairy," one of the guards said, slamming his spear down dramatically. "Leave immediately." Both guards turned back to the wall hiding Link. Link tensed for only a moment before he realized he was still hidden.

"Please!" Tatl said, fluttering her wings innocently. "You wouldn't turn away a little fairy girl, would you?"

"I have no time for this," the guard said. "Go away."

"But I need your guidance, oh wise guard of the Deku Palace!" She flew right in front of his face, but the scrub pretended not to notice, adamantly looking at Link's hiding place.

"If you must know," he said, sighing but still refusing to look, "there's a fountain near the Woodfall temple. But the fairy there was attacked and can't help you. I'd go to Clock Town. I haven't heard anything bad about that one."

"Why thank you, kind sir!" Tatl exclaimed, flying behind them. She stopped when she reached the row of Deku flowers. "Oh my! What are these?"

The guard didn't grace her with an answer, and Tatl responded by pulling the weak roots of a bud loose. She tossed the plant aside, moving to the next flower and destroying it as well. The guard tried his best to ignore her, until he recognized the sound of tearing roots. He spun around, eyes filled with panic.

"Hey, step away from those!" the Deku scrub said, gesturing the other guard to follow him.

"I don't step! I fly!" Tatl continued uprooting baby Deku flowers, singing to herself as she wrecked mayhem on the garden. One guard swung his spear as soon as he was in range, but Tatl dodged it. Irritation was etched into his wooden face as the fairy blithely continued ripping out more flowers. The pile of dead plants only grew at her feet.

The next time the guard thrust his spear, irritation had been replaced with fury. His strike narrowly missed Tatl, but the guard did not yield as he slashed his weapon in all directions. The second guard joined in, trailing after the fairy that led them as far from Link as possible.

Link smiled. I can always count on her to be distracting. He wasted no time, running from his hiding spot and searching for the next. He found a doorway on the far fortress wall. The small room had a dirt floor instead of grass, and it blocked out all sunlight. Random plant matter and broken spears lay scattered about. Another doorway sat across the room, leading to more gardens.

Link waited in the room's cover for Tatl, and it wasn't all that long before she found him. "Jeez!" Tatl said, trying to catch her breath. "They're just a bunch of Deku flowers!"

"You did great. It's entertaining to watch you bother someone other than me."

"Glad I could help. Now come on, let's get back to sneaking. I'm not sure how much more distracting I have in me." Link nodded, walking to peak around the next doorway. The new garden had two more guards, though they faced the opposite direction this time. The far wall, however, wasn't a wooden fortress barrier; it was a rock face, obviously marking the end of the palace. At its base, where rock met grass, he saw a cave. The dark passage concealed whatever lay beyond.

"That has to be it!" Link said.

"Looks good enough to me. Should we sneak past these bozos before they turn around?"

"Halt!" Behind them, the two guards from earlier leveled their spears. The leader showed nothing but contempt in his narrowed eyes.

"Uh," Tatl stammered. "We were just leaving to go to that fairy fountain you mentioned."

"You're under arrest."

"Yeah, I figured. Link - time to run!" Link spun on his feet, fleeing for the cave, and the fairy followed.

Link could hear the guards' footsteps, which sounded faster than his own. Would it ruin everything if I took my mask off now? His human feet were quicker, but he didn't trust himself to take it off smoothly mid-pursuit.

"Stop him!" the front guard shouted, raising his spear to impale the intruders. In the next garden, the other authorities were quick to notice the commotion. They joined in and immediately outnumbered them.

"We're almost there, Deku boy! Just a few more little Deku steps!"

The two sets of guards threatened to intersect him before he reached the cave. Link leaned forward, running as fast as his small legs would allow. Their spears reared back to strike, but Link leapt for the cave's mouth before they could. He disappeared into the dark with his fairy, and all four guards slammed into one another, sending one lethal weapon to crunch through another scrub's leg. Disarmed and injured, they law sprawled at the cave's entrance.

Link rolled onto the rocky, moist floor, breaking his momentum but not escaping a few bumps. He struggled to his feet as Tatl joined him. "You okay?"

"I think so," he said, steadying himself.

They heard shouting outside. Link and Tatl found the garden brightly lit from here; the four Deku scrubs were already almost standing, ready to continue the chase.

"All right, no time to recuperate. Where do we go now?" Link looked around for an answer to Tatl's question. The cave appeared to have already ended, hardly branching out a few feet. "Maybe this was the wrong one?"

Link ran his hand along the wall and spotted an opening. "Over there. Light the way!" Tatl obeyed, revealing a slim crevice that exposed the cave's hidden path. Link followed her light, just as the guards caught him slipping into the hole.

"That way!" they shouted.

Link and Tatl ran through the narrow, curving passageway, which gradually sloped downward. Link's Deku feet disagreed with the jagged, slick floor, finding far too many cuts and slips. He stumbled once, but on the second time, he fell on his face.

"Come on, Link!" Tatl exclaimed, stopping as he got up. "Did you forget how to walk?"

"No!" Link said, ignoring his sore feet. "I don't have any boots on. This cave floor hurts."

"Then take off your mask," Tatl said. "They're too far behind to see."

Link followed her advice, though he kept jogging as he fumbled for the mask's edges. He heard the guards' metallic armor close behind, but he decided to risk being seen. In only a moment, his human feet returned, once again encased in comfortable boots. The soreness lingered from his scrub form, but the boots soothed the would-be bruises. The burn marks on his right hand and legs from his octo battle returned, but the pain was faint.

Not sure if I'm any faster this way, Link thought. While his body was stronger and more agile, his shield, sword, and bag had returned, the later of which now carried a bulky camera. All that weight adds up. Link stowed his mask away regardless as they rounded another corner.

Their journey through the cave grew darker and deeper, curving underneath the garden. The guards couldn't keep up. Eventually, the blonde teen slowed down as his fairy did, free from the chase's thrill. At that point, the cave took a sharp turn upwards. The surface must be close, he thought. Link climbed the steep slope as Tatl lit the way, rounding several stalagmites as he did.

"So, I guess that monkey actually knew what he was talking about," Tatl said, spotting a light at the end. "This probably takes us to the other side of the palace and back into the forest."

"Are you sure?" Link asked. He didn't fancy returning to the Woods of Mystery again. He remembered Koume's warning about the strange things people saw near Termina's borders. I'm not ready to see Zelda again, he thought.

"I don't know where else it could lead. That's all there is in the south: swamp and forest. I'm more of an ocean type myself. The west is where I can't wait to go."

"Maybe we'll go there next," Link said. As the light drew nearer, he dared to speak aloud another thought. "You don't think this will take us out of Termina, do you?"

"I hope not!" Tatl exclaimed. "What'd Koume say was out there? Darkness? That doesn't look like darkness to me."

"It can't be all darkness," Link said. "Hyrule's got to be out there eventually."

"Yeah, eventually," Tatl said, forcefully ending the conversation.

Several steps later, blinding sunlight replaced the dank cave. Their eyes adjusted to reveal long grass. It was a clearing; in a few feet, the trees started again, marking the forest's boundary. Behind Link and Tatl was the rock wall, continuing out of sight back the way they came. Someone else was there, sitting on a red-gold blanket only a few feet away.

The man rested at the clearing's edge. He was older than Link but still seemed young for an adult, legs crossed beside a brown sack. He wore only pants, boasting a large, pale stomach that hung over his waistline. He merely sat there, continuously reaching into the bag as this side and eating from it. He said nothing, failing to even acknowledge the boy and fairy who emerged from the cave.

"Hi," Link eventually said, stopping at a safe distance.

"Well," the man said, continuing to shovel away food as he talked, "you're the first customer I've had in a long time!"

The initial silence was broken only by the sound of crunchy snacks.

"I wouldn't doubt it," Tatl said. "Your shop is in a remote corner of the swamp outside of a cave."

"Oh, but I'm not always here," he said, as if that explained everything. The chewing made it difficult for Link to focus on his words. Can't he stop eating to have a conversation? "I travel. I've only been here for a few days, which is longer than usually. It's just so pretty. The monkeys were nice company too, but the moon is kind of scaring me. I'll probably leave Termina tonight."

"Uh-huh," Tatl said. "Nothing like vacationing in a swamp so you can talk to monkeys."

"Wait, are you from outside of Termina?" Link said.

"Sure," the man said, shifting. "I've hardly been here a week."

"What's it like?" Link asked, blue eyes wide with interest. "Across the border?" He wasn't so enraptured, however, to miss Tatl's uneasy look. She still doesn't like talking about this, he thought.

"It's beautiful!" the man exclaimed, finally putting down his snacks. He looked up and visualized with his hands. "A magnificent field of flowers, as far as the eye can see. So, so beautiful. It's one of the things I live for, sights like that. It's the main reason I travel as much as I do. So gorgeous."

"That's where the forest ends?" Link asked, skeptical. "A field of flowers?" The pale man nodded. "Did you hear that, Tatl? It's not darkness. It's flowers."

"I don't know," Tatl said, obviously doubtful. "With our luck, it's probably a field of killer flowers that suck your brains out."

Link looked at her, dumbfounded.

"They're not killer flowers," the pale man said peacefully. "They definitely are pretty, but they didn't take my brain."

"That's up for debate, monkey boy," Tatl said. "And I don't want you to get your hopes up, Link. Like Koume said, strange things happen in those areas. It may have appeared that way to him, but I'm not sure we'd find the same thing."

"What do you even mean by that?" Link asked, but the fairy didn't answer. "There's only one way to see what's really out there."

"No, no Link, we're not going into the forest again," Tatl said.

"There's no reason to be afraid. We've been through this forest before."

"Yes, we have! And your girlfriend caused you to set the forest on fire. Besides, we're saving the monkey and the princess, remember?"

"I thought you wanted to play the Song of Time and leave?" Link reminded her.

"Well, that was before you convinced me otherwise! But you're not convincing me to change plans again. You said we should put the rest of our day to use. Risking our lives trying to leave Termina doesn't sound like using our time wisely. 'The four' are in Termina, remember?"

Link didn't have a response, looking eagerly back to the forest. There was a moment of silence, in which the pale man started eating again. "So," he began, "do you need any magic beans? They sprout leaves as soon as you water them."

Link tried to focus on the pale man, hardly able to withhold his frustration at Tatl. Why can't she just agree to go through the forest? "That they do... they do...," the man said mysteriously, ignoring the tension between the fairy and boy.

"That's actually why we came here," Tatl said, clearly ignoring it as well. "So I guess I shouldn't critique your choice of locale. Clearly, you still attract customers. How many can we have?"

"How many can you pay for?" the salesman asked. "They're ten rupees a piece."

"Pay for?" Tatl said, taken back. She looked over at Link, who walked to stand beside her.

"I don't have any money," Link whispered to Tatl.

"Listen bub, I'm not paying a green rupee for those beans of yours!" the fairy said. The outburst surprised both Link and the pale man; the later put down his snacks and looked up at her, wide-eyed. "We almost got ourselves killed by Deku scrubs coming out here to find you. The monkey didn't say anything about paying for them, and we need them to save his brother! So, either you hand over the beans, or you can meet my friend here. He torched half the forest yesterday by shooting fire out of his hands, slayed a whole pack of wolfos with his sword, and can turn into a Deku scrub that shoots poison! So... what do you have to say to that?"

The salesman turned his astonished expression to Link, who merely stood there dumbfounded. "Did I mention I give all of my customers one free sample?" He pulled another item from his bag, but instead of eating it, he held it out on his open palm. A small, multicolored bean pod rested there.

"Why thank you!" Tatl said, allowing Link to step forward and take it.

"Try planting it in some soft soil," the salesman advised. "You can always buy more." Tatl glared at him again, which wiped the man's smile away. "You can plant them whenever you want, but if you don't water them, their leaves won't grow."

"Wait, what?" Tatl asked. "You don't happen to have any bottled water, do you?" She flew greedily to his other bags.

"Well," the bean seller said nervously.

"I'm not going to take that too," Link said, stepping past Tatl. He directed his attention to the man. "Sorry about her. She can be a little intense. I never would've attacked you."

"Hey!" Tatl exclaimed.

"That's all right," the pale man said, returning to his snack. "You aren't really going to torch, slay, or poison me?"

"Probably not," Link said. As he slipped the bean pod into his bag, he pulled out something else. "But I will ask to trade a bottle of water for this pictograph box. You could take a picture and savor any of your favorite sights. For later, whenever you find yourself in a dingy place like this again." He held it out, and the salesman examined it closely. "It'll make up for almost stealing the beans too."

"Well," the salesman said, considering, "all right. You've got a deal. Here, I'll even throw in two more beans." He pulled out the promised merchandise and offered it; the bottle was identical to the one he'd trapped Tatl in.

"Thank you very much," Link said, slipping the spare beans into his bag and holding onto the water. "And good luck on your travels."

"And you as well!" the bean salesman said, turning the pictograph box around in his hands.

"See?" Link said, walking away. "Not only did I get rid of Koume's clunky box, but I also got water and more beans. You don't have to violently manipulate everyone, Tatl."

"Yeah, whatever floats your boat," Tatl said under her breath. "I'm sticking to sarcasm and manipulation." She stopped flying when Link went back to the cave. "Wait, what are you doing?"

"Going back to the palace?"

"Through the cave that the guards chased us through?" Tatl asked. "They're probably guarding the other end expecting us to do that."

"How else are we going to get in?" Link asked. "The front door is not exactly an option anymore."

"Don't you remember what the monkey said? The secret entrance where we need the beans is outside of the palace. We won't be entering through anymore doors."

"Oh, yeah. I didn't think about that." Link turned away from the cave. "Should we keep following this rock wall until we reach the palace?"

"Sounds good to me, oh great and saintly hero." Tatl led the way, appearing happy that Termina's border was no longer a conversation topic. But I'm still thinking about it, Link knew. And he wouldn't stop until he had answers.

Shikashi adjusted the telescope's eyepiece ever so slightly. The moon's glowing orange eyes stared back from the other end.

They watched the clock tower, as if determined beyond anything to reach it. The astronomer licked his lips nervously. Maybe all those paranoid people are right, he thought. The sun marked afternoon, and the old man feared he might not see it rise again. He stepped down from the massive telescope, turning to the two moon's tears behind him on pedestals. He'd found the second one last night. That over-sized moon produces them in abundance.

His lengthy blue robes swished around his ankles as he walked to one. He hunched over to see through the tear's protective glass casing, his mystical blue eyes shining. Now on the edge of the platform, he made sure to keep his balance. He was old, so falling meant something different than it used to. The blue, dome-shaped ceiling arced high above him.

He stopped when he heard a doorknob clicking. The front door? The old astronomer turned around slowly. Now who could that possibly be? His visitor had already entered, however, and was closing the door behind him. Shikashi recognized the mischievous child. The one from four days ago. The old man immediately turned away from the mask, shaking his head as he mumbled under his breath. "No... no... no..."

"Is this how you treat visitors?" the masked child asked, floating off the floor.

"You're not a visitor," Shikashi said. He stepped off the platform and shuffled to the dresser against the wall. He picked up the many instruments lying on top and opened its drawers, shoving everything inside. Just put your things away, and he can't break them. "You're here to break my instruments."

"I won't break your instruments if you tell me what I want to know," he said. His voice was neither child-like nor threatening. "There is no more time for games." The Skull Kid traveled a few more feet until he hovered over the platform, coming to rest on its surface to tower above the old man.

"I don't believe you," Shikashi said, shaking his head again as he stowed his belongings. "You and the rest of your little gang of kids can't be trusted."

"Gang of kids?" the Skull Kid asked. "I'm not a child."

"And I'm not a fool," Shikashi said. "Get out! You aren't welcome here."

"You'll tell me what I want to know, or I'll blast your telescope through the roof."

The astronomer stopped, lying his protractor back down. He shook as turned to finally face the intruder. "Please, don't do that," Shikashi said. "It's my life. I am an astronomer. I have nothing else to live for."

"Then tell me where the fairy boy went!" the Skull Kid demanded. "I know he passed through here. He used your telescope to watch me on top of the clock tower."

"A fairy boy?" Shikashi said, looking away as he tried to remember. "I'm afraid I don't know who you're talking about. I haven't let anyone use my telescope."

"I don't believe you," the Skull Kid snapped. "You know, don't you? All about their little plan. Where did they go, and what are they doing to try and stop me?"

"I'm sorry," Shikashi said, turning back to his drawer of possessions. Don't look at him. Don't look at him, and he'll go away. "I don't understand. I know not of a fairy or a boy."

"You must have noticed them walking by, at the least!" the Skull Kid said. "I saw them leave through the southern gate. Where did they go after that?"

"I don't...," the old man stammered, but suddenly, the dresser burst into purple flames. Shikashi let out an old, tired scream as he stumbled away, burn-free. The astronomer cowered from the fire, hunched in submission below the sorcerer who stood atop the platform.

"I'm not leaving until you answer my question," the Skull Kid said, his unmoving, wooden face menacing. "Have you noticed anything happening? Anything out of the ordinary?"

Shikashi shivered, his mind numb with terror as he tried to find an answer. "The... the moon...?"

"Not that!" the imp spat. "Anything else?"

"No!" the old man said. "Nothing has happened here. I live in my observatory out by the woods. It's peaceful and quiet. Nothing ever happens. Please... don't hurt me."

"Nothing in the forest or around it?" the Skull Kid persisted. "Did they go into the forest, astronomer? Has anything odd been happening in the forest?"

"There... there...," Shikashi trailed off, still looking at the imp as he remembered something. "There was a fire."

"A what?"

"It must have been... very big." The astronomer stuttered as he spoke. "There was smoke everywhere, high above the trees. The fire didn't reach my observatory, but the whole outside smelled like burning."

"A fire," the imp said, turning away from Shikashi. "But there are still trees standing?"

"It didn't burn the whole forest down," Shikashi said, calming now. He was hopeful he'd met the evil child's demands. "The forest fire lasted several hours though."

"Who started it?" the imp asked, whirling back to the old man.

"I don't know," Shikashi answered. Think of an answer, stupid old man. Think of an answer. If he didn't, things might start all the way over.

"Well, whoever it was, they didn't finish the job."

The astronomer thought he felt a wicked smile beginning behind the mask. "Finished... the job?"

"You can't just burn down part of a forest!" the Skull Kid said. "Someone has to finish it."

"But why would you...?"

"Why wouldn't you?" Silence followed, and the old man regarded the cold, orange eyes. The dresser was still ablaze, crackling behind them. "I thank you old man," the imp finally said, turning to leave. Shikashi watched him intently, hoping that he wouldn't do anything else. Please. Just go.

The Skull Kid, however, did stop, but he did not turn around. "Why do you cling so desperately to life?" he asked. The imp sounded genuinely curious, but despite the lack of anger, there was a darkness to his question.

The astronomer licked his lips again, swallowing. Answer carefully, or he'll kill you. He watched the imp's back as he spoke. "So I can do what I love." Sweat trickled along his face as he gambled for his life. He couldn't stop shaking; he tried his best to hide his fear. "And through doing that, I can remain true to myself and my passions... while I can."

The Skull Kid did not respond. He remained facing the door, as if thinking it over. The old man remained where he was, waiting to see what happened next.

The imp thrust his arms into the air. The telescope crunched inward on itself to form a flat disk, causing the entire apparatus to crash through the ceiling. Jagged metal rained over the room as the telescope descended into the observatory.

Shikashi tried to run from the falling debris, but his weak knees hindered him. His mouth remained open in shock as the metal and glass roared. Somehow, he was spared. The ruins of his telescope crashed behind him, breaking through the floor and bringing the platform with it to the bottom level.

As the dust cleared, the Skull Kid stood still watching the door; the floor's new hole was only an inch behind him. The astronomer peered in the chasm. There rested his most prized possession – gone forever. The sun shone brightly through his absent ceiling. "No...," Shikashi cried. "No..." He sank to his knees at its edge, his bright blue eyes watering in disbelief. "You didn't... you said..."

"Do you still want to live?" the imp turned around, floating to the old man's face. Shikashi refused to look up, staring down at his lost passion.

"Please," he said, averting his gaze as he wept. "You've taken everything else. Don't take my life."

The imp continued to stare, as if challenging him to look up, but the former astronomer did not. "Then you lied to me," the Skull Kid said. "You humans are cowards. The only reason you want to live is because you are afraid of death." And then he flew from the broken observatory, leaving Shikashi to mourn in the ruin of his life.

Chapter Text

Tatl flew up to the rocky cliff's peak. She looked down its other side to find the Deku Palace; its fortress walls stood tall and proud, daring them to reenter. Tatl had gone to scout ahead, searching for the right place for Link to start climbing. She squinted when the sunlight caught her eye; the evening was already halfway through its descent. We'd better hurry, she thought.

Tatl returned down to the base of the cliff, where Link stood waiting in the grass. They'd opted against continuing to walk around the palace's rocky barrier; there was no telling how long that could take. "Yep!" Tatl said. "It's the right spot. But are you sure you can climb that?"

"I've climbed worse," Link replied, running his hands along the stone. It was bumpy and jagged enough for footholds, but the slick stretches would make it difficult. "I'm more worried about the other side. Are you sure I won't end up in the moat?"

"Why would I say it's the right spot if you'd just end up falling the moat?" Tatl asked. "You don't need anymore third-degree burns. Or dramatic, near-death experiences."

Link narrowed his eyes. "Can you please just double-check?"

"All right, all right," Tatl said, sighing. "Fine. I'll fly over the top again to make sure. Happy?"

Link nodded as she flew up many, many feet again and returned a few seconds later. "Kind of surprised that you're the worrywart for once, Mr. Hero," Tatl said. "But yes - totally safe. Super confirmed with the Tatl seal of approval. If you climb straight up that wall, you can happily climb down the other side onto a beautiful, lush square of grass, right on the palace's little island."

"No Deku guards?" Link asked, as he put one foot in a small notch on the wall.

"Nope, it's outside the palace and away from the front entrance. In fact, that's probably where the monkey told us to plant the beans."

"Perfect," Link said, testing the notch's durability. He reached up to find grips for his hands too, and his climb began.

"Just... don't fall and die, Link. That would kind of suck."

"Well, I was planning on it, but now that you've told me not to..."

"Hey!" Tatl exclaimed. "I'm the one in charge of sarcastic comments, all right?"

"It's rubbing off on me," Link said, as he progressed a few more strides along the wall. "Maybe if you restrained yourself every now and then, it wouldn't be as contagious."

"Restrained myself?" Tatl followed her partner at his pace, slowly bobbing upward. She noticed him clearly favor his left hand, given the poison water burn marks on his right. "You want me to put a limit on how much of a smart mouth I can be?"

Link didn't answer, concentrating on finding the next grip.

"Hm, how about only five sarcastic comments a day?" Tatl asked. She turned away from him and thought it over. "Impossible. I could never. But I guess I could permit you a few jokes every now and then. In fact, I could take you on as my student in witty banter. I'd even give you my discounted rate."

When she turned back to face him, Link was out of breath and clinging desperately to his footholds. "Whoa!" Tatl exclaimed. "It's a really good discount. No need to get mad."

"No," Link exhaled. "I almost… fell… while you were looking away."

"Well why would you do that?" Tatl asked. "Didn't we decide that was a bad idea at the bottom?"

Link scoffed, continuing his climb after a moment's reprieve.

"At least you have a semblance sense of humor," Tatl continued. "Tael, my brother – oh Nayru, you'd think we weren't related at all. He takes everything so seriously that it makes me want to slap him! ... And I do, a lot."

Mentioning Tael made her chest tighten. Oh Tael, she thought. All of Link's visions of the Skull Kid made her terrified for her brother. Where are you right now? How badly has that crazy child hurt you?

"Tatl," Link said, surprising her. She turned back to see him secure on this particular stretch of wall, watching her thoughtfully. "We can always go back to the top of the tower if you want," he continued. "You know, to save Tael? We could bring him into the cycles with us."

Tatl shook her head immediately. "As scary as it is, he's probably safer without us. We know he makes it to the last night with the Skull Kid. And besides, we don't have any luck up there, and I don't want a scar on my chest to match yours."

Link nodded, though she noticed him hold back some other comment. He returned to the wall and kept climbing. Does he know something about Tael that I don't? she wondered. Maybe something happened to him when Link was still with Tatl number 1. Tatl number 1 was still a touchy subject to bring up, so she didn't right then. It also still made her incredibly uncomfortable to envision this saintly, martyred past version of herself.

The next time Tatl looked up to the top, she noticed the moon again. Oh Din. It was scary how big it looked when it was that close. "Are you sure we're not pushing it, Link?" she asked. "The moon looks awfully close."

"We have over twelve hours."

"It doesn't take twelve hours to accidentally lose your ocarina," she reminded him. "What happens if it falls into the poison water, or if the Deku scrubs take it from you? Then, instead of a leisurely twelve-hour stroll through the swamp, it's a race to find your instrument before the world ends."

"We have more than twelve hours," Link stressed again. "The sun's not down yet."

"You're missing the point. It doesn't matter how much time there is if you don't have your ocarina."

"It's safely on my belt," Link said. "And besides, half the time I'll be a Deku scrub, and when I am, the ocarina is hidden in my human form."

"I just have a bad feeling about all this. A familiar bad feeling, I might add. Like right before we went on top of the tower and you almost died, and that other time when we went into the forest and you almost died, and that other time when..."

"All right, I get your point," Link said. "We'll save the monkey, find the princess, and then get out of here, deal? No more extra time spent looking for one of 'the four.' Unless a clue jumps out and slaps us in the face. We can't go back to the first day every time we have a bad feeling about something, or else we'll never get anything done."

"Fine," Tatl said. "But if something goes wrong, and we somehow miraculously survive again, we're going to have a 'Listen to Tatl' three-day cycle where I'll get to make all the decisions."

"A 'Listen to Tatl' three-day cycle?" Link said. "That doesn't sound very exciting."

"Well, I'm sorry if you think not dying is boring! We can't rely on nerve our entire trip through Termina."

"It got us this far," Link said, as his hand finally touched the top of the rock wall. It was padded with wet grass, making it difficult to pull himself up. Tatl watched him feel around for a sturdy piece of ground, and eventually, he hoisted himself up. He brought his legs around to sit on the small space, finally conquering the climb. He seemed relieved to see that Tatl was right about the other side. If they climbed directly down, Link would land on a small patch of grass outside the fortress walls.

Link carefully turned to do that, though it was much more difficult than climbing up. Tatl was silent this time, recognizing the need for space to concentrate. Aside from one or two slips, he made it without incident. Link let go of the wall, and his boots landed on grass, bag still over his shoulders. "Great job!" Tatl congratulated. "Now it's time to see just how magical those beans are."

They scanned the small square of green and found a patch of wet, moist soil up against the fortress wall. Tatl and Link approached it, looking up the wooden boundary to see an open doorway at its top. Likely, this was the monkeys' alleged secret entrance. Link reached into his bag to retrieve a bean pod, kneeling to scoop a hole in the dirt. "Maybe we should have asked him how they work," Tatl said, as Link placed the pod inside and patted the dirt down.

"He said to water it, didn't he?" Link asked. He pulled out his glass bottle of water that was still mostly full.

"But watering plants doesn't usually make them shoot out of the dirt immediately and carry you to your heart's desire," Tatl said.

"I guess that's where the magic part comes in," Link reasoned, tipping the uncorked bottle over. The water spilled over the hidden pod, and at first, nothing happened. Link stood there, holding the opened container with hardly any water left.

Tatl floated beside him, looking blankly at the wet pile of dirt. "Wow," she said. "How magical."

"Maybe we give it a minute," Link said, as he drank some of the leftover water.

"Hey! You didn't use all of it. Maybe that's why nothing happened!"

"I need water, Tatl," Link replied, corking and returning it to his bag. "I'm not a fairy. The last time I had a meal was at Kotake's, and I'm not going to refill my bottle with the swamp water that burns my skin."

"That stupid old hag..."

"Besides, I used most of it. That should be enough, shouldn't it?"

"Obviously not. It…"

Tatl stopped when she noticed movement in her peripheral. They both turned to see a small stem pop from the dirt, boasting three light green leaves. Link and Tatl stared at it, hoping that something else might happen. Link bent to examine it closer, and the fairy came down with him.

"Is it supposed to... fly into the air, and take us with it?" Tatl asked. Her question was answered when suddenly a much larger plant blossomed instantaneously out of the soil. One massive, thick green leaf formed a platform. The original stem was still sticking out of the middle, now lush with curly, green foliage. Link stumbled onto his back in shock, quickly returning to his feet to approach the new leafy stage.

"Huh," Tatl said after a moment's silence. "Interesting." Link walked up to it tentatively, just as confused as she was by its ability to levitate. When the boy stepped on it, his boot pinned it to the ground. It struggled underneath his weight, as if alive and attempting to fly away. "Whoa, Link. I guess you need to lay off the water after all, huh?"

"It's because I'm a human," Link said. "Not to mention all this stuff I have on me. I'm sure it'll lift Deku head no problem."

"You keep telling yourself that," Tatl said, and Link shook his head as he retrieved the Deku mask. Once again, he became the small, wooden creature. His orange eyes returned, and his clothes, shield, sword, and bag vanishing.

He stepped onto the plant, and it instantly shot into the air, taking Link with it and eliciting a high-pitched shriek from his snout. Tatl gasped, unable to react before it stopped abruptly at the fortress's hidden doorway. She noticed Link almost roll off, but he caught himself on the edge, now levitating far above her.

"It worked!" Link said, sounding torn between terror and awe.

"It sure did," Tatl said, flying up to join him. "Poor humans. They have to resort to magic masks and beans to fly."

"Can't you just be happy for once?" Link asked, shakily getting to his feet as Tatl joined. "That was incredible!"

"It almost launched you into the moat," Tatl said. "How did it know to read your mind and go to the secret entrance?"

"Magic," Link said, wiggling his fingers mystically. He leapt quickly over the small gap separating him from the doorway, not wanting to risk the plant changing its mind. It almost immediately decided to leave, levitating back to its patch of soil on the ground.

"Goodbye mysterious magic plant!" Tatl called out. The fairy turned back around as Link did; they'd found themselves on a high platform overlooking the garden. At the end of the wooden planks, there was a Deku flower. "And hello again, Deku Palace. Let's hope you're kinder this time."

For a moment, Tatl feared the flower would house a guard, but when Link walked up to it, no one popped out. They peered over the platform's edge carefully. "The monkey didn't really say what to do after this, did he?" Tatl asked.

"No," Link answered. "But the chamber is over there."

"Yeah, I remember. Our monkey should be there if he's still alive."

"There has to be an entrance on the other side." Link scanned the edges of the palace walls; there were other platforms with other Deku flowers. "But they'll see me if I try to fly across with the flowers."

"No they won't," Tatl said.

"Huh?"

"Why don't you look over there?" She grabbed Link's shoulder, pointing in a direction off into a back corner. He noticed what she had: the guards huddled in one corner around the cave entrance.

"They're still there," Tatl said, "waiting for us to come back through. Which is exactly what you almost did."

"Wow," Link smiled. "You were right Tatl."

The fairy returned his grin. "I'm telling you - 'Listen to Tatl' day would be a big hit if you gave it a chance."

Link walked carefully into the secret entrance, leaving behind the sky painted orange by sun. The narrow cavern's darkness was soon replaced by the frantic light of fire.

As expected, they were in the throne room. The four Deku guards were in their flowers and out of sight, and the king lay apparently asleep in his chair. Link couldn't see the butler anywhere; the fire in the room's center still crackled. He'd passed through the doorway only to find himself inside of the cage – which is exactly what he'd hoped for. The floor was bare, broken only by the monkey's pole. The walls were decorated with a few tokens: an instrument, a painting, and a bronze artifact resembling an ancient scrub. Aside from Link's secret entrance, there was no other way out except a locked cage door.

The monkey was still tied securely to the pole, staring off sadly at the floor with his feet hanging limply. The primate noticed Tatl's white ball of light first, which illuminated the young Deku scrub crouched behind her. The monkey's eyes went wide. "Oh!" he exclaimed. Link froze, throwing a poisonous glare at the prisoner. The monkey seemed to realize his carelessness, craning his neck to see if the guards had awoken. They hadn't – yet.

The secret entrance was up against the ceiling, so Link took his time getting out. He eventually decided it was safe to slide out and drop to the cold cement; the fairy followed beside him. Turning around, Link realized the secret entrance was far too high to reenter. They'd have to find another way out.

"How did you get here?" the monkey asked, whispering this time. "You have to be quiet. If they see you, they'll capture you!"

"Uh, yeah," Tatl said. "But don't worry about us. You're the one yelling your head off."

"There's another entrance outside the palace," Link said. He walked to the bottom of the pole and looked up at the monkey. "We've been sneaking past these guys all day though, so we're professionals. Your brothers sent us for help."

"What?" the monkey asked. "My brothers asked for your help?"

"Believe me, I'm just as shocked as you are," Tatl said. "They're barely capable of speech."

The monkey turned to the fairy. "Please hurry and cut the rope. We can talk once we're out of here."

"Right," Tatl said, flying around to the back of the pole. "Not confident in my ability to untie a rope thicker than my head."

The monkey's eyes went to Link when the fairy struggled uselessly with the binds. "What about you? What do you have to get me out?"

"Uh," Link stammered. "I can't reach it! And I don't have anything."

The monkey sighed. "Why did you two come to rescue me if you had no way of getting me down?"

"Some members of our team prefer to think nothing through," Tatl said as she returned to Link.

"If we'd gone with your plan, we'd have left the monkey for dead!" Link said.

"Looks like we're going to have to do that anyways!" Tatl countered.

"Hey!" the monkey interrupted. "Now's not the time to argue. Are you sure there's nothing you can do to get me down?"

"Hm," Tatl said, only taking a moment before she spun around to face Link. "Why don't you turn into a human?"

"I still wouldn't be tall enough," Link explained. "The monkey's too high up."

"You could throw your sword at it!"

"That wouldn't work. The rope is really thick. I'd have to saw through it."

"Wait, you can turn into a human?" the monkey asked, clearly confused.

"He's not really a Deku scrub," Tatl said. "It's some sort of magical mask disguise thing. But there's no time for stories, so we'll leave it at that."

"How'd the other Deku scrubs get you up there anyways?" Link asked.

"I don't know," the monkey said, still visibly uneasy and confused. "I was unconsciousness when they set me up here."

"Let's pause and take a minute to think," Tatl said, flying in between the two. "We obviously can't bust you out of here, Mr. Monkey. Sorry about that, but what can we do?" There was a moment of silence, but both Link and the monkey came up with nothing. "Maybe we should try playing the Song of Time while holding onto the pole. You know, bring him with us?"

"Song of Time?" the monkey asked.

"No," Link said. "Then we'd leave the princess to die."

"We don't know where she is!" Tatl exclaimed.

"The Deku Princess?" the monkey asked, failing miserably at following the conversation.

"Yes, the Deku Princess," Link said. "What happened to her? If we can't get you out of here physically, maybe we can find the princess and clear your name."

"Link, the sun's about to set!" Tatl whispered, flying close to Link so the monkey couldn't hear. "I was on board with that when I thought we'd have the monkey with us. We can't find her by ourselves!"

"She went into the temple," the monkey explained, ignoring their bickering. "But you have to be a member of the royal family to go in after her!"

Tatl seemed content with that roadblock, smiling smugly in Link's direction.

"But…," the monkey continued, causing Tatl's smile to fade instantly. The primate gestured to an instrument on the wall. It looked like a network of small brass pipes, all leading to a mouthpiece. "I guess all you need is one of the royal family's instruments to do it. And then you have to know the song. And be a Deku scrub."

"Is that one of the royal instruments?" Link asked.

"Yes," he answered. "They're Deku pipes, just like the princess had. They should work the same, being the king's and all." Link ran underneath them on the wall, while Tatl watched him in disbelief. They were a lot lower than the monkey on the pole, and Link barely reached them on his toes. His fingers brushed the tubing at its lowest point, but he didn't know if he could get a firm grip.

He thrust himself upward again, but he titled the instrument a bit too far. And the set of pipes flipped off the mount. Link, Tatl, and the monkey's eyes were wide with shock as they plummeted to the floor and crashed loudly. The brass reverberated against the cement and throughout the room. The Deku King instantly jumped to his feet, spotting the blonde Deku scrub. He remained on his tip-toes, hands outstretched for the instrument he'd knocked over.

The monkey snapped back to Link. "Quick! Pick up that instrument and listen to me!"

Link rushed over to the fallen brass, which had only suffered a few dents. He picked it up awkwardly, not sure how to hold the five different bells. Despite the complex piping, it was still relatively small. Link wrestled to find a comfortable position for it while the monkey urged him on.

"You!" the Deku King boomed. The guards popped from their Deku flowers one by one at the exclamation.

"Listen, I'll start singing the notes while you figure that out!" the monkey said, taking a deep breath as he cleared his mind. "It's called the Sonata of Awakening, and it's a short seven-note rhythm. It shouldn't be hard to memorize." The monkey somehow managed to keep his panic at bay, singing the notes carefully and loudly. Link eventually found a hole for his head to slip through the piping. After that, the instrument naturally wrapped around his shoulders to support its weight; the mouthpiece was comfortably in front of his snout. The fingers on his right hand rested on valves, controlling the airflow's path and pitch.

As the guards awoke and scrambled to reach him, Link remained facing the monkey. He blocked out all other sound and concentrated on the monkey's notes. Link nodded when he recognized the beginning of the phrase and hummed. He blew into the pipes, expecting the right note to follow. But this wasn't his ocarina. Instead, he received a loud, horrendous blare. Link shook his head, and the monkey's face widened in panic.

"Keep singing the song," Link said. "I can memorize the pitches. I'll learn how to play it on the pipes later." The monkey licked his lips nervously and continued singing over the commotion.

"Link!" Tatl warned.

But he refused to turn around. "I know," he said, not breaking eye contact with the monkey.

"Do you hear that?" the Deku King bellowed from behind. Link could hear the guards grabbing their spears and shuffling toward the cage as well. "Only the Deku Royal Family knows this melody. It proves that foolish monkey deceived the princess so he could enter the temple!" Link exchanged only one glance to see that the guards were already at the cage. He also noted the Deku butler, who'd walked into the chamber from behind the king's chair.

"Link, we've got to get out of here!" Tatl exclaimed.

"Hold on!" Link said, returning to the monkey. "One more time."

"Guards!" the king said, slamming down his staff with the flower on top. "Let the monkey's punishment commence! And as for the intruders – let them suffer the same fate. Tie them all, and we shall burn the traitors together!"

"We're out of time!" Tatl said.

"Okay, I think I have it," Link said, still looking up at the monkey. "Are you sure we can leave you?"

"Just find the princess and bring her back as soon as you can!" the monkey reminded them. "Take the path the Deku people use to get there, and don't forget to play that song when you're there!"

"Arrest them!" the Deku King commanded. Two of the four guards entered the cage, swinging the large, wooden door open. Link turned to face the raised spears from the elevated cage floor. He instinctively tried to take his mask off… but the pipes blocked his hands from reaching his face.

As the guards charged, Link prepared a bubble instead. The guards gasped as a blast of green goop enveloped them; they dropped their spears and ran from the cage, blinded and coated in sludge.

Link struggled only briefly to get the pipes off and quickly gave up. He leapt from the open gate to the throne room's floor and turned to the exit. But the remaining two guards had reached him. Link dodged one spear thrust, and the other got caught in the Deku pipes, barely missing his neck. When the guard tried to pull his weapon back, Link managed to finally slide out of the pipes and free himself. The guard's spear came crashing to the floor with the instrument's weight. Link pushed the guard aside before he could recover and claimed the Deku spear for himself.

The final armed guard was quick to retaliate. Link sidestepped a spear thrust and used his own to disarm the warrior. The guard's spear flew across the room, clattering on the other side of the fire pit. The two now defenseless scrubs gulped at the spear Link readied at their faces. He opened his mouth to speak –

But something slammed into his head from behind.

The impact sent the young scrub airborne, and Link landed right in front of the fire. His head throbbed, preventing him from getting to his feet and holding onto his weapon. He turned to find the Deku King standing over him. The monarch's thick, flowered staff was still raised. He tossed it aside to grab Link's spear instead, pointing its sharp tip against the child's throat.

"No!" Tatl exclaimed, flying to intervene. The king batted her away with the back of his other hand. Link's world stopped spinning just in time to see the king smile as he went for the kill.

Except the spear never reached his neck. There was a heavy thud! instead, and the Deku King let out a heavy sigh. He toppled over to his side and dropped the weapon. The Deku butler stood behind him, king's staff in hand. His long, thin mustache framed a face that was hard to read.

The room remained suspended in silence for only a moment, as the butler stood over his master. The fire crackled behind Link, who could only look up in astonishment. Two guards remained running around crazily trying to free themselves from green sludge, but the other soldiers watched in shock. Tatl's mouth hung wide open right beside them.

The butler was the first to move, tossing the staff aside and bending down to offer Link a hand. The small Deku scrub took it, rising to his feet and holding his sore head.

"Go," the butler said, pointing to the exit. "Take your friend, get out of here, and save the princess."

"But," Link stammered, "I don't understand. Why are you helping us? Who are you?"

"I...," the butler began. For a moment, the servant couldn't meet Link's eyes. "Who are you? You don't just look like my son. You are my son." Link didn't have a response. The silence was heavy, suppressing all the words buzzing in his mind.

"Link, let's just go," Tatl said, rejoining him and urging them onward.

"What do you mean?" Link asked.

"Listen to your fairy and go," the butler persisted, turning away.

"But I don't..."

"Go!"

Link listened. He picked up the Deku pipes on his way out, giving the butler one last glance before fleeing the throne room.

Chapter Text

"This is the palace of the Deku Kingdom. Only those on official business may enter!"

The other Deku scrub rolled his eyes, staring glumly at the palace's purple pond. The one on the right, standing proud and tall, looked to the sky mixed orange and blue. He proudly repeated himself, "This is the palace of the Deku Kingdom. Only those on official business may enter!"

"Please. Shut up." The one on the left sighed, paying no attention to actually guarding the front entrance. Hardly anyone ever came down that rickety, wooden bridge anymore.

"I have to be prepared for the next commoner!" the right one said anyways. "His royal highness will not stand for mediocrity!"

"His royal highness doesn't care how we greet our commoners," the other Deku scrub replied. "He wants you to think he does, so you'll work hard at it."

"Preposterous!" the right Deku scrub cried out. "This is the palace of the Deku Kingdom. Only those on official business may enter!"

"Seriously?" the other said. "Don't you think there's more to life than just... being a guard and greeting commoners? Imagine if we could travel the world. Every day, something new and exciting. Beautiful, gorgeous views. Breath-taking battles. Romantic nights with your one true love, the one somewhere out there meant for you."

"There is no time for such foolishness," the Deku scrub persisted. "Our lives are indebted to our king, and we must serve our great leader by guarding this entrance!"

"What if... our king... really isn't all that great?" the other Deku scrub said, carefully watching his companion's reaction.

The right Deku scrub gasped dramatically. "How could you say something so blasphemous!" he screamed. "Our leader is great, and you have no right to question him!" He turned back to the sky. "This is the palace of the Deku Kingdom. Only those on official business may enter! This is the palace of the Deku Kingdom. Only those on official business may enter! This is the palace of the-"

The Deku scrub was cut short, however, when a thump! violently ejected him from the flower. He wailed the whole way, arcing through the air and crashing into purple water. The one on the left looked dumbfounded, turning to find a small Deku scrub with blonde hair. He ran over the now empty flower and onto the bridge. He carried a set of Deku pipes, presumably what he'd stopped to hit his companion with. A small white fairy followed him...

"So, that didn't turn out the way we hoped," Tatl said. Link found it very difficult to run effectively with the Deku pipes, constantly trying not to trip. "The king's unconscious, the monkey's still in his cage, and we left a few guards incapacitated. All a part of your cherished tactic of improvisation?"

"This thing... is getting heavy...," Link said, breathing hard. He stopped running just short of the wooden doorway leading to the boat dock.

"Well, don't stop now!" Tatl exclaimed, turning to see the remaining Deku guard run back into the palace. "We'll have hundreds of guards on us in a few seconds!"

"We're not going that way," Link said, pointing toward a small piece of land with a Deku flower, not far from the bridge. It was against the same rock wall as the dock's doorway; a cave formed another passageway higher up. "I think the butler said that would take us to the temple."

"You know, I specifically recall making only two stipulations before we set out on this journey, and I'm pretty sure one of them was not going into the temple," Tatl said.

"The princess is in there, Tatl," Link said, struggling to set down the pipes.

"And? Let's let her pray in peace! I have no interest in joining her while she worships Deku gods."

"We're not going there to worship Deku gods," Link said, shaking his head as he removed his mask and transformed into a human. "The monkey said there was a monster there."

"An even better reason not to go!" Tatl said. Link reached down and picked up the Deku pipes, which were much lighter for his human arms.

"We can't let her die," Link repeated, returning the Deku mask over his face; his Deku pipes disappeared with his human form.

"How many times do I have to remind you that anything we do in this three-day cycle means absolutely nothing?" Tatl asked.

"You won't change my mind," Link answered, hopping across the purple water to the piece of land with the Deku flower. "If we don't save her, she'll die, even if we leave this three-day cycle behind."

Tatl opened her mouth to point out that the moon would kill everyone anyways, but when Link turned to face her, his bright orange eyes were still filled with determination. She thought better of it and merely sighed again, joining him across the water. "Then come on, Link," Tatl said. "Let's get this over with before it's too late." Link smiled, diving into the flower and shooting himself up to the cave.

On the other side, they stepped onto a grassy ledge, walking a few feet further onto a squishy surface: a red, mushroom-topped tree growing tall from the water. There were other red trees, all close enough to jump from one to the other, curving along the poisoned swamp water.

"We can use the trees like steppingstones," Link suggested, deciding whether the next tree was too far away to jump.

"Yeah, and then you can slip and drown!" Tatl said.

"It's not that far away," Link said.

"Yeah, but it's still..." The Deku scrub leapt toward the next treetop before she could finish. "Link!" A few moments airborne ended when he landed safely on the next mushroom, barely stumbling. He regained his balance and walked to the next one. She eventually overcame her shock to rejoin him. "Don't do that again. And by 'that,' I mean doing something stupid and dangerous before I can finish telling you how stupid and dangerous it is."

Link scoffed, backing up and leaping to the next tree as Tatl held her breath. He barely missed it, slipping along its surface only to roll off. Thankfully, he grabbed its edge before he plummeted to a watery grave. By the time Tatl joined him, he was already standing on top of the tree. There wasn't another mushroom tree close enough to jump to, but a large, fallen tree trunk sloped downward to form a bridge. Link stepped onto the soggy, saturated bark, following it to a rock wall bordering the river.

"This seems like a lot of work," Tatl said. "You'd think there'd be an easier way to get to the temple."

"Maybe there is," Link reasoned. "We're trying to get there secretly though, remember?"

"Still," the fairy said, as Link hopped from the cliff to another red-topped tree, "they could have planted Deku flowers on the trees. Wouldn't that have made it easier?"

"Then it wouldn't be as secretive," Link replied, crossing to another one. He finally reached the edge of this stretch of the purple stream and rounded the rock barrier's corner.

To the right, the swamp water lead into another cave. Tatl realized this was where the loop completed; Koume's tourist center would be on the other side. To the left, there were two massive pillars running the entire length of a rock face. In between them, a waterfall of poisoned swamp cascaded into the stream. Both pillars had a ledge perched high, separated by the powerful falls; one housed another cavern entrance. The Deku flower at Link's feet would make it possible to reach it.

"So much for secretive," Tatl mocked, smiling down at Link. "You'd have to be blind and deaf to miss the massive waterfall."

"Let's just go through the doorway," Link replied dismissively, diving into the flower, hopping out, and using the rotating flowers to reach the ledge.

He passed through the cavern entrance to find a new enclosed area similar to the Deku palace. It was a basin surrounded by rocky cliffs and filled with purple water; the lake's only exit was the waterfall just beside Link. He stepped onto the only piece of land in the entire vast sea of violet. A network of wooden bridges and slopes started at Link's right, slowly curving up and around until they reached the opposite side of the lake. There were no buildings – just empty, purple water. Two dead, thick trees had their tops sticking out of the lake, but other than that, only lily pads and moss floated along the surface.

"Great temple!" Tatl finally said sarcastically. "But drat. No princess! Guess we'd better go get Koume and Kotake and play the Song of Time."

Link looked up at her with obvious irritation. "We can still follow the bridges up to that wooden thing on the other side."

"You mean that empty platform?" Tatl asked. "There's nothing on it!"

"From here, it doesn't look like it," Link said, skipping across the water's surface to the first wooden ramp. "We have enough time to check it out."

Tatl joined him as he followed the pathways around. "I think the moon and sun disagree," she said, looking up. The massive, threatening face of gray rock suggested that the final night would soon arrive. The sun, which still vividly colored the sky, was well over halfway through its descent.

"It'll only take a couple minutes," Link countered.

"Obviously," Tatl said. "But let's say you find something on that platform we're headed toward?"

"Then I'll figure out what to do within a couple of hours."

"Of course you will."

The journey across the edge of the lake was a short one. Tatl noticed yet another massive cave on the far rock wall; it was larger than all the previous ones. When the Deku scrub and fairy stepped onto the deck held up by ancient, wooden legs, they found a Deku flower. There were four poles at each corner of the wooden square; colorful banners were strung between them. In the center sat around, raised pedestal with a painted image of a Deku scrub.

Tatl watched Link examine the platform with growing dismay, as if his hopes were dashed. The fairy decided to search herself, flying down to the pedestal and looking carefully at the painting. "I wonder if they worshiped here," Tatl suggested.

"On this platform?"

"Sure. It's all decorated and stuff."

"But the princess isn't here," Link commented, looking around the wooden surface one more time.

"Maybe she's in that cave," the fairy theorized, looking behind them. On the cliff wall, a dark hole's depths were veiled in darkness. Link perked up immediately and turned to Tatl. "What?" she asked.

"Will you go in there for me?" Link asked, trying his best to look as helpless as possible.

"Why?" she said. "There's a Deku flower right there, lazybones! ... All right, fine." Tatl gave in, sighing as she flew across the water and into the cave...

Link found the empty lake oddly disquieting by himself, so he examined the colorful pedestal while he waited for Tatl. What purpose could this platform have? he wondered. Suddenly, the monkey's advice returned to him: ... you have to be a member of the royal family to go in after her! But I guess all you need is one of the royal family's instruments to do it. And then you have to know the song. And be a Deku scrub.

Link grabbed the edges of his Deku face until the mask came free and his human form returned. The Deku pipes clattered to the wooden planks. He then reapplied the mask and wrestled the instrument over his large, Deku head. Eventually, the pipes rested on his shoulders neatly, and the five bells flared out around his head. The mouthpiece was just in front of his snout. The Deku scrub blew and was horrified by the noises that came out. Changing the valves didn't seem to make much of a difference…

Tatl flew out of the cave moments later, returning to his side. "Link! This Great Fairy is shattered too! I... Link?" She stopped short when she saw him standing on the pedestal, making disgusting sounds on the Deku pipes. "What are you doing?"

Link took his face away from the mouthpiece. "Playing the instrument." He continued experimenting with his embouchure and airspeed, but as far as Tatl was concerned, the sound hardly varied.

"I can see that," she said, flying in front of him. "And can unfortunately hear it." Link didn't respond. "Are you trying to summon Deku gods? Something tells me they couldn't help us, even if they were real."

"How do you know they aren't real?" Link asked.

"Because...," Tatl trailed off, considering the matter as Link blared in the background. "Well, I guess I don't. But that's not the point! I highly doubt you're trying to summon Deku deities. What are you trying to do?"

Link signed, taking the mouthpiece from his snout yet again. "The monkey said you had to play that sonata to enter the palace. That's what I'm doing."

"How will playing a song get us into a temple that doesn't exist?" Tatl asked. "When the monkey said that, I was thinking more along the lines of a guard, that would let us in as soon as he heard the song. Songs can't physically do anything."

"What about the Song of Time?" Link asked.

Tatl shook her head. "Hyrule must be a really magical place, Link. Before you came into my life, there were no magic songs, or transformation masks, or time travel, or super beans, or... anything, really. Wow. My life must have been pretty boring." She stopped talking when she realized Link wasn't listening. "How long are you planning on making terrible music?" There was no response, and Tatl looked once more at the sun and moon. "Hopefully not too long, Deku head."

As time passed, the Deku pipes never sounded any better. Tatl floated aimlessly around the platform in silent boredom. The sun shone fiercely through the clear sky, growing ever closer toward the horizon; orange darkened into red. The moon remained above everything, hard and cold, baring down on a world it sought to crush with gritted teeth.

Eventually, moseying around in circles became tedious, and Tatl laid down on the planks, the blaring horn growing ever more distant as she lay there. Each blink became heavier than the last, and the sky darkened with her consciousness. The Deku pipes faded into her rambling mind.

She wondered when Link would stop, wishing beyond anything that he would listen to her and play it safe. "I hear you sis," Tael said. The purple fairy flew by Tatl's side as they ventured across Termina Field.

"He's so infuriating sometimes!" Tatl exclaimed. "We argue with each other just as much as we used to."

"I missed you, Tatl," he confessed. "The Skull Kid scares me now. Ever since he found that mask, I don't think he's been the same person anymore."

"I hear you," Tatl agreed. "We need to find the four before it's too late. We can't keep going back in time forever."

"We should go to the border of Termina first!" Link persisted, his dark blue eyes eager as he sprinted through dense tree after tree.

"Hey, Link, I don't know if this is a good idea!" Tatl warned, trying to keep up.

"What's the worst that could happen?" Link asked. "We'll be fine. If anything bad happens, the ocarina will save us!"

Fire.

"But we have to spend our time looking for the four!" Tatl reminded him, not flying fast enough to catch him.

Must burn.

"We have an infinite amount of time, Tatl!" Link reminded her from somewhere far ahead in the forest. "The ocarina will save us!"

They all die.

"But what if you lose it?" the white fairy asked, losing sight of him. "What if it stops working? What if the Skull Kid finds us?"

Every time you play the song.

And then, Link and Tatl stood side by side at the edge of the forest, looking out at a colorful, magnificent field of flowers. The wondrous sight rolled into the sunset as far as the eye could see; there was nothing to taint its beauty or undermine its grace.

"Come on Tatl. It's amazing!" Link exclaimed, smiling broadly as he gestured to the endless field.

"It is, isn't?" Tatl asked. She found her skepticism hard to ignore though. "But things shouldn't be this pretty outside of Termina. Something's wrong. We should go back. The border isn't safe."

"Why?" Link asked, turning back to the flowers. "Hyrule has to be out there somewhere."

"No, you won't be able to find it!" Tatl pleaded. "Please Link! There's something very wrong about this place. It scares me."

"You can't be scared of the unknown, Tatl," Link replied, stepping into the flowers.

"Link, no!"

The flowers melted away into darkness. The sky was black, and lightning rolled across the empty field of death. Everything shook. "Termina is darkness!" she heard Link yell, but from where, she couldn't tell.

"Link, where are you?" she asked, lost and scared.

Termina is death.

"I can't see!"

And it is my child!

The ground shook, and suddenly Tatl's eyes shot open.

She leapt from the platform, gasping as she caught her breath. She spun around to take in her surroundings as the dream faded. The first thing she noticed was the sky, which was not yet black but darker than before. The sun bled into the horizon, threatening to slip away for good. How long was I asleep? She saw Link still standing on the pedestal. The mouthpiece, however, was no longer in his mouth, and the small, blonde Deku scrub stared with wide orange eyes at something behind her. The ground's still shaking, Tatl realized. She turned around to find its source.

The entire bowl of rock holding the purple lake trembled, and in the center, the poisoned liquid rose, forming a small hill. The water surrounding it followed suit, as the shaking escalated to an earthquake. Something massive is coming out of there, she realized. The two dead trees were simply on top of it. The horned mound of purple water continued to rise, filling the empty lake. Water fell from the hidden object, revealing a building: the temple.

The stone construction had floor after floor disappearing into the water; its true height was unknown. The portion sticking out of the water was tall, and a ledge ran around it at the halfway point. It was almost level with the wooden platform, several feet away despite its large size. The ledge sat below a doorway on the temple, and Tatl realized the Deku flower wasn't used only for reaching the fairy fountain behind them.

Link and Tatl stood dumbfounded for a moment, each staring in awe at the temple that had risen from the water. "I think that might be Woodfall," Link said after a moment of silence.

"Yeah," Tatl said, still dazed.

"You okay?" Link asked.

"I'm fine," she lied. "I just had a bad dream."

"Well," Link began, turning back to the building. "I know how much you love temples. If we go in there, you'll probably feel better."

"Shut up, Link," Tatl replied. "I'll meet you by the doorway."

Link stepped from the pedestal to the Deku flower, but he stopped when he realized the Deku pipes were still around him. Tatl watched him silently deliberate, and then he slid the instrument off and left it on the pedestal. He dove into the flower, shot out, and rode the flowers to the temple's ledge. For a moment, she thought he wouldn't make it, but he kicked furiously and barely landed with both feet on the cold, dark surface.

Tatl and Link stood together before the darkness of the temple, both appearing hesitant to enter. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Tatl asked, turning to her Deku scrub companion.

"If there's a chance that the princess is in there," Link began, "yes."

The fairy looked at the sun. In several minutes, it would completely set. "I'd say we only have twelve hours until the next sunrise. That's when it falls, right?"

"The Skull Kid sped it up both times I was on the clock tower," Link replied. "But I don't think he will if we don't go up there."

"Well, to play it safe, we should get out of there by midnight, all right?"

Link nodded, stepping inside as his fairy lit the way.

Link couldn't see anything outside of Tatl's soft, white glow. The temple's first room was a pitch-black cave. Even if it were noon, Link didn't think the sun would reach five feet through the doorway. The entrance chamber's true width and height were hidden, but he wagered it was enormous. Link made his way carefully through the cold, damp air. He watched his feet, small stretches of stone illuminated by his fairy.

"This is really creepy," Tatl whispered. They huddled closely as they walked; her voice echoed across the vast, hidden room.

Link almost didn't notice when the floor ended. He stopped just before stepping off the last stone, whose jagged edges met with a massive black pit. Link and Tatl traveled along its ledge, trying to find some trail that wrapped around the chasm's edges. There wasn't one; the floor stopped the entire length of the room. The only helpful discovery was a withered Deku flower on their side. "What a bummer," Tatl said. "I guess we have to leave now."

"I could use this to get across," Link suggested, hoping the pathetic planet still worked.

"Are you crazy?" Tatl snapped. "You might as well leap off the edge and hope there's a gigantic pillow at the bottom!"

"We have to try."

"No we don't! That Deku flower is ancient. We have no idea how big across this hole is. It could go on for miles!"

"Why don't you fly across and see?" Link asked, looking up from the flower. His fairy was a brilliant spotlight in the darkness.

"By myself?" Tatl asked, turning to face the gaping, black doom. "Fine. Man, the things I do for you!" She tentatively floated off the floor, now suspended over emptiness. Eventually, she came back to report her findings. "There is another side. And the Deku flower might be able to take you that far. Maybe. If you really want to try this."

"Thanks Tatl," Link said, still whispering. "Can you light the way?" The fairy agreed, returning to his side as he hesitantly stepped up to the flower. He took a deep breath, and then he dove within. That satisfying, biological release wasn't as strong as usual, but Link didn't care as long as it helped him across the gap. He sprung from its depths and brought two flowers with him.

Tatl lit the darkness below him, as his petals opened to rotate and carry him. Link directed himself across the hole, trying to stifle his anxiety. He watched the fairy illuminate only blackness as he traveled; the floor still hadn't reappeared. Link kept his focus on the unknown, waiting for that first hint of stone.

Before it came, a noise greeted him: an insect-like buzzing. It lasted only a second before fading. What the Din was that? The flying Deku scrub searched, but he found only shadows in each direction. Tatl's light and his own steady breathing were his singular breaks from nothingness.

Soon, the noise returned, and this time, it didn't stop. It grew louder, heading straight for him. He noticed Tatl stop below and turned to find its source.

He was instantly face to face with bright yellow eyes. His gasp instinctively turned to a green bubble, flying flat and uncharged from his snout. His arm seized in pain when something sharp stabbed him. His muscles tightened, and his fingers opened against his control. He watched the flower spiral from his injured hand. Link spun downward, as all his weight was now on the remaining flower. The yellow eyes of his attacker vanished behind green goop, and the buzzing noises turned to shrieks.

The Deku scrub squeezed his eyes shut as he clung to the only thing keeping him from free-fall. His right arm remained limp and knotted in pain, dangling uselessly. The petals didn't last, folding in quickly from his weight. Link plummeted. He landed halfway on cold stone, though his legs landed over empty air.

Link's torso almost slid off, but he grabbed the floor with his remaining hand. There were no notches or footholds, though, and one arm wasn't enough to save him. He slid along the slick ground toward death. Tatl appeared, grabbing onto him and pulling. "Come on!" the fairy exclaimed, though her small body accomplished little.

The creature landed only a few feet beside them. It was wrapped in the gooey cocoon of green from Link's snout; its tangled wings had only just barely saved itself from the pit. It tossed and turned as Link struggled too. The beast's yellow eyes were angry and glaring as one long, slender tail stuck out. The tail's sharp end glistened, a stinger surely responsible for Link's paralyzed arm.

"Come one!" Tatl screamed at Link, still pulling. His right arm refused to waken, and his left hand continued sliding closer to the lip. Only his left arm remained outstretched above him, barely holding on.

He was surprised when his fairy abandoned her pulling, flying directly into his face. What is she doing? he thought. He felt her small hands running along his wood-like checks, as if searching. And then, he understood. With only seconds left, he concentrated on entering the mindset he always did when removing the mask. He had to fight against the adrenaline, against the shrieking creature, against the pain in his right arm, and against his weakening left fingers, all to enter a serene state of calm.

Mercifully, the mask came free. Link's human arms returned, and they both worked. He pulled himself out of the ditch immediately, now standing beside Tatl and panting. As he opened his mouth to speak, the furious buzzing sounded at their side. "Get down!" Tatl shrieked.

Link dropped, rolling further from the pit as he drew his sword and returned to his feet. The glistening stringer just missed his head, and he saw the monstrous dragonfly clearly for the first time. Though it now stood, its wings were still damp and useless. Only the stinger swished threatening above orange eyes.

The creature dove outside Tatl's radius of light back into darkness. Link squinted, blindly searching the shadows for its next attack. The fairy seemed to notice she was doing more harm than good, so she flew to the dragonfly instead to illuminate it.

He saw the monster just as it swung its tail again. Link's blade met it, and the stinger's end spun off, spraying thin, yellow blood as it howled in pain. The dragonfly, even then, didn't relent, its orange eyes glaring angrily behind another charge. Link's sword was still at the ready, and its face caved easily beneath his weapon's pointed end. Link pulled his sword free as the dragonfly collapsed to its death. He eyed the yellow innards now coating his blade.

More buzzing came from the pit as Tatl returned to him. That's way more than one, he realized. He backed slowly from the pit as Tatl echoed his concern. "Link…" He took the Deku mask from his fairy, returned it to his bag, and ran from the pit and the dead dragonfly.

"Make sure there aren't more holes!" Link screamed, still only able to see stretches of floor immediately before him. Tatl flew low, cautioning him to stop when they reached the room's opposite wall. Link turned from the dead-end to see hundreds of yellow eyes in the darkness. He spun back, scanning with his fairy for the doorway out. Eventually they found it, and Link ran his hands along a thick, stone slab and searched for a handle. There wasn't one.

"How am I supposed to open this?" Link exclaimed, dropping his sword to use both hands to find some lever or trick.

"Don't look at me!" Tatl exclaimed, in awe before the swarm of dragonflies approaching. "Just do something!" Pushing in on the door, he heard something budge, and he pulled the heavy door upward. It took almost all his strength. He could feel the flying creatures stop right behind them, making a circle to trap them against the wall.

Light poured in from beneath the door as it cracked open, and Link brought both hands to the bottom lip. He lifted the entire door and slid it upward. Still holding it up, he kicked his sword into the next room and allowed Tatl to fly in. As he lowered himself through, his left leg seized in a familiar, terrible pain.

Link gasped, ignoring it as he rolled under the door. The heavy stone slab shut back into place. The stinger was still within his leg, however, and the door severed the monster's tail. The dragonfly's screech was barely audible from the other side. Link collapsed, his left leg now as useless as his Deku scrub's right arm. He blinked dazedly at the change of light, scooting into the wall to sit up.

The ceiling towered high above their heads, even from the raised balcony they'd found themselves on. A ramp at their side led down to the lower half of the room. The main feature, however, was what the balcony, ramp, and everything else in the room circled around: a massive, bulbous plant. It rose from the deep purple water; its many revolting violet flowers hung off as it went straight into the ceiling. It didn't stop there but continued to grow up against the roof. Purple ooze trickled from its gigantic body. The whole thing was probably fifty feet in diameter, though much taller. The plant had cracked through the stone top, letting sunlight pass.

Link turned back to his leg once he determined there were no enemies. The large stinger protruded from red, swollen skin. Every muscle was on fire. Link reached for the stinger tentatively, gritting his teeth as soon as he touched it. Tatl flew down to see herself.

"Want me to pull it out?"

"No!" Link exclaimed, batting her away. "I can do it."

Tatl smiled, looking way too amused with herself. "Are you sure? Looking at it won't accomplish anything."

"I'm... preparing myself," Link said, hesitantly bringing his hand toward it again.

"Really? Because it looks more like you're afraid."

"I'm not afraid!" Link exclaimed, shooing her away again.

"Fine. Whatever." Tatl turned back to examine the massive plant dominating the room. She flew off the balcony's end, peering over to see the behemoth's roots. They disappeared into the dark, thick water, likely responsible for the foul smell that only grew. "Ugh, that stench! This place stinks just like that poison swamp." Tatl thought about that for a minute, before turning back to Link. "I wonder if... Wait. Seriously Link? You still haven't pulled it out?"

Link didn't respond, staring intently at his wound. "I'm trying, all right? It's just, I... Ow!" Tatl grabbed it before he could bat her away again, discarding the monster's limb over the balcony. Link's breath left him as he grabbed the open wound, clenching his teeth as it burned.

"Why!" Link whined.

"Because you wouldn't," Tatl said smugly. "And remember, we're almost out of time. How long until you're walking again?"

"I don't know," Link said, looking at the leg in dismay. He reached into his bag and pulled out the bottle of water. After taking a drink, he tilted his leg to flush out his wound with what little remained.

"The Deku skin on your arm seemed to be a lot less irritated," Tatl commented.

"I don't think this swamp is very human-friendly in general," he replied, as he re-corked the now empty bottle to return to his bag.

"Maybe you should put your Deku mask on," Tatl suggested. "That way, you can at least walk."

Link nodded and reapplied the mask to become the blonde-headed scrub again. He had his legs, but his right arm remained stiff. He could move it only slightly, and it hurt tremendously. The effects had started to wear off, but Link still held his injured arm close, bringing it across his chest.

"So, what's the plan?" Tatl asked. "We should find another way out of here before braving that massive pit of dragonflies again. And then also look for this princess you're obsessing over."

"I'm not obsessing," Link said. "There's a monster that kidnapped her, remember?"

"Oh, right," Tatl said, eyeing the giant purple plant suspiciously. "I guess we'll have to look out for... that, too." Link nodded gravely, turning to walk down the ramp.

"Did we ever get a description for this 'monster'?" Tatl asked. "Because monster is a pretty broad term. There's no telling what it could be, especially when we're in a massive temple that was buried in the middle of a poisonous swamp." Link shrugged, still cradling his right arm as they descended. "Do you think it's a giant dragonfly? Like the queen of the hive? Or maybe it's an evil monkey. That would explain a lot."

Link didn't dignify that with a response. The ramp leveled out onto a platform just above the poisonous water. Another heavy, stone door blocked the way onward. Link sighed, realizing his Deku arms couldn't lift that, especially now that he had only one.

"That's going to get annoying really quickly, isn't it?" Tatl commented, as Link removed his mask and collapsed to the floor with his injured leg. Upon opening the door and crawling inside, he became a Deku scrub again. The next room was much smaller and still made entirely of stone. But they were once again in absolute darkness.

Tatl lit its contents. There were messy, crumpled papers scattered along the floor. Deku Link eyed them curiously as he stepped in, keeping his ears open for buzzing. He stayed close to Tatl since he was blind otherwise. She passed a doorway on the left that revealed a long, dark passageway, but she ignored that in favor of something else.

"Look," she said. Link turned from the hallway but only found a blank wall at first. When she illuminated something lower, he jumped back in surprise when he realized it was a skeleton. The deceased Deku scrub lay against the wall, garbed in what resembled armor; its helmet lay discarded alongside a thick club. The dry, caked dust revealed its age. Link's eyes found an old quiver on its shoulder and noticed the fletched ends of arrows protruding outward. A bow in surprisingly decent condition lay beside it. When Tatl's light left, the bow vanished.

"Hey!" Link whispered.

"What?" she asked, turning back.

"He had a bow," Link explained, as Tatl illuminated the deceased Deku scrub's corpse again.

"It bet it doesn't even work." She lit the way nonetheless, as Link pulled the leather strap from its shoulder. The skeleton fell over but remained mostly intact. Link sat against the wall as he examined the weapon. "Well?" Tatl asked softly.

Link ran his hands along the string, finding it still tight. Only a chip or two were missing from the upper and lower limbs. The grip had been worn, but the bow, with its jet-black string and golden wood, would work. "I think I've found a winner," he said, smiling as he examined the arrows in the quiver.

"But you have the bubble things when you're a Deku scrub," Tatl reminded him. "Do you really have to carry that around?"

"I've always carried a bow," Link explained, setting any of the arrows that had missing heads or snapped stems aside. "I lost mine chasing the Skull Kid, but it'd be nice to have one again. Besides, I don't feel all that safe when I'm a Deku scrub. I'd like to fight dragonflies without my mask."

"Well, don't go forgetting how unfriendly this swamp is to humans."

"It's not all that friendly to Deku scrubs either ," Link added, scooting himself into a more comfortable position. He removed his mask and flexed the toes in his injured leg, which already was feeling better. "Especially in dark, narrow hallways, like that one we're about to go through."

"Well, whatever form you decide on, we'd better get moving quickly. Remember the moon? We don't even have a way out of here yet."

"We have the ocarina," Link reminded her, "if it comes to that."

"But then we'd leave the witches behind!" the fairy exclaimed. "We need them if we ever want to take on the Skull Kid."

"For the millionth time, we don't have to worry about him right now," Link reassured her. "He's still stuck in the three-day loop. He's probably floating above the clock tower waiting for us, tossing the ocarina up and down in his..." Link stopped though, realizing something for the first time. Tatl didn't even have to ask. She watched, lighting his way, as Link pulled the ocarina from his belt's pouch. He furrowed his brow at the black mark still burnt into the blue surface.

"Do you think he notices a difference?" Tatl asked, reading Link's mind. "Or are there now two ocarinas?"

"No, there aren't two," Link said certainly. "When I went up there the second time, he didn't have one, right before he..."

"Tried to kill you?" Tatl finished. When Link still didn't say anything, the fairy pressed on. "Link, did he try to kill you the first time? That time when I... er... the old me… died?"

Link didn't answer again, staring at his ocarina's mark. He eventually shook his head.

Tatl gulped. "Do you think...?"

"No," Link said immediately, stuffing the ocarina into his bag without much thought. He managed to stand, steadying himself against the wall and putting most of the weight on his other leg. "And it wouldn't matter anyway, because his memory would get wiped every time I play the song."

"Are you sure?" Tatl asked, as Link stowed the bow, quiver, and mask away in his bag. "I'm pretty sure neither of us knows the ins and outs of this whole time travel business. I've only done it twice, and I think you've only done it once more."

"He didn't realize I'd gone back in time, remember?" Link stated, using the wall as support as he walked toward the hallway. His limp wasn't as bad as he thought, and he still felt safer than he would be as a one-armed Deku scrub. "It's not possible, Tatl. He's not in the cycles the same way we are. I don't think you understand how powerful this ocarina is."

"And I think you're underestimating how powerful the Skull Kid is," Tatl retorted. "We can't keep hiding in three-day cycles forever."

"Yes we can," Link said, though he realized how stubborn that sounded. "That's not what I meant. As long as we need to, we can. Like I said, everyone forgets everything that happened... every time I play it."

"I still remember," Tatl pointed out.

"But that's only because you're with me when I play it. You definitely didn't remember anything after you died."

"I didn't die."

"And that's exactly the point I'm trying to make!" Link exclaimed, rounding the corner to face the passageway's depths. "It never happened. We get a clean slate, each time. Tabula rasa."

"Taboo-yeah what-ah?" Tatl asked.

"It means a blank slate. You know, a fresh start."

Tatl didn't seem impressed. "Whatever, Link. We do need a plan. Eventually."

"Save the princess? Find one of the four?" Link asked.

"Sure," the fairy said. "And I guess the next step in that is to go down this creepy hallway. Are you ready to get attacked and almost eaten again?"

"Of course," Link replied, still leaning against one of the walls as he walked. His head almost touched the ceiling, and there was hardly any room from side to side. Tatl followed closely, venturing in silence. There was no end in sight, and the room behind them had already disappeared. Their ears remained open and acute, listening for any signs of movement and speech. Only Link's shuffling boots and breathing made it through. Occasionally, his foot would get caught in thick roots growing between the cracks on the floor.

And so the silence continued, neither one daring to speak as they progressed. Link didn't stop until one particular step made a clicking sound. He quickly looked down, but he was too late. The floor fell out from under him.

Link gasped, attempting to retract his foot, but the other leg was still not strong enough to hold him. He stumbled forward, falling onto his face and rolling with the floor now swinging down on heavy, stone hinges. Link tried to grab ahold of anything, but his hands only met either smooth stone or roots too small to cling to. He stopped rolling only briefly when his bag caught on one of the roots.

Link, in that moment, noticed Tatl flying toward him. Then, his arm slid from the shoulder strap. His bag remained caught on the root as he rolled into the dark hole.

Tatl narrowly made it through the floor's opening to join him as it rose back into place, sealing itself shut as if nothing had happened. Link's fall was short, ending on a stone surface covered in plant life. Link scrambled to sit up as Tatl joined him.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Link said, using the wall as support. He caught his breath as he examined the new, dark room. His eyes followed Tatl as she lit it up, though she was unable to fly far. The room was a small box. There were no doorways or openings of any kind along the walls, floor, or ceiling. It was just a dark, stone rectangle. The floor above them had blocked off the hallway completely.

Link's expression grew darker when Tatl ventured near the floor and found two or three more Deku scrub skeletons. Each was dressed in armor and adorned with random, broken weapons.

"It was a trap," Link said, staring off into the distance.

"You think?" She flew against the ceiling, pushing into it with all her weight. "It won't... budge!"

"We're trapped," Link repeated.

"We've already established that, genius!" When Tatl heard Link struggling behind her, she turned to see his shield in hand, which he flung forcefully at the ceiling. It bounced back to the stone floor uselessly. Link hardly seemed to notice, pulling his scabbard off next. He tossed that angrily at the ceiling too, sword still sheathed.

"Link!" Tatl exclaimed. The sheathed sword clanged to the ground, but Link didn't acknowledge her. Instead, he threw his hat next, which didn't even reach the ceiling before fluttering back down. He stumbled into a sitting position up against the wall, holding his blonde hair in his hands as he squeezed his eyes shut. "Link!" Tatl repeated, flying closer.

"My bag's up there too," Link finally said after several moments, bringing down his shaking hands.

"I'm sorry, Link," Tatl said. "I don't think there's any way we can get it."

"My ocarina is in it."

The fairy didn't comprehend at first, shaking her head. "What are you talking about? You always keep it on your belt, remember?"

"I accidentally put it in the bag," Link said, staring grimly across their small, dark prison. "We're trapped in here, Tatl. You were right. The ocarina can't save us. The moon's going to come crashing down at the end of the night, and we can't do anything about it."

Chapter Text

Link faced the darkness with his back against the wall. Two Deku scrub skeletons lay scattered aimlessly alongside his scabbard, sword, shield, and hat. The only source of light was the glowing orb with wings. She remained at the ceiling, examining every minute detail of its surface.

Another earthquake caused everything to tremble. Link's dark expression never changed. It's not just this room, he knew. The entire temple is shaking. And the swamp. And all of Termina. Even though he couldn't see it, he knew the sun had set, which meant it was the final night. There were only hours left until the sunrise that would mark the moon's fall. By now, Clock Town would be deserted, most of its citizens hiding in hidden rooms similar to this one. They would die, all the same.

The earthquake didn't last long. Link looked to Tatl, who remained glued to the ceiling. "There has to be something," she said.

"Have you seen the dead Deku scrubs?" Link asked. "There's not a way out."

"But there's always something," Tatl repeated. "Something we overlooked, or something we haven't thought of yet."

"There isn't."

"Link, I'm supposed to be the pessimistic one," Tatl said, flying back to him. "There are maybe five cheerful lines in my entire vocabulary. I'd hate to waste one on you now."

"I'm not being pessimistic," Link stated. "Just realistic."

"You're not usually the realistic one either," Tatl said. "You're the one that has to get us out of this!"

"I... can't." Link shook his head. "That's the thing, Tatl. I'm sitting here thinking of all the times I didn't listen to you. I keep ignoring you even when you're making perfect sense right beside me. I never listen, and now we're both going to pay."

Tatl paused, considering. "You did have good intentions, even if you didn't mean to get yourself killed."

"But it's not even me I'm worried about," Link said. "I got myself trapped inside of this box. But you're stuck too. I didn't have to get us both killed."

"You didn't get us both killed," Tatl said immediately. "I flew down in here after you. It was my choice to be with you."

"You didn't realize we were both going to be stuck."

"That's not the point. The point is, I could have ditched you ages ago – as soon as I got out of that bottle. But I didn't. So don't blame yourself for getting me stuck here, because that's my fault."

Link finally smiled. "Well, thanks Tatl. That was unusually sweet for you."

"Yeah, well," the fairy said, flying down to his level, "don't get used to it."

Link clung to the ghost of his smile, sitting in the silence that followed. Eventually, Tatl broke it. "So, anything you want to talk about before we're moon juice? Because I don't know about you, but I really don't want to spend my last several hours in awkward silence. Or having meaningless small talk. I'm not sure which is worse." Link raised an eyebrow, unsure where she was going with this. "Come on. Anything! You have to give me something. A lingering regret, a dark secret you've never told anyone, some revolutionary idea you've never dared to share."

"Hm," Link said. "The only thing that really keeps coming back to me is Hyrule, and mostly just because of..."

When he didn't finish, Tatl did. "Navi?"

Link drew his smile into a thin line. "No. Not so much her. Just the way things used to be. Especially with Zelda."

"You really loved her, didn't you?" Tatl asked.

"I do love her. I wonder what she'll think about me never coming back."

"She knows you better than that!" Tatl said. "She has to. Even if she knew you half as well as I do."

Link smiled once again, and Tatl returned it. "What about you?" he asked.

"Me?"

"Yes, you," Link repeated.

"Uh," Tatl stammered. "It's always just been me and Tael fending for ourselves, and then the Skull Kid."

"There has to be more than that," Link said. "I mean, what about your parents? How'd you and Tael end up in Termina in the first place?"

"I can't remember."

"Really?"

"Look, I'm sorry I didn't come from some really memorable, magical, far-off kingdom renowned across the globe! It's always just been me and Tael for as long as I can remember."

"I think you're cheating," Link replied.

Tatl sighed. "I wish I could have met this Zelda, or at least gotten you back to her."

"Well, you know what, Tatl?"

"What?"

"I think... I know... that I'm glad I'm here with you right now."

Tatl scoffed. "But what about Hyrule? And Zelda? Wouldn't you rather be there?"

"No," Link answered, "because I wasn't done in Termina yet. I decided not to leave this place until I save it, even if that meant dying... which obviously it did. And there's no one I'd rather have with me in this final hour than you."

Tatl only stared back at first, watching Link's smile carefully. Then, the fairy found her own smile, flying further up the wall. She ran her finger through its dusty surface, drawing something. Link watched a symbol take shape: a crescent moon with two diagonal lines back-slashing through it.

"What's that?" Link asked.

"It's a symbol the Skull Kid taught me," Tatl explained. "You know, before he went all serial killer lunatic on us. It's from some old written language he knew, apparently some term of endearment. It means friendship or love. Wherever me, him, and Tael went, we'd leave these for each other, so we could come across them later and remember what fun we'd had." The fairy turned back to Link. "Not that waiting in a hole to die is fun."

"I know what you mean," Link said. "I'm glad we could leave a mark. You know, before..."

"Yeah," she said, backing away from the symbol. Both herself and Link knew the mark wouldn't be there for very long. The moon will make sure it's erased forever, he thought. The ground shook again, wiping away Link and Tatl's smiles.

"He's really not a bad guy," Tatl said. "It's that mask. It's all the mask's fault."

Then, they heard something outside of their cell other than an earthquake: a soft hissing. Before either of them could comment, it was followed by a wailing, high-pitched scream. Link and Tatl exchanged shocked glances as the hissing noises increased, as if some great volume of gas rushed by just above them. And then, it faded. Link and Tatl were once again left in silence.

"What was that?" Tatl asked. "You think it was the monster. Or the princess?"

"Whatever it was," Link commented, "it was definitely in pain."

And then, the ceiling above them shifted inward. Link's head instantly shot up. He watched the ceiling pop back into place and reseal itself. "Hey!" Link exclaimed, jumping to his feet. The pain in his leg was now completely gone.

"Sh!" Tatl whispered. "Whatever's out there might eat us!"

"And?" Link asked, retrieving his sword. "I'll be ready. We just need someone to open the floor." He looked back up. "Hey! We're stuck down here!"

A few moments passed with only silence. They stared and waited… until it budged once again. As before, it only opened a crack, but the fairy flew behind Link anyways, who readied his sword. This time, the ceiling didn't immediately shut, slowly being pushed further downward. It trembled, constantly wavering up and down, as if their rescuer wasn't quite strong enough.

Link stepped closer, peering through the opening and up the sloped surface. He saw two pairs of eyes, one set on the sturdy ground and the other on the trapdoor. Both were near each other, the closer one struggling to open the floor. He pointed his sword at them as his fairy flew to light the scene.

"The monkeys!" Tatl exclaimed. One held the ankles of the braver one, who strained to keep the trap door pressed open with their small hands. Both looked afraid of the pointed weapon. Link's furrowed brow quickly turned to delight. "Link, we're saved! They came to save us!"

"We came cause thought no help brother!" exclaimed the monkey who was on safe ground holding the other's ankles. "No wanted wait so came selves and see bag so know floor cover!"

"I can't understand a word you just said, but I don't care!" Tatl shouted, spiraling gleefully.

Link's joy, however, ebbed when he saw the other monkey, whose face was contorted in exhaustion. "Hurry," the monkey exhaled. Link didn't need to be told twice. He gathered the rest of his belongings, tightened the straps to secure his scabbard in place, and sheathed his sword. He retrieved his shield, but one item remained missing: his hat. Tatl remained above with the monkeys, and without her light, it was impossible to find.

His search was interrupted when his bag's shoulder strap fell to dangle in front of his face like a rope. "Hurry up Link!" Tatl exclaimed. He looked up to see the fairy forcing the bag under the struggling monkey's hands, hoping he had enough strength to hoist Link out. The monkey's arms were far too short to reach him, and Link was too far down to jump out. The makeshift rope would save him; he was glad for Tatl's quick thinking.

There was just one problem. "I can't find my hat!" Link exclaimed.

"Your hat?" Tatl shouted. "Oh, come on! I'll get your stupid hat. Climb out of there before the floor closes!" Link looked up uncertainly, grabbing the shoulder strap and hoisting himself up.

The monkey yelped when Link's weight joined the stone door. The one holding his ankles tightened his grip too as Link climbed, pulling on the slanted floor. When the whole floor tilted further, the monkeys slid toward the secret room. Link quickly leapt to safety, bringing the falling monkeys with him. He rolled away from the trapdoor, monkeys in one arm and bag in the other. Tatl flew out just as the massive slab slid back into place, green hat in hand.

Link lay there, eyes closed as he caught his breath. The monkeys took no time to recuperate, quickly running to dance around each other cheerfully. Link looked up when his hat fluttered gently over his face. "I believe that's yours," Tatl said.

Link smiled, slipping it back over his head. "Thanks Tatl."

"You're lucky I didn't leave it down there," Tatl said. "It's rather unfashionable, and it seems to get in the way more than it actually helps."

"But it's weird without it," Link said. "All the Kokiri wore one."

"And you can't start a new trend? You might just save hundreds of little fairy children from looking absolutely ridiculous."

Link wasn't feeling witty enough to come up with a response and turned to see the monkeys cheer had turned to foreboding. "We help both brothers!" shouted one, pointing down the hallway. "Monster took one!" All Link saw in that direction was more dark hallway, but he suddenly realized what the hissing and screaming had been. The monster, he thought.

"Come on!" the monkeys shouted in unison, running ahead into the blackness.

"Are you sure we should go?" Tatl asked, her light still not strong enough to illuminate everything.

"Yes," Link said, even though he knew what she really wanted him to say: You were right all along. Let's leave now and play the Song of Time. But he couldn't. Not yet. They were so close.

"Well," Tatl said, "At least we'll have them ahead of us to set off the booby traps."

Link returned his bag over his shoulder and followed Tatl. This time, he made sure to move his ocarina to his belt. And so, the journey through the darkness continues. It progressed much more smoothly than the first half, since Link now had full use of his leg and kept an eye out for traps. It concluded in silence, aside from his boots bouncing on the cold, stone floor. The fairy shimmered beside him, and the monkeys' soft feet thudded ahead.

One glaring exception was the earthquake that caused Link to stumble. He managed to grab the wall before he fell. We're running out of time, Link thought. They walked a little faster.

Eventually, they saw a light at the end. The dark hallway had taken multiple turns and sloped further beneath the swamp, but now they'd reached another large room.

The walls and ceiling contrasted with the dark stone of the hallway, consisting of thickly packed dirt. How far underground are we? he wondered. The ceiling seemed impossibly far above his head. His boots met the swampy floor, which was littered with dips and holes across a grassy surface. Water pooled in small ravines, which surprised him. The swamp must still be right above our heads. The air was heavy and wet. There were three Deku flowers all grown far apart. Torches lined the walls, somehow resisting the damp environment but illuminating every corner. There was a stone door across the room, and it was the only other exit.

They immediately spotted the other living creature in the room: a rather large, orange, frog-like animal, almost the size of Link. It crouched in the middle of the room, cocking its head to the side when it noted the visitors. Its yellow eyes blinked curiously, its expression revealing nothing. The surface of its orange, black-striped skin glistened.

It hopped toward the four of them, showing off long, sharp nails from its webbed fingers. It moved painstakingly slow, pausing before each jump. The creature continued despite their non-reaction, opening its mouth only to hiccup.

"What is that?" Link asked. It didn't seem threatening. Just slow.

"That's a gekko," the fairy responded. "It's pretty weak, too. I've never seen anyone get attacked by one. But, given how rarely me and you ever come across something that doesn't want to kill us..."

Link was surprised when the monkeys turned shy, backing to return into the hallway. Are they afraid of it? Link took this as a sign and drew his sword. The orange frog had almost closed the space between them. "Are you going to kill it?" Tatl asked.

"If the monster passed through here," Link answered, "why did it leave this frog alive?"

The gekko, by this point, had landed right in front of him. Link's blue eyes met its yellow ones.

Nothing happened. The gekko waited, and Tatl bobbed silently beside him. "Uh, hi," Link stammered.

In response, the gekko slashed out, ripping three large scratches into his arm. "Ah!" Link immediately withdrew his shield hand, gaping at the bright red now glistening back. The gecko reared back its claws again, but Link's sword came to meet it this time. The gekko noticed just in time to avoid a fatal blow, side-stepping to receive only a slash across its orange back. The creature rolled through the shallow water to avoid any further blows, squealing angrily.

"Are you okay?" Tatl asked, flying to examine his wounds.

"Yeah, it just stings," Link responded. He looked up when he heard the monstrous frog release a high-pitched, squeaky roar. The gekko barred long, pointed teeth, which shone back bright and angry. Link, now halfway across the room from it, watched as its squeaky shriek continued. When it finished, the gekko brought its head down, smiling.

"Did it just call for something?" Link asked.

His question was answered when a sleek, scaled body rose from a shallow pond across the room. Its dark skin dripped, uncurling as it broke the surface. Its silted eyes popped open, identifying Link and Tatl as it stood gracefully. It was a massive lizard, practically the size of a full-grown man with a thick tail swishing behind it. Its clawed hand came out to brandish an axe, shining and wet. The lizard man smiled, much taller than Link and just as thin.

As Link sized up his enemy, he jumped when the ground exploded several feet away. A snapper leapt from a newly formed hole, sweeping the room for enemies as it stretched its neck from its shell. The frog-like gekko gleefully hopped onto the turtle's smooth-shelled back. The snapper's arms and neck retreated to his shell again, and it started to spin, as spikes protruded from its rounded edges.

"Oh, Din," Tatl cursed. The gekko laughed maniacally as it straddled the snapper. The lizard man, meanwhile, smiled wickedly as it walked toward them, axe in hand.

"Don't worry, Tatl," Link said. He noticed Tatl's gaze turn to him, but all he could do was smile. Finally, he thought. A battle I can handle. He pulled his shield into his right hand, still burnt from the poisonous water of the swamp and the gekko's scratches. He hardly noticed, brimming with confidence as he formed a strategy. "I've got this."

The snapper attacked first. The gekko spun giddily, waving its arms and cackling from atop the spiraling turtle. Link rolled from its path just in time, returning to his feet with his sword and shield readied. The snapper, unable to stop itself, crashed into the wall behind Link. The spikes rebounded off the dirt, and the turtle spun in a random direction away from everyone. The lizard man was already finishing its charge, long mouth open and lined with sharp teeth. The monster reared back its axe to strike.

"Watch out for the dinolfo!" Tatl exclaimed, flying high enough to avoid the attacks herself.

Link brought his shield up as the lizard's axe came down. The harsh, metal clang! was followed by the sound of a deep breath. Link's eyes went wide at the lizard's gaping jaws. He barely threw the axe away in time to bring his shield up again.

Flames billowed from its throat. They struck his shield, sending Link stumbling backward. He planted his feet firmly into the wet grass before falling, holding himself steady against the fire. The flames rippled off metal, and Link's next breath took in singed air that caused sweat to bead over his face. He turned when he heard the snapper spinning toward him again.

He only had a split second to react. If he stepped backward, the fire would topple him over. Side-to-side, and the flames would push his shield away. If he stood still, those spikes would mow him over. So, he took two forceful steps forward, against the fire's pressure. He then rolled diagonally away from both enemies, and the snapper glided right over Link's spot, slamming into the wall. The fire from the dinolfo almost blazed the gekko as it passed underneath, but the frog ducked just in time.

The dinolfo leapt again, axe raised, giving Link no time to prepare. He still met the blow with his shield, bringing his sword around from behind it. The dinolfo side-stepped this and brought the axe around again, only for it to hit the shield once more. When water dotted Link's face, he knew the snapper was spinning toward him a third time.

He quickly reviewed his options; he'd injure himself if he rolled to either side. The terrain was too rocky and uneven. Instead, he forced the dinolfo a few steps backward, its axe still pressed into his shield. Link then spun back to the snapper, raising his shield against the spikes. The animal slammed into it hard, ripping his shoulder back violently as it tossed him into a pool of water.

Link, at first fearful that his shoulder had been dislocated, found it still working. Barely. On instinct, he tried leaping to his feet, but the water resisted his swift reflexes. The dinolfo was already upon him, and Link was forced onto his back when the axe met his shield yet again. This time, the weapon caught the lip of his Hylian relic. The lizard jerked the shield against his injured shoulder hard, sending it careening into the distance.

As Link stumbled back, he scrambled to his feet, now armed with only a sword. Water tried weighing him down, but fire already bellowed from the monster's throat. He rolled away, completely out of breath when he returned to his feet next. The green cloth was now wet against his skin, making it harder for Link to block the next axe attack with his sword. He still managed, batting the weapon away and slicing the lizard's side.

The lizard squealed, swishing its tail around to hit Link's ankles. The hero collapsed on top of a Deku flower, and his face landed in the center. He couldn't react fast enough, lying there as he heard the snapper spinning again. It swished through the water, as the gekko laughed and the dinolfo hissed, readying his axe again.

He stared into the depths of the Deku flower, aware of the three different ways he could die in the next second. Water dripped from his nose and hair onto the petals. His eyes darted up to see Tatl, perched high above and afraid.

Instinct took over, and Link's hand dove into his bag. As the axe came for his back and the snapper came for his head, he pushed the Deku scrub mask against his face. The change was instantaneous. His hat, tunic, sword, and bag were gone. He was once again a young Deku scrub with a snout, his right arm no longer in pain and ready for use. Before Link had finished changing, he was already diving into the flower.

The axe landed on dirt. The dinolfo's eyes went wide when the boy vanished, finding only a Deku snout sticking from the flower. The dinolfo's attention then turned to the snapper. The target between them had vanished, spikes glistening as it sprayed water in all directions. Lizard and frog eyes met from across the room – both blind with panic.

The snapper hit the lizard's ankles first. The dinolfo screamed as the shell forced him down, grazed over his body, and ripped him into lizard guts. An axe clattered beside the now lifeless mass. The snapper continued to slam into the nearby dirt wall, bouncing off and returning to the dinolfo corpse and Deku flower. The gekko remained dazed atop the shell, now covered in lizard blood.

As soon as the snapper passed over the Deku flower, Link ejected himself at a bullet-like speed. The turtle flew across the room in a wide arc, its soft underbelly now as mangled and lifeless as the dinolfo. The gekko flew the highest, zipping for the nearest wall as the snapper landed off to the side, dead.

The orange frog recovered from shock as it reached the wall, using its webbed and clawed feet to flee. The blonde-headed Deku scrub, meanwhile, floated gently to the flower that had saved him, letting the smaller flowers in either hand drift away. The dead snapper and dinolfo were on either side of him…

… Tatl watched in amazement. The demise of the two monsters had taken place within only a couple of seconds. She expected the victorious Deku scrub to return to her, but he didn't. The young scrub instead faced the gekko scurrying across the wall. Tatl watched Link summon a green bubble to fire at the creature running away. The projectile traveled far too slowly across the great distance between himself and the monster, hitting the wall long after the orange gekko had changed location.

Link removed the Deku mask and slipped it back into his bag, sliding the sword that had appeared in his left hand to its scabbard. He was still drenched. His green hat slid from his wet hair and hit the ground behind him. Tatl returned to her companion, who pulled free his new bow.

"Are you sure we have to kill it?" Tatl asked, watching the gekko run up and down aimlessly, obviously scared out of its mind. "It does look rather helpless."

"Well, if you think back to a few seconds ago," Link began, taking out an arrow and examining the bow to make sure the water hadn't rendered it useless, "it did just try to kill me. I don't want it calling anything else to come and attack us while we're up ahead with our back's turned."

"If you say so," Tatl replied, as Link notched the arrow and released it. The gekko madly scurried until the arrow pierced its back. The orange frog squealed only once. Its arms gave out, and the gekko fell limply into a puddle of water. Link lowered his bow and looked up at the fairy, whose eyes were wide. "Wow, that was pretty impressive! One shot!"

"I used my Hylian bow all the time, before the Skull Kid took it," Link explained, as he returned the weapons to his bag and picked up his hat.

"So you're a swordsman, an archer, and a musician. Are there any other hidden talents I should know about?"

Link smiled, wringing the water out of his hat. "I'm pretty good with explosives too," he added matter-of-factually, wandering over to his shield. He placed the hat in his bag while his hair dried.

"Oh, so you're a pyromaniac too! Fantastic!" the fairy said.

The monkeys ran in from the hallway jubilantly, hopping across the room and splashing water everywhere. "You kill baddies! You magical god!"

"Your power amazing!"

Link wasn't sure how to react, so naturally, his fairy spoke for him. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Link's so great and amazing. He killed a lizard, a frog, and a turtle. Don't let it all go to his head."

"Come on Tatl," Link said. "They're monkeys."

"I'm just saying," she said, shrugging as she floated to the door leading onward.

The ground, at that moment, shook. The monkey's short-lived glee immediately turned to fear.

"Now must slay monster!"

"Save brother and princess, so we save other brother in Deku Palace!"

"Use magic god power!"

Link nodded. "We'll have to hurry," he said. "We don't have much time."

Chapter Text

The heavy door closed behind Link, Tatl, and the monkeys. It cut off all torchlight, plunging the new hallway into darkness.

Stone enclosed the room instead of dirt; a narrow staircase spiraled downward, lit only by Tatl's glowing orb. The monkeys ventured on without another word, leaving Link and Tatl to exchange a glance. "How much further down is there?" Tatl asked.

"We've got to be almost there," Link said.

"Almost where?" the fairy asked.

"To the monster."

"Right," Tatl said. "And you really think you're ready for that? I bet those goons were nothing compared to what's... down there."

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

"But this monster has to be Majora-ified. And we know what Majora's capable of."

The Skull Kid's lightning was still vivid in Link's mind, traveling atop the clock tower to leave him for dead against the wall. "There's no use thinking about that," Link said. "We have to go down there and fast, before we run out of time."

Tatl restrained whatever argument came to mind. Instead, they followed the small, white creatures, who were already much further ahead. The cavernous stairwell swallowed them whole.

The deep silence frightened Link. His nerves were slow to creep in, a weight on his shoulders he wasn't sure he could carry. We know what Majora's capable of, Tatl had said. With each step, the memory of that mask's orange eyes burned clearer into his mind. As if it was the Skull Kid, and not some monster, waiting for him at the bottom.

Except that's impossible, Link told himself. The Skull Kid's on top of the clock tower, underneath the moon, like he always is. The masked imp was doomed to wait for Link, tossing the ocarina up and down in his hand, until…

The ocarina! His eyes went to the clay instrument on his belt. He remembered Tatl's warning from earlier in the temple: I think you're underestimating how powerful the Skull Kid is. We can't keep hiding in three-day cycles forever.

Link gulped. What if the Skull Kid realizes he's missing the ocarina? he thought. What if the Skull Kid's down there, waiting for us? Or what if even his monster is too powerful? What if, like the Skull Kid, his monster could kill Link with an instantaneous bolt of lightning? What if he was killed the second he stepped into the next room, without time to think? What if, as he lay dying, Tatl couldn't play the Song of Time, and the moon came down and ended everything... permanently?

No. He shook those thoughts away, closing his eyes for a moment. I can't think like that. For all I know, it's just another dinolfo down there. If he wanted to stand a chance against Majora's Mask, he'd need the courage to face its curse wherever it had been laid.

Link opened his eyes just in time to stop himself from falling into a rather large hole in the staircase. The gap stretched on for several feet before the staircase continued ahead and below them; the monkeys had sidled along a thin ledge that remained. Their small feet made it easy, already across and continuing further down.

"Of course," the fairy said, rolling her eyes. "Was it too much to ask for a complete staircase?"

"I can walk along the side like the monkeys," Link said.

"No, you can't," Tatl said. "Look at that thing! It's so narrow. I know you're a twinkle-toed fairy boy, but unless you've got baby feet hidden in those boots, you'll fall."

"I've crossed worse," Link said anyways, already pressing his back against the wall. Only half of his booted foot fit on the ledge.

"Hey, wait! Stop!" He took no notice, inching his way along as his wide, blue eyes beheld the dark chasm. "Don't be an idiot! Link, come back!" He almost slipped after one step, but he regained his balance to try again.

"Tatl, I'll be..." Link didn't finish. Another earthquake interrupted him.

Link could only hold his balance for a split second. His arms went out like propellers but found nothing to grab. He fell – through the center of the winding staircase and into the dark hole. Link plummeted with an empty stomach and a blank mind. Seconds passed. Then the wall behind him began sloping downward until his back slid against it. The dirt ramp continued flattening, until his slide turned into a painful rolling. His shield, sword, and bag noisily banged around the pitch-black tunnel as he spun.

He rolled into open air, falling several more feet into a large, well-lit room. He slammed painfully onto stone. Link surrendered to shock for only a moment, flexing his fingers and toes to make sure everything still worked.

"Link!" Tatl flew from the hole in the wall to join him. He turned to see identical holes running horizontally along the wall, all funneling air into the room. They were far too high to reach from the floor, suggesting he'd have to find another way out. As he sat, he noticed his fairy freeze, eyes wide and staring terrified behind him.

Uh-oh. Link heard a soft hissing behind him. It was unmistakably a less intense version of what they'd heard while trapped in the hidden prison. Link stood and turned around.

It was the temple's largest room yet; it was an extremely wide, stone circle hundreds of feet from side to side. A high ceiling ascended into darkness; torches close to the floor only illuminated the lower half. One absurdly massive stone barrier at the other end might have been a door, but it would take a giant twenty times his size to open.

In the room's center, a thick, long table formed a smooth surface. Lying on top of the altar – spread out and unconscious – was the Deku princess. A long, green stem with a purple flower grew from her head. She hung limply off the white slab, eyes shut. Her face was young, and lavish robes adorned her body.

A black cloud of smoke surrounded her. Columns rose from her body, taking the shape of arms and tentacles that caressed her wood-textured skin. The thick, dark mass was only partially visible; Link could see through it to the other side of the otherwise empty room. Its long appendages funneled in and outside of the girl's snout and ears, hissing as it rotated the entirety of its mass through her body.

Link stared, dumbfounded by the seemingly cognitive black entity possessing the Deku scrub. Link quickly spotted another body lying between the table and himself: a monkey. The monkey was obviously dead, their mouth hung open and limbs askew. Deep gashes formed a pool of blood around the corpse.

He turned from the corpse to note one last thing in the room: a mask. It floated in place several feet above the table, directly over the cloud of darkness and the Deku scrub. It resembled a long-faced man who proudly bore tattoos on his cheeks and forehead. Three colorful stripes stood erect atop the mask's head. The face-piece remained suspended midair, held in place by some invisible force. The empty eye sockets bore down on Link from far above.

Link and the fairy stood in awe, unsure what to do next as they remained side by side. It wasn't until the black cloud's central mass turned, as if to face them, that they did anything. It removed its tentacles of darkness from the princess' body, while Link's sweaty hands reached back for his sword and shield.

"Tatl," Link gulped.

"Yes?" she asked, unable to take her eyes away.

"What am I supposed to do?" He never broke eye contact with the dark being even though it didn't have a face. He readied his weapons, scanning the creature for a weak point as it swirled in a ball and made odd clicking noises. "Won't my sword go right through it?"

"I think...," Tatl said, glancing up to the mask far above everything. "That mask..."

"What about it?"

"It's a Deku deity," Tatl said. "One of the demons they believe in."

"The black thing?"

"No, the mask," Tatl answered. "Odolwa. A demon of the jungle. The stories say he was a warrior cursed by darkness. The darkness made him attack stray villagers who crossed his path, corrupting them as he was."

"Then what's the monster?" Link asked. The mass of darkness unexpectedly shot to the right, making the boy jump. However, it didn't charge. It merely swirled in place, examining Link and Tatl at this new angle. It's so fast, Link thought. He never would've had a chance if it dove for him. How do I fight something like this?

"I think it's coming from the mask," Tatl said. She shook her head. "But Deku deities aren't real!"

"Really? Because it's right here in front of me," Link said.

Without warning, it lunged.

Link swung his sword as the cloud enveloped him, but his blade passed through black tendrils with no effect. He could only scream as it flooded his vision and lifted him off the ground. Everything became darkness. Link's struggling legs and arms were pulled taut, stretched outward by the invisible muscles of the cloud. His sword and shield were torn away like toys, clattering to the floor. He heard his fairy scream. Each breath threatened to pull smog down his throat, so Link held it, choking as it used him like a puppet.

As quickly as it took him, it released him. Link fell limply to the floor. He shook as he took in heavy gulps of air to regain his breath, scrambling to his feet. His fairy was next to him in an instant, and they both watched the monster back away. The black entity split itself in two; one half of the demon remained suspended in the air as the other returned to the princess. The half left behind shrunk, compacting and solidifying. The darkness fashioned itself arms and legs, as a head sprouted free from a torso.

Link quickly recovered his sword and shield, recognizing its new shape as the gusts of wind settled: his own. It became his doppelganger, except the same shade of purely black as the monster. Its tunic, skin, hat, hair, boots, and weapons were made of darkness, blending with one another. Once the entity finished forming, it floated gently to the ground, opening its eyes to reveal bright red. Link stared in amazement, blue eyes meeting crimson. The dark being reached back and pulled out an identical – but dark – sword and shield.

"It's you," Tatl said in astonishment.

Link was left speechless. I've fought this thing before. In Hyrule.

The shadow version of himself was quickly upon him, swinging its blade. Link brought his sword up to meet the steel in midair. He pushed the dark sword away, preparing for another attack…

… Tatl watched Link battle the demon, only looking away when she heard a new noise come from the stone table. The black entity had once again surrounded the princess to enter her snout and ears. This time, it sounded excited as it released clicks and hisses. The skin of the Deku scrub began to pale. Whatever's happening to her, it's almost done! Tatl realized.

"Link!" Tatl exclaimed. However, her blonde-haired companion was too busy with his shadow. She turned back to the person they'd come to save, whose life clearly ebbed away on the altar. Oh Din, she cursed. "Stop!" she shrieked, flying swiftly to the monster. "Get off her!"

Before she could even reach the table, a black tentacle rose in response. She stopped just as it smacked her, blurring her vision and sending her spiraling to the floor…

… When Link swung his sword next, Dark Link met it again, pushing him backward and almost causing him to fall. It mirrored every one of his moves. Just like when I fought this thing before.

"I know you're not Odolwa," Link said, as if threatening it with this knowledge. Dark Link lunged instead of responding; Link repelled the attack with his sword. "I fought you in Hyrule, underneath Lake Hylia in the Water Temple. I remember you."

Dark Link only hissed in response, exactly as the cloud of darkness did. Then, the shadow Link disappeared into the ground, becoming one with its surface. It slid in only two dimensions under Link's feet and popped out on the other side. He hardly had time to spin around and block the next attack with his shield.

"Admit it!" Link screamed. "You're from Hyrule! How'd you get to Termina? Why is that Odolwa mask up there?"

"I'm a child of the darkness," Dark Link said. Its lips blended in with that face of oblivion, making its mouth invisible. Its voice was blood-curdling, similar to the masked imp's voice after he'd been struck with lightning. Its red, pupil-less eyes bore into his own. "And the darkness is everywhere. In Hyrule. In Termina. In Odolwa's mask. In your heart." Link gulped, holding his sword at the ready as the two circled one another. "Majora is not just a mask. Majora is everywhere. A manifestation of those darkest thoughts and fears."

Link wasn't sure he understood. "You didn't answer my question!" Its words still seared their way into Link's muscles, casting his bravado aside before he could truly wield it. A cold sweat broke out on his neck as his breathing became heavier. "How did you get here from Hyrule?"

"The darkness is everywhere," Dark Link hissed, swinging its sword. Link hadn't been prepared; his weak attempt to block the attack didn't stop the blade from almost finding his face. In a final burst of energy, Link thrust his sword arm to the side, causing both of their swords to leave their hands.

Link, who initially turned to his fallen weapon, looked back to see that Dark Link hadn't done the same. Instead, the shadow tossed its shield to the side and went for Link weaponless, dark hands reaching out. Link brought up his shield and backed away, but the black fingers curled around the metal and pulled. Link tried to shake the creature from his shield, but he'd stumbled too far, back up against the wall.

The shadow pushed his shield to the side and grabbed his neck. Link's eyes went wide as their noses were now an inch from each other's, blue frightfully beholding the red. Link thought he heard Tatl scream in the distance, but everything faded. Dark Link... the stone table and the princess... the black entity... the entire room...

The forest was dark. Tall trees swayed beneath a pitch-black, nighttime sky. He admired the cold and the unwavering trees, whose tall trunks withstood all. Turning around, he saw the charred remains of the forest fire the astronomer had spoken of. The tree line – marking where the fire had failed to consume the rest of the forest – was at his feet. He looked to the sky, to the moon appearing now to rest on the clock tower. Its wide eyes beheld the kingdom it sought to crush.

He smiled wickedly at the dark rock, turning back to the forest and raising his hands as the Earth quaked again...

Link's eyes shot open. He inhaled heavily as he returned to himself. However, the quakes didn't end with his strange vision. The temple's sacrificial chamber continued shaking as the forest had. It lasted only a few seconds. Link stared blankly ahead, dumbfounded and realizing he now sat slumped against the wall. Tatl was at his side.

"Thank Nayru," Tatl said, appearing just as shaken as him.

Link couldn't respond, still coughing as he regained his breath. He tried to plant one foot down, but a sudden, sharp pain gripped his chest. Link's hands flew to it, stumbling to his feet as he stood. It's my black mark, he thought. My chest. The scar. It quickly returned to a dull throbbing. Link brought his head up to Tatl uncertainly.

"Is it... you?" Tatl asked worriedly.

Link's brow furrowed in confusion, still panting as he straightened himself. "Who else would it be?"

The fairy didn't respond.

We don't have time for games, Tatl, Link thought. He looked past her to see the black cloud of still swirling around the Deku princess. "What happened to Dark Link?" There wasn't a hint of the red-eyed shadow anywhere. "Where...?" Link stopped short, however, when he saw that Tatl was still staring at him. "What happened, Tatl?"

She didn't reply, closing her eyes before taking a deep breath and opening them. "Look, there's no time!" she exclaimed, pointing back to the monster over the Deku scrub. "She's got maybe five minutes before she's as dead as that monkey. You need to worry about that."

"But Dark Link?" Link fumbled, still not understanding. "What if he comes back?"

"He won't," Tatl said immediately. "He's gone."

"How?"

"There's no time to explain! Do something about that thing before it kills her!"

Link's eyes, eager for answers, turned instead to the stone table. She's right. The smoke sounded more thrilled, and the princess looked more drained. "All right," he conceded, pushing thoughts of Dark Link away as he gathered his fallen sword and shield. He racked his brain for a way to attack, or even affect the darkness, and his eyes found the mask hovering high above the sacrifice's table. "The mask!"

"Odolwa?" Tatl asked, watching as Link reached into his bag for his bow. "Ah. Clever, clever fairy boy."

Just then, the hissing changed, and they turned to see the cloud once again leaving the princess. It turned its nonexistent face in their direction, as if noticing Link's notched bow. The black entity roared in his direction like a bullet.

However, it was too late to stop the arrow. As soon as the arrow traveled through the mask, the dark being recoiled mere feet from them. Odolwa fell from its invisible perch. The darkness – writhing on the floor – retracted toward the fallen mask with an arrow through its center. The monster was already flying around it... and inside of it.

The mask ascended to the air once more, arrow still in its face, as the black creature was fully absorbed. When the hissing stopped, the mask was floating by itself. A body soon grew from behind it, its arms and legs born in almost an instant. A monstrously tall being fit for the mask touched its feet to the floor. Like the mask, it was also covered in tattoos, but it was unimaginably tall, dwarfing the rest of the room in comparison. Standing far higher than any house he'd seen, the new entity conjured a shield and sword of proportional size. The stripes remained on top of its head, and its eyes were now orange instead of empty. Its arms were thick and muscular, and it had a hard, round stomach and chiseled chest.

The creature, once fully formed, brought the hand holding the sword up to its face and pulled the arrow out of it, tossing it to the ground. It then turned to the ceiling and held its arms upward, dancing on both feet as it chanted in some unknown language.

"Now that," Tatl gulped, head craned back to view the entity in its entirety, "is Odolwa."

When the giant man finally looked down from the ceiling, he wasted no time. His massive blade swung like a mighty pendulum, stretching further than Link thought possible. He dove blindly to the side, hoping to clear its reach. He must have rolled at the perfect angle, just barely feeling its swish miss his back. Link landed on his feet and spun back. The jungle warrior responded in more incoherent babble, shaking his head violently.

This is ridiculous, Link thought. Perfect opportunity for snarky Tatl commentary. There was no time to ask for that, though. Instead, he drew his bow before Odolwa could finish chanting, and the arrow zipped across the room in seconds.

Unexpectedly, Odolwa's speed matched it. His shield came up to deflect the projectile. Link didn't waste time being shocked and drew back the string again. The second arrow sailed over Odolwa's head as the monster crouched low. Link lowered his bow, dazed when his enemy started spinning in circles, sword held out dangerously. It spiraled toward him as lethally as a snapper would.

Link stowed his bow and re-drew his sword. He tried to run but hardly made it a few steps before he turned to see the demon's blade reach him. Link instinctively rose his shield, and the attack's force still launched Link off his feet. He landed up against the Deku' princess's stone table. He lay there for only a moment, quick to ignore the pain and stand. He already felt his back bruising and his arms throbbing.

Odolwa unfurled from his crouching spin, chanting yet again with his arms risen at the ceiling. Link remained behind his sword and shield, table at his back, waiting for some projectile or attack. He was caught by surprise when a ring of fire drew itself around him. It enclosed the table too, robbing him of any room to move away.

The tall flames reached high above his head, baking the air. Each breath was thick with heat, scratching his throat as his lungs clawed for relief. The altar was in the eye of the fire, so he pushed his face up against the stone slab, soaking in the last bit of relief from the cool rock. For a moment, a single detail entered his vision: golden vines, protruding beneath the altar. Is that a plant? Under the table? He looked up to the Deku princess resting on its surface, who remained unconscious and unaware of the sweat now beading over her face.

Odolwa looked down into the orange circle from far above. He stared directly at Link, mouth agape and head shaking even crazier than before. Small, black specks sprayed from the giant's throat, hurtling toward Link… and he quickly realized they had wings.

The moths zipped toward him in a massive cloud. They dove over the flames and were soon crawling over Link's skin, causing small bursts of pain with each bite. Link cowered against the table, hiding his face the best he could. Every time he tried to bat a moth away, his fingers drew dangerously close to the fire. He could only crouch inward and shake as the bugs ate him alive.

When he felt the fire leap for his back, Link rolled on top of the table and continued trying to fight the moths away in vain. From somewhere beyond the chaos of pain, light, and heat, he heard a sound that might've been running water. He couldn't tell where it came from and almost wondered if he'd imagined it. However, the fire stretching to claim him suddenly vanished, and it took the bright burning and singed air with it.

Link lifted his head to realize he'd been right. One of the dirt chutes leading into the room now released a constant stream of water, as if the floodgates had broken. The floor was already foaming with a thin layer of liquid that quickly spread over the stone and surrounded the table. Tatl floated beside the open chute. Beside her stood the two remaining monkeys, both dripping wet and smiling broadly.

His attention was quickly whipped back to the moths as they kept biting at his skin. He jumped from the table and splashed in the water, trying to dowse them. Before Link could free himself, he looked up to see the great warrior running at him, dancing and singing yet again.

Link reached into his bag for his Deku mask; he fired green goop in every direction, spinning around and squealing a battle cry. As soon as Deku Link stopped, he looked to see the dead moths now floating below him in the water, encased in snout slime... and also Odolwa's sword, coming toward him. Link gasped, removing the mask and rolling out of the way as the blade came crashing into the waves beside him…

… Tatl couldn't help but smile. Next time he calls me a useless fairy, he better remember who put the fire out. Her smile faded when she saw water also trickling from the chute beside theirs. "What the-?" Tatl spun back to the monkeys. "Did you do something to free that one, too?" The fairy jumped when she heard an explosion; a powerful river now poured out, rivaling the original one. She leapt in shock again when a fourth explosion followed a third and then a fifth. She flew up and away, as water shot out from almost all the other chutes in the room. It coated the floor quickly, doubling over and filling the bottom. The monkeys ran away from the water spouts toward the center, and Tatl flew to join them as the room slowly filled.

"We have to turn it off!" Tatl exclaimed.

They looked up at the fairy in terror. "No can do!" one shouted.

"Too much water!" added the other.

"We just wanted to put out the fire!" Tatl said. "I didn't plan on drowning him!" The monkeys looked at one another gravely, before turning to one of the only remaining dry chutes and climbing up to flee. Tatl gave Link a worried glance, who still was too engaged with Odolwa to do anything else. The fairy then followed the monkeys up the dry passageway…

… Link ran from Odolwa, sword out and ready to strike. The demon spun after the boy with a whirlwind of water surrounding him. Link's boots became wet and heavy quickly. He felt Odolwa close behind, so he spun around and notched his bow with only seconds to spare. He released the string and leapt to the side, and the arrow met its mark: the jungle warrior's shoulder. Odolwa howled, collapsing mid-spin and sending massive waves in all directions as he slid across the floor.

Link's victory was short-lived when he felt his ankle burning. His head quickly snapped down, and he noticed a dark cloud of murkiness spreading like a plague through the water. A small line had found its way to his foot, which he traced all the way back to one of the chutes. That particular vent was releasing purple water now. Oh Din. Link ran quickly from the poisoned water, noting the hole now burnt into his boot. The murky cloud moved sluggishly, but many of the other chutes soon joined in with the change of color.

When Odolwa started chanting again, Link found his attention whipped in another direction. Breathe, he told himself, taking only a split second to center himself. He felt the edges of his mind slipping, falling victim to exhaustion as his adrenaline ran low. Only ironclad willpower could stop himself from collapsing.

The jungle warrior's anger was apparent as he danced. Instead of more fire or moths, the room began to shake. A moonquake? Link looked up to the dark ceiling to see that wasn't the case. Instead, a large boulder hurtled down seemingly from nowhere. Another spell!

His feet barely pushed through the water in time. The boulder crashed behind him, sending Link airborne, so he landed right next to a patch of purple water. Link scrambled to his feet, turning to see all the chutes were contaminated. Only a large ring of clean water remained, centered at the altar. He scrambled toward that as the room still shook, and he noted more boulders raining down.

He narrowly avoided another one and then a third. Not all were as large as the first, but they left craters in the ground all the same. One smashed into the edge of the altar, narrowly missing the princess's head. I have to shield her! Link ran to her side as the poisonous water inched closer to the table.

Odolwa continued chanting in a corner of the room, angrily screaming at the sky; no boulders reached him and, despite being in the middle of the purple water, it had no effect on his feet.

Link scooped the limp princess in his arms, her face pale and dotted with water. Hardly a second passed before the shadow of another boulder shrouded them. Link instinctively leapt from the altar – princess in arms – as the rock smashed through the table, cracking it in half and ejecting pieces of stone. Link landed in the water, cradling the princess to shield her from debris. One second at a time, Link told himself. Breathe. He looked up, heart pounding, to see the altar destroyed. A golden Deku flower lay in its place, previously hidden underneath the table. It was much larger than any he'd seen before, shining brightly above the water. The leaves glistened, vines curling gracefully around it.

Link let out a sigh of relief when the room stopped shaking. Odolwa no longer chanted at the ceiling, but his deadly glare had returned to the boy. The poisonous water, meanwhile, was almost finished closing in. Heedless, Odolwa charged toward him from across the room, sword raised as he screamed.

Link's mind – almost burned numb by stress – threatened to freeze as the jungle warrior charged. Focus, Link told himself. He took in his surroundings, summoning his last bit of mental and physical strength. Poison water, coming close. Odolwa, just a few breaths away. The golden Deku flower, surrounded by broken stones.

The pieces of Link's next plan fell into place.

He laid the princess on the nearest chunk of stone and rushed toward the Deku flower. The water at Link's feet resisted him, but he pushed on. Odolwa approached with a supernatural swiftness from the other direction. Link's right hand found his Deku scrub mask as his left pulled his sword free. The boy reached the edge of the flower just as the massive blade swung for his head.

The transformation happened in an instant, and Link disappeared into the depths of the golden plant with his possessions hidden in his human form. The demon's sword came crashing into the water just beside the flower. Odolwa paused, confused for only a moment. His wild eyes found the Deku flower and knew where his target had vanished. Odolwa rose his blade high and prepared to drill it into the golden plant.

But Link rocketed upward from the flower's depths first. The warrior's sword came down hardly an inch beside him, tearing through the middle of the sacred plant. Link soared higher than any Deku flower had let him before. His snout was furrowed in determination as he hung far over Odolwa's head. The demon looked up, still bent over the flower as Link descended. The Deku scrub removed his mask as Odolwa lifted his blade.

Sword in hand, Human Link fell from above. The jungle warrior swung his mighty weapon upward to meet him. Link held his breath; Odolwa screamed. Tatl and the two monkeys watched from the safety of a dry chute.

Link spun away from Odolwa's blade just in time. Then he was upon the demon's face, sword arm plunging the Kokiri relic directly through Odolwa's forehead. The jungle warrior's scream ended in a sharp, abrupt gasp. The demon's sword and shield fell from his hands, fingers shooting open in shock. Odolwa froze, both eyes unable to see the boy holding the sword buried in between them.

Link let go, falling away from Odolwa and leaving his weapon jammed in the giant's face. The poisonous water came fast, but he applied the Deku mask before crashing into the thick liquid. It broke his fall, and his feet gently drifted to the stone floor. His large, Deku head just barely broke the surface that his small body was submerged in.

Odolwa never screamed again. He feebly groped at the wound in his face, where dark clouds of smoke now hissed from the fissure. Link watched in amazement near Odolwa's feet as the monster's body peeled away in small flakes. Bits of skin popped off and disappeared with the smoke. The entirety of the giant vanished into nothing before their eyes, leaving behind only its face. An empty mask was soon all that remained, floating midair. Its glowing eyes faded last.

The sword slid from the mask once the body faded, splashing as it sank to the stone. The mask hung in the air for only a moment longer, until it fell to float atop the poisonous water, too. All was silent and still. Even the chutes of contaminated water had stopped. Finally, Link released his breath. I won. The exhaustion came immediately in a great wave that almost caused him to pass out.

"You did it!" Tatl exclaimed. She broke the silence, flying from across the room to join him. "You killed the monster!" The monkeys, meanwhile, remained in the dry chute, hesitant to step into the purple water. The young, blonde scrub returned the fairy's smile, walking to retrieve his sword. "That was incredible! You… shot out of that flower like a canon and came right on top of its face! I can't believe it! You actually did it!" Link nodded, unable to find words. "I mean, no matter how much I doubted you, or said we should quit and just play the Song of Time... we finished, with a couple of hours to spare, too!"

"You helped, too," Link said in his squeaky, high-pitched voice. "When you brought the entire swamp crashing down in here."

"Hey!" Tatl exclaimed. "I only meant to put the fire out! Besides, it was the monkeys who found some chambers of water at the tops of the chutes. I didn't ask questions when I saw the fire around you... or realize it would eventually run out of clean water."

"I'm not complaining," Link said, sword in hand as he returned to the princess. "I'd probably be dead otherwise."

Link's heart nearly stopped when a noise caught his attention from behind. Odolwa? He spun to find the monster's mask rising into the air again, leaving the gentle, purple water behind. The sword hole at its center sealed itself as a familiar hissing returned.

"Oh no," Tatl stammered as the mask spun in circles. A bluish aura surrounded Odolwa as it pulsed with a white light. That light soon spread, expanding to rapidly approach the boy and his fairy. Link covered his eyes as it passed through him and Tatl, going on to fill the rest of the room and beyond. When the brilliant whiteness faded, he brought his arms down to see that only the mask's small, blue aura remained.

What just happened? It took him only a moment to look down and discover all traces of purple had vanished. The water filling the room was clear and healthy; he could feel the difference against his Deku skin. Link beamed up at Tatl with realization. "Tatl!" he exclaimed. "The water!" Did that light purify all of Woodfall? Link wondered. Did it leave the temple?

Before the fairy could respond, the princess coughed. Link turned to find her finally stirring atop the stone debris. The coughs rattled her entire body, but she slowly lifted her head and looked around groggily.

Link and Tatl joined her, ignoring Odolwa's mask for now, which still glowed blue behind them. The monkeys climbed down from the chute across the room, running to join them.

The female Deku scrub slid down from her rock, squealing when she landed neck-deep in water. She hastily scrambled back on top of the stone, looking around frantically.

"Where am I?" she screeched.

"You're safe, princess," Link said.

She looked at the young boy standing below her, as if suspicious. She narrowed her eyes at his worn, exhausted face. "Who're you?" she said. "I demand you answer me at once!"

"Hey!" Tatl said, confronting her face-to-face. "We just spent the past twenty-four hours risking our lives to save you! Show some respect!"

The princess stared at the fairy blankly. "You... saved me?" She looked past Tatl, back down at Link. The young, blonde scrub nodded, looking around the massive chamber to realize how strange it must seem. Chunks of stone and rock littered the room, and the entire floor was submerged. A golden flower, sliced in half, withered only a few feet away.

The two monkeys turned to something else lying in the water. The blackened body floated on the surface, burned almost beyond recognition. One monkey hesitantly reached down, small fingers curling to caress the lifeless hand of their lost brother.

Chapter Text

Small, white hands tugged at limp arms and charred fur as if not understanding death.

"What happened?" the Deku princess asked. She turned away from the two silent monkeys surrounding the corpse. "That monster, that black thing – is it dead?"

"Yes," Link said. The princess remained atop her chunk of stone, eyes still narrowed as she watched the blonde Deku scrub and his fairy.

"And you slew it?" she asked, clearly doubtful. "Who are you?"

"Link," he said, making sure to enunciate to avoid the nickname 'Mr. Ink' again.

The princess didn't seem satisfied with that answer. "Did that other monkey ask you to come save me?"

Link nodded.

"And is he okay? He isn't…" The princess didn't finish, allowing her gaze instead to travel to the only lifeless body in the room.

"Actually, he kind of needs our help right now," Tatl said. "Your father thinks he tricked you into opening the temple and then kidnapped you. He's gonna execute him."

The princess's head instantly snapped to the fairy. "What?"

"And that was hours ago!" Tatl exclaimed. "We might be too late."

"Then we must leave at once!" The princess slipped off her perch again, except this time, she braced herself for the cold water. She kept her head and snout poking out, just as Link had to. "Which way to the palace?"

"Yeah, about that," Tatl said, looking around the room. "Unless you've got goron biceps hidden under those robes of yours, no one's lifting that ridiculous door."

Link agreed. The door at the other end was absurdly massive, fit only for the giant Odolwa. He found himself staring at the mask, which still levitated in place and was surrounded by a pulsing blue light. Am I supposed to do something with that? he wondered. What would happen if I touched it?

"You okay, Link?" Tatl's voice pulled him from his trance.

"Yeah," he said. "I have an idea to get us out of here."

"You do?"

Link didn't elaborate further, dropping his sword and removing the mask. His body and items returned to him, though his bag became a nuisance as it floated in the water beside him. After he slid his sword back to its scabbard, he noticed the Deku princess behind him – staring in horror.

"You... you...," she said, backing away in disbelief until she was up against her boulder.

"Changed into a human?" Link finished for her, smiling as he waded through the water toward the monkeys. "I'm not really a Deku scrub. The mask lets me take on that form." The princess uncertainly watched him from afar, clearly still afraid. She'll get over it, Link decided.

Both monkeys shed silent tears over their deceased brother. They hardly noticed when Link stopped beside them. "We'll take him with us," Link said.

The monkeys didn't react. Blank faces remained staring downward as they stroked burnt, wet fur. Link walked between them, putting his arms underneath the mutilated monkey body. He lifted it from the water, and the surviving monkeys allowed their hands to fall away.

Only then did they finally turn to face him, eyes red and swollen. "We can bury him in the forest," Link suggested.

The monkeys didn't seem to have an opinion on that. We don't have time for this, Link thought, so he continued past them, walking back toward the mask.

"Where are you going?" Tatl asked.

"To the mask," he said, monkey still in his arms. "I think something's going to happen when I touch it."

"Uh, yeah. But I was thinking we should avoid touching it, seeing how it just tried to kill us."

"Well, I was thinking we should all make sure to be in contact with each other when I do touch it." Link stopped inches from the mask, turning to face the skeptical monkeys, fairy, and Deku scrub.

"Wow! That's the best idea you've had yet!" Tatl exclaimed. "That way, if it's fatal, it'll kill all of us in one blow."

"Look, I have an inkling this is going to help," Link said. "Can't you trust me?"

"Like nothing bad ever happens after I hear that!" The monkeys ignored the fairy and walked to stand beside Link without saying anything. "Oh, you managed to convince the mindless monkeys! Congratulations."

The Deku princess gasped, spinning to the fairy beside her. "Their brother just died!" she exclaimed. "Show some respect!"

Tatl scoffed. "I didn't mean it like that!" She watched in vain as the princess left her side too. Link was unable to restrain a smug smile, which made Tatl even more irritated. "Ugh. I can't stand you sometimes!" She sighed, finally flying over herself. "All right, fine. I suppose I should be a little less bitter. You did defeat Odolwa. So even though every ounce of common sense is telling me to avoid touching the glowing mask that, just minutes ago, was home to a cloud of darkness that tried to kill and possess all of us... I'll do it."

"That's the spirit," Link said, still smiling to himself. The entire group stood before the pulsating remains of Odolwa. Link secretly felt the smallest hesitation as he considered the fairy's warning. What's the worst that could happen? Instantaneous death, he wagered. And the best possible outcome? Maybe he would transform into Odolwa and could make it back to Clock Town in seven massive steps. Now that'd be handy.

"Well, if we're going to do this thing, let's do it," Tatl said, floating down to rest on his shoulder.

"Okay, everyone else grab ahold of me, too." The monkeys and princess found his legs, and the corpse remained in his arms. He watched the Deku royalty look up eagerly for guidance. Guess the Deku princess got over my transformation pretty quickly, he thought. Though to be fair, she looked completely dazed and unsure if she was even awake. Link turned to meet Tatl's eyes, and his fairy nodded back. Let's do this. His fingers touched the surprisingly cold, wooden surface of the mask.

Instantly, it blinded them all.

Link reeled, stumbling backward one step and then another. A piercing, high-pitched ringing flooded his ears as an infinite light drowned his eyes. He tried protecting his face, but the light was everywhere. Slowly, his vision returned, and the ringing faded. But when they did, the chamber in the underwater temple was gone.

He found Tatl floating beside him, and she appeared just as confused. Their surroundings seemed to glow; details came slowly. The monkeys and princess were gone. Only Link and Tatl remained on this new platform. Everything's so fuzzy and dreamlike, he thought. Is the mask playing a trick?

The sky was a shimmering, green light with water falling from the heavens in columns. They poured into a sea of clouds surrounding the platform, which stood hundreds of feet tall. Link stepped forward again, reaching out a hand to confirm this was real. It was impossible to break the thin layer of fog veiling everything. There's something calm about this place, he thought. Nothing else greeted them – just an empty platform that appeared to float through the clouds.

"What's that?" Tatl asked. Her familiar voice was a knife that cut sharply through the uncertainty. It was grounding. Link followed her gaze to something in the distance.

It was hardly perceptible amidst the glowing light, clouds, and water: a dark brown spot. A creature? Is it flying? How is it up here with us? The ball – which maybe was its face – rested on two long, slender legs that traveled down to rest atop the clouds as if they were solid. The being appeared to be a round head resting on legs. It did, however, wield elongated, lanky arms. All of this he couldn't be sure of; it was barely a silhouette standing so far away.

"Is that... a spirit?" Link asked. He squinted to try making out more. "Was it sealed inside the mask?"

Before Tatl could respond, another sound presented itself. Alongside the peaceful scenery, a powerful, deep voice echoed across the landscape. It seductively drew Link further away from himself, back out of the certainty Tatl's voice had created. The melody came from the distant spot with arms and legs. This place is dangerous, Link thought as the haziness took hold again. It's trying to take me away from my body. To keep me in the clouds.

"Listen," Tatl said. "I think it's saying something."

"It sounds more like... singing," Link replied. He took a step closer to the edge, still soaking wet from temple water. His boots squished against the solid platform. Link looked back up to Tatl, drenched hair still damp against his forehead. His hat remained a ball scrunched in his bag.

The fairy never looked away from the distant creature. "Could that crying be its way of teaching us a melody?"

"Maybe," Link wondered. The notes threatened to lull him again. Regardless of anything else, he was in awe at the song's gracefulness.

"Don't just stand there!" Tatl snapped. "Get your instrument!"

Link didn't bother protesting and slid the clay ocarina from his belt. Bringing it up to his mouth, he quickly found the right pitches. In only a short minute, Link was playing along with the creature, and his melody was just as beautiful as the being's. Their songs became one.

When the spirit stopped, Link did as well, bringing his arms down and clutching the blue instrument tightly. Then, the creature transitioned to speaking. Its voice was as mighty and awesome as its song.

"Call us."

Link and Tatl, standing side by side, stared in collective awe at the majestic being surrounded by bliss. They noticed too late that the bright light was enveloping them again. Soon, the creature and its dream world were gone.

Link's senses returned with surprising clarity. Even though it was the dead of night, the stars illuminated Woodfall enough to clash with the distant dream. He could smell the swampy air and feel the gentle breeze. He was no longer deep underground in an ancient temple or trapped in a hazy world. I'm back. He smiled, now standing on the wooden platform where he'd played the Sonata of Awakening.

The weight of the corpse returned to his arms, and he heard a shrill scream as the Deku princess materialized, too. She stumbled over the platform's pedestal, barely scrambling back to her feet. "We're in the swamp?!" the Deku princess exclaimed. "The mask sent us here?"

The monkeys stirred beside her as well, looking around with just as much confusion. When something small and wooden clattered onto the platform beside him, Link looked down to find Odolwa's mask. It lay still and empty, void of its magical qualities. Beyond the platform, Woodfall Temple sat in the late night. The water surrounding it – and presumably the whole swamp – had returned to normal. No more purple! Link realized.

Tatl remained speechless, staring off as if they'd never left that strange, in-between world. "Are you okay?" Link asked.

"Yeah," Tatl said. "I was just remembering what Tael said. About the four people we're supposed to find. Do you think he was talking about that singing creature? You think it might've been a spirit sealed inside that mask?" Link didn't answer. He hadn't connected those dots himself. Maybe? he thought. "I think we did it, Link. I think we found one of the four."

He recalled Tael's cry: Swamp! Mountain! Ocean! Canyon! The four who are there, bring them here! "Oh Nayru," Link realized. "Tatl, I think you're right! That means… everything we did… it was all worth it!"

"Yeah," Tatl said, finally smiling. "But don't think that means I'm going to apologize. You're still an idiot for diving into that temple and expecting to come back out alive."

Link laughed. "What do you think this means for the other ones? Mountain, ocean, and canyon? I guess they're all spirits? Do you think they're trapped inside of masks like that one, waiting to be saved?"

"That would make sense," the fairy reasoned. "It would explain why they can't help us right now."

"Maybe they've all been sealed away by the Skull Kid, like Odolwa. Maybe all of the other lands will be cursed like this one."

Tatl didn't respond immediately. "Then we'll have to be extra careful. All of the other ones are probably just as dangerous."

"At least we kind of know what we're doing now," Link said. "Save the four spirits and call them with that song on top of the clock tower."

"An oath to order, huh?" Tatl said, looking away thoughtfully. "I suppose it would explain everything Tael said."

"The moon!"

Tatl was cut short by the Deku princess' shriek. Link and Tatl turned to see her arm raised, pointing at the sky. The blonde-haired boy and fairy both looked up. "Oh Din," Tatl said. "Oh Din, that's not good."

The moon appeared to be resting on top of the clock tower. Its large eyes beamed down at the kingdom beneath it, only hours away from crushing everything.

"We have to take the princess back to the palace," Link said urgently. "Now." All traces of celebration and excitement vanished. There's never a moment to rest, is there? he thought.

Tatl opened her mouth to protest. "But..."

"Tatl," Link interrupted. He knew exactly what she was going to say. "Please. As soon as the clock tower falls, I'll play the Song of Time, no matter where we are or what we're doing. We promised to get the princess back, and..."

"All right, fine," Tatl said. "But don't forget. We still have to find the witches."

"We will," he said, turning to the network of bridges leading back to the palace.

"Wait!" a monkey shouted.

Link stopped, still carrying their brother's corpse.

"Give us brother." The creature tried being assertive, but its sadness shone through. Its eyes were red, and its voice was choked with tears.

"I said I would bury him for you," Link said.

"But we must," the monkey said. "We bury him. You save other brother. No time."

Link opened his mouth to argue further, but Tatl shot him a glance that told him that wasn't a good idea. "Okay," he sighed, bending down to release the small, limp body. Both monkeys removed him from Link's arms, one shuddering as if just now understanding what had happened. The other monkey looked up to calm them, and then turned back to Link.

"Thank you. For everything." And then the monkeys walked along the wooden bridges ahead of them, leaving Link, Tatl, and the princess behind.

"How awful," the princess said, her face torn somewhere between pity, terror, and disbelief.

"We'll make sure no other monkeys die by getting to your father in time," Link said. The princess emphatically agreed.

Before they set off, Link retrieved the mask once known as Odolwa. He placed it alongside his other belongings, his bag's wet flap flopping heavily over the opening. It's going to take forever to dry all the way off. He hoped their run would help.

The nighttime wind was cool on his face as he sprinted alongside Tatl and the princess.

The king sat darkly in his chair, orange eyes glaring at the monkey's cage. The small white creature - all hope drained from his eyes - hung limply from the pole he was tied securely to. The Deku King, bulbous flower atop his head, toyed with the staff leaning against his chair. Anger seemed to cloud every thought in his head.

"Please... sir..."

"Silence!" the monarch exclaimed, turning toward his other prisoner.

The thin Deku scrub with the green, handlebar mustache was on his knees, chains wrapped around his wrists. They were padlocked to the floor and forced him to kneel. He looked just as dejected as the monkey, turning from his master's glare to the roaring fire in the center of the room. "You're lucky I don't toss you in there with that monkey! Your act of treason makes you just as guilty." The butler didn't respond. The chains rattled as he tried to make himself more comfortable on the floor. After a lifetime of surface, the butler thought, this is my reward.

The entire room shook violently. The butler, king, guards, and monkey all were powerless before the vibrating ground, clinging to staffs, chains, rope, and spears to quell their fear. The earthquake didn't last very long, but they all knew it wasn't the last one. The moon might soon make all executions irrelevant, the butler thought. It left them in silence once again. Only the orange flames broke it with the sound of crackling heat.

"My king, my king!" The Deku King rose his head to the entrance of his chambers, as did the butler beside him. A guard ran in, clearly out of breath. "Your princess... she's returned!"

The monarch's eyes instantly widened, jumping from his chair, staff in-hand. "What?" Seconds later, a blonde-headed human – appearing just shy of adulthood – ran in with the Deku princess at his side. A familiar fairy accompanied him.

The boy stopped as soon as he entered the room, but the princess didn't. She ran as fast as she could to her father, who stood in disbelief. The monkey smiled broadly from his cage at the drenched, hatless boy, but the butler was just as confused as his master. Is that the fairy from earlier? Who is this boy?

"Oh, my princess!" the Deku King exclaimed, smiling broadly. "My darling princess! You are all right? I was so worried!" His smile, however, did not last long. His daughter's face was contorted in anger, shaking as she stopped in front of his chair. She noted the butler chained beside him.

"Foolish father!" she screamed. She continued trembling, unable to contain her boiling fury. Before the monarch could even consider a response, his daughter tackled him and proceeded to stomp on his chest in a blind rage.

The Deku King, in all his power, cowered feebly underneath the might of his young daughter. The guards in the room tentatively approached the scuffle, but the Deku princess shot them one glare before they thought better of intervening.

"What are you doing?" she said. "Let that monkey go this instant!" The guards obeyed. They scrambled for the cage, opening the wooden gate to the still smiling monkey. The boy and fairy, who'd been standing out of place by the door, slowly approached the throne. The Deku princess stopped attacking her father and hopped down to release the butler from his chains.

The Deku King watched the approaching human and fairy as he struggled to stand. He tried to hide his exposed weakness, planting his staff firmly on the floor as he straightened his back. "Who are you?" he bellowed unconvincingly.

"Don't talk to him like that!" the princess screamed, clicking the handcuffs open. The butler's wrists came free, and it was the sweetest sound he'd ever heard. Finally, he thought."He's the one who saved me!" The butler thanked the princess and rose to his feet, rubbing his sore hands as he watched the ensuing conversation.

"Is this true?" the Deku King asked the boy. "Did you save my daughter?"

The boy didn't respond immediately. He took another step forward, stopping right beneath the dais. "Yes." He paused, reaching into his bag to retrieve an item. He slipped a... mask, perhaps?... over his face. It bore the resemblance of a Deku scrub, and suddenly, the boy became someone else. The monarch's eyes widened, as did the butler's, whose happy face soon turned much grimmer. "But I'm also the Deku scrub from earlier."

The butler's mind went numb. Impossible, he thought.

"You... you're the one I almost killed?" the king asked, as the newly-turned scrub nodded. "My humblest apologies. Hasty decision-making is my weakness. This time, more than ever, it has become clear to me."

"I forgive you." When the young scrub's eyes flashed to the butler, he noticed too late. The older scrub couldn't hide his sad, transfixed stare in time. The butler opened his mouth to explain, but the young scrub turned away, back to the monarch. He must think me a fool, the butler thought. A sad, pathetic old fool.

"Your daughter was missing," the blonde scrub continued, "and you were willing to do whatever it took to get her back. I understand."

"I wish there was some way for me to express my gratitude," the king said. "Oh, strange traveler, there is little I can do. Please feel welcome to take shelter here from the moon."

"We would," the fairy said, interrupting the boy-scrub, "but we have somewhere else we need to be."

"Very well," the Deku King said. "Just remember we have more than enough provisions for you, should you choose to stay."

His face, the butler thought, hardly aware of the conversation and still staring. It's him. It's really him.

"Thank you," the fairy said, turning to leave. Before they could, the monkey ran forward gleefully to intercept them.

"Mr. Link!" the creature happily exclaimed. The fairy sighed, but the hero – Link – beamed happily back at the monkey. The Deku princess leapt down from the platform to join them as well, putting her arm around the monkey.

"Oh, Mr. Monkey, I am truly sorry," she said. "Father does such rash things when he worries about me."

"Forget about that," the monkey reassured her. "We're both safe now. Has the temple been returned to normal?"

"Yes, thanks to Mr. Link here," the Deku princess said. "I am very, truly grateful."

Link nodded, though some grim news appeared hidden behind this gesture. When his eyes met the princess's, the butler knew they were both keeping something from the monkey, but neither wanted to be the one to tell him.

"I'm glad I could help," Link reassured them.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay, at least for the rest of the night?" the princess asked. "You're soaked, and I'm sure you're hungry too."

"I'll be fine," Link said, trying to hide the hand clutching his stomach. "I have a lot to do before the night's over."

The fairy whispered sharply at his side. "Come on, Link! We have to go."

"Okay, okay. Just one more thing." Link brushed the fairy away, turning to face someone else again.

Me. Until then, the butler had remained a bystander, hands absently holding his sore wrists as everyone congratulated the hero. The hero who has stolen my son's face.

The tall Deku scrub remained atop the platform near his monarch. He tried looking away from the young scrub, but Link ignored that and approached him nonetheless. You have to look at him, the butler thought. You have to talk to him. So, he summoned the courage.

His son's eyes shown back at him.

"There's something I want you to have," Link said, bringing his hands to his face. The mask pulled free, and he was a human again. The butler only jumped slightly at the transformation. He lifted his head to meet Link's dark blue eyes, unable to look at the object in his hands. The mask lay there, face-up. Frozen, orange eyes beheld their father in terror.

"When I first came to Clock Town, I was cursed," Link explained. "And I thought it was just my own, personal Deku scrub form the Skull Kid forced upon me. But I think it was more than just that. I think... somehow... the Skull Kid turned me into your son."

The Deku butler continued to listen, refusing to look down at the mask or anyone else in the room. "But I think it goes even further than that. I think, somehow, the Skull Kid bound me to your son's actual spirit, and that when I played my ocarina to free myself from it… Your son's spirit… it sealed itself into this mask.

"When I returned to my human form the first time, I spoke to a Deku scrub, one who looks exactly like me when I wear the mask. I thought it was a weird dream, but I'm not sure now. The Deku scrub told me I would find his father, and that when I did... he wanted me to tell him… to tell you… that he didn't run away." He didn't run away? the butler thought. His mouth hung open in shock. He never meant to leave me? How is this possible? How is my son reaching out to me after all this time? He hardly felt the tears that welled up.

"He just wanted to see the world, and he never meant to leave forever. And he loves you. He wanted me to make sure I told you that, too." Link stopped, the mask still in his hands. The human waited – as if for some comment or reply – but the old Deku scrub merely remained staring.

"That's why I want you to have my... er... your mask," Link said. "Whether or not there's actually a part of your son in this, it definitely was touched by him, and may be the last link to him." His blue eyes didn't waver, and, for the first time since he'd been freed, the butler spoke.

"Thank you." He smiled, and he cried. My son, the butler thought, though his mind stopped there. He realized that the tears falling were happy. Please don't let this be a dream. Let this be real.

Link returned the smile as he offered him the mask, but the butler grabbed his warm hand with his cold, wooden one and pushed it gently away. "But I cannot have that." Link seemed confused as he brought the mask back to his side. "I need to learn how to let go of my son. He's gone, and if I kept his mask, I don't think I'd ever come to terms with that."

The Deku butler brought up a hand to wipe away his tears. "And now that you've told me what you have, I think I finally can. Thank you. But please. Use his mask on your adventures. Let him continue helping the world, as he always wanted. I'm sorry if I caused you any discomfort. Please forgive my rudeness."

"Don't apologize," Link said, clutching the Deku scrub mask and examining its features closely. "I'm happy I could help you." Instead of standing in the awkward discomfort, the human boy walked away, returning the mask to his bag as all eyes turned to him. The butler watched as he left, restraining himself from screaming for his son's face. Don't, the butler reminded himself. Don't do that. Don't taint this happiness. Let him go.

Link did stop, however. One step off the dais, the butler wondered if the boy had read his mind. Is he going to offer me the mask again? the butler wondered. He didn't know if he could say no a third time.

The hero turned back. "I wasn't sure if I should tell you," Link said, "but your son – I think I know where he is. Where his body is." The butler's smile left immediately. "Inside of Clock Town's tower, at its base, there's a doorway leading to an underground passage. I saw a Deku scrub there that looked a lot like your son. I didn't think about it until now, but I'm certain it's him. I just... thought you should know." He paused as if expecting a response. When the butler didn't give one, Link turned away and stepped down from the platform.

The Deku King, princess, guards, and monkey all watched as Link and the fairy rounded the fire pit and left. The butler could only stare after the empty doorway.

Link and Tatl left the grand Deku Palace doorway. The wooden bridge was once again under Link's boots, except this time it crossed over regular water. The poison really did vanish everywhere, Link thought. Because we defeated Odolwa and freed that spirit. The blonde-headed boy and his fairy stopped for a moment to think.

"I'm glad we went back to the palace," Tatl said. "The butler really needed that."

"I'm glad I connected all the dots when we left the temple. He needed closure with his son. I hope I gave him that."

"Me too," Tatl said. "And we've thoroughly cleaned this disgusting swamp and saved some others along the way. We've been quite the good little adventurers, haven't we?"

"Got to live up to my name, don't I?"

"Right. The Hero of Time. Barf. Now, Mr. Hero, I believe we have one last piece of business to take care of before we finally leave this Boggy Swamp of Despair. I presume you remember the way back to the witches' hut?"

"Of course," Link said, looking up at the nighttime sky. The stars were no longer visible; the world had darkened tremendously since leaving the temple. Why did it suddenly get so cloudy? His attention turned to the moon. Their time was almost up.

Wait a minute, Link thought. He squinted, suddenly suspicious of the newly-formed clouds. Was it cloudy on the final night last time? He realized only part of the sky had grown pitch-black, near the rock wall separating the palace from the swamp.

"Do you smell... burning?" Tatl asked. They both suddenly realized those weren't clouds. It was a plume of smoke. A horrible queasiness caused Link's empty stomach to sink further. Something's wrong. "Come on," the fairy said. "Let's take the Deku flower up to the ledge. We'll have a better view."

Link nodded, slipping the Deku mask over his face and running across the bridge. He hopped over the water and dove into the flower, popping up onto the higher cliff. Tatl remained by his side the entire time. Link removed his mask and returned it to his bag as they passed through the cave. He exited at the beginning of the mushroom-topped trees acting as steppingstones.

They stopped – mouths agape. One reality consumed the swamp across the river: fire.

The forestry on the other side was ablaze. Purple flames destroyed the wood and bellowed out huge waves of smoke. The flames suffocated the sky, reaching as high as the one Link caused yesterday. It stretched into the horizon, not sparing a single tree on the line bordering the swamp.

Before either Link or Tatl could react, a small figure flew over a rock wall. The Skull Kid stopped abruptly when he saw the boy and his fairy.

No one moved. Link's mind went blank with pure terror, mere prey beholding a predator. Disbelief and shock rendered him motionless. The Skull Kid remained just as still above them, his masked face bearing down on them. Majora's dark stare never wavered. The Skull Kid moved first, drawing an arm back and bringing his fingers together.

Tatl screamed. "Link, run!"

The imp thrust his arm forward. Violet fire poured from his palm, already halfway toward the boy when he regained control of his body.

Link hurled himself to the side; Tatl flew up and out of its path. The boy barrel-rolled forward as the purple fire struck the ledge. The dark flames continued in a constant stream from the masked imp's hand. The Skull Kid moved his arm, directing the fire to pursue Link. The boy felt it nearly on his back as he returned to his feet, red-mushroom squishing beneath his boots.

Before he could catch his breath, Link leapt again, this time off the plant. The fire spewed behind him, barely missing his blonde head. He fell several feet onto the swamp's grassy ledge. His knees screamed in protest, but Link couldn't stop. He pressed onward, sprinting along the shore away from the imp, the dock, and the palace entrance.

When the fire didn't pursue him, Link looked over his shoulder. The imp appeared over the mushroom tree, already preparing another spell. Link ran faster, panting as his legs still ached from falling and Odolwa. He felt the deadly, violet heat coming down like a hammer on his head. The next step forward would bring death.

Link tossed himself over the grassy ledge instead – into the swamp water. He kicked himself downward to sink further. Brilliant, purple light exploded above him, missing its target and now a firework upon the shoreline. Link swam as fast as he could, but running and jumping without stopping left him short of breath. Already, he struggled for air. His hands and arms felt weak as he pulled himself forward.

He didn't get far. The water around him moved against the stream, suddenly clinging to his body as a fist would. No. Somehow, he was being lifted into the air. The Skull Kid, with his hands outstretched and his fingers manipulating the water, plucked Link from the rest of the swamp. He was trapped in a thin, human-shaped water bubble. The imp flung his arms violently to the left, and the water restraining Link obeyed.

He slammed into the rock wall. The bubble immediately came apart, and Link plummeted back to the ground. The painfully jagged wall left him dazed, and the solid ground knocked away all remaining breath. Every bone shrieked in agony. He remained gaping on the scorched, drenched grass like a dying fish.

He saw the Skull Kid approach from afar to finish him off. Link struggled to move but could do no more than gasp for air. The imp already drew his arm back for a final blow, and his dark blue eyes shone fearfully at his killer…

… However, something caught the imp's attention. He noticed a ball of bright, orange fire hurtling toward his turned back. The Skull Kid spun around just in time, releasing the purple fire intended for Link. Orange and violet collided, dissipating to leave only a red night illuminated by the raging forest fire.

The imp searched for its source, sweeping the flaming tree line. He heard something else whistling in his direction – this time from the swamp water. He spotted the projectiles beneath him and narrowly dodged thick, sharp icicles that leapt up from the water's surface.

The Skull Kid found Kotake floating above the water. The old woman rode her broomstick, one arm gripping its handle as the other finished freezing the watery missiles. The blue gem on her forehead went dark as she completed her spell. Her white hair stood tall above contorted rage. The imp opened his mouth to speak, but he stopped when he noted an identical twin - on a similar broomstick - flanking him. Her gem was orange, and Koume's expression matched her sister's.

The imp narrowed his eyes, though Majora's Mask hid them. He backed up to keep both witches in his line of sight, readying his hands for more magic.

"You've burned our forest!" the ice-witch named Kotake shrieked. "Again! You almost killed us!"

"We command you to stop," Koume said. The Skull Kid simply floated in place, looking back and forth between them. "We won't allow you to abuse whatever power you've found. You toy with things you do not understand. Like an immature child."

"I am not a child!" he exclaimed. He watched Koume flinch at his darkened voice, though she quickly hid it. But I saw, the Skull Kid thought. You're afraid. You know this mask means trouble.

"Yet you act like one," Koume said, forcing herself to return his glare.

"If you are not a child, then prove it," Kotake said. "Remove that mask and surrender it. Its abilities are obviously too much for you to handle."

The Skull Kid said nothing, though the forest fire was all the noise necessary to break the silence. His eyes darted to the boy and saw that he'd gotten to his feet, one hand against the rock wall as he leaned over in exhaustion. The boy watched the events taking place with concern, and the fairy was by his side.

The ground shook again. He watched the boy stumble off the wall and almost fall into the water. I'll kill them last, the imp decided.

When Koume and Kotake looked up to the moon fearfully, the Skull Kid took his chance. He released a large bout of fire in Kotake's direction. The witch's face – darkly beholding the source of the earthquake – turned instead to the purple death hurtling toward her.

Let the battle begin, the Skull Kid thought.

Kotake flung both of her arms upward. A thick shield of ice stretched upward from the water and absorbed the flames. The imp had already prepared for Koume's retaliation and flew from the path of the orange fireball meant for him…

… Link's eyes watched in amazement. The wayward orange flames slammed into the swamp water and barely missed them. Their brief, brilliant life turned to smoke, curling upward into the red night.

"What do we do?" Tatl asked. She didn't dare turn away from the battle between the three magicians. A spare lightning bold or ice shard could hurtle their way any moment.

"We should wait," Link said. "For Koume and Kotake to win."

"But what if they don't?" Tatl asked. They remained staring above grimly as the fate of Termina was decided…

… The Skull Kid conjured another wave of dark fire and aimed it at Koume. The orange witch countered this with another burst of her own, making it powerful enough to dispel the dark magic and reach the imp. The Skull Kid pulled upward a wave of swamp water, channeling it to swirl around him like a great ball. The newly formed sphere absorbed the fire, foaming gracefully around him. He then commanded the water shield to form a tentacle, which whipped itself at Koume.

The witch's orange gem glowed brightly as she created a tentacle of her own – made of fire. The two clashed midair – sizzling, burning, and cooling in a brilliant splash. The imp shivered when the air within his water sphere grew cold. He heard cracking as the water hardened, expanding and freezing around him. Kotake. He thrust his arms outward to release fire, which destroyed the lethal ice and protective water alike.

Immediately following his newfound freedom, the fire tentacle – no longer obstructed by his own – lashed out. The Skull Kid brought up his hands to defend himself, battling fire with fire to extinguish the orange flames. He turned to see Kotake's next spell already hurtling toward him: sharp, thick ice arrows.

The Skull Kid conjured enough fire to disintegrate some of them. One still cut through his arm and another stuck through his shoulder. The imp bared his teeth in pain. It worsened when Kotake caused the ice lodged in his shoulder to expand. The imp screamed, gripping the end of the growing ice arrow; his fingers retracted when they met icy barbs.

Orange fire was once again hurtling toward him. He felt its heat as his shoulder seared with agony. The imp held up his arms, causing his entire body to glow with purple flames; the ice arrow melted and then he flung the spell at Koume's attack. The fire still made its way through, sending the masked imp spiraling into the swamp water. The river immediately hardened and cooled around him, but he wouldn't let Kotake hurt him again. The Skull Kid screamed, letting loose another explosion of fire to destroy the ice as he rose from the swamp in a rage.

The witches gave him no rest. Long, ice spikes rose from the river's surface to stab him. The Skull Kid barely avoided them, dodging one after the next until his back was against the rock wall. He caught the boy and Tatl in his peripheral, just below him on the grassy ledge. The boy had his ocarina in hand, ready to escape with his magical song.

No! The Skull Kid changed targets, sending dark fire at his fleeing adversaries. Kotake easily conjured a shield of ice to save them. The flames were no match for its cool surface, and then her shield became a weapon. It formed pointed tips and hurtled toward the Skull Kid. The imp flung his arm against the rock wall, commanding a chunk of earth to shatter the icy weapon. With the same stroke of his arm, he took more chunks of the wall with him. Koume herded him away from the boy and fairy with more fire, but the Skull Kid no longer cared. Massive chunks of rock now surrounded him in a circular orbit.

He watched the witches' worried faces as the rocks joined together to form larger ones. The fire and ice sorcerers never stopped bombarding him as the rocks compacted together. The boulders acted as his shield, stopping the ice rising from beneath him and the fire coming from afar.

The imp smiled as he mapped out his next several moves. The earth gave him a chance to think. Koume and Kotake desperately attempted to deprive him of this luxury with spell after spell.

Koume sent a continuous, thick stream of fire into the rock shielding the imp, applying as much pressure as she could. The Skull Kid held it steady, and he noticed the water below him hardening into a massive, spiked platform. Moving to avoid the ice would dislodge his earth shield, so the witches had effectively cornered him. But the imp was ready.

As the platform of ice flew up to kill him, the Skull Kid shattered it with a burst of dark fire. He allowed the same explosion to turn his rock shields into projectiles. One went directly through the flames pouring from Koume's hand. The witch gasped but had no time to move. The boulder slammed into her, causing a sickening crunch! as she fell from her broom into the water.

Kotake managed to avoid the boulder meant for her, but safety did not await her on the other side. The Skull Kid had brought his fingers together to generate his next attack. The purple lightning left his fingertips, its precision deadly and instantaneous. It struck Kotake directly in the chest. She fell limply to the swamp seconds after her sister.

The Skull Kid laughed, floating undefeated as he watched his victims' watery graves. I need to make sure they're dead, he thought. He floated closer to the river to do just that – but then he remembered the others.

The Skull Kid snapped around to face the boy and Tatl. The fairy rested on her companion's shoulder, who had his ocarina in-mouth. The boy's fingers melodically plugged the holes as he exhaled into the instrument.

No! The masked imp conjured as much fire as he could. The boy and Tatl vanished seconds before it reached them. The purple fire passed over empty, scorched grass to crash into a blank rock wall. They were gone.

The Skull Kid flew quickly to their ledge as the fire cleared, but his eyes filled with horror when he realized there was nothing there. "No," he stammered. "No, no..." He grabbed his head and trembled, transfixed by the dark water reflecting the raging forest fire's glow. The voice of Majora powered his vocal cords as he screamed. They're gone! They got away! The fury caused every muscle to twitch, every vein to bulge.

And then he saw one of the witches climbing out of the water. Her long, white hair was damp and hanging over her shoulders. Her arms shook. She coughed up huge mouthfuls of water…

… Koume's whole body lurched. She collapsed in exhaustion on the grass. I can't move. I can't think. The imp's shadow soon fell over her. Koume looked up, meeting the mask and its rage. She beheld its dark gaze and was powerless before it.

Just as the Skull Kid raised his arms to kill her, however, he vanished. What? The witch stared in confusion, but he left no trace. Gone, she thought. Into thin air. She half-expected him to return, but he never did. Koume looked around to see only herself as she lay down panting. The orange gem on her head was dull in the swamp's reflection. The purple forest fire's halo continued pulsing above her.

Koume buried her face into the grass, shaking as her body throbbed in agony. All my bones. My legs. My arms. Broken. I'm going to die tonight.

A splash of cold water broke her misery. She saw that a dark mass had drifted its way over to her ledge, rocking against the shore. She scooted herself closer and peered into the water to recognize the shape as her sister. "Kotake!" The witch grabbed her sibling's shoulders and lifted her from the water.

Koume struggled with Kotake's weight, but she managed to roll her sister's back onto the grass. "Kotake! Kotake!" Koume tried shaking her awake, but her pale, still expression shone in the violet-red night. Kotake's eyes were half-open, and water dripped from them. She looks like she's crying. Water also shone back from deep within the ice witch's throat.

"Kotake... Come on...," she whispered. Her voice was only a ghost, a whisper that died on her lips. There was no response. Koume shook her head; her long crooked nose was soon lined with tears of her own. She removed her hands from her sister's chest to find a deep scorch mark. She stared at the injury in disbelief.

Koume flung herself on top of her sister's corpse, shaking now as she sobbed. Kotake was unresponsive and motionless beneath her, head lolled to the side as she stared at nothing. "Kotake... Come back..."

The witch looked up to the sky, directly at the moon hovering over Clock Town. The forest fire burned the land beneath it. "No...," she said, trembling. "They... they were right... Majora's back… The gods can't help us anymore… Majora's back..."

Her cries went unheard as the dark walls and still swamp water drank them. Koume rested her head on her sister's chest and curled up to lay beside her. The clock tower's bells echoed across the doomed land.

Chapter Text

A great light tore through the nighttime sky. The Skull Kid shielded his eyes from the sudden spotlight, and the dark magic intended for Koume left his hands to hit a blank, grassy ledge. He slowly blinked the sunlight away.

He was still in the same place – above the swampy battleground where moments ago he'd dueled the witches. Quite suddenly, it had switched to daytime. The sky was a vibrant orange, and the moon no longer rested upon the clock tower. It took the imp a moment to find it much higher in the sky, still bearing down on Termina but days away.

The Skull Kid took in the rest of his surroundings. The tree line wasn't ablaze. The plume of smoke infecting the air was gone. The ledge's grass hadn't been scorched. Koume no longer cowered below him. The swamp water had reverted to its thick, violet color, once again poisoned and threatening to burn those who entered it.

The boy reset everything again, the imp thought. With that flute. He spun around to the opposite ledge, but the child and his fairy were no longer there. If I'm back here, then where did they go? He recalled the first time he'd witnessed them escape. The boy had played his song in midair while falling to his death. How did they survive that? Does the song change their location, too? Even though I stay in the same place?

He reasoned they were probably stumbling out of the clock tower doors now, thinking themselves safe and with another seventy-two hours to spare. Why do the rules apply differently to me? He wasn't sure if it was an advantage or a disadvantage to remain in the same place while they didn't.

He turned back to the murky, purple waters that refused to reflect his image. All that time I spent burning the forest - wasted. The witches would be once again alive and at their hut. It would take another painstakingly long three days for the final step of his plan to near completion, and that fairy and her friend would retain all their experiences and knowledge from previous loops.

He wondered where they would head next and what else they would accomplish. More than I thought, if they freed the swamp of its curse. He wondered if time travel had reversed everything. The spirit might still be freed from Odolwa's mask.

The Skull Kid felt his panic rising as he thought of the temples in Ikana Canyon, Snowhead, and... Great Bay. Instantly, his eyes widened at the thought of the pirates and eggs. The masked imp turned abruptly to the west. He flew over the forest, eyes intent on his destination and narrowed into thin slits of rage.

The townsfolk in the main plaza of South Clock Town never paid the clock tower doors much attention. Their colorful, red markings curved around two half-shaded cyan circles that might be eyes. Eyes that liked to stare. And just then, they opened, separating those eyes to reveal visitors. Out stepped a young, blonde-headed teen, completely drenched, bruised, and thoroughly exhausted. His bag, sword, shield, and tunic were all wet, dripping water onto the plaza square. He clutched a clay ocarina tightly in his left hand, and a small, white fairy accompanied him. They both stepped in appearing stunned, haunted by a memory that robbed them of speech.

Link merely stood there, looking at the busy townspeople but not really seeing them. Tatl took a moment to return to reality, too, but Link never did. All the fairy saw was his blank stare, earning him several odd glances from the passing townsfolk.

"Link?" she asked. His only response was to shake his head. "Are you still there?"

"He wasn't supposed to be there," he said. "He was supposed to be underneath the moon, on the clock tower. And he wasn't supposed to know about us. And he... he killed them." Link's eyes went to the ocarina in his hand and focused on the black mark. "There's something we don't know about him."

"We still have a plan," Tatl said. "You wanted to go to the mountains next, right? Maybe we'll find out more about the Skull Kid there. Remember how I said he goes there when he's weak?"

Something Tatl said made Link's head bolt up to the southern gate. "The swamp!" Link ran that way, intent on the Clock Town exit positioned just ahead. He only made it halfway across the plaza when his legs refused to carry him. Link collapsed, and his ocarina slid from his hand and skidded across the ground.

"What's wrong with you!" Tatl exclaimed, flying quickly to his side.

"I...," Link stammered, out of breath and merely lying there. "What if the swamp's cursed again? What if the spirit's sealed away, and the water's poisoned?"

"You can't run down there again!" Tatl exclaimed. "It's almost an entire day's journey, and you're not in any condition to keep adventuring. You need to rest."

"No," Link said immediately. "I have to know if the swamp's still saved."

Oh Din, the fairy thought. He's really lost his marbles. But she couldn't blame him. Only seconds ago, they'd witnessed the Skull Kid slay the witches. She remembered that feeling of defeat, and that sickening crunch! still echoed in her mind. But I can't think about that right now. And neither can Link. Villagers grouped around them, stopping as they stared and whispered to one another.

"Look, I'll go and fly down to the swamp. It'll be a lot quicker. While I'm gone, you go stay at the inn. And sleep."

Link seemed to consider that, still lying on the ground, dazed. "But last time, I stole someone else's reservation," he said deliriously.

Seriously? she thought. "It'll be okay!" Tatl said, repressing her sarcasm. "Take the room and the two hundred rupees again. You'll need it more than whoever else reserved it."

"Excuse me," declared a powerful voice from amidst the crowd. A guard stepped forward to confront the fairy and boy, tall spear in hand and armor shining. "Is there a problem?"

"Not at all!" Tatl said, flying down to tug on Link's shoulder. "We were just... on... our... way..." Link stumbled to his feet, still appearing unaware of his surroundings.

"Is your friend all right?" the guard asked. His stoic expression briefly gave way to concern.

"He's fine," Tatl said as she pulled Link forward. "We just had a rough time getting here."

Tatl egged Link on toward East Clock Town despite his resistance. They were almost there when the guard called out to them again. The fairy turned to see him holding up the ocarina. "You forgot your instrument."

"Oh!" Tatl exclaimed, grabbing it herself. "Thank you. I don't know what we would have done without this." She returned it to Link, who looked at it blankly in his hands. "What the Din is wrong with you? You almost left the ocarina in the square!"

"It doesn't work anyway," Link said bluntly. "I think the Skull Kid knows."

"Don't be silly. He just..."

"… killed Koume and Kotake, and he almost killed us," Link finished.

The fairy struggled for a response. "Well, we don't know if they died."

"Does it matter?" Link said. "They were our only hope. You said so over and over again. Our plan was to find them and take them back in time with us, but even they couldn't fight him! He took them both down, and whether one of them died, or both, they still lost. How can we expect to fight him when all we have is this stupid ocarina? Which he's already cursed! Look at it! I have a curse on my chest to match it!"

"Link, let's work this out one step at a time," Tatl said. "I know how hopeless things look right now, but you need some rest. You're not thinking straight."

"We can save the lands in Termina as much as we want!" Link said. "But that's not going to change the fact that he's somehow flying around, ready to wipe us out with the swipe of his arm."

"I already know all of that! Let's worry about what we can do right now."

"But you don't get what I'm saying..."

"Yes, I do," Tatl said, turning to be directly in front of him. The crowd surrounding them had already disbanded. "You're afraid that everything we did was just wasted after playing the song. Especially since the imp ruined our plan with the witches. But open your bag."

Link hesitantly did, but he understood immediately when he pulled out Odolwa's mask. It was still lifeless, void of the imp's magical curse. "I'll go back down to the swamp to confirm it," Tatl said, "but I think the swamp is still purified. Now let's get your room before you pass out in the streets."

Link waited until eight o'clock before entering the Stock Pot Inn with Tatl. Once he did, an unexpected feeling took hold of him. Warmth, he thought. This hotel feels like home. He'd been in Termina for a while, and the Stock Pot Inn was the singular place he could let down his guard. Seeing Anju's face behind the desk made him smile. I spent the first two cycles here, and Anju was my only friend.

However, that feeling of warmth vanished when she looked up to greet a stranger.

"Welcome to the Stock Pot Inn," she said pleasantly. Link didn't respond; he couldn't. She doesn't remember me. Again.

Anju's friendly face scrunched itself into alarm when Link never broke his stare. She must have also noticed his drenched clothes. His arms and legs were also swollen with bruises, cuts, and burns, one of his boots had a massive hole in it, and he was on the brink of collapsing from exhaustion.

Link, meanwhile, recalled several things at once. She couldn't remember anything about Hyrule last cycle, no matter how hard I pressed her, he thought. Then, there was his dream in Woodfall, which had been a memory of consoling Anju over Kafei's death. There she was, one of his best friends in Hyrule, and somehow, he'd forgotten her identity until now. But is it actually her, or a mirror of the same person from another world? Link wondered.

"Can I help you?" Anju stammered, still looking concerned from across the room.

"Yes," the fairy said, flying forward to talk when Link didn't. "We have a reservation."

Anju found it difficult to pry her eyes away from him, hesitantly devoting her attention to Tatl. "Um… okay. Name, please?"

Tatl turned to Link, who still stood at the door. "Hey, snap out of it!" the fairy exclaimed. "What's the name under?"

That's right, Link remembered. This Tatl wasn't there when I checked in as Mr. Ink. Link wearily walked forward to join his fairy at the desk. "It's under Ink."

"Ink, huh?" she said, gazing down at her book.

"Yes," he said. "That's my name. Link... Ink." Anju raised an eyebrow in disbelief, and Tatl threw him a glare.

"Well, Mr. Link Ink," Anju said, obtaining a key, "I'm not entirely sure what happened to you, but there are plenty of people I would recommend to treat your... uh... multiple... gashes and... burns... and rashes, or... bug bites, I'm not sure."

"I think what I need right now is sleep."

"Okay then," Anju said, sighing when she must've realized how dirty those bedsheets were about to get. "I have you down for an afternoon arrival, but I guess you can check in a few hours early. Your room is our 'Knife Chamber' on the second floor. Here is your key."

Link took it without saying anything, so it was the fairy who thanked her. "Come on, Link," Tatl said, flying for the staircase. Link took only a step before turning back to face Anju, who still watched him suspiciously.

"I'm sorry about that," Link said. It took every ounce of concentration to remain standing. He wavered on his feet as he spoke. "You remind me of someone I know and miss. You look exactly like her."

Link left before she could respond.

When he opened to door to his familiar room, Tatl flew in behind him. "Finally!" she said, lying on one of the two beds. Link plodded into the room behind her, throwing his sword, shield, and scabbard off before collapsing on the other bed. He stared at the ceiling, eyes already heavy. He pulled a wet bottle from his bag and drank the remnants of water at the bottom. It abated his headache only slightly, but he thanked Nayru for that. He tossed the bottle and bag to the floor and turned on his side, not bothering to get under the covers or even remove his boots.

He heard Tatl from behind closed eyes, "I'm going to rest too before I go to the swamp – if that's okay with you."

"Sure," Link said. The fairy never said anything else, and the boy drifted into sleep without another word.

"It's so pretty out here," Zelda said. The sky's vast, sapphire blue was rivaled only by the rivers and lakes of the zoras.

The sun warmed their skin as they rested in the grass. Loose, comfortable tunics were as soft as the field against their skin. Link and Zelda lay together in the middle of Lon Lon Ranch. Horses sauntered by or sat in the distant pavilion's shade.

"I don't ever want these days to end." Her long, blonde hair framed her body like golden fire. Her blue eyes turned from the sky to meet his. Their fingers locked together, arms resting side-by-side.

Link opened his eyes. They found the blank wall of his hotel room. Zelda and the brilliant Hylian sun were gone – replaced by the darkness of the Knife Chamber. His fireplace was cold and empty, and the window's sunlight had vanished. He turned to see Tatl's empty bed. She'd presumably kept her promise and was on her way to the swamp.

I shouldn't have made her do that. The journey would be long, and it wouldn't make a difference whether the swamp was still freed.

His stiffness surprised him when he sat up. With the adrenaline faded, pain overwhelmed him. His stomach lurched with hunger, and his headache flared. The moth bites lining his legs and feet itched, his slightly burnt right hand and foot ached, and the black scar on his chest felt like a heavy bruise. Then there were his cut ankles and palms, bruises everywhere, and the tender muscles in his arms and legs.

Link sighed. It's going to take more than one night to feel better. He slipped out of bed, winced at the pain that caused, and walked out the door. He continued down the staircase and found the front desk unattended. Link went around to the kitchen doorway and saw the innkeeper scooping food from a pot to a small bowl. She spotted him immediately, ladle upside-down over the bowl.

"Hi," Link said.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"Yes, actually," Link said, taking another booted step into the tiled room. The kitchen was small and simple. There was a counter against each wall housing whisks, spatulas, and pans. Anju stood beside the stove. "I was wondering if I could pay you for some food." She seemed amused by this request but didn't respond. "I'm not sure how long I was asleep, but it looks pretty late. I don't think any of the stalls are open. I have money, but..."

"It's only seven," she said, smiling as she turned back to her pot. "And besides, the bar is next door and is open all night."

"Oh," Link said simply. The smell of her vegetable soup caused his stomach to churn even more painfully. He almost left, but Anju stopped him when she smiled again.

"But you can have some soup. I made a little too much for me and my grandmother, so it would have gone to waste anyway."

"Are you sure?" Link asked. "I can pay. I don't want to..."

"It's fine," Anju said. She turned to fill a second bowl. "You seemed pretty distraught when you came here earlier today, so I'm sure you need it." Link went up to the counter, every step leaving him more tired than the last. "Is there an exciting story behind your journey here?"

Link wasn't quite sure how to answer that, realizing the truth would involve time travel, dark magic, and Hyrule. Kotake – spinning through the air limply – flashed across his mind first. He saw the Skull Kid's arm thrust forward as lightning pulsed from his fingertips. Link had been standing on the ledge, petrified, with his fairy by his side. His mind went numb like it had there. He imagined the Skull Kid bursting through the kitchen window, defying the time loop and slaying them both with Majora's Mask.

"I'm sorry," Anju said, returning her ladle to the pot. Link snapped back to reality at the sound of her voice. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"No, it's okay," Link said, taking the bowl into his hands. He tried not to be overtaken by the mouth-watering fumes filling his nostrils. "It was a long trip. Thank you for the soup." His feigned smile wasn't all that convincing, but neither was the one Anju returned. The boy in the dirty, green tunic walked out of the kitchen, allowing them both to return to their thoughts.

He flew swiftly; rain stung the cold surface of his mask. The early morning sun was invisible behind the clouds.

He glided along the coastline. The waves rolled atop the sandy shore beside him. The tall fortress wall stood close by; it ran between a passage formed by two cliffs. His heart rammed against his chest as he returned to the air, feet hanging limply as he levitated to the barrier's top. It only took a quick scan of the lake for the Skull Kid to realize that all of his work had been undone. There was a watch boat out, circling its perimeter. A dark-skinned, red-headed woman with a spear piloted it.

Uncontrollable rage fueled the purple fire that formed in his hands.

The bored pirate looked up to suddenly find death hurtling toward her. She was eradicated within seconds; nothing was left of her or her boat but scorched debris. The Skull Kid screamed, releasing hordes of dark magic over the spot where she'd been unable to cry for help.

This time, he did not savor the slaughter. There was no goal in the masked imp's mind as he scaled the fortress walls and laid waste to everyone. All he could picture as he killed hundreds were the faces of those responsible for the pirates returning to life. As he watched the women suffer, scream, and beg for their lives, he remembered the blonde boy and fairy with their ocarina, cowered against the rock wall and escaping like feeble insects. As he let out his anger in waves of fire and bolts of lightning, he allowed the shrieks of his victims to ring in his ears. He reassured himself that his anger would not run out before it could slay the true culprits. After everyone in the fortress was dead, he would go to them next.

I will find them. And I will kill them.

"I can offer you a new one instead."

"I don't want a new one," Link said. "Look, I have plenty of rupees to cover it, but if you can't remove the mark from this one, there's no deal."

"Take your business somewhere else then," the shopkeeper sighed. "That's not a small mark, and it's a cheap old thing, so you might as well buy a new one."

"Thanks a lot," Link said dryly, walking away from the wooden stall and putting the ocarina back in his pocket. Countless other flutes hung from the stall's ceiling, clattering together in the wind. Each was shiny and new, immaculate in comparison to his.

Link looked up to see that he'd burnt half the day away. The sun barely emerged from behind the clouded sky, positioned in its center. The rain had paused, though the East Clock Town plaza was already wet. His new shoes kept his feet dry, and the rest of his attire had been recently purchased as well. The simple, brown shirt and pants didn't stand out nearly as much as his Kokiri attire. It also didn't fit well; it hung loosely since he didn't have the money to get one tailored. Nonetheless, it served its purpose. It had pockets to hold his ocarina and rupees, while his sword, shield, bag, and masks remained in the hotel room. His green tunic, hat, and boots were being washed and repaired at one of the vendors in South Clock Town.

The swelling on his arms and legs had gone down with the ointments from the western shopkeepers. The bites were almost completely healed. He'd managed to wash and properly feed himself and felt like an entirely new person. Physically, at least. He kept having flashes to Koume and Kotake's deaths, and Tatl still hadn't returned. He'd resolved to go looking for her if the third day came with no sign. I'm not leaving her behind again.

In the meantime, Link walked toward the clock tower. He'd gone there earlier hoping to find the mask salesman. Only to be disappointed, Link remembered. This time proved no different. The light of Clock Town spilled into the dark room, illuminating only the turning pole and stone room. The cogs turned as noisily as ever, but it was otherwise deserted.

Link sighed. So much for visiting the mask salesman with the witches. He'd completely forgotten about that plan yesterday, but it didn't matter now. I wouldn't be surprised if the salesman is completely gone, even when he's supposed to be there. Somehow, he seemed to be defying the effects of his ocarina. Just like the Skull Kid.

"Link!"

Tatl. Link's eyes went wide and immediately searched the sky. He found his fairy flying across the square from East Clock Town. Link smiled and ran to meet her halfway. The clock tower doors creaked shut behind him.

Tatl flew directly into his arms, and Link embraced her.

"You're back!" Link said, happy for the first time since the witches' deaths.

"It took me a minute to find you in those clothes," the fairy said. "I was looking for your dweeby hat."

Link backed away when he noticed something in Tatl's tone. "What's wrong? Did you..." His eyes widened in understanding. "... the swamp?"

Tatl's silence was all the answer he needed.

"Another pint, please." Link dropped the blue rupee on the counter, resting his head on the wooden surface. Three empty bottles of milk were scattered aimlessly around him.

"This isn't solving anything," Tatl finally said.

"There's no point," Link said, twirling one of the bottles around by the rim with his fingertip.

"Please stop saying that," Tatl said, unable to restrain her irritation.

Link opened his new bottle of milk to take a swig. The portly, mustached bartender gave him a glare before moving onto another customer. He had the same faint familiarity as Anju, but Link didn't bother questioning him. It'd be pointless, he already knew. The Milk Bar had been open for a few hours and only a handful of people filled the stools. The stage on the far end was completely empty, though a rather large, fish-like humanoid sat in a chair before it. Link recognized him as a zora; the blue fishman rested his chin on his fist, squinting in deep thought or disappointment.

"The swamp's poisoned again," Link said. "The witches didn't remember you. Everything we did was lost."

"No," Tatl said. "That's not true. Remember Odolwa's mask?"

"Like that means anything!" Link exclaimed. "There's probably another Odolwa in the temple. Why else would the water be poisoned again?"

"Not everything can be duplicated," Tatl said.

"You could."

It took Link a moment to realize what he'd said. He looked up to find his fairy's mouth drawn into a thin line. "Tatl," he said, turning from the counter. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."

Tatl flew away before he finished, up the staircase and out the bar door. "Tatl, wait!" Link jumped from his stool and stumbled forward. He managed to regain his balance, but that didn't stop the barkeeper from judging him as he climbed the stairs after her.

The cool night air was revitalizing. The cloudy sky withheld more rain, but the world below was still damp. The torches lining the plaza cast their light upon the glowing fairy, who was in front of the bar door. East Clock Town was abandoned otherwise.

"Tatl, I didn't mean that!" Link said quickly. The cool air was already sobering him. "You're not just a duplicate! You're more than that."

"I know," Tatl said, still looking away. "I know you didn't mean what you said. You're not yourself right now. I'm usually the one trying to convince you how hopeless everything is. You're acting like you did in that pit in Woodfall. But back then, there was something tangible trapping us. Now..." She trailed off, unable to finish that thought. "I can't do it alone. Please, come back to me, Link. I don't want to give up yet."

"I don't want to either. But there's nothing left to do."

"Yes, there is," Tatl said. "What I was going to say in there was that the ocarina stayed with you. After you went back in time with it, another one didn't appear in the Skull Kid's hand. I think that means the spirit you saved could still be free too. Which means we can find and do the same to the other ones."

Link hadn't thought about that. She's right, he realized. The ocarina stays the same. Maybe Odolwa does, too. "Okay," Link finally said. "That's a really good point."

"Giving up won't stop the moon from falling," Tatl said, "and we can't keep hiding in these three-day cycles anymore."

Link couldn't help but smile when Tatl flew down to his level. "You're really smart, you know that?" Link said. "If we do end up winning this thing, it'll be thanks to you just as much as me."

The fairy returned his smile. "I don't know. I mean, I feel like I do over half the work, with you being either fatally injured or giving up every other day."

Link laughed, surprising himself when he almost lost his balance again. "Might want to sleep off this milk before we head to the mountains."

"What's the matter, Mr. Hero?" Tatl asked. "Is the milk in Hyrule not as strong?"

"Shut up," Link said playfully, batting her away as he half-walked/half-fell toward the Stock Pot Inn.

It was the final day. At nine in the morning, Link stepped out of Clock Town's hotel standing tall and resolute. His green tunic and boots were clean, all rips and stains mended or cleaned. His fat finally adorned his blonde head again. His sword and shield were secured to his back, and his bag rested on his hip, strap over his shoulder. Inside it were two bottles of water, a bow, a quiver filled with arrows, his Deku and Odolwa masks, two magic beans, Deku seeds, and what was left of the rupees.

He walked with Tatl to the center of the East Clock Town plaza, looking up at the moon practically resting on the town walls. He smiled despite that. There's still something we can do, he thought. We still have a chance.

"Are you ready?" Tatl asked.

"I think so," he said. "Snowhead doesn't sound nearly as intimidating as Death Mountain did. You're sure I won't need anything for the cold?"

"No. Snowhead's only icy up near the peak. Every time I'm there, it's been bearable."

Link nodded. "Well, I think that's about it for this cycle then." Tatl agreed, floating down to his shoulder. He brought up his ocarina, put it to his lips, and played the Song of Time.

The world around them faded as Clock Town dissipated into nothingness.

As always, the sun's brilliance surprised them first. They stepped from the clock tower doors with squinted eyes. Link and Tatl stood side by side as they watched the busy townspeople exactly where they always were. The carpenters constructed the large, wooden structure that would be finished by the carnival. The adult Deku scrub – hands filled with bags – flew overhead. The postman hastily ran about to fulfill his schedule. The peculiar child with the fox mask delivered his letter to the postbox. For a moment, they all looked over at the two newcomers.

Tatl went to fly onward, but the boy remembered something. "Wait!" He turned to the clock tower doors and opened them. Link stepped inside only for his heart to sink. The clanking machinery and wooden pole greeted him without the mask salesman yet again. "He's still not here."

"That's so weird," Tatl said. "I guess this is proof that the Song of Time isn't as all-powerful as we thought?"

"We've already seen proof of that."

"That blank slate of yours isn't as clean as you thought, huh?" Tatl asked.

"Yeah, so much for tabula rasa. It's stained."

They stood within the clock tower's darkness for a moment. Only a sliver of light peeked in from the cracked doors. "To be honest, I'm kind of glad he's not here," Tatl said. "He scares me. Come on – we already have a plan. We don't need him anymore." Link nodded in agreement, closing the door behind him to step once more into sunlight.

The villagers didn't look at them a second time. Link and Tatl made their way across the plaza uninterrupted. What are they thinking when they first see us? Link wondered. Do they really care that little, to just go about their day? One of the carpenters seemed to be giving them another glance.

However, Link looked closer to realize that the carpenter's eyes stared into the sky. Not only that, but his eyes were wide with terror. Link stopped, the ghost of a smile still on his face.

He heard fire crackling somewhere behind him.

As he turned, Link caught a flicker of purple light in his peripheral. It took him only a moment to understand.

He flung himself as far as he could. A massive ball of fire exploded behind him, sending heat and darkness everywhere. Link cowered on the ground as the blast stretched outward, just barely passing over him. The carpenter stumbled onto his back and narrowly avoided death himself. Villagers stopped and gasped, and all eyes found the imp. The Skull Kid flew down from the top of the clock tower – fast.

Link jumped to his feet and ran. His mind was blank, and his heart pounded with every step. The other townspeople were brought out of their daily routines, isolated screams filling the air as fingers rose upward to point at the attacker. The villagers were either rooted to the spot or running, shielding themselves or their loved ones. In seconds, the South Clock Town plaza devolved into chaos. Tatl flew close to Link as they sprinted, unable to protect the villagers and knowing they were the target.

The Skull Kid's next burst of fire came down in a spiraling vortex. The flaming tornado landed mere feet behind its targets. Link and Tatl dove behind the carpenter's structure as the fire reached for them. It slammed into the wood instead, which immediately burst into flame. The boy continued sprinting for safety; the only two routes were through the South Clock Town gate or the staircase into East Clock Town. The gate would leave them vulnerable and open for too long. Therefore, Link took the staircase. Tatl followed as they hurried for the corner. They ran past the guard, who shook as he stared up at the now flaming tower.

The structure didn't remain standing for long, bending inward toward the clock tower. The Skull Kid was directly in its path, having eagerly followed his fiery twister. He kicked himself off the ground to avoid it, but the others in its path were not as fortunate.

The structure collapsed into the plaza on top of two villagers who couldn't run fast enough. Its frame exploded when it hit the ground, sending dark magic everywhere. Two more victims were engulfed. A cloud of smoke enveloped all within the vicinity, including the Skull Kid. The masked imp's vision vanished, and he coughed along with the others. His eyes burned.

The entire time, Link and Tatl didn't stop running. They disappeared around the corner and into East Clock Town, and the Skull Kid emerged from the cloud of smoke, unable to find them. He coughed the last of the smog out of his system…

… Initially, the imp moved to fly after them, but he stopped. He took note of the hacking villagers who'd survived, either walking or crawling from the smoke. He heard their cries, some sobbing and some screaming, and he couldn't help it when his lips curled into a smile.

The boy and fairy are in the palm of my hand, like caged animals, the imp thought. They can't get away. And putting them out of their misery so quickly is far more than they deserve.

The Skull Kid looked up at the sky; it was still orange with a brand-new sun. The imp threw his arms into the air and clenched his fists, shaking as he let out a piercing shriek. The invisible spell went to work immediately, causing the stone walls encircling Clock Town to tremble.

He sealed each of the four main gates by causing the ground beneath the exits to shoot upward and meet the ceiling. It took only moments to complete, and then the passageways to the swamp, mountains, ocean, and canyon had become blank, smooth walls. There was now only one continuous barrier encircling the town.

The Skull Kid laughed, clearing his throat as he returned to the sky. He flung his arms outward as he spoke. "People of Clock Town!" The spell amplified his voice, causing it to echo through every corner of the village.

Those in the southern plaza turned away from the fiery debris, plume of smoke, and blank stone wall now missing a gate. Some lay motionlessly on the ground, others shook. One man ran out of the smoke ablaze. Two women banged on the solid wall where an exit to Clock Town had once been. A guard joined the villagers to circle below the imp, necks craned up to see him. All eyes were wide in terror.

"I'm terribly sorry for wrecking your tower, and I hope you'll forgive me for ruining what I'm sure would have been a marvelous spectacle, come the Carnival of Time." The Skull Kid delivered his magically enhanced speech with all the polish he could muster.

"I regret to inform you, however, that my business here is not yet concluded." The masked imp shook his head in feigned disappointment. "As I'm sure most of you noticed, a young boy and his fairy passed through the clock tower doors." The imp's eyes darted in every direction, looking to see people pouring in from the east and west districts. Obviously, the commotion had drawn a crowd. A horrified gasp came from an old woman, who dragged a lifeless body from within the smoke. The man on fire finally ended his scream of agony when he fell behind a stall.

"I've come here to find the boy and refuse to leave until he's mine. This is where all of you come in. Bring me the boy in the green tunic – with the funnel-shaped hat and the blonde hair. He'll be accompanied with his fairy named Tatl, who'll help you identify him but isn't needed otherwise. That... is all I ask of you."

The Skull Kid turned away from the crowd. "This time, I'm talking directly to you, Boy," his voice boomed. "I'm not leaving this spot, and neither are you since all of the gates are closed. But for every hour you fail to come before me, a resident of Clock Town will be slain, of my choosing! There are plenty to pick from, and I promise I won't run out before all seventy-two hours do." He looked to the faraway moon to reassure himself.

"Know that all of these people's lives are now in your hands. There's no running. As soon as you play that precious ocarina of yours, you'll appear right below me, and I'll be here to strike you down!" He laughed when he saw the remaining townspeople flee for safety, even though there was none to be found.

"Now, I don't know your name, Boy, and I don't know where you've come from," the Skull Kid continued, "but I do know this: you will not leave this town alive. It's up to you how you die, and for us to find out how spineless you are! How much blood will be spilled in your name, before you offer me up yours to drink? How many will you let suffer, while you cower in some rat-infested corner of town? I'm eager to find out! So...

"Let the games begin!" The Skull Kid threw his head back and cackled. He kicked his legs and clutched his stomach, laughing like a child. All the while, Link and Tatl remained hidden, fearfully taking in every word.

Chapter Text

"Do you think it's safe to come out now?" The imp's complete silence terrified Link; the Skull Kid could be anywhere. He and Tatl remained huddled in the Deku flower's moist darkness, hearing only the frantic, hushed voices of the townspeople. The Skull Kid's booming monologue had ended long ago.

"Don't put that pressure on me!" Tatl whispered. "I'm stuck in here, too. I've got no idea."

Well, Link thought. I've gotta come out eventually. He took a deep breath, slowly slipping out of the plant. The first step his bare, Deku feet took was light on the eastern plaza's stone. He pulled the rest of himself out until he stood upright, blonde hair messy and resting over orange eyes. The bag hugged his side, which he'd removed right before transforming so he could stow Tatl away. From beside the Stock Pot Inn, Link watched villagers sprinting for shelter. Others wandered uncertainly, always glancing over Link's head – presumably at the clock tower. That must be where the Skull Kid is, he thought.

Link refused to turn around. He imagined the orange eyes of the mask baring into his back, daring him to acknowledge its presence.

"Come back!" a woman shrieked from South Clock Town. "Nayru! Nayru, bring him back!"

"What do we do now?" Link whispered. His high-pitched voice couldn't hide his fear.

"We need to hide," the fairy said. People laid against the wall where the eastern gate had been. Some clawed at its bricks, as if hoping they would reopen. No one paid attention to the lone Deku scrub. Link's suspicious behavior was indistinguishable from the town's complete anarchy.

"We can't just let them die," Link said. "I'm not the coward that he thinks I am."

"Confronting him would be stupid. We'd be dead before we even reached the tower. Everyone in Clock Town will be crushed by the moon in three days anyways, Link."

"Sh! Talk quieter, and don't use my name!"

"He doesn't know your name!" Tatl said. Link hardly registered her comment, looking around to ensure no one had overheard. "He called you 'Boy.' And no one else here will remember you since we just played the Song of Time."

"But he did say that I have a fairy with me," Link said, wanting to go somewhere before he raised suspicion. He was deathly afraid to try, though, less he accidentally met Majora's eyes. "And hiding's pointless. It's like he said - we're trapped. We only have seventy-two hours before the moon falls, and time traveling would make us sitting ducks right underneath him."

"Do you think he... travels back in time with us?" Tatl asked. "Is that what the black mark on your ocarina did?"

"Maybe," Link said, turning to see a villager staring at him. The man had been banging on the doors of a shop, but no one would answer his pleas for shelter. His eyes narrowed at the Deku scrub walking around in slow circles, whispering to a fairy.

Link turned away quickly, his cheeks warm with fear. "Look, I need to go somewhere now. We can't hide, so come up with something else!"

"Hiding's all I've got," the fairy said.

"Where?" Link whispered.

"The Stock Pot Inn!"

Link took her advice without hesitation, walking briskly to the hotel. However, the front door wouldn't budge. "It's locked!"

"Use the Deku flower to get up on the roof. There's a door outside on the second story, remember?"

Tatl hid in the scrub's bag again, and Link was soon leaping out of the Deku plant with a flower in each hand. He landed on the awning as the propellers fell away. Link passed by the town bell and reached the second-story door. The South Clock Town woman's distant screaming had stopped. Which might not be a good thing, he thought. The sky was still young with the new day; hardly half of an hour had passed in this cycle.

The door was unlocked, and he slipped inside, stepping onto the hardwood of the hallway. The top of the staircase was just to his right. The building was completely silent, aside from a distant, ticking clock. The Deku scrub traveled down the stairs, his feet hardly making a noise. When he rounded the corner into the lobby, he found it deserted.

His snout moved to speak, but he stopped himself, wondering how far his voice would travel in the still air of the silent building. The hotel doesn't open until eight, Link knew. What if someone finds me and throws me out?

"What are you doing here?"

Link jumped, turning to see Anju already in the stairwell. Her skirt and red hair were exactly as they always were, but her expression was new. Her face bore the same stunned horror overtaking everyone in Clock Town.

"I'm sorry," Link stammered. "We have a reservation, but the door was locked. We didn't have anywhere else to hide."

"We?" Anju said.

Link's face grew warm again. I'm so bad at lying. His heart thumped loudly in his ears, but he hoped that his Deku form hid his red cheeks. He realized that Anju was taking note of his blonde bangs. Bring me the boy in the green tunic with the funnel-shaped hat and the blonde hair, he recalled the Skull Kid saying. The imp had never specified a race.

Link's orange eyes noticed her gaze flicker to his bag. They remained standing apart from one another, untrusting. Anju broke the silence. "Do you have a name?"

"Y-y-yes," Link said.

"You'll have to tell me what it is, so I can check my log," Anju said.

Link could feel the tension in the air as she descended the staircase and reached her desk. The innkeeper cautiously eyed the speechless Deku scrub as she checked her records.

Should I tell her the truth? Link wondered. He reached for the strap on his bag, regardless – which caused Anju to immediately freak out. She gasped, backing into her desk for support.

"No, wait!" Link exclaimed. "I'm not going to hurt you, I just..." He sighed, dropping the bag to the floor. Tatl – whose irritated, silent commentary was easy to imagine – remained inside. Link brought his hands to his face and brought them down with the Deku mask.

His human face, funnel-shaped hat, and green tunic were now visible. Anju's eyes went wide.

"Anju, you have to remember," Link said.

He waited for Anju to say something, but she only shook her head.

"My name's Link," he said, blue eyes now intent upon hers. "We were best friends in Hyrule together, but here in Termina, you can't remember me. I don't know why. I'm not even sure where Termina is, because no one in Clock Town has even heard of Hyrule. But I need your help. That person attacking Clock Town is the Skull Kid. I've been trying to stop him by using... magic... to relive the same three days. But now, the Skull Kid is traveling back with us. If I try to go back in time again, he'll kill me. I come to the Stock Pot Inn almost every cycle to take Ink's reservation, and on a few of those, we've actually gotten to know each other again. Like we did in Hyrule."

Anju's face was completely blank, comprehension and belief obviously far away.

"I know how crazy all of this sounds," Link began, looking down as he wondered what exactly he was doing, "but I need you. I don't have anywhere else to hide, and I'm the only one that can stop the Skull Kid. If you or anyone else turns me in, then you'll all die when the moon crashes into Clock Town three days from now."

Anju jumped when a fairy flew out of his bag. Tatl directed a heavy sigh and poisonous glare at Link before turning to Anju. "Look, my partner didn't mean to throw all of that at you. He can be a bit overwhelming. But it's all true, and we can't let the Skull Kid turn us against each other."

"Why should I believe anything you're saying?" Anju said. She found the courage to step forward and raise her voice. "I've never met you before, and you seem very dangerous. You brought a demon into town, broke into my hotel, and now you accuse me of wanting to turn you in?"

Link was speechless. "You mean, you weren't going to?"

"No," she said, eying his sword. "At least, I don't plan to. But if you even think about drawing your sword..."

"I'm not here to hurt you," Link insisted.

"There are plenty of people upstairs who will defend me."

"Anju, can you please listen."

"No, you listen!" the innkeeper said, stepping around her desk to meet Link face-to-face. "You can't break into my hotel and expect me to believe you're a time-traveling hero from another world!"

"Link, maybe we should go," Tatl whispered, but Link refused.

"Then I'll prove it to you," he said. The fairy had no idea where he was going with this, puzzled as she waited for him to continue. "Kafei is supposed to send you a letter today." Anju's anger immediately melted away. "You'll get it this afternoon. It says that he still loves you and that he wants to be with you. He just can't right now because something's stopping him. He didn't say what, but it doesn't matter. The point is, he's still alive and promised to come back in time for the carnival."

"How do you know about Kafei?"

"I told you already," Link said. "I've lived through these three days more than once. You've told me about him, and I've read the letter he sends you." He suddenly realized that this whole appeal to the mail was rather stupid, given that the events outside would stop it from being delivered. "The mail probably won't come anymore because of the Skull Kid, but the letter might still be in the post box. I could go get it for you and show you."

"No, you can't!" Tatl interrupted. "You'd be turning yourself in if you stepped foot anywhere near South Clock Town!"

"The post office isn't in South Clock Town," Anju replied.

"But the letter is there," Link said. "He asks you to respond through the mailbox near the laundry pool." Anju still had nothing affirming to say, her mind clearly racing as she processed everything. "Listen, the letter's there and in his handwriting. If you can give us a chance to get it..."

"Link, I already told you. We can't do that!" Tatl repeated.

"Then I'll go," Anju said, walking over to the desk and grabbing a cloak. She threw it over her shoulders and pulled it close together.

"You'll go?" Tatl asked.

Anju stopped, her back to them. "I thought Kafei was dead. If there's proof that he's still alive, then I'm getting it." When she took another breath, it shook. "This imp said he wouldn't hurt anyone until an hour had passed, so I'll be fine. The key to the Knife Chamber is in the second drawer from the left. That's the room Ink was under." She opened the door, closed it behind her, and left them in the lobby.

Link and Tatl stood there for a moment in silence, staring at the door.

The fairy, naturally, was the one who broke it. "You idiot! Next time you decide to throw everything out in the open, tell me! Your stupidity never ceases to amaze me. I swear to Din you don't think twice before you do anything."

Link didn't care. He smiled instead, because for the moment, they'd evaded death. He opened his mouth to say something, but the noise of someone running down the stairs interrupted him. The fairy and boy exchanged a horrified glance. Before the person saw them, Tatl flew into the bag lying on the floor, and Link threw on his Deku mask.

A large, middle-aged, and red-haired lady with a strong resemblance to Anju came into the lobby. Her eyes instantly found the Deku scrub by himself, bending down to pick up a bag lying on the floor.

"Who're you?" she asked.

"Ink," he responded quickly, swallowing his nerves again.

"How did you get in here?"

"Anju let me in. I had a reservation." The woman's skepticism faded as she took in the Deku scrub's helpless, young appearance. His bright, orange eyes shone with nothing but innocence. "She left a few seconds ago and said she'd be back in a minute."

"Where are your parents?" she asked.

"They won't be here for another three days. I came to get the room early, so they could still have one for the carnival."

The lady sighed rather than barraging him with more questions. "I'm not sure there's going to be a carnival anymore. Did she tell you what room was yours?"

"The Knife Chamber."

She walked over to the desk and retrieved the key. "Here. It's not safe outside anymore. Stay with us until this mess blows over."

"Thank you." He took the key and left without another word. For once in his life, he'd successfully pulled off a string of lies. And I didn't even blush, Link thought. Maybe there is hope for me.

She entered from the west staircase flanking the clock tower, stepping into the plaza with the cloak still drawn over her head. Anju stood horrified as she took in the grizzly scene.

A burnt, charred pile of wood lay in place of the watchtower. The air Anju took in was thick and heavy with burning; vestiges of smoke still rose from the blackened construction project. She spotted an elderly woman fallen to her knees in the middle of the pile. A young adult man lay in her arms, his head cradled against her shoulder. His body was as charred as the wood, mouth slightly open and eyes closed. He'd been one of the carpenters, but Anju couldn't identify which one. The woman's face was streaked with tears, but she appeared to have stopped crying some time ago, now silently rocking his body back and forth.

Anju uncertainly stepped toward the older woman. South Clock Town was deserted otherwise, appearing more like a prison now that the southern gate was sealed shut. She noticed two other corpses, both buried in the rubble and unattended by anyone. Anju stepped over a large piece of debris to stop just behind the woman. She never turned away from the corpse.

"You can stay in our hotel," Anju said eventually. She'd worn the cloak to hide her identity and prevent hundreds from begging her to stay. As Mother would have instructed, she thought. But Anju couldn't ignore this grieving mother. "It won't be safe here soon." The innkeeper looked up to the plaza's massive clock face and froze. But it wasn't the time that scared her.

The Skull Kid's wicked mask bore down directly at her. Anju opened her mouth in shock, unable to rip her eyes away from the orange orbs. They seemed to stare directly into her soul, even from such a great distance.

Anju eventually turned back to the woman, who still paid her no attention. "Please," the innkeeper said. "It's not safe."

"The guard tried to get me to leave too," the woman eventually said. Her voice sounded so tired and worn. "There's no point."

"You don't have to die with him," Anju insisted. "You'd be safe with me."

The woman didn't respond. She continued stroking what remained of the body's face, never crying, shouting, or looking away. It's not my place to convince her, the innkeeper eventually decided. It's her choice to stay here. Anju turned away from the sad scene, keeping her head down as she walked to the post box near the Laundry Pool. She didn't turn back to check on the grieving mother again. Partly because she had nothing else to offer her. And partly because she feared meeting the Skull Kid's eyes again.

Anju pulled out a key when she reached the red box, which she'd retrieved from the post office in West Clock Town. You want to check the mail right now? the postman had exclaimed in disbelief. Uh, be my guest. Just try not to die. The mailbox swung open to reveal a single letter.

Anju's heart raced. Her fingers wrapped around the envelope carefully, as if afraid it might bite her. Before turning it over to see the front, she took in a deep breath. It's addressed to me. Anju almost ripped open the envelope without thinking. She stopped when she felt someone behind her.

Anju turned around, and suddenly, the mask imp was an inch from her nose. Her scream never came as she trembled, backing into the open mailbox.

The Skull Kid didn't move. "I know you're hiding him," the imp said plainly. "There was nowhere else for him to go." He waited, as if for some confirmation, but Anju was incapable of saying anything. "I knew that would happen though. It's all part of my plan, you see. I want him to suffer. I want to destroy him emotionally before I kill him. And do you know how I intend to do that?"

Anju eventually found the courage to shake her head.

The masked imp flew right next to her ear, lifting his mask to whisper in a voice devoid of humanity. "I'm going to make sure he's here to see it when I kill you."

"Well, here we finally are. Hiding. Now what?" Deku Link sat on his Knife Chamber bed, and Tatl lay on the one opposite him. She was ready to hide in the open bag beside her at a moment's notice.

"I don't know," the fairy replied. "We should probably give it more time."

"We don't have more time. Someone's going to die in a few minutes. Because of me."

"No, not because of you. Because of the Skull Kid. If it wasn't now, then they were going to die when the moon fell anyways."

"That doesn't change the fact that he's killing them now."

"I know, but there's nothing we can do. If you go out there and try to save whatever stranger he chooses, everyone in all of Termina loses."

"What if it's not a stranger?" Link asked. Tatl didn't have a reply to that one, looking away at the wall instead. Then I guess they're out of luck? Link thought. Too bad? He refused to accept that as an answer. He wouldn't let someone that he cared about die.

A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door. Tatl instantly sprung into the bag just as it opened a crack. "It's me," came Anju's voice from the other side.

"Come in," Link answered. Tatl's alarm faded as she flew to rejoin them.

Anju closed the door behind her, pausing as she brought her hands together just in front of her. "That's… your disguise, right?"

"Oh," Link stammered, removing his mask. "Sorry, I didn't know it was you. And I wasn't sure how the others would react."

"I haven't told anyone else," Anju said. "It's good for you to be careful."

"Did you find the letter?" Tatl asked.

"I did," Anju said. "And I'm going to let you two keep hiding here. I'm not sure what's going on, but that evil child wouldn't stop hurting us, even if someone turned you two in. Do you... plan on stopping him, somehow?"

"Yes," Link said. "But we're not sure how yet."

"Right," she said simply. Anju didn't turn away to leave or say goodbye. She stood in the middle of the room instead, as if paralyzed with indecision.

He found the silence a little awkward. "Is something wrong?" Link asked.

"No," she said. "I was just wondering if you knew anything else about Kafei."

Instantly, Link's mind flashed to Anju's house in Hyrule. He'd spent so many hours there with her as she grieved Kafei's death. "No," he lied. Anju appeared disappointed, but he refused to tell her the truth. And truthfully, he didn't know if Termina-Kafei was dead just because Hyrule-Kafei was. "But that doesn't mean we can't find out for ourselves."

Link slipped off the bed and pulled the ocarina from his belt, showing it to her. "Every time I play a certain song on this, it sends me back to six in the morning on this day, directly in front of the clock tower doors. The carnival starts in three days, at midnight. And not long after then, the moon will fall and destroy Termina. The Skull Kid – that imp with the mask – is what makes that happen. And now it's gotten worse, because he's found a way to come back in time with me." Anju nodded in vague understanding.

"The point is, I have the ability to relive these same three days. If we can find out a way to remove the Skull Kid from the equation, we'd have all the time in the world to look for Kafei."

"You mean... you could take me back with you?" Anju asked.

"Yes," Link said, remembering the first time he'd revealed all of this to her. That cycle, she'd refused to go back in time. She'd been afraid of leaving that cycle's Kafei behind to die under the moon. I wonder what's changing her mind this time? he thought. The Skull Kid becoming such a direct threat might have something to do with it. "At least, I think so. It lets me take Tatl with me. That's my fairy. All of my weapons and tools come back, too."

Anju took a moment to process that. "I must be crazy for believing all of this," she eventually said. "You must imagine how this all sounds."

Link nodded. "Yeah. Absolutely insane."

"But I have to believe you. There's nothing else left." Anju turned to leave the room. "Just don't let any of the others see you. I'll bring you food since we have plenty in the kitchen. Let me know when you find out how you plan on handling the... monster outside."

"I will." She closed the door behind her, leaving them to their own devices.

"Bringing hope to a town full of doomed people?" the fairy said.

Link wasn't sure he understood her point. "And?"

"It's not a good thing," she explained. "Hope is great, but you're setting them up for disappointment. Extreme disappointment. Like, 'oh Din, the moon is crushing me and I'm dying a horrible and painful death' – level disappointment."

Link scoffed. "Aren't you the one who's been convincing me to lighten up and be more hopeful lately?"

"Yes, but that's before you started getting others involved. What are you going to do once you bring Anju back? Drag her along to the mountains with us so she can get eaten by a monster? Leave her in Clock Town while we go and adventure? That means we'd have to march all the way back here after we're done, versus just playing the Song of Time wherever we are. Plus, she'll have to wait in constant dread of us not coming back before the moon fell. And you don't even know if it's possible for her to come back in time with us. Also, what if after we play the song there are two of her? Then she won't even have the Stock Pot Inn to wait at."

"We'll figure something out," Link blurted.

"Do you see how annoying this is!" Tatl exclaimed. "It's always between two extremes with you. Either you've given up all hope, or you're plunging into situations headfirst without thinking about them!"

"I know what I'm doing!"

"Time's up!" Link and Tatl froze at the sound of the voice. It was the Skull Kid's. Once more, it was echoing throughout the entire town, bouncing off the sealed walls and traveling clearly through every building. "And our brave hero is nowhere to be found! I would say I'm surprised, but I'd be lying. You humans have proven to be nothing but spineless, self-absorbed creatures. I expected nothing less from our fairy boy."

The Knife Chamber's window revealed nothing but an alleyway wall. Link and Tatl could only stare at one another fearfully…

… Everyone in the town waited from whatever hiding place they'd scrounged together. The streets were void of life in all four districts – except for one person. The Skull Kid remained floating in front of the clock tower as he spoke, looking into the plaza where the old woman cradled her dead son. "And who better to begin our string of sacrifices than the woman who's already lost everything!" The imp laughed so hard that he cried, imagining the horrified faces of the townspeople as they cowered and listened. He floated down as he wiped the tears from his eyes. "I should be thanked for my generosity. I could take someone with years yet to look forward to."

As he drifted to the ground, the old woman refused to look up. She merely held her son's head and stared at his burnt eyes. The masked imp was furious. Look at me, he thought. Look at me when I kill you. But that changed when he saw a tear roll along her cheek. It landed in a wet patch on the corpse's face, from where all the others had fallen. He tilted his head to the side in curiosity.

"Are you not afraid to die?" he asked, no longer using magic to amplify his voice.

"No," she breathed softly, shaking. "If the gods will take me now, then let them. I have nothing left in this world."

The Skull Kid's mind flashed to all the others he'd killed, who'd ran away from him and screamed for their lives to be spared. This was something he had never seen before.

The masked imp turned around to look at the clock. It was almost 7:01. A whole minute had nearly passed, and still, no one was dead. You can't stop now, the mask whispered to him. You must keep your word. She's just as pathetic as the rest of them. Don't let her tears fool you. They fall for herself, not her son. She's lying. The Skull Kid wasn't sure if he believed Majora.

"Stop!" a voice boomed from behind the imp.

The Skull Kid spun around to see a spear hurtling toward his face. He barely dodged it in time; the spear zipped right past his ear and landed far away. The imp found the guard responsible, his arm still thrust outward to throw his weapon. Three other guards, all equipped with the same shining armor and spears, stood behind him.

The guard's eyes went wide with shock when he realized he'd missed. Majora's orange eyes didn't look away. "You're...," the guard began, gulping before he continued, "... under arrest for terrorizing the town." The Skull Kid's only response was his cold stare, until he broke out into laughter again.

A second guard through their spear. The Skull Kid finished laughing just in time to stop it with a spell. He redirected it with ten times the force, sending it directly through the assailant's chest. The guard buckled to his knees, mouth wide open as blood shot out from his back. The third and fourth ones charged forward with their spears at the ready. The Skull Kid, with a single swipe of his arm, engulfed both in purple fire.

The masked imp turned to the remaining guard who'd thrown the first spear. "Wait... please!" The Skull Kid shot out his arm and never broke his stare. The guard flew violently backward, slamming into the pole of a shopping stall. His neck broke instantly, and the guard fell limply to the ground.

The Skull Kid returned to the air without looking back at the old lady. He ignored the two guards now running around and screaming as they burned alive.

The masked imp flew to West Clock Town, looking up and down the alley of buildings to see no one. He flew to a random house and unleashed a torrent of fire. The building exploded into a mess of shattering windows and buckling wooden beams. Screams, both young and old, ended abruptly as the flames claimed them all. The imp regained his altitude, looking down to ensure no one escaped the burning building. None did.

"Your first sacrifice is complete, oh noble, green-hatted warrior!" He exclaimed this so all in Clock Town could hear, as he returned to the front of the clock tower. "I hope you're content with the family hiding in West Clock Town, as well as the four guards who came to their defense. I'm ready to end the blood bath whenever you are, but I will continue slaying as many as you wish!"…

… Link curled inward against the wall on his Knife Chamber bed. "It was a whole family," Link stammered. The fairy rested on his shoulder, hugging him closely as the hero wept.

The sky was still gray. The horse and her master walked carefully across the rocky path.

To the left, the mountain sloped upward steeply; to the right, the path ended at a massive, unforgiving cliff. The blonde-headed teen, with his green hat and tunic, sword, shield, and belt adorning him, held onto the reins carefully. He led his horse at a steady pace forward. Epona was used to these dangerous expeditions, but it was best to be careful. He imagined falling off the cliff, only for himself and his horse to die at the bottom. If I died, would they think I abandoned them, or come looking for me?

The clouds had stopped grumbling an hour or so ago. The sun threatened to tear through the thinning veil of cover. It had been a day since Kakariko Village and his goodbye to Anju. After paying the gorons a visit, he was nearing the other side of the perilous Death Mountain. There were forests on the other side, and he'd reasoned that this was the best place to begin his search for Navi. If that's really why I'm out here, he thought. He wasn't sure.

Link found his mind constantly returning to Hyrule, which any step now he would be leaving. Somewhere after the highest mountain peak marked the northern border, and he'd past that long ago. Why am I second-guessing myself? Navi is the only person I ever thought about in Hyrule. Link wasn't sure what he hoped to gain by finding her, but he knew he had to keep pressing forward.

His mind went to his stomach. It had been several hours since he ate, and Link decided to stop at the next outcrop of rock. The long, narrow pathway soon widened into a large, round break. He led Epona as far as he could inward, climbing off and opening one of the bags tied to her saddle. Link pulled out a loaf of bread and a container of water. He filled the bucket so Epona could drink too, while the adventurer sat down to eat. He watched the sky brighten into afternoon.

"Link!" After several minutes of rest, the voice came as a complete surprise. He recognized it immediately.

Link turned to see the king's personal messenger riding on a horse. He was elegantly adorned, which was highly inappropriate given the dangerous mountain path. He ungracefully made his way towards Link's recess. The boy jumped to his feet and returned the bread to his bag, walking to the messenger. "His Royal Highness has an urgent message!" The messenger was out of breath, sliding off his horse.

"He made you chase me down and hand-deliver it?" Link asked. He realized the messenger wasn't just exhausted. He looked… afraid.

"It's very important, sir," he said nervously. "The king wanted me to tell you in his own words, but I didn't think I could remember them exactly, so I wrote them down." He pulled out a roll of paper and handed it to Link. Link watched the messenger skeptically, slowly wrapping his hand around the piece of paper. He felt his heart beating rapidly. Part of him didn't want to read it. But his eyes quickly scanned the page anyways. Link's face darkened with each word.

"I was afraid I wouldn't reach you in time," the messenger began, noticing Link's changing expression, "and I only hope I haven't, but..."

Link thrust the letter back into the messenger's hands and sprinted to Epona. The king's assistant watched as Link led Epona back the way he came. He stopped just before passing the delivery man. "Thank you," he said, but his voice shook. "I'm sorry you had to come all the way out here." Then, Link bolted down the path. Epona ran as swiftly as she could. Stumbling off the cliff was now a risk that Link was willing to take.

The sun, now fully exposed, bore down on Link and Epona from above as they ran. He was desperate to get as far as possible as quickly as possible. It had been a day's journey from the castle, but he'd have to make it back in double the time.

Please, Link thought. Don't let this happen. This can't be real.

"I don't want to leave you," Link said distantly. The Hylian fountain ran behind them. The sky was in twilight, illuminating the water and her beautiful face.

"Then don't," Zelda said. He saw the fear in her eyes – the fear that everything they had would end. Link had no response for her. There was nothing he could add that he hadn't already said.

All he could manage: "I love you, Zelda." And she said nothing in return.

Epona's hoof slipped. Link snapped from his trance and pulled quickly on his horse's reins. Before they tumbled over the edge, Link brought them both back to safety. They stopped for a moment, reeling at the close call. Link squinted up at the bright sun before pressing onward.

He awakened to a knock on his door. Link sat up in his bed, looking frantically for his Deku mask as the memories of Hyrule faded. He was unable to find it in time, but thankfully, Anju entered the room, carrying a tray. Link sighed with relief, calming himself as he sat up in bed. Tatl stirred on the pillow beside him.

"Sorry," the innkeeper said. "I didn't know you were..."

"It's fine," Link interrupted, disgusted by the fact that he'd slept.

Tatl yawned as her wings stretched outward. She quickly noted Link's perturbed expression. "What's that face for?"

"Why did you let me fall asleep?" Link asked, furious.

Tatl took a moment to understand, and then she shook her head. "Link, you were really upset. I wasn't about to..."

"People are dying out there!" he exclaimed. Link spun around to face Anju. "What time is it?"

"Five," Anju answered. "He only just..." She didn't finish her sentence.

"Five?!" Link exclaimed. "That's four more since I... Din!" He put his hands to his head and squeezed his eyes shut.

Tatl was the one who eased the innkeeper still standing there with the tray. "Sorry," the fairy said. "I think this whole situation has put all of us in a... mood. You can set it down on the table. Thank you."

"I'm just trying to help," Anju said. "In any way I can."

"And I feel helpless," Link said, not wanting to look as she set the soup down. "For Din's sake, I'm hiding!"

"There's nothing else we can do," Tatl reminded him. "We can't stop him right now, and there's no way out of Clock Town."

"Actually," Anju interrupted. They both turned to face her. "There is the old sewer system. No one ever goes down there because of how dangerous it is, but that might be a way out of town. I imagine a few people tried to escape through there when he came, but they probably didn't make it. No one knows what's down there."

Link scoffed. "Of course! I'm such an idiot. On my first cycle here, I traveled through the sewers. If you go the right way, it takes you to the observatory outside of town."

"Really?" Tatl asked. "I didn't know that."

That journey had been taken with Link's first version of Tatl, who'd died that night. "Me and you went there after the Great Fairy told us about it. That was, before..."

Tatl nodded to save him from finishing that statement. Will that always be a bit of an awkward spot between us? Link wondered.

"You think this passageway will help?" Tatl asked.

"Maybe," Link said. "We could get out of Clock Town, but then what? Eventually, we'd just run out of time, and we wouldn't be able to play the ocarina."

"We might be able to find something," Tatl offered. "Like I said before, the Skull Kid goes to the mountains whenever he feels weak. Maybe we'll find something there that could stop him."

Link's face brightened, suddenly filled with what he'd given Anju earlier in the day: hope. "It's a pretty big gamble," Link said.

"But it's still a plan, and the only one we have." The fairy turned to the innkeeper. "It won't take us long to pack our bags. Mind if we check out early?"

Anju tried her best to smile at the sarcasm.

"I promise we'll be back before the moon falls," Link said. "Just stay out of the way of the Skull Kid and you'll be fine."…

…Anju nodded. She remembered what the imp had whispered to her, but she was too scared to tell Link. Maybe that monster doesn't know about the sewers, Anju thought. Maybe Link is actually a step ahead of this murderer.

"So what if you're right?" the dancer said, considering her sister's words. Though they both had red hair, Marilla's leotard was outlined in blue, and Judo's was red.

"Because!" Judo said, pacing back and forth while Marilla sat on the bed. "It's really weird, Marilla. Anju keeps disappearing into that room without ever checking on us! And I know her mom and grandmother are downstairs. Who's hiding in the Knife Chamber?"

"It's none of our business, Judo," remarked one of the two town jugglers in red, lying on the top of a bunk bed.

"It's all of our businesses as long as that masked kid is killing us off!" Judo retaliated. "She's hiding something."

"For once, my brother is actually making sense," the other juggler said, from the bed beneath his brother. "We shouldn't make enemies out of each other. Let's just hide it out until..."

"Until what?" Judo exclaimed. "We're all dead? No! I'm not just going to sit around while we're all picked off."

"Calm down!" Marilla said.

The room was darkening as the sky outside did. The man with the music box lit a candle on the room's single table. He refused to get involved in the conversation, turning his instrument instead to play more music. The five of them in the large hotel room remained hiding together.

"Calm down?" Judo yelled. "People are dying out there!"

"And Anju's not responsible for it," Marilla said. "We'd be taking you seriously if you were pointing fingers at the murderer in the sky."

"Well, obviously he's the immediate cause, but..."

"But what, Judo?" her sister began. "What are you accusing the woman who took us in and let us hide of?"

"I... will you stop playing that stupid music, Guru-guru!" Judo snapped at the small, bald man with the music box. "I swear, I'm going to throw that thing against the wall!"

"Sorry," the man said weakly, taking his hand off the handle and sighing.

"I'm going to figure this out myself," Judo decided, walking toward the door. "You four have all the fun you want sitting around and waiting to die." No one in the room stopped her; she opened the door to their room only a sliver. She peered down the hallway in the direction of the Knife Chamber, watching the closed the door. Anju had just slipped inside with a tray of soup.

It was only a few moments before the door opened, and the innkeeper stepped out, this time without the tray. Judo furrowed her brow and waited for the innkeeper to go down the staircase. Judo tip-toed outside to the room in question. She passed quietly over the hardwood floor, her extraordinary dancing skills allowing her to move without making a sound.

Eventually, she reached the door to see that it hadn't been shut completely. Judo waited for a moment, noting the voices inside: a young man's and a woman's. The dancer, stealthily, pulled the door open and peered inside. The room, darkened like hers by the fading daylight, contained a blonde-haired boy – illuminated by his fairy. She spotted the boy's pointy green hat and tunic. She gasped, quickly returning the door to its initial position. She ran back to her room and flung the door open.

"Anju's hiding the boy that the imp's looking for!" Judo exclaimed.

"What?" Marilla said. Guru-guru and the two jugglers turned to face her as well.

"I saw him!" she said, softer this time. "He was sitting on the bed on the far end of the room talking to his fairy! He had the hat... and the hair... and the tunic..."

"Are you sure?" Marilla asked.

"Yes!" Judo said. "Come on! Let's go find some people to help us drag him to the clock tower."

"What?" the jugglers both said simultaneously.

"He had weapons! We can't do it on our own." No one moved or said anything, however. Which angered Judo. How can they just sit around and do nothing? she thought. "Fine! I'll go on my own!"

And then she left the room, slamming the door behind her. She fled from the Stock Pot Inn and entered the early night.

Chapter Text

Link's boots splashed against the sewer's damp, stone floor. Tatl kept the tunnel's complete darkness at bay; her small circle of light cast a mobile perimeter in its void.

They traveled until they reached another fork in the passageway. In both directions, the black depths were indistinguishable from each other. "Are you sure you know where you're going?" Tatl asked.

"Yes," Link said, taking the right hallway. "I've been here before." 'Before' felt like a lifetime ago. He remembered walking through these sewers with the first Tatl. She saved me when I was a helpless Deku scrub, he thought. He'd been dangling from the ceiling in a spider web, and she'd flown back to rescue him after some secret errand.

For the most part, Link and this Tatl journeyed in silence. The boy kept dwelling on today's terrible events: the screams of the dying, the Skull Kid trapping them within Clock Town's walls, and the deserted streets. On their way through the sewer, they'd passed one corpse being dragged away by a Skulltula, Link and Tatl recognized him as an East Clock Town stall owner. I guess we're not the only ones who tried to flee through here, he'd realized. It seemed his sword was enough of a deterrent to help avoid battles of their own. They'd made it through the square room, up the ladder, and halfway through the maze leading to the observatory.

The wailing from South Clock Town penetrated his thoughts yet again. Link winced, and he couldn't stop himself from speaking this time. "Are you sure this is the right thing to do, Tatl?" he asked. "It feels so terrible to abandon them."

Tatl sighed. "I really admire you, Link. You're always trying to do the right thing, and I respect that. But it's like we said: this is our only option. I agree – it's not right to let those people die. But the only way to save them in the long run is by... walking through these dark tunnels."

"Yeah," Link said distantly. "I know. I guess I just needed to hear you say that again."

"Happy to oblige," the fairy said. "I've accepted my role as the reasonable and cautious one to temper your heroic impulses… as well-intentioned as they are."

Link raised an eyebrow. "Right. But it's only when I defy your reason that we accomplish things. Important stuff only happens after I've completely ignored you."

The fairy turned back to see Link smiling to himself. "I've taught you well," she said. "Before this adventure's finally over, your sarcasm will be as dry and cynical as mine."

A group of people wielding several torches made their way to the Stock Pot Inn.

There were twenty-four villagers all together. Mutoh, the head carpenter, and Judo led them. Mutoh was the largest man there, so he was one of the few chosen to carry a guard's spear. They'd raided the town armory on their way, and though most of the weapons had already been taken, there were no guards to stop them from looting what remained. Judo carried a torch, and her footsteps were quick beside Mutoh's. She shivered in the cold night, given her leotard, but she ignored the cold. She was intent upon their destination.

"What all did he have on him?" Mutoh asked gruffly. His eyes relayed a bloodthirsty eagerness that frighted Judo.

"I only saw a sword and shield," Judo said, "but he could have more in his bag."

"We'll have to be careful," Mutoh said. He shook his head and scoffed. "What a horrible person. He brings some monster into town and hides from it, letting the rest of us pay."

"And Anju hid him!" the dancer exclaimed. "I thought better of her. Ever since Kafei ditched her, she's never been the same."

"That's what she gets. Anju's infatuation with that man isn't healthy. Kafei was a spineless coward for running away, and she's an even greater fool for fawning over him." The carpenter's tone frightened Judo again, but she still ignored it. Even though Mutoh was a hateful man, she needed him right now. She trusted him to do the right thing in a time of crisis.

Soon, they reached the door. Mutoh pounded his fist against it. "Open up!" There was no response, and the townspeople waited silently behind them. Their flickering torchlight illuminated the otherwise abandoned plaza. "We know you're hiding him! Hand him over, or we're taking him ourselves!"

Still, no one answered. When Mutoh turned the doorknob and found it locked, he smiled. The carpenter flung his shoulder into the door, and it only took three tries until it budged inward. The hinges creaked and threatened to pop.

The townsfolk began chanting behind him.

"Open the door!"

"Let us in!"

"Give us the fairy boy!"

"You can't hide!"

"It's his fault they're dead!"

The villagers raised either a torch, a weapon, or a fist angrily in the air, screaming into the night. The door eventually flew off its hinges and landed in the lobby. Mutoh and Judo stepped into the room first.

The lobby was empty, and no one was behind the desk or in the kitchen, either. Judo and Mutoh exchanged a glance as the others behind them tried to peer around their heads. "Anju!" Mutoh shouted. "Where is he?"

"We don't need her!" Judo said. "He's up here!" The young dancer took the lead, turning to go up the staircase with her torch held high. She reached the Knife Chamber as the other villagers lined up behind her along the stairs. Further down the hallway, the door to a larger hotel room opened. Marilla peaked her head out, aghast.

"Judo!" she said, exiting the room to confront her sister banging on the Knife Chamber door.

"Open up!" Judo shouted.

"Step aside," Mutoh grumbled. Judo agreed as the carpenter took charge of breaking down the door.

"You brought a mob to raid the hotel!" Marilla said in shock, raising her voice to project over the crowd.

"We had to, sis!" Judo said, as the door caved in. "He's killing us off, and not one by one like he said."

"And you honestly think he'll leave once you hand this boy over?" her sister said bitterly. "He's probably the only chance we have of stopping that murderer."

"Then he shouldn't have gone into hiding like a coward."

The door to the Knife Chamber flew inward, sailing across the room and landing on the table. It only took a few raised torches and a quick scan of the room to determine it was empty.

Mutoh's smile faded. "Where is he?!"

Judo tensed beside him when she saw the empty beds. Oh no, she thought. "He was…," she began, trailing off. "Right there." Mutoh and the others faced her with an unspoken accusation: did you lie to us?

Judo, however, refused to give in. "Anju!" she exclaimed. The dancer pushed her way through the crowd back into the staircase. When she made it past the last person, she stopped when she saw the innkeeper waiting at the bottom. She stood beside her mother, Tane, who was identical except in size and age. Anju stared up with fear in her eyes, but her mother's large physique conveyed nothing but rage.

"What are you doing in our hotel?!" Tane exclaimed. She took a few furious steps forward, leaving her daughter at the bottom of the staircase.

"Excuse me?" Judo replied, filling her response with bile.

"I don't care that you have a room," Tane said. "We're evicting you. Take your deranged mob of lunatics and get out!"

"We're not leaving until your daughter tells us where he is," Judo said, raising her torch.

"Who?" Tane said. She turned to look down at Anju, who found it hard to return her gaze. The rest of the mob had quieted, watching eagerly from behind Judo. Mutoh was at the top and was tall enough to see over everyone's head. "You think my daughter is hiding whatever person that serial killer outside wants?"

"I know she is," Judo said. "I saw her serving him lunch while he hid in the Knife Chamber!" The dancer tried to push past Tane, but Anju's mom forcefully pushed Judo back up the stairs. The dancer gasped, facing Tane with disgust.

She opened her mouth to argue, but Anju broke the silence, taking a step closer to them. "You're right," the innkeeper said, trying to center herself with another deep breath. "I hid him, but not from you. I hid him from the killer outside. I hid him because he's the only one that can stop... the Skull Kid, as he's called. He plans to wipe out everyone in Clock Town, and if we turn Link in, we'd be helpless to stop him."

"Link?" Judo said, now successfully passing Anju's stunned mother. "So you're on a first-name basis with that traitor! What is he, your lover? Your new Kafei? You can't stop swooning for every man that comes to your doorstep with big promises, can you?"

"No!" Anju said, bringing her hands down to stand firmly. "It's not like that. He's the only one who can stop that monster with the mask!"

"I'm sure he said that," Judo said. She smiled when another thought occurred to her. "You know what?" She took a few steps closer to Anju, allowing fury to overpower her. "I bet I know what he said to you. He promised that he'd bring you and Kafei back together, didn't he? Said that Kafei still loved you and was waiting for you? You can't get over that man, can you?"

Tane grabbed the dancer by the shoulder. This time, she threw her back up the staircase. Judo's torch fell from her hand as she caught her balance. "Don't you ever speak to my daughter that way!"

"She's harboring the man responsible for Clock Town's slaughter!" Judo said. "Someone has to do something!"

"You're playing right into that thing's hands!" Anju said, stepping up to join them. "Dragging off someone to the clock tower won't solve anything!"

"I say we drag her off to the tower!" someone in the crowd yelled from behind. All eyes turned to find Mutoh at the top of the stairs. He made his way down, and the mob parted to let him squeeze through. "If you think this Link's plan is so noble, then why don't you die for him next?"

Other villagers chimed in with their support.

"Yeah, let's take her instead!"

"If she wants us to let the town keep dying, then she's next!"

"Let's see what she thinks when her life is on the line!"

Anju's anger melted away into fear, but her mother's fury only grew. "If you lay one hand on my daughter...!"

"You'll what?" Mutoh said, now face-to-face with the two innkeepers. "We're done sitting around and waiting. Give us the boy or give us her!"

"We're not giving you anyone!" Tane exclaimed.

Mutoh responded by grabbing her shoulder as the others screamed for blood. Tane tried to resist, but the scuffle sent her tumbling down the stairs. She landed beside Judo's fallen torch with a heavy thud.

"Mother!" Anju exclaimed. Mutoh's hand reached for her next, but the innkeeper managed to twist away from his grasp. She knelt beside her injured mom, who stirred beneath her hand.

"I'm fine," Tane said weakly, shooing her away. "Just go!" Mutoh leapt down the stairs to cut them both off from the lobby. Anju obeyed her mother, turning to flee as Mutoh reached for her again. The carpenter barely missed and took chase while the townspeople followed. A few villagers stopped to help Anju's mother, but they all turned too late to notice Judo's torch catch the carpet on fire. "No!" Tane exclaimed. The villagers helped guide her safely into the lobby, but the fire quickly spread to the walls as well, trapping those still on the staircase.

Anju hardly made it a few feet before Mutoh caught her. He restrained her with the help of another villager, and they guided her back toward the staircase. However, they quickly noted that the shouts and cries for Anju had turned into shouts and cries over fire. Mutoh and his accomplice turned around, guiding their captive around to the front desk. Mutoh leapt over it and then forcefully dragged Anju across, pulling her toward the hotel's open front door. The cold night awaited them. "Help!" Anju exclaimed. She fought to overpower her captors, but she wasn't strong enough. The innkeeper turned to see her mother, still struggling to stand with the help of two villagers...

... The fire roared behind them, and Tane noticed her daughter just as she disappeared into East Clock Town. "Anju!" she yelled, stretching out a hand. Despite her daughter's capture, the fire quickly recaptured her attention. Trapped people panicked on the staircase, or else followed Mutoh by climbing over the desk to run. The two men helping her eventually guided her outside as well, trading heat and smoke for a chilly darkness. Tane's mind raced with fear: for her daughter, for those trapped in the Stock Pot Inn, and for the hotel itself. The flames continued consuming the inn and eventually overpowered all the screams inside.

It was chaos, and even from outside, Anju's mother watched as people filed out the door on the second story. Marilla held it open, battling the smoke and yelling to those still trapped inside that there was another way out. Anju's mother turned to see her daughter still fighting for freedom as Mutoh carried her into South Clock Town.

Link and Tatl were walking silently through the sewers when they heard the Skull Kid's voice again. The imp's broadcast came when the observatory was only a few more turns away. The boy and fairy stopped immediately at the sound of his ruthless, chilling words. They were far more calculated and weighted than ever before, as if Majora now spoke unfettered.

"I have a confession to make," the voice said, reverberating even through the underground stone tunnels. "You have surprised me, Hero, and I am not easily shocked. I knew you were spineless. I knew you were a coward. Because all humans are. But to let the innkeeper, this Anju, die for you next?"

"No!" Link gasped.

"Link," Tatl said, "I know what you're thinking, but..." Before she could finish her thought, Link sprinted back the way they'd came. "No!" the fairy yelled after him. "You're doing exactly what he wants! He'll kill you!"

Link no longer cared. He stared intently ahead, flying around corner after corner without questioning himself. Tatl flew after him when she realized he wasn't coming back.

"I expected more of you. I expected you to defend those you loved, even as I struck you down. But no. You don't love her, do you? You lied so she would hide you. You told her that you could find her lover, even when you knew you couldn't. Even when you knew that he was already dead. You lied through your teeth, manipulating her into joining the others who've died for you."

As the Skull Kid's voice rang in his ears, Link never stopped running. He was beyond reason, sprinting to save his closest friend. He imagined Anju in the plaza and wondered if she believed Majora's lies. He refused to fail her. Not this time, Link thought. I won't be too late. Please, don't let this happen.

And then, his mind flashed back to riding Epona across Death Mountain. He leaned forward as his horse's hooves plowed against the rocky trail, defying the lethal cliff's threat at their side. Please don't let this happen. I'll never forgive myself. The sun was shining behind him as he went forward swiftly. I'm coming, Anju. But the name was Zelda as he rode Epona towards Hyrule Castle.

"You've managed to turn the whole town against her. They dragged her and her mother here and burned the hotel to the ground. They asked me to kill Anju. They told me to slaughter this traitor. I, a merciful sorcerer, am merely fulfilling what they ask of me. I wonder if you've made it to the observatory by now. At least she has her mother to pity her when she dies. When she fades away into nothingness. When her consciousness, her trust in you, her love for Kafei, and all of her hope fade to oblivion."

Link's boots could carry him no faster, and neither could Epona's legs. He reached the ladder as his mind revealed his forgotten past – his repressed memories. As his feet went down the ladder, Epona bullet-ed through Kakariko Village. As he ran through the large, square room and passed a Skulltula, Epona traveled through the mountain town's gate. She galloped across Hyrule Field as Link spun around the corner and ran alongside the sewer water.

"I don't even have to ask whether you've contemplated death. All humans are afraid of it. The idea of not existing is too much to handle. You repress it. You cower behind ignorance. You convince yourselves that something is waiting for you afterward, as if the universe was made just for you."

He leapt over the water, jumping from platform to platform across the breaks in stone. Epona ran across the drawbridge into the marketplace. The guards turned to watch as the Hero of Time flew past.

"But the gods cannot help you. Nayru, Din, and Farore are nothing. Even they are powerless against it. Darkness is the only reality. I, Majora, am the embodiment of that darkness. The light you cling so desperately to is always fading fast. All have darkness in their hearts, even without a black mark to remind them."

Link was now running up the slope towards the entrance to East Clock Town. The horse and her master were approaching the castle. He could feel Zelda's warm embrace, the noise of the fountain behind them, and the cool sky fading into night. Link's blue eyes shone brightly with his past as he leapt in front of the mayor's office, now running down the staircase into the plaza.

"This is proven to me time and time again. The villagers overcame their love for Anju to drag her to her death. And you were able to feign such emotions to use Anju, already crushed by the man who left her. I almost feel bad killing her. She's the only one that hasn't embraced the darkness that she will now return to."

Link stopped for only a moment when the fire came into view. The Stock Pot Inn was completely ablaze. Light and smoke rose into the dark sky, and the moon's wicked face bore over it. Then, Link's eyes found Tatl, who'd finally caught up to him. He turned away to complete his journey to South Clock Town.

"Link, no!" Tatl exclaimed over the roaring fire. "Please don't do this!"

Link swung himself off Epona, running through the elegant halls of Hyrule Castle and pushing aside the guard that tried to stop him.

"But none can hide in bliss forever. Her time has come."

It was then that the inn's roof fell, giving into the fire consuming it. The massive, silver bell on top plunged inward toward the lobby floor. Tatl spun around as the instrument slammed into the ground. A sharp, musical note echoed across Clock Town as it cracked, forever silenced as the fire engulfed its final ring.

Link rounded the corner to see that several people had gathered in South Clock Town. Simultaneously, his mind recalled flinging open the door to Zelda's bedroom. With stunning clarity, he remembered the cool doorknob beneath his hand.

The blonde boy in the green tunic had returned to the clock tower. The townspeople outside had pushed the wreckage of the smaller, wooden tower aside, and they now surrounded the square's center, obscuring it from view. Some of the villagers still held torches, but all of them were silent. The mob mentality had died with the Skull Kid's chilling words. Link neither cared nor paused to consider their remorse. It didn't matter. What had been done could not be reversed.

Link pushed through those on the outside and forced himself to the center of the circle. The villagers turned to see him, shocked by his appearance.

"Is that...?"

"It's him!"

"What was his name...?"

"... Link?"

The torches illuminated the plaza's center. Anju's wrists were bound by ropes tethered to heavy pieces of wreckage that had likely been impossible to move. She was on her knees and completely surrounded, shaking and unable to control the tears that fell. Tatl watched from above, paralyzed by fear.

Anju met his eyes from across the plaza. "Link!" she said. "I…" But she never finished her sentence. The ground exploded at her feet, sending her skyward as the ropes binding her wrists disintegrated. Link's eyes widened in horror, still standing where he'd only just broken the ring of people.

"No!" He screamed as she fell to the ground limply, now only a rag doll. He also approached the large bed in Zelda's bedroom. He walked slowly, already crying before he saw the still, cold face of his beloved. The letter had mentioned a sudden, fatal disease, and he'd been too late to see her before it claimed her.

The Skull Kid floated down from his invisible perch, heading toward the plaza where the unspeakable had just occurred. Link looked up to see the imp draw his arms back and prepare another spell.

Link drew his weapons just as violet flames left the imp's hands. His Hylian shield protected him; fire bellowed off its metal surface and sent his feet sliding backward. The villagers fled as soon as the fire appeared, now only fearing for their lives and abandoning Anju's motionless body. Tatl's eyes scanned the scene to find the only other person not fleeing: Anju's mother. She lay on her knees and sobbed, as if she hadn't noticed the battle beginning just beside her.

Link, from behind the shield, pushed aside an overwhelming maelstrom of grief and shock. As sweat broke out on his forehead, the images of Zelda lifeless and Anju spiraling through the air faded. They were now replaced with a single-minded determination to end the monster responsible for so much suffering. The hand holding his sword slipped into his bag and found his bow. He readied the weapon one-handed from behind his shield.

As soon as the Skull Kid ran out of fire, Link lowered his shield and released an arrow. The imp gasped, unable to react before the projectile lodged itself directly into Majora's Mask.

The Skull Kid froze, his arms and legs going rigged as if he'd been hit in the heart. Link brought his shield down and put his bow away; for a moment, he thought that the battle was over. However, the Skull Kid's fingers twitched as he recovered from shock. Link spun around to flee, unsure if he could face more of the imp's wrath. The Skull Kid boiled with rage, flinging his arms outward with aggression.

An invisible force blasted Link off his feet. He slammed into the wall leading into East Clock Town, and his shield left his hand. Link slid down its surface and collapsed, not daring to retrieve his fallen shield as he scrambled to run for the staircase...

... The Skull Kid grabbed the arrow lodged into his mask and tossed it aside. He flew after Link, determined to kill him as quickly as possible. The game was over, and this pathetic boy had lost...

... Tatl watched in shock as Link and the imp fled South Clock Town. She turned to see that Anju and her mother had been left alone. The latter had gone to the former's side, and the fairy realized that Anju was still stirring. Regardless, a pool of red surrounded her broken body; she wouldn't live for much longer. "It'll be okay," Anju's mother whispered, holding the innkeeper's hand. Tatl left them alone to chase after her companion – who continued running for his life...

... Link was only halfway across the plaza when the Skull Kid rounded the corner. The boy ignored the Stock Pot Inn's fiery ruins, looking over his shoulder to see that the imp had stopped. The Skull Kid raised his arms to command the ground, and the stone split open. East Clock Town widened into a gorge that tore straight in his direction. Link dove to his left for the nearby Deku flower, applying his mask and rocketing out just as the ground swallowed the plant whole.

Link removed the mask as he shot skyward, using the momentum to avoid the gorge and arc in front of the burning building. He barrel-rolled on the East Clock Town staircase, scrambling to his feet to continue running despite his scrapes. The Skull Kid didn't waste time either, releasing a ball of purple fire as he continued his pursuit.

Link dove away from the dark magic, which crashed into the mayor's residence behind him instead. It joined the hotel and quickly became a ruin, though its destruction burned violet and clashed with the Stock Pot Inn's orange inferno. Link continued into the sewer system, which sloped down into the earth. The masked imp reached the entrance before Link had cleared the tunnel, and the Skull Kid cast a plume of fire that reached for the boy's back.

It traveled through the sewer system like a chute, exploding out of the tunnel just as Link rolled from its mouth. Its heat was a dragon at its neck, but Link pressed on, approaching the small islands scattered across the sewer water. He hopped across them as the Skull Kid descended into the tunnel after him. With each leap, his breathing got harder, and Link's heart pounded mercilessly in his ears.

Link was halfway across when the imp cleared the tunnel. The Skull Kid spotted his prey and conjured a thin disk of fire that cut low through the air, flying over the water much faster than Link could. The imp followed behind it.

The hero dove into the water, floating down as the disc passed over him and missed. Link kicked his feet and broke the surface, jumping out to climb over the other side's stone. He bolted to the left, recalling that the large room with the ladder would soon be on his right. A skulltula climbed out of that doorway ahead of him, baring its teeth at the approaching meal. Link completely ignored it, dodging the bug as the ball of fire reached them both. The spider reared its legs, only to be barbecued by the purple fire intended for Link.

Link landed in the large, empty room. He slowed his running when he realized... that he was trapped. The only way forward was the ladder, and there was plenty of empty space separating him from it. Even if Link made it to ladder, he'd never climb it in time. There was nowhere to flee or hide, no corner to doge behind, and no time to play his ocarina.

So, Link stopped running. He'd only reached the center of the room when the Skull Kid joined him. The imp smiled, immediately twirling his fingers to cast another spell. Link heard the crackling magic before he saw it.

He turned around just as the lightning left the imp's fingertips. It struck Link directly in the scar on his chest, blasting him off his feet and across the floor.

As he skidded to a halt, Link realized that the dark magic felt nothing like it had before. Instead of burning him, the dark magic had… entered him. He felt the energy coursing through his veins, desperately searching for a way out. The energy was electrifying and numbing all at once. He felt it pooling in his scar, as if it was an invisible container that had filled to the brim. It didn't hurt, even as it pressed against his skin – desperate for release.

Suddenly, Link's point of view changed. He now floated in the air, watching his own body scream from a fetal position. He quickly realized that he was looking through the Skull Kid's eyes, just like he had in the Woods of Mystery. The imp watched curiously, not understanding how Link was still alive. The hero felt the Skull Kid's bafflement as his body slowly rose to its feet, acting on its own accord without consciousness to guide it. The fear came when his head lifted, and Link met his own eyes. Each one was merely a glowing ball of purple light, without an iris or a pupil.

The possessed, purple-eyed Link straightened its back and seemed to overcome the lightning's effects. Through the Skull Kid's eyes, Link watched with horror as it raised its arm, only to point its fingers at the masked imp. The lightning left the hero's fingertips, returning it to the Skull Kid who'd tried to kill him. Link and the Skull Kid shared their terror as the dark puppet struck a fatal blow.

The attack was as instantaneous as always. Link returned to his body as soon as the lightning left his hand. He blinked, reopening blue and human eyes to watch the lightning strike the imp's chest. The Skull Kid twirled through the air as limply as Anju had. His back slammed into the wall, forcing out a dry cough as he fell headfirst toward the floor. Link watched in disbelief as the imp collapsed, lying there motionlessly.

Link turned to his raised arm – an action that he had never taken. He lowered it and trembled when he realized that he felt good. Releasing that dark magic had granted immense physical pleasure, all centered at his chest. He nervously touched the scar and found that it was sore. Internally, however, it couldn't have felt more satisfying. What just happened? Link thought. Is that what I looked like for Tatl? When I started the forest fire? He shivered.

He looked over to the Skull Kid, who still lay there in defeat. There he was – his mortal enemy – completely defenseless. The only noise in the room was Link's deep breathing. He wondered if the Skull Kid was dead, and if he had the courage to finish the job if he wasn't. He drew his sword and walked toward his fallen foe.

However, the Skull Kid pushed himself up, stumbling back from Link. The boy froze, but the masked imp quickly lifted off the ground. He was crouched over and holding his injured chest as he flew away, back through the doorway toward East Clock Town.

Link stood in the middle of the room in disbelief, sword still in hand.

Moments later, Tatl peered around the doorway to find Link. The fairy seemed hesitant, as if afraid of what she might find. "Link?" she asked. "Is that you?"

Link's face darkened. "Who else would it be?" He realized that he wished his voice was weaker – that there was some sign that the battle had worn him down. However, the lightning hadn't just helped him stop the Skull Kid. It had revitalized him.

"I... don't know," Tatl said, flying over toward her companion. "What happened? The Skull Kid, he was all bent over and hurt. He flew past me without saying anything."

Link opened his mouth, but then closed it again. She's afraid of me, Link realized. "I think you know what happened," he said, daring to meet her eyes. "The same thing that happened in the forest when I set it on fire. My eyes turned purple, and I shot his lightning back at him and... I... saw it." He closed his eyes, willing away the image of his possessed self. "It was terrible. I didn't look human. I was looking through the Skull Kid like last time, except... this time he was right across from me."

Tatl still had nothing to say, appearing unable to overcome her fear.

"Tatl," Link said, his voice wavering. "What's happening to me?"

"I'm... not sure," Tatl said eventually, flying to join his side.

"You never told me what happened to Dark Link," he realized aloud. He remembered seeing through the eyes of the Skull Kid, and when he'd returned to himself, the enemy had been gone.

"Let's not talk about that right now," Tatl said. "Anju's outside and still alive, but I'm not sure for how much longer..."

"Anju!" Link exclaimed, instantly running to leave the sewer system. The boy stopped, however, when he realized that Tatl hadn't joined him. The fairly took only a moment to nod and follow.

"Sh, sh," Anju's mother said softly, stroking her daughter's hair lovingly. Anju still lay in the plaza, staring at the starry sky with her mouth hanging open. Her eyes had never stopped watering, and her breathing was strained. There was an awful concavity to her chest, which was visible even through her shirt. Blood stained the stone, her legs, and her clothes, but her face remained practically unblemished.

The dying fires in East Clock Town still filled the night with light, warmth, and sound. All of the other villagers had fled, even Judo and Mutoh, leaving no one to stare sadly at the horrible tragedy of South Clock Town.

"I'm scared," Anju said softly, still staring at the sky. "What if it's just like he said... oblivion?"

"No," Tane said, keeping the tears out of her voice. "Don't believe anything he said. He wants everyone to feel afraid, even if he has to lie."

"He told me that he would kill me," Anju said in a broken voice. "I didn't think it could actually happen, but it did."

"Sh," Anju's mom whispered again, kneeling just beside her. "You're here with me now. That's all that matters." Her mother turned away when she noticed Link and his fairy approach them. She spared them only a glance…

… Link approached the fallen innkeeper hesitantly, but Anju's mom didn't stop him. When he reached his dying friend, Link knelt beside her mother, and Anju's watery eyes found his. "Hi," Link whispered, trying not to look at her shattered body.

"Link," Anju said. "You came back."

"Of course," he said.

"Did you... stop him?"

"Yes, I did. He won't hurt anyone again."

"That's... good." Anju turned away from him and looked back to the sky. "I knew you weren't lying. I knew I could believe in you."

Link's tears were impossible to stop. "I'm just sorry that I was too late."

"But you weren't," Anju said. "You came back."

Link tried to smile but couldn't, so he nodded instead.

"But... Kafei," Anju said. "I wanted to... see him. Won't you go back in time now? Aren't you going to find him still?"

"I promise," Link said. "Somehow, in some place or time, I will bring you and Kafei back together again, whatever it takes. And then when I bring you two together, you'll get married and stay that way... forever." His hand held Anju's, though he felt her grip fading even as she smiled.

"Will I... know?" Anju asked. Her words were hardly a whisper. "Will I feel it? Will I get to see him? Or am I... gone now? It'll be some other, new me, won't it? I'll still be dead."

"You'll know," Link said, defying all reason that told him otherwise. "Somehow, you'll know."

"Good," Anju said, smiling. She turned back to the sky, and then the tears stopped. Her breathing did shortly after.

Anju's mom lost control, resting her head on her daughter's chest as she sobbed. Link released Anju's limp hand, and he stood to leave them both alone. He made eye contact with his fairy, who met his tear-streaked face with her own crestfallen eyes. Link walked with Tatl toward the blank wall where South Clock Town's gate had once been.

"She's dead," Link said distantly.

"I know, Link," Tatl said. "I'm sorry."

"Both of them are," Link said, shaking his head now.

"Both of them?"

"Zelda," Link barely managed. "She's dead, too."

Tatl's expression darkened, even though she didn't quite understand.

"When I was running back to save Anju," he began, "I remembered running back to the castle. I'd gone to look for Navi, but a messenger found me and told me that Zelda was dying. She got sick. I tried to go back in time... but I was too late." He sniffled, recomposing himself as he wiped the tears away. "I left after the funeral to try searing for Navi again, and I never meant to come back. I left for good, because now... I couldn't, I... can't. There are too many memories there, and... I see now why I blocked it out. I'm not sure what happened to send me to Termina, but I gladly gave up my memories in the process."

He turned to face Tatl. "We're going to the mountains, and we're going to free whatever spirit is trapped there. Then we're going to the ocean and canyon, and we'll do the same thing. Somewhere along the line, we'll unite Anju and Kafei and bring them into the loop with us. And then…

"We're going to destroy it. We're not going to lock it away like the witches did and hope it disappears. Even if we stop the moon from falling, I'm not leaving until that mask is in pieces. Majora will die, even if...," Link looked down at the black mark hiding beneath his tunic, "... even if I have to go down with it."

Chapter Text

BOOK III: SOLITUDE

The carpenters' wooden tower once again stood intact and early in its development. Its laborers continued working as if it had never fallen, as if they had never gathered around its ruins and called for blood. The four gates were open. Guards stood at each one, never struck down by the masked imp. Mutoh commanded his carpenters, and Judo paced the floor in the hotel. Neither would tap into their true potential for malevolence. Anju lay in her bed staring at the ceiling; the wedding dress adorning her mannequin remained untouched beside her bed. The boy who had held her hand as she died was now a stranger.

As Link stepped out of the clock tower doors, he found these realities sickening.

All the previous day's horror had never happened. Yet, they'd still left scars that weighed heavy on his chest. Stepping into the orange, early morning sun, he recalled the screams of the dying and the Stock Pot Inn burning to the ground. He recalled the ground exploding at Anju's feet. He remembered her body rising into the air helplessly, only to come crashing back into her blood. He saw his own eyes glowing purple, possessed by the dark magic embedded in his chest, as he struck the imp with a fatal blow. Only he, Tatl, and the Skull Kid remembered. The fairy by his side was the only person in Termina keeping him sane in these maddening loops. An endless procession of faces that will always forget me, Link thought.

He used to believe that there was someone waiting for him in Hyrule. That – after all this fighting – he would have a home to return to. But Zelda's just a memory, Link realized. One that I forgot I'd lost. Just as lost as the cycles he'd left behind. How can Termina restart so meaninglessly? What am I fighting for now? He felt lost. This doomed land echoed his past at every turn, slowly taking with it all he had left.

"Link? Are you okay?" He looked at Tatl, blinking heavily in the sun.

"I'll be okay," Link said plainly. He turned to find the purple-haired kid in the fox mask. For the first time, Link noticed what the boy was doing: going to the South Clock Town postbox. He slipped a letter inside, checked to see if anyone had noticed, and found Link's eyes. The two stared at one another for a moment. The child was frozen, as if he'd been caught in some horrible act, and then he sprinted back up the Laundry Pool staircase.

"I'm kind of afraid to stand here too long," Tatl said, obviously not noticing the same thing Link had. "The Skull Kid knows where we appear after we play the Song of Time. The sooner he doesn't know where we are, the better."

Link eventually nodded. The kid with the fox-face mask will have to wait, he thought. He and Tatl weren't sure how long they had before the imp returned. They'd devoted the rest of the last cycle's second day to resting, which had been entirely necessary. Link felt the bag at his side to make sure the rope and ice axes were there; he'd purchased them after thinking a little more about his journey north.

"To the mountains?" Link asked, forcing out a smile despite the doom and gloom. He pushed the image of Zelda's body away.

"To the mountains," Tatl nodded, returning the smile.

The two journeyed behind the clock tower, up the ramps, and through the doorway into the grassy landscape of North Clock Town. As they approached the gate, Link smiled again when he remembered his attempt to leave this place while a Deku scrub.

The guard's eyes quickly found his sword and shield, and the man in shining armor nodded in approval as he passed. "The mountains of Snowhead lie this way. Be careful."

Termina Field's northern zone stretched before them. The white peaks of Snowhead towered far, far away on the horizon. The sky behind them was beautiful, its orange stretching outward and bleeding into the waning night's dark blue. The sun shone brightly off to the right, hidden behind Clock Town's walls. The grass ahead of him only went several hundred feet before it gave way to flat rock. After that, the land dropped off into a gorge that would be impossible to cross. On the other side, the land elevated into Snowhead's foothills. Link would have to descend the gorge and hope for a path upward.

He inhaled the crisp mountain air that blew in his direction, closing his eyes. "Does anyone live in the mountains?" he asked.

"The gorons," Tatl answered. "They should be a lot friendlier than the Deku scrubs. They keep to themselves for the most part. I prefer their beautiful, green valleys over the swamp fumes any day."

Link walked across the remaining flatland. "Should we go to the gorons first, then?" Link asked, remembering his multiple encounters with them in Hyrule.

"I'm not sure where else we would," the fairy replied. "I just hope the Skull Kid hasn't done anything like he did to the swamp. There isn't that much running water to poison, but I guess there is a lot of snow at the peaks." However, some thought occurred to her, and then she sighed.

"What?" Link asked.

"Just like the Deku scrubs, the gorons have also built a massive temple in worship of invisible deities," Tatl said dryly. "I bet my left wing we're going to end up in there."

Link laughed and shook his head. "You really don't seem to think all that highly of gods. You don't think they appreciate us honoring them?"

"The way I see it," the fairy began, "they're not very good at their jobs. I mean, there's a giant moon in the sky, if you've forgotten. It's coming down to kill everyone in Termina in three days. Meanwhile, we have a murderous, super-powered lunatic chasing after us while we relive the same three days over and over again, all to try and stop this bad stuff from happening. Ourselves, I might add. A little divine intervention would be much appreciated."

"You don't think the Goddess of Time is helping us?"

The fairy sighed again. "I'm not sure," she said. "I guess I don't know if the forces around us come from… gods and goddesses, wanting to be worshiped. What I do know, is that whatever is allowing us to go back in time, be it magic or something else we don't understand… it's struggling in this battle with Majora. And I'm not sure it's winning."

Link considered that. "I never thought about it that way, I guess. Do you think Farore, Din, and Nayru are real? The Triforce is. I had the Triforce of Courage, and the shard of power really did give Ganondorf unbelievable strength. It helped him rule over Hyrule for seven years."

"The Triforce?" Tatl asked.

Link's eyes widened. "You've got to be kidding me. You've never heard of the Triforce?"

"No, I've heard of it," Tatl said, "but it's just an old myth around here. I mean, the only thing people here believe in are the four giants. They don't believe they created Termina though; it's said they're its guardians. One in each land. But it's a myth, like the Triforce. No one alive has ever seen them, even if we still celebrate them with the Carnival of Time. But most people don't think about the giants as real things. It's just a holiday now."

"Four guardian giants, one in each land?" Link asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, that's what I said...," she replied uncertainly.

"You don't think that's what that thing in Odolwa's mask was, do you? The spirit? It was pretty big, and if there are four of them… One in each land..."

"Whoa," Tatl stammered. "I never thought about that. You might be right."

"So there might be some truth to these myths after all, huh?"

"But they're still failing at their jobs," Tatl grumbled. "The Skull Kid overpowered them all and sealed them into masks. If they're supposed to be our guardians, why is it that we're saving them?"

Link shrugged, realizing she had a point. "I had to save the guardian sages of Hyrule, too, now that I think about it. Navi once said we were just tools of the gods, that we were their way of saving the world. I had trouble accepting that at first, but it makes sense to me now. It doesn't matter if it's guardians, sages, or us, if it's always the gods behind it all."

"I'll just agree to disagree with you there," she said. "But pushing aside the mythology and the magic, my practical point still stands. What's the point of freeing the giants... the guardians... the deities... whatever you want to call them... if the Skull Kid has already proven he's stronger than them?"

"Maybe they were caught off guard," Link said. "Tael seemed to know what he was talking about, and the Skull Kid did get mad at him as soon as he mentioned them... so that makes me think it was important."

"I guess it's the only lead we have," Tatl shrugged. "And this is all just speculation, anyways. I'm still ready to free the other three spirits. It's the only plan we have, and we can't stop Majora on our own."

"No, we can't," he said in agreement, his mind returning to something that made him stop walking. "Tatl, you still haven't told me what happened to Dark Link."

The fairy stopped flying immediately, joining him just a few feet away from the gorge. Tatl didn't turn around to face him at first, but eventually, she took a deep breath and did. "You haven't already figured it out?"

"Did he...?" Link's hand went to the mark on his chest.

"You did exactly what you did in the forest fire," Tatl said. "At first you looked all nervous, like you were about to faint, and then suddenly your eyes turned purple, and..." She stopped, turning away, as if the memory was troubling. "... You didn't look like yourself. You looked so angry and evil... you were furious, all of a sudden... I mean, your appearance didn't change or anything, except for your eyes, but you were so... frightening. Even Dark Link was scared. You weren't you.

"As soon as Dark Link saw your eyes change, he let go of your neck and backed away, but you were too fast. You stood up, grabbed his shoulder, and then… you absorbed him. I'm not sure how else to describe it. Dark Link just started screaming, and... you didn't stop. He went inside of your scar. Then you collapsed back onto the wall and closed your eyes. And Dark Link was gone."

Din, Link thought, looking away. He wasn't sure what to say or think.

"At first I was afraid that if I talked to you...," Tatl said, "your eyes would open, and they wouldn't be yours. Purple, or worse, red now that Dark Link was inside of you. I'm not exactly sure what that means, but I don't think it helped with your..." She trailed off.

"... Curse?" Link finished. Tatl didn't respond. "I mean, so far it hasn't been a hindrance. No one died in the forest fire, and I've only ever harmed Dark Link and the Skull Kid."

"But there's no reasoning with you when you're in that state," the fairy said. "I tried the first time, but you weren't there. I know you see from the Skull Kid's eyes every time, but your body's still there, moving without your control and with incredible power. What if it decided to do something worse than setting the entire forest on fire? What if you got mad at me one day, and you changed, and then you..." She stopped, as if the thought was too horrifying.

"Don't say that," Link said. "I already knew all of that, but I won't... I refuse to let it kill you."

Tatl grimaced. "Let's stop talking about this. I know you wouldn't hurt me, and there's no point in worrying over something we can't control. We'll cross that bridge when we come to."

Link's face darkened, but he realized that she was right. He turned back to the gorge's edge. "Right. I'll settle for crossing this first."

The rocky landscape ended rather suddenly, dropping into an uneven, boulder-invested ravine. Across the gorge, the mountain's true foothills began. Rising land cut sharply upward from the bottom of the gorge. As Link eyed the small canyon, he decided the cliffside at his feet was sloped enough to make climbing down possible. However, he couldn't find a pathway out of it. The canyon's opposite wall was much steeper and smoother, and he didn't have good enough mountain gear to handle that.

Link also spotted two creatures below. They were ten times larger than him, green, reptilian, and had spiked backs. Their large claws curled in relaxation as they slept beside each other, though Link knew exactly how deadly these monsters were.

"Ever fought a dodongo before?" Tatl asked, eyeing the beasts as well.

Link couldn't help but smile. His Hylian expedition in Dodongo Cavern had been memorable. That was my first true adventure after leaving Kokiri Forest, he thought. He recalled Navi helping him use bomb flowers for the first time, and he also remembered the pure terror after a fire keese burnt his wooden shield. "Yes, I've fought plenty. But I'm hoping to sneak by them."

"Finally," Tatl said. "The noble hero chooses caution over glory."

Link scoffed and chose to ignore her comment. "Is there a path out of the gorge though? Or across it?" He walked along the ravine's edge and scanned the other side. The rocky basin eventually curved around and out of sight, only completely leveling with Termina Field again in the west.

"Yes, there is!" Tatl said. "Sorry, I don't usually worry about those. You know, because wings."

"Yeah, yeah," he said. "You'd still be stuck in that room under the clock tower if it wasn't for me."

"And you'd have stumbled into that dark tunnel's big ol' ditch without me."

"Look," Link said, smiling, "we each have our uses. I do all the fighting, the ocarina playing, the smooth talking, and the door opening... and you light stuff up."

"All right, fairy boy. I could still get to Goron Village and back before you even made it halfway up the mountain."

"And then what would you do once you got to the temple?" Link asked. "Light up the dark hallways?"

"Yes, and then my superior wit and sarcasm would leave the monsters unconscious."

Link nodded. "Touché."

Tatl eventually helped him find a ramp at the gorge's opposite side, which ascended outside the ravine. Link noticed that it did look like a well-paved path; the intended route must have been climbing down this sloped wall, walking across the ravine's bottom, and then hiking up the other side's curvy pathway. That natural ramp climbed into the foothills, disappearing into an opening between two cliffsides.

While the initial climb down was already an obstacle, he saw two others. The dodongos were sleeping right next to the ascending pathway, and then a large chunk of ice completely sealed the cliffside opening, blocking the way forward.

"Ah, seriously?" Tatl said. "Right next to the monstrous lizards!"

"Like I said, we can sneak past them," Link said. "As long as we don't make too much noise climbing down."

"Oh, because we have such a strong history of avoiding the carnivorous wildlife of Termina."

"Exactly," he said sarcastically, bending down and placing his foot over the edge. It met the slanted rock wall, but it was steeper than he realized. When he put his second foot over, he slid. Link's palms shot out to slow himself down, which worked. But he also immediately scrapped his skin. "Ah!" Once he'd successfully stopped, Link turned his hands over to find blood shining on his palms.

Tatl joined him and noted Link's soured expression. "Gloves would have been a good idea," he said.

"Ouch," she said. "Actually, you should let me get those for you. You'll probably end up doing this more than once."

"That'd be fantastic," Link said, reaching into his bag to grab rupees.

"See, one more thing I'm useful for," she said, as she took them. "Making up for your forgetfulness. Just... stay here, or keep climbing, I guess. I'll be right back."

"Thanks, Tatl." The little white ball disappeared over the rising land to return to Clock Town. He stood there for a moment, eventually deciding to turn around on his small ledge. He managed without falling, leaning back against the rock wall and seeing how far was left to climb. The dodongos were still fast asleep, and the morning had hardly broken. The mountains loomed ominously behind and above everything.

Eventually, he heard a familiar twinkling noise. Tatl's back. That was really fast. However, he looked up to find a purple ball of light instead. The fairy flew right over the ledge and didn't notice him at first, beaming straight for the mountains. It took Link only a moment to realize his mistake.

"Tael!" he exclaimed. The purple fairy stopped at the sound of his name. He turned to see the green-clad, blonde youth sanding far below him. Their eyes met from across the gorge, though Link could do nothing but stand there. Tael said nothing and eventually turned around, flying away as if Link had never spoken.

Link balked, clinging to the rock wall for support as he leaned out a bit. "Hey, Tael! Wait!"

The fairy never stopped. The mountains soon engulfed Tael, leaving Link alone. He shook his head in confusion, though the dodongos quickly caught his attention. Oh Din. In growing terror, he realized that his exclamations had woken the beasts. They now stirred from their sleep, and Link realized just how vulnerable he was. He knew well-enough that those creatures could scale any wall; their long, powerful legs made climbing easy.

The two animals quickly noticed the boy trapped on the wall. The one who saw him first hissed, slowly walking over to the bottom of his slope. Its powerful feet thudded loudly on the rocky ravine. The second dodongo remained in place, stretching and yawning as it woke. Clearly, they didn't think two were needed to take down this prey.

I can't wait on Tatl anymore, he thought. He turned to try climbing back up, but the short slide had left him trapped. There were no grips to help him get back up. I'd only scrape my hands again and end up becoming a snack faster. He decided to look for a better area to fight from, sidling to the right in search of sturdier ground.

The approaching dodongo was already climbing the sloped wall. Its nails penetrated the rocky terrain easily, making the ascent a swift breeze. Link quickened his pace, slipping only once before he spotted a larger ledge. It was, however, out of reach from his tiny ledge, though still higher than the lizard. Can I jump from here? he wondered. Link inched himself closer to the edge while the dodongo stopped its climb and craned its head backward.

Link knew what came next as the beast inhaled a deep, deep breath. He steadied himself on the narrow crevice, summoning all the confidence he could.

When the dodongo exhaled, fire bellowed upward in a wide, powerful blast toward its target. Link let go of the wall, ran a couple of steps along the crevice, and then leapt. The fire crashed into the rock behind him as his plummet began.

Link successfully crashed onto the larger ledge and rolled to absorb the fall. The stone was jagged, ripping into his skin as he tumbled and stopped right at the edge. The dodongo was still several feet below him but now much further to the right. It hissed in defeat as its stream of fire ended. Don't stop now, he told himself. The battle had just begun.

Link scrambled to his feet, opened his bag, pulled out the rope, and bent to wrap it around his ledge's sharp, jutting edge. The fire-breathing, two-legged giant lizard climbed horizontally to be in shooting range again.

Link was confident in the newly-formed knot, pulling it taut and bringing the rope's slack into his hands. The dodongo stopped to breathe fire again, just as Link ran forward and leapt, keeping the rope close.

The lizard stopped when it saw its prey now hurtling toward it from above. When Link's rope eventually ran out, it tightened, and then he was swinging right for the dodongo's face. Link let go and reached for his sword. The beast could not crane its neck back to follow him, as the hero flew overhead. Link came down to fall alongside the creature's back, plunging his sword into its spiky tail.

The dodongo yelped shrilly, and his sword remained jammed in place. Link held onto his hilt for dear life, now dangling above the gorge as blood shot out from beneath the scaly skin. The giant lizard attempted to remove its paw from the rock, but its legs quickly grew weak. As the dodongo started to wobble, Link pulled himself back toward the rock wall.

His boots found another crevice, and he planted them firmly there. He yanked his sword free and hugged the wall closely, just as the lizard fell. The dodongo fell past its prey, barely failing to bring the hero down with itself.

Link heard it crash into the basin and release one final yelp. He turned to his sword covered in blood, though everything else on his person was still clean. He knew that damage to a dodongo's tail was always lethal in Hyrule, and it appeared the same thing was true for Termina.

He saw that his rope now dangled by itself, several feet up and away from him. The other lizard turned from its half-sleep to see its fallen comrade. Link heard the hiss, and he knew his freedom was short-lived. Now that he'd descended more of the wall, though, he noticed that it had begun to even out. He climbed down much faster now, deciding to grab the rope later. He ignored his throbbing palms, which burned even more after the rope had dug into his scrapes. And it's probably mixing with dodongo blood, too.

A problem for later. Just before making it to the bottom, he heard another great inhale. Link immediately jumped off the remaining slope.

His boots landed in the gorge's bottom, only sending a minor shockwave of pain into his knees. He watched the fire miss, barreling overhead into the rock wall he'd been clinging to. The hero spun around to see the second lizard already preparing another fiery surprise. Link drew his shield as the attack left its gaping jaws; the flames rippled off its metal surface. Link's feet slid backward against the stone ground, unable to withstand the pressure.

Get to its tail, Link told himself, though he wasn't sure how that'd be possible. Dodongos were very much aware of their natural weakness and could spin around almost instantly. This giant lizard was currently enraged and unable to be taken by surprise.

The dodongo stepped closer to Link as the fire continued, which sent Link sliding further back. The heat was intense, though he kept his sweaty arm that bore the shield steady. His face was contorted in concentration as he waited for the lizard's breath to run out.

Eventually, it did. Link brought down his shield and wasted no time. He ran to circle the beast, leaping away from the next fire blast, stowing his sword, and drawing his bow. As the beast inhaled, Link's arrow traveled directly into its open throat. The lizard made an odd choking sound and was stunned into silence. The dodongo shook its head, clearly in immense pain as it stumbled away.

When the lizard looked up next, its prey was now gone. Link had ran behind the dodongo, and his sword traveled straight through its tail. The lizard stomped around in agony, screaming and eventually collapsing feet away from its brethren.

Link panted, stepping back from the dead dodongos as his blue eyes took in the battle scene. He was still exhausted when a white ball light appeared over the rocky wall. Tatl stared dumbfounded at the carnage as she flew to rejoin him.

"You're late," Link said, smiling at the fairy's shock.

"I... brought your gloves," she said. The thick, leather, dark brown hand garments looked quite large in her small hands. "Which I guess weren't needed."

"No, they'll still help," Link said. He stowed his weapons and brought up his palms to show the raw, bleeding skin.

"Link!" she exclaimed. "Why didn't you wait for me? Wasn't our plan to sneak past them?"

"Yeah, it was," he said, wiping his hands off before he slid the brown gloves on. He flexed his fingers and fastened the straps. "But your brother ruined that for me."

"My brother?" Tatl said. "What're you talking about?"

"He flew by right after you left," Link said, pointing over toward the break in the mountains. "I tried to call his name and stop him, but that... woke them up."

"Tael flew by?" the fairy said, sounds surprised. "He just… flew over the gorge by himself? Was he coming from Clock Town?"

"I don't know. You didn't bump into each other at all?"

"No, we didn't. Did he see you? What happened? Did he just not hear you?"

"No, he heard," Link said. "He just chose to turn around and ignore me, leaving me to the dodongos."

"Ouch," Tatl said, looking off while deep in thought. "He was probably looking for the Skull Kid. I guess he's the only one out of the time loops now. Now that the imp's… not where he's supposed to be… he's probably just looking for him. And we both knew to come to the mountains if we couldn't find him."

"Do you think that's where he is, then? The Skull Kid?"

"Yes," the fairy said gravely. "Like I said, he comes here whenever he needs to recover. Which never happened very often, but whenever he's tired or needs to rest, there's a… cave. Right at the edge of Snowhead."

"Does it lead outside of Termina?" Link asked. "Have you seen the border?"

"No," she said uncertainly. The fairy paused, taking a moment to add more. What is she not telling me? Link thought. He remembered all the awkwardness in Woodfall when 'beyond Termina' had been broached. "He won't let us go all the way through the cave, and I don't want to, anyways. It's like Koume said: weird stuff happens near the borders of Termina. And not the good kind of weird."

"I know," Link said. "That's where I saw Zelda and had my first..." He trailed off as those dark, purple eyes surfaced in his memory. I guess the edge of Termina isn't the only thing we're afraid to talk about.

"Tael was okay though, right?" Tatl asked. "He wasn't hurt?"

"He was fine," Link said, walking back toward the sloped wall. "Aside from his jerk self leaving me to die." He climbed up just far enough to retrieve the rope. In a few short minutes, it had been untethered and returned to his bag.

"Yeah, my brother's definitely not one to be a hero," Tatl said. "Or do anything for anyone else... ever. He probably expected to see me with you, and when he didn't... well, from his perspective, us ditching you is still fresh on his mind. And I bet he doesn't know the horrific things the Skull Kid is capable of yet."

Link nodded as they walked around the dodongo corpses toward the rocky slope leading onward. They followed it as it curved around to head straight into the mountains. "Maybe we'll run into him," Tatl said. "Then I can make sure he knows what a jerk he is. I bet he's forgotten since I'm not there to remind him every day." She smiled, and Link wondered how hard missing her brother had been. She rarely brought him, which likely was part of how she coped.

"But I still don't want to go find him," she added. "I want to leave him out of this, if we can. I wouldn't forgive myself if he died, even if he came back at the start of the next loop. It's just..."

"I know," Link said. He didn't want to talk about that anymore, and the fairy quickly realized her mistake. He'd already lost another version of Tatl, and now most recently, Anju. Best not to ever let Tatl know that the Skull Kid killed Tael in that first loop, too, Link thought.

"But," Tatl said, turning back to look at the dodongo bodies now far below and behind them, "you really did do a good job here. Monster slaying seems to be a passion of yours."

"It definitely is," Link said, glad for the topic change. "Wolfos, keese, dragons, odd little tornadoes of water with eyeballs in the center, floating hands – I've seen my fair share. I miss fighting with the Master Sword, though. The Kokiri blade on my back isn't quite the same."

"Hm," Tatl said. "Maybe we can find a sword more master-like for you before our adventure is over."

They stopped when they reached the massive chunk of ice filling the mountain passageway. It went from wall to wall and was much too tall and slick for climbing. Far above the roadblock, thick stalactites of ice dangled over the impasse, their sharp points glistening.

"Could the Master Sword shatter something like this?" Tatl asked.

"Probably not," Link said.

"Yeah. You'd probably need a really big hammer to smash this thing up, and I don't think you'd be able to fit that on your back."

Link smiled. "Actually, I totally could fit a hammer on my back. Used to have a really big one called the Megaton Hammer."

Tatl scoffed. "The Megaton Hammer? The Master Sword? You Hylians really have something to prove, don't you?"

Link raised an eyebrow. "Won't need any hammers or swords to get past this one, though." He took a step backward and retrieved his bow. He notched an arrow and aimed it at the stalactites. Tatl made sure she was a safe distance away as his projectile soared through the air. It struck a pointed ice spike near its base. Link brought down his arms and waited, as the deeply-lodged arrow went to work.

Cracks quickly spread through the ice as chunks popped and crackled out. It didn't take long before the fissure grew, and then the stalactite fell, slamming into the ice blocking the pathway. The roadblock exploded into hundreds of glistening shards. Link brought his shield to deflect the ice, only lowering it once the sounds of shattering had settled.

He smiled at the now open pathway. It curved up into the heart of the mountains, and he shivered when a cold, chilled wind blew over him, as if it had been bottled up behind the icy block.

The boy and his fairy continued into Snowhead.

Chapter Text

The Skull Kid's voice dripped with terror as he whispered to himself. "He shot me. He tried to kill me, and I deserved it. Because I killed them. Why did I burn those people? I killed them all... I killed them..." He sat against the cave's rock wall, shivering. He wasn't cold. But he was so, so afraid.

The rock tunnel was cramped and small at the entrance, but it snaked far behind him into the mountains' depths. The imp sat close to its perfectly circular mouth, as snow fell fiercely just feet away. A fire rose from the tiny campsite on the cave floor, but it couldn't stop the Skull Kid's shivering. His face was soft and dark; his orange eyes were hidden. A mask's threatening gaze covered them, never wavering as it peered into the flames.

You did nothing wrong.

"But I couldn't kill her," the Skull Kid said. "She just sat there, looking at her son, and it was my fault he was gone. I couldn't do it, and I don't know why. What if... all humans have something in them like that? What if they're just too scared to show us?"

That is all they are. Scared. There is no redemption for their cowardice.

"But the boy's eyes when he shot me," the imp said, "they were terrible, and he was using the same magic we do. What if we're the terrible ones?"

We are the saviors. We are cleansing the world of weakness.

"What if there's more to them than that?"

STOP! The Skull Kid did, immediately freezing in place. Only a few twitches broke through; he could not completely repress the fear. Do not be weak like them. I chose you because you were different. You understood. Remember how the giants left you? If you abandon me, you'll have no one left but the vermin who cast you out. They are all afraid of death, themselves, and each other. They are afraid of the truth. We must bring them to it.

The Skull Kid didn't say anything. His twitching stopped when he realized… that the mask was right. It had always been right. Those wretches in Clock Town were powerless, and they could only hurt him when they stole from Majora, like the boy had. The imp looked down at the scorch mark on his chest. His hand touched it tenderly, and it stung. It would not heal on its own.

It is time to bathe.

The imp's hidden eyes widened in terror again. "But... but... I just did..."

And it is time to bathe again.

"But... I don't like it there." He spoke in hardly a whisper. His mind reeled frightfully.

It is the truth.

The Skull Kid slowly turned to look down the tunnel's depths. The mountains' darkness was absolute. He slowly stood, shaking again as he left the fire. Each step took him further from the light of day.

Sheer mountain walls enclosed Link and Tatl as they hiked. The rocky path steadily climbed upward, and lifeless, yellow grass flanked them. The air grew colder and thinner, just as that first burst of chilly wind had promised. Even though the sun shone brilliantly from above, its warmth faded with each step.

Link trudged onward with his sword and shield drawn. I'll be ready for the next one, he thought. He reasoned that no one had traveled this path in quite some time for it to be so infested. He and Tatl approached another cliff face, which obscured what lay above it. He planted his feet into the ground firmly, waiting in the cliff's shadow for an attack.

He wasn't disappointed. A creature leapt over the ledge, four legs outstretched and soaring high. It blotted out the sun momentarily, and Link took several steps back to intercept it. The blue, crab-like creature had yellow legs that extended from a flat body; a single, red eye beheld its enemy wildly. The beast tried to stab Link with a pointed leg, but he dodged the attack. Thanks to its springy, resilient joints, the monster landed safely despite the fall.

Already, it struck again, but Link's shield protected him. As the creature tried prying it away, Link's sword shot out from underneath and pierced the crab's soft underbelly. The boy threw the dying creature off, its legs curling inward in defeat.

"That makes four," Tatl said, eyeing the monster corpse distastefully. "This path isn't supposed to be littered with so many killer mountain crabs."

"They won't be that big of a problem," Link said, sheathing his weapon and grabbing onto the cliff's underside. His gloves made climbing significantly easier than before. "I couldn't tell you how many of those things I fought while climbing Death Mountain."

"Death Mountain?" Tatl said, smiling. "You're kidding, right? Is everyone in Hyrule so dramatic? You've already told me about the Lost Woods. Do you have a Dehydration Desert, too?"

Link scoffed, shaking his head.

"Besides, I'm not worried about you fighting them. I'm worried about what's causing them to be here. The swamp was one thing – that place is always infested with freakish animals. But this far south, the mountains are usually a lot warmer and friendlier. Traders were always coming up and down this way."

"Well, it's definitely not warm," Link said, catching another chill as he pulled himself upward. "Or friendly."

"Maybe we should've grabbed warmer clothes," the fairy said. "It's only gonna get icier the further we climb. Which again, is unusual. Goron Village is much further north."

"Well we can't turn back now," Link said. "We've been following the path for a couple of hours, and I don't want to waste anymore of this cycle. It took us a long time to figure things out in Woodfall."

"For once, we agree," Tatl said. "We shouldn't take the Song of Time lightly anymore." Tatl looked off, distracted by some memory. Probably one of the horrible things that happened after the Skull Kid's ambush, he thought. There was lots of horror to choose from.

"No, we shouldn't," Link affirmed. His hand finally reached the ledge's top, and his fingers immediately plunged into something soft and freezing. He jerked in surprise but pulled himself up, regardless. Link's boots crunched as he stood, looking up to examine the snow at his feet. A burst of cold air bellowed over him, and this time, the shivers didn't go away.

The narrow mountain pathway opened to a wider circle, bordered by more tall walls of rock. The path continued on its other side, sloping upward and out of sight. A thin blanket of white coated the clearing, though it was mostly ice with only patches of snow. Link's gloved hands went to his bare arms, holding them as he shivered.

A log cabin in the clearing promised to offer warmth. It was small and quaint, though a large chimney dominated most of its pointed roof. No smoke was visibly pouring out, though, so it might have been abandoned.

"Din, why is it so cold," Tatl said. She wasn't shivering yet; Link knew that fairy's could handle themselves better in the cold. But her immunity won't last forever.

Link turned his eyes to the cabin. "We'll go there," he said, walking quickly and rigidly. The temperature had changed drastically, even over such a small cliff. "If there's someone inside, maybe they can help us."

Tatl flew ahead to read a sign flanking the small porch's stairway. "Mountain Smithy ahead. We sharpen any sword. We work hard so your sword works hard for you." She paused as Link joined her. "Hm. Maybe we can get more out of this than just a warm coat. Do you still have rupees left?"

"One hundred and thirty-seven," Link said.

"That's oddly specific," Tatl said. "Hopefully…" She trailed off, however, catching something behind them. Link turned to look across the clearing at the rocky border's other side. A thin opening revealed a hidden cave, but its depths were imperceptible from so far away. Only a red eye peered at them from within. It vanished as soon as the hero spotted it.

"I think we might have company soon," Tatl said.

"We'll worry about that later," Link said, ignoring the flurry falling lightly from the sky. He walked up to the cabin and knocked on the door. There was no answer. "Hello?" He knocked again, but still, there was no response. With every passing second, he became more aware of his thin forest attire.

"See if it's unlocked," Tatl said.

Link hesitantly agreed, and the door opened without resistance. Sunlight spilled into darkness, and the boy and fairy stepped into the cabin. Only silence greeted them. They scanned the singular room for residents, allowing the door to swing shut and seal away the snow. The cold, however, lingered.

The entryway ended at a counter running the length of the cabin. Crates and a staircase leading to the attic were on the left. The right side hosted a large desk – messily scattered with papers and utensils – and a couch right behind it. Tatl illuminated the counter, joined by sunlight pouring in from the window above the front door. A massive forge was in the back, though it seemed frozen solid. Ice shone across its dark, metal surface.

Link stopped when he reached the desk, noting a young man fast asleep on the green furniture. He was sprawled out with his arms dangling over the edge. The small man snoozed beneath a blanket, oblivious to the boy and fairy. Link turned to Tatl, as if expecting her to tell him what to do next.

"Ugogh!"

Link and Tatl jumped, spinning around at the unnaturally deep voice growling from behind. Their eyes found a girthy creature worthy of such a voice. It seemed human: two arms and legs with a torso and head. But the boy and fairy craned their necks back to behold the full might of this being standing behind the counter.

He was pale beyond belief and only wore undergarments. His hardened, muscular skin was a ghastly white. Link couldn't begin to fathom how much the giant weighed as he towered over them. Two massive gloves covered hands almost larger than Link's whole body. An incredible sledgehammer was easily slung over his shoulder, despite being large enough to demolish a house. An iron helmet encased his head, only one half producing a slit for an eye and an opening for the mouth. The right half was completely blank and sealed away.

The giant had appeared suddenly out of the darkness, and Link had no idea what he'd shouted. Link's eyes widened as he grabbed his sword's hilt.

The small man on the couch shot up from his sleep, looking sheepishly at the intruders.

"Ugor ugoh ughor?" the giant said loudly, raising his voice in response to Link's gesture of violence. The giant shook his head, holding out an empty hand, palm up, as if to indicate no harm. Link nodded uncertainly, taking his hand off his weapon.

"Shaddup!" the man on the couch shouted at the pale giant. He didn't move to stand and pulled himself into a sitting position instead.

Link remained frozen in shock with his fairy. His eyes darted from the man to the giant, though his fairy's eyes were fixed on the latter.

"Link, what are you doing?" she whispered urgently. "Draw your freakin' sword! I don't know what the Din that thing is!"

"Just when I was having a good dream," the man on the couch said, stretching his arms and yawning. The man's skin tone was far livelier than the thing with the giant hammer, and he seemed oblivious to the tension in the room.

"Oh!" the man exclaimed, as if just noticing Link and Tatl. His brown eyes and goatee framed a round face, and his hair was hidden beneath a white cap. He didn't bother introducing the hammer-wielding giant in the iron mask, as if the creature required no explanation. "Welcome to the Mountain Smithy, where we take our time to make a good point."

Tatl eventually tore herself away from the threatening giant, though her eyes were still narrowed with skepticism. "Clever," she said uneasily.

"I am Zubora, the owner," the small said, smiling. "Pleased to meet you."

"Hi, Zubora," Tatl said. "So, I was just wondering... is this... your friend?"

"Ugo-oh! Ugo ugo!" the pale creature said, screaming again. This time, he waved his arms, twirling the hammer around madly. Link reflexively ducked, even though the mighty weapon swung far above his head.

"Nayru!" Tatl exclaimed.

"Shaddup over there!" Zubora said to the giant again. The beast obeyed, instantly silencing himself and staring at the newcomers once more. "That huge fellow is my assistant, Gabora. He's all brawn and about as smart as a Deku Stick."

Link and Tatl took a moment to take that in. The giant, Gabora, chuckled thoughtlessly in response. "Right," Tatl said. Link watched the emotion on her face flicker from confusion to irritation. "And it's just a coincidence that your names rhyme?"

Zubora's smile almost faltered, but Link shook his head and moved closer to the man's desk. "Please ignore my fairy," Link said. "She can't help herself."

"Hey!" Tatl exclaimed. "It's not my fault that my companion is constantly misplacing his sense of humor."

Link rolled his eyes, but Zubora responded before he could. "Say. Did you come to have your sword sharpened?"

"No, actually," Link said. "I'm on another errand, but I didn't think the mountains would be this cold and hostile. I'm really unprepared. I came across your cabin, and I hoped you could help me. Which, I can pay for. I just don't think I can finish my errand in this thin tunic."

"I'd say," Zubora said, quickly noticing how much the boy shivered. "But you'll need more than a big coat if you plan on following that path further up. Only the gorons can run around here empty-handed without freezing to death."

"Freezing to death?" Link asked. "It's that bad?"

"I'm not sure where you're from," Zubora said, "but these mountains have been a frozen wasteland for months. Even the gorons are having trouble coping with the cold now." Link's face immediately fell with dismay. Great, he thought. Not even two hours in, and already, things have taken a turn.

"So you're, what, a blacksmith?" Tatl asked.

Zubora nodded. "Unfortunately, we're not doing any business, thanks to this abnormal cold snap." He pointed at the forge behind the counter, just beside the pale giant who now stood quietly. "Our hearth has been frozen over! The way things are going now, I won't be able to do any business until spring. Gabora and I thought about heading to Clock Town, but it's all hopeless. That big idiot over there just spends his time standing around staring at stuff. I'm going on months of napping, and things still aren't better."

"Months of napping?" the fairy said, scoffing. "It's miserable up here! Why don't you leave now?"

"It's not looking any less miserable down there," the blacksmith said. "Have you seen that big chunk of rock hovering over the town? We were all packed and ready to go until we noticed... that thing. Now, I'm not usually one to be superstitious, but something about that moon gives me the creeps."

"So you're just going to sit here and wait it out?" Tatl asked.

"Exactly!" Zubora said. "At least until we run out of food. The roads are all icy, so we don't really get traders anymore." He looked over to the forge again and sighed. "One step at a time, though. If I could just do something about that frozen hearth..."

"Ugo-oh!" Gabora screamed again. Tatl jumped with fright again, furious when she turned back to the chanting giant. "Ugo, ugo!"

"Eh? What's that?" Zubora asked. "You say that if we had hot water, we could melt the ice off the hearth?"

Tatl's eyes narrowed into thin slits of rage.

Zubora didn't notice and continued regardless. "Don't act like you know what you're talking about, you Deku Stick!"

"You've gotta be kidding me," Tatl said. "You're messing with us, right? There's no way you can understand that thing."

"Thing?" Zubora said. "Now that's cold. No pun intended."

"It isn't even speaking real words!"

"Look," Link said, intervening before things got out of hand. "I really, really need to go further into the mountains. Is there anything I can buy from you, or any advice you can give me?"

"The only advice I can give you is to turn around," Zubora said. "I'm honestly surprised you two even made it this far. Those tektites have been rather nasty lately. They've made a nest in that cave across from our cabin, and without Gabora here to scare them off, I would have been food for them as soon as this endless winter brought them here."

"Listen, bum," Tatl said. "You may be content sitting here doing nothing, but my friend and I actually have some serious business to attend to in Snowhead. You've gotta help us out."

Zubora only furrowed his brow, but Link chimed in again, "Isn't there anything we can offer you, in exchange for supplies? A favor?"

"If you two could get my hearth thawed out, I'd supply you with everything you need," the blacksmith said. "But don't say I didn't warn you. Even if I were to give you explosives and coats, the weather out there probably won't get any better. I don't think twenty layers of thick fur would get you all the way to the end of Snowhead."

"We'll take our chances," Tatl said, spinning around to look at the forge. "Now, how do we get this hearth unfrozen?"

Zubora shrugged. "Beats me. If I knew how to, I'd have done it weeks ago."

"What did Gabora say about the hot water?" Link asked.

The blacksmith rolled his eyes. "He believes a rumor that says long ago there were hot springs somewhere in the mountains near here." When he looked up to see Link taking him seriously, he laughed. "Bah! Don't believe such rubbish."

"Well, we've been known to grasp at straws before," Tatl said, turning to face the giant. She was surprised to find it still staring at her. "Where would we go looking for this spring? We have bottles, so we'd be able to bring plenty back."

"Ugoh ugo ugo!" Gabora said, and the fairy turned back to the man on the couch.

Zubora, however, didn't seem to want to translate. "What's the matter?" Tatl asked. "You didn't understand him that time?"

"No, I did," the blacksmith said. "He just said that the hot spring water was deep in the tektite cave across from us." He looked up to reveal that his smile had turned grave. "I wouldn't risk your lives going after it, though. Like I said, there's no evidence for that claim."

Tatl turned to look at the giant one last time, as if assessing the possibility of taking the supplies by force. Link immediately shot her a poisonous glare. No, he thought. We're not fighting them. While Link would never agree to that, the monstrous hammer could take them both out in one blow.

"So," Tatl said, resigned to their fate. "If we go into the tektite cave and bring back some hot spring water, you'll give us with what we need?" Tatl asked.

Zubora sighed again. "Assuming this nonsense had any truth to it, I would also be willing to make your sword stronger... for a modest price, of course. We're well known for making the strongest swords around. We could make that dingy blade of yours practically indestructible." He stopped though, his newborn smile fading yet again. "To do that, I'd need gold dust. We haven't had suppliers bring us any in quite a while, so that'd be up to you as well."

Link nodded, turning for the door, but his fairy decided that she needed the last word. He sighed.

"Hold on a second!" she said. "Do you really expect him to go down into that cave without at least one coat? If he's your one chance of getting your business up and running, surely you don't want him freezing to death before he can even reach the hot water?"

"I'm not worried about him freezing to death in this clearing," Zubora said. "I'm more concerned with the possibility of him being eaten. But... Gabora! Fetch our customer a coat, quick-like!"

The giant laughed, turning around to hold a thick, brown jacket in his free hand. He threw it across the store for Link to catch.

"Thank you," he said. "We won't be long."

"Ugoh ugo ugo!"

"Shaddup!"

Link and Tatl approached the crevice in the rock. The boy's boots still crunched in the light snow, though he now wore a brown coat. It was slightly large, but its bulkiness did the trick of keeping him warmer. His sword and shield were strapped on its outside now; his green tunic was completely hidden. Gabora and Zubora remained in the cabin's protection across the clearing.

"So, you saw the red eye in there, too?" Link asked. He'd stopped shivering but still detested every moment in this frigid wasteland.

"Yes," the fairy said. "Have you ever taken a whole nest of tektites on?"

"No. I've only faced a few at a time, but I'm sure we don't have to fight all of them. Can't we just sneak through to the hot water?"

"Right," Tatl said sarcastically. "Because we're so good at sneaking. Waking up two dodongos was one thing, but we're dead if we wake a whole nest of monster crabs."

"That was your brother's fault," Link said. "And besides, we always have the Song of Time as a backup if something goes wrong."

"Unless the thing that 'goes too wrong' ends up separating you from your ocarina, like in Woodfall. Or if there's no time to sit down and play your little melody."

"We're gonna have to take risks up here eventually," Link said. "Might as well be now. Next time, we'll prepare more so we're not running errands for people in exchange for supplies."

"Yeah, yeah. I was just kind of hoping the Skull Kid hadn't affected this place yet. He usually didn't allow Tael and I to come with him when he went to the mountains, so I kind of just assumed it was okay."

"Guess the default going forward is that every land is cursed," Link said. "Hopefully the bay and the canyon aren't too dangerous." Link reached the mouth of the cave and peered inside. The tunnel ventured into darkness and sloped downward. No tektites were visible, and Link pressed a finger to his lips in Tatl's direction.

"What?" she whispered. "You don't think I know when to be quiet?"

Link rolled his eyes, getting down on his knees to crawl. He couldn't stand up all the way once inside, bent over against the ceiling. He walked across an uneven floor as Tatl stayed close behind. In just a few feet, the cave ended at a hole in the ground. The natural well vanished into infinite blackness.

Link crouched over its edge, pulled out his rope, and tied it safely around a sturdy rock. He opened his bag and motioned to Tatl, who understood immediately. Her light would wake up whatever's down there, he knew. She flew inside as Link closed it again and fed the rope into the hole. He waited for a few moments to see if anything reacted to it, but there was only silence.

Link took a deep breath, grabbed the rope, and steadily climbed into the darkness. The cold increased as oblivion enveloped him; his breathing was the only sound. The light above was blinding as he descended, and the rope stopped just before reaching the floor. This room has to be massive, he thought. He couldn't discern its width yet, but the cool, damp air promised a vast cavern.

His boots lightly touched the cave's bottom. Link let go of the rope and took a step froward uncertainly. Where do I go? he wondered. The only buoy was the ceiling's island of light. Link reached down to his bag and opened the cover only slightly. Tatl's brightness acted as a thin beam of light cutting through the air.

Link walked carefully, lighting only the floor in front of him as he walked. He checked for steep drops or obstacles, and eventually, Tatl's light revealed where the rock floor met wall. He dared to open the bag a little further – and stopped immediately when he caught the yellow end of a leg.

Link held his breath as he heard the rest of the tektite stir. The one beside it shook as well, and then the next. Link heard several deep breaths ripple along the dark wall right in front of him. The noise traveled like a shock wave ... and then died. All was soon silent again.

That whole wall is covered in sleeping tektites, Link realized. He wondered if that was true of all the other walls, too. He took a step backward before cautiously opening the bag again. This time, he only illuminated the rock wall's base, following it to run along the wall's perimeter.

He stepped carefully until he found a break in the wall and floor. He lifted the bag up further to find that another cave started. This one was in complete darkness, given the lack of a ceiling halo. Tatl's flashlight revealed no creatures on the narrow tunnel's walls. He tread-softly through it.

The cave curved to the right. Link followed silently, as Tatl remained in the bag. "Link?" she eventually whispered.

"Yeah?" he said in a soft exhale.

"We should go back."

Link raised an eyebrow. "We'll be fine. Just stay quiet and none of the tektites will hear us."

"It's not them," the fairy said. "I... followed the Skull Kid on one of his trips into the mountains. He went down this other cave, and when I followed him..." She stopped, as if afraid to continue.

He paused. I need my full attention on being quiet, he thought. I'll calm her down for now, but we have to keep going. "Another cave?" Link said. "The one that the Skull Kid keeps going to when he's weak? Do you think this one connects with that one?"

"No," Tatl said hesitantly. "The Skull Kid's cave is a lot further north, it's just..." She paused again, her voice shaking. "I'm scared, Link. The further we go down here, the more I remember what happened in there."

"Tatl, it's okay," Link whispered. Tatl's never this scared, Link thought. "Whatever happened, we can talk about it as soon as we get out of this cave."

Tatl didn't say anything else, so Link kept walking. As the silence stretched on, Link picked over her words. Why does the Skull Kid go to a cave when he's weak? he wondered. What's so special about northern Snowhead?

Soon, Link felt warmth, which interrupted his thoughts. Tatl's light revealed the cave's end. This next underground room was large, though slightly smaller than the tektite nest. As Link opened the bag further, he discovered that there were no tektites. The fairy cautiously flew out to join him.

Stalactites and stalagmites hung from the ceiling and shot up from the floor, crowding the chamber and obscuring its center. There was no passageway out aside from the entrance. Link and Tatl approached the maze of pointy rocks carefully, and they found a large pool of water in the middle. It had a slight glow that illuminated the rock basin. Beneath the water, the basin continued, spiraling into the mountains' depths. "Do you think this is it?" Tatl whispered.

Link nodded, reaching into his bag and pulling out one of his bottles. He removed the cork and took a cool drink before pouring its contents out quietly. Link then dipped the bottle into the rocky basin. A small wave lapped onto his hand, and he bared his teeth in pain. Ouch! he thought. He managed to avoid a shout and only removed his hand once the container was full.

His hand shook as he put the cork back, removing his right glove to see the burn. The wound from the poisonous swamp water had been replaced quite quickly, and he noted the scabs on his palms from climbing. "Well," Link said, "I guess we know this is the right water for sure, huh?"

"Yes," Tatl said. "Hopefully this'll be enough."

Link stowed the bottle away and stood. On his first step, however, he slipped on hot spring water dotting the floor. He almost fell into the watery inferno, but he grabbed a stalagmite for support just in time. He saved himself, but he did snap the rock's point off. The sound of breaking earth echoed throughout the tunnel.

"Link!" Tatl whispered sharply. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm..." He stopped when he lifted his burnt hand. He'd expected to find blood, but instead, he noticed that it was shining. The two looked closely to see little bursts of golden light dotting his fingers. His eyes went to the broken stalagmite; the stub was now raining golden flakes from the inside.

"Gold dust," Tatl said. She smiled, and Link took out his second bottle filled with cool water.

"I'm guessing he'll have drinking water to replace this," Link said, spilling it on the floor as well. He went under the destroyed rock formation, put his glove back on, and scraped the golden dust into the bottle.

"You'd think so," Tatl said.

Once he had a bottle full of gold dust and hot spring water stowed away, Link looked back to Tatl. She was busy staring off into space. "Tatl?" he said. "Are you ready to go?"

She responded by flying into the bag without a word. Link opened his mouth to comment, but he decided against it. We'll talk later. Something was very wrong, but they had to avoid getting eaten first. He used her light again and guided them back through the tunnel to the room full of tektites.

His rope was still there, dangling from the halo of light on the ceiling. He smiled, trying his best not to think about how many tektites likely littered the walls. He closed the bag – ignoring the pain in his burned hand – and walked toward their exit's brilliant beacon. Soon, his gloved hands were inching him back up to the surface.

But before he made it, a loud screech cut through the air.

Link's eyes widened in horror, finding a single red eye in the darkness. A second, third, and fourth opened beside it, and then hundreds more as the cave walls became spotted with wrathful dots of crimson. More screeches broke the silence, all directed at the boy dangling from the rope in a spotlight. Tatl flew out of the bag, looking around in horror.

His state of shock lasted only a moment. He climbed as fast as possible, single-mindedly looking at his distant escape route. Tatl tried to draw their attention away from him, flying around chaotically below. She easily dodged all the tektites that leapt for her, though one was smart enough to aim for the hero instead.

Link saw the beast just in time, swinging the rope out of the way so the beast flew past him. After two more successful dodges, Link scrambled out of the dark hole, finally free of the true nest. But still in the cave. He quickly loosened the rope as Tatl flew out beside him.

"Leave the rope!" she exclaimed. "We don't have time!"

Her point was proven when a yellow leg shot out of the hole, grabbed Link's ankle, and pulled. He fell to his stomach as the beast dragged him, but Link quickly drew his sword and sliced the appendage at its joint. A distant shriek faded as the tektite spiraled to its death. Another tektite leapt from the darkness before Link could stand, wrapping around his shoulders and bringing its mouth around to bite him. He thrust his sword back without looking and sprinted for the exit. He gave one longing look at the rope, which was already overrun.

The hero dove through the small crawlspace back into daylight. The flurry had thickened, and his fairy rejoined him at the cave entrance. They sprinted for safety – across the icy ground and toward the cabin. Already, more tektites poured out of the cave to follow them. One leapt to attack, but his shield tossed the beast aside. Two others jumped to land in front of him and stopped him immediately. Link prepared for them to strike, but more tektites bunched up from behind instead. In the blink of an eye, over twenty surrounded the boy and fairy.

He was completely cut off. Link had only made it halfway through the clearing, and there was nowhere to run.

"Tatl?" Link said, his voice shaking. He glanced frantically for options – but there were none.

"Yeah?" she said.

"In case we don't make it out of this…"

"Link, I've been lying about the other side of the mountains!" Tatl said suddenly. "I know what's outside Termina. The Skull Kid's cave leads directly to it!"

Somehow amidst the terror, Link scrunched his face with confusion. "What?"

Then, the tektites charged. They all flooded the center toward their fresh catch of the day. Link readied his sword and shield, prepared to slash at whichever one reached out first.

"I'm sorry I lied," Tatl said. "But every time you brought up the northern border, I…" Link didn't hear what she said next as a monster pounced. It landed on his shield, but before he could throw it off, another latched onto his side. He turned to meet its red eye as another grabbed him from behind. Link fell, and the three tektites barred their teeth.

He tried slashing his sword, but a yellow leg held his arm down. Pain erupted on his leg after the first bite, and he saw blood well up around a tektite's fangs. He screamed, but he could no longer move as they tore into his coat. Link shrieked as the beasts blotted out the sun and covered him.

Please, help me, Link thought, directing his willpower to the scar on his chest. Don't let them kill me. I know you can stop them. In that moment, he didn't care about the consequences of letting Majora's magic possess him. Link just didn't want to die. Please. Dark Link. Majora. Whoever's in there. Save me.

And then, he suddenly levitated into the air. Several tektites fell off, and for a moment, Link thought it'd worked. He expected to be blasted out of his body – or to see purple eyes – but instead, he realized a large hand had picked him up.

"Ugoh!" Gabora threw Link far away from the countless tektites. He skidded on the icy ground, scrambling to his feet as quickly as he could. The pale, muscular giant with the iron helmet was in the center of the monsters, swinging his massive weapon to take ten out at a time. Each flattened tektite crunched beneath the unbelievable hammer as he smashed monster corpses into oblivion.

Link quickly caught his breath, looking to see one tektite escaping the crowd to find him again. He spotted his lost sword nearby and raced for it as the creature tried to be faster. When the beast lunged, Link's hand wrapped around his weapon's handle, and he brought it up to end the tektite's life.

"Ugo ugo!" Gabora exclaimed furiously. Two beasts tried to latch onto his arm, but he pulled those off and crushed them effortlessly in his fist. Their shattered bodies joined the others, and then his hammer once again swept through the crowd to make short work of the rest.

Tatl floated, mouth aghast at the giant – and likely very grateful she hadn't suggested taking the supplies by force.

Link grabbed his shield next, helping Gabora by fighting off a few of the stragglers. There were bites all over his body, and his coat had been shredded into a ruin. I'd be dead if they hadn't lent me a coat, Link realized glumly. He ignored his injuries as he made sure the battle ended in their favor. Gabora continued doing triple the damage just beside the hero, and Link couldn't help but wonder briefly why he wasn't out saving Termina.

Soon, the tektite waves reversed, and they fled back into their cave. His Kokiri sword slew its last monster, and then Link took a step backward, panting as Gabora followed the fleeing crowd to make sure they didn't turn back.

"That was intense," Tatl said. She looked around uncertainly at the piles of crab bodies now littering the clearing. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Link said, sheathing his sword and shield.

"Your coat definitely isn't," the fairy said. Thankfully, the tunic underneath was unscathed since the tektites had stopped after exposing his arms and legs. He looked at the brown hole in his chest, though green fabric still covered his scar. "Your scar didn't… do anything, did it?"

Link shook his head, looking back up at her.

"That's not the whole story, is it?" Tatl asked.

"I… asked it to help," he said, feeling slightly ashamed as he admitted that. "I don't know how it works yet, but I guess it's a good thing it didn't overpower me." He paused. "But what about you?"

"Me?"

"Apparently you haven't told me the whole story either."

Tatl's mouth wavered, but she couldn't find any words.

"Ugo-oh!" Gabora yelled. They both turned to behold their savior. He'd returned from the cave, large hammer slung over his shoulder as if it were a twig. The giant didn't even glance at the immense body count surrounding them.

Tatl sighed. "Thank you, Gabora." She flew a bit closer to his hidden face, and she thought she saw a white eyeball from inside the metal slit. But she wasn't sure.

The giant laughed, walking past her and back into the cabin.

Tatl didn't even look at Link as she flew in after Gabora. Wow, Link thought. She's never acted like this before. He'd have to navigate this carefully. Never in a million years did he think something could come between he and Tatl now – after everything in Woodfall and Clock Town. But this is scary. Whatever she's hiding from me is serious. Link followed the giant and fairy into the cabin.

Gabora had already leapt over the counter, turning around to stare at the two customers again. Creepy, Link thought, especially with his weapon now dripping tektite blood. The hero stopped before Zabora's desk and couch, joining Tatl.

The small blacksmith eyed them wearily, as if unsure exactly what had happened outside. His eyes widened, however, when he took in Link's condition. "My coat!" he exclaimed.

Tatl's sadness immediately reverted to anger. "Your coat?" she said with bile. The fairy shook her head, grabbed Link's tattered jacket, and pulled it off with his help. She hardly noticed his scabbard and shield falling to the floor. "Here's your coat." Tatl flung it across the table on top of him. Zabora was too stunned to move as he stared wide-eyed at the fairy. "We just dove into that nest of tektites, got your hot spring water, and almost died right in front of your shop. And all you can think about is your stupid coat?"

"You... got the hot spring water?" he asked.

"Yeah, and I have half a mind to splash it all over your face!" the fairy said.

The shopkeeper smiled nervously and then turned to face Link instead. "She seems a little angry," he said.

"A little angry?" Tatl said, flying closer so that he couldn't look away. "I'll show you a-"

"Tatl," Link said, interrupting her.

"What?" she asked, spinning around to face him. Her anger only met Link's smile, however.

"Maybe you should wait outside," he said.

The fairy couldn't help but return his smile. "All right. Good call. I agree. I'll probably beat this fool to a bloody pulp otherwise."

Link watched her leave the cabin, shivering again now that he was coatless.

"Is she with you all the time?" Zubora asked.

"Yes," Link said, walking over to the frozen forge. "But it's normal for her to get upset when people act really selfishly. Which I support."

Zabora's smile vanished, and he didn't reply.

Link spared him from responding by opening one of his bottles. It was hot to the touch, and he poured the spring water over the frozen hearth. The ice instantly began melting away; water fell to the wooden floor and spilled over the counter. Once the bottle had emptied, the forge was completely thawed. Zubora stood for the first time, leaning over the desk with wide, happy eyes.

"Ugoh-ooooh! Ugoh! Ugo-a-go-go!" Gabora cheered gleefully, waving his hammer around excitedly and narrowly missing their home's support beams.

"You've done me a great favor!" Zubora said, clearly already forgiving the insults. "My dearest apologizes, Mr...?"

"Link," he said, corking the bottle and reaching for his second one.

"Mr. Link!" Zubora exclaimed happily. "This hearth can finally go to work for me! Anything you need for your journey, just..." Then he saw the object in Link's hand: a bottle, filled with a golden, sparkling powder. His smile widened with awe.

"Why, if it isn't gold dust! And it's even top quality!" Zubora was unable to hide the immense greed shining in his eyes. "Why, even if I use it to reforge your sword, there'll still be some left."

"Great," Link said, bending to pick up his scabbard and sliding the Kokiri blade out. "So you can improve this old thing?" He pretended to not notice Zubora's wicked smile. Clearly, the gold dust was worth way more than just improving one sword. But I can let him think he's outsmarting me, the boy thought.

"Certainly!" Zubora exclaimed. "Just for you, I'll do it for free. But don't tell anyone!" He took the sword and gold dust eagerly.

"And I'll also need more winter clothes... and explosives," Link said. "I got bitten by one of the tektites too, and emptied all of my drinking water to grab the gold dust and hot spring water. So if you could help me out with those two things as well..."

"Of course," Zubora said. "Anything for such a generous customer who helped with my hearth and the gold dust."

"And the tektites."

"Right," he said. "But your sword won't be done for at least twenty-four hours. Do you have to leave before then?"

Oh, Link thought immediately. This won't work then. "Yeah, I can't travel without one," he said. "I need to head further north as soon as possible."

"Then you'll be needing a temporary substitute," Zubora said. He turned to his giant friend behind the counter. "Gabora! Fetch our customer that Razor Sword, quick-like!"

Chapter Text

The snow fell lightly, collecting on the dead tektites strewn over the frozen grass. Tatl sat on the Mountain Smithy's porch and looked over the carnage. The twisted, bloody corpses filled the clearing between the cabin and the other side's cave. The tektite cavern's slim opening seemed like the hidden maw of a great beast, asleep but ready to overrun the valley at a moment's notice.

It was snowing so much harder that day I went to the Skull Kid's cave, Tatl thought. The fairy remembered approaching that perfectly circular opening. The Skull Kid had gone in far ahead of her, so she'd entered alone. The snowfall's bitter, whistling ballad had become muted in the presence of such darkness, as if the cave could command silent awe from even nature itself. Tatl recalled creeping closer, shaking terribly the whole way.

The cave was on the last mountain of Snowhead that belonged to Termina. Tatl inched her way inward, away from the snow… and the light…

The door to the Mountain Smithy opened behind her.

Tatl jumped, turning around to see Link smiling as he stepped onto the porch. The boy was dressed warmly and still sported his green hat, despite the brown everywhere else. His new coat was thicker than the last, and he now complemented it with a pair of pants, too. His sword, shield, and usual bag were also now accompanied by a large sack thrown over his right shoulder.

"Tatl?" Link said, his smile fading. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said quickly. "What's in the bag?"

"Bombs," Link answered. "He said four should be enough."

Tatl didn't have a response, following Link as they journeyed toward the pathway snaking onward. The boy eyed her worriedly but didn't press her. Just give me a bit longer, she thought. Tatl wasn't ready to open up just yet, even though inevitably, all the preparation in the world wouldn't stop words from failing her.

Link and Tatl left the clearing and were soon hiking between towering rock walls again. The sun had progressed another hour, though it vanished behind clouds and dancing snowflakes.

"Zubora gave me another sword," Link said, sliding it out of the scabbard to show her. The fairy noticed its much finer edge, as well as its increased length and shine. The Kokiri blade was a dull, worn dagger in comparison.

"That's neat," Tatl said flatly, unable to muster any interest.

"No wisecrack about Zubora?" Link said. "The guy was kind of a jerk. I would have stormed out too, if we didn't need his supplies. Especially that medicine. Those tektites and dodongos could have been diseased."

"No, you're right," the fairy said. "We needed him. I shouldn't have gotten so mad."

"Stop," Link said unexpectedly, ending his steady pace forward. Tatl obeyed but took a moment to turn around. "What's bothering you? Is it about the cave?"

The fairy sighed. "We might as well keep walking while we talk." Link nodded, but when they got back to hiking, Tatl didn't say anything. As predicted, words failed her. The memories swirled around in her mind like some numb mental bruise. I don't know what to say about any of it, she thought.

"So, it leads to the other side of the mountains?" Link persisted. "You've always acted weird whenever I bring it up. But you've also always said you didn't know anything about —"

"— I was lying," the fairy interrupted. Link was visibly taken back, though he tried to hide it. "Or, I was kind of lying. I'm still not sure I understand it, but I don't think I want to."

"This is obviously important, though. Or else you wouldn't have blurted it out right before those tektites attacked. Why didn't you tell me all those other times we almost died?"

"Because it wasn't on my mind then," Tatl said irritably. "You should know, Mr. Memory Repressor!" There was a long pause after that. Oh Din, the fairy thought.

When Tatl turned to look at him again, the hero's blue eyes merely shone back with a familiar, deep sadness. Even when he's happy, Tatl thought. His eyes always look that sad.

"I'm such an idiot," Tatl said. "Link, I didn't mean to say that. I know I can be really insensitive, but I promise that was an accident. Here I am, complaining, when you're the one who's... lost more than I can even imagine."

Link turned that over, eventually pulling his jacket's hood over his hat. Chilled strands of blonde hair still crept over his forehead. "I haven't lost everything yet," he said. "I still have you. And don't compare what I've been through with what you have. Majora's Mask shouldn't be taken lightly, so if it's got to do with the cave..."

"I'm not sure what it's got to do with," Tatl said. "But I don't want to talk about it right now. I blurted out what I said because... you and I have gotten really close, and I didn't want either of us to die with secrets still. I know I act really weird whenever you bring up the other side of the mountains, and I know we've almost died before, but this time...

"Every step we took in that cave, I heard the voices in the Skull Kid's cave again. I think I pushed away what happened that day because I didn't want to think about it. I didn't want to..." She paused, taking a deep breath. "I was afraid that everything they were saying was true. I..."

"Tatl, you don't have to say anything else," Link said. "I know exactly how you feel, and honestly, I bet I don't have all my memory back yet, either. Just remember that we're going to end up near the borders of Termina again. Soon. Last time we were there, in the forest, you know what happened when I saw Zelda. I'd hate to think what would happen if it started trying to play tricks on both of us. It shows us what we fear the most, what we don't want to think about.

"Before we get that far, promise me we'll have talked about everything? Because if we're going to survive up there, we both have to understand each other, completely. That way, we can be prepared for the illusions and tricks." He waited for her to respond, but the fairy only nodded.

Link frowned. "Just please don't leave me, and I don't mean physically. I need your sarcasm and your jokes. It's the only thing keeping me sane, so if you keep acting all sad like this, well... I'll probably join in soon, and that would make for an awful adventure. You and I — somberly hiking across Termina without saying a word."

Tatl smiled as he did, too. "Don't be ridiculous. My cynicism isn't going anywhere."

"Good. So how about that wisecrack on Zubora?"

"Psh, that bum doesn't deserve one," Tatl said. "I bet he never even got off that couch after I left."

"He did, actually," Link said. "It shocked me, too."

"I don't understand why Gabora protects him like that. I bet he just sits there all day even when his shop's open! That poor giant probably does all of the actual blacksmithing."

Link shrugged. "As long as I get my sword when we go back, it doesn't make a difference to me. It was weird leaving it behind. I've had it ever since the first day of my adventure in Hyrule."

"And how's this adventure in comparison?" Tatl asked.

"Well, I'm pretty sure the near-death experience toll is about even," he said. "But I could stand my ground there more often. Here – with the Skull Kid's magic and all – I feel a lot more helpless."

"Yeah, I understand the feeling." Tatl turned away gloomily, looking up to see their path was blocked. Rocks had slid from both sides and were covered in snow and ice. From wall to wall, there was no way around.

Link approached the roadblock, looking up from within his hood to see how high the avalanche went. "I guess it's time to see if his explosives are worth anything." He slung the bag off his shoulders and plopped it onto the icy ground, loosening its mouth and pulling out a large, black orb. He placed one in front of the rocks, lit the fuse with one of Zubora's matches, and ran, grabbing the rest of the bombs as he did.

From a safe distance, Link and Tatl watched the spark of fire travel closer toward the bomb's body. As soon as the fuse ran out, warmth and light filled the air, shattering the silence as well as the rocks. Link held up his gloved hands as hot air bellowed over their hiding spot. When he lowered them, fiery debris rained back down from where it'd been blown into the sky. Link walked out from behind their wall of safety with Tatl.

"Success!" Tatl exclaimed.

Link shouldered the remaining bombs and walked around the tiny scorched rocks. The mountain pathway continued snaking upward, and the snow only fell harder.

"Let's just hope his smithing skills are as good as his pyrotechnical skills," the hero said.

"Um," the fairy said, "I don't think he made those bombs, Link. He probably bought them."

"Oh, yeah," Link said. "He'd still better not mess up my Kokiri blade."

"Gabora! How's our customer's fine new blade coming along?"

"Ugoh ugo ugo!"

Zubora grinned from the couch. He put his hands behind his head and kicked his feet up on the desk again. "It's good to know our months out of business haven't cost you your magic touch."

Zubora turned toward the window, noticing the hearth's reflected light in its glass. He grimaced when he saw more snow falling. It barreled down fiercely, defying all convention for Snowhead's foothills. He turned back to the counter, watching Gabora behind it. The giant pounded at the bright red Kokiri sword with a smaller hammer. The bottle of golden dust lay on the counter next to his massive war hammer. "Ugo!"

Zubora shook his head, turning back to the snow as he lay back leisurely. "If this nasty weather keeps up, we might not be able to keep the hearth going."

The giant didn't respond, blacksmithing away in front of the oven. The small man's eyes soon grew heavier with each blank. It had been several hours since the boy and fairy left.

Why did the two of them hike up here so unprepared? Zubora thought. They both had looked like forest children, and he didn't think they'd last much longer if the snow got worse. Zubora's mind then turned to the moon. And the Carnival of Time. He remembered running through the streets as a child on the carnival's eve. Looking up to the sky with wide, gleeful eyes, the clock tower would rise skyward while fireworks boomed around it. He remembered running around to the top, his childhood friends by his side as all of Termina came into view.

But when he recalled another hand – clasped firmly in his own – the memory changed. His brow furrowed in confusion, closed eyes guiding him into sleep. Is there something else up here? he thought. Something other than Termina? That hand's warmth and comfort was sharp, tearing away the image of Clock Town. Suddenly, he was on top of another tower, but it seemed more familiar than Termina ever had. The hand in his own shattered any recollection of the Carnival of Time, as if it were an illusion, as if it had actually taken place somewhere else.

The fingers wrapped around his own seemed so much more realistic than the fireworks' booms and the crowds' cheers...

The door to the Mountain Smithy burst open.

Zubora snapped awake from his nap, and Gabora looked up from his work. A tall, slim figure stepped into the room. They were alone, and snow whirled in through the open doorway at their feet. The figure was cloaked in a dark garment from head to toe, hood drawn over their head and face. Gloved hands reached back to close the door and seal away the fierce winter.

Zubora and Gabora watched in silence as the figure kept its head down – facing toward the counter. It didn't move or say anything. Zubora's heart rate quickly rose. Something's not right, he thought immediately. The person didn't seem to have anything on them. No bag or weapons, which put them in even worse condition than the boy and his fairy. Their cloak was so, so thin. It couldn't protect someone from a light breeze, let alone a storm.

When nothing happened, Gabora set down his small hammer and stepped toward the counter. His hand wrapped around the handle of his weapon of choice, though he refrained from lifting it yet.

"Hello," Zubora said, clearing his throat. The figure did not turn in his direction. "Are you a customer?"

"Did a blonde boy and fairy pass through here?" They spoke in a deep, powerful voice that might've belonged to a man. The hooded person didn't acknowledge Zubora's question at all. He remained facing the pale giant, completely concealed.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about," Zubora said coolly. "We haven't had a customer here in ages. Just look at the storm out there! This winter hasn't exactly made it very easy for us to —"

"— Did they say where they were headed?"

Zubora scoffed, forcing his smile to continue. "Listen, we forge weapons. We don't take part in any —"

"— Stop wasting my time and tell me what I want to know," the hooded figure said, still not moving. "Or I will make you talk."

Goosebumps broke out along Zubora's arms as he sank further into his couch. His eyes darted to his bodyguard. "Gabora!" he exclaimed.

The giant immediately lifted his hammer and flung himself over the counter. The stranger responded by simply stepping backward and lifting his head, ignoring the massive weapon reared to strike him.

However, that was all that happened. Zubora was confused when he saw his companion standing still, hammer risen to strike. The giant creature seemed frozen, as if second-guessing himself after making eye contact with the intruder.

The blacksmith sunk into dismay when he realized Gabora was paralyzed. He couldn't move. Only slight tremors in his body broke free, as if every one of Gabora's muscles strained to overcome some hold. Zubora could hear his friend grunting, too, as if even his throat struggled against the intruder's control.

The cloaked figure continued staring into Gabora's horrified face, who helplessly looked into the depths of the hood. Eventually, the giant collapsed. With a mighty thump, he hit the floor, and the hammer rolled from his limp hands.

Then, the dark entity turned to face Zubora, head down as it approached the desk.

The blacksmith brought his legs into his chest, cowering into the couch away from the attacker. "Wh-what are you?" he asked, unable to see the face hidden in shadow.

It did not respond, stopping as soon as it reached the desk separating them. Zubora hyperventilated in terror as he waited. Then, the mysterious figure lifted his head, and Zubora's eyes widened.

The blood in his veins immediately froze. His muscles seized as if pulled taut by puppet strings, unable to obey his command. His pupils dilated madly while peering into the depths of the creature's eyes. The face underneath the hood was a greenish-brown, decayed skin pulled tight against bone. The flesh was sickly and dead. Its face must have been rotting for years. The monster's mouth was slightly agape, its jaw was crooked, and the inside of its mouth was a dark void. Its eyes were entirely missing, but Zubora was still drawn into the skull's deep, dark pits.

The creature did not remove the hood, staring at the frozen blacksmith with an expression that never wavered. Zubora's mind raced with stories from his youth that he'd never quite believed, of undead creatures: ReDeads.

"Did the boy and his fairy pass through here?" it asked, though its lips never moved.

Zubora hardly noticed the creature permit him to regain control of his throat. "I... I...," he stammered. His eyes were unable to tear themselves away, no matter how hard he tried, and his legs and arms were just as stuck. "Why do you w-w-want... to k-know?"

Suddenly, an invisible force thrust Zubora's left arm sideways, violently snapping it out of place. Zubora screamed in agony as his arm remained twisted and broken. Tears welled in his eyes, but still, he couldn't look away. "Y-you're not a ReDead. They just petrify... Y-y-you moved my arm!"

Zubora, to his dismay, heard a small laugh from within its petrified face. "I've taken their natural ability and... advanced it. If you answer my questions, you won't have to find out how far." Zubora's back then straightened itself without his control. His legs came down next, feet touching the floor as his snapped arm remained bent askew. He tried so hard to fight it, to pull back, to get back to the couch where safety and warmth could protect him…

He scrambled for words as his remaining limbs twitched threateningly. "Uh, t-they... they were here and I'm... fixing their sword for them b-because they... went into that cave and brought back..."

"Where did they go!" the hooded figure exclaimed. Zubora's broken arm twisted even further. He shrieked, his screams bouncing off the walls of the cabin.

"I don't know, I don't know!" Zubora screamed, eyes forced open as he sobbed uncontrollably. "They said they had some business further north in Snowhead! They acted like they were in a hurry!" The hooded figure listened intently, not breaking eye contact and maintaining its grip on the blacksmith. "I was doing business with them, I promise! I don't have any idea what's going on here!"

Then, the hooded figure turned away. Zubora fell limply to the floor, landing on his broken arm as the breath left him. He would have screamed, but his voice failed him. Lying now on the floor, he blinked for the first time since seeing the intruder's face. He watched as the creature walked across the room, stepped over Gabora, and left the Mountain Smithy, closing the door before too much snow had whistled its way inside.

All was silent again, save for Zubora's quiet sobs.

Link shivered uncontrollably. It's so cold, he thought. So, so cold. He trembled as he loosened the bag holding his remaining two bombs. Even Tatl's light was dim in the fierce snow pouring from the dark sky. Link knelt before another roadblock on the pathway still going upward. He accidentally dropped the bomb, sighing as he picked it back up and brushed the ice crystals off. The hood covering his face barely kept out the frost, and the cold wind stung.

"Link?" Tatl said.

"Y-y-yeah?" he said, trying to strike a match.

"I think we've still got a while to go before we reach Goron Village."

Link brought a successful small flame down to the fuse. "Th-thanks. That's just what I needed to hear right now."

Tatl scoffed as they retreated to a hiding place. "I'm just saying, we might want to think about —"

They only made it a few steps before the bomb misfired. An incredible sphere of heat blasted Link backward. Tatl flew up to avoid the worse of it, watching as the hero slammed face-first into the pathway's rocky border and fell back into the snow.

He lay there without moving, and Tatl rushed to rejoin him. "Link!" she exclaimed. His eyes were closed, hood forced back and causing his bare skin to touch snow.

Link's eyes fluttered open, and he struggled to push himself up again. "Are you burnt?" his fairy asked.

Link shook his head, unwilling to stop and take stock of his injuries. Everything was so numb. "I'm... f-fine." He limped forward while hunched over, stepping over the scorched rock shards.

"No, you're not," Tatl said.

"What does it matter?" Link asked. "We can't turn back now. We've been walking for hours."

"I know, but we can't make it all the way there either. I think there might be a cave nearby." Link's face immediately turned grim, but the fairy shook her head. "Not the cave. But one where we can rest and wait out the storm." Link nodded, choosing to leave behind the remaining bombs. I don't need another accident almost killing me. If they came across another roadblock, they'd have to get creative.

The painful, frigid journey only lasted thirty more minutes. The rock walls bordering their pathway soon opened into much wider terrain. It wasn't possible to make out much through the thick snow, and the path was completely obscured without mountain walls to guide them. The fairy nervously led him through the valley, and Link had no choice but to limp behind her.

Eventually, Tatl approached a distant mountain wall and a very wide opening in its side. "There!" she exclaimed. The boy couldn't match her enthusiasm, but she guided him into the shelter, all the same.

The cave wasn't deep and contained no tunnels. There was merely enough room to shield them from snow. Link eyed the dark back wall and noted the remains of a fire. Cold, dark ashes surrounded the leftover wood. As he sat against the back wall, he wished the entrance was smaller. It didn't do a great job keeping the cold out.

Tatl flew in beside him as he brushed the snow from his coat. He opened his bag and pulled out another match, striking it several times on the rock before finally getting a flame. It wasn't long before they had a strong fire. The flames illuminated fresh bruises on his face and scorch marks on his coat. Though he'd walked away from the faulty bomb mostly unscathed.

"I g-guess we're not the first ones to hide from the weather in here," Link said as his shivering finally slowed.

"I still can't believe how badly it's snowing," Tatl said. "It's gotta calm down eventually. The people before us wouldn't have been able to find wood otherwise."

"I'm fine waiting for now," Link said. "I don't think we're in danger of being followed with this weather."

"I wouldn't push anything past the Skull Kid," Tatl said.

They sat in silence after that. Tatl found a comfortable position on the floor while Link warmed himself by the fire. Eventually, feeling returned to his extremities, which wasn't exactly pleasant. A piece of hard, cold bread staved off the hunger pains. He ate half before stowing the rest away, and a few minutes later, he noticed something: Tatl was crying. She was turned away, watching the snow, but a few sniffles overcame the fire's crackling.

Link quietly scooted toward her. "Tatl?"

He startled her, and the fairy quickly rubbed the tears away. "Oh, sorry, I was just..."

"You were crying," Link said.

Tatl paused, still looking into the snow as she searched for a response. "I'm so scared, Link."

Then, she flew to his shoulder. Link was shocked as she wrapped her small arms around it and rested her head there. He brought one hand gently on top of her as she cried. "It was black, Link. Everything. As far as you could see, there was darkness. It was a field of ashes, and debris, and... death. And the voices said that's all Termina is, and all I am, too. They told me I was just a shadow, and that everything here was nothing, a lie... a realm of shadows."

"Tatl..."

"I tried to tell myself they were lying, but I don't think they were. The more I think about it, the more I think about how... off this place is, how no one seems to remember their past, or where they came from. Because I realize that I don't either. No one wants to think about what's outside of Termina, and I think that's because, deep down, we all know. We all know that there's just darkness here, and that's all we are, too."

"Tatl, stop," Link said. "That's not true. You're not just a shadow. I promise you that."

"But everything I saw," Tatl said. "Link, I think the Skull Kid was right. It is the truth."

No, Link thought. That's not true. And he knew how to show her. Still holding Tatl with one hand on his shoulder, he scooted to the mouth of the cave, where snow dotted the cold floor. He took one finger and drew through the white crystals.

Tatl eventually looked down to see a crescent moon with two diagonal lines back-slashing through it. She'd drawn the same one when they were trapped in Woodfall Temple, hoping to comfort Link as they'd waited to die. Love, Link remembered. It was from a dead language the Skull Kid had taught her.

"You're not just darkness, Tatl," Link said. "You are something. The love we have for each other is real. Our friendship... proves that you're more than what the Skull Kid thinks you are."

Tatl was slow to smile, but eventually, she did. "Thanks," she said, hugging him tightly. "You mean a lot to me, Link. I think you're all that's keeping me sane, too."

Link laughed. "Now let's keep each other sane closer to the fire. I'm not ready to get cold again just yet."

They scooted back inside and dozed off together – with Tatl hugging his shoulder and Link's hand placed gently over her. The crackling flames kept them safe from the storm.

"Skull Kid!" The purple fairy stopped, spinning aimlessly in the heavy storm. He could hardly see a few feet in any direction; the heavy curtain of snowfall blinded him. "Skull Kid!"

For the first time, a shiver cut through Tael's ball of light. Oh no, he thought. Not even a fairy could last forever in this weather. And there's no shelter anywhere. He'd passed through Goron Village hours ago, knowing the Skull Kid would be much further north.

Tael continued onward, pressing through the blizzard in what he hoped was the correct direction. When mountainous walls came into view, he sighed with relief. He flew along the steep, rocky slope, eventually finding a break in them.

He found the opening of a perfectly circular cave. Tael stopped when he reached its mouth, uncertainly approaching the dark abyss. This is the one, he realized. When a shiver ran through him again, he overcame it and traveled inside. He spotted a fire near the entrance.

"Skull Kid!" Tael exclaimed. There was no response, but he followed the tunnel's dark turns anyways. The whistling storm and light of day faded with each flutter of his wings. When Tael reached the first corner, he gave the outside world a final glance.

When he turned back around, he was face to face with Majora's Mask. Tael gasped, flying back against the wall. The imp merely stood there, unmoving. The mask's orange eyes glowed in the darkness.

"Skull Kid," Tael managed. "Uh, you weren't... at the top of the tower." He looked at the blank mask, surprised when it frightened him more than the cave did. Why isn't he saying anything?

The Skull Kid took a step closer to him, followed by another, and then another. The distance between them dwindled with each step. Tael pushed himself back against the wall as his breathing grew heavier. "Skull Kid...," he said weakly, pleading.

Then, the Skull Kid merely walked past him and around the corner. Tael watched as the imp entered the snowstorm and flew away.

The sky was dull. It seemed just as devoid of emotion as he was.

Link stared at the tombstone blankly. The tears were long gone, but he still knelt before the engraved slab of granite. High walls surrounded the graveyard in the castle courtyard. Despite the open sky, the wind did not stir, and the sun did not shine. All seemed still, as if in mourning with him.

Link gently traced the "Z" in her name with one finger.

"You'll come back, won't you?" He remembered facing away from her on Epona, ready to finally leave the land of Hyrule. When she'd called his name, he'd turned around to hear that final question.

"I promise." Link whispered to himself then, finger still on the first letter of her name. He brought his head down to stare at the grave's grassy base.

"It's such a tragedy."

Link looked over his shoulder and found a tall man behind him. He was dressed in elegant, purple robes, and he hadn't made a sound approaching him. Why is he here? Link thought. He turned away from the red-headed man without a word, still knelt on the ground.

The mask salesman didn't take the hint. "It was so sudden and unexpected." He remained standing a few rows of graves behind him. "And to be torn apart from her when you were both so young... you have no idea how truly sorry I am."

"What do you want?" Link asked bluntly, not turning from the grave. He'd been to the salesman's shop on more than one occasion and had started seeing him around the castle.

"I... don't want anything," the tall man said, taking a step closer, "but to let you know how awful I feel. I wish there was something we could do."

"She's dead," Link said, his voice shaking. "There's no coming back from that."

"And where is it that she's not coming back from?"

Link opened his mouth, as if expecting some retort to come, but none did. He finally turned around to face the mask salesman. "Does it matter?" he asked.

"I would think so," the salesman replied. "Don't you hope to see her again one day?"

Link balked. "I don't think that's any of your concern."

The mask salesman smiled before he continued. "I'm just trying to help."

"Well, I don't need your help," Link said, leaving the courtyard without throwing him another glance. The salesman watched as he disappeared into the castle hallways.

Link opened his eyes as a shiver traveled along his spine. The dream of the Hylian graveyard was quick to vanish. He turned to see the fire's black embers and Tatl still on his shoulder. She awoke with him, yawning as she stretched her wings and took flight.

Her full glow returned as she flew to the cave's entrance. "It's not as bad outside anymore," she said. The blizzard had finally diminished to a strong flurry. "We should find Goron Village — fast. I bet we have a few hours still before the sun sets." The sky was still dark and gray, but without the heavy snow, it was much easier to see. Though it'll be pitch-black by sundown, Link thought.

"All right," Link said, getting to his feet and stretching, too. He winced when his right leg hurt, but he ignored that. Resting any longer was simply not an option. He put his bag back over his shoulders and secured his scabbard and shield.

"Can you walk a bit longer?" Tatl asked.

"Yeah, I should be fine," he said. "As long as the weather doesn't get bad again." The fairy retained her look of skepticism, though Link brushed it off. "Are you going to be all right?"

"Yes," Tatl said, sounding much more self-assured. "I think what you said really helped me."

Link smiled, leading the way out of the cave and into the snow. "I'm glad."

"I don't think I'm afraid anymore," Tatl said, as Link pulled up his hood.

"As long as we have each other, we don't have to be," Link said. He looked to the road ahead, which was still hard to decipher through the blanket of snow. Their cave's mountain wall would serve as a guide for now.

Hardly a minute passed before the snowfall got worse again. It quickly penetrated his winter garments like before, which Tatl noticed when his teeth chattered. "You gonna be okay?"

"I'm f-fine," Link said, trying his best to hide a small limp. That bomb hurt me worse than I thought, he realized.

Tatl sighed, clearly not believing him as they tackled the endless, white plain ahead. "I guess we keep following this wall?" she said. "We'll probably lose our bearings otherwise." She squinted through the precipitation, noticing something else in the landscape: a tall, thin shape, barely distinguishable from the snow.

"Hey!" Tatl exclaimed, peering closer. Link followed her gaze, noticing the figure all by itself. It was solitary in the white desert. "I think that might be a person."

"Really?" Link said, squinting from within his hood. "I think you're right." Caution immediately rose to the forefront. "You don't think... ?"

"No," Tatl said immediately. "It's way too tall to be the Skull Kid."

"But it's too thin to be a goron," Link added.

"And too small to be Gabora, but taller than Zubora."

"Why would it be them, anyways?" Link asked. With the Skull Kid eliminated as a possibility, he felt hopeful. Maybe this person could guide them to Goron Village.

"Good point," Tatl said. "But what would anybody be doing this far into Snowhead?"

"Besides looking to free a spirit giant to help stop the moon from destroying Termina?" Link asked, throwing Tatl a smile.

"Exactly," she said sarcastically.

Link's boots crunched on the ground, hiding his limp as his steps grew heavier in the deepening snow. I have my Razor Sword, Link reminded himself. It hadn't been used yet, but Link's desire for long-term shelter outweighed his eagerness for battle.

As they came closer, they noticed two things: the tall, thin person had not taken a step closer, despite their approach from afar. Also, they were completely cloaked in black. The person had drawn a hood forward to hide their face. Link's brow furrowed, but he and Tatl continued, nonetheless.

"Hey!" Link called, stopping when only several feet separated them. The stranger didn't respond, keeping their head down as the wind violently blew from behind. "Hello?" Link tried once more. The figure remained silent and motionless. Are they frozen? Link thought distantly. Standing up like that?

"Hey!" Tatl called out. "My friend is trying to talk to you!" Still, there was nothing. Only the sound of heavy snowfall answered them. Tatl opened her mouth to vent more frustration, but she caught a warning look from Link. She sighed, rolling her eyes before she took another approach. "Listen, if you can help us in any way, we'd be grateful. Please, you don't have to just stand there. We won't hurt you."

The mysterious figure took their first step towards the boy and fairy, still saying nothing and keeping their head down. Link instinctively took a step back and brought his hand to his sword. The stranger didn't seem to be fazed by this, however, not slowing their steady pace toward them.

"My friend is armed!" Tatl exclaimed, sensing the hostility emanating from the person. "If you're about to try anything freaky, I'd better warn you that —" She stopped talking abruptly. Link turned to Tatl when he heard… choking noises coming from her throat. His fairy seemed frozen, held in place by an invisible force. And she was struggling to break free.

The boy turned back to the figure in black. Their head had lifted to look at Tatl, though he still couldn't make out the person's face. "What did you do to her?" Link said, drawing his sword. As he stepped forward, its gray, rotted face came into view. Instantly, every muscle in his body pulled taut, suddenly immobile. He tried to bring his arm down, which had only just pulled his weapon free. He tried moving his eyes, too, but he met the same immense resistance. Link's pupils were forced to stare into the horror beneath the hood.

It was the face of a ReDead. Link tried to shout, but his jaw was locked as well. When he heard more grunting from Tatl, he realized they'd both lost control to the undead's freezing stare. What is happening?! he thought. He'd never seen a ReDead in the open like this, let alone one that was clothed and could walk so smoothly.

Its mouth and eyes were equally devoid of life. Link had no choice but to behold the rotting skull, rooted to the spot by its magical grip.

From his peripheral vision, Link watched Tatl fly toward the cloaked creature. He tried to scream her name, but his lips could not move. The fairy's wings flapped stiffly toward their enemy, and Link realized the ReDead was commanding her body. This isn't a ReDead, Link realized. There had to be a way out of this – a way to break the monster's grip. But his mind reeled futilely.

He could not speak, scream, or even look at his fairy. He could only watch as the creature manipulated their every movement like a puppeteer.

Tears welled in Tatl's eyes as she completed the journey to the stranger. The being never looked away from them as it reached into its cloak with a gloved hand and pulled out a bottle. The monster removed the cork as Tatl helplessly flew into the container, and then resealed it to trap her.

"Link!" Tatl screamed. She regained control of her body as soon as she left the being's line of sight. She slammed into the glass and shouted, though her voice was muffled. The hooded figure continued staring at Link, who could only tremble in place.

Its gaze deepened somehow, and Link's eyes widened as his muscles tightened more. Pain became a sharp needle in every muscle of his body as he stared into the hood. For a moment, he thought he saw a pair of eyes in those deep pits, as if they were hidden beneath the surface of the ReDead's face.

Link's head exploded with pain, and he fell when the cloaked figure turned away. His vision blurred, and his ears rang, hardly noticing as the sword left his fingers. He gritted his teeth as his limbs throbbed weakly and uselessly.

Link looked up and saw the attacker walk away, bottle in its hand. His head swam, and bright lights danced across his vision. He could barely make out the screaming fairy trying so hard to escape.

"Tatl...," Link said, only able to muster a whisper. When he tried standing, he fell back into the snow. "Tatl!" He failed again, and then he couldn't move his arms and legs at all. The cloaked figure disappeared into the growing blizzard.

"Tatl!" Link cried as he lay in the snow without strength. "No... come back... Tatl... you have to come back... I promised... I wouldn't lose you... You're all I have left..."

No one heard his whimpers. The only answer he got was the whistling wind, which pummeled him with snow as he lay there. Soon, the pain in his arms and legs was numb. He didn't feel like he had a body anymore, lying there.

Tatl's gone, he thought. Tatl's gone forever. It's my fault, I should've been more careful.

The last of his willpower spiraled into blackness, as a large figure approached him through the snow.

"No," Link mouthed, as the silhouette bent over him. "She's gone. There's no coming back from that."

Chapter Text

Link stirred beneath his blanket. His bed was colder and harder than normal, and he wasn't sure what time it was. Did Tatl let me sleep in? he wondered. He'd vowed to never waste another day sleeping so long; Tatl knew that. Something's not right.

When he opened his eyes, he wasn't in the Knife Chamber.

He lay against the wall of a small room, underneath a blanket that provided minimal warmth. The small shack was unfamiliar, and he found a stranger sitting in the opposite corner. Link gasped, scrambling to his feet and letting his blanket fall from his shoulders. He still wore his coat, pants, and hat, though his bag, sword, and shield were gone. The large being turned to look at him as he stood.

The stranger's back was made of hard, rough rock, while his face and stomach were round and soft. He's a goron, Link thought, allowing his alarm to subside. The stranger didn't wear any clothes, but that was normal for his kind. Their natural bodies of stone provided enough warmth to protect them from the elements. His dark eyes looked at Link sadly.

They were alone. A couple of bags were pushed against the walls, and there was a chair and bench, too. The doorway was covered by a thick hide; light surrounded it, revealing that it led outside. Beyond, the blizzard still clearly raged. The makeshift door swayed to reveal a thick downpour of snow; the stone floor near it was dotted white.

Link's eyes traveled from the doorway, to the goron, to eventually find his possessions on the bench. He looked back at the large mountain dweller to see him still staring. His eyes seemed glazed over, as if he didn't care what Link might say or do.

"Did you... save me?" Link asked. As his memory returned, he realized that he felt significantly better. The remaining aches were only faint reminders of the faulty bomb. He still hadn't shaken the winter cold, however; the winter pulsed like a deep bruise in his chest. This goron must have helped out with my other injuries.

The goron nodded slowly.

"Where are we?" Link asked.

"Goron Village," the goron answered. His voice was deep, though it was filled with his eyes' melancholy. "It's doomed to be smothered in snow and ice forever. It will become a land where no living thing can survive. The storm coming from Snowhead has made it just as dangerous as the valley I found you in."

Tatl was right, Link thought. Another memory flashed across his mind: Tatl, struggling against the magical grip of their ReDead-faced assailant. His stomach twisted itself into a knot.

"The storm's coming from Snowhead?" Link asked. "Do you mean the temple?"

The goron nodded. "It's over. Darmani, our Goron warrior, died trying to stop it. Now we're all waiting for the cold to take our lives." It's just like the curse in Woodfall then, Link thought. The swamp had been poisonous, and its cause had been the monster hiding within its temple.

"Did you...," Link stopped, swallowing nervously, "did you see a creature in a cloak when you found me in the valley?" The goron raised an eyebrow in misunderstanding. "I... A friend of mine was taken by it. After it took her, it knocked me out and left me to die."

"What did it look like?" the goron asked.

"I don't know. It had the face of a ReDead, but I don't think that's what it was." The living rock didn't seem to know how to take that and said nothing. "How far away from here was I when you found me? I need to go after it."

"You'll die," the goron said. "Even if you waited for morning to come. No one that goes out there expects to come back."

"But weren't you out there?"

The goron lowered his head in despair, and Link though he saw a tear glisten on his cheek. "The gods had a different plan for me, it seems," the goron said finally.

Link stood there awkwardly for a moment longer, realizing he'd find no answers or comfort in this shack. I don't think there's anything left for me to say.

Link walked over to the bench and grabbed his possessions. He tightened his scabbard on his back and secured his shield, too. When he put his bag over his shoulder, the goron addressed him again. "You can have the rest of the potion I fed you." He pointed to a half-empty bottle filled with a thick, red liquid resting on the table.

"Are you sure?" Link asked.

"I have plenty more. You'll need to finish it if you plan on going back out there. Maybe the gods have a different plan for you, too."

After a moment's thought, Link nodded, putting what remained in his bag and turning to the door.

"Thank you," Link said. "I would've died if it wasn't for you."

"You saved me, too," the goron said. Link wasn't sure how to respond, so he didn't. Instead, he lifted the heavy doorway and stepped into the storm.

The first thing he saw was a massive chasm. The shack's snowy front yard went only a few steps before it ended abruptly. The cliffside sharply fell hundreds of feet, and its bottom was obscured by fog. In the distance, a singular white column rose from the middle of the abyss. It was in the shape of an inverted cone, and the lower end narrowed away into nothingness. The lone, tall structure of ice – at its rounded top – had a cave opening. A sign was beside him at the edge of the cliff, but snow and ice had glazed the words over.

Link backed away from the cliff and turned to see the rest of the village. All of it was built into the side of the mountain, facing outward in the direction of the lone cave protruding from the abyss. The sky was open to him there, but the village's opposite end was bordered by a massive mountain wall. Goron Village was composed of several small shacks, one of which he'd exited. All of them surrounded much larger buildings in the center. The larger structures had great, cone-shaped roofs with large ramps and bridges circling them. Link had exited the building closest to the edge, and he couldn't see the village's entrance or exit from there. There was only the cliff.

He turned back to look at the distant column. What could possibly be in that cave? he wondered. It was a giant's leap away, and he wasn't sure if something like that could form naturally. There was no wall behind it to suggest the possibility of a tunnel; only a small room could be hidden in its darkness. However, Link's brow furrowed when he noticed something else. The snow collected in large circles in midair. Most of the snow kept descending into the abyss' fog, but a limited amount had randomly gathered to be level with the cliff. Is there something I can't see floating here? Link wondered.

Link stared at the strange phenomenon. There'd been surfaces cloaked by magic in Hyrule, but he had no way to expose those in Termina. He looked up into the dark, snow-filled sky. Night had come, and the mountain walls encasing the village did little to obstruct the continuous downpour. It's barely warmer than that valley, Link thought.

As he stood there, Link realized he'd been waiting for Tatl's commentary – on the odd cave or the levitating discs of snow. But there was only the whistling wind. "I'll find you," Link whispered to himself. "I'm not losing you again."

Link turned and left behind the small hut, drawing his hood to block out the wind.

He circled a few more small homes and found the mouth of a ramp. It ascended to circle a large building, though the storm and snowfall obscured much else. He carried on nonetheless, slipping only once on the icy ramp. As he circled the building, he realized there wasn't a doorway – either up on the ramp or below on the ground. All he found were windows on the roof, which promised warmth with faint, golden glows.

The ramp eventually turned away from the building to reach a wooden bridge. A lone goron stood on its opposite end, hands over his shoulders as he shook madly in the cold. Why is he out here by himself? Link looked down to see what he hadn't noticed from up high: a closed doorway on one of the larger buildings.

The abnormally pale goron kept violently shivering as Link approached. "Why are you out here by yourself?" Link asked, feeling guilty from within his coat.

"Being the gatekeeper in this cold is h-h-hard," he replied softly. "Do you want to enter the Goron Shrine?"

"Is that what this building is?" Link looked again at the doorway below them.

The goron gave an almost imperceptible nod.

"There's no reason for you to be out here like this," Link said. "No one's going to break in, and you shouldn't freeze to death for no reason."

"You came," the goron said. "Which means someone needed to be out here to open the gate for you. Should I let you in or not?"

"Yeah, I guess," Link said, feeling even guiltier. "As long as there are gorons I can talk to in there."

"Then I'll open the door with a Goron pound. I'm going to close it right away so it doesn't get cold inside. So hurry up and get in. Are you ready?"

Link nodded. The goron quickly rolled into a ball, which seemed effortless and natural despite his large form. His arms and legs vanished as they tucked into his stomach. Soon, only his hard, edged back remained facing the outside. Link took several steps back as the goron hoisted his entire weight off the ground in a leap. His harder backside returned to the earth with immense force, shattering the ice along the pathway. The resulting boom resonated, instantly causing the stone door below them to slide open.

The goron then returned to his feet, leaving a black crater where he'd slammed downward. The gatekeeper nodded Link onward as he recommenced his painful shivering. Link nodded in return, lowering himself onto the pathway's edge and dropping to the ground.

The boy went inside as the doorway slid shut behind him, and an ear-grating, shrill scream immediately bombarded his ears. The high-pitched wail reverberated throughout the entire building.

The shrine was hardly any warmer. Its first floor was a large, empty plaza with a ramp leading up to a second story and another leading to a basement. A massive, stone carving of a goron's face was positioned against the wall at the plaza's far end, hovering over a second-story doorway. Unlit torches littered the room, and Link ignored an irrational compulsion to find a way to light them all. Gorons were everyone, though they all ate or sat in silence. Most of their hands covered their ears to shut out the noise, likely in vain.

Hardly any of the gorons spared Link a glance as he walked in. Is that a baby? Link thought. If so, they had really, really powerful lungs.

"What's going on?" Link asked, approaching a group of three gorons. They surrounded a small pile of food that seemed hardly fit for one. One goron scrunched his face in obvious misunderstanding. "What's going on?" Link repeated, raising his voice this time.

"We're at our wits' end," the goron said, half-yelling himself. His sad eyes relayed immense pain; the crying had clearly gone from annoying to oppressive. "The Elder went to Snowhead and doesn't seem to be coming back. Now his son is so lonely that he won't stop crying. It keeps getting colder outside, and inside we're so cold we could freeze."

"Why's everyone crowded in here like this?" Link asked. He noticed that each group of gorons surrounded a meager pile of food and belongings. They're sheltering in here, Link realized.

"We'd already be dead if we stayed out there!" the goron said. "Our huts don't shut out the cold as much as the shrine does."

"But there's still someone out there," Link said. The crying had already caused a headache to flower in the center of his forehead. He couldn't help but wince like everyone else around him.

"I know, the gatekeeper. We take turns keeping watch."

"No, not him," Link said. "In a hut, out near the edge by the cliff."

"Near Lone Peak Shrine?"

Link recalled the cave rising from the abyss and the levitating discs of snow. "Yes," he answered. "He found me freezing to death in a valley near here and brought me to his hut."

"Gorbus?" the Goron said. His expression immediately fell even further. "He went into the valley to die after that masked demon killed his son. We didn't think he was coming back."

Link grimaced. I knew something felt off, he thought.

"You look like you're doing fine despite all this noise," another goron chimed in. "I can feel it in my gut. It's echoing in my empty stomach!"

The first goron turned to the newcomer. "I wish someone would do something. Urrrgh, I can feel it pounding in the back of my head."

Link didn't bother trying to scream another response over the crying baby. He deduced that the crying came from the second floor. He walked up the ramp, traveling around the shrine until he stood beneath the stone carving. A decorative rug led to another room topped by what appeared to be a crown. For the Elder, Link realized.

The Elder's chambers were elaborate in comparison. The rug ended at a large, ornate chair centered in the room. A small goron sat in it. The baby wore a crude diaper, and an unusually long, single curl of hair protruded from his head. His mouth was wide open, causing every goron in the vicinity to suffer ten times over what the lack of food and cold already caused. The baby's eyes were squeezed shut as tears welled freely, and two helpless gorons stood at either side, ears covered in pain.

"Waaah...Henh, uwaaaaah...!" the baby screamed.

One of the gorons stepped forward to greet Link before he had to come any closer. "This is the room of the Goron Tribe's Elder. Do you have business with him?" Link wasn't sure how to respond, but he was spared of having to. "Unfortunately, he's out. Since the Elder is gone, his son won't stop crying. I wish someone would do something."

"Daaaaaddy, daaaddy!" the Goron baby cried, whimpering when he heard the other goron speak. "H-hunh, I'm cooold, Daaaddy!" He then immediately went back to screaming.

"I actually came to help," Link said, raising his voice even louder than before. "But I need to find my friend first. Something with a ReDead's face kidnapped her. It was wearing a cloak and used magic to control our bodies – just by looking at us."

The goron looked at Link with blatant disbelief. "ReDeads? I thought those were only legends?"

"It wasn't a ReDead," Link said. "I don't really know what it was." The goron's expression didn't change, which meant Link wasn't getting anywhere. Let's try something else, he thought. "Do you know where I can find the masked imp?"

The goron's expression instantly darkened. "What business could you have with a demon like him?"

"I'm trying to stop him," Link said. "I think the ReDead thing has something to do with him."

"We don't know his whereabouts," the goron said bluntly. "He's caused our tribe a great tragedy. Some believe he's responsible for the never-ending winter."

"I know," Link said, sighing. "But I need to find him. Which way would I go if I was heading north? Towards the edge of Termina?"

The goron's face grew even grimmer, taking his hands down briefly as if he'd forgotten the crying. "Do you have a death wish? The masked demon? The edge of Termina? Do you realize what dark magic you're seeking?"

"Yes," Link said, growing irritated. "Just tell me which way to go. I don't have time left to waste."

The goron paused, eying him intently for signs of wickedness before he answered. "There's a passageway behind the Goron Shrine – on the opposite side of the doorway. That's where the edge of Termina is."

Link nodded. "Thank you." He turned to leave the room, though the goron still looked after him strangely as he did.

Link passed the chasm's odd column of ice again as he returned to Gorbus' hut. He took a deep breath and threw back the doorway's hide. "Gorbus?" The goron hadn't moved, still sitting silently in his home's corner. He turned emotionlessly to face his visitor.

"I know about your son," Link said carefully.

Gorbus' eyes widened but only for a moment. He quickly went back to staring meekly at the wall.

"But you don't have to die, too," Link said, continuing despite Gorbus' disinterest. "You saved my life, and now I'm going to save yours. Give me two days, and if I haven't stopped the demon that cursed Snowhead, then I won't stop you from going back to the valley. I came here to bring spring back to Snowhead, and I want you to be here to see it. There's still hope."

Gorbus didn't say anything, but Link hadn't expected him to. I said what I needed to, the boy thought, and then he left the hut without another word.

The cold, snowy night was as fierce as ever. The wind whistled with death over the cliff's edge, but Link approached it, regardless. Lone Peak Shrine, that goron inside had called it.

Morning was still far away, but he could still see flat circles of snow floating in midair. Each one was within jumping distance of the next, making their way to the distant cave. Link almost turned away, but something else fell from the sky and caught his attention: a feather. He looked up to see a great, brown owl flying overhead, each grand flap of its wings graceful despite the storm. Link watched the feather lightly drift downward, as if defying the heavy wind. It eventually landed on the floating disc of snow dust, confirming Link's theory. There is something invisible there, he thought. As the fallen feather blew away, the owl kept flapping its wings to leave Snowhead behind.

"I must be crazy," Link said to himself. He stepped back from the edge, eying the layer of levitating ice intently. "Don't be stupid, Link," he said, mimicking Tatl's voice. "You'll get yourself killed, and then the Skull Kid will win in the lamest way possible. Is it really worth gambling away the fate of Termina just to satisfy your morbid curiosity?"

There, naturally, was no response. I miss her so much, he thought. And it's only been a few hours.

"I'm doing this for you," he said to himself again. "There have to be answers in there."

So, Link ran, kicking off the cliff to jump. His hood blew off his head, and Link landed on the small disc of snow — on his stomach. His entire body seemed just large enough to fit. Looking down, he could see through the floating ice into the deep abyss. His stomach immediately churned with terror. He wasn't sure what was worse: jumping on invisible platforms in the mountains, or jumping on invisible platforms in the cramped, dark tunnels of Hyrule's Shadow Temple.

Link breathed in deeply before trying to stand and slipped almost immediately. He retreated to the safety of lying flat, staring downward into nothingness again. This is ridiculous, Link thought, wondering if fake-Tatl had been right. It's hard to trust something invisible to keep me from falling. His second attempt at standing was more successful, though he shook on his feet. Link eventually summoned enough courage to leap to the next platform.

Throughout the journey, the wind lashed violently, whispering a lethal promise: you will fall, and Snowhead will consume you. The snow only barreled down harder, stinging his face. He always landed on his stomach, as he'd immediately slip if he tried to land on his feet. He hugged the ice each time, which seemed to grow colder with every leap. Sometimes, he spun around to see Goron Village after landing. No one knew he was there; the village became a distant landmark built into the cliffside. No one will ever know if I fall here.

On the fifth platform, the wind blew his hat away. The green funnel slid from his head and drifted into the Lone Cave Shrine. With nothing protecting his head, the cold stung even more bitterly. Link tried to pull his hood up, but it blew off each time. Then, he stood a final time and leapt for the cave's mouth.

Link's hands grabbed the snowy ledge, and he pulled himself into the ice column's shelter. Inside, it was a large, mostly empty cavern, and the wind was finally muted. Three massive boulders sat undisturbed amidst crabgrass, which was yellowed in dead. A large treasure chest sat in the cave's center, outlined in gold; nothing and no one else was there. Who would put a chest all the way out here?

Link retrieved his fallen hat and approached the container. He could easily fit inside of it, and he wondered if the item inside was just as large. He unfastened the latch and flung the lid open, but it was still too tall for him to see inside. Link shook his head and threw his body over the chest's lip.

A small, purple magnifying glass sat inside, dwarfed by its container and shoved into a corner. He picked it up by the handle, sliding off the chest and turning the newfound object in his hand. The lens had a large, purple eye in its center and three decorative red triangles sticking from its upper rim. A single golden ring rested near the handle's bottom.

Link's mind flashed to Kakariko Village's deep, dark dungeon. He was ten again, enclosed in a room of soft dirt. Rotting, white hands stained with blood reached for his face. Five other monstrous limbs swayed like deadly tree limbs, and soon, long red nails dug into Link's face, holding him still. He could barely make out a mass of bloody flesh sloshing toward him like a gray slug. Its eyes were dark pits, licking its lips as it bared plentiful, sharp teeth.

Link stumbled backward, his hand going to his forehead after the memory left. Whoa. The item in his hand was no magnifying glass. "The Lens of Truth," Link said.

The horrors of those monsters were still vivid, but he'd managed to defeat them all and come back out alive... with this in my possession. Somehow, it had also found its way to Termina. Or maybe there's more than one? Link wondered.

He wondered if it worked the same. Link walked to Lone Peak Shrine's entrance, standing at its ledge and facing the bitter wind again. He looked at the levitating discs of snow before putting the Lens of Truth over his eye. It was exactly as he'd expected: the lens defied the magic of invisibility that shrouded the platforms. He could now see six chunks of solid ice floating over the deep chasm. The snow collecting on top had given them away, though this magical lens meant all of its sorcery could be defied.

Looking at the platforms, the lens revealed something else standing near Goron Village's cliffside. It was a large, gray figure standing near Gorbus' hut, though it seemed faint and illusionary. Link furrowed his brow, dropping the Lens of Truth into his bag and beginning the journey back.

The lens made leaping much easier. When he'd returned safely to the village, Link pulled out the lens to try and find the gray shape again. However, it was gone. Link turned in a circle, but the lens revealed nothing except what his naked eye could already see. He disappointedly lowered the instrument. I'm sure this'll come in handy later, he thought. And maybe I'll see that invisible person again, too.

Link lifted his hood as he decided to finally follow the goron's directions. As he walked, Link retrieved his bottle of red potion and took another sip. A momentary burst of warmth returned to his body; Link hoped there was enough left to sustain his journey into the cold.

He crossed the entire village to eventually find a break in the back mountain wall, forming a snake-like path upward. "I'm coming, Tatl," Link said.

It was a wasteland.

The snow was deep, pelting down on the lifeless land mercilessly as if unaware that it had already killed everything. The nighttime sky was hidden behind thick, dark clouds; the wind carried nothing but death. The open landscape was blank and featureless, only sporting the occasional mountain wall to form a barrier. Only one person dared to venture across, and his thick coat, hood, and pants did little to protect him from the cold.

It's worse than the other valley, Link thought. Except this time, there was no Goron Village ahead to offer solace. The only thing to look forward to was a twisted, evil cave. The one the Skull Kid always returns to. The one that led to the other side of Termina.

His mind went back to Zelda, Anju, Navi, and Tatl with each step. He remembered his fairy dying on his Deku scrub chest, as the town walls had rained down on them. He'd played the Song of Time seconds too late. He recalled Navi, keeping some truth from him after he'd returned the Master Sword to its pedestal, leaving him forever. Anju had flown into the air; the explosion at her feet had left her a bloody rag doll, limply returning to the ground.

And then there was the ReDead face. It had brought him to his knees and forced his only remaining friend to trap herself. And then it left me to die. Those deep, black pits scarred his memory, though its hidden eyes seemed to hold some truth that would explain everything...

Link stumbled to his knees, plunging into snow. He barely managed to stand again, summoning all the energy he had left to press onward. The intensity of his darkest memories grew with each step, and he knew that the wicked magic of Termina's borders must already be toying with his mind. Just please don't show me Zelda again, Link thought. Not after his revelation about her in Clock Town.

Then, the snowy landscape stopped.

Link stood still just in time, looking to see the ground ending at yet another cliff. He peered down to see a sheer, unforgiving drop. Link followed its edge, hoping to find a way across. In retrospect, trekking through a blizzard in the dead of night had not been smart. Tatl would've told me to wait until morning, he knew. It was hard to see far ahead, and he'd almost walked over an edge. Going right, he found nothing; the cliff ended at a mountain wall and a small cave. To the left, Link found the way forward, though it looked more lethal than anything before.

A narrow, icy ledge hugged a mountain wall and led further north. He'd have to sidle alongside pure ice right above a massive drop. Link sighed. I'm gonna die if I try to do that right now. It pained him to considering wasting anymore time; each minute could make the difference in saving Tatl. But Link resigned to go the other way, entering the small cave and going as far back as he could. It wasn't nearly as large as the one he'd found with Tatl, and there was no fire waiting to be lit. It was narrower and longer, thus providing better shelter from the cold. In its furthest depths, Link found what he thought was a tektite's corpse, though he took a few steps closer to realize it was still alive. The creature was pale beyond belief, trembling on its back. It seemed on the verge of death – and not the quick and painless kind.

It whimpered as soon as it saw him, but it could not run. I wonder how long it's been stuck here. Unimaginable agony kept eating away at its life but never took it. Link drew his newly acquired Razor Sword; its blade was sharper, neater, and much more refined than his Kokiri weapon.

The tektite's red eye almost willed him to do it. His new sword's first kill was swift; the creature didn't even react to the blade. The tektite simply ceased to live without any sign of resistance. Link pushed the body away from the cave's darkest depths, which he reserved for himself. He pulled up his hood and curled into a ball.

His eyes went back to tektite's body over and over again, and guilt was slow to gnaw at him. What if still wanted to live? Link wondered. What if I'd given it my healing potion and made a friend? So much death had surrounded him lately, and he couldn't help but wonder where the tektite was now. Did it get a chance to feel any peace? Or is there just nothing now – forever? Like Majora said? He didn't know, but at the very least, it no longer had to bear the cold's agony.

Link rested his head on the cave wall, sipping more of the red potion and eating cold bread. As his eyes became heavier, he wished his second adventure had taken him somewhere less hostile. I wish I was in the swamp again, he thought. At least there, he could avoid the poisonous water. And I had Tatl.

You mean a lot to me, Link, Tatl had said on their last rest together. I think you're all that's keeping me sane, too.

Epona stopped as soon as she'd crossed the drawbridge. Link slid from her saddle and grabbed her reins, staring into Hyrule Field.

"You are already leaving this land of Hyrule, aren't you?"

Link wished that he could have that conversation again. But the drawbridge was empty, and he and Epona were the only two in sight.

I'm sorry, Link thought. I wish I could tell you that I don't want to leave. I wish I could go back to that day and actually listen. Maybe if I never left, I could've saved you. Maybe we'd still be together.

Link took in a deep, shuddering breath. None of those wishes would come true. He remained there with his horse, standing by himself and staring into the spot where Zelda had once pleaded for him to stay. It wasn't until Epona neighed that he left his trance.

He shook his head. "Come on, Epona. There's nothing left for us here." When he walked away from the castle, he thought he saw someone behind them: a tall, cloaked figure – keeping its head down to hide its face.

However, when Link turned around, no one was there. He searched the area for a moment, but they were alone. He shrugged off the hallucination and headed toward Death Mountain once again.

Link's eyes opened to find sunlight. A beam shone directly through the cave's twist and turns, as well as the tektite's corpse. He sheepishly blinked his rest away, realizing over twenty-four hours of this cycle had now passed.

Link jumped to his feet, renewed by the realization that it was warmer in the daylight. He went outside and found a partially cloudy sky and light snowfall. A young sun penetrated the gloom from the west, and even though it was still frigid, the wind was much less fierce. Link kept his hood drawn as he approached the icy edge leading north. As he worked his way carefully across, he refused to allow his mind to wonder. He retained a single-minded determination to reach his destination.

After thirty minutes of braving the steep chasm and the icy ledge's twists and turns, he finally reached solid ground again. Link sighed with relief, straightening his back and watching the land head in the same direction: north. The ground sloped upward several feet before stopping abruptly. That must be the top of a hill, he realized. Link's boots plunged deep into the snow as he ascended its peak.

When he reached the top, Link's eyes widened. The other side of the hill, naturally, sloped downward. It led into a wide valley only a mile away. The other side was bordered by a high mountain peak which blocked everything behind it from view. This northern border stretched to encompass the entire valley and his entire line of sight.

Link's stomach churned when he realized where he was. There were no other visible peaks behind this distant one. This was it. I'm at the edge of Termina, he realized.

Link descended into the valley, slipping several times but never descending into a complete roll. Eventually, small mountain walls bordered the pathway again as he reached the valley. They blocked the peak from view, but he knew this direction would eventually take him there. Then, he saw something at the upcoming corner: a lump, lying against the rock wall and covered in snow.

Link stopped his brisk pace and approached it carefully. It was the size of a human, and when he turned it over onto its back, the snow fell away to reveal a frozen corpse. It was Zelda. Her eyes were open, locked in death to stare directly at him in terror. Her mouth was agape in an eternal scream, revealing the ghost of her final moments of agony.

Link gasped, letting go of the corpse as it rolled back into the snow. He shook as he backed into the pathway's opposite wall. His eyes couldn't tear away from her, and his lips quivered as they searched for words. It took him a moment to regain his senses, and he reached into his bag for the Lens of Truth. As soon as he looked into the purple eye on its glassy surface, her corpse was gone.

It was just an illusion, Link told himself. Though even knowing that, he couldn't stop himself from shaking. He turned away from her body and lowered the lens, refusing to look that way again. Don't let a trick like that affect you. It's not real.

"Link." His eyes widened in terror. The boy followed the path onward, never turning to look at Zelda again. From the corner of his eye, though, he saw her body… moving. "I'm not dead yet."

"No," Link whispered. "You can't hurt me. You're not real."

"I think that's because, deep down, we all know." Zelda repeated Tatl's word from the last time they'd been together. The fairy had been crying, in horror of the truths within the Skull Kid's cave. "We all know that there's just darkness here, and that's all we are, too."

"Stop," Link said. Somehow, Zelda's voice was still loud in his ears, as if she was still right next to him.

"But, Link, you promised you would come back."

"You're not Zelda." Though her voice was exactly as he remembered. And he'd been longing to hear it again for so long.

"Why are you leaving me, Link?"

Maybe he could go back. Maybe, he wouldn't know the difference. Maybe he could be together with Zelda again, except this time here in Snowhead, forever.

"Come back."

"You're just a trick."

"Link, don't go..."

"You're not Zelda!"

"Who's there?"

"Just stop talking!"

"Who're you – ?"

Something slammed into Link's face. The boy stumbled backward, and his hood flew back over his head. He rubbed his face, looking up to see a ball of purple light steadying itself with wings.

"Tael?" The fairy seemed rather perturbed that Link had walked directly into his face. The hero trembled, as if not trusting this reality either. He gripped the Lens of Truth carefully in his hands, raising it to peer through at the fairy. Tael remained there, just tinted a slightly different shade of purple. The fairy furrowed his brow even more as Link watched him through the small eyepiece.

"What is that?" Tael asked, but Link wasn't sure how to answer him as he lowered it. The fairy scanned the area, as if looking for someone, and Link got to his feet and realized Zelda had vanished. "Who were you talking to?" Tael asked, nervously eying Link.

"I...," Link stammered. Tael's voice sounded nothing like Tatl's; in the place of confidence and wit, Tael merely sounded uneasy. "I wasn't talking to anyone."

"But," the fairy said, "I just heard you screaming."

"It was nothing," Link lied. "It was probably just a trick. Don't people usually see things that aren't real out here?"

Tael skeptically took in the wide-eyed human in the pointy-green hat and brown winter clothing. He glanced at the strange lens in his hand again, too. "What are you doing up here, anyways? Where's my sister?"

"I don't know," Link said. "I actually came up here to look for her. Someone kidnapped her, and I think it might have come from the Skull Kid's cave. Down in the valley."

Fear flashed briefly in Tael's eyes, though he swallowed it. "She's not there," he said.

"You've already been through it?"

"Well, no," Tael admitted. "I went a little into it, but I just know she's not in there."

"How?"

"I... don't know!" Tael exclaimed, flying past Link. The purple fairy eyed the path to Goron Village uncertainly.

"Well, I'm going to make sure," Link said.

"Then you're never coming out of there again," Tael said smugly. "I'm definitely not going in there again."

"Where will you go, then?" Link asked. "You were flying into Snowhead really early yesterday, so you must have been here awhile. Were you hoping to find something here? Or expecting something to happen?" He waited for a response, but the fairy didn't give one. "The Skull Kid wasn't the same when you found him, was he?"

Tael turned around slowly, but he still seemed just as skeptical. Like brother, like sister, Link reasoned. They might not sound the same, but they both were just as weary of strangers.

Tael sighed. "Okay, you're right. Maybe I don't have anywhere else to go, but if we do find my sister, I'm not sticking around to help you with anything else."

"Of course not," Link said, turning to continue walking down the slope. The fairy hesitantly followed.

Link was fine with the awkward silence between them. He stared determinedly ahead, alert for another illusion or trick. Tael, meanwhile, tried his best to avert his gaze, but he looked silly staring at the mountain walls flanking them. We're supposed to be enemies, Link remembered. I wouldn't trust me either.

"So," Tael said awkwardly. "Are you and my sister 'buddy-buddy' now, or something? What exactly have you two been up to?"

Link opened his mouth to answer that question. He wasn't sure whether to start with the time travel, the four giants, or the Skull Kid's descent into murderous lunacy.

Chapter Text

"So, you're telling me we've had this conversation before?" Tael flew beside Link as they walked along the steep mountain passageway. The sun was still young and hidden above overcast. Only sparse, white flakes twirled to the ground, and patches of blue sky now shone through. Nonetheless, Link's boots sunk deep into the previous day's snow. And that blizzard won't be gone for long, Link thought. Especially if it's part of the Skull Kid's curse.

"No," Link said, shaking his head in frustration. "This is the first time I've been to Snowhead."

"But you said you've been reliving the same three days over and over again?"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean I have to do the same thing every time." The boy sighed. Again. Explaining he and Tatl's adventure had proven much harder than he thought. "You're the one doing the same thing every day. I bet the Skull Kid wasn't where you expected him to be – was he?"

Tael narrowed his eyes. "Yes. He was supposed to be at the top of the clock tower. I came here because I didn't know where else to look."

"That proves my story!" Link said. "Everyone, including you, is stuck doing the same things except for me, Tatl, and the Skull Kid. And we only know everything is repeating because my ocarina is what restarts time."

"But I don't understand how that works," Tael said. "It's just an ocarina, and besides, the Skull Kid never actually knew how to play it. How come he goes back in time and not me?"

"I already told you," Link said. "Twice."

"But I still don't get it. He... shot it with lightning, and for some reason, he's... bound to the ocarina's magic?"

"Yes," Link said. "You're literally just repeating what I said."

"So does that mean he can start over the cycle whenever he wants, too?"

Link stammered, realizing he'd never actually thought about that. "I don't think so, and he wouldn't want to, anyways. Resetting time is bad for his plan."

"And he's trying to kill you because he knows you're saving the giants?"

"Yes," Link answered. "He probably figured that out once he saw the curse in Woodfall was broken. He was there when we were making our way back."

"Why do you think the giants can stop him?" the fairy asked.

"Because you told us."

"I told you?" Tael said. "How would I know anything about that?"

"I'm not sure. It was on the final night when the moon was about to fall. We were on top of the clock tower, and you told us to find the 'four who were there'. One in each cardinal direction."

"Hm," Tael said. "I know the story about the guardian giants, I guess, but no one's ever seen them. I think. The Skull Kid talks about his old friends that left him sometimes, and he makes it sound like it was a long time ago. Maybe that's what he meant."

"Old friends?" Link asked. "He was friends with them?"

"I don't know. Which is why I don't get why… some other version of me would know more."

"Maybe the Skull Kid told you something in the original three-day cycle," Link said. "Before we changed things."

"I still don't get how time travel is even possible," Tael said. "How do I know you're not just making this up?"

"You don't," Link said simply. "But I promise Tatl will confirm everything when we find her."

"What happened to her, anyways?" Tael asked. "You said she was kidnapped?"

The image of the black-robed creature cut across his memory. He'd lost control of his body as the monster forced him to kneel. He saw Tatl, flying helplessly into her prison. "Yeah," Link said. "Kidnapped."

"Who was it? Why did they want her?"

"I don't know," Link said. "But it doesn't matter. I'm getting her back."

"You didn't see them? … or it?"

"No. It looked like a ReDead and was wearing a hood. But it controlled both of our bodies, which ReDeads definitely can't do."

"What do you mean?"

"I couldn't move my arms or legs. It forced me to stay still, and it forced Tatl to fly into a jar. Then it left me to die in the snow."

Tael's confused face turned grim. "And you're going after it?"

"I won't let it take her," Link snapped. "What if it kills her? And even if it doesn't, she'll die when the moon destroys Termina. I have to find her before these next two days are up."

"But if it can control you like that, you can't fight it."

"I'll find a way to stop it." It's only when I looked into its eyes, Link remembered. I just can't look into that hood.

"But what if it kills you?"

"Then I die," Link said without hesitation. "Abandoning Tatl isn't an option."

Tael had no reply, turning instead to the path ahead. The tundra stretched on for a while in the shadow of a towering mountain peak. The purple fairy stopped to behold it nervously, but Link kept walking, recognizing it as the peak he'd seen from the last hill.

The snow soon picked up again. They trekked onward in silence, and with each step, the dark gray curtain thickened. Eventually, the snowfall obscured even the mountain, and Link once again hiked blindly forward. The wind's whistling increased as visibility plummeted, and Link noted Tael's growing terror. That means we're getting close, he thought. He looked back and forth in the blizzard, expecting to see Zelda again somewhere in the snow.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Tael screamed over the wind. Link didn't answer, trudging onward in determination. He pulled his coat close, realizing that he'd only seen one dying tektite this far north. Nothing can survive out here, Link thought. Tael and Tatl were right to be afraid of Termina's borders. The distant mountain wall only came into view again once it was right in front of them.

There it was: the edge of Termina, within reach. Link almost considered asking Tael to scale the mountain wall and see what was on the other side, but Tael would never agree. The hero quickly resumed his pace, following the mountain wall to look for an opening.

Don't you hope to see her again someday? the mask salesman had said.

Her corpse had been so still in her bed, just like it had been in the snow.

It's beautiful! the bean salesman had said. A magnificent field of flowers, as far as the eye can see. So, so beautiful. It's one of the things I live for, sights like that.

He recalled running through the Woods of Mystery, purple and orange fire swirling around them as Zelda's voice rang in his ears.

Koume's words, as Link and Tatl had returned to the swamp, came to him then, too. The mask didn't just bend to their will. It influenced them, too, and corrupted them. It wasn't long before Majora's will reigned supreme. The tribe, behind secret walls, did wicked things under the influence of that mask, killing and torturing, slowly expanding its territories. No one on the outside truly understood what happened on the inside.

He remembered looking down at himself from above, through the eyes of the imp. His own eyes had been glowing purple as he struck the Skull Kid with dark magic.

What? Is it not a simple task? Why, to someone like you, it should by no means be a difficult task.

He saw Anju's limp body rise high into the air. He saw Tatl dying on his chest. He fell to his knees, staring into the dark pits of the ReDead face. He batted Tatl away from the lightning strike's path. It hit his ocarina and then himself directly in the chest, lifting him off his feet and sending him backward through the air.

Darkness is the only reality. I, Majora, am the embodiment of that darkness. The light you cling so desperately to is always fading fast. All have darkness in their hearts, even without a black mark to remind them.

Link shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut as he trudged through the snow. The voices and snow alike bombarded him relentlessly.

But none can hide in bliss forever.

Then, the voices stopped, and Link turned to find an opening in the rock wall beside him. It was the entrance to a cave, appearing perfectly circular. He stared into its darkness gravely, though its small opening didn't reveal anything. The wind howled behind them as the fairy and boy looked inside. Whatever twisted secret lay within that gaping maw was silent. But he could feel its hunger.

"If Tatl's down there," Tael said, speaking over the storm. "I don't think we can save her."

"We have to try," Link said.

"But you don't even know that she is down there!"

"Then don't come with me," Link said. His hand went to the handle of his Razor Sword, slowly sliding it out of his sheath as he stepped into the darkness.

He spotted the remnants of a fire first; the scorched wood was cold and black. The pit was placed exactly where the snowfall's reach ended at a thin, white line. He bent down to grab one of the portable logs from the fire, gripping his sword tighter in the other hand. He commenced his journey across the uneven floor and reached a corner that twisted off to the left. Everything ahead was a black void.

Link turned back to see Tael still waiting at the cave's mouth. The purple fairy stared sadly at him – and then flew away. The hero restrained himself from sighing. I can't expect him to follow me, Link thought. I can't ask someone else to risk their life like this.

Link walked around the corner, and soon, the winter storm's bright ballad was gone. One step at a time, Link thought. Keep your mind clear.

And so, he did.

A new kind of cold set in. Unlike the snowfall's, this chill felt unnatural. It was dark and actively burrowed its way through his skin. It tried to turn him back with every step, but Link ignored it.

Once the darkness became absolute, Link sheathed his sword and pulled out a match, lighting the makeshift torch he'd created. The outside world's light had faded long ago, and he no longer had a fairy with him. Only the flickering flames protected him from blindness.

His panicked breaths and quiet footsteps were his only accompaniment. The tunnel sloped downward, eventually emptying into a larger chamber. Link straightened his back as the ceiling no longer brushed against his head.

The mountain cavern was round, its top bubbling outward several feet. Link lifted his torch to take in its features. A few dips and rises broke the floor, and one was high and large enough for use as a table. He scanned it carefully, expecting to find something dangerous. But everything was as quiet as it had been since the entrance. He found a passageway on the opposite wall, and Link realized the tunnel kept going. He headed that way, only stopping when the fire illuminated something beside the doorway. Is that a glistening mark?

He lifted his torch and revealed a drawing. Link bent closer to decipher its features. It's a horse, Link realized. The animal had been scratched into existence with dark chalk. The horse was looking over its shoulder, away from the doorway. When Link turned his head, he noticed that the picture continued. It formed a mural that was only a few shades lighter than the wall itself.

He followed the rest of the drawing, walking along the dark chalk as the scenes connected to form a larger picture. It stretched high and reached the ceiling, and as he revealed trees, grass, and a sky, his expression darkened. Because when he put together what was being depicted, his curiosity gave way to horror.

The sky was a torrential maelstrom of gray clouds, and rain hammered relentlessly. Water had begun to curl upward near the horse, who looked backward in terror. The water connected back to much larger curls, bellowing forth from a massive wave. Continuing to the left, he found even more tumultuous water. An enormous, tsunami-like catastrophe had struck the land in this drawing. There was no visible ocean, however – only mountains, a river, and an expansive forest. It wasn't obvious where the water had come from.

Going further, Link ran across the first person. It was a man, his head just poking out of a wave, arms outstretched and unable to grab anything. His mouth opened wide in a scream of terror as he drowned.

As Link rounded the room's corner, he found more people – all dying as this storm overwhelmed them. He found chunks of stone, too, and shards of wood and metal. There was another far less fortunate horse caught by a wave exploding from a stone wall.

Link quickened his pace, following the hurricane of destruction to see... a familiar village being torn to shreds. Food stalls, people, buildings, a well, and even the remnants of a steeple had shattered; all was being erased from existence, buried beneath the violent, foaming water.

At the mural's center, he found a castle. Link's eyes widened.

The castle was unaffected by the downpour. The rain stopped short of landing upon any of the tiles or stone. The apocalyptic nightmare, instead, occurred all around it. From inside the windows, a different kind of horror took place. People were thrown from shattered glass or else stabbed by dark, hidden creatures. Though those inside were safe from water, the malevolent force at work clearly had no intentions of leaving survivors.

The drawing was flawlessly crafted, but Link didn't care to admire the handiwork. Because this was a painting of Hyrule.

Someone in Termina knows about my home, Link thought. And they appeared to hold immense malice for it. The doomsday scene was horrifying.

Link lowered his torch as his mind reeled. Is something here planning the destruction of Hyrule? Link wondered. Or it just a crazy coincidence that someone drew my home like this? It could simply be a drawing that meant nothing, but in a cave this terrifying – at Termina's border – he doubted it. What does it mean? Did the Skull Kid do this?

"Help!"

Link spun around. The voice came from the tunnel leading onward. He stared into its darkness, gulping as the crackling flames filled the silence.

"Please! Somebody help me!" He recognized that voice.

"Tatl!" Link immediately abandoned his fear and sprinted into the tunnel.

"I can't get out! Help!" The fairy's voice was hysterical. He'd never heard Tatl in that much mortal terror before. Link's mind was blank in determination as he ran across the uneven floor; the fairy's shouts grew louder.

"Tatl!" Link exclaimed. "I'm right here! I'm coming!" He rounded the corner to see yet another stretch of tunnel descending further underground. And her shouting had stopped. "Tatl, I'm almost there! Hold on!"

When he reached the next turn, Link grabbed the corner's edge and sprinted around.

He found a similarly-sized room with a small bottle standing alone in its center. It was corked, and its contents illuminated the cave around it: Tatl. Link almost stepped inside, but he retracted his food when he noticed the floor.

Black, thick tar coated almost the entire thing. He couldn't guess how deep it went, though there were a few islands of rock protruding from the trap. They were too far apart to be used as stepping stones, though, and his fairy was nowhere close to the islands. Her bottle sank slowly beneath the ooze, already halfway there. Tatl shoved her body against the cork, trying to push it open and keep herself in the top half.

"Link!" she exclaimed. She pressed her face against a small hole in the bottle; the chip wasn't large enough for her to fit through, though her voice did. It also meant the tar would slowly fill her prison until it drowned her. "Link, help!"

"I'm coming!" Link considered leaping, but even if he made it to Tatl, the tar would simply swallow him, too. "What is this stuff?"

"I don't know! It just threw me in here and kept going!"

"It?" Link said, still frantically trying to devise a plan.

"That ReDead thing!" Tatl said. "It wants me dead! There are things in this black stuff that will kill me!"

Link's blood ran cold when he imagined monsters beneath the surface. All the while, Tatl's bottle kept sinking more and more…

My Deku mask! Link thought. He retrieved it from his bag and quickly became a swamp creature. All his belongings disappeared except the torch he'd set aside. He tentatively touched the thick goo, and his wood-textured feet promised to treat it like water.

"Link, hurry! Can't you hear them? They're coming."

"Just hold on, Tatl!" He braced himself, gripped the torch firmly, and then took his first leap. He skipped off the surface just like before, making two leaps before he reached the first island.

Though Tatl was now closer, he still couldn't reach her. "Please," she said, backing away from the chip as it began to go under. "Hurry."

Link considered hopping past her and picking her up mid-stride. Though that might end his momentum and kill them both. That won't work, Link thought. His mind raced until another idea presented itself.

"Tatl," Link said, removing his mask and regaining his human voice. "Get as close as you can to the top left corner." He retrieved his bow and notched an arrow, aiming at her glass prison.

Tatl obeyed without hesitation, and then he released the string. The arrow traveled straight through the glass and shattered it. The fairy flew away from the debris, appearing uninjured as tar swallowed the bottle pieces and arrow. Tatl quickly made it to her companion, who stood on the island of rock - bow at his side and blue eyes wide with relief.

Then, something grabbed his ankle.

It pulled, sending Link flat on his face. The unknown creature dragged him across the rock toward the tar, but Link noted the gray hand and instinctively grabbed his torch. When he brought fire upon it, the hand retracted into the darkness as it burned. Though several more hands had already emerged from the darkness, all using long, skeletal fingers to reach for him.

The second hand wrestled his torch away as two more grabbed his ankles. Tatl became the only light in the room once his torch vanished. She illuminated a notch on the island, which he clung to as they pulled relentlessly on his feet. Skeletons – all dripping with black muck – rose from the depths, and Link's mind went blank with panic as he drew his sword. When he slashed backward, the ghastly arms became severed limbs, and Link scrambled back to his feet.

"Tatl!" Link said, only able to see the emerging skeletons. "Light the way across!" The hero didn't wait to see if she listened; there wasn't time. Ten skeletons had emerged and now almost surrounded him. He simply applied his mask and leapt in the direction he hoped was the exit.

Tatl's orb, thankfully, proved his hasty guess correct. Link hopped to a second island, a third, and then reached the tunnel on the other side. He collapsed on solid ground, crawling away from the tar before any more skeletons could pursue him. His bright, orange eyes turned back to see the skeletons now standing – abandoned – on the island. They looked after him with disdain, but they didn't appear to be willing to leave the room. The darkness engulfed them once more as Tatl's light left, and they returned to their bleak swamp.

Link shivered as he removed the mask, catching his breath and scooting against the wall. Tatl immediately joined him, hugging his shoulder as the hero brought a hand gently on top of her. "Tatl," Link managed, still shaking. "I... I thought you were gone."

"But you found me," Tatl said, clinging to him so tightly. "I knew you would."

Link looked ahead to ensure there were no monsters in the other direction. All he found was a similar cramped, dark tunnel continuing onward. "Tatl," Link said again, releasing her from the hug. "You said that the ReDead thing kept going this way? What happened? Is it close? Did it take you straight here and just throw you in the tar?"

Tatl simply shook her head slowly in reply. When silence followed, the fairy did nothing to break it.

"Are you… okay?" Link asked, getting to his feet.

"No," she said. "I'm not."

Link's brow furrowed. He didn't understand why she seemed so blank-faced and catatonic. "What happened?" Link asked.

"I can't talk about it," the fairy said. "We should keep going."

"We can turn back," Link said. "I came here to find you, so we should leave and get you some rest. It'll only get worse the further we go through here. I'd rather face those skeletons again."

"No," Tatl said darkly. "There's another way out. It's how that creature brought me in here, and we have to get there – fast. Something even worse is gonna come out of that lake."

Link grimaced. "Lead the way." He wanted to press her for more questions. What did you learn about the ReDead thing? How does it control other people? Why would it come to this cave – and how far away is it? But the fairy didn't seem able to answer those questions right now. They'll be time for answers later.

Tatl gave him a weak smile, and then she flew onward. Link followed from behind, his excitement now tempered with caution. "I can't believe I actually found you," Link said. "I never stopped looking for you, but, deep down… I thought I'd be too late. Like I was for Anju and Zelda."

"Yeah," Tatl said. She added nothing else. Maybe I am too late, Link thought grimly. Maybe Tatl's too traumatized to be herself ever again. He decided against saying anything else.

The tunnel widened both vertically and horizontally. He was able to release a little of the tension in his chest with the extra space, even though the darkness persisted. The slope downward had begun to level out.

Eventually, Link saw a speck of light ahead. His heart leapt with excitement. Link hadn't been so relieved to see daylight since his trek in Woodfall Temple. "Is that it?" Link asked.

He turned to Tatl, and all the gloom in her face had faded. "Yes," she said happily. "Let's get out of here before those skeletons follow us."

Link agreed, and they quickened their pace until they reached a crossroads. The left turn spiraled sharply upward to an exit; sunlight poured in and illuminated the black stone. To the right, the cave kept going even deeper into darkness. "Finally," Link whispered, closing his eyes and allowing the sunlight to wash over him. Snowhead's warmth felt heavenly on his skin. It was never this warm before, Link thought.

"Hey!"

The voice came from behind them. Link turned around to see a darker light approaching them - a purple light. Tael? he thought.

The fairy stopped right behind them. "What are you doing?" he asked, sounding extremely alarmed.

Link wrinkled his brow, turning to Tatl when her brother didn't acknowledge her. "I thought you didn't want to come?"

"I was going to," Tael said, slightly out of breath. "But she's my sister, and I didn't have anywhere else to go, so…"

"Who are you talking to?" Tatl asked.

Panic was slow to creep its way back up his spine when Link realized neither of the fairies could see each other. "Tael," he said cautiously, backing away from the purple fairy.

The purple fairy raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"Link," Tatl said worriedly. "Go up the slope. Now. It must be one of the cave's tricks. My brother's not really there. Don't let him hurt you. The illusions here can kill."

Link didn't say anything, fumbling for words as his eyes traveled between the siblings.

"Are you…," Tael began, but Tatl talked over him before he could finish.

"Just go!" she exclaimed. "It's an illusion from the edge of Termina – like in the forest, remember? When you saw Zelda?"

Link stepped back toward the exit's light, and Tael immediately jumped in alarm. "Wait, stop! Right now! What in the name of Din are you doing?!" Link froze, opening his mouth but not knowing what to say.

"Don't listen to him!" Tatl said. "He's not really there! Look, you finally found me. We can be together again if you just walk out of the cave with me right now. Don't let the darkness deceive you!"

"It's the cave!" Tael said, perking up. "Don't let it trick you! Whatever's trying to get you to do that, just stop!"

"Do what?" Link asked. "The exit's right there!"

"I know it is, so go!" Tatl pleaded. "Please! Hurry!"

"What exit?!" Tael exclaimed. "The only exit is the way we both came in, and you know that!"

Link gulped, reaching into his bag carefully. His fingers wrapped around the Lens of Truth as gently as possible, hoping neither fairy would notice.

"Link," Tatl said. "There's nothing left for us in this cave. Going to the other side of Termina isn't worth it."

Link pulled the instrument free, and the white fairly immediately went silent. Tael, meanwhile, looked at it curiously. "What is that?" Link didn't answer, putting it to his eyes and looking through. Tael was still there; the purple fairy merely looked back with one eyebrow still raised.

No, Link thought in despair. He turned around slowly, keeping the Lens of Truth over his eye. And as soon as the lens reached Tatl and the light of day, both vanished. In place of the exit, the sloped pathway merely led directly into a wall lined with sharp, blood-stained spikes – only inches from his nose. Exactly where sunlight had been, four rotting skeletons had been impaled from head to toe, as if they'd walked willing into the trap.

Horror overtook Link as all the air left his chest. When he lowered the Lens of Truth, the outside world didn't reappear. And neither did Tatl; the illusions were permanently shattered. He slowly regained his breath, struggling to process what had just happened. "That…"

Hands interrupted him, emerging from the darkness and grabbing his shirt. Link gasped as they forced him against the cave wall; the Lens of Truth spiraled from his hands and bounced away. When he lifted his head, he was face-to-face with Anju. Her pale, emotionless face merely stared at him as she grabbed his throat and squeezed. Link's open mouth gaped as the innkeeper pushed him against the wall and began strangling him.

"Whoa!" Tael exclaimed from beside him. "What's happening?!"

Link tried to wriggle free, but her cold, hard grasp was relentless. The hero kicked himself off the wall instead, slamming his forehead into hers. Anju stumbled back, but she never released him. Instead, she knocked his feet out from under him and pinned him to the ground. The impact forced even more air from his lungs, and Link clawed for release as his breath slipped away…

"You selfish, selfish boy," Anju said. Her words dripped with venom, and her eyes shone with immense hatred. Vengeance was etched into every line of her face; otherwise, she looked and sounded exactly as he remembered. "If I let you go, you'll just let me die again, won't you? You'll play that Song of Time over and over just so you can watch the moon flatten me. Or maybe you'll hand me over to the imp again and let him blow me up? Which do you like more, Link? Which of my screams do you relish the most? Do you laugh when you kill me? Does it make you happy?"

She's not real, Link thought, trying in vain to fight her off. Go away. Please. It's just a trick. But even so, his eyes bulged red as his skin turned blue. Tael hovered over him, fumbling for words as – from his perspective – Link fell to the floor and suffocated for no apparent reason. Meanwhile, the hero's entire world was the wrathful innkeeper's face and hands as she murdered him.

Link's burning chest overwhelmed him, and his mind grew numb and dizzy. When the boy's head weakly lolled to the side, he saw the Lens of Truth mere inches away. With the last of his strength, Link took his left hand off Anju's wrist to reach for it. But the lens was just beyond his grasp. No, Link thought distantly. Bright lights danced across his vision, and he could no longer feel Anju's unforgiving fingers. The world simply faded away...

"You're a monster," Anju said, her anger giving way to sadness. "You let everyone that cares about you die. All so you can go and play hero. You're only feeding the darkness you claim to fight."

Then, the Lens of Truth suddenly appeared over his eyes. Anju vanished, and Link's throat immediately opened. An immense amount of air flooded in as his chest heaved. Each breath burned, but Link welcomed the pain that slowly replaced the numbness. He coughed, turning onto his side as feeling returned to his fingers and toes, too.

Tael held the Lens of Truth uncertainly, watching as Link scooted against the cave wall to compose himself. The hero realized that - by reaching for the Lens of Truth - he'd singled to Tael what would rescue him. He just saved my life, Link realized. He sat there for a moment, unable to stand as strength crept back into his body.

Tael inched his way closer to him, eventually handing back the Lens of Truth. The boy took it back into his shaking hands. "Are you… okay?" Tael asked.

Link nodded.

"What was that thing? Are there more… invisible monsters?"

"She wasn't real," Link said despite the hoarseness. "It was an illusion. The cave… it tricked me."

Tael didn't seem convinced by that. "Illusions don't strangle people. How can something that's not real kill you?"

Link looked away, still catching his breath. I don't know, he thought. There'd been nothing fake about those fingers and those hateful words. "I guess it tricks all of your senses," Link said. "Your whole body."

"How can we fight something like that?" Tael said.

"This lens shatters illusions," Link said. "We need to keep it close by and not take any chances." He gripped the Lens of Truth as he stood, panting while he looked for more illusions or monsters. He and Tael were alone.

"I guess we keep going?" Link said, already missing the fake sunlight. Before the lens had revealed the truth, there hadn't been an ounce of doubt in his mind.

"I guess," Tael said uneasily.

When the hero took his next step forward, Tael followed. "Thanks for coming back," Link said.

"Sure," Tael said. "But I'm still not really sure what I did."

"You talked me down from walking into those spikes," Link said. "And you put the Lens of Truth over my eyes before Anju could kill me."

"Anju?"

"The second illusion," Link corrected. "You saved me even though you've only known me for maybe an hour. I don't even think Tatl would've done that so soon into knowing her. So, thanks, Tael." Bringing up Tatl caused his heart to sink tremendously. I thought I had her. But all of it was fake. That hug. Hearing her voice again. Tears surprised him, but there were hardly any left after almost being strangled.

"My sister was the first illusion, wasn't she?" Tael asked. Link didn't respond, which was answer enough. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Link said. "It's not your fault, Tael. You came back to save me."

"Yeah. I'm glad I could help, but I'm still really confused. And I'm just now realizing I still don't know your name."

Link stopped. Whoa, he thought, realizing just how little time they'd spent together. He turned to be face-to-face with the purple fairy; without his torch, Tael was his only light. The image of Tael – struck by the Skull Kid's lightning – flashed across his mind. He remembered him dull and lifeless beneath the awesome moon. That, of course, had been in some reality that may or may not still exist, left behind by his ocarina's magic. You're a monster, Anju had said. You let everyone that cares about you die.

Link pushed those thoughts away. "Well, Tael, my name's Link." He held out his hand. "I originally came here to look for my lost fairy, but now I'm here to do what I can for Termina."

Tael looked at his extended hand uncertainly, before wrapping his entire hand around Link's pointer finger. "My name's Tael," he said. "And I'm Tatl's brother. Though… uh, I guess you already knew both of those things already. I'm… here. Yeah. I've always been here. Termina is where I live. And I'd like to help you look for Tatl."

They continued onward. And this time, Tael remained at his side.

"So, you came here to find a fairy?" he asked. "As in… one other than my sister?"

"Yes," Link said. "But I've given up looking for her."

"Huh. Kind of funny that you just ended up looking for a different one now."

Link nodded uncertainly. "Funny is one way to put it."

Kiss me.

The voice was so soft and sweet. Zelda's bright eyes were immediately conjured into his memory. He was phased for only a moment, and then he kept going. It had risen from the darkness, clearly aware that the Lens of Truth could not destroy illusions of sound.

"Did you hear that?" Tael asked, looking over his shoulder. "It sounded like..."

"Don't worry about it," Link said, eyes narrowed in determination. He didn't want to be slowed down again. "It's not real." Tael had probably heard some other voice, maybe even Tatl's. But it didn't matter what the fairy's illusion was; all of them had one goal in mind: to lure them to their deaths.

You don't have to go, Zelda said again.

Link stopped when the tunnel made a sudden drop. The dangerously steep angle plummeted straight into water, which appeared much more transparent than the tar. There was no way over it; the entire tunnel was submerged going forward. Tael stopped just beside him, peering into the deathly still water, too. Not a single wave disturbed the underground river, and nothing visible stirred within.

When Link looked through the Lens of Truth, the bulk of the water vanished. Where the lens couldn't reach – in his peripheral vision – the still water remained lurking dangerously.

"That thing... it shows you what's real?"

"Yes," Link said. "And this water definitely isn't. I'm not sure if anything in this cave is. Did you pass over a pool of black tar on your way through?"

"No," Tael said. Link scoffed. I could've made all those skeletons go away, he realized. "But I did pass a drawing on my way in. Of a castle... a whole land, really... being destroyed by a massive flood."

Link's expression darkened. I'll think about what that means later. "Stay close to me," he said. "The water won't hurt you if you're looking through this."

"So, shattering the illusion with your eyes does it for your whole body?" Tael asked, flying to be just next to his head. They both peered through to make the water go away.

"As long as it's not a disembodied voice, it would seem," Link said.

The two of them walked closely together, carefully descending the slope. The water continued touching the edge of their vision, but the lens cleared a path for their bodies. Link didn't dare look anywhere but straight ahead, knowing that if he dropped or misdirected the lens, water would rush in and drown them. After only a few steps inward, other things became visible in the water.

Bodies.

Each appeared vaguely familiar and accompanied by debris – wood and stone. The corpses' mouths were wide open in horrified surprise. A memory flashed of these faces dancing in a town square, and then the hero realized what he was seeing. These were pieces of Hyrule. All around him, ruins of Hyrule Marketplace and Lon Lon Ranch floated by. The villagers' bodies were rotting and bloated, or else beaten by waves of immense power. When a familiar, red-headed woman drifted by, Anju's body confirmed his theory: he was walking through the cave mural's aftermath.

Navi, what do you think will be left after Hyrule?

His own voice spoke to him in the darkness, returning from the sunny day in Hyrule Field with his guardian fairy.

Hyrule will never be gone! We were ordained by the Gods to be here, Link.

Link gulped when Anju's hair brushed past his face. He couldn't feel it, but her face was wide in shock, as if not expecting death. He remembered her in the South Clock Town plaza, flying into the air when the ground exploded beneath her.

It's so pretty out here, Zelda said. I don't ever want these days to end.

"Me neither," Link said, mouthing the response he'd given.

You're... happy, right?

"Of course, Zelda," Link said, closing his eyes and envisioning the beautiful Hyrule Field. "I'm in love with you and this place. Hyrule is my home, and it always will be."

A wave of water knocked the Lens of Truth from his hands.

His eyes shot open when he realized his mistake, but the water had already enveloped them. Corpses drifted in to separate him from the magical artifact, which danced to the bottom of the tunnel. Link floated toward a rocky ceiling that offered no escape from the water. Link – who hadn't had time to hold his breath – had already lost an immense amount of air. He turned to see Tael struggling for freedom, too, wings unable to flap in the water.

Link desperately swam for the Lens of Truth, pushing the villagers' bodies out of the way. But each corpse merely revealed another one behind it. Those lifeless bodies threatened to stop him in his tracks, but he kept going, kept pushing more innocent lives aside…

His eyes were blurred when he finally reached the Lens of Truth. He pressed his eye against it, and immediately, his body stopped floating. Link fell to the cave floor, picking up the lens as he regained his breath yet again. However, he turned around to see that Tael was still floating through the open air – unconscious and unable to breathe. Link grabbed his body, running as fast as he could. His breathlessness made it almost impossible, but the hero pressed onward, determined to save Tatl's brother.

Soon, he reached the submerged illusion's end. Link ran up the slope and broke the waterline in his peripheral vision. As soon as he did, Tael's eyes shot open, and he, too, began coughing from the hero's open palm. Link sighed with relief, collapsing to the floor as Tael regained his breath, too. Thank Nayru.

He and Tael lay there for only a moment when Link noticed something ahead.

Light.

The tunnel went on for only a bit longer before simply ending. There were no more dips or slopes – no more forks. It continued straight to an exit, and there was no snow dotting the way out. Link looked through the Lens of Truth to shatter the illusion.

But the exit did not go away. We made it, Link realized. Through the whole cave. When Link lowered it, the dampness covering his clothes finally vanished, and he looked back to see that the tunnel was no longer submerged. When Tael could he speak again, he looked up to see the exit as well. "Is that...?"

"Yes," Link said. "It's for real this time."

"But that would mean this is the other side of the mountains. Which… isn't a part of Termina."

"I know," Link said. He gripped the Lens of Truth tightly as he walked with Tael to the cave's exit. They steeled themselves to brave the unknown together.

It is time to bathe.

This time, Majora's voice rang through their minds.

In the darkness. In the ash.

Regardless, they look their final steps inside Termina, passing out of the cave and into what lay beyond.

It is time to bathe in the truth.

Darkness. That's all there was. A singular platform of rock lay at the cave's mouth, and Link and Tael stood on it together. Their wide, terrified eyes took in the bleak scene together.

The sky was a sea of black clouds that grumbled with thunder. Bolts of lightning cut sharply across the endless nightmare. The ground was one flat, level field of ash, stretching as far as the eye could see in every direction. Snowhead's mountain range remained strong and tall behind them, though it was the only visible change in elevation.

Debris lay scattered in the ash. Any buildings that might've once stood proudly were now black, charred, and level with the rest of the land. It was a plain of desolation. This unknown civilization had been wiped away like trash. The plain went into the distance as far as the eye could see, blurred with the sky's darkness. It was impossible to find the line between field of ash and sky. The endless storm above it grumbled, as if all that needed to be said about what lay before them.

Link stepped to the edge of the platform uncertainly. He reached down for the ash, wondering what it might feel like to grab a handful of those gray specks. He could let them run through his finger and take in their immense power… their immense darkness…

But Tael's concerned face stopped Link when his fingers were only inches from the desolate land. His chest's scar - it bubbled with excitement. It wanted him to touch it. Link summoned immense willpower to retract his hand. He didn't want to know what would happen if he satisfied that urge.

"It's... terrible," Tael said. "What do you think happened?"

"I don't know," Link said. He recalled the forest beyond Death Mountain and the underground tunnel beneath the clock tower. Geographically, it didn't make sense for this to exist. Where was the forest he'd first entered? Was this it? Had this apocalypse been that recent? Why did it stop at the mountains?

No, Link decided. There's no way this land of darkness is only a day old. The ruins looked ancient, and he wagered he would find a similarly scarred land across the border of each of Termina's edges. Across the forest, across the ocean, and across the canyon. All there was, and ever would be, was ash.

Termina was a spot. It was the last remaining beacon in a wasteland of nothing, and the moon looked down on it, ready to destroy the last remaining source of light. How much of this would I have to travel through to reach Hyrule? Link wondered. He remembered the painting of his homeland and recalled the lifeless bodies floating in the water. His stomach churned.

"Let's go," Tael said, turning away from the darkness. "Tatl's not here. Nobody is."

"This is what strengthens the Skull Kid," Link realized. "The ashes. They give him power. I think this is what he wants Termina to become."

"N-no," Tael said, stammering. "He's not that evil. He can't be. He's our friend."

"It's the mask," Link said. "Your friend would never have done this."

Tael gave one last look at the wasteland before turning back to the cave. "Let's just get out of here." He flew back into the underground tunnel ahead of the hero.

Link hesitated before he followed. The boy carefully gripped the Lens of Truth, turning to face the land beyond Termina once more. He lifted the lens to his eyes.

The darkness, the desolation, the hopelessness – it did not go away. The wasteland was still there.

Chapter Text

Tael, you're such an idiot.

The purple fairy ignored the cave's words, looking forward through the Lens of Truth in determination. Don't let the cave trick you, he thought. Don't let it. He was flying just beside Link's head while they both used the instrument to shatter the darkness' illusions. The voices, however, could not be stopped, bringing Tael back to a stormy night with his sister.

This is the third time this has happened!

"It looked empty!" Tael said. "How was I supposed to know something lived in it?"

"That's your job!" the white fairy said. "You're responsible for finding shelter so we don't get stuck in the rain like this. Might I remind you, you're too incompetent to put in charge of anything else! Din knows we'd have starved to death long ago if I'd let you make this many mistakes with food!"

The two glowing orbs darted between the trees of Termina's forest; the high branches' canopy wasn't close together enough to protect them from the monstrous rain. The cold, wet night had defeated the protection Tael's natural orb offered. There didn't appear to be any unoccupied nooks or crannies; they searched in vain for shelter.

"There were no signs of life anywhere in that tree!" Tael said. "There was no way for me to know a pack of keese lived in it."

Tatl stopped flying abruptly, and Tael almost bumped into her. His sister's fury clearly emanated from her body. "Tatl...?"

"A colony."

Tael wrinkled his brow. "What? I don't..."

"It's a colony of keese," Tatl said, spinning to face her brother. "But you know what does live in a pack? Wolfos. And do you think wolfos would hesitate to rip us apart for a midnight snack? No, they wouldn't. You know how I know that? You know why you should know that? Because an entire pack of wolfos is what killed our family, Tael. And do you know why that happened? Because we didn't pick a safe enough spot. Because we were too careless. Me and you are the only ones who got out of there alive, and I was the one who carried you out since you couldn't save yourself."

Tatl's eyes were fierce, but Tael could only return a wide-eyed, pitiful stare. "Do you know how different our lives are now because of that? Do you know how hard it is growing up with no one to look up to, with no one to lean on? I'll go ahead and answer for you: No. You don't. Because you've always had me! You're so lucky I survived whoever's mistake that was. If I'd been bat food tonight, all those family members' sacrifices that night would've become worthless. Because you're too helpless to take care of yourself.

"So, what is your job? Your only job? To find shelter. That means you make sure nothing lives in it. You make sure nothing can reach us, and therefore eat us. You make sure it doesn't cave in and fall on top of us as soon as it starts raining. You know why? So we don't die, like everyone else we knew!"

Suddenly, Link slipped on the cave's uneven ground, snapping Tael awake from his memory. He looked down to see the hero catch himself before he tumbled over. He quickly returned the Lens of Truth to their eyes. "I can't wait to be out of this cave," Link said. When the boy glanced up to his fairy, however, he paused. "Tael? Are you okay?"

The purple fairy hadn't even noticed the tears on his cheeks. He wiped them away quickly. "Um…"

"Is it the voices?" Link asked.

Tael didn't answer that question. He simply stared ahead, trying to will away his sister's voice.

Link didn't give up, though. "If it's making you think of a specific memory, you can always turn it around. Try to find a silver lining in it, or something happy, even."

"What?" Tael said. How could I possibly control what this cave makes me see? he thought.

"The cave tries to bring out everything from your past that you don't want to remember," Link said. "But only because of the way it presents itself. Before, it made me think of... someone I miss very much. But I have to keep telling myself that those were good times and that I should be happy remembering them. The cave doesn't want you to feel happy, though, so it leaves those parts out on purpose."

Tael kept looking ahead through the Lens of Truth, turning those words over.

He recalled he and his sister staring at each other in the rain, right after Tatl had finished screaming. Her seething, angry face didn't waver until she saw Tael's eyes welling with tears. Her expression finally softened. "Tael...," the white fairy began.

"No, you're right," Tael said. "I'm useless. You can't trust me with anything."

"Tael, that was really mean of me. You're not useless, I'm just frustrated. It's cold and rainy, and I'm angry. I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

"But that's how you really feel, isn't it?" Tael said. "It doesn't matter why you were angry, because… it's true. I'm always relying on you for everything. I can't do anything on my own."

Tatl took a moment to reply. "But I'm your big sister, and you're my little brother. I shouldn't make you feel guilty for relying on me. I… want to take care of you, Tael. It's not your fault that you're the younger one and have to deal with a grumpy older sister. Yeah, we need to work on your shelter-finding skills, but I'm… sorry for yelling at you."

Tael eventually found his smile from beneath the tears. "I think that's the first time I've heard you say sorry."

"Don't get used to it." Their smiles were short-lived when the bone-numbing cold brought them back to reality. "We should probably keep moving."

Tael nodded as they frantically flew to find shelter again. The minutes dwindled without offering any reprieve. The trees grew thinner as they reached Termina Field; still, no boulders or trees offered release.

Eventually, the cold became too much, and Tatl and Tael huddled together for warmth in the middle of the field. They scanned the wet grass for a roof. "Maybe we should just go to Clock Town," Tael said. "We can hide under a stall or something."

Tatl hesitantly agreed. "Yeah. But I don't look forward to that shopkeeper waking us up with a broom to the face again." They made their way toward the round, walled city, noting the distant observatory as thunder shook the dark sky. They were halfway there when Tatl spotted a large, hollow log in the middle of the field. The rain bounced off its rounded, overturned shell.

"Hey!" Tatl exclaimed, nudging her shaking brother. "Over there!" Tael didn't bother to protest; they quickly flew within its protective innards. The log's inside was dark and dry, though the rain was still a loud, ever-present waterfall. And Tael still couldn't stop shaking.

"It's okay, Tael," Tatl said, holding him. "We're all right now. We're safe."

Then, Tael's wings stiffened in shock. They were not the only ones hiding from the rain.

On the other side of the log – sitting on the grass and shivering up against the wall – was a creature with glowing eyes, a beak-like mouth, and frayed clothing, small and defenseless: a skull child. The purple and white fairy quickly realized that the Skull Kid posed no threat. He cried as he shivered harder than they did; he was completely alone.

"What happened to checking out our hiding spots first?" Tael whispered bitterly to his sister.

"Hey, don't blame me!" Tatl whispered back. "We've only been in here for a few seconds, and besides, beggars can't be choosers. We're desperate." After one last exchanged glance, Tatl cleared her throat and flew to confront the stranger.

"Hey, are you okay?" the white fairy asked when she reached him. The Skull Kid didn't seem to notice. He remained staring at the log's opposite wall and shaking.

"Th-th-they left me... they really left me...," the Skull Kid stammered. He either willfully ignored them or was too engrossed in his thoughts to realize she was there.

"Who?"

"My friends," the Skull Kid said. "They didn't really care about me."

Tatl forced herself to smile. "We – me and my brother – could be your friends." The Skull Kid's wide eyes finally flickered away from the log to find her. "We don't have any friends either, and we don't have a home. We need somewhere to stay, and..."

The Skull Kid embraced her before she could finish her sentence. Tatl almost resisted, but she stopped when she realized the child was still shaking and crying. "Please," he said.

Tael watched them from above until their shaking slowed. He realized that he could use the extra warmth, too. Eventually, they were all huddled together. The dark skies continued pouring, but the storm could no longer harm them. That night, shelter, kindness, and compassion became their warmth, and its power kept loneliness's lethal edge at bay.

A tear brought Tael out of his memory again. But this one feels happy, Tael thought as he wiped it away. Link was right. The cave does pick the worst parts of everything.

They'd reached the cave's larger cavern with the chalk drawing. Link walked up to the masterfully etched castle, and Tael flew beside him to illuminate it. The Lens of Truth did not make it vanish; the dark prophecy remained in place.

"It looks like a flood," Tael said. "A really powerful one that'll destroy everything."

"It's Hyrule," Link said. "The land I'm from."

"Hyrule?" Tael said.

"Yes. But nothing like this has ever happened. When I left, everything was still... okay."

"When did you leave?"…

… Link took a moment to reply. How long have I been gone? the hero thought. Do I include the time loops, or have only two days passed in Hyrule? Even then, the furthest Link could remember was being in the dense forest with Epona. He'd woken up from a nap, up against a tree.

His mind flashed to racing on the back of his horse. The sun shone brilliantly behind him as he hurried to return to the castle... No, after that... He was kneeling before her tombstone; he traced the Z in her name. The mask salesman spoke from behind him. "It's such a tragedy. It was so sudden and unexpected. And to be torn apart from her when you were both so young... you have no idea how truly sorry I am."

He saw the inside of a cabin; the wood was old and decaying. He heard Epona neigh fearfully as the hooded creature with a ReDead face flashed across his vision.

"Link?"

Link shook his head free of the confusing memories. Maybe Zelda's death is the only thing I've forgotten. He could feel it. There was something else important that he'd repressed. Link looked back to the picture on the cave wall, and his brow furrowed. Somehow, it all connected... the great flood destroying Hyrule... Zelda's death... the creature with the ReDead face... Majora's Mask... Termina... There was one simple thing tying it all together, and it was just out of his mind's reach.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Link said. "I just can't remember how long I've been gone, and this picture doesn't give me a good feeling."

"If that was my home, it wouldn't give me a good feeling either," Tael agreed.

When Link finally turned away, he saw someone standing behind them. The figure wore a black robe with a hood drawn to completely shield its face. What? the boy thought in surprise. Before he could react, the dark being lifted its head, and Link made eye contact with the horrible face underneath.

It was as familiar as it was painful and nauseating. His blood froze. He lost control of his body and could no longer look away from those lifeless, undead eyes. His mouth was still half-open with a warning meant for Tael. The Lens of Truth fell from his hands to the cave floor.

It took Tael a few moments to notice the choking sounds coming from Link's throat. "Link?" the fairy said.

I'm trapped! Link thought but couldn't say. Help me! Grab the Lens of Truth! But Tael was still putting the pieces together as Link's hand moved against his control. His fingers wrapped around the handle of his sword, which rang as he slid it from his scabbard.

"What are you doing?!" Tael asked, though the purple fairy soon noted Link's fearful eyes. "Whoa! Whatever's happening, it's not real!"

Link, however, could take no heed. He placed both hands on the sword's handle and pointed the blade toward his own chest.

"No! Stop, stop, right there!" Tael flew to the floor and retrieved the Lens of Truth.

Link could feel his muscles tighten to ram the sword through his own heart.

But a familiar, purple lens appeared over his eyes. The ReDead-faced creature vanished, and Link immediately collapsed to the floor. Gasping for air, Link lay there as he flexed his fingers, and his blood soon flowed like normal again. The pounding headache that the creature's grip caused was slow to fade. The cave can mimic that creature's powers perfectly, he thought. That's so scary.

It wasn't lost on Link that this was the fourth or fifth time he'd collapsed and lost his breath in this cave. "We need to get out of here," Link said. "As fast as possible."

Then came the final turn. Link couldn't help but smile when he saw a blinding ball of sunlight through the Lens of Truth. He finally lowered the magical instrument and returned it to his bag. The boy and fairy passed the remnants of the fire pit again as a familiar winter chill returned, but both were a welcome replacement for the cave's unnatural cold.

They stepped out of the cave's perfectly circular opening and into deep snow. Link laughed when he looked up at the sky. The sun marked mid-afternoon, and even its minimal warmth now felt like a sauna. "We made it." He closed his eyes to let the sun wash over his face.

"We did!" Tael said. "And I saved you – twice!"

"Yes, which I'm still very grateful for."

"Maybe I should hang around you more often. Tatl always makes me feel so useless."

"You too?" Link said, smirking. He almost expected Tael to come up with a witty retort, but the hero's smile faded before that could happen. Her mention had caused a pang of sadness to flood his chest.

"I miss her, too," Tael said. "But if we can survive that cave, I bet we'll find her before it's too late."

"I hope so," Link said. "We only have the rest of today and tomorrow. After that, the moon falls, and..." He winced, as if afraid of even considering that possibility. "And then I'd either have to abandon her by playing the Song of Time or let the world end."

"So, that's what – forty hours? I think that's plenty of time."

"I don't know," Link said. "Where else can we look? That creature could be anywhere now, and the cave was the only place I had in mind."

"They couldn't have left Snowhead, right?"

"I have no idea. I'm still not sure why they even wanted to kidnap Tatl."

"Hm," Tael said. "It's probably in Snowhead still. If we go to Clock Town, I don't think we'd have time to come back here."

"What else would we do in Snowhead?"

"What did you and Tatl come up here to do? Free the giant trapped here?"

"My priority right now is finding Tatl," Link said. "The giants aren't going anywhere. They can wait."

"But we need somewhere to look," Tael said. "I bet the giant's place is a good head start. This… ReDead thing has to be connected to everything else going on. So it's a safe bet that they'll be there."

Link eventually nodded. He threw his hood up and began the trek up the steep slope. "Let's go back to Goron Village, then," he said. Tael flew alongside him through the light snow.

When they reached the massive hill's peak, he looked back at the mountain hiding the cave system. Ever since I first came to Termina, I wondered what was on the other side, Link thought. Tatl tried to warn me so many times never to think about it.

Now, he understood why. Termina was all that remained of this strange land. Nothing but death lay beyond its reach. He remembered reaching out to touch the ashes; his scar had begged him to. If he'd given in... That probably would've been the last thing I ever did.

"Finally," Tael said as they conquered another massive hill. Behind them, the final mountain's valley fell away, and the path onward lay ahead. "I forget how slow walking is. That was the only good thing that came from Majora's Mask. The Skull Kid could finally fly and keep up with us."

"Yeah," Link said. "I bet that didn't last long."

The path ahead was all backtracking. The slope went down until it ended at a giant chasm. A wall of ice bordered it, and a thin, icy ledge along its base promised a way forward. Link recalled inching across it much earlier in the day. It still inconveniently went around a sharp corner, blocking out the other side and promising a perilous sidle.

"How did you get across this earlier?" Tael asked.

"Very carefully," Link said. "Because I don't have fairy wings. Which honestly, is cheating. I've crossed hundreds of bottomless pits without them."

"Bottomless? I can see the bottom of this one, though," Tael said, peering over the edge.

Link scoffed. "I remember Tatl saying something about your sense of humor. Or lack thereof."

"Hey!" Tael exclaimed. "That's not even cool. I can be funny. W-when we're not in the middle of a rescue mission."

"Sure," Link said, smiling. I sound a lot like her now, don't I? he thought. That, at least, tinged the sadness with a happy memory. He took a deep breath and looked at the ledge, appreciating the solid ground beneath his feet a moment longer.

"Are you sure you can do this?"

"Yes," Link said. "It'll just take me some time." He put his back up against the wall and inched his way across. Tael followed nervously, eying both the massive gap and the hero's precarious steps.

"I... don't think I could do that," Tael said, gulping. "I can hardly float above it even when I know I can't fall."

"Good thing I'm the wingless one, then," Link said.

"I mean, that drop is so huge. If I didn't have wings, all I would think about is slipping, hitting my head on the bottom, and dying. I would be so scared. All it would take is one slip and…"

"Please," Link said, closing his eyes in frustration. "Stop talking. You're not helping." Tael quickly shut his mouth and did not say another word.

The journey was as painstakingly long as before. It took thirty minutes before he reached the distant sharp point that jutted out. The ledge was even thinner as it circled around it. I better make sure the other side is still there, he thought. If there'd been an avalanche of any size, he'd likely be stranded on this side forever.

When Link reached the edge's point, he craned his neck to peer around, trying hard to maintain his balance. He expected to find an empty ledge or a newly formed hole. Instead, he saw the Skull Kid.

Link's face immediately lost all color. The masked imp was several feet away, bobbing safely in place over the chasm. He didn't seem to be doing anything, and thankfully, he faced the other direction – looking at the cave where Link had spent the previous night.

The hero snapped his head back around to safety. He almost slipped as a sheen of sweat broke out on his forehead. He's following me, Link realized. He saw my footsteps or something. Or maybe I left something in the cave. He wondered if the dead tektite's sword wound was obvious. If he sees me, I'm dead. Link was powerless on this tiny ledge that barely fit his feet. He couldn't draw any weapons or run.

Tael quickly noted Link's terror, and the boy brought a finger to his lips. Sh. He was grateful Tael had forsaken his talking privileges early on in the journey. "Skull Kid," Link mouthed without speaking. There was no time to check if the imp was an illusion, though the boy highly doubted that was the case.

Tael froze in fear too when he read Link's lips. The hero considered his options, and his hand instinctively went to the ocarina on his belt. No, he thought. I can't do that. Not without Tatl.

Tael inched toward the wall of ice separating them. No! Link thought in alarm, though he was unable to speak. The purple fair disregarded him, rounding the corner to confront Majora's Mask.

Link did not dare to try and look around again himself. Please don't be stupid enough to mention me, the boy thought. He hoped Tael knew what he was doing. Link leaned back against the wall, eyes skyward and praying to survive this encounter.

"Hi… Skull Kid," Tael said. The imp must of turned around and noticed him. Hopefully, if he'd caught a glimpse of something earlier, his curiosity was satisfied with Tael's appearance.

The Skull Kid did not reply, and Link listened from the other side as Tael spoke again.

"Sorry, I… got a little afraid when I saw you. It's j-just that… I've been a little jumpy. Lately. Now. The edge of Termina is… well, you know. Weird stuff always happens, and you see things. But I know this is really you, so I'm not…" Link could hear the purple fairy's gulp, even from around the corner. "… scared anymore."

Still, there was nothing but silence. Link tensed even more, wondering if he should try sliding his bow free. I couldn't get a grip on it, the boy realized. He needed both hands flat to keep his balance.

Tael made yet another attempt at friendliness. The hero envisioned the Skull Kid merely staring back with that mask's threatening eyes – motionless. "You weren't above the clock tower when you said you'd be there. Are you... okay? I followed you up here to check on you. I don't... without Tatl... I... I was alone... and I didn't want to... be alone... so I... followed you... we're... friends... remember?"

Why does Tael think he can reason with him? Link wondered. The hero had to remind himself that – from Tael's perspective – only two days had passed since robbing Link. He hadn't been around to feel the imp's descent into madness. Tael, Link thought desperately, squeezing his eyes shut. Please tell me you have a plan.

"Sk-Skull Kid? Wwh-what are you doing? Hey – wait!"

Link's eyes widened with horror when he heard a chunk of ice break free from the mountain. The fairy's scream cut short when Link heard a projectile slam into him. Tael's body spun back around the corner — into the boy's view — alongside the hurled ice missile. Both descended into the chasm. Link watched as a small poof! announced their fall's end into the snow hundreds of feet below.

Link threw his head back against the wall again, shivering as he braced himself for the Skull Kid to emerge. His eyes were glued at the corner's edge… waiting. Shaking caused his foot to slip again, so he held his breath, stifling a cry as he pictured the verdant hills of Hyrule Field… the beautiful, orange sun… the powerful, castle walls… Zelda's beautiful face… anything that could calm him.

And so he waited.

Seconds turned to minutes, and one minute turned into ten. Link eyed Tael's body far below, realizing he couldn't stand here – shaking – forever. Just look, the boy thought. Either the Skull Kid's gone. Or… Or he was playing a game, knew the hero was there, and would kill him the second he looked around. But that was a chance he had to take. For Tatl, Link thought. And Tael.

He peered around the edge. The Skull Kid was gone.

Link let out a sigh of relief, but it was short-lived when he noted Tael again. He seemed unconscious. But hopefully not dead. It was impossible to know from so far up. He considered yelling down at the fairy, though the imp still might be within earshot somewhere. So, Link continued inching his way to safety, remaining vigilant for signs of the Skull Kid. When he made it to the other side without incident, he did not waste time celebrating.

Link retrieved his ice axes and began another slow, perilous journey – this time descending into the chasm. Thankfully, the ice appeared sturdy enough to support his weight, and his axes were strong enough to pierce the wall's surface. Footholds were rare on the downward climb, making it far more terrifying than the slow sidle on a ledge. But I can't leave Tael, he thought. Not when he's already died on our once watch. He gripped the ice axes with all the strength he could muster, using footholds when possible. Those tiny, rubber handles were his only escape from certain death.

Each time he pulled an axe free and placed it a few feet lower, he risked pulling too hard and losing his balance. He was as careful and tedious as possible. Time stretched on at an agonizing, snail's pace.

Eventually, his boots hit snow. Link removed the axes and returned them to his bag. He quickly found the faint, purple light lying in the snow. As he crossed the pits' snowy bottom, it seemed sturdy; he noted a nearby opening that dropped off into more of Snowhead's expanse. Nothing else was in the chasm with them.

"Tael?" Link whispered, lifting the fairy into his palm. The boy looked up to check for the Skull Kid. Still clear, he thought. "Tael?" The fairy had no response. Link pulled out the last of his health potion and opened Tael's mouth as gently as possible. Relief washed over him when the fairy coughed as the remedy traveled down his throat. Though he did not wake. Tael quickly returned to sleep, even as his purple light grew a little brighter.

I have to keep moving, Link thought. He slipped Tael gently into his bag, turning to the chasm wall's opening. Seems to go in the same general direction. Link didn't dare waste time and effort trying to scale the wall again. Instead, he scouted a new path, remaining watchful for their enemy's return.

Tael sat on top of an overturned log in the middle of Termina Field. The sun washed over his closed eyes, filling him with nothing but peace. The blissful moment seemed to only last a minute before a familiar twinkling noise startled him.

"Tatl?" Tael said, opening his eyes. Is Tatl shaking? he wondered. She seemed to be. Her eyes were wide and fearful. "Tatl? What happened?"

She didn't say anything as the Skull Kid emerged from behind her. The dark mask still adorned his face, and those orange eyes dared the fairies to try defying him. The imp stopped to stare at them forebodingly – another new hobby of his.

Tael's sister approached him carefully and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. The purple fairy was confused until she heard Tatl whisper in his ear. "I followed the Skull Kid into the cave. It was... so awful, Tael. I'm scared. I don't think we're safe with him anymore."

Tael gulped, daring to look back at the Skull Kid.

He'd drifted a few feet closer. "It's time to go somewhere new," the imp said, as Tatl pulled away from the hug. "We need to leave soon."

"But Skull Kid," Tael said, "I think Tatl needs rest. She seems pretty messed up."

"Our window is narrow," the Skull Kid said, never looking away from Tael or acknowledging Tatl's distress. "The friend who's given us this opportunity will not offer it again. We cannot disappoint him and waste our chance."

"Who are you talking about? What opportunity?" Tael said.

"We're going underneath the clock tower. To a very special place. Something valuable will be waiting for us there, and my friend wants to make sure I get it."

"Skull Kid, please. Tatl really needs rest."

The imp merely kept standing there. Staring. There was a threat behind the mask's eyes.

"Fine," the Skull Kid said eventually. "But we leave at sunset." Then he flew off to Clock Town.

Tael turned back to his sister. "It'll be okay," he said. "I promise. It's my turn to protect you."

Tael opened his eyes sluggishly, his head heavy as he lifted it. The purple fairy found two empty bottles, arrows, a bow, masks, and a few other objects scrunched together. The room was dark and small; it took him only a moment to realize he was in Link's bag. And it's not moving, the fairy thought. Tael shook a lingering soreness away as he opened the lid and flew outside.

They were in a small alcove on the side of an icy, rock wall. Link sat up against the far end, chewing on stale bread. A third bottle lay just beside him, and only a small amount of water remained in it. Outside the alcove, the frozen landscape stretched on beneath a gloomy sky.

"Tael!" The hero smiled at his reappearance.

"What happened?" Tael asked. "The last thing I remember was... the Skull Kid casting a spell. He didn't kill me?"

"I'm pretty sure he meant to," Link said, swallowing a mouthful of bread. Tael flew to lay back on the outside of the bag; his wings were still pretty stiff. "I climbed into the chasm and fed you the rest of the health potion. I think that's the only reason you're alive."

Tael wasn't sure how to take that. I almost died? he thought. The Skull Kid tried to kill me?

"Thank you for distracting him," Link said. "That was really brave. You saved both of us. He left as soon as he... struck you."

"I didn't actually think he would do it," Tael said sadly. "You keep saying the Skull Kid is evil, and yeah, he's been really weird lately. But we've been friends for such a long time. It's hard to believe that he could... hurt me."

"I still want to believe the Skull Kid is in there somewhere," Link said. "It's the mask twisting him."

"How can I mask do something like that?"

Link's hand instinctively went to his chest, but Tael wasn't sure why. "It's a dark mask," the hero explained. "The witches in the swamp told Tatl and I about the terrible things it did in the past. Their ancestors tried to seal it away for good, but now, it's back. It broke the seal somehow, and it wants to corrupt everything and everyone like it tried to before."

"Whoa," Tael said. "I knew something was wrong about that mask the moment I saw it."

"You, Tatl, and Tael stole it from the mask salesman, right?"

"Well," Tael said, "Tatl and I didn't take part in the stealing. We kept trying to talk him out of it. We were flying around the forest near the swamp when we saw the mask salesman walking by, and his large backpack caught the Skull Kid's eye. He set a trap and knocked the mask salesman out cold, and the Skull Kid just rummaged through his stuff afterward like it was nothing." He winced. I don't like thinking about that, Tael thought, pushing the memory away.

"How long until he started changing?" Link said. "Before he started acting... weird?"

"I'm not sure," Tael said. "He had the mask for a long time just playing pranks on people. I didn't think anything was really wrong until Tatl came back from the mountains with the Skull Kid."

"After she went into the cave?"

"Yeah," Tael confirmed. "That was actually the day before we ambushed you." Tael barely recalled surprising Link in the forest and stealing his horse. Something seemed… wrong and hazy whenever he considered that moment. He preferred not to think about it. "I'm surprised Tatl told you about the cave. My sister rarely opens up to me like that."

"She took a really long time to," Link said. "It didn't happen until our last day together. She still holds back about other things. Any time I try to mention her past, she won't tell me anything."

That's not surprising, Tael thought. "Our entire family was eaten by a pack of wolfos." The hero immediately looked up, surprised by such a direct answer. "I was too young to remember it, but I still hear those... howls... in my sleep sometimes. I think she tries to block it out."

Link looked away guiltily. "I had no idea."

"It's not your fault. You didn't know."

Link stood instead of saying anything else. "Can you fly, or do you want to go back in my bag? I think we should start moving again."

"I'll be fine," Tael said, wincing only once when he stretched his wings.

Link nodded as he put his bag over his shoulder. "Thanks, Tael. I'm still trying to piece everything about Termina together. It helps to know more about you and Tatl."

"Sure," Tael said, giving him a small smile. "Any time."

The Skull Kid's feet glided just above the snowy ground. He scanned the landscape intently, searching beneath the gathering clouds. The first signs of another blizzard, the imp thought. I have to find him before the snow starts falling again. The second night was almost here, and then, there'd only be one day left before the boy played his song. His time was almost up.

Am I strong enough to fight him again? the Skull kid asked.

Confrontation with him is inevitable.

But he absorbed our magic and used it against us. What if he has more power than we know?

He must be defeated.

But he almost killed us.

The Skull Kid stopped abruptly when a figure came into view. A silhouette stood alone in the endless tundra. It wore a black robe, and its hood was drawn. The imp flew to confront the stranger.

"I've been looking for you," the creature said with confidence. It did not lift its head to make eye contact. The imp merely floated in place, staring; he tried to keep his mind blank. He did not want thought to ruin this encounter.

"We're still friends, aren't we?" the creature said.

The Skull did not respond. Instead, the creature finally lifted its head, revealing the decayed ReDead face. Its rotted eyes remained leveled with Majora's. Neither seemed capable of truly influencing the other. A stalemate, the Skull Kid thought. We are equals. He repressed the fear threatening to contradict that.

"I have something for you," the creature said. Its mouth did not move when it spoke.

The being reached into its robes with one gloved hand and pulled out a bottle. A bright ball of light was trapped instead. The fairy blinked the winter's brightness away, though her face widened in fear when she saw Majora.

"Don't let him find her," the creature said. "But do not kill her, either. She must die only after the boy has decided to leave her behind. If we do not let this realm's magic offer the killing blow, we have lost everything."

The masked imp still said nothing. The creature didn't appear to need a response, bending to roll the bottle through the snow toward him. "I'm counting on you," it said.

Then, the hooded creature walked away. The Skull Kid watched as it vanished; soon, only fading footprints remained. The imp turned to his cowering prisoner next. She's so afraid, he thought. She thinks I'm going to kill her.

The Skull Kid smiled widely from behind the mask. Tatl's terror was so sweet; it nourished him. He wanted more.

Chapter Text

Link and Tael trudged onward through the snow. A singular mountain wall on the right acted as their guide. The blizzard had abated for now, though clouds swarmed in to promise that their reprieve wouldn't last for long. The numbing chill was something Link thought might never go away now.

Goron Village has to be close, the hero hoped, though it was impossible to tell since they'd taken a new path. We've been walking for so long.

Eventually, something other than despair, silence, and winter interrupted Link and Tael's gloomy walk: an icy surge of nausea. It was different from the cold, and his first thought was terror. The ReDead-faced creature. But it lasted only a moment, and then it was gone.

Link stopped, lifting his head to search for the culprit. However, he only found Snowhead's white endless plain and the icy mountain wall. "What's the matter?" Tael said. "We've gotta be close. We should keep going."

"Something just happened," Link said uncertainly. "Something unnatural." Then, his eyes spotted it: a shadow on the snow. It was small and human-shaped, though nothing existed to cast it. "It's there." Link pointed, and the fairy followed his gaze.

He retrieved the Lens of Truth and exposed an invisible entity: a ghastly pale, transparent goron. The goron had large, muscular arms adorned with tattoos. His hair was white, long, and spiky, and his face was lined with age and battle. He wore a large necklace of beads, gloves, and shorts. His bare stomach was large and soft, and his back was hardened with sharp rock. He was floating just above the ground, revealing a large, deep gash that cut across his abdomen. Though no blood poured through the ethereal wound, it clearly had been fatal. The goron's black eyes stared at Link, as if unaware he'd been exposed.

Link gasped, immediately lowering the lens. The ghost disappeared, but the shadow remained.

"What did you see?!" Tael asked, flying to join the hero. Link hesitantly lifted the Lens of Truth again, and they both peered through this time.

The goron ghost was still there, never breaking eye contact. Though his expression had softened. "You can see me?" His voice was deep and powerful, but its melancholy made it obvious that it didn't want to be an invisible ghost.

Link slowly nodded. He'd met a ghost only once before: a grave keeper in Hyrule. That had been an anomaly he'd never encountered again. Monsters reanimated bodies all the time, sure... But people don't come back from the dead, he thought. That's impossible.

The ghost continued. "If you can truly see me, then please follow." The goron turned without another word, flying onward through the snow. When Link lowered the Lens of Truth, the shadow remained drifting forward.

"Uh," Tael stammered. "I don't think we should listen."

"It could be a lead," the hero said. "To finding Tatl."

"It's probably just another trick," Tael said. "Why should we trust the ghost of a random goron?"

"I have my sword and ocarina," Link said. "We'll be fine. This is the type of thing that led us to the giant in Woodfall." The boy followed, and Tael sighed before flying behind him. Like brother, like sister. Though Tatl would've taken twice as long to convince. She's heard that copout a million times.

They followed the shadow until they reached a natural break along the mountain wall. A frozen pond lay before it, though the ice seemed thick enough to traverse across. Beside the pathway and the pond, a manmade doorway had completely caved in with snow. The shadow ignored the blocked doorway, instead flying over the frozen pond and toward the natural path. Link and Tael followed; it snaked up and around to eventually reach a ledge overlooking the foothills. Atop the ledge, two doorways were built into the mountain. One was filled with snow – obviously the exit for the manmade entrance down below – and one went into darkness.

Two gorons stood guarding the free doorway, and neither were ghosts. They didn't seem to even notice the shadow of one before them. The first doorway guard shivered too much, and the second… was frozen solid in a chunk of ice. The shadow flew between the two Goron guards and into the cave-like chamber. The first guard turned to note the boy and fairy, but he didn't say anything.

"Hello?" Link said, confused by this goron's disregard for his frozen comrade. Surely, even a goron couldn't survive very long in conditions like that. "Are you two okay?" Link approached the free goron, and the guard's sad, dark eyes relayed a very clear 'no.' "Why are you up here?"

"This is the grave where a Goron hero rests," the goron said. "We came here to put up the great hero's memorial, but the return route has been blocked by snow. We can't take the path you did; we're too heavy and would break through the frozen pond."

"We can find a way to get you down," Link said, looking at the second doorway blocked by snow. "Is that the return route?" The shivering goron nodded. "You don't think we could tunnel through it?"

"No! Don't you think we tried that?" The goron sighed, looking after the still open doorway. "Ohhhh. I wish I had taken some of that hot spring water we found while digging the hero's grave. But the hot spring is covered by the gravestone now. We couldn't move a gravestone that big by ourselves, and all the others left before the avalanche happened. But I guess this is what's meant by the goron saying, 'There's no use in crying over split rocks.'"

"Crying over split rocks?" Link said. "You could die up here. This is serious."

"I just wish we'd known the blizzard wasn't going away, then we could've prepared."

"We could try to move the grave and get the spring water," Link said, looking down to note that the goron's feet were already frozen solidly in place.

"Good luck," the shivering goron said. "If one of us mighty mountain dwellers can't, a little human like you probably won't have much luck."

"Don't worry," Link assured him. "We'll find a way to get you out of here."

"I certainly hope so," the goron said, sealing his eyes shut and turning away from the boy.

Link exchanged a glance with Tael, and then the two of them walked into the Goron hero's grave. It was a rather large cave with brown, hard-packed rock as its floor. The walls and ceiling, conversely, were made of white rock. Triangular, purple monuments towered high, each decorated with drawings neither the boy nor fairy could comprehend. A light shone from a hole in the ceiling upon the cave's floor, and a massive tombstone rested in the natural spotlight. It was centered in a small basin that likely had been the hot spring.

Link lowered his hood as they left the whistling wind behind. He approached the grave, wondering what had killed a renowned, Goron hero with a gash that large in its stomach. Probably this region's Odolwa, he guessed. I wonder why the ghost brought me to his grave?

The tombstone was twice as tall as Link and rather wide. The small shadow hovered in front of it, even though there was still no visible object to cast it. Written on the tombstone was an inscription honoring Darmani, the hero of gorons.

"I've never met an actual ghost before," Tael said. "I didn't think they were real. Are you sure it's not a trick?"

"The Lens of Truth never lies," Link said. "It shattered all the other illusions. I trust it." He placed the instrument over his eye again, and the ghostly figure reappeared in front of his grave. His hard, pale face and dark eyes were still the same; Link noted the fatal gash again.

"The soaring one said that the boy who could see me would arrive soon," the ghost said. His bold, serious expression and voice were captivating, even in death. "It seems that was true. I am Darmani the Third. The blood of proud Goron heroes runs in me."

"I'm Link," the hero said, feeling silly for holding the lens over his eyes… and for not immediately having an impressive title. "The Hero of Time. I'm sworn brothers with the fire sage Darunia, a Goron hero that leads the tribe on Death Mountain."

Darmani's face flashed briefly with confusion. "I have not heard of this land, nor this hero, but any friend of gorons is a friend of mine."

I didn't think you would've, Link thought, hiding his disappointment. "Darunia was a great goron and a renowned warrior."

"This feels strange for me to say, but when I was alive, I was a renowned warrior, too. Yes..." Darmani's gaze softened as he reminisced. "But alas, I am now dead.

"I was fine until I marched off to Snowhead by myself, hoping that I could drive away a demon. It wreaked havoc on Goron Village, and this unnatural blizzard blew me into the valley. And now... here I am. How infuriating! As I am, I can only watch as Goron Village is slowly buried in ice. I may have died, but I cannot rest. The demon's curse binds me to the land, and though I can do nothing, it is still my sworn duty to protect it."

The goron looked up from his deep despair to briefly show hope as he watched Link. "You can use magic, can you not? The soaring one told me of your gifts."

Link felt his stomach lurch when he understood where this was going. "I don't know who you mean by the 'soaring one', but I'm not a sorcerer. I don't know any magic." The goron's eyes did not waver. "If I could bring people back from the dead…" He stammered. "There a lot of people I would do that for. I don't think that's something anyone can do."

"You called yourself the Hero of Time, did you not?" Darmani said. "In what way did you save time? A man does not earn himself a title like that without magic."

"It wasn't magic. It was the Goddess of Time."

"Is there a difference? If the Gods do not use magic to see their will done, then what do they use? Regardless of the name we use for them, they are real, and they bless those chosen for gifts. You used time as a weapon to become a hero. Now, please, use it to reverse what has been done."

"I... I can't," Link said. "It doesn't work that way. I don't control how I change time."

"I beg you!" Darmani said, throwing his sternness aside. "Bring me back to life with your magic!" He watched Link fail to grasp for words and closed his eyes painfully in defeat. "If it is beyond your power, then I beg of you to do this for me instead: heal my sorrows. Any way that you can do it will suffice."

Link looked sadly at the creature. I bet he was so proud his entire life – only to die so suddenly and horribly. He'd been reduced to nothing. By some trick of dark magic, he wasn't allowed to move on, tethered to the promise he'd made to protect his land.

"Please," Darmani began once more. "Heal my sorrows."

Link placed his hand over his ocarina's belt pocket. Is that what my ocarina is? Magic? It had always been his greatest power. His mind went back to all that it had done. Sending him seven years into the future and rewinding three days were extraordinary feats.

But what about now? If he played the Song of Tim and he willed it to affect the goron instead of him, would it work? Or would he find himself in front of the clock tower doors without Tatl? That's something I can't risk, he thought.

Then, he recalled the Deku mask. Heal my sorrows, Darmani had asked. The Ocarina of Time could do more than manipulate time and summon temples. The butler's son had been able to move on, too, thanks to the Goddess's instrument. Did the Skull Kid bring that Deku scrub back to life, too? Link wondered. Majora defies death in a way I don't think even the Goddesses can. That dark entity likely had power unlike anything else in the world – to retrieve entire people from beyond the grave. Reanimated bodies were one thing; ReDeads were simply monsters. But resurrection? He shivered. That shouldn't be possible.

He pushed those thoughts away. Whatever power Majora possessed to reverse death, his ocarina undid that twisted manipulation over the butler's son. So maybe he could for this goron, too. The image of Darmani, staring back at him hopelessly, vanished as he lowered the Lens of Truth. He raised the ocarina to his mouth instead, and Tael watched with interest.

Link closed his eyes as he blew into the clay instrument, finding the right pitch after a few attempts. As soon as he rediscovered the first note, the mask salesman's song returned easily. Even though it felt like a lifetime since hearing that piano, he flawlessly executed the Song of Healing …

… Darmani watched the boy. The human's eyes were closed, concentrating on playing the ocarina, and the goron knew he was invisible to him. Is this how the human uses magic? he thought. With that instrument? In answer, Darmani's mind soon fell into the melody, away from the cave. His first instinct was to resist, until he realized this was what he'd asked for.

Surrender, Darmani thought. Surrender. Please, heal me. Bliss overtook him, and Darmani allowed the world to slip through his fingers. "For the Goron village," Darmani whispered into his last breath, "I have asked your assistance."

He was in a blank, dark space. The song's notes echoed through the endless void. He searched for light, not remembering what had brought him here. Until he saw a goron. That familiar face smiled so brightly, his arm wrapped around another friend beside him. And another beside the second. Soon, he was surrounded by the people of his village, and their eyes found him. They raised their fists into the air, cheering loudly in celebration.

They're happy. They'd fought and won – peace was theirs to claim. I saved them, he thought. I did it. The ecstasy of the crowd's laughter rang in his ears. The curse had fallen, and daylight once again shone over the village. His lips curled into a smile. The joy did not fade as the first tears fell freely. He closed his eyes and felt the warmth of the sun on his skin. Its light enveloped him.

Tael had never experienced a melody quite like Link's song. One minute, he was watching Link with mild interest, and the next, an immense wave of sleepiness had washed over him. Its peaceful relaxation threatened to drown him, but the moment Link stopped playing, he snapped awake.

Tael looked up to find himself face-to-face with Darmani. Except it was only a face, levitating in the exact spot where the ghost's had been. The ghastly white tint had been replaced with a healthy goron's skin tone. It merely hovered there, its black eyes staring at Link's blue ones.

Then, the face fell to the cave floor, and its hollow wood echoed through the mountain graveyard. Tael and Link stared at the newly formed Goron mask.

"He... turned into a mask," Tael said, dumbfounded.

"Just like with Majora's curse," Link said.

"What?"

Link reached into his bag and showed Tael the Deku mask. "This is the curse the Skull Kid put on me. I can turn back into a Deku scrub whenever I put it on."

Tael raised an eyebrow. "You don't think...?"

"There's only one way to find out." He stowed the Deku mask away and lifted the Goron one, holding it in front of his face. The boy stared uncertainly at it – as if afraid or guilty over what'd happened.

Where did Darmani go? Tael wondered. Is it the same place my parents went after they died? He watched the hero, regardless, turn the mask around and push it over his face.

He heard Link gasp, and then the mask came alive. It stretched across his skin and began sinking into his flesh, destroying the pale human flesh and replacing it with a dark mountain dweller's. The boy screamed, though the wood clawing at his cheeks, nose, eyes, and mouth muffled his shrieks of pain.

Tael's eyes widened with horror. "Link!" he said, flying closer but unsure what to do.

The boy collapsed, scraping at his face but unable to stop the onslaught. He writhed on the floor, wriggling his way out of the bag's strap, scabbard, and shield as he twisted. Tael merely watched helplessly as his skin darkened and his body enlarged. His back hardened itself and curled inward while his stomach swelled, ripping through his tunic and coat. The purple fairy backed away, unable to believe his eyes…

… When the pain faded, Link swayed back to consciousness. He realized he'd curled inward instinctively, and everything was dark. Despite his obscured vision, Link could feel the entire layout of the room; a new sense scanned the earth and its vibrations, revealing the tombstone, the cave walls, and the rocky ceiling. Sitting there in bewilderment, Link realized the mask had worked. He'd turned into a goron, and he was currently tucked into his new back's natural shell.

Link carefully released himself from the ball, shaky as he beheld his new form. All that incredible pain had already faded from his body. He spotted Tael – watching in complete shock as Darmani now stood before him.

"Link?" Tael asked.

He looked exactly as the ghost had, except alive. His stomach's massive gash had vanished, and his green hat now adorned spiky, white hair above sideburns. The blacksmith's winter pants had been baggy in his human form, but they now fit much more snuggly. His upper body was immensely larger than his legs, which was true for all gorons. Link carefully took in new breaths as his chest rose and fell, considering all the gorons he'd encountered in his life. It felt just as different as a Deku scrub did from a human.

"Yes?" Link said eventually. His voice was now much deeper.

"Is that really you?"

Link kept examining his new body. "I think so." It was far heavier than his human form, and his first step was more of a stumble. His feet had expanded out of his boots; only his hat and pants remained intact. He felt the hard, jagged rocks lining his back, contrasting starkly with the soft balloon that was his belly. This is gonna take a while to get used to. He examined his muscular arms and found a dark tattoo on his right one – a symbol of his goron family.

"So, are you stuck that way forever now?" Tael asked.

I hope not, Link thought. He grabbed his face where the mask should be, willing himself to remove it. As he expected, the goron mask was soon in his hands, and his human form had returned. His coat and tunic returned – undamaged – and he instantly felt at ease in his familiar body.

"I can't believe it," Tael said, still dazed.

"Me neither," Link said, retrieving his scabbard, sword, shield, and bag. He knew they'd be safe from destruction the next time he transformed, assuming the rules worked the same way as his Deku mask. "I guess the mask salesman's Song of Healing can do more than I realized."

"That goron guy is gone now, isn't he?" Tael said. "You… killed him for good? Why didn't the song kill you when were you a Deku scrub?"

Link balked. "Darmani was already dead, and so was the Deku scrub ghost. I didn't kill anyone."

"It's just... scary, isn't it?" Tael said, gesturing to the goron mask. "That salesman's bag was full of masks."

Link's mind went back to the massive backpack that always caused the salesman to slouch. The boy's blood ran cold. "That's… there's no way…" Link stopped short when he pictured that man standing beneath the clock tower again. "He seemed to know so much when Tatl and I talked to him. I wonder if he somehow knows where she's been taken to."

"How could he possibly know that?" Tael asked.

"I don't know how gets any of his knowledge, but he knew about Hyrule. He might be a good backup plan if we don't find Tatl up here."

The purple fairy shook his head. "I don't trust him. Even if he did know everything, I wouldn't believe a word out of his mouth. There's something off about him."

"He healed me from my Deku scrub curse," Link said. "He hasn't done anything but help me so far."

"I'm just saying," Tael said. "He scares me, and I wouldn't go near him if I were you."

"Yeah, Tatl felt the same way about him, too." Link said. "If we haven't found her or the ReDead thing by the time we've saved the second giant, we'll head to the clock tower next. The mask salesman can be Plan B."

"Okay," Tael said. "I guess. Let's just focus on Plan A first."

"Right. Darmani asked me to help Goron Village. If we're lucky, helping the village will lead us to the next giant."

"So, are we going there now?"

"Yes, but I don't think I'll return as myself," Link said. "I think they'd rather have their hero back."

Link placed the mask over face, and in an instant, his shirt, bag, sword, shield, and human body vanished. He was once again Darmani the Third; the proud blood of Goron heroes ran in his veins.

He went to leave the cave, but Tael stopped him. "What about the hot spring water?"

Link paused, almost falling over in the process. Walking generated much more momentum than he was used to in this large form. He turned to see the fairy point to the gravestone. "The goron outside said there was some underneath," Tael said. "I bet they could use it."

When Link returned to Darmani's grave, he grasped it with both hands. His newly acquired muscles bulged with the effort, and it slid easily out of place. He smiled as the hot spring water gushed forth from underneath.

The Goron guard stood there shivering, arms folded across his chest. His companion remained frozen in a solid block of ice beside him, staring out at the gray sheet now pummeling down from the sky. He couldn't feel anything, and he couldn't think straight, either. I'm gonna die up here, he thought. There's no way I'm making it through the night.

He heard movement behind him. The goron turned, expecting to find that small boy. Instead, another person stood in the tomb's doorway, accompanied by a familiar purple fairy. The goron could only return this stranger's concerned look with a blank stare… until recognition came. Darmani.

The goron's eyes widened, lips still trembling form the cold. "You're... No! No, you're not the great Darmani, are you?" He didn't understand. Maybe I'm already dead? Am I hallucinating?

Darmani nodded, taking another step out of the cave. The guard remained stunned, as if unable to take it in. He noted the absence of the hero's scar and the addition of the green hat. "Did you come back to life because it was so warm beneath your grave?" the goron asked, bewildered.

"No," Darmani said awkwardly. "The magic of Goron heroes runs through my veins, and it would not let me rest until I'd saved my village."

"But you were dead." the goron said. "Where's that boy that was in there?"

"He... left," Darmani stammered.

"But this is the only way out. I didn't see him." He looked off in the distance, as if trying to find the boy fleeing through the blizzard.

"He's not important," Darmani said, revealing a bottle full of hot spring water. "I've moved the tombstone, so you two can go back inside and get warm."

He uncorked the bottle and poured it over the third goron who was frozen solid. The warm water instantly cut through the ice, melting away as the second guard opened his eyes. He shook far more madly than his companion, flinging off the steaming water that fell from his skin.

He blinked heavily, coming to as he noticed the two companions beside him. "Hunh? What have I been doing?"

"Oh!" the first guard exclaimed, a smile reaching his face. "Are you all right, brother? You were frozen, but the great Darmani saved you!"

"The great Darmani?" the second goron said. "What's with you? Are you half asleep?" He shook his head, turning away from his companion to look at the Goron hero that had unfrozen him. "Did you hear this guy? The great Darmani died long ago and is lying in his gr..." The second goron, however, stopped short; his eyes widened when he finally recognized him. "Heeee! Darmani!"

Darmani smiled awkwardly and nodded, backing away from the goron he'd thawed and pouring more over the other goron's frozen feet.

"I was shocked, too," the first goron said, shaking his legs free of water, "but somehow, it seems the great Darmani isn't dead."

"R-really?" the second goron said again, not able to pry his eyes away from the Goron hero they'd buried.

"With this, a star of hope appears in Goron Village," the first goron said, now smiling despite the cold. "Great Darmani! Please do something about the blizzard blowing in from Snowhead!"

"That's where I'm going next," Darmani assured them, turning to look at the passageway blocked with snow.

"How will you get down?" the first guard asked. "The other route leads right over a frozen pond. You're two heavy and will crash right through if you try to cross!"

"I'll figure something out," Darmani said. "You two should go inside and rest in the hot spring water while I'm gone."

"Are you sure?" the first guard said.

"Why, if he can return from the dead, then surely he can cross a silly little frozen pond!" the second one said, overwhelmed with relief.

"Exactly," Darmani said. "The magic I'll use to cross the pond is very dangerous, so neither of you can be here when I use it. Go into the cave, and I will put an end to this blizzard."

The two shivering gorons quickly suppressed their doubt. Until the first turned to the purple fairy again. "Weren't you the boy's companion?" he asked.

The sprite jumped, as if just now realizing he was there at all. "Oh, uh. No. I mean, yes. Kind of. But… gorons are cooler."

There was a moment of silence between the four of them, only broken by the howling snow. Darmani and the fairy looked at the other two gorons oddly, and they could only stare back with wide, blissful smiles.

"Use your magic then!" the first goron said. "Save Goron Village!"

Darmani watched as they shuffled into the tomb, overwhelmed with joy. The first goron, however, stopped before he entered. "Great Darmani! Have you seen the Goron Elder yet? If not, you should go see him soon! I'm sure he'll be very happy."

"Of course," Darmani said, and then the two gorons disappeared into the cave's darkness…

… Link sighed with relief, removing his mask and returning to a human. Instantly, the cold set in much sharper; his human body wasn't as capable of protecting himself from the snow. "That was close," he said, stowing the bottle and mask.

"I don't understand why it would have been a big deal if they'd found out," Tael said.

"They'd be terrified if I walked out with their hero's face and could steal his form," Link said. "They'd think I was a witch, or some dark magic user. The gorons can be superstitious."

"Superstitious?" Tael said. "You... kind of did use magic to do that."

Link paused. "Yes, but I'm not the evil person they'd think I was."

"I don't know," Tael said. "That magic came from the mask salesman, so I don't really trust any more than they would."

As the world darkened, the cold strengthened, the snow thickened, and a lone goron tore through the gray evening as a hardened sphere. The purple fairy flew as fast as he could to keep up.

Link's new sixth sense continued to amaze him. While curled into the safety of his shell, he zipped through the tundra with complete awareness. His eyes were of no use as he rolled, but he didn't need them. Snowhead's ground vibrated with him, and those vibrations constructed images of cliffs, trees, and everything in between. He changed direction to avoid slamming into anything – when his speed allowed. It took getting used to, but traveling through the blizzard had never been easier.

Mountain walls narrowed the tundra as he continued south, and despite his new, exhilarating form of travel, he hoped Goron Village wasn't much further. Tael's struggling to keep up, he thought. And even Darmani's body won't handle the cold forever. While passing one particular stretch of mountain, he sensed something other than snow and rock.

Link stopped rolling, and the snow was quick to help brake him. He stood in piles of it now surrounding his slowed-down body; Tael caught up with him out of breath. "... You... roll... so fast...," the fairy said.

Link wasn't out of breath at all. If only humans could roll like that. He'd crashed a couple of times, but he'd be just as used to it as his Deku scrub body soon. Running back and forth between Kokiri Forest and Death Mountain would've been a breeze if he'd had Darmani.

"Why'd we stop?" Tael asked.

"Someone else is here," Link said in his goron voice. His sideburns, thankfully, warmed his round face that already felt chillier in the open air.

The purple fairy's face tensed. "Is it the ReDead thing?"

"No," Link said. "It's larger than that." He approached a mass in the snow cautiously, about the size Darmani. The blizzard obscured all other features of the buried person. Link wiped a sheet of snow away, and he met the eyes of a goron trapped within ice.

"Oh no," Tael said. "This blizzard really is a curse if it keeps freezing gorons like this."

Link nodded grimly. He removed his mask and retrieved a bottle of hot spring water from his bag. He poured it over the top, and the wintry prison melted. Link returned the bottle and mask to his bag as he stepped back.

The goron was the oldest one Link had ever seen. His white hair and beard were long and filled with chunks of ice, almost hanging all the way to the ground. He was hunched over so extremely that his back had become a hardened lump sticking straight into the air. His arms hung limply down, almost dragging along the snow. As the snow around him drank the melted water, the goron either shook from old age or recovering from the cold – Link couldn't tell. Probably both, the hero thought.

The elderly goron – hair covering his eyes – blinked groggily as he looked around. "Hunh? What was I doing?" He swayed back and forth as he shivered, hardly seeming to notice Link. Before the hero could get out a word, the old man snapped to attention and looked to the path ahead. "Ah! It's already this late? I must hurry!" He tried to walk toward Goron Village, but each step was a dangerous wobble.

He can barely walk, Link thought. He wasn't sure what to say. The goron hardly made it two steps, despite exerting far more effort than that. "Are you okay?"

The older goron ignored him.

"Hey!"

Still, he pressed onward, either unaware or uncaring that Link had saved him.

"I can help you!" Link said, deciding to stand in the goron's way.

The elderly man finally stopped. "Hunh? You're one we don't see around here much." His voice wavered almost as much as his body did. "Have you some business with an elder like me?"

"Actually," Link said, but he was quickly cut off. The mountain dweller shook his head in dismissal.

"I haven't the time to join you!"

"But..."

"What? You want to know what has me so rushed?" The goron steadied himself and met the boy's eyes with an intensity Link hadn't realized was possible. "It's this cold snap brought on by the disturbances at Snowhead that has frozen our village in an icy grip. It's the lack of goods and supplies that is leading to the depopulation of Goron Village. And above all, it's the image of my own poor son, crying continually because of this biting cold. As the Elder, I must do something. This is our problem! We shall not rely on the strength of strangers." The Elder turned ahead to continue his trek.

When the Elder didn't appear willing to speak with him again, the hero had another idea. Link walked several steps backward to make sure he was out of eyesight, and the next time Link stood in front of the goron, he was Darmani. The elder took a few moments to realize who was there, and Tael made sure to wait in the background. "Oh!" the Elder said, stopping immediately. His determination melted away into shock. "You're Darmani!" He squinted, as if questioning the illusion. "But you're supposed to be dead! Am I hallucinating?"

"No, it's me," Link said, remaining strong before him. He smiled – perhaps a little too eagerly. "I've returned to help Goron Village."

The elder remained standing tall, as if still doubting this lie. "Darmani never smiled like such a nincompoop ever in his life. Maybe this is also the doing of Snowhead's magic power. Hmmph. It appears the darkness thinks it can make a fool of me. Darmani's return is impossible. I refuse to flinch. If I can see past the illusion, you'll vanish in an instant!"

Link sighed, stepping in front of the Elder again when he made it another step. "I'm not an illusion. I'm Darmani the Third, and the blood of proud Goron heroes runs in my veins." The Elder's eyes widened. "I come from Goron Village because your son cries for you. It is my duty to break Snowhead's curse. It is yours to remain by our peoples' side while they're in this time of need. You shouldn't have left them. They need their leader. Just as they need their hero."

The Elder stumbled backward in shock. "What?" he said. "My son is crying because he misses me? Why do you know that?"

"Because I was there," Link assured him.

"My son misses me?" the Elder said, furrowing his brow. "Forgive me, my child. Your father has work to do."

Suddenly, he straightened himself, stifled his shaking, and faced Darmani with more awareness than ever before. "Darmani," he said. "Be you a ghost or a figment of my imagination, I no longer care. If you feel pity for my crying son, then please quietly sing my son to sleep with this song I am about to play on my drum. It is the very same melody that was often played for you when you were young."

The Elder turned around, backtracking the six steps he'd taken since being unfrozen. He reached into the ball of snow that had imprisoned him and – sure enough – pulled out a drum. Link balked. What? he thought. He was just going to leave that behind? Why didn't I sense that? The single drum was a djembe, and he set it on the ground. The old goron's arms hung low enough so his fingers stopped right atop the instrument.

"How does this song go?" the Elder said to himself, hitting a few notes on its tightened skin. The beats formed a rhythm, but the old goron stopped every time he played the beginning. He went back to repeat it but never made it any further. "... Let me play it once more." The Elder attempted yet again, but still, anything but the intro evaded him. "Ummm. Ah, yes, yes! Like this!" When his next attempt also failed, the Elder looked down sadly in defeat.

"It's no good! he said. "I can remember only the beginning, but that will have to do for now."

And so, the Elder played the introduction once more. This time, Link paid attention. His knack for music allowed him to memorize the notes, but he wasn't sure if he could find the pitches again later on a different instrument. I'll have to trust myself, he thought. Transforming to grab his ocarina would likely lead to catastrophe.

The Elder finished playing the intro after a few repetitions, placing the drum back in the snow behind him once he was done. "It's not that I forgot it. It's just so cold that I can't play very well."

"Right," Link said uncertainly.

"At any rate, I am counting on you." With that, the Elder turned away from Darmani and waddled toward the village as if he wasn't there anymore.

"Wait," Link said. "All you want me to do is play this song so your son falls asleep?"

"Yes," the Elder said, "so he stops crying until I get there. Though someone else will have to teach you the rest of the song."

"I could help you get there, and you could play it for him."

"NO!" the Elder screamed, much to Link's surprise. Link watched, completely stunned, as the goron recomposed himself from the fit of anger. "I will get there on my own. Don't wait for me."

"But... it's so cold..."

"And I will get there eventually," the Elder said. "Please, go on without me." He walked on as if Link had already agreed, though he still made virtually no progress.

Link was too stunned to argue with him, which he realized probably worked wonders for the Elder in the village. "What about your drum?"

"I'll come back and get it later."

Is this guy serious? Link thought. He hesitantly took a step back, watching the stubborn goron continue to fail at walking. Then, the hero shook his head and surrendered. "Whatever," he said under his breath.

"You're just going to leave him?" Tael asked once they were safely out of earshot.

"What else am I supposed to do?" Link said. "Drag him back against his will?"

"Well…"

"It'd probably take several hours to do that, and that's time I'm not willing to waste," he said. Link looked up at the sky – which was quickly turning from gray to black. "We only have about thirty-six hours left."

He curled into a ball as Darmani and continued rolling. Tael sighed, reluctantly flying to catch up.

Chapter Text

The Mountain Smithy stood bold beneath the twilight sky. The hammer-wielding giant – Gabora – was outside clearing the valley of tektite corpses. He effortlessly dragged five at a time through the blanket of snow, clearing a path through the wintry lawn. The giant threw the bodies into a pile beside his home, standing tall against the relentless flurry.

The Skull Kid watched from above, sitting on a high mountain wall with the bottled fairy beside him. Tatl lay at her prison's bottom; she watched the slowly forming mass grave beside the smithy. The moon was halfway through its descent, eyes turned away from the mountains of Snowhead.

Tatl pressed her face against the bottle, trying to peer over the edge. She was hardly an inch from the cliff and could easily knock herself over before the Skull Kid stopped her. She would plummet hundreds of feet until the bottle shattered. Killing her.

But even after all she'd learned, she was still afraid to die. Even though everything we've done is for nothing, Tatl thought. Link never did anything to help Termina. We've just been playing someone else's game, and we didn't even know it. Still, she clung to life, no matter how meaningless that monster claimed she was. Tears welled as she lay against the bottle's glass. I'm gonna die anyways, she thought. Just like the first Tatl that Link knew. She wondered if that Tatl's remains still rested in South Clock Town in some other reality, reduced to ashes that had blown away in the wind.

Then, the imp lifted her prison. She looked up and was once more face-to-face with Majora's Mask. The Skull Kid pressed those terrifying, wooden eyes against the bottle. "How did he do it?" the imp asked. "How did he use my magic to hurt me?"

Tatl shivered, backing as far away as she could. He's talking about Link, the fairy realized. In the sewers of Clock Town, he'd redirected the Skull Kid's magic back at him. Tatl said nothing. She didn't have an answer, and she knew the imp wouldn't accept that.

"Fine then," the Skull Kid said. "Keep quiet while you can. Because before the moon kills you, you will tell me. I'll force you. The Dark Sorcerer never told me that could happen, so I have to know the boy's secret."

Somehow – amidst all the despair – she found courage nestled within her. Rather than cowering further into her prison, she breathed life into that instinct to fight. Tatl flew closer to the imp, swallowing her nerves. "You don't know the sorcerer's name either, do you?" Tatl said. "No one does. You're his puppet, just like the rest of us. I might die next, but he'll kill you, too. When he's done with you. This isn't about you or me. This is about Majora and…"

Suddenly, the bottle radiated with immense heat. Tatl flew from the glass when it burned her, noting the imp's now glowing hand. When she looked back at the mask, all she saw was anger. "I am no one's puppet. You are the pawns, and I will burn you all." The Skull Kid flew off the cliff, bottle in hand.

When Link's sixth sense told him Goron Village was near, he exited his ball. He walked through the town entrance's familiar mountain pass; the village hadn't changed, once again shrouded in night. The snow was heavier, and Link looked around to realize there were still no gorons outside to greet him.

Tael flew up beside him. "This place is always deserted when we come here."

"They're hiding," Link said, walking to the building where he'd met the baby. He'd grown used to Darmani's immense weight, making it to the Goron Shrine's stone slab of a door quickly. Link looked up to see the same shivering goron on a ledge just above the door.

The guard noticed him after only a moment. "O-o-only a Goron pound can open the door...," the goron said, shivering just as madly. "It's going to c-c-close right away though, so it d-d-doesn't get cold inside. Okay?"

Did his shift ever end? the hero wondered. Or has he been standing out here this whole time? He hoped it was the latter.

"What's a Goron pound?" Tael asked.

Link decided that he would answer with a demonstration. There's no reason the guard has to do it for me. Especially since he was clearly too cold and miserable to even recognize their Goron hero returned from the grave.

Link rolled into a ball, hoisted his entire body several feet skyward, and then crashed into the snow with his hardened back. The resulting shock wave traveled through the air to knock even Tael backward, who watched as the heavy door slid open. Link left his ball and noted the black mark left on the ground. He and the fairy exchanged a glance, though Tatl's sarcastic commentary he'd grown so used to never came.

"What?" Tael asked.

"Nothing," Link said. "Come on. We need to hurry."

They both passed inside, and the door closed behind them.

Instantly, the Goron baby's shrill crying returned with full force. Link brought his hands to his ears again, looking up to see distress overwhelming the other gorons. It didn't seem like anything had changed over the past twenty-four hours.

"What is that noise?" Tael exclaimed.

"The Elder's son," Link said, happy that he could speak much louder in Darmani's powerful voice.

"You think the beginning of a song will be enough to put him to sleep?" Tael said. "Why are we even doing this in the first place? It won't help us make it to Snowhead."

"It'll help us win over the gorons," Link explained. "And that will help us get to Snowhead."

As they walked to the second story's ramp, Link and Tael kept an eye out for the other gorons' reactions. Most had their eyes squeezed shut in defeat, but the few that noted Link's white sideburns and formidable stature froze in shock. Only a handful of widened eyes followed the dead hero and fairy as they entered the throne room.

The baby still sat in the large chair, his head thrown back and releasing a monstrous wail. Link approached the guards with his hands plugging his ears, and the baby's entourage was barely cognizant enough to notice Link. The hero noted the baby's collection of toys again; he smiled when he saw a pair of drums among them. Link met no resistance as he bent down, lifted the instrument, and approached the baby.

The guards' eyes became shocked zeroes when they finally took notice of their visitor, paralyzed as he confronted the Elder's son. Link rested the four drums on his stomach, and the baby looked up from his fit of despair. "Hyunh, hunh... Darmi?"

Link nodded.

"Where's my daddy? Where's my daddy?"

"He's –" but Link was cut off. The baby's sob continued again, as if his deceased family friend had not reappeared before him. The guards remained standing there, clearly unsure if they should believe their eyes.

One summoned the courage to take a step forward. "Th-there's something wrong with my eyes. You're supposed to be dead, Darmani."

Link gave his rehearsed answer. "I cannot rest until my people are saved. I am here to end the never-ending winter that comes from Snowhead."

The Goron guard merely stared at him blankly, arms still covering his ears to block out the screaming. "It is you. Y-you can have the food I hid in the chandelier up there, so p-please, j-just die in peace."

"I'm not here to die," Link said, suppressing his frustration. "I'm here to save Snowhead. The Elder asked me to put his son at ease, and then I will set off to end the masked imp's curse." He turned to go back to his drums, but the guard stepped forward again before he could play.

"If you really are Darmani... Please. Save us. Maybe the gods haven't forsaken us yet."

Link returned his solemn stare. "They haven't."

The hero closed his eyes, trying to remember the notes. He hummed the pitches to himself and hit the drums to hear which one's matched. Everyone in the room watched attentively, except for the baby. Which is a lot of pressure, the boy thought. He'd learned the song hours ago on an instrument he'd never played. Using my ocarina isn't an option. He wagered things would turn hostile if they discovered Darmani was a fraud.

Thankfully, the baby spared him of more awkward, hesitant drum-playing. He stopped crying, sniffling now as he looked up at the hero.

"That song," the baby said. "That's the song daddy always plays for me before I go to sleep… I'll sing the next part." The infant pushed himself further into his chair, closed his eyes, and sang the notes. Link tapped along on the drums, getting a better feel for each one's pitch. The baby seemed to know all of it, too, unlike the Elder, and soon he had the whole lullaby.

Eventually, the baby stopped singing, and only Link's drums made noise. The infant's eyes closed, a content smile replacing his frown. He relaxed further into his chair as Link looped the lullaby. Tael noticed that even the guards' eyes steadily grew heavy.

"Mmmmm... It's just like... daddy's... right... beside me..." Soon, his whimpers became gentle snores, and the Goron baby's head lolled backward as he slept. The shrill shrieks of an angry goron had stopped; finally, peace had come to the shrine.

Link stopped playing the drums, taking them off and setting them aside. He smiled when he realized all the guards had curled into balls, each snoring in time with the baby's peaceful breathing. "Whoa," Tael said. "That song…"

"A Goron Lullaby," Link said, amazed by its effectiveness.

I wonder if everyone in the shrine is asleep, Link thought as they followed the rug out of the Elder's room. However, he and Tael approached the balcony's railing to see all the other refugees were definitely awake – looking up at them from below. Well, I guess that was too much to hope for. Nerves quickly washed over the hero; he gripped the railing nervously.

All of them stood in amazement. Their Goron hero had returned from the dead to appease the Elder's son. Darmani looked down on them from above as hushed whispers passed among the crowd. Link glanced to Tael, but the purple fairy merely shrugged. Guess there's only one thing to do, he thought, turning to the crowd and clearing his throat.

"The gorons of Goron Village," he started. His voice was deep, though uncertainty still came through. He took a deep breath to steady himself before continuing. "My people. Likely, you all wonder how I'm here before you now – after my death some time ago. But I unfortunately do not have an answer." Confusion followed, but they remained quiet to hear his explanation. Whether an illusion or dark magic, they at least trusted him enough to speak.

"I, too, am uncertain how I stand here before you. The demon in Snowhead slew me, but that did not stop me from returning to my people. The first thought that came to me, when I opened my eyes again, was not why I had been given life once mroe. I did not fear that some dark curse had befallen me, or that I was merely an apparition, to vanish after a short period of time. I awoke knowing that I had a second chance to save my people. I awoke with the strength of warriors of heroes past. I awoke with the understanding that I cannot rest until my people live free of our curse.

"I come to you not as a demon, or a ghost, or a shadow. I come here as your hero. I will vanquish the beast that has caused our village untold misery. And though this quest may be my last, rest knowing that when the sun breaks free from the clouds, and the grass grows green again, and the last of the snow has fallen, it is I that have saved you. I have not forgotten our struggle, and it is that memory that breathed life into me again. A hero never abandons his people.

"I am Darmani the Third. The blood of proud Goron heroes runs in me. And I have come to save you."

With that, Link took his hands off the railing. There was a moment of silence; collectively, the crowd held its breath. And never released it.

Did I say the right thing? he wondered, as the stunned quiet continued. What if they turn against me? What if I have to fight my way out of here?

Link turned to Tael, recalling a conversation they'd had earlier: They'd think I was a witch, Link had said, or some dark magic user. The gorons can be superstitious.

Superstitious? Tael had replied. You... kind of did use magic to do that.

Suddenly, Link was dashing across the rocky passage of Death Mountain, the sun blazing behind he and Epona... he held Zelda's cold hand, placing it on his forehead as he sobbed… he led his horse out of the castle gates, resolving never to come back... he'd finally managed to cross Hyrule's borders and now plodded through the forest on the other side. Then, Epona stopped moving. Link felt her trembling terribly beneath him, stiff as a log. He looked up to see a white ball of light… Link, get up!... He fell… Epona neighed shrilly in pain…

The goron crowd burst into applause. Link blinked the heavy memories away, and when he opened his eyes, the shrine returned. Standing below him was a crowd of cheering hands and smiling faces. He turned to Tael, who smiled as well. "It worked," he said.

Link pushed away that terrified voice from his past – You have to get up! He's here! – and Darmani turned to the gorons below, smiling.

The thick curtain of snow soon replaced the crowd of gorons – all standing outside and waving to see their hero off. Link and Tael pressed onward, following their new directions to Snowhead.

"That was impressive," the purple fairy said, as the familiar crunch of boots on snow accompanied them.

"What was?" Goron Link asked.

"The speech. I didn't know you were a good public speaker, too. I feel like you can do pretty much everything."

"Not everything," Link said. "But I had to get the hang of speaking in front of crowds after saving Hyrule. I ended up being around the Royal Family a lot."

"Were you a prince or something?"

"No," Link said. "I almost..." He trailed off, picturing Zelda as an adult when they'd defeated Ganon together. There was a whole life waiting for us, and I threw it all away. The brief pang of sadness was violent and sharp, but he suppressed it just as fast. "I was just... the Hero of Time."

"You definitely sounded like a hero in there," Tael said. "I'm definitely not a hero."

"You saved me in the cave," Link pointed out.

"I don't think that makes me a hero, though. I... just didn't have anywhere else to go."

"That cave was pretty frightening. It takes a lot of courage to go in there to save someone you barely know."

The fairy had no response. He merely flew beside Link, some perturbed expression on his face. He really underestimates himself, Link thought.

"Do you know where we're going?" Tael said instead, changing the subject.

"We're close to where the ReDead creature sabotaged me, I think. If we keep going this way, we should reach the temple."

"Okay. As long as we're not out here too much later. It's just really dark, and I can't light up very much in this storm."

"Oh!" Link exclaimed, curling into a ball. "I forgot I could roll."

"Wait, no! I can't keep –" But Link sped off before the fairy could finish his sentence, already picking up speed. "... up." Tael sighed, flying quickly to follow the goron tearing through the snow.

Once again, Link's all-seeing goron senses guided him: they revealed every crevice, every wall, every pass. The darkness and blizzard were much more manageable in this new form. Though I doubt Darmani will help me much against that ReDead thing, he thought. Despite how terrifying that confrontation would be, Link wanted it. More than anything. Because then I'll find Tatl. He didn't have a strategy for defeating that creature – aside from not looking into its eyes. But it didn't matter. He would fight the monster, and no matter how unlikely or dangerous it would be to roll into it out here again…

I hope it happens. I hope I sense it the next time I round a corner.

He kept in mind the other avenues still available to him: finding the creature at Snowhead's temple, finding him on the way back to Clock Town, or asking the mask salesman for help under the clock tower. One of those leads has to work.

Link slowed down when he sensed the mountain valley narrowing. He exited his ball to find a still young night, and he saw the valley quickly condensing into a singular mountain pathway that sloped steeply upward. One side of the pathway was bordered by a mountain wall: his left. The other side of the pathway had no border; it was a cliff that descended into an immense chasm. Mountain walls on the abyss's opposite end were far, far away, creating a ring that eventually became the wall on his left. The thin path hugging the wall was his only way forward.

Tael caught up to him, slightly out of breath.

"I don't think you realize how fast you're going in that thing," Tael said.

"Something tells me we're close," Link said, ignoring his complaining. "But I can't roll on this path – it wouldn't be safe."

"Thank Din," Tael said, looking over to see the chasm, too. "Walking carefully definitely is the move."

Link nodded and stepped onto the ledge. Normally, he would've waited until morning to hike on a trail like this, but he was out of time. When the sun rose next, it would be the final day. He walked carefully, wondering if it would be safer in his goron or human form. Being Darmani protected him from the cold, but his solid rock body was heavier and took up more space.

Before he had to make that decision, they neared a sign covered in ice. Tael illuminated its message: "Warning! Closed to the general public and those who cannot perform the Goron jump."

"The Goron jump?" Tael said. "Can you do that?'

"I don't know," Link said. "I feel like gorons can't really jump far."

"Huh. I guess the sign didn't think a fairy would ever come through here. I don't need a Goron jump." Tael turned to Link, smiling as if he'd made the best joke in the world.

Link humored him with a smile, nonetheless. "Let's just hope I can figure it out when we get there."

They walked on with only the whistling wind to accompany them. The incline gradually increased; the massive drop on the right was a constant threat as they went upwards. Eventually, a rumbling noise startled them both.

Link looked up the mountain wall, noticing a boulder of snow tumbling toward them. It was far away, but each pocket of snow it disturbed merely created a larger waterfall of debris. The narrow avalanche shot straight toward Link and Tael, as if through a chute. "Watch out!" Tael said, flying off the path and over the chasm, though the Goron hero didn't have that as an option. Link took one step forward, but the thundering avalanche was only seconds away.

So instead, he curled into a ball and ground pounded onto the pathway, wedging himself into the rock. Then, the mass of snow came crashing over him...

… Tael watched as the brown ball disappeared beneath the snow and rock. The avalanche continued pouring over the edge, a frozen waterfall descending into the endless pit. The fairy waited to approach until the new mass of snow had settled.

"Link?" Tael asked. I hope it didn't knock him off the edge. Link was either still buried or had fallen – dead at the bottom of the chasm.

A shout surprised Tael. It came from far away, much further along the path. The fairy turned his head and saw something they hadn't seen before: a massive, square-shaped pile of snow. It levitated in the air mere feet from the pathway and the avalanche. And on top of the levitating platform: a goron.

"Link!" Tael exclaimed, flying over that way. How did it knock him all the way up there? However, a hand shot out of the snow behind Tael, shocking him again. The fairy spun around to see two thick, muscular arms pulling themselves out of the pile of snow. There are two gorons here? Tael thought in alarm.

He waited as Link pulled himself out of the snow; the hero shivered beneath the ice now encasing his body. "Hey!" Tael said, pointing out the goron well ahead of them. "Look!" Link turned to notice the same thing, still out of breath as he freed his feet. Most likely, the avalanche had knocked this second goron over the abyss, and it had been dumb luck that he'd landed on an invisible platform like the ones in Goron Village…

… Link grumbled. Even Darmani's body can't handle getting pummeled like that. He already felt weaker, though he was grateful he hadn't returned to his human form. The avalanche likely would've killed him. He managed to remove his boots and then pushed himself forward through the snow. The pathway was more difficult to traverse now. Who could that possibly be up there? Link thought. The blizzard must be blocking more from our view than we realized.

"How is he floating in the air like that?" Tael asked in bewilderment.

He still hasn't asked if I'm okay, Link noted, though he pushed that thought aside for now. As they neared the lone goron, Link noticed something further out into the chasm: a tall column of ice jutting from the abyss. "There was something similar in Goron Village. They called it Lone Peak Shrine, and its pathway was shrouded by magic. Looks like there are more of them in the mountains."

It only took a few minutes, and then Link and Tael reached the pathway's edge closet to the invisible platform. The trapped goron was on his hands and knees, shaking terribly. Though the platform wasn't too far away, a goron could never make a jump that far. The mountain dweller refused to take a step in any direction, terrified of falling.

"D-d-darmani?" His voice was hardly a whisper as he looked up to notice them.

Gorbus, Link recognized. It was the goron who'd found him freezing to the death in the valley. The deep sadness in his eyes from earlier was replaced with panic.

"Just hold on," Link said, reaching for his bag. However, his hand only met air. Oh no. My bag's in my human form.

"You're a... g-g-ghost."

"No, I'm not, I –"

Gorbus's hands slipped, and he face-planted. The goron started shaking even more, no longer completely resting on the ledge outline by the fallen snow. The air left his lungs as he opened his mouth to release a breathless scream.

"Whoa, hold on!" Link said. He steadied himself as he realized the only way to save Gorbus was to expose himself. He reached for his face and removed the Goron mask. Instantly, his human form and bag returned. The pounds of rock, fat, and muscle were gone, and suddenly, Gorbus was looking at the boy who'd left his hut yesterday, promising to rid Snowhead of the curse.

Gorbus's eyes widened, looking up to see Darmani's face in Link's right hand. "Y-y-you..."

"Don't worry, I'll explain everything as soon as I save you," Link said. He retrieved the Lens of Truth and peered through, revealing the trail of floating platforms that eventually reached the column in the distance. Gorbus lay right on the edge of the one closest to the pathway.

"Okay, I need you to stand up slowly," Link said, looking through to make sure Gorbus didn't overstep. He was sprawled out and dangerously close to falling.

"I-I-I..."

"Gorbus, please," Link said. "Just calm down and stand up slowly. You're on an invisible block of ice. This lens in my hand is showing it to me. You just have to trust me. You have to stand up."

Gorbus, after taking one more frightened glance into the chasm, forced himself to take a deep breath. He shakily stood, pushing himself off the ground as his knees wobbled. The cold quickly tore through Link's human skin and coat, but he did his best to ignore that as he shook.

"Now, step just a bit closer," Link said, as soon as Gorbus was on his feet. "Toward me."

"But..."

"Just do it. There's still a little bit of ledge left. I want you to know where the very end of it is."

"Wh-wh-why? Do you want me to...?"

"One thing at a time," Link said. "Just take a small step forward."

Gorbus eventually did just that, inching his feet slowly toward the endless drop.

"Good," Link said. "Now stop there." He lowered the lens, putting it back into his bag. "Remember where that edge is, because I'm going to ask you to back up, run as fast as you can, and..."

"No!" Gorbus exclaimed. "I can't do it. I won't make it."

"I know," Link said. "But I'm going to catch you and pull you up, once I turn back into a goron."

"You..."

"Darmani is strong enough, and besides, that's the only option we have." Link bit his tongue as he said it, however. There was one other option: he could leap over there as a human and teleport him back to the first day with the Song of Time. Though sacrificing Tatl was out of the realm of possibility.

"D-d-darmani..." Gorbus said shakily. "You have his face."

"No," Link said, holding the mask up. "It's just a..." Link trailed off when he realized what he'd been about to say. It's just a mask, he thought. It's not a face. His eyes drifted away from Gorbus, looking down into what appeared to be Darmani in his hands.

Those words echoed across his mind, as if he was on the precipice of some great revelation. It's not a face, Link thought again. It's just a mask. He was riding Epona through the woods north of Death Mountain again. Link, get up!... There was some terrible snapping sound in the distance… He fell… Epona neighed shrilly in pain…

Tael interrupted him before he could piece it together. "Link! The avalanche!"

A familiar rumbling noise came next. Link turned to see a second wave of snow rolling toward them. It was another frozen waterfall – mere seconds away.

Link's blue eyes widened. "Gorbus!" He placed the Goron mask over his face, becoming Darmani again. The trapped goron looked up to see the avalanche, too. "I need you to jump – now!"

"I-I-I... can't..." He looked nervously at the gap separating them. If neither of them moved, the falling boulders would wipe them both off of Snowhead forever.

"Yes, you can!" Link said. "Jump now, or I'm leaving you there!"

Gorbus allowed the image of his deceased hero to give him courage. He backed up as far as he could, planted his feet firmly, and ran. He jumped, stretching outward for Darmani to save him. Link managed to grab Gorbus's upper arms, but the heavy mountain dweller pulled him to his stomach instantly – even with the dead hero's strength. The thick, corded muscles on his new arms bulged as he strained to save Gorbus. The rumbling avalanche's shadow was already upon them.

Link screamed, summoning every ounce of Darmani's power to hoist Gorbus over the ledge. He collapsed on his back and successfully brought Gorbus with him. He lay there – out of breath – as the first boulders bounced onto the pathway. No! Link grabbed Gorbus, jumped to his feet, and pushed them both against the mountain wall. Then, the snow barreled on top of them…

… Tael watched in horror as the avalanche swallowed both gorons whole.

Chapter Text

Link lay there, dazed. He couldn't see anything, and the chilly, white tomb completely encased him. The commotion had ended, and for a moment, he could not fight for freedom. There was no energy left; the exhaustion paralyzed him.

On this day, he'd ventured through the dark cave connecting Termina to the wasteland. The day before, he had battled dodongos, fled from an entire nest of tektites, almost frozen to death in the snow, and lost his only friend to a cloaked ReDead creature. Two days before that, Anju had died, and the entire village of Clock Town had rallied against him. He'd remembered that Zelda was dead and that he had no one left in Hyrule. The battles and the emotional turmoil, at that moment, were suffocating. The woes of a lifetime hit him all at once.

Then, he balled his fist, and snow squished between his fingers. He searched for his will to keep going – and then clawed his way to freedom.

He rose from the snow, turning to see Tael floating where his head popped out. The fairy's face immediately relaxed. Darmani's already white sideburns were now speckled with ice, too. He pulled the rest of himself from the snow to see Gorbus doing the same beside him.

"You're... okay?" Tael asked.

"Yeah," Link said, brushing himself off and shivering. The snow was up to his knees now. The rest of this trek is going to be painful, he realized. "Are you okay?" he asked the goron beside him, who still seemed shocked.

Gorbus's hand was up against the wall, and he leaned over – out of breath and shaking. When his eyes found Darmani, he appeared torn between fleeing and giving him a chance. "Yes, but you... aren't..."

"I'm not really Darmani," Link said.

"How do you wear his face, then?" Gorbus asked.

"Darmani's ghost came to me. He asked me to bring him back to life, but I couldn't. The only thing I knew how to do was... heal him. I helped him move on, and it left behind this mask."

The goron kept watching him uncertainly. Maybe I shouldn't have been one hundred percent honest, Link thought. He remembered the people of Clock Town who had formed an angry mob, and he imagined them with goron faces. "How did you do that?"

"My ocarina," Link said.

"No," Tael interrupted. "The mask salesman's song."

Link shot Tael an angry glance, but Gorbus only looked at the two with a wrinkled brow. "I don't know who this mask salesman is, or how he helps you turn spirits into masks... but, you saved me." Link's demeanor calmed; the pitchforks and torches faded from his mind. "You told me in the village that you would break Snowhead of its curse. Though your magic is strange..." He paused, as if the words to come were difficult to say. "... I want to trust you. Maybe, now that I have nothing left, it is easier to trust something strange, but I want to believe that all hope is not lost."

Link allowed the words to sink in. As the fear left Gorbus's eyes, his deep sadness returned. A sadness that I can relate to, the hero thought. Yet, he'd brought Gorbus hope.

"Why did you come this way?" Link asked.

Gorbus looked away shamefully. "It's so painful to sit there, do nothing, and think of him." His mouth quivered, but tears didn't come. "The gods already decided death in the valley was not for me, so I decided I would go to Snowhead, as you said you would. Either I saved my village, or... I get what I wanted to begin with."

Link placed a hand on the goron's shoulder. "You don't have to do this. I'm supposed to do this. Darmani and I. We can end this curse and give you a reason to live again. You should go back to the village and help your people there. Where they need you. If not for them, or yourself... then for your son."

Gorbus never broke eye contact and eventually nodded. "Thank you. You may not be the goron hero whose face you wear, but... you are a hero." Link smiled, and the goron went to leave.

"We're even now," Link said. The goron paused to look back. "You saved me, and I saved you. Now I just have to pay Darmani back, by saving your village." The goron gave him a weak smile, before turning away and beginning his trek to Goron Village. Link watched as he disappeared into the thick snow.

Then, the trek to Snowhead continued. The deep snow made the mountain pathway even more treacherous, especially since the blizzard hadn't abated. Rolling into a ball would make it easier to see, but then the snow would be taller than him. He could only press on, hoping the temple would eventually come into view.

Link broke his and Tael's silence a few minutes into their journey. "What was that about?" he asked in the dead goron hero's voice.

"What?"

"When I was explaining everything to him. What do you have against the mask salesman? It's just a song, and a song of healing."

"I don't trust him, that's all," Tael said.

"I understand that. But why? Weren't you the one that robbed him?"

"No, the Skull Kid did. I told you that. Why do you trust him?"

"He helped me," Link said. The snow was starting to sting even his goron skin again. "I would've died. I fell off the clock tower, and he healed my wounds with that song."

"Why did he save you?"

"I... don't..." Link realized he didn't have an answer.

"Did he save you out of the goodness of his heart?"

"I'm not sure," Link admitted, remembering their conversation underneath the tower. "He promised to heal me with my ocarina if I got him back Majora's Mask. But he did it before he checked to see if I had it. And he got pretty angry once he realized his mistake."

"I don't trust anyone who wants that mask," Tael said. "How different would things be if he had put it on instead of the Skull Kid?"

"He knows what the mask is," Link said. "The Skull Kid doesn't. The mask salesman knows better than to wear it."

"Why does he want it, then?"

"Because of all the terrible things it's doing," he said, growing slightly irritated. "He wants to stop it. He told me I needed to bring it back to him before it got too awful. He told me that I had to choose between the light and the dark, and that I had to stop it."

"The light and the dark?"

"I don't know what he meant by that. But he knows way more than he lets on. He... knew that Tatl and I had gone back in time."

Tael's eyes narrowed. "Then shouldn't he have known you didn't have Majora's Mask when he healed you?"

That thought had never occurred to Link. "Maybe... his knowledge has limits?"

"Or he lied?"

"Look, he saved my life," Link said firmly. "There is something really mysterious about him, but that doesn't mean he's bent on world domination."

Tael didn't have a response. He let the quiet linger for a moment longer. "Did he teach you the Song of Time, too?"

"No," Link said. "That one's from Hyrule."

"How many times have you played it?"

Link furrowed his brow, thinking deeply. He had played it for the first time on accident, when Tatl died. The second time was after the first day, to show the new Tatl the truth. Then, he had spent yet another one in Clock Town, to confront the Skull Kid again. After that... Woodfall? He'd spent the cycle after that recuperating. Followed by the Skull Kid's siege on Clock Town and another day of recovery.

Six?

"Six," Link said, never having tallied it before. "I think I've played the Song of Time six times. This is my seventh loop."

"So, this is your twentieth day?"

"No," Link answered. "I didn't use all three days every time." Something else, however, continued bugging his mind. Had the moon fallen... six times? He wouldn't be able to stop the moon from falling this time either – the seventh.

"Do you think the world ends each time?" Tael asked, as if reading his mind.

"That's something Tatl and I talk about a lot. I guess there's no way for us to know. We just have to keep going like that's not what happens."

Tael didn't respond. I guess I wouldn't either, Link thought. It was easy for him and Tatl to pretend the world didn't end each time, when they were guaranteed to survive. The six previous Taels, however, weren't as lucky.

Soon, the pathway widened into an abrupt end. Through the thick snow, Tael and Link saw the dead end drop off into the mountain's ever-present chasm. A new path began on the other side of the lengthy gap; a wooden ramp rested on each end of the hole. There was no way to cross other than to leap over the gap.

"I guess this is a Goron jump?" Link said.

"I think your legs are too small to make that jump," Tael said.

Link took a step back anyways, examining his surroundings. "Tael? In case this doesn't work, it was nice knowing you."

"What?" the purple fairy said, watching Link step further back from the ramp. He dragged his feet through the snow to clear away a path. "I don't see how that's gonna help."

Link decided to respond through demonstration again. He rolled into a ball and traveled as fast as he could toward the gap.

"Whoa!" Tael exclaimed, quickly flying after him in a panic. "Link, stop! This is stupid!"

He took no heed. Link rolled through the path he'd created to reach the ramp at high speed. Then, he was in midair, spinning as he descended to the other side. He barely made the lip of the opposite ramp, his momentum carrying him through several feet of snow before he stopped. Link stood tall as a clearly strained Tael joined him.

"You idiot!" Tael yelled. Link's smile vanished, taken back by the fairy's anger. "You could have gotten us both killed!"

"Both?"

Tael's eyes widened, as if he'd said something he hadn't meant to. He shook his head. "You just had me worried, that's all. Don't do anything stupid like that again."

Link almost came up with a witty retort, but he reminded himself that this wasn't Tatl. Even though it was very Tatl-like for him for him to yell at me like that. He wondered what their parents had been like for the first time.

"We don't have much time left. If we're going to make it to Snowhead and save Tatl, we need to make decisions quickly." Link then walked off; Tael took a moment before deciding to follow.

Eventually, something other than mountain wall, gray sky, or snow appeared on the horizon. Link rounded the next corner, noting the strange noise ahead. It was a sharp whistling that was loud enough to almost be a roar. The sound became louder with each step, and soon, the new area presented itself.

Link looked in awe, glancing at the frozen sign beside him. "Snowhead Temple. High winds ahead. Gusts and snow flurries may blow careless travelers off the cliffs."

The mountain wall on their left had ended. A new, thin pathway of ice snaked over the same deadly chasm, and like before, there was no railing. But unlike last time, both sides threatened a deadly plummet. The pathway went on for a while, eventually reaching a thick column that stood in the chasm's middle. The column, however, was not a small cave or an empty space, like the previous ones. Instead, a ridiculously sized chunk of ice and rock rested on it. The temple.

The powerful structure towered high, and a thin ramp ran around from bottom to top. Spikes acted as a crown at the peak, and nothing in the vicinity challenged its height or magnificence. The perilous pathway leading up to it completed the picture; it was as deadly as it was beautiful.

The loud noise repeated itself, and Link and Tael noticed a visible blast of cold air bellowing over the temple road. It seemed to come from the temple, mercilessly blowing over the bridge. After a few moments, it stopped, though it always quickly reappeared. There's no way to cross that in between the breaks, Link thought. That blast of air would blow even Darmani away.

Link stood there in awe, his wide, black Goron eyes taking it in. "We're here," Link said eventually. Was it worth it? he wondered. Of all the cycles, this one had seemed the longest. At its start, he was still brimming with optimism about what lay across Termina's borders. Tatl was still by his side, and the only goal in their minds was freeing the giant. Neither of them had heard of the ReDead faced creature.

"It looks dangerous," Tael said, just as awestruck.

"Yeah." For the first time in a while, he realized how heavy his eyes were. I haven't slept since right before I met Tael. That had been almost a full twenty-four hours ago. "But I think it's almost midnight, which means we only have thirty hours left. We need to go inside. Now"

"But that wind," Tael said. "Even if you rolled as fast as you did earlier, you still wouldn't make it in time. And you'd probably roll off the edge anyways. The bridge is so thin."

"I know," Link said. He watched the random gusts of wind again; they seemed separate from the storm. "Where are they coming from?"

"I don't know." Tael squinted his eyes, as if searching for something…

Invisible, Link realized. He removed his goron mask, anticipating how much more intense the cold would get. Shivering, his hand found the Lens of Truth.

It revealed the largest goron Link had ever seen. The mountain dweller was sitting comfortably on the bridge's other side, almost as big as the temple at his back. The rock creature would take in a deep breath, and then exhale the dangerous gust of wind over the pathway. Once it ran out of breath, the biggoron paused, catching his breath before leaning forward, inhaling, and blowing again.

"What?" Tael said, flying to see for himself. "It's – !"

"I know," Link said, putting the instrument away. Even if an arrow could cut through all that wind, he knew his bow couldn't damage such a massive creature. Link didn't own anything else long-ranged. And even if I could roll across in time, the biggoron wouldn't let me pass. It would be an impossible battle. He would only have the tiny ledge, and such a massive creature would squash him. "I think this is where Darmani died."

"I bet," Tael said.

"There has to be a way."

"I mean, I could fly in, but the goal is to bring you, too."

"We've gotta have something that can fight it," Link said. "Something."

"Gorons are pretty tough to begin with, but this one..."

"Everything has a weakness."

"Not that thing. Did the mask salesman teach you a 'Stop Gorons From Existing' song, too?"

"No," Link said, stopping when an idea presented itself. "But..."

"But what?"

"We do know one song that works on gorons." Link turned to Tael, smiling.

The purple fairy connected the dots. "You want to try and put him to sleep?"

Link shrugged. "I know it sounds crazy, but it's the only idea I have." He pulled the ocarina out of his belt and put it to his lips, steadying himself from shivering before he played the song. Quickly, it came to him, despite learning it on drums.

As the Goron Lullaby filled the valley, the biggoron became visible without the Lens of Truth. Its eyes quickly became heavy, and the goron leaned forward into the song, no longer capable of concentrating on his breathing. The ocarina's voice soared high, and Link allowed his natural talent as a musician to save them.

The strong, icy breaths never turned. Link continued looping the melody until it had taken complete control of the massive creature. One heavy blink became its last, and then it curled into a ball. The guardian slowly rolled over to the side, eventually toppling over the edge and plummeting into the deep chasm that had claimed Darmani.

Link lowered his ocarina, somewhat stunned that it had worked. "Whoa," Tael commented. The bridge was now clear, obstructed only by normal snowfall. Link smiled, turning into Darmani and walking carefully over the thin bridge. Tael followed closely, and the temple grew taller with each step, casting a mighty shadow over them.

"We made it," Link said as soon as they crossed the bridge. He had to crane his head back to take in the temple's awesomeness. "We made it to Snowhead."

"Yeah, we did," Tael said, almost sounding sad.

Link didn't have time to read into his words. He turned to walk up the ramp that would lead them to the distant entrance. I'm almost there, Tatl.

The first room Link entered was surprisingly small. Tael illuminated the dark walls, revealing a snowy line on the floor where the blizzard could no longer reach. Large, claw-like icicles shot up from the ground, curving over to surround a passageway on the other end. The doorway, however, was blocked by a heavy, stone cube. The walls, ceiling, and floor were all the same shade of gray, white, and blue. The minimal increase of warmth was welcome, though the cave appeared to be entirely ice and rock. Temple number two, Link thought, shaking the eerie feeling that fell over him.

"Well, we're here," Tael said, looking back at the gray sky outside. "Is there... a plan?"

"Search the temple," Link said, as he crossed the room. "For signs of Tatl, the ReDead thing, and a way to break the curse on Snowhead." He approached the stone block wedged firmly into the next doorway, shattering the icicles in his way with Darmani's fists.

"That thing is huge," Tael said, joining him at the roadblock. "It's gonna take more than average strength to move this thing."

"Good thing I'm a dead goron hero," Link said smugly, grabbing it firmly on both sides. He pushed, and the block slid inward. It continued gliding across the smooth floor as he stepped through the passageway. Eventually, the block fell once it reached a large hole in the ground, creating a doorstep into the next room.

It was just as small, but there were two differences. First, there were three doors, one on each new wall. The one across from him was frozen over by a thick layer of ice, and the one to his left was wrapped in chains secured by a padlock. The last one was an open passageway. The second difference, however, was the white wolfos in the center. Its red eyes were bright as it pounced at the intruders.

Link instinctively curled into a ball, rolling past the large, white wolf as it missed. Its paws sliced through thin air, though its nails still rang loudly with a deadly threat. Tael flew to the ceiling and avoided the battle, though the wolfos never cared for the smaller prey. It turned back to Link, who exited his ball to battle.

The wolfos ran on all fours for a second attack, its bared fangs and savage snarl promising death. It leapt again, landing on top of Link and immediately piercing his goron arms. It reached for his neck next, but Link grabbed the wolfos's neck to hold its snout back. It growled viciously, snapping for his throat as blood ran along Link's arms. The hero stumbled back into the wall, struggling to pull the monster off and protect his head. Eventually, he overpowered it, flinging the wolfos into the wall. Its red claws tore free as its back hit the chained door.

The wolfos fell, stunned, and Link grabbed it by the neck before it could recover. He slammed the beast headfirst into the wall; the impact killed it. The wolfos slid down the wall into a pool of its own blood.

Link backed away from the dead beast, examining his arms to see the deep cuts. They weren't severe, but they stung, nonetheless. Link looked up to see Tael in shock.

"You... killed it," the fairy said.

"It tried to eat me," Link said, looking away from the battered body.

"It was just so brutal," Tael said eventually, struggling to find the right words.

"I've never killed anything with my hands before," Link said, still facing away from his victim. The overwhelming tiredness suddenly returned, just like it had before entering the temple. I don't know how much longer I can keep going, he thought. But he couldn't stop until Tatl was back.

"Would it be safer to fight as a human, then?"

Link looked back at Tael with heavy eyes. "I thought about that. But this is the goron temple. The cold might be too much for me."

"Okay," Tael said uncertainly, turning to the only free door. "I guess we'll go that way."

"Yep," Link said. "Hopefully it's not a dead end."

They stepped into a dark, cave-like passageway; it wound around in a large curve to the left and reminded them of the Skull Kid's cave. Link and Tael walked through nonetheless, feeling something unexpected: heat.

Tael's eyes widened when they found its source. "I don't think you have to worry about freezing to death anymore."

The next room was much larger than the previous two. It was narrow, and a small ledge ran until it reached a gap. A wooden bridge promised a way over it, but underneath, a very long descent eventually ended at a pull of bright red magma. Thankfully, it was far enough down to not overwhelm them, though falling would lead to certain death. The magma's heat traveled far, and Link hoped it could warm the rest of his journey without proving to be a problem.

However, the problem presented itself almost immediately: a hole in the bridge. The entire middle portion was missing, and both of its ends stopped at a ramp, implying another goron jump would be necessary. This won't be fun, Link thought, wondering how sturdy the bridge even was to support a rolling goron.

"Yep," Link said. "No more freezing to death. I just have to worry about burning to death in a pit of magma instead."

"We could try one of those other doors," Tael said, looking back at the entrance. "I don't think you're supposed to die in the temple."

"Supposed to?" Link asked, wrinkling his brow. "What do you mean by that?"

"I..." Tael gulped. "I mean what I said. You can't die here after everything you've worked for. Not here."

What? Link thought. He decided he was too tired to think through Tael's odd word choice. Every ounce of mental capacity mattered going forward. "One was chained shut, and the other was frozen over. We won't be able to get through."

"Okay," Tael said nervously. "Just be careful." He flew over the bridge himself, as Link closed his eyes, focusing. You can do this, he thought, ignoring the slight stumble that warned him of utter exhaustion.

He backed away from the bridge, ensuring he was aligned with its center. He then rolled into a ball, allowing his sensory perception to sweep the room – all the way down to the magma. He rolled as fast as he could.

The sound of rock on rock changed once he reached the wood, though the creaking was severe. His great speed took him across before anything cracked. He hit the ramp, completely destroying it even as it sent him upward. He continued rolling until he landed on the bridge's opposite side and passed onto the next ledge's smooth safety. He quickly stood, turning in shock as the bridge debris rained into the mama.

When his heartbeat finally slowed, he sighed; the adrenaline's tail end fell like a hammer over him. "I feel like you always cut it really close," Tael said. "It would be nice if I wasn't constantly fearing for your life."

Link smiled, looking at the doorway leading onward. "I'm never that lucky," Link said. "Death is always just around the corner."

"Hopefully not this one," Tael said, as they passed into the next room.

While death was not what they found, the two were once again stunned into silence. It was a chamber that likely constituted the vast majority of the temple. It was cylindrical and ran up hundreds of feet. Ramps jutted from the walls to fill the empty space, continuing all the way to the top. There were several floors, above and below, but Link's seemed to be the only one with a solid floor connecting all sides. The higher levels had their doors and ramps separated by empty space, making crossing impossible without a goron jump. A circular, ornate tower rose from the lower floors and ended right on Link's level – creating the only visible floor. It rested perfectly between all the ramps, promising at least a temporary break from rolling. Link looked between the gaps to try and see how far down the massive tower went – but it was impossible to tell. The faint glow of magma in the distance promised it was housed in hidden lava.

The chamber was a labyrinth that was boggling to behold. The top was the brightest, a white hue illuminating the lower floors made of dark rock. Ice slowly seemed to replace stone the further one climbed.

"I have a really bad feeling I'm going to end up all the way up there," Link said.

"Yep," Tael agreed gloomily.

One thing at a time, Link thought. There was a door to his left, which was iced over. He recognized it as the other side of the entrance's frozen door. The second was the door directly across from him, and the right side's curved wall had been replaced with iron bars. Inside lay a door, chains, shackles, and one or two skeletons. Don't wanna know what that room was used for, Link decided. He continued through the next door with Tael.

Room number four was much less impressive. Though it was still larger than the first two, it was much smaller than the main chamber. It was composed of several raised platforms leading up to a door on a higher wall. Link sighed when he realized the bridges connecting them had fallen apart. Nothing else in the room was remarkable; it was empty and frozen over, otherwise.

"I don't think I'll be able to do this as a goron," Link said, removing his mask. The muscles and scratches on his arms, his sideburns, his rock back, and his large stomach all vanished. He was once again a young, blonde-haired teen, donning winter pants and a jacket from the blacksmith. The weight of his bag, sword, and shield returned, and he noted the Razor sword's increased weight. The Kokiri sword had been lighter. Unexpectedly, his tiredness also increased tenfold, but the magma's heat thankfully reached even this room, stifling his shivers.

"Okay," Link said to reassure himself, climbing onto the first platform. "I can do this." Tael watched skeptically. None of the platforms were high enough to result in a lethal fall, so the purple fairy watched with much less fear than before. Still, Link could see the judgment in his face. He thinks I can't do this, Link thought. He thinks I'm too tired to keep going.

Link jumped from the first to the second without incident but slipped when he stood on the third. He caught himself, however, making it up to the fifth and final one. He barely managed to pull himself onto the other side when his arms almost giving out. "Link," Tael began worriedly.

"I'm fine," Link interrupted. We can't stop, he thought. We only have twenty-something hours before Tatl dies.

If she isn't already dead, a voice in the back of his head said. It was the ReDead creature's voice, mocking him from the recesses of memory.