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Chapter Text

"Link, hurry up! We're going to be late!" called the next monarch of Hyrule, playfully laughing at her guard's plight.

Zelda, the first princess of Hyrule, a youthful teenage girl, was on the eve of celebrating her fifteenth birthday. She was currently atop a docile horse, prepared exclusively for her since birth, heading towards the Lost Woods to face her coming-of-age trial. This trial was mandatory to rightfully become the Crown Princess under the eyes of the Goddesses.

"The Princess doesn't need a trial!" called some among the Hyrule public when it was revealed the Triforce of Wisdom had manifested on the back of her right hand. "Princess Zelda is Goddess Nayru's gift to Hyrule," others claimed, "a reward for our faith."

But the Goddess Temple, the state religion, had a clear stance on the matter: "The princess must undergo her trial."

Ever since that day, the King had ordered the royal guards to carefully curate the trials, which was standard procedure for the firstborn child. He also asked Impa, Zelda's personal Sheikah tutor, to oversee the process. Ever since then, Impa had been known to be engaged in a very fastidious review.

And then Princess Zelda had thrown all their carefully laid plans out the window when she announced in the royal chamber that she would cross the Lost Woods on her own as her trial. The King didn't dare oppose his daughter's first royal decree as a prospective adult in public.

The young girl's authority was near absolute within the land of Hyrule, second only to her father now that she was about to become an adult. In other words, no one could stop her, not even Impa, who certainly tried her absolute best.

Zelda appeared before the public dressed to the nines in ceremonial attire befitting their next sovereign. Her soft, velvety, porcelain skin, which gently reflected the sunlight, made her look like a doll personally crafted by Goddess Hylia herself. Her large, calm, deep blue eyes seemed to swallow the world. She had a head of straight, lustrous, silky, cherry-blonde hair with not a strand ever out of place; soft, dainty facial features; luscious and alluring rosy lips; lithe, feminine shoulders; expressive, intricately sculpted Hylian ears; delicate and exquisite hands; and a perfectly elegant posture with an imposing royal poise. The princess was the pride and joy of Hyrule.

"The Lost Woods," Zelda began in an enchanting voice laced with the finest Hylian honey, "is the home of the Kokiri, an integral part of our Kingdom, and the homeland of my childhood friend Link, the youngest knight in our kingdom's history. How is it, then, that they're so isolated from us? It is my duty as Hyrule's princess to extend an olive branch to this secluded tribe and reach an agreement of mutual cooperation."

That had been the official speech to rouse the public, although many argued that just the simple act of the princess appearing in public accomplished that much.

But the actual contents of the trial were as follows: "As long as Princess Zelda manages to establish contact with the Kokiri leader of Kokiri Forest, or a suitable equivalent to a leader, after successfully crossing through the Lost Woods, she will complete her trial for her coming-of-age ceremony." The key words there being "The Lost Woods"... since Kokiri Forest had other, much lesser-known, avenues of entry.

Ever since Link had, perhaps reluctantly and curtly, shared stories with the princess about his time in the Lost Woods, the princess had become utterly entranced by it. She had dreamt of exploring the mystical place and even of... getting lost. Zelda could always hear a voice from deep inside the misty woods calling her, beckoning her, but just as she was getting lost and was about to find what she had been desperately searching for, she would wake up—utterly frustrating.

Zelda pushed very hard for the inclusion of the mysterious woods in her trials until she got her way, as was customary in Hyrule. The princess's whims and wishes had been almost divine commands for the people of Hyrule ever since her birth, but this was the toughest deku seed to swallow yet. The appearance of even a light scratch on the princess's perfect body was cause for the general public to riot, but to let Hyrule's crown jewel brave the dangerous Lost Woods alone? Unacceptable! Worst-case scenario, they could lose her forever!

It was a hard-fought battle, but much to literally the entire kingdom's chagrin, their princess got her way, as she was known to do. The girl was an unstoppable force. They mourned for three days and nights. Letters from all over the kingdom, including some, surprisingly, from her Kokiri fans, flooded Hyrule Castle's mailbox begging her to reconsider, but Zelda was firm. She needed to do this; her intuition told her so, and it had yet to fail her. Just like that time she warned her father against that petty thief Ganondorf, who wanted to cozy up to nobility and was secretly gathering support for a rebellion, or when she discovered a national treasure thought to be lost to time, buried in Hyrule Castle courtyard: an enchanted rapier renamed "Fae" in Zelda's honor. At the time, she didn't pay much attention—she was eight years old, after all—but seven years later, she found it a tad embarrassing. Not like it matters; Fae has been her faithful companion ever since then through her fencing lessons and forays into the wilderness. Zelda herself doesn't think she amounts to much when it comes to fencing, especially compared to a prodigy of the same age like Link, who was knighted at just eight years of age, the same year they met, but Fae gives her a nice sense of security.

"Sigh, Princess, please think of your knights; we've been on the march for three days straight," pleaded Link, acting as their leader. Zelda knew he was right. The princess had pushed the knights to their limit all the while she relaxed in the comfort of her personal royal carriage or took short and pleasing joy rides such as she was doing right now. Zelda felt a pang of guilt, but she also puffed up her delicate cheeks; if they hadn't delayed her leave from Hyrule Castle, they wouldn't be in this predicament. Zelda wanted to set foot on the Lost Woods entrance right as her anniversary started, but little Illiana, her cute sister begging her not to go, had kept her a few extra hours in Hyrule Castle.

"We're almost there, Link; please, it's the last stretch." Link hesitated. He was one of the few blessed souls in Hyrule that could even think of denying the young princess, but the soldiers who overheard that conversation had no such constitution. Their tired bodies felt a surge of energy after seeing their Princess adorably beg for them to work themselves to death. And they all worked very hard to convince Link to join their newly fangled religion around the unknowing Princess. But Link knew her friend was far from a Goddess of legends, even if she did look like one... Link, obviously, had no trouble refusing his comrades, but going against the Princess, whose job description was obeying, was far beyond his pay grade. He was even receiving death glares after Zelda's little display.

"Phew, I'm tired," informed the Princess, boarding her royal carriage for a long beauty sleep. "You may do as you wish, Link; it'll all be for naught if the entire convoy faints because of me. I don't want Malon giving me an earful for working you to death either." Link let out a sigh of relief, trying not to let his thoughts wander to his lovely fiancée. It was true what they said about the princess's wisdom after all... Maybe... Actually, that assertion was very questionable knowing what he knows. Link thinks idle thoughts while he waits to make sure Her Highness is soundly asleep before he gives the order for everyone to rest through the night. Very few soldiers try to persuade him to keep going, since most of them fainted as soon as their bodies allowed them to, sleep being more powerful than any Goddess, apparently.

Link looks at a locket with a picture of a young and lively red-haired girl, and a big smile unknowingly forms on his face. How good would it be if this was just another social visit to Saria and Navi, but alas. Link admires the portrait for a few more seconds and goes to support the night vigil. It's not easy being assigned to serve your willful childhood friend!

At the dawn of a new day. At daybreak, Zelda does her self-care magical beauty routine and her morning exercise away from prying eyes, as she always does. Zelda acknowledges that she might be good-looking, but she had studied magic since birth, and she learned a massive arsenal of cosmetic spells that would put every beauty salon in Hyrule combined to shame. The princess is always applying this and that unconsciously on herself through magic after she finishes her morning routine, so her ego is not as ridiculously inflated as it perhaps should be.

"Thanks, Link," says Zelda to her personal escort. Link also thanks Zelda in silence, as this brief routine is what kept his squad going for as long as they have. The soldiers sneak a quick rest and have a pep talk about serving their new Goddess with renewed devotion, every single time. "I'll be in my carriage until we arrive," says a decidedly less cheerful Zelda.

"My apologies, Your Highness," mutters Link while bowing at a 45-degree angle. "Don't be. Hyrule's people are far more important than my whims," claimed Zelda, invoking her legendary princess poise for a moment while entering the comfort of her royal carriage. Link knows that when she does that, there is always a very good chance she just lied in the name of diplomacy, but what would be the point of lying to him? Link chose to believe his lovable friend turned boss.

Zelda spends the rest of the journey quietly reading about two dozen books. When Zelda was just about to finish the last book she packed for the long journey, a knock came through the door. They have arrived!

Zelda does a last check of her luggage, making sure to strap the Ocarina of Time securely to her belt. The Ocarina is the royal treasure given to Zelda at birth; it represents her and her birthright. Zelda finishes her preparations by grabbing a wallet bag bursting with rupees and gets out of the carriage to follow Link, who quietly escorts Zelda to the entrance to the Lost Woods. But eventually, he couldn't contain himself and started listing warnings and indications, repeating them over and over. Zelda, who found it funny that the normally stoic Link was so worried, let it through one ear and out the other.

"Link, I'll be fine," says an exasperated Zelda. "We'll see each other in what—a week, maybe two, tops? This trial will be a piece of Gerudo castilla." Link sighs.

"Everything will be fine," reassures Zelda, and before she turns away, Link manages to speak out of turn: "Zelda. Happy birthday!" Zelda lets out a hearty laugh and rewards Link with a warm, genuine smile as she turns her back to him and walks with decided steps to her destination. Link watches with trepidation as he watches Zelda's silhouette rapidly disappear.

Chapter Text

The dense foliage swallowed Zelda whole, and in the blink of an eye, she was covered in a thick fog. "No matter," she thought, lighting up a torch. "I just need to follow the map."

Zelda had walked for close to an hour, following the map and early markings, until she started listening to a song. This wasn't a good sign; Link had warned her to be careful of strange sounds.

"Still," Zelda thought, "it wouldn't hurt to have a quick look." She reasoned, as she swiftly dispatched a stray Keese using Fae and a wind spell.

What she saw made her eyes widen. In a little clearing, a band of skull kids were joyfully performing on top of tree stumps with rudimentary wind instruments such as flutes. Zelda admired the charming spectacle for a little while until she decided it was time to quietly move on, the lively music reaching her for a long time after she left the clearing.

Zelda walked and walked until night fell and she started to see little fairies make their debut. The gentle moon illuminated the area she designated for camping. Zelda swiftly organized a fireplace she lit with magic. She played with the tiny creatures for a bit and pulled out her portable futon, a marvel of Hylian innovation, after she had a quick meal. She did some last rounds and set up a barrier spell before tucking herself safely into bed.

Zelda felt her eyelids slowly beginning to feel heavier as she thought back to her journey thus far. She had yet to feel the magic from her dreams, but she was having fun exploring the place, dispatching monsters with Fae, and practicing her spells. It was proving to be a fruitful journey thus far...

Just as Zelda was about to drift into sleep to the sound of fairy wings flapping, she noticed said flapping became much more agitated and pronounced. She slowly opened her eyes and was appalled by what she saw.

"Ooh, ohh! What a pretty ocarina... Hey, Skull Kid, lemme touch it! I wanna see," said a youthful, fairy boy with a dark purple glow, while a skull kid handled Zelda's ocarina with carelessness. A few notes were badly played when a pretty white fairy interjected, cautiously pushing the dark fairy away.

"You can't, Tael. What would we do if you dropped it and broke it? No way! You can't touch it!!!" The white fairy said, getting a little too worked up.

"...Aww. But, Sis... W-why can't I try it out, too..?" said the dark fairy, dejected but obedient.

Zelda decided she'd seen enough. While groggily waking up, the fairies sounded the alarm bell; it turns out they were on lookout duty against her.

"That's mine," Zelda said, doing her best to invoke her powerful aura despite her grogginess. Regaining her natural poise and gracefully extending her hand, "Give it back." She said, exerting more authority than usual. No creature in Hyrule would dare disobey that command, she thought.

The skull kid slowly turned to look at her, but instead of obeying, it hid her ocarina behind its back. The fairies, however, looked utterly terrified.

Now indignant, Zelda had a better look at this skull kid and was surprised to see an extremely elaborate mask on its normally featureless face.

Zelda's instinct brought to mind an absurd premonition: could it be it dared disobey her because it was donning a mask? How foolish!

"Don't you know who I am? I can get you a thousand like it after I exit these woods." Zelda tried the diplomatic approach, but the imp looked unmoved, and the fairies held their breath.

Zelda had had enough of this, and with agility unexpected from a princess, she lunged at the skull kid to get back the national and personal treasure. But the skull kid, also with unexpected agility, jumped out of the way and broke into a run. Zelda immediately dashed to its location, bolstered by wind magic a handful of times, but was surprised when she learned that it was always ahead of her, just out of her reach.

Zelda started hurling spells, careful not to hit the fairies, but that skull kid was far too nimble. She pulled out Fae as she used her telekinesis to try and trip the skull kid a few more times, trying to decapitate it. Zelda even invoked her sword aura. Just as Zelda thought it worked, the skull kid continued its run unabated. Zelda could swear it connected more than once, though; she was eagerly waiting to see its straw head fly!

Zelda broke into a run, casting a haste spell on herself. Aided by her Sheikah training and magic spells, she must be one of the, if not the, fastest runner in Hyrule. But she was shocked to learn the skull kid was faster. Even the fairies struggled to keep up, and they were flying at top speed, their four wings flapping, giving the impression they could fall off at any moment.

That scamp was an anomaly among anomalies. She had a lot of tricks left in her arsenal, but before she could use them, the imp was out of her sight like an illusion, much to her chagrin. Zelda did her absolute best to give the skull kid a hot pursuit, but eventually she lost that slippery little devil. Zelda's magic reserves were quite large, but to err on the side of caution, she drank one of her potions.

There was only one path, so she ran through a hollow stump and found a formation of vertical stumps that reminded her of stairs. Zelda figured that blasted scamp must have jumped through.

She had no time for jumping, however, so she quickly propelled herself to the top. At the top, the only path was through the mouth of a massive tree. Finally, she had that imp cornered! Oh, he and those fairies are so in for a walloping from her spells!

But as Zelda was contemplating what spells would be best for punishment, it became increasingly clear to Zelda that the inside of the tree was hollow, all the way to the base! Not only that, it was extremely deep! That skull kid must have fallen to its death!!!

Just as Zelda was about to activate a levitation spell to reassess the situation, she fell into total panic when she realized she wasn't able to. The complex spell was not working as intended. Her magic reserves were far from depleted, but the spell refused to activate properly, and she was slowly falling. That is, until she was forced to deactivate it after trying and failing to reach back to safety under the tyranny of smooth walls.

Regret filled Zelda's mind as she fell to her doom. She realized she could still use spells, but they were vastly weakened.

Zelda was in free fall for what felt like ages as her voice was getting hoarse from all that screaming. She started to see what Zelda could only describe as hallucinations. Zelda saw, in the strange comfort of weightlessness, a carnival of color fill her view. A lively troupe danced to the rhythm of the fall as it formed recognizable humanoid and monstrous shapes. Zelda started to consider that she may have crossed to the afterlife already, surprisingly painlessly, when suddenly the colors disappeared and she saw the floor. It seemed she was to land on a shallow pool. Zelda used every bit of concentration available to her to get out of this one with her life.

Zelda poured a lot of her magic power into casting a wind spell into the water. The expected outcome was an elegant momentum redirection, but with her magic so stifled, she could only slightly decrease the speed of her descent as she landed on her butt on top of a deku flower. Zelda was surprised to learn she made it in one piece.

Zelda saw the white fairy girl close by, looking at her disheveled state with cautiousness and curiosity. Zelda struggled to rise, and she managed to stand despite the numbness that gripped her legs. She inspected herself, and when she finally had a good look at just beyond her immediate surroundings, she was astonished to see the Skull Kid levitating leisurely with the purple fairy close by.

"Well, well, well, look at what I just found!" Skull Kid mercilessly taunted with a laugh. "Looks like a pretty princess got lost in the woods." Zelda quietly reached for her rapier while she listened, a little peeved the Skull Kid had done this to her while knowing her identity.

"The Ocarina is mine now; I'm doing you a favor, it doesn't combine with your future style." He said with another laugh. Zelda didn't know what he meant, but without her usual magic, closing the distance before he could react would be impossible, so she must bide her time.

Skull Kid let out a sigh, startling Zelda. "Aww, boo-hoo, why the long face? I just thought I'd have a little fun with you... Oh, come on... Do you really think you can beat me as I am now? Fool!" The atmosphere suddenly turned a lot more serious, and Zelda knew Skull Kid was telling the truth with that last question.

Without warning, the Skull Kid started shaking the Mask ominously, without moving his face, as an incredibly sinister aura seeped through directed at her. Zelda, the once-in-a-lifetime magic prodigy, had enough experience to know when she was being cursed, but with her magic depleted and weakened, she was powerless to stop it. The last thing she saw before losing consciousness was a triangle glowing in the back of her right hand...

When she came to, she was surrounded by Deku Scrubs who were rudely invading her personal space.

"Back off," she commanded with weakened authority, reaching for Fae which, to her dismay, wasn't there. They weren't attacking her, but this harassment was getting ridiculous; she would be overrun at this rate.

Zelda did something she thought her royal pride would never allow her to do: she jumped back and ran away with all her might, tears of frustration, fear, and shame falling from her eyes. She could hear the scrubs following her, but when she turned back out of morbid curiosity, she was mortified to learn a giant Deku Scrub had joined her pursuit.

Her numb legs quickly lost the battle, making her feel a huge pit in her stomach. Zelda closed her eyes in resignation and coated her fist with magic to present one last stand as she was trampled over by the giant scrub, marking an extremely undignified end to Princess Zelda, her only consolation being, no Hylian was here to witness it...

Chapter Text

When Zelda came to, the first thing she noticed was that the world looked far bigger than it used to. She immediately discarded the notion that she may have passed away, as no afterlife worth its salt would have that horrid mask in it.

"Hee, hee, now that's a good look on you!" mocked Skull Kid, pointing at her with one hand and bouncing the precious ocarina up and down in the other, laughter echoing through the clearing.

Zelda looked down on the water, and what greeted her was a tiny Deku girl instead of her own reflection. She tried to swipe the girl away when, to her shock, the Deku girl did the same. Very slowly, Zelda took a look at her hands, and a horrible realization dawned on her!

She used the last of her voice to scream in terror; she didn't even get to keep her voice as it finally gave way.

Gone was her velvety, soft skin, replaced with smooth, polished wood. Gone was her luscious hair, replaced with soft, straw-like hair. Zelda was a little relieved that her clothes at least survived the transformation. But dread dawned on her when she noticed nothing else did: not her money, her Sheikah gadgets the ever-worried Impa gave her, her documents, not even Fae.

"You'll stay here looking like that forever!" Skull Kid continued his mocking, profoundly irritating Zelda, his laughter grating in her Deku ears.

In a fit of fury, she lunged at him, her tiny body wobbling on her stubby legs, only to be stopped by the even tinier white fairy, whom now, at this size, looked like a formidable foe. It slammed Zelda's forehead, delivering blows with impunity as it also broke into a dry laugh.

"Looks like someone's lost their pretty voice along with her precious trinkets, not so high and mighty now, eh, 'princess.'" The fairy sneered, oblivious to Zelda's inner turmoil. She started toying with her Deku form, delivering sharp pinch strikes to her woody skin, all the while giggling.

Zelda had had enough of this tiny creature. She cast a wind spell to shoo her away, but the only thing that did was provide a refreshing breeze for the little fairy. "Pfft, hahahaha."

The fairy broke into genuinely amused laughter that filled the air, humiliating Zelda even further. The fairy also tried a magic attack on Zelda, but she looked utterly dumbfounded at her hand when Zelda was provided with only a tiny bit of heat in kind, courtesy of her own white flame.

Zelda stared at it in fascination for the two seconds it manifested, not really caring she barely avoided catching fire with her new woody body.

"Huh?!" The fairy cocked her head cutely, but before both girls could process the situation, a scream came from near the Skull Kid.

"Tatl! S-sis!" called the purple fairy as Skull Kid unceremoniously grabbed his head and disappeared through the door. A horrifying realization dawned on both of them: Skull Kid was gone! Sheer panic replaced Tatl's bemusement.

"Whoa! Whoa! Skull Kid, wait for me! I'm still here!!!" chirped Tatl, buzzing at top speed to where Skull Kid used to be.

"Tael, you can't leave without me!" cried an agitated Tatl. After buzzing around the place, she turned to look at Zelda.

"You!" she said, frowning accusatorily. "If I wasn't dealing with you, I wouldn't have gotten separated from my brother! Well... Don't just stand there, Deku Girl, do something!!!" Tatl sputtered rapidly, frantically swinging her diminutive arms with a crazed look.

"...Why are you looking at me like that? What, is there something stuck to my face..? Will you stop staring and get on Skull Kid's tail like you oh so persistently did just a second ago?!?! We wouldn't be in this mess if it wasn't for you!!!"

Her face alternated between a myriad of emotions until it landed on despair.

"Please!!! C'mon, a helpless little fairy girl is asking you... So hurry up!" said Tatl, throwing a tantrum in the end. Zelda wanted to laugh at the absurdity of her situation, but her voice was yet to come back.

Zelda couldn't ignore the rude fairy's pleas, but she had bigger fish to fry at the moment. She wobbled her way back to the pool and inspected herself more thoroughly.

She looked every bit like a Deku girl now, but if she looked closely, she could also discern some of her original features. Like any Deku, she now had a snout for a mouth—an elegant little snout, but one nonetheless—and her nose now consisted of two teeny tiny holes, same as her ears, which were covered by her abundant hair. She was surprised to see her eyes were completely blue instead of orange like all other Deku. As for the matter of her clothes, usually she would be mortified to be showing this much skin, but in truth, she was now showing... wood? Which was a lot clearer than any Deku Zelda had ever seen, maybe to mimic her original pale skin.

Zelda inspected her clothes. She had tiny purple shorts, curiously emblazoned with a white Triforce on one of the legs, and a Sheikah sarashi for some reason. Not that she could complain; that wicked Skull Kid and his demonic mask took everything else from her.

Zelda didn't even dare think of going back to Hyrule Castle like this... Not that she knew the way back, if it was even possible to go back in the first place! Succeeding in her coming-of-age trial seemed like a distant dream now.

Worst anniversary of all time!

"Did you finish?" said an exasperated Tatl with a sigh. "Yes, yes, you're no longer the prettiest girl ever, but I suppose narcissistic habits die hard." Tatl said sarcastically without paying much attention, looking agitated.

"Ohhhh, Tael... I wonder if that child will be alright on his own... Skull Kid took Tael! My little brother!!" cried Tatl, flapping her wings vigorously while nibbling on her nails, the realization dawning on her brought her to the verge of tears.

Zelda decided to ignore all that psychological and physical damage she received from Tatl and got on the move, gently massaging her forehead. The Skull Kid had just gone out the door, he can't be too far, Zelda reasoned. Zelda was determined to solve this situation. As she was psyching herself up and picking up the pace, a tiny white blur flashed past her ear, making a strand of hair enter her mouth.

"Hey, wait for me! Don't leave me behind!" came the desperate cry from Tatl, who was biting her lower lip and looking away, shame evident in her face, giving some time for Zelda to spit out her own hair with much effort.

"So, umm... That stuff I said back there... I... Umm... I truly apologize. It... Uhh... That wasn't me at all. I swear." The fairy bowed at a 95-degree angle, a clear gesture of apology, while her wings flapped a lot more calmly now. "So, please take me with you."

"You want to know more about Skull Kid, right?" asked Tatl, looking determined. "Well, I just so happen to have an idea of where he might be going." Said the fairy, looking a little smug, trying to be of some use to Zelda. But the biting of her lower lip gave away her nervousness.

"Take me with you and I'll help you out! I'm a strong fairy, I can cast spells and I know a lot about everything, especially monsters. Do we have a deal?" said Tatl, slightly trembling with anticipation. "Please?" she asked, getting closer, making a desperate face, trembling even harder. Zelda lightly nodded, remembering that pretty and unique white flame.

The light nod was barely halfway when Tatl spoke up. "Good! So then it's settled!" She said, raising her voice, perhaps a little too much. "Now then. I'll be your partner... Or at least until we catch Skull Kid... My name is Tatl so, uh... Nice to meet you... Um, Deku Girl. O-or whatever." Tatl introduced herself awkwardly, belatedly realizing she didn't even know Zelda's name and the Deku girl wasn't in a position to let her know. She hit her cheeks to dispel the embarrassment and to search for some motivation.

"Now that we've got all that straightened out, can we stop messing around and get moving? I'll speak up if I notice something out of place, but you're a smart girl, right? I'm sure you'll be fine."

Zelda agreed and stepped on the Deku flower in front of her.

"Listen up, this is a Deku flower." Tatl explained unnecessarily. "I know you're clumsily getting used to your body, but any Deku can do this. Just lift your arms and you'll dive into it. When you're ready, grab one of the flowers inside and you'll be propelled. Hang on tight and you'll glide for a bit." Now Zelda was extremely grateful for the timely explanation; maybe taking the fairy in was the right move after all.

Zelda did as she was told and glided over the tiny chasm to get to the other side.

Zelda was a little depressed by the fact this would have been a cinch in her real body, but she pressed on. After a little while, she found another chasm with a chest on top of a large tree stump on one side, and the way forward on the other. Zelda flew to the chest, wondering who would even put a chest there, where she found a stash of Deku Nuts. Better than nothing!

Zelda fastened the pouch to her shorts. She had trained with these extensively under Impa's watchful eye, but she wasn't sure it translated to her comparatively bulkier Deku body.

Zelda made her way to the other side where she found a very grotesque wooden statue of a Deku. "That... What happened to... it?" wondered Tatl. "It looks all dark and gloomy... Almost like it could start crying any second now... How sad..."

As Tatl was philosophizing, Zelda took a look at where the statue directed its gaze, and there she saw another hollowed-out stump, this one at a steep angle. It would be a terrible fall; Zelda couldn't even see the end of it. The fairy could fly down, but Zelda decided it was high time for payback; they were in this together after all.

"Tael and I came from a different route to get here, so I'm a bit..." Zelda stealthily approached Tatl and grabbed her body with both of her tiny Deku hands where Tatl barely fit and held her close to her heart. The fairy was struggling to break free. "You... What in the..? Let me go!!!" Zelda gathered all the courage she could muster and gave a quick prayer to Hylia as she surrendered her body to gravity.

Zelda didn't imagine it was going to be a pleasant ride, but nothing could have prepared her for having her delicate and already battered Deku body shoved around the passage that twisted and twisted and continued to twist, with a fairy screaming for dear life as her only companion. Zelda braced herself until the worst slide ride of all time ended. Zelda found herself on a wooden surface; there wasn't a single spot on her punished body that didn't ache. When she looked up, she saw a contraption moving thanks to a small flowing river right beside her. It was some sort of mill!

"How could you? That was terrible!" said Tatl, now free from Zelda's grasp. In truth, Tatl realized Zelda diligently shielded her from every impact, even though she didn't have to... Zelda didn't even pay attention to her complaints as she slowly scouted a bit.

"Hmph, I'll let it slide for now... Get it, hehe... But we have to get a move on!" Zelda agreed and went up the ramp, admiring the massive construction. At the top, she saw the main rotating pillar and very intricately decorated walls, and a door... At last, she could see the light at the end of the tunnel; they could finally, finally get out of this hellish place.

Zelda determinedly wobbled to the huge decorated door. Slowly and gracelessly, she climbed up some "large" stairs until she finally reached the door. But as Zelda and Tatl were about to try and push it open, a noise came from behind: an eerie chuckle. "You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?"

Chapter Text

"You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?" Zelda turned back as quickly as her bulky body allowed, raising her guard—for what good that would do her—as Tatl cautiously hid behind her back. After her eyes adjusted to the new height, she noticed a slim, smiling, middle-aged, redhead man with short, combed hair, carrying an oversized backpack full of masks.

"I own the Happy Mask Shop. I travel far and wide in search of masks..." He sort of introduced himself.

Zelda took a bit of time to recognize him, the name of the shop jogging her memories. She had visited that very recognizable shop a couple of times herself in a few of her escapades to Hyrule Market Town. Fond memories came back to her: of when she bought a skull mask, and Link gave her a Gerudo mask for one of her birthdays. She recalled Link once got obsessed with a terribly spooky mask, which forced Zelda to ban him from the castle for a week, much to Impa's disapproval.

This redhead man was the enigmatic clerk who liked to speak in riddles, even to the Princess. He hadn't aged a day since back then; nearly a decade had refused to visit his semblance. Zelda was relieved, if a little mortified, to see a Hylian so far from home, but she figured with a hint of sadness, there was no way in Farore's blessed earth he could recognize her.

"During my travels, a very important mask was stolen from me by an imp in the woods." The clerk continued, bowing and trying, and failing miserably, to be at Zelda's eye level. "So here I am at a loss... And now I found you." He said, taking his right hand to his heart in a show of extreme politeness. "Now, don't think of me rude, but I have been following you..."

That statement sent Zelda into a tailspin, making her bring her stubs to her head. Did he know she was his Princess? No way, right? What would be the quickest way to silence a clerk? "...for I know of a way to return to your former self." Zelda cut short her slightly disturbing thoughts when she could have sworn she saw a ray of light shine down on top of the clerk. There's absolutely no way a simple merchant can know that, right? But a small seed of hope couldn't help but bloom in her torn but slowly healing Deku heart.

"If you can get back the precious item that was stolen from me, I will return you to normal." The merchant said with confidence. That worked out perfectly for Zelda! Since that was the plan all along, she dedicated a prayer to every Goddess for this merchant's words to be true.

"In exchange... All I ask is that you also get back my precious mask that imp stole from me," the merchant said. That statement, albeit uttered with a calm and even voice, sounded to Zelda like a thousand thunders echoed at the same time. The ray of light seemed to vanish, the seed of hope rapidly withering, her Deku heart on the verge of breaking... to recover that demonic mask from that freakishly powerful Skull Kid? An impossible mission.

If they both thought about it carefully, there was no indication this was a fair deal. But she was in no position to negotiate. Surely, if Zelda acted agitated, he might soften the conditions. So it was time to make "fans" with the twigs she now called arms at top speed!

"What? Is it not a simple task? Why, to someone like you, it should by no means be a difficult task." Even in her original Hylian body and with access to all her magic abilities, she couldn't even catch the imp by zooming around and using her Sheikah expertise. How did he expect Zelda's weak, tiny, clumsy, magically impaired Deku body to snatch something effectively glued to that blasted imp's face?

"Except... The one thing is... I'm a very busy fellow... And I must leave this place in one week." The devilish merchant said, holding one hand on top of the other, quickly reminding Zelda she was never very fond of merchants in the first place. Zelda made a resolution: when she clawed her way back to Hyrule, she would have every merchant flogged on her authority as their Princess as they looked at a painting of this guy's face. Zelda grimly told herself this while committing every detail of his face to memory.

"W-we'll do it!" Tatl claimed after a prolonged moment of silence, quietly peeking from behind Zelda. "T-Tatl!" Zelda screamed in her mind. "What's with this betrayal? Ever heard about bargaining?!" As the Princess-turned-Deku girl was having an internal crisis, the man lifted his eyebrows in acknowledgment of Tatl's words and continued with an amused smile, "How grateful will I be if you could bring it back to me before my time here is up. But, yes... You'll be fine. I see you're young and have tremendous wisdom. I'm sure you'll find it right away." Pondered the merchant with a hand to his chin.

No matter how Zelda sliced it, this guy was extremely, positively suspicious. "Tremendous wisdom"? Did this guy know about her real identity? Zelda's Triforce hadn't made a comeback to her hand ever since Skull Kid placed the curse on her, but she indeed possessed the Triforce of Wisdom, Nayru's ultimate blessing. Maybe the symbol emblazoned in her shorts gave her away? Zelda wondered, her expression darkening.

"Well then, I am counting on you..." The masks merchant said while pressing a hidden button on the wall. Zelda listened in silence; meanwhile, some internal lock was slowly removed from the massive door.

"Have faith." The man declared sagely, with an air of finality, almost as if he refused to continue talking. He retreated to a corner where Zelda saw a seat and a little counter for him to store and organize his things. Zelda almost found it charming, if it wasn't for the fact she now felt intense and renewed animosity towards that cunning fellow. Zelda, in her current state, and naive little Tatl never stood a chance! There was really no other way to put it; he played them both like a Skyloft harp, with practiced ease... Zelda, for the first time in both her princess and Deku life, was left without recourse... She was left to process the enormity of their task.

Zelda needed to have a talk with Tatl urgently, at least to make sure Tatl wasn't taking her for a fool, but if Tatl knew where Skull Kid was, recovering her ocarina wasn't out of the question... But taking that mask? Decidedly zero chance of that happening, Zelda thought.

Her best bet was using her diplomacy skills and the fact she is his Princess to try and force the man to fulfill his end of the bargain first, even if she had to swallow her pride whole alongside the sheer humiliation doing that implicated. If necessary, she would request or even demand of him to extend his stay a few days.

If Zelda could get her body back, this task might just be possible, but upholding the end of the bargain Tatl accepted on her behalf will be an uphill battle.

Truth is, Zelda didn't even think it was possible, but she had to try. It was the only way to salvage what was left of her tattered royal pride, which had been almost blown to smithereens in the course of just a few short but eventful hours.

Why did she want to explore The Lost Woods again? This was the furthest cry of how she expected her adventure to go... And yet her intuition told her this wasn't a bad development. How odd... Zelda couldn't come up with a worse development even when she tried. Her coming-of-age trial took an unexpected new dimension.

Zelda once again climbed up the steps to the door, slower this time but with, perhaps, hopefully, about 10% more grace, and pushed the door... that refused to budge... Zelda pushed for a while, but as she was contemplating asking for that suspicious guy's help, she noticed Tatl hadn't even tried to help her. The fairy looked utterly lost in her own thoughts. She eventually looked up, after she noticed Zelda's intense gaze on her. "Ah... Right, the door... Sorry..." She said absentmindedly as she started her own efforts. They both pushed until the initial budge made things easier.

The door made way, and to her surprise, it was still dark outside. After Zelda thought it was enough to comfortably squeeze through, she made her way to... some sort of freedom...

When Zelda stepped outside, the first thing she noticed was the daybreak; it was the dawn of a new day, their first day in this town, which officially marked the end of her anniversary. As she felt the sun's rays bathe her wooden skin, Zelda solemnly made a vow in her heart, both Hylian and Deku, that she will never, ever forget any of the events that transpired on her 15th birthday for as long as she lived.

Chapter Text

Zelda quickly scanned her surroundings when she heard a loud slamming sound come from behind her. She didn't even bother looking, deducing that the heavy door automatically went back to its resting position. She continued scanning this... town?

She saw a lot of builders working diligently on some construction in the middle of the plaza. She thought their movements almost hypnotic, but when she was about to faint on the spot, she felt Tatl perch on her shoulder, her eyelids also heavy. "I'm sorry, it's just... That guy gave me the creeps."

Zelda couldn't help but agree that conniving guy had entered Princess Zelda's official naughty list. His name... whatever it was... or rather, a painting of his face not far away from Ganondorf's own. Skull Kid was currently on top of said list... As Tatl was lunging out of Zelda's shoulder, Zelda stopped her and, to the fairy's surprise, gently guided her back to her shoulder. She let her perch on that small, wooden surface. "Thanks, don't worry, I'm not giving up on you until we find some lodging." Zelda silently thanked her. It was clear they weren't in Hyrule anymore, but this civilization surely, hopefully, had some rudimentary accommodations at the very least.

To say that Zelda was surprised to see Hylians walking around would be an understatement. Hope bloomed in her heart for a fraction of a second, only for Zelda to extinguish it immediately. She didn't know these people, and they didn't know either Deku or Princess Zelda, end of story. Actually, let's keep the least amount of people from meeting Deku Zelda. She strategized in vain how to accomplish that mission, but it proved fruitless. After her voice came back, she would need to speak to these foreigners.

"Deku... girl, let's get a vantage point," suggested Tatl with some sense. Zelda agreed and dragged her tired body around until a dog ambushed her, Tatl flying out of the way. 

"Oh my! I'm so sorry," came a muffled voice from a boy with a fox mask as he brought the dog under control and helped Zelda back on her stubs. "You don't see Deku walking around town often, much less Deku girls." The boy said with sympathy, Tatl coming back to Zelda's shoulder.

"H-hi, my name is Taa-ti, we just arrived in town, actually, we're searching for an inn, the cheaper the better!" Tatl sputtered rapidly, seizing her opening. That boy owed them one after his undisciplined dog attacked them after all. 

"Hi Taa-ti, an inn, huh? Well, they all have been upping their rates because of the coming festival."

The boy said with widened eyes and unmistakable surprise on his tone, with a gloved hand on his nonexistent foxy chin. It seemed fairies were harder to come by than Deku girls. Zelda made that simple deduction even in her tired state. "I think you should try the Stock Pot Inn; it was very affordable last time I was there." He said with a hint of longing.

"Umm here, this was their rate from my last time... aaaand something extra, sorry about Max again, he's usually very friendly but he gets agitated when he sees any Deku... or moving wood in general." He said, chuckling with an embarrassed pose, his hand on the back of his hooded head... suspicious... Zelda nodded curtly, extending her hand to receive... 15 rupees, a very paltry sum in her book. She was already dreading the accommodations of this commoner, third-rate inn.

The boy also kindly sketched a quick map of the way to the inn on the spot and gave it to Tatl, who had taken control of the situation. Tatl thanked him on both of their behalf, leaving them to watch his retreat with that evil, hell-spawn dog. Maybe Zelda needed to do something about dogs when she returned to Hyrule as well; she put that idea on her mental notebook. Sadly for known dog-lover Link, the Princess had put an entire species on her naughty list too.

"Deku... girl... Dekky?" "Let's head to that inn, this is a great opportunity! Just follow my voice." Zelda flinched in horror at that nickname. Tatl made a note of it and spoke with a soothing voice, gently guiding Zelda through stairs, plazas, hills, and alleys. Zelda barely noticed when they reached a wooden door. She looked up at the building. The facade was painted like... well, a generic pot, and it had a large, somewhat amateurish sign on top of the door that boldly explained this was indeed their destination, as if the facade didn't already make that clear enough, thought a grumpy, irritated Zelda as she was forced to jump to reach the door handle and laboriously open the door. Tatl had offered to do it, but it would have evaporated the last remains of Zelda's royal pride had she allowed that.

Zelda entered the shabby, third-rate inn and saw a fat, middle-aged, commoner woman managing the counter. Zelda entertained thoughts of unloading her entire supply of Deku Nuts on that wench on the spot and her frankly, barely fourth-rate establishment, just to let her know what she thinks of it.

But just as Zelda's hand was reaching for the nuts pouch, one of her few earthly possessions, Tatl spoke up with perfect timing. "Good afternoon, ma'am, we were referred to this inn by a friend, we would like to rent your cheapest room." The woman didn't look impressed at all at being addressed by a fairy and spoke with a bored tone, "The cheapest room is 30 rupees up front for a single night." As she noticed Tatl's crestfallen expression, the woman spoke up again.

"If you don't have the funds, you can ask the... Deku merchants for work, but if you can't get any, there's some beds set up in the laundry pool, it's not very safe though... Now, if you could make way for other customers..." The woman informed with complete indifference.

Both Zelda and Tatl were rooted on the spot. To make matters all the more comical, they were the only customers at the counter. Tatl was desperately searching for the right words to attempt to salvage the situation, when they heard a voice come from behind, "Mother! Can't you see these are lost children... Kids, could you explain the situation again?" said a red-haired girl with what could pass for a kind smile, presumably the daughter of the fat, ugly, terrible woman.

Zelda felt a pang of fury at being called a child. Maybe her original plan for this inn was a go after all, but Tatl interjected just in the nick of time, "Yes! A friend recommended this inn with a glowing review, he said it was 10 rupees a night, but your mother claims it's 30..." Tatl spoke up, a little agitated. 

"I didn't lie, fairy! Anju, we can't make an exception for every pitiful child that comes our way, I'm booting them out." The fat, demon spawn that tried to trick them with its "unassuming woman" disguise said with profound indifference, "Absolutely not, Mother, let me handle this, I'll take responsibility, I promise." Zelda watched, hanging to her consciousness by a single thread, as the beautiful redhead heroine vanquished the ugly, demonic, redhead toad. After her fierce blows, it retreated in abject defeat.

"S-so little b-boy... Girl! Little girl! What's your name? What's the name of your friend that referred our inn? How many rupees do you have? I can count them for you, if you don't know how," did this dumb, smiling, redhead commoner just doubt her femininity?!?! If Zelda wasn't so flabbergasted, she would have started her Deku Nuts plan a long time ago.

Zelda was still in a daze when Tatl interjected yet again, "We have 15 rupees, please forgive my friend, she's shy around strangers," Tatl said while landing on the counter, conveniently glossing over the name of their "friend," who was neither their friend nor gave them his name despite his friendly attitude. 

"15 rupees? That's perfect! It just so happens we have a very special offer, only for today, for a Deku girl accompanied by a fairy, all rooms are half price! So, how should I register you?" Zelda thought that sounded oddly specific, but her brain power refused to tell her anything else as she set the rupees on the counter. 

"I'm Taa-ti, you write it like this," Tatl gave a fake name as that Anju woman happily wrote it down. "What about your cute friend? It's okay, sweetie, I don't bite," the redhead toad spawn spoke down to Zelda, but she was too tired to care. Tatl would handle it.

"Like I said, she's super shy and her voice is in a bad condition," explained Tatl, giving herself some time and leeway. "Ah, my heartfelt apologies." The toad spawn bowed with contrition for some reason. Maybe, just maybe, she wasn't so bad after all... 

"Write down my friend's name as... D... Mira! It's uh, Mira, a traditional name from where she comes from," explained Tatl unnecessarily. Mira watched as Tatl finished the procedure and perfunctorily received a key and followed the red-haired commoner... somewhere.

Anju opened a door and made way for Mira and Tatl. Zelda thought this was the shabbiest room she'd ever seen in her life, but was far too tired to carry out her Deku Nuts scorched earth plan; they both were honestly too tired to care about anything at all.

They jumped onto the bed together, Tatl and Zelda immediately lost consciousness upon landing, their minds and bodies utterly spent. This marked a lot of firsts for the young princess: first time staying in a true commoner lodging, first night spent in the company of a fairy, and first time sleeping in the same bed as someone else. The princess murmured something as she unconsciously brought Tatl into a gentle cuddle, preparing to spend a long night's sleep on the hard bed.

Chapter Text

Zelda woke up surprisingly late. If anyone back at Hyrule Castle saw her now, they would be floored, but she desperately needed that restful sleep after all she went through.

To her surprise, she found the hard bed wasn't such a big issue for her Deku body. She was happy she cuddled with the fairy and provided a place for her to rest. Tatl had helped her a lot yesterday after all, thought Zelda while doing her morning stretches, her tiny, bulky body not cooperating much.

Zelda was surprised her voice was yet to come back, but she knew it was there; her scream of horror forever etched into her mind proved it, so she wasn't too worried. And Tatl's cover with some fake name was a stroke of genius. That way, nobody had to know Deku Zelda... aside from Skull Kid and that merchant, whom were both firmly on her naughty list.

Zelda was surprised to find some random innkeeper woman and the entirety of the dog species on her list for some reason, as she summarily removed them. But she left every merchant in Hyrule on it, if only because the detailed punishment her delirious self laid out made her laugh in silence for a while.

"Oh, you were already up?" said a groggy fairy while yawning shamelessly, stretching her tiny body on the mattress. Zelda nodded. "Ugh, your voice is yet to come back? What a pain. Listen, I don't know what you remember from yesterday, since you were really out of it, but I have a lot to tell you and some things to apologize for."

Zelda nodded, already having a decent picture in her mind's eye of what Tatl was talking about. 

"First things first, I gave you a fake name, or rather an alias. As you probably already know, I don't know your real name. It was necessary to register at the inn; I was put on the spot."

Tatl started with a hint of flushed skin, her white fairy glow returning to her after that night's rest. "Your alias is Mira. If you don't mind, I'll call you that until your voice comes back. It's, uh, that's the name of one of my... friends." Zelda had a slight hunch this was a friend in the same way the boy from before was; she simply nodded, agreeing to her new name. It was a pretty name after all. 

"Thanks... Mira. I also gave myself a new name. When your voice comes back, you may call me Taa-ti... I know it's lousy, but I thought about it on the spot too. If Skull Kid knows we are in town, still on pursuit, he might run away, so... just, don't laugh. Please."

Zelda didn't thought to react; it was a good idea, even though the name left something to be desired. But Zelda thought there was a chance Skull Kid didn't even bother to learn Tatl's name, so... She found more intriguing the fact that Tatl seemed to flinch slightly every time she called her Mira.

"Thanks for not laughing, Mira. I know your voice is gone, but I can tell... Now, right, that creepy guy. You might remember we made a deal with a really disturbing merchant. He claims he can turn you back to your pretty elv... Terminian self. I don't really believe him, but we lose nothing by trying, right?" Zelda paused at the unfamiliar word, Terminian? Was that the local kingdom? Tatl also paused, noticing Zelda's confusion. Zelda spelled the word in the air for context. "Terminian? That's what you were before Skull Kid... you know... You were prettier than any fairy, but you were unmistakably Terminian... Umm, Mira, could it be you don't know? We're in the land of Termina, that makes your original body a Terminian."

Zelda vehemently denied that assertion. She was the Hylian Princess of Hyrule, born under the star of the Goddess of Time, baptized under Goddess Hylia, and chosen by Goddess Nayru as her saintess, born into the Hyrule royal family to rule over her kingdom. Hyrule was her birthright, and although her body was currently that of a Deku, Princess Zelda would never accept a designation other than Hylian! She was no "Terminian"!!!

If anyone was Terminian, that was Tatl, since she was a local, Zelda thought, reasoning from her perspective.

Tatl was utterly puzzled at the Deku girl's extremely strong reaction to that common sense knowledge, but she decided it was best to ignore it. To each their own, she thought. "M-moving on, like I said, I unilaterally accepted the deal for us. But before you get mad! Hear me out, this whole situation was... maybe 30%... M-your fault, but I still share culpability!" Tatl sputtered surprisingly fast. "Definitely like, at worst 20%, tops... The last 50% going to Skull Kid... Anyway, I have a plan! You'll confront Skull Kid, and when you manage to get your ocarina back, he'll be distracted. Believe it or not, I know some stealth spells. I'll be lying in wait to snatch the mask, and we bolt out with Tael after our heist. Great plan, no? I promise, I'll take full responsibility, Mira, you just focus on your ocarina. On the off chance what that creep says is true, you'll be back to normal and on your way home... O-or whatever."

Zelda thought the plan didn't sound too bad in theory, but in practice, it was full of holes. The main issue was, Skull Kid is far too powerful to fall for such schemes. And a secondary issue was, Zelda had a hunch it wasn't only her own magic that had weakened after crossing into this "Termina." She also had a handful of stealth spells in her arsenal after all...

It wasn't until further analysis of Tatl's words that Zelda realized Tatl absolved Tael of all the blame! How unfair, Zelda was the innocent party here!

Whatever the case may be, Zelda's intuition powerfully rang that for Tatl to touch that awful mask with her fragile, bare hands was the worst idea in the history of ideas, possibly ever. Skull Kid took a lot of things from her, but her intuition was not one of them. If it ever failed her, she would happily go down with the ship.

Zelda denied Tatl's idea. She felt bad because she couldn't explain why, but it was not the way to go. Tatl looked flabbergasted; she thought her companion would be pleased by her initiative...

Still, she was quick on the uptake; that was one of her good points. 

"I understand, I'll shelve that plan... for now, but surely you understand we're in very dire straits, Mira. We need to get this done no matter what; Tael is out there waiting for me! He needs me!!! ... A-anyway, ahem, we'll discuss plans later, I need to tell you what I know about Skull Kid. I'm not sure there's much to tell though," Tatl continued while composing herself.

"Tael and I met him a while ago, after we... ahem... and we... clicked, we stuck together for a while. He stole that mask from that creepy guy the same way he... we, did with your ocarina, and I guess you could say he contracted the creepiness. He started to change after that. He was a little talented for a skull kid, but he became this powerhouse only recently before I realized. It only dawned on me after I almost soiled myself from back when you came after us with all your crazy power and fury..."

Tatl's face suddenly became flushed, probably remembering what happened at The Lost Woods. "Riiight, sorry about all that too... In any case, he liked to go to a few places in town: the sewers, the observatory, and on top of tall buildings. He would always stare at the sky for some reason, in particular the moon; he could look at it for hours... That's... it, I think... I'll tell you if something important comes to mind, though."

Zelda listened with full attention, but was disappointed to learn no immediate weaknesses surfaced from Tatl's tale. Still, this information was invaluable. She gently patted the fairy's head in appreciation, but it seemed she didn't like it. As the fairy swatted her hand away.

"Get off!!! I know how you elves... you Termi... your real kind treats ours! Don't get any ideas about me just because we are cooperating, understood?!" Zelda was surprised at the new strange term and to see her fairy companion look so firm all of a sudden, the hint of suspicion and hostility in her eyes totally uncalled for. Zelda was merely appreciative!

Also, Hylians treated fairies with respect, at least in her circles, so she wasn't up to speed with Tatl here... Still, Zelda made a mental note of this as Tatl let out a sigh as she noticed the panic and confusion in Mira's face. "Sorry for that outburst... I, had some bad experiences you could say, pay it no mind..." The fairy said, combing her hair back into place.

"Umm, there's still some thing I must catch you up on... We met a really kind boy, he wore a strange fox mask, treat him well if you see him. And I think you almost set fire to this inn... You had this manic glint in your eye, I was really scared. If you had been on your original body, I would have fainted on the spot, that's how I could tell, sorry if I'm wrong... they will probably kick us out of this room soon... what else? Ah, the innkeeper lady, the pretty one's name's Anju, she's really kind too, she reminded me of that boy, so treat her well. Ah, and when you regain your voice, act a little shy around her; you... don't need to, but it will preserve my credibility..."

Zelda listened this time more absentmindedly. She remembered now why dogs and that random fat cat were on her list; she added the fat lady to it again, and put a pin on dogs. Tatl was right, that rude lady was in all likelihood already on her way to kick them out. Zelda's pride demanded she leave on her own two stubs. So she commanded Tatl to open the door and bravely stepped away from the shabby room.

Chapter Text

"Did you two finish taking advantage of my daughter's naivety?" asked the fat toad to the duo as soon as they came out, almost as if she was waiting for them. Zelda remembered the nickname her delirious self came up with as soon as she saw it, and her normal self had to give her some props; once a genius, always a genius, no matter the occasion.

Still, looking at Anju, her dad had to be good-looking, Zelda thought idly as she headed to the door in a dignified manner. 

"Next time, bring the full payment!" cried the fat toad, as if Zelda and Tatl would ever patronize her again. Tatl opened the door for the Princess. 

"Thank you for using our inn, I apologize for any inconveniences, please come again," said a bowing Anju, right before the duo left the establishment. Well, Zelda appreciated the gesture, but she still slammed the door. She could hear Anju's mother reprimanding her.

Nope, not patronizing that inn again. That boy would also get a stern talking to... as soon as Zelda recovered her voice.

Zelda did some light stretches again; it didn't feel right if she didn't do them under the sun. "Mira, I know we're on a timer and all, but we need money. That... large woman from before mentioned the Deku merchants. Of course, I will help you if I can."

Zelda put on her serious hat. With a mute princess, 0 rupees to their name, and, albeit very tiny, also severely empty stomachs, they were indeed in a bad predicament. However, as any good Princess worth her title, she knew some easy money-making schemes.

It's just, most of them worked on magic, which she currently severely lacked. Still, it wasn't time for despair. It seemed they were in the commercial district of town, as all Zelda could see were shops. Zelda was surprised that shabby inn was in such a prime location; she smelled corruption at play, worsening her image of Clock Town slightly, a true diplomatic disaster! Had the mayor learned of it, he would have fainted.

Zelda put her mind to work when she spotted a street performer. The man claimed to be a mentalist; he challenged the audience to a mind-reading challenge. It was actually quite simple: he would hide a tiny ball in one of the containers, scramble them in plain view at dazzling speeds, the mind reader would then point to the one you wanted to pick up, and if you win, you get to keep a cut of the prize pool of the day. If you lose, you have to pay up, and hopefully the audience is animated to contribute to the prize pool as well.

Zelda noticed with, maybe more than a hint of greed, that the prize pool was quite full already, her snout watering at all the food she could buy with it.

"Welcome, greetings! Deku friend, can I interest you in a little game? No worries, no pressure, only entertainment, guaranteed to make you smile. Come in if you want to play, come in if you want to win a prize, but be prepared to be dazed as I can read your mind. Do you dare, little Deku, do you dare to join this dance?" The performer spoke unbelievably quickly. Zelda was more than used to his kind since this was one of her favorite forms of entertainment when she descended incognito to Hyrule Castle Town.

Zelda confidently stepped forward, indicating she was eager to play. "Hah!!! Confident, I like that! I must warn you, girl, losing comes at a price, either a handful of rupees or... Never mind, very well, Deku girl, pay attention to my hands." The man mysteriously eyed Tatl for a fraction of a second, but Zelda paid it no mind as she watched the man store the ball in its container. He seemed to be quite guarded because he pulled 7 containers to confused little old Zelda. She swiftly stuck a simple tracking spell to the ball with practiced ease; it was cheap, and not the only nor the most elegant way to win, but poor Tatl was starving... And, she also craved some refreshments.

Zelda didn't even pay attention to the ball as the man skillfully scrambled the table. Zelda emptied her mind of all her thoughts, better to be safe than sorry after all, as she waited for visual feedback to tell her it was time to get rich quick. Zelda saw through the corner of her deep blue eyes that the man was pointing at one of the containers. She checked with her spell that it was incorrect, so she pointed at the correct one, and she won! Naturally. "Haha, impressive Deku girl, is it the eyes blessed by the guardians or impressive guessing skills, please tell us, did I manage to read your mind?" The performer swiftly talked in a theatrical way while giving Zelda her prize and briefly looking at Tatl again, whom was slowly hiding behind Zelda by now.

Did this count as hush money? If so, Zelda reckoned 300 rupees did the job. She nodded happily; the performer could proudly tell his grandchildren he managed to read Mira's, the Deku girl, brilliant mind. The sizable audience seemed quite satisfied too, so really, everybody wins.

Satisfied, Zelda browsed the food stalls, indicating Tatl to communicate her preferences. Hesitant at first, Tatl quickly became a chatterbox, animatedly talking about her favorite foods. "Mira, let's just go inside that store, Clock Town wrappings are all the rage!" Tatl said while grabbing her tiny tummy. The borderline deserted store at peak hour didn't exactly live up to Tatl's hype, but Zelda placed an order nonetheless, and she invited Tatl to do the same.

When her order came, she was surprised by how large it was; the drawing on the menu didn't do it justice. Zelda armed herself with bravery and downed the delectable treat with some sweet orange juice. She was skeptical at first, but Zelda rated this meal as just barely fit for a Princess's discerning tongue. Or perhaps it was her Deku sensibilities at play; she would have to come later to double-check.

"Good recommendation," Zelda did her best to convey through body language, by doing what she heard Malon call a "thumbs up"—of course, that was a little tough with her current build—but she was indeed satisfied, 200 rupees still burning a hole in her pouch.

"Ah, I'm glad you liked it. I made a mistake earlier; what I meant before was Tael and I ate it once and couldn't shut up about it," she let out a laugh with a longing tone. Zelda gave her some time to gather herself. "Thank you, Mira, I also found it delicious," the fairy said with a warm smile.

"We should... probably go away before they kick us out?" Tatl laughed with some joy this time.

Zelda agreed and just as she was exiting the building, she saw a bald man running her way in a very peculiar way. "Waaaah!!" Tatl cried suddenly. The man had grabbed the fairy, stealing her away from Zelda. "Mira!!!" Zelda set in hot pursuit of this thief, but she was too slow. She noticed the street performer wearing a mask on the gate leading out of town where the thief was running to... But before he could reach, he was ambushed by a Deku Scrub. Tatl was suddenly free, and the bald man dropped a bag. Zelda reunited with Tatl and went to the Deku to thank him when she noticed that the thief and the street performer disappeared.

"Thank you so much, this is why elv- t-Terminians are so..." thanked Tatl, bowing, and Zelda did the same. "Haha, no worries little miss, that man Sakon and his gang of thieves have been a thorn in the side of the association for a while now... I keep telling the guards but... Anyway, it all worked out so don't worry," explained the merchant bowing to Tatl, grabbing the bag Sakon dropped. 

"The association?" wondered Tatl. "That's right, the Deku Business Association. We regulate trade from all business scrubs among other things. Your Deku companion should know about it, we're famous in Palace Town after all," explained the business scrub with pride.

"Actually, we were just heading there; we need some extra rupees for the festival... My friend Mira, she lost her voice but she's very capable." Tatl took the initiative.

"Ah, I would be remiss to let such an adorable girl on her own. Nice to meet you, Mira, you too, lucky fairy. My name is Teak, I'm in charge of security and Deku flower maintenance. I'll lead you two to the building. I'm sure there's some job for Mira's capable hands." They arrived at the association building where they were treated very kindly. Zelda decided to volunteer for Deku flower testing and flew around for the rest of the day, training her body a bit, while Tatl manned a counter for general purposes. Both earning some rupees Zelda stored.

"Phew! I'm beat, I didn't know they had this building here, but now we have some funds to buy things like chocolate... Ah, and we should also find a new inn... Or do you mind going back to Anju's?" Zelda's anger had subsided, so she really didn't mind going back to the Inn that was a massive pot, but she decided to shop around now that they had some cash; it would make for some exercise and exploration.

Chapter Text

Zelda and Tatl walked leisurely in search of a new inn to stay at. "We should be mindful of money, Mira. I might be out of place saying this, but I don't want you to pull that trick again, whatever it is you did... It was really impressive, but I'm pretty sure it's what led to Sakon trying to abduct me... I told you Terminians are the worst."

Zelda understood perfectly well. She'd had to deal with more than her fair share of stalkers back at home... or more precisely, her guards did, but it was always an unpleasant distraction. Zelda tried to reassure the fairy with her body language; she was in the company of an expert after all. As for Sakon, Tatl was probably right; she doubted all street performers were in league with him, but better safe than sorry.

They continued walking, but most of the places either looked too expensive or too suspicious. After a while, they were back in the main plaza of the commercial district. "H-how did we miss this place?" asked Tatl, perplexed, looking at a smaller building, humbly tucked in the corner, the facade made of wood painted a pretty night blue, with a carefully crafted sign on top of the door that read "Moonlit Lodge," fittingly illuminated by the moonlight. Zelda took a page out of Skull Kid's book and decided to give the moon an appreciative glance when she noticed...

The moon seemed to be a little too close for comfort. Tatl, right beside Zelda, seemed to take notice as well, with a puzzled expression on her face... But now was not the time to worry about that. Zelda ordered Tatl to take care of the door and confidently and somewhat elegantly walked in.

The place was more spacious than it looked from the outside, but it was still tiny. It looked nice and cozy though. "Hi, thank you for stopping at our Moonlit Lodge, my name is Mimi Rosa and I have the pleasure of being your hostess tonight."

The lodge keeper Mimi said, bowing politely. Zelda was surprised to see someone with a surname, so, to err on the side of caution, she did her absolute best to perform a polite curtsey.

"Yes, hello, we're looking for something affordable actually, so, sorry to be a bother..." Tatl said, engaging a slightly surprised Mimi in conversation on the duo's behalf. "Oh, not at all, if you look over there you can see our current prices," said the lodge keeper, keeping her cool demeanor. Zelda was beginning to like her, as the duo turned to look at the prices.

After having a quick look, they headed to the counter with a lot more confidence. "We would like to buy the special offer for a single bedroom." Zelda placed all the asking price on the counter, 250 rupees, and successfully registered for 5 nights with dinner and breakfast and a few amenities included in this comfy little place. Zelda and Tatl sat down on a couch to wait for Mimi to process their registration.

"Mira and Taa-ti, right? Here's your key, remember to return it at the end of your stay... Will you be having dinner at once?" Zelda nodded and they were guided to the dining room where a couple customers were already leisurely having their meals.

"Just sit down here, your meal will be here in no time." Reassured a retreating Mimi; it seemed there wasn't a menu here. Oh well, Zelda wasn't a picky eater, thought the Princess of Hyrule, who not once in her life until today had eaten from anything less than from Hyrule's most talented and dedicated chefs who were extremely motivated to please their Princess.

While they waited, Tatl buzzed a bit in place; her appetite had clearly been whetted by the nice aroma coming from the kitchen. "Mira, I think it might be a good idea to go to the sewers. I forgot to tell you, but Skull Kid made a secret base there... It's nothing impressive, but he might hang out at that place, it doesn't hurt to check." Not the time and place Zelda would choose to talk about sewers, but she nonetheless agreed to the suggestion as Mimi came back with their food; she apparently changed her clothes in the meantime.

"Hello and welcome to our lodge, customers. I can see the confusion in your faces, hehe, but I'm not Mimi... Or Judo, my name is Marilla. We're triplet sisters and we own the place, here, please enjoy," said a slightly bowing Marilla as she introduced herself and presented them with their food. For Zelda, a piece of Cucco hind quarter, some assorted veggies, and a cup of apple juice to drink. Tatl also got apple juice in a smaller glass, but she got assorted berries instead of veggies and a small piece of Cucco wing.

"I heard fairies mostly eat berries, so... if you don't like any, just leave it on your plate... And one last thing really quickly, here, we Rosa sisters are to perform on the day of the carnival, all the information is there, we would be delighted to count with your attendance." Marilla said that part very quickly as she handed Mira some sort of folded pamphlet. Zelda took it perfunctorily, and gave Hylia and Farore thanks for the meal before digging in.

Zelda tucked in the pamphlet between her Deku thighs while she swiftly devoured her food, and just before she had time to realize what she was doing, it was gone! Zelda was surprised, it was actually a fairly mediocre meal for her very reasonable standards, but hunger makes the best seasoning after all. The Cucco piece lacked flavor; it was somewhat dry and a little chewy. The veggies also lacked seasoning and she could tell they weren't freshly picked as she liked them. The juice was nice but she preferred it a little sweeter. She now craved some fruit to cap the evening off though, Zelda thought as she eyed Tatl's berries.

"Do you want one? Here, you must have been starving after all that flying, it was such a tasty meal, right? The Cucco was grilled to perfection, the flavor exploded in your mouth, those were some of my favorite berries and the juice was sooo sweet, staying in this place was the best idea of all time, sigh, Mira, thank you, my little tummy is dancing with happiness." Sighed a contented Tatl, patting her belly. Zelda stared at her flabbergasted as she ate the berry, which was admittedly, alright, although... Never mind... Could it be that her precious tastebuds have been too spoiled by the Princess life? No way! Zelda decided to adjust the rating in her mind... The meal was nothing to write her Palace about but it had a somewhat rustic charm and it filled her Deku tummy, a very important feat. Thought Zelda feeling an absurd hint of panic.

Not soon after, one of the Rosas came to take the finished meals away, and Zelda decided to read the pamphlet. When she unfolded it, there was a coupon for a discount for staying in the lodge to her and Tatl's name, how charming!

It was a simple dancing performance on the eve of the festival. They could watch it for free if they were willing to sit very far away, but that would not do for a Princess of her caliber.

Still, now was not the time to think of that, thought Zelda, storing the coupon to be redeemed later and headed to her accommodations guided by a Rosa. The room was tiny but it had a comfy feel to it; the bed was soft and the covers were nice and warm, a far cry from her room in the Princess Palace that was at least twice as large as this entire establishment. Zelda also missed her fluffy, ultra-soft bed. Her covers and bedding entirely made from the most luxurious velvet and silk in Hyrule. Zelda would kill to at least get her comfortable portable futon back, but this bed was not far behind from futon quality, thought Zelda while grooming it a little.

"Mira, isn't this bed awesome? The room is so big and cozy too, haha, this place is amazing! If only Tael was here, this night would be perfect," cried Tatl with a wide smile on her face, also grooming the bed. Zelda decided right there and then to invite Tatl for a day to her Princess Palace, to show the fairy what it means to be her... Tael would have to stay at another palace though; Zelda would have to think of something since The King had placed a ban on men at her place after all.

Zelda took a look around the room and deposited her very few possessions on top of the nightstand. She took a last look at the moon before going to bed... But, "Mira, is it just me or is the moon closer than before?"

It wasn't just Tatl, Zelda had noticed before, but hoped it wasn't true, but there was no denying it now. "After our visit to the sewers, there's a secret exit to the Astral Observatory down there, I think we should head there... Or we can go to the observatory directly, your call..." The sewers plan sounded the most promising, so Zelda mimicked a river and Tatl understood quickly; she was quick on the uptake, noticed Zelda with delight.

Tomorrow will be a busy day so let's rest for now, thought Zelda, lying on her wooden back, drifting into sleep.

Chapter Text

Zelda had no way of denying it; her normally pristine Princess body was dirty and had started to smell after three full days without a bath. Her only consolation being she was currently a Deku, which dulled her senses a bit. Others might not notice, but her overly sensitive Princess nose, honed through countless noble battles, could catch it, even in this state.

Tatl's hygiene was also in shambles, even if the fairy didn't seem to care. Zelda did. Luckily, the Moonlit Lodge offered a tiny shower room. Zelda and Tatl, as important customers, were more than welcome into the amenities, explained a Rosa while guiding them.

Zelda took off her sarashi and her purple shorts for the first time as a Deku and applied the cleaning spell she had been using every day. It wasn't much, but it would do for now. Zelda decided to teach it to Tatl as well, and she was diligently applying it to her outfit.

When she finished that task, she hopped into the shower. She had to enlist Tatl's help to reach some of the more awkward places her Deku limbs couldn't reach, and finally she exited the shower as a new Deku.

Tatl's turn came, so Zelda made a wooden platform with her hands for the fairy and stood there until Tatl finished her self-care. Zelda had no idea fairy wings were so intricate, she thought while she helped clean them. They exited the shower rooms with course to the dinner table as reborn, clean girls.

They had a pleasant, if middling by Zelda standards, breakfast consisting of scrambled eggs, a mighty banana, and grape juice.

Tatl had berries instead of banana, so Zelda traded half of hers for some berries. They were in a good mood as they left the lounge to tackle a new day.

Zelda, now clean, decided the sewers sounded quite unappealing, so it was best to head to the observatory directly and try and find the secret exit from there.

Zelda found a nice place under the sun to do her daily stretches, and just when she finished, she noticed Tatl looking at something nearby. "Mira, I know this will sound stupid but... I heard a rumor that if a Deku danced amongst the Clock Town foliage, they will be rewarded," Tatl said flustered, but Zelda decided it was worth the try; she was an excellent dancer after all.

Zelda started spinning with some grace, and the duo was left in awe at the foliage also moving in sync with her Deku rhythm. Zelda danced with joy, and when she finished her performance with a curtsey, the grass started trembling and was swallowed by the ground, leaving the duo rooted in place.

Zelda contemplated pretending this whole episode never happened when suddenly rupees flew from the ground to the sky in a comical display. Zelda commanded Tatl to catch them, and as the fairy brought back their haul, Zelda counted a total of 20 rupees... Not bad for a short performance. The day was already shaping up, thought Zelda with a skip to her step when suddenly...

"Loook ooouuut!!!" came a shout from the sky. Zelda barely managed to jump out of the way. When she recovered, she saw a completely bizarre sight: a short, middle-aged man in a full green bodysuit was feeling the impact of the fall on his knees. Zelda's opinion of the North Clock Town district residents suddenly took a nosedive.

"What's this? Purple clothes... White fairy... Madame, could you, by chance, be a forest fairy? Oh my!" Immediately sputtered that wacko, while looking at Zelda, Tatl hid behind her back.

"My name is Tingle! I think I am the same as you, madame. A forest fairy! Alas, though I am already at age 35, no fairy has come to me yet... I tell you... Tingle is the very reincarnation of a fairy!" Tingle the fairy spoke confidently... No wait, Tingle the lunatic spoke candidly. Zelda would have escaped already, but she didn't find him threatening in the least.

"Now, while I stand here waiting for a fairy of my own, I draw maps to live another day. Would you care to peruse my wares, ma'am? Here, a sample for your viewing pleasure, as a thanks for your appearance today."

Zelda figured it wouldn't hurt to have a look as she scanned the surprisingly detailed map of the entirety of Clock Town. Tingle had real talent, that much was undeniable. Tatl perched on her shoulder to get a better look, when Zelda noticed a word on the top of the map: "Termina" it read in a very detailed font. Zelda could no longer deny it; she was very far from home. The map also had a subtitle: "Clock Town - Complete".

"That might be my best map, the culmination of my Clock Town efforts, my special Clock Town bundle!" boasted Tingle with pride. "And as to commemorate our legendary meeting, this copy can be yours for the low, low price of 20 rupees!" Zelda didn't even think twice before giving her recent earnings to Tingle. What a steal! That's how you do business, thought a satisfied Zelda, gently handling her precious purchase. Maybe Tatl would learn by her example!

"Tingle, Tingle! Kooloo-Limpah! These are the magic words that Tingle created himself. Don't steal them!" chanted Tingle, reminding Zelda this man was incredibly eccentric.

Zelda's opinion of Terminian civilization shot up very quickly thanks to the most unexpected source, but was quickly tempered down when she asked for the prices of other maps and saw their quality. That's more like it, thought Zelda, who had grown up studying ultra-detailed maps of every corner of Hyrule—maps commoners would never be able to touch. 

Tingle's map of Clock Town could be close to that level, but not his other maps. Still, this was extremely helpful, what a stroke of luck!

Zelda rapidly headed back to her room where she spent a good hour carefully committing her new map to memory. While a bored Tatl made conversation with a Rosa. Apparently, all you needed to win over the fairy was some rustic cuisine. Zelda finished her task and set course to the Astral Observatory with Tatl in tow.

Zelda reached the gate where the map indicated the observatory was located, but she noticed the observatory was actually beyond Clock Town, out in Termina Field, so she would have to cross the path there.

"Halt! Children are not allowed out the city without a guardian, please come back with your Mom or Dad, little one," called a guard, softening his tone halfway through. Zelda imagined the absurdity it would be to actually bring The King and Queen of Hyrule here just to be let through a simple gate.

"A guardian? Mira, what if we ask the shady mask guy?" Absolutely not! Zelda would be caught swimming naked before asking that fellow for help. Zelda had a hunch he would try to trick her into selling one of her titles next, or worse. Nope!

"Fine! If you're so set against the idea, our only option is the sewers..." said a resigned but strangely pleased Tatl. Zelda let out a deep sigh and made her way to the sewers entrance with decided steps.

The moment she was about to enter the narrow corridor, she was stopped by a child her height, or perhaps a little taller, wearing a childish uniform and wielding a stick as a makeshift sword. "You! I know you! You're Skull Kid's friend! Traitor!!! Traitors have no access to the Bomber's secret hideout, get lost traitor!" He shouted, pointing accusatorily at an agitated Tatl, leaving Zelda puzzled.

Chapter Text

"E-excuse me? Traitor?!? What in the world are you talking about?" Asked Tatl clearly flustered. 

"Don't think you can trick me, fairy! I remember you and your purple brother, you were both let into the secrets of the society with Skull Kid when Tim caught you three stealing from Juliette's bakery, don't make this worse by lying, "Tatl", if that even is your real name. Just a few days ago, Skull Kid cut all ties with us and sacked our hideout, leaving the society in ruins!" Tatl flinched and continued flying on the spot, processing the situation, leaving Zelda to spectate.

"And who are you? Another of Skull Kid's flunkies? Sorry, we don't accept your kind. We're recovering from this attack, so leave, both of you." Zelda was addressed all of the sudden and couldn't even get a gesture in as the boy tried to shoo them away with his stick.

Zelda sat on the roof of a house waiting for Tatl to collect her thoughts. "I... Yes, we stole from the bakery, I won't apologize for that, I accept we were very very wrong to steal your ocarina but I did what I had to do to survive, how was I to know a dainty girl would secretly be a ferocious dragon?" Confessed Tatl, clearly still a little dazed. Zelda noticed she only regretted stealing from her because she could turn her and Tael into minced fairies.

"I had no idea Skull Kid ransacked their hideout, he never told us, it's not as if I was interested in their society but Tael was making new friends so I thought it would be good for him..." Tatl finished organizing her thoughts out loud with tears running down her cheeks... Zelda simply stared, letting the situation wash over her.

"Mira, we... I have to make this right, if we want in through the sewers it's the only way..." In truth, the need for the sewers dramatically decreased after this whole debacle. It was highly unlikely Skull Kid was to go back to the scene of the crime, Zelda thought, making a psychological profile of the imp.

Maybe they could ask a Rosa to pose as their adoptive mother? Zelda was pondering when she noticed Tatl flying to the kid from before.

"Listen, I know you're upset, but you didn't see me ransacking your hideout, did you? That's because neither Tael nor I had a single clue it happened, we're innocent!" Tatl explained a little agitated.

"Hmph, using the tenets of the society against me, as expected from expelled members, you're not implicated yet, but you are definitely guilty from stealing from Juliette, so, you have no right to go through!" Explained the kid.

"Fine! But my friend here has business there, she needs urgent access to the observatory and you know we kids can't go through the main door, please? You help kids in need, right?"

"We amended the code after what happened with Skull Kid, we no longer help foreign kids, sorry but your friend can't go through unless she can convince Jim to let her into the society." Explained the kid now with finality. "Nick!!! Ugh! Have it your way, call Jim here, I'll explain the situation myself!"

"Why do I have to call him? You are the one who has business with us. He's playing with Dante at the usual place." Indicated Nick while playing with his stick, barely paying attention. "Ugh, fine, Mira wait here, Nick... Go suck on a lemon!" Yelled Tatl indignantly while buzzing away at top speed. "Pfft, hahaha, a lemon! Good one."

Laughed Nick, leaving Zelda to retreat to a nearby bench. Zelda decided to do the trick to empty her mind while she waited for further feedback to wait for Tatl.

When she felt something touching her. "Mira, what in the world are you thinking so deeply about? Jim this is Mira, Mira, Jim." Introduced Tatl to which Zelda did a polite curtsey. Jim extended his hand at first but then bowed to the little Deku in greetings. "Tatl said you absolutely need to enter the observatory Mira, that's fine, I'll allow it only once, but the mess Skull Kid did there is off limits, Dante will be your guide, but Tatl is banned, it is too dangerous for girls, is that ok with you?" Said the polite kid, pointing to another child. Zelda noticed they all had matching uniforms.

Zelda noticed Jim was avoiding looking at Tatl, eyes darting around...

"That won't do Jim, I told you Mira can't speak, she needs me, just have Dante keep an eye on me, I'll behave." Explained Tatl who seemed more calm now. Jim stared at Dante intensely.

"Is that true Mira? Tch, in that case that's fine, but you will be completely responsible for Tatl, believe me you don't want to make our society mad." Warned Jim as ominously as a child could. Zelda simply nodded over and over not really paying much attention. Jim whispered something in Dante's ear who made a signal and started escorting them to the sewers.

Zelda barely paid attention to Dante's banter while they made their way through the sewers. Surprisingly the stench wasn't too bad, but it was still unpleasant. "So, has Skull Kid come back lately?" Asked Tatl fishing for some leads.

"Nah, we check every day but that guy wouldn't dare, we're ready to give him the walloping of his life." Volunteered Dante usefully, clearly not the brightest magic lamp in the shop. Zelda remembered back when she thought that very same thing, it didn't end well for her. Zelda gave a quick prayer to Din to look after these kids.

Zelda was lost in thought when she noticed they arrived at some sort of secret entrance. "I'll wait here while you do your business. Say hello to the old man for me." Asked Dante.

Zelda squeezed her way through wooden planks and noticed she was in a very colorful building. The base was simple wood arranged in a pattern but everywhere else she looked she saw drawings straight out of a painting depicting the cosmos.

The moment Zelda was ready to enter her admiring mood, she was suddenly left deflated when she noticed a very long flight of spiral stairs she most certainly had to climb with her stubby legs. No time to waste! Zelda got to work and was pleasantly surprised her legs were enough to clear the stairs step by step.

"Mira, you don't have to push yourself so hard, I'll ask the professor to carry you there, you're light as a feather." Zelda appreciated the compliment, but her royal pride was not about to let some elderly professor carry her through some stairs, she will vanquish this foe, for the honor of Hyrule!

The instant Zelda reached the top, she celebrated by lying on her back triumphantly and admired the ceiling that looked like a replica of the celestial vault. Just as Zelda was joining constellations a hunched elderly man with wrinkled skin welcomed them both, blocking her vision.

"Hi Tatl is so good to see you in good spirits, ho ho, I'm glad you made a new friend." The professor greeted serenely.

"Professor Shikashi, it's good to see you're in good health, this is my friend Mira, Mira, the professor... Has Skull Kid stopped by, by any chance?" Tatl introduced Zelda and gently prodded Shikashi for information.

"Nice to meet you Mira, ho ho... Ah that troubled fellow, I haven't seen him around unfortunately, he tried to steal my moon's tear you know? Although it would be awkward for us to meet, I do hope we can make peace, ho ho." Tatl clicked her tongue, but Zelda's ears ringed by the mention of those "moon's tears" it sounded like a potential weakness.

"Thank you professor, would it be fine for us to use the telescope? My friend Mira has always loved the constellations. She's been entranced by your ceiling because of that," explained Tatl prompting Zelda to stand up. 

Zelda contemplated finishing Skull Kid's job... Borrowing the moon's tear encased right beside her on a pedestal would make for excellent bait, but if Skull Kid didn't manage to do it there was very little chance for Deku Zelda.

Zelda pondered while she put one of her blue Deku eyes through the telescope's lens, this was a unique opportunity so she decided to look around to her heart's content.

She noticed the stars were just making her debut, it was shocking the night had already fell, Zelda's mind immediately went to the moon that kept closing in little by little as Zelda shifted the telescope focus, the moon had indeed inched a tiny bit closer.

Zelda in a bit of intuition pointed the telescope straight down and she was elated by what she saw... Target acquired!

Chapter Text

Finally, things were starting to look up! Though Zelda as she looked down at Skull Kid who was figuring out how to play her ocarina. Zelda was smiling at the thought of catching him by surprise, now all they need is to draw up a plan and some way to access the top of Clock Tower and their mission was as good as complete.

Zelda was thinking of what kind of bait would be best, when suddenly she was startled at Skull Kid turning his head directly at her, completely out of the blue. Busted! She thought, but there was no way, right? They were actually quite far.

Skull Kid mocked that thought by turning away and immediately spanking his own straw butt, a clear message to Zelda. Curses!

Zelda couldn't believe her rotten luck when she saw Skull Kid starting to fly to the sky. She followed his path with perverse curiosity. When suddenly he stopped mid-air, Tael nowhere to be found, the Skull Kid extended his arms to the sky and Zelda could have sworn to feel a shrill scream in her Deku bones, the mask slowly moving up and down not unlike when the curse was placed on her, suddenly his head was jerked upwards looking at the moon.

Zelda did the same and to her immense shock the moon now had something resembling a face. All Zelda could think was that this wasn't the moon she'd come to know and love, as it inched closer and closer to the ground when it suddenly stopped. The second it did, something fell out of what seemed to be its eye which prompted Zelda to follow its trajectory. She was pleased to see it landed nearby.

But now she needed eye contact with that Skull Kid. As she searched, she noticed it was floating almost lifelessly in the air, when out of nowhere it started to collapse back to the tower like a puppet with its string cut.

Zelda knew better than to hope for him to have met his demise; he had probably been doing this stuff for a while now but still, knowing Skull Kid, he will wait there for Zelda, so it wasn't a matter of finding him anymore, but now that she didn't have the element of surprise it will be an uphill battle. Actually — Zelda figured — she didn't have the element of surprise in the first place as Zelda and Tatl had been dancing to Skull Kid's tune for a while, maybe even from the start, the ocarina being the key to pry the initiative away from him.

Zelda stopped looking and quietly exited outside to grab whatever it was fell from the moon and she was excited to see it was exactly as she hoped for a Moon's Tear exactly like the old man had. Zelda hurriedly made her way back to the door when a Keese decided to lunge at her deciding she had strayed too far from safety.

Zelda managed to outrun that foe and vowed to take revenge, trying to quietly enter back to the unsuspecting pair of chatterboxes and she indicated to Tatl she was done, making their way downstairs. Zelda had a lot to process, explanations would have to wait for tomorrow as Zelda cradled that gift from heaven in her arms.

Dante let them back to town and Zelda made her way back to the lounge. Zelda and Tatl had a silent dinner, they both had a quick shower and headed to bed.

That night Zelda had a bad dream about the moon falling from the sky, a floating mask and chuckling merchants.

She woke up earlier than usual and did her stretches. Zelda saw a small silver lining in this horrible situation as her voice had finally come back! It was an unholy combination of a hoarse and acute voice that left her sorely missing her original smooth one but it was something, and she took what she could get. "Ugh, you always wake up so early." Complained Tatl stretching on the bed. "Hi." Said Zelda simply. "You can talk?!?" Cried the fairy after a prolonged silence.

"I mean, obviously, duh. I'm glad your voice came back." Buzzed the fairy, her wings flapping happily. "It's hoarse." Explained Zelda, not yet in top condition. "Skull Kid is on top of Clock Tower." Explained Zelda succinctly.

"W-wha..? That's excellent, no? We go there quietly and steal from the thief!" Zelda shook her head. "He knows about us," Zelda confessed, she also told Tatl about the Moon's Tear.

"How in the world? Ugh, he must have seen the telescope... Fine, change of plans, Mira, it will be best if we... You... are not Mira though, care to introduce yourself?" Prompted Tatl with a smile. "Mira." Said Zelda after some thinking; it wouldn't do this fairy any good knowing her true identity. Tatl looked hurt. "No, you're not. Mira is... my friend, and you're not her. I told you my real name, you know...? Never mind "Mira." Let me know when you want to change your name." Tatl gruffly turning away, Zelda thought she looked adorable.

Zelda playfully ruffled her hair and let out a sigh of relief when her fairy companion forgot to get furious again.

"You!.. I get it, we're in a temporary partnership, you made your point, what's the plan for today?" Answered Tatl, always quick on the uptake.

"Tower." Replied Zelda. "Wait, we're confronting Skull Kid already? Are we going with my original plan? Do you have the tear?" Zelda shook her head. Tatl was skipping too many steps; she needed to figure out how to get there in the first place, although she indeed decided to carry the tear around to search for an opportunity.

Zelda and Tatl made their way to the dinner room after completing their hygiene routine. "If you want, I can fly over there, you know, to scout." Zelda shook her head again; she knew Tatl wanted to check up on her little brother but it was not the time. Zelda needed the fairy and if Skull Kid managed to get his grubby paws on her, it would be a complete disaster.

Zelda managed to make Tatl understand while they stuffed themselves on a breakfast consisting of hard black bread and vegetable soup with Terminian tomato juice. Zelda didn't even bother rating it, finishing it promptly while patting her royal tummy. When she was back in Hyrule, she would go on a gourmet tour, she decided, heading to the exit.

Zelda made her way to the main plaza overlooked by the Clock Tower with Tatl perched on her shoulder, where she hadn't set foot ever since she was in that delirious state. Zelda made sure to scan the place with particular emphasis on the tower where Skull Kid was making his evil lair and Tael was imprisoned.

Zelda was walking around, careful to avoid any stray dogs, and she heard something that caught her interest. "Ah, please, it's very cheap! Prime real estate in the heart of Clock Town. I'm practically giving it away!" Cried a large male Deku Scrub on top of a Deku flower; he looked agitated.

Zelda decided to see what all that commotion was about. "Oh, a customer, I'm sorry child, I can't sell anything to you as per the association's regulations... But, if you have 200 rupees, I'll sell you the rights to this Deku flower. It's a steal!" "A steal is right, little girl, of your hard-earned money, do yourself a favor and give this coward a pass." Advised a gruff-looking bald middle-aged man that Zelda recognized as the most likely leader of all these carpenters.

"Mutoh, please don't scare my customer away! What do you say, little girl? Does it pique your interest? You'll make up for it in the blink of an eye." "Didn't you just admit you couldn't sell her anything? If it's such a good spot, why sell it? Maybe she has business with me, you old Deku. Ever thought about that?" Mutoh reasoned, trying to get the persistent merchant off Zelda's back.

The Deku sighed, "Mutoh just, ask around for the Moon's Tear, that's the only reason I'm still here." Said the resigned merchant.

Could there really be such a coincidence, Zelda thought while rummaging through her pouch. She showed the tear to the startled Deku merchant. "It's this what I think it is? I can finally go home!" Exclaimed the Deku, falling to his knees as if he just found salvation, although he quickly stood up and literally changed his hat.

"Ehem, esteemed girl, can I interest you in a simple barter? Your Moon's Tear for my piece of real estate. In your hands it's a nice shiny trinket, but my wife kicked me out because I couldn't manage to find it, so please..." "Whaaat? Is there really such luck in the world..? Well, he may be a coward, but he's not wrong, little girl, I think the most you can get for that is maybe 300 rupees which is less than this flower is worth, even if you sell it back after the carnival so it's not bad for you." Advised Mutoh. After Zelda did some calculations in her mind, she decided to make the deal.

Chapter Text

"Thank you! Thank you so much, little Mira! Please wait here for a second, I'll go quickly to the association building to register you as the new owner. Mutoh, don't let her run away!" Cried an elated Deku merchant after he managed to pry her name out of Tatl, changing his hat yet again. He had asked Zelda her name to make the transfer as soon as possible and quickly ran to, what he informed Zelda, was the Business Scrub Association to which Zelda would be affiliated to after he came back.

"That was something for sure... Not a bad deal, little Mira." Claimed Mutoh who was watching over Zelda. "Sir, why did you call that Deku a coward?" Asked Tatl, floating up to Mutoh's eye level.

"Look around, fairy gal. All my men are running like Cuccos with their heads cut off ever since that moon up there got that ugly mug. Idiots think that giant floating chunk of rock's gonna fall, but I made sure to take 'em behind the woodshed and set them straight. Cap'n Viscen and his guard wanna evacuate the city and flee? Pah! Cowards! Every single one of them, just like that scoundrel Kafei! That spineless Mayor doesn't even have the gall to tell them to suck it up! We all were born here and we have to die here. I will stop the festival over nothing, for the honor of Clock Town!" Explained Mutoh with fervor. Zelda decided she liked his patriotism and dedication; she could use a man like him in Hyrule.

"Err... But the moon might actually fall..." Said Tatl, apprehensive.

"Pah, you're starting to sound like my sons. Even if the moon falls, the walls of the city will hold. I personally run maintenance of them, and they protect all of us from worse daily, they protect even the ungrateful ones. They don't complain... Little Mira, don't listen to the cowards out there. Name's Mutoh, and on my title as head of the Clock Town carnival committee, I guarantee the festival will be a success just like every year."

"Actually, sir, we're staying for the festivities, but we wanted to have a look at the top of Clock Tower, would that be possible?" Asked Tatl, remembering their original objective.

"Mira! Haha, I'm so happy, my wife will be so happy! I promise our next child will have your name! Here, this paper here proves you're now the proud owner of this Deku flower. Please enjoy it, if you need any more information ask the guys over at the association building, now if you'll excuse me..." Interrupted the business Deku like a whirlwind, handing Zelda a flower title deed. Changing his hat another time, he raised his arms into the air to burrow into the Deku flower, to come out a moment later with some bags of goods and fly away.

"Welp, there he goes... About your question, we finished maintenance of that part a few days ago so it's to remain closed 'til the eve of the carnival. If you have urgent business over there, talk to ol' Cap'n Viscen, he manages the security around these parts. Try not to get swept into his pace though, the man's been in a recruiting fervor, and he's been extra strict with fairies ever since some of 'em made a mess in town." Mutoh told them helpfully as he retreated.

Zelda decided to do just that after storing most of her possessions in her new home, which was deceptively spacious. She made her way to the barracks. "Sigh, that was quite the character, but Mira, why did you give away the Moon's Tear? Weren't we to use it against Skull Kid?" Asked Tatl, looking puzzled, completely glossing over the fact that the fairies that made a mess in town were probably Tael and herself.

"Unreliable." "That's true, but what can we even do with that flower?" "Fly." Answered Zelda. Tatl understood; the only way for them to reach the massive platform that was the entrance to the roof was either by asking the carpenters for a set of stairs that worked for Mira's little Deku body or by flying. Tatl was a little relieved since she thought she would have to carry Mira all the way there.

"This is the place, huh? It's certainly imposing... Excuse me sir, we would like to meet someone by the name of Cap'n Viscen." "Captain Viscen, you mean... He should be at the Mayor's residence today, oh wait, it seems you're in luck, fairy girl, that's the captain." Answered a somewhat startled guard posted at the barracks entrance, discreetly pointing to an imposing-looking guard in decorated armor.

"A Deku lass and her fairy have business with me? That's not something I see every day, come inside, citizen, we'll talk in my office." The guard said amicably to Zelda, guiding her through the barracks while Tatl followed behind.

"My name is Taa-ti, this is my friend Mira, she has difficulty talking so I've been helping her." Began Tatl as she introduced Zelda. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mira, I am Captain Viscen at your service. Is it true what your fairy says? I understand the need for help, but your pet's lack of discipline reflects poorly on you as its owner," reprimanded the captain, to which Zelda nodded and did her best not to look utterly puzzled.

"I know the ones your age and especially your gender have a tendency to be soft-hearted, but you're responsible for it, the last thing I need is for another fairy running amok in my town. I'll educate it this time for you." Zelda was processing everything this guy was saying. She deduced that had she come from outside of Town like everyone else, she would have to register Tatl as her possession.

"Fairy, Mira is your owner, not your friend, make sure you remember that and do not cause trouble for her."

Zelda was beginning to really dislike his attitude, but they would both have to suck it up for now since they needed his help. She was worried for Tatl who looked scared and deflated. "R-right, my apologies, my fr... owner Mira got her family heirloom stolen by a skull kid, we last spotted him at the top of Clock Tower. We need to get there urgently." Explained Tatl, taking advantage of the public order angle, to which the captain let out a long sigh.

"Right, that skull kid has been nothing but a big nuisance ever since he entered town. I'm sorry he stole from you, he's stolen from a lot of other citizens as well, but I have no time to get on his tail, even if what you claim is true, and I can't let a little child go all the way there, it's sealed because it's dangerous, especially with all the carpenters running around." He said, looking at Zelda.

"The truth is I'm swamped with work, so if you can get the mayor on your side or get him to evacuate the townsfolk, I promise to personally escort you there... Also I have to deal with finding Madame Aroma and the mayor's runaway child, Kafei. You don't have to worry about that, but that poor woman has been beside herself with worry, I thought everyone in town should at least be aware, it seems the pressure of getting married got to him... Well, it looks like our business is concluded then, close the door on your way out... Or ask my secretary to do it for you." Explained the captain, correcting himself when he saw Zelda was too tiny to even reach the handle.

Defeated, Zelda made her way back to the Moonlit Lodge. Zelda and Tatl ate dinner in silence and headed to the shower room with their bellies full. It seems there's no end to what the residents of this town want from her, Zelda reflected while she cleaned herself and Tatl's wings. Zelda just wanted her purple ocarina back!

Tatl quickly buried herself under the sheets as soon as they entered their room. "Goodnight!" Tatl chirped, muffled, but Zelda was having none of it as she threw the cover to the ground and stared at Tatl with her arms crossed. Tatl looked like she'd just been caught stealing a candy. "Mira, it's not what you think! What's that guard's problem, am I right?" Tatl said, chuckling with nervousness.

"Pet." Zelda said succinctly, to which the fairy flinched. "Fine! You got me. Obviously I didn't register when I got into town and you never asked, so... Not like any fairy will ever accept registering under a Deku... You really are clueless, huh? I suppose you're from the boonies after all, o-or whatever... As long as we don't leave town, we'll be fine." Explained Tatl, very unhelpfully. At least the mystery of why Tatl was so insistent on going through the sewers was resolved, but this only opened another can of worms.

"Skull Kid." Said Zelda, hoping Tatl could catch on to her meaning. "Skull Kid, Tael and I snuck into town, okay? It's hard but not impossible. I'm not registered under anyone and never will, so forget about it! I'm nobody's pet!" Cried Tatl, turning her back to Zelda. Zelda figured there were no more answers to press out of the fairy for now, so she picked the covers back up and went to sleep.

Chapter Text

Tatl woke up to the sound of Mira doing her morning stretches, but pretended to sleep anyway. Yesterday had been terrible; they barely accomplished anything and got saddled with even more tasks. She was relieved she had been careful while committing misdeeds back then since no guard seemed to recognize her.

But Tael might not be so lucky. It was clear they weren't welcome in town anymore, and all because she had decided to go along with Skull Kid's plans of thievery like an idiot. Tatl felt unbelievably frustrated when in the middle of her solo act of kicking the blankets, she felt Mira's wooden finger softly poke her.

"I know you're awake." Said Zelda as she continued playfully poking the fairy. "I also want to hide in bed until the carnival is over, but we have to get moving." "I see your voice is better, I never heard such a cute voice before... And I grew up among fairies." Joked Tatl, also stretching. "We have two days left in the lodge and I'm getting hungry, so let's go eat." Explained Zelda, trying to smooth things over.

Tatl went along with it and did some stretches, trying to copy Zelda. She started flying around until they both made their way to the dining room.

The breakfast already on the table consisted of a handful of grapes and soft-ish black bread with ham and butter as filling, and some pineapple juice. Zelda didn't particularly enjoy it, but she was already used to it, so a complaint didn't register in her brain either. "I suppose we're off to the mayor's house... Unless you have a better idea." Pondered Zelda out loud while eating with as much grace as a Deku girl could muster.

"Nothing really, if the entire town is already searching for some guy we don't even know the face of, we would be wasting our time by joining..." Said Tatl as she nibbled on a grape.

They took care of the rest of the morning routine and headed to the mayor's residence. "Tatl, I actually have no idea what's up with fairies, would you mind explaining?" Asked Zelda while she walked. "You know most of it already, don't you? We are treated like pets, or worse by a lot of your ki... By Terminians. It's actually mandatory in this town, why do you think you haven't seen another fairy flying around?"

"But according to Tingle's map there is a Great Fairy fountain in the north of town..." Pondered Zelda meaningfully. "Of course, Great Fairies are much more important and most importantly they're big and powerful, who would dare mess with one? The residents just ignore it though, they pretend it doesn't exist." Explained Tatl, huffing and puffing a little indignantly.

Although Zelda wanted to continue talking about the Great Fairy, she had business to take care of, when they stopped in front of an imposing looking home. "Welcome, esteemed visitor, do you have an appointment with the mayor? Or perhaps the postmistress?" Asked a guard stationed besides the door.

Zelda took a look around. She saw a mask made in a boy's likeness nailed to an announcement board with the following description. "This is Madame Aroma son's Kafei, any information about his whereabouts will be generously rewarded up to 500 rupees if you bring him to the Mayor's Official Residence in an acceptable condition." Well, they now know how he looks like: abundant blue hair, oval face, quite handsome too. It gave Zelda a sense of familiarity but she couldn't quite put her finger on it... She also noticed a sign on top of the large door that read "Mayor's Official Residence".

"Actually, we are here to provide Madame Aroma information regarding her son," lied Zelda smoothly.

"Ah, you and everyone else, you better have something good, you don't want to see the madame angry." Warned the guard, opening the door for Zelda.

Zelda went through and found herself in a large reception room. She walked straight to the green-haired, freckled receptionist. Zelda judged she was exposing too much skin for her own comfort as she could see her midriff but didn't comment on it.

"I'm here to meet the mayor." Lied Zelda again without a hint of hesitation. The receptionist was looking at Tatl with a lost look as she finally came back to her senses.

"Sorry, the mayor? Do you have an appointment? I can't let you through if you don't." Explained the receptionist, when Zelda saw Mutoh exit a room. "I'm here accompanying sir Mutoh, isn't that right, mister? I asked him to help me get an audience." Lied Zelda with impunity.

Mutoh, who looked puzzled, quickly got the idea, "Ah that's right, miss, just let her through, she just needs a moment of Dotour's time." "If you say so." Agreed the girl without much interest.

"Why did you need to see the Dotour, girl? Is it about your lost heirloom? I heard about it from a guard... Not sure why, but you became the talk of the town." Chuckled Mutoh, opening the door to the mayor's office. Zelda noticed a sign on the side that read "Clock Town's First Citizen - Dotour's office" she read until the sound of a commotion reached her ears.

"All must take refuge!!!" "On with the carnival!!!" Screamed two parties on either side of the room while Mutoh joined the carpenters with sure steps on the left side of the room. Tatl clung to Zelda's back like a spider when she noticed Captain Viscen and some other guards on the right side of the room, almost making her sarashi come undone. At the furthest end, she saw a blue-haired, middle-aged man sitting in a large, eccentric chair looking like he wished he'd be anywhere but here.

"A good chunk of the townsfolk already took shelter without waiting for the Mayor's orders. It's a ghost town out there really." Explained Viscen, somewhat unconvinced. "Mister Mayor and Carnival Committee members, please order those who remain to evacuate." "Ahh... Well... Hmm..." Mumbled the mayor, sweating bullets. "You cowards! Do you really believe the moon will fall? The confused townsfolk simply caused a panic believing in this ridiculous, groundless theory." Explained Mutoh with a booming voice. "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 cancelled! Isn't that right, Mr. Mayor?" Spoke Mutoh adamantly.

"Are you serious, Mutoh?!? 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?" Cried Viscen in a solemn pose. "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." "Mmm... hmm..." The mayor muttered with indecision.

Zelda decided it was best not to interrupt as she wished she had some sweet Kakariko popcorn to enjoy all the drama with. "If the soldiers wish to run, then run, Viscen! We councilmen will stick to tradition. This year's carnival of time will be a success! I've never heard of a defense unit abandoning its town! Madame Aroma and I surely agree on this, doesn't she, Mayor Dotour?" "Let's not bring my wife into this... By the way, who are you? A... Deku?" Asked Dotour the mayor, finally noticing Zelda.

Zelda did a polite curtsey but before she could talk, Viscen interjected. "This is the Deku girl I mentioned, she needs your leave and an escort to go find an heirloom on top of the Clock Tower." "Ah yes, that heartbreaking story, but I'm sorry Deku, I have my hands full already as you can see, just wait for the day of the festival, the doors are bound to open automatically." Explained the mayor somewhat helpfully, giving Tatl's off-the-cuff story more credit than it deserved.

"Actually, I may consider it if you can keep my wife some company, just spend some time with her, hopefully we can get this done before you need to leave. Hector, if you would." Ordered the mayor, signaling to one of the guards to escort Zelda to a room on the other side of the mansion. Tatl still clinging to her like a bug. When the guard opened the door for Zelda and left, Tatl finally let go and started flying again. Zelda noticed a sign on the side of the door again. "Madame Aroma - Postmistress". She read before she went through the door.

Chapter Text

Zelda immediately had to make way for a disgruntled-looking man in colorful clothes. "Gorman, listen to reason!" Came a shout from a plump-looking Zora with a comically small top hat and a cane who was sitting down uncomfortably.

"No, you listen to reason, Toto! How could you cancel a contract like this!!! The Indigo-Go's diva is sick?!? Please. Get out of the way, I'm angry!" He bellowed, directing that last comment to poor little Zelda.

"Ah, that fellow, really, he only manages a circus troop... And how might you be, oh my, what a pretty looking fairy, could she be for sale, I'm sure she'll fetch a nice price." Came a voice from the very edge of the room of a plump-looking middle-aged redhead woman with expensive-looking clothes. Zelda could barely make out she was wearing a large ruby ring sitting close to the Zora. Zelda directed her gaze to Tatl, and was surprised to see her horrified face as she retreated to her back yet again. She quickly figured out why, as two fairies were flying around in a large cage.

"It's mine, not for sale." Explained Zelda curtly, trying to cut this meeting short. "My, oh my, but aren't you Deku all about business? I know no fairy will submit to a Deku, I don't even mind if she's not trained yet. 500 rupees right now, how does that sound?" Zelda didn't even consider it and turned to leave but was stopped by a guard. "Such an elegant, pure white color, it would make an excellent addition to my collection." She pointed to the fairies, one blue, the other pink, both female. Zelda was now actually disgusted and wanted nothing more but to leave, but forced herself to keep her composure.

"So either you or your parents must be a fellow enthusiast, I'm glad some Deku are not like those cowards at Verdant, can you at least tell me the name you gave it?" Asked the lady genuinely thrilled. Zelda figured it was a good chance as any to change the lame fake name Tatl came up for herself, maybe it could calm down the fairy violently trembling on her back, she didn't want to expose her bare wooden chest after all.

"Lumi." Answered Zelda, drawing inspiration from her own alias; it was a name Illiana liked to use to play pretend. "Oh, excellent name, I shall remember it fondly, you have excellent naming sense. If you look over there you can see Nia and Ria. They came with such pretty names already I let them keep them, they're sisters you see..." Ah, so that was an option, good to know, Zelda thought a little peeved, noticing Tatl was trembling even harder. She changed her position so Zelda was hugging her and sat in the chair the furthest from the lady.

"But what brings you here, little Deku, did that lout Dotour send you? Or could you perhaps be the detective I requested from the business association?" The lady asked completely seriously.

"That's right, my name is Mira and I've been looking for your son, could you fill me in on the details?" Lied Zelda, reflecting that she probably hadn't made a single true statement in this entire trip. "Oh, wonderful... Hmm, Mira before I forget this is Toto, a business associate, he's also helping with the search." "Greetings, tiny detective, I bid you a Zora greeting." Said Toto with a smile and saluted by moving his fins.

"According to my sources, Kafei was last seen by the postman, but the man refuses or is unable to provide any useful information. He's also rumored to have a rendezvous with both Cremia and the clerk from the curiosity shop." Explained Toto to an attentive Zelda.

"Ugh, that clerk, little Kafei always had stories about him but I never liked him, that man's far too sinister and shady, I forbid my darling from meeting him, and of course I was right on all counts, he must be the culprit, detective... Cremia she's... a friend's daughter, she manages the ranch down south, a very important business. I suppose Kafei could be hiding there, but he was bound to marry little Anju and he's not the type to run away, I personally believe the clerk kidnapped him, can you glean anything from this detective? Any leads?" Zelda racked her quick brain, reaching for anything to get this lady off her back.

"Kafei... He is in Clock Town, I tracked his whereabouts to near the curiosity shop." Said Zelda very mysteriously, who didn't even know where that shop was; it wasn't listed on Tingle's map.

Madame Aroma almost broke into tears but quickly recovered. "That's wonderful, detective, keep up the good work. I made a mask of Kafei, detective Mira... Well, since you're a Deku it won't do much good on your face, no offense of course, but you're welcome to take it if you think it'll help, it's nailed to the wall outside.

Please, detective, you're my only hope." Explained the madame while Zelda nonchalantly enjoyed the refreshments a maid brought in, some tea and some very tasty chocolates, a combination Zelda was very familiar with.

"I'm glad you like these, Mira, I'll pack some for you and your little Lumi, how shy is... she?, isn't she? Would you like to take a closer look to my Nia and Ria? I know how collectors can get, but it's fine since you're helping me with Kafei." Explained Aroma with a warm smile, still trying to get further peeks at Tatl. Zelda figured there was no harm. She stood up and walked to the large cage that had some sort of magic field in the bars.

Zelda couldn't imagine a Hylian doing something this barbaric, as her opinion of Terminian civilization went down by a couple of points. At least the girls looked well fed and with a healthy glow; they didn't look happy or unhappy, they simply stared curiously at Zelda and Tatl in her arms. Zelda gazed back. And Tatl ceased her trembling while looking at the pair with concern.

"Here are your refreshments, ma'am, Clock Town premium chocolate." Called and explained the maid to Zelda, who was a tad too concentrated.

Zelda took them with grace and headed for the door, hugging Tatl again. Did this count as accompanying the mayor's wife? "Mira, thank you so much! Come back anytime." Called the lady Aroma while Zelda cradled a still scared Tatl in her arms and waddled her way to the reception room but was quickly annoyed when the receptionist informed her the mayor's meeting could very well extend all through the night.

Zelda thought the day wasn't really all that fruitful and asked the guard to take the Kafei mask from the wall and made her way back to the lounge dining room.

Tatl and Zelda had dinner in total silence, and when they finished they made their way to the shower room. When Zelda finished taking off her clothes, she noticed Tatl forgot to land to take off hers and was in a bit of a situation all tangled up. Zelda quickly caught her midair and helped her. "G-get off me! Don't try to play nice with me, I'll never be your pet!" Cried Tatl, standing up defiantly on Zelda's hands, finally getting naked.

"Don't look at me like that, I heard you, you even decided on my new name! Is that "Lumi" more to your liking? I came up with my name all on my own, it's perfect for me, I don't intend to answer to anything you come up with, thank you very much!" Bellowed Tatl in her own pixie voice. Zelda just chuckled.

"You've been responding to Taa-ti just fine though, Tatl, I just thought it would be a better alias than the one you yourself admitted was lousy, sorry." Zelda said with a slight smile, looking down at the fairy. Now that she had the opportunity she gave the naked fairy a better look.

Zelda didn't even have to wonder why people might want to keep creatures like Tatl as caged birds to admire; a quick look at them might be enough to brighten your day. It was the same thought process a lot of her stalkers had... All fairies were generally all very pleasing to look at, as she'd come to expect from meeting plenty of them in Hyrule. Madame Aroma may have gone berserk if she actually took a good look at Tatl though, as neither her two jailed sisters or even almost all fairies Zelda had seen could compare to her beauty.

Tatl had silvery, straight, long and glossy, cascading blond hair that she usually put on one side of her slender, dainty shoulders to fly more comfortably, reminding Zelda of the gentle falling snow. The white glow her body emitted naturally in both her entire body and wings independently, made the starlight come to mind and gave her an ethereal, delicate beauty. Her silver eyes sparkled like diamonds and accentuated her cute, soft features in just the right way, especially her soft, red lips. Her entire being exuded this innocent, cute charm that perfectly contrasted with her expertly crafted body. Zelda had to thank her idol Hylia and her lucky star in the Goddess of Time for being born a girl, yet again, because she thought any boy would have fainted at the thought of traveling with such a thoroughly feminine ideal of a fairy.

Zelda finished evaluating her distracted bare companion and made her way to the shower. Tatl let out a cute yelp when she felt the water hit her soft skin. She took a seat on Zelda's hands facing away from her to make it easy for the Deku girl to apply her wings her ministrations.

"We have to do something about Nia and Ria! I-I thought they looked scared and famished, that awful woman must be treating them terribly! Mira please help me." Cried the sitting fairy while emoting with her arms trying to not let it get to her wings. As Zelda cleaned the upper left wing, she noticed Tatl conveniently forgot the chocolates Madame Aroma kindly prepared for them and the little fact the sisters seemed to be in good health.

"Tatl, I hadn't mentioned this until now, but I'm sure the reason you're not already doing that on your own is because you know just as well as I do that both of our magic has weakened... I'm a tiny weak Deku for now and you're a fairy with barely any magic to use, what good are we to Nia and Ria? I might be inclined to help them after I turn back into my original body, but not now, we have less than 2 days left on our mission." Reminded Zelda also conveniently forgetting to mention something important.

Tatl turned back and stared at Zelda's blue eyes when suddenly she bowed. "I know they mean nothing to you but, even if there's the slightest chance you might help me, then I beg of you, help me rescue them... I know what a complete monster you are in your original body, so please!" Begged Tatl desperately, progressively bowing lower and lower until she was bowing on a ninety degree angle, completely naked and defenseless in Zelda's hands. Zelda thought back to that comment about her being a monster; she knew Tatl meant it as a compliment but it still irked her.

"Alright, Tatl, no need for so much ceremony, stand up... I also didn't like to see that display of barbarity in front of me, had I been in my original body those two would already be free fairies... I've been thinking about it a lot but I believe I know of a way to bring our magic back... But I'll tell you tomorrow, I'm a bit sleepy now and that's a long conversation."

"That's amazing, Mira, without magic we might as well be sitting ducks against Skull Kid... Umm, sorry for my earlier outburst, I'll answer to Lumi, it's a very pretty name and a much better alias than Taa-ti." The fairy said sheepishly as she helped Zelda shower.

"By the way, do you happen to know those two from before?" Asked Zelda while cleaning her body.

"Not really, just seeing fairies like that is a bit..." Tatl tried to explain while applying soap to Zelda's back.

Zelda was rinsing herself when she stopped Tatl from getting dressed "Is there anything wrong, Mira?"

"I've been meaning to ask but, are those your only clothes... I know we clean them every day but..." Asked Zelda meaningfully, to which Tatl turned as red as a Hylian tomato.

"Y-yes, I had a few extra but I lost them since they were at Skull Kid's hideout, we're on the same boat, aren't we?" Zelda didn't think clothes stored next to the sewers would be particularly worth using.

"I don't know why, but these clothes came as a package deal when Skull Kid cursed me. Why would I buy more when I'm going back to my original body in a few days..." Zelda said sagely, to which Tatl pursed her lips.

"I- I've done my best not to think about but I'm so, extremely sorry for what happened to you, I couldn't even begin to imagine what it is to lose your body... I know it was Skull Kid's doing but I still feel guilty... A-a little... No, that's not true, I do feel very guilty..." Explained a clean and clothed Tatl, sitting down on the bed having made their way from the shower room.

"I don't blame you about the curse, but you were kinda cruel to me back when it happened, I was in a really fragile state back then." Zelda confessed, opening the bag with chocolates in the nightstand.

"Right, right... Sorry... it may sound like an excuse but it didn't dawn on me the full repercussions of what happened, so when I saw someone so beautiful and beyond this world, brought to the lowest of lows I felt something perverse take root in me, b-but it's gone now, I promise!"

"Well, I did punish you already. I hope you enjoyed that slide ride," chuckled Zelda mischievously, instinctively ruffling Tatl's hair. She didn't complain but Zelda retreated her hand as soon as she realized what she was doing.

"Hah, that slide ride where you used your body to shield me from every blow? If that's how you punish, I'd love to be rewarded... Good night," commented Tatl, regaining some of her playfulness, giving a long side glance at the chocolates and turning the magic lamp off.

"Goodnight."

Chapter Text

Zelda woke up and was surprised to see Tatl deliciously munching on their snacks. Zelda sat up straight and grabbed one of those premium chocolates before that greedy fairy devoured them all. "I could have sworn you weren't going to touch these, knowing where they come from." Chatteda Zelda, eating another piece.

"These came from a maid, besides, the chocolates didn't do anything wrong... Truth is, I had trouble sleeping, I used these to let out some steam, plus they're delicious." That much was true, but Zelda decided to pause the fairy's binge eating and store the chocolates for her for later.

"You'll ruin your appetite and we have to eat our last breakfast here. These are for you, I promise, but later." Explained Zelda to Tatl who had a face as if the moon was about to make its landing. The duo headed to the dining room.

"Tatl, I thought about this last night but, could you perhaps be some sort of fairy nobility?" Zelda asked nonchalantly, receiving her breakfast, bread yet again albeit not black, this time filled with melted cheese, garlic and butter. Some assorted veggies on the side and melon juice. Tatl spat out some of her juice and coughed before answering.

"N-noble? Me? Ha... haa... Mira, you make the craziest jokes... where did you even get that crazy idea!?! What's so noble about me? Did you forget how we met already, if you're not careful I'll start to think you're the noble." Tatl laughed nervously and deflected rapidly. In truth, it was just a random thought that popped into Zelda's head when she was admiring Tatl's body since she reminded her of her playmates growing up, but maybe there was something there. Zelda thought idly when she, for the first time, rated a meal from the lounge favorably; they saved the best for last, apparently.

"Terminians don't have nobles, Mira, I don't think, but, I still dream about fairy tales about knights and princesses, just last night... N-nee-ver mind... Ehem, this bread is so good, right? The berries hit different too, maybe today is special." Tatl commented while attempting the clumsiest topic change Zelda had ever witnessed.

When they finished, they took a thorough shower and went back to their room.

"So, about the magic?" Tatl asked, landing on the nightstand, searching for the chocolate's hiding place. "I believe Skull Kid cursed the Great Fairies." Stated Zelda, to which Tatl stopped her prodding as if a bolt just fell on her out of the blue.

"That's a very bold statement, Mira, do you even know how powerful Great Fairies are. I know Skull Kid's became strong but the Great Fairies are like goddesses to us. If you're wrong, I'm not letting this slide." Tatl said, narrowing her eyes suspiciously at Zelda.

"I have very good reasons to believe it to be the case... I hope it's just Clock Town's Great Fairy but I believe it's most of them." Tatl tensed, pursed her lips and started to tremble uncontrollably, eventually she fell to her knees with a small thud. Zelda decided to offer her a piece of chocolate.

"How? How do you even know this? that's supposed to be a fairy secret and yet an elf... Someone of your kind knows about it... How did it leak? This is such a dangerous situation," Lamented Tatl, snacking absentmindedly. Zelda gave her some time to gather her thoughts while supplying a steady stream of chocolate.

"For what it's worth, your kind isn't in danger because of me. So, the plan for the day is going to the fairy fountain... But it seems you were already aware that this was the best move, even if you were planning to keep me in the dark." Prodded Zelda, letting Tatl know she said far too much.

Tatl flinched but she cutely begged for more chocolate with her arms, but Zelda steeled her heart and shook her head, if Tatl got a tummy ache on the eve of their confrontation with Skull Kid it would be a disaster. Tatl puffed up her cheeks and pouted adorably. What wasn't adorable was the fact that she flew to Zelda's hair and started pulling it in protest. It seemed Zelda had awakened a chocolate-loving fairy demon!

After Zelda managed to appease Tatl with facts and logic... and a hearty chocolate bribe. They left the lounge for good after turning over the keys. "We hope to see you again soon." One of the Rosas said her goodbyes. Zelda made her way to the fairy fountain with confident wobbles when Tatl, flying close by, let out a sigh.

"My original plan was to ask the Great Fairy to tell us where the Skull Kid was, but when I thought about your puny spell I checked my own magic and reconsidered, how could I know you were so knowledgeable?" Zelda paused in her tracks.

"Speaking of spells, that white flame. I've never seen such a thing before." Zelda commented, she was always interested in the magic.

"Uhhh, that? That's the only offensive magic I can do... It's a little special, but it's useless now so we can't count on it to face Skull Kid." Zelda wanted to know more regardless but Tatl flew away; it was obvious to Zelda this was another case of secret keeping.

The duo arrived at the massive cave that quickly turned into an intricately carved fountain. Every part of its facade dotted with stars, the fountain stood imposingly in the middle but, where there should have been a Great Fairy, there was... Nothing. "Mira, over there!" Pointed Tatl at a corner where the Great Fairy was convalescing. "Your Grace! What happened?" Asked Tatl, trying to help the Great Fairy to her feet, she only coughed in response, "just a bit of a curse little one... I'll be ok in no tim..." Said the Great Fairy bravely before fainting. Tatl looked back at Zelda with abject despair.

Zelda nursed the Great Fairy a bit but this curse was currently way beyond her pay grade, which she communicated to Tatl. "But, but you said you knew of a way, you liar! You lie a lot don't you!?" Accused Tatl, to which Zelda made some gestures for her to calm down. "I do know of a way but this body is useless, Tatl, it benefits me greatly too if the Great Fairy heals, why would I lie?" Zelda squeaked rapidly. Tatl calmed down and gave a brief apology.

The duo made their way out of the fairy fountain in low spirits and ordered a simple and quick dinner from a food stall.

They set course to Zelda's home in Clock Town central plaza... The Deku flower, which Tatl looked apprehensively at and begged Zelda to reconsider, but she was having none of it and burrowed into the ground with the fairy in hand.

"So that's how it looks like on the inside, it's more spacious than I thought." Marveled Tatl but her face quickly soured when she saw the diminutive bed. Zelda gave Tatl some chocolates yet again to preemptively appease her and they both laid down on the bed. Tatl was cuddling near Zelda's heart when she began.

"Mira, tomorrow..."

"Zelda."

"Excuse me?"

"That's my real name... my name is Zelda Lyra Hyrule, Crown Princess of Hyrule, Grand Duchess of Death Mountain, sworn sister of the Goron and Lady Protector of Kakariko Village and the Sheikah. Sorry it took so long but... Nice to meet you."

Tatl started trembling with increasing violence as she burrowed deeper into Zelda's chest. "Zelda. What a pretty name... Thank you..." Answered Tatl with a trembling voice.

A lot was left unsaid. As they drifted into slumber, an unspoken understanding drew them closer, their hearts inching toward each other. Yet, even as they embraced the tranquility of the moment, the tempest of an impending battle for the world's fate raged with escalating violence, mirroring the moon's ominous, ever-closing presence in the night sky.

Chapter Text

When Tatl woke up she noticed Mira wasn't around the tiny room... Or was it Zelda now... For a while Tatl debated with herself if she dreamt that whole exchange, but she wasn't that imaginative to come up with those random words, like Kakariko... Or 'Shika'... Or, perhaps she was! It wasn't too different from the professor's name...

Tatl figured Zelda was outside doing her routine and decided to have a single fairy party when she started nibbling on the last of the chocolates.

Zelda came back to find Tatl having a chocolate feast for breakfast, greedily devouring everything, leaving none for her. Maybe, that meant she could have more of the hot bread she brought as breakfast to herself? She could only hope.

"Mira... Zelda? That's... It wasn't a dream, right? That's your name! Uhhh what did you bring there... So tasty!" Cooed Tatl when Zelda handed her a piece of bread to the gluttonous fairy. Zelda wondered if she had a separate stomach for chocolate.

"No it wasn't a dream. I fully introduced myself last night." Answered Zelda sitting besides the fairy gnawing on her own bread.

"But what was that all about the Kakariko and the Shika? You mentioned Gorons too, I've met them but I never heard about you," Asked Tatl, experimenting by spreading the chocolate inside the bread.

"The Sheikah are a tribe under my direct protection, and they live in Kakariko... Which is a village I'm responsible for as a member of the royal family. I also mentioned I'm the Grand Duchess of Death Mountain, that's the region Kakariko is located in, my personal domain basically, and where Gorons live. I became a sworn sister to their tribe a while ago." Tatl looked delighted, it seems the chocolate bread experiment was a success.

But as she finished listening to Zelda's explanation she turned her head puzzled. "Zelda is not that I don't believe you, but the Gorons live in a place called Snowhead Peak, even I know that, and as far as I know Terminians have no kings and princesses, you're not making any sense."

"Hmm, that's because you skipped over the most important part. I'm the Crown Princess of Hyrule, meaning her next Queen. I'm no Terminian, you may call me a Hylian, I was baptized under Goddess Hylia after all, so you can't get more Hylian than me."

"Wait, wait, wait. Zelda, I never heard of your kind having goddesses, and why were..."

"Watch your tongue, Tatl! I won't allow any disrespect to the Divine..."

"Eeek!!!" Tatl cried and gulped as she looked genuinely scared for a moment. "Zelda, your Hylian self might be coming back... Please forget what I said before. But by the way, you're saying you're this super amazing big shot that a lowly fairy like me could never meet, why were you sleeping alone in the woods?" Asked Tatl, an extremely reasonable question for once.

"Don't undersell yourself, Tatl, I've met plenty of fairies like you, and I believe you're of excellent caliber... Well, I became an adult and there's this test for nobility, it's called the coming of age trial and it was decided (by me) that I was to go through the woods alone." Said Zelda, deciding to leave an important detail unsaid.

"Wow, I'm so sorry, what a raw deal! You must have had a tough time in the court... Or whatever, not sure how it works... But Mir-Zelda, you're a real, live princess! My image of frail princesses is forever shattered thanks to you, are all princesses true monsters or are you just an anomaly?" Wondered Tatl, a little dejected, casually and innocently inflicting heavy psychological damage to Zelda.

Suddenly Tatl slowly turned her head to Zelda as she seemed to realize something... "Your Highness, I've been disrespectful, please don't wipe out my family line!" Suddenly cried Tatl, leaving Zelda to wonder what kind of books do they let fairies read here in Termina.

"Stand up, Tatl, we Princesses don't do that... Certainly not in my Hyrule. But you could have been put to death back for what you did if we were back at home." Laughed Zelda innocently, to which Tatl flinched in genuine recoil. Zelda had finished eating her breakfast so she decided to postpone their talk and made her way out to her last day in Clock Town, without a plan this time.

"Pah! If you're gonna fall, then fall already!" Was the first thing Zelda heard as she jumped out of the Deku flower with Tatl in hand, Mutoh appearing to make a last stand against the looming moon now closer than ever. "I did my best to ignore it but... That's such a creepy face! How can Skull Kid do this to everyone?!?" Commented Tatl looking at the moon apprehensively.

Zelda decided to focus on something she could control, the showdown against that villain was just a few hours away!

"Zelda, what are we going to do until midnight?" Asked Tatl, deciding aliases were no longer necessary in this situation. "I thought about it last night, and I believe I should practice my moves against live targets! Real enemies!" Exclaimed Zelda heading to the gate close by, she noticed the guard was looking worried at the moon on a solemn yet resigned pose.

"Halt! I can't let a tiny and defenseless Deku child out of these walls without supervision, I know the moon might be scary but you should talk to your parents before going out." Explained the guard blocking Zelda's path, leaving Zelda rather frustrated. With nothing better to do she decided to do a tour around town.

At first, a run-down dojo picked Zelda's interest, but while she didn't mind the state of the place she couldn't find the master of the dojo to ask him for practice, so she left disappointed.

Zelda found the curiosity shop that wasn't listed in the map tucked away in the corner of the west district... It didn't matter much now but she decided she might as well retroactively earn those chocolates so she commanded Tatl to open the door.

Zelda immediately noticed the strong aroma of incense and a shady looking guy looking bored behind the counter. "Heeee, are you lost? Deku child, you got such a pretty fairy but I don't deal in live merchandise, sorry." Commented the man nonchalantly not looking sorry in the slightest.

Zelda decided to look around, she noticed armors, explosives and a handful of masks, one with crazy red eyes and foreboding semblance in particular caught her attention. "If you got something else to sell I'll be happy to take a look."

"Kafei, where are you hiding him?" Zelda tried the direct approach since she wasn't really expecting anything. "Hoping to join the guards, little Deku? I haven't heard from him in a long time. If you're not here to do business you might as well leave." Suggested the clerk, answering Zelda with complete serenity as if he's never done a bad thing in his life. That alone was suspicious but nothing to go by.

Zelda agreed and browsed his wares until she noticed buried under a pile of clothes a fox mask. "That's a Keaton mask, it let's you talk to spirits... Or so they say, not a bad mask to receive the carnival on, and to say your last goodbyes." Explained the clerk ominously while Zelda was trying her best to remember where she last saw this mask.

Eventually she gave up and exited the store. "Zelda, that's the mask the boy from the first day was wearing, the one with the rude dog... He must have sold it before evacuating." Pondered Tatl helpfully. Well good riddance about the dog, too bad Zelda could no longer give him an earful about his inn recommendations.

Zelda continued making a 3D map of Clock Town in her brain to go along with the 2D one from Tingle. She stopped on the postman's house and a lot of miscellaneous shops. She played around in the grass and earned some rupees for her troubles and in general just played around the city alongside Tatl for a while making sure her body got a lot of activity. They had a quick dinner on one of the food stalls that didn't decide to evacuate and made their way back to the Deku flower after night fell.

Chapter Text

Zelda started her efforts to fly all the way to that platform but it was proving trickier than she initially imagined. The Rosas were setting the stage for a scant audience in the backdrop while Zelda did her best to fly to the platform.

The Rosa sisters were dancing gracefully and the fireworks were going off in the distance. It seemed to Zelda this was the background of a tragic play, as the moon inched closer and closer with each passing second. She needed to try harder to fly over there, even Tatl had started to aid the war effort with her tiny wings by doing her best to carry Zelda but it was mostly futile since the current generated by the flowers didn't let her help much.

Zelda was about to give it another shot when she heard a shout from above.

"Mira! You crazy child, I can't believe you will stay in this doomed town for an heirloom, can't you see that monstrous rock?" Zelda recognized this business scrub, it was Teak, the one who helped her recover Tatl from a thief.

"Sigh, no matter, a dedicated Deku lady like you deserves a fighting chance! Here, sorry I didn't come sooner but a friendly guard, Hector, just recently informed me of your plight, this will take you to heights you've only ever dreamed of reaching, this flower is my pride and joy haha. Now it belongs to you, Mira, please take care of it." Said Teak rapidly with a happy smile, retreating to the exit, presumably evacuating.

Zelda was both touched and a little flabbergasted. She received the pulsating flower filled with vim and vigor and the reality of the situation washed over her like a tsunami. This flower was the ticket to the ultimate face-off against Skull Kid! But at what cost? If only she received this flower a little sooner, maybe they would have a better chance at escaping from the moon. No point delaying the inevitable though, Tatl who also looked like the moon just crashed on her, shared a determined look with Zelda and simply said:

"We got this princess!" As Zelda burrowed into her home for a day and was propelled directly to the sky, almost reaching moon level.

Zelda was recovering from the intense burst of energy and properly redirecting the precious gliding flower. The first thing she saw after turning her gaze to the target location left her and Tatl, flying close by, speechless.

The silhouette of Skull Kid floating in the air and dancing joyfully without a care in the world under the moonlight, with Tael buzzing around him, moving his limbs in bizarre ways. The dance gave them both an incredibly macabre feeling. "Tael!" Zelda could hear Tatl with a worried voice as she let the flower go to land on top of Clock Tower in style. Finally, after having his fun Skull Kid took notice of them.

"Sis!!!" Cried Tael, relief evident on his face. "Tael!!! Do you have any idea how worried I was?!?" Answered Tatl buzzing carefully around Zelda. "Hey, Skull Kid, what if you give us back that mask you stole and we forget any of this ever happened." Proposed Tatl, to which Skull Kid started cackling maniacally, still floating in the center of the platform.

"Well, well, well," he sneered, his voice dripping with malice. "Look who decided to join the party! And who's this pipsqueak good-for-nothing fairy I threw away? Your replacement for Tael, Princess? I didn't know my trash was so valuable."

A surge of anger flared within Zelda. "Let Tael go, Skull Kid!" she rasped with her squeaky voice, still recovering from the intense trip.

"And give me back my Ocarina!" "Y-yeah, give it back! This isn't right, that was Zelda's!" Cried Tatl, clearly shaken after all those vicious insults. "Swamp. Ocean. Mountain. Canyon. Hurry... The curse on the four..." Tael rapidly said flying in front of Skull Kid to which Skull Kid rewarded by delivering a sharp blow with his forearm. Tael looked as if he was about to drift to land but something kept him tethered to Skull Kid.

"Don't speak out of line! Stupid fairy!!!" Skull Kid wasn't in a laughing mood for once while delivering those lines.

"Noooo!! What are you doing to my little brother?!?" Cried Tatl, terrified and upset at the treatment Tael had been subjected to. "Skull Kid, do you think still think you're our friend after that?!!?" Tatl yelled accusatorily while trying to fly close to Tael before being repelled by something.

"Well, whatever." Skull Kid muttered, looking at Tatl for the first time in the night.

"Even if they were to come now they wouldn't be able to handle me... Hee, hee." Commented Skull Kid enigmatically while throwing and catching Zelda's ocarina around.

"Wanna play a pretty tune now, princess? Just look above you, if it's something that can be stopped then try to stop it!" Exclaimed Skull Kid chuckling as he extended his arms into the air and adopted an X pose while looking at to moon and let out a devastating cry that cut through the night.

An incredibly sinister aura seeped from his position not unlike the time Zelda felt the curse being placed on her. She was just the slightest bit relieved it wasn't directed to her, but relief was short-lived when she noticed the moon picking up pace as it careened right into Termina like a massive meteor threatening to end this entire land as Zelda had come to know it.

She felt a shiver run down her spine while watching this malevolent spectacle with morbid fascination not being able to move her Deku body one bit. The princess of Hyrule realized with dread that her moment on this land were written in stone and it didn't care whether she lived to tell the tale or not so she'd have to make them count.

"Tael. Get away from Skull Kid at once! Tael!!" Ordered Tatl desperately trying to go through whatever force was pushing her away from Skull Kid and her brother. "Taeeeel!!" Cried Tatl once more to her bruised brother. "Sis? Cough, cough... You have to live..."

"Zelda! Zelda, you have to do something, please for the love of your goddesses get a grip! Zelda!!" Tatl chirped loudly while buzzing around Zelda. Zelda felt the strength return to her paralyzed body, Tatl was right, this was the time to act. Zelda immediately threw a Deku Nut to Skull Kid but it didn't land on him. Zelda circled around Skull Kid searching for a weakness when suddenly the malicious energy stopped. Skull Kid, looking tired, spoke after spotting the Deku.

"Pathetic! Time's up, you powerless princess! How does it feel to lose against me?" Mocked the Skull Kid. "I'll never forgive you, Skull Kid, after what you did to Zelda and my little brother. I hate you!!!" Cried Tatl frustrated when the maniacal laugh returned to the Skull Kid, all the while Zelda prepared to make her last stand.

Chapter Text

"Hyrule!!!" Zelda let out a shrill war cry while charging towards the Skull Kid who had descended very close to the ground.

"Celestia!!!" Zelda heard Tatl cry, swept by the atmosphere, flying at top speed towards Tael yet again.

Zelda engaged Skull Kid in hand-to-hand combat but, although Zelda had been trained for what was highly likely a lot longer than the Skull Kid, she didn't even manage to land a single blow while the Skull Kid mechanically repelled her with a single arm, eventually landing his palm straight to the middle of Zelda's chest, sending her away, leaving her ego bruised and her lungs out of air.

Zelda watched as the skull kid slowly ascended into the sky once again and immediately realized this was her one and only chance to turn this around. Inhaling sharply, she threw her entire arsenal of Deku Nuts on him while unleashing all of her most magic-efficient spells, she prepared in her mind beforehand, a very weak combination of light and winds spells, Zelda's specialty, leaving her almost completely out of magic.

Zelda saw in sheer delight how her barrage affected the skull kid and eventually, in a stroke of luck aided by all of her efforts, a projectile hit the skull kid's wrist in the arm he was using to keep her ocarina hostage, leaving him momentarily dazed, making the ocarina fall to the ground.

Zelda ran the fastest she's ever run as a Deku and leaped into the air, catching her precious ocarina mid-fall, cradling it as if her life depended on it. Now she only needed to grab Tatl and Tael and make her daring escape.

"Zelda!!! Zelda, I can't get to Tael! Please, please... The moon is going to kill us all! Do something, anything!!!" Came Tatl flying with tears streaming down her beautiful face like a river, eyes red, she looked to be in deadly despair while she clung to Zelda's sarashi.

The moon had reached terminal velocity which made their upcoming demise imminent. Zelda watched Skull Kid laugh as if possessed. She racked her brain faster than ever before to try and come up with a way to make it out of this one with their lives when suddenly the realization hit Zelda like a ton of bricks.

The once shiny, light purple surface of her ocarina now looked like some grotesque instrument made of wood she'd only seen traveling bards use. For some reason, Zelda was holding some windpipes instead of her ocarina!

Zelda realized her ocarina had transformed after she saw a golden Triforce engraved in the instrument but had no more time to ponder as she brought the instruments to her mouth and played the melody she'd learned at the Temple of Time. The temple had taught her this ancient and mystical melody in honor of the star that blessed her birth. It was a prayer from Zelda to the enigmatic Goddess of Time, a plea for salvation which echoed beautifully across the midnight sky.

Zelda didn't even notice that the Skull Kid had ended his evil merrymaking to swoop down to end her while she played the sacred song, since when she finished playing the Song of Time, the world started slowly losing color all around her, everyone's movement slowed to a crawl until they eventually stopped, the skull kid's grip mere inches from her fragile neck. 

Although she didn't dare touch it, Zelda carefully inspected the now black and white mask and looked around to the now colorless fireworks exploding around her, then she looked to the moon. The moon was already with a menacing stella, so close to crashing Tatl could fly to it and touch it.

"Zelda, what's going on?" Zelda looked down and saw that Tatl was not caught up in this phenomenon; the pure white fairy paradoxically more colorful than the rest of existence. Reality was starting to unravel, so Zelda hugged Tatl protectively and braced them both for the consequences of her actions.

"Wait Zelda, the mask!" Tatl yelled a little unfocused. But it was both too dangerous and too late. Zelda felt herself fall for the second time in a week. Their lives were now in the hands of the Goddess.

The next moment, Zelda found herself sprawled on the cold, familiar cobblestones of Clock Town right before the entrance to the mask salesman's place, the mill. The bustling market, the frantic construction of the observation tower, the kid with a fox mask looking for his dog, everything was exactly as it had been before. Except for one crucial detail. The moon. It was back to its normal, distant position in the night sky.

Disoriented and confused, Zelda scrambled to her feet, Tatl buzzing around cleaning the tears from her face with a confused face. Was it all a dream? If Tatl and her own tattered state were anything to go by that wasn't the case. Zelda reasoned, still reeling from that sharp blow to her chest.

Looking around, she spotted Captain Viscen, his face etched with worry and that infernal dog, Max, playing far away with some butterflies. The events of the past few days seemed to have vanished without a trace.

"Zelda, I have no idea what's going on." Commented Tatl looking up at where the moon had been with a hint of fear. "But I do remember that creepy masks guy asked you to recover your ocarina, if... If I'm right, he told you to do that a second ago... Talk about efficiency. Let's... Hopefully get your body back." Explained Tatl while holding her head as if she was nursing a headache.

"Tatl, I think we went back in time, judging by the moon's position, to our first day here." Agreed Zelda, organizing her own thoughts out loud while the duo pushed the heavy door to the inside of Clock Tower open.

The merchant feigned surprise when he saw them enter and quickly walked over to meet them. "Ho, ho. You two look like you've seen better days, did a storm catch you on the way out the door?" Asked the merchant with more than a hint of sarcasm. Subtly confirming their theory.

"Were you able to recover your precious item from that imp?" Zelda found it suspicious that he didn't mention it was an ocarina, showing him the windpipe she was holding.

"Oh! Oh! Ohhhh!!! You got it! You got it! You got it! You got it!!! What ruthless efficiency, what elegant effort ho, ho, ho! Don't worry about its form, it will work just fine for our purposes, you're its true owner after all." Zelda was reeling from that violent shaking she had been subjected to, she did her best to process his words, this guy... Zelda didn't trust him one bit... But she didn't have anything to lose by playing along, their only problem being they didn't took that demonic mask from Skull Kid.

"Now listen to me. Please play this song I'm about to perform, and remember it well..." Called a very motivated mask merchant while he pulled out a harmonica. He played a sad and soothing melody deliberately that made something stir within Zelda. She didn't realize she was lost in appreciation until the man urged her to play, which she did as best as she could when what she felt stir within her exploded like a volcano engulfing her consciousness.

She was in a dark space and when she turned back she saw a little Deku girl, she looked dark and gloomy. She tried to pat and console her but the girl didn't allow Zelda to, she seemed like she burst into tears at any moment. "You have to leave, I'll be fine... Thank you for being with me and... good luck." The girl said her goodbyes, trying her best not to cry, getting progressively away from Zelda. Zelda waved her goodbye in a daze, she unexpectedly felt intense sadness and sorrow.

When Zelda came to she noticed her height had changed. The merchant was looking at her with, what Zelda thought was feigned surprise, while Tatl had a mixture of surprise and happiness. Zelda raised her arms and looked to her hands, and she was incredibly happy to see her beloved pearly white hands greet her when she nimbly moved her fingers. 

Zelda checked her clothes and a shiver of delight ran down her body when she noticed not only Fae but all her possessions were back with their rightful owner. She was also relieved she was properly clothed with the royal traveling attire, and frankly, the merchant should be too because his eyes wouldn't have survived gazing upon the princess's bare skin and figure.

A Princess's sense of shame and modesty were not to be trifled with after all. 

Everything was just as Zelda left it, Princess Zelda was back!

Chapter Text

Zelda felt a wave of relief crash on her tired body and while she placed her hands on her knees trying to regain her composure, she saw a mask on the floor that reminded her of the sad Deku girl from her vision.

"The Song of Healing. A melody that heals evil magic and troubled spirits, turning them into masks. Do your best to remember it, I am sure it will be of assistance to you in the future. Ah, yes. Of course this belongs to you, your trials and tribulations as a Deku will forever remain etched in this mask." Explained the merchant helpfully.

Zelda took it with gentleness because the likeness reminded her of that poor Deku girl. "Fear not, for the magic has been sealed inside the mask. When you wear it, you will transform into a Deku once again, just like you just were. When you remove it, you will return to normal." Continued the man. Zelda stored it respectfully in a safe place realizing it could become a useful tool for her.

"Now I have fulfilled my promise to you..." Said the red-haired man extending his hand.

Zelda had the presence of mind to look contrite; she had hope but she never truly believed this man had the means to undo Skull Kid's curse, not only that, he paid upfront... Zelda was more than half forced into this bargain but he really did save her from an incredibly sticky situation.

"So, please, give me back that which you promise me..." The ambiguous language gave Zelda a tiny bit of hope... But she had nothing to give.

"Don't tell me..." Zelda was trying to come up with a way to show she was sorry when suddenly she felt her shoulder being grabbed.

"My mask..." Zelda was pondering whether she felt guilty enough to let a commoner grab her when she noticed the intensity of the man's stare.

"You did... Get it back... Didn't you?" He continued with a manic glint in his eyes that made Zelda flinch.

"It just so..." Zelda started when she felt her body lift from the ground. She was about to deliver some excuses and promises with her usual poise and charisma when suddenly she was on some thrill ride.

"What have you done to me!!!" Zelda gathered her bearings while her head shook up and down, she realized the merchant was responsible for her predicament, he was so upset he had lifted his own Princess up in the air and started shaking her. It seemed he noticed his faux pas and gently placed her back on the ground. Zelda was happy to see cute little Tatl had attacked the man with all her might, coming to her rescue.

"Ow! If you leave my mask out there, something terrible will happen!" It seemed he barely registered the pain when suddenly he started shaking his own body violently with a frankly demonic expression.

"That mask that was stolen from me... It is called Majora's Mask." He explained, pulling out a stylized drawing he made beforehand.

"It is an accursed item from legend that is said to have been used by 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." Continued the clerk with his explanation. Zelda thought the mask would suit her style, maybe she could finally beat Impa if she wore it.

"According to legend... The troubles caused by Majora's Mask were so great... The ancient ones, fearing such a catastrophe, sealed the mask in the shadows forever, preventing its misuse. But now that tribe from the legend vanished, so no one really knows the true nature of the mask's power." It was simply too bad Zelda was a Princess with a helplessly righteous heart, she would have to dispose of such an item... Or perhaps it will fit well in Hyrule Castle treasure vault?

"... But I feel it. 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 standing end." So it's his fault! Why did he have to go and get the crazy world-destroying mask? Zelda and Tatl had to pick up the pieces from that decision and it was not a fun time.

"And now... That imp has it... 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!" He went through a myriad of emotions, from lamentation to greed and terror to end up in pleading, vowing repeatedly to the Princess.

But Zelda is indeed a Princess. She felt sorry for Tael but this wasn't a job for someone of her stature, she only promised Tatl to free Nia and Ria and heal the Great Fairy and she'll be out of this mess on her way back to Hyrule... Except...

"W-why are you looking at me like that, Tatl? I'll send the knights right as I get back to Hyrule don't worry... My friend Link... I..." Zelda looked away trying her best to escape the peer pressure.

"I have to do this, don't I?" Zelda thought to herself. Truth being she had no way to return home as long as the magic is weak, she also couldn't return before completing her trials and more importantly, Zelda has deduced there's something seriously wrong in Termina and she realizes Majora must be behind most of this.

Not that she fully trusts this merchant who's too clever by half, he is her only countryman in this foreign land and she does owe him one...

"Really? You will do it for me? I was certain you will tell me that." Said a now satisfied mask salesman to whom Zelda most certainly didn't say a word to. But it didn't change her decision so she decided to let it slide.

"Oh my, I nearly forgot, I know I have my moments but I am not bold enough to ignore the fact I am asking a lot from my own princess. Please forgive my earlier rudeness, as a token of sincerity you may have this for your adventure... Think of it as my royal bribe." The salesman talked nonchalantly letting Zelda know he was indeed aware of who he was dealing with while handing her some sort of flappy bunny ears.

"This increases your nimbleness and agility, it's called the Bunny Hood. I remember you eyed them a couple of times back when you visited my shop... Even back then I knew you were a little heroine in the making. I'm confident you'll have no trouble handling the most urgent matter of this menacing mask. The fate of this land rests in your capable hands! Think of it as a trial run... You'll be fine! Surely if there's anyone who can do it is you. Believe in your own strengths... Believe..." The man hyped Zelda up with something akin to respect flickering in his eyes while extending his arms up to her and arching his back.

Zelda appreciated the compliment but this was a massive undertaking, so she wasn't quite as confident. Although at this point she had no way out. Zelda decided she needed urgent council with her now somewhat more permanent companion Tatl, to reorganize their priorities and bid the salesman farewell, finally telling him in her own words that she will strive to stop Majora.

"Tatl, you've been flying for a while, aren't you tired?" Asked Zelda to the tired-looking fairy.

"Ah well... No that's... I haven't asked you for permission to use your shoulder so..." She said suddenly all shy.

"It seems we're sticking together for far longer so let's try to get comfortable with each other, okay?"

"...Understood." Chirped Tatl, landing on Zelda's Hylian shoulder for the first time.

Chapter Text

"Tatl, I would love to talk and process all we just heard, but we have some business to take care of first." Zelda calmly spoke, doing some light stretches with a hand on her shoulder to keep the fairy comfortable.

"What business, Zelda? Or should I call you something else?"

"For now Zelda will do, but feel free to think of a new name, I'm sure I'll need it eventually, you can also tell me which name you prefer... We have so much to do, buying clothes for starters and healing the Great Fairy." Zelda finished getting used to her body and did her best to fix the flappy ears to her crown.

"Ah right, I must thank you on behalf of pixiekind for that. But Zelda, I don't really need new cloth-aaaaahhhh!!!" Zelda broke into a run, making Tatl lose her balance. Lucky for her Zelda kept her hand as a gentle support to keep her from falling.

"And that was just a light jog." Marveled Zelda at her new toy that improved her best attributes, speed and agility.

"E-excuse me, miss, you almost ran over my dog." Came in a muffled complaint from a boy. Zelda's speed had slightly knocked his hood down revealing some of his hair. Max the dog, initially startled, was now cozying up to Zelda.

"My is that so? Hmm... Why is everyone looking at me?" All of a sudden Zelda was the center of attention, every single pair of eyes in the crowded plaza on her. When Zelda asked, most had the presence to look away but a lot of people still kept gawking. Zelda tried to shoo the dog away gently; she still hadn't forgiven him for what happened on the first cycle, although she decided to strike every dog in Hyrule from her naughty list, much to Link's delight.

"Are you new in town, miss?" Asked the boy, now shorter than Zelda. "Hmm, I am yes, I'm a detective hired by the Deku Scrub Association, I'm hunting for leads on the whereabouts of a young man named Kafei, would you mind helping me?" Zelda asked with a disarming smile. This was usually enough to win men over but Zelda wasn't confident since she was missing her cosmetic spells... The gazes on her seemed to intensify though, they were starting to bother her.

"Kafei? I'm sorry, miss detective. I don't know who that is."

"No need, miss, c'mon Max, we're leaving." Cut the formerly polite boy, looking very unsettled. Zelda didn't pursue the matter further and set course to the clothing shops.

"All these gazes are really starting to bother me, Tatl, aren't you bothered too? It wasn't nearly this bad when I was Mira." Zelda asked to the fairy while walking gracefully, their presence illuminating the bustling streets of Clock Town.

"Zelda... Are you kidding me or you really don't know? You shouldn't mess with your cute companion, sigh." Tatl lightly scoffed, leaving Zelda puzzled. "Are you still going after Kafei by the way?"

"Oh that, I'm almost certain I know where Kafei is already." Tatl seemed curious but Zelda didn't particularly feel like substantiating her boast, so she continued walking with Tatl on her shoulder, the gazes seemingly wanting to burn a hole in her clothes never left. Zelda was a little worried when she finally reached the elegant clothes shop; a sign on top of the building read "Clockwork Couture" when Zelda was a Deku she thought this store suited her style well.

The tinkling of a bell announced Zelda and Tatl's arrival at the clothing store. A young shop clerk with wide, starry eyes froze halfway through arranging a display of scarves.

"Oh my goodness!" she exclaimed, her cheeks flushing crimson. "I-I'm so sorry to stare, but you're simply gorgeous! Like a doll come to life!"

Tatl scoffed, buzzing around Zelda's head like a tiny helicopter. "Since you asked, this is the reason everyone gawks at you." Explained Tatl, checking the women's section, searching for fairy clothes.

Zelda, unaccustomed to such blatant admiration, especially without anything of her beauty routine done, blushed furiously. "Th-thank you." She stammered, feeling more than a little self-conscious under the clerk's scrutiny. "But Tatl it's not like you're far behind, when I was... Back then people stared at you a lot." Argued Zelda, determined to share the shame.

"That's just because I'm a fairy, we were a very odd pairing nothing more." Answered Tatl casually, finding a section with adorably tiny fairy clothing.

"Miss, don't worry, I will give your perfect body the clothes it deserves, even if it costs me my life!" Spoke a flustered but determined clerk, hurrying Zelda to the dressing room.

"Actually can I have an employee take care of my fairy... I'd like to buy her about 5 or 6 outfits of her preference."

"Absolutely miss, anything you say. Amber! This is an emergency, attend to this pet fairy to the best of your ability, these two are VIPs." The clerk called another employee who looked determined to earn her paycheck. Zelda gave a quick prayer to Hylia for Tatl, hoping the Goddess understood fairy fashion and was guided away by the enthusiastic clerk.

The clerk, flustered but determined, quickly launched into a whirlwind of dressmaking suggestions. For the next hour, Zelda found herself twirling in a parade of outfits – flowing tunics, elegant gowns, and even a rather flamboyant feathered hat. Despite the awkwardness, Zelda had to admit, some of the clothes suited her quite well and most of them felt comfortable on her skin. For now Zelda needed an array of clothes, if what Tael said was any indication she would need clothes for a swamp, an ocean, a mountain and a canyon aside from combat clothes.

For now Zelda settled on somewhat generic adventuring clothes: a simple white shirt, a sturdy leather jerkin, comfortable trousers, and a pair of sturdy boots. This will do just fine for navigating the outskirts of Clock Town. Zelda would come back when she figured out which region to tackle.

Zelda was thinking on checking up on Tatl when she noticed a peculiar looking white, almost transparent hat. It looked like a cloche hat she'd seen in Hyrule but it was a little more spacious and it was exquisitely adorned with fine silk and a white Lily made of velvet on the side. Zelda was ashamed to say she hesitated for a fraction of a second when she saw the price but she still paid for it and packed it to keep it a secret from Tatl for now. Zelda also bought a much more spacious and taller bishop hat to go along with one of her outfits.

"Ugh, buying clothes is the worst, Zelda, listen, I'm only getting these two, no other clothes fit my style, also we're going to a lot of places right? We'll need to buy clothes for them." Tatl was right on that last part so Zelda reassured the depressed clerk that looked like the moon just fell on her.

Zelda inspected Tatl's choices with some skepticism; she had picked two full body suits like the one she was wearing right now, one completely white and one completely black. Zelda decided this wouldn't do and after much persuasion Tatl agreed to try a different style; she eventually settled for a short girly white t-shirt and pink shorts. Zelda wasn't convinced and the clerk looked restless but she paid and left the store anyway and stored everything in her Hylian Pouch that had ample storage space. Link had given it to her as a birthday present last year.

Zelda walked outside alone for a bit while waiting for Tatl to pick up her clothes, the clerks were doing their best to convince her to buy more. While waiting she saw a candy store selling mint candies and all sorts of artisan chocolates. She decided to buy some to have some way to bribe her friend. She noticed Tatl was still arguing with the clerks so she parked herself on a bench, the gazes returning to her, much to her annoyance. She might have to try and disguise herself like she did in Hyrule.

"That was awful, I hate shopping for clothes." Cried Tatl clearly tired while sitting on the bench as well, reviewing their purchases.

"You're starting to sound like a boy, Tatl, anyway, surprise! I bought this for you." Claimed Zelda exited, showing Tatl the cloche hat.

"It's pretty but, that's too large for me, Zelda." Answered Tatl confused.

"No silly, I hope this will be your new little palace. Link, a friend who dealt with fairies a lot, told me he often saw them resting in their friends' heads covered by hats... So, you'll get to rest here, that is if you like the idea." Explained Zelda with enthusiasm. Tatl looked at Zelda's hair.

"If it's okay with you we can try, but Zelda your hair is so pretty and organized, I will make a mess of it."

"Oh don't worry about my hair, I have spells for that, come on, hop in!" Tatl did as suggested and when she entered, she felt it was quite comfortable. Zelda's blonde hair made for a soft, luxurious base that nicely reflected the sun rays illuminating the place, and it even had a subtle pleasant smell. Tatl could see outside without much issues except for a blind spot where the flower was sewn. But when she turned her head further back she saw how much her new home had cost Zelda and was a little horrified...

"Zelda, this is too expensive, you shou..." Tatl was yet to finish when she saw her friend's hand quickly rip the price tag and disintegrated it before her eyes. Tatl could only gulp.

"Sigh, it's a gift, Tatl, please forget you saw that, also I'm a princess, money is... Well it's a bit of an issue right now but this hat doesn't really make a difference, trust me." Zelda reassured. Tatl nodded slowly but felt dumb because Zelda couldn't see her.

"I really like it, Zelda, your head is really comfortable and I can see just fine, I feel like a giant haha. But aren't I too heavy, I might bother your neck." Wondered Tatl, remembering her friend's slender neck.

"Not at all, you're light as a feather, make yourself at home." Reassured Zelda with a smile on her face, lightly patting her new hat.

"Okay but if I'm bothering you, you have to let me know." Warned Tatl, getting used to movement. Zelda had explained they were bound for the fairy fountain now and Tatl was enjoying the ride on top of the princess.

Zelda did her best to equip the Bunny Hood and keep Tatl comfortable. It proved to be quite the challenge but she managed to do it. It made Zelda reach the fairy fountain faster. "You can come out, Tatl. Purifying the Great Fairy's curse might take a while."

"N-no need Zelda, I'd like to enjoy my palace for longer." Said Tatl somewhat suspiciously but Zelda wasn't having it.

"You'll get to use it plenty from now on but we'll probably only get to see the Great Fairy this one time." Zelda took off her hat and Tatl had no choice but to buzz off a little disgruntled.

When they reached the fountain they saw the Great Fairy lying unconscious in the middle, her body soaked by the sacred water, her once vibrant glow diluted by the curse. Zelda and Tatl did their best to nurse her back to consciousness until she woke up.

Chapter Text

"Greetings Your Grace, my name is Lumi and this is my friend Zelda." Tatl introduced the team, curiously using her alias.

"Hello sweet little Lumi, sorry you have to see me in this state." The Great Fairy coughed while Zelda was doing her best to have her drink some water from an empty potion flask.

"What happened?"

"Just a little curse, nothing I can't handle, I will be back to normal in no time." Lied the Great Fairy who was in a terrible condition even by day 6.

"That won't do, ma'am, if you're willing to put your trust in me I have the means to help you." The Great Fairy stared at Zelda with surprise for almost a minute.

"I... U-understood... My name is Aurelia and I will put myself in your hands, miss Zelda." Said the Great Fairy with dignity. Zelda took both of her hands into her palms and with a prayer to Nayru started to activate her Triforce piece, slowly purifying the curse placed on Aurelia. Gratefully the Great Fairy was cooperating, letting the awesome power of the Triforce of Wisdom wash over her with ever-increasing violence, making her recover her glow, chasing Majora's curse away.

Zelda did her best to remain on her feet, bearing with the backlash, the curse was far stronger than expected but it should only get easier from here. Once she evaluated there wasn't any more need for the sacred triangle, it dimmed in the back of her hand. She smiled at Aurelia who was now flying around happily, now free from the curse.

"Zelda, Lumi, I can't ever thank you enough, you've done Termina and I a great service." Descended the Great Fairy, grabbing Zelda's shoulders gently, supporting her weakened body.

"Not at all, Your Grace, it's my duty as a fairy." Tatl said while looking at what the Great Fairy was doing with surprise, she was certainly grateful as Great Fairies didn't usually enjoy physical contact except with other fairies.

"Thanks, Lumi? That's such a pretty alias Tatl...” Aurelia teased cutting herself off, after realizing Tatl could be incognito from Zelda... Although that wasn't true, Zelda found the exchange quite interesting.

“Anyway... I don't know where you got that extreme power, little Zelda, but I'm humbled you used it on me... It's not much but here, use this token to enter the fairy Queendom in my name, Lumi knows where it is. Tell them to help you, now that I recovered I can see the situation in Clock Town clearly, I must thank you for trying to stop that mask." Explained the Great Fairy storing a token in Zelda's belt pocket. 

Tatl was looking at the exchange agitated with her eyes widened.

"Tatl sweetie, help Zelda get some rest, I would offer my accommodations but they might not be suited for someone like her." Asked the Great Fairy, forgetting Tatl's alias in the end there, also retreating deeper into the fountain.

"Certainly Your Grace." Answered Tatl buzzing near Zelda's ear, guiding her towards the exit. Zelda seemed far too tired so Tatl ordered her to sit on one of the walls of the entrance to the fountain.

"Zelda, what in the world was that power? How many secrets are you keeping? Are you going to be okay?" Tatl barraged Zelda with questions while she was barely conscious, still recovering from the exertion.

Tatl burrowed into Zelda's pocket and there she found a sketch of a map, hopefully they could luck out and it would be Anju's shift. Tatl poured half her magic power into healing spells for Zelda until she finally looked like she was in a state to walk.

"Sorry, Lumi, I never pushed it that far, that curse was crazy strong, it might be because we're in his base but Majora obviously put a lot more into it, a lot of the magic came back." Explained Zelda, looking pained but happy, she had a pale complexion and seemed like she could collapse at any moment while she walked following Tatl's voice.

"Right, right Zelda, thanks and take the left here, don't worry I'll make sure you can rest in a soft bed." This time Tatl was determined to buy the most expensive room for a day using her savings. Her savings counted the discount the Rosa sister gave them, she would just need to pester Zelda to reimburse her in chocolates later.

Eventually they arrived at the Stock Pot Inn where a Goron opened the door for them, the chime of a bell indicating their arrival. "By the guardians it's you! What happened? It looks as if you fought an army of stalfos. Listen, go rest in a room I'll take care of registration with your fairy. Anju! That girl showed up in our inn!" The fat lady was attending the counter but things didn't go as they planned and the duo was caught in a whirlwind while a delirious Zelda was led away by Anju.

"Ehem, little fairy may I have both of your names?" "My name is Lumi and she's my... Master, Zelda... But I have no money to pay you." Explained Tatl, deciding to play it safe. "Obviously a pet fairy has no money, don't worry I'll give you the room for free for the day, that girl has been the talk of the town since she arrived and everyone in the business was salivating at the thought of her staying with them, I'm incredibly lucky you decided to come here. You may have dinner at noon and breakfast in the morning." Tatl was shocked by the difference in treatment, she checked that their names were written properly when Anju came to take her away. "Tell your master to give the key back if she's checking out but... Actually, she's welcome to use our inn for the rest of the festival."

How unfair! Looks like beauty is a force more terrifying than Tatl ever thought possible.

"Miss Zelda was extremely tired, she fell asleep as soon as her body touched the bed, I'll come to call you for dinner, sorry for the inconvenience." Informed Anju bowing. Tatl wasn't sure it was an inconvenience to have such a large room, a far cry from the previous room yet the bed looked very comfy. Tatl silently landed on it and groomed it and was quite satisfied, however since it was the middle of the day she wasn't sleepy at all.

Tatl folded the map and placed it on the nightstand where Anju had placed Zelda's deceptively deep pouch and her wallet. Tatl flew towards Zelda's scary and shiny rapier that she, for some reason, didn't use to end her and Tael's lives on their first meeting... Even though she attacked Skull Kid with both finesse and brutality, Tatl pondered the reason for a while but resolved to ask Zelda next time since she couldn't come up with the answer.

Tatl hovered to Zelda's pouch and eyed it with worry, there was the token for Zelda to visit Celestia but... There was a very good chance Zelda didn't even remember that exchange. Zelda was a scary monstrous girl but it might be worth the try.

Tatl scavenged through the space and saw all sorts of things including the ocarina that caused all this mess and a brooch glowing with a pretty blue light for some reason... She also saw a stash of chocolates that made her mouth water.

Were those for her? Tatl suddenly felt very ashamed by her actions but persisted, maybe Zelda also enjoys sweets?

But no matter how much she searched she couldn't find the token. The Great Fairy must have stored it somewhere else, she reflected while looking at Zelda's pockets, this was very wrong but her fear of coming back to Celestia outweighed her fear of Zelda... By a tiny bit, so she flew very quietly with her heart pumping wildly, to Zelda's thighs, and rummaged through her left pocket, it only had a key, presumably for this room.

Tatl slowly hovered across Zelda's body and landed in her right pocket that had some mint candies in it. Tatl was frustrated now, she walked up Zelda's thigh until she reached her stomach which grumbled a bit making her lose her balance and her heart rate skyrocket.

When trying to get up Tatl could listen to Zelda's stomach slowly moving, confirming she was indeed a mortal unlike what everyone in Clock Town seemed to believe.

Tatl checked Zelda's belt pockets, the first one had a lot of tiny needles, the second one had tiny Deku Nuts, it wasn't until the third one she saw the token but was being held prisoner by some sort of metallic hand.

Tatl was glad her shameful mission was coming to an end but this hand was proving to be quite the obstacle. Zelda's soft and tiny mound didn't exactly provide the ideal platform to attempt this sort of maneuver so she flew down to Zelda's pelvic bone and used her wings for extra strength. Finally she managed to pull the hand away and grab the token, but her victory was short-lived when she noticed some sort of rope was pulling her entire body down, unable to move at all she fell to the bed right in between Zelda's legs, and to her surprise, the metallic hand fell on top of her, colliding with Zelda's thighs on the way down, effectively imprisoning her.

Tatl saw Zelda's body moving and did her best to break free until the hand was removed by another hand this one fleshy and delicate.

"Tatl, what in Din's name do you think you're doing?" Asked a grumpy and groggy Zelda from above. Tatl decided her only way to survive was to play dead on top of the token and hope Zelda went back to sleep.

"You're not getting out of this one, you're not the only one who notices things quickly, I know you took my token." Said Zelda storing that strange hand and Tatl felt the weight of the world come down on top of her, her gamble didn't pay off, worse yet, her position was terrible, both literally and symbolically.

"Tatl, on your feet I'm not in my best mood right now." Ordered Zelda sternly. Tatl obeyed and meekly presented the token back to its owner.

"So, why is my companion stealing from me?" Zelda asked with a soft and chilling voice.

"I'm really sorry." Tatl said bowing and she climbed into Zelda's hand. Zelda brought the fairy to eye level.

"I'd like to hear your side of the story before I make a decision, I suppose you've earned that much." The princess said with a softer tone prompting Tatl to talk.

"Tael and I, we both ran away from Celestia, I really don't want to go back... Who knows they might even turn you away if you show up with me..." Explained Tatl, still looking contrite.

Zelda chuckled. "Celestia, huh? I'd like to see them try, Tatl, where I go is something only I get to decide, if you want to avoid that place we can talk about it but you're not allowed to decide for me. If an incident like this happens again the consequences will be severe. Got it?"

"Yes, I understand." Said the fairy still acting meek. Zelda placed her in the nightstand and that seemed to give her some courage back.

"But Zelda you can't underestimate us fairies, I know I'm not all that impressive, but I doubt any one individual can challenge our Celestia, if you go there you have to be careful." Zelda listened seriously while organizing her things and swiftly popped a mint candy in her mouth, she savored for a while.

"By the way Aurelia didn't say where I can use this token exactly, do you know..."

"Dinner is ready Miss Zelda and Miss Lumi, it's in table 1. You may have a private room for yourself." Called Anju while knocking on their door. Zelda noticed she was starving and Tatl seemed reticent to provide answers so she decided to postpone this conversation.

Zelda and Tatl arrived in table one to a waiting Anju who moved the seats for them and provided them with napkins. Tatl found it a bit excessive since she sat at the table but Zelda let Anju do her thing like it was natural. "Please enjoy the meal." Said Anju and made to retreat when she was stopped by Zelda.

"Anju, right? I heard you are Kafei's fiancée." Anju stood rooted in place for a while, processing Zelda's words.

Chapter Text

"I'm actually in town because I was hired as a detective to look for him, I even got this mask of him, if you have any information to share with me we can talk after we're done eating." Zelda didn't even bother to wait for Anju to answer and said what she wanted. Anju gasped at Kafei's mask and after apologizing she told Zelda she will come by after they finish their meal.

"Can you explain what's up with this Kafei situation?"

"Not now, Lumi. Focus on your food." Zelda cut in and they both enjoyed dinner. For Zelda it was a cucco hind quarter, fresh rice with seasoning, assorted fruit pieces and orange juice. Zelda figured there must be a cucco farm close by. For Tatl it was assorted fruit pieces and a piece of hot bread with butter, with orange juice as the beverage as well. Zelda enjoyed it quite a bit, it was better than her first dinner in the Moonlit Lodge. Zelda and Tatl were patting their bellies when the fat lady came to take their dishes away with a polite attitude that pleased Zelda.

"How much did the stay cost, Tatl, I don't want you footing the bill." Asked Zelda, gracefully cleaning her companion's mouth.

"Ah about that, it was actually free... I'm not sure why though." Tatl answered, relaxed and satisfied.

"About that, I must apologize, my mother thought miss Zelda would bring a lot of customers if we spread the word she was staying at the inn and... she was right. But we did it without your permission so I'm sorry. We hope you can forgive us as we've offered our best hospitality to you." Anju explained while setting a couple of desserts on their table, a strawberry coated with caramel and whipped cream for Tatl and a hot chocolate souffle layered with chocolate ganache for Zelda. Tatl watched in abject despair when the plate of that mouth-watering treat went to Zelda instead of her, to which Zelda responded with a mischievous smile.

"The service has been quite good so I won't raise a complaint, don't worry." Reassured Zelda, taking a bite of her soft treat, she almost let out a laugh at Tatl's face of horror, her eyes following her spoon with rapt attention. Zelda didn't think she saw her make that face back when they faced Skull Kid. "Thank you very much... Now about Kafei?"

"Yes, if there's anything you could share with me I would appreciate it." Zelda talked and protected her dessert with one hand just in case.

"Kafei he... Sent me this letter but, how can a missing person send a letter? I think the postman may know something but, although he's my fiancé as you said, I have no more useful information, I'm sorry, detective." Zelda read the letter.

"Don't worry, Anju, I'll find him." Reassured Zelda who didn't really have such intentions.

"Thank you so much, detective, I'm sorry for all the trouble." Anju retreated apologetically. When Zelda looked down she almost broke into laughter when she saw Tatl giving small nibbles to her strawberry with tears in the corners of her eyes, looking like a puppy abandoned by her owner.

"Lumi, you know, I've always enjoyed strawberries..." Started Zelda with a wide smile. Tatl looked up to her with hope in her eyes.

"I would propose a trade but your strawberry is significantly smaller than my souffle... Maybe I should keep it, what do you think?"

"No!!! Zelda, I've been a super useful fairy, I've helped you so much, surely that must count, the strawberry is delicious, you'll love it!" Zelda pretended to think and put on an aggrieved face.

"You know, Lumi, I realized I never actually punished you for what you did to me when we first met, you also didn't plan to tell me about the Great Fairy and you tried to steal my token, this might your chance to repent." Explained Zelda, feeling mischievous, but she realized she went too far when the fairy dropped to her knees, losing the light in her eyes and started bawling loudly.

"I'm so sorry, Zelda!!! Hic... I was, hic... A bad fairy, hic... Wahhhh!!!" This wasn't fun anymore. Zelda most certainly didn't want this outcome, poor Tatl was crying in despair now... Zelda thought it was lucky she had a room to herself because the fairy was being so loud... After panicking for a second, Zelda scooped up a spoonful of the chocolate dessert and brought it close to Tatl. Tatl took a while to notice but when she did she stopped crying.

"Zelda, you don't have to feel pity for me sob, you're completely right I deserve to be punished." A sobbing Tatl said, rubbing her eyes, doing her best to regain some composure and reluctantly pushing the delicious treat away.

"Lumi... I was just teasing you all this time. I did thought of a punishment for you but... It wasn't this, I was always going to trade desserts with you." Tatl could swear she could see a halo behind Zelda's angelic head... Perhaps the cult made by Hylian soldiers will get a new member today, all over a chocolate treat... But Tatl recoiled when she realized there was already a punishment in store for her.

Zelda gave Tatl her plate with the souffle almost intact and took a bite off the strawberry, it was actually pretty good, the cream gave it a nice finish.

The Princess entertained herself by watching her gluttonous companion voraciously and systematically end the entire thing by herself. She looked so satisfied it also made Zelda feel full.

Zelda finished eating and took her friend into her hands and they both went back to the room where Zelda proceeded to clean Tatl of the mess she made on herself.

"I believe now is as good time as any for me to deliver your punishment, Tatl." Tatl came from the highest of highs into a state of worry in an instant. "O-ok, but don't hurt me too much." Tatl said, closing her eyes and clenching her fists. Zelda let out a sigh.

"Tatl, what kind of image do you have of me? I've decided your punishment will be to be pet by me, I'll just pat your head and play with you for a while... Although you may tell me if it hurts. Any objections?" Tatl looked at the floor, fists still clenched.

"No, it's my punishment so I'll take it obediently."

Zelda started petting her friend with a happy smile, her hair soft to the touch felt great to her fingers, she played with her body a bit but always came back to gently patting her head. Tatl went from tense to completely relaxed and even came to crave the sensations in a matter of minutes. "Ok, consider yourself punished, you did well." Zelda informed with a satisfied grin. She started getting ready to go out, but Tatl was confused.

This didn't feel like a punishment, in truth Tatl had started to enjoy Zelda's touch halfway through.

She felt incredibly annoyed, not only did her humiliation feel good but now she felt like she still owed Zelda. She stomped her little feet on the bed and flew around the room to get rid of these feelings.

"Tatl, I'll be going out to take care of some business, would you like to come?" Asked Zelda with Tatl's house in her hand. Tatl landed on Zelda's hair signaling her willingness so Zelda put on her hat and left the inn. Night had yet to fall when Zelda swiftly made her way to the postman's house, she took off her Bunny Hood to try and make a good impression and knocked on his door.

The door creaked open, revealing a lanky looking man with a postman's hat. "Good afternoon, my name is..." He barely gave Zelda a glance before slamming the door shut in her face with a resounding thud.

"Well, that was productive," Tatl deadpanned, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Guess your princess charm doesn't work on everyone, Zelda."

Smoke practically shot out of Zelda's ears. Slammed a door in her face? The nerve! The indignity of it all! This grumpy postman would pay dearly for his insolence. "That's it!" she declared, fists clenched. "He'll rue the day he crossed Princess Zelda!"

Tatl, lying in her hair, burst out laughing. "Whoa there, Princess Fury," she chirped. "Remember, even princesses can't always get their way. But," her voice turning mischievous, "we can certainly show that postman who he just messed with!"

Just then, the voice with the fox mask walked up towards them. His voice trembled as he spoke. "Excuse me, miss," he stammered. "Hmm? Do you want compensation over your dog?" Asked Zelda. "No, that's not it, miss, it's just your investigation about Kafei, you should stop it, I don't know how much they're paying you but it's not worth it."

"My, my, but poor Anju would be devastated if I don't find her fiancé, I'm afraid I can't stop." The boy flinched at her words,

"No, you can't, miss, just leave it alone." The boy cried and broke into a run.

Chapter Text

Zelda equipped her Bunny Hood and followed him through rooftops and alleys while jogging. She pretended to be tired and fell back a few corners before they arrived on her expected destination and she saw that the boy had, as she deduced, entered the curiosity shop, and proceeded to follow him.

"Ohh, are those for sale? 600 rupees as a special offer for the pretty lady." Offered the clerk while looking at her bunny ears. Tatl came out her hat to explore and Zelda stored the Bunny Hood.

"Sorry, not for sale."

"A fairy as well? You're one special customer, I can tell. Feel free to browse my wares." Zelda decided to do just that since this was a different timeline.

Zelda browsed leisurely when she noticed something interesting, a small brooch that had a strong magic presence. Zelda inspected carefully and noticed it had a very high quality enchantment. "You have a good eye, just place that in your person and pour some magic power into it and an illusion will cover your body making you look like someone else, if you buy it now I'll make it into a fancy amulet for your slender neck."

"Does it have a name?" Asked Zelda trying to fix it to her clothes.

"The fellow that sold it was in quite the hurry, once you buy it I'm sure the lady can come up with one." Explained the shady clerk. Zelda poured magic into it while looking at a mirror and was pleasantly surprised when Malon, Link's fiancée, stared back at her. She moved around to test its effectiveness but quickly noticed the tool's drawback. It drained a little too much magic.

"You forgot to tell me the catch, this isn't very useful." Lied Zelda to get a better haggling position, pretending to look disappointed. The clerk unfortunately didn't fall for her provocation and remained silent.

"Still someone with my looks could make use of this sometimes. Even if the effects last like 15 seconds at best." Exaggerated Zelda.

"Indeed, young miss, I can sympathize, because it's you I'm willing to part with it for the low price of 1000 rupees." Zelda scoffed, it probably didn't cost him a tenth of that but, although he alluded to it, she couldn't prove it was stolen.

She placed it on the counter pretending he was asking for too much. "I can't go that high, I'm just a novice detective, I don't make that kind of money." Zelda said with a grimace.

"A budding detective like you would greatly benefit from this item. The investment will pay for itself." Reasoned the clerk.

"Not when it drains me of my magic every time I use it..." Zelda pretended to look around some more and made a thinking face when looking at a white fox mask. "By the way, I was pursuing a suspicious looking boy with a Keaton Mask. And the last place I saw him was entering your shop just a minute ago, I will buy a Keaton Mask if you have one." Started Zelda, redirecting the topic.

"It must have been your imagination, miss, I don't have such a mask." Said the clerk nonchalantly.

"I'm looking for a man named Kafei you see, his fiancée recently got a letter and she traced it back to here."

"Miss, if you're not going to buy anything I'll ask you to leave, I have no time for your speculations." Asked the clerk, clearly upset.

"Actually I have something to sell. How much will you give me for this mask of Kafei? Madame Aroma spent an entire day making it and she gave it to me along with full authority over the guards to search for her son." Bluffed Zelda smoothly.

"But it seems like you're not interested, I am however, mildly interested in this brooch, I believe 100 rupees to be a fair price... and remember to turn it into an amulet for my slender neck." Continued Zelda, placing 100 rupees on the counter. The clerk received Zelda's money like he just ate something bitter and came back with the amulet and urged the duo to leave.

"Zelda, remind me to never sell you anything." Tatl flew back to Zelda's hat while remembering Zelda's haggling tactics.

"Why Tatl, I would love to get my hands on fairy treasures for Hyrule Castle treasure vault." Zelda laughed while fastening her new amulet around her neck and walking away from the shop.

"Why did you buy that though, 15 seconds it's nothing." Zelda let out a laugh at Tatl's comment, "It isn't 15 seconds, Tatl, I believe the average user could make it work for a couple of minutes, but I've been trained in magic since birth, if I use all my magic half a day might not be out of the question, I also figured out it can store magic from different users to extend the duration, which the clerk was oblivious to. This was a steal, Tatl, there are treasures like this one in the castle's vault and this will be one of my spoils when I get back." Chuckled Zelda happily. Tatl was a little scared now that she knew the extent of Zelda's cunning, she also wondered if Zelda could charge it and apply it on her.

"Why don't you think of a nice name for it, Tatl." Suggested Zelda.

"There's a spell to do this exact thing but it takes a while to cast, it's fairly high level and it works best if you cover up your body, so this thing is really powerful." Explained Zelda while opening the door to the utility shop.

The air inside the shop was thick with the smell of gunpowder and burnt oil. A gruff-looking Goron shopkeeper eyed Zelda with suspicion.

"Weaponry, missy?" he rumbled, his voice as rough as sandpaper. Zelda nodded, her hand instinctively going to Fae. "More like supplies, potions too," she clarified. "I'm going on a long journey, some Deku Nuts and a good stock of bombs and Bombchus..."

"I got them nuts and bombs, and things you need to survive out there in Termina but for potions you'll have to head to the apothecary." Said the Goron helpfully pointing the places Zelda's wanted items were on display.

Tatl, now perched on Zelda's shoulder, piped up. "Shouldn't you consider a shield as well?"

Zelda paused, her eyes lingering on a display of sturdy wooden shields. "Truth be told," she admitted, "if I need to use a shield I'm in trouble, I much more prefer keeping my distance and fencing with Fae if it comes to that."

"Fae?"

"Oh, did I never tell you? That's the name on my rapier. It's a national treasure." Zelda explained, casually pointing at the weapon.

"Of course it is. What a cute name for such a fearsome thing." Chatted Tatl as she pointed to a temperature preserving flask. Zelda who had never seen such a thing in Hyrule thought it would be useful.

Zelda kept Browse the wares and eventually bought all she needed including some dried food, an extra bag, hygiene products and other necessities, and even some shurikens, the existence of which made her think there might be some Sheikah in Termina. Satisfied she left the store in good spirits humming a tune alongside Tatl.

"Are we heading to the apothecary?"

"It's not urgent, my stock of potions is fine I'm more curious at the things they have. Potions will also be weaker until we heal all the Great Fairies." Zelda jumped on a rooftop she now discovered was a shortcut to the Stock Pot Inn.

"Wow Zelda do you really plan to do that? Thank you so much!" Tatl marveled while entering her home.

"You can thank me after I actually do it, we're going back to the inn, which reminds me, you're not too mad about your punishment right?"

Tatl remained silent making Zelda think she was indeed upset and sullen, but in reality Tatl was blushing furiously, too embarrassed to try to remember. "Well I may have gone too far, I can admit it... When we're back we'll take a nice bath, I remember seeing one in our room and we'll talk about all the things we have to talk about." Continued Zelda, this time actually making Tatl sullen, remembering that fiend Skull Kid and his mask and her poor defenseless brother who didn't told her what they were to do in each of Termina's regions, would do that to her. Out of frustration she unconsciously started pulling on Zelda's hair.

"Tatl, I know I told you not to worry about my hair but please don't treat it so roughly." After Zelda's gentle scolding Tatl felt another wave of embarrassment this time for being so careless leaving her little choice but to pretend to play dead on the soft bed that was Zelda's hair.

"We're here, Tatl, oh are you sleeping?" Tatl had almost fallen asleep but she was indeed awake. "Take off your clothes, I'll heat the water." Tatl did as suggested and Zelda took her body into the water where she finally came back to her senses.

Tatl felt the hot water around her body and stood up on Zelda's hand, when she gazed around the first thing she saw was the upper part of Zelda's bare body and her new amulet dangling provocatively between her soft yet firm mounds.

"I hope you thought of a name for it, we'll test this new toy when we finish..." Zelda chuckled, grabbing the soap and applying scented oils to the water.

"Tatl, if you don't mind I want to wash your body tonight, I noticed you're not very good at it when I was a Deku, so I'll teach you." Tatl didn't mind so she left Zelda do as she pleased while going over names for the amulet.

Zelda used one hand as a platform and the other to clean the fairy's body thoroughly and carefully. Tatl simply surrendered to her friend's gentle ministrations, while relaxing to the sweet and citrus aroma of the bath water.

"Now turn your back, Tatl, try not to move your wings. It's time for them, your back and your hair." Tatl did as Zelda demanded and noticed Zelda was far more dexterous now in her Hylian body, not only that, she was paying tons of attention to make sure Tatl was perfectly clean and comfortable. Tatl vowed to return the favor if she asked.

"Sigh, it's so good relaxing like this... You'll have to clean your... other parts, Tatl, but this is how you should clean yourself." Zelda placed Tatl at the edge of the tub and started applying soap to her body.

"Do you need me to clean your back, Zelda?" Volunteered Tatl, determined to balance the cosmic scales.

"Not this time, they had this interesting tool here I thought I'd try it... Also I'm a little bigger now, the effort might be too much." Reasoned Zelda, staring curiously at a sponge tied to a stick.

"N-not at all, Zelda, that much is nothing for a strong fairy like me." Reassured Tatl, finishing up with the parts Zelda didn't touch.

"Then I'll take you up on it in the future, Tatl." Commented Zelda while finishing up with her body and applying shampoo to her hair.

"Now is a good time as any to discuss our next moves and what happened during that night, don't you think?" Zelda adopted a more serious tone but a relaxed demeanor, letting the foamy shampoo rest in her hair. Tatl let out a laugh but her body tensed when she remembered all that they've went through not so long ago, in that regard this relaxing bath was the perfect setting.

Chapter Text

Tatl was sitting down naked in Zelda's hand yet again, she made herself comfortable as this could be a long conversation. "So, what happened with your brother? We didn't get to rescue him." Asked Zelda her body almost completely submerged in the tub.

"There was this force that pushed me back from him, he was also knocked out through most of the fight so... My turn, how did you turn back time?" Tatl asked while looking up at the emerging Zelda who still looked like she had a foamy wig.

"My ocarina, the Ocarina of Time is one of the sacred royal family treasures. I have it because I was born under the star of the Goddess of Time and the Temple of the Goddesses taught me the melody as an induction, but I had no idea it could control time or anything like that, it was all a surprise for me as well." Explained Zelda looking pensive. "We were really close to being wiped out." Tatl commented as she shivered.

"That's right. Now I believe I have a vague idea but what did Tael mean by swamps and canyons?"

"Swamp. Ocean. Mountain. Canyon. I don't know what it means exactly but those are roughly the four main regions in Termina. I suppose there's something there to stop Skull Kid... Ugh how frustrating, Tael has always been like that." The fairy lamented.

"My turn again! What was that insane power you used on the Great Fairy?" Zelda rinsed her hair and stared at Tatl for a while.

"... Wouldn't you like to know? I'll tell you once you promise to tell me where can I use my token." Zelda said at last.

"I suppose we can skip that question haha, it wasn't that important." Tatl tried to sweep the matter under the rug for now and to her surprise Zelda allowed it.

"To where should we go first then?" Asked Tatl composing herself.

"I was about to ask you that same thing, you're the local after all. I believe either the swamp or the ocean sound the least dangerous." Tatl pondered Zelda's words for a while.

"If you can transform into a Deku I vote for the swamp since you can pass as one of them, it'll make things easier." Zelda who was playing with the water with her free hand agreed.

"The swamp it is then... Now, the matter about Nia and Ria, I can free them if you wish but..."

"You might have to turn back time again... I get that but, sigh you're right, you already did our kind a massive favor by healing the Great Fairy." Zelda nodded but she wasn't finished, "you also realize I will have to register you when we go out of town, if it's some form of binding contract I'll make sure to avoid it but..." Zelda spoke quickly trying to not bring about fairy wrath again but Tatl interrupted, "to my knowledge it's a simple registration at the gates, it's okay if it's you Zelda, I trust you." Zelda widened her eyes and gave and ascent. She placed her friend in the edge of the tub again and stood up.

"The water is getting cold we should end this little rendezvous." Zelda stepped away from the tub and applied a few spells to her body to dry herself and got dressed in her new nightgown. Tatl did the same and her new bodysuit also made a debut.

"Now it's turn for my new toy to show us what it can do, did you think of a name?" Asked Zelda while draining the water from the tub. Tatl wasn't very sure of her naming sense but still tried her best.

"What about the Amulet of Ego?" Suggested Tatl taking a page from Zelda's ocarina.

"Hmm, I like it, now watch." Suddenly Zelda was no longer standing in front of her but a Zelda-sized Tatl, making the original's jaw drop. She noticed her body was a little different but they were otherwise identical.

"Well, how about it? Oh wait... Now you can tell me what you think." Tatl noticed her big doppelganger sounded like Zelda which made her strangely alluring but Zelda brought her fingers to her neck and the next moment her voice sounded like Tatl's.

"I have no idea how you pulled that trick but... Well, your body looks closer to yours than mine, your... Chest is larger, same goes for your ears and you don't have my wings or the fairy glow." Tatl commented landing in front of the mirror and twirling around comparing their bodies. "Yes it seems to have clear limitations." After saying that Zelda transformed into a stern looking lady with scars all over her sun kissed skin and made a surprised face.

Zelda was a little shocked when she transformed into her mentor Impa and a much shorter and far more feminine looking woman than she expected stared back at her, the princess had definitely scared herself. Zelda quickly turned into her default Malon, and compared the illusion to the original with more attention than at the shop. "Who are those, Zelda?" Asked Tatl with a curious face.

"The white haired woman is my mentor, Impa, she's ruthless, she's also taller, has shorter hair, she's more muscular and way scarier. This one is a friend named Malon, she's more voluptuous than me though." Complained Zelda, annoyed the amulet of ego couldn't replicate body shapes, discreetly she glanced down at her almost unchanged mounds of flesh and hips, feeling disappointment wash over her.

"She's so pretty, is she a noble?" "No, she's the fiancée of one of my personal knights. I figured it would be disrespectful to mimic nobles but..." Zelda transformed herself into one of her playmates with a much different hair type, although the amulet tried, it couldn't quite replicate the look, to be fair her face was now the spitting image of her, suddenly she had an idea.

Zelda poured magic into the amulet again and she turned into a blonde androgynous boy with bright yellow hair and determined blue eyes. Zelda thought her original body and face as a base made the manly Link look far more feminine than he has any business being, Malon would probably faint if she sees him looking like this.

Out of sheer scientific curiosity Zelda very discreetly inspected the region beyond her navel but was let down by something she didn't see... Zelda let out a dry laugh and reverted to original Zelda, it was fun but the constant transforming drained her magic quite a bit.

"Was that supposed to be a boy?" Asked Tatl chuckling. "The first girl was Anna, one of my noble playmates, the second was Link, the knight I told you about... It's not very good at replicating the opposite sex." Concluded Zelda taking out the amulet.

"I think the real problem is that you're too girly... What are you doing?" Reacted Tatl at Zelda fixing the brooch to her clothes.

"We have to test if the Amulet works on you. If I can turn you into someone else, perhaps I can convince you to tell me how to get to Celestia." Tatl was shocked Zelda had thought so far into the future, but she was also curious.

"Just have an image of the other person's body in your head." Advised Zelda. Tatl did and it was very easy to picture her friend since she just recently saw her bare figure but when she felt the foreign magic power washing through her skin, the body of another fairy whom she had bathed bare plenty of times popped into her mind without permission. Tatl opened her eyes instinctively and was mortified when she saw the one fairy she didn't want to see greet her in the other side of the mirror.

"Kyaaaah!!!" A beautiful and alluring fairy with a soft pink glow let out a scream of terror and fell onto her butt, Zelda raised one of her eyebrows at her friend's predicament, she was covering herself while trembling and squatting. "Noo! I was wrong! Zelda pour magic into it again I'll make it right!" Yelled a distressed fairy, Tatl had already turned back to her original body but in this situation Zelda placated her by doing what she asked.

"Thank you so much. Please forget what you saw." Tatl who now looked like a glowing mini Zelda asked while posing in her new body. "Ohhhh, so even I can look this pretty, you have to lend me your body more often." Tatl said recovering her composure and doing silly faces she'd never see Zelda make. Zelda noticed her body had a soft yellow glow, she wondered if she would shine like that had she been born a fairy, just as she was contemplating taking away the amulet from Tatl and reprimand her for what had to be some bizarre form of lese majeste but the effect ran out before her patience.

"Uhhh, I had so many faces still." Cried out Tatl while Zelda was taking away the amulet from her. "I won't talk about that pink lady as long as you wipe out those faces you had me made from your memory. Deal?" Asked Zelda with a hint of seriousness while laying down on the bed.

"Deal." Agreed Tatl lying down on top of the pillow as Zelda turned off the magical lights.

"Goodnight." They both said at the same time and prepared themselves for a restful sleep.

Chapter Text

Zelda woke up early at daybreak and raised the curtains and opened the window to do her stretches bathed by the sunlight. She also did her hygiene and beauty routine, albeit somewhat incomplete because the magic was still being hampered. Zelda organized the chocolates well, trying to figure out what would be the most enticing bribe for her friend.

"Ugh, you always wake up so early." Complained Tatl flying to the curtains, trying to close them.

"I'm glad you're so energetic today, I prepared something just for you, Tatl dear." Zelda pointed to the chocolates organized on the table. When Tatl turned to look, she saw the greed and hunger in her eyes and thought the battle was as good as won but right at the last second...

"I-I won't fall for it, you want something from me, don't you? This smart fairy can figure that much out." Tatl tried to sound smug but Zelda could see the potential bribe had been very effective; she appeared shaken, failing to hide her greed. Just a little push was all she needed.

"Like I mentioned yesterday I want you to tell me where can I use my token, just think of it as a gesture of goodwill." Tatl licked her lips, "Zelda, I'll tell you the place, I promise, I already decided to do it when the amulet worked on me but I still need to sort some things out, may I please? Please!" Begged Tatl adorably. Zelda couldn't say it out loud but it really felt like she adopted a little pet fairy right now. Zelda decided to push her friend a bit.

"So that's how it is, then I'll just take a few of these for myself while I think..." Zelda slowly took the chocolate to her open mouth, taunting her friend. "Noooo!!! Bad Zelda, bad!!!" Tatl flew to the princess's hair and started pulling it. "It's in the swamp, okay? We're heading there already!" Tatl confessed desperately.

Zelda was relieved the chocolate-loving fairy demon hadn't completely come out from her cage, but she needed to discipline this unruly fairy now. "Tatl, you know what you just did was wrong, didn't you?" Apparently she did because she landed in Zelda's hand and didn't dare to look into her eyes.

"This was a negotiation and you blew it." Reprimanded Zelda, combing her hair back into place, yet at the same time placed a chocolate in the hand she was standing on.

"I have too much of a soft spot for you so that's for telling me the rough location, but all that could have been yours if you controlled yourself."

"Sorry." Tatl apologized and Zelda placed her and the chocolate on the table and stored away the rest of the bribes. "May I eat this now?" Asked Tatl meekly.

"It's yours, Tatl, do as you wish." Zelda hadn't even finished talking when her gluttonous friend launched an all-out assault on her prize.

Zelda put on her traveling clothes but decided her wardrobe needed an update for the swamp. It was time to visit "Clockwork Couture" once again.

"Miss Zelda, Miss Lumi, your breakfast is ready, table 1, same as the dinner." Anju called from beyond the door.

"Tatl, we're going to get breakfast and we'll check out before we leave Clock Town today, I believe we should go to the clothing store as our first order of business." Tatl, still subdued, didn't object and followed Zelda who placed a cleaning spell on her. They sat down to the delicious aroma. It was avocado toast, a salted boiled egg with sweet milk tea to wash it down. Tatl got a few berries instead of an egg. Seems like the generic pot can treat their customers right when they want to.

Zelda enjoyed her meal quite a bit, feeling for the first time in Termina she was the Princess she obviously was. She even felt tempted to extend her stay in the inn, which was definitely the point of this treatment, but she had things to do unfortunately.

"I didn't know tea could taste this amazing, this opens a whole new world, Zelda." The sweets-loving fairy reared her cute head yet again but it quickly turned ferocious when she saw Anju bringing some refreshments.

It was some assorted cookies and a couple of glasses of water, yet Tatl seemed starving as if the feast she just had on breakfast and the chocolate bribe was a complete lie, the little monster, Zelda almost believed it.

"Anju, I'll have to check out today, some urgent business outside of town came up. Don't worry, I have some good leads on Kafei, I'll report them before I leave." Zelda added, feeling a little ashamed at her detective ruse after all this time.

"Understood, Miss Zelda, my shift today is around noon, if you come by at that time I'll make sure the process is fast and convenient, thank you for your work." Meaning Anju's mom will make it inconvenient. Zelda wasn't sure how many customers her presence actually brought but it must have been significant.

Tatl meanwhile was fixedly staring at the pastries. Zelda had barely noticed her voracious friend had already feasted on a handful. "Tatl, you do know I'm the reason we're receiving this treatment, right? I feel you're taking advantage of me here." The Princess pondered while taking a cookie. And the sweets-loving monster retreated back to her cage.

"I'm very sorry, Your Highness." Tatl bowed. Zelda waited amused while she enjoyed a cookie to taunt and punish her friend, but Tatl seemed determined to bow until Zelda gave her leave.

"Okay fine, you may stop, the least you could do is wait for me before you start eating my cookies."

"I won't have any more, Zelda, th-they're yours." Tatl declared with a longing gaze directed at the cookies.

Zelda sighed, "What kind of friend do you take me for, silly, these belong to both of us, you just need some manners and self-control, go ahead and divide them, you may take your favorites... You can always negotiate with me if you want more." Tatl dropped a cookie she was carrying when she heard that, she made a resolution to not engage in barter with Zelda and she wasn't about to break it, even if the cookies were so soft and sweet and tempting. Tatl sneakily placed an extra cookie in her place and prayed Zelda didn't notice.

"Is mischief in your blood, Tatl? I can't believe you would steal from the Hyrule's next Queen from right under her nose." Zelda claimed exasperated but to Tatl's relief she didn't seem angry.

"Unfortunately for my fairy friend stealing is a crime in Hyrule, some people even get roasted by lightning over there but I'm generous to my friends so..." Zelda took two of the cookies Tatl seemed to enjoy the most and dug in; they were quite tasty.

They came back to the room and Tatl jumped from Zelda's shoulder and bowed yet again after landing on the table. "I'm sorry for stealing, Zelda." Zelda wasn't surprised, Tatl seemed out of it ever since her last scolding.

"Tatl, stealing a cookie is not such a serious thing, I delivered proper retribution so don't worry about it." Zelda waved away her concerns.

"No, Zelda that's not... I'm very sorry... I'm sorry we took your ocarina, I'm sorry I tried to take your token, I'm sorry we took that awful mask, I'm sorry we stole from Juliette and I'm sorry Tael, Skull Kid and I stole so much, it wasn't good and I regret letting Tael do it very much." Tatl looked down on the verge of tears so Zelda gave her some space.

"I accept your apology for my ocarina and the token, Tatl, would you like to talk about it?" Tatl shook her head and they both remained silent for a while.

"Thanks. I... I need to put an end to Majora so please help me, Zelda." Tatl psyched herself up while wiping away some stray tears.

"Yes, I say the same, I need a smart and strong fairy in my team... Let's go then, we have work to do." Zelda reassured.

"Wait a moment, Zelda... I don't want to be that fairy but, I've been thinking about this a lot, don't we get a week to do everything? I mean... Won't the curse on the Great Fairies and wherever Tael meant come back if we turn back time?" Tatl asked a very sensible question.

"The short answer is no, for the curses to come back Majora would have to be stronger than the Goddess of Time and the fact we're alive proves that he's not... The Great Fairies are also a little special but I won't bore you with the details, but making friends and finding Kafei for example will be reversed I'm almost certain, so that's why I thought it would be pointless to reunite the two lovebirds now, or to free your two prisoner friends." Zelda explained and invited Tatl to get into her mobile home.

"They're not my friends, Zelda, but I understand, let's go to the clothing store, right? I'll buy what you tell me." And with that wonderful proposition Zelda left the inn much to the dismay of Anju's mom and most patrons.

Chapter Text

Anya, clerk and owner of the high-end clothing shop "Clockwork Couture" was having a normal day, swiftly organizing the generic pieces. She and her employees had worked so hard on making some clothes fit only for kings and queens and yet her clientele wasn't as distinguished as she would like. Anya was lamenting having to sell her precious masterpieces but at the same time she was grateful to her clients. In the middle of Anya's deliberations a true Goddess descended upon her store like a ray of salvation, leaving her fragile mortal mind into a pile of mush.

Anya couldn't quite recall what she said to the Goddess but she remembers she made her try on a lot of the pieces she made but she was disappointed when she only took a few outfits. Anya cut the prices in half for this moving piece of art, the muse paid for her purchases which Anya thought was a very wrong thing to do for some reason, but she had trouble understanding this wasn't a dream. And before she understood that angelic girl had left her store... "Amber, did I just dream what just happened?" "Amber, do you mean that super pretty girl and her gorgeous fairy? No, ma'am, they were real."

"A fairy? Was there a fairy? Please be mindful when they return, and make sure to slash all prices in half for them if I cannot make it in time." Declared a determined clerk while sketching Zelda, whom without knowing had become the official muse of the shop.

...

Just a day later Zelda spotted that same store in the vicinity, Tatl resting quietly in her head. "You'll look so pretty on a dress, Tatl, do you have a color preference?" An excited Zelda asked.

"Er... Not really, maybe pink or white." Tatl answered while loafing around in the soft bed of princess hair.

"Welcome back!" A youthful sun-kissed skin clerk gave Zelda and Tatl a warm welcome. Zelda thought her name was Amber and now that she looked more closely Zelda was almost certain she had Gerudo ancestors.

"Hi. I need a quick wardrobe fix, I have business in the swamp and I'll also need a dress for my fairy, something that's easy for her to fly in, and some comfortable clothes for sleeping if you have that." Zelda listed off her purchases. Tatl hadn't complained but Zelda thought it looked quite bothersome to sleep in that bodysuit.

Amber called an employee from behind the counter and to Zelda's surprise decided to attend Tatl instead of her. She wasn't a princess here so she couldn't make a fuss about it but that wasn't how things usually went.

The timid and mousey employee helped Zelda get a darker shirt and longer boots made with the swamp in mind. Zelda was quite pleased and tried to pay but Amber whose entire attention was dedicated to Tatl was the one to handle the transactions.

Zelda found a lot of drawings on the desk counter that appeared to be idealized versions of herself... but Zelda wasn't so self-centered to believe that, surely there was another cute blonde Hylian who inspired these. Eventually she walked towards the dressing room for fairies and...

There stood Tatl in an adorable matching set of snug pink pajamas, it reminded Zelda of her own baby sister. Zelda decided this was a must-have article.

Luckily Tatl didn't appear to have a strong opinion on them other than their level of comfort but the same wasn't true of her prospective dresses. After rejecting many of the offerings by Amber who seemed strangely devoted to pleasing the fairy, Tatl finally chose one after making Zelda wait for a long time.

It was a purple two-piece low cut dress without many frills, it clung to her friend's body and looked easy to fly into. Zelda thought her friend wearing her royal colors was delightful and decided that having Tatl agree to wear a skirt was in itself a victory. She also looked fashionably innocent in the pajamas' long sleeve shirt and trousers.

With her trip for clothes over, Zelda paid for her new purchases and left with a satisfied grin on her face. Unfortunately for Anya she didn't make it in time.

"So, where to now?" Asked Tatl entering her home.

"Now the apothecary and I believe... Ouch!" Zelda was in the middle of equipping her Bunny Hood when the rude postman collided with her.

"Ugh, you again, I don't want to deal with such a rude man." Complained Zelda but the postman was looking at her Bunny Hood with greedy eyes, "Miss, would you be willing to sell those to me? I'm willing to give you a postman's hat and..."

"Just in case you haven't noticed I'm a woman, and these are not for sale, maybe they would have if you hadn't slammed your door on my face however. Now if you'll excuse me." Lied Zelda and left the place of the incident, leaving the onlookers to murmur. Zelda was starting to feel burdened by the gazes when she reached the apothecary.

The first thing the duo noticed was the clerk wasn't even attending the counter, she was dedicating every single drop of her attention to a concoction she was making in her cauldron. "This time for sure!" She muttered. But this wasn't the time as the concoction blew up in her face blowing her pointy witch hat away...

Drat! Another failure... Oh customers! Thank you so much for coming to our "Silvermoon's Cauldron" my name's Ellie Silvermoon, p-please forget what you just saw! The potions we sell are made by my dad, who's also my teacher, so they're all very good." Claimed the nervous little blond clerk cleaning her face and placing back the oversized hat on her head. Zelda greeted her with a polite curtsey which left the girl entranced.

"Do you have some like these?" Zelda placed one of her stamina, health and magic recovery potions on her counter.

"Woah, these are super efficient ma'am, but yes you can find the recovery potions labeled over there, they would be about half as effective as yours I believe..." Ellie entered a serious mood when Zelda presented her stock and Zelda was quite pleased at her evaluation of Hyrule's royal potion makers when she noticed a peculiar product.

"Do you sell that?" Asked the Princess grabbing a bottle of milk called Chateau Romani which the label claimed had frankly absurd effects, but seemed to ask for no price.

"I'm so sorry ma'am, that's our personal sample, it shouldn't be there. The milk bar has a monopoly on this crazy thing but... It's an apothecary's dream to make a product like Lady Cremia's, she's so talented." The petite girl took it back to behind the counter while explaining, it seemed she had a lot of respect for this Cremia character.

"Hmm, I'd like to get my hands on a sample. Oh what's this?.." Zelda grabbed some curious concoction but little Ellie was no longer looking at her but at Tatl with eyes squinted like she just found her prey.

"Excuse me?" Asked Zelda worried.

"Oh. No, your pet fairy is really pretty. I'm sorry, a handsome fairy boy vandalized my mum's store and I'm looking for him to get my revenge." The girl broke her reverie and justified herself with flushed cheeks and closed fist determined, to which Tatl had the presence of mind to hide in Zelda's hat, probably to sulk about her past mischiefs.

"Fairy boys are very rare, most people spend their lives without having the chance to see one." Zelda commented absentmindedly. Even in her role as Hyrule's Princess she could count the times she'd seen one on one hand, including Tael. So she felt sorry for Ellie's one-sided crush.

Zelda finished buying a couple of interesting potions and left the store.

"Now I want to buy a map from Tingle and we'll check out in time for Anju's shift." Commented Zelda. Tatl didn't show a lot of interest in the potions but Zelda knew she was awake, she was a good companion after all.

Zelda reached Tingle and Tatl immediately perched on her shoulder to help her out. Tingle gave Zelda his spiel about being a fairy and more importantly offered a map for cheap. Zelda bought a map of Termina Field and the Southern Swamp, and since she was at it, the Romani Ranch which was very cheap anyway... Of course it seemed Tingle had no clue Celestia existed.

"What fairy would want to be with such a weirdo?" Mumbled Tatl dangling her feet from Zelda's shoulder, enjoying the ride. "A fairy obsessed with maps it's the only possibility." Zelda considered seriously and quickly checked out at Anju's inn. Zelda left the inn to a chorus of disappointed sighs, especially Anju's who couldn't untie the Gordian knot that was Kafei's disappearance.

After walking for a while to the south gate Zelda was stopped by a boy in uniform with a stick on his hand, which he quickly dropped away to speak to Zelda.

The boy with flushed cheeks stared at Zelda for a while and then at Tatl with some hostility. "Do you have business with my Lumi?" Zelda confronted, recognizing the boy and protecting Tatl with one hand.

"Lumi? That's... Not at all miss, it's uhhh... Our bomber gang is recruiting, we're... We umm, fight for justice and... I... No, we, if someone like you joined... My name is Nick, so yeah, here's an invitation to our gang, please consider it!" Zelda was somewhat puzzled but Tatl broke into laugh, "that idiot. They made a big deal about not accepting girls when they took me in but look at him now, congrats Zelda, you're a boy killer." Commented Tatl rolling her eyes with a hint of annoyance and jealousy.

Zelda looked at the invitation and stored it away. "That's hardly something to be happy about, it would have been nice if they cooperated this much with Mira don't you think?" Zelda argued a little peeved.

"Pssh, tiny deku girl, or bombshell princess straight out of a painting, as much as it pains me to say, I'm with Nick on this one... Did no one ever tell you how beyond this world you look, Zelda?"

"You... Don't have to exaggerate so much, but I heard it a million times, it's just with my cosmetic spells and status I never paid much attention... But I suppose there was something there." Zelda conceded trying to not let all the attention get to her head.

"You suppose? Something? Come on, Zelda! In this town the only mortal that can resist your charm so far is that weird postman... I wonder why he was looking so intensely at those flappy ears of yours." Zelda was relieved at the topic change, although it did feel good to be admired it was also strangely uncomfortable, especially being a foreigner in Termina.

"I'm sure it was for nothing good." Zelda commented deciding that grumpy postman still hasn't earned his way out of Princess Zelda's official naughty list.

"So, Zelda, about Ellie, her mom is probably Juliette, the bakery lady." Tatl grumbled trying to sound casual.

"I also reached that conclusion... But, there's not much point in talking to Juliette now. Just like Anju they will forget once I turn back time." Zelda explained.

"That's not... At the time I didn't know but... So, we stole a lot back then, but the heist to the bakery was by far the biggest, and it was actually Kafei the one who chased us, he must be related to Ellie and her mom in some way. I'm not sure how serious you're about catching Kafei, but this is a good lead." Tatl pondered, with shame written all over her face.

"It is a great lead but... We'll talk to Juliette after coming back from the swamp, there's no rush." Zelda was a little ambivalent about this whole detective job but it was intriguing the more she looked into it... And poor Anju deserves better.

In due time, the duo made it to the south gate and got in line to leave. After being checked by one of the guards a second guard stopped them.

"Hold on there, missy!" he boomed, his voice thick with concern. "A fine maiden like yourself venturing into Termina Field alone? Out of the question!" The guard scanned Zelda head to toe when he spotted her rapier. "That shiny toy may scare some Keese and win some duels at school but the bulkier monsters of Termina Field will shrug it off. I suggest you hire an escort missy." Zelda wasn't amused by his evaluation of Fae and herself.

"I'm perfectly able to defend myself, I'm primarily a sorceress, see?" Zelda hurled a wind spell to the nearby wall leaving a scratch. The guard didn't look 100% convinced and to be fair neither was Zelda, her magic was still lacking but he agreed to let her through after a deep sigh.

"This way, miss, may I have your and your pet's names?" Asked a guard who had a list of the traffic flow of the town. "My name is Zelda and this little cutie is Lumi." Zelda gave the agreed upon names and checked the guard wrote them correctly when asked. The guard offered to introduce Zelda to the head of the stables if she needed a horse but she declined.

At long last, Zelda and Tatl made it out of Clock Town.

Chapter Text

Zelda walked past the stables, renting horses was expensive after all and she felt like sweating a bit. But before she could break into run she spotted an inn in the outskirts of town guarded by a single guard.

There she saw an old hostler helping a voluptuous, redhead, young lady load products into her carriage, it was then, when she heard the loud clattering of bottles that Zelda decided her help would be appreciated. The young woman reminded her of her good friend Malon after all.

"Hello sir, miss, I noticed the commotion and came to see if you needed some assistance." Asked Zelda grabbing the packaged bottles from the tired hostler.

"Oh... Uhhh... How... How kind of you miss! Mister Randall please go tend to the horses this young lady will help me." The young lady gladly accepted after getting lost looking at Zelda for a bit, and did her best to persuade the hostler she had this all under control.

"Sigh, mister Randall always offers to help but he's getting up in age, you have no idea how much I appreciate your help miss..."

"Zelda, I... Whoa!" Zelda almost fell to her rear when a miniature and childish version of the pretty Malon look alike popped out of nowhere from behind the bottles Zelda stored.

The cute little girl reminded Zelda of her childhood when she first met Malon, the ranch owner's daughter, she used to stare at Zelda in much the same way this girl was staring right now... Although this girl was also looking at Tatl who flew outside her moving house at the commotion, the little redhead was also sniffing at Zelda's body for some reason.

Zelda who was a very clean and hygiene oriented Princess was starting to feel nervous and was in the middle of applying some safety spells when the girl jumped into her arms, the cute redhead was grabbing to Zelda now like a koala burrowing into Zelda's clothes and refusing to let go, Zelda was panicking a bit now and Tatl looked flabbergasted at the situation.

Zelda walked towards the Malon look alike to try and clarify she wasn't trying to kidnap her cute passenger. But when the girl looked at her predicament she got as confused as Tatl and became as flustered as a Hylian tomato.

"I-i can explain..."

"Cremia this girl smells like goodness. I'll keep her and miss fairy! They're mine!" Declared the miniature passenger now comfortable in Zelda's embrace, she was patting the Princess's breasts, certainly comparing to her sister's abundant assets. Zelda decided not to do the same, ever, lest her royal sense of self-worth receive some heavy damage, she had plenty of experience growing up with Malon after all... oh, so that was her smell, goodness can't possibly be a bad thing on a Princess, which made Zelda feel relieved, but Cremia was now looking even redder if that was even possible opening and closing her mouth at interval while paralyzed. While the adorable bundle of cuteness continued clinging to Zelda lovingly.

"Ro. Ma. Ni. What do you think you're doing?!? Come to your sister's arms, you can't just claim pretty girls and their pets! Please Romani you're making big sis look bad." But Romani seemed to prefer Zelda's arms and bosom. Maybe Zelda could win this unspoken round.

"Nuh-uh Cremia, she's mine, you always trick me and keep the best!" What a terrible defeat... Or was it?

Zelda decided that helping poor Cremia was more work than just loading crates into her carriage and decided to deal with this innocent koala imitation that was unknowingly raiding her psyche, before she and her sister had a mental breakdown.

"Romani, right? My name is Zelda and this is my fairy friend Lumi. Would you like to be our friend?" Zelda was relieved when the girl looked thrilled by the prospect, "but Romani, as your new friends it will be bad for us if we look bad in front of Cremia, why don't you get back to the carriage and I convince Cremia to let us be your friends."

Zelda thought she made a mistake when the girl in her arms looked crestfallen and tears formed in the corners of her eyes. "Cremia, Cremia, please. I'll be good friends to Lumi and Zelda, let us be friends!" The girl now turned to her sister and was begging like only a little sister could.

Cremia was ready to give her little sister the world at the drop of a hat and agreed like her life depended on pleasing the girl and Romani immediately changed her mood and gave two pecks on the Princess's cheeks. "Now we're friends, you are my friends now, fairy girls!" Romani declared victorious while Zelda took her back to the carriage, Zelda turned her back while the girl was getting settled in the carriage and offered Tatl a chocolate in silent plea to entertain their new friend.

"Umm, I was going to do it even if you didn't ask." Confessed her friend, "this will be waiting for you anyway, thank you."

Zelda came back to an extremely apologetic Cremia and Zelda decided to take advantage of the situation. "In truth I heard about miss Cremia before, you work at the Romani Ranch right? I'm heading to the Southern Swamp, if it's on your way I'll be grateful if Lumi and I could come along." Zelda noticed the ranch shared names with the little girl but decided not to draw any assumptions for now. Cremia's lightbulb turned on and she even seemed grateful by the suggestion.

"Absolutely miss Zelda, you won't have to tolerate my sister's antics either, I'll make sure to discipline her properly." Cremia now looked like she wanted to do anything but that, it was obvious she doted heavily on Romani, Zelda found it charming that all her emotions could be read from her body language like a children's book.

"Not at all, she's my friend now, and she's even keeping my fairy company, it's not a problem at all miss Cremia, I find her very endearing." Zelda now deduced Cremia wanted very badly to thank her and give her a hug but was fighting the urge.

"Miss Zelda please drop the honorifics, if possible I'd also like to make friendly acquaintance with you. I... Well don't take this the wrong way but, I can see your body is quite delicate, miss Zelda is obviously not trained for this kind of work so I'll finish up from here, you may rest in the co-pilot seat or inside the carriage."

It was true, a lot of weird muscles hurt, this was nothing like covert operations with the Sheikah or Impa's training, but that didn't prevent Zelda from feeling frustrated, dragging her sore body to the co-pilot seat the first thing she noticed was a worn down cushion and when she rested her dainty and noble posterior upon it she felt rather uncomfortable, the map didn't indicate the distance to the next town so Zelda prayed to Farore it was close or her legs might not make it.

Cremia finished up covered in a light sweat and Zelda marveled at how much she reminded her of Malon when they took baths together. Maybe they were long lost sisters... Or maybe the ranch life attracted these kinds of curvy and busty beauties.

Zelda could understand if Kafei had fallen into temptation, heck she wasn't sure she could blame him, but her lovely Cremia didn't look the type, Zelda knew it wasn't a wise thing to do but she decided to think of her new friend as innocent in this matter. What could never be innocent was all that femininity she exuded effortlessly.

While Zelda was pondering how comfortable Cremia's natural cushions seemed to be she felt an intense jealousy surge, but she quickly calmed down. In her next trip to Termina she decided Malon was to come along to make it an "assets" competition. Hyrule couldn't lose without a fight.

"Is Miss Zelda from Clock Town? Romani and I have lived our entire lives in the ranch." Confessed Cremia with a hint of redness in her cheeks.

"No, I'm also a visitor, I come from very far away. I'm on a mission to recover something important, oh and Cremia, please also drop the honorifics, friends should be comfortable with each other, don't you think?" Zelda explained while adjusting her poor hind legs to the cushion, her royal carriage felt like such a distant, idyllic dream at this moment.

"Yes mm... Zelda... Would you mind telling me your business at the swamp, perhaps I can help, you might have known already but own and manage Romani Ranch, I'm also the co-owner of the Milk Bar." Zelda was touched and impressed by the offer but highly doubted Cremia had the power to stop insane evil masks and maniacal skull kids even if she was an accomplished young lady.

"At the swamp there's rumors of a secret fairy village, I must go there for my mission."

Cremia seemed lost in thought when childish laughs came from inside the carriage prompting Zelda and Cremia to take a look. There, Tatl was entertaining Romani by casting some of her magic, they seemed to be having the time of their lives.

"I must truly thank you and miss Lumi, Romani has been out of it lately, is the first time I see her so happy since our parents... Sigh I'm sorry to burden you with my troubles." Cremia bit her tongue but Zelda was curious.

"Not at all Cremia, both of you sisters are my friends now, so I'm happy to hear you out." Urged Zelda gently.

"... Our parents died some time ago, I don't think Romani even remembers them, she was our darling girl ever since she was born and they were gone before she realized it, I've been raising her alone since, it's been hard for us at the ranch... Ah, but it's not all bad, my uncle at the milk bar has been very supportive and the security was upgraded at the ranch a while ago." Confided Cremia but quickly added some positive events trying to dispel the gloomy mood... Zelda thought she should invest in her new friend and her adorable baby sister that reminded Zelda of her own precious Illiana, when she retook functions as the Crown Princess. She will also take her sister alongside Malon in her official visit as Hyrule's Princess to Cremia's, Illiana will certainly be so delighted to meet Romani and play together.

While thinking of a happy future Zelda was rudely brought back to reality by the fact her young behind was facing the biggest crisis of her life, she scanned for landmarks but to her dismay the path seemed to go for ages, according to the map there wasn't even an outpost to rest. She might have to swallow her pride to ask Cremia, who looked very comfortable with the bumpy ride, for a break.

"Actually I first heard of you because of an incredible beverage called Chateau Romani, I was quite shocked by its effects." Commented Zelda deciding not to mention Kafei and trying to distract herself from her protesting legs. "Ah, yes, that's the masterpiece of our ranch, we make a few a year, but Zelda, you might be too young for it, I... No never mind, uncle sells it at the milk bar but the effects are very potent so be careful if you try it." Cremia warned making Zelda forget about the pain for a moment, apparently Ellie's dad didn't mark the side effects.

"Actually I saw it at an apothecary and although they mentioned it was expensive they didn't mention the price or side effects." Zelda commented feigning disinterest, leaving the ball in Cremia's camp.

"Oh, the price went down a bit because we've had good years, but you'll have to ask my uncle since I don't handle that. But the milk bar requires a membership so... It's better for a young girl like you to not be aware of the side effects, just wait a couple of years before trying it, it doesn't spoil." Cremia commented also without much interest.

They continued chatting when Zelda spotted a tiny town in the horizon, her legs were saved! The second passed like hours and the horses being driven by Cremia seemed to purposefully slow down extending Zelda's suffering, she thought back to Tatl who was having fun with the adorable Romani while flying around her fairy legs safe from this onslaught and felt incredibly bitter.

At last after the long trip she got out with wobbly legs and applied every healing spell she knew and didn't knew to her battered legs. The Princess of Hyrule just claimed another victory by the skin of her teeth.

Cremia looking at her state quietly chuckled. "Zelda you should have told me you weren't good with long journeys, I'll buy a fluffier cushion for you, and we'll go have lunch, if you're feeling well after that we'll be on our way.

The moment Zelda listened to her words she thought she would faint, not only she was making her new peasant friend buy her a cushion she was also taking pity on her by delaying her schedule to accommodate Zelda's weakness and worst of all, Cremia never planned to stay in this town like Zelda initially assumed. Her royal pride hadn't taken this much of a beating since Majora and Skull Kid tricked her.

With little Malon... No, Romani and Tatl looking at her with concern, Zelda decided it was time to use her strengths to overcome this ordeal with flying colors.

Chapter Text

Zelda was mortified when Cremia showed up with a fluffy cushion for her. Zelda's pride was in shambles now. Zelda scrambled to cast some strengthening spells on her legs and managed to drag herself into the restaurant of Cremia's choosing. It certainly looked like the fanciest place in town.

"Don't worry, Zelda, miss Lumi, it's my treat." Commented Cremia with a happy smile and Zelda's pride, that was currently in life support, decided she could let this one slide for the sake of friendship.

When Zelda sat down in the fancy chair she quickly noticed there was a petite intruder on her lap. "Cremia won't steal you from me, you're my Zelda." Romani claimed while Cremia looked confused and embarrassed at her willful sister. Few were bold enough to claim a Hylian Princess but Zelda thought Romani was too adorable for a scolding; little sisters were too strong.

"Cremia, you can drop the honorifics with me, I'm sure Zelda..." Tatl was interrupted by the waiter.

"I'm sorry but our establishment doesn't serve pets." He said looking at Tatl. "Since it's yours, Lady Cremia, she may stay, but she can't be on the table or sit in a chair... There's an establishment down the street that sells collars and leashes; these little creatures get picked away by monsters easily, it will be a wise investment." He advised trying to help and left without taking their order.

"Oh... Umm, I suppose I'll be on the floor." Commented a depressed Tatl now hovering above the table. "Lumi that's... He's the owner, he means well but, I'm so sorry to you and Zelda, please sit on my lap if that's acceptable, I'll order extra for you." Cremia answered after staring at Zelda and Romani with undisguised jealousy for a second. It seemed the little sister charm wasn't only affecting Zelda.

A real waiter finally came and the trio ordered food for 3 plus a fairy and had a quiet meal, even Romani wasn't making much of a fuss while on Zelda's lap. Cremia paid for the food and Zelda assured her she was good to go while furiously and secretly casting spells on her punished legs.

"Umm about the leash and collar..."

"I'm not actually Lumi's owner, we're friends and she's helping me in my quest." Confided Zelda in a soft voice trying to give a shadowy vibe to entertain Romani. Tatl who was taciturn since the earlier warning seemed to cheer up at Zelda's words.

Cremia waited with patience and with some envy for Romani and Zelda to finish playing and Zelda boarded the co-pilot seat where the spoiled ranch princess tried to sneak in but for the first time since meeting her, Cremia managed to overcome her little sister and ordered her to go in the back where Tatl was waiting.

The redhead princess left but not before kneading and marking Zelda by rubbing herself on the Hylian teen, and leaving a warning to Cremia not steal her precious Zelda. It seems the girl was quite territorial.

Cremia apologized profusely again while Zelda was getting used to her new cushion; it was significantly comfier but it will still be a challenge. Zelda figured she will get out at the intersection between the paths to the swamp and the ranch which was still a ways away according to her map.

"I mentioned it before but all of us at the ranch treat Romani like a little princess, she's grown to be quite spoiled... I'm ashamed to admit I can never bring myself to discipline her." Zelda wasn't pleased with that princess comment, she herself had to undergo intense education and grooming for her position and has been presented with numerous trials since she was a child, this, sort of, being one of them.

"For the way she's been raised she could be worse, but discipline is important... I myself have a little sister and I can never win against her either... In the future I would like for her and Romani to meet." Commented Zelda hopeful and Cremia cheered up and happily agreed. After chatting for a while a Keese swooped in to their carriage and Zelda summarily dispatched it with a bit of light magic, she made it extra flashy to surprise and show off to Cremia.

But Cremia was looking at her like she saw a ghost. "Lady Zelda, do you know what you just... No, you probably don't... Listen, magic casters are very precious here, I can't believe I'm taking advantage of you like this, you must let me pay you escorting fees." Zelda was now flustered by Cremia's agitation.

"Payment? Advantage? I was the one who asked for a lift and you even paid for our food, I'm sure it's all covered even if I wanted payment, which I don't, we're friends Cremia, we're past honorifics and debts..." Zelda did her best to calm Cremia down.

"I... Well, you might be right, but you'll have to accept something from me, if word gets out I didn't properly rewarded a sorceress it'll be difficult." Zelda recognized the tactic but she was helpless against it; she would have to obediently accept her reward.

The duo chatted and periodically checked on Romani and Tatl who had both at some point fallen into sleep while cuddling. Zelda and Cremia both experienced synchronized jealousy for different reasons, and Zelda decided to distract herself by bullying monsters, unknowingly earning Cremia's gratitude.

Eventually they made it to a guard's outpost that wasn't in Zelda's map; the path to the ranch did certainly seem well guarded.

"This is where we part ways, Zelda, unless... You wish to stay the night with us at the ranch. You and Lumi are more than welcome to stay for as long as you like." As much as the offer tempted her, Zelda had priorities. Feeling a pang of guilt in her heart she declined and climbed down with legs of jelly.

Zelda woke Tatl up who buzzed to her shoulder and Cremia urged a groggy Romani to say her goodbyes but when the girl heard her new friends were going away she ran to Zelda's legs and hugged with all the might she could muster.

Romani looked up to Zelda with tears streaming down her face. "Don't leave Zelda, hic, you and Lumi are mine, you can't leave! I'll tell Cremia to, hic, to give you a house in the ranch, don't leave me behind, sob... I'll give you my favorite cow and you can play with all my toys, hic..." Romani managed to say between sobs and tears.

Not only Zelda's pride in tatters, now Romani had just swung a sledgehammer straight to her heart. Hyrule's next Sovereign was about to bend the knee and capitulate to the awesome power of the little sister when Cremia's voice brought her reason back from the brink.

"Romani! Zelda has her own things to do, she's not going away forever, she'll come back before you know it." Cremia reassured picking up Romani trying to calm her down using her motherly assets but Romani wasn't having it.

"Liar! Cremia is a liar! Cremia promised mom and dad will come back too! Cremia promised the others didn't exist! Cremia promised me a drink for the nightmares! All Cremia does is lie!" Boomed an enraged Romani violently shaking in her sister's arms tears flowing like a river down her flushed face. Cremia quickly departed to her carriage to have a conference with her little sister leaving Zelda and Tatl to awkwardly stare at each other.

Zelda was processing everything she heard, debating in her head whether to accept to stay and even if Cremia will even let her at this point and after a long while Cremia came back...

"I'm sorry you both had to see that, we... Had some troubles at the ranch." Cremia summarized very succinctly. "Er, Cremia this potion helps with nightmares, if you think it will help, you may have it." Zelda offered one of the curious potions she picked up from the Silvermoons.

"Zelda I haven't even paid you back but... I'll accept it gratefully... Right, here, this is a token that signifies you're my personal guest to the Clock Town Milk Bar, you just have to wear it, I wrote an identificator so I'm afraid you can't sell it. It's quite exclusive so it's worth a fair bit... Even if I say so myself." Cremia hadn't stopped looking embarrassed since she came back from calming her sister down... Not only that she looked tired and haggard.

Zelda accepted the token which was a cap that made her look like she had cow ears. While she was putting them on Cremia slowly closed the distance. "That's the escorting fee and this..." Cremia took Zelda into a hug, burying her head into the heavenly mounds of flesh where dreams come true. Zelda found it relaxing to listen to Cremia's heart, boldly intruding into Romani's territory while enjoying the softness... When, too soon, the dream... Or rather the hug, had ended.

"This is for everything else, I know it's not enough but I really can't thank you enough, I hope what you witnessed doesn't diminish your opinion of us sisters and please, please come back to play with Romani." Cremia asked or rather begged. Zelda understood, if she didn't come back that could actually break poor little Romani.

Zelda promised to visit the ranch when her business at the swamp had ended and reassured Cremia she didn't think any less of her or her sister.

"May we say our goodbyes to Romani?" Asked Tatl hopeful. Cremia bit her lower lip. "That... Would be difficult, she's sulking very badly right now, it might make things worse."

"We understand, Cremia... Have a safe trip to the ranch." Spoke Zelda with haste trying, among other reasons, to not make things more awkward.

Tatl and Zelda watched their carriage depart and they managed to see a little girl with tears in her eyes waving goodbye from afar; they of course waved back.

Ultimately when the carriage disappeared after turning a corner, Zelda's spells and her legs finally gave out and she collapsed on the floor.

Chapter Text

"Zelda!!! Zelda, what in Seraph's name did you do to your legs?!? I... Ugh... Help!!! Help!!!"

Tatl did her best to help Zelda, but Zelda herself knew she'd pushed herself beyond her limits. It was just a teeny-tiny bit pathetic... But what was truly pathetic was the Princess of Hyrule being carried by a random guard into a private bed, where the outpost nurse did her best to take care of her. It was so humiliating, Zelda decided to feign unconsciousness.

"My master, she's... She's a powerful sorceress and pushed herself very hard. Please tell me you can save her!" Tatl spun some tale, trying to save Zelda some face.

"Shush, little fairy, she just needs some rest. Your master will walk by the morrow; it will, however, take three or four days for her to be back to top condition," explained the nurse, leaving them both alone. It had been decided Zelda would have a private bed because every guard in the outpost couldn't stop staring at her, disrupting their workflow.

Shortly after the nurse left, Zelda "regained" consciousness. "So, I'm your master now?" Zelda chuckled, trying to lighten the atmosphere and hopefully redirect the topic.

"Hmph, you know how these Terminians get... But more importantly, what in the world were you thinking, Zelda?!? Are you insane? Did you listen to the nurse? Three or four days gone, for what? Do you not care about your health?" The attempt obviously didn't work; Tatl was livid.

"Tatl, that's not the case. I am, indeed, a powerful and very knowledgeable sorceress. Help me by casting some recovering spells... And this. This will help me get back on my feet in maybe half an hour. We'll be en route to the swamp soon," reassured Zelda, taking a few sips of her recovery potion, but Tatl didn't look convinced.

"I know I'm nothing compared to you, but I already spent over half my magic trying to help you... Then again, why are you in this state in the first place? Zelda, you're a princess, aren't you? An extremely important person; heck, you told me you will become the queen, the protector of such and such, and much more... So why did you treat your legs like that? Not only that, you disgraced your kingdom just now by what happened..." The immobilized Zelda could only take the verbal abuse while casting spells on her legs, and, worst of all, Tatl was completely right.

"Protector of the Sheikah... Also, you're very excellent for a fairy, perhaps the best I've ever met... I... Umm... It was because I couldn't let a bumpy carriage defeat me, so I used a lot of spells on my legs," Zelda admitted very sheepishly, tacitly agreeing to the scolding and discreetly focusing on her backside.

"Didn't Cremia buy you a massive cushion?" Zelda flinched; that was nothing compared to what her royal carriage or even her personal horse seat did to accommodate her.

"Well, that's besides the point. Zelda, your body is incredibly important; please think of yourself with more care. I know it's selfish, but I can't do anything to Majora or Skull Kid. I need you badly," Tatl admitted, and Zelda could only nod.

"We're in this together, Tatl, you and I." Zelda lay down for the agreed-upon half hour and stood up like her collapse was a figment of this outpost's collective imagination.

Zelda stretched, this time bathed by the moonlight, but was quickly annoyed by the incredulous yet intense gazes of the guards, so she finished her leg routine in the privacy of the tiny room.

"Zelda, do we really need to depart for the swamp tonight? Why don't we sleep here and depart early in the morning?" Tatl suggested, with some sense.

The bed was hard, and the accommodations were not quite fit for a Princess, but in the end, Zelda agreed and pushed the bed to the end of the room and pulled out her portable futon, where she tucked Tatl and then herself into bed. After some goodnights, the duo drifted into comfortable sleep.

Zelda woke up before the dawn of the third day, and the moonlight was still illuminating the closely guarded path to the ranch, but it was the unattended, dark, and gloomy path to the swamp that occupied her mind.

Zelda pulled out the chocolate she owed Tatl and placed it next to her and started doing her stretches in the privacy of the tiny room yet again. Zelda was in the middle of her morning routine when Tatl woke up.

"Is this for me? Thank you." Tatl regained consciousness and attacked the treat without any mercy. Soon, it was gone; Tatl's brutal onslaught never left survivors. "Mmm, so tasty, whoa..." Tatl was celebrating her overwhelming victory when Zelda scooped her up into her hands.

"Tatl, this was a long time coming, but I'll start applying hygiene spells for you every morning. If you apply yourself and learn them, I promise to teach you cosmetic spells fit for a Princess that will help with lots of stuff," Zelda declared, hoping to motivate her friend.

"Uhhh, can I become as pretty as you? Because I've seen you without those spells, and I'm convinced that's actually impossible," Tatl quipped, a little deflated.

"Tatl, you might not believe me, but you're plenty beautiful already; that's not the issue. Cosmetic spells help you with lots of stuff, like keeping your hair soft and clean all day, maintenance to your ears, keeping your skin hydrated all day and night, and those are just the basics in the princess curriculum. There are more private matters. I'm sure you get the picture." Tatl certainly seemed to get it, as her cheeks were now sporting a healthy red color.

Zelda explained, looking smug for perhaps the first time.

"That... Okay, I don't lose anything by trying, right? Do your worst, Zelda, I'm ready to be cleaned," agreed Tatl, surrendering herself to Zelda's gentle grip, and Zelda spent quite a bit of magic to apply her hygiene routine on Tatl, who was dressed in the snug pajamas.

Tatl seemed quite dazed after being let go from Zelda's cleaning service. "That... Was it, no, I... Zelda, put me down!" The poor fairy seemed about to hurl, undoing Zelda's hard work, so Zelda did as commanded.

"That was rather harsh, Zelda; you really did as you pleased with my body! I'm all sore now," Tatl complained, checking her now pristine body. Zelda was glad no one else was in the room to hear Tatl's suggestive comments.

"It'll get better from now on, and once you learn the spells, they actually become quite comfortable... By the way, never say what you just said in public..." Zelda was sitting on the bed, legs crossed, waiting for Tatl to recover.

"Speaking of which, my mentor Impa told me once she knew a secret spell to make people forget memories. It would be most useful right now... If, by the end of this, the guards remember what happened, I'll dispatch a Sheikah squad to take care of it," chatted Zelda nonchalantly, popping a mint candy into her mouth.

"Sometimes I forget how stupidly scary and powerful you are... Please don't do that to me or Celestia, okay?" Tatl pleaded seriously, gulping.

Zelda looked down to her friend with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "You're mostly safe, Tatl, but Celestia... Well, as long as they're polite and don't push me too far..." Zelda joked, but panicked a bit when Tatl lost all little color she had, and her knees lost strength; she seemed about to preemptively beg for forgiveness quite seriously.

"Wait, Tatl, that was a joke... I don't plan on doing anything to your fri... To your kin... To your queendom," Zelda explained hastily before her little friend debased herself. Tatl was naturally very loyal to her kin and to Celestia for some reason, so Zelda discovered she'd pushed it too far.

"Zelda, that... Was so mean, I almost pee... Neeever mind, I didn't say anything..." Tatl said while checking with what she probably thought was discretion, her underwear and trousers. "But seriously, I'll make sure the queendom doesn't do anything stupid, so please, don't crush us like bugs under your feet."

It seemed Zelda's reassurance wasn't worth a lot since her fairy friend was still begging and trembling. Zelda at this point in her life knew the effect her words had on people, but nothing ever prepared her for her jokes never landing.

The worst part was, Tatl wasn't exactly wrong to fear her; it was incredibly unlikely, but in the event Celestia ever defied Hyrule directly, Zelda would do just that. She would crush them until they started groveling to Hylia for forgiveness. The incredibly devoted Sheikah army she had at her beck and call could probably do it on their own; a single word from her mouth and... But it was better not to think about such things.

Zelda thought on what to say carefully to dispel the tense atmosphere. Tatl was still begging on her knees. "Tatl, we're friends, right? It'll be fine; Hyrule fairies live with us in peace and harmony... Also, about the spells I promised you, I don't think you've realized, but those are only taught to very select people in Hyrule. I'm letting you in on some big secrets here."

Zelda tried to change the topic to try to give Tatl an air of being chosen, thinking that might cheer her up, but she only succeeded in terrifying her friend even more.

"Because we're friends, you shouldn't teach me that scary forbidden stuff. I can't believe how reckless... What if a noble from Hyrule discovers you gave me this secret knowledge and orders my assassination!" Tatl was now hiding under the covers as if that would protect her from the supposed assassins.

Zelda let out a long sigh. She grabbed another chocolate and lay down besides Tatl, placing the bribe in her vicinity.

"Tatl, I failed. I failed, okay? I failed at cracking a joke, and I failed at giving you assurance. I'm a failing Princess, but what I said about fairies living alongside us in Hyrule, it's true, no one would ever try to assassinate one of my friends, so you have nothing to fear... There are a lot of public knowledge cosmetic spells, so we'll focus on those... Sorry about my terrible joke. I won't harm Celestia as long as they don't do anything extremely outrageous; that's a promise."

Tatl got out from under the covers, and after a while, she came up to Zelda's sideways face like she was approaching a predator with refreshing mint breath and started kneading her cheeks, making her do faces... "Zelda, when I do stuff like this and... when you collapse because your pride is too big for you to handle, I forget how scary you are... Can I even be your friend? Out of anyone in Termina, if there's anyone that should own a bunch of fairies and be justified about it, it's you, and yet here I am, scolding you, traveling with you, and relying on you to stop Majora... It's a little absurd."

Tatl said what had been on her mind and sat cross-legged on the futon, nibbling on her new treat and waiting for Zelda's pronouncement. "I have a lot of friends, Tatl, a lot of them are nobles, yes, but I've also befriended peasants, knights, and soldiers, and yes, even fairies. How do you know we can't make this work if we don't give it a try? Who's to decide what's absurd and what's not if not a sovereign? And I've decided what we're doing is most certainly not."

Zelda proclaimed, and although Tatl didn't look quite convinced, she finished feasting on her chocolate and walked inside her sideways home and urged Zelda to hurry up by pulling on her hair gently. Zelda smiled, rubbed her sore face, and made a mental note to ask Impa to delete her undignified faces from Tatl's recollections.

Chapter Text

"I can't believe the sun has yet to come out, and I've already had two chocolates. Maybe this is a good omen, Zelda." The fairy commented, kneading Zelda's head, preparing to lie down comfortably in her shorts and T-shirt while Zelda herself prepared to brave the swamp. Zelda didn't exactly think her actions could bring about a good omen, but she didn't dispute Tatl.

Tatl started loafing around in her hair, as always, and Zelda couldn't help but think back to all the times Tatl complained about her; surely, this was enough compensation. Zelda continued enjoying her mint candy, doing her best to ignore the extra-intense stares from the guards when a shout came from behind.

"Wait! Waaaait!!! How? How is this possible? There's no magic or potion capable of healing thaaaaat! I was instructed by the arch-mage himself; you shouldn't be walking!!!" Zelda tried really hard to avoid this lunatic nurse running her way, but the guards, eager to keep Zelda around, delayed her departure... The woes of beauty!

"I'm clearly walking, so... I don't know what happened either. It must be a miracle. My name is Mira, after miracles, after all." Zelda fibbed after clearing her throat. She wasn't about to have the majestic and sacred name of Zelda tied to what happened here.

"Absolutely impossible! We were abandoned by the Gods, and the guardians don't pick and choose like that. Where is your fairy?... Did you? Gasp." The nurse was looking at Zelda like she was looking at a monster, and even the guards looked uncomfortable now, but they all let out a collective sigh of relief when Tatl came out of her house. Zelda let out a groan, thinking of all the kneading that was yet to come.

"Master Mira will never do anything bad to me. She recovered because she's a talent far beyond your so-called arch-mage level. Now leave her alone; you're beneath her." Tatl spoke arrogantly from Zelda's shoulder as if Zelda's accomplishments were her own, leaving Zelda dumbfounded. The outpost was looking at the duo very strangely, and the nurse looked just about ready to explode.

Zelda decided this was the best moment to bolt, so she embraced Tatl and used her spells to quickly put distance between her and that outpost of nightmares.

"Sorry, Zelda, I got a little worked up... I... have bad history with almost everything that nurse said." Zelda decided now was not the time for questions and invited Tatl back into her own home. Zelda decided she actually didn't mind the kneading.

Tatl didn't enter immediately and instead stared at a crude drawing on the base of a tree for a while. It depicted a child made of straw alongside two flying creatures. After coming back to reality, she dove into her favorite bed of hair and started her kitty-like routine of kneading.

"So, Tatl... Any comments?" Zelda asked while picking up her pace, still on a clear path.

"That was back when Tael and I first met Skull Kid. We had been running away from home for days. It was raining that day, and we three took shelter beneath a tree stump. He was cute back then; he drew that in commemoration." Tatl reminisced about simpler times before her former friend tried to destroy Termina and kidnapped her little brother.

Zelda had a sense Tatl might not be entirely forthcoming, but she had bigger and badder things to worry about, like the hordes of Guays and Chu-Chus trying to come and get her. Luckily, Fae and some wind magic did quick work of them.

Tatl didn't even bother advising Zelda on strategies until a Wolfos attacked out of nowhere, forcing Zelda to evade, barely avoiding a hit.

"I've seen them a million times in the monster encyclopedias, Zelda. Everyone knows they have a critical weak spot behind their backs." "Everyone" certainly included Zelda, but Impa had trained her on taking these guys head-on, so she was grateful for the reminder.

Zelda did a feint and jumped to the back of the Wolfos, leaving it dazed for a fraction of a second, which was more than enough to throw a shuriken at it, ending it for good.

"Yeah, that's my Zelda!" Tatl celebrated, moving a bit inside Zelda's hat. Zelda found it very pleasing when her fairy companion was so enthusiastic.

"By the way, Zelda, I've been meaning to ask... Why did you spare mine and Tael's lives back when we stole your Ocarina?" Tatl asked, trying to sound nonchalant, but the reminder of that day's events never failed to send a chill down her spine.

"I've dealt with my fair share of fairy mischief already. What you both did obviously went too far, but the thought never even crossed my mind. It is considered a bad omen to encounter dead fairies; if any Hylian is going out of their way to hunt them, they'll be behind bars in no time." Zelda explained while continuing to dispatch annoying critters who apparently had nothing better to do but to launch themselves at Zelda.

Tatl let out a sigh of relief. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad to go to Hyrule once this is all over...

"So, how long till we're out of this awful place?" Tatl asked, watching from her vantage point all the critters and paths covered by mud.

"I'd say quite a bit. This landmark, the Forest of the Dead, marks the beginning of the path. There's some witch's hut at the tail end, apparently."

"W-witches? I'm not good with scary stuff, Zelda. What if they want to eat us? They use magic and make potions from fairies."

"I also use magic, and I will protect you from such a threat... But what's that about using fairies as ingredients, Tatl? The people at the outpost also..." Zelda left things unsaid, sensing her travel companion's mood worsen by the word.

A long time passed in silence, broken by the simple sound of Zelda's weapons dispatching her enemies with ever-growing efficiency.

"Zelda..." Tatl started, and Zelda stopped in her tracks. Tatl seemed to gain a bit of courage by the fact only her voice could be heard.

"I'm scared of witches!" Tatl confessed with unprecedented bravery, leaving Zelda dumbfounded. At least the mood cleared up a bit.

"You know how strong I am, Tatl. I'll protect you, don't worry." How bad could a witch be anyway? Hylian witches preferred to sequester themselves instead of bothering people.

Tatl thanked Zelda, who continued to mow down enemies: some rogue Deku Scrubs and a lot of Deku Babas. Not that much time had passed, but Zelda was already contemplating making camp; the fatigue and atmosphere were taking their toll on her. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, the smell was unbearable.

Just as Zelda was searching for a place to temporarily rest her sore body, Tatl reacted. "Zelda, look, look! It doesn't look like a witch's hut, but what a crazy treehouse... Kyaaaah!!!" Zelda hurried to the treehouse but was thrown back by a big Skulltula that fell from above, almost knocking Tatl from her little palace.

"Use your magic to make it disappear, Zelda! It touched your precious body; it doesn't deserve to exist!" claimed a suddenly violent Tatl. Zelda actually agreed completely with her friend, so, encouraged, she launched an explosion spell at it, blowing it to who knows where.

"Phew! I'm so happy I found a spider shield." Zelda came to her senses to realize she was manipulated. Illiana also hated spiders, so Zelda was pretty much used to being the royal spider elimination unit.

Tatl decided to come out to stretch her wings and flew for a bit while close to what she deemed was the safety area around Zelda.

"I didn't know witches' huts included boats... And lifesavers... Also, what is with this water?" Tatl scouted and came back to her home.

"I'm... fairly certain... this is the witch's hut. Even if the facade is like this, let's just go in; it looks rather inviting." Zelda said while climbing the ladder and reading a sign. Tatl wasn't all too happy, buzzing about, but exploring was key to a successful trip.

"'Guided tours of the swamp'... Inviting is correct. Here goes nothing, Zelda... Just have some spells ready, please," Tatl urged, and Zelda opened the door to the treehouse that reacted with a bell chime.

Chapter Text

"Good afternoon, missy, what brings you to our 'Swamp Graphic Adventures'? Could it be you've seen our advertisements?" Boomed a large man behind a counter. "Taake, prepare the boats; we have a customer!"

The inside of the treehouse seemed well taken care of, and that man didn't exactly look like a witch. Perhaps Tingle was wrong for the first time. "Excuse me, I'm just an explorer; my map said I should find a witch's hut here," explained Zelda, and Tatl came out of her bunker after she determined there wasn't any immediate danger.

To Zelda's surprise, the man flinched after seeing Tatl but took in her map, which only made him flinch harder.

"Missy, you were mistaken; the witch's hut is out this way. Our rental business is not listed, so it's only natural to be confused, but this is how you read this particular map with more accuracy," the man explained with an unexpected degree of care and tenderness, which surprised Zelda.

"What do you want now, Golt? No one wants to tour the swamp with the festivities going on in Clock Town!" A grumpy, elderly lady who looked very much like a witch made her debut. She was carrying some maintenance tools with surprising ease.

"Well, explain this, young missy, then, you bitter witch. She's raring to have a look around our wonderful swamp; she even has a map." Golt bragged, assuming Zelda was interested. In truth, she could continue on foot, but going on a boat would make things easier.

"Oho, a map? By that foolish kid of yours? That's always a delight." The witch laughed without a hint of mockery while she finished organizing her tools.

"He's not young anymore; I was wrong to let his delusions continue... Back to the topic, missy. We now have a complete innovation brought to you by the Adventures Trio. We call it the pictograph box or pictobox for short, and it can capture a moment into eternity, into a piece of special paper, like it was a real-life painting. Why don't you try it? Here. We're accepting submissions of the tour sights, one per customer, and whoever captures the best moment wins amazing prizes."

Golt said, handing Zelda a box with a large lens. Zelda had seen prototypes of a few similar products in Hyrule; she herself had invested in the technology in her capacity as a princess, but she didn't expect to see the technology she wanted realized in a foreign swamp.

"You may take that one, miss. Just remember to mention us when others ask where you got it; it'll be excellent advertisement." Golt said after watching the striking image that was Zelda trying to capture a moment. If the girl enjoyed the activity, they would be drowning in business soon.

"Did you finish, Golt? Hey, girl, over here! My name is Taake, and I own this place alongside my sister and that kid over there. My sister is at the witch's hut you mentioned. If you want to go, I can take you there. This is the list of destinations alongside the rules for the pictograph contest."

The witch barely looked at Tatl, who was trying to become one with Zelda's shoulder, and pointed Zelda to an informative poster. The destinations seemed quite interesting, but only a few caught Zelda's eyes:

 * Our House (Witch's Hut)

 * Deku Palace

 * Great Bay Enclave

 * Full Tour

Zelda didn't quite have a place in mind, so she asked for Tatl's counsel.

"Oh, definitely the Deku Palace; it's close to somewhere I need to go, and you can use that thing!" urged Tatl, to which Zelda let Taake know.

"I understand, but those Deku have been restless for a few days now; they might take your fairy in, but not one of us. Don't say I didn't warn you; I'll be waiting outside. You just pay the kid."

The witch explained, dragging her body to the back door. Zelda paid Golt, and he instructed her on how to ride the boat. Zelda had gone on plenty of recreational boat rides with her noble playmates, but this would be the first time she did something like this.

"Zeeeldaaaa, never ever trust a witch! That hag is suspicious. I've read too many books where they're terrible villains; we have to run at the first sign of trouble," Tatl quietly whispered to Zelda's ear, fluttering her wings and making her tickle. Zelda didn't doubt Tatl's love for fairy tales, but witches weren't any more inherently evil than anyone, so Zelda, unlike her traveling buddy, was not feeling any stress.

Zelda stared at the large boat that was bound to carry them for a while. According to Golt, it was called a skiff, and it was a rather large boat adapted for shallow water and narrow spaces. Zelda thought the idea could be adapted for the many rivers of Hyrule, but just getting to keep the pictobox would be a huge boon.

Zelda was still admiring the boat when she saw the elderly witch grab a rope tied to the boat's bow and board her broom, taking off the ground and moving the boat forward.

After a bit of a bumpy start, Zelda found the ride quite relaxing and smooth. Taake would sometimes pause to point out an interesting place, and Zelda tried capturing a moment, but Tatl jumped in front of the lens, did a funny pose, and all she captured was her friend goofing off.

"Haha, it's like stopping time and looking at the mirror." Tatl, who now seemed far less tense, flew to Zelda's shoulder and whispered to her ear, "Don't you think it's weird monsters haven't approached at all?" Zelda didn't think so; in Hyrule, the strongest knights and fighters almost innately projected an aura that made weaker monsters keep their distance. Taake, who was obviously very old and experienced, did the same.

Just as Zelda was thinking about various things, a giant octo was blocking the intended path. Zelda was about to take it out of the way, but the witch fired first with an ice spell that made the creature freeze and disappear.

Zelda found the temperature change to be quite welcome, but the magic display had been a little much for Tatl, who flew back to her safehouse, no longer in a playful mood.

But before the smooth journey continued, Zelda and Taake noticed the water now took a purple tint, and the smell was a little sickening.

"Don't touch the water, esteemed client; it will not hurt you otherwise," reassured Taake, and continued on the path, leaving Zelda with an unexplainable urge to touch the water.

After some time, Zelda stored the pictobox and the painting of Tatl being a dummy in her pouch when she spotted a small and lackluster port that read "Deku Palace Maritime Outpost." The name was a tad too grand for such a place in clear need of maintenance, but Taake indicated this was indeed their stop.

"If you wish to submit your pictograph, now is the time..." Zelda was a little ashamed, and she doubted her pictograph of Tatl would win any prizes, but she decided to submit it anyway to tease her. "In any case, you know where to find us. Please visit Swamp Graphic Adventures soon." The elderly woman said after checking the picto and storing it carefully. She then flew away with the boat, leaving the tense monsters in the vicinity to roam free again.

"Zelda! Why did you submit that? Do you think I can win us those prizes? Had you told me, I would have made better poses... If we win sweets, I want a large cut." It seemed Zelda's teasing backfired, and now Tatl was dreaming about a pool of sweets just for her.

Zelda decided now would be a good time to keep Tatl in a good mood, so the duo made a temporary base with a clear view of the distant palace and sat down to rest a bit.

"Here, Tatl, don't worry, if we win, you'll get most of the prize. Also, here... Remember our missions? I need to find the fairy fountain and your realm, and we both need to do whatever Tael expected of us."

Zelda sat down with the fairy in hand and offered her a chocolate to keep her focused. "Delicious. I have no idea what Tael meant yet, and I'm still developing my plan. I think we should infiltrate the Deku Palace; I need to find information there. In particular, I want to find where the swamp's fountain is. Celestia and the Deku Palace have good relationships, so I'm sure they know."

Tatl revealed, setting their next short-term objective. Zelda waited patiently for Tatl to bask in the afterglow of her treat and searched for the Deku Mask. This would be the first time she returned to that form in days.

Chapter Text

"I never liked sad masks," commented Tatl, now eating lunch alongside Zelda. "We should scout before you put it on; it's my first time in the Deku town." Zelda didn't see much of a need to scout; the palace wasn't too far away, after all, and if the Deku saw her transforming, it would blow her cover.

Yet she agreed and made her way to the entrance as a Hylian. Unfortunately, there didn't seem to be anything of note aside from diverging paths.

Zelda admired the Deku architecture, trying to squeeze some extra seconds in her Hylian body. They built their houses inside long tree trunks and used leaves as part of the facade; it was quite... unique. The Deku Palace, built inside a massive tree, oversaw the palace town, which was their destination.

She also noticed some monkeys with white fur making a fuss in the vicinity and near the wall, but although they seemed peaceful, the agitation didn't sit well with her.

Zelda had enough with the admiration and put on the mask as if she was ripping off a band-aid, and the metamorphosis of her body immediately began.

Still reeling from the intense pain a metamorphosis was bound to cause, Zelda noticed there was something different about this transformation compared to before.

Although on the outside Zelda looked and felt just like when she was a Deku, on the inside she didn't feel much different from her Hylian body. Her face even felt as if she were carrying a mask.

Zelda decided not to mention anything to Tatl lest the fairy thought her companion was being possessed or worse, but it was something of note. Zelda did some stretches and got used to the awkward way of walking of her tiny Deku body; she did a few twirls, and she was good to go.

"Oh, you even got a new hat; what a convenient mask... But your hair is not as comfortable." Tatl climbed into the hat Zelda hadn't even noticed she had.

"Yeah, I'd rather perch on your shoulder in this form. What story are we going with, by the way?" Tatl made good on her threat and got Zelda thinking. She was a little better at adapting on the fly, but maybe brainstorming wasn't a bad idea.

"I'll be Mira, just like the first time. You're my fairy friend, and we request asylum in their town. I doubt we'll encounter much trouble entering." Tatl gazed at the floor while chewing on her lower lip for a while.

"I might know of a better way... Zelda, you have to remember we both need to infiltrate the palace, not only the palace town; that's because Celestia wouldn't just give the location to all Deku, only the palace knows..." Zelda sat down and listened to Tatl's lecture, when the fairy suddenly started to fidget.

"It's a bit of a long shot, but try and get me to the palace entrance with your usual poise or whatever, and I might be able to take care of the rest. If I mess this up, I'll resign myself to your worst punishment." Tatl was now looking at the floor nervously, but she still tried to psyche herself up.

Zelda really didn't see any downsides, so she agreed, but Tatl seemed to need some time after her display because she hid in the, now significantly less comfortable, hat. Zelda decided to cast a few spells on her hair to make it more bearable.

Just as she reached the gate, a gruff voice boomed, "Halt!" A hulking Deku Guard, twice her size, stood barring her way.

"Never seen a young sprout like you before," the guard rumbled, his voice thick with suspicion. "Where do you hail from?"

"I'm from the Branch Woods. I wandered here after..." Zelda was about to launch into her prepared story she'd made up after looking at a random village on the map when she noticed all the guards around were looking at her with pity.

"Say no more. A beautiful sprout like you shouldn't suffer like that! Open the gate; she's from Branch!" A second, much more sympathetic guard gave the order and escorted her inside.

"With the monsters acting out lately, the king dispatched many troops outside Palace Town, but you're safe here, I promise." The guard reassured Zelda, but her ears, trained by years of living in her own palace, perked up at the gossip among guards.

"Did you hear?" one whispered. "More guards deployed to the Southern Forest. Seems the princess is still missing." There were a lot of strange happenings in the swamp, apparently.

"I'll just need your name, and you're free to go, young one." The Deku also managed their traffic flow, it appeared. Zelda had to revise her perception of Termina fairly heavily these past few days.

"My name is Mira... Yes, that's how you write it."

"Okay, little Mira, I'm sorry about what happened to your home, but here in Palace Town, we Deku support each other," the guard patted her shoulder with affection. "There's an inn that's taking survivors like you; it's next to Willow's apothecary. Just ask around..." The guard suggested gently, but Zelda had other priorities.

"Is there any way to have an audience with the king?" Zelda decided to take advantage of his sympathy with a direct approach. The guard looked at her with even more pity.

"There usually would be, yes, but Branch folks have been made to wait precisely because we've been so busy. I'm sure things will calm down soon. If it's nothing urgent, try to gather yourself at the place I told you, Mira. You can also ask for our help at the gate. I doubt any Deku will have the heart to turn down such a pretty sprout," the guard advised, but Zelda barely heard it.

"Zelda, what if we rescue their princess? I always dreamed about rescuing one; I would always play with my sisters and Tael about princesses, knights, and dragons." Tatl, ever the fairy tale enthusiast, immediately derailed from their explicitly stated objective. Zelda bonked her on the head to force her back to reality.

"Right, right, you don't have to be mean about it... Let's just head to the palace, all right?" Zelda nodded and got her little stubby feet moving.

Unexpectedly, the stares from Clock Town came back, the ones she got as a Hylian, making Zelda uncomfortable once again; it seems her Deku form was indeed quite popular among her peers.

"Sigh, of course! Why did I expect anything else?! Perhaps they think their princess just returned." Tatl complained from inside the hat, and Zelda kept her head down; she didn't even bother to retort. After a long and uncomfortable walk, she finally saw the different-looking guards and the large gates to where the king made his home.

"Zelda, stop!" Zelda did as instructed and waited for an extra-fidgety Tatl to slip out of her hat and compose herself. "Whatever I do now, please don't think any less of me... Also, try to go with the flow, even if you hate it. Like I said, you can punish me after we're done here." Zelda got more and more worried with every sentence; Tatl even changed the terms of her unilateral agreement. This could actually be dangerous.

"Ehem, Zelda? Just follow me, okay. We'll be fine." Tatl called while placing a tiny brooch on her clothes. Zelda did as instructed, and Tatl flew for a while until she was in front of a royal guard.

The royal guard almost fell when he noticed Tatl, and he gave her an impressive bow, "To what do we owe the honor of a personal visit?" the guard asked with apprehension. This was clearly not an honor he wanted. Tatl simply cleared her throat.

"On behalf of Celestia, I command you take me to Rhys at once." Tatl said, becoming an entirely different fairy than the fidgety girl Zelda had just seen a few minutes ago. The guard didn't even glance twice at Zelda and obeyed Tatl.

"Please excuse my rudeness, esteemed envoy, I need to speak to my superior." The guard barely waited for Tatl's leave and immediately bolted out of their presence with impressive speed.

Tatl did her darndest to avoid eye contact with Zelda while trying to keep her dignified demeanor until a Deku noble lady came to receive them, not before bowing to Tatl.

"Esteemed envoy, to what do we owe the honor? The Palace sent a letter yesterday on why the tribute was delayed, if possible..." The noble lady was trying to sweet-talk them into a friendly relationship, but Tatl wasn't having it.

"Didn't I command to be taken to Rhys? Can I take this defiance as your official stance?" Zelda was shocked her friend could be so arrogant and cold-hearted, but it was clearly having an effect.

"Not at all, envoy, Celestia can count on our complete obedience. It's just, there's been some matters out of our control, and the king... Esteemed envoy, we didn't even receive notice of your arrival, I'm afraid..." The noble Deku was now being deferential, but she was also refusing to cooperate, which was reasonable given they just arrived unannounced. To Zelda, it was clear they were a vassal of the fairies; the Zora's Domain and Hyrule had a similar arrangement.

"Enough! In my name as Tatl Celestia, I will judge for myself the state Rhys is in."

Chapter Text

The noble lady almost fainted after listening to Tatl's words. Zelda was also reeling from the revelation; if Zelda wasn't mistaken, that would make Tatl...

"Your Highness, please forgive our discourtesy! I beg of you to listen to my words before talking to the king! I will personally assume responsibility for any repercussions my insubordination entails. I swear on my name as the head of our armed forces." There she was, the head of the Deku armed forces, begging her friend for leniency... Zelda had to adjust in her mind the level of threat Celestia presented.

"Hmph, since you're so insistent... But bring us some refreshments. I suspect your excuses will take some of my precious time," Tatl ordered petulantly, crossing her arms, to which a large number of maids instantly obeyed and guided them to a conference room and served them some assorted veggies and bitter tea, which Zelda found delightful. Tatl, however, did not. At all.

"Wha... You insolent girl! How can you eat when your master is fasting? Your Highness, if you'll allow me, I'll properly discipline your servant," the general, or whatever she was, asked, and Tatl glanced at Zelda with her ears flushed, doing her best not to break character before answering.

"This is Mira. I've chosen her as my personal aide. We met on my way here; she was escaping from what happened in Branch. I will train her myself, don't worry." Tatl hand-waved her suggestion away, and the stern Deku madame looked convinced.

"In that case, it will be Mira's joy and honor to serve Her Highness and the Celestial Royal Family." The Deku lady bowed as if she was grateful but directed some apprehensive glances Zelda's way. It was the first time Zelda found herself being offered as a tribute, and it wasn't very pleasant.

"The matter concerning King Rhys has to do with Branch, as you might have surmised, Your Highness. A few days ago, while dispatching a sortie, Princess Rita was kidnapped here in the palace right under my nose." The Deku lady spoke with theatrical flair, captivating them both.

"Princess Rita is needed to perform the purification ritual to take care of the many waterways of the swamp... But Your Highness, as described in our letter, we've taken precautions not to let the issue extend into the Faestream and the Silversong, so Her Majesty can rest assured." The general explained meekly while a maid brought a single dessert for Tatl. It wasn't anything special, but everyone except Zelda was relieved when they saw Tatl nibbling on it elegantly.

Tatl sat on the information she received for a while, savoring the new flavor in the meantime. "Did you ask for our help in your letter?" Finally, Tatl asked.

"For now, we'd like to keep it as an internal matter; no fairy holdings have been disturbed, after all, and we are committed to keeping it that way, so the letter was a simple update to Her Majesty. We didn't intend to disturb fairies with our sorties, but the king is in a state of grief, hence why I implored for Your Highness to reconsider the meeting." Zelda found it satisfying that the woman who just sacrificed her was groveling to her friend.

"You have until tomorrow morning. Get Rhys in a proper state of mind, and I shall meet him then. As I said, I have business with him. Now prepare a room for me and my aide," Tatl ordered, and the maids obeyed as if she was their true master. The general didn't even have time to compose herself.

They were brought to a nice and cozy room where Zelda jumped into the bed and Tatl sat down on the nightstand.

"Oh, sorry, did Her Highness require my services?" asked Zelda, trying to sound like the general, but Tatl wasn't having it. She stored the brooch carefully and looked at her in reproach.

"Cut it out, Zelda. I promised you could punish me, but please hold off on it until we're out of the Deku Palace. A-also, don't... Don't get the wrong idea, we fairies don't keep Deku servants or anything like that..." That was indeed something that shook Zelda, but she wasn't about to pass judgment on Tatl regardless.

"Before you ask, the Deku Swamp, or the Verdant Kingdom as they call themselves, is our vassal. We call them a protectorate, but... you know." Zelda patted the bed and took off her mask. She had expected it, but she still was surprised when her metamorphosis was completely painless.

"Now that I'm back to normal, this room is quite tiny... Also, are you sure you can tell me this information? Won't the queen send scary fairy assassins to deal with me once she gets wind of it?" Zelda joked with a perfectly serious tone.

"Haha, very sharp and witty, Zelda. I suppose it's a matter of perspective; I find the room just fine. This must be the room they use to cater to fairy envoys." Tatl flew around, and Zelda offered her hands as a platform so they could have a more focused conversation.

"But a princess, huh? Why didn't you tell me I was dealing with a peer? It would have made things easier... You were a completely different fairy with those Deku, and what's with the insistence of a meeting with their king?" Zelda rattled off all the questions that ran through her mind while observing silently.

"That's just how big sister told me to talk to the Deku. I wasn't sure it was going to work, honestly. Her Majesty made me read the treaty we have with Verdant a million times; their king is the only one that can communicate where the fairy fountain is. If I can use his grief to make him slip, it'll be easier... And I do feel bad for Rita; we played together when she visited Celestia..." Zelda pondered her words for some time and realized a few things.

"I don't mean to pry, but I need to confirm... The fairy queen is your mother, right?" Tatl flinched at the question. Surely she must have been expecting it. While trying to answer, she directed her gaze at Zelda's palms.

"That's right, Her Majesty is... My..."

"It's okay, Tatl, I get the idea, sorry for asking." Zelda was now guilty of making her friend feel terrible. Tatl sat down cross-legged and looked up after a while.

"Don't be, it's fine. Do you believe we're peers? I mean, even if... Tch, if anything, I'm more like one of your noble playmates that try to cozy up to you." Zelda couldn't help but disagree; for all intents and purposes, Tatl was a true peer.

"I think you're overestimating me, Tatl. Also, by definition, we're peers. Your Celestia might not be as large as my Hyrule, but that hardly matters. You're independent, and you even subjugated another kingdom; it's rare for me to meet another princess like you." Zelda smiled, satisfied, feeling even closer to her friend, but Tatl seemed unconvinced.

"If you say so... I didn't do anything my ancestors did; I hardly know what I'm doing," Tatl confessed, to which Zelda let out a hearty laugh.

"Try to keep it up until we're done with the Deku, at least." Zelda advised, and a knock came through the door. "Dinner!" came in a squeaky voice. Tatl leaped into the air and urged Zelda to put on her mask.

To Zelda's relief, the transformation was far easier this time. "I... This is Celestial cuisine, My Highn... Your Highness, hic, should find it to her lackin... To her taste! It's an incredible honor to serve you!" A nervous Deku girl of Zelda's current size came in through the door to deliver the dishes, and she did so while tripping over her words. She seemed to idolize the fairy.

Zelda had seen it all from young maids in Hyrule Castle, but the new perspective was very entertaining. Tatl, perhaps not used to fawning, awkwardly thanked her and gave her leave.

Zelda took off the mask and locked the door. On both their plates, there were assorted berries and juicy sweet fruits, sliced in creative ways, and for a drink, they got fresh spring water. Tatl could barely hold back, but she was waiting for Zelda to start eating too. Zelda gave her quick thanks to Farore and dug in, which was the cue for Tatl to start her own feasting.

Maybe Zelda's tough love and bribes approach worked for educating Tatl... Or perhaps being close to home reminded her of her manners. Regardless, Zelda found this slightly different Tatl a little more pleasing.

"Okay, it's time for hygiene, Tatl; this is very important for any girl, especially princesses." Zelda lectured with an air of self-importance after chatting for a bit and letting the meal go through their stomachs.

"I know that, Zelda. I'll have you know I used to bathe in the Queensbrook everyday; I'm a super clean fairy." Tatl bragged, but she quickly realized Zelda didn't know what she was talking about. "Ah, it's like this special pond for our royal family that cleanses the body of all impurities." Tatl did her best to explain.

"Sounds a lot like a fairy fountain. I only got to bathe in one once." Zelda reminisced. "Right, it's kind of the same thing, our private fairy fountain." Tatl bragged, and Zelda couldn't help but feel jealous; no wonder Tatl was so pretty!

"But... Wait a minute, Zelda, only fairies can bathe in fairy fountains. How come you bathed in one? It should reject you." Tatl stopped eating as soon as she realized that Zelda wasn't making any sense.

"Well, remember when you said I'm a powerful sorceress... Plus, I can use my authority to bully the Great Fairy. She doesn't like it, but I made it work," Zelda explained without much care, making Tatl's mind explode.

Zelda urged Tatl to eat her fill, whom unfortunately had been a little unresponsive since Zelda confided that she bullied a Great Fairy. Zelda wasn't about to bully her friend's mom in the same way, not that she could, being a real secular queen, but she really wanted to get into this Queensbrook.

"Regardless, pay attention to the spells I'm going to teach you; they might not be fairy fountain level, but they're what we get for now." Zelda let out a sigh, thinking of how good her bare skin felt against the fairy fountain waters. She determined she would do whatever it takes to get into that enticing pond.

The duo spent late into the night practicing hygienic spells and finally went to sleep when Tatl was completely spent. Turns out Zelda took her cleanliness far too seriously.

Chapter Text

Zelda woke up before daybreak and started stretching. The room had a fantastic view of a sea of trees, so Zelda could sunbathe all she wanted.

Zelda was in the middle of doing her morning spells when Tatl slurred, "Zheldaaa! Turn off the lights!" Zelda didn't really feel like it and decided to toy with her groggy friend.

"Nuh-uh, Tatl, we princesses always have to wake up early. To top it off, we have an audience with a foreign dignitary. Let's show him some dignity, all right?" Zelda decided to play the voice of reason in Tatl's foggy consciousness while dragging her limp body up with her hands.

"No. I ain't gonna. You can't make me, Zhelda. Gimme five minutessh..." Tatl spoke with forced coherence while soothing her sleepy eyes with her delicate hands.

Zelda decided to apply some tough love on her sleepyhead friend, like Impa administers to her on the regular. "Tatl, you have to be ready for our meeting whether you like it or not, so brace yourself." Zelda encircled Tatl's body with her hands, and the fairy gazed vacantly at Zelda as if she had no idea what was going on.

"Huuuuh? Put me down! Zheld-aaaaahhh!!!" Tatl started banging on her fingers, but Zelda didn't care. Zelda applied the basic hygiene spells upon Tatl's body, making her all nice and shiny, ignoring her screams of terror. Zelda was quite proud of her work; now to get her out of those cute but childish snug pajamas that wouldn't scare any Deku, as they needed.

"That was so mean, Zhe-lly... You're a meanie!" Zelda got a little worried; not only did Tatl appear to have forgotten her name, she was also sulking heavily. "Meanie, meanie, bad, ugly, you're Majora! I thought we were friends..." the little fairy said among adorable sobs and sniffles. This was whom Zelda was counting on to put the fear of Goddess Hylia into Deku hearts.

Zelda was trying to find a way to placate her friend when suddenly, "Waaaaahhh! You... Sob... You said... Sob... You said we were friends, waaaah!" Oh goodness! Her tough love plan backfired spectacularly. Zelda wasn't aware Tatl turned into a big baby when she didn't properly get her beauty sleep; she was in deep trouble now... Zelda was in the middle of searching her pouch for chocolates when...

"Zheldaaa! Punish me! You'll punish me if you're my friend!" Tatl grabbed Zelda's hand that was close to her and started purring like a little kitty. "C'mon, bad Zelda! If you don't punis-ehehe, your fingers make me feel all good and tingly." Zelda, thinking fast, started petting the fairy, making her moan sweetly in delight, stopping the tears in their tracks, her natural glow stronger than usual. Zelda was now completely out of her element; no one had ever begged her for punishment before, but this might be the price to pay for her foolish way to start the morning.

Zelda continued to gently pet and play with Tatl's body until she fell on the bed, exhausted... Perhaps that was why Tatl made that unilateral agreement for punishment; it was her...

Nope, Zelda wasn't following that line of thought. If Tatl didn't remember this whole chain of events, Zelda vowed to learn the memory spell to wipe her own memory.

Zelda closed the curtains as Tatl originally wanted and continued on with her morning routine. Zelda was in the middle of experimenting with her magic and the Deku mask when Tatl woke up, for real this time.

"Zelda. Uwah! I had the craziest dream, you wouldn't believe it. I need to get rea... Why... Zelda, my body is clean." Tatl observed while touching her cheeks and slowly craned her neck towards Zelda, who, try as she might, couldn't hide her extremely guilty expression.

Zelda watched in fascination as Tatl's pale skin turned redder and redder until she resembled a rose from her palace. Tatl appeared to be at a complete loss, perhaps remembering all the shameful things that transpired, and after very long and agonizing seconds, she simply covered her entire body underneath the covers.

Zelda wished she could allow both Tatl and herself to wallow in their collective misery, but actions have consequences, and Tatl completely bullied a Deku general into getting an audience with a distressed king, so... Zelda cleared her throat, but Tatl was the first to recover.

"Zelda, what in the... A-anyway, I'm grateful you take care of me, but don't do that again..." Tatl finally warned, leaving her safety blanket and undressing on the spot.

"Right..." Zelda was carefully considering what to say; after all, if Tatl didn't remember the worst part then... "A-also, I just want to make it perfectly clear that I hate that punishment!" Tatl cried with a hurt voice, fixing some brooch to her new and dignified attire.

Zelda was in the middle of cringing, doing her absolute best to make herself believe Tatl when a knock came through the door. "Your Highness, I came to escort you for the audience!"

The voice of the same woman from the other time came through the door. Come to think of it, she must be quite good if the king kept her around even after she left the princess kidnapped under her watch.

"I am General Oaklyn of Verdant, and I have the honor to escort you today, Princess." Zelda came out of the room after Tatl, both smelling like roses after a perfectly normal morning routine, and were greeted by a kneeling Deku lady.

Oaklyn guided the duo through a lot of wooden corridors until they reached what Zelda deduced was the throne room. They were let in, and someone loudly announced Tatl, and the king came down from the throne and knelt before her friend, paying his respects.

Zelda was quite used to this, except she would usually be in Tatl's position... Although she did her best not to bully her counterparts, or rather the exact opposite, and consider their position, unlike what the fairies' stance appeared to be.

"Rhys Verdant III humbly welcomes Celestia's 4th Princess. It is our greatest honor to be blessed by your exalted presence."

Zelda saw the Deku king rise after a flinching Tatl gave her leave and thought he was laying it on a bit too thick, but she wasn't aware of the entire situation, so she withheld judgment. However, the fact the Deku king was blatantly staring at her, ignoring Tatl for the first time, was starting to unnerve her.

"Rita..?" The Deku king said in a whisper. "Rita, you came back! My beloved child, thank the guardians and the Celestials! Your Highness, is this your doing? Verdant owes you a great debt!" Maybe today just wasn't Zelda's day... At least it didn't fall on her to break his heart.

"Rhys, I'm terribly sorry to inform you that's not my friend Rita. She's an aide I've recruited recently; her name is Mira," Tatl said with genuine pity.

The Deku king almost fell to his knees, defeated, but his aides and guards helped him recover in time. After a while, he came back and apologized to Tatl, and after he finished kneeling, he gave a nod of apology to Zelda.

"As Your Highness must have gathered, my precious daughter is missing. The general tells me she already briefed Your Highness, so I'll spare your valuable time. I've been informed you need my assistance? We're always at the Celestial Royal Family's service."

"That's correct. I regret the news about Rita. I will personally keep an eye out and raise the issue with Eldest Sister. As for the matter of my visit, I require a Deku escort to the fairy fountain you're entrusted to guard. Her Majesty has tasked me with a personal visit to our Holy Sanctuary. I would be most grateful if I could count on your cooperation."

"It shall be arranged, Your Highness. We were expecting as much after the Queendom's last missive. Shall I issue a permit for your aide as well?"

"Naturally, if possible, I'd like to depart at the earliest convenience."

"As you command, expect to be notified at noon at the latest."

Zelda watched the exchange with some boredom, thinking about the theory behind a memory spell until they were taken back to their room, this time by a senior maid.

"Oh my goodness! I'm so happy that worked, I was so nervous. I can't stop trembling!" The imposing aura Tatl radiated a second ago was gone like a mirage as she lay down on the bed. She slovenly took off her clothes while lying down and eventually got into her traveling dress.

"Ugh, using my Celestial Aura is so exhausting. I can't believe we have to do this pilgrimage so soon after that." Tatl complained, and Zelda tilted her now Hylian head.

"It's something unique to our family. We bathe in the Queensbrook for... some... years, little by little, until our unique aura develops and integrates with our magic core. It's what lets me touch the water of Seraphine's Pond in the first place..." Yeah, that definitely resolved all of Zelda's doubts.

"More to the point. That's how they immediately realized my identity and never doubted me for a moment... But Zelda, you really have no idea of all the things that could have gone wrong back there." Zelda used body language to urge Tatl to continue.

"The important thing is that it worked, Zelda. I can hardly believe I pulled it off. You owe me some sweets after this. Wake me up when they come back." Tired and sleepy, Tatl refrained from talking about her difficulties and almost instantly drifted into sleep. Zelda gently covered her and left a chocolate on the nightstand as a reward in case she woke up before it was time to leave.

Chapter Text

Tatl woke up before noon and was quite pleased to see Zelda had paid her in advance. She still needed to face a terrible punishment after this was all over, but... this brand made such a sweet chocolate; she must remember its name.

The chocolate was gone before Tatl could ever realize it. If she wasn't alone in the room, she would have suspected foul play. But come to think of it, why was she alone in the first place?..

Zelda must be splashing in the tub like the hygiene freak she is.

Tatl decided to practice the spells Zelda had taught her while thinking back to events at the palace; she had gotten incredibly lucky.

First, her Celestial Aura had worked properly and never deactivated, even under all this tension. Second, apparently no one informed the Deku she was a rogue runaway princess, and third, she had gotten away with speaking in that incredibly awkward way. Tatl had tried her best to imitate her big sis, but she was a very poor copy at best.

And what even was that about a missive? It must have been about the fairy fountain, but it was another stroke of luck that it was worded in a way for Zelda and Tatl to be granted safe passage.

Zelda, with her silver tongue and crazy powers, would have most likely gone through this trial without much issue, but...

Her body was sore all over, and her magic core was experiencing light depletion symptoms, but she had made it happen; finally, she was useful to Zelda! She wasn't the burden for once.

This would have been a cinch if only she wasn't such a failure and a disappointment, however...

"Oh Tatl, I'm glad you woke up. Are you feeling better?" Zelda came out of her cleaning session, lightly clothed with a towel circling her hair. She was surprised to see a decidedly gloomy Tatl deep in contemplation.

"Yes, I'll be fine. There was a selection process some time ago to replace the Great Fairy of the swamp... It... She might recognize me, so I was hoping I could have the amulet before getting there." Tatl looked at Zelda with pleading eyes. Zelda thought it suited her much better than the demanding princess charade.

"I'm sure you know just as well as I do that magic tools usually don't work inside fairy fountains... We could try, but... Just stay hidden in the hat. I won't pressure you like last time."

Zelda attempted a compromise, putting her finishing touches on her traveling outfit, but Tatl appeared to want to argue further when...

"Vice commander of the second platoon reporting to escort the 4th Princess and her aide to the fairy fountain." A gruff voice came after a knock on their door. It was time for them to head out. Zelda turned into a Deku girl, and Tatl perched on her shoulder after a sigh.

Zelda found a large and imposing Deku kneeling in respect when they came out. He stood up after Tatl's leave. "You shall guide my aide, Mira. I'm exhausted by the trip," Tatl ordered succinctly.

"Absolutely, Fourth Princess!" Zelda started to walk but was a little confused when she saw Tatl sulking on her shoulder. After getting out of the palace, the fairy informed her she was going to sleep the rest of the way in her home.

Zelda walked and walked alongside the platoon. They turned to the many alternative paths outside the town; she had lost sight of the citadel ages ago. Zelda was lost in thought until they arrived at a massive poisoned lake in the swamp.

Her feet wobbled all the while a spent fairy was sleeping in her hair, and the guards spared for her didn't dare or bother to speak more than necessary.

Zelda had worse missions than this while working undercover with the Sheikah, but few of them were as boring. Zelda was in the middle of writing a dissertation about spatial magic out of sheer boredom when they arrived at the fairy fountain, surprising some bored Deku taking refuge in a shack.

Tatl, who was apparently awake now, came out of Zelda's hair and ratified their mission to the guards, and they were eventually let through.

It wasn't until Zelda was out of sight inside the fountain that she finally took off her mask. Zelda attempted to use the Amulet of Ego on Tatl, but, as expected, it didn't work, leaving Tatl upset.

Tatl came back to a much more comfortable home, and Zelda moved on; she had a Great Fairy to heal.

Stepping inside, she found a sight that both surprised and saddened her. The Great Fairy, usually a radiant being of pure light, was hunched over on the edge of the entrance pool, a look of despair etched upon her luminescent face. The curse of Majora was clearly taking its toll.

Zelda cleared her throat to get her attention and did a polite curtsy. "It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Zelda, and..." Right in the middle of her introduction, Tatl came out of her hat like an arrow.

"Vivi?!? Is that really you... I... I..." Tatl carefully scanned the Great Fairy while buzzing about.

"Your Highness Tatl!? What are you doing here? I thought Celestials didn't do pilgrimages..." The Great Fairy Vivi spoke, leaving Zelda puzzled. This could be a positive development.

"Vivi! It's you! I'm so happy you were chosen!" Tatl was now in tears of joy, hugging her significantly larger friend.

"But what's that about Your Highness? If I remember correctly, I told you not to call me that... Actually, I have to address you as Your Grace now, don't I? My apologies, Your Grace." Tatl bowed, making Vivi flinch.

"Don't be silly, Tatl, hehe, we're friends, aren't we?.. But I'm sorry to you and Miss Zelda, was it? But you came at the worst possible time. I got the promotion, but out of nowhere, I was cursed, hehe..."

"That's the reason we came here. My friend Zelda knows how to expel that curse from your body. She already cured Her Grace Aurora..."

Great Fairy Vivi was now staring at Zelda with admiration, and without missing a beat, she came to her and grabbed her hands. "Zelda, you are amazing. Let's be friends too, okay? I never had a Terminian friend." Vivi cried with delight, leaving Zelda dumbfounded and Tatl rubbing her forehead.

"Vivi, we must get you cured first, okay? However, I have three conditions, listen closely. First, you must escort Zelda and I to Celestia; Aurora already gave her a token... Second, you must introduce Zelda to the queendom properly, using your authority, and lastly, you must let Zelda use your fairy fountain. I know I'm asking for too much, but..."

"Sure!" Vivi answered happily before Tatl could finish. "If it's you asking, then it can't be anything bad. I have to trust my friends, hehe." Vivi held Zelda's hands with a little more strength and trepidation.

"Now Zelda, this is my first time. So please be gentle." Vivi looked at her with an innocent smile, bracing herself. Tatl also gave them some space. Zelda took very deep breaths, the Triforce pulsing strongly in the back of her hand, the backlash to her body barely manageable. She laboriously activated the sacred triangle, the divine power filling the air.

Zelda wanted to scream, to run away, but she was a Princess on a mission, and she could handle far worse, or at least that's what she kept telling herself. Zelda watched, while managing her expression, as the glow slowly, agonizingly returned to Vivi, and the dark curse of Majora gave way to the magic that should have always been there.

Zelda's heart that should have felt immense joy, just like last time, was being crushed by the weight of the blowback, and the second the curse had been exterminated, her right leg lost all strength, making her tumble down...

Or at least she should have, if it wasn't for Vivi who supported her body with a soft, gentle smile. "Zelda, thank you. You did more for me than I could possibly hope to repay. Thank you." Vivi gently soothed her while applying magic spells on her body, laying her softly in the shallow pool until finally, Zelda lost consciousness.

Chapter Text

Zelda came to a comfortable bed of the fountain's spring water that gently caressed her back, making her forget the pain, but the consequences of her actions still pulsated in the lower part of her body where she'd redirected it... At least for now.

She moved, trying to stand up, when two smooth pairs of arms grabbed her, intending to help.

"Zelda, I was so worried! What were you thinking doing that to your body? Vivi's curse was much weaker, right? Why did this happen?" The fairy with the tiny hands grabbing her cheeks asked in a rapid fire.

"I did my best trying to heal you, but I can't understand that thing you used at all, so... Sorry." Vivi smiled weakly, but she appeared like she was about to break into tears.

"Vivi, can I use your fairy fountain now?" Vivi looked at Zelda with puzzlement but quickly understood and grabbed her arm, leading her new friend to one of fairy-kind's most sacred spaces, leaving Tatl dumbfounded. She could have sworn Great Fairies hated physical contact with other races... Maybe Vivi's personality was just too overpowering.

"Ta-da! This is my fairy fountain! I keep it in top shape alongside all my little friends, hehe." Vivi bragged, and a myriad of young fairies playing, dancing, and having fun in and around the sacred fountain in the absence of their guardian quickly turned to the trio. Most of them had relieved faces at seeing their admired Vivi regain her glow and majesty, but some of them appeared wary by the fact she was linking arms with a non-fairy girl with affection and gratefulness.

"Girls, this is Zelda, she's my new friend!" Vivi announced innocently, but to the fairies, it was as if their idol just detonated a bomb in the middle of the fountain.

They knew their guardian was a little peculiar and full of life, even through the curse. She had taken care of them with love and patience, but to go as far as to consort with a Terminian of all races? Vivi just blew their minds.

"She just saved me from the curse and she's such a good kid, she reminds me of you lot, not to mention she's super pretty, hehe, she's basically a fairy already!" Vivi joked around and talked to her girls, soothing them. It seemed to have worked as they were now a lot less guarded, although none of them dared to approach Zelda and Tatl by extension.

"Now all of you be good girls for me and make way for Zelda. She needs to use the fountain, and she can't do it if there are fairies buzzing about, hehe." Vivi asked to a captive audience. All of them seemed like they wanted to do anything but to let Zelda bathe in Vivi's precious fountain, but they couldn't oppose her.

"Y-your Grace, please wait a moment. Elven bodies are not made for bathing in fairy water. If you care about Miss Zelda, you must oppose this." A fairy that seemed to be the leader among all these young girls spoke, and they all looked at her in admiration.

"Oh Fern, Zelda! Zelda! You must meet Fern, she's my genius friend that helps me run things. She completed her pilgrimage a while ago, but she's sticking with me because she noticed I'm a bit of a ditz, hehe." Vivi dragged a fairy girl with a magenta glow and flushed cheeks in front of her and introduced her. Zelda did the same with a curtsy.

"Fern, you mustn't worry, I have already bathed in a fairy fountain before. I'll be fine." Zelda explained calmly, but... Zelda's statement was as if a thousand bombs detonated at the same time, a torrent of questions running through every fairy's mind. Including Tatl.

"As expected of Zelda! That's so amazing! Even I was wondering what you were planning to do." Vivi clasped her hands and looked at Zelda with childlike admiration, "in any case, my fountain is yours." Vivi declared, and Fern looked both apprehensive and defeated. Tatl was slightly concerned there might be a mutiny on her friend's fountain, probably a first in the history of pixie-kind, but Vivi seemed to have a firm grip on everyone's hearts beyond her lofty status.

The fairies didn't take long to make way for Zelda, and Zelda took off her clothes, standing on the cold floor of the fountain in the dress she wore to her birth. After evening out her breath and conditioning her magic core properly, she took her first step into the magic fountain.

Zelda let out a soft gasp. Vivi's fountain was steadily rejecting her presence, slowly invading her magic circuits, asking her to stop her advance.

But Zelda didn't stop. She took a step and then another until half her body was submerged in the fountain. The hostility and violence from the fountain had increased several-fold; it was incredibly displeased at Zelda's trespassing and was determined to punish her indiscretion.

This was, however, what Zelda wanted. She let the fountain go through all of her unimpeded, and just before it reached her magic core near her heart, she changed the frequency of her being.

When it noticed that it made a mistake judging Zelda, the fountain meekly asked to make amends with her, actively healing and purifying her body, as if Zelda was its most anticipated guest.

Zelda figured out a way to trick the fairy fountain into thinking she was a Great Fairy, effectively granting her all the privileges that entailed, finally making Zelda the princess closest to being a fairy in the world... But because she couldn't verify, she decided to go with the girl with the cleanest and purest body in Hyrule.

Zelda started swimming around in the fountain, now completely submerged while it catered to all her whims and needs, as if it was dying to serve Zelda like the princess she was. Zelda found the personality most interesting. The one fairy fountain in the castle courtyard barely paid attention to her.

Unfortunately, she couldn't make the backlash and her new scars go away, even with the help of her willing servant. Zelda decided to let her body relax for a few minutes when she was suddenly pulled into an embrace.

"You seemed to be having so much fun!" Vivi cried with delight, pressing her soft, wet body against Zelda. The Great Fairy had decided to join Zelda's bathing time.

Zelda brought her arms to embrace her new friend who was raining soft kisses on her face; her wings were so delicate! After Zelda regained her best judgment, she saw Tatl peeking through her hands, a little distressed at this situation.

"Your Grace, please think of a Great Fairy's dignity!" Little Fern, who just came back from taking away the other fairies, yelled at her master, putting an end to her antics.

"Boo, I just want to have fun with Zelda and Her Highness Tatl!" Vivi whined and pouted, but that just made Fern more agitated, and now she was staring at Tatl with fear in her eyes.

"Oh umm, it's fine. I'm just accompanying Zelda," Tatl did her best to explain to her kinswoman while hovering closer to Zelda's wet frame.

"Would you mind getting a towel for me, Fern? I'm afraid I've abused your hospitality," Zelda requested diplomatically, which only made Vivi pout harder.

Not soon after, Zelda was outside the pond while the Great Fairy Vivi personally tended to her bare body with tenderness while Tatl and Fern serviced Vivi in an amusing sight.

Zelda got dressed while Fern went to call the fairies to resume their frolicking. Vivi invited Zelda and Tatl to her accommodations to settle down and speak calmly.

Zelda had a very displeased fairy princess to placate, after all.

Chapter Text

"So, care to explain?" A very displeased Tatl was looking at Zelda with an accusatory gaze.

"I already told you, I developed ways to enter fairy water."

"You know very well that's not what I..." Fortunately, Zelda got a reprieve from her well-deserved scolding because Fern came in with some refreshments. Vivi had led them inside to her Palace where they were lounging after the ordeal that was lifting Vivi's curse.

"Zelda... Tatl, make yourselves at home." Vivi came in fully dressed, exuding a carefully cultivated majesty. It almost fooled Zelda, until the Great Fairy dove into her embrace, much to Fern's dismay.

Vivi looked up at Zelda with a wide, mischievous smile. "How about you become my partner, Zelda? I'll make sure every fairy treats you well from now on, hehe. You only need to stay here and play with me." Zelda didn't think it sounded too bad, but unfortunately, she was Hyrule's next Queen.

Fern and Tatl, however, looked positively shocked. "Absolutely not, Your Grace! You can't just take in any stray girl that comes to our fountain, plus she already belongs to Her Highness!" Fern reasoned with vigor, making Tatl feel shy and Vivi pout her cheeks.

"I don't mind playing with you, Vivi, but I have my own obligations; we already agreed on some conditions..."

"Right, I'll get you two to Celestia." Vivi said, beaming, but to Fern, it was as if the moon just crashed.

"Impossible, Your Grace, I'll escort them in your name, you need not go; all your worshippers doing their pilgrimage dearly need you now that you're cured!" Fern said, but Vivi didn't look too pleased.

"Fern, this was a condition Zelda set to provide my cure, which she did at great personal expense. I'm not the kind of fairy to go back on my word. I'll go to Celestia and introduce Zelda; it won't take long, but you'll have to hold down the fort while I'm gone." Vivi spoke adamantly, looking every bit as authoritative as she should, leaving little Fern with no recourse.

"Speaking of that 'great personal expense'..." Tatl started, but Vivi was quicker and burrowed into Zelda's embrace once again.

"Vivi, this is important," complained Tatl, making the Great Fairy flinch and go back to her seat, dejected.

"Sorry."

"How dare you talk to Her Grace like that? You... You're a princess, but that still doesn't give you the right!" It was time for Fern to interject, as always defending her esteemed Vivi.

"It's okay, Fern, Her Highness Tatl is my friend, and she's right..." Vivi reasoned, slowly making her way to Zelda, who offered her a mint candy.

"Would you finally talk about it, Zelda?" Tatl asked, looking with a strange gaze at Vivi, who was now sitting in Zelda's lap, eating the candy with delight. Fern, who almost fainted on the spot, decided she had better things to do.

"Ehem, what I'd really like to know about is why the cute fairy I was traveling with this whole time suddenly became a princess. It seems you've been keeping stuff from me." Zelda cleared her throat and attempted to clumsily change the topic while caressing Vivi's head, to which Tatl only narrowed her eyes in displeasure.

"Fine, I'm really sorry, it has a lot to do with my secrets, but... The power I'm using, the Triforce, had a very strong rebound because of Majora's curse; it was..." Zelda explained while taking off her left shoe, "stronger than expected."

To the duo's surprise, Vivi knelt before Zelda, retracing Zelda's brand-new scar she'd inadvertently caused. After casting multiple spells, a few tears could be seen falling down.

"I'm sorry, Zelda, I can't do anything, and it's all my fault." Vivi appeared inconsolable, kneeling on the floor.

"It's not your fault at all. I knew what was going to happen and could've prevented it, but lifting the curse was far more important. I need to do the same to the other Great Fairies so magic comes back to Termina so Tatl and I can accomplish our mission."

"In that case, I am at your service. I owe you much more than just an escort, hehe." Vivi offered, wiping off the tears.

"But Your Highness, you were lying to Zelda this whole time? I can't imagine her shock when she found out about your identity, hehe." Vivi quipped, trying to lighten the mood.

"If only you knew half of it, Vivi. It's not like I tried to hide it, Zelda simply never asked."

"I specifically remember asking if you were some sort of noble," Zelda shot back, making them laugh.

Fern offered Zelda a journal on how to care for Vivi, leaving her dumbfounded.

While Zelda was reading in silence and the friends were catching up, Zelda heard some words that piqued her interest.

"I've been trying to ignore it, Tatl, but where is my little sis? Did little Lil' get in trouble with her master?" Noticing that Zelda started paying attention, Tatl tried to calm down; she knew the question was coming.

"You know how Lilly is. I just, I didn't ditch her on purpose, she must be worried sick looking for me," Tatl lamented, hoping to move on from the topic.

"I just have to speak up for her, if I don't, it'd be a bad big sis. You're her world, Tatl. I'm just glad you'll be reunited soon! Hehe." Zelda wasn't following their conversation very well, but it felt like she was getting into some gossip she wasn't supposed to hear, judging by Tatl's expression. But Vivi, clueless and to what Tatl must have felt mercilessly, continued, so Tatl tried interrupting.

"Actually, Vivi, this is Zelda's visit. I will use an amulet..." But unfortunately for Tatl, Vivi continued the previous conversation.

"And how's Mira? I know how things ended, but she's a good girl, hehe, you should..." "Enough!!!" Tatl flew and imposed herself on Vivi, making everyone in the room stare at her...

"Uhhh, no, Vivi, I just... Things are complicated with Mira, and I don't want Zelda to know about this. I'm not reuniting with Lilly either. I'm in a bit of trouble, and I'll keep my identity hidden," Tatl spouted off rapidly.

Vivi, who now looked like a scolded child, was getting soothed by Fern, mostly because she bit her own tongue by mistake. Zelda was interested given that Mira was the alias Tatl had given her all that while ago when she was temporarily without her voice as a Deku.

"Umm, Miss Highness, please treat Her Grace Vivi with more care. I already told her to be more careful of your past." Fern asked Tatl, who, to her credit, seemed to regret her outburst.

Zelda did her best to patch things between the two and was happy to learn Vivi managed to get over it quickly. Vivi showed Zelda how, even as a Great Fairy, she could become small like a regular fairy, and she perched on the opposite shoulder Tatl usually sits on, making Tatl do a complicated face.

"Phew, preparations are completed. Please don't linger in Celestia for more than a day, Your Grace. I already sent them a memo to prepare an escort back. I sent a word to the Branch Woods outpost to receive you in short order; the Deku have already been notified..."

"Oh!" Tatl and Zelda both made noises at the same time. "It'll be best to dispense with the Deku escort if possible, since I'm incognito." Tatl volunteered before Zelda could say something similar. Fern looked at Tatl with a regretful face, but she wasn't in the business of defying her own princess, so she left to outside to dismiss the Deku.

Zelda finished skimming Fern's far too meticulous notes on Vivi and realized everything was ready for the group to depart.

The two fairies happily perched themselves on each of Zelda's shoulders, and Zelda walked out of Vivi's fairy fountain on her own two feet. It was time to finally find Celestia!

Chapter Text

Zelda savored a new mint candy while breathing in the smells of the swamp; she had to admit it smelled of adventure. No prince or princess of Hyrule has likely had a coming-of-age trial as contrived or difficult as this.

"We heard from the Deku, Branch sort of got wiped out," Tatl wondered out loud, making Vivi sigh.

"They were caught off guard. I'm not sure what happened either because of the curse. We'll ask the Branch outpost once we get there," Vivi suggested. Zelda thought that having Vivi with them was rather reassuring since she knew the swamp area like the back of her hand, not to mention how much of a force of nature Great Fairies are rumored to be... even if her personality was a bit childish.

"I bet little Lil' was dispatched. I... Well, just have some patience with her. She's so strong and cool..." Vivi continued, trying to appeal for her sister, her eyes gleaming with evident admiration, this time making Tatl sigh.

After much walking, Zelda saw the outpost on the horizon and was impressed such structures were built by fairies. The outpost was an assortment of watchtowers surrounded by large palisades, and judging by the scratch marks, it had seen prolonged combat. Unfortunately, Zelda couldn't see the settlements on the inside.

Zelda decided to pause to give the Amulet of Ego to Tatl. But before she did, she decided to clear some things up with Vivi.

"Vivi, even in your weakened state, you must have noticed when I disrupted the flow of time." Zelda decided to just drop the bomb to make Vivi confirm her theory. She was pleased to see Vivi's jaw drop.

"That was you, Zelda?!? My goodness, what kind of power is that? I thought it was all a bad dream, hehe."

"It wasn't me exactly. You could say I invoked the Goddess of Time... In any case, I'll do that a few more times, so please give the other Great Fairies a heads-up. Tatl and I are on a mission to stop what happened that day." Zelda decided she didn't have the emotional energy to describe how she was almost killed by both Skull Kid and the moon crashing, but Vivi seemed to understand.

Zelda put a lot of magic power into the amulet and gave it to Tatl, who looked quite fashionable, but she immediately turned into a different fairy.

Zelda almost burst into laughter when she saw Tatl had chosen to transform into her good friend Malon from Hyrule. Unfortunately, the amulet wasn't able to copy her abundant feminine assets, so Zelda had to come to terms with a more slender and winged version of her Hylian childhood friend, who now glowed with a pleasant, gentle tint of cinnamon orange.

Vivi was also shocked and wanted to try it on herself but relented when Tatl shot her a glare, which Zelda found hilarious given Malon's gentle personality... Maybe next time!

The trio approached the outpost, and Zelda noticed a lot of Deku working under instructions of the fairies; they also had started forming a little community close to the outpost walls—they must be refugees from Branch!

A delegation of about ten fairies was flying their way, most likely to receive Vivi, but before they could get within conversation range, a couple of monkeys with white fur popped from nearby bushes and started heckling towards both groups, making the delegation of fairies look annoyed.

Zelda thought they would be shooed away, but to her surprise, Vivi leaped from her shoulder and turned into her majestic, regular-sized form, making all the fairies present bow; she was just a little taller than Zelda.

"Wait, girls, these kids are not bad; they're trying to communicate... Oh, I see, these boys are distressed because their benefactor is suffering from an emergency!" Vivi declared after approaching the monkeys, leaving only the loud sound of murmurs in the air.

"I'll go to help your benefactor, little ones, but you'll have to wait for me to greet my kin, hehe." Vivi talked, making the small monkeys understand and retreat a considerable distance.

"Ehem, Nina Eos greets Her Grace!! Branch outpost is at your service!!!" Nina, who seemed to be the leader, performed a salute toward Vivi with her fist on her heart, to which all fairies followed; even Tatl did the gesture while sitting on her shoulder.

When she turned to look at her companion, she noticed Tatl was looking at Nina with an intense glare.

"My, my Nina, you've grown so much in so little time. I'm so happy you're protecting me like you promised, hehe." Vivi talked, making the soldier blush, but she kept her composure, which surprised Zelda.

"You have all those Deku children from Branch working here, right? I'm sorry I couldn't provide assistance; I just recently got over my curse. Can you tell us what happened?" Vivi lamented, making the delegation flinch.

"Not at all, Your Grace, your recovery and Lady Aurora's is cause for celebration... We... It was a battle against some sort of masked tribe that suddenly attacked. Luckily, a handful of sorties were stationed nearby helping the Deku inquire about their princess, so we managed to avoid the worst outcome. But the town of Branch as we knew it is no more.... The monkeys... They have been in trouble for some time, but we're under strict orders here; things have become chaotic, and the military personnel has been working around the clock..."

Despite wanting to keep all due ceremony for Vivi, it seemed Nina knew her quite well and volunteered information about the monkeys, which pleased the Great Fairy.

"Um, Zelda and I will take care of the issue, hehe, ah whoops, where is my head... This is my friend Zelda; she cured me from the curse, and she wants to visit our Queendom, hehe." Vivi signaled Zelda, who decided to step forward, making Tatl tense up.

"But an elf... Sigh, I wouldn't recommend it, especially now, and you better not mention that girl on your shoulder is your pet in my presence." Zelda thought the prejudice against her kind was running a little too deep for her taste; thankfully, she had Vivi's all-powerful backing. Tatl, despite Nina standing up for her, let out a displeased whimper, which Zelda barely managed to hear. She rolled what was left of the refreshing mint in her mouth, deciding to forgive Vivi for enlisting her in what appeared to be a fool's errand about helping some monkeys.

"No, no, Nina, this little one is our friend too; we should all get along!" Vivi cried in delight, making all the fairies' hearts soften, yet Zelda noticed Vivi didn't introduce Tatl, probably because they forgot to come up with an alias for her.

Zelda looked around some more and noticed the Deku were working quite hard; the monsters that drove the swamp to this state were slowly growing ever more ominous in Zelda's imagination...

Vivi chatted with Nina a while longer until the delegation left. Under the remaining onlookers' eyes, Vivi turned into a regular-sized fairy again and hopped onto one of the monkeys' heads, blowing everyone's mind.

"Let's go, boy, take us to your benefactor, hahaha!" Vivi seemed to be having the time of her life when the monkeys started running from where they came from, prompting Zelda to quickly store Tatl in her hat, equip the Bunny Hood, and to initiate hot pursuit of the nimble monkeys and her mischievous friend.

Chapter Text

"That big dummy!" Zelda could barely hear Tatl yelling her complaint over the high-speed chase she was launched into, all the foliage and trees in the path of the woods the monkeys were taking not helping her one bit.

In truth, Tatl was in the same situation as Vivi, the difference being that her living carriage didn't know the terrain at all.

Zelda had to periodically spit stray leaves that got into her mouth, but she had not much time to think about much else, given how fast the monkeys were. Compared to Skull Kid, their speed wasn't anything to write Hyrule Palace about, but it was proving to be a challenge with the bumpy terrain and the current underpowered version of Zelda.

At least Vivi was having a great time; she couldn't stop laughing and moving around on the monkey's head. The times Zelda noticed her looking back at her, it was clear she had a huge smile on her face. Zelda hoped Tatl could enjoy it at least a fraction of what Vivi was to make her efforts worth it, but judging by all the yelling and hair pulling Tatl was subjecting her to, it wasn't meant to be.

Zelda's exquisitely tailored Sheikah training regime pulled through in the end, since this was the kind of thing she was trained for to begin with.

Zelda stopped right beside the monkeys. She tried to pet Vivi and take her back to her shoulder, but she let out a gasp at the view she stumbled into.

The pursuit had stopped in a forest clearing, and right in front of her was a tree of epic proportions, letting the rays of sun penetrate the space in a calculated way as to make Zelda's breath stop.

"Whoa!" It seems Tatl was equally impressed.

Zelda noticed there were traces of a very, very long staircase leading to what seemed to be a big door. To her surprise, it appeared as though some intrepid soul had carved an abode out of a very large section of the base of the tree, and while the house seemed crooked, it gave Zelda a sense of being picturesque.

Zelda and her duo of fairies were climbing the stairs after the monkeys when Zelda noticed their path diverged from the house on top. Needless to say, Zelda was a bit disappointed.

"I can't really scold a Great Fairy, Zelda, so I'll leave that job to you. Give Vivi your worst punishment, don't hold back at all!" Tatl teased Vivi, who couldn't contain her giggles.

Tatl continued trying to scare Vivi into believing Zelda was the ultimate avenger, but to Zelda's recollection, the only punishment she had ever given Tatl was a dose of loving petting to her fluffy hair.

Zelda thought she should debunk her friend's exaggerations, but she couldn't think of a way to do it without bringing to mind the embarrassing encounter at the Deku Palace.

Sooner rather than later, they reached a small cave made by the natural formation of the roots of the tree.

By following the monkeys, Zelda was displeased when a couple of Snappers came flying at her at high speeds, clearly intending to harm. Zelda had no patience for these monsters, so she flipped one of their shells and delivered a finishing blow, while Tatl, flying near the ceiling, offered another way to defeat the second by stabbing the top of their shells.

With those annoying pests defeated, Zelda went to rendezvous with the monkeys at the end of the cave, but it seemed they still needed for them to follow. Although Zelda could see nothing but a dead end.

Unfortunately for Zelda, she was a little aghast in indignation when the chimps started crawling on all fours through a crawling space. Zelda, despite all her physical exertion until now, still held her feminine pride in high regard, and she was not about to throw it out of the window now.

Besides, reasoned Zelda, it is her various developing womanly assets that won't let her fit even if she wanted to... If only Impa was here to fix her in Sheikah attire... Alas, this will be a mission for the fairies.

"So, Vivi... You were the one with the plan to help the monkeys, right? It's okay, I'll wait here for you and Tatl." "Hahaha, Tatl? Who's Tatl? My name is Lumi, and as an unsuspecting bystander, I couldn't possibly get in the way of the mission of a Great Fairy, haha." Zelda and Tatl awkwardly fiddled and laughed, trying to get away from Vivi's silent pressure.

"Oh my, but my intuition tells me the clue to saving Princess Rita is just right behind this crawl space. It's just a shame Miss Lumi doesn't care about her." Vivi bemoaned, clearly knowing how to push Tatl's buttons.

"My intuition as Great Fairy also says there are treasures and dangers that could be too much for me, but it's okay, my friend's clothes are more important, hehe." Zelda had to give credit to Vivi; she clearly had come to understand them both. Her soliloquy wasn't as effective on Zelda, but she was almost persuaded to abandon her girly pride; after all, a friend needs her help...

But still...

"I'll help!" Tatl volunteered. "Rita is my friend, Zelda, and Vivi has very good intuition, it won't be fair to her." Tatl said with sparkling eyes. Zelda suspected her love of fairy tales was playing a large percentage in swaying her friend.

Zelda walked the cave, giving it a once-over to see if she could find some alternative entrances, to no avail. She came back to Vivi's smug and satisfied eyes, which really held no malice, and to Tatl's worried but expectant gaze and let out a deep sigh.

"I'll do it." Zelda declared her surrender. "Just don't tell anyone ever about this. I'm dead serious." Zelda warned, earning giggling nods from Vivi, while Tatl was actually a little pale. Vivi led the way, with Tatl not too far behind, but when it came to Zelda's turn...

Zelda dropped to her belly, tucking the Bunny Hood over her head for extra nimbleness, to feel the cold, hard stone floor of the cave. She got into the small aperture where, to her surprise and slight humiliation, she fit with a little leeway, her bust and hips not really getting in the way.

Zelda let out a tear for her broken dignity and vowed to bring it back after this incident had faded from her mind. She followed Tatl and Vivi, crawling behind the visage of their tiny bodies, getting more personal than she ever thought she would.

She noticed her tummy area was starting to get a little damp, and the tunnel was closing in a bit, with the small branches that composed it starting to really poke her skin and body; even the fairies were starting to have difficulties despite their smaller size.

Just when Zelda thought it was time to admit she was too big for the crawl space, she saw a light at the end of the tunnel. Vivi and Tatl hastened their pace, carefully tucking in their wings, while Zelda started crawling as fast as the circumstances allowed.

Finally, the trio emerged unscathed, save for a few light scratches on Zelda's smooth skin.

After regaining her bearings, Zelda noticed Vivi looking at her while biting her lips.

"Sorry, Zelda, I was cruel to you." Vivi apologized after a little while. Zelda spotted the monkeys jumping up and down at the top of a slope.

"The tunnel was, not you, and you're right, I would be worried sick if I left you on your own, so don't mention it." Zelda did her best to brush it off. Her claustrophobic little sister would have had a completely different approach to this situation, but Zelda felt she got off easy.

"I... Hmm, yes... Let's just finish our mission." A more subdued Vivi spoke, flying ahead. Zelda and Tatl also made their way to the top of the slope.

When Zelda managed to get into position, she realized what their mission was all along and why Vivi was so insistent.

The monkeys were pointing at some sort of masked imps dancing around a fainted body in a clearing up ahead.

Zelda counted 10... No, about 20 of such monsters; they must be the same kind that attacked Branch Town!

Zelda was ready to start unraveling the mystery that was these little creatures and, more importantly, the whereabouts of the Deku princess.

Chapter Text

"I'll take the right if you don't mind, Vivi. Are you ready, Tatl?" "I still have to cast a few supporting spells, hold on." Zelda and Tatl whispered, preparing their offensive.

"Umm, I'll take the left, just make sure not to look my way when I start; it may damage your eyes, hehe." Zelda couldn't consider what those words meant because Tatl was already tapping on her head, which was the signal to start. After coordinating with Vivi, Zelda activated Haste and leaped to the right front.

Zelda heard a massive boom and saw bright lights on Vivi's side, but she had bigger fish to fry. The first thing she did was use a decapitation strike on one of the monsters she caught unaware. To Zelda's surprise, it seemed the grotesque mask was part of it, and they had some rudimentary yet oddly symmetrical-shaped swords and shields.

Zelda evaded a retaliatory sword strike with ease and used the moment to deliver another fatal blow. There must be 8 enemies to go.

"Zelda, I've seen these enemies in books before... Whaaaa!! Eeeeek!!!" Zelda was hoping to get some intel, but it appeared as though the moth reinforcements startled Tatl, but it wasn't until the swarm of little spider creatures attacked that the fairy let out a shriek that made everyone stop fighting for a second.

Zelda was glad Tatl had the presence of mind not to drop the many buffs running through her body and used a rather strong area-of-effect light spell to get rid of the moths. The masked monsters took advantage of their numbers to fling some darts Zelda's way, but Tatl's barrier was just good enough to block those.

"Kyah, Zelda, scary!!! Odolwa Mask is weak to fire. Try using fire!" Zelda breathed a sigh of relief when Tatl came back online. Unfortunately, she wasn't compatible with fire magic, and Din's Fire was in her temple over at Hyrule...

Zelda activated her sword aura to try and simulate fire to break up the spider swarm, and although Zelda made short work of her, the "Odolwa" were proving rather tricky to handle... Zelda cut another two that happened to line up for her sword aura, but just when she did, she noticed Tatl had stopped providing her many supporting spells, making Zelda so worried she almost panicked.

Zelda turned her head to see Tatl, who had abandoned the safety of Zelda's hat to launch a fatal blast of white fire at an Odolwa that was too close for comfort, but unfortunately, the brief lapse in defense proved to be exactly what the enemies needed to land a dart on Zelda's thigh, and of course, it had a debilitating poison.

Tatl retaliated with another blast to the most recent offender. Zelda thought of retreating, but with just 4 enemies left, it should be doable. But the debilitating poison proved a little strong when an Odolwa blocked one of her strikes with its shield. Zelda used wind magic to redirect the strike coming her way, and she immediately activated Nayru's Love since the barrage of darts was getting ridiculous.

More moths came, and Zelda dispatched of them quickly with another light spell, but it was clear she was running out of energy. Zelda caught on to an opportunity and casted Haste on herself for the ultimate assault. She had practiced this kind of move against Link many times; it was time for the Princess to earn her win.

Zelda launched into the air and used a light arrow spell with the tip of her finger to quickly snipe one of the 4 enemies remaining. Now, with her remaining magic, she cast an illusion that disoriented two remaining Odolwa, which had them line up neatly for a sword aura strike.

Unfortunately, the beam failed one of its intended targets, so Zelda was forced to use a shuriken to pierce its head. Zelda turned just in time to parry a hit from the last remaining Odolwa, but much to her chagrin, the debilitating poison had taken effect faster than she had imagined, making her drop Fae and fall to her stomach.

The Odolwa didn't drop a beat and savagely brought down its sword on Zelda's body. But Zelda had activated Nayru's Love, which still had something close to a minute remaining by Zelda's calculation. Zelda just needed Tatl or Vivi to come to her aid. And sure enough...

"Nooooo!!!!" Zelda moved her gaze to see the monster that used to threaten her, bound by some sort of dark tentacles. It wasn't long until its chest was pierced by a dark and ominous energy Zelda had never seen before. Zelda watched in fascination as the creature was devoured by its own shadow.

"No, no, no! Please be okay, please, please! Zelda, please! You can't leave me! This is all my fault!!" A hysterical Tatl was casting the same dark energy over her, but Zelda noticed that this time it was both desperate and friendly; it clearly came from Tatl.

Recovering a little, Zelda looked up to see Tatl with her little hands extended, commanding the dark energy, her normally silver eyes now pitch black, tears streaming freely down her face.

Zelda did her best to move; she really was okay. Tatl's energy was slowly removing the poison from her system, so she'd be as good as new soon. In truth, Zelda was worried about Tatl and Vivi, at least Zelda enjoyed the protection of Nayru's.

"Zelda! Zelda, I'm so happy! Don't move, I'll get you healed in no time..." "Oh my, but this seems to be my responsibility. You two are so impressive, hehe." Tatl was shocked to see Vivi and almost stopped her casting, but she continued despite her trembling hands.

"It's okay, Tatl, I didn't see anything, and it is my fault. Please let me, Zelda is my benefactor after all." Tatl stopped her casting after Vivi's words, and Zelda experienced in her flesh how efficient it was to be healed by a Great Fairy. It was as if the battle never happened.

"Phew, that was good. I didn't know these monsters were so intelligent." Zelda stood up and came face to face with Tatl, whose pitch-black eyes were now clear to see. It was as if looking at a deep cave; the entirety of her eyes turned that color, none of it was spared, which made a strange contrast to her white glow and silver hair. The Amulet of Ego dangled freely around her neck. Zelda theorized the effect must've run out because Tatl used the magic stores as a backup.

"Hey," Tatl says weakly, turning her head away.

"Thanks, Tatl, you saved me." Zelda did a curtsy to Tatl, leaving her shocked. She stood there flying dumbfounded until Vivi clapped her hands to get their attention.

"It seems the witch from the swamp was the one in dire straits. I'll heal her right away, hehe." Vivi announced, skipping steps with a smile.

"Eek! Zelda, witches are... Erm, s-sorry, I didn't mean to talk." Tatl kept flying, keeping her distance from Zelda, looking ashamed. Zelda noticed she was still wiping the tears from her still dark eyes.

"Heh? When have I ever not listened to you, Tatl? I know you're scared of witches. That lady Taake from back then was both powerful and suspicious; you're right to be wary... Now, I hope my most trusted friend is not distancing herself from me because of silly notions. My shoulder and hat feel empty without you in them." Zelda spoke with sincerity, to which Tatl bit her lip and slowly gazed at Zelda's eyes with a very complicated face.

Zelda didn't know why her silver pupils had yet to come back, but she really didn't mind her friend's new look.

Tatl approached Zelda slowly, the fast flapping of her wings betraying her nervousness. Slowly but surely, she stood on Zelda's shoulder. Before Zelda could say anything, Tatl hugged her neck from her position and started sobbing and trembling.

Zelda rooted in place, watched as Vivi finished healing the witch.

"I'm... Hic. I'm so glad you're okay... Hic."