The Tears Of The Clock

Chapter IX

Link laid back on the bed, his arms stretched out above his head.

"Link, are you sure this is okay?" Tatl buzzed around the room. "Well, it doesn't look like this room is all that great so maybe the other Link didn't really loose all that much."

The wallpaper was peeling in some areas and the smell of mold grew in the walls.

"Don't criticize it so much," Link yawned, pulling his arms back down. "This is the best we've got."

"This is pretty poor for the best," Tatl winced.

"Weren't you the one coaching me on morals?"

"Yeah but like this room is ew."

"Oh shut up." Link sat up on the side of the creaky bed.

"At least you've calmed down." Tatl buzzed around his shoulder.

"I wasn't even that bad."

"But you were worse than you should have been."

Link sighed, "I guess we better do something other than waste our lives away." He stood up, stratching out his legs.

"But aren't you technically immortal in this time loop?"

"I don't know, but you know what I meant." He replied. She had a point, he was trapped in an endless repeating cycle where he can't age. But what's the point of being in an eternal loop of the worst possible three days? Not only for Link, but for everyone in the land of Termina.

"I know," Tatl flew up to Link's height. "Are we gonna search for Time Shift Stones or something?"

Link bit his lip, "...no. I have a different idea."

"But--"

"I'm probably more likely to be right than you--consider how much experience I have." Link's steps caused the old floorboards to creak.

Tatl sighed, "I know, I know." Tatl trailed Link into the hallway. "Where are you going?"

"Are you up for a story?"

"What?"

Link laughed, "We're going to listen to a story. Last time I did this was so long ago I've forgotten what stories she tells."

"Link, did you hit your head? I know this isn't a quality room but that pillow didn't look that hard."

Link sighed, ignoring her comment. He entered a room that was clearly not meant for visitors, but Tatl still followed behind.

The room was warm, a fireplace lit it. An old woman sat by herself, seemingly disconnected from the world.

Link approacher her as if it were natural, which made sense. He probably knows all the residents of Termina quite well by now.

"Hey," he sat in front of her. "Anju's grandma."

"Oh, Tortus, you're home early." Her rocking chair creaked underneath her as she offered a wrinkled smile.

"I'm Link."

"Tortus, do you want to listen to a story? You always did love them," she chuckled. "Do you think you'll be able to keep awake?"

Link pulled out a black mask from his pouch.

"Link, what's that?" Tatl asked, buzzing around the scene.

"A mask. I can tell you about it later," He whispered back. Link turned his attention back to the woman.

"I can stay awake."

She chuckled at that, "Which story do you want to hear?"

"Um... Do you have a story about alternate universes?" Link lightly asked, careful of overwhelming the poor woman.

"Oh, you've never asked for that kind of story before," She stretched to grab a new book off of the bookshelves that decorated her cozy room. The glow of the fireplace outlined the edges of the old book, and she wiped some dust off the cover. "I haven't read a story this long in a while. I apologize if my voice is a little boring."

"No, it's perfectly alright," Link smiled.

Her withered fingers delicately turned to the first page, the book looked frail enough to disintegrate if it was in anyone else's hands.

Link listened as she began to read, attentive as to not miss a single word. "This myth was told to children long ago who had such creative imaginations that they could create a whole new world in their mind. These kids found life among others to be too boring so they sought out adventure in the forests.

One day a single child entered the forest alone. This child gained such a strong connection to the forest that the forest began to speak to her, telling her the secrets of another world beyond her own.

The child claimed that she had a friend from the other world who spoke to her through the forest. Every time she visited she felt a stronger connection to her friend, and then one day never came out of the forest. Her friends passed down a myth: when two people from the parallel worlds make a strong enough connection something representing that connection will bind them and their voices will reach." She closed the old book, her wrinkled fingers wiping some dust off as she did. "So how did you like that story?"

"It was great," Link smiled.

She chuckled, "I'm glad you enjoyed it. Usually I would want to ask you some questions, but I've never seen you pay such close attention before. I'm certain you would have passed."

Link laughed at this, "Oh, really?"

Just as they were finishing their conversation, Anju walked in carrying a tray. "Grandma, I have some lunch for you."

The old woman visibly scrunched her nose when she saw the food, and Link took this as an opportunity to take his leave. He would want to impose on their meal.

He hurried up the stair back into the stolen room, plopping himself down onto the bed.

"Link, why did you make me sit through that stupid story? I'm not 3."

"Tatl, you can't be that dense," Link chuckled. "Anju's grandmother knows a lot from the books she reads."

"So?"

"I just had a feeling there was something I was missing."

"Link, you think that story was true?"

"Well the other ones she's told me have been proven to be true."

"Then that would mean Hyrule is the parallel world." Tatl mindlessly flew around the room in thought, "Well who on that side do you have a connection with? Cause it doesn't make all too much sense to me that this story would apply to you."

It didn't even take him a second to reply, he had already known.

"Zelda."

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Do you guys actually like this book?

Well. Here's another chapter I guess.

There might be a chapter on Wed, but idk. We'll see.