The Deku Palace had always been a wild place. Despite the guards blocking the entrance, Tatl would easily be able to slip through at her size.

Link, as a hylian, wouldn't be allowed in.

He bit his lip, if he entered wearing the mask then finding Tatl would be pointless because she wouldn't recognize him. Unless she remembered on her own.

He sighed, realising some of the tension that had built up in his muscules.

"Is it okay if I ask for help again, little guy?" He placed the mask on again, almost missing the pain that used to plague this action. It had made him feel alive before.

He hoped over to the entrance, and without much difficulty the guards let him in under the circumstances of an innocent monkey's execution.

He already knew this story, he had faced it time and time again. It was cruel, but it wasn't his focus point. Not anymore. Link had already helped everyone, at one time or another, and despite it initially being useful, what good would it do now?

A yellow fairy would be hard to spot, especially amongst the crazy riots going around. Link's deku form had always been slow, but now it felt impossible to move forward at any reasonable speed. It antagonized him.

As Link waddled along he finally got his first clue as to Tatl's whereabouts, "You guys are really gonna regret ever thinking you could eat me! I'm not a bug!"

They were executing a monkey and now a fairy too? Link sighed, and began trotting to the room of thr roast pit. He knew this place, he's been in Termina long enough to know his way around.

"Seriously, Tatl? You went and got yourself captured?" Link asked once he arrived to the room, speaking the language of the deku perfectly.

"Link?!" The fairy immediantly recognized her friend's voice, but Link didn't see her. She was tiny, after all. "It's about time!"

Link waddled over to the action, the Deku King now pointing his attention towards him.

"Who's this?" The Deku King looked down upon Link.

"O-Oh they're just here for the execution," one of the other dekus that flooded the room said.

Tatl, the tiny fairy she was, was being clutched in between the fingers of the Deku King.

"There's been another execution added in today's plans," the King squeezed his hand, getting a wince from Tatl as her wings got bent in an unnatural way.

Tatl peered through his fingers in an attempt to meet eyes with Link, but to no avail. "What the heck, Link? I thought I heard you," she grumbled to herself, the words reaching no one but herself. If they had they would have likely caused trouble.

Link scanned the layout of the room, there was a bonfire in the center. A bunch of deku were enraged, but there were others who were scared, for good reason too. The Deku King appeared to be not only angry, but borderline crazy.

This was a scene Link knew all too well.

He went along with the horde of deku, it was better not to stand out.

"We will feast tonight!"

The crowd roared in approval of the ling, but Link bit his lip.

He would need to say something, but if he did he would only reveal himself to Tatl, and she would judge him. Or, on the off chance she regains some lost memories, she would gain an utter detest for him. It was a risk he had no choice but to take.

The king began a dance of rage, swinging his body around in celebration.

"What about the princess?" Link popped that question in while under cover of the crowd--it would certainly get the king's attention in the greif he faced.

"Who said that?!" The king, as expected, roared, and unconsciously squeezed his hands into fists, Tatl and all.

"It wasn't me!"

"I heard it from that way!"

The deku frantically looked for a culprit to direct the king's rage at.

"O-ouch. Someone has anger issues," Tatl choaked out, her small body messed up more than before--her wings weren't supposed to bend that way. She seemed to be in too much pain to say much more, as her small frame had been nearly crushed completely.

The king only responded to her mockery by crushing her, "Let's commemce the executions early!"

"What? But we haven't prepared--"

"Three hours!"

The deku all followed orders, all in a hurry to get everything ready within the time limit. They had grown used to the harshness in the last days, the king constantly on edge due to the fact his daughter was gone.

Link, however, didn't do anything. The king stared him down, visibally angry at his refusal to get to work, but it didn't phase him.

"What are you doing?" The Deku Butler approached Link.

Link didn't bother to reply, and to his shock turned towards the king.

"I said, get to work!"

"I don't feel like it," He shrugged.

"You don't feel like it?" The king scoffed. "We have room for more executions if that's what you want."

"Oh, no, of course not. I wouldn't want to bother you."

"How dare you speak in such a vile way?" The deku butler addressed, concerned for the king's reaction.

"You're daughter is fine and this monkey is innocent," Link sighed. "You won't believe me but it's the truth."

The deku butler's expression towards Link softened, as he had known of the innocence of the accused. He would by no means speak up against the king, that would be suicide.

The king narrowed his eyes at Link, "I don't remember you. Who are you to question my decisions?"

At this Link chuckled, "I'm not really anyone. But I do know the truth, and you're an ignorant buffoon to ignore it."

"What did you say?" The king raged, "Prepare for an extra execution." He spat his butler's way. This was his way to deal with everything, a strong face filled with anger, an unfair judgement.

The deku butler, being the only other unoccupied deku, hesitated with this order. "Sir--"

"Why do you hesitate?"

"I--forgive me, but I cannot follow your order."

"What did you say?"

"My son, I see my son's face in this boy. I'm sorry, but I cannot follow through."

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I'm so so sorry I totally forgot to update! And I havent written much lately, but I'm not going to put this on hiatus.