Link’s Awakening: The Novel

Tail Key

A/N: First author’s note. That’s kind of rare for me... well anyway, nobody has pointed it out yet, but the Hippo mentioned in the 2nd chapter is actually an alligator... oops. However, I’m going to blatantly ignore that fact and continue to call it a hippo, because I’m too lazy to go back and fix the last chapter. :) I hope you guys like this chapter!

“Hello, my pretty!” The witch exclaimed.

Link jumped backward from the cackling voice. “Who are you?”

“You come to my house and accuse me? Don’t you have manners?”

Link was taken aback by the witch. She didn’t seem to be evil, or even mean. Just a cackling old lady.

“I’m Link.” Link said simply.

“Bubble bubble, toil and trouble. A toadstool mix makes powder for tricks!” The witch’s outburst startled Link.

“What?”

“Do you or don’t you have the sleepy toadstool?”

“Wait a second...” Link pulled the toadstool out of his tunic. “Is this what you mean?” Link asked.

“Ah-ha!” The witch exclaimed, and she swiped the toadstool from Link’s hands before he could object. She threw it down in her bubbling cauldron, and started stirring frantically. Link just watched.

“Ah-ha!” The witch yelled again. “It’s ready!”

“What’s ready?” Link asked. The witch answered his question swiping her hand in and out of the cauldron, and letting the liquid drip off the sides. Left in her hand was a thinly-ground powder.

“Take this, young boy! It could be helpful for you!”

“What is it?” Link asked.

“Why, Magic Powder of course! Use it to light torches, and do other tricks.”

With tat, the witch pulled a bag out from under her stool, and she tossed the powder into the bag.

"Thanks!" Link said, genuinely gratefully.

"Hey lad?" The witch asked. "Would you mind using some of that in here?"

"Um..." Link said, perplexed. Why couldn't she make some more for herself? ""Sure..." Link took a pinch of the powder and dropped it in the torch standing in the middle of the room.

"Thanks lad!" The witch said, cackling.

"Um... don't mention it."

Link went outside and glanced east. There was a small hole Link wouldn't trust himself to jump, and a group of trees that grew so close together they blocked the route east. Link backtracked. He came back upon the pond with the Octorock and the Chu-chu. Link decided to see if the powder would have an effect on enemies. He took out a handful of powder and threw it on the Chu-chu. The Chu-chu transformed! It now looked like a flower.

"Hey mon!"

Link jumped at the human voice. Who had said that?

"Hey mon!"

Link saw this time that it had come from what had once been the Chu-chu.

"Hello little guy?"

"Hey mon!"

"What was that?"

"Hey mon!"

Link couldn't get anything else out of him no matter how he tried. He decided to backtrack further. He passed the Heart Peice encased in holes. He backtracked further west, and spotted some Moblins. He decided to try the Magic Powder on the Moblins. He threw a handful on a Moblin, and it burst into flames! Link watched as the creature slowly withered. He was so shocked he was almost unprepared when the fallen Moblins' bretheren jumped to attack Link.

"Oh no you don't!" Link screamed. He thrust his sword in and up to the Moblins gut. The Moblin was too quick, however; it easily parried the blow. It counterstruck with its long spear, gashing Link on the shoulder. "Why you!" Link screamed, unleashing a barrage of blows to the Moblin. In seconds it was completely dismembered. Link continued on his way after calming down.

He backtracked until another path revealed itself to him. He went north. There, sitting in a clearing, was a raccoon. Link didn’t know if it was a talking raccoon or not, but he decided to try to talk to it anyway.

“Hello, little guy?”

“As a raccoon, my nose is very sensitive ta stuff like dust and powder...” The raccoon said. Link was perplexed; what did it mean by that? His first thought was to try sprinkling the Magic Powder on him, but what if he burst into flames? He didn’t want to hurt it. But he remembered what the raccoon had done to him earlier. He decided to risk it. He threw a handful of powder on the raccoon.

The raccoon began to swirl and spin all around the clearing, bumping into everything. Link had to dodge it a few times. Finally, it flashed bright, and Link thought he had killed it. But then, when he looked up, he saw that the raccoon was alive and well; but it wasn’t a raccoon any longer. It was Tarin!

“Where am I?” Tarin asked. “The last thing I kin remember is bittin’ into nice juicy toadstool... I had the weirdest dream! I dreamt I was a raccoon! It was fun!”

“You’re in the Mysterious Forest, Tarin.” Link stated.

“I’m all tucker’d out...” Tarin said. “I think I better set a spell before I head home...”

Set a spell? Link dismissed it as more random jumble from Tarin. He’d grown to expect it. The man was a lunatic.

Link continued north to find a Gilded Chest. He cut the shrubs in front of the chest and opened it... to find the Tail Key! On the top of the key, it was inscribed...

Thou who wish to open the Tail Cave...

And awaken the Dreamer...

Take this key to the southern shore...

To find the Full Moon Cello...

More inscriptions. Link thought. Bah. I can do this my way. He took the key and proceeded south, backtracking. After all; the owl had said to go to the shore with the key he found here. But it was the owl that stopped him.

“Hoot!” The owl said. “Take the key and go to the Tail Cave. Retrieve the Instrument that is hidden there! Go now! The Wind Fish is waiting! Hooot!”

“That was completely pointless... I already knew that...” Link muttered. Link went south into the town. He decided to look around a little. He entered the little dog house next to the house with the large dog. Link figured the dog house couldn’t belong to that dog; it couldn’t fit in the dog house. He ducked and entered the dog house. Inside, he found a little doggie! He didn’t know whether or not it could talk, because about half of the animals on Koholint seemed to be able to talk, but he didn’t think it could hurt to try.

“Hello?” Link asked.

“Make-up! Jewels! Dresses! I want it all!” The puppy said. “Sigh... And some new accessories would be nice...” The puppy glanced at the ribbon at Link’s belt. “Oh! That Ribbon! I needed it! Will you trade for my dog food?”

Link pondered it; the ribbon was useless for him. Then again, so was dog food. But then Link remembered his encounter with the hippo...

“Leave me alone, unless you have some canned food to give me!” The hippo had said. Would dog food count? Link didn’t think so, but it was worth a shot. He handed the ribbon to the obsessed puppy.

“Lucky! Thanks! Well, here’s your dog food!” The puppy handed the can of dog food to Link, who took it and walked away. Link figured he could meet the hippo on his way down through the beach to find this “Tail Cave”. He proceeded south past the library and entered the bluffs north of the shore line.

He jumped down to the shore, and proceeded east to where he knew that the hippo lived. The road there was uneventful; just a few pigs attacked. Link entered the Banana Shack.

“Hello, sir?” Link asked.

The hippopotamus began to sniff around. “Is that canned food?” The hippo asked. “For heaven’s sake, man, give that dog food to ME!! PLEASE!”

He looked hysterical. Link decided to give it to him.

“Oh thank you!” The hippo said. “I’ll take that!” The hippo scoffed it down, tin and all. That thought revolted Link. “That was great! I know it’s not a fair trade, but here’s some bananas! YUM... that dog food was good!”

The hippo then handed some bananas to Link.

“Thanks!” Link said, still in awe that it worked. Great trade. Link thought.

“See ya ‘round!” The hippo said.

Link exited the banana shack and searched the shore. But no matter where he went, he couldn’t find the Tail Cave. He climbed back up the bluffs and proceeded east to a place he hadn’t yet been. He killed some monster-pigs on the way east, and then turned south when he reached a road block.

In a clearing, there was but a single tree. It was very high, and at the top, Link spotted a Secret Seashell. He knew he couldn’t climb the tree with so little footholds. He decided he would come back. Then he went west, and he spotted a dungeon. In front were 3 statues, depicting an ugly scorpion-like tail. In the center one was a key hole that was the same size as the Tail Key Link had got in the Mysterious Woods.

Link inserted the key, and the ground began to shake. The dungeon bars opened, and a forbidding yell echoed throughout the lair.

“Do not enter!” The voice chanted. Link gathered up all his courage and walked bravely, sword in hand, through the entryway into the Tail Cave.