Legend Of Zelda Fan Fiction ❯ Majora's Mask - Link's New Home ❯ Life's Little Irony's Go Out the Window ( Chapter 2 )

Stupid! Stupid stupid stupid stupid idiot! I can't believe I was so stupid! I curled my arms around my knees tighter and sobbed brokenly underneath the tree outside of Romani's Ranch house. I don't know how long I sat there.

For once Tatl was keeping her mouth shut, which is just as well. I wanted to vent frustration instead of grieving like this, and I would've gladly used her for target practice. I just hadn't decided what weapon I would use on the target. Arrows? No too easy. Bombs? That would make a nice splatter…

Once again, Romani passed by me with that blank look on her face. I buried my face back in my arms so I wouldn't have to see it. I hadn't bothered to save the ranch this time. I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I'd just sat under this tree for the past three days. It's getting close to evening, and I almost wonder if I should even bother playing the Song of Time. Maybe I should just let the moon crash.

Again, I played over in my mind the cause of this mess.

-----

“Hey… I want… more… masks…” Again with giving the masks! I only have a small handful of masks left! “How many do you want?” I ask. The kid wearing the mask of Twinmold giggles and says, “Four… I want… four masks…” I reach into my pack, knowing if I don't give the kid the masks, I won't be able to go back.

I rummage through my pack in complete horror. Besides the one I'm wearing, there are only two masks in my pack! Where is the fourth mask? I could've sworn I got them all! I ripped out my bomber's Notebook and thumbed through it frantically. I marked everything down! Twenty masks! Where is the last one!?

I quickly went over a stock of the masks I'd already given plus the ones I have. Only one comes up short. The Romani mask… why would that one be missing!? I remember wearing it in front of Cremia, then she hugged me… and she picked me up… and she carried me back to the wagon… and… it fell off… oh no…

“I don't have four masks. I have three though. Is that good enough?” I asked. I knew it wouldn't be. I'd tried talking the others down to only one or two masks and that hadn't worked either. The kid giggled and said, “Nope… not enough… have fun… by yourself!” the kid then disappeared.

I then proceeded to scream and throw every single bit of items I have. Tatl stayed in my hat the whole time. Good thing too for her sake. I couldn't have cared less at that point though. I don't know how long I sat there slumped against the wall, once I'd run out of ammo and became too tired to hack at the wall with my sword. It was only when the ground and walls started shaking and collapsing around me when I played the Song of Time to go back.

The first thing I did was go to the Pawn Shop. As I expected, they had my mask. They asked a huge price for it. I could've cared less what price they named since I'd already maxed out my bank account. I then blew up the rock blocking Milky Road, praying over and over to the Goddesses that they hadn't forgotten… that they still remembered… that I'd still have a home…

Romani's first words destroyed my hope. “Hey who are you? I'm Romani. I was given the same name as the ranch. What's your name?” I gulped and said, “My name is Link. Don't you remember?” Romani tilted her head thoughtfully and said, “Hmmm… nope! I don't remember that name! It's a nice name, but how about… Grasshopper! That's the name Romani gives you.”

I walked away then. She let me go. I didn't ask her about why she was practicing trying to hit a balloon from five feet away with a bow and arrow, and somehow doing terribly at it. I didn't agree to help her defend the ranch. I didn't do anything as the ghosts appeared and floated right past me. I didn't do anything as the roof of the ranch exploded and Romani's screams rang in my ears. I didn't do anything when Romani came back the morning of the third day, acting as if she was nothing but a shell.

-------

I didn't do anything. I sat there and cried, and cringed at the sound of her voice, and went over and over again in my head how I could've screwed up so badly. Am I so cruelly fated to have everything I've ever wanted handed to me on a silver platter, only to be taken away a few hours later?

The shadows dimmed. The wolf howled. I knew it wouldn't be much longer till the Clock Tower opened once more. I suppose the least I could do… is save these people… Cremia and Romani… the home I'll never have…

The Clock Tower chimed. I could hear it from here. When the final chime stopped and the pop of fireworks in the distance went into full swing, I stood up wearily. Pulling out my Ocarina, I played the Song of Soaring. Seconds later, I stood below the Clocktower.

Without even really thinking about it, I walked up the steps into the Clock Tower itself. I must've been like a shadow of myself. I didn't feel like I was really there. I listened as Skullkid, Tatl, and Tael had their conversation and monologue without me. When it came time, I played the Oath to Order, and watched as the Giants stopped the Moon.

When Majora's Mask dumped the Skull Kid and flew back into the moon, I felt even more empty than before. I completed the children's task with ease, ignoring their questions meant to make me pause and question myself. I'd had enough time to answer their questions for myself sitting under that tree at the Ranch.

Finally, it came down to facing down the kid wearing Majora's Mask.

I stepped up to him, still going through the motions, empty. The child looked up at me. “…everyone has gone away, haven't they?” I didn't answer. The child asked, “Will you play… with me?”

“Yes.” I supplied. It came from my lips, but I felt so far away from what was happening, like I was on a different planet.

The kid stood up and brushed himself off and said, “You're a boring kid. You don't have any masks left, do you? Well, let's play something else. Let's play good guys against bad guys… yes. Let's play that. Are you ready? You're the bad guy. And when you're bad, you just run. That's fine, right? Well… shall we play?”

I nodded. He reached behind his back and pulled out a new mask and handed to me. I took it and Tatl whispered in my ear, “That's the Fierce Diety's mask! Put it on, and you'll turn into a Fierce Diety!”

I looked up at the child as our surroundings went white. As everything faded, the child said, “Your real face… show it to me…”

When everything came back into focus, I spied ourselves in a large room with walls that changed into strange colors. In the center floats Majora's Mask, waiting. Nodding, I take the mask and put it on. Familiar pain wracks my body. Instantly the pain is gone, and suddenly I don't feel like I'm far away anymore. I feel like I'm right here, and all the rage inside me… the pain and the sorrow erupts from my hands and forms a giant twisting blade in my hands.

With an animalistic scream, I leap upon the mask and drive the blade into its center, piercing it straight through. It yowls and slides away. It grows limbs and starts… dancing… mocking me. Feeling power rush through my body and into my blade, I bring it slashing through the air, flinging great blades of energy that nearly cut the mask in half.

Majora's Mask screams in rage and grows a head and it's muscles grow huge. It starts to whip at me with its whips and for the first time I'm forced to dodge. It deposits little versions of itself on the ground that fly towards me trying to cut me. I dispatch them with ease. I catch it's whips with my blade and give a yank, causing Majora's Mask to fly towards me. I bash it to the ground, and pinning it with my boot, I drive my blade straight through the heart of the mask.

It screams. It cries. It writhes. I revel in it. The mask starts to disappate. Suddenly the Fierce Diety Mask falls off my face and I am myself again. I stare in horrid fascination at my hands and at the sword still stabbed through the center of the mask. It lets out one last scream and the room begins to shake. Everything goes white again.

The next thing I'm aware of is everything hurting and I'm lying on my back in the grass staring up at the moon… or what's left of it. Without it's resistance, and it being suddenly smaller, The giants squeeze it back into a round shape and throw it back into the sky, it's path creating a rainbow. It hardly looks any different as it sinks below the horizon as the sun comes up.

I groan as Tatl and Tael buzz above me. I can hardly understand what they're saying with all their noise, and it's not just them. Cheering is erupting from all over the place. Groaning, I sit up. Feeling something pressing into the small of my back, I reach into my pack and pull out a bottle of milk. Feeling grateful for this small boon, I pull out the stopper and drink it up, feeling suddenly euphoric. Everything is fine now. The moon is no longer threatening the world. Everything is as it should be.

“Aah! He's awake!” I looked over and to my surprise spotted Skullkid lying not far from me. Sure enough he's coming to. He looks surprised to see Tatl and Tael, and the four giants looming over him. I couldn't hear exactly what they were saying, but I heard Skull kid say, “Really? You guys… you hadn't forgotten about me? You still thought of me as a friend?” He ended up hugging the fairies as the giants walked away.

I got up and the Skullkid came over to me. “Did you… did you save me? I thought they didn't want to be friends with me… but… they hadn't forgotten about me… friends are a nice thing to have. Hehe.” I nodded and said, “Yes… it is nice to have friends…” Skull kid cocked his head to the side and asked, “Could you be my friend too?” I nodded and said, “Sure.”

Skullkid made a happy noise then stepped closer and sniffed me. I felt slightly weird. “Hee hee hee, you have the same smell as the fairy kid who taught me that song in the woods… I know I know, let's do something!”

I nearly tripped over myself after he said that. Now I recognized the kid. He's the same one I taught Saria's song to and gave the Skull mask too those many years ago. Or was it just a year ago? I can't tell anymore when it comes to that time…

As for what we would've done, I didn't know because we were interrupted by a creepy voice, “Oh… so the evil has left the mask after all…” I turned to spot the Happymask Salesman fingering the inert Majora's mask. I still think he gives me the creeps. “Well now… I finally have it back. Since I am in the midst of my travels… I must bid you farewell. Shouldn't you be returning home as well?”

At the mention of home, I looked down, feeling crestfallen. Tatl flew closer to me and pressed against my head in a half swat, half caress. The salesman continued, “Whenever there is a meeting, a parting is sure to follow. However, that parting need not last forever... Whether a parting be forever or merely for a short time... That is up to you. With that, please excuse me... But, my, you sure have managed to make quite a number of people happy. The masks you have are filled with happiness. This is truly a good happiness. So long.”

 

I looked up and the Happy Mask Salesman seemed to disappear into thin air. Tatl floated in front of my face and said, “Well, both of us have gotten what we were after... So this is where you and I part ways, isn't it?” I nodded slightly. Tatl nodded back and said, “You know...it was kind of fun. Well...it's almost time for the carnival to begin... So, why don't you just leave and go about your business? The rest of us have a carnival to go to.”

 

I smirked slightly at her brashness. I knew she'd not be so soft as to be all mushy. That's just not her. So I started to walk off. “Link!” I turned around, surprised. Tatl seemed not to know what to say, then simply said, “…Thanks.” I nodded again and said, “Your welcome.” What had I expected her to say? Please stay, it's not the same without you? Please. Turning back, I made my way into the town and up to the Clock tower. The only way to get back is to go the way I came right?

 

I paused at the giant wooden doors that lead into the belly works of the Clock tower. Where am I going? What am I doing? I can't search for Navi anymore… what purpose do I have? Frozen in indecision, I stayed stuck at the door. Finally, deciding that I'd figure it out on the way, I made to push the door open when suddenly a voice from behind me asked, “Where are you going?”

 

I closed my eyes, hardly daring to believe what rotten luck would have me dealing with my lost dreams so quickly. I dropped my hand from the door and looked down. I felt, more than heard, Cremia walk closer to me and lay her hands on my shoulders. She pulled me backwards towards her and wrapped her arms around me.

 

To stay I'm stunned is a complete understatement. You could've hit me over the head with a Megaton Hammer and I wouldn't have noticed. Tilting my head to the side and back slowly to look up, I met Cremia's smiling eyes. Cracking my dry lips open slightly I asked in a small voice, “C-Cremia? Do-Do you remember me?”

 

Cremia turned me around to look me in the eye and said, “Yes Link. I remember you. Everyone remembers you. You'll have a grand tale to tell everyone about how you can be everywhere at once later at the Latte Milk Bar, especially how you can be in the same place at the same time more than once.” She smiled at me and wrapped me in a warm and safe hug.

 

It was too much. I thought I had cried before. Perhaps I was letting out my pain and sorrow before. When I collapsed into Cremia's arms, I felt like I was pouring out my soul. She hugged me close and whispered soft murmurs into my ear. I didn't even notice as the town's folk trickled in and formed a ring around us.

 

Romani ran up to us and hugged us both. “Oy! What's there to be so sad about?” called a voice from the crowd. I looked up at the words and finally noticed the throng of people surrounding us. Embarassed, I wiped my eyes and said, “I'm not sad… I'm happy…” I smiled up at Cremia as she took my hand and Romani took the other. Yes… I think, for the first time… I'm truly happy, and when Cremia, Romani, and I signed my adoption papers in the Mayor's office, I knew I would never be sad again.