It almost felt wrong when Majora fell. When everything returned to normal. Where kafei could marry as an adult, Cremia and Romani could grow up together. Where traveling performers could continue there dace and games. It almost felt.. Wrong but odd should be the better word for the job. As the moon faded away and the sunrise a thought passed through links head
'Its the dawn of a new day' with that his eyes began to open and his body shifted sitting up he says the skull kid, no mask no colors no face. With his yellow eyes and bill.
"Hey, he's awake!" Tatl smiled with her brother beside her as they floated above links head. The skull kid stared up at the giants as if they were talking with no words. Till the giants let out a strange groan sound that echoed through his pointed ears.
The skull kid started trembling whimpering his tears and hiccup "y-you still thought of me as your friend?" he help but whimper out grinning a pang of sadness to link remembering the story of the little demon. Both Tatl and teal left links side as they tried to nuzzle his cheek and jingle anything to make the imp feel better about this.
The moment was short lived as the giant of the north began to sing all of the giants started to take there 100 steps again leaving the skull kid to just let his tears fall. The imp now knew this had to happen he understood why they did it. To protect all the people he tried to hurt.
As the footsteps faded into nothing the skull kid wiped his tears and lifted his head turning to link. He waddled over to him a little and couldn't help but ask with a tilt of his head "did.. Did you save me?" he leaned forward a little for links answer as the boy in green stood.
"Yeah, I did... But why did you do it?" link asked standing straight and proud with no fear though his face was gentle not wanting to show he was mad at him.
The skull kid looked away looking out at the distance and sighed. "I thought they didn't want to be friends with me... but they hadn't forgotten about me..." the skull kid seemed to smile a bit thinking "friends are a nice thing to have he, he." the childish imp giggles finally turning to link again thinking. "Could you be my friend, too?"
The skull kid walked right up into link and sniffed him making the boy rather uncomfortable "eh-hee-hee you have the same smell as the fairy kid who taught me the song in the woods!" he laughed and bounced as Link couldn't help but laugh. "Iknow! I know! Let's do something!" he giggles as you could hear the rattle of his wooden limbs.
"Oh... so the evil has left the mask after all..." link and the skull kid flinched looking over to the mask salesmen who only now made his presence known as he turned to the four. "Well now I finally have the mask back" he held his normal big smile that caused his eyes to squint. Bowing himself over he laughed. "Sice I'm in the midst of my travels, I bid you farewell" he walked between the two kids in silence nothing but the world around them for noise
"W-wait!" link ran following but Tatl didn't she watched with her brother and the skull kid. The mask salesman turned to link with a hum holding his hands together rubbing them. "I-if the mask has no evil left in it would you be willing to sell it?" Tatl flew over in angered jingling.
"LINK! What do you think you're doing that mask almost killed everyone!!" she yelled right in the boy's face but Link couldn't get something out of his sight... the boy under the tree sitting alone. It reminded him too much of himself it hurt and he knew that wasn't the skull kid the mask was without him when he went in the moon.
"The mask, it was... it was lonely" link tried to explain but Tatl wasn't buying it as she bounced up and down in frustration. He lowered his head at the salesmen "please I know its dangerous"
What the young hero didn't expect to see was the colourfull mask being held out to him. "Take it Consider it a token of my thanks" he's smile seemed genuine like back at the store in castle town. "The reason I became a mask salesman was to make people happy, who knows maybe this time the mask will be happy as well." the salesmen smiled as link took the colored mask and with that, he walked away.
When the salesmen walked his body faded into the mist that grew around you as link lifted his head and watched he called out as loud as he could hugging the mask to his chest "THANK YOU!" but he was gone with nothing but a distant chuckle.
As Tatl sighed her anger dropped along with her wings showing a feeling of sadness. He floated over to her brother and the skull kid looking over into links almost glowing blue eyes. "Both of us have gotten what we were after... so this is where you and I part ways, isn't it?" she set out a huff but chuckled "you know... it was kinda fun. ya know its 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" Tatl snapped at him in her normal bickering tone.
Link couldn't help but chuckle nodding his head as he climbed back onto Epona rubbing her neck before kicking her lightly for her to start walking. Once he got some distance he heard a voice call "link! I'll...I'll miss you!" Tatl called out watching the boy waved but not look back. He was a hero and they had to look for the next person who needed help.
As the boy left along the strange new path the fireworks and music could be heard a long way away on the whispers of the forest wind.
Link couldn't help but hum a tune cradling the mask with one arm as Epona strolled. For some reason, link saw less reason to look for Navi. he felt less desperate. Who knows maybe she had left for a reason and if link found her she wouldn't be happy. It was a sad feeling but seeing what everyone in Termina went through while grieving for loved ones, he knew the best thing he could do was try and accept it.
As the music grew faint and the fog in the forest picked up like the way he came. Looking down at the soulless mask that stared up at him he couldn't help but feel a presence in it... As if it was sleeping like a tired little kid. The thought gave Link a good chuckle as he started humming Zeldas' lullaby.
The song once drove him nuts, having to prove himself over and over that he was the hero. Now the song was as its titled. A lullaby for the sleeping mask that sat in his arms. This was a strange feeling link never really got along with little kids, the boomers were more like helpers or allies telling rumors and giving hints. The Kokiri were happy but something about him made him feel unwelcome even without Mido constantly rubbing it in.
So when he was asked to play with the moon children who were his age it felt... odd. Termina was odd. Link let out a sigh as they kept going he stumbled upon a fairy fountain that didn't need to be hidden from how deep in the woods it was. The great fairy sat in the spring with her children giggling and playing around her
"Now now girls we have a visitor" she chuckled watching as link guided the slightly timid Epona who was a bit worried after the prank Tatl and Teal pulled.
"Sorry to be so unexpected but I'm looking for a fairy." link started getting undressed making the pink fairies squeal and giggle as Link was in nothing but shorts as he started washing his body off while Epona drank.
As link slipped Majoras mask in his bag he sat it on the bank. "What would her name be child?" she hummed tilting her head as she crossed her legs.
"Navi." the boy washed grit and grime off his body and wet his hair as he sat in the water shaking little fairies hands smiling Fairys dug themselves into his bag pulling out all sorts of things to play with. "Careful with those" he warned though let they play.
"Navi... I am sorry child I haven't heard that name before. Is there any other way I can help you?" she asked watching the girls play with different colored masks and chuckled.
"Yes, do you know where I go to the nearest town?" link asked as he rested into the water as fairy dust glittered down onto his skin
"Of course just take-" a slash caught the fairy off guard
Tow fairies trembled as Majoras mask sat in the water. Link ran over picking it up pulling his shorts up as he got his tunic to start drying it muttering that he was sorry. He was always nice to his mask and talked to them even if Tatl thought he was nuts for it.
"We're sorry mister!"
"Y-yeah really!"
The two of them cried worried if the nice boy was mad at them.
Link turned around with the same smile as he put it back "that's ok just be careful these masks are very rare and very important to me." he explained as he cradled the two little fairies in his hands before getting changed back into his tunic tying his belt and put his sword bow and shield on his back. It looked heavy and it was it that was the least of the boy's troubles.
"You strayed from the path to the town but if you take that rout and head left you should come to Gaku village there a small sturdy town if plan on staying you might have to work for a bed." the great fairy warned as link got on horseback.
"Thank you!" link smiled waving them all goodbye and road off following a small path behind the fountain to make his way to Gaku village smiling.
He started talking to Epona about mild thinks like how teal was the first boy fairy he had ever met and asked things like what changed a fairy's color as they made their way