A lot of Majora's Mask playing lately is the cause of this. That game is so dark and deep, and the last moments before the Moon falls are just frightening. But I felt inspired to write this, so here it is. If you want, go on Youtube or something and find the music that plays during the final hours, and play it when reading this to get the "full effect". Tell me what you think, I've always found the concept of a hero failing to be pretty intense. But you be the judge on whether or not I did it well. So with that, enjoy.
Time's Cruel Flow
Anju sat on her bed, slowly counting the seconds by in her head. Link stood beside her, feeling almost as anxious as she was. Kafei said he would come, he made that promise. So what was taking him so long? After parting at Sakon's hideout, Link had warped to Clock Town to make sure that Anju was waiting. When he had found her, he had just waited with her for Kafei's arrival. But time was ticking by, and with each minute Link could sense the end was getting closer and closer.
Suddenly, the door flew open and Kafei walked in, his eyes set with determination. Anju looked up and saw the boy, and slowly stood up. Tears falling quickly from her eyes, she took a couple of steps toward him, but stopped. "Kafei," she said softly, "...you came."
Kafei suddenly looked like a child, frightened and sad, as he ran to Anju and hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry I just vanished," he cried, burying his face in her shoulder, "I didn't want to admit that I'd had my Sun Mask stolen. It was our promise to each other, and I had lost it! I didn't want to face you until I got it back. But..." he sniffed, and wiped his eyes. "I got it back, so now we can fulfill our promise." Anju smiled, and picked up her Moon Mask from her wedding gown.
As Link watched, their masks began to glow, until suddenly a white light enveloped the room. As it faded away, Link saw that there was now only one mask, pure white with silver lines on it. Kafei and Anju, holding hands, handed the mask to Link. "As our witness, and our thanks for helping us, please take our Couple's Mask," Anju told him. She turned to her lover and said, "Kafei and I will stay here. We'll at least be together until the end." Link nodded solemnly. As he turned to leave, Kafei looked at him one last time. "Thanks for trusting me, and for coming to Sakon's hideout with me. I can't ever make it up to you." With that, he turned back to Anju as Link left.
Outside, the night was casting a red-purple glow over the land. Link stepped outside the Stock Pot Inn and glanced at the Clock Tower. There was maybe two hours left until the Moon was supposed to crash. He looked up and shuddered. The Moon looked truly menacing, with its glare and bared teeth, and the fact that it was so very close to the Earth. Link quickly looked away, blinking quickly. He couldn't look at the proof. He quickly ran to South Clock Town, aiming to take advantage of all the remaining time he had left.
As he entered South Clock Town, he saw that the Tower had shifted and the giant platform was facing the sky. He smiled sadly, and blinked back a tear. "Tatl," he called, as the fairy appeared. "What is it?" she asked. Link said nothing for a moment. He couldn't explain it, but he knew that's where Skull Kid would be. And with him... "Tatl, your brother's up there. Why don't you go and be with him? You don't want to hang around me anyway." Tatl looked shocked. "What? You're not... But why? Where are you going?" she demanded. Link took a deep breath and looked at the fairy. "I have another appointment yet, but I want you to be with your family now. I know Skull Kid is corrupted, but Tael is your brother, and it's him you should be with now. Please Tatl... Go with him." Link looked away as a tear rolled down his cheek. Tatl didn't understand; she hadn't seen Link like this before. "...Alright Link, I'll go with Tael," she told him as she began to fly to the top of the Tower. "Link?" she called as she stopped for a moment. Link wiped the tear away and looked up. "...Thanks. For everything. Thanks for trying to save Skull Kid. It really means a lot to me," Tatl said, before she flew away to the top of the Tower. Link smiled sadly, and headed for the South Gate. It was time for him to reach his appointment. As he walked though, he thought about the other people of Termina. The Postman he had gotten to know so well? What was he doing? Had he finally fled like everyone else?
The Postman was on his hands and knees on the floor of the Post Office, shaking slightly. He had been debating for hours what to do. There was nothing more he wanted now than to flee Termina. But he felt bound to his schedule, and his schedule said to practice sorting. Finally though, he picked himself up off the floor. It was time to leave. As he took one last glance around his office, he saw his hat and mailbag. He stared at them for a couple of seconds before he turned away. No, he had to leave before he changed his mind. He opened his door, smiled sadly, and closed it for the last time.
Link went through other faces he had met in his short time here. The Swordsman, who was so tough and strong, who said that he would single-handedly take on the Moon if it decided to fall. With his attitude, Link could only guess that he had decided to stay.
If one were to go into the Swordsman's school, they would find only a sign reading that the Swordsman had decided to go on vacation. Suspiciously though, the sign also read "Don't look for me". At the back of the room, behind a wooden slab, was a small storage room. The Swordsman sat in a corner with his hands in his face, shaking violently. "No, this can't be happening, no..." he moaned. "I can't do this! I don't want to die!" He began to sob, as he tried to snuggle into the corner as much as he could. The man wanted to get away from everything. But, in these final hours, even the master learned a lesson: all the power in the world is useless without courage. As the Earth shook again due to the Moon's proximity the Swordsman began to cry harder.
As Link approached the gate, he saw that there was no guard. They must have finally fled as well with their families. Link only hoped they could find somewhere safe to be until the end.
The four gate guards stood together in North Clock Town, all looking gravely at the sky. "Captain's orders never came," one said. "I don't care anymore. The entire town that wanted to leave has been evacuated. Our job is done," said another. "And despite what we've told our families as well, they won't leave unless we come with them," a third added. The fourth sighed. "So be it. Let's get our families and get out of here." The others agreed, and they dropped their spears into a pile. They saluted each other, before heading to find their families and leaving the town as well.
Link ran as hard as he could across Termina Field. The ground shook again, and he stumbled. He righted himself and began running again. A little under two hours. That was hardly enough time. This wasn't fair. Link couldn't help himself any longer and finally let the tears that he'd been holding back all night fall. The Hero wasn't supposed to fail. The Hero was supposed to, against all odds, save the day and protect everyone. Was he selfish for helping Kafei? Was it wrong to waste time helping one person when he could've used that time to complete his actual quest? Link cried harder. No, it wasn't his fault. He had been given only three days to free the Four Giants. The task was impossible. But weren't heroes supposed to brave the impossible, be able to laugh it in the face? Link shuddered. This was a different sort of impossible. It was already noon of the final day before he had managed to free the third Giant. He didn't have near enough time to attempt to rescue the last. Link couldn't tell where he was going, he was crying so much. It was so cruel. He had actually come so close to doing the task. To let him get this far only to let him fail now... Link couldn't control himself. It was his fault. He had the opportunity to save the land, and he'd wasted it. He was the one to blame.
As he cleared his eyes, he saw that he was finally on Milk Road. He ran down it and quickly found himself at Romani Ranch. Link guessed that he had an hour left. He ran across the grass and headed toward the barn, when a whinny stopped him. He turned and saw Epona beside the house, looking as nervous as a Hylian would. Link started towards his horse. He loved her, she was so aware of her surroundings. She could tell something was wrong. When Link reached her, she nuzzled his cheek and he forced a smile. She was, besides his Ocarina, his only connection to Hyrule that he had here. It looked like he wouldn't see home anytime soon... Link led Epona to the barn, so that he could finally be where he wanted to be.
He opened the door and led Epona in, before walking in himself and closing it. He took a quick look around the barn and saw that his hunch was right. Cremia and Romani were in here with their cows, just sitting and talking quietly. Link walked over to them and sat down, while Epona trotted over to the cows. Cremia turned to look at Link. "I'm sorry," she said sadly, seeing the look on his face. "I know you felt that you had to save Termina, but don't feel bad. The task just wasn't doable; I can't believe you were ever asked to try." Link turned away and said, "Don't apologize, it's me who should be sorry. I couldn't do it, I wasn't able to save Termina. Now everything's going to be destroyed because I couldn't be a hero!" Fresh tears dropped off his face as his voice broke. Cremia leaned over and hugged him. "Link, please listen. It wasn't your fault, you helped out more than you were expected to. You were a stranger who just wound up here by accident, yet you took it upon yourself to stop Skull Kid. Anju told me how you were helping her and Kafei despite the imminent destruction, and you also helped out Romani and I with our cows and milk. You did much more than you should've, so please don't cry and say that any of this is your fault." A tear dropped from her eye as well, and Link looked up at her. He finally nodded and wiped his eyes. "Alright," he said, calming himself down. Cremia smiled lightly. "Let's just make the best of the time we have left. But don't tell Romani," she added as they turned to watch the young girl feed hay to the cows and Epona. "She doesn't know what's happening, and I don't want to scare her. I want her last moments to be peaceful," she said quietly as she shook a bit. Link nodded in understanding.
"I've heard that some people didn't even leave Termina," he told Cremia. "They went to buildings like the Spider Houses and are just staying there." Cremia sighed. "Those poor people," she said quietly. "If they're staying, they might as well stay in their homes, like Romani and I. At least that way, it's..." She stopped as she shook again. "It's easier to go," she finished, wiping her eyes. Link didn't know what to say, so he stood up and walked over to Epona.
"Romani, come here," Cremia told her sister. Romani approached her older sister as the latter pulled out a bottle and handed it to her. "It's Chateau, try some," Cremia told her. Romani stared at the bottle. "But... You said I wasn't old enough to have this. You said not until I was a grown-up." Cremia put on a big smile and said, "Well, I think you're old enough to have some. Go on, drink some. Tonight's a special occasion." As Romani opened the bottle and took a sip, Link turned away and buried his face into Epona's side. The poor girl would never grow up to have it, that's why Cremia was giving it to her. Plus, it would be incredibly strong on a child; if Romani drank the entire bottle she wouldn't be aware of what was happening around her. Link bit his tongue to keep from sobbing. It was a smart plan to keep her from knowing. But the fact that it had to be used at all was just devastating.
"It's good!" Romani exclaimed as she drank some more. Cremia smiled sadly. "And tonight, you'll sleep with me in my bed," she told her younger sister. Romani grinned at her, completely oblivious to the fact that it'd be their last night ever. Link couldn't take any more. Saying he needed some fresh air, he ran out the door and slammed it behind him.
He collapsed onto the grass and began to cry again. He couldn't handle this, it was just too hard. He looked up and saw the Moon, how close it was to Clock Tower. It wasn't long now. It was a moment before he realized that he was lying on something, and it was poking him in the chest. He stood up and felt around in his tunic, before pulling out the Ocarina. Link stared at it. He could easily just whisk himself back to the beginning and start all over. Link began to shake like Cremia was, debating what to do. He didn't think he had the courage to see the Moon out to the end. He didn't want to die either. He didn't want it to end this way. But it was too late. He had made his decisions, and here he was. He glanced down at the Ocarina in his hands, and slowly brought it up to his lips. The seconds passed as he hesitated, before he finally dropped his hands again. No, he couldn't do it.
If he reset time, then none of this will have happened yet. Cremia and Romani wouldn't remember him, and Kafei and Anju wouldn't be together... No one here would remember him. And he had already sent Tatl away. If he went back, he'd be going back alone. No, he couldn't do this. The love and friendship he'd developed with these people was more important to him than his guilt. He couldn't go back and have all of these deeds undone. Hands shaking, he put the Ocarina back into his tunic. He would be with Romani and Cremia until the end; they were the closest thing he had to a family here. He glanced once more at the Moon. He figured there were now only minutes left until the end. He wiped his tears away, stood tall, and walked back to the barn with his head held high. He would be calm when the end came. He was finally ready.
As he walked into the barn, Link sort of smiled. It was weird, what had happened. He had wound up here by accident, and met a bunch of new people only to die alongside them two days later. Well, then that was how it was going to be. He had left no loose ends; he had done what he wanted to do. It was time.
Cremia and Romani were around their cows, talking to them and each other. Link walked over and stood beside them, as Epona came to his side. He placed a hand on her muzzle and smiled as the ground began to shake, this time continuously. Romani looked at her sister, alarmed, but Cremia just smiled and pulled her into a gentle hug. "It's alright, it'll be over very soon," she whispered. Link wrapped his arms around Epona's neck and counted down the final seconds as they passed. When he hit zero, he smiled. I'm sorry I won't see you again, Zelda. But no one lives forever. Let the Moon fall, he thought, as the ground began to shake very violently. I'm ready.