AN: Hey guys! So this is a drabble that has been on my mind for a long time now - Majora's Mask has always had this dark theme to it that I've been in love with ever since I played the game, and I cannot help but feel that Link is at his most vulnerable during the events of this game. The quote I've used in the story is by Mitch Albom, an author and journalist. I felt it perfectly describes the situation of the game as a whole. All right, enough from me - on with the story!
I gazed at the skyline of Termina and sighed. The sky was a bright blue, and there wasn't a cloud in sight. Ordinarily I would be trying to enter the next dungeon to awaken another giant, but as of late, I haven't done anything to contribute to freeing Termina from the curse of the moon. Tatl initially lectured me about wasting time doing nothing when I should be doing everything I can to stop the moon, but as of late, even she began to see what I saw – the hopelessness of the entire situation, the utter pointlessness of it all. And she stopped telling me to get off my butt and keep going.
The truth of the matter is, it's not like I don't have time. I have all the time in the world.
The first couple of cycles, I rushed as fast as possible between areas, trying to get as much as possible done in the three days. Every time I forgot something, I cursed myself and desperately reminded myself to do it in the next cycle. Once, I realized that I had forgotten to get the Gold Dust to give to the blacksmith to make my sword stronger. By this time, it was already the third day so I couldn't do anything about it, so I made sure to do it the next time. When I eventually got the sword, I realized that I couldn't have gotten it if I hadn't reversed time to go back to the first day. It was then that I began to realize how trapped I was – a bird in a cage. I had no time yet I could take as long as I wanted. I had a set time limit – a reminder thrusted upon me every time I looked up and saw the haunting face of the moon glaring angrily at the town that did nothing to upset it, but even with it looming ever closer with every passing second, I knew I could just send it back up to the sky at any instance I wanted.
I had all the power in the world, yet I was powerless to save myself.
The second day had always been my personal favourite. It always rained. From morning till night the sound of the water falling to the ground could be heard. No matter where I was in Termina I could feel it. The rain comforted me, I suppose. It gave me a unique sense of sadness that could not be replicated by anything – even the moon crashing down on the final day did not give me sadness. In fact, it was a relief. I could be away from time for just a moment. However, as soon as the moment passed, I was thrust into its river once more. Initially I felt determined to fix my mistakes and change what happened in the previous cycle. However, as it happened more and more I felt myself grow apathetic to the sight of Termina being extinguished by flames, for I knew that in a matter of moments it would all be restored.
Despite this, I still cared about its inhabitants. I still wanted Romani and her sister, Cremia to be able to look at the sky and smile at the pleasant weather. I wanted Anju and Kaefi to have their wedding, and live together for the rest of their lives. I wanted the postman to keep doing his duty, running from place to place, following his schedule like his life depended on it. I wanted all of them to be safe.
I wanted the flow of Time to be brought back to normal. For this town, and for my own sanity.
On the final day, when the moon is about to crash, I often think about the twisted sense of power I hold over the land. I could slow down time, speed it up, and even travel through it. For about as long as I can remember, my perception of time has been screwed up. As a child, people thought I was different because I aged when they didn't. I travelled through time to seven years in the future and saw things that a twelve year old mind would cower at; but I had no choice but to ready myself for it. I was sent back in time after defeating Ganondorf to relive my childhood, and then I left Hyrule to look for Navi. Sometimes, I'm tempted to throw the Ocarina of Time to the floor, for it is the object that is causing me all this misery. Despite the fact it was instrumental in saving the world and the fact that it is my lifeline now, I grew to detest the sight of it. The Song of Time became a source of annoyance for me. The melody was stuck in my head and it wouldn't leave.
Perhaps the most frustrating thing about being stuck in this town is that after I reset the cycle, no one remembers who I am. I have to introduce myself again and again to people I've met over 20 times before. The first couple of times, I didn't understand why they didn't remember. After all, we had spent three days getting to know each other. However, as more and more cycles passed I realized that each time I reset time; people's memories get reset as well. At first I thought it was no big deal – so I have to act like I've never met them before; it wasn't hard. But after doing this over and over again, I began to grow weary of saying the same thing to them every time I saw them. It left me annoyed and angry. Angry at the Gods for making me do this, for branding me with the Curse of the Hero, angry at myself for not completing the task and stopping the damn moon. Before the people would serve as incentive; I saw their misery every single time I rest the clock, and I only grew more enraged at the Skull Kid for doing this to the peaceful town. Now, however, I found myself not caring what happened to Termina, which is very much unlike a hero. I only wanted to preserve what was left of my mind.
But then again, given what I've been through, can you blame me?
Over the course of my adventure I had to assume roles as different races of Termina. Every time I put the masks on I felt their personality merge with my own. I felt the regret of the Deku Butler's son at fighting with his father and leaving the palace, the sorrow of Darmani as he was forced to watch a blizzard ravage his home, the despair of Miaku as he died without seeing his offspring open their eyes and smile at him, and most potent of all, the rage of the Deity who wished to destroy everything in his path. I found that while I was playing with masks, I unwittingly started building my own, and soon, I was unable to recognize who I was.
I lost myself. To the masks, to the world, to Time itself.
Try to imagine a world without timekeeping. You probably can't. You know the month, the year, the day of the week. There is a clock on your wall or the dashboard of your car. You have a schedule, a calendar, and a time for dinner or a movie.
Yet all around you, timekeeping is ignored. Birds are not late. A dog does not check its watch. Deer do not fret over passing birthdays.
Man alone measures time.
Man alone chimes the hour.
And, because of this, man alone suffers a paralyzing fear that no other creature endures.
A fear of time running out.