Epilogue

It had been years since San last felt so cold. The wind burned what there was of her exposed skin, snow plastering one side of her body in white. It was only the beginning of fall, and yet it was already as cold as it had been during some winters in her youth. The frigid mountains of the far north... Over ten years had passed since she had last seen her home terrain. Living in the south had weakened her once cold-resistant resolve and it was an annoyance to travel, but she had promised herself to return to her old village.

Mountains shifted around her as she made her way through the scenery. To an unfamiliar eye, it was simply more of the mountain range with less snow, but she knew it was once where she called home. Trees were scarce so far north, and so her people managed to intertwine their buildings with the caves in the cold stone to save what lumber they could harvest. It created a village largely hidden and one that served for better protection from the unrelenting force of nature. As her own history proved, that, however, did not always work...

It was a young girl who saw San first. She scurried away, dropping what had been in her hands, off to find someone. San stood there, not wanting to appear a threat any more than she already did. It was not the little girl who returned, but instead a small group of the villagers. Memories of her old life returned as several familiar faces neared. It was not a welcoming visit to her past, but it had to be done.

"San?" asked one of the men. Tauno. She remembered him. He saw to the library, where she had learned all she had dared to read—where it all began. His expression became grim. "You are not welcome here."

"I haven't forgotten." San sighed, trying to calm he frustration. She did not take her banishment lightly, but her message had to be heard. "I have only come here to talk to the Chief. I will not linger. My words will be heard, or not, and I shall be on my way. That is all."

The group of people shared glances between each other. Even if they were not looking at her, she could feel their judging her, weighing her.

"Fine," huffed Tauno. "We will bring your request to the Chief. Remain here until we return."

San shivered lightly as a few of the group peeled away. She had hoped that they would have at least offered to let her wait out of the cold, but that seemed too much to ask. More eyes fell on her as time slipped by. Each lasted no more than a few seconds before the faces turned away and scurried back into the village. Some were familiar, dredging up old memories that she had once forgotten. Some were fond moments of her past, but others were a ghost of a thought, fragments that she dared to no longer hold. One face in particular caused her emotions to stir:

Her mother's.

Blue hair scattered with grey outlined a weathered face. Her mother, Frida, dared to only come as close as need be. Frida looked, shook her head, and left.

There was no warm greeting. No heartfelt reunion between mother and daughter. San felt her chest tighten. She had loved her mother, and she still did. Not having Frida come to talk to her hurt more than she dare would have admitted to anyone else.

The cold continued to chill her until Tauno and the others returned. "You will be allowed to speak with the Chief, but that is all. No more. Once you are done, you will leave us in peace."

San dipped her head slightly. "That is all I ask."

Little else had changed in her home since her leaving. Tauno led her to the cave system that held all village meetings. Fluorescent moss and fungi lit the way, casting a glow that she had once called familiar over everything. Through the tunnels, they came upon the large cavern that held the meetings, no one but the Chief there. Fredek had been Chief when she had still lived amongst her people. The decision of her banishment had fallen to him. Though it had been his decree, San blamed no one but herself for what had happened. It had been her mistake, and she had lived with it.

"San," greeted Fredek grimly. He nodded his head and Tauno and the others left them be. "I must say, I am surprised to see that you've returned."

"As am I," replied San. "But considering some recent events, I felt it necessary." Her left arm twinged. The markings of Sine were returning. The ancient darkness within her, though weakened, would not be contained forever. Her message needed to be heard while she was still herself. Whether or not it would fall upon deaf ears, she could not say.

"So? For what reason did you come back?" Fredek arched his eyebrows.

"Redemption."

A surprised laugh escaped him. "I'm afraid I cannot lift your banish—"

"Not for me," interrupted San. "For you. For everyone in this village."

The Chief grew silent. Eyes were cast down searchingly before brown eyes dared to meet red again. "Of what do you speak?" he asked slowly.

"The lands blessed by the gods will not cast us out or burn us should we dare to travel to them. For generations, our people have lived here, hoping that one day the gods would return and lift our banishment. We believed that if we remained here, repenting for our sins, that we would one day be forgiven and welcomed back into their love. Well, guess what. It won't happen. Not if you're sitting up here and letting the coldness chip away at out people! You need to get off your asses and do something if you want to be forgiven! Let your actions speak for you. Let them redeem you."

San breathed out. A weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Redemption may have been far from her grasp any longer, the darkness was too entwined with her being to be welcomed back to the light, but perhaps there was still a chance for her people after all those long years.

A wry laugh broke the silence. San's brow furrowed in confusion. Out of all the noises that she had expected to hear, that had not been one. Across from her, Fredek shook his head lightly. "It is funny that you suggest this to me now, when you were the one who first planted the seeds eleven years ago."

A chill crawled up San's spine. "What seeds? What have you done?"

Fredek sighed, rubbing his temples. "Times have...gotten tough. Living may have always been hard for us, but it has gotten unbearable. We... We've had to turn back to the use of magic."

"What?" hissed San. Her skin prickled and her arm throbbed. The use of magic... Everything terrible in her life could be traced back to when she had first used magic. "After you banished me for my use of it, you're telling me that everyone now freely wields it?"

"With high caution and regulation. But it's still not enough. We have been discussing returning to the blessed lands of the gods in search of for the golden power. Let it judge us."

"And so you think wielding the very magic for which we were banished in the first place will work in your favour?"

"We will be honest. Remaining here and doing nothing will serve us no more. If we are to survive...we must take our chance in finding the power of the gods and see where our fates may lead."

San chewed on her bottom lip. The golden power left by the gods... Fredek may not have known of it by name, but he could have only meant one thing: The Triforce. A mass of wishes and desires left behind by the gods that had banished her people. It was the only thing left in the world that could possibly have the right to judge her people now.

"And should you fail? What will you do if the gods reject you a second time?"

For a moment, San saw a shadow darken under Fredek's eyes. It was the same hatred for the gods that had boiled under San's skin for years. Her people may have sought atonement for all their years, but in that time of solitude, the anger had not been forgotten.

"Then we will no longer hide at the edge of the world. Forgiveness or not, we will no longer remain here to die." Fredek sighed again, the shadowy look fading from his face. "What of you? What will you do now? Will you join us in our search for the golden power?"

The blue-haired woman shook her head. "My fate was decided back that day I first used magic, and ever since then, it is no longer the same path as yours. I am done here. I will take my leave."

Saying no more, she turned curtly on her heel and left. Her brief glimpse into into her past was done. Whatever their fate may be, it was out of her hands. Her left arm twitched. There was enough darkness in their world already...she could only hope that there would not be more.

Link pushed the blade along the edge of the wood, whittling off a little more in certain places to get it looking just right. He had started the wooden mask not long after his people had settled on the surface. Some had been begrudging to do so—the sky was safe, the sky was home—but it was time for them to reclaim the land beneath the broken clouds.

Bit by bit, the mask in his hands was starting to take shape. Wood peeled off and fell onto the pile forming beneath his legs. It was his third attempt at the carving. While he may have practiced whittling before starting, but mistakes had still been made—too much wood carved there, a bad cut here. No matter how long it took, Link would finish. He had to.

"Hey, Link?" called out a voice that was mixed with a knock on the side of the front deck. The young man looked up to see Groose. "Could ya come help? Some of the cuccos got loose and we're having a bit of trouble getting them back in." The redhead rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Those little birds are more trouble than Loftwings!" he chided under his breath.

Link chuckled before nodding. He stretched and set down the knife and mask, dusting off his hands. It had taken him long enough already, the mask could take a little more time.

"Thanks, bud." Groose clapped Link on his shoulder. "Hope this won't delay your little wood carving too much."

Nodding, Link took a quick look over his shoulder back at the mask. Though not complete, he knew how it would look in the end. Horns already adorned the sides and the massive eyes were beginning to take shape. It was not for him that the mask was being carved, but rather San should he ever cross paths with her again. Or, rather, the mask was for Sine so that San would be freed of her torment—it was all for her sake. Words that the blue-haired woman had said stuck with him:

"It makes me feel like...like I'm wearing a mask. All anyone can see is its face, whatever it may be. Anything I try to do or say is hidden, becoming useless and futile because that mask has chosen what I do for me. It's all that matters. I become nothing more than something to hold that mask up for everyone else to see."

He wanted to give that mask its own form so that San no longer needed to wear it. Let her face finally be seen. Let the shadows of her mask finally be lifted so that she only had her own. Those eyes on the mask... It was why his attempts had failed before: he had not gotten the eyes right. Those eyes that would be painted red and yellow needed to capture Sine's true face. He hoped that Sine would be able to use it for herself so that she no longer needed San's.

Link did not know if he would ever see San again. Link did not know if the mask would even work—some great magics would be needed. But he had to hope. He had to hope that one day he would see San again, and would be able to help her. Should that day ever come, he would be ready.

Groose nudged him lightly, drawing Link from his thoughts. He smiled and laughed a little, pushing aside the matter so it would no longer bother him any more than necessary. His life on the surface that needed his attention.

Until that day when his path crossed again with the darkness, if it ever even came, he would live his life on the surface to its fullest.

A/N: Surprise! Always wanted to write an epilogue for this, and now it is done. Just a little look into what they did after parting ways, and to set up some things. You're of course able to take things however you want, but there were some specific things I was hinting at with this-

1- San's people do travel in search of the Triforce, and become the shadowy interlopers that are banished to the Twilight Realm.

2- Link carved Majora's Mask, in at least looks. Whether anything actually happens with it...well, you can have fun with that.

So, once again, thank you to all the readers that have made it to the end. I hope you were able to enjoy!