Ok folks... Sorry about how unusually long this one took... You can blame the return of the dreaded writer's block, something that has not hit me since before I started writing the climax of Wisdom and Courage. I knew it wouldn't last forever... T_T Anyway, thank you to supersmach, Lovely girl 10, and This is not a name for following or favoriting (or both!)

Now, for some review responses:

ShadowNinja1011-Um... Ok...? :)

Vocaloid302-Don't worry, there's gonna be a TON of LinkxZelda shipping later on! Its gonna be passionate, adorable, and pretty much any other word you could use to describe it! And, I ship them pretty hard too in SS... then again, the game kinda already does that for us ;D

TheSpiritMaiden-Well... I suppose that Hylia is the goddess of time in Hyrule, but maybe Terminus is the goddess of time for Termina? After all, I would kinda explain why the Song of Time works like it does in Termina as opposed to how it works in Hyrule...? Anyway, yeah I got the whole timeshift stone Ocarina of Time thing from Hyrule Historia (one of my most valued resources when it comes to Zelda facts!) As for Terminus' name, I got that idea from the internet. Terminus is actually a real Latin word that means "end", and, according to some scource I read, its from that word that the word Termina is actuall derived from. So yay for real world word play! XD And the end of you review kinda forshadowed something that is gonna be brought up in this very chapter! Haha! But you'll have to read on to find out what! ;)

Zelink005-Yeah, Terminus and her hero are pretty tragic, aren't they? I hate to say it, but their tragic saga does not have a happy ending... at least not in this story! But hey, maybe I'll tie things up for them in Light and Shadow, who knows? its a long way off, but it is something to think about... ;)

Mekuda-THANKS! hahaha lol. Yeah, I kinda suprised myself with Terminus... she is a pretty complex character now that I think about it... probaply the most interesting OC I've ever written... then again, I don't usually write OCs in my stories... hm... I'm glad that she's being well recieved though! :D

And that is it, my beautiful readers! Let us begin!

Chapter 4: Terminus and the Deity

"Wishing you were somehow here again, wishing you were somehow near...
Sometimes it seems, if I just dreamed, somehow you would be here...
Wishing I could hear your voice again, knowing that I never would...
Dreaming of you, won't help me to do all that I dreamed I could..."
-Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again, Phantom of the Opera

A solemn, prolonged silence settled upon Termina Field in the wake of the Deity's defeat. Terminus still clung onto the mask that bore semblance to her former hero, gazing longingly into its empty face as she began to weep softly. The sound of her quiet crying was the only thing that could be heard across the field for several minutes as she mourned the loss of her once-beloved hero. Unable to do much else at the moment, Link and Zelda glanced at each other sadly, moved with pity for the goddess of Termina in all of her sorrow.

"You loved him... didn't you?" Zelda asked her sister gently, finally breaking through the stillness of the area.

Terminus remained quiet for a moment as she stared at the mask, before a small, yet sad smile crossed her face. "I did..." she said wistfully. "And he loved me... From the moment we first met, we were both smitten with each other. We used to spend many happy hours walking through these fields, hand-in-hand, without a care in the world. Never before had I encountered a mortal who was so dear to my heart. It was as though our souls were as one... but now it feels as though a piece of my own soul has been severed along with his." Sighing, she hung her head in grief as she continued softly. "Perhaps it was not the will of the fates for us to be together... After all, how happy could we have been? I am a goddess and he was a mortal... Our kinds are not meant to mix..."

As Terminus said this a sudden wave of worry came over Zelda. She realized that her situation was quite similar to this, but at the same time, it was very different. Like her twin, she was indeed a goddess of ancient times, but at the same time, she was also a mortal. For the first time since she gained the goddess's memories, Zelda realized that she wasn't really one person any more, but rather two separate beings entirely. She had the scattered, distant memories and some of the more simple powers of the goddess Hylia, but she had been born as the mortal Zelda, who had different, yet complete memories of another life entirely. A life that was more personal to her than Hylia's ever could be. And yet, ever since she had found out that she was the goddess reborn, it was as though those two lives seemed to conflict with each other. She hadn't really thought about it until now, but recently her dreams had been of the goddess's past than her own and her thoughts and ideas often seemed to mirror Hylia's instead of coming from her own mind. Zelda regularly tried to suppress it, not wanting to loose who she used to be before she was Hylia, but she couldn't hide away what was ultimately another part of herself. It was a plight that only she could ever know, and it was because of this fact that she often felt isolated from her friends and family, those who only really knew her as Zelda, but treated her with heightened respect now since they found out that she was also Hylia. But even so, there was one person who didn't care that she was part goddess. Someone who still treated her like he had ever since the two of them had simply been childhood friends, before she discovered that she was Hylia and before he found out that he was her chosen hero. And, as she glanced over at Link, still cringing in pain from his chest wound, she bit her lip in sudden nervousness. There was no question that she cared for him deeply, perhaps even as much as Terminus had cared for her own hero. Though she had kept it a secret from everybody, even him, Zelda knew that she had always liked him more than just a friend, even before the surface incident. When she was younger, she used to innocently dream of the two of them sharing a romantic relationship one day. But if what Terminus had said was true, now that she knew she was part goddess, was such a relationship something she could really hope to peruse? Could her and Link really be able to find happiness together considering their differing statuses? Was it something that just wasn't meant to be?

"But perhaps this is for the best..." Terminus went on after another moment of silence. "My duty is to this land... It safety and prosperity were entrusted to me by the goddesses themselves. It must be my first priority above all else. Now I can concentrate on helping this land heal itself After all, my hero no longer suffers under the bonds of Majora's evil will. Though he cannot be restored to his former self, his heroic spirit still endures, yet so does the great power granted to him by the demon. Such power is far too dangerous to keep in the grasp of man... That is why I have sealed the spirit of the Deity away into this mask. In such a way, his spirit will still exist to endlessly peruse justice, and perhaps someday, if this land faces danger again, his incredible strength may be used to aid Termina in a future time..." The goddess smiled genuinely as she stood and lifted the mask into the air. A soft glow began to form around it as Terminus continued. "To ensure that it is not misused, the mask will remain within my care for all time." As she said this, the Fierce Deity's Mask vanished into thin air, the spirit of her former hero entering into the watchful protection of the goddess of Termina.

With the mask gone out of sight, Terminus turned to Link and Zelda and smiled gratefully at them. "I cannot thank the two of you enough for your assistance," she said kindly. "If you had not come along, then Majora certainly would have had its way with both me and my hero. And though my hero is gone, this land will see peace once more... for a time." Terminus's warm smile suddenly faded when she noticed that Link was still suffering from his large, deep wound, barely conscious from the crippling pain. Feeling great pity for the hero who had saved her land, she kneeled down in front of him and Zelda, looking into his exhusted blue eyes. "Please," she said softly. "Allow me to heal that for you. It is the least I can do after all you have done for me."

Link simply nodded wearily, in too much pain to even speak. Within the past few short minutes, the heavily bleeding cut had taken its toll; the loss of blood had weakened him so much that the only reason he was still sitting up was thanks to Zelda supporting him. Clearly seeing this, Terminus rose to her feet once more and moved to stand behind him, gently placing both of her hands on his back as they took on a soft golden glow. A warm, healing comfort shot through the hero, filling him with instant soothing relief. As Terminus worked her healing magic, Zelda moved to kneel down in front of him, taking his hands to help speed the process along.

"Hey," she said quietly with a soft smile. "Are you gonna be OK?"

The hero gave her a reassuring smile and a nod as the pain began to subside thanks to Terminus's rejuvenating powers. Concentrating on her work, the goddess sealed the cut up and took the pain away, but neither Link nor Zelda saw her eyes grow wide in sudden surprise and her mouth open in shock as she noticed something very unnerving and familiar about the wound.

"You know..." Zelda continued as she glanced down at their intertwined hands. "I've never seen you fight like that before. You were so... so fierce."

As she said this, Terminus's eyes grew even wider as she realized exactly what had happened to the hero in the battle. And, as she look down to him and her sister, she frowned worriedly, knowing that Zelda could not know about it, but nonetheless, Link had to know.

The hero also frowned, knowing that he didn't defeat the Deity on his own. "Zelda..." he said, finally feeling strong enough to speak once more. "There's something important I need to tell you... I-"

"Finished!" Terminus broke in hastily, purposely interrupting him. "How are you feeling, Link?"

"Much better," the hero said with a smile as Zelda helped him to his feet. "Thank you."

"I should be thanking you," the goddess said warmly, though there was still a trace of worry in her eyes. "Now that Majora's influence has vanished from this land, I can ensure its complete protection, even though my powers have faded over the years. When we part ways, I will send my four guardian giants out to the four corners of this land to watch over its people. Their budding civilizations may now grow and prosper in peace, and that fact alone brings joy to my aching heart. And so, to show my appreciation for this great favor that the two of you have done for me, I would like to reward you both as much as I am able."

"Oh, Terminus, you don't have to," Zelda said with a slight wave of the hand.

"Ah, but I insist," her sister said with a cheerful grin. "After all, its the least I can do. Now I know that its not much, but Link, I would be very honored if you kept the Great Fairy's Sword. Its edges will never dull and it can cut through any armor, not matter how thick or magical. I trust that you will use its mystical strength well. And as for you Zelda, my dearest sister, I would like you to take this," The goddess held out her hands to reveal the Ocarina of Time, its beautiful, blue surface shimmering in the late afternoon sunshine. Zelda hesitantly reached out to take it, knowing that it was her sister's treasured possession but not wanting to decline her warm hospitality. However, the moment she touched it, its already soft glow grew even brighter as a silver band formed around the mouth piece of the instrument, bearing the mark of the Triforce. Terminus smiled as her twin took it fully, knowing the significance of this. "The crest of the golden power is a sign that the goddesses intended for the Ocarina of Time and the Goddess's Harp to be together from their creation. They gave it to me ages ago, in the hopes that the two of us would reunite and that both instruments would be used to protect the Triforce. The people of this land no longer have access to the golden relic, and I don't think they ever will again. Now the Triforce rests in your land, Hylia. My hope is that this gift will help you keep it from falling into the wrong hands... and that it will serve as a reminder of this land and I. Please, take it."

Zelda returned her smile as she embraced her sister in thanks for the ocarina, silently promising her that she would do everything in her power to keep it safe from harm. However, once they broke apart, Terminus' expression changed from blithe to serious as her smile faded. "Hylia..." she said to Zelda, though her gaze was directed at Link. "If you don't mind... might I have a word with your hero in private?"

Zelda and Link exchanged a brief glance, and though the girl was a bit confused she smiled and nodded, not suspecting that something was wrong like her sister and her hero did. "Of course," she said as she took her leave to give them a few moments of privacy, though she was naturally curious about what was going on. Maybe Terminus just wants to thank him some more by himself... Zelda thought as she walked away from them. Whatever the reason for her sister's odd and sudden request, she wasn't too bothered with it. Most likely, it wasn't that big of a deal, so why worry about it?

As soon as Terminus saw that Zelda was out of earshot, she turned to face the hero, her manner grave and somber. "Link, I must ask you something very important," she said tensely. "After you were wounded by the Deity, did you notice or feel anything... strange?"

Link nodded solemnly, hoping that Terminus could fill in the blanks about what happened to him during the battle. "Yes," he said, thinking back to the unnerving experience. "I can't remember it exactly though... I was both hot and cold at the same time, and it was like someone was saying something to me that I couldn't really understand. And then... I guess I blacked out..."

"Were you aware of what was happening after that?" Terminus asked, a look of worry clear on her face.

"No, not at all," the hero answered. "Not until Zelda brought me out of it somehow."

The goddess of Termina sighed sadly as she looked down to the ground. "Then it is as I feared..." she said quietly, her voice morose and woeful. "Link, there is something very important that I must warn you about. Something that even I could have never foreseen when I asked you to battle the Deity..." She took in a deep breath before continuing. "I believe that Majora let you defeat the Deity."

"Why would it do that?" he asked, wondering why the demon would let him take down its strongest servant so easily.

Terminus closed her eyes for a moment, dreading what she knew she had to tell him. "Because," she said, looking him straight in the eyes. "Majora has found a better vessel to house its powers in... You..."

"What?" the hero asked, confused and taken aback by this revelation.

The goddess sighed once more, as she fought back her pressing tears of guilt. "I noticed it while I was healing your wound," she began. "I suspect that during the battle, Majora, still commanding the Deity to attack, sensed that you were a formidable opponent, one with a spirit much stronger than my hero's. Majora wanted to claim your spirit as its own like it had with my hero and so, it forced the Deity to wound you. But this was no normal wound. The demon used the Deity's blade to fill you with its corruption. Because it no longer had use for the Deity, Majora pervaded your senses and took over your physical being, forcing you to defeat him. However, unlike my hero, you were able to break free from the demon's control and return to yourself. But... I am afraid that you are still not free from Majora's corruption. That wound will not go away, even though I healed it the best I could. The Song of Healing did nothing to rid you of it and neither did my powers. Majora knows that if it can fully corrupt you like it did my hero, then you will make a much stronger servant for its dark designs than the even the Deity was. Because of your strong spirit, Majora could not overtake you immediately. And so now, it intends to do so gradually. It wants to spread its influence to every part of your soul until you belong to it entirely. At the moment, its reigns of corruption are wrapped around you loosely, but they will tighten and tighten until you are lost completely, replaced by what will ultimately be another Fierce Deity..."

Link was silent for a moment after Terminus finished her explanation, simply trying to take it all in. He understood well everything she had told him, and he believed her, but he was having trouble trying to come to grips with it. The fact that he could fall victim to the same fate that Terminus's hero had no doubt frightened him. From the way that the goddess spoke, this was something that was going to happen no matter what. Which meant that he only had an indefinite amount of time left before Majora would take over him completely and certainly, the unrelenting demon would force him to commit horrendous acts against his will, perhaps even hurt those he cared about, including Zelda. And as he realized this, the hero knew that he couldn't let that happen. Even if it was for Zelda's sake more than his own, Link vowed to himself that he was going to do everything in his power to keep himself from being corrupted. No matter how difficult it could be, he was determined to overcome this. "Is there any way to stop it?" he asked Terminus, hiding all traces of worry or fear.

She shook her head sadly as a tear finally slipped down her cheek. "None that I know of," she said mournfully. "Majora will not rest until you are fully corrupted. Already it is working tirelessly, trying to pervade your thoughts and actions. Even I do not know how long it will take. I... I am so sorry, Link... This is all my fault. If I had known about Majora's trickery, I never would have even asked you to take on the Deity. I see now that this was not your fight; it was mine, but I had been too weak to win it on my own. And now, because of my weakness, another noble hero must suffer Majora's corruption..."

"Its not your fault," he said consolingly. "After all, none of us could have known. And besides, I'm not going to go down without a fight."

"This isn't something that you can just fight away, Link," Terminus said, feeling more guilty than ever. "I admire your will, but this is unlike anything you have every faced before. The spirit of my hero was exceedingly strong, but Majora managed to corrupt even him. Yours is stronger, yes, but that won't be enough to save you from it. As much as it pains me to say this, the chances of you coming out of this are almost nonexistent. I am so sorry..."

As Terminus continued to weep softly in grief and pity for his plight, Link's determination to survive this impending corruption grew stronger than ever, despite the goddess clearly saying that he would not make it. The hero refused to believe that there was no hope. There had to be a way, and he was going to find that way, not matter how long it took. "We have to tell Zelda about this," he said, turning to go get her before being stopped by Terminus grasping his arm.

"No, you can't!" she cried fearfully. "Please, for her own good, she cannot know about this."

"She has a right to know," Link said, glancing over at the girl as she stood several feet away from them. For as long as he and Zelda had been friends, they had never hidden anything from each other, and the hero certainly did not intend to leave her in the dark about something so important.

"Link... I am asking you to keep this a secret from her," Terminus insisted, her green eyes forlorn and pained. "You could not possibly know how much pain it brought my heart as I watched my own hero fall into Majora's corruption. I could not bear for my beloved sister to go through the same suffering I had. I know that you care for her deeply as well. If she knew that this was happening to you... it would certainly break her heart. Do you want her to know the same grief that I know?"

The hero took in a deep breath, knowing that she was right. He couldn't possibly do that to Zelda. He couldn't let her suffer like that and he wasn't going to. He nodded in agreement with Termina, knowing that he had to keep this dark secret from his best friend for her own sake, as much as he didn't want to lie to her. "Fine," he said, looking over in Zelda's direction once more. "But she's going to find out eventually."

"I know..." Terminus sighed. "But for now, you must at the very least, try to maintain a sense of normality. Try to keep her happy for the time being so she will have something to look back on. Perhaps it will do you some good as well. The corruption is in its very weak, beginning stages now but it can only advance from there. The only advice I can really give you now is be careful. Again... I cannot apologize enough for what has happened. If there was any way I could fix this, believe me, I would."

Link simply nodded solemnly, knowing that Terminus was sincere. With nothing more to say on the matter, the two of them reunited with Zelda, both of them keeping a straight face to give off the guise that nothing was wrong, when, in reality, there was a problem that none of them could really fix. Zelda, however, wasn't oblivious. When she noticed that the hero was avoiding eye contact with her from the moment they regrouped, she immediately gained the idea that something was amiss. "What's wrong?" she whispered to him as he came to stand beside her again.

"Nothing," Link said as casually as he could.

"Are you sure?" she persisted, not buying his false calm. "You seem kinda tense... What did you and Terminus talk about?"

"Um... Nothing that important," he lied, feeling incredibly guilty. Part of him feared that Zelda, who could see through pretty much anything, would catch on and find out on her own and another part of him worried that he'd slip up and accidentally tell her. But he had resolved to hide it from her, for her own good. And he was going to stand by that, no matter how hard she pressured him or how much his own guilt got to him.

Zelda frowned, wanting to question him about it more, but deciding to drop it for the moment as Terminus spoke to the two of them again. "Well, I suppose it is time for us to part ways," she said with a gentle smile. "After all, 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..."

Zelda returned her smile as she embraced her sister, sad to leave her but knowing that her and Link had return to their own land. "I'm sure we'll come back someday," she said kindly. "Thank you, Terminus. For everything."

Terminus's smile faded slightly as she met eyes with Link in the midst of their hug. The two of them shared the same expression of dread and guilt, but they dared not let Zelda see. "No, thank you, my sister," Terminus whispered to her. "I am glad that, after all these years, our bond has not faded. I pray that you find happiness with your hero. More happiness than I was able to find with mine... Hylia... or Zelda, rather... I implore you to enjoy what you have, while you still have it. You never know when it might be gone..." She said as their hug disbanded, nodding silently to Link as a hint to her twin. Zelda followed her gaze and immediately realized what Terminus was trying to tell her. And she knew that her sister was right; she didn't know how long she would have her hero for. Perhaps they would have each other for only a little longer or for many years into the future, but Zelda knew that for however long they had left, she had to make sure that he knew how she felt. And, she intended to start showing him as soon as possible.

"The forest will open a path up to the two of you that shall guide you home," Terminus said as the couple turned to leave. "Again, I cannot thank both of you enough. May the graces of the golden goddesses carry you both!"

Zelda and Link both said their goodbyes to Terminus as they took in one last glimpse of her strange, yet intriguing land. The goddess was true to her word as a clear path extended out before them, leading the way back to their native home. As they walked through the deep woods, Zelda unceremoniously slipped her hand into Link's, who was still in deep thought about everything Terminus had told him. But even so, he glanced down at their intertwined hands and couldn't help but smile a little, letting a little of his worry ease away as the two of them headed for home at a comfortable pace, both of them gradually moving closer together until they were barely even a few inches apart. They remained like this, in a calm and collected silence, even as they broke out of the woods and returned to the surface they knew, both of them savoring a blissful peace that could really only be temporary anymore.

Ok guys! What did ya think? was the wait worth it? I just happened to establish several subplots in this chapter that will be central to the drama later on, so keep em in mind! Oh, and if any of you are wondering if Terminus is going to make a reappearance in the story later on, I can promise you that she will! But for the next few chapters, why don't we bring in some Skyward Sword characters, huh? After all, that is the game this story is based on... though with all these Majora's Mask references, it might be kinda confusing! So for the next few chapters things are kinda gonna be pretty chill, with some romance, a little bit of fluff, some foreshadowing, some angst, maybe even a little humor! That's all i gotta say for this time, except for please don't forget to REVIEW! Until Next Time! ;D