γνῶθι σεαυτόν (know yourself)
- inscription over the entrance of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi
Disguised as a humble robed pilgrim, the Queen of Hyrule met Link outside the Castle Town gatehouse, currently unbusy as most villagers and townsfolk stayed indoors even after the rioting.
Link often pushed Lady Majora off himself though she kept harassing him, more so when his helm fell off.
Zelda unhooded herself. "Who's this? Your girlfriend?"
Link paused right before pushing Majora back, his expression frozen in-between surprise of Zelda and embarrassment by his former nemesis.
Majora momentarily scampered on the spot and put an arm around Link. "Yup! I'm his girlfriend!" Eyes shut, she cocked her head and grinned—he pushed her over.
"What's going on down there?" a guard demanded from the battlements.
"Nothing!" Majora gently clawed Link's legs while purring. He kicked her away but she kept coming at him.
Another guard's head popped into view from the battlements. "Should we help him?" he called to the other guard.
"Hell no! I'm not going anywhere near that spiky-faced woman!"
"Good point." They left.
Meanwhile, Link kept the forces of darkness at bay. "A little help here?"
"Stop squirming!" Majora whined, trying to stroke Link's face but he rolled to Zelda's safety.
Majora's eyes went up and met Zelda's. "Oh, hai." Majora stood and she fixed her hair.
"Hello." Zelda gestured. "I believe we've never met, Miss…?"
Majora brushed her claws through her hair then posed. "Lady Majora."
Zelda slightly tilted her head and warmly smiled. "Your hair's very pretty!"
Majora held her cheeks, eyes beaming. "Thank you! Thanks so much!" Her grin widened.
"You haven't seen the rest of her hair…" Link grumbled. He picked up his helm, taking the advantage of Majora's self-ecstasy.
"Hey? Don't put that ugly thing over your gorgeous face!" Majora tiptoed after Link.
Zelda leaned in Majora's way, stopping her in her tracks. "A real lady can control herself at all times, Majora. Would you kindly show us what you are?"
Majora blinked once, twice. She looked at Link, then at Zelda straightening herself, then spun around and stared at…
Zelda looked back at the drawbridge, where Majora gazed. "There's nobody there."
Majora cocked her head. After the drawbridge, a tall woman was leaning against a wall, minding her own business. Her fiery hair was set in an immense ponytail and she wore silken attire.
"Lady Majora? Are you alright?" Zelda asked.
Tongue hanging out, Majora happily turned.
"Those scars down your face…" Link said. "What happened?"
"Hm? Oh!" Majora sucked her tongue back in and slowly clawed along her scars. "When I finally escaped the dimensional gap seeping towards Termina, I was attacked by a horrible man. He did this to me."
"I am sorry to hear that, Lady Majora," Zelda remarked.
"He would have killed me, but an old man on a white horse saved me. He went away before I could thank him. Warned me to not follow him to some sort of big talking tree or something…"
"Did this old man have red eyes?" Zelda asked.
Majora nodded.
"I should have guessed Ira would be mixed up in all this," the queen commented.
Link looked suspicious. "I've fought off the curses and monsters of the Lost Woods for so many years, yet I never saw you even once."
Majora got excited. "I guess you weren't looking hard enough!"
"Maybe. Where did Ira save you, anyways?"
"Hm? Oh! In the forests beyond Termina." Majora winked at him. "Same place where I frightened you off your horse all those years ago."
Link slightly chuckled. "You did catch me off-guard…"
"Wandering the path you left behind wasn't fun, especially when I got lost and fell into another gap between dimensions. I almost got killed twice in there. With all my wrath, I wanted to seal the gap, but…my powers…definitely aren't as strong as they used to be." Majora put her hands together and sweetly smiled. "But I didn't give up. With the help of a pale girl with long white hair, I made my way out the gaps and through the woods of mystery! I knew I'd find my secret best friend. And I did."
Link frowned. "You wanted to kill me, that's it."
Majora's mouth dropped.
Zelda laughed. "Oh, Link, you find the weirdest people!"
"Do I ever."
Majora's eyes fluttered in confusion. "I'm not weird, right?"
Zelda gently placed her hand on Majora's shoulder. "Oh no, my dear, you're not weird. Not at all!"
Majora closed her eyes and grinned. She needed a couple seconds to process possible sarcasm, and probably required much more for complete comprehension. When she opened her eyes, Link was frowning again. "What?"
"What you told me back in the mask shop doesn't add up anymore."
Majora cocked her head. " Hunh?"
Link's patience dwindled. "I think we better get moving, Zelda. You're not bringing any guards?"
Zelda walked with Link. "Many guards were injured after an encounter with a monstrous wolf. I would rather not risk their lives again. But, as long as they believe I'm still at the castle, they can serve a small purpose and keep my kids in check. You know how our guards are… I don't even know why we have them."
"Wait, where are you going?" Majora chirped behind.
Link stopped and frowned at Majora. "None of your damn business."
Zelda put a hand on Link's shoulder, calming him; Majora glared at Zelda's gentle touch. Such a simple gesture made jealousy surge throughout Majora's veins.
"We are heading to the Great Deku Tree. Ira intends to accomplish something he never explained. I suppose he requires information only the Great Deku Tree knows."
"Great Deku Tree… Is that at…the mysterious woods?"
"Yes," Link replied. "My home."
Majora leaned into Link, causing him to rear. She tilted her head side to side, spikes audibly shuffling. "Don't go there! The horrible people who almost killed me followed me there! I barely escaped! The old man who saved me said he was going there, too, y'know, weren't you paying attention!? That's why I attacked you! So you don't go where it's dangerous!"
Link frowned at Majora. She blinked a few times, staring blankly. "What?"
Link lowered his face and held his forehead. "All you do is lie, lie, and lie… You told me you came to Hyrule Castle while inside the Happy Mask Salesman's backpack. Then you said you were almost killed in the Lost Woods but made it here. Now you're saying your intent was to use violence to help me avoid danger… Do you have any idea how abnormally inept your stories are?"
Majora stared. "No, that was last, last time, I think…"
Link sighed. "I can't trust you. I don't want you around me."
She gasped. "No! Wait! I didn't mean it like that! I was, just, only—"
The Hero of Time leaned into Majora. She reared from his lupine eyes, her spikes wilting in defeat.
"There's something you're not telling me!"
A hand went on Link's shoulder; he stifled a snarl just in time upon noticing it was just Zelda's. Her pleading look calmed him down.
Queen Zelda clasped her hands. "Majora, a real lady never lies…unless for the safety of those she loves."
Lady Majora took a slow breath and pushed her claws through her hair…
Link scowled from impatience. "Are the forest folk endangered?"
"Hm? No, I don't think so. They're only after me. One of them warned me that Legion would pursue me for all eternity but he's lost in the forest, I think?"
"Whoever this Legion is…"
"They," Zelda corrected.
"Whoever they are… If they trouble you, I will deal with them."
Majora slowly smiled. I want to give you a hug! "I know you can! Oh, and the big guy with the skull head is allied with Legion. Skullhead wants revenge against everyone you interacted with, even me! Good thing he's lost in the forest!"
"He isn't." Link briskly took his leave, his shoulder bumping Majora's. She snarled but then posed like a young girl.
"That kinda felt good, actually…" Majora admitted. She watched Link go. "Why's he so upset?" She gave Zelda a pleading look.
Zelda's pity had some patience. "Instead of always grabbing attention, give information."
Major thought for a second. "The cause of your land's problems are of my doing. I was too young to fully understand consequences. I thought I could destroy everything inside the gap between dimensions, but instead it absorbed most of my power."
Zelda raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"Hm? Oh, when the gap expands into other worlds, it takes aspects and powers from them, becoming stronger and more complicated. I don't know how, but Legion and skullhead are like conduits for the gap. Everything they know, so does the gap, their powers adding to it, and vice-versa."
Zelda's face was stern. "Is it possible for others to serve as conduits for this…gap?"
Majora shrugged. "I guess so? The infernal engine isn't picky."
"Then we will only find out what's really going on when we find Ira and your enemies."
"Of course! I'll help in any way I can, just you see!"
Zelda nodded.
Up ahead, Link waited. The queen walked towards him but Majora heard soft woody thuds. She turned her head, the footfall stopping halfway across the drawbridge, though Majora saw nobody.