And here it is! The final epilogue chapter! I just wanna take a second to express how fricken thankful I am for all who have read, reviewed, and liked this little story that I managed to make. It means so much to me, and I hope you guys would like what I have in store for the future of it all! I think you guys will like the sequel, but please let me know what you think! Anyways, I won't keep you guys any longer, here we go. Please enjoy!
-Joost

The Fierce God Given Life
Epilogue 3: Anniversary

Three and a half months later...

It was the start of a very special time for Link. It was the start of the Carnival of Time. Just three days to go until the event could kick off properly, now that there wasn't a moon looming above the country, threatening to crash. However, that's all Link saw it as. He didn't really think to read a little more into what time of year it was, at least in relation to him and Termina.

Anju knew all too well what day it was. It was exactly one year since Link came to Termina. She had planned a special event for him for weeks now, everyone aside from the boy himself knowing about it. Kafei, Cremia, Romani, and herself spent a lot of time planning to surprise him.

Of course, Link knew something was up. As usual, he was extremely aware of his surroundings and picked up on how strange everyone else had been acting over time, but the date got the best of him, and he was rendered clueless as to why they were acting so odd. Regardless, he tried not to pay it any mind.

There was a knock on the door to the Stock Pot Inn. Anju, knowing exactly who was at the door, pretended to be preoccupied with taking inventory in the kitchen to answer it.

"Link, honey? Could you get the door?" Anju called for her surrogate son, the boy still quite drowsy upstairs.

Link opened the door to his bedroom, letting the sunlight peering through his windows flood into the small patch of darkness that wasn't illuminated by the light of the hallway. Slowly making his way downstairs, he yawned before reaching for the knob to the front door.

"Hello Grasshopper!" Romani's voice woke Link up almost immediately. His eyes widened as he looked at Romani and Cremia. Today wasn't a delivery day, right?

"Oh, hey! What brings you guys here?" Link looked with confusion as the sisters walked inside.

"It's training day for Romani!" Cremia said casually, the training spear in her hands. She was sure to sound as normal as possible. Keeping Romani's actual training day a secret from Link was the hard part of the week prior, but she still couldn't mess this up.

"Oh… alright." Link gave Cremia a suspicious look before shrugging. He decided not to pay it much mind. He was just glad to see Romani again. Her and her lovely blue dress that captivated him to no end.

Romani was now thirteen, and she wore it like a badge of honor. She felt strong, but also a little confused. She expected Link to be at least a little older than her, but when her birthday came around, he still considered himself twelve. In reality, he never knew his birthday. The Kokiri did make a day just for him, but the lack of calendar in Kokiri Forest made it so that he never knew when exactly it was compared to how long he had been in Termina.

Anju was determined to change that. Her and Kafei thought long and hard about whether or not they should consider the days leading up to the Carnival of Time as Link's birthday, but after seeing how his new life really began in the three days before the big event, it felt fitting. But they didn't know if Link himself would agree with that idea.

"So, how long will you guys be here?" Link asked tentatively.

"Romani doesn't know. Why?" Romani was a little confused at Link's question.

"I have something I need… need to do. I-In Snowhead and then Great Bay." Link looked down at himself for a brief second. The reason why he was heading to those regions was for a particularly personal occasion.

"Um… When do you plan to go?" Cremia jumped in, ready to improvise.

"In about an hour." Link replied, thinking nothing of the inquiry.

Cremia inwardly sighed in relief. She could work with that. "Oh, that's just a few minutes before we need to get Romani to training!"

Link smiled. He was glad he could have an hour to hang out with Romani. It was a little odd that they had so conveniently arrived to spend an hour with him, but he didn't think much of it. His acute sense of curiosity had diminished by a bit since his investigation of a certain clan of robed menaces a few months ago. He was fine with just going with the flow for now.

"Let's go to your room, Grasshopper!" Romani was eager to spend time with her best friend. It was torture to have to avoid him the entire time she was actually training.

Link led Romani upstairs and to his bedroom. He opened the door and was a little disappointed to see that the sunlight that had been beaming through his windows earlier had been snuffed out by a cloud. Romani was glad to see Link's bedroom, regardless of the sun.

The pair instinctively made their way to the bed, Link flopping down and stretching out slightly, Romani sitting down neatly. Neither gave any mind to the sword and shield that rested in the corner across from them. The layer of dust that blanketed them was much more considerable now.

"So, Grasshopper…" Romani slinked towards the boy in beige as he smiled at her. She had once again snuck away to read one of Cremia's 'personal' books, and a new idea embedded itself in her head ever since.

"What do you think of Romani's training?" Romani put on a devilish smirk, at least to the best of her ability. Crawling slowly towards Link, she put her arms in between her boyfriend, almost pinning him down, her legs set in between his torso.

"Uhm… I th-think it's… good!" Link stuttered, doing his best to speak coherently. He had no clue how to react to what Romani was doing. It made him feel something quite foreign.

"Good. Romani's happy she can protect Grasshopper, just like how you have." Romani whispered in Link's ear. She inched closer to the boy under her and kissed him on the cheek.

Just then, she couldn't remember what the girl in Cremia's story did next. She remained still until she realized Link was staring at her. The wide look in his eyes caused her to finally be freed from the trance she was trapped in. Then her cheeks flushed, matching the hue of Link's.

"R-Romani?" Link asked, seeing the baffled confusion plastered across his best friend's face. She could only chuckle nervously in response before getting off of Link, embarrassed.

"Sorry, Grasshopper. Romani just wanted to…" The ranch girl hesitated to continue. She felt it'd be silly to say why exactly she did all that.

"Wanted to what?"

"…to show… more affection." Romani's usual cheery personality had vanished when she muttered those words. Link was taken aback slightly.

"Romani, you already show me plenty of affection." Link put his hand on Romani's shoulder and looked her in the eyes. He knew how it felt to think that he never gave as much as he received. "I'll always know you love me…"

Link brought Romani in for a hug, and she gladly accepted. For a while the two kids embraced, never wanting the moment to end. When Cremia walked by the door, she did her best to refrain from giggling at them.

Some time later, Link and Romani were laying on the bed, snuggling. Link kept his arm wrapped around Romani and her hand remained on his chest. Both of them did their best from dozing off. It was so difficult to stay awake. Hearing the gentle heartbeat of the other was unbelievably soothing.

Link grunted slightly, a stray thought entering his head and making him feel a little possessive of Romani. He tightened his grip around her and pulled her closer, causing Romani to gasp in surprise. She somewhat liked this side of Link.

They enjoyed each other's warmth until the Clock Tower struck noon. Link's eyes shot open, and he remembered what he had planned for the past few days.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Link's sudden loudness startled Romani, and she whined slightly when the boy in beige rose from the bed in a hurry.

"What are you doing, Grasshopper?" Romani asked as she sat up.

"I need to get to Snowhead. It's something important." Link gave Romani a look that told her that he didn't want to leave her either.

"Alright…" Romani said, frowning.

"Good luck with training!" Link said as he stood in the doorway, looking back at Romani. Suddenly, it was her turn to remember something. She had an act to adhere to.

"R-Right! Thank you, Grasshopper!" Romani gave Link a smile as he left. Now all that wandered her mind was what exactly he was going to be doing in Snowhead.

"Bye mom, bye dad!" Link waved Anju and Kafei goodbye.

"Take care!" Kafei replied.

"Be sure to be back by at least three o'clock!" Anju hollered just before Link stepped out the door. He nodded before leaving.

Anju and Kafei took a minute to ensure Link wouldn't hear them from outside before beckoning to the ranch sisters. "He's gone! Let's get started!"

Romani and Cremia soon appeared, and all four of them held smirks. The sisters immediately went outside to check if the coast was clear. When they heard the distant neigh of Epona, and then the sound of galloping hooves getting farther away, they left the Inn to fetch the carriage. Meanwhile, Anju and Kafei went to the kitchen and got all the firewood they had collected. The innkeeper was determined that today was going to be perfect for her surrogate son, if it was the last thing she'd do.

Link dismounted from Epona as soon as they got to the Mountain Village. The loyal steed made her way to the pond and started to take a drink, and Link jumped into the water and swam towards the small platform that was connected to a stone wall. There, he started to climb.

Epona watched with interest as Link climbed up the wall, the rungs not needing the Lens of Truth to be seen now that it was the spring. Slowly but surely, he made it to the top, but he didn't go into the cave that faced him right away. He was lost in thought for a minute, thinking about why he was here on this particular day.

Link eventually took a step forward, then another, and another. He walked through the entrance to the Goron Graveyard. There, Link saw who he expected to see standing by the hot spring, his little arms wrapped behind him. There was something laying on the ground to the right of him, but Link couldn't make out what it was.

The young Goron didn't have to look to know who was behind him. There was only one other person who would've come here on this day. Link had come to visit the graves of the departed occasionally in the months prior, but today was special.

Link didn't say a word as he walked up beside the Goron Elder's Son, gazing at the grave of Darmani III. The boy in beige interlocked his right hand with his left and stood straight, keeping them behind him, just like the little Goron next to him. The two silently paid their respects to the fallen hero.

It was quiet for a long time, only the sound of water dripping from the stalactites above, and the faint wind blowing outside. The silence was finally broken by the young Goron. It took him a lot of courage to speak up.

"It's still hard to believe Darmi is really gone…" The way the Goron said Darmani's name was always a little humorous. Regardless, it showed how much he adored the great hero.

"I know." Link said, never parting his eyes from the grave across from him.

"He didn't deserve this…" The Elder's Son said, refraining from letting his voice choke up. Link thought about what he'd say next. He didn't want to offend someone who was still grieving with loss.

"I've got some understanding on what you feel…" Link began. The Goron child felt like scoffing, but he was interested in what the boy next to him had to say. "To lose someone you look up to. It's hard to accept that they're gone."

"I think about him often. About if he'd be proud of how I handled things…" Link continued. It wasn't clear if Link was talking about the Goron hero, or a certain tree from back home. The Elder's son almost turned to look at the boy but didn't. "When I first met him, he was overcome with the feeling of failure."

"I did my best to heal his soul. I just hope… he passed on without any regrets." Link couldn't help but think of the stream of sparkling tears Darmani had left. The brilliant shimmer they left behind always stuck with him.

"He did." The Goron child replied. While he had no true way of knowing if it was true, he felt sure of it within his gut. The power of the Sworn Brotherhood that each Goron had could almost transcend reality.

Link was astonished at the maturity in the young Goron's voice. In a way, the two were the same. Both were wiser beyond their years, but sadly that knowledge was gained through tragedy.

Then the Goron Elder's Son bent down to pick up the object that was sitting to his right. Link finally got a good look at it.

The Goron Mask.

The young Goron walked forwards to the hot spring, going only ankle-deep before stopping. Link watched with curiosity, having an idea at what the child may be doing. He carefully placed the mask in the water and gave it a gentle push, sending it floating towards the grave of Darmani III. Walking back to Link, he turned back to stare at the grave once more.

Suddenly, simultaneously, the two shifted their feet together and rose their right arms. For a long while they stood, saluting the fallen.

When the Goron lowered his arm, Link followed suit. They remained silent again until the child turned to leave. Link looked at the young Goron as he walked away, but when he stopped, the former hero froze.

"Thank you… for being able to understand." The Elder's son said. When Link nodded, he felt the need to apologize for something. "I'm sorry about hurting your foot."

"It's alright." Link replied with a smile. He decided to join the young Goron, leaving the final resting place of Darmani. There he could rest.

"Hope to see you again." Link said as he and the Goron Elder's son exited the cave that contained the slopes leading to the graveyard. He extended his hand towards the child and hoped there had been some forgiveness made.

"Me too." The Goron said, shaking Link's hand.

After that, the Goron left, walking back towards the village. Link was happy that he had reconciled with at least one of the loved ones of the departed. But his next place he needed to visit was one where he was a lot more afraid to see. Link hopped onto Epona, and she trotted away, directly towards the Great Bay.

As soon as he was in view of the sea, he saw her. Lulu. She was standing right by the grave of her lover, a familiar look on her face. He got off of Epona and slowly made his way towards her.

"He should have been home by now." Anju looked at the clock as it just passed five after three. She was worried something had happened, or perhaps they did something wrong.

"Anju, please calm down. He's just running a little late." Kafei consoled his wife, and she nodded hesitantly.

Anju's worry was lifted when she heard the front door open. Link walked solemnly inside and sat down on the bench.

"Oh, there you are, honey!" Anju exclaimed as she laid her eyes on Link.

"Hey." Link waved, not much emotion in his response. Anju could tell he was feeling down, and she decided it was the perfect time to begin her plan.

"Link, I want to show you something." Anju said, walking around the front desk of and sitting beside her son. "It's something very special, but you're going to need to wear a blindfold."

Kafei was right on cue with raising his hand, showing the purple cloth in his grasp. Link was puzzled at what was being asked of him, but he complied. He got up and was given the blindfold, and Anju helped him put it on.

"Now, just let me guide you outside." Anju held onto Link's shoulders and let Kafei walk past her to open the front door.

"A-Alright…" Link let Anju take the lead, even though she was behind him. She gently pushed him forward and he heard the knob of the door open slowly, it's signature creak being all too familiar. His steps were wobbly, and the family made their way outside.

"Watch your step, kiddo." Kafei warned. Link readied himself and safely walked down the step from the exit to East Clock Town and he knew he was in Termina Field.

"Alright, just wait here, honey." Anju whispered into Link's ear and walked away with Kafei.

For a minute, Link was left standing around like a dope. He could swear he heard whispers and the muffled neigh of a horse, and he fought the urge to remove his blindfold. He raised his arms slightly when he heard someone's shoes slip. Luckily, there wasn't a sound of an impact afterwards, and he calmed down.

"Uh, is everything okay?" Link asked out, his worry getting the better of him.

"Yeah, we're good!" Kafei replied. Another minute passed and everything was ready.

"Okay, you can look now!" Anju called out.

Link slowly removed his blindfold and stared at the scene before him. It was Anju, Kafei, Romani, and Cremia, standing by the carriage. He could see a few bundles of wood in the wagon alongside two large jars of milk.

"Wh-What's all this?" Link stuttered, still confused.

"You'll see, Grasshopper!" Romani said playfully. She gestured for him to come over to her, and they all piled into the carriage.

"Everyone ready?" Cremia asked, looking back at the others. Everyone besides Link nodded, and she gently pulled the reigns and the horse started off. Link had no idea what to expect so far. The wood and milk sitting beside him was cause for a lot of ideas to start streaming through his head. The constant smirks Anju, Kafei, and Romani shared didn't help him either.

After a while, Link noticed that the carriage was passing the road to Ikana Canyon again. Were they going around in a circle?

"So, where are we going?" Link finally asked.

"Somewhere… Maybe." Cremia said in response. She kind of enjoyed making her words cryptic. When Cremia pulled the carriage to a stop in the middle of the road to the Southern Swamp, Link assumed it was time to get out. He foot was about to touch the ground when the wagon suddenly started moving again, almost making him fall out.

"Silly Grasshopper, we aren't getting out here!" Romani teased Link as she pulled him back into the carriage. His expression of pure bewilderment made her giggle.

A while of aimless traveling finally stopped when the group pulled into Romani Ranch. By then the sun had started to set, and Link had no clue what was going on. He watched as the others disembarked from the carriage, but he was hesitant to get out.

"What are you waiting for, Link?" Cremia said to the boy just a few feet away. She made sure the carriage was right next to the place she had planned. Taking the bundle of wood from the carriage, Cremia

"Aren't we going to go inside?" Link said, pointing towards the ranch house in the distance.

"Nope!" Cremia chuckled lightly and sat down next to a rock, starting to unwrap the wood to prepare a campfire.

"Come on, Grasshopper." Romani took her boyfriend's hand and dragged him out from the wagon to sit down. Cremia had finally got the wood to light, and the campfire began to crackle. As dusk settled, Link decided to finally ask the question everyone was anticipating.

"Alright, can someone please explain what's going on?" Link was far too eager to know, and the suspense was starting to get to him. Anju and Kafei could only laugh at how he was.

"Link, honey. It's been a year ever since you came to Termina." Anju began, her voice calming Link's nerves. The stars were becoming visible in the sky at last, and the innkeeper looked up to gaze at them. "We wanted to talk to you about your birthday."

Link immediately withdrew into his shell. He drew his legs towards his torso and made his golden bangs cover his eyes. It had been some time since it had happened last, and Anju quickly grew afraid. "Baby, it's alright. Our plan was to have your birthday be… well, this time of year."

"What do you mean?" Link asked, his head rising slowly.

"Last year, all of us were troubled. There was something in the sky that was striking fear into all of us. We weren't ourselves…" Anju recounted how she felt during the events of the year prior, with Kafei and Cremia looking down as well.

"But, it all changed when you came along. You helped us all, and we can't think you enough." Anju continued, lowering her eyes to meet her son's. "We think it'd be appropriate to have your birthday be the days leading up to the Carnival."

Link thought about the idea for a minute. It was true that when he entered Clock Town on that fateful day, his new life had somewhat begun. When he defeated Majora and elected to stay in Termina, that was when it was really set in stone. Then, with the defeat of the Garo Master and the Fierce Deity's freedom, he wanted to settle down. Every memory he had made in his new home came back in an instant, and a small smile formed.

"There's the smile I know." Kafei smirked at Link, and the boy blushed. Anju leaned onto Kafei's shoulder, and she couldn't keep her eyes of her boy. She loved the look of wonder in his eyes as he kept gazing at everyone around him. She looked at the campfire and admired the embers of the fire rising into the air, dancing about.

"How about we get a drink?" Cremia said, standing up and clapping her hands together. The smiles she received told her all she needed to know. She moseyed on over to the carriage, reaching for the milk jugs that sat just next to Anju and her husband.

Pouring each of them a glass of standard milk, Cremia served up the drinks. Everyone had their fill of the amazing Romani-bred beverage. Sighing and stretching out to relax, Link gave some of his attention to the sounds of the fauna. The fireflies were finally starting to appear, and the chirps of the crickets and grasshoppers filled the air.

Link watched as a peculiar grasshopper interacted with a curious firefly. They stuck their little appendages out towards each other, and they got along well almost instantly. It was fascinating, and the young boy couldn't help but feel an odd sense of déjà vu at the sight.

Then, Link chose to get out the Ocarina of Time. Everyone looked his way as he played a few notes, then some more, all forming a song. It was the Sonata of Awakening.

"That's a lovely song, Link." Anju complemented. Link smiled at her words and played it again.

Every note that came from the instrument was a treat to listen to, and the group enjoyed each other's company for the rest of the night. Link dozed off in the wee hours of the morning, Romani by his side. His last thoughts before being sent off to the realm of dreams where just how much he enjoyed things now. He was excited to continue living in Termina. He aspired to grow older with the family he had found, grow wiser, and have the life that was promised to him by that princess he couldn't quite remember the name of.

He felt happy, and he fell asleep happy.

The End.