The carnival partied on into the night and was merely the herald for more celebrations to come over the next week. Nevertheless Clock Town was truly alive as festival goers threw themselves into the harlequin euphoria. Link remained near the clock tower with the mask still in his hands. He was not sure what to do with it and had lost all track of the mysterious woman in the crowd. However the lingering concern for Navi drove him to leave Termina before the carnival's end. He put a hand on the ancient door, nervous as to whether it was even possible to go back from whence he came.
A monstrous roar followed by cheers and laughter caught his attention. He turned to see the Bombers led by Jim, all dressed in costume armour like heroes of old. They were chasing and in turn being chased by two people dressed as dragons. The larger one, probably male, wore a terrifying mask with blood red eyes and a large gem set on its forehead. The shorter one was similar to a dragon warrior with reptilian features framed in metal. They pretended to fight and chase after the Bombers, the pantomime fight finally coming to a close as Jim vanquished the larger dragon. The dragon warrior cried out dramatically "The Dark Dragon has been vanquished by the mighty Lord Jim! All hope is lost!"
Her fellow performer sat up, sending Jim flying as he jested "I'm not dead yet, give me some credit."
She shrugged comically before the chase unravelled once more.
Link felt a smile appear on his face as the weight of the world was lifted from his shoulders. Termina was going to survive after all, with the Giants and Tatl, he had saved it. Knowing his job was done he pushed open the door to the clock tower and descended its ancient walkways. The large stone door that had shut behind him when he first came to this land was now open. The lingering laughter of the mask salesman hung in the air. Had it all been that merchant's doing? Was he the reason Link was spirited away to this land? If that was the case then what manner of creature was the mask salesman?
The answers to such mysteries remained concealed as Link walked through the warped forests of darkness. Lights and faces blurred past him as phantoms of the past three days. He felt his very being fade and vanish only to awaken in a field of the Lost Woods. It felt like he had been sleeping for a very long time. Epona was seated beside him, she sniffed his face and then licked it affectionately. After readying himself, he mounted his trusty steed and set off in search of Navi once more.
Time seemed to pass in a blur as the madness of the night progressed. Before Sable knew it, she was sitting above the slide in North Clock Town watching the sun rise. Her mask lifted off her face to better appreciate the view. As much as she loved her costume it was difficult to see at times. Leaning against a playground pillar was Onox tearing into a roasted Cucco like a stray animal. However by then Sable was too exhausted to be disturbed or even point out how loud his eating was. Now that she thought about it, they had not really spoken about the fight. Instead they just fell into their usual routine like nothing happened. Sable remained quiet as she worked out whether or not to even raise the subject now that they were alone. The momentary contemplation was shattered as a certain witch soared descended from the sky and knocked Sable from her perch.
Iris had practically crash tackled Sable out of affection. She had spent most of the night enjoying the carnival but also on the lookout for her friend. It was only when Iris finally bumped into Veran that she found out where she had gone. A columbina styled mask representing fire and ice with vivid shades of red and blue along with trailing plumage was strapped to her face. The colourful headdress was obviously another creation of Veran's extensive artistic vision. The Deku proudly informed "Like it? Veran calls it the Eyes of Twinrova."
"Yes, it looks very nice on you." Sable said as she picked herself up "Where have you been anyway?"
"Looking for you, if I knew you were under that dragon costume I would've talked to you sooner."
"Sorry, I didn't even see you in the crowds."
"That's alright, we still have the rest of the week to celebrate."
"Did you see the Indigo-Gos play? They were fantastic!"
"I know… sad to see it was Mikau's last concert."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I'll tell you later. Something I saw on my way into town."
"So…" Iris glanced over at Onox who had paused from eating to simply watch them "Are you still angry at us?"
He slowly rose to his feet "No, I… I may not like or accept what you've told me. But to ruin a friendship based on a stupid disagreement, that's not right either." He elaborately bowed to them "Please forgive me."
Iris and Sable exchanged looks, given his imposing figure they never suspected Onox would ever need to ask for forgiveness from anyone. He always looked powerful enough to rip you limb from limb so it was more strategic to keep him happy. Onox received his answer as they both tackled him in a hug.
The next evening the regaling continued in full force as even more Terminans flocked to Clock Town. Veran was thankful for the extra help that year with her mask stall. The obvious thrill of near extinction had reinvigorated carnival goers. She even spotted quite a few new faces among the crowds that did not make the trek to the centre of Termina in prior years. It must be the gods' luck that she made a surplus of masks to sell.
"Fairy!" Romani cheered as she ran over to the stall. The little girl slipped through the crowds with the agility of a ninja.
Veran stopped counting her rupees and gave a welcoming smile "Little Romani, good to see you again, but where is your sister? Does she know you've run off?"
She poked her tongue out "Maybe, maybe not."
"Well, why not stay with us until she catches up? You can play shopkeeper with Sable, Iris and Onox."
"Jester, Witchy and Dragon are here too!" Romani clapped her hands "That's great, I want to ask them all about their adventures. You know Witchy learnt how to fly!"
"So I've heard."
Romani disappeared around to the front of the caravan where the temporary stall had been opened up. Veran turned back to her book keeping when yet another familiar face appeared. Cremia was catching her breath as she adjusted her fringe, she breathlessly said "Have you seen my sister?"
"She's helping out with the stall."
Cremia followed Veran's pointed finger to see she was speaking the truth. Romani was in the midst of winning over the crowds alongside Iris. The two adorable girls were encouraging bystanders to put aside their judgement and buy Veran's quality masks.
"Why don't you take a break? We can watch over Romani for now."
"Thanks Veran. Oh, and do you need a place to stay after the carnival? You're welcome to stay at the ranch."
"That sounds delightful, if you don't mind the company."
"I wouldn't make the offer if I didn't want to."
"Very well, yes, we will come after the carnival."
Cremia bowed her head and went back into the crowd to enjoy a little peace and quiet herself. It's not that she found Romani to be a burden, but there were times when it was hard to take care of her much younger sister.
Sable passed Veran in search of a particular mask design requested by a customer. The blue skinned woman queried randomly "So, did you find what you were looking for in the Great Bay?"
She froze on the spot "How did you know that?"
"I know lots of things, you should know that by now."
"Well… no, not exactly."
"Be patient, that particular beast is a tricky one to catch."
"Right, thanks for the advice."
"So what are you doing after the carnival?"
"I don't know, I haven't thought that far ahead."
"Why not stick around with Onox and I? At least for a few months while you sort your life out."
"I'd like that."
"Excellent, after the carnival we're heading back to the ranch for a break."
"Does this mean I've been unwillingly made a slave? …again?"
"Don't be so dramatic." Veran laughed "But yes, you will be expected to help out when you can."
"Fine." Sable laughed under her breath, how could she expect anything less of Veran? The woman seemed to be a master of manipulation.
Outside of Clock Town and away from music and revelry, Skull Kid watched the fireworks from the distance. He stood atop his favourite stump that offered a pristine view of the tower from the southern fields. Usually he loved the Carnival of Time, it was the only time of the year he would even consider going into town. For some reason, no one ever seemed to make him feel welcome in Termina. The possession by Majora's Mask only made this more obvious. Concern and fear of what may happen if he dared approach Clock Town overwhelmed him. Everyone knew he was the one responsible for calling the moon down.
They would never even give him a chance to explain what happened. How the madness of a primordial deity corrupted his mind and drove him insane. How the mask permeated every fibre of his being with its darkness. No. They would not even want to hear it. All they knew was that everything went horrible in Termina when Skull Kid appeared with a rainbow mask. They had no reason to hear him out when it was so obvious.
Tatl and Tael remained overhead, floating around as they always did. At least they remained by his side, but now, doubt was making him question them. He did not know why they still associated with him. Link and the Giants may still be his friends, however he was also acutely aware that he had effectively ostracised himself from the rest of Termina.
As he brooded below them, Tael suggested out loud "Come on Skull Kid! Let's go play some carnival games! That always cheers you up."
"Games? Why can't we go dancing like adults?" Tatl taunted "You are still so immature."
"That's alright, you two enjoy the carnival."
Tatl was shocked "What? Seriously, are you sick Skull Kid?"
Tael floated before his face "But you love the Carnival of Time!"
"What's wrong? Link saved Termina, there's no reason to be sad anymore."
"I… I just…" Skull Kid choked back the tears "I just need to be alone for a while, that's all. I need to think about everything carefully."
Tael interjected "But Skull Kid, we're still your friends and we care about you."
"I know, but… I need some time alone." Skull Kid abruptly jumped down and disappeared into the fields.
Tael felt saddened, his wings lowering "Sis? Should we follow him?"
"As much I want to," Tatl sighed sadly "I don't think it's such a good idea, we have no idea of what he went through when that mask was on him."
"But doesn't that mean we should spend more time with him? Make sure he doesn't hurt himself."
"I don't think he wants our help, Tael."