Legends of the Hero of Time

by Ryan-Sinclair

The Hero of Time, Link, is blessed by the Golden Goddesses with a normal existence, free for himself to rule over. He must learn the true meaning of life as he attempts to join Hylian society. Along the way, he finds a family to call his own. Protecting and loving them, as a new threat emerges, he grows to understand how he must still endure the challenges of fate.

10. Chapter 10 - Segment 2

Chapter 10

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[Time: 9:18 A.M. (Morning)]

[Date- Month 4 'Mid-Spring', Day 12, 8th Era]

[Location- Hyrule, Lake Hylia]

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"Hey, Malon!" A girl's voice called from a short distance away as the farmgirl kept trying diligently to remove a rough stain from Link's tunic. Today was laundry day and numerous women, girls and servants were at Lake Hylia to all assist each other. The washing circle was a great chance to get to know one another, stay in touch, meet new people and especially gossip. Having been around for a while herself, many people knew who Malon was. There were even some she called friends, one of which was approaching. The friend brought along with her two other girls Malon had only recently begun to know.

"Hey, Sunniva…" Malon said, trying her best to not sound too down. "How are you?"

Sunniva came closer with a grin, showing off the gap in-between her teeth. For a Hylian, she was tanned from always being out in the sun. Her big straw hat helped give her some shade while her cute yellow sundress kept her cool. Everything about the way she looked represented her personality perfectly; obliviously cheerful in the hopeful kind of way. "I'm good! My old Auntie hasn't been doing too well though, so I'm taking over her wash load for today."

Sunniva's aunt was ill with the disease of Wringe, a terrible malady that causes pain everywhere while making the host constantly fatigued. "Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that." Malon offered her sympathies. "Has the doctor seen her?" She asked honestly, putting aside her emotions toward a certain boy that recently bought her a dress.

"Yeah. But, he didn't really know much of what to do." Sunniva replied.

Thinking about it fairly quickly, after her brief experience of kokiri culture, the red-headed hylian girl wondered whether or not Hylian doctors knew as much as they claimed. The kokiri cured Link's ailment; saved him from certain death. However, each time she presented a desire to go to the doc in Castle Town, the kokiri were quick to reassure their own superiority in herbal medicine. "I wonder if the Kokiri deal with stuff like Wringe." Malon said while giving the tunic a single rub of Gerudo soap, just enough to leave a streak of suds. She wiped her forehead and began scrubbing again

Sunniva giggled. "The Kokiri? Ha! Good luck trying to get into their village." Being a commoner with no grand background, the hylian girl couldn't imagine meeting with the kokiri. "You know they're invite-only. I'd love to go there though! I wish I could…" She was quick to go back to being happy once her mind drifted away from what was bothering her.

Malon responded with final condolences anyway. "Well, I'm sorry to hear about your aunt."

A smirk soon came to the farmgirl's face, even while scrubbing the tunic's stain against a fairly smooth rock, wetting it every now and then to keep it moist. The other girls didn't know anything. As a matter of a fact, she hadn't spoken to anyone since before her excursion into the Lost Woods. "Wait a moment… You girls didn't hear about me going into the Forbidden Forest, have you?"

Malon might as well have pulled out a thousand rupees, for the other girl's interest in the subject was immediate. Without a single delay, all three of them leaned closer, with the girl on the right, Jezabell, taking the lead on talking "What!? No… Freakin'… Way! How could you've possibly gone into the Forbidden Forest!?"

With a wide smile, Malon rinsed the stain off the tunic using water from Lake Hylia. Holding it up after a soak, she let it drip. "It's a long story."

The green tunic caught the other girl's eyes pretty quickly, leading to further amazement. "Is that a kokiri tunic!?"

Laughing at their interest, Malon shook her head prior to wringing the article of clothing out. "Yes… Well-… No… No and yes. It's my friend Link's tunic. The Kokiri made it though."

All six eyes from the three girls stayed wide as Sunniva, being the airhead she is, left her jaw gaping. "You're friends with a Kokiri!?"

Jezabell, before Malon could answer Sunniva, spoke first with another question. "Link? Is that the boy I saw you with in Castle Town about a week ago when you were making a delivery with your dad?"

"Ooooooooooooo!" All three of them teased.

Malon quickly interjected before they went on another rant. "Be quiet!" She shouted with a small blush, despite still having a smile plastered on her lips. "Y-Yes, I guess that's the boy you saw me with last week. He's not a Kokiri, but he was raised by them. I had to go save him from the Lost Woods a couple of weeks ago."

The majority of their faces looked quite confused, as if they weren't exactly sure whether or not Malon was telling the truth. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa…" Jezabell was first to inquire. "He was raised by the kokiri, but he got lost? So… Like, he doesn't have any of their special kokiri powers? Otherwise, I don't get how he got lost if he's been living with them."

'Of course they wouldn't understand.' Malon thought while placing Link's freshly cleaned tunic into a burlap sack, only to proceed onward with getting to work on her father's overalls and her scarf. "It's a lot to explain, girls. He was looking for his fairy and got sick from a curse put on the woods. The only way I found out was because the horse I loaned him came back to the ranch in a frenzy, letting me know that something was wrong." The more the farmgirl told them, the more intent on listening they became, wanting to know everything. "It was just about sundown, but I went after him anyway. I'm glad too, because he probably wouldn't have made it if it wasn't for me."

Jezabell rolled her eyes as she went on in disbelief. "Shut… up… No way! No way! You went into the Forbidden Forest, at night!? Are you crazy!?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Malon simply clarified "I had to! My dad and Ingo were furious, but I had to! If I didn't, my friend would've died!"

The farmgirl's show of frustration must have proved to the other children that she was telling the truth, for they ganged up on her with more curiosity. All three of them asked things they wanted to know or had heard about. Most hylian youth spent their days behind the safety of Castle Town walls, never knowing more than mere fairy tales about the outside world. They went to school and played in peace instead of wandering and getting in trouble. It wasn't every day that someone they personally knew went into an area so dangerously off-limits to kids such as themselves. Plus, the thought of meeting magical forest entities was enthralling as well, straight out of a storybook to them.

"What was it like!?" Tiffinee interjected. "Did you meet any Kokiri!?' Why didn't you turn into Stalkid!?"

"Were there any monsters!?" Sunniva asked.

"How did you find your way around or back!?" Jezabell begged for an answer. "Did you talk to any fairies!?"

Stopping the soak of her father's overalls, Malon held her hands up to let her friends know they needed to hold on with their endless questioning. "Ease up, girls… It's a really long story,

and I don't have the time to tell you the whole thing."

The look of disappointment on their faces was priceless. "Aww! Come on! Tell us what happened!" Sunniva pleaded for the farmgirl to keep telling her story.

Malon went back to washing clothes in Lake Hylia, focusing on her work for a moment. The stains on Talon's overalls weren't going to remove themselves. Luckily, she was able to thank the stone she chose for her efficiency. Most of the time, she wound up having to beat dirty garments against the rocks to clean them, which was very harsh on the fabrics. Instead of those usual rocks, she was able to get stuff off by rubbing the clothing against the smooth stone surface; a better process that was far more gentle. Combining the elbow grease with gerudo soap and the garb smelled as good as it looked. It was still hard work. The red-headed farmgirl's arms always hurt afterward. However, it was kind of relaxing, peaceful too.

Among the very least, Malon could be glad that it was another beautiful day. Yesterday, it had rained for three-quarters of the day. The sunshine was always appreciated by the young hylian. In fact, in spite of currently being in direct rays, she wasn't sweating either, for the breeze streaming off Lake Hylia cooled her off.

"I think she has a crush on him." Jezabell suddenly said, shattering Malon's serenity and making the farmgirl's eyes pop open.

"Ooooooooooooo!" Sunniva and Tiffinee oohed.

"W-What!? What makes you say that!?" Malon shouted back, making the other girls giggle.

Jezabell, with a smug look, acted like she knew everything. "It's obvious, Malon. Right now, you're blushing so hard you look like you have a massive sunburn! Not only that, but I saw you two sharing a drink at The Market! Tee-hee!"

After that little laugh at the end, Malon finally had enough. Slapping the pair of overalls down on the stone, she stood up and then placed her hands on her hips with an angry scowl on her face. Even if she was blushing, even if she was embarrassed, they knew Malon wasn't a girl to mess with. "You three shut up! What does it matter if I like him!? Hmm!?" Lifting and waggling her finger at them, to her amazement, the girls actually laughed even more at her.

"By the Goddesses, so you do have a crush on him!? I knew it!" Jezabell exclaimed.

Malon's own response to that was to cross her arms, turn around and present her back to ignore the group. If luck was on the farmgirl's side, the kids might just leave her be so that she could get back to washing clothing. Unfortunately, the children weren't that forgetful. They were still too interested in what happened. Though, thankfully, they did notice the need to ease off the joking as they were making the red-head rather mad.

"Oh, come on, Malon! I'm just teasing!" Jezabell eventually apologized.

"Yeah… "Sunniva took over. "She's teasing! Tell us about the Forbidden Forest! How did you make it through!?"

With a long sigh, Malon leaned back against a boulder that laid along the shoreline. The blush on her face was fading. Regathering her composure, she decided to give the group of girls the short version. "W-When it came down to it, I almost couldn't go through with it. Epona was the one who forced me into going passed the tree-line. She went wild and I couldn't control her."

Memories of that afternoon and night were still fresh in the farmgirl's mind. If she thought hard enough, she could almost hear the buzzing of the fireflies again. Sometimes she could even remember how it felt to have trouble breathing, as if she was still breathing that damp muggy air from the Kokiri Village. "She took me all of the way through the Forbidden Forest, into the Lost woods."

Exactly like previously, the group of girls started ganging up on me, barely able to hold back their deluge of questions. "The Lost Woods!?" Tiffinee double checked.

Malon nodded and then continued. "Yeah… The Lost Woods. I must have ridden at least ten or fifteen minutes in, it was completely dark by the time she finally got to where she was taking me. It turns out, Link was out cold and a Skull Kid was taking care of him."

The girl's eyes lit up even more, however, Malon quickly kept going before they could ask anything. "You heard right. A Skull Kid" The farmgirl continued. "I know there are a lot of stories about them being mischievous imps and how they ruin things of the Kokiri, but he actually took care of Link for three days. This imp kept watch over him and gave him shelter." Upon hearing that, the other children almost didn't believe Malon. Scratching their heads or looking at one another, it was clear they had speculations. "I know, I know…" Malon replied. "It sounds like a load of horse crap, but I'm telling the truth."

Thinking about it, she recalled how Timi, the Skull Kid, wanted her to come back and visit. But, she doubted she ever would. If it was up to her, she'd never go into the Forbidden Forest ever again for as long as she lives. Regardless, she did still have the adventure of a lifetime, with plenty of stories to tell. A smile crept upon her face as she wondered what her friends would say if they knew she had to fight a wolfos, two for that matter. "Most of the real excitement began when I was bringing him back through the Lost Woods toward the Kokiri Village. We were ambushed by not one, but two Wolfos." The girls gasped, stuck in awe over the drama. "If it wasn't for Link's sword and shield, I wouldn't have made it back."

Before the farmgirl could say another word, Jezabell interjected in disbelief. "Sword and shield? Malon, you're making all that up, aren't you?! You've never used either in your life!"

Immediately, Malon shook her hands. Subconsiously, she wanted to chastise them for not believing. They weren't there. Her friends weren't in the Lost Woods about to get devoured by a wild beast, not like she was. "No I'm not! I swear to the Goddesses." She tried to get them to believe her. "Link has a sword the kokiri gave him and a shield he bought from the Bazaar in Castle Town. It's a Hylian Shield. I promise, I'm not making any of this up, you can ask him or even my dad if you want too."

Tiffinee, who had been mostly quiet, spoke again with something obviously on her mind. "Wait… So, you risked life and limb, going into the forest, just for this boy? This… Link?"

Even though Malon obviously knew all that, hearing it put in such a way was highly embarrassing. "Yeah. I… I did everything, I saved him and stayed by his side until he got better."

All three of them looked like they wanted to explode in exhilaration. "YOU SERIOUSLY FOUGHT A PAIR OF WOLFOS!?" They screamed in unison, loud enough for three-quarters of the people around the lake to hear.

Once more, Malon motioned for her friends to keep their voices down, going so far as to shush them. "Shh! Yes and No… I more-or-less merely defended myself. I was so unbelievably scared."

"Wow!" Jezabell remarked while the others remained in utter awe. "That means, you really are in love with this boy!"

Malon's cheeks flushed red as she felt her face heat up. Everything she said was literally digging her deeper and deeper into the hole she didn't want to bring the girls into. The entire situation was too tough for her to comprehend and figure out on her own, much less with any sort of friends. "S-So what if I am!?" She impulsively shouted back, making their faces light up in glee.

"Ooooooooooooo!" They teased.

Malon was furious. "Stop saying that!" She might as well have been talking to several fence posts, for the girls only whispered amongst each other, gossiping about her surely.

"You admit it then!?" Jezabell asked, making Malon turn around to hide her cherry coloured face. "You admit you're in love with that boy?"

Every event that's ever taken place involving Link shot into the farmgirl's mind like a lightning bolt. Memories flooded forth, ranging from meeting him, saving him, thinking about him, worrying about him, to feeling embarrassed because of him. So many emotions were brought out, all by the heroic boy. Malon could still recall how she knew it was Link's floppy green hat on the forest floor, just from the scent. Watching over him, helping him recover, she did everything she possibly could. Every time something involved him, she always did her best, going above and beyond what she would have done for anyone else. Merely thinking about it now was causing her heart to speed up, thumping hard against her chest as a lump formed in the back of her throat. Each time she swallowed her own saliva, it hurt. Then again, she was too wrapped up in contemplation to even care.

All of the pain she went through during her adventure to save Link was completely worth it. She'd do it again in a moment's notice. 'Oh by the Goddesses…' She thought in admission of defeat over the crystal clear revelation. 'Face it, Malon... They're right. Daddy's right, even Ingo's right.' As if he were burned into the farmgirl's retinas, she could see the hero everywhere she looked. For weeks on end, she'd been obsessing over him like he was a magnet.

Last weekend, when they were at Castle Town, she was so close to admitting the truth to him, to telling him how she felt. Still, she wasn't sure if it was normal, if she should like-like someone she'd only known a short while.

The way he suddenly appeared to her that faithful afternoon, out of nowhere, right after she wished for a knight in shining armour that would come help her and do anything for her; since that second they spoke to one another, she hadn't wanted to tear herself away from him. She couldn't stop the feelings. Each consecutive time they met thereafter, she wanted him to stay with her longer, and longer, and longer. When Epona began showing him affection, she was so amazed she hugged him. She remembered that it was awkward, but felt so good to feel his body pressed to hers. Although he didn't hug her back, she kept imagining him wrapping his arms around her, holding her close and telling her that he was glad they knew one another. As ridiculous as it sounded, she was literally fantasizing about him.

'Now, after all that I went through to save him, I've even begun worrying about him. I was so upset this morning when he announced that, this afternoon, he'd be ready to go back to the Forbidden Forest to retrieve that stupid Ocarina.' Biting her lower lip, she thought. 'He got lost the first time and now he's going to go back? What if he repeats the entire tragedy all over again?' Before she left the ranch to come there, Malon had yelled at Link in frustration. Never would she have gotten so upset if she didn't care.

"Y-Yes!" Malon suddenly said, breaking the extended silence and making her friends take a step back in near disbelief. "Okay!? I'm in love with him!"

A few of the nearby adults glanced over to see what the commotion was. The group of girl's eyes were as wide as dinner plates. Malon's face took only a brief moment prior to turning cherry red as all three squealed zealously.

"NO WAY! I FRIGGIN KNEW IT! AHAAAHA!" Jezabell shouted.

Sunniva grabbed the farmgirl in a big hug, nearly crushing her. "Yay, Malon! Way to go, you snagged one!"

Tiffinee, the quietest of both, merely giggled up a storm over the thought of Malon being in love with a boy.

"Wait!" Jezabell interrupted, her face suddenly becoming serious. "Does this boy even know that you have a thing for him?"

Going back to last weekend, Malon remembered her weak attempt at admitting her feelings. She was so nervous she couldn't do it. She wanted to. She just couldn't. Farore knows she wanted to, badly. Every time she tried though, she ended up getting cold feet and going the way of the cucco. Occasionally, she got the feeling that he knew or had a clue that she has feelings for him. Like this morning, when he just smiled as she was yelling at him. It made her so angry, but Link knew she was only yelling because she feared for his safety. "I… I think, b-but I'm not sure. H-He… He's just. I… I don't… know how to say it properly to him…. Or even myself for that matter. Ehehehe… Oooooohnnn."

Again, due to the tongue tying frustration, her friends giggled together. Thankfully, Jezabell seemed genuinely interested. "Oh, Malon. Who knew you were such a drama queen when it comes to boys?" Despite receiving a scowl, she continued. "If you really want to prove your love to him, or say you love him in a way that he'll perfectly understand-… Just walk up to him and kiss him right on the lips."

Malon's jaw nearly dropped to the ground as the other girls did a double take toward Jezabell. "W-What!? N-N-No! I… I can't do that! G-Gross!" To the simple farmgirl, it sounded like something a pervert would do. Kissing wasn't exactly something kids her age were supposed to dabble around with. Without being of age, The church would be beating down their doors if she publicly did something like that. However, deeper down, on an entirely different level, Malon thought about it more than she let on. Personally, she even dreamt about how it would feel to have his lips pressed against her, to have her pressed against his. The thought alone always made her body feel so hot. Regardless, there was still no way she was going to let them know that. "I'm not kissing anyone on the lips!"

"Aww! Why not? You've got such gorgeous full lips, like a beautiful Gerudo woman." Sunniva complimented, yet, only embarrassing the farmgirl further.

Since she didn't talk about her mother, they didn't know her bloodline. Malon only paused because she realized she got stuck thinking about things she didn't want to think about.

"Okay, first…" Jezabell pushed Sunniva to the side. "The Gerudo aren't the most popular, so let's forget about that comment." Staring at the farmgirl, she resumed with "You do have fantastic lips though. Here, do this." She puckered her lips and made soft kissing sounds.

Malon's only response was that of vexation. "I'm not going to practice kissing, Jezabell! S-Sheesh!" Crossing her arms, she was beginning to get to the point where she wanted to end this conversation. Already, she regretted telling her friends anything.

"Come on, Malon. I'm just trying to help…" Jezabell insisted. "I mean, I saw how much you were staring at him in Castle Town, you can't hide the truth from yourself."

If it wasn't for them being her friends, Malon would have knocked them all out by now. Jezabell was right though. The farmgirl knew deep down that she couldn't control her emotions, her feelings for Link. She'd talked to boys before; she'd even hung around with a few. Yet, only Link made her feel the way she does when he's around. Link is the only boy Malon had dared to openly admit any infatuation toward. Even more-so, the red-headed girl had NEVER gotten as close to telling a boy she liked them as she had that day in Castle Town.

"How about you just talk to him? Maybe drop a few hints that you like him?" Tiffinee quietly suggested, sounding sincere. "If he likes you back, after a while, maybe it won't be so hard to just tell him you have feelings for him."

Wiping her hands on my skirt, Malon tried to not look nervous or let them see how the palms of her hands were sweating. "I-… I tried, I did. But… It-… It's not as easy as you think it would be! M-My tongue practically ties itself in a knot whenever I try to talk to him about anything other than normal stuff."

Sunniva raised an eyebrow in advance of asking "How often do you get to see him? Where does he live?"

Her friends might see it as a good thing, but to Malon, the close proximity made it worse. "He lives at the ranch with us, so I… I pretty much see him every day."

Sunniva and Jezabell looked at each other with smirks on their faces. "Sounds like you have plenty of time to make a move on him then." They said, giggling afterward.

Tiffinee shrugged.

Malon, on the other hand, couldn't accept that as an answer. "B-But, I can't! Aren't you listening!? Besides, g-girls aren't supposed to ask guys to be with them. It's nontraditional!"

Jezabell brushed off the farmgirls concerns. "Oh, who cares about tradition. You're lucky your dad isn't going to set you up with an arranged marriage. You should be happy about that. This boy might be your soul-mate or something. It might be true love, you never know."

Thinking about everything that the group of girls said, Malon still wasn't sure if it was possible to summon the courage to do something as brash as suddenly kissing Link. If anything, the whole conversation was a mistake. She felt she never should have said anything about love or the hero boy. The fact that she did was only more proof that she couldn't keep her mind off him. "O-Okay, girls… Enough… If we're meant to be, then it'll happen; if we're not, then it won't."

Jezabell rolled her eyes with a laugh. "Malon, that's dumb. Meant-to-be doesn't mean that you don't have to put forth any effort. It's not like the goddesses bother to set up such events, that's for us mortals to deal with. If you don't make the move, he may not." Scratching her head, she said "Maybe he hasn't made a move because he thinks you'll react negatively. If that's the case, then all you have to do is show him you love him… with a kiss."

Malon highly doubted that Link wasn't aware of her feelings for him. After all, she rescued him and spent an incredible amount of time by his side taking care of him. Back in Castle Town, when she was so close to admitting how she'd been thinking of him, she could tell that he knew what was going on. He knew she liked him. Perhaps that was even the reason why he was smiling this morning when she was yelling at him out of concern. He knew that the farmgirl only had good intentions for him and he knew that she just wanted him to be safe. At certain times, her compassion was overly obvious. It must have been. Talon and Ingo wouldn't ever have known she had actual feelings for Link if she hid it better.

"How about you tell us more about him?" Tiffinee said, making me raise an eyebrow. "I mean, I never thought you'd find a lover… So… I guess I'm a little interested too."

Under most circumstances, Tiffinee would be standing there, staring with whatever expression the rest of them had. It was kind of unusual to find her fascinated by this. Malon only wished that it didn't have to do with the subject at hand. "Why should I? It's embarrassing." The farmgirl replied, trying to hint to them that they were nearly humiliating me.

Immediately, however, Sunniva giggled. "And this is coming from the same farmgirl who made fun of me whenever I had that crush on the drawbridge gate guard. Come on, Malon. We're interested, let us know about him and maybe we can help you out more."

Their help wasn't really doing much good in Malon's opinion. If anything, she felt she had it all taken care of on her own. She thought was making steady progress. She's still young, she knew that. Some of the emotions inside of her don't entirely make sense because of her immaturity, but she's learning and trying hard to be like the only woman she ever truly knew at heart. Taking things from other sources, her romance books and other women around Castle Town, she knew that her and Link had to do things at the right moment, whenever that was. Her friend's heedless suggestion for her to run up and kiss him wasn't very intelligent and hardly seemed like it would work. If he somehow didn't feel the same way for her, or just wasn't ready, she wouldn't know what I'd do. She'd be screwed. 'He'd probably take off and go live somewhere else'.

The scenario, despite only being a what-if, was still fairly nerve racking as she had to once again attempt to understand her own feelings. She'd still want to be his friend, even if he didn't want to be anything more. He was pleasant to be around. On the other hand, that didn't really make much sense. The real reason she thought those things was only because she couldn't stand to think of losing him. If he didn't return her feelings, she'd be utterly confused. With a little bit of optimism, Malon was at least relieved that the boy appeared to be somewhat interested. 'The way he bought me that dress, how he cares so much about me, how he even questioned me; wondering if I, myself, wanted him to be my lover, it's the only evidence I have that he shares similar feelings toward me as I do toward him.'

"Malon, we're serious…" Sunniva interjected. "We just want to help. It's not like we're going to be terrible friends and poke fun at you the whole time. We're just surprised, but we do want to help."

Crossing her arms and tapping her foot, it took a glance back at the clothing lying on the rocks for Malon to reply. "If you want me to tell you more about him, then you're all going to help me wash these clothes."

Jezabell's posture dropped in a heartbeat as she groaned, rolling her entire head. "What!? Oh, come on! You've got to be kidding me!"

Shaking her head with a smirk, Malon knew that her friends all had three-times less work than she had. She didn't have any sympathy toward their often lazy ways. Besides that, if they helped out, she might be able to head home early. She really wanted to make it back before Link left for the Forbidden Forest. "You'll be fine. I didn't see you doing all that much anyhow. It shouldn't be that big of a deal as long as you help."

Sunniva and Tiffinee shrugged prior to lending a hand, both getting down on their knees to scrub the stains off clothing. Jezabell, however, wasn't overly happy as she groaned more. "Ughh… Fine. Could you please tell us more about this boy and your adventure now!"

Seeing as of how she had the help now, Malon figured she'd be glad to talk as long as they keep assisting her. By the time she finishes telling them everything she knows, it will definitely be time to go home.

"And tell us more about the pretty dress he got you! Don't tell me he bought the one you've been ranting about for like-… a month… Teehee!" Sunniva exclaimed.

"Yeah… Alright… It's a long story though, so get ready." Malon divulged the information. At the end of this, she'd either be glad she told them as they might have more advice that's a little better than simply rushing up to kiss him, or, she'll be utterly frustrated with the waste of energy used conversing. "It all started several months ago whenever we met in Castle Town…"

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[Time: 10:50 A.M. (Morning)]

[Date- Month 4 'Mid-Spring', Day 12, 8th Era]

[Location- Hyrule, Lon Lon Ranch - Farmhouse]

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"I present to thee, thy sword and shield, Master Link!" Talon teased as he brought the boy's sword and shield out of his upstairs room, handing them over.

Without much hesitation, Link took his equipment back from the heavyset man with a nod of acknowledgment. It felt damn good to have his blade back on his person. No matter what, he always seemed to feel bare in its absence. "Thank you." The hero replied with a soft chuckle. "This is my other trusty companion." He spun the sword around prior to sheathing it on his back. He still had the rhythm in his hands. However, for the first time in a long time, he almost hoped that he wouldn't have to use the steel blade at all.

Talon laughed as he watched the flourish. "Yah just need ta make sure that yah take good care of yer first companion Epona. That horse's done risked herself once to save yer' hide and she's the type to do it again if she has to… like a knight's steed."

Sliding his arm through the straps on the shield, Link's smile disappeared as he became serious. Epona truly did risk her own life to save him. He knew she was capable and was always going to be grateful for her. "Don't worry about that, Mr. Talon. I'll protect Epona with my life."

Talon raised a bushy eyebrow in advance of laying a hand on Link's little shoulder, giving it a soft squeeze. "Link… Son, yah best not put you or her in such danger. Yer' just a young kid." Even though Link sighed, the boy knew that Talon was just trying to look out for him, the same way Malon did when she was concerned. "I personally don't think yah should go." He resumed. "I think yah should stay here and forget all 'bout the old days… But… This ocarina of yers', if it's important to yah in one way or another, then I understand."

Yet again, Link gave another nod. Talon didn't know that the hero had plenty of skill to protect himself. If the man did know, it was doubtful he'd be as concerned for the boy. Either way, Link was glad Talon understood and allowed him to do this. The farmer could just as easily say no and try to keep Link there working. After all, the little hero didn't have a family and he was just a young boy. As an orphan, Talon could legally petition for ownership over Link. Taking that into consideration, Link was content with anything the man had to say and merely glad he wasn't abusive.

"I do want yah to come back to us though, 'ight?" Talon asserted.

Link's smile returned as he made sure Talon knew that he didn't have any other plan. "I promise I will. I won't make the same mistake. I'll be back here shoveling manure in no time."

The heavyset farmer chuckled heartily, sharing in more laughter. "Good boy… Now, yah best get movin' if yah wanna get goin' before Malon gets back. She was in a feisty mood somethin' fierce this mornin'. Bwarr-harr!"

He was right about that, and Link knew it. If Malon came back and he was still here, there's a high possibility that she'd chew him out about going and would probably want to tag along herself. If it wasn't for the grace of the Golden Goddesses, through Talon, who told her she still had to do her chores for the day, the hero would have to deal with that right now. Washing clothes in Lake Hylia was about as far away from the Forbidden Forest as possible. It was truly the first time since she rescued him that they were apart. "Yes, sir… I promise, I'll be back." Right as the boy was about to turn around to leave, Talon held out his hand. Handshaking wasn't common in kokiri culture, but he'd long since learned enough hylian gestures to understand the meaning.

"Good luck, Link." Talon wished.

Once the firm handshake concluded, Link made his way toward the exit of the farmhouse. Outside, Epona met him with big brown eyes along with a neigh of delight. She was ready to get moving again. The filly couldn't stand being cooped up.

"All set, girl?" Link asked, receiving a huff as the horse's ears stayed held high, similar to her tail. "I'll take that as a yes! I'm excited to see Saria and the others again… I hope they know I'm alright. I know she's been worried sick about me, especially from what Malon said." Following some well-deserved pats to Epona's head, he mounted the saddle, getting himself ready while making sure he had everything he needed.

A tiny whip of the reins and a gentle nudge to the sides was enough to get the equine moving. 'I'm so ready to do this.' The boy thought, mentally pumping himself up as he continued to make plans for recovering the Ocarina of Time.

In addition to that, Link hoped to be able to answer more questions he had, about Termina and the events that transpired during the time he was in the Lost Woods looking for Navi. He didn't want to believe what Malon had said concerning the Skull Kid that saved him, Timi. He didn't want to believe that everything he experienced was made up. But, he didn't have much of a choice as it was clear that he obviously wasn't well enough at the time to have reliable memories. If Timi could validate Malon's story, if he could tell Link that there was no such thing as Termina, that it was just the imp's silly little story that managed to slip through to the hero's unconsciousness and into his hallucinated dream, then he'd have no choice other than to believe it too.

Epona kept a steady pace as they went down the path leading to the entrance/exit of the ranch. For the first time since her master had been out-of-commission, the filly could tell that it was another adventure they were going on and not just a simple delivery to somewhere. Her hooves clomped away at full gallop until Link gripped the reins tightly, watching the iron gate of Lon Lon Ranch come into view. It was closed, but that wasn't going to stop them.

"Do it!" He shouted encouragingly, bracing himself as she made a flying leap to clear the gate without any problem at all. The landing wasn't too bad either. "Oomphff! Yeah! I knew you could do it!"

Epona whinnied to Link's support as she slowed to a stop, knowing that her master had to figure out where it was that they were going to go first, just like in all of his previous adventures with her. "Wow, girl… You're remembering everything. How are you doing that?" Before planning his route, the hero did truly have to take a moment to praise his steed despite his curiosity toward her memory. "That's amazing." Even though she wasn't the mare yet that he rode in the future, at times it almost seemed like she retained most of the skills, sane as her owner. However, it was highly doubted she had any form of recollection since she wasn't in the Sacred Realm during the time-shift like he was. Either way, it was too much for him to worry about right now. All that mattered is that she's his beloved companion and he'd do anything to protect. "Good girl… Good girl."

Focusing back on his plans, he had a feeling that now would be an excellent chance to speak to the Happy Mask Salesman. Amongst everything, Link prayed hard that the strange man would be in his shop today. 'He has to be. There's no way I'd be unlucky enough to catch him off-the-clock like last time.' It was enough of a surprise the first time considering how he'd literally seen the man in his shop. That wasn't Termina, it was definitely Hyrule. The only problem was if any of that was even real either. There was only one way to find out. "Okay. Let's go to Castle Town." A gentle pull to the left, then a nudge to the side and Epona knew where they were supposed to go. That familiar clomping sound resumed as they rode down the dirt path leading to Castle Town.

There was some activity in Hyrule Field today. There was a carriage heading to Kakariko Village, some fishermen and even a Goron that just passed the drawbridge of Castle town. More Gerudo women loitered out on their valley's entrance plateau. A few foragers roamed about with their kids playing in the fields too. Seeing more people outside brought a small smile to Link's face. It was a gorgeous day and he always felt like some of the city folk needed to be outside their walls getting fresh air every now and then.

Although he continued to think about the things he had to do today, Link was able to relax the majority of the ride toward Castle Town. Most of his time spent at the ranch was laborious and he didn't get the chance to sit around. While riding on the saddle wasn't very comfortable, it took the load off his feet. The closer they got to Castle Town, the more he thought of other things that had to be done. He knew that he had to visit The Stitch and Seam to pay for, as well as pick up, his tailored clothes. Not only that, he also thought about Captain Orsen. Priority took place rather quickly as the boy first decided to see if the Happy Mask Salesman was in. There was no way he could risk missing the chance to see the strange man. The Stitch and Seam would definitely be open afterward and Captain Orsen could wait, if it came to that.

"Easy girl, slow up." Link commanded Epona, getting her to slow down as they approached the drawbridge of Castle Town. Immediately, a guard walking along the rampart noticed the boy, but unlike when Talon had the wagon, made no announcement.

Seeing as how Link was definitely going to have to leave Epona at the stables this time, he went ahead and removed his wallet. Mr. and Mrs. Abernathy were kind and fair people. He knew they wouldn't charge much, especially for the short amount of time he'd leave Epona there.

Without anybody else going by, he was able to traverse the drawbridge. Epona made her way across flawlessly, safely making it inside the walls of Castle Town prior to being made to go left, turning into the stables. Mr. Abernathy was already outside the stables giving the horses hay. As soon as they made their way further up, Link called out to him. "Mr. Abernathy!"

The old man turned around, looking straight at the boy before taking his corncob pipe out of his mouth, exhaling a pillar of smoke in advance of responding. "Hey there, Link. What can I do for you?" Like most ranchers, farmers or caretakers of livestock, the guy wore clothing suited for his task; consisting of a straw hat, leather boots, beige shirt and tan pants held up with suspenders.

"Well…" Link answered. "If it's alright with you, I need you to look after Epona here for a little while. I'm just doing some errands, so I shouldn't be too long, no more than thirty minutes to an hour."

Mr. Abernathy held the corncob pipe back up to his mouth, inhaling the smoke as he stared at Epona with his brown beady eyes. "Hmm... Sure. Considering her size compared to the other mares or stallions I usually get, it shouldn't cost you more than three to four rupees for an hour. She's just a filly, she ain't gonna eat or drink as much as the rest."

Link smiled, shook the man's hand to agree to the deal and then gave the favourite equine plenty of attention to tide her over until he returned. Grooming her mane, patting her head and caressing her snout let her know that she was safe and that he'd be back for her. "That'll be great. Thank you so much... You be a good girl, Epona. Have fun with the other horses. Other than the ones at the ranch, you don't get much of a chance to socialize."

Departing soon afterward, Mr. Abernathy led Epona by the reins toward the stables, where she could hopefully fill up on energy if she hadn't already done so back at the ranch.

The hero was free to go. Time was ticking too. The longer he took to finish up what he was doing, the larger the sum of rupees he'd be forced to pay at the stables. "Okay..." He said aloud prior to thinking. 'Where should I go first?' Exiting the stables, he passed by the guard in front of the guard house. For some reason, the guard eyed Link. Precautionary being his excuse, he placed his shield on his back with his sheathed sword. There wasn't any need for the boy to be armed at the moment anyway. The city was safe.

Moving on into The Market of Castle Town, the very instant Link had a direct glance at the Happy Mask Shop, his heartbeat sped up in anticipation. Through the windows, he could see that the building was alight with life. It was definitely open and a person was definitely in there. Those signs by themselves were enough to give him the hope that it was indeed the Happy Mask Salesman. "By the Goddesses..." He muttered under his breath while taking off at full run, not even caring about the guards watching him or anything else. "This is it. This is the moment I've been waiting for." Literally pushing his way past anyone who got in his way, he came to the shop in a matter of seconds.

Gripping the door handle, his body couldn't withstand anymore frustration from the wait. Inside, soft piano music played, coming from somewhere behind the counters. Following Link bursting in through the entrance, the familiar voice of the man he'd been looking for since he woke up from unconsciousness spoke to the boy as if he were a customer. "Hello and welcome to the Happy Mask Shop. I'm the Happy Mask Salesman. You can call me Mr. Happy. If there's anything I can do for you, just let me know." As simple as that, there he was. The only person who could truly answer Link's questions and doubts on Termina's existence. Behind the counter, he stood with an ear-to-ear smile permanently stuck upon his face. Even though he was squinting so much it looked like he had his eyes closed, it wasn't true. He could see Link just fine, likely more clearly than anyone else had.

Each time Link came around the man, he got a strange sensation, one that was similar in a way to the aura he could feel coming off of the Lens of Truth.

Never had the boy heard him want to be called 'Mr. Happy'. However, there were far more pressing affairs to attend to. For instance, despite planning to get things figured out, Link had never actually decided what or even how to bring about the subject of Termina. He didn't want to come off as crazy. Yet, he really needed the smiling weirdo to answer questions, being the only person who really could. Staring at Mr. Happy, Link's brain raced to generate a worthy sentence for him to say. He was far more flabbergasted than he originally thought he'd be, as it kept making him refrain from speaking.

"Don't just stand there, Link." Mr. Happy said, using the boy's name and thus proving he remembered who the hero was. Although it was still unknown if he recalled the events of Termina, he did seem to remember the favours Link did for him by becoming a 'Temporary Mask Salesman' there in Hyrule. "Other customers may wish to enter. I can't have you blocking the entrance. That would be quite rude, now wouldn't it?"

Blinking his eyes and shaking his head in disbelief, Link walked inside further, letting the door slam shut on its own. Looking around, there was quite a selection of masks on the shelves. Nothing caught his eye until he came to the shelf with close to all of the masks which he'dd encountered in Termina. All but two were there. Goron's Mask, Zora's Mask, and the Deku Scrub Mask; they were there. Majora's Mask and the Fierce Deity Mask were conveniently absent.

Taking a close look at the Goron, Zora, and Deku Scrub masks, Link was positive that they were the exact same as the ones he saw in Termina. Down to every last detail, the masks were identical in every which way. On another note, these particular masks were there long before he even knew of Termina, back when the boy had just started his long adventure. Considering that, he wasn't sure what to think of it. Part of him wondered whether or not they were indeed the same. If that were the case, they held transformation abilities that he had unwittingly given them to innocent citizens without realizing the cost. Something like that would be unacceptable. "Umm... May I see the Goron and Zora masks?"

Mr. Happy turned around, knowing exactly where the masks were. "Of course! If you want to borrow them, let me know."

It took Link a moment to actually take them from the man. As Mr. Happy held the masks out, Link couldn't stop himself from imagining him in the Clock Tower of Clock Town in Termina. He remembered Mr. Happy claiming that Majora's Mask was his all along and that it was stolen from him by a troublesome Skull Kid, the one which he so happened to encounter. Due to the events that followed afterward, with the hero waking up at Lon Lon Ranch, discovering that the moon was never about to fall and that a Skull Kid called Timi actually saved him from the curse of the Lost Woods, he continued to be unsure if anything pertaining to Termina was real.

"Would you like to hold them?" Mr. Happy asked, holding the masks out further.

Link's lip twitched as he took them without incident. The Goron Mask was the first to be examined. Teardrop shaped, with rough brown leather for the skin, a beige coloured mouche under large lips, lavender coloured eyes, and more beige hair on top the head; it was clear that the mask was as finely constructed as Link remembered it being. It looked exactly like a goron's head and face.

'Darmani.' He thought, almost able to hear the Drums of Sleep playing; a beat which he continued to imagine as he recalled the Goron Warrior of Snowhead Mountain.

As a genderless being born from the earth, birthed from magma, goron's were naturally resilient. The hulking humanoids ate rocks for sustenance and commonly bathed in scalding spring water. Their tough hide is indestructible by means of conventional damage, supplemented by a stoney growth on their backs they use as natural armour. Were it not for their peaceful nature, they could potentially wreak havoc on the entire kingdom. Thankfully, this was never the case as their aforementioned amicable demeanor instead has them focusing on operating as a family unit.

Darmani was a brute in comparison to even the strongest of his kind. Because of his warrior status, he was even considered a hero by the other gorons. Inherently, when an unnatural catastrophic winter threatened to smother his native village in an endless blanket of snow, the goron set out to pray in Snowhead Temple in an attempt to save his people. From the base of the mountain, where the village was, the journey was treacherous. Nobody other than the Darmani was brave enough or strong enough to make it. Unfortunately, his muscular might was no match for the ferocity of nature. A blizzard ended his life, the assaulting wind blew him down the mountain, impaling him on the top of a tree in the valley below. His last moments were full of regret for failing to rescue his people from the corruption cursing their beloved temple.

Even in death, the goron's spirit lingered, unable to pass on to the otherside due to remorse. Were it not for Link, Darmani never would have come to accept his fate. The hero of Time helped the goron come to terms and even promised to fulfill the destiny Darmani could't. The mission of saving the village from the curse affecting Snowhead Temple fell upon Link's shoulders. It was the only way the Goron Hero could move on without his mortal burdens weighing him back. Before he departed for the afterlife, the great warrior bestowed a mask upon the new savior. He gave Link a mask that perfectly resembled the one the boy was currently holding.

Now that Link was in Hyrule, he was able to contemplate more upon the doppelganger scenario that appeared to have played out. Darmani was so similar to Darunia, to the extent where the young hero mistook him for the Goron leader here in Hyrule whenever they first encountered one another. Intellectually, Link knew that it didn't make much sense for there to be doubles. The only way he could consider his experience real would be if Termina was a sort of world parallel to the current. Such heresy wouldn't be a theory he'd normally put forth any effort to understand or believe. Yet, this was uncircumstantial and integral to finding peace of mind.

As the Hero of Time, he felt obligated to help anyone in need. 'Just as I did for the Zora guitarist, Mikau.' He thought while placing the Zora Mask on top of the Goron Mask, giving him a better look at it. In his head, he could hear the Terminian Zora's instrument, what was called a Guitar of Waves. Link had never heard of a guitar before, but recalled how it slightly resembled and functioned like a lute does, only being able to produce a much deeper, darker, almost growling sounding music. The Zora Hero was famous among his kind and even amongst other races. He died trying to protect his lover's eggs. Lulu and Mikau desperately did everything they could for their unhatched offspring. If it wasn't for the wickedness of the Skull Kid and his twisted Majora's Mask, the two Zora would have lived a far more dovish life.

Doing what a father does best, Mikau brazenly took it upon himself to protect his children. He set out to retrieve the stolen eggs from the Gerudo Pirates' Fortress. That awful Skull Kid lied to the pirates and it was all his fault that the eggs were stolen in the first place.

The Great Bay Temple, which sat not far from the pirates' fortified fortress, was rumored to hold treasure in quantities so unfathomable a normal person would be blinded by the sheer reflection from shimmering piles of rupees, gold and gemstones. However, there was what was known as the Great Dragon Cloud, which enveloped the entire temple, shrouding its secrets and protecting its fortunes.

The Skull Kid lied to the Gerudo Pirates, telling them that Lulu and Mikau's eggs were a way to bypass the Great Dragon Cloud. Based upon false information, they abducted the eggs, causing Mikau to make his retrieval attempt. Unfortunately, his attempt failed and he was left adrift in the ocean, mortally wounded. 'If it wasn't for me, all of it would have been in vain. I dragged him ashore where he proceeded to tell me the very story I'm thinking about.'

In his last moments, as a spirit from beyond the grave, Mikau bestowed upon Link what seemed to be the very same mask he was holding. The mask temporarily gave Link Mikau's own form and along with it, the strength of a Zoran Hero.

Empowering Link with Mikau's own essence, from the afterlife, together as one, they went above and beyond what would be considered the call of duty. Rescuing the eggs from the clutches of the pirates. Despite the high hopes that ensued after ensuring the eggs' safety, they both knew that it was far from over. The Great Bay, which was considered a spawning ground and a sort of kindergarten for the Zora there, was warm and murky, much different than before.

Going with Lulu's original plan from prior to the abduction, Link took the eggs to the Marine Research Laboratory, where The Professor, Dr. Mizuumi, who greatly resembled the Lakeside Scientist here in Hyrule, allowed them to seek refuge there. Using giant tanks filled with clean and regulated water, the eggs soon hatched. Since Link was still using Mikau's spirit, he could vividly feel the fatherly sensations, instincts and emotions coursing throughout their combined body. Never before had the boy experienced such joy of life just from being able to watch the little zoras break out of their shells, becoming hatchlings right before his very eyes.

Lulu and Miaku, despite the dire consequences resulting in the death of the latter, created something the Golden Goddesses want everyone to go through. As they created them, so shall they go forth and create those of their own.

Even after all of that, all of the stages of grief Link was going through, even though at times the moments of happiness were too fleeting, he never let anything get in the way of what was meant to be. The two zoras had a love that was true and Link had it in his mind that he would do everything he could to seek retribution for the loss of an amazing father. Setting out on more travel, together as one, they did the impossible. With Lulu believing Link to be the living Miaku, after their consoling conversation and going through more excitement from the hatchlings, the hylian hero learned the New Wave Bossa Nova, a melody that once played, brought out the rise of a giant sea turtle. This turtle was the official guardian of the Great Bay Temple. Not long following a short explanation, the hero was granted access and fully learned of the curse causing the corruption of the bay sea.

'Wait a second.' Link thought, interrupting himself with a wild speculation. 'The Great Bay Temple... It was so-... It was so advanced. Never before had I seen such machinery involved in a factory. Somehow, with their contraptions, they were harnessing energy from the motion of the tides, using it to run all of their doodads.' Narrowing his eyes, he took another moment to compare the two kingdoms. 'Nothing here in Hyrule amounts to anything in terms of the technological advancements in Termina. The best thing here is the windmill in Kakariko Village and all the widgets Dr. Mizuumi has. Even our clock tower in Castle Town isn't as grand as the one in Clock Town.' Close to nothing in Hyrule was as developed as Termina was. He wondered how he could possibly have dreamed or hallucinated something that doesn't exist, yet operated just fine in reality.

His head began to throb in pain from over-thinking the subject. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't wrap his mind around it without feeling as though he were going insane. The decision to cease contemplating that which he wasn't able to understand stemmed from the fact that he knew what else happened in the Great Bay Temple. There wasn't any need for him to mentally re-live it. The entire ordeal was tragic, despite his best efforts. Whilst he was successful in defeating the Gargantuan Masked Fish known as Gyorg and returning the Great Bay to its normal temperate habitat, he still had to experience the final goodbyes of Miaku to Lulu. The two zora had a last moment that broke the young boy's heart. He did all he could. But, he couldn't fix what had already been ruined by death.

Lulu almost seemed stronger than the hero, for she accepted her husband's death after a brief period of mourning. She took it upon herself to raise her hatchlings as best that she could. With her happiness restored and knowing that Miaku was at peace, she was able to play her band at the Carnival of Time.

'All of it was so unfair.' Link soon rambled on again, feeling a single tear welling up in his right eye. 'All of it was so frustrating, I wanted to scream. To have helped so many people and now to wonder if they even existed. This is completely senseless. I'm tired of it…... I-... I've got to keep focused.'

A sigh escaped the boy's lips in advance of me removing the mask from my face. He looked down to see that nothing happened. His body didn't shift into a zora then back into a kid, it merely stayed the same as it was, the same young hylian form he'd always had. The masks undoubtedly had no transformation capabilities. Despite looking exactly like the ones he encountered in Termina, they were not the same. 'They couldn't be, or I would have changed... Right?' He questioned himself, unsure of everything. The only thing he was positive about was the fact that he wanted answers. He needed answers and the only man who could assist him in discovering that solution was the one right in front of him.

"Here..." Link soon muttered, handing the masks back to Mr. Happy. "Thank you, but I'm not interested in them."

Politely, in response to the young hero's courtesy, the man took them gently and placed them back on the shelf without any issue at all. "I take it you're here for an explanation then?"

Right off the bat, he'd already raised Link's suspicion. Part of the boy wanted to simply beat the information out of the weird little man. He was tired of waiting patiently. Wasting time was something he couldn't handle well, at least, not in the long run. Mr. Happy would have no chance against Link, that seemed a high likelihood. 'If I jumped the counter and held my sword to his throat, I know he'd spill everything he knew.' Along his adventures, long ago had he come to understand that the drive for life, the will to live, would oftentimes far overcome any alliance or preconceived plans.

In spite of his own desire to speed things up, Link remained calm. Farore wouldn't appreciate his abusive thoughts toward another living being and Din would grow angry over his misuse of power. "How can you be so sure of that?" The hero said "Maybe I'd like to see another mask... Hmm..." He presented his confidence upfront, coming up with an idea on the spot while still trying to sound vague. Not wanting to just come right out with it like he did with Ingo, or in actuality, like Ingo did with him. "Do you have a mask that might be heart shaped? Also, perhaps, if it had spikes on it and big red eyes, I'd love to borrow that one... I might even buy it for myself."

The Happy Mask Salesman didn't show any sign of surprise at Link's reference to Majora's Mask. He didn't seem interested either. His smile merely stayed firm, without a single twitch. "I'm sorry, Link. I'm afraid that particular mask is either not in stock, or is not available for the public. But, I know you... You're here for answers, not masks."

Link found it was nearly useless to analyze Mr. Happy for any indications of deception. It wasn't the strange man who was trying to keep his calm and stay together. It was the boy who was barely holding back from releasing his frustration. Mr. Happy's answer only made it harder too. The guy knew something and was obviously deflecting with obscure replies, throwing the hero's own strategy back at him. "Oh no!" Link fired back in response while coming up with another question. "I'm interested now. If you don't have any in stock, does that at least mean it exists?"

Exactly as before, Mr. Happy showed no change in emotion; just appearing as happy as could be. "Link, you know I'm not going to give out information regarding my loyal patrons. Customers deserve the highest respect. Salesperson/client confidentiality."

Finally, after that remark, Link had enough. Slamming his fists down onto the counter, the boy's voice was stern. "Listen here, Mr. Happy... It's very important that I find that mask. You don't want to know what it is capable of, nor do you wanna know what I'm capable of doing if you don't tell me everything that I need to know."

'What am I doing?' Link thought, momentarily feeling as though Majora itself were there, watching him, mocking him like a puppet master pulling the strings from behind the curtain. 'This isn't like me.'

Thankfully and amazingly, Mr. Happy didn't even flinch from Link's aggression. Throughout the entire confrontation, he remained happy, more than living up to his name. Regardless, the silence that ensued afterward was deafening. No way could they predict anything that would happen next. They just continued to remain in a stalemate until a loud whistling sound began to overcome the sound of piano music, the source of which had yet to be discovered.

"Oh... My tea is ready." Mr. Happy stated in regard to the whistling sound. "How about you join me? I'll answer anything that I can." The man turned around, then went behind and around the shelves upon which masks were displayed.

Now that the guy was out of the way, Link could see that there was a small area behind the shelves. Considering that, it made sense the shopkeeper must have things behind it. "I'm not really in the mood for tea." The boy put it bluntly. His stomach felt like a boulder was sitting inside of it, no way was he going to drink something, much less something that was made by Mr. Happy. "Come now, Link. Tea is good for the nerves and you certainly seem to be quite frustrated."

Shrugging, Link gave in and made his way around the counters. For whatever reason, Mr. Happy trusted the young hero enough to not even bother watching him, unconcerned with the possibility the boy might take money from him. Link didn't understand why the strange man acted as if he knew him so well. There in Hyrule, the two had only spoken to one another very briefly, mostly whenever Link was borrowing and selling masks in order to get extra rupees. Only in Termina did they have extensive contact, only inside the Clock Tower of Clock Town did they come to know each other enough to be called acquaintances.

Everything happening caused further skepticism. More and more Link wanted to brandish

his blade, but didn't really know why he felt as such. Patience or not, he had no desire to harm anyone, nor had he ever. Again, the image of Majora's Mask haunted his mind, flashing throughout it like a barrage of paintings depicting pure evil.

The boy had to shove all of it back in the depths of his mind once he came into the small area behind the shelves. Suddenly he was curious more about the contraptions Mr. Happy had. Besides a small cot, a chair and table, the only thing he recognized was the small stove in the corner where the Happy Mask Salesman stood. On top of the burner was a teapot, spewing steam and whistling as loud as the town guards do.

"Ah... Good old green tea." Mr. Happy thirst for the matcha. "Such a strong and potent drink. Hylians drink it because it's healthy, helps you cleanse your body of impurities; few drink it because they like the taste. But, I drink it because of both and that makes me happy." He chuckled softly while pouring the tea from the teapot into two fancy porcelain tea cups. "Terrific."

"I don't really care that much for any kind of tea, to be honest." Link murmured in response, staring at a large instrument of odd design.

Whatever it was, it was already fascinating beyond anything else in the Happy Mask Salesman's shop. The instrument resembled a large cupboard with a protrusion of another container nearly halfway down. Pumps on top of it were operating, inflating and deflating as a belt attached to cogs and sprogs churned in a clockwork fashion. Multiple small windows on the base showed the inside mechanism, with each panel of glass exposing different parts, not all of which were moving either. Some held vibrating strings while others held a small sideways barrel that had spikes attached to it, rotating and clanging against a shredded sheet of metal to make clings of musical nature. Overall, as it continued to work, it rattled. Yet, the most confusing thing, or interesting thing depending on which way it was looked at, was that the piano music the boy had been hearing seemed to be coming from within the instrument, echoing out of several cone shaped tubes.

'What is this thing?' Link momentarily thought, taking his mind off Mr. Happy for a brief minute due to his curiosity. 'It's playing music, but I've never seen something like this before in my entire life. I don't even think I've seen one with royalty before. Whatever it is, it must be new or extraordinarily hard to get.' The melody upon which it played was peaceful and relaxing. Truly, the hero was amazed a machine was making music. If he didn't know better, he would have thought there was a person hiding from within the contraption's shell, going to town on a piano and fooling everyone on the outside.

Yet, as entranced as he was, Link still was quite well aware of the fact that he needed to get a move on. He decided to start asking important questions regarding Termina.

"Oh, joyous days. Do you like that? The machine you're looking at?" Mr. Happy suddenly asked while bringing the boy a glass of green tea. "It was made by a famed inventor. He called himself Barnum and he was fantastic at working with tools. I think he could design just about anything if he put his mind to it."

Taking a sip of the green tea, Link reeled back in disgust shortly after. Due to his kokiri upbringing, it didn't even taste like something safe to drink. He wondered what was wrong with it. The tea had a slightly sweet taste and mild nutty undertone; not a 'refreshing' beverage in the hero's opinion.

Mr. Happy didn't seem to mind. Once it was cool enough, he mimicked a dehydrated Gerudo lost in the Lanayru Desert by chugging it down without stopping for a single breath.

"Uh-huh..." Link replied in response to taking an interest in the music machine. "I know of Barnum, he's a master of his work. But, what exactly is this?"

Laughing with a cackle, the Happy Mask Salesman tapped on the side of the machinery, where a small plaque was hammered onto it in that location. "Perpetua Music-tron #3. If you came here for answers about life, your adventures or even the future, then you've come to the right place. However, if you're going to ask me exactly how this thing works, I'm afraid I don't know everything. He-he."

Hearing that the music machine was the third of its kind meant that there were two more out there in the wide-world. In the long run, unfortunately, it didn't make a difference, as Link certainly wasn't going to find and pay every rupee he'd ever earn in order to get one of them; surely the Music-tron was expensive.

"Perpetual energy is what powers it. On the inside, near these pumps here, is the thing's heart. Splendid" Mr. Happy pointed near the top, where the two pumps were. There was a small hatch there. Upon opening it, he revealed the inside was full of a whole new series of components. Keeping things simple, to describe, it was a miniature metal windmill with specially designed weights on selected blades. The blades were bent backward, somehow giving it the ability to keep going on its own without needing any wind or even a slight breeze. A quick demonstration was all it took to get the gist of how it operated. "To start it, you just squeeze this pump here on top. When you let go, it'll keep going on its own. Isn't that Marvelous?"

Despite Mr. Happy telling Link how it worked, the boy was still quite fascinated with it. Then again, there was a particular salesman in the room he found more fascinating. He couldn't stop himself from beginning to eye the strange man again. Link's brain was going into investigative mode, pondering the technological surprise as well as his earlier thoughts on Termina's superior advancements. 'Could it be that I truly did imagine the things of Termina? If Barnum is capable of constructing this device, then the factories of Clock Town can't be so far fetched.'

"There's a small compartment right underneath the windmill too." Mr. Happy continued. "Supposedly, I could fill it with water to change the speed it keeps itself at rotation, but I haven't messed with it really. I found that as long as you squeeze the pump at just the right strength, it'll work wonderfully. Amazingly." He continued to smile, humming along with the soft music playing from the contraption and even whistling just a little bit.

Link, on the other hand, found himself smirking as he suddenly realized he might have a perfect way to initiate an informative conversation on Termina. Depending on how Mr. Happy answered the boy's question, it would bring about a significant impact, as it was an ingenious plan. "Hmm, that may be. I think you're better playing the organ than this thing is though. You put heart and soul into your music; a machine can never do that."

Prior to sipping on more of his green tea, Mr. Happy laughed, not suspecting a thing. "Why thank you!" He was pleased to hear the compliment. "It's a piano though, not an organ."

Hearing the Happy Mask Salesman say that, Link felt his body stiffen as his eyes widened. He couldn't believe it. Finally, He'd managed to receive evidence regarding the events of Termina. Never in Hyrule had the young hero seen Mr. Happy play his piano. Only in Termina, inside the Clock Tower, was he that virtuoso. Caught red handed, the man still didn't realize it. Link just wasn't able to say anything about it either as he was too stunned. He had to literally put down the green tea as he was afraid he was going to drop it. 'There's no possible way I could know he played piano if it wasn't for what happened in Termina. There's no way. No matter what he says, I know that I'm right on this one.'

Before the boy could even jump to the conclusion, doubts surfaced more as he had learnt his lesson prior. Just as previously, with his curiosity toward Termina's technological advancements, he didn't want to find out later that he'd somehow known subconsciously that the Happy Mask Salesman played Piano. 'What if he said something about it and I've merely forgotten? I can't take this anymore, I'm so tired of these doubts. I could burst out right now, I'm so sick of it. If I could just get to the point!'

Link's eyes almost hurt as he stared intently at Mr. Happy. Without any more hesitation, suddenly everything snapped and he felt as though he had an involuntary reflex involving his lips. They curled to whistle out three distinct musical notes. B, A, F, B, A, F. The Song of Healing. The pitches were forced out in whistle form. More notes were to follow, but that mere amount was sufficient enough for getting the crazy little man's attention.

Mr. Happy dropped his teacup, the porcelain shattering amongst the ground. Turning around with a gaping mouth, he watched Link continue to whistle the entire tune, all of the Song of Healing. For the first time in quite awhile, the man wasn't smiling. In that moment, he understood that the hero had trapped him, metaphorically speaking. Whatever plan he had, for whatever reason it was that the boy was being lied to and deceived regarding a realm that he still didn't know whether or not truly exists, it wasn't going to work.

Link was going to come out on top this time. He didn't care if he was still just a kid. His mind was mature enough.

"No..." The Happy Mask Salesman uttered. "No…... No... No, no, no, no, no, no! That song! How could you-...!? Iaeee! You tricked me!" He began freaking out, full blown. Only once before had Link seen his eyes, so for the boy to see him with them wide, pupils just as red as before, it was disturbing. "How could you do this!?" He stomped around, holding his hands to his face in shock. "Why would you trick me!?"

A smirk came to Link's face. With this, he now had high hopes that the man would relinquish any knowledge he had toward Termina. He wanted to know, and he wanted to know now. Did Termina exist? Mr. Happy was the only one that could tell the truth to the boy. Thus far, regardless of what the salesman said from this point onward, he'd already proven through body language and actions that he's aware of something, whatever it be.

To Link's complete dismay, none of what he wished or hoped for happened. In fact, Mr. Happy abruptly changed his demeanor. Going from freaking out, his unnerving smile returned as his hands went back down. Only his wide gazing eyes remained out of the ordinary. "Fine…" He sighed grumpily. "If you want to know so badly, Link, then I will tell you. First, however, I want you to answer something…"

Due to the Happy Mask Salesman's previous alarming behavior, Link was already greatly apprehensive. For all the man's freaking out to all of a sudden stop, it utterly threw the hero off guard. He could literally feel the change in the atmosphere. At that moment, Mr. Happy had done something magical. Link couldn't figure it out, but knew it was something. The music coming from the contraption ceased in a single second, sounds from the outside were extinguished and even the flame from the furnace seemed to freeze in place. The fire was still there, but it wasn't moving, merely trapped in time instead.

Experiencing the shift brought forth panic to the boy. He didn't know what was happening and wasn't sure if the strange man was going to be an imminent threat. "The only answer I want to give you is my blade jutting through the back of your throat!" Link shouted while immediately brandishing his sword. He didn't want to go further, yet, knew the situation may escalate at any point.

Link had always thought that Mr. Happy was odd and suspicious. Then again, he never thought it would come to this. The salesman didn't seem like someone the hero would have to decide whether or not to trust. He was never faced with a situation where he had to rely on Mr. Happy. To know now that the man had been lying to him, trying to hide the fact that he knew of Termina, it brought out the realization that he might be an enemy in disguise. Link wondered if perhaps even helping him initially was the wrong thing to do. 'Who or what is he?' The hero's brain thought, barely holding back from leaping for the first strike.

"Hauuuuu-..." Mr. Happy sighed while holding his hand out, over the broken cup, plate and splatter of green tea upon the floor. "Really, Link? Not everything can be solved by being a fierce deity."

Nothing in the world could have provided Link with the needed coping skills after hearing Mr. Happy use that particular phrase. Fierce Deity, the almighty and vengeful spirit from Termina does not exist in Hyrule. Everything the salesman said thus far had provided Termina's existence. Link still didn't know how it exists, but he knew now that it does and that was a humongous step. No more wondering if he was losing his mind, no more wondering if it was all delusional hallucinations, no more hoping to forget something that he wasn't sure was real. This, this here was the exact evidence he needed in order to prove to himself that everything that happened with Majora's Mask actually occurred. The others might not believe it, yet the boy didn't care anymore. Just like how nobody other than he truly believes in the transpiring events seven years in the future, a future that will never be, he'd be the bearer of another truth, the carrier of secrets.

"Nrghhh….You have a lot of explaining to do, Mr. Happy." Link spoke through grit teeth, not even loosening his grip on my sword in the least.

Watching the hylian intently, Link was shocked into amazement as the shattered teacup on the floor wiggled. In only a few short moments, the spilled tea shrunk and the cup reformed in front of the hero's very eyes, melding back together without any sign of damage ever having occurred. The tea returned to the cup and rose into the air, where the creepy little guy grabbed it.

"And you need to tell me what you are, right this second! Now!" Link waved his sword at the man.

Mr. Happy only smirked and put the newly reformed tea cup filled with green tea on the table beside him. "I've already told you that I would tell you everything I know. I just didn't want to bring up Termina. There are rules I'm supposed to abide by, you know? Jolly good rules."

The left side of Link's lip lifted in disgusted mistrust. "What the hell are you talking about!?" He snarled back in response, deeply disturbed by the entire ordeal. "Answer me first! You've done enough talking for once! I'm Link, the Hero of Time, Champion of the Golden Goddesses! I demand you tell me who you are and every single thing you know about Termina, right this very second! If you don't, then I'll gut you like a pig!"

"Oh, that would go over just wonderfully, now wouldn't it, Link?" Mr. Happy chastised the young hero. "Think about it. If you kill me, the guards hunt you down and you'll get executed for murdering a kind, old and happy mask salesman." Unlike his usual demeanor, he finished with a bit of sarcasm. "I'm completely sure that that would work out just swell for you in the long run… Or, at least the week you'd have before the law catches you." Placing his hand to his jaw, he kept lecturing with a wide grin, those wickedly staring eyes of his being open as far as they could be. "Let's not forget about Zelda, Malon, and Saria. They'd be absolutely heart broken to watch your head roll from the guillotine into a basket. You might have the Blood of the Hero flowing within your veins, but you'll be killed just like anyone else."

For the time being, Link didn't even care about the guards or the strange guy in front of him. If he chose to kill Mr. Happy, he knew he could just leave the kingdom shortly afterward and never be seen again. 'I can guarantee that nobody from the Royal Family would pay attention to the murder of a creepy old man who sells shitty masks. Hardly anyone ever even comes in here anyway. I have no clue how he stays in business.'

A twitch in his eye was the only thing that made him stop and re-analyze what he had just thought. Seriously, he was going off the deep end. Desiring to murder somebody with the main reason being for thrill, that was something that Majora did, not the supposed Hero of Time. Regardless of how he felt about the lying bastard, Mr. Happy did indeed have a point toward Malon and Saria. Doubtful though, Link was unsure that Zelda would even care. In his opinion, she pretty much used him then threw him to the side.

'Keep it together, Link. This isn't you. This isn't something that you would do.' The hero spoke rationally to himself. 'All he did was lie, it's not as if he hurt somebody.' Morally, the boy was frightened of himself. It wasn't like him to be so vicious. 'I'm the one threatening to kill him, all because he won't directly tell me the things I've been desperately trying to figure out.'

All of Mr. Happy's riddles, word games and misleadings were enough to drive the boy crazy. However, he couldn't blame it all on the salesman. Whatever was making him so angry, it was much-much deeper. That raging lust for bloodshed felt the same as when he had the Fierce Deity mask on my face. Previously, before he found out that the Happy Mask Salesman did know of Termina's existence, he'd been trying to shove the darkened lecherousness back to the pit of his brain. Now that it's come to attention that Majora's Mask as well as the Fierce Deity were and are both as real as can be, it was putting a massive stress on Link's consciousness. "I… I just need answers, I need them!"

"Then answer mine first." Mr. Happy interjected harshly in tone, still visually appearing happy. "Why is it that you need to know these answers? Does the outcome truly matter? Will it appease your desire to fill the gaps of knowledge? Will it make you happy?"

At first, Link wasn't sure he understood what Mr. Happy meant. It was such a simple question. Yet, it took the boy a few seconds to actually come up with a decent response. "I want to know because I'm the one who saved it from destruction, destruction that would have been at your hands seeing as how you're the one who let the Skull Kid take Majora's Mask from you like a foolish old man."

Mr. Happy chuckled awkwardly. Every time he inhaled, the flame of the furnace fluctuated. "How absurd. You think I just let him snatch it from me? Why would I wish for the destruction of a realm and then go about for weeks attempting to rescue it, even going as far as to gain the assistance of the Hero of Time?"

In all honesty, the man did make a good point. Though Link, for whatever reason, still felt as though the salesman was responsible. It was he who carried such a dangerous mask. If it wasn't for that, then the Skull Kid would have remained as pathetic as he was prior to the boy meeting him. 'Wait… Does that mean that, by causing all of the events that followed, it was his plan all along for me to come in and help everyone living in Termina?'

Suddenly, the hero had to stop and think more. 'So much of that land was in danger of stupidity and wickedness. If I hadn't come when I did, there would be a lot of sorrow and misery left. While I was there, I did everything in my power to help out the people residing there. It was me who saved them.' His teeth grit tight as he began changing his thoughts. Thinking harder, he wondered if he might have been wrong. In fact, he was sure that he was wrong. 'No… No. That's not right… Everything bad that happened, it was the Skull Kid and Majora's fault. The Moon falling, the curses, the plagues, the nonsensical deaths, all of it was caused by him. I only fixed what I could; mostly his messes.'

"Allow me to ask you something else..." Mr. Happy inquired oddly. "Don't you find it selfish that you want to know about the existence of another realm only because you're the one that saved it?"

The question was quite meaningful. Alas, Link's response was much less so. "What!? No! I-…" He stopped to sigh. "I mean, I helped to save them because I cared about them." His grip on his sword loosened ever so slightly, barely enough to be noticeable. It was true, what the salesman said. Link might have needed to do the majority of the things that he did in order to get or accomplish something. But, he genuinely became involved in the affairs of citizens. Through helping them, he came to be accepted by them, and thus, they felt accepted by him. Such relationships often came with friendships, such as the brotherly one he had with Darunia. "I'm a hero. I can't help other than to feel 'obligated' to help. Even then, unlike most people, I actually have that 'desire' to help."

Soon after he wrapped up with what he was saying, Mr. Happy cocked his head to the side. "You do have that part right, Link. But, what you don't know is that you have more than a drive to help. It's a trait in your blood." The Great Deku Tree probably would have told Link the same thing. It's too bad it wasn't the tree-god telling him this, for the boy would heed those words far more than the happy mask salesmans. "You come seeking answers from me, yet those answers are hidden deep inside of you… Threatening will get you nowhere... Please, sheath your sword."

'Inside of me?' Link thought while also contemplating as to whether or not he should sheath his sword. 'How can I worry about what's inside of me whenever I'm so tied down wondering if I can trust him or not?'

Following a matter of seconds, as the boy went back and forth on whether or not to disarm, Mr. Happy spoke once more. "You can trust me, Link. I may have tried to deny my role, but now that you've caught me, I'll tell you everything and I mean everything that I know."

Finally, Link gave in and listened to the Happy Mask Salesman. With any luck, he prayed for things to go well. The young hero didn't want to hear any further garbled nonsense and he also didn't want to put his sword away. For the moment though, he had no other choice. "Fine." Sheathing his sword, he changed his stance by standing straight and crossing his arms.

Mr. Happy seemed satisfied. Not that anybody could tell as he always looked happy. "There… See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" Seeing Link roll his eyes, he said "Now then. I'm assuming that you want answers regarding Termina?"

Hearing a hylian say the actual name of the land which he'd concerned himself with was like a ton of bricks had been dumped off of his shoulders. All the worry and questioning of his own sanity could at long last come to an end. "I need answers for a lot of questions, Mr. Happy. But, yes… Termina is one of those questions."

The odd man stepped forward without making a sound, not even the gentle scuffing of footsteps were audible. He then sat down on his small cot. "I can answer as much as you ask. As you can see, we've got plenty of time."

Abruptly, Link realized that Mr. Happy had done the very same thing that he did in the Clock Tower of Clock Town. His magic was the reason for the statue-like flame from the furnace, the ceasing of music and lack of outside sound. The time in the local area, this small vicinity, had been stopped. Only that which the Happy Mask Salesman allowed was still flowing normally.

"What are you?" Link asked, sounding rude despite not meaning to. "Are you Hylian? Or… Something else?"

Mr. Happy's eyebrows lifted in curiosity. He didn't really expect the boy to blatantly ask him something like that. "I'm the Happy Mask Salesman, Link. You know that already."

Immediately, Link felt a twinge of anger. That response wasn't good enough and the man should have known better. "I thought you told me that you weren't going to lie or try to mislead me anymore?" More mistrust filled the young hero's mind. While the answers he wanted from Mr. Happy were dire, thus far, he couldn't guarantee that anything said is even reliable.

"Lying or working my way around that which is incomprehensible for you are two different things." Mr. Happy plainly stated. "I am the Happy Mask Salesman. I had a name once, a real name, a very-very long time ago. But, now anyone who asks can just call me Mr. Happy."

As before, his words weren't satisfying to Link. It seemed almost as if the man was saying that he had to dumb it down for the boy to understand. 'It's not like he's some deity, right?' Link thought, the powers the salesman clearly suggesting otherwise. 'No way could I accept him as anything benevolent.' His fresh thoughts of all of the disasters Mr. Happy caused lingered in his mind, forcing the boy to be permanently upset at the adult man's failure. 'One thing's for sure, he's not Hylian.'

Briefly again, Link dove further into contemplation with the recollection of the Lunar Children. They were kids inside of the moon that were extraordinarily eerie. Whatever they were, they wore masks and simple white clothing. The most unnerving however, was both the masks and the face behind the masks. Each mask represented an extinct tribe, a race that no longer existed due to a terrible war from long ago in Termina's past, a war that was possibly waged by Majora itself.

Along with these deceased races that could literally be felt trying to escape from the pain and the anguish of being stuffed inside a mask without the Song of Healing, there came inscrutable questions that required Link to think with both logic and moral reasoning. They echoed ceaselessly, driving the boy mad as he could hear the children's voices. The first question was from the kid wearing Odolwa's Remains. "Your friends... What kind of-... people are they? I wonder... Do these people-... think of you-... as a friend?"

The child wearing Goht's Remains spoke together with the previous child to say the next question. "What makes you happy? I wonder...what makes you happy-...does it make-...others happy, too?"

It continued as before, with the child wearing Gyorg's Remains speaking in unison with the other two. "The right thing...what is it? I wonder...if you do the right thing-...does it make-...everybody-...happy?"

Again, it went on to the last child. The child wearing Twinmold's Remains spoke with the other three. "Your true face... What kind of-... face is it? I wonder... The face under the mask-... is that-... your true face?"

Children or not, their questions sent shivers down Link's spine. Such intense thoughts radiating from the questions made it hard to concentrate on anything other than what they said. The hero's heartbeat sped up, racing as his palms began to sweat. The tips of his ears tingled, yet he wasn't sure why. As vividly as he recalled the questions of the Lunar Children, he could even hear the demonic voice of Majora; twisted and insane, full of pure evil, it took their voices and warped them into its own, stating something that one of them had said to LInk before, that which concerns him toward the Happy Mask Salesman. "Ahhh... Nice weather-...Isn't it? Masks-...You have-...a lot. You, too-...Will you be-... a mask salesman? Then I'll play with you. So...The masks-...Give me some."

"You..." Link said, trying as hard as he could to put together the pieces. "Are you from the moon? I-Inside that strange sunny field, with the lone tree in the center?" The thought of those Lunar Children was confounding. He wasn't exactly sure what they were; be it a manifestation of Majora's will, a race of ageless beings, or war victims from the past. Behind those masks was what looked like the head of the Happy Mask Salesman, the same Mr. Happy standing before him. Their skin tone, hair style and shape made it clear without the boy even needing to have seen their face directly. All five of Lunar Children looked exactly the same, like young kid versions of Mr. Happy.

"Ha!" Mr. Happy laughed out loud while slapping his knee multiple times, despite standing up, as if what Link had said was absolutely hilarious. "Hahahaha! No, no… Ha-ha!… I'm not from Termina's moon. If you're referring to the Moon Children or Lunar Children that you met, they're more or less spiritual remnants of the tribes Majora conquered in that realm long ago, infused with the memories of the Skull Kid and the Four Giants; figments from Majora's Mask."

Hearing the man continue to say the word realm when he referred to Termina was almost overwhelming. Link wanted to know why it was a realm as well; why it was what it was and how or if he could ever return. So many questions needed to be answered.

"Link…" Mr. Happy consoled the young hero. "Trying to put into terms who I am, what I am, where I came from and how I got here is just not something I can equate to and be able to understand. Either way, everything about me in general is pointless information. It serves you no use to concern yourself with me right now, so ask some better questions… the questions you've been saving especially for me."

Link's guard was shot down yet again after listening to the salesman. Obviously Mr. Happy didn't want the boy inquiring anymore about his nature. After a while, Link pretty much gave in and took the advice; that it really didn't matter at this point. "Okay…... Termina then. I want to talk about Termina. Is it real, and how does it exist?"

The Happy Mask Salesman's smile, in spite of already being wide, grew even bigger as he started rubbing his hands together in an odd fashion. "Ahhhhhhhh!" He responded long and drawn out. "That is indeed a great question to ask right there. Without putting it in a riddle or anything, since I know you hate them, the best way to put it is simple. Termina does indeed exist however at the same time, it doesn't."

'Not putting it in a riddle my ass.' Link thought rudely, trying as hard as he could to see things Mr. Happy's way so he'd understand much easier.

"I know what you're thinking…" The smiling salesman interjected. "It doesn't make much sense for something to exist, yet at the same time, not exist. But, that's the best way I can explain it really." Pursing his lips, he continued. "Termina existed in your head. Don't get me wrong though, because it was still very much real."

Link's immature mind struggled more, not able to comprehend what was said well enough for it to be logical. 'If Termina was real, truly exists, then it couldn't be in my mind. I could not have hallucinated it if it really happened.' Shaking his head, he blinked his eyes a few times. 'Come on. Am I sane or insane? Which is it?' Staring at Mr. Happy, he asked. "So… Anju and Kafei, Darmani, Lulu and Mikau, Romani and Cremina… They were real? Truly-truly real?"

The Happy Mask Salesman's head bobbed as he walked over toward his table, taking a small bottle from off of it and uncorking it. Whatever was inside must have been some form of lotion, for he poured a little in his hands prior to resuming rubbing them. "As real as you and I, Link. If the dimension exists, then they do too."

Again, the man used another term suggesting Termina was in a completely separate place from Hyrule. Lots of things weren't making very much sense to Link right now, yet it did for Termina to be far-far-far away from Hyrule. Otherwise, he doubted they'd be so different like they were. Termina's characteristics were confounding compared to here. He just couldn't understand how or what it was that made them separate, diverged. "Wait…" The hero spoke. "There you go again. Realm or dimension, what do you mean?"

Mr. Happy's focus returned to Link as the hero awaited an answer. "Oh boy… That's a tough question for me to translate into words a kid like you would understand." Briefly, he began looking around the shop again, examining certain parts in what appeared to be a search. Not long from then, he found what he was looking for, pulling out a small necklace with beads dangling from the string. "Here, take a look at this." Next, he held the necklace out in a straight horizontal line, making sure Link was watching. "Do you see?"

Right after Link's confirmation, Mr. Happy resumed. "What we consider reality is but a brief singular location amongst a sea of others." Pointing out an individual bead, he asked. "Do you know what the universe is?"

Link furrowed his brow as he pondered it for a split second. "The-... universe? That's-… everything off this world, right? Like, up in the sky where the stars are at night?" Placing his finger to his lips, he recalled a few stories he'd been told when he was younger. "The Golden Goddesses came from there, I think… At least, that's what the Great Deku Tree told me."

That wicked smile of Mr. Happy's grew a bit bigger until he responded. "That's right. This planet we live on here is tiny in comparison to the vastness of the universe. Off our world, there's other worlds, some hospitable, others deadlier than fire and brimstone. However, even then, there's still more. A cluster of worlds is known as a system and they rotate around a star like we do to our world's sun. There's millions of systems littering the universe. Each time you look up into the night sky, those white dots lighting up blackness are stars, other suns; whole systems so far out of our reach we couldn't ever hope to explore."

Narrowed eyes, jaw agape and nose wrinkled, Link was beginning to lose track of what was being said. The topic started going into a field too incomprehensible for his immature brain to rationalize. Stars, planets, systems, universe; none of it mattered to him other than Hyrule and Termina. Relevancy was a big factor in his comprehension of anything. The boy figured he wasn't ever going to leave this world, so none of the others should matter. "I have absolutely no clue what you're talking about. You sound like the Lake Scientist…" Link rebuked. "Just get to the point."

Momentarily, the Happy Mask Salesman stopped speaking, staring at the young hero with squinted eyes. "I know you understand what I said, Link. You're much smarter than you realize."

He could see Link was obviously confused. Proceeding with his demonstration, Mr. Happy held out the string with beads on them. "This string here represents a cosmic string. The beads are each a realm, with this one here in the center being our happy little universe." Once more, he pointed to the same bead from earlier before circling around the others. "Together, they form the multiverse on the membrane of which we all exist, even our Gods and Goddesses."

All of that information was exceedingly hard to get down pat. Thankfully, Link thought ge got the idea of what the salesman was saying, or trying to say. "So… Outside of our sky, our realm, there are other skies? More heavens?" Comprehending the magnitude of having so many different realms, the boy grew curious about their nature as well. "What is in those skies?"

Mr. Happy chuckled more while sliding each individual bead side-to-side, playing with the necklace as he also attempted to explain how reality exists. "What's in the other dimensions of the multiverse? Why, other worlds, sometimes different, sometimes similar to our own." Flicking two beads together, he said. "They might be nearly identical." Pulling the beads apart, he also said. "The might also be so far out of your conception that you wouldn't ever even be able to begin to understand them." Letting the beads fall back together, the man resumed with the explanation he knew Link wanted. "Termina itself is one of these dimensions, parallel to our own, yet, reserved for its own special purpose, a purpose our Gods and Goddesses have seen fit to bestow upon it."

That bulging blood vessel on Link's right temple came from further frustrations. Never had the boy pretended to understand the design of reality, how the Goddesses worked or even their designs. He'd been through countless situations where things were so beyond his grip of reality that the hero wanted to scream out in terror, to give in and weep like a little baby. On the other hand, his spirit, his courage, it knew that he could press on, and he did. The boy wouldn't be there today if he didn't.

Link's only point was that he couldn't help it if he wasn't capable of knowing everything. The Hylian brain couldn't process that which the minds' of the goddesses could. Due to that reason, sometimes the hero just had to carry on without full knowledge of what's going on around him.

"I know it's hard to understand..." Mr. Happy sympathized, placing his right hand on Link's shoulder. "Let me put it in two ways that I know you'll understand. Here's the first way…" Placing a box on a table, he showed that it was empty prior to covering it with the sheet from his cot. " Termina did not fully exist before you visited it." Walking his fingers across the top of the covered box as if his digits represented a little man, Mr. Happy then demonstrated how Link fell into the dimension, mimicking the situation as his fingers pushed the sheet into the box. "Only whenever you opened the metaphorical door and entered it did Termina become active." Pulling the sheet back on the box, the Happy Mask Salesman had performed a trick by revealing the inside to now have miniature plants protruding from a thin layer of soil. A thin layer of mist covered the tops of the plants, imitating an atmosphere. "While you and I were there, it existed like any other normal dimension in the multiverse." Before Link could get a good look at the magic trick, Mr. Happy removed his hand from the box and covered it with his sheet again. "However, when you left, it ceased to exist again."

This time, Link groaned and sighed as he partially understood how, yet still not the reason for Termina's existence. None of it made much sense. "W-What? What do you mean? If Termina existed, how could it stop existing just because I left it."

Mr. Happy once again held up the beaded necklace. "Under normal circumstances, Link, you would be absolutely correct. After all, our universe would most definitely still be here, even if we all suddenly vanished. Life, even intelligent life, isn't necessarily what makes each dimension special. In other words, these planes of existence aren't always meant for our needs. Occasionally they're for the gods and goddesses."

While Link may not have fully grasped what the salesman was saying, a deeply saddened feeling arose from within the boy as he thought of all the citizens of Clock Town, specifically Anju and Kafei, who treated him like family. He had emotions of bonded love upon which he'd witnessed in Lulu and Mikau. Assuming things based upon what the Happy Mask Salesman said to him, he figured Termina was gone. Everyone he'd encountered and helped along his way in Termina would be missed, but not forgotten, never forgotten. "So, it's the will of the goddesses that everyone I met and helped, the entire realm that I worked so hard to save from imminent destruction, be erased from existence?"

"Ah, now that's where the second way comes into play." Mr. Happy replied while wiggling his index finger, indicating that the hero needed to slow down, quit assuming things and relax. "Termina was a special dimension. It was designed for you." Pulling two beads together, he gave another demonstration. "It was a parallel universe, but one inside of your head." As he continued, he placed his finger to Link's forehead. "When you fell unconscious in the Lost Woods, you slipped into Termina because it was meant for you. At the exact same time, it required your mind to project it. As a result, many of the people you came across held a great resemblance to those you've met on your journey here in Hyrule."

"What does that mean for the others though!?" Link's confidence waned slightly as he began to fret for those he saved. "Those who lived there, are they just gone? Poof… gone?" Mr. Happy's finger left the boy's forehead as Link tried to figure out if any of the people he met in Termina were still alive or not. "You said that Termina didn't exist before or after I was there, only when I WAS there. If that's true, doesn't that mean Termina, as well as everyone in it, is pretty much dead now!?"

That gravely unnerving smile of the Happy Mask Salesman diminished some as the strange man looked at the boy rather curiously, wondering why the hero would care so much. He knew that Link was incredibly compassionate and held an intense desire to see everyone live in peace under the watchful eyes of the goddesses. Then again, he was trying to tell the boy that it didn't matter anymore. "Link… You must relax. While Termina is best thought of as a symbolic dream, none of the inhabitants simply went poof because you left; that would be absurd. No, what the people of Termina did upon your departure was live out the rest of their lives happily, just as the generation of Terminians did before them and the generations-to-come will afterward…"

Pursing his lips, he huffed. "And, before you start asking, yes, I'm saying that they were indeed alive before you arrived and continued to live after you departed." Quick drawing on the answer and even predicting what Link was going to say clearly meant that he was trying his hardest to relate things to the young hero in a way that would be understood.

Link still didn't get it; how Termina was able to exist only momentarily, but still had an entire history and future to it. 'Termina is a dimension similar to ours, parallel to ours on some giant deluge of skies from the beyond… yet, it was also all inside of my own head.' The thought of people walking around with entire realms inside of their heads was too queer to digest. "Why me?" His lips uttered softly.

Mr. Happy's left eyebrow lifted slightly as he heard the boy. "Because you're the Hero of Time."

Shock coursed through Link as he felt shivers go down his spine. While Link knew that Mr. Happy was aware, he didn't expect the man to say something like that, particularly in response to what had been said.

The Happy Mask Salesman took the liberty to go on with his explanation thereafter. "Why you, Link? Because you're the Hero of Time, the Champion of the Golden Goddesses, Slayer of the Demon King, Wielder of the Triforce of Courage, Blood of the Hero, Son of Her Majesty, Brother of Her Grace… A Fierce Spirit." Titles meant little. However, several were of great interest to the boy. It was all too convenient that they were hidden amongst the other labels. Link didn't even get a chance to think of them as Mr. Happy carried on. "Freewill is a gift, Link. In a single whisper, the gods and goddesses could easily create an army of endless supply. Millions upon millions of soulless knights, walking suits of armour, angels at their disposal could be given at any given time, all to put forth toward the ever growing threat of evil, all to be disposed of in glorious combat for a greater good, all to fight until the end, never relenting, never losing hope, never growing weary."

Such thoughts almost made Link feel useless. Almost.

"But, they don't..." Mr. Happy resumed, referring to the goddesses. "And they won't, all because they have you. Their beloved son of immense power…" He stopped to once again point at Link. "A regular person wouldn't have the courage to fight that you have. In fact, you're better than the average soldier, even without the Triforce of Courage. You were born and have always been born out of the gods and goddesses omnipotence, their love of life and the will for it to be so. Your freewill, your own desire to protect life, that is what makes you far more valuable than any platoon of soldiers." His arm softly draped itself around Link's shoulder in a comforting way. "Such a glorious person, such a magnificent and perfect soul, there's no way the higher powers could allow you to fall victim to the threats you faced in that forest, lying there with a mere Skull Kid watching over you." Looking up, as if toward the heavens, Mr. Happy revealed "You are their firstborn; they love you as much as creation itself. As their son, they knew what you had thought beforehand. They bore witness to your loss of interest in remaining alive, hearing you feel as though your purpose was over."

All that Link could do for the time being was look away, not wanting to admit that he had gone into the Lost Woods without a care for his own safety. It was true. Everything said was dead on a rupee. Back then, the hero felt as though, if he didn't find Navi, then he might as well go die. At the time, he thought that Navi and Saria were the only ones that cared about him; that Saria would be better off without him. Now, he knows how wrong he was. Hearing that the goddesses never lost faith in him, it nearly brought a tear to the boy's eye.

Mr. Happy gave Link a few pats on the shoulder before continuing "Termina is an alternate universe parallel to our own. But, its purpose was as a pocket dimension for the gods and goddesses to test you. It was a waystation, a temporary destination designed to question your will, your desire to live and motivation to help others." Flourishing his free hand, he joyfully pointed out "Look at what it proved. While you might have appeared as though you had lost interest in your purpose, in reality, all it took was seeing wickedness encroaching upon another kingdom and you snapped right out of it, once again lending your existence to all of mankind."

'That… Makes sense actually.' Link contemplated what he was being told. He thought more about the oddities of Termina. 'All of the symbolic influences, the representation of the five stages of grief, the moral questioning I faced by countless people; it put together a nicely made world all inside of my own head.' The boy could imagine it once more; all of the people walking around, the shops and different regions. It no longer seemed like something too hard to conjure in a dream. The only thing Link still couldn't fully understand was how the strange realm worked. Knowing that it was inside of his head, while also being a parallel universe, it didn't make sense for it to be two places to be the same. In the long run, though, he figured it didn't matter how, just that it happened. He had succeeded in his test given by divinity, he merely disliked that the test was in a fantasy world.

"Thoughts mean nothing, actions speak much louder than words. Considering you defeated the evil looming over the land, it proved that you had not given up." Mr. Happy kept calming the hero with reasonable facts. "Because of that, your spirit lingered on. Your physical form here in Hyrule did too. So long as you kept your will to live, your body refused to die until help could arrive. As luck would have it, your help would come in the form of a small, but very important young girl."

Link's thoughts immediately shifted toward Malon, the only person the salesman could have been referring to. 'What does he mean by important?' The boy asked himself.

"As soon as you were better, Link, that is when Termina ceased to exist." Mr. Happy clarified. "This, however, does not mean that it merely died. It means that its purpose was complete and it served no other function."

'Man…' Link groaned inside his own head while letting out a long sigh. The kid had to take a step back, away from Mr. Happy so he could soak in all of the information. He'd been told that he was smarter than he thought he was. But, the hero still got a terrible headache whenever he tried to think about everything on a deep level, trying desperately to comprehend that which was unthinkable. 'This… This is too much. Here I am thinking I was going crazy, imagining an entire world. Now I'm being told that it's true I made up a realm and also true that it was all real as well, just in another dimension that existed solely for me.' Link's head shook side-to-side as he prayed on it briefly, wishing that the goddesses would soothe his rising distress. 'This is just another story that I can't tell anyone because they won't believe me. It's exactly like all of the things I did to save Hyrule, all of my deeds seven years later, in a future that will never be.'

"Is that not what you wanted to hear, Link?" Mr. Happy questioned the boy. He spoke as if he were concerned for the boy. "I'm saying that Termina is real and all of the things you did continued to be acknowledged by the people you helped for the rest of their lives."

Following another shorter sigh, Link responded. "It's not that... I mean, yes, I'm glad to hear that it's real… It's just, I'm not sure what to do with this information. It's not like I can go around telling everyone about it. They already think I'm crazy and hallucinated the whole thing."

The Happy Mask Salesman's chuckle brought forth confusion in Link. There wasn't anything funny about the situation, not in the least. Noticing the boy's look, he clarified "Who cares what they think? It is of no relevance to them in the first place. Termina was meant for you and nobody else."

Again, Link felt that it was only because of the fact that he was the Goddesses' Champion, the Hero of Time, that he made it out of the Lost Woods alive. Had he been a normal Hylian, he'd be maggot food right now. This gift from the goddesses went both ways in his mind. On one hand, it made him feel special; he was unique in that ability. On the other hand, he also felt as though, without his title, he'd be nothing. A predicament such as that was over complicated repeatedly by his own immature brain.

"What should I do now?" Link soon asked, hoping the man might have an answer.

"With this knowledge?" His lifted eyebrow was a good sign that he wasn't going to give a proper response that Link would like. Lo and behold, he merely shrugged. "I cannot see into the future, Link. I see many possibilities, but not the exact one you'll choose. If you want my advice, I'd do nothing with what I've told you other than learn the lessons you were faced with. Try not to think about anyone from Termina either. They're at peace now, no need to worry."

Leaning back against the wall, Link closed his eyes for a moment, still trying to fully gather his thoughts. This was far from what he had in mind as an explanation. To a degree, Mr. Happy might be right about needing to let it go. The hero had saved Termina from destruction, but now he didn't need it anymore. The people in that realm, the doppelgangers; he didn't need to think about those people, not whenever he had the real-life counterparts right there in Hyrule. The worry for Romani and Cremia diminished as it was replaced fully by Malon. No longer would the boy care for those who weren't there. 'The time was now for me to focus on events in Hyrule again. Termina is done. Malon, Saria, Zelda; those are the people I should be centering my mind on, and I know that now.'

The relief Link felt was as if a boulder had been lifted from off of his shoulders. He may not be able to ever travel back to Termina or even speak of it to others, but at least he knew that it was real and everything he did truly happened. Slowly, yet surely, he felt his lips form a smile. Anju and Kafei were happy, Romani and Cremia were happy, so now he was happy. He could let go of all of that and start anew.

"I think that's the first time I've seen a genuine smile from you since you've entered the shop." Mr. Happy abruptly said. It was true as well.

Link was in a good mood now that he didn't feel threatened by Mr. Happy. Plus, he had his answer to where and what Termina is. "Yeah… Well, what can I say?" Shrugging, the boy proceeded with relaxing further, feeling utterly at ease for the first time in a while.

Mr. Happy chuckled softly prior to making a loud snapping sound with his thumb and middle finger. Immediately following the noise, the environment shifted back to normal. No longer did it feel like there was a dank cloud filling in the room, making it feel heavy and eerie. Everything turned back to normal. The music resumed playing, people outside could be heard talking and the flame of the furnace flickered in a regular fashion. "You could start with an apology for thinking I was evil or threatening to jab your sword in my throat."

Hearing that made Link look away. He wasn't proud of it and he wasn't sure why he said it. For some reason, the boy's thoughts had been on the slightly violent side more often lately, ever since he woke up from Termina. "I… I'm sorry. I just thought you might be some sort of-… you know."

After the request for forgiveness, the Happy Mask Salesman laughed out loud more than before. "A what? A bad guy? Evil incarnate? Some puppet master hiding behind the scenes directing everything?" He continued to chuckle while shaking his head. "No, Link… I'm so much more than any of those..." Briefly, his smile widened. "I'm the Happy Mask Salesman." It should have been obvious he'd say such a thing. However, he unexpectedly said "And you… You're Link, the Hero of Time. Remember that the Gods and Goddesses deemed you special, they let you live when death wasn't your destiny. Because of that, your spiritual growth in life is not yet over. In fact, it's far from it."

Link's eyes narrowed as he started staring at the salesman. There was a message hidden in what had been said, behind the obvious, he was sure of it. Now would be the best time to ask the man, as he's who he is, Mr. Happy. One thing's for sure, the guy knew a lot. "Huh? What do you mean? Actually… wait-… Can you tell me what's going to happen in the future? Is there anything else the goddesses have in plan for me? Any more adventures." Gently, as the boy awaited Mr. Happy's response, he heard a bell rattle, the one on the door which indicated that somebody had entered the shop.

Mr. Happy took note of the sound first as he glanced in that general direction prior to beginning his walk toward the floor of the store. "I am not a clairvoyant, Link. If you want to ask a question like that, you'll have to go see a fortune teller and hope for the best. If you still wanna know what I'd say…. well….. it's probably that the future is up to you. What you do determines your future." He held his arm to the doorframe prior to chuckling. "However, some things are also best left up to those of higher intelligence than us."

'Ughh! Back to more damn riddles again!' Link mentally cursed, angry at not being able to get a straight answer. Fortune tellers, also known as crystal gazers, were always a joke in the boy's opinion. Three fourths of the time, their advice, assumptions and information ended up being completely incorrect. Only in shot-in-the-dark situations did he ever succeed in doing whatever he needed the clairvoyant for. 'I have gotten some excellent advice from TRUE fortune tellers. Then again, I've also received faulty advice, even from the best of the best.' Grumbling, he started to leave. 'I guess I'll just live like a normal hylian, without knowing what's going to happen in the future.'

Right before exiting the back room, the boy stopped Mr. Happy by gently grabbing his arm. "Last question… Majora's Mask, is it gone? Destroyed? Somewhere safe?"

The Happy Mask Salesman's face remained the same, without any change of expression while answering "You don't need to worry about anybody getting their hands on Majora's Mask."

Softly, Link's eyes closed as he also felt safer knowing that thing was out of the way. "And the Fierce Deity Mask?" Expectations; when they fall short, they always disappoint. In this case, the hero was quite disappointed in the salesman's response.

"Goodbye, Link. Have a happy day." Mr. Happy replied rather nonchalantly.

The hero's teeth clenched together tightly as he followed Mr. Happy out of the back room. Standing by the counter, he noticed a lady of noble attire, wearing a long flowing dress with a crinoline supporting the bottom. She didn't look happy, but she wasn't angry either, simply nothing other than a tinge of snooty could be read through body language.

The Happy Mask Salesman didn't care though, being just as friendly as he is to everyone else by clasping his hands together with a wide exaggerated smile plastered on his face. "Hiyeee! Welcome to the Happy Mask Shop! We deal in masks that bring happiness to everyone!"

The aristocratic woman huffed. "Good Morning. I am Yasmin Waters The Fourth and I'm hosting a masquerade party this weekend. I'll need around forty masks for the attending guests."

Mr. Happy clapped softly in advance of saying. "Ooh! Why, of course! I can help you with that!"

The instant that Link's hand touched the handle of the door, he was stopped as the Happy Mask Salesman spoke to him one last time.

"Link..." Mr. Happy said. When the boy turned around, despite that never ending smile, the man looked serious. "I'll let you know when your services are required again."

It took several seconds of Link trying to understand what the salesman meant by that before he finally nodded. Even though he still wasn't sure, he figured that in due time everything would be explained. For now, he could be glad that the man answered his imperative questions about Termina. "Thank you, Mr. Happy."

Exiting the shop, Link was met with the bright sunshine and hustle and bustle of the marketplace. He wasn't fully aware of what time it was. However, assuming he'd been in stasis for a while since Mr. Happy used a spell to stop time, it shouldn't have been much more than five, ten, maybe fifteen minutes. There was enough time left for the boy to pay off his debt to the Stitch and Seam before heading off to the Forbidden Forest. Captain Orsen could wait again until some other time. At least, then the hero won't be asking him questions about a world from another realm, making himself look like he'd gotten low on sanity.

Link moved on with walking over toward the Stitch and Seam. Truly, the hero felt so much better without Termina being on his mind. He'd likely never fully understand the meaning behind why he went there, but he knew that the goddesses were watching out for him. The ordeal also reminded him that Malon was someone he'd always be extraordinarily grateful toward. She saved his life and they had been bonding further ever since. Working at the ranch had even been getting a tad easier. He was sure it's because he was getting used to it. Talon was constantly telling him how glad he was to have the boy as his farmhand. All of it makes Link feel good about himself, about those around him and about his purpose in life. Things were going to be a lot different, but he wasn't afraid of any changes. He couldn't be. He had to stay strong forever after. Settling down like before, months ago prior to any of his adventuring and discovering his destiny, that wasn't going to be possible. It was going to be different.

The knowledge and memories inside of his head would always be there. However, he could now set aside much of the past to prepare for a new future. By doing that, he could have a normal life, a normal hylian life. According to the Happy Mask Salesman, it's why the Golden Goddesses sent the hero to Termina instead of letting the boy give up his spirit and die a dishonourable as well as senseless death. Perhaps the goddesses knew he deserved more after all that he had been through. Link, on the other hand, never thought this would be how things would have turned out. Until now, he couldn't accept it. Sure, he defeated Ganondorf and made sure Hyrule could continue to prosper in peace. But, nobody other than Mr. Happy and Zelda fully remembered such events. There are others who believe, yet, cannot remember. Captain Orsen and The King believe me, so does Saria. They just don't have any recollection because it wouldn't make any sense for them to. A normal Hylian, or a normal living being; Kokiri, Goron, Zora, Gerudo, none of them have access to future events. That wouldn't make any sense, and it doesn't. Link had to accept this if he wanted to be normal.

Three fourths of the way toward the clothing shop, an idea hit. Link figured he should have known better to think it was impossible for someone to recall something that hasn't happened yet; to have access to knowledge of the future. The Golden Goddesses are exquisite. Hylians are a mere fraction of the glory they are, then again, that's more than enough for them to be magnificent beings in their own right, some more-so than others. 'Clairvoyants…' His mind spoke 'They can perceive that beyond our perception, using a gift from our creators to help those in need. Despite that, as far as I know, they cannot see their own future. The Happy Mask Salesman is something entirely distinct, definitely not a clairvoyant... In fact, so is Ingo for that matter.'

Ingo's ordeal was utterly shocking and to that very day, Link still wasn't able to comprehend how or why the farmhand knew about the things that happened in the future. Ingo isn't the most strong willed of people. As proof, he's displayed evidence of such on several occasions. 'The Golden Goddesses surely wouldn't subject a man of weak willpower to something so vastly intricate. Right?' To Link, no purpose appeared to be served in Ingo knowing such events. The farmhand's multiple day binge of alcohol drinking that followed his attempt to rationalize events that hadn't happened yet left everyone at the Ranch worried about him, including Link, especially Link.

'Perhaps some things aren't part of the Golden Goddesses grand plan. Maybe there's another force at work.' The boy's brain thought before it was abruptly cut short, washed away by a cascade of inevitable focal points, many of which were things the Happy Mask Salesman had mentioned. 'I doubt it's Ganondorf. He's practically been banished from the Kingdom of Hyrule. In the past couple of days, I've even heard word of his deteriorating relationship with his own tribe, the Gerudo.' Be that as it may, the hero would never doubt the power of the evil scourge that is Ganondorf's existence. The many times he had thought the Prince of Darkness was dead, or had come incredibly close to defeating, was numerous. Regardless, if there was one thing the Demon King was good at, it was being underestimated and avoiding death. 'Who am I kidding? It could definitely be him, probably up to something of absolute atrociousness.'

Nibbling his lower lip, he thought. 'But, if it's not, then who is?' The only other enemy he'd actually battled was Majora and it was merely a figment of his hallucinated dream realm. Out in the real world, Link had never known of anyone other than Ganondorf to directly require his heroic intervention in immoral affairs.

'And what of the other things… What of The Happy Mask Salesman himself, Mr. Happy? Can I really trust him?' Link proceeded to contemplate. 'Is he someone I can truly put my faith in; allowing him to inform me on things with his influence spilled upon it?' It's also plausible that the boy was being tricked, fooled and lied too by the quirky little man. Everything Mr. Happy said could have easily been twisted before ramming it down Link's throat. Only during the beginning did the hero even take into account the possibility that the guy could be deceiving him. Following the revelation revealing his cognition toward Termina, he had forgotten all about the possibility of being misled. 'The only way I can know for sure that he isn't full of shit is by verifying things through what made sense.' Obviously, he wasn't capable of figuring it out by himself. Everything Mr. Happy told him made sense. Nothing Link thought up even came close to that.'

'He knew I was the Hero of Time.' Narrowing his eyes, Link tried hard to think back, to recall all that he had heard Mr. Happy say. 'You're the Hero of Time, the Champion of the Golden Goddesses, Slayer of the Demon King, Wielder of the Triforce of Courage, Blood of the Hero, Son of Her Majesty, Brother of her Grace… A Fierce Spirit.' All of those titles sounded similar and yet, several stuck out like a sore thumb, forcing the boy to wonder why the Happy Mask Salesman would label him as such. No matter what, each and every title given was unique. 'Son of Her Majesty and Brother of Her Grace… I've never been called that before and he said it like it was a common fact.' Breaking it down, he thought about it in greater detail. 'Her Majesty and Her Grace, they were royal titles. I wonder if that's referring to the two of the Goddesses… Because there's no way I have Royal Family blood in me…' Blinking, his left eye twitched. 'No way he could have meant the Royal Family of Hyrule. No way.'

Throbbing sounds ensued as he could feel the blood gushing through his temples. Once more, it was difficult to understand and the act of trying was almost impossible, like the boy was being stopped from concentrating on the subject. Obviously he was a son. He was birthed by some woman, without any doubt. Then again, he was sure he wasn't a brother to anyone. 'As far as I know.'

Darunia the Goron Chief considered the hylian boy his brother and called Link as such, but that's not Her Grace. Plus, he is a Goron and Link is a Hylian. 'There's always the possibility that the woman who birthed me had another child… But, again, I don't know who it would be, or for that matter, why it makes any difference.' Sighing, he tried to relax and let go of such brain boiling topics. 'It's not like there's another person with the powers I have. It doesn't matter who's family I came from or the hylian blood that runs through my veins. I'm the Hero of Time, that's all that's important'

It was best to merely assume that Mr. Happy was good, or benevolent, whichever the case may be. After all, he sold happy masks. It would be hard to believe someone like him could pose a threat to anything or anyone, so long as the masks are powerless here in Hyrule and this realm itself.

Majora's gone, sealed away to never harm anyone again. 'Maybe I'm overthinking things. Provided Ganondorf's not up to anything, there isn't anyone else who'll be of such menace.' Nodding in agreement, he continued in his head, not wishing to speak aloud and have people thinking he was talking to himself. 'This kingdom should go through many years of peace. I defeated the enemy and here I stand in that which I've protected and sacrificed so much. The citizens have the greatest opportunity now to form their utopia. It's unfortunate that some things turned out the way they did, but I'll go with the goddesses, even if I don't always understand them.'

His thoughts soon ended after he wondered what kind of services would be required. Right as he left the shop earlier, the Happy Mask Salesman said that he'd let Link know if the boy was needed. 'Was he talking about me being the Hero of Time? It must have been… Surely it wouldn't have anything to do with me and any more masks, surely. Could it be possible that he can somehow communicate with the Golden Goddesses? Clearly he's not an ordinary Hylian… I wouldn't put it past him to have a connection.'

Before long, as he stood still, Link realized that he had been standing in front of the Stitch and Seam for several minutes; staring at the front door as he babbled on in his own head. Noticing that, he rubbed his face to yet again shove his thoughts aside. The time for contemplation had passed and he had to remain in the present for obvious reasons. Time was of the essence and he couldn't dally for very long. He had to have time to get to the Forbidden Forest in order to make an attempt at traveling into the Lost Woods before darkness fell. No matter what, he knew that the Ocarina of Time must be recovered. It couldn't be allowed to land into the wrong hands.

Gripping his wallet, soon afterward, he entered the store. Exactly as the last time he was there, both a man and woman were at the counter. There didn't appear to be many people shopping; due to that, the man was looking quite bored. The woman, however, noticed Link almost immediately. Waving her hand, she responded to his entrance. "Link! Hey there! Good to see you!"

A smile came across Link's face as he made his way across the storefront to the counters where the lady was. "Hello, Ms…Uh... Eliza, that's it. I'm sorry. Ehe."

Thankfully, she merely kept her smile without questioning why he temporarily forgot her name. "That's okay... I take it you're here for your clothing?"

Nodding, Link pulled the drawstring to my wallet, allowing him access to the rupees he'd worked extra hard to accumulate. "Yes, Ma'am. Today is my errand day, so I'm going around to all the places I have to be."

The guy, who was slouched over on the counter, groaned while staring at Link. "Ughh… Aren't you a little too young to be running errands all by yourself? I know Talon's not around too, because the milkshake lady isn't out there and I've been absolutely dying for one since the last time she was open."

Eliza, the lady, rolled her eyes before shushing the guy and waving him off. "Ignore him..." She said "He's grouchy and sassy, as always."

Personally, Link didn't like the guy. He thought the man looked lazy and it wasn't good business practice for him to appear that way, especially whenever customers were in the store. 'A punch in the face should cure that.' The boy's own mind thought, momentarily shocking him as it wasn't a normal thing he would imagine. 'Jeez… What's wrong with me? Why am I still thinking so violently?'

The hero didn't get much time to wonder as the lady soon bent down behind the counters and then came back up with several pairs of folded clothes. Judging by their size and appearance, he could obviously tell that they were the outfits she'd tailored for him. From where he stood, there were three pairs, only one of which was green. Whenever she spread them out, giving him a better look, Link noticed that they all had a wonderful design to them, being very well made.

"Here's your clothes." She chirped. "Go ahead and try them on. There's a curtain over in the corner if you need privacy."

Looking over in the left corner, closest to the front where they were, Link saw a curtain nailed to the corner walls in three places to hold it there. In advance of proceeding toward it, the took the clothing with him. Never before had he received clothes custom made by hylians, so he was fascinated by the inclusion of more advanced items than that which the Kokiri have; such as fancy belts, intricate laces, buttons and straps. Obtaining those in the Forbidden Forest was only possible through the Kokiri General Store, which sold things bought from the bi-weekly traveling House-Of-Wares caravan. 'Now I feel a tad fancy.' Link thought with a smile as he lifted the curtain high enough to go under it, into the small gap behind that formed a small room of sorts to do his fitting. 'I'm certainly not used to having multiple changes of outfits.'

Examining the first, it was a beige coloured long-sleeved tunic with brown trousers and a looser floppy belt. Trying them on, he found that they did indeed fit absolutely perfectly, just as the seamstress had said they would. The measurements she took beforehand truly paid off as he felt completely comfortable, able to stretch and move about normally without the fabric restraining in any areas. It felt nice, much better than the pair of overalls he had purchased the last time.

Using the mirror mounted to the wall, he stared at himself for a solid minute, adjusting the laces around his neck until it looked good. There truly weren't many times he was egotistical and obsessed over vanity, but today he was slightly surprised to see himself in true hylian clothing for the first time.

'Whoa… Who's this handsome fellow?' He teased himself, subconsciously imagining it was Navi as that would have been something she'd have probably said and then flutter around giggling. 'Not bad, really… Not bad at all.'

Moving on, he changed out of that pair of clothing prior to donning the green garb he mostly wanted in the first place. This one looked even better than the last, matching his personality down to the tee. 'Oh, even better!' This outfit had a tunic, green and about the same size as the one he owned, the tunic which Saria made for him. Underneath, there was a light brown undershirt along with the same coloured under-trousers. It didn't come with a belt, yet using his old one or even the one from the previous outfit and it looked fantastic. 'I'd wear this to the Kokiri Village to show it off, if it wasn't for the fact that I didn't want it to get ripped on a tree or torn if I have to do some fighting.'

Momentarily, following the thoughts of having to fight, he grabbed his sword and shield, equipping them while standing straight. Seeing himself in the mirror, the outfit made him look slightly more mature. He didn't look like he did when he was seventeen, but it reminded him of the aspiring young boy he became halfway through his adventures. 'Mature for his age… I don't know how many times I've heard that.' To his surprise, wearing the underclothing made the difference. It looked like what people said was coming true. 'A young hero.'

Although he found himself actually enjoying as well as admiring the view of his own reflection, he soon carried on with the last pair of clothes. Taking off what is already his favourite, he began putting on the next when he heard the woman from the counter ask. "Is everything to your satisfaction so far?"

Considering he couldn't stop gawking at himself in the mirror with them on, there was only one reply that he could give. "Yes, Ma'am. I'm very happy with how everything turned out." Even though he knew the woman was likely glad to hear that, he continued by slipping into a pair of trousers in advance of what seemed to be a shin length robe of grey colour. Finally, in addition to the trousers and robe, there was a shroud. All together, Link could barely recognize himself while wearing this outfit. It didn't look terrible on him. Regardless, it reminded him of somebody else. Or more like, something.

'It almost looks like that shadow version of me from inside of the Water Temple, the evil entity that mimicked everything I did. Each and every thought was mirrored by him in the same way my reflection does.' Unnatural was the only word that came to mind. Once again, the boy dove into contemplation, unable to stop the bad-habit from becoming exacerbated. Each time he did it, he zoned out and winded up not paying attention to the things that happened around him. Normally the thoughts would have to do with Zelda, Navi, Ganondorf, or an event which occurred. For it to suddenly be because of The Shadow, it took him off guard.

Fate took that moment, while Link wasn't paying attention, to throw in a massive fright. Looking up at the mirror, the hero's eyes widened as he saw the very same shadowy version of himself he had encountered inside the Water Temple. It scared and shocked him as he couldn't believe he was seeing right at first. Having the entity there made no sense. As soon as the fear wore off, he tried to use logic to doubt it was truly there in the first place. Stress was obviously making me hallucinate.

"Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh….." A voice reminiscent of Link's sounded, barely audible. Warped couldn't fully describe it as there was an undertone that accompanied it, a second demonic voice talking just underneath it. "Everything will be okay... It will be okay, because it will be consumed…... It… Must… Be… CONSUMED."

Link's feet stood frozen in utter fright as he stared intently, watching the lips of the shadowy entity resembling himself speak before it proceeded to rear its head back and let out a silent scream.

Despite the fact that the scream wasn't heard, cracks soon began forming on the surface of the mirror. The entity's eyes glowed bright red as it ceased the intense screeching. "You… Must… Be… CONSUMED." The mirror shook, rattling against the wall. A moment later, the entity lifted its left hand, revealing an upside-down mark of the Triforce before amazingly reaching straight through the mirror to grab Link.

Instead of hollering and flying out the store like the end of days had come, Link ducked to dodge the hand and smacked it with his shield as he turned around to swiftly change back into his original green tunic. The boy's heart must have been beating faster than it had all day, even including that which he went through with the Happy Mask Salesman.

None of what was happening seemed possible. All of it happened so fast that, this time, he wasn't left with the time to think about how or what was happening. Link'a brain stayed on repeat as he leapt into the tunic and shoved his feet into his boots. Hallucination or not, it wanted to kill him. Until now, Termina was the only hallucination he'd ever had which felt so real that he couldn't tell the difference between it and the real world. Considering that he had just recently confirmed Termina to not be a hallucination, a gut instinct told him that this event might not be either. Still, if it were real, he remained unable to understand how it was happening, or what for that matter. 'I defeated that entity in the Water Temple! Why is it repeating what Majora said!?'

Falling back, the last thing Link saw was the mirror and his own reflection. It now appeared normal and the entity was nowhere to be seen. Whatever happened made no sense. The mirror didn't even seem to have any cracks. He also wondered why nobody checked on him, for surely the woman at the counter could have heard the banging. In spite of the danger passing, he grabbed his clothes and darted out from behind the curtain. The boy's blood felt ice cold as chills continued to run down his spine. Creepy didn't even begin to describe whatever had just happened. Inside, his nerves had been knocked down from anxiety, making him shake on the outside. Nothing else around truly mattered at the moment. He didn't care about clothes or getting to the Forbidden Forest, he merely wanted to know what happened. 'Was that a hallucination… o-or real?'

As always, logic went against instinct. The hero's brain had a different opinion than his heart. Logically, it wasn't probable for him to encounter an entity Ganondorf made during the events that transpired seven years from now, in a time that won't exist. However, his instincts told him there was a real threat lurking somewhere, he was so sure of it.

"Hey..." The lady at the counters said as Link approached her with the pairs of clothing in hand. "Are you okay? You look like you've just seen a ghost."

The paleness Eliza was referring to was obviously from the fright the boy went through a minute ago. Whether or not it was a ghost though, remained a mystery. For the time being, he had to find his voice again, having been figuratively lodged way down in his throat. It took several seconds for him to reply. Even then, he tried to pass it all off as it wasn't anything which the woman needed to concern herself with. "H-Huh? Oh, no… I'm fine. Ehe… All of these clothes fit wonderfully. I really like the green one, it makes me look older."

Although she eyed Link for several seconds, soon she giggled softly while refolding the garments. "You're trying to look older? Are you trying to impress a certain farm girl?"

Normally, he would have been embarrassed to hear somebody say such a thing, especially considering how much he was staring at himself in the mirror, admiring how he looked older and more mature. This time, it was quite the opposite as he was still quite disturbed by what he had seen in the fitting area. He even looked back to make sure nothing had followed him out from behind the curtain. "Uhh… Yeah."

Eliza's face displayed surprise toward Link's response before she said. "Ooh! Looks like you're admitting some feelings. You know, the last time you were here in Castle Town and you bought that dress, Malon came back in to pay the rupees you owed me. She was so happy, I don't think I've ever seen her smile that wide before."

'Geez… Not right now, lady. I'm scared as hell. I don't need to be frightened AND embarrassed.' Link grunted while thinking. His eyes shifted back and forth from the fitting area to the woman, who was finishing up folding the final pair of clothing she'd tailored. Once she completed that, she removed a burlap bag from beneath the counter prior to placing all three pairs of clothing into it for safe keeping as well as easier carrying. "I remember." Link replied in response to Malon "At first she didn't seem too glad I bought it, but then she admitted that she loved it… The only thing I don't understand is why I haven't seen her in it? She hasn't worn it once." He wasn't exactly sure as to why he even mentioned that. If anything, he felt he had simply embarrassed himself more.

The lady continued to smile while writing things down on paper. "Don't worry, Link. You will... That's a really nice dress and since you're the one that bought it for her, I have a feeling that she'll wear it when the time is right, when you least expect it. You'll be taken off your feet, I guarantee."

Link already found Malon to be a cute girl, so he couldn't imagine how pretty she'd look if she was spruced up to look wonderful. Then again, catching himself, he was quick to reject that previous thought as he didn't want to admit to himself the feelings they both had for one another.

The lady must have noticed this as well, for she giggled again. "Oh my, look at those rosy cheeks. I wonder if Malon's will be redder when she sees how handsome you are in these clothes."

Shaking his head, Link ignored her and simply chose to open the drawstring on his wallet. "How m-much do I owe for these?" He asked, placing his hand on a purple rupee worth fifty. 'The quicker we get this done, the sooner I can leave. There's plenty of other stuff I have to do.'

Following her final mark onto the proof of purchase, she slid it toward Link in advance of holding out her hand. "Sixty five rupees, please."

Sixty five rupees was higher than Link thought it was going to be. The woman initially said that he'd need fifty. He figured it wouldn't be anymore than that for some reason. Thankfully he had enough. Removing the purple and three blue rupees, Eliza gently took them from him and then placed them somewhere beneath the counter where they'd be safe. "Thank you very much for your custom. I hope you enjoy these clothes and get the absolute best out of them. Come again soon." Just as she was about to walk away, she stopped herself to say "Oh! Also, tell Malon I said good luck to her relationship with you."

The woman's wink made Link feel slightly awkward, but he was still too frazzled to be totally embarrassed. So many things needed to be answered and he wasn't sure of where to start. "Uhh… Y-Yeah. You too." He replied oddly, unsure of how to properly respond.

Making his way out of the store, he began thinking of his next step. He was incredibly happy to hear how Termina existed. It was like a mountain of granite had been lifted off of his shoulders to know he wasn't crazy, to know that everyone in Termina was real. Even if he could never return and needed to keep his mind on this world, the real world, Link still felt relieved that he had an answer.

Now, for this to happen; a shadowy figure from the Future's Past, randomly reappearing in a mirror, it sent yet another moment of understanding down into the mud. Only one reliable source remained which could assist as he did before and that was the quirky little man known as Mr. Happy, of whom the boy had just seen a mere thirty minutes ago. 'I really don't want to see him again, especially so soon. But, this is urgent… If he knew everything he did, then surely he must know how and/or why I saw that which I did.'

In spite of not wanting to see the Happy Mask Salesman, in the end, Link determined that it was best to try and return to the Happy Mask Shop and request more assistance. 'This is going to force me to pay out more to Mr. Abernathy, but I have to do this. This is an emergency!' Quickly, he sped up to a fast paced walk as he crossed into The Market, passed the fountain and the road leading to The Castle. No fooling around this time. He wouldn't have to deal with any riddles or confusing sentences that were meant to make him think really hard. Mr. Happy already knew that the boy was aware, so there wasn't any need for that.

People moved out of Link's way as he approached the shop. Bound and determined as he was, drawing nearer, he saw that there was a sign on the door and immediately felt frustration radiate out from within. If it was what he thought it was, he knew that he was going to be angry. Mr. Happy had been there earlier and Link truly needed him to be there again. Trying to figure this out on his own was going to drive him to the hills and back. Not only that, but he also didn't know when he'd be able to return there after he departed. It might be another week. Combining all of that, the stress was already piling up into a massive amount of weight, all of which climbed straight onto the hero's shoulders to try and knock him over. Thankfully, when he did see that there was indeed a sign, he didn't let it ruin his day as he wasn't going to give up. That didn't mean though that he wasn't going to be incredibly frustrated.

"Gone fishing..." The boy spoke, reading the sign which hung on the door. "Are you serious!? Since when does he fish!? Ughh!"

Shaking his head, it was a huge disappointment. The sign caused him to slump down against the side of the building. Part of Link was scared, terrified to have seen and witnessed what he did. Deep down, he was curious as to whether or not the Happy Mask Salesman might have done this purposely. It seemed far too unlikely for it to have been a mere coincidence that the man decided to make haste within the half hour Link was away. 'Gone fishing… That's a joke. He put that sign up to taunt me or toy with me…' His hands tightened into fists. 'Doesn't matter, it's only to hide his real intention.'

Link continued to feel as though Mr. Happy was behind this, or knew that it was going to happen. Perhaps it was speculation or just plain intuition, either way, the boy was growing evermore suspicious of the salesman. The man knew of all of Link's adventures there in Hyrule, even those which the boy had never told him or even anyone else, including everything upon which was done in Termina. Link found it hard to believe Mr. Happy wouldn't know the answer to why Dark Link was in a Castle Town clothing store.

'I'm on my own with this then, at least for now.' He thought before getting up and turning around, giving one final glance back at the shop. With no sign of any movement inside or even a flicker of light, the boy walked away before more eyes began watching him. There wasn't anything else that he could do as he didn't want to risk getting caught by the guards if he tried to enter without permission. To an extent, it didn't even matter if he did figure it out. No matter what, he still had a mission to complete; recovering the Ocarina of Time. 'No shadow is going to consume me. Evil will fall to its knees before me, just as it has done before. If it shows itself again, I won't be lenient, and I won't back off in fear or fright.'

The sword resting on his back may not be the Master Sword, the sword upon which can vanquish evil with a mere slice of its holy blade. However, Link's skills and memory left him with an arsenal of strategies to be used with any weapon. Other than the odd momentary surprise, he wasn't going to let himself be afraid anymore, it just couldn't happen. Despite not being aware whether or not the entity was really there, recovering the Ocarina of Time would prove useful as he could use its powers by playing special tunes. Many of the abilities retained within it could even protect him, or cure him with the Blessings of the Goddesses.

For the time being, he swiftly made his way through The Market, passing the fountain and vendors set up around the finest stores in Hyrule. Since it was coming to the time of the day where the majority of the citizens living there were out and about, the boy had to politely decline anybody who wanted to discuss their wares with him. Far more things were in mind than things to buy, particularly now. In addition to that, the rupees he was going to have to pay Mr. Abernathy were the last rupees he had left on him.

As soon as he made it past the rabble, he sped up slightly more, enough to get him to the stables where Epona was being held. Epona took immediate notice of his return and trotted over to him, in turn gaining the attention of Mr. Abernathy, who had been focused on refilling the water in the trough for all of the horses.

Link may have been intent on figuring out things in his head, staying deep in thought, yet he couldn't help other than to snap out of it whenever the Filly huffed right in his face. Usually, doing a thing like that meant that she was annoyed or upset with him. With that in mind, the hero wasn't sure why since she was in a good mood earlier and nothing he did could have gotten on her bad side. "Huh? What's wrong girl?"

Following another second of her staring at him, Epona whinnied prior to snatching his floppy green hat from off the top of her master's head.

"Hey!" Link shouted playfully as a smile came across his face. The boy knew now that his horse was toying with him and perhaps even wanted to try and cheer him up. "You give that back! That's not a big chunk of grass and you know it!" Laughing, he chased after her as she ran to Mr. Abernathy then circled around from behind.

Mr. Abernathy chuckled as Link approached them both. Epona, despite only playing around, still had the boy's hat. "That's quite the lively filly you have there, Link." The old man complimented. "She's been running about getting to know all of the other horses." He chuckled as he puffed on his corncob pipe. "I must say, many of the other horses here are too well trained to socialize like that. How in the world do you ride her and get her to listen to you?"

Thinking about it, the topic made Link laugh. He honestly couldn't ever imagine the misfortune a thief would encounter if they made an attempt to ride off with Epona. The horse would likely buck them off and then stomp on them. Being as loyal as she was, Link doubted that anyone would ever ride on her other than himself and Malon. "I think it's love, Mr. Abernathy..." He replied as he puckered his lips and made soft kissing sounds to get Epona to come closer. "There's only two people she'll let mount that saddle and I'm the first one. Trust me, she's much better at listening than even the horses you get from royalty or knights." Slowly, Epona came close enough for Link to take his hat back before giving her plenty of praise to make up for the forty minutes total that I was away from her.

"That's a strong bond, Link." The old man nodded. "Anyway, five rupees should suffice to cover everything perfectly."

"Oh, sure..." Link replied. Removing a blue rupee worth five, he gave it to Mr. Abernathy. "Here you go. Thanks for watching over her, I really appreciate it." After another handshake, the hero went ahead and placed his clothing on Epona's back.

"It's no problem. Stop by anytime you're in town again." The old man waved to Link as he pocketed the rupee.

Nodding, Link mounted the saddle and said. "You got it. See you later and have a nice day." With a gentle whip of the reins as well as pressing on Epona's sides with his boots, Link got the filly to turn around. While making their way out of the stables, he put away his wallet in advance of tying the burlap sack of clothes to the saddle, ensuring that it wouldn't fall off.

The motivation within was beginning to rise again while he continued to gradually ride out of the stables, making a right, going toward the drawbridge leading to Hyrule Field. "Alright, girl… Let's go to the Forbidden Forest. I know you don't like going over that wobbly bridge, but I promise you, it'll be fine. The Kokiri built those bridges, you know?"

Although Link wanted more than ever to go back and figure out what it was that caused him to see a dark entity, a shadowy version of himself to appear in the fitting area's mirror, rambling on about consuming me, the Happy Mask Salesman literally blew him off on helping with solving that. 'Gone Fishing...What a joke.' If he was ever going to get to the bottom of it, it was going to be all up to him. He knew he had to summon that spirit he had when he was the Hero of Time. He had the courage and he had the heart. 'I'll persevere just like I always have. Considering that, it's clear that I have to prioritize and retrieve the Ocarina of Time. Using its powers, I might have better luck than without. Plus, it'll be in my possession, someone I know I can trust to not abuse its magic.'

Firm with himself as well as his plan to succeed, the moment they made it across the drawbridge onto Hyrule Field, he began thinking about Saria and the others; mostly Saria. Link had missed her dearly the past few weeks. The boy felt like he could hug her a dozen times the next time they met

Right as he was about to turn his head, he didn't even get the chance to look in the direction of the Forbidden Forest. Before he knew it, he heard a person yelling for him from off in the distance. It grew closer in no time and Link saw a man, dressed in a white, athletic one-piece joined to a sleeveless top with shorts and a bunny symbol on his belt. Along with the brown sandals, the man donned a traditional red postman hat with a large red sack placed upon his back. "OOOIIIIIEEEEEEEE! LINK!" The man hollered while running faster than anybody else. "WAIT RIGHT THERE, PLEASE!"

It didn't take very much longer before Link realized that the guy was the running man which he'd raced with once before and even sold the Bunny Hood to from the Happy Mask Salesman. Jumbled thoughts mushed themselves together and the boy wasn't entirely sure what he was looking at there. At first glance, it was the running man, yet the guy also looked like the Postman from Clock Town in Termina. 'How could that be?' The hero thought to himself, trying to figure out another mystery. 'I… I don't think I can recall the running man ever being a postman. In fact, I don't even know his name, much less his occupation. Did I merely put two and two together in order to determine that he'd be great at delivering mail since he's so fast on his feet? If everyone in Termina resembled someone here in Hyrule because it was supposedly my brain using the information it already knew, then it would make sense. However, oddly, he's only the second person I've come across who has any similarities with their counterpart.

As the man came closer, Link confirmed that it was most definitely the guy he'd raced and sold the Bunny Hood to; there was no doubt about that.

"Whew! Record time! Ehehe!" After taking a brief time to bend over, hold his knees and try to catch his breath, the man leaned back up and said "Taddaaaa! What do you think?"

Link eyed him curiously. Referring to the running man's outfit, it made it clear what he was doing as a job. "Uhh… Looking mighty official." The boy continued to raise his eyebrow

The man chuckled. "That's because it is! I'm now officially Hyrule's newest Postman… Yeah!" He did a fistpump with a wide smile. "I started thinking, after you gave me that Bunny Hood and I kept getting faster and faster… 'You know, how about I put my skills to use?'… Before I knew it, The King himself signed off on allowing me to transport mail without a horse!"

Quite a surprise it was, but, if the man stopped Link in order to tell him that, then he needed to know that the hero didn't have the time to chit-chat at the moment. "That's great. I'm glad. You're certainly faster than me, so, I'm not surprised they'd give you a position like that in the city's workforce… Listen, though. I have to get to the Forbidden Forest to see my friends. I'll probably be back up here next weekend. How about we talk then?"

Despite agreeing with Link through head bobbing, the man still held up his hand, as if to say halt. "That sounds perfect… But, I do have some mail for you. That's actually the main reason why I stopped you. Hehe… Let's see here." Taking off his red sack full of mail, he rooted through it and somehow managed to find the parcel without much trouble. Pulling it out from the others, he handed it over to the boy. "The sender is Saria of the Kokiri Tribe and she made sure I knew it was to be priority mail. I was double-timing it especially for you."

Truthfully, Link appreciated the hurry. It came as a shock that it was Saria, especially since he was about to head toward the village to see her. Wondering what it could be, he peeled the wax seal off the back in order to open it. Inside was a letter, handwritten, and clearly addressed to Link.

---

Link,

I hope this letter gets to you soon. I got Malon's note, I'm incredibly happy that you're okay. We were all worried sick about you until we heard of your recovery through the mail.

I knew that you were a fighter!

But, things aren't going too well in the village right now. A couple of nights ago, we began hearing more Wolfos howls than usual and they were much closer too. Not only that, but Mido was nearly bitten by a Chupa today. A chupa! It was in the grass, just outside of his house. You know that Chupa never come to the village. In all of my years, I've never seen one dare to exit the Lost Woods.

Something's up, I'm sure of it. Even the atmosphere around here has been different. The air's thick with something foul. I just can't place my finger on what it could be. It's as if we can all smell the danger floating in the breeze. Most of us didn't even try to go outside our houses today. Everybody can tell that something's wrong.

This may sound bad, but I really don't know who else to go to. None of us are as strong as you are, or have the skills you do. Whenever you get the chance, could you stop by the village and help clear out the path to the Great Deku Tree Sprout? Without us tending to it, we fear for its safety and well-being.

Other than that, I'd really like to see you again as well.

Love, Saria, your best friend and mommy. XOXOXO