You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?

I'm still counting on you.

Please get my mask back.

You have to. I believe in you.

Get my mask,

And, while you're at it...

it probably wouldn't hurt to save them, too.

Termina had forever changed Link's concept of time.

He had always understood time was fleeting, but he never grasped the concept of how little of it he actually had. Looking back, he was able to learn that three days was way too little time to save the world.

Those three days were also three days he also hadn't actually had. And for as little time as he knew he possessed, it felt so much longer.

How many times had he played the Ocarina? How many times had he sworn to himself that this would be the last time, that he would save the world this time?

How many times had the clock struck midnight and realized that so many people were going to die, and then wake up the next morning completely unaware of the events of the past three days?

Seven years had passed since he left. And yet he still felt trapped inside that endless three-day cycle. Sometimes, on the night of what would have been the third day, he would hear the clock strike twelve times, and his heart would pound, his palms sweat profusely from the realization that he didn't have the ocarina, that they were going to die again, and he couldn't do anything.

Knowing that it was all over didn't make it any less real. Because to Link, it still was.

He swore to himself he would never go back. He made a vow that never in a million years would he ever set so much as one foot in that cursed land, as it was much too painful a reminder of what he had to go through. No, what he had to be. A savior.

After the sixth year, he thought maybe he had escaped. Maybe, just maybe, he'd be able to finally put the whole thing behind him, and move on.

And then he showed up.

It was two days ago. A normal day, for the most part. He woke up, put on some light clothes, and went outside to do some chores. Nothing terribly hard or anything, just feeding the horses and replacing the hay for the cows. Ever since he became a ranch hand for Talon at Lon Lon Ranch, everything more or less was peace and quiet. Princess Zelda had offered him several times a position as a knight. Every time he declined. He didn't want to fight anymore.

He didn't want to a Hero. Not anymore.

He'd lived the quiet life of a rancher for nearly seven years, and then two days ago, Talon asked him to get the mail. Link didn't argue. He saddled Epona and rode into Castle Town, to the post office. It was fairly new, only a couple years old, but Talon hadn't hesitated to open a P.O. box there. Link grabbed Talon's letters, and turned to leave.

And he was standing right there.

Everything turned to slow motion. Link gasped, and felt his breathing get heavy. His heart started pounding, his body sweating all over. The red eyes, the purple hair, the long sleeved shirt with purple trim at the cuffs...

Link almost didn't recognize him. He hadn't seen him for seven years, and both of them had been children. Well, really only Link had been a kid, but that's beside the point. But nobody had that long, purple hair. Nobody except for one person.

"K-Kafei..." Link sputtered. He was getting dizzy. He barely noticed Kafei rush to his side, to catch his fall as he toppled to his knees. He put his head in his hands. The voices started to come back.

No, no. This can't be happening, he thought. But it was happening. He couldn't make the memories stop.

You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you? If it's something that can be stopped, then just try and stop it! You don't have any more masks. I... WILL... CONSUME... EVERYTHING... Let's play a different game. I must leave in three days. Yes, let's play that one. Even if they were to come, they couldn't stop me as I am right now! Do you want to play with me? He served his purpose, but he is useless to me now. You did get it back... Didn't you? Let's play good guys and bad guys. You don't understand, it's an evil mask of unspeakable power! CONSUME! Get me back the thing stolen from you, and I can return you to your real form.

Youre the bad guy. And when you're the bad guy, you just run.

Link screamed. The postman panicked and jumped under the counter, and Kafei grimaced but continued to support Link. Even after his shrieks stopped, Link didn't stop sobbing for a good five minutes. It was too much for him to bear.

"Link, I'm sorry. I know it's short notice and obviously painful. I really, really hate asking you for your help, especially after all the suffering you went through. But..." Kafei trailed off. Link wiped his eyes and looked at him.

"I- I'm fine. What's going on? Why are you here?" he asked, his voice still somewhat shaky.

"Termina's in trouble. I can't explain it, and nobody believes me, either. But something is wrong, Link," Kafei's voice was urgent. "Even Anju doesn't believe me. I know it's been seven years, but, for my sake, for Anju's sake, please come with me."

Link knew he had to say yes. As a hero who saved Termina once before, he knew he was obligated by position to do it again. And he cared about the people who lived there, as well. But he couldn't go back. It was too painful, too horrific of a place to ever go back. And yet, there was no way possibility that he could've said no. Especially since he owed Kafei a favor.

So of course he told Kafei that he would go back with him.

"Good! Then we've no time to lose. Follow me," said Kafei as he took off out of the post office. Link sighed and ran after him, feeling no less shaken up than when Kafei found him.

After they made it back to the town square, Link stopped.

"Kafei, wait," he said. "How are we even going to get into Termina? I just stumbled into it seven years ago. It shouldn't even be possible to go back, should it?"

"There is a way," Kafei replied. "It's not very well known, which is why neither world knows about the other's existence, but it is there. Now are you coming?"

Link shook his head. "Not yet, at least. I'm not going alone, this time," he said firmly.

"Well, of course you're not! I'm with you!"

"Not what I mean. I mean that I want someone else from Hyrule to learn about Termina, if I have to go back."

"Who do you have in mind?"

Link took a deep breath before saying, "Princess Zelda. She deserves to know about your land. And, if I'm right, she can help."

So there you have it. Quick word: this is a side project. I'm not going to update it regularly, just when I am bored writing about Twilight Princess and can't think of anything good to write.

But, I will finish it. So, yeah. Um, I'm just going to go now, so... Until next time! Ryo, out!