Author's Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda. I am earning no profit from this story other than the enjoyment of writing it and sharing it with others. I hope you all enjoy reading it! Feel free to let me know what you think by giving this chapter a review.

"Link!" Malon cried excitedly, racing into the stables where the blond-haired boy was currently grooming his loyal mare, Epona.

The hero in question put the brush down and turned to face his best friend. "What's up?"

"Father said he'd take us to the castle tonight! To help him deliver the milk!" Malon explained. "And he said Epona can come too!" She gently stroked the nose of Epona.

"That...that's great!" Link replied, faking a smile. He was happy that Malon was happy. Of course, he was. But he didn't like the castle much. It reminded him of his adventure more than he ever wanted to be reminded of it. He shook away the memory of Ganon's Castle that had, in an alternate timeline he alone had stopped, stolen the place of Hyrule Castle. He forced down the thoughts of Sheik, or Zelda, spending seven years alone trying to rebuild a fallen kingdom without a hero to help her. But most of all, he shuddered as memories of Termina and Majora flashed through his mind. Majora...and the Fierce Deity.

"You aren't excited, are you?" Malon questioned, pausing in her twirling around and petting all the other horses to stare deeply into Link's eyes. No matter how much he had been through, those soulful blue eyes of hers would always make his heart race, for a reason the young hero couldn't possibly begin to fathom.

Link shrugged. "I'm sure we'll have a good time."

"Don't think about what's happened," Malon said quietly, taking Link's hand in hers, the way she always did whenever he lost himself to memories much too heavy for a twelve-year-old like himself to bear. "Everyone's fine now, right? You saved them!"

Link nodded. "Yeah."

"You can stay if you want. I'm sure Father will have things for you to do."

"I...is that alright?"

"Of course! I want you to be happy too!"

Link grinned. "Thanks, Malon. I think I'll stay. The Cuccos need to get fed anyway."

"Okay, I'll tell Father. We'll pick up something to eat in Castle Town on the way back. It shouldn't take long."

Link nodded. "Sounds good. Make sure you have enough fun for both of us, okay?"

Malon giggled. "I will! Maybe I'll get to see the princess!"

Link smiled. Naturally, with Malon being such good friends with the Hero of Time, she had met Princess Zelda before. They got along fine, but they never really got to hang out. Once Link had come to live on Lon Lon Ranch, he hadn't seen the princess of Hyrule since. He'd begun a normal life on the ranch with Malon and her father, Talon, working for a place to stay and food to eat. The trio for the most part tried to forget about the boy's time spent working as the legendary Hero of Time. He rarely willingly brought it up, the other two weren't sure how to react to it when he did, and so they all just kind of ignored it.

But sometimes it couldn't be helped. Some nights Link woke up screaming and thrashing, some dark memory that he'd locked up months ago escaping the cage in his heart he'd shoved it into. Sometimes places forced him to think about it again, no matter how hard he tried not to. Like the castle. Or Kokiri Forest. Sometimes he just thought about it because those memories were, for the most part, the only memories he had.

"Are you two coming?" Talon called from outside the stable. "We don't want to be late, now do we?"

"I'm coming!" Malon called back. "Link wants to stay!"

Talon paused for a moment. "Alright, then. Feed the Cuccos in that case, alright, my boy?"

"Okay!" Link agreed.

Malon let go of Link's hand, gave him a quick hug that made the hero's stomach flutter, and raced out to meet her father with a quick farewell of, "Goodbye, Link!" to which the hero was too busy trying to get his stomach settled down to reply to. He didn't quite understand why he felt the way he did around Malon. He knew she was his best friend in the whole world, taking the spot once owned by Saria after the two of them got into a fight. Saria didn't really believe all the stuff Link told her about his adventure, so they didn't get along well anymore. And while Navi had occupied that place once as well, after she had left, Link felt betrayed. Not to mention he blamed her for ending up in Termina. Now, if he was being completely honest and had to go back and do it all over, he knew he would. He couldn't bear the idea of just leaving innocent people to die all because he didn't step up and fight for them, no matter the reason he was there in the first place.

So Malon was now his best friend, the only one who had stuck with him through two different timelines and a year or so of separation. The only one who didn't see him as this invincible hero. Which was good, considering she was the only person Link had ever met that could make him nervous. Staring down the King of Evil in a battle to the death? No problem. The idea of making Malon upset? Downright terrifying. But the worst part was that Link just didn't get why. He had talked to Talon about it at one point, afraid there was something wrong with him, but the older man had just laughed and promised the boy was fine, which only made Link more confused.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Link grabbed the Cucco feed from the corner of the stable where it was kept and dragged the large bag out of the stable and to the Cucco's pen. He opened the bag and tossed the little birds some of the seed mix that was inside. The Cuccos excitedly scarfed down their food. Once they had all eaten an amount Link deemed to be enough, he dragged the heavy bag back into the stable. Then he went inside the main building of Lon Lon Ranch, or the house where he, Malon, and Talon lived. The hero quickly cleaned himself off after another long day of work before allowing himself to climb in bed.

But he lay with his eyes open. This was the first night he'd been alone in years. During his adventures he'd had the company of Navi or at the very least, Tatl. When he did deign to sleep, which was hardly ever, the little fairies promised to keep watch and wake him if anything went awry. Which it often did. Link was a heavy sleeper, which was very unfortunate for someone who was attacked on a regular basis, and whose enemies often operated better at night than during the day. Link couldn't remember a time he hadn't woken up to Navi screaming in his ear to wake up, with some monster charging at him, weapons drawn. Or during his time in Termina, while he was able to sleep in the relative safety of Clock Town, sometimes he would be so tired he'd sleep all the way until the final hours, with Tatl barely waking him up in time to play the Song of Time.

So tonight, Link did not want to go to sleep. If anything came to kill him, he'd be alone with no warning, and he knew he wouldn't be getting himself up. He also knew that Hyrule was safe now, there were no monsters roaming Hyrule Field or stalking the Lost Woods or making their home on Death Mountain. He knew that because he was the one who ensured such a thing! But he still felt unsafe. He couldn't really believe that all threats were gone. Any time he'd believed himself safe before, he'd been thrust back into a life of constant battles. He didn't want to do that again. He wouldn't let his guard down. He supposed he could lie here until Malon and her father got back. Then they could eat dinner together and he could sleep in peace. He was kind of hungry anyway. He had forgotten about dinner. He was still getting used to the routine of a normal life, the fact that he could count on a set bedtime and three meals a day. So, he decided that's what he'd do. Lay there with his eyes open until his friends got home so he could eat.

But after a while, his eyelids started to close slowly. He forced them open again. He reminded himself that he couldn't let his guard down, not when he was alone like this.

I can keep you company…a ghostly voice that reeked of power whispered into Link's mind. The hero, startled, jumped out of bed and grabbed the sword he always kept on his drawer in less than a second. He held his blade out, searching for the intruder.

"Come out and face me, coward!" he cried into the darkness of his room, brandishing his sword threateningly.

The voice chuckled. Link tensed. He knew that if an attacker laughed, they weren't just mindless killers. That meant they held some semblance of intelligence. Coward is an interesting name for me, I think. Link thought the voice sounded somewhat familiar; he just couldn't quite place who it belonged to.

"What would you call yourself?"

My real name is lost to time now. You know me be a different name than the one my mother gave me.

"And what name would that be?" Link demanded. The sooner he knew who he was up against the better.

Why are you so on edge, child? I won't hurt you. I didn't before, you know.

Link paused. "What do you mean 'before?'"

Have you forgotten? The voice questioned with an air of disappointment. Oh, I see. You haven't forgotten. You have simply chosen not to think about it.

"Chosen not to think about what?"

The voice laughed. Your time spent in my body, child.

Then it clicked. Why this voice was so familiar. Why it practically radiated with power, why it made the hair on Link's neck stand straight up, why Link couldn't find the source of the voice. He was talking with the Fierce Deity. Alarmed, the hero raced over to his desk and flung open the biggest bin. Dust flew off it, disturbed for the first time in months. Link frantically dug through the bin he vowed he'd never open again, sorting through weapons and masks and bottles and other tools he'd found and used during his time as a hero. The mask he was looking for was buried deep underneath everything else, shoved aside with a shudder and shaking hands.

Finally, the boy found what he was looking for. The Fierce Deity's Mask, undoubtedly the most powerful and dangerous weapon the Hero of Time had ever wielded, and he'd wielded a lot of powerful and dangerous weapons. He held up the wooden humanoid mask with another shudder and shaking hands, his breaths catching in his throat. It looked normal enough. Nothing appeared to be wrong with it. Then why was it talking to him? Was he going mad after all this time?

You aren't mad, child. The mask promised, and it glowed a deep purple color as it spoke. You simply haven't been alone in a long time.

"And why would I need to be alone?" Link whispered against his better judgement. Put it back, screamed his instincts. Leave the room, his mind cried. But he remained rooted to the spot, holding the only thing that had truly terrified him during his adventures, listening to it speak to him.

When you are alone, I can hear your loneliness. The mask explained. I can hear your heart longing for friends you will never see again. I can hear your desire for a more peaceful existence, for happier memories, for a normal life. But I say you don't need those things. I can be a friend to you. Of all people, I understand what it means to be a hero. And I know you better than you know yourself. During the time we spent as one, our minds were also connected. I know everything about you, Link.

Link shuddered as he heard his own name in the eerie tones of the Fierce Deity's voice. He never wanted to hear it again. "You could never be my friend. Not after what you tried to do to me."

But can the little girl, Malon, be a better friend than I? She pretends to understand what you've been through. Pretends to pity you. Pretends to care. But she doesn't. Not really. She doesn't even remember the other timeline! She doesn't understand, doesn't know what to do with someone like you, only appreciates the work you do around her ranch.

"That isn't true," Link spat. "That isn't true!"

Prove it, Link. Prove she cares for you.

Link hesitated. "She...she likes being around me! She helps me do work sometimes! And she holds my hand when I'm thinking too much!"

It could be lies for all you know. But I wouldn't lie to you. I understand what it's like to be more powerful than anyone else. I understand what it's like to be different. Don't you want someone who can understand?

In all honesty, Link did. He knew Malon did her best to support him whenever he was drowning in his own memories. He knew Talon gave him jobs and a place to stay because he cared. He knew they were his friends. But sometimes he wished he had someone who understood. Someone who knew what it was like to hold the weight of the world on their shoulders. Someone who remembered the other timeline, the one where everything went wrong and Hyrule became a burning, wasted mess. Someone who understood what it truly meant to be a hero. Someone who understood just how... broken...Link was. He hesitated to respond long enough to give the mask more time to speak.

I can be what you want. I have held the weight of the world on my shoulders. I can remember the other timeline through you, in a way that no one else can. I understand what it means to be a hero. I understand exactly how broken you are, child.

"I don't want your friendship!" Link exclaimed. "Just...just stop! I'm happy now! I don't need you ruining it!"

Happy? Happy? You call yourself happy? Day in, day out herding goats, feeding Cuccos, grooming horses. What kind of happiness is that? What kind of a hero goes around performing regular jobs like that?

"I do!" Link screamed, growing more and more frustrated by the second. "Because I want to! And I'm done being a hero! It's over! Hyrule's safe! Termina is safe! I am done!"

The mask only laughed. And how do you know that, little hero? How do you know Termina is safe right now?

"Because I saved it!" Link cried. "And it's only been a few months since then! That's not nearly enough time for things to go wrong!"

What if that's incorrect? What if something has happened? What then? Are you just going to abandon the life you've set up for yourself all over again?

"Nothing is wrong," Link insisted. "Everything is fine."

You don't know that.

"Yes, I do!"

Why don't you let me show you? I can see things you can't, you know. Just a quick check. Just to be absolutely certain. Wouldn't want people dying while the Hero of Time is still alive, now would we?

Link knew the right answer to that question was 'no.' He knew he should never wear that stupid mask again. Not after the first time. That had been bad enough. He knew whatever being was confined inside the mask only wanted to take Link's body and use it for itself. He knew it didn't care about him. He knew its words were twisted. But he couldn't find the strength to just refuse. Because it did have a point. Link didn't know for certain that Termina was safe. It was entirely possible for something to have gone wrong. What if Majora's Mask got stolen again? What if there was some other evil deity Link had somehow not met before? He didn't know that Termina was safe. And he really would like to check. Just to be certain. Because again, the stupid thing was right. Link couldn't stand the thought of innocents dying while he was still alive to help them.

And he'd resisted it before. He'd resisted the pull of the Fierce Deity while fighting Majora at the same time. Surely, he could do it here in his own house alone without a battle raging around him. Just a quick peek. Just to ensure that Anju, Kafei, Romani, and all the others he'd met on his second adventure were alright. Five seconds. That was all he'd need. Then he'd take it off again. Bury it somewhere he'd forget about it. Yes. Link would do that.

He raised the mask up to his face, closing his eyes. He could hear the mask laughing at him, only continuing to pour out suggestions of threats that Termina could be facing right now at this very moment.