Termina

A Walk for Mischief

We're outside the walls of town, the dark, cool air fills the world around us. The full moon barely makes sight into the large hollowed log we rest in. We call the log home, we're not always welcome in town. My brother and I hadn't been ever since we made our new friend, Leaf. We met by milk road, maybe a week ago. Since, we've gotten into trouble often. The mayor got tired of our pranks. The citizens, too. I understand, but I'm not sure Leaf does, he says they don't know how to take a joke. Some of the things were minor, but too often. Clock Town is the only civilized place we know of. My brother and I are alone, mother died a week after our hatching. We didn't have anyone, so we gladly welcomed Leaf. He's all we have.

"Hey, Tatl, Tael, look!" Leaf stirred us, pointing from the south end of the log. I peered around the corner of the log and caught sight of a human figure. Odd for one to be out this late, but nothing to take notice of.
"Do you see him?" Leaf continued, tael flew to my side.
"See who?" Tael inquired.
"There's a man walking." I informed him, still not fully understanding what to see about it.
"Not just anyone-" Leaf said as he turned his stiff figure to face us, "He's a merchant, you can see by his large bag!"
"Ok? And?" I was still clueless.
"I'm curious to see what he has!" Leaf chirped out of a smiling beak.
"It's so late, Leaf!" Tael reasoned.
"Come on! Please, I don't want to go alone!" Leaf pleaded.
"Ok.. fine, let's hurry up though, I'm tired." Tael gave in.
"We might want to hurry, though. He's still walking." I told them both.

Leaf rushed out, dashing with his weird looking walk. He walks with his arms raised dropping his forearms to dangle. Tael and I followed above him. The crunching of grass below him wasn't enough to alert, so he called to the darkened man.

"Excuse me, sir!" Leaf called still rushing.

The figure stopped. Halted below the decorated arch that opens the path to milk road. It looked like he was looking for where the call came.

"Sir!" Leaf called again, making a few feet away from the man.
"Oh, good evening young man." the man said with a weird chuckle.
"Are you a merchant?" Leaf asked him.
"Indeed I am!" the merchant answered.
"I was wondering if we could buy something. What do you sell?" Leaf continued.
"I sell masks!"
Tael finally emerged, "Oh! Can we see!?" he yelped excitedly.
"Of course!" the merchant dropped his large pack to the ground.

Tael and I flew over his bag, our glow provided the two light. I finally saw his face. He had this weird smile and thin eyes, under a head filled in with redish-brown hair, shiny like silk. He unhooked his showcase masks, and opened his bag. He had many masks.

"We only have twenty rupees." Leaf said with a slight frown.
The merchant gave that laugh again, "How about this, since you were so polite with your approach, you can have one for free."
Leaf's frown quickly shifted to a smile.
"Oh, thank you!"

Leaf picked up a mask the merchant set aside, "This one is cool!"
We flew next to him, looking at the mask. It was shiny. Dark brown with a unique crest.
"What does the symbol mean?" I asked the man.
"It's a religious symbol from a distant land." he responded, again giving that chuckle.
"Cool!" Leaf said as he hooked it on, laying his straw hat over it.

He then took it off and laid it back down. Tael's voice emerged next to the merchant, "Oh! This one looks like the mayor!" The man and I turned to him.
"That was a novelty that I sold at last year's Carnival of Time." he explained.
"Of the mayor? Why?" Tael laughed

He was interrupted by Leaf's injection, "What about this?"
He pulled a creepy horned mask.
The merchant quickly grabbed it, "No! This one isn't available!"
"Oh... okay.." Leaf was monotonous, glaring at the mask even as the man took it.

"Where do you get all of these masks?" Tael yawned.
"Well, see, I'm what you might call a wanderer. I travel between lands and kingdoms-" he began.
"What's beyond Termina?" I intruded.
"Well, beyond? Termina is an odd place.. the entire land is actually under a spell. Not much can get in, and no one can get out." he answered, with another chuckle.
"W-what do you mean?" I returned, flying to his shoulder, Leaf still staring in the darkness.
"A long time ago, an ancient tribe dwelled in the land next to a kingdom called Hylia. Hylia eventually erupted in war, and the war began to cover more ground, and eventually crossed into the land of this tribe. In fear, the tribe begged their god to protect their land. Their god, Majora, bestowed unto them.." he held up the horned mask, Leaf's glowing eyes followed, "..this mask. It's a magical artifact. They used the mask in rituals, and one, to separate their land from the war. So now, what you know as Termina, is its own dimension." he rested the mask back in his lap.

"Leaf, what's wrong?" Tael asked, he was concerned. Leaf was in a trance.
"That mask.... ", Leaf's voice was irregular, "..give it to me."

The merchant's smile vanished, "Oh no..no, no, no..."
Leaf lunged and pushed the man from his kneel, grabbing the mask from his lap. Tael and I rushed after him, "Leaf!" we both called for him.

We chased him passed the old observatory, and onto the path of Ikana. He stopped near some stones, and we finally caught up to him.

"Leaf! What was that!?" I yelled at him.
"Shut up!" he shot back at me.
I backed down in silence, and fear. This just isn't him. He's a prankster.. but not a thief.

"This mask.. " he mumbled.
"Is stolen property!" Tael exclaimed.
"No.. it's our freedom.. " Leaf corrected.
"From what?" I asked, falsely remaining calm.
"No one will exile us with this.. now we'll call the shots.." he remained speaking quietly.
"Leaf, you're scaring me.." I hesitated.

He slowly placed the mask on his wooden face. Tael and I crept back, fearful of what would happen. The mask clung to his face, it's eyes glowed. Moments after, Leaf's body began shaking crazily.
"Leaf! What's happening!?" Tael yelped.

I saw what could only be a tear fall from beneath the mask. His body crept from the ground, now shaking as it raised into the air, hovering the dusty ground below us.

"Leaf..." Tael whimpered.
The skull kid turned to us and gave a shrieking laugh, "Leaf is gone!"