You Know Sometimes I Think About How Majoras Mask Is A Game About Helping Others First And Saving The

You know sometimes I think about how Majora’s Mask is a game about helping others first and saving the world second

About how literally the main objective of the game was to help Tatl and the Happy Mask Salesman, and how literally no one tells you that your goal needs to be to stop the moon

About how upon rescuing the third giant, they ask you to help their friend, to which Tatl assumes they mean the fourth giant, when in reality they’re referring to Skull Kid

About how Skull Kid is a perfect representation of a child going through grief and not given the proper resources to cope healthily which can lead to a spiral of destruction, both hurting the ones around them and themself. And how, while the hurt they caused was inexcusable, you also see the effect of Skull Kid’s demonization as everyone thinks it better to simply toss him aside and forget him, but how the Skull Kid truly deserved to be saved just like everyone else in the game

About how, upon rescuing the last giant, they request you to “forgive your friend” to which Tatl goes “Huh? What friend? and then the scene fades out as the player is meant to infer they mean the Skull Kid, and how this isn’t addressed again once the cutscene ends

About how most of the quests where you help others isn’t about magically making their lives better, but rather performing small acts to comfort others and ease their burdens so they can face life with no regrets

About how with the Deku Butler’s son, you won’t realize you discovered his body until it’s referenced later in game, and how by the time you encounter Darmani III, his grave had already been completed, effectively making both of them die before you even had a chance to help them. But you watch Mikau die, and no matter how early in the cycle you go back, there will be nothing you can do and his death will be inevitable, and how the game reassures you that that’s okay. That being there in the aftermath is just as crucial, if not more crucial, than attempting to prevent the tragedy in the first place

About how Cremia does everything in her power to make Romani’s last night as comforting and joyful as possible so her last moments aren’t in fear of the apocalypse, but rather love of her sister, and how one can guess how much Romani unknowingly brings Cremia comfort in her final moments as well

About how Majora’s Mask is a game that focuses on and heavily rewards empathy and compassion, and how simply being selfless is often more important than being some grand hero. About how it’s literally impossible to beat the game without making meaningful, emotional connections. And how as much as you help others, they help you in return; with Deku Butler’s Son, Darmani III, and Mikau being immediate helpers, and the Fierce Deity’s Mask being the ultimate symbol for all the joy you’ve brought to others and how the most daunting threat in the game is an absolute cakewalk when you have so many behind your back. About how the game is about support and being supported, and making the most of the time you’re given

And y’know sometimes I think about Majora’s Mask

The Hero’s Shade

               Time was not having a good day. After all, being woken up at roughly five in the morning by a screaming Wind and a laughing Legend is not the best way to start a day. Legend had thought it would be funny to pour freezing cold water on the boy. It was not funny. Needless to say, the Legend was thoroughly chewed out for the meaningless prank and Wind had to change clothes. Because of this rough waking, everyone (aside from Sky who somehow slept through all the commotion) was on edge and exhausted.

           This aggravation and tiredness led into the current situation, a surprise bokoblin attack. Time held in a tired groan as one of the monster announced their position. “Get ready for a fight!” He called to the others. From his current position, Time could not see how many enemies they would be fighting, however knowing this rowdy bunch, there was likely a lot of them lurking in the shadows.

           “How many?” He heard Warrior ask.

           “Can’t tell,” Time yelled back, unsheathing the Biggoron sword and gripping it tightly. “Wild,” Time called, “Try to take out as many as possible before they reach us!”

           The pyromaniac nodded pulling out his bow and notching some arrows. Once Wild began firing, the bokoblins pulled out their artillery as well and responded with equal fire.

           “Have your shields ready!” Time commanded bringing his Hylian shield up to block the oncoming fire.

           Spareing a quick glance over to the others, Time could see that they had all readied their shields in time, but Twilight was gone. Time quickly scanned across the battle field and his worries were eased when he heard the snarl of a wolf and a bokoblin squeal in pain. The pup was fine.

           Time didn’t have much time to feel relieved as the bokoblins jumped at the heroes fangs gleaming and swords flailing about as they desperately try to land a hit. Time blocked most of the swings with ease. “No need for extra thematic flare, just get that job done!” Time called to the others and Time swore he heard Warrior sigh in response.

           The man was about to roll his eye when the cry of a wolf pierced through the air. Time whipped around searching for the source, heart pounding. Twilight was laying there on the ground, in wolf form, an arrow lodged into his side, whimpering in pain. A silver bokoblin stood a few feet away, bow clutched in his hand and a twisted snarl on his face. Time stopped breathing, his vision went red, and then everything went black.

…

           “-light! Twilight!”

           The wolf’s eyes opened to see Wild kneeling over him, eyes widened with panic as he frantically dug around for potions. Twilight shifted, but Wild pushed him back down, “Just stay down,” He said, worry clear in his voice, “Just relax, don’t do anything stupid.”

           Twilight ignored the boy’s pleas and shifted back into his human form. The arrow that he had been shot with lodged itself further into him and Twilight gritted his teeth together, attempting not to scream.

           “I told you not to do anything stupid!” Wild cried. He then firmly gripped the arrow sticking out of Twilight and yanked it out of his body. Before Twilight could even finish screaming a potion was being poured down his throat by Hyrule.

           After swallowing the contents of the bottle, Twilight let out a series of harsh coughs before looking around to see the others all hovering around him, worry flashing in their eyes. Well, almost everyone.

           “Where’s the old man?” Twilight croaked hoarsely.

           The others exchange glances before Warrior took a step to the side and Twilight could see his mentor out there fighting the bokoblins alone. But before Twilight can berate them for leaving the man alone he sees it. Time’s eye glowing bright red. Twilight gasps in surprise, it was terrifying, yet so familiar.

The Hero’s Shade.

           Except this time Twilight wasn’t fighting or being trained by the monstrous force. He was being protected.

           “We would have helped him,” Warriors tried to explain, “But well…look at him.”

           Just a the words left Warrior’s mouth, the enraged man whipped around, easily decapitating two black bokoblins, before repositioning his blade to stab a blue bokoblin trying to attack him from behind.

           “He didn’t even turn around,” Wind whispered in disbelief and Twilight had no words.

           All this time, he hadn’t known Time could do this. Or perhaps the man himself didn’t even know.

           “He’s unstoppable,” Sky said as they watched Time take out the last of the bokoblins.

           “That was fast,” Legend muttered.

           The hero of time turned his blood red gaze back towards them and Twilight felt a shudder physically run through him as the man’s eye finally settled on him. The others also realized what was happening as Time stepped towards them not taking his eye of Twilight. Panic over took the others as they reached for their weapons to defend their still healing friend, but Twilight waved them off.

           “It’s okay, he won’t hurt me,” Twilight said confidence clear in his tone.

           The heroes backed down but remained tense and ready to fight as Time continued walking over, slowly as though in some sort of trance, yet also calm and intentional. Though Twilight should have felt afraid of the glowing red eye, he could feel nothing but peace. The Hero’s Shade was his mentor, not someone to be scared of.

           Time finally reached Twilight and kneeled down in front of him. The man cupped Twilight’s chin and earnestly looked him in the eye.

           “I’m proud of you,” The Hero’s Shade whispered voice raspy from age, “Now go and do not falter my child.”

           Twilight blinked back the tears that began to well up in his eyes and nodded. Time smiled gently before the red of his eye faded and the man passed out.

           The others quickly caught the older hero before he fell on Twilight and layed him down next to the healing hero.

           “What was that?” Wind asked confused.

           Twilight while smiling down at his sleeping mentor replied, “Memories of the past.”

Looking at Link Post Majora’s Mask is Basically Staring Into the Abyss

Link is this smol child that’s survived stuff like the Shadow Temple and the Termina time loop. I feel like at some point he might just … stop caring.

Like, sure the stuff is scary but he has to do it anyway because he’s the HeroTM and what else is he going to do? Go home? He can’t go back to the Kokiri Forest and even if he did he wouldn’t fit in the space he once lived in. Not quite a man, not quite a child.

So he fights. He beats back the darkness no one else wants to touch.

He pushes himself through quest after mind scarring quest until one day being the paragon of Courage isn’t a matter of overcoming fear but just … abandoning the emotion all together. He becomes a battered, twisted version of the Hero of Hyrule he once was.

It gets to the point that villains laugh at the idea of this kid being their undoing until they see his eyes and just … freeze up.

Some villain: I’ll show you what true fear feels like!

Tiny Link with the gaze of a Redead: There’s no nightmare you can dream up that I haven’t already killed.

Villain: 

Villain: *Backs away slowly and spends the rest of their lives looking over their shoulder*

Some doodles of the boys

Just curious, are there any fan fictions out there where Time is now the Happy Mask Salesman?

I really really like the idea of Time not..being...okay. He comes off as this really responsible Adult Man who's always confident and so sure of himself and his abilities, who is steadfast in his beliefs and ideologies about the world, someone who is reliable in every aspect and that you can't help but trust....but theres just something slightly off about him. Maybe it's the way he stares off lost in thought when he thinks no one notices. Maybe it's that sometimes, one of the others will be awake during his shift and just watch him. It's in the set of his shoulders, the creases of his eyes and smile, the emptiness in his eye sometimes. Maybe it's even the way he talks about certain...things. It's not really something you can put words too, but once you notice it you don't unsee it. Some of them are better at reading people than others, but still.