This story is set in the Ocarina of Time era about seven years after the events of Majora's Mask, and stars the Hero of Time. I won't go into timeline issues and such, just suffice it to say that most of the games take place after Ocarina. The order of the games is mostly irreleant to this story anyway. Anyways, enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do no own Zelda. I'm not Japanese, and I don't work for Nintendo. My name isn't Miyamoto; I'm just playing in his garden

LISTEN!

WAKE UP!

LISTEN! HEY!

WAKE UP!

Link snapped awake in a cold sweat. That dream again. It was the third time this month that he had dreamed of Navi. It had been seven years since they parted, and yet he still found himself searching for her, at times. He could never figure out why, but she was... special to him. She was his fairy. Having been the boy without a fairy... well. Finally getting one had meant a lot to him.

But having a fairy was not Link's lot in life. He had traveled through time, saved the land of Hyrule. He had given his all and emerged victorious against impossible odds. Then he'd left on another journey. It had taken him to another world, one with familiar faces but unfamiliar names. Sometimes he longed for that place. It was peaceful compared to the warring lands of Hyrule. Termina, they called it. The End.

Unfortunately, this was no ordinary nightmare that had awoken the exhausted Hero of Time. Link could feel in his bones that something was amiss. He knew he would never get back to sleep tonight. Something... dark. Something of the shadows was moving about in this dark forest where he slept.

He had intended to go to the Ranch and see Malon, see how the seven long years had increased her beauty. Yeah, living the life of an adventurer, Link had been through a dearth of beauty. At least of the female variety. But he knew he wouldn't make it this time; his destiny was once again calling him to rise to the challenge, and become a Hero once more.

Where the golden ones would lead him this time, he didn't know.

"Epona, come," Link whispered. His valiant horse galloped over beside him. He mounted the animal and took off through the woods, searching with his innate sense of evil, where the danger was.

"HELP ME! HELP ME!" A terrible scream rang out through the night.

Link turned slightly, and rode as fast as Epona could take him. Where was the sound coming from. And why did it sound so familiar? The voice... it was one he knew. He was sure of it.

A clearing up ahead, full of early morning mist, glowed slightly with the rising sun, and a supine figure lay across the ground, a bundle torn open and it's contents sprawled about near him. Link could feel that evil had been here, and the man on the ground had taken the full force of it.

He knelt over him and, and gasped. Through the fog, he could make out the unmistakable foreign features of the Happy Mask Salesman. What was he doing here, back in Hyrule after all these years? Link had never discovered whether he was from Hyrule, or it's sister reality. His skin and ears, and especially his eyes were unlike those of any place he'd ever been. And he had traveled the whole Earth, to Labrynna, Holodrum, Calatia, and distant, remote regions of Hyrule. None of them matched the Mask Salesman.

That really didn't matter, because the second thing Link noticed was the deep stab wound on the man's stomach. "You're injured," he observed. "Let me help you."

"Thank... you..." the man muttered.

Link reached into his bag and removed a bottle containing the healing bitter liquid, colored red like blood. He poured the concoction into the Salesman's mouth, and watched the wound as it rapidly closed. What sinister force could do this? The Salesman had the ability to teleport, to travel between worlds! Surely it would take a great evil force to harm him.

"Thank you," the Salesman repeated, more strongly this time. He observed Link, looking into his eyes. Then he smiled. "We've met before, haven't we. You're that boy. The one who recovered my mask for me and stopped the moon from falling."

Link hesitated, and then gave an affirmative nod.

"It is nice to see you again, my boy. Link was your name, yes? I suppose it still is."

Link nodded again, and the man smiled.

"You never did talk much." As if by magic, the Salesman went from sitting on the ground, to standing in an instant. "I feel much better now."

This changed after he studied his wares. "Oh! Oh no!"

Link gave him a quizzical look.

"That monster! The one that attacked me! The monster with no face stole my mask! The one you recovered from me seven years ago! It's gone!"

"The evil spirit inside was vanquished, Mr. Salesman."

"Yes, it was," replied the man. "By the way, Link, you can call me Ping. Anyway," Ping continued, "It's more the principle of the thing. I was robbed by an evil entity looking for a mask with evil powers. That means trouble!"

Link dreaded the obvious question, but felt he had to ask it anyway. "Is it possible that the mask retained some of Majora's Spirit?"

"Certainly not!" insisted Ping, who despite his protests was growing increasingly distraught.

Suddenly, he was calm again, as if nothing had ever been wrong. "Do you think you could go fetch it for me again. For old time's sake?"

Link gave him a smirk, and leapt back atop Epona. "H'yah!"

Off, deeper into the woods he rode, following the foreboding evil that he could feel from miles away. It was moving fast, whatever it was, but not as fast as the horse. He would close in on the thief in about two minutes. He removed his bow from his saddle-bag and set a light arrow. Ping said it was an evil entity; evil fears the light.

On the two rode, Link's legs aching from holding to Epona's side so tightly. Then he saw it, and the ache was eased as battle-readiness washed over him. The Triforce of Courage, he knew.

Whatever it was, it was animal, running on all fours, leaping and twisting through the trees. But it was wearing... armor. So it had a mind, did it? Link aimed the bow carefully as possible while riding a horse and let his arrow fly; it arced out and sailed over the running beast, drawing a start from it...

It turned and cut across Epona's path, knocking her off balance and causing Link to fly from his mount and tumble across the cold moss-covered earth into a tree stump. He shrugged the pain away and leapt to his feet, dashing in front of his horse, and drawing his sword and shield.

Nothing. It was as if the thing vanished. He walked forward several steps, looking around in all directions to see if the monster had headed back the way it had come. Then Epona started...

Link gasped and turned back to his horse... Only to find him staring into the face of thing that he pursued. Except... It had no face.

What are you? Link thought has he stepped hastily backward. Raising his magic reflective shield and twirling his sword through the worn leather covering his left hand.

It now stood, at least eight feet off the ground, and had drawn a blade from nowhere.

I am Sin Ka Rah.

The voice—no not voice—thought: it echoed in his mind in an octave not his own, but there was no sound at all. Just communication through the mind, like what Zelda had taught him so many years ago.

You are the one known as Link. Hero of Time. Worthless. Time will have no meaning when I achieve my goals. It needs no Hero.

Link had no idea how to respond to such a claim, or even if this thing could hear words. Its massive body was covered in a corroded gold or brass armor, and horns protruded from the sides of its grey skinned head. But the face... did not exist. The helmet of the armor opened onto a blank nothing, a swirling vortex of color and darkness, but with no eyes, no nose, no mouth. It was like staring into one of Ganondorf's black holes and hearing it talk to you, and this sent a chill up Link's spine.

Would the bearer of the Ocarina take a swipe at Sin Ka Rah?

He would, Link thought as he slashed out with his silver-white blade, aiming for the bare neck of the monstrous Sin Ka Rah, but Sin would have none of that, bringing his massive bronze sword up to counter. Link parried the strike and lashed at him with several successive blows to the armor that availed nothing. He blocked with the shield as Sin attacked again, deflecting the blade and taking a jab at the void where Sin's face should be.

But with lighting speed, Sin's sword blocked the thrust, and a backhand sent link flying into a nearby tree. Undeterred, Link got up and charged again, this time throwing down a Deku nut to stun the demon. Unfortunately, lacking eyes to be blinded, Sin was unaffected by the nut, so the two began their melee anew, high, low, parry... Until they got locked in a power struggle, slowly inching their heads closer until the black and violet oblivion where Sin's face should have been was an inch from Link's nose.

You are a worthy opponent, but you only get in my way. You delay destiny. Omnipotence is mine.

"HAYAAHH!" Link altered the angle of the force he was applying to the blade, causing the larger sword wielded by Sin to slide off Link's, and down his shield. Link used his momentum further, charging his sword with magic and performing a spin attack, lashing through Sin's neck. Then he rammed the blade through his head. "HEEIIIH!"

A blue tint flashed over Sin Ka Rah's body; he flailed his arms backwards. But it wasn't a killing blow.

Foolish Hylian. Dare you to pierce the void with a mere blade? Impossible.

Link raised his left hand, the Triforce of Courage glowing and filling him with power. He took his sword in both hands, letting his shield dangle from it's strap, and his tried to deliver the killing blow."You are beaten!" he bellowed. But Sin surprised him again, regaining his strength and firmly kicking Link in the stomach. Link rolled as he landed, tumbling backwards and coming up in a kneel.

This challenge has gotten too risky. I cannot afford to fight you, Hero, until I possess the omnipotence I was promised.

Link attacked again, trying to infuse his blade with the power of the Triforce, or at least the magic of his Hylian blood, with every stroke. A dark aura surrounded Sin, and with the same speed as before, he reached up and grabbed Link's left arm, causing him to drop the sword.

Light filled Link's vision as the Triforce of Courage was siphoned out of him, and appeared in tangible form in front.

Courage. I have no need of Courage. I have nothing to fear. The Triforce faded and reentered the Hero of Time.

Link hoped to make Sin Ka Rah eat his words. Er... Thoughts.

Suddenly, Link felt as though his mind was being... invaded. Violated. It was being read.

Then it's true. In this time, the artifact I desire is still sealed away in the Golden Land. Congratulations, Link. You and the one called Ping have made my job easier for the moment. I will spare your realms. For now.

Sin dropped Link, but not before sending a paralyzing shock through the young man's body. He stepped away, and reached into a bag around his waist, and withdrew Majora's Mask. It looked just as Link remembered it.

The prophecy is fulfilling itself. Sin's armor fell away to reveal his true body: not human, not Hylian, or any other race of Hyrule or this world. A massive hulk of muscle and bone, colored like sand.

Sin placed the mask over the void he wore for a face, and Link could feel the evil energy radiating off of him and the mask as the two merged. The spikes around the outside of the mask contorted into veins, veins which pierced deep into Sin's head and neck, pumping blood and evil power into his body. The color of his skin changed, the patterns of Majora spreading all over him, and hardening into a natural chitin, armor which no unenchanted blade could cut. But most horrible was the painted face on the mask itself stretched and covered, becoming the monster's face. The eyes of the mask blinked, and it opened it's mouth revealing fangs! But still, no words came to Link's ears.

Yes. This is most acceptable. Majora was the greatest shaman of my species. His power now belongs to me. I have one of three. Link. If you pursue me, you will die. Stay alive. Much time will have passed by the time I return to this world, and you will be long dead.

Link refused the dark warrior's offer. If he was the same race as the ancient Majora, then how could Link allow him to live? To even escape Hyrule? No world would be afflicted with Majora's evil again! Link rose, the paralysis wearing off. He drew energy from his Courage.

"AAHH!" Link swung with both hands, but the blade didn't even phase his adversary, just contacting and bouncing off harmlessly.

If you insist on pursuing me, I will arrange your demise now. Navithor, come.

Sin hovered into the air, the power of Majora pulsating through him. Then, the world shattered around him, and he vanished into a rift in the fabric of reality.

Link cursed at him in the name of Din and fell to his knees. He had his life, but another world would die. And who was Navithor?

Suddenly, another dark presence with a faint hint of light made itself known behind him.

"You are surely the Hero, art thou not?" the creature said in a mocking tone, an artificially sweet female voice... "I am Navithor, corrupted by Sin. Your demise at my hands is certain."

Link gazed deeply into the eyes of the monstrous female beast before him, wings the span of five Keese and fangs that rivaled Volvagia's. But the eyes.

He knew... It could be no one else.

"Navi," he whispered...