Chapter Three

The sun was just shining over the horizon as Link became aware of his surroundings. He was standing in front of the basement of the Clock Tower, utterly confused.

"Wha-" Tatl seemed lost for words. "What just happened? Everything's...started over...?"

Link looked up. The moon was still there, but it wasn't close to the earth.

The yellow fairy turned to look closely at Link, who was still in his Deku Scrub form. "Who exactly are you?"

"I told you. I'm the Prince of Hyrule. And that Ocarina is not any simple ocarina." He turned and entered the basement of the Clock Tower, remembering the Mask Man's promise. There, in the shadows, the creepy man waited. Link walked up to him.

"Aaah, did you recover what the forest creature stole from you?" the man asked, his incessant grin sending shivers through both Link and Tatl.

"I did," Link said.

"Splendid! Now, just play this melody on your precious item." And he whistled a tune. It was a mournful melody, but there was something...something peaceful about it. Link played the tune. There was a flash of white and a Deku Mask fell to Link's feet. He was back to normal!

"There. I've upheld my end of the bargain," the Mask Man. "Now, you need to uphold yours. You have my mask, do you not?" He held out his hand, waiting.

Link hesitated, stepping back from the man. "I..."

"Don't tell me...my mask. You did...get it back...didn't you?" Then the Mask Man lost it. His normally happy face disappeared, replaced by a crazed frown and Link scrambled backwards to escape the Mask Man's grasp. "What have you done to me? If you leave that mask out there, something terrible will happen!" The man took a deep breath. "That mask is called Majora's Mask."

Link's eyes widened. "M-Majora's Mask? It's not a legend?"

"Oh, no, Prince! Far from it! But you have heard of it, so you must know what happens when the mask is uncovered. It bestows upon the wearer an evil and wicked power. It was sealed away in shadow so that it's powers could not be misused ever again. I went to great lengths to find it. And when I finally got it, I could sense a dark omen brewing, one that makes you hair stand on end." The Mask Man began to panic once more. "And now that forest creature has it! Please! I beg you! Get Majora's Mask back! Before something terrible happens!"

"Why ask me?" Link asked. "I'm just a kid!"

"A kid you may be, but you have the spirits of the Heroes of Old in you."

Link shook his head. "No. Y-you must be mistaking me for my father. He's the Hero, not me."

"I am not. You father is a great Hero, indeed, but you are not named after the Heroes for no reason."

"I was named so in tribute to one of my mother's closest friends who was killed by the tyrant Ganondorf."

"That may be true, but you can do it! You are the only one who can. And you bear the name of the Hero of the Skyward Sword, the name of the Hero of Time, the name of the Hero of Hyrule! Do not doubt your power, young Hero!"

Link looked away from the Mask Man, unsure of what he should do. Accept, young one! The voice that echoed in Link's head startled him, but as he looked around the room, he saw no one but Tatl and the Mask Man. That's it, the voice said again. It's all just a voice in your head. Just accept and I'll tell you more.

"Make up your mind already!" Tatl shouted impatiently.

"Shut up, Tatl!" Link replied with just as much irritation. By the goddesses, this fairy was going to give him a headache by the end of this quest. He glared at the fairy for a moment more before turning to the Mask Man. "I'll probably end up dead, but I'll do it. I'll get that mask back."

"Wonderful!" The Mask Man clapped his hands together joyfully and then reached into his rather large pack that somehow he managed to wear even though it looked like it would snap him in two. "You will need this." And he handed Link a sword. It looked finely made, with traces of gold in the blade and handle. "This sword is the Gilded Sword, made by the Gorons of Snowhead Mountain. Use it well. Take your Deku Mask, too. When you wear it, you will be able to become a Deku Scrub."

"Thank you," Link said as he strapped the sword to his back.

"Do you even know how to use a sword?" Tatl asked.

"My father has been training me," Link replied. He picked up the mask at his feet and turned to go.

"Believe in your strengths, young Hero..." the Mask Man said in just above a whisper. "Believe...believe..."

Link turned to look at the Mask Man once more, but he was gone.

"Welcome to Termina Field!"

Link rolled his eyes at Tatl's exclamation, but he looked around anyway. The field surrounded Clock Town, making it seem relatively small. Tatl began talking. "So, to the south is the Woodfall Swamp, to the north is Snowhead Mountain. To the west is Great Bay Coast, and the to east is Ikana Valley. Got it?"

"Yes, Tatl," Link replied. He shifted the pack he now wore over his sheathed sword. He had gotten the pack in Clock Town to hold the supplies he knew he would need on this journey. "Where to first?"

"The swamp. The Dekus live there and they're not too welcome to visitors, so your Deku mask could come in handy. This way!" Tatl flew off toward the woods, but she suddenly stopped when she saw a drawing on a tree. For the first time since meeting her, Link saw the fairy's wings droop as she stared at the drawing.

"I remember this," she said. "Tael, Skull Kid, I drew this when we first met! Skull Kid said that his friends had been fighting with him and left him all alone.

"It was a stormy day, the rain pelting down on Tael and me as we searched for shelter. We're orphans, you see, and we weren't used to being on our own. None of the other fairies wanted to take us in. Anyway, we found a hollowed-out log, perfect for taking shelter in. We flew in. Tael began to shiver with the cold, and so I tried to warm him up.

"It was then that we noticed Skull Kid sitting on the ground, shivering as well. He looked so lonely, and we were freezing. So the three of us huddled together, warming each other up. And we were best friends ever since. We would play hide-and-seek together, Skull Kid would play his flute, and we would all just have a great time. He drew this picture in remembrance of that day we met.

"He was a trickster though, and that was probably why no one wanted to play with him, yet we stuck with him. He was our best friend after all. And then he found that mask. He had gotten into a habit of stealing from travelers on the roads through the forest, but the mask was just lying there, waiting for its real owner to get it back. And when he put it on and got the power it bestowed..." Tatl sighed. "You know the rest... Let's go." And she led Link onward, through a maze of trees.

As Link sprinted behind Tatl through the trees, he heard that voice inside his head once more. Good for you: taking up your destiny.

Who are you? Link asked in his head, fearing that, if he spoke out loud, he would have to endure Tatl's teasing. And he did not need to be teased right now.

My real name would only confuse you, kid.

Can I call you something else then?

Yeah. Most of my pals call me Oni. You can, too, if you like. Or...I could just be called Disembodied-Voice-in-Your-Head.

Link sighed. Whoever this Oni was, he had an awful sense of humor.

Any name you give me I'm fine with. Just keep following your fairy friend.

"Don't, Rinku! It's pointless!"

Rinku sighed. He had to get to Termina to stop the large, grotesque moon, but Zelda, who, just that morning had been so desperate about it. Now, she was telling him not to go. In fact, it had almost seemed like he had gone, but when he tried to recall traveling toward the province of Hyrule, he found that he could not remember it. It must have been a dream. That's what he assumed. He turned toward his wife. "Why is it pointless?" he asked with confusion.

"First, you're not the one I saw in the dream. Someone else is. They're already there, I know it. And there's also a barrier around the province. You can't get by."

"How do you know that?"

"You already tried to get through." Zelda noted his confused look and sighed. "I am the Sage of Time. I do remember the events that have been reversed."

"You mean...whoever is there..."

"Has the Ocarina of Time, and knows the Song of Time."

"But, only the Royal Family knows that song..." Rinku trailed off, his eyes widening. "No, it can't be."

Zelda nodded. "Link's out there, Rinku. But there's no way to help him out. We just need to pray that he'll be kept safe. And wait."

Rinku sighed. "Yes, lots of waiting."

"The Deku Palace is just up ahead!" Tatl announced, flying backwards.

Link nodded, but stopped suddenly when he saw three monkeys standing in front of him, blocking his path. The one in the middle, surprisingly, spoke up. "Me been watching you! You have sword and special powers. Can you help?"

"With what?" Link asked.

"Our brother captured by the Dekus. They blame him for princess' disappearance."

Another monkey continued. "Water in swamp turning poisonous, so Deku Princess and brother went to find out why. Brother came out but not Princess. Brother said Princess was captured, but Dekus don't believe him."

"Please, help brother!" the third monkey pleaded desperately. "We can show you where Princess is, and you help prove brother innocent."

Link could hear Tatl hissing in annoyance. She didn't want to help these monkeys. But Link had a feeling that this would lead him further on his quest. "I'll do it," he said, ignoring Tatl's annoyance. The monkeys seemed to be happier.

"This way!" they called, hurrying off. Link followed, but stopped, looking back at Tatl, who had remained where she was.

"Are you coming or what?" Link asked her.

"You're seriously following the advice of monkeys who aren't supposed to talk?" she demanded disbelievingly.

"Yes. I am."

Tatl sighed, and flew over to Link. "Fine. Lead the way, monkeys."

The animals obliged and the strange party moved on, away from the Deku Palace, and further into the swamp.

"Here!" the lead monkey called as the entered a large area of swamp. The water here was a pale purple color. Noxious gases filled the air, and Link started to feel dizzy just from the fumes. He followed the animals across platforms that lead to a large tree in the middle of the whole place, and, finally, the journey was over.

"We no go further," the monkeys explained. "Good luck!"

Link thanked them and turned to face the dark entrance of the Woodfall Temple. "Let's do this," Tatl said with determination. And so the pair entered the darkness.

AN: I appologize for the long wait for this chapter. If anyone was wondering why I didn't update, it was for several reasons: School (:P), other stories, and just being generally distracted. So here you go. Nice chapter for ya. I hope you enjoyed it and please, don't hesitate to review!