Disclaimer: I don't own Legend of Zelda. Excuse me while I get a tub or ice cream and cry.

Also, be forewarned - I am not the best writer, though I wish I was, and so be prepared for crappy parts. But some of it will be good! I promise. And, yeah, it is based off of OoT. So, enjoy!

-SM

CHAPTER ONE

I should have known better.

Really, I should have.

It was just a roll of the dice to see how fast I could track them, now. The flip of a coin was the decision. It was a really, horribly terrible mistake on my part. I growled at my own stupidity. I stopped as I realized that, to the people around me, it probably looked like I was growling at them.

But I wasn't; and now that I'd gotten mad, they probably hated me even more.

I glanced at the sun's position. Half past noon. I sighed on the outside, attempting a bored look at the farmers with hammers and pitchforks surrounding me. Inwardly I was seething. There were five of them. One of me. No sweat. It was just a waste of time – which I had very precious little of, mind you. Anyway, they weren't trained fighters, like I was. This was going to be easier than pie – and believe you me, I knew a thing or two about pie.

I could have beaten twice as many, easily.

"Look," I started to say, "I don't want to fight-" but I was cut off as they charged. I sighed again.

One was a bit quicker than the rest on the uptake. He shouted a battle cry, and I snorted as he tried a clumsy thrust. Faster than their eyes could follow, I flicked my sword out of its black and gray scabbard and sidestepped right in between him and another farmer, who had moved forward in hopes of catching me off guard. The first farmer, meeting no resistance to his clumsy parody of a thrust, stumbled forward, off balance. The second one tried an overhand cut (although his sword was tiny compared to mine) and I was able to block, and then thrust. I pulled my midnight-black blade out and lunged at the first farmer, who was just managing to get up.

He blocked my first cut, but then fell behind on the rhythm as he realized I was attacking with lightning speed.

A couple more cuts and he fell, too. Some sixth sense warned me to lift my shield and right as I raised my right arm with the gray shield on it, I became aware of an odd whistling noise and I felt a thump as someone's hammer hit my shield, just in time. I lower my shield and get back to fighting. My glowing red fairy, Ivan, buzzed around me, shouting "HEY!" and "LISTEN!" in the farmers' ears. I knew what it was like to get that treatment. Poor farmers.

However, none of that showed on my face. As much as I was concentrating on where to hit next, and who was where – I could feel my red eyes shining; because, when I fought… I just felt so… at home. I knew who I was and what I was doing. It was something… I don't know, definite? I know every aspect of this.

And, after only a few more seconds of fighting, the farmers lay, all of them still breathing - albeit slowly - on the ground. I stepped out on the road, looking for the women who had taken the kids – and I needed those kids – away from me.

I caught sight of something moving in the long grass that lined the road. I stealthily snuck around in a wide arc, so that I would be attacking from a position up road. Maybe I'll be able to get back to Master on time with the quarry. Maybe… maybe I won't be punished.

When I finally got to the rustling grass, I realized that I was wrong. It's just an animal… a fox, I think. I was never very good with animals. He jumps at me, and I swing at him with my sword. I manage to create a long gauge in its snout. He howls loudly - and in my alarm, I make another mistake.

I was already off balance, so when it howled and circled me - stupid animal, just run - I decided to take the initiative and so I ran. I ran, as fast as I could, in the opposite direction - right towards the woods. I figured I could kill two birds with one stone. Run away from the fox, while running straight towards the nearest settlement, which is probably right where the women had taken the kids.

But then the fox was upon me and I fell, defenseless, to its raking claws. Luckily, I'm a fast healer.

Really fast.

The only thing that can actually maim or kill me, is the Master Sword. The real one. My counterpart's sword.

I swung my sword, and this time the swing was more controlled. I hit the fox right in its rib cage, and even heard an audible crack! as the bones broke.

Breathing heavily, I turned away from the dead fox and looked at the sun. "Oh, Farore!" I shouted in frustration. One o'clock. Growling even worse now that I knew what awaited me after I completed the mission, I checked my wounds. Everything was healed, not a drop of my blood to be seen - and the scars were fading fast. I stood up and sprinted toward the village.

Today was obviously not my day.

I had started off the day with a fresh grin on my face, satisfied that I could track the two young kids that Master had sent me to deal with. Okay, so maybe I was a little overconfident.

Okay. I was really overconfident.

I had figured it would take one hour tops to find them, and one hour tops to get there and back. So, you figure two and half hours, just in case an accident comes up. Which left… three and a half hours (I haven't done math in a while, I realized. Not that I could change that. Master's pretty cruel when it comes to things important to me) to do whatever I want. I couldn't drag the kids around with me, so I'd do that last.

I should have known I would never get away with it, and that it wouldn't work. Ever. I'd never be able to relax and wreck things without a worry in my mind. Because Master was always there. But I didn't know then. So for the first three hours, I went around, asking about the Hero of Time - don't get me started on him - and his whereabouts, finding nothing but a bunch of rumors.

I went to the Gerudo Fortress and tried to use their arrows to practice archery. They said no, naturally, and demanded that I use my own arrows. I'd happily have done just that, except that everything that I create out of shadows has to always be touching me.

Which is why I couldn't use my own arrows.

Back to, uh, Master. See, he knows everything going on inside my head - and sometimes even takes complete control of me. He bends my emotions. He causes me pain.

Extreme pain.

He… he tortures me.

As I think about all the things he's done to me, I wince. Momentarily I lose track of what's going on, and I get zipped out of the portal - and the little kids I captured. I grab them by the scruff of their necks, again, and walk straight into a brick wall - except there was a shadow there from a different building, and we walk back into the portal.

Searing pain rips through my body. It's pure agony to touch a real person and head through a portal. Although, upon reflection I suppose that it hurts every single time I touch a real person. Although it hurts more to touch some people, than others.

Why? Long story. But… let's get back to meditating on my day, huh?

So, I went and tracked down the kids, who were carrying important messages from the Sheikah (the Shadow Folk) to the King of Hyrule, Otis. Luckily I was able to catch the kids before the trail got cold, again, and this time capture them.

After a brief fight, which ended with me dissolving into the shadows with the kids (ouch) and jumping into the portal with them, I was now… here.

We're here.

And suddenly I feel a sharp pain in my side as one of the kids poke me through a hole made by the fox.

"OW!" I yell at him, turning.

He stares at me in horror.

"You… You… how… your face…"

He reaches out hesitantly to touch my face. I swat at his hand, yelp at the pain, and dance away from him. Then, getting a steely look in my eyes, I draw the anti-Master Sword (my personal name for it) and point it at his chest.

"Don't touch me," I growl, my voice dangerously quiet.

He stepped closer to the girl, fear showing in his eyes. I grin at them again evilly and feel my red eyes flash with anger.

I had forgotten about my skin.

See, every time I enter this realm, the Master's realm, I gain a bit of my own perspective again. My skin, instead of being gray, turns back to its normal, tan color - although by now I'm sure its pale from the lack of sunlight. When Master sends me out, it's almost like he puts a mask over my face and it gets tainted gray.

And suddenly I drop my sword, which immediately disappears after leaving my hand, and gasp in pain. Starting in my left hand and extending outwards, a terrible, burning pain raced through my body.

I shuddered and dropped to my knees.

You're late, growled a voice from the darkness surrounding me.

"I-I brought them, M-Master," my voice was barely above a whisper.

YOU'RE LATE! The voice yelled in my mind.

"N-No Master. You said…"

I said to be back an hour past noon. You arrived THREE HOURS LATER!

I crumpled completely to the ground, biting my lip so hard it bleeds. I can feel something warm - a tear, I realize - slide down my face. At the same time, where the tear traced down my face, I feel a cold, sharp blade slip down my face. The problem with your master being banished in the dark world: I can't heal here. I heal just like a normal person would heal in the regular world.

"Master…" I start to plead. But then I realize what's going on. He's just messing with me again. For his own pleasure. I steel my nerves and say in a strong, defiant voice, "You never specified what day I was to be here." My lips twist into a grim smile. "As far as I'm concerned, Master, I'm still early by…" I pause to do the math. "Nine hours."

You… You… You STUPID FOOL! The voice shouts at me. YOU KNOW WHEN I MEANT! You… I… I can't… believe...

I'm the one that can't believe it. Because I've just done it.

I've rendered Master speechless.

But then my day is ruined when I hear his slithery voice say Do you know what this means? His voice is deadly quiet, just like when I talked to the little kids.

Punishment.

So, there ya go. Chapter one! I hope you liked it. Please please please give me criticism! I actually like that. I want to get better, and if you review and give me tips, then this could get better. Anyway, yeah! Love you guys!

-SM