Link: The Happy Happy Mask Salesman
By Majin Magus
Prologue
Link, wanting a Hylian Shield replacement since a monster had eaten it while he had been exploring the Spirit Temple in the future. It figured that all items he had found and possessed in the future/past came with him when he went to the other.
As he squeezed his way through the hoards of people in the Market, he thought that in seven years or less this would be a broken down town with nothing but Redeads for inhabitants and a twisted king named Ganondorf.
Suddenly, Link slapped himself in the head. Why had he come back here? Hylian shields could be bought in Kakariko…couldn't they? He had never stopped at the store there before, he had only run through the Potion shop to deliver a Mushroom.
"Oh well," Link sighed, slowing his walk through the Market. "I get to see happy and prosperous people. This isn't so bad…besides, if I went back now I would have to pass through the future town." Link was sure there was a temple around Kakariko, but he couldn't spot it. He hadn't been to future Kakariko since before he defeated Morpha.
A burly man greeted Link from behind the counter. Link spied on his shelves Bombs, various Deku items, and…
"One Hylian Shield, please," Link asked, trying not to get on this big guy's bad side. As he pulled out his big wallet, he discovered there were only ten Rupees inside!
"Damn…oh, I mean, shucks," he corrected. Link had a little habit of cursing, since he had been an adult for a while, and the terms he had learned in the forest just weren't enough to express yourself when you got ambushed by Skulltulas and got your 300-Rupee tunic eaten.
The big guy looked surprisingly down at Link. "Now don' yeh star' cursin', lil' man," he said gruffly, putting the big shield back on the shelf. Link walked grudgingly out of the shop, even though he had spent most of his money on the Archery Game in the Market before coming to this store. He did have a new Deku Nut bag, though.
"Can't take on the temples without a big shield, the monsters'll slice and dice me. How can I make some cash?" Link growled, using his sword on a potted plant by the fountain. A large lady in a blue and white dress poked him.
The lady smiled at Link. "You might want to try the Mask Shop. Just opened," she said, obviously expecting this idea to make Link hop for joy.
"I said, 'make' money, not lose it," Link replied silkily under his breath. Nonetheless, he walked into the Happy Mask Shop.
Inside, there was a large sign and at the counter was a thin man with a pointed face, squinty eyes, and red hair that was slicked back. He rubbed his hands together eagerly as Link walked in.
"Welcome to Happy Mask Shop, please read sign before we deal," the man said politely, though his excitement at having someone come in the shop shown through.
Link read the sign, then looked at the man. "Okay, that explained nothing. Tell me clearly, how do I make money?" he asked, an edge of tell-me-how-to-make-money-or-I-will-use-my-sword in his voice. The man explained everything clearly.
"So, I borrow it, find who wants it, then bring the money back and pay you the price of mask and I keep the change. Easy enough," Link commented. "Now, is there a membership fee?"
The man looked pleased. "A worker with a sense of humor…good…," he mumbled. "No, and how does a little kid like you talk with a big vocabulary and sarcasm?"
Link had a look of seriousness on his face that would have been better suited on his older self. "I'll start immediately," Link proclaimed, and the man handed him a mask.