"A mask that contains the merits of all masks, seems to be...somewhere in this world...Could this mask's dark powers be as bad as Majora?"
A Demon's Face
Laughter echoes from the little child's mouth.
"Tee hee hee! Let's play! Will you play...with me?"
...
"No? You're a boring kid." The child's mask looks at the floor as he kicks the dirt forlornly. "...Everyone has gone away."
/\/\/\
He looks up, "Oh? You want to know?"
The mask the child wears tilts to the side.
"You want to know do you?"
He laughs again and dances away, alighting on a large tree stump that could easily rival the size of the Great Deku Tree. The great stump acts as a grand stage among the lush green grass the spread as far as the eye can see.
"So... you'll play?" He waits for an answer expectantly, only to have his gaze fall to the floor once again. "...You're a coward." His head snaps up, "Well, let's do something else. I'll tell you what I know..."
The gray light bathes the child in quiet silence, before it is broken by another quick laugh, "Ha ha! But then you have to play a game with me!"
He giggles and performs a joyful back-flip, "Tee hee hee!" The little masked child claps his hands together,
"Are you ready?"
~{ 0 }~
In a time before The Surface existed, there was light and darkness on the surface world below. The darkness was not the deep evil darkness that you know today. No... back then it was a much simpler thing.
To protect the light, the shadows kept vigil constantly. Night and day, it never left the light. For what is light without darkness? What is darkness without light?
And so, in the beginning they existed happily under the endless sky.
Here the child laughs and dances in a quick tight circle.
But it was not meant to be.
The powers of light are strong and true. But the powers of darkness are tempting and enchanting. Those who devoted their lives to ensure that the light would burn brightly forever, sank in the blackest shadows.
The ancient tribe that had always stood at the side of the light was consumed by the shadows that they lived in.
The child beckons. Gleefully, he starts to spin, arms outstretched and head thrown back.
Oh yes, soon the ancient tribe embraced the darkness like an old friend. And why not? The darkness had been their only companion for so long, even though the light would tell them this was not so. Tee hee hee! The light was blinded by its own brilliance! Blinded by the prosperity that it had created for The Surface! Blinded by the good it was doing!
But within the shadows the light cast, the darkness grew thicker. Falling into the realms of terrible evil and malevolence.
The child stops his frenzied dance in the gray gloom and jumps off the stage. His mask leering with its all-seeing eyes.
The ancient tribe committed terrible crimes; crimes that even the Light could not forgive. But still they pressed on further into the darkness, trying to find a way to seal the evil in the realm for good... Hee hee hee!
And find a way they did.
He nimbly flips back onto the stage, landing in a crouched kneeling position, looking as if he was about to be knighted.
The dwellers of the shadows were able to harness a great power, a power to rival those of the goddesses. The power of a hero. The ancient tribe carved off a face. A familiar face imbued with the power to change the course of history time and time again. An oh so... familiar face... the first face. The first hero...
Slowly, the child raises his masked face, as if he has been told to rise by his king.
But the spirit used to create this face was far too pure for the dark magic used in its creation. The color was drained and the marks of dark magic etched their way into its skin.
He traces a small hand over the engravings in his own mask.
The friends of the spirit were slaughtered by the very power that had saved them so long ago. What kind of...people were they? I wonder... Did those people... think of the spirit... as a friend?
Pausing, the child's mask cocks to the side before starting again.
The spirit within was like a demon. The true face... what kind of... face was it? I wonder... The face under the mask... Is that... the true face?
The face had been created to make the world right. To bring happiness. The right thing... what is it? I wonder... if you do the right thing... does it make... everybody... happy?
The mask turns quickly from side to side as the child shakes his head.
The face was happy. It played the game so well! I wonder... what makes you happy... does it make... others happy, too?
The child stands slowly, slightly slouched as he asks his last question.
You're the bad guy. And when you're bad, you just run. That's fine, right?
/\
The child claps his hands together and bows, "That's enough for today."
"Are you ready to play now?"
"Let's play tag! You're it!"
In Japan, tag is called "onigokko" where the person who is proclaimed "it" is the demon who must chase the other players.
Who is this mysterious child? Well he certainly is not from Hyrule. He's got a few screws loose if you ask me. Rather inclined to lunacy, seeing as he lives in his own dream world far above the clouds.
