The village of Kasuto is considered an oddity today - a ruined town that never got rebuilt like its brethren named after the Sages. This has led to urban legends declaring the existence of a secret outcast sage, who betrayed the rest and whose name was then declared taboo.

The truth of why Kasuto never got rebuilt is much less outlandish, though no less supernatural - the place is a veritable minefield of Poes and other ghoulish creatures. Of course, this only adds to the mystery in the eyes of conspiracy theorists. Was Kasuto the site of a demonic ritual, damning it for millennia to come? Was it an example set by the Goddesses themselves to display their power?

The real truth of the matter is both mundane and tragic. Kasuto itself was never of any importance...but it did end up producing both the world's greatest warrior, and the world's greatest dark mage.

A teenage boy practiced his swordplay on a training dummy, repeating over and over, determined to get it just right.

The aspiring warrior was fair-haired, with a kind yet stern face that promised both compassion and strictness where it was necessary.

"Oni! Oni, are you there?"

Oni paused in his training and turned his head towards the voice.

A young girl ran up the slope, happy and carefree, clearly excited to see her friend.

The girl's hair was a deep crimson, and had been since she was a toddler. Some said that she must have been blessed by Din, to receive such scarlet hair.

Oni was brought out of his thoughts as the girl abruptly tripped over a tree branch. He winced, and went to help her.

"Ouch..." the girl whimpered, slowly standing up and shaking the dirt out of her long hair.

"You need to be more careful, M," Oni said gently, using his nickname for the girl. "Watch where you're going next time."

"I'm sorry..." the girl said, downcast...before perking up. "But I was just so excited to see you practicing! You're so cool when you swing that sword around!"

Oni laughed. "Well, I won't deny a compliment. But really, it's not that special. Anyone can do it."

Oni realized his mistake as soon as he said it. He looked at the girl, her shoulders now slumped.

"...But I can't..."

A year back, the girl had tried swinging a smaller sword of her own, and had shown no aptitude for it, no matter how much effort she put in.

Oni sighed, and knelt down. "Look, M. I understand that you're frustrated that you can't wield a sword...but there are other things in life."

The girl kicked a pebble gloomily. "Like what?"

Oni racked his brains, before coming up with a good example. "Remember when I told you about how the Goddesses beat the dragons?"

The girl slowly nodded. "Uh-huh."

"Well, what did they use to do that? Was it swords?"

The girl thought to herself. "No...it was some kind of golden light."

Oni smiled. "Exactly. Swords aren't all-powerful. They don't solve every problem. Sometimes, you need something different."

The girl slowly smiled. "...Yeah. All right! So what if I can't use a sword! I can still be strong!"

Oni beamed. "You've got that right, kiddo!"

The girl beamed back. "Yeah! And I bet when I grow up, I'll be able to use that cool golden light too!"

Oni ruffled her hair affectionately. "I bet you will, M. I bet you will."

The girl giggled, before gasping. "Oh! I almost forgot the reason I came to get you!"

Oni looked at her inquisitively. "What is it?"

"There were these men wearing armor at the gate! They said they wanted to talk to our strongest warrior, and I thought, 'well, that's obviously Oni,' and so I-" The girl paused. "Is something wrong, Oni?"

Oni's previously carefree expression had become strained. As soon as she posed her question he forced a happy smile back onto his face again, but the damage had been done. "Nah. Things are alright. Could you bring me to those men? I need to talk to them."

The girl pressed up against the stone house, attempting to eavesdrop on the conversation between Oni, the village elder, and the men in armor. She could only catch a few phrases though.

"...Fire Dragons..."

"...moving south..."

"...reach here eventually..."

"...need all the help we can get..."

Eventually, Oni emerged from the house. The girl quickly tried to make it look like she hadn't just been eavesdropping, which would have fooled no one normally but worked on Oni due to the dismayed expression on his face.

"O-Oni? Wh-what's wrong?"

Oni noticed her and quickly attempted to put on a facade of cheerfulness. "I-it's nothing much. I'm just going to be away for a while."

He knelt down and hugged her. "I'll send letters every week, and I'll be back before you know it."

The girl nodded hesitantly. "Okay...good luck, and stay safe..."

Oni smiled a weak smile, and began walking to the village entrance along with the men in armor.

The girl tried to hold back tears, before finally blurting out, "I'll miss you, Oni!"

Oni looked back, and smiled weakly. "I'll miss you too, Majora."

And that was the last the friends ever saw of each other.