Feirce Deity X Link chapter, written by Dannondorf
Majora's Mask was shaped like a heart, of all things. Link knew he only had seconds to win the fight if he wanted to live through it, but he could not focus on avoiding the tentacles that cut him. The mask, a twisted symbol of love that mocked everyone it had hurt, occupied the whole of his vision, and its sickly yellow eyes laughed at his pitiful effort to stop it. He knew heroes weren't supposed to cry, but he was just a little boy and he was scared. He was so tired and his whole body hurt. All that stopped him from collapsing was the knowledge that the mask would cause more pain and destruction if he failed.
His pulse pounded at his temples, urging him to draw from what little strength he possessed as an adolescent facing a deity. Though he could barely see straight, Link locked his sight on the target and reached for his emotions where his true skill slept. Like the mask had shed the Skull Kid, he shed the shell people saw when they looked at him—the brave face he put on when life was hard, the happy and ordinary child that materialized when he played the Elegy of Emptiness—and all of his fury, desperation, and misery flared to the surface.
Transform into Mikau. Shield up. Move inside the demon's guard and transform back into a swordsman. Atop gory deformed Hylian legs that were stretched and broken to exceed ten feet in length, the throbbing heart-shape twisted every which way, its eyes wide and flaming as it wondered what the insect that stood against it was trying to do. Link hacked at one of the legs, resulting in an inhuman screech and a whipping motion that threw him aside like the worthless mortal he was. Stunned that his inner beast had been thwarted so easily, he weakly forced himself to his knees. Only sheer willpower kept him going now, for his life essence leaked from his torso and collected into a puddle beneath him. He felt cold from blood loss, and the aching in his head dulled as numbness crept over him.
Majora's Mask ran in circles around the arena flailing and screaming in pain, but the fact that it moved quickly enough to make its image blur told Link he hadn't seriously hurt his foe. He'd been a fool to assume gods had the same weak points as living things, if they even had weaknesses at all. The hopelessness he'd fought for so long began to win, and he no longer felt pain. He barely felt the tears rolling down his cheeks as he tried to stand. More than anything, he felt the despair that was Termina and wished he was more than just a weak little boy who was going to die after coming so close to making everything right.
"Anju…Kafei…" he called with his mind. His thoughts were selfish at first, wishes that the two people he liked to think of as his parents would save him, but then he thought about them holding hands. He remembered how Anju had remained faithful that Kafei would return to her, how brave they both were to remain in Clock Town, looking only at each other even as the world crumbled around them. Link didn't know much about love, but he had seen it in them, been awed by it. Surely that was more powerful than a mask. Surely what was in their hearts—and his—was greater than his heart-shaped enemy. "I can't let you die! I won't!"
As if to answer his plea for the courage and power to protect everyone, a hot breath blew on his long sensitive ear, gentle and strange against the cold numbness. "Wear me," a voice whispered, making him shiver. "I will take care of everything for you. I will remove the source of your pain forever." It was the voice of temptation, of the dark spirit inside the other mask. With each word it grew louder until it growled at him, ordering him to obey even though somewhere in his weary, pain-riddled mind Link knew the piece of wood couldn't make him do a thing.
He obeyed anyway, refusing to let his weakness be the death of anyone. Memories of the evil power he had sensed from the Fierce Deity Mask were shoved aside as he put it on just before a tendril could attempt to take his head off. As was always the case when he transformed into a different creature, a scream tore from his throat. Every part of his body was torturously broken and remade, lengthened, strengthened. Even his clothes and his sword morphed to match his new appearance. He was bigger, stronger, and unimaginably fast. Majora backed away from him, and the thorns sticking out of its mask retreated into it as though it were afraid. Its eyes widened.
"Let's see what you can do, kid," the voice said with a sinister excitement that surpassed even Link's desire to see Majora die. "Show me how you would use my power!" He didn't need the encouragement. Staring with hatred at the source of the kingdom's recent catastrophes, he yelled in fury before flying at it, his transformed double helix sword behind him as he extended his arm back. With the combined might of heaven and earth, he brought his arm overhead and swung the enormous blade at the being that suddenly seemed not to want to play anymore. For one moment, power rippled through him: uncompromising, unlimited, and utterly thrilling. He was above the world, able to push, bend, and break it however he chose, but he did not sway from his righteous purpose. As though an invisible parent were guiding his hands through the motions, he stabbed the incubus repeatedly through the heart with incredible force.
Then the exhilarating rush ended. Majora's eyes widened again, this time in disbelief as it transformed back into harmless wood stained with the blood of what it had once been. Link's body shrank as well, and no longer feeling like he was above the world, he fell from the moon back to himself, back to the green tunic and the short legs and the flesh that was so easily damaged. He had experienced the power of gods, fought it and used it, but presently he was just a boy again who knew nothing of true power and temptation. As if to complete the transformation, his wounds were mysteriously healed and his clothes were patched up. The Fierce Deity Mask had not lied when it told him it would take care of everything.
The moon, the sky, and Termina still shook. Perhaps the world was still ending, for the transformation and the fight had been so brief and unlike anything else he'd experienced that he almost didn't believe they were real. The Fierce Deity Mask, the only proof of what he had become, had mysteriously disappeared either because it never existed or because he completely used up its malevolent energy. But when Majora's Mask fell lifelessly at his side and the Skull Kid regained consciousness—when the ground stopped trembling in anticipation of a celestial impact and the moon returned to its rightful place far above the kingdom—he knew the fight was over. Delirious from fatigue and from the knowledge that the three-day cycle was finally over, he grinned, thinking of all the people who were going to be okay and innocently believing he would be okay too.
The festival in Clock Town was rescheduled. Everything returned to normal with an alacrity which belittled the horror that had almost come to pass. Anju and Kafei hugged and kissed Link after their wedding, and he hugged back a bit too eagerly, having never received such affection before. As he saw them and Romani and Cremia again and befriended the Skull Kid, he wondered if this was how it felt to belong somewhere or belong to someone. He never thought he belonged in Hyrule or Kokiri Forest, but Termina actually felt like home. Mingling without being an outcast and without the pressure of an all-important quest…was this what it felt like to be a normal kid, like Zelda had wanted for him when she sent him back to this timeline? Though he still had to find Navi, he promised himself and his new friends that he would return, and he left in high spirits.
He never imagined that the path to Termina would disappear behind him. Now in addition to his search for Navi, he had to find a way back to what he'd decided was his home, but the next seven years didn't give him much time to do so; almost every region he came to needed his help to thwart some monster or potential tragedy, but Link surpassed each challenge and continued both searches whenever he could. His travels often left him isolated for weeks, but he tried to ignore his loneliness and hold on to hope.
Due to his frustration, it didn't occur to him until after a month after stopping Majora that the Fierce Deity Mask might not have vanished. "Be strong. Grow big and strong," the voice from before whispered with a perverse eagerness, and it was so soft that he convinced himself he had imagined it. Nonetheless, he pondered whether it was possible for the mask's spirit to be inside of him somehow.
He decided it didn't matter since he planned to grow big and strong anyway: the Triforce of Courage called him to new kingdoms and new quests, and he needed to become stronger to cleanse the world of evil. As he was used to doing, he shoved his unease to the back of his mind to better focus on being a hero and journeyed ever onward, conquering evils and gradually becoming the capable young man he'd been in the alternate timeline.
"Use my power. You could have anything you want. You'd never have to suffer or fight again." The voice grew stronger as he became aware of the indulgences of adults, but he would not be swayed. By age fourteen he knew for certain that it was the dark god, and he did not listen to the devil's easy logic. Because of his increasing bitterness from lack of communication with others, it was easy to ignore him, if only to spite the one being who was always with him.
Resisting became more difficult when he started coming into his own sexually. "Thank you for saving me!" a pretty young woman said to him, and he didn't know how to react; despite his now adult form, his lifetime of traveling and battling had taught him frighteningly little about how to interact with anyone. At the very least he wanted to hug her and make sure he really had saved her, because he had been terrified that she would die, but he couldn't move. Meanwhile she beamed at him with an expression he couldn't quite place. Was she going to hug him? Kiss him? Give him a simple but warm handshake? Acknowledge that he was a living being who wanted love and affection or the occasional contact with another person just like everyone else?
In the end he could only stare back and hope she could read his thoughts through his eyes, and nothing happened between them. "Use my power, and you can have any woman you want. I can tell she already likes you. It would be easy enough for me to influence her just a bit and make her love you unconditionally. Or you could rid the world of evil forever, if you desire that more. You could even find your family…your precious Navi." Still he didn't listen, though his heart longed for what the deity offered. And still, no matter where he went, he never found the fairy or kingdom or affection he sought.
One day Link felt power bubbling up within him, ready for his use if he would only accept it. With it he could destroy villains quickly enough to occasionally get some rest from his never-ending quest to keep the world safe. He could find a family, perhaps even start one. But no matter how much he wanted that, it wasn't worth risking everyone's lives; if he gave the deity control he would not be able to prevent him from becoming a worse threat than Majora. Nonetheless, a searing pain ripped through his head, stopping him in mid-stride as he wandered. He saw white for a moment as his mind felt like it was being ripped in two. Much like when he had transformed, a yell erupted from the normally silent warrior, and when his senses returned someone stood in front of him.
Link automatically stepped back in alarm at the magic he sensed in the imposing figure grinning wickedly at him. With no pupils, his eyes were impossible to read, but the red paint around them made his gaze more threatening. He looked disturbingly similar to Link, but his tunic was a pale blue and his larger muscles suited his superior height. Link's instincts were sharp from years of unwelcome surprises, but he hardly had time to reach for his sword before an invisible force knocked him off his feet. He glanced at his surroundings quickly for the source of the blow as he regained his stance, but no one other than them was around and the stranger hadn't moved. Still grinning and staring fixedly at him, he spoke in a deep voice. "Hello, Link."
The message echoed from more than just the person's throat. It echoed from Link's mind, from every nightmare he'd had in the last seven years, and at once he knew the stranger's identity. Link scrambled a safe distance away before standing again. "Fierce Deity…How did you get out? I never gave in to you."
"Call me Oni." A deep laugh penetrated his ears. "You weren't keeping me trapped. I could have escaped at any time, but I thought I'd see how long it took you to give in to temptation. Your willpower is surprising. You've finally convinced me that you will never give in if I don't show myself, so I have no reason to stay hidden any longer."
Link didn't like how calm his aggressor was. Majora's Mask had been condescending too, but at least it hadn't kept its arms crossed like it didn't have to fight to win. Oni didn't assume any kind of fighting stance, and Link wondered if the enormous strength bursting through his tight tunic belonged to an idiot. "What do you want? I won't let you hurt anyone."
"You can't stop me from doing anything." Taking advantage of Oni's lack of visible defenses, Link lunged forward with his sword only to have it suddenly split in half. The top half of the blade clattered uselessly to the ground, and he stared stupefied at the hilt. "I've been watching you, boy. It's all I've done since you found my mask."
"Am I that interesting?" Link mocked mirthlessly, recovering from his shock quickly.
"I knew you would say that, just like I know you're going to—" In a flash Link had a hidden dagger in his hand and lunged forward once more, but again he was blown back. "—do that," the deity finished before chuckling darkly. "Really, Link, can't you bother listening to me before you attack? Ah, I can read the answer in your mind—after so many fights, you can tell when someone means to harm others—but you are my only target today. No one else is in danger."
"I know you well too, and I'm not afraid of you. You're just a power-hungry fool like Ganondorf. That's why the goddesses imprisoned you in that mask."
"I am nothing like Ganondorf. He sought power, but I already have it."
Link ran at him, but the space between them suddenly stretched: his heart beat in confused terror as the trees beside them elongated, and the demon somehow stayed beyond his reach while standing perfectly still. His sneering face mocked Link, who broke into a desperate sprint in response. When he realized that wasn't getting him anywhere, he pulled his bow out and fired an arrow. This time, the space around the target bent so that the arrow went around it. Link did his best not to show his awe and increasing dread.
"Impressive as always, switching tactics fluidly without a moment's hesitation. You aren't like other mortals. You are strong, brave, and you have overcome every enemy and obstacle that has ever appeared before you."
Ignoring the praise, Link began charging mana for his ultimate attack: everything else had failed so far, so he had to use… "Din's Fire!" Flames erupted from him, expanding to consume everything around him, but when they died his target wasn't even singed. With inhuman speed, the deity vanished and reappeared behind him, pinning his arm behind him and shoving him harshly into a tree. "So deliciously defiant," he whispered teasingly as Link cried in pain. "I've observed you and found you to be perfect."
Link struggled valiantly, but the god's strength easily overwhelmed him and he couldn't grab what weapons he had left. Every time he got closer to completing another spell, the deity gave his arm a sharp twist to break his concentration. "Perfect for what?" he asked, muffled slightly as his cheek was forced into the bark. He hoped conversation would distract the villain enough for him to slip away.
"Perfect for me." As if to show off, he yanked Link by his now-injured arm and threw him to the ground. Knowing distance meant nothing to his attacker, the Hylian resisted the urge to back away and stood back up, scrambling in his mind for a way to put up some kind of defense against this monster. He was much stronger than his fellow god Majora: conventional methods would not work on him. "I admire your stubbornness, but you must learn who is in control here."
To illustrate his point, he abruptly pounced on his victim, pinning his arms and legs to the ground. The Fierce Deity leaned over Link until their faces were almost touching. "What are you doing? What do you w—" He hissed as a sharp pain dug into his arm. Blood trickled down his bicep.
"I want to see how much you can take." The pain intensified and Link bit his lip, knowing what had happened but refusing to believe it. He tried to squeeze his fist to disprove his suspicions only to find he couldn't. "It's gone now. It's no longer yours. It belongs to me, and soon the rest of you will too."
Link panicked and struggled, but he could not shake his attacker. A blade pressed into his other arm, gently at first so it only hurt a little bit. "Don't!" he said more loudly than intended, the pain from the last blow urging him to yell.
The deity didn't listen. The pain became acute, and the only thing louder than his nerves screaming at him was Oni's laughter. It invaded his ears and his mind, taunting him as though this were all some kind of game. Hot tears rolled down Link's cheeks, dripping onto the grass. Without arms he could never fight or function normally again, and he was defenseless against the insane torturer.
"Refusing to scream? Don't want to give me that satisfaction?" Another twisted laugh. Link wanted more than anything to reach up with his detached arm and rip his stupid face off. "You should know that your efforts not to scream are the source of my satisfaction. The fact that you aren't crying out at the injustice of all this tells me I made the right choice. Let's see what happens when I remove the legs."
Link couldn't even struggle anymore. He had lost too much blood to move, so the best he could do was glare. His eyes grew heavy as death tried to close them, but there had to be a way out of this. He couldn't die here.
"Now you are just a bloodied torso with stumps for limbs. There is only one more thing to remove." Licking his pale lips, he poised his hand above the dying man's chest, ready to shove his fingers through it. "Your heart belongs to me."
The hand came down, and with a gasp Link saw only darkness, felt only pain, heard only his screams. His body seized as he panicked, knowing this was the end for him. Then, inexplicably, he felt no pain. Light returned to him, and he opened his eyes to see the same surroundings as before. He had arms and legs again, and the Fierce Deity stared down at him, cradling him in his lap like a small child. "Where…am I?" His lips were numb, and when he tried to move other parts, he found that they were numb too. "How? You…broke me," he murmured clumsily.
A nod. He seemed satisfied with his work. "So I could save you."
"Why did you want to save me?"
"So I could break you again. You are mine," he hissed, and it was so possessive that Link shivered. The embrace, though one-sided, was almost tender. Link had never been held like this before, and he briefly wondered if this was what it was like to have a parent or to be loved before shaking the thought violently. Nothing about this was caring or affectionate like the bond Anju and Kafei shared, and Link tried to tell himself that he was too angry to think about the hands caressing him.
"Let go of me, Oni," he growled. It was easier to speak this time, and soon he would have enough feeling in his body to defend himself again.
The Fierce Deity gently dragged his palm up Link's cheek until he knocked off his green hat. Then he ran his fingers through the long golden hair that spilled out. Seeing the questions and outrage in the paralyzed man's blue eyes, he explained. "Deities love everything, but you are special. I have seen your indomitable spirit time and again. You even resisted the wicked thoughts I planted in your mind. Breaking you, a being who wins all his fights just like me, will bring me great pleasure."
He bent down and roughly pressed his lips to Link's. Eyes widening, Link found his strength again and kicked as hard as he could, only to have it do nothing. Despite his constant traveling and fighting, Link did not have the deity's muscles. Oni was perfection sculpted in flesh. One of the god's hands squeezed his shoulder tightly, piercing with sharp fingernails to keep him from struggling, and the other traveled across Link's stomach and chest. Tense from the pain and trembling from the touches that were so foreign to him, Link had never felt this helpless and vulnerable before, and it was humiliating. It was absolutely pathetic that part of him liked this and wanted him to continue, pathetic that the hot breath tickling his neck made him feel anything other than rage. He was not enjoying this. He was not "just like" Oni, as Oni had said.
His fair face pulled away, and Link decided the red around his eyes was not paint but blood, and some of it was Link's. "Until next time, hero. Don't think I don't reward good behavior: if you behave when we next meet, perhaps I will let you see Termina again."
This time he had no difficulty expressing his fury. "You sealed off my home?"
"You are mine, and I couldn't have any of your precious friends taking you from me. Besides, I wanted to see how much you could endure. Now that I know your capacity for emotional pain is nearly limitless, I don't feel bad about it. If you cooperate in the future, however, I will let you return. I look forward to sampling you more thoroughly…"
With a burst of light the being Link had gotten to know far too intimately vanished. Grabbing his tender shoulder, he stood and walked away, his first priority being to put as much distance as possible between him and the spot where it all happened. After several miles, be began thinking properly again and wondered what he was going to do. How long did he have before the Fierce Deity returned and took things farther than last time? It was so strange that a god had even taken an interest in him.
But the strangest part was that Link was curious what would happen next time.
