Published January 9, 2010
The Clock Tower
"Bah, do you all really think that the moon will fall?!" Mutoh screamed from the south gate.
"Yes, it's about to!" a builder yelled as he ran out of the city. "I'm going to get drunk for the last few hours of my life!"
"Cowards! All of you are cowards!"
"I'm still here, sir."
"Shut up Donald. No one likes you."
The Clock Tower struck midnight as fireworks shot into the air. The ball shaped top of the tower was pushed into the air before falling to the side, pulling the flat disk that made the clock onto the top. "The door's open, hurry inside!" Tatl began to punch at him, herding Link up the stairs and into the tower. Link quickly ran up the steps, trying to stay ahead of the fairy.
The platform on top of the Clock Tower was very roomy. Link looked up at the floating Skull Kid, seeing that he had his back turned to Link and was simply staring up at the moon. "You!"
Skull Kid looked over his shoulder before turning to face Link, tossing the ocarina in his hand mockingly. He was silent.
"Sis!" Tael flew out of nowhere.
"Tael, Skull Kid, we've been looking for you! So what if you gave back that mask you're wearing? It's a lot more trouble than it's worth." Skull Kid was silent. "Are you even paying attention?"
"Swamp, mountain, ocean, canyon," Tael said. "Hurry, the four who are there... Bring them here."
Tatl looked up at the moon. "I think you should have told us whatever you're talking about three days ago."
Skull Kid suddenly swung his fist, knocking Tael to the side. "Don't speak out of line! Stupid fairy!"
This pissed off Tatl. "What the hell Skull Kid?! First you cheat at Hide and Seek, and now this?! Do you honestly think you're still our friend after this?!"
"My Hide and Seek tactics are completely legit," Skull Kid monotonously told her. "Even if they were to come now, they wouldn't be able to handle me, he he."
"Even if who were to come now? I'm so lost," Link cried. "What is everyone talking about? Who's Tael? Why am I here?"
Tatl punched him. "Stop having a nervous breakdown and help me get your thing back. So Skull Kid, what would it take to make you give the stuff back? And before you say anything, you should feel glad that I'm not shoving that blue thing up your ass from how you're acting right now!"
"Not helping the bargaining," Link whispered.
"Why would I give anything back?" Skull Kid asked her. "This mask is so great, look at all the amazing things I can do. And this ocarina... it's blue."
"Then we'll just have to go get the four in the swamp, mountain, bay, and canyon to make you stop all of this!"
"Ocean."
"Shut up, Tael."
"Oh really? Just look above you. If it's something that can be stopped, just try to stop it!"
"I will!" Link proclaimed. "How long do I have?"
"You have... FIVE AND A HALF HOURS!" Skull Kid broke into maniacal laughter.
"Really?" Tael questioned. "That gives a lot of time to do something."
Skull Kid hit him again. "Fine, then how's THIS?!" He threw out his arms and began to scream into the air, waves dark energy flowing from the mask. The other three shielded their ear from the high pitch noise. It was Tatl who first noticed that the moon was starting to drop like a rock. "How's five and a half MINUTES?"
"Do something Link, you have the combat moves!" Tatl told him as she punched him in the head.
"Stop that!" Link took out a Deku Nut and threw it at the floor, effectively blinding himself. "AH! Sheik made that look so cool but it HURTS!"
Tatl took the remaining Deku Nuts away. "Do something else! You claim to be this great hero so you must have something else!"
"I left all my equipment in Hyrule," Link said. "Except..." He threw his sword, missing Skull Kid and sending it off of the tower. The sound of impaling flesh echoed up to them. Link took out his shield and hefted it over his head, his arms shaking in an attempt to hold it up. They gave out and it came down on his head, stunning Link before clattering to the ground.
"You're a horrible hero!"
"Okay, okay, time to do what Deku do best," Link said, ignoring Tatl. He charged up a bubble and shot it at Skull Kid. It flew through the air and exploded on the imp's face, covering him in goo. Skull Kid flailed his arms, trying to peel it off of himself. Link saw him drop the ocarina in his struggle and hobbled over to it as fast as he could, grabbing it and quickly running back to Tatl. "It got it!"
"Good, good, now deal with the FALLING MOON!"
"I think I'm having a flashback."
"Don't you dare-"
-Back when Link was leaving Hyrule-
Zelda stood before Link and Epona, giving him a strange look. "So after claiming fame and being one of the most beloved people in the country, you want to leave said country to find a fairy that went to get pizza two years ago and never came back?"
"I think she's lost," Link said. "So I'll find her and bring her back to the group that she loved so much."
Barinade, formerly a parasite living in the Zora's god-fish Jabu Jabu, dropped from the ceiling. "I, BARINADE, think that this is a splendid idea!"
"How long have you been on my ceiling?!"
"Several days. By the way, one of your servants was stealing socks. I, the incredible three legged BARINADE, killed him for you. You can reward me later. But I should talk about the current topic. I approve of Link's journey, Navi's... joy when she was in our group was so funny to watch."
"You should come with me," Link offered to the tentacle anemone. "Everyone else is gone by now, won't it be lonely here?"
"Nah, King Dodongo and Bongo Bongo are still here."
"And Morpha."
"Actually, Morpha is going with you! I already took the initiative of lashing him to your horse."
"Free me at once!" Morpha yelled from Epona's ass. "I have strength beyond comprehension! I order you to release me or I will destroy you!"
Link began to scratch Morpha. "It looks like you'll be keeping me company on my trip! Who's a good water warping ball thing? You're a good water warping ball thing!" Morpha felt very degraded.
Zelda blew into the Ocarina of Time loud enough to get all of their attentions. "I'm trying to say goodbye to Link, could I get at least two minutes without being interrupted?"
Barinade nodded. "Of course. I shall dispense the most harsh, painful, excruciating torture to all who find themselves stupid enough to interrupt you from this moment despite my current claims and your own will to not be interrupted. Leave it-"
"SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU JAPANESE TENTACLE FANTASY OR I AM GOING TO POUR BARBEQUE SAUCE UP YOUR PALE BLUE ASSHOLE AND SHOVE TEN THOUSAND STARVED DEKU BABA UP WITH IT TO CAUSE UNIMAGINABLE SUFFERING THAT WILL LEAVE YOU A MENTALLY SCARRED, PATHETIC LITTLE BITCH THAT NO AMOUNTS OF SCREAMING YOUR NAME WILL FIX!" Barinade went quiet. "Link, over the two years that I've known you you've been nice, sharing, kind, and any other synonyms of those."
"Thank you Z-"
"You are also one of the stupidest, slowest, most annoying green skirt wearing boys I've ever met. Were it not for the amusement I've gained from seeing your antics I would wish you death."
"Oh... I'm glad I'm amusing!"
"You should be. I can honestly say that I enjoyed these years and hope that when you come back-"
"With pizza!"
"Of course. I hope that when you come back you'll still be an idiot so that I don't feel intellectually challenged by you."
"I, BARINADE, see that your ego is just as huge as ever."
Zelda glared at him. "Now Link, I know why you came here and I'll save you the trouble of asking. You can take the Ocarina of Time with you." Link instantly began cheering.
Saria was suddenly behind him. "Why do you want a different ocarina, Link?" she asked in an incredibly creepy tone.
"I- Um- I- I- I- I- I want two ocarinas... so... that I... can play... two at the same time?"
"Link, if anything horrible happens just remember this song." Zelda played the Song of Time. "You might want to do so now before Saria kills you."
"Yes I know that song." He quickly got on Epona. "Anything else before I go?"
"Yes actually. A few months back Ganondorf escaped his prison cell and wrote a note swearing revenge on all involved in his capture using the guard's blood. I just remembered to tell you right now. Have fun on your travels!"
-Present time atop the Clock Tower-
"I'm going to be killed eventually," Link said to himself.
"I'm glad you're back, we have thirty seconds!" Tatl screamed, pointing at the moon which was now moments from impact. "We're out of time!"
"Time... I know a Song of Time, think it may help?"
"We have twenty seconds, I don't exactly care anymore." Link pulled out his Deku Pipes, the ocarina having turned into an instrument to fit his form. "When did you get that?"
Link played the Song of Time and suddenly everything went white for him and Tatl. They felt like they were falling through an abyss full of warped clocks, eventually finding themselves standing in front of the door that they had entered Clock Town from three days ago.
-Dawn of the first day, South Clock Town-
"What the hell?" Tatl looked around, noticing that things were back to how they used to be. She looked at the moon, seeing it as far as it had been days ago. "Everything started over... How did you do that?"
"I played the Song of Time on my instrument and this happened," Link explained proudly. "I have no idea how, but I'm not dead so I'm happy."
"Let's go see the Mask Salesman, he said that he'd return you to normal now!"
-Inside the Clock Tower-
"Were you able to recover your precious item?" the Mask Salesman asked Link, smiling the whole time.
"Sorry, I don't know where Morpha went. But I got the Ocarina of Time back!"
"Oh! You got it!" He began to shake Link by the shoulders. "You got it! You got it! Great job!" He pulled away from the disgruntled Link and sat down at a piano that was larger than Link's house.
"Where did that come from?"
"Please play the song I am about to perform, and remember it well. After all, you are not the only one that it is capable of helping..." He played the Song of Healing.
Link took out his pipes and then looked at the piano. "How do I covert that to this?"
"Believe in yourself and you can..." Link played the wrong tune. "Believe harder." The next tune was even worse. The Mask Salesman put on a Mario mask. "Does this help?"
"Surprisingly it does!" Link played the Song of Healing perfectly. He began to convulse, foaming at the mouth and falling over, his body wildly seizing. Tatl cringed when he smashed his face off of a gear. With a flash of light Link was standing up and back to his Hylian form, a Deku Mask clanging to the ground in front of him. "That healing song really hurt! Wait, I'm me!"
"Yes you are. This song heals evil magic and trouble spirits, turning them into masks. I call it the Song of Healing. I am sure it will help in the future." He picked up the Deku Mask. "I give you this mask as a memento. The magic has been sealed. You can put it on to return to your previous form and then take it off to become normal once more."
"Yay, you can hobble around and get tackled by dogs!" Tatl sarcastically cheered. The Mask Salesman smiled at her again.
"Now, I have fulfilled my promise to you..." He held out his hand. "So please give me what you promised me."
Link opened his mouth but closed it immediately. "Say that we weren't able to get it... What would you do?"
His lip twitched. "Don't tell me... My mask... You did get it, right...?" His face contorted into a raging snarl as he picked Link up by his shoulders, shaking him wildly. "What have you done?! It can't be left in that imp's hands, I MUST get it back!" He dropped Link on his ass, suddenly going into panic-mode. "If it is left out there, terrible things will happen!"
Tatl slapped him across the face. "Get a hold of yourself!" The Mask Salesman took a deep breath, calming himself. "You aren't telling us everything we need to know about this mask, are you? From what Skull Kid was doing up there it isn't normal."
"The mask that was stolen from me... that is Majora's Mask. It is an accursed item from legend that was used by an ancient tribe for its hexing rituals. It is said that an evil and wicked power is bestowed upon the one who wears that mask. According to legend... the troubles caused by Majora's Mask were so great that the ancient ones, fearing a catastrophe, sealed the mask away to avoid its misuse. But now that tribe from legend has vanished, so no one knows the mask's true power. I went to great lengths to get that legendary mask. When I finally had it... I could sense the doom of a dark omen brewing. It was that unwelcoming feeling that makes your hairs stand on end. And now that imp has it..."
Link and Tatl stared with their mouths hanging open, horrified. Tatl spoke first. "Why would you want something like that?"
"Please get the mask back! I am begging you! The repercussions of leaving it out will be horrible! You must do it!"
"That sounds really dangerous," Link hesitantly answered. "I'm a hero and all that, but I don't have any of my gear."
The Mask Salesman put the Mario mask on. "Please!"
"I can't say no to that face..."
He took the mask off. "So you'll do it? I was certain you would tell me that. You'll do fine," he added when he saw Link's hesitant face. "Believe in your strengths."