So here we are, at chapter 2, which was a bit delayed due to me getting heavily distracted... Interestingly enough by researching things for this chapter. :O Anyway, thanks to AmyVideogamer, Beautified Disaster, Farli30519, ShadowNinja1011, SpiritOfHyrule, TheJediAvenger, rilish, silverhawk88, and sonicxjones for following or favoriting (or both in some cases)! Now, onto the review responses:

TheSpiritMaiden-the rebel Sheikah may seem kinda shallow and mysterious in their methods and motives now, believe me when I say they will get a lot more interesting from here on out! And as for Sheik... I've already developed a lot about her character. I can't wait until her official entrance into the story!

Zelink005-Thanks! I hope you enjoy it!

BlueFrenchHorn97-You won't be disappointed with the Sheikahs! I plan on developing their culture a lot more based on things seen in the games and my own orginal characters and putting several of them in the fore as central characters! And Sheik being a female in this story is kinda necessary for a subplot coming in later on, but it won't make her any less epic! And if you liked the back and forth between Link and Zelda in the last chapter, I'm sure you'll love it in this one! XD

silverhawk88-Thanks for your support! Keep reading and enjoying!

And with that outta the way, let's get started!

Chapter 2: Another World

"Sometimes all it takes to save people from a terrible fate is one person willing to do something about it."
-Tobias, Allegiant

As Link and Zelda traveled deeper into the mysterious forest, their ongoing conversation gradually faded away into the dense silence of the area. These woods were by far different than the bright, lush greenery of Faron Woods that the two of them were used to. Rather, these woods were lonely and dark; their every footstep echoed against the tight hush of the thicket and the tall trees shielded the forest floor from most traces of sunlight. The only signs of natural life came from the sparsely flittering fairies that flew about, their glowing bodies dimly illuminating the otherwise nonexistent path. But even so, the pair went on, unsure of what they would find at the other end of this mystical forest.

After an hour or so of silently wandering within the supposedly empty woods, both of them became restless and discouraged in their search. Even though their matching dreams had seemed to guide them to this place, there appeared to be no signs of anything but the sea of trees that stretched on for miles. Even if they were to turn around and try a different route, chances were that this fact would not change.

"Hey Zelda," Link said after some time, finally breaking through the prolonged quiet between the two. "I don't think there's anything here. Maybe we were wrong about the dreams."

"I was thinking that too," Zelda said, taking another glance up at the tall trees above her. "Its strange though... I was almost certain that we'd find something here."

The hero shrugged as they both came to a halt within a small clearing. "Well I guess its safe to say that this is just a big empty forest, huh?"

Zelda opened her mouth to agree with him, but before she could even utter a single word, a soft gale began to blow through her long blonde hair. Her eyes widened as she looked to the direction that the wind was blowing, to the path that lead into the inky darkness ahead. She took a small step in that direction, poising her ears to listen to the wind blowing through the foliage.

"What's wrong?" Link asked her when he noticed her tense manner. Zelda didn't reply; rather she held a finger out beside her, a signal that the two of them had used to tell the other to be quiet ever since they were little. But even so, the hero's curiosity got the better of him. He slowly moved to stand beside her and tried again. "Zelda?"

"Sh!" she quieted him almost immediately. "Listen..." They both held their tongues as they watched and listened to the forest ahead of them. On instinct, Link placed a hand on the hilt of his sheathed sword, just in case whatever Zelda was hearing was something that wanted to jump out of the forest and attack them. "Do you hear it?" she whispered to him a moment later. He remained silent but shook his head, having no idea what she was talking about. "Come on," she said, slowly and quietly going after the breeze's guidance. Link followed closely behind her, not questioning the goddess's heightened senses.

The two of them quickened their pace as the distant noise finally became clear to both of them. It was the high tones of what seemed to be a wind instrument echoing through the woods, much like what both of them heard in their respective dreams. They both chased after the direction of its source, knowing that it would lead them to the mysterious voice as well. As they rushed towards it, they barely noticed that the fairies were gradually vanishing out of sight, making the forest even darker as they came to the heart of it. It was only as the area became as dark as night that they both stopped in their tracks, having lost sight of each other completely in the blackness around them.

"Zelda?" the hero called out against the increasing sound of the instrument.

"Link?" she responded from a few feet away from him.

"Where are you?"

"I'm over here!"

"Where? I can't see anything."

"Well neither can I, but I'm right-"

Zelda stopped short as her and Link accidentally crashed into each other roughly, though neither of them knew what they had bumped into thanks to the darkness. In confusion, they both reached out to each other just as a strange source of light coming from the thicket ahead of them suddenly illuminated the area and they both found that they were brushing their hands against the other's face. Immediately, they simultaneously retracted and took a step away from each other as they both reddened in embarrassment, but they smiled slyly to each other nonetheless.

"I swear, Link!" Zelda said with a joking smirk. "Sometimes, you are so clumsy!" With her cheeks still boasting a bright red blush, she playfully marched towards him and pulled his cap down over his eyes, giving him a small kiss on the cheek before starting off again towards the light. She glanced back at him as he repositioned his hat and gave him a clever wink and a small giggle when she noticed his dumbfounded, yet satisfied expression.

Link watched in slight awe as she slowly sauntered off, realizing that once again, he had fallen victim to her flirtatious teasing. Ever since they were little, Zelda had always found enjoyment in harmlessly badgering him, especially in a romantic way. And even though it always managed to disconcert the hero, he knew that it always brought a certain level of shyness to her too. But what flustered him even more was the fact that he liked her; of course, he always had, ever since the two of them first met countless years ago. However, more recently that liking seemed as though it was starting to become something more. It did make sense, after all, she was his long-time best friend, the one person who knew and understood him the most; it was only logical that such feelings would come forth after everything they had been through together. But at the moment, he had no way of knowing if she felt the same way, or even if his own feelings were what he believed them to be. It was just too soon to say for sure.

But even so, the hero hurried after the girl as she wandered towards both the sound of the instrument and the growing light. The somewhat dissonant notes of the wind instrument grew clearer and clearer as the trees surrounding them began to thin out, leading them to what they presumed to be the forest's other end. And as both the guiding wind and the haunting melody stopped altogether, the light became almost blinding until it faded completely, revealing a place that neither one of them could have ever expected.

They were no longer within the woods at all; instead a large, expansive field stretched out before them in all directions, acting as a crossroads for several different environments. A snowy mountain range dominated the landscape's northern side, to the west was a sandy coast against an endless sea, to the south was a densely wooded swamp, and to the east, a desolate canyon towered mysteriously. Towards the center of the field, a few sparse settlements rested behind a circular wall, a tall clock towering above the humble village and its four gates all closed and locked tight. The field itself seemed to be empty of any life, save for Link and Zelda as they cautiously began to venture out onto it.

"Where are we?" Link asked as he took in the landscape wonderingly.

"I have no idea..." Zelda answered in equal amazement, looking up into the cloudy skies above. Clearly, it was a place that Hylia had no memories of, making it all the more mysterious. They certainly weren't within any province of the surface that they knew of, if they were even still on the surface at all.

"Ah..." a female voice called out from calmly the forest that they had just left. "So the rumors are true... Hylia has taken on a human form..."

Startled by the suddenness of the voice, Link and Zelda both spun around to face its source, who stepped out of the woods and into their view. It was a young woman who seemed to be not much older than the two of them, with long, coal black hair and fine, tanned skin. Her eyes were emerald green and she wore a simple white dress that flowed down past her feet. Strangely, her overall appearance seemed to be quite similar to Zelda's; despite their contrasting hair, eye and skin colors, they both had nearly identical facial structures and matching figures and heights. And as her and Link examined the strange woman, Zelda gained a vague idea that she knew her from somewhere... or rather sometime.

"I... I knew you once..." she said to the woman, trying to conjure up the goddess's ancient memories. "Or... at least Hylia did..."

The woman nodded with a sincere, yet somewhat sad smile. "You are correct, Zelda. There was a time when we knew each other well... The goddesses said that I would be lucky if you remembered me at all, and yet I am glad to see that you have at least have a knowledge of me. We were once quite close, many ages ago. It is good to see you again."

Zelda and Link exchanged a confused glance before the hero spoke up. "Excuse me, but who are you?"

The woman smiled radiantly at him, her verdant eyes seeming to fill with hope simply upon looking at him. "Ah..." she said, nodding to him. "Link... the chosen hero of the goddess... We are well met. I have heard of your courageous exploits and of your triumph over the demon king. And seeing you for myself, I can tell that Hylia has chosen a fine hero for herself..." she trailed off somewhat sadly, but continued a moment later. "I apologize for not being direct with the two of you. The land that you now stand within now is a world different from the sky and surface that you know. It is a place parallel to yours, created by the same gods, but set apart from it. This is the land of Termina, and as its sovereign goddess, it is my task to protect it and its inhabitants. My name is Terminus."

"Terminus?!" Zelda gasped as one of the more ancient of Hylia's memories suddenly rushed back to her. "Of course! You're Hylia's-I mean, you're my..."

"Yes," Terminus said with a warm, reminiscing smile. "I am your twin sister."

Zelda, overtaken with Hylia's fond memories of her twin, rushed forward and embraced her long-lost half sister. And as she did, even more memories about Terminus's foreign land started coming back to her. In the same way that Hylia and Terminus were twins, so were the lands they presided over. Though the two separate countries existed within different worlds, they were completely parallel to one another. Which meant that for every person that lived with in the world that Zelda and Link were from, there was an equal counterpart for them within Terminus's domain. Though based on what they had seen so far, there seemed to be no one even living in Termina save for the goddess who protected it herself.

A moment later, once the two goddesses had disbanded their hug, Terminus spoke once again, her joyous smile fading as she glanced out across the barren landscape. "As glad as I am to see you again Hylia, I am afraid that the circumstances under which the two of you have come to this land are quite grave..."

"What do you mean?" Zelda asked, sensing her sister's melancholy.

Terminus sighed and looked up into the sunless sky, closing her eyes as she continued. "It started centuries ago... You might remember, Hylia... Do you know of the demon Majora?"

Zelda tried to conjure up a memory surrounding such a name, but was unable to find anything at all so she shook her head in response. Terminus took in a deep breath and went on. "I do not blame you. It began as you were embroiled in your war against Demise, shortly before you cast of your divinity if I remember correctly. Majora was an ancient demon that crawled forth from the depths of the earth and sought to cause great chaos and destruction across this land. Its wicked strength great, but the most dangerous thing about it by far was its intense evil powers of corruption. It sowed its influence across Termina and inspired the hearts of all men to follow after its malevolent ways. Almost every soul wandered after Majora. They built a kingdom within the canyon region in tribute to they demon, a place they called Ikana, which means 'land of the great demon', where they thrived in their treachery and worshiped Majora like a god. For many years, Majora held the people under its demonic hold. So great was the evil within the hearts of men that many wars started among them as they fought for power amongst themselves and for an even greater power... the Triforce...

"The old goddesses, knowing the great tragedy that could befall both my land and yours if the followers of Majora were to lay their hands upon the golden power, closed the gateway that led to the Triforce from this land forever. As the centuries wore on, I could no longer stand the immorality and bloodshed among my once noble people any longer. And so, I planned to destroy their evil kingdom once and for all. I called out the few who were still righteous and pure of heart among them and led them to a safe place, where they could build their own city and prosper. And then, in one fell swoop of destruction, I poured my wrath upon Ikana Kingdom destroying it and all of its inhabitants..."

Terminus paused for a moment as she cast a sad glance towards the eastern canyon, her tone growing even more morose as she went on. "With the followers of Majora gone, those who were loyal to me bore descendants and created the small city that rests near the heart of this land. They call it Clock Town; the rising tower above it they built to honor me and my control over the flow of time in this land. I watch over them and the other four regions of Termina, as I have since its creation, but we were still plagued by evil, even after the destruction of Ikana. Majora, bereft of its legions of followers, ran rampant across these lands, spreading great chaos and destruction for many years. I battled it on my own for centuries, but recently my powers have begun to weaken due to my constant struggle against the demon. I knew that eventually, Majora would overpower me and this land would be left without a defender... I was at a loss about what to do... Everything seemed to be hopeless for this troubled land... Until, I heard of the battle plan that you had devised to deal with Demise, Hylia. To choose a noble hero to defeat the demon king was a brilliant idea, one that I decided to implement in the hopes of ridding this land of Majora forever. And yet... though the idea may have been perfect... my execution of it was direly flawed...

"Like you, Hylia, I chose for myself a youth with a pure spirit and a courageous heart. He was a strong young man... brave and honorable... The most noble in the land..." Terminus sighed in grief as a small tear slipped down her cheek. "I... I entrusted him with the task of conquering over Majora and he immediately accepted... He raced forth valiantly into battle, brandishing his dual swords skillfully. It was a long and arduous battle and throughout it, I poured as much of my power as I could out upon my hero. In the end... we triumphed over Majora at long last. The demon was defeated, but I knew that it would not stay dormant forever. And so, I quickly sealed Majora away into a mask and entrusted it to the guardian tribe of this land. And so, Termina was finally safe and Majora faded into the shadows... however, its evil influence did not.

"My hero..." Terminus said mournfully. "Though he was successful at defeating Majora... it came at a great cost. While in battle, the demon managed to land a single blow upon my hero, a mere cut across the chest... And through its wicked influence, Majora managed to taint the spirit of my hero, corrupting his soul and filling him with its dark powers. He gained great, god-like powers and was transformed from the hero that I had once known, into another being entirety... He had fallen from righteousness and into Majora's control. Now, the demon, in its hatred and lust for vengeance against me, commands his new servant to hunt me down in the hopes of destroying me. To think that my own hero could be turned against me simply because of Majora's lasting evil... It pains my soul greatly... I can no longer call him my hero... I must take to what the frightened people have started calling him... the Fierce Deity..."

Terminus took in a deep breath as she paused once more, obviously pained by the loss of her hero. "Because of my weakened state, I am unable to take on the Deity on my own. In the depths of my great sorrow, I recently cried out to the old goddesses for help. I begged them to send someone to this land who could subdue the Deity and free him from Majora's control, so that I could possibly return him to his former self. And... I can see that the goddesses have answered my prayers... Not only have they reunited me with my dear twin sister, but they have also sent the courageous hero who felled the demon king. It is clear that you have been guided to Termina for this purpose. But the choice ultimately belongs to the two of you. I implore you, even though this land is not your own, to aid me in my hour of need out of the kindness of your hearts. Link, I must ask you to fight the Deity and weaken him enough so that Zelda and I can attempt to restore him. Please, you both are my last hope. I have no one else to turn to now. So... will you help me?"

Link and Zelda exchanged a consulting glance, both simultaneously and silently telling each other what needed to be done. Of course, Zelda was immediately inclined to help Terminus; after all, the two of them were sisters, and even though Hylia took on a human form now, that fact had not changed. And Link wasn't really that hesitant to accept the goddess of Termina's request either; it was certainly the right thing to do and besides, he had fought and won against Demise, the dreaded, ancient demon king. Could the Fierce Deity be any worse than that?

"Of course we'll help, Terminus," Zelda said with a smile as Link nodded in agreement. "What do you need us to do?"

Terminus smiled gratefully to the two of them, her tearful green eyes alight with joy and renewed hope. "Oh thank you!" she said graciously. "Words cannot express the depths of my gratitude. I promise that once this is over, I will reward both of you suitably. But for now, we must focus on the task at hand. Though I am currently hiding from the Deity even as we speak, I know that Majora has him tracking me, even to the very ends of this land, commanding him to slay me. When he does manage to find me, which I know will be soon, that is when we must strike!" As Terminus spoke, she held out her hands and four different colored fairies rushed to fly over them, seeming to combine together in a flash of light. When the light faded, the fairies were gone and in their place was a beautiful, shining blade; the sword seemed to have a violet aura surrounding it, and etched into its large, sharp blade were vibrant black roses. Despite its clear glory, the sword also looked to be very deadly, as if simply touching its strong metal could kill. "This is the Great Fairy's Sword. It is a blade forged in the hottest flames, infused with rare, mystical black roses, and blessed by the four great fairies of Termina. And, it is the only weapon within this world that can cleave the thick armor that Majora has provided the Deity with. Originally, I had this sword crafted with the intention of giving it to my hero upon his triumph over the demon as a gift... But now it seems that it is the only thing that can stop him... And so, I now entrust its sacred strength to another instead. Link, chosen hero of the goddess Hylia," she said, holding the shimmering blade out for him to take. "Will you take up this sword and use its power to show my hero the light of purity once more?"

With a confident smile, Link reached forward and took the Great Fairy's Sword from her, its weight feeling natural and comfortable in his grasp. Simply holding it made him feel more ready to take on the task ahead. "Yes," he said, brandishing the blessed sword and admiring its obvious power and strength. "I will."

Terminus nodded her thanks to him with a warm smile. "I am confident that you will succeed. Though the spirit of my hero was quite strong, I can sense that yours is even stronger and through that, you shall find victory." The goddess of Termina then turned to Zelda and continued on with her battle plan. "Once Link has significantly weakened the Fierce Deity, then I will need your aid, my sister. I see that you have brought your ancient harp with you," she said, referring to the Goddess's Harp that Zelda had taken along with her, as she did to most places that her and Link traveled to ensure its safekeeping. "When the Deity is defeated, we shall play a sacred duet together that will hopefully heal his corrupted soul. You will play the harp and I will play this," Terminus held up a rather unusual instrument for the two of them to see. It was a small, vaguely egg-shaped object with a mouthpiece and holes, made of some type of light blue stone that put off a soft glow. "This instrument is called the Ocarina of Time. It was created by the goddesses when they formed both of our worlds and imbued with their power to control time, nature and energy. It is formed from Timeshift Stones, a power source that is abundant in your world, but extremely rare here. It has many mystical powers, and when combined with the Goddess's Harp, those powers are greatly amplified. Together, they should be enough to heal my hero's corrupted soul." Zelda nodded in confirmation of the plan, positioning the harp close at hand.

With their preparations complete, the three of them began to move across the field away from the forest, with Terminus silently leading the way. Link and Zelda walked side by side as they followed behind her, taking in the landscape of Termina and conversing quietly about the situation that they had found themselves in.

"Are you ready for this?" Zelda asked the hero, referring to the upcoming battle.

"You know, after facing Demise, I think I'd be ready for just about anything," he joked with a small grin.

"Oh goddesses, I'm serious Link!" she groaned in aggravation. "You're too confident! I know that you haven't really been in a big battle since you fought Demise! Are you sure-"

"I'll be fine, Zel," he interrupted her reassuringly. "You worry too much."

Zelda frowned and bit her lip. "I can't help but worry about you, Link..." she said softly. "You're always throwing yourself into danger, without even thinking. You're so reckless... You talk about how you worry about something happening to me, but if something were to happen to you, then I'd be a nervous wreck..."

"Nothing is going to happen," Link said calmly, taking her hand to ease her fears. "Everything will be OK. So stop worrying."

She took in a deep breath and looked him in the eyes, seeing the constant courage that she knew him for and she couldn't help but return the relaxed smile he was giving her. "Ok, fine," she relented. "I'll stop worrying... But only if you promise me something."

"What?"

"Please be careful... for me?"

"For you, I will be," the hero said with resolve. "I promise."

Yay! Chapter 2 is out of the way! Like I said, I kinda had problems with this one, so if it seems kinda empty, please forgive me! The next chapter will be better though cause its gonna have some pretty epic action and a few starting twists. So, did you guys like the connections I made to both Majora's Mask, Ocarina of Time and Wisdom and Courage? I'm just gonna say that right now, there is going to be a lot of history and lore in this story, some of which might contradict things seen in the games, but hey, creative license and all that, right? Well, that's all I gotta say. Don't forget to follow, favorite and REVIEW! Until next time!