Thunder and lightning bellowed and flashed as the strange creature flew toward the lamenting Skull Kid from the east. He hopped down from his treetop perch, wanting to be on firm ground.

It was a lot like a dragon, that much Skull Kid could figure out. It was the size of a tallish adult human male, but as streamline as a Zora. Its wings were huge and leathery, like a giant keese's, and it had a tail that sort of resembled a Dodongo's.

It appeared as if it were going to soar right over the Skull Kid, rain and sleet thundering into its leathery wings, but, as if by fate, it turned its dark, lizard-like head toward Skull Kid.

Its eyes glowed red. It had seen him.

It made a sharp arc, then hovered upright above Skull Kid. It had muscular arms and legs, and a strange scar on its stomach that he couldn't make out in the rain.

It seemed to float like a feather to the earth, landing softly on sickled feet before the Skull Kid.

He drew in a sharp and raspy breath. The scar was in the unmistakable shape of Majora's Mask.

Skull Kid choked on tears and rain. He was delirious "S-So," he stammered to the monster, "are you Death?" He fell to his knobby knees, sobbing. Death did not move, nor blink, nor show any care at all."Pl-please stay y-y-you're Death, coming to take me aw-wa-way... I dun't wa-anna' be cold a-and miserable and..." A choked sob before Skull Kid screamed into the thundering heavens.

"AAALOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONEE!!!"

He sobbed uncontrollably, hanging his head. Then, something he hadn't felt in eons and eons happened.

A sickle came beneath his beak, so deadly, yet so gentle. When he had last felt it, it had been so much smaller; Now it was thick, and huge. The tip rested under his little beak, then brought his face up gently, so he could look into the eyes of its owner.

Death's eyes were glowing slightly, but more of a happy, rosy color. Its dragon jaws curved into a smile, exposing its teeth, but somehow, it was a happy smile, something you wouldn't expect Death to be able to do. It gazed happily at him, looking into his eyes supported by her sickle claw.

"Sh-Shinnoai!"

She opened her jaws and spoke in an unearthly baritone:
"Imp, it has been long.
I am now Death
Shinnoai is gone..."

Skull Kid's joy was building. Alive! Alive! He didn't care she was a monster! She was back!

"Shinnoai," he said softly, softly to a beast that would have made Gannon quiver and cry out in terror, "I thought you were dead. Maybe you think you are.... I guess I'm dead too. It's..." He smiled. "It's been a long time since anybody called me Imp. I've been Skull Kid....Skull Kid may be dead, but Imp's not. And you're always Imp's pal Shinnoai, and I'll always be there for you. Always..."


He slowly walked up to the monster, and did the unthinkable: He hugged it.

He wrapped his wooden arms around her leathery waist and cried. She wrapped her huge arms around his tiny shoulders, and Imp saw a drop of blood splash onto his arm. He looked up at Death's face, and saw her crying: Crying tears of blood.

"You see this, Imp?" She asked, her voice quivering. "I cry blood for all I have shed. I've risen to take revenge, Imp. Revenge.... For Majora."

Imp staggared. She?! Majora?! What?! But as his world began to blur in confusion, he grabbed hold of his thoughts, set them straight, and hugged Shinnoai tighter.

"Well, whatever. He's gone... Majora and the one who killed him." He took a deep breath. "I know you know I was possesed by him. I don't know HOW you know, but I can feel it. And I know you think I'll hate you for wanting revenge for such an evil being... But I don't."

Shinnoai gazed thoughtfully at him for a moment, then, without warning, shot up into the sky with a deafening howl.

"Shinnoai! Shinni!! Please don't-"

But then two talons grasped each of his tiny shoulders, carrying him up, up into the treetop once again. He was dropped on the comfortable place where he had been sitting before, and Shinnoai landed behind him. She took her wings and made a shell around Imp, protecting him from the rain. She stuck her head inside.

"Do you remember the song?"

{The Song....} Imp nodded. He slowly, softly began to sing these words to the tune of the Oath To Order:

"Shiiin no a-a-i,
Listen to my el-e-gy..."

Shinnoai joined in softly:

"Can the gods fall in love?
Can the dead be set free?
Or will all of our hears remain
E-empty?
Time shall tell,
Both I~~ and thee...
Shin no ai..."

Shinnoai closed her eyes. It startled Imp a bit, as when she blinked, the lids came together horizontally, one golden lid coming from the right side of her eye socket, meeting another golden lid coming from the left side. It looked like her eyes had turned gold.

"In my travels, Imp..." A pause. "I fell in love with Majora."

"Huh?"

Shinnoai shook her head sadly.

"It doesn't matter, Shinnoai. See? The gods fell in love! And the dead were set free!"

Shinnoai blinked in her strange way again. "They were?"

"Right," said Imp, "We're dead. We're free now..."

Imp fell asleep against the leather chest of his old friend, and for the first time in eternity, he felt warm.

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

I wake up. I am laying down in a tree, cozy and warm. The rain has stopped, and there is a beautiful rainbow to the west. I grin as I look at it; Mioko and Tsura are probably enjoying it as well. Laughing, I think of the two Zora children and their parents swimming in the ocean, Mioko trying to swim up the rainbow, Tsura shaking her little scaly head, and LuLu and Mikau smiling and laughing in the way only mothers and fathers can.

"Imp?" A voice inquirers behind me. I turn around. There is my Shinnoai. My dear friend. She is no longer Death. She is just the way I remember her, her pale skin, her beautiful face, a perfect human except for her sickle claws. But that's all right, her claws are gentle.

"Mornin' Shinnoai," I say, grinning. It feels good to be able to grin again. It's been so long since I could grin and mean it.

"So want to go for a walk, Imp?" She asks me, smiling.

I chuckle. It's been longer since I've done that. "I'd love that."

Shinnoai and I walk up the rainbow together, hand in hand. I look down and see myself sleeping on the treestump where Shinnoai and I stayed last night. Sleeping forever. I start, but then the familiar happy figures of Tael and Tatl meet us half way up the rainbow and I grin. The four of us hear laughter, and looking down, we see the ocean, Mioko trying to swim up our rainbow, Tsura shaking her scaly head, and LuLu and Mikau smiling and laughing in a way only fathers and mothers can.

The End