Author's Note: I have returned again. There isn't much to explain about the story, but I know you'll all love it. And I give a special thanks to Majora's Mask. It took me a third time playing through it, but now my creative juices feel rejuvenated.


~------------------------------~


Link looked outside the wagon as each tree in Termina Field passed by. It was such a convenience that Cremia was giving him a lift. But that was all she was doing. Only Link and Malon would confront the Moblins. Finally, they arrived near the big branch that served as the hookshot target. They would have to walk from there.

"This is it," Link sighed. "It's time."

Link took out his hookshot and wrapped his arm around Malon's waist. But before he shot it, Cremia spoke up.

"Link?"

Link turned back. "Yes?"

"Be careful. Come back to us, little guy."

Link nodded. "I will."

He didn't believe his own words completely, though. There was no telling what would happen. Link shot out his hookshot and pulled himself out of the wagon. He and Malon landed safely and started walking towards the Village of Ikana.


~--------------------~


Saria felt like she was living a nightmare. She couldn't understand how this happened. But she had been changed into a green-haired Deku Scrub, much to the astonishment and bewilderment of her friends.

"H-H-How did this happen?" Saria cried.

"Saria, calm down," Sodo tried saying. "Please calm down."

Saria was beyond control. She couldn't be rational. She was a DEKU SCRUB. The sobbing Saria ran out, and desperately tried to find some place to go. She ran through practically the whole temple. Then she ran into the courtyard and accidentally bumped into someone. It was Miso, the boy who always used to cut her grass back when they lived in the village. And he was…cutting the courtyard grass.

"Hey! A Deku Scrub," Miso grinned. "The Know-It-All brothers must've brought you in. Well, it's into the pot with you."

Saria growled and kicked Miso in the shin. "The pot?! Don't you even THINK of trying to eat me, Miso! Now get out of my way!"

Saria sidestepped Miso and tried to run away. She could hear Miso get in one more comment, though.

"Jeez, frisky. But I didn't know that Deku Scrubs came with green hair."

Saria moved past that door and ran into two more Kokiri. It was Rala, the blond, and Domi, the shopkeeper.

"EEK!" Rala shouted. "It's a Deku Scrub! Domi, get the torch!"

Domi reached out for a nearby torch. "Got one."

Saria screamed at the top of her lungs and figured she would be better off where she started. She ran away through the door where she came in. She blew right past Miso again and ran out of the courtyard as fast as she could. She went back to Somi and Mira's room.

Dila and Sofa had left, but Saria's three other friends were still there. Somi, Mira, and Sodo were anxiously waiting there; waiting for Saria to come back. They were still in shock over what's happened. They looked at the Deku Scrub Saria. The little Forest Sage could hardly see them through her tears.

"Saria, could you please calm down?" Sodo pleaded. "I think…"

"How am I supposed to live like this?" Saria sobbed. "I can't live my life looking like this! Everyone will try to eat me! Everyone will try to light me with a torch! I…"

Sodo hushed her by reaching for her face. Suddenly, Saria felt a big weight being lifted off her shoulders. Saria felt herself getting taller again. Somi held out her mirror and Saria looked into it. She saw herself again…she was normal. She was Kokiri again.

Saria looked at Sodo. "How?"

"It's just a mask," he answered. "All you had to do was take it off."

Saria couldn't believe herself. The first thing she did when faced with danger was panic. She was always so strong. What was wrong with her? Was sage work so nerve-wracking?

"Thank you, Sodo," Saria said solemnly. She kissed him on the cheek and went back towards the wall. "I guess I should try again."

Saria closed her eyes and prepared to try opening a portal again, putting that unfortunate episode behind her.


~--------------------~


Link made sure Malon stayed close behind her as he walked towards Ikana. There was no sign of life anywhere, much less any Moblins. Then Link pulled Malon and they both ducked behind a tree. He saw a Moblin and it was heading in a familiar direction.

It was heading for Ikana Castle, where the old King of Ikana used to dwell. Link nodded towards Malon and they both followed the Moblin. They both crept behind every corner with the subtlety of a Skulltula hanging on a ceiling. The Moblin didn't even look back.

Link knew where he was going. The Moblin walked into the castle and headed straight for the throne room. Link was about to follow, when he and Malon were suddenly pulled back. Someone had a grip on them. Link turned around and was about to take out his sword, but stopped. It wasn't a Moblin. It was someone wearing a cloak and hood. This person's face wasn't visible and Link didn't know who this was.

"You two," the feminine voice said. It was a she. "Why are you two here?"

"Who are you?" Malon asked.

The woman sighed. "Are you two here to fight the Moblins?"

Link was getting curious. "Yeah…who are you?"

"You'll need help," she said. "But…who are YOU?"

Link decided to get some intros out of the way. "This is Malon. And I'm Link."

"You're Link?" the suddenly brightened voice asked. "I'm so glad you came! I didn't know if you'd hear me."

The woman pulled her hood off revealing a very familiar face. When Link heard that voice coming out through the Lost Woods, he knew it sounded familiar. Why he didn't piece it together sooner, he didn't know. He should've known that the voice calling for him was…

…Zelda.


~--------------------~


Tatl honestly didn't know if the Skull Kid or Tael knew she left. She didn't even think. When she heard that name, her first instinct was to follow those two Kokiri. She became very curious when she heard the red-haired boy mention…Link.

Tatl and Link hadn't been face-to-face since they first went through Termina twelve years ago. But it wasn't the last time Tatl saw Link. She had seen him a few months ago…back when Link was possessed by Majora's Mask on Death Mountain. Tatl helped the Forest Sage, Saria, by teaching her the Oath to Order. The only thing was, Tatl was never seen. Saria thought it was an apparition that taught her the song.

Tael kept asking why Tatl didn't want to be seen, and the more she thought about it, the more Tatl realized that he made a valid point. She thought about that and she thought about the other feelings she had. Whenever she thought of Link, she would get butterflies in her little fairy stomach. She wondered if she had unknowingly fallen in love him. Of course, she knew that such a relationship was never possible.

But when she heard the red-haired boy mention Link and point into the tunnel to Termina, Tatl wondered what it meant. Had Link stumbled into Termina again? Tatl had to find out, even if it meant following these Kokiri boys back to wherever they came from, which could have been anywhere. Tatl hadn't seen a Kokiri in so long, she wondered if the Kokiri Village was even in existence anymore.

The Kokiri boys suddenly stopped and looked around. Tatl was groaning under her breath. The two looked to be lost. She couldn't believe her luck.

"Hey, you!"

Tatl let out a yelp. When she turned to see her chuckling brother, Tatl gave him a slap in the back of his little head.

"OW! What was that for?"

"DON'T scare me like that!" Tatl snapped. "You know how much I hate it when you do that!"

"Sorry," Tael muttered. "What are you doing here? The Skull Kid and I have been looking all over for you."

Tatl didn't know how to begin. "Tael…did you notice anything about what those two Kokiri said?"

"Um…you mean the way they were screaming?" Tael asked ignorantly. "They would have cried for their mommies…if they had any."

"I don't mean that," Tatl backtracked. "I mean…what they said. Did you hear that little red-haired kid say something about…Link?"

"Link?" Tael scoffed. "You're hearing things. Are you STILL thinking about him?"

"No, Tael, it's not like that. I swear I heard him mention Link."

"And that's why you came out here without telling us?" Tael scolded. "I can't believe you followed these two out here just because you thought you heard Link's name mentioned. Jeez, it IS true. You DO have a crush on him."

Tatl immediately became defensive. "N-No I don't! Why do you keep saying that?!"

"Because it's true," Tael answered back. "You DO feel something for him. You've got the hots for him, Sis. Face it."

"I do not," she pouted. "Look, you can believe whatever you want, but I heard those two mention Link. And I'm going to find out what they meant."

Tatl flew towards the Kokiri boys, who were still stopped in the middle of the Lost Woods. Tael followed his sister until they both stopped. It looked like the two boys were getting into an argument.

"Well you really did it this time, Mido. Now you got us LOST!"

"I did NOT get us lost!" Mido shot back. "You come out here all the time, Dore. You should know your way around here by now!"

"You're supposed to be the boss of the village! You're supposed to know where you're going!"

"Oh, I see. NOW I'm the boss, huh? When everything's going great, you don't want to admit it's because of me. Nobody even mentions the fact that I'm the leader. But the minute things go wrong, I'm the boss and I'm the one who gets blamed."

"Ok, see? Now you're getting it."

"Cut that out! There has to be a way out of here!" Mido looked up at the fairies belonging to the two Kokiri. "Hey, do you guys know a way out of here?"

The fairies made negative motions. They didn't know, either.

"Come on, Mido," Dore groaned. "They're fairies, not navigators. If anything, YOU should know where we are."

"I…ooh! I'm not starting this argument again! Just get me out of here!! Which way do we go?!"

"Ok, the first rule is, we don't panic. I'm sure one of these four tunnels leads back to the temple."

"Uh huh. And three of these tunnels lead to absolutely NOWHERE!"

"You have any better ideas?!"

"I…um…uh…um…maybe…I…uh…just haven't thought of it yet."

"Oh, what a mighty leader."

"Ok, you want a leader, fine! I'll get us out of here. Um…eeny meeny miny moe."

"Oh, brother."

Tatl and Tael just watched this in astonishment from behind the bush. This scene was surreal.

"Are all Kokiri this stupid?" Tatl asked her brother dryly.

"Makes me wonder how they've survived for so long," Tael added. "But they said they're looking for the temple. You don't think they mean the Forest Temple, do you?"

"Are there any other temples around here?" Tatl responded. "If that's what they're looking for, then we can help them out."

"You know where it is?"

"Of course I do. I know the Lost Woods better than anybody, except the Skull Kid. I know that the Forest Temple is…that way!"

"Well, we're not the ones looking for the temple, are we?" Tael pointed out.

"You're right," Tatl agreed. "We'd better go tell them." Tatl whistled in the direction of the two Kokiri boys. "Hey! Over here!"

Mido and Dore looked around, trying to piece together where that strange voice was coming from. Tatl realized that the voice of a fairy wasn't too recognizable. She could have easily been mixed up with the voice of a spirit.

"Did you hear that?" Mido asked Dore. "Sounds like a fairy."

"It's not mine," Dore said defensively. "Mine knows when to keep its mouth shut."

Tatl groaned. "Hey, you two! Over here! I'm talking to you…um…Mido…and Dore!"

Unfortunately, the two Kokiri still hadn't been able to put two and two together. They were still looking around. Tatl couldn't believe that they hadn't thought of looking behind the bush.

Dore looked at Mido skeptically. "Hey…your fairy's not throwing her voice, is she?"

Tatl growled. "Hey!! BEHIND THE BUSH, MORONS!!"

Finally, Mido and Dore looked towards the bushes to find Tatl and Tael. Of course…they weren't coming any closer.

"Um…D-Dore…do you see what I see?" Mido stammered.

"Y-Yeah," Dore nodded. "If those are the same two fairies we saw…then…that means…"

"THE WOLFOS IS HERE!!" Mido shrieked.

Dore and Mido scattered behind one of the tunnels and ran out of sight. Tatl couldn't believe it. The innocent little prank she played, along with her brother and the Skull Kid, was backfiring on her. Knowing she couldn't lose them, Tatl gave chase, nearly leaving her brother behind. Both fairies flew as fast as they could, but the two Kokiri were fast on their feet.

Tatl realized it would be a while before they caught up to the Kokiri. But she had to…for Link's sake.


~--------------------~


Link and Malon were being led to an abandoned part of Ikana Castle. The hooded Zelda seemed to know her way around the temple. Link noticed something, though. This wasn't the same elegant Zelda from back in Hyrule. She seemed to be a lot scruffier. She didn't have that same look or presence of royalty that always surrounded her.

Link tried to break the silence. "Um…you never told us who you…"

"SHH! They'll hear you," she whispered.

Zelda looked around to make sure there was no one around. Then she took her hood off when the coast was clear. Link didn't know if this girl was going by a different name, but there was no denying the resemblance. With her flowing blond hair, she really did look like Princess Zelda of Hyrule. It's a shame they weren't in Hyrule.

"Who are you?" Link asked again.

She looked around and finally introduced herself. "My name is Zelda. I make my home here in Ikana…or at least I used to. A lot of people used to. I've pretty much wandered Termina Field for the last few weeks, since the Moblins invaded the castle. Ikana hasn't been safe."

"Has Ikana ever been safe?" Link asked curiously. "I thought Garos always terrorized this place."

"Garos haven't necessarily terrorized Ikana," Zelda responded. "They've always been hidden in the shadows. They would never attack the people unless they were outsiders. But the Garos haven't been around. Ever since the Moblins first invaded, the Garos have gone AWOL. They haven't tried to remove the Moblin menace or even fight it. It's as if they're afraid…or waiting. Either way, the Moblins have just busted into Ikana Castle and scared all the people off. The only ones left are those swine.

"Or so that's the way it is now. They won't be around for long. I'm going to get them out myself. I'm going to take my home back."

"You're trying to take the Moblins out by yourself?" Malon asked. "You know there's no way. The Moblins have you outnumbered about a hundred to one."

"I realized that at first," Zelda replied. "That's why I called you, Link."

There was still something Link didn't understand about all of this. Malon knew it, too. That's why she dragged Link a few steps back and whispered into his ear.

"That's not OUR Zelda…is it?"

With all the differences he's seen thus far, Link had to agree. This was a different Zelda. Termina's version of Zelda. A Zelda who grew up in the rough territory of Ikana.

"You're right," Link whispered back. "This is another Zelda. Just like Romani…is another you. There's still something I don't get though."

Link and Malon walked back. Zelda just waited patiently, holding up what looked to be a bow. Link saw the determination in her eyes. There wasn't any doubting that she wanted to take Ikana back from the Moblins. Apparently, that's why she called Link to Termina. But that was just it.

"Zelda…how did you even know about me? I have friends from twelve years ago who didn't know who I really was. They thought I died or disappeared. But they didn't know the truth about me. How did you know…I wasn't from Termina? How did you know about…the gateway?"

Zelda paced around. She knew this wouldn't be easy to explain. But she took a deep breath and started. "Legends have been passed down here in Termina for many years. There's the legend of the four giants, the legend of the Garos, and the legend of Majora's Mask. But it wasn't until five years ago when I heard another legend, a new legend. It was the legend of the Fierce Deity.

"The legend goes that there was once a small imp who was banished from the world of Termina. He was remorseful over his banishment and went to another world through the ancient clock tower. It was in that other world that he stumbled onto the fabled Majora's Mask. Wearing the evil mask, he returned to Termina to exact his revenge.

"He stood on top of the clock tower and brought the moon hurling towards our land. But there was one hero who dared to stand in his way. One day, a strange boy in a green tunic wandered into Termina. He had journeyed from that other land to stop the imp from bringing Armageddon to our world. He wandered our land seeking to free the four giants of legend. After overcoming the trials of the world's four temples, he freed the giants and went up to confront the imp.

"The imp attempted to fight, but was defeated. The mask, though, was pure evil. It removed itself from the imp's face and possessed the moon in a final attempt to bring doom to Termina. The boy tried to fight, but…was killed in battle. However, it was said that the boy was brought back to life through a powerful magic and he returned as the Fierce Deity. As the Fierce Deity, he ventured up to the moon and conquered the mask's power. Then…he disappeared.

"You must be wondering how that led me to you. I heard about a boy in a tunic. The only one even close to matching that description was…a boy by the name of Link. I had no idea what he looked like, but I knew I had to find him. With the power of the Fierce Deity, he could wipe out the Moblin infestation. The only clue I had was your name.

"Then I heard about the gateway from the clock tower. So a few days ago, I tried to call you from the gateway. Unfortunately, as you were coming through, I was spotted by a trio of Moblins. I managed to escape them, but they caught you two coming in. Before you could even realize they were there, they knocked you out cold and left you in the middle of Termina Field."

These were certainly among the many answers Link was looking for. Link now knew why he woke up in Termina Field. It was the Moblins. But those weren't the only answers he had.

Zelda had called Link for one reason. She wanted his help…but she thought she would get help in the form of the Fierce Deity. Link didn't know how to give her the bad news.

"Um…you called me…expecting to get the Fierce Deity, right?"

Zelda examined Link. "Of course. I mean…you've had a change of clothes, but you look like the Fierce Deity of legend. You…ARE the Fierce Deity…right?"

Link shook his head. "How do I say this? There are a few parts of that legend that aren't exactly true. Yeah…I was the one who beat Majora's Wrath. And I WAS the Fierce Deity…"

Zelda's gleam of hope was fading fast. "But…"

"I'm not the Fierce Deity."

"But how can that be?" Zelda demanded. "If you beat Majora's Wrath, then you HAVE to be the Fierce Deity! How can you NOT be?"

"The Fierce Deity's power came in a mask," Link answered. "But just before I beat Majora's Wrath, I lost the mask. I couldn't recover it in time. The Fierce Deity's Mask was lost in the battle. I…don't know what to tell you…but…I'm not the Fierce Deity."

Zelda went through a lot of emotions at that moment. She obviously looked disappointed, since she was hoping to get the legendary Fierce Deity. She looked sad that her one hope went down the tubes. Then she grew determined and started to storm off.

"That's just fine," she growled. "Fierce Deity or not, I'm going to stop those pigs one way or the other. Even if it means sacrificing myself!"

Before Zelda left, Link pulled her back by the arm. She was in an irrational state. It was apparent that frustration was setting in for her. Her home had been invaded by those Moblins and she wanted it all to end. But Link knew that if she went in headfirst, it'd be suicide. Moblins were known for being extremely ruthless.

"Wait! I can't let you go alone!"

Zelda shook her arm from Link's grip. "Yeah? And why not? It's obvious you can't help me!"

"And what makes you think that?" Link shot back. "Just because I don't have a mask doesn't mean I can't help you. I've been through a lot worse in my lifetime and I've faced more challenges than you can ever imagine. Maybe the numbers are against me, but don't say I can't help you, Princess!"

Zelda stared at Link inquisitively for a moment…then let out a chuckle. "Princess. That's funny. No one's ever called me princess. Everyone thinks I'm sort of a brat…just because I'm the orphan here in Ikana. But I'm going to show them all what a brat can do! I'm going to save my home!

"And why should you be so concerned for me? All I did was call you and you answered the call of Ikana's 'brat'. You shouldn't care what happens to me. And why should you?" Zelda hung her head down dejectedly. "Nobody ever does."

Link raised Zelda's head with two fingers on her chin. "We want to help. Trust me."

Zelda scoffed. "It's your funeral. If you two really want to go into this with me…you know we might not get out alive, right?"

Link knew that. It was a lingering thought that haunted him ever since the night before. These might have very well been his final days, but he also knew that…they might also be for Malon as well. He couldn't stand that.

But just as Link turned to Malon, her eyes told the story again. She knew exactly what she was getting into and she was willing to risk everything. He admired that. She was so selfless. That's part of why Link loved her so much. But still…there were worries. But Link knew what he had to do.

"I realize that," Link finally said. "And we're willing to take every risk necessary to stop the Moblins."

"Why?" Zelda asked curiously. "You don't have to."

Link knew exactly why. "I can't let the Moblins keep running loose like this. I have to think about…my friends here in Termina."

During his first quest in Termina, Link didn't have any reason to keep fighting…other than to prolong certain doom and find a way home. This was different. Link knew that wild Moblins wouldn't be safe for his friends: Anju, Kafei, Jim, Romani, and Cremia. He had to fight…to keep them all safe.

Zelda looked towards the distance. "All right then. Let's go."


Any comments? Then mail me at HyruleKokiri13@hotmail.com and don't forget to review below.