Hi, it's me again! If you're reading this, then I've figured out the
chaptering system. So, I'll just continue, shall I?
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from either game. A very wealthy company does.
Chapter 1
Hyrule Castle Town, Temple of Time, the Main Sanctuary: Link and Navi rematerialized on the Triforce platform. Navi flew towards the exit. "Come on, Link! Let's go get that ring!" She suddenly noticed Link wasn't following her. "Link? Link, what are you doing?" Link was in the back room, looking at the Master Sword. Navi flew over. "Link, what are you doing?"
Link, looked up. "Oh, I'm just thinking about old times."
"You're not going to pull it out, are you?"
"No, of course not. I was just thinking that, well, isn't this sword really mine? I mean, I saved the world using it. And I'm old enough to be Hero of Time and pull out the Sword, right? So, why don't I try it? Its not like Ganondorf will be released or we'll go to the future or the past if we pull it out."
Navi thought about that. "You have a point. Oh alright, I guess you can try to pull it out." She had to admit she was a bit curious about what would happen.
Link grabbed the hilt of the Master Sword and pulled. Nothing happened. He tried again. Still nothing. Link frowned. "It won't come out."
"But that's impossible! You're the Hero of Time! The sword was forged by the Goddess of Time herself specifically so you could use it to fight evil!"
Suddenly, the Master Sword glowed blue. And then, it spoke. "Actually, that's a misnomer."
Link and Navi stared in disbelief. "You-you can talk?" they asked simultaneously.
"Yes, I can talk, and I feel I must correct the statement of your fairy. Nowhere in the story of my making does it say the one to wield me would be the Hero of Time. It specifically said, 'The Master Sword would be wielded by a worthy hero chosen by destiny.'"
Link frowned. "Don't I qualify? I mean, I used you in that erased timeline to defeat Ganondorf and all of his other minions. Doesn't that count for anything?"
"Not exactly. You see, although you are a 'worthy hero chosen by destiny,' you are not the 'worthy hero chosen by destiny'. You were only able to wield me before because there was need and the chosen hero had not awoken himself. You will never be able to wield me again, not even when there is great need. Only the 'worthy hero chosen by destiny' can now pull me from my resting-place. His time of awakening is soon. Very soon. I can sense a great evil afoot, and I will need to be wielded once more if the world is to be saved. But not just yet."
"Oh," said Navi, disappointed. "Hey, when you said the hero needs to be awakened, do you mean he's asleep or are you saying he is a hero but doesn't know it yet, just like the sages?"
"He's a hero and doesn't know it."
"Ah," said Link. "Well then. I guess we'll just leave you then."
"Goodbye, Hero. Sorry for disappointing you."
Navi and Link left the temple. Link sighed. Well, now we know something new. I wonder who the hero is?"
Navi chuckled. "It's probably someone we know but someone who we also would never suspect to be a hero. Just like the Sages."
"But Navi, once we knew what we were looking for, recognizing the Sages was easy."
"Exactly! When we knew what we were looking for. We don't know what to look for in this new hero. He could be anyone we've ever met, someone we'd never suspect."
"Good point. Hey, maybe it's Talon!"
They kept straight faces for a full ten seconds before cracking up. "Talon! That'll be the day!" laughed Navi. "Hey, we've got to get to the jewelry store before it opens."
"Oh my goddesses! Quick, we don't have much time!" They ran for the jewelry store.
Hyrule Castle Town, Hyrule Castle, Castle Courtyard: A blue crystal appeared high in the air over the Castle Courtyard. It faded, leaving its occupants to plummet to the ground thirty feet below them. Rather, one of the occupants plummeted. The other two flew after him. Skull Kid, the falling one, screamed. Tael and Tatl flew after him, not sure how they could catch him, but they were going to try. Skull Kid hit the ground, hard. "Ow." That was all he managed to get out before falling unconscious. Two guards ran into the castle courtyard, curious to see where the scream had come from. They were surprised to find Skull Kid. Tael and Tatl quickly hid from view, waiting to see what would happen.
One of the guards poked Skull Kid with his spear. The imp groaned. The guard turned the other. "I guess he's not dead."
The second guard turned him over and was repulsed by Skull Kid's birdlike face. "What is it?"
The first guard shook his head. "No idea."
The second guard thought for a moment. "Hey, you don't suppose this guy could be an assassin who's come to kill that ambassador that's supposed to show up in a few minutes?"
"Could be. That would explain why he's out in the courtyard, the ambassador is supposed to show up in the throne room. Let's take him to the dungeons."
They dragged Skull Kid away. Tael and Tatl followed. Eventually, they ended up in the dungeons. The guards rudely tossed Skull Kid in a cell, locked the door, and left. The fairies flew up to the bars. "Skull Kid!" hissed Tatl. Nothing. She tried again. "Skull Kid are you okay?" Skull Kid groaned and got up, dusting himself off as if he hadn't just fallen thirty feet. Tatl was surprised. "Skull Kid, I didn't think you'd be this okay!"
Skull Kid smiled. "Of course I'm okay. I had a big breakfast."
Tatl was confused. "What does that have to do with anything?"
Tael answered that. "Skull Kid explained this to me the other day. Whenever he has a lot of food in him, he heals quickly. That's why he was so badly hurt when we found him, he hadn't eaten anything in over a year. Skull Kid, do you want us to try and get the keys?"
Skull Kid shook his head. "No thanks, I can handle this. He pulled a lock pick out of his hat and easily unlocked the door. "Now let's get going, I'm late for my appointment!" They found a wall map of the castle just outside of the dungeons. Skull Kid memorized it and ran upstairs. He knew he would have to be careful to avoid being seen by the guards. Tael and Tatl scouted ahead for him, giving him the signal when all was clear. They continued this pattern until they finally reached the throne room.
Hyrule Castle Town, Hyrule Castle, the Throne room: Zelda sighed. The so-called 'ambassador' was ten minutes late. It looked like this had all been nothing more than an elaborate prank. Disappointed, she got out of the throne and headed for the exit, when her Triforce tingled. Someone unfamiliar was coming. She reached for the concealed dagger under her dress just in case it was an attacker. She waited. Finally, the door opened, and a small figure followed by a pair of fairies rushed in, closing the door behind them. Zelda frowned. "Who are you three?"
The small figure, an imp of some sort, panted then stood semi- proudly. "Your majesty, I am Skull Kid, humble emissary/ambassador for the city of Mesmoria. Sorry I was late, but the wizards miscalculated the coordinates for the throne room. I ended up thirty feet above the Courtyard, but I'm fine now. These are my friends/brother and sister, Tael and Tatl."
Zelda blinked. "You're telling me an imp and two fairies are the best ambassadors a powerful city such as Mesmoria could send?"
Tael shrugged. "What else would you expect from a city of fairies?"
Zelda was confused. "What do you mean?"
Tatl glowed a little brighter. "Didn't Mom's letter tell you? Mesmoria is a city built and completely populated by fairies."
Zelda frowned. "You mean I was about to initiate trade with a city of fairies?" They nodded. "Why would I want to?"
Skull Kid smiled. "Actually your majesty, we have one or two things to trade that you wouldn't want to give up. Just take a seat and I'll tell you all about it." Zelda sat down. It looked like this was going to be one of those days.
Link whistled to himself as he walked up to the castle. The guard stopped him at the front fate until Link waved a piece of paper in front of him. "Is that a pass?" asked the guard. Link nodded. "Go on through," he said, opening the gate. Link walked through and headed up to the castle. He showed the pass to every guard in his way until he finally made it to the inside of the castle. Now he just had to find Zelda. He wandered through the castle until he decided to check the throne room. As Link entered, he could swear he heard familiar voices from inside the throne room, Zelda and three others. He went in, hoping he wasn't interrupting anything important. He was, sort of.
Zelda looked up from her discussion, surprised. "Link! What are you doing here?"
"I came to…" he stopped as he suddenly noticed whom Zelda had been talking to. The person turned around as well and was equally surprised. Finally, the silence broke.
"SKULL KID?"
"LINK?"
The two ran up to each other. Navi flew out of Link's hat and went over to have a similar reaction with Tael and Tatl. Link was astonished. "What are you doing here?"
Skull Kid shrugged. "I'm here on a diplomatic mission! What about you?'
"I'm here on, a, important business."
"Ah."
Zelda stopped the conversation. "WAIT A MINUTE! You two know each other?"
Link nodded. "Yeah, this is the Skull Kid I told you about! You know the one who was possessed by a demon? Almost blew up a world?"
Zelda was surprised. "You're THAT Skull Kid?" He nodded. "Well, it's an honor to meet you then. Link, I'm sorry, but I need to finish this meeting. I'm trying to establish a trade alliance between this city of Mesmoria and us. However, I haven't found out what they have that's worth exporting just yet."
Skull Kid was thoughtful. "You know, I don't really know what it is you have that is worth trading for. Why don't we continue this discussion in the marketplace and see what you have worth trading for."
Zelda thought that was a good idea. "Okay, but I will need to change into my…disguise so nobody will recognize me. All of you please leave the room until I'm finished. Tatl can stay."
"Why?" asked Tael.
"She's a girl."
"Why can't I stay?" asked Navi.
"Because I said so! Now please, go!"
Grumbling, everyone except Tatl shuffled out of the throne room. Tatl turned to Zelda. "So, what are you going to change into? I'm very curious to find out what you humans consider fashionable."
"I'm not exactly going to change clothes, Tatl. I'm going to transform."
"You mean you're going to become Sheik?"
Zelda was surprised. "How did you know?"
"Link told us a while back. Com on, I want to see some magic! By the way, why did you send the others out and let me stay?"
Zelda frowned. "I'm not sure. I sense something between us, a bond of some sort, but I don't know what it means." She shrugged. "Guess I'd better transform.' She focused on her Triforce. It glowed bright blue. Zelda was encompassed in blue fire. She felt no pain, though she could feel her muscles getting larger, her clothes changing. When the fire subsided, she was Sheik.
"Wow!" exclaimed Tatl. "Hey does this mean you're a guy now?"
"No!" Zelda lowered her facemask, revealing that her face was exactly the same, except her eyes were red. "I've just changed my physique a bit."
"Oh. Hey, what happened to your chest?"
"What do you mean?"
"You know, you're um, support?"
"What do you…" Zelda suddenly realized what Tatl was talking about. "Hey! That's personal!"
"Sorry, sorry."
Hey walked out of the throne room. Skull Kid looked at Sheik. "Nice disguise. No one would ever suspect you of being Princess of Hyrule."
Sheik shrugged. "Whatever. Let's go to the marketplace."
Majora flew down the hallways of the Citadel, passing by many demons. He finally made it to the courtyard, one of the few gardens in Hell. It was actually quite beautiful, in a mortal sense. The massive garden had been made by his father as a hobby, something to occupy his time while being eternally trapped in Hell. His father's pride and joy were the black roses, a special flower with hidden magic. Majora could see his father tending the roses right now. As Majora, approached, his father got up. He turned around. Majora's father, Satan, King of Demons and Lord of all Evil, was a tall being. Ten feet tall, with ram's horns and many spines on his back. He had no tail, wings, or hooves. He had no need of them. His skin was a mottled black and red. His face was terrible to behold, so it shall not be described. (Use your own imagination for this!) He spoke. "Ah, my son, at last you have arrived. I was starting to think you wanted to stay trapped in that mask forever after all." Majora gulped.
"Father, I apologize for my lateness. Please tell me how I can become myself again."
"I have found someone who can help you return to normal. As you know, I cannot do it myself because it was the golden magic of your cousins that imprisoned you. To do it, I would need to use an inordinate amount of energy, energy I would need for later. I need you to play a charade for a short time. I need you to pretend to be no more than a mask. Come to my hands." Majora floated into his father's hands, becoming inert. Satan turned towards one of the doors to the courtyard. "Bring him in."
Two demons entered, leading a mortal in between them. Majora recognized the two demons as his brothers, the Demons of Courage and Wisdom. The demon on the right was Zartanis, Demon of Courage. He was clad in a knight's suit of armor, with a winged helmet and a long cape. The demon on the left was Somosa, Demon of Wisdom. He appeared to be a giant insectoid, like a praying mantis. The man in between them seemed strange. Then Majora realized that this man was alive! A real human, not a damned soul! What was he doing here? Majora observed the man. He was clad in black armor, with a dagger strapped to his belt. His nose was like a ski-jump, his skin seemed slightly greenish, and his hair was a flaming red. Strangely, his eyebrows seemed to grow from his hair. But his eyes were the most interesting things about him. They seemed to show the man's feelings. Majora could see plenty of hatred and rage, but also a good deal of fear and desperation. It seemed he wanted out, much like Majora did. Majora's brothers left the man, walking back into the citadel. The man bowed before Satan. "My lord, I merely wish to make an appeal to you."
"Speak."
"My name is Ganondorf, King of Thieves. I wield the Triforce of Power, the most powerful third of the Triforce. It was in the Sacred Realm, another dimension linked to my own, the land of Hyrule. I had gone to a great deal of trouble to get the keys that opened the gate to the Sacred Realm, but I failed. I was trying to get the last key, the Ocarina of Time, from that brat, princess Zelda. I failed there as well, but was surprised to discover that this other brat, a kid named Link, possibly a friend of the princess, had all the keys, including the Ocarina!" Majora was surprised. This man had encountered Link? He listened carefully. "I followed him to the gateway, where he used all the keys and pulled out the Master Sword, the final seal, opening the door to the Sacred Realm. I went inside and spent a few weeks trying to get the Triforce. When I did, the thing split into three pieces! I received the Triforce of Power, but I would be unable to rule the world unless I had all three pieces. I prepared to return to Hyrule, but I was somehow banished here! I'm not sure why, but I get the feeling that that kid did it somehow. I've been here ten years, waiting to meet you. All I want is to go home and have my revenge. Is that too much to ask?"
Satan made a show of pondering for a moment. It was obvious to Majora that his father already knew everything about Ganondorf, but did not wish to alarm him too much. "I have made my decision, mortal. I shall return you to your home dimension, on one condition."
"What? I have to find somebody to take my place?"
"No.'
"What then?"
Satan handed Majora to Ganondorf. "Put on this mask."
Ganondorf looked at Satan, surprised. "You're kidding." Satan shook his head. "All I have to do is put on this mask and I can go home? This is too easy." Ganondorf put on the mask. Majora made his move, reaching into Ganondorf's mind, trying to find the mental control for the Triforce of Power. He found it, and began focusing on the energies of the Triforce of Power, siphoning off its energy. Since the Triforce replicates its own supply of power, it has a limitless source of energy. Majora fed on that energy, absorbing it into his body. The more he siphoned, the closer he was to freedom. Majora was vaguely aware of Ganondorf's screams, but ignored them. He almost had enough energy to be himself again, and regrow a body! Just a little more…it was done. Majora floated off of Ganondorf's face. The evil king fell o his knees panting. "What-what was that?" He looked up to see Majora floating in front of him. "What…"
Majora laughed and focused on the energies now contained within himself. It began. He floated twelve feet in the air. The face of the mask changed, becoming three dimensional, with a mouth and the same features of the mask. The head grew larger, a body forming beneath it. His body was heavily muscled, covered in green veins. His limbs were thick with black stripes all over them. His claws were huge and terrible to behold. His legs were bent-back, like a dinosaur. He had scales as well, lending to the reptilian look. His face now resembled that of a dinosaur or dragon, something reptilian but with a squat face, no protruding snout. He had no tail or spines. Majora laughed. "I am free!" He turned to a horrified Ganondorf. "For freeing me, I shall make you my lieutenant. Together, we shall crush Link for banishing us here!"
Ganondorf recovered. "Wait a minute. Who are you, and what do you know about Link?"
"I am the demon Majora, prince of hell. Ten years ago, Link prevented m from destroying a world in another dimension. I have waited a long time for my revenge."
"Then we'll both get it. We'll crush Link, and take over the world!"
"I'm afraid not, boys." Interrupted Satan. The two villains turned to him confused. "I want to kill Link myself. You two can take over the world, but leave Link to me." They sagged, looking disappointed. Satan handed Majora a piece of paper. "This is the spell you will use to summon me. The ingredients are listed at the top. This must be done during the six-hour period at the end of the solar equinox, which is now beginning in Hyrule. If you fail to complete the spell before the end of the equinox, you will have to wait another year to try again. Do you understand your mission?" They nodded. "Good. Now, to send you to Ganondorf and Link's homeworld. To keep out of notice, you will appear on the moon." A red portal of light appeared on the ground. Ganondorf and Majora entered it. As they started to vanish, Satan said, "Good luck."
Link, Skull Kid, Sheik, and the three fairies explored Hyrule Castle Town. Sheik tried to keep up Skull Kid's interest. "The first store is the Happy Mask Shop, over there." They walked over to the shop, only to find a sign. It said, GONE DIMENSION-HOPPING. BE BACK IN A FEW MONTHS.
"Figures," muttered Skull Kid. "Masks are something my people would be interested in, but we can't do a damn thing about it until the Salesman gets back. The next store was the Bazaar. Link decided to stand guard while Sheik and Skull Kid checked the store's inventory. "So, what do they have here?" Skull Kid asked Sheik.
"See for yourself: Arrows, bombs, recovery hearts…not really anything else." She said disappointed.
"Oh." Said Skull Kid, heading for the exit. Sheik followed.
Link turned around as they came out. "So, did you find anything?" They shook their heads. "Well, maybe there's something at the potion shop."
Sheik and Skull Kid entered the potion shop. They walked up to the counter and checked the inventory. "Well, let's see…" said Sheik. "Blue Fire?"
"Nope. Who in their right mind would want cold fire?"
"What about…fish?"
"No."
"Bugs?"
"By Mom, we have bugs enough! We do live in the forest. Every now and then bugs try to infest the city. When you're the size of a fairy, some insects seem a lot bigger."
"Poes?"
"What would we want with a bunch of ghosts?"
"Deku Nuts?"
"No. No practical use."
"Red, Blue, or Green Potions?"
"No, fairies can do the equivalent by themselves."
"What about bottled fairies?"
"No, no, I really don't…DID YOU SAY BOTTLED FAIRIES?"
"Why? Do you want some?" asked Sheik, hoping they had found some common ground.
Skull Kid stared at Sheik in disgust. "How would you like it if fairies came out of the forest and put humans in jars?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking."
Skull Kid sighed, looking very depressed. "Humans can be so inconsiderate. And before you try to correct me, let me point out I have had over a millennium's worth of experience with your kind. So no, I do not want any bottled fairies."
Just then, the Potion Shop owner came out of the back room (he had been on break) and saw Tael and Tatl. Gasping, he grabbed two jars and snatched the fairies up before Skull Kid or Sheik could do anything about it. "Ah, two fairies! I wonder how they got in here? Oh, well, onto the shelf with you." Skull Kid and Sheik looked at the man in horror. "What? Is something on my face?"
Sheik took a step forward. Skull Kid stopped her. "Wait. Let me handle this." He walked up to the counter clerk. "My good man, how much would it take to convince you to give me all your bottled fairies, and convince you never to stock them again?"
The man grinned. "It would take a lot more than you could ever have, beakface." Skull Kid didn't even flinch at the derogatory. He had been called worse.
Skull Kid reached into his wallet and pulled out something, the angle wasn't good enough for Sheik to see what it was. Skull Kid handed over the object. "I believe this should be enough."
The clerk opened and closed his mouth several times. "I'll get on it right away, sir." It took ten minutes, but the clerk managed to fit every bottled fairy into a sack, which he handed to Skull Kid. "I hope we have repeat business." The guy said hopefully. Skull Kid smiled and headed for the door. Sheik followed, amazed that Skull Kid had been able to change the man's tune so easily. How much money was in that wallet?
Link welcomed them as they exited. "Hey, did you get anything?"
"I'm not sure." Said Sheik.
Skull Kid took a few steps, then dropped the sack, untied it, and opened all of the jars, releasing the fairies. "Go back! Back to the forests! It isn't safe here! Go, back to your homes and families!" Needing no more urging, the fairies flew away, leaving Tael and Tatl behind. The people in the marketplace stared as the large mass of fairies flew away. Skull Kid walked back to Zelda and Sheik. "So, what's next?"
They continued to explore the marketplace. There was no need to look at the Bombchu shop or the arcades, but there wasn't much else to see. There were jewelry stores and toy stores, pawnshops and blacksmiths, but none of it interested the three ambassadors. They walked all over town and still found nothing to interest a city of fairies. Finally, Link stopped. "Look, I'm kind of getting tired. Why don't we go get lunch or something?"
They stopped at an outdoor restaurant called "The Sleeping Pig." They took their seats and checked the menus. Eventually, a Goron waiter came by to get their orders. "What will you be having?"
Link thought for a moment, then said, "I think I'll take the Deluxe Salad, with water, no ice."
Sheik spoke her order immediately. "I'll take the Tektite legs, the fried Keese wings, and the Leever pie."
The waiter turned to Skull Kid, not seeming to mind that he was an imp. "And what will the young sir be having?"
Skull Kid wasn't happy with the limited selection on the kid's menu. "The only thing sounding even remotely appetizing on this goddesses-awful fat- free kiddy menu are these-what do you call them? Fries? I have no idea what those are, but they're the only things on this menu that aren't wholesome and healthy." The waiter nodded and headed for the kitchen. They waited.
Link spoke up. "Well, for a restaurant called the Sleeping Pig, it actually seems quite nice. Not fancy, but nice."
"Well, its good that it isn't fancy." Said Navi.
"Why is that?" asked Tael.
"Haven't you ever heard the old saying about restaurants and service?"
"Oh, you mean 'you can tell a lot about the restaurant by the people working in it?'" asked Tatl.
"No! It's 'the fancier a restaurant, the worse the service. This restaurant isn't very fancy, so the service must be pretty good."
They all nodded. Finally, Sheik asked the question that had been on her mind during the entire trip: "Skull Kid, just what are your people offering to trade with us?"
Skull Kid paused, then decided it couldn't hurt to tell. "All right, we're offering two things. First of all, do you know where rupees come from?"
Sheik didn't know. "I've never really had to deal with money on a personal basis, at least not in this timeline."
Link wasn't sure. "All I know is that I found rupees by cutting grass and breaking rocks."
Skull Kid chuckled. "Actually, Link's answer is pretty much right." They looked at him, surprised. "You see, rupees are not produced by anything but the earth itself. They are naturally occurring gemstones, found in the wild. They are infinitely reproduced, so there is a limitless supply of money. The color of the jewel indicates its worth."
Sheik frowned. "Wait, if there's an infinite source of money, then why do we even use rupees for money? An infinite supply would make them worthless as money. So why do we even have rupee-oriented businesses and markets if the money reproduces itself?"
Skull Kid grinned. "It's a little prank my big sister Farore played on you all. She made the country so that the money reproduced itself, but made sure that no one found out on their own, because that would spoil the joke and cause the nation's economic downfall once everyone realized all their money had no actual value and was really quite pointless." He frowned. "That secret must never leave this restaurant. Do you understand?" They both nodded. "Good. Now, to get to the point. As I said, colors indicate worth. Green is 1R, blue is 5R, Red is 20R, Purple is 50R, silver is 100R, gold is 200R, Black is worth 1,000R, and White is worth 1000,000R." He pulled out his wallet. "Now, the higher the value of the rupee, the rarer it is. Now, take a look at my wallet." He opened his wallet, revealing a huge pile of black and white rupees. Zelda and Sheik's mouths dropped. "Mesmoria is sitting on top of possibly the only black and white rupee producing spot in the world." He closed his purse. "We probably can't trade money, though. It would be easy to be cheated." Link was still thinking about the money in the wallet. It was more money than he had ever seen in his entire life.
Link turned to Navi. "Navi, why didn't you ever tell me about this?"
"Hey, it's a special secret! I wasn't allowed to reveal it to anyone, even you. It's another family thing."
Sheik recovered. "What are you actually offering to export?" Skull Kid pulled a large bag from his satchel. He opened it, dumping several vials onto the table. They seemed to be full of some strange dust, each vial holding a different color. "What are they?"
Skull Kid grinned. "Fairy dust."
Sheik frowned. "You're offering me dust?"
"Not just any dust, your majesty. Magic dust. You see each fairy is born with the ability to do a special magic, depending on their color. Guardian and wild fairies are excluded from this list. All wild fairy dust does is heal. However, the dust of the Mesmorian fairies does more, much more. The magic of the fairy dust depends on the color."
Link looked up at Navi. "How come your fairy dust doesn't do anything?"
"You haven't ingested any of it." She responded.
Skull Kid continued. "But you're probably wondering what exactly fairy dust is. It is a special compound formed by fairies when flying. Since fairies are made almost completely of magic, some of the magic overflows into the air molecules, forming a residue of dust-like particles. Depending on the magic's 'color', the dust has a different effect on a person when ingested."
"Such as?" asked Link.
Skull Kid spread the vials out in a row and pointed to each one when he described it. "Pink dust is from doctors. It heals people. Blue dust is from psychologists. It calms people down and makes them feel better. Purple dust is from laborers. It causes people to become stronger for a limited amount of time. Orange dust is from thinkers. It causes people to become smarter, also for a short amount of time. Brown dust is from architects. It can allow a person to figure out just where to put a house or what to make it look like. Yellow dust is from athletes. It makes a person faster, for a temporary amount of time. Red Dust is from soldiers. It makes people more alert, heightens their senses, for a limited amount of time. Green dust comes from magicians, and if a wizard ingests it, his/her magical powers are recharged."
Link had a thought. "What if you don't have magic?"
"Then nothing happens when you eat it. Gray dust is from nobles. It makes a person temporarily invisible. The last two kinds of dust are black and white, for royalty. They cause people to fly, but only for a short time."
"How short are these time limits?" asked Sheik.
"Three hours, give or take. If I were you, I would keep the more powerful ones away from the public. We wouldn't want anyone to use them for crime, now would we?"
Sheik was interested. "That dust could revolutionize our armies. We could be unstoppable in battle."
"There's more," said Skull Kid.
"There is?" asked Link.
"Yes. You see, the dust can be used for more than just magic. When contained, like in these vials, it can be used as a fuel. It is cheap, efficient, and not harmful. It could revolutionize your economy by selling it as a wonder fuel. Your royal treasuries would be full, and the average person will have gotten something worth their hard-earned money. Everyone walks away happy."
"That does it. I agree to the trade alliance with Mesmoria." Said Sheik.
Skull Kid looked sad. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but in the last hour and a half or so of walking in the marketplace, I have not seen a single thing worth trading for. Unless I find something soon, I will have to return empty-handed."
The waiter, bringing them food interrupted the conversation. He set their dishes on the table and left. Link was about to eat the salad when Sheik asked him a question. "Link, why didn't you order any meat? Just out of curiosity."
Link smiled. "Back in the woods, we only eat foods derived from the forest. Nuts, leaves, berries, insects, you know, the whole natural diet."
Skull Kid frowned at his fries. "What's wrong, Skull Kid?" asked Tatl.
"Yeah, its just food." Quipped Tael.
Skull Kid looked up. "What are these fries made out of."
"They're made out of fried potatoes, added with a lot of ingredients I don't know. It's mostly salt, I think."
Skull Kid tried one. He froze. "Tael, Tatl, could you please taste these fries and tell me what you think of them?"
The fairies tried the fries, freezing just like Skull Kid had. "This…this is the best food I've ever eaten!" cried Tael.
"And the regular dish at home is ambrosia!" added Tael.
The trio eagerly dug in, devouring the entire plate in five minutes. Zelda, Link, and Navi were too disgusted by this sudden outburst to touch their own plates. When they finished, they gave a sigh of contentment. Skull Kid turned to Sheik. "Your Majesty, I think we have just found something to trade for. The city's soil is too full of minerals for potatoes to grow. If you provide us with ingredients and the recipe for these fries, we will provide you with fairy dust. How does that sound?"
Sheik and Link were stunned. Possibly the most important alliance Hyrule had ever made would be done in return for greasy food? This was too good an opportunity to pass up. "Since my father will be out of the country for the next month or so, I have complete ruling power. I have the authority to approve this alliance between our two cities."
"Great! Spryte provided me with a drawn-up treaty for this. Shall we sign it?" He pulled out a fair-sized sheet of paper.
Sheik took it and examined it, especially the fine print. There was nothing wrong with it. She put the document down. "All right, I'll sign it. Got a pen?" He handed her one. "She started to sign but paused. "Don't we need witnesses?"
"I'm here." Said Link. "And so is Navi. Do we count as witnesses?"
"I guess so." Sheik finished signing. She handed it back to Skull Kid, who signed his name, sealing the deal.
Skull rolled up the treaty and put it away. "You realize this alliance has to remain a secret for now."
"Of course."
Skull Kid grinned. "In future times, this restaurant will become a famous place. It will be known as where the signing of The Treaty of Fries was signed. Now, get me a waiter so I can order more of the aforementioned fries."
Space, the Moon: The moon of planet Garaton was a small one, more of a giant asteroid that had gotten caught in the planet's gravitational pull than a moon formed from chunks of the planet, like the one in our own world. It was the same size as the moon on the planet Arave (the world with Termina on it) had been until Majora had arrived. It had become spherical long ago thanks to gravitational forces and meteor showers. The moon was barren, lifeless, a wasteland. And it is where two villains appeared in a red crystal. As the crystal faded, Ganondorf looked around him, and above him, in disbelief. He saw his home, his planet, hanging above him. He turned to Majora, who was unaffected by the beautiful sight. "Is that my home?"
Majora nodded. "That is your home planet, Garaton. If you look closely, you might be able to see the land of Hyrule. You can tell where it is by looking east of that great desert."
"I can see it. It's beautiful! A shame it's landlocked. One of the things I planned to do once I gained rule over the world was blast open a wider passage to the sea from Lake Hylia, so Hyrule would no longer be landlocked."
"How big a passage?"
1 Ganondorf pointed to a medium-sized mass of land south of Hyrule. "See that area of green, untouched forest just south of Lake Hylia?"
"What of it?"
"It wouldn't be there."
Majora grinned. "I like your way of thinking. You'll make a fine lieutenant. I can promise you that your wish will come true, and Hyrule will no longer be land-locked. But if I may ask, why do you want Hyrule to be connected to the ocean?"
"Partly because I think the land would benefit by becoming a member of maritime trade, but mostly because we would be able to assault the fabled island of Atlantis. It's that huge island further southeast. It is supposed to be an ancient civilization, built by Zoras. They have untold treasures there. I would love to get a look at the treasure vaults there."
"A fine ambition. But now we must get to work."
"What exactly are we doing?"
"Before we left, my father told me telepathically of something we can do to give us both the revenge we want on certain countries."
"How so?"
"When Link defeated me ten years ago, It was in another dimension. I failed to destroy that world, so we will bring it to ruin now. We will bring Hyrule to ruin as well. My Father told me a powerful spell, one that would rip the country of Termina off the face of its planet and bring it here, with all of its inhabitants, to Hyrule. The geography will still remain that of Hyrule, but now buildings and other areas will be completely transformed. The forest that you wish to become a sea passage will become more than that, it will become a Great Bay! We will both be able to get our revenge on the countries that have been out of our reach for so long. The two shall be combined forevermore, making a suitable base of power for when we summon my father in a month. We may not be able to harm our common enemy, but we can keep him under wraps until father arrives. Shall we begin?"
"What do we need to do?"
"I will begin the spell. I will call you when the time comes." Majora began to draw an insanely complicated spell diagram in the dust around him. Majora stood in the middle of the pattern. "Ganondorf, I request your assistance."
Ganondorf walked over. "What do you need me to do?"
"This spell requires blood to work."
Ganondorf took a step back. "Wait. You mean you want me to…"
"Two or three drops is all I need. If you don't do it, you'll never get your bay."
Ganondorf sighed. He walked over to the edge of the diagram. Pulling out his dagger, he pressed the point lightly against his wrist, then pulled it away. A few drops of blood fell onto the diagram. "There. Will that do it?"
Majora nodded. "That will do nicely Ganondorf. Now stand back, this is going to be a big one." Majora began chanting in a tongue unknown to Ganondorf. It was a spell, a powerful one. He could feel it in his marrow. He looked around as the ground began to tremble ever so slightly, the dust rattling. The lines of the diagram began to glow a deep, blood red. Majora continued to chant. "Ynmmbh.leivm bnietiofioiyiu5titiotiourio, ooiuiiu5cirrioriiioui, ii, timmrimt, Inuit" Ganondorf knew not the words Majora spoke, but he could sense the bone-chilling power in them, he could feel the very fabric of dimensions weakening as a result. He looked up towards the planet and couldn't help smiling. Soon, the world would be changing for the worse.
What is going to happen next, you ask? Well, I'll need more reviews first! So shoo, go write me some good reviews!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from either game. A very wealthy company does.
Chapter 1
Hyrule Castle Town, Temple of Time, the Main Sanctuary: Link and Navi rematerialized on the Triforce platform. Navi flew towards the exit. "Come on, Link! Let's go get that ring!" She suddenly noticed Link wasn't following her. "Link? Link, what are you doing?" Link was in the back room, looking at the Master Sword. Navi flew over. "Link, what are you doing?"
Link, looked up. "Oh, I'm just thinking about old times."
"You're not going to pull it out, are you?"
"No, of course not. I was just thinking that, well, isn't this sword really mine? I mean, I saved the world using it. And I'm old enough to be Hero of Time and pull out the Sword, right? So, why don't I try it? Its not like Ganondorf will be released or we'll go to the future or the past if we pull it out."
Navi thought about that. "You have a point. Oh alright, I guess you can try to pull it out." She had to admit she was a bit curious about what would happen.
Link grabbed the hilt of the Master Sword and pulled. Nothing happened. He tried again. Still nothing. Link frowned. "It won't come out."
"But that's impossible! You're the Hero of Time! The sword was forged by the Goddess of Time herself specifically so you could use it to fight evil!"
Suddenly, the Master Sword glowed blue. And then, it spoke. "Actually, that's a misnomer."
Link and Navi stared in disbelief. "You-you can talk?" they asked simultaneously.
"Yes, I can talk, and I feel I must correct the statement of your fairy. Nowhere in the story of my making does it say the one to wield me would be the Hero of Time. It specifically said, 'The Master Sword would be wielded by a worthy hero chosen by destiny.'"
Link frowned. "Don't I qualify? I mean, I used you in that erased timeline to defeat Ganondorf and all of his other minions. Doesn't that count for anything?"
"Not exactly. You see, although you are a 'worthy hero chosen by destiny,' you are not the 'worthy hero chosen by destiny'. You were only able to wield me before because there was need and the chosen hero had not awoken himself. You will never be able to wield me again, not even when there is great need. Only the 'worthy hero chosen by destiny' can now pull me from my resting-place. His time of awakening is soon. Very soon. I can sense a great evil afoot, and I will need to be wielded once more if the world is to be saved. But not just yet."
"Oh," said Navi, disappointed. "Hey, when you said the hero needs to be awakened, do you mean he's asleep or are you saying he is a hero but doesn't know it yet, just like the sages?"
"He's a hero and doesn't know it."
"Ah," said Link. "Well then. I guess we'll just leave you then."
"Goodbye, Hero. Sorry for disappointing you."
Navi and Link left the temple. Link sighed. Well, now we know something new. I wonder who the hero is?"
Navi chuckled. "It's probably someone we know but someone who we also would never suspect to be a hero. Just like the Sages."
"But Navi, once we knew what we were looking for, recognizing the Sages was easy."
"Exactly! When we knew what we were looking for. We don't know what to look for in this new hero. He could be anyone we've ever met, someone we'd never suspect."
"Good point. Hey, maybe it's Talon!"
They kept straight faces for a full ten seconds before cracking up. "Talon! That'll be the day!" laughed Navi. "Hey, we've got to get to the jewelry store before it opens."
"Oh my goddesses! Quick, we don't have much time!" They ran for the jewelry store.
Hyrule Castle Town, Hyrule Castle, Castle Courtyard: A blue crystal appeared high in the air over the Castle Courtyard. It faded, leaving its occupants to plummet to the ground thirty feet below them. Rather, one of the occupants plummeted. The other two flew after him. Skull Kid, the falling one, screamed. Tael and Tatl flew after him, not sure how they could catch him, but they were going to try. Skull Kid hit the ground, hard. "Ow." That was all he managed to get out before falling unconscious. Two guards ran into the castle courtyard, curious to see where the scream had come from. They were surprised to find Skull Kid. Tael and Tatl quickly hid from view, waiting to see what would happen.
One of the guards poked Skull Kid with his spear. The imp groaned. The guard turned the other. "I guess he's not dead."
The second guard turned him over and was repulsed by Skull Kid's birdlike face. "What is it?"
The first guard shook his head. "No idea."
The second guard thought for a moment. "Hey, you don't suppose this guy could be an assassin who's come to kill that ambassador that's supposed to show up in a few minutes?"
"Could be. That would explain why he's out in the courtyard, the ambassador is supposed to show up in the throne room. Let's take him to the dungeons."
They dragged Skull Kid away. Tael and Tatl followed. Eventually, they ended up in the dungeons. The guards rudely tossed Skull Kid in a cell, locked the door, and left. The fairies flew up to the bars. "Skull Kid!" hissed Tatl. Nothing. She tried again. "Skull Kid are you okay?" Skull Kid groaned and got up, dusting himself off as if he hadn't just fallen thirty feet. Tatl was surprised. "Skull Kid, I didn't think you'd be this okay!"
Skull Kid smiled. "Of course I'm okay. I had a big breakfast."
Tatl was confused. "What does that have to do with anything?"
Tael answered that. "Skull Kid explained this to me the other day. Whenever he has a lot of food in him, he heals quickly. That's why he was so badly hurt when we found him, he hadn't eaten anything in over a year. Skull Kid, do you want us to try and get the keys?"
Skull Kid shook his head. "No thanks, I can handle this. He pulled a lock pick out of his hat and easily unlocked the door. "Now let's get going, I'm late for my appointment!" They found a wall map of the castle just outside of the dungeons. Skull Kid memorized it and ran upstairs. He knew he would have to be careful to avoid being seen by the guards. Tael and Tatl scouted ahead for him, giving him the signal when all was clear. They continued this pattern until they finally reached the throne room.
Hyrule Castle Town, Hyrule Castle, the Throne room: Zelda sighed. The so-called 'ambassador' was ten minutes late. It looked like this had all been nothing more than an elaborate prank. Disappointed, she got out of the throne and headed for the exit, when her Triforce tingled. Someone unfamiliar was coming. She reached for the concealed dagger under her dress just in case it was an attacker. She waited. Finally, the door opened, and a small figure followed by a pair of fairies rushed in, closing the door behind them. Zelda frowned. "Who are you three?"
The small figure, an imp of some sort, panted then stood semi- proudly. "Your majesty, I am Skull Kid, humble emissary/ambassador for the city of Mesmoria. Sorry I was late, but the wizards miscalculated the coordinates for the throne room. I ended up thirty feet above the Courtyard, but I'm fine now. These are my friends/brother and sister, Tael and Tatl."
Zelda blinked. "You're telling me an imp and two fairies are the best ambassadors a powerful city such as Mesmoria could send?"
Tael shrugged. "What else would you expect from a city of fairies?"
Zelda was confused. "What do you mean?"
Tatl glowed a little brighter. "Didn't Mom's letter tell you? Mesmoria is a city built and completely populated by fairies."
Zelda frowned. "You mean I was about to initiate trade with a city of fairies?" They nodded. "Why would I want to?"
Skull Kid smiled. "Actually your majesty, we have one or two things to trade that you wouldn't want to give up. Just take a seat and I'll tell you all about it." Zelda sat down. It looked like this was going to be one of those days.
Link whistled to himself as he walked up to the castle. The guard stopped him at the front fate until Link waved a piece of paper in front of him. "Is that a pass?" asked the guard. Link nodded. "Go on through," he said, opening the gate. Link walked through and headed up to the castle. He showed the pass to every guard in his way until he finally made it to the inside of the castle. Now he just had to find Zelda. He wandered through the castle until he decided to check the throne room. As Link entered, he could swear he heard familiar voices from inside the throne room, Zelda and three others. He went in, hoping he wasn't interrupting anything important. He was, sort of.
Zelda looked up from her discussion, surprised. "Link! What are you doing here?"
"I came to…" he stopped as he suddenly noticed whom Zelda had been talking to. The person turned around as well and was equally surprised. Finally, the silence broke.
"SKULL KID?"
"LINK?"
The two ran up to each other. Navi flew out of Link's hat and went over to have a similar reaction with Tael and Tatl. Link was astonished. "What are you doing here?"
Skull Kid shrugged. "I'm here on a diplomatic mission! What about you?'
"I'm here on, a, important business."
"Ah."
Zelda stopped the conversation. "WAIT A MINUTE! You two know each other?"
Link nodded. "Yeah, this is the Skull Kid I told you about! You know the one who was possessed by a demon? Almost blew up a world?"
Zelda was surprised. "You're THAT Skull Kid?" He nodded. "Well, it's an honor to meet you then. Link, I'm sorry, but I need to finish this meeting. I'm trying to establish a trade alliance between this city of Mesmoria and us. However, I haven't found out what they have that's worth exporting just yet."
Skull Kid was thoughtful. "You know, I don't really know what it is you have that is worth trading for. Why don't we continue this discussion in the marketplace and see what you have worth trading for."
Zelda thought that was a good idea. "Okay, but I will need to change into my…disguise so nobody will recognize me. All of you please leave the room until I'm finished. Tatl can stay."
"Why?" asked Tael.
"She's a girl."
"Why can't I stay?" asked Navi.
"Because I said so! Now please, go!"
Grumbling, everyone except Tatl shuffled out of the throne room. Tatl turned to Zelda. "So, what are you going to change into? I'm very curious to find out what you humans consider fashionable."
"I'm not exactly going to change clothes, Tatl. I'm going to transform."
"You mean you're going to become Sheik?"
Zelda was surprised. "How did you know?"
"Link told us a while back. Com on, I want to see some magic! By the way, why did you send the others out and let me stay?"
Zelda frowned. "I'm not sure. I sense something between us, a bond of some sort, but I don't know what it means." She shrugged. "Guess I'd better transform.' She focused on her Triforce. It glowed bright blue. Zelda was encompassed in blue fire. She felt no pain, though she could feel her muscles getting larger, her clothes changing. When the fire subsided, she was Sheik.
"Wow!" exclaimed Tatl. "Hey does this mean you're a guy now?"
"No!" Zelda lowered her facemask, revealing that her face was exactly the same, except her eyes were red. "I've just changed my physique a bit."
"Oh. Hey, what happened to your chest?"
"What do you mean?"
"You know, you're um, support?"
"What do you…" Zelda suddenly realized what Tatl was talking about. "Hey! That's personal!"
"Sorry, sorry."
Hey walked out of the throne room. Skull Kid looked at Sheik. "Nice disguise. No one would ever suspect you of being Princess of Hyrule."
Sheik shrugged. "Whatever. Let's go to the marketplace."
Majora flew down the hallways of the Citadel, passing by many demons. He finally made it to the courtyard, one of the few gardens in Hell. It was actually quite beautiful, in a mortal sense. The massive garden had been made by his father as a hobby, something to occupy his time while being eternally trapped in Hell. His father's pride and joy were the black roses, a special flower with hidden magic. Majora could see his father tending the roses right now. As Majora, approached, his father got up. He turned around. Majora's father, Satan, King of Demons and Lord of all Evil, was a tall being. Ten feet tall, with ram's horns and many spines on his back. He had no tail, wings, or hooves. He had no need of them. His skin was a mottled black and red. His face was terrible to behold, so it shall not be described. (Use your own imagination for this!) He spoke. "Ah, my son, at last you have arrived. I was starting to think you wanted to stay trapped in that mask forever after all." Majora gulped.
"Father, I apologize for my lateness. Please tell me how I can become myself again."
"I have found someone who can help you return to normal. As you know, I cannot do it myself because it was the golden magic of your cousins that imprisoned you. To do it, I would need to use an inordinate amount of energy, energy I would need for later. I need you to play a charade for a short time. I need you to pretend to be no more than a mask. Come to my hands." Majora floated into his father's hands, becoming inert. Satan turned towards one of the doors to the courtyard. "Bring him in."
Two demons entered, leading a mortal in between them. Majora recognized the two demons as his brothers, the Demons of Courage and Wisdom. The demon on the right was Zartanis, Demon of Courage. He was clad in a knight's suit of armor, with a winged helmet and a long cape. The demon on the left was Somosa, Demon of Wisdom. He appeared to be a giant insectoid, like a praying mantis. The man in between them seemed strange. Then Majora realized that this man was alive! A real human, not a damned soul! What was he doing here? Majora observed the man. He was clad in black armor, with a dagger strapped to his belt. His nose was like a ski-jump, his skin seemed slightly greenish, and his hair was a flaming red. Strangely, his eyebrows seemed to grow from his hair. But his eyes were the most interesting things about him. They seemed to show the man's feelings. Majora could see plenty of hatred and rage, but also a good deal of fear and desperation. It seemed he wanted out, much like Majora did. Majora's brothers left the man, walking back into the citadel. The man bowed before Satan. "My lord, I merely wish to make an appeal to you."
"Speak."
"My name is Ganondorf, King of Thieves. I wield the Triforce of Power, the most powerful third of the Triforce. It was in the Sacred Realm, another dimension linked to my own, the land of Hyrule. I had gone to a great deal of trouble to get the keys that opened the gate to the Sacred Realm, but I failed. I was trying to get the last key, the Ocarina of Time, from that brat, princess Zelda. I failed there as well, but was surprised to discover that this other brat, a kid named Link, possibly a friend of the princess, had all the keys, including the Ocarina!" Majora was surprised. This man had encountered Link? He listened carefully. "I followed him to the gateway, where he used all the keys and pulled out the Master Sword, the final seal, opening the door to the Sacred Realm. I went inside and spent a few weeks trying to get the Triforce. When I did, the thing split into three pieces! I received the Triforce of Power, but I would be unable to rule the world unless I had all three pieces. I prepared to return to Hyrule, but I was somehow banished here! I'm not sure why, but I get the feeling that that kid did it somehow. I've been here ten years, waiting to meet you. All I want is to go home and have my revenge. Is that too much to ask?"
Satan made a show of pondering for a moment. It was obvious to Majora that his father already knew everything about Ganondorf, but did not wish to alarm him too much. "I have made my decision, mortal. I shall return you to your home dimension, on one condition."
"What? I have to find somebody to take my place?"
"No.'
"What then?"
Satan handed Majora to Ganondorf. "Put on this mask."
Ganondorf looked at Satan, surprised. "You're kidding." Satan shook his head. "All I have to do is put on this mask and I can go home? This is too easy." Ganondorf put on the mask. Majora made his move, reaching into Ganondorf's mind, trying to find the mental control for the Triforce of Power. He found it, and began focusing on the energies of the Triforce of Power, siphoning off its energy. Since the Triforce replicates its own supply of power, it has a limitless source of energy. Majora fed on that energy, absorbing it into his body. The more he siphoned, the closer he was to freedom. Majora was vaguely aware of Ganondorf's screams, but ignored them. He almost had enough energy to be himself again, and regrow a body! Just a little more…it was done. Majora floated off of Ganondorf's face. The evil king fell o his knees panting. "What-what was that?" He looked up to see Majora floating in front of him. "What…"
Majora laughed and focused on the energies now contained within himself. It began. He floated twelve feet in the air. The face of the mask changed, becoming three dimensional, with a mouth and the same features of the mask. The head grew larger, a body forming beneath it. His body was heavily muscled, covered in green veins. His limbs were thick with black stripes all over them. His claws were huge and terrible to behold. His legs were bent-back, like a dinosaur. He had scales as well, lending to the reptilian look. His face now resembled that of a dinosaur or dragon, something reptilian but with a squat face, no protruding snout. He had no tail or spines. Majora laughed. "I am free!" He turned to a horrified Ganondorf. "For freeing me, I shall make you my lieutenant. Together, we shall crush Link for banishing us here!"
Ganondorf recovered. "Wait a minute. Who are you, and what do you know about Link?"
"I am the demon Majora, prince of hell. Ten years ago, Link prevented m from destroying a world in another dimension. I have waited a long time for my revenge."
"Then we'll both get it. We'll crush Link, and take over the world!"
"I'm afraid not, boys." Interrupted Satan. The two villains turned to him confused. "I want to kill Link myself. You two can take over the world, but leave Link to me." They sagged, looking disappointed. Satan handed Majora a piece of paper. "This is the spell you will use to summon me. The ingredients are listed at the top. This must be done during the six-hour period at the end of the solar equinox, which is now beginning in Hyrule. If you fail to complete the spell before the end of the equinox, you will have to wait another year to try again. Do you understand your mission?" They nodded. "Good. Now, to send you to Ganondorf and Link's homeworld. To keep out of notice, you will appear on the moon." A red portal of light appeared on the ground. Ganondorf and Majora entered it. As they started to vanish, Satan said, "Good luck."
Link, Skull Kid, Sheik, and the three fairies explored Hyrule Castle Town. Sheik tried to keep up Skull Kid's interest. "The first store is the Happy Mask Shop, over there." They walked over to the shop, only to find a sign. It said, GONE DIMENSION-HOPPING. BE BACK IN A FEW MONTHS.
"Figures," muttered Skull Kid. "Masks are something my people would be interested in, but we can't do a damn thing about it until the Salesman gets back. The next store was the Bazaar. Link decided to stand guard while Sheik and Skull Kid checked the store's inventory. "So, what do they have here?" Skull Kid asked Sheik.
"See for yourself: Arrows, bombs, recovery hearts…not really anything else." She said disappointed.
"Oh." Said Skull Kid, heading for the exit. Sheik followed.
Link turned around as they came out. "So, did you find anything?" They shook their heads. "Well, maybe there's something at the potion shop."
Sheik and Skull Kid entered the potion shop. They walked up to the counter and checked the inventory. "Well, let's see…" said Sheik. "Blue Fire?"
"Nope. Who in their right mind would want cold fire?"
"What about…fish?"
"No."
"Bugs?"
"By Mom, we have bugs enough! We do live in the forest. Every now and then bugs try to infest the city. When you're the size of a fairy, some insects seem a lot bigger."
"Poes?"
"What would we want with a bunch of ghosts?"
"Deku Nuts?"
"No. No practical use."
"Red, Blue, or Green Potions?"
"No, fairies can do the equivalent by themselves."
"What about bottled fairies?"
"No, no, I really don't…DID YOU SAY BOTTLED FAIRIES?"
"Why? Do you want some?" asked Sheik, hoping they had found some common ground.
Skull Kid stared at Sheik in disgust. "How would you like it if fairies came out of the forest and put humans in jars?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking."
Skull Kid sighed, looking very depressed. "Humans can be so inconsiderate. And before you try to correct me, let me point out I have had over a millennium's worth of experience with your kind. So no, I do not want any bottled fairies."
Just then, the Potion Shop owner came out of the back room (he had been on break) and saw Tael and Tatl. Gasping, he grabbed two jars and snatched the fairies up before Skull Kid or Sheik could do anything about it. "Ah, two fairies! I wonder how they got in here? Oh, well, onto the shelf with you." Skull Kid and Sheik looked at the man in horror. "What? Is something on my face?"
Sheik took a step forward. Skull Kid stopped her. "Wait. Let me handle this." He walked up to the counter clerk. "My good man, how much would it take to convince you to give me all your bottled fairies, and convince you never to stock them again?"
The man grinned. "It would take a lot more than you could ever have, beakface." Skull Kid didn't even flinch at the derogatory. He had been called worse.
Skull Kid reached into his wallet and pulled out something, the angle wasn't good enough for Sheik to see what it was. Skull Kid handed over the object. "I believe this should be enough."
The clerk opened and closed his mouth several times. "I'll get on it right away, sir." It took ten minutes, but the clerk managed to fit every bottled fairy into a sack, which he handed to Skull Kid. "I hope we have repeat business." The guy said hopefully. Skull Kid smiled and headed for the door. Sheik followed, amazed that Skull Kid had been able to change the man's tune so easily. How much money was in that wallet?
Link welcomed them as they exited. "Hey, did you get anything?"
"I'm not sure." Said Sheik.
Skull Kid took a few steps, then dropped the sack, untied it, and opened all of the jars, releasing the fairies. "Go back! Back to the forests! It isn't safe here! Go, back to your homes and families!" Needing no more urging, the fairies flew away, leaving Tael and Tatl behind. The people in the marketplace stared as the large mass of fairies flew away. Skull Kid walked back to Zelda and Sheik. "So, what's next?"
They continued to explore the marketplace. There was no need to look at the Bombchu shop or the arcades, but there wasn't much else to see. There were jewelry stores and toy stores, pawnshops and blacksmiths, but none of it interested the three ambassadors. They walked all over town and still found nothing to interest a city of fairies. Finally, Link stopped. "Look, I'm kind of getting tired. Why don't we go get lunch or something?"
They stopped at an outdoor restaurant called "The Sleeping Pig." They took their seats and checked the menus. Eventually, a Goron waiter came by to get their orders. "What will you be having?"
Link thought for a moment, then said, "I think I'll take the Deluxe Salad, with water, no ice."
Sheik spoke her order immediately. "I'll take the Tektite legs, the fried Keese wings, and the Leever pie."
The waiter turned to Skull Kid, not seeming to mind that he was an imp. "And what will the young sir be having?"
Skull Kid wasn't happy with the limited selection on the kid's menu. "The only thing sounding even remotely appetizing on this goddesses-awful fat- free kiddy menu are these-what do you call them? Fries? I have no idea what those are, but they're the only things on this menu that aren't wholesome and healthy." The waiter nodded and headed for the kitchen. They waited.
Link spoke up. "Well, for a restaurant called the Sleeping Pig, it actually seems quite nice. Not fancy, but nice."
"Well, its good that it isn't fancy." Said Navi.
"Why is that?" asked Tael.
"Haven't you ever heard the old saying about restaurants and service?"
"Oh, you mean 'you can tell a lot about the restaurant by the people working in it?'" asked Tatl.
"No! It's 'the fancier a restaurant, the worse the service. This restaurant isn't very fancy, so the service must be pretty good."
They all nodded. Finally, Sheik asked the question that had been on her mind during the entire trip: "Skull Kid, just what are your people offering to trade with us?"
Skull Kid paused, then decided it couldn't hurt to tell. "All right, we're offering two things. First of all, do you know where rupees come from?"
Sheik didn't know. "I've never really had to deal with money on a personal basis, at least not in this timeline."
Link wasn't sure. "All I know is that I found rupees by cutting grass and breaking rocks."
Skull Kid chuckled. "Actually, Link's answer is pretty much right." They looked at him, surprised. "You see, rupees are not produced by anything but the earth itself. They are naturally occurring gemstones, found in the wild. They are infinitely reproduced, so there is a limitless supply of money. The color of the jewel indicates its worth."
Sheik frowned. "Wait, if there's an infinite source of money, then why do we even use rupees for money? An infinite supply would make them worthless as money. So why do we even have rupee-oriented businesses and markets if the money reproduces itself?"
Skull Kid grinned. "It's a little prank my big sister Farore played on you all. She made the country so that the money reproduced itself, but made sure that no one found out on their own, because that would spoil the joke and cause the nation's economic downfall once everyone realized all their money had no actual value and was really quite pointless." He frowned. "That secret must never leave this restaurant. Do you understand?" They both nodded. "Good. Now, to get to the point. As I said, colors indicate worth. Green is 1R, blue is 5R, Red is 20R, Purple is 50R, silver is 100R, gold is 200R, Black is worth 1,000R, and White is worth 1000,000R." He pulled out his wallet. "Now, the higher the value of the rupee, the rarer it is. Now, take a look at my wallet." He opened his wallet, revealing a huge pile of black and white rupees. Zelda and Sheik's mouths dropped. "Mesmoria is sitting on top of possibly the only black and white rupee producing spot in the world." He closed his purse. "We probably can't trade money, though. It would be easy to be cheated." Link was still thinking about the money in the wallet. It was more money than he had ever seen in his entire life.
Link turned to Navi. "Navi, why didn't you ever tell me about this?"
"Hey, it's a special secret! I wasn't allowed to reveal it to anyone, even you. It's another family thing."
Sheik recovered. "What are you actually offering to export?" Skull Kid pulled a large bag from his satchel. He opened it, dumping several vials onto the table. They seemed to be full of some strange dust, each vial holding a different color. "What are they?"
Skull Kid grinned. "Fairy dust."
Sheik frowned. "You're offering me dust?"
"Not just any dust, your majesty. Magic dust. You see each fairy is born with the ability to do a special magic, depending on their color. Guardian and wild fairies are excluded from this list. All wild fairy dust does is heal. However, the dust of the Mesmorian fairies does more, much more. The magic of the fairy dust depends on the color."
Link looked up at Navi. "How come your fairy dust doesn't do anything?"
"You haven't ingested any of it." She responded.
Skull Kid continued. "But you're probably wondering what exactly fairy dust is. It is a special compound formed by fairies when flying. Since fairies are made almost completely of magic, some of the magic overflows into the air molecules, forming a residue of dust-like particles. Depending on the magic's 'color', the dust has a different effect on a person when ingested."
"Such as?" asked Link.
Skull Kid spread the vials out in a row and pointed to each one when he described it. "Pink dust is from doctors. It heals people. Blue dust is from psychologists. It calms people down and makes them feel better. Purple dust is from laborers. It causes people to become stronger for a limited amount of time. Orange dust is from thinkers. It causes people to become smarter, also for a short amount of time. Brown dust is from architects. It can allow a person to figure out just where to put a house or what to make it look like. Yellow dust is from athletes. It makes a person faster, for a temporary amount of time. Red Dust is from soldiers. It makes people more alert, heightens their senses, for a limited amount of time. Green dust comes from magicians, and if a wizard ingests it, his/her magical powers are recharged."
Link had a thought. "What if you don't have magic?"
"Then nothing happens when you eat it. Gray dust is from nobles. It makes a person temporarily invisible. The last two kinds of dust are black and white, for royalty. They cause people to fly, but only for a short time."
"How short are these time limits?" asked Sheik.
"Three hours, give or take. If I were you, I would keep the more powerful ones away from the public. We wouldn't want anyone to use them for crime, now would we?"
Sheik was interested. "That dust could revolutionize our armies. We could be unstoppable in battle."
"There's more," said Skull Kid.
"There is?" asked Link.
"Yes. You see, the dust can be used for more than just magic. When contained, like in these vials, it can be used as a fuel. It is cheap, efficient, and not harmful. It could revolutionize your economy by selling it as a wonder fuel. Your royal treasuries would be full, and the average person will have gotten something worth their hard-earned money. Everyone walks away happy."
"That does it. I agree to the trade alliance with Mesmoria." Said Sheik.
Skull Kid looked sad. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but in the last hour and a half or so of walking in the marketplace, I have not seen a single thing worth trading for. Unless I find something soon, I will have to return empty-handed."
The waiter, bringing them food interrupted the conversation. He set their dishes on the table and left. Link was about to eat the salad when Sheik asked him a question. "Link, why didn't you order any meat? Just out of curiosity."
Link smiled. "Back in the woods, we only eat foods derived from the forest. Nuts, leaves, berries, insects, you know, the whole natural diet."
Skull Kid frowned at his fries. "What's wrong, Skull Kid?" asked Tatl.
"Yeah, its just food." Quipped Tael.
Skull Kid looked up. "What are these fries made out of."
"They're made out of fried potatoes, added with a lot of ingredients I don't know. It's mostly salt, I think."
Skull Kid tried one. He froze. "Tael, Tatl, could you please taste these fries and tell me what you think of them?"
The fairies tried the fries, freezing just like Skull Kid had. "This…this is the best food I've ever eaten!" cried Tael.
"And the regular dish at home is ambrosia!" added Tael.
The trio eagerly dug in, devouring the entire plate in five minutes. Zelda, Link, and Navi were too disgusted by this sudden outburst to touch their own plates. When they finished, they gave a sigh of contentment. Skull Kid turned to Sheik. "Your Majesty, I think we have just found something to trade for. The city's soil is too full of minerals for potatoes to grow. If you provide us with ingredients and the recipe for these fries, we will provide you with fairy dust. How does that sound?"
Sheik and Link were stunned. Possibly the most important alliance Hyrule had ever made would be done in return for greasy food? This was too good an opportunity to pass up. "Since my father will be out of the country for the next month or so, I have complete ruling power. I have the authority to approve this alliance between our two cities."
"Great! Spryte provided me with a drawn-up treaty for this. Shall we sign it?" He pulled out a fair-sized sheet of paper.
Sheik took it and examined it, especially the fine print. There was nothing wrong with it. She put the document down. "All right, I'll sign it. Got a pen?" He handed her one. "She started to sign but paused. "Don't we need witnesses?"
"I'm here." Said Link. "And so is Navi. Do we count as witnesses?"
"I guess so." Sheik finished signing. She handed it back to Skull Kid, who signed his name, sealing the deal.
Skull rolled up the treaty and put it away. "You realize this alliance has to remain a secret for now."
"Of course."
Skull Kid grinned. "In future times, this restaurant will become a famous place. It will be known as where the signing of The Treaty of Fries was signed. Now, get me a waiter so I can order more of the aforementioned fries."
Space, the Moon: The moon of planet Garaton was a small one, more of a giant asteroid that had gotten caught in the planet's gravitational pull than a moon formed from chunks of the planet, like the one in our own world. It was the same size as the moon on the planet Arave (the world with Termina on it) had been until Majora had arrived. It had become spherical long ago thanks to gravitational forces and meteor showers. The moon was barren, lifeless, a wasteland. And it is where two villains appeared in a red crystal. As the crystal faded, Ganondorf looked around him, and above him, in disbelief. He saw his home, his planet, hanging above him. He turned to Majora, who was unaffected by the beautiful sight. "Is that my home?"
Majora nodded. "That is your home planet, Garaton. If you look closely, you might be able to see the land of Hyrule. You can tell where it is by looking east of that great desert."
"I can see it. It's beautiful! A shame it's landlocked. One of the things I planned to do once I gained rule over the world was blast open a wider passage to the sea from Lake Hylia, so Hyrule would no longer be landlocked."
"How big a passage?"
1 Ganondorf pointed to a medium-sized mass of land south of Hyrule. "See that area of green, untouched forest just south of Lake Hylia?"
"What of it?"
"It wouldn't be there."
Majora grinned. "I like your way of thinking. You'll make a fine lieutenant. I can promise you that your wish will come true, and Hyrule will no longer be land-locked. But if I may ask, why do you want Hyrule to be connected to the ocean?"
"Partly because I think the land would benefit by becoming a member of maritime trade, but mostly because we would be able to assault the fabled island of Atlantis. It's that huge island further southeast. It is supposed to be an ancient civilization, built by Zoras. They have untold treasures there. I would love to get a look at the treasure vaults there."
"A fine ambition. But now we must get to work."
"What exactly are we doing?"
"Before we left, my father told me telepathically of something we can do to give us both the revenge we want on certain countries."
"How so?"
"When Link defeated me ten years ago, It was in another dimension. I failed to destroy that world, so we will bring it to ruin now. We will bring Hyrule to ruin as well. My Father told me a powerful spell, one that would rip the country of Termina off the face of its planet and bring it here, with all of its inhabitants, to Hyrule. The geography will still remain that of Hyrule, but now buildings and other areas will be completely transformed. The forest that you wish to become a sea passage will become more than that, it will become a Great Bay! We will both be able to get our revenge on the countries that have been out of our reach for so long. The two shall be combined forevermore, making a suitable base of power for when we summon my father in a month. We may not be able to harm our common enemy, but we can keep him under wraps until father arrives. Shall we begin?"
"What do we need to do?"
"I will begin the spell. I will call you when the time comes." Majora began to draw an insanely complicated spell diagram in the dust around him. Majora stood in the middle of the pattern. "Ganondorf, I request your assistance."
Ganondorf walked over. "What do you need me to do?"
"This spell requires blood to work."
Ganondorf took a step back. "Wait. You mean you want me to…"
"Two or three drops is all I need. If you don't do it, you'll never get your bay."
Ganondorf sighed. He walked over to the edge of the diagram. Pulling out his dagger, he pressed the point lightly against his wrist, then pulled it away. A few drops of blood fell onto the diagram. "There. Will that do it?"
Majora nodded. "That will do nicely Ganondorf. Now stand back, this is going to be a big one." Majora began chanting in a tongue unknown to Ganondorf. It was a spell, a powerful one. He could feel it in his marrow. He looked around as the ground began to tremble ever so slightly, the dust rattling. The lines of the diagram began to glow a deep, blood red. Majora continued to chant. "Ynmmbh.leivm bnietiofioiyiu5titiotiourio, ooiuiiu5cirrioriiioui, ii, timmrimt, Inuit" Ganondorf knew not the words Majora spoke, but he could sense the bone-chilling power in them, he could feel the very fabric of dimensions weakening as a result. He looked up towards the planet and couldn't help smiling. Soon, the world would be changing for the worse.
What is going to happen next, you ask? Well, I'll need more reviews first! So shoo, go write me some good reviews!