Yep... me again. Just wanted to remind you all to R&R! I'll love each and everyone one of you forever if you do! Yeah... I know its not much of a prize...

- ^_^

Chapter II: The Storm

The Kokiri forest was in full celebration. Today they would celebrate the birthday of their beloved, courageous leader, Mido. Okay... so he's not that great, but its still free food right? Of course it's not his real birthday. Each Kokiri was assigned a birthday by the Great Deku Tree, because it would be chaotic to have a village of 10-year-olds celebrating their birthday on the same day, as they were truly born. But this ended up causing more problems than the Deku Tree will admit. Instead of one huge birthday party, he ended up with a multitude of them.

It was exactly 5 days since Link's return to the Kokiri forest now. After a brief, false explanation from the Great Deku Tree to the Kokiri of Link's disappearance, everything returned to normal for him. No one thought anything of his reasons for leaving for a short while, except for Saria. The lovely Kokiri girl wouldn't give up at all. She could tell when her best friend and her father were both lying to her. But if he had a good reason for hiding the truth, Saria wouldn't push the issue. She knew much better than to do that.

Saria... she had been the only true one to treat him nicely, ever. She was the only one who believed in him from the start and who would always stick by him until the end. But lately, once he came back, she became so much more. The hero of time started to realize just how much she meant to him. His feelings began to deepen as he spent more time with her. The princess became forgotten and for once it seemed that he would be able to live his life the way he should have.

Once the moon hit the starlit sky, the party really started. The skull kid ocarina group, led by Saria, provided the music while the kids danced around a multi-colored bonfire. When the slower songs started to play, Mido had his choice of any girl to dance with. But even with that, he still wasn't satisfied. The one girl he wanted wasn't even dancing. He tried to ask her many times, but she simply wouldn't dance at all while they were playing music for the children.

That is... until the band took a break. Mido knew it was his chance to sneak in and get a dance in with the girl of his dreams. He started to run over to her but was immediately stopped by HIM. The fairy-less wonder stepped right in front of him and was talking to HIS girl!

"Hey Saria, you've really taught them a lot," Link shyly scratched the back of his head, smiling at her, "You've done a really wonderful job."

"Tee hee hee... Thank you Link!" Saria proudly beamed and nodded, "Maybe I could teach you sometime how to play?"

Link's eyes lit up. That was it. That was how he would impress his best friend and get her mind off of the false lies he knew she was still thinking about. He already knew her song; all he had to do was play it.

"Actually I can play just based on listening," Link held his hand out, "can I show you?"

Saria nodded and handed him her fairy ocarina. Just what did that boy have up his sleeve now, she wondered. Her thinking took a definite halt, though, when he slowly began playing the song she taught him during his first adventure. Of course, she didn't know this, but he grinned while playing just thinking of the time she taught him and how bad he really was at first. After all, it took him 20 tries just to get the song right!

Once he was finished with the song, he had every Kokiri girl gazing dreamily at him. That included the girl he meant to impress in the first place. Saria smiled sweetly and grabbed his other hand.

"Come on, master ocarina player!" Saria pulled him towards the dance floor, past Mido, and nodded to the Skull kid band, "My song is my property, which means you have to pay me for you playing it without my permission!"

"How... how much do I have to pay you?" Link said with a mischievous grin.

"Not SO fast, Mr. No Fairy!" Mido screamed out, coming between the two, "It's MY birthday party and I've been waiting all night for her to take a break so I could ask her to dance!"

Mido crossed his arms and stood in front of Link, trying to intimidate him. But this time, it wasn't working at all. Link calmly stood there and kept his eyes on the prize, the beautiful Kokiri girl behind Mido. As soon as he was going to respond to Mido, though, Saria pushed in between them and glared at both.

"Now, now guys this is nothing to fight over!" Saria turned to Mido, "I will dance with you after I'm finished with Link, alright?"

"But Saria, I thought I was the birthday boy and I should get whatever I want!" Mido shouted at her, "I shouldn't be second best to Mr. No fairy!"

"Don't you even scream at her like that again, Mido..." Link grabbed Mido's shoulder tightly and turned him around until they were face to face. Narrowing his eyes at the young Kokiri leader, his grip increased. Link remembered the glare Gannondorf gave him many times and tried to use to his advantage. "It is her decision and its that decision that is final. And for the first and last time... my name is Link, got it?"

"Y...y...y...y...es, Link..." Mido rubbed his shoulder at Link let go slowly and ran off towards his house.

Saria looked at him quizzically. She never knew her best friend to actually stand up for himself. Usually she had to do it in front of Mido. Those few days that she didn't him changed him somehow, she just didn't know how much.

"Hmm... now then, I'll go easy on you," she nodded twice to the band and pulled him in front of her. By now, Link had already dropped her ocarina on the ground a few feet behind them. "How about a dance since you defended yourself so well against Mido?"

"Um... it was nothing, really!" Link blushed.

Link didn't even have time to say yes. As he was about to answer, the ocarinas piped up again and a slow, romantic version of Zelda's Lullaby. Just like seven years into the future, Link could no longer control his body again. His arms draped themselves around her waist as hers held on to his neck. The same feeling he had around Zelda... did it already fade so quickly? Or transfer onto his best friend? He didn't know and it didn't help that he couldn't think straight. His cares seemed to melt away once he gazed into Saria's sapphire orbs.

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Lake Hylia is known as the most peaceful place in all of Hyrule. Everyday countless people come to relax, go fishing in the famous fishing hole, visit the unusual laboratory, and of course take a swim. But lately the lake had been much different. Due to several occurrences lately, the lake has been sealed off to all except the Zoras. Nothing seemed to stop the Zoras from coming to their favorite place.

"Daddy! Daddy! Come here quickly!" A young Zora's voice rang out through Lake Hylia. As fast as her little fish legs could take her, she was swimming back to shore. But behind her... a dark figure was catching up at an unbelievable speed. Closer and closer it began to come.

"Huh? Honey!" The father knew he couldn't go into the water because he would risk both their lives. Instead he just prayed silently to himself that she was fast enough to outrace the monster that was approaching her.

Was it a monster though, he thought? As she got up to standing onto the muddy banks, she noticed that whatever followed her dropped back into the lake. A relieved father came up and hugged his daughter tightly.

"You're a really good swimmer, honey! Did you kn..." the father didn't get the chance to finish his praise. "N...n...n... run..."

She looked up slowly to see why her father was stuttering, but when she looked up, all she saw was a metal point. The point was sticking through her father's chest.

"D... daddy?"

"Plea...se.... r...r...run..." he managed to get out those last words before the metal point was slid back from his chest. Light blue blood began to drip from it as the sword's master held it up to the sun. The body of the now dead Zora fell limply to the ground and landed with a dull thud.

The sword's master... was just a Stalfos. A skeleton without a heart, a brain, or a soul. But this one seemed to be intelligent enough to use the sword more sufficiently. Not to mention the ability to sneak attack. The Stalfos held its sword up in a defensive position and smiled at the young girl. The girl, though, was already backing away into the water. She stopped abruptly when she hit something hard. Not hard enough to be a wall... but hard enough to be another person...

"Hello there... little one," A dark voice chuckled, "Aw... did that man try to help you?"

"He... he... he... is my father!" she proudly cried out. The brave young girl knew that the man behind her was helping her father's slayer. She couldn't get away now.

"Well was your father anyways," he laughed, "Of course, you're just a 'was' too..."

"But I'm still al..."

It was too late. Before she could say another word, a sharp metallic dagger appeared right in front of her face, impaled into her heart. Gasping sharply, her legs gave way beneath her. As her breath faded away, the last thing she was his body, another skeleton. Just another Skeleton... as it was thrown to the muddy shores by an arrow.

"Damn!" the man yelled out as he pulled another arrow from his quiver, "What are you guys anyway? This is the third time this week..."

"We answer to no one but the lord!" The skeleton pulled an arrow out of his back and snapped it in to. The arrow itself actually had red blood on it, as if he was wounded.

The two Stalfos ran as fast as they could towards the Lakeside Laboratory, but the young male Zora was catching up very fast. They disappeared behind the back of the building and then they were gone. The male Zora stopped in his tracks and turned around. Two of his people were dead and one was even a child! He had to get to King Zora so that he could declare this place unsafe until further notice.

Deep forests surrounded Lake Hylia, which is why every Zora took a shortcut to get there. The forests were protected by an ancient spell that transformed normal mortals into Stalfos, but those skeletons created were confined to the forest for their whole life. The spell, somehow, was getting weaker. But they had attacked no other part of Hyrule yet.

The young male Zora, once a master bodyguard's apprentice, had been one of only few to see these skeletons in action. They came in mystery and escaped the same way. Already in Zora's domain there have been 10 deaths, all by fatal sword wounds. Well... 12 now.

The apprentice, who went by the name of Kasuto, was under very strict orders now. His mission: to search and destroy the creatures and avenge their first victim, his master. And he wasn't like any other Zora. He was a crossbreed between another Zora-like creature from the neighboring kingdom, Lolaw, and his father from Hyrule. His skin was pure indigo and his fins were much sharper than a normal Zoras. Kasuto was only 12 and already he was taking a lot of responsibility. As a younger child he cut many people, even the princess herself. The princess of the Zoras... he shuddered every time he thought of that selfish, stuck up girl. Even though everyone rejected him for being different, that girl did nothing more that chase him around like an obsessed fan-girl hunting down Blink 182.

His shoulders cringed as her squeaky, annoying voice came into the air, causing every living thing around to run. Why did she have to follow him and most of all, why him anyways?

"KKKKASSSSUTTTOO!!!!" The Princess cried out, "How could you leave me behind at the domain!"

"I didn't leave you behind... I tied you to a chair behind the waterfall," Kasuto mumbled to himself, turn around and bowing to the princess, "your majesty... please forgive me."

She offered her hand to the kneeling bodyguard and smiled.

"Kiss it and rise up, Kasuto..." Ruto grinned, "I must say that you are looking quite... oh my god..." She stopped admiring him for a moment when her eyes drifted behind him, where the two bodies lay. Her mind turned away from him and to the bodies. "Kasuto... is that... is that... Schala...?"

Watching her body waver slightly, Kasuto sighed. This would also be the third time THIS happened. She follows him to Lake Hylia, and then faints over the blood from anyone killed. He strictly told the King to make sure she didn't follow, but not even her father could control her. She was a wild spirit... who would one day rule the waters of Hyrule.

"Yes... princess..." he looked down, "I was too late to save her."

"I... I... I..." and her eyes rolled to the back of her head once again. The perfect symbol of princess. She couldn't take blood or violence for that matter.

Kasuto quickly got to his feet and caught her, although he wished that he wasn't that nice to do such a thing. Oh no... she hit her head on a rock and is now in a 10 yearlong coma! He laughed to himself and laid her down on the beach away from the bodies. Now he would have to tell the King AGAIN about her "frailty" as he called it. But something more had to be done about the skeletons. This wasn't just a matter of the Zoras anymore. The King of Hyrule would have to be notified now, before anyone else was killed.

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This was the third song now that he had Saria in his arms. Mido peeked out of his door every song to see the two together and sulked back into his house. No one even noticed that Mido was gone from the party. Link couldn't seem to let her go and now they weren't even an inch apart. As the party began to slow down and the food and presents were already given out, the night calmed down. Her head rested on his shoulder as they swayed side to side. He secretly kept on smelling her hair and rubbing her back gently. The hero of time couldn't help it at all. His 17 year-old mind took over his 10 year-old body.

The party went on like this for hours. But slowly, as the night crept on, the stars started to disappear. No one noticed this of course. In fact, no one did notice until the moon disappeared from the night sky. Their one 'light bulb' next to the bon fire was gone. A panic struck the party as they kept on looking up. This didn't affect the couple at all until the music stopped. When all the stars were gone, that was it. The party was over.

"Link... what's going on?" Saria even had a little panic in her voice, "I've never seen anything like this before! Why did the stars disappear?"

"I'm not....WHOA!!!!" Link suddenly held on to Saria very tightly.

The ground shook fiercely as thunder from the sky hit the forest floor. And in less than a minute the sky began lighting up, with lightning. The thunder became more intense, and all of the kids were screaming for dear life now. No one but Link had ever seen a thunderstorm before and now all of the kids would experience their first.

"Li... Link?" Saria whimpered, holding on to Link as well, "can we... go inside please?"

"Yes... let's go now," Link looked to everyone who were still running around in a panic, "It's just water everyone! Just inside and you'll be safe, I promise!"

Suddenly, a large bolt of lightning came down near the village, in the Deku tree's meadow. By now, everyone but Link and Saria were in their houses as the two of them made sure everyone got in safely. Link stopped in his tracks and looked up at the leaves of his adopted father; they were burning. He started to run to the entrance of the meadow when another scream came to his ears.

It was Saria now. She was on her knees, holding her hands to her chest as if her heart was about to burst out. Quickly glancing to the fire and then back to Saria, Link sprinted back to his best friend, knowing he couldn't leave her behind in the rain.

"Saria!" He came up and knelt to her, obviously concerned, "What's wrong? Saria, please answer me!"

"The Great Deku Tree..." Saria struggled to speak, "I can feel it... he's being attacked by more than lightning and fire... its..."

She screamed out in unreal pain as another lightning bolt struck in the Great Deku Tree's meadow. Then, the world turned black for her. Saria slumped over in Link's arms, a sigh coming from her mouth as she landed on him.

"Saria...? SARIA!" Link desperately shook her, "What's wrong Saria! Oh... man... please wake up!!!"

Sniffling slightly he picked up her unconscious body and quickly got her into bed, figuring he'd deal with one thing at a time. Thankfully she was still breathing, but nothing had ever effected her this much to cause her to pass out. Knowing he didn't have much time, he grabbed her blanket and placed it softly over her shoulders.

"Please be okay, Saria..." Link whispered in her ear, petting her hair behind her ears gently, "I'll be back in a couple of minutes, just hang tight for now."

Before leaving her, the hero of time brushed her bangs away from her forehead and planted a small kiss onto it. His conern was rising as her face began to pale up quickly, but with the Deku tree in real danger, he had to leave soon. Link jumped up to his tree house and grabbed the Kokiri sword, taking Saria's words into careful consideration. She always had a higher perception of the spirits in the forest and almost a direct connection with the Deku Tree. If something else were there with the Great Deku Tree, she would know.

As he looked down at the Kokiri sword, a weird sense came over him. As if he knew that whoever was with the Deku tree was more powerful than the Kokiri sword and him could handle, he picked up the last thing that could help him, his last resort of course... the Fierce Deity's mask.

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The hero of time stood in front of the blazing tree with the Kokiri sword in one hand and a Deku shield in the other. His adopted father didn't move a bit, but the flames igniting from the dry leaves on him made him more lively than ever. As Link tried to approach the tree further, something happened to the Deku tree.

The fire, which seemed pretty natural, bounced off his branches onto the ground. They started taking forms... shapes of monsters and beasts alike. Wolfos, Keese, and other monsters Link immediately recognized appeared in flames before his very eyes. This fire was very much alive, Link now knew, and not in the way that he thought previously. Saria was right, there was something more than the fire and lightning. It was an entity all of its own.

Taking a defensive stance, Link prepared to fight all of them. He remembered all of their weaknesses from the information Navi used to give him all the time. 'I'll make you proud...' he thought to himself as Navi's form popped into his mind. Tossing off the Deku shield, knowing it would be useless against fire, the hero of time narrowed his eyes and grinned. The fighting spirit he had in Termina came back, and once again he knew he would prove why he was the hero of time.

Cocky and well trained, Link jumped into the fray in an instant. He immediately went for the Flaming Wolfos, who was the biggest and deadliest threat he could see. The fire keese continually flew around him and the Deku baba couldn't even get close enough to hit him, even though they tried repeatedly. Slash after slash, Link seemed to be winning, no contest. None of the monsters could touch him. They wouldn't die though either, and Link started to doubt how long his endurance would last him. After all, he didn't have the muscular body he did when he was 17. The fire from the branches kept on producing more, more deadlier beasts that came after Link as quickly as he took one down.

When the fire had completely left the Deku Tree's branches, a huge flaming wall of fire beasts surround Link. He kept turning around, waiting for an attack, but nothing came. The monsters slowly started to become one. And in a matter of minutes, a huge fiery bird emerged. Link knew then, that his ten year-old body couldn't handle this alone.

Gripping the sword tightly, Link charged for the bird. Using a little warrior's intuition, he tried to assume that the bird's head was its weak point. But hitting that point seemed impossible. No other point would work either. He didn't have any exterior organs or even a small vein to puncture. After about 5 tries and no successful hits, it became painfully obvious that he couldn't touch it.

Slipping his hand into his belt, he unfastened the Fierce Deity's mask from it and held it up. Hopefully, he thought, the results would be the same as in Termina.

The same heart-wrenching scream came from him as he put on the mask as any transforming mask did. His very soul and form disappeared into nothing as a cloud of smoke gathered around Link's agonized body. The bird flew back slightly as the energy from the mask became enormous. As the clouds faded away, a new form to Hyrule stood before the Great Deku Tree, Ion.

Before the bird could beat its wings to keep it afloat, Ion's double bladed sword ripped through the fire with ease. And faster than Majora's mask went down, so did the bird. Ion slid to a stop and sheathed the sword, grinning.

"Heh... this is boring, THAT was all I had to do..." Ion scowled, "Where's Majora's mask when you need it... at least that took me a minute..."

Ion looked back up at the tree and grinned even further.

"So... you're Link's old man?" Ion tilted his head and crossed his arms around his chest.

"Thou... canst be here, evil one." The Deku tree simply replied.

"Oh I think you're wrong, I'll be here a lot more often," Ion grinned as far as he could, "don't you feel it too, old man?"

"Thy belong in another world, another place...perhaps another time?"

"Well... I guess I was confined in the mask for a reason," Ion coldly turned away from him, "Don't worry, you'll be seeing me a lot more,"

The older-looking, blue-haired Hylian, turned away and started for the exit, laughing.

"And Link's fine, he can see all of this happening," Ion nodded, "I'll return once I get to the green-haired girl's house, he wants to see her."

"You shall not..."

"Succeed? Oh trust me old man, I'm not here to take over Hyrule or even help the ones that will! But the more he depends on me, the further he will slip away from you and this world."

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Author's notes: So here's how I see it, Ion is actually like Majora, an entity. Own personality, can even talk to the one who's wearing its mask, and gives the wearer unseen abilities. Ion will become a big part in later chapters. I'm not too good at battle scenes yet, as you can see. Bigger battles will come though.
Chapter III: The Foreboding Dream. As every adventure starts, a dream will haunt Zelda and Link. But the sages too? What's with the fading curse, the storm, and the Skeletons anyways? It's only the beginning as the truth comes into play. And the little fairy returns, in a bizarre role.