Inspiration: Majora's Mask.

Author Note: This chapter is not the crucible, but the pre-crucible events, sorry.

Word Count: 4,354

Chapter 28

The night of the Moonlight Crucible, several hours before the event: Link's POV

The past two days came and went like a thief in the night, and now it was the evening of the lunar tetra. I would need to depart soon. The ride to Mount Hebra was four hours from Hyrule Castle. I would have to maintain my stamina and pace myself, but it was imperative that I arrive before the moon was at its reddest, before midnight. I didn't like imagining what Saria was possibly being put through with those despicable vipers, but I suspect she would have a lot of scars mentally and physically when the ordeal was over. I still had not spoken to my dear friend since that fateful day in the Sacred Forest Meadow, and I was incredibly worried about her.

Don't lose hope Saria, I thought, I'm coming for you.

Currently, I was getting dressed for my departure, keeping my gear simple: with a tunic, hunting pants, a satchel, and hunting boots. In the satchel I had the Fierce Diety's Mask and gold potions. This was going to be an arduous night, I didn't want to go unprepared. My true strength would come when I donned the Fierce Diety's Mask, so there would be no need for me to take unnecessary weapons. Bulking with equipment was not sustainable for maneuverability. However, I wouldn't don the mask until I arrived near or at Mount Hebra.

My focus was razor sharp. I knew what needed to be done. I had to get Saria back not just for her sake, but for the sake of her husband as well. The more I thought about Ralph, the guiltier I felt for pursuing his wife. I desecrated their marriage vows along with my own due to my selfishness. I would spend the rest of my life atoning for my sin if I could. I would protect his family, look out for his children, make sure they had everything they needed –anything to expiate the betrayal I placed upon him.

The world is beyond just you and Saria, Link, I told myself, you know that.

I did indeed understand that, but the past could not be undone. I was tightening my gauntlets, when suddenly the door to the bedroom opened. In walked my wife Zelda along with a guard, whom she promptly dismissed.

"You may go," she said to him softly.

The guard bowed while placing his hand over his heart.

"Yes my queen," he replied.

At the guard's departure, I glanced at my wife through the long vanity mirror I was standing in front of, then turned to greet her.

"Good evening Zelda," I said quietly.

She curtsied.

"Good evening Link," she replied. Afterwards, she walked over to me and gave me a quick once over. "Are you ready?" she asked. "Do you have everything you need?"

I raised my brows, not sure those questions were ever really suitable for situations like this.

"I think so," I replied anyway, "I'm as prepared as I can be."

Zelda nodded.

"And the mask?" she asked.

I looked at her mildly taken aback.

"What mask?" I replied.

Zelda raised a brow and turned from me to walk to the center of the room. She sat down at the table.

"Let's not be coy Link," she replied, "you know what I speak of. I'm talking about the Fierce Diety's Mask."

My surprise never left me. This woman knew everything. I hadn't even told her I had it. I walked over to where she was sitting and addressed her.

"How did you know it was in my company?" I asked.

She looked up at me from her seated position.

"I'm more aware of what goes on in this court than you give me credit for my dear husband," she said. "As soon as I heard the Happy Mask Salesman came to visit you little while ago, I knew exactly what he gave you. How else would you become the Sun Prince without the mask?"

She made a compelling argument. I was impressed. I had no rebuttal.

"I apologize for keeping the truth from you," I said, "I didn't understand its significance until much later myself. He claimed it was a gift for Daphnes."

Zelda was quiet for a long time before she replied.

"A gift for Daphnes…" she repeated in a whisper, "I'm sure he assumes so, but not in the way he thinks."

She uttered that last part more to herself, but I wanted more insight into her thoughts anyway.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

She took in a deep sigh and met my eyes again.

"It's nothing," she replied.

I shook my head.

"Don't give me that," I replied, "of course it's something, otherwise you wouldn't have said it. Now please, share your thoughts with me."

Zelda again got quiet. I assumed she was weighing the pros and the cons in her head. She finally spoke up again.

"The Happy Mask Salesman is a strange, but interesting man," she started, "no one knows how old he truly is, but anytime he makes an appearance it's because he knows something more than he is willing to reveal. He is not a sage, but he is devious and clever. There have been rumors that he has made deals with unsavory forces to prolong his life –his coming into the possession of Majora's Mask and the Fierce Diety's Mask is evidence of that. His claim regarding Daphnes was not mere words. In his on twisted mind he meant what he said."

I stared at my wife more concerned.

"Are you saying he threatened our son's life?" I demanded.

She shook her head.

"No, not necessarily threaten," she replied, "but he's like a jester, a riddler if you will. His play on words is part of his mystique. He was not threatening our son, but instead letting us know of his importance."

I still didn't like the sound of that.

"Does Daphnes have anything to do with what is happening tonight?" I demanded. "If so, I will not leave him."

Zelda looked up at me and smiled. It was a sincere smile. I think she was grateful I was so protective of our child. However, why wouldn't I be? I loved my son to no end. I didn't want anything to happen to him.

"No, Daphnes has nothing to do with tonight," she reassured, "but that does not negate the fact that the Happy Mask Salesman mentioned him. We need to be careful going forward."

I agreed with that, but the warning was still too vague for me.

"So to put it simply, you're telling me he is a trouble maker?" I countered.

Zelda smirked and nodded.

"Exactly," she said, "but he can be sinister when he wants to. There is an ambivalence to him that is compelling. He neither loves nor hates Hyrule. He simply wants excitement to read and write about."

I found him irritating personally.

"The man is insane," I said bluntly, "and if I find out he has more to do with this than he is letting on, he will be thrown into prison."

Zelda wasn't so sure about that.

"He's an elusive fellow Link," she warned, "you may not see or hear from him again after tonight for many years."

I wasn't so sure about that.

"We'll just have to wait and see," I said, checking my gauntlets again, "if I cross paths with him, he will know."

Zelda stared at me and grinned.

"Indeed he will, but not the way you purport," she said.

I was getting tired of all this double talk.

"Zelda…" I trailed with a hint of impatience, "what does that even mean?"

My wife sensed my frustration and grabbed my hand.

"I'm not trying to be difficult, really," she whispered, "the Happy Mask Salesman is just unpredictable. I have nothing direct to tell you about him, but just to be careful. Tonight is a night that many Interlopers have been looking forward to for hundreds of years," she whispered, "this is no small matter."

I was well aware of that and I appreciated her reassurances.

"I will do everything in my power to stop the crucible and get Saria back to her family, you can count on that," I said. "I will not let them destroy Hyrule."

At Saria's name Zelda looked away, and there was a brief silence between us just then. However, I caught the look Zelda tried to conceal and addressed it.

"Zelda?" I asked.

She didn't reply. I then knelt down in front of her and took hold of her hands. It was apparent that the mentioning of Saria made her uncomfortable.

"Are you alright?" I asked softly.

She avoided my eyes and nodded.

"I'm fine," she whispered.

She wasn't very convincing, so I decided to address the apparent lizalfos in the room. I couldn't expect us to move forward without at least acknowledging the pain I caused her. She deserved at least that.

"I think we... I think we should talk about what happened," I said softly.

Zelda paused, obviously not an advocate for this.

"We don't have to," she stated.

I shook my head, but I understood her deflection.

"We need to," I replied, and added, "Zelda… I'm so sorry for the hurt I put upon you. I will never betray you in such a way again."

Tears filled her eyes at my words, but she didn't let them spill over. She didn't reply right away. She appeared forlorn.

"I appreciate that Link," she whispered with a slightly broken voice.

I squeezed her hands gently when the tears rolled down her cheeks.

"I was wrong," I whispered, "terribly wrong, no matter how difficult things were and are between us, I had no right to do what I did. If you do not trust me any longer, I understand. I will work hard to try and win your trust back. However, if you feel that has been absolved, then I can live with that. I will not force you to forgive me when it was I who betrayed you."

Her chest caved a little when she looked me in the eyes again.

"I just want you to be happy Link," she said, "but I am aware of the pain I caused you too. I am aware of my own sins. I hope one day you can truly forgive me, but if you cannot, I understand that as well. I just want us to live together in peace."

Her shaky voice and susceptible disposition made my heart melt. I took her in my arms and held her tight. She finally did cry when I couldn't see her face. She was such a lady and she did everything to keep her dignity intact, but she was also a beautiful vulnerable woman. Zelda deserved to be loved and respected like no other. I needed to try. I needed to give our marriage a chance. I had done so much damage already that I was surprised she was willing to be so civil with me in the aftermath. In many ways, I did not deserve Zelda. She was a one of a kind woman with a one of a kind mind.

She squeezed her gently in my arms.

"I will forgive you one day," I said honestly, "I just need to work my way through everything. However, I won't let that prevent me from doing the right thing going forward."

Zelda pulled back at my words and caressed my cheek.

"Thank you," she said, "I will try to overlook my misgivings with you as well. I will do my best to try and move forward."

I nodded and wiped the tears from her cheeks. I hated to see her cry. After Zelda got herself composed, she attempted a smile.

"I'm glad we spoke about this," she said.

I nodded.

"Me too." I replied.

However, in true Zelda fashion, this conversation was not her intention of coming to see me this evening. She had something more significant to discuss. She changed the subject to the more pressing issue.

"Before you leave tonight, I have something important I want to share with you," she said.

At her words, I then stood up and gave her my undivided attention. At that time, I noticed the book on the table: The Ancient Mysteries of Hyrule. It was apparent she was going to speak about some information she found from there. I read the story of Majora and the Sun Prince, but admittedly I did not get to finish the story related to the Moonlight Crucible. I finished most of it, but the ending was what I wasn't exactly privy to. Zelda opened the book to the corresponding chapters related to the Moonlight Crucible, and already had a marker with where she wanted to read from.

"There is some information here I don't want you to forget as you ride to Mount Hebra," she started.

I appreciated her concern, but it was never cut and dry with Zelda. There was always something deeper with her.

"Alright," I replied anyway.

She ran her fingers over the decaying transcript.

"There's a passage in here that directly correlates to tonight," she explained, "I want you to listen carefully."

I crossed my arms over my chest, having a feeling where she was going to read from.

"You have my ears my lady," I said.

With that, Zelda started reading:

"The Moonlight Crucible happens once or twice in a five hundred year span. It must be opened by someone. The moon is a beacon, a doorway, to an unholy power. The crucible must be opened by darkness and unified by light. The Moon Goddess grants power to her Dark Maiden and Priestess, while at the same time The Goddess of Light provides power to her hero, the Sun Prince. The evening of the lunar tetra is a quadratic principle to those of the Interloper faith. The four blood moons are harmonious luminaries and a sign from the Goddess of Darkness. The flow of energy will be seen in a sign and signs from the heavens above.

Once more… the Moonlight Crucible must be opened by someone. If successful, the land will be purged into darkness. The moon will come closer the earth. The Moon Goddess will use it as a vehicle to rid herself of those who do not want to serve her. The sun will darken and the moon will turn to blood. The stars in the heavens will fall, and the two ancient queens in conflict will be in conflict no longer. Darkness will prevail and the Son of Destruction will once again come forth and act as an avenger to the Moon Goddess. Again… the Moonlight Crucible must be opened by someone…"

Once she stopped reading, I couldn't hide the intrigue from my face.

"I have read that passage several times and certain things still don't make sense to me," I admitted. "In the first part of the passage is where my confusion begins. What is this power the book speaks of granted to Majora and the Sun Prince by the Goddess of Light and the Goddess of Darkness?"

Zelda nodded, understanding my misperception.

"The power of Majora is granted by the Moon Goddess," she explained, "the power given to the Sun Prince is given from Hylia herself, and I must say, it is an awesome gift. It is an existential power, something that will make each servant stronger by their prospective goddess."

I stared at her surprised.

"There is more power granted than even that of the Fierce Diety's Mask?" I asked.

She nodded.

"You are correct, but partly," she said, "It is through the Fierce Diety's Mask that Hylia grants her power, and trust me, you will know when it has been given to you. It is power beyond anything you can imagine Link. However, that is only if certain requirements are met."

Now I was starting to wonder.

"What requirements?" I asked.

Zelda looked back down at the book.

"I really can't say," she uttered softly, "but you will know when the time comes."

That wasn't the answer I was looking for.

"Zelda this is important," I said.

She nodded again.

"I am aware of that," she said, "I still can't tell you."

I took in a deep sigh of mild frustration, but I didn't press the issue. Instead, I changed the subject.

"Fine, what is the 'sign and signs from the heavens'?" I asked.

Zelda shook her head and looked slightly troubled.

"I'm not sure," she said honestly, "but I'm certain it will be hard to miss."

The explanation was pretty obvious. I decided on a different approach.

"Why do you suppose the author used the syntax of 'sign and signs'?" I inquired. "What would be the difference?"

Zelda stared at me thoughtfully.

"A definitive article along with a plural article… that is interesting," she said more to herself. "I think you might want to look for the signs in that way: one definitive one followed by many simultaneous ones."

That seemed to make sense.

I continued.

"Will the sun darken?" I went on. "Will the moon really turn to blood? That seems impossible."

Zelda wasn't so sure about my statement.

"Anything is impossible until it isn't," she said, "never doubt the goddesses."

It was a sobering thought.

"I don't doubt them," I said, "but would they allow the land to succumb to such evil? Hyrule is their creation."

She was quiet for a long time before she answered.

"I… I don't think the goddesses have too much of a choice in the matter if this is being brought about by the darkness within Hylia herself," she said carefully. "They may not be able to stop except by the means they allowed to be divulged."

It was the first time she put it that way.

"Then she is the summoner of this Son of Destruction too?" I asked.

Again, Zelda got quiet.

"Not Hylia… but her darkness," she whispered, "her inversion."

The more I thought about this latter part, the more uneasy I got.

"Zelda…" I started, "who… who is this Son of Destruction?"

My wife looked away and didn't answer. That was telling.

"Zelda?" I pressed.

She swallowed hard then turned back to meet my eyes.

"The Son of Destruction is… Demise," she whispered.

My eyes widened.

"What?" I replied.

She nodded.

"That's why you must be successful," she said, "that's why you must go forth. That's why you better hope that… that… that Saria is not pregnant with your child."

Her words hit me like a sobriety unguent. My breathing quickened when I realized what my actions could truly bring. I had to go and stop this madness from coming unto the world.

"I must go," I said quietly, then walked away from the table and went and fetched my cloak to keep me disguised.

While I was putting it on, Zelda got up from the table and came up behind. She wrapped her arms around me waist and rested her head against my back when I was done.

"Please…" she whispered, "please be careful Link."

I ran my hand over her arms.

"I will," I promised.

Zelda squeezed me tighter.

"You must come back to me," she went on, "I need you."

Her words made my guilt sting.

"I promise to come back to you," I reassured, "I won't abandon you."

I then turned so I could look her in the eyes.

Zelda's eyes filled with tears again when she stared at me. She reached up and kissed me tenderly on the lips. I kissed her back, but then was surprised with what she informed me about next.

"I have a confession to make," she whispered, "I'm… I'm pregnant Link. I'm having another baby."

My eyes widened at the news.

"What?" I whispered back.

She nodded.

"Please don't forget that when you're out there," she replied, then reached up and kissed me again.

My heart raced, and I nodded when she pulled away.

"I won't," I promised.

Zelda then let me go and stepped back.

"Godspeed my king," she whispered. "Stop the darkness from entering into the world. Do what you were meant to do –what you were born to do Link– go save Hyrule."

The encouragement in her face and manner was all I needed in that moment. I hooded myself and put my hand over my heart. Afterwards, I kneeled to her and made this vow.

"With the last breath in my body, I will save Hyrule my queen," I promised, "and I will come back to you to raise our family and protect the kingdom."

Zelda looked at me with pride when I rose.

"Go," she whispered.

I nodded, then turned and left via the secret passageway. I was on my way to stop a group of madmen.

~SSS~

Near the bluffs of Mount Hebra: The Happy Mask Salesman

Hello there.

It took me several days to get to the right spot for the upcoming event, but now my view was just right. The snows of Mount Hebra were cold and uninviting, but my fire, logs and food supplies made for more comfortable surroundings. I looked at my watch and it read nine and a half hours past noon. The sun was long gone and a round reddish moon was rising higher and higher in the sky. The luminary looked ominous to be quite honest, but the significance of its color was all too mesmerizing. What would be the outcome of tonight? Who would arise as the victor? It made me think of one of my favorite passages in The Ancient Mysteries of Hyrule. In fact, I was going to read a passage or two to ready myself for the evening. I read this book many times. I could probably recite certain passages by heart. It had been many years and a long time coming for the Interlopers to see this night. Would they actually be successful? Would the Moon Goddess really show her face?

I opened the book to the chapter called "The Rider of the Crucible," one of my personal favorites. I scanned the page and looked for the specific reading I wanted to procure.

"Aww, here it is," I whispered.

I tapped on the text and cleared my throat before I started reading.

The passage read:

"The Moonlight crucible must be opened by someone. The union of the Sun Prince and the Dark Maiden will produce a seed of destruction. The moon will illuminate the seed and mark the pathway to the Moon Goddess. But lo, should the seed of destruction be false, the avenger that was once promised for the Goddess of Darkness will then be moved the Goddess of Light. The avenger will be the Prince of Suns and a protector of the land. The power granted him by the Goddess of Light will give him insight and courage manifold. The sword in his possession will be used as a beacon of power to scourge the darkness and break the Dark Maiden. However, should the seed of destruction be present, the Priestess known as Majora will receive powers from the savior the Goddess of Darkness. The priestess will end the Dark Maiden's life as a fitting vessel of blood and water. Darkness will engulf the world and a new history will be created. Once more… the Moonlight Crucible must be opened by someone…"

What an intriguing read. The avenger would actually switch places if the seed produced was false. That would mean if the Sun Prince would then become the avenger. What a turn of events that would be! How would he exact revenge? What would he do to the Interlopers now gathering at the Bathory Manor. What is this going to mean for the beautiful young noble now in love with the king? Was the lady a worthy priestess? Will she beg for mercy should her plans foil? I would have to wait and see.

In the distance, I took note of a rider riding expediently in my direction. The rider was on a white horse and charging at full speed. He looked to be about an hour from the mountain, but I could see him… I could see him.

"The Sun Prince…" I whispered.

However, he had not yet donned the mask, so he was still just the king. I remember meeting that young lad years ago in my mask shop. I saw the potential in him then. He sold all the masks I offered him anf made me famous all over Hyrule by doing so. Later, he procured my most precious mask for me… Majora's Mask. What an agreeable fellow! I do not know if I could venture forth as a young lad into another realm to find a mask, especially if it was the land of the dead. The bravery he had to go and be a victor. Now here he is riding to the mountains, riding to vanquish evil, riding to save a loved on, riding to keep his kingdom safe. The hero was indeed the keeper of Hyrule's gates, but would he be successful tonight? Would he rise to the occasion the way he has so many times before?

I continued to watch him ride in the distance.

We'll just have to wait and see, I thought, wait and see indeed.

The Moonlight Crucible WILL be next lol, sorry.