A/n: Sorry it took me so long to post, I hope I didn't lose anyone. No one reviewed that last chapter, and that kinda worries me. However, I know people are still viewing it, I just wish I could get some feedback… I hope I don't sound too whiney, and I'm sorry for being so needy. I would just like to know what I can improve on, so if you have some extra time, please just give me something I can work on. PLEASE!

Well, here's the chapter. I hope that plot it becoming a little more interesting.

Chapter 13: A Mess of Explanations

The skull kid skipped back to his new dark master. He was a puppet, a mindless drone. It hadn't been long ago, that the skull kid was dancing in the woods with his fairy friend to a strange tune. At that time, the dark figure had felt a stirring. This man knew something had awakened, and that he must begin making preparations. So he came out of his hiding place, deep in the forest, and happened upon the little skull kid.

It was this unfortunate happening that brought the skull kid here, to once again be used by another ancient evil.

The dark master awaited the skull kid's arrival atop the Clock Tower. He had seen the prior events, and was far from pleased.

"I thought I told you to destroy them both." The skull kid's master said angrily upon his entrance. The little skull kid put his nose to the air.

"And where's the fun in that?"

The man had unfortunately been unable to wipe the mischievousness from the skull kid in his attempt to make him his servant. He pounded his fist on the table.

"I told you to kill them both. They are a threat to us, and now that they both know of our location, we are in even greater danger." He said through gritted teeth. The skull kid shrugged.

"Don't worry Master." The skull kid comforted. "We will easily be able to take care of them."

Link wiped the sweat from his brow as they walked into the Stock Pot Inn, located in West clock Town. A little red-head stood worriedly at the counter. She forced a smile as the five of them walked in. Naomi and the other girls approached the counter as Arian pulled Link aside.

"If we get a room for the night." Arian whispered to Link. "What am I going to do? Should I just run around out in the field?" Link patted Arian on the shoulder.

"Don't worry." He said casually. "We'll get two rooms, one for the girls and one for us."

Naomi began speaking with the girl at the desk.

"Hello, do you happen to have any rooms available?" Naomi smiled. The girl looked around her.

"Huh?"

Naomi's smile dropped from her face. Aura and Amy had gained a worried expression as well.

"Is this an Inn or is the name misleading?" Aura asked. The girl at the counter rubbed her eyes.

"Oh, I'm sorry… it's just… Welcome to Stock Pot Inn." She suddenly gained a jovial attitude, surprising the three. It was then that Link came to the counter. Tatl flew out of Link's hat.

"Hey Anju!" The little yellow fairy squeaked. "Do you remember us?" Anju glanced dreamily at Link with the two fairies dancing above his head. It was then that her memory of the little green hero came back.

"You!" She gasped. "You can help us!" Link's eyes widened; not again. Amy glared in angry suspicion.

"What do you need his help for?" She asked in an accusing manner. Anju seemed more than happy to answer.

"Well," She started, realizing she wasn't really sure how to explain. It was then that a small blue-haired child came waltzing in behind her.

"Anju dear, your mother is getting hungry, although, she told me not to tell you… and she keeps calling me Tortus…"

Link's eyes widened even more. Even Tatl let out a surprised squeak. Naomi, however, leaned over the counter.

"Is this your little brother?" She asked naively. Link choked. He quickly grabbed Naomi and pulled her away from the counter.

"No that's her…" Link began to say through clenched teeth, but the little blue haired boy finished for him.

"Husband. Yes, I'm her husband… and before you say anything, I would like you to know that I am not ten, as I may look, but am really near my late twenties thank you very much."

The three girls and Arian were very confused. Link sighed as Tatl began explaining.

"This is Kafei!" She began. "A long time ago, when the skull kid was taken over by the mask, he was turned into a child by the mischievous little skull kid, or should I say… Majora's Mask!!!" The four of them were still greatly confused, but not as much as before. Anju continued with her explanation despite the unresolved confusion.

"And I still haven't been able to turn Kafei back into a man." She said with a slight sob. "We've been trying for nearly seven years, you know, since you left." She indicated to Link.

"Man, you should've come to me." Tatl said to Anju. "I would've told you what you need to do." Anju became hopeful.

"Please," She pleaded the fairy. "Tell me!" She fairy flew behind Link, slightly afraid of Anju's desperation.

"Well…" Navi pushed Tatl back to the front. "Tell her!" Tatl squeaked again.

"I was going to!" She cleared her throat. "Just go to the four temples and summon the giants again, I'm sure they can reverse the mask's power." Though Tatl wasn't actually certain of this, her argument seemed convincing. Anju became despairing again.

"I would go, but I have to take care of my mother. She's still not eating."

"My Deku… still? After seven years? Of Not Eating?!!! How long can one hold on???" Tatl exclaimed. A short silence followed, which was ended by Kafei.

"I will go my dear. You stay here and take care of your mother." He said.

"No!" Anju exclaimed. "You are far too vulnerable as a child, and I don't want to lose you again." She bent down and hugged the little boy; an act which was followed by the sound of a tearing fairy.

"Oh…" sniffed Tatl. Navi began to snivel to. "Link…" She whined. "We have to…"

"Yeah, I know." Link sighed. "Tomorrow I'll go and see what I can do." Anju jumped up to thank him.

"Don't mention it." Tatl squeaked. Link then decided to get back on task.

"We were just going to ask if you had a couple rooms available for us?" Link asked. Amy was immediately suspicious.

"A couple?" She stared at him.

"Yes, a couple. One for you girls, and one for us guys."

"Ehem."

"And the two fairies." Link finished after Tatl and Navi 'ehemed'.

"You mean we get our own room?"

"No, you two are rooming with us." Link told the fairies. They didn't seem too disappointed.

"I call dibs on the pointy end!" Tatl squeaked and then flew into Link's hat.

"Hey no fair!" Navi called after her. She quickly followed Tatl into his long green hat. Link sighed.

"But as I was saying." He began again, but Anju had already produced two keys for him.

"Here you go." She said with a smile. "And I hope you enjoy your stay at Stock Pot Inn, and don't forget your promise." Anju handed the Hylian his keys. Link then handed one of the keys to Naomi, keeping one for himself.

"Alright," Naomi said, "Let's go drop our stuff off in our rooms." She then scurried up the steps, followed by Aura and Amy.

"I'll go try to talk to giants first thing in the morning." Link said to Arian as they followed the girls up the stairs.

"Think you'll need any help?" Arian asked. Link answered his question with the shaking of his head.

"I don't want to have to worry about any one," A shriek interrupted him. "…else…" He sighed as they began running to see if the girls were alright. They had already gone into their room, but the door was still open. Arian and Link came running in.

"What is it?" Arian asked worriedly, but the girls were rather amused as Naomi leaned against the support beam for one of the two bunk beds.

"He startled me, that's all." Naomi said as she panted. She grew a smile as she caught her breath.

"Who?"

"Me." The voice of the old man answered Link. The two boys turned sharply to see that the old man from Ikana canyon was sitting in one of the room's chairs.

"I'm sorry I left so abruptly, but I remembered I had forgotten to buy something at the store, and now that I was down here, I thought I ought to see how you all were doing." He said in his raspy voice. The girls were still laughing at Naomi's reaction. The old man smiled as well.

"How did you know we were here?" Arian asked.

"Why did you assume I came here to see you?" Came a question response. Arian was dumfounded. The old man took this short silence to begin a mystical explanation. He turned to Link.

"So I see you have met the forces of the Night's Army, eh?" He asked. Link shrugged as he pulled up a chair next to the old man. The girls took a seat on the bunk beds while Arian pulled up a chair for himself.

"How did you know?" Link asked; it was a very redundant question, but what else would one have said? The old man laughed.

"Lucky guess." He replied. "I knew you had the Black Sword, so it was inevitable that you would meet them at some time."

"The what sword?" Amy cut in, her suspicions of Link being a thief were suddenly brought back, even though she knew now that he had not stolen her island's jewel. Sakon had, and she would have to find him… later.

The old man ignored Amy's comment, continuing with his oddly convenient explanation.

"Did you know that this sword was actually a key, that once kept a door locked?" He asked Link. The Hylian drew out the sword and took a close look at it. Tatl and Navi came out of Link's hat to have a look at it as well.

"Link… It must have been keeping whatever was in there locked inside, or something." Navi said quietly to Link. The old man nodded.

"Yes, it was keeping something locked inside. It was quite a big something actually. A nameless power from before the worlds even existed. Of course I'm sure he has given himself a name now, possibly one similar to what the ancient races called him long ago. It was back when Termina and Hyrule were both one world."

Link put the sword back into his scabbard.

"You mean that they were both one world, and not parallel… whatevers?" Aura asked from her perch on one of the top bunks. The old man smiled at her.

"Yes… You see, the four giants, rulers of this world, and the three goddesses once lived in harmony with each other… and then there were the two forces."

"Hey!" Tatl interrupted. "Four, three, two… where's one?"

"There is no one."

"Oh." The fairy ended, and the old man continued.

"In the beginning, there were three different races, one of which is nearly dead save for one person." He said mysteriously. Link had the feeling that the old man was hiding something from them, but he let him continue his random explanation. "That race was the Nynians, they were the ancestors to the Zoras, only they were much more like Hylians save for their special abilities. Another race was the Draconians, dragon people. I doubt you will be able to find them any more either. Their race has evolved and there are few like the original. Then there were Hyrulians; the ancestors of all men in Termina, Hyrule, and Minirith. However, these people were divided amongst light and shadow."

"That's… interesting… but, please, tell us more about this key…" Naomi pleaded. "Is there really something released?"

"I'm getting to that, young one." The old man responded. "Now that I have explained the setting, I ought to explain the two forces." Link nodded. "These forces were opposite, one was bent on doing good, and the other was bent on doing evil; and so, one was the sense of good, and the other made the sense of evil."

"It was soon after much of the evil was unleashed upon the world, that this bad force wished to destroy everything created by the force of good, or by any one else for that matter."

"So he was locked away by the force of good?" Aura asked. She laid her head atop her hands on the foot of the bed, facing the old man.

"Not exactly." He replied. "The force of good never wanted to fight, or lock anything away. But he took pity on the races, they pleaded with him. So, he set a blessing upon four, accounting each of the distinct sects, allowing them power with which they could weaken and bind him. He made a key, with which the chosen could lock this evil in his bindings, and a guardian was set in stone, to return the force if ever it escaped."

"Link, the statue. That was the guardian." Navi squeaked. Link nodded.

"Who are the chosen, the four?" Link asked, wondering who he needed to give this sword to. The old man laughed, he looked to Naomi.

"I see you found my staff." He changed the subject, as he saw the staff she had borrowed leaning against the wall. Naomi jumped.

"Oh, yes… I'm sorry, I just wanted something to defend myself with, since I don't have a sword or anything… and you can take it back if…

"Yes, yes." The old man replied in a laughing manner. "Don't worry, you may have it." Link became annoyed by his unanswered question, but before he could say anything else, the old man stood up.

"I can tell you more after a replenishing meal. Let us go find something to eat." He said. Link sighed, but agreed to it with the nodding of his head. He got up with Arian and they opened the door, holding it for Aura and Amy. Naomi began to follow, but the old man grabbed her shoulder.

"You know, that staff belonged to one of those ancient races. They had many secrets, this being one of them: touch that blue stone on the staff. It's right in the middle." He told her quietly. She quickly obeyed. The stone shimmered, and the metal that was wrapped around it began to unwind and slowly shrink towards its center. The wood underneath it began to shrink as well. Naomi watched in awe as the staff shrank to a fraction of the original size.

"You can put that on your belt so you don't have to worry about carrying that big thing around. Just touch the stone again if you want it to grow back." The old man said with a smile. Naomi put it on her belt as told with just as big a smile as ever.

"Naomi… uh… old man, are you coming?" Arian poked his head back in.

"Yes we're… uh…" Naomi suddenly realized that the old man was not standing by her anymore. "Did he already leave?" Arian shook his head. Link came running back in.

"Where is he?" He asked worriedly. Naomi shrugged with a most baffled expression strung across her face.

A/n: PLEASE R&R! please? You know you want to.