Okay, here is chapter four. Hopefully it starts to pick up here a little bit more. As always, let me know what you think so far.

Into the Abyss

Riding through the mists of the bucolic area outlying Hyrule, he is completely alone save for his horse. His shield clatters on his back against his sword and other weapons in a rhythmic pattern matching the horse's hooves on the ground. A strange feeling hangs in the air, making him uneasy. It's almost too quiet, and though he does prefer silence he would like to hear some other sound to prove to him that things are fine. Eyes focused ahead he tries to ignore this feeling in favor of getting out of the fog and into the sunlight once again. Epona feels it, too. He can tell by her speed and how she has slowed down a bit in case something were to happen. Any calm ever experienced is always before the storm gets more intense.

Suddenly from behind a tree, two colored fairies appear. Their presence is enough to spook Epona, and she rears back and kicks Link off. He falls to the cold ground unconscious, but the horse stays put next to her master. A few feet away, the haunting laughter of someone Link would recognize resonates, and his form appears, wearing a mask of sorts. The bright eyes glow bright yellow and pierce the fog along with his gleeful mirth.

"Hee, hee. You two fairies did great! I wonder if he has anything good on him…" He begins to root around the Hero of Time's pack, but something about the youth makes him pull back. "Huh? This guy…" He trails off, not quite sure what he wants to make of it. "…Well that shouldn't be a problem." He continues to look for something of value, and he finds it in the form of a blue ocarina, the same one given to him by Zelda. This pleases him very much, he smirks behind the mask.

"Ooh, ooh! What a pretty Ocarina…

"Hey, Skull Kid, lemme touch it! I wanna see!" The red fairy pleads, his voice full of excitement and hope.

"You can't, Tael! What would we do if you dropped it and broke it? No way! You can't touch it!!!" His sister Tatl shuts down his dream with her own form of logic, and Tael looks sad.

"…Aw, but sis… W…Why can't I try it out, too?" At their banter, the Skull Kid begins to laugh out loud again while Tael sulks and Tatl joins their leader in his exuberance.

Too caught up are they to notice that Link slowly begins to come to. He looks up at them, seeing his ocarina in the hands of this strange character, he panics and goes to get up. Tatl bounces and alerts the two boys to this, and Skull Kid quickly abandons his laughing to hop on Epona. With a swift kick, the foal takes off into the fog but not before Link grabs onto her saddle. He tries dearly to hold on for both of their sakes, but finally, after fifty feet, it is too much and he looses his grip. The trio, with two of his most valuable possessions, continues into the distance while he rolls until coming to a stop, once more drifting out of this realm of consciousness.

Luckily his stay there is a brief one, and only a few minutes later does he awaken. What he finds in front of him is a large tree trunk, a hole in it like a cave of sorts. A few lonely bushes are scattered out front, but he pays them no heed. Instead, he runs immediately inside, ignoring the darkness and his better instincts not to. On the other side is a series of more tree stumps, which he hops easily across as if they were stairs. He runs into another cave, but at the end is a deep and bottomless hole. He tries to stop himself before falls forward, but his attempt is too late, and he trips. For what seems an eternity to the young Hylian, he falls down through the darkness without so much as a peep. Falling all around him are symbols, some of an ocarina, some of masks, but all brightly colored and familiar from his previous quest.

Finally at the end he lands softly on a large pink flower, Before him floats the Skull Kid, relaxed and in a spot of light. Link only stares at the Skull Kid, recognizing him finally. The boy is the same one who gave him a heart piece back in the Lost Woods because he knew Saria's Song. How could be the same one who stole his horse and his ocarina? Surely something must have happened. The two fairies are nearby.

"What's with that stupid horse of yours?! It doesn't listen to a word that's said to it… There's no point in riding a thing like that, so I did you a favor and got rid of it… Hee, hee…" That proclamation causes fear in Link for the steed's safety. Not only is she his loyal horse, but he promised Malon that he would keep her safe. If anything did happen, Malon would be devastated, and Link would be responsible. "Aww, boo-hoo. Why the sad face? I just thought I'd have a little fun with you…" Deciding to have some more of what he calls fun, the Skull Kid conjures up a power Link did not know he possessed and chants something quickly. Before the hero realizes just what is happening, pain goes through his ten year old body, and pictures of Deku Scrubs fill his mind. Once the wave is gone, he tries to get his bearings and shakes his head at the ground. He also notices the pool of water there and the Deku staring at him. Wait a second, he thinks. That's his reflection. He's the Deku Scrub, that short wimpy looking thing. Freaking out a bit, he looks up at the trio. This is only amusing still. "Hee, hee! Now that's a good look for you! You'll stay here looking that way forever!" With that, the mischievous one turns and runs, Tael fast on his trail. Tatl stays for a second to taunt Link directly in his face, but as she turns around to follow her brother and Skull Kid, the door slams shut, trapping them both.

"Whoa, whoa! Skull Kid, wait for me! I'm still here!!! Tael, you can't leave without me!" In haste, she flies to the door and pounds it a few insignificant times, which does not at all help. She looks back at Link when nothing happens, the anger welling up in her small fairy body. "You! If I wasn't dealing with you, I wouldn't have gotten separated from my brother! Well, don't just sit there, Deku Boy! Do something!" He doesn't move and inch and just stares sort of helplessly at her, his new Deku face long. "…Why are you looking at me like that? What, is there something stuck on my face? Will you stop staring and just open that door for me?!? Please!!! C'mon, a helpless, little girl is asking you… So hurry up! Oh, Tael… I wonder if that child will be all right on his own?" She looks back at the door, genuine worry in her tone. Because he has no intentions of staying this way forever, Link decides to go after the Skull Kid for his own benefit. He opens the door and runs down a hallway, noticing how much different a Deku Scrub's body is. With shorter legs, he runs much slower, and he is so short in stature he cannot stand it. He has to fix this soon and get his ocarina and Epona back.

Flying quickly after him, Tatl tries to catch up to the cursed one. She intends on offering her help (albeit for her own selfish gain), and this is how he is going to act. She might think about changing her mind. She right away decides against this because she needs him whether or not she wants to admit. Behind the attitude, she really does care about Tael, no matter how annoying that boy can be.

"Hey wait for me! Don't leave me behind!" He stops and looks back at her in silence. Now she feels the guilt. "So um…That stuff I said back there…I…um…apologize, so… So take me with you! You wanna know about that Skull Kid that just ran off, right? Well, I just so happen to have an idea of where he might be going. Take me with you and I'll help you out. Deal? Please?" He takes a second to think about this, but ultimately he aggress because they need each other's help. He nods. This pleases her. "Good! So then let's get settled! Now then, I'll be your partner…or at least until we catch that Skull Kid… My name's Tatl. So, uh, it's nice to meet you or whatever." Link finds the last word a bit funny but doesn't say anything. "Now that we've got that all straightened out, can we stop messing around and get moving? If I figure something out, I'll tell it to you. Hopefully you'll manage to get by without my help until then!"

With his new (and temporary) fairy partner, the small Deku approaches an open area to continue this new and hopefully short side quest. To get across the divide, he uses the flowers to fly and land on the various struts of land until he reaches the end, where yet another cave sits. Great, he thinks. What could this one possibly have in store? Surely it cannot be worse than what has happened so far. Before he can even approach it though, Tatl bugs him already with some advice. As of he didn't already know how to Z-target and talk to people. That was one of the first things she taught him… For a second, he almost tears up as he remembers her. He doesn't hear Tatl's encouraging words and only focuses on keeping himself in line.

"See, I told you could do it of you tried!" she says happily. He doesn't respond, and she looks at him a little closer. The tree trunk she was hovering around also catches her attention. "It's strange, but the way you look right now sort of looks like this tree… It looks all dark and gloomy…almost like it could start crying any second now… How sad…" Shaking his head, Link forges forward into the darkness a third time.

This time, he comes out safely on the other end. A door slams shut, locking them both here. HE surveys the area to see where they have arrived, and it seems strange to him. He is not quite sure what to make of it, but she apparently has come through here before as she say nothing. It's like the bottom of a ferry or some sort of boat with a flight or actual stairs, which he runs up. A door is at the top, but before he can push through it, a voice stops him.

"You've met a terrible fate, haven't you?" They both turn around having been startled. A man with a large pack stands across the way, his hands clasped. This guy Link knows. He owns a shop in Hyrule Castle Town that lets a person borrow masks and sell them to people. Eventually he himself sold them all and earned the Mask of Truth, which allowed anyone to read the Gossip Stones scattered around the land. "I own the happy mask shop. I travel far and wide in search of masks… During my travels, a very important mask was stolen from me by an imp in the woods. So here I am at loss… And now I've found you. Now don't think me rude, but I have been following you… For I know of a way to return you to your former self. If you can get back that precious item that was stolen from you, I will return you to normal. In exchange… " He trails off, and Link wonders what the bargain will be. "All I ask is that you also get back my precious mask that the imp stole from me. What? Is it not a simple task? Why, to someone like you, it should by no means be a difficult task. Except… The one thing is…I'm a very busy fellow.. And I must leave this place in three days. How grateful I would be if you could bring it back to me before my time here is up… But yes…You'll be fine. Oh, I see you are young and have tremendous courage. I'm sure you'll find it right away. Well then, I am counting on you…" With that, he just stops talking, apparently meaning Link is supposed to go now. He stares at the man for a few lingering seconds before turning and pushing the door open to a new land. Light blinds his eyes, and he squints as he and Tatl walk out into the early morning.

Thus it began, the Dawn of the First Day with only seventy-two hours remaining until the end of the world. He had three days to retrieve the mask now possessed by the Skull Kid to fulfill his end of the bargain and reunite Tatl with her brother. In his mind was Epona, the foal he had pledged to protect as he borrowed her from her home. He would have to repeat the same cycle of three days many times until he had awakened the four guardians from their slumber. Along the way were the various people he met, most of who had a back story that somehow came to involve him as well. Being the hero, he of course had to act and help them in whatever their plight, even if it meant reuniting a child with his fiancé.

Actually, Kafei and Anju were his favorite side quest because of their character and devotion to each other, no matter what had happened or was about to befall everyone. He would never admit this, but he has always had a soft spot for love, even though to everyone else he is only ten years old and could not possibly know the emotion. Love is what he has for Saria and what Malon has for her colt. No matter what shape it takes, it is a powerful force, almost as strong as courage and the will to accomplish anything. Because of both of these things, getting the mask was not even a problem. Facing Ganondorf himself would prepare a warrior for anything. Well, except maybe in people relations, which Link admits he needs some work in.

It was a fun battle, though, he smirks as he walks toward the clock tower. With Majora's Mask safely in his possession, all he has to do is present it to the mask salesman and be on his way. Once more he can continue searching for his friend. Granted he made a few new ones here, even Tatl who is nothing at all like Navi. Sure, she helped out sometimes, but she had her own agenda. Navi was his guide, his best friend who saw him through every part of his quest. When he was unsure and scared about failing or dying, she was there to urge him on with her words of encouragement. He needs to find her, if only to tell her how thankful he is.

Now if only he could find that mask guy. Stopping in front of the clock tower, he scans South Clocktown for any sign of the man. All he sees is the postman running around with his pack and a little dog yapping its head off. That same mutt attacked him when he was in Deku form but ran fast as hell when he was a Goron. In a way, it was a form of payback. Not that he did it very often or anything. That would just be mean. Finally he spots a man cautiously creeping down the stairs from the laundry pool, trying to head out of town unnoticed. Right away Link takes off to catch him before he can leave, and he stops in front of the guy, startling him quite a bit.

" Hey there," Link greats friendlily. "I'm glad I found you. I have your mask back finally. I'm sure you really want it."

"What mask?" At those words, Link's face drops.

"What do you mean what mask? Majora's Mask, the thing I risked my life on to get back for you."
"I'm sorry to say I have no idea what you are talking about."

"How can you have no idea? We made a deal. I get the mask back in exchange for you helping me. Now you're supposed to tell me how to get back to my world."

"Your world? The only world is Termina, where we are at right now."

"Are you serious?" Apparently the mask man is confused by all of this, and his expression shows it.

"Of course I am serious. Why wouldn't I be?"

"But how can you not remember me? I went back in time I don't know how many times and you still remembered me. After beating Majora, I didn't even have to travel back." He stops talking and looks like he's thinking instead. The mask man only watches in silence, not quite sure what to say himself besides goodbye. If he wants to continue on living healthily, he'll keep his mouth shut anyway or at least that is what he was told. "Maybe somebody wants me to stay here…" Link says aloud.

"Oh, look at the time," the mask man suddenly panics. "I must be on my way. I am sorry again I could not help you." Without giving Link a chance to say anything at all, he takes off through the exit into South Termina Field. The guard there looks at him as he goes by before returning his attention straight ahead, and the little dog keeps yapping away. The young Hero of Time is left speechless, only able to mutter aloud how weird that encounter was.

"What's weird?" He spins around at the voice, only to have to look down to see one of the boys from the Bomber Gang. The six-year stares innocently up at him.

"What?"

"You said something was weird. What is it?"

"Nothing. I'm just talking to myself out loud."

"Oh." Link expects the kid to go away, but he doesn't move and instead stands there still looking at the one in green. "I think that guy with the masks was pretty weird."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, he was standing by the mailbox a little while ago, and all of a sudden, he started talking to himself and yelling too. Then he got scared and quiet at the same time."

"Really?" The kid nods. "That does sound weird. I think I might know what's going on then."

"Ooh, ooh, tell me!" Link laughs to himself, remembering when he was that age and so easily excited and eager to be included in things. However, because he is a little boy and this involves serious dealings with some bad people, he cannot share. First, he does not want anyone else to get hurt on account of him. Secondly, he wants to go home and will dare not try anything that will jeopardize this.

"Sorry, I have to go, too." He takes off then out the same entrance, leaving the little boy alone to wonder and to think that both of them are really weird. Maybe Jim should have higher standards next time he offers to induct someone else into the Bomber's Secret Society of Justice.

Being stealthy and curious at the same time, Link follows the mask man through Termina field without letting on to his presence. If he will not talk to Link about what ever is going on, maybe he can catch him talking to himself just as the bomber kid said. Being furtive though, is not too necessary since the man is so distracted by the thing that is making him act so strangely. All Link really has to do is maintain a distance of about thirty or so feet without making too much noise and bumping into anyone who wants to chat on the way. Thankfully not too many people are out right now. Most are either celebrating the saving of the world or still wrapped up in the festival, even though it was over last night.

The path seems to be a straight one as he follows him directly to the beach, where he stops at the shore and stares out over the blue water. Link stops this time only about ten feet behind and watches out over the water as well. He came here to confront the man, but the sea breeze and the sound of the gulls calling above has more of a calming effect than anything. There are no oceans in Hyrule that he ever saw, just Lake Hylia though it was quite large itself. He liked to stand on its banks as well when he had to think but only after he had saved the Water Temple from that amoebic monster.

Shaking his head, he remembers what his original intention was. He was getting too lost in his own head, which he can't do at the moment. He starts to approach the mask man but stops in his tracks when he realizes that he is now talking to himself. The bomber was, for once, not making something up.

"Leave me alone! I already did what you said. Why are still bothering me?" Even more confused, he continues to listen. Either he is crazy and talking to himself or some voice is tormenting him from inside his mind. The latter would make no sense to the ten year old he was before beginning his adventures, but Link knows better now. If it is a voice, then all Link has to do is figure out who it is and why they are bothering him. Maybe Gannon was not sealed away as everyone previously thought. That means someone does not want him to come home to Hyrule, which is even more reason that he has to get out of here. Then the mask man turns around he spots him standing there. He panics internally as the man comes closer. "What are you doing here?"

"I was...enjoying…the sunset. Yeah, that's it."

"But it's only four in the afternoon."

"Well, I was getting ready to watch it later on. I needed to find the perfect spot."

"Oh, you must mean you were getting ready for a date. It's nice to see young people enjoying their youth."

"No, it isn't like that." The man looks at him curiously, and Link realizes that no other explanation will cut it. "Yeah, that's it. A date."

"That's nice. Who is the young lady lucky enough to have a rendezvous with-" He stops himself from saying hero and substitutes something else. "-a thoughtful young man such as yourself?"

"Uh…" He tries to think, realizing that he really does not know anyone here well enough. Only one girl his age comes to mind. "The girl from the ranch. I asked her earlier today."

"Well, how nice. I hope you two have a good time."

"Thank you." A silence passes between them as the mask man tries to think of what to say now, and Link tries to figure out how exactly to phrase his question. Then it comes to him as simple as could be. "So what are you doing here?"

"I was just thinking about where I should go now. After I got my mask back from you- oops!" He clamps his hand over his mouth and looks panicked.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing! I have to go." He runs off after that, leaving Link alone again to watch as he heads to Clock Town. Instead of following after him, though, he decides to wait and try to catch him later. Following him here yielded no information, and the same would probably be true if he tried again so soon. Slightly disheartened, he turns back toward Clock Town.

The mask man, meanwhile, tries to run away from Link and even from the voice in his head. The second thing he is not accomplishing so well, but he picks up his pace despite this.

'Hey mask man, were are you going?' a normally deep male voice asks. He stops walking and looks down.

'What do you want from me?'

'Make sure Link does not return home. That is all you have to do. After he has gotten settled in, you will be allowed to return to Hyrule. Once he has gotten used to Termina being longer than a temporary stay, his homecoming will no longer be a threat.' The mask man does not answer the voice right away, not at all liking that he has to lie to the young hero. However, he also has no wishes of pissing off the one who has already threatened him. Agreeing but with some reluctance, he tells the voice in his head that he will do what has been asked. The man invading his mind from afar is pleased by this and thus terminates their connection for the time being. Right now he has other plans to make.