Ch.3

The Mask of Majora

By: Cutegirlmayra (I know the first two were REALLEH long, so I'll try making these shorter kaybie?)

As Epona dashed as fast as she could through the thicket of the jungle, Link noticed the chains on Zelda's hands and feet. He hadn't noticed before due to all that was happening, but now he was concerned.

"…who…what.." he tried saying, pointing to the chains on her hands, since she was holding onto him for dear life while Epona galloped so fiercely.

"Wha-what?" Zelda was freaking out, she'd never ridden a horse with so much power and force before. Epona was a big horse too, and the fact that she had to jump over fallen logs and swivel all around so abruptly to dodge the large jungle trees made it that much more difficult for Zelda to hold on. Once she focused and felt Link tap her hands she understood that he was asking about the chains. "Oh, them." she said sarcastically as she rolled her eyes. "They chained me, but I was able to break free and- Link! I completely forgot to tell you about your other!"

'My other?' Link thought, he looked back at her with a puzzled expression. As they continued to look and call for Navi, She explained to him what had happened to her in the dungeon's of Shard's castle and how he was planning on Reviving someone with the help of his darker counter-part.

"He has the worse laugh, too." they were coming up on a hill, and Link had put Epona in a steady walking speed. Epona hated it, but he wanted Zelda to be able to speak better instead of her voice bouncing all around from Epona's running. "He told me he has all your memories, and he knows you so well that he would know what you would do next. He said his whole purpose was to make you suffer,… and that you see me in an unorthodox way." she leaned up against his back, making him tense up. "…Link? Is that true..? Do you think I'm very pretty or something..?" she was very curious, but she always wanted to hear Link speak again. His voice just added to his already natural beauty, and it sounded to mature and soft. It was still a whisper, but even then it was as if listening to music made by the wind…

'He knows to much..' he said to himself as his hair felt like it was standing on end. "I…Think most… people think…ehem." he cleared his throat, talking was so difficult! 'But at least it's easier than before, that must be the magic of Uni's flute.'.

"…Oh, you think everyone thinks so then. I see.." Zelda released her tight hold on his and looked away, a little disappointed.

"…Zelda…" he turned around, she looked at him but only with her eyes, her head was still down and turned away. "You…your like… an open spring field… a sunny day, pink flowers, gentle wind, and a clear blue sky."

She huffed, "What's that suppose to mean?". Epona stopped on the hill and began looking around, once she saw a pond, she neighed and motioned toward it with a bob of her head. Link looked to her and gently hit her sides to allow her to go over to it and drink.

"I mean… umm… your hair… is the sun's rays, the flowers are your.. um.. Cheeks," he began to speak more clearly, and with that, his confidence grew slightly. "Your voice is the wind that gently moves across the plain of grass, and lastly your eyes are the clear blue sky. Showing freedom and purity." it was the first sentence in his life where he didn't stutter or stop for a moment to think. A small grin came across his face as he realized he could now speak more than he had ever in his life.

Zelda blushed and turned her head against his back, so he couldn't see her. "…um.. That's really sweet Link… thank you.." then she heard a twig snap behind her and quickly moved her head to see what it was. Nothing. "Link… did you hear… something?" she said, not sure if she could trust her ears at the moment, but even Epona stopped drinking and lifted her mighty head up, her ears flicking left to right.

"…Yes… I heard it." Link turned Epona around, who made a protesting noise. He studied the hill and the surrounding area, usually creatures were making sounds that made the jungle never seem quiet. However, in this moment all was too quiet…

Then, out of nowhere, a panther crawled over the tip of the hill, bearing it's fangs. It was dark purple in color, but it's eye sockets were of the black mist, but his claws glew the same mist off of them. It growled and thick spines began to slowly rise on it's back, this was no ordinary panther. "Link..?" Zelda said, trying not to sound scared but the panic was still in her voice. Link glared at the panther and then dismounted Epona.

"…Stay…" he commanded without even looking at her, and drew his sword.

The Panther launched himself at Link, and Epona reared up with a deafening cry as her front legs kicked the air. She ran off to the side, as Zelda tried to moved more forward and grab her reins, "Woah!" she called, and Epona trotted around the hill, obviously stressed but staying close to her master and friend. Link dodged to the side, his new found strength from being able to rest up made him ready for the challenge, and this panther looked blood thirsty. The panther turned back, his teeth stained black as the mist sprayed out from his mouth. He swung his head around the mist covered the area, soon three more appeared from the shadows.

"tck…" Link glared and got mad at his new situation. The panthers slowly made a circle around him, four against one wasn't very fair, but when did evil ever play by the rules? Once the panther's were in position, they pounced once again at him, there claws streaking the air around them, as the mist still was below them. He was able to roll to the side and have them clash with themselves. But they soon started chasing him again. He couldn't run like this must longer, he sliced at them as they came with a powerful swing of the master sword. Each hit flung the panther's to the side of him, but they got up so quickly, they had began circling him again, but this time when they dashed forward he used his legendary spin attack to defeat them. They all fell, and slowly disappeared into the mist. Link huffed from using so many powerful swings so many times and wiped some sweat off his face.

"Great job, Link!"

'Navi..?' he turned but just saw Zelda trotting up on Epona. He let his arms down slowly, disappointed that his trusty friend hadn't come back yet. But at least Zelda was safe, untill the mist started forming into sizzling balls of dark energy. Link looked back and held up his free hand to Zelda, "Wait!" the balls formed into the panthers again, and they quickly sprang toward him. He pulled out his shield to block, but nothing hit it. Instead they jumped over him and headed for Zelda.

"Link!" Zelda cried out, as Epona thrashed around and kicked some of them with her hind legs and almost bucking Zelda off. She was a warrior horse though, and she paled through them and trampled them as she made her way to Link. Running past him with a hero's cry, he prepared himself for the trailing panther's who weren't effected by her actions.

'Use your light force!'

Link turned around, but Zelda and Epona were to far away, who had called to him?

'You've already gained some from the Spider and Dragon. Destroy them with your Light force!'

Link held up his sword, something was moving him without his knowledge or understanding. "uh-ah!" he said, surprised as he watched his sword fill up with a strange power that glew bright and shone only to the wielders eye. Link slashed a powerful attack that left a beam of light in the shape of his attack toward the enemy. The panther's were sliced and so was the mist below them. 'That light! Could it be the light force I read about on that Wall of Legends?' he recalled a story about a hero using something like that, but wasn't it with a sword that turned him into four of himself? He started slashing more cuts, now using his own will, but still unsure of why his body reacted on his own without him. Soon, the mist dispersed and the panthers with it. Zelda maneuvered Epona around and back towards Link, obviously dumbfounded at his strange move.

"How.. how did you do that?" she asked, studying his blade. "I've never known the Master sword to perform quite like that."

"To tell you the truth, princess." Link said, looking over his sword as well, "I don't know either.."

Shard paced up and down the large hall way, the curtains were being blown by the wind that had escaped into the room by the large cracks or broken glass in the windows. Half the room was dark even though the sun was very much apparent in the sky, and the dark crystal ball that floated and held dark mist aurora around it began to speak in a deep and aggressive tone. "Where….is he?"

"Patience my friend, I'm sure he went on a long stroll to find the missing girl." Shard replied, almost to calmly, though he seemed on edge.

"You will call me, My lord. Shard, you walk on dangerous grounds. If you wish for our agreement to be met, then I must know I have your loyalty, and that you serve me." the dark crystal showed a shadowed face of a man, but it was unclear of who it really was.

"At the time being, My lord, you serve ME. unless you want to be forever imprisoned in the Sacred realm, never to be able to exact your revenge on the hero of time." Shard spoke boldly, and the voice within the crystal growled to his reply.

"You'd be wise to FEAR me and my power, Shard. I gave you the power you have, and I can take it away!" the voice boomed throughout the walls of the castle, and the creatures within in shivered and cowered before it.

"I'm not one of your servants to boss around, Ganon. I have a contract with you, so in this ordeal we have an accord. Which makes me your equal." Shard turned around and smiled a sly grin to the crystallized shadow of Ganondorf.

"SHARRRDDD!"

"Well, aren't you a pleasant fellow to chat with." Shard turned back around and noticed his little joke was mute compared to how many dark creatures had fallen to there knees with Ganon's last outburst. "My, your power over these creatures does astound me."

"Remember well, Friend. These are my minions and without my blessing, they would rip you in half!"

"My, such a touchy fellow. Have you met the lovely princess perhaps?"

"…grrr…" Ganon roared deeply, making the very castle walls vibrate as if ready to collapse.

"You two share a common Tick."

"Are you two fighting again?" Dark Link entered the room, holding still in his hand the struggling, and almost suffocating from his powerful hold on her, Navi.

"Oh, we were just having a ball." Shard humorously said as Ganon let out an angry and frustrated exasperation. "By any chance did you bring back the Princess you, might I add, lost?" he looked to Ganon's crystal ball when mentioning the culprit, and then looked back to Dark Link. "I'm seriously hoping that fairy in your hands is Zelda that you somehow changed for accessible and compactable reasons."

Dark Link let out a muffled chuckle and then held up the fairy, "something like that, but not quite. You see," he started moving toward a fountain to the side of the two wicked men. The fountain was spilling forth out of itself in a continuous spray a dark liquid of ooze. "I'm going to curse her with the Fountain."

"Isn't that the fountain that I used the hero's hair to create you with?" asked Shard, looking at it again. "Are you trying to make some sort of Dark fairy with it..?"

Dark Link smiled a glare at Shard's silliness. "Due try and be a little mature for my first real great plan, alright?"

"Oh, so sorry." Shard stepped back a bit and held up his hands to show a form of surrender.

"Thank you, I'm only asking for a tad of respect."

"Of course, of course. You did sit through my evil intentions, it's only right I do the same." the two conversed in a humored chat but Ganon began to get annoyed.

"So anyway," began once again the Shadowed Link. "I've checked her memories, and apparently my worst nightmare is sadly coming true." he frowned and looked toward the fountain in a unamused way.

"And what would that be?" asked Ganon, tried of there silly ramblings and wanting to just get to the point already.

"Zelda and Link have begun falling in love."

The room was quiet, and a Moblin who was guarding the door began to laugh excessively. Dark Link sighed and grumbled as he moved his hand and from the quickly made dark mist at the Moblin's feet, a whip like tentacle grabbed the laughing Moblin's throat and strangled it down into it's depths. The other Moblin watched as his knees began to shake in fear.

"This is no laughing matter." Dark Link glared behind him at any other creatures that dared to have the giggles now.

"Your telling me, I'm suppose to be getting married!" said Shard, acting like an angry fiancé who just found out his wife's cheating on him, But he folded his arms and pouted in a childish way.

Dark Link rolled his eyes and continued, "To ensure that we get the princess back for the blood ceremony, we must make some sort of duplicate to distract Link and make him believe she's still safely with him."

"ergo, the fairy." Shard gestured to the little ball of light that was flickering sadly in Dark Link's grasp. She had quit trying to flee, it was no use, but now she felt it was hopeless and as they spoke she felt her despair increase with each word and mention of her or Link.

"But how will you make her do it? Is she not loyal to him?" the silhouette in the crystal ball moved toward where Dark Link began to hover his hand over the pouring fountain.

"This fountain was made with the power of the Dark Mirror. It's ooze will have any dark feeling within her control her every action and bind her tongue from revealing anything about this. The best part is, this one's most wickedest feeling is…jealous." Dark Link watched as Navi began to cry and her little tears melted into steam as they touched the black ooze.

"Ah, I see. So she'll be a prisoner to her own emotions that with this Dark energy, will control her. Excellent! You can change her into what she hates most… how ironic, that a little fairy would become such an evil but beautiful woman, only to lead the man she loves into ruin." Shard said, apparently loving the sight of the fairy's weeping and last moment of having her freedom too.

"How ironic really, in this body she could love and be loved. Sadly, though, when he is at his most weakest and defenseless point, she'll-" Dark Link mimed a stab in the air as he took out a small knife and let it fall and sink into the ooze. "Down, down, you go." he started snickering as he lowered his hand into the ooze. Navi cried out in sheer horror as he plunged her slowly and mercilessly into the black sludge of the darkest evil. When he brought his hand up, the dark ooze began to boil and a figure began to moved out of it, straight up into the air. The ooze that covered it slowly began to roll off it and back into the fountain. The Dark Zelda opened her eyes, studied her look, and smiled wickedly.

'what.. What has happened to me! Why can't I control myself! What have I become!'

Navi cried out in her thoughts, but no one could hear her as the new body slowly made it's was down from the fountain. Dark Link smiled and extended his hand to her, and a bunch of misty steps for her to descend upon appeared for her so she wouldn't need to climb down. She was kneeling and looked up to him, she had a flirty grin and stood upright again, taking his hand she made her way down the misty steps, looking horribly beautiful.

"What a beautiful doom." remarked Shard, then looked down with a depressed expression. "Makes me miss the real thing." he shrugged. "Now, how are we going to replace her with the real Zelda?"

Dark Link pulled her into a half circle, guiding her with his hand and made her stop to his side. "Why, isn't that what I'm here for?" he looked back at Zelda. "Now, be a good girl and hold on tight." he had her embrace him and slowly they descended into dark mist that he had formed around themselves.

"I would be weary of him, Shard. He seems to want her more than you." Ganon noted, though he really didn't care about who wants who this week.

Shard laughed and looked at him, "He can think he can have her,… for now. Once the ceremonies done, She'll be nothing more than a trophy wife to hang up for all of my Hyrule to see."

"Your hyrule?"

"Ah, that's right, and the small portion I left you." he walked away, fanning with his hand at Ganon and disregarding his last comment. Once out of the room, Ganon hissed under his breath,

"You have no idea how much I'm going to ENJOY that ceremony, Shard. Do not under estimate the power of the Dark Lord Ganondorf!"

(I wanted to write more on how Shadow makes teh switcheroo with Zelda but you guys don't tend to read long stories so… this is what you get xD but don't worry, I'll do something in the next chapter k? also, the chapter's are named the way they are for a reason you'll see soon enough.. I hope 8p)