The muted sunlight just managed to shine through the twisting branches of the Lost Woods. It didn't matter how brightly the sun shone; it was never able to properly penetrate the leafy barriers of the seemingly infinite trees. Nobody, not even the Kokiri of the forest, knew just how large the Lost Woods truly were. The sole being that knew had been weakened and killed by a dark parasite two years ago. Until the new sprout formed, the secrets of the woods would be a mystery to all the world. Even the bravest of the forest spirits dared not travel too deeply into the trees until the new Deku Tree was born. There was an outsider, however, that threw caution to the wind and braved the unknown. All in search of someone irreplaceably precious to him.
Soft footfalls of a young foal were the only things breaking the silence of the forest. Slowly, the animal weaved her way through the trees as her rider gently guided her path. He was a young boy of twelve that donned the green clothes of the Kokiri Tribe, though he was not a member of it. He never truly was, and he never, ever would be. The boy realized this long ago, but that wasn't going to stop him from searching the woods or wearing the outfit he had worn his entire life.
His hair was messy and all over the place under his hat, the boy not liking to brush it. Scars adorned his limbs, carried over from a disgusting timeline and the accidental result of a Princess' kindness. More scars adorned the parts of his body his tunic hid, and all of them made him feel disgust with himself. The boy's eyes were the most outstanding part of his body, at least to other people.
Most boys his age had eyes full of brightness, optimism, and innocence. His eyes were dull and practically lifeless, as if they belonged to a fresh corpse. There was no spark of innocence or joy in them, such things forced out of him years ago. This wasn't helped by the dark shadows beneath his eyes, letting any that looked at him that he barely got any sleep at night.
"Just a bit further, Epona. We'll stop to rest soon." The boy, Link, whispered to his companion as he reached forward and gently patted her neck. "Ten more minutes. Alright?" One of the few childish quirks he still possessed was talking to Epona as if she could understand him perfectly. Just about everything else that made a kid a kid was wrung out from him long ago. Either way, the horse gave a soft snort, as if in response to what Link had said.
The two rode on in silence, Link's voice having gone hoarse due to all the yelling. Shouting Navi's name for hours on end took a toll on his throat and it needed rest. It had been over a week since the Hylian departed into the woods, looking for his long-lost Guardian Fairy. No, even calling her that wasn't even accurate. She had been his companion and friend, but she could never really be his Guardian Fairy. It made Link concerned how all the fairies he came across in the Lost Woods, the ones that would stop and talk to him at least, had no idea where Navi was.
None of them had seen her in two years.
Was Navi really even in the Lost Woods at all? Link was starting to question this excursion of his, wondering if Navi hadn't perhaps gone somewhere outside of Hyrule. Why would she, though? Link realized he didn't want to think about this anymore. He stopped Epona at that moment, patting her on the neck once more. "Change of plans. We'll rest now." Getting another soft snort in response, Link got off of his companion and hugged her around the neck. "I got one apple left, you hungry?" Reaching into his bag, Link got out his last apple and offered it to Epona who accepted it graciously. "There you go…" He murmured, giving his friend one last pat on the neck, and giving her a small smile. Link knew that too many apples was bad for a horse, but he had only packed a few for the trip.
After that, the young boy shed his gear by a nearby tree, getting ready to rest and have something to eat himself. He tried to travel relatively light, not wanting to burden Epona too much, but spending long stretches of time in the Lost Woods demanded certain precautions.
First to go off was the Kokiri Sword that he had kept for so long before shedding the shield gifted to him by Zelda for the journey ahead. The Lost Woods weren't as dangerous as when he had the body of a seventeen year-old, but it still held nasty and unknown creatures, so those were essential. The only other weapons Link brought were his bow and a quiver of arrows, though that was mostly for hunting.
Link was a rather skilled forager to the point where it was his role in the Kokiri community. On sight he could tell whether any berry, fruit, or mushroom seen in the Lost Woods was edible or not. Still, he couldn't survive for long off of just berries or mushrooms, and fruit trees short enough to safely climb were rare in the forest. Most of the trees went up so high that their branches were hardly even visible. While eating meat was not a problem for Link, he rather enjoyed the taste of Cucco, he didn't like the actual act of hunting himself. He detested having to actually go and kill again, but if he wanted the energy to keep going, he'd need meat. Thankfully, his arching capabilities were naturally skilled enough where he could consistently kill off the rabbits found inside the forest painlessly.
With the Hylian was a bag full of different pouches for the various tools he'd need for his long trip. He had promised his friends, who had almost begged him not to go, a time limit. If one month had passed without success, he would give up the search. At least temporarily. Inside the bag was a small knife, useful mainly for sharpening sticks into spears to go after fish in the occasional ponds and rivers found in the woods as well as skinning and gutting rabbits. There was even a section entirely for keeping mammalian kills in which currently held one rabbit killed less than twenty minutes ago. Lugging dead fish around was just too much, so he cooked and ate them as soon as he caught them. He had a number of bottles for getting drinking water from any river he came across, all of them being quite clean. Alongside that was a flint and steel for fires, a pocket to keep firewood he found, a blanket for him and Epona each, bandages in case of injury, and of course a change of clothes. The only item left wasn't kept in his bag, a small blue instrument clasped to his belt.
The Ocarina of Time.
Sitting against the tree and next to his gear, the boy let out a shaky sigh and simply stared off ahead of him for a bit. He supposed there was one benefit to only having Epona as company. With no people around, Link was free to let his emotions out, no longer having to keep his mask up for the benefit of others. That being said, he still couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed if he got desperate in his calling for Navi or teared up a bit as he tried to sleep. Still, it was so exhausting keeping his mask in place at what seemed like every waking moment, so it was somewhat relaxing to let his true self out.
After a few minutes of rest, Link prepared to eat, getting some firewood he had stored away before getting the dead rabbit out of his bag. The boy let his mind go blank as he worked on preparing the kill for cooking, occasionally glancing over at Epona, now lying on the grass, as she stared over at her companion. Offering the foal a small smile, Link continued preparing his meal in silence.
Before long, the rabbit was cooked, and Link was slowly eating his meal. It was somewhat odd to eat meat without utensils like this. The Kokiri didn't have things like knives, forks, or spoons, so all meals were eaten with the hands. When the boy moved into the castle, he was introduced to such concepts and spent two years getting used to cutting up his meat rather than tearing at it with his teeth and he had gotten quite accustomed to it. So, while an almost strange feeling, it felt good in a way to go back to what he did when growing up.
Once the meal was over, he relieved himself to put the fire out and let out a small and content sigh as he sat against the tree. A part of him was beginning to wonder if this wasn't some kind of mistake. Saria had gone out to the woods herself a number of times at Link's request in search of Navi and found nothing. What made him think he'd find anything himself? Saria searched on and off for two years, what would a month accomplish? The boy's hand ran over the Ocarina, the temptation to play Saria's Song cropping up in his head. Maybe he should talk to his oldest friend about this again? It was a good thing Zelda insisted on Link taking the instrument with him, so he could at least talk to one person whenever he chose to. The songs to warp him about Hyrule also served as a nice last resort if he found himself unable to leave the forest when the month was up.
Was all of this even a good the size of the Lost Woods wasn't known even to Saria, who retained her memories of being the Forest Sage. It was as though the forest were a shifting, living entity that was impossible to get the grasp of. For all Link knew, he could barely search a fraction of the forest, even if he traveled until the end of time.
And, as everyone knew, Time was eternal.
Link's thoughts were interrupted by a flash of light from above. He looked up but saw nothing. A darting fairy? What else could it be? The boy almost called out but stopped himself. Right now, he didn't want to use his voice. He didn't want to talk to anyone. Frustration coursed through his veins like small embers at what he perceived as weakness. Two years passed and sometimes such simple things were so hard, and it all phased in and out seemingly at random. At times, he was content talking to his friends and being with them. Then there were times where holding a simple conversation seemed like the most exhausting thing in the world to go through.
Letting out another sigh, Link decided to keep going. It was hard to tell at a glance, but it wasn't even late afternoon yet. He had plenty of time to keep going before the sun set and further searching was made impossible. Gathering his things and standing was Epona's signal to get up herself. With the Hylian on the young foal once more, the two ventured onward to the forest.
Above them, the flash of light darted from tree to tree, soon followed by a second, purple light…
The time went by slowly and quietly as Epona gently marched forward. Link wasn't sure how much time was going by, but the infinite forest around him wasn't growing darker, so it was still afternoon when he seriously considered another break. Right now, he just felt so exhausted. Everything on him felt so heavy and cumbersome, even the clothes on his back were like stone weights. Link was about to get off of Epona once again when that flash of light went by overhead once more, and this time it was quickly followed by a second one! Was that fairy following him? And with a companion? The boy looked up where he thought he saw the lights go, tempted once more to call out.
Fairies were shy by nature, generally, but the sight of a child in Kokiri clothes seemed to make them more willing to come out and talk. This didn't apply to all fairies, of course. Navi was rather outgoing, always flying above Link's head as he went about the Hyrule Castle Town or Kakariko Village. As the Hylian was looking about, he thought he saw something out of the corner of his eye, something closer to eye level. He didn't get the chance to even turn before Epona let out a loud neigh of fear and reared herself onto her hind legs. Link was so caught off guard that he instantly fell off.
The boy barely had time to let out a startled yelp before the world went black.
The young horse collected herself quickly, gazing curiously at the two lights before her. One was white, the other purple. Fairies. "Wow, Tatl, that was easier than I thought it'd be." The purple one, a male, said.
"I told you, Tael!" The white one responded with prideful edge in her voice. "Horses spook really easily; anyone could figure out what to do!"
Before Tael could respond, a third intruding presence made itself known. At first it was just noise, the sound of approaching footfalls on the forest floor. The snapping of a discarded twig.
Then, out of nowhere, the mask appeared.
At first it simply seemed to float towards the fairies, bobbing as it went. An ancient, heart-shaped object with spikes adorning its lower edges and its top. It was decorated with tribal paintings that, despite the obvious age of the mask, hadn't faded at all over the countless years of its existence. Small scratches and signs of wear from the wood itself were present, but not nearly enough when taking in account how old it was. The worst part was the eyes. Large, orange, mad eyes with dark green irises. There was a brightness and intelligence to those eyes, an effect that gave the feeling that the mask was looking back at the world and was fully aware of all it surveyed.
The small imp wearing the mask faded into existence moments later. A mischievous creature, a Skull Kid, bore the mask on his face as he approached the fairies. No one truly knew where Skull Kids came from. The most common theory, one that Navi even told to Link years ago, was that they were children that became lost within the Lost Woods. Asking a Skull Kid directly would just get a sarcastic comment or a riddle with no answer.
The mysterious being wore an outfit similar to most others of its kind. Red and yellow garbs that were faded and torn around the edges. Clearly never properly cared for in any way. Upon his head, the Skull Kid wore a large red hat, one that would not look out of place on a scarecrow. His wooden body rattled audibly as he finally reached the two fairies, looking directly at them with the mask's intense eyes and giving a haunting, mirthful laugh. "You two did good! This kid should be easy pickings!" Epona seemed nervous at the imp's presence, backing off a few steps, but seemed unwilling to leave her rider behind completely.
The Skull Kid turned to the dispatched Hylian, still unconscious on the ground. Slowly and carefully, the imp approached the fallen child. Once he was sure nothing would happen, the creature of the forest started to go through the boy's belongings. He started by taking off the kid's bow. Looking it over, the Skull Kid tossed it over his shoulder. Then, the quiver was emptied, arrows spilled all over the forest floor before the quiver itself was also tossed aside. The imp then turned to the large bag that Link had, throwing the bottles within it away. Quickly giving up on that, the Hylian was shoved onto his back. That's when the flash of pale blue caught the Skull Kid's eye.
"Oh! Skull Kid, that's an Ocarina isn't it?!" Tael exclaimed as his partner took the instrument from the helpless victim. "Can I play it? Please?!"
Tatl slapped the other fairy upside the head. "Tael you idiot! You can't play something like that! You'll just drop it and break it!"
The Skull Kid ignored the two bickering fairies. He turned away from the unconscious child, studying the instrument in his hands a bit before raising the Ocarina under his mask and blowing into the mouthpiece. A single, offkey note range out into the forest, eliciting a laugh from the mischievous being. "See? It looks fun!" Tael argued back, rubbing his head a bit from the hit. "Come on, sis, I'll be really careful with it!"
Tatl let out an annoyed sigh as the Skull Kid kept playing offkey notes and tittering to himself. "It's too big! You can't use the holes in it to properly play!"
"I could do it if I really tried! Just let me give it a shot!" Tael uselessly argued.
As the trio was distracted, Link's eyes slowly fluttered open, a pounding headache making him silently wince. Shakily, he got to his feet, and it took him a moment to focus on the noises going on around him. Two voices arguing with each other, the sound of an Ocarina being played poorly followed by laughter. Turning to the noise sources, Link froze from what he saw. His back to him was a Skull Kid, playing the Ocarina while two fairies argued further on. The boy then noticed a bunch of his belongings on the ground, especially his arrows which had been scattered all over the place.
Link's eyes formed into an icy blue glare, directed towards the trio of thieves.
It took only a few more moments for Tatl to notice Link, the fairy bristling in alarm, with Tael following suit moments after. "Uh…Skull Kid?" The female fairy called out, slowly floating upwards and out of reach, dragging her brother with her.
"Huh? What?" The imp said, watching his two cohorts fleeing. After a moment, the Skull Kid slowly turned around to see Link glaring daggers at him. The boy just couldn't help but let his anger show since he was caught so off guard. Letting out a startled noise, the thief hid the Ocarina of Time behind his back, not moving another muscle afterwards.
Petty tricks like that wouldn't work. Link saw the flash of blue and knew exactly what the creature had in his paws. The idea of unsheathing his sword went through the boy's mind, but that would be too slow. No choice but to just go for it! Link lunged at the imp, trying to wrap his arms around the thief and hold him in place. To the boy's shock, the Skull Kid jumped straight up into the air. Such creatures were agile, yes, but Link had never seen one just take off to the air like that!
To Link's horror, the Skull Kid landed right on Epona with a taunting laugh, the horse whinnying in alarm and preparing to run. Leaving his bow, arrows, and bottles behind, Link instantly jumped and grabbed at the thief's ankle just before Epona started her charge. He hadn't even had time to think his options over, he just acted instinctually. The soft grass and dirt of the Lost Woods were now claws and teeth as the horse ran through the trees, dragging Link's legs along the ground.
The Skull Kid was barely able to hang onto the foal as she frantically galloped onward. The imp kicked at Link in a desperate attempt to loosen the boy's iron-like grip to no avail. Tatl and Tael quickly caught up, ramming into Link's head in vain to get him to let go, but the Hylian barely even noticed them. Before long, Epona made a wide turn and her usual rider lost his grip on the thief's leg, sending him tumbling along the ground. With another fit of laughter, the Skull Kid rode off on Epona, his fairy companions lagging behind, but still following their partner in crime.
Link was only stunned for a few moments before struggling up to his feet. His entire body was sore, and his legs were bleeding a bit, but that wasn't enough to stop him! Epona wasn't just Link's friend, but a precious gift from a precious girl back home. He couldn't imagine returning to the ranch and having to tell Malon that some imp stole her horse away. He refused to let a thing like that happen!
The retreating pinpoints of light went out of sight deep into a tunnel of sorts seemingly carved into a giant tree. It was a new and unusual sight for Link, but he didn't think twice before charging after the fairies anyway. Ignoring the pain that shot through his legs with each step, Link ran as fast as he was able through the tunnel. He paused when he came through the other side. The boy found himself in a strange area where the trees around him were so thick and so close together that going through them was impossible. The only other path was a monstrously large tree with some sort of wooden slope or ramp going into an opening.
Seeing as that was the only possible path the Skull Kid and Epona could've gone, Link continued towards it. As he ran, he thought about how bringing the horse was a big mistake. The Lost Woods were dangerous enough for him as it was, he shouldn't have dragged Epona here as well! Once he found his friend and got her back, he was going to warp them right back to the Temple of Time and return her to Malon. He'd…He'd just plan his trip more carefully and try again…
Running into the tree's opening, Link found himself in a dark tunnel with nothing but the weak sunlight behind him to light the way. The only sounds Link could hear was his own footfalls and panting. The gallops of Epona were now long gone, making him worry about just how far he was lagging behind. It didn't even cross his mind that he may be forever lost in the forest if he didn't get his Ocarina back. All he could think about was getting his horse back safe and sound.
As Link kept going, he started to wonder about the passage of time. He could swear he had been going for well over twenty minutes with no change in scenery at all, save for him outrunning the sun's rays and plunging him into complete darkness. Just as Link was starting to believe he was somehow caught in a trap; he saw a light ahead. Pushing himself harder, he charged forward and only at the last second did he realize something.
The floor ran out.
In a moment that terrified Link to his core, he teetered over the edge of a massive abyss which the unknown light source couldn't fully illuminate. He tried to get his balance, but it was far too late.
Going over the edge…Link fell.
A/N: The Majora's Mask novelization officially starts. For those that read my Tales of Termina series, you'll notice this is pretty much The First Cycle. I decided I already wrote a novelization of all of this, and didn't want to rewrite it from the ground up, since I was going to make no major changes. I will at least spruce it up a bit and maybe add a paragraph or two as things go, but nothing major will change with Link's introduction to Termina. I also wanted the first chapter to be nice and short before they start to get longer as things go on. As for the rest of the story, it won't deviate much from Tales of Termina, except for one thing I have in mind...but it'll be obvious once it reaches that part.
In any case, any and all comments and reviews are welcome.