Chapter 1
It was twilight. A pinkish-red glow shone over the peak of Death Mountain. A haunting breeze blew over my shoulder, brushing my hair back in a small flurry. I took a step towards the edge of the cliff, staring out past the horizon. I had come out here to be alone, and try to relax, but I found myself depressed, thinking about my failed assignment. I sat on the hard ground, layered with soft grass, and thought about the day's events.
"Majora, are you ready?"
"Yes, sir."
"Very well. Here is your quest. You are to take Majora's Mask to the temple of Shadow, as of safety customs."
"Safety customs?"
The King looked at me, his face still friendly, yet puzzled, as if I should know this. As if to answer my question, he responded "Ah! I forget. Originally, we would choose the bravest, fastest, strongest knights in Hyrule to complete this quest, but our best knight was killed in the war ten years ago."
"Who was this knight?"
"A descendant of the great Sir Raven, of Labrynna. He had a son, as well. About your age, by now. We believe that his bloodline may carry the blood of the original Hero of Time."
"Shame. What a knight he must have been."
"Indeed. Best in Hyrule. Amazing Swordplay. But as we have recently found you, the keeper of the mask itself, we figure you are the most worthy of the job."
"Your majesty, why do we take the mask to and from the Light and Shadow temple every ten years?"
"Precaution, my dear. We may think have the flames of evil under control, but we never know if they might be planning our demise as we speak. If they try to track the mask, they will find it difficult, as we change the mask's location."
"Very well. Shall get moving?"
"Proceed. Best wishes, Majora."
"And to you, your majesty."
As I walked out into the castle courtyard, I noticed a girl, sitting on one of the many walls. She was the older one of the two, Akaya. Akaya was never light-hearted or happy. She refused any suitor that visited, and never did anything considered "fun". She was the exact opposite of her younger sister, Jine. People didn't often pay any attention to Akaya, because of her personality.
I quickly avoided eye contact, turning my head away. I thought I was safe, but a voice sounded from behind me.
"I know you saw me."
I turned around. "Were you hiding?"
"No, but you turned your eyes away, like everyone else."
"How could you possibly tell?"
"It's happened so many times. I can feel stares like you can feel a small pressure on your arm."
What a curious girl.
"What are you doing?" She cocked her head to the side.
"I'm on a quest. The king has assigned me job, to deliver Majora's Mask from the Light Temple to the Shadow Temple. I suppose it is a little odd to hear this from a fourteen-year-old girl, though."
Confusion flashed on her face. "I thought we usually chose knights to do this quest, though."
"Yes, well..." I stood a little taller. "I am Majora."
A shock rippled across Akaya's face. "What did you say?" She gasped.
Hesitantly, I replied "I am Majora. What of it?"
Akaya jumped down from the wall, leaving a tiny tear in her dress. She walked over to me. "You must be careful." She said. Despair pooled in her eyes. "Take extra caution, please!" She cried.
"W-why?" I stammered, shocked by the princess's outburst. A few guards were looking over at us, puzzled. I made sure to keep my hands off, so they wouldn't think I was attacking the princess.
"I've had visions of this day. A great evil is rising, and they are coming after you. Please, Majora!" The older girl shook me. "You must be careful!"
"I-I..." I stuttered, not sure what to do. I decided on fleeing. I tore across the beautiful courtyard, hoping feebly that a mature nineteen-year-old girl who hated games had been playing around.
Two days passed, and I was on my way to the Shadow Temple.
A cape of darkness had blanketed Hyrule, but worry was not what I felt. Coming from the Dark World, I had always preferred walking in the darkness of night. It made me feel safe, like being wrapped in a blanket, but still feeling free to move as I pleased.
A cloud moved, and a glow of moonlight rained down on me. I took a minute to bask in it. Moonlight was to Twili, the people of the Dark World, what the sun was to people of the Light World. Instead of taking in heat, I absorbed the cool, shivery rays of the moon. I flopped down onto the ground, taking a moment to relax. I hadn't felt moonlight like this in awhile. A thought hit me. The moon was so much like the Twili. A complete shadow of light, unimportant and forgotten. The thing most would cast aside like a broken toy. I felt miserable.
I clutched Majora's Mask, holding it like a teddy bear. I didn't realize how tired I was. I fluttered my lids shut, slowly. I'd take a small rest. The power of the mask would repel any monsters in Hyrule Field. Then everything was black, and a dream crept into my mind.
Two people were talking. One had long, flowing hair, like mine, but her hair was black instead of blonde. She was wearing loose black pants, and a black shirt, with the top resting under her arms. Two black earrings hung from her long, pointed ears. The other was wearing a green tunic, with ash-blonde hair and a long green cap. A sword and shield were strapped to his back.
"I can help you." The girl said mischievously. "But only if you help me to finish some chores around my house first."
"Done and done." The male replied. "So long as you help me save my friend."
The girl rolled her eyes. "Such a Hero. So noble! Don't go spouting that stuff around my house, though."
And the image faded away.
I awoke from a dark pain in my arms. It wasI sat up immediately. I thought about my dream. The house they were talking in looked so unusual. And something about their voices bothered me. As I sat pondering, I remembered what woke me up. Majora's Mask was pulsating waves of dark energy, making my arms ache. I quickly dropped the mask.
"Wait a minute-" I thought to myself. "The mask only does that when..."
And then I heard the noise.
Footsteps, paired with an occasional whiney and a small "Kraa!" from what I guessed to be a bokoblin. The steps were quick, like a run, and probably not friendly.
"I'm under attack!" I cried to myself. Majora's Mask was useful tool for telling close attacks.
A small army advanced on me. I quickly jumped up, gathered my things, and began to sprint. My red-violet boots thumped against the ground like my heartbeat against my chest. The spikes on my shoulders and sides cut through the racing air. I began to lose speed, along with stamina, but it wouldn't matter, anyways. The enemy was faster.
I eventually tripped and fell to the ground, scraping my hands. The small army arrived in front of me, casting a dark shadow.
There were many bokoblins, as I predicted. A few moblins were behind them, and kargoraks circled overhead. Upon the one armored horse sat a woman, with pale green skin, a long, armored skirt, and a revealing top. A long, curling hat covered one of her eyes, and let loose a single stripe of dull, orange hair.
Veran.
"It's time to quit running." Veran said in a chilling tone. "Hand it over, Majora!" She cried. Her horse whinnied.
I jumped up. My hand reached protectively over my bag. My fierce, red eyes glared at Veran.
"Never!" I cried. "As the sworn protector of this mask I cannot allow you have it!" Veran's eyes glinted in rage. "I will do everything in my power to stop you!"
"Ah...such a shame." She shook her head. A movement caught the corner of my eye. I decided against looking at it. Veran was more important. "I came all this way to retrieve Majora's Mask. I need it for..." Veran paused. "...purposes." Her eyes flashed dangerously, but this time, in a mischievous way. "You see, I was hoping you would say-" The demoness cocked her head slightly to the side as a grin formed on her pretty features. Then she let loose her final word in a shriek that pierced my ears. "DIFFERENT!"
And with that, a moblin struck me in the back unconscious.
In a few hours...
As I slept, I dreamt. I dreamt that I was in the Dark World again, and just as I was beginning to feel at home, an alarm sounded, and armed guards surrounded me.
"You're an outsider!" They called.
"You don't belong here!" They yelled.
Tears flowed to my eyes. "What are you talking about?!" I called back. "I'm Majora! I took the burden of Majora's Mask when I was only eight! This is my home!"
"Silence, fool!" They began to beat me with clubs.
"No, stop! Stop! I'm Majora! I'm Majora! I'm Ma-"
And then a club came in whooshing behind my back. My eyes opened in shock, and at the moment of impact-
"No!" My eyes snapped open. I took a second to steady my breathing.
"Just a dream, just a dream." I comforted myself. I tried to sit up. My back reacted with excruciating pain. I cried out.
Reaching carefully, I moved my hand from the ground to my back, feeling the wound. My fingers touched something sticky and wet. Blood.
Judging from the amount of blood, it must have been a pretty big cut.
I took a minute to raise myself up of the ground. Once I grew accustomed to the pain in my back, I sat up, legs crossed. I tried to remember why my back hurt. I recalled Veran, and her small army of monsters. That one moblin, who attacked me, striking me in the back. That explained the pain I felt in my dream.
Veran...she wanted Majora's Mask...
"No!"
I dived over my bag, ignoring the pain that surged in my back. I quickly dug through the contents, searching...
"No..." Tears spilled into my eyes as I realized the cold, hard truth. The mask wasn't there. I had failed.
I knelt into my knees, threw my head back, and released one long, cold, raw scream. Exhausted, I sank back onto my stomach, miserable.
"Goddesses..." I whispered. "Forgive me..."
Continue to Part 2
