Legends of New Hyrule (IC)

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mr_pibbs

mr_pibbs

The One True Pibbles
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OoC

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"Mhmmm... Well, isn't this a rag-tag group of Heroes?"

"W-Who said that? W-Where am I?"

Looking around frantically, Mercanor twisted his body from left to right, turning around in circles in a rather paranoid fashion. There were bodies laying around him. Bodies of all sorts of people. Two Hylian women, two small fairies, a Korkiri boy, a Twili, a Shiekah, a Zora . Why were these people here? Did they all get kidnapped? What in the name of the Goddesses was going on! His head hurt, but it took a few moments for him to realize that there was pain. Suddenly gasping as the impact of his head-injury, Mercanor raised a hand to cover the sore spot and hunched his shoulders.

"You and your friends... You're not exactly what I was expecting, but I'm willing to let you impress me."

Once again, Mercanor looked around for the source of the mysterious voice. Who was talking? All of the people around him seemed to slowly regain consciousness, but they too were just as confused as he was. Mercanor would have gone to assist the group, but then he heard footsteps. The footsteps, followed by a small clicking sound like a wooden cane repeatedly tapping against the ground. Looking towards the source of the sounds, Mercanor slowly walked forwards, balling his fists in preparation for some kind of attack. From the shadows and emptiness around him, the figure of a thin man approached them. An eerie smile was spread across his face, almost as of he enjoyed the horrific nothingness surrounding them. "I'm sorry if I disturbed you and your friends, it wasn't my intention. It's quite a shame that you and your companions perished so early. You still had so much to accomplish. I would offer you my condolences... But that implies I wouldn't be able to help you." said the man, tilting his head to the left while still smiling at Mercanor and the others. Mercanor was taken back by his words, not sure that what he was hearing was actually true. It just seemed like to him that the man with the bag was being overly creepy for no reason.

"What do you mean by perished? We're not dead! I'm here, aren't I? Where are we? Who are you?"

"My name is not of importance to you or your current quest. What is important, however, is that you trust me. I only want to help you and your friends, nothing more, nothing less."

Looking at the man with a stare of confusion, Mercanor remained silent. Before long, the man began to speak again. "To answer another question of yours, I indeed meant "perished". You and your friends, despite what you may think, are in fact dead. Just because you think you are somewhere doesn't mean you are actually there. For example, right now you and your companions are dead and lingering between a world of limbo and the inevitable inferno that awaits you all. I, on the other hand, am not dead like you and am only speaking with the you, who happen to be deceased. Now, if you will let me continue, I will explain that I can send you and your friends back to the world of the living. There are still many things you must do before you return here again, so I will send you back... With one exception, of course."

Slowly, the thin man reached into his bag and pulled out a scroll. He unwrapped it as he spoke. "I would explain more about what I need, but time is growing short. You and your friends will return to the world of the living again momentarily, but I must ask something of you. Find this item and return it to me... Or else your world will be doomed and... Well, let's just say you'll be seeing me again sooner then you should have." As he spoke, the mysterious man finished unrolling his scroll and handed it to Mercanor. Looking down, the young man stared at the on the scroll. Raising his head to ask the salesman one last thing, Mercanor suddenly realized he was standing in Hyrule Field.

((---------))​

Looking around, he saw none of the people from the blackness surrounding him. The one other person there was Enthral, his horse. Blinking a few times in confusion, Mercanor looked back down at the parchment in his hands with the drawing of the item, only to find it had transformed into his map of New Hyrule. Mercanor blinked a few more times, unsure about what exactly was going on. Maybe that whole interaction with the odd man was all in his head. Shrugging at the oddness of the situation, Mercanor patted Enthral's mane and led her forwards.

"Well, that was odd..." whispered Mercanor as he walked towards the hulking castle in the distance. He couldn't help but feel extreme discomfort from the previous situation, even if it was just him daydreaming again. Shaking his head one last time, he pushed back the feeling of dread and looked up at his horse. Smiling softly, Mercanor exclaimed Here we are, girl. Hyrule Castle... How long have we been dreaming of this now, huh? Seems like only yesterday we saw it in books... Now, here it is! Come on, let's get going. I'm sure the festival planners will be eager to get help setting up."

Today was a very special day for the land of "New" Hyrule. It was tradition for all the land and everyone was invited: the Korkiri/Korok people, the Gorons and the Zoras, the Geuredos and the Twili, and all the other people's of Hyrule and its surrounding lands. Today was the day that the Seven Sages gathered from around the world to re-seal the barriers between the land of Light and the land of Darkness, which was said to contain the spirit of the dastardly demon god, Demise. The sealing of the barriers had been a tradition ever since New Hyrule was founded so long ago and was meant to keep the spirits of darkness from returning to the land. However, what started out as a small ritual every year slowly turned into a massive event, with people from all across the land coming to Hyrule Castle to watch the barriers sealed once again. Now, there was singing and dancing, a feast comprised of foods brought from all over Hyrule, musical accompaniment throughout the day, and even a chance to meet with the royal family and Princess "Zelda" herself! All these things occur before and after the Sages get to work, but one of the most important traditions is the Hero's Play. Each region selects a representative to be part of this legendary 2-hour long play. From beginning to end, it retells the stories of Hyrule from the days of the Goddesses, to the origins of Skyloft, to the tales of Ganon and his destruction at the hands of multiple Link's throughout history. It is an important part of the festivities because it shows that even in Hyrule's darkest times, the evil in the land was always destroyed by brave heroes.

Mercanor was extremely excited for the play this year, given the fact he was chosen to act as the part of the Hero, Link. In the years prior, he had only watched the play and during last year's production, he worked with the famous Zora band "Sound Waves" to provide music for the play. But this year... This year, he had been chosen to play the most important part! It was a great honour for any young man to be chosen to play the part of Link. Not only did the one who played Link get to wear a replica of the Hero's Tunic crafted by the greatest cloth-workers in Hyrule, but they were also given a commemorative gift and got to spend the entire celebration with the royal family. At the end of the day, there was always a firework show to finish the ceremony. Mercanor was bursting with excitement and couldn't keep his energy contained as he and Enthral finally walked through the front gates of Hyrule Castle Town.

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All around him, people from all the races were gathered in the town square. The Rito's and Fairies were hanging streamers with ease while the Gorons lifted heavy stage-props and tables for the feast. The Zoras were busy preparing what smelled like the most delicious fish buffet Mercanor had ever smelled, dousing the various pieces of food in natural herbs and spices generously provided by the Kokiri and Koroks. There were Hylian's scattered around, performing various jobs ranging from cooking, setting up the stage with the Gorons, grabbing the musical instruments for the band and even just bringing in more delicious smelling foodstuffs. As he marched through the square with Enthral, Mercanor smelled the intoxicating aroma of Roast Beef and Hot Yeti Soup, his favourite meal. The amount of cuisine provided at the event every year always amazed him because it seemed like everyone who attended brought something different. Mercanor even saw a woman carrying an entire roast Cucco towards the banquet area. How she managed to kill one of those hell-spawns was amazing to him, considering the last time he had done anything violent to a Cucco, it summoned a flock of followers to peck Mercanor until he was bruised from head to toe.

He soon reached the stables where a kindly red-haired girl took Enthral and promised she'd look after the horse. Grabbing his supplies off of Enthral's back, Mercanor pulled an apple out of his bag and handed it to the horse. He pet her head quickly while he ate before walking off to the Town Square again. When he arrived, the stage had already been set up and the sun was beginning its descent. Soon, the ceremony would begin. The final preparations were made and the tables were being set with food and drink for all who attended. Before Mercanor could even look at the table to see where the Roast Beef and Yeti Soup from earlier were placed, a guard came walking up to him. "Mercanor Tiberius?" he asked in a stern voice. Mercanor nodded at the guard, who smiled and said "Geez, they really picked a look-alike this year didn't they? Anyone tell you that you're the spitting image of the Hero? But I'm getting a little silly, sorry. Anyways, you should get dressed. Everyone's going to sit down for the feast soon and I've been instructed to lead you to the Royal Table. You even get to sit beside Princess Alieda. Aren't you lucky?" before patting Mercanor on the shoulder.

The man quickly removed a satchel he had been carrying around with him and handed it to Mercanor. Inside, was his "Hero's Tunic" and replica of the Master Sword. Smiling at the guard, Mercanor nodded thankfully at him. "I'll wait for you here, there's a change room is just behind the stage." explained the guard, who pointed towards the small room behind the large wooden stage. Mercanor quickly dashed over to the shack, making sure nobody else was inside before he removed his normal clothes and put on the Hero's Tunic. The faded green outfit looked pretty good on him, he had to admit. Although he wasn't a huge fan of hats, the hat designed for the tunic felt very light and didn't mess up his already messy long brown hair. Grabbing the "Master Sword" and tossing his regular clothes in a bin labeled "Cast", Mercanor returned to the guard and promptly followed him to the Royal Table.


Somewhere on top of Hyrule Castle

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A mysterious figure sat on the roof of Hyrule Castle's highest tower, overlooking the scene below him. It was quite overjoyed at the sight of so many people and clasped its hands together happily.

Ehehehehee! Look at them! My friends, all gathered up in the Town Square to play with me! I have to be on my best behaviour! The Royal Family wouldn't like it if I was naughty, certainly not! I should give them a gift! But what could possibly be the perfect gift for a family that already has everything...

Pondering this thought, the figure looked around itself to try and find a present. The blue-tiled rooftops of the Castle were empty, so there was nothing to be found there. All of the vendors were surely closed for they day, so the poor mysterious figure was out of luck. Smacking his hands against the roof and collapsing back into a seated position, the figure began to sulk.

"No, no, no! That won't do at all! There must be something I can give them! But what? What could they not have that I can give them?"

Pouting miserably, a sudden sight caught the figure's eye. The time of day illustrated a beautiful portrait of the Hylian skyline, a rare point in time where the sun and the moon faced each other on their rise/descent. Suddenly gasping, the figure jumped to its feet and danced around joyfully.

"That's it! That's it! That's it! I know what to give the Royal Family now! Something so beautiful that everyone else be absolutely crushed by how amazing it is! I'll be the talk of the town! Ehehehehee!"
 
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With all the festive bustle, the taller folk of New Hyrule easily missed the childlike figure weaving its way through the crowded streets of Castle Town. Clad in a green tunic and shapeless green cap, the brown-haired child seemed like every other peasant boy in town pretending to be the Hero of legend. He even had a slingshot and long wooden stick belted at his waist, in imitation of the Hero's favored weapons of bow and blade.

"Augh!" the child yelped as he was bumped by the hip of a much-taller Goron. He spilled out of the crowd and into the hard wood of a nearby vendor stall. Nursing a bruised shoulder and ego, he grumbled about the misfortunes of being vertically challenged before looking up. The stall had a flat wooden roof that would make a good jumping point to get onto the stone wall behind it.

He climbed up the stall, leaped up, grabbed the edge of the battlement, and hauled himself up. He hustled across the much less crowded battlements, getting a clear view of the seemingly endless throngs below. As he neared the castle itself, even the battlements were starting to fill with people, especially guards. He shifted his course, leaping off the wall and onto the tile roofs of the buildings below. He landed in a shoulder roll, regained his footing, and kept on sprinting across. He would vault over chimneys and leap from balconies to the next building. With his slim frame and catlike agility, this unconventional means of travel obviated the need to navigate the twisting and congested streets of the city itself.

Eventually, he perched upon a stone gargoyle looming off the side of a three-story home. The view of the town square was breathtaking and even this high up he could smell the various foodstuffs being prepared in droves below.

This agile creature looked like a Hylian, but to the discerning eye, it was evident he was simply too dextrous to be one. Indeed, Mid was a Kokiri, a member of a race of eternally childlike forest creatures. So few of his kind left the secretive confines of their woodland villages, but on this auspicious day, even the enigmatic Kokiri would emerge to partake in the festivities. But most Kokiri were easily identifiable by their companion Fairy.

Which Mid did not have.

It was why he left the Kokiri Forest by himself more than a month ago. He was searching for a Fairy of his own. His journey these last few lonely weeks were eye-opening to say the least. He had never been beyond the borders of the forest before, so scrounging for food was a new experience. Avoiding being eaten by wolves and other animals was another. He also learned the hard way that big folk were not always nice. He had to flee from no less than four packs of bandits, relying on his trusty slingshot to stymie the more ardent pursuers.

He had hoped to find a Fairy in the wild, perhaps a Great Fairy had a clutch of lesser kin who would be willing to partner with him. But every cave and waterfall he came to had been bereft of them. Even though he had found three such locations that had sprinklings of fairy dust there, suggesting that Fairies had once occupied them.

He knew much about the wild, having grown up in it all his life. Animals did not attack like they had. Bandits did not roam the wilds, preferring instead to stick to the prey found on the established roads. Fairies did not abandon their hideouts. Something was ill at work in Hyrule, or so his gut was telling him. These irregularities were merely a prelude to something worse to come. He could feel it.

He had come to Castle Town to find answers. If anyone knew of what ills plagued Hyrule, it would be the Sages. And the Sages would be here for the festival.

Mid sat on the gargoyle to wait. Eventually, the Sages would come. He could ask them then.
 
Having taken his new duty seriously, Kage himself was asked by the King to guard the Princess on this day of the Festival of Sealing, as it was known to the Shiekah, yet he had been given a request, one which he only followed to please her, for she was as a younger sister to him, and he would do anything to make her happy. Standing in strange, dark garb and covered in a soot-like powder that made his skin a pale white, with black diamonds drawn upon his skin, he thought he looked rather silly, yet the actor who was to fill this role had received a leg injury, preventing his performance, and forcing Kage to take up the mantle for him, as his build oddly matched that of the character. Luckily his role would only take place during the first stages of the play, or so he hoped, as he wished to be rid of this silly garb as soon as possible and return to his armor.

'Lady Adell asked me to take up the role so that the event may play out, but is this all she has in store for me? Something tells me that I should doubt that, and that something worries me.' he thought to himself as he took his place by Adell, opposite of where the "Great Hero" was meant to sit, an odd look on his face at the familiarity of the young man who came forth. 'I saw him in that dream.' he thought, shaking his head defiantly. 'It was a dream wasn't it? I mean, I wouldn't be here if I were dead.'

Shaking the thoughts from his head, he gave a curt nod to the young Hero, shifting his false swords on his hip to make his seat more comfortable before speaking in a soft tone, yet having his voice be loud enough to be heard. "So, here's the Great Hero at last! I see that they've chosen well this year, he's the spitting image of the Heroes of old, unlike that poor young smith that passed out from exhaustion last year." Turning to the fellow in green, he gave him a wry smile. "It'll be an honor to do battle with you upon the stage, young Hero. I do hope that you don't hold back during our fight scenes, as I intend to put everything I have into them. Prove to me that you're worthy of your new life!" Kage was unsure why he'd said that last part out loud, but it rang in his ears and echoed inside his head long after the ringing stopped, awaiting whatever was to come forth from his words.
 
Zaleria awoke when the light hit from the alley way. She stretched and straightened out her black tunic and her blue cloak. She then looked at Luna who had been up waiting it seemed. "I feel like I had the weirdest dream girl." She stated and heard Luna neigh. "Oh well no need to dwell on it." She smiled and got up. "Where suppose to help with the instruments this year remember." Luna seemed to nod. Zaleria made sure she had everything on Luna and headed toward where the festival would take place. She noticed many seemed to already be setting up. She took Luna where she would have to stay at a nice looking lady with red hair. "Luna I'll be back after the festival. I'll make sure to save you something okay." She said then handed Luna a carrot soon the carrot was gone and Zaleria walked off.

Zaleria went to the stage with her drums and looked around. A man came over to her and explained what she needed to do to help. She began to get simple items to help set up like chairs, mics, and she even got to help the drummer set up the drums. As she helped she noticed many coming into town and different foods from the Zora's and others setting up for the feast. She over heard rumor on that this year the boy who would be Link actually looked very similar. Every now and again Zaleria seemed to day dream a bit as she worked back to the dream. 'Friends? Will I really meet some new people and have actual friends?' She wondered. 'I've meet people but because of my father I'm not sure if I actually have friends.' She shook herself and continued bringing up one of the last items for the stage which was a few things of water for the performers.
 
Nim blinked in confusion as reality returned to her. Well, that was an odd dream. She looked around, trying to figure out what exactly had happened. That dream had been rather disorienting in more than one way, and she wasn't entirely sure it was even a dream. It felt...real. Too real. With a sigh, the Gerudo woman looked down at the street below her from her seat on the blue tiled roof of a house. The sheer number of people below was almost mind boggling. Before coming to Hyrule, Nim had never seen so many people gathered in one place. There were quite a few Gerudos out there, but this number of people was a bit difficult for her to comprehend at first. And since she wasn't good in crowds...well, it was a bit difficult to adjust.

Which was why she was currently lounging on top of a roof. Crowds were not her thing.

Pulling her scarf up, she nimbly made her way off the roof and into the alley below. Adjusting her scimitars slightly, she made her way through the crowded streets. Normally, she'd probably have gotten a few odd stares from the Hylians. Today though, was a different story. The festival was the perfect guise for her to be out and about in. She wasn't sure what the festival was about - something about some ceremony to seal some evil. Whatever the case, it made her stick out less, which was something she liked.

She was here in Hyrule for a few reasons. One, being she was a bit short on money. During a festival like this, someone wouldn't miss a few rupees. Two, she had to buy a few more things to continue her wandering. Certainly she could hunt, but sometimes it was nice to just buy some things. Thirdly, she was here simply for the festival. By the time she had left the desert two years ago, she had just missed the festival. The second year, she wasn't that interested in it. This year though, she wanted to see what all the noise was about. So far, she was less than impressed. Just a bunch of people running around doing nothing.

Not that it really concerned her. Maybe she should leave-

"Hey! Watch where going!" She looked at the Hylian in front of her, the only visible part of her face being her eyes, which were currently glaring at the poor Hylian in front of her, who was currently re-thinking his choice of words. "Uhm, i mean, sorry, that was my bad!" He sounded like he was about to run home to his mother - obviously more than a little put off by her. Not to mention the scimitars strapped at her waists and the bow slung across her back. Nim didn't speak, merely checking her wallet to make sure she hadn't been stolen from. Seeing that her rupees were still there, she walked past the man placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Be more careful next time." She calmly replied. The man simply nodded, with a gulp, not feeling the nimble fingers reaching into his pockets and taking most of his rupees in the process. The man simply walked off, quite quickly away from her. While she didn't like the apparent intimidating aura she gave off, it did have its uses.

Moving away from the crowd, she eventually found her way onto a roof again, so she could survey the streets below. With a small chuckle, she sat on the roof and opened the wallet she had just pilfered. It was quite heavy, and when she opened it, the Gerudo was greeting with quite a few rupees. Well, now that solved one of her problems. All she had to do now was to wait until the...'sages' or whatever to finish this festival.
 
In the more desolate dark streets, Sianna awoke from a strange dream to see people pass by her, joyfully chatting and gossiping about the festival. That's right! Today was the festival she had been hearing about for weeks from the towns people. It had sparked her interest from the first mentioning. The twili held no celebrations and rarely acted happy in general! This made her jealous of Hylians and their community.

Disappearing from the shadows of the alley, Sianna found herself a tight corner that was dark enough that no one would see her, yet she could see the stage almost perfectly, and she could at last take upon her true form. Looking across the people of Castle Town and visitors, Sianna noted a few odd looking people. One she had never seen, a short 'boy' looking person, yet he acted as though he was as mature of respectable as an old- Sianna stopped in mid-thought as he suddenly climbed upon the roofs and began to leap across them. What race was that?

Shifting in her position Sianna accidentally pushed a roof shingle off and gasped as it feel to the grown. Looking over the edge of the little roof she sat on, Sianna saw she had almost hit the roof of a vender just below her. Letting out a relieved sigh, Sianna looked back across at the stage and up to the young princess sitting at the long table. What a beauty...tan skin, brown eyes, yellow hair. Such uniqueness she had never seen in the Twilight.
 
When Ruissa entered Hyrule Castle Town, the area felt so familiar; even though she'd never been there. She could not put a finger on it. . .weird. But finally. . . after a long distance of traveling she had arrived at the town she had heard the festival took place in. It was time for a fun, albeit a somewhat educational yet travel-free day. The teen had decided to go there after hearing that it was about history of Hyrule. Ruissa always wanted to learn more about the kingdom, since Keiya didn't know the entire story. Keiya. . .It hurt so much thinking about her, so instead, Ruissa plastered a fake smile on her face so people wouldn't ask her anything.

What should I do first. . , Rui thought to herself as she wandered around the town. She blinked her lime-green eyes in curiousity. Maybe she could get some food? She was awfully hungry and was definitely running low on food in her bag. Getting some more honey was also what she wanted to do, since she usually liked to smear her loaves of bread in the sweet substance. Rui was also running out of water too. Oh, all of the things she needed. Hopefully she'd have enough rupees to buy everything she needed to survive when she got back to journeying around Hyrule.

After moments of going wherever her brain wanted her to, she stopped just a few feet away from where the stage for the event was. I wonder. . .when does the play start?

She decided to take a few steps closer to sit on a chair a couple of rows away from the stage and to quietly wait until it did start. Her feet were tired, and she needed a rest. She would get something later.
 
Cipris jerked up from the bed she had been resting on and looked around. What kind of dream was that?! Why had she thought of such a thing? "Clove, Are you still in here?" She called, putting her bare feet on the ground and standing up. It was only supposed to be a brief nap, not long enough to dream up something.

Shaken from the bad dream, Cipris exited the small in and paused as she was greeted by floods of people. It was just becoming twilight and the festival must begin soon. Turning to enter the inn that she and her sister owned, she once again called out. "Clove, It's time to go! The festival will probably be starting soon!" Cipris grabbed her warm coat and slipped it on. "Should we stay full size? It's quite busy." Cipris asked Clove

"Quite right! Clove popped around the coner of the kitchen door. "Way to busy today, can't possibly be as large as this." She bounded up to her sister throwing a bright red scarf around her neck. The silver in her eyes seemed to vibrate enthusiasm.

"Okay. Well let's hurry and see if we can get good seats." With that, both Clove and Cipris changed suddenly into little fairies like you would find at a spring. They flew above the crowds, taking advantage of their small size, and found a comfortable beam to sit on and look down upon the play.

-Collaboration with Written-
 
"Mhmmm... Well, isn't this a rag-tag group of Heroes?"


Aleida bolted upright eyes widened at the sudden voice. No one was supposed to be in her bedroom!
Confused and panicked, she turned to see who had spoken. It was then she realized that it wasn't the palace bed she was laying nor was she alone. She gazed with a puzzled expression at several random strangers lay about her.

"W-Who said that? W-Where am I?"

A male voice to her left uttered exactly what she had wanted to say; one of the strangers, obviously more aware.

"You and your friends... You're not exactly what I was expecting, but I'm willing to let you impress me."

The mysterious voice again interrupted her panic cycle. She squinted her eyes it's direction. Which of us is he talking too??? Worried of being caught more unawares Aleida begun to stand and at the sound of a walking cane scrambled to her feet to face it. She brushed her loose hair out of her vision following the boy's gaze to the sinister looking man who spoke once again.

"I'm sorry if I disturbed you and your friends, it wasn't my intention. It's quite a shame that you and your companions perished so early. You still had so much to accomplish. I would offer you my condolences... But that implies I wouldn't be able to help you."

What was this man talking about?! leaning slightly forward for emphasis "w-"

"What do you mean by perished? We're not dead! I'm here, aren't I? Where are we? Who are you?"

Aleida pulled back frustrated as the boy again stole her voice. She folded her hands decidedly waiting for it to unfold before trying to speak again. She normally wasn't this impatient in her dreams.

"My name is not of importance to you or your current quest. What is important, however, is that you trust me. I only want to help you and your friends, nothing more, nothing less."

Friends? She hadn't recognized anyone before. Scanning the group once more she came up with the conclusion that she in fact did not know these people nor knew of the current quest that he spoke of. Trust a man we met who says we're dea-


"To answer another question of yours, I indeed meant "perished". You and your friends, despite what you may think, are in fact dead. Just because you think you are somewhere doesn't mean you are actually there. For example, right now you and your companions are dead and lingering between a world of limbo and the inevitable inferno that awaits you all. I, on the other hand, am not dead like you and am only speaking with the you, who happen to be deceased. Now, if you will let me continue, I will explain that I can send you and your friends back to the world of the living. There are still many things you must do before you return here again, so I will send you back... With one exception, of course."

The man interrupted her thoughts then produced a scroll, handing it to the boy. Aleida and probably the rest of the group who hadn't been handed a scroll watched carefully trying to decipher the cryptic information that followed.

"I would explain more about what I need, but time is growing short. You and your friends will return to the world of the living again momentarily, but I must ask something of you. Find this item and return it to me... Or else your world will be doomed and... Well, let's just say you'll be seeing me again sooner then you should have."

It was only a blink of an eye before Aleida again sat bolt upright, this time in her bed. "What a strange dream.." She sighed. usually her dreams were more controllable and didn't involve her being dead, interrupted or strange people. They were all around normal, adventuring dreams. Her mind wandered to the castle windows where the sun was blocked by large red tapestries. "What time is it?" she mumbled to herself, as she always did, before slipping out of bed onto the cold concrete and over to her balcony about 5 yards away. It was hard to pull the heavy fabric away but none the less she did; perhaps it was all the training her family had provided to ensure her ability to defend herself. The warm evening sun jerked her into consciousness. "By the Goddesses it's already almost sunset!" Aleida snatched up her skirt, dashing into her blue dress and hylian gold then out her door.



It'd been barely four minutes before Kage joined Aleida at the royal table. "You look the part." She chuckled with a friendly smile as he sat down beside her. She was very glad indeed that he had accepted her request to fill in so that the play would flow smoothly, all pieces in place. As always his presence made her feel safe and oddly somehow diminished her ability to speak her mind. It truly was a large crowed of people today. The thought of not knowing the general crowded both made Aleida nervous and excited; most everyone here was of a different culture automaticly making them interesting to her.

" I'm thinking of trav-" Her shared thought was interrupted as the "Hero" approached their table fully dressed in his hero garb. "Ah." she avoided giving him a once over knowing that anyone dressed in the hero's garb already had her bias and instead rearranged the items on her table. Kage immediately greeted him commenting on his likeness to the original hero, making her internally groan. 'You're not doing this again this year Adell..you're not.' silently talking herself out of looking up at him, completely determined not to "fall in love" with another Link.
"Actually, I thought he was quite good last year..." Following the conversation, she quietly scold Kage without actually interrupting him. Moments later She had run out of things to rearrange and begun straightening the soft fabric of her dress, maintaining her ladylike posture.
 
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Whispering to her, Kage gently touched the Princess' hand, a sign of him swearing secrecy to her for any thoughts she wished to keep between them.
"Adell, it would be best to speak of that after the Festival, due to the fact that, while I am not against you going on a journey, I believe your father will be. We can make preparations after the festivities are concluded if you truly wish to leave Castle Town, but, until then, please enjoy yourself to your heart's content. It will be a long journey, and you should save up as much joy as you can to carry along with you, for even the short trip to my village can be disheartening if not properly equipped with happiness."
Releasing her hand, he gave her a curt smile, which twisted into a wry smirk.
"You know I mean no disrespect for the smith, Lady Adell, I merely found it amusing that you took up the role in his stead, and nearly killed me nineteen times in the process."
 
"What in the world..." Miruo uttered, not having any idea what was going on. One moment, he was just swimming around by virtue of having nothing better to do. The next thing he knew, he was... here, wherever 'here' might be. From what little he could see of it, it was some kind of dark place of nothingness. What was even more bizarre was the fact that some kind of disembodied was talking about them already being dead. Seriously, what in the name of Nayru was going on?

...And then, just as sudden as this mysterious event started, it ended again, leaving a very confused Zora floating around in the water to wonder exactly what the hell just happened. Did he eat something bad or something? Or had someone dropped a bag of Magic Powder in the water? Considering all the other junk that somehow ended up in the water, Miruo would not be surprised at all if that was the case. Which in turn meant that he would have to get out of said water ASAP, before something even worse happened. Thus the Zora did exacly that. Of course, the next problem was figuring out what to do next.
"So... Asuming that someone has indeed dropped something in the water, then it follows that the source should be upstream. Going from here, that would be... Hyrule Castle. Well, one of them at least," Miruo thought out loud. Well, that made sense: the Zora he knew had the utmost respect for the water, making absolutely sure to keep it clean. Which made sense, considering its their home and all that. The average human, on the other hand, tended to not care nearly as much. The thing was, if this was limited to just bottles, then it was easy enough to just cleanit out. But this... Whatever just happened was serious. The Zora shook his head, severely disappointed and angry at the residents of Hyrule town. Quickly, he collected his stuff, then set out to have a very serious word with whatever authority figure he could find.


Some time later, Miruo arrived at Hyrule Castle -- which was utterly booming with people. "Of course, the festival," he muttered. Well, this complicated things. How was anyone possibly supposed to find the culprit in this chaos? Well, he had to start somewhere... Figuring that the best way to find out if anyone had seen someone near the river was to just ask people, the Zora help up the closest person he could find to ask him/her said question. "Hello. This might seem like a strange question, but have you seen anyone get close to the water lately? Especially someone that may have held a bag of Magic Powder, Mushrooms or something like that."
 
From his perch far overhead atop a stone gargoyle, Mid had a clear view of the bustle on the streets below. He festival was now well underway, with the princess and the young Hylian playing the part of the "Hero" congregating by the tables. It seemed that the play would soon begin. This was Mid's chance to meet the Sages and ask them their wisdom about the dark things he had seen in his journey to Castle Town - they would be a part of the upcoming ceremonies, after all.

As he waited for the play to start, he mulled over the strange dream he had recently, one concerning a strange group of people he had never met before, one of them proclaiming that he was already dead. It was yet another question to posit to the infinitely wise Sages.

He drew forth the Deku stick he wore belted at his waist and proceeded to scratch a hard to reach spot on his back. During his travels, he had to employ the implement in a more violent capacity, but for the most part, it was just a good, stout, simple walking stick. Nevertheless, Deku wood was tough and even his small arms could crack bone with a rod of this size in hand.

He glanced at his surroundings, both down in the streets below and in the rooftops he inhabited. Castle Town was all cobblestones and tile roofs, a far cry from the wooden huts with thatched roofing he was accustomed to in the Kokiri Forest, or the mud or clay houses of the villages dotting Hyrule. He had never even seen a home larger than a single story and rarely more than two or three rooms large until he stepped into Castle Town. The building he was perched on now was a good three stories - an absolute monument to Mid - and he could see Hyrule Castle from his vantage and noted that the ancient fortress was even larger still.

It was breathtaking, the marvels of modern engineering.

It was also far more predictable and sturdy construction than nature's wildness. Roof-jumping and wall-running was significantly easier when everything was smoothened, leveled out, and made of stone. Traverseing Castle Town with his method would take minutes, when it would have likely taken at least three or four times that much to cross an equal distance in the wild.

Mid turned his attention from his musings to the streets as the bustle increased. Was the play about to start?
 
Today his bar was enjoying a lot more early business than usual. The owner didn't mind; it would be madness to turn away good business, and he was finding the festive mood remained contagious after all these years. And the goings on had a tendency to bring out more colorful customers than even the usual ones.

One such group had come in together. They weren't frequent customers, but he knew their faces even if he could never be sure if he'd ever gotten all of their names.

An interesting lot.

"Privateers for the New Hyrule Reclamation effort," had been their story. He was skeptical at first, but they'd proven themselves friendly enough over time. Though he had to admit to feeling a bit anxious the first time they came in, given the looks of them, their profession, and the serious money they threw around.

"You don't suppose they plan on wrecking the place, do you?" one of his assistants had asked. "And it's not every day a Gerudo gives you a big chunk of change like that."

Years later, their bar was still standing and he'd even been able to spruce things up a little, but not too much. Go too fancy, and you kill the charm, he told himself. He smiled to the group in the corner. A crew as diverse as the outside crowds were likely to be. Sometimes it paid to have a little faith in people. Their apparent leader, a Gerudo woman in gray and white, nodded in his direction, flashing a bright smile. That was his cue. He headed to the backroom.




When he came back, he presented the white-clad Gerudo woman with a bottle of milk that was larger than the single-serving bottles most of the patrons—her group included—were drinking from.

"Thank you, kind sir," Surma said, rising to lift an empty bottle.

"Surma, is that?" someone asked.

"Chateau Romani," the owner replied in his most dignified voice—an imitation of a friend who ran a higher end establishment. "All the way from Termina."

The group erupted in gasps. Surma nodded assent, and the owner began filling the guests' bottles.

She was standing at the center of a group of explorers and sailors that she'd come to view almost like a family--which felt sort of weird as so many of them were male. She caught herself. What was it about good milk and goodbyes that could make one philosophical?

"A toast!"She looked them over once more as they responded with milk bottles raised.

"To Oholl," she began,"our Hylian beanpole whose sharp-eye and quick thinking helped us avoid many dangers if only so he could torture us himself with his constant complaining and sassy mouth."

The twiggy young navigator snickered to himself.

"To Bomuran, a Goron who actually managed to be more reckless than me by coming out to sea... AND THRIVING!" The crowd cheered in acknowledgement.

"He's also, a handy walking jar-opener," she added. "And to Zode, Perin, and Duzl! To Sonker! To our map maker who couldn't be here! "

This wasn't everybody; there had been some rotation as might be expected in their line of work; and some had other pressing places to be. Even she wouldn't tarry long, but the core group was here in this moment, and that was what mattered. All the same, she called a few more names of the absent.

"....And to Naume, the little sister who dared to follow me in my folly." She sat down her bottle and clasped her hands in mock supplication to a younger Gerudo who silently waved off the joke. "I'm sorry if we didn't get into as much trouble as you were hoping we would."

"Save me your insincerity," Naume replied. "Just answer me: Why the extended break? Why now?"

Surma replied offhandedly while holding her bottle against the lamplight, watching it swish. "When the mainland starts to feel as strange to you as the sea once did, I believe it's enough reason to reconsider. I reconsidered, and now I'm taking action."

"Might that plan of action include dragging a Hylian carpenter back home across the Desert?" Oholl, the navigator, quipped.

"Shut up, and drink your milk!" she shouted back, slapping him across the back of the head. Her companions erupted into laughter, and she joined in. "Cheers!"

After a few nodding sips to relish the difference in flavor and texture, they all chugged their milk bottles until they were empty. They each regarded each other for a moment, considering if they would follow the old custom. They watched Surma and followed suit. This time, they all gently lowered their bottles to the table.

As she reclaimed her cloak and halberd with its covered blade, Surma turned around to address them. "This is a temporary goodbye. Soon enough we'll be trading stories of new discoveries. Until then..."

She excused herself with a shallow bow and stepped back outside into the throngs of people.

That had gone well. But after leaving the jovial atmosphere of the milk bar and her former shipmates, she couldn't help but recall the strange dream she'd had the night before.

It was like a bad omen. She wanted to ignore it.

In the dream, she'd found herself "dead" and in mixed company. She had a feeling it was somehow connected to her plans for the day. She'd turned the blurry images over in her mind and considered if the people she saw were her crew. She had a feeling that they weren't, and that almost comforted her. If she was going to jinx a crew, better strangers than friends.

No, that was a dark line of thinking to have over something that was probably meaningless.

If anything, it was more reason to seek knowledge. Secrets. Power.

It was all the same thing. It was something the Sages had and something she needed, in any case. If there was anything to that dream, she needed it all the more.
 
Bowing his head thankfully to the Princesses words, Mercanor said "Thank you, your highness. It means a lot to hear that people say I look the part." Turning his attention to the King, Mercanor removed the cloth hat and got on his knee respectfully. "Your majesty, its an honour to be here today. I cannot express my gratitude towards you choosing me to play-" Mercanor began to say before he was suddenly cut off by the King, who raised a hand towards him. Suddenly, a hearty laugh escaped his lips and the rather large bearded man exclaimed "My boy, today you bow to no man, King or not! Today is a day of celebration and all who attend are treated as equals! So get up off your knee and come sit! The feast is about to begin. Before you sit however, there's a certain something we'd like to present you with before you perform." said King Ramses XIII before he waved a hand towards a nearby guard. "While we wait, I'd like to properly introduce you to my daughter, Princess Aledia." exclaimed the King in a proud tone before moving his hand over to the Shiekah seated beside the Princess. "And that is Kage of the Shiekah. He's been my daughter's protector for the past few years now and he's doing a fine job with it! Haha! Now then, my boy, let's get you seated and put some meat on those skinny bones!"

Before Mercanor could even react, the King gave him quite a powerful pat on the back that forced Mercanor to collapse into a chair behind him. Guards soon came and pushed his chair in closer to the table, forcing Mercanor to exclaim with surprise as he was momentarily winded. It took a moment for him to recapture his breath, but after he did he looked at the Princess and took a deep breath. "Your father is a very... proud man, isn't he?" asked the Ordonian Farmboy before the King exclaimed in joy once more. The guard he had waved at earlier had returned and was now carrying a small wooden box bearing the Hyrule Royal Family Crest upon it. Taking the box from the guard and asking him to sit down and enjoy the meal, King Ramses XIII turned back to Mercanor and offered him the chest. "Ah, here we are! A little something to commemorate the event, I should think. Besides, you'll need it to look the part!" Now more curious then ever to see what the box contained, Mercanor took the chest from the King and flipped the lock open. After opening the lid, Mercanor stared inside at his gift and nearly collapsed in shock. "I-Is that...?" the young man began to ask before the King interrupted him. "Yes, my boy! Its the Ocarina of Time! As the "Hero" you not only get to own the item for a day, but you also get to play it! I'll even teach you "the Song of Time". Its an old song passed down from the Royal Family to the "Chosen Hero" and legend has it that when its played on the Ocarina of Time, the song grants the player the power to control the flow of time! You'll only get the real one for today, but I've got my best smiths working on an exact replica for you to keep when you go home!" explained the King of Hyrule while Mercanor continued to stare blankly inside of the chest.

Slowly removing the Ocarina from its case, Mercanor held it in the palms of his hands and stared down at it, still awestruck at the sight of such a legendary item. Before he could even react, the King smiled and asked "You know how to play the Ocarina, correct?" When Mercanor nodded "yes", the King gave a nod and cleared his throat. Quite loudly, he whistled the mysterious song. Perhaps it was just Mercanor, but it seemed like when the song was played, the world around them turned eerily quiet, almost as if time itself had stopped. Finishing the tune, the King looked at Mercanor and bowed, indicating it was his turn. Taking a deep breath and shaking away his nervous feelings, Mercanor raised the fabled instrument to his lips and closed his eyes. Then, he played the Song of Time

Just like how the crowd went quiet during the King's rendition of the legendary tune, Mercanor could hear nothing else over the sound of the Ocarina of Time. The soft and haunting melody gently hung in the air, echoing over the silence which had previously fallen. The crowd before him seemed completely shocked as the notes echoed off the Ocarina of Time, so Mercanor continued to play. When at last the tune ended, Mercanor took in a quiet breath and looked towards the crowd, who all burst into applause. Even the King himself was blown back by the performance and nodded at Mercanor, applauding the boy. Rather then sit down, Mercanor shyly stood up and bowed slightly, which only increased the applause he was receiving. In that singular moment, Mercanor felt the happiest he had ever been. So many people were applauding him, so many people adored what he was doing... So many people saw him as an important individual rater then some rancher from Ordon. He mattered. Even the Princess seemed to have enjoyed his performance, which made him blush slightly. To hear so many people clapping for him... It was all so strange to him.

As the applause faded away, Mercanor crouched to resume his seat, but suddenly he heard a slow-clap coming from somewhere behind him. The expressions of the people facing the Royals and Mercanor were that of shock and slight fear. Slowly, Mercanor turned his head around to see what they were looking at. Before he even managed to turn his head around properly, two large yellow eyes with green irises appeared before him, staring into the deepest reaches of his soul. If the table didn't prevent him from falling backwards, Mercanor would have tumbled out of his chair when he saw the face of whatever was looking at him. "Hehehehehehehe! I liked that! You have a lot of talent, Mr. Green Guy!" exclaimed the person in front of Mercanor before it suddenly vanished into a small purple portal that closed in on itself shortly after appearing. Behind him, Mercanor heard the same "shoop" sound that the creature made when it was sucked into the portal, which forced the young man to turn around again. Now, the figure was standing before him in the middle of the crowd, its arms by its sides. The set of eyes actually belonged to a demented and creepy-looking mask, not a face as Mercanor had originally thought. It was then that Mercanor felt his heart pound against his chest, his breath shortening in shock. It was that same mask from his dream! The one the man in purple told him to find!

The creature, turning its head at a very odd angle, only stared at Mercanor with the eyes of the mask before it spoke again. "But I actually didn't come to see you, Mr. Green Guy! I came to see the King!" exclaimed the creature with a high pitched, and quite eerie, voice. It sounded like a child, but it was clearly not human. It wasn't a Goron, nor was it a Kokiri or a Zora, or any other species in Hyrule that Mercanor had ever read about. It wore a quite odd-looking costume that appeared to be made out of straw or some kind of grass. It was orange and yellow in colour, but the colours had faded quite a bit and were covered in a thin layer of dirt.

Before anyone could speak or even react to the creature, it spoke up again, this time removing its hat and bowing politely. "Your Highness! Its a pleasure to meet you at last! Hehehehehehe! My name is Majora, and I come bearing a gift for you!" said Majora, putting on a fake "regal" voice to try and sound polite. Majora quickly stood back up and extended its right hand towards the King. The same purple portal it had used to teleport appeared once more, this time above Majora's hand. A large and shimmering gemstone plummeted from the portal before it disappeared again, giving Majora time to catch the stone. Once the stone was in his hands, Majora held it up to the sky and excitedly danced around. "In honour of the Sealing Ceremony today, I've decided that I would bestow the perfect gift upon you and your family, Mr. King! Hehehehehehe! So, here it is. I have found the finest gemstone in all of Hyrule. It wasn't an easy task... Oh who am I kidding, yes it was! Hehehehehehe! Its a "Moon's Tear" and they're incredibly rare to find. I managed to get one because I happen to be friends with the Moon. I help him hide away from the sun during the day and in return, he helps me with whatever I want! All I had to do was ask him to cry and then I grabbed the tear!" explained Majora as he rapidly skittered over to the banquet table and slammed the large shimmering rock down on the wood. The force of the impact startled nearly everyone who heard it, especially the King, who had been directly in front of Majora when he slammed it down. Suddenly, Mercanor began to get a strange sense of déjà vu, almost as if he had been here before... Somehow, he felt like this was going to end horrifically.

Everyone was silent after Majora finished speaking, looking around nervously. The same question running through the mind of the King was prevalent in everyone who had witnessed Majora's odd introduction: what in the name of the Goddesses was it, and where did it get those powers? The worst case scenario ran through the mind of the King, but he know it couldn't be so. Ganon could never return, nor would he choose the form of an impish creature with an odd mask on its face, as his new body. Whatever Majora was, the King could instantly tell it was impatient. During the silence, Majora had leaned its "face" (covered by the mask) against its balled-up fists and was eagerly awaiting the King's response. Clearing his throat, the King looked at Majora nervously and said "T-Thank you... Majora... But-"

"But?" interrupted Majora, suddenly dropping its arms and standing upright. It was odd, but the mask almost seemed to move like a real face in that instant. The eyes apparently widened and its pupils got larger, but the change could only have been seen by those who looked closely.

"But," continued the King, "This ceremony is-isn't about giving gifts... Its about celebrating the history of Hyrule and those who have fought to defend it from evil... No gifts are required. I'm sorry if you went through a lot of trouble to acquire it, but I don't think I can accept a gift of this magnitude. Even though I am a King, I feel I would be robbing you by taking this... I hope you'll understand. However, I would be more then honoured to let you sit amongst us for the feast."

Two whole minutes passed after the King had finished speaking and in that whole time, Majora had not spoken, or even moved from its original spot. But, after hitting the two minute mark, Majora finally spoke up. This time, however, its voice was no longer filled with joy and amusement. It was filled with rejection and a growing sense of anger. "You don't like it..." Majora flatly said, staring blankly at the King. Before anyone could even react, Majora teleported once again. This time, it appeared directly in front of the King, standing on the wooden table. Its dirt-covered hands reached out and roughly grabbed the King by his shirt-collar, pulling him close to the horrifying mask. Now, the eyes of the mask were an orange colour, slowly becoming more red as the time went on. "YOU DON'T LIKE IT! YOU UNGRATEFUL SELFISH SWINE! I GO THROUGH ALL THAT TROUBLE TO GET YOU A STUPID ROCK FOR YOUR STUPID CEREMONY AND YOU DON'T EVEN CONSIDER KEEPING IT?! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU I HATE YOU I HATE YOU!!" shouted Majora, its voice now echoing in a rather aggressive and rage-filled tone. Immediately, the guards raced past the crowd and grabbed Majora, roughly pulling him off of the King. It didn't last long however and Majora used its teleportation abilities to warp out of their grasp. Back in the centre of the crowd, Majora was surrounded by the royal guards, all of whom branded spears aimed at the imp. Majora growled angrily at the guards before turning its attention back to the King. "You don't like my gift... Fine. I see how it is. The GREAT King of Hyrule MUST have the absolute BEST gifts. Perhaps the rarest gemstone in the world wasn't enough for you, eh? If you didn't like the Moon's Tear..." growled Majora, the eyes of the mask now completely red. The irises were entirely black and seemed to stare directly at the King in a menacing fashion. Slowly, Majora looked up into the sky at the visible white orb in the night sky. Its arms follows soon after his head, extending to the furthest they could reach out, aimed directly at the moon. Before the guards could tell it to stop whatever it was it was doing, Majora swung its arms swiftly to the ground. As it did so, the earth shook, causing a minor earthquake that lasted for only a moment. In the sky, the moon had become a dark grey-brown colour. Instantly after bringing its arms down, Majora raised them to the sky and repeated his previous action, causing another minor earthquake and creating two large holes in the moon. Majora raised its arms again, spreading them out as far as he could and slowly dragging them towards each other before they finally touched. As they moved, a menacing line was created in the moon, resembling that of a horrific grimace of pain and anger. to finish, Majora brought its arms down once again, forcing the mouth-like gap in the moon to forcibly tear open, creating what looked like an open mouth, complete with teeth. Knowing Majora would act again, one of the guards regained himself and charged the imp. Before he could even thrust his spear forwards, Majora quickly pointed his right arm at the guard, still looking at the moon. Without even so much as a warning, the guard suddenly burst into an explosion of purple smoke and blood, splattering the nearby towns people with the icky-leftovers of a brave young man. With one final motion, Majora raised its arms into the sky and, more slowly, dragged them back down to the ground. Rather then cause another tremor, the last motion only made the moon seem closer... Much closer. If it could have been judged, the Moon was already in the planets atmosphere. In fact, the demented looking moon was growing larger by the second, almost as if it was racing towards the earth. Waving its hand casually, Majora slaughtered the remaining guards in the same bloody-explosion as before, slowly inching closer to the King, who stared into the sky with horror.

"If you don't like a Moon's Tear... Then perhaps you'd prefer having the entire moon? Unfortunately for you, this gift can't be returned. In fact, you have twenty minutes before it crushes you and your pitiful land entirely. No degree of magic will stop it and you cannot escape its devastating impact. In fact, if I were you... I would pray to your goddesses for aid... Not that it would help, of course. Even if they existed, your moronic goddesses couldn't stop me. They cannot face my power for fear of being destroyed... But I suppose that's what happens when you decide to anger the almighty Majora, god of darkness... Too bad you won't be around much longer to try and make up for your sins, Your Highness... Whoops, I've talked too much already. How long is it now? Fifteen minutes until impact? I'd suggest you spend these last minutes wisely, your highness." explained Majora before it suddenly disappeared into another portal, cackling sinisterly as it departed the area. As the moon got closer, the sky became as red as hell itself and the earth began to shake.

15 Minutes Left...​
 
Crowd scattered. Screams.

People ran in every direction, jostling against her and each other. She planted her covered halberd's shaft to steady herself.

The sky was so red. It reminded her of being blinded by her own hair in desperate sparring sessions past.

"Is this happening?" she whispered to herself. "...or another dream I'll just wake up from?"

Some bizarre thing--this Majora, apparently unassailable--was menacing the King of Hyrule a stone's throw away.

And the moon hung hideous, grimacing--descending swiftly in visible anguish.


And it all started over a rejected gift. She found that hard to believe. It was all hard to believe, coming at her at once.

Where were the Sages? Weren't they supposed to be present? They could stop something like this. And the fact that it even was allowed to happen would strengthen her case if she lived through this. She had to find them.

Any guilt she might have harbored over her ulterior motives was crushed.

Majora had taken care of the guards. That left, she quickly guessed, someone in the King's entourage.

But how to save them? She was only one person. Couldn't it have left just one nearby guard alive?

Her gaze swept the courtyard for anything she could use.

It was a festival. It had been. Fireworks had to be somewhere nearby.

But that thing, Majora, was advancing on the King too quickly.

And that Moon was advancing on the world too quickly

She had nothing to lose.

So she decided to be diplomatic. She decided to be honest.


"Hey!" she shouted at Majora, dropping her halberd. It landed among what remained of the guards' weapons, some gnarled and smoking, warped liked tin scraps. She would offer the creature nothing that could be mistaken for aggression.

A deep breath to self-compose.

With her cloak still draped about her shoulders, she began to walk towards the thing as calmly as she could, a bit of saunter she took to almost reflexively whenever trying to be diplomatic or charming. Any physical appeal was probably wasted on this thing, but there was more to her hip swaying gait. The hand that rested against her hip was, beneath the cloak, inching closer to the dagger sheathed behind her back. The slight lift in step a calculated preparation for the stance, draw, and toss should words fail.

The other hand, however, extended in an open gesture. "I'd be happy to take that gift of yours. Maybe His Majesty feels a little guilty about keeping all the treasure to himself. If this is true, I don't know. But if you give me that jewel, you'll know it will be appreciated.

"You see, not a lot of people ever give me things."

She left out the part about consequently taking them.

"So what do you say to giving me the Moon's Tear and undoing that?" She pointed to the moon. "Otherwise, no one will be able to cherish it for very long."

She forced a smile and shifted her weight while her unseen hand gripped the dagger tightly.
 
Meanwhile, a couple of blocks away, Rimuo was still searching for information. Sacly, his search has been less than fruitful; in between the massive inflow of all the different races due to the festival, the festival itself drawing everyone's attention and the apparent lack of care of people about each other, almost nobody had seen someone near the water outside the city walls. The one lady that had seen someone quickly proved to be a false lead, apparently she just liked to spread gossip, regardless of whether it was true or not.

Rimuo sighed. There was something really wrong with the general attitude of people here. It was like they didn't care about anything that didn't directly affect their personal lives or something. Well, whatever. Maybe he could talk to the leader of the Zoras or something; he would probably have the connections to get into Hyrule Castle, which in turn would have far more effect than simply asking aroung at random. Then again, that just moved the problem towards convincing the Zora leader, which meant that he'd need some proof of his vision, which in turn meant... he'd needed the bag of Magic Powder, or the person who dumped it there. Well, that solved absolutely nothing. Great problem solving skills there, Rimuo. Aren't you the smartest?

Rimuo's self-depreciation was quite effectively interrupted by a tremor. Although it wasn't all that heavy, it did surprise the Zora enough to nearly knock him off his feet. A nearby random Hylian had the incredible bad luck to be standing right below a open second-floor window when the tremor happened, leading to him being struck in the head by a falling jar. Both Rimuo and a couple of civilans tried to see if the unlucky man was okay (or at least still alive) just when another tremor presented itself, this one soon followed by panicked screams coming from the plaza. Moments after, a small crowd came running from said plaza, screaming that everyone had to run away from some madman that was attacking the carnival -- and something about the moon? What was wrong with the moo- HOLY NAYRU, WHAT WAS THAT?! Deciding that panicking sounded like a perfectly fine idea for now, Rimuo joined the mass that was running away from the plaza, figuring that they would know the shortest and fastest path away from that giant falling piece of rock.
 
Goddesses. Must this really happen right now? I just wanted some time to rest. . .is that too much to ask for-?! Ruissa groaned to herself as she had watched everything go down.

People were running for their lives, in hopes to get away before they were crushed by the moon.

The moon. . .it looked just like how Keiya explained one of the tales of the Hero of Hyrule. After taking a look at the now sinister-looking sphere that was barreling down towards the Earth, as well as the blood red sky, the blonde shuddered in fear and shock.

Evil had a knack for ruining everything that people had worked their blood and sweat on. It sucked.

The thought of the festival being interrupted because a gift to the King was rejected made Ruissa feel annoyed. It was such a petty thing to get so worked up over! If Majora was a God as he'd said, why would he be so angry if his little Moon Thing wasn't accepted by the King?

Then, she noticed a Gerudo woman walking forward to talk the God of Darkness. Hm. . .this could be a chance.

Pulling the hood of her cloak back on to hide her face, she stood up from the chair she sat on and took several steps back so that Majora hopefully wouldn't see her in the shadows. Though she doubted it since he did say he was the God of Darkness. . .welp.

Pulling the bow she usually had hanging around her shoulder, she reached around her back at her quiver to get an arrow. Once grabbing the non-pointy end of the arrow, she got the projectile out and drew her weapon aiming at Majora as a precaution if the Gerudo were to fail in persuading the masked creature.

If anything were to happen, she'd release the arrow in hopes for it to strike the God. Since they only had fifteen minutes left, she might as well spend that time trying to do something like she was going to do. Ruissa inhaled and exhaled slowly as she watched silently and carefully.

All she could do was wait.
 
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But as it turns out, Ruissa didn't have long.

It vanished.

With neither a word nor glance spared for Surma.

Part of her wished she could somehow reopen whatever portals that creature commanded and drag it back out and teach it a lesson. The other prayed she'd never see it again.

But the confusing mixture of indignation, regret, and relief she felt was quickly overshadowed.

In the current course things were on, she would likely never have to worry about seeing anything ever gain.

Was it fourteen minutes now?

Surma rushed to the King, dropping to her knees in front of him. But she did not lower her head, her eyes more desperate than deferential.

"The Sages," she said, getting straight to the point, "where are they? Why weren't they here? Where can we find them?!"

By now the way she gripped his cape, it was probably obvious her genuflection had come more from practicality than reverence. And against her better judgment, she asked.

"They could stop something like this, can't they?!"
 
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Hearing some sort of commotion it seemed after finally finishing and Zaleria was ready to try and join the feast. When she listened to the song of time as it played smiling knowing everything must be coming together it seemed for the festival. As she stood in the door way and the song ended she made her way where many gathered for the feast. Soon someone she hadn't seen was speaking to the King and trying to present a gift. She just watched confused on what was going on till he said they had fifteen minutes before the moon fell.

Her eyes wide wondering what to do. She was trying to think how someone could posses such power. Then when she planed to throw something at him by grabbing a duke nut he had vanished. She sighed and looked around seeing some in panic. When she thought she realized some time had passed. Sighing she wondered how long they all had. 'Can the sages? Could they stop this but then who are they?' She wondered knowing she hadn't met really anyone yet for she had been working on getting the instruments for the band ready. Zaleria then began to look around for anyone who might have an idea. For she wasn't sure she had anything. 'There has to be something we can do right?' She thought.
 
Ruissa cursed under her breath. The thing had gotten away. With a heavy sigh, her grip on the arrow slowly faltered. She still held on to it, just in case she needed to shoot something. This was getting even more irritating than it already was.

Growling and gritting her teeth as she knew that time continued to run out, she wanted so bad to scream aloud in frustration. Where in Hyrule were the sages? The kingdom needed more than ever. The moon continued to go down and down, and soon Rui began to panic inside.

She saw Surma speaking with the King. Surely he would know the answer to all of this--! He has to. He is the King of all of Hyrule after all-!

The teen felt her hopes of surviving this disappearing each second that passed.

Please. . .

Time's running out. .

Hyrule will be no more.

She stared at the moon while silently praying.
 
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