As the days were, our beloved Hero was living in a time where he was able to move pass his past horrors and breathe calmly with his beloved wife and family in peace as they awaited the arrival of their child, be it a son or a daughter. However, not all was wholly forgotten, and he never was able to forgive himself in having Saria wait for him so. Occasionally, he would feel low; wherein, he would become very solemn and he remained quiet. And in such moments, his memory and thoughts would sometimes turn to the mask that takes part with his spirit. So, he realized that while his life was indeed complete with Saria and his family in Ordon, he was not perfectly at peace.

Upon such a time, one evening, Link could not manage to fall asleep as his mind was again filled with thought and regrets. Fortunately, such moments were rare and far in between, but when they came, they came hard like a Goron tackling a man and sitting on him until he was ready to move. So, he stirred, and he went to his hanging satchel of items and drew out a simple item. Then he went to sit at the table in the midnight house's enveloping darkness. He lit a single candle, a light that was insignificant to awakening heavy sleepers. And as he sat there, he fumbled his fingers over the wooden shell, the great mask. Again, as his mind strayed from his troubles and guilt, he was again curious of his spirit's life as the deity. What story did those memories tell? What was the deity's story aside from his sacrifice for Hylia? And for a part, his mind was curious of his 'former spirit'; wherefore, he was 'almost' tempted to wear it. Yet he remembered the warnings. But unexpectedly, he also heard a voice. Whether the voice took sound in his ears or simply took place in his mind, he was not sure, but he did hear it. It was cold and mysterious as it whispered. However, he could not make out what it was saying. But in that moment, his attention was diverted to Saria as she had stirred awake.

"What's that?" Saria asked as she was sitting up with her eyes curiously beholding the shell in his hand.

"Something that I have been keeping both secret and safe." Link simply answered with a long and tired voice, and he continued. "Something from my adventure in Termina, the one thing that I left out in my telling of it." Saria looked at him suspiciously then with concern and care as he continued, for as she knew him, she knew that there was a reason why. "Only four know about it," He continued, "Zelda, two spirits, and Phaelon. ... But I was rebuked for showing it even to Zelda. ... As for Phaelon, I showed it to him long before I was even aware of how delicate its care should be taken."

He paused in thought, and Saria cut in with a simple question, "Then why are you telling me all of this now? Why not just put it away and forget about it?"

And Link eyed her with gentle care, "Because you're now aware of it, and your suspiciousness and curiosity will only grow as so will the suspense and anticipation. And suspense and anticipation can best the best of men and women. Something careless and possibly harmful would inevitably happen." Link paused again as he sighed as Saria's eyes changed in showing understanding. Then he continued, "You remember what I've told you of masks of power? Of the masks of the four peoples that I used helping the people of Termina?" Saria nodded, and he went on with his tale. "This ... This is a special mask of power. You see, without the Master Sword, I could not hope to contest Majora in combat upon the moon of Termina. But a ... hmmm...a rather unique spirit ... gave this mask to me. And with it, I was able to challenge Majora in battle, and practically speaking, I easily defeated her." As she listened, Saria was in awe, and Link continued, "It is the mask of 'The Fierce Deity' A great deity that fought alongside Hylia in elder days who had been slain in her service. ... His power was contained in this mask. ... But as for his spirit, it is born from time to time in the lives of Hylians. When he who has his spirit adorns the mask, the deity takes form and shape as long as the mask is adorned." He paused again as she remained speechless, "I am born of that spirit." Saria's mouth dropped, but then her features were filled with question, and Link elaborated in answer. "A mask of such power can be dangerous if wrongly used. And while I have his spirit, I am not incorruptible; wherefore, it is to be kept secret, safe, and used only when I absolutely must."

A moment's silence passed between them as their consciousness returned to the present. Saria was kind, patient, understanding, and concerned, and she did not have to say anything for Link to be aware of her facial features voicing question in matters of the present. What was bothering or enticing him so for him to be up at midnight with hands on such a delicate object? Her silence spoke in greater volume than her voice could. Taking the hint, Link explained himself, "You know how, in the past, memories, flashbacks, and the like will return to haunt me. And being home with you and our family has done more to ease that pain than anything ever could. But nevertheless, there are still times, rarely but still, that the past troubles me. And for some reason, my mind comes back to this mask in my mind's maze of thoughts. ... It is almost as if I am drawn to it. Exactly why? I do not know." Link paused, and he looked upon Saria's emerald eyes tenderly. "Saria, I am sorry for waking you and causing concern for my dear 'Whispering Maiden'"

Saria's irises smiled gently in response as she replied, "Oh, Link ... I'm no longer a maiden who sits here before you." And she cradled her bosom in her soft hands.

And Link's eyes glowed with passion as he stood and approached her, "As I breathe in the wind, you will always be the whispering maiden in my eyes." Then he lifted her in his arms as she smiled in a warm graceful crescent. So, they retired for the night.

Then, upon another day, Link was training with Fado in the Lost Woods. Both were in kokiri garb and Link gave his apprentice one of his miraculous pouches. "If these pouches are practically bottomless, then why do you carry more than one?" Fado enquired.

And Link professionally answered, "Because it's not about what fits where and how much I can make fit. Rather it's about organization of which selection of items go into which pouch." Fado nodded in acknowledging the concept and then advanced on as they continued. After engaging enduring activities such as jogging distances and competing in races, the two contested in combat and out maneuvering one another along similar tactics as the Hero of Time had so used in his 'early days' Outwitting each other was tense amidst various obstacles of the woods conjured by Phaelon to challenge them as he intended for them to 'up there game' The skull kid sat high in a wrap of vines as he observed amusingly.

At last, the moment came in the two's confrontation that Link had Fado pinned down with sword's point above his fellow's defeat. But to the eerie sensation that something was close, Link raised his head into attention to whatever it was only to have Phaelon hanging from a lowered vine in that strange closeness he was known to do. Link, having never managed to get used to it, jolted back and landed his rear end on a stone causing a grunt of a great deal of discomfort. Fado began to acknowledge the kid with a 'thanks' when the kid suddenly hoisted himself up and threw himself onto the ground betwixt them, the rustling of which caused a great deku nut to fall and smack Fado square in the eye, "Owe!!!" And the 'young man' fought for a solid minute in trying to pull himself out of squirming. Then as the moment passed, both of the men, seated on the ground, gave the kid a rearing glare.

To which the kid replied, "Oh,...well...I don't suppose you're in a mood for play." And then he flashed them a gleaming grin.

"Oh Trust Me! ..." Started the young Fado, and then Link finished it,

"We're More than ready to play!"

Then with that, the two lit after the skull kid in a chase.

Phaelon actually managed to have a head start, for in his mischievous nature, he foreknew their reaction, and so he laughed as they made on. But Link was swift and had mastered the maneuvering of the forest, and Fado, behind him, was a swift learner. They had leaped logs, ducked branch and vine, and rambled bushes as they sprinted. Yet as they would close in on their target, another challenge would present itself as the forest, under the kid's influence, would conjure scarecrows of vine, straw, and great nuts the size of a man's head. Therefore, the scarecrows would live up to the image of the skull child, and in like manner as living stalfos, the scarecrows gave effort to ward off the determined chasers.

Quickly, the Hylian and Ordonian made fast work of their challengers as they cut them down. Not to say that they were not already perspiring, but before they had come through the autonomous scarecrows, they had worked up a great sweat. Although, the young men worked quickly, the kid was quicker still, and was soon out of sight. But like Saria, when they thought that they had lost him, they would hear him playing Saria's song. And so they would rush off again.

The chase went on for what seemed an hour. Eventually, Link and Fado had worked their way into the Sacred Meadow ahead of the kid, for they had figured out his riddling pattern. They had staged themselves, and sure enough, Phaelon came through. He jumped on the stump and played on his custom made flute of a horn, and then he leaped into the vines in a swing as he was making his way to the temple. But before he could get out of his swing, Link had released an arrow from his 'Hero's Bow' that caught hold of the vines which entangled and bound the kid while it fastened him to the nearby tree. The two of them approached the skull kid as he hung there, upside down, and though he had done his share of grunts and mumbles as he was caught, he was now all teeth in a grin that reached from ear to ear. "That was Fun!!!!!" And while Link and Fado were now satisfied with the capture, Phaelon was also satisfied in how he had succeeded to get the two of them so 'worked up'.

"Are ya'll through playing?" Tatle asked in a reprimanding tone as Tael second that notion, and everyone merely shrugged.

They were soon together in the sacred meadow after freeing Phaelon from the vines, and they now rested. For a time, they conversed and joked, but then something happened to a sudden that brought them to a jolt of shock. For as a great fowl had flown in, it showed to be Gaepora, and he faltered as he crashed before him. Quickly, they rushed to the owl and found him pierced by an arrow. "What are you doing here? You should have flown to be tended in the castle." Link reprimanded the bird.

But the owl shook his head, "The Gerudo saw me as a spy and targeted me. One managed a accurate shot. I ... I could not risk returning to the castle in case I was followed. ... So, I came to these woods of mystery to elude their suspicion." The Hero observed the owl's bloodied breast and the splinters that had worked their way towards the heart.

"These wounds are beyond me and Ordon in our work of healing. There's nothing that I can do than to make it worse." Link stated with deep concern.

But Gaepora replied with a sigh, "It is fine, ... as it is time for my part to shift."

Link cocked his head, "What do you mean?"

But the great owl only said, "I am a spirit, and ... my time will come again, to state it simply." There was a pause, and Gaepora was coming to a close as his breaths were struggling to great lengths, "Time and Earth will ... Change as the storm comes."

Link's eyes narrowed with question, "What storm? ... What change?" But the great owl answered no more as he drew his last breath.

They grieved their friend, and Phaelon brought Gaepora's body into the temple. Meanwhile outside, Link and Fado were mulling over the matter, and in length Link concluded, "That last statement was a message for the queen."

Then Fado added, "It seemed that he spoke it directly to you as well. It could also bear meaning for you."

"Possibly" Link replied with a nod, and then he continued, "But I need to take it to her majesty with no delay..."

But Fado cut him off, "If trouble is coming, then as knight of Ordon, you are needed here to guard and see to the welfare of Ordon and the livelihood of Faron. ... Let me go and I will bring her majesty the message." Then after Link had considered his words, he nodded to concede, and Fado immediately left in haste.

Afterwards, as Link came into the temple, he and Phaelon buried the owl in the left garden of the temple, and the Hero grieved for his feathered friend. He reminisced as he whispered to himself, "I never thought I'd see the day that I would want to hear your words again." Then he went home to Saria and told her of what had happened.

Later, that evening, Link was again mulling in the night and his thought turned to the mask. Then to a sudden he again heard a cold whispering voice, but this time it had given a sense of direction. But he wasn't sure. Did it come from the mask? Then it came again. No, it came from another direction. Link gathered his gear and went out as he attempted to follow the voice.

The night was dark and a few stars were shining in absence of the moon. All of the Ordonians were heavy asleep in their homes, and Link moved into the darkness of the Lost Woods as the voice took him where he eventually came to the Sacred Meadow. Upon entrance, the air had a certain gloom to it as the fog ascended as an enveloping darkness. A figure sat before him on his and Saria's stump in desecration of their special place. Only its silhouette could be made as if it were merely a shadow, and a pair of red irises glowed from its eyes as if they carried deep malice. So, Link found the owner of the mysterious voice. "Dark Link" The knight said aloud to himself.

"So," The shadow's voice uttered, "the Hero of Time has grown again and has become a shining knight." The Hero's brows raised as his dark counterpart spoke on. "That is a position of great honor." Dark Link paused as he raised his own eyebrows. "You seem startled." He observed.

And the Hero replied. "Well, it's just that this meeting strikes me awkwardly as I recall our last meeting when I defeated you."

But Dark Link merely let out a short breath of a laugh, "Though I can be defeated, I cannot be slain as you well already know."

And the Hero nodded, "I know." He paused and cocked his head, "What are you exactly?"

Dark Link locked eyes with the knight as he went to explain. "I am a manifestation in embodiment of the desires of your flesh: ambitions, raw emotions, and lusts. I am apart of you, I always have been. ... The element of water renders many results, uses, and effects. A mirror's reflection is one such result. So, in the Temple of Water in Lake Hylia, the power of the Hero of Time came in contact with the power of Morpha, and so I took birth in reflection of your flesh in darkness. ... In that moment, I saw your fears, your hatred, and your ambitions." Dark Link paused as a sudden grin grew upon his shaded features, "Oh yes, you were very much the ambitious one, though it was for a selfless cause, but your fear, anger, and hatred fueled other ambitions as well. ... You were angry that you were Hylian, you hated Ganondorf for his onset of ruin and sufferings, and you feared the loss of so much, your friends, Zelda, and Saria most of all."

Link's eyes narrowed as he listened, and then he commented in mockery of the shadow, "For being apart of me, it seems interesting that you were trying to kill me."

Dark Link returned answer, "As I am apart of you I not only feel your every desire, I also feel your every pain. While the lives and hopes of so many counted on you, amidst so much confusion, stress, anger, and sorrow there was in you, deep down, an ever selfish desire that was almost suicidal. A desire to just give up, end it all, and be free from it without any care of how others would take effect from it. ... So, as it is in my nature, in reflection, I acted upon that desire. Though your strength for the cause had wain weak in that moment, your courage proved stronger; thus, I was defeated."

Understanding the account a little more, Link's eyes widened in astonishment, he gasped to himself and brought himself to his knees. He mulled over much, and eventually in returning his consciousness to the present, he asked of the shadow. "Since you were defeated, what became of you? How and why are you here? And for what purpose?"

And to that, the shadow again raised his brow, "What became of me?" Dark Link sighed and spoke aloud to himself, "Oh how to explain this?" He paused before he continued, "Do you recall how when you were a child, among many tales told to the Kokiri, one of your favorites was a tale of a boy by the name of 'Veter Van' and his group of 'eternal children' who mischievously and wittingly rivaled 'the thieves of Neverralan'? ... But Veter had a troublesome shadow that would have a will of its own, and from time to time, the shadow would return to its own will. ... In a manner of speaking, I am your shadow with a will of my own. But since my defeat, I have been weak and did abide merely as a state of mind. During all of that time, I bided my time in patience as I would seek opportunity to grow in strength. ... In Termina, opportunity had presented itself quite often amidst such madness. And then when you returned to your beloved homeland, you were saturated with such passion, that occasionally, opportunity came wherein I might, and perhaps, I might tempt you in enticing your ambitions here and there. I was a cold and silent voice that would tickle your ear. I would feed on your fears and your haunted past filled albums of memories of both horror and passionate nostalgia."

Again the shadow paused, and he took stand as he would very patiently move a foot here and a foot there. But the Hero, being overwhelmed with such information of such detail, didn't give him attended notice as his eyes were dramatically focused downward to the ground. And Dark Link continued in very cold countenance, "But that is not how I am now here. ... A great darkness has abided time and has grown, and now a storm comes to the land of Hyrule. Its presence has fed me, and the terror that it brings gives me cause to rise."

Link's eyes again narrowed as he turned to him, "What storm?"

And Dark Link answered in a grave voice, "A storm that will change everything as you know it. Hyrule will be threatened to ruin, and every people will be in danger of slavery if not death. Saria will be threatened to fade from you to your torment if not die to your agony. Again, the fear, anger, hatred, and ambitions will swell upon you as it did at my birth. ... These things will come to pass, ... unless you heed my counsel and act upon it now with the means that you possess and wield."

"'Means that I possess and wield'?" The knight enquired.

And the shadow elaborated. "Yes. ... You do not have the sword of evil's bane that seals the darkness and you do not have the Ocarina of Time, but you do have the power of the deity of whose spirit you are born. ... Use it, and take the land to rule it in light before the darkness can overcome it. Beat him to it, and he will fall. WE! Will save this land. ... Become your true self as the deity to be the Hero of All Time."

The Hero's eyes widened, "You are asking me to dominate the land as he would which would change me for everything that I am and stand for, and that would leave me not as a ruler of light but one of darkness as I would only replace him."

But the shadow countered, "Yet you have a desire to know the deity, to know his memories and his story, to know who you truly are. You have the desire,...I have felt it. Let us find out together!"

But Link shook his head vividly, "No, I will not use it unless when I have no choice and must."

Then Dark Link rebutted, "Then it will be too late!!" He paused with a great sigh, and then added, "You must put it on now! Or..." He drew his blade to which the knight rolled backwards to a rise with a drawn blade in meeting the dark sword. "You will give it to me!"

The blades met again, and the knight exclaimed to the ambitious shadow. "I will not use it, and you will not have it without killing us!"

But Dark Link only squinted his eyes as he answered, "I would rather die than endure what you are willing to endure! For your pain is our pain. ... Nor will I allow this opportunity to pass!!"

And so the inverted twins danced as their blades kissed and embraced. Fiercely, their eyes spoke more to each other than pages of words ever could. In mirror image, right out of 'the same playbook', they matched each other to every move in battle of great length. Time passed on as it was an hour, and then it was two hours. So fluent were they, it was impressive that the grounds were not marred with their confrontation. But as the battle waxed old, the Hero in the flesh grew weary, but when the Hero became weary, the shadow did not as he was not bound to such properties. Needless to say, there were several wounds involved, and eventually, the shadow overcame the knight as he plunged his fist into the back of his head forcing him to collapse to the ground. And Dark Link's blade rested across the neck of the Hero. "Now..." The dark one breathed out, "the power I will take, and as for you, you will be bound to my will. ... Rest assured, I will keep you safe."

But then a voice took place before them as was entirely unexpected. "Ahh...Such ambitious and passionate hearts. You intend to claim the power of the Heroic Deity, dear shadow. But while you will attain great power, you will only find yourself caught between the three Titans who bear the Triforce. The deity you seek fell, himself, before the great demon king ages ago who likewise fell before the Triforce he sought for as the Hero of Sky wielded it. You will likewise answer to it just the same."

Dark Link jolted in surprise as he turned himself to find Hapora, the masked salesman, standing before him with his ever so eerie grin. A grin that neither wavered nor faltered before the menace of the sinister shadow. Dark Link narrowed his brows over his maliceful irises and gave response, "The Triforce has not been accessed..."

"Hasn't it?" Hapora abruptly but calmly cut in, "Believe that if that is what you wish to believe, but my words will hold true. ... But where your own words are concerned, while they have merit and some truth, you know well how you have twisted the truth and forged it with a lie in alloy to drive your cause. You were quite clever in tools of manipulation to confuse your counterpart, I will give you much credit as it was masterfully done. But even the most cunning liar and thief can fail himself in the sight of light. And your case and cause is hopeless as you could never achieve your desire as I have already answered."

Then Hapora raised his hands to his face, and to a dumbstruck shadow, he removed the features of his face as it indeed proved to be a mask itself. In place of his face stood beaming light that shunned away the eyes of the shadow, and then he drew, from his special stock, another mask. It was like to be a mask that represented many features, for it seemed part wood as it also seemed part metal, and from another position of view it seemed part light as it also seemed part shadow. "This may seem to be just another mask of power to you, Dark Link, Master of Shadow, but this one actually reflects upon my true spirit. This is the Adaptable Mask as I have adapted to the world over the changing times from generation to generation as I would take part and role as such as suited me and as I was simply needed. ... It has been awhile since I have had needed to engage in a more violent role." And as Hapora finished speaking, he adorned the Adaptable Mask.

Hapora seemed to grow in size, and his form took a drastic turn. True to its name, he seemed to adapt to the forest as his flesh turned to wood. Eventually, as root took to earth, grain twisted with knots, and branches shot forth with leaves. Hapora became a Deku Tree the size of an aged oak, and his face that was grinning happily was now quite solemn if not to say fierce.

In taking this new opponent, to say that Dark Link was aghast would be stating it mildly. Roots came up against the shadow, and Dark Link dodged them, and then branches whipped at him as his sword would cut them away. The leaves in the wind took form in creating a screen of haze about the shadow in rendering him in limited vision. Dark Link danced about the instruments of Hapora for a time, but eventually at unawares, the roots and branches took him in bound as he was wrapped in them. But just when one would had thought it the end for the Hero's dark counterpart, the shadow smiled. And then he bit down on the branches with his teeth, and a fiery malice could be seen in his irises. That malice exhaled through his maw and Hapora's branches, roots, and limbs took flame. Dark Link was free and in taking to a run, he ran his dark blade into the Deku Tree.

Link began to stir his eyes in consciousness to the tree's screeming, and as his hazy eye sight beheld the Deku Tree with the shadow's dark sword run through it, nostalgia overwhelmed him to a flashback in memory of his father figure, the Great Deku Tree, as he was cursed by Ganondorf Dragmire in league with Ghoma, the queen of the arachnids.

The Tree collapsed and changed form as the mask came off, and Hapora was left lying with his beaming light in place of his face. And of all the things that he could've done, he laughed to the shadow's curiosity. "As you have said that you cannot be slain, I too cannot be slain, for my spirit shall take to another role."

"We shall see." Returned the shadow, and he raised his sword ready for a final drive, but then Link spoke,

"Not if I shall see."

Startled, Dark Link jolted from Hapora, but then two scarecrows came from the forest in quickly grabbing and binding him still, and his fiery malice was spent for the moment wherefore he could not burn them away. And into view, Phaelon walked onto the scene. "You will hold still, shadow of mischief, and the Hero will have his kill."

But Dark Link only laughed. "How many times must I say it? I cannot be slain, and you, Sir Knight, do not have the sword that can seal me." Yet after he spoke, a new light illumines the meadow as if a star stood present before them. For Link had drawn a light arrow to Dark Link's dumb stricken amazement. "Where did you get that?" He asked curiously.

And Link simply answered, "I kept one. ... Just in case." And Link let loose the flying star into the shadow, and he vanished with a screem, a flash, and then he was gone.

Quickly, Link and Phaelon attended to Hapora. He was faintly breathing, and he asked Link to help him with his face mask. So, Link drew out the orange headed face, and returned it to the spirit's head. Then the man smiled as ever. "Thank you." He said, "However, I do not have long, as I will pass, and as I have said, I will take to a new role. ... I know you are curious, Hero of Time. ... But I will only say that I had sensed Dark Link's presence in Hyrule, and I was well aware of what he sought. ... Beware of the Mask of power that you possess and stick to the decision that you have made. And use it only when it comes that you must lest your shadow will draw strength again. ... That is all I have to say. Farewell." And when he passed, he vanished in a flash of light.

"Will wonders never cease." Phaelon remarked as he clawed his head with his grubbing nails. And Link sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck as if it had a kink in it and then gave Phaelon a curious look to which the kid elaborated in answer. "Your shadow actually eluded me as I was not aware of him, so I didn't come. I wasn't really aware of anything until the masked salesman, or spirit, or whatever he is, came here. But when I knew of him, I came as quick as I could."

Link simply nodded and said, "Well, I need to head back before Saria stirs and finds me missing." And then they parted.

When Link came into his house, he found Saria still lying in bed as if she had never stirred. As he laid down he took hold of her into his arms as she was faced towards him with her green hair splayed across her face, and she smiled. He was glad to be home, but that was not to say that he slept well. For he pondered much over the night's events, and he wondered a great deal as he thought on the words of the shadow. Was there truly concerns of a storm that was coming? Or was it all a lie used in effort to manipulate and exploit him for the deity's mask?