The webmaster of an old Zelda fansite got back to me with the first fanfiction I ever wrote. I had long thought this story lost to the mists of time.
Reader beware, I cannot be held responsible if you literally contract brain cancer from reading this.
Link was walking through the Lost Woods, hoping to not faint if Saria said yes to his marriage proposal.
He quickly lost track of this thought, as he bumped into Majora's Mask.
"No, it can't be," he said to himself. "I destroyed you years ago."
"You cannot destroy my physical form. You can only drain my power. I grew more powerful over the years," hissed the mask.
Link, too stunned to move, merely stared as the mask charged a beam attack. Out of nowhere, Saria pushed Link aside, and the beam hit her instead. Saria sank to her knees, and fell on her side.
"No .... Everything I've worked towards .... Everything I've strived to achieve .... Gone," Link said, his voice cracking. And, as if he came to a realisation of sorts, he got up, the Triforce tattoo on the back of his hand glowing, proceeded to kick the hell out of the mask, and began to weep over Saria's body.
"What in bloody hell are you doing?! I died so you could live and all you're going to do is cry!?" said a voice from above him.
Link looked up and saw Saria. Link attempted to hug her, but ran through her straight into a tree.
"I'm a ghost, you twit! Now the Link I knew wouldn't cry in his room, now, would he?" Before Link could answer, Saria's ghost began to speak again. "No! He would stand and fight! He wouldn't stand around and cry like a baby! He would seek revenge even if it meant the end of the world! Now, what are you going to do?" half-shouted Saria's ghost.
"I will seek revenge to the end!" said Link.
"I thought so! Now go out there and don't come back until Ganon is a pile of blood 'n' guts! Now go!" And with that, Saria's ghost vanished. Link, not quite knowing what to do, set off for the Deku Sprout.
"Oh great Deku Sprout, important news!" said Link.
"It better be important," said the Sprout.
"I hate to be the bearer of this message, but... but... Saria's ... dead," said Link.
"WHAT!?! HOW COULD THIS HAVE HAPPEND!??!!!" The Sprout went into a rant about how safe the forest is. It always amazed Link how such a small organism could have such an enormous voice. Link, realising this could take hours, quietly backed out of the meadow.
Hours later, Link was standing in the middle of Hyrule Field, standing on a mound of fake rupees. As if Link thought something was there, he grasped the air in front of him. Sure enough, he found a grip on something, and a Poe that looked like an aged person materialized in Link's hand.
"Hello, Scraggles. Long time, no see." It had indeed been years since Link last saw the pitiable creature, sneaking around the Hyrule Castle Town Bank.
"Well, what is so important that has to take such desperate measures to find me?" wheezed the old creature.
"Well, I wouldn't say desperate, the rupees are fake," Link said. "But it is important to me."
"Then why should I care?" cackled the Poe.
"Because," said Link, "back then, I was a child, and not as prepared to kill. But I am an adult now, and don't think I'll spare you, as I did so many years ago," Link said to Scraggles.
"That changes everything! So, what is it you want me to do?" squeaked the Poe.
"Gather as many of the Poes that aren't working for Ganon as you can and tell them to attack Ganon's lair when I give the signal. Also try to find as many other civilizations as you can that will fight him," commanded Link.
"Sure. Just one question: what would motivate you to do all this?" asked Scraggles.
"That's for me to know and you to find out," said Link. "Now go! The faster we get this off our chests, the sooner we can both resume our normal lives!" said Link. The Poe dissappeared. Link, feeling slightly happier that part of his quest was over, he set off for Zora's Domain. Minutes later, as he was walking up to the waterfall, a croaky voice said, "Hey, Link's here!"
The voice caught Link off-guard, and he fell on a stone slab, some five feet below him. Link got up and noticed he had a nosebleed. "Oh, hell," Link sighed, and turned around. He saw the frogs he had sung for nearly seven years ago.
"Well, sing a song!" said the biggest frog. Link pulled out the Ocarina of time and played the Song of Silence. Link, knowing they couldn't talk, walked up to the waterfall and played Zelda's Lullaby, but instead of stopping, the waterfall gave him a riddle.
"What is invincible, but makes up eighty percent of your body?"
Link, after considerable thought, said "Water?" And the Waterfall slowed to a trickle. "I knew the Village Elder was smart!" Link said as he jumped into the stone hallway that led to the Zora's Domain. He was attacked by a Stalfos almost immediately. "What the--" he said, kicking the skeletal creature into the water.
"Oh my God!" Link said. This was not the beautiful society he saw seven years ago. The water was filthy, Octoroks were plentiful, Stalfos were marshalling Zoras around like prisoners, and worst of all, no one was trying to stop it! Link pulled out his bow, loaded up a water arrow, and fired at a Stalfos who was being exceptionally hard on a group of Zoras he recognized as the Indigo-gos. He jumped down and cut their chains.
"Thank you," said the lead singer, and they pulled daggers out of cleverly disguised sheaths.
The Indigo-gos continued to free the rest of the Zoras with Link. They quickly freed the rest of the Zoras.
"Hey, I recognize you! You're Link!" said the lead singer. "We never really thanked you for saving Termina. Look at this dump," he said, looking around. "It's so sad, it makes me want to sing. Ok, boys, just like we practiced!" They played a sad, sorrowful song, that reminded Link why he was fighting, what he was trying so desperately to protect, why he wanted revenge.... He was thinking so hard, he was startled when they said, "Ok, now you try!" He pulled out his Ocarina of Time, and played the song.
"*Sniff* *Sniff* It just sounds so sad," the drummer said.
"Hey, I just thought of a name for it! The Sonata of Sorrow!" the lead singer said. Link, unable to stop thinking about Saria, turned around and started to cry.
"Hey, what's wrong, bud?" asked the lead singer, walking up to him.
"A really good friend of mine, just yesterday, died. Murdered, in fact," said Link, and then he buried his face in his hands.
"Whoa, that's a bummer. I have something I think might cheer you up," he reached into his belt, and pulled out a black ocarina, with gold and diamond accents. "My first musical instrument. I hope you like it," he said to Link.
"Thanks," said Link.
"Turn around. I have something to show you." Link turned around and saw the Zoras, carrying various weapons.
"WE WILL FIGHT UNTIL THE END!" they collectively said.
"What will you have your army do?" asked King Zora.
***
Sraggles was thrown to the ground, right in front of the Head Poe.
"For what reason have you brought this filth before me?" he asked.
"He is accused of high treason against Ganon, sir," said a rather nervous-looking Poe from the corner.
"For what reason has he even retuned to the graveyard, from which he was banished on similiar accounts?" he asked.
"Ganon is an evil man! He is nothing but pure hatred! He lies to his subjects, just to get them to do his dirty work!" squeaked Scraggles from the ground.
"Lies! Ganon has promised us vast ammounts of wealth---"
"Our race has been serving him for years, and have we yet been paid? Ganon will keep it all for himself! He is a selfish man!" interrupted Scraggles.
The Head Poe opened his mouth, but couldn't think of anything to say. Finally he said, "Okay. But there better be something in it for us."
"Oh, there will be."
***
Link and the Zoras were travelling across Hyrule Field, headed towards Death Mountain. All except Link was wearing a special cream so that they could survive in extreme heat.
Scraggles materialized in front of them, startling those in front.
"What is your status?" asked Link.
"I managed to convince all the Poes to help us, and the Kokori too!" said Scraggles, apparently delighted he did his job right.
"Wait a second. You convinced the Kokiri to join?" asked Link, startled.
"It didn't take much convincing, it's as if they were waiting for me to ask them. They'll be here in about... Now." A mass of green approached them, obviously the Kokiri. The Poes materialized behind Scraggles.
"Impressive... Good work, Scraggles. All right now, stay close, and don't lose each other," said Link.
They reached Death Mountain, and Link alone continued on to convince Darunia. Link finally entered the chamber, and said to Darunia, "We need the Gorons to join us."
"Why should we do that?" asked Darunia.
"Because," said Link, "we're saving the world and avenging Saria's death," said Link.
"Wait a second! Did you say Saria's dead?"
Link knew that he had laid down the finishing touch; the one reason that the Gorons would merge with them the rest of the world.
"Of course we will," said Darunia. "What do you need us to do?"