Operation: MASKED, Part 1

Prologue: Cursed Mask

They say there are many dimensions that intersect with our own. An endless array of universes, that come in the same or many different ways. One example is the Twilight Realm. The Realm of Shadows that exists between our own world and the opposite Negaverse. For a long time, people have feared what may lie in wait deep within the Shadow Realm. I never understood why. I heard it was always a peaceful place. A serene beauty, where the sun always sets in the vast expanse, and the shadows of the world lived in peace. People always believed it was a cursed place. And now, I understand why. Centuries ago, when wars still reigned over the world, the Shadow Realm was a place of cursing. Beings who sinned within the Shadow World were met with cruel punishment. The price… could never have been worth it.

The realm between worlds that existed in beautiful twilight seemed ever darker today. As shadows drifted across the realm, heavily armed guards guided a cuffed prisoner into a dark palace. The prisoner dressed in pitch-black robes with glowing green stripes, brownish-yellow shoes, sleeves that covered his hands, and wore a metal helmet designed like an eagle. The guards led him into a throne room, where the Firstborn of Shadows, Midna watched from the side, and sitting upon the throne was a black-skinned queen with a huge crown and dark purple and blue, sparkling robes, and no eyes. The guards stepped away from the prisoner as he fell to his knees.

"So, this is the fool who so foolishly attempted to kidnap our beloved Firstborn Deity, and use her power to dethrone his ruler. Minister Hant, how do you plead?"

"I was right to." The being called Hant stated coldly. "Your rule has led us nowhere. We must take revenge on the overworlders for forcing us to live in this darkness. Why wait here, when those demons are up there, partying away and laying waste to their precious world?"

"Each race must exist in its realm to help preserve the balance." Midna stated. "The demons are a savage race that have been ruining the balance for ages. To be anything like them would be to-"

"Still your tongue, Midna." The queen spoke. "The demons have their reasons for doing what they do. As do the Nightmares. Why, even our little friend here provided valid reasons for his actions. However, it was not his place to try and overthrow his queen. He will have to be severely punished. We must ensure that he never tries something like this again."

Midna's eye widened. "Queen Malevolous… you don't mean-"

Malevolous stood and turned, reaching for a stone box behind her throne. The lid slid off, and the queen pulled out a dark, heart-shaped mask with spikes around the edges, and bright, yellow-green eyes. Midna's eye widened further as the queen held the mask high in both hands.

"No! That mask wasn't meant to be used 6 times-" Midna tried to speak.

"Mighty Majora! Here my words: Execute this soul in the name of your glory! Let his soul be banished to the reaches that far exceed the darkness of the Underworld! Make sure he knows the severity of his crime…"

Silence overtook the throne room. All of the guards watched intently, awaiting what may happen. Midna felt nervous about what was to come, Queen Malevolous wore a wicked grin, and behind his helmet, Hant only glared at the object in the queen's hands. Suddenly, the eyes of the mask flashed, and Hant's body immediately brimmed with a bright light. Everyone shielded their vision as the room grew brighter. Hant's maniacal laughter echoed across the room as the light eventually swallowed the throne room. Finally, the light vanished, and everyone could see again. All that remained of Hant was his metal helmet, which fell to the ground.

"Thank you, Majora." Malevolous spoke. "Your powers are-… Huh?" Suddenly, the mask exploded with dark energy, blowing the queen and everyone else against the wall.

Darkness quickly engulfed the mask in a cloud. In just mere moments, four arms were extracted from the cloud, and soon, a hideous, gargantuan demon made its appearance. Malevolous and Midna gaped in terror and shock as the entity grew larger. The entire Realm of Shadows soon grew totally dark once the demon emerged beyond the roof of the castle.

"Heeeh heh heh heh heh hah hah ha hah ha ha!" Its dark cackles echoed across the realm. "Foolish shadows… if only they knew: the face speaks more than the foolish heart. Now is my chance… to consume… everything..."

It didn't take long before the demon's arms were seen rising above the ground of the mortal world. It hovered into the air, dark storm clouds spiraling around his figure and drawing the attention of several demonic hordes. "LISTEN to me, my demons! The worlds will soon fall under a new cloud of darkness. No one will survive. But if my plans are to proceed, you will assist me in reaching my dimension of origin. Either you agree to serve me… or die a horrible painful death. And furthermore-" The demon suddenly silenced himself. Off in the distance, a white, heavenly light was shone. The light revealed the black silhouette of a fierce-looking figure with a mighty sword and a pointed hat. "NO! You… IT'S.. NOT… POSSIBLE!!"

"Eaaaaaahhhh!" The other entity gave a cry and charged at the demon. As both powers clashed, they vanished into an explosion of light.

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Kids Next Door mission…

Dim rays of sunlight shone onto the dark mask as it slowly fell to the ground. The evil that had just emerged from the mask seemed to have faded, and it once again had the form of an ordinary object.

Operation:

M.A.S.K.E.D.

The mask hit the ground with a light bounce and a light sound before it fell into silence and motionlessness.

Masked

Avatar

Seeks

Katastrophic

Evident

Destruction

A pair of soft, gentle hands scooped the mask from the ground. The sun shined brighter onto a shadowed being who held the mask up in the air, and looked at it with a gentle grin. "Ho ho ha ha ha!..."

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