Operation: MASKED, Part 3: The Masked Demon

Chapter 3: The Masked Demon

Uno Household

"Ohhh..." Cheren groggily awakened on the bed in his room, and was surrounded by Panini, Francis, and the members of Sector V, including their new member, Vanellope Schweetz.

"You okay, Bro?" Aurora asked, helping him to stand.

"I'm just fine." Cheren stood up so that his eye level was with his friends', but noticed that he was standing on his bed. "Wait, did you guys get taller? What happened, anyway?"

"You were unconscious in that cave after Miyuki cursed you. At least, that's what the guy that found you told us." Harry said.

"Cursed me?"

"Yeah. Miyuki left you looking like this." Aurora said as she held up a mirror and held it in front of Cheren.

"GYAH!" Cheren fell over at the sight of his new look. He now had the body of a Kateenian. His skin was yellow, he wore the upper half of a red jumpsuit, he still had his jeggings, his glasses, his brown hair, and he wore red boots. "Well, this isn't something that happens every morning."

"AWW, you're so cuuute!" Vanellope exclaimed as she embraced the Supreme Leader in a hug. "I wanna HUG youuu, and SQUEEZE youuu."

"Stop it, stop iiit!" Cheren yelled, shaking away from the Program girl. "I already feel like Dad when he did this."

"Be thankful you're not so tiny we can't see you." Aurora said.

"Wait a second, you said somebody found me. Who?"

"Hmhmhmhm." came a light giggle from outside.

Everyone directed their attention to the open doorway. The silhouette of a mysterious man stood in the entrance to Cheren's room, a wide, white grin on his face. The kids stepped aside as Cheren walked off his bed and approached the man. The man stepped into the light of Cheren's room. The redheaded man wore long, purple shoes, a shiny, smooth purple robe, and wore a huge pack on his back that was loaded with various masks. His face was covered up by his large hands as he bent closer to Cheren. "AAH!" In a flash, he uncovered his face, revealing its hideous appearance, with a tilted, squished nose, and tiny pupils in wide areas where his eyes should be.

"Hahahahahaha!" The man removed the mask that was covering his grinning visage, his eyes closed in a joyous fashion. "You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?"

Cheren, after falling on his back, stood up and shook to his senses. "Wait a second! You're that guy that runs the new mask shop, aren't you?"

"That is correct. I travel the world in search of many masks. As I set up shop in this town, a very important mask was taken from me. Now, do not think me rude, but I have been following you as you ventured into that cave."

"Well, that isn't creepy at all." Aurora remarked sarcastically.

Suddenly, Midna came out of the man's shadow. "Oh, you learn to get used to him after a while."

"Midna? Where'd you come from?" Dillon asked.

"Your little friend was kind enough to point me in the mask's direction." The Mask Man smiled. "That poor child wandered off with it…" his grin turned into a frown.

"What kind of mask was it?" Aurora asked.

"It was Majora's Mask." Midna spoke seriously. "It's a dark mask that was given to the people of the Shadow Realm long ago. We don't know where it came from, or why it was created. All we were told was… it wasn't to be used six times. My tribe only used it to curse the worst of criminals. After only a few curses, our Queen Malevolous felt power-hungry. She wanted to use it in every opportune moment. I tried to caution her, but… you know how they get. She used it for the 6th time on a dangerous traitor. The mask brought destruction across the world, and… then it just vanished."

"'Just vanished'?" Dillon questioned.

"I was knocked out. I don't remember what happened. But I still remember the horrors it brought. I always thought the mask was lost forever. But then… this man found it."

"Why would you have something like that in your shop, anyway?!" Aurora asked the Mask Man.

"I searched years for the legendary mask." The Mask Man said, still with his frown, though exposing his teeth. "I went through great lengths to get it. I was going to make a fortune off of it! But as I lay my hands on it… I could feel the dark omen brewing. I had to keep that mask out of mortal hands at all costs. And now that girl has it." The man started waving and shaking in an uncontrollable motion. "IF I DON'T GET THAT MASK, SOMETHING TERRIBLE WILL HAPPEN! I'M BEGGING YOU, YOU MUST-"

"OKAY, OKAY, CALM DOWN!" Cheren yelled, causing the man to stop in place. "We'll get your mask back. Even though it's not our policy to help crazy adults, we still have to save Miyuki."

"You would do that for me?" the man asked with a gracious, teary grin.

"Well, there's still the matter of Cheren looking like that." Panini reminded.

"He won't be able to help much without his own body." Aurora said. "Speaking of which, you should probably go downstairs and let Mom know you're safe."

"Yeah, I… guess." Cheren walked around the tall man and went downstairs.

In the living room, Mrs. Rachel Uno was sitting calmly on the couch and watching TV. When her youngest son walked in, she turned and looked down at his shortened form as he looked up. "Heh… well, on the bright side, I'm not injured." Cheren nervously grinned.

"Will I have to bring out the highchairs again?" his mother remarked.

"I don't need to be treated like a baby." Cheren said as he jumped and gripped the ledge of the couch, pulling himself up beside his mother.

The Mask Man, Aurora, Chris, and the Drilovsky kids came down afterwards. "Will he be stuck forever like this?" Panini asked.

The Mask Man grabbed a cup of coffee from the stand beside the couch and sipped a drink. "Hmhmhmhm…" he grinned and chuckled. "I know of a way to return him to his former self…"

"Umm, I wasn't finished with that." Rachel said as she watched the man drink her coffee.

"Long ago… there was a mystical instrument created by the spirits. One could perform songs on this instrument… and incredible things would happen. The Spirit Flute was designed by the spirits of old long ago, to heal terrible curses like this, and bring peace."

"Well, there we have it." Aurora figured. "Show us the Spirit Flute and let's get our leader back."

"Hmhmhmhm… that is to say… I have no idea how to find it." At this, everyone did the classic anime-style fall-down.

"But you said you could change him back!" Aurora yelled.

"I said I knew of a way to change him. I never said I had the means." He said, the grin still plastered on his face. "I have only heard tales. The Spirit Flute is said to lie somewhere in the Dream Realm, in a region far beyond the reaches of the human mind. Why, not even The Chronicler and his amazing powers could send someone into such a distant place."

"So, in other words, Cheren's as good as stuck."

Cheren sighed. "Guess we better phone the scientists and see if they can whip something."

"Ah ha ha ha! No, dear boy. Majora's powers are far too terrifying. His curses could not be broken any other way. Even Sacred Treasures are deemed useless."

Cheren gasped at this. "Wait! What happened to all my weapons?"

"Oh, we forgot to mention." Midna spoke up. "After Miyuki knocked you out, she sort of… robbed you."

"Oh, man…" Cheren bared a look of guilt as he looked up at his mother. "Mom, I…I lost the Master Sword. …I'm sorry, Mom."

"Don't be, Cheren. You probably wouldn't've wanted to use it against Miyuki. Besides, if she could just take it, maybe it wouldn't've worked, anyway."

"Hmhmhm." The Mask Man laughed. "Well, the Master Sword would've served useful… but Majora is a far advanced species of demon. His powers may succeed those of even Ganondorf."

"But he was Underworld-created… so the demons must know a way to stop him." Rachel figured.

"Oh no…" The Mask Man shook his head. "Majora was not born in the Underworld… Though he's won the respect of many demons, the origin of his existence remains elsewhere."

"Hmm… down in that cave…" Cheren thought aloud, "Miyuki- I mean… Majora said that he wanted to get into the Termina Dimension. That's why he- she- they- were down there. …But the entrance was sealed off."

"Well, so Majora's trapped in this dimension." Francis summarized. "But why would he wanna get back? Isn't a demon just happy spreading destruction… wherever?"

"But Majora isn't your usual demon." The Mask Man reminded. "His idea of destruction is far more terrifying. And whatever reason he may have for wanting to return to his home of origin, may surely effect your world, too."

"And in all frankness, it's not safe to let any sort of dangerous demon run around." Rachel said. "We should find a way to stop him."

"But how will I be able to do anything when I'm like this?" Cheren asked. "Without that Spirit Flute, they'll be kicking me around like a… Kateenian Gummi."

"Well, the mask dude said the flute was in a distant part of the Dream World, right?" Chris asked.

"Yeah?..."

Chris cracked his knuckles and smirked as he said, "All right, let's gather everyone up and give Cheren the pounding of a lifetime!"

"Uh, Brooo!" Aurora yelled scoldingly.

"I'm only kidding." He raised his hands in defense.

"I think I just need a walk." Cheren said, getting off the couch. "Maybe then, I can think of a way to solve this mess."

As he passed by him, the Happy Mask Man bent down and placed a hand on his little shoulder. "Do not worry. I am almost certain you will find the Spirit Flute. I can see you are a bright boy with tremendous courage. Surely you will find a way soon."

Cheren stared creepily at the man's bright grin and hopeful, sparkling eyes. He gave a nervous chuckle before continuing to the door. When the shortened leader reached the door, the doorknob was too high for his short body to reach. Panini smiled as she walked over and opened the door for him. Cheren gave her a slight glare before going outside.

Nugget River

Cheren was later outside at Cleveland's golden nugget river, lying on his back as he stared up into the clouds. The calm wind that blew across the grass, trees, and his hair was enough to ease his mind a little… but it wasn't enough after everything he's just been through. Being shrunk into a half-sized Kateenian was the least of his worries, on top of that, Miyuki's been brainwashed by some demon, and he wasn't able to snap her out of it. Not to mention he just lost two operatives to Miyuki- or whoever's, power. As the boy sat up and stared at his reflection in the river, he begun to lose hope in his abilities. In his lesser height and lesser form, he saw no way in resolving this problem. With a depressed sigh, he fell backward to continue staring at the clouds. But instead of clouds, he was caught in the shade of a freckled face looming over him.

"AAH!" he jumped at the sight of Panini.

"Haha haha! That never gets old!" the girl laughed in her Irish accent.

"Panini…" Cheren rolled his eyes and sighed.

Panini walked out onto the river and picked out two golden nuggets. "I was feelin' a wee bit hungry." She said, eating her nugget. "I don't know where these nuggets come from… but they're mighty tasteh." The girl walked over and sat beside Cheren, grabbing the toddler-sized boy and setting him on her lap. "Ha ha ha! Ya look like a wee 3-year-old!"

It's true, Cheren felt like a 3-year-old sitting on his older sister's lap. And around Panini, that didn't feel so bad. Her lighthearted attitude brought a little more spirit to his heart. He smiled as Panini handed him the other golden nugget, which he had to hold in both his little hands. He started chewing on it as Panini spoke again. "What's wrong withcha, Cherry? Ya normally don't come down here without eatin' nuggets 'less yer sad."

"Well, I am sad. Sort of. I couldn't help Miyuki be happy and I lost my mom's weapons. After she trusted me with them… I'm a terrible leader."

"Nooo ya aren't. Cheren, imagine how much yer mom screwed up. Losin' the Kids Next Door ta Father, gettin' Mr. York ta join the Brotherhood, and that whole thing with Rumpel and Mr. Crystal… Heck, this is nothin'." She said, rubbing Cheren's hair. "Ah know ye'll fix things up."

"Maybe. But I wish we had a way to get to this… Spirit Flute thingy." A warping sound caught Cheren's attention. He looked to his left, finding a strange, short, black, robotic creature, with big blue eyes and two antennas, warping around the bushes. "Did you see that?"

The creature continued warping around as Panini looked over. "See what?"

"That thing. Right there."

"Ah don't see anythin'. Oh?" Cheren got off Panini's lap and ran for those bushes.

The Kateenian child hauled himself over the thick bushes, falling on his behind as he shook his dizzy head. Before his eyes, four of those strange creatures appeared around him. "ZONI."

"What? Who are you?"

"Do not fear, Sire. We are friends. We are here to help you destroy it."

"'Destroy it'?"

"Please… sleep."

"Sleep? No-no-no." Cheren shook his head and waved his hands in defiance. "I'm not goin' to sleep until I get answers. Who are you, and why are you-" Before Cheren could finish, one of the creatures touched Cheren's chest, giving him a painful shock. "BZZBBZBZLZLZBZBLZZLBZLZZLBZ!" His eyes widened, body covered in soot, before he fell totally unconscious one second after, snoring loudly as he drifted into slumber.

The Zoni surrounded his form and circled him in a light.

Dream Realm; Kingdom of Light

Cheren's vision was blurry as it returned to him. When he came to his senses, he found the four creatures hovering over his form. He curiously stood up and looked around. He was in the center of a vast, golden city, the sky more bright-blue than it's ever been on Planet Earth. When he looked down and studied his clothing, he saw that his clothes had changed into some kind of golden jumpsuit with a strange symbol on the front of his chest: it was a "C" with a tiny 'x' on the spot between the two endpoints of the 'C'.

"Where did you bring me?" he asked the strange creatures.

"Welcome to Prospit: Land of Light. Beyond is that which will break the curse. We are Zoni. We will help you."

Cheren stared around the golden city of towering skyscrapers. Seeing no way to go, he figured that he had to trust the Zoni. "Okay then. Maybe I could get used to this new body while I'm at it…" (Play "Clank and the Zoni" from Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction.)

Stage 2: The Kingdom of Light

Mission: Follow the Zoni and find the Spirit Flute.

Cheren followed the Zoni across the strange, golden realm, his Kateenian body causing him to move slower than usual. The alien-ish creatures guided him to a bridge that looked cracked and unstable. "Your shortened stature gives you access over weak terrain, Sire. Use it to advantage." Cheren listened and carefully crossed the rugged walkway. The bridge seemed to withstand his short weight, and he was able to cross without trouble. The operative then came to a small pit with thin, wobbly platforms leading across. "Jump to proceed, Sire. Need no fear for lighter weight." As they said, the platforms seemed to withstand Cheren's weight as he hopped across. He couldn't jump as good as in his regular body, but it was enough.

The Zoni flew over to a set of tall stairs, which Cheren had to climb up before reaching the roof of a building. On top, a glob of blackness bounced on the ground and formed into a strange shadow being with a jester's hat, white, maniacal eyes, and grinning sharp teeth. "You must face the threat. Use your height to your advantage, Sire." The Shadow Jester readied himself as he faced Cheren. The Kateenian boy charged at the creature and slid between his legs. From behind, Cheren pounced onto its head and covered its eyes with his hands, making it run around aimlessly until it hit a wall and knocked out.

Cheren kept following the Zoni as two more of those creatures showed up, wielding knives. The first one swung his knife at him, but Cheren rolled around it and latched on from behind. The monster swung his knife aimlessly, and Cheren made him strike at the other monster. When he was knocked out, Cheren kicked his monster to the ground before bouncing on his head, smashing his face on the floor and knocking him out. Cheren followed the Zoni up some stairs and into a room on a tower. They flew outside of a window, which had a wire connecting to a building across a distance. Cheren stood on the wire and carefully moved across in his Kateenian body, overlooking the vast city of gold, which seemed to disappear over a horizon across a distance.

He was able to reach the building on the other side of the wire, where more Shadow Jesters appeared atop buildings. He ran to the first one and kicked its shin before punching it upside the jaw. He proceeded to jump the other rooftops and knock out other jesters as he moved along. He watched the Zoni fly down into an open window and carefully jumped down inside as well. He was in some office where a group of shadowy beings in trenchcoats and hats stood guard. They noticed Cheren and immediately shot guns at him, but he covered behind a fallen table. He carefully snuck out behind other pieces of debris while they still focused on the table. He snuck up to one of the men and pounced on his head, making him fire aimlessly at the other men. When they were down, Cheren proceeded to knock out the last one.

He saw the Zoni drifting outside the cracked window and saw a small hole fit for him to squeeze through. He crawled through and was outside on a rooftop. Before him was a series of shadowy men, wielding guns as they patrolled around trashcans. One of them turned at him, but he crouched behind a trash bag as the man kept patrolling. Cheren snuck past him and went behind some golden trashcans. Two more guards patrolled the same next row. When they passed each other, faces in opposite directions, Cheren hurried between them and crouched into a fallen recycle bin.

The next set of guards up ahead had no trashcans around them, and it was an open space. Seeing the holes in the fallen recycle bin, he used that bin for cover as he snuck across, using the eyeholes to see. When the first guard looked at him, he stopped moving. To the guard, it looked to be an ordinary misplaced recycle bin. He turned away and kept patrolling. Cheren quietly walked across to two men who turned in different directions. When they faced Cheren, he stopped in place. The two men raised brows at each other, but agreed that the other guy probably kicked it over. They turned away, and Cheren kept moving. He came to another guard and stopped in place when he looked his way. That guard was awfully suspicious about that bin, and wanted to observe it… but, he figured that his job came first and continued to patrol.

Cheren soon made it to the end of the path, where the last guard turned and looked at his bin. When he turned away, Cheren moved, but the guard immediately took notice of this slight movement and stepped closer. He bent down and studied the bin closely. "…Hey… is anybody in there?"

"Uhhh, no." Cheren's voice echoed from inside.

"…You see anybody walk by here?"

"Nnnope. And I'm certainly not some human in a Kateenian body sneaking by, nope."

"Okay. Sorry to bother you. Just had to be sure. Trying to control a city is hard work, y'know?"

"Ehh, it makes a living, right?"

"Yeah, I guess. But you have the intruders, and people tryin' to kill ya, it's just so hard, ya know?"

"It sure is. Listen, what's in that building?"

"Oh, just some flute thingy the boss wanted us ta protect. Looks pretty. I kinda wanna play it."

"Hehe. Better make sure the other guys don't try ta take it. Well-p, see ya, buddy."

"Later." The guard waved Cheren off as he snuck away under his bin.

Cheren finally arrived at the building and quietly removed the bin as he snuck into the door. On the desk before him, a dim light shone on something on the table. (End song.)

Cheren walked over and hauled himself onto the chair by the desk, then hopped on the desk. He stared in wonder at a golden, sparkling, six-pipe pan flute. He grabbed the instrument in both hands. The pipes lined up from longest to shortest, and each had a different color on the tops and bottoms. From longest to shortest, it was Green, White, Blue, Red, Yellow, Purple.

You found the Spirit Flute! A mystical instrument created by the spirits, whose mysterious tunes can perform many wonders! Blow in the short pipes for high notes, and the long pipes for low notes! Make sure to play the notes in the correct order when a new song is learned!

Cheren then found the Zoni surrounding him. As they circled his form, they touched him with their electrical hands. There was a flash, and a vision appeared before him.

It was a vision of legions of demons gathering into a large chamber with a rotatable chair seated on the stage. The chameleon demon, Gekko, crawled onto stage, smirking as he grabbed the chair and spun it around, revealing Miyuki Crystal seated on it, wearing the mask. The demons gasped.

"Hail Majora! The Masked Demon!" Gekko called to the legions, shooting a fist in the air.

"HAIL MAJORA! THE MASKED DEMON!" the demons repeated his words.

"Brethren from Hell," Miyuki spoke in her new monotone voice, the possessed child raising both hands in the air, "many an eon it has been since last I saw your despiseable faces. Look not at the lesser body that is my vessel, but the face which now inhabits this body. This face promises destruction, and misery for all mortal beings everywhere. Your past rulers have failed in their duties. Without my presence, the Underworld fell short to the humans' power. But I will bring destruction unlike any you have ever seen. When this is over, you'll be staring into a brand new world. As a matter of fact…" she threw her arms up in the air, "that is just where we're headed. BEHOLD… the gateway to… the TERMINA DIMENSION!"

Miyuki shook, channeling dark energy from her mask. Before the eyes of the demons, a portal of darkness and electricity grew open upon the wall behind Miyuki. The demons burst into wild cheers. "Demons, just beyond this swirling darkness lies the key that will end all things mortal. You, my malicious hordes, will lay waste to this next realm, and ensure that no happy feeling is felt ever again. Prepare for our journey, minions, as all mortals will know the true terror of… THE MASK!!"

And with another explosion of cheers, demons began marching into the swirling darkness. Miyuki drifted in first, followed by an excited, leaping Gekko. "She has gone to Termina." The Zoni said. "You must follow…"

Nugget River

When the vision ended, Cheren found Panini standing over him, waving a hand by his face. "Cheren? Ya just sort of… conked out there." Cheren got to his feet as Panini helped him to stand. "Are ya okay?..." Panini stared with wonder as Cheren pulled out the mystical instrument. "W…What is that?"

"It's… the Spirit Flute."

"The Spirit Flute?? How didja find THAT??"

"I was put to sleep, and I…"

"Ugh, never mind! Let's getcha to the others and show 'em!" Panini said quickly as she lifted her friend in her arms and hurried off.

"Hey-hey, careful!"

Unknown Location

In the darkness of a quiet room, the silhouette of a strange, male figure with small horns stared at his computer screen, which showed the image of Cheren's venture across Prospit. "HUH. IS THAT A… WHAT IS THAT?"

Another figure entered the room, a female being stepping forward, feeling her way with a walking stick that blind people use. "WH4T'S TH3 M4TT3R, K4RK4T? 1 SM3LL SUSP1C1ON…"

"SOMETHING'S WRONG, TEREZI. A CREATURE'S APPEARED IN THE KINGDOM OF LIGHT. BUT THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE. THERE'S NO WAY INTO THIS DIMENSION…"

"H333h…"

The male, Karkat's eyes widened in wonder. "COULD THIS.. PERSON BE…"

Uno Household

"Whoa! You found the Spirit Flute??" Aurora exclaimed as she, Francis, Rachel, and Sector V were gathered in the front yard.

"Dude, how'd you find it??" Francis exclaimed.

"I had help from the… Zoni?" Cheren answered, still confused himself.

"What are they?"

"What is anything, really." grinned the Happy Mask Man as he stepped out to join them. "I just had faith that he would find the Spirit Flute. When one expresses strong faith and determination, anything can happen."

"Great. But you said the Spirit Flute can change me back. Can it?" Cheren asked.

"Hmhmhm. It can. There is a special song that, when played by the Spirit Flute, can cure such poisons. I would happily teach you… if, I am promised one thing."

"What is it?" Cheren rolled his eyes.

The Mask Man bent down, his grin as wide and bright as ever. "All I ask… is that you help me retrieve my mask… and bring it back to me. Do you promise?"

Cheren stared up at the man's trustful, promising eyes. While Cheren was totally creeped by him… he supposed there was no other way. "I promise."

"Hm hm hm. I knew you would…" he said, happily. "Now then," the man dropped his huge backpack on the ground, "to perform the song that touches all hearts." They watched as he reached his arms into the top compartment, grunting as he struggled to lift something. They gaped as he brought out an enormous organ, its pipes even taller than a house. The organ shot up into the air, stretching to its full width. Francis screamed, the organ right above him, and dashed away quickly. However, the huge instrument flew overhead and smashed the boy.

"Oopsie." The Mask Man said as everyone shut their eyes. "That should be easily fixed." Francis still groaning, the man walked over to the organ and seated himself on the stool before the keys. His arms, however, appeared to stretch too short compared to the three wide rows of keys. "Follow these notes on your flute." With that, the man tapped a few keys. While it was an organ, it made the sound of a piano, but Cheren listened closely.

Do. Do. Dooo, Do. Do. Dooo… He tapped the keys again. Do. Do. Dooo, Do. Do. Dooo…

"Use the same notes on your flute to match my organ. You'll get used to it quickly."

Cheren stared at his Spirit Flute and blew into a few pipes. When he blew into the three pipes that matched his notes, he repeated the notes. The pipes that matched were Red, Blue, White, Red, Blue, White.

Do, Do, Dooo, Do, Do, Dooo. Do, Do, Do-Do-Dooo.

The Spirit Flute emitted a dark pink glow. Cheren began to grow dizzy as a light feeling overcame his mind.

He found himself drifting in the plain of darkness, back in his regular body as the thousands of Kateenian souls drifted away. The tiny spirits waved at the Supreme Leader, who decided to wave back as they faded away.

In seconds, he was back in his regular body, a Kateenian mask plastered on his face. The mask fell off and bounced on the ground, and Cheren's eyes were open to the surprised looks of his friends. "You're back!" Aurora exclaimed, hugging her brother, while Chris punched his shoulder.

"Hehehe." Cheren grinned.

"That was the Song of Healing." The Mask Man smiled. "An ancient melody that heals wounded beings, sealing their souls into masks." The man picked the Kateenian Mask off the ground and held it to Cheren. "Please. Take this mask as a memento. Do not worry. The mystical powers have been sealed inside the mask, but Majora's evil touch is long gone. When you wear it, you will change back to the form you previously were, but you can take it off anytime."

Cheren smiled as he took the mask, stuffing it in his jacket.

You got the Kateenian Mask! This mask inhabits the soul of a fallen Kateenian. When you wear it, you will shrink to half your own height in a Kateenian's body.

The group gathered inside the house afterward. Bright Idea's mask and Zach and Maddy's helmets were seated on the kitchen table. "So, what did Majora do to them?" Harry asked as he stared at Bright Idea's mask, while Chris looked at Maddy's helmet and Kirie looked at Zach's.

"The Song of Healing works as sort of a counterattack to what Majora's powers can do. Majora is able to suck the soul out of a being completely, leaving only a simple mask, or a piece of headgear. With no face, Majora would give them new masks. Give them new forms." The Mask Man explained. "The Song of Healing is meant to keep those safe inside their own masks. And those masks would grant power and hope to whoever might need them."

"Poor Maddy…" Chris said quietly, while Kirie was weeping quietly and hugging Zach's helmet to her chest. "So, these guys all turned into… monsters somewhere?"

"Majora is creating an army. And turning innocent souls into monsters will add to his numbers."

"It's worse enough that he took Miyuki. I'm not letting anyone else fall victim to his powers." Cheren said determinedly. "I'm going to stop him!"

"Shouldn't we try to find them first?" Aurora asked.

"Won't matter. They're already headed for the Termina Dimension." Cheren said.

"How do you know?" Rachel asked.

"It was in the dream I had. I mean, in the vision… of the dream I had."

"Riiight…"

"So, we have to track Miyuki to a different dimension." Francis figured. "How're we going to do that? We don't know where the Termina Dimension is. And you said that the cave entrance or whatever was closed off."

Cheren thought for a second. "…Yes we do."

New GKND H.Q.

A boring day (or whatever time it was in space) at the Galactic Kids Next Door's space station. Supreme Galactic Leader, Nebula D. Winkiebottom, was at her desk in her office, signing papers as she listened to Galaxia TV. There was a commercial on, featuring the image of a short alien with a bug-like body, with six insect legs, and a large, red head and yellow eyes. He also wore a black tux as he spoke.

"Tired of bounty hunters roughing up your store? Space-pirates robbing your loot? Tired of scary black holes sucking away all your relatives and valuables into an unorthodox dimension with no way of return? Hi. I am Senator Percival Tachyon. As you know, the galaxy is struggling to revive itself after the rule of Chancellor Palpatine. Our fair Republic is falling. Our recent chancellors have done little to resolve the conflicts between neighboring planets. But I assure you, this era of wars can soon come to pass. If I am elected Chancellor, I will promise you a stronger military, spend taxes on galactic reconstruction, and work hard to ensure peace treaties between conflicting planets in our fair solar system. It may take years… but with all our sources together, Galaxia will see an era of peace. Far better than what those pitiful Galactic Kids Next Door could bring."

Brought to you by the Tachyon For Chancellor election committee.

"I am Percival Tachyon and I approve this message."

"Uugh." Nebula rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out.

"Sir," Nebula's younger brother/second-in-command, Jerome Winkiebottom, stepped in, "Numbuh 3621 and his friends are here. They request an audience with you."

"Oh, good." Nebula switched her TV off and drifted to the doorway. "I'll see Cheren any day over these boring political shows."

The two commanders met with Cheren Uno and the others down in the cafeteria. "Sorry for dropping in unannounced, Numbuh Eternal." Cheren said.

"You know you don't have to call me that, Cheren." Nebula said. "Too much saliva buildup. Um… but who's the adult?"

They looked over at the Happy Mask Man, who gave Nebula a grin as he waved in her direction. "Oh, uh, he's this creepy adult we met, and… look, Nebula, we have an emergency. This demon appeared down on Earth and kidnapped one of our operatives. They escaped into another dimension, and I need to go after them."

"Hmm…" Nebula thought for a second. "I think I have a way to help you… But it's a little risky."

The Supreme Leader led them into a room with a huge machine that had a giant, open circle in the center. "This is a machine our scientists have been constructing. We call it the Dimension Transportifier. We constructed it as a means to jump and observe various universes, and possibly make peace with the beings of those universes, maybe start other adult-fighting organizations. True, such a thing is already possible with the Gummi Ship… but some universes are out of reach, you know? Such universes exist on a parallel plane to our own, similar to the Negaverse: same people, some changes. Instead of it lying on a perpendicular plane, an adjacent road that's easy to turn on, like Lin's homeworld. Those dimensions are easy to get to. But this machine can get into the other ones."

"And it can get to Miyuki's dimension?" Cheren asked.

Nebula turned and faced him and said, "That depends on where she is… We might be able to track her, if you have something that belonged to her."

Right away, Cheren grabbed the locket-music box from his jacket pocket. He held it to Nebula, who took it and placed it onto a scanner. As the locket was scanned, the small monitor above it showed what appeared to be the dimensional plain. The image zipped across the plain, a crosshair examining the various coordinates as they passed by. The screen came to a sudden halt when the crosshair locked on to a single dot. "It's picking up a similar signal. It's a little far… but if we add my own powers to it, it should create a pathway that leads to it. There's… just one other thing."

"Hm?"

"The portal is sort of… a one-way trip. If you cross the dimensional plane… there's no guarantee you can return. You might be trapped in that other world forever."

Everyone put on a worried look, including Cheren. But it only took him 3 seconds to decide, "I'll do it." Everybody's mouths widened.

"WHAT?!? But… Cheren!" Panini exclaimed.

"I have to rescue Miyuki. If this is the only way, I'll do it."

"You can't go NOW, dude!" Francis yelled. "We're in the middle of a war!"

"As far as I know, Majora's a bigger deal than Viridi right now. Besides, I'm sure you guys can take care of her while I'm gone."

"But… ya might be gone forever." Panini said, tears welling up in her eyes.

Cheren gave her an assuring smile. "Heh… no I won't, Pan… I'll come back."

"Alright then. I'll get it started." Nebula decided. "Better prepare yourself."

The black-and-white-haired girl placed her hand on the side of the portal archway and channeled a surge of Space Lightning. The lights around the machine sparked to life, and a swirling pink and white vortex grew wide open, becoming as large as the archway. Jerome stared at the monitor while this happened. A red circle was slowly closing in on the locked coordinates. "We haven't linked yet. We need more power."

"If I give anymore lightning, my hand will blow up!" Nebula exclaimed, her hand pressed flat against the archway.

"Zoni." Unseen by everyone, the Zoni made their appearance. They gathered around the top of the archway and zapped it with their energy. Immediately, the circle on the monitor closed in on the coordinates in half a second.

"It's working! Great work, Sister!" Jerome exclaimed.

"Nnnn…great… Now get inside before I short-circuit!"

Mrs. Uno walked over to her son and handed him a small sword and the Hylian Shield. "At least you'll have these to defend yourself with. I don't know what's in there, but I hope there's at least people that'll help you. But whatever happens…" Rachel hugged her son, "you'll always be in our hearts. Remember that."

"I will, Mom."

Aurora walked over to him next. "Bro, I just want you to know… I always thought you were pretty cool. You're a brave kid, and… I know you could accomplish anything if you wanted to. …I'm proud of you, Bro."

"Thanks, Sis." They gave a light hug before Aurora left, and Panini approached him next.

"Um, ya know… one of us can come with ya. In case ya need help."

"No thanks. I believe there's a chance I could return, but if there isn't, I shouldn't get anyone else involved."

"But, do ya really want ta leave everything behind just to fight this demon? I mean, Ah know Miyuki's important 'n' all, but…"

"Panini, relax. Nothing bad's gonna happen to me, I promise."

"Well… okay." Panini hugged her friend, the worried look still on her face. "Be careful, Cheren."

"I will, Panini." He hugged back.

"Hrrrrgh… hurry up!" Nebula demanded.

Cheren hurried onto the platform before the portal, turning to face his friends, Mom, and the Mask Man again. "Don't worry, guys. When I come back, Majora will be history!"

"No worries here!" Aurora exclaimed. "Besides, you remember how big a deal they made Dracula and XANA to be? You'll have this guy done in by Chapter 7!"

"Heheh. I would hope so."

"Never have doubt in yourself!" shouted the grinning Mask Man. "Believe in your strengths… believe…"

Cheren snickered at the weird adult. The sword and shield latched on his back, Cheren turned and stared into the swirling pinkness. "Okay… here goes…" Without a moment's more hesitation, Cheren jumped into the portal. (Play "FunkyBoard 1" from Rayman 3.)

Stage 3: Dimensional Byway

Mission: Get to the other side of the path to the Termina Dimension.

The dimensional plain was a vast expanse of bright, flashy colors, neon glows that wobbled in every direction, almost like a lava lamp. Cheren found his feet skidding along a neon pathway of light, his hair blowing behind him as he zipped across the byway, his body squatted like he was on a skateboard. The path was broken into small paths ahead, so Cheren had to jump side-to-side to stay on track. He saw some walls coming up ahead, but he swung his sword to cut them apart and keep going. The neon path was coming to two parallel neon walls, so when Cheren skied there, he kicked his way up the walls and reached the top, skiing along the upper path.

There were more separated paths up ahead, so Cheren had to jump them again. However, some of the paths were cracked, and they collapsed at Cheren's weight, so he had to jump quickly. When he was back on the main path, there was a section up ahead that was also broken. When he skied across it, it collapsed and he fell into the colorful chasm. "AAAAAHHH!"

"Zoni." The 9-year-old leader was rescued when the Zoni flew by, grabbed him, and set him on the path as he kept skiing. He watched as the Zoni flew ahead before his eyes focused back on the path. He went up a slope, down a slope, upward, then kept straight again. He then saw a group of Bokoblin on Kargaroks flying overhead, attempting to shoot him with arrows. Cheren jumped the arrows and held his shield out to block them. The demons then flew down to strike him their selves, but Cheren gave a single whack with his sword on each of them before they fell into the chasm.

Another gargantuan gateway opened before his eyes, and he started skidding into a plain where colorful images moved across a black background. The pieces of the pathway were floating around the plain, all facing different directions from the main path, but Cheren jumped his way across them. He came to a road that was hanging sideways above him, so he flipped upside-down and latched onto the path with his feet as he kept going. That path was coming to an end, so he dropped down onto the upcoming lower path and turned right-side-up again. He stared in amazement as he was skiing closer to a giant disco ball, its lights sparkling in his eyes.

The lights from the disco created more platforms for Cheren to jump on, so he hopped to each one as they lit up. The platforms were tilted and moving with the direction of the disco, so Cheren kept turning sideways as he jumped up higher. He eventually came to a sideways path that guided him to the top of the disco ball. He skied across the slow-spinning orb, becoming dizzy as he slid along the side and turned sideways again. Losing track of which way was upward, he desperately searched for an available path. When he was near the bottom of the disco, he saw one coming up and decided to hop on, turning right-side-up again.

He was approaching another expanding gateway as he skied along a part that twisted into a Mobius strip. The plain around him went from black to red, and he began sliding up an upward slope. The track was coming to an end, and he could see that this was the link to the next dimension. Cheren squatted and ready to make the leap as he drew close to the end. When the track ran off, he made his jump, falling into the colorful abyss.

"Whooooooooaaaa!" He landed firmly on his feet on the path down below, regaining himself as he continued to ski along. The track went perfectly straight as it went into another portal. He caught his breath and eased himself as he allowed the path to take him into the gateway. His eyes closed as he drifted into a vortex of swirling red. (End song.)

EiznekCm Household

"Aroruaaa. Can you tell your brother I got him his favorite bird steak?" Lehcar EiznekCm called upstairs to her daughter.

"I'm a little busy, Mooom." Arorua yelled down, lying on her bed on her front as she read a magazine. "Not talking to Nereeeehhc." She said quietly.

"Arorua! Will I have to come up there MYSELF??"

She sighed. "No, Mom. I'm on it." She called as she grudgingly got out of bed and slumped down the hall.

She knocked on Nerehc's door and said, "Hey, Stupid, your mom's calling you, get downstairs."

"Tell Mom I'm busy. I'm trying to singe an ant."

"Listen, dumbass," there was a flashing sound just then, "either you come down or I-" she gasped horrendously when she entered his room and found a slight puff of smoke on the spot where Nerehc was.

"Aroruaaa. Is everything all right up theeere?"

"Uhhhh, yes, Mother." Arorua said worriedly. "He's just doing homework, and I'm helping him finish."

"Well, tell him to hurry up. A bird's suffering's only tasty if it's nice and hot." As she spoke, Arorua poked her head out Nerehc's window and searched around for him. She leapt out the window and frantically ran around outside, desperate to find him.

Cleveland, Virginia; Dimension Termina

The portal spiraled open over the nighttime skies of Sector V's neighborhood. Cheren came flying out of it, his body falling full force to the ground as wind blew hard against his face. "WAAAAAAAAHHHHH-" He fell faster and faster toward a white house with a red roof. He shot into the roof like a meteor, causing the front of the house to collapse, and Cleveland Brown to be exposed in his bathtub.

"What the hell??" he exclaimed, the tub sliding down his tilting floor. "No no no no NO NOO!" His tub collapsed and shattered on the ground. "You'd think escaping to another dimension would be a safe getaway from these punks."

"Ohhh…" Dizzy, Cheren fell unconscious.

Sector V Treehouse…?

Cheren dizzily awakened the next morning, finding himself on the wooden floor of Sector V's treehouse. He stared around his friends' treehouse in confusion, rubbing his head from the aching bump on his head. "Start talkin'. Who are you, and where'd you come from?" a voice said.

Cheren turned around, finding a group of six kids with their weapons aimed on him. "What?!?"