What would happen if the Hero of Time never became the Savior of Termina?
The Legend of Anju
is an Alternate Universe fic based on The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, with elements of The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. Without Link being around to save Termina, it's up to Kafei to stop the "Masked One" with the help of Maximilian Forthwind, an inquisitor from Lorule, his towering bodyguard Jade, and Jade's fairy companion Opal.
This work contains examples of:
- Anti-Magic: For some reason, Jade is completely immune to all forms of magic.
- Adaptational Backstory Change: Mayor Dotour is referred to as "Lord-Mayor" throughout the story, implying that the Mayor of Clock Town is a hereditary position rather than an elected one.
- Adaptation Expansion: All over the place, but while the story isn't set in Lorule, pre-fall Lorule is given a good deal of fleshing out. Fairies are also explained to only look like balls of light from a distance. Up-close, they look like winged humanoids with glowing hair.
- Adaptational Heroism: Downplayed with the Gerudo Pirates. While they still stole Lulu's eggs, they didn't kill Mikau; he died from his injuries while trying to swim through a storm.
- Adaptational Jerkass: It's hinted early on that Sakon the Thief is the one with Majora's Mask. Subverted in that this is just a Red Herring.
- Adaptational Nice Guy:
- Gerant, AKA the Curiosity Shop Man. He still peddles stolen goods, but he's known to rip thieves off, and doesn't even charge Kafei anything to get the sun mask back from Sakon. He even tries to fight Jade at one point so that Kafei could escape (emphasis on "tries").
- Captain Ganondorf Dragmire is much nicer than his Hyrulean Counterpart.
- Cutting the Knot: Jade tries to destroy Majora's Mask by simply smashing it to pieces. It doesn't work.
- Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: Mere moments after being saved by Majora from a Fate Worse than Death, and he's already planning to steal her mask.
- Disposable Woman:
- Anju appears to have suffered this fate before the story began. Subverted in that she isn't actually dead.
- Subverted with Empress Hilda. While Majora killed her shortly before the story began, she got better.
- Fairy in a Bottle: Unlike Navi or Tatl, Opal spends most of her time in one of Jade's bottles. She could actually leave at any time she wishes, but doesn't want to.
- Fate Worse than Death: Yuga had been sent to the bottom of the ocean to drown eternally.
- Gratuitous Latin: The pieces of the Triforce are referred to with this.
- God Is Evil: According to Maximillian, the Goddesses who created Termina were were wholly malevolent beings. While Kafei doesn't deny this, he takes issue with the Four Giants being lumped into the same category.
- Genius Ditz: Tingle of all people is known to be one of these, having invented the magical balloon harness he rides.
- Guile Hero: Maximilian might not be the most able-bodied inquisitor, but he has a keen eye and a silver tongue. However, sometimes he's too clever for his own good, and trips on his own plans.
- Mad Love: Majora is this towards Kafei, due to possessing Anju.
- Mirror Universe: Rather than being based on Courage, Wisdom and Power, the Triforce of Lorule is based on Cowardice, Ambition and Pride.
- Named by the Adaptation:
- The Curiosity Shop Man is named Gerant, derived from his Candian-french name; Gérant du bazar (literally "Manager of the Bazzar").
- Mayor Dotour and Madame Aroma's first names are given as Jaques and Marthe.
- Anju's last name is given as "Potterson".
- Hilda's full name is Hilda Adinfinitum Lorule.
- Not His Sled: The one behind Majora's Mask isn't the Skull Kid. It's Anju.
- Original Character: Maximilian, Jade and Opal are all original creations for the story, though
Word of God says that Maximilian is supposed to be a Lorulean version of Linebeck. - Our Humans Are Different: The pointy-eared folk of Termina and Lorule are all called humans.
- Reincarnation: Exploited. Whenever she dies, Emperess Hilda immediately has a cloned body of herself made so that she can immediately reincarnate. She's also had preperations made so that her next incarnation can quickly re-learn everything that her previous incarnation knew.
- Samus Is a Girl: Jade turns out to be this underneath her iron knuckle armor, much to the surprise of everyone (even Majora).
- Majora turns out to be female herself, if only because she's possessing a woman.
- Statuesque Stunner: Jade is seven feet tall, and noted to be quite attractive.
- Weird Moon: Termina's moon is noted to have always had a face, though unlike in canon there's no danger of it falling on Clock Town.
