Terminan Journal: Entry #6

I left the clock tower with new found determination, and taking Tatl's advice, set off for the western ocean. I had heard of oceans before, but this was my first time ever seeing one. Just a massive body of water, reaching out even farther than I could possibly see. The view was amazing! A complete opposite of the thick forest I had called home for many years, and even more grand than Lake Hylia. I took a moment to take it all in, and while I did, I saw something odd...

There was a large number of birds swarming around something in the water. I got closer to try to see what it was, but I couldn't quite tell from the shore. So I swam even closer. The water was a lot warmer than I expected it to be, but I paid it no mind.

As I approached the object in the water, I began to realize it was actually an injured Zora! He could barely speak, but he managed to ask me to bring him to shore. The moment I helped him out of the water, he tried to leave, but quickly fell, unable to even walk. Realizing that he was about to die, I asked him what was going on.

He told me his name was Mikau, the guitarist for the famous Indigo-Gos. Lulu, the band's singer, had recently laid some eggs, but they were stolen by some pirates hoping to sell them on the black market. And ever since, Lulu hadn't said a single word. Mikau tried to storm the pirates' fortress and take the eggs back, but they fought him off, leaving him as I had found him.

These eggs were clearly very important to Mikau, and I couldn't let him die with all of that regret in his heart. So I did the only thing I could do for him; I played the Song of Healing. He closed his eyes as I played, and as he passed, I thought I saw a slight smile spread across his face. And by the time I had finished the song, all that was left of the brave Zora was a simple mask.

As I expected to happen, wearing this new mask transformed my body into that of a Zora. I took to the water to adjust to my new body, and while the amazing swimming ability was extremely liberating, I found myself finding the ocean rather unpleasant to be in, for some reason.

After a short amount of time, I left the water and entered a nearby laboratory. The scientist inside mistook me for Mikau, and asked me if I had retrieved the eggs yet. When I said that I had not, he began to press about how important it was that I find them. It seemed that something was indeed happening to the ocean; the waters were warm and cloudy, and the currents were unusual. In such an environment, the eggs would surely die. Luckily, the scientist had prepared a tank of water perfect for the seven missing eggs.

After hearing the full story, I immediately left for the pirate fortress. Sneaking in was difficult, but nothing I hadn't already done before. After a day of sneaking, and even a couple of battles, I had managed to find four of the eggs. But during my infiltration, I had overheard some of the pirates mention that they only had those four. It seemed that they were attacked by sea snakes, and three of the eggs were lost in Pinnacle Rock, a rock formation far out into the ocean.

I returned the four eggs I had found to their tank, but going to Pinnacle Rock proved quite difficult. The cloudy water and erratic currents kept turning me around, and no matter how hard I tried, I kept finding myself appearing back at the shore. I was about to give up and find another way until I came across an odd creature called a seahorse. This creature offered to help guide me through the water if I would then help it find its friend somewhere in Pinnacle Rock. I agreed, and eventually found myself at the rock. It was, in actuality, a deep chasm, lined with long caves. And in each cave lived a humongous sea snake! I quickly dispatched them all, finding the remaining three Zora eggs and the lost seahorse deep in the caves. The seahorses thanked me and lead me back to shore.

It appeared that I was just in time. As I returned the final three eggs to the tank, they began to hatch! As the seven baby Zoras began to take their first swim around the tank, I felt a strange warmth in my heart. I wasn't really paying attention to much else, until Tatl's shrill voice brought me back to my senses. She pointed out that the babies were swimming in an odd pattern, and almost looked like... music notes?

The baby Zoras looked a little more excited when I pulled out my ocarina, which turned into a rather cool fishbone guitar in my Zora hands, and I began to play what seemed to be a song that they wanted me to learn. I could tell the babies were happy when I finished the song, and the scientist wondered if they wanted their mother to listen to that song. Figuring I should at least tell Lulu that her children were safe, I left for the nearby Zora Hall.

Zora Hall was an amazing place. It was essentially a giant stage, and it was here that the Indigo-Gos lived and practiced their music. Thinking I was Mikau, all of the Zoras gave me a hero's welcome. It was a little hard to get past Mikau's fans, but I eventually found Lulu by herself on a small cape behind the Hall. Just as everyone had said, Lulu looked deeply depressed, and refused to speak. But as I played for her the song that the babies taught me, an odd expression that I couldn't quite place crossed her face. She seemed relieved, but in a way she couldn't figure out. But she became even more confused when the small island behind us began to rise out of the water!

The island was actually a very large turtle. It introduced itself as the guardian of the ocean, and my song has awakened it from it's long, deep sleep. It said that it knew what was happening to the ocean, and if I wished to restore the waters to their natural state, I must proceed to the Great Bay Temple and slay the demon within. Lulu's voice had returned to her, and she was very confused as to what was going on. Honestly, I was a little confused too, but I quickly assured her that her eggs were safe before the turtle took me to the temple.

Great Bay Temple was a giant mass of flowing water and odd contraptions, but I eventually managed to find my way down to the very core of the facility. Down in these dark depths was where I found the one responsible for destroying the ocean. It was a difficult battle, but I eventually prevailed, claimed the great fish's evil mask, and freed the third Giant. This Giant asked us to help their friend. Tatl promised that we would free the final Giant soon.

Zora Hall was full of cheer by the time I returned. The ocean was restored, and everyone had heard of the baby Zoras. And with Lulu's voice returned to her, the Indigo-Gos were eager to rehearse for their performance at the Carnival of Time. I couldn't bear to tell them about what had happened to the real Mikau, so I agreed to play a few songs with them.

After a time, the band became tired, and declared the rehearsal to be over. But a few Zoras still wanted us to play, and asked that I play them one last song for the night. I wanted to stay, but it was the third day of my time in Termina, and I had to depart before the moon came crashing down. I was about to turn them down, but then I noticed Lulu looking at me. There was something about her eyes as she looked at me that I couldn't ignore, and as she approached and offered to sing along with my song, I found it very difficult to say no. So I agreed to one final song for the night, and with a tear beginning to form in my eye, I began to play the Song of Time...

It seems that the masks' magic is even more powerful than I thought! Just look at how the Zora warrior's will has influenced this story...

Zora Mask - The Father