I began my journey in the land of the dead by returning to the graveyard. The gravekeeper didn't have anything to say that he hadn't already told me, so I explored the area a bit. Eventually, I came across something odd hidden behind the gravekeeper's shack: A massive skeleton! There was a message inscribed on a slate next to it that talked of a hero awakening the skeleton's soul. I pulled out my ocarina and tried playing the Sonata of Awakening I learned from the monkey long ago in the Deku Palace, and as soon as I played the last note, the skeleton jumped to life!
After a short battle, the skeleton admitted defeat. He introduced himself as Skull Keeta, captain of the Ikana army. He said that the kingdom he once served had long ago fallen, but the dark curse seeping from the Stone Tower kept their souls in eternal unrest. He suggested that I see his king in the ruined Ikana Castle, and offered me his captain's hat as proof of authority over his former servants.
It grew dark as I returned to the graveyard, and the land was crawling with the undead. But with Captain Keeta's hat, most of them paid me no mind. I noticed a group of Stalchildren guarding a particular grave, and ordered them to let me in so I could see what was important enough to keep safe even after death.
The grave lead into a vast underground cavern, and at the back of this cavern was an old crypt. Inside this crypt, I met with the ghost of an ancient composer. He told me of his brother, who had been corrupted by the curse and was causing strife within the canyon. He then taught me a special song that he had written that could be used to quell his brother's restless spirit. But it was a song that I already knew... the Song of Storms!
I continued my exploration of the canyon, and eventually found the ruins of Ikana Village. But one building in particular caught my eye. It was clearly newly built, and had a set of very large pipes coming out of the top of it. It looked like a massive music box! For some reason, there was also a waterwheel attached to the side of this house, even though there was not a drop of water to be found anywhere.
I thought to see if anyone was inside, but I dared not approach, as a group of Gibdos were circling the house. Instead, I searched the surrounding area. I quickly found the gates to the castle, but they had been sealed shut long ago. I would need to find another way in. Not far from the castle gates, I found a deep, empty well, with a tunnel that lead towards the castle. Figuring that I could use this passage to enter the castle grounds, I headed in, but was quickly met with a swarm of Gibdos!
I decided to explore the well later.
I then found a cave in the back of the village. The inside of this cave smelled foul, and the air was thick with an awful mist. There was a small spring at the center, but the water looked toxic. I turned to leave this terrible place, but I was suddenly stopped by another ghost! He began to play a most unpleasant song that actually caused me physical pain, but this tipped me off to the fact that he was the composer's brother! I fought through the pain shooting through my body just enough to play the Song of Storms.
The soothing rain stopped the composer's song, and washed away the curse placed upon him. As he faded away, the rain began to cleanse the spring and fill it, creating a small creek that flowed out into the village.
It seemed that this creek was always present until recently, because it flowed into the music box house's waterwheel perfectly! As it began to turn, a strange, cheerful tune began to play, booming out of the large pipes and filling the canyon with a very out of place sense of happiness. But even stranger, the Gibdos surrounding the house seemed to be in pain! I would soon learn that the song was specially designed to ward off evil spirits, and sure enough, the Gibdos were soon banished.
I approached the house to investigate, and saw a small girl peeking out of the door. But as soon as she saw me, she slammed the door shut and refused to let me in.
I hid a distance away and waited for her to exit the house again. I knew there was something of importance inside that house, and I had to find out what it was. She eventually left to gather water from the stream, and I took this opportunity to sneak in.
The house looked rather unremarkable at first, but then I found my way into the basement. The basement was turned into a small laboratory, and it seemed that the researcher here was studying Gibdos. There were drawings and diagrams of the creatures scattered everywhere.
Suddenly, I heard a noise from inside the nearby closet. I turned to look just as a Gibdo burst out from within! I was shocked to see one of the foul beasts kept inside this place, and before I could do anything, the small girl came rushing in and forced me out of the house.
I don't understand why this girl seems to be protecting that Gibdo, but I feel like I need to do something about this situation. I have an idea, but it will need to wait until I can sneak back in. Until then, I shall take a quick rest.
---
I managed to gain entry to the music box house again a few hours later. I found the Gibdo hidden away in the closet again, but this time I was prepared. As the creature forced its way out of its prison, I drew my ocarina and quickly played the Song of Healing.
As I had expected, the Gibdo stopped in its tracks. There was a flash of light and the clatter of a mask falling to the ground, and standing before me was a very confused looking man. Just then, the girl came running in to see what was happening. Seeing that her father had been healed, she leapt into his arms and cried into his coat.
I silently took the mask and left them alone.
The mask I had acquired was truly the most horrible mask yet. The Gibdo Mask was so convincing that even the Gibdos themselves believed me to be one of their own! However, this proved to be lucky for me, as I could use this new disguise to get through the well and into Ikana Castle. I entered the castle to meet with the king, but the curse had affected him as well, and I had to strike him down. But after the battle, his cleansed spirit lended me his assistance. He taught me a very strange song that allowed me to summon empty, heartless soldiers. These soldiers made it possible for me to climb the Stone Tower.
Stone Tower was an extremely unsettling place. Everything about it screamed sin and evil, and I could not ever escape the deep sense of dread I felt just from being there. The tower was filled with evil creatures and spirits, and in order to proceed through I even had to use the tower's magic to flip reality itself upside down, putting the land above my head and the sky just below my feet!
It was a dizzying ordeal, but eventually I found my way to the pinnacle, or perhaps the bottom, of the tower. It was here that I found two unusual things; An old mask, and a strange portal. The mask had some powerful magic within it, and I knew that it would be helpful for whatever lay on the other side of that portal.
I jumped in, and found myself in a vast desert. It was here that I encountered the source of the evil curse plaguing the land of Ikana. As the pair of gigantic worms swirled in the air above me, I put on the mask I had just found. Suddenly, I exploded in size, rivaling that of the Giants themselves! In this form, I slayed the evil worms with little effort, cleansed Ikana of its curse, and freed the final Giant.
As the Giant urged me to summon him and his friends, Tatl couldn't help noticing that he sounded very sad...
Captain's Hat - The Leader
Gibdo Mask - The Healer
Giant's Mask - The Warrior
---
This is it. The end of my journey through the land of Termina. It is now evening of the final day, and I am waiting for the clock tower to once again reveal the path to the Skull Kid. What will happen to us... to ALL of us... once I confront the Skull Kid and summon the Giants? Can they stop the moon's descent? Will the Skull Kid use the mask's dark power to cause another calamity? Can I even retrieve Majora's Mask safely?
I do not know what will happen to me atop the clock tower. To be honest, I'm actually a little afraid. But I will confront this threat, and do whatever I can to stop it.
I have decided to give this journal to the mask salesman. If anything should happen to me, if Termina cannot be saved... I would like this story to find its way back to the land I call home. Perhaps this book can find its way into the hands of a dear friend I left behind, so she may know what became of me, and why I may never return.
Goddess of Time, please aid me with this final act...
----
The boy has indeed given me his journal. The clock tower will be opening itself very shortly, and his long journey will come to an end.
I have spent these past hours reading this tale of pain and happiness. It is truly a remarkable story, filed with hope and heroism. However, I fear for the boy's safety. He has spent too much time in the land of Termina, and has adopted the Terminan way of life. He has gathered a large number of masks during his travels, and these multiple personas he has adopted are clearly clouding his mind. He has assumed responsibility for these people to a crippling degree, and he has become overburdened with their dreams and futures.
While reading this journal, I have left notes of my thoughts and kept track of the many faces he has collected in his travels. In order to conquer his coming trial, he will need to shed these layers of protection, and find himself once more. Then, and only then, will he discover the strength to save the people of Termina.
But I have faith in him. I believe he will succeed after meeting the challenge ahead of him. I will save this journal for our next meeting, and I will allow him to write the ending to this story.
Yes, I believe in the boy. Faith... you must always have faith...
Showing posts with label Writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Writing. Show all posts
Oct 17, 2012
Oct 16, 2012
Terminan Journal: Entry #7
I've relived these same three days several times since my last entry. I haven't yet gone to the eastern canyon to begin working on freeing the final Giant. I'm not sure why, but for some reason I've become compelled to do what I can to help the people of Termina in any way possible, no matter how small. I can't just leave these people to suffer before my very eyes, even if their peace is short-lived. Tatl became increasingly annoyed at my delaying of our journey to the canyon, but still accepted my reasoning that these people could give us vital information about the Skull Kid, and I could give myself as much time as I needed.
I did many things in this time, from removing dark curses to listening to guilty confessions. I played games with people, I reawakened forgotten passions, and I helped those who could not be helped by anyone else. It's almost hard to remember everything I've done, or when I've done it. However, there is one chain of events I will never be able to forget. Like most of the stories contained in this land, it is a story of mistrust and fear. It is a story of pain, and a story of loss.
But most importantly, it is a story of love.
Throughout my many cycles of time, I would often run into or hear of Cremia's good friend Anju, the girl that runs the Stock Pot Inn. I would most often see her out in the rain, crying silenty to herself. The stories I had heard all involved her lover, Kafei, and how he had suddenly vanished mere days before their wedding, set to occur on the Carnival of Time. Some even said he had run off with Cremia! Of course I knew that to be false, but it drove me to find the truth even more.
I eventually met with Kafei's mother, Madame Aroma, wife of the mayor of Clock Town. She mistook me for a private investigator and asked that I help find Kafei. I agreed, and she handed me a mask in Kafei's likeness to help me describe him to people. As I left the city hall, I noticed something new; I saw the postman entering the Stock Pot Inn. I entered just as he handed a letter to Anju, who seemed very surprised at what was written inside. After the postman left, I told her I was searching for Kafei. With a jump and a yelp of shock, the timid girl requested that I talk to her that night, alone.
I met with Anju at midnight in the inn's kitchen. She told me that the letter was from an anonymous sender, but she still knew it was from Kafei. She briefly told me about him, and their relationship, and asked that I help find him. Before departing for the night, she handed me a letter to Kafei and asked me to deliver it to him.
Since the postman had Kafei's letter to Anju, I figured that he was hiding somewhere in Clock Town. Of course the postman knew where, but the man is incredibly devoted to his job, and would never tell me what he knew. So in the morning, I dropped Anju's letter into the post box, and waited. When the postman came to collect the mail, I followed him. It took a while, but he eventually lead me to the laundry pool, and delivered Anju's letter to a small boy wearing a mask. I followed the boy into the nearby building in order to ask him if he knew where Kafei was.
But to my surprise, the boy WAS Kafei! It seemed that the Skull Kid had transformed him into a child, and a wandering thief had stolen the ceremonial wedding mask he was to give Anju. Because of all of this, Kafei felt he could not show himself to her. Anju had written about me in her letter, and Kafei took that as a sign that I could be trusted. He asked that I help him recover his stolen mask, and gave me a pendant to give to Anju as a promise that he would return.
Anju was overjoyed to receive Kafei's pendant, and swore to wait for him instead of fleeing to the ranch along with her family.
Kafei and I spent the next day looking for the thief. I had not seen him at all, but when I returned to his hideout, I was instead met with the man that runs the "curiosity" shop. It seemed that the thief had come in to sell some stolen bomb bags, and Kafei had followed him back to his lair... in the eastern canyon.
The land of Ikana Canyon was a dreadful place. It seemed that nothing lived there at all; even the trees were all dead. The only living soul I found was the keeper of the nearby cemetery. He told me that Ikana Canyon was a cursed place where the dead reigned supreme, and the ancient Stone Tower seemed to be the source of the canyon's plight. But I couldn't worry about that at that time. I showed him Kafei's mask and asked if he had seen him. The gravekeeper simply pointed further up the canyon's walls.
I followed just in time to see Kafei disappearing into a hidden cave. Inside was the stolen mask, but Kafei triggered a security system, sealing the mask away from us! We had to work together to get the mask before it was lost to us forever. With mask in hand, Kafei rushed off to Clock Town to meet with Anju. I used my ocarina's magic to return much faster.
It was midnight of the final day of Termina's life. The ground violently quaked as the moon drew ever closer, but still I waited with Anju for Kafei's arrival. I grew increasingly nervous as the ground shook harder, but Anju was more at peace than I could believe. She simply said that she trusted Kafei, and would await his arrival no matter what.
For a time, I thought Kafei would never show up, and with the sun rising in the distance, I began to reach for my ocarina. But just at that moment, he burst into the room.
Kafei defensively approached Anju and apologized for being late. But with an enormous amount of joy, she simply welcomed him home and embraced him.
The two of them held each other for a long time, but a particularly jarring quake shook them out of it. They then finally exchanged their masks, officially marking them as a couple. They handed me a special mask to commemorate the event and mark me as the wedding's witness, and swore to each other that they would wait to see the next day together.
It was never harder for me to play the Song of Time as it was right then.
I've done many things in the past several days, and helping Anju and Kafei felt the most rewarding. But after seeing Ikana Canyon with my own eyes and seeing how bad it is, I feel I must finally leave Clock Town behind and resume my journey. Something horrible is happening in that canyon, and I have to find out what. And maybe, after it is all finished, I can help them regain their happiness once more...
The boy's dedication to helping those in need is both admirable and disconcerting. It is good that he wishes to spread joy, but what could it mean that he temporarily ignored his far more important quest to do so...?
Blast Mask - The Guardian
Bremen Mask - The Confidante
Bunny Hood - The Companion
Kamaro's Mask - The Teacher
Circus Leader's Mask - The Reaffirmer
Stone Mask - The Invisible
All-Night Mask - The Student
Mask of Truth - The Hunter
Kafei's Mask - The Detective
Keaton Mask - The Friend
Postman's Hat - The Liberator
Couple's Mask - The Uniter
I did many things in this time, from removing dark curses to listening to guilty confessions. I played games with people, I reawakened forgotten passions, and I helped those who could not be helped by anyone else. It's almost hard to remember everything I've done, or when I've done it. However, there is one chain of events I will never be able to forget. Like most of the stories contained in this land, it is a story of mistrust and fear. It is a story of pain, and a story of loss.
But most importantly, it is a story of love.
Throughout my many cycles of time, I would often run into or hear of Cremia's good friend Anju, the girl that runs the Stock Pot Inn. I would most often see her out in the rain, crying silenty to herself. The stories I had heard all involved her lover, Kafei, and how he had suddenly vanished mere days before their wedding, set to occur on the Carnival of Time. Some even said he had run off with Cremia! Of course I knew that to be false, but it drove me to find the truth even more.
I eventually met with Kafei's mother, Madame Aroma, wife of the mayor of Clock Town. She mistook me for a private investigator and asked that I help find Kafei. I agreed, and she handed me a mask in Kafei's likeness to help me describe him to people. As I left the city hall, I noticed something new; I saw the postman entering the Stock Pot Inn. I entered just as he handed a letter to Anju, who seemed very surprised at what was written inside. After the postman left, I told her I was searching for Kafei. With a jump and a yelp of shock, the timid girl requested that I talk to her that night, alone.
I met with Anju at midnight in the inn's kitchen. She told me that the letter was from an anonymous sender, but she still knew it was from Kafei. She briefly told me about him, and their relationship, and asked that I help find him. Before departing for the night, she handed me a letter to Kafei and asked me to deliver it to him.
Since the postman had Kafei's letter to Anju, I figured that he was hiding somewhere in Clock Town. Of course the postman knew where, but the man is incredibly devoted to his job, and would never tell me what he knew. So in the morning, I dropped Anju's letter into the post box, and waited. When the postman came to collect the mail, I followed him. It took a while, but he eventually lead me to the laundry pool, and delivered Anju's letter to a small boy wearing a mask. I followed the boy into the nearby building in order to ask him if he knew where Kafei was.
But to my surprise, the boy WAS Kafei! It seemed that the Skull Kid had transformed him into a child, and a wandering thief had stolen the ceremonial wedding mask he was to give Anju. Because of all of this, Kafei felt he could not show himself to her. Anju had written about me in her letter, and Kafei took that as a sign that I could be trusted. He asked that I help him recover his stolen mask, and gave me a pendant to give to Anju as a promise that he would return.
Anju was overjoyed to receive Kafei's pendant, and swore to wait for him instead of fleeing to the ranch along with her family.
Kafei and I spent the next day looking for the thief. I had not seen him at all, but when I returned to his hideout, I was instead met with the man that runs the "curiosity" shop. It seemed that the thief had come in to sell some stolen bomb bags, and Kafei had followed him back to his lair... in the eastern canyon.
The land of Ikana Canyon was a dreadful place. It seemed that nothing lived there at all; even the trees were all dead. The only living soul I found was the keeper of the nearby cemetery. He told me that Ikana Canyon was a cursed place where the dead reigned supreme, and the ancient Stone Tower seemed to be the source of the canyon's plight. But I couldn't worry about that at that time. I showed him Kafei's mask and asked if he had seen him. The gravekeeper simply pointed further up the canyon's walls.
I followed just in time to see Kafei disappearing into a hidden cave. Inside was the stolen mask, but Kafei triggered a security system, sealing the mask away from us! We had to work together to get the mask before it was lost to us forever. With mask in hand, Kafei rushed off to Clock Town to meet with Anju. I used my ocarina's magic to return much faster.
It was midnight of the final day of Termina's life. The ground violently quaked as the moon drew ever closer, but still I waited with Anju for Kafei's arrival. I grew increasingly nervous as the ground shook harder, but Anju was more at peace than I could believe. She simply said that she trusted Kafei, and would await his arrival no matter what.
For a time, I thought Kafei would never show up, and with the sun rising in the distance, I began to reach for my ocarina. But just at that moment, he burst into the room.
Kafei defensively approached Anju and apologized for being late. But with an enormous amount of joy, she simply welcomed him home and embraced him.
The two of them held each other for a long time, but a particularly jarring quake shook them out of it. They then finally exchanged their masks, officially marking them as a couple. They handed me a special mask to commemorate the event and mark me as the wedding's witness, and swore to each other that they would wait to see the next day together.
It was never harder for me to play the Song of Time as it was right then.
I've done many things in the past several days, and helping Anju and Kafei felt the most rewarding. But after seeing Ikana Canyon with my own eyes and seeing how bad it is, I feel I must finally leave Clock Town behind and resume my journey. Something horrible is happening in that canyon, and I have to find out what. And maybe, after it is all finished, I can help them regain their happiness once more...
The boy's dedication to helping those in need is both admirable and disconcerting. It is good that he wishes to spread joy, but what could it mean that he temporarily ignored his far more important quest to do so...?
Blast Mask - The Guardian
Bremen Mask - The Confidante
Bunny Hood - The Companion
Kamaro's Mask - The Teacher
Circus Leader's Mask - The Reaffirmer
Stone Mask - The Invisible
All-Night Mask - The Student
Mask of Truth - The Hunter
Kafei's Mask - The Detective
Keaton Mask - The Friend
Postman's Hat - The Liberator
Couple's Mask - The Uniter
Oct 14, 2012
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
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
Oct 4, 2012
Terminan Journal: Entry #5
I pulled the Goron mask out of my bag as I walked out of the clock tower, and headed to the bomb shop in West Clock Town. The Goron within did not make a habit of selling his powerful powder kegs to children, but he was more than happy to sell to a fellow Goron. Using the money I acquired via ways I'm not entirely proud of, I purchased a keg and immediately set off to the farm.
The powder keg was more than powerful enough to clear the path with a single massive blast. I removed the Goron mask and ran to where Epona was being kept. The small girl was nearby, but this time, she was alive with energy. It seemed that I had arrived before the tragedy had happened. She was practicing her archery with a bizarre set of balloons, and she greeted me warmly as I approached.
She told me her name was Romani, and she was named after the very farm she lived in. Romani Ranch was owned by her older sister, Cremia, and they provided Clock Town with an extra luxurious brand of milk. But as she told me of the ranch, she mentioned something rather disturbing. She claimed that every year, just before the Carnival of Time, strange beings would come and attempt to steal their cows. Romani had managed to fend them off before, but she feared that this time, she would need help. Cremia did not believe her story, and asked if I would help defend the ranch. I agreed, under the condition that Epona be released. Romani was more than happy to comply.
I felt immensely better with Epona at my side once more, but Romani's story chilled me. It was an odd story, to be sure, but I didn't need to believe what she said. I had already seen the results of her failure to defend the farm, and whatever had happened, it was enough to snuff out the glow I saw in her eyes, and destroy the ranch's livelihood. I didn't care if it was a wasted effort, I had to help defend the ranch.
Romani, Epona, and I spent the day practicing for the invasion. Romani told me of the ghostly beings we would be fending off, and how they would come in endless numbers until daybreak. Her accounts left me nervous, but I am confident we will prove victorious. Night has fallen, and Cremia has invited me to stay the night at Romani's request. Romani and I are planning to sneak out shortly and wait for the attack to begin...
---
It was a long night, but we successfully fended off the strange beings. I didn't think it was even possible for someone to be as happy as Romani was at that moment. I was glad to have helped, but I couldn't stop thinking about how I would have to undo all that joy in just two days.
I decided to take this time to explore the ranch and see if I could learn anything useful. The much needed relaxing time spent at the ranch was also very nice. While riding Epona through the pastures, I came across an entrance to another farm. This was the Gorman Track, ran by the rather unpleasant Gorman brothers. Like Cremia, they sold milk in Clock Town, but they also had a rather elaborate horse-racing track. It wasn't entirely unlike Lon Lon Ranch back in Hyrule, but for some reason, I just had a bad feeling about the Gorman brothers and their ranch.
As I turned to leave, they began to insult me, and even called Epona a mule! I tried to ignore them, not wanting to even bother, but then they challenged me to a race, obviously under the impression that they could cheat me out of some money. I decided to prove them wrong.
Even though Epona was quite young, she was still able to prove herself the fastest horse in the land, and we soundly defeated the Gorman brothers. Stunned at their loss, they offered me a prize in return for leaving and never speaking of it again. As Epona and I left, I looked at the strange black cloth they had handed me, only to discover it was a kind of black hood. I found it quite odd that a couple of farmers would own such a thing, but didn't give it much more thought until later on...
While passing by Romani Ranch, I saw Cremia preparing a milk delivery for Clock Town. She offered me a ride, and telling she wanted the company, I agreed and hopped into her wagon. During the trip, she talked of many things. She talked of how she had inherited the ranch, and the hard times they had been having. Apparently someone had been harassing her cows and smashing her milk bottles. She also talked of her good friend Anju, and how she was to be married on the Carnival of Time. I remembered Anju as being the woman who ran the inn in town, but I also remembered her appearing to be much too sad for a soon-to-be bride. Cremia also took notice of the moon, and asked me what the people in town had been saying about it. Of course, the ranch had been sealed off for days now, so she had no idea of the panic the falling moon had been causing.
Our conversation came to a halt as we approached an odd fence blocking the road. The fence forced a detour through the Gorman Track, which Cremia was none too happy to discover, and she asked me to ready my bow. Clearly she did not trust the Gorman brothers at all, and I was not about to doubt her.
Not long after entering what Cremia had charmingly referred to as "ugly country," we began to be chased... by two horse-riding figures, wearing strange, black hoods. Hoods exactly like the one I had obtained earlier that day. They made to smash the milk delivery, but we barely managed to escape unscathed.
When we arrived in Clock Town, Cremia gave me her thanks for defending her precious delivery. She also gave me a mask, saying that it was used as membership identification for the milk bar in town. She said it was the mark of an adult, which I had more than earned, and she thanked me again as she returned home.
Cremia's kind words touched my heart. They also served as a reminder that I still had plenty of work ahead of me. I had much more important things to take care of than relaxing at a ranch or indulging in petty races.
I took out my ocarina and played the Song of Time...
Garo Mask - The Vigilante
Romani's Mask - The Adult
The powder keg was more than powerful enough to clear the path with a single massive blast. I removed the Goron mask and ran to where Epona was being kept. The small girl was nearby, but this time, she was alive with energy. It seemed that I had arrived before the tragedy had happened. She was practicing her archery with a bizarre set of balloons, and she greeted me warmly as I approached.
She told me her name was Romani, and she was named after the very farm she lived in. Romani Ranch was owned by her older sister, Cremia, and they provided Clock Town with an extra luxurious brand of milk. But as she told me of the ranch, she mentioned something rather disturbing. She claimed that every year, just before the Carnival of Time, strange beings would come and attempt to steal their cows. Romani had managed to fend them off before, but she feared that this time, she would need help. Cremia did not believe her story, and asked if I would help defend the ranch. I agreed, under the condition that Epona be released. Romani was more than happy to comply.
I felt immensely better with Epona at my side once more, but Romani's story chilled me. It was an odd story, to be sure, but I didn't need to believe what she said. I had already seen the results of her failure to defend the farm, and whatever had happened, it was enough to snuff out the glow I saw in her eyes, and destroy the ranch's livelihood. I didn't care if it was a wasted effort, I had to help defend the ranch.
Romani, Epona, and I spent the day practicing for the invasion. Romani told me of the ghostly beings we would be fending off, and how they would come in endless numbers until daybreak. Her accounts left me nervous, but I am confident we will prove victorious. Night has fallen, and Cremia has invited me to stay the night at Romani's request. Romani and I are planning to sneak out shortly and wait for the attack to begin...
---
It was a long night, but we successfully fended off the strange beings. I didn't think it was even possible for someone to be as happy as Romani was at that moment. I was glad to have helped, but I couldn't stop thinking about how I would have to undo all that joy in just two days.
I decided to take this time to explore the ranch and see if I could learn anything useful. The much needed relaxing time spent at the ranch was also very nice. While riding Epona through the pastures, I came across an entrance to another farm. This was the Gorman Track, ran by the rather unpleasant Gorman brothers. Like Cremia, they sold milk in Clock Town, but they also had a rather elaborate horse-racing track. It wasn't entirely unlike Lon Lon Ranch back in Hyrule, but for some reason, I just had a bad feeling about the Gorman brothers and their ranch.
As I turned to leave, they began to insult me, and even called Epona a mule! I tried to ignore them, not wanting to even bother, but then they challenged me to a race, obviously under the impression that they could cheat me out of some money. I decided to prove them wrong.
Even though Epona was quite young, she was still able to prove herself the fastest horse in the land, and we soundly defeated the Gorman brothers. Stunned at their loss, they offered me a prize in return for leaving and never speaking of it again. As Epona and I left, I looked at the strange black cloth they had handed me, only to discover it was a kind of black hood. I found it quite odd that a couple of farmers would own such a thing, but didn't give it much more thought until later on...
While passing by Romani Ranch, I saw Cremia preparing a milk delivery for Clock Town. She offered me a ride, and telling she wanted the company, I agreed and hopped into her wagon. During the trip, she talked of many things. She talked of how she had inherited the ranch, and the hard times they had been having. Apparently someone had been harassing her cows and smashing her milk bottles. She also talked of her good friend Anju, and how she was to be married on the Carnival of Time. I remembered Anju as being the woman who ran the inn in town, but I also remembered her appearing to be much too sad for a soon-to-be bride. Cremia also took notice of the moon, and asked me what the people in town had been saying about it. Of course, the ranch had been sealed off for days now, so she had no idea of the panic the falling moon had been causing.
Our conversation came to a halt as we approached an odd fence blocking the road. The fence forced a detour through the Gorman Track, which Cremia was none too happy to discover, and she asked me to ready my bow. Clearly she did not trust the Gorman brothers at all, and I was not about to doubt her.
Not long after entering what Cremia had charmingly referred to as "ugly country," we began to be chased... by two horse-riding figures, wearing strange, black hoods. Hoods exactly like the one I had obtained earlier that day. They made to smash the milk delivery, but we barely managed to escape unscathed.
When we arrived in Clock Town, Cremia gave me her thanks for defending her precious delivery. She also gave me a mask, saying that it was used as membership identification for the milk bar in town. She said it was the mark of an adult, which I had more than earned, and she thanked me again as she returned home.
Cremia's kind words touched my heart. They also served as a reminder that I still had plenty of work ahead of me. I had much more important things to take care of than relaxing at a ranch or indulging in petty races.
I took out my ocarina and played the Song of Time...
Garo Mask - The Vigilante
Romani's Mask - The Adult
Oct 1, 2012
Terminan Journal: Entry #4
I once again found myself walking out of the clock tower. It was the first day of my time in Termina yet again, and everything looked to be in place. I searched my bags, and, as expected, found my ocarina and Deku Mask. However, I was surprised to also find the other masks I had acquired, including the one taken from the creature within Woodfall Temple. What could this mean? Why would the Goddess of Time allow me to keep just these items, while casting away anything else in my possession? And does this mean that the swamp Giant is still free? If so, why allow that to remain constant, while still undoing all of my other actions?
Not wanting to dwell on things out of my control, I took Tatl's advice and left for the mountains in the north. The land was called Snowhead, and it earned its name well. The entire mountain was coated in a thick layer of snow and ice, almost unbelievably so. The other places I had been so far were rather temperate, but this mountain seemed to be isolated in its own personal harsh winter. Surely this was not natural.
My suspicions were confirmed when I came across a Goron, stranded on a high ledge. He told me that this weather was the result of a curse, coming from the high-up Snowhead Temple, and he became stranded when it hit. He had been there so long he was becoming weak with hunger, and I could not reach him to help him down. I proceeded onward, hoping I could find a way to help him.
Note: Help the stranded Goron
I eventually came across a small Goron village, locked tight to keep out the cold. The watchman let me in, where I found a most unpleasant scene. The Goron Elder has left to find a way to stop the blizzard, and his son has been loudly crying ever since. Nobody but his father can quiet him. I shall very briefly rest here to warm up before proceeding onward.
Note: Quiet the distressed Goron child
---
I left the Goron village and was met with a familiar face. The owl I met in the swamp greeted me, and oddly enough, he remembered me. He even made reference to our meeting in the swamp that should not have happened in this timeline. He told me to follow him to a distant cave in order to receive an item that would help me, but his path lead across a huge chasm! Nevertheless, I took his words of courage to heart and leapt into the thin air... and found solid ground beneath my feet. Invisible platforms dotted the air, and by following the owl, I made it across safely.
Inside the cave was a Lens of Truth, a magical item that allows the user to see the invisible, not unlike the one I found in Hyrule. I used this to return to the Goron village... where the lens also revealed a ghostly Goron. He requested that I follow him, and he eventually lead me to his own grave.
His name was Darmani, and he was once a proud Goron warrior. He had marched off to Snowhead Temple to drive back the blizzard on his own, but was swept off the mountain and died. He asked that I use my magic to return him to life so he could continue his mission, but this feat is well out of my power. So instead, I played for him the mysterious song the mask salesman taught me.
I could see the pain and sorrow melt away from his eyes as he listened to the song, and with a sense of calm, his spirit was put to rest, leaving behind nothing but a mask. Much like the Deku mask, I could feel a presence within this Goron mask. I took it with me, hoping that I could use its power to help Darmani save his people.
The hot spring in this cave is quite nice. I will warm myself here before I leave to find the Goron elder.
The Song of Healing is truly a miraculous thing. It is capable of greater feats than you may realize...
---
Before leaving the spring, I decided to try wearing this new mask. As expected, I was hit with unbearable pain as my body transformed into that of a Goron. The freezing wind was still cold, but not as harsh as it had been earlier, so I stayed in this body while I began my search.
I found the Goron elder a few hours later, frozen solid within a thick layer of snow. When I dug him out, he believed me to be Darmani himself! Knowing Darmani to be dead, he dismissed me as a hallucination. But when I told him of his son, he ceased to care and taught me the lullaby he would often sing to him before venturing off to continue his mission.
I returned to the village and played this lullaby to the young Goron on the set of drums the mask's magic gave to me. He immediately fell asleep, bringing a sense of peace to the village. During my stay, more Gorons continued to mistake me for Darmani, some even offering me expensive delicacy rocks. I took a large rock sirloin with me as I left, which I then brought to the stranded Goron. The food gave him the energy he needed to climb down, and as thanks, he gave me his mask.
I then proceeded up to Snowhead Temple. The path was treacherous, but my Goron body was able to push through the wind and ice. And after a long journey, I made my way to the top of the temple, where another evil creature awaited my arrival. But to my surprise, the beast was nothing more than a large mechanical bull! It ran off, but I chased it down and destroyed it, claiming its mask and freeing the Giant it had held prisoner.
By the time I returned to the village, the snow had thawed and spring had returned. The Gorons wished to celebrate by racing through the mountains, but the path to their racetracks was blocked. Luckily, a rather large Goron in the village offered to train me on how to use powder kegs, which were more than powerful enough to blast away the rocks blocking the racetracks.
These powder kegs should be exactly what I need to get into the farm before the terrible event happens. But it is now night of the second day, and it has most likely already happened. I shall return to the first day now, and hope that it has not happened yet. Gorons, I'm sorry to return you to your eternal winter so soon, but even if it's only temporary, I must free Epona...
The bonds of friendship are an odd force, always influencing decisions in the strangest of ways. And nobody in this story is immune to the effects...
Goron Mask - The Hero
Don Gero's Mask - The Rescuer
Not wanting to dwell on things out of my control, I took Tatl's advice and left for the mountains in the north. The land was called Snowhead, and it earned its name well. The entire mountain was coated in a thick layer of snow and ice, almost unbelievably so. The other places I had been so far were rather temperate, but this mountain seemed to be isolated in its own personal harsh winter. Surely this was not natural.
My suspicions were confirmed when I came across a Goron, stranded on a high ledge. He told me that this weather was the result of a curse, coming from the high-up Snowhead Temple, and he became stranded when it hit. He had been there so long he was becoming weak with hunger, and I could not reach him to help him down. I proceeded onward, hoping I could find a way to help him.
Note: Help the stranded Goron
I eventually came across a small Goron village, locked tight to keep out the cold. The watchman let me in, where I found a most unpleasant scene. The Goron Elder has left to find a way to stop the blizzard, and his son has been loudly crying ever since. Nobody but his father can quiet him. I shall very briefly rest here to warm up before proceeding onward.
Note: Quiet the distressed Goron child
---
I left the Goron village and was met with a familiar face. The owl I met in the swamp greeted me, and oddly enough, he remembered me. He even made reference to our meeting in the swamp that should not have happened in this timeline. He told me to follow him to a distant cave in order to receive an item that would help me, but his path lead across a huge chasm! Nevertheless, I took his words of courage to heart and leapt into the thin air... and found solid ground beneath my feet. Invisible platforms dotted the air, and by following the owl, I made it across safely.
Inside the cave was a Lens of Truth, a magical item that allows the user to see the invisible, not unlike the one I found in Hyrule. I used this to return to the Goron village... where the lens also revealed a ghostly Goron. He requested that I follow him, and he eventually lead me to his own grave.
His name was Darmani, and he was once a proud Goron warrior. He had marched off to Snowhead Temple to drive back the blizzard on his own, but was swept off the mountain and died. He asked that I use my magic to return him to life so he could continue his mission, but this feat is well out of my power. So instead, I played for him the mysterious song the mask salesman taught me.
I could see the pain and sorrow melt away from his eyes as he listened to the song, and with a sense of calm, his spirit was put to rest, leaving behind nothing but a mask. Much like the Deku mask, I could feel a presence within this Goron mask. I took it with me, hoping that I could use its power to help Darmani save his people.
The hot spring in this cave is quite nice. I will warm myself here before I leave to find the Goron elder.
The Song of Healing is truly a miraculous thing. It is capable of greater feats than you may realize...
---
Before leaving the spring, I decided to try wearing this new mask. As expected, I was hit with unbearable pain as my body transformed into that of a Goron. The freezing wind was still cold, but not as harsh as it had been earlier, so I stayed in this body while I began my search.
I found the Goron elder a few hours later, frozen solid within a thick layer of snow. When I dug him out, he believed me to be Darmani himself! Knowing Darmani to be dead, he dismissed me as a hallucination. But when I told him of his son, he ceased to care and taught me the lullaby he would often sing to him before venturing off to continue his mission.
I returned to the village and played this lullaby to the young Goron on the set of drums the mask's magic gave to me. He immediately fell asleep, bringing a sense of peace to the village. During my stay, more Gorons continued to mistake me for Darmani, some even offering me expensive delicacy rocks. I took a large rock sirloin with me as I left, which I then brought to the stranded Goron. The food gave him the energy he needed to climb down, and as thanks, he gave me his mask.
I then proceeded up to Snowhead Temple. The path was treacherous, but my Goron body was able to push through the wind and ice. And after a long journey, I made my way to the top of the temple, where another evil creature awaited my arrival. But to my surprise, the beast was nothing more than a large mechanical bull! It ran off, but I chased it down and destroyed it, claiming its mask and freeing the Giant it had held prisoner.
By the time I returned to the village, the snow had thawed and spring had returned. The Gorons wished to celebrate by racing through the mountains, but the path to their racetracks was blocked. Luckily, a rather large Goron in the village offered to train me on how to use powder kegs, which were more than powerful enough to blast away the rocks blocking the racetracks.
These powder kegs should be exactly what I need to get into the farm before the terrible event happens. But it is now night of the second day, and it has most likely already happened. I shall return to the first day now, and hope that it has not happened yet. Gorons, I'm sorry to return you to your eternal winter so soon, but even if it's only temporary, I must free Epona...
The bonds of friendship are an odd force, always influencing decisions in the strangest of ways. And nobody in this story is immune to the effects...
Goron Mask - The Hero
Don Gero's Mask - The Rescuer
Sep 30, 2012
Terminan Journal: Entry #3
I emerged from the clock tower and was met with a bright, sunny morning. I found myself looking at a mostly empty plaza, set up for a coming festival. Carpenters worked in the distance, and a Deku Scrub merchant looked out at the plaza from his own personal Deku Flower. I ran out of the tower's shadow, looked to the sky, and saw a moon that was quite large, but still more distant than it had been only moments before.
Tatl and I had traveled back in time. Back to the very moment we first stepped foot outside of the clock tower, as if the past three days never happened. It was amazing to think about, but before I could really let it sink in, Tatl urged me to go back into the tower to speak to the mask salesman.
He beamed at me as I entered. Eager to get to business, the mask salesman asked me if I had retrieved my precious item. Indeed, my ocarina had come back in time with me, but the question seemed like more of a formality than anything. I couldn't shake the feeling that he knew much more than he had been letting on. Regardless, he was most pleased to hear that I had retrieved it, and as he promised, he helped me return to my true body. He taught me a strange song, and as I played it back to him, I felt an overwhelming sense of peace and warmth. But it wasn't until that moment that I noticed a different feeling within me, almost like a completely separate entity. I could feel this entity slowly melting away, farther and farther into the soothing melody...
I snapped back to consciousness at the sound of clattering wood. At my feet was a mask that looked an awful lot like my own transformed Deku face, and as I reached down for it, I noticed that my hands were once again my own. The mask salesman explained to me that the song I had just played was called the Song of Healing, and it had the power to put restless spirits at peace, turning all of the spirit's pain and torment into a mask. As I held the Deku mask in my hands, I could almost feel the power trapped within. I decided to keep this mask, and I carefully placed it into my bags.
With his end of the bargain taken care of, the mask salesman then requested that I give him his stolen mask. I barely had the heart to tell him that I was not able to recover it. He was very unhappy to hear this, but he then explained to me why retrieving this mask was so important.
It was called Majora's Mask, and it contained within it an immense dark power. It was once used in ancient tribal rituals, before it was ultimately sealed away out of fear of its powers. It eventually fell into the mask salesman's hands, but was recently stolen from him by the Skull Kid.
As he told me this story, he made no effort at all to hide how dangerous this mask was, and how important its retrieval was. He even begged me to get the mask back. But this was unneeded, as I had seen firsthand just what the artifact was capable of. I agreed wholeheartedly that the mask must be taken back, and promised to do everything in my power to return it.
The obvious first step was to find a way to stop the falling moon. I asked Tatl where to begin, and she suggested we listen to what her brother said on top of the clock tower. It seemed that what Tael had said that I could not clearly hear was to go to the swamp, mountain, ocean, and canyon that surrounded Clock Town. Figuring it was the best lead we had, I took Tatl's suggestion to start in the swamp to the south.
But before heading out, I remembered that the Great Fairy wanted to speak to me after I had regained my true body. So I returned to the fairy fountain... and was met with a shattered Great Fairy once again. Of course, rewinding time had also undone the actions I had performed, but I still had trouble remembering this. So I retrieved the stray fairy once more and restored the Great Fairy, only this time, she made a request of me. It seems that her sisters in the other regions of Termina have also been shattered into pieces, and she asked that I help them all as well. Knowing that they could give me additional magic powers in return, I agreed. The Great Fairy then gave me a mask to assist me, saying that it would attract any nearby stray fairies.
As I left the fountain, I once again saw that small boy trying to pop his balloon. I thought about how the Great Fairy had acted differently than she had in the previous time cycle, and curious as to how else things could be altered, I decided to try joining their gang again. They were more than happy to let another human join, and I became a full member after taking an oath to help people in need. They even gave me this notebook to help me keep track of my good deeds. I have decided to do just that. I will also keep a record of my progress, to help me remember things in case I need to reset time again.
Now that I'm all caught up, I suppose it's time to leave town.
---
In my human form, with sword in hand, the guards allowed me to leave the town, and I proceeded south into the swamp. On the way, Tatl stopped me as we passed a tree carving. She told me she, her brother, and the Skull Kid had carved that, and she began to reminisce of how they all met, and how the Skull Kid had been abandoned by his friends. It was a sad story, but I could not waste time feeling bad for him, after all of the trouble he had caused. We also passed by an entrance to a farm, but it was blocked off by a landslide. A man was working to clear the path, but said it would not be open for a couple of days. I turned around and proceeded into the swamp.
Note: Return to farm.
The air smelled foul, and the water looked just as bad. The swamp had been poisoned, and I had a feeling I would have to find out why. Luckily, there was a boat house that provided sightseeing cruises around the swamp. Unluckily, the person running it was not around, and there was a sign instructing customers to inquire at the nearby potion shop.
The path to the shop was through the poisoned waters. I tried to swim, but the poison choked me. I thought I was stuck, until I remembered the mask in my bags. That sad, pained face looked up at me from within, almost asking me to put it on.
As I placed the mask over my face, pain shot through my body. I felt like I was being torn apart! But suddenly, it was gone... and I was once again a Deku Scrub. It wasn't a very pleasant feeling, but I took comfort in knowing that I could return to my real body whenever I wanted to. But more importantly, the Deku body was light enough to simply skip across the water, saving me from the poison.
As I approached the potion shop, a monkey approached me and asked me to follow it. The monkey lead me to the injured cruise operator, deep in the woods. She asked me to get a potion form her sister, which I did. In gratitude, she offered me a free boat ride, and as I left, the monkey approached me again. He said his friend was being falsely imprisoned in the Deku Palace, and asked me to help. Feeling that this monkey could help me figure out what was going on, I complied.
I returned to the boat house and took my cruise to the Deku Palace. After gaining entrance to see the monkey's public humiliation, I snuck through the gardens and into the monkey's cage. He told me that Woodfall Temple, in the Deku tribe's sacred land, was the source of the poison killing the swamp. He and the Deku Princess had gone to investigate, but she was captured, and he was being blamed for her disappearance. But our conversation had caught the attention of the Deku King, and the monkey quickly taught me the song needed to open the temple before I was caught and thrown out.
Finally knowing where to go, I set off for Woodfall at once. Along the way, I met a rather large owl that encouraged me to keep going and taught me another new song. When played, this song can transport me to any previously visited location. This is sure to be helpful during my journey. I think I will use it to return to Clock Town for a quick rest before I proceed onward.
---
After nearly a full day of exploring, I fought through the temple and defeated the evil spirit within. This being left behind a strange mask, which I took, but have no intention of ever wearing. But as I picked up the mask, I suddenly found myself in a strange realm of swirling gas. And off in the distance, I saw a huge creature! Tatl informed me that this was most likely one of Termina's four guardian Giants. The Giant taught me a song and simply said "Call us." It was then clear what Tael wanted us to do: Rescue the four Giants and bring them to stop the moon.
There was a flash of light, and I found myself back in Woodfall Temple. Tatl and I discussed what had just happened, and she also apologized for her hand in everything that had happened before. To be honest, her apology caught me off guard, but before I could say anything my attention was caught by a noise behind me. It was the Deku Princess, who thanked me for restoring the swamp and requested I bring her home so she could rescue the captive monkey.
As a token of thanks, the King offered me a royal heirloom, and instructed his butler to lead me to it. The butler decided to make this a game, and raced me to the end of the royal vaults. It was a rough trial, but I barely made it, and earned myself another mask. As he lead me out, the butler apologized for being so hard an opponent, saying I, or my Deku form at least, reminded him of his lost son, who he frequently raced with before he went missing.
I left the swamp, and upon seeing how large the moon had become, realized it was already the third day. I was so busy, I didn't even notice how much time had passed. Will it even be possible to rescue all four of the Giants? I will have to reset time soon... and when I do, the swamp will be poisoned again. Was everything I just did entirely pointless?
Well, if I'm going to reset time again, I may as well gather some information first.
---
I decided to see if the farm road was cleared yet. It was, so I went in to investigate. I didn't get far before I heard a familiar sound - It was Epona! She was being kept in a pen, but she was safe. I tried to as the nearby girl to release Epona, but she seemed to not even realize I was there. She just kept talking with an empty voice, looking far off into the distance. The woman in the barn wasn't much help either. She was just talking to herself, saying something about wishing she believed her sister. Something bad happened here, and if I want to release Epona, I'm going to need to find a way into the farm before it happen.
Note: Find a way to clear the landslide.
It's starting to get late, so I guess it's time to play the Song of Time once again. I pray that some shred of what I accomplished these past three days manages to make it across time with me...
Deku Mask - The Lonely
Great Fairy Mask - The Savior
Mask of Scents - The Replacement
Tatl and I had traveled back in time. Back to the very moment we first stepped foot outside of the clock tower, as if the past three days never happened. It was amazing to think about, but before I could really let it sink in, Tatl urged me to go back into the tower to speak to the mask salesman.
He beamed at me as I entered. Eager to get to business, the mask salesman asked me if I had retrieved my precious item. Indeed, my ocarina had come back in time with me, but the question seemed like more of a formality than anything. I couldn't shake the feeling that he knew much more than he had been letting on. Regardless, he was most pleased to hear that I had retrieved it, and as he promised, he helped me return to my true body. He taught me a strange song, and as I played it back to him, I felt an overwhelming sense of peace and warmth. But it wasn't until that moment that I noticed a different feeling within me, almost like a completely separate entity. I could feel this entity slowly melting away, farther and farther into the soothing melody...
I snapped back to consciousness at the sound of clattering wood. At my feet was a mask that looked an awful lot like my own transformed Deku face, and as I reached down for it, I noticed that my hands were once again my own. The mask salesman explained to me that the song I had just played was called the Song of Healing, and it had the power to put restless spirits at peace, turning all of the spirit's pain and torment into a mask. As I held the Deku mask in my hands, I could almost feel the power trapped within. I decided to keep this mask, and I carefully placed it into my bags.
With his end of the bargain taken care of, the mask salesman then requested that I give him his stolen mask. I barely had the heart to tell him that I was not able to recover it. He was very unhappy to hear this, but he then explained to me why retrieving this mask was so important.
It was called Majora's Mask, and it contained within it an immense dark power. It was once used in ancient tribal rituals, before it was ultimately sealed away out of fear of its powers. It eventually fell into the mask salesman's hands, but was recently stolen from him by the Skull Kid.
As he told me this story, he made no effort at all to hide how dangerous this mask was, and how important its retrieval was. He even begged me to get the mask back. But this was unneeded, as I had seen firsthand just what the artifact was capable of. I agreed wholeheartedly that the mask must be taken back, and promised to do everything in my power to return it.
The obvious first step was to find a way to stop the falling moon. I asked Tatl where to begin, and she suggested we listen to what her brother said on top of the clock tower. It seemed that what Tael had said that I could not clearly hear was to go to the swamp, mountain, ocean, and canyon that surrounded Clock Town. Figuring it was the best lead we had, I took Tatl's suggestion to start in the swamp to the south.
But before heading out, I remembered that the Great Fairy wanted to speak to me after I had regained my true body. So I returned to the fairy fountain... and was met with a shattered Great Fairy once again. Of course, rewinding time had also undone the actions I had performed, but I still had trouble remembering this. So I retrieved the stray fairy once more and restored the Great Fairy, only this time, she made a request of me. It seems that her sisters in the other regions of Termina have also been shattered into pieces, and she asked that I help them all as well. Knowing that they could give me additional magic powers in return, I agreed. The Great Fairy then gave me a mask to assist me, saying that it would attract any nearby stray fairies.
As I left the fountain, I once again saw that small boy trying to pop his balloon. I thought about how the Great Fairy had acted differently than she had in the previous time cycle, and curious as to how else things could be altered, I decided to try joining their gang again. They were more than happy to let another human join, and I became a full member after taking an oath to help people in need. They even gave me this notebook to help me keep track of my good deeds. I have decided to do just that. I will also keep a record of my progress, to help me remember things in case I need to reset time again.
Now that I'm all caught up, I suppose it's time to leave town.
---
In my human form, with sword in hand, the guards allowed me to leave the town, and I proceeded south into the swamp. On the way, Tatl stopped me as we passed a tree carving. She told me she, her brother, and the Skull Kid had carved that, and she began to reminisce of how they all met, and how the Skull Kid had been abandoned by his friends. It was a sad story, but I could not waste time feeling bad for him, after all of the trouble he had caused. We also passed by an entrance to a farm, but it was blocked off by a landslide. A man was working to clear the path, but said it would not be open for a couple of days. I turned around and proceeded into the swamp.
Note: Return to farm.
The air smelled foul, and the water looked just as bad. The swamp had been poisoned, and I had a feeling I would have to find out why. Luckily, there was a boat house that provided sightseeing cruises around the swamp. Unluckily, the person running it was not around, and there was a sign instructing customers to inquire at the nearby potion shop.
The path to the shop was through the poisoned waters. I tried to swim, but the poison choked me. I thought I was stuck, until I remembered the mask in my bags. That sad, pained face looked up at me from within, almost asking me to put it on.
As I placed the mask over my face, pain shot through my body. I felt like I was being torn apart! But suddenly, it was gone... and I was once again a Deku Scrub. It wasn't a very pleasant feeling, but I took comfort in knowing that I could return to my real body whenever I wanted to. But more importantly, the Deku body was light enough to simply skip across the water, saving me from the poison.
As I approached the potion shop, a monkey approached me and asked me to follow it. The monkey lead me to the injured cruise operator, deep in the woods. She asked me to get a potion form her sister, which I did. In gratitude, she offered me a free boat ride, and as I left, the monkey approached me again. He said his friend was being falsely imprisoned in the Deku Palace, and asked me to help. Feeling that this monkey could help me figure out what was going on, I complied.
I returned to the boat house and took my cruise to the Deku Palace. After gaining entrance to see the monkey's public humiliation, I snuck through the gardens and into the monkey's cage. He told me that Woodfall Temple, in the Deku tribe's sacred land, was the source of the poison killing the swamp. He and the Deku Princess had gone to investigate, but she was captured, and he was being blamed for her disappearance. But our conversation had caught the attention of the Deku King, and the monkey quickly taught me the song needed to open the temple before I was caught and thrown out.
Finally knowing where to go, I set off for Woodfall at once. Along the way, I met a rather large owl that encouraged me to keep going and taught me another new song. When played, this song can transport me to any previously visited location. This is sure to be helpful during my journey. I think I will use it to return to Clock Town for a quick rest before I proceed onward.
---
After nearly a full day of exploring, I fought through the temple and defeated the evil spirit within. This being left behind a strange mask, which I took, but have no intention of ever wearing. But as I picked up the mask, I suddenly found myself in a strange realm of swirling gas. And off in the distance, I saw a huge creature! Tatl informed me that this was most likely one of Termina's four guardian Giants. The Giant taught me a song and simply said "Call us." It was then clear what Tael wanted us to do: Rescue the four Giants and bring them to stop the moon.
There was a flash of light, and I found myself back in Woodfall Temple. Tatl and I discussed what had just happened, and she also apologized for her hand in everything that had happened before. To be honest, her apology caught me off guard, but before I could say anything my attention was caught by a noise behind me. It was the Deku Princess, who thanked me for restoring the swamp and requested I bring her home so she could rescue the captive monkey.
As a token of thanks, the King offered me a royal heirloom, and instructed his butler to lead me to it. The butler decided to make this a game, and raced me to the end of the royal vaults. It was a rough trial, but I barely made it, and earned myself another mask. As he lead me out, the butler apologized for being so hard an opponent, saying I, or my Deku form at least, reminded him of his lost son, who he frequently raced with before he went missing.
I left the swamp, and upon seeing how large the moon had become, realized it was already the third day. I was so busy, I didn't even notice how much time had passed. Will it even be possible to rescue all four of the Giants? I will have to reset time soon... and when I do, the swamp will be poisoned again. Was everything I just did entirely pointless?
Well, if I'm going to reset time again, I may as well gather some information first.
---
I decided to see if the farm road was cleared yet. It was, so I went in to investigate. I didn't get far before I heard a familiar sound - It was Epona! She was being kept in a pen, but she was safe. I tried to as the nearby girl to release Epona, but she seemed to not even realize I was there. She just kept talking with an empty voice, looking far off into the distance. The woman in the barn wasn't much help either. She was just talking to herself, saying something about wishing she believed her sister. Something bad happened here, and if I want to release Epona, I'm going to need to find a way into the farm before it happen.
Note: Find a way to clear the landslide.
It's starting to get late, so I guess it's time to play the Song of Time once again. I pray that some shred of what I accomplished these past three days manages to make it across time with me...
Deku Mask - The Lonely
Great Fairy Mask - The Savior
Mask of Scents - The Replacement
Sep 16, 2012
Terminan Journal: Entry #2
I emerged from the clock tower and was met with a bright, sunny morning. I found myself in a small plaza, filled with what looked to be stands and tents set up for some kind of market or festival. But they were all empty. In fact, the only people around were a handful of carpenters and a single mailman that quickly brushed past me. I found it a bit odd, but Tatl interrupted my thoughts and told me a little bit about this place.
We were in what was called Clock Town, center of the land of Termina. And if we needed information, the best thing to do would be to speak to the Great Fairy, who lived in the fairy fountain in the north side of town.
So we set off to speak to the Great Fairy, and I made sure to take notice of as many things as possible along the trip. I wanted to track down the Skull Kid as fast as I could, before he had a chance to get away, and I figured it would save time to investigate while moving. And with this being a strange, foreign land, with many things to learn, I knew that conserving time would be very important.
I could tell that something big was about to happen. Everyone seemed busy or preoccupied. I figured they were all getting ready for whatever event was being prepared for in the main plaza. But oddly enough, I noticed that the town seemed a bit underpopulated, considering the coming event and the town's apparent importance. It kinda felt like Hyrule's castle town, but only populated by the residents of Kakariko Village. I noticed that the temperature and weather were both very mild, not unlike in Hyrule Field, which lead me to believe that Clock Town was similarly situated between several different climates. I took note that the moon looked rather large, and believed that to mean that we were at a higher altitude. But strangest of all, I couldn't shake the feeling that a lot of these people looked very familiar to me...
Tatl and I reached the Great Fairy's Fountain, but what we found was not the Great Fairy. The fountain was filled with strange looking fairies, unlike any I had ever seen before. But when I approached, they all spoke to me at once, like a single entity. They claimed to be the Great Fairy, but the Skull Kid had shattered her body to pieces. One of these pieces had been lost, and needed to be returned for the Great Fairy to be restored to her normal self. Could the Skull Kid truly possess such terrible power, stronger than even a Great Fairy's magic? The idea made me very uneasy.
So Tatl and I searched the town for this stray fairy. While we searched, I began to learn more about Clock Town and its inhabitants. Clock Town seemed to be a center of commerce, with people from all over Termina visiting to shop or partake in what I learned was called the Carnival of Time, a yearly celebration honoring gods of Terminan lore. This festival was indeed happening soon, in three days. But I still couldn't help noticing that the town felt too empty for a coming festival. I also noticed that many of these people kept mostly to themselves. There were no friendly chats or outings, and there was no general conversation on the streets. The only people I saw interacting were the ones working or practicing for a show. I tried to leave town through one of the gates, to explore the outer walls a bit, but none of the guards would let a lone, young Deku Scrub walk into the dangers of the fields.
And then I came across the town hall. I heard what sounded like a large debate, so I stepped in to investigate. And what I heard was rather chilling. The town was so empty because the people believed that the moon was actually falling, and a large portion of the population took shelter elsewhere. Some thought the whole town should be evacuated, while others felt that the mere idea was foolish, and the moon was perfectly fine. I could tell this debate would last a long time, so I stepped out. It was true that the thought of the moon simply falling out of the sky sounded outrageous, but I couldn't help thinking that the moon did look a bit larger than it did earlier that day...
Later that evening, I finally found the stray fairy, floating high in the air in front of the inn. I brought it back to the fountain as fast as I could. As soon as I entered the fountain, the fairy went to rejoin the others, and they all swirled together, forming what I instantly recognized to be a Great Fairy. She thanked me, and bestowed upon me some magical power. She told me that this would help me reach the Skull Kid, and that I should return to see her after I had regained my true form. She also told me that the man in the observatory just outside of town could help me find the Skull Kid.
As I left the fountain, I became aware of how tired I was, and how long it had been since I last slept. There was a Deku flower not far from the fountain entrance, and without even thinking about it, I burrowed in and rested for a bit, ignoring Tatl's complaints.
The next morning came too soon. Tatl woke me up and demanded that I get back to work. I was annoyed, but agreed that I had better things to be doing than sleeping. I decided to try out the magic that the Great Fairy had given me. I discovered that I could blow bubbles with my large snout and fire them at distant objects. I saw a child using a large balloon for target practice with his pea shooter. Perfect for practicing with my bubbles! I took aim, blew a bubble...
And missed. I instead hit the balloon that was keeping a strange little man suspended in the air. I ran up to apologize to him, but he was too busy calling me a fairy and trying to sell me his maps to listen to anything I had to say. I purchased a map from him, both for its practicality, and to get him to shut up.
My second attempt at shooting the balloon went much better. So much, in fact, that the child that had been shooting it insisted I become a member of his gang! I was about to decline the offer, until he mentioned that their hideout was the observatory. Since the guards would not allow me to leave, I had no choice but to join this gang to use their tunnels. All I had to do to gain access was play a game of hide and seek.
It began to rain as our game started, but it didn't take too long for me to find them all. Their leader wanted to make me a full member, but the rest of the gang refused to allow a Deku Scrub in, so I became a mere honorary member. But it got me into the tunnels, which was the important part.
When I arrived in the observatory, the old astronomer greeted me warmly, and allowed me to use his telescope. He had been keeping track of the Skull Kid as well, noting all the mischief he had been causing in town for a while now. He had also been studying the moon, and noted that it did indeed appear to be falling. Sure enough, it did look even larger than it had the day before. But before long, we caught sight of the Skull Kid, perched high atop the clock tower. The astronomer told me that the only way up there was to wait for the doors to open, which happen on the eve of the Carnival of Time. Midnight of the next day. I thanked him for his help and made to leave, but before I could there was a loud crash outside. A stone called a Moon's Tear had fallen from the moon, and the astronomer let me take it. It was a beautiful stone, but the fact that pieces of the moon were falling made me fear what was happening even more.
With my goal in sight, the fact that all I could do was wait made me exceedingly anxious. It was my third day in Clock Town, and there was a very thick air of foreboding everywhere. The few remaining townspeople were all as anxious as I was, and the moon was still growing larger. The ground even began to quake due to the moon's now unignorable proximity to the town. With nothing to do, I simply waited in front of the clock tower. A passing Deku Scrub had seen my Moon's Tear, and traded me his Deku flower for it. Said it would make a fine gift for his wife. I was happy to help, but more happy that the flower gave me a way to reach the doorway to the top of the tower. Tatl and I waited in silence until midnight, both of us too nervous to speak, simply watching the moon and feeling the ground tremble beneath us...
When midnight finally struck, the tower exploded with activity. Fireworks went off in celebration of the carnival that was simply not there, and the face of the clock actually folded up and back to form an observation deck. Tatl and I rushed up the newly opened steps to the top of the tower.
We were greeted by the Skull Kid and Tatl's brother, Tael. He had the Ocarina of Time, but I was saddened to still see no sign of Epona. I hoped that she was okay. Tael tried to tell us something, but the Skull Kid struck him silent, which Tatl was none too pleased about. There was certainly something wrong with the Skull Kid, and he didn't even care when Tatl revoked their friendship, but I had no time to think of it. The Skull Kid had used his strange power to cause the moon to fall even faster!
While he was distracted, I took my chance. I blew a bubble and knocked my ocarina out of his hands. With the precious item back in my hands, it reminded me of my last meeting with Princess Zelda. She had told me to play the Song of Time should I ever find myself in danger. With possibly minutes left until the moon crashed into the ground, I figured this would be the perfect time to do just that.
But it seemed that the Skull Kid's magic went farther than changing just my body. My ocarina turned into a large set of Deku pipes as I drew it to my mouth! Luckily for me, these pipes still retained the ocarina's magic. As I played the Song of Time, I could almost feel the notes reaching out to some far-off force. Time itself seemed to slow to a halt. Everything began to blur around me, turning into a whirling mass of images, faster and faster, until...
We were in what was called Clock Town, center of the land of Termina. And if we needed information, the best thing to do would be to speak to the Great Fairy, who lived in the fairy fountain in the north side of town.
So we set off to speak to the Great Fairy, and I made sure to take notice of as many things as possible along the trip. I wanted to track down the Skull Kid as fast as I could, before he had a chance to get away, and I figured it would save time to investigate while moving. And with this being a strange, foreign land, with many things to learn, I knew that conserving time would be very important.
I could tell that something big was about to happen. Everyone seemed busy or preoccupied. I figured they were all getting ready for whatever event was being prepared for in the main plaza. But oddly enough, I noticed that the town seemed a bit underpopulated, considering the coming event and the town's apparent importance. It kinda felt like Hyrule's castle town, but only populated by the residents of Kakariko Village. I noticed that the temperature and weather were both very mild, not unlike in Hyrule Field, which lead me to believe that Clock Town was similarly situated between several different climates. I took note that the moon looked rather large, and believed that to mean that we were at a higher altitude. But strangest of all, I couldn't shake the feeling that a lot of these people looked very familiar to me...
Tatl and I reached the Great Fairy's Fountain, but what we found was not the Great Fairy. The fountain was filled with strange looking fairies, unlike any I had ever seen before. But when I approached, they all spoke to me at once, like a single entity. They claimed to be the Great Fairy, but the Skull Kid had shattered her body to pieces. One of these pieces had been lost, and needed to be returned for the Great Fairy to be restored to her normal self. Could the Skull Kid truly possess such terrible power, stronger than even a Great Fairy's magic? The idea made me very uneasy.
So Tatl and I searched the town for this stray fairy. While we searched, I began to learn more about Clock Town and its inhabitants. Clock Town seemed to be a center of commerce, with people from all over Termina visiting to shop or partake in what I learned was called the Carnival of Time, a yearly celebration honoring gods of Terminan lore. This festival was indeed happening soon, in three days. But I still couldn't help noticing that the town felt too empty for a coming festival. I also noticed that many of these people kept mostly to themselves. There were no friendly chats or outings, and there was no general conversation on the streets. The only people I saw interacting were the ones working or practicing for a show. I tried to leave town through one of the gates, to explore the outer walls a bit, but none of the guards would let a lone, young Deku Scrub walk into the dangers of the fields.
And then I came across the town hall. I heard what sounded like a large debate, so I stepped in to investigate. And what I heard was rather chilling. The town was so empty because the people believed that the moon was actually falling, and a large portion of the population took shelter elsewhere. Some thought the whole town should be evacuated, while others felt that the mere idea was foolish, and the moon was perfectly fine. I could tell this debate would last a long time, so I stepped out. It was true that the thought of the moon simply falling out of the sky sounded outrageous, but I couldn't help thinking that the moon did look a bit larger than it did earlier that day...
Later that evening, I finally found the stray fairy, floating high in the air in front of the inn. I brought it back to the fountain as fast as I could. As soon as I entered the fountain, the fairy went to rejoin the others, and they all swirled together, forming what I instantly recognized to be a Great Fairy. She thanked me, and bestowed upon me some magical power. She told me that this would help me reach the Skull Kid, and that I should return to see her after I had regained my true form. She also told me that the man in the observatory just outside of town could help me find the Skull Kid.
As I left the fountain, I became aware of how tired I was, and how long it had been since I last slept. There was a Deku flower not far from the fountain entrance, and without even thinking about it, I burrowed in and rested for a bit, ignoring Tatl's complaints.
The next morning came too soon. Tatl woke me up and demanded that I get back to work. I was annoyed, but agreed that I had better things to be doing than sleeping. I decided to try out the magic that the Great Fairy had given me. I discovered that I could blow bubbles with my large snout and fire them at distant objects. I saw a child using a large balloon for target practice with his pea shooter. Perfect for practicing with my bubbles! I took aim, blew a bubble...
And missed. I instead hit the balloon that was keeping a strange little man suspended in the air. I ran up to apologize to him, but he was too busy calling me a fairy and trying to sell me his maps to listen to anything I had to say. I purchased a map from him, both for its practicality, and to get him to shut up.
My second attempt at shooting the balloon went much better. So much, in fact, that the child that had been shooting it insisted I become a member of his gang! I was about to decline the offer, until he mentioned that their hideout was the observatory. Since the guards would not allow me to leave, I had no choice but to join this gang to use their tunnels. All I had to do to gain access was play a game of hide and seek.
It began to rain as our game started, but it didn't take too long for me to find them all. Their leader wanted to make me a full member, but the rest of the gang refused to allow a Deku Scrub in, so I became a mere honorary member. But it got me into the tunnels, which was the important part.
When I arrived in the observatory, the old astronomer greeted me warmly, and allowed me to use his telescope. He had been keeping track of the Skull Kid as well, noting all the mischief he had been causing in town for a while now. He had also been studying the moon, and noted that it did indeed appear to be falling. Sure enough, it did look even larger than it had the day before. But before long, we caught sight of the Skull Kid, perched high atop the clock tower. The astronomer told me that the only way up there was to wait for the doors to open, which happen on the eve of the Carnival of Time. Midnight of the next day. I thanked him for his help and made to leave, but before I could there was a loud crash outside. A stone called a Moon's Tear had fallen from the moon, and the astronomer let me take it. It was a beautiful stone, but the fact that pieces of the moon were falling made me fear what was happening even more.
With my goal in sight, the fact that all I could do was wait made me exceedingly anxious. It was my third day in Clock Town, and there was a very thick air of foreboding everywhere. The few remaining townspeople were all as anxious as I was, and the moon was still growing larger. The ground even began to quake due to the moon's now unignorable proximity to the town. With nothing to do, I simply waited in front of the clock tower. A passing Deku Scrub had seen my Moon's Tear, and traded me his Deku flower for it. Said it would make a fine gift for his wife. I was happy to help, but more happy that the flower gave me a way to reach the doorway to the top of the tower. Tatl and I waited in silence until midnight, both of us too nervous to speak, simply watching the moon and feeling the ground tremble beneath us...
When midnight finally struck, the tower exploded with activity. Fireworks went off in celebration of the carnival that was simply not there, and the face of the clock actually folded up and back to form an observation deck. Tatl and I rushed up the newly opened steps to the top of the tower.
We were greeted by the Skull Kid and Tatl's brother, Tael. He had the Ocarina of Time, but I was saddened to still see no sign of Epona. I hoped that she was okay. Tael tried to tell us something, but the Skull Kid struck him silent, which Tatl was none too pleased about. There was certainly something wrong with the Skull Kid, and he didn't even care when Tatl revoked their friendship, but I had no time to think of it. The Skull Kid had used his strange power to cause the moon to fall even faster!
While he was distracted, I took my chance. I blew a bubble and knocked my ocarina out of his hands. With the precious item back in my hands, it reminded me of my last meeting with Princess Zelda. She had told me to play the Song of Time should I ever find myself in danger. With possibly minutes left until the moon crashed into the ground, I figured this would be the perfect time to do just that.
But it seemed that the Skull Kid's magic went farther than changing just my body. My ocarina turned into a large set of Deku pipes as I drew it to my mouth! Luckily for me, these pipes still retained the ocarina's magic. As I played the Song of Time, I could almost feel the notes reaching out to some far-off force. Time itself seemed to slow to a halt. Everything began to blur around me, turning into a whirling mass of images, faster and faster, until...
Terminan Journal: Entry #1
It was a dark, misty evening when all of this started. I thought this journey would be relatively trouble free, but it only took a couple days in for that hope to be dashed. My memories of the beginning are a little fuzzy, for reasons that will soon become apparent, but I will retell these events as best as I can.
Epona and I were making our way through a distant forest when something jumped out and spooked her. She bucked in surprised, throwing me off of her back. It took me a minute to collect myself, and when I came to, I saw a masked Skull Kid playing with my ocarina. I tried to catch him and retrieve the Ocarina of Time, but he was too fast for me. He leapt onto Epona's back and they galloped away, with the Skull Kid's two fairy companions following closely behind. I ran after them as fast as I could. I had already lost one close friend, and I was not about to lose another. My legs ached, and I was already in need of sleep, but I forced myself onward. I climbed tree stumps and jumped across gaps without even thinking about it.
The trail eventually lead into a large, hollow tree. I blindly ran in, determined to catch up to the already invisible thieves. If I was less tired and desperate, I probably would have noticed the large hole long before I fell into it.
I fell for a long time. The rushing wind and feeling of weightlessness began to play with my exhausted mind. Meaningless symbols of every color swirled in the darkness before me. I was so disoriented I didn't even feel myself land.
I was in a large cavern, lit by two distant torches and an unseen source of light from high above. A large flower growing out of a shallow pool of water broke my fall. And off in the distance, floating effortlessly in the air, was the Skull Kid. Epona was nowhere to be seen. But something was odd about the Skull Kid now. The sense of mischief present in all Skull Children was completely gone. As he taunted me, all I felt was a sense of dread and malice. I wanted to run, but there was nowhere to go. I wanted to scream, but my air was gone. All I could think about was hiding, maybe in this large flower below my feet...
The Skull Kid must have picked up on this. Because right at that moment, he began to do... something. I felt a strong power emanating from him, and then... black. I was once again in total darkness. Only this time, I was surrounded by Deku Scrubs! I tried to run, but my feet found no traction, and the Scrubs caught me.
I found myself in the same cavern again, only this time, I felt... off. And when I caught my reflection in the water, I finally found the air to scream. My skin had become a hard, yet pliable kind of wood. My blue eyes were replaced with a strange yellow glow. My mouth was now nothing more than a large snout.
I had been transformed into a Deku Scrub. And as I screamed with my new, shrill voice, the Skull Kid laughed. He eventually began taunting me yet again, but I couldn't even listen to him. I rushed at him, but I was stopped by one of his fairy companions. The Skull Kid managed to escape while the bright white fairy distracted me, but neither fairy noticed what was happening in all the confusion, and they became separated.
The white fairy, who calls herself Tatl, blamed me for this, and demanded that I help her reunite with the dark-glowing fairy, who was her brother, Tael. It didn't matter what my feelings on the matter were. I know first-hand just how stubborn fairies can be, so I knew she'd be coming with me whether I liked it or not.
We proceeded through the path onward and eventually came to another large cavern. I learned that my new Deku body could burrow into the large flowers I had seen around the caves, and I could even use their petals to glide through the air. I used this ability to cross a large chasm, where Tatl found a rather disturbing sight.
It looked like a tree, but with an exceedingly depressed face of sorts. Tatl remarked that it looked a lot like my new Deku body. I don't know why, but looking at that tree almost made me break into tears.
I pushed onward until I found myself in an oddly shaped corridor. The ground was uneven, and the walls played tricks with my eyes. It felt like the room was swirling around me as I proceeded through it, until I finally reached the end. As I passed through the final doorway, it sealed itself shut behind me.
I looked around this strange new place I had found myself in. It seemed to be a large clock tower of sorts. I climbed the ramps before me and eventually found the exit, but before I could leave I was stopped by a strange laugh...
I spun around and found an odd man. He carried on his back a large sack with masks hanging off of its sides. He told me he was a mask salesman, and that he had been following me for some time. He knew of the Skull Kid, he knew that I had been transformed, and most importantly, he knew how to return me to my true body. All that was needed was my stolen ocarina. But he also had a request of me: The mask that the Skull Kid wore belonged to him, and he wanted me to retrieve it for him. And in return, he would heal me.
Having no better option, I agreed to this deal, and Tatl and I made to leave the tower, having no idea what kind of journey awaited us...
Epona and I were making our way through a distant forest when something jumped out and spooked her. She bucked in surprised, throwing me off of her back. It took me a minute to collect myself, and when I came to, I saw a masked Skull Kid playing with my ocarina. I tried to catch him and retrieve the Ocarina of Time, but he was too fast for me. He leapt onto Epona's back and they galloped away, with the Skull Kid's two fairy companions following closely behind. I ran after them as fast as I could. I had already lost one close friend, and I was not about to lose another. My legs ached, and I was already in need of sleep, but I forced myself onward. I climbed tree stumps and jumped across gaps without even thinking about it.
The trail eventually lead into a large, hollow tree. I blindly ran in, determined to catch up to the already invisible thieves. If I was less tired and desperate, I probably would have noticed the large hole long before I fell into it.
I fell for a long time. The rushing wind and feeling of weightlessness began to play with my exhausted mind. Meaningless symbols of every color swirled in the darkness before me. I was so disoriented I didn't even feel myself land.
I was in a large cavern, lit by two distant torches and an unseen source of light from high above. A large flower growing out of a shallow pool of water broke my fall. And off in the distance, floating effortlessly in the air, was the Skull Kid. Epona was nowhere to be seen. But something was odd about the Skull Kid now. The sense of mischief present in all Skull Children was completely gone. As he taunted me, all I felt was a sense of dread and malice. I wanted to run, but there was nowhere to go. I wanted to scream, but my air was gone. All I could think about was hiding, maybe in this large flower below my feet...
The Skull Kid must have picked up on this. Because right at that moment, he began to do... something. I felt a strong power emanating from him, and then... black. I was once again in total darkness. Only this time, I was surrounded by Deku Scrubs! I tried to run, but my feet found no traction, and the Scrubs caught me.
I found myself in the same cavern again, only this time, I felt... off. And when I caught my reflection in the water, I finally found the air to scream. My skin had become a hard, yet pliable kind of wood. My blue eyes were replaced with a strange yellow glow. My mouth was now nothing more than a large snout.
I had been transformed into a Deku Scrub. And as I screamed with my new, shrill voice, the Skull Kid laughed. He eventually began taunting me yet again, but I couldn't even listen to him. I rushed at him, but I was stopped by one of his fairy companions. The Skull Kid managed to escape while the bright white fairy distracted me, but neither fairy noticed what was happening in all the confusion, and they became separated.
The white fairy, who calls herself Tatl, blamed me for this, and demanded that I help her reunite with the dark-glowing fairy, who was her brother, Tael. It didn't matter what my feelings on the matter were. I know first-hand just how stubborn fairies can be, so I knew she'd be coming with me whether I liked it or not.
We proceeded through the path onward and eventually came to another large cavern. I learned that my new Deku body could burrow into the large flowers I had seen around the caves, and I could even use their petals to glide through the air. I used this ability to cross a large chasm, where Tatl found a rather disturbing sight.
It looked like a tree, but with an exceedingly depressed face of sorts. Tatl remarked that it looked a lot like my new Deku body. I don't know why, but looking at that tree almost made me break into tears.
I pushed onward until I found myself in an oddly shaped corridor. The ground was uneven, and the walls played tricks with my eyes. It felt like the room was swirling around me as I proceeded through it, until I finally reached the end. As I passed through the final doorway, it sealed itself shut behind me.
I looked around this strange new place I had found myself in. It seemed to be a large clock tower of sorts. I climbed the ramps before me and eventually found the exit, but before I could leave I was stopped by a strange laugh...
I spun around and found an odd man. He carried on his back a large sack with masks hanging off of its sides. He told me he was a mask salesman, and that he had been following me for some time. He knew of the Skull Kid, he knew that I had been transformed, and most importantly, he knew how to return me to my true body. All that was needed was my stolen ocarina. But he also had a request of me: The mask that the Skull Kid wore belonged to him, and he wanted me to retrieve it for him. And in return, he would heal me.
Having no better option, I agreed to this deal, and Tatl and I made to leave the tower, having no idea what kind of journey awaited us...
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