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...
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
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