Link never quite found out what the desert at the heart of the Stone Tower was. A seemingly infinite landscape that didn't belong, and indeed couldn't fit, where he initially found it. It was home to two massive, writing, biting abominations that required Link to become a giant to defeat. Even at that height, the boy couldn't see any sort of edge to the sandy abyss he found himself in. It made him wonder if he wasn't in some kind of alternate world or something similar. After all, that's exactly what Termina was, so how far-fetched could some smaller world within the odd, parallel location really be?
However, it wasn't the desert realm's impossibility or the gargantuan beasts that ruled it that frightened Link. At his normal size, the constantly dancing sands carried by the wind obscured much of the area around him. Even then, however, he made out what seemed to be strange structures off in the distance. Of course, he was quickly distracted by the massive worms that sprung forth from the desert sands to give them much thought. After Twinmold was dispatched of, however, the giant boy took a closer look at the structures, and what he saw filled him with a horrifying realization.
The objects that Link saw were ancient ruins of some sort. Massive, crumbling columns that rose out of the sand like petrified trees, scattered all about the desert. The ruins themselves didn't bother Link; they could easily be waved off as just an odd aspect of the strange realm he found himself in. No, it was what was carved into the pillars that made his blood run cold.
Dozens of eyes stared back at the giant, who froze in place as he stared back. Over and over, the familiar and heart-shaped image of Majora's Mask gazed at him from the ruins. Ancient carvings from a now-extinct people peering into Link's soul from every direction. He couldn't even count all the masks looking back at him, though he swore he saw a giant building off in the distance, perhaps the center of the giant temple. After all, a temple was clearly what these ruins used to be.
At that point in time, he simply returned to normal size and freed the Giant as fast as he could. It wasn't until later on, as he rested in the Knife Chamber, that he truly pondered what it all meant. He recalled the Happy Mask Salesman mentioning how some nameless, ancient tribe crafted Majora's Mask before it vanished from the folds of history. The Salesman didn't seem to know what exactly befell the tribe, but Link was going to assume the cursed mask was involved somehow. Of course, he had no true way of knowing, but it made perfect sense to him.
This brought Link to the realization that this ancient tribe was even older than the Ikana Kingdom. The dead kingdom itself was already older than Link could imagine, with thousands of years having passed since it fell for the first and final time as the boy found out from Tatl. It was a miracle any traces of it remained at all, the eternally crumbling and decaying castle left behind still standing after all these years. Most buildings were but empty shells, but even some aside from the haunting grounds of Igos du Ikana and his eternally loyal soldiers still remained intact.
This entity, this unholy abomination that possessed Majora's Mask was far older than even the driest and oldest bones in all of Ikana Canyon. Just how old was the being inside it? Tens of thousands of years old? Did it linger in the world before the mask's creation? "Tatl?" Link asked, looking over to his fairy companion as she hovered about the room in boredom. "Does the name Majora really not ring any bells to you? Any legends? Anything at all?" He felt she would have brought it up if she knew, but how could she not? She certainly knew of the Ikana Kingdom and a number of legends and facts about it.
"Where did this come from?" The fairy asked, floating towards the boy. "I know just about as much as you do, which isn't really anything."
"I see. Never mind, then." He looked back up towards the ceiling, getting lost in thought again. Link wasn't even entirely sure why he was so focused on the ruins he saw, or the origins of whatever laid inside Majora's Mask. Though, he supposed he could just call it Majora. Ever since those patterns caught his eye, all that was on Link's mind was the desert realm he found them in and how ancient the being in the mask must be. He also recalled the general shape of Majora's Mask being present in the Stone Tower once it got flipped, so even if the desert was somehow unlinked with the Ikana Kingdom, there was enough proof they had possession of the mask.
Could that mean that Majora is some kind of a god? A dark, destructive deity that sought nothing but chaos and ruin? It made Link wonder how he didn't see it before. This thing was able to pull down the Moon along with cursing the lands of Termina almost casually. Even Ganondorf with all the power he held was unable to do that. The freezing of Zora's Domain wasn't quite like causing an eternal winter within the mountains. Draining a lake wasn't as dreadful as sterilizing a large stretch of ocean. Infecting a forest with monsters couldn't be compared to poisoning an entire region and society, slowly killing all that lived there. That was all disregarding the Moon itself. Compared to Majora, Ganondorf was almost a street magician causing mischief with cheap parlor tricks.
That raised the question of what Link could do against a dark god like Majora, if that was what it truly was. It managed to seal away the Four Giants before, so would they be able to truly stop the Moon when called? Even if they succeed, what if Majora unleashed its full wrath against Link and Tatl? Could he fight against it? Was there anything in the boy's arsenal, even the Light Arrows, that could harm such a creature? As powerful as he thought he was, Ganondorf never once claimed to be a god. Not once. This was a whole new level of evil Link was faced with.
And he was afraid.
As the boy tried to obtain the Perfect Cycle, he made a number of equally disturbing discoveries in the far reaches of Termina over time. In secluded, hidden parts of the four compass directions there laid things that he was never meant to find. Things that were probably better off never being seen by mortal eyes ever again. If only things had been that simple. The dark secret in Ikana Canyon had been found, of course, with the ancient ruins that the slithering Twinmold almost seemed to guard.
It was in the Great Bay area that Link discovered something else terrible. Pinnacle Rock was the worst part of the entire Western stretch of Termina for him. The ocean itself was something of a source of fear to Link since the first laid eyes on it. Before entering Termina, the biggest body of water he had ever seen was Lake Hylia. The only oceans he had ever been introduced to only existed as illustrations in some of the books Zelda kept. Even as pictures, the infinite expanse of blue seemed unreal and almost unnatural to Link. He recalled having nightmares where he was trapped in the middle of an ocean, nothing but water from horizon to horizon as he desperately tried to make it back to land.
The real thing, of course, was so much worse. Something the pictures didn't illustrate was how the ocean moved about, constantly shifting and rolling in itself like some kind of living being. Lake Hylia would shift in the winds, of course, but even when everything else stood still…some invisible force seemed to keep the sea ever-moving. Something Tatl called waves and tides, but Link didn't quite get it and honestly he didn't really want to. He just felt unnerved as the waves washed upon the shore, like an appendage trying to reach out and grab at him. Going into the water was even worse due to the blinding salt. The Hylian felt that, at any moment, something would lunge out at him from just beyond his field of vision. As a Zora, he could see a bit more clearly, but still only so far. And, of course, the ocean got deep which meant more room for things to hide.
And Pinnacle Rock was where Link went down the deepest.
Delving down into the darker waters filled Link with the same amount of dread each and every time he did it. The activity was one of the few that the boy never got used to during his stay in Termina. He could face down Odolwa, venture into snowstorms, face the undead of Ikana…and while he still felt fear, in those instances the fear got easier to deal with over time. For Pinnacle Rock, it just never happened. The way the area around him slowly darkened, no matter how brightly the sun shone, deeply unnerved the boy. And then there were the Deep Pythons.
Massive in size, the Deep Pythons swam about and hid in the crevices of Pinnacle Rock. Enormous glowing green eyes zeroed in on Link as he made his way into the colder waters. Unblinking, unintelligent, unfeeling. Almost dead eyes that paradoxically held a hostility to them. The worst part of Pinnacle Rock wasn't the darkness or even the monstrosities that lied beneath. It was that Link had to go down there alone. Fairies by nature can't swim, or at least can't stay underwater for more than a few seconds. There was the unfortunate, but necessary, way of getting around it back in Hyrule with Navi. If Link had to go underwater, his companion had to hide away in a bottle. As a Zora, Link had no bottles to use, so Tatl would have to hide away in his mouth when necessary. Unfortunately, it wasn't needed for Tatl to go down with Link since she knew where he'd come back up. That, and it was extremely dangerous down there, and Link himself felt uncomfortable forcing her to go with him.
Still, the company sounded nice.
It was during one of these trips that Link made a discovery best left unfound. The Deep Pythons had been slaughtered, the Zora Eggs collected, and the Seahorses reunited. As he prepared to go back to the surface and meet back up with Tatl, Link spotted something. It was almost unnoticeable, so much so that despite the dozens of times the boy had been down there, he never saw it. At the bottom of the trench he found himself in, a small crevice was visible, just below the yawning hole of one of the Deep Python's hiding places. Despite everything, Link found himself curious, just as he always was when he spotted something new.
Quickly, the boy in Zora form swam over to the crevice to get a closer look. As it turned out, it was just big enough for him to squeeze his way through, leading to some sort of tunnel. Slowly, he made his way inside, carefully walking his way through this mysterious new path. One thing that never died off within Link, one of the few childlike qualities he still possessed, was his insatiable curiosity. He was especially willing to satisfy his curiosity with things that could be explored or looked at, rather than information given through conversation. The tunnel was somewhat claustrophobic, but not enough to deter Link or his need to see what secrets may lie within. It also helped that it wasn't a long trip either. Before the boy knew it, he had to ascend, coming up into a chamber within an air pocket. A chamber that he should never have stumbled upon.
It was a decently sized room, about twice as big as the Knife Chamber. There were lit torches about the cave, something that didn't surprise Link at all. He had gone into many abandoned and ancient temples and crypts, yet there were always lit torches present. He chalked it up to some kind of spell but didn't know for sure. The thing that caught Link's eye after that was the altar dead ahead of him at the far end of the room. It was nothing particularly special, a flat stone slab that rested beneath the remnants of some sort of torn painting. The faded golden frame was still present, but the painting itself was all gone save for the top two corners; two grey scraps of art that gave Link zero hints on what the painting had shown. On the altar itself were two tall candles with the flames extinguished, the melted wax staining the stone and having dripped onto the floor. For a brief moment, Link swore he saw smoke coming from the candle's heads, as if they had been blown out just moments before. Yet, after blinking and taking another look, he saw nothing. Just a trick of his paranoid mind…right?
The only other object on the altar was a small urn of sorts. Like the painting's frame above, it was also made of gold, though the urn had the addition of jewels and gems encrusted within it. If Link were interested in riches, it would be a very tempting bonus prize for taking down the Deep Pythons, but he had no need for such things. Link noticed the urn's lid was slightly askew, as if tempting the boy to peer inside it. The fake Zora actually found himself tempted to go take a peek but noticed a mysterious and near colorless stain underneath the treasure. It didn't take him long to realize what that stain most likely was. He could only imagine what was within that urn, and he really didn't want to find out.
The fishy eyes of the chamber's lone inhabitant wandered away from the altar, spotting a shelf next to it made of crumbling stone. It was filled with a number of containers from small jars to clay bowls. Inside each one were piles and clumps of herbs, spices, and gnarled roots no doubt used in whatever rituals went on in this place. Link had to wonder what kind of entity was being worshipped in a place so hidden away like this. Clearly not one of the Giants, they were the chief deities of this land, so why would an altar to them be in such a remote spot? That, and Link had seen shrines and temples to the Giants in a few spots in Termina, and they had a warmth and welcoming air to them. This place smelled of rot and darkness, and it didn't seem anyone had been here in ages.
Link's gaze moved on to the walls of the chamber, seeing that there were two large tapestries on either side of the room. Both of them were faded and moist from the environment, but some sort of technique or magic kept them from falling apart or becoming totally incomprehensible. The one to the boy's left showed a sort of large stone city underneath a yellowed sky. The buildings themselves were terrible things. Geometry had no rules in the city displayed in the artwork, with the structures being complete mockeries of what buildings should be, ones that shouldn't be able to remain upright. Some of the buildings even seemed to almost melt into the others around it. At first glance, it seemed as if the tapestry was simply created by an amateur artist with no idea what he was doing. Yet, at closer inspection, that clearly wasn't the case. Taking a few steps closer, Link could see that there were people painted into the city, moving about between the buildings. They were all so small, yet the attention to detail could only be described as work done by a genius. So lifelike were the people in the painting, that Link nearly expected them to turn and look at the curious fake Zora watching them.
Feeling almost uneasy at the artwork before him, Link turned and looked to the other tapestry in the room. Unfortunately, this one was far more horrid than the first. Yet, as Link took a few steps towards the artwork, he found himself unable to stop himself from studying it. This tapestry was notably in slightly worse shape, with a few small holes torn within it, and one corner almost seemed to have burn marks on it. The artwork showed a massive crowd of worshipers on a cracked and barren landscape. Men, women, even children younger than Link himself, all bowed down to the ground. They were all adorned in tattered and stained robes that didn't match the kind worn in either Hyrule or Termina.
Something that suddenly struck Link as odd was though this shrine was located within the Great Bay area, both tapestries depicted humans only. No Zoras, or any other humanoid species, were present. One explanation he could think of was Pinnacle Rock hadn't always been underwater. He wasn't sure if that even made sense, though. The concept of rising sea levels was one Link was unfamiliar with, and that didn't even consider that the shrine was still at the bottom of a hole too deep for humans to go into, and then they would have to ascend into the cave, only possible now because of the water. None of it really clicked, but on the other hand there were a number of magics Link was unfamiliar with, perhaps it was with secret and archaic spells that humans managed to get in this hidden place.
Disregarding the theories, Link took a closer look at the humans within the picture. Like with the first piece of art, the detail on the people was outstanding. Each person's facial expression was easily readable and detailed. Each and every face was one filled with despair or unease of some sort. The ones with their heads face down had nervous and desperate smiles on their faces, as if trying to fool someone or something. The ones that dared to look up had visages of fear, awe, and madness written upon them.
Link's eyes followed what the worshippers were looking at, and found himself having to take a step back to take the full image in. At first, it seemed as if a large container of ink had been spilled onto the upper half of the artwork. As Link peered closer, he realized at the border of the dark stain was some sort of claw or other appendage. Then, Link spotted another. Then another, and another, and another. It took a few moments, but it became clearer the intricate and subtle shadings and details that, at a glance, seemed to form a massive black mass.
The creature, the revolting being in the artwork's sky, could only be described as an abomination. Claws, teeth, mouths, tentacles, body parts and pieces that Link didn't recognize, all seemingly randomly placed on the being that seemed to have spawned from a madman's skull. A monstrosity beyond proper explanation, and most likely what this shrine was dedicated to. It was an ocean of fleshy chaos and it almost made Link feel like he himself was losing his sanity just looking at it.
Somehow, the bright circle of orange only just then caught Link's attention. A single, piercing orange eye was present on the creature, seeming to stare directly at the boy, as if it knew he was watching. It wasn't just any eye, oh no. The boy would never forget that look, no matter how long it had been since he properly saw it. The eye on the creature was the very same as the ones present on Majora's Mask, complete with the dark green iris. Whatever this monstrosity is or was and whoever made this shrine…they were tied to the being within the mask. Link was about to speak, to ask Tatl what she thought. Then he remembered…
He was alone.
In a split second, Link was diving back into the water and making his way out of the crevice he had foolishly decided to explore. He knew there was nothing there, but the boy couldn't shake the feeling that something was following him. As he got out of the passage, Link realized he had been in that cursed shrine longer than he realized, as the sun had gone down. It was nearly pitch black at the bottom of Pinnacle Rock, and it terrified the boy, even without the Deep Pythons about. As fast as his Zora body could go, Link ascended towards the surface.
As Link got close to reuniting with Tatl, he heard some undefinable noise, something akin to a rumbling from below. Despite every instinct telling him to just ignore it…Link looked down. He wasn't sure what it was that he saw. All the boy could make out was something large at the bottom of Pinnacle Rock. A massive, writing shape that was larger than any Deep Python encountered. Slowly, it made its way into the largest of the holes about the area and out of sight. Feeling his blood go cold, Link made the rest of his way to the surface, waving to Tatl when he breached.
The fairy, who had been waiting far longer than she had hoped, was exhausted from how long she had to float there above the ocean. When she finally saw her companion resurface, she was relieved to see that he was okay. Before she could get a word in, the Zora dove back under the water, and she could see he was making a beeline for the shore. Soon, the two were back on the beach in front of the fisherman's hut. Link instantly shed his mask and lied on the cool sand, shivering intensely from his experiences. "Link?! What happened down there, you were gone for so long!" Tatl asked, floating over to the boy and using her natural heat to try and diminish his shaking.
It took Link a moment to realize Tatl was even talking to him. He wasn't even sure if that monstrous creature he saw as he made his ascent was real or not. It seemed so real but…it just came out of nowhere. It reminded him of that shadowy figure he saw in the mountains. He only saw that thing once, and never again. Did these things actually exist, or was his mind just crumbling? "Tatl, I can't go on. I have to take a break…"
Tatl knew better than to ask. She knew something awful must have happened down there, though she couldn't work out what. The fairy had the distinct feeling that asking would get her nowhere. "Right. That's fine. Don't worry about it, alright?"
And so, the flow of time went backwards.
A number of Cycles later, the duo found themselves within Darmani's burial chambers as part of a Break Cycle. Normally, the two were either always within Clock Town or Romani's Ranch for such Cycles. But, every so often, they would venture to these chambers as part of their break. The reason was, naturally, the hot spring water that could be found there. Using the Goron Mask, the trek there wasn't too bad, and though it wasn't usually worth it…the two made the trip just for that water a handful of times during the seemingly-infinite Cycles they had to go through.
One of the few things that could almost always let Link calm down and unwind was a hot bath. Back in the Kokiri forest, there was of course only cold rivers and ponds to wash in. When Link started to live in Hyrule Castle, it was like some sort of miracle unfolding when he discovered warm baths. Whenever he dipped into one, he could feel his immense tension melt away. Sadly, it seemed such a thing didn't exist in Clock Town, but up in Snowhead, Link was grateful to find the natural hot spring waters. They truly were worth the trip, especially with the Goron Mask making the climb up the mountain so much faster.
Link let out a content sigh as the warm waters enveloped him. The chamber was nice and quiet, somehow muting the bolstering winds outside despite no door or barrier between the cave opening and the biting flurries of the mountains. Tatl mirrored Link's actions, resting in a small saucer full of the spring water, as going into the full spring would kill the tiny creature. This was the most exposed the two ever got outside of Clock Town. Link's gear off to the side, his tunic, shorts, even his hat all folded nice and neat on the floor. His overly neat nature got a few playful teasing pokes from Tatl. Of course, a few bottles full of regular water was within the boy's reach as well, he didn't want to get dehydrated after all.
Minutes passed by in complete silence, the only sounds within the small chamber being the steady breathing of its two inhabitants. As in most cases, it was Tatl that broke the silence. "Do you think Darmani would mind us doing this if he was still here?" Even though the Goron was not actually laid at rest here, it was still technically his tomb…
"No. I'm sure he wouldn't." Link responded with sincerity. The Gorons, both in Hyrule and in Termina, were among the nicest people the boy had ever met. Not one of them had ever been anything but kind to him, no matter what. The closest thing was the invisible Goron outside the Snowhead Temple, who was apparently under some sort of a spell or curse. Darmani would probably be fine with the use of the natural hot springs, especially now that his soul was at peace within the Goron Mask.
It was a bit late for such thoughts now, this was the fourth or fifth time the two had made the trip. "You just want an excuse to keep coming back, don't you?" Tatl asked, mostly joking. All she got in return was a negative grunt from the boy as he closed his eyes. Fair enough. Talking time over, relaxing time starting.
An unknown amount of time later, Link's eyes flew open. Had he fallen asleep? The slight headache he suddenly noticed confirmed he must have dozed off for a bit. Reaching over, Link grabbed a bottle of water and started to drain its contents to get his hydration up and body temperature down. As he placed the bottle back, something caught Link's eye. Something he had never seen before. In the back of the small cave, there seemed to be a large piece of loose rock, one that seemed to be placed over an opening. How had he never noticed that before? Link supposed he never took the time to really look about the place, but usually he had a keen eye for things like this. As he leaned forward, he realized it was the angle he was looking that made him able to see the placed stone. Looking at it dead-on, it blended in with the wall so well it was essentially invisible.
"Tatl, look." He gently called to his companion. The fairy opened her eyes, almost having fallen asleep herself, and looked over to where Link was pointing. "Some kind of passage there. Did you ever notice it?"
It took Tatl a bit to make out the stone blockade. "Huh…No, never have. Why, you wanna check it out?"
Admittedly, Link was a bit curious. The thought that this could be a similar situation to what happened at Pinnacle Rock didn't even cross his mind. "I…do. Yes." Without another word, he stood out of the water.
"Ah! Come on, warn me next time!" Tatl scolded, closing her eyes. "If it's a single room, I'll leave the exploring to you, I'm not leaving the water for that."
The boy had to withhold rolling his eyes at Tatl's reaction, putting his shorts on before going over to grab the Goron Mask. Within moments, a Goron took the Hylian's place. "Alright. Just don't fall asleep." He rumbled by accident, still not used to the alien vocal cords he now possessed.
All Link got in return was a grunt of confirmation from his companion as he made his way over to the stone. After a moment's preparation, he gripped onto the rock and, with relative ease, pushed it out of the way. Before him was an entrance just a bit bigger than he was currently. The first thing he noticed was the stone had been hiding but one room, one smaller than Darmani's burial cave. The second thing that Link realized was the room had lit torches in it, making him think back to the Pinnacle Rock shrine. Still, with this potential shrine to Majora being in such a safe place, and with Tatl within earshot, Link felt much calmer. At least, calm enough where he could observe the room and not panic. Shedding his Goron disguise, Link stepped gingerly into the lit room, looking about.
The first thing Link noticed was the altar. In a similar position to the stone slab of the Pinnacle Rock room, this was set against the wall right in front of the boy. So, he really was dealing with another shrine, it seemed. Could it be related to the one found in the West? A part of him wanted to chalk it up to just a coincidence. After all, the altar was made of some sort of dark brown wood rather than stone, so that was a good sign. The altar itself was remarkably well preserved; Link able to tell that from a distance. The wood shone in the dancing light and looked smooth to the touch, and on the altar rested a number of objects. One was a chipped clay bowl filled with what appeared to be ashes of some kind, beside it was a large knife resting in an ancient leather holster. The third and final object on the table was the most interesting. A large, ancient tome propped up on a small stand. The cover was a deep black with no writing of any kind on it, not that Link would be able to read it anyway. It was far less preserved, probably far older than, the altar that it rested on.
Above the altar were words written on a yellowing tapestry. What struck Link was the letters themselves. To Link, Hylian was just a jumbled mess of shapes that made no sense to him. Yet, despite his illiteracy, he was able to recognize that those in Termina wrote in the same language, just another parallel. The boy was instantly able to realize that the writing written on the tapestry wasn't Hylian at all. The text was somehow…ugly to him, almost wrong in some way that he couldn't quite put his finger on. No matter how ancient the writing was that Link saw, either in Hyrule or Termina, it was all at least discernible as Hylian to him. Yet those words looked completely different. It made him wonder if the writing was even older than the oldest writing he had come across in Termina, or perhaps the cult that worshipped here simply spoke another language.
Well, it didn't matter anyway. Hylian or not, it was gibberish to Link. Glancing away from it, Link saw there was a single cave painting adorned within the shrine's walls. It was far more faded and duller than the tapestries of the Pinnacle Rock shrine, so he didn't even notice it at first. It was a very simple painting, one done in a far sketchier, less refined style of the tapestries that Link encountered before. The artwork showed the very mountains that Link resided in right now. Large swathes of faded, chalky white narrowing up into peaks as the painted mountains climbed higher and higher into the sky. Then Link realized there was something above the mountains. Or rather, something peeking from behind it. A massive, rounded black mass peered over the top of the highest parts of the mountain range, as casually as someone would peak over a small wall. Unlike the creature from the Pinnacle Rock artwork, there were no complex designs to the entity…though there were two features that made Link's skin crawl. Attached to the shadowy being was a pair of wide, orange eyes that stared down at the boy, making him feel as if the painting was alive and intelligent. As if it could truly see him.
So, that confirmed it. This shrine and the one in the West were both to Majora. East, West, and now North. The shadowy claw of the dark god seemed to reach all across Termina, or at least it did at one point. A part of him wondered if Clock Town didn't also have some sort of hidden shrine like this. Surely not though…right? Link had spent more time in Clock Town than any part of Termina…if there was something like this there…he would have found it by now, wouldn't he? Suppressing a shiver, Link chose not to think about it anymore. His mind wandered instead to what happened to this cult, and Majora. How did the entity get sealed within the mask? How did the mask's power get sealed away? How did Termina not get completely destroyed before?
The boy's eyes fell onto the ancient tome once more. Perhaps Tatl, or someone in Termina if the text in there shared the alphabet on the wall, could read that book. Maybe something in it would tell Link some sort of weakness of Majora's, some sort of way to seal the magic away. Slowly, Link walked towards the altar, but only made it about ten steps before he hit something. Withholding a surprised gasp, Link jumped back and looked around, seeing…nothing. Cautiously, he put his hand in front of him and shuffled forward. To his surprise, his hand hit something invisible.
Thinking of it, he really shouldn't be too surprised. There were a number of hidden things in these mountains, after all. The object before him felt like rough stone, and running his hand across the unseen obstacle, he could tell it was bigger than he was. A statue, perhaps. Curiosity gripped him, and Link left the room to fetch the Lens of Truth. As he went back to the hot springs room, Tatl looked over at her companion. "Find anything worthwhile in there?"
"Maybe. Give me a minute." Link replied, grabbing the magical object he was looking for and going back into the room.
"Wonder what he found…" Tatl murmured, closing her eyes once more. They shot right back open as she heard a sound she had never heard before. Link screaming. Specifically, him screaming in pure terror. She instantly flew out of her little saucer in time to see her companion scrambling out of the hole in the wall, face pale as the snow blustering outside. Without a word or even a glance towards Tatl, Link put the Goron Mask back on and blocked the entryway up once more. "What's going on?! What happened?!" The fairy asked, concern filling her voice. "What was in there?!"
Shedding the mask, Link shook his head. "We can't go in there. Never. Never go in there. Never. Don't ever, ever go in there." He rambled on, barely pausing for a breath as he went over to get the rest of his clothes on and his gear all ready.
Tatl couldn't help but feel disturbed by the sight before her. Moments of hesitation or widened eyes of fear were things she had seen with Link before. Screaming at the top of his lungs while frantically running from something? That had never happened before. What was in that room? "Link! Take a breath, by the Giants!" She pressed, flying before Link's face as he, in record time, got all of his things together. "Calm down and tell me what was in that room!"
The Hylian stopped, staring at the rock he just moved back as he took a couple of deep breaths, managing to clam down enough to properly respond. "A…A shrine. A shrine in there. In the middle of it…it was so awful…I can't describe it, please don't make me try…" He said, voice kept at a half-whisper, almost like he was afraid something might hear him.
The fairy's imagination wandered. Some sort of hidden shrine? Who knew what awful things could be found in one? Still, something that could shake Link up this badly…it was probably best she never found out. "Right. You don't have to talk about it. Let's just go, alright? Let's get out of here…"
Without a word of response, Link fumbled for his Ocarina and turned back time once more.
It wasn't many Cycles afterward that Link and Tatl found themselves in the Southern Swamp late at night. Normally, the two would be out of there by now, but Link needed an extra bottle of Red Potion from Kotake. Wanting to get it done quickly and perhaps get back on track with the Perfect Cycle, the duo rushed through the area.
As the two approached the potion shop, a strange sound filled the air. It took the duo a few moments to make out that it was a rhythmic drumming coming from the Lost Woods. Link had almost scoffed at the name this place was given when he explored it for the first time. A bit twisty and confusing, but the woods here were nothing like back home. There was a bizarre magic to the forest Link grew up with, one that the Termina counterpart wasn't even close to replicating. That aside, the two had never heard drumming like this before, and couldn't help but walk towards it.
"Do people live in those woods, Tatl?" Link asked as he entered the forest properly, slowly navigating towards the drumming.
"No way, no one is dumb enough to live in the Lost Woods. Not that I've ever heard of at least." The fairy replied. "Should we really be investigating this?" Tatl didn't want to admit it, but she was rather nervous about venturing into the forest, various rumors and folklore about monsters and demons living between the trees lingering in her mind. It was fine when it was just Link finding Koume, because he didn't have to venture very far, but those drums sounded quite a distance away…
Link glanced over to Tatl as the two ventured deeper into the trees. "Should we not be investigating? Is it that dangerous deep in?"
Tatl struggled with how to answer. She didn't want Link to know she was scared, yet she didn't want to keep going further in. Deep down the fairy knew it was silly to be this frightened. After all, the two of them delved into the heart of Ikana Canyon and made it out alive. Still, she had heard far more stories about the Lost Woods and grew up closer to the area, so she couldn't help but let her childhood fears resonate within her. "Well…there were a lot of stories…but who knows how many of them are true…"
"We'll be fine." Link said with confidence as he went further in, his fairy companion following behind.
"I sure hope so…"
As the two ventured deeper into the gnarled and twisted trees of the Lost Woods, a second sound started to fill the air. A group of people chanting in a language neither Link nor Tatl could understand started to rise above the trees. The drumming had gotten steadily louder, and if Link had to guess, he'd say in just a few minutes, the two would reach the source of the noise. "Tatl, get under my hat. Just in case."
"We should just turn back. There's nothing for us here, I'm sure of it!" Despite her words, the fairy still dove under Link's hat, but peeked out from under it.
Ignoring his companion's words, Link went forward. Within a minute, he started to see an orange glow ahead of him. Fire. The drumming and chanting grew louder with each and every step. It was at that point that the boy realized maybe he really should stop, that he should just turn around and leave. This was just like in the West and the North. A secluded, new part of Termina he had never explored before…the drumming…the chanting…was this a still-active part of Majora's worshippers? What did he expect to gain from going further? What could he find that would make the trip worth it?
As Link pondered this, a single and solitary scream filled the air, sounding like someone was being killed. All thoughts of running left Link's mind as he drew his sword and ran onward. Scared or not, if there was someone in trouble up ahead, he could not just turn and leave! Within moments, the boy finally found the source of the sound. Before the duo was a clearing in the forest, and Link stopped dead in his tracks from what he saw, as he and Tatl stared on in silence.
The clearing was large, bigger than the throne room at the Deku Palace. Off to the side, the fire that the two saw was present in the form of a massive inferno that almost seemed to reach higher than the treetops. Right by the dancing flames was the source of the drumming and the chanting. A large group, at least fifty strong, of Dekus were doing spastic and hideous dances while a number of them banged loudly on massive drums. There was something…wrong with these Dekus. Even from that distance, Link and Tatl were able to see what almost looked like moldy green patches on their wooden bodies while their leaves were brown and seemed rotten. It was if they were sick with some kind of disease. Another thing of note was that none of the Dekus present were the stockier type, they were all like the Deku King or his butler, standing tall as a Hylian or Terminian.
The worshippers were wearing grotesque, twisted masks as an apparent part of the ritual. The details were hard to make out, but none of the false faces seemed human, or even humanoid in nature. In their hands they held strange charms and tokens, the details unable to be made out, even in the light of the fire. As the ritualistic objects were shaken, however, Link and Tatl could make out odd rattling sounds as they swung back and forth. The two watched as one of the worshippers stopped and let out a familiar sounding scream, one that got Link to keep moving towards the scene before them.
Finally, the unknown watchers settled their eyes on what the Dekus were dancing around. A massive statue that almost shone grey in the firelight as the shadows of its worshippers danced around it. It was clearly ancient as large chunks of it seemed to have fallen off ages ago. The relic itself was a twisted and misshapen object that Link and Tatl could hardly comprehend. As they gazed at it longer, they noticed the one part of it that was painted. A large, bright orange circle with a familiar green iris. The eye of Majora, seeming to stare right into Link's broken blue orbs.
Wasting no more time, Link turn and fled, frantically running as fast as he was able to and not stopping for even a moment until they were at the potion shop's ladder. Tatl finally came out of Link's hat, looking down at the boy as he sat down and worked on catching his breath. "What was all that?!" The fairy asked rhetorically. "I've never heard of anything like that in the Lost Woods. Never!" She couldn't help but feel somewhat shaken, though she couldn't fully explain why.
"A cult…Majora's Cult…" Link murmured, just barely loud enough for Tatl to hear him. "They're still around…"
"What?!" Tatl shouted out, flying in front of Link's face. "Majora's Cult? What are you talking about? Do you know something I don't?"
After fully catching his breath and gathering his thoughts, Link gave in and explained the whole situation. He told her how it started in the odd desert where Twinmold was fought, then the Pinnacle Rock shrine followed by the hidden room by Darmani's grave. "…Majora, or whatever the thing in the mask is called, it's some kind of god. That's what we're trying to fight. Trying to stop. I just…don't know if we can do it."
Tatl simply sat on Link's shoulder, thinking to herself and feeling an icy sensation in her gut. While the fairy had mostly gone to the South and West parts of Termina, along with Clock Town itself, she had never heard of these sorts of things. It made her wonder what other dark secrets were hidden under her nose all this time. She also pondered if those Dekus knew that their chaotic god was currently working on ending their world. Honestly, Tatl wasn't sure if it was better or worse if the cultists were ignorant of it. Either way, she understood Link's worries, but what else was there to do? "It's not like we can give up…We have to at least try and get the Moon stopped…"
"I know. No way I would ever stop." Link clarified, standing up. Ignoring the original reason he even came to this part of the South, the boy started to make his way to Termina Field.
"What are we doing? Giving up on the Cycle?"
"Yes. We're going to Ikana. I'm going to take a look at those ruins." Link explained, much to Tatl's surprise and internal dread.
After slaying Twinmold once again, the giant Hylian made his way towards the lone intact building in the desert realm. Hiding inside Link's much roomier hat, Tatl waited as she felt herself being carried massive distances with each step. After less than a minute, Link arrived at his destination and his hat-space got a lot smaller. Flying out from underneath the garment, Tatl looked at the building that she only knew of from Link's vague descriptions.
The two were at the bottom of a staircase leading into a massive, decayed building. It was the color of the sand that laid around it, full of cracks and holes. An ancient corpse slowly being eaten by the winds around it and time itself. "Why are we doing this?" Tatl asked. "What are you hoping to gain from this?"
"I don't know." Link answered honestly, ascending the steps slowly. "I just have to know what's in there."
"What if it's dangerous?!" Tatl argued, flying in front of Link. "What if there's something in there?"
Without missing a beat, Link pulled out his sword and readied his shield as he walked past Tatl. "Then I'll kill it." Truly, he felt less confident than he was putting on. How else could he cope with the situation?
The fairy once more flew in front of her companion's face. "Stop! Really, you shouldn't go in there!"
To Tatl's slight surprise, Link actually did stop in his tracks. For a moment, he seemed confused before becoming blank-faced again. "Why? Can't be anything worse than Twinmold in there."
"That's not it…" Tatl confessed with a sigh. "I just…don't think it will be good for you to go inside and see what awful secrets are hidden in there." Link simply stared at her, silently urging her to continue. "I don't know if you were even aware, but you looked so horrified when you told me about the shrines you found. I don't think all of this is good for your head. You know what I mean?" It was clear within the first few Cycles that Link wasn't mentally well; he didn't act like kids should. Still, back then he had a cold exterior and kept his emotions and inner thoughts guarded. As time passed, however, it was clear he was mentally degrading, prone to more and more breakdowns as the Cycles flew by. This whole cult business was clearly acting as a strain on him, and she just didn't want it to get worse…
"I have to know what's in there. I'll be fine." Was all the boy said in response as he started back up the stairs again, not noticing that Tatl stayed in place as he went by her.
At a loss, the fairy made a desperate move. "If…If you go in there, I won't go in with you! I'm going to stay right out here!" It was so rare that the two got separated, only doing so when Link went down into Pinnacle Rock, that she actually thought it was be good leverage. To her surprise, that stopped Link in his tracks. There was a pregnant pause, but neither one of them broke it. After a few more moments, Link silently went on. Her bluffed called, Tatl frantically followed after him. "Okay! Okay! I'm coming with you!"
Soon, the staircase was climbed and the two entered the ruins before them. To their surprise, the entrance opened up to a narrow hallway, lined with lit torches. The size of the building made them expect the main entrance to be a vast room of sorts. Still, the two trudged onwards into the dead hallways of the temple. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all unremarkable. If there was any sort of patterns or designs decorating them, the hands of time brushed them away long ago. The only thing to change the series was a series of open passageways off to the sides. Unlike the main hallway, these had no torches to the light the way. That, and though it may just be in the imaginations of Link and Tatl, they heard off scratching sounds from the inky darkness.
They avoided such dangerous paths.
It felt as though the two went on for a full thirty minutes without seeing anything knew. That being said, time had started to lose meaning to them. Events that they swore took place weeks ago would then be recalled to have occurred in just the last Cycle. Things they believed happened that very same Cycle hadn't happened in a month. Everything almost seemed to blend together at times, and then stretch or contract later on. Either way, the two eventually came across a vast room at the end of the hallway. It was easily bigger than all of South Clock Town, maybe even as big as North Clock Town tacked onto it.
Thankfully, dozens of mysteriously lit torches adorned the room's walls and a number of the cracked and crumbling pillars lining the way. Despite all the light, the other end of the room wasn't visible to them, lost in what almost seemed like a physical wall of shadows. "What exactly are you looking for?" Tatl whispered, actually nervous to raise her voice.
Gripping his sword tightly, Link wandered to the walls of the room. "I don't really know." He replied, keeping his voice lowered as well. "I just…need to see what's here."
With that, the two made their way to the right wall of the chamber. On it, as Link was somewhat hoping for, was a series of large murals. Instantly, the boy was reminded of the tapestries in the Pinnacle Rock shrine. The wall showed a city of unusual buildings, though these were a different kind than the ones from before. There was an odd spiral type of motif to the buildings, which perplexed both Link and Tatl. Towers ending in twists, entire buildings that seemed to be in the shape of sea shells, buildings that spiraled up like a nail, among other strange patterns. Like with the Pinnacle Rock shrine, it looked as if most of the buildings would topple over if applied in the real world, though notably all the inhabitants painted onto the wall her humans. One thing of note is that all seemed to be going in one direction, running frantically in fact. Terror and dread plastered on their small faces as they all retreated from…something.
Going down the wall, the mural showed more of the same scenery. More buildings, more people fleeing in terror, though as the artwork went on, fires started to rage throughout the city. Eventually, the duo got to the mural's end and could only stare at what they saw. Past the burning buildings was a somewhat familiar mass of chaos that the two had seen in the Lost Woods and that Link alone had seen in the Pinnacle Rock shrine. A massive monstrosity that didn't belong in any world was destroying the city, a single orange eye staring outward towards the empty room. Majora. Link and Tatl both thought the same thing: Was this mural showing an actual, historical event?
Sure, it could simply be a fictitious religious story, one that perhaps warned what may happen if Majora was not worshipped properly and grew angry with its followers. Yet Majora was less than three days from destroying Termina, so the two knew full well that it was capable of untold horrors. What if Termina wasn't the first world it was aiming to destroy? After all, if there were two worlds, why couldn't there be three? Four? Heck, hundreds or even thousands of worlds? Why not? How many had Majora destroyed? At least one, if that mural was correct.
Turning around, the two opted to skip over the wall on the opposite end of the room. The duo feared it would simply be the same type of artwork showing a world being uprooted by an entity beyond their comprehension. Instead, they went towards the wall opposite the entrance. It was there that the final shrine to the Cult of Majora was found.
The scene before them was more horrifically grandiose than the shrines that Link found or the ritualistic scene in the Lost Woods. Before them was a massive altar made of dusty, but still pure, gold. Diamonds, rubies, sapphires, jewels and gems of all kinds adorned the pristine and perfectly crafted object. On it laid what the two could only guess were sacrifices to Majora; yet more riches and precious metals, the bones of some creature that had long since rotted away, dried out herbs and spices, and an urn similar to the one in the Pinnacle Rock cave. Besides them lied three large tomes of various sizes which had all grown dusty and withered over untold centuries of existence.
Above the shrine was the final artwork of this cult that the duo would ever lay eyes on. A large, black mass with two maddened orange eyes descending upon yet another bizarre looking city. Unlike before, the city here was too small to make out many of the details. In addition, the artwork showed the land around the city, with forests, hills, even a second city off to the side of the painting. The mass, Majora, was also a bit different. Like with the shrine to the North, it was very simple looking, simply a giant shadow with eyes. What was different here, though, was the gaping, yawning maw it had stretched open. The image's meaning spoke to Link and Tatl loud and clear. Majora simply wasn't a destroyer.
It was a Devourer of Worlds.
At the very least, that was if the painting before them was accurate. Then again, what polarizing evidence did they have? After all, the image of a massive, orange-eyed entity with a large mouth descending on the world below it brought mental images of the Moon within the boy and fairy. Majora didn't simply want to destroy Termina, it planned to devour its corpse. A revolting, smacking mouth constantly hungry for more was the fate of Termina if Link failed to destroy the dark god. Everyone would die and Majora would feast on the remains. Maybe, just maybe, that's what this desert realm was, the remains of the last world that the entity consumed. Nothing left but sand, ash, and some ruins.
"Link…Link…We should leave. Now." Tatl said, using every fiber of her being to keep her voice leveled and calm. "Please. Just…play the Song of Time. Please get us out of here."
It took Link to realize that Tatl was even talking to him. He slowly turned to the fairy. "I'm sorry. I should never have come in here. Never again. I won't focus on this disgusting cult anymore. I promise." He too had to fight to keep himself calm, every fiber of his body screaming at him to retreat from the building.
Seconds later, the clock reversed once more.
The next Cycle was devoted to rest. Mentally and physically, the duo was burnt out. It was a very quiet three days and the two barely talked to each other. What was there to say? Their minds were on the same wavelength. Majora was a far more opposing threat than they ever imagined, and there was little hope of killing a god. What else could they do, though? Give up? Just roll over and die? Not a chance. As terrified as the two were, they knew they were the only hope that Termina had. That, and if the Perfect Cycle was achieved, the Four Giants would surely fight with them.
Still, the two felt senses of unease as the three days went by. The knowledge that Majora was worshipped, that it still had worshippers, haunted them. They did everything they could not to think about the whole ordeal, but they found it difficult not to. Images of the murals and the Dekus with their grotesque statue snuck into their minds, especially as they slept. There was the eventual acceptance of it all, however. There was a brief conversation of going to ask the Happy Mask Salesman about all of what they discovered, but they agreed it would most likely be fruitless. Surely if he had known the things they knew now he would have told them, right? He clearly had some knowledge of just how dangerous the mask was, yet didn't even name the tribe it originated from, so perhaps his knowledge truly was very limited. After that talk, the two felt as morose as ever.
Despite the feelings of despair, all that had happened in relations to the cult changed nothing. Their foe didn't grow any more powerful than when they started. The two had no idea how, but they were determined to put an end to Majora. So, the two rested and got their bearings together. In the next Cycle, the duo trudged onward, focusing on trying to get the Moon stopped and the Four Giants freed. As the Cycles went by, they managed to put the cult out of their minds, or at least staved off thinking of such horrors as best as they could, and they kept trying to achieve that Perfect Cycle.
Truly, the fight rested on Link's shoulders more than Tatl's, something she felt guilt for, but there was nothing she could do to actually fight alongside him. Fairies were simply not built for combat, and at times it felt as if Tatl was only there to keep her companion encouraged and sane. If asked, Link would have told her that she was going against Majora just as hard as he was. He knew the loops were affecting her, just as they did him. She flew through snowstorms and was at risk from monsters just as he was, after all. In addition, the Cycles took their toll on her mentally as well, even if she didn't have breakdowns like the Hylian did. Whether it was Link alone or both him and Tatl, fighting against a mad, dark god seemed like a fruitless effort, but the two of them had to keep trying with everything they had.
After all, what else could they do?