Chapter 4: The Long Journey Begins

The next day, the weather cleared up to be more comfortable to go out in. Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru are on their way to the Mountain Village near Snowhead, after visiting the Clock Town's Great Fairy's Fountain, where the Great Fairy completely healed their wounds using her own magic. Still, the five decided to keep a low profile in order to prevent another attack from happening.
"Wow, you sure weren't kidding when you said it was cold here..." Saria said, shivering as the group walked through the snow-covered path.
"Are you sure we're headed the right way, Link?" Nabooru asked.
"I am really sure, Nabooru. Look, there's the house right up ahead." Link said, pointing to a lone house in a grassy field, in contrast to the snow-covered path from before.
"It looks like that they are in business already." Zelda said, blinking as the group enters the house.
"Ah, Welcome! It's been a while we've had a few customers. " Zubora, the smaller blacksmith said.
"Is it that bad?" Link asked, scratching his head.
"Well, business is real easy these days, especially after yesterday's weather," Zubora replied, "anyway, what can I do for you?"
"We'd like to have our blades upgraded, please. It's not my blade that's of concern here, but those of my friends'." Link said.
"That's no big deal, but you know about the Razor Sword, right?" Zubora asked.
"Yes, so I already have a few bottles with top-quality of Gold Dust with me here. " Link said, producing a few bottles of Gold Dust.
"Gold Dust? How did you get that, Link?" Zelda asked, blinking.
"Back when I was in Termina, I participated in these Goron Races while inhabiting the body of a Goron myself. A bottle of Gold Dust would be given to those who would win that race." Link casually replied.
"Wow, so you've been saving that up?" Saria asked.
"Yes, I've hidden it in the case I or you would need it. I've participated in some extra tournaments before making my leave to Hyrule back then to get this amount."
"That is amazing!" Zubora said as he examined a bottle of Gold Dust, "This is real top quality. We will get to work on this right away, but it will take at least a few days."
"That's okay. As long as it gets done right, then it's all good, right?" Nabooru asked.
"Exactly. I pledge my word that your blades, when upgraded, will never break and will at least inflict TWICE the damage your current blades are doing if you would use them now." Zubora said.
"Alright then, I wish you good luck." Zelda said, before the group leaves the Mountain Blacksmith's house.

"What are we going to do now, Link? You still have your sword, but…" Nabooru said.
"We'll head back to Clock Town to do some shopping and light training first. After that, I want to take you on a cruise along the Southern Swamp, before we continue our training there." Link said, smiling.
"That sounds good to me. A bit of relaxing to get some decent rest before training again..." Zelda said.
"Do you plan to show us a bit around Termina, Link?" Saria asked, being intrigued by the whole area itself.
"As long as nothing serious will happen and does not involve Ikana Canyon, then yes." Link said, making the others chuckle.
"Sweet! Do we get to visit the Zoras too?" Ruto asked, being curious to meet her fellows in Termina.
"Why not? The Zora Hall is at Great Bay, though, so it may take some time before we get there." Link said.
"Awesome!" Ruto said, jumping with joy.
"But first to Clock Town again, right?" Nabooru asked.
"Yes. There's a few games we can play there which will reward us with some better or new equipment that we may need." Link said.
"Alright, we should be ready for anything."
"True that." Zelda said.

With the group back on their way back to Clock Town, they took a moment to observe the landscape around them.
"Wow, this looks so different compared to Hyrule." Zelda commented.
"It is, huh? The place even left me baffled when I first traveled around these parts." Link said.
"The people seem different here as well, there are things here that I have never seen before back in Hyrule." Zelda replied.
"I'll say, I'm more surprised at the people being so tolerant as well…" Nabooru said.
"I think it's because they saw you doing your best to protect us. They may now know about our origins so it's likely they could have seen you as someone whom was watching over us or something." Link said.
"Hmmm, I see your point." Nabooru said.
"Link, I've seen you staring up at the sky every now and then. Is there something wrong?" Saria asked, concerned.
"Well, time was off the essence when I was in Termina the first time, since I was trying to prevent the moon from landing on Clock Town. It has left quite an impact on me as a whole, because during those cycles, that moon was hanging in the air, inching closer and closer to Clock Town… but the face it sported unsettled me the most… all because of Majora." Link said.
The others blinked at this. Was there a bit of shame… or fear… or even paranoia in that statement?
"I don't blame you, kid," Nabooru then said, "you've been practically going through a lot more events than we possibly can imagine, so such behavior is logical since you must have seen quite a lot of horrific events. Heck, I actually understand how you must be feeling now…"
"You do?" Link asked.
"Yes. I've had some time where I was constantly watching my back just to be sure that those old witches wouldn't come to try and brainwash me again like they did to me before." Nabooru said.
"Dang, and here I thought being sealed inside a crystal prison, being forced to watch the battle from above was bad enough…" Zelda said, doing a double-take herself.
"Had it not been for Sheik, I would have been trapped under a thick ice sheet with the rest of my people…" Ruto added.
"And I've been under attack while trying to investigate what was going on at the Forest Temple…" Saria butted in.
"So we all have had our fair share of traumatic events…" Link said, blinking as the group decided to head directly to the Southern Swamp to relax for a bit before going into town.
"Yes. And I have a feel that we might face some more in the upcoming time. But if we stick together, we should be able to overcome them, no matter what." Nabooru said.
"That's something I would say." Link said with a sly grin.
"Heh, everyone of us is a hero in their own way." Nabooru said with a smirk.

About an hour later, the group was in the Southern Swamp, relaxing their legs and feet in the soothing water of the swamp, having decided to work out a plan to get their upgrades in an orderly fashion more properly without the townspeople eavesdropping on them.
"Alright, what's first?" Saria asked.
"The Southern Swamp has a Shooting Gallery we can visit. We can use that to improve our skills in using the bow and arrow and, in your case, the Slingshot." Link said.
"That's right, I did have my Slingshot with me, having it stashed in my pocket. " Saria said, nodding
"We can also work to deposit the Rupees at the bank; perhaps with a joint account, we could set up some lifesavings in case we need it. Clock Town has multiple shops around too, including one where they only sell bombs and related articles." Link said.
"By the way, I noticed a bar when we left the town. I've never heard of a bar before…" Zelda said.
"It's a place where people can drink together and where they can enjoy music as far as I could tell. I've visited the place a couple of times and I have to say, the milk they serve there is quite exquisite." Link said.
"How so?" Saria asked.
"They have a special kind of milk known as 'Chateau Romani'. According to those who make it, it's said to be quite healthy and very energizing too. Some claim it allowed them to use their magic attacks for a full 3 days after consuming it." Link said.
"For 3 whole days?!" Ruto asked, blinking.
"Yes. It's pretty radical, I know, but I must admit that it tastes great, although it costs 200 Rupees for one bottle…" Link said.
The others nodded, wondering if they could taste it for themselves.
"So, where will be going first?" Saria asked.
"The Old Hag's Potion Shop is up ahead. Imagine my surprise of finding out that Kotake is running that shop." Link said.
"Kotake?! Are you serious?!" Nabooru asked, looking at Link as if she was hoping he was joking.
"You bet. It appears that she and Koume both may have reformed and settled down in Termina for business."
"Wow." Zelda said, blinking.
"Wait, do you smell that?!" Saria asked, picking up a scent that is somehow familiar to her.
" What is it?" Ruto asked.
"I'm smelling something odd... as if I'm picking up some forest material." Saria said, getting up.
"I'm smelling it too. We should check it out." Link said.
"Where does it come from?" Zelda asked.
"It gets closer whenever we move to the other side of that house in the swamp." Saria said, pointing to the right, where also an owl statue stood. Heading towards it, the five went to investigate where the smell came from.
Grabbing an empty bag, Nabooru snatched what she could regarding the source of the smell, before examining it. "Ooooh, that's a real strong odor." She said as she opened the bag.
"What is it?" Zelda asked.
"Let's see..." Saria said as she peeks in the bag, "that is definitely forest material alright. I've seen similar mushrooms back at Kokiri Forest on occasion."
"Mushrooms, you say? Then I know the exact address of where to deliver them. It's the Old Hag's Potion Shop, but we have to cross the water to get there." Link said, pointing to the direction behind him.
"A little swim can't do us any harm." Zelda said, having dressed in a more civilian-type of outfit to remain unsuspected.
"Let's go." Ruto said, eager to venture further in the water.
With Link leading the way, the five went towards the north-east of their current position, through the water first, after passing through a corridor, where they came across the Old Hag's Potion Shop.

Climbing towards the Potion Shop using the ladder, Link and the girls reached the entrance to the shop.
"I am glad we're away from the Stone Tower and its Temple." Link said, shuddering.
"How so?" Saria asked, curious.
"Back when I first explored it and regained the Light Arrows, I had to shoot the blood-red emblems located in the Temple itself to progress. This caused both the Stone Tower and the Temple itself to LITERALLY flip upside down!"
"YIKES! That must have been weird!" Zelda said, blinking at it.
"You bet it was. I had a funny feeling underneath the soles of my feet through that moment; one mistake on my part could make me fall into the air." Link said, shuddering again before he opened the door.

The group entered the shop, where they saw Kotake a bit sleeping about. Link moved forward, after which Kotake woke up, hearing the footsteps. Nabooru instinctively nearly grabbed her sword, but Zelda stopped her.
"Oh, wow! So many customers already? And what is that smell?" Kotake asked, before Link gave her the mushroom, "hey, those are some real fresh mushrooms! I'll be able to brew something good for you in turn."
"Weren't you in the Spirit Temple first?" Nabooru asked, ignoring the look Zelda gave her.
"We were, but ever since Ganondorf became too greedy after his intentions were made clear and as such got sealed away in that realm, we had little use for that temple anymore, so Koume and I have basically 'retired' and decided to settle down here in Termina to open up our business here. Koume is the host of the Southern Swamp Tour." Kotake said.
"Was Ganondorf too hard even for you to control?" Zelda asked, being confused.

"Oh yes. His desire to gain more power was getting a bit too nasty at times. Especially after obtaining the Triforce of Power did this become even worse. It is a... sensitive subject for us on that note. I admit that we used to be his surrogate mothers since we're of the same race, but at times I do wonder if we have spoiled him too much. The decision to settle down was strengthened when that weird mask-wielding imp almost crippled Koume. I gave Link the potion needed for her recovery, which he did." Kotake said.
"Link?" Zelda asked, blinking.
"I did help her out, as I feel that there are people who can change for good if they try." Link said.
"So you have decided to give them a second chance, huh?" Saria asked.
"That I did. I may be a nice guy, but to be honest, I don't take kindly to people who stab others in the back. I've already told myself back then that if someone who would stab me in the back, I'd deal with them personally." Link said.
"Alright. The brewing may take some time, but I'll eventually may have made a decent medicine for you all so you'll be able to recover quicker if needed. This sample will be given for free as a sign of my good faith." Kotake said.
"Alright then. Take care of yourself." Link said as the group went to leave.
"I will. And if you need a tour around the swamp, feel free to look up my sister at the Swamp Tourist Information Center. She also may challenge you to a game if you feel like it." Kotake said.
The group smiled with a nod, before leaving the shop, moving back to Clock Town.
"Things have been rather easy so far, don't you think?" Ruto asked as they ventured once more through the water.
"I agree, but we shouldn't jinx it. It's likely that our nemeses are occupied with rebuilding their fortress and increasing security on it even more, to a level where it would be impossible for one to venture in there to confront them by themselves." Link said.
"True, knowing what those two are capable of…" Zelda said.

Later on, the children decided to have a bit of fun with exercising a bit in Termina field, working on their condition and stamina while Nabooru was watching them closely, going so far as to sneak up behind the present Takkuri bird at the ranch and booted it against a tree while it tried to attack Zelda.
"Piss off." Nabooru snarled at the bird, whom flew away towards the place where the Curiosity shop was in Clock Town to have its wounds treated.
Over the course of the day, Link upgraded his main bank account in Clock Town to make it a joint account for his friends, while also showing them the Shooting Gallery in Clock Town that allowed them to train their archery skills. This was very helpful for both Zelda and Saria in particular as they did improve on their reaction time and accuracy after some trial and error. They repeated this with the Swamp Shooting Gallery as well as Koume's Swamp Challenge, with Link smiling at the progress they made. By the end of the day, the five were found inside the Latte Milk Bar, thanks to Link donning his Romani Mask (which Saria and Zelda found cute) to allow them entry, chatting together while sipping each from a bottle of milk.
"You know, I haven't thought much about it due to us being occupied at that time, I think I may have seen something back when we did the Shooting Game with Koume back at the Southern Swamp. Something that seemed out of place." Link said to Zelda as the others were chatting with each other.
"What do you think is going on there?" Zelda asked.
"I know as much as you do on that, but perhaps either the Deku Royal Family residing there could be in another uproar, or the Spider House I once cleared out there may be infested again, I really don't know for sure. Things have changed now that we've been transported here." Link said, to which Zelda nodded.
"You think that our nemeses may be responsible for that?" She asked.
"That could be very likely. They could even be sadistic enough to let us go through that bloody Stone Tower again." Link said.
"How so?"
"Passing through the Stone Towers is hard enough; one has to use switches to align boxes perfectly to make a bridge to a different section, but the switch can only remain in place when something remained on top of the switch, like a block or a person. As there was no such thing around the switches to help, I was, thanks to a tip from a Garo Ninja, forced to head with the alternative. It required me to play a song of a soldier who has no heart, a soldier who will not succumb to the Darkness. That song is known as the 'Elegy of Emptiness', which has been taught to me by none other than Igos du Ikana, formerly King of the Ikana Kingdom himself."
"'Elegy of Emptiness'? What does it do?"
"When played, the song basically creates a 'statue' of the one playing the song, the statue being modeled after the body the player currently inhabits. It can be someone like you and me, but it can be also a Deku, a Goron, a Zora or even a Gerudo for that matter. Anyway, that statue acts as a replacement for a weight in case we may need one." "Very interesting. And what about the Temple itself?" Zelda asked.
"The Stone Tower Temple is basically a dead-end temple, unless one possesses the Light Arrows. As the Garo Master, whom I had defeated in combat during my exploration of the temple said to me: 'If you shoot that which releases the sacred golden light into the blood-stained, red emblem outside the temple... it shall rearrange things, in which the earth is born in the heavens and the moon is born on the earth'."
"So by shooting the Light Arrows at these blood-stained emblems outside the temple, it turned the whole thing upside down?!" Zelda asked, now understanding what Link had told before.
"Exactly. And not just the Temple; the ENTIRE Stone Tower area was turned upside down as well. It was really mind-boggling to me too." Link said.
"Geez, I've heard about certain temples being quite a challenge to overcome, but whoa; that is insane!"
"I know, right? Couple that with the lives of pretty much EVERYONE in Termina as well as my own being at stake due to that frigging moon…" Link said.
"Oh my. You truly are a hero for having pulled through such a crisis of that magnitude…" Zelda said, finding her respect for Link flying up through the roof.
"You have no idea how many times I've found myself thanking you and the Goddess of Time… you for giving me the Ocarina of Time and the Goddess of Time for coming to my aid whenever I needed her…" Link said, seeing the bartender coming to them, thus being unaware of a slight blush creeping on Zelda's face for remembering her through the Ocarina…
"You two seem quite close together." The Bartender said.
"Well, we are technically childhood friends." Link said with a smile.
"Oh really? With the way you were conversing together, I thought it ran deeper than that…" The bartender teasingly said, amused as both Link and Zelda's faces turned red as they blushed at this, unable to find the words to deny this.
"Just kidding with you two," He then said, calming the two down, "anyway, since I haven't had so many customers at once in my bar at a time, I'm giving you something on the house: a free sample of the Chateau Romani."
The bartender then produces five bottles of Chateau Romani, which the group itself accepted.
"What is this?" Ruto asked.
"This is the Chateau Romani, the finest vintage of milk that is only here available. It's normally quite expensive, but it's well worth it." The Bartender said.
"Thanks, do you mind if we keep it with us for later?" Link asked.
"Of course. Just make sure you store it somewhere cool." The bartender said, smiling.
"Thank you." Zelda said, before the group decided to call it a day and left the bar.

Once back at the inn, they stored their newly acquired drinks in the chest to keep it cool, deciding to take it easy and plan things accordingly for tomorrow.
"Link, can you tell us about your first fight against Majora?" Zelda then asked.
"It was freaky to say the least," Link said, "first I had to deal with the mask itself. Seeing a mask float around with these tendrils sticking from its back wasn't something you see all day. Halfway through the battle, the remains of the main Temple monsters I've slain came to life to attack me as well. I got rid of them first, before I dealt with Majora's Mask itself. But once I defeated it, the madness began."
"How so?" Saria asked.
"The Mask began to grow skinny legs and feet as well as a small, one-eyed head, which then began to run around like crazy, doing different sorts of weird dance moves and occasionally trying to hit me with a barrage of energy blasts. He was, surprisingly, more easy to deal with. But then..." Link said, shuddering visibly.

"What happened then?" Ruto asked, obviously hooked by the story.
"When I had defeated Majora's Incarnation, as the form was called, it began to throb. Its arms and legs began to fill up, growing in mass as it were, followed by the generation of a new head and tentacles appeared on his 'hands' which he could use to whip me with them. He was also much more menacing and harder to beat, forcing me to use the one thing I couldn't imagine using." Link said.
"And what would that be?" Nabooru asked, listening.
"It is a mask that I still have around here somewhere. It's called the Fierce Deity's Mask." Link said.
"The Fierce Deity's Mask?!" Zelda asked, going bug-eyed.
"Yes, the Fierce Deity's Mask. Majora gave it to me as he was still thinking I was wanting to 'play' with him as he saw everything as a game. To be honest, when I put the mask on, I felt as if an Oni took control of me and gave me the power I needed to slay Majora and ensure that Termina would not be destroyed by the moon." Link asked.
"And you still have that mask?"
"Yes. I honestly am afraid of the mask itself, given the form it put me in as a result. Thankfully I only used it for that single fight, but I have the distinct feeling of that I may need it anytime soon. I have the best hopes of not having to use it, but I can't help to think otherwise. So I am asking your help with this."
"What do you want us to do?" Saria asked, growing concerned for her childhood friend.
"It may be hard, but I was wondering if you, with the help of the remaining sages, can see if the mask can be purified, so that I will not be corrupted by the enormous power that dwells within the mask itself. I have the self-control to remove the mask after using it for a short time, but I don't want to be overtaken by it." Link practically pleaded, showing that he was afraid of becoming corrupted by the mask after using it in this crisis, thus leading his friends and himself into danger that could mean their deaths.
"Link, we will be more than happy to try that for you. You have helped us in the time of need, so it would be bad of us to not return the favor. I believe you when you feel that mask may be needed soon, so we'll help in purifying the mask for you." Zelda said, vowing to help her friend in this.
Saria, Ruto and Nabooru nodded, agreeing with Zelda.
"Thank you, this does mean a lot to me." Link said, his charismatic smile infecting the girls as it made them smile in kind.
The group decided to take a rest to be refreshed for the coming day.
"So, what are the plans for tomorrow?" Nabooru asked.
"We'll head for the Great Bay area next to visit the Zora population there." Link said, making Ruto smile.
"Sweet! I can't wait to see people from my kind in this land." She said.
Link smiled, before he laid down in his bed to sleep, as did the others.