Chapter 8: Mario

"Hey, Eraf, what about this one?" Mario whispered, pointing to a shield. Mario was standing by a stall at the market, and the stall owner was a few feet to the left, attending another customer.

"Hrmm..." Eraf frowned at the shield. "Nah. It'll fall apart in no time flat. Don't go looking for cheap deals, Mario. I've got enough rupees to buy a decent shield from the Bazaar."

"Yeah, but, can you afford anything else?"

"A couple of things, maybe. Why?"

"You never know what we might need."

"I guess so. We've already got three bottles, which should be fine. Go pick up a nice shield from the bazaar, and after that, we'll see." Mario nodded, and entered the bazaar. A large, surly man stood at the counter, and leered down at Mario.

"Good afternoon." He rumbled politely. "How can I help you?"

"Uh...shield." Mario said stupidly. The man was very intimidating.

"Shield, huh?" The man grunted, reaching underneath the counter. He hefted a shield up. "This one do?"

"Uh... y-yeah, looks fine." Mario took the shield. It was blue, with a red bird-like emblem, and various other markings.

"It looks more than fine, boy. Heroes across the ages have used that brand of shield. The knights of Hyrule use them, too. It's called a Hylian Shield. It'll never do you wrong. And, it's a bargain at five-hundred rupees."

"Five hundred?" Mario asked, reaching into his front pocket. He felt Eraf place some rupees in his hand. He withdrew it, and saw five silver rupees, which he handed over to the man.

"Good." He grunted, taking the rupees. "Thanks."

"Uh... thank you." Mario replied, and left the store as quickly as he could, trying not to look like he was fleeing.

"That man isn't scary, Mario." Eraf snorted.

"He wasn't leering at you."

"He wasn't leering at all. That's just the way he is."

"Oh yeah? Do you know him?"

"No. I can tell."

"Right. How much do you have left?"

"Uh..." She fell silent for a moment. "About two hundred. Maybe we should hold on to it?"

"Maybe. Let's just have a look around anyway. We might see something."

"Alright." And so, Mario started walking around, looking at the various shops and market stalls. One in particular caught his eye: The Happy Mask Shop. He walked toward it. "Hey, Mario, come on." Eraf groaned. "We're here to buy supplies, not kid stuff." However, Mario had already entered the shop.

"Welcome, welcome!" The man at the counter cried gleefully, smiling widely. "Welcome to The Happy Mask Shop, where smiles are free, and happiness abounds!"

"Uh... yeah." Mario said, looking around. "These are... cool masks."

"Yes, indeed they are." The man said happily. "Please, feel free to browse."

"Thank you." Mario replied, walking over to a shelf. Five minutes later, Eraf almost leapt out of his pocket.

"That mask!" She shrieked, pointing to a shelf.

"Which one?"

"That one! The one with white hair!" Mario looked, and saw which one she meant. It had a mean look on its face, with white hair and red tribe-like markings on its cheeks, like war-paint.

"What about it?"

"It's the Fierce Deity mask! There are legends about how a Link from before used that mask, and it gave him superpowers."

"Superpowers?" Mario asked. "Are you sure it's not just a copy?"

"No, it definitely isn't. I can sense the magic."

"Oh, has the magic been restored?" A voice said next to them. Mario jumped, and looked beside him. The shop owner was stood next to him, looking at the mask. "Interesting. Your fairy friend has a good sense."

"Uh... whu-whu-wh-wh-what fairy?" Mario stammered.

"Why, the one who has been hiding in your front pocket. Come on out, miss fairy." Eraf peered over the top of Mario's pocket.

"How did you know I was here?" Eraf asked timidly.

"I have a knack for finding fairies. Ever since I met that young boy and his fairy friend in Termina."

"You mean Link?"

"Yes, I believe that was his name."

"But... that was hundreds of years ago!" Eraf protested.

"Only two-hundred, dear. Not really that long ago."

"How can you live that long?"

"The same way the Great Deku Tree can, and the Great Fairies, and Ganondorf himself. Magic."

"You... have magic?"

"Yes. When Link got back Majora's Mask for me, I was given a longer life. I think perhaps the mask itself extended my life, but I can't be sure. Either way, I have lived for over two-hundred and fifty years, without aging a day. Would you like this mask, Sir?" He asked Mario.

"Uh..." Mario stared at him.

"Take it, Mario." Eraf insisted.

"Yeah, alright. How much?"

"A mere fifty rupees for one such as yourself." The man said jovially. Mario gave him the rupees, and gave Eraf the mask to look after.

"Where is Majora's Mask now?" Eraf asked.

"Alas, it has been stolen again. Should you ever happen across it, would be so kind as to return it to me?"

"Sure, no problem." Mario said. "Well, we'd better get going."

"I can't believe we found the Fierce Deity mask!" Eraf said excitedly as the pair made their way to Zora's River. "I'm so glad you decided to go into that shop, Mario!"

"What is this mask?" Yoshi asked Eraf.

"It's a magic mask, Yoshi." Eraf told him. "It gives its wearer special powers."

"Oh, like the mushrooms and Fire Flowers from back home?"

"Uh... well, I don't know what they do, so..."

"Mushrooms make Mario and his friends grow to several times their normal size, and Fire Flowers let them throw fireballs. There're other items, like some sort of feather, which do other things. But Mario mostly uses the mushrooms and Fire Flowers. I think Mario may be able to explain better."

"I'll ask him some time."

"Hey, Eraf." Mario said suddenly.

"Yes?" She replied, looking up at him.

"Are there any dangerous monsters along the Zora river?"

"Well...there's Octorocks, but they're nothing dangerous. Just knock their rocks back at them, and don't get too close."

"Why not?"

"Because they disappear underwater, then pop up again as soon as your back's turned. Luckily, they make quite a splash when they come up, so you should be able to hear them."

"Right. Anything else?"

"Not... really. The odd skulltula, maybe."

"What about Zora's Domain?"

"There's only Zoras there. They won't hurt you unless you attack them."

"So, they're friendly?"

"Duh. I said their king would help us, didn't I?"

"In a sense." Mario admitted. "So... will I have to speak to them alone?"

"If you want to. They're used to fairies, so I can talk if you don't know what to say."

"That'd be great. I have no idea what how to talk to them, or what to ask for. What are we going there for, anyway?"

"The Zora Tunic."

"Uh?"

"It lets you breathe underwater. Actually, they should have the Iron Boots, too. They let you sink to the bottom of water. Useful, especially in the Water Temple."

"Oh, that reminds me."

"Of what?"

"Have you had Yoshi sniff the Tota yet?"

"Oh, I haven't!" Eraf gasped. She then spoke to Yoshi in fairy tongue. "Yoshi, stop for a moment. I want you to try and get a scent of the Tota."

"Alright." Yoshi said, stopping. Eraf made the Tota hover in front of his nose. "Could you drop it on the floor? The magic is giving off too strong a scent for me to focus."

"Right. Sorry." She lowered the Tota to the floor, then released it from her magic. Yoshi poked it with his bulbous nose, then sniffed. He sniffed continually for a few moments, then raised his head and sniffed the air, before sniffing the Tota again. He repeated this for almost an hour, before speaking again.

"I can definitely smell three more stones." He told Eraf.

"Can you tell you where?"

"One smells like it's in a lake, one smells like it's near sand, and the other smells..." He groped for a word. "Smokey. It's kinda hard to describe... it's not like normal smoke, but... I can clearly smell the burning. There's... something else, but I can't place it."

"Thank you, Yoshi." Eraf said. Then she spoke to Mario. "There's definitely a Tota in the Water and Sand Temples. The other is most likely in the Fire Temple. But, there's a slight chance it's in the Shadow Temple."

"What makes you say that?"

"Yoshi said he smells smoke near it, but the smoke isn't normal. It's possible that he's smelling the poison clouds in the Shadow Temple."

"So, it's trial and error?"

"Yeah..." She spoke to Yoshi again. "Do you think you can give us a general direction?"

"The smoke is coming from..." He sniffed again, then turned to his left. "There." He pointed. Eraf looked, and saw the path that led to Kakariko Village, and ultimately, Death Mountain.

"That... dammit, that doesn't help does it?" She frowned. "Both the Shadow and Fire Temples are that way... I should've thought about that."

"Don't worry too much, Eraf. After we get the first two, we can go there, and see if Yoshi can be a little more precise."

"I... I guess." Eraf sighed sadly. "Let's hurry, then." She took the Tota, and Mario urged Yoshi along.

After a while, they came to a river that ran through a short cave.

"I can't go there." Yoshi said to Eraf. "For a start, I can't squeeze along that bank, and I can't swim. Second, I don't think these Zora people would be pleased about seeing a creature as strange as me. They might get supsicious of Mario."

"You've got a point." Eraf sighed. She looked up at Mario. "It's just us from here on, Mario. Yoshi can't go any further."

"I know, Eraf." Mario told her. "He can't swim." He was climbing down as he spoke. "Ask him to wait." Then, Yoshi nudged him, and sat down. Mario laughed. "Of course you'll wait, won't you? I'll be as quick as I can." He promised.

"See you soon, Yoshi."

"Safe journey." Yoshi said to her. "I'll still be here when you get back."

"Good day, Ganondorf." Eo said. Ganondorf wheeled around to face him. The two were in Ganondorfs' castle in the Dark World.

"You took long enough." He grumbled.

"Any luck finding the Princess?" Eo asked, ignoring Ganondorfs' comment.

"...no." Ganondorf said resentfully. "I can't believe she wasn't in her castle. She never leaves!"

"Maybe she was forewarned?"

"I doubt that. But I'll find her. Even if I have to look myself."

"And how do you propose to do that? Don't forget, you're still trapped here in the Dark World. It'll be a while before you're powerful enough to break out. Your best bet would be to wait for that outsider to open the gates."

"But, with the monsters you send at him, he'll probably won't survive the Water Temple. Why send such strong creatures, when he needs to survive so he can release me?"

"Oh, don't go worrying about that. He'll not die easily. And once you're free, you can destroy him, then go and kidnap your precious Zelda."

"We'll need Link, too." Ganondorf reminded him. "He has the other part of the Triforce. If we don't have him, then we can't achieve-"

"Don't worry." Eo cut in. "Things are going exactly as they should."

"Our goal." Ganondorf finished. "Which you've yet to tell me."

"All in good time, my friend. Focus on restoring your strength, and making more monsters for me. I'll tell you what we're working towards when it's time for you to fulfill your role."

"I barely trust you, but I suppose I have no choice. Where's that annoying turtle of yours?"

"Turtle?" A new voice said. "That's rude. I'm a tortoise." Lakitu was floating on his cloud, near the door.

"How's Link doing?" Eo asked him.

"Well, all things considered. He's almost at the castle. He'll arrive right on schedule." Lakitu replied. "How are things here?"

"Mario is on his way to see the King of Zoras." Ganondorf said. "That horse-freak of his is moving him along faster than I like."

"That's not a problem." Eo told him. "I'll just make sure that he spends a little longer in the temples. And besides, Yoshi is still adapting to this world, so he's not going that much faster. Also, let's not forget that I have an extra helper."

"So you keep saying." Ganondorf snapped. "Who is this helper?"

"That's none of your concern."

"Dammit, Eo!" Ganondorf exploded. "You're keeping too many secrets from me! You never tell me what's happening with Link, where this outsider is, what the plan is, the goal, or who your mysterious helper is! You just tell me to make monsters every so often! This has gone far enough!"

"You surprise me, Ganondorf." Eo replied calmly. "You were once king of the Gerudo Thieves. You're the Evil King of Darkness. Surely you of all people should know about secrets, and how sometimes they need to be kept? I'd be willing to bet my life that you're keeping a few things from me." Ganondorf glared at him. After a few moments, he looked away with sigh.

"Whatever, Eo. I'll keep my mouth closed for the time being. In the meantime, I'd appreciate it if you'd leave. I'm expecting a report soon. Take whatever creature you want to put in the Water Temple, and leave me be."

"Very well." Eo agreed. "I'll be back later. I hope the news will be positive this time." He disappeared in a flash, leaving Ganondorf with Lakitu.

"Say, Ganon." Lakitu said.

"What?" Ganondorf snapped.

"Ever heard of the Fierce Deity Mask?"

"The what? No, I haven't."

"Oh. How odd."

"What is it?"

"That's why I'm asking, Ganon. Mario's got it. All I know is it's got some sort of magic. The fairy was very excited about it."

"Almost everything in Hyrule has some form of magic. And those fairies get excited about anything outside the forest. Don't worry too much about it."

"Alright, if you insist. I'll be leaving now."

"Don't hurry back." Ganondorf growled.

"No worries there." Lakitu replied with a smile, before flying out the window.

The Skull Kid stood near the river mouth, wearing the mask, and staring at Yoshi.

"I hope that stone is in the Shadow Temple. Then, I'll be able to eliminate that guy easily." He said to himself.

"Don't count on that." A voice said behind him.

"It's been a while, Lakitu." Skull Kid said without looking.

"How's that mask working out for you?"

"It's not. The magic isn't coming to me. I should be fine in the Shadow Temple, though. Majora's Mask feeds off darkness, and the temple is full of the stuff."

"You might want to be careful. That place is full of really strong monsters."

"The mask can handle it easily."

"Assuming you can use it."

"I..." Skull Kid turned around, then sighed. "I don't understand why the mask doesn't work. Eo was supposed to have revived the magic, so why isn't working?"

"Maybe it needs time to sort itself out? Remember, the darkness left the mask for a long time. I'd guess it needs time to re-adjust to it."

"It might. I mean, sometimes I feel like the magic is coming, but then it disappears."

"Maybe you should take it off for a while? Your presence might be hindering it."

"No way. It needs to get used to me, too. I'm going to be using it alot."

"If you insist, Skull Kid."

"Do you know how Link is?"

"Link's fine, don't worry." Lakitu assured him. Skull Kid sighed with relief.

"That's good to hear. I don't want him to die. He's my only friend."

"He won't die. He's too strong to die. You should know that."

"I guess you're right. Anyway. I'm heading to the Shadow Temple, see if I can wake up the mask."

"Be careful. And don't forget about the dangeorus monsters."

"I won't." Skull Kid promised. Then he disappeared, teleporting to the temple using his own magic.

"I wish I could believe that." Lakitu sighed. "After all, you've forgotten one of the most important things." He sighed again, then flew toward the sky.

The giant owl watched the events with great interest.