Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda series do not, repeat, not belong to me. They rightfully belong to Miyamoto. (May he continue to make exellent games for the rest of his days. What does belong to me are Cleo, Finn, Syrilla and Katakina.
PS, this next new character was inspired by Berylune-AND-Kanaloa of Deviantart and borrowed from the writer of Twillight Mask (I forgot the person's name and sadly couldn't find him again. If any of you remember it, please tell me in the comments. Thank you!). The character is also sorta my idea too, but I will, of course, give these two credit as well.
Chapter 11
Link let out a small gasp. "You... you're the old man I met before!"
He? chuckled, with an unusual girlish tone. "I am no old man," he? said, sounding feminine. "In Termina, things are more than they appear."
Then he? reach up and grabbed his old face and started pulling on it. The face stretched, making it horribly disfigured until it peeled away, revealing a woman's face with slightly squinty eyes and a smile that could make you uneasy. She was wearing a mask the whole time.
Link stared at her. "Who are you?"
She smiled wider. "Names are of no importance."
"Why were you in disguise?"
"I was not," she said, holding up the flappy flesh colored mask she had on. "I was just showing off some of my products."
"Products?" he repeated.
"That is right! I am the Happy Mask Salesgirl!" She gave off a cheerful chortle. "And..." Once again, she was giving Link the same thoughtful, serious look she showed earlier. "I know who you are of course. Green clothes, green hat, the same outfit that the hero of legend wears. My grandfather told me all about it when I was a little girl."
"Well, what did he tell you?"
"He told me many stories. He knew them because he traveled alot. He was the Happy Mask Salesman before my time."
Link suddenly remembered something SK had said: "The last time I ever saw it was when it was returned to that mask salesman. He was always travelling and it was almost a hundred years ago"
"Listen, did he know the legend about the Majora's Mask?"
"That! That was a favorite of his! But before I continue on that subject, I must once again ask you: Why are you so interested in that mask?"
Link told her everything that had been going on, hoping that the girl would have the answers he needed. When he finished his story, she was looking worried.
"I see..." she said. She turned away for a moment. "If this is why... ... ... My grandfather had it... He found the mask in shadow and had been carrying it around for awhile. But then it was stolen from him by a skull kid who was using the cursed thing as a toy..." Link thought he heard a faint, high-pitched sneeze coming from behind him. "...after it was returned to him, he knew that it was no longer safe in the open. So he hid it away again so that history will not repeat itself."
"But did he tell you where it is?" asked Link.
"Alas... he didn't... not exactly."
"What do you mean not exactly?"
She turned back to Link, smiling again. "I know where it is, basically. My grandfather told me that the mask is now in the Ikana Canyon, he just never told me the secret hiding place. I had searched there many times before, but could never find it." She stepped and leaned foward so close that Link backed away from her a bit in surprise. "But I know you will! If what you say is true, if the evil Ganondorf is looking for it, then you have to be the one to find it! You must!"
"But miss, if you can't find the Majora's Mask, how could I?" Link questioned.
"You are the legendary hero! You can do anything! You just have to have faith, just believe in your strengths... believe."
After a pregnant pause Link let out a sigh. "Okay guys, I know you're back there! Come on out!" He turned to what appeared to be an empty corner and then Finn, Cleo and SK appeared from the shadows. "So are you three done sneaking around?"
"Sorry Link, we didn't mean to," apologized Finn.
"We couldn't sleep either and when you left the room, we decided to follow," Cleo confessed. SK was crouching behind the siblings (Mostly behind Cleo), apparently not wanting to be seen.
"Aah, friends of yours?" the salesgirl asked in curiosity mingled with amusement. "It's strange, the great hero has never had allies before or at least not that many." She chortled again. Link was finding her laughter annoying and her comment on his friends rather offensive.
"I know that, as a hero, I'm supposed to work mostly alone. But this is not my choice that they're with me, it's theirs."
"I see... Well in any case, it is always good to have friends. After all, there is no such thing as a lone wolf."
"Well, thank you for everything," Link finished. "We won't bother you any more." He turned back to the others. "Let's get back to the inn, we'll leave for Ikana Canyon in the morning."
"All right," Finn nodded. They were about to leave, when the sales girl called them back.
"Wait! Before you go, I want you to take this garo's mask, free of charge. You need it to enter the canyon." After giving the hood-like mask to Link, she now looked really serious. "Now I must warn you, the curse of the Majora's Mask is relentless. Even if you do find the mask and never wear it, it will find another way to spread it's evil. So beware..."
It was six o'clock in the morning and the clock tower chimed once again. Link got himself up while Cleo, Finn and SK were still snoozing in bed. SK's torso was hanging off the upper bunk bed above Cleo's until he slipped and fell to the floor with a plop, jerking him awake shouting "the sky's falling!", waking up Cleo. Link managed to rouse up Finn after a few minutes and they all went to breakfast, then checked out. The sky was very grey and there was thunder, it looked like it was going to rain today. They left Clock Town and trudged across the rocky path to the canyon, after an hour, they approached a narrow passageway. Somebody was standing there, blocking the team.
It was a hooded being who looked similar to a jawa. "Who dares intrude the very grounds with the blood-stained history?" it demanded in a hollow voice. It pulled out it's knife at Link and Cleo let out a frightened squeak. "Turn back now, or suffer the consequences!"
"We're not looking for trouble," announced Link. "I don't want to fight you."
"If you are not a member of the garos, I will defend the entrance with my life!"
"Link, the hood. Use the hood!" Finn urgently whispered.
Link pulled out the garo's mask and put it on. The hooded being chuckled. "That is one of the salesgirl's mask is it not? I know you are not a real member, but if you truely insist on heading this way on an urgent business, then I will let you pass."
"Wow, that was easy!" SK piped up.
"However..." It said, pulling out a second knife. "You must first prove that you are worthy of entering the Ikana Canyon. Have at you!"
Link immediately drew his Master Sword and got into a fighting stance. The garo charged foward at him with it's two knives, Link parried and countered but the garo dodged like a ninja. Cleo watched and tried to take in all their moves. But it proved impossible for they were fighting so fast. In the end, the hero won and the garo was kneeling in pain.
"Impressive... you fight like a legend... so the wielder of the blade of evil's bane has come at last..."
"Wait a minute, you knew Link was coming?" Finn asked, a bit shocked.
"Not I... but the man who once sold masks did," Garo said, chuckling.
Cleo's eyes widened. "What? Really?"
"Yes... He was hoping that the hero would return to Termina with the Master Sword."
"But I've never been to this country before now," Link confessed.
"Maybe he was waiting for the previous hero? The one that saved Termina?" Finn guessed.
"Why was he waiting for him... or Link?" asked SK.
"Since I have been defeated, I will openly reveal my secrets to you. You see, when the last hero had defeated the spirit of Majora, it went back into sleep. It had not truly died. As long as the evil spirit lives, there is a chance of his return. The mask salesman had realized that it was far too dangerous to be kept any longer and needed to be destroyed. But because the hero was not possessing the blade of evil's bane at that time, the salesman had to conceal it until the hero returns with the sword. After hiding the mask, he entrusted me to guard the Ikana Canyon from any intruders except for the chosen one."
"But what about the salesgirl? She said she'd been there many times before," Finn said.
The garo chuckled again. "It is because she is the salesman's granddaughter that I make an exception. But I never help her in finding the mask, I just let her wander. Now to find the mask, you must follow a spirit in disguise, it will guide you to the place where it is hidden."
"How do we know if we meet a spirit guide?" SK asked curiously.
"You do not... It will force you to follow... Now that I have told you everything you need to know, my purpose in this world is done." It pulled out something from inside it's robes, it was a bomb that was already lit. Everyone let out a gasp of shock and quickly backed away. "I am the last of my kind, but now the garos are no more... Farewell..." KABOOOM! Cleo screamed, raising her hands to her mouth. The smoke cleared, revealing a large black mark on the ground. There was not a single trace of the garo left.
Rain started to fall, but lightly. They were quietly staring at the spot where it died. After a dramatic silence, that felt like it lasted an eternity, SK was the first to speak. "What did he mean by 'force you to follow'?"
"I don't know," Link said with a sigh. "But we'll find out when we get there." He started off with Finn and SK following. Cleo, at first, just stood there staring. She looked like she was in shock a bit, but when Finn called for her to come, Cleo immediately obeyed and followed as though in a trance.
They were in a wide valley surrounded with high rocky walls. Thunder continued to rumble in the distance and the rain was falling harder than ever. Finn pulled his backpack over his head, but his sister didn't.
"C'mon Cleo, you're going to catch a cold here," Finn said.
"I can't risk getting the travel guide wet," excused Cleo. "The water will seep through the cut."
"Here, will this help?" SK pulled off his leaf cape and draped it over her.
"Thanks SK."
But before the skull kid could say "You're welcome", a guay swooped down out of nowhere and nearly pecked him. "Hey you stupid bird!" For some strange reason, his head suddenly felt wet and he soon knew why: SK's hat had gone. "What the? Hey, it stole my hat!" And with that, he sprinted off after it.
"SK wait!" Link called after him. He was already ten yards away. For someone so small, he was pretty fast on his feet.
