Hi, it's me yet again. I'm here to continue the epic story. Are you ready?
Good.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from the game. It's debatable whether or not I own Majora, but let's just leave it up to Nintendo shall we?
Chapter 3
Termina, Southern Swamp, Deku Palace, 8:00 A.M.: The Deku Princess, Deku squeak squeak squeak squeak burp burp heep yawned and woke up from her long sleep. She checked the calendar, noticing that today's date was circled on it. Today's the day, she thought. Today was the day her idiot father was finally resigning from being king of the scrubs. When he had made a solemn public address on the matter a week ago, all of the Deku Scrubs in the kingdom had a huge party in celebration. The king stupidly thought it was a party in honor of him and attended. Now that he was resigning, every citizen of the Deku Kingdom, even the monkeys, could look forward to lower taxes and less accidental fires. The Princess could soon become a queen, and she would finally be able to marry the butler's son, Deku squeak squeak burp squeak burp heeeep, the hero of the Deku Scrubs and the one who had helped saved her from Woodfall Temple, sort of. With this one move, her father had almost totally made up for when he accidentally killed her mother. It had been their fifth wedding anniversary. As usual, he went to the extreme, getting fireworks. It would have been fine, if he hadn't lit the fireworks inside of the throne room. The palace almost burned down, and her mother was the only casualty. The Princess shook herself out of her memory, knowing she had to get ready for her crowning. As she popped out of her flower and scurried over to her bathroom to get clean. As she burrowed into the water hyacinth to bathe herself, her thoughts turned once more to Deku squeak squeak burp squeak burp heeeep. She had been in love with him ever since he had reappeared after the Carnival of Time ten years ago, when the moon was destroyed. She had been surprised by his tale of being imprisoned in a mask, and of being used by the boy named Link, who had taken her out of the temple after defeating the monster that had captured her, but she believed him anyway. She couldn't wait until she proposed, after the crowning ceremony. She was very glad she wouldn't have to wear that huge crown of her father's. He only wore it because he thought it made him look imposing. She popped out of the hyacinth, shook the water out of her long leaves, and headed down to eat breakfast.
Darmani, Hero of the Gorons and Goron Elder, uncurled and yawned. Scratching his rear, he staggered out of his bedroom and went to take his lava bath. When he finished, he checked his calendar, which had today's date circled on it. He gasped. He had completely forgotten that today was Little Darmani's birthday! Ten years ago, when the moon was falling, Snowhead was buried in ice and Darmani himself was dead, a boy named Link came, turned Darmani into a mask, and used him to save the mountain and later brought him back to life. He had been used a few other times after that, and had to save the mountain a second time because of the time warp, but that wasn't important. What was important was Little Darmani. When the snow thawed, the Goron Elder perished, for he had been standing on the frozen lake when spring arrived. He drowned, leaving his child, Little Darmani, with no family. Darmani, as senior Goron, took the role of elder and adopted the lad. He had raised him ever since. Darmani groaned. What kind of a hero or father figure forgot his kid's own birthday? He quickly raced to his closet and scrabbled through it, looking for something Little Darmani would like. Finally, he found something. It was a music box that played the Gorons Lullaby when opened. He raced down to the main hall of the Goron Shrine for breakfast. The other Gorons greeted him as he showed up. He sat next Little Darmani. "Hey Darmi, what took you so long? We've been waiting for five minutes! We're really hungry!" It was Goron tradition that the other Gorons could not eat breakfast until the Goron Elder showed up. It also meant that nobody could wake the elder up, either.
Darmani grinned. "Sorry, I overslept." The other Gorons shrugged. They were all eager for the meal to begin. The birthday party was to be a surprise, and any moment now Darmani's wife, Direna, would wheel out her special marble cake. (Yes, it's made of real marble.) The torch lighters, Bob and George, blew out the lights.
Little Darmani was scared. "Darmi, what's happening? I'm scared!" He was about to start crying when Direna brought the cake out on a big cart, its candles lit. She had outdone herself this year with the cake. As she placed it on the table, everyone urged Little Darmani to make a wish. He thought for a moment, then blew out the candles. Everyone cheered. Bob and George relit the torches.
"So son, what did you wish for?" asked Direna.
"I wished for…food!"
The Gorons all agreed with that sentiment and started ripping off chunks of the cake. Darmani pulled out the music box. "Son, here is your birthday present." He handed it to his son.
"Oh, thank you Darmi! What's in the box? What's in the box?" he started to open the box.
"No, don't!" wailed Darmani.
It was too late. Little Darmani opened the box, starting the song. "Wow, my favorite" that was all he could get out before he and all of the other Gorons fell asleep.
Lulu, lead singer of the Indigo-go's and wife of Mikau, woke up. She looked around, realizing Mikau was still asleep. She noticed the calendar, which had today's date circled on it. "Today's the day," she whispered. Today was the beginning of the band's yearlong World Tour. The kids would be coming along, since they were technically a part of the band as well. Getting out of bed, (careful not to disturb Mikau) she headed for the door of their dressing room. She walked quietly past the dressing rooms of her fellow band members and her children's bedrooms. She knew nobody was awake in Zora Hall except herself. Since they were leaving after breakfast, she wanted to say goodbye to an old friend before anything else happened. She smiled to herself, remembering the day ten years ago when she had laid her eggs, only to have them stolen by pirates. Mikau had gone to rescue them, and had come back a week later with a new song. At that point her voice, which had steadily been fading, vanished completely. Mikau's song was a song her mother had used to sing to her. She had no idea how Mikau had known it, but her voice was restored and a giant turtle appeared, telling Mikau he had to go to Great Bay Temple and stop the evil that was making the water murky. He returned hours later, just in time for their rehearsal for the Carnival of Time gig. After that, he vanished until the actual gig. Afterwards, he told Lulu about how a boy named Link had saved him from death, turning him into a mask that he had used to save Great Bay and was later used to restore him to life. Lulu wasn't sure she believed it, but the giant talking turtle confirmed it. And after all, who in they're right minds would argue with a giant talking turtle? Speaking of which…Lulu walked out the back entrance of the Hall. The turtle, Juba-Juba, was waiting. He smiled as she showed up. "Ah, Lulu." He said in that soft voice of his. "How are you?"
"I'm fine." She said.
"You don't look fine. What's wrong?"
She sighed. "It's this whole world tour thing. I'm not sure I'm ready."
"Ah, now I understand. Why do you feel you are not ready? I have seen you and your friends packing up carefully, your manager Toto triple-checking everything. Why do you feel unready?'
"I-I just don't."
He nodded. "I understand completely. It is not that you feel unready, it is that you do not wish to leave. You have lived in the waters of Great Bay all your life, leaving only for the yearly gig at the Carnival of Time. Your tours have been only of the nearest Zora cities, no more. Today, you are taking your first step towards something new, something unheard of to you before. You will be going to places you have never heard of, meet peoples you didn't know existed, have adventures you have never dreamed of. And you are afraid of that."
Lulu was surprised. "How did you…"
Juba-Juba chuckled. "Lulu, I know you better than you know yourself. You are afraid of the change in scenery, afraid of leaving the country, but mostly afraid that nobody will like your music. But let me tell you something, Lulu. It does not matter how well the concerts go. All it matters is whether or not you make your fans happy. By joining the band in the first place, you made an obligation to your fans, your friends, and to yourself. Choosing to stay here would deny the fans around the world of hearing your music in person. Do you really want to do that? I think not."
Lulu smiled. "You're right. I shouldn't be scared. I have an obligation to fulfill, don't I? It's just, well, I'll miss you. Whenever I need to talk to somebody who can help me understand my feelings, I try my husband first. But he's not that kind of man. You have helped me get through any problems I have for the last ten years, ever since that Link boy arrived. Will you miss me too?"
Juba-Juba nodded. "I will greatly miss your singing and your company Lulu. However, when you are as old as I am, time doesn't seem to matter as much. It's only a year, after all." He looked at her. "I've said this before, but you remind me of your mother. She looked just like you."
Lulu was curious. "In the years we've known each other, you've never told me how you became an observer of the seas, how you knew my mother, how you know me so well. I want to know."
Juba-Juba sighed. "I thought it would come to this someday. Thousands of years ago, my species flourished. We were every bit as intelligent and long- lived as the whales, except we could talk. We migrated all over the world, seeing the sights, meeting many Zoras. Then, a thousand years ago, poachers came after my herd, using new weapons to penetrate our thick shells. I was the only one to escape the poachers. For a hundred years, I fled, evading the poachers, trying to find another herd. But I found none. I discovered that poachers had ruthlessly overhunted my species into extinction. I was the only one left. I made my way to Great Bay, where I decided to hide out until my death. I became a friend to the inhabitants, learning their ways. I already knew of Termina and the giants that protected it. But it was then that I learned of their friend, the imp, and how he had been left behind when the giants retook their posts. A few nights after that, the imp showed up, in a rage caused by his abandonment. He attacked the Zoras, leaving cruel pranks all over the bay. I woke up one morning to discover he had painted graffiti on my shell! But eventually, the imp left. I heard later that he had been banished from Termina. Life returned to normal in the Bay. One day, I saw a female Zora being chased by a Kraken. As I am the natural enemy of Krakens, I did battle with the beast and defeated it. The female thanked me and we became friends. Do you know who that Zora was, Lulu? No? It was your ancestor, Lulu the First, the founder and first lead singer in the Indigo-go's. That is how I became the friend of all the Lulu's in the band, thanks to one act of kindness. I became an observer of the seas, a ferryman to the temple. Back then the temple was visited a little more frequently, so I helped many Zoras get to the Temple safely. I have lived outside the Hall for the last thousand years, watching all that has gone on in the bay. I will be here for a long time, Lulu. I have lived longer than any other turtle. Do you have any idea why?" Lulu shook her head. Neither do I, but I have a theory. It is said that when a sentient species has but a single member remaining, the gods may grant that last being immortality, so his race will never completely die out. I believe that is what happened to me, but who can say? Maybe it's just luck. Now as to your mother, I met her when she was but a baby and we became friends like the rest of your ancestors. But then you were born. I only got to meet you once, when you were but a baby as well, before something happened that resulted in your mother's death and prevented me from seeing you again until ten years ago."
"What was it?"
"Pirates. They were descendants of the poachers who had exterminated my race, and were here for some booty from your people. I tried to stop them, but they had prepared a spell that knocked me unconscious for many years. Even so, I was still aware of events. The pirates were driven off, but at a terrible price. Both your parents died trying to fend off the pirates. A long time passed before I heard singing again at Zora Hall. But I did not awaken until Link played that song your mother used to sing. And so we met, and have become friends, just as I have been with all of your line." He floated silent.
Lulu wasn't sure what to say. She finally knew how her parents died and had also opened up a painful wound in Juba-Juba's memories. She knew she should apologize. "I"
"How are the kids?" He asked. It was obvious he was changing the subject. Lulu let him.
"Well, Mikau jr. is taking after his father, playing the guitar. Lulu junior's voice is developing nicely. Japas jr. is doing well with the guitar as well; Evans jr. is becoming a master at the keyboard, Tijo jr. is working out the drums, and Zorro is doing great at running the stage crew. They weren't happy with being ordered around by a ten-year old, but soon got over it after he made some great changes in their jobs."
"What about Toto jr.?"
Lulu couldn't help smiling. "He's becoming as fat as his namesake." The old turtle laughed. He smiled.
"I'll miss you Lulu. When you come back, tell me everything, okay?" She smiled and nodded.
"Lulu! Lulu, where are you?" called a voice from the Hall.
Juba-Juba turned around, preparing to go into the water. "You'd better go. Your husband's calling." He sank beneath the waves.
Lulu could hear Mikau's calls getting louder. "Goodbye, my friend." She whispered. She ran inside.
The King tapped his bony fingers on his armrest, losing patience. Where were they? They should have been here by now! He sighed and looked up at the windows, which had been boarded up to prevent another incident like the one that had happened ten years ago from occurring again. That young man, Link, had come through and defeated his two most powerful soldiers and then himself, using a combination of astounding sword techniques and sunlight. After the boy had left and broken the curse caused by that imp and the Stone Tower, things had gotten back to normal in the canyon. However, in recent times the king had been getting worried that his old enemies were regrouping for another attack like the one that had killed them all two hundred years ago. His Royal Highness, Igos du Ikana, Ruler of the small kingdom of Ikana Canyon and Lord of the Undead sighed and checked his calendar again. Today's date was circled on it, confirming his suspicions. He sighed. "Today's the day." He said to nobody. Today was the anniversary of the day they had all died. Two hundred years ago, Ikana Canyon had been a beautiful place. Lush and green, with trees and flowers. Everyone had been alive. The tiny but prosperous kingdom attracted the attention of the nearby nation of Hisfaria. They envied Ikana's prosperity and sought to conquer it, allowing them access to the rest of Termina and the riches therein. They had sent their most powerful warriors, the Garos, an elite group of ninja. The Garos had invaded the canyon and began the war. The brave soldiers of Ikana were not well trained, so fell to the blades of the Garos. The ninjas made their way through the canyon, making sure to kill everyone in the village. They made absolutely sure no one survived. They climbed over the walls of the castle, slaughtering the guards. The Garo Master alone ventured into the castle to finish his mission. He easily defeated Igos' bodyguards and finally went into battle with the king. Igos was the best fighter in the kingdom, so he was able to hold his own for a while. But the Garo Master was better, and struck a fatal blow. As he died, Igos struck a fatal blow as well, killing the Garo Master. The Garos shared a mystical link with the Master, so they died as well. However, by some strange force, none of those who died except for the women were unable to leave the world. They remained in Ikana Valley, now undead and without any females. They could no longer stand the sunlight, except for the Garos, the Gibdos, and the Stalchildren. Things weren't quite miserable, but they had been a bit depressing. Igos really hated this day, because it was a reminder, a mockery of the day his life literally took a turn for the worst. His musing was interrupted when three figures entered the room. They had finally arrived. All three figures were cloaked. The two taller ones were covered in hoods and robes, so no part of their bodies showed. The third, smaller figure was cloaked as well, but only so his face was hidden. He was not one of the undead, but something else. He had a single, red eye visible despite the gloom of his cloak. The figure was obviously not human. The two tall ones took off their cloaks, revealing Igos' inept bodyguards, the twin brothers Igor and Ygor.
The bodyguards bowed. Igor spoke. "Your majesty, despite many perils…"
"He fell down the well." Grumbled Ygor.
"And looking in the face of danger multiple times…"
"He got frightened by that paranormal researcher guy in the music box."
"And being attacked many times by the enemy…"
"A Guay pecked his head."
"What are you doing?"
"I am providing an unbiased and true report for the king!"
"At my expense!"
"But all those things happened to you!"
"So?"
"So, you're fibbing!"
"Am not!"
"You're feeble!"
"I am not!"
"Yes you are! Feeble feeble feeble feeble feeble feeble feeble feeble feeble feeble feeble feeble feeble feeble feeble feeble!"
"I'm the greatest swordsman in all Ikana!"
"Are not!"
"Am too!"
"Are not!"
"Am too!"
"Are not!"
"Am too!"
"Are not!"
"Am too!"
"Are not!"
"Am too!"
"Are not!"
"How come?"
"Because I'M the greatest swordsman in Ikana!"
"Are not!"
"Am too!"
"Are not!"
"Am too!"
"Are not!"
"Am too!"
"Are not!"
"Am too!"
"Are not!"
"Am too!"
"Are not!"
"Am too!"
"Are not!"
"Am"
"SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" roared Igos. "First off, neither of you are the greatest swordsman in Ikana! I am! For another thing, YOU TWO ARE THE MOST ANNOYING BODYGUARDS IN THIS UNIVERSE! GET OUT BEFORE I PERSONALLY RIP THE BOARDS OFF THESE WINDOWS AND HURL YOU OUT THEM INTO DIRECT SUNLIGHT SO I WILL BE RID OF YOU ONCE AND FOR ALL! Now, GET OUT!" The idiots ran from the room. Igos panted for several moments before calming down. Relaxing, he turned to his guest, who hadn't made any reaction to the previous outburst of rage. "I apologize for my outburst. It's just that today is my least favorite day of the year. Those two are grinding me on my last nonexistent nerve."
"Why don't you just fire them?" asked the guest.
"In this cruel mockery of death, we must all play the roles we had in life. I cannot fire them. Now, you're probably wondering why I called you here."
The figure paused, then pulled off his hood. His head was like a human's except he had no hair or nose, and had a single red eye. He was a rare Hinox, a Cyclops. His one eye allowed him to see many things that most people could not. He could see at long distances, read certain minds, look through walls, and even see what is not visible. He went by the name of Poehunter, and had come to the kingdom a hundred years hunting for ghosts. As a ghost hunter, he was very skilled in different fighting techniques. He captured ghosts and collected fees for it. All of the ghosts he captures go into special bottles, which he keeps around his waist. When battling a difficult spirit, he can release a ghost and use it to battle the other, weakening it enough to be captured. He had captured the dreaded Poe sisters and guarded them at the old jail. He was trying to tame them enough to be put in a bottle, but he had to keep them locked up until he succeeded. "Yes, I was wondering why you called me here."
"Poehunter, I need to know what you have seen of the Garo these last few days."
Poehunter frowned. "Why do you wish to know?"
"This past night, I had a dream that the Garo were on the move, preparing some attack. It's probably nothing, but I want you to tell me anything you know. And I want the truth."
"What makes you think I know anything? I am but a humble ghost catcher."
"Dammit, stop playing these games! I know you can see more with that eye than you let on, more than enough to make up for your lack of depth perception. Tell me the truth, now."
Poehunter relented. "For the last week, I have seen the Garo moving about the Stone Tower. They are doing something in the temple, but I know not what it is. I do have a clue, however."
"Igos leaned forward. "Yes, what is it?"
"A Garo passed by the hut late last night. As you know, undead minds are not something I can look into easily. However, I was able to catch a few snippets of memory. I saw the Garo Master, rallying the Garo in the Stone Tower Temple. He said something about a weapon of light, fulfilling their ancient mission, and attacking the rest of Termina. Then I saw the Garos collecting pieces of some strange glass, like a mirror but it did not really reflect anything. It seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it. Does any of this help?"
Igos nodded. "Thank you. You may go." Poehunter bowed and left. Igos pondered this. A weapon of light? That would surely guarantee victory for the Garos if they turned it on the undead! But where would they get something like that in the tower? Suddenly, he remembered an old story about the temple, how there were mirrors that absorbed light and shot it out instead of simply reflecting. Igos suddenly understood his enemy's plans. If there were to be a battle, it would have to be at night, since the undead were killed by light. If the Garos were able to use these absorbing mirrors on the undead, they would win instantly. Igos realized he would have to make a first strike, before the Garos were finished with their mirrors. It meant he would have to do the unthinkable: storm the Stone Tower.
Dotour, mayor of Clock Town, woke up. He looked out the window onto the bustling people in the streets. He smiled at the clock tower. His smile grew wider as he saw the calendar, with today's date circled on it. Today's the day, he thought. He would have sung it if he wanted to wake his wife up, which he didn't. He headed for the bathroom to get ready. He had to put on a good appearance after all. Today was the day when the new mayor of Clock Town was to be elected and put into office. As usual, Dotour had run for his own office again. He was very confident he was going to win, for two very good reasons. One, everyone was happy with the way he ran things. Second, nobody else bothered to run. Dotour was going to be mayor again for another year. As he finished getting ready, he went down to the kitchen to make himself and his wife breakfast. He whistled a tune to himself as h made his meal. His thoughts turned to his son Kafei. He and Anju were doing quite well in the Stock Pot Inn. There son, Tortus was doing well. His thoughts turned again, to the strange young fellow who had made so many people in Termina happy. The boy named Link had saved Dotour from a horribly long meeting, cheered up his wife, and reunited Anju and Kafei in time for the wedding. Of course, he couldn't forget that the boy also saved the entire moon from doomsday and restored people's faith in the heavens. He wondered for a moment if he would ever see Link again. He decided he would check on his son and his family after the election. It would be good to see Anju's grandmother, his old teacher, again. It was too bad she was so old, she thought almost everyone who walked through her door was her dead son, Tortus sr. Whistling some more, he sat down to eat breakfast.
Now: Ganondorf watched as the spell continued. Majora seemed to be nearing the end. He had been chanting for fifteen minutes, and the spell circle was glowing extremely brightly. All that was left was for Majora to utter the command to unleash the spell. Majora's chanting stopped. The mighty demon paused for a few seconds, then unleashed an awesome scream. What was most awesome was that Ganondorf could not hear it. He could see Majora exhaling, his body trembling, but he could hear nothing. This was because the spell command was of an interdimensional nature, that only those who were immortal could hear. And hear it they did.
The Kokiri wheeled the big birthday cake into the Deku Tree's meadow. It was another masterpiece, made by the Kokiri chef, Mido. After Link stood up to him ten years ago, Mido and Naro stopped being bullies and took up cooking. Since Mido was no longer leader, Saria was put in his place. Mido started expressing himself through his culinary skills, making the perfect dish every time. He had really outdone himself on this latest cake, and everyone was eager to start eating it. Saria walked up to the cake as everyone started singing the birthday song. As Saria blew out her candles, everyone cheered. They started to cut the cake. Suddenly, the Deku Sprout started gasping. The Kokiri stopped cheering and turned towards their deity. "What's wrong, Deku Sprout?" asked Saria.
"Can you-can you not hear it?"
"Hear what?"
"Evil…" Suddenly, the Kokiri and all the fairies in the village and beyond could hear it. They fell to the ground screaming, clutching their heads in pain.
Ruto looked across the rock table at Tito. They were waiting for their meal at the Zora Café. She fingered her necklace with the Zora's Sapphire. She finally decided it was time. She opened her mouth, ready to ask him the big question. Suddenly, a long, echoing wail could be heard. It was a deep sound, one that affected all the Zoras. "What is it?" asked Tito.
Ruto got out of her seat. "Its Jabu-Jabu! Something's wrong with him!" She ran towards the entrance to Zora's Fountain.
"Wait for me!" yelled Tito, racing after her.
They reached the fountain. Jabu-Jabu was singing a whale-song, but one of pain instead of happiness. He was writhing about, much like a normal fish. Ruto ran up to the feeding platform. "Jabu-Jabu, what's wrong? Are you having a problem with indigestion?"
Jabu-Jabu looked at her then did something astonishing. He spoke, albeit telepathically, while continuing his song. "No, I am not suffering from indigestion! I am suffering from something far worse!"
Ruto gaped. "You-you-you-you-you spoke! To me!"
"Yes I did. Now please, listen! I am in pain because of a scream, an evil scream from some distant place. It is affecting only immortals such as myself. It will end soon enough, but when it does, this land will be changed forever." He stopped talking, his eyes rolling wildly. "The ocean…I must reach the ocean."
"But Jabu-Jabu, you can't fit in the river! It doesn't lead straight to the ocean; it only goes to Lake Hylia, which sends water to the sea through an underground channel! And even if it did go to the ocean, you would never make the journey. You're too big, and I hear there's a waterfall, and you can't even swim out of the fountain!"
Jabu-Jabu wailed then did something amazing. He jumped out of the water, straight into the air. He was flying! He wobbly flew towards Lake Hylia, singing his song of pain the entire way. Ruto and Tito stared after him in amazement. "This isn't good, is it?" asked Tito.
"Is everything packed yet?" asked Toto impatiently. They were hours behind schedule, thanks to an extremely complicated accident involving Evans and the dead giant crab hanging from his ceiling.
"Everything's packed Chief." Said Mikau.
"Good. Now if we're all set…" suddenly, all in Zora Hall could hear a keening wail. "What is that?"
"It's Juba-Juba. Something's wrong with him!" said Lulu.
Toto groaned. Another delay! "Try to calm him down. We're late enough as it is!"
"Right, Chief!" yelled Lulu as she ran for the back door. Outside, she found Juba-Juba wailing. "Juba, what is it?"
Juba concentrated, trying to speak. "Lulu…I…hear…something. It…is…evil."
"What is causing it?"
"I…do…not…know. It…seems…familiar. Like…the…evil…from…ten…years...ago." He could no longer restrain himself, and started screaming again. Lulu heard another, deeper scream coming from the direction of the temple. It sounded like the giant was affected as well! Juba was right. Only an evil like the one from ten years ago could affect the protective god of the seas this badly.
Half an hour ago: Igos, cloaked completely in armor, strode in front of his troops. In preparation for the battle, he had completely covered his body to protect himself from the sun. He wore a helmet with a visor to protect his eyes. Igor and Ygor were similarly adorned. The three of them were the only ones adorned in that way, except for the Blue Bubbles, the Redeads, the Floormaster, and the Stalfos. The Gibdos and the Stalchildren were immune to the sunlight, as was Captain Keeta. They were not immune to light magic, but direct sunlight could not hurt them. Igos turned to face them. "Troops, for the last two hundred years we have allowed the foul scourge that killed us in the first place to live in our midst. We trusted them not to do anything too rash or fulfill their original mission. Our trust was misplaced. The enemy is even now plotting our downfall, and the downfall of our beloved Termina. We must, no, we will stop them from this!" The troops cheered. "We shall put an end to the scourge of the Garo once and for all!" The troops cheered. "We will march up to the Stone Tower and defeat them!" The troops ran for the front gates at the mention of the Stone Tower. Fortunately, the gates were closed and the side entrance had been sealed off years ago. They ran for the well, only to find it filled with water. They realized they would have no choice but to follow their king. Soon, they were heading for the Tower. Igos led them inside, showing them how to cross the abyss. They used their military-regulation hookshots to scale the tower, using the Elegy of Emptiness to move blocks in place. Keeta had no need of hookshots, but had a little trouble crossing the blocks until he realized it would be easier to walk across then jump. In this manner, they scaled the tower and entered the temple, interrupting another Garo rally.
The Garo were all seated in the main courtyard's shallow pit, with the Garo Master strutting on the platform in the middle. His demagogue was interrupted when Igos' army entered. The ninjas were very surprised. They had not expected the enemy to come out in broad daylight, climbing up the forbidden tower. Garo Master was eager, however. "Igos, how are you old friend?"
Igos scowled beneath his helmet. "We are here to stop you from fulfilling your ancient mission. You will never trouble the canyon or this country again. If you leave now, we will not have to kill you"
The Master chuckled. "Igos, you know we cannot leave until our mission is accomplished."
"Even if the country that issued your orders no longer exists?"
"Orders are orders. You're a military man, Igos, you should know that better than any of us. No, wait, we're all military men aren't we?"
"You leave me no choice. Attack!" The armies leapt into battle. The Garo Master backflipped and ran for a door at the other end of his platform, beneath a giant, hideous statue. Igos jumped after him, briefly wondering what would happen if he ran into the guardian giant in this temple. He decided it would probably squash the Garo Master and leave him be. He ran through the door that the Garo Master had just entered, finding himself in another courtyard, on a bridge over a pool. Garo Master was at the other end of the room, at another door. He was about to enter. "Garo Master!" shouted Igos. The ninja stopped. "Garo Master, come and fight me! Die with honor!"
"I think not! Eyegore, attack!" He ran through the door. What's an Eyegore? Thought Igos until he saw the large, metallic, one-eyed monster stomping towards him from across the bridge. Oh, that's an Eyegore. He ran towards it. The monster responded by firing laser beams from its eye. Blocking with his shield, Igos ran forward. He threw a Deku Nut to the ground, temporarily blinding the beast. He shot the monster in the eye with his hookshot, damaging it. The Eyegore prepared to fire another laser, but Igos used another nut, followed by another Hookshot attack. He did this six times, until finally the monster sat down and started flashing. Igos backed away quickly as the monster exploded. With the Eyegore gone, Igos ran through the door across the bridge. He found himself in another room with a smaller, narrower bridge across a pit. It wouldn't hurt him to fall, but he didn't want to risk anything. He ran across the bridge, entering the next chamber. It was large and empty, with a hole in the ceiling. At the other end of the chamber was Garo Master. He stepped forward. "Ten years ago, a little boy in green came through here and slew me in battle."
Igos frowned. "Then why are you still here?"
The Master chuckled. "The boy killed many of my servants as well, but they're still here."
"You didn't answer the question."
"Do you know why we Garo die without leaving corpses?"
"No."
"In life, it was part of our code, so we would never have a dead Garo in enemy hands. However, in our half-life, it is an advantage."
"Why?"
"If there is no corpse, there is no real proof of death. As long as we leave no corpse when we die, we cannot stay dead! We regenerate our bodies, coming back with even more strength! So go ahead and kill me. I've already died once in this form. If you strike me down, I will merely return, stronger than ever." His sword-arms slid from his robe. "Are you ready?" The Master charged. Igos charged. They're swords locked.
The battle was going well for the Ikana army. They did not know of the Garos regeneration, so they just killed as many as they could. When the lone Floormaster had been killed, he became three baby Floormasters, each armored. They choked several Garos to death before growing into three adult armored Floormasters. The Gibdos paralyzed then sucked the energy out of every Garo in reach. The Stalfos helped out their younger brethren whenever possible. Igor and Ygor were having fun, each counting the number of Garos killed so they could boast to the other about how many they had killed afterwards in yet another attempt to prove which brother was better. Captain Keeta crushed Garo after Garo with immense body. More Garo kept pouring in, and kept getting slaughtered. The soldiers were happy, for in death they were finally able to stand against the enemy that had slain them in life. Since they had none of the needs a human did, they did not grow weary, their strength staying at maximum. The Garos had lost plenty of ground. Even though they would regenerate in a month as more powerful ninjas, they would have wasted a lot of time and effort. The Ikana army would have made sure to shatter all the strange mirrors in the temple, and break the pieces until they were too small to ever be of use again. Fortunately for the evil ninjas, there was a backup plan. One Garo snuck by the other fighters, heading for the exit. Once outside the temple, he hopped onto one of the floating blocks and turned, looking down towards the light-sensitive switch that reversed the gravity of all the things in the temple and tower not attached to the ground. Since the switch could not work if the sun hit it from a high angle, and the tower walls and floating blocks prevented it from being activated by the sun from a low angle, it could only be activated by an artificial blast of light, such as a Light Arrow. Or a special mirror. The Garo pulled a fragment of the special mirrors from his robe, concentrating on it as he aimed for the switch. A sunbeam shone from the fragment, activating the switch. As the ancient magic of the temple activated, all of the fighters in the Temple found their gravity reversing. As the Garo outside fell into the sky, he thought My mission is accomplished. I will return with full honors. Most of the fighters fell as well, leaving a mere half dozen Stalchildren and three Garos. The Stalchildren would have perished if Captain Keeta hadn't pulled himself onto the ledge and flattened the Garos. They cheered.
Igos was very surprised when the temple flipped over. "What just happened?"
"My backup plan just went into effect. Most of your troops are falling towards outer space as we speak. When I reset the gravity to normal, your troops will smash themselves to pieces when they hit the ground."
Igos was horrified. "I'll kill you for that!"
"Don't you remember? You can'! Ahahahahahahahaha…say, do you hear something? It sounds like a scream."
"Yes, I hear it. How odd." Then, the full effect of the scream kicked in, and they fell to the ground, clutching their heads and screaming. The same thing was happening to Keeta and the Stalchildren. The skeletons rolled around in pain, and fell off the narrow ledge they had been standing on. From deeper inside the temple, a great bellow could be heard, as the guardian giant cried out in pain. As Igos and Garo Master rolled around in pain, they got to close to the hole in what used to be the ceiling. The two enemies fell, wailing, into the sky.
Kaepora Gaebora, former Sage of Light and Link's spirit guide, hooted contentedly to himself as he flew over Hyrule. Today was a good day. He had caught a good many field mice for breakfast that morning. The sun was shining, there wasn't a cloud in the sky, and he was getting excellent thermals from the field. Kaepora Gaebora had once been a human, a thousand years ago. He had been one of the Ihar, the long-lived humanoid species of planet Gavalon, otherwise known as the Sacred Realm because it had been the home of the Triforce. He had been the first Sage of Light and built the Temple of Light. He had died in a strange accident he couldn't quite recall, and the job had gone to his son, Rauru. For some reason, instead of merely passing on, he was reincarnated as an owl spirit. He didn't really mind. He still had many of the powers he possessed as a mortal, and he got to fly. Twenty years ago, he had been assigned as spirit guide to the boy named Link. He was told to meet Link when he left the forest for the first time. Kaepora didn't quite understand why an owl, a symbol of wisdom, would be assigned to a boy destined for the Triforce of Courage. To the old bird, it would have made more sense to have assigned a lion as Link's spirit guide. Oh, well. He had tried appealing for a reassignment when he learned of Link's destiny, but failed. Kaepora hated bureaucracy. Oh well. He thought about visiting his old friend Juba-Juba some time. It had been a while since he had last visited Termina. Hooting some more, he stopped hooting when he heard a strange noise. What was it? It sounded like a scream…then the pain started. Kaepora screeched, almost plummeting from the sky. He struggled to regain control, despite the unbelievable agony he was experiencing. As he wobbly kept on flying, he scanned the planet, trying to figure out where the scream was coming from. He soon realized it was from off the planet! Trying to remain conscious, he scanned the moon, and was horrified at his discovery of the source of the scream. It couldn't be! But it was. He had to get to Link, to warn him of this evil before it was too late. Doing another scan, he found Link in Hyrule Castle Town. Changing direction, he flew towards the town.
Link, Sheik, Navi, Tael, Tatl, and Skull Kid were enjoying their lunch. They thought that they deserved this meal, after such an important peace signing. As they waited for the bill, Skull Kid had a favor to ask of Link. "Hey, do you think you could give us a ride back to the forest? We would really appreciate it."
Link wasn't sure, until he remembered he could just warp back to town to ask Zelda his proposal after he dropped the trio off. "Sure, I'll do it."
"Thanks. I really apprecia…" he stopped. "Do you hear something? Like screaming?"
"No." said Link and Sheik.
"I hear something." Said Navi.
"Yeah, same here." Said Tael.
"It does sound like screaming." Said Tatl.
Then, the agony began. The three fairies and the imp fell to the ground screaming. Skull Kid's eyes were dilated, as he rolled around, clutching their heads. "What's going on!?" asked Link.
"I have no idea." Said Sheik.
That's when a huge, feathery bullet dropped from the sky, smashing through many tables and frightening many of the diners into a faint as it skidded to a halt in front of Link. "Link immediately recognized the owl. "Kaepora Gaebora! What's wrong? What's happening to my friends?"
Moaning in pain, the owl looked up. "Link…I…had…to…warn…you. There…is…great…evil…afoot. Two…are…behind…this…evil."
"Who? Who are they?"
"They…are…they…are…" Kaepora gasped, his eyes bulging, as he blacked out, going into a coma from the sheer pain.
Majora stopped screaming. "Is it finished?" asked Ganondorf.
The demon nodded. "The spell is activated. In moments, the two lands will merge permanently. And then our evil work may begin." The villains gazed up at the beautiful blue-green sphere that was the planet Garaton, contemplating how soon it would be black and red from the blood of the innocent.
Spooky, huh? If you want me to continue, please give me more good reviews! I need reviews!
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from the game. It's debatable whether or not I own Majora, but let's just leave it up to Nintendo shall we?
Chapter 3
Termina, Southern Swamp, Deku Palace, 8:00 A.M.: The Deku Princess, Deku squeak squeak squeak squeak burp burp heep yawned and woke up from her long sleep. She checked the calendar, noticing that today's date was circled on it. Today's the day, she thought. Today was the day her idiot father was finally resigning from being king of the scrubs. When he had made a solemn public address on the matter a week ago, all of the Deku Scrubs in the kingdom had a huge party in celebration. The king stupidly thought it was a party in honor of him and attended. Now that he was resigning, every citizen of the Deku Kingdom, even the monkeys, could look forward to lower taxes and less accidental fires. The Princess could soon become a queen, and she would finally be able to marry the butler's son, Deku squeak squeak burp squeak burp heeeep, the hero of the Deku Scrubs and the one who had helped saved her from Woodfall Temple, sort of. With this one move, her father had almost totally made up for when he accidentally killed her mother. It had been their fifth wedding anniversary. As usual, he went to the extreme, getting fireworks. It would have been fine, if he hadn't lit the fireworks inside of the throne room. The palace almost burned down, and her mother was the only casualty. The Princess shook herself out of her memory, knowing she had to get ready for her crowning. As she popped out of her flower and scurried over to her bathroom to get clean. As she burrowed into the water hyacinth to bathe herself, her thoughts turned once more to Deku squeak squeak burp squeak burp heeeep. She had been in love with him ever since he had reappeared after the Carnival of Time ten years ago, when the moon was destroyed. She had been surprised by his tale of being imprisoned in a mask, and of being used by the boy named Link, who had taken her out of the temple after defeating the monster that had captured her, but she believed him anyway. She couldn't wait until she proposed, after the crowning ceremony. She was very glad she wouldn't have to wear that huge crown of her father's. He only wore it because he thought it made him look imposing. She popped out of the hyacinth, shook the water out of her long leaves, and headed down to eat breakfast.
Darmani, Hero of the Gorons and Goron Elder, uncurled and yawned. Scratching his rear, he staggered out of his bedroom and went to take his lava bath. When he finished, he checked his calendar, which had today's date circled on it. He gasped. He had completely forgotten that today was Little Darmani's birthday! Ten years ago, when the moon was falling, Snowhead was buried in ice and Darmani himself was dead, a boy named Link came, turned Darmani into a mask, and used him to save the mountain and later brought him back to life. He had been used a few other times after that, and had to save the mountain a second time because of the time warp, but that wasn't important. What was important was Little Darmani. When the snow thawed, the Goron Elder perished, for he had been standing on the frozen lake when spring arrived. He drowned, leaving his child, Little Darmani, with no family. Darmani, as senior Goron, took the role of elder and adopted the lad. He had raised him ever since. Darmani groaned. What kind of a hero or father figure forgot his kid's own birthday? He quickly raced to his closet and scrabbled through it, looking for something Little Darmani would like. Finally, he found something. It was a music box that played the Gorons Lullaby when opened. He raced down to the main hall of the Goron Shrine for breakfast. The other Gorons greeted him as he showed up. He sat next Little Darmani. "Hey Darmi, what took you so long? We've been waiting for five minutes! We're really hungry!" It was Goron tradition that the other Gorons could not eat breakfast until the Goron Elder showed up. It also meant that nobody could wake the elder up, either.
Darmani grinned. "Sorry, I overslept." The other Gorons shrugged. They were all eager for the meal to begin. The birthday party was to be a surprise, and any moment now Darmani's wife, Direna, would wheel out her special marble cake. (Yes, it's made of real marble.) The torch lighters, Bob and George, blew out the lights.
Little Darmani was scared. "Darmi, what's happening? I'm scared!" He was about to start crying when Direna brought the cake out on a big cart, its candles lit. She had outdone herself this year with the cake. As she placed it on the table, everyone urged Little Darmani to make a wish. He thought for a moment, then blew out the candles. Everyone cheered. Bob and George relit the torches.
"So son, what did you wish for?" asked Direna.
"I wished for…food!"
The Gorons all agreed with that sentiment and started ripping off chunks of the cake. Darmani pulled out the music box. "Son, here is your birthday present." He handed it to his son.
"Oh, thank you Darmi! What's in the box? What's in the box?" he started to open the box.
"No, don't!" wailed Darmani.
It was too late. Little Darmani opened the box, starting the song. "Wow, my favorite" that was all he could get out before he and all of the other Gorons fell asleep.
Lulu, lead singer of the Indigo-go's and wife of Mikau, woke up. She looked around, realizing Mikau was still asleep. She noticed the calendar, which had today's date circled on it. "Today's the day," she whispered. Today was the beginning of the band's yearlong World Tour. The kids would be coming along, since they were technically a part of the band as well. Getting out of bed, (careful not to disturb Mikau) she headed for the door of their dressing room. She walked quietly past the dressing rooms of her fellow band members and her children's bedrooms. She knew nobody was awake in Zora Hall except herself. Since they were leaving after breakfast, she wanted to say goodbye to an old friend before anything else happened. She smiled to herself, remembering the day ten years ago when she had laid her eggs, only to have them stolen by pirates. Mikau had gone to rescue them, and had come back a week later with a new song. At that point her voice, which had steadily been fading, vanished completely. Mikau's song was a song her mother had used to sing to her. She had no idea how Mikau had known it, but her voice was restored and a giant turtle appeared, telling Mikau he had to go to Great Bay Temple and stop the evil that was making the water murky. He returned hours later, just in time for their rehearsal for the Carnival of Time gig. After that, he vanished until the actual gig. Afterwards, he told Lulu about how a boy named Link had saved him from death, turning him into a mask that he had used to save Great Bay and was later used to restore him to life. Lulu wasn't sure she believed it, but the giant talking turtle confirmed it. And after all, who in they're right minds would argue with a giant talking turtle? Speaking of which…Lulu walked out the back entrance of the Hall. The turtle, Juba-Juba, was waiting. He smiled as she showed up. "Ah, Lulu." He said in that soft voice of his. "How are you?"
"I'm fine." She said.
"You don't look fine. What's wrong?"
She sighed. "It's this whole world tour thing. I'm not sure I'm ready."
"Ah, now I understand. Why do you feel you are not ready? I have seen you and your friends packing up carefully, your manager Toto triple-checking everything. Why do you feel unready?'
"I-I just don't."
He nodded. "I understand completely. It is not that you feel unready, it is that you do not wish to leave. You have lived in the waters of Great Bay all your life, leaving only for the yearly gig at the Carnival of Time. Your tours have been only of the nearest Zora cities, no more. Today, you are taking your first step towards something new, something unheard of to you before. You will be going to places you have never heard of, meet peoples you didn't know existed, have adventures you have never dreamed of. And you are afraid of that."
Lulu was surprised. "How did you…"
Juba-Juba chuckled. "Lulu, I know you better than you know yourself. You are afraid of the change in scenery, afraid of leaving the country, but mostly afraid that nobody will like your music. But let me tell you something, Lulu. It does not matter how well the concerts go. All it matters is whether or not you make your fans happy. By joining the band in the first place, you made an obligation to your fans, your friends, and to yourself. Choosing to stay here would deny the fans around the world of hearing your music in person. Do you really want to do that? I think not."
Lulu smiled. "You're right. I shouldn't be scared. I have an obligation to fulfill, don't I? It's just, well, I'll miss you. Whenever I need to talk to somebody who can help me understand my feelings, I try my husband first. But he's not that kind of man. You have helped me get through any problems I have for the last ten years, ever since that Link boy arrived. Will you miss me too?"
Juba-Juba nodded. "I will greatly miss your singing and your company Lulu. However, when you are as old as I am, time doesn't seem to matter as much. It's only a year, after all." He looked at her. "I've said this before, but you remind me of your mother. She looked just like you."
Lulu was curious. "In the years we've known each other, you've never told me how you became an observer of the seas, how you knew my mother, how you know me so well. I want to know."
Juba-Juba sighed. "I thought it would come to this someday. Thousands of years ago, my species flourished. We were every bit as intelligent and long- lived as the whales, except we could talk. We migrated all over the world, seeing the sights, meeting many Zoras. Then, a thousand years ago, poachers came after my herd, using new weapons to penetrate our thick shells. I was the only one to escape the poachers. For a hundred years, I fled, evading the poachers, trying to find another herd. But I found none. I discovered that poachers had ruthlessly overhunted my species into extinction. I was the only one left. I made my way to Great Bay, where I decided to hide out until my death. I became a friend to the inhabitants, learning their ways. I already knew of Termina and the giants that protected it. But it was then that I learned of their friend, the imp, and how he had been left behind when the giants retook their posts. A few nights after that, the imp showed up, in a rage caused by his abandonment. He attacked the Zoras, leaving cruel pranks all over the bay. I woke up one morning to discover he had painted graffiti on my shell! But eventually, the imp left. I heard later that he had been banished from Termina. Life returned to normal in the Bay. One day, I saw a female Zora being chased by a Kraken. As I am the natural enemy of Krakens, I did battle with the beast and defeated it. The female thanked me and we became friends. Do you know who that Zora was, Lulu? No? It was your ancestor, Lulu the First, the founder and first lead singer in the Indigo-go's. That is how I became the friend of all the Lulu's in the band, thanks to one act of kindness. I became an observer of the seas, a ferryman to the temple. Back then the temple was visited a little more frequently, so I helped many Zoras get to the Temple safely. I have lived outside the Hall for the last thousand years, watching all that has gone on in the bay. I will be here for a long time, Lulu. I have lived longer than any other turtle. Do you have any idea why?" Lulu shook her head. Neither do I, but I have a theory. It is said that when a sentient species has but a single member remaining, the gods may grant that last being immortality, so his race will never completely die out. I believe that is what happened to me, but who can say? Maybe it's just luck. Now as to your mother, I met her when she was but a baby and we became friends like the rest of your ancestors. But then you were born. I only got to meet you once, when you were but a baby as well, before something happened that resulted in your mother's death and prevented me from seeing you again until ten years ago."
"What was it?"
"Pirates. They were descendants of the poachers who had exterminated my race, and were here for some booty from your people. I tried to stop them, but they had prepared a spell that knocked me unconscious for many years. Even so, I was still aware of events. The pirates were driven off, but at a terrible price. Both your parents died trying to fend off the pirates. A long time passed before I heard singing again at Zora Hall. But I did not awaken until Link played that song your mother used to sing. And so we met, and have become friends, just as I have been with all of your line." He floated silent.
Lulu wasn't sure what to say. She finally knew how her parents died and had also opened up a painful wound in Juba-Juba's memories. She knew she should apologize. "I"
"How are the kids?" He asked. It was obvious he was changing the subject. Lulu let him.
"Well, Mikau jr. is taking after his father, playing the guitar. Lulu junior's voice is developing nicely. Japas jr. is doing well with the guitar as well; Evans jr. is becoming a master at the keyboard, Tijo jr. is working out the drums, and Zorro is doing great at running the stage crew. They weren't happy with being ordered around by a ten-year old, but soon got over it after he made some great changes in their jobs."
"What about Toto jr.?"
Lulu couldn't help smiling. "He's becoming as fat as his namesake." The old turtle laughed. He smiled.
"I'll miss you Lulu. When you come back, tell me everything, okay?" She smiled and nodded.
"Lulu! Lulu, where are you?" called a voice from the Hall.
Juba-Juba turned around, preparing to go into the water. "You'd better go. Your husband's calling." He sank beneath the waves.
Lulu could hear Mikau's calls getting louder. "Goodbye, my friend." She whispered. She ran inside.
The King tapped his bony fingers on his armrest, losing patience. Where were they? They should have been here by now! He sighed and looked up at the windows, which had been boarded up to prevent another incident like the one that had happened ten years ago from occurring again. That young man, Link, had come through and defeated his two most powerful soldiers and then himself, using a combination of astounding sword techniques and sunlight. After the boy had left and broken the curse caused by that imp and the Stone Tower, things had gotten back to normal in the canyon. However, in recent times the king had been getting worried that his old enemies were regrouping for another attack like the one that had killed them all two hundred years ago. His Royal Highness, Igos du Ikana, Ruler of the small kingdom of Ikana Canyon and Lord of the Undead sighed and checked his calendar again. Today's date was circled on it, confirming his suspicions. He sighed. "Today's the day." He said to nobody. Today was the anniversary of the day they had all died. Two hundred years ago, Ikana Canyon had been a beautiful place. Lush and green, with trees and flowers. Everyone had been alive. The tiny but prosperous kingdom attracted the attention of the nearby nation of Hisfaria. They envied Ikana's prosperity and sought to conquer it, allowing them access to the rest of Termina and the riches therein. They had sent their most powerful warriors, the Garos, an elite group of ninja. The Garos had invaded the canyon and began the war. The brave soldiers of Ikana were not well trained, so fell to the blades of the Garos. The ninjas made their way through the canyon, making sure to kill everyone in the village. They made absolutely sure no one survived. They climbed over the walls of the castle, slaughtering the guards. The Garo Master alone ventured into the castle to finish his mission. He easily defeated Igos' bodyguards and finally went into battle with the king. Igos was the best fighter in the kingdom, so he was able to hold his own for a while. But the Garo Master was better, and struck a fatal blow. As he died, Igos struck a fatal blow as well, killing the Garo Master. The Garos shared a mystical link with the Master, so they died as well. However, by some strange force, none of those who died except for the women were unable to leave the world. They remained in Ikana Valley, now undead and without any females. They could no longer stand the sunlight, except for the Garos, the Gibdos, and the Stalchildren. Things weren't quite miserable, but they had been a bit depressing. Igos really hated this day, because it was a reminder, a mockery of the day his life literally took a turn for the worst. His musing was interrupted when three figures entered the room. They had finally arrived. All three figures were cloaked. The two taller ones were covered in hoods and robes, so no part of their bodies showed. The third, smaller figure was cloaked as well, but only so his face was hidden. He was not one of the undead, but something else. He had a single, red eye visible despite the gloom of his cloak. The figure was obviously not human. The two tall ones took off their cloaks, revealing Igos' inept bodyguards, the twin brothers Igor and Ygor.
The bodyguards bowed. Igor spoke. "Your majesty, despite many perils…"
"He fell down the well." Grumbled Ygor.
"And looking in the face of danger multiple times…"
"He got frightened by that paranormal researcher guy in the music box."
"And being attacked many times by the enemy…"
"A Guay pecked his head."
"What are you doing?"
"I am providing an unbiased and true report for the king!"
"At my expense!"
"But all those things happened to you!"
"So?"
"So, you're fibbing!"
"Am not!"
"You're feeble!"
"I am not!"
"Yes you are! Feeble feeble feeble feeble feeble feeble feeble feeble feeble feeble feeble feeble feeble feeble feeble feeble!"
"I'm the greatest swordsman in all Ikana!"
"Are not!"
"Am too!"
"Are not!"
"Am too!"
"Are not!"
"Am too!"
"Are not!"
"Am too!"
"Are not!"
"Am too!"
"Are not!"
"How come?"
"Because I'M the greatest swordsman in Ikana!"
"Are not!"
"Am too!"
"Are not!"
"Am too!"
"Are not!"
"Am too!"
"Are not!"
"Am too!"
"Are not!"
"Am too!"
"Are not!"
"Am too!"
"Are not!"
"Am"
"SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" roared Igos. "First off, neither of you are the greatest swordsman in Ikana! I am! For another thing, YOU TWO ARE THE MOST ANNOYING BODYGUARDS IN THIS UNIVERSE! GET OUT BEFORE I PERSONALLY RIP THE BOARDS OFF THESE WINDOWS AND HURL YOU OUT THEM INTO DIRECT SUNLIGHT SO I WILL BE RID OF YOU ONCE AND FOR ALL! Now, GET OUT!" The idiots ran from the room. Igos panted for several moments before calming down. Relaxing, he turned to his guest, who hadn't made any reaction to the previous outburst of rage. "I apologize for my outburst. It's just that today is my least favorite day of the year. Those two are grinding me on my last nonexistent nerve."
"Why don't you just fire them?" asked the guest.
"In this cruel mockery of death, we must all play the roles we had in life. I cannot fire them. Now, you're probably wondering why I called you here."
The figure paused, then pulled off his hood. His head was like a human's except he had no hair or nose, and had a single red eye. He was a rare Hinox, a Cyclops. His one eye allowed him to see many things that most people could not. He could see at long distances, read certain minds, look through walls, and even see what is not visible. He went by the name of Poehunter, and had come to the kingdom a hundred years hunting for ghosts. As a ghost hunter, he was very skilled in different fighting techniques. He captured ghosts and collected fees for it. All of the ghosts he captures go into special bottles, which he keeps around his waist. When battling a difficult spirit, he can release a ghost and use it to battle the other, weakening it enough to be captured. He had captured the dreaded Poe sisters and guarded them at the old jail. He was trying to tame them enough to be put in a bottle, but he had to keep them locked up until he succeeded. "Yes, I was wondering why you called me here."
"Poehunter, I need to know what you have seen of the Garo these last few days."
Poehunter frowned. "Why do you wish to know?"
"This past night, I had a dream that the Garo were on the move, preparing some attack. It's probably nothing, but I want you to tell me anything you know. And I want the truth."
"What makes you think I know anything? I am but a humble ghost catcher."
"Dammit, stop playing these games! I know you can see more with that eye than you let on, more than enough to make up for your lack of depth perception. Tell me the truth, now."
Poehunter relented. "For the last week, I have seen the Garo moving about the Stone Tower. They are doing something in the temple, but I know not what it is. I do have a clue, however."
"Igos leaned forward. "Yes, what is it?"
"A Garo passed by the hut late last night. As you know, undead minds are not something I can look into easily. However, I was able to catch a few snippets of memory. I saw the Garo Master, rallying the Garo in the Stone Tower Temple. He said something about a weapon of light, fulfilling their ancient mission, and attacking the rest of Termina. Then I saw the Garos collecting pieces of some strange glass, like a mirror but it did not really reflect anything. It seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it. Does any of this help?"
Igos nodded. "Thank you. You may go." Poehunter bowed and left. Igos pondered this. A weapon of light? That would surely guarantee victory for the Garos if they turned it on the undead! But where would they get something like that in the tower? Suddenly, he remembered an old story about the temple, how there were mirrors that absorbed light and shot it out instead of simply reflecting. Igos suddenly understood his enemy's plans. If there were to be a battle, it would have to be at night, since the undead were killed by light. If the Garos were able to use these absorbing mirrors on the undead, they would win instantly. Igos realized he would have to make a first strike, before the Garos were finished with their mirrors. It meant he would have to do the unthinkable: storm the Stone Tower.
Dotour, mayor of Clock Town, woke up. He looked out the window onto the bustling people in the streets. He smiled at the clock tower. His smile grew wider as he saw the calendar, with today's date circled on it. Today's the day, he thought. He would have sung it if he wanted to wake his wife up, which he didn't. He headed for the bathroom to get ready. He had to put on a good appearance after all. Today was the day when the new mayor of Clock Town was to be elected and put into office. As usual, Dotour had run for his own office again. He was very confident he was going to win, for two very good reasons. One, everyone was happy with the way he ran things. Second, nobody else bothered to run. Dotour was going to be mayor again for another year. As he finished getting ready, he went down to the kitchen to make himself and his wife breakfast. He whistled a tune to himself as h made his meal. His thoughts turned to his son Kafei. He and Anju were doing quite well in the Stock Pot Inn. There son, Tortus was doing well. His thoughts turned again, to the strange young fellow who had made so many people in Termina happy. The boy named Link had saved Dotour from a horribly long meeting, cheered up his wife, and reunited Anju and Kafei in time for the wedding. Of course, he couldn't forget that the boy also saved the entire moon from doomsday and restored people's faith in the heavens. He wondered for a moment if he would ever see Link again. He decided he would check on his son and his family after the election. It would be good to see Anju's grandmother, his old teacher, again. It was too bad she was so old, she thought almost everyone who walked through her door was her dead son, Tortus sr. Whistling some more, he sat down to eat breakfast.
Now: Ganondorf watched as the spell continued. Majora seemed to be nearing the end. He had been chanting for fifteen minutes, and the spell circle was glowing extremely brightly. All that was left was for Majora to utter the command to unleash the spell. Majora's chanting stopped. The mighty demon paused for a few seconds, then unleashed an awesome scream. What was most awesome was that Ganondorf could not hear it. He could see Majora exhaling, his body trembling, but he could hear nothing. This was because the spell command was of an interdimensional nature, that only those who were immortal could hear. And hear it they did.
The Kokiri wheeled the big birthday cake into the Deku Tree's meadow. It was another masterpiece, made by the Kokiri chef, Mido. After Link stood up to him ten years ago, Mido and Naro stopped being bullies and took up cooking. Since Mido was no longer leader, Saria was put in his place. Mido started expressing himself through his culinary skills, making the perfect dish every time. He had really outdone himself on this latest cake, and everyone was eager to start eating it. Saria walked up to the cake as everyone started singing the birthday song. As Saria blew out her candles, everyone cheered. They started to cut the cake. Suddenly, the Deku Sprout started gasping. The Kokiri stopped cheering and turned towards their deity. "What's wrong, Deku Sprout?" asked Saria.
"Can you-can you not hear it?"
"Hear what?"
"Evil…" Suddenly, the Kokiri and all the fairies in the village and beyond could hear it. They fell to the ground screaming, clutching their heads in pain.
Ruto looked across the rock table at Tito. They were waiting for their meal at the Zora Café. She fingered her necklace with the Zora's Sapphire. She finally decided it was time. She opened her mouth, ready to ask him the big question. Suddenly, a long, echoing wail could be heard. It was a deep sound, one that affected all the Zoras. "What is it?" asked Tito.
Ruto got out of her seat. "Its Jabu-Jabu! Something's wrong with him!" She ran towards the entrance to Zora's Fountain.
"Wait for me!" yelled Tito, racing after her.
They reached the fountain. Jabu-Jabu was singing a whale-song, but one of pain instead of happiness. He was writhing about, much like a normal fish. Ruto ran up to the feeding platform. "Jabu-Jabu, what's wrong? Are you having a problem with indigestion?"
Jabu-Jabu looked at her then did something astonishing. He spoke, albeit telepathically, while continuing his song. "No, I am not suffering from indigestion! I am suffering from something far worse!"
Ruto gaped. "You-you-you-you-you spoke! To me!"
"Yes I did. Now please, listen! I am in pain because of a scream, an evil scream from some distant place. It is affecting only immortals such as myself. It will end soon enough, but when it does, this land will be changed forever." He stopped talking, his eyes rolling wildly. "The ocean…I must reach the ocean."
"But Jabu-Jabu, you can't fit in the river! It doesn't lead straight to the ocean; it only goes to Lake Hylia, which sends water to the sea through an underground channel! And even if it did go to the ocean, you would never make the journey. You're too big, and I hear there's a waterfall, and you can't even swim out of the fountain!"
Jabu-Jabu wailed then did something amazing. He jumped out of the water, straight into the air. He was flying! He wobbly flew towards Lake Hylia, singing his song of pain the entire way. Ruto and Tito stared after him in amazement. "This isn't good, is it?" asked Tito.
"Is everything packed yet?" asked Toto impatiently. They were hours behind schedule, thanks to an extremely complicated accident involving Evans and the dead giant crab hanging from his ceiling.
"Everything's packed Chief." Said Mikau.
"Good. Now if we're all set…" suddenly, all in Zora Hall could hear a keening wail. "What is that?"
"It's Juba-Juba. Something's wrong with him!" said Lulu.
Toto groaned. Another delay! "Try to calm him down. We're late enough as it is!"
"Right, Chief!" yelled Lulu as she ran for the back door. Outside, she found Juba-Juba wailing. "Juba, what is it?"
Juba concentrated, trying to speak. "Lulu…I…hear…something. It…is…evil."
"What is causing it?"
"I…do…not…know. It…seems…familiar. Like…the…evil…from…ten…years...ago." He could no longer restrain himself, and started screaming again. Lulu heard another, deeper scream coming from the direction of the temple. It sounded like the giant was affected as well! Juba was right. Only an evil like the one from ten years ago could affect the protective god of the seas this badly.
Half an hour ago: Igos, cloaked completely in armor, strode in front of his troops. In preparation for the battle, he had completely covered his body to protect himself from the sun. He wore a helmet with a visor to protect his eyes. Igor and Ygor were similarly adorned. The three of them were the only ones adorned in that way, except for the Blue Bubbles, the Redeads, the Floormaster, and the Stalfos. The Gibdos and the Stalchildren were immune to the sunlight, as was Captain Keeta. They were not immune to light magic, but direct sunlight could not hurt them. Igos turned to face them. "Troops, for the last two hundred years we have allowed the foul scourge that killed us in the first place to live in our midst. We trusted them not to do anything too rash or fulfill their original mission. Our trust was misplaced. The enemy is even now plotting our downfall, and the downfall of our beloved Termina. We must, no, we will stop them from this!" The troops cheered. "We shall put an end to the scourge of the Garo once and for all!" The troops cheered. "We will march up to the Stone Tower and defeat them!" The troops ran for the front gates at the mention of the Stone Tower. Fortunately, the gates were closed and the side entrance had been sealed off years ago. They ran for the well, only to find it filled with water. They realized they would have no choice but to follow their king. Soon, they were heading for the Tower. Igos led them inside, showing them how to cross the abyss. They used their military-regulation hookshots to scale the tower, using the Elegy of Emptiness to move blocks in place. Keeta had no need of hookshots, but had a little trouble crossing the blocks until he realized it would be easier to walk across then jump. In this manner, they scaled the tower and entered the temple, interrupting another Garo rally.
The Garo were all seated in the main courtyard's shallow pit, with the Garo Master strutting on the platform in the middle. His demagogue was interrupted when Igos' army entered. The ninjas were very surprised. They had not expected the enemy to come out in broad daylight, climbing up the forbidden tower. Garo Master was eager, however. "Igos, how are you old friend?"
Igos scowled beneath his helmet. "We are here to stop you from fulfilling your ancient mission. You will never trouble the canyon or this country again. If you leave now, we will not have to kill you"
The Master chuckled. "Igos, you know we cannot leave until our mission is accomplished."
"Even if the country that issued your orders no longer exists?"
"Orders are orders. You're a military man, Igos, you should know that better than any of us. No, wait, we're all military men aren't we?"
"You leave me no choice. Attack!" The armies leapt into battle. The Garo Master backflipped and ran for a door at the other end of his platform, beneath a giant, hideous statue. Igos jumped after him, briefly wondering what would happen if he ran into the guardian giant in this temple. He decided it would probably squash the Garo Master and leave him be. He ran through the door that the Garo Master had just entered, finding himself in another courtyard, on a bridge over a pool. Garo Master was at the other end of the room, at another door. He was about to enter. "Garo Master!" shouted Igos. The ninja stopped. "Garo Master, come and fight me! Die with honor!"
"I think not! Eyegore, attack!" He ran through the door. What's an Eyegore? Thought Igos until he saw the large, metallic, one-eyed monster stomping towards him from across the bridge. Oh, that's an Eyegore. He ran towards it. The monster responded by firing laser beams from its eye. Blocking with his shield, Igos ran forward. He threw a Deku Nut to the ground, temporarily blinding the beast. He shot the monster in the eye with his hookshot, damaging it. The Eyegore prepared to fire another laser, but Igos used another nut, followed by another Hookshot attack. He did this six times, until finally the monster sat down and started flashing. Igos backed away quickly as the monster exploded. With the Eyegore gone, Igos ran through the door across the bridge. He found himself in another room with a smaller, narrower bridge across a pit. It wouldn't hurt him to fall, but he didn't want to risk anything. He ran across the bridge, entering the next chamber. It was large and empty, with a hole in the ceiling. At the other end of the chamber was Garo Master. He stepped forward. "Ten years ago, a little boy in green came through here and slew me in battle."
Igos frowned. "Then why are you still here?"
The Master chuckled. "The boy killed many of my servants as well, but they're still here."
"You didn't answer the question."
"Do you know why we Garo die without leaving corpses?"
"No."
"In life, it was part of our code, so we would never have a dead Garo in enemy hands. However, in our half-life, it is an advantage."
"Why?"
"If there is no corpse, there is no real proof of death. As long as we leave no corpse when we die, we cannot stay dead! We regenerate our bodies, coming back with even more strength! So go ahead and kill me. I've already died once in this form. If you strike me down, I will merely return, stronger than ever." His sword-arms slid from his robe. "Are you ready?" The Master charged. Igos charged. They're swords locked.
The battle was going well for the Ikana army. They did not know of the Garos regeneration, so they just killed as many as they could. When the lone Floormaster had been killed, he became three baby Floormasters, each armored. They choked several Garos to death before growing into three adult armored Floormasters. The Gibdos paralyzed then sucked the energy out of every Garo in reach. The Stalfos helped out their younger brethren whenever possible. Igor and Ygor were having fun, each counting the number of Garos killed so they could boast to the other about how many they had killed afterwards in yet another attempt to prove which brother was better. Captain Keeta crushed Garo after Garo with immense body. More Garo kept pouring in, and kept getting slaughtered. The soldiers were happy, for in death they were finally able to stand against the enemy that had slain them in life. Since they had none of the needs a human did, they did not grow weary, their strength staying at maximum. The Garos had lost plenty of ground. Even though they would regenerate in a month as more powerful ninjas, they would have wasted a lot of time and effort. The Ikana army would have made sure to shatter all the strange mirrors in the temple, and break the pieces until they were too small to ever be of use again. Fortunately for the evil ninjas, there was a backup plan. One Garo snuck by the other fighters, heading for the exit. Once outside the temple, he hopped onto one of the floating blocks and turned, looking down towards the light-sensitive switch that reversed the gravity of all the things in the temple and tower not attached to the ground. Since the switch could not work if the sun hit it from a high angle, and the tower walls and floating blocks prevented it from being activated by the sun from a low angle, it could only be activated by an artificial blast of light, such as a Light Arrow. Or a special mirror. The Garo pulled a fragment of the special mirrors from his robe, concentrating on it as he aimed for the switch. A sunbeam shone from the fragment, activating the switch. As the ancient magic of the temple activated, all of the fighters in the Temple found their gravity reversing. As the Garo outside fell into the sky, he thought My mission is accomplished. I will return with full honors. Most of the fighters fell as well, leaving a mere half dozen Stalchildren and three Garos. The Stalchildren would have perished if Captain Keeta hadn't pulled himself onto the ledge and flattened the Garos. They cheered.
Igos was very surprised when the temple flipped over. "What just happened?"
"My backup plan just went into effect. Most of your troops are falling towards outer space as we speak. When I reset the gravity to normal, your troops will smash themselves to pieces when they hit the ground."
Igos was horrified. "I'll kill you for that!"
"Don't you remember? You can'! Ahahahahahahahaha…say, do you hear something? It sounds like a scream."
"Yes, I hear it. How odd." Then, the full effect of the scream kicked in, and they fell to the ground, clutching their heads and screaming. The same thing was happening to Keeta and the Stalchildren. The skeletons rolled around in pain, and fell off the narrow ledge they had been standing on. From deeper inside the temple, a great bellow could be heard, as the guardian giant cried out in pain. As Igos and Garo Master rolled around in pain, they got to close to the hole in what used to be the ceiling. The two enemies fell, wailing, into the sky.
Kaepora Gaebora, former Sage of Light and Link's spirit guide, hooted contentedly to himself as he flew over Hyrule. Today was a good day. He had caught a good many field mice for breakfast that morning. The sun was shining, there wasn't a cloud in the sky, and he was getting excellent thermals from the field. Kaepora Gaebora had once been a human, a thousand years ago. He had been one of the Ihar, the long-lived humanoid species of planet Gavalon, otherwise known as the Sacred Realm because it had been the home of the Triforce. He had been the first Sage of Light and built the Temple of Light. He had died in a strange accident he couldn't quite recall, and the job had gone to his son, Rauru. For some reason, instead of merely passing on, he was reincarnated as an owl spirit. He didn't really mind. He still had many of the powers he possessed as a mortal, and he got to fly. Twenty years ago, he had been assigned as spirit guide to the boy named Link. He was told to meet Link when he left the forest for the first time. Kaepora didn't quite understand why an owl, a symbol of wisdom, would be assigned to a boy destined for the Triforce of Courage. To the old bird, it would have made more sense to have assigned a lion as Link's spirit guide. Oh, well. He had tried appealing for a reassignment when he learned of Link's destiny, but failed. Kaepora hated bureaucracy. Oh well. He thought about visiting his old friend Juba-Juba some time. It had been a while since he had last visited Termina. Hooting some more, he stopped hooting when he heard a strange noise. What was it? It sounded like a scream…then the pain started. Kaepora screeched, almost plummeting from the sky. He struggled to regain control, despite the unbelievable agony he was experiencing. As he wobbly kept on flying, he scanned the planet, trying to figure out where the scream was coming from. He soon realized it was from off the planet! Trying to remain conscious, he scanned the moon, and was horrified at his discovery of the source of the scream. It couldn't be! But it was. He had to get to Link, to warn him of this evil before it was too late. Doing another scan, he found Link in Hyrule Castle Town. Changing direction, he flew towards the town.
Link, Sheik, Navi, Tael, Tatl, and Skull Kid were enjoying their lunch. They thought that they deserved this meal, after such an important peace signing. As they waited for the bill, Skull Kid had a favor to ask of Link. "Hey, do you think you could give us a ride back to the forest? We would really appreciate it."
Link wasn't sure, until he remembered he could just warp back to town to ask Zelda his proposal after he dropped the trio off. "Sure, I'll do it."
"Thanks. I really apprecia…" he stopped. "Do you hear something? Like screaming?"
"No." said Link and Sheik.
"I hear something." Said Navi.
"Yeah, same here." Said Tael.
"It does sound like screaming." Said Tatl.
Then, the agony began. The three fairies and the imp fell to the ground screaming. Skull Kid's eyes were dilated, as he rolled around, clutching their heads. "What's going on!?" asked Link.
"I have no idea." Said Sheik.
That's when a huge, feathery bullet dropped from the sky, smashing through many tables and frightening many of the diners into a faint as it skidded to a halt in front of Link. "Link immediately recognized the owl. "Kaepora Gaebora! What's wrong? What's happening to my friends?"
Moaning in pain, the owl looked up. "Link…I…had…to…warn…you. There…is…great…evil…afoot. Two…are…behind…this…evil."
"Who? Who are they?"
"They…are…they…are…" Kaepora gasped, his eyes bulging, as he blacked out, going into a coma from the sheer pain.
Majora stopped screaming. "Is it finished?" asked Ganondorf.
The demon nodded. "The spell is activated. In moments, the two lands will merge permanently. And then our evil work may begin." The villains gazed up at the beautiful blue-green sphere that was the planet Garaton, contemplating how soon it would be black and red from the blood of the innocent.
Spooky, huh? If you want me to continue, please give me more good reviews! I need reviews!