Hey Hey! I'm back! Sorry it took so long to upload the last chapter, but I
had a few personal problems. Nothing serious or important, but still
problematic. Hope you liked the last chapter. Oh, and I read one of my
reviews from an anonymous reader, and she seems to be talking about some
kind of transformation in Skull Kid, a suggestion for me. She says I know
what it is, but I have no idea what she's talking about! I think she either
means Skull Kid should turn into a human, or she means he should become
a…teenager. (Shudder) Anyway, that'll never happen, since Skull Kid is an
immortal. Technically, he already is a teenager in spirit. Maybe even an
adult. But his form and name will always remain the same, no matter what
mask he puts on. He will always stay the same little imp we all know and
love. If any of you could just look at the review I mentioned, (it's under
the name of child and something about donkeys and Mandrella) and figure out
what she means, please explain it in your review. By the way, I already
know how I'm going to end this thing, and was thinking of having another
trilogy featuring Skull Kid as the hero! What do you think? I can't give
any details just yet, but I will say it involves travel beyond the
boundaries of Hymina. And now, enough wasting of time. To the story!
Disclaimer:…
Chapter 11
Skull Kid and Tael rematerialized at the back of Zora Hall, where Juba-Juba was waiting. "Congratulations, you two! You did it! Nice job. The seas are crystal clear once again, and the river is back up to speed. You two really are heroes, you know that?"
"Eh, it was nothing." Said Tael. "The demon was pretty stupid."
"Still, you won a great victory." He looked up at the night sky. "You know, it's pretty late. Do you need a ride to shore?"
"Yeah, that would be nice." Said Skull Kid.
"Then hop on," said Juba-Juba, turning to allow Skull Kid to hookshot one of the trees on his back.
Skull Kid did so, and the giant turtle ferried the two back to shore. He dropped them off then headed back to his post. "Nice guy, but a little slow, if you know what I mean?" joked Skull Kid.
Tael chuckled. "Good one. Now, where do we sleep?"
"Here's fine. Since there are no Stalchildren, I don't see why we need to use the tent. In fact, how about we sleep under the stars tonight?" Skull Kid unrolled his sleeping bag out of his pack and lay it out inn the sand. He unzipped it and snuggled inside. However, sleep did not come immediately to the heroes. They looked up at the night sky, not just at the grinning moon but at the myriad of stars that lit up the heavens. Skull Kid smiled. "You know Tael, back in my dismal days of thievery, I always ended up looking at the stars before I fell asleep. As time went on, I decided to name the constellations in Termina for myself. Even though this is not Termina, this world is in the same place as Arave. I'm very certain that the constellations here match. Actually, I know I'm sure, thanks to the observatory back home."
"Hey Skull Kid, we need something to do until we fall asleep. Show me the constellations you made up, please? Please?"
Skull Kid chuckled. "Sure, I'll show you." And with that, Skull Kid showed Tael his constellations, pointing to the stars that made them up and connecting the dots, then using imagination to fill in the space around the lines. Skull Kid showed Tael the Four Giants, the Bouncing Goron, and the Fighting Zora. He showed Tael the Clock Tower, the Sleepy Deku Scrub, and the Spinning Gerudo. He showed Tael the Dancing Redead, the Flying Guay, and the Biting Snapper. He showed Tael the Sitting Hiploop, the Snoring Bigocto (and the Snoring Little Octorock next to it). He showed Tael the scurrying Boe, the Howling Wolfos, and the Leaping Tektite. He showed Tael the Slimy Chuchu, the Burrowing Leever, and the Swimming Desbreko (Which was surrounded by various Swimming Skullfish). He showed Tael the Slithering Like Like, the Snowy Eenos, and the Stinging Dragonfly. He showed Tael the Exploding Bombchu, the Shambling Stalchild, and the Rolling Nejiron. He showed all the stars in the sky and his names for them.
An hour later, Skull Kid had run out of stars. Then Tael noticed one. "What's that one over there?"
"Where?"
"That one that's right underneath the moon. What is it?"
Skull Kid frowned. "That constellation wasn't back in Termina. This is a new one! Give me a minute to name it. You try to connect the dots to see what it is." Skull Kid stared at it for several moments.
Tael suddenly saw it. "Skull Kid, that's us!"
"What? What are you talking about?"
"That constellation! It looks like us. See there's you, with your hat in your hand. And there's me, right next to you, near your shoulder."
Skull Kid looked at it again. "You're right, that looks just like us! Looks like we have a new constellation named. I dub it "Skull Kid and Tael", a celestial picture of two great friends."
"Aw…" They went to sleep soon after.
The next morning, they packed up and left the beach for good, walking along the trail back to Hymina Field, from which they headed northwest. For three days they traveled across the field. The Guays were getting worse. They were becoming complete annoyances, constantly attacking Skull Kid. But at last, they made it to the part with no trees and headed west. After an hour or two, they reached a trail through a mesa of some sort. The rocks stretched around them to the left and right, as far as the eye could see. It was the western border of Hyrule, in a way. The Gerudo were considered citizens, but technically they were outside of Hyrule, on the very edge of the Shi'hashi, the Great Desert. Other lands lay across the desert, some even in the desert, but none were too close to Hymina. They followed the trail, which slowly curved upwards. They took a turn along the path, coming to a series of tall, carved stone pillars and broken fences. There was a turnoff to the left that led to the Graveyard. Skull Kid decided to take it. He went down the trail and found the graveyard hadn't changed a bit. It was still littered with graves honoring the brave soldiers who fought and died in the Great War of Ikana, the ones that had not ended up stuck in a perpetual state between true life and true death. There was a trail that led to the second half of the graveyard. It had no graves, but it did have the home of the living, Terminan Dampe` the gravekeeper. However, as he walked down the path, Skull Kid suddenly saw a huge difference. The difference was the large group of Stalchildren that erupted out of the ground around him and grabbed him before he could even draw his dagger. "Let me go! Let me go, you piles of bones!" Skull Kid yelled.
The Stalchildren ignored his cries and dragged him down the path to the other end of the cemetery, where a broken bridge went over Dampe`s house, leading to an empty treasure chest. The trail to the bridge went down and around so it went under the broken bridge, coming out to meet the trail from the rest of the graveyard. Sitting in between the gap of the bridge was a forty-foot tall Stalchild, with a small group of Stalfos patrolling the area around it. This Stalchild had a necklace and bracelets, not to mention a strange hat, making it look like some sort of military officer. He was. He was Captain Keeta, leader of the undead armies of Ikana Canyon, except for the King of Ikana. He peered down at the group approaching him. He spoke. "Sergeant Tibia, what have you brought for me?"
The lead Stalchild stood tall and saluted. "Sir! We found this foul imp intruding on our precious resting place! Sir! Requesting permission to execute this trespasser! Awaiting your orders sir."
Captain Keeta chuckled. "Oh come on, he's not foul. And I'm sure he's harmless and has a good explanation for why he's here. Why don't you let him go and go back to your posts?"
Sergeant Tibia saluted again. "Sir! Following your orders now! Troops, atten-hut!" The Stalchildren let go of Skull Kid and marched back into the main graveyard, burrowing back underground.
The Captain peered down at Skull Kid. "So, who are you? What are you doing in our graveyard?"
Skull Kid saw no harm in telling this soldier the truth. "My name's Skull Kid. I'm on a mission to overthrow the evil Majora, and I need to get to Gerudo/Ikana Canyon. Is that a problem?"
Keeta shrugged. "I don't see why not. However, I think you'll have a tough time getting there. The bridge over the river has been broken, and there's no way across. It's even too great for our military-issue hookshots. But you're welcome to try it if you want. We're dying for news of the Canyon. We haven't had any news from the Commanding Officer in two weeks. I'm worried something's wrong. Is there any other way we can help you?"
"Not that I can think of. By the way, where is Dampe`?"
"The gravekeeper? Last e heard of him was when we returned from the Gerudo/Ikana Canyon after our big party/celebration/hoe-down in honor of our not getting killed by light any more. Of course, we Stalchildren have always been immune to sunlight, but what fool would pass up the chance to go to a cool party? Besides, those Gerudo babes are the first women we've seen in two hundred years. But back to Dampe`. We were coming back from the party just after sunrise. Dampe` was beginning to make his rounds. When he saw us coming up the graveyard trail, he said, 'Aaaaieeee!!! T-they're out!' ran screaming back to his house over here. Every other day or so he peeks his head out, screams, and stays inside. Weirdo. Will that be all?"
Skull Kid nodded. "Yeah, I think so."
"Good! You may go now, if you wish."
Skull Kid felt it would be a good idea to salute. He did. Captain Keeta saluted back. Skull Kid and Tael left the graveyard.
Majora sighed happily as he lounged in his sulfur bath. To any creature not of demonic origin, the bath would be less than relaxing. In fact, it would be excruciatingly painful. His prisoners were outside the bathroom, the one place where Majora did not take them in. Even he had limits to his cruelty. He squeezed his acid-proof rubber sea serpent playfully, chuckling as it squeaked. It was then that he noticed he wasn't alone in his bathroom. A darkling was standing next to his master's bath. Majora quickly sat up in the small pool/vat. "What are you doing in here? I gave specific orders never to be interrupted while I am taking a bath!" he snarled, preparing to unleash fiery retribution on his minion.
The darkling kneeled. "My humblest apologies master, but Ganondorf wishes to speak to you again. He claims it is of great urgency."
Majora sniffed. "I'll handle his call. Now go before I change my mind about sparing your life."
"At once master." Said the darkling. It started for the exit. As it reached the doorknob, Majora hit the darkling with his fire breath, immediately killing the creature.
Majora grinned. "Changed my mind. Now, to see what Ganondorf wants." He mentally opened the seal he had placed around the moon to block incoming transmissions.
Ganondorf's hologram appeared in front of the vat/pool. "Sir, I have very important news to…are you taking a bath?"
Majora shrugged, soaking back into the vat. "Yes, what of it?"
Ganondorf wasn't sure what to say, so he just got to the news. "Sir, like I said I have important news. The Sages of Water and Ocean have been freed."
"SO?"
"Doesn't that trouble you?"
"Why should it? So what if our mysterious hero managed to free two more Sages? He'll never make it to the next two."
"But Gyorg is dead."
"So? I hated that fish! His poetry always drives me crazy! Why do you think I mass-produced his books to sell to the people? For the profit?"
"I thought they were for profit."
"Yes, but also to force people to read his horrible poetry. Anything else important?"
"Well, Zora's Domain is back to normal."
"Big deal."
"And the Indigo-go's are free."
"The point being?"
"They're writing a new song called, "One hundred ways Majora sucks."
Majora leapt to his feet, sending sulfur everywhere, melting holes and dents into the floor. "WHAT!?!?!?!? They dare to poke fun at me, the mighty demon Majora, emperor of this world?!?! I will rain Moon's Tears on them!"
"I don't think that will be effective. Now that the Sages are freed, there is a protective barrier around the Domain, the Bay, and the river. You can't harm them."
"Arrrgh! Do you have any good news for me?"
"Not really. My lookouts still haven't found him. How's the portal spell going?"
"Not well. I have everything I need except for two ingredients. I need dust from a purple light and blood from a child of time. I haven't been able to find them."
"Have you tried to use dust from a purple lamp?"
"Yes."
"Did you try painting the glass part of the lamp purple and collecting its dust?"
"Yes. I think the dust itself has to be purple."
"Did you try painting the glass part of the purple lamp purple, then painted the dust purple?"
"Yes Ganondorf, I have tried everything! There's something here I do not understand. As for the blood, I believe it means the blood of a god. But I have tried sap from what's left of the Deku Tree and blood from Jabu-Jabu, and none react with the other ingredients. Then again, they are not immediate of the Goddess of Time. I think I would need a direct child of her."
"Hey, wasn't that Skull Kid a direct child of hers? Too bad you roasted him with that Demon Flare, or you would have been able to use his blood."
Majora groaned. "Don't remind me. Look if there's nothing else, just go, will you?' Ganondorf saluted and vanished. Majora sank into his tub, but found that not even the relaxing sulfur could cheer him up now. Grumbling, he got out of the tub and headed for the door. However, he tripped on one of the dents in the floor and fell on his face. He roared, shaking the entire moon. Every darkling looked around, trying to find out what was wrong. They all concluded the master was having a bad day and decided they should not disturb him.
Skull Kid and Tael reached the bridge. What was left of it anyway. The bridge crossed a huge gorge, with a raging river at the bottom. However, the bridge was broken. There was no way across. Not even the hookshot could cross this great distance. As Skull Kid pondered, someone tapped him on the shoulder. He whirled around to see…"Garo! How are you doing?"
Garo nodded. "Fine I am. Skull Kid, cross this bridge you must. Gerudo and Undead in grave danger are the. Brainwashed them someone has. Erase the brainwashing you must."
"But how do we erase the brainwashing? And for that matter, how do we get across the gorge?" asked Tael.
"Simple it is. Use what gave you last time I did. Cross the gorge you shall. As for brainwashing, defeat the simply witches in charge. Beware you must though, witches true enemy the may not be the. Until next time…" Garo vanished.
Skull Kid pulled out the Lenses of Truth. He looked at the gorge and saw…"Tael! The bridge isn't broken! It's just an illusion!" And so it was. The bridge was right there, hidden by a spell of illusion to seem broken. Relived, he crossed the bridge and headed down the trail to the canyon hideout. After a long walk down a trail, they reached the Fortress. There was a well with two outlets, several round stone houses, another house that looked like a music box, and the fortress itself, with the Ikana Castle sticking through the middle of it. Gerudo and undead were patrolling everywhere. Skull Kid knew that the witches were probably in the fortress/castle. He would have to get there without being seen, so he put on the Stone Mask and headed for the front door.
However, the mask did not seem to work on Gerudo. One of them spotted him immediately. She blew a whistle, alerting the other guards as she ran over to Skull Kid. "Hey you! Do you really think you can get into the fortress of the Gerudo just by wearing a stupid mask? Get him!"
Next thing Skull Kid knew, several Redead and thieves were taking him away. He was thrown into a stone cell high in the cliff wall. He was literally thrown in, they dropped him into the cell through a hole in the ceiling. There was one window with a wooden beam supporting it. "You've escaped several jail cells before. How are we going to get out of this one Skull Kid?"
Skull Kid smiled and took out the hookshot. "You know, for supposed great thieves, you'd think that they'd steal all of my stuff before throwing me in here wouldn't you? They didn't even pick my pocket!" He aimed his hookshot at the beam over the window and shot, pulling himself onto the windowsill. He looked down and saw the patrolling Gerudo and Redead, not to mention a couple of Gibdos. He knew he would need a better disguise to get through the fortress. He rummaged through his pack, looking for the right mask. "Postman's Hat? No, they'll never believe I'm delivering a letter. All-night Mask? How could a torture device for insomniacs ever be useful? I honestly think Link wasn't thinking straight when he got this thing. Blast Mask? Nothing to blow up. Stone Mask? We've already seen that doesn't work. Keaton Mask? Useless. Bremen Mask? No animals around. Bunny Hood? It's useful, but completely ridiculous! Don Gero's Mask? No frogs. Mask of Scents? I don't think I want to be near dead bodies with a heightened sniffer like this mask. Romani's Mask? What's the point of this thing? Circus Leader's Mask? Man, this thing is too sad, in more ways than one. Kafei's Mask? Useless. Couple's Mask? Sweet, but useless. Mask of Truth? No dogs or Gossip Stones. Not like those things ever say anything useful anyway. Kamaro's Mask? Oh for the love of… Giant's Mask? Cool, but I don't think that'll work. Deku, Goron, or Zora Masks? No. Odolwa's, Goht's, Gyorg's, or Twinmold's Mask? No. Majora's Mask? NO. Captain's Hat? No, all the Stalchildren are in the graveyard. Garo's Mask? Might work, but if any Garo sees me, I'll be thrown back in here. Gibdo Mask? Now this will do it!" He put on the Gibdo Mask. He turned to Tael. "Well, do I look like a Gibdo?"
Tael laughed. "You look like an imp with a bad mask on your face!"
Skull Kid scowled beneath his mask. "Link said that this thing worked on all the Gibdos and Redeads he had to fight back in Ikana."
"You think it's hard to fool something with a half-rotted brain? I bet you a thousand rupees that you'll be thrown back in here the minute a Gerudo sees you."
Skull Kid should have stopped, since Tael was probably right. Instead, he said, "I bet a million rupees that I won't get caught!"
"You're on!"
Skull Kid backed up then jumped off the windowsill, rolling onto the ground right in front of one of the Gerudo. He gulped. She frowned and said, "What are you doing lying down on the ground? Get back to your post." She continued her round.
Skull Kid got up and stared after her. "It actually worked!" he said.
Tael couldn't believe it. "No way…the brainwashing must have made the other Gerudo stupider or something!"
"You owe me one million rupees."
"But I don't have a million rupees! You have all the money!"
"Oh yeah. Well, forget it then. Let's go inside." They headed for the main entrance to the castle/fortress, ignoring the other entrances. He was now in the castle's main hall. There was a group of Redead in here, shambling about in the sunbeam coming through the ceiling. Around the skylight were four pillars. The room had four doors, one for each side of the hall. The one behind Skull Kid was how he had gotten in. The ones to the left and right were rolling doors and looked they went to other places in the fortress/castle. A hallway straight ahead led to another rolling door. The rolling door at the end of the hallway obviously led to someplace important, since it was more ornate.
As Skull Kid stepped forward, the Redead noticed him. He gulped as the horrendous masked zombies looked over him. Then one of them said, "Whaaat aaarrre yooouuu doooiiinnng heeerrre? Whyyy aaarrre yooouuu nooot aaat yooour pooossst?"
Skull Kid thought quickly. "Um…I mean, uuummm, thhheee booossssss caaallleddd mmmeee."
The Redead started back for their sunbeam. "Ooohhh, whyyy diiidn't yooouuu sssaaayyy sssooo? Yooouuu caaan gooo ooon throoouuugh. Weee'll juuust geeet baaack tooo ooouuur daaanciiing." And so they did, performing a very strange dance Skull Kid had never seen before and never wanted to see again.
He walked past the dancing zombies and went through the ornate rolling door. He was in another hall. This one was huge and brightly lit by two large windows higher up. At the back of the room, atop a small set of stairs, was a throne. Sitting on the throne was what looked like a huge Iron Knuckle, but without an axe. Its armor was also slightly different from that of your average Iron Knuckle. It had spiked boots instead of metal slippers with pointy, curled toes. The jointed spiky armor skirt protecting the lower body completely went around the legs and had a sash belt with Gerudo patterns painted on it. A huge metal vest that covered everything on the torso and back, even the shoulders, protected its upper body. The arms had spiked elbow pads and gauntlet fists. The helmet had no horns and was wider than larger than usual. Standing in front of the Iron Knuckle with their backs to him were two greenish-skinned old ladies, each with black robes and a black jewel on a headband. Skull Kid recognized them as Koume and Kotake, from the swamp's Tourist Info Center Boat Cruise and the Magic Hags Potion Shop. What were they doing here? And how come they both had tacky black jewels instead of their ordinary red and blue ones? The only way he could tell the twins apart were by their hairnets, which were red or blue, showing which sister was which. Koume turned around and giggled. "Oh, Kotake, look who's here!"
Kotake turned around as well and giggled. "Oh yes, it's a little Skull Kid who thinks we're stupid enough to be fooled that pathetic mask!"
Skull Kid gulped. Koume glared at him. "What are you doing intruding in our castle?"
"Um…"
"You came to free them from our spell, didn't you?!" screeched Kotake.
"Er…" said Tael.
"Well, it's not going to work, is it sister?" asked Koume.
"No sister, it's not." answered Kotake.
"So, how shall we deal with him?"
"Boiling oil?"
"Branding?"
"Brainwashing?"
"Whipping?"
"Watching us take a bath?" suggested Kotake. Skull Kid and Tael shuddered at that last one.
Koume shook her head. "No, no, I'm not in that kind of mood. Got anything else?"
"Well, we could use him…" said Kotake, pointing to the huge Iron Knuckle.
Koume cackled. "Excellent! Let's set up!" Both witches snapped their fingers. There was a poof and smoke, and then both witches were hovering high in the air on their broomsticks.
Kotake pointed to the Iron Knuckle. "You! Destroy this intruder on our behalf!"
The Iron Knuckle grunted and got to its feet. It snapped its fingers, and its giant battleaxe appeared in its hands. It began to stomp towards Skull Kid. Skull Kid put away the mask, knowing it wouldn't help. Tael quickly targeted the walking suit of armor. Skull Kid shot it with an arrow. No effect. He shot it with the hookshot. No effect. He hurled the Icerang. No effect. He slammed the Gigaton Hammer on the ground, sending out a wave of fire. No effect. The Iron Knuckle kept coming. "Tael, how do I kill this thing?" Skull Kid yelled frustrated.
"You have to hit it with a powerful attack. Either bombs or your dagger will do. Do we have any Bombchu?"
"Let me check." Skull Kid rummaged through his pack. The Iron Knuckle kept getting closer. It was a good thing the metal vest weighed it down, and that the hall was so large. The witches were getting bored. "Get moving!" Koume yelled to the Iron Knuckle, who tried to move faster, but failed.
"Do something! We're getting bored!" Kotake yelled to Skull Kid.
"Aha! We do have some Bombchus! I can't believe I forgot we had Bombchus." He looked up and saw the Iron Knuckle looming over him, about to cut his head off with its battleaxe. Skull Kid jumped to the side, dodging the chop. Skull Kid ran around to the Knuckle's back and stabbed a few times with his dagger, causing damage. He backed away quickly as the Iron Knuckle slowly turned around. He took out a Bombchu and placed on the ground, aiming for the Knuckle with Tael's targeting. The explosive rodent scurried over to the Knuckle, where it exploded on contact. The Knuckle grunted and kept coming, though its armor was marred and its sash burnt by the explosion. Skull Kid let out another Bombchu, and another. They scurried over to the Knuckle and exploded, causing more damage. The Knuckle's armor was scorched, and the sash completely burnt. Skull Kid let out yet another Bombchu. As it exploded, the Iron Knuckle's vest fell to pieces, showing its torso, which was still armored but mostly with chain mail. Unfortunately, though it was now able to be defeated, it also moved faster. It ran towards Skull Kid, who quickly prepared another Bombchu. It exploded on contact only meters away from Skull Kid, showing the Knuckle's new speed. The witches cheered. Skull Kid saw he would have to be more careful and stop using bombs. He ran towards the Knuckle, rolling under its swipe. He thrust his dagger into the chain mail. The Knuckle screamed and knocked Skull Kid away. As it came racing towards him, raising its axe, Skull Kid had a brilliant idea. He reached into the pack and pulled out the Goron Mask, slapping it on.
The witches were astonished. "He…he can use magic?" wailed Koume.
"Our guardian servant might not be able to stand up to this." Moaned Kotake.
The Iron Knuckle, being a mindless suit of armor, did not seem to notice any change in its target. It kept coming. Skull Kid wound up his fist and punched, hitting the Iron Knuckle square in the proverbial face. The Knuckle staggered back a few steps, then dropped to its knees. The battleaxe fell to the ground and was engulfed in blue flames, as was the Knuckle. As it burned, bits of armor fell off and immediately burned up in blue flames. As the armor fell off and burned up, Skull Kid was able to see that something was inside the Knuckle. It wasn't just an empty suit of armor! When all the armor was gone, the figure fell to its hands, then got to its feet, confused. "What am I doing in my throne room? What's going on?" asked the skeleton Igos du Ikana, King of the Dead.
Koume and Kotake flew closer, furious. "You've ruined one of our finest cases of brainwashing, you stupid imp!" shrieked Koume.
"What should we do with the skeleton? Kill him?" asked Kotake.
"No, no, he can still serve the Great Ganondorf. We can kill him when his usefulness is at an end." Said Koume.
"Hey, he's getting away! Not so fast!" yelled Kotake.
Igos was running for the door. Just as he reached it, Koume and Kotake each hurled a bolt of red or blue magic, striking Igos. He screamed and was suddenly trapped in a big orange crystal, which floated into the air above the room. The witches turned to Skull Kid. "Now as for you…" hissed Koume.
"We'll burn and freeze you to death!" hissed Kotake.
"My fire will burn you to your bones!" shrieked Kotake. She grew to twice her size, her hair igniting into a plume of flame, which smoldered from its extreme heat.
"My frost shall freeze you to your soul!" screeched Kotake, growing to twice her size, her hair turning into a plume of dry ice, which gave off smoke from its extreme cold.
They flew in circles over Skull Kid's head for a moment before circling the room. Skull Kid wasn't sure who to target first. He knew that each witch was weak to the opposite element that they represented, in other words, their own attacks could be used against them. But Skull Kid didn't want to get hit from behind while he was trying to launch an attack of his own. He knew the witches were too high for his Gigaton Hammer's flame, but he could use the Icerang on Koume. When Koume flew slightly lower, hovering in place, Tael targeted her, allowing Skull Kid to throw the Icerang. The cold weapon hit Koume, causing her to shriek and fly higher up. He grinned. Then Tael jingled in alarm. Skull Kid turned around and saw Kotake powering up her attack. A white spell circle with the symbol of Water in the center swirled in the air over Kotake's right hand. The bristle of her broomstick turned to ice. Still hovering, she got off her broomstick in midair, turned it so she was holding the front end, raised the broomstick high over her head, then swung it down, firing an ice blast at Skull Kid. He was able to deflect the attack with his Mirror Shield. He quickly targeted Koume, the ice blast striking her. She shrieked. Kotake stopped her attack and got back on the broomstick, which had returned to normal. The witches circled Skull Kid some more. Finally, Koume came a little closer. She extended her right hand and began to chant. An orange spell circle appeared in midair over her hand, the symbol for Fire on it. The bristle end of the broomstick ignited. She got off her broomstick in midair, raised it over her head, and brought it down, flaming end towards Skull Kid, launching a powerful blast of fire at him. Skull Kid deflected with his shield, targeting Kotake. The fire blast hit her, and she shrieked. Koume stopped firing and got back on her broomstick. The twins kept repeating this, throwing powerful attacks at Skull Kid and getting hit back. Koume got the worst of it, since Skull Kid kept throwing the Icerang at her. She always tried to dodge it, and sometimes she did, but she could never dodge the Icerang's returning strike. Finally, she had enough. "Come on Kotake, let's get serious!"
"Oh, okay Koume." She said.
The twins flew closer, right over Skull Kid. They flew right next to each other and started flying in circles, each right after the other, faster and faster until they collided with a flash of light. When the glare cleared, Skull Kid stared in shock at what they had become. It was a ten-foot tall woman. She looked younger than either Koume or Kotake. She had a blue slipper on her right foot and a red slipper on her left. Her green legs were exposed from the ankle to the knee, where they were then covered by baggy parachute pants. She had a silk belt with a sash coming down from the clip. The left side of the sash was blue and the right side was red. A Gerudo symbol in red and blue was on the sash. She had a black top, but it went only up to covering up her…support. The rest was exposed. Her arms had black cut-off sleeves, with long trailers for either one. In either hand she held the now-smaller brooms by their handles. The bristles for either one had transformed. The one in her left hand was a plume of smoking dry ice. The one in her left hand was a plume of smoldering fire. Her face was younger, with lipstick and eyeliner. Part of her hair had been done into curls that dangled over her ears. She wore a huge tacky black jewel in her headband. Her hair was parted, each part ending in a hairnet. The one on her left side turned into a plume of smoking dry ice, while the one on her right side turned into a plume of smoldering flame. Skull Kid and Tael winked. The new being flipped away in midair, then shrieked, "Koume and Kotake's Double Dynamite Attack! Twinrova!" She hovered backwards, floating towards the throne.
Tael fluttered over to Skull Kid. "Hey Skull Kid, I have an idea," he whispered.
"Does it help with this new thing we have to fight?" he asked.
"Yes. Remember what Garo said? That the witches may not be our true enemy?"
"Yeah, so?"
"Well, I thought the old Koume and Kotake were actually pretty nice ladies. Maybe Garo was trying to tell us that Koume and Kotake are also brainwashed!"
"How does that help us? It just means I can't afford to hurt them!"
"I think that black jewel keeps them brainwashed. It's too tacky to be used for anything else. Maybe if we break it, they'll return to normal!"
"Works for me. I think I can take her down." Said Skull Kid. Twinrova floated above the throne. "Quick, target her!"
"Right!" Tael quickly flew over to the witch.
She crossed her arms, then raised the fire broom over her head. She lowered it, firing a blast of fire at the imp. Skull Kid quickly raised his shield. Instead of deflecting like he had expected, the Mirror Shield absorbed the blast. The shield now had a patch of red on its surface and was making noises like it was powering up, even though the sound didn't get any louder or faster. Twinrova flew over Skull Kid to a different part of the room. She crossed her arms then raised the ice broom above her head. She lowered it, firing a blast of ice at Skull Kid. Skull Kid tried to block it, but that turned out to be a big mistake. The ice magic and the fire magic reacted, exploding and knocking Skull Kid backwards. The shield lost the fire energy it had saved up. As Skull Kid got to his feet, Twinrova flew over his head again. She crossed her arms, then raised the ice broom. She lowered it, sending a blast of ice towards Skull Kid. Skull Kid caught it with his shield, absorbing it. Twinrova flew again, then shot a blast of flame. Skull Kid quickly jumped out of this one's way. The blast hit the ground, melting the tiles and exposing the dirt beneath. Igos groaned form his crystal. Twinrova flew again, then shot a blast of ice towards Skull Kid. Skull Kid caught it with his shield. It was absorbed, making the white patch on the shield's surface larger and making the power-up sound louder and more frequent. Twinrova shot Skull Kid with twelve blast of fire before finally using another ice attack. Skull Kid caught it. His shield's surface was completely white. Skull Kid quickly moved closer to Twinrova. The power- up sound was continuous, then ended as a huge blast of frost shot from the shield. Twinrova gasped and fell to the ground as it hit her. She fell to her hands, panting. Now was his chance! Skull Kid stabbed the jewel on her forehead, shattering it. Twinrova reared back, screeching. She glowed, then vanished, turning into a small flame and a small cloud of frost. The two flew through the air, landing in the middle of the room, where they reformed as Koume and Kotake. Koume moaned. "Ohhhh…what hit me?" She looked around. "Hey Kotake, where are we? This doesn't look like the swamp…"
Kotake frowned. "What's going on here? You! Little imp! Where are we?"
"You're in Gerudo/Ikana Canyon." Said Skull Kid truthfully.
Koume gasped. "How did we get here?"
"Uhhhh…you both drank too much of Koume's new potion and lost your memories, flew all the way over here, and thought you were strip dancers for the last three weeks until I restored your memory?"
They stared at him. "Hmm. Sounds perfectly reasonable to me, eh Koume?" said Kotake.
Koume sighed. "Kotake, how many times have I told you not to use too much mushroom in your potions? It's dangerous!"
Kotake shrugged. "Sorry. I'm only four hundred years old, you know. Things slip my mind."
Koume growled. "Kotake, we're four hundred ten years old! You're getting senile."
"Am not! Just because I frequently forget important details such as my memory or that nobody wants to see me without underwear does not mean I'm senile!"
"Yes it does! Kotake, come on, you're starting to embarrass me! Why haven't you used that memory potion I made for you?"
"What memory potion?"
"The memory potion I made for you on that day three weeks ago! You are getting senile!"
"I am not!"
"You are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am…um…what were we talking about again?"
Koume sighed. "Nothing. C'mon Kotake, I'll take you home. I have a special potion I want you to try…" The twins conjured their brooms and flew through one of the windows.
Igos' crystal floated to the floor and vanished, freeing Igos. He strode forward, eager at his freedom. "Ah, thank you young imp, for saving me from the clutches of those witches."
"It's nothing, great Sage." Said Tael.
Igos stared blankly. "Sage? I'm not a Sage!"
The two stared crestfallen. "You're not?" asked Skull Kid disappointedly.
"No, of course not! I'm the king of a bunch of people who don't quite have fully working brains, I don't have time to be a Sage."
"But then who did the demon who's controlling this area take back to the temple along with Nabooru?" asked Skull Kid.
"Um…hmm…let's see…sorry, I don't recall." They groaned.
A Gerudo in a uniform burst in. "What's going on here? Where are those two brainwashers? Where's Nabooru? I'll…" She suddenly noticed Skull Kid and Tael. "Men! What are you doing here? Oh well. Better alert the guards." She was about to call for backup when Igos grabbed her arm.
"Aveil, it's all right. They are the ones who drove away the witches and saved my life. If anything, they should be rewarded."
Aveil paused. "Are you sure?"
"Positive."
Aveil sighed. "Well, with Nabooru out, I guess you're the best thing I have to a superior." She turned to Skull Kid and handed him a piece of paper. "Here you go kid. It's a Gerudo Membership Card. If you show it to the girls, they won't do anything nasty with you."
"Thanks. I've got to get to the temple to save Nabooru. How do I get there?" asked Skull Kid.
Aveil smiled. "You're trying to save Nabooru? That makes you okay in my book. All you have to do is climb up the watchtower next to the big portcullis and tell the girl there I sent you. She'll let you through. But you don't want to stay for lunch?"
Skull Kid shook his head. "No thanks. Gotta go save the world and all that. But thanks anyway." He left the throne room. When the Redead saw him, they prepared to attack. Skull Kid waved his new card in their faces and they backed down. He repeated the process with all the Gerudo and other guards outside until he finally reached the worker atop the watchtower.
She looked at his card, trying to guarantee its authenticity. "And Aveil said you could go through?" she asked suspiciously. Skull Kid nodded. "Well, I don't know…" she said.
Tael got fed up. "Look, just let us through, okay?"
She frowned at him, as did Skull Kid. Skull Kid quickly said, "Uh, he hasn't eaten lunch so he's kind of cranky. I'll just go back to the Fortress to eat. I'm sure Aveil would be happy to know you're disobeying her orders." He started for the ladder.
The worker stopped him. "No, wait, I'll open the portcullis! Just don't tell Aveil anything!" She clapped her hands. The portcullis lifted. Skull Kid started for the ladder and she stopped him once again. "Wait. Before you go, I must tell you of the two trials of the desert. They are…"
"Yes, yes, I know. The River of Sand and the Phantom Guide. Thank you for all your help."
"Just one more thing. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT travel at night."
Skull Kid nodded, then climbed down the tower and headed through the portcullis. He glared at Tael. "As for you…"
"What? What'd I do?"
"You were quite rude back there. May I ask why?"
"Well, it's just, well, we're running out of time here! Rauru said it would take a week to make a round trip across the desert, and it would probably be a bad idea to navigate at night! I just want us to use every second we can get."
Skull Kid nodded. "That's commendable, but good manners are still important. Besides, we have plenty of time. I'm not going to lollygag, but I'm not going to spend every second of spare time travelling. I doubt it will take that long to reach the Castle Town afterwards, and then we'll have plenty more time to prepare for our final battle with Majora. Relax. You know, you're getting more like Tatl. Link said Tatl was as worried about timing as you are becoming now. Don't worry so much." With that, they headed into the desert, passing between the two Gerudo flagpoles. As soon as they did, a sandstorm kicked up. They struggled to get through it, keeping their eyes on the flagpoles that led them on the right path. They could only go so far, as night soon fell and the sandstorm still hadn't stopped. Struggling, Skull Kid tried to set up the tent without it getting blown away. He used his Gigaton Hammer to pound unlit bombs tied to the tent corners into the sand to anchor the tent. Soon, their shelter was set up and wind free, though they could hear it just outside. They went to sleep. It took them three more days to cross the desert. They had to get through the River of Sand using the hookshot to grapple from crate to crate on small islands in the middle of the vast quicksand pit. They had to follow a long line of flags to a hut. They had to follow an even longer trail led by a Poe, who was considerate enough to let them stop at night. But finally, finally, they made it. They walked through the last set of flagpoles into the sandstorm free area, encircled by a huge rock formation. It was littered with old, fallen pillars and such. A large rock obscured the view directly in front of Skull Kid. Flagpoles were everywhere. Skull Kid walked around the mesa, trying to see what was behind it. When he did, he wondered how he hadn't been able to see it before. It was huge. It was tall. It was the Stone Colossus.
What dangers await Skull Kid and Tael inside the dreaded Stone Colossus Temple? And who is the last new Sage? Find out next time!
Disclaimer:…
Chapter 11
Skull Kid and Tael rematerialized at the back of Zora Hall, where Juba-Juba was waiting. "Congratulations, you two! You did it! Nice job. The seas are crystal clear once again, and the river is back up to speed. You two really are heroes, you know that?"
"Eh, it was nothing." Said Tael. "The demon was pretty stupid."
"Still, you won a great victory." He looked up at the night sky. "You know, it's pretty late. Do you need a ride to shore?"
"Yeah, that would be nice." Said Skull Kid.
"Then hop on," said Juba-Juba, turning to allow Skull Kid to hookshot one of the trees on his back.
Skull Kid did so, and the giant turtle ferried the two back to shore. He dropped them off then headed back to his post. "Nice guy, but a little slow, if you know what I mean?" joked Skull Kid.
Tael chuckled. "Good one. Now, where do we sleep?"
"Here's fine. Since there are no Stalchildren, I don't see why we need to use the tent. In fact, how about we sleep under the stars tonight?" Skull Kid unrolled his sleeping bag out of his pack and lay it out inn the sand. He unzipped it and snuggled inside. However, sleep did not come immediately to the heroes. They looked up at the night sky, not just at the grinning moon but at the myriad of stars that lit up the heavens. Skull Kid smiled. "You know Tael, back in my dismal days of thievery, I always ended up looking at the stars before I fell asleep. As time went on, I decided to name the constellations in Termina for myself. Even though this is not Termina, this world is in the same place as Arave. I'm very certain that the constellations here match. Actually, I know I'm sure, thanks to the observatory back home."
"Hey Skull Kid, we need something to do until we fall asleep. Show me the constellations you made up, please? Please?"
Skull Kid chuckled. "Sure, I'll show you." And with that, Skull Kid showed Tael his constellations, pointing to the stars that made them up and connecting the dots, then using imagination to fill in the space around the lines. Skull Kid showed Tael the Four Giants, the Bouncing Goron, and the Fighting Zora. He showed Tael the Clock Tower, the Sleepy Deku Scrub, and the Spinning Gerudo. He showed Tael the Dancing Redead, the Flying Guay, and the Biting Snapper. He showed Tael the Sitting Hiploop, the Snoring Bigocto (and the Snoring Little Octorock next to it). He showed Tael the scurrying Boe, the Howling Wolfos, and the Leaping Tektite. He showed Tael the Slimy Chuchu, the Burrowing Leever, and the Swimming Desbreko (Which was surrounded by various Swimming Skullfish). He showed Tael the Slithering Like Like, the Snowy Eenos, and the Stinging Dragonfly. He showed Tael the Exploding Bombchu, the Shambling Stalchild, and the Rolling Nejiron. He showed all the stars in the sky and his names for them.
An hour later, Skull Kid had run out of stars. Then Tael noticed one. "What's that one over there?"
"Where?"
"That one that's right underneath the moon. What is it?"
Skull Kid frowned. "That constellation wasn't back in Termina. This is a new one! Give me a minute to name it. You try to connect the dots to see what it is." Skull Kid stared at it for several moments.
Tael suddenly saw it. "Skull Kid, that's us!"
"What? What are you talking about?"
"That constellation! It looks like us. See there's you, with your hat in your hand. And there's me, right next to you, near your shoulder."
Skull Kid looked at it again. "You're right, that looks just like us! Looks like we have a new constellation named. I dub it "Skull Kid and Tael", a celestial picture of two great friends."
"Aw…" They went to sleep soon after.
The next morning, they packed up and left the beach for good, walking along the trail back to Hymina Field, from which they headed northwest. For three days they traveled across the field. The Guays were getting worse. They were becoming complete annoyances, constantly attacking Skull Kid. But at last, they made it to the part with no trees and headed west. After an hour or two, they reached a trail through a mesa of some sort. The rocks stretched around them to the left and right, as far as the eye could see. It was the western border of Hyrule, in a way. The Gerudo were considered citizens, but technically they were outside of Hyrule, on the very edge of the Shi'hashi, the Great Desert. Other lands lay across the desert, some even in the desert, but none were too close to Hymina. They followed the trail, which slowly curved upwards. They took a turn along the path, coming to a series of tall, carved stone pillars and broken fences. There was a turnoff to the left that led to the Graveyard. Skull Kid decided to take it. He went down the trail and found the graveyard hadn't changed a bit. It was still littered with graves honoring the brave soldiers who fought and died in the Great War of Ikana, the ones that had not ended up stuck in a perpetual state between true life and true death. There was a trail that led to the second half of the graveyard. It had no graves, but it did have the home of the living, Terminan Dampe` the gravekeeper. However, as he walked down the path, Skull Kid suddenly saw a huge difference. The difference was the large group of Stalchildren that erupted out of the ground around him and grabbed him before he could even draw his dagger. "Let me go! Let me go, you piles of bones!" Skull Kid yelled.
The Stalchildren ignored his cries and dragged him down the path to the other end of the cemetery, where a broken bridge went over Dampe`s house, leading to an empty treasure chest. The trail to the bridge went down and around so it went under the broken bridge, coming out to meet the trail from the rest of the graveyard. Sitting in between the gap of the bridge was a forty-foot tall Stalchild, with a small group of Stalfos patrolling the area around it. This Stalchild had a necklace and bracelets, not to mention a strange hat, making it look like some sort of military officer. He was. He was Captain Keeta, leader of the undead armies of Ikana Canyon, except for the King of Ikana. He peered down at the group approaching him. He spoke. "Sergeant Tibia, what have you brought for me?"
The lead Stalchild stood tall and saluted. "Sir! We found this foul imp intruding on our precious resting place! Sir! Requesting permission to execute this trespasser! Awaiting your orders sir."
Captain Keeta chuckled. "Oh come on, he's not foul. And I'm sure he's harmless and has a good explanation for why he's here. Why don't you let him go and go back to your posts?"
Sergeant Tibia saluted again. "Sir! Following your orders now! Troops, atten-hut!" The Stalchildren let go of Skull Kid and marched back into the main graveyard, burrowing back underground.
The Captain peered down at Skull Kid. "So, who are you? What are you doing in our graveyard?"
Skull Kid saw no harm in telling this soldier the truth. "My name's Skull Kid. I'm on a mission to overthrow the evil Majora, and I need to get to Gerudo/Ikana Canyon. Is that a problem?"
Keeta shrugged. "I don't see why not. However, I think you'll have a tough time getting there. The bridge over the river has been broken, and there's no way across. It's even too great for our military-issue hookshots. But you're welcome to try it if you want. We're dying for news of the Canyon. We haven't had any news from the Commanding Officer in two weeks. I'm worried something's wrong. Is there any other way we can help you?"
"Not that I can think of. By the way, where is Dampe`?"
"The gravekeeper? Last e heard of him was when we returned from the Gerudo/Ikana Canyon after our big party/celebration/hoe-down in honor of our not getting killed by light any more. Of course, we Stalchildren have always been immune to sunlight, but what fool would pass up the chance to go to a cool party? Besides, those Gerudo babes are the first women we've seen in two hundred years. But back to Dampe`. We were coming back from the party just after sunrise. Dampe` was beginning to make his rounds. When he saw us coming up the graveyard trail, he said, 'Aaaaieeee!!! T-they're out!' ran screaming back to his house over here. Every other day or so he peeks his head out, screams, and stays inside. Weirdo. Will that be all?"
Skull Kid nodded. "Yeah, I think so."
"Good! You may go now, if you wish."
Skull Kid felt it would be a good idea to salute. He did. Captain Keeta saluted back. Skull Kid and Tael left the graveyard.
Majora sighed happily as he lounged in his sulfur bath. To any creature not of demonic origin, the bath would be less than relaxing. In fact, it would be excruciatingly painful. His prisoners were outside the bathroom, the one place where Majora did not take them in. Even he had limits to his cruelty. He squeezed his acid-proof rubber sea serpent playfully, chuckling as it squeaked. It was then that he noticed he wasn't alone in his bathroom. A darkling was standing next to his master's bath. Majora quickly sat up in the small pool/vat. "What are you doing in here? I gave specific orders never to be interrupted while I am taking a bath!" he snarled, preparing to unleash fiery retribution on his minion.
The darkling kneeled. "My humblest apologies master, but Ganondorf wishes to speak to you again. He claims it is of great urgency."
Majora sniffed. "I'll handle his call. Now go before I change my mind about sparing your life."
"At once master." Said the darkling. It started for the exit. As it reached the doorknob, Majora hit the darkling with his fire breath, immediately killing the creature.
Majora grinned. "Changed my mind. Now, to see what Ganondorf wants." He mentally opened the seal he had placed around the moon to block incoming transmissions.
Ganondorf's hologram appeared in front of the vat/pool. "Sir, I have very important news to…are you taking a bath?"
Majora shrugged, soaking back into the vat. "Yes, what of it?"
Ganondorf wasn't sure what to say, so he just got to the news. "Sir, like I said I have important news. The Sages of Water and Ocean have been freed."
"SO?"
"Doesn't that trouble you?"
"Why should it? So what if our mysterious hero managed to free two more Sages? He'll never make it to the next two."
"But Gyorg is dead."
"So? I hated that fish! His poetry always drives me crazy! Why do you think I mass-produced his books to sell to the people? For the profit?"
"I thought they were for profit."
"Yes, but also to force people to read his horrible poetry. Anything else important?"
"Well, Zora's Domain is back to normal."
"Big deal."
"And the Indigo-go's are free."
"The point being?"
"They're writing a new song called, "One hundred ways Majora sucks."
Majora leapt to his feet, sending sulfur everywhere, melting holes and dents into the floor. "WHAT!?!?!?!? They dare to poke fun at me, the mighty demon Majora, emperor of this world?!?! I will rain Moon's Tears on them!"
"I don't think that will be effective. Now that the Sages are freed, there is a protective barrier around the Domain, the Bay, and the river. You can't harm them."
"Arrrgh! Do you have any good news for me?"
"Not really. My lookouts still haven't found him. How's the portal spell going?"
"Not well. I have everything I need except for two ingredients. I need dust from a purple light and blood from a child of time. I haven't been able to find them."
"Have you tried to use dust from a purple lamp?"
"Yes."
"Did you try painting the glass part of the lamp purple and collecting its dust?"
"Yes. I think the dust itself has to be purple."
"Did you try painting the glass part of the purple lamp purple, then painted the dust purple?"
"Yes Ganondorf, I have tried everything! There's something here I do not understand. As for the blood, I believe it means the blood of a god. But I have tried sap from what's left of the Deku Tree and blood from Jabu-Jabu, and none react with the other ingredients. Then again, they are not immediate of the Goddess of Time. I think I would need a direct child of her."
"Hey, wasn't that Skull Kid a direct child of hers? Too bad you roasted him with that Demon Flare, or you would have been able to use his blood."
Majora groaned. "Don't remind me. Look if there's nothing else, just go, will you?' Ganondorf saluted and vanished. Majora sank into his tub, but found that not even the relaxing sulfur could cheer him up now. Grumbling, he got out of the tub and headed for the door. However, he tripped on one of the dents in the floor and fell on his face. He roared, shaking the entire moon. Every darkling looked around, trying to find out what was wrong. They all concluded the master was having a bad day and decided they should not disturb him.
Skull Kid and Tael reached the bridge. What was left of it anyway. The bridge crossed a huge gorge, with a raging river at the bottom. However, the bridge was broken. There was no way across. Not even the hookshot could cross this great distance. As Skull Kid pondered, someone tapped him on the shoulder. He whirled around to see…"Garo! How are you doing?"
Garo nodded. "Fine I am. Skull Kid, cross this bridge you must. Gerudo and Undead in grave danger are the. Brainwashed them someone has. Erase the brainwashing you must."
"But how do we erase the brainwashing? And for that matter, how do we get across the gorge?" asked Tael.
"Simple it is. Use what gave you last time I did. Cross the gorge you shall. As for brainwashing, defeat the simply witches in charge. Beware you must though, witches true enemy the may not be the. Until next time…" Garo vanished.
Skull Kid pulled out the Lenses of Truth. He looked at the gorge and saw…"Tael! The bridge isn't broken! It's just an illusion!" And so it was. The bridge was right there, hidden by a spell of illusion to seem broken. Relived, he crossed the bridge and headed down the trail to the canyon hideout. After a long walk down a trail, they reached the Fortress. There was a well with two outlets, several round stone houses, another house that looked like a music box, and the fortress itself, with the Ikana Castle sticking through the middle of it. Gerudo and undead were patrolling everywhere. Skull Kid knew that the witches were probably in the fortress/castle. He would have to get there without being seen, so he put on the Stone Mask and headed for the front door.
However, the mask did not seem to work on Gerudo. One of them spotted him immediately. She blew a whistle, alerting the other guards as she ran over to Skull Kid. "Hey you! Do you really think you can get into the fortress of the Gerudo just by wearing a stupid mask? Get him!"
Next thing Skull Kid knew, several Redead and thieves were taking him away. He was thrown into a stone cell high in the cliff wall. He was literally thrown in, they dropped him into the cell through a hole in the ceiling. There was one window with a wooden beam supporting it. "You've escaped several jail cells before. How are we going to get out of this one Skull Kid?"
Skull Kid smiled and took out the hookshot. "You know, for supposed great thieves, you'd think that they'd steal all of my stuff before throwing me in here wouldn't you? They didn't even pick my pocket!" He aimed his hookshot at the beam over the window and shot, pulling himself onto the windowsill. He looked down and saw the patrolling Gerudo and Redead, not to mention a couple of Gibdos. He knew he would need a better disguise to get through the fortress. He rummaged through his pack, looking for the right mask. "Postman's Hat? No, they'll never believe I'm delivering a letter. All-night Mask? How could a torture device for insomniacs ever be useful? I honestly think Link wasn't thinking straight when he got this thing. Blast Mask? Nothing to blow up. Stone Mask? We've already seen that doesn't work. Keaton Mask? Useless. Bremen Mask? No animals around. Bunny Hood? It's useful, but completely ridiculous! Don Gero's Mask? No frogs. Mask of Scents? I don't think I want to be near dead bodies with a heightened sniffer like this mask. Romani's Mask? What's the point of this thing? Circus Leader's Mask? Man, this thing is too sad, in more ways than one. Kafei's Mask? Useless. Couple's Mask? Sweet, but useless. Mask of Truth? No dogs or Gossip Stones. Not like those things ever say anything useful anyway. Kamaro's Mask? Oh for the love of… Giant's Mask? Cool, but I don't think that'll work. Deku, Goron, or Zora Masks? No. Odolwa's, Goht's, Gyorg's, or Twinmold's Mask? No. Majora's Mask? NO. Captain's Hat? No, all the Stalchildren are in the graveyard. Garo's Mask? Might work, but if any Garo sees me, I'll be thrown back in here. Gibdo Mask? Now this will do it!" He put on the Gibdo Mask. He turned to Tael. "Well, do I look like a Gibdo?"
Tael laughed. "You look like an imp with a bad mask on your face!"
Skull Kid scowled beneath his mask. "Link said that this thing worked on all the Gibdos and Redeads he had to fight back in Ikana."
"You think it's hard to fool something with a half-rotted brain? I bet you a thousand rupees that you'll be thrown back in here the minute a Gerudo sees you."
Skull Kid should have stopped, since Tael was probably right. Instead, he said, "I bet a million rupees that I won't get caught!"
"You're on!"
Skull Kid backed up then jumped off the windowsill, rolling onto the ground right in front of one of the Gerudo. He gulped. She frowned and said, "What are you doing lying down on the ground? Get back to your post." She continued her round.
Skull Kid got up and stared after her. "It actually worked!" he said.
Tael couldn't believe it. "No way…the brainwashing must have made the other Gerudo stupider or something!"
"You owe me one million rupees."
"But I don't have a million rupees! You have all the money!"
"Oh yeah. Well, forget it then. Let's go inside." They headed for the main entrance to the castle/fortress, ignoring the other entrances. He was now in the castle's main hall. There was a group of Redead in here, shambling about in the sunbeam coming through the ceiling. Around the skylight were four pillars. The room had four doors, one for each side of the hall. The one behind Skull Kid was how he had gotten in. The ones to the left and right were rolling doors and looked they went to other places in the fortress/castle. A hallway straight ahead led to another rolling door. The rolling door at the end of the hallway obviously led to someplace important, since it was more ornate.
As Skull Kid stepped forward, the Redead noticed him. He gulped as the horrendous masked zombies looked over him. Then one of them said, "Whaaat aaarrre yooouuu doooiiinnng heeerrre? Whyyy aaarrre yooouuu nooot aaat yooour pooossst?"
Skull Kid thought quickly. "Um…I mean, uuummm, thhheee booossssss caaallleddd mmmeee."
The Redead started back for their sunbeam. "Ooohhh, whyyy diiidn't yooouuu sssaaayyy sssooo? Yooouuu caaan gooo ooon throoouuugh. Weee'll juuust geeet baaack tooo ooouuur daaanciiing." And so they did, performing a very strange dance Skull Kid had never seen before and never wanted to see again.
He walked past the dancing zombies and went through the ornate rolling door. He was in another hall. This one was huge and brightly lit by two large windows higher up. At the back of the room, atop a small set of stairs, was a throne. Sitting on the throne was what looked like a huge Iron Knuckle, but without an axe. Its armor was also slightly different from that of your average Iron Knuckle. It had spiked boots instead of metal slippers with pointy, curled toes. The jointed spiky armor skirt protecting the lower body completely went around the legs and had a sash belt with Gerudo patterns painted on it. A huge metal vest that covered everything on the torso and back, even the shoulders, protected its upper body. The arms had spiked elbow pads and gauntlet fists. The helmet had no horns and was wider than larger than usual. Standing in front of the Iron Knuckle with their backs to him were two greenish-skinned old ladies, each with black robes and a black jewel on a headband. Skull Kid recognized them as Koume and Kotake, from the swamp's Tourist Info Center Boat Cruise and the Magic Hags Potion Shop. What were they doing here? And how come they both had tacky black jewels instead of their ordinary red and blue ones? The only way he could tell the twins apart were by their hairnets, which were red or blue, showing which sister was which. Koume turned around and giggled. "Oh, Kotake, look who's here!"
Kotake turned around as well and giggled. "Oh yes, it's a little Skull Kid who thinks we're stupid enough to be fooled that pathetic mask!"
Skull Kid gulped. Koume glared at him. "What are you doing intruding in our castle?"
"Um…"
"You came to free them from our spell, didn't you?!" screeched Kotake.
"Er…" said Tael.
"Well, it's not going to work, is it sister?" asked Koume.
"No sister, it's not." answered Kotake.
"So, how shall we deal with him?"
"Boiling oil?"
"Branding?"
"Brainwashing?"
"Whipping?"
"Watching us take a bath?" suggested Kotake. Skull Kid and Tael shuddered at that last one.
Koume shook her head. "No, no, I'm not in that kind of mood. Got anything else?"
"Well, we could use him…" said Kotake, pointing to the huge Iron Knuckle.
Koume cackled. "Excellent! Let's set up!" Both witches snapped their fingers. There was a poof and smoke, and then both witches were hovering high in the air on their broomsticks.
Kotake pointed to the Iron Knuckle. "You! Destroy this intruder on our behalf!"
The Iron Knuckle grunted and got to its feet. It snapped its fingers, and its giant battleaxe appeared in its hands. It began to stomp towards Skull Kid. Skull Kid put away the mask, knowing it wouldn't help. Tael quickly targeted the walking suit of armor. Skull Kid shot it with an arrow. No effect. He shot it with the hookshot. No effect. He hurled the Icerang. No effect. He slammed the Gigaton Hammer on the ground, sending out a wave of fire. No effect. The Iron Knuckle kept coming. "Tael, how do I kill this thing?" Skull Kid yelled frustrated.
"You have to hit it with a powerful attack. Either bombs or your dagger will do. Do we have any Bombchu?"
"Let me check." Skull Kid rummaged through his pack. The Iron Knuckle kept getting closer. It was a good thing the metal vest weighed it down, and that the hall was so large. The witches were getting bored. "Get moving!" Koume yelled to the Iron Knuckle, who tried to move faster, but failed.
"Do something! We're getting bored!" Kotake yelled to Skull Kid.
"Aha! We do have some Bombchus! I can't believe I forgot we had Bombchus." He looked up and saw the Iron Knuckle looming over him, about to cut his head off with its battleaxe. Skull Kid jumped to the side, dodging the chop. Skull Kid ran around to the Knuckle's back and stabbed a few times with his dagger, causing damage. He backed away quickly as the Iron Knuckle slowly turned around. He took out a Bombchu and placed on the ground, aiming for the Knuckle with Tael's targeting. The explosive rodent scurried over to the Knuckle, where it exploded on contact. The Knuckle grunted and kept coming, though its armor was marred and its sash burnt by the explosion. Skull Kid let out another Bombchu, and another. They scurried over to the Knuckle and exploded, causing more damage. The Knuckle's armor was scorched, and the sash completely burnt. Skull Kid let out yet another Bombchu. As it exploded, the Iron Knuckle's vest fell to pieces, showing its torso, which was still armored but mostly with chain mail. Unfortunately, though it was now able to be defeated, it also moved faster. It ran towards Skull Kid, who quickly prepared another Bombchu. It exploded on contact only meters away from Skull Kid, showing the Knuckle's new speed. The witches cheered. Skull Kid saw he would have to be more careful and stop using bombs. He ran towards the Knuckle, rolling under its swipe. He thrust his dagger into the chain mail. The Knuckle screamed and knocked Skull Kid away. As it came racing towards him, raising its axe, Skull Kid had a brilliant idea. He reached into the pack and pulled out the Goron Mask, slapping it on.
The witches were astonished. "He…he can use magic?" wailed Koume.
"Our guardian servant might not be able to stand up to this." Moaned Kotake.
The Iron Knuckle, being a mindless suit of armor, did not seem to notice any change in its target. It kept coming. Skull Kid wound up his fist and punched, hitting the Iron Knuckle square in the proverbial face. The Knuckle staggered back a few steps, then dropped to its knees. The battleaxe fell to the ground and was engulfed in blue flames, as was the Knuckle. As it burned, bits of armor fell off and immediately burned up in blue flames. As the armor fell off and burned up, Skull Kid was able to see that something was inside the Knuckle. It wasn't just an empty suit of armor! When all the armor was gone, the figure fell to its hands, then got to its feet, confused. "What am I doing in my throne room? What's going on?" asked the skeleton Igos du Ikana, King of the Dead.
Koume and Kotake flew closer, furious. "You've ruined one of our finest cases of brainwashing, you stupid imp!" shrieked Koume.
"What should we do with the skeleton? Kill him?" asked Kotake.
"No, no, he can still serve the Great Ganondorf. We can kill him when his usefulness is at an end." Said Koume.
"Hey, he's getting away! Not so fast!" yelled Kotake.
Igos was running for the door. Just as he reached it, Koume and Kotake each hurled a bolt of red or blue magic, striking Igos. He screamed and was suddenly trapped in a big orange crystal, which floated into the air above the room. The witches turned to Skull Kid. "Now as for you…" hissed Koume.
"We'll burn and freeze you to death!" hissed Kotake.
"My fire will burn you to your bones!" shrieked Kotake. She grew to twice her size, her hair igniting into a plume of flame, which smoldered from its extreme heat.
"My frost shall freeze you to your soul!" screeched Kotake, growing to twice her size, her hair turning into a plume of dry ice, which gave off smoke from its extreme cold.
They flew in circles over Skull Kid's head for a moment before circling the room. Skull Kid wasn't sure who to target first. He knew that each witch was weak to the opposite element that they represented, in other words, their own attacks could be used against them. But Skull Kid didn't want to get hit from behind while he was trying to launch an attack of his own. He knew the witches were too high for his Gigaton Hammer's flame, but he could use the Icerang on Koume. When Koume flew slightly lower, hovering in place, Tael targeted her, allowing Skull Kid to throw the Icerang. The cold weapon hit Koume, causing her to shriek and fly higher up. He grinned. Then Tael jingled in alarm. Skull Kid turned around and saw Kotake powering up her attack. A white spell circle with the symbol of Water in the center swirled in the air over Kotake's right hand. The bristle of her broomstick turned to ice. Still hovering, she got off her broomstick in midair, turned it so she was holding the front end, raised the broomstick high over her head, then swung it down, firing an ice blast at Skull Kid. He was able to deflect the attack with his Mirror Shield. He quickly targeted Koume, the ice blast striking her. She shrieked. Kotake stopped her attack and got back on the broomstick, which had returned to normal. The witches circled Skull Kid some more. Finally, Koume came a little closer. She extended her right hand and began to chant. An orange spell circle appeared in midair over her hand, the symbol for Fire on it. The bristle end of the broomstick ignited. She got off her broomstick in midair, raised it over her head, and brought it down, flaming end towards Skull Kid, launching a powerful blast of fire at him. Skull Kid deflected with his shield, targeting Kotake. The fire blast hit her, and she shrieked. Koume stopped firing and got back on her broomstick. The twins kept repeating this, throwing powerful attacks at Skull Kid and getting hit back. Koume got the worst of it, since Skull Kid kept throwing the Icerang at her. She always tried to dodge it, and sometimes she did, but she could never dodge the Icerang's returning strike. Finally, she had enough. "Come on Kotake, let's get serious!"
"Oh, okay Koume." She said.
The twins flew closer, right over Skull Kid. They flew right next to each other and started flying in circles, each right after the other, faster and faster until they collided with a flash of light. When the glare cleared, Skull Kid stared in shock at what they had become. It was a ten-foot tall woman. She looked younger than either Koume or Kotake. She had a blue slipper on her right foot and a red slipper on her left. Her green legs were exposed from the ankle to the knee, where they were then covered by baggy parachute pants. She had a silk belt with a sash coming down from the clip. The left side of the sash was blue and the right side was red. A Gerudo symbol in red and blue was on the sash. She had a black top, but it went only up to covering up her…support. The rest was exposed. Her arms had black cut-off sleeves, with long trailers for either one. In either hand she held the now-smaller brooms by their handles. The bristles for either one had transformed. The one in her left hand was a plume of smoking dry ice. The one in her left hand was a plume of smoldering fire. Her face was younger, with lipstick and eyeliner. Part of her hair had been done into curls that dangled over her ears. She wore a huge tacky black jewel in her headband. Her hair was parted, each part ending in a hairnet. The one on her left side turned into a plume of smoking dry ice, while the one on her right side turned into a plume of smoldering flame. Skull Kid and Tael winked. The new being flipped away in midair, then shrieked, "Koume and Kotake's Double Dynamite Attack! Twinrova!" She hovered backwards, floating towards the throne.
Tael fluttered over to Skull Kid. "Hey Skull Kid, I have an idea," he whispered.
"Does it help with this new thing we have to fight?" he asked.
"Yes. Remember what Garo said? That the witches may not be our true enemy?"
"Yeah, so?"
"Well, I thought the old Koume and Kotake were actually pretty nice ladies. Maybe Garo was trying to tell us that Koume and Kotake are also brainwashed!"
"How does that help us? It just means I can't afford to hurt them!"
"I think that black jewel keeps them brainwashed. It's too tacky to be used for anything else. Maybe if we break it, they'll return to normal!"
"Works for me. I think I can take her down." Said Skull Kid. Twinrova floated above the throne. "Quick, target her!"
"Right!" Tael quickly flew over to the witch.
She crossed her arms, then raised the fire broom over her head. She lowered it, firing a blast of fire at the imp. Skull Kid quickly raised his shield. Instead of deflecting like he had expected, the Mirror Shield absorbed the blast. The shield now had a patch of red on its surface and was making noises like it was powering up, even though the sound didn't get any louder or faster. Twinrova flew over Skull Kid to a different part of the room. She crossed her arms then raised the ice broom above her head. She lowered it, firing a blast of ice at Skull Kid. Skull Kid tried to block it, but that turned out to be a big mistake. The ice magic and the fire magic reacted, exploding and knocking Skull Kid backwards. The shield lost the fire energy it had saved up. As Skull Kid got to his feet, Twinrova flew over his head again. She crossed her arms, then raised the ice broom. She lowered it, sending a blast of ice towards Skull Kid. Skull Kid caught it with his shield, absorbing it. Twinrova flew again, then shot a blast of flame. Skull Kid quickly jumped out of this one's way. The blast hit the ground, melting the tiles and exposing the dirt beneath. Igos groaned form his crystal. Twinrova flew again, then shot a blast of ice towards Skull Kid. Skull Kid caught it with his shield. It was absorbed, making the white patch on the shield's surface larger and making the power-up sound louder and more frequent. Twinrova shot Skull Kid with twelve blast of fire before finally using another ice attack. Skull Kid caught it. His shield's surface was completely white. Skull Kid quickly moved closer to Twinrova. The power- up sound was continuous, then ended as a huge blast of frost shot from the shield. Twinrova gasped and fell to the ground as it hit her. She fell to her hands, panting. Now was his chance! Skull Kid stabbed the jewel on her forehead, shattering it. Twinrova reared back, screeching. She glowed, then vanished, turning into a small flame and a small cloud of frost. The two flew through the air, landing in the middle of the room, where they reformed as Koume and Kotake. Koume moaned. "Ohhhh…what hit me?" She looked around. "Hey Kotake, where are we? This doesn't look like the swamp…"
Kotake frowned. "What's going on here? You! Little imp! Where are we?"
"You're in Gerudo/Ikana Canyon." Said Skull Kid truthfully.
Koume gasped. "How did we get here?"
"Uhhhh…you both drank too much of Koume's new potion and lost your memories, flew all the way over here, and thought you were strip dancers for the last three weeks until I restored your memory?"
They stared at him. "Hmm. Sounds perfectly reasonable to me, eh Koume?" said Kotake.
Koume sighed. "Kotake, how many times have I told you not to use too much mushroom in your potions? It's dangerous!"
Kotake shrugged. "Sorry. I'm only four hundred years old, you know. Things slip my mind."
Koume growled. "Kotake, we're four hundred ten years old! You're getting senile."
"Am not! Just because I frequently forget important details such as my memory or that nobody wants to see me without underwear does not mean I'm senile!"
"Yes it does! Kotake, come on, you're starting to embarrass me! Why haven't you used that memory potion I made for you?"
"What memory potion?"
"The memory potion I made for you on that day three weeks ago! You are getting senile!"
"I am not!"
"You are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am…um…what were we talking about again?"
Koume sighed. "Nothing. C'mon Kotake, I'll take you home. I have a special potion I want you to try…" The twins conjured their brooms and flew through one of the windows.
Igos' crystal floated to the floor and vanished, freeing Igos. He strode forward, eager at his freedom. "Ah, thank you young imp, for saving me from the clutches of those witches."
"It's nothing, great Sage." Said Tael.
Igos stared blankly. "Sage? I'm not a Sage!"
The two stared crestfallen. "You're not?" asked Skull Kid disappointedly.
"No, of course not! I'm the king of a bunch of people who don't quite have fully working brains, I don't have time to be a Sage."
"But then who did the demon who's controlling this area take back to the temple along with Nabooru?" asked Skull Kid.
"Um…hmm…let's see…sorry, I don't recall." They groaned.
A Gerudo in a uniform burst in. "What's going on here? Where are those two brainwashers? Where's Nabooru? I'll…" She suddenly noticed Skull Kid and Tael. "Men! What are you doing here? Oh well. Better alert the guards." She was about to call for backup when Igos grabbed her arm.
"Aveil, it's all right. They are the ones who drove away the witches and saved my life. If anything, they should be rewarded."
Aveil paused. "Are you sure?"
"Positive."
Aveil sighed. "Well, with Nabooru out, I guess you're the best thing I have to a superior." She turned to Skull Kid and handed him a piece of paper. "Here you go kid. It's a Gerudo Membership Card. If you show it to the girls, they won't do anything nasty with you."
"Thanks. I've got to get to the temple to save Nabooru. How do I get there?" asked Skull Kid.
Aveil smiled. "You're trying to save Nabooru? That makes you okay in my book. All you have to do is climb up the watchtower next to the big portcullis and tell the girl there I sent you. She'll let you through. But you don't want to stay for lunch?"
Skull Kid shook his head. "No thanks. Gotta go save the world and all that. But thanks anyway." He left the throne room. When the Redead saw him, they prepared to attack. Skull Kid waved his new card in their faces and they backed down. He repeated the process with all the Gerudo and other guards outside until he finally reached the worker atop the watchtower.
She looked at his card, trying to guarantee its authenticity. "And Aveil said you could go through?" she asked suspiciously. Skull Kid nodded. "Well, I don't know…" she said.
Tael got fed up. "Look, just let us through, okay?"
She frowned at him, as did Skull Kid. Skull Kid quickly said, "Uh, he hasn't eaten lunch so he's kind of cranky. I'll just go back to the Fortress to eat. I'm sure Aveil would be happy to know you're disobeying her orders." He started for the ladder.
The worker stopped him. "No, wait, I'll open the portcullis! Just don't tell Aveil anything!" She clapped her hands. The portcullis lifted. Skull Kid started for the ladder and she stopped him once again. "Wait. Before you go, I must tell you of the two trials of the desert. They are…"
"Yes, yes, I know. The River of Sand and the Phantom Guide. Thank you for all your help."
"Just one more thing. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT travel at night."
Skull Kid nodded, then climbed down the tower and headed through the portcullis. He glared at Tael. "As for you…"
"What? What'd I do?"
"You were quite rude back there. May I ask why?"
"Well, it's just, well, we're running out of time here! Rauru said it would take a week to make a round trip across the desert, and it would probably be a bad idea to navigate at night! I just want us to use every second we can get."
Skull Kid nodded. "That's commendable, but good manners are still important. Besides, we have plenty of time. I'm not going to lollygag, but I'm not going to spend every second of spare time travelling. I doubt it will take that long to reach the Castle Town afterwards, and then we'll have plenty more time to prepare for our final battle with Majora. Relax. You know, you're getting more like Tatl. Link said Tatl was as worried about timing as you are becoming now. Don't worry so much." With that, they headed into the desert, passing between the two Gerudo flagpoles. As soon as they did, a sandstorm kicked up. They struggled to get through it, keeping their eyes on the flagpoles that led them on the right path. They could only go so far, as night soon fell and the sandstorm still hadn't stopped. Struggling, Skull Kid tried to set up the tent without it getting blown away. He used his Gigaton Hammer to pound unlit bombs tied to the tent corners into the sand to anchor the tent. Soon, their shelter was set up and wind free, though they could hear it just outside. They went to sleep. It took them three more days to cross the desert. They had to get through the River of Sand using the hookshot to grapple from crate to crate on small islands in the middle of the vast quicksand pit. They had to follow a long line of flags to a hut. They had to follow an even longer trail led by a Poe, who was considerate enough to let them stop at night. But finally, finally, they made it. They walked through the last set of flagpoles into the sandstorm free area, encircled by a huge rock formation. It was littered with old, fallen pillars and such. A large rock obscured the view directly in front of Skull Kid. Flagpoles were everywhere. Skull Kid walked around the mesa, trying to see what was behind it. When he did, he wondered how he hadn't been able to see it before. It was huge. It was tall. It was the Stone Colossus.
What dangers await Skull Kid and Tael inside the dreaded Stone Colossus Temple? And who is the last new Sage? Find out next time!