Instantly, and surprisingly, Link and Tatl felt the temperature drop as they entered the Temple. Somehow, despite now being indoors, things were so much colder for the two than when they were outside. Even with Link's Goron body and Tatl's natural heat as a fairy, the two quickly began to shiver and had to fight to keep their teeth from chattering.
The room they entered into had little to offer. It was made of stone, with ice forming on the floor, walls, and ceiling. Most of it was a layer of icy décor save for the ceiling, where large icicles dangled. Aside from that, the only thing worth noting was a singular stone door ahead of them. It had no knob or handle, but it instead had grooves at the bottom clearly meant to be held onto so the door could be lifted.
A disgusting atmosphere lingered in the air, one that was very similar to how the Woodfall Temple felt. It was oppressive, making the false Goron and the fairy feel heavy and mildly sapped of strength. On top of that, the cold they felt seemed to pierce them all the way to the bone. It was an aggressive, biting chill that felt as though it were accompanied by a harsh wind despite the Temple air being very still. Worse of all, it felt as though the two were being watched, like the ice itself was keeping watch on the Temple's guests.
"How is it colder in here than out there?!" Tatl exclaimed, knowing the answer already. She realized it was because of the Temple's curse that made the cold far worse than it should be. The fairy was just so frustrated and felt she had to let it out!
"We'll just have to try to get through this quickly." Was all Link said in response, starting to approach the door. He was doing his best not to let it show just how much the freezing temperatures were bothering him, and hopefully if he just kept moving, it'd help him stay at least a bit warm.
Tatl shot Link a look as, once again, he plunged into danger without any sort of hesitation. Without thinking, she spoke up. "How many times have you done stuff like this?" The fairy all but demanded, staying where she was when Link reached the door.
"You mean how many times did we go through Woodfall?" The boy asked, sincerely confused at her question.
"No! I mean how many times have you done this sort of thing before you came to Termina?" Tatl asked, flying over to Link so she could look at his face. As always, it displayed no emotion. She had no idea if the fact he was a Goron made his blank expression more or less unnerving to look at.
Oh. He should've known. She was just trying to pry into his life again. It baffled him that she chose a time like this to ask these sorts of questions. If she was going to do this, couldn't it wait until they were at the inn or something? A small part of Link wanted to just pretend like she didn't say anything and keep going. For reasons he didn't even understand, he actually gave an answer. "What makes you think I've done stuff like this before?" He asked, not looking directly at Tatl.
The fairy scoffed, complete with a small scowl. "Oh, come on! You're able to use that sword yours so well, along with a bow and you use bombs so casually! You can fight monsters without batting an eye and you just go into these dangerous situations without a second though! You think I'm too stupid to figure out you've done things like this long before Termina?"
Link didn't think Tatl was stupid, no, but he apparently underestimated just how much his past was in her thoughts. As less irritating as she's gotten, he still had to wonder if she actually cared about him or if she just wanted to quench her curiosity. It didn't matter which it was, he had zero interest in telling her anything. "It doesn't matter. We just have to cleanse the four lands and free the Giants now." He knew it wasn't an answer she'd accept, but something told him if he just asked or demanded she stopped prying, it'd do little to stop her.
"Yeah, it may not be important, but I still want to know! What happened back in Hyrule, huh?" The fairy pressed, sneering as Link ignored her and opened the door in front of them. It revealed a stone passage, murals of Gorons on the walls with ancient, faded text. As with the first room, there was plenty of ice on the floor, walls, and ceiling. Lit torches allowed the two to see onward, the other side of the hall still swallowed by the darkness.
Tatl sighed as Link just walked through and started to go into the darkness. The fairy decided she would just give up for the moment. It was an awkward time, she knew, but it wasn't like she expected him to go on a huge speech about his background. Granted, she'd love to see that once they were back at the inn! As she followed Link, Tatl started to think of some theories she had about the unusual youth.
The most prevalent of these thoughts that Tatl had was that Link was some sort of child soldier. She knew little of Hyrule, the Skull Kid never having mentioned too much about it. She knew there was a Royal Family, but that was about it. A kingdom needed an army, and armies needed soldiers. Not knowing what this Royal Family was like, her cynical side wondered if they trained child soldiers. Maybe Link was taken in when he was young, trained in combat and how to hide his emotions and true feelings. This would explain why he couldn't read despite seeming to be a pretty smart kid. If all he was going to do was fight, there'd be no need for him to learn much else.
But was the King of Hyrule such a cruel man? Was he the type to really take children and turn them into soldiers? To her, it was sadly the most sensible theory she could come up with. Link was so stone cold, so lacking in what made a person seem human. Yet he also didn't seem to enjoy what he did, not even the fighting or combat. If he were a child soldier, he'd have been molded to enjoy fighting, right? Maybe the training didn't stick well? It also didn't explain why he was in the Lost Woods with a young horse, nor why he was lacking in any kind of armor as expected of a soldier, child or not.
The fairy held back a sigh, having a feeling she'd never get the answers she wanted. Tatl was used to getting her way, made all the easier that Tael listened to her so well and generally did as told. Link withholding so much from her just drove her nuts and every day she spent with the odd Hylian just increased her curiosity! Her thoughts were interrupted as Link stopped in his tracks and shed his mask, returning to a human once more. She noticed he was looking at the ceiling and followed suit, seeing three Stray Fairies hovering near the ceiling! They looked the same as all the others, of course, save for a green coloration.
"The Great Fairy is broken here too. Help me keep an eye out for more Stray Fairies." Link instructed, donning the Great Fairy Mask, and collecting the three creatures. He supposed he should have guessed something like this was happening up North too. The Hylian didn't stop to ask, or even think about, a Great Fairy in this area, but since there was one in the South…
"Hmph. Well, she'll probably give us something good, so…" Tatl mused, deciding to try and stop thinking about Link's past…for the moment. She knew this new obsession of sorts would crop back into her brain sooner or later. As the boy donned the Goron Mask once more and looked at her, she flinched and let out a noise of discomfort.
Something she hadn't noticed before, not looking at Link's new form all too closely…was that his eyes didn't match the Goron whose form he was taking! The Goron Mask, and presumably Darmani himself when he was alive, had purple eyes! Yet she looked into Link's and she saw the same, dull blue that he had as a Hylian, just bigger to match his new body. The only thing she could think of was that old saying, how one's eyes were the window to the soul. She had to wonder what kind of soul Link had to have eyes like his. They looked dull and dead, but it was clear he was a good person. If anything, he had what seemed to be an obsession with helping people, something Tatl had given him a hard time for in the past. Clearly, it was that he was damaged, not bad in any way, but she already realized that.
It especially astounded her because, as a Deku, there was nothing like this! Perhaps the Deku was simply too alien for his eyes to change in that form. A Goron, far from a Hylian, was arguably far closer than Dekus were, especially in the eyes. She really wished she hadn't noticed all this, as looking at Link in this form with his usual eyes was just so uncomfortable for her! His regular eyes were bad enough, but this was almost too much!
"Is something wrong?" Link asked sincerely, having no idea about his eyes. After all, he hadn't seen his reflection in this new form, so he had no way of knowing. For a moment, he thought there may be something in the area that Tatl sensed, but he saw nothing as he looked about.
In a split-second decision, Tatl decided not to bring up the eye thing, at least not yet. No reason to bring it up, as odd as it was. Especially since the sooner they got out of this freezing Temple, the better! Speaking of the cold…! "N-Nothing, it's just unbearably cold in this place!" The fairy exclaimed, shivering a bit, and letting the chill rattle her so her surprised stutter seemed more natural.
Tatl's trick worked, Link not suspecting anything. "Right. Let's just keep going, then." As much as he seemed calm, he was fighting against the cold too, having to really try not to stutter from the low temperatures. He was at least glad his Goron form helped fight against the cold a little bit.
The Temple held little of interest for several hallways and rooms as the two went forward. Just ice, snow, and the occasional wall markings were all that stood in their way. At the very least, they came across a whopping other seven Stray Fairies on the way. On top of that, there only seemed one way forward, so it wasn't as though they were lost…yet the Temple started to quickly seem larger on the inside than the outside.
Link was reminded of how the Temples in Hyrule were warped due to Ganondorf's influence. This certainly seemed similar with just how many rooms the two had gone through which seemed to mostly blend together and serve little to no purpose. On top of that, he wondered if the cursed Majora's Mask could do the same thing. A part of him also wondered if the mask was more powerful than the Gerudo. Thinking of it, the curses that the object enacted reached much farther than the King of Evil's. An entire swamp and a huge mountain range were each infected with this cursed energy, something Ganondorf was only able to do on the scale of the Lost Woods!
Of course, this wasn't even considering the Moon.
His mind snapped out of things when the two entered yet another room and a deep growling startled them both. The room itself was nondescript as usual, ice and snow on the floor, walls, and ceiling. As usual, there was one exit, except this one was guarded! Two White Wolfos were at the far side of the room, the beasts quickly noticing the intruders and snarling at them. The orange eyes of the beasts rested on Link, the larger of the two targets. Of all the beasts that could be here, why did it have to be Wolfos?!
"Why the heck are these things in here?" Tatl asked, starting to float upwards to distance herself from the inevitable fight. The Dinolfos at least made a bit of sense, being a creature of some intelligence. After all, they could use weapons, so going through a Temple was hardly too much for them. Wolfos, on the other hand, were just dumb beasts. Did the Skull Kid put them in here? Why? Just to torment them? To stop someone from stopping the curse? Given all he had done, it wouldn't really shock Tatl at all.
Link readied himself, muscle memory making him ready a sword and shield he didn't even have on him due to his new form. Quickly catching himself, he was about to remove his mask, but the twin Wolfos sprinted at him before he could! Link was able to do little more than raise an arm up at one of the attacking creatures, the Wolfos' jaws clamping over the false Goron's limb. Link had thought quickly, allowing the beast to bite down on the metallic gauntlet he had in his Goron form. The beast was oddly determined, only trying harder to bite through the gauntlet as if it had a chance. That, or it was trying to keep Link still as its partner rounded from the back, going for a less straightforward attack.
With his newfound strength, Link swung around, taking the still-biting Wolfos with him, slamming the beast into the other as it tried to lunge at the false Goron. The two creatures let out pained yelps, the one on Link's gauntlet letting go as they tumbled onto the icy floor. Inside, Link was begging for the Wolfos to just give up and let him and Tatl pass. Once more, he heard the whimpering of the Wolfos he had to mercy kill two years ago. How was it still haunting him after all this time?!
Link's prayers went unanswered yet again as the two Wolfos quickly recovered from the attack and they both lunged for Link at once. Apparently, they felt a frontal assault would work if they went at it at the same time. Trying the same tactic again, raising both arms up to try and have the Wolfos bite down on them to nullify their attack. Unfortunately, the Wolfos foresaw this and dodged around his arms. One of them went for his neck with its jaws, Link just barely able to move so that it bit into his left shoulder instead. As this happened, the other Wolfos slashed the false Goron across his belly, drawing blood.
Thankfully, due to the natural toughness of a Goron's body, Link didn't take nearly as much damage as he would have if he were in his usual form. Both attacks made him bleed and sent stabbing pain throughout every inch of his body, but neither injury was actually severe! Gritting his teeth, Link slammed his fist into the slashing Wolfos, the blow connecting to its jaw. A pained yelp erupting from the beast, it was sent sprawling as one of its teeth completely shattered from the impact.
Not even thinking, simply acting, Link grabbed the jaws of the Wolfos digging into his shoulder and yanked it away while forcing its mouth open. In a swift motion he, not even realizing his own strength, snapped its jaws so violently that it shattered the Wolfos' skull and killed it instantly. Startled, Link dropped the corpse, having to forcibly hold back a gasp as he realized what he just did. He realized he'd probably have to kill the two Wolfos, but doing it like that was just…
His self-disgust was interrupted as the other Wolfos got to its feet, snarling harshly at him. Spurred by its partner's death, it sprinted at Link who once more acted instinctually. Raising his hand up, Link slammed down a fist onto the top of the Wolfos' head, sending both straight into the floor. There was a sickening crunch and the beast laid there dead.
Horrified with his own strength, Link stared at the two bodies, panting heavily yet somehow feeling like he couldn't even breath. His hands shook lightly, and not from the cold. He hadn't meant to do either of those things, the boy not realizing just how much strength a Goron had! It was like with his voice, naturally in a bellow, that he let loose far more pressure than he had anticipated! Stabbing something to kill it was one thing, but to kill two Wolfos with his bare hands wasn't remotely the same!
Tatl had watched the whole thing play out with light horror. She wasn't nearly as shaken up as Link was, but the brutality disturbed her a bit. It didn't cross her mind that Link meant to be so brutal, it just didn't seem like him. Of course, he had to kill the Wolfos one way or another. It was either beating them to death with a Goron's strength or stabbing them to death with a sword. Either way it was hardly pretty! "Giants abound, you really made quick work of them!" The fairy exclaimed, slowly floating down towards her partner.
Link didn't even hear Tatl speak. In his own mind, the sounds of whimpering Wolfos and cracking bones kept playing on a loop. The horrid noises just kept getting louder, almost deafening! In his mind's eye, he saw that Wolfos from the Lost Woods, lying on the ground and slowly bleeding out.
It's suffering, Navi…
I can't…I can't just let it bleed out.
His own, younger voice haunted Link in his mind, his heart beating faster and faster as he heard the sound of a blade plunging into flesh. He could feel the hot blood on his bare skin, the struggle of a dying beast as it clung to life even in its final moments!
"Link!" Tatl exclaimed, having repeated his name what felt like a dozen times. As she approached him, she quickly noticed he hadn't reacted to her. He just kept staring at his hands with that vacant stare in his eyes. The boy didn't have to emote for her to realize his mind was a thousand miles away at that moment. She kept saying his name, but he didn't budge, so she shouted it out instead.
Flinching, Link finally heard the fairy, looking up at her. Even through her natural light, he saw the open worry on her face. How long had he stood there, his past mistakes playing in his head over and over? "What? Did you say something?" He asked, putting his hands back down at his sides.
"What the heck was that? You weren't answering me!" The fairy pointed out, wanting to ask specifically what was going through Link's mind. She knew better, though, realizing he wouldn't give her an actual answer.
Blinking a few times, the boy shook his head. "It's nothing. I got lost in thought." At the very least, he was sort of telling her the truth. He quickly realized that, unless the two find a way to permanently free the Giants in this Cycle somehow, he'd have to kill these two Wolfos in the future. Just the thought of it made him sick to his stomach, and the knowledge that the Song of Time will bring them back to life did nothing to ease his guilt.
"You're a lot stronger than I thought. Those Wolfos didn't stand a chance!" Tatl observed, once more deciding that pushing Link for answers would get her nowhere. "Might as well fight everything as a Goron, right?"
He understood what she meant, and he realized she was trying to be positive. The idea of having to kill with his bare hands was too sickening for him to agree. In fact, the only reason he didn't go back to being a Hylian was to protect himself from the cold. A small part of him wondered if his Deku form could even feel the cold since his entire body would be made of wood. If there wasn't the risk of being attacked in such a weak form, he'd almost be tempted to try it out. "It doesn't feel right. I've only ever fought with a sword and shield before this." Link remarked, not counting the few times he used bubbles as a Deku.
"I guess that makes sense. Just trying to see the bright side…" Tatl grumbled, rolling her eyes. She was just trying to be a bit positive! Didn't help that she was perhaps a tad jealous of Link's strength as a Goron. It wasn't always easy being a fairy, after all. Sure, fairies could fly faster than any other creature in Termina could move. On top of that, fitting into tight spaces was helpful! Her small size also meant she needed far less food to survive. Not being able to properly lift, say, an Ocarina was a huge pain, though. She wished she could move things like humans could, let alone how Gorons could.
"There's no bright side to this." Link softly bellowed, unable to properly control his voice. His cynicism was too great to see any upside to his situation, especially if it meant it was just easier to kill things. Without a further word, he opened the only door forward as Tatl followed behind.
Tatl simply scowled a bit, rolling her eyes once more as she followed Link deeper into the Temple.
As before, there was little of interest in the Temple as the two went through its twists and turns. It did seem to get increasingly cold, however, and it felt as though strong winds were blowing around them despite the interior location. They could even hear the blustering winds, even though they shouldn't even exist. Another oddity was they started to find pools of lava, very small ones, in some rooms. They got to safe distances from these pools, using the intense heat to warm up a bit before they kept on going. Thankfully, Link's strong Goron body made him able to move about with his Wolfos-induced injuries with little issue. If it weren't for his new form's tough skin, that bite to the shoulder could have injured him enough where the fight could've ended very differently…
When going through yet another hallway, Link stopped and looked to one of the walls. On it was more cave paintings like before. The one he was looking at depicted Gorons standing outside the Snowhead Temple. Standing at its entrance, blowing a harsh wind depicted through drawings, was a very unusual creature. It seemed bovine in nature, like a bull, but had black skin and a humanlike face.
"What is that…?" Tatl asked, stopping to look too. "Some sort of freaky creature. But hey, it's blowing cold wind! Maybe it's somewhere here in the Temple!" There was that freaky, massive jungle warrior at Woodfall, so maybe something similar was lurking in Snowhead.
"What does the writing say, Tatl?" Link asked, the words as good as scribbles to him. He had the same thought as his companion; the creature depicted in the art may be real and lurking within the Temple. It would be like Volvagia or Bongo Bongo…both ancient evils brought back by curses to act as the bearing of said curses within Temples.
Tatl squinted, the writing a bit faded. Thankfully, it wasn't so bad that she couldn't make it out. "It's a story about something called…Goht. Weird name." The fairy remarked. "It's saying how it brought terrible cold to the mountains, the Gorons powerless to stop it." She frowned a bit. "I guess the story has to continue elsewhere, these drawings are very old. There had to be someone that stopped this thing."
"Does the writing say anything about what Goht is?" Link asked, wondering if there was some sort of weakness to possibly exploit.
The fairy looked up higher, finding there was more writing. This new writing was even more faded, but she was still just barely able to make it out! "It says it's a monster of metal and sheer cold. It sounds like some sort of demonic machine from what all this says. That has to be it! The Skull Kid must have brought this thing back somehow, and that's why the mountains are so cold!" Tatl guessed, feeling a bit proud of herself. "That has to be it!"
So, if they cleanse the Temple, the curse stops. Not that Link had any doubt previously. It only reinforces how important this all was! "Nothing about a weakness?" Link pressed.
"Nothing like that. But I mean come on, you're a Goron! What more than you need than that freakish strength you have now?" Tatl said with confidence. She had faith in her companion, at least in combat. So far, he hadn't let her down in that department! "Just gotta turn that thing into scrap metal!"
Link wasn't quite so confident. Sure, he had taken down all sorts of monsters of various shapes and sizes. It didn't mean he was about to assume victory, however. Seemed pretty foolish to him. "Hopefully that will be enough." Was all he said in response, turning and continuing down the hallway. If he was lucky, maybe there was some sort of weapon he could use such as the Megaton Hammer within the Fire Temple.
Tatl really wished Link could say something positive. Just once. "Such a mood killer…" She grumbled to herself, following after the false Goron. As they went down the unusually long hallway, one that seemed to slightly ramp upwards, the fairy saw more writing on the wall. "Hey! Look, there's more!" The two of them stopped as she kept reading. "It says that it was Darmani that defeated Goht! Mmm…maybe Darmani's grandpa? It leaves out 'III' after all…" She turned to Link. "See? Just need to use some of those Goron muscles to deal with this!"
Somehow Link felt like it wouldn't be as easy as just giving this strange metal creature a good punch. What kind of monster was made out of metal anyway? Was it poetic? Was the text saying its skin was as hard as metal? "Like I said, hopefully that will be enough." If the creature really was made of metal, he wasn't sure his sword or arrows would do anything. Maybe a bomb blast would do some damage…?
Tatl sighed a bit. Giants abound, couldn't he just be positive for once? "Come on, think about it! You'll be like Darmani IV or something!" It was mostly a joke, the fairy trying to lift up their spirits a bit. A part of her thought things would be easier if Link could just lighten up, if only a little. This whole situation was horrid, of course, but no need to just mope around all the time!
The false Goron nearly flinched at those words. A mixture of anger and guilt broiled in his gut as he shook his head. "Don't say things like that. I'm not like Darmani III, or any other Goron hero." He insisted, even though he knew Tatl was only making a joke. The idea of the Gorons praising him as some sort of hero left a bitter taste in his mouth. They already thought he was Darmani, and it made him wonder if he should face them at all, even in Goron form, when the Temple was cleansed. He knew they'd cheer and praise him, and he also knew he'd feel horrible for it.
"Lighten up!" Tatl practically hissed, rolling her eyes openly. "It was just a joke!" Shaking it off, she settled herself before she really lost her temper. "Let's just keep going, alright?" Without waiting for a response, she flew onward, not even glancing back at Link.
Link almost shot back that joking about stuff like that just wasn't funny. Yet, he held his tongue. Getting into some stupid fight was just a waste of time. Instead, he silently followed as the hallway went up even more. The higher the two got, the colder it became. He had no idea why there was a pool of lava back where they had been, but he hoped another one came up soon!
Alas, nothing of the sort happened. It simply got colder as the two pressed on into the Temple. Eventually, they came across a large door that only a Goron could open. Frost was spread upon it and on the surrounding wall. Large balls of ice were around the doorway as well. "Do you feel that?" Link asked, a strong negative feeling emanating from just beyond the slab of stone. "It feels awful around here."
Tatl had simmered down, the cold actually helping with that. Hard to stay mad and heated when it was so freezing! "Yeah, I feel that too. It doesn't feel like it'd be Goht, though…" If the feeling of Goht was like that of that crazy jungle warrior, then it was clear there was something lesser beyond that door. As she floated closer, she stopped and stared at the ice chunks. "Oh…! Link…!" Her words died in her mouth as she felt a horrid shiver go up her spine.
Link looked closer too, his heart skipping a beat at what he saw.
The chunks of ice weren't what they seemed. As the two looked closer, they saw that the 'ice' was actually the frozen remains of Gorons! They were all intact, but it was clear they had been lying there for a long, long while. There was no chance that they could be brought back, even if they were somehow thawed out. Counting them off, the two saw about ten of the deceased Gorons hunched over or curled up by the door. What really terrified the two was that these were the only Goron corpses they had seen so far. Whatever was on the other side of that door was what stopped so many would-be Goron saviors from moving forward!
Link instantly thought back to Dodongo's Cavern and the Goron corpse he came across there. He was really struggling to decide if the dismembered body or the frozen victims before him were worse. The child found he couldn't stop staring at the visages of the deceased Gorons, their expressions warped in terror and pain. Whatever did this to them clearly wasn't instantaneous. They suffered greatly before they died…
"Tatl, do you know something that can do this?" Link asked, still unable to tear his gaze from the poor souls before him. The only creature he knew that could do something like this was a Freezard. Did they exist in Termina? He supposed Dekus, Gorons, and Zoras did, along with monsters like Tektites, Octoroks, and Wolfos…so why not? Still, a Freezard didn't make sense since they couldn't even move…
"Beats me! I don't know what could just freeze Gorons like that. Goht is making all this cold, but it can't be on the other side of that door. This feeling just isn't strong enough…" The fairy was at a loss, able to look away from the Gorons, unlike Link. The sight made her sick to her stomach, and it baffled her that even at this moment, her companion showed zero emotion. Did he feel anything for the dead Gorons at all? Was he just shocked…?
Great. That didn't help at all! Link wasn't mad, though. He couldn't expect Tatl to know everything like Navi could. If she were here, he knew she'd have some sort of theory at the very least. Finally tearing his eyes from the Gorons, he looked to the door. "Stick close to me and be careful." The false Goron said as he approached, not wanting anything to happen to his companion.
Tatl didn't need to be told twice, sticking right by Link's shoulder as he opened the door. Instantly, a wave of foul energy hit the two like a slap to the face. Not only that, but what seemed to be a fresh wave of cold air went along with it. Before them was a large room, strange crystals on the floor and, as usual, only a single door forward. What was odd, though, was that there was no source of the increased cold…or any sort of monster. That being said, there were a large number of Stray Fairies at the ceiling! Ten of them!
Moving slowly into the room, his guard up, Link paid little mind to the Stray Fairies and tried to spot any sort of sign of danger. As he moved, though, he didn't see anything aside from those odd crystals.
"Maybe the monster here left?" Tatl suggested hopefully, looking around constantly as well. It was unclear what sort of creature had frozen those Gorons, so maybe it was only in the Temple temporarily. That's what she told herself, at least.
As if triggered by the fairy's words, there was a flash of light from one of the crystals! Rising from the small space, despite how impossible it was, came a large and humanoid figure! It wasn't any sort of creature that Link had ever seen before. The thing was tall, twice the size he was, even in his Goron form. It had blue skin, like the color of mold. While clearly not human, the entity wore a sort of clock to cover itself, and even held a staff within its hand. Its face was downright unnerving, a misshapen head with a visage to match, peering at Link and Tatl with yellow eyes.
The oppressive feeling from outside the door grew stronger, it being clear that the creature was the source. Link tensed up, readying himself to attack or defend depending on what the entity did. It was on the other side of the room, so he couldn't reach it too easily. The thing kept staring at the two intruders, Link using this time to whisper to his companion. "Do you know what this thing is?" Despite trying to whisper, his Goron vocal chords made it come out at what would normally be casual speaking volume.
Tatl blinked a few times, thinking hard as she eyed the ugly humanoid before them. "I think that's a Wizzrobe!" She exclaimed after a sudden realization. "They're ugly magic users and they're really sadistic!" The fairy went on, recalling stories she had heard about the dark wizards.
Link had no idea what 'sadistic' meant, but from Tatl's tone it was clearly pretty bad. "What can it do? How do I fight it?" He pressed, staring at the unusual creature, wondering why it hadn't attacked them yet. The thing just kept staring at them with those yellow eyes, as if pondering something. It wore clothes and held a staff, so was it intelligent? Tatl talked about it like it was a monster, so maybe it was like Lizalfos and Dinolfos; intelligent, but not enough to actually be people. At the very least it'd make killing the thing less awful…
"I've never seen one before. I just heard stories…" Tatl murmured, shivering from a mixture of fear and the horrid coldness around them. "They use a lot of spells, and I heard they could cast curses, but I have no idea!" The fairy wasn't exactly a living encyclopedia. She wasn't one to put herself or Tael at risk before all this madness started, so it wasn't like she saw a lot of monsters firsthand!
"Not much to go on…" The false Goron murmured to himself. It was times like this that Link really wished that Tatl was more like Navi. His old companion would have some sort of advice, even if she was at a loss of what the creature Link had to fight even was!
As if somehow set off by the two talking about it, the Wizzrobe acted without warning! Letting out an inhuman cry, it raised its staff as energy visually gathered at its end. With another shout, it swung its weapon at Link and Tatl, a green orb of energy firing at them! Though Gorons were generally slower than the other races, Link still had the body of a powerful hero! Because of this, he was still able to jump out of the way, avoiding the attack entirely as Tatl flew up towards the ceiling. The orb hit the wall, bursting as the crackling energy quickly dissipated into the cold, open air.
Acting quickly, Link sprinted as fast as his Goron legs could move him towards the magical creature. Its eyes widened, clearly surprised at its would-be-victims dodging its attack. As Link closed the gap and prepared a punch, the Wizzrobe shrunk back down into its crystal and disappeared from sight!
"Link! Look out behind you!" Tatl shouted out, acting as an eye in the sky as the confrontation went on below.
Whipping around, he saw the Wizzrobe coming out from another one of the floor crystals. Letting out a cackle, it spun around in a circle, seeming to mock Link as energy built in its staff again. This time, a blue orb appeared, and a bone-piercing cold radiated from it. Even from a distance, Link had to hold back a shiver as the Wizzrobe prepared its attack! Once more, the dark mage let out a scream as it unleashed its spell, the chilling sphere shooting right for Link.
Quickly understanding how it was that the Gorons became frozen, Link curled up and rolled out of the way, but kept up the momentum as he barreled towards the Wizzrobe. The sphere hit the wall, a huge chunk of ice appearing at the impact as Link sped towards his opponent. Yet, even while rolling at high speeds, it just wasn't fast enough. As the false Goron approached, the Wizzrobe ducked into its crystal once more, getting away just as Link reached it. Uncurling, he looked around for the creature to appear once more.
While he waited, he realized that he'd never reach his target as a Goron. Bracing himself for the cold, he took his mask off and returned to being a Hylian once more. Putting the mask away, he readied his bow and an arrow just as the Wizzrobe reappeared on the far side of the room. The air in the room bit at the boy's skin, and his hands quickly started to shake, but he gritted his teeth hard and did his best to steady his shaking body. At the same time, he let out a wince as the wounds he took on from a Goron carried over to his human form. Thankfully, the wounds remained shallow, so he was still able to grit his teeth and fight!
As the blue-skinned being emerged, its eyes widened as it looked to see the Goron it was facing off had vanished, leaving a human child instead. It apparently got over it quickly, letting out yet another cackle as it charged an attack once more, this time the orb being red.
Without hesitation, Link readied his arrow properly and shot it at the Wizzrobe. The creature clearly didn't see the attack coming, as it didn't even react until the projectile had struck it right in the chest! Link had wanted to hit the Wizzrobe in the neck, but try as he might, he wasn't able to stop his hands from shaking entirely. Either way, the arrow caused the creature to let out a cry of pain, its spell disintegrating as its concentration was broken. It gripped the arrow and yanked it out, not seeming to notice or care at how doing so caused its dark blue blood to start leaking from the wound. Glaring at Link, it tossed the arrow to the side and shrank away once more.
"Tatl, I need you to come down here." Link said, looking up to the fairy. "I need your warmth." He wasn't sure how much of her natural heat would help, but anything at all to keep his hands steady had to be tried!
"Seriously?! Jeez, okay…!" The fairy was pretty hesitant, liking to stay as far from the action as she could. She had been impressed with Link's quick thinking and he seemed to have it handled! Either way, she ducked into his tunic, quicker than the boy could blink. The cold air really reduced how much heat Tatl could give off, but there was little she could do.
Link was hoping for more, but he still felt the breathing warmth of his companion against him. It didn't do very much, but if it helped with his shaking hands just the tiniest bit…it was worth a shot!
Moments after Tatl ducked into Link's tunic, the Wizzrobe once more rose from one of its crystals, and still doing so far away from its opponent. Before the Hylian could act, the blue creature actually moved from its teleporting point. Moving much faster than expected, the Wizzrobe sprinted about the room, going at such speeds that Link and Tatl saw afterimages of the dark mage as it went.
Readying his arrow, Link tried to track his opponent's movements, but it was just going way too fast for him to do so! Every time he thought he zeroed in on the Wizzrobe, it was already halfway across the room! Tatl's warmth did little to stop Link's hands from shaking, and at one point he felt he had as good a shot as any and let the arrow fly. Unfortunately, it went through empty air before hitting the far wall.
As soon as this happened, a green orb from seemingly nowhere careened towards Link! Tatl let out a yell and flew upward, dodging the projectile. The Hylian, however, was not so lucky. The magic attack struck him square in the chest, knocking the wind out of him as he felt dark magic surge through his body. On top of that, the impact sent him lightly off the ground, making the boy fall on his rear. This caused the Wizzrobe to stop running, stopping at one of the crystals as it pointed at its opponent while cackling wildly.
Despite the direct blow, Link wasn't seriously injured. He felt that the tunic's enchantment that the Great Fairy of Power gave him was what saved his life. The boon surely absorbed most of the magical impact! Still, it didn't stop the pain from shooting through the child's body, and the blow still left him struggling to get in a helpful breath. Luckily for the Hylian, though, the Wizzrobe seemed far more interested in taunting and laughing than actually finishing its opponent off. Apparently it was so confident in its new trick, it no longer saw Link as a real threat.
Tatl soon flew down to check on Link, just as he managed to get a lungful of air. "I'm fine." He insisted before the fairy could open her mouth. Struggling to his feet, he got out another arrow. "The tunic absorbed most of the dark magic."
The fairy let out a sigh of relief, ducking back into Link's tunic. "Jeez, you really scared me there! Keep a better lookout for the magic, okay?!" She demanded, feeling a sincere worry for her companion. The Tatl from the day she and Link met would be so astonished at how the fairy acted and felt now…
At Link's defiance, the Wizzrobe stopped laughing and gave its opponent a scowl. Without hesitation, it started to sprint about the room again, going just as fast as it had before. The Hylian tried to follow the creature with the bow and arrow, but it was futile! Quickly, though, an idea cropped up in his mind. Putting the bow and arrow away, Link instead pulled out a bomb along with the flint and steel. "Stay in my tunic." He instructed Tatl, lighting the bomb up. As soon as the fuse lit, he threw the explosive into the middle of the room before getting his shield ready, crouching behind it as best as he could.
Tatl let out a startled noise, ducking down further into Link's tunic as she heard a loud explosion echo through the room. Instantly, this was followed by the Wizzrobe's shriek and a series of dumping, flopping noises. By the time the fairy peeked out from Link's tunic, the boy had straightened up, put the shield away, and had his bow and arrow ready.
The Wizzrobe was lying on the floor, its legs shredded from an explosion it was apparently going too fast to even see coming. It was oozing dark blue blood onto the floor as it lied in agony. It uselessly held its staff in one hand as it tried to crawl towards one of the crystals on the floor. Without hesitation, Link fired off his arrow. This time, his aim was true, and the projectile pierced through the dark mage's skull, killing it instantly.
Blinking a few times at the carnage, Tatl slowly floated out of Link's tunic as the boy put his weapon away, donning the Great Fairy Mask to collect the remaining Stray Fairies. The normal fairy was still trying to process what just happened. Sure, she saw Link kill lots of monsters, but something about this instance just struck her in the gut. Not that she felt bad for the Wizzrobe, not a chance, but seeing its legs reduced to stumps really got to her. Once more, she felt herself pondering what happened in Link's life where he could cripple an enemy and fire an arrow through its head without expressing any emotion…
Rather than voice her discomfort, Tatl went for a different approach. There was this part of her that kept nagging away to make things right with Link, to start treating him better. Ever since she saw him fall ill, her hatred and disdain turned to pity and eve a bit of admiration. It was impossible for her to deny that her companion was exceedingly skilled in combat, especially for his age. He cleared through the Woodfall Temple what seemed to be at least a dozen times, all without fatal injury! Maybe if she was nicer, he would even open up to her a bit more. A peek into the mysterious past of the strange boy was enticing indeed…
"That was some pretty quick thinking there!" Tatl praised, watching as the last of the Stray Fairies went into the boy's bag. "With the arrows and bombs…" She went on, frowning as Link didn't respond at all, taking the Great Fairy Mask off and putting it in his bag too. "Hey! Are you listening to me?!" The fairy demanded, knowing for sure she was talking loud enough to be heard!
Link's mind had been elsewhere, to an extent. Like Tatl, the gruesome nature of the Wizzrobe's death wasn't lost on him. Like with the Lizalfos and Dinolfos, it was a clearly inhuman creature, but had enough intelligence to use weapons and strategy. It made him extremely uneasy, more than usual, to take lives like that. Then there was the case with Twinrova, which still haunted him whenever it crept into his conscious. Navi insisted witches were actually monsters, but…
Either way, Tatl's first statement was enough to get Link out of his own mind. He chose not to respond, still confused as to why his unwanted companion had suddenly started being civil towards him. Heck, she was being downright nice to him too! It wasn't lost on him that the change was the most dramatic after his fever, but why that'd change the fairy's attitude was still a mystery in his eyes.
He didn't reply to her because, frankly, he didn't really know how to. Was she even being sincere? Then again, it had been a while since she was so overtly mean that she'd fake a compliment. Having only one person to talk to for a great deal of his life didn't exactly help Link become socially adept. The last two years just made everything far worse. His brain not helping him out as much as he hoped, the boy just let his mouth move on its own. "I heard you." Was all he said, looking over to the fairy.
Tatl let out an involuntary shiver, not just from the cold, at Link's gaze. It never failed to unnerve her! They were dull and lifeless, yet at the same time they felt so…piercing. It was as if he was looking right into her soul! Shaking off her discomfort, she let out an annoyed huff. "Then why didn't you say anything?! I'm trying to be nice; you know!" The irony in the fact she was yelling at him for not accepting her kindness wasn't lost on her, but she didn't really care at this point.
"I know." Link responded, even though he hadn't really been that sure. "I-"
His words were interrupted by an angry chime from the fairy. "Why are you like this?!" She demanded, knowing this was the wrong time and place for this. And yet, she couldn't care any less! "You don't react to anything! You don't frown or smile to anything that goes on!" Even when he cleansed the Woodfall Temple for the first time, before the two knew it was futile, he didn't seem to care! "Why don't you show any emotion to anything?! Why don't you feel?! I'm trying to be a bit nicer; you could at least appreciate that much!" Her words were all over the place, Tatl letting loose a lot of frustration at the Hylian before her.
Link was pretty baffled by all of this, really having no idea why Tatl cared so much. When they first met, she hated his guts, and made that abundantly clear for weeks afterward. All of a sudden she's upset that he didn't appreciate her kindness enough? What was going on? He was disgruntled by her demands to know about his mental and emotional state, knowing that was one thing he wasn't about to share with her. "Why I'm like I am isn't important." The Hylian argued, fighting against shivering from the intense cold as the conversation went on. "I don't need to smile or laugh to save the Giants."
"I never said you did!" Tatl hissed, glaring at the child before her. "I asked why you're like this! People aren't like this! Not normally! What happened to you?!" She was no expert on the mind, but even she knew that people don't just show zero emotion for no reason. The fairy knew that something had to cause this…
"I just said it wasn't important." Link insisted, having to hold back his anger. Who was she to demand he just open up to her? He didn't owe her anything! It didn't help that he felt a sort of…block. Even if he wanted to share, he wasn't sure that he could. There were so many aspects of his first quest he hadn't told anyone about. Not Saria, not Zelda, not Malon. No one. "I'm not talking about this, especially not here." Without even waiting for a response, he put the Goron Mask back on, going through the painful transformation once more.
Huffing, Tatl knew that Link was right. This wasn't the time for this, but her temper had just boiled over! This wasn't going to be the last time she drilled him for information, that was a fact! "Fine. Whatever." Was all she said in response, sulking behind the false Goron as he opened the door forward and the two went on.
Trying to ignore what just happened, both with the Wizzrobe and the fight, Link trudged forward through the icy Temple. Each step seemed to bring about colder and colder air, and the oppressive malice that surrounded them grew stronger. Nothing stood in their way for what seemed like hours of moving, the time around them seeming to distort and slow down to a crawl.
Eventually, whether it was hours or mere minutes after the Wizzrobe fell, the pair came across a large door. In size, it was similar to the one where they found the Goron Elder. It was made of stone with a Goron depicted on it, standing on top of a mountain and as large as the Temple itself. They both felt sick, the dark energy from the Temple's curse clearly on the other side of the door.
Link, however, felt something else. Like in the Woodfall Temple, he felt a sudden dry heat, like that within a desert. In the blink of an eye, a figure appeared before him. It was vaguely humanoid and pitch black like it was ripped out of the night sky, the stars carefully picked from its form. The only exception to this was its two eyes, orange and piercing, that stared right into Link's very soul. He found himself frozen on the spot, not even breathing as he stared at the entity. Then, he blinked, and the figure was gone.
Blinking a few more times, nothing happened, and the heat quickly faded. He had never told Tatl about the odd encounter in the Woodfall Temple, and it had only occurred the first time they cleansed it. He still wasn't sure if it was something he was imagining, or something that actually existed. A physical manifestation of the curse somehow? The eyes were like that of Majora's Mask, but…
He forced himself to shrug the situation off.
"Are you ready?" Link asked Tatl, his voice an unwanted bellow as usual thanks to his form. He just had to suppress the odd figure, since it hadn't actually presented itself as a threat to him thus far.
"Let's just get this done." Tatl said in a curt tone, still mad at Link for brushing her off. She felt kind of silly with her wording, speaking as though she was even able to fight alongside the boy.
"…Right." Ignoring the fairy's attitude, Link opened the door and entered the room alongside Tatl. The room itself was the most freezing yet. They shivered uncontrollably, their teeth rattling in their mouths as they looked about. The chamber was unusual, basically a hallway that went on until it curved out of side on both sides. However, they instantly saw the one thing that the room had to offer aside from the chilling cold.
Lying mere meters from the pair, perfectly still, was Goht. It had to be, at least, the entity before them looking a lot like the cave drawings earlier. It was a massive creature, several times larger than a bull, with metal instead of flesh. Exposed gears and wires were visible as it lay on the floor, a mask placed upon its face with a grim visage. It was humanlike, a darkly serious expression on its face with horns and a sharp beard underneath. Above Goht, there was a massive hole in the ceiling, a snowy wind coming up from the creatures back and into the open air. Clearly, it was generating the cold that managed to ensnare the entire North of Termina!
For a moment, Link thought he might be able to take advantage of Goht as it seemingly slept in place. However, before he could act, the mechanical creature quickly became aware that it was no longer along. The cold air it was producing stopped as steam hissed from the bull's joints. As the exposed gears turned, Goht properly stood up, looking right towards Link as it let out a thunderous below.
Without hesitation, Goht started to rampage! It charged straight towards Link and Tatl, the former barely able to jump out of the way as the latter flew towards the ceiling. To their shock, Goht simply kept going, not slowing down at all as it missed its targets. Flying down to Link, Tatl yelled in her companion's ear. "Go after it! Roll! Roll!" That was the only way she could imagine they could both keep up.
Link had the same thought as Tatl, curling up before rolling after the mechanical monster as the adrenaline pumping through him allowed him to ignore the cold.. Sensing the area around him, he felt that he was closing in on Goht, and that the room around him just kept going as a long hallway. The manifested curse simply charged forward, not seeming to even think of how to beat its opponent. It didn't turn around or slow down to let Link pass it, it just charged onward as though it was all that it could do.
Tatl followed Link with ease, the fairy able to do laps around her companion and Goht if she so chose. She actually wondered if, maybe, she could dash in front of the monster and startle it somehow. But…with how it acted before, it'd probably just charge right through her if she tried. So, she'd stick near the ceiling for the rest of the fight, not sure of what else to do…
Catching up quickly, Link wasn't sure what his next course of action should be. He wasn't adept at using his new form enough to try and fancy tricks, like uncurling while lunging at Goht. Not sure of what else to do, Link veered to the side, ramming his Goron body right into one of his opponent's legs. The impact rattled the false Goron, sending him sprawling into one of the nearby walls. Yet, as that happened, Goht lost its footing enough to collapse onto the floor.
Wasting no time, Link got up and ran towards the fallen mechanical creature. Reeling an arm back, he slammed it into Goht's side, feeling that his sword wouldn't be able to pierce its metal hide. The impact made a dent in the creature's tough skin, but little else. Grunting, Link let loose a barrage of punches, not even sure if he should aim for any specific part of Goht's body as he wailed on the metal monster.
Once more, steam spewed out of Goht as it readied to charge again. In a desperate move, Link grabbed hold of one of the creature's legs, but as it started to run, it ripped its limb from the boy's grip with ease. Not even his Goron strength was enough! Link fell over from the whiplash, seeing that the many dents in Goht's side did little to weaken it. To his surprise, though, he saw that the creature only ran ahead a bit before stopping and facing its opponent.
Getting up, Link was only able to watch as a surge of what seemed like lightning shot forth from between Goht's horns towards him. This time, he was too slow to dodge and was struck in the chest. Letting out a bellow of pain, Link was momentarily stunned as the magical attack surged through his body. He very nearly fell to the floor again but was able to stay on his feet. Without the protective power of his enhanced tunic, he had to rely on a Goron's natural strength and durability. Thankfully, that apparently allowed him to withstand such an attack and keep going.
Rolling up once more, Link winced through the pain and rolled towards Goht once more. He was able to dodge the second lightning attack, his speed increased many times over as he was rolling about. When he got close to Goht, it started to run off once more as he chased it. Despite its injuries, it seemed to go even faster than before, Link having troubles catching up. He was shocked as a hole appeared at the top of Goht's body, his instincts as a Goron somehow letting him 'see' this happen. Out of the hole came a lit bomb! Startled, he veered out of the way, the explosive going off harmlessly behind him.
As Link kept dodging the bombs that came out, an idea suddenly struck him. As the fifth bomb shot out, he took his chance and uncurled. Digging his heels into the floor to stop his momentum, he caught the bomb in midair. Without taking much time to aim, he lobbed it right back at Goht with his Goron strength! His luck allowed the bomb to reach Goht before it exploded, doing so at its undamaged side.
Roaring out, the mechanical bull actually stayed on its feet to Link's shock. Yet he did see sparks and crackles of electricity running over its body as a large chunk of its side was now destroyed. Once more, it stopped and turned around to face Link.
Knowing what that meant, the false Goron curled up before it could launch its first lightning attack. As it let out the jolt of magic, Link dodged around it, as well as the second. When he got close, Link noticed a sort of bump in the stone flooring. Using this as a sort of ramp, the boy thought fast and used it to fly high into the air. Careening towards Goht, Link uncurled as he got close and slammed his fist into the side of the beast's face!
This impact was so great, that it knocked the mask right off of Goht! Before Link could get a good look at what lied beneath, the monster roared out again and charged away from it. It kept veering back and forth, having gone berserk. Its side slammed into one wall, then another. After that, it made a sharp turn and charged right into one of the room's walls, collapsing as rocks were shaken loose and started to fall on the creature.
Within moments, Goht was buried in a rockslide of its own making, its mask lying on the floor for Link.
Panting, the boy took off the Goron Mask, actually feeling the temperature start to steadily drop right as Goht became buried. Still shivering, though, he glanced to Tatl as she flew down from the ceiling. "I didn't expect that to work so well." The boy admitted.
"Well, work it did. You'll know for uh…for next time…" The fairy murmured, looking towards Goht's mask. "We never found a way to keep the Giant freed." Not that they really had any chance to look. She doubted the Gorons would've known, and there were no hints in the Temple itself…
That made Link's heart sink, looking to the mask as well. "Maybe the Giant can help us." The last one didn't give out such information, but maybe this next one would be different. Going over to the discarded mask, he paused before touching it. Closing his eyes, he once more bargained with what seemed like thin air. Reaching out anything that could listen, any sort of deity or god…he begged that somehow, he'd find some way to free the Giants permanently. It felt foolish, but it was an act of desperation, after all.
Opening his eyes, Link grabbed the mask, and he was swept away in a flash of light along with Tatl.
The two once more found themselves in an odd realm, much like the first, with all of Link's injuries healed. The air around them was hazy and fuzzy, the duo on top of a massive pillar. There was liquid all around them, just as before, but here it was white as the snow of the mountains. And, just like with the Woodfall Temple, there was a massive figure out in the distance. It was a bit clearer than the last time, Link able to see pink flesh of the Giant before them.
Tatl didn't hesitate, flying a bit towards the protective deity. "Hey! Help us! How do we free you?! How do we stop you from becoming trapped again?!" She desperately yelled out to the Giant, recalling how the Giant of Woodfall never reappeared before them a second time. She only had one shot to get an answer out of this one…
As with the previous Giant, the one before them didn't speak in a way they could grasp. Its low, soothing voice simply echoed in their minds.
He who slayed Goht. Free us all. Free all of us. Then, we can act as Guardians.
"What?! No! Hey! That's not good enough!" Tatl exclaimed, not caring who or what she was talking to. "We can't do this in three days! Please! Tell us more!"
Link felt like he was going to throw up. Free all of them? In one Cycle? Was that even possible? He had no idea what the West and East held! For all he knew, freeing just one of those Giants could take an entire three days! Yet…if it knew some trick, it would've told them. Once more, his bargaining was for nothing. "Tatl, it can't help us." He said, forcing his voice to stay a monotone drone.
"But…" Tatl started, looking back at Link. She stopped herself and sighed with a nod. "…I guess you're right…" She thought the same thing as her companion. If the Giant could help somehow, it'd tell them what to do.
With this grim news, the two were left a lot to ponder with only a few words uttered by the Giant as they were whisked away once more by a second flash of light…
Well, this took longer than I thought, and the chapter was also longer than I expected. Snowhead Temple is the worst Temple in this game, from a writing standpoint at least. The whole pillar thing, the central puzzle of the entire area, felt too video game-y to include. So, I had to just have some fights and drama between Link and Tatl. The fairy is becoming increasingly obsessed with her partner's past, the only thing she can really grasp onto with these time loops...
As for Goht, while a fun boss to fight, there's not much going for him in terms of writing. He charges, drops some bombs, and shoots lightning. That's it. So, its fight ended up being pretty short because there wasn't much I could do. Given how long the chapter ended up being, I don't feel too terribly bad. I always did like to focus more on the emotions and mental states of Link and Navi/Tatl more than the actual Temples themselves, honestly.
At this point, there will be a bit of a break from the main story. Lots of side stuff to do, and I've yet to touch on a lot of it so far. So, there will be a few chapters before Romani Ranch to get Epona. Probably only two or three, so not too much of a lull in things.