Alright everyone! This is it! The finale! Now, I assure you, there will be more chapters, serving as an epilogue, but for a little while after this goes up, I'm taking a break! I am so thankful for everyone who has liked this story and helped me along the way. I did my best to make this tale like Majora's Mask: emotional, dark, but themes of hope and growth throughout. Enjoy, and thank you!
-With love, Joost
The Fierce God Given Life
Chapter 18: A Grand Stance
The group made their way to Ikana Canyon. Link, Romani, Tatl, Skull Kid, Jim, two members of the Bombers, the Swordsman Teacher, Captain Viscen, and four Clock Town guards made up this army. They were determined to stop the threat of the Garo once and for all.
Link wore the Captain's Hat. It was tilted upward a bit, so his vision wasn't obscured. This was it. Everything that had happened in the over two months after Majora's defeat had led to this. Link thought back to how he was on the day of the Carnival of Time. He had changed so much since then. It all felt like it was moving so fast.
The summer air flowed through the valley, picking up everyone's hair. The canyon was still for the time being, not a Guay or Bombchu in sight.
Everyone was nervous as they made their way up the first cliff. They passed down the hookshot each time one of them reached the top, so that the person behind could use it and do the same. It all took some time, but once they got past the river, everyone waited.
The morning fog was heavy, and the wind started howling. Romani had her bow ready. Skull Kid stood firm with his staff. Jim and his bomber companions held the hilts of their swords. Captain Viscen and the Swordsman teacher unsheathed their weapons, and the Clock Town guards readied their spears.
"You alright, Skull Kid?" Jim whispered over to the trembling imp. He could tell he was nervous because of the sound of rattling wood he made while shaking.
"Y-Yeah… just a bit shaky." Skull Kid replied, trying to breathe and calm himself down.
Romani looked to her left to Link. She took one hand and held his. They gazed at each other and smiled for a moment. Everything they had been through permeated their thoughts until they all heard footsteps. Going into a defensive pose, Link extended his arm and signaled for everyone to stop.
A deep cackle was heard across the field. The Music Box house was in the distance, it had no need to play its song anymore. Suddenly, three Garo spies descended onto the ground before the team. Their piercing, emerald eyes looking back at the group.
"You all are going to die today…" A voice resonated. The Garo Master.
The cloaked warrior emerged from the fog, presenting his new mask in the sun. Link recalled when he destroyed the Master's previous one just a few weeks before. The metallic object looked far fiercer than its predecessor.
"Astonishing… This boy in green managed to round up all of you into his little scheme." The Maestro taunted. He slowly deployed is sabers, and the swordsman teacher backed away slightly, a flashback sending a chill down his spine.
"Let's finish this." Link stated, a cold tone lining his voice. His "hero mode" was in full effect now. He rose the Gilded Sword, and then the Battle of Ikana Canyon began.
The four guards were up first, throwing their spears right at the first few Garo foot soldiers. The robed spies went down soon enough, vanishing in green flame as usual. Romani retreated to the back of the group and used her bow to keep the coming spies at bay. The little ranch girl was even using a new technique of firing three arrows at once. She was a little clumsy with her shots, but she was getting used to it.
Link charged in front of the guards, providing himself as a human shield to allow Captain Viscen to swing his sword at the Garo, taking them down. The captain's cohorts cheered for the two.
Before the robed spy in front of Link was defeated, Tatl sat on Link's hat and stuck her tongue out at it. "Bye bye!" She taunted.
The Garo Master scowled at retreated a bit, letting more of his minions appear from the fog and attack. Equipped with their own shields, the Bombers defended the Clock Town guards from the incoming spies as they retrieved their spears. Once they held their weapons again, they wasted no time taking care of the Garo the Bombers were fending off.
The swordsman pursued the Garo Master head on. He leaped in front of the robed warrior and took a defensive stance with his katana. His presence startled the leader.
"You…" The Garo Master hissed. He recognized the fighter standing before him and struck a similar pose with his flaming weapons. "At last, I can finish you off as I should have all those years ago!"
When the Master was met with silence, he jumped to a conclusion. "Here to enact vengeance for your scars?"
The Master's twisted way of speaking resonated with the sword teacher. Something terrible had happened to this warrior since their last bout. He pushed those thoughts aside.
"I assure you; I am here to finish what Captain Keeta began." The swordsman stated. He had no pride in himself this time, only a feeling of righteous desire. Desire to avenge the fallen captain of Ikana. He showed no fear, unlike how he had against the falling moon.
"Very well. I shall grant you this battle." The Garo Master words contradicted his own from moments prior, but he hardly cared. He swung his blade and met with the swordsman's katana. Their sword fight began, and their weapons clashed again and again.
Link drove his sword into another spy, vanquishing it and sending it to the afterlife. He was nearly blindsided by another Garo but parried the attack with the Gilded Sword. Their blades locked for a second until Link bashed his shield into the robed one and kicked it to the ground. Jim jumped up high and finished the attacker off.
"Great form, Jim! You're a natural!" Link applauded his friend, and Jim's face grew a little red.
"Th-Thanks, Link." Jim's modesty had peaked now, but he was able to spot some more enemies hopping off the hill just behind his friend. "Behind you!"
Link had been pushed back by a duo of Garo slashing at his shield, and he got toppled over. Jim tackled one of them, engaging in a sword fight all on his own against it. Before the other could take a swing at Link, Romani was able to pick off the assailant but got caught up with defending Captain Viscen just a second later.
"Thanks, Romani!" Link shouted.
"Don't thank Romani!" The ranch girl replied, giving Link a stern look. Her expression changed to one of horror and pointed past her friend. "Look out!"
Link looked back at what Romani was pointing at and quickly dodged out of the way. The Gilded Sword met with the twin blades of another Garo, and in the corner of Link's eye he saw Jim struggling to fend off the spy he had tackled earlier.
"Get away from him!" Skull Kid yelled as he slammed his staff into the Garo that pursued Jim. He was able to decommission the creature and stand next to his friend.
"You alright, Jim?" Skull Kid asked, looking at the next Garo that began charging at them.
"You bet! Now, let's show these fools what the Bomber's Secret Society of Justice can do!" Jim said valiantly. Skull Kid lifted his mask and gave his friend a smile of assurance. Once he lowered the wood covering, they ran towards their attacker. The twin blades of the Garo were met with a sword and a staff respectively, and the two were able to overpower the blades.
Link had gotten pushed to the ground, but he shot an ice arrow at his assailant before he could get hurt. The Hero then kicked the frozen warrior back and watched it shatter into pieces.
Taking some time to catch his breath, he was about to get to his feet but got distracted by a Stalchild rising from the ground. It was one of the Ikananan soldiers! His hand wasted no time saluting Link once he saw the Captain's Hat atop his head.
"Captain!" The Stalchild said. "Permission to assist in the battle?"
Link hardly had time to think. He looked back at the fight before him. Everyone was starting to get overwhelmed. His only response to the undead soldier was to nod, and more rose from the dirt to join the battle. They lunged themselves at the robed warriors, almost acting like a swarm. All the Terminians for able to regroup for a moment.
"Is everyone alright?!" Captain Viscen hollered as he ran to the assembling group.
"Yes, I think so." One of the guards replied, and his words were followed by a nod from the Bombers, Skull Kid, Romani, and Link.
Another one of the guards took count of everyone. "…ten, eleven, twelve… Wait! Who are we missing?!" Everyone looked around frantically before they spotted their missing member, the swordsman teacher. He was still fighting the Garo Master, their battle escalated up the hill and on the small cliff just above the Owl Statue.
"Finally, you have grown in your skills, old man!" The Garo Master bellowed. The sound of metal on metal rung in both combatants' ears. Their fight was lasting far longer than it had all those years ago. The Master's form contrasted against the swordsman, one being wild and random, the other being calm and defensive.
"I have spent years training myself to be greater. The scar you left on my face serves as a reminder of that day!" The swordsman responded, taking his first aggressive stance and knocking the Maestro backwards slightly.
"Impressive!" The Master made his weapons go slack and wrapped them around his opponent's katana. He pulled and sent the swordsman flying into the air. Before he could land a hit on the teacher, a squad of Stalchildren appeared from the dirt and started to surround him. They clawed at him with their bony hands.
"What in the-?" The Garo Master whipped the soldiers with his sabers, sending their bones flying. The swordsman saw an opening and was able to ready his weapon and stab the Garo in the shoulder.
"AUGH!" The robed terror screamed. He grabbed the sword in his shoulder by the blade and tugged. Eventually, he ripped it out, blood splattering onto the rock ground.
"So after all this time, you do bleed…" The swordsman teacher remarked, a smirk along his face. The Garo Master let out an animalistic growl as the teacher parted his bangs at last. "If you bleed… you can die!"
Their swords met again, making a blinding flash of sparks that fluttered about. The Garo was about to take another swing when the Hero of Termina slid under his cloak and sliced into his leg. After another howl of pain, the robed tyrant looked at Link as he stopped his sliding and stood beside the swordsman.
"No honor!" The Garo Master screamed, the memory of how Link mutilated him flashing before his eyes. He swung his weapons wildly, and Link parried the blows alongside his teacher.
The two battled the leader of the spies until they neared the edge of the cliff. It wouldn't be a long fall, but it'd hurt for both of them. Before they could even consider trying to force the Garo Master backwards, he kicked the swordsman off the edge, and he landed with a thud. Looking back at the Master, Link was swatted across the edge like a little defenseless bug.
The Garo leaped down and pinned the swordsman to the ground with his foot and rose his sword into the air.
"Only now… at the end… do you finally see!" The Garo Master yelled and prepared to kill the teacher once and for all. This mortal man had been an insect to him.
"NO!" Link hollered, and he dashed to try and block the strike. His muscles ached, but he reached into his bag and pulled out his trump card. He placed the item he retrieved onto his face and felt himself getting consumed by light once again. Just a second later, he transformed.
"What…?" The Garo Master looked at his weapon, and saw it was being blocked by another sword. He traced the foreign weapon to its hilt, then the wielder. The double-helix blade gleamed in the sun, and Fierce Deity Link only expressed a scowl at the Garo Master.
"Welcome back…" The Garo Master slurred his words. His annoyance at this boy who just wouldn't give up was immeasurable. Every person on the battlefield stopped what they were doing, Garo spies included, and gazed at the Fierce Deity. The long silence created by the god's appearance lasted forever, even though it was just a few seconds.
"I'd quite like a rematch!" The Garo Master exclaimed. He thrust his weapons and got the double-helix blade off. Stepping away from the swordsman, the Garo Master extended his blades and the Fierce Deity started to walk to the right. The Master followed suit, walking to the left, keeping his distance from the angry god.
Everyone still looked at the Moon God with awe until one of the Garo Robes took the opportunity to stab a Clock Town guard in the torso and bring him to his knees. Captain Viscen ran to the spy and engaged, prompting everyone else to continue the battle.
Romani could hardly take her eyes off of Link. She loosed an arrow without needing to look at her target, taking it down, but never breaking her gaze from the Fierce Deity.
"Be careful, Grasshopper…" Romani whispered. Link could almost swear he heard her voice.
"I've been learning about your peculiar form since we last encountered each other…" The Garo Master said, side stepping. "It has a very colorful history…"
Link didn't react. He just swung his sword and met with the Garo Master's sabers.
"Once a mortal man… Sealed away his closest friend into that infernal tower just across from us." The metal blades scraping each other resembled the sound of nails on a chalkboard. "Fell in love with a certain woman, but was forced to do something unimaginable to keep the land safe…" The Garo Master's knowledge mystified Link. He felt a foreign emotion well up inside him. He growled and pushed back with his sword.
"Oh my… touched a nerve, haven't I?" The deranged cackle from the Maestro of the Garo nearly sent the Fierce Deity off the edge.
Link lifted the sword and brought it down repeatedly on the Garo's flames. Sparks whizzed from every impact, but Link ceased his assault before he could let himself go to far. Letting one saber go slack, the Garo Master wrapped it around Link's boot and made the god trip. When the dust of the fall settled, Link rolled out of the way of another burning blade before it could plow into his face.
One of his swords stuck on the ground, The Garo Master was halted for a moment. Fierce Deity Link kicked the robed one on the gut and the force dislodged the sword from the stone and sent him flying. He accidentally landed on a Stalchild, but its bones reconstituted after the Master got to his feet and dashed back to his opponent.
Striking Link's armor, the god stumbled back and looked at the gash now present. The armor sealed itself in an instant, but Link was hit again and again by the Garo's bare hands, rage seething through each blow. The double-helix sword fell from Link's grip and the Garo Master snatched it before it could clatter to the ground.
"Link! Duck!" Tatl tried in vain to warn her companion, but it was too late. The Maestro of the Garo swung the mighty blade and sliced Link's face open. It was growing to be a preferred attack.
"How does it feel… to be cut like that?!" The Master taunted. Link held his face, for some reason it didn't heal as fast as his armor or previous injuries had. He felt a wooden surface across his face until it returned to normal.
Before the Garo Master could strike Link again, the Fierce Deity's sword was knocked from his grip by a large, black scythe.
"Oh, what NOW?!" The Master looked at the source of the weapon, and both he and the Fierce Deity witnessed Gomess floating above the Stone Tower Temple. While he was incredibly far away, both adversaries could see the reformed demon with ease.
"My apologies for not being able to join, my friend!" Gomess hollered to Link. He pointed to his scythe that was embedded in the ground. "Use my strength, I implore you!"
Without a second to lose, Fierce Deity Link grabbed his sword and Gomess's scythe, wielding one with each hand. He stood firm against the Garo Master.
"Fate seems to be on your side, boy…" The Garo Master hissed, his annoyance clear as day. His words were akin to a snake.
Before the Master could ready himself, Link threw the scythe at the Garo. It missed, but just by extending his arm, Link was able to summon the weapon back to his hand. He inwardly thanked Gomess before continuing his fight.
"Get him!" The Garo Master ordered, pointing for more of his minions to swarm Link. They ran and stabbed at Link's armor with their appendages. Falling over, Link was almost unable to act as the leader joined his comrades, attacking Link like pesky flies going after garbage.
Before the Fierce Deity could sustain any more wounds, a large gust of wind forced the army off of him. Standing in front of Link to defend him, the swordsman teacher engaged with several Garo at once.
"Go, my student!" The swordsman pleaded.
Link rose and charged at the Master, not exactly what the swordsman had meant.
"Reckless child…" The swordsman muttered as his pupil entered battle with the Garo Master once more.
Blades locked continuously, but neither party showed fatigue. The Fierce Deity and the Garo Master never held back, their weapons clashing with full might each time they crossed. The double helix sword was still in perfect condition, and Gomess's scythe proved to be a worthy weapon. The blade of darkness swung in unison with the gleaming blue sword.
Getting desperate, the Garo Master retracted one of his weapons and grabbed hold of the long hilt of the scythe with his bare hands. The Maestro only giggled with sadistic glee as he tore the weapon from Link's grasp and claimed it as his own. His power was growing, and Link had to finish him off soon.
The battle seemed to last for an eternity, but the Terminian forces were starting to finally whittle down the race of spies. One Garo stabbed Skull Kid's staff, but he soon discovered his weapon was stuck. With the help of Jim and the Bombers, they used the Garo's body as a club and swatted around at several robed attackers, knocking them off the cliff and into the river.
Romani shot her bow at the last Garo spy. When it vanished in blazing green, the Stalchildren that were swarming it fell to the ground. With that, everyone cheered at the defeat of the Army of Darkness. But their joy was short lived, as the Garo Master swung the scythe of Gomess in the air. Link ducked under the swing, and it plunged into the side of the Music Box house.
Link attempted to free the scythe from the house but was greeted with a terrible slash of fire to his face. He yelped and held his face once again. But this time, there was a whole different feeling. Link looked at the ground and saw the Fierce Deity's Mask laying before him.
Link's form shifted around him, his green tunic reappearing. The only thing of the Fierce Deity that didn't vanish was the double-helix sword that was still in his grip. It felt heavier now that Link wasn't in the form of the mighty god.
Before anyone could come to Link's aide, the Garo Master swung his flaming weapons around wildly, the embers creating a ring of fire that separated him and Link from everybody else. The flames were blazing, and the wind howled as Link tried to frantically reach the Fierce Deity's Mask.
He was too late. Retracting one of his blades, the Garo Master decked Link in the face and hurled the boy by the leg straight into the wall of the building beside them. The hero could swear he heard a crack, possibly a fractured bone. The bruise across his cheek was already visible as the master picked up the mask and held it triumphantly in the air for all to see.
"The author of all my pain… sealed within such a fragile object…" The Garo looked down at Link. "Shame."
He threw the mask into the air and cut it in two.
A large blast of energy emanated from the destruction of the Fierce Deity's Mask as its pieces fell to the ground. Time felt like it completely halted when Link turned his eyes back to his enemy. The Master stomped on Link's chest, pinning him down. He groaned and felt totally helpless, just as he had when he stumbled out of the Stone Tower after his first battle with Gomess. The Garo Master pointed his weapons at his enemy one last time and softly swiped Link's face, creating a small scar on his right cheek.
"To die without leaving a corpse… That is how your legend shall end." He stated, preparing to swing. Link's raw determination had one more idea before he would be killed. He decided to not fall in fear, and he chose his path with what he did next.
But before the Garo Master could strike Link down, he felt a blade being driven into his torso. Link, struggling to hold the double-helix sword, finally did it. There was a brief second of silence, the only sound being Link's panting and the crackle of fire that surrounded them. The Garo Master sputtered, no words able to come to mind at the circumstances before him. He coughed, getting some blood on Link's face.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" The Garo Master screamed. His yell of agony echoed through the valley of the canyon and was even heard in the Southern Swamp. His last words were met with no response. No one dared give the tyrant any formal parting before he perished. All except for Link.
"My story is written when I choose who I want to be… And I choose this."
The fire around the two finally dissipated, and Link was left panting as the Garo leader collapsed onto the ground. The life slowly faded from his eyes. Link stood up and stared into the eyes of the Garo Master, just barely visible through his mask. As the dust settled, the spark within the Master's soul was finally snuffed out. His spirit was at last sent to the darkest pits of chaos, where it would remain for all of eternity.
Link huffed repeatedly and could feel his thoughts starting to slow. He had never felt so tired. The Fierce Deity's Sword started to fade away, becoming a cloud of sparkling particles. The glimmering dust swirled around Link before whizzing off into the sky, never to be seen again. Just as the swordsman teacher, Jim, and Skull Kid reached the boy in green, he leaned his back against the wall of the Music Box house and passed out from exhaustion.
Link found himself lying in a field. It was similar to the landscape that was inside the moon. Birds were chirping in the distance, and a gentle spring breeze gave the air a lovely scent.
Was he dead? No, he couldn't have been killed. The last thing Link could remember wasn't pain. Did he black out? Was this a vision? Perhaps, but Link had no time to think on the subject, his attention on the tree just a few meters away from where he was laying. He saw one figure standing by the base of the tree, and another approaching it.
Rising to his feet, Link walked slowly towards the first figure. Once he got a glimpse of the war paint across the man's face and the shining armor that bore the symbol of the moon did he know who he was staring at. He had a satchel on one side of his body, and a harp on his belt. The only peculiar thing about him was his eyes. They were adorned with crystal blue irises.
Before Link could say anything, the other figure standing by the tree turned around, holding a mask in her hands. She wore a long, orange and purple dress, adorned with yellow streaks serving as highlights. Spiral designs were dotted all across it. She had two horns atop her head, but they were hardly demonic. Her eyes, while yellow in color, showed no malice towards the two across from her.
"…"
There was a long silence.
"Welcome home, darling..." She said, a smile growing across her face.
"I'm sorry I'm late, Majora." The man clad in armor replied, kneeling in front of her.
Link was dumbfounded. He could only witness the two in front of him take each other's hands. Majora was cleansed and standing right there. Her Terminian form was something otherworldly.
"I'm glad I could have finally made it after all this time." The man stated, reaching into his satchel that rested on his shoulder, pulling out a mask of his own. It wasn't the mask he was sealed within, but a ceremonial mask. The couple just looked at each other lovingly.
The mask the god had reminded Link of the one Anju had during that night, just before he faced Skull Kid on the Clock Tower. The mask Majora held was just like the mask Link and Kafei recovered from Sakon's hideout. The Sun's Mask and the Moon's Mask.
"Link…" The man addressed their witness, turning to face him. He knelt down to meet the boy's height and looked right into his eyes. He placed his gauntlet on Link's shoulder. "Thank you for helping me. Helping save my dear friend's soul, assisting Majora, and finally giving me solace."
Link hardly knew what to say. Seeing the Fierce Deity speak with his own voice riddled him with shock.
"I'd like to thank you as well, Hero." Majora began. Her voice was pure now, not even close to resembling her voice when Link faced her within the moon. "For so long… I was in pain. My partner was forced to seal me away to protect this land. Being within that infernal mask drove me to madness."
The man next to Link looked down in shame, but Majora ensured his sorrow wouldn't last. "It had to happen, however. I could have brought destruction to all the land. Now that the Stone Tower Temple is cleansed of darkness, I have found peace with myself."
Majora closed her eyes and beamed from ear-to-ear. "Thank you, Hero of Termina. I believe you have earned your rest."
Link smiled with modesty. Even if he wanted to speak, he couldn't find any words. He just let the Fierce Deity return to Majora. Their hands interlocked and they held their ceremonial masks to their chests.
"Let us exchange the promised masks." Majora stated. The two beings put their masks together, and a blinding light was emitted from the contact. When the light faded, Link removed his arm from blocking his vision.
There, a new Couple's Mask floated down from the air and into Link's hands. Another physical embodiment of a couple's love was created, even if this place existed on another realm of reality, with Link just an onlooker. The boy was simply gazing through a window, but he felt the energy as if he was right there.
"We have exchanged our oaths and become a couple." The Fierce Deity explained. While Link already knew what the existence of this mask meant, he didn't interrupt. "You are our witness. Please, accept this mask."
Link smiled as the new Couple's Mask descended into his palms. He got a good look at it and then everything faded to white.
Waking up, free from his vision, Link was greeted by a worried Romani in his face.
"Grasshopper?" Romani asked. She didn't think she really saw his eyes slowly open, but one long look at Link's face proved her wrong. "Grasshopper!"
"Wh-What happened?" Link stuttered. He was confused, slowly becoming aware of his surroundings again. Romani tried to tell him but was too busy embracing him in a hug. She only parted the hug to kiss him on the cheek. Jim entered his view and put his hand on his shoulder. A reassuring smile was on his face.
"We won, Link…" Jim said shakily. Even he didn't believe it, but it was true. "We won, we did it. We beat 'em."
Everyone had gathered around Link, and his only response was to blush. Looking around, the body of the Garo Master had faded away long ago, and only the metal mask remained on the ground. They really did it. The Garo were no more.
Link groaned as he stood up. He looked across the area, seeing all the chaos that had ensued. Several of the Stalchildren faced him, even though he wasn't wearing the Captain's Hat now. All Link did was salute, and then they returned the gesture before descending into the soil again, finally able to rest after all this time.
Link walked over to the remains of the Fierce Deity's Mask. The two pieces held no more power, just as Majora's Mask had when he stopped the moon. He just smirked. "Whenever there is a meeting, a part is sure to follow…"
"Let's go home…"
With that, Link collected the pieces of the mask at his feet, gathered everyone together, and started the journey home. Everyone walked in silence, leaving the canyon at last. But Link and Romani held hands the entire time, their thoughts only on each other. Everything was going to be alright.
When Link arrived home, he was greeted with hugs galore from his mom and dad. His wounds were tended to before everything settled down. That night, he slept comfortably knowing that the part of the fierce god given life within his soul had finally been put to rest. Unlike the night prior, all he thought about before drifting off to sleep was how much he wanted to learn and grow while living in Termina. He was excited.