Chapter 11: Snowhead, Part 4: The Spirit of a Goron Warrior
Author's Note: So, this chapter hopefully will bring Link to Snowhead Temple's entrance. I have lots planned for this chapter.
DAWN OF THE FIRST DAY
72 Hours Remain
Link was glad that he had activated the owl statue on his way out of the Mountain Smithy. Using it, he was able to return to the Mountain Village in seconds, and he made his way back to the Goron Village.
Kaepora Gaebora was back.
"Hmm…I see you have been to the Lone Peak Shrine…," commented the sage, turning his head upside down. "There is a Goron who needs your help…He has a familiar face…let the eye of truth show him to you…He needs your help, Link. Do whatever you can to help him."
Link nodded.
"Until we meet again." With that, Kaepora Gaebora flew off into the distance.
Link made his way back to the bottom of the village and donned the Lens of Truth. A Goron that bore a striking resemblance to Darunia – but dead – was floating in midair.
"…Uh…what happened to you?" questioned Link.
"...Can it be? Are you able to see me?" replied the ghost.
"Yes."
"If you truly can see me, then follow behind me..." With that, the Goron began to float and drift towards the direction of the Mountain Village. Link pursued him all the way back to Mountain Village and up an invisible ladder in the wall. The Goron then floated into a chamber in the mountain, and Link followed him.
"The soaring one said the one who could see me would be arriving soon... It seems that it turned out to be true," said the ghost.
"Indeed," replied Link.
"I am Darmani the Third. The blood of proud Goron heroes runs in me," the spirit introduced himself.
"I am reminded of another Goron when I see you, Darmani…my Sworn Brother, Darunia…back in Hyrule," sighed Link.
"…Hmm...How interesting. Darunia is, in fact, my distant cousin! We sometimes visit one another…This feels strange for me to say, but when I was alive, I was a renowned warrior and veteran. Yes...When I was alive..." he sighed.
"But alas... I am now dead. I was fine until I marched off to Snowhead by myself, hoping that I could drive off a demon. It had been wreaking havoc on Goron Village...Then the blizzard at Snowhead blew me into the valley...And now...Here I am...How infuriating! As I am, I can only watch as Goron Village is slowly buried in ice...I may have died, but I cannot rest," he wept. "So, you can use magic? The soaring one also told me that you are able to use it... "
"Yes, I can," answered Link.
"I beg you! Bring me back to life with your magic! If it is beyond your power, then I beg of you to do this for me instead... Heal my sorrows. Any way that you can do it will suffice... Please...heal my sorrows," Darmani begged.
Link pulled out the Ocarina of Time and played the Song of Healing.
"What a soothing melody... My sorrows are melting away into the song. I leave my undying feelings with you...The deeds I accomplished while living are carved on my grave. You should read it. For the Goron Village...I have asked your assistance...As a thank you, you can take this mask…with it, you will assume my form…Thank you!" And with that, Darmani passed on, leaving only a Goron Mask behind.
"You got the Goron Mask! This mask contains the spirit of a proud Goron hero! Wear the mask to inhabit the body of a Goron. Take it off to return to normal-" began Tatl.
"I KNOW HOW TO USE A MASK," replied Link angrily.
"Sorry…It's just my nature…all fairies are like that," explained Tatl.
Link made his way over to the grave and donned the Goron Mask. He pulled it back and scooped up some hot spring water in a bottle.
He then proceeded to make his way back to the Goron Village, thawing as much stuff as he could along the way, and opening up another hot spring closer to the village. Finally, he thawed out the Powder Keg Shop entrance.
He then pounded the ground outside the Goron Shrine and entered.
"We're at our wits' end...The Elder went to Snowhead and doesn't seem to be coming back. Now his son is so lonely that he won't stop crying. It keeps getting colder outside, and inside we're so cold we could freeze," one Goron said, apparently oblivious to Darmani.
"Those sideburns...Aren't you Darmani? You're supposed to be dead...but you're alive? The Elder was troubled because he thought you were dead. I'm troubled, too..." explained another Goron.
"The Elder went to Snowhead and hasn't come back, so now his son is so lonely he won't stop crying. If you don't find the Goron Elder and ask him to come back...I'll never be able to sleep. And it just keeps getting colder outside...Even in here it is so cold that we could freeze," moaned a third Goron.
"At his age, the Elder couldn't have gotten very far. I fear that he may be frozen out there...Please go find him," requested yet another Goron.
Link made his way to the back and spoke to another Goron there.
"Those sideburns...Aren't you Darmani? You're supposed to be dead...but you're alive? What have you been doing? Thinking you were dead, the Elder went to Snowhead on his own... But for now, please go see the Elder's son. Hurry! ...This crying is heartbreaking. Will it ever stop?
"...Hyunh, hunh...Ahh, Darmi, where's my daddy? Where's my daddy?" the Goron Elder's Son said, crying.
"Don't worry," assured Link. "I'll find your daddy."
Link made his way out of the shrine and onto the path between Goron Village and the Mountain Village. He found an abnormally large boulder and grabbed his Megaton Hammer. He smashed it to reveal the Goron Elder frozen in ice. He thawed him out with Hot Spring Water.
"Oh! You're Darmani! But you're supposed to be dead! Am I hallucinating? Maybe this is also the doing of Snowhead's magic power... Hmmph... I've been made a fool of! But...that's impossible. I refuse to flinch. If I can see past the illusion, you'll vanish in an instant!" the Goron Elder said.
"I'm real," replied Link. "Your son is crying because he misses you."
"No matter how long you follow me, it's not going to do you any good. ...What? My son is crying because he misses me? Why do you know that?"
"I JUST talked to him."
"My son misses me... Ulp! Forgive me, my child! Your father has work to do! Darmani... Be you a ghost or a figment of my imagination, I no longer care. If you feel pity for my crying son... then please quietly sing my son to sleep with this song I am about to play on my drum. It is the very same melody that was often played for you when you were young..." The Elder pulled out a small drum.
Link attempted to retrieve the Ocarina, but instead he found himself carrying four large drums around his body.
"How does this song go? Umm...Ah, yes, yes! Like this!"
The Elder was only able to play the first six notes, then paused.
"Huh?...Let me play it once more."
Once again, he could only play the first six notes.
"It's no good! I can remember only the beginning! It's not that I forgot it. It's just so cold that I can't play very well... I'll just teach you the beginning..."
He played the first six notes, and then Link copied them. He committed them to memory.
"That is the Goron Lullaby Intro," explained the Elder. "I'm counting on you."
Link returned to the Goron Shrine and pulled out his drums and played the Intro.
"Waaah...Henh, uwaaaaah... Daaaaaddy, daaaddy...H-hunh... I'm cooold, Daaaddy!" Then, the child snapped back to his senses. "That song...That's the song daddy always plays for me before I go to sleep... I'll sing the next part."
And sing it he did. Much to Link's surprise, the Goron Elder had only forgotten 3 notes. Link copied the notes.
"Mmmmm... It's just like...daddy's... right...beside me...Zzzzz..."
Not only did the Goron Elder's Son fall asleep, but every other Goron aside from Link fell asleep as well.
"Aha! So the Gorons fall asleep if they hear the Goron's Lullaby! That's convenient..." remarked Tatl.
"Come on, we have another temple to purify," pointed out Link.
And so, they returned to Mountain Village and took the only path they had not taken before out of Mountain Village. They soon arrived at Snowhead.
A blizzard was emitting from the entrance to the Temple.
Link quickly activated the nearby owl statue by swinging his sword at it.
"What's that? There's something in the middle of that blizzard... Can't you see it?" pointed out Tatl.
"No, I can't," replied Link.
"Try using that Lens of Truth," suggested Tatl.
Link took her advice, to discover another familiar face. Biggoron, the famous swordmaker, was now blowing air and was apparently the source of the blizzard. He was blocking the path to the temple.
Link donned the Goron Mask once more and played the Goron Lullaby, putting Biggoron to sleep and causing him to curl up and roll down the mountain.
"…Is he okay?" asked Tatl.
"Probably," replied Link.
They quickly made their way up to the entrance of the temple, and went inside.
Author's Note: So, next chapter is Snowhead Temple. I can't wait! After that, the Shrine Part 2 and a few loose ends, then onwards to Great Bay, or at least Link expects that to be how it will happen…