Chapter 6: Ikana Valley

Young Link led a faction of their forces into Ikana Valley. There, they came across a problem. There was a cliff, one that no one would be able to climb. The Skull Kid had already arrived, searching everywhere for the remains. If Young Link wanted to find them first, he would have to find a way to reach the top.

"Sorry I'm late," Proxi shouted as she joined Young Link's side. "I was just helping Link at—I mean the other Link, at Snowhead."

"Stop them!" Skull Kid screamed from his keep, Sakon's Hideout. "We must not let them reach the temple before us!"

"Yessssssss massssster," a Dinolfos answered. "Men, attack!"

Three Dinolfos and a big group of Stalchildren and Stalfos then leaped down from above and began to attack the Allied Forces.

As the Hylian Captains there led their forces to fight, Young Link arrived at the bottom of the cliff. Atop it was a man wearing a purple robe, using it to cover his face. However, it was empty inside, with nothing but a red dot where the face should be. He also wielded a staff that he swung around.

"Yee! Hee! Hee!" he laughed. "This is the land of Ikana, land of the dead, doomed by its blood-stained history. If you seek to roam its grounds, then you must show permission."

"What are you talking about?" Proxi cried. "If you don't let us up, then that Skull Kid is going to get those remains and use them for bad!"

"Then he has already doomed himself in darkness," the Ghost Hunter replied.

"Fine, we'll go get permission," Proxi sighed. She then noticed another pathway some of their forces were going down. "Let's just follow them towards the Allied Base. I'm pretty sure there's an area behind it."

Young Link and Proxi chased after them, arriving at the Graveyard Keep, their Allied Base. They hurried on down the path, glancing at all of the gravestones, until they came across a giant Stalchild, practically three times as big as any regular one. This one also wore gold around his waist and atop his skull.

He lay on the ground, asleep between a building and a cliff. The cliff was connected to a pathway that continued behind him, looping around the hill.

"Hmm, he looks like a guy in charge," Proxi thought aloud. "Perhaps he'll help us."

She then noticed a sign that was attached to the building next to him.

"'Ye who awaken me, battle me. Then shall I extinguish the furious flame.' Maybe he'll wake up if we make some noise."

Young Link immediately knew what to do. He whipped out his trusty ocarina and played a tune. Once he was finished, the Stalchild's eyes flew open. He stood up, destroying the bridge above him connecting the cliff and the roof of the building. He turned around and began to walk up the path.

"Come on, Link!" Proxi shouted. "We have to stop him!"

Young Link sprinted after the creature. Since he was so big, he moved quickly. Once Young Link reached him, the Stalchild began to attack him!

"I am Captain Keeta," he spoke while taking another swing. "If you wish to receive any help from me, you will enter battle with me. If you defeat me, only then will I do what you wish."

The two began to battle. Young Link swung his big sword at him, knocking him backwards. The enemy followed up with a few punches, but Young Link blocked them and continued to fight again.

Gaining enough energy, he pulled out the Fierce Deity's Mask and slapped it on. He transformed into the warrior and did a few massive swings against Captain Keeta. Once he was finished, he peeled the mask off and placed it back on his belt.

This time, Captain Keeta did not climb back to his feet. "I surrender. I admit defeat!" he shouted. "You have proven yourself worthy, so I shall help you. What is it you wish me to do?"

"We need you to let us get into Ikana Valley," Proxi answered.

"I see," he thought. "Very well then. I will lead you to the valley. Come with me."

He then began advancing towards the cliff. Young Link and Proxi followed, only to be greeted by hordes of Stalchildren and Stalfos.

"What are you doing men?" Captain Keeta cried. "Have you no honour? Have you lost your minds?"

"Their not working for you," Proxi explained to the deceased leader. "They were created by the Twinrova, who Skull Kid is working for!"

"I'll show him!" he roared, and began to destroy all of the enemies in their path. Once complete, they continued advancing, cutting through the Allied Base.

Eventually, they arrived at the cliff, where the Ghost Hunter was still sitting, dangling his feet and shaking his staff.

"Oh, Captain Keeta," he spoke. "What is it that you want from me? You wouldn't have come otherwise."

"I hereby grant this boy and the entirety of his forces access into Ikana Valley," he told him. "King Ikana would want it the same way."

"I understand," he answered. "Very well then."

Suddenly, a tree sprouted out of the ground next to the Ghost Hunter. Once it was there, he then disappeared.

"Thank you," Proxi thanked him as Young Link used the Hookshot to reach the top.

"You are welcome," Captain Keeta answered.

The two hurried onwards into the valley, where they found a huge army of Stalchildren and Stalfos waiting for them. Given how they were not far from the Enemy Base (which was shut tight), it only made sense.

Young Link and his forces began to fight off all of the enemies there. He then found a Dinolfos, which he did battle with. Once he was defeated, he fought against more enemies, until he arrived at another cliff.

This time, there was already a tree at the top. He used the Hookshot to get there, where more of the Enemy Forces already were.

On the right side of the valley was a huge castle, which was completely in ruins. In front of it was a house with a waterwheel on the side and a big horn on top.

"We will not allow you to enter the temple!" a nearby ReDead, a term used on a Gibdo (mummy) without bandages, roared. He then swung his massive sword and took out multiple Stalchildren.

"If we want into the temple, then we're gonna have to get rid of these baddies," thought Proxi.

Young Link then proceeded to fight the ReDead. The monster roared, which caused the young warrior to stop moving. While frozen, he was attacked by the ReDead. He started moving again and fought him until he was defeated.

Young Link looked around, spotting three more ReDeads. He fought off another one, and this time, dodged the roar. Once the ReDead was recovering, Young Link slashed at him until he was defeated.

He moved onto the next one, which was behind a music box-like house. He attacked him until he was gone for good, moving onto the final one in front of the entrance to the Ghost Keep.

He fought against the creature bravely, as well as some of the Enemy Forces there, until all four ReDeads had been defeated. Once this happened, the doors to the temple opened. He excitedly ran inside, only to find himself in a tower, the Stone Tower, instead. At the very top was the temple.

"We have to get all the way up there!?" cried Proxi.

Young Link noticed three switches in front of him. Pulling out his hammer, he slammed it on one, which caused a nearby block to automatically move and float right in front of the platform Young Link was on. When this happened was when he noticed the never ending hole below them.

Nonetheless, he slammed his hammer on another switch, was caused another block to move behind the first one. Slamming a third caused another to come and land on top of the second one. Realizing it was stuck, he hit that switch again, followed by the last switch he hit, so only the first one remained. He hit the third one so that way it would not get stuck. Once it was in place, he hit the second switch, so the block bridge was complete.

He ran across it and noticed a small wooden target above him. He used the Hookshot to get up, and did the same on the next one. He then saw two more switches. He hit the one on the right, followed by the one on the left, and luckily got the right order. He ran across and used the Hookshot again until he was across from the temple.

He then did one final switch puzzle involving three of them. After a few trial and errors, he got the right combination. Once the blocks floated properly, he ran across and into the Stone Tower Temple.

He was met with hordes upon hordes of Stalchildren. He began to fight his way through and entered the East Keep. It did not take long for him to claim it as his own. He hurried out of it and found a circular room.

Once he entered, the doors slammed shut.

Above him some sort of hole, although he couldn't make out what was at the top of it.

Eventually, a Garo Master appeared. They are described as "emptiness clocked in darkness." Regular Garo are brown robes with two glowing eyes and swords for hands. He was the same, only he had a purple robe with a golden head.

He charged at Young Link and began to fight him. "You will die!" he shouted. He swung at the boy again, but he blocked it and began to fight back. The Garo Master charged at Young Link again, but he dodged it and attacked him while he was distracted. It was soon after that he was defeated.

"You are . . . very strong," he spoke, weakened. "A worthy warrior to do battle with. In my dying wish, I ask of you to bring peace to Ikana, and to put a stop to Skull Kid's plans. If you shoot pierce the eye in this temple with a sharp-ranged item, the path to the beast you wish to face will be clear.

He then pulled out a bomb and exploded. Afterwards, the doors to the room opened. Heeding the master's words, Young Link continued into the next room in search of the eye.

He then found it, hiding out of sight of the entrance to the temple. The boy pulled out his bow, aimed, and fired.

Suddenly, the whole temple turned upside down.

Through some sort of magic, the floor was now above them. It was only the temple and tower that were activated by this, and everyone was still alive and still battling.

Noticing that he could not reach any other keeps in the temple, Young Link ventured back into the previous room. The hole on the ceiling was now accessible, so he jumped down. Proxi followed.

The two found themselves in the middle of a desert, sand and fallen pillars as far as the eye could see. Suddenly, the ground began to shake. Two gigantic centipedes then crawled out of the sand and shrieked.

It was the Giant Masked Insect Twinmold.

They swooped down at Young Link. Given how he was only half the height of one of their legs, he dodged out of the way. He then noticed how the tips of their tails were not covered with armour.

He racked his brain for what item could be used against it, until he remembered the very item he used to get to the temple itself; the hammer.

He pulled it out and waited for them to dive down again. Once they did, he dodged it and slammed the hammer down as hard as he could on the tip of their tails. They roared and collapsed to the sand, giving the boy a chance to strike.

Once they began to fly around the room was when Skull Kid appeared.

"You have revealed the way to the monster," he spoke. "Thank you!"

The two started to fight each other. Skull Kid punched him a few times and had Tatl and Tael smack him. Unfortunately, Young Link was hit by all of these attacks.

Once Twinmold dived again, Skull Kid and his two fairies were hit knocked far away. Young Link quickly jumped back up and smacked his tail with the hammer. He collapsed to the ground.

He kept on fighting the creature, until he had enough energy to use the Fierce Deity's Mask again. Once this happened, the creature was ultimately destroyed. He exploded into many different rupees as the remains appeared in Young Link's hands.

"Oh no!" Skull Kid worried. "I failed them again! I'd better get going!"

All of his forces then disappeared from the battlefield.

"Wow, the battle is won. I'm so glad you're not hurt, Link!" Proxi cheered.