2013 Christmas Gifts: Dragon Ball Z Budokai HD Collection (X-360), a replacement copy of Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 (the old one got scratched up by a busted 360 disc-drive), Pacific Rim and World War Z on DVD, Pokémon X, Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, new sandals, an Awkward Family Photos 365-day desk calendar, and a shirt with Darth Vader walking a dog-sized AT-AT with a red-lightsaber leash. Oh, and candy. CHOCOLATE, MAN, CHOCOLATE! [Written 12/25/13]
This chapter took so very long because of juggling Wind Waker, X Version, Budokai, and a translation project all while typing this chapter up at the same time. Apologies for the delay, but expect another one for the next chapter as well. [Written 12/30/13]
ANNOUNCEMENT: Although I only have a few scenes/ideas planned so far, I am working on the outline for Book 28. It will be an original plotline, and the Z-Fighters will play a major role. I've yet to decide a title or underlying plot details, but I'm working on it. [Written 12/24/13]
PLEASE SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR DISCLAIMERS
PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGES. …SERIOUSLY. I'M, LIKE, THE ONLY ONE WHO DOES, AND THAT'S NOT GOOD.
-CHAPTER START-
Day 3 – 7:45 PM
Romani Ranch
The past two days had been some of the most pleasant that little Link had ever known. Though he'd gotten a few things done in Clock Town, acquiring a few goodies and such, he'd spent much of his time at the ranch. Cremia delighted in mothering and fussing over him, treating him like the innocent little boy he was rather than the life-risking, world-saving hero he'd been forced to be. Hot meals, an abundance of hugs and cuddles, being tucked in at night with Romani (who would blush and let out a cute little happy sigh as she snuggled up to him for sleep), being bathed and his hair lovingly brushed, being dressed in cute outfits as she squeed over him… Link felt a sense of peace and security he'd been lacking all his life without even knowing it, the little 10-year-old's heart feeling lighter and happier from having someone take care of him like a mother. And of course, Romani loved to hug and otherwise make contact with him, frequently sticking close to him and giving him that cute little giggle with a cute little blush whenever he looked at her.
Of course, Homura and Miyako had been drawn in to a lesser extent as well. Cremia had actually managed to get Homura to open up to her a little, and on the night of the second day the young woman had came into the guest bedroom to find Miyako peacefully asleep but Homura tossing about, trying and failing to fall asleep on her own. Cremia had sat down on the bed beside her and – with a little convincing to get the young teen to let her – held the girl close while softly rubbing her back until she fell asleep (it had always worked like a charm on Romani, and it did the same for Homura, to the young mage's mild embarrassment once she woke up in the morning). Miyako, while shyer than Homura, was also more cheerful and outgoing than her once she did get comfortable with the ranch sisters, playing with / helping train Romani and Link while also helping Cremia around the ranch. She and Link had proven invaluable the evening of Day 2 in providing armed escort for a delivery to town.
Now, Link, Tatl, Homura, and Miyako prepared to cast the Song of Time and return to the start of Day 1. Homura had already 'anchored' all of the ranch events in time, making it so Cremia & Romani would wholly remember everything and would essentially be making the trip 'back' with them.
"Now you three be careful with whatever you get involved in next" Cremia said. "Also, whenever you have time to kill, just stop by here; our doors are open for you, and we'll have hot food and warm beds waiting."
"We'll come here and check up on you guys to make sure you 'made the jump' with us once we arrive back at Day 1" Link replied. "We'll see you two soon if all goes right."
The two Puellae Magi and one fairy gathered at Link's side, ensuring they were making physical contact with him. Homura had all of Link's rupees, arrows, bombs, Deku Nuts, and Deku Sticks stored in her subspace pocket so he wouldn't lose them on the trip back. He pulled out his ocarina, and magical energy flowed through him and it as he played the tune:
A, D, F, A, D, F, A, C, B, G, F, G, A, D, C, E, D
Everything went white, the sounds of ticking clocks filling the travelers' ears, as time itself was rewound…
-Break-
Day 1 – 6:00 AM
In a flash of light, three figures (and a tiny fourth riding atop the shortest figure's hat) appeared inside the Clock Town clock tower. They exited into the chilly morning, looking up at the sky, and saw that the moon was indeed farther up, back where it had been three days before they jumped back in time.
"Alright" Link said. "Now let's check and see if the time-anchor at the ranch worked, and then we'll go help the second Giant. You two, get close to me."
One 'Song of Soaring' later, and the little group was whisked away to the ranch.
-SCENE BREAK-
Day 1 – 8:45 AM
The group headed for the snow-covered entrance to 'Snowfall', ready to find the second temple. The visit to the ranch had confirmed the time-anchor's success (though Cremia had briefly tricked them when they first showed up by pretending to not recognize them, before then laughing and calling them by name to assure them she was kidding around), and asking around had confirmed that the larger and more complex time-anchor for the Deku Forest, swamp, and Woodfall Temple was successful as well.
After a little climbing, the trio entered the snow-covered path to (what a recently-purchased map said was) a 'mountain village'. The minute they entered the path, they were attacked by an odd crab-like quadruped with a light-blue body, four long and thin yellow legs with red knees and blue feet, and a single red eye in the front – a Blue Tektite. It leapt at Link, trying to stab him with its claws, but Miyako summoned her hammer and struck it mid-jump, slamming it into a nearby rock face and killing it. As they moved up the path, gaining in elevation, another Tektite attacked and was dispatched by Link's sword. Homura used a Fire jutsu to melt a mound of multi-ton hunks of snow that were blocking the path, and they kept going. Eventually, they reached a snowy clearing containing a partially-frozen creek and a single wooden house.
"This is… the 'mountain village'?" Tatl asked. "One house in the middle of frozen nowhere? Uh… 'Village'. Right…"
"Maybe a whole bunch of people live in the house" Link suggested. "Like, a whole small village's worth."
"Like a circus clown car, except a house" Miyako said.
"…What's a 'car'?" Link asked.
"I will explain later, my medieval-tech-level little friend" Homura replied. "I will explain later."
They moved through the area, Link pausing to slash a Song-of-Soaring owl statue beacon with his sword. They went down another path – which, according to a wooden sign, led to the Goron Village – and came to a wider area with two large 'islands' of stone and snow connected by bridges, leading across to a large doorway or cave of sorts in the rock face across the area. A Blue Tektite got blown to bits by a frag grenade from Homura, and the group then crossed the first little bridge. From the snow on the little 'island' emerged a somewhat-humanoid wolf-like beast with thick white fur. The White Wolfos let out a short howl and then swung a claw at Link, being deflected by the boy's shield; Link then countered with a sword slash across the beast's chest. The little warrior rushed forward, battering the Wolfos with his shield, and then landed a second, deeper slash that dispatched the beast. Further up the path, a second White Wolfos was dealt with by a combo of hammer blows from Miyako, and the group then followed the cave path ahead.
The Goron village was covered in thick snow, and apparently sparsely populated, with the few Gorons present outdoors shivering in the cold. Nearby, one stood atop a short building, on a ledge directly over a closed door. Link's group kept moving past that, up to a ledge overlooking a misty abyss. There was a gap in the fence, and across the abyss was a fat pillar of rock with a cave in its side; a sign near the drop said "Lone Peak Shrine ahead – Watch your step! It's a long way down!".
"…There's something over there we need to get, isn't there?" Link said in an exasperated tone.
"How do you figure?" Homura asked.
"That's how it usually goes on my adventures" the boy replied.
"Hoo-hoot! We meet again, fairy child! And you have friends with you now!"
The group looked up at a massive owl perched atop a nearby wooden stump.
"Have my stone statues been of help?" Kaepora asked. "Well, it seems you children may indeed possess the strength to change the cruel fate of this land… as I expected of you. But the road ahead is even more challenging. Many trials await you. Please watch over these Gorons. Their land is doomed to be smothered in snow and ice forever. It will become a land where no living thing can survive. Without courage and determination, you will surely collapse from the extreme conditions… But if that courage and determination burns bright within you, then that's another story… So… Will you proceed?"
"I will" Link said with conviction.
"Haha! You are a child of many strengths! Well, perhaps you do have enough strength to change the fate of this mountain after all. I shall take to the air now, flying toward that shrine across the way, so follow behind me. Do not be daunted by appearances. Instead, let your feelings guide you, and the true path shall open before you. Follow me, children!"
Kaepora took off, shedding a single feather as he hovered a little ways out over the abyss… and the feather suddenly came to a rest on thin air.
"Of course!" Miyako said. "Invisible platforms! Follow the owl!"
Group Link hopped over to right below where Kaepora was hovering, and the wise giant owl nodded and then kept going, flying in a sort of zigzag pattern. The group followed his path exactly, leaping from one invisible platform to another. After about 15 heart-poundingly harrowing seconds, they made it to the shrine's entrance.
"Hoo-Hoot! I have certainly been assured of your courage and determination. From here on, you must not be fooled by appearances. You must rely on your feelings… Now, enter the shrine. Something that will aid you in your quest lies within. Use that item when returning from here."
The trio entered the 'shrine', which contained a few patches of plant-life, a handful of boulders, and a large ornate chest in the center. In it were several copies of a strange-looking object: what looked like a dark-purple magnifying glass with an indigo-tinted lens, and three red spikes sticking up from the top.
"Hey, I remember this thing!" Link said as he grabbed one "It's a 'Lens of Truth'! I had one during my last adventure. It lets you see invisible things like enemies or platforms, and you can see through fake-wall illusions."
Homura and Miyako each took one as well, and the group exited the shrine. With the Lenses of Truth fixed to an eye each, they were able to see the floating platforms and easily hop across them. Waiting for them on the other side, however, was a surprise made visible by the Lenses: the ghost of a Goron. The departed spirit had a full hair-sideburns-beard setup, a strong muscular build, and a huge scar across his torso that was likely from whatever had killed him. They walked toward him.
"…Can it be?" the ghost said. "Are you able to see me? If you truly can, then follow behind me…"
The ghost took off, flying low over the ground, and Group Link gave chase. He led them out of the Goron village, down the mountain, and back to the mountain 'village'. There, he floated up a tall sheer cliff, which the Lenses of Truth revealed to be covered in invisible ladders. Link prepared to start climbing, only for Homura to scoop him up and carry him as she and Miyako ninja-climbed up the cliff (i.e., using chakra to adhere their feet to the surface and literally walking up the 90-degree wall). At the top of the wall was a cave with a decorated entrance, and standing nearby was a lone shivering Goron, next to another Goron frozen in the block of ice.
"H-H-Hello there" the not-frozen Goron greeted while shivering. "This is the grave where a hero of our people rests. I came here to p-p-put up his memorial… but the return route has been blocked by snow, and I c-c-can't get back to Goron Village. And even worse, my brother has been frozen s-s-solid by the cold. The way things are looking, I'll be frozen too… Ohhh… It's times like this I w-w-wish I had taken some of the hot spring water I found when I was digging the hero's g-g-grave. But the gravestone's on top of the spring now. I c-c-can't move something that big by myself. Oh well… Anyway, go inside and p-p-pay your respects if you want to."
Group Link caught sight of the Goron ghost flying into the cave, and moved inside after him. Inside were several torches and pyramidal purple spires surrounding a large gravestone in the center; the ghost was floating right in front of the stone, waiting for them as they approached.
"The soaring one said that the one who could see me would be arriving soon…" he said. "It seems that it turned out to be true. I am Darmani the Third. The blood of proud Goron heroes runs in me. This feels strange for me to say, but when I was alive, I was a renowned warrior and veteran. Yes… When I was alive… 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 knocked me off the path and into the valley, and I dropped right onto a narrow, pointed spire of rock. …And now, here I am… As I am, I can do nothing but watch as Goron Village is slowly buried in ice… I am dead, yet I cannot rest."
He sighed sadly.
"So, you three can use magic? The soaring one told me that you could… I beg you! Bring me back to life with your magic! And if that is beyond your abilities, then instead… heal my sorrows. Please; any way you can do it will suffice…"
Link nodded, drawing his magical ocarina. He then played a quick melody, soft and sad and beautiful, as the magic of the Song of Healing rang out with the notes. Darmani's ghost trembled as the magic coursed through him, healing his soul. Shining tears fell from his eyes, but then he nodded, an expression of grim determination on his face. There was a flash of light, and the ghost disappeared. In his place was a Goron mask, which floated where his face had been for a few seconds before falling to the ground at Link's feet.
"Young Link… I leave my undying feelings with you… For the Goron Village… I have asked your assistance… I'm counting on you."
Link nodded. "Don't worry, Mr. Darmani" he said. "We'll get it done." He picked up the mask. "Well, here goes nothin'…"
Link put the mask onto his face. Within seconds his body was suffused in magical light, and when it faded he had been transformed. Link's body was now that of Darmani's living one, minus the huge scar across the belly and with the addition of a green loincloth, red gloves & boots, and Link's ever-present green hat.
"You certainly look like your physical strength's increased in that form" Homura said. "But what else can you do with it?"
Link spent the next few minutes practicing with his new Goron body; his punches and kicks were now wreathed in Fire-type magic, when he curled up he was nearly impervious to damage, and he could also roll at a significant rate of speed, being shrouded in a fiery aura and – once moving fast enough – projecting spikes to turn himself into a high-speed whirling ball of spiky death. Once he'd gotten a good hold of his abilities, they exited the cave/shrine. Upon seeing Goron-Link, the shivering Goron's beady eyes went wide in shock.
"Y-You're… No! No, you're not the great Darmani, are you? T-Then whose grave did I dig? Did you come back to life from the warmth of the spring beneath your grave?"
Goron-Link looked to the girls. "Should we tell him?" he asked, his voice considerably deeper in this body.
"Just a moment" Homura replied, eyeing the frozen Goron. "…Miyako, your magical power is forming and controlling ice and snow. Can you free him?"
Miyako nodded and stepped toward the frozen Goron. She formed a few hand-seals, and then touched a magically-glowing palm to the block of ice. It shattered and melted away, freeing the Goron inside.
"A-Amazing!" the other Goron said. "…Wait. If your power is controlling ice and snow, and…"
"I didn't do this" Miyako cut him off. "This much ice and snow and cold is way beyond my power; if I tried to make this huge mass of cold and ice enveloping this whole mountain by myself, I'd probably die from overexertion. And the same thing would probably happen if I tried to dispel it by myself, too; sorry…"
"Oh…"
"D- Darmani?-!" the now-unfrozen Goron said with shock. "But how? I saw you buried!"
In response, Link sighed and pulled off the mask, undoing his transformation. The Gorons' jaws dropped.
"Darmani's ghost led us here" Link explained. "After explaining the situation to me, he entrusted me with his power and his will, so I can use it to put a stop to whatever dark force is creating this blizzard. We've already taken out the monster that was poisoning the Woodfall Swamp's waters."
"And odds are," Tatl cut in, "that another monster is causing this blizzard. So, we're gonna go kill it!"
"I see…" the first Goron said. "W-W-Well… good luck with that!"
"And p-p-please hurry!" the second Goron chimed in. "I don't wanna be frozen again!"
The group made their way down the cliff and then headed back to the Goron Village. There, they came up to the lone Goron standing on a ledge over a sealed door.
"It's cold…" he shivered. "Being the gatekeeper in this cold is h-h-hard… D-Do you folks wanna go in the shrine?"
"…Sure" Link replied. "Why not?"
"O-O-Okay. I'm gonna open it now. But I gotta c-c-close it soon s-so the cold won't get in, so h-hurry up."
The Goron took a break from his shivering to 'ground-pound' the roof above the door below, which slid open. The group hopped down and went in, Link putting on the Goron Mask as they entered. Once they were inside, it was somewhat warmer, but the Gorons inside were still plenty unhappy. The cause of this was readily apparent: the loud sound of a wailing baby coming from higher up, from a room at the top of the main chamber. As the group moved up the spiraling ramp that lined the main chamber's walls, and neared the decorated room at the top, the sound became near-earsplitting, such that Homura & Miyako put magic shields over their ears… and that still wasn't enough to enable them to get any closer, so Goron-Link had to go into the next room alone.
Link winced as he entered the room. There was a Goron toddler seated on the shrine, wailing his little heart out at an incredible volume. Flanking him were two guards/caretakers who were huddled up, hands pressed to their ears so hard it's as if they were stuck there.
"UWAAAAAAH!-!-! DADDYYYYYY!-!-! I'M COOOOOLD!-! DADDYYYYYY!-!-!"
As Goron-Link came closer, the little one briefly got quieter.
"D-Darmi? …Darmi, where's my daddy? WHERE'S MY DADDYYYYYY!-!-!"
As the little one continued to wail, Goron-Link exited the chamber and pulled aside one of the Goron guards.
"Darmani?-!" he shouted, both from shock and from trying to be heard over the toddler's screaming.
"Where's the elder?-!" Goron-Link shouted back.
"He went out into Snowhead! He was troubled because you were… because we thought you were dead! But he hasn't come back! And now his son won't stop crying because he's lonely!"
"Don't worry, I'll try to find the elder! Which way did he go?-!"
"Toward the 'mountain village'!"
"The one with only one house?-!"
"Yeah, that's what I said when I saw it! Just head in that direction and keep an eye out!"
"Okay! Thanks!"
Link and the girls made their way out of the shrine, with Link resuming his real form as they left the village. Out in the Snowhead pass, they started looking around for any signs of the Elder, but 20 minutes of searching turned out nothing.
"Where the hell is he?-!" Tatl shouted. "He's a Goron! He can't be hard to spot!"
"Just keep looking" Link said as he walked by one of the huge masses of snow on the lower area. "We have to find him soon."
The boy leaned back against the snow mass… which began to crumble away at his touch. Puzzled, he turned around and gave it a solid kick, and all of the snow fell away to reveal an elderly Goron frozen in a block of ice.
"…Miss Miyako?"
"Got it."
The purple-haired Puella Magi focused her power, and the ice shattered, freeing the old Goron.
"Hunh? What was I doin'?" He looked up at the sky. "Wah! It's already this late?-! I've gotta hurry!" He then took notice of the kids. "You're a few we don't see around much. Have you some business with an elder like me? I haven't the time to waste!"
"Why are you in such a rush?" Homura asked.
"It's this cold snap brought on by the disturbances at Snowhead that has crippled the village and frozen it in an icy grip… It's the lack of goods and supplies that is leading to the depopulation of Goron Village. And above all, it's the image of my own poor son, crying continually because of this biting cold. As the elder, I must do something about the situation the village has been plunged into. But this is our problem! We shall not rely on the strength of strangers!"
Group Link walked out of the Elder's visual range. Having an idea, Link put on the Goron Mask, assuming Darmani's form, and then walked back up to the Elder, who jumped back in shock.
"Oh! You're Darmani!-! But you're supposed to be dead! Am I hallucinating? Maybe this is also the doing of Snowhead's magic… Hmph. 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!"
"Elder, please listen" Goron-Link said. "Your son back at the shrine is crying as hard and as loud as he can. He's lonely because he wants you back."
"My son is crying because he misses me? My little boy… Oh, forgive me, my child! Your father has important 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 lull 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 drum and set it down, playing a trio of notes. However, he struggled, growing increasingly frustrated as he started over a few times, only to repeatedly fail to keep going.
"Oh, it's no use!" he cried. "I can only remember the beginning! It's those three notes, played twice in a row. …It's not that I forgot it; it's just so cold that I can't play very well… Yes… Anyway, I'm counting on you."
Goron-Link, with the girls in tow, headed back to the village, using a ground-pound to signal the shrine door to open. They headed in, up to the top of the structure, and the girls again stayed back due to the Goron toddler's crying being just too loud to endure. Drawing close, Goron-Link conjured the set of enchanted drums his ocarina had transformed into in this form, and played the note progression. The little Goron's crying softened.
"T-That's…" he sniffled. "That's the song daddy always plays for me before I go to sleep… I'll sing the next part."
The Goron toddler stood up, cleared his throat, and sang out the notes Link had played, followed by two more descending notes. When Goron-Link then played the notes on his drums, the magic imbued within them turned the melody into a spell-song that soothed all who heard it. The little Goron sat back, sleepy and content.
"It's just like… daddy's… right… beside me…"
At long last, the young Goron fell asleep. Seconds later, the two guards on either side finally succumbed to exhaustion and joined him in slumber. Link shrugged his shoulders and headed out, and he & the girls moved on.
-Break-
After a few minor quests, the group followed along through Snowhead, soon reaching the narrow winding path leading up to Snowfall Temple. There was a powerful, cold wind blowing down the path at regular intervals, and it seemed to be coming from the temple itself. Homura put on her Lens of Truth and…
"Oh… You have got to be kidding me… A giant, invisible Goron? …What? Why is there a giant Goron sitting on the temple? Why and how is he invisible? Why is he blowing on the path, and why is his breath an icy blizzard? How do Gorons even get that big? This… This is completely nonsensical! This is like a random obstacle with no bearing on the plot that you see in old video games just to randomly inconvenience the player! W-What is this, I don't even…"
As poor Homura struggled to wrap her head around the absurdity of the situation, Link assumed his Goron form and pulled out his enchanted drums. He played the Goron Lullaby, and the magic music rang out through the valley. The giant Goron became visible, now looking quite sleepy. He fought against it briefly, but soon succumbed to slumber. As he dozed off, he toppled off the side of the temple, landing in the ravine far below; his massive size and Goron toughness protected him from injury, and he didn't even wake up from the landing.
With the way clear, Group Link made their way along the path. Giant snowballs were rolling/tumbling their way, but Link's Goron form made for an excellent shield to protect the girls and himself from harm. Eventually they reached the base of the temple and moved up the long, narrow ramp that circled upward around the structure, dodging or smashing rolling snowballs along the way. They reached the top, and entered the temple.
Inside the initial small chamber, several fuzzy white blobs 'attacked' Link, who simply used a Goron Pound to clear them all out. He then used his Goron strength to shatter the ice stalagmites blocking the way forward, and then to push a heavy stone block forward into the hallway until it slid into a slot on the floor, unblocking the way. The next little room was occupied by a White Wolfos, but a solid Fire Punch from Goron-Link took it out. Of the room's three doors, the group headed through the door on the right (the only one not locked or blocked), into a room with an old bridge over a long drop into a lava pool below, with the bridge flanked by bizarre ice-based magical construct-creatures that blew icy wind across the bridge at varying intervals. Goron-Link timed it just right and pulled a Goron Roll across the bridge, leaping a gap at the end, while Homura and Miyako chakra-leapt along the walls. The trio hopped across a short gap and moved upstairs.
The next, multi-leveled room had a few odd large rat-like creatures with what looked like old-cartoon-style bombs at the tips of their tails. Link charged in and used a Goron Fire Punch to smash the 'Bombchu' away, and then immediately curled up to defend himself from the ensuing explosion. He detached the Goron Mask, assuming his normal form, and moved over to the lone treasure chest in the room, which held an enchanted map of the temple. They then headed back downstairs, hopped across the gap, and went through the door on the right (left if from the room's original entrance).
They came into the massive central chamber of Snowfall Temple, with multiple doors on multiple levels. After marveling at the size of the room a little, they moved across this level's central platform and passed through a gold-framed door straight ahead. In the next room, Link pulled a large stone block out of an alcove, moving it along a depression in the floor and into another 'slot' on the other side of the room, and then grabbed the Small Key that had been hidden behind the block. They went back to the main room and moved right, toward a red-framed door blocked by a chunk of ice. Homura used a basic Fire spell to melt the ice, and they passed through. The door led back to the second little room of the temple, where the White Wolfos had been. Link used the Small Key he'd found to unlock the locked door, and they passed through.
The next room had a push-blocks-around track/area on the floor [author failed to find a more eloquent and less videogame-y way to describe it], with a few large stone blocks frozen in massive hunks of ice, and a treasure chest that contained the temple's magic compass. The far wall had several large cracks on it, so Link pulled out a Bomb and chucked it, blowing away the weak wall and revealing a staircase. Up the stairs, the next room had several short pillars of rock with ice formations atop them; Miyako shattered the ice, enabling the group to climb up and hop across the room. The compass pointed them to a large mound of snow, which Homura melted to reveal a Small Key.
The next room had a lower area populated by a pack of White Boes. There was another door across the way, and for the girls – Homura carrying Link – it was an easy jump across the gap. The door led back to the huge central chamber, on the next floor up. Link assumed his Goron Form and roll-jumped over the gap up ahead. Faced with a door blocked by super-thick ice, he rolled to the right, along a curved slope on the side of the wall, and – led by the Compass – across the room to jump another gap and reach the door across it; the girls followed by simply chakra-leaping up to his position, and they passed through the door.
The next room was square-shaped and mostly empty other than a circular mural of sorts in the center of the floor, and four glowing square-shaped tiles at the four corners of the room. As they stepped in, the doors locked, and from one of the glowing squares emerged a wizened old humanoid creature with blue skin and glowing yellow eyes, dressed in a dark-red and carrying a gnarled old wooden staff with a blue gem set into the top. He fired a burst of ice at the group, who dodged as it impacted the floor, spreading slippery ice around where it hit; he then did a silly-looking dance spinning around in circles a few times, and vanished down into the tile mid-spin.
MINI-BOSS – Wizzrobe
Homura pulled out and shouldered her crossbow, looking around the room. Sure enough, the Wizzrobe appeared from another warp tile across the room. He fired a blast of ice which she countered with a fire burst, and then as he spun around she fired a crossbow bolt that hit him in the butt, making him shriek and then vanish into the tile. He reappeared again from a different angle, and Miyako intercepted his ice blast with one of her own, followed by a fusillade of ice daggers that he deflected with a spin of his staff. Then Homura hit him with a single Fire-type Sagitta Magica, and he retreated into the room's warp grid again.
The Wizzrobe appeared again, but this time he moved around between the tiles while producing afterimages and illusory duplicates of himself. Confused by the display, Goron-Link almost got hit from behind by an ice blast, only for Miyako to strike it out of the air with her hammer. The evil being was heard cackling from multiple directions. Goron-Link closed his eyes, calming himself and focusing…
The Wizzrobe appeared, pointing his staff at Homura and Miyako, who were both busy trying to dodge fake attacks from the illusions. He chuckled as he prepared a powerful freezing blast. Suddenly, though, he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned, and saw Goron-Link coming at him with a flaming fist. The Wizzrobe didn't have time to dodge before Link's burning punch smashed into him with incredible force, slamming him into the wall with a splat. He crumpled to the floor and vanished in a burst of pale-blue fire. The doors unlocked, and a treasure chest magically appeared in the center of the room. Link returned to his real form and opened the chest, and pulled out what looked like a red arrowhead-shaped gem.
"I remember this charm!" he said. "It lets me shoot arrows that are enchanted with fire!"
"B-But can't Homura already do that for you?" Miyako asked.
"I'm sure it will come in handy" Homura replied. "I won't always be around to help him whenever he needs a Fire-based attack."
Link pocketed the enchanted charm, and the trio (plus Tatl) headed through the door back into the central chamber. The compass pointed them down to the bottom of the chamber; Miyako carried Link as she and Homura ninja-leapt their way down the levels and to the bottom. They moved past the small lava pools and headed up the stairs on the east side, up to the chamber's first floor. Two green-framed doors up ahead were blocked by ice. Link used a Fire Arrow to melt the left-hand ice, and the group passed through into a room with multiple rock platforms 'guarded' by a trio of the odd ice-statue constructs breathing streams of extreme cold. Link killed one with a Fire Arrow, while Homura used fire bursts to destroy the other two. There were three unlit torches around the room, and Homura decided to save Link's arrow supply by lighting all three with her own Fire magic. Once they were lit, the central door unlocked, and the group hopped across the platforms and passed through.
The door led to a small barred-off area on the side of the central chamber, with a heavy switch in the middle. The trio's combined weight wasn't enough to press it down, but a Goron Ground-Pound was. After it was pressed, the pillar in the center of the room rapidly rose all the way up. The group headed back through the previous room and out into the central chamber, moving right and through a red door that led back to the temple's second room. From there they returned to the bridge room, where the living ice statues had either 'respawned' or been replaced; Homura melted them with a Fire spell, and this time their destruction triggered the appearance of a chest containing a Small Key. Led by the magic compass, they headed back up the left-hand stairs into the room where they'd found the Dungeon Map, and Miyako carried Link as she & Homura leapt up to the second level of the room, heading through the door on the right.
Back in the central chamber, they went right, and Miyako used her hammer to shatter a wall of ice blocking a staircase. Up the staircase and then ninja-running along the wall to the right (Link probably could've Goron-Rolled the snowy slope, but there was no catch-net if he failed), they used a Small Key on the locked door an entered a snow-covered room with rock pillars jutting up from the ground, and populated by bizarre snow-beasts.
"Muk made of snow?" Miyako thought aloud, thinking of a certain handheld game series' Poison-type living mound of sludge, and noticing the striking similarity in shape and size these beings had.
"What's a Muk?" Tatl asked. "These're called 'Eenos'. They can form and toss boulders of compacted snow, so watch out!"
One of the Eenos promptly did just that, but the snowball was flash-vaporized by a burst of fire launched from Homura's fist. Link countered with a slash of his sword that destroyed the monster, followed by a Fire Arrow fired at the second, larger Eeno right as it was preparing its own attack, the released magical flames quickly consuming the snow-beast. Another Fire Arrow melted a hunk of ice blocking some stairs to the north, and the group went up them into a plain room populated by two Dinofols, which immediately attacked them. Link assumed his Goron Form, using his armored rocky body to block one Dinofol's blade and then counter with a Fire Punch to the face that crushed the lizard-man's skull, while Miyako froze the second Dinofol's feet to the floor, and as it tried to free itself Homura put a crossbow bolt between its eyes. The kids exited through the north door, coming out toward the top of the central chamber and crossing the cylindrical platform in the middle to reach the door on the other side. Inside they found an ornately-decorated chest that gave up the Boss Key, followed by a set of stairs that led back to the central chamber.
The Boss Door was visible up at the top of the chamber. Rather than try to find a long way to reach it, Homura grabbed hold of Link, and she & Miyako made their way up the walls and to the top level, allowing little Link to use the Key to unlock the door. They came out into a massive circular chamber that surrounded the temple's main central area. To their right was a huge hunk of ice, and frozen within it was a huge quadrupedal robot of sorts, with multicolored armor plating (primarily dark blue) and a somewhat-humanlike face with two large, sharp horns. Upon seeing them, its eyes glowed red, and the ice shattered as it broke free, its body crackling with electricity.
Masked Mechanical Monster – GOHT
The giant robot goat charged forward, knocking the trio out of its way as it began charging down the circuit. Link pulled out and put on the Goron mask, and began Goron-Rolling after the monster. He soon caught up to it, getting steadily closer until he managed to ram into one of its legs. Goht lashed out with a kick that forced Link to slow down. The beast sped up, only to complete a circuit and charge right into an ice trap laid by Miyako, making it lose its footing and slide to a stop in the dirt. Goron-Link took the opportunity given to him, rolling up to Goht's side and lashing out with Fire Punches. After a few blows, Goht unleashed an electrical field around itself, forcing Link and the girls back as it got to its feet and started moving again, with Link again giving chase.
As Goht charged ahead, it started kicking rocks back in Goron-Link's direction, making the rolling hero have to shift to the side as he moved in order to avoid the projectiles. As it neared the completion of its second circuit, a rocket fired by Homura struck it in the side; it stumbled, damaged, but kept moving. As Link gained on Goht, it fired a zigzagging orb of electric power back at him, forcing him to slow a little and change course to avoid being zapped. Another ice trap from Miyako slowed Goht down again, allowing Goron-Link to roll off a 'ramp' of rock and land on the mechanical menace's back, his rapidly-revolving body grinding his manifested spikes into the hostile machine's body and tearing through metal plating.
Goht again discharged its field while shaking Link off, and took off running once more. This time, in addition to rocks, it began dropping bombs in its wake, forcing Goron-Link to take evasive actions as he rolled after it. Another rocket from Homura struck Goht as it passed the entrance, leaving it heavily damaged. Goron-Link launched off another ramp, landing on Goht's back and grabbing hold. He channeled his Goron form's fire magic into his fist, and with all his might he brought it down on the back of Goht's head. His blow caved in the robo-beast's cranium, and it lost its footing and slid along the ground to a stop, shedding parts and shooting out sparks. Goron-Link jumped off and rolled away just as Goht's power core detonated, destroying the construct once and for all. Miyako and Homura came hurrying up as Link returned to his normal form.
The trio walked over to the floating mask that was once Goht's face, and again the mysterious blue light enveloped them. They found themselves in a mysterious mist-clouded realm like where they were taken after slaying Odolwa, only this time with a white theme rather than green. Another of the Giants was faintly visible across the mists in the distance.
"What… What exactly are all of you?" Tatl said.
"GU…AR…DI…AN…S…"
"…Guardians? …So you're protective deities; that's why you're in the temples. But… why are you…"
Before Tatl could finish her question, the group was warped out of this strange realm. The light deposited them just outside the temple. All around them, all over the mountain, the unnatural snow and cold began to leave, Goht's defeat and the second Giant's freedom removing the taint from the local climate. In the village, Gorons rejoiced as the deadly cold retreated, returning to them the warmth that their land was meant to have.
-SCENE BREAK-
Goron Village
40 Minutes Later
"…And that's where we are now, Elder."
Link and the girls had returned to the Goron Village with Link in his Darmani-Goron form and had everyone gather, and then had proceeded to reveal himself and explain in detail the situation thus far. The fact that Darmani had not risen from the dead to save the village in its hour of need put a damper on some of the Gorons' spirits, but…
"You…" the Goron Elder spoke. "More than Darmani's form… Darmani entrusted you, boy, with his power and his will. …He was right to. Despite your youth, you have displayed courage and strength mightier than our finest warriors. And now you seek to use that power to save this entire world… as you have saved your own world not long ago. …I believe you can do it. Link… You are a hero the likes of which only comes around once every several generations. You saved our people from a cold death, and for that we thank you from the bottoms of our hearts. I cannot do much to repay you, but…"
The Elder's hands glowed with magical energy, and soon Link's body did as well.
"I have magically enhanced your body's natural durability; you won't be as tough as when you assume Darmani's form, but you will be able to take a little more damage. I have also given a slight enhancement to your body's tolerance of high temperatures; again, you cannot go walking through lava like we Gorons can, but it could save you from a Fire-based attack, or give you a few precious seconds to escape or take your Goron form if tossed into an area of dangerous heat."
"Thank you, Elder" Link bowed. "I promise to use your gifts wisely."
The old man nodded. "We wish you luck on your journey, Bearer of the Triforce of Courage. May the spirits watch over you…"
-CHAPTER END-
Next Time (which may take a while since I'm doing Wind Waker, X Version, and a translation thing all at once): A sword upgrade, and the graveyard.