A week and a few days followed on from the visit to the Clock Town. Iris was relieved to see Sable a bit more chipper in her attitude. While she was still a far cry from the girl she once was, she was showing signs of improvement. In the meantime Iris had honed her own skills into levitation and was now confident enough to fly on her broom. She spent many days zooming around the perimeter of the ranch. The wind rustling through her leaves made her giggle with glee. There was something about hurtling at a wicked speed and staring death in the face that made her feel alive.
Finally the day came when Iris had managed to convince Sable it was safe to travel by broom. On a sunny day, Cremia and Romani saw their temporary lodgers off at the edge of the ranch. Romani was distraught now that her friendly witch was now leaving. Her sister on the other hand was a little saddened to be losing another helper.
Sable narrowed her eyes at the broom in Iris' hand "Are you sure about this? I mean, we're going to be flying at a very high height and I don't feel like plummeting to my death this young."
"Relax, I know what I'm doing." Iris confidently replied and mounted her broom. Her travelling companion was not so convinced as she remained standing beside her. She taunted in a friendly way "Come on! Don't be such a Cucco."
"I just don't like the idea of your magic failing when we're all the way up there." Sable pointed to the sky.
"But we won't," Iris laughed "Come on, take a chance."
Sable let out a growl as she slung her bag over her shoulders. Her confidence was wavering the more she thought about it and finally took a seat behind Iris. Although there would soon be magic in play, Sable felt like a true fool just standing there with a broom between her legs.
Iris waved to their gracious hostesses "Thankyou for letting us stay with you."
"A pleasure, any time you need a place you're welcome here." grinned Cremia as she bowed her head to them.
"Romani will miss you Witchy and Jester." said her little sister with curtsey.
"Are you even sure this broom is big enough for both of us?" muttered Sable under her breath.
"Just trust me and hold onto your hat." Iris nodded and focused her new found magic into her broom as she had practised. Defying gravity, they began to hover above the ground and ascended at a steady pace. The pair of sisters resembling a pair of dramaturgical masks, Romani cheered them on while Cremia looked utterly horrified and covered her eyes with her hands. Floating higher into the air, they could now see Termina's landscape stretched below them like a carpet. The ocean to the west beckoned them to come with its azure waters and playful waves. Iris kicked her broom into full throttle as they sped towards their destination.
Wind cut around them as they soared effortlessly over the cerulean sea that cloaked the Great Bay. All manner of pinnacles and craggy rocks sprouted from the water line like crosses on a treasure map. They swooped over a rocky cliff to find an entire pirate fortress hidden from view. Numerous ships danced across the ocean in search of adventure. Each flew the black flag of the Jolly Roger to herald their passage. A large half submerged fish tail rose on the horizon and closer to the inlet of the bay.
Upon their descent the water revealed to be more turquoise than azure. The shimmering waves were really opaque and looked diseased. In the distance was an ominous wisping vortex of mist so dense it was near impossible to decipher what it concealed. Aside from the pirate ships, there were oddly no Zora seen frolicking along the tide. There were no merchants or fishermen along the coast either. Sable gripped the broom tighter as the absence of life disturbed her greatly. The bay now looked sickly compared to the glorious sight from a distance.
They wove through the various crags and jutting towers of rock. Iris kept composed the entire flight as she masterfully guided the broom through the air. A tap on her shoulder followed by a gesture diverted her attention to their landing. Sable had spotted a tunnel amongst the rocky cliffs near the large fish tailed island. The broom was steered sharply to narrowly skim across the ocean before vanishing into the tunnel.
With their feet back on the ground, Iris turned to Sable who was still holding onto the broom like her life depended on it. The height difference had resulted in only Sable being able to put her feet on the ground as her death grip secured the broom over the ground. The Deku tittered "We've landed, it's safe to let go."
She glared back at her, looking utterly rattled by the flight "That was insane."
"And what do you intend to do if you get the form of a flying creature? Just hide from the idea of flight?"
"No, it was amazing and you are as well for being able to do that. It's just…"
"You're a control freak and you don't like trusting others." Iris laughed at Sable's hurt face "Don't worry, I'm the same, it's probably why we get along."
Sable's features softened as she smiled back "I'll check to see if the fairy is in, would you like to come with me?"
"No, I don't really like Great Fairies." Iris sat cross legged on the ground "I'll just wait here."
A casual glance turned to the scenery as Iris tried to make the most of her first visit to the bay. She found herself distracted by a flickering stream of darkness and light as two fairies soared nearby. A shadowy imp manifested in the corner of her eye wearing an eerie rainbow mask. Its eyes were reminiscent of the moon hanging in the sky. However anyone with the knowledge of the forgotten lore knew of this mask, even if the reasons behind its creation were lost.
"Majora's Mask! But how!?" Iris stood with her broom in hand, unsure of whether fire or ice would be more effective, however the imp had disappeared into nothing.
Darkness parted to reveal another identical fountain carved from iridescent white stone. Gentle violet light cut through the shadows and shimmered through the eternal rain. As Sable approached the pool of water, the fountain came alive as the Great Fairy solidified with her celestial dance. Her elegant form wreathed in vines and leaves while her indigo hair danced with a life of its own. She looked down upon Sable with an openhearted smile "Welcome Gomess child. The other fairies have mentioned your journey so I knew you would eventually arrive here."
"I am honoured that you have noticed me," Sable bowed as she said "Then you know I seek the Ocean Tiger, can you tell me how to find it?"
"That is difficult to say. The Ocean Tiger is a wanderer of the seas who only returns to the bay at the equinox. But I'm afraid with the condition of the ocean at the moment… it will not return at all."
"Then how do we fix the ocean?"
"By slaying the gargantuan masked fish, Gyorg."
"The wrath of the Western Giant?" Sable's ears twitched as she declared "That's impossible! It can't be done! Are you sure there is no other way?"
"I know, the one destined to cleanse the ocean hasn't reached Termina yet. But I suspect he will be any day now."
"What do you mean?"
The Great Fairy grimly informed in a cold, calculated voice "The curse of Majora's Mask is now upon us, it is corrupting every corner of this land. Surely you cannot ignore the moon's appearance in the sky. It will crash into Termina and shatter all existence on the eve of the Carnival of Time."
The announcement only reignited all doubt and despair that previously shackled her mind. Sable was speechless, her voice shaking as she said "Then… what can we do? What can I do?"
"There is nothing we can do… we are all doomed unless the Fierce Deity challenges the Man-Eater once again. Only they can end this tragic game."
"Then where is he?" Sable demanded "If he had to arrive in Termina he will surely need someone to guide him. My friend could even fly him to where he needs to go. You can't tell me there's nothing that can be done and that we're supposed to sit here and wait for the apocalypse!"
"That is the truth of the situation, there is nothing that can be done by our hands. We ca-" The Great Fairy then screamed like a banshee as her pupils constricted. All elegance drained from her form as she doubled over and flailed erratically in the air like a marionette controlled by an insane puppeteer.
The mischievous voice of a child rang out over her suffering "You Great Fairies have caused me nothing but trouble, it's time I silenced you for good."
Cracks appeared on the fairy's skin as light filtered through her breaking shell. She let out a final cry, her entire being shattering into violet light and vanishing into the ether.
Before Sable could react, Iris was by her side and poised with an ember burning in her hand. Glancing over her shoulders, the witch informed "I saw someone wearing Majora's Mask outside. I didn't think you should be alone."
"Interesting that you know what this mask is, you're probably the only one so far."
The infamous spiked harlequin mask with luminous eyes was the first to materialise from the air. The form of a skull kid then appeared behind the mask and formed beneath the light along with two fairies. The patterns of ragged clothes were unmistakable and it was beyond Iris' logic as to how a dweller of the forest got their hands on such an ancient relic. He stood before them with perfect posture as the mask tilted to one side.
"You two look like you're good friends," his voice dripped venom as he sneered "How about a mind swap?"
Iris ordered Sable "Burn him!" Her own hands were now wavering with frozen crystals. The magic unleashed in the form of wildly contorting water that rose beneath the skull kid. Rapidly they crystallised into barriers of ice that put a gap between him and his prey.
The fairy of darkness panicked "Skull Kid, I got a bad feeling about this!"
"No kidding Tael," sneered the fairy of light "Since when could Dekus freeze water!?"
"There's no reason to be so mean Tatl!"
Skull Kid paused as a shadow rose from behind the icy walls followed by a warm glow. He narrowly dodged the clawed talon engulfed in flames that lunged through the frost in an attempt to grab him. A demonic lizard wreathed in fire was slowly edging towards him. Wild strikes from its powerful limbs broke through the ice as it breathed flames throughout the fountain. To his shock, he saw that the jester girl had vanished completely.
The form of the Fire Salamander was tremendously powerful. Sable was amazed at how easy it was to shatter through sheets of ice that only a Goron could break. She felt the fire along her spine blaze as she unleashed a whirlwind of flame that engulfed the fountain. When the flames had subsided, the remnants of Iris' magic had melted into nothing, not even the white stone was charred and Skull Kid was nowhere to be found.
"What an interesting creature you are," He materialised before her, his entire form floating in the air as he reclined with his arms folded over his chest "I didn't need to do anything to you, you're already a freak." He cackled at her and vanished, his voice cruelly lingered "A freak who killed her own friend!"
Sable turned slowly to see Iris collapsed near the tunnel's entrance. Flames burnt her delicate wooden body. In an instant Sable was at her side and picked up the small Deku with one clawed hand. To her amazement, Iris was not burnt, instead her leafy hair had shifted into a mane of fire. Weakly the Deku opened one eye and chirped "That was a little too close for comfort."
The Fire Salamander gently lowered Iris to the ground then became engulfed in darkness to revert back to Sable's Terminan body. She fell to her knees, panting as she said "That body is going to take some time to get used to… I'm so tired."
"Come on, let's find somewhere you can rest." Iris glanced around the chamber "I don't think we should stay here much longer and there's nothing we can do to help her."
"What is Majora's Mask? You said it before."
"A relic the Gomess found when they descended into the Twilight Realm. It's the vessel of the primal deity, the Man-Eater, but the mask is named after Majora who was the one to cast it back into the darkness." Iris shook her head, her mane of fire reverted back to leaves "I don't know why or how it's resurfaced, but I know nothing good will come of it."
Sable nodded in agreement and followed her out of the fountain. An uneasy silence settled on the ancient shrine and the magic began to wane. The darkness slowly consumed the violet light and plunged the broken fountain into oblivion. From this nothingness, the Great Fairy fought back, tiny fragments of her being materialised as a swarm of violet fairies. Although all the fragments were not united, some had been spirited away to the Great Bay temple. Now all she could do was wait for the hero to reunite the shards of her soul.